Star.
London, England, 1829-05-30 00:00:00

LIQUIDATION OF THE PUBLIC DEBT.

A PAMphlet by Mr. HEATHY/lUD has just appeared,
undei the title of ''.Thoughts Gn the Liquidation of the
Public Debt, and on the Relief of the Country from the
Dibtrws incident to a Population exceeding the Demand
for Labour," from which we make the flilowing extract,
showing his notions on the reduction of the Public Debt :
" The mode by which the burthen of the public debt, as it bear
upon property, may be reduced and equalized in its pressure, lit
order to effect the relief desired, must be considered in connexion
with the increase of the labouring classes, both in agriculture and
manufactures, beyond the demand for employment. These are
evils distinct in kind ; they require to be considered separately; but
in order to procure effectual relief to the proprietory and comma.
nity generally, the cause of each must be removed.
" The redaction and equalization of the pressure of the public
debt upon property will first be considered.
" For this purpose it is proposed as follows—
" That the legislative repeal of annual duties, to the amount of
tbirty.one millions, be declared, vis.—
"In respect of the Interest on part of the Debt X 25,000.000
" Sinking Fund to be discontinued . 3,000,000
sr Reduction of Government Pay and Penrions, and
lower Prices of Stores for the Public Service

5.000,000

3I .000,0uO
" That at the same time every description of property in the
United Kingdom be assessed in the proportion of one filth of its
value.

" That all Government Stock, not held by foreigners residing
out of the kingdom, be teduced in the same proportion.
" That all Home Appointments in and under the Government.
and Government Pay and Pensions generally, be :educed in the
'same proportion.

•••

‘‘ Taking the Public Debt at 800,000,0004 and deducting nre.
fifth, or 160,000 0001. for the proposed assessment of one-fiftb,
'G10,000,0004 remain. The assessment of oneAfth to lie charged on
the privatepropertyof 2,800,000,0901.w0u1d amount t 0560,000,0001.
which assessment would be applicible either in principal or interest,
according- to circumstances, to the debt of 640 millions remaining
as above mentioned, leaving the sum of SO millions for t►e annul-
ites"fur terms of years, or to be liquidated by other and gradual
means."

LATE FIRE AT THE RAZAAR,OXFORD STREET.

The firemen ate still on duty at the ruins of this ex-
tensive buildkg, the destruction of which has been most
complete, with the exception of the principal front,
which is in Castle-street. about fifty four feet in width,
which is not materially injured. The entrance from
Oxtord-street is only a fronting of about sixteen feet,
which leads into the interkr, and the depth from Oxford-
street to Castle•street is about SOO feet. The number
of persons occupying standings, which were let out at
so much per foot, is nearly 200, the greatest part of
whom are entirely ruined by the destruction of their all.
The principal part rat the sufferers are industrious le.
males, many of whom have been most respectably
brought 'IN but have suffered from the frowns of tor-
tow-, and been reducel with the remains of their pro-
perty to commence business to earn a living. Yesierday
m.)riting, and during the whole of the day, it was a most
heartrending sight to see the numbers who had standings
searching over the thins to endeavour to find some of
their lost property ; but very little, we are sot ry to say,
was found, and most of the articles were in such a
damaged state that they were not of the slightest value.
The .tock of the different standings varied from 2fJl. to
2001 and some even more, and scarcely one of t!.e indi-
viduals was insured. The building itself, of which Mr.
Hamlet, the eminent goldsmith, is the proprietor, is stated
to have cost that Gentleman about 25,0001. The amasr
was uncommonly full when the fire broke out, and the
number of thieves who got in during the confusion. which,
they endeavoured to incre Ise, is one of the principal
causes that some part of the property was not saved. •

Thursday ni.tht, about eleven o'clock, Miss Button,
the daughter of a respectable stock-broker. in Racquet-
court, Fleet-street, was retiring to rest, when, by some
accident, her candle came in contact with the bed cur-
tains, and almost in a moment the whole room was in a
blaze, and it was with difficulty that she escaped without
persirial injury. An alarm of fire was immediately given,
when Mr. Booth, the chief inspector of the watch of St.
Bride's parish, went into the house, and vet y usly
do ed the door so as not to admit a current of ai►, and
having procured a supply of water from the house ci,-
tern, lie went boldly to tl e room, and after throwing
in two or three buckets full, so as to deaden the flames
in some degree, he tore up the carpet. and, at the es
pense of a few trifling burns on his hands, sum eded in
smothering the fire altogether, 'but not until the whole
'of the furniture was destroyed. Several engines art ived,
buelortunately the fire was extinguished w thout them.
Thursday morning an alarming fire hruke r ut in the
premises of Mr. Robertson., a buirder and carpenter, in
the upper part of the Edgware-toad, lerclint: to Kil-
burn, which at one time threatened total destruction to
the adjoining houses on each side, ore of which i► oc-
cupled by a tronk.msker, named Harrison, and the
other by a paper manufacturer and stainer, named
Campbell. The calamity, it appeirs, was occasi red
by an apprentice entering the workshop with a d
candle, a spark from which dropped among a heap of
shavings, and set the whole of the ainsher and wood •
work in the shop in flamer. At the first alarm the pa.
rish engine promptly attended—plenty of water wit
obtained, and the devouring element kept in check un
til various other engines arrived, when the fire wa
prevented from spreading, and finally got under. he
entire of the workshop is totally cleArnyed, and the
dwelling•house of Mr. Robertson, closely adjoining ir,
has received considerable damage. The injury sus-
tained amounts to about 200 i. •

Yesterday, about one o'clock in the afternoon. a fire
broke out in the house of a farmer earned William
Hurley, residing at Enure, withia•about two milts of
thia city. The circumstance was purely accidental, and
when it occurred the entire family were out at Mork in
a potato garden•., having left in the hour, but 01 e.or
tvsn aged %%omen to prepare t!:eir dinner; a c' wader-
able time therefore elapsed before any effort cnulJ. be
made to check the fury of the flames. which, in come.
quence of the great dryness of ;he thatch, and the high
wind, had gained such an ascendancy by the time:es-
sistance could be procured that it became impossible to
subdue them ; and we regret to state that, in a very
short time, the dwelling house, a very neat and comfort-
able one, with a range of good outoffices, were burnt
to the ground (the barn eacepted), together with every
article of furniture, agricultural implements, provi-
sions, &c. they contained. The butter, of which there
was a large supply in the house at the time, was lite-
rally flowing so steams about the yard, tad the potatoes
were burnt to cinders. We ate happy however to state
that no lives were lost. This melancholy occurrence
was occasioned by the woman left to boil the potatoes
having placed on the fire too great a quantity of fops ,
which on being stirred emitted sparks, which caught
in the chimney, and speedily cemmuntcated the fire or
the thatch. The Hurley s belonged to the class of do-
cent farmers, and always supported a Character for
strict industty and honesty. They were also tentarkable
for the liberality with which they dealt out their charity
to the poor; it is therefore the more painful to think
that a family so deserving should meet with such a
calamity, which is heightened by the circumstance
of 'their having only the day before buried their fa.
vourite child, a grown up daughter.— WaterfordPaper.

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