Star.
London, England, 1826-08-12 00:00:00

-FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

The Ilarquis of 13ristol entettalned the Marquis and March'.
or.ess of • aanricarde, and a distinguished party, at dinner, yesier.
iay, at his.villai Putney Heath, Surrey.
The Make of Grafton and the Ladies Theray hare left town
for their seat at Stoney Stratford.

. The Marquis and -Marchioness of Clandearde and family left
town this morning, for Brighton. '
The Earl and Countess Cowper have left town for their seat,
Pansengeb Herts.
The Earl and Countess of Hanowby left town yesterday, for
their seat in Staffordshire.

The Fsarl of Chesterfield left town yesterday, for his seat in
Derbyshire. • _ . • •

Capt. Drummond has left town fot Eastbourne, Sussex.
Lord Lynedoch has left Brighton, for General Treier's seat,
in Sussex.

The Hen. Thomas Wallace and Lady Melville left town yes-
terday, for Tunbridge Wells. -
The Earl of Miltown left the St. James's Hotel, Jermyn street.,
yesterday, for the Isle of Wight.
The Dowager Marchionesi of Salisbury has left town, for Lord
Darrel seat, the Hoo,•Herts. ' •
Mrsand• Mies Robins left town yesterday, fur Weymouth.
The Earlof Abergivenny has left town; for his seat in Sussex.
The-Earl of Carnarvon has kft town, for his seat in Berks.
Departures from lirad's Hotel, Lower Grosvenor street—The
Farl of Winchelsra and Lord Maidstone, for their seat in Kent;
June Fitagerald, EN. for his seat in Lancashire; Sir Gray Ship.
with, Bart. on a tour; S. Wade, Esq. for his seat in Suffolk.
Departures front the Bri,ish Hotel, Jermyn street—John Eyre,
Esq. for Dublin; John Martin, Esq for the Continent; Mrs.
Hart and family, for Cheltenham ; Dr.-Thomson, for Jersey ; G.
Ii )Icon. Esq. on a tour.
Departures from Kirkham's Hotel, Lower' Brook street—The
Earl of Stair, on a tour; Mt and Mrs Deering, for Bath; Colonel
Dalton, on a tour.

AWFUL CONFLAGRATION.-DESTRUCTION
OF SIX FARMS.

• • -CAMBRIDGE, Amur. tr.
ifinesda evening, about nine o'clock, a most dreadful
fileiritke out at the village of Over, in this' couniy,
. which, {or rapidity and extent of damage, has not been
acetified in the neighbourhood in the memory of the
•ohlest.inhabitant. It was first seen by a young man and
woman, liping from a crevice between a cart hovel and
a bon, belonging .to Mr. 13icheno, situate in Unwytes-
lane, and is feared to have been the work of an incen-
&try., as limn the confined situation of the place, it is
impitt.sible a 1;g) t could have . been accidentally there.
At tliO moment of discovery the body of fire appeared
uov.largev thin a man's hat, but in an instant, and be-
fore an•itlarm could be given, the barn was one entire
blaz“,and being filled with newly-housed grain, it
. raged ith dreadful fury, communicating not only to
the buildings -right and left, but to the rick yard of
Mr. Few, on the opposite side of the lane. In a few
minuses the entire range .Of buildings and ricks
on, both sides of 'the lane were on fire ; the flames,
Neying on dried corn, rose mountains high, threaten-
ing destruction to. the whole town, and spreading
tetror. throughout the neighbouring country. Not
an engine was at hand ; at length one arrived from the
adjoining parish, but instead of Its being employed
to, prevent the fire communicating to other buildings, it
was run imto the very centre of Unwyn's-lane, and there
being water at hand, it was promptly brought to play
upon t barno filled with corn, but the effort was un-
:trailing, and fraught with danger. The roof gave way,
etwd7ibe .bussing thatch eliding outwards, enveloped
the engine, end. with difficulty- the persons woe king it
**fled theasselves from their perilous - situation;
bated* engine was consumed. As soon as the fire was
oborOott at Cambridge, Mr: 'Elliot Smith, who is
spent for the Norwich Union, dispatched the engine
tcrthai CoMpany in the direction of the fire,'
which, was quickly followed by that belonging to 4be-
Carnbridge sand Hertford Insuranie Company. The
Notwioh -engine imthediately .proteeded to Mr. Few's
ferns, tied although all hope was at an end as to saving
the dwelling house,yet,by prompt exertions,it succeeded,
undei the direction of Mr. Smith and_ the engineer, in
preventing the fire from reaching a large barn filled
with barley ; and preserving a small rick-yard, con-
taining a wheat-rick and two hay-stacks. We have
stated that the fire had extended right and left, and that
it had communicated with some tenements is front of
the town, and street belonging toMr.llicheno,These were
quickly reduced to ashes; but while they were cotton m-
Jog, rt api eau its devouring ravages to the !wise and him
yard a Mr. Thomas Gifford,which terminated the line of
street'. in that direction ; of these scarcely a vestige,.
saving fhb blackened foundation walls, remains; furni-
ture; farming implements, corn, hay, all—all was de-
stroyed —We should be happy it we could here close
the melancholy recital, but a more lengthened cata-
logiie remains' to be told. Thewidth of the street
proved an insufficient barrier for the protection of
property on the other side of the way, and the
farm yard and premises of Messrs. Silk, Goode,
`hld Inglis, together with the intermediate tenements,
were successively and almost simultaneously in a
blaze. At this moment the scene was most awful.
The closely compacted buildings, and ricks, occu-
pying an area o£. about ten acres, and containing the
produce of about two thousand acres of fertile land,
formed one mighty column of fire, ascending almost to
the Heavens, and scattering brilliant showers of sparks
in every direction. The utmost -confusion now pre-.
; each man seemed intent on saving his own pro-
perty, and while the houses already on fire were left to
their fate, almost every tenement in that part of the
town was emptied of its furniture, the goods were con-
veyed to the fields, as the only place of security, for
even the orchards in many places were on fire.
It is some consolation that there has been no loss of
lives on this melancholy occasion; a single head of
cattle has been alone sacrificed ; but nearly the whole
of the property, furniture, farming implements, hay
and corn, contained in the above-mentioned premises,
have been destroyed. The loss is estimated in buildings
at 12,000/. and in implements and produce at 15,0001.
Fortunately none of the beans were carried.
At one period, the greatest fears were entertained for the
safety of Mr. James lnglis's farm. The fire had already
communicated to one, of the ricks, but the Hertford and
Cambridge engine was immediately brought to play
upon it, and to the prompt exertions of Mr. Newby
the preservation of the farm may be ascribed.

Ail Reasoners on Political Science agree that the
least objectionable Taxes are those that bear more upon luxuries
than necessaries, and which are in the nature rather of voluntary
than compulsory taxation. Our Excise Duties, although very pro.
ductive, have snore to do with articles of luxury than of necessity;
and however some persons, who reason but superficially on sub-
jects, may murmur against Ministers for this or that duty, it is
wisdom in Government is repeal taxes of compulsion before they
meddle with those of a voluntary nature; and this brings us to
question the policy of Ministers in abolishing Lotteriel, which, we
are informed, have afforded to the Revenue upwards of Four lion.
dreg! Thousand Pounds a year, and that quite voluntary on the
part of the Public. In the present state of the country, surely
some equivalent, but compubosy Tax must be substituted tormlist
adt Ix lost to the lteirtnur.ocuitclll4.,Ckztassis, ' Irk" is Pe-
It lytorily guttered that all,
Leuegrie. plat WIG Cos ever.