The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-04 00:00:00

Majority of Conservatives on year's

_
registry
Numbers registered in 1836.
Conservatives. I Iladimgs.
Allowed on appeal
February .. 244
May
August

33
282-70 re-registered .... 212
223-11 re-registered .... 212
218-36 re-registered .... 182

Majority for Conservatives 11

MRS. GRAHAM'S STATEMENT OF HER LATE
AERIAL VOYAGES.

To a humane and sympathizing public I am induced, through
the medium of the highly respectable Ldndon journals, to com-
municate the particulars of my recent unfortunate accident,
and from the effects of which I am still suffering severely, but,
at the same time, 1 am most grateful to an Omnipotent Being
for my miraculous preservation.
It may be in the recollection of the public that my ascent,
which terminated so disastrously, and upon which occasion I
was accompanied by His Serene Highness the Duke of
Brunswick, took place on the 22d of August, from the Flora-
gardens, Bayswater. During the summer I had previously
ascended five times—viz., three times from the above gardens,
once from the Rosemary Branch, Hoxton, and once from Sad-
ler's Wells Theatre; and upon every occasion I was fortunate
enough to attract a highly-respectable company, and to make
most successful descents, as the public have been made ac-
quainted with. I would respectfully observe, that I was the
first British female that ever ascended alone in a balloon, which
took place in the month of July, 1826, from the White Conduit
Gardens, Pontonville. At the coronation of their present Most
Gracious Majesties, on the Bth of September. 1830, I had the
honour of ascending in their presence from the Green-park,
and made a most successful descent on the estate of Lord Petre,
near Brentwood, in Essex. Upon this occasion their Majes-
ties were graciously pleased to appoint me, by especial order,
their aerouaute. In reference to my last ascent with the Duke
of Brunswick, the true statement of which I am most anxious
to convey to the public, from the unfortunate result which.
ensued, I shall preface by observing, that on leaving the Flora-
gardens the balloon took a N.E, direction, and from the pecu-
liar fineness of the afternoon we had a splendid view of the
metropolis, particularly the western parts. His Highness ex-
pressed the utmost delight, and at his request 1 pointed out to
him the most interesting views. At the Duke's suggestion we
passed through and gained an elevation considerably above the
clouds. Here the appearance of the clouds was splendid above
description. Although now at an altitude of near four miles,
the Duke of Brunswick solicited me to ascend higher. To
oblige his highness, I threw out a quantity of ballast, which
caused the balloon to ascend much higher, and both myself and
the Duke now experienced a singular sensation in the ears,
caused by the rarefaction of the air. I then commenced our
descent, and we entered a dense cloud, which I had observed
when at a great altitude, and which I knew could not be at a
very great distance from the earth. lin consequence lowered
my grappling-iron, and at the same time requested the Duke of
Brunswick to stand up in the car, and suspend himself by the
hoop above our heads, and to which is attached the netting,
as also the ropes of the car. His Serene Highness did as
I requested. At the same time I adopted the same plan.—
This was to prevent our receiving any serious concussion at the
time the car should come in contact with the earth. The Duke
of Brunswick differed in opinion with me that we were so near
the earth; but I proved to be right in my judgment, for almost
immediately afterwards the car alighted on the earth in a field
near a wood enclosure, and I saw the Duke of Brunswick step
out of the car safely upon terra firma, with apparently nut the
slightest inconvenience to himself. The moment his highness
was out of thelirr, and beificlitroe
tlhecoauilrd. altig(l)l,,st
tot tfh,(ll emayrth, the
ascendedalthough I was not at all daunted, and
situa-
ti balloononrat
hrearp
ai rapidly
w ard,
had full possession of my presence of mind. In such a situa-
tion 1 must refer to those who have experienced such feelings,
in doing which I beg to mention Mr. Adams, or St. Martin's-
lane, who ascended with Mr. Graham in 1824, and descended
at Hungerford. After the Duke of Brunswick left the car I
kept my hold of the hoop, stiil hanging to it; but, as I was
aware of the danger of the balloon ascending too high with so
light a weight without the as being let out, I made up my mind
to descend into the car ando' secure my valve-line, in coder to
effect my descent a's -soon as possible. Unhappily, however,
nav feet were outside the car; and, consequently, when I let
gO the hoop, instead of falling into the car, I was precipitated
to the earth—and here I must distinctly state that I fell more
than 300 yards, or I,GOO feet; having commenced my fall iva
perpendicular position, I perfectly well remember that the silk
pelisse which I had on at the time became fully inflated with
atmospheric air, and prevented the rapidity of my descent, and
I was so far conscious as to feel a thorough conviction of my
inevitable destruction, and to offer up a prayer to the Almighty
for the preservation of my husband and dear children. I have
a confused recollection of my concussion with the earth, after
which I remember no more. A number of persons saw the
Duke of Brunswick alight from the car, and the car again
ascend with me. My fall was observed by them, and Mr. Amor
was the first to approach me. being fully persuaded that I was a
mutilated corpse. He states that in my fall I turned over
several times, and on reaching the earth rebounded some feet.
It was a fortnight before I became sensible to the past event,
during which period I lay at the farm of Mr. Amor, of Dod-
dinglrurst. I must not omit' to mention the attentions of Mr.
Harvey, rector of. Doddinghurst, his lady, and family, as also
my medical attendants, 'Messrs. Potter and Barlow. In con-
clusion. I beg to state, in consequence of several erroneous re-
ports, that no persons (with the exception of my husband and
relatives) have visited me at Doddinghurst, or contributed to
the expenses to which my unfortunate calamity has subjected
me; the Duke of Brunswick, the day alter my accident, trans-
mitted to Mr. Graham the amount agreed upon for his ascent,
and uo other claim has been made upon Iris highness.
MARGARET GRAHAM.
41, Poland-street, September 29.

THE DUKE OF BEDFORD'S BEST.—The expulsion of the
Duke of Bedford's bust from Windsor Castle is not quite so nn •
parallelled as it has been represented by the whigs, who will
doubtless be much edified at learning that the Duke of Bedford
himself a few years ago furnished the precedent. His Grace
had a bust of the present Earl of Lauderdale which .bad been
executed by order of Francis the late Duke, and during the tie-
bates on the reform bill his Grace wrote to tIN Earl expressing
his determination to remove his bust from his house, in conse-
quence of his lordship's singular conduct in opposing that hill,
and requesting his lordship's directions as to its destination.
Lord Lauderdale, with his usual frankness, replied that the
Duke of Bedford had his full permission to do whatever he
pleased with the bust, that he had never been singular Peough
to consider his Grace a Solomon at any time, and that, from his
writing to know vrhal was to be done with the bust, he regret:el
to find that increasing years did not appear to g;ve auy bopes of
much alteration in that respect.—Morniny Herald.