The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-15 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

7 nag a well known fact, continued Mr. Jars-
,,,, that the Police Officers passed people in
tha streeti, well known to answer the description of
• •uders mentioned in the Act. 4' Whether this,"
eestid, " arose from want of power, want of stimulus,
or want of iuclination on the part of the officer, it
was not in his power to say ; but it was a subject
worthy of inquiry." Yes, it is a subject truly
worthy of legislative inquiry, of more importance,
we may add, than any public inquiry ever brought
before the House ; for what are all our poli-
tical rights, or how are we to enjoy then, if
our personal safety is hourly endangered? As
•to the cause of these dangers, it is only to be
found in the defective nature of our Police
system, which recognizes the employment of
persons, to discharge its important duties, who have
no other quality to recommend them then that of
being notorious thieves !! ! Upon this subject we
reeommtid to the perusal of our Readers a Letter
addressed to Mr. Secretary Rvuen, inserted in a
preceding Paper, which, in a very clear and
pointed manner, developes the nature of this un-
heard-of system. It is true, that the gloom and horror,
which has so long possessed the public mind, has been
somewhat alleviated, by the notice given in the
House of Commons by our Home Secretary respect-
ing the Police ; but it is most ardently hoped, and
anxiously expected, that Parliament will not stop at
half measures, but will adopt such plans as will
secure the peace and safety of the community,.
We have never called for any thing like a mi-
litary system, though we have certainly thought,
that, at a, time when the well-disposed part
of the community trembled in their beds for their per-
sonal safety, it had been a wise expedient to have
afforded them the temporally protection of military
petioles, under the immediate direction and contronl
of the dui/power ; and we believe it will not be de-
nied, that, if our suggestions in this respect had
bre° duly attended to, some of the murders, and the
whole of the outrages that have lately disgraced the
Mermpolis, would have been prevented. This, how-
ever, we must repeat, we never recommended, bltt as
a tewporary expedient, until a permanent system of
frit ctire Preventive Police could be established; and
me most devoutly hope, it will be immediately
taken into consideration by both Houses of Parlia-
ment.

We are sorry to hear that the promoters of the
NATIONAL &KIST! /Oa THE EDUCATION Or THE
POOR, mark their proceedings with a charocteristicnot
much unlike the principles of proscription and persecu-
tion which, at one period of our history, disgraced the
reign of a British Monarch. We have hoard that a few
Sendays back, a Sermon was preached in one of the Es-
tablished Churches, west of the metropolis, by the
Curate, for the benefit of the Charity Schiols be.
longing to the parish, in which the Rev. Gentisrsaaa•
made loyal and respectful mention of the ardent
u fishes of his PtussrY, " that every poor child in
the kingdom should be taught to read the Bible ;" at
the same time, he spoke with respect of the zealous ex-
ertions of Mr. LANCASTER to promote this glorious
•ork. The next morning theßector of the parish sent to
the Curate (who had not been licensed), a note stating,
that he stood in no farther need of his services, al-
though but very recently he had made a new agree-
ment with him for their continuance, at a reduced
rate. The following Sunday, the Rector ascended
the pulpit, delivered, an eulogium upon Dr. BELL,
mid denounced Mr. LANCASTER as a man whose ef.
torts were pregnant with danger to the Established
Church!!!

We reccifed Dublin Papers this morning to the
lath instant. 'We extract the following from the
ibitlin Correspondent of the 11th, respecting the Late
intended plot discovered in Ireland No person
expect from us any belief whatever that this
Plot,' of which we have heard so much for some
days, owes its existence to any thing connected
in the remotest degree with the objects pursued
13:, the Roman Catholics of Ireland. We are sa-
ti•lftcl that the whole of that unworthy impute-
';t;ll is contrived with the foolish presumption that
may injure the Roman Catholics possibly, and
t'PeciallY in England, where misrepresentations
t.t eel a metre may be expected to:produce more
feadily injurious impressions. It would not be
treating the great body of the Irish nation, ancient
Peers of this realm, a gentry of large possessions
'nd proud aneestre, an opulent mercantile class,
(411 tee vast mass of agriculturists of. which this part
Pf the British world is compounded, to argue the
and deduce their innocence, from the improba-
ey of their sacrificing their names and hopes, their
''',110.9 and the British world, probably to a system
. ' calfspinicy, odious to think upon, and that, bad and
tlangerous as it is represented, entrusted to the ages-
h' of a drunken•schooimaster. We cannot bring
eurselres to let down the sense, and honour, and
dignitY, and moral worth • of a
_nation, to debate
against the despicable absurdity which aElscts to
brand them its con spira tors.—No, no,—the authors
of the Plot' will come to light in time,. and then
11 shall see who is to blame. We do not think very
.
of the Ministers, for sense, talent, or tan-
.P.l; and it strikes us that they have been silly and
11clidious in their reception of the gentlemen who
t,st Waited on them, 011 behalf of the Roman Ca-
4)Glic body, to acquaint them with the circumstances
under which ' the Plot' was discovered. But *e
*°
not think so disrespectfully.of ;be emit tens, Of of

their advisers, though wa know they are not popular
for their address, as to apprehend that they could, for
a moment, give credence to the supposed origin and
tendency of this Plot. Let the calumny be invented by
whom it may, and no matter upon what expectations,
we are satisfied that the Ministers will only investi-
gate the Circumstance, to detect the ♦illains who
have dared to resort to so infernal a stratagem for ca-
luminating the Roman Catholics, and not with the
thought of finding the slightest trait of evidence to
support the imputation that was intended. We hope
to see them sift to the bottom the whole of this
shabby and odious mystery, and not leave it unex-
plained, a convenient mystery to encourage doubts
and suspicions by-and-bye--and that they will exe-
cute this inquiry without for a moment giving credit
to those nefarious rumours, which so plainly un-
mask the purpose of the contrivance; and we trust,
that when they do discover, as they certainly must,
the authors of this meditated iniquity, they will,
against such miscreants, hurl the thunder of the Law
in unmeasured terror. We shall be happy, for the
honour of the country, to see them in this instance
act a fair, manly, and an high-minded part—if they
do, they shall have, for so much, our sincere re-
spect, approbation, ai:d praise."

We are informed by a Gentleman who arrived in
the last convoy from the Baltic, that there were
eight French privateers at Copenhagen, and that
two of them chased an American vessel for four
hours, but could not come up with her ; in conse-
quence of which she got to anchor under the Crown
Battery. The Captain landed, and had delivered his
papers, when the two privateers came alongside, put
on board a number of men, and took possession of
her as their prize.

The examination of the Royal Physicians touch-
ing the actual state of his MAJESTY'S health, was
concluded yesterday afternoon, before the Lords'
Committee : the Report is expected to be InAcle at an
earlier opportunity.
We understand that Dr. ROBERT WILLIS, in his
examination before the Lords and Commons', Com-
mittees, stated that his MAJES VT had within these
two or three days suffered an exacerbation of his com-
plaint, which he should have considered as most dan-
gerous, if his MAJESTY had not several times re-
covered from paroxysms of the like nature. All the
Physicians have concurred in stating that there are
very faint, if any hopes remaining of his MAJESTY'S
recovery. The account from Windsor yesterday
was, that his MAJESTY was much better, and had
recovered his tranquillity.
The Gazette of last night contains Proclamations
fora General Fast and llumiliation, in England on
the sth, and in Scotland on the 6th, of next month.
In the ilow.e of Commons, last night, the CHAN-
cri.r.on of the Excutrount, after an appropriate
speech, submitted a string of Resolutions, the prin-
cipal object of which was to prohibit, from the first
of next month, the distillation of spirits from grain ;
4014 were carried without opposition.
Mr. Possoxtor afterwards, on the part of Lord
MILTON (who was absent), gave notice of a motion
for Monday se'nnight, on the State of Ireland, par-
' ticularly with respect to the present condition of the
Catholic population.

A Petition to Parliament. praying the total Ema►a
cipation of the Catholics of Ireland, is now signing
by the Protestants of Dublin.
The Correspondence between the Dukes of YORK
and CAMBRIDGE, the production of which Lord
Coe.mutts gave notice on Monday in the House of
Commons he should move for on Thursday sennight,
relate to the Duke of CAmentuces resignation of his
District Commen►l.

The Date of ilEnroan is expected in town from
Woburn Abbey in the course of the ensuing week.
Dispatches were yesterday received from Lord
WELLINGTON, dated the 18th nit. at which time the
head-quarters continual at Frenada, and no move-
ment of the least importance had taken place since
the date of his Lordship's former dispatcher. Gene-
rkl HILL's division also remained in the same state as
the last *dykes informed us.

The gallant Captain !Tont, of the Royal Engi-
naen, ltas received the PRINCE REGENT'S permission
to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight of the
third Blass of tho Royal Sicilian Order of St. Ferdi-
nand and Merit.

On Saturday a troop of the 4th Dragooris,recently
returned from the seat of war in Portugal, marched
into Brighton from Arundel, it is supposed on their
route to the depot at Canterbury. The appearance
of the officers and men bear ample testimony of the
fatigues attendant on campaigning on the Continent.
They are dismounted, their horses having been killed,
or retained for further service, for the remainder of
that corps, or for some other regiments attached to
the British army.
On Tuesday night a fire broke out in a building,
situated on the Orange-walk, adjoining Marsh's
bathing-machines, at Dover, which, in a very short
time, consumed the whole, with an entire new boat,
valued at one hundred guineas, a large quantity of
fishing-ncts, &c. The building being of wood,
covered with pitch, tar, and rosin, the flames as.
tended to an immense height, the horizon being a
sheet of crimson. A great sensation was caused in
the town, when.the fire first broke out, by a report
that it was the Ordnance yard which had caught fire,
and which was not above a yard or two from the
Magazine. The premises consumed belonged- to a
fisherman, who hal thereby nearly lost his all.

A. motion was made yesterday morning in the I
Court of Chancery, on behalf of the Proprietors of
Covent-garden Theatre, to dissolve the injunction ob-
tained to prevent their performance of a Farce enti-
tled X.Y. Z. written by GEORGE Covaa.x, Esq. The,
injunction had been obtained by some of the Proprie-
tors of the /laymarket Theatre, on the ground that.
Mr. COLMAN was bound by his articles of partneaship
with the other Proprietors of the Ilaymarketplhea-
' ire, he being one himself, not to write for any ether
Theatre. The 'AMID CiIANCELLOIII Gig he would
give judgmet tee, 4air,

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KING'S THEATRE.

Last night this magnificent Theatre was opened,
for the first time this season, to the Beau Monde,
with the Grand Serious Opera of Seniiramide, or
Semiramis, in which Madame C ITALANI sustained
the Heroine with her accustomed spirit and bril-
liancy. In the revival of this Opera, she stood, like
Pempey's pillar in the desert, a magnificent object
in herself, but surrounded by sticks and stones, of
little or no value. At the end of the first Act, there
was a new Divertisement, called La Marchand des
Esclaves, in which Madame DIDELOT, late first Fe-
mstle Dancer at the Opera of Petersburgh, made her
first professional courtesy to a British audience.
This Lady is in size somewhat similar to Madame
ROSE DIDELOT : see is a good dancer, but more
fitted to excel in the serious, thka the comic de-
partment of her art. Many of her attitudes were
elegant, and she reminded us frequently of Mrs.
DFsnAirs, in her manner. She was rapturously wel-
comed by the audience, and .he justified the public ap-
proval. In this Dirertisement there was a charming
pas de trois, by V rliit ib, ANOIOLINI, and pritty little
SMITH, as an attendant sprite, when young Vcsittis
preceded thesmiling A NOIO LIM, as the playful zephyr
accompanies Aurora (like an avant courier) when
she trips adown the eastern mountains, to give light
and happiness to mankind.
The evening's entertainments were terminated by
a Grand Fairy Ballet, intitled Zdis, on In Furet aux
Arent urea.

As any attempt on our part to trace the bearing of
this story, would not only be bazardos but presump-
tuous, we shalt pradentty abOtultr front the measure,
and leave its meaning, like that of oar modern .Co-
medies, to be found out at leisure by those who can.
Aithulor is in love with who acts in true sym-
pathy to his passion ; hut the whole amour would be
brought about with ditf►culty,if Mr. l)tut.r,o►• had not
adroitly introduced an intervening rnetliu% of gauze,
through which the Lovers designs are stm as clearly
by the spectators as those of a scurvy Politician.—
After many hair-breadth escapes, the capering pair
are eventually led to the Temple of Hymen by Madame
NlELfst, who is a sort of Rosicrucian Go-between,
without any apparent fee or reward, which shews
her disinterested spirit, as well as her address in
match-making. There were several mistakes which
happened in the management of the machinery, such
as pulling down a grove, and bringing an old house
over their heads; but as this was the first night of
the season, and the agents not very well accustomed
to each other, the audience felt as they ought, and
suffered " errors excepted" to pass as the watch-
word of the evening.

At a late hour yesterday, no accounts whatever
had reached the Admiralty of the fate of the St.
George and the Defence, but it is still hoped, that
on the return of the ships sent to look for them,
some isteltigence, calculated to relieve the anxiety of
the public, may be received. It is said, that the re-
port of the Desiree frigate basing obtained informa-
tion. on her return from the Dutch coast, relative to
the St. George and Defence, is unfounded. She was
sent with a Flag of Truce to the 'reset, to make
inquiries respecting the loss of the Hero, and the
capture of ►he Gracshopper, but the weather was so
boisterous, that she could not communicate with the
shore. -

The American ship Mslddena, Witr.t.tms, from
Savannah, arrived at Greenock on Thursday, in 33
days, and has brought American papers to the sth
tilt. In the Culonbian Museum and Savannah Ad-
vertiser, there a tedious corre.po-.dence between
Mr. MONItOE and our Minister. Mr. FOSTER, re-
garding the rencontra between the President and
Little Belt.--The New York Herald, of 16th Nov.
brought by this vessel, contains a contradiction of a
story which appeared in the American papers some
lime ago,-against Captain of the Little
Belt, and sworn to by a J. AMINO, who pretended
he was an American, and on board at the time of the
action. It instated that AtKINS is not an American,
but a Canadian, and was born in Canada ; he seas
never on board the Little Belt, not either of the two
men who he says were pressed at the mime time that
he was, until taken from the ship Traveller, of New
York, long after the engagement with the President.
The crews (a set of ruffians of all nations) of the two
French privateers lately burnt at Savannah, were all
committed to prison, and afterwards sent off in a
vessel tit Charleston.

On Thursday week a curious paper, by Dr. HERS..
CUELLi was read at the Royal Society. Dr. H. in
observing the Comet in October last, noticed a highly
luminous appearance near the centre of its head,
which astronomers would call its nucleus. This lu-
minous disk, however, he found to deviate consi-
derably from the centre, and to be at one time
brighter than attcther. This led him to be more par-
ticular in his observations with longer telescopes and
higher magnifying powers ; these he varied from 7
to 10 and 20 feet, n ith magnifiers up to 600, when
he distinctly discovered it to be a planetary body,
which appeared so bright in the centre of the Comet,
and that it was evidently surrounded by a Cometic
atmosphere. On the 16th October, when the Comet
was 114 millions of miles distant from the earth, by
a series of observations and calculations, he ascer-
tained the diameter of this planet to be 428 miles,
with an atmosphere subjected to the vicissitudes of
the Comet.

Yesterday afternoon ,a gentleman, of the name of
Mitchell, who keeps an inn, near Bath, took a
coach in Coventry-street, lista ordered the coachman
to drive him to Hatchettls Hotel, White Horse-
cellar, Piccadilly. On the coachman opening 'the
door of the carriage, he fuud his passenger a corpse.
The body was taken up stairs, and medical assistance
was sent for, but the spark of life was gone. The
deceased came to town a few days ago to article one
of his sons to au attorney, and was last night to have
returned home by the Bath mail. His body, at nine
o'clock, was removed in a shell to an undertaker's
in the neighbourhood, for the Coroner's Inquest.
The Oppositionists should turn their eyes to the
NEW BUDGET, which embraces the WAYS and MEANS
to end the WAR of ntstnva in an Hour, and raise
us to peaceful opulence—it is only purchasing a
Ticket or Share on or before Monday 20th, and the
nest morning, at Dille o'clock) it may be drawn a'
prize of 2020001.

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A 4.44 Atitipt,