The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-10 00:00:00

POETRY.
-.w-.-

Llara raTlntroitt, ON READING Tar AccOrr Or 'MR CRUEL
littianzas OF PARR AND FAMILY.
in murder's annals shall we find
A deed so savage in its kind ?
So formed to rend the feeling h4rt,
And bid the sold with horror start ;
Yet force that very heart to own, .
'T was well that neither fell alone.
Yes, it was well—the husband's bier
Drank not his widow's phrenzied tear ;
Nor did her blood-staili'd beauty crave,
Like anguish o'er her early grave :
Nor were their mingled sorrows shed
On their sweet babes ensanguin'd
One deadful moment's matchless woe,
One dire unutterable blow,
And all was past—cOncentred there
Fled the last sighs of sorrow and devair.
Trust we, in that tremendous hour,
Almighty Mercy's soothing pOler,
O'er the pale victims shed a ray,
The harbinger of endless day :
Then bade onfetter'd siiirits rise,
To sudden glory to the skies.

H-.

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.,

The following are a few instances of the erects of the present
system of our Debtor and Creditor law. The deduction to be
drawn from them are self-evident. We do not mean to inculcate
a general and senseless condemnation of imprisonments fur debt.
To get in debt witboat the intention to pay, or even without the
well-establisbed probability of being able to pay, constitutes a
great crime. But why should our debtor aud creditor law be
disgraced by such unjust enactments as give birth to the under-
mentioned cases? Berw se, say the Judges, it is dangerous to
abolish what has been dune by our ancestors! If our ancestors
have left a heap of filth, as well-as much of what is valuable, be-
hind them, must we disgust our senses, and injure our condition,
by the former, because we prize the latter as n e ought? In all
the arts and sciences we are making daily improvements on the
wisdom of oar ancestors law and politics alone arc improve-
' runts, dictated by experience and the change of time and cir-
cumstances, denominated dangerous innovations. Can that law
be called. " the perfection of human reason," from which spring
the following instances of cruel hardship as its natural conse-
quences?
Mary Marshland, aged 65, and ;neap:lWe of earning a liveli-
hood , incurred a debt of seven shillings, for linen and cotton
goody. She was lodged in ?Macclesfield owl on the 23d of Dec.
1807, by her creditor. 'l'he cots of which procedure amounted
to 91. 15s. 1 Id. and the prison fees to ii. 15s. bring five times the
stint of the or iginat (I,:bt !
Margaret Ashton, o widow, aged 55, incurred a debt of seven
shillings and fourpence, for flour, cheese, and butter, and was
committed to 'Sl:wiles-field gaol on the `flit of November, lio7.
Tile costs in this suit amounted to 91. 15s. 11d. and the prison fees
to 21. Itt. ltd. nearly seven times the amount of the dad
Elizabeth Costing, a widow, aged 48, a washerwoman, with
two children, both under 14 years of age, incurred a debt fur
linen and gaols. of 11. 10s. to The costs were rim up to 91. 3s.
rid. awl the prison fees to 11. 16s. 10d.
Total amount of three debts .4.:9 4 10

-of costs
-prison fees

. 28 15 1
.6 u 0

Costs and fres in tbree actions ...... 34 15 1
These are not solitary instances confined to ene spot not a
comity or gaol in the kiatdoin but can afford in its records many
examples of a similar Lind.

Arremer AT SUM! oz.—Yesterday morning an in
stance of youthful rashness occurred, in the Inland
department of the Post-Office, for which no plausi-
ble reasod could be assigned. Qne of the messengers
of that i•rse:tution hearing the report of a pistol in the
Inland Office, ran immediately to the place from
whence the noise proceeded, and saw a youth, named
Kelnnr, about 17 years old, sitting on a chair by the
flre.sidc, leaning his head upon his hand, and hold.
big a pocket-handkerchief to his face. The messen-
ger conceiving the pistol might have tieen fired for
idle sport, immediately retired. Shortly afterwards
one of the Clerks entered the Office, and observing
the young man in the same position, asked him what
was the matter ? He made no answer. This excited
I a good deal of surprise, and upon coming close to
I :aim he observed blood dripping from his clothes on
the floor, very profusely. Alarmed beyond expres-
sion, he instantly went in search of a surgeon. At
that hour, it being then only six in the morning, he
found great difficulty in procuring the services of a
medical man, in which, however, he succeeded at
length, but upon his return to the office he missed
young Kehler. It appears that after the other young
man had gone in search of a surgeon, he went away,
and nothing has since ben heard of him. The drip-
ping of his blood was traced Into Lombard-street,
but there every clue-for discovering whither he had
tied failed. Inquiries were made for him at the Vir-
ginia Colfee-house, where he had lodged) but there
he had not arrived. Ile had engaged lodgings in
Dove-court, Lombard-street, of which he was to have
taken possession last night, but they had not heard of
him there.
What to ascribe this extraordinary conduct to, hie
friends are utterly at a loss. Latterly, he had be-
come very gay in his apparel, and his father had de.
dined increasing his income beyond the stipend of
his situation in the Post-Office. Extravagance, it is.
supposed, *ad -led him into sponse difficulties, and that,
he rashly resolved to acquit himself of his worldly'
engagements, by anticipating his accounts with na-
ture. Some days since he had been seen playing in the
Office with a new pair of pistols, the locks and bar-
rels of which were curious in the inspection.
Inuit Fox CH sse..—On Thursday se'nnight a fox
was shook near Mr. Markey's, of Welsh Town, and
hunted by Sir Edward Bellew, Bart. of Barmeatk's
hounds. After running for some time, the hounds got
close to him, at Peter Collier's, a miller, near Fps-
, sonstown, he got up on the top of the house, and
down the chimney, the people being at dinner at the
a time by the fire-side, when he fell on the hob, made
a second jump on the table, which so alarmed the
people, that they fell back in confusion, and one of
the servants fainted. However, the fox was caught
I unhurt, to produce the sport of another day.

S(OTCiI
MILLER'S While.
. _

M C'K.l
I nil
II
8 Jaa.

Fifeshire (Miller), Leith
Prompt (Davidson), Leith
Marquis of Iluntley (Martin),
Dundee
Downs's Wharf.
Clyde (Martin), Leith
George (Straehan), Inverness
Swift (Stark). Montrose
Resolution (Watt), Banff
Bucclenh (Tod), Leith
Rose (Tod). Dundee
Br.dport (Wisbart),
Nimble (Itisbeit), Leith
LEITI and BERWICK Wharf.
Swallow (White) Leith
Neptune (Finlay), Bernick

--

-