The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-07 00:00:00

1116:11L2IND SOCIETY.
A dinner' was Oren yesterday; at Ai Albicm
House, to the friends and supporters of this India'.
Lion, having for its object the propagation of Chris-
tian Knowledge in the Highlands and Islands of
Scotland. This was the 45th Anniversary Festival
of the London Correspondent Establishment, the
Scotch Society having been incorporated in 1709.—
The Duke of Susses (recopied the Chair. The ors-
ternary toasts of the King, the Prince Regent, and
the Royal Family, accompanied with appropriate
soap, having been given,
The Duke of Suss= rose to propose the toast of
prosperity to the Institution. After a high compli-
ment to the Scotch peasantry, he alluded to a state.
Ment in the account of the Society that the education
promoted loyalty. he knew not how the People of
Scotland coold be accused of disloyalty in these times.
There was indeed a time when the family which
sow occupied the Throne might be considered as an
'antic, soil the Scottish notion did certainly take
time to consider about it; but that had now entirely
passed over and therefore he conceived there should
be no allusion made in the statement to the disloyalty
of the People. he believed the Royal Family were
all ansious to promote the objects of every institution
for the diffusion of knowledge, bat particularly the
present institution for the propagation of Christian
instruction. Scotland was the first country which
had given the esample to surrounding nations, and he
hoped it would be imitated by still more distant parts
of the world. lie concluded with proposing the toast
of Prosperity to the Institution."
• In proposing the health of the Duke of Kent,
who nos a joint President of the Institution, his
Royal Highness observed, that his Royal Brother
would in a very short time be called oat of England
by particular nosiness, and the result of that journey
wound be probably a communication gratifying to the
feelings: of every individual present, It was not his
dots ro orrre the fact now in an official shape, but
he did it in the expectation, that the information
would not be unacceptable [His Royal Highness
was understood to allude to the intended marriage of
the Duke of Kent with the sister of' Prince Leopold ]
Mier some oi.servitione
then)fro Air. LAURIE, Trea.
sorer to the Institution, ist of subscriptions
was read, and among them ne observed the names of
the Duke of Susses, an annual subscription of five
guineas, Prince Leopold 10 goineas, and G. W. Tay.
for, E.g. RO guirreas, &c. Before we quitted the
room the sum of 4251. was raised.
The Duke of Swim, in proposing the health of
the Stewards, observed, that such %WI the frequency
of his engagements, that until the Rsth of June nest,
he had promised to preside at different public festi-
vals twice a week.
His Royal highness left the Chair about eleven
o'clock.

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OFFICIAL URBANITT.—The Commander-in-Chief
receives Officers of the Army, on official business, on
all occasions, at the Ilorse-Guards, whilst the Noble
Lord at she head of the Admiralty Department, con-
descends to see no Officer below the rank of 4 Com-
mander in the Nays.. It appears, during the Naval
Administration of Earls Stertces and Sr. VINCeNT,
that even Liestenatits (who are equal in rtink to •
. Captain in the Army) were courteously admitted to
official audiences at their levees; however, t 6 com-
'postale for the loss of a sight " of the presence of
this great man," Mr. Secretary CltoKEtt Matas, that
he is every day at his Office, and ell day long, to see
any one who will do him the honour to all upon him.
MoKE PIRACIES.--The following is an eatract of a
letter from the Agent to Lloyd's at Nassau, New.
Providence, dated the 3d of Marc:* t—" For some
time past our Spanish trade has been greatly inter-
rupted by a number of armed vessels, sailing under
the Insurgent flags of South America; and several
acts of piracy have been committed by them on Bri-
tish vessels, with British property. In the month
of December the schooner Billow, of this port, on
her passage from Puerto del Principe, was boarded
by one of these vessels, mid plundered of 1100 dol-
lars iu money, two Negro men, nearly all her provi-
sions, a stern-boat, and a quantity of running rig-
ging. The Master of the Billow was confined for
a considerable time in rte hold of the strange
vessel, and was robbed of his watch. The crew
of the pirate declared, that wherever Spanish
dollars were to be found, all flags sere alike
to them. The schooner Neptune, also of this
port, was boarded on the 12th of February last, on
her passage from this place to Watling's island (one
of the Bahamas), by a small schooner, carrying one
gun on a pivot, and 27 two ; and 12 Negroes, the
property of a Gentleman of this place, were taken
from on hoard of her. To-day we have received
accounts of the capture of a small sloop, called the
' Favourite of Cuba, by a number of men in an open
boat: the Master and crew of the Favourite were
landed, and the vessel seized and carried off by the
pirates. It is oar opinion that there is at pre-

sent considerable risk attending property afloat in
these seas, even in British vessels;, and, unless the
growing ern he speedily put a stop to, it is difficult
to say what lengths the audacity of these marauders
may carry them. The larger class of vessels that
cruise in our vicinity, under the Independent flag of
uth America, have, as yet, respected the British
gag. It is vessels of small tonnage, and easy
draught of water, that are principally to be dreaded;
and these are daily encreasing in number."
An incombustible store-house has just been com-
pleted in Plymouth Dock-yard, every part of which
is composed of stone and iron, without an inch of
woodiit the whole building; the girders, joists, doors,
sashes, and frames, are all of cast iron, neatly ear-
euted. The roof is also of cast iron,, and the floors
of Yorkshire-stone; the staircase, which is a geome-
trical one, is of moor-stone, projecting sis feet from
the wall. The estimated expence of this building is
15.000 i.
There will he a grand Naval Review, at which the
Paisce REGENT will be present, in the course of the
ensuing summer, attended by his Naval Aids-de-
Camp. For this purpose the guard-ships from the
several ports, eicept the flag-ships at Portsmouth add
Yly mouth, have been ordered to form A squadron at.
the latter port, on the Ist of June, thence to proceed
to sea for the ezercise of the crews and the perform-
ance of manoeuvres previous to the review. The re-
view will take place elf the Isle of Wight.