The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-04 00:00:00



DREADFUL FIRS Afell,iTlL4,ll.

—mniplow—

•

,OVIITH 11l PA RTICULA RP.

The fire it seems commenced at the bons, of Mr. Hill.
a Inflow, residing at 69, It soon had gained
sleets sterner!' as to put an end to all hopes of saving
Ilr.!l's house, or that next to it, with which the
dam.... hail almost immediately commonirated. The at-
tention of those wisrl Mist came to the spot was then di-
rected to the adjoilling houses. and to those opposite.
11.111irsis whirl the flames were driven by a violent north-
westerly wind. From Hill's house, and from those of
Hr. Watson, a linen-draper; of Mr. Cohen, a paern,
twoker ; and two or three others which intervened, Thal
detouring element remelted the Sun-tarren, a very 1.1.1
to-issue pile of hnilsliog, anti the principal inn of I'llat-
h4tiv. When this honse ranght fire, the *erne was moat
.wfol, for the flames Fowl now been striven by the visa-
-161.11re of the Wind to the Imposite side of the street,
which then presented to the eye a pile of burning build-
;nes, between which. from the narrowness of the
plate, the passage was in mime places impassable,
and in all rctretnele dangerous. About half-pest font
or five, the roof of the Stoosteern fell in with •
tremendous trash, and shortly after only a very sash
part of the wall. was seen standing. At one time the
brewery of Mr. Rest was thought to be in such danger
that its utter ruin was looked upon as inevitable; pro-
ialentially, however, by the prompt aisistaner of great
numbers of the town's-people, aided by the active ester-
fols of the military. it escaped with romparativelv
trifling datoagr. Mr. Rest was not so (neonate with
respect to his dwelling-honse, whirls, with several ad-
joining houses, also Isis property, were entirely con-
ed. From four to six o'clock, the confusion which
reigned in the town was beyond description. From the
appearance of the fames at the latter hour, it was thought
that all the houses south-east of that where the fire he-
-5:Ito nonld fall • sacrifice to its rage. So strung was this
impression, that many families, considerably removed
fr-in the immediate scene of danger, had taken shown
their beds and other articles of forniture, soot had re-
t,• gyred a large part of them to a still greater d;statore.
Al out eleven o'clock the fury of the 11-sostts was
heated by the partial .i..trortion of collie tms,. on
the same side of the street where it began, and by the!
total demolition of one or toll on the opposite side, which ,
the flames had not then reached, hot which it was jowled
proper to take down, to prevent a further spread of the!
ntlagrat'on. The whole number of houses slestroved
in High-street is 3tt ; hut there were several small Itil4l-
- destroyed in the rear of earl,. The violence of the
wind was such, that large flattest of horning matter were
• oveyerl to some handfed yards distance. One of
tlo.se *Mikes fell upon a large stark of bay. at..oit
1:s10 yards from ilieb-street, which eonstossed OW,
and two others which were close by. There vas a eon-
...derable quantity of hay between these stacks, es hich
fortunately escaped. From the extraordinary rapislitv
with which the flames spread, are die danger u hick
threatened in a narrow street, both sides of which for a
great part on fire. an immensity of property was de-
stroyed, which, had the ;seedier been mare mild, might
hare been saved. S I houses, and those. we limier-
stand, principally belonging to persons whose ruin at
he the consequence, were wholly worrisome'. An un-
firtnnate soldier was killed by the falling of the front
wall of one of the honors. One or two persons were,
• understand, hurt by the falling of a wall, bat not
f avtrovsly.
At an early hour of the Jay the news of the fire
reached London, from which some en,:ines were div-
pitched ; but before their arrival the flames had been
o .arty subdued. The engines from Rochester -teal Maid-
Stone iv-re on the spot as soon as possible after the Re-
count had reached those places. Tise Sun fire-engine,
drown by six horses, reached Cl_satls an ut six in the
octet-nom. (herd inconvenience was experienced trot.
the want of a plentiful supply of seater. In mune places
it was conveyed in casks to the spot it Isere the engines
wire at work, and there emptied into the streets.
'llse fire is supposed to hate originated from some
1... t ashes which were emptied near a ids k of faggots,
such whirl. were far.ned into a blase by the excessive
1.4 h wind.
A fire broke oust in the very same spot about this time
twenty years ago. and slid nearly equal mischief.

14W INTELLMINCS.

COURT 1W OF NINO'S BENCH.

Li BOCTILLISR T. IVOR• 11.

This was en meow brought to recover the snra of MI.
alleged to be due to the plaintiff for work and labour done.
and for goods sold and delivered to the defendant. The de-
fendant pleaded zoo assumpsit and a set-off, and upon this
p.en issue was joined.
Mr. Sc addressed the Jury on behalf of the plaits-
tiff. lie observed, that this was a case peculiarly de-erring
of their attention. not only on sceosint of its importance to
the pisistiff, but also on account of its general interest. and
the public luconsenience which must result from the evens-
' le, if a verdict ass delivered for the defendant. The ele-
e. !listeners of the ease, as detailed in his brief, were shortly
yese :—M. Le Boutillier bad been a respectable mer-
chant, and was wow bolding the important office of Keere-
Ivry to the National Fire sad Lite Assurance Office.—
T..e defendant coaducted an extensive chair-manufactory
i she titr-road. In the year 1813, the defendeat. ending
I..oeself embarrassed in his circumstances. applied to the
plaintiff to request him to arrange his accounts, and to
settle at satisfactorily as possible the demands of his mime-
roi.s creditors. To this reqnest the plaintiff had acceded ;
Rent from that period to Ike end of Hue year Ibl6, he had been
ineeseantly occupied in arranging the complicated antes of
the eefendant, a task whirls (from the embarrassed state in
w:iish the defendant's drcumstseees were found, and the
ni•sey actions at law brought against' bite for debts) proved
particularly irksome. Whilst employed in this basins-. pini
tor generally remained at the house of the (kremlin,. from
nine in the morning until four o'clock in the afternoon. and
was not uufrequently detained until nine o'clock in the even-
ing. nos confused state of defendant's affairs rendering it
nee rrrrr y that legal advice should he taken, the defendant
requested the plaintiff (Ns the management of esery thing
depended upon himself) consult some professional friend,
and act epos his advise. Accordingly the plaintiff !aid the
ercuinstinces before an experienced solicitor. and lie ads iced
theta general account of the defendant's circumstances should
he laid before the creditors; and that they should be re-
arrested to accept of such a composition as it should be found
rossible to make. The plaintiff executed the whole of this
service, and by dist of uncommon exertion lie was enabled
to induce the whole of the creditors to accede to this ar-
mermen% and to accept • composition of ffis. In the pound.
Vending the adjustment of this business, the dere/silent had
Kane to Gibraltar to look after some goods which re-
stained in the bands of his agents there. It was ne-
cessary here, also, to observe, that during the residersee
of the defendant abroad, the plaintiff had undertakes
a journey to Seodend. and several other parts of the
kingdom, on defendant's business, and had, at several times,
advanced money to the wife of defendant, and Imil, at a
considerable loss, sold out his own stock to pay fur goods .
that were ordered by the defendant from Gibraltar. Upon I
the rttlru of the defendant, he expressed the highest galls-
I
faction at the manner is which the plaintiff had coniineted
hilt affairs, and promised to settle plaintiff's demised to his
satisfaction. it was sot long. however, before the defend-
ant ceetrived to get possession of the release which the
elaisliff bad received from defendant's creditors, and having,
aireismpliabed this, be constantly evaded the applications of
tit. plaintiff for • settlement. Nor was this all; it would
be proved, that the desk of the plaintiff had artnallv beaks
fumed ores, end es rry paper and memorandum %bleb it