Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-06-07
ALrIAAN DRlA:
monthly, JUNE 7, 1919.

VCsNb iOiOs
IL IS gratifying 10 Us TO perceive that the
citizens OF some parts Of the union, get,
every day, more and more INTO the habit OF
usiag coal There are some iIaces where
the increased prices and scarcity Of wood
must induce The inhabitants 10 wish that
the practice oil burning coal had been "a
depted many years ago. Among the pre-
juices entertained against the use of this
valuable uci, there Is, beside the dislike
people have to changing their old habits,
one which, if well founded, would, own
be decisive against il, and that IS the lnsa-
lubrly OF their yapouy, than which nothing
Can be more obviously groundless. Over
grown and over popuous as London Is,and
replete with every circumstance that can
tend to generate disease-sucb as close,
narrow, crouded streets, sWarns OF paupers
laborIpp un,ier ali the evils OF disease, dirt
and inaigence-it scarcely yields to any
town Tor healthfuiness, though every crea-
ture in II constantly inhales the vapor of
pit-coal. A. one period OF ITS history it
used 10 be subject TO the plague, aud the
most pesiiIent diseases, lis long exemption
from which has been asCribed 10 tht intro
duc,ion of sea coal. Ii is pleasing 10 have
such strong grounds for recommending an
important national benefit.
Ii is doubted whether the ancient Bril-
tons were acquainted with the properties
and uses of this very valuable fossil. For
a time, il escaped the knowledge oil the
Romans, but was afterwards in use among
them. For Some years Immediately foI-
lowing the Norman conquest, silence pre-
walls concerning il; but in the reign of
Henry Sd, the trade in it had rapid pro-
gfess. 1t is fact worthy of observation,
and rendered curious by the contrasled o.
pinons which followed, that in the year
1906, the use of sea coal was, by procla-
nation, prohibited as nuisance IN Lon
don, it being thought to corrupt the air
with its stink and smoke. Such preju-
dice, however, could not be of long CONT
nuance and this iuel was soon after intro
duced into the royal palace. 1t is singu-
lar, however, as appears from the house.
hold book Of the fifth earl of No'tbumber-
land, dated in 1919, that in this noblenian's
family, they had not yet learned to use 1t
By itself, for this extraordinary reason, BIZ
cause coIys will notLyrne ~lthowte wodd.'
AT this time, the best Goals were shillngs
per chaI,iron. Tow ards the latter end of this
reign, an impost Of one shilling (instead
of two pence, which had been fixed in for
mer times was granted on every chaIdron
shipped in the port OF Tyne, and to be u
sed within the kingdom. In King Jsmes's
reign. planting having been much neglect
ed, and wood being very scarce, the burn
ing OF coal became general throughout the
kingdom. In 1858 the price of a chaldron
at Newcastle was nine shillings: and in
the mex, year, Charles the LIST, solely by
bis own authority, imposed duty OF four
shillings per chsldron on all Goals exported
to foreign ports. On other occasions, IT ap-
pears that this prince granted exclusive
rights to several persons, on the payment
of certain customs, OH which it may not be
amiss here to remark that monopolies con-
tribu,ed very much, among other grievan-
ces, 10 hurt the interest OF the unfortunate
Charles, with the people OF Great Britain.
The granting of these in the coal trade ap-
pears 10 have composed no lnconslderabie
parto that monarch's political sins. Rush
worth has preserved curious letter from
the King TO the Marquis OF Newcastle, writ
ten in figure cyphers. from Oxford, and da-
ted 2nt Nov. i643, concerning the procn-
ring of arms from Holland, in exchange Tor
Goals.