Yesterday morning the Duk...
The Times, 1824-05-06T00:00:00

Yesterday morning the Duke and Duchess of Clarence proeeeded from their residence in Stable-yard, St. James's, in their carriage and four to Deptford, where their Royal Highnesses went on board, and inspected the Discovery shipa Iying there. Thleir Royal Highnesses returned to towvn in the afternoon. On Tuesday morning a courier arrived at the Colonial- office, Downing-street, with despatches from the lonjais Islands. The ship Hudson, arrived in the Downs yesterday morn- ing, in 21 days from New York, spoke on 922d April, the ship Paczfic,M&xvweli,lS days from Liverpool, lat. 42 50.,long.40. Trhe papers brought by the Hudson contain no news worth extractin=, except a short article of intelligence from the city of Mexico, dated the 6th of March, vhich states that an arrangement has been effected, by which seyeral pro- vinees are to have distinct govemments, the whole united in a federation similar to that of the United States. The provinces of Mexico, Yucutan, Puebla, Zacatecas, Guada- laxaea, Xalapa (and one other), had joined in this confe- deracy, and established their local governments. One of the articles of the Union provides for the security and pro- tection of Europeans. No apprehensions existed that Spain would attempt to recover the country. The Frankfort papers state that the Emperor of Austria had sent to Lieutenant-Colonel Farquhar. Governor of the British settlement of Sincapore, the Cross of the Order of Leopold; and to Mr. Mlontgomery, physician to the garrison of thatplace, a diamond ring, as an acknowledgment of the services which they rendered to the crew of the Austrian frigate Caroline when she put into Sines. pore with the ctolera morbis on board. Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East India House,when the following chartered ships were thus stationed, viz.-The Cliudine and Boyne, for Bengal direct, to be afloat on the 10th instant; and the Layton, for Bengal and Bencoolen,to be afloat on the 15th instant, and to sail from Gravesend at the expira tion of 30 days from their coming afloat. ITALIAN IMPROVISATORE.-We remarked in a para- graph a few days ago, that the taste for improvisation seems to in- crease both here and in France. It is surprising that the talent be. ing ef no extraordinary rarity, and the demand for it so great, we should have so few striking instances of its display. The publica. tion ef Madame de Stael's work on Italy would have appeared sufficient to create a host of improvisatoci. Not that we could have expected a Corinne among them all, but we might have had a great number of imitators and humble rivals. The Ita- lians seem to be considered as the only people who possess or can indulge this vein. This is tcv narrow a limit fbr the talent If any set of persons in anv country were to accustom themselves " to speak in numbers," the numbers " would come." The most wonderful improvisatore are not those commonly so called, but the great orators of ancient and modern times, who, though they do not employ verse, exhibit all the powers of imagination on a given subiect, and within given limits. Themostrensarkable of the persons who have appeared as poeticsJ improvisatore bave generally shown little but an acquaintance with the common-places of poetry, and a command over the common phraseology of verse. Last night Seignor Pestrucci,wbo exhibited specimens of his talentattle Argyle Rooms,was scarcelyan exception to this rule. Thesubjects which were given him were very various, and he treated them aU with consider- able skill, displaying great readiness in the invention of his metres, and striking animation in their rehearsal. The topics successively suggested to him were-Gold, or riches*; the judgment of Bratus ; the,greatness of God, and the power of natare; the praises of P'lo. rcnee; the death o.f Eaminondas; Saul, and the po:eer of female lbeauty, er the eyes of thc ladies;* and the exploits of Monasiello. With some of these he must have been familiar; but his fluen2' of language was so great, and his recitadon so musical and animat that a numerous and respectable audience wentawayhighlyandjust ly pleased with his performance. Mozart's opera of nI Don Gior'anni, which fias not been p-rforned for nearly three seasons, is to be revived at the King's Theatre thisevening, forthe benefitef Madame Caradori. The LDucheassa oi Rent and Clarence alre amnongst the distinguished per- sons who are to be prcsent. DeptfortI was on Tuesday honoured with an extraordinary influx of noble and fashionable company. The dejeune given by Captain Parry, as a farewell entertninment, was most numerously attended. Tne decks of the vessels were covered in from end to end with varied awnings, formed of different flags. Had the rain continued, sail-cloths were ready to be added to the coverings; but fortunately, about one o'clock, the weather cleared up, and,-wAith the exception of an occasional passing cloud, the day became remark- ably filue. A band was stationed on board the Hecla, and by one o'clock the danciug commenced. The ladies were very numerous. Many distinguished names appeared in the list of visiters. Among the companv we remarked-Earl Batburst, Ladies Geo. and Emily Bathurst, Lord and Lady Sidmouth, Loid Be-ley, Sir Henry, Lady, and ll2iss Martin the Duke of Alarlborough, Lord Clinton, M1r. Hobbouse. of the Treasury, Lord Nugent, Sir G. Clerk, Ml. P., Mr. W. W. Wvnn, Al. P. Air. NiVhitbread, Al. P., Mr. W. Wil- liams, MI. P., the Lord Rlavor, Captain Franklin, Captain and Ars. Napier, Al ns. Admiral Hamilton, Alajor George, &c. Between the decks of the I-cc's tables were placed, which were covered with all the delicacies which taste could select to excite appetite. FIRST DAY or TERM.-Yesterday morning the Judges, agreeably to ancient custom, breakfasted with the Lord-Chancellor in Lincoln'a-inn-hall. Mr. Justice Littledale, who was sworn in on Tuesday, received the congratulations of his brother Judges. The Kiing's Consel having joined tkeir Lardships, the whole proceeded in grand procession, at half-past 12 o'lock, througli Lincoln's-inn- fields, along GIreat Queen.street, Long-acre, and down St. AMartin's- lane, to the Courts in Westmintrhl& hc wr pndwt h usual formalities. tnster-hal~ which were opened with the On the return of a fashionable frail one the other day froni the continent,the lady was met at Roehesterby heriniured hus. band,who pathetically explained to her that his house could no longer bean asvlum for imputed irregularity, and that they must part fo' ever. The fair one is renorted to have'rcceived this intelligence with the same philosophical indillinence which she exhibited during lier voyage across the Channel, and directed the postlions to drive to Tunbridge-.wells. The wealthy husband is reported to have given up to the lady the whole of her own fortune, amounting to nearly one hundred thousand pounds, and her jewels, which are stated to be of immense value. There is to be no Crim. Con. action.-Morn- lgt paper. A curious Crim. Con. action will be tried in thc next Term, or during the Sittings immediately after Term. The plain- Itifis a pearson whose cvic rank entitles him by rotation to the igh est city honour. The defendant, a celebrated public character whose professional reputation has extended even to the o-.her side of the Atlantic, and where, report states, his i.ntention is again to exercise his talents,when the pending action is determined.--Morning paper. R.OBaER SHoT.-On the mosning of Tuesday last, April 27th, an attempt was made to rob the shop of Alr. William Cran- dall, grocer and linen-draper, at Leigh, near Tunbridge. About three o'clock Mlrs. Crandall was awakened by a rloise at the back of the house. Slie caUed to her son Richard, informing him of the circumstance, and he immnediately went to his father and mo:her's bedichamber, from whence he took a gun loaded wirli small shot; and without dressing himself, he went quietly out at the front deor. On arriving at the back of the house he saw three men, two ox one side of aome palings, and one on the other side. They were engaged in getting over the palings a large pack- age, which was afterwards found to consist of grocery taken from the wareheuse. Mlr. Crandall told the men, that if either of them stirred he would fire at them: but notwith- standing that threat, one of them attempted to run off. Ar. Cran- dall again cautioned him but in vain: he then fired, and the rob- ber fetl. MIr. Crandall then turned-to the second man, and assur- ing him that his gun had two barrels, threatened to shoot him also it he stirred. The man who had been shot having in some measure recovered himself, roca and attempted to get away. Mr. CrandaU raised his gun with intent to strike him with the butt end of it, but while so engaged the other came behind, and struck him a vio. lent blow whi_h knocked him into the ditch. On rising he saw only one man,and he was makinghis escap. Mir. Crandallpursued him, but in vain. It appears that the man who was outside of the palings got away after the firing of the gun. On Friday Air. Mlartin, of Hartfield, Sussex, informed Air. Crandall that a man had applied to the workhouse of that place badly wounded in the back, which he said had been occasioned bv the patrol of a neighbouring village having fired at him. Alr. Crandall went to Hartfield, and on being closely questioned, the wounded man con- fessed that he wvas the person shot by 1i\r. Crandall. On Saturday he was taken before R. Allnutt, Esq., at Penshurst, and fully com. mitted for trial at the assizes, and on Saturday he was brouglht in a cart to the county gaol, Maidstone. The name of the prisoner is - Pentecost. His wounds are not dangerous, but severe, no less than 127 shots havinig entered the small of his back. The gun had only half a charge in it, or the wretched man would have been killed on the spot, as he received its contents at a distance of not more than a rod and a half.-Afaidstcne Gazette. G UILDRALL.-Joseplr Shepherd. a young man who is supposed to have been defrauding the pawnbrokers in the metropolis to a con. siderable extent, was brought up for examination before Air. Alder- man Teonur. The complainant, Charles Payne, apprentice with Alr. J. Reeve, pawnbroker, 79, Snowhill, stated that the prisoner had pledgd se. veral handsomely chased finger rings at their shop as gold ones, which turned out to be brass. He produced four, upon which 3s. and 4s. each had been advanced, and which upon being lately tested vith aqzafortis immediately turned as green as rrass. Upon the lrisoner's offering a fifth, he (Payne) asked hin if it was gold, and upon his replying that it was, sent for a constable, who searched him, and found four duplicates of pawnbrokers at the west end of the town, all in his own name, for similar rings, and for like sums. These ple'ges had all been made in his round ihat moming, pre. iously to his call at Mr. Reeve's, his former visitations to whom bad been twice in February, once in Mfarch, and once in April. The rings were elegant in appearance, very strongly gilt, and well calculated to decetve even% an experienced eye. Unfortunately, in the present case the ch eat was not completed, the complasinant hay- sng advanced no money uipon the rii,5; and with respect to the former ones, the witness could not distinctly state that the prisoner htad represented them to be gold, or that he had himself asked him wstherefore of opinion, that, as far as respected Mr. peve nocar~eco.uld be substantiated against the prisBoiier ; butto ivetim fo iquiy gnerllyinthe trade, and particularly of hos patie wosedupicaes adbeen found in his possession, [Advrtirmet.]... seond diton f Cptan BsilHall's In. bugh; and urst,Robin sWon, and Co., 90, Chepsp