266 Abstract of Foreign Occurrences. overawed by foreign bayonets. This produced a violent outcry among the Ultras: but the orator was roused to stronger language—“ Yes," said he, " If foreign bayonets were away, ten thousand insurrections would have burst forth in France. Could we, Frenchmen, have been such cowards as to bear the insults and outrages of a handful of miserable creatures, whom we have seen despised and in the dust for the last thirty years?" During this sentence the agitation was dreadful. SPAIN. French papers to the 17th inst. have brought the important intelligence from Spain, that Ferdinand, yielding to the terrors of present danger, on the 7th of March issued a decree convoking the Cortes; but this not tranquillizing or satisfying the people, on the next day another decree was issued, in which he declared that he had resolved to accept, by oath, the Constitution promulgated by the General and Extraordinary Cortes in 1812. The Moniteur states, that upwards of forty thousand men, soldiers and others, went to the Castle of Aranjuez, after the declaration of Ferdinand to swear fidelity to the Constitution; that the King appeared to them publicly, and declared he accepted the Constitution, on which the people shouted, Long live the King! long live the Constitution." In another Paper it is mentioned that the determination of the King was hastened by the defection of the Count d'Abisbal (O'Donnel), who left Madrid on the 4th, at the head of the Imperial Regiment of Alexander, and proclaimed the Constitution at Ocana, ten leagues from the capital. A regiment of cavalry is also said to have deserted to the Insurgents. It is further stated, that Gen. Ballasteros was on the 8th appointed Commandant of Madrid by the King; and that all who had been imprisoned for political causes were liberated, as also those who had been confined in the dungeons of the Inquisition. The city was illuminated in the evening, and likewise the Royal Palace. A Stone Pillar, on which the Constitution is engraved, and which was overturned in 1814, has been replaced in its former position. Saragossa declared itself on the 5th and the Journal of that city published on the 6th, contained the form of oath to the Constitution which had been taken by the Authorities, at the head of whom were the Marquis of Laxan, Captain General of the Kingdom of Arragon; and Martin de Garay, Councillor of State, and ancient Minister of Finance; besides many Generals and Persons holding public situations of distinction. mation was addressed to the Arragonese A Procla [March, on the same day; and on the next the Arragonese addressed a Proclamation to the people of Spain generally, explanatory of their conduct in adopting the Constitution. Letters from Bayonne mention, that Oviedo, the capital of the Asturias, as well as St. Andero, had followed the example of Galicia. On the same authority the kingdom of Murcia is said to have adopted the Constitution. Other accounts inform us, that on the 7th inst. the Grand Inquisitor received from his Majesty a notice, that the Inquisition had ceased to exist. ITALY. during the last week, has been in a state Malta, Feb. 3.-"This whole place, of agitation in consequence of the trial of the pirates (eight in number, including Captain Delanoe). The whole were found guilty, and are to be banged on-board the William, the vessel they were on-board of when the piracy was committed. Four of them are to be hanged in chains; viz. the Captain, the Mate, and two of the seamen. It appeared in evidence, that the William is a British vessel, and was bound for Smyrna. In the Mediterranean she fell in with another British vessel, which the sailors boarded; and having driven the crew below, they plundered, and then scuttled the vessel, and left her to sink, expecting thereby to conceal the whole transaction. The William then proproperty, and afterwards pursued her voyceeded to Malta, there sold the plundered age to Smyrna. Providentially, the men found means to get upon deck, and eswho had been left in the plundered vessel caped in the boat to the coast of Spain; and soon after Captain Delanoe had sailed from Malta, they reached that island, and gave information of the circumstances. A swift-sailing vessel was immediately dispatched in pursuit of the William, and brought her back, with her crew, to Malta, where the pirates have, no doubt, suffered for their crimes." GERMANY. Private letters from Vienna state, that there has been in the vicinity of that city an alarming overflow of the Danube: the adjacent country was laid under water, and several bridges were carried away by the violence of the inundation. SWEDEN. The herring-fishery has been unusually successful on the coast of Norway, On the 9th ult. between 50,000 and 60,000 tons, and of the best quality, had been caught and pickled. AFRICA. Accounts from Alexandria state, that the great canal of Romanich, the most colossal lossal work of the age, is finished; the water of the Nile was let into it on the last day of December. The whole population of Alexandria went to be spectators of this interesting event. AMERICA. The Senate has determined, by a vote of nearly two to one, that the Congress does not possess the right to impose upon the people of Missouri the proposed restriction as to the right of domestic slavery, as a condition of their admission into the Union. The question is grill under discussion in the House of Represensatives. The African expedition, consisting of the United States ship Cyane, and the ship Elizabeth, has sailed from New York. The Elizabeth, chartered by the Govern ment, proceeds to the Western coast of Africa. She carries out agen's and artisans, mechanics, and labourers, for the purpose of negotiating with the local authorities of the country for permission to land and provide for recaptured or liberated Africans; and to build houses and cultivate land for their use. This expe dition, it is said, has no direct or ueres. sary connexion with colonization. The Cyane proceeds on a cruize on the Western coast of Africa against the Slave Traders. An official report has been made by the Secretary of the Treasury on the subject of prohibiting the importation of cotton, woolten, and iron manufactures; and he is not favourable to such a prohibition. He estimates that the revenue would lose by it six millions of dollars annually. A dreadful storm occurred on the 17th of January, at New York, productive of very extensive damage to the shipping in the harbour, and to the buildings in the city. The storm was attended with heavy rain, and an unusual high tide, which had caused much damage by inundation on the banks of the Hudson river, as well as to bridges aud mill-dams in different parts of its course. Subscriptions have been liberally entered into, at New York and other places, for the relief of the sufferers by a dreadful fire at Savannah. From an estimate presented of the injury sustained by the conflagration, it appears that 463 buildings have been levelled with the ground, and property destroyed to the amount of 4,000,000 of dollars. DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. INTELLIGENCE FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. The intelligence from Ireland is, we regret to say, of the most painful description. Some of the wretched men who have been concerned in the atrocious excesses committed by the Ribbonmen, and whose trials took place at the Roscommon Assizes, have been executed. Others are to be transported. The whole of the Eastern wall and window of the chancel of Old Buckenham Church, in Norfolk, fell with a tremendous crash, during the late storm of wind and snow. At the York Assizes, William Booth, and two of his companions, were found guilty of shooting a gamekeeper of Mr. S. Wortley's, while out poaching.-Booth (alone) was executed. March 3. This morning, at two o'clock, a fire broke out at Mr. Hill's, a baker's, in the main street, Chatham; and the wind being extremely high, it spread with great rapidity, crossing the street, which is very narrow, and overwhelming the houses on each side in one common destruction. To add to the confusion and distress of the moment, a heavy sleet began to fall; which, aided by the violence of the wind and extreme cold, almost paralysed the exertions made to put a stop to the flames. At five o'clock, such was the fury of the devouring element, and the apparent inadequacy of the means to check its progress, that an express was sent off to London to obtain engines, and experienced firemen to work them. Both these were dispatched; but before they could arrive the chief necessity for their assistance ceased to exist; as by 11 o'clock the flames were almost subdued, by taking down several houses on each side of the devouring element. Nothing was visible of the conflagration but a heap of smoking ruins. The whole number of houses destroyed amounted to thirty-six; among which were the Sun Tavern, with the dwelling-house and part of the brew-house belonging to Mr. Best. The violence of the wind was such, that large flakes of burning matter were conveyed to some hundred yards distance. One of those flakes fell upon a large stack of hay, about 150 yards from High-street, which consumed that, and two others which were close by. An unfortunate soldier, it is said, was killed by the front wall of one of the houses. The fire is supposed to have originated from the carelessness of one of the bakers near, who carried out some hot ashes which he emptied near a rick of faggots, and which was fanned into a blaze by the excessive high wind. It is something very remarkable, that a fire broke out in the very same spot in June 1800 (see our vol. LXX. p. 782), and did nearly equal mischief.-Several horses, thirteen hogs, cats, dogs, birds, &c. fell a prey to the devouring element. The entire amount of property destroyed is estimated at 100,000l. of which about 70,000l. are insured in the Hope, the Kent, the Norwich Union, the Phoenix, the Eagle, the Sun, and the West of England; among which the largest loss will fall upon the Hope, and the least upon the West of England. March 5. A tremendous fire broke out this night, at Luton Lees Farm, near Nettlebed, which destroyed the house, a barn, and four ricks, in less than two hours, together with three valuable horses. The farm was occupied by Mr. Tidmarsh, whose son and three other youths set fire to the thatch of a wheat-rick close to the house, in catching sparrows with a clapnet, by which a candle is held up for the birds to fly into the net. A strong Northerly wind drove the flames directly upon the house, which was in one blaze before any water could be got, as it was built chiefly of wood. The premises were lightly insured. A boy was severely burnt in escaping from the attic, and his life is despaired of. March 6. The Theatre at Exeter was destroyed by fire this night, with the scenery and wardrobe, on which a considerable sum of money had recently been expended. The fire is supposed to have been caused by the wadding of some muskets discharged in the melo-drama of The Falls of the Clyde, which was the after-piece on that night. March 10. Two horses, the property of Mr. William Cook and Mr. Hircock, of Whaplode, Lincolnshire, having rubbed open a door of a barn belonging to the latter person, ate so immoderately of some wheat which lay on the floor, that both died soon after. March 13. A most alarming and destructive fire broke out in the village of Coveney, Bucks, at midnight, on the farm of Mr. Shorter; which was occasioned by the negligence of a boy, in setting fire to some straw in the stable, on the return home of his master. In less than ten minutes the stable was consumed, and seven pigs were burnt in a stye at the back. The flames communicated to two barns, which were also consumed in a very short time. A strong wind communicated the flame to the timber roof of the dwelling-house, and at this time the fire was seen miles off. A whole range of houses, seven in number, were burnt, but most of the furniture was saved. A man of the name of Bartholomew was dangerously hurt by some tim ber falling upon him. March 15. About two o'clock, as Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, of Great Billing, near Northampton, was sitting in front of the Northampton coach, with a child in her lap, and a niece on each side of her, she was cautioned by the coachman to stoop while passing the gateway, at the White Hart, St. Alban's. Mrs. Wilson instantly repeated the admonition to her nieces; but, unhappily, forgetting herself to follow the advice, she received a blow on her head, by which the spine of her neck was broken, and she died instantly without being heard to utter a sigh or a groan. March 17. Mr. William Radcliffe, Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms, was tried at the York Assizes, upon an indictment charging him with having, in the year 1801, forged, in the Parish Register of Ravensfield, in that county, an entry, purporting to be the marriage of Edward Radclyffe and Rosamunde Swyfte, 24th of February, 1640; and with having set forth such false entry in a pedigree presented by him to the Heralds' College, whereby he had pretended to shew his own descent from the ancient family of Radclyffe, formerly Earls of Derwentwater, with a view to impose upon the College, as well as upon the Governors of Greenwich Hospital, in whom the forfeited estates of that noble family were vested. The Register was produced, and it appeared that the Rev. Thomas Radford, the Curate of the parish at the time of the interpolation, and since deceased, had, in February 1802, attested the entry to be a forgery. The persons who had had the custody of the register proved Norroy King of Arms and Register of the the time and place of the forgery; and Heralds' College, and York, Richmond, Somerset, and Windsor Heralds, and Portcullis Pursuivant, were examined, and proved the hand-writing to be that of the defendant, and the circumstances attending the discovery. Mr. Locker, Secretary to Greenwich Hospital, produced two Memorials addressed by the defendant, in 1810 and 1816, to the Governors, for a beneficial lease of a considerable estate, anciently belonging to the noble family in question. There were also produced from Christ's Hospital a Memorial and Pedigree, presented by the defendant in 1809, whereby he had succeeded in obtaining admission for his younger brother upon the foundation of that charity, as being of kin to the founder, King Edward VI.; and in which pedigree the said marriage, so forged, was asserted, and the descent of the defendant drawn from it. Mr. Scarlett opened the case in a luminous speech, in which he pointed out the enormity of the offence, and a variety of other fabrications in defendant's pedigree. which, he stated, he was prepared to prove by several wi'nesses then in Court.-The Learned Counsel further observed upon the importance of the case, not only as it affected the character of the Members of the Heralds' College, but the general interests of the Public; that it had not been brought forward to answer any vindictive purpose, but to protect an honourable Body from the stigma which might attach to it from the improper conduct of one of its Members, and to shew that the valuable records entrusted to their care would not be neglected by those appointed to preserve them. Mr. Serjeant Hullock made an able speech for the defendant, but called no evidence for the defence. Mr. Justice Park summed up in a comprehensive charge to the Jury, in which be stated the law as applicable to the case, and said, if the forgery had been committed in a parish register of a date subsequent to the Marriage Act in 1753, it would have constituted a capital offence; but that, in the case before the Court, it was only a misdemeanour at common law. The Jury retired for about a quarter of an hour, and returned with a verdict of Guilty; whereupon Mr. Justice Park sentenced the prisoner to pay a fine of 50%, and to be imprisoned in York Castle for the term of three months. March 23. This day the trial of Sir Francis Burdett was brought forward at Leicester, before Mr. Justice Best and a Special Jury. The information set forth that Sir F. Burdett had addressed a Letter to Lord Sidmouth, on the 28th of August, containing seditious and libellous aspersions on the Government of the country, and tending (by scandalous animadversions on the proceedings at Manchester) to excite disaffection amongst his Majesty's subjects. Sir Francis pleaded his own cause with considerable eloquence, and contended for the illegality of the proceedings. The learned Judge, in summing up, pronounced the Letter written by Sir Francis, to be a seditious libel. The Jury immediately returned a verdict of Guilty. His Majesty has been graciously pleased, by a Royal Grant to the Master, Fellows, and Scholars, of St. John's College, Cambridge, to remove the restrictions in their Statutes, which prevented the elec tion of more than two Fellows from the same county, into the Foundress's Fellowships. These Fellowships are now open to all candidates born in any part of England and Wales. OCCURRENCES IN LONDON AND ITS VICINITY. His Majesty, it is said, has presented Captain Pitzclarence with a valuable sword, as a mark of his approbation of that gallant young officer's services in Cato-street. COMMITMENT OF THE CONSPIRATORS. March 3. The Conspirators who were arrested in Cato-street underwent a final examination before the Privy Council; and at the close of the inquiry Thistlewood and seven of his wretched associates were committed to the Tower. The following are the particulars of what occurred at the examination:-Soon after eleven o'clock, Lavender, Salmon, and other officers of the Bow-street police, arrived in three coaches at Coldbath-fields Prison, with orders from the Secretary of State for the Home department to bring immediately to Whitehall the Conspirators confined in the House of Correction, for examination before the Privy Council. Mr. Adkins, the Governor of the prison, immediately delivered over the following prisoners into the care of the officers, viz. Thistlewood, Monument, Wilson, Davidson, Tidd, Gilchrist, Ings, Bradburn, Shaw, Cooper, and Brunt. They were immediately conveyed in the coaches provided for their reception to Whitehall. The prisoners were all handcuffed to each other. About the time that this detachment reached Whitehall, Mr. Nodder, the keeper of Tothill-flelds prison, arrived at the same place in a coach, with Preston the cobler (who had been apprehended in the course of the week), Simmonds (the footman), Harrison (late a Life Guardsman), Abel Hall, and Firth, the keeper of the loft in Cato-street. The Council having assembled, they issued their orders that the prisoners should be brought before them separately. Thistlewood was first taken up-stairs to the Council Chamber. Lavender, the officer, of Queen-square, went before him; and Lavender, of Bow-street, and Bishop, on each side. He walked in a hurried step, and appeared a little agitated. He was attended by the officers to the presence of the Council, and was simply told that he stood committed for high treason and murder. He was then taken back to the room below, and Brunt was led up in a similar manner. The same course was observed with respect to all the other prisoners, Preston excepted. Simmonds was twenty minutes before the Council, and Monument about the same time. The latter is a man of very diminutive stature, but is said to possess some intellect. On the present occasion he seemed to be suffering under the agonies of terror. they had all undergone an examination, they occasionally entered into conversation. Thistlewood wore his hat, and looked as if he had made up his mind to meet his fate with firmness. After The Council, after a deliberation of nearly two hours, announced through the medium of Mr. Hobhouse, the Under Secretary, that eight of the prisoners were to be committed to the Tower upon a charge of high treason. These were, Thistlewood, Brunt, Davidson, Ings, Wilson, Tidd, Harrison, and Monument. These were then handcuffed in pairs, aud an escort of the Horse Guards were sent for. On the arrival of the guards, four hackney coaches were procured, in each of which two prisoners were placed. They were accompanied by the Fort-Major of the Tower, Captain J. H. Elrington, Lavender, Bishop, Ruthven, Taunton, Salmon, and several other police-officers. The Horse Guards surrounded them on all sides. Every thing being in readiness, the carriages were driven over Westminster-bridge, and by that route over London-bridge, up Fishstreet-hill, through Fenchurch-street, and the Minories, to the Tower. Au immense crowd witnessed their departure, and followed their course; but there was not a single sympathizing expression uttered by the throng. After the departure of the men thus committed for high treason, six of those who remained-Bradburn, Cooper, Gilchrist, Strange, Hall, and Firth, were committed to the custody of Mr. Adkins, Governor of the House of Correction, under different charges; some for murder, and others for shooting at persons with intent to kill. They were conveyed to their place of destination under an escort of Horse Guards, and accompanied by several police-officers. Each prisoner is confined in a separate apartment; two warders, armed in the usual way, with cutlasses and halberds, are in each room; and at each door is stationed a sentinel armed, to whose care is intrusted the key of the room, with strict orders not to permit more than one warder to be absent at a time, and that only for occasional purposes. Thistlewood is placed in the prison known by the name of the Bloody Tower. -Davidson is in the prison over the water-works.-Ings is in a different room of the same prison.-Monument is in the prison at the back of the horse-armoury. Brunt and Harrison occupy separate apartments in the prison over the stonekitchen.-Tidd is secured in the seven-gun battery prison,—and Wilson in the prison over the parade. The prisoners have, by the indulgence of the Law, what is called state allowance, for their daily maintenance. The iron gate at the East end of the Tower is closed, as is usual upon such occasions. The examination of the prisoners before the Council, the questions and replies, are, of course, confined to that Chamber. As to the possibility that there are ramifications of this plot, which is a subject of great interest, no proceedings on the part of Government indicate such a belief. The accounts published respecting Thistlewood are very incorrect, His father was a surveyor and civil engineer in Lincolnshire; where his brother, a gentleman of handsome fortune, now resides. Arthur (whose real name we are informed is Thistlethwaite) served his time as an apothecary at Newark-upon-Trent, and afterwards held a commission in the Militia. With his first wife he had a fortune of 20,000l. the greater part of which he lost at play and on the turf. The present Mrs. Thistlewood is the daughter of a respectable grazier at Horncastle. Monday, March 6. Mr. Baker took his seat, for the first time, at the Public Office, Bow-street, as Chief Magistrate, in the room of Sir Nathaniel Conant, who has retired on acof ill health. Thursday, March 16. This morning a fire broke out at the house of Mr. Jeffry, a potatoe merchant, in High-street, Ratcliff, which communicated to the next house, Mr. Colson's. Some tenements at the back of the house sustained damage, as did several houses in the front street. We regret to add, that three poor sailors are said to have perished in the attic of one of the houses. CITY ELECTION.-This being the day appointed for the publication of the Sheriffs' formal return of the names of the Buccessful candidates, a most respectable assemblage of Liverymen took place. The Common Crier then made proclamation that the Sheriffs did declare, that the votes polled by the several candidates during the election were: ...5,358 For Mr. Alderman Wood.........5,370 Thomas Wilson, esq......... Sir Wm. Curtis, Bart.............4,908 The Lord Mayor...................4,259 Mr. Alderman Waithman........4,119 Mr. Alderman Thorp..............3,921 And that, consequently, Alderman Wood, T. Wilson, esq. Sir W. Curtis, and the Lord Mayor, had been duly elected. THEATRICAL REGISTER. New Pieces. COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. Feb. 22. Too late for Dinner, a Farce, by Mr. Richard Jones, of this Theatre.It is lively, amusing, and has been very successful. March 2. Ivanhoe; or, the Knight Templar, a Musical Drama. Some good scenery, and excellent acting, has made this piece popular. DRURY LANE THEATRE. March 2. The Hebrew, a Play ascribed to Mr. Soane. It is founded on the story of Ivanhoe; but is in our opinion, notwithstanding the acting of Mr. Kean as the Jew, inferior to the above piece at Covent Garden. PROMO |