desultory speech, concluding with a string of resolutions, having for their object to obtain annual parliaments and universal suffrage. The resolutions were then embodied into the form of a petition, and carried by acclamation. It was taken, by the chairman of the meeting, down to the House of Commons, with the view of putting it into the hands of Lord Folkstone to be presented. The crowd gradually dispersed. Mr Hunt paraded through several of the principal streets, with an immense mob following his tandem, but, though rather turbulent, no michief ensued.

Mural Monument.-Soon after the completion of the iron bridge at Bonar, in the county of Sutherland, George Dempster, Esq. of Dunnichen, expressed a wish to be allowed to have placed, at his expense, in a conspicuous place at Bonar Bridge, a mural monument, or tablet of marble, with an inscription, expressive, and as a lasting memorial, of the patriotic exertions of the Commissioners for Highland roads and bridges.-The tablet, which is of white marble, about four feet in height, and three feet in breadth, with two pedestals of Portland stone, having been safely landed at Bonar, the heritors, &c. of the county of Sutherland, at their last Michaelmas Head Court, directed that it should be forthwith erected, agreeable to the wish of the patriotic donor, and voted thanks to Mr Dempster for the handsome gift, which were communicated to him by the convener. The inscription is as follows:

TRAVELLER!

Stop and read with gratitude The names of the Parliamentary Commissioners, appointed, in the year 1803, to direct the making of about five hundred miles of roads through the Highlands of Scotland, and of numerous bridges, particularly those at Beauly, Scuddel, Bonar, Fleet, and Helmsdale, connecting those roads ;-viz.

Right Honourable Charles Abbot. Right Honourable Nicholas Vansittart. Right Honourable William Dundas. Sir William Pulteney, Bart. Isaac Hawkins Brown, Esq. Charles Grant, Esq. William Smith, Esq. To whom were afterwards added, Archibald Colquhoun, Esq. Lord Ad

vocate.

Charles Dundas, Esq.

Right Honourable Nathaniel Bond. This building was begun in September 1811, and finished in November 1812. Thomas Telford, architect. Simpson and Cargill, builders.

This stone was placed here by GEORGE DEMPSTER of Dunnichen, in the year 1815.

Organ. A superb organ has just been built, at an expense of 4000 guineas, as a present from the Countess of Loudon and Moira to the church at Calcutta. This in

strument is to be shipped for India by the next outward-bound fleet.

13.-Union Canal.-On Saturday the 8th, the petition for leave to bring into Parliament the Bill for the Union Canal was despatched to London, signed and sealed by the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and having the subscriptions of a number of respectable individuals of both cities, wellwishers to that much wanted and most useful undertaking.

13.-New Coin. The exchange of the new for the old silver coin commenced this day at the several banks and banking houses in this city and Leith; and the issue is to be simultaneous throughout the kingdom.

-The new coins are very handsome, consisting of crowns, half-crowns, shillings, and sixpences. On the crowns and halfcrowns is the head of his Majesty, with the words Georgius III. Dei Gratia, 1816; on the reverse, Rex. Fid. Def. Britanniarum, with the royal arms and motto encircled by the collar of the order of the Garter, surmounted with a crown. On the shillings

and sixpences is his Majesty's head, with the words Geor. III. D. G. Britt. Rex. F. D. 1816. The arms on the reverse are encircled with the Garter, surmounted with the crown. The raised rim protects the impressions, and each coin has a milled edge.

14-Commitment to the Tower.-Watson, Preston, Hooper, and Kean, alias Kearns, having been ordered to be committed to the Tower, four hackney coaches were procured, and one prisoner put into each, under the care of a king's messenger and a Bow Street officer. Sir Anthony Conant rode in the first coach. They left the Secretary of State's office about five o'clock, and proceeded to the Tower. As soon as the coaches had entered, the gates were closed, and the Deputy-Governor and Col. Sutton, the colonel of the guard on duty, took charge of the prisoners, and conducted them to second rate apartments, which had been prepared for their reception; each is confined in a separate room. Two wardens (yeomen of the guard) are to be in each room constantly with them; and at the outside of each room door there are two centinels.

15.-Naval Monument.-A numerous meeting of the subscribers to the naval monument to be erected to the memory of the late Lord Melville, was held at Oman's Hotel, in Edinburgh, on Tuesday, when the state of the funds was laid before them; and it was unanimously resolved, that a committee be formed for carrying the said work into execution, and that they be instructed to fix upon a place for erecting the said monument, to procure plans, to decide upon the same, and proceed forthwith in the execution thereof.

15.-County Meeting.-Yesterday, a very numerous meeting of the county of Edinburgh was held in the Parliament House, when an address to the Prince Re

gent, on the late outrages, was proposed, and unanimously agreed to.

18.-Dreadful Fire. The worsted mill, belonging to Messrs Edward and Joseph Pease of Darlington, has been entirely destroyed by fire. The damage is estimated at £35,000, and upwards of 500 people will be thrown out of employment for many months to come.

The Gazette of this day contains a proclamation, offering a reward of £500 for the apprehension of James Watson the younger; and likewise a reward of the same sum for the apprehension of Arthur Thistlewood; with a full description of their persons.

20.-The Queen's Birth-day.This day being appointed to celebrate her Majesty's birth-day, her Majesty held a drawing-room, which displayed a most magnificent assemblage of rank and beauty. The Prince Regent had commanded notice to be given in the Gazette, that the celebration of the Queen's birth-day, and his own, should be considered as public court festivals, and that those who attended the court, should appear in dresses of British manufacture only; and he set a laudable example, in ordering all his state officers, and others of the royal establishment, to appear in new costly dresses, in which every article, not of British manufacture, was strictly prohibited; which, as a pattern to the higher orders generally, will be a great benefit to numberless industrious families. Indeed, all the company present shewed they had been equally anxious to relieve their suffering countrymen, by affording them employment, which is the only permanently useful mode of relief.

20.-A London Gazette was published this day. It consists of ten pages, and is entirely filled with addresses of congratulation to the Prince Regent on his late happy escape.

24.-Pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Such is the infatuation of the believers in the doctrines of that ridiculous old woman, Johanna Southcote, that several persons in Leeds are actually quitting comfortable situations in life, to embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusa lem! where they are fully persuaded, they are to live without money, or labour, or sorrow, or pain, for at least 1000 years cs!

24.-Friends of Public Order.A meeting of the friends of public order, retrenchment, and reform, dined together on Satur day last, at the Freemason's Tavern. At half-past five o'clock, Mr Lucas took the chair, with the Hon. Thomas Brand on his right, and Sir Francis Burdett on his left side. Amongst the company present were, the Hon. Douglas Kinnaird, J. Philpot Curran, Alderman Goodbehere, Mr Waithman, Mr Phillips, &c. A declaration was handed by the chairman to his friend Mr Peter of Cornwall, with a request that he would preface the reading of it with some observations of his own; when, after a

speech of considerable length, he read the declaration, which stated the determination of the society to promote constitutional reform in the Commons House of Parliament, and concluded in the following words; "Waving, therefore, the discussion of all particular tenets, and details of reform, resisting corruption on the one hand, and violence on the other, this meeting pledges itself to leave no legal and constitutional means unexerted, for inducing the legislature to take the grievances of the people into its early and serious consideration, and (by amending the state of representation) to render the House of Commons, in fact, as it is of right, a control upon the executive government, and an express image of the feelings of the nation." Several gentlemen, particularly Mr Curran, delivered their sentiments very freely, but all of them disclaimed the idea of annual parliaments and universal suffrage; and the meeting was conducted with that degree of moderation which should be an example to all the true friends and advocates of reform.

Striking the Fiars.-The act of sederunt of the Court of Session (December 21, 1723) constitutes the law with regard to the striking of the fiars; and as this is a subject of great and increasing importance, we insert the following short outline of its provi sions:

1st, Fifteen persons, who have "knowledge and experience of the prices and trade of victual" (not fewer than eight of them heritors) shall be chosen as a jury, to sit between the 4th and 20th February.

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2d, Witnesses shall be examined, concerning the price at which victual has been bought and sold, especially since the 1st of November immediately preceding," and also "concerning all other good grounds and arguments" for establishing the just fiar prices.

3d, Any persons "present in court," may "offer information to the jury concerning the premises and the evidence adduced."

4th, The Sheriff, if necessary, may adjourn to a subsequent day, but must pronounce sentence on or before the 1st of March.

5th, The Sheriff, if needful or customary, may strike the fiars more than once every year.

6th, The fiars must be recorded in the sheriff books, and extracts shall be given by the clerk, when demanded, on payment of seven shillings Scots for each, and no

more.

27.-Arrests at Glasgow.-On Saturday night, the 22d instant, about eleven o'clock, eighteen men were taken up, under a Sheriff's warrant, in a small public house at the head of the Old Wynd, Glasgow, and lodged in jail for examination. It is understood that they are charged with having met for treasonable purposes. On being questioned as to the object of their meeting, they declared, it was solely with the view

of concerting measures for ascertaining the question, how far they were entitled by law to parochial relief. A schoolmaster and a writer's clerk were in the company, the rest were, apparently, very poor people. Seven more men of the last description were taken up by warrants in the course of the night, and another on Sunday, making in all twenty-six.

27. Attempt at Rescue. On Tuesday, the 25th instant, two men were apprehended in Anderston, and committed to jail under similar charges with the above. On their way to prison, near the Broomielaw, a considerable crowd collected, who attempt ed a rescue. The soldiers were obliged to fire, but no person was hurt. Three of the ringleaders of this mob were apprehended, and also lodged in jail.

28.-Petition of the Livery.-A meeting of the Livery of London was held in the Common Hall, for the purpose of petitioning parliament against the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, when Mr Waithman, in a long speech, declared it as his opinion, that there were no grounds to warrant such an encroachment upon the liberty of the subject; and after ridiculing the contents of the green bag, and the alarm which they had excited, a petition, founded upon resolutions which had been proposed by Mr Favell, was unanimously agreed to. A similar petition was also unanimously agreed to be presented to the House of Lords.

MARCH.

1.-New Village.-The Earl of Fife has generously offered to settle on his estates various families of the western islands, who were ready to emigrate to America; and we observe, with pleasure, that he is building a new village near Keith, where every encouragement is offered to the settlers.

General Assembly.-The Right Hon. Lord Napier having retired from the office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Hon. the Earl of Errol is appointed to that high station.

3.-Violent Gale.-This morning it blew a strong gale of wind from the W.N.W. It was high water at Leith 34 minutes past two in the morning, about which time the tide ran strong into the harbour; for which several vessels were obliged to make, owing to the violence of the gale; some attempting to go out at the same time, they ran foul of each other, and great confusion and damage ensued. Out of ten vessels thus circumstanced, no less than five sunk at the Ferry-boat Stairs, and, it is feared, will be totally wrecked. Several small boats were also dashed to pieces, but happily no lives were lost.

3.-Deaf and Dumb Institution.The annual general meeting of the members of the Deaf and Dumb Institution, and public examination of its pupils, took place in the Assembly Rooms on Monday, 24th, ult.

The proficiency of the pupils, forty-eight in number, in all the branches of education, was calculated to give universal satisfaction; and it is scarcely possible to imagine a more truly gratifying spectacle, than the exhibition of so many young persons, rescued from the most deplorable state of infirmity and privation, and introduced, by the exertions of enlightened benevolence, to all the usefulness and comforts of social life, and to the enjoyments, the hopes, and the consolations of rational and immortal beings.

4.-Hoarding of Silver.Lately, an old man, apparently poor, with a very clownish gait, was observed walking to and fro before the British Linen Company's bank at Dumfries; after considerable hesitation he ventured in, and inquired for "the head o' the house."" I am the head of the house," said Mr C.; "what was it you wanted ?"" I want to ken gif ye hae power to tak the auld siller ?""Oh yes, I take the old silver; how much have you? perhaps five pounds ?"-" I hae mair than that I hae five hunner punds!"

5.-Curious Fact in Natural History.— Some time ago, at Lochmaben, two crows, which had been accustomed to build on the same tree, being considered troublesome by consuming the seed-corn, were ordered to be shot. Immediately after, a number of crows assembled, and made a considerable noise, apparently communicating with one another. Two of their number were then deputed to attend the young brood belonging to the crows which had been killed, and which duty they diligently performed, and brought the young ones to maturity.

5.-Robbery of the Mail.-On the 3d instant, the mail between Edinburgh and Stirling was robbed of a parcel containing bank notes amounting to £5000. The robbery must have been committed by three men, who had previously taken places. The parcel was safely lodged in the coach; and one of the men, having a greatcoat thrown over his arm, got into the coach, and was shortly after followed by the others, who did not appear to have any knowledge of each other. Just before the mail started, the man who first entered said, that he had forgotten certain papers and documents, without which it would be fatal to his interest to proceed on his journey, and he quitted the coach with his coat across his arm in the same manner as he entered it, taking with him, however, (as it is supposed) the parcel concealed under his coat. other persons quitted the coach before its arrival at Stirling, at which place the notes were made payable, and where the robbery was discovered. Notwithstanding the most diligent search, by officers from Bow Street and Edinburgh, no traces of the delinquents have yet been found.

The

6.-Melancholy Accident.-On Sunday afternoon, the 2d instant, as Mr Perry, manager at Messrs Todd & Shortridge's printfield, with two boys, his children, was

1

crossing the Leven in a boat, the chain, which is fastened on each bank, became entangled with the bow, and the boat shipped water and sunk. Mr Perry seized his children, and for some minutes supported them in his arms. He was, however, compelled to quit them, and make for the shore; but he became exhausted, and shared the melancholy fate of his children.

7.-Extraordinary Mendicant.-A man of the name of Brookes, who had for many years subsisted by begging in the borough of Southwark, lately died, worth upwards of £4000 in land and houses. Several years ago, he purchased, in another person's name, a landed estate in the neighbourhood of Woolwich-fearing, that if he had it conveyed to himself, it might take wind, and altogether destroy his favourite pursuit of mendicity. At the time of his demise, 3 there were four new houses, but not nearly finished, in the Borough-road, which were built with his money, but were prevented from being finished by an accident of a very serious result, and produced entirely by his original attachment to deception. The builder over-reached him in the contract; and, after obtaining £1200 of his money, refused to finish them, which preyed so strongly on his mind, that, in a fit of despair, he put an end to his life by firing à pistol into his mouth.

3

Employment of the Poor.-The Board of Agriculture, considering the public benefit which would result from increasing the employment of the agricultural poor at this juncture, and being desirous that as much information as possible should be collected and made known to the public, have resolved to give the following premiums:

To the person who shall draw up, and produce to the Board, the best essay on the means of employing the unoccupied and industrious poor-the gold medal, or one hundred pounds: to be produced on or before the 1st March 1818.

To the person who shall, during the spring of 1817, cause to be dug by hand, for the production of any crop of corn or pulse, turnips or cabbages, the greatest number of acres, not less than ten, never dug before, the gold medal, or fifty pounds.

For the next greatest number, not less than five-twenty-five pounds.

Certificates of the space of land dug, sort of soil, and depth, and for what crop, and the produce thereof, to be produced on or before the 1st day of March 1818.

10.-Commitments at Glasgow. After a long and patient examination before the Sheriff, fourteen persons have been committed for trial, on the charge of conspiring against the government, and taking an unlawful oath. Of those formerly in custody, two have been liberated on bail; namely, an auctioneer's porter and a weaver. Another bookseller has been examined, on a charge of publishing seditious pamphlets, and admitted to bail. Orders have been

given to fit up proper apartments in Edinburgh castle for their reception, to which place they are to be removed.

Gas-light Company.-Arrangements have been made for the establishment of a gaslight company in this city, and we have to congratulate our fellow-citizens on the near prospect of a great improvement being made in the lighting of the streets. Political economists are not, however, agreed, whether or not the advantages arising from the general use of gas-lights are sufficient to counterbalance the evil that will arise from the corresponding diminution of maritime employment in the whale fishery.

10. Meeting at Manchester.-On Monday the 3d instant, a meeting was held at Manchester, previous to which it was intimated, that the numbers to be collected on that day would proceed to London, to present a petition to the Prince Regent, for the purpose of undeceiving him." Placards were stuck up, and handbills distributed. The people of Stockport were invited to join those of Manchester on Lancashire Hill. It was insinuated, that 25,000 stand of arms at Birmingham might be secured. The arrivals in the course of the day could not be less than from 60 to 70,000. Early in the morning, the streets of Manchester were crowded by thousands, of whom a great part were prepared with blankets and bundles for the march to London. A temporary stage was erected upon a cart at the place of assembly, and the instigators of the meeting appeared upon it about nine o'clock, and delivered harangues of the most inflammatory kind. Members poured in in shoals every minute, when it was deemed necessary to call in the civil and military power, as had been previously arranged by the magistrates, in conjunction with Sir John Byng, the commander of the district: and by a quick movement, the cart was completely surrounded, and all who were upon the stage were conveyed to prison. About 200 have been apprehended; and after the judicious and compassionate permission of the magistrates, in suffering these poor deluded people to procure lodgings for the night, they quietly returned to their homes next morning, without further alarm to the country or peril to themselves.

Meeting of Catholics. At an aggregate meeting of Roman Catholics, held in Clarendon Street chapel, on 6th March, resolutions were passed, declaring their decided and conscientious conviction, that any power granted to the Crown of Great Britain, of interfering, directly or indirectly, in the appointment of bishops for the Roman Catholic church in Ireland, must essentially injure, and may eventually subvert, the Roman Catholic religion in this country. That they should not receive as a boon any portion of civil liberty, accompanied by that which the Catholic prelates and people of Ireland have condemned as essentially injurious, and probably destructive, to their

religion; and do solemnly declare, that they infinitely prefer their present situation in the state to any emancipation which may be directly or indirectly coupled with the

veto.

New Coinage.It is not, perhaps, generally known, that on all the new coin the letters W. W. P. (the initials of the Right Hon. William Wellesley Pole) are conspicuously placed on the ornamental part round the royal arms, between the harp and the word" Honi." On the opposite, also in the ornamental part, is the letter W. for worker. The following is the exact weight of each piece :

Dwt. Grs. 18 4

36-100ths 18-100ths 3 15 3-11ths troy.

1 19

A crown A half-crown, 9 2 A shilling, A sixpence, 7-11ths 12.-Hampshire Meeting.-A meeting took place yesterday at Winchester, in consequence of a requisition to the High Sheriff. A loyal, constitutional, and dutiful address was moved by Sir C. Ogle, which accorded with the views and sentiments of the great and respectable body of the people of Hampshire. An amendment was moved by Lord Cochrane. Mr Cobbett and Mr Hunt both attempted to speak, but they were violently assailed with hisses and groans, and were forced to quit the field without a single huzza from the people.

Mildew.The Rev. William Elliot, of Bishop's Stortford, Herts, and Mr James Leader, of Dunmow, Essex, have lately addressed the public through a contemporary print, in recommendation of a friend of theirs, a gentleman of family and respectability, who has made one of the most important discoveries ever yet offered to the agricultural world; no less than a prevention of the mildew in wheat, with invariable certainty. He professes to be able to mildew one land of wheat, and prevent the adjoining one from all such infection. He has, in conversation, told several farmers, while looking over their crops, that he is in possession both of the cause and cure of mil. dew. The method and expense quite within any man's reach. A remuneration is expected, but not until after absolute conviction of success.

17.-Grand Duke Nicholas.--The Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, accompanied by the Duke of Devonshire and several other distinguished personages, embarked at Dover this morning, on board the Royal Sovereign yacht, for the continent. His Imperial Highness had been several months in the country, which he employed in visiting the principal manufacturing towns, and inspecting the most distinguished public establishments of the kingdom. He arrived in Edinburgh on the 16th of December, and was received with all the honours due to his high rank. After remaining here a week, his Imperial Highness set off for Glasgow, visiting the iron-works at Carron

&c. on his way. He returned to London by the western road, passing through Car lisle and the principal towns in that quarter. The agreeable manners of this prince rendered him very popular in this part of the kingdom, and he was pleased to express, on different occasions, his high satisfaction with the reception that he had everywhere experienced.

20.-Commitments to the Castle.-Nine persons, apprehended at Glasgow, on suspicion of treasonable practices, have been lodged in Edinburgh castle, the gates of which are shut, and the sentinels have orders to exclude all but those belonging to, or having business with, the garrison.

Melville's Monument. We hear that the committee of subscribers for erecting a monument to the memory of the late Lord Viscount Melville have fixed upon the north-east corner of the Calton Hill, exactly overlooking the excise-office, and in the line of George Street-a most excellent situation for such a structure. On Wednesday last, in consequence of an application to the Town Council by the committee, for liberty to build on this spot, they unanimously agreed to their request.

Bonaparte. A gentleman named Wallis, who touched at St Helena on the 9th of December last, in the ship Fanny of London, states, that the following is a correct account of the provisions allowed Bonaparte and his attendants, which he receives daily from Messrs Balcombe & Co. who are appointed by Government to be his purveyors, viz.

1 do. Constantia 25 loaves bread, 5 lb. 5 lb. moist sugar flour 2 lb. white do. 65 lb. beef

36 lb. mutton 6 fowls

Vegetables to £1. Fruit 10s. Sweetmeats 8s. 1 goose or turkey 35 candles; With a proportion of pepper, salt, oil, and mustard; the whole amounting to about £174 in fourteen days.

Curious Case.-At the Lincoln assizes, in an action, Wright v. Jessop, the plaintiff, an apothecary of Bottesford, sought to recover from the defendant, a bachelor of opulence, residing near Lincoln, £787, 18s. for medicine and attendance during twentyfive years. By the statement of the plaintiff's counsel, it appeared that the defendant was of a hypochondriacal turn, and had taken pills for a great number of years: he used to have from 600 to 2000 pills sent to him at a time, and in one year he took 51,000! being at the rate of 150 a-day. There were also thousands of bottles of mixture. From the ravenous propensity of the patient for physic, it was deemed necessary to call in two physicians, who, inquiring of the defendant what was the course of medicine