464 
street exhibits an awful spectacle to 
the feeling mind; the only consola- 
tion arising from which is, that no 
lives were lost. <A fireman, of the 
name of Crocker, seeing the front of 
one of the burning houses giving 
way, took shelter in the door-way 
of the house, No. 18, opposite ;— 
but here misfortune overtook him ; 
both his thighs were broken, by the 
falling brickwork, and the door was 
completely driven in. 
- 4th. The colours of the royal 
Spelthorne legion, under the com- 
mand of the duke of Clarence, were 
presented to the corps, by the prince 
of Wales. His royal highness ar- 
rived on the ground (Ashford com- 
mon) at three o’clock, escorted by 
the troop of the legion, the Kingston 
volunteers likewise attending as a 
guard’ of honour. On_ presenting 
the colours, bis royal highness ex- 
pressed himself in the following 
manner: 
“¢ Volunteers ! it is with the high- 
est satisfaction I take upon me the 
honourable office of presenting the 
royal Spelthorn legion, this day, 
with their colours. When I view so 
respectable a corps, and consider the 
high character attached to it, it 
would be superfluous in me to point 
out those duties and obligations 
which have been so fully exemplified 
in its conduct. When you behold 
these coldurs, (taking them in his 
hand) they will remind you of the 
common cause in which you are en- 
gaged, for your king, your country, 
your religion, your laws, liberty, 
and property, your children and 
your wives; nay, in short, for every 
thing dear to Englishmen. Accept, 
then, this pledge, this sacred pledge, 
which you will take care to defend 
with your last drop of blood, and 
only resign with your lives.” 
* ae 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
After the ceremony, the prince 
was escorted, by the troop of the le- 
gion, to the Bush inn, at Staines, 
where his royal highness and the of- 
ficers of the corps dined. .The 
ground was kept by the Windsor 
and Chertsey yeomanry cavalry.— 
The prince was dressed in the uni- 
form of the 16th light dragoons. 
In the court of common pleas a 
cause was tried, wherein col. Shee 
was plaintiff, and capt. Malcolm, 
commander of the Victorious, of 74 
guns, was defendant. The action 
was brought to recover damages for 
criminal conversation with the plain- 
tiffs wife. The criminal intercourse 
was found to have taken place on 
board the defendant’s ship, in which 
col. and Mrs. Shee were passengers 
for India. It appeared, however, 
in the course of the tria], that very 
unhappy differences had prevailed 
between them, and that col. Shee 
had treated his wife with severity.— 
The judge was also of opinion, that 
the plaintiff had not used due dili- 
gence to prevent her, strong as her 
tendency to vice appeared to be, 
from throwing herselt into the arms 
of the defendant. Thejury, aftera 
short consultation, found a verdict 
for the plaintiff, damages 40s. 
6th. This day, about 9 o’clock, 
a soldier, belonging to the 70th re- 
giment, was escorted from the pro- 
vost, at Hilsea-barracks, Portsea, to 
Portsdown, for the purpose of un- 
dergoing the sentence of death, as 
passed on him at a recent court. 
martial, for repeated desertion.— 
This unfortunate man was only 20 
years of age. He had received re- 
peated sums of money, from diffe- 
rent parishes and individuals, for the 
army of reserve; after which he al- 
ways deserted on the first opportu- 
nity. Qn his arrival at the fatal 
spot, 
