14 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. [Feb. 



" The article of hides and 

 slcins, as appears in the tariff, are 

 charged particularly on the ex- 

 portation, so as to favour our 

 tanneries, and the interests of the 

 latter have caused his Majesty to 

 make some alterations. 



" Lace, made of thread, has 

 been charged in the tariff with 

 the scale duty only, on account of 

 our own manufacture being con- 

 sidered of such superior quality, 

 that nothing was apprehended 

 from foreign competition. Ex- 

 perience, however, has taught us, 

 that the industry of our neigh- 

 bours has produced just doubts 

 upon that subject, particularly 

 with regard to lace manufactured 

 with machinery. To remove 

 these difficulties, his Majesty has 

 not hesitated to fix an import 

 duty on lace, and to lay such 

 regulations before your High 

 Mightinesses, so that this branch 

 of national industry may be sup- 

 ported and encouraged, &c." 



FEBRUARY. 



The Paris papers of the 6th 

 inst. bring at length the decision 

 of the Chamber of Deputies on 

 the law for recruiting the army ; 

 which, after an animaced and 

 interesting debate, passed in the 

 affirmative on Thursday last, by 

 a majority of 55 voices ; 147 

 voting for the law, and 92 against 

 it. The articles discussed on the 

 4th and 5th were chiefly the 27th, 

 28th, and 29th, which related 

 exclusively to promotion. 



The questior>- was afterwards 

 agitated in the Chamber of Peers 

 upon the ground that no one 

 could be a member of the latter 

 chamber who had not completed 

 his fortieth year. This happened 



in three persons, who, howeyer, 

 had finished the time prescribed 

 before the opening of the session. 

 The chamber on being applied 

 to, made the same decision as the 

 deputies. 



7. Two most horrid murders, 

 committed on Mr. Bird and his 

 housekeeper, who resided in a 

 house belonging to Mr. Bird, near 

 the Mitre, Greenwich, were yes- 

 terday discovered. Mr. Bird was 

 far advanced in years, being near 

 70, and has resided many year* 

 in the town of Greenwich, where 

 he carried on the business of a 

 tallow-chandler, in which he 

 acquired sufficient property to 

 enable him to retire from business, 

 and live upon his income, arising 

 from houses and money in the 

 funds. His wife died about two 

 years ago, and since that time no 

 person has resided with him but 

 his housekeeper. He was a most 

 constant attendant at Greenwich 

 church, and was always in his 

 place as soon as the service began, 

 accompanied by his housekeeper. 

 Yesterday morning Feb. 8, it was 

 noticed by the beadle of the 

 parish, and others, that they were 

 not in their seats in the church, 

 as usual. At the conclusion of 

 the service the beadle noticed the 

 circumstance to some neighbours, 

 and they having remarked that 

 the shutters of Mr. Bird's house 

 had not been opened at the usual 

 time, nor were at that time 

 (noon), the beadle and others 

 went to Mr. Bird's house, knock- 

 ed at the door and called, but 

 received no answer ; they, there- 

 fore, had no doubt that some- 

 tiling dreadful had happened, and 

 determined on forcing an entrance 

 by the garden, at the back of the 



house. 



