CHRONICLE. 



151 



quadrangular building of fine 

 brick and stoncj extending from 

 Billingsgate Dock to the Old 

 Custom-house stairs. The front 

 towards the river is adorned with 

 architecture, which affords a no- 

 ble aj)pearauce. The wings, east 

 and west, are distinguished by 

 beautiful columns, pilastres, and 

 entablature of the Ionic order, 

 surmounted by a stone balustrade. 

 The space nearest the river forms 

 a spacious quay for landing goods. 

 The numerous apartments intend- 

 ed for offices are large and com- 

 modious, and the building alto- 

 gether is constructed to suit the 

 multifarious duties relating to 

 the exports and imports. It is 

 roofed with lead and slate, and is 

 expected to be completed in the 

 course of a few months. 



New Law relative to Parish Ap- 

 prentices. — From and after the 1st 

 of October, 1816, before any 

 child be bound appientice by the 

 overseers of the poor of any pa- 

 rish, such cliild shall be carried 

 before two Justices of Ihe Peace 

 in the county, who sliall inquire 

 into the propriety of binding such 

 child to the person or persons to 

 wliom it shall be proposed by 

 such Overseers to bind such 

 child ; and if such Justices shall, 

 upon examination, think it proper 

 that such child should be bound 

 to such person or persons, such 

 Justices shall make an order, 

 which order shall be delivered to 

 such Overseer. No settlement 

 shall be gained by any child by 

 reason of such apprenticeship, 

 unless such order shall have been 

 made. In case any Overseer shall 

 bind any parish apprentice with- 

 out such order having been first 

 obtained, the said Overseer and 



the said person shall each respec- 

 tively forfeit the sum of lOl. No 

 child shall be bound a parish ap- 

 prentice until such child shall 

 have obtained the age of nine 

 years. 



The following dreadful acci- 

 dent happened at Inveraiy: — A 

 shopkee})er, after selling a girl 

 some gunpowder, had just put it 

 into a flask, while he most impru- 

 dently smoked a pipe of tobacco, 

 when a spark from it communi- 

 cated with the powder, which in- 

 stantly exploded, cariying up two 

 of the joists from the floor above, 

 where a barrel of powder was 

 placed, Avhich also blew up, car- 

 rying off the roof of the house. 

 Tlie poor man and the girl are 

 both so nmch injured, that they 

 are not expected to recover. 



2. A fire broke out about half- 

 p;ist eight o'clock, at the shop 

 of Mr. Falconer, carpenter and 

 joiner, Turk's Head-yard, Ox- 

 ford-market : it communicated, 

 it is supposed, from a chimney 

 to a quantity of timbei , which 

 spread with great rapidity ; and 

 in a short time it had also com- 

 municated to the back part of the 

 following pi emises : Mr. Lewis, 

 linen-draper, corner of Market- 

 street, Oxford-road ; Mr. Stewart, 

 grocer, ne.xt door ; Mr. Shank- 

 ster, poulterer, next door to Stew- 

 art's ; and Mr. Hawkins, an un- 

 dertaker. In about a quarter of 

 an hour after the commencement 

 of the fire several engines arrived, 

 and but for the very prompt exer- 

 tions of the firemen the whole 

 premises would have been do 

 stroyed : about half-past nine the 

 flames were happily subdued. The 

 back part of the premises of Mr. 

 Wm. Marshall, wine and spirit 



merchant, 



