re 
1843.] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
77 
out as Sir R. Peel; and this impression was further con- 
rmed by seeing the deceased gentleman more than once 
leave the Premier’s residence in Privy-gardens. 
Miness of Public Men.—The daily papers announce 
that Lord Aberdeen, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 
was unable to attend the Privy Council at Windsor Castle 
on Wednesday, in consequence of indisposition, or to dine 
with his political friends at the Duke of Wellington’s in 
the evening. Dr. Holland is in attendance on his Lord- 
ship. Sir R. Peel, on his return to town from Windsor 
Castle, had a lengthened interview with his Lordship, and 
it is now stated that his illness is not likely to interfere 
with his public duties.—The Bishop of London has for 
the last three weeks been so unwell that he has not been 
able to attend to his clerical duties. Within the last few 
days, however, his Lordship has so far recovered as to 
enable him to come to town and take his usual exercise. 
—Capt. Sir T. Trowbridge, who is at present staying in 
Paris, has been seized with a sudden attack of paralysis, 
but no immediate danger is apprehended.—The bulletins 
issued this week at the Admiralty report favourably 
of Sir George Cockburn, and announce that the 
more urgent symptoms are subsiding—Admiral Sir 
Charles Nugent, who has been confined four months at 
the Charing-cross Hospital, for a dangerous fracture of 
the thigh near the hip joint, which had placed his life in 
imminent peril, is so far recovered as to be able to leave 
the Hospital. Since his departure Sir Charles has written 
to the Hospital inclosing a check for 200 guineas, and 
adding that he was hereafter to be considered an annual 
Subscriber of 10 guineas. 
Royal Society.—The Marquis of Northampton, as Pre- 
sident of the Royal Society, gives his soirées to the 
Fellows on Saturday, the 25th inst., March 11th and 25th, 
and April 8th, at his mansion in Piccadilly. 
Meetings of Societies.—A preliminary meeting of gen- 
tlemen interested in ethnological inquiries took place on 
Monday evening, at the house of Dr. Hodgkin, in Lower 
Brook-street, with a view to the formation of a society 
for the more systematic prosecution of those inquiries, 
Mr. R. King read a paper from the pen of Dr. Dieffen- 
» bach, pointing out the advantages of such an institution, 
In combining the scattered information collected by indi- 
viduals on the psychological, physical, and philological 
Characteristics and affinities of the different branches of 
e human race. Several gentlemen, in the course of the 
evening, addressed the meeting, and resolutions were 
adopted declaring the expediency of forming an Ethnolo- 
8ical Society, and appointing a preliminary i 
with power to add to their numbers, for the purpose of 
taking the necessary steps towards the organisation of the 
Society.—The 50th anniversary meeting of the Baptist 
Missionary Society was held last week at the Chapel in 
the Blackfriars-road. The Rev. Dr. Prinse, who has re- 
cently returned from a mission to Africa, gave at great 
ength an account of the manners and customs of those 
Portions of Western Africa he Lad visited, and-said-that a 
Dumber of Sunday and daily schools had already been es- 
tablished, and many chapels and places of worship were 
Opened ; and by the exertions of the missionaries, civilisa- 
tion was making rapid strides, and marriage according to 
Christian customs was beginning to be of daily occur- 
Tence, The Rev. Mr. Sherman and other ministers ad- 
dressed the meeting, and many narratives were given of 
the narrow escapes and sufferings the missionaries had 
€xperienced. The business of the evening was concluded 
by a collection. 
The Scottish Monument.—On Saturday at the meeting 
of the Marylebone Vestry, the clerk laid before the Vestry 
aletter from Mr. Hume, with respect to the recent inter- 
ference of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, by a 
threat of injunction against the Vestry, in the event of 
their proceeding with the erection of the proposed column 
to the “Scottish Martyrs.” In this letter Mr. Hume 
Said, ‘I have directed the excavation made preparatory 
to the commencement of the work in the Circus to be 
Immediately filled up; and I desire, on my own behalf 
4nd on that of the committee who are charged with the 
rection of the monument, to express our thanks to the 
€stry for the cordial co-operation to effect that object, 
Which, although frustrated for a time, will soon, I trust, be 
elsewhere accomplished.’’ It was then resolved that Mr. 
ume’s letter be entered on the minutes of the Vestry, 
and that the committee be re-appointed to consult with 
(ir. Hume on the selection of some other spot for the 
ftection of the column. Raw 
b onspiracy on board a Convict Ship.—Intelligence has 
een received of an intended massacre of the officers and 
“\vilians on board the Eliza, Government transport, which 
Sailed from H.M.’s Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, a fewmonths 
3 ce, with convicts for Botany Bay. It appears that, as the 
€ssel neared the Line, a murderous conspiracy existed 
among some of{the convicts, which would have terminated, 
hy Offered the least resistance, and then to steer for the 
res coast, Extra sentinels were immediately 
AT 
» and at 3 o’clock on the eventful morning the pas- 
and crew were summoned on deck, when their 
‘as explained to them, and all, being then well 
» Were ordered to defend their lives to the last. 
the Surgeon was unwilling to sacrifice the life of 
Bate wTscant, whose duty it, was to open the convicts’ 
at 4 o’clock—all was breathless anxiety, when the 
8 
‘tgeon advanced to the gate, desiring a couple of file, of 
soldiers to advance and shoot the first prisoner who dared 
to pass except the one he named. The convicts at once 
perceived their plot was discovered, retired to their berths, 
and threw the bolts andall offensive weapons out of the ports 
into the sea. The ringleader was a young man of the name 
of Dickenson, who had been an apothecary’s assistant in 
Thavies’-inn, Holborn. He leaped overboard imme- 
diately after the discovery, and was drowned. Every pre- 
caution was adopted for the security of the convicts, who 
were handed over to the civil power on arrival. 
Fires.—On Saturday morning, about six o’clock, a fire 
broke out in Lord Hillsborough’s mansion in Upper 
Grosvenor-street. It was first discovered by a police 
constable, but before he could successfully give an alarm, 
a body of flames burst through the second-floor windows, 
and rapidly extended over the building, rendering the 
exertions of those persons who first assembled to rescue 
any portion of the furniture altogether unavailing. 
Several engines were soon on the spot, but, owing to a 
want of water, some time elapsed before they could be 
put into operation. Shortly before seven the roof fell in, 
carrying the back floors with it, and about a quarter 
before eight, the front floor also gave way and carried 
two firemen with it into the hall underneath. Active 
measures were immediately taken to clear the entrance to 
the hall, and both men were extricated ; one was compa- 
ratively slightly injured, but the other dreadfully burnt. 
By this time, the flames were spreading through the lower 
part of the premises, and the glare of the conflagration 
might have been seen for several miles distant. A more 
plentiful supply of water was shortly after obtained, and 
the effect of the engines began to be visible in arresting 
the progress of the flames to the adjoining houses. The 
mansion was occupied by Sir George de Larpent, Bart., 
and Sir Charles Cockerell; the?former with his family had 
started but half an hour before for Bristol. he Earl of 
Hillsborough, who, with his family, are at present in 
Warwickshire, had insured the mansion itself in the 
Westminster Fire-office. The losses sustained by Sir 
George de Larpent and §ir Charles Cockerell are stated 
to be exceedingly heavy, neither party being insured. The 
total loss will not be less than from 10,000/. to 11,0002. 
Police.—The magistrates of the different Police-courts 
have received from Messrs. Robarts and Co., the bankers, 
a donation of 107. each, being a portion of a legacy of 
1,500 francs bequeathed by the late Mons. Le Montblanc, 
Archbishop of Tours, for charitable purposes, to be dis- 
pensed amongst the poor of London. ‘The testator re- 
quested, that in the distribution a preference should be 
given to those of the Roman Catholic religion. —On 
Friday, a man called Thomas Patterson, against whom 
four warrants were issued some time since for exposing 
certain publications at a shop in Holywell-street, tending 
to bring religion into contempt, was apprehended and 
brought before the magistrates at Bow-street. The case 
was fully proved, and the prisoner was fined 40s. for each 
offence. He refused to pay the fines, and was committed 
to prison for one calendar month. 
* Rotherhithe.—A, contest respecting Church-rates has 
been going on for some days at St. Mary’s in this parish. 
The poll commenced on Monday at eight, and closed at 
four, when the numbers were—For the enforcement of 
the rate, 285 ; against it, 126—majority for the rate, 159. 
Greenwich.—Thirteen boys of the Upper Naval Schools 
have been expelled for their insubordinate conduct on 
Thursday week, when they did considerable damage to 
the windows. On Sunday last there was another out- 
break, which was, however, easily repressed. The damage 
done on the two occasions is estimated at 1007. One 
hundred boys are to be added to the present number in 
the upper school, in lieu of the girls’ school, which was 
done away with some time since. 
Woolwich.—Sir James Graham has officially commu- 
nicated to the Master-General of the Ordnance, that Her 
Majesty has permitted the non-commissioned officers and 
men of the Royal Artillery to accept the Cross of the 
Spanish Order of Isabella I1., in approbation of their con- 
duct while serving on the north coast of Spain in 1837. 
The Master-General has in General Orders, 
that, in consideration of the gallantry displayed by the 
Royal Artillery when serving with the troops recently 
employed under the orders of Lieut.-General Sir Hugh 
Gough on the coast and rivers of China, Her Majesty 
has been pleased to permit the Royal Artillery to bear 
upon their appointments the word “China,” and the 
device of the Dragon, in commemoration of their distin- 
guished services. ; 
Mortality of the Metropolis.—The following is the 
number of deaths registered in the week ending Satur- 
day, Jan. 21 :—West districts, 145; North districts, 
152; Central districts, 193; East districts, 234 ; South 
districts, 219. Total, 960, (490 males, 470 females.) 
Weekly average for the last five years, 903, (461 males, 
442 females,) and for the last five winters, 1,004, 
Jgrovincial Webs. 
Aylesbury.—In consequence of considerable difference 
of opinion existing amongst the county magistrates of Bucks 
as to the legality of Justices deciding upon cases, and 
summarily convicting (as the case may be), at their 
private residences, Sir Harry Verney recently wrote to 
the Home Secretary requesting his opinion on the subject, 
for the guidance of the magistrates. Sir James Graham, 
in his reply, states, that it appears to him “that in any 
district in which there is a regular and fixed place for 
holding the petty sessions, to which the public have access, 
the most desirable course to adopt is, that the cases which 
are to be brought before magistrates should be there 
heard and adjudicated ; though certainly it is not illegal 
for the magistrates to hear cases at the office of their clerk.” 
Cambridge.— The Rev. Alfred Ollivant, D.D., Trinity 
College, late Vice-President and Professor at St. David's 
College, Lampeter, and Prebendary of St. David’s and 
Brecon, was on Wednesday elected to the Regius-Pro- 
fessorship of this University, vacant by the resignation of 
the very Rev. Dr. Turton, Dean of Westminster. The other 
candidates were the Rev. Dr. Mill and the Rev. Dr. Chris. 
Wordsworth.—A meeting of the Archdeaconry of Ely 
took place last week, at which two petitions to Parlia- 
ment were resolved upon; one of them, that the Sees 
of St. Asaph and Bangor might not be united; the 
_ Parishes, This 
latter petition contained the following paragraph :— 
““That your petitioners would humbly submit to the 
thoughtful consideration of your Honourable House, 
whether it be not worse than useless to complain of the 
want of attachment to our Protestant Reformed Epis- 
copal church, on the part of a large portion of the popu- 
lation, when they are necessarily and inevitably excluded 
from all participation in its benefits ; and, therefore, that 
it is the imperative duty of the Legislature to confer on 
the Established Church those powers and facilities of in- 
structing the people, without which its doctrinal excel- 
lencies may be of no avail, and its healing and beneficial 
influence may be lost to the body politic.’ After the 
petition had been proposed to the meeting, the Rev. C. 
Warren, of Over, said, “That as the Episcopal Church 
was distinctly named, the words ‘ Protestant Reformed’ 
were superfluous, and therefore unnecessary. He pro- 
posed as an amendment, that those words be left out. 
The Rev. F. W. Collison seconded the amendment, on 
the ground that the Church had never called herself Pro- 
testant. The same thing was meant by himself and the 
framer of the petition, but he thought unanimity was more 
likely to be attained by the omission of the words.’’— 
The Rev. G. Spence opposed the suggestion. There were 
not many, he hoped, who considered that the Church had 
ceased to be ‘ Protestant’ or ‘ Reformed,’ or who, as 
Ministers, had ceased to glory in her as a ‘ Protestant 
and Reformed’ Church. As a matter of principle, he, 
for his part, felt the highest pride and glory in having the 
honour to be a Minister of the “ Protestant Reformed 
Episcopal Church,” and he could not sit still when a pro- 
position was made to erase the first two most significant 
words. . After some discussion the amendment of Mr. 
Warren was negatived by a majority of 19 to 6, and the 
words of the original resolution were retained unaltered. 
Chichester.—At the Court of Bankruptcy last week, 
r. Commissioner Fane delivered his judgment in the 
case of an application for a certificate of Mr. Charles 
Ridge, one of the partners in the Chichester old bank. 
Having complimented the assignees on the zealous man- 
ner in which they had performed their duty, the commis- 
sioner proceeded at considerable length to recapitulate 
the facts connected with the bankruptcy; but as they 
have been;already reported by us in former Numbers, it 
will be unnecessary to repeat them. He commented in 
strong terms on the fact of the bankrupts having retained 
in their service a clerk named Goodem, although he had 
appropriated to his own use 11,500/. of their notes, the 
only reason for his retention being the dread of the bank- 
rupts that he should disclose the state of their affairs. 
Another feature of the case which the commissioner con- 
sidered to bear heavily against the bankrupts was, their 
having, up to the last moment, received as deposits the 
savings of poor and industrious persons, promising them 
security and 32 per cent. interest, whereas on their failure 
for the sum of 139,9724,, their estate only realised 6s. 3d. 
in the pound. Having alluded at some length to the 
alteration in the Bankrupt Law, which invested in the 
commissioner the power of giving or withholding the cer~ 
tificate ; he proceeded to say that the conduct of Mr. 
Charles Ridge, now before the court, had been wholly 
without excuse, He ought to have wound up the affairs 
of the bank immediately after the great loss it had sus- 
tained (nearly 50,0002.) in the failure of Fry and Chap- 
man, their London agents, the assets of himself and part- 
ners being entirely insufficient to meet the emergency. 
On the occurrence of that event the course of Messrs. 
Ridge was plain. They should have called their cre- 
ditors together ; but, instead of doing so, they paid away 
12,500/. in legacies to keep up the delusion, and allowed 
their own servant to rob them with impunity of several 
thousand pounds. By such conduct they delayed the 
evil day, but in doing so involved hundreds of persons 
in humble life in their ruin. It was impossible to do 
otherwise than visit such conduct with the marked cen- 
sure of the court. ‘The Act of last session gave the com- 
missioner power either to refuse or suspend the certificate. 
Now he was unwilling in any case to refuse a certificate 
absolutely, unless he believed there was some concealment 
of property, a circumstance which was not at all alleged 
against the Messrs. Ridge. All he should do, therefore, 
was to suspend their certificate, and to make their ulti- 
mately obtaining it depend on fair and proper conditions. 
He would suspend Mr. C. Ridge’s certificate for two 
years from the date of the bankruptcy, and the conditions 
which he should require to have fulfilled previous to 
granting it would be, that it should not protect any 
property which might hereafter fall to the bankrupt, either 
by will or as heir-at-law, as next of kin, or by death: 
intestate. This would enable the bankrupt to resume 
business, if he could find persons to trust him, and would 
secure to his future creditors the fruits of his future 
industry; while, on the other hand, it would secure for 
his present creditors such advantages as the accidents of 
life might furnish. He should therefore sign Mr. Charles 
Ridge’s certificate for the 26th November, 1843. 
Devonport,—-We are glad to learn by the West of 
