Ave. 10,] 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



[1844. 



of whom 

 and 



commu- 



Img namber of passengers being 391,/ 0/, of w 

 S-re were to and from Blackball, 253,474 ; and to 

 from Hungerford-market, Waterloo-bridge, London- 

 bridre, and other places through the pool, 138,233. 

 Metropolitan Improvements.— On Monday a con: 

 nication was opened for foot passengers from Oxford- 

 street to Charlotte-street, Bloomsbury, on the south side 

 of the new thoroughfare that is to connect Oxford-street 

 wiih Holbom, by which the circuitous route in front of 

 St. Giles's Church may be avoided. The passage is 

 across the cellars which have been built for the new 

 bouses on that side of the street. On the north side of 

 the way the whole of the ground is nearly excavated for 

 the vaults, which will be completed in a short time. In 

 digging the ground about the spot where stood the hos- 

 pitals for lepers, some deep wells were found, in which 

 were pumps that had evidently been there several 

 hundred years, as they were formed of hollow trees sunk 

 in the wells. — In the course of making the new street 

 from Farringdon-street to Cierkenwell, two houses in 

 West-street, Smithfield, have been brought into notice, 

 and have attracted so much curiosity, that among nume- 

 rous other persons the Dukeof Cambridge and some mem- 

 bers of the Cabinet have paid them a visit. The houses 

 (Not. 2 & 3) communicate with each other, and are at the 

 west side of Fleet-ditch. The latter house, said to have 

 been the residence of Jonathan Wild, was kept as a 

 chandler's shop by way of lulling suspicion : immedi- 

 ately behind the counter were the trap-doors, one of which 

 was used as a means of escape, the other opened into 

 secret drawers, or depositories for stolen articles. Passing 

 down the larger trap the pursued could elude the police 

 by getting through a window and crossing Fleet-ditch 

 over a plank which was kept at hand, and afterwards 

 drawn into the opposite house. The pursued might then 

 pass into Black Boy-alley, and thereby get intoCow-cross, 

 and the numerous courts and alleys in that neighbourhood. 

 Immediately under the basement there is a capacious dark 

 cellar, evidently constructed for the purposes of conceal- 

 ment. A skull and some human bones were found here, 

 and given over to the police. The top of a butcher's 

 steel has also been discovered, which has studded in 

 silver letters the following upon it : — " Benjamin Turtell, 

 July 19, 1787." At the western extremity of the cellars 

 is a parting wall, which, on being searched, left no doubt 

 that there is another secret chamber beyond this portion 

 of the premises, but owing to some legal difficulties, this 

 part of the houses has not hitherto been explored. Upon 

 the first floor of the buildings are several hiding-places 

 ingeniously contrived. Numerous traps are made in the 

 floorings, and leave a direct communication with the 

 cellar on the back of Fleet-ditch ; and a spout running 

 the entire length of the house is so constructed that 

 stolen property could be removed with the greatest 

 despatch, ami the offenders escape over the roofs of the 

 houses, which are connected by means of a drawbridge. 

 A private still had been fixed in the basement story, and 

 there is no doubt that some curious discoveries will be 

 made on a closer examination of the premises. Up to 

 the last Middlesex sessions the houses were inhabited by 

 persons of dishonest and abandoned habits, but by the 

 active measures of the Commissioners appointed to carry 

 out the intended improvements in this neighbourhood, 

 possession was obtained of the property on compensating 

 the freeholders. r ' ' 



New Zealand Company. — A special general meeting 

 of this company was held last week at the New Zealand 

 House, for the purpose of considering the state of 

 their affairs. The chair was taken by Joseph Somes, 

 \\%* l o e & 0vern0r » supported by Mr. Aglionby, 

 x! p r lX ' Howard > Bait, M.P., Mr. Majoribanks, 

 ;M-r., Lord Ingestre, M.P., Mr. Hutt, M.P., Alderman 



Il-IT??' M,P -> Sir Joha Pirie ' Bart " Mr - Gibbon 

 t V a * ebeld > and other proprietors. The Secretary read 



tne report of the directors, which commenced by quoting 



aj length the report of the select committee of the 



ofN 6 ° 7 Commons appointed to inquire into the state 

 rsew Zealand. and the proceedings of the company, a 



direT - nt i ° f considerable length. The report of the 



u Qf 2 rs £ ien P ro ceeded to say, amongst other matters ; 



one \r J**? mei abers composing the committee, only 



comn gll0nby ' is in anyway connected with the 



eJnJrl? 1 ; aud ten ' or two-thirds of the whole, are 



obvinn !" p P° rters of the present Government. It is 



delihp , i erefore > that whilst her Majesty's Government 



to a «? 7 referred these questions of policy and right 



tribun 1 COmmittee of the Hpuse of Commons, that 



of an a Wa . S S ° com P° sed as to preclude the possibility 



thp J* Wa I favou rabIe to you on any other ground than 



justice of your case. Concerning what 



not concealed from jou, aud which in this free country 

 is the best dependence of a just cause." The directors, 

 in conclusion, recommended the adjournment of the 

 meeting for a fortnight. The Report was then unani- 

 mously adopted, and the adjournment was agreed to. 



South Sea Company.— A. meeting of the proprietors of 

 South Sea Stock was held last week, and numerously at- 

 tended, and the proposition of the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer for the completion of the Guarantee Fund re- 

 ceived with almost unanimous consent. There was 

 evidently, however, an inclination to listen to the question 

 of dissolution, both on account of the convenience of the 

 public and the benefit of holders of South Sea Stock, 

 since the presumption was, that, notwithstanding the in- 

 terest on the Guarantee Fund, now it is completed, would 

 yield 18,000/. a year, which was stated to be amply suffi- 

 cient to pay the dividend of 3J per cent, and all expenses, 

 still the loss to the proprietors by the maintenance of the 

 establishment would, nevertheless, be 6000/., or the 

 difference between the 3000/. received from Government 

 and the 9000/. payable in salaries, &c. — a loss the pro- 

 prietors seem little disposed to encounter. It is reported 

 that the matter will not end here, but that a body of the 

 proprietors intend memorialising the Government for the 

 dissolution of the Company. 



The Custom-house Frauds. — Considerable excitement 

 prevailed at the Custom-house on Monday, and amongst 

 the numerous merchants and agents in the neighbour- 

 hood, in consequence of a rumour that a firm in the city, 

 who have transacted business as Custom-house agents for 

 many years, and have hitherto been considered of irre- 

 proachable character and probity, have decamped, in 

 consequence of the searching investigation at present 

 taking place into the official books at the Custom-house 

 for several years past. 



The Ioway Indians. — A numerous " delegation " from 

 a tribe of Indians that hunt over a tract of land near the 

 Upper Missouri, bordering on the Rocky Mountains, 

 have arrived in this country, and are exhibiting at the 

 Egyptian Hall their native costumes, games, and dances, 

 under the superintendence of Mr. Catlin. These Indians 

 are fourteen in number, their head is the principal chief 

 of the tribe, " White Cloud," and the youngest is only 

 six months old. 



Caledonian Asylum. — A special general meeting of 

 the subscribers to this Asylum was held on Monday, the 

 Duke of Buccleuch in the chair. A long discussion 

 arose on a question raised by Mr. P. M. Stewart, M.P., 

 and the seceders, whether the schoolmaster of the Insti- 

 tution should belong to the Established Church of Scotland, 

 or to the Free Church. After a boisterous discussion on 

 the rejection of certain reports of a committee on the 

 subject, Mr. Stewart moved that in that portion of 

 the report which spoke of the schoolmaster, that these 

 words should be introduced — " That the schoolmaster 

 shall be an orthodox Presbyterian, ready to subscribe to 

 the Westminster Confession of Faith." The Marquis 

 of Bute said that the object was clear, and not to be 

 misunderstood. When they talked of an orthodox 

 Presbyterian who subscribed the Westminster Confes- 

 sion of Faith, they talked of what was entirely unknown 

 to the constitution.of this country and to the people of Scot- 

 land. Mr. Dallas, The Chisholm, and other gentlemen 

 opposed the Free Church party, and on a division Mr. 

 Stewart's motion was defeated by 25 to 19. 



University College.— The result of the late Botanical 

 Examination of University College was as follows: — 

 Senior Class, 1843-44, Gold Medal, Mr. John Owen 

 Evans ; Silver Medal, Mr. George H. Bailey. Certi- 

 ficate* of Honour : 3d. Mr. E. P. Watkins ; 4th. .Mr. 

 W. Clap, and Mr. James Morris, equal ; 5th. Mr. 

 George Annis; 6th. Mr. John Rowe ; 7th. Mr. W. 

 Filliter ; 8th. Mr. C. W. Randell ; 9th. Mr. F. J. Gant. 

 Anti- C or n-law League.— On Wednesday night the 

 24th and last meeting of the League for the present ses- 

 sion took place in Covent Garden Theatre, which was 

 crowded in all parts. The chairman, Mr. Wilson, pre- 

 sided, and addressed the meeting on the events of the 





residence. The unfortunate woman when taken out of 

 the water was to all appearance dead ; she was conveyed, 

 however, to the Wandsworth Union, and has since 

 recovered so far as to undergo an examination before 

 the magistrate, who has committed her for trial. There 

 is little doubt that the woman is insane, and that 

 insanity has been brought on by the ill-usage of a man 

 called Henry French, a journeyman carpenter and cabi- 

 net-maker, the father of her children. 



Mortality of the Metropolis. — The following is the 

 number of Deaths registered in the week ending August 

 3rd. — West Districts, 147; Northern, 202; Central, 

 220 ; Eastern, 204 ; Southern 241 ; Total, 1014. Weekly 

 average for the last five years, 946. 



mav bp tu - * — . J UU1 taac * ^vui'Ciiuug «"««- 



favour '^mediate result of this verdict in your 



but w! m G canuot afford you any information at present ; 

 be eenp T enterta «a the hope that Lord Stanley will 

 with hi? 7 d,s P° sed to forget the unhappy differences 

 to th» , shl P' 8 department, which have been so fatal 

 as a Co? 61 - • in New Zealand > and to your usefulness 

 footin? !? 1S1D , g body ' and t0 P la c e the company on a 

 local la relatlon8 with the Colonial Office and the 



wi *h imn?^ nment ' Which W0uld enable us t0 carr y out 

 *e feel .. edlat 1 f effect the objects of your incorporation, 



*ore to ti° a duty which we owe t0 y° u ' and sti11 

 tll i« ino • l sufferin S colonists, to act on the result of 



°e in n „ Iry y tbe House of Commons, so far as may 

 companvV'T 6 ^ t0 banish a11 thought of allowing the 

 in *hich if » V roken U P °y the adverse circumstances 

 ^sources n!* u R P laced » t0 resume, as far as your 

 company • i ' the colonising operations of the 



kter, on fh* t0 re,y for complete success, sooner or 

 constant!* • . ♦ f W ort from Public opinion which was 



y "tended to you whilst our difficulties were 



past session : after which the meeting was addressed by 

 Mr. M. Gibson, Mr. Cobden, and Mr. W. J. Fox. 



Wandsworth.— On Monday week, a woman about 2G 

 years of age, named Amelia Alfred, left her home at the 

 water-side, Wandsworth, with her two chill ren, a girl 

 and boy, aged six and four years, and proceeded to 

 Wandsworth-common, where she wandered about for 

 nearly an hour, and then approached a large and deep 

 pond called the "Black Sea." It would appear that 

 whilst standing on the margin of the pond she tied the 

 two children to her waist, and then precipitated herself 

 into the water. The bank was shelving, and the water 

 was shallow at that point, but she was so determined 

 upon making away with herself and her offspring, that 

 she afterwards threw herself on her back, so that the 

 water covered both the children and herself. At this 

 critical period, the brother of the unfortunate woman, 

 a lad not more than 14 years of age, ran up to the spot, 

 jumped into the water, and tried to rescue the children. 

 Finding that he could not release them, he held their 

 heads above water, and holloed for assistance. Mr. 

 Alexander and his lady were walking on their lawn, 

 which is adjoining the pond, and hearing the boy s 

 screams, Mr. Alexander instantly surmised that some 

 one was in the water, and taking his gardener with him, 

 ran to the pond. The lad was still keeping the chil- 

 dren's heads above water, but appeared ready to drop from 

 exhaustion. The gardener jumped into the water, and 

 with his knife severed the handkerchief, and released 

 the children from their perilous situation. They were 

 not seriously injured, and were kindly taken charge of 

 by Mrs. Alexander, and conveyed by that lady to her 



^robiiuial Ncfos. 



The Lute Hurricane. — Information has been received 

 at Lloyd's, and the various maritime insurance offices in 

 the city, of a dreadful hurricane having visited the dif- 

 ferent ports on Saturday and Sunday last, which was 

 attended with a frightful sacrifice of human life, as well 

 as a great loss of property. It appears to have been 

 extremely violent on the coast of Wales, along the 

 coasts of Devou and Cornwall, and on both 6ides of the 

 English Channel. Several vessels were lost, and in 

 many instances their crews were drowned. At several 

 other places a great deal of wreck hat been washed 

 ashore, leaving no doubt that we shall hear of many 

 more disasters occasioned by the storm. 



Camliidge. — The Cambridge Independent states that 

 on Wednesday week a horse belonging to Mr. Uppinden, 

 fanner, of Haddenham, strayed from his yard into the 

 garden of Mrs. Cox, adjoining, where he kicked down a 

 hive of bees, which instantly attacked him with great 

 fierceness. The horse kicked and plunged violently, 

 and a man named Blunt, a shepherd, who happened to 

 be in Mrs. Cox's house, went to its rescue. He suc- 

 ceeded in getting hold of the horse, but had scarcely done 

 so when the bees attacked him, covering his head, face, 

 and every exposed part of his body. It was in vain he 

 Btrove to beat them off. Wet clothes were flung over 

 him, and other appliances resorted to, but it was a long 

 time before the bees left him. The unfortunate man 

 was conveyed to his home, but died on his way thither, 

 within ten minutes of the attack, and the horse died the 

 next evening. 



Exeter.— On Friday, the extensive tallow-stores of 

 Mr. Tuckett in this city, and 20 adjoining houses, were 

 destroyed by fire ; the loss of property is said to be at 

 least 10,000/. The proprietor was insured. — On Wed- 

 nesday week a destructive fire broke out at Colyton, near 

 this city, which totally burnt down one of the most 

 antique structures in that part of the country, called 

 Blamphayne House, the seat of Sir £. M. Elton, 

 tenanted at the time of its loss by a gentleman named 

 Parry. Within an hour after the discovery of the fire 

 the building was reduced to ruins. The loss is very con- 

 siderable, and it is understood that the house was not 

 insured. 



Gravesend. — Another extensive fire occurred in this 

 neighbourhood on Wednesday afternoon. It broke out 

 in a labourer's cottage at Lower Shorne, and after de- 

 stroying several adjoining houses, the flames spread to 

 the extensive farm of Mr. Solomon, and burnt down his 

 granaries, barns, and other buildings. The adjacent 

 crops of corn were saved with great difficulty. The 

 damage will probably amount to 15,000/., the burden of 

 which will fall upon the Norwich Union. 



Ipswich On Sunday night, the 28th ult., James 



M'Faddon, a constable belonging to the rural police, 

 stationed at Kessingland, when going round his beat^ 

 observed some men approaching the farmyard of Mrs. 

 Button, which adjoins the road. From the silence of the 

 party the constable was induced to watch their move- 

 ments, and having seen them enter the barn he advanced 

 for the purpose of securing one of the party, a man 

 named Howell, when the robber shot him. He lingered 

 till the next day, when he died, and the man Howell has 

 been committed for trial on the charge of wilful murder. 

 Jersey. — On Tuesday afternoon the cutter Laurel, 

 belonging to Mr. Edward Le Vesconte, and commanded 

 by Capt. Pallot, left Gorey about noon on a (so called) 

 vrecking party, but, in reality, one of pleasure and merry- 

 making, and consisting altogether of 20 persons. Upon 

 rounding that dreadful bed of rocks, the Banc du Violet, 

 whether by the violence of the sea and wind, which had 

 both begun to rage tremendously, or by either the un- 

 wariness or recklessness of the captain, who was at the 

 helm, the boat was driven against the Ponchiere rock, 

 and immediately became a wreck. By means of 3 vreck- 

 ing boats, which were at hand, 12 of the party were placed 

 upon the rock, and two others clung to the wreck. la 

 a few moments the 12 on the rock were swept off by the 

 waves, and before any assistance could be rendered the 

 two others who clung to the wreck, one of whom was a 

 lady, Mrs. Le Boutillier, sank from exhaustion and 

 perished. The six others had been picked up by the 

 vrecking-boats and drifted out to sea, but were eventually 

 brought safely to land. 



Liskeard. — The Bishop of Exeter last week gave 

 judgment in a proceeding instituted under the Church 

 Discipline Act by Mr. B. Hart Lyne of this town, 

 against the Rev. J. F. Todd, Vicar of the parish, for 

 h iving, in the burial of Mr. Lyne's brother, omitted from 

 one of the prayers the words " as our hope in this our 

 brother doth." The Vicar defended the omission on the 

 ground that deceased died in a state of intoxication, but 

 having found that this was not the case he expressed his 

 sorrow and submitted himself to the Bishop. In conse- 

 quence of his submission, the Bishop said he should pass. 



