posed that these subscriptions shall go in aid of those which have been entered into in the metropolis for the same benevolent and charitable purpose. I have accordingly to desire, in compliance with the terms of his majesty's letter, your grace will take immediate steps for promoting the objects therein set forth. I have the honour to be, my lord, your grace's most obedient humble servant,

ROBERT PEEL. To the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, &c. &c.

GEORGE R.

Most reverend father in God, our right trusty and right entirely beloved councillor, we greet you well! Whereas the manufacturing classes, in some districts of the united kingdom, have suffered, and are still suffering, severe distress; and whereas many of our subjects have entered into voluntary subscriptions for their relief, and have, at the same time, most humbly prayed Us to issue our royal letters, directed to the lord archbishop of Canterbury and the lord archbishop of York, authorising them to promote contributions within their several provinces for the same benevolent purpose, We, taking the premises into our royal consideration, and being always ready to give the best encouragement and countenance to such humane and charitable undertakings, are graciously pleased to condescend to their request. And we do hereby direct, that these our letters be communicated by you to the several suffragan bishops within your province, expressly requiring them to take care that publication be made hereof, on such Sunday, and in such places within their respective dioceses, as the said bishops shall appoint, and that

upon this occasion the ministers in each parish do effectually excite their parishioners to a liberal contribution, which shall be collected the week following, at their respective dwellings, by the churchwardens or overseers of the poor in each parish, and the ministers of several parishes are to cause the sums so collected to be paid immediately into the hands of Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith, bankers, of our city of London, to be accounted for by them, and applied to the carrying on and promoting the above-mentioned good designs. And so we bid you very heartily farewell.-Given at our court at Windsor, the 16th day of December, 1826, in the seventh year of our reign. By his majesty's command,

ROBERT PEEL. To the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, for a collection in aid of the subscriptions entered into for the relief of the manufacturing classes in the united kingdom.

19. KINGSTON ASSIZES.-Thomas Jones was indicted for uttering at Thursley, on the 9th September, a bank of England note for 10., knowing the same to be forged. The singularity of this case was, that the prisoner was perfectly blind. He was a musician by profession, and was in the habit of attending families in the neighbourhood where he lived. Prior to the month of September, he had lodged with his wife and a man servant, in the house of a Mrs. Evans, at Thursley. In the beginning of September, he went to London for a few days, and, on his return, he sent his landlady on the 7th to get a 101. note changed. The note was changed by a Miss

Knowles, in the neighbourhood, and the money was given to the prisoner. On the 9th, he sent her again with another 10l. note to a Mr. Whitburne, a miller, to get changed, but without success. On the next day, the prisoner sent Mrs. Evans to Miss Knowles with the change of the first note, desiring the note to be given back. Whilst Mrs. Evans was in the house, Mr. Whitburne came in and detained the note, and understanding whence it came from, he obtained the assistance of a constable, and caused the prisoner to be apprehended. On his person were found six or seven one-pound country notes, and two or three counterfeit sovereigns. He was asked why he wanted change of a 10l. note, when he had smaller notes and other money in his possession? He said he wanted more change to make good his payments. He said he had received one of the 10l. notes on the sale of a musical instrument at Petworth, and the other at a public-house at Kingston. Mr. Christmas, the bank-note inspector, proved that both notes were forged in every particular. They were both printed from the same plate, bore the same date and number, and were on similar paper. The prisoner, in his defence, said he had received the notes in the way of his business, and had not the least knowledge of their being forged. He called no witnesses. Mr. Justice Bayley left the case to the jury, and said, the question was, whether the prisoner had uttered the note in question with a guilty knowledge; he called their attention to the prisoner's blindness, and the circumstance of his uttering the note in a neighbourhood in which he was well known. It was cer

tainly singular, that, if the prisoner had received the notes in different places, they should correspond with each other in every particular. The jury found the prisoner guilty.

The

ATTACK ON THE DUBLIN MAIL. -A very daring attack was made on the mail coach between Dublin and Cork, by a very numerous and determined banditti, but which was fortunately unsuccessful. On reaching a place called Rookville, about three miles on this side of Cashel, on the road to Cahir, about a quarter past one o'clock in the morning, two shots were fired from behind a wall, about breast high; the coachman immediately endeavoured to push forward, but the way was completely impeded by three cars heavily laden with stones, fastened together with strong ropes, and placed across the road. One of the shots had struck one of the leaders, and mortally wounded him, so that resistance was rendered necessary. guard, who had fired, and again loaded, called on the " cowardly rascals to come forward;" they did not accept the challenge, but again fired a volley of about twelve shots, which they several times repeated, but without effect on either the coachman, guard, or passengers. Two of the passengers, Messrs. Connor and Wilmot, courageously descended from the coach, and extricated the wounded horse from the harness; in doing which one of them received a desperate kick from him, immediately after which the poor horse expired. Before their excrtions were able to remove'the cars, some time elapsed, during which the ruffians continued to fire; but finding so spirited a resistance, they did not venture from their lurking place, and at length went off. The coach then proceeded, and arriving

at a police station, about a mile distant, a party was instantly despatched in pursuit of them.

EXTRAORDINARY MURDER. An extraordinary trial for murder took place at Dijon. A gamekeeper, named Barnarvon, was found on the 16th of August, wounded in the most shocking manner; the unfortunate man had received eight stabs in different parts of the body, and a violent blow on the head, which had fractured his skull: he was carried to his dwelling, and, in the presence of his wife and children, made the following statement: "Two neighbours called upon me, for the purpose of obtaining my assistance in preventing a miller named Audran from turning the course of a stream which belonged to them after settling this business, I returned homewards, when, passing near a narrow road, Audran sprung from behind a hedge, and felled me to the earth with a bludgeon; while I was lying senseless

upon the ground, he took out his knife, and stabbed me in the bosom; the pain caused by the second blow brought me to a sense of my dreadful situation, and rising on my knees, I said 'Audran, take pity on my poor family, and do not kill me!' My prayer was unheeded; he inflicted several stabs, and left me in the state in which I was found.” Audran was of course arrested, and brought into the presence of the dying man, who gave the above evidence. "But where did I commit the crime?" said Audran. "Near the wall of a garden belonging to Mr. Louis," was the reply. Immediately after uttering these words, the wounded man expired. The police repaired to the place that was mentioned; no marks or the

smallest traces of blood were to be found; but the statement of Barnarvon, added to the circumstances of a coat which Audran wore on the day of the murder not being discovered, was deemed sufficient evidence; the jury found the prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Although the prisoner had denied most solemnly knowing any thing about the crime, he stated, when brought back to the condemned cell, that he killed Barnarvon, not on the spot indicated by the latter, but in his (Audran's) own garden, where a quantity of blood would be seen; this proved to be the fact; he added, that Barnarvon entered the garden for the purpose of committing robbery, that a struggle took place between them, and Barnarvon, who was a powerful man, fought in so determined a manner, that, notwithstanding the different stabs inflicted, had not the blow upon the head been given with a heavy piece of wood, which happened to be near the place of combat, he, the prisoner, would have been murdered. This statement reached the jury on the following day, and they requested the judge, who had passed the sentence of death, to recall several witnesses; they were re-examined by the jury, and the account given by the prisoner proved to be a fact. However, the trial was over, and the unfortunate man, who would have been acquitted, still remains in prison, under sentence of death; he is, of course, recommended to the king's mercy, and there can be but little doubt that in a few days he will be liberated from confinement.

YORK HOUSE.-The scaffolding being now removed, the exterior of this noble mansion is now completely displayed. The build

ing, which forms a square of about 150 feet, is entirely insulated; and has four stone fronts, consisting of a Corinthian order, with a single series of windows, placed upon a basement, with horizontal rustics. Each of these fronts varies somewhat in design. That towards the east has merely pilasters; those on the south and west have each a

range of six columns, in the centre slightly advanced from the wall, and surmounted by a pediment; while the north front has a portico of considerable projection, beneath which carriages drive up to the grand entrance, which is on this side. From this entrance, an ascent of a few steps leads through a vestibule and colonnade into the hall, which occupies the centre of the building: it is 80 feet by 40, and rises to the summit of the roof. This hall is lighted by a lanthorn ceiling, and contains the grand staircase, which ascends on each side in two flights of stone steps, the resting-spaces of which are supported by two Atlantic figures. On a level with the hall, on the basement floor, is a suite of rooms in the south front, consisting of a dining-room, three drawing rooms, and library. In the west front, on the same floor, is a suite of private apartments. The state apartments are on the upper floor, and are entered through a peristyle of the Corinthian order, supporting the upper part of the hall. The principal rooms are a banqueting-room (in the northfront) 24 feet by 40; a gallery, occupying the whole length of the east side, and measuring 132 feet by 24, and in some parts 32 feet in width. This apartment is formed into three divisions, by means of columns. Adjoining this is a saloon (in the south front) 50 VOL. LXVIII.

ex

feet by 30, communicating with a drawing-room, with a very large semi-circular recess 43 feet by 36 and 25. The rooms on the west side are destined for a state sleeping-apartment. As a piece of architecture, this structure hibits externally chasteness and elegance of design, with a considerable degree of grandeur, and certainly deserves to rank very high among the embellishments of the metropolis.

A

CASE OF HYDROPHOBIA. man of the name of Eve, residing near the Ship public-house, West Hanningfield, was bit, at the latter end of June last, by a little dog which he was caressing as he was sitting on the ground eating his breakfast, when the animal suddenly bit him on the upper lip, and immediately ran off; its next object of attack was a sow, which fell a sacrifice to the dreadful malady, at the end of about nine weeks. The dog was afterwards pursued and destroyed. It is to be lamented, that no local or general remedies were resorted to, till after the lapse of three or four days (his apprehension as to the nature of the wound not being sooner excited), and that, when apprized of his danger, he should have resorted for cure or prevention to one of those delusive antidotes held out by ignorant persons, who pretend to be furnished with specific remedies for warding off this most dreadful of human maladies. Mr. Mason, of Great Baddow, in whose employ Eve had been nearly ten years, observed his health declining for several weeks past, which he attributed to the pernicious remedies he was then using: still, however, Eve continued active so late as last Saturday. On the following evening, he first complained of general

langour and giddiness, with pain in the head and drowsiness, from which he thought he was relieved by a little refreshment, and a short sleep. These symptoms were succeeded, about the middle of the following day, by pain in the chest, attended by soreness and a slight stricture in the throat, when a medical gentleman was called in, who bled him, and administered medicine. From this period his sufferings gradually increased, until the more dreadful symptoms of hydrophobia were exhibited, which happened about twelve o'clock the same night, when another medical gentleman was called in, at which time it became impossible to administer any remedies by the mouth; the convulsive spasms, and the stricture of the throat and chest, being so violent and frequent, poor man declared himself totally unable to swallow, and begged that no forcible means might be used at this period of the disease; even the sight of liquids of any kind appeared to excite spasmodic convulsions; strong opiate injections were resorted to, which there is reason to believe afforded him temporary relief. As he approached towards his end, the spasmodic convulsions became less frequent, and less severe; and he sank about ten o'clock the same evening, into a state of complete exhaustion.

the

24. FIRE IN DUBLIN. A fire was discovered in the extensive stores of sir Abraham Bradley King, stationer to his majesty, which were full of stationery closely packed up in piles. The flames spread with the utmost rapidity: in a few minutes the whole of the stores were in a blaze, and all hopes of preserving the property were out of the question. The

fire in a very short time, communicated to the dwelling house in Dame-street, and spread with alarming impetuosity. Sir Abraham's family did not reside in this house, and there were no inmates save a young gentleman and an elderly woman-servant; but a number of individuals on perceiving the fire, burst into the house, and exerted themselves to preserve the premises. Notwithstanding all the exertions that were made, the fire increased, and, at eight o'clock, the roof fell in with a tremendous crash, bearing down all the floors of the house, which fell with accumulated weight upon the unfortunate individuals inside. These persons were instantly buried under the ruins; several persons were soon afterwards taken out; two of them quite dead, and others mangled and wounded in a frightful manner. The flames, in the mean time, spread far and wide, and seemed to threaten the whole neighbourhood with destruction. There was little or no supply of water, so that the engines, for some time, were of little effect. Happily, however, by the most extraordinary efforts, the fire was arrested in its progress, and little other injury to property was done, beyond what the premises of sir Abraham sustained. The property on these premises was very considerable, and little or nothing was saved. Not only an immense stock of paper, but money, expensive furniture, and an entire and valuable service of plate, were totally lost.

25. EXPEDITION TO PORTUGAL. -The Pyramus, which sailed from Portsmouth on the 18th in company with the Romney, was the first vessel with troops on board that entered the Tagus: this took place on Christmas-day, and the