A verdict was recorded, "That. the deceased committed suicide while in a state of derangement."

14. LUNATICS.-Official state ment of the number of Lunatics, distinguishing males and females, which have been returned to the commissioners for licensing madhouses, and entered into the re gisters, from 1815 to 1824, both inclusive: Males, 4,461 fe males, 3,443.

15. PLUNDERING SHIPWRECKS. During a heavy gale the French ship Ocean, from Campeachy to Havre de Grace, parted from her anchors and drove on shore at Hayle Bar. The pilots and seamen of St. Ives, at the imminent hazard of their lives, rescued the crew, and got on shore a consider able part of her cargo. On the first intimation of the disaster, a number of persons from the ad jacent villages crowded down with the view of plundering the stores: the greater part of these miscreants were women, who carried off whatever they could lay their hands on, and were very dexterous in concealing bottles of wine and other things, so as to elude a search. Some of the men knocked in the heads of three or four casks of wine, into which they dipped their hats, and drank what they took up in them. As the day advanced, the plunderers, male and female, became intoxicated, and a variety of contests, some of them of the most ludicrous description, took place. Every exertion was made by the respectable inhabitants to check this disgraceful scene of rapine, but the pressure of the multitude and the want of a military guard, rendered their efforts, in a great degree, unavailing. One fellow, who was making

off with some of the plunder, persevered in his endeavours to escape, until a pistol was fired by those who pursued him, when he dropped his prey.

17. MURDER AND SUICIDE. An inquest was held, before Mr. Stirling, the coroner, on the bodies of Mr. William Cooper, a respectable brush-maker, in High-street, Mary-le-bone, and of James Pollard, who met their deaths in the manner described in the following evidence:

William Chapman, No. 57, High-street, surgeon, was called, about a quarter before eight o'clock, on Friday night, to attend the deceased, William Cooper. Witness went directly and found the deceased lying on the floor, quite dead; his clothes were covered with blood, but no wound was visible; witness cut his clothes down in front, and there discovered a wound on his left breast; it was an incised wound, of little more than an inch in length; it passed obliquely for a short distance under the skin, and then through the cartilaginous terminations of the ribs, and he had reason to imagine, from the instantaneous death that followed, that it had reached the heart.

George Jepp.-I am porter to Mr. Elsemore, and was in the kitchen of Mr. Elsemore's house, when Mrs. E. called me up to see what was the matter at Mr. Cooper's house. The first thing I saw was Mr. Cooper lying outside his own shop-door, partly in his own shop and partly in his area rails. I hastened into the shop, and saw a man, who, they said, had committed the deed; and who, I was informed, was James Pollard. I went up to him and took hold of

the back of his neck by the left hand, and by his arm with my right hand; I brought him out, and the watchmen wanted to take him into their custody. He then had not the knife in his hand. I said, "You are the man?" He replied, "I am;" and he added, "I am the man; but I shall be a dead man shortly;" or, "I am a dead man." Mr. Cooper was wounded, and the blood was flow ing from him as he lay on the ground. I did not observe any wound on the person of Pollard until he came into Grotto-passage; and, on ascending the first step leading to this office, he fell on the stone step, and would have fallen to the ground, if I had not held him. Then I discovered he was wounded, and he was immediately taken to the Infirmary. He said nothing more to me, than that he was a dead man, or that he should soon be a dead man. I saw neither Mrs. Cooper, nor Mrs. Cooper's sister. He was in the dark part of the shop when I went in. He had not a knife in his hand when I laid hold of him.

Mary Jones, the mother of Mrs. Cooper. Mr. Cooper's sister came to see him on account of his being unwell; Pollard came to see after her. I told him she was not there, and he would hardly believe it. He said he would return at seven o'clock. At that hour he came, but Mr. Cooper said he should not come into his house, and Mr. Cooper's sister went into the passage to speak to him. What passed between them I do not know, but the sister returned into the parlour, followed by Pollard, who then stabbed Mr. Cooper, Seeing me, he said, "I shan't hurt you," and he then stabbed himself in the side once or twice, and

said, "Will no one take this rascal ?" The deceased (Mr. Cooper) turned round and said, "Lord have mercy on me.” He staggered to the shop-door, and there he fell; his nose was much cut by falling on the stone steps or railing. I did not hear the conversation at the shop-door, but a little girl who overheard them, said they were quarrelling. Mr. Cooper's sister must have been in the passage when the wound was inflicted. Mrs. Cooper was in the parlour, and was stabbed in the shoulder and in the breast. I saw Pollard with the knife in his hand, which was bloody up to the hilt. Mrs. Cooper hastened to the door to her husband, when she fell down exhausted.

William Thomas Cooper, the deceased's son, was then examined.

He said, I was sitting beside the fire, in the parlour, in the company of my father and mother, who were talking together, when Pollard, who is acquainted with my aunt, came to my father's house on Friday evening, about half-past seven o'clock. Pollard came through the shop to the parlour-door, and said he wanted to see my aunt. My father said he should not come into the shop; my aunt got up, and went into the passage, and spoke to Pollard. After some time I heard the street door shut, and Pollard come to the parlour door. My father got up, and told Pollard that he wanted to go out and bring some of his things from his door, where they were exhibited for sale. Pollard said he should not go out unless he allowed him to come in. My father said he should not come in, and Pollard then stabbed him in the side with a large knife. Pollard then ran at me with the knife,

with an intention to stab me also; but I took up the poker, and knocked the knife out of his hand. 1 think I also knocked his hat off, for I saw it lying on the ground. I then ran past Pollard, and although he placed his foot against the door to prevent me from going out, I squeezed past him, got into the street, and went over to Mr. Chadwick, and requested him to come to my father's assistance. When I returned to the house, I found my father lying at the door dead. I did not hear any more words pass between Pollard and my father, further than my father saying he should not come into the house, and Pollard saying he should not go out unless he allowed him to come in. I am now between 13 and 14 years of age. I did not see Pollard strike my mother or my aunt, although I have heard they were wounded.

The jury consulted together, and the foreman said, "Our verdict is, that James Pollard did go with a malignant intention to murder William Cooper." A verdict of Wilful Murder against James Pollard was then recorded. On the following day, the coroner, and the same gentlemen who sat on the body of Mr. Cooper, assembled to inquire into the state of mind James Pollard was in at the time he committed the deed, and the violent act upon himself.

Mr. Goodyer, apothecary to the infirmary of the parish of St. Maryle-bone, attended Pollard when brought in. He examined the two wounds in his left side, and. dressed them, and had two men to sit up with him during the night; he saw him afterwards several times, when he appeared to be very materially worse, and he died about a quarter before three next

morning (Saturday); he lived eight hours. Witness, when he first saw him, considered that all the surgical aid in the world would be of no avail.

Several witnesses having been examined, the brother-in-law of Mr. Cooper requested that Mrs. Bicknell his sister might be examined, in order that the purport of the conversation between her and Pollard in the passage might be known. The coroner and jury proceeded to the infirmary for that purpose.

She deposed, that she knew the deceased, James Pollard. On Friday she had written him a note, telling him that she would not live with him again, and re-. quested him to send home her clothes. In the evening he came, and she went into the passage to him. He asked her, why she had left him? She said, she would leave him; upon which he said, putting his hand to his heart, “If you do, you'll repent it." She, fearing he meant to injure himself, said, she would return and live with him; and she left him for the purpose of going into the parlour to put on her bonnet and shawl: he followed her, and stabbed her in the left arm; when she raised her arm, and he inflicted two other wounds. She then ran out, and what followed she knew not.

The jury returned a verdict of Felo-de-se on Pollard.

18. CASE OF SALVAGE.-In this cause, lord Stowell was assisted by two of the Trinity Masters, there being two questions that more particularly required to be decided by the nautical experience and judgment of those gentlemen; first, as to the degree of danger and difficulty incurred by

the salvors; secondly, as to the necessity of the interference of one of the boats by which the salvage was stated to have been effected; and, consequently, as to the valid ity of the claim set up by that boat's crew.

Dr. Dodson stated, on behalf of the salvors, that, on the 19th of September last, an action was entered against this ship, cargo, and freight, in a cause of salvage, on behalf of three masters of as many pilot boats. The value of the cargo and freight was 5,300l.; and the facts of the case were briefly these: On the night of the 14th of September, the Wilhelmine Auguste, bound from the port of Stettin to London, and laden with a cargo of timber, pipe staves, and 72 tons of zinc, off the coast of Suffolk, and not far from Orford Lights, took the ground in very hazy weather. Early on the morning of the 15th the weather cleared, and the pilot discovered that they were on the edge of large sand called the Nathaniel Lowe, on which the vessel had struck so violently as to sustain very considerable damage; at this juncture two pilot boats came up and tendered their assistance, which was accepted; the crew of the Wilhelmine, at that time, being in the act of putting up their linen, &c., in their pillow-cases, with the view, if possible, of effecting their escape with it to shore. The tide having risen, however, the vessel (which was a foreigner of about 250 tons burthen) floated off into deep water, and, by reason of the injury she had sustained, was considered to be in a perilous condition. The crew of a third boat which had bore down upon her, insisted on taking part in the exertions made by the other salvors, and were re

ceived by the captain in the same manner as their colleagues had been. It was now stated, however, in the evidence, that the captain had desired them to be gone, and had no occasion for them; yet the order to retain and employ them, given by the captain himself, had been distinctly spoken to by one of his own crew, who was at the wheel at the time. The vessel was finally brought in safety, into the harbour of Harwich. The learned counsel concluded by reminding the Court that this had been a service of considerable danger and great importance, and that, in his judgment, all three boats were entitled to a quantum of salvage such as his lordship might deem fitting in amount.

Lord Stowell said, that the Trinity Masters, by whom he was assisted, concurred with him in thinking, that, though the salvage rendered was a valuable service, yet, owing to the state of the weather, and other considerations, it was one not attended with any especial degree of danger. The gentlemen in question considered that there was no necessity for the assistance of the third boat; and, as the crew seemed to have been certainly desired by the master of the Wilhelmine Auguste to return, the court disallowed their claim entirely. To the crews of the two other boats, his lordship decreed the sum of 150l. as salvage allowance.

18. NOVEL AEROSTATION. Mr. Green having proposed to ascend from the bowling-green of the Golden Eagle, Mile End, arrangements were made for a supply of gas for the balloon from the works of the British Gas company's establishment in Ratcliffe

Highway. Conductors were laid down early on Monday morning, and at eleven o'clock the machine was two-thirds inflated. Mr. Green's object for partially filling the balloon on the day previous to his proposed ascent was twofold: to prevent the chance of disappointment, and to afford persons an opportunity of taking a short aerial excursion. This permission was no sooner made known, than several persons, amongst whom were some ladies of respectability, availed themselves of the offer, and ropes having been affixed to the car, the balloon made a number of ascents to a given altitude, with two, and sometimes three, voyagers. The aërostatic mania became contagious, and the utmost impatience was manifested by those below who stood next on the list of candidates for this exaltation, but sufficient time was allowed in every instance, for a full indulgence of the curiosity of the aëronauts During the greater part of Monday, these excursions were confined to a height of 150 or 200 feet, owing to the roughness of the wind; but, on Tuesday morning, the weather being more propitious, many ladies and gentlemen ascended to the height of 500 feet.

22. FUNERAL SERVICE FOR THE LATE KING OF PORTUGAL. A solemn high mass and requiem were performed for the late king of Portugal, at the chapel of the Portuguese Embassy, South-street. The interior of the chapel was hung with black, and decorated with escutcheons, bearing the royal arms of Portugal. In the centre of the building was placed the bier, surmounted by a canopy, over which were displayed a crown and cushion. The pall of black velvet bore the

like insignia, veiled with crape, and on either side appeared the following inscription :

JOHANNES VI. BRAZILLIE IMPERATOR PORTUGALLIE ET

ALGARVIORUM REX.

Plumes of black feathers and lighted wax tapers completed the decorations of the bier, which was attended by mutes, bearing wands of ebony, tipped with silver.

The side galleries were filled with ladies, the greater part of them in mourning dresses. The centre gallery was appropriated to the performers, vocal and instrumental; and in the space on the right, opposite the tribune, were seated most of the foreign ambassadors, en suite, and the distinguished visitors invited by the Portuguese ambassador.

Soon after eleven o'clock the ceremony was commenced by the rev. Dr. Fryer, who, assisted by Messrs. Morris and Jacquin, read the "service for the dead." The musical part of the performance was exquisitely given by the very excellent choir usually attached to the chapel, aided by Marinoni, Begrez, Giubilei, and Pearman. Mr. Guichard presided at the organ, and Spagnoletti led on the violin.

To the performance of Jomelli's "Kyrie Eleison" succeeded Mozart's grand Requiem, and seldom has that sublime composition been heard to greater advantage. The Offertorium (the music by Cherubini) was also delightfully executed, as were the "Sanctus Benedictus" from Mozart, and Jomelli's "Agne Dei."

The chapel was crowded long before the commencement, and continued so till the conclusion of the service. Among the many noble and distinguished individuals