head, in relievo, of his Royal Highness, with the date 1808. Also a copper medal, of the same size, with the following inscription :

· Under the Auspices of His most Sacred Majesty George III., King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, The Foundation Stone of the Theatre, Covent-Garden, was laid by his Royal Highness George, Prince of Wales. MDCCCVIII.

On the reverse is

Robert Smirke, Architect. Added to these were a series of all the coins of the present reign; and this box was inserted by his Royal Highness in a cavity made in the stone for its reception.

His Royal Highness then poured upon the stone the offerings of corn, wine, and oil, from three silver measures. During this ceremony all the bands played "God save the King," and a second royal salute was fired by the artillery. His Royal Highness then returned the plan to the architect, graciously expressing his wishes for the prosperity of the undertaking, and retired in the procession, amidst the plaudits of the multitude.

The brethren retired to the Free-. mason's Tavern, and, after the lodge was closed, sat down to a splendid dinner.

POLICE OFFICE, WORSHIP STREET. Profanation of the Sabbath.-A few days ago a case of the utmost interest and importance to all keepers of public houses came on to be heard at this office. Several gentlemen, part of the parish officers of St Luke, Old street, formed themselves into a committee, and resolved to shut up the public houses in their parish, for the whole of the day on Sundays.

They accordingly caused informations to be laid against five or six publicans, to begin with, which came on to be tried on Saturday.

Mr Samuel Burland, of Tabernacle-walk, Moorfields, said he was deputed by the committee to go into the public-houses in their parish: he, in consequence, went, on Sunday evening, the 18th ult. about nine o'clock, to the house of Mr Bullman, the King's Arms, in the city-road, when he saw several persons with pints of beer before them: he did not know any of them, or where they lived, or how long they had been there.

Mr Humphreys, the solicitor, contended, for the defendant, that on the part of the prosecution they were bound to shew to the magistrates that the persons sitting in the public-house alluded to were there for the purpose of tippling, and were not persons come there for necessary refreshment; without which the magistrates could not convict Mr Bullman, as the Lord's Day act allowed necessary refreshment to travellers, &c., to be sold.

Mr Moser, the magistrate, agreed with Mr Humphreys, and, in a very neat and appropriate speech, expatiated on the propriety of bringing forward such cases as went to a wanton or profligate breach of the Sabbath however, he did not think the present of that description, as it went to preclude men who had not the means of supporting an establishment, from the necessary enjoyment of a pint of beer. He gave the gentlemen every credit they could wish, and had no doubt that their motives were very good; but their idea of shutting up publichouses at nine o'clock on a Sunday evening reminded him of the Norman times, when no fire nor candle was suffered after eight o'clock; and as a

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certain king, who, perhaps, had more wit than morality, observed of the puritans of old, that they would not brew on a Saturday, because they would not suffer their beer to work on a Sunday.

Sir William Parsons was fully of opinion that the case now before them was not of that description to justify a conviction. The complaint was then dismissed.

The other informations against other publicans were then withdrawn, ot they being nearly under similar circumstances. Several others were heard against the lower set of tradespeople, among whom was a poor barber, for shaving a customer on a Sunday evening: he was convicted in the penalty of five shillings, as were most of the other defendants.

4th. A Swedish ship of 300 tons, laden with deals, pitch, tar, and hemp, was towed on shore near Lowestoff, on Thursday, by some fishing boats, having been found at sea, without person on board.

any

A more affecting case than the following has seldom occurred. The wife of Mr Middleton, a farmer at Winmoor, near Heslerton, upon the Wolds, in Yorkshire, with her infant child, her sister, and the housekeeper, had been at a farm-house of Mr Middleton's, at some little distance, and set out on their return home in the afternoon of Saturday se'ennight. Two men belonging to the farm had been with Mr Middleton afterwards, and told him of the party having left the farm, but supposed, as the day was so stormy, they must have returned, with an intention of stopping there for the night. Should this not prove to be the case, the men proposed to go back immediately to Mr Middleton, and inform

him of it. Not hearing any thing from them, Mr Middleton supposed the party had returned, and were safe. About ten o'clock at night, however, as he was going to look after some sheep near the house, his foot struck against something, which, on examination, proved to be the body of a dead child; and his astonishment and affliction may be more easily conceived than expressed, when he found it to be his own and only daughter. On making further search immediately, his wife and housekeeper, and his wife's sister, were found at a short distance, nearly lifeless: the two former are recovering, but his sister had lost the use of her limbs, and little hopes are entertained of her regaining the use of them.

5th. A man named John Taylor, who resides in Rose and Crown court, Moorfields, appeared before the chief magistrate, on the complaint of a poor widow, who lodged in his house for a considerable time past, whose goods he detained for 15s. rent, while he insisted on turning her out of doors.

The circumstances of the poor woman's case were peculiarly hard. She was a widow with five small children; one child had recently died, and she had a sick infant at her breast, of which she appeared to have very lately lain in. After collecting the few last shillings she could raise to pay the undertaker the funeral charges and burial fees of her dead child, she was still short of 3s. 6d., for which her humane landlord passed his word to the undertaker. For this sum, together with 15s. for three weeks rent, he laid an embargo on the remaining chattels of the wretched widow, at the moment he ejected her as an insolvent tenant.

The lord mayor humanely inter

posed, and intreated the fellow to have some consideration for the poor woman's circumstances, and offered to give him half-a-guinea from his own pocket in compensation for his claim. But Taylor, equally hard of heart and hearing, was deaf to every thing short of his full demand, and, with an iron countenance, refused all compromise. The lord mayor, indignant at such obduracy in the heart of any being in the shape of an Englishman, gave him the money, but descended from the chair of justice, to vociferate in his car that he was a hard-hearted fellow, undeserving of the comforts of a home, or a place in humanized society.

The officers both in Sir David Baird's and Sir John Moore's armies now carry about their personal baggage themselves; all public servants, whether as battmen, servants, &c., have been taken away; General Moore being determined to have as many muskets as possible. At first the staff grumbled, but, latterly, all saw the necessity of the measure. Instead of every captain and every two subalterns having each a tent, seven officers sleep in one tent; and field officers, staff officers, and others entitled to have horses, are obliged to rub down and clean them themselves. The large ratio of meat has been diminished in both armies, and without any inconvenience having been felt. Both armies are in good health. Several corps, particularly the 79th and 92d, had not a sick man, after marches of some hundred miles.

The embarkation of troops proceeds rapidly at Ramsgate. The 88th regiment sailed on Wednesday night for the Downs, and the 87th were preparing to follow them. Yesterday, the 1st battalion of the Cold

stream regiment of guards, 900 strong, commanded by Colonel Peacock, em. barked. Other divisions were expected to follow yesterday and this day.

Letters of service have been granted for levying nine new regiments of the line, all of infantry.

All the Highland regiments, both 1st and 2d battalions, at present in Great Britain, have received orders to hold themselves in readiness for embarkation on foreign service.

DREADFUL FIRE.-On Tuesday. afternoon, the 27th ult., between five and six o'clock, the beautiful mansion of Sir John Kennaway, Bart., called Escot-house, near Honiton, (former ly the residence of Sir George Yonge, caught fire, and continued burning until ten o'clock at night, by which time it was entirely consumed. The conflagration was so tremendous. that little could be saved, except some papers, plate, and jewels.-The acci dent was occasioned by a lighted can. dle being left in a dressing-room. which set fire to one of the curtains, and spread so rapidly as not to be extinguished. Some engines were procured as soon as possible, from Ottery, but so injured by the late frost, as to render them useless. Sir John and a party of friends were at dinner when the first alarm was given; and we are happy to find that no personal injury was experienced by any of the family; but we have to lament the death of Mr Pile, a respectable young farmer, who, in assisting, fell from a ladder twenty feet from the ground, and was killed on the spot.

The lottery finished drawing on Saturday. Strange to tell, three of the four twenty thousand pound prizes, which the lottery contained, were drawn on that evening, as well as one prize of five thousand pounds.

ment, and such further aids, of various kinds, as a general and liberal subscription may supply, cannot but have an effect animating and consoling to the Spanish soldier, and convincing to the Spanish government and people, of the perfect union, in opinion and sentiment, which, on this subject, subsists throughout these islands.

The committee rely, with confidence, that the good example of the public corporations and companies, and of the inhabitants of the metropolis, will be followed by the principal cities, towns, and districts of the united kingdom, in order to form together an offering worthy of the great cause for which it is made of the high character and affluence of the empire which presents it, and fit to be accepted by the gallant, disinterested, and high-spirited nation to whose brave defenders it is offered.

6th. WEST-INDIA DOCK COMPANY.-At a general court of this company, held at their house this day, the chairman read to the meeting a report from a committee of directors, on the general conduct of the company's concerns, to the end of the year 1808, which was ordered to be printed, for the use of the proprie

tors.

The report is of considerable length, conveying information of moment, both to the parties interested, and to the public; and the following is a brief summary of its most material contents:

The inadequate accommodation and the flagrant abuses to which the West India trade was exposed at this port, and the well-known evils which were the inevitable result, are stated as the causes in which originated an establishment, which, at an expence

of 1,200,000l., has been complete. by individuals.

The prosecution of the salutar purposes for which it was created, i repressing exactions and depredations could not fail to excite hostilit against the institution, almost in prc portion to its success. That to in terested motives, or prejudiced view: therefore, may be ascribed a grea portion of that spirit of oppositio and discontent which, in its outset an progress, it has encountered. Tha many of the inconveniencies and diffi culties imputed to the dock system and too readily credited, would, o inquiry, be found to proceed from causes altogether independent of it and arising out of circumstances in separable from the nature of the trade itself, especially in the time o war; or out of revenue regulations which necessarily govern many oper ations of business, and over which the company have no controul. But as i is not to be supposed that so exten sive an establishment can easily on speedily mature and perfect its regu. lations, that the directors of the com pany are ever anxious to give their aid in the removal of inconveniencies, from whatever source they may spring, and are ready to admit suggestions for improvement from par ties interested, and to redress all just complaints, as far as may be in their power.

The merit of granting ample protection to the revenue, and security to property, most essential and important objects of the plan, as being universally admitted, the report but slightly dwells on; remarking, however, that when the character of the establishment is discussed, these points are but seldom adverted to, although it is not difficult to prove, that the