He said he was quite insensible at the time, and he knew no more of what was done than a child. The jury, after a few minutes consultation, retired precisely at five o'clock, and after an absence of half an hour, returned and pronounced the prisoner-Guilty. The unhappy man looked attentively on the jury, and breathed a deep sigh. He was asked if he had any thing to urge in stay of judgment? The prisoner made no answer, and the learned judge (Sir W. Scott) proceeded to pass the awful sentence of death upon him. The prisoner appeared faint, and was led from the bar by one of the attendants. Sir W. Scott observed, that he had been informed the tide would not serve conveniently for the execution of the prisoner until Tuesday; it would therefore be deferred until that morning, but he begged it would be understood, that on account of that circumstance, and that alone, it would be deferred.

A bill is in course of progress through parliament, to amend the marriage act, so as to prevent, for the future, those disgraceful cases of husbands, after having been married for several years, taking advantage of their own perjury, to annul their marriages, and bastardize their issue. Some most atrocious and distressing examples of this abominable conduct have proved the necessity of an alteration in the law.

An American ship which lately put into Cowes, reports, that Mr. Cobbett, in selecting the relics of Thomas Paine, in America, has made a great mistake; for, in

stead of bringing the bones of Paine, he has brought the remains of a negro!-Plymouth paper.

An official account of the total weekly amount of Bank-notes and Bank post-bills in circulation, from the 23rd Nov. 1819, to the latest period to which the same can be stated, states the total for the week ending the 30th November at 23,248,340l., of which 6,745,850l. are under 5l.; for the week ending the 7th December, 22,536,690., of which 6,694,040. are under 5l.; for the week ending 14th December, 22,418,2201., of which 6,621,990l. are under 51.; and for the week ending the 21st December, 22,194,650., of which 6,569,560l. are under 5l. It appears from this account, that the Bank has reduced its issue of bank-notes within the last month, to the amount of upwards of one million.

Accounts have been printed by order of the House of Commons, showing the amount of the total capital of the funded debt of Great Britain, including the Austrian and Portuguese loans, as it stood on the 1st of February or 5th of January in each year, from the year 1786 to the year 1819, inclusive. By these accounts it appears that the total amount of the unredeemed debt in the year 1786 was 238,231,2487., of which the total charge was 10,302,4021. The public debt thence was gradually sinking to the year 1793, when the unredeemed debt amounted to 227,989,148/. From that it year rapidly and constantly increased to the present year; and on the 5th of January, 1819, the total debt of Great Britain and Ire land amounted to 1,181,502,362l.; of which has been redeemed 389,637,049., leaving the total

unredeemed debt at791,867,313. The Sinking Fund amounted to 15,815,0017; and the total charge, including the Sinking Fund, to 45,749,2961.

It appears, by a return which has just been laid before Parliament, that the number of male and female pauper children, resident and non-resident, between the ages of six and sixteen, who were on the books of the several parishes within the bills of mortality, as chargeable to each parish respectively, on the 5th of May, 1819, amounts to 13,430. The resident pauper children, are 7,087; the non-resident, 6,343. -From 28 parishes no return has been made.

An Inquisition has been taken in Old Round-court, Strand, on the bodies of John Masters and Mary his wife, found dead in their miserable lodging. Mr. John George, cheesemonger, in Old Round-court, Strand, stated, that he had been acquainted with the deceased about 30 years; he was a jobbing porter, and was of sober habits. He and his wife lodged upwards of a year in a little back room, at a house belonging to Mr. George in Roundcourt passage, which he lets out to lodgers. They being exceedingly poor, he charged them no rent the greatest part of that time. Last Monday night Mrs. G. informed him, when he came home, that dreadful moaning was heard in their room, and next morning he sent his shopman to see how they were, when they were found both dead, lying on the floor. A woman deposed, that she lodged in the room above the one occupied by the deceased persons; she said they were 60 years old, and had been ailing for some time past; they were very

poor, but some person used to bring them food. Tuesday even ing all the lodgers came to the door in consequence of hearing them moaning; finding the door shut, they called to them to open it, but no answer was given, although the woman was heard to say to the husband, "Where are you?" and he answered, "Here I am" this was about eight o'clock. A printer lodged in the next room to them, and knew them to be in great distress. A few days ago the man came to borrow 6d. of him, and then said they had nothing to eat, nor any fire. Monday night he came again, and paid the 6d. with another 6d. which had been previously owing. Their moans and groans were shocking to hear. The Jury thought, as there was bread and butter in the room, they were not starved to death; but not having clothing, bed, nor fire, during the inclement season, they perished.

Verdict to that effect.

Mr. Kinloch of Kinloch, who was under sureties to take his trial in the High Court of Justiciary, at Glasgow, on a charge of scdition, has absconded, and, in consequence, a sentence of outlawry has been pronounced against him. His estate was worth upwards of 3,000l. per

annum.

Manchester.-The Rev. Mr. Hay, with a living of 800%. per ann., and chairman of the Lancaster quarter sessions, with a salary, of 400l. who took an active part in the transactions of the 16th of August, 1819, and others subsequent to them, has been presented with the rectory of Rochdale, vacant by the death of Dr. Drake. This living, which is in the gift of government, is estimated at 2,500l. per annum.

2. Forest of Dartmoor.-The cultivation of this forest is again held out as a means of providing for the poor. It is parcel of the duchy of Cornwall, settled by Edward the first on the Prince of Wales, and on all future eldest sons of the King, who were to have the title of Dukes of Cornwall. The improvement of this tract of land has been often contemplated. It was proposed to the council of his Royal Highness, by Mr. Robert Fraser, nearly thirty years ago, and a company was formed by the late Mr. Charles Cole, of which lord Lauderdale was to take a part, with a capital, by subscription, of 100,000l. for the improvement of the forest. A bill was prepared for dividing and allotting the forest, and forming it into a separate parish; but, on consideration, it was found the soil was so poor, that it would never pay for the expense of cultivation, except in some narrow tracts on the banks of the Dart. Since that time, many attempts have been made to turn it to use. The erection of an immense building for the confinement of prisoners of war, it was thought, might contribute to its improvement. But little benefit was obtained from the expensive measure, while the situation found to be insalubrious, from the perpetual fog in which it was involved. Several grants, for 99 years, have been made of it to experimental agriculturists, at 6d. per acre for the first 30 years, and afterwards at trifling advances, but these grants have been generally relinquished. When the marquess of Hastings was resident in Scotland as commanderin-chief, he assembled a number of the most intelligent farmers,

was

and proposed to them, with the authority of his royal highness, to allot portions of this forest to the numerous bodies of Highlanders who were emigrating to the more bleak deserts of America. We remember the noble marquess's report of this interview, the result of which, he said, strongly evinced the sagacity of the northern agriculturists. The noble lord stated to them the benevolent intentions of his royal highness;-here was a most extensive tract of elevated table land, situated in one of the finest counties of England, near to the grand naval station of Plymouth, &c. &c., instead of their wandering to a distant and a miserable climate, away from all their friends, from all markets, and nearly from all civilized society. -The company were mightily pleased with this description; but they proceeded to ask information as to the soil and products of this elysium. What did Dartmoor produce in its natural state? What weeds? Were there any whins (that is, long heath), or broom, or nettles, or even thistles? To all these questions the noble marquess candidly owned that he never saw any one of these spontaneous products, except in narrow sheltered spots; and the conclusion was, that a moor upon which there was not to be seen heath, nettles, nor thistles, was not likely to be worth cultivation.

At Leeds, a strange discovery has lately been made of a human being, who has been incarcerated in chains in the house of his parents, for upwards of 15 years. The mother of this unfortunate young man, whose name is Benjamin Surr, applied to the committee of the Leeds Workhouse, stating that she was in want of

relief for her son, who was not of sound mind. The committee, on investigating the case, found that the family belonged to another township, Seacroft, we believe, and referred her to the overseers of that place. On the following day, the old woman had a fatal accident: while walking in the streets, she came upon a piece of ice, and, falling backward, fractured her skull dreadfully, that after languishing till Friday she expired. One of the neighbours, moved by her situation, went into the house, and after rendering the last offices to her remains, walked into the cellar to wash her hands. She there heard a moan as from a human voice, and on examination she found that it proceeded from an object, so neglected and destitute, that it was difficult to say whether it was of the human or the brute species. This discovery was communicated to the neighbours, and a considerable number of persons assembled round the house; but John Surr, the father of the family, had locked the door, and refused to admit any of them. The overseers and constable were then sent for. The old man, probably from an apprehension of the fury of the populace, refusing still to open the door, they were obliged to force their way into the house. On obtaining admission, they proceeded into the cellar, and here they found an unfortunate man squatted under the cellar steps, chained by a leg to the wall, and in so loathsome a state, that it was evident he had not been washed

for years. "Sharp misery had worn him to the bone;" a few sacks and a little straw served him for a bed; his appearance was that of a spectre; and his

bones had in several places penetrated through his skin, which was much excoriated. As a first step, the parish officers ordered him to be taken to the workhouse; and on viewing a comfortable bed which had been prepared for him, he exclaimed-"What! is this for me? God bless you! you will go to heaven for this!" and other expressions of a similar import. Sometimes he conversed freely, but frequently incoherently. There was, moreover, a vacuity in his look, which showed a want of mind. He appeared, however, to be perfectly inoffensive and tractable, and it was evident that he knew and felt the difference between his present and his late situation. When the young man, who seemed to be about thirty years of age, was taken to the workhouse, his father was taken to the prison, and underwent a private examination before the magistrates at the Court-house. we understand, that was assigned by the old man for keeping his unfortunate son in the situation in which he was found, was, that he was deranged in his intellect, and required restraint. It also appeared that the prisoner had always maintained a good character; and though it is impossible to justify his conduct towards his son, the nature of his offence was not judged to be cognizable by the law; it was therefore determined that he should be discharged. The maniac died a few days afterwards, in consequence of the change in his treat

ment.

The reason,

5. This day was distinguished from all the other days of the present cold weather by this circumstance, that, during the lightest part of the day, and when

there was some sun-shine, no impression was made upon any frozen object, not even upon a frosted twig. During every preceding day, there has been a partial thaw about noon, and thus the snow had been removed from the fields near London, so that some verdure was visible. But the fog, which came on in the evening of Tuesday, was SO frozen, during the night, that the fields and trees were nearly as white as if covered with snow: and not the slightest sign of moisture was apparent upon either, on Wednesday, even when the sun shone with some brilliancy, and the western windows of houses reflected its gleams.

A disturbance has taken place at Leeds amongst the workmen, who have published a defence of their conduct, from which we extract the following paragraph, as indicative of the present times:"To give an example of the earnings of the men, take, for instance, 25 warterns of slubbing to weave 63 portiffs-breadth ten and a half quarters-length 36 strings, which employ a man 21 days, according to the following

tity of labour by Mr. John Varley, of Stanningley, leaves 35s. for 24 days work for a man, exclusive of the assistance of his wife: or about 10s. 8d. a week for both their earnings. Nor must they work moderate hours to make this: they must be employed 14 or even 15 hours each day, for six days in the week, to earn such a scenty sum. The advance which the workmen require would demand 12 hours per day to be fully employed, to enable a man to earn from 18s. to 20s. per week.-And who will say such wages are exorbitant? Is it not a sum quite too small for the proper maintenance of a man, his wife, and four children? To the public we make our appeal, and are confident at the bar of public opinion we shall be acquitted."

A stand for the exposure of woollen cloth, in the coloured cloth-hall, at Leeds, which within the last twenty years would have sold freely for 16l. to 18. was knocked down last week at the low price of forty shillings, and numbers of these little freeholds have fallen into the hands of trustees for sweepings, which is a term used to imply a small annual demand for cleaning and attending to the hall. This is a circumstance strongly indicative of the distressed situation of the clothiers.

Dumourier, the once celebrated French republican general, now in the 80th year of his age, is at this time in London.

7. The Message of the President of the United States, to Congress, has been this day received. (Vide Appendix.)

At a meeting of agriculturists held at Bristol, petitions to both Houses of Parliament, for relief, have been resolved on.