oath a person may be arrested and held to bail, if he be suspected that he is about to fight a duel. His opinion, therefore, was, that the defendant was justified in what he had done, and the plaintiff could not maintain his action." The other Judges concurred; and a verdict was therefore entered for defendant.

Saturday, Feb. 12.

A most respectable meeting of the merchants of this city engaged in the commerce with the Netherlands, took place at the London Tavern, for the purpose of raising a subscription among their own members, to be appropriated to the relief of the sufferers by the late inundations in that country. William Ward, Esq. was invited to preside on the occasion, and opened the business of the day by a short, but perspicuous, statement of the views of that assembly, and the peculiar propriety of their interference in endeavouring to alleviate so signal a calamity. As merchants connected with Holland, they had met to perform an act of charity, and they would perform it without ostentation. As an introduction to the business of the meeting, the Rev. Dr. Werninck then read a detailed description of the calamity that had called forth this benevolent interference, the recital of which produced an evident emotion in the whole company. The inundations have been more fatal and more extensive than any that have before occurred, even in a country peculiarly exposed to that species of devastation. It appears, too, that no part of the calamity is chargeable upon the neglect of those whose business it was to take measures for protecting the country against the overflow of the waters. On the contrary, the most extraordinary exertions were every where made to exclude them. Upon one dyke, for instance, of only three miles loug, upwards of 1500 men were constantly at work; yet such was the rapid and unexampled increase of the water, occasioned by the melting of the immense quantity of snow in the higher parts of the interior, and the incessant rains, that all precaution availed nothing. As the ice in the lower parts of the rivers remained firm, and became gradually piled up, by the accumulation of the floating masses, till formed an immovable barrier, the water was stopped in its course, and prevented from runuing down into the sea. Some idea may be formed of this sudden and unparalleled augmentation, when the fact is mentioned, that on the 27th of January, at Dalem, and the adjacent villages, in the province of South Holland, the water having increased at noon to the height of seven feet from the ground, obtained by new breaches in the dyke such an immense addition, that at two o'clock it had risen to the

height of eleven feet. Some cases of particular distress, in this general picture of human suffering, are too striking not to be recorded in this place and on this occasion. A breach in the dyke of so large a magnitude took place near to the village of Leinden, in Guelderland, that the violence of the water rushing through it, accompanied with heavy masses of ice, swept away many of the dwellings; and the inhabitants, with the greatest difficulty, and with the loss of their children and sick and aged relations, saved themselves by running to the church, which, standing on an eminence, was protected by some intervening bouses from the violence of the flood. In this church upwards of 750 persons took refuge, without being able to save an article of property, lamenting the loss of relations, dwellings, and cattle, and reduced at the same time to a state of starvation; for they remained two or three days in this situation before any provisions could be brought to them; not only because all the provisions in the village were destroyed, but no boats were able to reach them from other places; for the wind, which blew very hard, and the impetuous flowing of the water, prevented all intercourse. At Leut, another village in Guelderland, a similar occurrence took place. The people were compelled to fly to a nobleman's seat in the vicinity, where they were humanely received, to the number of 200. Even then they were in great danger; but, fortunately, the strength of the building withstood the violence of the ice, and the impetuosity of the flood. At Oosterhout, a village in the other part of Guelderland, the Roman Catholic church, parsonage-house, and many other buildings, were driven from their foundations, and a great number of the inhabitants drowned. These inelancholy scenes, particularly in the night, were rendered still more awful by the guns firing continually signals of distress, announcing new calamities, occasioned by additional breaches in the dykes. The inundations in the years 1799 and 1809 were partial and limited compared with this. Such is the present extent of the calamity, that in the province of Guelderland alone, seventy-two villages are under water. In each of the provinces of South Holland and Utrecht, the inundation has covered more than 120,000 acres of land. The flood has risen higher, and increased more rapidly, than any remembered by the oldest inhabitants. The exertions made by the people of Holland, to administer help to the suf ferers, have only been limited by their ability. Many instances of personal intrepidity, in attempting the rescue of persons overwhelmed by the flood, have also been recorded. That of M. Langendam, the master of a large vessel, is perhaps

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other patrole, rushed forward to seize him; and on the instant the ruffian stabbed him to the heart. Poor Smithers fell into the arms of his brother Officer Ellis, exclaiming "Oh God!" and in the next instant was a corpse. While this deed was doing, the lights were extinguished, and a desperate struggle ensued, in which many of the Officers were severely wounded. Surman, one of the patrole, received a musket-ball on the temple; but fortunately it only glanced along the side of his head, tearing up the scalp in its way. The conspirators kept up an incessant fire whilst it was evident to the Officers that many of them were escaping by some back way. Mr. Birnie exposed himself every where, and encouraged the Officers to do their duty, while the balls were whizzing round his head. At this moment, Captain Fitzclarence (one of the gallant sons of his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence) arrived at the head of a detachment of the Coldstream Guards. They surrounded the building; and Captain Fitzelarence, with Serjeant Legge and three files of grenadiers, mounted the ladder and entered the room, now filled with smoke, and only illuminated by the occasional flashes of the fire arms of the conspirators. A ruffian instantly approached the gallant Captain, and presented a pistol to his breast; but as he was in the act of pulling the trigger, Serjeant Legge rushed forward, and whilst attempting to push aside the destructive weapon, received the fire upor, his arm. Fortunately for this brave man, the ball glanced along his arm, tearing the sleeve of his jacket from the wrist to his elbow, without wounding him. It is impossible to give a minute detail of the desperate conflict which followed, or the numerous instances of personal daring manifested by the Peaceofficers and the military, thus brought into sudden contact with a band of assassins in their obscure den, and in utter darkness. Unfortunately, this darkness favoured the escape of many of the wretches, and the dreadful skirmish ended in the capture of only nine of them. These were instantly handcuffed together, placed in hackney.coaches, and brought down to the Police-office, Bow-street, under a strong military escort; and Mr. Birnie, having arrived at the same moment, instantly took his seat upon the Bench, and prepared to enter into the examination of the prisoners. They were immediately placed at the bar in the following order :James Ings, a butcher; James Wilson, a tailor; Richard Bradburn, a carpenter; James Gilchrist, a shoemaker; Charles Cooper, a bootmaker; Richard Tidd, a bootmaker; John Monument, a shoemaker; John Shaw, a carpenter; and William Davidson, a cabinet maker.

Davidson is a man of colour, and a worthy coadjutor of Messrs. Watson, Thistlewood, and Co. upon many occasions. At the meeting in Finsbury market-place a few months ago, he was one of the principal speakers.

Ings is a hoary ruffian, a short squat man, apparently between 50 and 60, but of most determined aspect. His hands were covered with blood; and as he stood at the bar, manacled to one of his wretched confederates, his small fiery eyes glared round upon the spectators with an expression truly horrible. The rest had nothing extraordinary in their appearance. They were for the most part men of short stature, mean exterior, and unmarked physiognomy.

The office was crowded with soldiers and officers, bringing in arms and ammunition of various kinds, which had been taken on the premises; muskets, carbines, broadswords, pistols, blunderbusses, belts, and Cartouch-boxes, ball-cartridges, gunpowder (found loose in the pockets of the prisoners), haversacks, and a large bundle of singularly-constructed stilettoes. These latter were about 18 inches long, and triangular in form; two of the sides being concave, and the other flat; the lower extremity having been flattened, and then wrung round spirally, so as to make a firm grip, and ending in a screw, as if to fit into the top of a staff. Several staves indeed were produced, fitted at one end with a screwed socket ; and no doubt they were intended to receive this formidable weapon.

The depositions of a number of officers, most of them wounded, and several of the soldiers, having been taken, their evidence substantiating the foregoing narrative, the prisoners were asked whether they wished to say any thing. Cooper and Davidson the black were the only ones who replied; and they merely appealed to the officers and soldiers to say, whether they had not instantly surrendered themselves. Ellis, the patrole, who received the murdered body of his comrade Smithers in his arms, replied, that Davidson made the most determined resistance. At the moment when the lights were extinguished, he had rushed out of the place, armed with a carbine, and wearing white cross-belts. Ellis pursued him a considerable distance along Johnstreet, and, having caught him, they fell together; and, in the deadly struggle which ensued, Davidson discharged his carbine, but without effect, and Ellis succeeded in securing him.

Capt. Fitzclarence had seized and secured one or two of the prisoners with his own hands; and he was not only very much bruised, but his uniform was almost literally torn to pieces.

At eleven o'clock, the depositions having been taken, as far as the circumstances of

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the moment would permit, the Magistrate committed the prisoners for further examination on Friday; and they were then placed in hackney-coaches, two prisoners being placed in each coach, accompanied by two police officers, with two soldiers bebind and one on the box, and the whole cavalcade escorted by a strong party of the Coldstream Guards on foot.

The following morning an extraordinary Gazette was issued, offering 10004, for the apprehension of Arthur Thistlewood. He was taken by Bishop and a party of police officers, about 12 o'clock the same day, at No. 10, White-street, in Little Moor fields.

The house is kept by a person named Harris, who is foreman to a letterfounder; at the time of the apprehension Harris was from home, and supposed to be at his work; but the officers took his wife with them to Bow-street. The house is full of lodgers; none of whom were aware of Thistlewood being on the premises till the officers entered; nor was he ever seen there before.

The following are circumstantial particulars of Thistlewood's arrest. At 9 o'clock in the morning, Lavender, Bishop, Ruthven, Salmon, and six of the patrole, were dispatched; and, arriving at the house, three of the latter were placed at the front, and three at the back door, to prevent escape. Bishop observed a room on the ground floor, the door of which he tried to open, but found it locked. He called to a woman in the opposite apartment, whose name is Harris, to fetch him the key. She hesitated, but at last brought it. He then opened the door softly, The light was partially excluded, from the shutters being shut; but he perceived a bed in a corner and advanced. At that instant a head was gently raised from under the blankets, and the countenance of Thistlewood was presented to his view. Bishop drew a pistol, and presenting it at him, exclaimed. Mr. Thistlewood, I am a Bow-street officer; you are my prisoner:' and then, to make assurance double sure,' he threw himself upon him. Thistlewood said, he would make no resistance. Lavender, Ruthven, and Salmon, were then called, and the prisoner was permitted to rise. He had his breeches and stockings on, and seemed much agitated. On being dressed, he was handcuffed. In his pockets were found some ball-cartridges and flints, the black girdle, or belt, which he was seen to wear in Cato street, and a sort of military silk sash. A hackney coach was then sent for, and he was conveyed to Bow-street. his way thither he was asked by Bishop what he meant to do with the ball cartridges? He declined answering any questions. He was followed by a crowd of persons, who repeatedly cried out, Hang the villain! hang the assassin!' and used other

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exclamations of a similar nature. When he arrived at Bow-street, he was first taken into the public office, but subsequently into a private room, where he was heard unguardedly to say, that he knew he had killed one man, and he only hoped it was Stafford,' meaning Mr. Stafford, the Chief Clerk of the office, to whose unremitting exertions in the detection of public delinquents too much praise cannot be given. Mr. Birnie, having taken a short examination of the prisoner, sent him to Whitehall, to be examined by the Privy Council. Here the crowd was as great as that which had been collected in Bow-street. Persons of the highest rank came pouring into the Home Office, to learn the particulars of what had transpired. The arrest of Thistlewood was heard with infinite satisfaction. He was placed in a room on the ground floor, and vast numbers of persons were admitted in their turn to see him. His appearance was most forbidding: his countenance, at all times unfavourable, seemed now to have acquired an additional degree of malignity: his dark eye turned upon the spectators as they came in, as if he expected to see some of his companions in guil', who he had heard were to be brought thither. He drank some porter that was handed to him, and occasionally asked questions, principally as to the names of the per-ons who came to look at him. Then he asked, To what gaol he should be sent ?-he hoped not to Horsham.' (This was the place in which he was confined in consequence of his conviction for sending a challenge to Lord Sidmouth.)

At two o'clock he was conducted before the Privy Council, He was still handcuffed, but mounted the stairs with alacrity. On entering the Council-chamber he was placed at the foot of the table. He was then addressed by the Lord Chancellor, who informed him that he stood charged with the twofold crime of treason and murder, and asked him whether he had any thing to say for himself? He answered, that he should decline saying any thing on that occasion.' He was then committed to Coldbath-fields prison.

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The other prisoners, apprehended the night before, were likewise taken before the Privy Council, and recommitted. addition to the Cabinet Ministers, there were present, Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer of Scotland, Sir William Scott, Mr. Sturges Bourne, the Attorney and Solicitor-General, Sir John Nicholl, &c. They continued in examination of the prisoners ull past six o'clock, when the prisoners, who had been kept in separate rooms, were removed in backney-coaches to the House of Currection, escorted by a party of the Life Guards, amidst the execrations of those assembled round, and Thistlewood

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was loudly hooted and groaned at when he was taken from Bow-street Office.

In the course of the day, further arrests took place. Among others secured is a man of the name of Brunt-who is stated to have been second in command to Thistlewood. He was apprehended at his lodgings in Fox-court, Gray's-inn-laue; in his room a vast quantity of handgrenades, and other combustibles, were found. These were charged with powder, pieces of old iron, &c., calculated, upon explosion, to produce the most horrible consequences. A great number of pikeblades, or stilettoes, such as were discovered in Cato-street, and a number of fire-arms, were likewise found. The whole of these, together with the prisoner, were taken to Bow-street. He was afterwards sent to Whiteball, and then committed to Coldbath-fields.

Firth, the person by whom the stable was let to Harrison, has likewise been arrested. He admits that he has attended some of the Radical meetings, but denies any knowledge of the conspiracy.

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rants have been issued for securing six others, whose names and descriptions are known.

John Harrison, who hired the room in Cato-street, was apprehended in his lodging in Old Gravel-lane. He was 10 years a private in the Life Guards, from which he was discharged about six years ago.

Robert Adams, who had been five years a private in the Oxford Blues, and Abel Hall, have also been taken. Adams is a middle-aged man, and of respectable appearance.

The lodgings of Thistlewood, and of all the others who were in custody, have been searched, and several important papers, and quantities of arms, have been discovered and seized.

It is a singular fact, that when Thistlewood was arrested, he had not a farthing of money in his possession. The same observation may be made with respect to his comrades, all of whom were in the most wretched state of poverty.

A man was apprehended by Taunton and Maidment, charged with making handles for the pikes which were seized at the stables. He was committed for further examination.

Wm. Symmonds, a footman, at No. 20, Upper Seymour-street, was apprehended by Lavender and Bishop, charged on suspicion of being concerned with the assassius. He is suspected of giving them information respecting the transactions of the higher orders. He was detained.

Since obtaining the preceding intelligence, the following particulars have been received :

A detachment of thirty of the Coldstream Guards was ordered from Port

man-street Barracks a quarter before eight o'clock (the men thought it was to attend a fire); Captain Fitzclarence headed them. On coming into the neighbourhood of Cato-street, Capt. F. commanded them to halt and fix bayonets, and every man to be silent. Almost immediately afterwards they heard the report of a pistol they were instantly commanded to advance in double quick time, upon the spot from whence it proceeded. On reaching the stable, a man darted out and was making off, but was prevented: finding his retreat intercepted, he pointed a pistol at Captain Fitzclarence; Serjeant Legge broke his aim by knocking the pistol off at the instant of its discharging, and was thus himself wounded in the right arm; the man was then secured. The Captain then ordered the men to follow him into the stable; their entrance was opposed by a black man, who aimed a blow at Captain F. with a cutlass, which one of his men warded off with his firelock: he exclaimed, "Let us kill all the red-coats; we may as well die now as at any other time;" he was then also secured. They then entered the stable. Captain F. being first, was attacked by another of the gang, who pointed a pistol, which flashed in the pan the soldiers took him likewise, to whom he said, "Do'nt kill me, and I'll tell you all about it." The soldiers then mounted into the loft; there they found the body of the murdered officer, and another man lying near him; the latter, who was one of the gaug, was ordered to rise; he said, "I hope you will make a difference between the innocent and the guilty. Don't hurt me, and I'll tell you how it happened." Five more were then secured, one of whom declared he was led into it that afternoon, and was innocent.

Davidson was one of those who, at the last meeting in Smithfield at which Hunt presided, paraded the streets of the metropolis with a black flag, on which was described a death's head.

On Friday afternoon, an inquest was held on the murdered body of Richard Smithers, at the Horse and Groom, in John-street, Edgeware Road. Mr. Stirling was the Coroner. After a long examination of witnesses, who produced evidence of the facts already stated, the Coroner summed up. At a little after ten o'clock, the Jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against A. Thistlewood, J. Ings, J. Wilson, R. Blackburn, J. Gilchrist, C. Cooper, J. Tidd, J. Monument, S. Strange, W. Davidson, and divers other persons unknown. This verdict of course includes the whole of those who were on the premises in Cato-street and acting hostilely to the Civil Force in the conflict.