which had passed between us, should make it appear that I was deficient in attention, to your lordship, I conceived it to be the most proper course to acquaint your lordship, in writing, that, if you wished to call on me, I should be ready to receive you.

"As it now appears that your lordship has no communication to make to government, I have only to request your lordship to believe that I have no desire to give your lordship or the other gentlemen any further trouble. I have the honour to be, my lord, with much respect, &c.

(Signed) "W. W. POLE. "To the right hon. lord French." The Catholic committee have since come to certain resolutions, declaratory of their right to assemble in an aggregate body to petition, and their determination so to do, "and never to abate from any constitutional effort, until they shall finally accomplish their common freedoman event which can now alone afford to those attached to their native land any certain prospect of maintaining unbroken and invincible the integrity and independence of the British Islands."

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

23. A few days since, a great part of Ashdown forest, in Sussex, was inclosed by a set of men called Foresters, and also by the rev. Robert Bingham, the curate of the parish of Mayersfield; which being deemed to be the right of the dachess of Dorset, the same were thrown down by order of her grace, lord Whitworth, and lord Sheffield, the acting magistrates for that county. This act irritated all these who had made inclosures, and some of them were heard to make use of threatening language, which caus

ed some little alarm among those concerned in destroying the inclosures; but no particular notice was taken, or any act done, except swearing in a number of respecta ble inhabitants as special constables, to be ready in case of an emergency.

On Sunday, the 16th of December, a letter was found on the road near Mayersfield, by the sons of Mr. Richard Jenner, a respectable farmer, directed to their father. The boys took it home, but their father being absent, they gave it to their mother, who on opening it, discovered that it was headed in large letters," Fire! Murder! and Revenge!" and the contents threatened destruction to the parson, churchwardens, farmers' houses, barns, and stacks. The boys told the mother, that after Mr. Bingham performed the morning service at Mayersfield church, he got on horseback to ride to a neighbouring parish to do duty in the afternoon; he passed them, and when he was at a short distance from them, they saw a paper drop from his pocket, which they were positive was the letter they picked up.

The letter so much alarmed Mrs. Jenner, that she sent off one of her sons after her husband, who was in London. The circumstance caused considerable alarm in that part of the country. Lords Whitworth and Sheffield published an advertisement, offering a reward of 200%. for the discovery of the writer of the letter. A number of men were employed to watch Mr Jenner's premises, and to patrole in different paits.

On the 16th of January last Mr. Bingham's house was discovered to be on fire; and although timely as sistance was given, a great part of the premises was destroyed. It was ascertained that the fire broke

out

out in the school-room, where there were several faggots laid. Mr. Bingham reported that he had no doubt it was one of the Foresters who had set fire to his premises. The account he gave of the fire and his conduct was, that the family went to-bed about ten o'clock-he was the last up. About half past ten o'clock he heard the noise of footsteps; he looked out of his win dow, but could not see or hear any

person.

About half-past eleven o'clock he was alarmed again-he looked out of the window the second time, but did not see any person; but a little before one, he heard a noise at the school-room door; and he states that he saw a man walking from the house, but could not tell whether he had on a blue coat or a smock frock. This account being so very extraordinary and unsatisfactory, lord Sheffield sent to the public of fice, Bow-streeet, for an active and intelligent officer, and Mr. Read sent Atkins. Upon the officer's arrival, after making inquiries, he strongly suspected Mr. Bingham set his own house on fire, and in consequence placed several men to watch. One of them he stationed in the steeple of the church, when he discovered him to bring a great quantity of books from his stable, and bury them in his garden. From a variety of other suspicious circumstances, a warrant was granted against Mr. Bingham, and one to search his premises; when Atkins found in the roof of the privy a variety of valuable papers concealed, together with other suspicious circumstances of his having set his premisses on fire for the purpose of defrauding the Union fire-office; and he was in consequence taken into custody, and on the 2d inst. underwent an examination at Lewes

before lords Chichester and Sheffield, and was fully committed for trial. He was afterwards tried upon two indictments, and acquitted.

MARCH.

AMERICA.

1. A chain bridge has been cast over the river Merrimack, three miles above Newbury port, in the state of Massachusets. It in length. The abutments are of consists of a single arch of 24 feet stone, 47 feet long and 37 high; the uprights, or framed work which stands on the abutments, are 35 feet high, over which are suspended ten distinct chains, the ends of which, on both sides of the river, are buried in deep pits, and secured by large stones: each chain is 516 feet long, and where they pass over the uprights, and where the greatest strain rests, they are treble, and made in short links. The four middle joists rest on the chains; all the rest are suspended to the main chains, to equalize the floor. This bridge has two passage-ways, of 15 feet in width each, and the floor is so solid as to admit of horses, carriages, &c. travelling at any speed, with very little perceptible. motion of the floors.

The

FUNERAL OF THE DUKE OF ALBUQUERQUE. On the 23 of March, the honours due to the birth, character, and services of the late brave and lamented duke of Albuquerque were paid to his remains. chapel royal of Spain, in Spanishplace, Manchester-square, was fitted up on this occasion for the celebration of a solemn dirge for the repose of his soul, with much mournful magnificence. The coffin, which had been deposited the night before in the vault underneath, was placed on a bier in the

centre

centre of the chapel. It was covered with crimson velvet, richly ornamented with gilt handles, stars and nails, and a large gilt plate with the arms of the duke thereon, and the motto and inscription as follows: Præferre patriam liberis parentem decet. Depositum

D. Jose Maria de la Cueva, Duque de Albuquerque, Teniente general de los reales ex ércitos; embaxador extraordinario de S. M. C. Don Fernando VII. cerca de S. M. B., &c. &c. Obiit Feb. 18, 1811, ætatis suæ 37. At the foot of the coffin, a step lower, was placed a square casket containing the embalmed bowels. On the top of the coffin stood a sil ver urn containing the heart; and a ducal coronet. Towards the foot of the coffin were displayed the full-dress uniform coat of a Spanish general, worn by the duke (of dark blue, faced and lined with scarlet, and very superbly embroidered with gold), the sword and cane placed saltierwise; the scarf, the hat with feather and Spanish cockade, &c. Over these were placed the blue and white ribbon, with the other insignia of the order of Charles the Third, and the chamberlain's gold key. The sides of the bier were appropriately decorated with heraldic bearings; in the centre of each, an escutcheon with the family arms on the shield, inclosed within the collar of Charles the Third, in an ermined mantle, ornamented with military trophies, and surmounted by a ducal coronet. On each side of the escut cheons was the crest of the family (a knight in full armour, with a cross in his right hand, emerging from a circular embattled tower,) with the family motto. The whole was surrounded by 20 very lofty

gilt candlesticks, with lights burning. The altar was similarly lighted up, and silvered escutcheons fixed up in various places. The particular mourners sat between the coffin and the altar, mostly Spanish officers in their uniforms, and gentlemen residing here, who are natives of Spain, with some British officers who have served in that country. Many English and French nobility and gentry sat in the body of the chapel round the bier. The marquis of Wellesley and admiral Apodaca sat on the same bench. The foreign ambassadors and other foreigners of distinction, and their ladies, occupied the private gallery to the right of the altar, and the king's ministers and their friends sat in tltat to the left. The rest of the chapel was filled with persons of both sexes, in mourning. The chapel was opened at ten; admission to which was obtained by tickets. At 11 o'clock the solemn service of high mass was performed with all the magnificence which accompa nies the celebration of the principal rites of the Roman Catholic church.A Catholic bishop, the rev. Dr. Poynter, coadjutor of London, of ficiated in person in his episcopal vestments, wearing a white mitre.

The united musicians of the Spanish and Portuguese chapels performed the celebrated mass of Mozart: after which, the office for the dead was chaunted. The inpres sive nature of the service, and the peculiarly-afflicting circumstances of the occasion, excited much se riousness, and called forth the silent but strong expressions of deepfelt regret. The ceremony, being concluded, at two o'clock the body. was carried out by six bearers, and placed in the hearse.

The ministers present at the cha pel service, and who went in pro

cession

cession to the Abbey, were the marquis of Wellesley, the earls of Westmorland, Liverpool, Bathurst, and Harrowby, and the hon. Mr. R. Dundas Saunders. Lords Holland, Castlereagh, Darnley, and G. Grenville, &c. were among the numbers present at the chapel. Admiral Apodaca had invited the king's ministers, the foreign ambassadors, many British and foreign nobility, and all the Spaniards resident in London.

The procession was conducted in the following order:

Strong escort of the 15th light dragoons.

Two porters in dress on horseback. Eight horsemen in dress on horse

Eleven mourning coaches. About 100 carriages of the nobility and gentry followed; and the whole of the procession was brought up by another detachment of the 15th dragoons.

The procession then moved slowly along through Manchestersquare, Bentinck-street, Welbeckstreet, Vere-street, Bond-street, St. James's-street, Pall-mall, Charing cross, and down Parliament-street, to the great western entrance of Westminster Abbey. From the time when the procession took its departure from the Spanish chapel, till its arrival at the Abbey, minute guns were fired in the Park. As it passed the Horse Guards,

a party of the life guards were drawn up under arms. In front of the Abbey, foot guards were drawn up, with inverted arms; and they also formed a line on each side of the great aisle of the church.

The procession was received at the Abbey door by the rev. Dr. Vincent, dean of Westminster, several prebendaries and minor canons. The choristers chanted part of the Psalms of the funeral service, with an accompaniment from the organ till the whole of the procession had arrived. The procession then, preceded by the alms men and officers of the church, passed along the north aisle to the chapel of Henry VII. The vault is at the east end of the chapel, and bears the name of the Ormond vault. This vault was the temporary repository of the body of the great duke of Marlborough, on the occasion of the famous state funeral with which his remains were so justly honour, ed. On reaching Henry's shrine, the dean and officers of the church turned round to the grave by the right, and the funeral procession moved silently along by the left. Not a sound was heard but the occasional voices of the choir. A short funeral service was then read, the duke's insignia were taken off the coffin, and, after a short pause, the service concluded with another burst of the anthem at a quarter past four.-A great number of spectators were in the Abbey and Henry the Seventh's chapel.

Of the ministers, the only persons absent were the lord chancellor and Mr. Perceval; the former of whom was at Windsor, and the latter serving on a committee at the house of commons.

The day being fine, the streets through which the procession pass

ed

ed were filled with carriages and persons on foot, and every window and balcony crowded that afforded a view. The general appearance and expression of the public spoke the sense they entertained of the loss sustained by our allies, and the feelings excited by the cause of Spain.

The tribute paid by the members of our government, and other distinguished persons, to the merits of the lamented duke, by their personal attendance at the solemnities of the Spanish chapel, and at his temporary interment in Westminster Abbey, reflects credit on themselves, and on the national character. Indeed, from the correspond ing accounts of all who have known, or have said any thing of this distinguished nobleman, his merits must have been eminently conspicuous in his zeal for his country's service, and his death must be to that country a great and heavy loss. He appears to have been animated with a proper sense of what was due to the patrician rank he held in his own nation, to have felt a just indignation at the atroeious attempts of a foreign tyrant, and to have seen with shame and scorn the timidity and treachery of others of his own order and station. He fell prematurely, the victim of a sensibility too aute and too refined. Had it pleased Providence to have protracted his existence but a few days longer, and to have restored him to health, the recent decree of the cortes would have again placed him where he wished to be, and have cheered his heart with the gratifying experience, that he had not bestowed his services on an ungrateful country.

5. A burgeman, near the floodgate on the river Lee, at Bromiey, discovered part of a human head

above the surface of the water. He immediately hastened in his skiff to the spot, and exclaimed, "Here is poor Mr. Flight!" The feet and legs being deep in mud, with some difficulty he got the body into his boat, and conveyed it to his disconsolate family at Stratford. Mr. Flight was an eminent miller and mealman of that place; and nearly a month ago he spent his evening at the sign of the Harrow, which house he left late in the night, and is supposed to have fallen into the river.

FORGERIES.

8. Forgery has been practised on a very respectable house in the city, under the following very singular circumstances, by which they were defrauded of two thousand and ninety pounds, and hither to the parties have avoided the vigilance of the police. A few days ago, a person called at a house in Francis-street, Fitzroy-square, a part of which was to let, to engage it for, as he said, a gentleman of the first respectability; and having agreed to terms, &c. the better to prevent further inquiry, he offered to pay for three months in advance, and for the purpose presented for change a one hundred pound note, having several other notes in his hand at the same time: none of them, he said, were for smaller sums. This manœuvre had the succoss that was wished; the lady who had the lodging to let, could not give change, but the sight of the money lulled her into security, and the gentleman was allowed to take possession on the following day. The financier, thus seated in fashionable lodgings, sets about raising the ways and means, and commenced by answering an advertisement from "a young man

from