nately extinguished by a plentiful supply of water. This is the fourth time, within these few years, these premises have been burnt. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Kensington v. Fenton. This was an action of ejectment, to recover the possession of several houses in Bartholomew-close. Mr. Gibbs stated, that the plaintiff was the eldest son of the late lord Kensington, whose name was William Edwards, and who was tenant for life of estates left him by his brother, with remainder to the plaintiff in tail. A power had been given to the late lord Kensington, by his brother's will, to grant leases for 99 years, upon three lives, reserving the best improved rent. By virtue of that power, he had granted a lease of several mes suages in Cloth-fair, near Smith field, to a Mr. Champion, one of which was rented by the defendant. The object of this action was to vacate that lease, on the ground of the rent reserved being inadequate to the annual value of the premises at the time the lease was granted, which was in 1784. The lease in question was renewable on the death of any one of the lives, without a fine. This was also a ground of forfeiture. It had been once renewed by the late lord, who, it was supposed, had taken a fine, though the fact did not appear upon the face of the lease. The rent reserved was only 11. though the premises were worth three times He should prove these facts, and the verdict of the jury must necessarily be in his favour. that sum. Several witnesses were called, who gave their opinions as to the value of the houses in the year 1784. Some described them as worth 271. a year, and others 237.; but it appeared that their information on the subject was extremely vague and incorrect. The houses at the time of the demise were in a very dilapidated state, and had, at a very considerable expense, been altered and repaired by the lessee. Lord Ellenborough, after the examination of each witness, inti mated his opinion, that their testimony fell very short of Proving that the late lord had made an improvident bargain with his tenant. There were three other actions which depended on the verdict in the present one. Mr. Erskine, in the course of a very eloquent address to the jury for the defendant, regretted that the present lord Kensington was not in court, to witness the disgraceful scene which his agents were exhibiting in his name. That young nobleman, whose gay and fashionable pursuits precluded his attention to the concerns of his for tune, would doubtless have been ashamed of having occupied the time of the court and jury, and would instantly have consented to a nonsuit. He was a young man re cently come to the possession of a patrimony adequate to support, with splendour, any title his ma jesty 'could bestow on a subject; it was therefore placing him in a most invidious point of view, to advise him to appear in a court of justice, for the mean and unworthy purpose of grinding and oppressing his tenants, who had derived their titles from his father. It was a degradation of his own character, an insult to the shade of the deceased lord, and a proof of the want of filial piety, to attempt, by litigious objections, to set aside acts recog nised by his parent. The defendant's landlord had, on the faith of the late lord Kensington, expended upwards of 12001. in re pairing these premises, which were in a low neighbourhood, and, at the time he took them, in a most ruin ous condition. It was an indication of an avaricious disposition on the part of the plaintiff, to wish to anticipate the enjoyment of his reversion, and, wallowing in wealth as he was, to desire to have in his possession the produce of all the money laid out on the assurance of his father's title. The learned counsel, after a variety of very severe and pointed remarks, trusted that the jury would, by their verdict, express their indignation at this action, which was only the first of a series of others that stood ready for trial. Lord Ellenborough thought the late lord had, under all the circumstances, obtained the best improved rent he had a right to expect, and had acted with due regard to the interest of the reversioner. The jury, without a moment's hesitation, returned a verdict for the defendant. 17. A most melancholy accident happened yesterday by the falling in of two houses in Dunk-street, near Great Garden-street, MileEnd New Town. Both these houses were let out to poor people with small families: in the first house were five families besides lodgers, and in the second about the same number. It is but justice to say, that the surveyor of the district, as well as the landlord of the premises, gave notice to the inhabitants, some weeks ago, to quit, as their lives were not thought safe; and on Monday several of the poor sufferers, in consequence of that advice, looked out for dwellings to remove to, but, failing of success, were under the necessity of remaining where they were. As soon as the neighbours were recovered from the alarm which so dismal an accident occasioned, they set to work to clear away the rubbish, with the laudable intention of saving as many lives as possible. A person of the name of Richards was the first who relieved some of the unfortunate sufferers from their dreadful situation. The confusion of cries under the ruins rendered it almost impossible at first to discern the exact spot where they lay. At length he found one Royston, his wife, and son, who had occupied a room up two pair of stairs: they were all much bruised, and were sent immediately to the London Hospital. Next he found four children, two of whom were seriously injured, and were sent to the same hospital; the other two had the good fortune to be screened from the ruins by a piece of timber, and escaped unhurt; they were sent to Mile-End workhouse to be taken care of. On searching further, Richards found a female child, about nine months old, between two pieces of timber, unhurt; the little innocent was lying on its back, playing with its clothes, unconscious of any danger. She greeted her deliverers with a smile; and was sent after the others to the workhouse. Further assistance arriving, the search was continued with great ardour: a man, named Box, his wife, and three children, were traced by their cries to the cellar, when they were dragged from the window unhurt. It ap pears that this family had occupied the ground-floor, and had fled into the cellar for safety, on first hearing the crash. Two old women were found, one of the age of 90, (E 2) and and the other 80; they occupied a back room up two pair of stairs. The former had been confined to her bed seven months; neither of them received the least injury, and were sent to the workhouse. The most distressing part of this spectacle was a poor woman, who had lain-in on Sunday last: both herself and child were materially injured. The alarm of the woman was so great, that her death was the consequence. Before nine o'clock such exertion had been used, that the whole of the persons were found who it was supposed were missing; and, however miraculous it may appear, not one of them was found dead; very few had their limbs broken. A widow and her daughter, who dwelt in a back room up two pair of stairs, were among those most hurt; also a man and his wife, who occupied a garret. When the accident happened, nearly all the people were in bed: consequently when they were taken from the ruins they were entirely naked, and had not a rag to put on except what they obtained from the humanity of the neighbours. Out of the 35 persons who were found, 14 only were sent to the hospital; some few who were not dangerously hurt, and had friends, wished to be carried to them: those not so fortunate were lodged at the workhouse. It was a lucky circumstance that the party-wall between the two houses did not give way, or many persons must inevitably have perished. CAMP, EAST BOURN. 18. This morning, about nine o'clock, whilst the troops were performing their accustomed exercise on the right of the lines, an alarm ing fire broke out in the centre of the camp, which brought about a great deal of bustle. The conflagration commenced in the temporary mess-room erected for the officers of the 48th regiment; and as the fabric was composed chiefly of wood and straw, it was soon reduced to ashes. The contiguity of an ammunition tent, and the very inflammatory materials of which the huts are composed, which, in the vicinity, had been built by married soldiers, caused a great degree of anxiety. Fortunately, however, the fire ceased where it commenced; and as the mess utensils were saved, little damage was sustained. This accident excited a lively sensation in the surrounding country, and along the coast. The fire and alarm beacons, on all the different hills, were immediately seen on fire, and a considerable degree of alarm must have been the consequence. On Sunday a man in the service of Mr. Porter, of Felixstone, Norfolk, was struck dead, from the top of a hay-stack, during a storm of thunder and lightning, and a dog killed which lay at the foot of the ladder. The stack was set on fire; and another man near it had his head singed. The storm extended over the whole of Norfolk and Suffolk, and did much injury in different quarters. At Bury, a cow was struck dead in a field belonging to Mr. Butcher. At Harwich, during the same storm, another man was struck dead, while assisting to cover a hay-stack from the rain. His watch was entirely melted, and some halfpence in his pocket were found run in a mass, as if melted in a crucible. The farmer, who was standing at the bottom of the ladder, had his foot much burnt. Admiralty Admiralty-office, July 21. Copy of a letter from vice-admiral lord viscount Nelson, commander in chief of his majesty's ships and vessels in the Mediter ranean, to Wm. Marsden, esq. dated on board the Victory, at sea, May 19. Sir, I herewith transmit you, for the information of the lords commis sioners of the admiralty, a copy of a letter from captain Pettet, commander of his majesty's sloop Termagant, giving an account of the boats of that sloop having, on the 15th instant, taken possession of the French chebeck privateer Felieité, off Port Favona in Corsica, which it appears the enemy had scuttled previous to leaving her, as she soon afterwards sunk. I am very much pleased with captain Pettet's exertions in having destroyed this vessel, as she was one of the finest privateers in this country, and had captured two of our merchantmen last year, off Tunis. I am, &c. NELSON and BRONTE. Termagant, Port Forma Island, off Corsica, May 15. My lord, I have the honour to acquaint your lordship, that at two p. m. I chased a strange sail under the land, but before I could arrive up with her, she got into the port Farma, and anchored behind the reef of rocks. I came-to with a sloop, and sent the boats in, who brought her out; but, from the enemy's having scuttled her, she went down within half a mile of the shore, in fourteen fathoms water; she proved to be the Felicité French chebeck, commanded by captain Felix Podesta, belonging to Ajaccio, mount ing two long guns in the bow, and six brass swivels, besides small arms, &c. and I believe sixty men, appears to have rowed as she thirty oars. I am sorry to add, that one man was wounded in boarding. I cannot say too much in praise of the crew and officers upon the occasion: I have the honour to be, &c. -. R. PETTET. The right hon. viscount Nelson, &c. Admiralty-office, July 24. Copy of a letter from capt. George Morris, commander of his majesty's sloop the Penguin, to William Marsden, esq. dated off Senegal Bar, the 25th of March, 1804. His majesty's sloop Penguin, Senegal Bar, March 25. Sir, I beg you will be pleased to acquaint my lords commissioners of the admiralty, that, cruizing off Senegal, according to their lordships' orders, on the 17th instant, a French privateer schooner, in endeavouring to avoid his majesty's brig under my command, ran on shore near the bar, where I had great reason to hope, from the surf running high, she would have been destroyed; in which I was disappointed. The surf continuing, I had no opportunity of destroying her till the 24th instant.. On the 23d, in the evening, I observed two armed schooners had dropped down to the mouth of the river; and on the morning of the 24th, from the one on shore having shifted her position, I had reason to believe they were endeavouring to get her off. I therefore stood as close in shore as the nature of the coast would admit, and commenced an attack on them, in hopes, of (E3) driving driving them up the river, and eventually to burn the one on shore. We exchanged shot for an hour. and a half; when, finding I could not get sufficiently close to effect my purpose, I stood off. Lieutenants Williams and Rayley, with many of the crew, having volunteered their services, and fear. ing she might be got off, and rendered a further annoyance to our trade, I was inclined to accept their offers, though the armed schooners were then within two cables' length of her, and the surf still running high threatened much opposition to their exertions. At ten p. m. I dispatched lieutenant Williams in the jolly-boat (conceiving her best adapted to the surf), with orders to destroy her, if possible; at one a. m. I had the satisfaction to see her completely on fire, and at daylight totally destroyed. The ser vice was performed unobserved by the enemy, and reflects great credit on lieutenant Williams and his party, for the cool and steady manner in which they conducted the enterprise, and merits my greatest acknowledgments and thanks. I learn she was called La Renommée, a vessel of large dimensions, commanded by citizen Re naud, mounting 12 six-pounders, two of which were on board when destroyed, and two nines, manned with 87 men, belonging to Senegal, from Cayenne, last from Goree. I have great pleasure in adding, that not a man was hurt on this pccasion. I have the honour to be, &c. W. Marsden, esq. admiralty. Admiralty-office, July 24. Copy of a letter from the right hon. lord Keith, K. B. admiral of the blue, &c. to Wm. Marsden, esq. dated at Ramsgate, the 22d inst. Sir, I transmit, for their lordships' information, a copy of a letter from captain Owen, of his majesty's ship the Immortalité, to rear-admiral Louis, acquainting him that the enemy's fictilla, outside of Boulogne-pier, had been surprised at their moorings by the late gale of wind, and sustained very consider, able loss in attempting to regain their ports. Their lordships will not fail to observe how much captain Owen expresses himself to be satisfiedwith the merits of captains Jackson and Heywood, of the Autumn and Harpy, and lieutenants Richardson and Price, commanding the Blood, hound and Archer gun-brigs. I have the honour to be, &c. |