Carlisle Patriot, 18 Feb 1826 - Local News (2)
petra.mi...@doctors.org.uk
Saturday 18 Feb 1826 (p. 3, col. 1-4 + 5-6) [continued]
We hear from Penrith, that the legal dispute, to which we adverted in our last number, has been adjusted, by the interposition of mutual friends, in a manner very creditable to the plaintiff. At this distance, we cannot always correctly judge of the bearing or tendency of paragraphs which, at first sight, appear to possess little importance, or no hidden meaning; but we shall in future act by this rule—to refuse insertion to every article which is not strictly and entirely of a public nature.
A correspondent informs us that, at Alston, in this county, a person resides, who has drank every day, during the last twelve years, 24 glasses of ale, and 12 glasses of rum: making an annual consumption of 61,320 gills of ale, and 30,660 glasses of rum!! We should like to see this unrivalled Bibo's proboscis!
Scarcely a week passes without some accident taking place at Dalston, from the present dangerous condition of the wood-bridges which cross the river Caldew. We have, however, so far not had the task of noticing any coroner's inquest. Within a short period, five children have been pulled out of the water in the most perilous condition. This week, a girl belonging to Mrs. FORSTER, of Powbank, was precipitated from a plank into the river, and she floated nearly a quarter of a mile down the stream before she was rescued by a young man of the name of PEARSON, who ventured into the current, which, in another moment, would have carried her into a deep pool. Mr. WATSON, surgeon, was fortunately upon the spot, and, under proper treatment, animation was restored, although the child did not show any signs of life for a considerable time after she was taken out of the water. A few shillings would purchase a sufficient handrail for the bridge. Should the overseers of the roads, (who are bound either to keep up efficient bridges or keep the water in its proper course) by the neglect of proper caution, suffer a life to be lost, they will certainly be highly culpable.
About six o'clock on Sunday morning last a fire broke out in a stable belonging to Mr. JACKSON, of the Queen's Head Inn, Keswick, but it was happily soon extinguished: not however before a horse, belonging to a commercial traveller, was so much burned as to render its recovery doubtful. The origin of the fire is not known.
An evening service was commenced at St. James's Chapel, Whitehaven, on Sunday last, in compliance with the recommendation of the Bishop, and the wishes of the people.
An anti-slavery meeting was held at Kendal, on Tuesday last, the Mayor in the chair.
A forged guinea note, signed "J. M'GREGOR, cashier," and "J. WILSON, accountant," dated 1820, and purporting to be on a bank that never existed, viz., the Dumfries Banking Company, is in circulation. The engraving is pretty well executed, and the top of the note is adorned with a figure of Hope, and divers other devices.
On Friday the 3d inst. Mr. Francis M'DONALD, of Corncockle Moor, while on his way to Lochmaben, between the hours of ten and eleven at night, fell over a deep scaur, at Templand, into the water of Kinnel, and was drowned.
The election for the county of Northumberland will come on at Alnwick on Tuesday next. Lord Howick has withdrawn, without specifying a reason; but Wm. BELL, Esq. of Woolsington, the late member's particular friend, and a man of congenial principles and feelings, has declared himself a candidate, and pledges himself to give the freeholders an opportunity of expressing their sentiments by their votes—the issue is therefore doubtful. Lord Howick's views are directed towards a general election, rather than to the present vacancy; and it is said that he and Mr. LIDDELL understand each other. Mr. BEAUMONT has taken the alarm. In address to the freeholders, dated from London, he says: "Having learnt that the present candidates have taken this occasion for soliciting your votes for the ensuing general election, I cannot lose a moment in protesting against the injustice you would do towards me in making any promises of support that would be prejudicial to my interests. It is far from me to assert any pretensions to your favour beyond those which either of the present candidates may possess; but I am conscious of having discharged my duty to you with integrity, and am anxious not to be condemned in my absence."
Speaking of the late seizure of the Robert Burns Coach on Eden Bridge, the Dumfries Journal remarks as follows:—
"It is not only a hard case, as the Carlisle Patriot justly remarks, but if our information is correct, the seizure was altogether illegal. The female alluded to, it is said, was overtaken by the coach, of which our townsman, Mr. CLARKE of the Dumfries and Galloway Hotel, is part proprietor, near the iron bridge over the Esk. She enquired at the guard if he had any spare seats, and she was answered in the affirmative. Being apparently respectable, and having only a reticule in her hand, she was allowed to take her seat without suspicion, (for every guard belonging to that coach is prohibited at the risk of his situation from having any communication with the border smugglers), and paid the guard for the distance at the time. On coming to Eden Bridge, she got off the coach, soon after which she was seized by excise officers, who discovered contraband whiskey in her reticule, but being necessarily so small in quantity as not to be worth seizure, she and her smuggling reticule were allowed to depart without further molestation. After this, they proceeded to the inn, and seized both coach and horses, though at the time not a farthing's worth of contraband of any description was found in or upon it; and it was kept possession of for some days until the proprietors gave securities, as mentioned in the Patriot. If this statement is correct, the illegality of the seizure is obvious; and we understand measures will be taken to prevent a repetition of similar acts on the part of those who are vested with "a little brief authority" in such cases. We believe there is no doubt of the liability of coach proprietors where smuggled goods are found in the possession of any person in or upon the vehicle at the time; and though even this is a hard law upon them, since they are not possessed of search warrants, it must be still worse if their property is liable to seizure at any time, because an individual may have had something smuggled about him at some previous period."
We understand, however, that the officers contend that the woman had not alighted when laid hold of, but was in the act of descending from the coach.—It is probable that a Court of Law will have to settle the question.—Still, we repeat that the case is a hard one.
There are now 20 apprentices undergoing the the [sic] punishment of hard labour upon the tread-mill in the house of correction at Newcastle. This is partly to be attributed to journeymen concerned in combinations poisoning the minds of apprentices, and partly to the loose and dissipated habits into which apprentices have fallen.
On Friday last, 34 vessels were lying in the river, at Annan, most of them wind-bound. Of these 30 were loaded with grain for Liverpool, Glasgow, and Dublin; a decisive proof that the trade of Annan is increasing.
There were found on the 10th inst. on the sea-shore, between Maryport and Allonby, part of the Bulwark of a sloop, a small cask of gunpowder, and two sheep.
The Thetis, WHITE, from Whitehaven, which was blown out of Madeira on the 18th of December, with loss of foremast and bowsprit, arrived at Teneriffe, and proceeded on her passage to Antigua under jury masts, on or before the 18th ultimo.