(269.) Ir is mentioned that Cumberland House is likely to be taken for the use of the Union Club. The introduction of so many Irish families into London will, we fear, contribute to encrease still more the general luxury of the metropolis.

(270.) AT Paris, every inhabitant is obliged by the police to water the spaces of the street before his own premises. Upon neglect, it is done by the police, who levy the payment with a small fine. We are not very often inclined to copy anything from the Republic, but we think in this instance we might imitate with advantage.

(271.) WATER has been so scarce at Edinburgh, from the failure of the springs, that the magistrates have found it necessary to put some restrictions on the public wells, which are to be shut every day for several hours. Private families are to be served with water only twice a-week through the usual pipes; and they are properly ordered to keep their cisterns in a good state, that no waste of water may take place while this scarcity shall continue.

(272.) LONDON BRIDGE. THIS subject is taken up by the House of Commons, under the general head of "Improvement of the Port of London." The City Committee of Bridge-house Estates have conferred several times with the Select Committee of the House of Commons, and the following is the plan said to be finally agreed upon :

1. London-bridge shall be rebuilt on such a construction as to permit a free passage, at all times of the tide, for ships of certain tonnage between London-bridge and Blackfriars.

2. That the bridge shall consist of three iron arches with stone piers, the centre not less than 65 feet high in the clear above high-water mark.

3. The river to be embanked, on a regular plan from the Tower to Blackfriars-bridge, and wharfs and warehouses erected.

4. That the new bridge shall be immediately above St. Saviour's Church, Southwark, and upon a direct line leading to the front of the Royal Exchange.

(273.) Two new spacious squares are now forming on the Duke of Bedford's Bloomsbury Estate, one of which is to be called Russellsquare, and the other Tavistock-square. These are to be connected by three spacious streets, running north and south, and opening into Bloomsbury-square and Russell-street. At the north end of these improvements, and adjoining to the New-road, a very handsome dressed nursery ground and plantations are already inclosed and laid out; and northward of these, a road of 160 feet wide, in a direct line, is to be formed through the joint estates of the Duke of Bedford and Lord Southampton, from these buildings to the junction of the two London roads to Hampstead, saving the circuitous and unpleasant routes either of Tottenham Court-road or Gray's Inn-lane.

(274.) THE charge of posting on the road should be put under the cognizance of magistrates, as continual disputes take place between the traveller and the post-master. From London

custom has produced a demand of paying two miles extra, if a chaise only goes upon the stones, besides something extra per mile for the first stage. In many places in the same line of roads the charge varies. From Brighton they charge 1s. 6d. per mile, otherwise you cannot stir; 1s. 3d. per mile after. But those who return to London, if they take a post-chaise from Epsom, are charged 1s. 4d. per mile, and the post-masters have made an agreement not to take less. Nothing requires a greater regulation than the grievance now complained of.

(275.) In the year 1593, Queen Elizabeth issued a proclamation to prevent the increase of buildings in the metropolis, arising from the unaccountable humour of that age in foreseeing dangers that have never happened, nor are ever likely to happen, from an increase of the suburbs of the city of London. The common objection, says Anderson, in his "History of Commerce,' that the head (London) was become too large for the body (England), first began to be made about this time. In this proclamation her Majesty declares, "that foreseeing the manifold mischiefs which daily grow more and more unto the city of London, by access of people to inhabit the same, not only by reason that such multitudes would hardly be governed by ordinary justice, but would not be provided with food and other necessaries for man's relief upon reasonable prices; and finally, that such numbers of people inhabiting small rooms whereof many be very poor, and such as must live by begging or worse means; and being heaped up together with many families of children in one house or small tenement, it must follow, if any plague or universal sickness come amongst them, it would spread through the whole city, and into all parts of the realm. For remedy whereof, she commands all manner of persons to desist from any new buildings within three miles of any of the gates of London, and only one family to inhabit one house.

(276.) THAT intolerable nuisance, Bartholemew Fair, so injurious to the morals and tranquility of the metropolis, was yesterday (3rd Sept.) proclaimed with its usual solemnities.

(277.) ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S Day.—We all of us know what a dreadful nuisance this fair now is; but this was not so much the case with our ancestors. The following article on this subject is extracted from an ancient and authentic record.

"On the eventide of the day the Aldermen met the Lord Mayor at Guildhall Chapel, and, after prayers, they took their horses and rode to Newgate, drank a cool tankard, and then rode to Cloth Fair, and opened it. They returned to the Lord Mayor's house through Aldersgate.

"On the fair day the Aldermen and Sheriffs dined with his lordship in their scarlet gowns, and afterwards rode to see the wrestling, distritributing prizes according to merit, and then again returned to the Mayor's house.

"On the second day, his lordship and several Aldermen again attended to view the tilting, the shooting with the cross-bow, and throwing

the lance at targets; in all which exercises the London young men were very expert, and could at that time have challenged all Europe.

"The third day, the apron fair, was dedicated to the young women, some of the boldest of whom ran races in close jackets. Those who were diffident and industrious had small stands, where they sold laces and mittens of their own weaving and knitting, during their leisure hours in the preceding year. They had also worked neckerchiefs, ruffs, and frills. The company always encouraged the neatest work woman; and on this day the Lady Mayoress and the ladies visited the fair, encouraging and rewarding the young women, It was looked upon as a high honour to sell their works to her ladyship.

"The last day was for the apprentices and boys, who were indulged in every kind of juvenile fun and amusement until eight in the evening, when the whole was stopped and the ground cleared."

(278.) THE Isle of Dogs, now converting to the first commercial purposes, derived its name from being the depôt of the spaniels and greyhounds of Edward III., as lying contiguous to his sports of woodcock shooting, and coursing the red deer at Waltham, and other royal forests in Essex; for the more convenient enjoyment of which, he generally resided in the sporting season at Greenwich,

(279.) THE proposed regulation respecting the watermen, obliging them to wear their numbers about them, is generally approved; as there is no class of individuals who require more to have a check placed on their conduct than the water

men.

(280.) WE should be very happy to see the attention of the police and of parish officers turned to the mendicants of the metropolis. Those who expose their sores, real or fictitious, are a disgusting and a dangerous nuisance; and every fellow with a long beard ought to be compelled to be shaved upon the spot. Many a sturdy scoundrel of thirty, by letting his beard grow, and discolouring it, imposes himself upon passengers as suffering the infirmities of age. We are not aware of any inconvenience in the parish officers committing them till they consent to be shaved.

(281.) THERE should be an adequate addition to those useful vehicles the hackney coaches, since it so frequently happens that the least temporary attraction to one end of the town subjects the other to considerable inconveniences. This has been the case during the last fortnight, as frequently not a coach could be had on any of the stands west of Temple-bar, so many being occupied in driving to Pope's Lottery Office, facing the Bank of England. But what a rattling through the streets will be heard towards that Office when the public come to reflect that Monday morning next entitles the first drawn ticket to 50007.; that of the Thursday after to 10007.; that of the Monday following to 20,000l.; and that of Thursday after to 10,0007.!

A VOYAGE IN A HOY.

(282.) A TRIP TO MARGATE.-We left Billingsgate on board the "British Queen," wind N.E., about half after one o'clock on Monday last. Our party amounted to 160, the principal of whom were ladies. Expectation of much pleasure during their excursion, and other causes, produced the most perfect harmony for several hours, and many excellent songs were sung with much spirit. We had not been on board above an hour before dinner commenced in the cabin, when all the female part of the company appeared to enjoy their provisions with a good appetite. They next expatiated on the inconveniences attendant on the voyage, as if they were only ideal. The seamen on board encouraged their hopes. "We shall be down in seven hours and a half; perhaps it may be nine; at any rate twelve," was the general opinion. This, however, was not the opinion of the captain, and the result was as he expected. The wind at five o'clock was due east, and we were then only at Northfleet; at seven we got off Gravesend, having made tack about an hour, and lost ground every tack. We then cast anchor until the next tide, having the mortification of remaining five hours on that station, till high water commenced at twelve o'clock. The steward providing the ladies with hot water, and the gentlemen being very attentive in waiting, tea was drank on deck by every judicious person on board; for those who preferred the cabin soon experienced the ill effects of it; and then "the joy of a sailor's life" appeared no more. We soon understood the situation of those below by the effect on the deck. After we weighed anchor a strong gale sprung up: it was then that sickness was the order of the day. The berths in the cabin were full in a moment, and every place occupied under hatch. From their being crowded, convulsions succeeded sickness, and the scene of horror was heightened by the whistling of the wind and washing of the decks; all above board were inundated, and all below lying over each other, huddled together by the rolling of the ship. Every passenger on board was sick, even the ship's steward. The morning appeared with a watery sun; a sure indication of wet weather. At six o'clock we were off Yantlet in the Nore, the atmosphere pouring down a torrent of rain.

A council was held among the ladies (the gale still continuing), when it was resolved to petition the captain to put back to Gravesend; and on their knees they requested the gentlemen to back their entreaties. A scene of more general misery never appeared on a pleasurable excursion. A 201. note was tendered by one lady to the captain, who, being a good-natured fellow, said if the majority of the company wished to return he would comply. This being the case, we tacked about, at seven o'clock; the wind being still N.N.E., at eleven we got back to Gravesend, where thirty-five ladies went ashore and several gentlemen. There we left them to procure postcoaches to Rochester, from whence they proposed taking any casual conveyance to Margate. At one o'clock we set sail, to traverse the same

course we had left; the wind having veered round to the west, we scudded along rapidly, and in half-an-hour Gravesend was out of sight. The favourable gale continuing, we continued on one tack till ten o'clock at night, when a dead calm succeeded, being then off the Sisters, about nine miles from Margate. The lights of the piers and at the Duke's Head Inn were clearly perceptible. A light shower, attended by lightning, which was extremely vivid, was succeeded by a gale of wind, and at a quarter after twelve we deavoured to secure a bed, after being thirtysix hours on our passage. The town, however, being full, no beds at that hour could be procured, we were therefore necessitated to remain on board for another night. We passed it in the manner of the preceding one, lying on the deck as close to each other, for the sake of warmth, as possible: however great our inclination might be for sleep, the cold prevented its taking place. When daylight appeared we walked round the cliffs and on the pier until the innkeepers arose at six o'clock, when we breakfasted, and concurred in one general opinion on the pleasures of a Margate hoy.

The parties who left us at Gravesend got into Margate at twelve o'clock, fatigued almost to death with the journey, and put to the expense of five guineas for a chaise, the distance from Gravesend to Margate being fifty miles.

Margate was never known to be so full; beds are 3s. a night, garrets are cheap at half-a-guinea per week. The ordinary is 2s. 6d. a head; last year it was 28., and beds 1s. 6d. The extravagant charges will do no good to the place.

This morning left us the "New Rose in June" (the old one has been broken up). The passengers amounting to 120, returning to London.

THEATRES AND EXHIBITIONS.

(283.) THERE is one circumstance which so glaringly evinces the superiority of the present times to those of Charles II in respect of moral delicacy, that we are astonished it should have escaped any man of reading. We allude to the drama, always a criterion of the public manners. There is not a comedy of the last century that would be tolerated in its original state by our present audience for an hour. Whatever our secret sins may be, it is undeniable that public licentiousness is universally checked.

(284.) AMONGST the arrivals in London is the truly celebrated and astonishing Mr. O'Brien, (the Irish giant) from his country residence at Epping Place, where he had retired for twelve or thirteen years past. We are informed that he means to continue for a few weeks to gratify the curiosity of the world, and is to be seen next door to the Cannon Coffeehouse, Cockspur-street, nearly opposite Spring-gardens.

(285.) THE Milton Gallery, consisting of a

series of pictures from the poetical works of Milton, painted by N. Fuseli, R.A., and Professor of Painting, will be opened to-morrow with additional pictures, at the Old Royal Academy Rooms, No. 118, Pall Mall.

(286.) A GREATER assemblage of musical conoscenti was never perhaps experienced in Britain than what will be seen this evening at Covent Garden Theatre. Haydn's oratorio of the Creation is to be brought forward for its first performance this most sublime work are such as Fame may be said to be truly proud of. It is indisputably the chef-d'œuvre of Haydn's composition, and has proved such a magnet of attraction at Vienna aз its theatre, though immensely large, never before witnessed.

(287.) No sooner did Mr. O'Brien, the celebrated Irish giant, announce his return to town in the public papers, than his apartments, which are very elegant, No. 33, opposite to the Admiralty, were crowded with people of rank and fashion.

(288.) IN the harlequinade at Sadler's Wells are some very curious pieces of mechanism, particularly a tailor's box changing into a basket of cabbages, and a cabbage changing again to a bundle of rags; a drum to a temple of harmony, a box of quack pills to a basket of ducks, and one of the pills to a single duck, which is a most extraordinary piece of mechanism; a coffin to a sedan, and numerous other changes, equally evincing ingenuity and producing delights. The serious ballet excites strong applause, and for dress, decoration, arrangement, and costume has rarely been equalled. Davis sings some excellent comic songs, particularly the "King's Picture," in answer to "Abraham Newland." The opera dancers display themselves to the best advantage. Richer's tambourine dance on the rope is the first rope-dancing ever exhibited in this country. The entertainments are to be repeated every night this week.

(289.) The dancing of St. Pierre and the opera girls at Sadler's Wells, Richer's tight rope, the comicality of Dubois and Grimaldi, Davis's songs, &c., kept the hands and risible muscles of the holiday folks last night in perpetual employ. The harlequinade was received wonderfully; but the chef-d'œuvre of the evening was the new spectacle of Blackenberg, in which the spirit of Havier rises from the bosom of the River Elbe by moonlight, arrayed in all the effulgence of celestial appearance, while the guilty subject of the piece is precipitated for his crimes into a sulphureous and vapourous chasm which opens in the earth. The degree of applause exceeded description, and the house was uncommonly full.

(290.) LAST Monday night there was a choral concert at Oxford, at which Madame Mara assisted; she was on her way to Bath.

(291.) It is said that between 3 and 400 seamen are to walk in procession to the Opera House on Wednesday evening next.

F