On the 30th of January 1810, Colonel Wardle attended at Guildhall to receive the thanks and the freedom of the city, in consequence of the part which he took in prosecuting the inquiry into the conduct of the Duke of York, and his unfortunate connection with Mrs. Mary Anne Clarke. In the following month a resolution, proposed by Mr. Waithman, for establishing a standing order to prevent for the future any petition or address, voted by the Common Council, and once agreed on, from being reconsidered, or any other substituted in place thereof, was, after a debate of considerable length, agreed to. It would appear that much valuable time was lost in the almost useless attendance to a requisition from the Livery for a Common Hall, for taking into consideration the conduct of the House of Commons in the imprisonment of Mr. Gale Jones and Sir Francis Burdett; the result of this was a great deal of bitter altercation among the different parties, and the passing of a number of resolutions, which had no other apparent effect than to excite a counter meeting of the Livery at the London Tavern in Bishopsgate Street, with other resolutions, and a declaration in direct opposition to the former! In fact, almost the whole busi ness of Common Halls and Common Councils during the summer of 1810, was confined to the subject of Parliamentary reform, which the parties themselves seemed to forget, the moment a new subject of discussion was introduced: and when the new Lord Mayor went in state to Guildhall to hold the first Court of Common Council in his mayoralty, the late Chief Magistrate, received a vote of thanks for his excellent and patriotic conduct, which was put and carried unanimously. The last business of importance which occupied the attention of the Common Council at the close of the year 1810, was the regulations proposed for the City Militia, or rather the abuses connected with this establishment. The report of a Committee appointed to examine the subject, being brought forward, it appeared they had agreed that it was expedient to petition Parliament to enable them to do away the militia acts altogether. The militia militia system in the city had been carried on at an enormous expense, and no practical benefits arose from it; the annual expenditure being 5000l. independent of the trophy-tax. The Committee further stated, that the information required, was peremptorily refused by the Colonel, Sir John Eamer, and Alderman Hunter, who said that they were only responsible to the Court of Lieutenancy, which was appointed by the Crown, and of which they were the members! The situation of those gentle men had become more lucrative than that of any other Colonels of militia, or even of the regular regiments. In the West London regiment there was a balance of more than 20007. in a stockpurse, which the Lieutenant Colonel offered to hand over, if Sir John Eamer would in like manner hand over the balance for his regiment of East London. The sole and entire controul of this stock-purse, was exercised by Sir John Eamer himself, who neither allowed the Lieutenant Colonel or the Major to interfere. The Committee could not conceive any reason for Sir John Eamer refusing to give them the information required, but a wish to conceal from the citizens of London who paid the tax, the manner in which it was applied. They stated as the result of their inquiries, that their was then above 80007. in the hands of the Colonels of the two regiments, which ought to be handed over to the city treasurer. They believed that the city of London militia, was of no use either to the city or county; that the civil power had been generally found sufficient for its protection; and that the ancient force of trained bands, or volunteers, was sufficient in any extraordinary emergency. They therefore recommended to Parliament to repeal the laws respecting the militia of the city of London, and to make this force more available to the good of the country, by extending its services in common with other regiments of militia. Among the memorable events of this year was the death of the Honourable William Frederick Eden, son to Lord Auckland. M. P. for Woodstock. The body of this unfortunate gentleman was discovered in the River Thames on the 26th of February 1810, off Lambeth Palace, five weeks having elapsed since the time he was missed. On searching the pockets a receipt was found in a pocket-book for 6007. paid to Messrs. Drummond and Co.; 13. in notes, some silver, and a gold watch and seal. By the evidence at the Coroner's Inquest it appeared that the deceased called on Mr. Stables, the Adjutant of the Westminster Corps, in Abingdon Street, in the morning of January 19, to settle some military matters, when the former started from his chair on a sudden, and went down stairs before Mr. Stables could even ring for a servant. Mr. Stables knew the deceased well, but he never considered him as the least deranged. He had been informed that the deceased went home to Lord Auckland's, made his own tea, and appeared perfectly sane. Mr. Holt, surgeon of Abingdon Street, and Major Jones, belonging to the Westminster Corps knew the Colonel well, and never conceived that he was deranged; and this was also corroborated by Mr. Figg, Lord Auckland's steward; the latter was the only person that attended the Jury from Lord Auckland's, and the Jury returned a special verdict of " Found drowned in the river; but by what means the body came there, there was no evidence before the Jury." His remains were, February 27, removed from Lord Auckland's house in Palace Yard, and attended by the Hon. George Eden, the Earl of Buckinghamshire, Mr. Hugh Elliot, Mr. Wedderburn, and the Rev. George Moore, and deposited in the family vault at Beckenham. On the 18th of January, Mr. Lyon Levy, a diamond merchant, precipitated himself from the east side of the gallery of the monument, and was killed on the spot; he cleared the rails, but struck against the pedestal. The fall from the top of the gallery enclosure to the ground is about 175 feet. This was the third instance of the kind that had happened within the last sixty years. On the 25th of June, 1750, about four o'clock in the afternoon, a man, supposed to be a weaver, fell from the top; he struck the pedestal, and pitched on a post, which laid open his skull, and he was otherwise most terribly shattered. The next 7 instance instance was in 1788, July 7, when John Cradock, a baker, threw himself over the north side of the monument; he cleared the pediment and iron railing, by falling just on the outside of them near the north-west corner. A circumstance much more extraordinary and atrocious took place in the night of the 31st of May, or rather, early in the morning of that day, when a horrid attempt was made with a view to assassinate his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. On the Wednesday, the day before, the Duke had been dining at Greenwich, and returned to town in the evening. He came home to his apartments in St. James's Palace about half past twelve, and went to bed about one. About half past two he received two violent blows, and cuts on the head. The first impression upon his mind was that a bat had got into the room, and was beating about his head: he was soon convinced to the contrary, by receiving a third blow; he jumped out of bed, when he received a number of other blows: from the glimmering light, reflected from a dull lamp in the fire-place, playing on the moving instrument that inflicted the wounds, they appeared like flashes of lightning before his eyes. He hastened toward a doors near the head of his bed, leading to a small room, to which the assassin followed him, and cut him across his thighs. His Royal highness not being able to find his alarm bells, which there is no doubt the villain had concealed, called with a loud voice for Neale, his Valet in waiting, several times, who came to his assistance, and together with his Royal Highness, alarmed the house. The Duke desired Neale not to leave him, as he feared there were others in the room. His Royal Highness shortly after went to the porter's room, and Neale went to awaken Sellis, (a Piedmontese, another of the Duke's valets.) The door of Sellis's room was locked, and Neale called out to him, saying "The Duke is murdered." No answer being given, the door was broken open, and Sellis was found dead in his bed with his throat cut from ear to ear. It was supposed that Sellis, con. scious of his own guilt, imagined when the alarm was given at his his door, that they were about to take him in custody, and immediately cut his throat. His blue coat was found folded up in a chair at one corner of the room, the inside of which was stained with blood. A pair of his slippers were also found in the closet adjoining the Duke's chamber. The sword used was a large military sabre of the Duke's, and had been lately sharpened. The whole edge appeared hacked, and blunted. His Royal Highness, it was understood, received six distinct wounds; one upon the forehead towards the top of the head; one upon the cheek, another down the cheek, one upon the arm; another by which his little finger was nearly severed from the hand, and another on the thigh, besides several punctures in different parts with the point of the sabre. Mr. Home, the surgeon, being sent for, immediately pronounced, that none of the wounds were mortal. A Coroner's Inquest that sat upon the body of Sellis returned a verdict of Felo de se. During this examination the Foreman of the Jury asked a witness if he thought the deceased had any reason to be dissatisfied with the Duke. He replied, on the contrary, he thought Sellis had more reason to be satisfied than any other of his servants: his Royal Highness had stood godfather for one of his children; the Princess Augusta, Godmother. The Duke had shewn him a very particular favour, by giving him apartments for his wife and family, with coals and candles. He was a little sallow man, whose features retained some regularity even amid the convulsion into which they had been distorted. The body of Sellis was buried at the corner of Scotland yard. On the 23d of July the Earl of Northesk and Sir Richard Strachan received at the Mansion House, the swords voted them by the City of London. They were accompanied by the Earl of St. Vincent. Appropriate speeches were made by the Chamberlain, and answered by the Admirals. After this ceremony they staid and dined with the Lord Mayor. About this time the Persian Ambassador, whose distinguished reception has been already noticed, formally took leave of their Majesties at the Drawing Room previous to departing for Persia: |