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FOREIGN CHRONICLE.

FRENCH HOUSEBREAKERS.-A | Paris journalist, after announcing the trial of a band of nineteen housebreakers, remarks, that the most dangerous class of thieves were those who combined for the purpose of carrying on their depredations with the greater security and effect. They had their leaders, their laws, and their organization so skilfully combined, as not even to be destroyed by the imprisonment or condemnation of those who directed the gang. From prison they still issued orders, were obeyed, and received a share in the plunder. Among a number of facts, to support this assertion, the writer mentions the the following, which occurred to a Paris advocate, who had long practised in the courts of criminal justice: The wife of this advocate, on coming out of the Feydeau theatre, perceived that a large cut had been made in the bottom of her bag, through which her purse, scent-box, tooth-pick case, and a small gold watch, had been softly made to dropt, probably into a hat. Her husband, who had learned how to know his people, next morning repaired to one of the prisons, where he was immediately surrounded by a tribe of clients: he told them, with much displeasure, of the robbery of his wife-" Ah? Sir," said one of the leaders, "pardon the mistake; doubtless the man who played this bad joke had not the honour to know Madame. As to you, Sir," addressing the advocate, "be as

sured that nothing shall be neglected to give you a proof of our esteem and gratitude." The advocate departed tolerably cheered by his client's promises. Next morning a person brought a packet addressed to his wife, and containing all she had lost the evening before, except the tooth-pick case. A letter accompanying the packet requested Madame to accept the excuses of a novice who had given her a moment's uneasiness, and to satisfy herself by a search whether she was not mistaken in stating the tooth-pick case to be one of the trinkets she had lost. In fact the lady afterwards found it in her work-bag." The writer then mentions one Delzeve, who had been brought to justice, as one of the most famous of these nocturnal depredators. The Indian jugglers, says this writer, the French jugglers, the rope dancers, the most intrepid vaulters on the slack-rope, were mere novices and poltroons beside him. With one spring he used to vault to the shelf of a first story, and he could throw almost to any height a cord with a hook at the end of it, by means of which he contrived to mount. The following feat would appear a fable, if not supported by numerous witnesses, and testified by the registers of the Conciergerie: the walls surrounding the court of that prison are from 50 to 60 feet high, and at the top are garnished with chevaux-de-frise, whose points bend downwards. Having succeeded in eluding the

vigilance of his keepers, who at night-fall make the prisoners turn in to their rooms, Delzeve, retreating to an angle of the wall, without the aid of any instrument, supporting himself merely against the two walls, and by some inconceivable movement of his feet and elbows, mounted to the iron spikes. He seized one of them at its extremity, and balanced himself till the moment when he thought he could give himself sufficient impulsive force. Then making a spring he threw himself over the chevaux-de-frise upon the roof of an adjoining house, and succeeded in making his escape. One of his companions, less adroit, having tried the same experiment, fell, and was dashed to pieces on the pavement of the prison. None of the present gang equal Delzeve; they only resemble him in the means of escalade. Those who leave their windows open during the night, expose themselves to a visit which often costs them dear. A ladder of cords or even a single cord with a hook at the end of it, thrown with dexterity, enables the plunderer to mount, and the chamber of the sleeper is sometimes stripped before his sleep is interrupted. To avoid the inconvenience of loading their pockets with a packet of cords, they have devised a mode of opening the small niches in which the cords for suspending the lamps are enclosed. They cut them, and form a ladder on the spot. The gang, now in the hands of justice, stand accused of having committed a vast number of robberies. The police had been long on the watch for these gentlemen, when one of the chiefs gave information of their retreats and they were apprehended.

The French Almanacks give
VOL. II.

the following table of the population of Paris for 1815:-Of 20,000 children (as nearly as possible) born every year in Paris, 10,000 only attain the age of 20, and 6800 attain the age of 45. One fourth of the children born die within the first year, and one third never attain 2 years of age. Notwithstanding all the efforts of the French government in support of vaccination, deaths by small-pox form a considerable item in this bill of mortality. The calculator proceeds to draw the inference, that if the whole population of France be 29 millions, the middle term of human beings who attain the age of 20 years is 251,690.

MADAME CATALINI.

The Official Gazette of Berlin of the 30th of June, contains the following article:

Maria Catalini was born at Sinigaglia, in the land of the Church, and descended from an honourable family. She was placed early in a convent, where she remained till she was fourteen years of age. Her voice even then was so surprising, that she was applauded whenever she sung in the choir with the nuns; and on that account her singing was prevented, lest her vanity should be excited. Her talents developed themselves so early, so rapidly and in so peculiar a manner, that at the age of 15 years she appeared with success at the side of Marchesi and of Crescentini. At this period the court of Portugal collected at great expense several Virtuosi at Lisbon. Catalini was invited at a salary of 24,000 crusades (12,000 crowns.) She remained four years in Portugal, and then travelled through Spain and France, proceeding to England, where very advantageous proposals were made

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to her. She sung at Madrid and Paris. In the first of these towns a single concert produced 3500 louis d'or. At Paris she gave a concert, for which the tickets were a louis each. She remained eight years and a half in England, and never did a singer in that rich country collect so abundant a harvest. Her benefit concerts were worth more that 9000 guineas, independent of the considerable presents that she received for private concerts. She left that country which was to her a mine of gold, for the purpose of going to Paris, where the king has granted her the privilege of the Italian theatre. She is the sole proprietor and directress of this theatre, which, during her absence, has been confided to the celebrated Paer. She wishes to revisit her native country from which she has been so long absent; but in going thither she performs a great circuit, as she travels through Germany, and will give concerts at Hanover, Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, and Vienna. Madame Catalini is about 32 years of age; but she seems younger; because independent of a distinguished figure, she has a beautiful Roman head. She is so modest, with such talents, that she is called La Cosa Rara.-She has been married eleven years to M. de Vallabreque, an old officer of hussars, but she is resolved to keep her own name of Catalini, while she continues in her profession. Three children are the fruits of her marriage, of whom two were born in England, and the third in

France."

An artist at Manchester has made a knife, which contains three blades, a button hook, a saw, a punch and screw driver, a box, cork-screw, hook and gimlet, two

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FATAL EVENT IN WELL-STREET

On Wednesday morning, abou half past ten o'clock, a dreadful explosion took place in the exten sive sugar baking warehouse Mr. Constadt, of Well Street, (Well Close Square) which was attended with the most fatal cir cumstances.-It appears that a new process has lately been dis covered for the quick refinement of sugar by means of steam; and Mr. Constadt, under the direction of Mr. Hague, the engineer, had constructed a new steam boiler, worked by what is called a pres sure engine, of about six horse power, the boiler holding about 2000 gallons. To this was attach ed all the necessary apparatus

of

tubes, valves, &c. and the engineer had determined upon trying the effect of the whole, on Wednesday morning. The fire was accordingly laid, and the engine put into play. At ten o'clock, Mr. Constadt expressed his fears that the boiler would be overheated, and the valves become overloaded with steam; when, in consequence, he and Mr. Hague went to inspect it more closely. Scarcely, however, had they reached the works, when a general explosion took place, carrying, in the awful crash, utter destruction to the concern, and closing in the heap of ruins, the bodies of more than twenty persons. By three o'clock in the afternoon nine of these unhappy beings were dragged from the ruins, dreadfully lacerated, and conveyed to the London hospital. Six of them are not expected to survive; and at a late hour in the evening five dead bodies were also taken from the concern; among these was the son of Mr. Spear, one of the partners of the house. The remainder of the sufferers were workmen employed in the concern, many of whom have left large families. The building was 70 feet in height and 50 in depth, and the loss sustained by Mr. Constadt, independent of so many valuable lives, is estimated at 30,000 pounds.

different floors of the building, the whole was shortly enveloped in flames. It would be impossible to describe the raging fury of the element-and notwithstanding the. timely arrival of nearly 20 engines, which continued to play throughout the night, the building was totally demolished-the interior falling into a condensed heap of ashes upon the ruins of the first house, leaving only a few and tottering fragments of the walls. In this additional calamity, no further loss of human lives has been sustained. The adjoining houses and neighbourhood have escaped injury; and the effects of the liquid explosion of water, sugar, &c. from the boiler and pans, dashed upon the adjacent buildings, and suffused thickly upon the trees of Wellclose Square, are the only circumstances worth observation, beyond the destruction of the premises, the loss of so many lives, and the unfortunate injury of others.

The account of the expense oftne Prince Regent's living (as given in the Lord Steward's Department) may amuse our readers; the following are the items of the quarter ending the 5th January last:Bread, Butter, Bacon,

Cheese, and Vege-
tables
Butcher, Poulterer, and
Fishmonger

Beer and Cider
Wax and Tallow Lights
Grocery, Oilery, Le-
mons, &c. Tea, Milk,
and Cream
Wine

Lamps

Another sugar house, belonging to Mr. Constadt, has suffered. About 11 o'clock on Wednesday night, the ruins of the former place being so far removed as to permit an effusion of flame, the fire which had caught the work of the engine and boiler machinery, Washing and which till then had been smothered, burst forth with irresistible fury. The timbers and other inflammable articles strewed about the ruins immediately caught fire, and communicating to the

Fuel

Stationer

Turner and Brazier China and Glass Linen

L.1,121 19 104

3,411 13 14 586 9 0 1,460 19 7

3,235 15 7} 2,120 3 10 818 6 7 210 18 0 1,090 16 0

96 19 6

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GRAND TRIPLE ALLIANCE, OR, |
HOLY LEAGUE!”

In the name of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity!

dering each other as co-patriots, they will lend one another on every occasion, and in every place, assistance, aid, and support; and regarding their subjects and armies, as the fathers of their families, they will govern them in the spirit of fraternity with which they are animated, for the protection of religion, peace and justice.

Art. 2. Therefore the only governing principle between the above mentioned governments and their subjects, shall be that of rendering reciprocal services; of tes

cence the mutual affection with which they ought to be animated; of considering all as only the members of one Christian nation, the three allied princes looking upon themselves as delegated by Providence to govern three branches of

Their majesties, the emperor of Austria, the king of Prussia, and the emperor of Russia, in consequence of the great events which have distinguished, in Europe, the course of the three last years, and especially of the blessings which it has pleased Divine Providence to shed upon those states, whose governments have placed their confidence and their hope in it alone, having acquired the tho-tifying by an unalterable benefirough conviction, that it is necessary for ensuring their continuance, that the several powers, in their mutual relations, adopt the sublime truths which are pointed out to us by the eternal religion of the Saviour God: Declare solemnly that the pre-the same family; to wit, Austria, sent act has no other object than to show in the face of the universe, their unwavering determination to adopt for the only rule of their conduct, both in the administration of their respective states, and in their political relations with every other government, the precepts of this holy religion, the precepts of justice, of charity and of peace; which, far from being solely applicable to private life, ought, on the contrary, directly to influence the resolutions of princes, and to guide all their undertakings, as being the only means of giving stability to human institutions, and of remedying their imperfections. Their majesties have therefore agreed to the following articles:

Art. 1. In conformity with the words of the Holy Scriptures, which command all men to regard one another as brethren, the three contracting monarchs will remain united by the bonds of a true and indissoluble fraternity, and consi

Prussia, and Russia; confessing likewise that the Christian nation of which they and their people form a part have really no other sovereign than him to whom alone power belongs of right, because in him alone are found all the treasures of love, of science and of wisdom; that is to say, God, our Divine Saviour Jesus Christ, the word of life. Their majesties therefore recommend, with the most tender solicitude, to their people as the only means of enjoying that peace which springs from a good conscience and which alone is durable, to fortify themselves every day more and more in the principles and exercise of the duties which the Divine Saviour has pointed out to us.

Art. 3. All powers which wish solemnly to profess the sacred principles which have dictated this act, and who shall acknowledge how important it is to the happiness of nations, too long disturbed,

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