found means a few nights after his apprehertsion to put an end to his own life, in the cell in which he was confined, by strangling himself with his handkerchief, one end of which he had tied round his neck, and fastened the other to the post of his bedstead. The post was so short, that his legs and thighs were upon the ground, so that he was obliged to sit down as it were, to accomplish his purpose; and to effect it in that way, must have been a work of long time and difficulty.

On searching the apartment of Williams, at his lodgings, a pair of bloody trowsers, with several other articles of his apparel stained with blood, and a French knifealso blood stained, were found. The maul which was found in Mr Marr's shop, after the murder, has also been identified by the landlord of the house at which Williams lodged, as one which had been long about his house, and which he used for breaking coals. These facts, together with the suicide of Williams, sufficiently confirm his guilt. It is certain, however, that he must have had accomplices; but how many, or who they are, as yet remains undis covered.

The body of Williams, after being exposed, amidst the execrations of the populace, through the streets of London, was buried in a cross road, near the scene of his guilt, and a stake driven through the body.

EARTHQUAKES.

On the morning of the 30th November last, about twenty minutes before three, a shock, resembling that of an earthquake, was felt very generally in the towns of Portsmouth, Portsea, and Gosport, and vicinity. It was instantaneous, and caused such a tremendous motion in many houses, that as many as twenty families were awoke by it, and sprang out of bed to ascertain its cause. To many persons whom it awoke, it appeared as though some heavy body had been moved in the lower part of the house, and shook its whole fabric; to others, it was a sudden motion of the bed, as though caused by the main strength of a person standing near it; the furniture in their rooms cracked, and the handles of the chairs moved as by an electric shock. Several soldiers on guard said that it was attended

by a hollow rumbling noise; and several people belonging to vessels in the harbour described the water as violently agitated for some minutes. It appears to have lasted inland near a minute.

On the 18th instant, a similar shock was felt in Oxfordshire and the neighbouring counties. Accounts from Tetsworth, Bletchindon, Radley, Wolvercot, and many other villages, mention, that the windows were much shaken, and in many houses the shock was plainly felt by the alarmed inhabitants; it was accompanied by a deep rumbling noise, similar to the sound of a distant discharge of heavy ordnance. A gentleman of Oxford, walking in Christ Church Meadow, heard this noise very plainly, and, from its uncommon sound, he immediately guessed it must proceed from an earthquake. In some places this noise was heard for upwards of ten minutes.

Sir W. Drummond conceives, that he has discovered, in Malta, the burial place of Hannibal. He adduces several reasons for thinking, that although Hannibal fell in Bythinia, by the perfidy of King Prusias and the Roman General Flaminius, Yet his ashes were brought from thence to repose among his countrymen and relatives at Malta. It appears, that in the year 1761, in the district of Ben Ghisa, in Malta, was discovered a sepulchral cave. In the wall of this cave was a hollow

square, in which was cut, in Phenician characters, the epitaph annexed, which Sir W. has thus translated

The Inner Chamber of the Sanctuary of the
Sepulchre of Hannibal.
Illustrious in the consummation of calamity,
He was beloved.

The people lament, when arrayed
in order of battle,
Hannibal, the son of Bar-Melech.

Sir W. D. argues, that the name of the district of Malta, where stands this se pulchre, Ben Chis, is a corruption of what ancient writers intended by the family of Amilcar Giscon, which was nearly' related to that of Amilcar Baraca, or, by transposition, Baraca Amilcar, would be the Punic Order; and, as on the tomb, Bar-Melech.

IRELAND.

IRELAND.

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY.

Dublin, Jan. 8.

About eight days ago, a meeting was held of the Trustees of the Charity School belonging to the Catholic Chapel in Church Street. The schoolmaster neglected to attend at the usual hour, and arrived in a state of intoxication, as the trustees were

schoolmaster, and endeavoured to make him sensible of the crime he had committed, and of the evident falsehood of the representations that had been made to

him.

These facts were made known by the trustees of the charity school to the Car tholic Committee, and by that body communicated to the Attorney-General.

January 9.

many gentlemen were on Tuesday examined before Mr Pole and the Attorney-General, with regard to his disclosures in their presence.

in the business of the new association, to one division of which he said he was Secretary. The nature of this association was inquired of him, and he gave the following account

That it was an association instituted for the purpose of separating Ireland from England by forte of arms; that it had also for one of its objects the extirpation of heresy; that, however, the most active person he knew of in it was a Mr Fisher, a Protestant, who had assured him and the other persons he engaged in the plan, that it had the sanction of the Catholic Committee, and that Mr Hay was their private secretary; that he had been supplied with a blunderbuss, and many others were armed, as it was easy to procure arms out of the stores of the Castle! and that an attack was shortly to be made in Dublin, as they were assured that the garrison was at present very weak.

Such was the substance of the statement made by this man. The trustees adjourned to the next day, and then called him before them. Being sober he wished to conceal or retract the facts, but, being closely pressed, he admitted that he had become a member of such an association, and repeated the account he had given the preceding evening, with this addition that he believed the name of Fisher was not a real, but an assumed name. The trustees instantly dismissed him from his employment as a

January 21.

We understand a special commission will be issued for the trial of Keegan. We also learn, that two persons, Adams and Quartermas, have been committed to prison, charged with being concerned in the con. spiracy.

The Catholic Committee met according to adjournment, on the 23d December; and the chair was just taken by Lord Fingal, when Mr Hare, one of the police Magistrates appeared, who inquired whether it was not the Catholic Committee, and being answered in the affirmative, informed the meeting that he had authority to disperse it, as an illegal assembly. Some altercation took place, when Lord Fingal told the Magistrate, that the meeting was assembled for a constitutional purpose, and that he would not quit the chair unless compelled. Mr Hare then handed Lord Fingal from the Chair, which was immediately taken by Lord Netterville, who was in like manner displaced by. Mr Hare. The meeting then broke up.

An aggregate meeting of the Catholics was held some days after, at which several resolutions were proposed, expressive of their sense of the indignity offered to the Catholic body in the forcible dispersion of the Committee, of the right of the subject at all times to petition the legislature, for å redress of grievances; and of the determination of the Catholic body to persevere in that measure untill all the remaining disabilities should be removed.

SCOTTISH

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY.

lector of the customs, and if he could prove they were his property, they would be re

keeper in North Leith, and formerly car rier between Perth and Edinburgh, accused of entering the packet Abo, a prize vessel, lying in the wet dock, Leith, on the 11th of September last, and stealing from the hold of said vessel, fourteen pieces of printed cotton, and three pieces of plain cloth. The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and there being no objection made to the rele vancy of the libel, a jury was chosen, and the trial proceeded.

A number of witnesses were called, from whose testimony it appeared, that the Abo was captured by his Majesty's frigates, Ethalion and Tartar, and consigned to Mr David K. Whytt, merchant in Leith, as prize agent. On the night of the 11th of September, after eight o'clock, while William Brown and John Campbell tide waiters, and David Adamson, weighing porter, were walking along the north side of the new wet dock, they observed two men, coming towards them, with parcels under their arms, from one of which a parcel fell; they immediately seized one of the men, who proved to be John Hog, but the other made off, leaving the parcels he carried. Hog said the goods were his own, but was answered, that they must see 'what they were; and they accordingly took the parcels on board a brig and examined them while Hog remained on the quay. When they had examined the parcels, they returned to Hog, and told him, that they were to lodge them with the colJanuary 1812.

.

shewn to Brown, Campbell, and Adamson, they swore they were the same they had seized, having foreign marks on them, and one of the pieces being cut in a remarkable manner. The cloth was also identified by Mr Grimes and John Henderson, belonging to the customhouse, and was afterwards brought to the Council Chamber, Leith, when Hog was apprehended and examined.

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It also appeared in evidence, that the Abo and several other prize vessels, were kept by Hugh Simons, a sailor, and his son Hugh Simons, a lad about 14 years of age. The father deponed, that he knew nothing of the theft, but the son said he was on board the vessel when the robbery was committed, and had a share of the booty, which he afterwards conveyed on board another prize vessel, but which was recovered when he was apprehended. He said the robbery was committed by L. Pritty and another man he did not know. He was a tall stout man, but he could not swear that Hog was the person.

The last witness examined for the Crown, was Lionel, Pritty, tide-waiter in Leith. He deposed that Alex. Forster and himself had the charge of the Abo,and relieved one another that on the 9th of September, Hog proposed to him to take some goods from the vessel, saying there was no harm in it as she was a prize; he, however, refused on that occasion, and also did the same next day, when a similar proposition

proposition was made by Hog to him.On the evening of the 11th, he, along with Hog, went on board the Abo, and having forced open a hatch which communicated with the hold, the witness took out the goods from a large truss, which was afterwards divided, the boy having rather the largest share to secure his fidelity. The boy was present all the time, and brought a light to enable them to divide the spoil. That the witness and Hog walked along the north wall of the quay, when he stumbled and let fall one of the parcels, on which some Customhouse officers came up, but he left the goods, and went off. He knew the officers, one of whom afterwards spoke to him on the subject, and advised him to go away. The witness also said, that Hog was to pay him for his share in ready money.

Two declarations which Hog emitted before the Magistrates of Leith, were read, in which he denied all knowledge of the robbery, and accounted for his having the parcel, by saying they were given him by a sailor he did not know.

Some witnesses were examined in exeulpation, whose evidence was not very material.

The evidence for the Crown was summed up by the Solicitor General, and by Mr John Haggart, Advocate for the pannel.The Lord Justice Clerk concluded the trial by a very candid and impartial address to the Jury, who were appointed to return their verdict next day at 10 o'clock, which they did accordingly, all in one voice finding the pannel Guilty. The Solicitor General restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment; on which the Court sentenced him to be transported beyond seas for 14 years.

Counsel for the Crown, the Solicitor Ge neral and Henry Home Drummond, Esq. Agent, Mr Hugh Warrander, W. S.-For the pannel, John Haggart and D. Macfarlane, Esqrs. Agent, Mr John Somerville.

The trial of James Bradley, and John Lindsay Crawford, accused of forging certain deeds, was to come on the 9th January, but, on account of the absence of some material witnesses, was delayed till 3d February next.

RIOTS IN EDINBURGH. We regret to state that on Tuesday night, the 31st of December, being the last of the year, and on that account devoted by immemorial usage, and the cus tom of the place, to innocent festivity, the #treets of Edinburgh were disgraced by a

series of riots, outrages, and robberies, hitherto, we may truly say, without any example. During almost the whole of the night, after eleven o'clock, a gang of ferocious banditti, armed with bludgeons and other weapons, infested some of the leading streets of this metropolis, and knocked down, and robbed, and otherwise most wantonly abused, almost every person who had the misfortune to fall in their way.--After they had fairly succeeded in knocking down those of whom they were in pursuit, they proceeded immediately to rifle them of their money and watches; and the least symptom on their part, of anxiety to save their property, was a provocation to new outrages, which were persevered in, until their lives were endangered. person, we have heard of, who, after being knocked down, made several attempts to preserve his watch; when he was so abused and kicked, on the head, and in the breast, and stomach, that he was glad to escape with his life. Another gentleman, in the same unhappy predicament, succeeded in preserving his watch, though it was pulled so violently that the chain was broke, which, together with the seals, he lost. We have heard of many other instances of outrage, but it' is unnecessary to enter farther into particulars.

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These outrages were chiefly committed by a band of idle apprentice boys, regularly organized for the purpose, and lurking in stairs and closes, from whence they issued, on a signal given, in large bands, and surrounded and overwhelmed those who were passing by. By the vigilance of the magistrates, who were on the streets, or otherwise actively engaged in the duties of their office, until about five o'clock on Wednesday morning, several of these rioters were apprehended on the spot, some of them with the stolen articles in their possession, and the most vigilant inquiries were set on foot, with a view to root out this nefarious combination against the peace of society, by bringing to exemplary justice the perpetrators of these outrages.

A reward of one hundred guineas was offered by the Magistrates for the discovery of the offenders..

We are sorry to add, that, on the 4th January, Dugald Campbell, a police officer, died of the wounds he received on the first day of the year. And on the 7th, Mr James Campbell, clerk to a company in Leith, also died of the wounds he received on the same occasion. Two rewards of 100 guineas each, was offered by the Magistrates, for the discovery of the murderers.

On the 21st of December, between eight and nine o'clock, the following melanchoby accident happened in Edinburgh. A house in Blair's close Castle-hill, opposite the city's reservoir, suddenly blew up with a great explosion, and the inhabitants in the floor above, were instantly precipitated along with the falling ruins, into the cellar below. A room in the second floor was also blown up; in which there was luckily no person at the time of the accident. The house immediately caught fire, which, however, was soon got under, when the persons who had fallen along with the rubbish were taken out. The house immediately above the cellar, is inhabited by a man of the name of Campbell, his mother, and three women lodgers, with three children. Campbell was much scorched; his mother was killed-one of the women had her thigh bone broken and was much scorched. The other two were also greatly burnt and bruised. The children were not much hurt. The unfortunate sufferers were all sent to the Royal Infirmary. The Magistrates, police, and firemen soon attended, and the fire was got under in a short time. The gun-powder which occasioned the explosion, was, it is supposed, concealed in the cellar. One of the women died in the Infirmary some days after.

Helen Kennedy, daughter of James Kennedy, farmer in Burnsworklees, has been committed to Dumfries jail, accused of having poisoned Thomas Slothart, farmer in Burnswork, and his servant maid, on the 9th of December, by infusing arsenic in the water which had been put upon the fire, in order to make the porridge for breakfast, of which, however, she would not participate, under pretence that that sort of food did not agree with her, and therefore breakfasted upon bread and beer.

Thomas M'Nair, slater, who was condemned for highway robbery by the High Court of Justiciary, was executed at Falkirk on the 26th of December, pursuant to his sentence. A strong party of military attended. It is 112 years since any person suffered at Falkirk.

On Monday the 30th of December, two men broke into a house in the neighbourhood of Dunfermline, and stole a watch and a pair of pantaloons. One of them was soon after apprehended, and after examination was committed to Dunfermline jail. The watch was found in his possession. Next morning on the jailor opening

the room where he was confined, he was found quite dead, having hanged himself by means of his handkerchief.

ANOTHER COMET.-The following extract from the French papers, states, that a new comet has just been seen :→→→

"A new comet has just been seen the consellation of Eridanus--it was seen by M. Pons at Marseilles on the 16 ult. The thick weather did not permit it being seen at Paris before the 5th instant; on that day, at 11 hours 1 minute of mean time, its right ascension was 64. 23, and the declination 13. 34. S. The apparent motion of the comet in right ascension, is retrograde and very slow, and the motion in declination carries it towards the northern hemisphere.

"It is not visible by the naked eye; with very good glasses, its nucleus, the light of which is vivid, is surrounded with a light cloud, but not the slightest trace of a tail is to be seen.

"It was announced that, on the 4th November, at 7. P. M, there was seen at Berne, in the direction of E.N. E. a comet above the horizon; and it was added that the tail was turned directly on the side of the horizon. It will not be unnecessary to remark, that these indications cannot in any measure relate to the comet discovered by M. Pons, first, because on the 4th Nov. this comet was still below the horizon at eight at night, and next, because it rises in the South East and has no tail. It is probable that the Astronomer of Berne mistook the Nebulous of Andromeda for a comet.

At the Imperial Observatory,

December, 1811.