DECEMBER W. ARRIVAL OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON IN LONDON. Oa Thursday night his Grace arrived unexpect edly at his town residence from Paris. His visit is understood to be entirely on public business ; for when his Grace roadied Dartford, a Mcfsenger was dispatched to Lord Castlereagh's seat at North Cray, in Kent, to announce his Grace's unival. Lord Cas tlereagh immediately came to town, and the Duke of Wellington having proceeded to his Lordships house, in St. James's-square, a long interview took place be tween them. No other Minister was in town at the time. It is generally understood, that the difficulties experienced by the French Government iu the payment of the contributions have caused the sudden appearance of the British Commander. • In consequence of his Grace's arrival, a Cabinet Council was held on Friday. After the Council had risen, one of his Grace's Aides-de-Camp (Lord Arthur I fill, we believe) was dispatched for the head-quarters of the British army at Mont St. Marsan, in France; and one of the King's Messengers was sent off to the British Ambassador ut Paris. It has tacit subsequently rumoured, that in conse qnence of the representations of' his Grace, Ministers are inclined to grant every indulgence to the French Government, by postponing the payment of the monthly contributions until the first instalments of the taxes for t SI7 have reached the French Treasury. Report also adds, that a slight change in the canton.. nients of the British army has been agreed upon, in consequence of the difficulty of obtaining further sup plies where they are at present situated. It is rumoured that the financial difficulties of the State will be met, in the course of the ensuing Session of Parliament, by a loan of IS millioas, the interest of which is to be chargeable on the Sinling Fund. Our readers w:11 hear with pleasure that accounts received from Spain gave reason to believe, that, in duced by the representations of the British Government. the king of Spain was at length disposed to tix a period for the total abolition of the slave trade. On Christmas day, the Royal Family attended divine service in the private chapel in the Caitic, which was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, &e. After the service her Majesty, the Princesses Augusta and Elizabeth, went to Bags:hot on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. In the evening they returned to the Castle. The Grand Duke Nicholas left Edinburgh on Mon day, and proceeded to Glasgow by Linlithgow and (';iron. A Gentleman recently from St. Helena, states, that Buonaparte continues in very bad humour. An anec dote is related, which we have not heard before. A Captain —, it seems, infected with the ardent cu riosity prevalent in all ranks, to see the person who acted so conspicuous a part in the history of our eventful times, found means to avoid observation, and reach Longwood. Here he prevailed on some of the attendants, and procured access to Buonaparte, with whom he had a long conversation. The latter gave full vent to his dissatisfaction, and complained bitterly of the treatment he had received from the European Sovereigns. lie also blamed the British Government, and especially Lord Bathurst, who had the misfortune to incur his displeasure from being its official organ in what related to his treatment. Captain having . . gratified his passion retired, and the visit being soon after talked of, he was not without apprehension that his imprudence might cost him his commission. It is aalul, however, that after a lecture from his Com mander, he was simply inficnied, that a lodging would be provided for him at the Governor's house, whence visits to Longwood were not so practicable. Swedish literature has been this year enriched with translations, said to be good oues, of the Iliad, 21::iield, and Paradi.re Last. A Swiss paper gives the following picture of Ilia vil lage of Schwaudi, in Glarus :—" Three and four &mi lks, with many children, live crowded together in one room, in dirty rags; some half naked, others wholly nuked. Tables, stools, bedsteads, bed-clothes have long since disappeared. Roots, herbs, and even dug-up car casses, arc their timd—the dying cannot even obtain a drop of skimmed milk. All of them sleep, summer and winter, on the hard ground in their rags ; those who aro privileged by age or sickness on the stove. Most have the appearance of skeletons dug out of their graves, and the suckling comes like a corpse from the mother's bosom." CHESTER.-It appears from the following paragraph that the despicable species of wit called hoax is still ripe among a certain class of fools:—In The Courier of Saturday there appears a long account of a meeting said to have been held in the Town-hall in this city, on Tuesday se'nnight, and in which is enumerated as speakers, a number of respectable individuals of the city. Earl Grosvenor is also stated to have subscribed 2,0001. ! Every line of the composure is tm arrant un truth and a base imposition. No meeting of the kind alluded to ww Kehl in Chester. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. RELIEF OF THE POOR. ....gip.-- BRIGHTON, Dec. e.s.—Yesterday the whole of the poor population of this neighbourhood were supplied with meat and bread, from the bounty of the Prince Regent, who was desirous that every one should enjoy a good Christmas dinner. 011 the day preceding, every applicant was furnished with a ticket, specifying the w.ight of meat, and number of loaves. To prevent contusion, the provisions were delivered in four parts of the town, under proper assistants ; and, in less than three boors, more than 3000 persu.is were furnished tvith upwards of 95001b5. of excellent beef, and 10,000 hall-quartem loaves. It was gratifying to see the poor carry away their charitable donations with such ex pressions of thankfulness and contentment.—The royal bounty was not limited to this seasonable relief; for his Royal Highness ordered that a selection of the most numerous families should receive this morning an extra allowance of meat, bread, vegetables, beer ; and, in short, every superfluous article from the • kitchen and larders of the Pavilion, to be fairly distributed among them. We are happy to state the Prince Regent's bounty was not confined to Brighton, but it was also distributed in his own parish of St. James, by giving beef awl bread to upwards of 6,000 persons, consisting of small housekeepers and large distressed families. Another proof of active benevolence was given on Friday by a meeting at the City of London Tavern, consisting of merchants, gentlemen, and others, c►mnect ed with the trail,: to Ireland, thr the purpose a raising a subscription for the immediate relief of the distressed Irish labourers in this country. A more laudable object could not well he entertained. Mr. Blake introduced the business of the meeting, and depicted with great force and feeling the miserable situation in which he had witnessed numbers of his starving fellow-country men. The subscription was commenced by several do nations of QOl., and the amount promises tube consider ble. 11011.1. V LODGE, HICINGATE.—MIS. Coutts distri buted coinihit on Wednesday to upwards of ;2000 ob jects of real compassion and distress. It is not possible to describe the scene which presented itself at so early an hour as ten in the morning, at which time Mrs. Coutts arrived from town to witness the proper distribution of her charity. An assemblage of the unfortunate, from the age of ten to ninety, had collected about nine in the morning. The most respectable tradesmen of High gate had, fur the lust month, been requested to search the abodes of the unfortunato poor; and those who were considered real objects of beneficence, many with six, seven, and eight children, received sealed tickets, with the number of children on the ticket—which, when presented, entitled the parties to obtain relief in bread, meat, clothing, and money, according to the description given in the ticket, certified by a signature. One thou sand of those tickets were issued, and the greater num ber contained, independent of the E.ther and mother, from three to eight or nine children. - The generous and feeling giver consulted the condition of all, and as the object appeared to her,. she bestowed her goodness. Some received bread, meat, and money—others the same with bkilikets, shoes anti stockings; others with shirts, gowns, sheets, coverlids, anti kandkerchicfs. Mo ney, bread, tea and sugar were however given to all, and as the case required, every necessary. The whole of the poor of Highgate, with the most distressed of Hamsptead and Hornsev, received her charity ; and it is a proud feeling fin• benevolence to boast of, that at four o'clock not one poor object, requiring relief, ap peared at the gates of Holly Lodge. Independ:nt of this holiday, and yearly gift, 50 poor and deserving old women receive weekly, from the same hand, three shil lings per week ; 1:2 aged women also in the alms-house the saute, with each a sack of coals; and WO of the poor every Saturday, during the four severe months of winter, a dinner of the best soup, and half a pound of meat. On Christmas-day, the whole of the poor prisoners in the Marshalsea prison, aide nting to uear One hun dred, were supplied with roast beef,. a loaf of bread, and one pot of porter each, by the Deputy Marshall. Qn Chrisnnas.day the Lord or ordered that each of the prisoners confined in the ptison3 of Ow metropolis (amount ing to Anna 900) shiadd be ...upplicd with 11 pUlllid of beef; a pint of port, r, and half a thrce;i:mliy loaf. TEWKESIIITRV.—A min of the inhabitants was held at the Town-hall of that borough on Thursday se'nnight, for the purpose of adopting means to aflhrd employment to the industrious pour of beet populous parish; when it appearing, from a reprt made to the meeting by the directors of the poor,..,that a very large proportion of the unemployed labourers were stockiag, makers, it was the ganeral opinion, that the most cf fectual means of giving employment to those, would be to raise a fund, by subscription, for the purchasing and manufacturing Of cotton during .the winter, under the directions of a committee, consisting of the subscribers, the principal hosiers, and the directors of the poor.. A District Committee for the town and neighbour hood of Framlinghani and Archdeaconry of Sutli,lk, in connexion with the, venerable Society fin. promoting Christian Knowlelgc, has.buen recently c.tabliihi.xl. WEST AFRICIN CHURCH MISSI (Extract flout the ten Special Report.) --.411111w When I arrived (at Leicester Mountain in the colony of Sierra Leone) about twenty acres ofland were cleared, and the settlement contained about 150 children, almost all boys. Mr. Butscher having no one after Mrs. B.'a death to take care of the female children, had declined receiving any. Fresh slave ships being frequently brought in, above Ina boys were tickled to the n u mber oefie c I left the colony ; and WWI after our school mistresses arrived, nearly luu girls were I.ll4Ceil Under their care. Mauv of those had siefereil 1111101 from their contilienient on board the slave ship. This cteminstanee will render it necessary to have bulls a • boys and a girls hospital attached to this settletueet. The total number in the schools Obi the Ittoli May 1516, were 3;O boys and girls. It is difficult to express the interesting sense. tions brought home at once to the mind, at beating the 11.1111e$ of the children called after benefactors, and seeing so sissy rheurtid snort; block faces io a Christian school, bearing thine names. When I recollect the scene which I bad beheld of the hold of a slave ship, in which most of them had been im mured, ur the wretched state of nakedness, ignorance, and sloth in which I had seen them lying about in their Dative vit iates, and contiasted this with the schools on Leicester ;Moulmein, and the nineys of Wilberforce, Buchanan, and Martin, the hope could not but arise, that some of these chil dren would become such benefactors to their country as those honoured names have been to ours ; and I could not but think, that their kind benefactors would ultimately have abundant reason to rejoice in this appropriation of their sub stance. I rejoiced to see the boys and girls schools begun neon the British system (nuder Dr. Bell) and regularly going on before I left the colony. I feel disposed to think that it might' be expedient to confine ourselves to such a quantity of land as would employ the largest number we were ever likely to have under our care. Land here may at present be always obtained en a petition. Nor does it appear that the plan of adult settlers is very likely to answer. In the colony there is a most extended field for every exertion. Recapnired ne-' grocs are continually brought in, who are In the most deplo rable and wretched coalition—naked, ignorant, weak, sick, diseased, and in every form of wretchedness that rail beim. • t rued of creatures dragger/ out of the hold of a sheet ship, the masters of which seem to have lose all the feelisigv•of , human,- not ere. These poor mercies arc received, elotbed,-and.pro• tided fur by gosernineet. They arc placed in the different towns in the colony,and are supplied with clothing and regn tar rations of food till they la Wable to meentain themselves. Many of thiem, alas! soon fall victims to the hard treatment which they had received on board the slave ships ; and many, it' not most of the others, remain for want of European as. sistance, in a deplorable sere of ignorance, indolence, licen tiousness, and sin. To remedy those evils, it appears to be of the first importance, without delay, to communicate th...t religions Instruction, which, when truly received, will elfectually arrest the progress of evil, and furnish a stimuli's amply adequate to excite these poor fellow creatures to in dustry, ,•;:e. 'Die degradation into which these recaptured negroes are at present sunk, requires a much larger propor tion of Etiropean assistance timer in oilier cases. sierra Leone moreover, this central point, as it were, whence the bless hip of religion and civilization may be:diffused throughout a great part of Africa,.anal Britainthus benevolently and nobly make some requital for' the -wrongs of that much-injured country. This is the most important scene of the Society's labours on this coast, and therefore calk for its chief aura-. tions and exertions. The accounts from Bristol represent that some alarm exists from the circumstance of a public meeting hav ing been called, at which the notorious Hunt is ex pected to speak. We trust that there is no reason to fear that this fellow's harangues will aplin put sa.niany deluded men in jeopardy of their lives. If any serious apprehensions were really entertained of disturbances at Bristol, in consequence of the wee:- ing called by Mr. I hint, at that city, on Thursday last, they may now subside. We have a letter from titice, dated four o'clock, on the day of the locating, whiAt states, that about half-past 1:2 o'clock Hunt made his appearance in the town, and proceeded without delay to Brandon-hill, followed by about 200 of the lowest class of persons chiefly boys. Mr. Hunt was the only orator, and his eloquence kept pace with the torrents of rain which continued to fall till half-past two o'cloa, when the assemblage were literally driven _tram the ground by the..wcather. A string of resoluticins,, and a petition ready prepared, were hastily carried. The excellent arrangements made by the Mayor and other magistrates, together with the appearance of 200 of the 23d Light Dragoms, removed all probability of riot. Almost every inhabitant was sworn in a consta ble on the occasion: but, after all, nothing tended much to preserve the peace of the city of Bristol as the resolution of the principal inhabitants to dismiss any servant who should be absent from his occupation during the time of meeting. A General Bill of all the Christenings and Barlak:. from Dec. 12, 1815, to Dec. 10,1811i: Christened in 11w 97 parishes.% ith in the walls, 9:33-14nried ; 1007. Uhriste.,ed in the 17 paristseswlrtion i it.d. 390. Chi istened in the 23 ont•par:shes in Middlesex antlSorrey, 12,519--6itried, tujotl. • t. brisk:tett in the le parishes in the city mittlihetties of Westuinster, 502T-13ariett, 51214 - Christened. Buried. Wiles ..12,1.t2 # ~,,,10,104 # hiau 45 51 Feinales 11,119 j 111161 '''''''' Females 10,211 $ '' ' 6 Whereof have died. Under two years of a , ..Te 5,109 ' *Sixty aralAtzvfitty .....1 ‘ 720 13e:Aseen two and the 1,1109 `everts und eighty—. .1,31 e ,, Five and ten 843 Eighty and Warty .. ;,1 Ten and twenty 673 Ninety and a hundred ... Jlisi l'etenty and thirty.— .. 1,461 A liontlred. 3 Thirty awl forty 1,912 A hundred and one 0 l'ity and tits 2,1T3 A hundred and three... —. t 7e::y at:d sixty 1,955 A linadred and four 1 increase in the burial nis year, itS;:s. the wadls,•S,Ufsl—Bu-