Colonial Intelligence

Death  of The Duke  of Richmond.

By the Henry, arrived in the rive from Quebec, we have advices from thence of the 4th September, three days later than the last accounts. They confirm, we regret to say, the intelligence received at Lloyd's on Friday, of the death of the Duke of Richmond, at Montreal, where he had arrived on his return from inspecting the new settlements in Upper Canada. His body had been brought from Montreal to Quebec, where it was lying in state at the time the Henry sailed. His daughter Lady Mary Lennox, continued in the most afflicting state, and great fears were entertained for her recovery.

Lady Sarah Lennoc, his Grace's second daughter, is married to Major-General Sir Peregrine Maitland. They accompanied his grace to North America, and have remained there since he entered upon his Government. His Grace was the lineal descendant of the first Duke of Richmond, natural son of King Charles II. by a French Lady, who was created by his Majesty Duchess of Portsmouth, and by Louis the Fourteenth, Duchess of Aubigny, in France. His titles were, Duke of Richmond, Early of March (English honours) ; Duke of Aubigny, (French Honour) ; Duke of Lennox, Early of Darnley, and Baron Methuen of Torbulton (Scots Honours). The title of Aubigny was confirmed in March 1816, by Louis XVIII by causing the estate of Aubigny to be assigned to him, and granting him the honours of the Louvre, as enjoyed by his Grace's ancestors. He was a Lieutenant-General in the army, Colonel of the 35th regiment of foot, Gonervor of Plymouth, Governor of Upper and Lower Canada and their dependencies, Lord Lieutenant of the county of Sussex, and High Steward of Chichester. --His Grace was born in 1764, succeeded his uncle, Charles, the late Duke, in 1806, and married in 1783 Charlotte, daughter of Duke of Gordon, by whom he had issue seven sons and seven daughters, all of them now living, except his third son, Henry Adam, R. N. who fell overboard the Blake, as she was sailing into Port Mahon, in 1812, and was drowned. His Grace was distinguished early in life by a duel with His Royal Highness the Duke of York. He was of an open, candid, generous temper, and of plain and unaffected manners, qualities which were particularly conspicuous in Ireland, when Viceroy of that country.

His Grace is succeeded in the Peerage his eldest son Charles, Earl of March, now Duke of Richmond. This young Nobleman in the army, has seen much active service under the personal auspices of the illustrious Wellington, being one of his Grace's Aides-de-camp, and was one of the Representatives in Parliament for the City of Chichester, which seat, of course, becomes vacant. He was lately married to the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Anglesea, and has issue, a Son, now Earl of March.

The following is extracted from the Quebec papers:

"Quebec, Thursday, Sept. 2. "This Province has again been visited by one of those afflicting dispensations of Providence, which by separating by the hand of death, the ruler from the people, covers whole communities with mourning.

"An express arrived here yesterday morning from Montreal, with the afflicting intelligence chief that his Grace the Duke of Richmond, Governor in Chief of these Provinces, had died on his way from Kingston to Montreal, at the moment that he was hourly expected to join his family there, from which he had separated in good health at Kingston, one the 20th, to complete by visiting the new Settlements, the long and arduous journey in which he has been engaged.

This melancholy and utterly unexpected intelligence, spread with the greatest rapidity, and impressed a deep gloom throughout the city. The flag on the citadel, and on all the vessels in the port, was hoisted half-mast, exhibiting every where the signals of public mourning.

"His Grace's body, immediately after his death, was conveyed to Montreal. It reached this city last evening in the steam-boat Malsham, and was removed this forenoon to the Castle, with the usual military honours, and followed by his Grace's Staff, the principal Civil and Military Officers in the City and Garrison, and a great concourse of mourning inhabitants."

September 5. "His Grace's remains were conveyed from Montreal to Quebec, in a steam-boat. At ten o'clock, one the morning of the 2d of Sept. they were removed from the vessel, and placed upon a hearse upon the King's Wharf at Quebec, from whence it was conveyed to the Chateau of St. Louis, where they lay in state until four o'clock on Saturday the 4th September, when they were removed to the place of internment in the Cathedral Church at Quebec.

"On the corpse being brought out, the collar and insignia of the Order of the Garter, with his Grace's military and other appointments being placed on the coffin, the whole of the troops presented arms. On its being placed on the hearse, the troops rested on their arms reversed.

"The procession then moved forward. It was composed of all the principals persons attached to the public, military and civil departments.

"The military band filed off at the door of the Cathedral Church-yard and conducted it up the centre aisle, when it was played on a platform, the mourners remaining by the body. A signal was then given, when the body was deposited -- 15 guns being fired."

Extract of a letter, dated Quebec, Sept 5 :--" When I wrote the first side, I did not expect so soon to communicate the melancholy event of the death of our Governor, the Duke of Richmond, who was attacked on his route from Upper Canada, with symptoms of hydrophobia, which terminated his mortal career at six miles from the settlement of Richmond. He was perfectly sensible of his situation, and gave himself up from the first spasm which attacked : it was occasioned by a bite of a tame fox at Sorel, on his way to Upper Canada, about three months since. His death, at this juncture, is looked on as very unfortuante for this country, as he possessed the entire confidence of Government, and was about completing a plan of defence for the Canadas, which, when executed, would establish a water communication with our extreme points, perfectly free from interruption, in case of a war with the States."

We are happy to learn, further, that no part of his Grace's family was so dangerously ill, as was at first reported. They are only in that situation which might be expected, from so severe an affliction.

Colonel Wilson had succeeded the late Duke of Richmond as Governor-General of both Canadas, being the senior Officer on that station.

Sir Charles Saxton, and Major M'Leod, Aides-deCamp to his Grace the Duke of Richmond, have gone to Lake Winnipeg, clothed with special powers, to investigate the causes of the unhappy dissentions which are said to have been lately renewed in that quarter between the North West and Hudson's Bay Company. By the new act, regulating the commercial intercourse between the province of Upper Canada and the United States, the duties on the importation of manufactures and provisions from the States are considerably reduced on [?] of the enumerated articles, although on nails, snuff, manufactured tobacco, and spirits, they are riased. The ad-valorem[?]  duty is reduced from 10 to 5 per cent.

Buffalo, Aug. 4. On Friday, came[?] on before the Court of King's Beach, at Niagara, the trial of Robert Gourlay, Esq. for a misdemeanour, in not obeying the orders of the Magistrates at Niagara, in December last. Mr Gourlay was found guilty, and banished the province.

From the Quebec Gazette of 26th August: This morning, about 9 o'clock, Lieut. Birch, of the royal navy, put a period to his existence by shooting himself through the head. We are informed that Mr Birch had for sometime previous to his death laboured under a melancholy state of mind. An amiable[?] wife and one child are the survivors[?] of this awful [?] The Annual Report of the Agricultural Society of Quebec has been published from which it is evident that a laudable spirit of enterprise has been awakened in that important country. The Committee, who, in the execution of their functions travelled through the greater part of Lower Canada, conclude their Report by putting on record a testimony they justly conceive to be honourable to the character of the inhabitants of the country through which they passed. Although many hundreds of persons from all parts of their respective Counties attended the Agricultural Meetings, which were frequently of four or five hours duration, there did not occur at any of them a single instance of intoxication, disorderly conduct or personal altercation.

The Grand Jury at Nassau, New Providence, have brought in a bill against Sir Gregor M'Gregor, charging him with aiding and abetting piracy, by issuing commissions in the Bahamas, to subjects of Power in unity[?] with Spain.

A letter from Sierra Leone, dated the 9th of March says--" It is with the deepest regret I inform you that, notwithstanding the liberality of Great Britain, and the faith of Treaties, the coasts swarms with slave vessels, dragging thousnads of its miserable inhabitants into endless captivity. A few days ago arrived here the Union, of Liverpool : the Supercargo states, that during his stay in the river Calabia, not less than eight vessels, averaging 500 slaves each, had sailed for the Spanish Colonies."

We have received Gibraltar Chronicles  to the 10th ult. from which we learn that, in consequence of the rapid increase of the fever at the Isle de Leon, his Excellency Governor Don had issued a Proclamation on the 2d ult. announcing that all communications with Spain (except through the customary process of quatine) would close at sun-set on the following evening. Notice was also given to such of the labouring classes as had not passed the fever, that they would be provided with tents and encamped on the neutral ground for their better security against infection should it unhappily appears in the fortress. They would not be suffered to proceed to town, and follow their callings, during the day, but heir return to the encampment at night was peremptorily enjoined.

We are happy to learn, however, by the latest advices from the British fortress, that the garrison and inhabitants were not at all infected with the disease.

