Star. — London, England, 1811-08-12 00:00:00

in AFFAIRS OP IRALAND, We are concerned to,state that the Roman eathb -I,c question seems hastening to a crisis, which pin ,i,,nce must deprecate as ill timed, at the present mo nient, when his MAJESTY, to whose paternal reign his Catholic subjects owe so many obligations, is debarred by an afflicting malady from interfering with the afs fairs of Government. The question between Government and the Catho lic Committee or Convention must, in some shape or other, come to an issue before many days pass over ; for we learn, by private letters received this morning from Dublin, that five of the Delegates were arrested on Friday last, the 9th inst. and held to bail. Some of our letters state that one of them has refused to f ive in bail, but we are not certain of the fact. '!'be Gentlemen arrested are—Doctors SHERIDAN', BURK E, and BREEN, and Messrs. TAAFE and KIRWAN. The STAR has always been favourable to Catholic emancipation as well as to rational liberty generally, in the proper sense of that term ; but we cannot but deprecate the spirit by which some of the Catholics seem to be actuated at the present moment. When t h e Government is embarrassed by so many unfore seen contingencies, arising out of the indisposition of cur beloved Monarch, is this a fit moment to urge a question which, at any time, must require cool deli beration, unrestrained discussion, and unawed deci sion ? We cannot but think it reprehensible in the Catholics to persist its appointing delegates and as sembling in such questionable numbers in the teeth of Proclamation. Will it be denied by any reasonable Yvan that the actual business of a petition could be carried on without a convention of six or seven hun dred persons ? The very different line which they have chosen to follow certainly called upon the Go vernment to interfere for the maintenance of public order, and justifies the precautions which it has tdoptrd. It appears from the Dublin Evening Post that the Catholics of the City and County of Kilkenny assem bled on Tuesday, and passed certain Resolutions, ex pressive of their determination to petition the Legis lature for an abolition of the restraints laid upon them in consequence of their religion. Six Protestant Ma gistrates are said to have been present at this Meeting, and to have expressed their approbation of the measure. The Catholics of Cork, Tipperary, and Limerick, Save come to similar resolutions. The requisitions for the above meetings were issued, in some instances, within half an hour after the receipt of the Proclamation of the Irish Government. From the Llndonderry Journal of Tuesday last.— "'The question between Government and the Catho lic Committee is likely to come at length to an issue. A Proclamation was issued by the Lord Lieutenant and Privy CJuncil, on the 30th ult. and forwarded to the different Magistrates throughout the Country, comm.maing them to put the Convention Act in force, and prevent meetings for the purpose of choos ing Delegates. In the present awful and melancholy moment, when the Hand of the ALMIGHTY is laid so heavy on their afflicted Sovereign, to whose mild and beneficent reign they owe all the liberties they now enjoy, we cannot help saying, that it would be more decorous in our Catholic Fellow-Subjects to have sus pended their proceedings, and not add to the already agitated state of the public feelings. We would put it to them whether they think such conduct, at the present moment, can make a favourable impression npon the dignified and feeling mind of the Flair Ap parent, and whether it can tend to their advantage, to let public clamour break in upon those moments which are allowed to the suffering of his Royal and •tMicted Parent." From the DullinCorrestondent of Friday last.—" This morning Messrs. TAAFFE and lillawAN were arrested tinder a warrant from Lord Chief Justice Dowsas, fer acting as Delegates ; and Mr. SCURLOG, Doctors RE EN and BOURKE, f►r acting as Electors of Dele gates to the Catholic Committee, were also arrested, and the whole of these Gentlemen were brought in custody to the house of the Lord Chief Justice, in Merrion-square, where they respectively gave bail to stand their trial for the alledged offence ; these pro ceedings have occasioned a very great ensations in town, and it is said, a Privy Council will be assem bled to-morrow.—We understand there are several warrants issued against other persons, who are not yet in custody, for similar alleged offences." From the Freeman's Journal. —. 1 This morning the following Gentlemen who were lately elected Dele gates to represent their Roman Catholic Brethren, were arrested and held to bail before Judge Dowses : GREGORY SCURLOO, Dr. BREEN, Dr. BURKE, Mr. 11:1RIY.101, and Mr. TAA FEE." From the Dublin Evening Post of Friday last E PnoCLAMATIOW.—•The general report through out Dublin at the present moment is, that Govern ment had resolved to act under the Proclamation, and that several arrests would take place in the course of this evening, or early to-morrow. That such a ru mour has had its source in the Castle we know, but that WILLIAM WELLESLEY POLE could think of car rying his temerity to a length so much to be depre cated, is what we can scarcely believe. What can be the object of a measure in every point of •iew un constitutional ? Is it to intimidate the people ? Is it to prevent their laying a statement of their grievances at the foot of the Throne or before Parliament Is it to render the Wlll de& Secretary sltperiet to the Constitution and the law ? Is it to make the chain of political exclusion and provincial servitude doubly galling ? Is it to add insult to the injuries of an en slaved people, by throwing the Catholic Peer and Country Gentleman into the polluted arms of a Bai liff, or amidst the poisonous exhalations of a Dun geon ? Is it to render the PRINCE unpopular with a People who reverence him, and who look up to him as their only hope in this dark night of intolerance and persecution ? Is it to unnerve the Independent Press of the Country—that grand engine of Liberty, the scourge of the oppressor, and the castigator of every petulant, rash, narrow-minded, intolerant little creature in office ? Should any, or all of these things be contemplated by the Irish Secretary, he will have to suffer all the acute feelings of disappointment. " The Catholics will not be intimidated either by arrest, fine, or imprisonment. The Press will conti nue in the bold language of the Constitution, to ad vocate the rights. of Ireland, and the PRINCE, inter posing between the oppressor and the oppressed, will retain his popularity, and ever reign in the hearts of the Irish People." Accounts from Gibraltar to the 25th ult. afford the gratifying information, « that an express had arrived there from Cadiz, announcing that the Minho man of war had arrived at the latter port, from Vera Cruz, with eight millions of dollars on board." This is the desirable supply which the Regency of Cadiz expec ted hourly to arrive, according to the letters from thence by the last mail. Thefullowing is an extract of one of our letters : " GIBRALTAR, JULY 9.5. " The packet-boat from Cadiz has just arrived, bringing ina formation that the Minho ship of war has come in front Ver' Cruz, with seven millions of dollars. The exchange, in conse qui.nce, has fallen to 41." This acquisition is very opportune, as the Spanish Executive Government was in so much distress for money, that they could not even supply the army with necessaries, much less pay up the arrears. According to BLAKE'S account, one-third of them was destitute of shoes, and although there was abundance of flour in the port, the Regency had no resources to purchase it of the Proprietors, for the maintenance of the forces. Mr. WELLESLEY, the British Minister, had advanced to the Spanish Government two millions of dollars, which, it is presumed, will now be returned, as nearly the whole of the seven millions is remitted on public account. Lord WELLINGTON, greatly to his honour, has de, dined the pension of 20,000 crusades (about £2,500, offered to him by the PRINCE REGENT of Poltroon.. In 1809, he declined the pay of a Captain General of Spain OE3OOO. a year), which was offered to him by the Central Junrl. That body also offered. him some horses, and the rank of Captain-General in the Army (not of a province, which is very different), and which is the same as a Marshal of France under the old re gime. These two offers Lord WELLINGTON accepted; but the horses were never sent to him. His Lordship, it is also said, has declined accepting the pay of a Marshal-General of Portugal, which amounts to more than £3,000 a-year. The arrears due to him on that account, it is added, are upwards of £2.0,000, which his Lordship refuses to receive. The convoy of about seventy sail, with 4,000 troops on board, which have been wind-bound since the 2d inst. at Falmouth, sailed on Friday, under convoy of the MERCURY, SPITFIRE, and JASPER, with a fine breeac from N.W. to N. for Lisbon, &c. The Ann packet sailed at the same time for Gibraltar and Malta. The Duke of Kent packet, Captain COTES WORTH, and the Coichester, Capt. ROGERS sailed from Falmouth on Saturday ; the former for Lisbon and the latter for Cadiz. The Ist Somereet Militia, with the exception of 16; have volunteered their services for Ireland, and been re-attested ; they are at present stationed at Plymouth garrison. General WALKER has arrived at Plymouth to em bark for Corunna : he was expected to sail yesterday in the UNICORN frigate. Sir R. CALDER, Port-Admiral at Plymouth, arri ved in town last week. The ROYAL OAK arrived nn Friday at St. Helen's. Captain PULTENEY NI/sm.:ol,m is appointed to her, in the roam of Lord AMELWS BEM:CLERK, promoted. The Melpomene, Captain FALCON, sailed from Portsmouth, on gaturday afternoon, with Generals LE MARCHANI and VANDELEUR for Portugal, hav ing under convoy the 3d or King's Own Dragoons, and 600 German troops, which embarked the prece ding week. Th.:. sailor has arrived in England who some time since saved the life of the Queen of PORTUGAL, by stopping the horses to the carriage which had run away. He has since been discharged the service, and is about to have a pension for his life from this Go vernment—the Queen of PORYUGAL hits also made him an allowance. NATIONAL 1)t sr.—An Account of the Reduction the National Debt, from the Ist of August, 1786, to the Ist of August, 1811 : Redeemed by the Sinking Fund Transferred by Land-tax redeemed - Ditto by Life Annuities purchased - Ditto of Ireland - - Ditto of Imperial Loan - Ditto •f Loan to Portugal .11811,345,C011 23,835,476 1,449,910 8,894,414 1,176,938 92,5'34 Total - - £111.5,293,354 The sum to be expended in the ensuing quarter is £2,880,149, 16s. 41 RANELAGIT, MILLBANIC.*TO-morrow, August 13, in honour of his Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT'S Birth-day, will be given a splendid Fete, and a superb Exhibition of Fireworks. On this occasion, the Gar dens will present a brilliant blaze of light with thou. sandsof variegated and other lamps, new devices,trans parencies, and decorations. To the entertainments of the evening will be added, a Grand Discharge of Sky and Water Rockets, on the River Thames : the brilliant Display of Fireworks in the Gardens will follow immediately after.—Doors open at Seven, and the Concert to begin at Bi g ht o'clock precisely.— Admission, 2s. 6d. tIIE tn./6, The reports froth Windsor since Thursday., !the been rather satisfactory. On that day it was under stood that his MAJESTY called for some refreshment, since which period he has voluntarily taken suste nance, and his bodily health is now In such a state that no apprehensions whatever are entertained of any immediate danger. The following are the last two Bulletins : " WINDSOR CASTLE, AUCI•i'l 11. " Ills l't/bursvr had several hours bleep in the night, ana is this morning much 3b he was yesterday. (Signed) " w. HEBERDEN, M. RAILLIE, R. WILLIb." " WIN DSOY. CASTLE, AUGUST 12. There is yet no alteration in his MAJESTY'S Synnoms (Signed) "U. lIALFOED. "M. liAILLIE. "R. WILLIS." , Rear-Admiral Hollowell (lately promoted) hoisted I his flag on board the Tfotta, at Spithead, on the Bth instant. The Belliqueur, of GI. guns, which came home last week as escort of the China fleet, brings intelli. gence that the Dutch, after having destroyed all the fortifications, had evacuated Batavia, and retired to Marrack, a strong position in the Straits of Sunda. Vice-Admiral Sir SAMUEL HOOD, K B. who is ap pointed Commander in Chief in the East Indies, will take his departure from Portsmouth in the OWEN OLENDovn frigate, Captain HODGSON. We announced last week the arrival of the Chif tonne frigate, as the precursor of the China fleet, since arrived safe in the River. After the Chiffonne returned to Bombay, from her successful exp,,dition to the Persian Gulf against the pirates, she sailed for China. On her return, when proceeding through the Straits of Malacca, she fell in with the wreck of the Dutch prize corvette Mandatine, which vessel had unfortunately grounded near Tree Island, and, the weather proving boisterous during the night, she bil ged and sunk. The crew were all saved except one Lascar. Lieutenant JEFFERIES, late of the Dover, I who commanded the Mandarine, was found clinging' to the bowsprit of the vessel in a situation of the most imminent peril whence he was rescued by the boats of the Chiffonne. Lieutenant GEoUGE CRICHTON, of that ship, is deserving of ' , articular commendation for his alacrity and presence of mind in the execution of this office of humanity. The Chiffonne landed the survivors at Penang. The Mandarine was taken at Amboyna, and was charged with Cap:. Twat:Ws dispatches to Admiral DACRY, of the capture of Ter nate. NAVAL I,4lrELLiditikt TiittVAY, AUoUsT 10. Last eVeriirit passed up Channel about forty sa i d Ot ships, under convoy of a fhgate, from the West Ind ess bound to London. A quantity of letters were !hi; day landed here from the King George, C l ain. C.IT• TER, and the Ann, Capt. Tnotir, two slily, bet-it:ling to the above fleet, which were by this Pus: forwArded to London and elsewhere. P. S. Since writing the above, some Gentlertrm have been landed here from the ali we wh, say they sailed in company with about 10j s ail. 'ney had 38 days passage. FALMOUTH, AUGUST 10. Sailed his Majesty's ship; MEncuttY. SriTstr.c, and JASPER, with the Pot: ugal ship ( :dicta 80 sail) under convoy, with a strong breeze at N.11.W. Also s a iled the Ann packet, for Gibraltar and Malta ; and toe Chichester packet for Cadiz. PLYMOUTH AUGUST 5. A French sloop and two chasse m.trees, with car goes, have arrived here, prizes to the DItYAD frigate ; and two French chasse-rnarees, laden with wine and brandy, prizes to the GOLDFINCH., The sloop Expe dition, Cor.usos master, of Britham, bound to Swan, sea, was lost off the Manacle rocks on Wednesday List, crew saved. On Sunday week, the boats of the FAVOURITE Sloop of war, drove several French ves sels on shore, is a bay between Alrevoe and the Isle of Bas. In my last I mentioned the sailing of tote ITAVAIta. NAII new frigate, for Basque Roads ; but she had , scarcely got round Rame Head, when she was re called by signal, it being discovered that She was not sufficiently ballasted. In fact, had she been exposed to a heavy gale, there would have been great danger of her capsizing. Seventy additiOnal tons of ballast have since been put on board her, and she nfw ap pears in very good trim. She had a very narrow escape from upsetting on Thursday evening. The wind having veered round to the Northward yester= day, and continuing a fine steady breeze, the SHAN. NON, HYACINTH, SERAPIR, and Coustnaasr, with the Mediterranean convoy that put in here yesterday se'nnight, got under weigh, and sailed at two o'clock. The wind has continued fair for them ever since.— Yesterday arrived the He tcoN brig of war, from a cruize. Sailed the Dos n wicA schooner, for Ports mouth ; and Eliza and Jane tender, f r Liverpool ; also, the Spaaish schooner Isabella Maria, Specula. Lion, BERRY ; and five transports, from Deptford. laden with barley, for Lisbon ; the Spanish vessels Sophia, Pots, and Fransquita, and several others.—. The Sylvia, recently arrived from Madras, sailed Arrived this dI y, the I;TELLIGENT gun-hrig, from on the 12th March. On her passage she touched at Guernsey. Sailed the Ann tender, for Bristol ; and the Cape. Admiral STe/PPORD, who was stationed the PHEASANT SlOOp of war, on a cruize. there, on hearing of the death of Admiral DRURY, , sailed for India, on the 26th of May, immediately in ' PORTSMOUTH, AUGUST 11. the Seipion, 74, Captain JOIINSTONE, to take the corn. ', Arrived his Majesty's ships GRASSHOPPER, from a mand. The Harpy, Captain BAINE, sailed the same cruize ; Eostostr, ii lAN, 013sROSI, and SPRIGHTLY, day with dispatches for the Isle of France. The from the Downs ; Thetis, Sally, lEolus, and Prince Hussar had touched at the Cape, and gone on to of Wales transports, with Militiamen from Diver fur Bombay. There were no men of war left at the Cape. Ireland. Sailed the Virtmata for off Chet burgh, Ott- The Sylvia left it oi, the 26th of May, and arrived at Laseto to the Eastward, and the Wevrant; ru for the St. Helena on the 12th of June, where she left the 1 Downs. The SAN Joszen is released from quarantine. Hamadryad, Sir THMAS STAINES, waiting the arri- DEAL, AUGUST U. val of any ships from India that might want convoy i Arrived yesterday his Majesty's ship BERWICK, from home. It was confidently stated at the Cape whilst off Flushing, and the TICKLER cutter from ditto.— the Sylvia was there, that the Staunch gun-vessel, Arrived his Majesty's ship GANYMERE, with a large Lieutenant CRAIG, had been lost off Madagascar, and fleet from the West-Indies ; some of them have sailed every soul perished. Lest this statement sltould reach for the River. Sailed his Majesty's ships Swat and this country, we conceive it proper to state, that the 'mt EGNABLE for Portsmouth.—Five o'Clock, several Chiffonne tell in with the Staunch, off the Isle of of the West-Indiamen remain, the wind being atN.W. France, in the greatest distress, and that she supplied he: with provisions and every thing necessary to ens-' SHEERNESS, AUGUST' 11. ble her to reach Port Louis, where she, no doubt, I Arrived the AGGRESSOR, from the Northward.— soon after arrived in safety. She had been a long , The homeward-bound fleet from the Baltic ate pass time from Madagascar, and, owing to severe weather, tug by the Nore up the river Thames, as are the her crew had experienced much hardship and many homeward-bound East India fleet, with a strong wind privations. i at North. General Sir SAMUEL ACIIMUTY, Commander-in- Thief of the Expedition to Java, embarked on the evening of the 12th of March, at Madras, on board the Achar frigate, Captain DRURY. The Leda, 36, Capt. SAYER; Bucephalus, 44, Capt. PELLY ; Bara couta, Capt. OWEN ; and Samarang (sloops), Capt. J. DRURY, sailed on the 17th of February with the first divi-ion of the troops, for the place of rendez vous. The last division was to sail on the 13th of March, with the Minden, 74, Capt. HOARE ; Caro line frigate, Capt. COLE ; and the Acbar. The Do ris, Capt. LYE ; and Phatton, Capt. F. B. R. PELLEW ; had sailed for Bombay ; whence they were to proceed, with the Clorinde, Capt. BRIGGS, with that part of the Expedition fitted out there, for the rendezvous. The Cornelia, Capt. EDGELL, had gone to Bengal to convey Lord MINTO, the Governor General, to Pe nang, where be would await the issue of the attack, and then sail for England in the Modeste frigate, the Hon. Capt. ELLIOTT. The naval part of the Expe tion would he commanded by Capt. W. R. BROUGH TON, of the Illustrious, who succeeded, pro tempore, to the command on the station. The Diomede, 30, Capt. HUGE! COOKE, was lying at Madras with seve ral lndiamen from Bengal ; she would sail with them and any others that might arrive, for England, in the beginnning of April. Major M'azata, of the 87th Regiment, and sm.' ral other Officers, came home in the Leopard, which arrived last week at Portsmouth, from Cadiz. She left there the Revenge, Admiral LEGGE, the Alfred, l Stately, St. Alban's, Druid, Devastation, Thunder, Etna, Hound, Desperate, and Hardy, with a flotilla of gun-boats, in two divisions, under the command of Captains CARROLL and THOMAS. Every thing was in a state of quietude. Admiral Sir CHARLES COTTON arrived on Friday night at Portsmouth in the San Josef, of 112 guns, from the Mediterranean. Sir CHARLES left the fleet off Toulon, under the command of Sir E. PELLEW, only three weeks since, and proceeded for England. The San Josef spoke the Dotterel], from Lisbon : she ' is trader quarantine. Capt. WEBLY, late of the Hi bernia ; Capt. VERNON, late First Lieutenant of the Implacable ; and Capt. BOWKER, lately actin in the 1 command of the San Josef, are passengers in her. By a new regulation, about to be adopted by the Board of Admiralty, gun brigs, armed vessels, schooners, ;utters, and all vessels carrying more than four guns, are in future to carry a master and Corn• mander, instead of being commanded by Lieutenants, as heretofore. Small craft, which do not carry more than four guns, are to be commanded by Lieutenants, :!a heretofore. YARMOIT CH, AUGUST 11. Yesterday morning arrived about 20 sail of the homeward-bound ships from the Balti. , under con voy of the SHELDRAKE sloop of war ; and in the after noon, the remainder passed here under convoy for the Westward ports, with strong breeze N.W. —Arrived the DESIREE frigate, 36 guns, Captain FARQUHAR. from a ctuize off the Texel ; and the BRITOSIART, Cap tain Hurl, from the Nore. Sailed this morning for the Downs, the SHELDRAKE, and the PoaTIA on $ cruize.—Friday evening about eleven o'clock, the brig Three Sisters, from Aberdeen bound to London with stone, struck on the Scrohy Sand ; the crew, con sisting of the master and four men, were compelled to take to the rigging for safety, where they remained till day-light, and were rescued from their perilous situa tion by a boat from the beach, which succeeded in bringing them all safe on shore ; the ship and cargo are a total loss, and only her topmast is to be seen out of the water; the crew had not time to save any of their cloaths.—Remain the Chanticleer,Vice-Admiral MURRAY, Havoc, and Hearty. DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE-MONEY. Osprey, for Fran Catharine and Die Hoffnung, on board; re. called at 22, Norfolk-street. Pandora, for le Chanter, the 17th inst. at 22, Norfolk•street, arid there recalled. Armada, for the Menem, on her arrival; recalled at 3, Brick.. court, Temple. Snake, far the Roland, at Sheerness, the 16th instant; recalled on Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 14, Clement's Inn. FROM LLOYD'S LIST. The Mariner, Frederick, Thorna4, and Margaret, from the Leeward Islands to Bristol, parted from the fleet about a fort. night ago. The Forth, Featherstone, from Hull to Rio Janeiro, was all well the 2.7 th of May, within three days sail of the latter port. . The Nancy, —, from Philadelphia to the West ladles, sprung a leak, at see, In June, and was deserted by the crew. Average Prig" of Corn in England and Wales from the rem= ending the sd of August, 1811. Wheat. Rye. Barley. Oats. /leans. Pease. I a. d. I a. 4. 1 s. d. I s. d. I a. d. 88 S 47 2 St 9 128 1 45 7f48 IC The average Price of Sugar, computed from the returns made to the week ending the 7th day nt August is S4s. Bd. per cwt. CORN EXCHANGE, ALIC:USF 12.—The arrivals of Wheat today make a tolerable supply ; the buyers numerous, and in request : sales early in the &Lex , ceeded last week's advance, but the trade dull afterwards—. Rye dearer--.3arley and Malt fully maintain their prices—as also White and Grey Peas—Beans of each kind in plenty, and at somewhat less—There are likewise tolerable supplies of Oats, and sales thereof rather , give way Ia price —Flour at a farther advance of es. per sack. ~~~.~