Star. — London, England, 1811-02-14 00:00:00

! larch as an exiled private gentleman into Out cot il. try for refuge, and had admitted Bernadotte into her confidence, not by interest, not by threats, not by o pposing armies, but by her own free and volun tary consent. This was, or ought to be to us, a striking .example how impotent were our hopes that the enmity of every people over which France ruled V 35 excited by her tyranny; it ought to show us also low impotent were our efforts to check the power of France upon the Continent. A few years ago, if' we bad been told that the time was coming when a vas sal, a General, nay a favourite of France, would be in troduced into the succession at Sweden, not a man in the country but would have exclaimed gg The brave Swedes would rise to a man in opposition." Yet now we saw the French General actually in the country, and with every prospect of an immediate succession to the Throne. We might strain as we chose to save the hostile crown of Russia. The throne of our old ally, our attached friend, our subsidized Sweden, was lost for ever ! (Hear, hear!) Let ministers look to this event—it was an awful and a striking lesson to us, though the speech thought proper to abstain from no. ticine it. If the Gentleman, who, in his maiden speech, had seconded the address with such ability, considered this, could be have hazarded the rash and 111-advised assertion, that we should not expect ea ce—not only until we diminished the r e s ou r ces of F ra nce, but until we had actually made her abate of her pretensions ? If this sentiment was once adopted, Good Gon, what a prospect had England before her ! He might be told, perhaps, as some were told last night, who seemed to shudder at tie fiaancial misfortunes which hung . over us, that his plebeian apprehensions at the diminution of our commerce ougia to be repressed. But the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite knew well the dan gers of our situation ; he knew well bow critical was the state of our revenues, and he must know also, amidst all his vaunts about our prosperity and our wealth, that if the present lavish expenditure in Spain and Portugal was continued, he too must begin to feel those degrading plebeian apprehensions. Taking these things into his consideration, he confessed he had very little idea of pledging himself to any sanguine view as to the result of our expedition. So far from it, there was a certain point beyond which, in case no-j thing was achieved, he would never consent that our subsidies should be squandered or our resources ex hausted. There was another subject in thespeech which had been totally omitted, a subject of the most vital importance, and to which every attention ought to be turned—economy. It was the more imperative amidst the distresses of our mercantile interests; distresses which were the consequence of our system, and the result of a desperate but perhaps necessary specula tion : distresses, as we acted now, unavoidably occa sioned by our internal system of commercial finance. These distresses might appear trifling or plebeian to some; but those must feel and complain of their ef fects who were suffering under them. Last night congratulations were offered to us on the flourishing acquisition to our colonies. There was then, perhaps, little room for such congratulation ; and, indeed, in his mind, this day's intelligence had brought us by far the most cheering topic of satisfaction on that subject. As to all our former conquests, they were comparatively of little interest, except, indeed, our momentary distress might be in some degree derived from the Unles s of th s colonial was e commodities wehad n our mar kets. li i ttleound for congratulation ; and cheerless, indeed, was the con solation supplied to us by the idea that our enemy participated in our calamities ; little comfort could our bankrupt merchants feel from the reflection, that the French trade had also been impoverished. He had now given his sentiments briefly, as to the omis sions and errors in the speech. He had done so, per fectly uninfluenced by the appeal which had been last night made to them for unanimity. Such an appeal he regarded as all other similar appeals, and should li give it similar attention. it appeared to him to say nothing more or less than simply this:—" You have been wrong : do not oppose in future what I choose to support; give up your opinion, and adopt mine." Now, as he had supposed that he was hitherto acting right—as he saw nothing whatever in which he was proved to be erroneous, nor felt any thing like a con viction that his antagonists were superior, he should at once say, that white the same system which he had before thought fit to condemn was continued, he should continue without reserve, relaxation, or loss of time, the same systematic, undeviating opposition. — (Hear, Near.) He should now conclude ; and vary happy lie felt that he had disburthened his mind, lest he should hereafter, as had been often the case before, lf* taunted with having given his concurrence to mea sures to which he felt a most decided repugnance. Tile CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had very little idea when the Hon. Gentleman got up, and said he agreed wiabevery thing which his Right Eon. Friend aid last night, he would conclude by declaring his determination to open a decided and systematic opposition. His (Mr. Whitbread's) Right lion. Friend had expressed a wish for unanimitty ; and when the Hon. Gentleman rose, he pretended to acquiesce in hiisentiments—How ?--By exciting per- I petnal division ! Hear, Hear.) He had no wish now to excite a debate ; but there were some topics in the speech of the Honourable Gentleman to which he could not avoid adverting. He had said, that his great object in rising was to guard. himself from givintg his 'probation to the campaign in Portugal. Now, for his part, if there was one point more than another in the Address on which he desired not to anticipate approbation, it was this very one. The time would soon come, when it should be brought fully under discussion, and he then had very little anxi ety as to the event. He could not avoid expressing his amazement, that the Hon. Gentleman should think roper to charge Lord Wellington with having held out hopes to the country as to the result of his cam paign. Now, if in the dispatches of that Noble Lord there was one leading characteristic feature, it was that of modesty. There was no vain or vaunting l 'Pe about what was to he done, but there was a r3ill, simple statement of what had been done. He 0, it was trues disappointed the enemy; but he had 110 t disappointed one rational hope which any man in this country might to entertain. (Near.) Was the Hon. Gender:lan himself disappointed? He, who had last ssion so arduously wished that every English soldier Spain was out of it in safety. Would lie wish so now? ( Hearivar.) Would he seriously wish that the Pe ninsula had been surretedered without a struggle ? What ! after tlae promisee of the French ; their vaflnt ;no and their eforts had bees made fruitless, would he desire that British troops should have no part in their frustration (Rear, hear, hear.) It would be presumptuous in him to say, that he, with certainty, anticipated success; but when he considered the bra very of the troops, and the comparative skill of the opposed Commanders, he would say that he had little apprehension of defeat. He would not say that more might not have been done; but he thought we were bound to do justice to the Spanish nation, and to acknowledge that, under all the various dis tressing circumstances with which they had been sur rounded, they had certainly given several very bril liant proofs of the warmest patriotism, the most he roic valour, and determined spirit. The advantages we had gained by our assistance of that brave and oppressed people were certainly by no means unim portant ; for if we were even to consider the posses- ' sion of Cadiz and Lisboa, these were places from which, if we contemplated the prospect of an attack upon our own shores, the French Ruler could proceed against us with greater and more speedy effect than from any other. Another reason which appeared to him still more forcible than all the rest was, that, sup posing Spain to be conquered to-morrow, such would be her situation, and such at the same time her ani mosity to the French and her attachment to this coun try, that she would even be a less fearful instrument in the hands of France than she would have been if she had never passed out of the hands of her old Go- I vernment. He then adverted to what had fallen from 1 the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last respecting the ' 'revenue, and insisted that what was said of it in the speech was substantially and strictly correct ; and so far from there being any reason:to apprehend any di- I minution in the means of carrying on the struggle, the I revenue of the last year exceeded, by between three and four millions, that of the year preceding ; that is, I on the sth of January, 1811, there was that amount of excess more than on that day in the year 1810.— " But, then, (said the Hon. Gentleman) it has been allowed in the speech, that the commerce of the coun try had been greatly affected." There was no doubt that a very great impression had been made on our commerce, which might in a certain degree have af fected the revenue ; but whatever might be that im pression, it was not such as to prevent the revenue of last year from being infinitely greater than it had been at any other period. He begged-to be understood, that the account of the revenue was that of a whole year ; and though someone quarter in that year might not even equal the corresponding quarter in the year antecedent, or any other year, yet such was the whole amount. The Hon. Gentleman had, among other topics, adverted to America ; and in so doing, had expressed his satisfaction that there was at last a spirit of conciliation beginning to dawn in his Majesty's Ministers. The Hon. Gentleman was unfounded in indulging the supposition that a spirit of conciliation had not existed in the breasts of the present Ministers till this moment : such a spirit had always subsisted with them from the time they came into office ; and when the Regent said he hoped that terms of concilia tion would take place, he said no more than had always been the wish of Ministers, it such conciliation could have been effected consonant with the true interests of this country ; but he confessed he should not be ambi bitious of acceding to any terms of conciliation by a sa crifice of our maritime rifhts, which he thought would be too dear a purchase. l'he Hon. Gentleman had la mented that no part of the speech alluded to a hope of Peace. If, in the present situation of affairsbetweea this country and France, there had been the most distant prospect that such an event could take place, he was certain there were no persons in or out of that House, who would have been more happy to have mentioned it than himself acrd those with whom he acted; but situat ed as the twocountries atthis moment were, when there was not the slightest gleam of likelihood that any of fers made by us could tend to further such a design ; it would only be holding out hopes, without any chance 'whatever of those hopes being realized. He would only ask the Honourable Gentleman to reflect on what were the pretensions and boasts of France; and when he did so, he must recollect they were no less than the destruction of this country ; and such being the case, it must be entirely idle and nugatory', to expect that any thing on that head could be de sirably effected at present. The next omission that the Hon. Gentleman had found fault with was, that Sweden had not been at all noticed in the speech.— Considering the relations in which this country had so lately stood with Sweden, it might perhaps have been supposed by many persons, as well as by the Hon. Gentleman, that Sweden would have been noticed ; but he (Mr. Perceval)- did not conceive it to be a topic which should, under present circum stances, have made a part of the speech ; and be thought forbearance towards Sweden, notwithstand ing the war she had been induced to declare against us, should be the conduct we ought to adopt and pursue. The next complaint of the Honourable Gen tleman was the omission to mention Ireland, only so far as regarded the failure of the revenue there. Wish respect to that circumstance, when speaking on the subject of the increase of the revenue, it was im possible to avoid mentioning that part in which alone it had failed ; and as to any other matters, it did not appear to him to be necessary to make them a part of the speech. It had by some Gentlemen been held, that Ministers meant to insult that country, and actually laughed at the Members from that part of the United Kingdom. He expressed his surprise that any one should imagine Ministers such drivel lers and idiots, as to be capable of such conduct. — Except in some few instances, where accidental mistakes had given rise to a general laugh and pleasantry in the whole House, he denied that Mi nisters had ever been in the habit of laughing at them, or of encouraging any one to do so. That portion if the United Kingdom, he allowed to be a most important one ; but that the views of Ministers with respect to it should differ from those of the Ho nourable Gentleman and others on that side of the House, was a matter no more to be wondered at than their difference on other subjects. An Honourable Gentleman in the commencement of the debate had said the Regent ought to look for his councils to any other source which possessed a greater share of the confidence of the public. He (Mr. Perceval) would be glad to know where the Regent was to meet with them ? He, with warmth, insisted that no persons in the country' possessed more of the confidence of the people than these whom the Prince Regan had chosen forhis servants, and lie would challenge any Hon. Mem ber on that subject. Hehad not the :Lightest idea shathe should have been ectilpelkd to mkt OM toy of the topics he had just all uded to I at, however, no amend - - melt had been proposed to the Address, and as it had been recommended that acrimony should be abstain ed from, he begged pardon of the House if be had expressed himself t.varmly in consequence of the pro vocation which had been offbred. Sir J. NEWPORT said, that when he came to look at the real s'tilation of Ireland, and to contem plate the very itittitficient force of regular troops to keep the peace of the country, he spoke the senti ments of numbers of Gentlemen who always acted with the Right HonourableGentleman just sat down, when ho expressed that there was serious cause of ap prehension and alarm from the present unsettled state of the countty. The Right Honourable Gentleman and his colleagues in ()Kee had shewn great inatten tion to the interests of Ireland. Mr. PONSONBY said, that the Right Honourable Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had appeared somewhat to misunderstand him when he expressed the reluctance he should feel to opposing the measures of the Regent's Government. Although he confessed that he would feel reluctance in opposing what could fairly be considered as the measures of the Regent's Government, he could not so far forget his duty as a Member of Parliament, as to give any thing like a pledge that he would not oppose any acts of the Regent's Ministers, which he might feel it his duty to oppose. On the question being then put for bringing up the Report, Mr. WHITBREAD said, he wished to take that opportunity of calling the attention of the House, to the circumstance which had been stated last night by an Hon. Baronet (Sir Francis Burdett.) It was with utter surprize and astonishment, that he heard it stated by the Under Secretary of State that he was unable so satisfy the House, respecting the cause of a man having been long confined in Coldbathfields Prison. It appeared that a person had been confined there since 1809, and yet, after 24 hours notice, no body could tell why he had been imprisoned. This appeared to him a mostmonstrous thing. He thought that there should be such records of the warrant, and canses of imprisonment, that any gaoler should be able in less than five minutes to answer why any par. ticular person had been sent to his prison. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. replied, that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Peele) had bees misunderstood. He had net stated that lie was una ble to give any account of the reason of this impri• sonment, but merely that he was not then prepared. to lay before the House such a report as could be sa t isfa ctor y. Mr. WHITBREAD said, that this was precisely the thing of which he complained. Ha thought it a most serious evil, that in this country a man could remain for a long time in prison, neglected and for gotten, and that there should be any difficulty in im mediately finding out the reason of this imprisonment. Mr. YORKE said, that the statement of the Hon. Baronet (Sir F. Burdett) had been so incorrect and loose, that even the name of this prisoner was not mentioned. This circumstance might make it some what more difficult to ascertain the nature of the war rant under which he was committed. It was, therefore, not extraordinary that the Under Secretary should wish for a little more time before he was prepared to give the House sufficient information on the subject. As far as he was concerned, he would state to the House all the information which he had been able to procure. The person alluded to had been sent over to this country by Lord George Stuart ; and, with out attempting to state to the 1-louse the nature of the information which was given against him, he would state generally that he was charged with being a Spy. After he had landed at Yarmouth, he was imprisoned by virtue of a warrant from Lord Liver pool, then Secretary of the Home Department.— Although he was not prepared to say more, he made no doubt but that satisfactory reasons could be given for his imprisonment. Mr. WHITBREAD said. that it certainly was not his wish to stop the Report, but he was driven to the necessity of making those observations at the present time, as he did not see how he could otherwise regu larly introduce them. The Right. Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Yerke) who had spoken last had certainly given them more information than they had before received] upon the subject; but notwithstanding what had been said on changes in the different departments, he could not conceive that it was possible that Mr. Secretary Ryder should experience any difficulty in finding a warrant of Lord Liverpool, his immediate predecessor in that office. Was there no record or register in the{ office of proceedings of this nature ? Was it possible that, in the different changes of Ministers which took place in this country, a man might lie a long time immured in a prison and the cause of his imprisonment be forgotten? As to the name of this man (Colville) the Honourable Baronet (Sir Francis Burdett) had not been so incorrect as had been stated. He pre tended to no other information than newspaper state ment, and yet any person who had enquired at the prison for a man of that name, would have been told, that there was such a prisoner ; but if he had asked for what offence he had been imprisoned ? the gaoler would have answered, that he could not tell. He was extremely glad that the Hon. Baronet had mentioned this subject, and he thought it did great credit to his humanity. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER repeated, that he had not said that his Hon. Friend was incompetent ao give the House satisfaction upon the subject ; but caution was necessary. Mr. MADDOCKS thought the Hon. Baronet was entitled to great praise for bringing the matter for ward. It would be a most monstrous thing that per sons should be liable to imprisonments of this nature, without any ascertained charge against them. The Report was then read and agreed to. IRISH AFFAIRS. Mr. PARNELL moved for various accounts re lative to Ireland, which were ordered. Adjourned. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK 3 per Ceot. Cnns. money, 6.sP—acc. 65f Reduced 461-4 per Cent. 831 f s per Cent. Navy 97f 93—Exch. Bills 41. 6s. pmts. Bonds, 28s. 375. prem. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY: 3 per Cent. Red. 66f 66 India Bonds 117 s. 46s pre. S per Cent. Coas. 6:411 Exc. Pals 41. 6s. prem. 4 per Cent.. 83f Hi 83 Omninnt 6 per Cent. Navy 9$ 971 PS State Lottery Tlckets £9l, ill. Less Assn. v•-• Cons. fat acc.6s*l THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. THURSDAY, FEI3I2tAIIY 14: de Wtt!DSOR CASTLE, TESEUAIIiT IS. . 1 His MAJESTY gees on very favourably. (Signed) " M. SAILLIS. W. HEGERDES. R. WfLr.rl. 9 " WINDSOE-CASILS, FEBRUARY 14. " His MAJESTY remains as well to-day as lin wan yesterd,iy." (Signed as usual.) Yesterday the QUEEN held her first Council tinder the Regency A.:t. 'I he Members were accordingly. summoned to Attend her MAJESTY at N'trindsot, and they left town yesterday morning early for that pur a pose, and arrived at Windsor Castle about twelve o'clock. It was understood that they first had a con., sultatioti with the Physicians attending the KING, and that some of the Members saw his MAJESTY& The Council broke up at half past two o'clock. Immediately on the PRINCE REGENT'S arrival at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, he waited upon her MA JESTY and the PRINCESSES; and soon afterwards the 'Km's Physicians in waiting were introduced to his Royal Highness, with whom he conversed for a con siderable time. The Rscsarr's arrival being notified to the Kiso, his MAJESTY expressed an earnest desire to see him in his apartments, which immediately took place. The interview, however affecting in the first instance, is understood to have terminated in a man ner highly gratifying to both of the Illustrious Per.. sonages. The PRINCE remained with the KING alone for nearly two hours, and retired from this interesting conference with the strongest hope and expectation of his MAJory's speedy convalescence. The MENELAUS frigate has arrived at Plymouth with dispatches from the Isle of France, containing the details of the military operations against that Settlement. Captain ROWLEY, who so ably conductcd the naval operations, is a passenger on board the MENELAUS. The naval details came by the ACTEON. Viscount NEVILLE has been appointed to the Boa. dices frigate, in the place of Captain ROWLEY, who has brought the dispatches from the Isle of France. A Lisbon Mail arrived thit morning, but t'Ac it% telligence it brings presents little novelty ; the papers not being of a later date than the 3d inst. The Spa nish Papers are filled with accounts of insurrections throughout France, on which we cannot place cit confidence—the late disturbances in the Valais seem to have formed the .ground-work of the Spanish articles. The reinforcements for Lisbon are still detained at Portsmouth, .Torbay, and Plymouth, by contrary winds. Wednesday se'nnight the Shropshire Main relieved the North Devon, in the duty of the prison ships at Portsmouth. _ ..... The dispatches from Lord WaLLINOTOW received yesterday state, that the French have crossed the Guadiana, and are in possession of the fertile pro. vince of Alentejo. One regiment had arrived from Sicily to join our army. In other respects it remained in the same positions ; but it was thought that Mar. shal &REWORD would be forced to recross the Tagus, as be had not a force sufficient to resist the numbers by which he was likely to be attacked. Advices from the Havannah were received yester. day, of the date of the 22d December. Tranquillity has been restored to the kingdom of Mexico, and the insurrection has been wholly suppressed. FALMOUTH, FEB. 11. Arrived the Walslngham packet, with a mail from Lisboa Ita II days, but brims nip new, of importance ; FTLI.A sloop of Lisboa from a cruise. TORBAY, FEB. 12. StM remain the whale of the Beets as per last. The wind is now getting round to the Northward, and I trust I shall have to inform, you to-morrow of their being gone. PLYMOUTH, FEBRUARY If. The Lisbon and Mediterranean fleets still remain wind-bound here and in Torbay.—Arrivod Tarantula privateer, from a cruize ; the Danish galliot Four Sisters, from Zante and Mains, with a cargo of wine and fruit, driven in herewith the 10-s of het bowsprit and two anchors; and the brig Orb, of Scarborough, from Gibraltar anti Malta, bound to London, but driven in hoes through stress of weather.—Sailed the Favouarre sloop of war * for Portsmouth ; \Vida La schooner, for Torbay; and the Dove, Cairn, for Bristol. The vessel which Intentioned In my letter of Sa,urday, as being wrecked in Whitsand Bay, was the Daniels brig Friede, of Altana, Hansen master: she was from Gallipoli and Gibraltar, bound to London, with a cargo of oil. Two pas. sengers and one of her crew were drowned. Upwards of 10D sail, with cavalry and infantry reinforcements, are lying here waiting for a fair wind to proceed to Lisbon ; and Sir /ones Yoacs, with a number of line of battle ships, containing five regiments of infantry, is in Torbay wind•bound. Sir J. Yorke, with the -tassels now in Torbay, appeared off , this port on Sunday morning, but the wind blowing fresh front the S. W. obliged him again to return. Dahl" FEBRUARY is. Arrived the Governor Dowdswell, Captain CLiVELIIIIIII, front the South Seas and St. Helena ; left the latter 18th December, in couipany with the ratite East-Indiamsn, and Argo, Hannah,and Thames, South seamen; the latter vessel has arrived in the Downs—left at Sr. Helena the ledge Lea and Allitiel.—Arrived, the Effort from Cumcua, charged with dispatches from the Go* 'owner of that island, which are forwarded to London.—Wind W.N.W. and squally. SHEERNESS, FEBRUARY IS. The LY NI went into harbour. A fleet of Streightsmen to stand. • gate Creek. Exacurtow.—Monday last, a marine. of the name of John Home, was executed on board the Namu at the Nore, for a detestable offence; at a quarter past eleven the signal gun was fired, and he was im mediately run up to the yard-arm. He was a remarka ble good-looking young man, about 24 years of age. A few minutes previous to his being launched into e .unity, be delivered in a written paper asserting his innocence. To-Ntontow the State tottery will begin and finish. Ile Scheme is highly approved of. Tickets and Shares , we Be las great variety of numbers, and considerably cheaper than tor NO Vend Lotteries past. Hl:mussy and Co. oolitie she *owe the Public on tae present oessaiss, at their old-estabiieletikpie lottery Oilleee, se, CornhM, sad Se. Marprses Hill s where all Primes ale paid Oa ikon& • •