Star. — London, England, 1811-04-26 00:00:00

IIPP" LONDON GAZETTE EXTIMORDINARY. THURSDAt, APRIL 5. DOWNING STREET, APRIL SS. A DispatchAi which the following is a Copy, has been this inont ing received at Lord Liverpool's Office, addressed to his Lord ship by Lieutenant General Viscount Wellington, dated Villa- Fermosa, April 9. MY Loan—. When I last addressed your Lordship the enemy occupied the Upper Coa, having his right at Roviaa and guarding the ford of Rapoilla de Coi with a detachment at the bridge of Ferrerias, and his left at Sabugal, and the Bth corps was at Alloyates. The right of the British army was opposite Sabugal, and the left at the bridge of Ferrerias. The Militia under General Trant and Col. Wilson crossed the Coa below Almeida, in order to threaten the somMunication of that place with Ciudad Rodri go and the enemy's army. The rivet Coa is difficult of access throughout its course, and tl e position which the enemy had taken was very strong, and could be approached only by its left. The troops were therefore put in motion on the morning of the 3d, to turn the enemy's left above Sa bugal, and to force the passage of the bridge of that town ; with the exception of the 6th division, which remained opposite the 6th corps, which was at Ro vina t and one battalion of the 7th division, which observed the enemy's Detachment at the Bridge of Ferrerias. The 2d corps were in a strong position, with their right upon a height immediately above the Bridge and town of S ibugal, and their left extending along the road to Alfayates, to a height which commanded all the approaches to Sabugal from the fords of the Cot, above the town. The 2d corps communicated by Rendo, with the 6th corps at Rovina. . It was intended to turn the left of this corps, and with this view the Light Division and the cavalry, un.ler Major General Sir W. Erskine and Major Ge neral Slade, were to cross the Coa by two separate lords upon the right, the cavalry upon the right of the Light Division ; the 3d division, under Major- Genera Picton, at a ford on their left, about a mile above Sabugal ; and the sth division, under Major- General Dunlop ; and the Artillery, at the Bridge of Sabugal. Colonel Beckwith's Brigade of the Light Division were the first that crossed the Coa, with two squa drons of cavalry upon their right. Four companies of the 95th, and three companies of Colonel Elder's Cacadores, drove in the enemy's piquets, and were sup ported by the 43d regiment. At this moment a rain storm came on, which rendered it impossible to sec any thing ; and these troops having pushed on in pursuit of the enemy's piquets, came upon the left of their main body, which it had been intended they should turn. The light troops were driven back upon the 43d regiment, and as soon as the atmosphere became clear, the enemy having perceived that the body, which lrad advanced, were not strong, attacked them in a solid column, supported by cavalry and artillery. These troops repulsed this attack, and advanced in pursuit upon the enemy's position, where they were attacked by a fresh column on their left, and were charged by the Ist Hussars on their right. They re tired and took post behind a wall, from which post they again repulsed the enemy ; and advanced a se cond time in pursuit of them ; and took from them a howitzer. They were, however, again attacked by a fresh column with cavalry, and retired again to their post, where they were joined by the other brigade of the Light Division, consisting of the two Battalions of the 52d regiment, and the Ist Cayadores. These troops repulsed the enemy, and Colonel Beckwith's Brigade and the Ist battalion of the .52d regiment again advanced upon them. They were attacked again by a fresh column supported by cavalry, which charged their right, and they took post in an inclo. sure upon the top of the height, from whence they ; could protect the howitzer which the 43d had taken ; and they drove back the enemy. The enemy were making arrangements to attack them again in this post, and had moved a column on their left, when the light infantry of Major General Picton's division, under Lieutenant Colonel Williams, supported by the Hon. Major General Colville's bri gade, opened their fire upon them. At the same moment the head of Major General Dunlop's column crossed the Bridge of the Coa, and ascended the heights on the right flank of the enemy; and the cavalry appeared on the high ground in rear of the enemy's left, and the enemy retired across the hills towards Rendo, leaving the howitzer in the pos. ses,,ion of ;hose who had so gallantly gained and pre served it, and abouttwo hundred killed on the ground, and six Officers and three hundred prisoners in our hands. Although the operations of this day were, by una voi,lable accidents, not performed in the manner in wh:ch I intended-they should be, I consider the action • that was fought by the Light Division, by Colonel Br ckwith's Brigade principally, with the whole of the 2d c orps, to be one of the most glorious that British troops were ever engaged in. The 4.3 d regiment, under Major Patrickson, par. t cid irly distinguished themselves ; as did that part of the 95sh regiment in Colonel Beckwith's Brigade, under. the command of Major Gilmour, and Colonel Elder's Cacadores ; the Ist Battalion 52d regiment, unit r the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ross, like wise slimed great steadiness and gallantry, when they j Ailed Colonel Beckwith's Brigade. Thrrughout the action the troops derived great advantage from the assistance of two guns of Captain Bull's troop of horse artillery, which crossed at the ford with the Light Di. vision, and came up to their support. It was impossible fur any Officer to conduct him self with more ability And gallantry than Colonel Beckwith. The action was commenced by an una voidable accident to which all operations are liable ; but having been commenced, it would have been im possible to withdraw from the ground without risking the loss of the object of onr movements ; and it was ' desirable to obtain possession, if possible, of the top of the hill, from which the enemy had made so many at tacki with advantage, on the first position taken by 4Sd regiment. This was gained before the Sd division came up. I had also great reason to be satisfied with the con- PP li i I 1 1 Iffffr i _ r , - to duct of Catenaru Dmtta;o4,l commands the otn. brigade, 1n the light dividdri When the firing comsnenc‘d, the 6th corps broke up from their position at Rovina, and marched to wards Rendo. The two corps joined at that place, and continued their retreat to Alfayates, followed by our eavaley,.part of which was that night at Soito. The enemy continued their retreat that night and the next morning; and entered the Spanish frontier on the 4th. They have since continued their retreat, and yesterday the last of them crossed the Agueda. I have the honour to inclose the return of killed and wounded from the 18th of March. lam con cerned to have to report that Lieutenant-Colonel Wa ters was taken prisoner on the 3d, before the action commenced. He had crossed the Coa to reconnoitre the enemy's position, and he was surrounded with some hussars and taken. He had rendered very im portant services upon many occasions in the last two years; and his loss is sensibly felt. I sent six squadrons of cavalry, under Major-Gene ral Sir W. Erskine, on the 7th, towards Almeida, to reconnoitre that place, and drive in any parties which might be in that neighbourhood, and to cut off the communication between the garrison and the army. He found a division of the 9th corps at Jitnya, which he drove before him across the Turou and Duas Casas; and he took from them many prisoners. Captain Bull's troop of Horse-artillery did great execution upon this occasion. The enemy withdrew in the night across the Agueda. The allied army have taken up the position upon the Duas Casas, which Brigadier-General Crauftird occupied with his advanced guard in the latter part of the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo ; having our advanced posts upon Gallegos and upon the Agueda. The militia are at CiucoVillis and Malpartida. The enemy have no communication with the garrison of Almeida, from whence they have lately withdrawn the heavy artillery employed iii the summer in the sic of that place. My last report from Cadiz is dated the 13th of March. I have not heard from Sir Wm. Beresford since the Ist inst. At that time he hoped to be ableto blockade Badajot on the 3d. I learn by letters of the f.',oth March, received this day from the South of Portugal, that after General Zayas had landed his corps at Huelva and Morguer, the Duke d'Aremberg moved upon Morguer from Seville with :MO infantry and 800 cavalry, upon which the Spanish troops embatked again. It is sta ted, that the cavalry had lost some of their equip ments. —I have the honour to be, Sze. (Signed) WELLINGTON. Return of the Killed, Wounded, and 1 1 / 4 1884ng of the British and Portuguese Force. in the sevecal Affairs with the French army from the 18th of March to the 7th of Apr il. MARCH 18.-14th Light Dragoons—l rank and file, 1 horse, wounded. Ist Light Dragoons-1 rank and file wounded. MARCH 19.-16th Light Dragoons-1 rank and file wounded. Ist Hussars, King's German Legion-2 rank and file, 1 horse, killed ; 2 horses wounded. MARCH 20.-Ist Hussars, King's German Legion-3 horses wounded. MARCH Batt. 95th Foot-1 General Staff missing. MARCH e9.—lst Hussars, King's German Legion—s horses kil led ; I horse wounded. MARCH 30.-16th Light Diagoons-3 rank and file wounded. APRIL 3.—Royal Horse Artillery-2 horses kille•1 ; 1 rank and file wounded. 16th Light Dragoons-1 horse killed ; 1 horse wounded. Isr Hussars King's German Legion-1 horse killed ; 1 milk and file, 1 horse, wounded ; 1 rank and file, i horse, missing. lid Batt. sth Foot—t Lieutenant, I Ensign, I Serjeant, 5 rank and file, wounded. SM Batt. 49d Font--1 Lieutenant, 1 Serjeant, 6 rank and file kil led ; 1 Major, 1 Captain, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Serjeants, 2 drum mers, 81 rank and file, wounded. Ist Batt. 45th Foot-2 rank and file wounded ; 1 rank and file missing. Ist Batt. 52d Foot-3 rank and file killed ; 1 Captain, 1 Lien ., tenant, 1 Serjeant, 17 rank and file, wounded. ids Batt. 60th Foot-2 rank and file killed ; I Serjeant, I rank and file, wounded; 1 rank and file missing. Ild Batt. End Foot-1 rank and file wounded ; 1 rank and file missing. tat Batt. nth Foote-2 rank and file wounded. 2d Batt. 88th Foot-1 Serjeanr, 2 rank and file, wounded. 94th,Foot-2 rank and file wounded. Ist Batt. 95th Foot—l Lieutenant, 1 rank and file, killed ; 1 Ges Vera' Staff, 1 Ensign, 12 rank and rile, wounded ed Batt. 95th Fuot-1 rank and file killed, 2 rant and file wows.. ded. Portuguese Army-1 rank and file killed, 9 rank and file woun-. ed ; 1 Lieutenant Colonel missing. Atist."B„—lst Hussars, King's German Legion-1 horse killed,: 1 rank and file wounded. • APRIL 7.--16th Light Dragoons-1 rank and file, two horses; wounded. • Total British Less-1 General Staff, 2 Lieutenants, 1 Serjeant, 15 rank and file, 8 horses, killed ; 1 General Staff, I Major, 2 Captains, 5 Lieutenants, 2 Ensigns, 8 Serjeao's, 2 drummers, 117 rank and file, II horses, wounded ; 4 rank and file and 1 horse, missing. Total Portuguese Loss—l rank and file killed ; 9 rank and file wounded ; 1 I.ivutenant Colonel missing: NAMES OF OFFICERS KILLED, WOUNDED, AND MISSING. KILLED. 95th Font—Brigade Major Stewart (I ieurenant). st Batt. 43d Foot—Lieutenant J. hl'llearmid. Ist Batt. 9 itls Foot—Hon. Du:tcan Arbuthnot. WOUNDED. 2d Batt. Sth Foot—Lieutenant St. Clair, Ensign Williams, se verely. lat Batt. 43d Foot—Major Patriekson, slightly ; Capt. Daizel and Lieutenant Rylanee, severely ; Lieutenant W. Frier, slightly ; Lieutenant J. Creitlaton severely. Ist Batt. 524 Foot — Capta in P. Campbell and Lieutenant J. Gut v.ood, severely, not dangerously. 95th Foot—Lieurenant Colonel Beckwith and Second Lieatenant W. Haggup, slightly. MISSIXG. Ist Portuguese Foot—Lieutenant Colonel Waters (late Ist foot.) • FOREIGN-OFFICE, APRIL 15. Extract of a Dispatch this day received by the Marquis Wellesley from Charles Stuart, Esq. his Majesty's Minister at Lisbon, dated April 13, 1811. Mat shal Beresford having completed the bridges over the Guadiana, cross?d that river on the sth inst. On the 7th the French attacked his advanced posts in the neighbourhood of Olivenc•t, but were repulsed with loss. Tke French withdrew the garrisons, excepting three hundred men from Qlivenca, and three battalions from Badajoz. on the same day. The whole corps of Mnr tier consisting of six thousand men took up a position between Albaeira and Sta-Martha on the Bth. Telegraphic accounts, dated the 12th, mention that the French have since retired by the road to Seville ; and that Marshal Beresford's head-quarters were on the 11th in Albaeira, and on the 12,11 in Sta-Martha. The division of General Cole besieges Olivenca. The accounts.from the frontier of Algarve, dated the 4th, state, that until the Ist of this month Marshal Soult had not quitted Seville. • - % :, r • • PARLIAMENTARr pit,ocEzDrArcs. HOUSE . OLF LORDS, APRIL 25. the Bishop of CLONFERT took the oaths and his seat. Mr. Eters tw ea, Clerk to the Privy Council, presented some Papers ordered by the House, and Mr.PRARCE, from the Admi ralty, Papers directed by Act of Parliament.—Ordered to lie on the Table. The London Drtcb Bill, and several Local and Private Bills, were brought up from the Commons by Mr. JADORtLL Gene ral FeRGUSSON, Mr. BLACRRURN, Lord FRANCIS &BORN>, Mr. VANSITTART. Mr. BASTARD, and other Members, and read a first time. A Message was also brought up from the House of Commons by Mr. CALCRA v T and other Members, desiring their Lordships Iwould permit Lord Keith to attend the Saint Nicholas Harbou r Committee ; to which it was replied, that the House would send an answer by Messengers of their own. INSOLVENT DEBTORS. On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, the committee on the Insolvent Debtors Bill was postponed till Thursday next. Adjourned till to-morrow (this day). •11.•••=••• I HOUSE OF COMMONS. . Sir Haw DA LITMPLE HAMILTON tOOk the oaths and his seat for Ayrshire. He was introduced to the Houle by Sir John Cox Hippieley and General Fergusson. Mr. Fawagota presented at the Bar an Account of the num; bee of Licences granted during the year 1810 for the importation of grad front foreign parts. A Messar fryni.the Lords aequaimed the House that their Lordsbips had agreed to the Foreign Ministers' Salaries Bill, the . Dublin Roads Bill; and several private Bills of lnclosures, &c. without any amendments. Mr. W. POLE moved for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent •the Marriage of Lunatics in Ireland.—Granted. The Report of the Committee of Ways and Means relative to the Irish Loan was brought up, and a bill ordered in conformity therewith. The forth.' consideration of the Report of the Parish Appren tice Bill, which stood for to-morrow, was postponed to Wednes day the Sth of May. Mr. HOWARD postponed to Wednesday, the Bth of May, his motion respecting the exemption of Foreigners front the Pro perty Tax. Mr. FOSTER brought up, by order of the House, an account of the Appropriation of the Board of First Fruits in Ireland,from the Ist of May, 1801, to the Ist of May, 1811. Mr. LIISHINGTON brought up the Report of the Expiring Laws Bill. Mr. WHARTON obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the Abolition and Regulation of certain °Sees in the Customs. STAGE COAC/I ESTABLISHMENTS OF IRELAND. Mr. BERNARD, in a concise speech, presented a Petition from the Queen's County, Ireland, praying that the Sill now se:, fore the House, for repealing an Act of the last Session, which • placed the Stage Coach Establishments of Ireland upon the same footing as in this country, should not pass into a law. The ob ject of the Bill in question, he oleerved, wag to subject Public Carriages t, double the tolls payable by Private Carriages, and limiting the number of outside passengers to be conveyed by them to three. Mr. PARNEI.I. presented Petitions to a similar effect from the Towns of Maryborough, Montrath, Abbeyleef, Mountmelic, &c. as did The Hon. Mr. PRETTIE, front Roscrea, Ncnagh, and other places in the County of Tipperary. EXCHEQUER BILLS. • Mr. MARRYATT trusted that very few observa. tions would be necessary to satisfy the House of the, 'expediency of granting the information for which he was about to move. There were already before the House official documents which showed that the amouat of Bank-notes in circulation for the four years preceding the Bank restriction, varied from 11 millions to 13 millions ; and that at the period imme diately preceding. the restriction, they amounted to , £8,640,x; and that the amount of their issue last January amounted to between '23 and 21 millions.-4 It was needless to comment upon the mischievous effects of an excessive paper currency, not convertible I into specie : the consequences have already been felt in an unprecedented' difference between the Mint price and the market price of Bullion, and in an equally unprecedented depreciation in the ratkof our Foreign Exchange. The Bank, however, contended, that the amount of their notes in circulation was no proof of their excessive issue ; that that amount had no connec tion with the price of bullion, or the rate of foreign ex change ; and that therefore all - these effects must be traced to other causes : indeed, on a late occasion, the Deputy Governor of the Bank, rather ungratefully, beenconsideriohow indulgent his Majesty's Ministers have eirerto the excessive issue of bank notes, ra ther ungratefully recriminated on them, and imputed the two latter of those evils to an unfavourable balance of trade and payments occasioned by the excessive issue of licences. He so far agreed with that Hon. Gentleman in thinking with him, that the excessive issue of licences had much of these evils Co answer for ; and he conscientiously believed, that a short Bill, containing a similar claw, and enacting that the room in which the Lords of Trade and Plantations held their sittings should be locked up, and the key laid upon the table of that House--(a Laugh)—con taining also a similar clause respecting the apartments in which the Bank Directors carried on their manu factory of notes. He conscientiously believed that such a Bill, by preventing the excessive issue both of notes and licences, would be one of the most useful acts that could pass that House—but leaving his Ma-, jesty's Ministers and the Bank Directors to settle be-1 tweets themselves the precise quota of blame which each ought to bear, he should pass on to observe, that the 'first great evil to which he had allude-J. namely, the rapid advance in the price of all commodities, was the indisputable effect of the vast increase of a circu• lating medium not convertible into specie, and amply justified hint in bringing forward that or any mo tion which, by elucidating the conduct of the Bank Directors, could have a tendency to check the evil itself. To deny the amount of notes in circulation r was impossible—but the point on which the Bank rested their justification was, that they did not force a single note into circulation. This was the evidence given by both the Deputy Governor and Governor of the Bank ; it had been repeated in all the various I pamphlets advocating the interests of the Dank ; it had been again urged by the present D e p ut y Gover , nor (Mr. Manning) in the late debate respecting Bank Discounts; but he would ask, how did that apply to ' the motion then before them ? He asserted, without fear of contradiction, that since one great branch of the business of the Bank of England had fallen off, he meant their mercantile discounts (owing to the un fortunate failure of so many of their best customers in that line), they had very much extended another branch of their business in the purchase of Exchequer. Bills in the open market. Would it be contended, that in issuing notes for these purposes, they did not force their notes into circulation ? Not a note mord, was in circulation than the actual wants of the c o ups try require. Whose wants called upon them to makel these issues of their notes ? What but their own i* cesrities, or rather their determination not to let theirl profits diminish' as long as ever the Bank restriction remained in force ? This practice appeared to hint gh o ei n b aa j ct e l i c y t 0 f s e s t af theo r which . . . o a f re beend t hos e i o n r the e h h isii e fir d s t. t h ep BanklThoseec e; objects ofit er : n a sg s inand were t on e dbdeclared to be highly ercepticinable on various acc oun t s • i n incorporation to be the discounting of bills and the buying and selling of bullion and foreign coin. This act, however, not only directed what the Bank should do, but prohibited what it should not do ;• and, • web . a just jealousy guarded against any connection be tween the Bank and the Government. This Act, the fifth of William 'and Mary, enacted, " thatihey shall not purchase any land or revenue belonging to Cie Crown, or advance or lend to their M tjesties, the heirs or successors, any sum or sum; of money, by way of loan or subscription, on any part of the ne venue, other than any part on which a credit or loan is, or shall be granted by Parliament." Mr. Pitt however, found it convenient to form a closer cop. nection with the Bank than that Act allowed, sad he accordingly brought in a bill, the S3d George 111. authorising them to make advances on Treasury Bills —but there was a clause introduced by Mr Fox, pro hibiting them from advancing; this clause s.tys.- 44 that they shall not advance more than R00,0")0 on Exchequer Bills, by way of loan or advance tor, or on account of the public service, except to an amount not exceeding ‘600,000, on the'credit of as issue of Exchequer Bills then about to be rhade."— The Bank, he admitted, did not vi elate the letter, but they evidently evaded the spirit of the act, for though they did not advance beyond the stipulated anoint by way of loan to the Government, yet, their pur chasing of the Brokers, who negociate Ahem on ac count cf Government, came indirectly to the Lime thing. This practice was also an unjust interference with the capital of individuals—it obliged every mu t who was in the habit of vesting his capital in Exche quer-bills, to employ keg, less advantage than they otherwise could do. Individuals could only act wth a real capital, either inherited front their ancest , es, or see quired by their own industry. But the Bank lt,ntric lion Act gave the Bank the power cf acting sutra en artificial capital, without any limits, and without any expense but that of settingthe paper-mill to work Was this a just and fair competition ? This practice was also injurious to the public at large, for the price of every commodity was raised by the excessive issues of paper thus forced into circulation; and thus every in dividual, in every thing he eats, drinks, wears, or consumes, was obliged to contribute to the extrava gant aggrandisement of this already overgrown Cor poration. This practice too prevented the adoption of a system much more advantageous both to indivi. duals and the State. No doubt could be entertainel that the public would prefer Government paper bear ing interest to Bank paper bearing no interest, pro. vided the same facilities were given to loath. If Ei• chequer Bills were issued from £lO to £5O, bearing only S per cent. interest, and exempted from the pro- perty tax, to avoid those complex cakulasions which now attend the transfer of them, they would circulate with the same facility as Bank notes now do, nery Man would then receive interest upon them for the time they remained in his possession, and thus Go vernment and individuals would divide that profit which was now engrossed by the Butlc of England. He was aware th it the Chancellor of the Exchequer was disposed to I iok on this practice with A, venial eye, as it enabled that Right Hon. Gentleman to come down to the House with B )urishing statements of the low rate of interest at which he has been form. nate enough to raise large sums of money for the pun. lie service by means of. Exchequer Bills, and the ex cessive issue of the Beak. 'But this issue, by ad vancing the ;mice of evey commodity, swelled the nominal amount of our imports and exports, and of our revenue, and in considering them in this rint of view, we stw them through a false medium, as chil dren see pictures in a ranee-show, through a magni fying-glass--and like them too we were only delighted in proportion as we were deceived; fur the truth was, that our expenditure increases in a still greater pro porrion. It was justly and acutely observed by the Honourable Member for Southwark, that a few years ago our revenue and our expenditure met within two millions, but now they were much further distant, and the longer the present system was continued, the more that distance would increase—perhaps the AU• thority of a Right Hon. Baronet who has been favour ing the public with his lucubrations on this subject, might have some weight with the Chancellor of the Exchequer—that Right Hon. Baronet quoted from another Honourable Baronet, where he said, that the Minister who wasted to borrow money should con trive to render the circulating medium as abundant as possible. He (Mr. olarryatt) admitted that this doc trine tended to raise the value of the price of the funds as well as that of the Exchequer Bills, but it was not to be forgneen that whatever was not just in its prie ciple could not be lasting in its duration, and that if the public found Government securities thus tampered with, their confidence in them must fail, and their con sequent 'depreciation be productive of the most serious mischiefs. Hitherto there had been generally too good an uw-lerstaseding between the Bane and the Minister, they agree to support his measures, and he will not iu• quire into their profits; indeed, wherevci chc cac. hvi been otherwise, the Minister had been obliged to give way. It appeared in the Report of the Lords Com mittee of Secrecy, in the year 1797, on the Order of Council relating to the Bank, that the Directors ab solutely extorted from Mr. Pitt a promise not to enter into any treaty with any Foreign Power, Prince, or Po tentate, without first consulting with them, the Dircc tors —he might say extorted, because they gave hen to understand, that they would not pay his Tre.eury Bills unless he complied. Thus insisting to be privy to the most important State Secrets, and claiming a right to controul the most important State Measures. Mr. Pitt, however, was obliged to submit. Did the present Ministers boast firmer nerves t han Mr. Pitt l or was the power of the Bank diminished sin e that period ? The Bank Restriction Act gave them the power of raising capital to any extent by the mere ope ration of the paper.mill ; and thereby supplied them not only with the fulcrum, but the ground to stand upon ; it realized to them the wish o f A rchimedes, and gave them that pie with whica, ht ce to stand upon, M said, he could undertake to raise th e world. Mr. ie ryatt then, atter recapitulating the punts which lie had contended for, coecluded by stating that his wish I was to see the legitimate Government of the country restored to its proper independence.; to do that, the wealth add power of the Bank must be brooght within reasonable limits. • The araottnt of the txcheqeet 0 I • . .-''., - 11111 *~~ h' . .~ • Is% T st