Star. — London, England, 1811-04-11 00:00:00

• th e merits cf the military, as *ell as of the general tl.e measures...that the sum to be voted was lees than population ; nor lend he witnessed the scenes of bar- the Occasion requires. But I was desirous in bringing beritv which have taken place during the retreat of forward a measure of this sort, that a temperate view The French army. The distresses of the Portugtiese should he taken ; that we should not appear to gibe were now infinitely more severe than at the period j away that which was of small value to ourselves, when Lord Wellington wrote. Were it only there. but that by the manner in which the assistance was fore to gratify such a Commander, it might alone given we' should appear sensible of the value of be no inconsiderable motive for the House to ac- what we gave, and of its importance to this cows cede to the present measure, and that this is earnestly' try as well as to the country to which it was given. wished for by his Royal Highness, is also a circusn- I hope then, that the House will hate no hesitation stance which I have no doubt will operate with the in going along with me, in the vote which I am House in in its favour. It was no unnatural wish in about to move for, namely, that a sum not exceed that exalted Personage, as he had been so fortunate ing £lOO,OOO, be granted to his Royal Highness during the short period of his Administration, as to the Prince Regent, towards the assistance of the Por witness such a variety of instances of the most brilliant tuguese, &c. a nd heroic achievements performed by the spirit and Mr. PONSONBY then rose, and spoke nearly as valour of his armies. (Hear). Whether we look to the follows :—Sir, In rising to second this measure, I beg capture of Banda, or the recent almost romantic leave to express my. concurrence in the sentiments de fence of Anholt ; or a more important achievement for ' livered by the Right Hon. Gentleman, and in the vote the interests of this country, the capture of the Isle of ' proposed. It is a measure not less due to the spirit of France —or the n steccess which attended the British • Portugal, than to the magnanimity and generosity of armnunder General Graham, at the battle of Barrosa Great Britain ; it is as consistent with our interest as it ...or to the last and greatest of all in consequence, the is material to our honour. The only regret with which evacuation of the kingdom of Portugal—events it is accompanied, on my part, proceeds from the reflec needs, within so short a space, have accumulated such tion, that the vast expenditure of this country should mass of *glory on the country under the Prince Re- render it necessary to limit the vote to so small a sum. gent —that his Royal Highness should be glad also (Loud cries of Hear, hear.) to distinguish his Administration by a great act of The Resolution was then agreed to unanimously, benevolence and national humanity. (Hear.) and the Report ordered to be received to-morrow. The House would be cold indeed if they should ADDRESS TO THE PRINCE REUENT. refuse to second so generous a wish. This measure , On the motion of Mr. Perceval, an humble Ad will be not merely gratifying to Lord Wellington, dress was ordered to be presented to his Royal but it will he gratifying to the whole English army; Highness the Prince Regent, praying that he would for when the English army surrounded Lisbon, it be graciously pleased to order that there be laid le well known that the support of the English Offi- before the House an Extract from a Letter from cers to the unfortunate people who were driven to Lord Viscount Wellington to the Earl of Liverpool, take refuge in that city, was manifested in the most dated October 27, 1810.—Adjourned. striking manner. (Hear.) Surely, then, the Repre sentatives of the people of England will not be the lest persons to give assistance to their distressed allies. .a-But if this assistance were not equally recom mended to us by our interest, our policy, and our , duty, it is recommended to us by another most im portant consideration. ' By oar conduct at this time, we shall not only gain to us the affectiens of the people of that country, but we shall strickingly mani fest, in the hour of prosperity, a strong contrast to the conduct of the enemy. (Hear.) Ido not mean to take notice here of the calumnious reports of that enemy, of the contempt enterteined by the nations of the Continent for Der armies; and that wherever our forces have entered on the Continent, the te7mination has been a disgraceful retreat. These are topics for another day. But I allude to his perpetual boast of his merciful conduct towards the people under his sway. The House, I hope, will indulge me in refer ring for a moment to these topics. General Massena, in his well-known address to the Portuguese, stated, that the armies of Napoleon the Great did met make war upon the people of Portugal. England deceived them. The nations of. Europe under his powerful Sovereign enjoyed happiness and prosperity. He wished nothing more than their prosperity. If they wished to enjoy all the advantages of peace, they had nothing more to do than remain in their ha bitations. In a well-known passage of the Manikin it was said, ~that there was a fatality attending the English armies, - es When the arms of France were successful, property was secute ; whereas, if Eng land should have the tame sactasts, propenty of individuals would be confiscated. Aod yet the very next month, according to General Foix, the French armies destroyed and laid waste 60 leagues of territory. We learn also from an intercepted dis patch from Massena, that the inhabitants of the coun try were compelled to serve the French army under paihnf sdeitth) and that barbarities of such a nature were perpetrated, as are to be paralleled in no period of history. Lord Wellington says, towards the conclu sion of his last dispatch—" I am concerned to be ob liged to add to this account that their conduct through out this retreat has been marked by a barbarity seldom equalled, and never surpassed. Even in the towns of Torres Noves,Thomar, and Pernes, in which the head quarters of some of the corps had been for 4 months, and he which the inhabitants had been induced by pro mises of good treatment to remain, they were plun dered, and many of their houses destroyed on the night the enemy withdrew from their position; and theyhave since burnt every town and village through which they have passed. The Convent of Alcobaea was burnt by order from the French head-quarters. The Bishop's Palace and the whole town of Leyria, in which Gene ral D rouet had had his head-quarters, shared the same fate ; and there is not an inhabitant of the country of any class or description, who has had any dealing or communication.with the French army, who has not had reason to repent of it, and to complain of them." ale alter.vards makes this memorable remark-." It is to be hoped, that the example of what has occurred in this country, will teach the people of this and of other nations, what value they ought to place on i sac!) promises and assurances, and that there is nose curity far lite, or for any thing which renders life.va luable, except in decided resistance to the enemy."— This might be enough to siiew the odious conduct of our enemy, if it were necessary to do so ; but what is wanted is a great and notorious contrast to that con duet, and such a contrast will, I trust, be afforded by the vote of this day. Whatever be the result of the events which have taken place in Portugal ; whether the retreat of Massena, according to the expecte Lion of the Noble General, shall be a retreat without a return; or whether, as it is thought by others, the hundreds of e t eousands of the enemy's forces shall be soon sent hack ; or, whether any other unforeseen e v en t t akes place, this measure will be equally politic. It will shoe hi a decided manner the advantages of British connection compared with French connection. (Hear.) But its effects will not Ise confined to Portugal alone ; it will operate generally throughout tope, and throunthout the world. It will shew how faleely we i llave been calumniated, an i how little credit is due to the as sertions of our enemy. But in addition to this, we have to look to a stilt higher motive. It will mark our gra titude to the superintending PROVIDENCE of the great Giver of Victories, who has permitted the spirited valour of our armies to . accomplish such brilliant achievements, and in whose sight an act of this ',e el ture may prove not unacceptable, and may procure to us a continuance of his countenance and support: , ( Hear. All these objects combined ought certainly to operate upon us in the strongest manner. It will be difficult indeed to resist the united current of so many motives. From what has taken place in an other House ) 1 can osl7.arilicipate . osr. Alec/Oa:0 t I EVENING STAR. LONDON. THURSDAY, APRIL 11. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY A T ONE (YCLOCK. Consols, money, 641—for May account, 65. Reduced, ex. div. 64-4 per Cent. ex. div.6oa. Navy 5 per Cent. 97ff—Exch. Bills, ss. to 7s. prera. Bend 29e. prem. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Bank Stock 239 2333 Long Ann. 17{ 3 161 3 per Cent. Red. 631 641 1151 India Bonds, 295. pr. 9 per Cent. Costs. 641 65 64} Exclseq. Bills, is. es. prem. 4 per Cent. 8014 State Lottery "I ;ckets £22105. S per Cent. Navy 971/1 Cons. for acc. 65R, 65 Advice was this morning received at the India House, stating that the following ships, outward bound, were on the 21st March, in the lat. Cape Finis tere, and long. 15. 10 W. viz : The Hope, Taunton Castle, Princess Amelia, Rose, Metcalfe, Carnatic, Castle Eden, Marchioness of Exeter, Union, (Fairfax) and Nerthasnpten. The extra ship UNtoN,.Capt. RANKINE, parted from the said ships in the night of the 20th March. A Malta and Cadiz Mail arrived this morning.— From tke Mediterranean we have received no com munications of any importance, and from Cadiz the intelligence is not of a striking nature. The Cortes are busily occupied in enquiring into the conduct of the ftpaniards at Barrosa, but, from the drivelling manner in which they are proceeding, any thing but prompt and substantial justice may be expected.— They have already decided, from the evidence before diem, that the Spanish troops were not altogether in active during the engagement, and the regiments and Officers whopartook in the glory of the day are enu merated with scrupulous precision. There are some appearances of national jealousy in all this. . The inhabitants of the Jewish persuasion at Gibral-' tar have raised a handsome subscription for the relief of the Widows and Children of the brave fellows who fell in the action of Barrosa, and who belonged to the 28th regiment , and to the flank companies of the 9th and 82d regiments, which formed part of the Garrison of Gibraltar. A Heligoland Mail arrived this snorning,by which we have received intelligence from the North of Eu rope of various kinds. The communications from Russia give the most flattering prospects of an open iag to commercial intercourse ; for, though they state that an embargo has been put upon vessels going to the Prussian ports with Etaglis7i goods, they say it is to prevent them from being confiscated ; and that as soon as our fleet shall arrive in the Baltic, it is sup posed the COurt of St. Petersburgh will declare its de termination to open its ports freely to commerce. Count GOTTORP, the Ex-King of Sweden, had arrived at Heligoland in the HORATIO frigate, where he was received with the usual distinctions. The North Seas now swarm with gunboats of all nations, which annoy the little that remains of the trade be tween Heligoland and the Continent in a serious manner. Count Gorrocr is expected to take up his residence at Heligoland for at least two months. No express declaration has been made by any of the NorthernYhwers as to the line of policy they are expected to pursue, when a British armament appears in the Baltic : rumours are afloat, however, both here and at Heligoland, that more than one or two of the Baltic States .are favourably disposed to Great Bri tain. It was even confidently stated yesterday, that a Danish Messenger had reached London, with the extraordinary proposal, that the English should gar rison Zealand and its capital with a force of 10,000 men, to contribute to the defence of the Island, and to be supported by its whole population against the hostility of the French and their Allies. HELIGOLAND, APRIL e. This day arrived his Majesty's frigate Horatio, Capt. Lard Gaono'a STUART, after a passage of three days from Yarmouth, having on board the ti-devant King of Sweden (Count Gottorp). He was, received with all the respect due to his illu.trious character..., .7''• Ir 7 . 4i- • On the frigate's ariiitnifat - her moorargs, a royal sa lute was fired from our ines, and ships - of, war in the harbour, which was returned by the Horatio ; every peeparation,avas then made to receive his Majesty on shore t the soldiers in the garrison were all drawn nut in military parade, a guard of honour appointed, &c. hut, to our great disappointment, his Majesty declined doing us the honour of a visit till to-morrow. APRIL 3.—To-day has been so tempestuous that it was impossible a boat could land from the frigate.— It is understood that his Majesty intends taking up his residence here for two months. In a convenient point. of view his stay here will rather be a matter of regret, as it will put an end to all our continental intercourse, which is already but too limited. Apitit..4.—We have had two arrivals from the op posite coast to-day. They bring accounts that the Danish gun-beats and other armed vessels are nearly equipped, thawheir principal object is to prevent all -communication with this Island, and to detain all vessels with cargoes, unless the proprietors can give satisfactory proofs that they sail from a port in alli• :Ince with France. The intelligence from the Islands near the Dutch coast is truly distressing. The French Douaniers, accompanied by large bodies of troops, have entered the houses of the inhabitants, and plun dered them of every article which upon any pretence they, could attack—the least suspicion of its having come hence or from England, accompanying their ra pacity with every species of insult and barbarity.— The quantity of goods taken in this manner is to a considerable amount, and will be the means of min , in 4 hundreds of industrious families. • wo French flat-bottomed boats are stationed at the mouth of the Ems, and several others of a like description close in shore ; these might easily be de stroyed by craft of the same kind, which could follow them up the different rivers. APRIL s.—The Hamburgh Papers of the Ist state, that they had fired 101 cannon on account of the' birth of the young Napoleon. APRIL 6.—lt is reported that a great addition is to be made to the French and Danish gun-boats, and that all the coasting vessels are to be placed under the same regulations as those on the coast of France, each boat to be numbered, her tonnage registered, and provided with a Role d'Equipage. AMY,IL INTEL LIGEga. PLYMOUTH, APRIL 9. The ship M iyflower, of London, has artived here 1 with a cargo of hides, tallow, &c. from the Rio de la Plata, after a tedious passage of 112 days,, during v,hich she experienced much stormy weather, and ceived some damage. —Arrived the SPRIGHTLY cutter, from a cruize ; and the Amerkan ship Blooming Rose, bound to the Downs.— , Saiied the SAvain sloop of war, with a large convoy tor the L'owns I the Nei). tune (2') tender, for ; and • the Resolution, TWOKY, for Lisbon. The ACHATPS has sent in here a Danish galliot, Anna Hulk, from Bilboa. The brig Fleece, of Plymouth, with a cargo of oats, from Waterford, for London, is on shore near Waterford. PORTSMOUTH, APRIL in. Arrived his Majesty's ship PftomErniws, from braltar, and is put under quarantine : she sailed on (27th tilt. The MONTAGUE man of war lett Gibraltar a week previous, with about 70 sail under convoy for England, and-may be hourly expected. Arrived also the CRANE and DIANA, from Plymouth ; Pour MAHON and COQUITTE,Trom a cruize ; and the Nan• emus, from Madeira. Sailed his Majesty's sllip Astwa„with a convoy, for Quebec, Nova, Scotia, and New Brunswick; and the LIGHTENING sloop of war, for the Brazils. The AMELIA and LIGHTENLN4I are brought ufi in Yarmouth Roads.—Wind S. HARWICH, APRIL in. Arrived the Diana, with a mail from Heligoland. Sailed the Lady Frances packet, with the Anholt mails of the sth and 9th ; and' the Prince of Wales packet, with the Heligoland mail of the sth.—Re mains i:: Hozeley Bay his Majesty's ship VIGo, Rear Admiral Durox, and several other ships of war. The Commissioners of Military Enquiry have pub. lished their Thirteenth Report. It is entirely dedi cated to the slhject of the Ordnance Department, and points out a v.triety of abuses, which we trust kill be piomptly investigated in the proper quarter, and remedied. The most striking featiire in this valuable document is that part which relates to the salary and emoluments of the Secretary to the Board of Ordnance. We find that the present salary and allowances to' Mr. CREWE, the Gentleman who fills that office, • amount to £1535 per annum: " The house which the Secretary occupied in Pall. • ' s Mall,and now appropriated to the use of the Inspector ' of Barracks, cost uoii h the furniture upwards of £ES4W4 that lately erected for the Secretary was estimated at ' £6635 t'2s. Id. but cost ab . ove tf5,000, and stands' therefore t a rent (according to the usual mode of ' calculating the value of money sunk in buildings) of ' upwards of £l2OO per annum, exclusive of the taxes, • and of the va:ae of the furniture brought from his ' former residence ! We have already observed, that his accommodations in this house, as in some others' of the Ordnance houses, are greater than should have been provided at the expence of the public ; and we may add in this place, that although, according_ to 'he present arrangement a the rooms in the office house in Pall Mall, there may not be the means, as is said, of providing an office for the Clerks of the Mas ter:General in it ; yet it ought to he considered whe ther such accommodation for the Clerks could not be had on the ground-floor of the Secretary's present house. Much convenience in carrying on the busi. ness of two offices so connected as those of the Mas-' His MAJESTY took his usual walk before dinner yesterday ; after which he gave audience to the Arch bishop of CANTERBURY, the Duke of MONTROSE, and Lord AYLst'URD, Members of the Queen's Council, who remained with his MAJESTY at three o'clock. The Bank is re w paying all the dividends, under five pounds, in specie. There have been payments to a considerable amount made in half-guineas, seven shilling-pieces, and dollars. A letter from Guernsey, announces the arrival of a ship from Portugal, at that island, bringing intelligence that 2700 men of the French army, but of the foreign pert of it, under MASSBNA, had surrendered to the British Commander, without tiring a shot. We shall &.glad to find this account confirmed. Though the official dispatches from Lord WEL LINGTON reach only to the 21st ult. inclusive, it is re- 1 ported that Ministers are in possession of accounts from the army to the 231 The headquarters weaa that day, on the Alverca. There was no probability that a battle would take place r as the enemy had so far the start of their pursuers that they migheeasily reach Almeira in safety. MASSENA'S head-qearters w.e.e at least six leagues in advance of ours. He is supposed to have accelerated his march, in conse quence of the rapid movement of the corps under 'I'RANT and WILSON upon his left ; and the progress of Lord WELLINGTON was necessarily retarded by the fatigue of the troops and the difficulty experienced in the conveyance of his supplies. It is said that Major- General COLE, or Pic-roe, had been detached with a considerable body of troops, to join Marshal BERESFORD. Letters were yesterday received from Charleston to the date of the 41st February. By these advices, it should appear, that the issue of the Proclamation of the 2d November was deemed to be a hasty and in considerate step, and no fears were entertained of any violent measures with respect to property imported from Great Britain. It is a fact of no small impor tance, that under the sanction of the President's Pro clamation, French privateers are actually admitted into the port of Charleston ; but it is said, that the prizes taken by them will not be allowed to be dis. posed of in any port of the Republican territories. Yesterday a Court of DiActors was held at the East India House, when thelthanks of the Court were voted unanimously to WM. ASTELL and JACOB Bo- BANQUET, Esqrs. Chairman and Deputy Chairman,l for their unremitting attention to the affairs of the Company during the last year. Captain Lam, of the Retreat, and Captain Wit.- 1 , LusnoN, of the David Scott, took 'leave of the Court, l previous to departing for Madeira and Bengal. Captain WALKER was sworn into the command of the Harleston. A ballot was afeerwards held for the election of six Directors, for four }gars, in the room of WILLIAM ASTELL, CHARLES GRANT, GEORGE SMITH, SWENN TOONI, CAMPEEL MA'RJORIBANKS, and JOHN JACKSON,' Esqrs. Who ge out by rotation. At sit o'clock the glasses were finally closed, and delivered to the scrutineers; who, at an early hour,' reported the election to have fallen on Jonx Bess, Esq. James DANIELL, Esq. the Hon. WILLIAM Fue- 1 LARTON ELPIIINSTONE, JOHN INGLIS, E,q. JAMES PAT TISOg. Esq. and JOHN BLADZN TAYLOR, t' Sq. The following paragraph is sent to us for insertion : 1 "The friends pf Independent Representation must rejoice at elle issue of the late contest in the County of Ayr. Sir Haw DALRYMPLE HAMILTON has been re turned by a union of wealthy and highly respectable individuals, combined by the commonprineiple of re sistance to the unwarrantable attempts of the family of the unsuccessful Candidate, who have long endea-1 voured to possess the Representation of that County, as an appendage to their extensive landed property.l On the present occasion . , happily, they have failed,. although supported by ;the strong hand of Govern-1 ment, and by the skilful co-operation of a Noble Vis-1 count,, whose influence throughout Scotland has long been no less powerful than disgraceful to the Elections of that part of the Empire. Thus has the trlumpli of Independence been most signal—and we trust that the example which has been set by the County of Ayr will be followed by thc other Counties of Scotlanl, in the event of a dissolution of the Parliament. The County of Ayr may truly be sai4 to be the Giouces• tershire of Scotland.". _ ter-General and Board, would toll )w from such an arrangement, and the expence of the house hi-South street, ai.d st.me perhaps of the expences of Clerks and Me,.tengers, and incidents of both offices, might be thereby saved. The Secretary of the Board ha; the advantage also of an office messenger acting as his domestic servant " The report concludes with recommending a new for. mation of the Bo rd of Ordaanceeand a new errange ment of the business of the Dept tment, Wiih a view to greater simplicity and econo,ny in c erdrie'ting it,.. and a more defined responsiblitv in these weo hey, the actual management of it. The alterations which it recommends are— • That there should be only one Secretary attached to the Office of the Master-General, with a salary not exceeding £BOO a-year, in lieu ei . fees and every thing. . The business of the 011 ice to be carried on under the same roof with the general business of the Ordnance. Two Clerks appointed to the Lieutenant-General's Office to be discontinued, as unnecessary. The four Junior Members of the Board to be abo lished ; and the Board of Ordnance, like those of the, Admiralty and Treasury, to be constituted . by one general commission, with the Lieutenant-Generel of the Ordnance at its head, with the pc,wers exercises by the present Board, subject however to the Master.' General's interference ; and not more than two of the Commissioners to sit in Parliament. The salary of the Lieutenant-General not to exceed £l5OO a year, and those of the four Junior Commissioners at £1"00 a year in lieu of every thing. . Allowance fur stationary, and the practice of em ploying persons in the pay of the public in their do mestic service, to be discontinued throughout the whole department. The travelling expenses of the Master-General to be reduced to 4s. a mile,, and £2 a day for expen. con ; and for Board Officers 2s. a mile, and ss. ,a day for expenses. The bills, to be signed and cere . tified for " Ordnance objects.". :• • Instead of the present offices at the Tower, are' Office 91 Survey and Cheque, a Money Accountant Office, and a Store Account rnt Office to be e constituo ted. The Office of Clerk of the Deliveries to be abo. lished, and the actual custody, &c. of the Stores to committed to a new Officer, called the Tower Store. keeper. The Office of Survey and Cheque to be the same, with the exception of tonnaging the stores, Sco; • as now carried on in theSm veyor-General's Office; • and that of the Money Accountant Office the same as in the Office of the Clerks of the Crinance, cx. cept the recording of orders, warrants; &c: ‘'lhe object of these alterations is to confine the three Officers to separate and distinct matter of. business ; end it is suggested that the present officers and clerks might be easily tran.terred to the new offices, having g duties corresponding with their present employmentse; as for instance, the Chief Clerk of the Surveyor Ge: nerarsOtliee to be placed at the head of the new office of Survey and Cheque ; the Chief Clerk et the office of the Clerk of the Ordnance, nt the head of the ma ney Accountant's Office; and. the principal Store. keeper's Chief Clerk, at the head of the Store Ac. ' o cpuntant's Office, the Chief Clerk of the Clerk of Dell. very's (Nice bpi fig made Storekeeper at the Tower. dad