Star. — London, England, 1809-05-25 00:00:00

et X. le Tllll, EVENING STAR. LONDON. THURSDAY, MAY 25. PRICE OF STOCKS "PHi.i DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK: Cons. for cnoney,6Bii—acc. Gel—Omni= 4 1 pre. Extheq. 1.3:11s 10s. i 21. preens. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Bank Stock 2461 I Omninm 1 preen. 3 per Cent. Red. 671 i India Bonds 16s. 17s. prem. 3 per Cent. Cons. 68i I Excheq. Bills, 113. I:ss. pr. 4 per Cent. 83 • Consols, for ace. tisi ; 5 per C.,:nt. Navy 99ii1 OFFICIAL ACCOUNT ()I. TILE CAPTURE OF OPORTO. LETTER TO TIIE LOP.D MAYOR. MAY DOWNING-STREET', MAY 24, 1809. c o untry, in the disposal of fines aild places. A sys..! te rn of mismanagement in the Revenue - arose from taat circumstance, and it could not he prevented' until either the Treasury Board of Ireland was ren-i tiered as efficient as that of England, or entirely abo., I:shed, and its concerns placed under the superinten-1 dance of the English Treasury. He did not mean to say that Ireland ought to be put on a system of taxa. ucn equal to this country ; but if any alteration in the present disposal of Treasury influence took place in Ireland, be conceived it would completely relieve that country from the oppressive system of taxation under which she now laboured. The Honourable Gentleman concluded by expressing his doubts as to the efficacy of those legislative measures which the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite so sanguinely trusted to :cr the amelioration of Ireland's interest. Mr. FOSTER said, that the measure which he proposed for the advantage of Ireland, was one which was practically good ; while, on the other hand, whatever benefits lay in the measure proposed o that House by the Hon. Gentleman, could only Le seen in theory. After a few farther observations from Sir J. NEW. 7.RT and Mr. FOSTER, the resolutions being put, were carried in the affirmative. The House then resumed, and the report was or dered to be received to-morrow. 'RD II DISTIL LERIEq. The House having gone into a Committee on the Irish Distillery Regulation Bill, Mr. FOSTER remarked on the various clauses of enactment in the Bill, and submitted to the Commit tee an amendment which he wished to introduce. Sir J. NEWPORT, after commenting on the nature of the Right Hon. Gentleman's amendment, proposed another to the effect of discontinuing the bounties hi therto granted to large distillers. Mr. Foster's amendment was put and carried. A discussion ensued upon that proposed by Sir J. Newport.—Mr. HUTCHINSON said, he could not agree with the Right Hon. Baronet on this amend ment, as it would, it carried, suspend all inducement to the g:cat distiller in the purchase of corn, and consequently be prejudicial to the agricultural interests of the country. Colonel Barry, Mr. D. Browne, and Mr. May, spoke against the amendment of the Right Hon. Baronet. Mr. French, Mr. J. Latouche, Mr. Barnard,. Mr. Parnell, and Mr. O'Hara, gave it their support. A division then took place-.-For the amendment 21—Against it 73—Majority against 57. The Committee afterwards divided on a clause-, proposed by Mr. FRENCH, to exempt the parishes from double penalties. _ Ayes S2—Nces 50-Majority 18. Strangers were not again admitted. The Bill passed the Committee. Repert to be received this day. Adjourned at Two o'Clock. Government hare received the Official Details of the CAPTURE of Oroaro. They were brought by the Hon. F. STANHOPE, who arrived at Lord CASTLEREAGH'S Office, in Downing-street, yesterday evening, about nine o'clock ; but not finding his Lordship at his Office, he proceeded to the House of Commons, where they were delivered to him. Lord CASTLE REAGH opened the dispatches in the lobby, and imme diately retired to prepare and transmit an abstract of their contents to his MAJESTY. The dispatches were brought to Plymouth by a Transport, which arrived there on Monday. T..e intelligence was, at a late hour last night, communicated in the following " DOWN?NG•STREET, MAY 24, IEO9. "My Loth--1 have the satisfaction to acquaint your Lordship that the Honourable Captain STANHOPE arrived this evening, Aith dispatches from Lieutenant-General the Right Honourable Si! ARTHUR WELLESLEY, r i ving an itce'cunt of his having De- i :eared Marshal SOULT in three actions, and retaken Oporto on the 12th inst. In the last action the Lieutenant-Gereral passed the Douro with his centre colcn n, in frcnt of the French army. Th• Buffs, under the Flon. Lieutenant-General PAGET, who first crossed the River, maintained a positicn with the utmost gallantry against repeated attacks c.. the eramy, till they were supported by other P.egiments. As coon as the two other columns had vissed, one at Oporto, the other at Avintas, Marshal Sornr re !':rated in great vanfusion, with much toss in men and artillery. " I have the honour to be, my Lord, Sec. (Ygneci) " CAS - ELLE z•ca," " P S. The loss of the Briti4b, in :cilia and wounded, does sot exceed 250 men." Between eight and nine o'clock this morning, the Park and Tower Gum: were fired in honour of the Victory, and in- the forenoon the dispatches were made known to the Public in the following LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. A Dispatch, a which the following is a Copy, WiS received this Evening from Lieutenant-Central the Right Honourable Sir Arthur Wellesley, by Viscount Castlereagh, one of his Ma jesty's Principal Secretaries of State. Oporto, May 12, 1809. MY Lon D—l had the honour to apprize your Lord ship, on the 7th instant, that I intended that the army should march on the 9th from Coimbra to dispossess the enemy of Oporto, The advanced-guard and the cavalry had marched en the 7th, and the vihole had halted on the Sth to Afford time for Marshal Beresford with his corps to arrive upon the Upper Douro. The infantry of the army was formed into three di• visions for this expedition, of which two, the advanced guard, consisting of the Hanoverian Legion, and Brigadier-General R. Stewatt's brigade,with a brigade of 6-pounders, and a brigade of 3-pounders under Lieu tenant-General Paget, and the cavalry under Lieute nant-General Payne and the brigade of Guards; Briga• dier-General Campbell's and Brigadier-General brigades of infantry, with a brigade of six-pounders, under Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke, moved by the high road from Coimbra to Oporto, and one compos ed of Major-General Hill's and Brigadier-General Cameron's brigades of infantry, and a brigade of six pounders, under the command of Major-General Hill, by the road from Coimbra to Aveiro. On the 10th, in the morning, before daylight, the cavalry and advanced guard erased the Vouga with the intention to surprise and cut off four regiments of French cavalry, and a battalion of infantry and artillery, cantoned in Albergaria Nova and the neighbouring villages, about eight miles from that river, in the last of which we failed ; but the superiority of the British cavalry was evident throughout the day ; we took some prisoners and, their cannon from them ; and the advanced guard took up the Position of Oliviera. On the same day Major-General Hill, who had embarked at Aveiro on the evening of the 9th, ar rived a,. Ovar, in the rear of the enemy's right; and' the head of Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke's division passed the Vouga on the same evening. On the 11th, the advanced guard and cavalry con tinued to move on the high road towards Oporto, with Major-General Hill's division in a parallel road, which leads to Oporto from Ovar. On the arrival of the advanced guard at Vendas Novas, between Sonto Redondo and Grijon, they fell in with the outposts of the enemy's advanced guard, consisting of about 4000 infantry, and some squadrons of cavalry, strongly posted on the heights above Gri jon, their front being coveted by wools and broken ground. The enemy's left flank was turned by a move ment well executed by Major-General Murray, with Brigadier-General Langworth's brigade of the Hano verian legion ; while the 16th Portuguese regiment of Brigadier-General Richard Stewart's brigade attack ed their right, and the rifle men of the 95th, and the flank companies of the 29th, 43d, and 52d, of the same brigade, under Major Way, attacked the infan try in the woods and village in their centre. These attacks soon obliged the enemy to give way; and the Honourable Brigadier-General Charles Stew art led two squadrons of the 16th and 20th dragoons, under the command of Major Blake, in pursuit of the enemy, and destroyed many and took many pri soners. On the night of the 11th the enemy crossed the Douro, and destroyed the bridge over that river. It was important, with a view to the operations of Marshal Beresford, that I should cross the Douro im mediately : and I had sent Major-General Murray in the morning with a battalion of the Hanoverian Le• gion, a squadron of cavalry, and two 6-pounders, to endeavour to collect boats, and, if possible, to cross the river at Ovintas, about four miles above Oporto; and I had as many boats as could be collected brought to the ferry immediately above the towns of Oporto and Villa Nova. The ground on the right bank of the river at this ferry is protected and commanded by the fire of can non, placed on the height of the Sierra Convent, at Villa Nova, and there appeared to be a good pOsition for our troops on the opposite side of the river till they should be collected in sufficient numbers. The enemy took no notice of our collection of boats, or of the embarkation of the troops, till after the first battalion ( the Buffs) were landed, and had taken up their position under the command of Lieu tenant-General Paget on the opposite side of the river. They then commenced an attack upon them, with a large body of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, under the command of Marshal Souk, which that corps most gallantly sustained, till supported successively by the 4.Bth and 66th Regiments, belonging to Ma jor-General Hill's brigade, and a Portuguese batta lion, and afterwards by the first battalion of detach ments belonging to Brigadier-General Richard Stewart's brigade. Lieutenant-General Paget was unfortunately woun ded soon after the attack commenced, when the com mand of these gallant troops devolved upon Major- General Hill. Although the French made repeated attacks upon them, they made no impression, and at last Major- General Murray having appeared on the enemy's left flank onhis march fromOvintas, where he had crossed, and Lieutenant• General Sherbrooke, who by this time had availed himself of the enemy's weakness in , the town of Oporto, and had crossed the Douro at the ferry, between the towns of Villa Nova and Oporto, having appeared upon the right with the brigade of Guards, and the ‘29th Regiment, the whole retired in the utmost confusion towards Amaranthe, leaving behind them five pieces of cannon, eight ammunition tumbrils, and many prisoners. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded in this ac tion has been very large, and they have left behind them in Oporto 700 sick and wounded. Brigadier-General the Honourable Charles Stewart then directed a charge by a squadron of the 14th dragoons, under the command of Major Hervey, who made a successful attack on the enemy's rear guard. In the different acticlits with the enemy, of whlelt I have above given your Lordship an account, we have lost some, and the immediate services of other valuable officers and soldiers: In Lieutenant-General Paget, among the latter, I have lost the assistance of a friend, who had been most useful to me in the few days which had elapsed. since he had joined the army. He had rendered a most important service at the moment he received his wound, in taking up the po sition which the troops afterwards maintained, and in bearing th• first brunt of the enemy's attack. Major narvey also distinguished himself, at the moment he received his wound in the charge of the cavalry on this day. I cannot say too much in favour of the Officers and Troops. They have Marched in four days over 'BO miles of most difficult country, have gained many important positions, and have engaged and defeated three diffe rent bodies of the enemy's troops. I beg particularly to draw your Lordship's atten tion to the coeduct of Lieutenant-General Paget, Ma jor -General Murray, Major-General Hill, Lieutenant- General Sherbrooke, Brigadier-General the Hon. Charles Stewart, Lieutenant-Colonel Delancey (De puty.Quarter-Master-General), and Captain Mellish (Assistant Adjutant-General), for the assistance they respectively rendered General Stewart, in the charge of the cavalry this day, and on the 11th ; Major Co lin Campbell, Assistant Adjutant-General, for the assistance he rendered Major-General Hill in the de fence of his post ; and Brigadier-General Stewart, in the charge of the cavalry this day ; and Brigade Ma jor Fordyce, Captain Corry, and Captain Hill, for the assistance they rendered General Hill. I have also to request your Lordship's attention to the conduct of the Riflemen and of the flank compa nies of the 29th, 43d, and 52d regiments, under the command of Major Way of t he 29th, and that of the 16th Portuguese regiment, commanded by Colonel Machado, of which Lieutenant-Colonel Doyle is Lieutenant-Colonel, and that of the brigade of the Hanoverian Legion, under the Command of Briga dier-General Langworth, and that of the two squa drons of the 16th and 20th Light Dragoons, under the command of Major Blake of the 20th, in the ac tion of the 11 th ; and the conduct of the Buffs com manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Drummond, the 48th commanded by Colonel Duckworth, and 66th com manded by Major Murray, who was wounded, and of the squadron of the 14th Dragoons under the com mand of Major Hervey, in the action of this day. I have received the greatest assistance from the Adjutant-General and Quarter -Master-General Colo nel Murray, and from all the Officers belonging to those departments respectively throughout the ser vice, as well as from Lieutenant-Colonel Bathurst and the Officers of my personal Staff, and I have. every reason to be satisfied With the artillery and offi cers of engin..-.Ts. . I send this di6patck by Captain Stanhope, whom I beg to recommend to t our Lordship's protection : his brother the Honourable Major Stanhope was un fortunately wounded by a sabre whilst leading a charge of the 16th Light Dragoons on the 10th in stant. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ARTHUR WELLESLEY. Abstract of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the Army under Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur WAlesley, in Actioni with the Advanced Posts of the French Army at Albergaria Nova, May 10, .1809. None killed; 1 Major, 2 Rank and File, wounded; 1 Rank and File missing. Total-4. Name of Officer wounded. Hon. Major Lincoln Stanhope, of the 16th Dragoons, slightly wounded in the shoulder. Abstract of Killed, Wounded, and Missing In the Army under the Command of Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley, in the Action on the Heights of Grijon, on the 11th of May, ISM 19 killed, 63 wounded, 14 missing.—Total 96, Names of Officers killed and wounded. 16th Light Dragoons—Captain Sweatman, wounded slightly ; Lieutenant Tomkinson, severely. Ist Batt. Detael•ments—Captain Owens, 38th Foot. wounded Lieutenant Woodgate, 52d Foot, severely.wounded. Ist Batt. King's German Legion—Captain Delauring, killed. 2d ditto—Captain Langrelin, severely wounded. Rifle Corps King's German Legion—Lieut. Lodders, wounded. Abstract of Killed, Wounded, and Missing in the Army under Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley, in Action with the French Army under the Command of Marshal Soult, in the Passage of the Douro, on the 12th Mal , 1,3E9. 23 Rank and File killed ; 2 Generals and Staff Officers, 3 Majors, 2 Captains, 3 Lieutenants, 1 ti:erjeant, 85 rank and file woun ded ; 2 rank and file, missing. Total-23 killed, 96 wounded, 2 missing-121. Names of Officers killed, wounded, and missy. Lieutenant General Paget lost his arm, but doming well. Captain Hill, Aid-de-Camp to General Hill, slightly. 14th Light Dragoons—Major Hervey lost his right arrn,blit doing well ; Captain Hawker and Lieutenant Knipe, slightly. 3d Foot—Lieutenant Monaghan, slightly.. 48th Foot, 2d Batt.—Major Erskliie, 66th Foot, 2d Batt.—Major Murray, severely in the arm ; Cap tain Binning, slightly. Royal Engineers--First Lieutenant Hamilton, severely. Oporto, May 13, 1809. Return of Ordnance, Ammunition, Carriages, and Ordnance Stores, &c. &c. taken in the Arsenal of Quartieri, S:. Ovieda, on the itith May, 1809. Bran guns French, the carriages brok.n to pieces ; 19 twelve pounders, 12 eighteen-pounders, 18 four-ponnders-16 three pounders. Brass howitzers French, one carriage good-2 eight inch, 1 six- inch. French Caissons-1 servicyable, 36 unserviceable. 3000 whole barrels of English gunpowder. 300,000 English musket cartridges. Round Shot—COCO nine-pounders, 256 eighteen-pounders, .5011 twelve-i•ounders, 6.16 eiglat-pound..rs, 520 four-pounders, 2CO threr-pounders. • Shelis—,GO six inch. 600 Flannel' Cartridges. • ease Shot-1220 six inch howitzers. Wheels good-8 guns, 20 howitzers, 18 cam. 60 handspikes, 12 tarpaulins, 3000 French flints, 10 slow mateu 100 spunges, 30 copper ladles. (Signed) C. 14 --OWARTR. Brig. Oen. Royal Horse Artillery. - StIIRENDEIt ViElOtA. Paris Papers to the 18th, and Dutch to the 1 /%1 inst. have arrived. The following article is given iii them as official : • RA - 115E01,1 $ MAY This morning the following Bulletin and General Orders have been published : ARMY OF GERMANY. 4 A Saxon Officer, as Courier, who passtd throhgh Ratistion last night, has briniest the intelligenc e , that bn the 9th his MO jesty the Emperor and King entered Vienna. By the Commandant, (Signed) Fei.ix: The French have not, however, been equally suc cessful in every quarter, as otir Readers will see by the following articles : • VitEstr ; -APRIL 14. Capo d'lstria surrendered at seven o'clock last night, after haying three days defended itself with the utmost vigour. During the capitulation an E"ng• lish frigate, which was unacquainted with the circum stance that the town was capitulating, fired about thirty shot on the place, which however is but little &imaged. WARSAW, MAY 3. A Provisidnal Government has been formed in this city. Count St. Julian is at the head of the Civil Authorities, and General Baron Trantenberg has been appointed Governor of Warsaw. General Prince Poniatouski has published an ac count' of the battle of Ratisbon, of the 19th of last month ; according to which the loss of the Poles, French and Saxons, atnounted to 450 killed, 900 wounded, and 32 taken prisoners. •POSEN, MAY S. The bridge head of Gora was yesterday carried with the bayonet by the Van of General Scholmeki's army. The General commanded the attack, and co vered himself with glory : 1500 prisoners were taken, and three pieces of cannon. The General of Divi sion, Schaaroth, was hardly able to effect his escape. VIENNA, MAY 4. By letters received from the grand army under the commaqd of the Generalissimo Archduke Charles, it appears that .our army had left the positicn of Bu. divur, in Bohemia, and is marching to the frontiers of Austria. His Majesty the Emperor has proceeded to the Archduke's head-quarters. THE TOULON FLEET. " CADIZ, MAY JO. " This day the Acorn parted with the Leonidas; the French squadron were steering a direct cou. se for ivica, but about four P. M. being met by a westerly wind, they made all sail in chic* of the Hydra to the S. E. and continued it till sun -set, when they steered along the land about E. N. E. At nine the next morning they were off Blanes; and at day-break on the 29th were off Regu with baffling winds; the Leonidas watching, with orders "to proceed Wherever they may go." Lord CoLt.tmcwoob was about five leagues to the northward of Minorca, steering for Toulon with a strong westerly wind, with the whole fleet, at two P. M. on the 99th, so that there is great hope that his Lordship say fall in with them, as the distance is nearly the same. The greaterpirt of General Sr, Cvit's army have passed Gerona." " GIBRALTAR, MAY 6. " The Acorn brig dr war has just arrived from Barcelona, with the accounts of the Toulon Beet being at sea, and of five sail of the line having got into Barcelona. " The Hibernia, with PADRE GILL on board, going Ambas sador to Sicily, arrived nere yesterday." , Yesterday, a Messenger arrived with dispatches from Mr. FRERE, our Minisser at the Junta. He bfings dispatches from Cadiz to the 12th inst. Up to that time, we learn that no movement had taken place in the armies of Vlcroft and CUESTA : they remained in their respective positions ; indeed, the French think only of keeping on the defensive, and it is obvious that they are endeavouring to concentrate their force in Gallicia. The Lords of Council yesterday, at a personal inter view with various American Merchants, informed them that the late arrangements between Mr. ERSKINE aril the American Government were :ma:dhotis, 1y Mat Gentleman's instruction:, and.that his Majesty would not therefore carry them into effect; but that amicable explanations would be entered into on the subject, and an amicable termination, it was hoped, would be the result ; and that as vessels might, after the 10th of June, sail from the United States for several places to which, by the term of Mr. ERSKINE'S agreement, it might be supposed this Government would allow them to go ; an Order will be published in the Gazette to protect all such vessels as may so sail before advice can be received in the United States of the refusal of this Government to ratify Mr. ERSKINE'S engagement. Our Readers will see what passed on this subject last night in the House of Commons, on the interro gatory proposed by Lord HENRY PETTY to Mr. Se. c ! r i a notification is surely to be regrette d that t ry was not sooner made to t h e M erchants. A single hour's delay in making such a communica. tion is the occasion of much loss, and even of ruin, to many individuals. Mercantile arrangements made On the faith cif uncontradicted official statements, are always extensive—and, in the present instance, their magnitude is incalculable. PORTSMOUTH, MAY 04. Arrived his Majesty's ship Frederickstien, with the following transports front Lisbon, Monarch, JACQUES ; Batavia, Queen, Rosa; litrwick, Dt:mcAN ; R os i na , JOHNSON ; Benjamin Shaw, Henry Addington, a n d th e H arpooner. —Also arri m a j ea . - ty's ship Inflexible, from the Downs.—Sailed the Racoon S. 'W. with a fleet for Cork.-Wind S.E. PLYMOUTH, MAY 2!. Came in the'Betsey, Captain Bishop, from TeaeriEfe, bound to Lo ;don, laden with barilla, capturttFhy a French privateer; re taken by the Foxhound, of 18 gun . Also (ane in the Spanish lugger St. Buena Vanture, Captain J. A. Azzope, from Bayo ne s bound to Bilboa, laden with brandy, pitch, deals, &c. detained by the Black Joke lugger. • Sailed the Good Intent, Captain Salter, for Newtiundiand,, with various. goods. A transport from Lis. hon arr.ved yrsterday evaning, bringing dispatches, vt ith which an officer set off' immediately for London. Came in the Active Captain Allen, from Tercera, with fruit for this port ; she has had a very bad passage, and is last from Gijoa : the Nelson, of lost this one man w an ai o a i t erb Gi oa jo rd n, — ha a vi b n o g ut r t e e c n e d iv a ed ys. m sin u c c e h a a w m a av ht a p. at sea, nod rails, and rigging, and the next day saw a great quantity of ma hogany ficia:Lig. 1 I i 1