Star. — London, England, 1807-07-08 00:00:00

fi to of the Houfe thofe Gnecures and pennons had been diflributed, and to what extent the distribution of them hart gone. The Right Hon. Gentleman, (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had laid, that they deceived the people grof,ly, who held out to them any diminution of their burdens, from fuch retrenchments. This might be true, but the People had another °b i te& in view. They faid, " Give us an independent Parliament, ants refcue the Houfe of Commons from the corrupt influence of the Crown." Fifty millions in the general fervice of the Country, would not be fo feverely felt as 500.0001. annually, laid out in corrupting the Houfe of Commons. A dependent Parliament was the real caufe of the lavilh prodigality of the refources of the country. The people ought now to learn how many of their Repre fentativea receive penfions from the King's Mini if as. Whether the general opinion overrated or un derrated the evil, he was not prepared to fay ; but this he was perfeelly convinced of, that nothing worfe ronld be done, than to endeavour to get rid of the ~ a eft of he motion, and blink the queftion. Mr. HUSKISSON Rated, that on a former night acme allufion had been made to his penfi n. This rtnfion was, however, fufpended during hi: continet once in office Mr. CALCRAFT thought it need's'' , that the public fltould know how , and in what pro;sortiA. thefe things were diftributed. As for the Hon. Gen. tleman who (poke lan (Mr. Hufkiffon) his place was 40001. per annum, and he had a fineetwe befides.— It was therefore not extraordinary that his penficn, which was moot. a-year, fhould net alto be continu ed to him while in office. If he threw his eyes over the oppolite bench, he could hardly fee a tingle placeman of the prefent Adminiftration, who, be fides his oaentible place, was not in poffeflion of fome finecure or reverfion. Some of thefe Members were even obliged to get a finecure or reverfi ot be fore their marriage fettlements could be executed. Mr. N. CALVERT thought it improper to refer every thing that came into difpute in that Houfe to the Committee of Finance, as it was impoffible that it could attend to every thing of this fort. Lord H.-PETTY urged the neceflity of avoiding all appearance of concealment. In the effential object of the motion, there appeared to be a general con currence, and whatever might be the differences of opinion as to the form, he hoped that this would make a moll ufeful impreffion on the public—a thing fo eminently defirable at the prefent crifis. His Lord ship obferved as to the form,, that there was no occa lion for a particular reference to the Committee of Finance, as this point was fully within their prefent province. But the object of the Noble Lord was not any general inquiry. What he wanted to afcertain was the influence which the Crown exercised in that Houfe, and to this he had heard no objeC tion. He believed that the Noble Lord would find that inflti ence lets than he imagined, although it might be greater than fame were willing to allow.—He un derflood from every quarter of the Houfe that there was an imperious call from every part of the country for fome loch motion as this. He could not conce've why thereihnuld be any alteration, and why the truth fhould not be brought to light by a Committee ap poi n ted for that particular purpofe. A great deal of diftruft of this Houfe exited, and this was liable to be ufed to the worn of purpofes. It was therefore of importance to take the readielt and fimpleg m -trie to remove it. He would therefore vote for the original motion. He then adverted to the grants by the Crown, and contended thatthe Houfe had a right to examine into the exercife of the difcretionary power entrh/ted to it, and to apply filch remedies with re gard to future grants as the firbjeet Mould appear to demand. As unanimity in this cafe was defirable, he hoped the amendment would be withdrawn. Mr. CANNING agreed that in general it was wife not to refer every controverfy to the Committee of Finance, as this would be confiituting them arbiters of the bufinefs of the Houle. But the Noble Lcrd himfelf (Petty) agreed that this was a cafe ftrietly for their confideration, and all that his Right Hon. Friend propofed was, that they fhould take up this affair immediately and report to the Houle. With refpe& to the interference with other duties, all the Committee would have to do would be to due its precepts to the different Offices, to receive the re turns, and lay them before the Houfe. It was one of the merits of the Committee, that thefe things could be referred to it. He objedled to the idea of a Noble Lord for including the Officers of the Army and Navy who had feats in the Houfes. Mr. PARNELL objected to theAmerdment, and faid that it would not include the places and penficns from the revenues of the Weft Indies. The Houfe then divided on Lord Cochrane's motion—Ayes 61—Noes 9o.—Majority againa the motion 29. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER afterwards propofed an Amendment, is the fhape of an original refolution ; to which Lord COCHRANE propoied his Refilution as an Amendment. Lord H. PE ['TY moved, that the Clerk fhould read the order for the appointment of the Committee of Finance; which being done, his Lordfhip ailed whether, under that appohitment,- the Committee was authorifed to report to the Houfe all falaries ? There was alto another ground upon which he ob• jetted to the motion. It only authorifed the Com mittee to require an account of certain falaries, when the appointment gave them authority to fuggelt the means of reducing thei - efalaties. He fupported the Amendment. . Mr. W. SMITH objeCted to the motion, the vault of which, if carried, would be only to lay fuch papers upon the table, as it was overloaded with every tef lon. He wifhed that it fhonld be an inftruClion to the Committee to commence their inquiry imme• diately. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER • complained of the mode in which his motion had been received. He adopted, the fuggeflion of an Hon. Member (Mr. Whitbread), who turned round as Coon as he law him inclined to adopt-it. The authority with which the Committee was invefled, authorifed them to Mee precepts, and to bring all neceliary in. formation before them. Stich, he contended, would be the neceiary and-natural deli of their appoint -client. Mr. WHMBREAD, in explanation,. admitted that he had fuggefted a different form of motion to Rye Noble lArd,.which he had not thought proper to folio*. The Right Honourable Gentleman took op part of his idea, and thought it better to lifer the whole &Melt to use eetutuittee of finance. But, did he think himfelf entitled to his fupport on that ac count ? If the Right Honourable Gentleman con• fulled the feelings of the Public, he could not objea to the mottos he withed to have adopted. He fruited iliac before the conclution of the Sedion, a Lift would be tail on the table, of every Member, of either Houfe of Parliament, who held a Place or Penii ,, n, or any Appointment which could be fuppofed to in fluence a Vote in Parliament. If not, the Public would have too much reafon for the fufpicions which 1 they were In prone to entertain. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then Rated, that he would with to move exprefsly that it would be an inflruelion to the Committee of Finance, to report on all penfions, finecures, and em ployments, except as to Commiffions in the army and navy, and collthors of taxes under tool. per annum. Lord COCHRANE rofe in reply, and faid, that his object in moving for a feparate Committee was, that each Member of Parliament might direely Rate to the Committee what places they held, either di• rally or indiredly. He confide, ed that this would be done much more expeditioufly and clearly in the way that he had Rated than in that which had been propofed on the other fide. He could not agree to the exception Rated, as to commiffions in the army l or navy. He was convinced that co.nmiffions given in the navy were given in confequentie of votes in that Houfe, and he believed that the ben mode of obtain ing a promotion in the navy was, to buy a few 1 hour* or procure Come influence in a rotten borough I—(n, no, from the Treafury Bench). He willed that the Committee would report upon Members of Parliament in the fiat place, and when that was done he did not care how much farther it was extended.— He thought that a book, containing a full account of all thole penfions and finecures, would be a moll valuable curiofity. He hoped there sroold be, at !call, this good from the publicity of fuch things— that many perfons might I•e prevented by the feel ings of !flame, from being burdens to the country, if 1 they thought their names would be expofed, and that it would be known to every body, whereas no thame can operate upon tl-ern when - they luppore it not generally known. He therefore pet-filled in his original mo.ion. Mr. BANKES ohje&ed to the motion. Referring it to the Committee of Finance was, in file, dating nothing. It was impoflible they could report. upon it till the next feffior, and p , flibly not then. t Wilt' refpeft to the Noble Lord's motion, he had fome ob jeflion to the mode, but none to the matter. He re• commended to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to tufpend his motion. Mr. CURWEN explained. Mr. SHERIDAN obferved, that he would he ex tremely furprifed if the Right Hon. Gentleman per fevered in the motion, but much more furptifed if the Houfe fhould fupport hini in it. It would, in faII, be an evalion of the original motion under the mod paltry pretences. What was the (able& of the mo tion ? It was to obtain an accnuot of the pet fcns fit ting in that Houle, who held places under the Crown. Now, the Hon. Gentleman lays, ‘‘ I'll give you mote than you require. Vitt a& for a particular, a partial, and limi , ed lid : I'll give you more. In head of cue totAred names, you Mall have ten thoufand." What was the intention of this hut to foffocate and flrangle the ohjeft which the N ble Lord had in view. The return which the Right Hon. Gentleman propofed could not be mad: in fix, eight, or pOilily in twelve months. What the fuppot ters of the motion winced to know was this, how many Members of Parliament held places under theCrjwn. lie trolled, that Miniders would not flculk and fipunt from the quetiion ; and that they would no! endea vour to frutirate the objed of the original motion. Mr. BIDDULPH thought there was a much taller way of coming at the defired information than that propofed by the Chancellor of the Ex, hequer. He could fee no reafon why a 'paper fhould not be given in at the table by each Member, exprelling the amount of the penfion held by him, or any one con netled with him. Mr. WILBERFORCE fupported the motion.— The country would have fufficient fecurity in all the great talents his Honourable Friend (Mr. Bankes) poffeffed for butinels, that the . t enqniry, if referred to the Committee of Finance, would be well con. dOted. Dr. LAWRENCE lamented that perfons who profeffect impartiality and independence fhould take fuch a circuitous mode of defeating the object of the original motion. There was nothing in the motion which was not recommended from the Throne.— The objeft of it was nothing more than to afeertain thole in that Houfe who were liable to fufpicion and popular jealoufv. The SOLICITOR GENERAL for Scotland fup ported the motion. The otiginal motion, he conten• ded, did not go far enaugh. The Noble Lnrd, in- Read of limiting his return to wives and defcendants, fhould have alto incinded collaterals. There were, io his opini ,n, a defcription of pet fons in whole fa vour influence was as likely to be exerted as in that of nearer relatives; The Committee of Finance, he was perfnaded, was fully competent to manage the I fubjea. They might not, perhaps, make the expelled return in a few days, but they would, judging by their former labours, in a reafonable time. Mr. MARTIN thought it extremely deferable to obtain an immediate report. The orders of that Houfe were much more likely to be obeyed, than the precept of a Committee. He would, therefore, fup• plait the Amendment of the Noble Lord. ' I Mr. ROSE thought the Houfe was already in' poffeflion of documents that would give as full infor. :nation on the fubjea required as any that could be produced in confequence of this Motion. Mr. CALCRAFT walled to decline the liberality of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his great readinefs to grant fo much more than the motion of the Noble Lord required ; and faid, all that was re quired, was a prompt and fimple return of the cm& laments enjoyed by Members of Parliament. Mr. ROSE explained. Mr. HELFORD thought it would be impoffibk to comply with the Motion of the Noble Lord, with. , out a Call of the Houfe. The Qeßion Was at lag put on Lord Cochrane's Amendment, which was negatived by a Majority of 161 to 60, and the •original Motion, as &aped by Mr. Pereeval, was agreed to. The Reports of the Committees of Ways and Means and Sup ply, were brought up, and agreed to; and, after foams farther routine bawds, the Houle adjourned at WC awl Twelve o'clock. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. SEVENTY-NINTH BULLETIN OF THE PRENCHARMY. " %Aka, Julie 7. - " The aCtion of Spandau and Lomitten, the battles of Guttfladt and Heiltherg were only the precnrfora of (lilt more important events. " On the 12th, at four in the morning, the French army entered Heilfberg. General Latour Maubourg purfued the enemy with his divifion of dragoons, and Generals Dorocftl and Wattier's brigade of light Ca valt y to the right bank of the Allc, near Bartennein In the - mean time, the light corps advanced in vari ous direftions, in order to pats the enemy, to cut off his retreat to Koningtherg, and get between him and his magazines. Fortune favoured the execution of this plan. 44 On the rzth, at five P. M. the Imperial head quarters arrived at Eylau. Here the fields were no longer covered with ice and fnow : on the contrary, they prefented one of the molt beautiful fcenes in na ture. The country was every where adorned by beautiful woods, interfeaed by lakes, and peopled with handfome villages. " On the 13th, the Grand Duke of Berg advan ced towards Koningfberg with his cavalry, Martha' Davotd followed to fupport him. Marfhal Soult advanced towards Creutfburg ; Martha' Lannes to wards Domnau ; Marfhals Ney and Monier towards Lampafch. Meanwhile General Latour Maubourg wrote that he had purfued the enemy's rear guard; that the Ruffians had abandoned a great number of wounded in their Right ; that they had evacuated Bartenflein, and that they had direded their retreat on Echippenbeil on the right bank of the Alle. The Emperor immediately proceeded towards Friedland. He ordered the Grand Duke of Berg, Martha's Soult and Davouft, to marrceuvre towards Koning(berg, while he advanced with the corps of Ney, Lannes, Mortier, the Imperial guard, and the fire corps, cons; manded by General Vidor, on Friedland. " On the 13th, the srh raiment of Halters enter• ed Friedland, but was driven out of that place by 3000 of the enemy's cavalry. " On the 14th the enemy advanced on the bridge of Friedland, and at three in the morning a cannon ade was heard.-- , It is a fortunate day,' laid the Emperor ; ' it is the anniverfary of the battle of Marengo.' Marfhals Lannes and Mortier were fiat engag ed, they were fupported by General Grouchy's di a• goon., and by General Nenlbuty's cnirarners. Seve • ral m-eenurts and ar9lnns took place. The enemy were hopped and c ,uld not pals the vi'lage of Pof ter.heim. Imagining that they had only a corps of about 15,000 men ()opted to them, they followed the movement. of our troops towards Koningfberg ; thus 'lie French and Saxon dragoons and cuirailiers had the opportunity i f m..king a brilliant attack and of taking four pieces of cannon. " By fie• in the evening the feveral corps were at j their app inted nations. Marthal Ney was on the right wing, blarfhal Lannes in the centre, Martha' Mortier on the left wing ; the corps of General Viaor and the guard. formed the referee. " The cavalry under the command of General Grouchy fupported the left wing. 44 The divifion of dragoons of General Latour Maub burg was behind the right wing, as a referee. General Lahaufayes' divifion of dragoons, and the Saxon cuirafliers, formed a referve for the centre. 64 Meanwhile the enemy deployed the whole of his army. His left wing extended to the town of Fried land, and his right wing a mile and a half in the other direetinn. 44 The Emperor having reconnoitred the pofition, initan:ly determined to take the town of Friedland. Then fuddenly changing his front, and advancing his right, he commenced the attack with his firft part of that wing. " About half pan five . Marfhal Ney began to move forward. Some (hits from a battery of zo cannon were the Cigna'. At the fame moment the ditrifion of General Marchand advanced, fword in hand, upon the enemy, and proceeded towards the tower of the town ; being fupported on the left by the divifion of General Bilon. 46 When the enemy perceived that Martha' Ney had left the wood in which his right wing had been polled, they endeavoured to furrnund him with fume regiments of cavalry, and 'a multitude of Coffacks ; but General Latour Maubourg's divifion of dragoons rode up in full gallop to the right wing, and repelled the attack of the enemy. In the mean time, General Vidor crated a battery of 3o cannon in the front of his centre. General Sennarmont, who commanded this battery, pufhed his works forward more than acro paces, and greatly annoyed the enemy. The feveral manoeuvres they attempted, in order to pro. duce a diverfion, were all in vain. Marfhal Ney was at the head of his troops di reeling the fmallell manoeuvres with that coolnefs and intrepidity peculiar to himfelf, and maintained that example which has always diiiinguifbed his corps among the other corps of the Grand Army. Several columns of the enemy which attacked his right wing were received with the bayonet and driven into the Alle. Thoufands found their graves in that river, and Tome efcaped by Awimming ; meanwile Martha! Ney's left wing reached the Raveline, which encircles the town of Friedland. she enemy who had polled the Imperial horfe and foot guard in ambu& there, advanced with great intrepidity, and attached Marti* Ney's left, which for a moment wavered. But Du pones divilion, which formed the right wing of the refarve, fell upon the RulEin Imperial guards, de feated them and made a moil dreadful (laughter.— The enemy fent forward feveral other corps from his centre, to defend Friedland :—viin efforts ! Fried land was forced, and its beets harmed with dead bodies. The centre, commanded by Mar!hal Lannes, was at the fame time engaged. The attempts which the enemy had made upon the right wing, being fruftrated, he wilhed to try the etre& of limilar efforts upon our centre : he wag, however, fuitably received by the brave divifions of Oudinot and Verdier, and the Commanding Martha). " The repeated attacks of the enemy's infantry and cavalry were incapable of obffruCting the march of our columns, all the powers and all the courage of the Ruffians were exerted in vain. " Martha) Mortier, who, during the whole day, had given great prritifs of codnefs and intrepidity, in fupporting the left wing, now advanced, and was in his turn fupported by the fufileers of the guard on• der the command of General Savary. The cavalry, infantry, and artillery—all on this occafion, gene rally diflinguithed themfelves. " The Imperial bode and font guards, and two divifions of the firft corps, were not in the aetion.-- The victory was never for a moment doubtful. The field of battle is horthle to behold. It is not too much to eftimate the number of the dead on the fide of the Ruffians, at from fifteen to eighteen thoufand. The number of dead on the French fide was five hundred, but we have three thoufand wounded.— We have taken eighty cannons, and a great ni mhta. of Military elicits. A great number of standards have alto fallen into our hands. There are twenty five of the Ruffian Generals either killed, wounded, or taken. Their cavalry has differed an incalculable lots. " General Drouet, Chief of Martha! Lannes's corps ; General Cohorn ; Colonel Regnaud of the ph of the line; Colonel Lajonquiere of the 6oth ; Colonel Lamotte of the 4th dragoons; and Brigadier Genetal Brunryn, are wounded. General Latour Maubourg is wounded in the hand. Deffourneaux, Colonel of the artillery; Hutin, Chef d'Efquadron, and firft Aid de Camp of General Oudenot, are killed. TW;) of the Emperor's Aids de Camp, Mou ton and Lacole, are (lightly wounded. " Night prevented us from purfuing the enemy: they were followed until eleven o'clock. During the remainder of the night, the cut off columns tried to paf. the Alle at feveral fordable place , ., and next day we law military chews, cannon, and harnefs, every where in the river. " The battle of Friedland is worthy to be num bered with thole of Marengo, Aufterliz, and Jena. The enemy were numerous, had fine cavalry, and fought bravely. " Next day the enemy endeavoured to affemble on the right bank of the Alle, and the French army made manatuvres on the left 6:ink to cut them off from lioningtherg. The heads of the columns ar rived at the fame time at Wehlau, a town fituated at the confluence of the Alle and the Pregel. The Emperor had his head quarters in the village of Pe. terfwelde. " The enemy having deftroyed all the bridges took advantage of that obfiacle, at day break, on the 16:h, to proceed on their retreat towards Rutile. At eight in the morning the Emperor threw a bridge over the Pregel, and took a pofition there with the army. " Almoft all the magazines which the enemy had, on the Alle have been thrown into the river, or burnt. Some idea may be formed of the great ex tent of their lots by what yet remains to us. The Ruffians had magazines in all the villages, which, in their paffage, they every where burnt. We have, however, found more than 6coo quintals of corn in Wehlau. 66 Koningfberg was abandoned on the arrival a the intelligence of the battle of Friedland. Martha] Soult has entered that place, where much wealth has been found. We have taken there tome hundred thoufands of quintals of corn, more than 20,0c0 wounded Ruffians and ?ruffians, all the ammunition which England had fent to the Ruffians, including 160,000 mufkets, which had not been landed. Thus has Paovsnrece puniflied thofe, who, inßead of negotiating with good faith to bring about a falutary Peace, treated that objet with der ilion, and regarded the repofe taken by the Conquerors, as a proof of timidity and weaknefs. 66 The army is now in a delightful country. The banks of the Pregel are rich. In a fhort time the magazines and cellars of Dantzic and I(4lring'berg will afford us new refources of fuperfluity and health. The names of the brave men who have dillinguillted themfelves, cannot be contained in one bulletin. The Staff is employed in colleting their dead. 64 The Prince . of Neufchatel gave extraordinary proofs of his zeal and knowledge in the battle of F r iedland. He was frequently in the hotteft part of the aftion, and made arrangements which were of great advantage. 66 It was on the sth the enemy renewed hoßilities. Their lots in the ten days which followed their fiat operations may be reckoned at 60,000 men, killed, wounded, taken, or otherwife put bon rde comic!. A part of their artillery, the neceffary fuppllies of mill. Lary floret, and all their magazines, on a line of more duo forty milts, arc loft to them. The Fireeh army [7 NM parr