Star. — London, England, 1807-05-02 00:00:00

i FROM THE MAIN, APRIL Is. The public paper,a(fert. that in cafe of Atoll 4 being.inv‘lved in a war, four different armies will be emploreaonvier the Archdukes Charles, John, Maxi roil;an. ,fid " THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. SATURDAY, MAY s. ?WE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK Coto's, for money. 641—May 634-omn!urn rti pr. Exchequer par. to is pt.& A very heavy firing was heard at Dover yefterday o wning, from the French coalt, whin lifted for about twn hours—the caufe not yet known. Some fuppufe that it was an announcement• of a viltory claimed by the Fr ench: others imagine it Might have b e en necafioned by one of our cruisers drifting in reach of the batteries. Report flares, that on the preceding day, the JACKAL!. gun-brig fell into the enemy's hands by an accident of this kind. She had got becalmed, clofe in.with the French flume, and was captured by Come gun boats which came out of Calais. FOREIGN JOURNALS. Hamburgh Papers to the 23d, and Dutch to the 27th ult. arrived laft night. We were prepared by former accounts, to hear that the Emperor of Russia, and the Grand Duke CONSTANTINII, had joined the Army. This event, we learn, took place early in April. The Grand Duke carried with him to the Army, in Poland, a reinforcement of 30,000 men. Every preparation is making for a great and pro. bably a decifive battle. All hopes of peace, of which there were various rumours, Teem to have v Jointed. The garrifons of Cnlberg and Dantzic have been teinforced by fame Ruffian regiments. The ga.rdons of thefe two places may be etlimated at from forty to fifty thonfand men. The French have quitted Harnburgh, and ate en deavouring to form :;n army in the Mecklenburgh territory, urder the hourly terrors of an expedition from this country. The Swedifh troop!, we are forty to Date, have met with a reverie. Flufhed vr: , h their fuccefs in obliging t h e enem y t o ' , l ife the liege of Stralfund, they ad vanced into the Pruffian territory, with too little caution and inn little force. They have been punifhed for their careleffnefs and temerity. They were at tacked on the 16th ult. by &kerma, who afTembled all his force, and railed the blockade of C ,, lberg for that purport, and drove them acrofs the Pecne, with the lots of fix pieces of cannon, and upward* of tOOO prifoners. The accounts from Connantinople Date, that a Ruffian fquadron, confining of ten fail of the line and eight frigates, with a number of troops on board, bad arrived at the entrance of the Dardanelles. The rorte, in confequence, teems to be under Come appre benfions, that they may loon have another vifit from the Britifh fleet—joined by the Ruffian (hips. The French, vexed at the fpirited oppofition of the Emperor of all the Ruffias to the boundlefs ambi tion of NAPOLEON, vent their fpleen in publaing • pretended letters from Petetfburgh, complaining of " the preffure occafioned by the war, the inDitution of a Committee of Public Safety, the arreft of perfons of refpeetability on the pretext of correfponding with the enemy, &c." It is curious to fee this exampli fication of public mifery. Where did the writers find the prototype ? We almoft wonder they did not, among other evils, enumerate a Revolutiogary Committee and guillotins in conflant reqnifition. Tas VOLONTallig.—lt will be Peen by the follow ing communication, which has been made by Lord HAWUSIURY to the Lords Lieutenants of Counties, that a very contiderable change is to be made in the military fyftem of the lafi Adminiilrati rn ; and that the Volonteers are to be put nearly upon the footing of their fiat etlablithment (CIRCULAR). " MT Loso, Whitehall, April 25, tSoy. 1S fits KV' being impreffed with the omit favoorable opi Dion of the value and importance of the Volunteer farce of the (hilted Kingdom, of the good order and clifeipline of a conhderable proportion of them, and of the zeal and alacrity which they have all invariably inanife fix.' on every r ceafirm in which their fervices have been required, is dtfirou , of affortii.:g to them every encou ragement which a due confideratinn of the other branches of the Military Service, and an attention to poblic economy,will permit. " Ha has therefore commanded me to acquArn you, for the in formation of the different Volunteer Corps withi:t your County, that it is his intention to pr-pofe to Patli. - ment. that the pay and allowances fettled for the Yeomanry, Cavalry. and Volunteer In- i Pantry and Artillery, by the regulations of July, 'BO6, and which werziutendel at that time to be granted to I hofe men only who had been enrolled antecedently t ) the 24th of luly,tSo6, thould In futate be extetild to all Volunteers who may have been enrolled iaVequent ta the period, or who may be enrolled hereafter, pro Tided the refpeaive edabliffiments of Volunteer Corps be not i:irrehy exceeded. "His Majeity entertains the molt fanguine hopes that the adop tion of this mew ore will have the eff:d of preventing the gradual deehee of the Yeomanry and Volunteer Corps, and that it will hattilb a (trout inducement to the Officers commanding thole collar to maintain them in a Rate of efficiency and good order. .` As the enitploynttnt of infpecling Field Officers in a due pro po,tiun appears to his Nlajefty's Government to be dietitian, sw edey tor prefervieg the Volunteer force in a ftate of efficiency, sod for enabling his Majefty's Government from time to time to form so accurate judgment of the condition, numbers, and good Grad of the refpective Corps, it is his Majelty's intention to ap point, without delay, a certain number of perfons to execute the +ludo of Infpeding Field Officers in the different dittridts. " There are many other eir cuniltances eonneded with the Vo lunteer Eftabldhotent upon which I have received reports from fewral quarters, which are under the confideration of his Majef cp.& Government, and upon which it may be neeeftlay for me to make Come further communication to you hereafter ; but it has Bien deemed important that no time (hould be loft in communica ting to you his Majefty's determination upon the above points. " I have the honour to be, my Lord, " Your Lordthip's molt obedient humble Servant. (Signed) " HAW ILESSURY." " Tobis Majelty's Lieutenants of eendu In Great Britain." NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH. MAY r. • Arrived the PLUTO Hoop of war, from a eruize. Sailed the Srainnews gun brig, With a fleet of tranf ports under convoy for Guernfey and Cork. His Majefly!s 'hip HallaLD is appointed couvoy for the Mediterranean.—Wind S. E. DOVER. MAY t. It h repotted that the JACKAL& gun•brig was yet . - terday captured off Calais by fome gun-boats which came out of that port to attack her, The being be calmed dole in with the (bore, and unable to get out. A very heavy firing was heard here this morning from the French coal, the caufe not yet known.— Paired by this day, the (hip Mercurius, Captain Ca st? at Lt., from Copenhagen, bound to Santa Cruz. —Wind E. S. E. and moderate. DEAL, MAY z. Sailed through the Downs lan night, from the River, the Duke of York, TOMLIN, for Dublin.— Artived this morning the Explotion bomb, from Portfmouth, with a convoy, which are failed fur the River.—Wind N. E. LLOYD'S LIS T. GRAVESEND, MAY I —Sailed, the Marquis of Huntley. More• ton; London, Brown; and the Caledonia, Miller, for Africa. MEBTISG AT THE ST. ALBAN'S TAVERN. A numerous attendance of Lord Counter/es friends, purfuant to public notice, took place yeller day at the St. Alban's Tavern, about two o'clock, when Mr. Wit LOCK (of Golden Square) having taken the Chair, Lord Coon All a raid, he felt it his duty, in mire qrience i f having offered himfelf a Candidate for the City of We:1111;11(1er, to Rate his principles to the Elea - 11.s. His fiat leading principle was, to fupport any nreafore in Parliame-•t, whoever might bring it forward, that tended to promote the fitbflantial in terelt of the Country. He would be always ready, in the fame manaer, to oppofe the machinations of party, and the intrigues of faaion. It was on this ground he gave his vote on au important queflion, brought forward by the lore Minifies, he meant the abliraCt proporoion, " that the King could do no wrong"—but that Rill, as wrong may he done, the King mull have relponfible advifcrs. Though he ac knowledged the principle, yet he law mifchief in its effeas, it the question were carried on that occafion ; he named. that the intention of the party was to prefs his Majefly on an ablfraft point, with a view of accomplifliing a fallious purpofe, and not from any motive of maintaining the purity of the conflitu tion. Under fuch circumltances, he felt himfelf called on to vote with the prefent Adminitiration on chat tingle p int. It was the only vote he gave dur ing 'he thou time he had the honour of a feat in Parliament, and he hoped he fbould never have caufe to regret the part he had taken. He had made up his wind, after maturely confidcring the fubjea, and upon conviaion that the King had aCted contli tutionally in difmiCling Minitters, who had tent in a declaration which made their profeffions of giving up the Catholic queflion extremely fufpicious. His /414. jeily was juflified therefore in requiring from them a pledge, as a kind of lecurity agairdt their declara tion. This was his view of that tranfaaion, and he voted accordingly. Some perfons objelted that naval men were not fit, from their fituations, to hold feats in Parliament ; but he was convinced that naval men ought to have feats, becaufe they were more ca. pable than others of Rating the abates and grievances which might exill in their department. He had no hefitation to fay, that more important fervice might be rendered in three hours by a naval man on naval affairs in the Houfe of Commons, than by a perfon of another calling during a whole feflion. —But he might be afked why he flood for Weft mintier ?—his anfwer was, that, by reprefenting fuck a City, he would be more independent. He would Rate unequivocally that, in his opinion, all rotten boroughs ought to be disfranchifed; for to their baneful influence he attributed the peculation, corruption, and other evils which affliacci the coon try.—( Great parafier). He differed widely, however, from Sir Francis Burdett, who thought that corrup tion would ultimately lead to the regeneration of the countt y. What was corruption to deftroy every thing at prefent, in the hope that, when it exhaulled its means, a new order of things would arife, which mutt give up all thole bleffings in praeice, which only exilled theoretically at prefent ? He was of opi niJn, on the contrary, that though the torrent could not be tletnrned, yet that we may turn it, and thus check, in the firfi inßance, if we could not effeaually (top, devallation and ruin. The Noble Lord then entered into a detail of abufes which exilled in the dock-yards, under the late Lords of the Admiralty, and Rated grievances in the Naval Hofpitals, which lie meant to bring before Parliament. He had it alfo in contemplation to propofe a meafure, the objea of which fhould be, to attach refponfibility to fome per fon or perfons, whenever an officer in the army might be difmiffed the fervice by his Majelly, without a charge exhibited againa him, or being tried by his Military Peers. Mr. FELIX MECARTHY here afked his Lordfhip, what his opinions were as to the Catholics, becaufe if they coincided with his opinions, his .Lordflup fhould have his vote and intereft. LordCocH a AN a replied, that hewas as great a ftiend as any man could be to the Catholics of the Empire ; he was aware that the lower orders of the Catholics in Irelandwere greatly oppreffed by tythec, which h; did not think they fhould be called on to pay. They did not receive inflruaion or proteaion of any kind from the Proteßant Clergy ; he thought it unjaft and oppref five, therefore, to make the poor labourer part with the tenth of his fcanty crop of popatoes in order to fupply the Clergyman with luxuries. Thefe and other grievances called loudly for redrefs. As to the quef tion afked by Mr. M'Carthy, he would f►ankly ac knowledge, that he felt extremely lorry in not being able to give up the prejudice of early education, which inculcated and impreffed on his mind the fu premacy of the Pope, and the belief of the Catholics that the Pope could abfolve them from their oath of allegiance. It was on this ground he felt it his duty not to agree in allowing Roman Catholics to hold commit ions in the navy. The ties of religion were Rronger then thnfe of an♦ other kind, and, if aced on in the navy by Catholics, might produce the greateff injury. Macaatuy in explanation, Rated, that the Catholics of the prefent day had formally abjured the fupremacy of the Pope, and had, by a declara tion prefented to the Parliament of Ireland, protelied againa and difarowed it in the molt unequivocal and folemn manner. The CH•IRMAII then prrpofed the Noble Lord as a fit perfon to rcprefent the City of Wefisninaer in Par liament, which was feconded, and feveral refolutions then were put and agreed to, for the arrangement of the canvas and eleition. His Lordfhip then thanked tht Electors for their attendance ; after which the meeting broke up. I (hill again prefent articles of, impeachment again 4 him. As eb .the cry ofµ No Popery !" and the Church beidg in danger, I mutt fay that tilde wiles think In, mull fee with different ekes, and judge %lath different opiniohs, than I dn. If I am returned to the Huufe of Commons, I am by my oath bound to rapport the Protelant religion, and that oath I (hall certainly adhere to; but if any degree of toleration can with Way be given to Catholics, as Well as other religions fells, I certainly will give it. (: orniarelomationr.) I conceive that every man ought to be the keeper of his own confeience, and ought to go to Heaven in his own way. Shall I then give my voice to add to a cry that is falfe and unfounded in every refpea No, Gentlemen, I !ball never content to do fo. As to the bill which has occafioned the late change, that bill did not tend to give Catholics any preponderance, or improper advantage ; it went not to ameliorate their fituation in that unhappy country called Ireland, where the peafantry arc trampled down, ard the middling claffes diarefft.d. This bill I fay was to remedy nothing. The populace have been deceived and duped in having been led to believe that the bill fo brought in, was to overturn all religious founda tions, or to tame popery over our heads. It was one of the word alts of the late Miniary, a bill of &lotion, holding out bile hopes, and lit log up the cup to the parched lips of expeaancy, in order to be dallied to the ground. But Rill, Gentlemen, I think that the men who had not the contlancy and petit verance to go through with it, delayed the reproba , trop of ever y honeft man in the country, if they in their c airciences believed it to be one that was likely to be attended with beneficial effects to the country. I believe that no man has attended more to that bill than I have done. h was to do this—lt was to put a certain degree of power in the hands of the Mini tiers; by giving them the fupport of certain Catholic families, who had interea in Borooghs ; but with re. fperlt to giving freedom to the Catholics, it had no more to do with it than it had to do with the Mufful. man Religion. It alfo put a greater degree of power into the hands of the King, while at the fame time it did not force the King to employ the Catholics any more than before. He had QUI the option of em ploying them or not, as he has in regard to the em ployment of Hanoverians, of Muffulmen, or of In dians. Shall I, Gentlemen, for the fake of a few votes, propagate falfehood and delufion throughout the country ? No, Gentlemen, I (hall never do fd ; but, as far as my voice can go, I !hall intilt that that Bill was in no degree formed to-introduce the Catho lic, or to degrade the Proteftant Religion. It only tended to place power in the hands (tithe Mini fiersand of the King, i hout being effenrial or beneficial to the people of Ireland." Mr. PAULL, after a few further obfervations, con. eluded a fpeech, which was rapturoufly applauded by all prefent. Mr. GIPSINS was anxious to ll'ave the propofition for putting i:im en the Committee felprnded, until he luny exp:aiaed the realms which had fii ft induced him to take an anise part for the deferice of the rights of Weltritinacr. The juggle which had been attemired on the former mention, had decided him boldly to ads ()eve the cattle of Mr. Paull. Mifcreants had fince aatilAtted to him improper motives; but when the voice of his fellow Eleaors went with him, he confipmfd the calumny to contempt and detefta tion. (Hear! 1-har !) The healths of Mr. Gibbons and the Committee were drank with great applaufe. Mr. Paula. rae to prpore the health of an aftive friend, and meritorious individual, and declared his with to depart, after he had drank the health of Mr. Power. That Gentleman returned thanks; and was, on the departure of Mr. Paull, unanimoufly called to the Chair, in the poffctlion of which we left him. Yelerday morning, about half pall nine o'clock, Lord CATHCART had an audience of the KING, at Wiwi!for; after which. his MAJESTY let off iJT Lon don, and arrived at the Q2een's Palace at half pit twelve. At twn o'ckck, her Royal Hightters the Princefs of WALF s arrived at the Q2eeti's Palace, from Blackheath, accompanied by the Marchionlis of Towtitsu k ND. Her Royal Highnets. immediately had an interview with MAJESTY, which continue.l near an hour. Hcr Royal Highnefs then returned to Blackheath. We have authority to fay, that the Eleetion for (he Univerfity or Cambridge has been fixed br the Vice- Chancellor for Ft iday, the Bth of May, and ant 'or Thurfday, the 7th, as fome accounts from Cambridge have erroneoufly (laced. The (hip Eurydice, Captain CIoMPT(I/8. from Suri nam for London, was (poke with all well an the zBth ult. off Seaford. The Recovery, Fe wwice, from Honduras, arrived in the River; faded on the 14. th of February, and left there the [lobelia, SIMPSt.N, for the Clyde ; Fame, --, for Dublin ; and the George, —, for Liverpool.—There would be no convoy till. April; bat partial convoy was expeeted in about a fortnight. Yederday Colonel Svmss. late Member for Hey. .:teibury, was, by the improper conduit of a drayman, thrown out of his carriage and received fame injury, but not of a ferrous kind. lls'ofritur a ,`ociL :—The old proverb is undorib'e.dt. true ; but it is not applicable to Alderman HANK EY, in his canvas for the honour,of reprefentinA the City in Parliament. The worthy Alderman has formed no alliance whatever with any of his competitors— He Rands on independent grounds, trolling for luc cefs to•the etleem and confidence of his fellow Citi. zens, without prefuming to interfere with their opinions as to the pretentious of the other Candidates —On the fubjeCt of the late Addrefs, it is known to every one that the Alderman's fentiments tor. re(ponded with thole of the great Body cf the Corporation: 'he voted for the Addrefs, and was one of the Aldermen who prefented it to his Ma. jelly, a fa& of itfelf fufficient to undeceive the few who may have been miilcd by an oppotite infinuation. —For an aufwer to the enquiry, whether the Al derman is a Member of the Whig Club ? if the queriA will apply to the Prefident, he will be in formed that Alderman HAN K Y is not, and never was a Member of that Aflociation. He has openly Rated his political fentiments, in his public Addrefs to the Worthy and Independent Livery, and his Friends are tully confident that his ccnduet will always correfpund with his prefeffions. MR. PAULL'S DINNER. Mr. Pautt.'s friends, to the number of between two and three hundred, met at the Crown and An chor Tavern yeßerday, and dined together.—Mr. PAULL in the Chair. ‘g The Health of the King, Lords and Commons," were drank with duce times three. Shortly after dinner, Mr. PAULL mentioned that Mr. Jots ES BURDETT wi thed to make Gone explanation to the meeting on the part of Sir F. Bumps-yr. Mr. Jort ss Bosom then came forward and Rated, that his brother was anxious to have the ap parent inconfißency in his conduit explained. The fad was, that he had never given the flightell autho rity to have his name ufed upon the Winds of this elation, as would appear by the two following !ems from Sir F. BURDETT, the one to Mr. PAULL, and the other to the Eledtors of Weliminfter: To the Elecrtors of Wellminfter, affembled at the Crown and Anchor Tavern. " [NT LWM EN••••1 am exceedingly diftreffed by the difagreeahle neceffity impofed upon mc to eantradid thus publicly the implied import of the two advertifements by which you are called together this day. They were both infected without any communication with me ; anti never should have bed inferted, if any means had been afforded me of preventing it. As loon as I knew of the fiat Advertifement, placing mc in the Chair, I wrote the following Letter to Mr. Paull." TO Mr PAULL. MAI PAULL, Wimbtedon, April 29. " Y ur Letter this morning oecafioned me great fury ize, and to (peak the truth, lonic difpkafu re. I mull fay, that to have my name publified for meetings (like " Such a day is to be ken the great Caterfelto!') without my previous cor.fent, or any applica tion to me, is a circumstance I Ihould really, from any one elfe, regard as an itAilt. You were acquainted with my fentiments and detrinination not to do any thirg, even for my own Elec tion; ant I should have tht , u6ht matt have been ctolfequently aware of th! impofliiiiiity of my coming forward iu any body' s elfe, I yielded to yoar d, the that I (twat noaduate you. although I fluted much rather 41V , ..1. 1 eVI . II that; but as I highly approve your cundu: la, not obits& to Ord one act, a- a public testimony of fuels approli.e.lon, in EA; you think It (which I do nut) of any importance—Lut to •hat tin,ac ad I mutt unitive tnyfelf, or be es poled to be reproached and jattly, with incontiftency and Icily. I (hall pay the greatett attention to Cobbett's promifed letter; but my own mind is quite made up ; the Ccuntry cannot be ferved by taking a p art, and therei , y aiding, to the didufion. Yuar's. not vvittittznding, veryTuder..ly, " FRANCIS IsURDET " The advertifement 44f this day is dill more idle:dive to me it might, if not thus contradizted by me, lead many perfons to fuf peel th.it I had a difrenthled with to be elected Into Parliament, notwithflanding my public declarations to the contrary. I beg you, Gentlemen, to acecpt till, explanation from me, as an adt of iairnefs towars you, whild it is one of aria duty towards myklf. With every with for the happinefs and profperity of the Eli:,:turs of Weftminfter, I beg leave to lubfcribe myfelf, " Your iuuch obliged and Esitbful humble fervam. " May r, 18::.7. • "F. BURDE:I 'F." Mr. ADAM (tared, that in confequenCe of a repre fentation made early in. the week, propoting to incite Sir Francis Burdett to become a Candidate, a deputa tion had been lent to Sir Francis, to retina him to come forward for Wellmln(ler ; ha had intimated that he would not decline (landing a Candidate, but he would not fptind one guinea ; and that whether he was eleeed for Middlefex, Weilminder, or Old Sarum, he would confclentioufly do his duty, as a faithful Reward to the publ i c . The bufinefs of the Meeting then commenced, and, after the fir ft Ref()lotion was propofed. M. PAULI. rofe, and addteffed the Eledlors to the following purport :—" Gentlemen, When I was first pi-en:Poled in this place by Sir Francis Burdett, not tiz months ago, I would have flood appalled, had I not too fanguinely, and fondly, conceived, that if I had been elated, I fhould have had to battle in the Houfe of Commons, by the fide of one man at least of fpotlefs integrity. With .efpe.l to the other Can. &dates, I (hall be very short. I would alk you, on what grounds can Colonel Elliot come forward, at ter the many objeAions which ezitted againtt Mr) Sheridan ? He fays he has lived twenty years among you, and that his opinions and principles mutt be known. lam forty to fay that they are too well known for him to fucceed ; and too well known for us to troll him—(loud applauji). Th. fe who are of opinion that Sir Francis Burdett is a proper perfun for their choice, molt be of opinion that Colonel El. lint is the molt improper. What du we know of Mr. Elliot ? we have ken him a warm partizan of Mr. Pitt—we have ken him the warm partizan of Mr. Addington—we have ken him the fupporter of Lord Grenville, and in CVO); cafe cringing for fuppott— toad approbation). I (peak of him merely as a pub ic man, and not in his private capacity. In my judgment, Colonel Elliot mutt evidently pull one way, and we another. With Tetpea to the other Candidate, I mull fiy, that I have the honour. of knowing him well, and a more amiable young man, as a ftilor, and one of a more excellent heart, could not find ; hut 1 do fay, that every one of you who voted against Sir Samuel Hood, mull, upon the fame principles, vote ag,aiatt Lord Cochrane, and mull decls re him moll unfit and improper to repre fent your City of Weflininfter—(bud app/aufis).— I, upon a former occafion, told you, that the moil foul cunfpiracy that ever had been entered into, exilted againft your liberties. I was oppofed by bribery and corruption, and every fpecies of means was ufed to overfet my pretenfions to your favours. The evidence adduced urn the petition prefented to the Houfe of Commons, has proved that affertion. The Preis, too, has been completely (hut againft me, in regard to the proceedings thereupon —( Here Mr. Paul! entered into a fiatement of the evidence of bribery and Minifierial influence, which, he Paid, had come out before the Committee, upon the laid Petition). " I know," con tinued he, " perfeelly well, that all the influence of the urefent Miniflers will be exerted againll me, on account of my independent principles. Day after day has paired on, and nothing has been done in re gard to the further profecution of the Mat quit Wel lefley ; but I (ball ftill perfevere in my endeavours againit him ; fhould I be returned by your fuffrage*,