Star. — London, England, 1807-03-09 00:00:00

THE SL.IVE TRADE BILL. The Public know our &ailments on this important queition, and that we heartily applaud the determination that Parliament has come to, to put an end to this iniquitous trace. We think k but fair, however, that the fentiments of thole who would pre fer fame other method to gain the fame delirabh obJcm &mild be fairly fisted to the Public. his for this ratan that we here fabjoin a more ample detail than has appeared in any of the Newhispars of the Speech delivered by Mr. Annul &TON iu the Debate of Friday night, and which the preffare of other mat ter obliged us very much to curtail in our lalt. Mr. ADDINGTON rofe to fupport the amend ment. He Paid that he had been anxious to offer himfelf early in the Debate, in confequence of what had fallen from him at the elofe of a former one, when it would be recolleCted that the only ground on which he Paid he could confent to wave his oppofi tion to !the Bill proceeding another Rage, was the intimation given by his Right Honourable relation (Mr. Bathurß), of moving an amendment fimilar to that now propofed by the worthy Baronet. The eonfißency of this courfe was obvious, becaufe Gen. tlemen would fee that the Committee was the only Rage in which the amendment, which had been pi-opt:fed as one of the meafures for gradually extin- Ruithing the Slave Trade, could be moved. In this age of the Bill he fhould purpofely avoid any gene ral difcuffion of the principle of the Bill, which might more properly, perhaps, be done on future melt- Roos ; though be was perfedly aware that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Ward) who had done himfelf fo , much credit in his firß effort in that Houle, was Rrialy in order in doing fo ; but he fhould confine himfelf clotely to the amendment, and to Come ob fervations which, in his view of the fubjeft, were ne ceffarily connected with it. The Houfe wiinld recollea that his Right Honour. able relation, looking in common with almoll every Member of the Houle to the attainment of this great moral and national objeft, had fuggefled various riseafures for its accompliflsment, in which he entirely concurred. He propofed to make the Bill of laR year, which prohibited the addition of any new (hips to the trade, permanent ; to impofe annually encreaf ing duties on every nave imported to the Well In. dies ; and to fix the time beyond which it fhould not be allowed to exit'. Its gradual diminution would thus immediately commence. To the amendment now propofed, confidered as a fubßantive meafure, be was fully aware of the objeilions that might be made, but none is it as an auxiliary one. It might be fairly Paid, you have tried it already, and it has completely failed: it had been tefolved in 17ot, on a motion of Mr. Dundas, that the trade fhould crate to exill in zBOO, and it had notwithftanding furvived that period. It might alfo be fairly argued, that the horrors of the trade would be increafed between the interval of the paffing the All and the period of its extinelion, by the increafed number of flaves that would be imported into the iflands during that pe riud. Both thefe objeaions, however, would be en tirely obviated by the adoption of the other meafures that had been fuggefled, and which he would readily pledge himfelf to bring forward this very Seflion, if be could entertain any hope that this amendment would be carried. Mr. Aoritawrox expreffed his aftonifhraent that he, and thofe with whom he ailed, fhonld be charged as being AntinboHamill:. Did the Hcn. Gentleman who intimated this, prefume to fay, that, becaufe they differed as to the mode, they were not as fincere as thole who propofed this violent proceeding ? He denied that any one meafure of gradual abolition, properly fa called, had ever been yet tried by Parlia ment. Could that term be applied to the Refolution of 1791 ? No fuch thing ; it was to all intents and purpofes abfolnte abolition, though at a dillant pe riod. Had he been then in the Houfe, he fhould have fupported that meafure, not becaufe he thought it the bed, but preferable to immediate abolition.— On that ground it had been fupported by a Noble Relation of his, who had at the fame time declared his preference to the adoption of encreafing duties.— The fituation which he then held in the Chair had alone precluded him from bringing it forward as a direct propofition. In the year 1796, Mr. A. (aid, that he himfelf had thrown out for the confederation of the Houfe the pairing an Ad, for annually en creafing the proportion of the tonnage of (hips em ployed in the trade to the naves conveyed in them, by which befides, the horrors of the middle paffage would be gradually abated. Had either of thefe plans been adopted, at this moment there would have been no Slave Trade to difinfs. It was impof fible that it could have long furvived them. He confeffed he thought Bill further meafures ne eeffary. If the Bill was meant to force the Planters to adopt humane regulations, he thought it might be done by a WI violent and equally effeanal mode.— In tßox. after the Peace of Amiens, his Noble Reia tion had given a formal notice of his intention of moving in the next Seflion, for a Committee to ex amine into the flare of the Slave Trade. This was unfortunately precluded by the recurrence of the term, which all feemed to agree rendered that time improper for the invefligation. Had it been entered into, perhaps he might have brought forward what be was now about to fliggeft. He had waded through all the mafs of evidence brought before the Hook for the lalt twenty years, beginning with the Report of the Privy Council in 1788 ; and had found it contradiCtory throughout, both as to matter of opi nion and of FA. This he defied any Gentleman to contradia. For many years pall, nothing that could he caned new evidence had been produced ; and, from phyfical mites alone, greit ch*pges mutt have taken place in the Minds : we were thus work jog quite in the (lark. He fhould propofe a Parlia mentary Commiffion, confifling of four or five of the bell chofen individuals, for talents, experience, and indullry, to be fent nut to examine into the flare of Slavery in every Mind in all its details, and di reeled in their Report to the Houfe to fuggeft Inch regulations as they might confider proper for each. There fhould be referred to a Seidl Committee, by whom they might be altered and improved.— Such regulations fhould be tianfmitted, under the folemn authority of the Legiflature, to the Governor of each ifland, to be recommended to the Colonial Legiflatures, with a dilluift decimation, that impor tation fhould be prohibited into that ifland which re filled or neglected to adopt them. Thus would legal elk/Lion be caiplOyed, awl the agitation of the quef tion or our right to leFidate far the Colonies be avoided ; a queftion whist he hoped he Gould never hear difcuffed in Parliament. Of the fuecefs of this meafure be entertained not the fmalleft doubt ;--and it might go hand in hand with the others that had been fuggefted. Mr. AbninoTow laid, that he had thought It his duty, at all events, to fubmit thefe confiderations to . the Houk. With the .. .WO India-Gentlemen be was wholly unconneded ; and he miffed that the Houfe would do him, and thofe with whom he ailed, the juftice to believe, that the courfe which they had for so years invariably purfued in this great quellion was on public grounds alone. Had his opinion been hafti• ly taken up, he might have been difpofed to miftruft it ; differing, as he unhappily found himfelf, not only from thofe eminent individuals with whom it was hi, happinels to be politically conneded, but from many whom he revered and loved on both fides of the Houle. He was firmly of opinion that the courfe of proceeding, which be took the liberty of recommen ding, would obviate molt of the dangers and difficul ties that the more violent proceeding was expoled to, and by the adoption of which, he firmly believep the evil would be perpetrated. If the wars in Africa (which he utterly denied) were owing to the Slave Trade, time would thus be given for thofe wars gradually to fubfide, and for civiliza tion gradually to find its way into that diftrafted country ; the danger of malthcre would be precluded; the capital employed in the Trade would migrate into other directions—we fhould retain the advan tage of our humane regulations ; there would be leis ague of the Trade falling into the hand► of our vi va!: and enemies ; the formidable danger of commo tion amongft the white, and of infurredion amongli the black inhabitants of the Iflands would be avoided, a danger which be could not contemplate without the deepeft apprehenfions ; and above all the Trade it fell, which could not fail to be difgulling to every man of moral feeling, would be, not nominally, but abfolutely and utterly, extinguifhed. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. MONDAY. MARCH 9. PRICE OP STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. Confols, for money. 621—for April 631--Ousnium s pre. Exchequer Bills, par us dlt. PRICE OF STOCKS ON SATURDAY. 3 per Cent. R. An. but 3 per C. Conf. An.6alit 4 PCT Cent. thut 5 per Cent. Navy 96,} Loa's Ann. Ghat Short Ann. thut India Bonds. as. a 3s. per• bny. Ann. st 3 16ths Excheq. Bills, par ts.dif. Osmium, s if s pram. Englith Tickets t 91. s 6s. Confab fee April 6311 f We have great fatisfaition in announcing to our Readers, that molt fatisfaitory accounts were yeller day received by Government refpeaing the late ob- Rinate battle between the Ruffians and French, from which it appears the former gained A MOST IMPORTANT VICTORY OVER THE FRENCH. The Difpatches were brought by Mr. Vim's. the Mellinger. who left Peter!burgh on the lath ult. and Gottenburgh on the ill infant. in the Amity packet. Soon after the arrival of Mr. Vies. the following was circulated among the Government Offices : BULLETIN. 44 A King's Mellinger arrived this morning with " difpatches from St. Peter(burgh, communicating 4' the Official Details of the operations of the Ruffian 64 Army in Pruffia. It appears that the ardent and " perfevering gallantry of the Ruffian General has " been crowned with figrial fuccefs—for feveral fucceffive days he attacked the French Army, 1" always to advantage, but in the laft affairs to 44 their decifive defeat, they having on that occafion 44 101 l upwards of Twenty Thonfand Men, Twelve 44 Eagles, and feveral Pieces of Cannon. " Great rejoicings have taken place at St. Peed " burgh, and the City was illuminated at the depar " tare of the Meffenger." In the evening the accounts received by Govern. ment were publi(hed in the following LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. SUNDAY. MARCH 8. " A Difpatch, dated St. Peterlburgh, z 7th February aBo7, of which the following is an extraeL was this day received from the Marquis of Dount.as and CLTORSDALZ, his IWajeßy's Am. baffador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Court of St. Peterfburgh. by Lord Vircount Howlett, his Majetty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs : •' I have the pleafure of inclofing, for your Lord fhip's information, two papers, giving an account of a fignal viaory gained by the Ruffians over the French. Trannation of a letter front General Di BUDD TIM, kis Imperial Majefty'sliter for Foreign Affairs, to his Excellency the Marquis Of DOUGLAS SOW CLTDISISALI.(3)-15th Feb otBo7. " General Blloll6ltO t Minifter for Foreign Affairs, haflens to communicate to his Excellency the Am baffador of his Britannic Majefty, the following in telligence which arrived Taft night from the army " General BINSIGSIII, after having fallen back for the purpofe of chafing a pofition which he judged better adapted for manoeuvring the troops under his command, took up a pofition at Preuffich-Eylau. During four days fncceffively, his rear-guard, com manded by Major-General Base:4r sillTou.v, had to withftand feveral vigorous attacks. and on the 26th Jan. (7th Feb.) at three o'clock in the afternoon, the battle became general throughout the whole line of the main army. The conteft was deilrunive, and the night came on without the enemy having been able w gain ground. On the 27th Jan. (Bth Feb.) early in the morning, the French renewed the attack, and the anion was conceited with great obftioacy on both fides ; but, towards the evening. the enemy was! repaired on all fides, and General Basasosee re. rosined in polreffion of the field of battle. I. Bona PART' commanded in perfon,and under him blarihals AUGBILIAU, D'ATOVST, Souvr, Nav, and Reissues, at the Head of the Guards, who [offered the moll Our lots is from fix to eight thoufand men, whiff% that of the enemy is eflimated at from twelve to fifteen thoufand. We have alfo silken Twelve lead of colours, and about fifteen hundred paoners, among whom there are thirty officers. " The Courier who brought the difpatches baying been fent off immediately after the battle, the Mi nifiers of His Imperial Majsity do not yet know all the details of the above-mentioned day. "General Bunasac has the honour, &c. • Trardlation of a Letter from General the Baron de Battotosow so His Majefty the Emperor of gala, delivered by Lieutenant' Coloaellravyrzat. Aid-de-Camp to Ws imperial Majcfty. " On the lad of battle, Prenfleh-Ellan, Jan. $7, (Feb. 8), any. g' B.aa—l am truly happy to have it in my power to inform your Imperial Maleßy, that the army, the command of which your Majefty has deigned to confide to me. has been again viaorious. The battle which has jail taken place has been bloody and de. flruaire. It began on the 26th Jan. (7th Feb.) at three o'clock in the afternoon, and laßed until fix o'clock in the evening of the 27th Jan. (Bth Feb.) " The enemy was completely defeated ; one thou fend prifonert, and twelve Rand of colours, which I have the honour herewith to trartmit to your Ma jefty, fell into the hands of the conquerors. This day I:6IIAPARTI attacked me with his belt troops, on my centre, and on bath wings, but he was repulfed and beaten on all fides. His guards repeatedly at tacked my centre without the (mallet (uccef.. After a very Wilk fire, they were repuUed at all points, by the bayonet and by charges of the cavalry. Several columns of Infantry, and picked regiments of cuiraf- tiers, were dettroyed. " I (hall not fail to tranfmit to your Majelly, as loon as poffible, a detailed account of the memorable battle of Prcutlieh•Eylau. " I think our loft may perhaps exceed fix thonfand men, and I certainly do not exaggerate, when I (late the lots of the enemy at confiderably more than twelve thoufand men." From the foregoing details it appears, beyond all poffibility of doubt, that in the bloody conflkis al- luded to, the enemy, inflead of gaining any of the boated advantages Rata in the bulletins of the French army, has been completely foiled, and fuf• tamed a confiderable lofs. It was reported yellerday,that before Mr. Vic x left Pcterfburgh, a French General who had deferted had arrived there, and Paid that the French had loft near 00,000 men, by difeafe and the fword, !ince the in vafion of Poland. The nuluber may be exaggerated, but we have no doubt it is very great. The Ruffian army we do not believe exceeds too,ono, if indeed 4 be fo numerous. BOW/011TE has led into Poland at 'call s 80,000. It is probable that he had fuperior numbers in the late battle : but the Ruffian reinforce. ments are but now beginning to arrive. At the com mencement of the campaign they could not be pre pared to refill the enormous force that unexpeaedly invaded Poland. Their fuccefsful nand againft the French hitherto is wonderful, and it affords a moll flattering prefage of what they may effea, when they are more on an equality in point of numbers with their opponents. We do not believe that the French troops will be brought to fight them again with any fpirit. There is no hope of beating them but by dcf perate fighting, and that the French like only by sway of dafh. They can make a brilliant charge, but to fight with almofi the certainty of being killed, and with an antagonift that will fight till he is killed, is what foldiers of fortune do not reliflt, and indeed is hardly to be attempted by that fort of courage which belongs to refleaing men, unlefs where the motive is irrefiftible. But to maintain a warfare of this kind in Poland, for no objea but that of a leader's ambition (a matter that will now be openly difeuffed) the French army will not long confent to do. It feems very evident even now, that the French army is dill contented. BO lAPAara has repeatedly, and in vain, promifesl them winter quarters. He cannot keep his word. All the fighting force November has been with out objea ; nothing has been gained. The Ruffians, on the contrary, have gained every thing—gime, ex perience, confidence. Then the French have loft irre parable numbers, and that reputation which was worth numbers. In ill& eircumfiances, if Aunt is would aft boldly, and by a decifive movement on his rear, interpofe be tween BONAPARTZ and,France, be would be utterly ruined. The Ruffians, in his front, are a snatch for him the Aufirians, on his rear, with So or soo,ooo men, would render his efcapeimpotfible. Any other mode of proceeding will not fucceed. Agamft him every effort Would be direited ; and from his defeat every thing that the Allies could defirc mitt after wards be Et(ely obtained. If Au trig does nct kite this opportunity, the will deferve the fate which hat overtaken Pruffia, as the punitlinsent of fimilar cowardice and indecifion. The next accounts from the Continent will proba bly inform us of the retreat of the French, and that the Ruffians continue to annoy them. That fyliern of warfare mull finally prevail. It has been reported that BONAPARTE has quitted the army and left it to Mamma. It was his inten tion to leave the comMand to Masssua ; but per. haps be will not now venture to quit it, unlefs indeed he return to France to haften reinforcements, of which he Mai be to much in want. MASSENA is his belt General ; but being very unpopular with the Officers, ( it might be dangerous to employ him in the chief command in the preterit circumftancek. HOLLAND. That Bonavars has experienced a refißance, ns) which he by no means calculated when he matched his army into foland, and fuftained a lots of troops, which he finds it very difficult to replace, is proved by all the accounts from the Continent. The Lord Keith cutter from the Dutch coati, which has arrived at Yarmouth, brings accounts that no troops have been left•in Holland—all have been marched to the theatre of war, and King Louis's guard now coating of men taken from the Mips of war. We mentioned laft week that three f igates, part of an expedition, had left the Dutch ports for Batavia, &c. The frigates alluded to failed on the 2d of Fe- bruary, but have fince been compelled to return to Goree. in confequence of the heavy gales which they oxpetienced at fea ; one of them came in completely difmafted, and her companions had fufiained great injury. The embargo lately laid on all veifels in the Dutch ports, took place in confequence of the expe dition. The Naffau frigate has been reconnoitring cif the Testi for tome time pan, and in ihe beginning of the week a gun brig arrived with difpatches from the Naffau to Admiral Ruffen. in Yarmouth Roads, er pin ins h i m of the movements of the enemy in the Tele', and advifing that the men of war in the Diep had removed into the Outer Road, and evinced a dif pofition to put to fea. General Daendels, and another General Officer were on board, and they had with them a confiderable number of troops. About the Both ult. orders were publifhed by the Commander in Chief, that no perfon belonging to the expeditioa fhould be permitted to fleep on fhore, on any account whatever. Whether the expedition has failed, or has been prevented by the return of the frigateh we have not afcertained ; but we know that the embargo has been taken ol.and Admiral Ruffell has difpatched a fufficient force to cope with it. fitould it put to ha. By the Lord Keith, accounts have been received, that on the isth ult. the Utrecht frigate failed from Helvoet full of men—dellination not known. Two other frigates and a large (hip Hill remain in that harbour. Some French and Dutch Papers, but without (cries and conneOion, have reached town fince our The French Papers are for the mot} part the Journals of minor reputation. Thu.: is but one Moniterr ; little is contained in it but what the Public has already learned from the Papers before received. It is ftrongly reported in Paris, and indeed appea I to be generally credited, that Martha' Mutest —the Grand Duke of Berg, as he is called—has died c f the wounds be received in the battle of Eylau; and we are the more induced to attach fome weight to this report, as we underftand that fomething of the fame nature has been received by the Dorfet Packet. The Moniterr, indeed—the one to which we allude — does not mention it, but obferves generally, that there are fome very abfnrd reports in circulation refpeeing the late battles of the French armies—that, by the condefcenfion of the Emperor, the French have re• gular and official narratives of whatever occurs—and that if they choofe to believe more than is contained in thefe narratives, which are drawn up on the fpot, and publifheal in the face of the whole army, they deferve to be deceived for their folly and credulity. The Minor French Journals, which (peak with more freedom—if not with equal authority with the lifessiterres—are filled with the details of the late alto• cities, as they call them, in Heffia ; they concur, however, in the afertion, that tranquillity is reftored but that the intrigues of a faithlefs enemy are bill at work in other parts of Germany. It would fees; by this that the difcontent had fpread beyond its firft limits; and that every thing was not according to the French willies in the other German States. The Dutch Papers, moreover, contain a Rata:mar that Witteravia, on the banks of the Main, were in the hands of the inlurgents ; and that in Weimar, Gotha, and other Duchies on the banks of that river, a fyttens of organized revolt called for the vigilance and energy of a military government. If thefe (Lau. meats are to be relied upon, much may be expetited from this fiate of things. On Monday laa a very large balloon was inflated in the Duke of Yoac's Gardens, in the Stable Yard, at eleven in the morning, in the prefence of his Ro)al High=Cs, General Goa Dom , and feveral other petit na of dinineion. It rote in the mole tnajeftic Kyle, cot.. tinned fairly in fight for about the (pace of fire mw notes, and then took a fonthern dire/lion, at an im mac height above the earth. The experiment was performed by a Gentleman of diEtinaion. It has not face been heard where the balloon kn., I