Star. — London, England, 1811-07-20 00:00:00

PP but said that political eircurnstuneew would not per mit the resumption ; and it was on 'that occasion he had said, that Bragge was a good dog, but Holdfast was a better; not, however, approving the conduct of Holdf act, but quite the contrary. His Honourable Friend', who had made such an able speech, had ex pressed his wish that the House had rather heard him (Mr. Sheridan) ; this was somewhat surprising, be cause his Hon. Friend knew that he differed from him totally in opinion.— (4 laugh.)—Before he could be convinced that Parliament ought not to interfere on t .e present occasion, he must also be persuaded that a change of system would not put an end to the means of supporting the great contest in which we were en gaged, nor disturb the whole commercial arrange ments of the country. Could any thing be more un just than to compel the public creditor to take Banks notes, and yet leave it in the power of others to refuse them in payment from him ? He, himself, had for four years encountered Mr. Pitt, and proposed resolutions as to the state of our finances, in which he had been followed by others. Upon these, Mr. Pitt had been in the habit of proposing amendments. • The great difference between them u as, as to the expenditure which would be necessary in time of peace, he con , tending that it. must be 17 millions, while Mr. Pitt affirmed that 151 millions' would be sufficient. Every pee would have thought it extravagant tu supprsy that tt e country could support an income much be yond the highest of these sums, yet now the country supeortesd an expenditure of 70 million, without the sliphiest symptem of severe injury. No one in walk- I ing the streets of this metropolis could suppose that its wealth and luxury had decre..sed ; though he la mented the divressetof the manufacturers and others, arising frees a different cause. This taught him not to be so confident with regard to financial predic tions ; and he was amazed at the warmth with which both sides, without much personal interest in the ques tion, supported their several opinions ; and with what confidence each side asserted that it was in the right. But party;feeling -bad run high on this subject (Hors, hear, from both tides). If he had wanted a proof that he was correct in what he had stated, he had it T lyw (a laugh.)—Every one was full of his own theory. If the Noble Lord whose conduct was said to have given rise to this Bill, had not written a book on the stibject, he never would have thought of distraining. Gentlemen would be divided into parties of Bankists and Bullionists, and hardly refrain from throwing their hats at each other in the street. The present Act, le believed, did no more than what was just and proper under the present circumstances. He hoped yet to see the day when the difficulty should be done away, and the ILA enabled to resume payments in cash ; but that must be under different circumstances. He could not risk the measure of fixing a time for the resumption and altering the system in our actual situation. But even the disappearance of gold was a proof of the great credit of the country. In other countries they must have gold, becau c the public credit was small. Upon the whole, he thought it too perilous to alter the system at present, when the fate, nut only of this country, but of Europe and man kind, was at stake. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT was convinced the bill proceeded on the erroneous notion held out by a Noble Lord (Stanhope) in another place, that any thing would answer for a measure of value as well as geld. But his chief object in rising, was to say a few words with regard to the case of Lord King. That Noble Lord had, from the beginning, ability and in tegrity enough to endeavour to point out the mischief which would result from this system, and to attemp: to stop its progress. Seeing no end, however, to vie destructive course pursued by the Government, he thougnt himself justified in saving his owe-property, which he bad derived from no large salaries nor pub lic plunder, of any kind. The Government ante,. however, was resolved to take the management of his estate out of his hands, and therefore supported this bill. With regard to the assertions of the Bank Di. rectors, that they had but a small interest in the Baal:, he was sorry for it ; he had rather their whole property had been in the Bank. Their command of money, from their situation, would give them a very undue influence over whatever other conerns they might be engaged in. His suspicioas of them, there ,' . fore, were rather increased titan diminished. I'he,C4 vernment and the Bank had now become partners!!! the Ministers accommodated the merchants with Ex-1 chequer bills, and the merchants accommodated the Government with loans, so that among them the whole had been converted into accommodation paper. The H'on. Baronet then ridiculed the notion of the Treasurer of the Navy, that the loss of our gold pro ceeded from the state of our commerce, of the ex changes, and of the Continent. It was impossible to believe this, when we saw other countries in our situa tion, with plenty of goldl\The whole of this difficulty had been distinctly tot etdria-logg egg ? by writers on this subject, who were Called stfeCitlaMts, because they happened to see further than their antagonists, and had eyes with speculation in them. It had been fore- 1 told that our system would go on more slowly than that of other netions,beceuse they issued to the amo nt of all their capital. But wewere in the same Sand had gone top far, perhaps, to recede. This m sure was nothing till Bank-notes were made a legal tender, and the next step would be a maximum of price. Instead of temporary expedients, the Minister ought to look the evil in the face, and adopt some fixed plan of procetding. Their maxim, however,avai sulficlo for the day is the evil the and indeed it was of W' great consequence, for the 7stem would go on till it extinguished itself. Mr. A. BARING dcated . . the stispiciofis of 1 11 the Hoinourable liaronEi, which hesahought !Aim country would not follow, until he could profits& some proof that there was cause for them. He ref seoniniendetliii&reduction of the expenses of the Goa %Trim - lent, but Tnsisted that thekktate of the public Lila:ices and debt were recoverable as they stood at, pre-vit. Thg Funding system, he srgued, was adapted to walgoof short duration, bu il t any one look ing at the country., must be inclined to 'pronounce the / l ist t re years as years of great prosperity. Not with A gtze . be.:, boryr failwr d by some against the mo tion nfl.s4 a alai:Ll& PlalAnal sioltple remedy appeared Miim to be, 'that of mating Baltic-. -notes a legal tender. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY declared, that having voted of inst the Bill in all its stages, lie had waited till this late hour, in the hopes that some of the Ho d sourable and Learned Gentlemen would have declar. I . red their sentiments upon a measure so pregnant with THE EV &NING STAR. infringements on the laws of the land. The Bill, in fact, was one which had for its object an alteration of the contracts of men ; it Wks an ex postfactolAw; and though the necessities of the State might re quire it, nevertheless it was what he had stated.— The Honourable Gentleman early in the debate had expressed a hope that some of the Law Officers would have stated the law, for at present men were left in doubt. There was nothing more mischievous than to make prominent • the defects of the law by new remedies. As the law at present stood, it was pro vided, that no person should be liable to arrest or L mesne proces, if he tendered to his creditor the amount of his debt in Bank-notes. The remedy which was apparently open to the debtor, if he did not pay in gold, was, by carrying a much greater number of Bank-notes, of the same nominal value, to mar ket, to pan , his debt, or he must be immured in Iprison for life. His Right Honourable Friend, I therefore, if he meant to give effectual remedy, must ' make Bank-notes a legal tender infinitely. With Irespect to the inn, .rations upon the Established Laws, he wished to know if the .Law Officers bad cone suited the Judges, because when he brought in his Bill to explain and amend the Criminal Laws, that was mainly objected to him, viz. that he wished to make an innovation on the law, without consulting the Judges. The great objections which were to the Bill, were those he had principally stated, and there -1 fore he should vote against it. Lott; CASTLEREAGH, in explanation of what he had stated oh a former night, said, that what he I meant by the Bank of England being allowed to pur -1 sue with energy, was this, that he conceived it more desirable that the people should rely on a moral pro tection than a legal one. Sir S. ROMILLY and Mr. SHERIDAN mutt'• ally explained. 1 Mr. TIERNEY (amidst a general call for the question) had no wish to detain the House, who, because the Attorney-General would not speak, seemed to think that he (Mr. T.) oughtente to speak, end therefore he would abstain from an enlarged view of the sub ject. He should notice the extraordinary speech of his Right Honourable Friend (Mr. Sheridan) who gave his observations evidently second-hand, not having accurately looked at the subject. He cer tainly supported the Bill, conceiving that it would induce the Bank to resume their payments in cash. Indeed in the Bullion Committee, a more sterling friend they had net. (Mr. S. observed lfe never said a word.) True, said Mr. T. the deliberations of the Committee, were at an hour too early for my Right Honourable Friend, but notwithstanding 'he concurred in all that was dune. In the prophecies which he had made from year to year fur four years, .down to 1792, of the downfall of the resources of the Country, he had failed ; for up to this period they were, according to his speech of this evening, in a flourishing, state. The tact however was otherwise, for the commerce was at a stand, the revenue giving ealy, and the Consolidated Fund last year had a de ficiency of nearly 5800,000, and the three last quar ters the deficiency was £1,800,000. The Right Hon. Gentleman then concluded, that the powers which the Bill would give to the Bank was dange rous, and he lamented that any of the Bank Dime tors should be found to give their countenance to it. The idea of compelling the people to take Bank pa. per was horrible, when the difficulties of the country were so great, that it could not afford relief to tenants nor secure landlords : that while the law stands as it does in Ireland, nothing can prevent a person from sending his guineas over there, and obtaining in re ' t:trn 256. for each in Bank-notes. It had been said i that it was necessary to carry on the war in the Penin - Isula—why so it might; but are the people of Spain disposed to sacrifice as much as those of England ? If not, he could not consent in any such war, to overthrow the public credit in England. If it was intended to brighten up the finances, and to make the enemy be. here that they were unexhausted,%hat was done al ready, by the resolution pas* thelse months ago— that Bank notes were equivalent to guineas. Mr. SHERIDAN begged to explain. His Right Hon. Friend had seemed to think that in his vote of this night he had been actuated by some improper otmotive, or one which he could not avow. Mr. TIERNEY declared he had not. He had said is Right Hon. Fr' had spoken contrary to his general sentiments, I% some reasons which he (Mr.T.) did not know. Mr. SHERIDAN said he had acted from a con scientious sense of duty. He was not aware that his Right Hon. Friend had any superior title over him self to an uniform adherence to principle. It might be true, as his Right Hon. Friend' said, that he some times voted with his friends without hearing the speech of his Right Hon. Friend. Probablia he might so have voted, in consequence of not hearing his speech— " FALMOUTH, JULY 17. (A laugh.) Ai , " Arrived this morning the Princess Elizabeth A division having taken place, there appeared— Packte, Captain Kinn, with mails from Lisbon, For the 3cl reading of the Bill 95—Against it 20-- " which she left on the sth insant, on which day his Majority 75. I Majesty's ship ALCMENE entered the Tagus, with When re-admitted into the Gallery, we found Mr. eleven transports under convoy from England. Lord BROUGHAM reading his Resolutions,lkx in nutn- WELLINGTON'S head-quarters were at Elves, while ber, the substance of which was as follov. those of the enemy under SOULT, were at Badajoz. to That any Statute which might interfere with the right of It did not appear that General Sir BRENT SPENCER ake subject to dispose of his property in whatsoever manner he • had joined Lord WELLINGTON ; he is in the North iced, or by which he might be prevented from parting with a ; Banknote on what terms lie pleased, even should he be die- : holding MARMONT in check, who, it was also reported, posed to give it for nothing, was contrary to the principles of , had joined Sowor. --General BLAKE, with 16,000 freedom in general, and those of the British Constitution in par- : SOULT has men, had marched against Seville. de titular. j tached from his army 18,000 risen to fall in with him. Ike CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER I It was not known if the siege of Cadiz was raised. saithat no one wished to oppose the inclination of . The army under SOULT has been strongly reinforced ; the Hon. Gentleman to give his Bank-notes for no- : they exceed 60,000 men. Conscripts have been marched Nhin g , but he apprehended that neither INEor any from France, and now garrison the fortresses in Spain, 9f those whet were endeavouring to depreciM them, , while the troops from thence have joined SOULT. would give them for a farthing less than the most , „ --General NIGHTINGALE came passenger in the sturdy advocate of the Bank. I packet, and went off in a chaise and four for town ino sd. That any statute, which had for its object to restrict or mediately on his landing. Strong, and immediate modify contracts between individuals, was adverse to sound principles of legisla* 3d. That any sea t had for its object to prevent the free Darlington packet was in the Tagus , and expected e schauge of Bank-nofes or the lawful currency of the realm, on reinforcements are required to meet the enemy. The to sail on the 9th instant ; the wind being favourable am twits tb might seem good to those between whom such an she may be soon expected. cafe Ace, was highly inexpedient. I tit 1 " Passengers per the Princess Elizabeth,Major Graham, Cap 4tiNh h mtalahosiept of a double price was the best tains Nixon and Montague, Lieutenants Brooke a n d Hutton." means of restoring the curreßby to its natural state. i • Sth. That no law could establish a parity of valuebetween pa. 1 ---,-- per and Geo, so that the former should not be liable to deprecia- A Gentleman, just arrived from Bilboa, which lion id Arfuture contracts. ' place he left on the 27th ult. states, that the whole of 6th. That it was the duty of the House to resist a scheme the province of Biscay was free from the French, they which went to establish an Intiersul LAW of southars., and to re- • having quitted it for the purpose of reinforcing SOULT. fuse their assent to the bill wit respestte the currency brought from the House of Lords, and framed on the same principles. 1 A Government schooner has arrived at Plymouth The Resolutions were seconded by Lord FOLKE. i front the Mediterranean on Thursday evening after sToNK, and negatived without a division.—Adjourned ',Post : she was put under quarantine immediately on at two o'clock. her arrival. LONDON. SATURDAY, StTLY PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. 3 per et Cone. for money 621--Ditto fur account 631 3 per Ct. Reduced 6343 —Navy +Spey Cent. 931 94 4 per Cent. 79+—Bonds Ili. 12s. prem.—Otnntum 13 dis. £zcheq. (3d.) par to 2s. prem.—Ditto (33d.) Ss. 6s. prem. THE KING. Welament to say that his MAJEnTY'S disorder still increases. Dispatches were yesterday sent to Town every two hours on the subject, the paroxysms having been excessive. The PAINCE REGENT, who was to have dined with Mr. PERCEVAL as this day, has sent an apology, at the same time signifying a wish to decline all dinner parties while his Royal Parent con tinues in his present alarming state. The Bulletins which have been issued since his MAJEATY'S relapse having been very interesting, we subloltk them in the order in which they were issued : " %SMMS. CASTLE, JULY 16. The symptoms of the KING'S disorder, since the late accession of it, have continued to increase, and His MAJESTY has passed a very restless night. (Signed 0 . n. HALFOIID, "W. HESERDEN, "M. RAILLIF, "R. WILLIS." " WINDSOR CASTLE, JULY 17. " His MAJESTY has had some sleep during the night, and his disorder has not increased since yester day. (Signc.l) 44 MILLIE, " lIEBRRDEN, 44 WILLIS." " WINDSOR CASTLE, JULY 18. " His MAJESTY has had some sleep in the night, but he is not better this morning. (Signed) " BAILLIE, lIEBERDEN, WILL I I . S." " WINDSOR CASTLE, JULY 4 9. 14 His MAJESTY has passed a sleepless night, and is not better this morning. (Signed) 1144 H. lIALFORD, "W. HEBERDEN, " It. WILLIS." " WINDSOR CASTLE, JULY 20._ 46 The Kixo has had several hours sleep in the course of the night, and his MAJESTY is in no respects worse this morning. (Signed) " 11. HALFORD, "W. lIEBERDEN, 44 •I. BAILLIE, "R. WILLIS." A heavy firing was again heard all day yesterday from the French coast. A sloop arrived from off the French coast in the evening, and stated that she had spoke some French fishermen, who informed her that BONAPARTE had arrived at Boulogne. The firing therefore must have been in honour of his arrival. I We have received letters from Gibraltar of the 9th I ult. containing a letter from Seville of the 25th ult. with the undermentioned list of Officers just arrived there, and which we publish for the information of lour readers : 45th Regiment, Major Brooke and Captain Thomas Allman, severely wounded; Captain Campbell, slightly; Lieutenants Ellwood, Marshall, Sash, and Ensign Gilbert, all severely wound ed; Captain Phillip, 4th Dragoons, slightly wounded, now quite well. Volunteer Fitzgibbon of the Buffs, not wounded. It was the Princess Elizabeth packet, Captain' •Kiaa, which brought the Lisbon Mail, the arrival of which we noticed yesterday. By this opportunity Ministers received dispatches from Mr. STEWART, at Lisbon, but not from Lord WELLINGTON. Mr. STEWART states a report said to be received by tele ; graph at Elvas, that General BLAKE had, by a rapid . nikrch, gained possession of Seville, which had been Kt without defence, though there were immense stores of every kind deposited there for the use of the French army. It was added, that General GRAIIANI had landed at Ayomente on his way to join bins, and it was thought that General BLAKE would be at the Ihead of 25,000 men. SOULT had proceeded in conse sequence of this movement with a great body of troops, and chiefly of cavalry, to prevent this, but it was supposed he would be too late. In fact, our readers upon referring to our columns of yesterday, will find aletter from an officer in Portugal, which distinctly states the report of BLAKE having retired to the Sierra Morena, after having occupied Seville ,for some time. From this circumstance we are in clined to infer that BLAKE has succeeded in captur ing the immense stores left by the enemy in the place. The following Letter from Falmouth, affords some additional particulars on the subject of Lord Wm.- LINGTON's Army : _6ILb NMI I We have received French papers to the 17th. They contain no news from Spain. The Monisewr of the 14th, after quoting an article from the English-newspapers, stating that some Bri tish troops had sailed from Cadiz to aesist in the de fence of Tarragona, adds the following note : " These troops in reality arrived before Tarragona eight days previous to its capture. The garrison summoned them to its aid, but in vain. They thought roper to remain in the roads. They had the glory of remaining spectators of two amatilta, and of the capture of the place." The Moniuur of 'Tuesday last, contains the report of a Court of Enquiry, which was held respecting the capture of the Isle of France. General Decaen is acquitted from all blame, and the soirentler is ad mitted to have been a necessary consequence of the aunt of troops, supplies, and money, which the mother-country was unable to send. The English force which captured the Island is, as usual, gteatly exaggerated. The Afoniteur also contains a very long Report on the state of the French finances, delivered to the Le gislative Body by M. MoLLERUs. The following are a few passages, which relate to the naval and military expences cf France : 44 You will find, Gentlemen, in the Budget for the Marine service, an augmentation of 35 millions when compared with that of 1810. This augmentation will appear moderate, when considered in reference to the maritime force which we have acquired, and the mea sures which are in preparation to increase it still more. The union of Holland has furnished 10,000 seamen, and 13 ships of the line ; an extent of 300 leagues of coast has been added to the Empire; a great number of ships of the line are building ; the maritime con. ;scription goes on with success. 44 Let every Frenchman, let every friend of his country, rejoice at seeing the Government make such great efforts to hasten the termination of a war which our enemies would wish to make eternal. Proud of their momentary superiority upon the seas, they re ject all the measures which might restore peace to the world ; but they will soon be compelled -to sup port, upon that very element which they wish to command, combats from which French valour will derive as much _glory as advantage. 44 The expences of the war department were fixed, in the Budget of 1810, at 350 millions ; the actual expenditure amounted to 391 millions ; 460 millions are proposed for the year 1811. " His Majesty himself announced to you, at the opening of the Session, that in the first quarter of this year 100 millions extraordinary had been placed at the disposal of the War Minister, to cover the ex pences of the new armaments which then appeared necessary. It is thus that his M ijesty has explained the cause of the augmentation of the War Budget for this year ; and you have admired, gentlemen, the wise foresight of a Sovereign who prepares those means for guarding himself against the most distant dangers. 4 4 Eight hundred thousand men are under arms ; all the strong places are in the best state ; others are constructing with the greatest activity, to consolidate the defence of the frontiers, and to secure the tran quillity of future generations. If the war beyond the Pyrenees demands extraordinary expences, the fruits of these sacrifices cannot be doubtful. 4 4 England, by making the people of Spain mis take their true interests, may still prolong, perhaps for some time, this unequal struggle ; but her object, that of overturning the continental system, shall never be attained. Reduced to herself, and abandoned by all her allies, she is already exhausting her lalt resources, and the blood of her own children is shed in a foreign cause. It was from the height of his throne, that the• most glorious of Monarchs predicted to us a most glorious issue. His immoveable will has been always calculated upon the extent of his means. Let us con fidently hope, that the moment is not far distant when the liberty of the seas, and the repose of the world, shall be conquered upon the fields of the Peninsula." The Royal Horse Guards (Blue) are in daily ez• pectation of receiving orders for Portugal, Eight troops of the 23d Light Dragoons, onder :he command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Earl of PORT. ARTLINGTON, are t. embark forthwith tor Portug The whole of the 4th, or Royal Irish Drab 'ons, now at Plymouth, are not to embark immediately for Portugal. Two troops will be left behind to recruit. The remainder will not sail until they receive fresh instructions from the War Office. The sth and 7th Dragoons are expected daily at Plymouth fur em. barkation also. ---- The late General Fox was Governor of Portsmouth, Colonel of the 10th Regiment of Foot, Paymaster of the Widows' Pensions, &c. &c. This most gallant and distinguished Officer suffered a long and painful illness, which he bore with the utmost fortitude.— His appointment of Governor of Portsmouth was some time ago promised to Earl HARCOURT, Governor of the Royal Military College—hut who is to hold only until Plymouth shall become vacant. ° TORBAY, JULY 18. Last evening I informed you of the arrival of his Majesty's brig DAPPER, with some transports bound to Ireland. The wind got round to the South-East in the night, 'and they put to sea, but it got round again to the South-West, and again returned to Tor bay, where they now are.—This day arrived the Mountaineer, Captain Rowe, from Greenwich, bound to Honduras. She encountered a very severe gale last night, in which she lost her fore and main-top masts. PLYMOUTH, JULY I. The transports that arrived yesterday from Lisbon, are ordered round to Portsmouth, to land their pri soners and sick and wounded.—Arrived the QUAIL schooner, from Portsmouth; and several transp and merchant vessels. Also, a fleet of colliers, from the Westward.—Sailed the Ritsoturs gun brig, for Cork.—Wind S.E. variable, and heavy rain. PORTSMOUTH. JULY to. Arrired.the WHITING schooner from the Downs, bound for Gibraltar, DEAL, JULY • 19. Arrived the Success frigate, with the Mediterra nean convoy, and are sailed tor the River. Also, his Majesty's ships AUDACIOUS, INCONsTANT, an .1 MAR TIN, from Portsmouth ; and the BEAGLR sloop of war, front off Flushing. The SUCCESS frigate, Captain Aystouott, arrived yesterday afternoon in the Downs, with a fleet at mer chantmen from the Mediterranean :...