Star. — London, England, 1801-04-17 00:00:00

Ik• PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, APRIL 16. 11,' 7 ' )c;, A meeting took place this day purfuant to ad ournment, at half-pall eleven o'clock, and princi pally for the purpofe of ballotting for a Secret c om mittee, to confilf of eleven Peers, for the pur port of ;mitigating certain papers and documents n ip:Eking the proceedings of certain Seditious Perfons, &c. in Great-Britain and Ireland ; and alto for the purple of taking the Report of the Secret Committee of the Houfe of Commons into c onfideration. The ballot accordingly took place in the ufual f or m, the Votes being colleted in glatres by the Clerks, after which certain Peers withdrew to ex amine the lifts, and to declare' the names of thofe Lords, to the number of eleven, who had the Ma jority of Votes. The following, we underhand, are the names of the Peers eleded to compofe the Secret Com mittee :—_ _ _ _ The Earl of CIATUAK, L. P. Vikount L a d of WISTRIOALAND, L. P. S. Lord LOUGHBOROUGIS, Doke of POITLAND, Lord GactiviLLz, Duke of MONTROSE, Lord MULGRAVE, Earl of CLAR", Lord HOBART. Earl of WISTP4ZATII. The Bills upon the Table were forwarded in their refpeelive Stages. The Report of the Committee upon the Iri(h Mailer of the Rolls Bill was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. Their Lordthips then adjourned till four o'clock P. M. DEFEAT QFTHEDANES. Soon after the fecond Meeting of the Houfe, Earl Sr. VINCENT role, purfuant to the notice he had given, to move a Vute of Thanks to thofe Officers who commanded in the late Engagement before Copenhagen. It was not his intention to trouble the Houle with many words concerning the merits of thofe gallant Officers: he was at that time, as their Lordfhips might perceive, affiided with a very revere cold, and befides that he was not much in the habit of public (peaking. There fore he would content himfelf with declaring, from his own profeffion al knowledge, that the late v idory, confideringthe difficulty of the attempt, the length of time during which the engagemett lafted, and the allonifhing bravery and Ikill difplayed on the occafion, was not equalled by any exploit that ever was performed by the Navy of England. His Lordthip then moved, "' That the Thanks of that Houle be given to Admiral Sir Writ Pa a lila, for his able and Ocilful difpolidon of the forces ander his command, by which the whole of the Dana fleet was either taken or deroyed, on the ad of April. " That the Thanks of the Houfe be given to Viet-Admiral Lord Nat 60 N, S. B. to Rear-Admiral GRATES, Colonel STEP , ear, Commander of the 49th Regiment and of a Corps of Riflemen: and to the Officers under the command of Admiral Sir Hydc Parka, for their able and gallant condudt on the fame glorious day; and that Admiral Sir Hyde Parker do tranfmit the fame to them. " And that the Houfe do highly approve of and applaud the condudt of the Seamen, Marines, and Soldiers of the Fleet un der the Command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, for their cou sin!! on the fame glorious day; and that the Captains of the refpcdtive Ships do fignity the fame to them. Laffly, that the Lord Chancellor do tranfmit tittle Refolutions of the Houfeo Admiral Sir Hyde Parker." Lord GRENVILLE laid, it would be impoffible for him to add any thing to the impreffion which the Houle mutt already have felt with regard to the merits of thofe great and gallant Officers who bad fo recently obtained fo fignal and brilliant a victory. The Noble Earl, whole great profeffional knowledge the country had already felt the be nefit of, and which was fully known to every Noble Lord in that Houle, had in his fhort and emphatic addrefs, jolt defcribed this victory in a manner, which (poke more forcibly to the feelings and un derftandings of men than the molt elaborate ora tory could do. He had truly defcribed it as a vic tory which was not equalled by any that had ever been atchieved by the Navy of Great-Britain. It was not, therefore, for the purpofe of adding any thing to the praife of thofe gallant Officers, that he then addreffed their Lordfhips ; he role merely to fay a few words upon the fubjed in a political point of view. In the firft place he would inform their Lordfhips, that the Expedition which led to this victory had been planned by his Majelly's late Minifters • but at the fame time he midi give the prefent dinifters, and particularly that Noble Lord who now prefided with fuch diftinguifhed ability at the Admiralty Board, the credit of having for warded it with fuch aftonning difpatch, as to ren der the objeft of it completely fuccefiful. It was impoffible for him to find words to exprefs the fenfe he entertained of the valour and abilities of the Noble Admiral, who bore a principal (hare in the tat evil:tory, which was not equalled by his molt (plea did victory atAboukir. But great as was his merit as an Officer and a Conqueror, he fhould value thofe two victories gained by him more from the importance of their political confequences, than from the valour and talents difplayed in atchieving them. The victory of Aboukir was followed by the greateft advantages to this country ; and the late victory in the Baltic, which terminated the Northern War as foouas it had been begun,viould be productive of confequences hill more important and beneficial. His Lordfhip concluded with giving his molt hearty concurrence to the motion. The Earl of WESTMORELAND (aid he could not give a filent vote; he mutt add the teltimony of zit approbation and applaufe to what had been al ready laid of thole gallant Officers; whofe greateft merit, however, was that of having been praifed by the Noble Earl at the head of the Admiralty— Leader/ a knidate The Duke of Cxxaance Paid, he thought the fending of Sir Hyde Parker as Commander in Chief to the Baltic was a circumltance that proved rore than any other could do, the wifdom and lodgment of the Fora Lord of the Admiralty.— Gis ing his opinion profeffionally, he believed that no man could Lave been chofen who was better Subfied to conduit fuch an enterprize. He had ^ctri frequently fent during the American war, late Lord Howe, upon expeditions into Mt Mouths of rivers, bays, and other places of diffi e.ult navigation. Nor could any thing be more la.ficiuus than the condult of that galla nt Admiral, fending Lord Nelfon with a part of the fleet . t• make the attack, *ad by keeping a par; *lbis 'fleet at a 'Mance as a corps of 'Wave. After be llowing Tome very bandfome compliments on Lord Nelfon, Admiral Graves, and General Stewart, his Royal Highnefs laid, he felt himfelf bound to fpeak of the conduit of thofe Officers fo far as he was perfonally interefted in the confequences of it. As a Prince of the Blood, it was impoffible for him to have beheld with indifference the attempts late ly made againil the dominions attached to the EleCtorate of Hanover—a country which, though not at all connected with Great-Britain, was (till dear to him and to his family. He confidered the late vi&ory as tending in a great degree to preferve thole dominions to the Royal Family of this country ; and he mall declare that he himfelf and the whole of that Family felt themfelves un der the reateft obligations to thofe brave O ffi cers who half , by their unparalleled atchievements,con tribute to fuch an event. Lord HOOD fpoke in praife of Sir Hyde Parker, and the other Officers employed nnder him. The Refolutions were then agreed to ann. dif. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. VANSITTART prefented a variety of Accounts from the 'Freafory, which were ordered to be printed. and to lie on the table for the pet oral of the Members of the Houle. The Barley and Malt Steep Bill was read a fecond time, and committed for to-morrow. The Lottery Bill paffed thmugh a Committee, and the Houfe being refumcd, the Report was ordered to be received to morrow. The third reading of the frith Corn Bounty Bill was defer red till to-morrow, as were alfo the Committees on the kith Sugar and Diftillery NI, and on the Bill to render certain Annual hilt Duties permanent. A Menge from the Lords informed the Mode that their Lordihips had agreed to the Miller's Indemnity Bill, and the Bill for the Better Colleftion'of the Poor gat% without any Amendment. Duckworth's Divorce Bill was read a brit time, paired, aid ordered to be carried to the Lords for their concurrence. DEFEAT OF THE DANES. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEVER.—I rife, Sir, in conformity to the notice which I gave yet terday, to move the Thanks of this Houle to thole diftinguifhed Officers and gallant Men to whom we are indebted for that fuccefs which, as far as it could be detailed by official communication, it now univerfally known, through the medium of authentic publication. Sir, I have the fataaaioi to feel, and exprefs, that no atchievement of the preterit War, coupled with all its circumilances, has tended more to the advancement of our in. terelts, to the glory of our efforts, or. his con• tributed more towards fuftaining the conte fl in which we are engaged, and bringing it to a glo rious termination, than that to which l am now calling the attention of this Houfe—l mean the late brilliant Viaory over the Danith Fleet. Sir, the Plan, which has been fo fuccefsfully can ied into execution, was a Plan deviled by thole who were in his Majefty's Councils at an early period of the prefent year. Preparations for carrying that Plan into effea, were made loon after. The Plan itfelf was adopted by thole who are now the confidential Servants of the Crown, and executed under the direEtion of that knowledge, that (kill, and general ability, which all who are ac quainted with the promptitude, the vigour, the difpatch, which have marked all the efforts, and the glorious effeas of many of the Anions of that Charaaer which now prefides over the Admiralty, will be molt ready to admire. For the execution, however, of that Plan, the great and eminent ta lents of Sir Hvos PARKIe, of the renowned Lord NELSON, and the juftly admired Admiral Git AVE s, were employed; to which was added the ability of a gallant and juftly efteemed Officer, whom we have the honour and happinefs of recognizing as a Member of our own Body •1011t1 STEWART), who commanded a Military Force. Sir, this Ar mament, thus provided with knowledge, (kill and valour, proceeded to the Mouth of the Sound, where they arrived on the 3oth of the laft month, after encountering confiderable difficulties. Sir, I will not enter into the particulars at all; I can only fay that they are fo many proofs of gal lantry, (till, and vigour, in the Commanders, Difcipline and Courage in the Men. From the Sound the Fleet advanced to the Inner Road of Copenhagen. It was impoffible for all the Fleet to come into Anion, but the fame courage ani mated all. Sir HYDE PARKER, with that (kill and judgment, for which he is fo juftly eminent, fe leaed thole who were molt fit for there different Rations, for the purpofe of carrying on the Attack on the Line of Battery at the entrance of the Har bour. In that feleaion it would naturally occur to him, as it did occur, to confider that the fplen dour and renown of Lord NELSON pointed him out as the fitteft Officer to take the arrive conclua of the Attack, which, agreeably to his known fpirit, he had before offered, and I am happy to add, that the Conqueror of Aboukir did not thew more (kill and bravery than the Vigor of Draco at the Harbour of Copenhagen; but the merit of Lord Miaow did not reft there.—After having deftroy ed the whole Line of Battery, and obtained an entire triumph; anxious to prevent the effufion of human blood, Rill recurring to, and retaining what he knew to be the principle on which he was inftruaed to an, and which was indeed molt fin cerely the with of his Majefty's Government, Lord NELSON renewed, by a Meffage to the CaowN PRINCE, thole pacific offers which had been re peatedly made, and to the failure of which alone, he faid,mutt be attributed the difafters which might befal Copenhagen. After having deftroyed the line of defence, under one of the heavieft fires which, an experienced officer declared, he ever felt, Lord I , ltt.son retired to his cabin, and wrote a let ter to the Prince Royal of Denmark, expreffing his defire that a Flag of Truce might be fent on (lore; Rating that if fuels permiffion was denied, he Mould deftroy the veffels and the floating-batteries; and if fo, he could not be anfwerable for the lives of the brave Danes, by whom they were defended. There were his words.—ln reply,the Prince Royal defired to know what the obje& was of having a Fag of Truce ?—Lord Nri.son Paid, his motives were Hu manity, and he witted to fpare the effufion of hu man blood ; and that no viaor7 would be fo ggrrati fying to him, as that which united the difpofitions of his gracious Sovereign and thole of a Prince with whom he was defirous to continue in that harmony which bad fo long fubfiticd between theta. In eonfequenee of this, Lord NELson went on awe.. He,Was received on lhore by a brave and geaerous people (for fuch they proved themfelves to be), who hadloft fight of their recent difafter, with acclama tion. He was received by the Prince of Denmark alfo in a manner which does honour to that Prince. I am not at liberty to detail the particulars as I have received them from my Noble Friend, ftating what pall on that occafion, but I can allure the Honfe,hedifplayed the politics of an able Statefman as eminently as he had formerly thofe of a gallant and victorious Naval Officer.—He was received by Prince and People in a manner which did honour to them and to himfelf.—l fhould not, however, do jullice to the feelings expreffed by Lord NE L SON ' if I did not introduce the name of Admiral Gear ES, of whom he fpeaks in terms of the higheft enco mium; but he makes no invidious diffinttion of any kind, although fome are prominent in his approba tion. He lays, that all the Officers and all the men, did their duty moil faithfully and ably. Sir, I will detain the Houfe no longer than to add, if—what I trill} in GOD will never happen—if, inftead of Victory we fhould have met defeat—if, inftead of complete fuccefs we fhould have met Dilliftet the Firmnefs of this Country would have remain ed unthaken—lt *would net have led us to propofe or to accept terms inconfiftent with our vital In urea or Honour. If, therefore, we feel that we thould have continued firm though Ditafter had befallen us, fo fhall we be moderate in the hour of Triumph, and although our Succefs were ten-fold greater than it is (if that were poffible, or if, in the courfe of human affairs, fuch an event could hap pen to this or any Nation upon earth), fuch Suc cefs would not diminifh the fincere and molt ear n& difpofition on our part, to accomplifh the main object for which this war was undertaken, that of obtaining peace on fafe and honourable terms. I than now move you, Sir, _ " That the Thanks of this Houle he given to Admiral Sir HYOR Place*, for his able and judicious difpofition of the Force under his command, by which the Dud& Fleet and Bat teries, compoltng the defence of the Harbour of Copenhagen, were taken or deftroyed on the ad of April, 18oz. Lord HAWK EIBURY faid, in feconding the motion of his Right Hon. Friend, lie fhould fay a very few -words, preferving a filence as to the progrefs of the Expedition to ultimate victory, that having been fo ably detailed by his Right Hon. Friend. It was with fincere fatisfadion he contemplated that not a drop of Britifh or Danifh blood which had been fpilt could be attributed to this Country, propofals for amicable negotiation having been made to the laff by England. It was the injuflice of the enemy that at length compelled us to draw the fword, in fpite of every effort to the contrary, Ilion of the complete abandonment of that very principle which was the object of the comet. The victory of the zd of April mull be conlidered as more important to the interelts of the Country, and as leading to events that muff be contem plated with fatisfadion and exultation. Mr. PITT (aid he did not rife to detain the Houle for one moment, but to declare his fin cere concurrence in the motion and the fenti ments offered by his Hon. Friend. Mr. GREY faid, he alto role to exprefs his entire concurrence in the motion, and he trufted there would not be a dilfentient voice upon the occafion. He not only wifhed to thank the Officers and men employed in the Expedition, but to applaud the merit to which Government were entitled for the vigour difplayed in its equipment and difpatch. He was happy to hear the fentiments of modera tion expreffed by the Right Honourable Gentle man, and the profped which might be entertained of a jut and equitable peace. An obfervation had been made by the noble Lord which bethought might have been fpared, as tending to an oppoti tion of fentiment, which he deprecated upon the prefent occafion ; he was determined, however, that nothing fhould prevent him from joining in the expreffion of that joy and fatisfadion which every one muff feel . He could not help obferving that what had been affirmed by the noble Lora relative to the cattle of the war, was affurned without any documents being before the Houfe to fupport it, no communication upon the fubjed having been made from the Throne ; and this was perhaps the only war in which this Country had been engaged, where the firft information of it received - by the Houfe, was a motion for a vote of thanks, in confequence of a brilliant and deci five victory, without any previous communication whatever upon the fubjed. Mr. Slf as roam raid that whatever difference of opinion might exift relative to our diffentions with the Northern Powers, he fhould have hoped it would not have been brought into difcufflon, and he applauded the forbearance and moderation of his Hon. Friend in declining to take notice of cer tain obfervations from the other fide of the Houfe which might have been as well avoided, with re fpett to which he till retained the opinion he for merly had, relative to our conteft with the North ern Powers. On the febjed more immediately be fore the Houfc, only one fentiment could be en tertained, that of admiration and gratitude, which words were inadequate to exprefs, particularly to wards that Noble Lord who could gain the plau dits and acclamations of a vanquiffied enemy.— After the motions of thiarks were difpoled of there remained a more melancholy duty to perform, to pay a tribute of refped and gratitude to the two gallant Officers who had loft their lives on this ewe cation. He underffood one of thole Officers had left an aged mother, and the other a widow and orphan family, by no means in affluent dream fiances, to whom he trotted the fpontancous bene volence of his Majefty would extend the means of omfort, as a (mall compenfation for the hravy Xs they had (attained. The CHANCELLOR of the Exert/ova, alluding -o what had fallen from Mr. Grey, relative to no .:ommunication being made from the Throne upon the fubjeß of a war with the Northern Powers, read a paragraph of the 4ddrefs prcfented by the Houfe at the commencement of the Seffion in an (wer to his Majefty's fpeech, wherein he contended the Houk food pledged to fupport a cocci for the maintenance of our naval fuperiority, then dif puted by thofe Powers. Mr. Gm, in explanation, fill contended that ai) communication bad been made frouttheThcone apon4ha fabled, and that *trot* Addrare t read by the Chancellor of the. Exchequeitaiio reference to the atm' violin which we were now enraged. The CHANCELLOR of the ExcHEIWER and Mr. GREY fever-ally explained. Mr. PITT faid, the Addrefs alluded to by the Chancellor of the Exchecluer, pledged the Houfe to fupport the general principle which was the ob jedt of conteft with the Northern Powers. The documents relative to that fubjeet had not yc been laid before the Houfe, but he trolled 1.1,ey were, the condo& of his Majefty's Mi..iucrs would be found fully juftified. Mr. GREY again explained. Mr. WILEEKVORCE Mid a tew words, exprefrive of his approbation of the motion, and congratula ting the country on the moderation difplayed by his Majefty's Minifters. The feveral motions of Thanks, as moved and carried in the Houle of Lords, were then put and carried neon. con. The CHANCELLOR of the Excurny ea Gid, he had now a duty to perform, to which he was im pelled by every motive of admiration and grati tude—it was that of paying a tribute of refped to the memory of the two Officers, who had unfortu nately fallen in the late conteft, to which their merits moft truly and highly entitled them. With refped to what had been laid by an Hon. Gentle man relative to their families, he had no doubt they would receive a fuitable provilion from the noble benevolence of his Maje ft y. He then moved, " That an humble Addrefs be pr fenced to his Mafefty, bun - - bly praying his Majelty would be molt gratioufly pleafed to give diredlons for the Erethon of a Monument in the Cathe dral Church of St. Paul, London, _to the Memory of Captain JAMES ROBERT MOSS! , of the MONAICH. and Captain ED. WALD Rtou, of the AMAZON. and that this Houle will snake good the mien= of the fame." The motion was agreed to next. eat. and the Ad drefs ordered to be prefented by fuch Members as were of his Majeßy's Privy Council. ---- ~ - - SEDITION BILL. The Houfe in a Committee went through the Sedition Bill. The report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow. The CHANCELLOR of the ExcitagyEt moved, that an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Ma jelly, praying that the Papers prefented, fealed up, to the Houle, might be communicated to the Lords.—Ordered. Adjourned. LONDON. FRIDAY, APRIL z 7. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK Confab 6ol—tor May account 6s I.—.oranitun 91. PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY. Bank Stock -- S Per C. Loy' V! 9.1 3 per Cent. Red. 51 591 Long Ann. at 3 per C. Coof c;ti r 61 f Sines Ann.... 4 per Cart.o 77 7 Omnium 61 981 t 5 per C. Navy 96i ConL foe May 60 6 t I Yeflerday morning his Royal Highnefs Prince Awn, us landed at Yarmouth, from the Se ger sloop of war, under a Royal Salute from the North Sea Fleet, which had jua returned from a cruife off the coati of Holland. His Royal Highnefs immediately fet out in a polt-chaile and four, and reached town laft night. The Honourable Mrs. St. GEORGE, Mr. Wm.' 5, Ste. came over in the fame veffel. In addition to the extrads from the Hamburgh mails, which we gave yellerday, we have this day , laid before our Readers Tome farther details from the mails and from private letters, which will be found highly interefting at the prefent moment. A report was circulated early this morning, that the Tower guns had been fired in conliquenee of Come farther great news from the North or the South, the particulars of which were varioufly re lated ; tome Rating that our differences with Den mark had been finally adjufted, others that the French had been defeated in Egypt, and Come that Sir JOHN BORLASE WARREN had captured GAN. THEAUME and all his fquadron. The whole, how. ever, terminated in fmoke ; for it turned out that the Rory originated from proving the guns at Woolwich, the noife of which, by the wind being South Eall, were diftinlly heard in the Metropolis. The KING yeilerday rode out on horfeback in the Riding-houfe, at Pimlico. The LORD MAYOR yeaerday publifhed a nonce at the Manfion-hontb, advifirig the inhabitants of the Metropolis to forbear illuminating their houfes, and to contribute the money that would have bzen fo employed for the relief of the relations of thole brave men who fell in the battle of the 2d. The members of Government were situated by the fame fentiments, and no illuminations took place at the public offices, or in the city : at the court end of the town, however, particularly in Great Marlboroughareet, Cavendilk-fquare, and the vi cinity, the illuminations were elegant and fplendid. The letters from Copenhagen (late that tents have been ere&ed upon the Ifland of Haen, in which our wounded in the battle of the ad are kept and tended. At the Corn Exchange on Wednefday, though there was little bufinefsdOnefrom a thin attendance, yet Wheats kept up their prices nearly the fame as on Monday. Flour continued from tzos. to'3os. ENO& IS N STATE LOT rwr—Thirty-feventh day. No. 4420, a prize of 'cool. Nos. 27,970, 53,265. and 19,505 prizes of Sol. Thirty-ninth day.—Nos. 20,023, 9,427, 26,3f3. prizes of tool. each; Nos. 27,799, 33,822. 7,634, prizes of 501. each. Fortieth and loft day.—No. 26,7 56,as firft drawn, entitled to 2,0001. Fit ens Niciiil latellignics fcc eke IA Pip.