Star. — London, England, 1801-04-29 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE Or LORDS, TUESDAY. APRIL 28. The Earl of itosstiN was this day introduced with the ac euftomed formalities, fworn,and took his feat. His Lordthip's fupportcrs were, the Earls of Weftrnoreland and Chatham. Their Lordihips then returned the further eonfideration the Scots Appeal, Fullertcms,v. Sir Hew Dalrymple, when Mr. CLAIM, Second Counfel lot the Appellants, was heard at eon- Gderable length. The Bilis before the Honk were forwarded in their refpec tive RILL TO PREVENT SEDITIOUS MEETINGS. On the third reading of this Bill, The Duke of Iltoroao Paid he had attentively read over the late Report of the Committee of Secrecy (for a copy of which fee the lall Page of this Paper) and that he did not find in it a fingle fait that could render filch a Bill as this neceffary. Their Lordfhips, in fhort, had no evidence what ever to proceed upon. They did not know from whom or from what defeription of perfons the Committee had received the information on which it grounded its report: nor had they the opportunity of hearing their evistikce, or of exam ining them. The only foundation, therefore, on which the Houfe could:proceed was merely the opinion of the Committee, that the Bill was necef fary. His principal objeaion to the Bill was, that of its infringing on the Conftitution of the Conn- , try, fuch as it was ellablifhed at the time of the Re-1 volution ; and its doing away all the privileges I arifing out of the Bill of Rights. The People had a right to meet and difcufs public meafures, by which they were likely to be affected. It was be neficial to the Conflirution of the Country that they Ihould meet and deliberate, becaufe it would operate as a falutary check on Government ; and inform Parliament of the real fentiments of the people. But it would now reft in the difcretion of a Magiftrate, whether any fuch meetings were to take place or not ; and there would always be Magiftrates enough found ready to forward the views of the Executive Government; by prevent ing men from difculling their rights, or complain-1 ing of their grievances, on the pretence that they were acting feditioufly. Befides this Bill would never anfwer the objea it had in view : It might prevent meetings from taking place ; but it would never do away the difpofition to meet; it would never correa, but rather increafe the hoftilityl which men might have formed again( the Go vernment.. The greater reftraints were laid on the people the lefs regard or refpea would they have for the Government. If Parliament withed to put a flop to complaints and to (edition, the molt ef- 1 feaual mode of doing fo would be, to relieve the diftreffes of the People. During the time this law continued in force, it had no otherffea than that of preventing meetings ; it now appeared that the (pint of Sedition had neither been crufhed not di minifhed. The Bill therefore was not only nfelefs but mifchievous. The Earl of WESTMORELAND denied that the Bill would in any manner infringe on the Bill of Rights, for all perfons would (till have the power of meeting conftitutionally, for the purpofe of pe titioning againft any meafure that might affect them. The only reltraint was, that the names of thofe calling the meeting, together with the bufinefs for which they were tomeet,fhould bemade known, in order that the Civil Officers might be apprized of it ; and that very circumllance would tend to promote the object of the meeting, if it was for a legal and conflitutional purpofe ; and if it was not, the Maglftrates ought to have the power of fup preffing it. So far from this being a rellraint or hardflup on the people, he conceived it to be dic tated by humanity and compaftion ; and if filch a law had been in force during the year t 780, not only the dreadful riots which then difgraced the Metropolis would never have taken place, but ma. ny innocent lives would have been laved—inno cent, becaufe numbers of perfons at tirft joined in the crowd without any intention of doing wrong, but afterwards committed acts of outrage and de• predation, for which they paid the forfeit of their lives, either by military execution at the moment, or afterwards upon the fcaffold. This Bill has been in force for the (pace of five years,and yet but one complaint of the mircondua of Magillrates was made in the Courts below, and then the par ties were nonfuited—this his Lordetip thought a good argument in favour of the meafure, it 'hewed their Lordfhips that they need not now be afraid to place fuch power as this Bill gave, in the hands of a Pet of refpeaable Gentlemen, who in the (pace of five years had not once allured it. When the Bill was firfl brought forward, it met with much oppofition ; but this, his Lordlhip laid, mull evidently have proceeded from mifeonception and mifreprefentation. At that time there were many petitions againfl it —now, not one—a proof that the country was convinced of its being a fa lutary meafure. If fuch a law had elated in France previous to the Revolution, that country would molt likely not have to lament the fcenes of bloodfhed and confulion which it experienced for fo many years, the confequences of which had been fo feverely felt in every direction. The joy of the confpirators at the expiration of the Bill, and their alarms at its revival, were proofs to their Lord nips, that it was looked upon by them as a mea fore tending to counteract their dangers.—Was not it a proper time, his Lordlhip axed, for Go vernment to take meafures of precaution, fuch as the prefent, when their Lordfhips Paw by the Re port of their Secret Committee, that die confpi rators had formed delve againft the lives of fume of the Members of that Government—when a fyf. tern of organization was ellablilbed upon the fame principles as hzd been praftifed in Ireland, and carded all the miferies that unhappy country ex perienced—when difaffation and evil minded per fors were going about, adminittering oaths and mok , ng proselytes to their opinions ? In the arb year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty, a Bill Wal palled without any oppolition, to prevent ig nor, at perfons 6 om pronouncing religious leaures on Sundays, by making it nccelfary that perfons who pronounced leaures fhould obtain a n. cence. How much more n.:ceif.iry was it to lay a restraint on ignorant political leaorers, whole duariacs went to the fubwrfion of all order—to the dcltruition of the Confkitution itfelf ? After a few other obfervations before ufed in favour of the meafure, his lordfhip concluded, by trufting the Houfe would that night pars the Bill ... The Bill was then read a third time and paffed. Campbell's Divorce Bill was read a ficond time, after which the Houfe adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Several Public Accounts were prefeasted and ordered to lie on the 'Table. Mr. But vox prcfented the Report of the Committee on the St aiding Orders of the Houle, relative to Bills of Inclofure, which was ordered to lie on the Table,to be printed, and to be taken into farther confider.r.lon on Monday next. Mr. Astor prefei.ted the Report of the Committee ap• pointed to confider the molt effectual ms tiled of promulgating the Statutes of the United Kingdom through every part of Great Britain and Ireland, which was ordered to lie on the Table, and to be printed. A Medfage from the Lords figniSed that their Lordfhips had agreed to one Private Buil. The fecoud reading of the Coal Bill was deferred till Tuef day next. Sir W. SCOTT delayed his motion refpeeting the regulation of the Vice-Admiralty Courts till to-morrow. A Mefrage irons the Lords fignified that their Lordfhips had agreed to the Seditious Meeting Prevention Bill, without any Amendment. The Report of the Committee of Ways and Means was brought up, read, and agreed to; and on the motion of Mr. Cogy it was made an initrudion to the Committee, on the Irifb Sugar Diftillery Bill, to make provifion accordingly. The Houfc refolved Well into a Committee to coniider the propriety of empowering the Lord Lieutenant of Inland to prohibit the exportation from, and permitting the importation Duty free into Ireland, of all kinds of provilions.—The Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. The Report of the Committee on the Duties on the Importa tion of Hops iuto Ireland, was brought up, rtod, and agreed to, and a Bill ordered to be brought in purfuaot to it. DUCKWORTH'S DIVORCE BILL. Duckworth's Divorce Bill went through a Com mittee of the' whole Houle, Sir Robert Peele in the Chair. Mr. Garrow appeared as Counfel for Mr. Duckworth, and called feveral witnelfes to fubftantiate the guilt of Mrs. Duckworth. As the circumilances of the cafe are already well known to the public, it is unnecetlary to enter into any detail of it now. Mr. SIMEON thought it better to intimate in this Rage of the bufinefs, before the Counfel had with- drawn, that he cannot, on the evidence produced, give his confent to this Bill, but will oppofe it on the fecond reading, if farther evidence is not ad duced. Mr. GARROW was again called in, and asked if he had any more evidence to produce ? Two more witnefres were called and examined, and Mr. GAIROW was proceeding to comment on the evidence, when he was ordered to withdraw, and the Committee refolved, that as no Counfel or witneffes were celled on the other fide, no CO M. I ments could be heard from the Counfel for the Bill on the evidence which he himfelf had called, con fidently with the orders and rules of the Houfe. Mr. Garrow was called in and informed of this Refolution. Mr. SI 14 LON then rote, and entered at tome length into an examination of the evidence, and endea voured to Phew that it was extremely defettive in eltablifhing any aaual criminality. Mr. EGERTON fupported the Bill, and declared himfelf convinced by the evidence. Sir W. SCOTT expreffed his opinion, that the evidence was fuificient to fubftantiate the allega tions of the Bill. The Bill then pafred the Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received. IRISH COULTS OT LAW. ME. GEORGE PONSONBY moved, that there be laid before the Houle the particulars of the amount of the expence of the Courts of Exchequer, Com mon Pleas, and King's Bench, in Ireland, the to talssof which are expreffed in accounts on the table. Mr. CORRY had no oblation to, the produftion of the papers moved for, fo far as related to the papers themfelves, but he believed it was ufual always to give notice of any motion for papers, and in the prefent inflame this form of the Houfe had not been fully and driEtly complied with.— However, if the Houle chofe to overlook this irre gularity, he fhould not oppofc the motion, or if the Hun. Gentleman would withdraw it for this day, and give notice of it for to-morrow, he thould then chearfully accede to it. The SPEAKER Paid, that when there was any Tea fon to apprehend oppofition to a motion for papers, it was cuaomary to give notice of it, Gut it is very well known, that motions are often made and agreed to for papers, without any previous notice being given. Befides, in jultice to the Hon. Gen tleman who made the motion, he mutt obferve, that he had given a general notice of his intention to call for papers of the purport at leaft, of thefe now moved for. After a few words in explanation from Mr. G. Ponfonby, the motion was put and agreed to. 11113 N TENSION LIST. ..- Mr. GEORGE PONSONSY laid, there were feveral other papers which he intended to move for. He haped that there would be no oppofition to their prod uaion ; but, lefi there Amid, to obviate the ob. jeaion from form, he would now give notice, that he trould to-morrow, move for an account o f the amount of the Irilh Penfion Lill, and of the Grants to certain perfons, with the dates of thefe Grants. Alfo, for an account of all fume granted to perfons holding Offices in Ireland, who have fuffered in confequence of the Unior.. And alto, for an ac count of the difpofition of the (um of 4tool. veiled in the hands of certain Commillioners in Ireland. *He farther exprelfed his intention of moving for certain other accounts which he fpecified, for the purpofe of removing fume difficulties which he felt in underfianding how the money voted for the fer vice of Ireland can be adequate to the expenses of that country, taking there expenses for the year at the average of the two preceding ones. - GRINADA. Mr. Ltisamovoii moved the appointment of a Committee to confider the• Petition from the plan ters of the Hand of Grenlsda. which he )cilcrJay prtfented to the Hnnfe. A converfation took place cn the fuhje,!l, which extended to rouse length, in which it was oh)elied ' to the motion:ly Mr. Baker, and Mr. 11 ilher force, that the Houfe after what had palled already refpetcting the Merchants and Planters of Grenada, and St. Vincent's, and p:iiticulerly in the c.d.- of Mr. M'Dowall, and others, the Hoak ought to be extremely cautious of fanilieming any fuch proceed ing as this. Sir W. Pvvrasav contended, on the other hand, that this is a Petition merely for the relief of the Planters, and that, therefore, the cafe is very diffe rent from Mr. M'Dowall's, and thole who with him received relief from Government in Exchequer Bills, for that relief was granted, not to the Plan ters, but the Merchants concerted in that trade. The granting of that relief he argued to have been a wile meafure, and if the Merchants have not been able to pay regularly their inftalments to Govern ment, it is becaufe the Planters have not been able to fettle their accounts with them,which he thought a thong argument for granting the relief now prayed for by the Planters. Mr. I. H. ADDINGTON thought there could be , no objettion to the appointment of a Committee to examine the fubjea, as this would not pledge the Houfe to any particular meafure. The motion was then put and agreed to, and a Committee appointed. The Houle adjourned at fovea o'clock till to morrow. From i& LONDON GAZETTE, 4141 29. DOWNING-STRPET, APRIL 28. By Dirpatches received from Lord ELGlN,dated Conftantinople, March 3 t, it appears that his Lord flip had received letters from Lord KEITH, Rat ing that the army under the command of Sir RALPH ABERCROMBIE effdtuated a landing on the Bth init. on the peninfula of Aboukir, under a very heavy fire from cannons, mortars, and mufketry, the enemy having with drawn the whole garrifon from Alexandria, and many detachments from the vicinity, to oppofe them ; that after making the neceffary preparations on the gth, toth, and r ith, the army advanced on the t 2th to within five miles of Alexandria ; they there took a pofition with their right towards the lea, and their kit fupport ed by the Lake Maadie, where Sir SIDNEY SMITH, who was polled there with his command of boats, was keeping up a communication with the natives, and fupplying the army with frefh provifions and water : that on the t 3th, at feven in the morning, the enemy made an attack, and were repulfed with lots about eleven ; in the mean time the marines had been difembarked, and attacked by land the Cagle of Aboukir, the only poll in that peninfula occupied by the enemy : that on the ig.th, at fun fet, when the veffel which brought this intelligence was under weigh, the troops on chore and the gun veffels were throwing (hot and (hells into Aboukir, and at the fame moment a firing was heard to. wards Alexandria, which appeared from the Fov- DROYANT to be a general attack. The GRAND VIZIER had marched forward from Jaffa on the 25th February, having, according to Major HOLLOWAY'S letters to Lord ELGEN, re ceived eonfiderable reinforcement. LONDON. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK: Conrail Viij—tar May account 5 Cent 4 per C 771 Old s per Cent. 6i 951 Newt:93f.- I.oog Ann. 111-.oenniurn 7 prem. PRICE Or STOCKS YISTIKDAY I 3 per Cent Red. 321 9v* C Cott. 591 MAI 4 per Ccrit. Corr. 772 2 t 5 per C. Navy 9.sti 5 Cwt. Loy. 94 931 Lary Ana. s7l sg tf is-16 Short Am. 5 z-s 6 Irilb 1 per Cent. 91, 0 1 I Onunum 6.1 7i 7 6 Coal for May egf 59f1 Dimas, Aram op—Price of Stocks this day : Bank Stock 1 4 1 -34 pa' Cent. Gov. Deb. 74. y per C. Gov. Deb. R9}—y Per Cent Trent Bilis sopf... 6 per eent.ficaL Bills zoot Courfc of Exchange—Dublin on London xi}. The Metrenger who arrived yefterday from Vienna, was the bearer of difpatches from Lord ELGIN, at Conftantinople, containing fuch intel ligence as he had received at the date of his dif patches from Lord KEITH. Their fubfiance was publithed in the Gazette of laft night, to which we refer our Readers. They agree fo far as they go with the accounts firft received through the medium of the French Journals, but they do not come down fo late by two days as La Roy's letter, nor do they give any farther particulars. Our troops repulfed the enemy who oppofed their land eg, and advanced within five miles of Alexandria. where they took a favourable pofition on the Pcninfula, between the fea and the lake Maadie. Sir SIDNEY SMITH, with a number of gun-boats, was to co-operate with the army, and he kept up a correfpondence with the natives. If this be fuccersful it may greatly facilitate our ope rations. When the Officer came away, the Fort of Abou kir was attacked by Sir R. ASUICII.O3IIY, but it had not been taken. Le Rot's account did not admit its furrender. The Melienger too, it is &id, brings account! that the GRAND VIZIER had marched from Jaffa with a well-appointed army, but where he got fuck an army does not appear. Nothing is flitted that can lead us to fuppofc that Sir RALPH had divided his forces. The CAPTAIN TACNA was reported to have fail ed from Rhodes, and was to be on the coati of Egypt by the 23d or 242 h. The former accounts from Conflantinople mentioned that the CAPTAIN TACNA had been ordered to remain where he was, and that the Turks were fo prered by Trance and her allies, that it was thought ilie would be forced to jive up the war. We have not heard that any account has been received direaly from the army itfelf. It was re ported that the overland difpatch to the Ealt India Company had brought Conte details, but we cou; c not find that it was the cafe. This morning the Hamburgh Mail due on Sun, day, arrived at the Poft Office. Our private letters from Hamburgh, dated the 2lft, Rate, that a rumour prevailed there, of an engagement having taken place between the Swedifh and Englilh fleets ; and this report had gained ground from the circumflance of letters from Lubeck having been received, which Rated, that a cannonade had been heard at that place on the 17th. Of courfe we cannot vouch for the &Et, but a fhort time will decide its truth or falfehood. The Ruffian Fleet is Rated to have failed from Revel on the ad infant. French papers have alto come to hand this morning. They are of the 26th inft. The MO. odour Rates that General LECLERE bad reviewed the firft divition of the French Army deftined to join that of Spain againft Portugal. They were to be at Burgos, in Spain, by the 28th of this month. The Ruffian Ambaffador has delivered to the FIRST CONSUL of France s a letter from the Em• perm. ALEXANDER. IiAMBURGI4 MAIL. STOCKHOLM, APRIL le.—The difficulty of pair ing the Sea of Aland at this feafon of the year, has hitherto prevented the arrival of Count PAH. LEN, who is hourly expelled as a courier from Ruf. fia. Our fquadron firs failed from Carlfcroon on the 2d. We have lance received no account of the previous battle of the 2d off Copenhagen, and the armiftice afterwards concluded : what confer quences thefe will have, time!muft chew. On the 2d the Ruffian fquadron from Revel was off the Tile of Deland. ELSINEUR, APRIL 14.—0 n the t ith two Eng. lifh men of war, one cutter, and one floop ; and on the izth two cutter brigs and a frigate paired the Sound. On the 13th fifteen fhips, from the Englifh fleet before Copenhagen, arrived in there Roads, and after having taken in water, liquors, and meat, failed back to Copenhagen. The ice has been broke at Archangel, for the purpofe of taking the fleet out to fea, which will fail on the isith init. with land forces on board. Rorroc IC, APRIL 6.—Captain Palms, of the St. johamhs, writes this day, that he has been taken by a Danifh privateer, in company with nine other velfels laden with grain from hence, and carried into Brefdt, a port near Copenhagen. HA\BURCH, APRIL z 7.—We learn that M. Sc nos Ts, the Senator, a man of confiderabl.; ta. lents, and highly efleerned, is to be fent by this city as its Deputy to London, in order to folicit the interceffion of Great Britain in faN our of Ham. burgh. Every thing is quiet here, and the Danes behave with gnat propriety. The negotiations carrying on between England and Denmark wilt, it is expe&ed, decide the queflion whether the Da. nifh troops are to remain here ? The death of Paw. the Fira changes every thing. Lord NIL SON heard it on the loth, after the conclufion of the armiftice, and exclaimed, " Good GOD, why did I not know that event eight days boner r- Lord Natsos was Rill ignorant on the itth, that Hamburgh was in the poffeffion of the Danes.— Yefterday evening General KLEIST arrived at Bremen, and, together with General Sonatas, fet out early this morning for Stade. APRIL 21.—Letters from Lubeck mention a cannonade heard there on the z 7th inftant. BERLIN, Aram B.—Yefterday Mr. Dor Ls, the Captain of Admiral NELsori, arrived here from the Engin fleet in the Baltic, and brought diG patches to the Englifh Ambaffador here, Lord CARYSIORT. In the beginning of this week, Count Numv snow, the fon of the late Ruffian Ambairador st Berlin, paired through this city in his way to Wit. tcmberg, with intelligence of the acceiflon to the throne of the Emperor A Lexasinsil. Yefterday feveral divifions of Artillery fet out for the wafts of Pomerania, after having received orders to get in readinefs to march •only two cur before. Ile burial of his late Imperial Majefiy, Paul 1. was fulemnized on the 4th of April. &veral perfons who enjoyed confiderablc dif tinEtion at St. Peterfburgh, under the reign the Emprefs CAtu4aius, are now returning the Ruffian court, ANOTN[R LETTER, SAME DATE. Another train of Artillery it is expetted follow that which fet out yefterday for Pomerania To the Pomeranian regiments which are alreadt in motion, arc to be added the infantry regiment! of Pirkc and On/nein ; the battalion of fufilcen of Thym ; the battalion of grenadiers of Meal the cominGer regiment of ; the ad battalion of hufEirs of Blucher ; and the ad battalion of dr* goons of Zulow. The Danes having allowed tbd Englifh a pafrage through the Sound, has rendered it ncceffary to take meAfurcs for occupying, al Cpccdily as pullible, the Pi,rucranian and Pruffial coatis with troops. It is confidently faid, that in a Council of Si held tome days ago, the Doke Of Pa um:it/Ica, a great Miniiicr, ltrongly protcaed wine the do die the the mar