Star. — London, England, 1813-05-19 00:00:00

1 upon agriculture ; and for these reasons he should support the motion. Sir C. MORGAN was convinced the tax was -in jurious to the Leather Trade, without being produc tive to the Public ; and therefore he should support the motion. Sir T. FOLEY could not agree to this tax. It was a tax .upon necessaries, and one which pressed most heavily on the poor. He did not wish now, when energy was so necessary on the part of Government, to cramp its hands by diminishing its means : let the Hon. Gentleman propose any tax upon luxuries—on saddle-horses, game-keepers, and dogs—,.and it should have his warmest support.— (Hear, bear.)—He had heard that the Chancellor of the Exchequer was not favourable to this tax, and he wished to make some concession ; but. was prevented by the Secretary to the Treasury, who had the credit of being the father of this mischievous child ; he wished, however, the Right Hon. Gentleman would assume courage enough to incur the anger of his friend, and receive gratitude of the House as his consolation under his misfortune, (Loud cheering.) - • Sir C. MONCK also supported the motion. The CHANCELLOR of .the EXCHEQUER said, he was willing to admit that this was not a tax of his proposing, but one which had been brought forward by his predecessor. He was now, however, convinced that it could not be repealed without great disadvantage to the public ; and he did not think the repeal would be attended with any of those advan tages which Gentlemen seemed to think would result from that measure. He was persuaded that the pub. lic would not obtain the articles at all cheaper than they now did ; and that only the persons engaged in the trade would derive any advantage from the sacri fice made by the public. With respect to the pro ductiveness of the tax, it had fully equalled his expec tations. The additional duty on glass had, like that on Leather, been estimated at :€200,0130.-He had heard no of jection whatever made to that tax, and he had no doubt it would ultimately amount to the sum at which it had been estimated. Yet the produce for the last three quarters had been only £2019, whilst that ‘‘n Leather, for the same period was £llB,OOO, not. withstanding the dissatisfaction which existed amongst the 'Fanners, their having reduced their trade as much as possible, with a hope of gettieg a repeal of the tax. —The evidence he was ready to acknowledge was highly respectable. From that it appeared, that the additional duty. would amount to about Is. 3d. on a saddle and bridle, 3s. on a set of harness, lid. a pair on gentlemen's bobts, and V i d. on a pair of shoes, and this advance was all that the additional duty would cause. The Right Hon. Gentleman proceeded at some length to reply to the arguments of the seve. ral speakers who had preceded him, and concluded by giving his decided negitive to the motion. Mr. W. SMITH supported the motion, becaue he considered the Leather Tax as oppressive to the peo ple of the country. Mr. BENSON shortly replied, and observed, that lie shautd have answered at length the Hon. Secre tary (Mr. Wharton) had that Gentleman remained in his place. He should confine himself to the re mark, as to w!lat the Hon. Gentleman had said against the evidence of the Leather Trade. The persons froM whom he (Mr. Benson) had got his in formation, ally , ' they were neither philosophers nor statesmen, nor had published quarto poems to astonish i2nd amuse the. world, they were men of common sense, and as much honour, probably, as the Hon. Secretary himself. Alter some further conversation, the House d:vidcd the tn-tion 104 —Against it 101. 7 The SPEAKER then cave his castillg vnte in fa vour of the motion ; in consequence of which leave was given to bring in the Bill. Mr. BENSON afterwards brought up the Bill for the repeal of the Le4ther Tax ; which was read a first, and ordered to be read a second time on Thurs day next. ADMIRALTY REGISTRAR. The House resolved itself into a Commi!.;:e on the Admiralty Registrar's Bill. Sir W. SCOTT proposed a clause, providing that JE10,090 should continue in the hands of the Regis trar, to defray the current expellees of his office. Mr. H. MA RTIN had no objection to this clause. provided it did not militate against the general prin ciples of the Bill. After some remarks from Sir W. SCOTT, Mr. Wurr- Tr.EAD, Mr. STLPfigNt and Sir J. NICHOLL, the clause was adopted ; and, after some other amendments, the Report of the Bill was received, and ordered to be re committed for Friday. The House, in a Committee, went through the Pri soners' Relief Bill.—Adjourned at Twelve o'clock. FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZE FE. CARLTON-HOUSE, MAY 17. His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been pleased, in the tame and on the behalf of his Majesty, to appoint Major-Gene ral the Hon. Sir Charles Stewart, Knight of the Most Honour able Order of the Bath, to be his Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of his Majesty the King of Prussia. This day Baron Jacobi Kloest, Envy Extraordinary and Mi nister Plenipotentiary from his Majesty the King of Prussia, had his first private audience of his Royal Highness the Prince Re gent, to deliver his credentials to which he was introduced by Vtscount Castlereagh, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and conducted by Robert Chester, Esq. Assistant-Master of the Ceremonies. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, MAY 18, 1813. strict of a Letter from Captain Harris, of his Majesty's ship lie.le Poule, franbmitted by Admiral Lord Keith to J. W. Crolser, Esq. Isis Milesty's ship Belle Poule, at Sea, May 11, ISM I have the pleasure to inform you, th.tt we cap =d, after a chase from five P. NI. to half-past two n. at. this morning, the Revenge American lever of marque schooner, thirty-seven days from Charleston to lloordeanx ; she is a new vessel, copper-bottomed and fastened, pierced for 16 guns, having on board four long 9 pouuders and 32 men. DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE-MONEY. Lord Thu rime, Duke of Buccleugh, Rose, and 11 , •uglston East Indiatnen, for the Nostra Senora del Rosario, at 21, Bin:bin-lane, I.icts• or, for the Naieden, Kiel, and I.aaland, on the 22d inst. at .2. Upper 1 hamet-street, and there recalled. Ales t, :or the Riga; and Minotaur, for the St. Thomaso, on the 20th inst. at 22, Arundel-street, and there recalled. Cl o, o. the Hoffrung, Cec,lia,-and Dorothea Elizabeth, on . board, at Sheerness, the 224 inst.; recalled at 2, Norfolk. street. [1 or Military Y rgAl9UOus2 ihruptss e4C. ace the last page.] SUPPLZALENTTOTNi LONDON Gdzsirm WAR DEPARTMENT. DGWNING-STREET, MAY 18, 181 3. A Dispatch, of which the following is a copy, was this morning received by Earl Bathurst, from Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray, Bart. Cartaila, April 14, 1819. MY LORD—I have the honour to enclose to your Lordship, a copy of a dispatch addressed this day to General the Marquis of Wellington ; and I am happy it is in my power to lay before your Lordship so con. vincing a proof of the gallantry and spirit which per vades this army. I have, indeed, but faintly described the exertions of the officers and soldiers who have been engaged, but I still venture to hope that they will appear suf ficiently meritorious to attract the notice and obtain the approbation of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. This dispatch, with its enclosures, will be delivered to your Lordship by Captain D'Aguilar, of the 81st regiment, my Military Secretary. I have, with great inconvenience to myself, selected this officer, because he is so well qualified, from the situation he holds, to give your Lordship every information relative to this action, and indeed relative to this army and the province. I think I may safely venture to assure your Lord ship, that Captain D'Aguilar eminently possesses every quality which we prize in the character of a soldier ; and I take the liberty of earnestly recom mending him to your Lordship's favourable notice and protection. I have the honour to be, Etc._ (Signed) .1. MURRAY, Lieut.-Gen. The Earl Bottum, &c. &c.&c. Head-Quarters, Castalla, April 14, 1813. MY LORD have the satisfaction tp inform your Lordship, that the allied army under my command defeated the enemy on the 13th instant, commanded by Marshal *Suchet in person. It appears that the French General had, for the purpose of attacking this army, for some time been employed in collecting his whole disposable force. His arrangements were completed on the 10th, and in the morning of the 1 I th, he attacked and dis lodged, with some loss, a Spanish corps, posted by General Elio, at Yecla, which threatened his right, whilst it supported our left flank. In tke evening he advanced in considerable force to Villena, and I am sorry to say, that he captured, on the morning of the 12th., a Spanish garrison, which had been thrown into the Castle by the Spanish Ge neral, for its defence. On the 19th, about noon, Marshal Sucher began his attack on the advance of this army-posted at Biar, under the command of Colonel Adam. Colonel Adam's orders were to fall back upon Castalla, but to dispute tke passage with the enemy ; which he did with the utmost gallantry and skill for five hours, though attacked by a force infinitely su perior to that which he commanded. The enemy's advance occupied the pass that even ing, and Colonel Adam took up the ground in our position which had been allotted to him. On the i3th, at noon, the enemy's columns of at tack were formed, composed of three divisions of in fantry, a corps of cavalry of about sixteen hundred men, and a formidable train of artillery. The position of the allied army was extensive. The left was posted on a strong range of hills, occupied by Major-General Whittingliam's division of Spanish troops, and the advance of the Allied Army under Colonel Adam. This range r f Nils terminates at Castalla, which, and the ground to the right, was occupied by Major- General Mackenzie's division, and the 38th regiment, front that of LieuteLant•General Clinton. T:ie remainder of the risition was covered by a stro.ig r;N:iie, behind which Liittitniant-General Clinton was stationed, supported by three battalions of General Roche's division, as a column of reserve. A few batteries had been constructed in this part of the line, and in front of the Castle of Castalla. —The enemy necessarily advanced on the left of the position. The first movement he made, was to pass a strong body of cavalry along the line, threatening our right, which was refused. Of this movement no notice was taken ; the ground to which he was pointing, is unfavourable to cavalry, and as this movement was foreseen, the necessary precau tions had been taken : when this body of cavalry had passed nearly the half of our line of infantry, Mar shal Suchet advanced his columns to the foot of the hills, and certainly his troops, with a degree of gal lantry that entitles them to the highest praise, stormed the whole line, which is not less than two miles and a half in extent. But gallantly as the attack was made, the defence of the heights was no less brilliant : at every point the enemy was repulsed—at many with the bayonet. He suffered a very severe loss ; our gallant troops pursued him for some distance, and drove him, after a severe struggle, with precipitation on his battalions of reserve upon the plain. The cavalry, which had slowly advanced along our right, gradually fell back to the infantry. At present his superiority in that arm enabled him to venture this movement, which otherwise he sluSuld have severely repented. Having united his shattered battalions with those which he kept in reserve, Marshal Suchet took up a position in the valley ; but which it would not have been creditable to allow him to retain. I, therefore, decided on quitting mine ; still, however, retaining the heights, and formed the allied army in his front, covering my right flank with the cavalry, whilst the left rested on the hills. _The army advanced in two lines to attack him a considerable distance, but un. fortunately Marshal Suchet did not choose to risk a second action, with the defile in his rear. The line of the Allies was scarcely formed when he began his retreat, and we could effect nothing more than driving the French into the pass with de feat, which they had exultingly passed in the morn ing. The action terminated at dusk, with a distant but heavy cannonade. I am sorry to say that I have no trophies to boast of. The enemy took no guni to the heights, and he retired too expeditiously to enable me to reach him. Thos.i which he used in the latter part of the day, were posted in the gorge of the defile, and it would have cost us the lives of many brave men to' take them. • n the dusk, the allied army returned to its posi tion at Castalla, after the enemy had retired to lhar. From thence he continued his retreat at midnight to Villena ) which be quitted again thi:‘ morning in great 'haste, directing his march upon Fuente de la Hi. guera and Onteniente.' But although I have taken no cannon from the enemy, in point of numbers his army is very consi derably crippled, and the defeat of a French army, which boasted it had never known a check, cannot fail, I should hope, in producing a most favourable effect in this part of the Peninsula. As I before mentioned to your Lordship, Mar shal Suchet commanded in person. The Generals Harispe, Habert, and Robert, commanded their re spective divisions. I hear from all quarters that Ge neral Harispe is killed ; and I believe, from every account that I can collect, that the loss of the enemy amounts fully to 3,000 men ; and he admits 2,500. Upwards of 800 have already been buried in front of only one part of our line ; and we know that he has carried off with him an immense number of wounded. We had no opportunity of making prisoners, except such as were wounded ; the numbers of which have not yet reached me. I am sure your Lordship will hear with.much sa tisfaction, that this action has not cost us the lives of many of our comrades. Deeply must be felt the loss, however trifling, of such brave and gallant sol diers ; but we know it is inevitable, and I can with truth affirm, that there was not an officer or soldier I engaged who did not court the glorious termination of an honourable life, in the discharge of his duty to his King and to his country. The gallant and judicious conduct 'of those that were engaged deprived much more than one half the army of sharing in the perils and glory of the day ; but the steady countenance with which the divisions of Generals Clinton and Mackenzie remained for some hours under a cannonade, and the eagerness and ala crity with which the lines of attack were formed, sufficiently proved to me what I had to depend on from them, had Marshal Suchet awaited the attack. I trust your Lordship will now permit me to per form the most pleasing part of my duty, that of humbly submitting for his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's approbation, the *names of those officers and corps which have had the fortunate opportunity of distinguishing themselves, in as far at least as has yet come to my knowledge. Colonel Adam, who commands the advance, claims the first, place in this honourable list. I cannot su£ ticiently praise the judicious arrangements lie made, and the ability with which he executed his orders on the 12th instant. • The advance consists only of the 9.d battalion of . the 27th regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Reeves ; the Ist Italian regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Burke ; theCalabrian Free Corps commanded by Major Carey ; one rifle company of the 3d and Bth battalions King's German Legion, commanded by Captains Luedcr and Braums of those corps ; and a troop of foreign hussars, under the or ders of Captain Jacks, of the 20th dragoons, with four mountain guns, in charge of Captain Arabin, royal artillery. The enemy attacked this corps with from 5 to 6000 men, and for fire hours (and then only in comequence of order) succeeded in possetsing himself of the pass. This fact alone says more in favour of Colonel Adam, and in praise of those he commands, than any words of mine can express. I shall therefore con; fine myself to assuring your Lordship, that die con duct of all engaged in this brilliant affair merits, and has met with, my highest approbation. Colonel Adam was wounded very early in the at• tack, but continued, and still continues in charge of his division. On the 13th, the attack of the enemy on Colonel Adam's division was very severe ; but the enemy was defeated at every point, and a must gallant charge of the 2d 27th, led by Colonel Adam and Lieutenant- Colonel Reeves, decided the fate of the day, at that part of the field of battle. Ti►e skill, judement, and gallantry displayed by Major-General Whittingharn And his division of the Spanish army, rivals, though it cannot surpass, the conduct of Colonel Adam and the advance. At every point the enemy was repulsed ; at many, at the point of the bayonet. And one point in parti cular I must mention, where a French grenadier battalion had gained the summit of the hill, but was charged and driven from the heights by a corps un der the command of Colonel Casans. Major-General Whittingham highly applauds, and I know it is not without reason, the conduct • - if Colo nel Casans, Colonel Romero, Colonel Campbell, Colonel Casteras, and Lieutenant-Colonel Ochoa, who commanded at various points of the hills. To the Chief of his Staff, Colonel Serrano, he likewise ex pressed himself to be equally obliged on this, as well as many other occasions • and he acknowledges with gratitude the services of ? Colonel Catinelli, of the Staff of the Italian Levy, who was attached to him during the day. These, my Lord, are the officers and corps that I am most anxious to recommend to his Royal High ness's notice and protection, and I earnestly entreat your Lordship will most respectfully, on my part, report their merits to the Prince Regent, and to the Spanish Government. _ _ It now only remains for me to acknowledge the cordial co-- eration and support I have met with from the several General Officers and Brigadiers, as I well as from the various officers in charge of depart ments attached to this army. To Major-Gereral Donkin, Quarter-Master- General, I am particularly indebted, tor the zeal and ability with which he conducts the duties of his ex tensive department, and the gallantry he displays on every occasion. Major nenah, who is at the head of the Adjutant-General's department, affords me every satisfaction. Lieutenant-Colonel Holcombe, and, under his orders, Major Williamson, conduct the ar tillery branch of the service in a manner highly cre ditable. The different brigades of guns, under Cap pains Lacy, Thomson, and Gilmour (and Garcia, of the Sicilian army), and Lieutenant Patton, of the flying artillery, were extremely useful, and most gal ' Lindy served ; and the Portuguese artillery support ed the reputation their countrymen have acquired.— The army is now in march. I proceed to Alcoy in the hope, but not the sanguine hope, that I may be enabled to force the Albayda Pass, and reach the entrenched position of the enemy of San Felippe, be fore he can arrive there. I consider this movement as promising greater ad vantages than a direct pursuit, as the road which he has chosen being very favourable for cavalry, in which arm he is 30 much superior, I Should probably be delayed too long to strike any blow of imps rutte. —I beg leave to enclose a return of the kiikd a r .d wounded of the Allied Army. —I have the hel • at, to be, &c. (Signed) J. MIIIMAY, Lieut. * • L. P. S. I have omitted to mention, tirtt in ' - tot:nn s from Thar, two of the mountain gun s f e ll i nto hands of the enemy ; they were disable,?, cpd Coienei Adam very judiciously directed Captain Arabin, then commanded the brigade, to fght them to die last, and then to leave them to their fate. Caphtis Arabin obeyed his crders, and fought them till s was impossible quite to get them off, had such bee s Colonel Adam's desire. (Signed) Retni n of Killed, %% r ounded, and Missing, of the Allied Amy, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir JOIIN Muncie, bit In the Action which took place near Castalla, on the eee tri of the 12th and 13th April, 1813, with the french AtriZ commanded by Marshal Seen tr. General Staff---1 Lieutenant killed ; 1 Colonel, I Lieut. waert 20th Light Dragoons -1 rank and file wounded. Foreign Troop (Illissars)-2 horses killed, 2 horses wourde.l. Brunswick Onls Hussars--1 bore kilt e d, Neapolitan Ca .dry--1 rank and file, I horse, missing. Royal British Artillery-4 rank and file wuunded. Royal Artillery Driver,--1 rank and file wounded, 3 horses 1 horse wounded. Portuguese Artillery-3 rank and lila wounded. Ist Batt. 27th Foot-2 rank and file killed, 1 drummer, 16 rack and file, wounded. 2d Batt. 27th Foot-1 Srrjeant, 1 drummer, 16 rank and Cr killed ; 2 Lieutenants, 3 Serjeants,N2 rank and file, wounded, 2 rank and file, miss lug. Ist Batt. 58th Foot-1 rank and file killed. 5 rank and file wounJ. 4th Bart. King's German Legion -3 rants and tile killed, 9 rail and file wounded. 6th Batt. Ditto-1 rank and file killed ; 5 rank ansj fie wounelei Roll Dillon's-4 rank and file killed ; 1 serjeant, 14 rank aaa file, wounded ; 9 rank and file missing. Rifle Company, Roll's lieutenant, 1 serjeant, and 4 rank and file, wounded. Rifle Company, 3d Batt. King's German Legioa-1 lieutenant, 4 rank and file killed ; 2 lieutenants, serjer ts, 11 and file, wounde d; ' 1 rank arid file missing. Rifle Company, Bth Batt. King's German Legion— nnk art file kill d ; 9 rank and file wounded ; 1 rank and file mi.:it :I . Ist Italian Regiment -23 rank and file n.:,jor, 1 lea tenant, 1 ensign, 4 serjearts, 45 rank mid tile, woundLii; Lnt rank and file missing. Calabrese Free Corps-3 rank and Me killed ; I captain, I l'-%• tenant, 3 serjeants, 46 rank and file, wounded ; 1 horse Ay?. Total British !ois-2 lieutenants, 2 serjeant,, 1 drumnic., 65 rank and file, killed; 1 colonel, 1 major, 1 captain, S lieutenants, 1 ensign, 15 aerjeants, 1 drummer, 258 ra• t and file, wounded; 44 rank and file missing; S hur killed; 3 horses wounded; I horse nth-ing. Total Sicilian Loss-1 Rank and file killed; 8 rank ar.l!:.t wounded. Total Spanish Loss-2 Lieutenants, 73 rank and file, kill; 4 Lieutenants, 183 rank and ffie, wounded; 1 horse 7 horses wounded. General Total-4 Lieutenants, 1 Serjearr, I Drummer, 1:9 rank and file, killed; 1 Colonel, I Major, 1 Captain, 3: Lieutenants, 1 Ensign, 15 Serjeat.ts, t Drummer, 449 rank and file, wounded; 42 rank and file missing ; eisat horses killed; 10 horses wounded; 1 horse missing,. Names of Officers Killed and Wounded. Kiktua. 10th Font—Lieut. Thompson, D. A. Qr. Gen. Rifle Company, 3d King's German Legion—Lieut. Hazlehach, sth Regiment Spanish Grenadiers—Lieut. Don Juan Snares. 2d Regiment Burgos—Lieut. Don Jose Pizano. WOUNDFD. Colonel Adam, 1). A. G. comma:,d.:lg the advance, slightly. • 75th Fixit—Lieut. M‘Dougall, D. A, A. G. severely, since deael. 2d Batt. 27th Foot—l.ieuts. Duhigg, severely; Ja•neson, slightly. Rifle Company, 3d King's German Legion.—Lieutenants Freytsg and Appuhn, severely. Ist Italian Regiment—Major Faverge, Lieutenant Martutath, Ensign Monti, slightly Ron Mt Company—Lieutenant Seg 'per, slightly. Calsbres. Free Corp. —Captain 'favrllo, Lieutenan:Me-;isechas, slightly. In Regiment of Coriove—Lieut. Don France co Morales. Casadures of Guadalaiara—Lieut. Don Francesco Cas Cacadores of Mallorca—Lice. Don Juan dal Puerta, Ecl.p Don Manuel Tempo. (Signed) THOMAS ICEMAN, A. Adj.-Gen. The men returned missing, were those that fell badly wounded on retiring through the Biar Pass on the 12th instant, And whota it was impossible, from the nature of their wounds, to best ten• mediately away. Many of them have since been brought i:. frets Biar, whither they were carried by the enemy, and left on ns elfaCl/3(1013. (mgned) GIOROIII VAGUILAZ, Mil. Sec. FRE.vCH PAPERS. PARIS, MAY IL Her Majesty the Empress Queen and Regent, hr received the following intelligence respecting the su• tuation of the Armies, on the evening of the 6th : The head-quarters of the Emperor and King were at Wakiheim ; those of the Viceroy at Ertzdorf; those of General Lauriston at Oschartz ; those of the Prince of Moskwa between Leipzic and Torgau; those of Count Bertrand at Mettweyda ; those of the Duke of Reggio at Peneg. The enemy had burned, at Waldheim, a very fine bridge, of one arch, which delayed us for some hours. His rear-guard wished to defend the passage of it, but was driven back upon Ertzdort. The posiuon of this last point is very fine : the enemy wished to hold it, the bridge being burnt ; the Viceroy ordered the village to be turned by the right and left. Tile enemy was placed behind ravines. A brisk fire of musketry and artillery took place. Quickly we marched right to the enemy, and the position was carried. The enemy left '2OO killed upon the fled of battle. General Vandamme had, on the Ist of May, his head-quarters in Harburgh. Our troops have taken a Russian cutter, armed with : 1 .0 cannon. The ene my repassed the Elbe with so much precipitation, that he left upon the left bank a number of boats, proper for passing the river in, and much baggage. The move onents of the Grand Army had already caused a great consternation at Hamburgh ;—the Ham burgh traitors see the day of vengeance is fast ap proaching, General Dumonceau was at Luneburg. At the battle of the 2d, the ordnance officers Be ringer and Prefil were wounded, but only slightly. The following is the relation which the enemy 11.13 given of the -battle ; we must expect that they al sing Te Drum at St. Petersburgh, as they did for 112 battle of Moskwa : ACCOUNT OF THE RATTLE FOUGHT ON THE 2D OF MTh ON THE ROAD FROM WEISSIENFELS TO LEIFSIC, AN OFFICER OF BLUCHER' Will's. [Translation from the German.] " The enemy turned his Imck to Leipsic, and We had behind us Naumburg and Weissenfels. he Elster and the Luppe were at a certain distance from the wings of the two armies. Before our right wirg we had a village, occupied by the enemy. " The battle began by the attack of this vin.ige• which was carried by the right wing of Blucher s corps e Soon after, the left wing of that corps 10 11,4 itself before another village, before which the eneinY brought several batteries ; we opposed to him ne . '" , Y. as much artillery, which we covered by our reserve ot cavalry ; because the Wintry had not advanced 5*.)