Star. — London, England, 1812-07-30 00:00:00

---- I % a I PAR4hIMENTARr PROCEEDINGS. - HOUSE OF LORDS, /ULY 29. the Bishop of Chester was introduced by * the Bishops of Ely nd Oxford, and took the oaths and his Feat. ,The Royal . Assent was notified by Commission to the Vote Credit Bill, the Peace Preservation Bill, the Toleration Bill, e Prisoners of War. Fscape Bill, the local Tokens Bill, the reeked Spirits and Tobacco Bill, the StoChhelders Relief B'll, hi Poor Debtors' Relief Bill, the London Prisons Bill, Saint orge's-fields improvement Bill, the Aloorfields Improvement the Woods and Forests Bill, and the Irish Insolvent Deb- Bill. The Commissioners were, the Archbishop of CA: creamier, e Loan CHANCIII.I.OI, and Lord WAtsittounst. The insolvent Debtors Bill for England was again returned om the Commoes, by Sir JANIZS GRAHAM and ocher Mem o, with the last Amendments of the Lords agreed to. INCLisSURE AFFIDAVIT BILL. Respecting this Bill the LORD CHANCELLOR observed, it required further consideration. If its object was merely o register AffidavPs to facilitate the proof of hand-writing rela e to inclosure Bills, there could be little objection to it; but it was intended that these Affidavits were to serve as proofs of faits stated in them, their Lordships would, no doubt, pause good while before they sanvioned a proceeding by which they null give up the most effectual test of truth as to the allegations In a private Bill, the examination of witnesses VIVA stone upon oath; there being no doubt that ivere it not for that examination', upon oath before their Lordships' Committees, private Bills fight frequently operate the greatest injustice towards indivi-• ;duals. With the view ' thereture, that the Bill might be more fully coa•ldered, his Lordship moved that it be read; second time this day three mouths.—Ordered. TM& Lordship then adjourned till to-morrow (this day.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. New Writs were ordered for the County of Londonderry, in the room of Lord George Beresford, appointed to • the situation lof Comptroller of the Household, and Generel Stewart, vp ;pointed to the sit uaticn of Groom ot the Bedchamber. ! Sir FRANCIS BURDETT hoped the Right Hanourable the iCharmelltw of the Exchequer would not object to the productiGti ;of the Paper moved for by him yesttlrday, namely, a Copy of a !written Statement made on the Bth of May, 1812, to the late Perceval, by Janes Poole, Esq. late Deputy Inspector ./General of Foreign Corte, and transmitted by Mr. Percent to LFraneis Perceval Elliot, Esq. one of the Auators of Public Accounts. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he ob jected to the producti' n of this Paper, as being of a private nature. Sir FRANCIS BURDE'TT said the Paper in question eoa a distinct charge of *min aelement of the public money, d, therefore, its being of a private nature, was no reason why ought not to be produced. Mr. WHARTON objected to it, Ist, because ft was of a pri 'lite nature • and, 2(14, because it conveyed a direct libel on a t number of intlividua:s who could not defend themselves; particularly against the late Mr. Windham. The Accounts fespecting Foreign Corps were very voluminous, and proves* Was now making in adjusting thews; but till that adjustment it vas impostible to enter into any discussion of the Paper In ques tion, which was extremely loose, and could nut be intelligible Neil without reference t• the Accounts. The Motion was agreed to be witLdrawn. AltatY AGENCY. , Mr. COCHRANE JOHNSTONE rose, in pun ance of his notice, to move for certain papers rela. •e to the present system of Army Agency. He observed, that in 1807 he had made a motion, similar the one he now contenwlated ; and, had it been successful, it was his intention to have followed it up. All he had to do on the present occasion was, to • • ove for a series of parrs, which would enable the t louse to judge of the propriety of altering the pre nt system ; and he pleited himself, in the next • ssion, to propose a measure for that purpose. His eat object was, to place the public money in pc(rfect -curity. That was not now the case—for large sums f-money were placed at the disposal of Army • gents, in some instances without any security at I—in others, with very little. The House might se told, that those persons were supported by the olonels of Regiments. But, it should be recollected ' at many of tho s e Officers were themselves only ;Idlers of fortune, however brave and.deserving.—. e was sure it would be impossible to find sufficient ..curity for the sums that went through the hands of •ne agent, Mr. Greenwood. 'that gentleman was (rent for 176 battalicns of the line, ont of '284, com e. • sing our whole regular force, 14 regiments of mi tia, and the artillery. What, he would ask, must • the consequence, if such a house stopped payment? He meant tot to throw any imputation on Mr. reenwood, but he thought so immense a sum ought '•ot to be placed with one agent. They had lately n houses, of the greatest Tepectability, of as high baracter as that of Mr. Greenwood, stop payment; ad, den before they parted, he thought something •ught to be done, to place the public money in the st possible state of security. The Hon. Gentleman l• en expressed his approbation of the Act for regu; • ting the Office of Agent-General of Volunteers and ocal Militia, by which all bills were made payable t the Bank of England, and he could not conceive • by the same method should not be extended to the ne. He did not suppose that the present system as continued, because Mr. Greenwood was agent it 45 Members of Parliament; it might perhaps be asioned by a higher power ; but be hoped the • t Sessimi would put an end to it. The Honour . Gentlepan concluded by reading a series of esolutions, the first of which WAS— . That there be laid before the House an account of the' an sums paid or due to each and every Aimy Agent in Great • in and Ireland, by way of compensation for their trouble, every regular regiment or corps, specifying the name of every • t, and the sum paid or due to him, from the t ith of Deem , 1810, to the 23th of December, MI." Mr. C. LONG dil not rise to oppose the Resolu s generally—but, he thought, when the balances by the Agents. to the public were called for, in of fairness those due by the public to . the shall(' be forthcoming.-4Mr, JOHNSTONE across the table, that the Resolutions were so ed as to embrace both.] ; •••In fact, large balances • been due to them, in consequence of the per xity of the regimental accounts, which retarded :r examination ; but the present Secretary at War • turned his attention to the subject, and had esti.. .hed a system which would enable them to make at progress in those accounts—the difficulty of mining which should not be referred to the agents, to the regimental -Paymasters. A large sum of s tl ey he knew was owing by the public to Mr. eenwood, and the Secretary at War, in comer 'ence, found it necessary to order s payment to be '• de to him ; and yet tke impression conveyed by s peech a the Hon. Gentleman was, that the blic Janney was paid at risk, and that sums were by gr. Greenwood to the public, He was sure Hon, Gentleman would feel it very difficult to Ty the plan of aQeneralAgency into effect, which old eitoely alter the present ;node of payment • • sued 3111;17, As p any ing4tase to procure the agency cif regiments, he knew of none. The 1. Col ,nels employed the Agents as their , servants, and became security for them—whether that security were sufficient, was another thing. An inquiry was then pending, which was likely to he concluded next Session, which would distinctly point out the balances due, in favour of, or against the public; the question would then come fairly before them. Mr. DENT said, it was an undoubted fact that the agents had sums dae to them. One house had failed to whom Government owed a large balance, and he believed the account was not settled to this hour. He thought it unfair in the Hem. Gentleman (Mr. Johnstone) to particularize one House, instead of speaking generally. In the course of his speech, , he had observed that Mr. Greenwood was employed by 45 Members of Parliament, and he had also spo ken of a higher power. Dial he mean to say, that that higher power participated in the profits of the Agent ? When he mentioned the 176 battalions, he must surely have known that every Colonel appoint ed his own Agent. And, if the high character of Mr. Greenwood drew such a number to him, it re dounded greatly to his credit, for he believed no in fluence whatever was used. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT could see no reason why there should not be an uniform mode for the payment of the Army, and a person with a fixed establishment appointed to superintend it. It appear ed very suspicious, that one man should have almost the whole Agency of the Army. If, as was said, an intimacy subsisted between the Gentleman alluded to and the Duke of York, it was not then difficult to perceive the influence that occasioned this monopoly; for it could not be considered wonderful that the Co lonels of regiments should have that connection in view. Mr. Greenwood's business was worth from 410,000 to £BO,OOO per annum ; but he was sure a person with £5,000 a year would consider himself amply repaid for his trouble in conducting the agen cy generally. The Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Long) observed, that several of the Agents, particu larly Mr. Greenwood, had balances due to them from Government : he believed that the public money was always greatly in advance to the Agents, and it was infinitely better that it should be lodged in the Bank of England. When the Right Hon. Gentleman spoke of the regimental accounts not being made up, he thought it argued a great deal of neglect, and ought to he enquired into. Mr. ROSE said, while he held the situation at present occupied by Ms . Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Long) he endeavoured to bring those accounts to a settlement ; and that it had not been done, arose not from a dereliction of duty in the persons connected with the Pay Office, but from the extreme difficulty attending regimental accounts. The agents, he could aver, in many instances, had large sums due to them from the public ; and with respect to Mr. Green wood, that was the case. He did not know that Gentleman—he never conversed with him in his life; but it was due to his character to state, that he be lieved no man could conduct himself more honour ably. The idea of a general agency was not new ; but though some advantages might be derived from it, they would be greatly outweighed by the evils it would probably occasion. Mr. PARNELL was of opinion, that the Reports of the Commissioners of Military Inquiry had been shamefully neglected. If their suggestii.ns had been followed, in his opinion all this contusion of accounts would have been avoided. The country had been pin to an enormous expellee for enquiries into vari ous branches of public service : £50,000 or .C 60,000 had been paid to the Commissioners of Military In quiry, and he could wish to have it strewn that great practical benefits had resulted from those labours. Mr. ROSE wished merely to ttate his perfect con viction, that the insinuation of an improper influence being exerted to give a monopoly of regimental agen. cies to a Particular individual was utterly unfounded. He believed there never had been an interference of any kind made use of by the personage alluded to. Mr. LONG said, that the Bill introduced by Mr. Burke, which directed a different account to be open ed for every regiment of the line, and rendered a va riety of details necessary, rendered it impracticable for any Secretary at War to investigate them all.— When every soleier in the army had his separate ac count, it was natural that there should be much per plexity and complication ; it was therefore impossible to go.through the accounts with all the celerity which the public interest required. If there was a defect in the system, it arose from an attempt to produce a very great degree of accuracy. He knew if that ac curacy were not observed the work would be sooner performed; but, by giving up a fraction here and there, a very serious loss would result. Therefore, the Secretary at War was at present endeavomingeo draw up the accounts on the plan laid down in Mr. Burke's Bill. There was no doubt that large sums had been due to Mr. Greenwood frem the public.- 1 As to the influence of a higher power, which hadl been alluded to, he thought it would , be more just WI the Honourable Gentleman, instead of dealing in in sinuations, would make a direct charge. The fact was, the Colonel of every regiment appointed his own agent, and what authority was there to interfere with that rigll? For his own part, he never heard of any such interference on the part of the Duke of Yot k. When the Hon. Gentleman said that the public money was placed at risk because Mr. Green ; wood had so many agencies, he could not help es. pressiiig his belief that it was as safe in his hands as in those of any other agent. Mr. PA4VELL and Mr. Loso explained. Mr. C. JOHNSTONE said, the Right Hon. Gentleman'( Mr. Long) had no right to attack hini as wishing to have an account only of the balances against the agents—the words of one of the resole tions expressly were 1, for and against." In speak.' ing of the Louse of Cox and Greenwood, he meant not to cast any reflection on it. Mr. Greenwood he knew to be a man who had performed many ex cellent acts—but, on public griaunda, he did not think it right that an ,in a livkitial should monopolize, almost the whale army,and what he stated Would apply to all army agents. There might be a diver sity of opinion with respect to a general kigent, but none could sexist as to putting the morn in perfect security. Mr. MARTIN (of Galway) thought, in the , present state of public credit, the klon. Gentleman, should have been perfectly sure that a large baling'', was due by 4r. Qreenwootl before he in acl.: the *Waco. Mr 3OHNSTONE denied that he had NM single farthing of balance was due. All he stated was, that Mr. Greenwcod did not find security for the enormous sums which passed through his hands. Mr. MARTIN did not meen to say that the Hon. Gentleman did, in direct terms, assert that Mr. Greenwood was a considerable debtor to the Public; but it must be in the recollection of every Gentle man present, that, by insinuation, it was so to be understood ; for of what importance was it to the public, that large sums were received by the House, if they were repaid ? Such an insinuation, out of doors, would render a man liable to a heavy action. He was glad to hear it asserted, by those who had an opportunity of knowing the fact, that there was, upon the whole, looking to the receipt and expendi ture, a balance due by the.public to that respectable house. After a few words from Mr. Joist4sTowa and Mr, LoNG, the first Resolution was put and carried nern. con. He then proposed six other Resolutions, compre hending the Royal Artillery, Waggon Train, &c. ; also an account of the sums paid in advance to dif ferent Agents ' • and an account of the annual expen diture of the Paymaster-General of the Royal Ma rines, all of which were agreed to. WEB . 'T INDIES& Mr. JACKSON, in rising to move for papers, on which, in the ensuing Session of Parliament, he in. tended to ground a vindication of the Inhabitants of the Leeward Islands, from certain aspersions which had been cast on them by Governor Elliott, in his correspondence with the Earl of Liverpool, began by drawing the attention of Government to the distres sed state of the West India trade. He then expatia ' red at some length, on• the respectability of the West India planters, who, if taken as a body, need yield to no class of his Majesty's subjects for information and philanthropy, particularly those of the Island of Antigua. In every rank of society there were bad men—but it was as unjust to suppose the whole of the West India planters were like some infamous indivi duals who had been among them, as it would be to assert that the character of Englishmen should be es timated by the cruelties which had some time since spread terror through the metropolis. The Honour able Gentleman concluded by moving, " That an Address be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, praying that he would be graciously pleased to order, thu Cure be laid before the House Copies of the Speech and Address of Governor Elliott, to the Council and Assembly of Antigua, on his assuming the Government of that island, and the Answer thereto: and the Address of the Council of the island of St. Christopher to Governor Elliott, and his Answer." Lord CASTLEREAGH was of opinion, that a much stronger sense was piit on the words of Gover nor Elliott, that he meant to convey at the time he corresponded with his Majesty's Government. He opposed the motion, however, on the ground, that no use could be made of the papers this Session, and, it they were granted, it would seem to countenance the charge made against an individual, before any invts tigation took place. Mr. BROWN expressed himself very anxious that an early opportunity should be afforded the Colonists to repel the charges which had been made against them by Governor Elliott. Mr. STEPHEN rose to perform a sacred public duty, not to blame Mr. Elliott or the inhabitants. lie believed Mr. Elliott's general assertions to be un founded. We had certainly heard of some monsters who resided in the West Indies, but their crimes were no ground for a GOvernor to stigmatize a whole po ipulation who might live around them. The letter in question was written in confidence, and therefore, in 'his opinion, ought never to have been made public. The Hon. Member then detailed the cruelties corn. mined at the island of Nevis by Mr. noggin, (as they appeared in the newspapers) but srated, that the Assembly_ ordered him to be prosecut:d ; yet a poor industrious printer at St. Kitt's was prosecuted and imprisoned for what was termed a libel, but what was, in fact, no more than a copy of the Reso lutions entered into at the island of Nevis. Mr. Hodge, of Tortola, had notoriously committed a mul titude of murders upon his slaves ; he even invented new modes of torture, in pouring boiling water down their throats. He was, however, convicted of one murder out of sixty which he committed, but with astonishment would that House hear that the Jury recommended him to mercy, and such were the ap prehensions of Mr. Elliott that a rescue would be at tempted by the lower order of white inhabitants that he proclaimed martial law, and called out the militia, to prevent tile possibility of the culprit escaping. Was it then wonderful bat a Governor should corm no very favourable opinion of a people who wished to extend mercy to such a wretch ? The Hon. Gentle man then addressed himself warmly to the House in favour of the slaves, and said, that, although some men, lists Mr. Huggin and Mr. Hodge, might be found in the West Indies, yet there were many there of liberal minds, and the utmost humanity. Mr. BROWN highly commended the conduct of Mr. Elliott in ordering Mr. Hodge for execution, but he denied that a majority of the white inhabitants were for rescuing him, on the contrary, the militia were called out to prevent his being torn to pies= iso. fore the sentence could be put in execution. i Mr. JACKSON said, he had been upon the spot, and knew that the white people, had they had an, opportunity, would have torn Hodge to pieces. As' for Huggins, he was despised, wherever he went, among the white inhabitants ; and the Jury, on his trial, would have convicted him, could they have done it legally. His (Mr. Jackson's) property lay in the island of St. Vincent's, and he could bear testimony 1 to the general humanty of the white inhabitants there. On his own estate the whip had not been used but once in two years, and that WAS upon a man whO ,committed an offence that was th oug h t ver y li g h t l y 'of in this country—he thought a not h er man ' s wi4 WAS prettier than his own, ( a l agg h ), an d h e entered ' her hut, and ravished her ; for that offence he ordered him twenty stripes, abd prohibited all intercourse with him for two months, which so operated upon the poor man's mind, that he must- have died, had he not been reconciled to him. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped the motion would not be pressed till next Ses sion, when the House would be in possession of better information. Mr. JACKSON accordingly consented to with 4:;w ins motion t U lifs4 6051141."-4CIPUIPedP “ WASHINGTON, nnt is. ig MESSAGE TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE Or Mom: 3m TATIVES OP THE UNITED STATES. ” I communicate to Congress certain documents, being a continuation of those heretofore laid h e . fore them, on the subject of our affairs 'Vrith Great Britain, Wiiliout going beyond the renewal in lei, o f the War in which Great Britain is engage ' ', ra d . omitting unrepaired wrongs of inferior maget w k. the conduct of her Government presents a sai l o f acts hostile to the United States as :in indepaeltu and neutrAl nation. bee cad too •1 "• British cruizers have been in the continued prac. tice of violating the AmeriCan flag on the great high: way of Nations, and of seizing and carrying of per.. sons sailing under it ; not in the exercise of a ha. gerent right, founded on the law of nations against at► enemy, bus of o , tish subjects. British jurisdiction is this extended as neutral vessels in a situation where no laws can ope. rate but the law of nations and the laws of the coun try to which the vessels belong ; and a self redress is assumed, which if British subjects were wrongfully detained and alone concerned, is that substitution of force for a resort to the responsible sovereign, which falls within the definition of war.:—Could the seizure of British subjects, in such cases, be regarded u within the exercise of a belligerent right, the atlases. lodged laws of war, which forbid an article of cap. tuned property to be adjudged, without a rejular in. vestigation before a competent tribunal, would m. periously demand the fairest trial, where the sacred rights of persons were at issue. In place of sack • trial, these rights are subjected to the will of every petty commander. “ The practice, hence, is so far from Koala, British subjects alone, that under the pretext of searching for these, thousands of American citizens, under the safeguard of public laws, Mid of theirs's , tional flag, have been torn from their country, oat from every thing dear to them ; have been dragged on board ships of war on a foreign station, and a. posed, under the severities of their discipline, to be exiled to the most distant and deadly climes, to risk their lives in the battles of their oppressors, and is be the melancholy instruments of taking away this of their own brethren. 66 Against this crying enormity, which Great Bti. twin would be so prompt to Avenge if comwitted Against herself, the United States have in vain es• hausted remonstrances and expogulations. And that no proof might be wanting of their conciliatory dis• positions, and no pretext left for a continuance aids practice, the British Government was formerly as sured c f . the readiness of the United States to enter into al rangements, such as could not be rejected. if the recovery of the Blitish subjects were the real and the sole object. 66 The communication passed without effect—Bei ash cruizers have been in the practice also of via lating the rights and the peace of our coasts. They hover over and harrass our entering and departing commerce. To the most insultiag pretensions they have added lances proceedings in our very harbourer and have wantonly spilt American blood within tba , sanctuary of our territorial jurisdiction. The princi. pies and rules enforced by that Nation, when a nes. .• tral Nation, against armed vessels of belligerents ha:. vering near her coasts, and disturbing her commerce. are well known. When called on, nevertheless, by the United States to punish the greater offences car, ibitied by her own vessels, her Government has be. . stowed on their Commanders additional marks ci honour and confidence. " Under pretended blockades, without the presence of an adequate force, and sometimes without the practicability of applying one, our commerce hal been plundefeci in every sea. ; the great staples of our country have been cut off 'Toni their legitimate mar• kcts ; and a destructive blow aimed at our agricultn, ral and maritime interests. In aggravation of these predatory measures, wry have been considered as is force from the dates of ibeir notifiCation ; a retrespov two effect being thus Added, •as has been done is . other important cases, to the unlawPaness .)I the course pursued. And to render the outrage the more signal, these mock blockades have been reitera ted and inforced in the face of official coosnausuca- Lions from the Pritish Government, declaring, as the true definition of a legal blockage, " that paiticular ports must bs actually invested, and previous warn ing given to vessels bound to them not to enter." vs Not content with these occasional expedients fir i layibg waste our Acutrul IrAdeJ th cabinet of Grca; ki s IF „.z.za t ip• ................e 1.•.•••",• , 1 • • . . A I ./2 . , : ,....__ - : _ O4l b THE EVENING STAR.. to ~- - bi c h LONDON. • iv avi THURSDAY, JULY O. • 1 DECLARATION OF WAR BY AMERICA, I' We have at length received this important D. y GI be went. It was brought to Portsmouth by the jcu 4 • sloop of war, Captain GA.RIABIt t who ar r i ve d 1 7 's 'night at the Admiralty with dispatches from Adtfit. • rid SAWYER, at Halifax. We have not room for any comments on the American Declaration, but instill • think that the change of policy adopted by Oh 1 country mutt produce a correspondi ng c h ange in O g o American Councils :