Star. — London, England, 1813-05-11 00:00:00

117 I •rr'""" PARLLIMENTARr PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 10. • The consideration of the appeal cause " Smith v. Allen," was renewed, and the judgment of the Court of Session affirmed, with XlBO cats • I In the Irish appeal " Daly is. Suthe,rland," Counsel was heard, land the further consideration postponed. In the cause " Watt v. Morrice and others," Mr. Parke and Mr. Carr were beard for the appellant, Mr. Adam and Mr. Horner for the respondent , and M r . Parke in reply, when the j a dgment of the inferior Court was reversed. '1 he Merchants' Mates' Bonds, and the Irish OfficersWidows' Pensions Bills went through a Committee, - and were ordered to re reported. The Irilh Butter Trade, the Marine Officers' Wine, and the Queen Hythe Bridge Bills were real the third time and passed. The Brokerage and Wharfage Bonds, and the Irish Churches i Bills, t oge th e r wi t h a var i et y of others of a private nature, were tbrought up from the Commons by Mr. LUSHINGTON, Sir Ames GRAHAM, and others, and read the first time. Mr. Clifton, from the Admiralty, presented a Copy of the Minutes of the Court-Martial held upon the Officers and Crew ;a his Majesty's late ship Java, agreeably to the order of their iLordships. DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGIL The Duke of ATHOL presented a Petition from the Ministers `and licentiates of Perth and Stirling, praying permission to de pute fit persons from their body for the purpose of propagating 'and d'ffusing Christian knowledge in India. The Marquis of SvArroßD presented from Di Mon and from Stafford, the Earl of SANDWICH from Kimbolton, the Marquis CAssott4 from Sheerness, Seven Oaks, and Portsmouth, Lord KENYON from Wellington, in Salop, and the Earl of It/introit from Banbury, in the county of Oxford, Petitions to the same effect, all which were ordered to lie on the table. Their Lordships then adjourned to to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. This being the last day for receiving the Reports of Commit tees appointed to examine into the nature of rrivate Bills, the SPEAKER took the Chair at three o'clock, and proceeded to re teive the reports, which were very numerous. The second reading of the County Bakers' Regulation BiU was lolponed to this day sennight. The General Enclosure Bill passed through a Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. Mr. WHARTON laid on the Table an Account of the slumber of Houses proposed to be pulled down in the construc tion of the elegant new street from Charing-cross to Mary-la- Bes ine. l'ho Charing-cross and Mary-la-Bonne New Street Bill was read a second time, and referred to a select Committee up stairs. A message Iron the Lords intimated, that their Lordships ,had agreed to the Drawback on the Wine Bill without any amendment. -------------- A Messenger from the Stamp Office presented an Account of the Number of Country Banks at the Bar of the House..--Or dered to be laid on the Table. The American Prize Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed tomorrow. '1 he second reading of the Insolvent Debtors' Bill was put off till Wednesday, and the Irish Cotton Weavers' Bill till to- morrow. The Report of the Irish Militia Bill was received, the amend ment: agr.td to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. 'I lie House went into a Committee on the further considera tien of the anion of the Highway Bill, when several amend ments were agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on Friday. • Mr. HART DAVIS presented a Petition from the Bristol Manufacturers, praying the repeal of the Leather Tat. The itto:ion of Sir H. Moa•rooasaatr, relative to the free exerei , :v of the Hindoo Rti•glon in India, was postpoved till the 21st instant. A Petition was presented from the Inhabirants of Wellington against the claims o, the Roman Ca:holics, and a second from the -sole place, for the propagation of Christianity in India. Mr. COURTENAY moved for va-ious Papers connected with the India Trade. FELONY AND PETTY LARCENY RILL. Mr. KENRICK moved the Order of the Day for the third reading of !lie Felony and Petty. Larceny 13111. Sir C. MONCK declared. that be saw no occasion for the Bab and moved as an amendment, "'I hat it should be read a third time this day three months:' hilt% KENRICK entered into a brief description of the prin . elplea of the Bill. Sir J. NEWPORT taid, if the Bill indicted any additional punishment on offenders, be would vote against it, but if it sub stituted labour fot imprisonment, it was worthy of being coun tenanced. Mr. WHITBREAD complained of the obscurity of the Bill, and feeling an objection to the enactn.mt of any thing penal, where there was no occasion for such a measure, he would sup port the amendment. Sir W. GEARY supported the Bill. /Or. HFRALL approved of the Bill, because it mingled Useful and wholesome labour with necessary confinement in prison. Mr. WYNNE conceived the Bill would be beneficial in a great Majority of cases, and therefore he would support it. The House then divided, when there appeared—ln support of t h e Bill, 33—. For the amendment,ll—Majority for the Bill 22. The jlill was therefore read a third time and passed. PET4TION FOR PEACE. General FERGUSON presented a Petition from the Borough 4nd Parish of Dysart, in Fifeshire, praying that the Government, as lovers of humanity, would seek by all lawful means the bless ings of peace, for their Petitioners had felt the deplorable effects of war, and lamented its continuance in common with all mankind. Mr. WHITBREAD said, in concurring with the prayer of the Petition, he hoped that no favourable opportunity for enter ing into negotiations for peace would be permitted to pass un heeded by his Majesty's Ministers, for the time was fast ap proaching, when an explanation would be asked, if not given, conccrn:mg their conduct during a period which bad now passed by, and possibly some observations made on whatever prospects irtiight be presenting themselves on the Continent. '1 he Petition was then ordered to be laid on the Table. pROIIIBITION OF AMERICAN COTTON. Mr. Alderman ATKINS presented a Petition from certain of the Merchants and Ship-owners of London, praying for the total exclusion of American cotton from the markets of England and her dependencies. He wa% desirous of impressing the minds of his Ma jesty's Ministers with the importance of that measure which their Petitioners apprehended would cripple the merits of the United States, while it tended to encourage our own trade, and increase our warlike resources. He was Anxious to learn if the Chancel lor had in contemplation the total exclusion of Ame rican Cotton, by the additional duty which he had recently proposed, and if not, he would feel it his duty to mike a motion on the subject. • The CHANCELLOR , . of the EXCHEQUER said the measure which he had proposed, was for the purrse c.f pressing upon the resources of the enemy, 'by an endeavour to lower the price of the staple corn inedity of the United States. He had formerly sub mitted propositions to the House on that subject, which were not favourably received; and he ;afterwards endeavoured, by a blockade of the Arne :rican ports, to exclude their cotton from the Conti nental European markets, but that measure did not .effectually secure a certainty of protection to the English Merchants, inasmuch as some political con *Wei ations might induce the Government to remove the hiockade, which would enable the Americans to pour all their accumulated cotton into the European suarkets, to the incalculable detriment of the Mer chanis of Britain. It was for the alanufacturers them. selves to deckle whether they conceived their prospe shy best secured, bre settled system like that of tax atibn, or one liable to sadden. fluctuation like that of Blockade. He was anxious to know whether per not • it would be a des mile measure to impose ble restraints upon American produce, so long as we were excluded from the markets of that country, and he hoped he would learn the sentiments of the corn mereia. be y on that subject. Mr. BARING said the English manufacturers were particularly desirous of preventing the distribu tion of the United States cotton amongst their rival manufacturers on the Continent, they were not zea lous to purchase American cotton in preference to that of the Brazils, but the Brazilian cotton was dou ble the price of the other, and if our manufacturers were obliged to make use of the one, while our ene mies employed the other, our rivalship would be ex tremely unsuccessful in the cheapness of commodities. There seemed a want of a mutual and general come bination in the system adopted of blockading the American ports, for it appeared that instead of indis criminately forming a blockade from one geographi cal point to another, we had contented ourselves with stationing our squadrons before the Chesapeake, Charlestown, and the Savannah, making a selection of the greater ports, and permitting the lesser to re main unmolested. The same want of general under standing appeared in our conduct at home, as ap peared in our blockades abroad ; for at the same time that Lord Liverpool was informing some merchants that American cotton would not be received, the , Board of Trade was informing other merchants that it would be received—(Hear, hear.) He hoped that some measure for the total exclusion of American cotton from the other European markets would be adopted, so that our enemies might be unable to eater into competition with our manufacturers. Mr. CANNING said, whatever ultimate measure the Government might adopt on this subject, every person seemed aware that it ought to be early re solved upon, and steadily pursued. He was not aware, however, that the measure proposed by the Right Honourable Gentleman was meant to prevent altogether the importation of American cotton ; he conceived that it was designed to press upon our ene mies resources, and he was glad to hear it admitted as necessary, notwithstanding the maxims of books, that to press upon our enemies by means of their commerce was just and proper. He would rather that no measure should be adopted, than one liable to fluctuation, nevertheless, it appeared, that blockade was the most natural, manly, and straight forward course of distracting our enemy's trade ; but when he talked of blockade, he meant that which effectually closed every outlet of exportation, not that partial sys tern which, while it closed up some of the large ports, left others unguarded, through which exportation, beneficial to our enemies might securely issue. Naval purposes might carry away the force appropriated to guard the American ports, and then all the cotton which had accumulated during the blockade would be pushed into the continental markets, occasioning in calculable mischiefs tattle British trade; besides, he was of opinion, that a tvx continued on'y during the war upon the American trade, would be injurious to our own at the restoration of peace, when the Ame ricans, no doubt, would claim the remission of our measures. Now, he conceived, that as the Americans were the first aggressors, we ought to apply the prin ciples of coercion to them, and legislate some wise and wholesome measures, which would continue in force during the war and the peace that followed it : our enemies began the system, and we ought to fol low it up and turn what they meant as an annoyance to Britain upon themselves, which, if effectually ac complished, would be the source of emolument to our own manufacturers. He hoped some measure in the spirit of these principles would be introduced ; and whenever it was, it should have his cordial support Mr. PHILLIPS declared, that the immediate ef fects of such measures as those recommended by the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last, would raise the pre sent high price of cotton still higher. and it was im possible for any body of men to admit for a moment the propriety of such a recommendation. Mr. MARRYATT contended strongly in favour of the policy of encouraging the import of cotton from our own colonies and those of our allies, rather than from America, with whom we were at war, and who had already superseded both the cotton and the tobacco of the West-India Islands. Four-fifths of the cotton imported into this country had been of late the produce of America. He could not concur with the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last, that there was any danger of the Continent being supplied with cotton manufactures at a_cheaper rate than we could furnish them, if we were to interdict the import from America. Mr. FOSTER observed, that the hostility of the American Government had always been evinced and exercised by restriction upon the commerce of this country. This spirit, he conceived, ought to be re torted upon them, and it should be made manifest to the world that Great Britain would never shrink from meeting her enemy upon his own ground. He agreed with a Right Hon. Gentleman, that it would be ex pedient to adopt some Legislative provision for the purpose of meeting those of America, and providing a point for future negotiation. He was happy to perceive and congratulate the general feeling which pervaded the House upon the political part of the question. Sir P.OBERT PEELE thotight the House ought not to forget that cottcih was one of the most impor-, tant articles of the manufacturing trade of this coun try. It was an article that gave employment to many thousands of the poorer classes, and quadrupled its own value in the course of those operations which it underwent. While the intercourse with America remained unimpeded, no evil was felt. The labour ing orders found sufficient occupation, and the sup ply in America conformed jtself to the demand in this country. He was afraid that his Right lion. Friend (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had been surrounded by interested persons. He wished it was in his power to produce a letter which he had lately seen, and by which it appeared that the recent rise in the price of cotton had been occasioned by the very extensive speculation of a Gentleman at Liver pool (Mr. Gladstane) Rot unknown to the Right Hon. Gentleman oa the door (Mr. Canning). it should be remembered, that we had already expe rienced the advantages accruing to the landed and general interest of the country in being able to pay our soldiers, abroad by the exportation of cotton goods. The House should take care les:, in legisla ting against an enemy, they legislated for the interests of a rival. Sir W. CURTIS said he had some connexion with the subject Wore the House, and was well apprised of the possibility of deriving from our own colonies and from our fellow-subjects in India an ample sup ply of this necessary article. He had seen samples equal to the finest kinds from the island of Bourbon. Mr. HENRY THORNTON was of opinion that if the present measure were adopted with the view of encouraging the cultivation of cotton in our colonies, it would be necessary to aid its operation by other subsidiary measures. Mr. LASCELLES was against the policy of per manently excluding the cotton of America, which he apprehended was the object of the parties to this measure. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply to what bad been suggested and inquired in the course of the debate, begged to state, that he had not said his mind was decided as to the expediency of recommending to Parliament some measure for the total exclusion of American produce from the ports of this country. This, however, would be the subject of future consideration. The measure imme diately before the House certainly was not founded upon any financial speculation, and therefore natu rally divided itself into the two branches of commer cial policy and political expediency. The former had already been sufficiently discussed, and as to the circumstances mentioned by the Hon. Gentleman of licenses having been issued in which the blockaded ports of America were not exempted, some few had been so granted in consequence of the temporary ab sence of a Noble Lord at the Board-of Trade, occa sioned by a domestic misfortune. He did not know any thing of vessels having subsequently arrived in the ports of this country laden with cotton and to bacco ; but if the fact were so, they must have sailed previous to the prohibition. Mr. CANNING explained, that he had never de clared or insinuated any right on the part of this country to apply to America the novel principles of blockade which had grown out of the new maritime policy introduced and acted upon by France. All he had said was, that we ought to accompany the actual blockade by additional and subsidiary annoy. ances upon the resources and belligerent means of America. Alderman ATKINS recommended an entire attls pension of intercourse with America, and moved that the Petition do lie on the table.—Ordered. A Petition was presented from certain ship-owners of London, praying that Parliament would prohibit all imports, except of necessary articles, unless brought to British ports from friendly countries, and in Bri tish bottoms.—. Ordered to lie on the table. COURT OF SESSION'. Mr. W. DUNDAS moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the better regulation of the Court of Ses sion in Scotland. The Bill was intended only to carry into effect, the proper season having arrived, the provisions of two Acts, passed a few years ago, for the purpose of remedying several defects in the constitution and proceedings of that Court. They consisted chiefly in establishing five Judges, to sit ex clusively in the outer House; and in confining the administration of criminal law to six of the fifteen Judges, who were to be nominated by the Crown. Leave was given, and Mr. DUNDAS the CHANCEL• LOR of the EXCHEQUER, Lord CASITLERRACIT, and the ATTORUEY-GRNERAL, were ordered to prepare and bring in the same.—Adjourned. FRENCH PAPERL ARMY OF ARRAGON. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM M. THE DIME VALID- I FERA TO HIS EXCELLENCY TILE MINISTER OF THE , WAR DEPARTMENT. " San Felipe, April 17, 1813. 44 My Lord Duke—For a long time past, the pre parations made by the English, the efforts of the Spaniards to recruit their armies, and the reinforce ments successively arrived from Sicily, caused me to foresee a general attack, and which was the more seriuus, as the enemy had haughtily expressed his desire of attacking me. In consequence, I determin ed, on the 11th of April, to carry by a forced march 16 battalions of infantry, 10 squadrons, and 12 pieces of artillery, to Fuente de la Figuera. I charged the General of Division Count Harispe to attack a divi sion of 6000 men, of Elio's corps, at Yecla. (1). He arrived in sight of that town at break of day ;—the enemy, who were under arms, made some resistance' at first, and then passed through the town to gain a strong position, where they were briskly attacked.— General Harispe directed his van-guard, under the orders of Colonel Meyer, my first Aide-de-camp, to the position where the enemy had retired, and who had quickly formed themselves in squares. They made a lively resistance, but the valour of our troops carried the day. The enemy was driven with fixed bayonets from position to position till the moment when the Hussars of the 4th could perform a charge, which, although at first repulsed, was immediately repeated ; and with the assistance of a picquet of the 24th dragoons, succeeding in penetrating the batta lions, and forcing 900 men to lay down their arms. The 7th regiment of the line, with the Voltigeurs of the 44th and 116th, completed the defeat of the enemy, who was pursued for more than three leagues, leaving in our power • 1500 prisoners, belonging to four of the _oldest Spanish regiments, 6b officers, among whom is a General, and a pair of colours, taken by Adjutant Sattonay, of the 44th of the line. Upwards of SOO killed, and 200 wounded, were left on the field of battle. Scarcely was this brilliant affair finished, when I caused ten battalions of the lit and 3d divisions, with the cuirassiers, to advance on Viliena. Gewrals Murray and Elio, at the head of 1000 Ent fish horse, or the King of Sicily's guards, and some infantry, with field pieces, attempted to arrest me. General Habert marched towards them, at the same time that 400 cuirassiers were deploying on their lett wing. The tirailleurs soon ceased their tire, and I saw the enemy retire into Valetta • some cannon-shot torced' the gate, and General Fiabert, with his van-guard, immediately traversed the town : the enemy's Gene.: rals had retired on Biar and Sax. On my entrance into the town, a brisk fire 4.1 f musketry was made from the fort; I ordered Colonel Esteve to invest it with his regiment, and Captain Pupau, of the engi. Jeers, to barricade the avenues to it, which was per ,ormed immediately, and in a proper manner. " On tne 12th, at noon, the Ciovernor requested If me to make a capitulation, -anich I immediately 1 1 ;ranted him. He • dehled out at the head of the regiment of Vflq Malaga, one of the finest and best Englid. h H o f u r a o t b in a e t r t t ß e , m i°r w P h ti o n ra g h w ad a armed and equipped regiments that I hare seen is Spain. One thousand men, subaltern officers, and the nthy etg chargenr garris o n s for o ts of theirofobr Villenase:ire:i.inLe soldiers, 34 Officers, and a pair of colours, wor e added to the results of the day of die 11th. The out Generalw them, marched towards them ; found the village t 4 Biar barricadoed, and repulsed a party which occu pied it. I soon after saw the enemy forming on the flat heights, in several lines, having artillery in Cr intermediate spaces. " Colonel Guillemet, at the head of 600 vultigeurs, was commanded by General Habert to carry t'.e heights which commanded the enemy's left ; he s:.c ceeded in driving them away from them, at the san , time that the Ist light infantry attacked the English tine at a running charge, and with great valour.— This regimen( suffered considerably by the first fire; but it soon carried the first line, being sustained by the 14th, which took a glorious share in this affair . Our columns pushed on successfully, both on the right and left ; this movement was sustained by five battalions of the brave Sd light infantry, 114th, and 121st, under the command of Generals Robert and Lamarque. The English were totally defeated, and being pursued from position to position, they could scarce form themselves : before being again come up with and attacked, they precipitated their retreat, leaving in our possession two pieces of artillery, and about a hundred prisoners. They were thus chaced, until the night closed in, under the entrenchments and redoubts of Castalla. I placed the ten battalions which had obtained such 4 signal success, at.the mouth of the valley of Biar, having determined to return to my position at Muer. gi Nevertheless, on the following day, about two o'clock, I perceived that the enemy occupied an im mense mountain, on which Castalla leans. I recol. lected the sundry dispatches from your Excellency, and therefore to complete a reconnoissance, which bad given us so many glorious advantages, I decided that a column of 600 voltigeurs should reconnoitre the enemy at the extremity of our right wing, whilst four battalions, by a false attack, were to menace the left of the mountain, and complete the reconnoissance is the event of the success of the right wing permitting it. Too great impetuosity in our brave troops, and the impulse of their success on the preceding day, changed into a real attack, what should only have been a feint. Four times their force drawn up in echellon on the rocks, the chasms among which are so numerous that one can only judge of diem by the view, determined the Chiefs of the columns which had gained the summits, to retrograde to the position from which they advanced. I was in hopes that this recom noissance would have effectually led me to know the force of the enemy's army in his positions, or have forced him to quit them, which would have equally answered my purpose. In short, in about an hour's time, I saw the whole English army advance from behind Castalla, and form itself in two long lines. " I therefore carried the battalions of the hate Division, which were formed in echellons, to the .height of those of the Third. In this position, awaited the enemy, who, after having shewn a great resolution to attack us, was deterred by our 3ppear ance, and by a dozen pieces of artillery which Gene. ral Vallee had caused to be brought up, and placed with great promptitude. A single Eny,l;sh battalion attempted to steal forward, and attack our left; —I sent Colonel Meyer thither; me battalion of the 16th virrously repulsed this attack ; the Captain of Grc. nadiers, Lacroix, killed with his own hand the officer who commanded it. The enemy confined his efforts to this, and in the night quietly returned to his en trenchments. lon mi side have re-entered Biar and Villena without his having followed us. 44 The result of the combats of the 11th, 12th and ISth is, *hat we have taken from the enemy 2700 prisoners, 11t• officers, and killed upwards of 900 men : two pair of colours and two pieces of artillery fell into our hands. On the last day, I had left four battalions of Harispe's division at Villena, Eo obsersie Sax ; and thus, foot battalions fought against six. teen, in inaccessible positions. Eleven battalions, reckoning among them those which had just been en. gaged, were formed to receive the attack of forty battalions of English, Hanoverians, Calabrians, and Spaniards ; whilst the enemy always avoided giving our cavalry an opportunity of attacking with the sabre. a Our total loss consists in 800 men placed ltort de comtas; among whom are Colonel Arbot kilied ; Colson, chief of a squadron, and Herenberger, chiet of battalion, severely wounded. The enemy has taken 44 prisoners from us. a I have to bestow great culogiums on the Gene• rals of Division Harispe and Hubert ; Generals Ro bert, Guadin, and Lamarque, for their unremitting exertions ; and likewise to Colonels Meyer and Guil lemet, who led on the van-guards extremely well.— The Ordonnateur Bondurand was personally every where, and by his care and foresight, all the wound. ed were carried off with the greatett promptitude. " On the next day, being the 14th, I re-entered my positions in the front of the Xucar, without the enemy having shown us a single horseman, and after having blown up the Fort of Villena. I am, Ike. (Signed) " The Marshal Duke D'ALsurena." EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. DATED SAN FELIPE, APRIL 22. " General Paris having received information that the Marshal de Camp Sarikeld had attacked the CiO• ties of Allagon and Mallen, in Arragon, caused the Chief of Battalion, Duballen, tia advance from Sara gossa, who repulsed the enemy from Allagon, actl drove him from the environs ot Isiallen ; Sarstield c( :- lected his forces to engage the Chief of Battalion, Du ballen, in the position ot Magallen. General Pans caused an Order to he delivered to that office, .o avoid an engagement, and made Colonel Colheit march the whole ot the night with a fresh column- The enemy, proud of his superiority, on the 13th inst. attacked cu- columns, but was vigorously mei ire 'r And repulsed. The Neapolitan companies d'elitc cock a glorious part in the combat ; but the l'irth hussars, by making a determined chalge, decided the actit killing or wounding I'2o men, and causing Spa . niards and 4 officers to lay dGwn their arms : they likewise took a number of horses, ammunition, and muskets. This affair does great honour ti, Wont' Colbert and the Chief of 13Ait..Lon I)uhalle , am; squally proves how judiciously General Paris rested his columns against the enemy. (Signed) " Tho Marshal Duke D'A1.13111:,`,A."