Star. — London, England, 1813-02-25 00:00:00

. " • ting much the intemperance of those among whom Ise would class the Honourable General, who had by' • th;t intemperance impeded the progress of the cWnts 4ey pretepded to advocate. General MATHEW confessed be might be wrong in baying used the word inivala4 but persisted in the opinion that the Petition had been forwarded in a clandestine manner. Nes.her hiniself nor his col league could ever get a sight of, it, till at length he had ,seen it by chance at Cashel, and again *bow an hour ago, in The hands of the Sheriff, to whom he had made the observation relatise teethe signature oil the Noblemen's flames, which he did not consider to I lie their own. He was sorry the Hon. Colonel had. alluded to what he had said at the hustings, but since he had done so, he trusted the house would indulge dim with a few words. As for his repeating his %en " tinient, he only waited till to-morrow for the Catho lic Question, to tell his Majesty's Ministers that be thought them incompetent, aTid that every man ought to assist in their overthrow, and in accelerating their downfall. He was convinced he had never used the' words imputed to him, as he entertained the utmost respect and regard for the Prince Regent, and could. never have called on persons to be led, on against the Throne. From that Illustrious Personage, to whom he understood he had been represented as having spoken disrespectfully of him, he owed the highest gratitude for the kindness and attention which he • had ever received from him, and he now declared, before Goo and his country, he bad never spoken to his diSparagement. All that he said was, that he would not have the Catholics to Petition Parliament or the Legislature, but demand their privileges as a right which belonged to them. Colonel BAGW ELL professed to know nothing of the mode of applying the signatures alluded to ;- and reasserted that the Hon. General had called on the populace to demand and insist on their rights ; promising at the same time, to lead4hem on. The SPEAKER enquired if the Hon. Gentleman I • ,tad any reason to doubt that the signatures were those of the persons they purported to be ? _ Colonel BAGWELL answered, " None in the world." The SPEAKER then asked General Mathew if he would take upon hitnself to assert that they were not General MATHEW replied, he had been in formed so. The Petition was received, read, and ordered to lie on the table. I'HE LORD MAYOR OF DUBLIN. The Lord Mayor of Dublin was admitted to the Bar of the House with the same forinalities as the Sheriffs of London, and presented a Petition from the Corporation of that City against the renewal of , the East.lndia Company's Charter. He then retired, And on being admitted a second time, presented a Petition from the same body against the unqualified grant of the Catholic Claims. His Lordship ap peared in his official gown, &c. There was .a pretty general /angle in the House on putting the question for his being called in. ' Lord ngsART presented a Petition from Gee. Lordship and others of the County of Kilkenny. 'His Lordship prefaced his motion by stating that it was very numerously signed, and was worthy of attention es coming from one of the most Catholic counties of Ireland. But it merited attention still more, from its speaking the opinion of an enlightened and ho. nourable class of men, who did not draw their con elusion from theoretical principles, but from eipe., rience of what was every day before them, and what they met perpetually in every walk of life—(Hear, has.) It came from persons fully competent, and enjoying the best opportunities to form ajust and cor rect judgment. It was even signed by many, and, among others, by the highly respectable Chairman of the Meeting where it was agreed upon, and who had been friendly to the moderate requests of the Catho; tics, but were roused to the resistance of their unqua lified demands. Sir JOHN NEWPORT attached less value and importance to this Petition than the Noble Lord. He noticed that the meeting was not called by the Sheriff, Fed intimated that he, the Sheriff, disapproved of it, and that in consequence of the opposition raised against it, the Meeting was dissolved by the Chair man without taking the sense of the assembly upon the question of adjournment, moved by persons of the greatest property in the County. He, from indiss position, had not been able to attend it himself; but the two County Members were there to oppose it, !etc' it was opposed by persons of the first considera tion, whose property amounted to fifty times more in - the County than the Noble Lord's and all his asso • Oates. After tieing defeated in the first instance, they had however adjourned to a private house, and ef ifected their purpose there of smuggling through this ipgrious and fabricated docament, to sign which they had enticed people by every means in their power.— ye t , he affirmed, it was disapproved of by 7-Bthsof the property in Kilkenny. Lord DESART said he was glad the Hon. Ba toilet had avowed he was not preseot at this meeting, since it allowed him to declare that all he had stated ,was destitute of touudation. The Petition had been twice read, and was signed by himself and many others before being submitted to the Meeting. The circum stances attendant upon this Meeting, as sonic of those who bad espoused the side advocated by the Honour able Baronet, were extremely sorry, for what bad been done on the occasion, and had since expressed their regret at !twin concerned in these transactions, as well as a hope that nothing might be said to call for explanation rp the subject, he lamented to be obliged to notice: but die Hon. Barona had made charges which no man of character or honour could sit silently and bear advanced. The Sherill's name was attached to the Petition, of which he perfectly approved,' and there was only one instead of both the county m a p, hers at the nae,:ti-ag. But it was singular that thote so earnest and loud for emancipation and freedom them, selves, world not allow these benefits to be enjoyed by p 7 iltrs. h was strange that the Catholics and thew h lends, who were permitted by the protestatus to meet every day without interruption, within 4 very short 'distance of the place of this meeting, and thence to issue their mend. tes and eireats as they pleased, would not suffer the Protestants to meet only puce, without breaking in upon thew-I-(Weer.) Qught this privilege not to be allowed to the *wet- order of Protestants, mho were more nearly and vitally inte ieeted in this Question than the 'higher otars ? p 401,1 1 .4 ,the;, who met the c4tboi,ip upon an equality ' • • .4 • • in every,walk of We, lie debarred from ate of this right ? and should'Oi/on. Baronet, with tA., aristocratiespride whith he assumed to himself, place the rental of every man In the -county before them, as a scale on which to measure ths4r opinions ? He would disdain to enter into an argument on this subject (Hear, hear!). The Noble Lord then detailed the mode of c alling, and the proceedings of the meet ing. Abundant notice was given, and the . Protes tants friendly to the Petition were summoned toge ther. But they were broke in upon by persons of another description, and by a number of Catholics ; and, upon a watch-word given, a cry was set• up, to prevent any one being heard who was inclined to de liver hit sentiments in support of the Petition; so much so, indeed, that it was only by loud clamour they were informed that the question of adjournment had been moved. Under these circumstances the Chairman had dissolved the assembly, and they with drew to a more orderly and quiet place. It was curi ous to notice, that after they had retired, a few Ca thGlics, who protested against the meeting as illegal, remained behind, and notwithstancting this sentiment, appointed a Chairman, and agreed to certain Resolu tions, which, however, (being afterwards ashamed of their conduct,) they had the good sense not to pro mulgate.. As to Petitions being signed through spu rious means, he denied the fact; and with regard to threats being used, that was not done by the pronto ters of the Petition, but by the other side. He knew tenants who were threatened by their landlords if they signed the Petition, and required to sign against it; some of whom had declared, that they would not be induced to sign against their conscience, their King, and the securities of the Constitution. Many of these persons he had advised not to sign this Peti tion,as it might draw down more individual injury on emselves than their single names would do ser vice on the parchment—(Hear.) The House, he trusted, would receive it for what it purported to be,l " the Petition of the undersigned," and speaking the sense of the real proportion of the Protestant popula tion of the county. Sir JOHN NEWPORT explained. The Petition was then read, and ordered to be laid on the table. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER presented a Petition from the French Protestant re fugees resident in London and Westminster against the Catholic Claims. exercise I • - Sir JAMES GRAHAM presented a Petition to the same effect from the Parish of Mary-la-bonne.— This Petition, he observed, was most numerously and respectably signed, by householders, whose places of residence were appended to their names. They were not roused by Protestants to take this step, but they were roused by the tone and manner in which the Catholics advanced their demand. Mr. BARNARD presented a Petition from the Protestant inhabitants of the King's County against unlimited concessitma to the Catholics. He stated, that the Petitioners did not object to the repeal of the law; affecting the Catholics, on certain conditions•; but they earnestly prayed, that should the House feel disposed to concede these claims, that our civil and religious establishments may be protected ; and he took that opportunity of stating, that though he should vote for a Committee to take these claims into consideration, he would not agree tq any measure that had not for its object sufficient security against foreign dominion and influence. Mr. GUSTAVUS ROCHFORT presented a Pe tition from the Protestants of the county of Westmeath against the Claims of the Catholics. These Petitions, with one from the Archdeacon and Clergy of Nottingham, presented by Lord New- ARK, and several others, were all received, and orde red to lie on the table. General MATHEW presented a Petition from certain Catholics in the County of Tipperary, pray ing for unqualified emancipation.—Laid on the table. 'The Hon. General then presented a similar Peti tion from certain Protestants and Dissenters in the same county, signed by the Sheriff only. Lord DESART enquired if in the body of this Petition were inserted the words, a we require and demand the immediate grant of our rights ?" The Petition was read by the Clerk, and the words appeared to be, a we desire and demand the imme diate adoption of this great and conciliating mea -1 sure." The SPEAKER stated, that being signed by the High Sheriff alone, the Petition could only be recei ved as his. Lord DESART said, that the High Sljeriff bad objected to the words he had pointed out to the no ,tice of the House. The meeting had been attended by 13 or 14 Protestants, and the Sheriff had autho rized him to disavow the Petition as speaking his sentiments, he having signed it only in his official ca pacity—(hear.) It was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. WHITBREAD presented a Petition from certain inhabitants of the City of Chester, in favour , of the Claims of the Roman Catholics.—Ordered to lie on the table, Mr. W. SMITH presented a Petition from the Dissenters of London and its neighbourhood in fa vour of the Catholics.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. W. SMITH presented a Petition from the Dissenting Clergy in London and its neighbourhood against the Claims of the Roman Catholics. This Petition was, he sAid, agreed to unanimously at a meeting cf these Clergymen. . Mr. BUTTERWORTH said, that he knew from certain authot ity, that the Petition had not been unanimously agreed to at the Meeting, but that there had been a majority in favour of it. The ,Petition was then ordered to lie on the table, Mr. W. SMITH presented a Petition from the Members of the Unitarian Society in South Wales, who conceiving themselves aggrieved by the penal laws prayed for relief. Ordered to lie on the table. dr. HUSkISSON presented a Petition from his constituents in Chkhester, praying that Parliament should take iato consideration the Claims of the go , man Catholics, pursuant to the Resolution passed during the last Session of the former Parliament.— Mr.lipskisson then went on tq state, that much miss ' chief had been done to the cause of the Catholics in ChiOestet and it neighbourhood s by the distribu tion of hand bills, containing extracts from what he callid a libellous publication, entitled, a A State ment pf the third Part pf the ?cl3O Laws rerard ipg Roman'Catholics." Sir 49v41 NEWPORT okie t rvcd 4bat the clistri- FURIHER EXIRACIS FROM THE GOITEN ZIU'RGH MAILS. OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS PROM THE ARMIES. The Commander-in• Chief 'of the armies, Marshal Prince Kutusaff of Smolensk°, has presented to his Imperial Majesty the continuation of the Journal of military operations from the 30th December to the 4th January, N. S. which contains as follows : • DECEMBER SO.—Major General Prince Orvuso on the 27th inst. joined the army with five entire re giments, which are under his orders, and are ipten. ded to complete it. Major General Ignatuff on the 25th inst. caused a battalion of Kourmski infantry, and a' detachment of the regiment of Lithuanian Uhlans, to depart from the fortress of Bobrynsk for Lithuania. DECZUSIIR 31.—General Count Wittgenstein in forms, under date of the 29th, that Lieutenant Colo nel Tettenborn, who was at Ragnit with his detach ment, having received advice that a large body of the enemy's cavalry had :hewn themselves on the road to Tilsit, immediately put himself in motion to meet them. He discovered four squAdr,iis of Prussian Hussars, who were immedwely .Llacked and broken -by the Cossacks. We took from tile enemy three officers and fifty soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Tet tenborn perceiving that the enemy WA,' reinforcing himself with infantry and dragoons, and that he had artillery with him, retired on Leitken, and placed his advanced guards at Upper Eislen. After occupying Gumbinnen, and Insterburgove took 81 prisoners in pursuing the enemy as far as Wehlau. The Aide-de:Camp General Wassiltschikoff re ports, that fonr regiments of Don Cossacks had, on the 22d inst. united with his detachment. He like wise meations, under date of the 97th, that the Aus tiian corps, under the orders of Prince Schwarizen berg,'had parted at Tikotchine k and taken two diffe rent routes ; his left wing takes the way of Wisna and Lomza to Ostrolenka, and he is putting himself in order to pursue the enemy with all possible rapidity. Colonel Jouswsowitsch, whom he has in the mean while detached with two regiments of Cossacks, and Charkoff's regiment of dragoons, 'On the road to Wysokomasowets, is likewise to pursue the enemy, and keep up a communication with his corps. JaNuaar I.—Lieutenant-General Baron Von Sac ken reports, under date of the 29th, that Major-Ge neral Count de Liewen, who was marching on Wys. sokolitovsk, had detached Lieutenant-Colonel Mi. nitzky from his corps, who having advanced on Brest Litovsky, occupied that town on the 25th, and there made upwards of 100 prisoners. H:s patroles went as far as Biala, Janow, and Drogitchine : Major-Ge neral Boulatoff, who was marching by the way of Prougeani and Cherecheff to Kamenetz Litovsk, has on his way picked up about 500 prisoners. He pushes his patroles as far as Briansk and Bielsk. The A ide•de-ca m p General Wassiltschikoff reports, under date of the 30th, tharthe corps under his orders entered Tikotchine the preceding day. The inhabi tants and clergy, bringing bread and salt s came to meet the Russian troops wick the most lively transports of joy. The women left the houses with their children in the tenderest emotion. The cries of *re, a thou sand times repeated, and the none of his Imperial Majesty, which reverberated from all sides, announ ced the joy with which every one was animated.— General Wassiltschikoff is meanwhile in pursuit of the enemy on the road to Warsaw . 2.--Qn the 2*li, General Count filatof de tached the regiment of dragoons of Negine to go to Bialystock, by the way of csrodnial under the orders of the Aide-de-Camp, General Baron de torg,.— gener4l Poll4oTorp who likewise takes the route to -..m......, - Uff .11 • • Biahrstock, etith the body of troops under his ordtm, arrived on the Slit at Wolkowitsk. Lot Taw. S.—Lieutenant-General MasigAr ff außicci re po, ta, under date of the 80th ult. tha the occu pation of Mietatr, he directed Lieutenant-Colonel Kounitsky, of the regiment of Polish Uhlans, to put. sue the enemy, who *ere dispersed in the woods; and that this officer, in marching by Granzheff, Gegary, Martynischki, and Oktniani, had taken two officers and 80 soldiers prisoners. On the 21st, the Marquis put himself in march, with his column, from Mietau to Erauenburg, where his van-guard, under the orders of Lieutenant-Colo nel Sanden, of the artillery, came up with the enemy on the 2 1 3 d, and defeated him, taking 60 prisoners, and making himself master of several carriages taker; ulltier requisition, some waggons laden with biscuit, flour, and oats, and took about 40 horses. On the 24th, he arrived at Schninden, where the enemy abandoned considerable magazines. •On the 2.5 th, he was at Upper Barthan, front whence he caused his van-guard to advance, which having, oa the 25th, come up with the enemy, be. tween Rutzau and Polangen, near Buderdizhoff, beat them, and took two officers and 80 soldiers. On the 26th, the column proceeded as far as Po 'angelic where it was rejoined by Lieutenant Colonel I K,ounitsky. On the 27th, it arrived before Memel. The pr. -sison, after some resistance, surrendered prisoners of war, to the number of two staff officers, 20 subaltern officers, and upwards of 7)0 soldiers. It was thus that our troops entered Memel on the 27th. We there found 200 sick, and about 100-4 our prisoners. We seized on three aimed sloops of the French flotilla in the harbour; we likewise took six sloops belonging to the Prussian flotilla, with 80 guns ; 51 vessels belonging to different nations, and a considerable quantity of colonial merchandise ported by the French. In the town we foiled five pieces of cannon, 900 fusils, 19 carbines, 19 pair of pistols, 900 cartridge boxes, 26,000 cartridges, 60 sibres, and 19 hussar saddles, S field bakeries, with s.offiecrs, 84 soldiers, 45 surgeons, one chariet, 85 horses, and 4 iron boilers. The magazines contain large quantities of all kinds of corn and of brandy, The head-quarters of his Imperial Majesty and of the Marshal, continue to be for some time past at Wilaa. Thus there no longer remains an enemy in the whole eztent of the frontiers of Russia, and all the former Polish provinces, at this present time un der subjection to the Russian sceptre, are evacuated by the foreign troops. The Anointed of the Loan had without doubt said by inspiration, " I will not lay. down .spy arms entil I have driven from the -Russian soil the enemy who has jdared to pass its limits." This pro a; fulfilled. The only traces of the enemy which'arls yet perceptible, are his bones .spread over the field; tram Moscow to the frontiers of the empire 1. SUPPLEMENT To THE ST.PETEUSBURGti GAZETTE' ow Tilt 19111 JANUAR,. The Commander in Chief, FteldeMarshal General Prince Kutusoff of Smolensk°, has laid before his Imperial Majesty the continuation of the operation; of the war...from . the Jab to the'lOth oFJanuary. • The 4411 of January General Count Wittgenstein reports under date of ' the 31st of Decemter, that in the direction which he h - ad taken towards Prussia, to act.against the corps of Marshal Macdonald, ho had overcome ali the difficulties in his way on the country roads, and had come up with the enemy, * * rad,' as Tilsit. He immediately surrnunded Macdonald's troops of the -van, with his cavalry, and separated him! froth' the Prussian troops, under ' the command or General d'Yorck, by the detachinent of Major-Genes ral Diebitsch, (21, whom he, it the lame time, ink strneted to eater into a negoeiatien vvitlathat.Gent:ral, On the 30th of December, Lieutenant-General d'Yorck signed au agreement, to remain neutral with the troops under his command, consisting of SO bat,. cations of infantry, and six squadrons of cavalry, with 30 pieces of artilltry. By this means, Macdonald has not more than about 300 u troops of all descriptions remaining with hurt s and 20 pieces of artillery. Ad)jutant-General Wassiltschikew reports, on the. 31st December, that the Austrian creeps continue their retreat, having divided themselves into three columns, and directed their march towards Warsaw, and that be is at Menshenin with 11:s detachment,, General Count Platoff continues his march towards Insterburg, with the regiments of Don Cossacks under his command. Admiral 'rschitschagoff has sent in three report% all of the Ist January. In the first, he state% that he had detached Major-General Lanskoi from the van-guard, with the Alexandrian and White Russian regiments of hussars,,the Livonian regiment of drag goons, and the 3cl Ural regiment, with orders tc march to Augustow. In the second, that he arrived on the 2d of January in the village of Werbalin,from . whence he will proceed, in three marches,' to Inster-• burg, and that General Count Platoff marches-before the army with his regiments. In his third,. he states, that all the Prussian inhabitants are well satisfied with the approach of the Russian trews, and every where receive them with joy. • Lieutenant-General. Baron Sacken informs, under date of -the 2d of January, that he has pursued the corps of General Keynier as far as the Bug, and that the enemy has lost within that time upwards of 1000 men in prisoners, and an equal numberof sick, whttla they had left behind at different places, Lieutenant-General Sacken, with his corps, is at present between Grannym mad Thoren 4 in which late: ter place he has the left winget his army. JAN. s.—General Count Wittgenstein reports, tin• der date of the 3d ofJanuary, that when thePrussia-A troops, 18,000 strong, with 60 pieces of artillery, were obliged to conclude the agreement of becoming neutral, Macdonald, finding himself separated lrona the Prussian% determined on making a weedy retreat with the remainder of his troops, l'he cavalry pur. sued him vigorously, and on the first day todk seve ral Officers, and about 800 men of the lower ranks, prisoners. Count Wittgeastein having, in the mean while, obtained intelligence that the enemy's troops, which had been in Dantsic, were marching to Tap lakin and Wehlaw, prObably with Intent to strengthen Macdonald, or to cover his retreat, he turned with his corps against them j—and • LieutectunZeneral Count Steinheil was, on the 3d otJanuary, already in Taplaken and Welgaw. He likewise seat a strong party of cavalry into the low country behindXatigs• . . I, s bution of such printeditaOrs was not confined to Chichester, but had been extended to Yorkshire, Lan cashire.' and other pans of England. He charac terised the work as an infamous fibrication, and was surprised that Government had not taken any steps against the Printer of it. Mr. FITZGERALD lamented that the House was going to consider the claims of the Roman Ca tholics with such a temper as had on that night been exhibited'by several Members. The tone Which they bad assemed on the subject was almost sufficient to compel Government to be inimical' to the.,claints of the Roman Catholics. Had the Honourable' aronet (Sir J. Newport) been present on a former occasion, he would have heard his Right Honourable Friend disclaim, in the most open and manly manner, the , whole of the publication whiCh had there been al luded to. His Right Honourable Friend had on the same occasion noticed, that the work had been print ed by a person who had been guilty of a libel against the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. His sentiments did, not at all coincide with those expressed in that work., although some of his friends had gone so far as to say that they would vouch for the truth of all the statements in the publication. But even if he viewed the publication with a disposition as hostile to it as some Members of the House bad done, he did not think that Government were bound to prosecute the Printer. It was his opinion that it was certainly not proper to notice that in a Court of Law, which would come under the consideration of Parliament. Indeed, the production was in itself so clumsy, that it was a very sorry compliment to the intellect of those persons on whom it had produced any impres sion. It had already been disavowed by the Govern ment of Ireland, and he would be ashamed to belong to any Government that could attempt - to carry. a measure by means so despicable and so base. Mr. PEELE again, on the part of the Irish Go vernment, disavowed the publication. The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table. THE PRINCES 4 OP WALES. Mr. CCCHRANE JOHNSTONE gave notice, that he would on Monday next, bring forward a mo tion, relative to tke proceedings on an Inquiry or dered by his Majesty to be commenced, on the con duct of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales ; conceiving it to be a subject involving in it nothing less than the succession to the Throne— The SPEAKER here informed the Hon. Member, that on giving notice of a motion, it was not usual to enter upon any. comments. gr. COCHRANE JOHNSTONE said, he was -only going to add, that for the reasons he had ad-- duced, he had thought it his duty to send a copy cf the motion he intended to submit to the House to his Majesty's Ministers, in order that they might be per fectly aware of his intentions.—Adjourned. I 1