Star. — London, England, 1813-03-29 00:00:00

PdRLIAMENTART PROMEDINGS. HOUSE OP COMMONS, MARCH 27. '' nsgoinv INTO THE CINDUCT OF CAPTAIN PHT . LLIMOIII . Sir FRANCIS BURDETT rose, in pursuance of .. the notice he had given on this subject. The state ment he was about to make would discover to the House a case of as great hardship as had ever been submitted-to4heir consideration. He had been re. ,presented, on various occasions, as a person disposed to listen, with too much credulity, to every tale of woe that reached his ear ; but if the facts submitted to him on the present occasion were true, he should think he had violated the first duties of humanity if he did , • not bring under the notice of the House an instance of grievous and unexampled oppression. If Gentle plea were aware how many tales of woe he was ob4ged to decline bringing forward, from his inabi lity to verify them, Gentlemen would rather charge him with giving a deaf than a credulous ear to such 'applications. When any act of oppression 'in a fo reign country , in whose government we had no con cern, was presented to our view, we censured it With imitable indignation ; but when oppression had been exercised in our own country, we regarded it in a very different light. If, in the present instance, the • victim of oppression was our own countryman, a ;somber of a high and valuable profession, a Gentle. Man by birth and education, distinguished for per sonal honour, and the gallant services he had rendered his country, it tbust be admitted that his claims, and the hardship of his case, contained every ingredient tat should justly tend to rouse the indignation of this F House against the oppressor. He (Sir F. Burdett) -would state the circumstances simply as they occur red, indeed they were such as to be incapable of ag gravation. Captain Phillimore, of his Majesty's ship Diadem, had on board his ship, as Master's Mate, Mr. Hancock, whose personal character and services he had already alluded to. His official rank, even as head of the Midshipmen, was proof of his respectabi. My. It was his lot to have served under Lord Nel- tom at the memorable battle of Trafalgar, where he I Was honourably distinguished, and severely wounded, in consequence of which he lost a leg. While his ' ship lay at Chatham, he was ordered by the Master, who commanded in the absence of Captain Phillimore, • to pass over a plank from one ship to another, for some purpose which he (Sir F. Burden) was not made acquainted. His wooden leg happened to be broken at this time ; he remonstrated on the impossi bility of his crossing the plank, but received as an an swer that he must hop over if he could effect it in no other way. The impossibility of the thing, of course, prevented his obeying the order. As soon as Captain Phillimore appeared on board, a complaint was preferred to him against Mr. Han , cock, and the result was, that Captain Phillimore ordered him to go up the rigging, wearing his.bcst uniform tutned ins:de out. With this order Mr. IL n cock could not comply, as a person supported by a wooden Itg could not stand upon a rope. Mr. Han cock, by order of Captain Phillimore, was now placed iender the sweeper, and obliged to perform the mean ; est and most revolting offices in the ship; the sweeper at the same time being commanded to start him well, I _ which was faithfully executed. He was next ordered to be tied up, and actually received three dozen from 1 the boatswain, who was himselt threatened- with the f same number unless he flogged him hard. But this odious and inhuman punishment of flogging was still aggravated by being inflicted on him with his panta loons taken down—thus adding to torture, degrada tion and disgrace. Surely it became the House to afford an useful and memorable example, in the pn. nishment of such atrocious conduct. When Mr. Hancock represented his inhuman treatment, the only step was the appointment of a Court of Inquiry, whereas it should have been a Court Martial. With the Report of that Inquiry he (Sir Francis Burden) was not acquainted, as it had not been made public ; but certainly .it directed the infliction of no punish ment on the offender. Captain Phillimore, on the ' ontrary, had been raised to other employments in kis profession since that time. Until he had heard some objection to this motion, he should content him. Self with simply moving, ~ That the Minutes of the Court a Inquiry on the conduct of Captain Philli more, for his treatment of Mr. Hancock, be laid on the table." Mr. CROKER expressed his regret that the Hon. Baronet should have lent a ready ear to representa . tiims likp these, without making inquiry At the Admi ralty whether the allegations were true or false. It was true that Mr. Hancock had written to the Ad miraity, requesting that a Court of Inquiry might be held on Captain 1'.% conduct ; and as soon as they could bodi be brought face to face (which could not be done until some months had elapsed) the Inquiry wtisheld by Captains Bolton, Ball, and Sir 4. Dixon, who reported that the punishment was deserved, and the reptoentations of Captain P. undenied by Mr. liancecic himself. Mr..H.'c uncle was boatswain of Ia raid-011 i , and on his account ' and becausiorMr. H. 1 • was an orphan, Captain P. had been induced to ee -1 case his repeated .trots, until they; at- last, bad ar ' ? t rived-at ap. int to which indulgence and lenityconld ' not follow them. Captain P. had transmitted to the AdMiralty copies of letters from the yopng man _and ' his uecle, eipressive of their obligations to him for his , indulgence towards the cemplamant's errors. The i Hon. Gentleman trusted the House would see no necessity for entertaining this motion. Sir F. Bt.IRDETT concurred in most of what brio fallen from the Hon, Gentlemaq. Ii; one however, he washed to set him right. Mr. Hancbck ' had no knowledge whatsoever of the introduction of this metier before the House. He must observe, ' I however, that the offence silo* have been very Ha ' grant to provoke so dreadful a punishment. The 1 I-fon. Gentleman (Mr. Croker) had made no allusion i ' to the charge against Mr. Hancock i this was an es i traordinary oversight. With respect to the Court of i • nqa Di iry, it was natural, that those °cers, however high their characters deservedly stood, should be , , greatly biassed in their judgment. He hoped the present discussion would slot impede the proniotion ' pf Mr. Hancock, as he had no share in producing it. Had he (Sit .1: 7 : Bltrdett) recollected, the testimony ' ' of his N-ble Cikileague to the Character of Captain Phillimore, it would have prevented his mind from . receiving,the Impressions which the wows givers to him (Sir V. Burden) had produced. As . matters slow stood, - he' would not press the motion. .1 by new Finance Hid was read a second ttrae l 'and ordered for !ROW Ftad4ns " F l4l ! l T .— A d i k ' U F lie d• • - • ••••Nce....1 • MAGDEBURGH, MARCH a. " . His Serene Highness the Prince of Eelemuhl set out the day before yesterday to proceed to Saxony. Stettin and the 4=ll town of Dam, situated oppo. site, on the right bank of the Oder, have been de clared in a state of siege ; and it has been signified to the inhabitants, with.the exception of workmen, who will not be allowed to quit it, either to leave the town, or lay in provisions for a year. VIENNA, MARCH 7. The troops which compose the Army of Observa tion were placed upon the War footing from the day of their departure. We still possess Prince Schwartzenberg. This Prince goes often to Court, and has frequent coefe rences with the Chiefs of the War Department. MARCH 10.—An extraordinary event at this mo ment occupies the attention of the public. Oa the Bth at night, an acting Court Counsellor, and a Counsellor of Justice, were arrested by order of the Police. Their papers were seized, and deposited with the archives of the Department for Foreign Af fairs. Yesterday afternoon the former was transport ed, under an escort, to the fortress of Munkats, in i Hungary ; and the latter to that of Thevesienstadt, in Bohemia. The Captain of a Circle in the neigh bourhood of the capital, and a person employed in a public office, who were to have heen arrested at the same time, and by virtue of the same order, have disappeared ; and according to the information which has been received, they have escaped into Hungary. Generals Silashanc and Latour Mauboerg are up-, on the two banks of the Elbe. There are six thousand men between Torpor and Belgera. General Lau riston has conducted ten thousand men to Magde burg, where other troops are still expected. HAMBURGH, MARCH It. We learn from certain sources, that very imposing forces are to be immediately collected in our neigh bourhood. The first troops will arrive the 15th or 16th instant, and take a position along the canal of Stecknitz, in the towns of Lauenbourg, Moeln, and Ratzebourg. At the same time a park of artillery will be established upon the two banks of ,the Elbe, and in the town of BerAedorff. I.EIPZIC, MARCH 9. Prince Eckmuhl arrived hore yesterday evening, with his Staff. The Viceroy of Italy arrived to-day at one in the afternoon, so that-the head-quarters of the Grand Army is now in our town. The day before yesterday, the different admini. strative branches of the French head-quartets arrived in our town, where they are to remain till new orders. i • The passage of troops in this country is very great. This town and all the neighbouring communes are, for two leagues round, filled with troops. We know, from good authority, that the two Polish fortresses of Modlin and Zamose, are in an excellent state, and have nothing to fear. FRANKFORT, MARCH 16. Marshal the Duke of Treviso arrived here yester day, as well as Generals Sehastilni, Lefebre, Bar-. row, Chouard, Daintu, &c. DRESDEN, MARCH 2. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, who remained at Dresden after the departure of his Majesty, and General Gusdorf, the day before yesterday set out for Plauen. General Lingenan now commands our town. MARCH 9.—His Excellency the General of Divi sion, Regnier, arrived here on the 7th with his general Staff. A part of the 7th corps entered at the same time with a numerous train of artillery. Those troops were put into quarters in the new town, and likewise in the villages situated on the right bank of the Elbe. The inhabitants of this capital enjoy a high degree of pleasure in seeing their brave countrymen return in such fine condition. Two battalions of the new levy have been united in this corps, and it is believed that they are destined to complete the regiment of infantry of Prince Clement, which so particularly distinguished itself at the battle of Kalisch. General Regnier has this day reviewed two fine regiments of cuirassiers, of Lichtenau's brigade, and expressed the highest satisfaction at the behaviour of those troops. FRONTIERS OF SAXONY, MARCH 9. At the same time that the Prince Viceroy trans. ferred his head-quarters to Leipzic, General Regnier, who had for ten days occupied the left bank of the Spree, near Bauzen, with a corps composed of French, Bavarians, and Saxons, marched upon Dres den, the military position of which is so important pn account of its fine stone bridge over the Elbe.— ' A corps of several thousand Bavarians took the di rection of Mussin, to cover the bridge of that town. The skilful General in Chief appears firmly resolved to vigorously defend the Upper Elbe as well as the course, of the river from Wittenberg to Magdeburg and beyond. Considerable reinforcements daily arrive. CASSEL. MARCH 12. By a Royal Decree of the Bth. instant, the contin gents of the conscription for 1818 have been fixed, viz. for the active army four thousand men, and for the reserve two thousand. STU rOARD, MARCH 11. Count de Narbonne, appointed Ambassador from France to the Court of Vienna, had on his way to this place, proceeding oq his de:tit:44oq t the honour of being presented to his Majesty. AUGSBURG, MARCH 12. Government is at this moment occupied in arming the national guards of the kingdom, ordered by the last Edict, and destined to guard the frontiers and maintain the interior security of the State. The arm ing will not be general. The Commandants of Legions will receive a certain numher of muskets, which shall be deposited in the places pointed out by the Ordinance, and distribute those muskets to the national goards only during the time of exercise.— After this period the national guards will deliver their arms at the depots, and not resume them till the order for marching is given. Government has besides decreed, that the national guards shall receive pay and provisions as infantry of the line, from the moment they leave their homes to be placed 44 a hate 91 activity. The Officers • Alan be paid the same as those belonging to ;room of thi line. The levy of this national guard is become the more necessary, as all the individuals forming the first class of reserve have been called to the active army, and cannot consequently remain in the interior. *Howevcr, no circle has yet received orders to put the notional guard in motion, but it is believed that such an order will immediately appear. NUREMBURGH, MARCH 14. The events of the war have occasioned the provi sional suspension of the Universities of Berlin and Breslau. The Saxon .University of Wittenberg has likewise very lately been suspended, that city }Living been put in a state of defence, and become an im. portant military post ; the greater part of the students have left it. Some of the professors, however, con tinue their courses to a few students. The ramparts of Wittenberg, which are very solid, and which hate stood ever since the 16th century, are now furnished with cannon, and the bridge over the Elbe is secured by formidable entrenchments, which have been thrown up to cover it. PARIS, MARCH 16. His Majesty yesterday reviewed Irons nine in the morning till noon in the Champ de Mars several corps of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and military equipages, which have been put in motion. • MARCH 18.—His Excellency the Marshal of the Empire, the Prince of Moskowa, set out several days age for the army. MARCH 20.—The Queen of Westphalia arrived un Wednesday last at Trianon. MARCH 23.—Last Sunday several women, who had nothing either remarkable or ridiculous in their dress, were surrounded by a crowd of indiscreet and curious people, and forced to leave dr.: garden of the Thuilleries. This assemblage, which had no other aim than to torment peaceable people, and who were, according to appearances, of some consideration, was likewise so rude as to interrupt the promenades, and raise a tumult. Such proceedings are totally con trary to the urbanity which has always characterised the French nation. 1: is really deplorable that peo ple should accustom themselves to such a deviati, from good breeding, and to the regard which is due. to the female sex,• of whatsoever rank they may be. It is pnssihle that these mobs were occasioned by the address of some pickpockets, wh took advantage of the tumult to exercise their profession. SKETCH OF Tun POSITIONS AND STRENGTH OP THE FRENCH Ali• MI ES-STATE 01? TUE FORTRESSES••.-M MITA RY EVENTS IN GERMANY, ETC. Paris, March 17. The following was the exact situation of 'cur Ar mies in the North of Europe on the 10,11 of March : PILLAU. General Castilla occupied With 1200 men the Fort of Pillau. lie capitulated on the 26th of January. —This capitulation is a convention, by which the French troops marched out with arms and bagvage . 0 return to France. The conduct of General Cis uda, who surrendered, without sustaining a siege, the fortress which he commanded, shall be examined by a Council of Inquiry. DANI'ZIC. General Rapp, having under his orders the Gene rals of Division Heudelet and Grail jean, the Gene. ral ci Cavalry Cavaignac, General Camoreden corn • manding the Engineers, and General Lepin corn. mantling the Artillery, has in the fortress of D.ntzic a garrison of more than 30,000 men, and a suificiencyl of bread for 820 days, and of meat and other articles for more than a year. The Russian Army approaching Dantzic the lat.' ter end of January, he marched to meet it, overthrew the advanced guard, and took boo prisoners. To wards the middle of February, he himself marche,i out at the head of 15,000 men, and 1500 horse, car ried three redolibts which the enemy had constructed. and took from him six pieces of cannon, and l 80; men. He drove the enemy to three leagues distant; from the place. The Russians hoped in the course of February to take-advantage of the ice to attack the Holm, but the ice had been broken by the care of Governnient.. The enemy was allowed to advance, and when arri ved within shut, w.ts destroyed by grape-shot. He left at the foot of the works many killed and woun-' ded. The thaw having commenced oil the Ist of march, it was expected to be inundated. THORN. The Engineer, General Poictivia, commands at Thorn. The Garrison consists of 4000 14rvatians, and 1500 French.—The Russian army, in the course of February, made three attempts to carry the works in advance of the fortress, but was repulsed, and its loss was not less than from eight to 900 men killed or wounded. Thorn has bread for more than tao years, and meat and vegetables for more than nine months. MODLIN. DAendels, General of commands at Mod lin. Its garrison is composed of 1000 Saxons, 100 French, and 6000 Poles. The fortress is provisioned with bread for several years, with meat and other articles for nine months. These great supplies of bread in the fortresses of the Vistula, proceed from the immense army-maga• zines which were found in them. ZAMOSE Has a garrison of 4000 Poles. - CZENLOCHAN Has a garrison of 900 Poles. The Prince of Schwartzenberg, on the 12th Feb ruary, had taken the position Mica. A fresh Aus- I trian corps of observation was collecting on the fron tiers of Bohemia. General Regnier with the Seventh Corps marched by Patrikau and Rau-a upon Kaliscb. His cavalry was attacked, on the 13th of February, by a Russian corps of troops, which passed the Vistula upon the ice, between Thorn and Modlin, on the site of Ploek. General Regnier repulsed this attack, even in the town of Kalisch. A Saxon General of Brigade, with his brigade, was cut off by the enemy ; but he fell back upon Ge neral Poniatowski's corps e which had effected its junctiOn with the Austrian corps, and was between Pilica and Cracow. Oeneral Regnier has repassed the Oder, and taken a position in the front of Dresden.—So ninch for Ppland, the ViceNT had, in the be?innins of Februnhl aimed the 11th carps to advance hors Berlin to wards the Oder. This corps arrived at Frankfort just when the Viceroy (being informed of the evacu ation of Warsaw) perceived that his position o n P o . sen was then or no farther utility, and he retired, without being disturbed, behind the Oder. On the 18th February, a corps of 1500 Russian light cavalry crossed the Nether Oder over the ice. The Marshal Duke of Castiglione ordered General Ppinsat to meet them with two battalions of infantry and 100 horse. In a reconnoissance a few leagues distant from Berlin, that General killed about sixty of their men, and among others a Prussian Gentle. nun, called the Count de Schwerin. In the night, the enemy's horse turned Berlin ; they surprised the post which guards the gate of Oranunbttrg, end S oc 400 of them penetrated into the city ; this was on the morning of the 20th February. The Duke of Cas. tiglione caused some cannon-shot to be fired at them, and drove them away with his infantry. The lower class of people at-Berlin endeavoured to profit b 7 this circumstance, but the Burgher Guard, which is composed of all the citizens, performed the part of the Police, and order was immediately re-established. After this affair the enemy's light troops disappeared, On the 'Ad February, the Viceroy, with 600 horst of the Guards, arrived at Berlin. He afterwards took a position at Kopnik. Lieutenant-Colonel Cicero, with his battalion, oe. cupied the post of Furstenwald on the Spree. He suffered himself to be imposed on by 600 Russian horse, who made him believe that they bad artillery and infantry with them. He had the simplicity to quit the post which he ought to have leleaded, and fell back with his battalion on the army. Orders havo been given :o arrest this officer, who will be puttithed according to the rigour of martial law. General Gerard had remained at Frankfort with a brigade to burn the bridge ; 2000 of the Russian ca valry cut him off from Berlin. He marched against them, killed from (SO to 80 men, made several officers prixoners, burnt the bridge at Frankfort, and rejoined the Viceroy. The Viceroy had to take one of these two steps either to cause the cavalry of the Ist and 2d corps, !licit were re-organized on the left bank of the Elbe, to come up, and employ them in scouring the coun try between the Elbe and the Oder, or to march be fore the other armies whilst approaching towards the Elbe. Bdt this c.ivalry was not yet entirely recog. nized, and a great many old soldiers, such precious resources, might be compromised bi a premature step ; and besides this, General Bulow, commanding a Prussian corps on the right bank of the Lower Oder, had suffered the enemy's light cavalry to pass the river. The Viceroy took the resolution of retiring in good order towards the Elbe. He left the Oder defended in the following manner :—General Grandjean, with A garrison of nine thousand men, and supplied witty provisions for eight months, commanded at Stettin. The General of Brigade Dufresse holds the second! command ;—General Chamberlane commands the Engineers. General Fernier d'Abbe secures the town of Cus s trin, with 9000 men. General Lapland and General Doan, of the en a gineers, are at Glogau, with 6000 men. Spandau is guarded by General Bruny, with SOOQ men. All these places are provided with provisions an stores from nine months to a year. On the 4th, between Berlin and Wittenberg, 1200 .'t the Russian light cavalry attempted to charge the Viceroy's rear-guard. A battalion of the 6th of the line received them with fixed bayonets, and killed 'bout 106 of them—atter which that cavalry dis'ap peared, and we have not seen them since. We have just shewn our position in Poland and oz the Oder, and shall now spew that on the Elbe. General Lanriston, with five new divisions, formed of old troops drawn from France, and famished with a numerous equipage of artillery, provided with dou ble sets of horses, and with the Westphalian corps. and the Ist corps of cavalry, occupies Magdeburg, and collects a great military force at this point. The Prince of !ckmuhl, with the first corps of the Grand Army, and the Duke of Belluno, with tin second, were near the Elbe. General Grenier, with the 11th corps, was before Wittenberg.—This place was armed and put in a state of defence. The Saxon General Thielinan wai with 6000 Saxons in garrison at Torgau, a place which the King has caused to be constructed since 1809, and the works of which have been pushed cm with so much activity, that it is now in the best state of defence. It is defended by 200 pieces of artillery. General Regnier was m the front of Dresden, will; the Saxon corps and the division of Darutte, having a Bivarian division on his lett. This corps sParissa will be reinforced by yen thousand men, who will at.- rive from the depots in Saxony. After having pro vided for all the points of this line, the head-quarter; were removed to Leipzie In this state of affairs, the King of Saxony had re / tired to Plauen, judging it proper to keep himself a; a greater distance frorn the theatre of war. The King. on his departure, which was on the 3d of February, issued the proclamation hereunto annexed. The ring of Westphalia. wishing to have hisguards and his troops at his own free disposal, to lead them in person, wherever circumstances may require, Jae desired that the Queen should go to France, and that Princess should at rive this day at Compeigne. Meanwhile General Lauriston had with good reason withdrawn all the troops of the 32d military division, to concentrate themselves at Magdeburg. The corps of General Vandamme, composed of fifty battalions, which had already left Wesel, to occupy the 32d mi litary division, did not arrive time till towards the end of March. Hamburgh was, therefore, only de fended by a very weak toter. The lower class of ' people wished to take advantage of this. and on the 24th of February, they insulted the Custom-house Officers, who fired on the most mutinous, and the mob dispersed. The citizens oL Haniburgh had the good sense to feel the necessity of restraining the po pulace. They formed themselves into a national guard, and re-established proper order. Several picquets of Danish cavalry contributed to restore order in Harnburgt4 A Russian spy was ar rested and shot, as were six men who were the Au thors of the sedition. On the 12th of this month, General Casa St. Cyr judged proper to cross to the lett uauw of and to fix the head-quarters of the 32d snilit:4ry di vision at Artlenburgh. The Ist corps of observation ithiae ) coso t pos4 of the. Bth i Pa), IVth 11th, I'