Star. — London, England, 1814-10-22 00:00:00

.. SP4NISH PIPERS. MADRID, OCTOBER 7. At half-past seven in the morning of the 4th inst. the King visited, without previous notice, the royal prison cf this capital, accompanied by the Duke of Alagon, the Captain of his Guards. There his Majesty, exercising his innate goodness, condescended to examine the different departments of the prison, listening to and consoling the prisoners with that kind ness and humanity which characterise his Majesty, end displaying his well known clemency towards se veral Individuals. He enquired into the cases of five men and eight women, who were confined for slight offences, and ordered them to be discharged, after mildly admonishing them to abstain from future ex cesses. His Majesty finally visited the solitary place of detention called the Grillera, where his Royal mind was so affected by the horrible and filthy aspect of the place, that he ordered its removal and destruc tion, so that no memorial of it might remain. : His Majesty observed, that prisoners should be placed in a state of security corresponding to their offences, but at the same time should be treated with that humanity which all his beloved subjects deserved, whatever might be their lot. . The following Royal Ordinance has been issued by his Majesty : " Don Ferdinand VII. by the Grace of Goa, Xing of Castile, Leon, Amgen, &c. to those of my Council, to the Presidents, and Regents of my Audiences, the Corregidor', Intendants, Go vernors, and Mayors, of all the cities and towns of my kingdoms, know ye--That by a. Decree of the General Exuaurdinary Cor tes, of the Pith August, 11111, all jurisdictional seignieries of whatever class or condition were incorporated with the Nation ; that all payments both real and persond, which owed their origin to a jurisdictional tide, were abolished, with the exception of such as proceeded from free contract in the exercise of the right of property, the territorial and manorial sellnlories re maining in the class of other rights of property ; abolishing also the priv loges called exclesive, privative, or prohibitive, such as those of the chase, fishing, ovens and mills. '•ln this state of things representadoiu have been made to me by various Grandees of Spain, and titulars of Castile, jurisdic tional Lords of townships in Arragen Valencia, and other pro vinces, complaining of the robberies ;which they have suffered and do suffer, under pretence of the said Decree, in the enjoy ment of the rights and payments which it reserved to them, de manding restitution, and some of them praying a declaration of the nullity of the Decree. The said Memorials have been referred 'to my Council of State, and to the Law Officers of the Crown; and observing the delicacy and circumspeedosi with which the latter have abstained from pronouncing as to the nullity of the Pecrie, until they had collected all the materials for forming a judgment ea that interesting point, my Council has also ab stained from entering into an examination of it until thesaid Law Officers deliver their opinion. " With regard to the claim made by the said jurisdletkinal Lords of restoration to the rights of which they have been arbi trarily despoiled by the towns in their respective seigniories, though preserved to them by the decree of the Cortes, my Coun cil accedes to the recommendation of my Law Officers, that the justice of the said claims be admitted, and the proper remedies to prevent such abuses be provided without delay—therefore, it is my Royal resolution, in conformity with the advice of my Council, to order, that the said jurisdictional Lords be imme diately replaced in the enjoyment of all the rents, emoluments, payments, and rights, belonging to their territorial and manorial reguimity, and in that of all the ether rights which they enjoyed ps:ur to tte 6th of August, 1811, and which do not derive their origin from jurisdictional and exclusive privileges ' without pre judice to what I may hereafter reaolve, with the advice of my Council, as to the nullity, continuance, or revocation of the said Decree of the Cortes, abolishing *dynodes. " 1, TM KING." Gives at the Palace, September 15, 1514." FRENCH P.IPXII4O. VIENNA, OCTOBER 7. The busisess of the Congress is discussed with ea- 1 treme activity since the Emperor of Russia has cans. edit to be notified that be meant to leave Vienna before the end of the month. It is also asserted - that an official note on the part of Russia has been laid before Congress, in which it is declared drat it is the wish of his Imperial Majesty that no alteration be issatie in the treaty of Paris, but that it be maintained lboth in its form and tenour, and that the affairs of ,Oertriany be regulated by the German Princes alone. /The Emperor of Austria and the allied Sovereigns tinted yesterday at Anbof, near Maria-Brunn. The Archduchess Maria Louisa will arrive to-day - it Schoenbrunn, where she will remain some time, to repose from the fatigues of her journey. The Foreign Ministers dined yesterday with Prince -Metternich. Memorials are daily given to the Sovereigns and Ministers engaged in the Congress, by the envoys and agents of Princes, Counts, and Barons of the 'irt-dsvant German empire. The Abbot of St. Gall is ?Incredibly busy in trying to revive his tights to his tad abbacy ; but this affair belongs rather to Svritz• erland than to Germany. It is said here that the opening of the general Con gress will not take place till the 18th, or as others assert the 16th. The evening before the members will solemnly proceed to the Cathedral, where the ALMIGHTY will be invoked to enlighten the Princes as to their true interests, and to strengthen among them that spirit of peace and confidence by Nikki they are united. Prayers will also be put up, -dia l GOD may pour out his wrath upon the first who shall in future disturb the repose of the world. We do not here - hold thr • opinion accredited . throughout almost all Germany, which considers the. • assemblage of monarchs in this city as of itself farm,: ing the general Congress. The Sovereigns and Mi.., niters will lay the foundations of the political edifice, and the superstructure will be afterwards worked - - upon.- The Sovereigns having in fact signified their intention of returning to their States by the end all -the month, it is quite impossible that all Interests. can h.tve been previously regulated. It is • hoped that England, having no longer to combat the man who exercised despotism over the Continent, will renounce on her part the monopoly of maritime commerce. There is aho talk of a federative system, or, if we may so speak, of a kind of republic of the' .great &ates of Europe, subject to a general law equally binding on all. , • c l if l The Provisional Committee for the discussion the afrafrs of Germany is composed, it is said, of the Austrian Counsellors Rademacher, Spiegel, and Frank, and the Prussian Counsellor Fries. Field-Marshal PrinceWrede is so much indisposed that some alarm is felt for him. The wounds he re ceived it the battle of Hamm have broken dot afresh ) and cause him much pain. ' . ' • hl .ICoent Ittraster, the Hanoveriettlaister, hiss,, `the misfortune to be th rown frnisilth'isattialkel i Nririch spate of his ribs svere'brelress ' t - ~ .' ' ` J k l : " It will give some ides of the expenereatifilliktril , „ the resideze of the Moaestelis item orlon it is 11110Wa that the •• y cost of their , table alone amounts to 45.000 florins, Vienna currency. Among other 'fetes which will be given to the Mo narchs, there will be" a ininiatere representation of the battle of Aspern. Bridges have already been formed to communicate between the islands and both banks. AMERICAN PAPERS. ~. AMERICAN ACCOUNT OF THE CAPTURE OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON. PROM THE BALTIMORE PATRIOT. The following is a correct and very interesting ac count of the loss of Washington from unquestionable authority. The concluding suggestions are such as ought to receive the most serious attention from all offi cers, who are entrusted with thedefence of the country: 44 TO TICS EDITORS ON THE BALTIMORE PATRIOT. " Friday Evening, August O. " GENTLEMEN—Having witnessed the late un happy occurrences at Washington, I will, agreeably, to your request, put them on paper ; that, if neces-. sary, they may be used to correct some of the "NV erroneous reports which are circulating. 46 I arrived at Washington on Sunday, the 211 1 instant. At that time the Officers of Government and the citizens were very apprehensive of an attack from the British, who had landed on the Patuxent.. Their numbers bad not been ascertained, but reports were various, stating them from 4000 to 10,000. Ge neral Winder was stationed near the Wood Yard, with about 2000 men, hourly expecting large rein forcements from every quarter, .particularly from Baltimore, 8000 men having been ordered to march immediately from that place. ig On Sunday the Public Officers were all engaged in packing and sending off their books and the citizens their furniture. Oa Monday, this business was conti nued with great industry, and many families left the city. The specie was removed from all the Banks in the district. Reports were very current, that Winder had received large reinforcements ; so that it was . be.. lieved by many well-informed persons, that he would have 10,000 men embodied in the course of the week. In the expectation that there was a very considerable force collected, the President, accompanied by the Se cretary at War, and of the Navy, left the city for the camp. They arrived there late that night, and thel next morning finding but 8000 men, and learning that the Baltimore troops were encamped at Bladensbur = returned to the city on Tuesday, to make further ar rangements.— All the books and papers were sent off, and the citizens generally left the place. 46 In the course of that day a scouting party from General Winder's army had a skirmish with the Bri tish advance guard, and returned to camp with such tidings as indueed General Winder to retire to the city with his army, which he accomplished by nine o'clock in the evening, burnt the old bridge which crossed the Potomask, and encamped on the hill, di rectly above the other bridge about one mile and an half from the Navy Yard, and prepared to defend that passage. In the event of the British being too strong, the bridge was to be blown up, for which he had every thing.prepmed. At this post he remained the whole night. expecting the enemy's forces. Wednes day morning I walked through the army : it remain ed at the bridge until ten o'clock, when advice was received, that the enemy had taken the Bladensburgh road. The troops were immediately put in motion, i and by twelve o'clock the whole were on the march, in the hope of forming a junction with the Baltimore troops before the enemy reached Bladensburgh. This was only partially accomplished when the battle com menced, and was contested by the Baltimore troops and the men from the flotilla, with great spirit and gallantry, until it appeared useless for so small a force, very badly supported, to sand against six thousand regulars, all picked men and well supplied—a retreat was ordered, when the President, who had been on horseback, with the army the whole day, retired from the mortifying scene, and left the city on horseback, accompanied by General Mason and Mr. Carrol. 66 At Georgetown, the President met his Lady, she I having left the city only a half hour before him, having remained with great firmness and composure at the President's House, until a messenger brought her the tidings that the British were within a few 'miles of the city, and that oar army were retreating ,without any chance if being rallied, so as to check their marita l t' 6 4 `The - President and Secretary of State went to Virginia, with their families—the other Officers of Government went to Fredericktown, where the Go. vernment is said to be formed, and where the Pre jiideet intends to meet his Secretaries next week. I ;remained at the President's House until all our army had passed, and 99. hundredths of the citizens gone' leaving nothing but empty walls. I fell into the trail of the army, and marched about four miles on the 'Frederick road. Being much fatigued I turned off into a wood, and fotmflignord quarters in a farm house, on the hill back of Pearce's. Soon after reaching there, at sine o'clock, on Wednesday evening, a sig nal gun was discharged, and sher President's House, the Capitol, and many other public buildings, were at the same seaseet in a blaze which continued nearly • ,; • ; f1 J . 1.. a ",. The leeelleiet T.r 1 ,"g ( 1 1144 .the .eatery in teeAddd tO muck tho city .411Pinolliid .ttint to keep his rieeises!" divided,. nal thek the* oCtituismed, 44414iii,arth.0414kdiiritep*Irdler; which at this shot SCASOII was quits ttiv flinch kis sal militia; pani-: tularly the Quarter -master's* departmeotalee *Wm shamefully neglected, or the officers usable to pro cure supplies—fOr it is a fact that our men suffered severely, not only for accommodations, but for bread and meat ; and after retreating to the Court-house at Montgomery, they could not get quarters nor provi sions, not even a tent to cover them from the rain. " It is to be hoped, that the officers of the army, in every part of the United States, will take warning from this sad lesson, and provide an abundance of provi sions, and of tents, for it is impossible for men to fight, if they are not well fed ; and if they are not sheltered from the rains and the fogs when they sleep. Our army may with truth be said to have been beaten by fatigue, before they save the enemy. " On Thursday morning, I proceeded on with the army to Montgomery Court House, where General Winder's head-quarters were established. t had some conversation with him. He appeared to regret very much, that he had not been enabled to have made a greater resistance, although he was perfectly satisfied tha a successful resistance could not have been made, with the force in the neighbourhood of Washington, since had it all been brought together before the action, it would not have been so large as that oppos ed to him, and our force was principally militia, and that of the enemy all regulars and picked men." BALTIMORE, SEPT. 1.. Our accounts from the.fiee t are that they are land ing in the Patuxent, supposed for the purpose of pro tecting the frigates in the Potomac, in which an attack was made last night, and they confidently expect at Washington that they will destroy them. EXTRACT OP A LETTER, DATED BROOKVILLE, AUG. 27. 44 Since I wrote to you from Ross' tavern, on the Baltimore road, three miles from the battle ground, I have met with numerous adventures, and heard authenticated many curious occurrences. • The morning after I wrote you, Captain Ster rett's situation was such as to admit of my leaving him with propriety. I took my family and wound my way round to within six miles of Georgetown.— We took up our quarters at a very worthy consti tuent's or mine, who put himself to great inconve-. nience to accommodate my family. His house was overflowing with the affrighted inhabitants of the city. After dinner I discovered that Pinckney was lying in the back room, badly wounded ; his arm being dreadfully fractured near the socket. He con versed freely with those who went in to set him.— He ridiculed the plan of battle—spoke of the dis grace, dm and expressed his astonishment that no rallying point had been fixed in cue of a retreat. 4 g Yesterday I sent my family around to this place, being twenty miles from Washington, and ten from Rockville, my place of residence. The reason for this was, that head-quarters were declared to be at the latter place, and I had understood the troops had taken possession of my house among others. 44 Near Rockville, I rallyed about 30 men who I met in the road leaving the camp. I went to town, taking possession of my house. I dined there with two of the Charles-streeters as a guard. 4 , Information was received that the British had evacuated the city, and gnmediately Winder march ed with his whole force towards Baltimore. " I followed the army, the main body of which passed within a mile of this village ; the ammunition waggons and horse passing through here. “ At nine in the night Mr. Madigan arrived here, escorted by General Mason and fifty Virginia dra goons. Lodgings were asked for two doors below where I stay with my wife's uncle. It was positively refused. He was taken at the next door, Mason having asked for lodgings for himself, and Mr. Bent ley not knowing until the President was introduced that he was there. My brother and Mr. Dorsey went down and sapped at the table with Madison : the defence of the city was freely criticised, and the si , tuation of the country as freely spoken of. Madison said little more than expressing his surprise how they could discriminate between Gale's office and FoxalPa foundry, both being private property ; and the latter being spared by the enemy, while the other woe destroyed. “ A short time before the President arrived, I hark held a .conversation with Samuel Harrison Smith, st the house where the President lodged. In the cower of my remarks, I spoke of the disgrace of the ?red ' dent flying about from place to place, and said he might at least make his head-quarters at tredericton, and there call his cabinet about him, and try to rouse the nation. I also gave it as my opinion, that the enemy would not march to Baltimore, but would re embark ; because they had left a guard at every place they passed through, and all that. Smith repeated my conversation to the President. He said nothing, but anxiously enquired after Colonel Munroe and Armstrong, saying he did not know where either Of ;ben) were. «y brother has just come in and stated that Ma dison,has received a dispatch from Winder, inform ing him that the enemy has gone ; upon the receipt of which information, the, dragoons were ordered in readiness to guard the President to the city, where the blacks are reported to be plundering, burning, &c. , g Cockburn has declared be engaged only 1300 men : that the , militia ran before more of his men could come up k that he proceeded slowly to the Ca *al, because he, supposed that the great battle was to have been fought on the plains of Washington. ,s!...*iers where I go, the people are heaping curses %mil the Cove t. An parties vaitaiannrathig Madison and Armstrong. The style of feeling i. which our men went into the fight cannot be better judged of than from the fat that not a single act of heroism is said to have been :hewn in diefeace of t h e officer told me this morning that the ground chosen by Winder and Armstrong admitted of the enemy's coming up under cover of the apple or. chards in the neighbourhood of Bladensburg ; and that while passing through the orchards in front of our harmless fire, the officers were picking apples from the trees." BALTIMORE, SEPTEMBER S. A respectable Gentleman of this city, who left Alexandria on Thursday evening states, that be wit. nessed there a scene of great activity ; the enemy loaded, with great apparent composure, the venehb e . longing to the town, with flour, tobacco, and coma The estimate of the inhabitants of the quantity d read y shipped, is about 12,000 lbs. flour, 700 !Amis. tobacco, 150 bales cotton, with some small quentiky of sugar and coffee. They were engaged in raising a large ship, sunk by the inhabitants, which they in. tended to fill forthwith. They appeared to be in no great hurry. NEW YOlUt, SEPTEMSEtt e. By last night's Philadelphia stage, we leans by let- ters from Baltimore, published in Philadelphia, that on the 2d inst. the enemy's vessels dropped down two miles below Aleiandria—that the bomb ship pro. ceeded as far as the battery erected on the ruins of Fort Warburton, where she was so warmly attacked by Commodore Rodgers, that she wis obliged to re. turn : —that the enemy bud threatened, W they were prevented from descending tbs river, embank Alexait. dria and Georgetown—that Commodore Porter and General Hungerfcrd had the command of a battery at Dumfries, and were planting obatructiont to shoal the water—that Commodore Rodgers bad sunk ann. ral vessels loaded with flour, kc. from Alexandria-- that as late as the morning of the 3d, heavy firing was heard in the direction of the above batteries. HARTFORD, SEPTiiMBER 6. • Letters and passengers in the stage state that the enemy landed this morning at Guilford from 1.500 to 2000 men, and had set fire to a number of buildings. , The intelligence had reached Newhaven, when the military were immediately ordered ant, and at two o'clock they were on their march to defend the place. The people were moving their effects from Newhal ven. The force of the enemy off Guilford is (We ' rently stated; some say, one 74, three frigates, and two schooners ; others, three frigates and three ten• ders. The force landed is, however, said to be about one thousand. PROM TkIR CANADIAN JOURNALS. MONTREAL, SEPTEMBER 10. A ',vices from Plattsburg of yesterday morning ars come to hand. The most of our troops had arrived at the place; but owing to the badness of the roads, Caused by the hard rains, the heavy artillery had not got up. It is stated our lou on the march from Champlain to Flensburg, was 20 killed, and about 40 wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Wellington of the Buffs, or Sd, was among the former, one Captain and two subalterns among the loner. We understand six of the Voltigeurs were killed. It was supposed the Fort would not hold out any length of time ; it fired hot shot upon the town, where the British troops are ; many of the Houses were burnt in consequence. We have dates from . Kingston to the 7th instant inclusive. Some days before the Military Courier for ' York was taken by surprise, on the Bay of Quints Road, by a boat's crew of the enemy. Soon after Commodore Chauncey made sail for Sackett's Har bour with his whole fleet. The large ship at King ston will be launclied the 10th—this day. Accounts are received from Fort Erie of the gOtb ult. For several days before there had been a good deal of skirmishing, without any considerable less an either side. The movements of the enemy indicated he was about ctossing over; for several days he fired only 61b. shot from his batteries. It is rumoured that about the Slst the Americans made a desperate sortie, and were opposed by the 82d regiment. Our brave fellows, it is said, killed 40 on the spot. In the Fort sickness prevailed, by which it appears many died every day. The average of deserters was about ten per day, to the British camp. They represent our fire to have been galling in the Fort; General Gaines bad been badly wounded by a splinter and carried to Buffaloe. The whole force of the Americans in the Fort was not above 1600 men. It is said a body of theca:my, supposed to be those detached from Izard's army three weeks ago, are for tifying themselves at Hamilton and Madrid. Sermon 15.—His Excellency the Commander in Chief and suite arrived in town this morning from the expedition to Plattsburg. We understand that our new ship was safety launched on Saturday last at Kingston. We sincerely hope that she is destined to repair, on Lake Ontario, the naval misfortunes we have sustained on those o: Erie and Champlain. During the last week, several parties of Amensan prisoners have arrived here from Upper Canada, and yesterday 16 of those taken on the late Ilutsburg .expedition were brought to town ; the rensaiuder, De. Itorus porn and three bundled, we understand, are el peeted hersitbis day and t0413000W. In the imillst of the presmre of war one neighbours are repairing .w meet every emergency. In Ma,1.1. c h"." l , GoirclnOr &Mirka %Ott w annul a