Star. — London, England, 1810-05-23 00:00:00

, PROM FRENCH PAPERS. I TRIESTE, APRIL t 4. The English !raving most probably been informed of the march of the garrison of Fiume to the Turkish frontier, have had the boldness to cut out of that har bour a vessel that had taken half her cargo on board. Following the example that has been set at Leg horn, all the vessels that had arrived for some weeks past, under the Turkish flag from Smyrna, and other pdrts of the Levant, were yesterday put under seques tration, upon suspicion of their trading with the Eng lish, or at least of their having paid them a duty of 20 per cent. upon their cargoes. BAYONNE, APRIL so. Letters from Spain state, that General Sucher, who had returned to Saragossa after his incursion into the kingdom of Valencia, has received his heavy artillery, and has already commenced the siege of Lerida. The siege of Cadiz continues. The poorer classes already feel all the horrors of famine and the diseases that accompany it. MAY 3.—The city of Astorga surrendered to the troops under the command of the Duke of Abrantes on the 23d ult. after a siege of 48 hours. The gar rison, consisting of between 5 and 6000 men, are pri soners of war. The Duke was personally present at the siege, together with Generals Clauzel, Solignac, Graben, and several others. A great quantity of pri visions was found in the place. MONTIJO, APRIL 21. A corps of Spanish troops had advanced to Roc ca, under the command of Brigadier Don Carlos Es pana. They were to have been followed by more troops, and to favour the arming of the inhabitants of the villages that we have not occupied, whom La Romana, the Junta of Badajos, and Don Carlos Es pana, the most furious of their agents, compel by the most violent measures to take up arms, or to aban don their habitations. General Regnier ordered a small body of troops to march against the said corps, I in the night of the 19th, and they were completely defeated. General Espana betook himself to the mountains, with a few troops, of whom we are still in pursuit. The scene of action is covered with dead bodies. The number of officers and soldiers taken prisoners, is not let ascertained. The regiment of Zamora, a battalion of the regiment or Seville, and a regiment of Navarre, are completely destroyed. ASTURIAS. General Bonnet, Commander of the French division which penetrated into the Asturias, has given infor mation that, on the night of the Gth of April, a divi sion of troops of the Gallician insurgents, debouched by the bridge of Penaflores, and attacked This advaned guard at Lorcana ; at the same time the Asturian in surgents attempted the passage of the Nalon at Soto; a numerous reinforcement of peasants, conducted by some officers, debouched by Manzareda, with the in tention of marching upon Oviedo the enemy, re pulsed at every point, was forced to retire, abandon iag his dead, and many prisoners. PiiRLMMENTARr PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY T. 2. Lord ALVANLI r took the oaths and his seat. Ile Exchequer Bills Funding Bill, the Irish Stage Coaches Bill, and the Malt Intercourse Dill, were read a third note and passed. On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR the Committee of Privileges on the Roxburgh Peerage, were ordered to report their proceedings. . Some local and private bills were brought up by Mr. Howorth, Sir Robert Vaughan, Sir Jacob Astley, and other Members of the House of Commons, and read a first time. A Message was also brought up by Mr. Wellesley Pole and other Members, requesting a Copy of a Report respecting the Records of Ireland, to which it was replied that the House would send an answer by Messengers of their own. After some discussion in the third reading of the Forfar Road and Statute Labour Bills, the House divided on the former ques tion—Contents 37—Non Contents 26—Majority 11. On the latter question, the Contents wire :3 s—Non- C tt at s 23— M a jority 12. GAS LIGHT BILL. A conversation of some length took place on the third reading of the Cl.l Light Bill, in which the Duke of ATHOL, Lord Mat vittt, and Lord Srtivers, spoke in favour of the question ; and the Lost, CHANCILLOR, Lord RLDESDALt, and Lord LAI:DER nit Ls, against it. The result was, that the third reading was negatived; on an understanding, however, that the evidence be printed, and that the bill be recommitted. GUARD'S DIVORCE DILL. The third reading of Guard's Divorce Bill was fixed for to-mor sew se'nnight. The LORD CHANCELLOR thought it tight t• apprise the House, that a clause was introduced into the thd, in pursuance of their Standing Order, prohibiting the 'Akin:ins party from mar rying again. THE DUKE OF BRUNSWICK. Earl GREY and Lord HOLLAND signified their willingness to withdraw their opposition to the Duke of Brunswick's Annuity n It, if his Majesty's Ministers would agree to the production of an account of the Droits of Adatira!iy, in order that a proposition :night be subseyr...ntly considered of transferring from that Fund to the Consolidated Fund a sutlicient sum to detray the charge of this Annuity. The Earl of LIVERPOOL had no objection to the production of the account, but could not consent to the proposed application of the fund. It would, however, be competent for the Noble Lords, when the account was before the House, to institute such discussion respecting it as they might think proper. The 13:11 passed through a Committee, and was reported, p(jjourned till to-morrow (this day.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. Lard Duastrx took the oaths and his sear. he Drury-lane Theatre Ein was read a second time, and or dered to be committed, A Message from the Lords acquainted the House ' that their Lord hips had siritd cc) the Exchequer Ell Bill, the Irish Malt Bill, and several prlrate withaut any amendments. . _ Mr. WHARTON obtained leave to bring in a Bill for autho rising Procreation, for Smuggling, to be carried on in the name pt' an Officer of the Customs. The F.,%rhequer Bills Blil was read a second time, and ordered to be committed for to-morrow. The Loan Bill passed through a Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. The Scotch Excise Suporannuaion Bill passed through the Committee, and the Report was ordered to be received to-m0r en.,,,,, as O ,I AO t he isle of Man's Consolidation Duties Report to-inorrOW. Mr. LUSIMIGTON brought up the Report of the frishWare iv:using Bill, which was seceived,and the Bill ordered to be read a third tiose ft:morrow. he Work Hove,Bill was real a second time, and ordered to Ur committed to,muirow. _ . Mr. LUSHING I'ON brought up the Report of the Committee op iti4h Light Houses, which was rectived and ordered. Me. WIiARTON obtained leave to bring in a Bill to =Wed tovtral Acts re:atlag to the rate of the Land iru. Mr. WILBRAHAM BOOTLE brought in a Bill For the ab.s. lition•of Work House Baiges ; it was read a firtt time and jarred to be read a second time to-morrow. Mr. HOUSTOUN presented a Petition from the (Amities Commerce of Glasgow, and another on the part of the Mercha and Manufacturers of Glasgow, praying to the extension of Briti►h Laws for the Island of Trinidad. On the motion of Mr. ROSE, a Committee wait appointed to search the Journals of t!.e Lords respecting the improvements In the avenues leadi:z to Westminster Hall. IRIELI In:MEMEL Mr. FOSTER moved that the Strong Beer Bounty Bill be committed. Thb House having gone into the Committee, on the questions that the blanks be filled up, Mr. HUTCHINSON called upon the Right Hon. Gentleman to explain what the difference was, if any, between the bill now pending and the measure prof fered by the Right Hon. Gentleman to the Irish Brewers, and rejected by them as inefficient, it not injurious to their interests. He was anxious to know if the Bill essentially differed from that measure, as if it did not, it • was returning upon the Irish Brewers in another form what they had already rejected ; it was necessary therefore to have a precise explanation upon this point. ' Mr. FOSTER could not see the necessity of trou bling the Committee at that stage of the Bill with the detail of whatever negotiations passed between him and the Irish Brewers on former questions. Mr. HUTCHINSON could not help thinking the conduct of the Right Hon. Gentleman most extraor dinary. He had deferred pressing for that explana tion which he now called for, from a mutual under standing that that explanation would be given in the Committee. The Right Hon. Gentleman bad read the Bill a first time without giving it explanation. He had read it a second time without doing so, and now he was going to fill up the blanks without thinking proper to give any answer upon a subject involving such a portion of the trading interests of Ireland.— What was the professed object of the Bill proposed ? To remedy an evil of which that Right Hon. Gentle. man was the cause. He lowered the price of spirits, and then to compensate the brewers for the injury• done to their trade, the Right Hon. Gentleman came forward with his present Bill. Was it then, he would ask, unreasonable in him, as representing the great city that had deputed him to attend to her interests, to know how far the remedy now proposed was simi lar to that which the Right Hon. Gentleman had al ready proposed, and which had been almost, unani mously rejected by the Irish Brewers ? If, however, the explanation which he thought he had a right to demand, would be refused him, he supposed that the Right Hon. Gentleman could have no objection, af ter filling up the blanks and printing the Bill, to stay any further proceedings in the subsequent stages until it had been transmitted to Ireland, and that the per sons concerned had sufficient opportunity to ascertain how far it was likely to remedy the injury their trade had experienced. He was aware that it might be ob jected, that the brewers of Dublin had, by a deputa tion from their body, given their assent to the Bill. He admitted, in its full extent, the weight and res pectability of that deputation, but he contended that they did not receive the proposed measure as an ode Time compensation; but rather as a recognition of the Pjustice of their claims to compensation—not so much a relief as a proof that they had a claim to relief.— He called upon the Right Hon. Gentleman therefore to abstain from that indecent hurry which too often characterised the passage of Irish Bills through that House. Was this the way to lessen the prevailing dis contents against the measure of Union by myste riously smuggling through the House every question affecting the affairs of Ireland ? Or was it not in sulting to the interests which he had the honour to re present, sullenly to refuse answer or explanation upon a subject so intimately connected with them. He re peated his conviction, that the consent which had been given oil the part of the Irish brewers to this measure rested saidy upon this gr ound—the recognition of the evil on the part of those who had created that evil, and not the acknowledgment of an adequate remedy on the part of those who had suffered. He was fur ther convinced, that the Bill would fail of its object —and that if it was sent over for the mature consi deration of the brewers, they would not approve of it—still, however, he would not oppose it, if the due means were taken to make it known and under stood by those who were most concerned in its pro visions; but wait till he was instructed by them how to act. _ _ Mr. FOSTER replied, that from the rerpcct he felt personally for the Hon. Gentleman, he should be glad to make him every communication that might appear to him satisfactory ; but, in the present in stance, it was wholly unnecessary to state more than this, that the Bill now pending had received the ap probation of the Irish brewers through the organ of their deputation, who (as he understood) was also empowered to act for the brewers of Cork. Sir JOHN NEWPORT concurred in the propriety of the observations made by his Hon. Friend (Mr. Hutchinson), and thought that this Bill would not have been listened to by the Irish Brewers, but as a recognition of their claim for remedy. • Mr. HUTCHINSON, in order to set the Right Hon. Gentleman right as to the Cork brewers, read letters from persons of that city whom he described as some of the most eminent in the trade. The contents of those letters were against the Bill, and said that it was an insult to the Brewers to describe it as a boon. What, however, he now more particularly opposed was, rather the manner in which the Bill was attempt ed to be hurried through it stages, than the Bill itself. Mr. ROBERT SHAW (of Dublin) stated that the Bill had generally met with the approbation of the Brewers in Dublin, and that his judgment of its merits would be regulated by the opinion they enter tained of its efficiency. The Bill then passed through the Committee, and the Report was ordered to be re. I ceived to-morrow. rOREIGN TIMBER. The House having gone into a Committee on the state of the Foreign - Timber Trade, Mr. ROSE proposed a Resolution for doubling the present duties upon Foreign Timber. The great supply of this article had been from the North of Europe, and conveyed in foreign ships. Since the commencement of the Northern Trade, Foreign Tim ber had risen 300 per cent. ; the freight had convey ed vast sums of money to foreigners. He thought that every encouragement ought to be given to the importation • of timber from our own settlements in. North America ; the trade would operate there in / 11,17 i Increase of British Sbips entered inwar.ls from 1,583 the year 1807 to 1809 Foreign Ships entered inwards for the year IPO7 • 2,712 Ditto, for the year 1809 - - 4,692 11•••=••• Increase of Foreign Ships entered inwards front 980 - 1807 to 1809 British Ships cleared outwards for the year 1607 8,924 Ditto, for the year 1809 9,935 Increase of British Ship) cleared outwards from 1,011 the year 1807 to 1809 Foreign Ships cleared outwards for the year 1807 Ditto, for the year 1809 - - 3,G30 4,379 Increase of Foreign Ships cleared outwards from/ 749 the year 1807 to 1809 From this statement, it appeared, that with respect to the ships entered inwards, the increase of the Bri tish shipping above that of the Foreign shipping, from 1807 to 1839, amounted to 633 ; and with respect to the ships Cleared outwards in the same period, the . increase of the British shipping over that of the Fo reign shipping amounted to '262 : so that, instead of the Britis:l shipping having given way to the Foreign shipping, they were in the gross amount for the same period, above them 865 ships. Mr. HORNER explained. Mr. BARING remembered the outcry which had been made against the Americans usurping to them selves the carrying trade with the North of Europe. It would have been better policy for this country to have connived at it, as a cover to her own bottoms under American colours. Mr. TM:MAYNE and Sit-JOHN NEWPCRT made a few observations. Mr. ROSE assured the Honourable G:aitleman (Mr. Baring) that so . far from injuring, the wish of hit heart was to give encouragement to the Ameri can shipping. Mr. PARNELL wished to know if a similar mea sure was in contemplation for Ireland ; if so he should have some few observations to submit on the subject. At present he must remark, that certain persons wino had contracted to build barracks in Ireland, which would not be completed probably for years, had been taken bound to build them of Memel timber, and they were expressly prohibited from using American timber. This, at least, was no proof of the superio rity of the American timber, and could by no means induce people to use it. The Resolution originally put, and also a Resolu tion doubling the duties on timber from the Baltic, and granting bounties on timber imported in British vessels from our territories in America, were then put and agreed to, and the report ordered to be received to-morro w. clearing the land of timber, and here id taking of After some further conversation between Mr. our manufactures in place of the timber, and em- TELL, Sir JOIINI ANSTRUTIIER, Mr. eacevey, ploying our own tonnage and navigation. The Monks, and Mr. WALLACE, Mr. Pastsurai Gur • principle was not new ; it was as old asahe days of plied, when the House divided, and th e motion u.e" Queen Anne. North America could supply one negatived Ayes 21—Noes 64—Majority 40, ds half of our timber consumption ; and the pine timber i ASSESSED TAXES. from Canada would supply it all. He adverted to On the motion of the CHANCELLOR o f the an extraordinary and ill-judged assertion advanced EXCHEQUER, it was ordered that the House d by a Noble Lord (Cochrane) on a former night— to-morrow resolve into a Committee on the sses te i the al E id X f e or H a E m Q e o ll s :l that there was not timber enough in Plymouth dock- Taxes Acts. yard to build one half of a seventy-four. He regret- ; The CHANCELLOR of ted the Noble Lord could have been so hasty, and re- also moved for leave to bring in a bill for regol dt ; ; s commended him more caution in making such un- the manner of making surcharges upon the Asse o 4 guarded assertions for the future. The timber now Taxes,. and the Tax on Propert in Plymouth dockyard was out of all proportion the said Acts. He proposed causing notice t o ' greater than that specified by the Noble Lord. He made of every surcharge to the person on whom i t concluded with moving, that the present duties on was imposed, who might then apply arain to : h e Foreign Timber do cease and expire. Commissioners, and if it I.llotild appear that the retur. Mr. HORNER thought that the increase of Fo. was nct frauduleot, no double charge was to uk t reign Shipping had been in the most alarming pro. place. portion ; ten millions had been stated as the freight Mr. JOHN SMITH asked, if no provision yea st y money to foreign ships for the space of one single be made respecting a return made to the Commesti: year. Bonaparte was playing off a deep and refined Commissioners, wnere the person making it was policy against this country; we stood now in the same charged months atter he had paid the amount of relative situation to France that Holland did to us return into the Bank ? in the time of the usurpation ; and Bonaparte was The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER playing the same game against us that Cromwell did . was not aware of the case. against Holland. Holland at that time commanded i Mr. GRENFELL intimated his intention of the carrying trade of the whole world. The foreign troducing a clause on that subject. shipping had already materiallygained upon our own. Mr. 'WILLIAM SMITH did not think that the After a few observations from Mr. Rosa and Mr. , subject could by possibility obtain effective relief bv GIDDY, applying at the Tax Office. It was impossible • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in the persons employed there should not lua with a order to remove the despondency which the Learned • favourable eye to the efficient instruments by whom Gentleman seemed so disposed to indulge in, respect- great sums of money came into their hands. These ing the excess of the Foreign Shipping Trade over was a sort of esierit de cola in the business. Through: ours, entered into the following statement of the num- out the country , however, the feeling was eery aif t . her of British and Foreign Ships which had cleared ,cures, , . s beG;linlngictlhteimp might wet,i upwards arisehs o chose seftojeflrm the abolition ir io o eg , a w)a rdlteyaetnaro as o a d i p e. Imtt Sine. I rnto h e inwards, for the years 1807 and 1809. ;saving British Ships entered inwards for the year 1007 - Ditto, for the year 1809 ' ' of water in the bucket ; and yet the whol e amount of these most vexations and crxel so:chat-4es did set exceed Rl ncimoo to Government. Mr. BRAND expressed a hope that in the propossa correction of the system of surcharges, tht moral appeal to a Jury should he allowed the people, iq place cf that to the Commissioners of Taxes. The CHANCELLOA of the EXCHEQUER observed, that the remedy to the Courts of Law were now open to those who complained of vexatious surchlrges. Sir JAMES HALL asked, whether the same minions for accidents would be allowed farmer; were allowed to other traders The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, tint it was intended to introduce a clause of re. 'flitting the duties in cases where the landlord from accidents remitted the tents (a laugh), a practice which he understood to be under such circumstances usual. After some further observations from Mr. Srarun, Sir CHA BLES POLE, Colonel BASTARD, and Sir JAVLi HA ta., leave was given to lining in the Bill of Regu lation accordingly. EAST INDIA FINANCES. Mr. PRENDERGAST moved for a paper rela tive to the Finances of India : it was a copy of a let ter from the Governor in Council to the Court of Di rectors, dated August 23, 1809. Mr. DUNDAS thought the paper quite unneces sary, unless Gentlemen meant to go iato a full inns tigation.of the state of the Company's affairs : in that view he could have no objection to its production. Mr. CREEVEY objected that none of the Gentle men, Members of this House, who were concerned in the private trade to India, were on the East India Committee. • Mr. C. GRANT saw no occasion for the paper in question. The Committee would soon make its Report, and then the business would only be to go over again. Sir THOMAS TURTON thought it hard that the Honourable Gentleman who spoke last, who mo nopolised to himself .11 knowledge on Indian affairs, would not indulge the House with a single paper.— Either he refused you altogether ; or, if you moved for one, he proposed giving you a thousand. There seemed to be something inexplicable in the Company's concerns—their Civil, Military, and Financial were all alike incomprehensible. Sir JOHN ANSTRUTHER denied that the in quiry before the Committee on the subject of the Pri vate trade, was by any means terminated. At the same time he believed no measure could be founded on the paper now moved for. He believed the Re port when it came would be more important than was expected ; and he declared it to be his opinion, that to impose fetters on the private trade of the country, instead of benefiting the Company,cost them-4400,000 a year. INCOME TAX. General LOFT, having taken a retrospective view of the different advances made to the army, and the comparative increase which had taken place even in the wages of artizans, concluded with moving the Repeal of those parts of the different taxes upon p:o. perty, which applied to officers in the army and navy, and to subalterns in the militia. Mr. JOHN SMITH thought the case of the O. cers of the Army and Navy a hard one, as it appear. cif, that they had had more pay formerly than now. though a sum would have been affluence same time ag,,, which would no.v scarcely ;u:" . ,-ice, however fru. gaily managed. He had heard it s.tid, that the great motive ef the snl:ier ought to bt: htstmtir, and it would be better that Officers should be persons ef some sub stance. He could not assent to the principle. Some ef the most valuable Officers in the service had been men of no tune, who raised themselves by their merits ; prif it honour " had no skill in surgery," it ecrtaaily " had none in cookery." It would pot serve for food. He stated, •that Colonel Gray, one of his constituents, had mentioned to him cases of peculiar hardship in the profession from the scantiness of pay, and, indeed, he had h mself observed many such.— He should be sorry to diminish the revenue, but lie earnestly recommended it to the Chancellor of the Exeliequer, whose private character he aemircd, to apply his mind to this subject, and to improve the condition of the Officers of the Army and Navy, though the necessity in the Navy was not so strong. He pronounced an eulOgium on the character of the British army, and particularly adverted to :he devo• tion to their country with which they encountered al the hardships of foreign climates—of the West and East Indies, &c. a circumstance which, in his opinion. had not been sufficiently attended to. He asked whe ther a saving to the extent of 5 or C 600,000 a-ye.tr mi e ght not be made by imposing the beer tax en t h e malt, and so levying both the tax on beer and that on malt only at the expence which was now requited to collect the latter tax ? Lord PALMERSTONE admitted the merits of the army in their utmost extent ; and the only ground of objection to the measure proposed, was its impr ,c --ticability. The relief must come in a different way. He controverted some of the statements of the Gal lant General—for the pay was formerly liable to de• ductions, which had been laid aside, and as to the augmentation of salaries in the Civil Departments, it ought to be recollected that the rise was little m ore than a compensation for the loss of fres which had been abolished. He must oppose the motion. Mr. HURST supported it on the ground that the public faith had been pledged to the Officers who en tered the service before the imposing of the Propertf Tax, that they should have their pay free from de' diction. Sir CHARLES POLE said that an increase sras necessary in the Navy as well as in the Army. The pay of some of the Officers remained at what it had been in 1693, while the salaries in the civil depart ments of the Navy had been greatly increased. Tins could not be considered as just. It w-uld be beat to remedy the evil in time, without waiting for Pet' . tion3 from the Army and Navy—a mode of proceed ing which he hoped would not be resorted to. Mr. WHITBREAD was perfectly sensible of the hardship of the case, and of the propriety of nog' menting the pay of the Officers, but he could Dot agree that it should be done in this way. When they saw the salaries in the Civil Departments increabed