Star. — London, England, 1808-04-21 00:00:00

lATICA INTELLIGENCE. strobfera wi fire th We were equally disappointed in our application ti . which manY ckthelrhappestedpaperiss: thuelltehiencllfir': the Comptroller's Mice for it, where, as the Apc. thecary General's bills are examined by the Liam , - trollers, we conceived that such a document would have been recorded. Had it been produced, it would probably have appeared whether the uirtution was applicable to one particular account of the Apothe sary General, or was to be applied to all the subse quent accounts ; and if it was, whether any rule was laid down for what was to be considered as the usw. I credit which Government would take ; and if that was exceeded, at, what rate, after the specified pe riods, the increase on the market prices was to be al lowed. It was impossible for us, without knowing these particulars, to judge correctly of the conduct of the Physician and Surgeon General in controlling the prices in these accounts. As, however, the present form of Certilicate ,an, nexed to the Apothecary General's bill, appears to have been in use for some years, we may infer, that the directions alluded to were to be applied to all the bills, Out that no rule for estimating for the delay of payment was laid down in the directions; because the Physician General says, that " they are guided by no rule in their allowance for covering the delay of payment." Before we prcceed to state the course we have fo:, lowed in videavouring to get at a correct judgment of the prices allowed in these bills, it may be proper to notice, that the form of the Certificate, at present signed by the Physician and Surgeon General, differs from that which was in use when Sir Clifton Wit, tringham was Physician General to the Army. His Certificate states, " that the medicines and materials, as recited in the invoices, had, agreeably to their re spective dates, been carefully viewed and examined by him, and that they were found to be very good ; and further, that he believes the prices, as far as his inquiries could ascertain, were reasonable, as being rated at the current price which they bore at the time they were supplied by the Apothecary General."-,- From this form of certificate we infer, that the very articles named in the invoices had been examined by the Physician General on the dates of their being placed in the packages ; and that the current rate of price on the days of the supply was that which was, certified by him. The present form of the certificate states, that the Physician General and Surgeon General " have from time to time carefully examined the different articles contained in the account, and that they have uniformly found them of the best quality." What ever inference may be drawn from the words used in this certificate, we learn from Mr. Clarke, that there is no security but the " integrity of the parties ems ployed," that the articles which have been inspected are the articles which had been issued from the Ela. ;• boratory, The present certificate further states, that "having examined the prices charged, and having taken into consideration the directions received from the Trea, sury, that they were to pay attention to the delay in the payment, they are of opinion, that the Apothe cary General's charges to the public are fair and rea sonable." This part of the present certificate does not, like the former certificate, afford a ground for inferring that the prices which are certified are at the current rate of the days of supply ; but the Physician General says, " that in checking the Apothecary Ge neral's charges, he always takes into consideration the variation in the prices of the medicines." On an in spection, however, of the two accounts which we have procured from the treasury, one of which amounts to about forty-four thousand five hundred pounds, and the other to upwards of seventy-five thousand pounds, we cannot find, except in one or "two instances, that there is any r Liation in the prices charged in each year, notwithstanding the supply is extended through the whole of the year ; and we have understood that in one material article at least, that of bark, there was a very great variation in its price during one of the years. We have to remark too, in an investigation of those bills, that the prices charged by the Apothecary Gee mut have been uniformly admitted : for we can find no alteration or deduction in any one of the charges. Yet this allowance for the delay in payment is not added by the Physician and Surgeon General at the end of the account, as a per centage for a certain spe cified period on the stun total of it, but forms part of the charges on some or all of the items ; and must be considered, therefore, as being left to the discretion pf the Apothecary General. It is obvious how difficult it must be to check such charges, by comparing them with the charges made by ethers in the trade. But, conceiving that the most satisfactory mode of doing it would be to com pare the total amount charged by the Apothecary Ge neral for certain invoices of medicines furnished to the army, with the total amount which others woulfl have charged for the same under similar circum stances, we submitted particular invoic es of medicines, furnished by the Apothecary General in the years 1804 and 1805, but without his prices affixed, to the consideration of two or three eminent druggists and chemists, and we desired them to a ffi x the prices which the best articles of the kind bore in those years. And, for a further comparison, we procured from the Ordname and Transport Boardiohe bills for medi cines srVplied for their use during the years 1804 and 1805 ; the first of these Boards - being supplied by a druggist, and the other by the Apothecaries Company. Ihe blank invoice which we submitted to Messrs. Kempson and Co. druggists in London, was, for a regimental chest of medicines furnished by the Apo thecary General in 1805, the bill for which was com municated tp us by Mr, Calvert Clarke. It will be seen on an inspection of the two columns in which the different rates of charges of the Apothecary . Ge neral and of Messrs. Kempson and Co. are given, that the rates of the first are almost in, every instance higher than those of Messrs. Kempson;,gnd, on the amount of the whole, are 40 per cent. 'higher than theirs ; yet Mr. Kempson says, that o. Ili; p r i ces woidd have afforded him something handsome is d g way of profit ; and that the price of bark', particu larly, is takes at a high valuation." The blank bills submitted to Messrs. Godfrey and Cooke, and to Messrs Corbyn end Co. also chemists and drage r t gr s e 'ip Lopdop, were copied from invoices of Much quantities than that submitted to Mr, Kempson, and were selected from the Apothecary General's bills for 1804 and 1805. On an inspectigh Qf the ootopwatin 43tement jo tilt AProci 41 of VP LIST INDIES, PLYMOUTH, APRIL 19. L as t night Sir Jon% Decxwonrat's squadron ar cawand Bay, having been at the West-Indies • q a inquest of the Roche fort s q uadron, jNOM ;,* being able to obtain any accounts of them seen off Made i ra . Came in the Mt stceltileeTfweje guns, from t he Westward. ' PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 20. M ined the THRASHER gun brig from the Dawns, collingwood, MORRIS, for the Brazils. Sailed objesty's ships MEDUSA, THALLA, and Locum . , t Do yens • MELPOMENE, AMARANTHS, and Dim. be with a convoy for the West Indies. DEAL, APRIL 19. seiedthe Rosa sloop, for Yarmouth ; PHOSPHORUS : , e 4 on a cruize. Arrived the OSPREY sloop, .en a cruize. So,. —Yesterday afternoon, about three eaetk his Royal Highn ess the Duke of CLARE` CE itrice d at Vice-Admiral CAMPBELL'S, where he dined av i s lept, and this morning, accompanied by the I,,ohateiral and Rear Admiral KLATES in the Vice maetal's state boat, with the royal standard flying, erne at board the MARS, the Rear Admiral's ship, „ben all the fleet, consisting of 38 vessels, fired a ' or / s lew. It being a very fine day, the spectacle o vert grand ; upon getting on board the MARS he las received by a royal salute from that ship, and Las complimented with the like on leaving the ship ; ks reception was the same on going on board and siring every ship he visited, and which hoisted the ro yal standard; and every ship in the fleet had her T atas manned, which had a very pleasing effect to every behalf! * * Attired the FLY sloop, from a cruize. Sailed go Lapp; for thesNore ;TYoness and WRANGLER gun bri gs , for the Baltic. • REMAIN IN TEE DOWNS. nines) of Orange, Mars, Audacious, Edgar, Tigre, Trlurnpb,l lbstsar, Polyphemus, Trusty, Clyde, Ranger, Speedy, Magnet, orty, Fly, Hound, Proselyte, Zebra, Minx, Int,elligent, Fear. 10, Piercer, Urgent, Desperate, Firm, Riclursonci, Bleodhound, ),4eder, Protector, Hearty, Insolent, Steady, Redbreast, En. aster, Aggressor, Indignant, and Arrow, CORK, APRIL 15. This morning the Ands sloop of war, Captain ' Smear, sailed for Portsmouth, with a fleet of masperu and traders under convoy, the latter de stined to different posts of the Channel. The trans pm: bare on board a regiment of infantry. His Majesty's ship Most, Captain Lcrancc, arrived from a cruise. A hot impress took place at Cove on Wednesday night, and some useful hands were pro ceed for the Naval service. GREENOCK, APRIL IL Arrived here on Friday, the Brilliant, MORRISON, fun Honduras, in seven weeks. Left the Isabella' IiTTLE, loaded for this port, and the brig Carr, BAR. sr, for London. Left loading, the Venerable, SA =oaf, of this port ; the Herberts, Wlrsorg, of and far London, and the Fame, FITZPATRICK, for Dub- Ins—on the 4th instant spoke an American ship from Liverpool, 17 days out, for Charleston. The Cale. TatomrsoN, is arrived at Demerara, from Kin sale, in 23 days, with her prize, the Olive Branch, of London, recaptured. WHITEHAVEN, APRIL 19. About seven o'clock, in the morning of Monday the 4th instant, the brig Mary of Mary Port, Captain Joan! BRowN, was wrecked near Whithorn, in Scot land ; and, we are sorry to say, the Captain's wife and a boy were unfortunately drowned. It appears that the ve9sel drifted so near the rocks, Shat three of the crew jumped on shore ; but the Cap tain, fearing his wife would be injured amongst the rocks, if he had not another rope to assist her ( tl.e former one being too short) he gave the boy the end of the rope until he could splice another to it, when the boy lost his hold, and in a few 7ninutes after the vessel split from stem to stern, and Captain BROWN, his wife, and the boy, were precipitated between the two parts of the ship ! The Captain was soon after thrown on the rocks nearly lifeless, but the bodies of Mrs. Brow% and the boy were never seen afterwards. FROM LLOYD'S LIST. - - GIAVFSIND, APRIL 20.—Passed by the Clio, from St. titt's „ Hopewell, Barry, from Hayti ; St. Aegusta, Conga, from St. Michael's; and the Sarah, Berke, from Waterford.—Sailed, Ike Delia, Lambert, for Demerara ; Pelican, Crage, for Ber. bite ; New Caen, Healy, for Boston ; Ewretta, Patter - son, and Better-luck-still, Corner, for Quebec. A letter from Captain TOZER, of the 'ship Swinger, of London, dated January 17, states, that a munny had taken place in the River Plate, in which the fa ther of Captain TOZER and three other persons had been killed, A vessel arrived off Southwold has brought a re port, that on Saturday last a strange force was' seen near the mouth of the Teel, steering northward; but on enquiry we could not find that any such-ad vice had reached Government. • At Gtafford Assizes, William Hawkswood was found guilty, and has since been executed for the mur der of his master, Mr. Parker, of Swindon, by admi nistering to him corrosive sublimate in a cup of camo mile tea. ----- - --- Every purchaser of a Ticket or Share in the City Freehold House Lottery, will have admission into Guildhall on Tuesday next to view the Drawing.— The singularity of R104.,000 Prize-money being pro claimed in half an hour, cannot fail to attract the notice of thousands. Tickets and Shares are selling by HORNSZY and Co. 26, Cornhill, 52, Charing Cross, and St. Margaret's Hill, Borough.-11. B. The 4e mand is very great ; and it is very ddubtful whether there will be a Share to he sold on 'Tuesday next. MAMAS CIVIL APPPOINTMENT. Mr. George Garrow, acting superintendent of the Pollee. MLLITARY APPOINTMENTS. StPTINIIIII JS, 1807. Captain Lieutenant Showers, of Artillery, to proceed to Benet on leave of absence, for 6 months. TNT LINDLR•MtNTIONICD CitNTLIMIN TO at CADLTS ON THIS ZSTABLISNMILNT: Cava' y—Willtant Tertius Nassau Greaves, Henry !raking Ful lerton, William Woodcock, James Charles Street, Robert Mans- Beld, and Geo. Thomas Robinson. Artillery, or Engineers--James Nicholas Abdy, Wm. Thomas Brett, and William Monteith. Infantry—Thomas Wakefield, Henry Smyth, Thomas Robin son, Robert Ales. Macormick, Samuel Meddowcrolt, George Butcher, George Story, Henry Dickson, Thomas Alston, Henry O'Hara, Campbell Addison, William Armstrong, John Addison, Samuel Smithson. Robert Colebrooke, Thomas Hadaway, Ri chard Tombs, William Henderson, Wm, Mines Blake Samuel Yates, Charles Hutchinson, Alex. Mackstosh, Samuel Hodder, Wm. Macpherson, George Payne, Wm. Blood, Timothy H eve y , and Andrew Sibbald. Tilt NWDZIL•II4INTIONIO OTTICtRiI TO St tt.ADNLITTUI WITH MIR RANK ON TNI ZSTAIIILISNIARNT : autenant-Colonel Charles Corner, 19t h reg. N. I. Captain A. Moleswortb, . Sth Captain I. Stewart, 9th ----- Lieutenant T. Dame,4th reg. N. C. T. Hudson, 2U reg. N. 1. Tytler, 6th sarrestsca 18, 1807. Major-General Dupld Campbell, permitted to resign thehis com mand of the forces In Mysore , and to p roceed, agreeably te re quest, on furlough to Europe. The Goternor-General in Council has great satisfaction in ex pressing on this occasion his public approbation of the long and meritorious services, and his highest respect for the distinguished character of that zealous and deserving offi t e nant-Colonel Forbescer. The Governor in Council permits Lieu of his Majesty's 80th regiment, to resign the command of Mala bar and Canara ; and is pleased to appoint Lieutenant-Colonel John Cuppege to that command, vice Forbes. UPTIMBIIt 21, 1807. Captain G. Warburton, to be pay-master, &c. at Hydrabad, v i c e Thompson ; and Captain F. Thompson to be barrack-master, in the presidency division, vice Warburton. Mr. Martin, sub - assistant - sur g eon, be posted at Trichinopoly. SIPTEMIIIIIL 29, 18014 Captain W. C. Campueu, Mysore, vice bit'Pherson. Major-General Pater to be a Major-General on the staff of this presidency, vice Campbell, permitted to proceed to Europe. Mr. F. A. Savage, to be pay-master and garrison store-keeper, at Masulipatam and its d e p endencies, vice Young, permitted to resign. Lieutenant Home, of thr Ist battalion Bth regiment of Native infantry, to proceed to Bengal for six months. Lieutenant Golding, of the 6th regiment of Native infantry, to proceed to sea on furlough for six months.—Mr. Henry Green, to be a Cadet of Infantry on this establishment. The under-mentioned Cadets have been reported qualified for Commissions :—The Governor in Connell directs that they be promoted to the rank of Ensigns, from the dates affixed to their respective names. Messrs. E. Bond, G. Norman, John Ross, R. Inverarity, J. Law Writer, W. H. Rowley, J. Crof„katt, John King, Charles Mitchell, R. S. Wilson, Gee. Hutchinson, J. 71/1 4 Conochle, John Gwynne, John James, John Pierson, James Noble, John Carr, J. Alex. Condeli, Benj. Baker, Robert Gray, stn. Bryce M'Mas. ter, Robert Swyer, Wlll. Marshall, Robert Calvert, Thomas H. Monek,T. B, Jones,George Boys,Henry Whyte, J. J. Hammond, Matthew Hall, Henry Dowden, Henry Harkness, Wm. Thom son, G. W. Eccles, Robert Gray, jun. John Armstrong, John Cursham, Thos. Casey, Henry Wallis, Charles Sinnock, John Milner, Robert Markiove, George. Strachan, John Fergusson, James Nash, Henry Logan, Wm. Binney, A. Wilson, and Wtn. Shaw, date of rank as ensign, 27th June, 1806. Means. Arch. Grant, G. M. Grant, J. Dalziel, T, Ball, and P. Harrison, date of rank as ensigns, 3d July, 1807. . - EXTRACTS FROM THE MADRAS COURIER, OCT. 7. THE COMM—For several evenings past an unu. sual luminous appearance, supposed to be a Comet, has been seen in the West. It disappears about 8 P.M. Its progress is rapid, and it seems to be fast ap proaching the sun. We shall endeavour to ascertain the particulars from those who are more masters of these subjects than we pretend to be, and submit them to our readers in a future publication. It will be re membered that a Comet has appeared in Europe a few months ago. Ocr. I+.—The Comet which has appeared for se veral evenings back, is receding both from the earth and the sun ; the former is evident, from the body of the Comet being seen through the transparency of its tail, and the latter by measurement. By a Theodo lite its magnetic bearing and altitude.were nearly as follows ; October sth, at '7ll. 20' mean time, P.M. it bore by the N. 83° 45' W. and its altitude was about 17° 35. It therefore approaches the Pole at the mean daily rate of 1° 35'. The tail has much the appearance of the milky way, and is quite transparent, as a fixed star was distinctly seen on the sth, through its upper ex tremity. ROYAL TiGEn.—ln the forenoon of the Ist instant+ a Royal Tiger made its appearance in the cantonment at the Mount, when he was pursued by several artil lerymcn, and ascended the Mount, where he was wounded toy a fuzil ball, which irritated him much, and his passage across the Mount he struck down two natives ; one of whom is now lingering with a lock. jaw, the other not materially hurt. The Tiger then crossed the Outer Mount, when he was attacked by an inconsiderate European, armed enly with a stick ; this man was torn by the paws in his face, and bit severely in the ehigh ; he is however doing well. Several fuzil balls being fired into the animal, he was killed, and triumphantly brought into the cantonment on a cart. He measured from the head to the end of the tail, near 10 feet, and in height near 5 feet. The Tiger was seen by villagers the night before, a few miles to the southward of the Mount. This is the first instance of a Royal Tiger being seen in that cantonment. We hear that another Tiger has since been seen, supposed to be the female of the above. Saturday se'nnight, Mary Chandley was executed at La as ter, pursuant to her sentence at the last AssizA, for robbing her master's house, in Liverpool. She was 19 years of age, and was so ignorant of reli gious duties as to be unable to repeat tke Lord's Prayvr. As the executioner was putting the cap over her face, she exclaimed—.“ Oh ! Man, I never will for give you! w and her shrieks were loud and piercing. In the course of a trial at Buckingham Assizes Mr. WILSON, Counselior the Plaintiff, observed to the Jury, that if a horse was bought and warranted sound, but which afterwards proved unsound, it was not necessary (as was generally supposed) for the purchaser to return the horse, in order to support an action for recovery of damages for such unsoundness. He need not return the horse at all, and yet mighs bring his action, and recover damages i in which opi nion Judge GRO4E colllcidtCl, FIFTII REPORT. OP THE cOMMISSIONEES APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE AND IR/I-WINK INTO THE PUBLIC EIPENDITUKE. ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. THE EXPENDITURE , ( Cowin:ail from she STA* of yesterday.) The enquiry respecting the prices charged for the articles in the Apothecary General's bills has cer tainly occupied more of our attention than either of those respecting the quality of the articles, or the packing of them ; because in these it was to be ex pected that the loss to the public could have been partial only, whilst the prices charged affect the whole supply. The prices for the articles furnished from the army elaboratory, 44 are fixed," Mr. Clarke says, " entirely liy himself, as a trading account ;" and to the ques tion, whether he considered the Apothecary General as entitled, under his patent, to a greater profit than any other persons would derive in the usual course of trade, from transacting the same business ?" he an swered, that ‘‘ he considered him entitled to fair profits in comparison with a similar account ; that he knew of no other (Service) than that of the Navy sup plied by the Apothecary's Company ' • and that, with a proper compensation for the difference of credit taken by the two Services, he did not consider the Patent as conveying more than the exclueve privi lege of supplying Medicines, &c. to the Army ' This means to admit, we presume, that the Apothecary General's prices are to be regulated by the fair market price at the period of the account, which price is, of course, affected by the risk and delay of payment : and, with this impression, we have considered the snbject. The Physician General, who states it to be his duty to examine the prices for medicines (the Surgeon Gene. ral examines those for surgical articles) charged in the account, " ascertains," he says, " that they are fair and raisonable, by informing himself beforehand of the market prices, and of the charges made by the Apothecaries Company ; and in checking the charges, he takes into consideration the great variations which occur in the prices of medicines." But he has never ascertained the market price by advertising for ten ders to supply certain medicines. In estimating the profit which he intends to allow the Apothecary General, Sir Lucas Pepys considers ten per cent. on an average, as a reasonable profit. But he afterwards said, " - We (meaning himself and the Surgeon General) have no rule to guide us in allowing for the delay of payment : we allow gene rally more than ten per cent. in order to cover that delay." The Surgeon General considers himself as respon sible for the surgical articles in the Apothecary Ge neral's bills ; " the prices of which he ascertains," he says, "by comparing them with those of other people, and he allows a reasonable profit, with the consider. ation of the length of time the Apothecary General lies out of his money." That we might learn with what attention and effect this examination of the Apothecary General's bills was executed, we asked Mr. Clarke, whether an ex planation had ever been required of him relative to any charge in his accounts ; and we procured from the Treasury the certified accounts for the years 1804 and 1/405. Mr. Clarke admitted that some prices were objec ted to in the account for the year 1796, by the then Surgeon General (Mr. towing) and the present Physician General, which were referred to the Comp trollers, who applied to' the Apothecaries Company for the prices charged to the Navy at the same period, when the prices of the Apothecary General were al lowed to be fair, and we re admitted. Mr. Clarke afterwards added to his answer, that at times, the Physician and Surgeon General have objected to prices, which have been explained: " in some few instances some abatement has been made, in others they havo been perfectly satisfied with the explana tions." And in the letter of Mr. Clarke, addressed to Sir Lucas Pepys in 1797, and communicated to us from the Army Medical Office, he says, " that it was upon a fair comparison with similar accounts (by express order of the Lords of the Treasury) the charges being found to be not only equitable, but mo derate, that the Bill of 1796, alluded to in his evi -1 dence, was ordered to be paid without deduction. It appears, however, that Sir Lucas Pepys the Phy sician-General, and Mr. Gunning the Surgeon-Gene. rali were not satisfied with this determination—for, in a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, they say "'The Lords of h b i llreasury have ordered payment of the half-yearly ll from the Army Elaboratory, amounting to fifty-four thousand pounds, without any deduction, thoogh we not only expressed our disap probation of the charges of the bill in question to the Lords of the Treasury, but positively declared to the Comptrollers of Army Accounts, that the bill was exorbitant ;" and they add, " on this occasion we feel ourselves called upon to appeal to the First Lord of the Treasury, as this part of the Army Accounts has always been• examined and passed by the Physician General add Surgeon General, who, if they do their duty, must check exorbitant charges." And in a note, dated 17th April, 1797, to Mr. Clarke, from the same Gentlemen, they state, that they had returned him the next half-year's b ill of the Apothecary Gene ral, without any - examination or approbation of its contents, as they had received no direction from the First Lord of the Treasury, to whom they had ap plied a considerable time ago to know whether the controul over the Bill should, or should not, be vest ed in them : they add, that they had hitherto consi dered this as a part of their duty, and had endea voured to do justice to the Apothecary General, and at the same ume to the public. This inattention to the representations of those whose duty it was to examine the Apothecary Gene ral's charges, must have produced, it is to be ima gined, Some laxity in their future examination of his bills. A subsequent direction of the Treasury can not but have caused a still more vague and unsatis factory mode of fixing the prices of the articles. By this, the Physician and Surgeon General were in structed, in checking the charges, to pay attention to the delay in the payment to the Apothecary General. We wished to have seen the letter, or order, au thoriving,this mode of proceeding. But on applica tion to the Army Medical Office for it, it is stated to ys, that, after the most diligent search, it could Apt. found, it being suppsed to hale been lost, II