Star. — London, England, 1803-02-18 00:00:00

FRANCE. PRIVATE LETTER—PARIS, FEB. xs It is fcarcely poflible to furnifh you with news or entertainment in the prefent Hate of this capi t il. The mortality by which it is defolated may I , e raid almoft to exceed the bounds of credibility. Within the latl ten days, I have been affured from an official quarter, the number of interments has amounted to 400 per diem on the average, or 4000 in the whole of that term. Several perfons dif tinguif for their birth or their charaCter are up on this funeral lift. Sr. LAMBERT, who was dir tinguitted by the title of " The Tuomsom of France ;" Cast, the poet, the author of Cl: Ani tfr Parlami ; LANARM who here flood high in the political world, and who formerly read leClures in London on the Bella Lettre: • ' LALANDE, the ce lebrated aftronomer ; and the Abbe DPLILLB, a poet of refplendent merit, have already dropt into the tomb, or are given over by their phyticians iihin tilat (port period. Every farui!y is in mown- Mg, and there is fcarcely one individual in ten who has not been in fame degree att.tcked. What is extremely fi ngular is, that the flr.:ngcrs in Pa ris have almoft wholly efcaped this deg:le:ate con tagion In the min of this calamitous fcene, the Oa- TAaCtiniCgaini,or rather the in/off/44f, of the lower order of the Pat ifians, has not failed to develope itfelf as ufual. They have given to the dif4der the title of L a Grippe ; it has under this title been made " the fad burden of a merry Fong !" The ballad fingets have their audiences in every flreet, and it is no uncommon thing to fee, " whillt fre quent hearfes blacken all the sway," the mob di vide itfelf, in order to Puffer the melancholy pro eeillons to pars, and again to form themfelves es :roil! to hear the masevaifie plaiferattries of their fa vourite ballad I—Even thole of a higher order par take in tome degree of this fpirit and temper. I was (peaking but yellerday to a Parillan of force &illation on this fubjeft, and remarked, with fcme furprize, that Foreigners had fo fingularly efcaped from the diftemper. His anfwer was cu rious—" La Revolution, 110141 a renduf Fgoilles gut soul gardons pour sow, i hu' a la Gripp." " The Revolution, Sir, has rendered us fit felfilh. that vie keep every thing to ourfelves, even la Grippe." PARLIAMENTARY PRuCEEDIAGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY, FEB 7. The Loan CHANCELLOR took the Woollack at half part three ; but the Houfe, in the abfence of Lord PLLHAN, did not proceed to bufinefs till half pall four. Lord PE LH•M being come down to the Houfe, moved the firft reading of the Bank Reftrieion Bill (which was not read the firft time yefierday as flated by miftake). The Bill being read the firft time, on the quedinn for a fecond reading being put by the LORD CHANCELLOR, Lord KING, as confidering the ful je4l <f very high public importance, moved, that the Lords be fummoned to attendance on the fecond reading —Ordered. . Lord AUCKLAND moved for a return of the fame documents as laid before the Houfe of Cnrnmnns, as to the amount of Bank of England Notes in circulation on the tft of June, tft of Augull, tit of OEtnher, and tft of December, 1832, and Ift ef February, 1833. Not, he raid, with any view to' form a ground of invefligating the folvency of the Bank, of which no man could entertain the flight. eft doubt ; nor yet with any view of refilling the prefent Bill, which he confidered as a molt falu tary and requifite meafure. But, as there might be occafion, on any slifctiffion which Ihnuld take place on the Bill, to advert to this part of the lub- Jeet, it was necelTary thofe documents fhould be laid on the table, in an authentic form. Ordered. The Earl of Monta confidered the Bill, under all its circuniflances, as one of the mole extraordi. nary meafures that ever came before Parliament, and one, as to its occafion or necelfity, upon which his opinion was directly oppofite to that of the Noble Lord who fpoke last; a meafure upon which, before lie could be induced to give his con- Rnt, he mull call upon that Miniller, who was its advocate, to lay before that Houle fuch explicit information as could jellify his mild in acceding to it. Hitherto no argument he had heard could make, upon his mind, the flightell improfion to- wards fuch an effe:l ; nor had any document that he had heard of been adduced, which proved the leaft neceffity for its adoption. He hoped, there fore, that the Houle would not lightly adopt this Bill as a matter of courfe, merely becaufe it came up to them from another Houle of Parliament; but that they would minutely invefligate the mea- Aire in its nature and tendency, before they would pals a Bill fo flagrantly invading the property of individuals. In order to enable the Houle to form a truer eilimate of the alledged neceffity or policy of this Bill. true or falfe, he Paid he mould feel it neeefliry to move for much fuller documents on the lisbjeft than thole moved for by the Noble Lord. It had been alledged in another place, in fupport of this Bill, that it was not a meafure brought forward at the folicitation of the Bank Direaors, who were (aid to be ready now, as they were at the fi r it moment when fuch a reflriaien was originally laid on, to pay all demands upon them in Mir ; but that the meafure was one re commended by Government as one of prudence and policy : 6rf, becaufe, on account of the vaR export of builion from the country, for a Tories of years pall, on various occafions, and the circum fiance of exchanges being againft this country on the Conti;tent, if the Bank Direaors were at li berty to pay in calls, the run would be fo great as very mu(li to embarra Cs the Bank, and oblige them to bring b ick, at a very confiderable lots, bullion fi om chi Contiirtra to fopply the run upon them. It .ii I not appear that the Bank Direaors them fives [nide any such Ituenunt ; on the contrary, it vas -teemed for them, that -hey were ready, ion, with cafh to nay, the ver ) hall is fubjeft, moved ring their b , th4n did co-1i ap. r .ll O.': morncnt of rcll;i.lit &Pvt.. • gAiltd ti • ,, I1 4p.i71 i ft . . '.:: .t ia - j - "' . ... • 4:t . , • „r::". , -, - 71 • - w t W. 'd • .. !:' 4).. !.• j'.; * 'f•• prehenfions appear to be founded I Anfas to the argument, that the balance of Exchange being agamtt us, was a fnflicient caufe ; if ever there was a pofition llrongrr than another to prove the very contrary, it was this : for what could poffi bly be a ftronger, or a clearer frame for caufing and keeping up the balance of Exchange againft us, than the reftrietion againa the Hine of calls from the Bank of England. He would fuppofe that an Engl?fh Gentleman at Hamburgh applied for cafh, in return for his draft for too guineas on the Bank of England, would he receive too gui neas for it ? No, certainly, but a very inferior film. The Hamburgh Merchant would very na turally objeet, that the draft would indeed entitle his Correfpondent in London to receive what was there eftimated as equivalent to fuch a fum, but not to receive gold, the only value which could be current on the Continent. He would therefore neceffarily make his charge for every difadvantage to which fuch an exchange of calls for paper would expofe him ; and, of confequence, fo long as this 1 rellriaion upon the Bank continued, fo long mull Exchange be againli us, and fo long mil the fame argument exalt for continuing the reflriaion. With relpea to the argument, that the price of bullion was long fo high as to make it impoffible for the Bank to be prepared with a fufficiency, without very confiderable lots, the argument, he believed, upon a fair inveftigation, would prove equally vague; and that it wouldappear, on the produaion of proper documents on the current prices of Wl ' lion for a (cries of years pall, that the fluauation was not greater than, from the ordinary occur. rences of trade, might have been expelled. Bat to tell the Houfe,at a period like this, after the flat tering piaure which Miniflers had drawn of our commercial and financial profperity—a piaure un equalled in the annals of the country—to appre • hend, at a moment when our exports to the Conti nent exceeded any thing which had been heard of in formeryears,that exchanges fhould continue againfl us, or that an embarraffing run would be occafioned upon our Bank, to carry our bullion out of the country, and thus to Jollity a refiriaion fo inju rious to the community, and the property of In dividuals, was a fubjca that demanded the fulleft invefligation. That fuch an inveftigation would turn out unfavourably to the (lability of the Bank, he had not the flightefl apprehenfion. If the mea fure was one folicited by the Bank,before he fhould have given it his affent,he would fira have felt it his duty to examine what cafe the Bank had made out to jollity fuch a conceffion. But it was avow ed the Bank had made no fuch folicitation. Did it not then behove the Houfe to inveffigate the true ground, and to afcertain whether it was for the accommodation of the Bank itfelf, or to accom. modate a compaft between the Bank and his Ma jelly's Minitters, they were now called on to con tinue a year longer a meafure Co invafive upon the rights and property of individuals ? For his own part, he had ftrong reafon to fufira it was a mea fure to accommodate the Bank, in confequence of an accommodation to the Minifter, which, if the Bank should grant, they would be unable to meet the demands of the public, which they had aright to expert about this time, on the final expiration of the !aft Reftriaion Bill, and for which, of courfe it was their duty to prepare. But the Mi nifter, in lieu of this accommodation, pledged him. Pelf to ;noted the Bank by a continuance of the Re aria ion. This, he believed to be the true Date of the fa& ; for notwithflanding the exuberant (late of our finances, as boalted by fslinifters on the opening of Parliament, it was pretty obvious there had been a grofs mifcalculation fomewhere. In deed, on looking loofely over the accounts of the laft year, as brought forward by the Minifter, he had difcovered omiffions of no inconfiderable ex tent. For inflance, there was a furn of 2,781,cr001. in Exchequer Bills, charged to the credit of t Bor, which were not put to the debit fide of the ac count in 1802. Befides a firm of 600,0001. intereft up al the Loan of the IA year, for fomething above a 0,000,0001. charged as if paid, but not due on that Loan, becaufe not completed at the pe riod up to which the ftatement was made. There were Come other errors or mil-aaternents, which fcrved to eke out the flattering difplay of finance made by the Minifter on the opening of the Bd finn • a ftatement calculated to catch a little vain popularity, by enabling the Minifler to avoid, for the prefent, calling for a Loan, and fubßituting in its place an iffue of Exchequer Bills to the amount of above five millions: a meafure which his Lordfltip conceived to be the molt imprudent and impolitic that any hlinifier could potTibly adopt, becaufe it was anticipating at a moment of Peace, thole refources which mould remain only for any (udders emergency of war, an emergency which, in the prefers precarious Rate of Europe, no man knew bow foon might occur. Having re proved, with much force, this (pecks of policy, he next proceeded to condemn the ground upon which the Miniaer had noted that Exchequer Bills had been iffued to fo confiderable an amount, namely, to fupply the demands of the market, and gratify the wifhes of the Bank. He was not furprifed at this baleful readinefs with which the Bank receiv ed thole Bills to any extent, charged as they were with a high intereft, in exchange for their own notes, for which they paid no intereft ; nor was it wonderful they were received by the public, when I they could at all times be difpofed of foe Bank Notes. The policy, therefore, of continuing the Relit-4%ons on the Bank, appeared obvioufly foundedin a with of accommodating the Bank in *turn for the accommodation afforded to the Mi nifter. The documents which his Lordthip wifhed to move for, for the information of the Haute on this fubjelt, were: " t. Return of the amount of Claim ontßanding again* the Rank of England (richtfivrly of the Debt due triGovenvntent), and of the .mount of Ca& and Dolls= on hand to meet the fame, on the t Il elf Februaty, " 2. An Arrount of the comparative difference between the Cat and Rollie • now in ,be Bunk, and that at the period, of ta.•attb..f February, and the November, t 797• " 3. An A.:c uirt of th- Rate. d Ft , hange between London and Ifanahurgh, on the IR of Fritatuary, for twelve facceffive years, aiding with the IR of the , rrfent month. " 4. An Actuteit of the curt,' • pnee t of Standard Galt pa the -lame tian, vod for the fame prfluti and _ - - An'Acenunt of the moue: to Notes et . tbe Rank n( Erg'. •oi air-übrien an the esth ch.- lune, Ansa, Oil. rXc..nu jau. lalt, tatunguditistig ••••-d- 31." This laa return, he had reafon for conceiving, 'would be more clearly illußrative on the fubjea than that moved by the Noble Lord. The brit of thefe motions being put from the Woolfack, Lord PELHAM role to oppofe it, and in that op pofition to Rate what occurred to him in anf.eer to the Noble Earl, fo far as he thought it neceffiry or regular, is the prefent Rage of the fubje& The Noble Earl, in part of his ipeech, had argued as if there trifled foist doubts whether this Bill was a meafure refulting from a folicitation on the part of the Bank, or from the advice of his Majelly's Miniiters, as a meafure of prudence and policy in the prefent Rate of Europe, and of our commer cial relations with other countries. To remove any doubts (welted by the Noble Earl on this point, he felt it his duty molt unequivocally to declare, that the meafure was not in confequence of any folicitation whatever from the Bank ; no fuch folicitation having been made. It was a mea fore folely advifed by his Majeßy's Minillers as a meafure ofpolicy and prudence ; for flouriffiing as our commerce had been of late, beVond all former example, it had not yet time to produce thofe ad vantages in our favour which there was every rea fon fpeedily to erpat. And when the enormous drains of bullion from this country to the Conti nent and other places abroad were confidered, which had occurred for a (cries of years pail, and up even to the prefent moment for the payment of our navy and troops, the diiburfement of lubfidies, and the purchafe of corn and provifions, to fupply the deficiencies of three fucceffive years of fcarcity at home, he hoped the Houfe would approve the policy of continuing for tome time longer, a Re flation from which experience had (hewn no in convenience was likely to wife; rather than by taking that Reflation off fuddenly now, to rifle the pofitive difadvantages which might arife under an unfavourable flare of Exchange, by having a great portion of bullion drawn out of the country ; or the (hock that would be occafioned by the foci• ded and general demand of the Country Bankers upon the Bank of England, to meet the rapid de mand upon themfelves for caffi for their extant notes: and this before the natural courfe of com merce had rellored to circulation the ufual quan tity of bullion. But as no queßion or doubt what ever was Rated to eat as to the glint folvency of the Bank, he could not fee the ufe or neceffity of a motion which went to imply fome doubts of that folvency, or unnecefarily to expofe the fecrets of the Bank ; and therefore he felt it his duty to refill the prefent motion, though perhaps he had not equal oblations to fome other of the motions mentioned by the Noble Earl, on the topics of which he did not feel it neceffary at this moment, and in the prefent Rate of the bufinefs, to follow the Noble Lord at length. With refped to the finan cial ftatements of the Noble Lord, he would freely own it was a &bled in which he was not very per fatly converfant, nor was it always prefent to his mind. Not being prepared, therefore, to :sewer the Noble Lord fully at the prefent moment, he Ihould endeavour to prepare himfelf better on the fubjed againit the time when it fhould come more fairly forward for a full dircuilon. Lord Aucasamo had only to obferve, that from what had fallen from his Noble Friend (Lord Pel ham), it was evident that the meafure under dif cuffion, was confidered by Milner' folely as a meafure of State, and by no means as one that was adopted in compliance with the wifhes of the Bank —on this ground he (hould give it his fupport ; and never did he think of ullifying it on theground of the unfavourable Rate of the exchange—for it might be recollated, that the exchange was as high at the time when the reßriEtion was &it laid on, as at any fubfequent period, and that it had finee undergone a variety of changes without (came ly any of them being imputable to that caufe. The Noble Lord (Moira) had regretted the abfenee of that exuberance of coil, which the very profperous light in which the commerce and finances of the country had lately been reprefented, gave fuch room to exped—but though that exuberance of fpecie might not be in circulation at the prefent moment, yet he was frilly confident that the afloat profperity of the country was as high and &mint ing es the molt fanguine imagination could de fcribe or expel it to be; and that as loon i.s r , commerce had time to return into its ufual chan nel, the influx of fpecie would be as confiderable as at any former period : of this he did not defpair to be able to convince the Noble Earl, when the time came for going into a more minute difeuffion. Earl Moms, in reply raid, that he would trou ble the Houfe but with a very few words. From thireafons given by the Noble Lords oppofite to him, he fhould not prefs his two brit Motions; but the Noble Lord who (poke lag, had not noticed one part of his argument, which was againit the Bill itfelf. The Noble Lord had not adduced one i tingle reafon why the Bill fhould be brought in.— In a meafure of this kind which, in his opinion, fo intimately affeded the credit of the Country, as it was a kind of infringement on the rights of private property, to pats fuch a Bill without, at lean, fome oilenfible reafon for doing to, would be a (lain on the charader of the Legiflature; and it was to pre vent fuch afpot from attach.ing to their Lordffiips in their Lesi fl ative capacity, that he gave the Bill his oppolition. till tome reafon was offered in its behalf. The Noble Lords had not as yet brought forward any, and as fuch he mull beg leave to ' move his other Motions, which he looked on to be of the molt material confequence. The LORD CHMICALLOR then read the two tint Motions, which were feverally negatived. On the quellion that the proper officer do lay before the Houle, " An Account of the Courfe of , Exchange every month, for twelve months, ending the ill tif February, 5803." The LORD CMANCILLOt left the Woolfack, and equelled their Lordihips' attention to the wording of this motion, which called upon the proper offi- I cer to lay before the Houle " An Account of the Courfe of Exchange :" for his part, he did not know of any officer of that Houk who had it in his I power to do this. He though t , therefore, the mu- !ion &mild be worded fo as to convey the order of 1; s the Home to the Bank for th at :rade. Lord lismase raid, that be w to-morrow ufe his endeavours to cazettre the aceenntdefircd fo as to lay it on the table for the information of their Lordfhips ; and as he did not mean to p r o_ pole the tecond reading of the Bill till Monday, he hoped this would be fatisfadory to the Noble Lord oppolite to him, and that he would withdraw this motion. Lord MOIRA agreed to do this, and exprefred his entire fatisfaftion At what had fallen from the Noble Lord who (poke laft on the fukke. Lord PELHAM Paid that be would alfo lay on the table to-morrow fame papers relative to the Cor folidated Fund, which, be doubted not, would convey Tome confiderable information on the rub jeCl, Lord Mot a A'S other motions were then fever: l lly put and agreed to.—Adjourned. . HOUSE OF COMMONS. The 4vtAttea counted the Houfe at four o'clock. when there being only 91 Members prefent, and k being neeeffary that too Members mould be in the Honfebefore they can proceed :o a Ballot fur a Conurdttee to try the menu of a contefted Ele&nn, the Houfe was of courfe Adjourned. The. Ballot for the Committee on the Coventry Eleetion of souk watt off to a future day. LONDON. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY. z& • PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONIVIVLOCKt 3 per Cent. Rol. 73 7si 3 per C. CooE stoney, 71.11.--lar ace. 71•11. Old 3 per Cent. 5 per Cent. toll*. Omit= 3+ diL PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY : _ _ Bank Stock i 8 29.2 3 per C. RetL ;tit 72 7i I 3 per C. ConL it itn 4 per Cent. Coat. 5 per C. Ann. toil S Per C. 1 797. too Bank L. Ann. 10 111-16 ii India Stock 2134 21 4 Imp. Ana t t st-i6t Exchel. Nils is. to as. dif. Ornnlum 4 Coot. for a/x.7qt 7a 7zi 7:: • No French journals or Coatinental Mails of any kind have arrived fince Wednefday. Lieutenant Jour, late of the Armors/luta, of 54 guns, arrived la(' night at the Admiralty, with difpatches from the Mediterranean, Paid to be of great importance. Lieutenant jump came home in the Picxt.t fchoontr, of so guns, which left Malta on the tub cf December, 1802, and Gi• braltar on the ill latent. The hams arrived on Wednefday at Plymouth, and is now under quarantine. The nature of the difpatches has not yet tranfpired. Yefterday morning His Mai isrr and the Duke of CumlLßLawu fet off from the Queen's Houle to Kew, and returned about half paft two o'clock. Yefterday his Royal nig/mars the Doke of YORK, the Couotefs of CARMOAW , and fevetal of the Nobility, paid their refpeds to Her Mot's?' at the Q2een's Houfe. The allowance granted to Subaltern Officers of Militia in time of peace, has been iffued for the year 1802 • the Welt Ellex and Huntingtion Re giments h ave already received ,t. The Receivers General of the Land Tax of the different counties are authorifed to pay the fame. The fourth Meeting of the Navy Club was held at the Thatched Houle Tavern, St. James's.areet, on Wednefday lan, at which Si r Hum Paula prefided. Among the company prefent were, Hon. Admiral Cornwallis: Admirals Lord Haltom, Lard Lawrie*, Lord Nugent, Slr C. M. Pole, and Sir A. & Ham• 010 D 1 •••CaPtain• Fretalantle, George. Pierrerglit, alledeas , and Martin—and fevers ! other Olken Maw Royal Navy. ' The Duke of Moitraoss, Earls Warrstoas.l LAND, LIMERICK, Sirs SIDMAN SMITH and Eraist, Coors, dined with Lord Hosattr on Wednefday. The Duchefs of Sr. Ataan's had lilt night a feled card party. Lord Cutastonr gavta grand dinner yeaerday to a Idea party of friends. Mr. Sr. Gloms, C*ULTIILD gave a grand din ner yefierday to a large party of fafitionables. The Marquis of Asaacoar gave a grand san per yefterday to a bled party of friends. Lord HAMPD EN had la night a filed nsuacal party. The Duke of B►oroaa left Town yefterday for Woburn. Lord CAMDEN gave a grand dinner yellerday to a feted party of fnend. The Countefs of PORWIOUTII'II ball, on Wed nefday, was attended by 250 perfons of (nation. Lan night at Mrs. Bzwroseb, Grofvenor fquare, was one of the molt fathionable parties we have noticed this feafon. The Company began to arrive at eight o'clock, and were all *trembled before nine. Mrs. %mynas, who is a Lady of great talk, entertained her friends by the performances of fome of the choicelt pieces of mune. Among the company were— Ea;l Pembroke; Cotanteffes limbos and Pembroke; Lords Wainegbain and Somers; ladles Soften, Middleton, Glyno. H. Late, Montana, C. Harboed. Laois les, Wm. NM. and Prekon ; Loess W Penn ; • of Bath -ad Welts; en s; Doe& Cooke, M n. W. Brodie. CrawelL and T. Moore; Miftrelres Addingtoo and Mang; Mks H. Addingtoo, Talbot, and The following were the vocal performers. via. Meas. MILD, SIMI, Woes'''. the KIITTITTS. MISSINGTON, a Pupil of Dr. H•TIS LUTZ, Goo". Mafler SMITH, Mitres TENANT and Csossi. , —.---•• Trio, Horns, and Harp, by Meirs. CaaaLis Marra and two LIANDIII. The following was lung by Dr. Coots :-- Lo paper cak, Mid by this place, Dead, a poor Daum& nes! Alto rung by Tosowas btooat. Eq. as an ams teur— 0! Lady Ildr, wt ere an than naming And rung by Mr. WILLIAM Karr a tr.— 'Alert goy rends Wet drays. The Company u ere charmed with the Per formances, and retired with the molt lively ideas of the hofpitality of their kind hoftefs. A few days ago a pack of harriers, which had merely been taken out for an airing, entered Co ney borough Park, belonging to THOS. LIMP, Efq• and deftroyed a couple of fine young bucks, and. injured feveral o the rs , b e f ore the interference of the botulism could detach them from the (pot. lee 130 0 a of Cg ny of th of ne eft ;i• ed ler kof ke to of of et of 111 id tit 111 ed in• Oa • Seiis T. a ty n• 1• 0 I. • • NEM