Star. — London, England, 1808-06-17 00:00:00

BAST INDIES.. • CEYLON, JANUARY 1. The famine which threatened the coast, as mention. ed in my last, was happily prevented by the judicious resolutions of the Madras Government, in giving a great premium on the importation of rice, and taking off the restrictions on neutrals ; thus Danes, Swedes, Americans, as well as almost every vessel in India, were employed in bringing/hat article from Bengal; since which time nothing very particular has occurred, except an affair, in which our arms were worsted in storming a fort above Bengal, the particulars of whim h have not transpired, and a dreadful storm arldadras, a few days since. We extract the following account of the storm from The Madras Government Casette Extraordinary, Dec. 12. The state of the surf at Madras, cn Wednesday morning last, gave early indication of an approach. ing storm ; during the day the clouds to ga:l er to the Northward, extremely thick and be lgc l k, and to wards the evening a few showers of rain fell. During the night and the whole of Thursday, the rain increa sed, and the wind, which was northerly, freshened. About eleven o'clock at night it blew a compl_te gale, gradually increasing to the North-west, until one o'clock, when one of the most tremendous gales Aver remembered at Madras set in. and blew with in-' creasing violence until about five o'clock on Friday morning. carrying before it huts, trees, and nearly every thing that opposed its current ; the windows ,and dgors of the vicilen most substantial built houses were thrown with ce.into the premises, or in an oppo site direction. 0 The canal, about this hour, forced its banks.— The sea had previously risen far beyond the usual limits; luckily, however, it was not the spring tides. The surf beat with amazing violence over the ram parts of the forts, sentry bons were thrown down in -all directions. and. the boats from the canal reached to the edge of the Mount-road ; several are now lying near the burying-ground, and one at the foot of the Governinentbricige. About five the gale abated :Ind the wind shifted to the southward, increasing gradually until about half past six, when one of the most tremendous hur ricanes since the year 1762 at Pondicherry, commen ced ; those trees and native houses which had been sheltered, or withstood the N.. W. gale, now in their , turn gave way, and the eye was wearied in behold. ing the awful grandeur of the desolating scene which every where surrounded ; scarcely the vestige of a tree or shrub was standing, but lay promiscuously mingled on the earth ; the wind blowing with• that dreadful force which gave the mind the idea of thunder ; rain descending in torrents, and every person momenta rily expecting the house which sheltered him giving 'ay to the elements. About ten on Friday morn ing the wind began to decrease, and during the last night there was much thunder and lightning, accom panied with heavy rain, and this morning the wind appears steady in the south-east. " It would be impossible at this time to enter into any thing like a detail of the mischief that has taken place: most of the houses of the European inhabitants are partially injured, not a tree we believe in the neigh bourhood of Madras has escaped, mostly torn up by the rootA or split- in the middle, ac from lightning. Carts are lying upset in every direction, and the catt le , and in some instances their drivers, are dead near the spot. Ai brig and a Pariah vessel, lying in the roads, were driven on shoe and stranded ; many villages, and the banks of tanks and rivers, are completely I swept away, and it is feared most of their inhabitants are lost. The houses in the Black Town, St. Thorne, and the neighbouring villages, are completely or par tially' unroofed, the mud houses of the natives are level with the ground.—There was not any thunder or lightning during tile storm.—At the Mount the flag staff is blown down, and most of the houses have been stript of their tiles, and otherwise damaged. Many thousand lives have been lo s t in thisdreadfill hurricane, but we have not heard of any E uro p ean having suf.- fer‘d, except the crew of the brig stranded." AMERICA. SENATE OF TI3E UNITED STATES, APRIL 19. A Bill to authorize the President of the United States to suspend the operation of the Act prohibiting the importation of certain goods, wares, and merchan dize, and the acts supplementary thereto, was read a thirdlimd and passed. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20. On the motion of Mr. Wurrz, Resolved—That it is expedient to authorize the President of the United States to have manned and equipped for service with all convenient dispatch, the frigates and vessels of war of the United States, to be used u, in his opinion, the circumstances of the country, and the conduct of foreign Powers towards the United States may require. A committee was thereupon appointed to bring in a Bill conformably to this resolution. The Bill entitled " a Bill in addition to the Act entitled—an Act laying an Embargo on zll ships an,' vessels in the ports and harbours of the United Statel, and the several Acts supplementary thereto ; and for other purposes," was read the third time and passed. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, APRIL IS. The Committee to whom was referred the Corres p_onglence between Mr. MUNRO and Mr. CANNING, Mr. MADISON and Mr. Ross; and also the communica tions made to the Senate, on 30th March, containing a Letter from Mr. ERSKINE to the Secretary of State, and a Letter from Mr. CHAMPAGNY to Mr. ARM eritown, this day gave hi their report to the House of the Senate. At the conclusion of which the follow ing resolutions are submitted : Resolved—That the Committee do bring in a Bill, authorising the President of tl e United States, in the event of such a Peace, Or suspension of hostilities between the belligerent Powers of Eu rope, or of such changes in their measures affecring Neutral Com merce, 'as may render that of the United States sufficiently safe in his judgment, to suspend the Act laying an embargo on all ships and vessels in the Ports and Harbours of the United States, and the several Acts supplementary thereto, under such excep tions and restrictions as the publie interest and circumstances of the case may require —Provided such suspension shall not esnelid beyond dip alter the commencement of the next Session of Cnegiwss. . - fgesolvisi—That the Coierodnee de bring in a Bill, authorising the P esident of the.Upitud thaw, se suspend the operation of the several Acts, prohibiting/ * importation of certain goods, wares, and merettaadises, Nnt his judgment, the public good should re quire I.— Pmndlod , that Itch suspension shall not extend - course with-such of the the neutral commerce of hibition necessary.- Resolved—That the . a Bill expatriating all, Citizens of ships or vessels of the United ! luntarily accepting any tie to the British Orders of Resolved--Tliat the ' a Bill, imposing on :he t. restrictions, corresponding • respectively on the commerce Bills were reeeiv( to the embargo laws, meeting of Congress. On the motion of for consideration the pointed to inquire - • 96 to 26. It was made the order of the day for Fri day next, in preference of to-day, 48 to 24. THURSDAY, APRIL 21. Several Bills were passed this day, among which was one to alter the time of the next meeting of Con gress to the first Monday in Novemixr. _~ CHARLESTOWN, MAY 10. The Enterpr:ze, WATKINS, bound from the Isle of France to Philadelphia, spoke on the 22d February, the French frigate Caroline, off The Cape of Good Hope; from Europe, standing to the Eastward, full of men. Upwards of 20 vessels had been brought into the Isle of France previous to the sailing of the Enterprize. We learn by the ship Thames, from Batavia, that' Admiral Pw..aw, with a squadron consisting of two' rne-of-battle ships, three frigates, and two brigs, having on board 1,200 troops, anchored in the har bour of Grasse, and had taken possession of that place without opposition. Two Dutch line-of-battle ships and an East Indiaman were scuttled and left in possession of the enemy. . WEST INbJES BARBADOES, MAY 12. , An unfortunate affair took place on the arrival of a cartel from Martinique, a few days since, between Lieutenant Punvis, of the BELLEISLE, and the Com manding - Officer of the cartel, which ended in Lieu tenant Ponvis wounding three of the French Officers, one of them very severely. He was in consequence brought to a Court Martial, and after four days trial was yesterday dismissed the service. He is a &phew of Admiral PURE IS, and had been or ly just Made. Captain ATECOUGII, of the HAWKE brig, and Ca'- min ROBY, of the FAWN, lave lately died on this station. Captain PATTERSON is appointed to•the for mer ship, and Captain DE COMICY to the FAWN. The HALIFAX, which arrived on the 7th .instant, with convoy from Cork, brought orders to Admiral COCHRANE to detain all the line of battle ships on this station, which will prevent the RAMILLIES proceed. ing with the next fleet to England. Notwithstanding the numerous ships of war on this station; the enemy's vessels arrive at, and sail from, their ports quite unmolested. Two men of war brigs lately arrived at Cayenne, and sailed again, 'suppos ed on a cruise on the coast of Brazil. .On their pas sage fiom.France they captured two vessels, one the Harriet Guinea:Tian, and the other the Neptune, (torn Gibralur to Jersey. Four brigs of war arrived about a month since at Martinique, and have pro ceeded again homewards. The Goazz sloop Cell in with two of them, but was beat off ; the WOLVE RENE big afterwards chaced them; but they escaped. I believe they are now blockaded in the Saints. The Eleanor, bound to Antigua, 'laden with provisions for the navy, was captured lately, and. carried into Martinique, and proved to the enemy a capital prize, as they are much in want of precisions at that island, as well as at Guadaloupe. Four brig privateers were laid up in eonsequenm of the scarcity, but sailed soon of e:. the Eleanor was carried in. . PARLIAMENTARY. PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS. JUNE 16. --_-___ ~~.~~-, ~ .~_.- Homy. --•- , Director. :variety of . laws had, • Irish Weil" the highly favourable to the - of 1795; they were tendered itnations, but a small number of , offsets therein enumerated, and it enacted that no .i . ye-latas slweld ope their admission into Corporations.— •. however, being omitted, it was a • whether they were or were not Directors of the Bank of Ire suppose that in renewing the .4 be settled , one way or the this, the expedient of a saving which would leave this impor undecided. His Lordship stated a tions to this mode of getting rid of the question,and concluded with moving, that the opinion of ie Judges should be taken upon it. Lord HAWKEBBURY said, the renewal of .the Charter was taken up by Government merely as a financial measure. The question relative to the Ca -that Proprietors was ptiVely incidental; and the in tention of the clause alluded to was evidently that of leiving it untouched. But it would he a very easy thing to brin it to a regular judicial decision, by electing a r . It would then come on in the Exchequer , in Dublin, and if the decision of the Judges Awe was not satisfactory, an appeal would of course he, by writ of error, to their. Lordships. This, he apprehended, was the prpper. course to be pursued, because the House would then apply to the learned Bench in the regular exercise of their judicial lune tions ; whereas the plan now suggested would be to prejudge the question in an extra judicial way. With respect to his own opinion on the matter, he would distinctly state, that he would take his stand on the Aet of Union ; being desirous neither to enlarge nor diminish the privileges of which, by any legal Jed sion, the Catholics should be declared to have been then in possession. The Duke of NORFOLK thought the question should be decided by Parliament, and that jl4 privi lege should be distinctly confirmed to th ;Catholics. If no one else did, he should himself mo e a clause to that effect in the Committee. - Lord LAUDERDALE highly cl* pproved of the suggestion of the Noble Secretary of tate to settle the question by recurring to a Court of Law. A con tested election, and a tedious and expensive process. were not the most proper means of putting to rest a point strongly connected with popular feelings and prejudices. The LORD CHANCELLOR concurred in &- view of the question taken by Lord Hawkesbury...J. He thought that a reference to the Judges under the present circumstanees would be unparliamentary. At to the Catholic claims in general, he would distinctly say, that in the opinions which he had itlivered, be did not look to times and seasons. With every dicta). sition to the most comprehensive religious tolerates% he followed Russell, Lord Somers, and Laid Hard. wick in contending, that the maintenance of the Protestant ascendancy was essential to the security le civil and religious freedom in this country. . • . Lord HOLLAtID denied that the greater nuns. her of eminent men, which this country had prod duced in former tiines , supported the principles of irk' tolerance and religious persecution. He believed it was i c to our leading men of the present day'to carry their principles further than they had ever bees carried in times less enlightened than the; present. He was surprised at the objection that the Noble Secretary (Lord Hawkesbury) had, to have the doubts as to the existing law removed by the opinion of the Jody: 1 He knew that in some things - obscurity was pr nearly allied to the wonderful and sublime. The fa. mous German metaphysician Kart, was so very pre., found, that there were very few who could understand him, and it was suspected that he did not understand himself. Klopstock, the German poet, when 'desired to explain a passage in his own poem, declared this he meant something very sublime when he wrote it, but that he was entirely unable to explain it. Now • . although this obscurity knight have a very good effect in metaphysics and poetry, he did not conceive that ii ought to be introduced into legislation. The Noble Lord was afraid the Judges would be too much oco cupied, if they were called on for their opinion in gra,. and doubtful cases like the present ; but it was evi , dent that their time would be fully as much occupied. if the appeal which the Noble Secretasy spoke of was to be tried in that House. The Nbble Lord seemed almost to wish that a Catholic should be elected a Bank Director, for the purpose of the case being argued here upon appeal. Lord HARROWBY would not say that the time. mighi not come when it might be proper to make farther concessions to the Roman Catholics of Ire. land, but it appeared to him the time had not yet ass. rived, and therefore he should oppose the motion. Lord MULGRAVE* saw no ground for patchy the question,_ unless the House should previously de. termifie to found on it some legislative proceeding. The Earl of ROSLYN contended for asking the opinion of the Judges. . .ord GRENVILLE lose, and . replied with his taual energy and strength of argument to the various objections made by the other' side. On the question being then put, the House divided, when the numbers were --: Contents 16—Non-con. tents 42; Majority against Lord Grenville's motion 26. DROITS OP THE ADSIIRALTY. The Earl of SUFFOLK again adverted to the in formation he had formerly requested, r the -- Droits of the Admiralty, and, after ire* Lions ts) in Lord HOLLAND, gave notice of his intention to make a motion to-morrow on the subject. The discussion on the Local Militia Bill, which stood en order, was postponed, and the House ad journed at ten o'clock. . HOUSE OF COMMONS. • : , The Brazil Tmde Bill, the Notes 818, and Hackney Cowls Regulation Bill were st. r l e : is t;dr °4 7 tins and passed. Mr. VILLIERS obtained leave to Wog in a Bill for the briber encouragement of Learning, pig for Universities and other Public Bodies • a Copy of each new Book pub. tidied, and by snaring to the Anthers the Copy Rights of all such Bost time. Books.—He immediately brought up the Bill, which was read a The Subdivision Ckrits Eli west throve& a Catmints-4o he reported towsorrow. Mr. LONG obtained' Irby in a 818 to *wand assesd the Act for r - I shoot Wesasisstes:Abbey. Mr. V Order of the ' ' ie belligerent Nations "'boo Idlers spinet j Governor or Direttai of the United States may irate sash flow s havenr, passed in the Is Committeebe further instreeeled interest wind 'Waded to and 17$ .- :71tizens of the United States eopudeadorg Cathe , lice By the Act a United States; wlso shall be 4• , « feted et Iro- admissible to all si Mali& licence, or paying any tax, In soh'.civil and military offices )tc...asca of 1I th November last: was expressly enacted d Ciunraittee be further instructed to rejlieet navigation and conunerceofforeign neelone• Tat e prevent their alit ding with the restrictions imposed by thole - The word Chirlers, MAIM mace and navigation niche United Stases. paint of much doubt whi DNESDAY, APRIL 20. ahrble as Governors or Lved from the Senate, in addition l an d. It was natural to ws, and to alter the time of the next' charterthis doubt would other ; but instead of thi of Mr. ROWAN, the Howe took up /. d ame was hi t u po n , wh the Report of the Committee ap- I rant matter st ill un d ec i t h into the conduct of Hatrylnnes, ava esvriabr 14,_ rift. • • , rw Fri_• I :rituriber of objections to BANBURY PEERAGE. • Their Lordships sat at three o'clock in a Committee of Privi lege* upon this case. After some evidence was adduced, and dull Atroa el.-Gimlet's. heard on the part of the Claimant,the fun tier proceedings were postponed until Saturday. . - The Loan Bill and the Irish Revenue Bill were severally eons.. mitted, and ordered to be reported. The Exchequer Bills Bill, the Irish Vgte of Credit Bill, the' Bill for the Prevention of smuggling, Mr. Palmer's per Centage - Bill, and several other Bills, were brought up from the Commons. PACPER LUNATICS' BILL. On the third reading of the Lunatics' Bill, Lord SUFFOLK re peated his observations for extending k to Scotland; and further, hoped that, in the course of next Session, some special provision would be ude for persons beloriitg to the Army afflicted with this malady.—The Bill was then a cad a third time and passed. • PADDINGTON CANAL COAL BILL. Upon the recommitment of the Paddington Canal Coal Bill-- Lord SUFFOLK renewed Ms objections, and again urged the propriety of extending the quantity of coals brought to Loudon and Westminster. After a few wails from the Duke of NORFOLK to the same efflct ' the clauses were read and agreed to, and the report order ed to be received to-morrow. .BA WRACKS BILL. The Barracks Bill went into a Committee. • Lord RADNOR rose to state a great hardship which he had sustained, and which he aklppoied many pthers weila also our win,. from the powers that were to be vested in theßarraek- Masteti-General, in cousequenee of this Bill. He had some Estates upon the coast of Kent, and notice was given Mint that a piece of ground in the very•middle of his farm was warning to construct a barrack and a fort upon. His answer was, that if this was a temporary barrack, he had no objection, provided his ten ant was satisfied; but that if it was a permanent thing, there must be some satisfaction to him also. He got no answer to his letter , and was soon afterwards taken of his ground. By this ill the Barraek.Master-General was empowered to sell at his discretion grounds purchased for ilsose military erections. He would therefore submit it to their Lordships, -whether it would not be a great hardship if the Barrack Master was allowed next year to sell, to a person hi an adverse interest to him, a pieee•of ground taken out of the centre of his estate for military purposes. •He concluded by moving a proviso,'" That the ori ginal owners of the estates, and their heirs, should he allowed a preference in such purchase made from the Barrack Master." ", The LORD CHANCELLOR perfectly approved of this Mo tion, and thought the Noble Lord was entitled to thanks for bringing it forward. There were undoubtedly many persons who would otherwise suffer a similar hardship to what the Noble Lord compiling of. Comtewas then adopted, and the Bill went through the : BANK OF IRELAND. Lord GRENVILLE then rose to address their Lordships - en the Bank of Ireland Charter Bill, see fir is the claims of the Catholic Proprietors . were concerned. The Charter, which it was now proposed to continuo fdr Si years, was granted in 178'2, with a -4d lean to .4e coming impopomosis about PICSKISSON, aglrei!aiy as 0- ,•••• .... lotion. Bill, wlpiplt was, agreed to. To be and a third.th re morrow. • . Mr. HUSKli9ON'bronght op the Esdnuses of the F T ,„„„. ereethig a Military Coffeke ill the bensey of Saloo.-1.1 ''''' • Committee ot supply. • im Mr. S. BOURNE baresaft ass lie' Report. of the Gan a rte imposing certain duties om Mimed sod Printed gam, ( ma 4 kind. Agreed to, and a 111111sedered occeidlnfjy . Mr. DUNDAS brie* eip the Report of the Chatham Sip, which was weak% dad the MI a/denim be read at* these to-morrow. • :•....%•:, The Bill to allow disjiMinat of psis warehoused in Le & sate. to any of the Otopse* Exportation. was brough t i ft , ~.1 a first, and ordered to be a second time to-tnam ew . --• The Irish Export and blips* Duty Bill was reported sad le tiered to be read a third.tiose to-morrow. • SCOTCH JUDICATIIitt BILL. • On the motion of the LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND this Bill was read a secoodtime, committed, repeated and to be taken into farther osolideratiou on Monday, and rims& =OATES BILL. The Report of the Committee on chip Bill was taken aeration, the amendments- were aimed to, the Bulaeg oo d reprinted as amended, and to be read* thintaiswelormnib p. FlhA.NCltailaWkrmaz Mr. WHITERF.AD'orkIia to learn from an Hem Cat Slst Chairman of the Rama Cant * .ee, 'whether it was tbst any Report woutd he presented 'roan that Gessamineeidase the close of the present Session; - be Was tie more desirous( knowing this, as he Wet led to understand that their nest Item would cattails of a 'l e y satisfactory anon Mr. BANXE3 • skit as far ' as die matter rested wits the Report was In a rate of readiness to be presented. lie say. that, with the exception of the hours spent in attending's the business of that Home, be gad devoted the g reaten pan the day in attending to the business of the Cosnthittee: He was wry to'say. ilowerrer, that unfortunate differences of opinion sub t l it ed it * fhe Cemnsittei and the consequent diseuuMa bad de. layed the final seta:tee:Abe Report. It was Ids =sip wish that It should be prest+t in the preseiat Seasion, bit jaws. out of Lb powetto say that k would. • • - • • ' - - • '• ' • Trfulls: Mr. It:FITZGERALD rose -for the.purpose of moving,*that the Petition presented from the County of Kerry, in support of a Commutation of Tythes, be referred to a Committee. From his knowledge of Ireland he could say, that there was no part of that countrr where the grievances attending the present systetn of tythas were more severely.felt, and to them be ascribed, in a great measure, the unpleasant dis. turbancei which had there taken place. • He then proceeded, to.vindicate the proceeding's of the meeti ng of freeholders, from whom this Petition origieatei He denied that they were actuated by any thing like faction, or that they had any wish whatever'to trench upon the property of the church, for they were fully aware, that, under every modification, the *venue of the church must be derived from the laid. He could also say, that the objections to. the present system of tythes were not ,conned to this or that Class of reli gionists, but were general all over Ireland, not even excepting - the majority pf the Established Clergy themselves. He was not f however, dis posed to urge the adoption of any specific measure hi the. pretext session, haying understood from a Right Hon. Gel. demon that the matter was under the Consideratiem d Ministers, and he was anxionslikat any beneficial al. teration ihould flow frown the Thrwe - as a boon. uutio ling to collegiate the nahlds of the people of ' hthaik He believed, however, that if tythes were left.** shape; the leaven of disaffection would still connnue. to ferment in that country. Having taken that op portunityPf,delivering his seniunents, he then moved, faro ferule, that.the pemtson bereferred to a Committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he should avail himself.of that oppormthity d shortly expressing his sentiments on the sttbje4. He could say, that - his Majesty's Ministers' were fully stir are of its importance, and he wonicLedd, that when ever he had considered the subject in all its bearings, it had always Seemed attended with new dlfficultms. The subject should engage his anxious attention dur ing the recess of Parliament, though he was not san guine in his hopes that he should le able in the neat sesiion to yiropose any measure that would be gene rally satisfactory. He had had various private con inrsaticmi on the subject, and bills had even been shown up Lv the purpose of seeing the various bear ings of any new measure; but he could not engage tabring forward any thing thin would produce a total change of the system of tythes, thongh perhaps some thing might be done to remedy those grievances which _were supposed to effect the interests of the commu nity ; but he did not, for one, believe that their situa tion would be at all bettered by the abolition of tythes, since the only effect of that would be to raise their ' tents; He should only add that the subject had en gaged his anxious attention, and that his attention would be continued to it. Mr. PARNELL expressed his satisfaction, that the Right Hon. Gentleman had puLlicly declared his opinion. Mr. PONSbNBY said, he heard with great satic fact.on what the Right Honourable Gentleman bad said upon the subject, which, while it was important to the welfare and trappility of Ireland, was also of the greatest difficulty in its own nature, but lie hoped not insurmountable, by time, patience, and discussion. - --- 3 MATTHEW - " - - General MATTHEW said, he held in his hand a Petition from the County of Tipperary on the sub ject of tythe, which however, from what had fallen frnm Duerr, he should not present in the present ,Session" Sir G. HILL observed, that he should ever pro. test against any measure respecting tythes being er elusively confined to Ireland. No distinction should be.made between the churches of the two countries. Mr. HUBERT Old, that the great objections by rather to the mode of collecting tythes, than to their ainionnt: With regard to the grievances of the pea santry of Ireland, he believed they neither arose from the Government nor theLaisdholders, but rather from _long habits, usages, and customs. Mr. BURTON said he shad spent a great part of his life in a Court where tythes were often the subject of snit, and he had found, the More it was consider ed, there were the reeler difficulties in settling a oh peel, modification oldie system of elthes. He therefore, that Gentlemen •torotild not be too sanguine on the sub' t, for he feared they would be 613 =1; and the PelY Pod 'effect arising froth the would be, to produce moderatior. both on • the side of die farmer and on that of the tytheowner: Mr. SHERIDAN, haying formerly given notate of a motion on the grievances of Ireland, felt himself called upon to say a few words on the present sub ject, which did not appear to him ?derided with those unspeakable difficulties which had been supposed.— He hoped that Ministers would search with earnest ness into what he must consider as one of the greatest 1 Fri" '• I LI . , I ~'`~:,