Star. — London, England, 1803-05-04 00:00:00

ITALT. ROYIREDO, APRIL 9.—Several companies of Negroes are arrived from France in the Italian Republic. The Englifh are purchafing in the Italian States provifions of every kind, which they tranfport to Malta, where it feems they are laying in a great Rock of every necelfary of life. Porto Ferrajo, in the ifland of Elba, is providing with provifions with the greateft expedition, and the fortifications ftrengtbening. The coafts of the territory of Genoa will receive a confiderable gar rifon of French troops, as well as Leghorn, and other Etrurian fea•ports. HOLLAND. HAGUE, APRIL 26.—Yefterday afternoon Mr. Lisrow, the Englifh Ambaffador, refident here, received by exprefs from his Government an offi cial notice, that the Cape of Good Hope, with all the forts belonging to it, was evacuated by the troops of his Britannic Majefly on the z t ft of Fe bruary, and delivered up to the Batavian Commit lioners and Governor. This agreeable intelligence has been communicated by the Ambaffador to the States. It is faid that 600 French infantry, toge ther with a company of artillery, have entered Gorinchem. The number of French troops who have marched into Nimeguen amounts to soeo, the fides 2200 cavalry, who are encamped without he town. HAGUE, APRIL 29.—1 t is reported that the French are about to declare Helvoctflu”, and the Brielle alto, in a Rate of liege, which has created a great alarm, not only as thefe revolutionary mea. lures deprive us of the credit of taking our own meafures ; but as it indicates a likelihood of ap proaching hoftilities. It is now evident that the French look upon us with a fufpicious eye ; and it is even reported that Citizen Sr mos v :lAA has charged our Government with having concerted a plan to put the Englifh in poffeffion of the ifland of Walcheren. So far, indeed, is this.mifunderftand ing faid to have gone, that Tome expeft our Go vernment will loon be new modelled, and creatures put into power who will bend the nick of fervility without kicking. Indeed, we have not been a little aftonifhed to find, that many perfons refiding in France have underßood that our Government - had been put under arreft. This thews, at leak that loch a plan has been in contemplation. Indeed, it is notorious that French influence has been declin ing in this country for feveral years part ; and the prefent rigorous meafures, added to the contempt with which we are treated, will put the finifhing Broke to it. The circumfiance of our withing to be declared neutral has given offence to the Con fular Court, as funning a proof that our Govern ment is not inclined to fupport the views of France at the rifk of our commercial exiffence. The import of three guilders fifteen Rivers on every ;Goths. of butter exported, is, by a decree of the Government of State, ordered to be continued till the lart day of December of the prefent year. French troops are daily pouring into Nimeguen and its neighbourhood. Not left than sOOO have already entered that city, and from t goo to soon are encamped in the enviroas. Various conjeaures are formed as to the dettination of this growing army.—Some fay they are intended to pulls their way to Hanover, and others thin/ they are to (leer for the Hague, to operate a fpring or fummer re volution. The Baron Vow 11l a trittn,Charge d'Affaires of his Pruffian Majeft y, departed yefterday for Berlin. In order to meet the extraordinaryexpences which we are incurring to rivet the fetters of foreign def potifm the more firmly on us, a decree has been palled for adding a tenth to the tax on what is called General Means in the department of Hol• land, for two years ; and moreover another tenth on the back of thir, on certain articles of neceffary ufe fpecified in the publication. The French Ambaffador lately received two couriers from his Court ; but not a fyllable of their atiefrage has yet tranfpired. It is generally thought that the journey of the Coil, Con s u s. will put a new face on affairs in this part of the world. The Flair COPI SUS has made the port of Ant werp free ; but he has not yet given it any com mercial confequence. Without capital and without !hipping, acquired by exterior means, it will long remain in its former obkurity ; and foreigners do not feem to be very hefty in placing themfelves under the clutches of Gallic liberty. They write from Surinam, January 19, that the Batavian fleet arrived there the a4th of November ; that the Englilh garrifon left the fortrefs on De cember a, in filence, after having taken down the Englifh flag, and then embarked - for Barbadoes. The next day the Batavian flag was hoifted with great pomp, under the dikharge of the guns from the fliips. In purfuance of the decree of the Go. vernment of State, of July 5,1802, J. F. FREDIRICI, the Governor General of the colony, was fufpended by the Commander of the fquadron, &ors •ms TeasLowo, who will provifionally charge himfelf with the Government, in conjunflion with two of the oldeft Counfellors belonging to the Court of Police and Criminal Juftice. FLUSHING, APRIL 22.—The firft public piece by which the French General Molnar employs the power delegated to him over the civil Govern ment of our city, is an order of April ao, declar ing that, with the fucceeding month Florcal, the tattoo (hall continue to beat at eight o'clock in the evening; and proclaiming that all foldiers who !hall be found out of their barracks after that time be puni(hed with an imprifonment of eight days ; alto forbidding publicans to ferve any fol dier after that time, or any citizen after ten o'clock, on pain of forfeiting so gilders for the firil, and so° gilders a dditional for the fecond offence ; and for the third, (hutting up their honfes and fourteen days imprifonment ; the Mayor of the city being charged to aid and of ill the military Commandant in the execution of there orders. The Council of this City will today give a grand dinner to the Paid General and his Staff' Officers • and at which the Members of the Departmental Government of Zealand will be preknt. ROTTIIDAM, Ault. 29.--Tht ferioni appre henfions entertained here of an approaching war, have quite ftagnated all commercial rpeculations, except a few (hips which have failed for the Baltic. Every thought and every hope is centered on the arrival of our Weft and Eaft India (hips ; and every one which comes in is confidered as a gift. A large three malted (hip, under Danifh colours, was fuppofed to be loft yefterday off the Shallow of Gone, in a form. Two of her malts were feen by the pilots to go overboard ; but the (well was 'fo great that no boat dared approach. A great number of French troops lately march ed from Breda and Bergen-op-Zoom for Bois le- Duc, Nimeguen, &c. This day brought us an account of very unplea rant occurrences having taken place for this coun try. It appears the French Commandant at Breda exalted 20001. from the Magifracy as a contribu tion. On its being refufed, he took the liberty of placing foldiers in the houfes of the inhabitants, who were then glad to come forward, and each pay a certain quota to be liberated from this plague and expence.— Outrages of a more ferious nature have taken place at Helvoet, where a corps of French troops appeared, and the Commander in timating that his intention was to take charge of the fortrefs, the Dutch Commandant refuled his admilTion, on which he exhibited a pofitive in ftrultion to do fo from BONAPARTE ; fo that they have now taken poffeffion of that place, no little, I affure you, to the difpleafure of this country in general. We begin to be fo ferioufly alarmed at war, that veffels have been fent out to meet our Eaft and Well Indiamen, to warn them to make for the firft friendly harbour they can. GERmANr. VIENNA, Are it. 13.—The lag letters from Con-1 ftantinople Rate, that the rebel Alum t. Wacm as had defeated the Chief of Arabia who advanced againft him, and difperfed his troops. Laft Friday two State Prifoners who had been arrefted at Suchard!, where they gave themfelves out as French Envoys, charged with opening a new negotiation with the Porte under the prefent circurnftances, were con , veyed from this city to Stratburgh under a mili tary efcort. Several forged patTports, and above a thoufand louis, which they had borrowed in dif ferent places, under the above title, were found up on them. The hopes are Rill entertained here that peace will be maintained between France and Eng land, efpecially as all the Courts to which couriers have been difpatched have declared for neutrality, and expreired an earneß with, that the general peace of Europe may not be interrupted by any new difpute. The propofal made that the Eng in (hall evacuate Malta, and that it (hall be oc cupied only by Ruffian troops, teems not to have been adopted even at , Peter(burgh. A report prevails here to-day,that the Honourable Array* PAGET, the Engin Refident at this Court, will return to England in a few days, and be fucceeded by another who is not yet named. Letters from Peterfburgh of the sth intl. fay, Mould a war in Europe again break out, it is like ly to be more general than has hitherto been ima gined. It is thought that we 'hall be involved with Sweden ; but then the caufe is fo trifling, that one can hardly fuppofe it to be the only objet in view. People of penetration fuppofe it to have a conneftion with what is palling between England and France. APRIL 17.—The EMPEROR of MOROCCO has de-1 manded from the Houle of Aurraia, in confe-1 quence of its now poffeffing the territory and navy of the State ofVenice,the tribute which was former ly paid to him by that Republic. Some troops have been ordered to march towards the frontiers of Turkey, in the neighbourhood of Semlin. Thisl meafure has appeared neceffary, in confequence of the vicinity of Belgrade, where it is apprehended that fome troubles may break out. The Prince of Scirwaitz lama has been nominated by his Ire. rule'. Mayrsry, Miniller Plenipotentiary to re cieve the homage of the Provinces which compote the State of Venice.—This ceremony will take place in the month of July. According to letters from Lemberg, the mer riest of his Royal Highnefs the Archduke Pa. latine of Htiric Ail with a Princefs of BADEN, will take place at Cracaw on the zoth of June. His Majefty the EMPEROR of Russia will repair to that City, to be prefent at the Ceremony. Letters horn Turkey, received by fome Turkifls Merchants fettled here Rate, that the city of Mecca, fo much revered by the MulTulmans, has been furprifed and almoft entirely deftroyed by a numerous horde of revolters. In our opinion this intelligence re quires confirmation. His Imperial Majefly has quite abandoned hie projetled tour to Italy. After the conclufion of the ceremony of marriage between the Grand Duke of Tufcany and the Princefs of Saxony, his Majefly will, however, undertake a journey to Prague, in order to receive there the newly united pair, and to give a feaft in their honour: after which his Majefly will make arother tour. The great number of French troops, whole ar rival in - Milan had been announced, has, it is con fidently faid, received counter orders. From Italy we hear, that, in cafe of a war with England, the French will befet all the places there which they evacuated by virtue of the treaty of Amiens, and revert to their old fyftens of excluding the Englifb from all the continental ports. Letters from Semlin, dated March 24, rays, " On the .6111 night of the new Pacha's arrival in Belgrade, a refpeflahle Greek merchant, by name Baczora, was by his orders put to death, for hay ing taken in pawn of a certain Bin-llafra, when about to fct off fnr Con flantinople, three honorary furs, (which he had formerly received of the Grand Seignior and the Grand Vizier, as a reward for fervices which he had performed them) as a fecu ritv for 5..0 piafters which Bin-Bafra owed him ; and notwithflanding that this man allured him he would remit the money from Conftantinople, by which means the debtor had 101 l his good name. The taking Qf fuch pawn is confidered an ad of high treaion, as (hewing a total difregard of the favours of the Grand Seignior, and r , •nfequently pundit: age with death. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, MAY 3. The Earl of F , and Lords HAWKL and MIDDLI- To N, were (worn and took their feats. Several Bills, of a private or local defeription, were brought up from the Commons by Meffrs. R. DONDAIII, BALDWIN, W IC/ANL , and others, aninog which was the Glafgow Theatre Bin : thcfc were feverally read a firft time. Mr. livi NE, Infpedtor General of the Cuftoms, prefented fevenl Documents relative to the Exports and Imports. pur fuant to a recent motion of Lord AUCKLAND,which were laid upon the table. - - IRISH DANK RESTRICTION BILL. Lord Avec LAND moved the Order of the Day for the fe cond reading of the Bill for continuing the reftridtion on the CA Payments of the Bank of Ireland. On the queftion being put that the Bill be now read a fecond time, Lord KING rote to Rate his object ions to it. He tbould not, however, attempt to detain their LordlLipe attention on the genre.) arguments that had been urged again) the principle of the Bill, and which had been fo often repeated, when a fimtlar meafure was propofed fur the Bank of England. He Mould on the prefent occafion endeavour to confine himfelf to the effects which, In his opinion, it had produced, and was likely to continue to produce in Ireland. He mutt beg leave, however, in the firft place, to anticipate the objection that was ufually retorted to, and which alerted that the ill cried, of which he had to complain were not imputable to the prefent Bill, but to the number of country banks, and the quan tity of paper that was iffued by them. Whatever might be Paid of the country banks, he, for one, was convinced of their utility. Among the number of advantages of which they were produelive, he might fairly affirm, that they afforded great faci lities to trade in the interior of the country, that they were Ids liable to forgery than the National bank notes,becaufe the per tons who circulated Country bank notes did fo in the byline ,' dote Inanity of thole by whom they were iffued, and up-n the itToert of them would entirely fall whatever lots might arife from forgeries. They excited, betides, a fpirit of competition ' which made the Directors of the National Bank more cautious and circumfped in the whole of their conduct. There obler vations might appear digrefave, but in his mind they were fuf ficiently connedted with the queftion, as they tended to (hew that to them were not owing the inconveniencies which arofe from the propofed reltridion. Indeed there inconveniencies were juftly and obvioully to be attributed to other caufes.— ! The principal inconserdeocies and ill cited.' to which he al luded, were thc depreciation of Irina Bank notes, and the very low Rate of the exchange againft Ireland. To the continued reftridtions on the Gni payments of the Bank, and to the dil -1 cretionary power repofed in the Directors of the Irith Bank to . lower the ftandard of the currency cf Ireland, theft difadvasu tages were chiefly to be afcribed. What mutt their Lordihips think, when, upon examining the papers now on their Lord , Rips' table, they Would find, that In 1797, previous to the firft reftridtion on the Bank, the amount of the noon then io circulation did not exceed fix hundred and fifty thoufand pounds, while in the month of January, do 3, it appeared that they amounted to more than two millions and a half. —Did not this exorbitant increafe in the iffue of notes abun dantly account for their depreciation, and for the unfavourable Rate of the exchange againit Ireland, and likewife it no doubt argued a very great abufe on the part of the Diredlors of the Bank of Ireland, of the diferetionary power with which they were entroftcd. To this Immo-nit blue of paper mutt alto be imputed the almoft total difappearance of gold in the country. Scarcely a guinea was to be Peen—or if gold was to be obtain ed, it was only by purchafing it at a great premium, which alone was fufficient to prove that the paper currency was de predated. The evils that mutt- accrue to the commerce and credit of the country from this deprecilltioo mutt be obvious to their Lordfhips, but what kind of remedy could be applied to them, it was not tinily eafy to difeover By the law as it now flood, the Bank of England was obliged to pay their Bills in the currency of England; but as the cur rency of England was now Bank of England notes, it was his opinion, that the Bank of Ireland Otani be compelled to pay their notes in Englifh notes, at intervals of fix months. The intcrpofing of that interval might prevent any fudden incon venience arifing to the mercantile teanfadions of the country from loch an arrangement. It was his intention to propofe tome claufe to that effect; foe be was thoroughly convinced that the reltrldlion, as it now flood,enoraraged an increafed Me of paper, and the increafed ifue of to the enormous amount which he had already Rated, its depreciation, and that depreciation injured the credit and difturbM the commerce of the country. On there grounds be thought himfelf juftftled in difapproving of the mature. The Earl of I-issues, after complimenting the noble Lard on the seal which he manifefted for the interetts of Ircland,co tend into a vindication of the condudt which the Diredorsof the Bank of Ireland had invariably purfued—a condudt which, in his opinion, fo far from having incurred any reproach, was, on the contrary, entitled to the lbleieft naffs His Lordatip next entered into a long detail of arguments to prove that the Bank of Ireland had not iffhed more paper than they were war ranted In doing by the increafe of their capital, mad by the late increafe in the commerce and the population of Ireland. That the capital of the Bonk of Ireland was increafed about a million and a half, be had the belt authority to siert, and that the com merce and population of Ireland had of late yon confiderably 'lsere-did, was a fad with which their Lordibips mutt all have the &Wadden to be acquainted with. That (peck had direct. peared in a great meafure from Ireland, and that the balance of trade was at different dines confiderably againft her, be was not prepared to deny, but there difadvan erne from very dif ferent nub* from thole to which ages they were aferibed by the Noble Lord. Of the fecurity and folvency of the Bank of Ire land, there could not be the finalleft doubt. It had withftood `leveret (hocks than ever any ftmilar eltablifitment bad been ce ntred to. An 'milk fleet had at one time been moored in the harbours of Ireland for nine days; the enemy at another time had penetrated into the very bowels of the country, and the Conftitution and Government were &Mailed by one of the molt atrocious rebellions that ever eon' the frame of any Govern ment ; yet the credit of the Book of Ireland Rood unthaken amidft all tinge difficulties and dangers. To other casks, there fen, mull he traced the difadvantages and ineonveniencies of which the Noble Lord complained. And, indeed, the balance of trade and the unfavourable Rate of the exchange could he inlay accounted for on other pounds. It was, unhappily, but too notorious, that the debt of Ireland was increafid in a more than equal proponion to the increafe of the MR Bank Notes.— The Loans by which that debt was accumulated, were for the molt part railed in England, and the into e* upon them was to be paid in England, and in Engtis currency. This, com bined and co-operating with a variety of other eaufes,prodtaced the unfavourable: halm= of trade and exchange between the two Countries, and the depreciation of the lei% currency, on which the Noble Lord had fo much infifted. No doubt it were to be witted that form remedy might be applied to the evil.— He knew it to be in the contemplation Obis Right Hos. Friend (Mr. Corry) to (Wont fame plan ro that effed to his Majefty's Minified" This mob be thought himfeff bound to fay, in anfwer towhee had fallen front the Noble Lord, and be hoped that their Losilltips would pardon his haying fo long trefpatiod OD their time. Lord Arco ta no perfedity coincided in the reafoning adopt ed by the Noble Lord who (poke Lift, and contended, that al though with wiped to other countries the kith Bank notes meth , appear to have (offered Come depreciation, yet It was certain they had undergone no interior depreciation, or that their value was not dimlnillted in any transfer or tranfadies carried on within the country. The Marquis of Sitoo fpohe in (amour of tie fairedon of the Bank of Ireland, but was ready to allow that the notes of the Bank of Ireland have (offered a depreciation when they were to be exchanged for guineas, which treat a variety of castes, were exceedingly knee in Ireland. Lord Kora in explanation Paid, that when be talked of the depreciation of bank Dotes, be had in view their =change for guineas. - - - - The queftioe for the laved reeding of the 1111 vves thee agreed to, and the Bill was ordered to be seeneeittesl es Mayf air. S. Lord Mote • etym lied a wtOt that the Dil rdpealsti the above dercription of purloin might now be read a Wood tante, leaving it open for any Noble Lord to Rate bit objedions either to the principle or the provibons of the Bits, when it came los a Committee. The Hook acquit:feed in the wills of the Neils Lnrd, and the Ell was ordered to he sonunirted ea Friday. The Vexatious Arun Bill was alto deterred. HOUSE OF COMMONS. A Merge from the Lords informed the Hottfe, that tC-ir Lord:hips had agreed to the kith Revenue Bill; the Sugar and Coffee Drawback Bill; the Innkeepers' inereated Allowance Bill, and to feveral private Bills. NOTTINGHAM ELECTION HMI.. Mr.l. H. BtowNs moved the Order of the Dar, for the third reading of the Nottingham EleCtion Bill ; which being read, Mr. Fox role, and Paid he mull give it his de. tided oppofirion, not withaanding the little fuccers he had hitherto met with in lo doing. He laid, this Bill being carried in the manner it was, added one more flrong proof to the many which had pre. ceded it, that no opportunity is to be loft fight of; that will add to the power of the Executive Go. vernment. He then adverted to the language of leniency, which had been fo liberally ufed by thole who fupportetl the Bill, and denied that it was ap. plicaLle to the fubjea. On the contrary, he fail, the Magiftrates challenged them to profecute, and therefore this Bill, under fuch pretences, was the leveret punithment that could be inflided, if they were not guilty ; and if they were guilty, they ought to be proceeded againft accordingly. This re medy, he aid, was by no means applicable. If the Magiftracy was not ttrong enough at Notting. ham, increafe their number of eleftive Magiftrates, but do not (trip them of their franchifes,by making additional Crown Magiftrates out of the county, and giving them a concurrent jurifdietion with thole of the town. Mr. Fox went over nearly the fame ground of argument as on a former night. to fliew that fimilar riots had taken place at other places, fuch as London, Birmingham. Coventry, &c. but that no notice had been taken of them, nor any attempt made to fisperfede, or even re prehend the Magiftrates who flood by, and never attempted to (top them, in no inftance; but when an opportunity occurred of doing away an eleftive Magiltracy, it was not to be negleaed : that, in deed, feemed to be a panacea for every evil. If the Magiftrates were guilty, punifh them by law ; that would be following the diastes of 'plaice ; but de- Rroying the rights of eleftors for an abufe of power by the Magiftrates, was a new principle, and fuch a one as he hoped never to fee aeted upon again. though this Bill fhould pats into a law. At all events, he Paid, it appeared that the interett of the Magiftrates in that town was to be facrificed and deftroyed, to ftrengthen that of the Tories. He afked, in what inßance the Magiftrates of Notting ham had not done their duty ? Had they not done it on the fubjeEt of licences ? It feemed moll clear they had ; for there were fewer public-bottles there now than for many years before. He denied that the Magiftrates were felf-eleeted. The burgeffes. he Paid, cleft them from the fenior Aldermen, fo that the rights of thofe againft whom there was no complaint (for the burgeffes are not mentioned either in the refolutions or in thepreamble to the Bill), are by this Bill annihilated. Mr. Fox then adverted to a pamphlet, which he bad in his pocket, and which he took out, and a paffage of which ho read as a part of his fpeech, in which the author imputes to the Magiftrates of Nottingham this very Bill as a reproach, and fays, 4. What mutt the Magiftracy of fuch a town be, which Mall oft in fuch a manner, as to draw on itfelf fo fevere d f• - exemplary, and fo difgraceful a punifhmeeti" •If there be delinquency, Paid he, a legal remedy would have been beR if no delinquency, then be contended the Bill was moll unjuft and oppreffive„ by which the Houle laid a precedent, that if fol. lowed up, would not leave a Corporation in the country in a (tort time ; and if foci an inftance &told again occur in London, as in 1780, where evidently the Chief Magiftrate did not do his duty. Iwith fuch a Bill as this on the table they may fay. Treat the City of London as they did Notting ham. For thefe reafons, the Bill fhould have his decided negative. Mr. Boats recapitulated molt of his old argu ments in fupport of the Bill, which, he infilled. was abfolutely necelTary, in order to fecure the freedom of eleftion at Nottingham, that never had been, for many years, enjoyed, nor ever would or could be, without Tome efficient meafure of this kind. The Hon. Gentleman who had jet fat down, bad, on the fecond reading of the Bill, ar gued at great length againfi the principle of the Bill; and, in the Committee, had propofed an amendment, which would indeed, if adopted, have rendered the 8,11 perfeftly inefficient and nugatory; but which, in every other refpea, embraced the whole principle of the Bill. He Paid, that whatever high founding language might be ufed by the Hon. Gentleman, or any other, by calling it an invafion of rights, or a disfranchifement, or any other names they might choofe to give it, he was deter. mined not to be driven from the broad line of his public duty, which told him that fuels a meafure was abfolntely neceffary, and which had, there fore, impelled him to bring forward and fupport the prefent Bill. He iafifted, that the proceeding of the Committee had been molt lenient, and de fended that expreffion which had been fo feverely attacked by the Hon. Gentleman, as perfolly ap.. plicable. The Magiftrates, he Paid, had not done their dos; they had coffered the freedom of eke. tion to be violated ; and in Paying that the Com. mittee bad abed with lenity, he had been Pup. ported by the Hon and Learned Gentleman, who appeared before the Houle, on the fecond reading of the Bill, in behalf of thofe very Magiftrates; and who. in his addrefs to the Houle on that occa- Lion, had acknowledged that the Committee had proceeded with a degree of lenity towards his cli ents, which called for their thanks and gratitude. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then entered into a comparifon of the Bill. as it now flood, and as it would have Rood with Mr. Fox's amendment, had it been adopted, and Rrenuoully contended. that the principle was, in every refpea, the fame, except in refpea to its efficiency; there. indeed. they very widely differed ; and for that reafon the prefent Bill bad his moil hearty fupport. Mr. Gear Paid, that inftead of combating be arguments of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Fox), the Hon. and Learned Gentleman who (poke laft had thought fit to reft upon a declaration of his own o:,inion.unfupported by matter of argument. The ' Hots. and Learned Gentleman, he raid, bad alto referred to the circumhtance of his Hon. Friend baring propofed an amendment, as fuppofing that I