Star. — London, England, 1810-06-15 00:00:00

the Bill, and contend that the tegtslation of the (Ace did not come within the view of an Act of Par liament, when this very office was, in the opinion of the Honourable Gentleman, one of those which ought to be regulated by Act of Parliament. With respect to the assertion, that it was intended by the Bill to prevent any regulation, that was founded in fallacy, for he would most solemnly deny that any s uch intention existed. He had no difficulty, however, in admitting, that it was not intended to diminish the profits of the office. The opinion of the House on the subject of interfering with the vested rights Of in dividuals was, he conceived, uniform. The House thought that the regulations ought not to apply in that case. As to the original grant of the office of Registrar, no twithstanding what the Honourable Gentleman had asserted, it was a leg • rant. The other observations respectitig the rn es of suitors wer e not well applied ; for he (Mr. Perceval) had made the statement across the table, not being ap prized exactly of the face; he had the next day rs. ceiveci from his brother full information, and lost no time in communicating that information to the Ho. nonrable Gentleman. The profits in one year recei ved by the Registrar were about £7BOO. It was at the option of the suitors, either the captor or corn. plainant, by application to the Court, to have the m onies laid out for the benefit of whomsoever the decree might terminate in favour of. As to the ana logy of the case to that of the Masters in Chancery, t h at would not bear, for theirs was a case of delin quency, here no complaint had been made. The B:11, even supposing that an Order in Council was . the proper mode for regulating the office, could not preclude such Order being made. Mr. BANKES thought, that whatever the prac tice might have been, no public servant could be jus tified in putting out the public money to hazard for his nun advantage. He did not say that a degree of delinquency was attached to the practice which some imputed to persons so acting, but be still thought the act unjustifiable: he had the greatest respect for the character of Lord Arden, but thought some altera tion ought to be made in the office of the Registrar of the Admiralty. Mr. STEPHEN observed, the Court of Admiralty had the power of interposing in behalf of one of the parties, provided proper security were given for any icss that might arise from the sale to the other. Mr. Alderman JACOB understood the Honour. able Gentleman's object to be a solid and substantial reform. The question was, whether the office of the Yegistrar of the Admiralty should remain as it is, vr he regulated by certain rates of interest, after such rates have ceased to exist? The present measure, hronght forward by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Went to save the public money, and was as far as it went (and nn one had contended it ought to go far. ther) a measure of reform, yet it was opposed by those who professed to be friendly to a reform. If the Bill did not go as far as they might wish, that could not be urged as an objection to the measure, seeing it intettered with no other plan of reform. He Amid give it his most hearty support. „ Mr. W. SMITH was of opinion, that if no other ground of objection existed, its insufficiency to answer the purpose for which it was intended afforded ample grounds for the opposition it had experienced. That of which he complained, and which he would call a Monstrous usurpation, the employing of the public money for private emolument, was only supported by modern practice against ancient law. He wished the office to be better regulated. There were three great sinecures in the country, the emoluments of wliieh were immense in war time, but dwindled to nothing on the return of a peace. Was it right that such sine cures should be held by the Ministers of the Crown ? Surely not, as a premium was thus held out to them for the continuance of the war. Did the Registrar of the Adm . ralty give security for the office he held? If he did not, it was ton much that lie 'should be suf fered to make use of the public money. They ought lint to argue so mach on the respectability of die dm- racter of the party holding that office. Public money so used was used improperly, he would not say ille gally, net that the Ncble Lord s.) using it was aware of the impropriety of making such an application of It. Upon a view of the whole, whatever the stage of the Bill might be, he should move that it be postpo zed to that day three months. . Mr. ROSE shortly replied to the principal argu ments of the last Speaker. The sum left in the hands of the Registrar of the Admiralty did not exceed i: 80 ,000. Of that £30,000 was for the country, and .1:30,000 belonging to captors. The measures about to be adopted would materially lessen the sum lett in his pre, and if the parties interested did not gain that which was their due, it would be their own fault. mensure, he contended, was in itself innocent, 'ad as far as it went, had a tendency to supply a practical reform to many evils complained of. It . mould prevent grants being made for the time to •:orrie as they hitherto had been, and above all, it not prevent the suitors from taking their own 'Aloney. He could see no inconveniencies likely to e..ist from i t , b ut h e t h oug h t i t wou ld b e pro d uct i ve et considerable advantages. Mt% G. JOHNSON thought, that in the Courts of Admiralty abroad it was impossible to attend to every ,-, mplane. It was unjust for the neutral to be obliged i)ay zo the Public Exchequer. To exempt the na •,e, trom this renroach, some regulation should be 11'.. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY was of opinion that the Bill should undergo a more serious deliberation than the prescat.—Excessive reward was a system that should be abolished. There were - several objec tionable parts in this Bill ; he wat far, however, from any improper motive* to the Right Hon. Gentleman. He conceived that the custom ofofficersj in a Court of Justice, having in their possession the money of suitors, and applying the same to their trivate advantage, should not be sanctioned by the Legislature. He was astonished at what had been laid respecting the Masters in Chanter/ ; he denied tht accusation of general delinquency. He could not APprove of the Bill, either in its resent or amended form. hlr. ROSE explained. Pie SOLICITOR GENERAL hoped that tho statements of the Learned Gentleman would not meet with the apyrobation of the House. The mod' Proposed by his Right Hon. Friend was the best ; to adopt any other would be incurring the imputation of folly and meanness. It would remedy every evil, and Ace in the hands of the suitors a Ty reasonable posszets kegtstrar he deemed to be a Banker, chosen eoluntarily, and not a trustee, at had been re presented: The doctrine on which the Bill was in tended to be thrown out would shake the legitimacy of several estates which had been granted by the Crown. No resumption of a grant ever took place without the party receiving a compensation. The question was then called for, and strangers withdrew. After some time, without a division taking place, we were readmitted, and found _ _ _ Mr. MARTIN speaking on the same subject. He made a variety of observations on the nature of the net proceeds of cargoes. He had no desire to oppose the amendment. Mr. ROSE said, that every assertion he made on naval subjects were as well entitled to credit as those of the Honourable Gentleman. It was his intention to bring in a Bill of Regulations next*Session, for the purpose of doing justice to a very valuable set of men. The clause was then brought up,rcad,and agreed to. Mr. G. JOHNSON then proposed another clause, relative to the adjudication of prizes. Mr. ROSE stated, that a clause of a similar nature already existed in the 46th of Geo. 111. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY, the SOLICITOR-GENERAL, and Mr. W. SMITH, made a few observations. The clause was then read and agreed to. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated, that the appointment of the office was only during pleasure. The Bill with its amendments was then ordered to be engrossed and- read a third time to-d.►y.—Ad journed. THE EVENINU srmt LONDON. FRIDAY, JUNE 13. PRICE OF STOCKS 'I'IIIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. S per Ci. Cons. shut—for npg. 7.t. per Ct. Reduced 70—i per Crat. 11514. S per Ct. Navy shut—Otunium I pron. Di:.patches, dated the Tdd ult. were this morning received by Government from Lord IVELLitioroN. The head-quarters of the army were at Celerico.— No militiry operations at that time had taker. place. The accounts brought by the Oporto convoy are to the 22d ult. and from the Head-quarters of the British army three days earlier. The French have been for some time establishing large magazines (4 provisions at Salamanca, from which k was con cluded that they had some great enterprize in con templation. The force of General JUNOT on that station is much larger than has been represented,. consistirg of 1600 cavalry and 18,000 infantry. The subjoined letter, though not of the latest date, contains some particulars deserving of attention : 1, PINHEL, MAY H. " We have been here ever since the month of Ja- ' nuary, having, alter leaving the Honourable Regi ments of Guards, with the Commander in Chief, at Viseu, crossed the Tagus, via Abrantes, its our march hither. Some are of opinion that we shall soon make another movement in advance, and give the enemy battle. The fact appears to us to be, that Monsieur would rather play a game that would cost him less blood and trouble. Indeed, situated as we are in point of numbers, I do not think it would be wise or politic in us to advance, although I am happy to say thc army is healthy : for, notwithstanding the enemy is continually annoyed by the teas:ng and desultory fighting of the Spaniards, I think he might succeed in pushing on and cutting us off from Oporto and Lisbon. I art glad to say that the spirit and enthu siasm of the Spaniaids are still alive ; as well as their hatted and detestation of the French. Nothing can be a greater proof of this, and of the broken cam municmion, and isolated sate of the French t.rmies, • than the facility with which the British prisoners escape front Madrid, who are perpetually dropping into us in patties cf two, three, and four together, habited in die me st fantastical native costume, mad so effectually disguised, as even to deceive their for mer acquaintance. The skirm:shing which the enemy had with our advance, under General ROBERT CRAV• roe D, on the frontiers, near Almeida, Was most likely for the good-natured purpose of keeping us on the alert in that quarter, while some more consider able divisions of their army might pass by Castello- Branco, and south cif the Tagus, to cut us off from Lisbon. Every day we were in expectation of a brush with them. I hope Lord WEELINGIOI4 has profited sufficiently from p Ist experience, not to ad vance hence without a certain prospect of success., His Lordship arrived here yesterday, and it is be lieved, intends setting out to-day for Almeida, to T , - connoitre our positions, and see what is best to be Jane. I heartily wish the campaign was over. Ge neral CRAUFORD commands the advance, nor could we have a more zealous or active Officer for such a service." . . Letters from the North of Spain have also been re. ceived, viz. of the 26th from St. Sebastian, and of the 30th from Corunna. In OaHide the greatest ar dour prevails among the peasantry fur the defence of the country, but they are almost without arms.— It is stated that the French are now sixty thousand strong in theneighbourhood of Ciudad Roth igo and Salamanca, and that an attack upon the allies was ex pelted by the first convenient opportunity. It was sup posed at Corunna that upon the apro* of s uch as event, General hiLtiu. would send a reinforcement to Lord WELLiNcrcs i yet it is extremely doubtful if such a co-operation will either be desired-or permitted. It is added, that the desertions from the enemy are froquent, and that the assistance of these vagrants had materially conduced to the improveinent of the forti fications at the defiles of Villafmnca t and at the north eastern extremity of Gallicia. THE KING COBBETT.—This MOillfilg t at an early hour, the avenues leading to Westminster Hall were crowded in an unusual manner with persons anxious to hear this important trial. The Special Jury having been called over, and Lord ELLENBOROUGII having taken his seat in the Bench, at nine o'clock, the plead ings were opened by Mr. GARROW, on the part of the prosecution. He stated, that the complaint now made against Mr. Cobbett, was for certain libellous words in his Register tending, as the indictment alledged, to excite mutiny and desertion in the army. The pas sage alluded to occurred some months ago, when Mr. Cobbett noticed the circumstance of a party of the German Legion having been called in to quell a riot or mutiny among the privates of a local 'militia regi ment in Cambridgeshire. After the evidence for the Crown was gone through, Mr. Cobbett stood up and addressed the Court in a speech which lasted an hour and a half. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then replied at great length, when Lord ELLexisoaotJam summed up the evidence : the Jury then retired for a few mi nutes, and returned a verdict of Guilty. Mr. COBBETT was in Court when the verdict was returned. Paris papers to the 6th and Dutch to the 10th instant, have arrived. They do not contain the slightest allusion to Spanish affairs. King Louis still re mained in Holland. The Royal Family of Wirtemberg are in great grief, occasioned by the death of the young Prince (bornlast year) CILUILES PAUL FREDERIC, son of his oval Highness Prince PAUL. Sir TuoMAs TURTON stated, last night, in the House of Commons, that four French frigates had attacked and plundered our establishments at Ben coola.t, in the Island of Sumatra, in the East Indies. %Ve slope that his information was incorrect ; at least we have not heard that any advices to that effect have yet been received by Government. Bencoolen has more than once been visited by the enemy.. About seven years ago Lisots, in the Marengo, accompa nied by two or three frigates, took possession of the harbour, and captured or burnt a large fleet of India men and other vessels. Yesterday a meeting of the Underwriters took place in the Subscription-room at Lloyd's, to receive the Rep:3.r of the Committee appointed to watch the pro gress of the new Marine Insurance Bill, and to oppose the same from pacing into a law. Mr. VA UX, the Chairman, having stated the object of the meeting, and the minutes of the last Board having been read, the Report was given in and read. The Committee ac knowledzed the zeal and ability which had been shewn by Mr. MAttavaTT, and that their present success was in a great measure owing to the active part be had taken in the affair. Mr. MA RitYAT assured the meeting, he should always teel a deep interest in sup porting the cause of those with wham he had spent s o many years of his life; and that, as far as he could, he would oppose the progress of the Bill in question, in case it should be again brought forward in the next Session of Parliament. The thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. MARIIVAT and the Committee, after which it adjourned. FOUR.IN-11AND Ci.t . s.—Yesterday was the dsy ap pointed for the last meeting of the Four-in-hand Club this season. Cavendish square, Ivforti mer. street, Holles-street, &c. were filled with spectators, chario teers, equestrians, and pedestrians, stxm after the hour of noon. Mostly all the members of the rival clubs were present. Every window in every house was crowded with elegance and fashin. All being in readiness in Mortimer -street, at Mr. Buxton's door, about half-pait-one o'clock, except Lord HawKe. After a short delay, information was brought to Mr. BUXTON'S house, that Lord HAWKE'S equipage had been upset, and himself almost killed. This dis tressing intelligence flew like wildfire among the as sembled spectators, who expressed the utmost sorrow at the accident. The following particulars are cor rect :—Lord Hawxs left his own house, in Glou cester place, in a curricle, intending to drive to the stables, where his barouche and four are kept. His Lordship had in the curricle two young blood-horses, which had never been in harness ; they ran against a huckster's cart with a considerable degree of vio lence, the shock of which was so great as to throw him completely out of the curricle to the distance of many yards. By the concussion, his Lordship's shoulder was dislocated, and he received many severe contusions on the head, &c. In a state, totally sense less, he was carried into the house of Mr. CLAVERING SAVAGE, at No. 67, in Gloucester-place, and medical assistance sent for. Mr. HEAVISIDE% the surgeon, attended ; he replaced the shoulder-bone, and dressed the wounds in his head. The Hon. Maims HAWKE, (the Noble Lord's brother) camewith Mr. HEAvistnE. A Bulletin was afterwards issued, as follows : " Lord Hawke is as well as can be expected." Notwithstanding this accident the following Mem bers of the Club started, taking the usual route, but proceeded no farther than Turnham-green, where they put up, and returned to town late in the evening, viz. 1. Mr Charles Buxton's Chariot - - - - 4 bays. 2. Sir Charles Bamfylde's Chariot - - - 4 roans. S. Sir Jo:lu Rogers's Chariot 4. Mr. John Spicer's Chariot 5. Lord Purtarlington's Chariot - - - 4 greys. The last is a newly-admitted Member. Lord HAwl“, seeing the danger, with the greatest humanity and presence of mind, advised his groom to get out behind ; he accordingly did so, and escaped unhurt. CORN Excii•Kor, 11/faite.-1 ANT, JUNR 15.--The Market to kt3y continues to have larger supplies of Wheat—mostly this week's foreign arrivals of near 20,000 quarters, and sales support our last quotation—Barley and Malt nearly at last prices—Beans, of the •wro kinds, likewise—New'Picks 4us. to 48s. per quarter, but few White Peas, and full as dear—there are short supplies of Oats, and this trade is quoted rather higher.—Fbur as our last. GCNZRAL. CVI&X 4CY All wises. Wheat, 85s. 98s. 11 Ys. gains, (old) 600.885, he ditto, 1 i ss. 118 s. Tick ditto (uld) 48s. 545. Lye. 48s. 545. Oats 245. 289. 33.. ladey, 335. 475. Poland ditto, 355. 38a. od. visit itis. 82s. Potatoe ditto, S9s Ods White Peas (b.silers) 74e. Hs. Rape Seed, si6o. 6s. :rey Peas, 465. sls. Fine Fleur 9Ss. 100s.--Seeonds 901.955. •i THE ARMY. The following law ought tq be generally known: If any Agent, Paymaster, or Clerk of atiy gar rison, regiment. troop or company, shell Unlawfully detain or withhold for the space of one month, the pay of any officer or soldier (cloiliet and all other))'ust allowances being first deducted) after Web pay shall be by any of them received, or if arty officer; havils received their soldier's pay, shall refuse to pay each non-commissioned officer or private soldier their re spective pay when it shall become due, and it can be proved before a Court-Martial convened for the pur pose of investigating the same, every such agerm#lsty. master, clerk, or officer, so offending, shall be dis charged from his employment, and shall forfeit to the informer, upon conviction before the said Court, the sum of one hundred pounds • and the informer, if soldier. (if he demands it) shall be discharged froth any further service." NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Tlie Prince Adolphus packet, which sailed from Itmaica the 30th April ; and the Walsingham ppcket from Lisbon, which sailed the 27th ult. h.tve arrived at Falmouth Mails not up.—Tha Marlborough packet arrived at Lisbon the 22d ult Arrived at Portsmouth, The SeBRINA sloop of wk, from Halifax. Arrived at Liverpool the following ships: columns, PA c, from Charleston. Amsterdam Facket,---, from Philadelphia. Mantecella, —, from New York. Mantles, WAN N 1 from ditto. Arrived in the Clyde, The Fayourke, GRAY, from Quebec. PORTSMOU CH, JUNI 14. Arrived the SABRINA, of 18 gnus, from Halifax ; GANNETT, from a cruize; NAIAD, from off Cherbourg. Sailed the AFRICAINE for Plymouth ; DEXTEROUS, OR a cruize.—The HAZARD takes convoy for Newfound. I:intl.—Wind N. N. W. PLYMOUTFI, JUNE 12. Arrived the AMAZON frigate, from a cruize; the DARING gun-brig, from Basque Roads t and the ROYALIST sloop, trout Portsmouth.—Sailed the Cfin cus and PHILONIEL brigs of war—the loaner on a cruize, the Litter for Portsmouth ; and the WEAZLE schooner, for Dartmouth. This afternoon passed down Channel, from Ports mouth, with the wind at W.S.W. the LEDA frigate, 38 guns, Captain SAYER ; with the following outward bound Indiamen under convoy, for Bengal, viz. the Lord Keith, Earl Spencer, Monarch, Larkins, Bata via, Hebe, and Tyne. The LEDA is to accompany them the whole of the way. JUNE !S.—Yesterday arrived a French sloop, laden frith salt, captured by the 0. P. privateer, Captain CLIFFORD ; and three cbasse.mare6s, from 13curdeaux, laden with brandy, • wine, and rozin, captured by the Boats of the DEFIANCE, in Quiberon Bay. The brig Astrea, Captain NHCINTALL ; and tire Douro, Capt. BROWN, from Berbice for London, with cargoes, fell in with, on the 26th ult. in tat. 4S. 3. N. long. 17. W. a large trench privateer, mounting 16 guns, and full (If men, and engaged her for 40 minutes, when tho enemy sheered off, and our vessels were so much crippled in their rigging as to be unable to pursue her. The Astrea bad two seamen killed and three wourded. Captain LiNca and 20 men, belonging to the 16th Regiment, were on board the Astrea, rcurning to England from Berbice ; and I regret to say, that this gallant young officer was killed by a market ball from the enemy, in the heat of the action. The loss of the enemy could not be ascertained, but as she was full of men, and the soldiers on board the Astrea kept up a well-directed fire of musketry into her, during the whole of the engagement, which was yard-arm to yardarm, the slaughter on board her must have been very great. The loss of Captain Lim:ll is moss deeply lamented. Last night a fleet of Merchantmen, under convoy of a ship of the line, amaunting to from 60 to 70 sail, (supposed to be the homeward-bound Mediterranean convoy ). passed up Channel, with a fine breeze at W. S. W.—Arrived the SHANNON frigate, from 4 cruize off Brest ; the FAVOURITE sloop, from a cruize in the Channel ; the ORESTES and PHEASANT sloops. from separate cruises ; and two ship transports, with French prisoners, from the West-Indies.--Sailed the CADNIUS brig of war, on a cruize off the French coast. DEAL, JUNE is. Arrived the FERVENT gun-brig with the Oporto fleet, and are sailed for the River, tfce. Also his Ma jesty's ship AUDACIOUS, from off Flushing.—Sailed the DEFENCE and MONARCH men of war, on a cruize off Flushing.—Wind S.W. Five, P.M.—Several homeward bound vessels are now passing through the Downs with a very fine fa vourable breeze. JUNE 14.—Arrived this morning his Majesty's ship BLoxn, with a fleet from the West Indies, w!lich are sailed for the River ; amongst them are the Helena, PHELAN, for St. Kitt's ; Harmony, BROWN, from ditto ; London, DUNCAN; Caroline, Hairs; and the Kingston, ADKINSON, from Jamaica ; Balfour, Flea- ZER ; Alfred, WILSON ; General Craig, Hantria ; So. vereign, YOUNG ; and Kingston, Coates, from To. bago ; Albion, NtcnoLsow, from Demerara ; Union, COOK ; and Russia Company, DRYSDALE, fmm An. tigua ; Baltic Merchant, SMITH ; and Boddington, SALE, from St. Vincent's ; Flora, Youmc, from Barba. does ; and about SO others, names not known. Also arrived the SAN DOMINGO and IMPLACABLE, from off Flushing.—Wind W.N.W. FROM LLOYD'S LIST. GRAVFSEND, Juts 13.—Arrived the Amelia, Barn.ll, from Rio; Granger, Anity, from St. Vincent's; Hied , Younz; Lady Burgess, —; and Nautilus, Walker, from Grenada ; Hunter; Paley, from St. Domingo ; Thomas, from Whitmore ; Mary Ana, Clark, from Jamaica; Portent, Conde, from Fayal; Avery, Hamn, from Palermo; Fortuna, Patterson, from St. Thomas; and the Princess Mary, Hutchibson, from St. Domingo. lout 14.—Arrived the Story and Sophia, Slaw, from the Brazils; Fleetwood, Chambers, from St. Croix; Roister, Nichol son, from Hayti ; Mars, Baker, from Guadalouye; &Mime, —, from Lisbon ; Julia, Hirling. from Oporo ; Edward and Ann, ---, from St. Thomas.—Sailed, Moron. Beano, for Jamaica. EAST !HERA SHIPPING. The Scabby Castle, Neptune, and Cumberland, arrived in on the 11th, 17th, and 19th October last. The Albion, Olatton, Royal Charlotte, Mrrquis et tly, Princess Amoeba. and Cantu, arrived in Macao 14 tha i s es ae 17th September ; the Nottinshain on the 90th, and.' 'overnice on the 93d. A the Per-