The National Register. — London, England, 1812-04-05 00:00:00

APRIL 5r cite the French Officers to execute his plans of naval en terprise, he has substituted the fear of punishment in its stead. The action which took place on the 20th of May, 1811, between three French and three British frigates, and in which, after two engagements, of several hours each, the enemy lost all their ships but one, which es caped back to France, was too , glorious to our arms, to be forgotten. The account given by our Commander described the conduct of the enemy, on that occasion, as equally resolute and skilful. Notwithstanding this tribute of hostile praise, NAPOLEON ordered the Captain of the frigate which had escaped, to be tried by a Court-martial, and the Council of War, composed of Admirals ROSSILLY, GAN TB EAUME I MISSIESSY, MERIA Up &C. on the evening of the 18th ult. decreed by a majority of voices to two— 16 That JAcQUEs SAINT Caicg, member of the Legion of Honour, formerly commander of the Clorinde, was guilty of disobedience to the orders of his commander, but not in presence of the enemy ; and con demned him to be cashit red, and declared unworthy to serve, as well for that fault, as for having taken no part in the second engagement, in which the Renommee yielded ; and for having abandoned that frigate through a false manoeuvre, irresolution, and .want of judgment; and that, in conformity with the article of the law, which was read by the President, ("Every commander of a ship of war, guilty of disooeytng the orders or signals of his commander, shall be deprived of his com mand; and if his disobedience occasions a separation, either of his own, or another vessel of the squadron, he shall be cvhiered, and be unworthy to serve; if this takes place in presence of the enemy, he shall be condemned to death,"l the Council condemned the accused, JACQ,U Es SAINT Ca leg, unanimously, to three years imprisonment in swch place as the Government should appoint. They farther condemned him to be degraded from the Legion of Honour, and to pay all the costs of the proceedings ; and ordered 200 copies of the judgment to be pub licly affixed. The two dissentient voices in St. CRICQ'S case, were— one for capital punishment, and the other on the applica. Lion of a particular law. Further Paris Papers arrived-on Friday night to the 29th BUONAPARTE iS still at Paris. On the 21st, he was employed in reviewing the troops before the Thuilleries, and on the 26th ult. they tell us he inspected a new bridge, attended by de only five persons !" A new Armistice has been concluded between the Turks and-Russians for forty-fife days ; and we think from the following Article of the Armistice, that peace is likely to be concluded : '6 6. Since it appears to be for the mutual interests of both Powers that Peace on honourable terms should be concluded, Commissioners shall be appointed to arrange the Preliminaries, which, if approved, shall be afterwards rati fi ed by the Sovereigns of the two Empires." The late disturbances at Caen are alluded to, but the dearness of provisions is said to have been only the pre text. It is clear, however, that th it was the sole cause. Sixty-one persons were taken up, and tried by a military commission, though the offence was a civil one, and ought to have been tried by a civil tribunal. Twenty seven were found guilty, nine of whom, four men and fire women, were sentenced to death and executed next day—eight were sentenced to eight years hard labour, and five to five years solitary confinement.—The disturbances lasted several days.—The fact of provisions being exces sively dear is indirectly admitted.—Had it been otherwise, the French Papers would, of course, have stated that the dearness of provisions could. not have been the real cause of the disturbances, because they were nor at a higher price than usual. These Papers contain several Addresses to BUONA PARTE from Electoral Colleges, with his replies to each. In one, he says, g‘ My people shall see me always ready to undertake every thing to ensure the triumph of France over the hatred of England. I confide in their thinking no sacrifices too great, when they shall be deemed pecessary." 217 We mention, with regret, the mi . schief which is said to have been done by the French fleet. The following is an Extract of a• Letter from CaRK, DATED MARCH 31. "The Martin, from Tenerin to Dublin, is arrived at Kinsale. The Master states, that on the 16th ult. in lat. 42. 1 North, long. 13. 4. West, he spoke the Mary, of Bristol, bctincl to Antigua, which was in company with four other vessels; when in lat. 46. 16. long. 12. thtir were chased by six sail of French men of war, who captured the four vessels : the Mary only escaped." " ANOTHER LETTF.R,DATED ICINsALF, MARCH 27. " The Virago gun brig re-captured a Spanish vessel from the Nand of Cuba, which vessel arrived here yesterday. The prize-master stees, he met an English frigate with dispatches from I.ishon, who saw the French squadron, which mad e si g nal to c h ase h er —th e enemy's sltifis were closing the frigate fast, and might have taken her, but that a Ileet of large ships hove in sight, which the enemy must bive supposed to be English line-of-battle ships, and immediately altered their course. " They proved, however, to be East Indiamen ' and from the night coming on, he supposed the East Ind ia m en m i g ht have escaped thew?' By the way of Corunila, letters have been received from Oporto to the 16th ult. at which period, there was a con siderable bustle at that place, in consequence of the em barkation of Portuguese troops for Lisbon. On the 13th, nearly the whole of the regulars were embarked, for the purpose of joining Lord WELLINGTON. They departed in the highest spirits, and amidst the acclamations of the people. All the militia were preparing to proceed to the frontiers, and Oporto would soon be left to the govern ment of the inhabitants alone. Intelligence received from Cadiz, states, that the new Regency had inspired the people with such confidence, that not a murmur was now heard. The French had sent messages into Cadiz, threatening to destroy the city by means of the new-invented howitzers, of the perform ance of which so much has been said ; but these me naces had no other effect than to excite the ridicule of the inhabitants. It is stated that the Regency of Spain has refused to ratify the treaty concluded between Viceroy ELIO and the Junta of Buenos Ayres. Earl WELLINGTON has accepted from the Cortes of Spain the title of Duke of Ciudad RodrigO, subject to the future approbation of his own Government. The PRINCE REGENT of PORTUGAL has given the Gran& Order of the Cross to Generals HILL, GRAHAM, and SPENCER. Monday evening his Excellency Count of FERNAN . NuNEz, Duke of Montallano, Ambassador from his Most Catholic Majesty FERDINAND VII. attended by Colonel LANDMANN and suite, arrived in town. They landed at Falmouth on Friday, after a passage of sixteen days from Cadiz, in his Majesty's ship Ganymede, Cap lain PURVIS. Mr. THORNTON, the British Envoy, sailed on Thurs. day. morning, in the Alexandria frigate, from Leith Roads, bound to Stockholm in the first place, and ulti mately to St. Petersburgh. A letter from Lisbon, dated the 6th ultimo ' says••••• 6 6 Throughout Spain it is universally the wish of the people to be organised as an army by British Officers ; but the higher classes oppose this—and it is known to be the determination of the Regency never to submit to it ; but the people who are well acquainted with the great name of Lord WELLINGTON, call out for him as their only General." We are happy to state, that the Staunch gun-brig, which was supposed to have been lost, with all the crew, arrived safe at Madagascar, where she was afterwards sold, out of the service. Captain STREET, who formerly commanded that vessel, came home in the Java, which is arrived at Portsmouth. THE NATIONAL REGISTER.-