The National Register. — London, England, 1811-02-24 00:00:00

•.,•• 'they — deserved indulgence them have it ; for these fellows In red waistcoats-and blue breeches. (Here Anotver cry'of Order ! Order ! interrupted the Speaker ). —The Juke of Richmond was a fair, honest, and candid man ; they 'might depend' upon it he has used lenient measures, and if they -did not succeed, like a brave man, he resorted to more effectual 'measures. He knew him to be a generous as well as a brave man, and all generous and brave men were inclined to lenient measures before they resorted to harsher. He would lot give an intemperate opinion upon the subject, but he was sure from the spirit of the present Government, any measures which were adopted would prove to have been expedient and necessary. The question being loudly called for, the House divided. For Mr. Ward's Motion, 43-. Against it 80.—Majority, 87. SATURDAY, FEB. 23. .' REPORT OF WAYS ANfo MEANS. Mr. ASHLEY COOPER brought up the Report of the Com mittee of Ways and Means, and the several Resolutions were read and agreed to; and Bills ordered to be brought in agree ably thereto. BRITISH FISHERY BILL. Mr. Rost brought up the British Fishery Corporation Bill, which was read a first time,—.Adjourned to Monday. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. THE PULPIT in our next Number. LOntlOtt. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1811. THE KING. Bulletins of his Majesty's health issued since our last :--- ,Sundcll-1-fis Majesty's progress is gradual and satisfactory. Monday—His Majesty continues much the same. Tuecday—His Majesty proceeds favourably In his recovery. Wednesdays—His Majesty is going on very favourably, although MS indisposition admits of little variation from day to day. Thursday—His Majesty's progress confirms our expectations of his recovery. Friday—His Majesty goes on satisfactory. Saturday-,—His Majesty goes on in the most satisfactory man ner. f ' t We have perused with considerable satisfaction the French official account of the situation of their army in Portugal, although we had news from our army of a fortnight later, as the tone of .it prove; that the vain-boasting enemy is far from being very sanguine in his expectations to drive Lord W LANGTON out of Portvgzl. His position, they say, is very strong—why we know that already ; but BUONAPARTE should have calculated on the proba. bility of strong positions being occupied by our "Generals, before he declared to France and to all Europe, in a speech to his Senate, last September two years, that in two months, two short months, there would not be a single town of Spain in insure rection, and that his eagles would then float over the towers of Lisbon. This ai count is moreover 'intermixed with the usual gross and palpable falsehoods with which those kind of French pro, ductions usually abound. The French army, it says, 44 has suffered no privation," and yet they have retreated several miles, 46 because they found it necessary to draw nearer the country whence its supplies are derived," and farther ; gg the plain of Golgou, which for the last three months has sup. plied the army, being exhausted, our detachments have gone in search of corn even to the Banks of the IVlOndego." It is evident, that when that part of the country is exhausted too, they must retreat still more, and send their detachments still further. or course they have no sick and no deserters, although we see them arriving daily in our transports from Portugal. Of their preparations to throw a bridge over the Tagus we were already apprized ; but the passage is guarded by a numerous flotilla manned by our brave tars, and Bvosrar4irres heroes are not fortunate in their encounters with them. No news of importance had transpired at Patis on th! 12th inst. Private letters from the French coast, of the 16th inst. mention, that the embargo would be conti nued until the fate of the Hamburgh and Bremen vessels detained in this country should be ascer tained. If this is really the only motive for this mea sure, which we very much doubt, the embargo is likely soon to be raised, for an order - for the release of vessels of that de':cription has been issued from the Government Offices. They are to be allowed to return in ballast to their various ports, but are not to be permitted to appear again in British ports, under the penalty of being taken and considered as lawful pi izes, as coming, from the enemy's ports. This sudden and unlooked-for act of our Go. vernment has been occasioned, we are credibly in formed, by a compassionate consideration of the circumstances under which those ships were de tained—they are considered as having been taken by surprise. It is in consequence presumed, that the releasing of those vessels will produce the removal of the embargo in the ports of the Continent, and that the order Tor the detention of vessels on that side will soon also be removed. • It is reported that Sir GEORGI 4 NOGN.NT is to suc ceed Lieutenant-General kilbwiTT, as Commander in Chief in ;India, . • • p • • - • v..-- 4 .... 4 h1E NAT lON A 1: t I Elt - but a plea was set up 9 FRANCE. CATHOLIC COMMITTEE. An animated Debate took place on Friday in both Houses of Parliament, on motions for the produc tion of papers relating to the conduct of the Irish GovernMent towards the Roman Catholic Com mittee. The min on was lost in the House of Lords without a divisi6. The Hon. Mr. WARD brought for war the question in s the House of Commons, where it was opposed by Ministers on the grounds that the papers demanded would not give sufficient information as to the motives by which the Irish Government were actuated. From what fell in the Debate we ;ire more and more convinced that the moment is not yet come to comment on that most important question. We are friendly to the cause of the Roman Catholics, but we wish to See their claims urged with moderation ; we wish to be convinced that no desperate party lurking behind the most respectable Noblemen and Gentle men who compose. the Committee, and unknown to them, can have an opportunity of stirring the peo ple to mutiny in the name of religion ; and lastly, we wish, like Lord. GRENVILLE, to see national conciliation established between the two Sister Countries on the broad basis of mutual concessions.