The National Register. — London, England, 1811-11-17 00:00:00

E NATIONAL REGISTER. Bills of indictment have been found against the Catholic Delegates, arrested in Dublin under the Convention Act, and their trials will come on the Sittings after Term in Dublin. Objections were taken by the Counsel for the Delegates against any Police Magistrate sitting on the rand Jury, be fore whom bills were preferred ; but after a long argument they were over-ruled" by the Court. There are two indictments against Mr. Kirwan. The first states the offence to consist in appointing Delegates, g ‘ under pretence of causing Petitions to Parliament to be framed, and also under pretence df procuring an alteration of matters established by law against the Catholics of Ireland." The se cond Count makes the offence to consist in ap pointing Delegates, 66 under pretence of preparing Petitions to Parliament, and thereby procuring a repeal of the Penal Laws against the Catholics." The person who gave evidence to the Grand Jury against the Delegates, was Captain John Huddle ston, on half-pay of the 46th foot, who attended the Catholic Meetings in quality of a reporter. The Irish Papers exult much in the circumstance of the evidence against them being an Englishman. It appears by the Irish Papers, received yesterday, that the Court of King's Bench had not yet decided upon the demurrer on the plea of abatement, put in on the part of Mr. Kirwan, one of the Catholic Gen tlemen under prosecution at the suit of the Govern ment,The object of the plea is to quash the in dictment, on the ground that, for certain causes spe cified, the persons who compose the Grand Jury aie not fit and lawful persons for that purpose. A private letter from Dublin, in a Cork paper, speaking of Captain Huddleston, who gives evi dence against the Catholic Gentlemen now under prosecution, says—" This man's manners are gen tlemanlike, for I know him personally. He is a native of England, and a Catholic ' • at least the Catholic doctrines are those which he professed. He is related to some of the first Catholic families in England. The matter has produced no com mon sensation here. It is said Captain Huddle ston declares, that he has nothing to accuse the Catholics with except to verify the fifth Resolu tion of the last Aggregate Meeting, which recog nizes and acts upon the principle of delegation. As to the purpose of the Catholics, Mr. Huddle ston, it is said, will swear, to the best of his belief, that they were legal and constitutional." The same letter continues :—" I have just learned that Government have changed the mode of their proceeding. Instead of going on the purpose and pretence,' as synonimous, they have set forth their indictment, as to the pretence' only. This recognizes, virtually at least, the principle of Petition by Delegation. It will be now for Hud dleston and the informers to shew, what we are convinced they cannot, without prevarication, at tempt, that the Catholics had other objects besides those of petitioning, where they assembled." It was stated on Friday by the Attorney-General in the Court of King's Bench, that, of the French Officers who were prisoners of war in this country on their parole, one-fourth of them had effected their escape ; and that one condition on which alone smugglers from this country were permitted to land their goods in France was, the bringing over with them a French prisoner. ""T'' We learn from the Cadiz Papers, that the divi sions under Marmont and Dorsenne have again di vided. The former has passed by Placentia to. wards Talavera de _Reyna, and the latter has taken the road to Valladolid and Salamanca. Tile Al lied Army, it is added, have in consequence ad. vanced upon Ciudad Rodrigo. General Castanos has joined General Hill in the Alentejo. Marshal Suchet repeated his attack on the Tor tress of Saguntum, on the Bth ult. but was again repulsed ; no progress has therefore been made by the French towards the capture of Valencia. The French find the Spanish regiments (who have sworn fealty to Joseph) to be more troublesome m the watching than serviceable in arms ; and are there fore suspected of an intention to remove them to the North of Europe. A considerable tumult had arisen at Cadiz, in consequence of the proposal of a Member of the Cones, to revive the Inquisition. The populace were so enraged against him, that it .was found ne cessary to convey him on board ship to preserve his life. A vessel is arrived from Bilboa, having sailed from thence in the commencement of the present month. The Letters received by her strongly con firm the opinion we have long entertained, that no circumstance, however difficult, can deprive the Spa nish guerillas of their energies. The enemy, accord. ing to the Letters from Bilboa, are so alarmed at the strength and near approach of the Spaniards, that they have had recourse to fortifying that place in every direction in which it is considered assail able. Notwithstanding such precaution, a lively hope was cherished that the guerillas would suc ceed in their object. The British Government has agreed to permit merchants to trade with France on a system of reci procity ; and a circular letter was sent round to the merchants on Thursday, making the proposal, of which the following is a copy 44 Mr. —is requested by the Board of Trade to inform those interested in the trade with France, that licenses will he granted, permitting the importation of wine from Frans.e, in return for certain articles to be exported from this kingdom : the conditions of such exports may be learned at the Council Office." The conditions alluded to are,—For every ton of wine import ed the it erchant must be obliged to export either one hogshead of sugar of 12 cwt. 10 cwt. of coffee, one ton of copper, or 1001. value of British cloth, woollens, or Wiens. The wine on impor tation to pay the duties for borne consumption. The following letter from Dover gives some in teresting particulars relative to the capture of the praam by the Skylark sloop and Locust brig : " Dover, Nov. 1.3. " The enemy seem very active in getting the craft along shore from Boulogne to Dunkirk, and other ports to the east ward. A gallant action has been fought by the Skylark sloop, Lieutenant Bexer, and the I .ocust gnu-brig, Lieutenant Gedge, and thirteen praams and brigs. Several of the enemy's vessels were much damaged, and one praam cut off from the rest, and driven on shore, when the Locust ran on shore nearly alongside of him, and kept up such a destructive fire, that several of the Frenchmen jumped overboard and swam to the shore, and the praam was taken possession of and got o ff ; likewise the Locust got off;safe. I praam is arrived heregthis tide; she is a long low vessel, built very strong, and draws very little water, has three long guns, French 28-pounders, besides tarronades, several of which were thrown overboard to get her off; she is very much mauled in her hull and rigging, has two large shots through her main -mast, and several in her sides and stern, with the head of her rudder shot away, fore-yard crippled, and up wards of 20. grape-shot in her fore-mast; the people were rut on board the guard-ship in the Downs. i 4, -