The National Register. — London, England, 1811-04-07 00:00:00

216 CAof. OF 1:4 7 , .‘;;:c.slGE. Lord FlLits TONE said, that if no decision took place early in next term, he would make a motion to inquire whether the prosecution was to proce..4 or drop. The ATI oarity-GeN ER AL stated that the case was under the con6ders - ion or the Judges, and the prdsecution was "hot given up. IVir. Was RTON moved for an Account of the Surplus of the Consolihated Fund, to sth April, 1811.---Ordered. Mr. Hever:Eß gave notice that ht intended, on Monday next , to sub,nit to the Houso certain resolutions respecting the Bank Restriction Bill, ar.d moved, that on Monday, the 29th instant, the House should resolve into a Committee to consider of the Report made, last Session, by the Bullion Committee. - - BANK DISCOUNTS. Mr..HuSKINSON, after some observations moved, that there be laid It fore the House a comparative. Scale of the Commer cial Disc Gut is of the Bark of England from the Ist January 1790 to th(• Ist of January, 1811. Mr. MAN NINO rose, to oppose the motion, which he did upon the ground that it was wholly unnecessary, and would tend to an exposure of the internal management of the Bank that might be highly prejudie.ll. Mr. Ho r , ER decht red hip full approbation of the motion of the Right 1 !00. Gentleman (Mr. Huski son,) from', a teling th at the informatiol required was extremely essential to the discussion adver eel to. Mr. MARRY r said the Bark bad become a mere state engine. Consitlerirg the state of things, It was impossible to decide whether !link Notes or licenses were the greater cala miti. We were burning the candles at both ends.' The paper mill of the Bank had given occasion to other paper mills, till or - n•ri banks had increased from 200 to 700.—These were acme of the considerations which induced him to support the motion. After some further observations from Mr. H. Thornton ' Mr. Baring, and Mr. W. Smith, the House divided, Ayes 2.7, Noes 56-6 Majority against the motion, 88. E NATIONAL fElt. tonbon. SUNDAY. APRIL 7, 1811. THE KING. Bulletins of his Majesty's health issued since our last publication : Sunday—The King continues to go or well. Wainer Majesty's ct ntinues to go on will. On Sunday last the prayer for his Majesty's re covery was omitted at the Chapel Royal ; and on the same day it was announced that the Bulletin would be published but twice a week. These are to be regarded as evidence of his Majesty's ap proach to convalescence. DISPATCHES FROM LORD WELLINGTON. D SAsTROUS RETREAT JF MASSENA. Portugal may now be considered as wrenched from the grasp of its invaders. It has probably even now ceased to be polluted by the presence of a French soldier. 'We lately stated that MASSENA commenced his retreat frwo Santarem the sth of March, in the direction of the Zezere, on which he had previously established bridges and fries de pont. We also exprLsstid our hope that the garrison of Abrantes, strengthened by the corps lately under the command of General HILL, would endeavour to occupy the left hank of that river, so as to im pede his passage. We know not whether this ape- a 4 , ••V .1;V:oi 14,4 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. rati,n was carried into effect ; but it Appears by the cispatches from his Lordship, received yest Ar. day, and dated Villa Sera, 14th and 16th ult. that MAssmt, instead of continuing his retreat towards the Zezere, along the right bank of the Tagus, by far the shortest way into Spain, suddenly turned to the right, and endeavoured to reach Coimbra. A series of sharp skirmishes ensued between our ad. vanced guard and his rear, which frequently took up strong positions, from which it was constantly driven, either br charges of our cavalry and light infantry, or by bold and skilful demonstrations on its •flanks, chiefly by the divisions under the com mand of General PICTON, Brigadier-General PACK, and Sir WILLIAM ERSKINE. A large number of prisoners fell into our hands at every encounter, and the line of retreat of the enemy was strew ed with wounded and dead, with ammunition and broken carriages. Cut off from Coimbra, by the superior rapidity of our march, his intention of crossing the, Mondego was frustrated, and he moved along its left bank through a difficult coun try, in the hope of being able to cross it nearer the frontiers, and to regain Almeida. That it is in Lord WELLINGTON'S power to prevent his re-enter ing Spain cannot be reasonably expected, but there is no doubt that he will only bring back to Ciudad Rodrigo, if he is not compelled to seek for safety still further, the wrecks of that large army with which he boasted he would drive us into the sea. It is difficult to conceive what reasons could in duce the French Commander to abandon the line of retreat which he had made preparations to pur sue, especially as he must have been conscious of SOULT, near the confines of Alentejo, to assist his operations, and of the siege of Badajoz undertaken by the diyision under the orders of that Officer. His Lordship's dispatches state that this city fell into the hands of the enemy on the 11th ult. when the garrison surrendered prisoners of war. Later dispatches also received yesterday from Mr. STUART* and dated Lisbon 23d ult. inform us, that in order to facilitate his retreat, MASSENA abandoned all his wounded, and destroyed his baggage ; that he made an unsuccessful stand in the Sierra de Moita, from whence lie was driven with the loss of six hundred prisoners. He adds, that subsequently to the capture of Badajoz and Campo Mayor, SOULT had withdrawn part of his forces, and marched hack with them towards Andalusia, probably to reinforce Via rOR'S army before Cadiz, after the late defeat it experienced. The following are the Official Bulletins issued yesterday evening from the Government's Offices. 'lie intelligence whieh they contain is far more pro mising to the common cause in the Peninsula ) and 1 . 1 0