The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-05-11 00:00:00

dI k eli It nt ha Ali hi th nii ;or i h '1 Ih di DLL ift la nn. Y I t I th at i op ria sia t a )rt a he ha td Icy thi rer 111 b. t rp 0 in led I tt, lid 'he nt IS, :tt ea at re e- Dr or OY THE FORGERY OF AMERICAN SHIPS' PAPERS, AND CERTIFICATES OF CITI ZENSHIP. '1 r or - LETTER 11. • • TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. g in ,-1 was correct in my opinion, that the too near prospect of a third Bourbon mar would tempt the cupidity of some of the least reputable of our shipowners and merchants; and that British ship ping would be agaiu seen seeking the ports of France, under the disguise of Americans, and British seamen be again trained and drilled in the practice of per jary I Already have several vessels, thus disguised, ssi:ed from British ports ; and two have gone from the River, the one bound to Dieppe, the other, I believe, to Bourdeaux! These disgraceful transactions were known to ac credited Agents of the United State s , an d i t was i n contemplation to have caused these vessels to be tested in the portsr , f France ; in which case, the per sons so disguised would have had two offences of a very serious nature to answer for; namely, that of entering in disguise the port of a nation with which we stood on the eve of war, whereby the parties might be tried for their lives as being spies ; and secondly, if any authorised Agent of the United States should I prefer a complaint in any foreign port against the ! master and crew for falsely assuming the privileges of the American flag, and of American citizens, by Im mo of forged Documents, as every person who , assumes the disguise becomes a principal in the !emery. they sveeld all become liable to severe and ignominious 'punishment, exclusive of the confiscation ! 'of the ship, and also of the cargo, if belonging to the I same parties. Bat the American Agents, more desirous to prevent than to punish, contented themselves with giving the owners to understand, that if those vessels continued to navigate under the disguise of being Americans, t!..tt they would be seived by American cruizers, s!•fit to America for adjudication, and there dealt according to law. Whilst no proof has ever been adduced that our Government hare thrown any impediment in the way r.f thesecriminal practices, it is notorious that the Go iernment of the United States, and particularly during' the Administration of Mr. GALLATIN, exerted the power vested in them by the law, and where they could not prevent the offence, they never failed to visit it with punishment! The flags and papers assumed by the Merchants and Ship-owners of America, were most commonly she Spanish or Portuguese. The persons offending pleaded in vain that the fraud was practised against the country whose flag was assumed, and that it en abled an American ship to partake of advantages not ()there ise attainable in time of peace—for example, it enabled an American ship thus disguised to sail ditect from the Havannah to Cadiz. Consistent in their professions and their actions, the Government of tlin Unites! States treated the offence as a crime of the blackest dye ; and as they could not punish it as as, infringement of the laws . of Spain and Portugal, tiny tried the parties for imposing upon the laws of the United States, under the disguise of foreigners. If our Government should still suffer a few privi- feud malefactors to commit forgery with impunity, and to hawk about for sale from one coenting-lanuse to another, ftirged public documents of the most SOlelttll description, it is pretty evident the Government of the United States will resist the practice; and if tacir reptesentationa should prove fruitless, that the sword will soon be unsheathed, and, in addition to a Liar with France, we shall again be plunged into hostilities with America. This danger is neither im probable nor remote. The National Inlelligcncer lately contained a paragraph, stating that the ques tion relative to impressments being waved Instead of adjusted, would soon be followed by another war; and this practice, as I stated in my last letter, was confessedly the great producing cause of those im pressment% that led to the last war. The last arrivals from America have furnished us with the PRESIDENT'S' Illessage, relative to the alleged excesses committed by the American troops at York -town, which were urged as a justification of the burning at Wash ington of public edifices, not used for warlike eurpotes. America will, no doubt, keep at itelee, if she remain in that slate with honour; hut it is •almost certain she will not endure the impressment of her seamen under any circum stances,—nor the assumption of her flag, to enable British %hips to enter the ports of France, and thus disguised, memopoliae a commerce to which, as a belligerent,4llohas no just or honourable pretensions. I flattered tn)self in the hope, that my last letter !.,i L; lit hart. caused some iudependent Member to take vp this business in the House of Commons. As ‘..ttly as the year 1805, its existence was announced to the Admiralty Court, but no notice taken of it. iEr)7, it was made the subject of correspondence with Mr. PfneEvar., who acknowledged the baseness tf the practice, but winked at its continuance, on zcrount of the commercial advantages it procured. Mr. QutscT ADAMS, who is appointed to represent . . I, r United States of America at the Court of the Prince Regent, may be daily expected in London ; nod, no doubt, one of the first objects of his mission be to protect the flag of the United States from 'itch daring and dangerous violations, the continu. stioti of which must necessarily ruin the commerce of America wish France, where American ships and American citizens cannot expect to find sia. c!;rity if their neutral character is assumed by the si,ip s and seamen of Great Britain. I firmly be- 1 litre if this wicked system is not radically abo li•hed we shall he involved in another war with the United States before the close of this eventful year. ! May 10, ISIS. VEItAX. I Mr. JOSEPH LANCASTER is Lecturing upon Edo cation in Ireland.—A subscription has been corn metimd, to bear him clear of loss while exerting his talents for the public good; and with a design to retnler it more extensive, a number of Gentlemen have given him a pressing invitation to res' some time in Ireland. The receipts of the Theatre fort of the amiable widow and family of t r. HENRY &BOONS, at Edinburgh, eac 4WI. If our northern neighbours have nut quite so warm a cli mate, they have not colder hearts than Englishmen! JOHNSTON E, SINCLAIR, end Miss O'NEIL, are en gaged to perform a limited number of nights at the Edinburgh Theatre, during the summer season. T~'wi "ME 9TATESMAK NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, MAY MAY 10.—Artived the Leonidas, from the West Indies.—Sailed the Euphratee, Aurphion, Prometheus, and Contelie, for tke coast of France. FALMOUTH, MAY R.—Arrived the Friendship, Elizabeth, Quaker, Renown, Sincerity, and Mi nerva, from London ; and the Phenix and Park, from Guernsey.—Sailed the Caroline and Good Friends, for London. llAnwicit, MAY 10.—Sailed the Diana packet, for Holland; and the Earl Leicester packet, for ilimburgh, both with Mails. DEAL, MAY 10.—Came down from the River the Juliana, Mindua, Lucy and Mary, Ganges, and the Margaret, for Batavia—the Ganges and the Lucy and Mary have sailed to the Westward; Ceres, for Jamaica ; Susan, for Baltimore; Prince George, for Quebec; Pallas, for Gibraltar; Golden Grove, for Genoa; John, fur Surinam; and the Trowbridge East Indiaman, for India. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE AGENT TO LLOYD'S AT ANTIGUA, DATED 13TH APRIL, 1815. I send a Copy of a Letter from Roar-Admiral Durham to the President of the Island of Barba. does, by which it appears he does not conceive a convoy necessary. I am, however, inclined to be• lieve one will be appointed at the usual time : " His 11colest)'s ship Warri .r, CorlLle Ray, Bcorimoloes, Marc h 29, 1815. 44 From the 2d Article in the Treaty of Peace, the time for reprisals is expired ; I have, therefore, to acquaint your Honour the trade will require no further protection, and they are at liberty to sail, as far as relates to me, whenever it is most convenient. " I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. " CHARLES P. DURHAM, Renr-Adiairal, Commander-in-Chief." I " Tco his Unctour, John Spooner, PrestJeot of Barbed. es. DRIIRP-idNE MEETING. attraction of great talents, well rewarded, would continue to secure to them the same success which bad hitherto crowned their efforts. Many persons had subscribed their money with the single view of upholding the Drama ; and what description of per sons would wish to deprive them of the object for Iwhich they embarked in the concern ? Sorely not the persons whose claims on the old Theatre lind Yesterday a numerous Meeting of the Proprietors I been rescued from a state of annihilation be the act of Drury -lane Theatre was held at the Crown and ' of re-building' They would have got nothing, but Anchor Tavern-- for the disinterested efforts of those who schsctibed SAMUEL WHITBREAD, Em. in the Chair, only from the motive of upholding the Drama. And Mr. WHITEHEAD stated the object of the Meeting therefore ha trusted, that though they %) ere to loaf to be, to take into consideration a suggession that the distinguished and Herculean services of their had been thrown out, respecting the propriety of the Honourable Chairman, to whom alone he aserilaed Committee acting on the provision of the Act, by the good fortune which had attended them which they were empowered, if they saw fit, to let they ought not to despair of Omitting a siuh-Com. the Theatre upon lease. Though this was a matter mittee that would act on the system %%Lich he had left to the discretion of the Committee, yet it laid deem • • was a matter in which they would, of course, be, Mr. PETER A100EESO;(1, that:being a 'mile* ote_ desirous to have the opinion of the Proprietors at pointed ender tile Art, h e was steaks,,, to deliver. iris large—and on this being started at the regular ,Meet- ; sineimeets on this of * 'lion. it might he Reseed ing, held under the Act on the preceding Wed u es. that being a Trustee', and as such a vonnaneot Mere. day, this Meeting was appointed, with a more dis. ber of the Committee, he toir , lit he sopposeci capable .tinct notice of the matter to 'be discussed; and he of giving the Meetine informterm .en the sultject of was rejoiced to see the most numerous Meeting that their finances ; but he knew nothin4 exrept from the had ever been convened on any former occasion, so prihted Reports. He agreed with the lion. Mr. ahat the sense of the Subscribers would be properly Kinnaird, however, within a few hundred pounds, taken. To bring the whole question at onto before as to the estimate of f them, he had dole's op a few words in the shape of fore he rose to learn from the hoer. Gent. whet me. a motion, which went to express—Thnt this Meet. tive had induced him to think of the extraordinary ins are of opinion, that if the Committee shall re- proposition of letting the Theatre on a lease. Ile drive an adequate offer from a responsible party, it had never heard a syllable of tie suggestion till half may be advisable for them to let the Theatre on lease an hour before the former Nicotine, and he *weed he :for a term. was struck with astonishment when he heard it Bug. The lion. D. KINNAIRD expressed, in a warm gested. lie therefore put it to the lion, Gent. to and eloquent speech, his astonishment at any such el, how and %by the notion had come into his head. proposition having been made, and could not ac- It surely was not from any necessity—foe they fia , l ; count for it. An alarm had been excited thereby, made near 30,0001.f00t/elms they had divided. Lt l as' if the theatre was in a doubtful, a declining, or was not from any want of persons willing to cnele even a dying state—the doctors had given it over, forward and take the situation, which the 11. M. and the undertakers were called in. Now, he could Gent. and his colleagues had so honourably filled— not see any ground for this alarm. In his mind the since Mr. Kinnaird had named a Noble. Lord. et ey Theatre had been eminently successful, for not way qualified by talents and teal to fill the `i merely had all the estimates of produce upon which tuation—and whose name would girls spierdo.o. they had been induced to subscribe their money been to any literary concern with which he was con. realized, but they had been greatly exceeded, As he fleeted. He hoped alsO that the Honourable should show them from their Reports; for though Mr. Kinnaird himself, whose eloquence on that day they had not divided more than 5 per cent. on their had convinced them all of his ability, would also capital, yet they had gained what would have entitled come forward as a Member of the Sub-Committee— them to divide 10 per cent. if they had not wisely and there could be.no doubt of others. He had al chosen to convert the excess into capital. That haw. ways spoken of the services, the Herculean labours ing subscribed more than 240,0001. out of the of the Honourable Chairman, with gratitude. He 300,0001. which they were entitled to raise, they suspected himself when be differed from that lion. had kept down the dividend to five per cent. and Gentleman, but he must differ with him on this had applied the remainder of the profits to the per- point. He had been the first person himself, in con. poses of the Theatre, which was, in other words, junction with Mr. Jones, of Dublin, to digest the applying it to the increase of their capital.. The plan of settling with the creditors of eld Drury-lane, calculation of their receipts had greatly exceeded the when that Gentlemen offered to take a lease of the estimate in each of the two first seasons ; and it Theatre at 18,0001. per annum. The design was would, no doubt, be nearly the same in the present defeated by the burning of the 'Theatre; but it season. That was not yet brought to a close ; but was upon that , plan that the new Charter was even if it were 30001. short of the two former, and founded, which the lionnurable Chairman had so that they were again to divide but five per cent. wonderfully anti so successfully carried into effect. there would be an excess of profit of no less than Nothing but his masculine mind, hi- eltracirdi from 27,0001. to 30,0001. which would be added nary perseverance, and his commendina talents to their capital. The calculation had been made could have carried it through. Dot those very tae on a receipt of 66,0001., and they had actually lent, had made the task easy for those who were to I received for the two first seasons more than 76,0001. come after him. lie had ,put every e thing in such while their expenditure had only exceeded the esti. order that a new Committee could net go wrong.— mate by less than 10001. If then the estimated re. Every thing was written, arranged, and docketed in ceipt was calculated to pay them a dividend of 5 per such mercantile order, that his successor could, at a cent. the actual receipt would have been equal to a moment lake flown his rule and precedent for every dividend of 10 per cent.; and if they had chosen thing that could occur. NN'hy •then think of letting prudently to reserve this as an addition to their ca- it i—He would Aral that in this respect the pital, they had not made it the less. Why then, he Gent. was at variance with himself— he . would Ault must ask, with this prosperity, hold out the idea of that his present conduct was in direct contradicti in • a necessity for letting it ?—Why the degrading idea to his language last year.—Upon that occasion (he of turning it over to speculators?—They hovered meant at the meeting in Sept. last,when pee eeitiee ! . round him like ill-omended birds of prey, as if iu- of his design of quitting the direction at the end of tent to fasten on the carcase of their defuuct pro- this year) he said, the Theatre was put on a roadie; party, and devour the spoil. Since he came into of permanent security, so that a new Committee that room he had beard one of the candidates say, might safely carry on the concern; and he recoin that the thing was settled—that the Theatre was cer- mended that such a Committee would do well to tainly to be let (and he supposed the Honourable trust to one person, who should have the chief bin-- Gentleman was to be one of the lessees), for he had theta of the direction, for he considered that as mo s t offered him a bet of 20 guineas that it would be let. essential to a judicious and able management. Why He trusted, however, that the Proprietors .would be then did he now wish to see it put into the hands of more careful of their own interests than to let it a lessee ? lie had heard it said, that perhaps slip through their own hands. If it had been let at fire money might be wanting occasionally to carry per cent. at the commencement, the Proprietors it on, and he had heard it stated that the would clearly have lost 30,0001. by the bargain, Honourable Gentleman had, at times, made ad which they now actually bad in possession, though vances for its support. Ile did not think this en oh they had not divided it. Ile lamented, in common jection that ought to weigh. In a concern of this with others, the misfortune of losing the Hon. Chair- vast magnitude the Banker of the Theatre would Man, to whose distinguished, and, indeed, unparal- feel no difficulty in making the necessary advances. leled talents and exertions they owed the success In a concern where he was one of the Board of Ma which he had described; but it was a libel on the nagers, the Banker had readily come forward with Proprietors at large to say, that five Proprietors could an advance of 80001., and it was for such purposes not be found who would not take upon them the• that a Banker was useful. lie knew that the lln. gratuitous task of fulfilling the duties of a Sub-Corn- pourable Gentleman had had much trouble, and that mittee. It was agreed that the first years of the es- he had done wonders. lie alluded to the sum he tablishment were the most expensive; and if they had obtained from the Opera.liouse for the old pa had gained what was, in truth, equal to 10 per cent. tent, and to other sersices, for. which he was most in the three first years, they might fairly look for- grateful to him, but he could conceive no reason for ward to the same success hereafter, particularly as putting the Theatre into the hands of speculators.— they had the able system upon which the lion. Gen- He was sure that if this had been suggested, Parlie. tieman and his Colleagues had acted before them, as t ment would never have granted the Act ; .and he well a guide for their future conduct. If it should, be , sure, that if it were doWe, it would be a - reason for said that persons could not be found disposed to take ; their granting a third Theatre. upon them this trouble, he should only say that he ; Mr. WHITBREAD said, that he did not feel it did not anticipate any such difficulty. He was autho- necessary to go into all the matter that had bee:t rind to say that he knew of one distinguished per. urged by the two Honourable Gentlemen, because in son (whose name, he was sure, would he received truth there were not two parties in this business.-- with the most cordial welcome, because it was asso-; There were no candidates, or, as they had been caller!, dated with every thing that was brilliant in English ; no undertakers that he knew of, ready to settle on literature) who was ready, if called. upon, to act I the dead body of the Theatre. The Theatre was for one in such Committee—he meant Lord Byron neither dead nor dying. They had truly shown Re it [Hear, hear, hear! universally], and he had no it was in a very prosperous condition, and they lind doubt but others might easily be named, if only 48 been merely called together, because a suggestion had hours were given, after the sense of this Meeting been thrown out, that if a gond offer were made h e r should be pronounced as to the continuing the pre- I responsible persons, it might. be advisable to accept a sent plan of conducting the concern. That the present it : and the Committee wished to have the sent;‘ plan ought to be continued, to preserve the Theatre talents of the Proprietors on the point. But there was from falling into the grasp of mere pecuniary specu- no party in this business, and no desire, that he knew lators, no man, he thought, who reflected on* the of, either one way or the other. Mr. Moore tied subject, could doubt. It was material to the up- asked who had suggested the thought of a lease? its holding of the real Drama—to the interest of the had asked this question, and had answered it hievelf. profession, which had been so materially served by Mr. Jones, of Malin, had suggested the idea. lie the re-building, since it had brought forward the saw that such .an idea had been enteertained by !Ira splendid talents of Mr. Kean ; nay, to the rivalry in Hon. Gentleman himself—Why, if It was so mil the legitimate Drama, they might also ascribe to it oas now, was it thought to be fitting tbeti ? lint I the appearance on the English Stage of Miss O'Neill, says, the Legislatere would not have granted the Art whose fine talents had given lustre to the other if they had thought it possible that it should ha Theatre. And they had as right to trust, that the been leased out: Yet, the Legislature did cr.': tit . . wlth.stich a view—for there was a clause in it, ef'l. powering the Committee so to lot it if they s'lont,l see proper. The irynourahle Gentleman alluded to his having orcasioisilly made advances for the coy cern in the dull part of the season, and hp says, that trir Banker would have made such advances. Ile MERINO SHEEP SHOW. On Tuesday there was a very respectable attend ance at Mr. Sadler's yard, to view the Spanish sheep exhibited. Among the company we noticed— Earl Ta WI, Earl Rothes, Sir Joseph Bank., Sir Jnhn Sehright, Sir Robert Voogh.m, Thomas W. Coke, E-q. Sam. Whithreod, Esq. Benjamin Hall, Esq. C. C. Western, Esq. IL Sumner, Fs•l. M. Birkheck, T. Mellish. W. B. Thom', G. Guanine, C. Trevor, P. green, L. Cooke, &e. At three o'clock, such of the company as belong to the Smithfield Cluh, repaired to Freemasons' Tavern, and held a meeting; Thomas Mellish, Esq. in the Chair; when the Officers of the Society were re-elected. Three judges of their next show were chosen by ballot, out of those who had consented to act. The meeting adjourned to the first day of their next cattle show. The Merino Society held a General Meeting in another room about the same time, which was very numerously attended; Earl Rothes in the Chair; which, on the announcement that dinner was ou the table, was temporarily adjourned. About five o'clock • large company sat .dowala. an excellent dinner, Earl Rothes in the chair, sop. ported by Sir John Sehrlght, Samuel Whitbread, John Fare, J. M. Cripps, George Gunning, Thomas Mellish, and John Tharp, Esqrs. and a long list of the well-known patrons of agricultural improve. ments, and of practical men engaged in the same. His Lordship after briefly stating the objects of this society in offering its premiums, proceeded to open and read the award of the Judges. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. NEWMARKET SECOND SECOND SPRING MEETING, 1813. WEDNESDAY. MAY 10. Luke of Ttuthool's Curlew, flst. heat Mr. Craven's Eaglet, 84.•71b. 'l'. Y. C. 541,5. Eveu betting on Curlew. Sweepstakes or 100 g each, h. rt. T. Y. C. Mr. Blake's Ledui, lit. 51b. - - 1 major Wilsm's Spot tre, 7,.. Sib. - 2 Lord G. H. Cavendish's Blackantnne. Fm. - 3 Mr. Floraveild's R. by Haphazard. ;..t. liih. - 4 Mr. Sraith's I'. by Haphazard. 7". 71h. . 5 410 1 a4st Lob.). 7to 4 arc Black atnonr. Mr. Watson's Pantos. Bst. 2lh. bent Mr. Payne's 00)x, Bst. 151 b. T. T. C. IGOO. bto4 on Paulus. Sweepstakes of 10Jgs each. It. ft. A. F. Duke of (irafion't h. c. Monism), 84. 101 h. - I La dC. H. Clsendish's Bourbon 84t. - lo.b. 2 Duke of Rutland's Osman, Bst. 5111. - - $ even betting uu Nano°. 6to 4 agst Bourbon. sto 1 agst Osman. Pl•ite of 4JI. by subscription, h ing the third of the three 531. Flutes for 9.4.5, 6-t•r ntd , , and aged h"tres. A. F. cit. C. filiohurY', h. ti. Wiley, 6-yrs old„ est. 111th. 1 Ntr. filat.kford's b. f. by Ca,irrl, 3.%ts old, tint. 2 Charleston Papers were yesterday obtained to the beginning of April. The Journals contain ass esti mate of the Algerine Navy, which is stated to con-1 silt of one frigate of 50 guns and 500 men, one of 46 guns and 450 men, two of 44 guns and 430 men each, one new frigate of 38 guns and 400 men, two corvettes of 24 guns, and five others with craft of various dimensions. The first squadron that is to sail (say the Papers) against this piratical navy has not been officially - announced, but is believed to be composed of the Independence 76, Guerricre 44, Constellation 36, and Macedonian of 38 guns. Two ships have arrived from the Havaunah. The letters only by one of them have reached London. —The dates are as late as to the 25th March. Two British ships of war, the one of 64, the other of 74 guns, were in the harbour; one of them had on board the remains of Gens. PARENIIAM and Gins. The threatened project of restricting the intercourse by foreign ships throughout the ports of Cuba, had not been carried into effect, but the scheme was by no means abandoned, and it was concluded to be the intention of the Spanish Government to resort to the measure as soon as it should find itself in sufficient strength to enforce compliance. A new Opera is about to be produced at Drury. lane Theatre; the music of which is entirely selected from the works of MOZART, and adapted to English words by Mr. A DDISON• The Judges, on IVedeesday, gave their opinion against Sawyer, convicted of the murder of a female in Portngal. The Jane, from Bengal and St. Helena ) has arrived off Portsmouth. • I L , <