The National Register. — London, England, 1819-12-27 00:00:00

fxrci 21 cttybo• ICitl► 200 men, the remnant of more than 1,200 brave li.glish soldiers, who bud mostly perish ed through hunger or disease, M•Gregor sailed from Aux Cayes for the above-mentioned Spanish town. The place was gained, though with the loss of nearly one-third of our unfortunate countrymen, and lost after a very few days, when hardly one of them escaped time edge of the sword. The Commander in-Chief remained on board his ship until after the first action called, and betook himself again to sea before the second began, never having seen blood drawn, nor heard a shot fired throughout the whole txpedition. Eight officers, including Colonel Nor colt, who had hitherto bravely headed the tromps, a handoncl their unworthy leader at Rio the la Bache, ;And published the statement to which we now refer, as a protest against the conduct of M•Gregor, no,l an exposure of his character and pretensions to the world. Thursday the Eleationa of Cutrmon Councilmen in the different contested Words of the City of London, finally closed. Mr. Harper, who repre sented Furringdon Without for thirty years, was opposed, on the grounds of his uniform support of Ministers. by Mr. Roberts, in the opposition in terest, and lust his election. In the Tower Ward, Mr. Samuel Dixon carried his election only by twenty votes, having been opposed by a oew-Chn didate, Mr. David Laing. In the • course of sub sequent proceedings n division was called tor, on a resolution whiclrhad been proposed, when the pre sidin Alderman, Sir William Curtis, desired all those who were not housekeepers and electors of the Ward to withdraw, observing, that the Seditious Meetings Bill had paved, and that if they re mined, it would be at their peril, and cotdearyto luxe. The worthy Baronet must have tergotten that the Seditious Meetings' Bill had not yet re ceived the Royal Assent, and must of course hicw, that such being the case, it was not then a tom. It would have been rather an aukward circumstance if he had committed any person who refused to with draw, on the authority of an Act that did not at the time exist. FROM THE JAMAICA PAPERS. Blarantliog Expedition of Nl•Greg..r against Rio de la . . 1 - I:;rite, and iliggra‘”lal Fligh t. OCT. 18 —The Lively Ann, the schooner Samuel, and sloop Alesta, with 200 troops, under the com mand of M'Gregor, sailed from Aux Caves, 27th ult. had on the 9th instant reached Rio de la Hache, where they game to anchor and landed the troops that night; M'Gregor did sot disembark. The troops finding their Chief did not head them, ad vanced towards the town, attacked the Royalists in the woods, and after a dreadful fire of grape shot from the. Royalists, during which many of the British officers and men were killed, they gained possession of the town. The Riyalists, about 600 men, retreated, and no attempt was made by them till the 11th instant. when they augmented their forces, attacked the Garrison, blew up the fort, and compelled the enemy to abandon their conquest and Ay in all directions. OCT. 23.—Accounts of further proceedings, on the part of M'Gregor, against the defenceless inha. bitants of Minezenelo de Cuba, have been brought by a schooner from St. Jago. He appeared off the coast of that island with two schooners, and was joined the saute day by three other piratical ves sels, when he stood into the port, and sent in a demand by a Spanish Gentleman, that if eighty thousand dollars were not immediately sent off us a ransom, the town would be plundered, and if re sistance was made would be set on fire. No answer having been returned, the bouts belonging to the marauding squadron were sent on shore with a party, and a general pillage commenced, and lasted for four hours, durin ,, which time a considerable booty ma, gainul, and r• was afterwards divided, and the vessels stood out of the curt, for some other des tination. ..... . Other accounts state this to have happened on the Bth inst. which throws snmc doubt on the cor rectness of Nl•Gregor :raving been concerned in this affair, as he did not quit Itlo de la Ruche until the Ilb inst. It is, however, certain that such an act Las been committed, if not by him. By the Two Sisters, we learn that Anry was still at Old Providence, busily fittini• out a ship, to mount 20 guns; and, with the brig Mars, and another of le guns, two schooners, and a Aileen, was to pro ceed on a cruise in the Gulph P.sssage, in order to intercept a fleet of Spanish merchantmen that wine expected at the Hay.mnah, trona Spain. valleaday laat euur int at Edinburgh the trial of Gtorge wi) had been tint oil had under a charge of sedition—he did tun appear, sod %v.'. therefore, according to the Scottish late, fogitated, (outlawed) his effects all cumfucatcl, and his Jecogni sauces aucawd. THE NATIONAL ILEGISTIM TO TIII rhEcrotts OF' WESTMINSTER.ASSFiI. AT Tile CROWN AND ANCIIOii Dec. 16. Seagate, Dee. 17. Ge:itlesoen,--Arlte letter addressed to use by the tor s of %Veststiiiister assembled A the Crown anti Ittichrir Tavern, and Inch Sr h. Bort'ett, with the r your nieetiog, Ise done lutethe honour to pit... Atilt to ote in Co is prisoo, w.ll snore 111,111 CORII,VII* sa e for any inconvenience n inch I may eiwiain in enli st (pence of the late tole o: . the House of Cutout m.. its times like the-e et ery !Wet is eallal upon feat testily to do his duty to the ',oldie; and if soy conduct has met Lie approbation 01 5./ CIIIIIII`Vt0:11 a b•tdy as the e!eetors of W irom i lo a er , i t i s null to he W011411:11 :11, that I should have wets...red Inc 411,10r.i..tac of the upitolsicrs of a trot• ruin and 41.911011 C •yarns. Vise same a •seatibly . that dooms all their fellow.coun trymeti to perpetual servitude can hare little compunction in sentencing an individual so temporary iCilfilus; and since those who have sent me to this place look for the justification of their Met, nut its the old English laws, tour in the principles of c nnn noun justice, but in certau► extravagairt pretensions of Data predecessors, which they are pleased to term precedents. I sisould per haps praise their forbearance, witless has contriasctl itself witit simple intprisonmen►, instead of following the more atria:irons ex•uuples that arc to be found in the re cords of Parliament. In one respect, indeed, I am given lervantl, that the honourable 'louse hats been pleased to dispylise anu eel es its OWII USAF". 111 the last ease ut alleged libel— that of slr. Josses, its 18 10—M r. Speak'? Abbott ask , the accused, what he (sad us say in his behalf; and 1111011 hts reply, agaiis said, " Bare you any thing more to say in your behalf ?" In the Howie of L,rtiy which certainly must be al lowed to sit sutnetinler, h, a j•to,vl.l capacity, but whose power to c • has hero repeated!) questioned, a hear. ha!, 1 believe, been p. 141111.11, for in the casco! Flower, in 1779, Lord and Justice Kenyon re. fused the auplic Mon 1M a habeas corpus, partly on the i d e a tilt flower was " heard in his defence, and had the same opportunity of calling winiest•vs OW every other defendant has to a Court of Justice." The case most similar .n the present practice appears to be that of S,r Joint Mortimer, iu the reign of lleury VI. who being brought into tile Parliament, wed arraignment or illlYwer, was adjorl i terl " to be committed to the Tower of laintloo, to he drawn tbroligis the city to'l'vburn, and there lianged,drawn.amt q entered; his head to be it upon bride, and his loin quit ers ou the four gates of latridmi." Bat even here Sir Jelin was " brought in;' and his judgment was pr oenced by both Houses; yet Lord Coke, whose authority the defenders of " poi, liege" are so eager to q u ote, declares that "the proceeding was evil, f o r (lie adds) by the Sta tute of Magna Otani., cap. 21), anti 28 c. ul man ought to condemned workout Iin.SLOCI. " For the accounts I beg to direct you to Cubbeti.'s State Trials, vol. I. p. tG7 p and the 4ib Institute, 33. What breach of privilege it, no man can tell ; and even fur thus stating my opinion that the honourable lieruse has overstepped its own precedents, it is possible that I nosy be resomved Iroin this prison to the dungeon " Little Ease" in tile Tower, as was the ease with the Walden of the Fleet in the year 1606, for contumacy after commi tttttttttt Same persons oltenuing the honour able House have been fined, others forced to kneel at their bar. othc..s paraded on horseback with their face, to the tail. But a debated precedent can never establish a positive right ; and privilege of Parliament, in the sense itti.v resorted 111, hit ()ern questioned trona time to time by the hest and ablest of our ancestors, as well as by contemporaries. At hitrary proceedings may make martyrs, but cannot make cornetts. If it was always toy tyucou that the [lotto. of Commons has no right to ctrionit to prison tOr coostruetwe libel, 1:1111 not likely loch: Hoge that ownii , i) I will lint, however, toool4e lit any itu i fottio von p'aint, but eittleav(oor to conduct myself as let conies the 111:111 who has been distinguished by your approba tion; and no act of urine, either on this or any oilier occasion, shall tend to cominotoi•e the rights and fiber ire, of my fellow-countrymeo.—Believe tile, gentlemen, to be, with unfeigned gratittole, your obliged fellow citizen, JOHN ('A't Iloonouse. FRAUD IN ALE BREWING.—WE are intimated that an eminent Ale Brewer in the metropolis is under judgment of the Commissioners of Excise to an immense amount for making use of deleterious drugs. It is said that he has memorialized the Lords of the Treasury to remit the tine, but we have too it'll reliance on their Lordships' anxiety for the health of the working claws to suppose that they will sflbrd impunity to the perpetrator of so vile an act. We were enabled to give, in a late paper Lord Sidmouth s circular, f o r the suppression of seditious meetings: the following has been addressed, by his Lordship, to the Lords-Limenant of the northern counties : w hit hall, Der. .113. •' Nly Lord,—ln lißnsinitting to you landshop the act of Pal liainent to authorize Justices of the Pt•act . w reunion cousitivs, 11l seize and detain .rtes canceled um, kept for purposes dan4ertous to the pub ic, n hit+ ret eked the itakill asst•nt this Jar, I think it right to i.o.pre b upon your Lind:4llp, a n d to request your Lordship to too prrsr u,o on the Mattioitt Stitt acting toil lilt the cloolis nt - the es male inlpuuliit Itoat th., art should he ►ilnr'rd ith vigilaore nod Itctivoi, out all it n • places heir the practices against u hill, it no doectea ore Inu•ued. I hat. far h.o.ont, ti tie tsie as 11. %I. Lkutei..tio ut tin• ci.oot% of— • NI Oil Staniar sc . n iight, or eilriy On NlOntiily noon ho b the Ally of tiro. Denny, 1111 Inner, LOWestun, Was bro ken iota, mid all the gouda carried away, except a few vicco u 1• . • 4•L . 3 . - . - ---- • • - IThe Bill for the relief of Insolvent Debtors, pm. posed by Lord Althorp, hits been printed by ur of the House of Common::. It prohibits officers cf I the Court from taking gratuities. The petitioning creditor mav compel the surrander of the insulvenrs property, which shall vest :n the provisional assigner. Examiners are to be appointed by the Commissioner they are authurised to compel the attendance of witnesses, and are empowered to allow or disallow claire; of creditors subject however to an appeal to ,• the Commissioner. The assignees have a power of - making compositions with credinn-s. In the country; examiners may be appointed by Justice.-of the Peace at Quarter Sessions, nod the Commissioner of the Court in London may direct prisoners, in car- tain cases, to i.e examined befine Justices at the Quarter Sessions. Prisoners after dischar i . • be coming prestressed of public funds, or any other ',pe cks of property, and refusing to convey such pro perty, the Court may, upon petition in a summary way, order such persons to be again arrested. No person is allowed to practice in the Court as attorney or agent, unless he shall be regularly admitted is an attorney or solicitor in one of the Courts of Westatinster. List of the names of all persons discharged by virtue of this act, with their play st of abode before commitment to custody, shall f: oat time to time be published in the Gazelle. The designees shall account to tl:e Commierion for their receipts and payments. Of' effects of Oifieers in the Army or Navy, or of Clergymen ; It shall be law ful for Assignees t,, obtain a sequestration of the profit of any benefice fie- the payment of debts of any Clergyman , the order fur such discharge to Ls a sufficient warrant fir granting such sequestration, without any writ or other proveedings to au:Lodes. the same. Such portion of the pay or halt' pay of any Military or Naval Officer, as on commuaicati. n from the Court to the Secretary at War, or the Lords Commissioners of she Admiralty, or the Court of Directors of the Ueited East India Company, he or they may respectively cousent to, is to be applied in payment of his debts, and fur that purpose to be paid to his Assignees. WEVNIOUTO, Dec. 20.—0 n the evening of tl.c 16th inst. his Majesty's brig Hind, commanded be Sir Charles Burrard, sent two „Tallies from Portland melds, to cruise during the night in search of smug glers on the coast, between three and Live miles to the eastward of this piece. In the course of the night it came on to blow so hard from the southward dint both boats endeavoured to gain the harbour fiat shelter Oae of them succeeded ; but the other, commanded by Mr James flail, Admiralty Midship man, was struck by a sea off Radcliff-point, wheir that gentleman was washed everboaril, and was never seen again. The coxswain, who had been carried overboard by the same sea, was, by keeping himself' above water, saved by the rest of the men, who beached the boat soon after, about a mile from the Esplanade. Mr. Hull was 26 years of ago, haul served between 12 and la years in the navy, as a midshipman, and passed fin a lieutenant upwards of six years since : he was an officer of great merit, a perfect gentleman, a warm friend, and a thorough seuman, and is deeply lamented by his shipmates: Other afflicting events have taken place during the late violent gait's. On Thursday last the smack Hope, of this place, from Bangor to Lynn, Deeding muster and owner, was totally wrecked off Swanage, and himself, two sons, and a Still Mill, consigned to a watery grave. His loss is deeply deplored, not only by his sorrowful family, but all those who were acquainted with this truly worthy and respectable character. Added to which, yesterday, a boat be longing to his Majesty's Admiralty cruiser Gray hound, coming from that vessel, in Portland roads, to this pert, was upset, half a mile from the shore, by a sudden squall, when the chief boatmen and titur men met with the same disastrous fate, except the chief boatman, who was picked up by the exer tions of a boat's crew from the Greyhound, but ao exhausted, that he died shortly after being landed, and every exertion hod been used to restore anima• tion, leaving, with himself and four comrades, widows and large families, in all 17 children, wholly unprovided for, to lament their severe km A sub scription is set on foot thr these distressod families. Leiters lotre been trout CAIIIOI the 1-i lust. TWO expeditions were ordered by the Spanish Closerntot nt mo be out immediately in preparation. The one is to carry out 5,1N/0 troops for (; , ot Morilln; and the milt e r it teas said was destined our Beenos Ayres, and tvotti.l take from 10,010 in 1.5,001) turn. As theme were out a snlficient number in ttansltorts en,a - a:ted (naciothog these t tkeit tilt m Env.: Ind sod Franc.) to carry the whole of th se fitters, the Coalmistitoters load receded makes to hate Several more on the saute terms as t:te others were chano-red. Two new Judges have been appointed to Ceylon in the n oni of the late Chief' Justice, Sir Aex ander Johmatone, who has retired, amid the late Sir William Coke. Mr Justice Gillen', the late Ad vocate Fiscal at Coluudso, is appointed to the i'Lnaue. Justiceship. I I •