The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-03-04 00:00:00

• IS If Ith pl atu If It Y I r lutr ed M. thr d 411 ono le rm idol rv.4l tore jedi. ll' mai brim k rt witr sdir wee of II fat A d eo• tluel 0u:.4 ate!. rst th.d. !par r.f Sr taus! Lord Gambier, in the Copehhagen t xpedition.— Teat appointment did, iwelas opinion, confirm the ex peetetious he had originally formed, and the expectations of the country were indeed truly ve rified as to the admiuistration of that Noble Lord . sr I shall, however," said Mr. Catered, eb pass over other instatuces of misconduct, iu order to come to that which is the immediate subject of my intended Motion. It was stated o me, and vev generally rumoured, that that gallant officer. Sir Richard• e tree liati, who conenauded the Rochfort Squa dron, was obliged to leave his station in Basque Roadie for want of a sufficient supply of provisions to enable him- to keep his anchorage, and %%etch • the French fleet in the port of Rochfort ; that it o transports arrived during the long space of eleven weeks. Perhaps the House would not beltere it. bat I desire you not to believe my statement, but to look to documents upon this subject. At length, I say, that officer was obliged to leave his station, and cruise in the offing, in search of what- ° ever supplies he might procure from ally of His Ma jesty's ships he might meet. In doing so, lie he cheace fell in with the Srperb, the Cdossier, and the Mediator, and to thou lie applied in his exhattist ..eastese, for relief, in order to citable taiga to follow the enemy, who, in the mean time, he learned had escaped out of port. After taking every thing that could be spared from the crews of these ves sels, he was still under the necessity of getting some further supplies front the Ferrol wpstadrou before he could he enabled to f o llow the enemy. It would seem from this, that what had been gene rally deemed a . part of the routine busiumis of the board of Admiralty. was, iu this case, entirely lost sight or; and that the squadron of such a distin guished Officer as Sir Richard Stmchatt was left in a most arduous situation iii the Ray of Biscay, was entirely out of recollection. This ought not to have been the came, because, to my knowledge, during that portion of time, various vessels sailed from Portsmouth, Plymouth. and Falmouth, and the wiud wus fair for carry iug supplies to that fleet. I lillillOt ceaceire, then, how these Right Hen. Gen tlemen can excuse themselves for such a culpable neglect of their duty. If there was a situation in the service, in which those brave men who served their country by sea eevuliarly demanded atten tion from the Board of Admiralty, it was that in which they carried on that hard and heart-break ing duty of blockading the enemy's ports. They ought to have been plentifully supplied, according to the practice of every former Board, with every accommodation, and perhaps in that instance, more particularty than any other. That gal lant officer had taken his situation in Basque ftoaaf, within three ur four miles of the enemy's squadron, so that it was impossible they could escape. 1 would ask, how could a more vexations occurrence have happened to him, than that, for the want of those supplies which are so plenty here, he should have !ref the opportn e ' uity of adding another laurel to his brows, and contribute at the wane time to the security of the country. Besides the papers which I ant to call for, I ask for leave to call an Officer of that squad ron to the Bar of this House. in order to substan tiate what I have stated, who will prove to you that they were reduced to two-thirds allowance, and they ultimately had oily five days meat on beard, and not above fifteen or twenty days beswis with a- won" supply - of spirits and wine. I tape the Right Hon. Geutletueu will not neglect this necessary part of their duty, in granting the necessary documents to titian those rumours which have thus gone abroad, by supposing that I make this Motion fiir the purpose of harassing admi nistratioat. Unless they can prove any danger likely to arise to the State from such a production as I shall call for, or can state any inconvenience to accrue from the stimulant* of a Naval Officer at the bar of this House, I cannot persuade myself that they will not go along with me in a question that so materially involves the vital intermits of this country. All that I ask is, informatiou of the re tentations made as to the actual distress of this t. This could not inform the enemy of any thing from which they could derive any advantage; on the contrary, I think it will shew them, that if 'such a breach of public duty should exist in any one of our departments, still there is a vigilance in the Government of the country which will not allow any such neglect to be overlooked."—Mr. Cal craft then moved, for a list of the ships under the orders of Sir Richard Straehan, during the mouths of December, January, Kid February last, with all representations made as to their actual distress, and extracti of the letters that passed be tween Lord Gardner and Sir Richard Strachan, re lative thereto. Mr. W EI.LESLEY POLY.' said, that every docu ment that could inform the House, and that would go to 'hew the conditet of the Admiralty upon the present subject, he was most ready to produce. It was most necessary to do 80, after the violent. un just, and indecent attack that had been made upon the Noble Lord (Malgrave) now at the head of that department, If the Honourable Gentleman had found it convedient to have required this informa tion, or to have comtauniceted his wishes to the Admiralty, every satisfaction would have been given. He was prepared to give every paper and every do eminent that had reference to the state of supply in which the fleet was as to provisions, &c. and the means used for their victualling and watering i but he could not coimeut to the production of those letters which would expose the opinions of the Officers of the fleet and Admiralty to the enemy. The last letters from Sir Richard Striae-hen were dated the 19th January, at which period he had a supply of tea weeks bread for each ship, fourteen weeks of every other article, and six weeks and three days supply of water.— The Mediator, a very large ship. had been fitted out for the additional supply of this squadron, but, from contrary winds, and the tempestuous state of the weather, could not sail until the 6th January. —This ship bad a large quantity of vegetables, to gether with forty bullocks, on board. The Hen. Gentlemen has said, no steps had been taken for the supply of this squadron. But when the llouse are Informed that the Cologres, Saperb, Cumber gat,d, and a large ship called the Lavinia, had loaned them on the ited. his assertions would not Le given the most implicit credit to. Together • w ith these ships there was a large transport. laden With every species of provisions. allowed to returu. It teas been asserted, that the squadroa, after the 3' escape of the French Bert, were obliges-I to seek, provisions from the Ferrol ileet : this he aheolute; ly denied. It so happened, dee the first informa tion Sir Richard titre :hail had of the escape was en the 3.5 d Jauirary, but lie had not until the 429t1i. received tack as. he could fully rely upon. On the i.ad the weather was so very telapestuou., and had blown such a gale of wind, that it was impos sible to,get the fleet under weigh. The dispatches, dated off Gibraltar, say not a word of the neeese city for the distribution of provisions among the shape. • There was not on the *conk of the Ad miralty, which he had closely examined, one letter, in which mention was made of this squadron hav ing taken provisions from the Ferrol one. There was not a moment lost, on the feeeipt of the intelli gence of the sailing of die French fleet. in following them. The IlonourableGentleman has deelaiined against the conduct of the Admiralty, and had contended they are unworthy of the slightest eon-. fidence. He has Moo made the Noble LortP(Mul griere), a Nobleman of the highest probity and. honour, the subject of the most unjust *backs:— Was it correct to indulge in such indecent asset tiou, without the slightest . proof whatever Nei seems angry, she' would think, at this squadron, not having been made the sole object of attention. . lie does nut eoasider the ardnotts period in which ! we are, the necessity of keeping np the blockade of every port daft oi,u• predecessors had, to do.— There were some filets *hick lie thought it neces. eery to state, to chew that the present Admiralty leave at least some dam to confidence on the groom/ of activity. Between the 14th amid 16th No vember, the Baltic fleet, consisting of seventeen sail of the line owl ten frigates, arrived in Ply mouth, after having suffered most severely from tempestuous weather. It was necessary to have them refitted for immediate service, and a great and extraordinary exertioti had been made. During this month. 12 sail of the line were pre pared, and sent to St. flelen'o. to watch the Rus sian squadron. Sir Sidney Smith was dispatched to the Tagus with eleven jail, anti the sereices reu dered bylnin in affording relief to the Portuguese Family, were well known. Sir Samuel Hood was also sent to Madeira, to secure that island. If these exertions were arguments of neglect, he was ready to admit them. The best mode, and it was allowed by the ablest judges, of relieving aqua dmno, was by sending fresh shipo feethet purpose, and this was , . adopted in the present inststuce. Every assistance, both in ships auel supplies, had been sent this squadron, which would be seen when the papers were produced. Instead of not havi:•g been in t situation to pursue the enetny. they had previsions and water sufficient to follow teem to ally part of the world. The ships appointed to join this squadron were, the Betterophun, C'idorser, Cintiberleivd, Superb, and Spencer. The first ship had suffered so much in tempestuous weather, as to be obliged to go into dock. The last ship'. crew had been affected with an epidemic disease, which prevented her ,joining. The squadron off Rochfort consisted of 7 sail, and he woe's' ask whether 5 out of 7 was a bad relief, together with every other means that had been used fur their supply ? Sir "Richard Stachaii was new in the Me diterranean in pursuit of the Roc:Wert fleet ; Brest was blockaded • every prevention taken fir the safety of our ilrest-ledia Celonies , and la tides. • ableforee remaining to took after America, if it should he found necessary. The Admiralty would never shrink from inquiry, and their cou duct was such as would entitle them to the thissiks of the country. He would take the liberty to read such Resoltitione as it was the intention of the Admiralty to have laid before the Howse, and would beg it to be remembered, that he had never seen the motion of the Hotiourab e Gentleman. He then read several Resolutions, the purport of which was that all orders for victualling and supplying the Rochfort squadron be itii•ln t ion the table." It may not he unnecessary to state, that the practice adopted in the blockading of the enemy's ports, and in the regulation of that service, was, that the Commander of the Channel Fleet has the sole direction of the minor squadrotis wafer him, the supplying and victualling theist, &c. It was not exactly the duty of the Admiralty, not withstanding that they had, in the present in stancy, done an. Earl Tzert.-•. very much feared, that the reso lutions • read by the Hon. Gentleman would not bring before the. House the information sought. Throughout these resolutions not a word was said of the letters from Sir Richard Strnchan to Lord Gardner, so neces s ary to be produced. Such parts of them as it might not - be proper to produce, it was not intended by the !Arnim' of his Honourable Friend to look for. The Honourable Gentleman has told us, he would surprise us by the corn munieation of the extraordinary exertions of the Admiralty, and has made use of this to keep out of sight the charge alleged, namely, that Sir Richard Strachan was obliged to leave his auchore age for want of provisions. Let it be reuteutbered. that the supplies stated slid uot arrive until after the sailing of the French fleet. A great deal had been urged as to the tempestuous weather that prevailed during the month of November, and the difficulty of ships going to sea in consequence.— He had the curiosity to inquire into the state of the weather, and he found, that from the eth to the stith November, there was not a day that ships of war had not sailed from Plymouth. Lord Cartszateon said, that a tender and sevenl transports had sailed from Plymouth ou the 14th November, for that fleet. Mr. WesiesetY Pout said, that Sir Richard Strnehan had appointed a rendezvous, and that it was to that he had. gone. It may be also neces sary for u fleet, in very tempestuous weather, to go into the offing for greater security. Mr. CALCRAFT thought the Hod. Gentleman (Mr. Pole) in the language he had made Ise of, might have been somewhat more decorous than to have derignatest what fell from him in the manner he did. What he had asserted was, that the appointment of Captain Sir Home Pop ham, after the sentence of a Court Martial, over many able and distinguished officers, was a want of judgment and discretion in the First Lord of the Admiralty, and that the navy and country Weight as He would pledge .himself that when the pa per were produced; it would appear that the Koch fort squadron had been grossly ntedetted. We have been amused with the able arnmseutente of • the Adtninitty and.llla blockade or West, &c. but with the controul over the fleet, aid the sviiteiss,arl methiod pointed out, it was hdrdly pixiskide for th 4 meat inattentive to deviate. The iton,,C.,;ent:.liail expreased his surprise at this Motion not hisioo beeu seat ta the Admiralty. What, was it ueoers nary for a Manlier of Parliament, when he wished/ to be informed on 16 subject of such importance as the present, to tend his motions to the Aduitiralty It was an assertion that inig:it be' with more . pro., priety celled indecent, that' what the 404 deutleu Joan thought proper to call 60• He coachyted .by expEessing his couvii tion, that whits) thee. pal'e's were produced, he would make out a stromg K 434 against the - Admiralty. • The motion was then put and iiirreed ORDERS IN COUNCIL _ Lord !Ivan' Petry, in porsumice of tire - notice given by him, rose to make his promised motion. He began by stating, that whatever difference 4.f opinion might obtain upon the present questien„ there was bug one mind as to its paramount im portance. Ir. after the various explanations and disemosiotis which have been bad upon this sub ject, very little satiefactiou has been obtained, it beetune the more necessary to examine atid• to ascertain what justificatory grouuda there are fur imposing duties on foreigners, cone trary to usage and customs, and how far it was practicable and expedient vo. to 44? If any thing was clear, it was the impracticability of carrying theme Orders in Council into effect, without the co-operation of our allies. We a:e iu such a state, that without positive assaninee tit such en-operation, it was in vain to look to their practical effect. Can we be satisfied that Sweden will co-operate in those restrictions ? Suppose. Sweden should - not see the adrautage of excluding the Continent from those articles that we have done ? Suppose that, as a commercial coantq, she ' should deem her intercourse with America too valuable to co-operate in your theory of exclusion ? --sin that case there was an end of your Orders in Council. Was there any doubt, if an Aineritun, corning to Eitgland, was obliged to pay heavy duties for his trade with France, aud if he were, by tonching at Sweden, exempted from such du ties, that - he would prefer it? Ile was aware that this only applied to American produce. It has been urged that colonial produce cannot be carried by a neutral to au ally. He had bestowed . greet pains this question, cud could not sat isfy himself upon the subject. What would be urged as to the co-operation of Sicily and Sardinia, two powers through which France could easily get supplied ?- 1 Here were three distinct quarters whose co-opera ' Von in these Orders in Council was indispensable to their being carried into effect. He would call upon Minister* to know why they have not ob tained satisfactory information upon this Subject, before they would issue these illegal and impolitic restrictions? lie trusted they would satisfy the House before they called upon them to give their 'Ruction to such measures. lie then moved "That an humble address be presented to His Majesty, praying that he would be .graciously plensed to have laid before this house the substance of all communications, that poised bet Ween His, Majesty, and powers iu alliance with him, subsequent to the issuing the order or the 11th November." . ThuCstasootese-of dyer Homes ore.rt Mor ready ' to admit the importance of the Subject. lie wed satisfied there would be no disimtlitiatioo on the part of our allies' to co-op etate in those t ortlers. Every disposition to thatefett !Wl:Wen nutnifeateal by Srvedetn, though no spect l isc pledge to that effect had been received. It cduld out be es',6 9 t.i e ed blurt those orders had passed the.ll'ouee s .and the duties imposed . under them were fixed, thug any positive communicatiou should lie giveas„ .e lf, however, those on whose dispositions we Couot. should turn out differeatly, he could Ilia colletiiit it to be difficult to extend the blockade to died. It was the only remedy, at the same time that no apprehension of that kind was entertained. . Sir Aalrlitat PIGIiaTT thought, if any additional proof was requisite to stiew the precipitancy and in coosiderateness of those measures, it was what had fillets from the lion. Gentleman. What, if Swedeu does not concur, you propose to extend your blockading system to her; a strange way of treat ing your ally. The reliance is, that Sweden has as touch iuterest in the execution of those ord;rs as we have. He feared, and was certain it would turn out ditTerethly. The CH ANC&I.toR of the EarfiravErt sail!, there was every reason to rely on the good dispositions of our allies. • Mr. Poesonnv conceived, that his Nolile Friend required the production of whatever coat munieations took place between this country and Sweden. Silt the Chancellor of the Exchequer has told us there have been none, and that Sweden had given no specia.: pledge. It would be hard to expect the concurrence of Sweden to mea sures which the Honourable Gentlemen themes-Ives do not understand. The King of liardinia would also be said to have good dispaitions towards us, but if these ba Itelown to Bonaparte, that unfor tunate monarth would, is all probability. have to regret them. This was a strange utatiner of deal ing with our allies. To the one you would be re duced to an act of hostility, and the other you put in the way of losing whatever little territory he pookiessft Mr. Secretary CAN Nuto thonght the King of Sardinia could i sot be cousidered an Ally of ours. He was strictly neutral, and therefore the argu ment of the Ilouoarable Gentleman, as applied to that, had failed. With respect to Sweden be thought it odd to expect a specific concurreuce in the details of those measures before they were fixed. Mr. Potosi:4BY considered the extending the blockade to Sweden would be a measure of great hostility to that country. 'Dr. LAWILENC% laid, if Sardinia was not to be - conaidered an Ally, he was at a 1044 to know what state was. Since the iutroduction of the new mora lity, the • Dey of Algiers appeared to him to he the fittest Ally for us. Mr. Roatasox thought Sardinia bad a right to be considered an Ally. Mr. Isms conceived that us this Bel wait in ope , ratio,' citiceNriecinber, the cu-operation of Sweden inight lie had toet as far a. it went. Mr. limas void, that the dispositions manifested 'by Sweden were as strong as in the present stage of the Bill could be .xpectukl. ~ . . • WHITBREAD wished to know whether any connuunication bad been had with Sweden? fle cosisiderea it the bounden duty ul' Irlinisters t• have ascertained whether die would co-operate to .. ;-~ toe full extent.of the* measures or not. • Mr. A Lex s.ll Pea BLitt 111 GI thought Sweden would 1 not eo-operate in these measures. Lord Haunt' Perry would not occupy the time of the House. The Hon. Gentleman has told us, that Sweden had manifested good dispoeitiote tb wols u% But are those to extend to her general view of policy ? Wai it to be expected, that in con tradiction tuber interest, or in compliment to onr theory on .this subject, she would adopt those meatures T But her non-compliance was iollowed Ly a threiits If she does not agree to exclude swift' and tobacco from the Contiaeut, you will blockade her. It is now four mouth' since the issuing of those Orders in Council, and no co-operetiou was ascertained. -Does be meau to assert, because details ate-net fixed, that, therefore, there can Le no pletl4e ? Did hr never hear of a Cominereial Tr.sity ? We are now L-alled upon to cmne ton deci sion upon one of the most itnwrtatit tonics that has ever occupied the eonsid•ration of this Hesse, w ith_ put knowisig whether it is possible to reduce it to *active, without knowing whether our allies shall co-operate or , trot in its execution, and from the cot spleaity and confusion in *inch it is iterolreol, incapable ofescertaintog its merits. He concluded Ly expressing his hope that the Hotta, would *feel the necessity for the productiou of 11,ose commit ' 'Orations, in order teasiessble thew to term their judquient on this momentousand important subject. A division then took place; whew there appeared, • fur the motion — Airs I\oee.. Majority alpine it 5;) LIVERPOOL PETITION. . General Gascuirs a stated, that the Petition which he I,ehl in his hand was Wailed by seta's hundred* of his constituents. Were tiory as well . . known to the House es they 'were to him, the Iluuse, he was sure, would feel equel anxiety for its success. It was not his wish, at that late hour of the night, to enter into a discussion of its merits, and as to form, he hoped there were no rules of the House that could occasion its rejeainn upon that ground. With respect to the of and spirit of those whose signatures were to the Pe tition, there was nothing to disapprove. It was not their intention to remonstrate against times, or to shrink front their pressure. It was not their wish to makx wily alteration in the sjstens. Ilia constitu ents were welt aware that it was necessary to carry on the war, and Cu it the war was just mid proper. Their Petition related not to the enemy, but to neutrals; not to war, hut to conunerce. The tos a which he had the honour to represent, ca.rizd on 3-4 this of the trade with Arartea; and he was confident, that the House would duly consider the maguttude of so large an interest. Nearly 64) voyriges were made to that pot from America in ships of which the burden amounted to 1.23,unn tins% and the I produce of the alutkw thereon amounted to not less than one million. Its ansiouslv wished no form !if the House might be perverteii, for the purpose -) 9f prohitiiting the complaint of the Petition trout g leant - arid discussed.: "The Petitioners were Hot noxious to exonerate themselves front the pees ore of tas.tion, ties:family felt throughout all likuks t they had ever borne their proportion with !tut inurinuniag ; but they wished the Government pf the country should not render that load in rhiportaLile, by enactments tending to destroy be vcry sources from whence taxation could he me a d. Nothing could Ise. more constitutional bin . the manner of their apolicatiom ar,d cer , taidly nothing wore grievous than trle matter of cotarlaint. T e!ieesiwit wished to know of the lion. Ge ueral, it the pentium were agriast the bill timinied on the °niers of Council? to which the lion. Member answered in the negative. The Sisk:AKAR titan informed the lion. 31emiser, if the petition complained elan act of taxation passed within the present session, it could not, sceordiug to t h e forms of that House, be received. . Mr. Maxey then rose, and spoke as follows: —" Sir, 1 admit, with the decision just now pro nounce from the chair, that the standing order of this House Bain hitherto heen tusilerstood, rind perhaps justly So, to prohibit the subject from inlikiwg any application tb Parliament iagainst any tax Unposed, during the same sessiqn in which it passed. This is necessary. 1 reknit. to present the frequency of application from those who, without duly considering the nature and con sequences of those Acts established by the I..egisla tore, might be inclined to. shift from themselves their just proportion of the burden of the public ex peisiliture. But. Sir. I have been anprised that the present petition does not complain of the tan levied by the Bill in question, its complaint, is sole ly mid exclusively against tie principle of the sees sures romrted to, in order to effectuate the Orders of His Majesty in COMMiI. Not so mach against the duties imposed by way of tax ou neutrals ene teing the ports of this nation, as against the gene sully pernicious eth.ets of ,he Bill in question. This Sill has been said. by the Right Hon. Mover, not to have been enactod for the purifose of re remit., but for carrying into effect the Orders of Council. The petitioners then need only read the preamble of the Bill to be satisfied of the propriety of the applies/time If we now pass this Bill, the responsibility, which before rested on the advisers of the Orders in Conned, falls immediately on us. \Ve are now called on to patronise and make our sown, this most objectionable and detested measure. Let us here, for a moment, pause. The initiation of the petitioners is truly critical. Their till is now et stake. They afle4e the Bill your Niiiister of Vimunce. has proposed for the protection of trade, is only cislculitted to cut it up be the motet It lies been before ""Pitetly. tobc,olll4hOtilil have been referred to a COinosittee cf Trade ear * former_ stage. This I slit agree in, as it bail been supported the usage of the Hanle, and in refuSing this appti canon, far the !lest time, I perceive with sorrow and regret, the House had heels suhjected to an into* lerable burden of respousilelity and align!. Mahe eyes of the couatty. Either the Rieht Hon, GeMi 'Cleans!' (or we are wrong. Ile has .iiiee partly ad- ) ruitted his own error, by peruuttieg two cleans d