The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-04-14 00:00:00

! • 1 11 I I 1 1 7 . 1 4 11 i l l 1(1 ,A r 0 1 . !, , . 4 . \ 1 I.: i I , I I ••••• - .... . ' .1 t , • . ( I P 1 11 I " . 1 FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. 14(77, , ,,,":".ik , . I . . . . • . . . J , . Z d MEMO Pants, APIItt. 10. We learn from Bergen.op-Zooin and William staat, that orders are et•pearcl there every moment fur the embarkation of some French troops destined for the isles of Zealand, particularly Walcheren. Oa the 9th instant, the President of the ,Legisla tive Body read a message from the Govetnnieut, announcing its intention to withdraw the Bill (or 'raja de la /oi) relative to the batiks, and requesting the Legislative Body to semi back that bill. Immediately after that message had been read, Counsellor of State, Cretct, was introduced. He came to present a new bill relative to the banks. " Citizens Legislators," said he, " the Regents and Censors have transmitted to the Government certain observations upon two articles of the Bill. These ohservations duly examined do not affc4ft the system of the Bank, and are, at the same time, the dd. sire cif the Bank. And, as in this instance, the public ;aterest is so easily reconcileable to that of the prcprietors of the shares of the Bank Stock ; the Government has thought to accede to the wish expressed in those observations. The second article of the Bill presented on the 4th inst. filed the capital of the Bank at 43 millions, at the le.t.st. From this article, the proprietors of the present stock of the Bank have been led to fear. that their stock would be increased indefinitely, during the whole term of their charter, and that a new stock would be created to share ail the advantages of the holders of the present stock. Govetnment has, therefore, determined to suppress the words a the Sewer. And the capital of the Bank is irrevocabl - fixed at 43 millions for the whole duration of the present chatter. The eighth article of the Bill fixed the dividend at 6 per cent. to (commence from the Ist Vendem aire, ye- r:2 (Sept. 23, I:403). The Regents and Censors lave remarked, that the proprietors, accus tomed to the receipt of an high dividend, might be dissatisfied with a reduCtion of their immediate in come, so sudden and so considerable. The Govern ment, respeaing this observation of the Regents and Censors, as an instance of their justice, sagacity, and laudable zeal for the interests of the proprietors, makes no difficulty of yielding to their desire, and a.iiourns the veal:lion of the rate of the dividend to the beginning of the year 13. Counsellor of State Cretet, then read the new iejet dr /oi. It diftrs not from that of the 4th inst. tit:lN-wise dun in the modification above explained of Articles 11. and VIII. Nri if. The cipttal of the Slat: of France shall erinsist of fartv-ive thou and shares et 10.:0 franca e.ien pew: ipal etc t c, 443.1 t 'here In :in new ea% nrt,n these shares'. Art. VIII. The y arrly ti.vid , md from the lit Venderr.•ire, Year 115 (Se e l. 23. 1,01 i. shalt not ex,ewd six rin 044 each share of WOO fa. es —The evivers of tile !wont. o%er th e anginal dividirid snail lie into A reserved rewrver.l fui4 eanvenoi into 5 per consol. aere-k. nit whi7h a s cn. d d.vrtini , l shall take 14411 Ce Tne present r ie rid food shall be equary converted into 5 per cent. consul. VOC . C. The dividend for the last six months of the year 1 t, shill be tegulatel i.gr..onhir to the old. itsag of the Bank. The divrt.rd .or the year 12 cult not exczed 8 per cent. including the divirl?nd (ream the reserved fund. 1' he order }Or the discus,ion of thisprojet is fixed for the I Ith of April. A private letter from Berlin, received from Ba reuth, says, that General Duroc has departed very well satisfied with the success of his mi,sion. We do not doubt that it was relative to the differences .which have taken place between France aad En -Plana ; but we are abstilutely ignorant of the nature of the demand, or the insinuation made by the French Government at the Court of Berlin. M. Durtie has delivered to the Kiug a letter from the Fir,:t Consul. Extra.? cf a private Letkr, dela Hilvoaduys, April 9. " The French troops destined for the Louisiana expedithin, were debarked here this day :rem timir transport, : one division, consisting of about 70') men, h re.) taken post at ( loree ; another, nf nearly the cam.: force, have marched into Brill ; and t third have 'xr:x•.sea then.sclees of this garricon. The Dutch ticops woe previously &rated by the French General to withdraw from those places, the ►vi.tn Continandants being assurci by him, that ht had it in csrress charge to take upon himself tlxe 6C l at: reSpOESibliity Of rhos: garrisons!" Letters fiom HambuTh of the 30th March a:l -oon:cc, that at the .u, ival in this city of a Courier eweditcd from Berlin, a report was circulated eI:A his f'ruian Ma esty proro , ,ed that his troops should occupy the Banns of the Elbe. VILtiM A, MARCH 29. Hi% Imperial Majectv lilts ordered a Tribunal of Anreal to b. establi4ied at Patina, for the Venetian provinces. It is also intended to declare Venice a free port. A new judicial code is so ,n to appear for all the Hereditary States and for G The Archduke Charles is still in a very alarmin state of health. Tne frequ.-it relapses he has expe rienced, lease but faint Byes of his perfect re coverv. A fire late.y broke out in the quicksilver mines of Idria, which has caused a very considerable loss. POTTERDA•tt, Ar.r.ii The Batavian Goverament • .as some days since infnrmed, that in case of necessity, the town of Flushing would be declared to he in a state of siev. V..e are this morning asaired, that the French Ge nerals have, in pursuance of that notice, actually declared that town to ixt in a state of siege. We have the same news from the Hague. We this day learn that General Mmtrichard has enjoined all offi cers, superior and subaltern, who are now at the seat of Government, forthwith to repair to Breda, there to receive farther orders. All these incidents seem to indicate v: a-. The trading interest of this city, and of Attrter lam, is now in the greatest uwasi nem. We :Lie in particular surprised, that a Foreign Power should, of its own authority, and by its own troops, have declared one of our towns in a state of siege,at a time when no assistance has been demanded from it, when we have no difference' with the British Govemment, and when wc are not, as our Great Ally world pet suade us, in the smallest danger of invasion from Britain. Convaissary Gen.:rat Michaud has spoken at the Hague in very strong terms to the Commissaiy of th^ llatavian Government, with whom he was tu rreted to consult in re ts •vard to the subsistence and pay of the troops newly arrived. The Dutchman, battik; difficulty to express himself in French, said, m.!!• '‘ ' I perhaps, without tearing it, some thiggs which had the air of being very uniavit f and tRe two.entle men parted in routtial dissatisfaftion. It is true, that, in the present low state of our treasury, the Frenchman's demands could not but be very un pleasant. We now know, that the armament for Tobago, now in the port of Dunkirk, has 2000 men on hoard. It has been already announced that General Cesar Bertl.ier is at the head of that armament as Gover nor-General of the Colony of Tobago. Notwithstanding the discouraging reports of an approaching rupture between France and En. land. Mr. Liston, the British Ambassador, continues to improve and refurnish his house. BRUSPELS, APRIL G. lire positively learn, that the voyage of the First Consul in the united deparments of Belgium will not take place before the middle of next Floreal. This delay is very useful to terminate the immense preparations on which they are akrtively engaged. Many English families who are still at Brussels, are on the point of setting out to return to their country by Calais and Dover: but the las: post front En gland has changed their intentions, the news it has brought being much more pacific ; in consequence they have retarded their departure till the reception of ulterior accounts. They state from Bergen-op-Zoom and William stadt, that orders are every moment expected fbr the embarkation of some French troops which are destined to proceed to the islands of Zealand and par ticularly to that of Walcheren. TO CORRESPONDENTS. A SUBSCRIBER should have known, that the recent tr!.ns• action .t Weynieuth will come before a eitirt of Justice, and that any oboslvations at pr...vosiit would be premature. The Ic gality of Prep-Warrantr hay be..n long since established; and it is for a Jury t../ . decidc whether the right has Len abused is tit 2 ease eluded to. AU fOLYCHUS is informed, that his EiFay upon the Lord Miym s is very dJ!, and cousequently nut appropriate to so livzly a su'Jject. ••• Our Correspondent at Paris has favoured as with a series of interesting Papers respecting the Nano,/ sr.. It:smuts, wllie:i we shall submit wcasionaily to OUT Reader:. THE BRITISH PRE M. LON DON, THURSDAY, APRIL 14. The Consular Decree, for placing the town of Fludiiag in a state cf siege, is not an isolated aft, but appears to be part of a system.—Private letters state, that the Dutch troops have been ordered to withdraw from Helvoetsluys, Goree, Brill, &c. and that French troops have taken exclusive possession of these several places, the French General having asearned the sole responsi . oiiity of their defence and protthion.—His MaJr.sr v's Message having stated that formidable preparations were making in. the French and Dutch ports, which requir ed measures of precaution upon our part; and the best-informed persons, having since frequently declared that the armaments were intend ed for the invasion of this country, we had reason to presume that the FlasT Co Nsut would use a Dutch port just as he would a French one, for carrying his plan into execution. There was nothing, therefore, to excite surprise in his placing Flushing in a state of siege, except the mode- The Batavian Goverment, we find by a letter from Rotterdam, had notice that the town Nvould, in case of necessity, be placed in a state of siege ; but the decree for that purpose being the single aZI of :he French Government, and the Dutch being no par ties to it, we are unable to ascertain whether the Ftusr CONSCL has obtained the consent of the Dutch Government, or has ;tete-Lin opposition to it. If the latter be the facl, it Would, indeed, be a favourable circumstance for England. It would chew that the Dutch are grown ashamed of th;:ir degradatior ; that they are as averse nosy to a French yoke as they were foimerly to Austrian tyranny, that they are human nature still. Fut supposing the measure to have been effaced with the consent of the Dutch Government, still the case affords symptoms of jealousy on the part of France highly advantageous to the interests of England. This ex traordinary procedure, with respeft to Flushing, would only chew that the FIRST CUNSCL entertained a jealousy of it, and ground for that jealousy might exist peculiar to the place ; but when we find the same system extending itself to the other towns upon the coast, we have reason to presume that disaffetction to France is general in Holland. We do not recolleft that in the Dutch Expedition the Dutch soldiers were turned out of their own garri- k_ ex f ...-.''' _~ -- - sons, or r. fused leave to fight in the ranks With their FreLill friends. Why then .refuse their assistance now, and tell them they are unfit to aid in the de fence of their country, but because it is discovered that their Laarts and principles are changed ? iioNA PAs t: is now become as good a judge of human nature as Mr. PIT r..—Mr. PITT speculated upon Lie co-operation of the Dutch, be cause it was not in human nature that they should be attached to a nation that had destroyed their in dependence, and plundered them of their property. IioNA pAit T thinks so too, and he accordingly turns them out of their towns, and fills their ports with French soldiers, on whom he can rely.—Many cir cumstances have transpired which justify this view of Dutch politics. From the moment of the sign ing of the Prelitninazies of Peace, the Dutch have manifested a disposition that could not be grateful to France ; upon the day of the celebration of peace at the Hague, a jealousy broke out between the Dutch and French troops in that place. We rzr.,'; also remember the early disposition evinced by the Dutch to resume their former commercial relations with England, while France was meditating the to tal destration of our trade. We have observed the lingering stay of the French troops in Holland, and we have seen with what sturdy resolution the Dutch have lately resisted the financial arrangements of the Fißsi CoNsCL. We find by the Paris. Papers of the 10th, received esterdai, that the proposed relative to the Bank of France has been withdrawn, and another proposed in its stead. It differs from the original one in two points. The original one had roposed that the aitions of the Bank should be 45,000 at the le att. The new law limits them positively to 45,000. The fixh.g of the dividendat 6 per cent. was proposed to takeplace from Sept. 23. The Regents of the Bank having declared that the shares would experience too great a depression, by so sullen a redudion of the interest, which has been 10 per cent. the Govern ment now suggest that the reduelion shall not take place till September 23, 1801. This alteration in the proposed plan has not raised the value of the Bank anions—they are 1115 fr. All the Paris Pa pers are silent upon the subjed of the negociations and warlike preparations. The French hve per cents. are 51 fr. 65 c. Scarcely a day passes that does not bring with it a new Cabinet. The arrangement of yesterday, in the best informed circles, was as follows : Mr. PITT, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with a Peerage. Lord HOBART, Governor-General of Bengal. Lori Metvt wt, first Lord of the Admiralty, vice Earl of ST. ViNcr.v.r. Earl of ROSLYN, President of the Council. The Funds rose yesterday, and the improvement was attributed to this change. A letter from an officer, just returned from the Dutch coast, to his friend in Maidstone says,—" We have been cruizing off Gorse for some time, where there are several Dutch men of war, accompanied by three French frigates, and supposed to be about 26,000 troops. We left Goree on Tuesday, when we were relieved by another frigate, and afterwards met the his, jAlinerva, and Hydra, under way, it is supposed, for the same staion. The rise of the French Funds is no criterion at all of the state of public opinion in France, respeaing the great question of peace or war, because the funds there are so entirely under the control of the Government, that they may he raised yr depressed by it at pleasure, without any reference to the ac tual state of things. '1 he late rise is stated to have been occasioned by an order of the Government, that all surplus profits of the Bank shall be invested in the Five per Cents. It has long been a favourite projeCt of the English Cabinet, with a view to the emancipation of Hol land, to obtain possession of the island of Walche rem, on which Flushing stands. Several small English squadrons have lately cruized off Flushing, and other parts of the coast of Holland. England is fitting out all the Dutch men of war at Chatham an 4 Sheerness, professedly to defend the mouth of the Thames, but possibly to invade the island of Walcheren, with the inhabitants of which, of Flush ing, in particular, an understanding may exist. Of this licks:U./UM:. may have intelligence. It is said that the Pliisr CoNset, some time ago, required of cur Government to deliver up to him all the property vested in the British Funds by the diffvreet Swiss Cantons! While we felicitate the brave Swi:.s on the non-compliance of this country, ' we congratulate the united Empire at large on our political beatitude, and glory in the idea that our Government does not possess the power of being unjust. • The French Minister at Rome lately gave a grand dinner there, in honour 'of the hereditary Prince of MXCKLENDURGII STRELITz, at which most of the persons of rank in that city were present. The Fizsr CoNsto. conceives, perhaps, that, in case of hostilities, an attack will be made upon the Gallo-Batavian armaments carrying on in the ports of Holland; and has thFrefore resolved to take the proteaion of the whole at once into his own hands, without any respea to the authority of the Batavian Government, whose state of vassalage is thus be come more degrading than ever. The Dutch Exe cutive does not appear to-have been even so much as consulted on the occasion ; for the proceeding has avowedly taken place by order of the Consular Chief alone. On Easter Monday the Lord Mayor humanely ordered the prisoners confined in the City Compters 8501 b. of beef, and yesterday the whole of the broken viauals, left at the late public dinner, at the Mansion House, was distributed among persons of the same description. , INDI.I HOUSE. Ye,terclay n Court of Diretiors was held at the East India House, when the following Commanders took leave, previous to departing for their respedive destinations, viz. Capt. 11. %Yawn, of the War!cv, , Jame ..Wootlfortl, China J. Firqualtar4on, Alfred, ) John Price, l'r. of Wale,, ..PAnitny Je Matt.,irt Georg? Boilli.tite, F.4?x, W. (:el4tora, Furope, ‘lArlra. and Bengal. Ilanry Sturrock, The extra ships were thus stationed and timed, viz. C-Intet, St. H delta and Bengal. Tigris, hita•leirs and Glory, 111.4.1., Bengal, to be afloat the 21st instant. Ann, Bombay. Grnriai Swart, Madras and Bengal. Northampton. B !oral, to he afloat the sth of May New Ship, Mr. flurry, Bengal, to be afloat the 21st of May ; and all of them to sail from Gravesend one calender month from the time of their twin afloat. The thanks of the Court were unanimously voted CO JOHN ROUARTS and JACOB BOSANCiLET, EST's. Chairman and Deputy Chairman, for the eminent services they have rendered the Company during the last year- The Court adjourned at six o'clock till this day. Yesterday the dispatches for Madras and Ben” 1, by the Earl Howe, were finally closed at the Last India House, and delivered to the Purser. PASSER:ARS FOR FORT ST. GEORGE. Lord Win. Itantinck and Lady. Colonel William Dowdeswell, his Lordship'. priyata Secre tary. Major !ferny Monckron, his Aid-do-Camp. Mewl. J Cassa major and G. E. Rus,ell t Writers. Mr. A. fligh t , Assinant Surgeon. CW9ray, R. Harrington, H. Wright, .1. G Iton, W.ll. llAuedtant, S. RoAlcstua, and J. Fagan, Cadets. FOR BENGAL. Hun. C. R. Lindsay, and Philip Motirlann, Writers. Nusert Fox, with the Colossal Sumo of Marquis COM wallis. Yesterday a Ballot was taken at the East India House, for the eleaion of six Di, caors to serve four years, in the mom of the undermentioned gentle men, who go out by rotation, viz. Mr. Alderman Le Meiurier, Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Sir F. Haring, John Manship, and Sir II Inglis, George W. Thellucion, At six o'clock the glasses were finally closed, and delivered to the Scrutineers, who had not reported the numbers when this paper went to press.—The Candidates were : John Behb, E4q. Simon Fraser, Esq. John liudlrston, Esq. John Inglis, Esq. Charles Malls, Esq. Thomas Parry, Esq. Richard C. Plowden, Esq. Thomas Reid, Esq. Abraham Robarts, Esq. and George Tatem, Esq. There appears no doubt that the Batavian Repub lic, (if a Republic it may still be called) will be made a chief point of attack against this country in the event of war. The seizure of Flushing by the French is probably a preliminary step ; but whatever may be the views of the Ftesx CONSUL, and whatever may be the issue of the present negotiation, this country is prepared for the worst, and determined, with a fearless and undauntless spirit, to preserve her rights unimpaired, and her honour inviolate. The Maltese Commander, Dc Bt,sv, whom the new GRAND MASTER has nominated his Minister Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to the British Governor of the contested island, is a Frenchman of illustrious extraCtion, and took an active part in the Revolution. After the 18th Brumaire, however, when he saw a change apparently effected in BON A- P A RI. t's conduet, he too became less violent. The Caledonian Mercury says, the real state of public affairs can be obtained with more accuracy from an Edinburgh paper, than from the Cockney quidnuncs of London. The BISHOP of LINCOLN has collated the Rev. It. POINTER, M. A. Reatm of Southhoe, Hunting. donshire, to a Prebendal Stall, in the Cathedral Church of Lincoln. Mr. KEStB r. E has become a proprietor of Covent Garden Theatre, having recently purchased the share which a few years ago was bought and re-sold to the Chief Proprietor, by Mr. LEwts.—This share is a sixth part of the Theatre. The Dutch squadron, commanded by Admiral DE WINTER, is arrived at Lisbon. BELCHER, the pugilist, arrived in town late on Tuesday night, and proceeded to his abode in health and spirits. The only injury he has sustained in the late rencounter is a slight mark on the forehead. It has however proved quite different with his anta gonist, who is at this time under the hands of a sur geon, and much bruised, inwardly and externally; since the tight he has confessed to a friend, that the blows of BELCHER have nearly killed him, and that he shall never he a sound man again. The charaCter of Plaint, or the Ruffian, was al ways that of a boxer who could bear much beating; he has undoubtedly received as much as he could well bear, and is most likely satisfied that his boast of being as great a scientific boxer as his antagonist was without foundation. Previous to the contest, a clergyman, who was also a magistrate, came with a constable to inter pose his authority, and disperse the persons -assem bled upon the occasion. His orders were however derided by the mob, and he was forced to retreat without being able to preserve the peace. The pugilistic contest between BELCHER and the YOUNG Burr AN, r -oduced very little sport, and very little betting,—the advantage from the first moment being decidedly in favour of BELCHLR..— The Hon. B. CRAVEN was so pleased with the con. duCt of BELCI!ER, he took him in his carriage hoar the stage to Newmarket. M'CON N EL, now under sentence of death '1 Horse-- monger-lane prison, has received a farther respite, until enquiry shall have been made at Bourdeaux re spe.ting sonic circumstances stated in his petition for mercy. The Prefal of l'olice, at Paris, has lately employ ed no inconsiderable portion of his time and talents. in devising a code of laws for the regulation of a very important class of the subjeds of his CON SULAR MAJESt Y.—Hawkers of News, Ballad-Sing ers, &c. RICH AR D BA R a ER, who many years was a labour ing gardener at Chichester, received a few days ag►o a very considerable fortune, under a decree of Chancery, as a relation of BAR ak:R, Esq. who suddenly died intestate, at Osborne's Hotel, in the Adelphi, within a few days of his return from India, with an immense property, which the decree has given to six poor and distant relations of the de ceased; but is , Jilierent proportions, . ~ '''' ~ -.~.. .tllo , lr .' THEATRE-,TOTAL, DRIIRr-L Tills EVENING will he po.,ented THE COUNTRY GIRL. Moody, Mr. Wrongliton; HArcourt, Mr. Powell; Sarkish, Mr fanner; &brine, Mr. C. Kemb!e; William, M. Mad docks. Alithea, Miss Moll PI M I Peggy, Mrs. Jordaii. To which will be LOVE AND MAGIC; or, Harlequin's Holiday. Nils); De Camp b •iNg rreol.,:rzd from her Indisposition, %rill per Corm in the Play of Deaf and Dumb To-morrow. On Sitio-day, evil 1w produced a No.w Cnnedy, ill Five Ads, (never peitinined) called The Matriage Promite. THEATRE-ROT-IL, COVENT-GARDEN. Tills EVENING will is- neramtitsl a New Comedy called JOHN BULL; Or, AN F.NGLISIIMAN's FIRE SIDF.i The principal CliarAtic.rs Lv Mr. Lewis, Mr. C0t,140, Mr. Fawcett, Mr. Johnctone, Mr. 11. Johnston, Mr. B anchard, Mr. F.)iwry, Mr. ',Veiny. Mrs. Gibbs, Mrs. Itt'icilport, and Nils: Marriott. The Proitrgue in be. spol;c:i by Mr. Branton. With a Lyrleal Ep I •gtr.! by Mr. Johnstone. T.) vtii7l, will alded, THE DEVIL TO PAY.