The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-02-04 00:00:00

D I LITT RITURE. Est Op ra trelium cog'.oecere. Ho a. ... From the time cif Lewis XI. France has formed mrsne of the most striking and it objects on the great political theatre of Etmope Tier ra p id but transitory acquisition of Ital y by the arms Charles VIII. her victories wider her young hero Gaston Jr noise, and her suhsequent struggles for dominion under Francis I. against the gigantic accumulated power of Austria, werecirculestarices which covered her with glory. In consequence of her civil wars, she experienced a temporary depression ; but, be neath the auspices of her fourth Henry, she again asserted her high place among the nations ; and succeeding under Lewis XIV. to the greatness of Austria, she compelled Europe to confederate, for the purpose of restraining the overflow of her domi nation. For nearly a century from that period, she remained, upon the whole, in a state of station ary gtandeur; sometimes enfeebled by the efforts of fur ambition, but endued with the principle of in herent and inexhaustible renovation, resulting with vigour from her falls, and speedily acquiring from peace the inclination of the sinews of aggression. With all the struggles, however, of her restless am- Ii ition, could never stretch herself beyond the Alps or to the Rhine. Savoy pressed her on that harrier ; and between her and tb r tempting bound ary, a portion of the great body of Germany in terposed, and, like the enormous serpent which kept the Roman army from the African river, prohi bred her approach to the stream She still wished without daring to hope for the limits of ancient Caul. A stupendous revolution, at length, con vulses her to her minutest fibre, and seems to expose her in a state cf helplessness to the designs of her neighbours. Alarmed by her democracy, and roused by the appetite for plunder, Europe combines against her, and presses upon her fron tiers, while her own sons tear her bowels, and float her plains and her cities with domestic blood. Im mediate destruction appears to threaten her, and every part of, her eatent exhibits disorder, desola tion, the crimes, and the virtues of her offspring. Front this ruin, she springs ss ith ttiaiestic energy ; gathers all her force for the effort ; turns the tide 4.4 * victory aponher foes; swells over all the mounds which glad hitherto confined her ; establishes her self in Italy, and on the Rhine • pLints her victor fort on the neck of Europe ; anithen, satiated with plunder and dominion, resigns bench into the hands of an usurper, to enlarge his greatness with the ac quisitions of her sanguinary toils, and with her tro phies to decorate his stately and •upstart throne. ' 46 for hint tlir! self-rkroted Deeti died, " The I t abii fell, and the great Scipio', conquer d." 40 , For him,"—may some of her early Revolutionists ray, with bitter rccollcction— •• " Tor km 'he gratious Duncan have we murder d, " P it raticours jai the vessel of OUT peace-- " To make Aua Kul '" In this state of trituripb and of disgrace, with Re publican rags fluttering round the nakedness of des potism, France certainly offers to the inquisitive eye, a more curious spectacle than any which is re corded in the annals of the world ; and we are not surprised at the multitudes which wander from their homes to enjoy the show; to view her gal leries crowded with the spoils of nations ; to look at that son of fortune, who has yoked her fierceness ; and to speculate on that strange and motley throng, as hiCh is pretligate and busily idle in her capital. t the reszoration of peace, it was not difficult to lams?: that thousands would repair from England to gape at this extraordinary scene ; but it gratifies us to think, that of the numbers who have been im poned by curiosity to this excursion, not one has re tarred otherwise than better pleased with his own country, and dicappoitr_ei or disgusted with France. When we calv.:late our constitution on the princi ples of its theory, er I-2.T: on what our fathers possessed, and we ought o, possess, we may be in duced to regard ourselves as bending under a load of political evils, and be tempted to complain : but a vievr of our Reprldicsa neighbour will soon re move our discontent, and render us thankful for the blessings which we enjoy—for our security in the intercourse of social life, for our free press for the discussion of truth, for our suhjection in short only to admirable laws, 1110 g admirably admini stered. l'be work which has directed our present atten tion to France, is entitled, "A Rovoit SKITCH or NlonEits l'Asis ; or, Lett :•s on the Society, Mannas, Public Curiosities, and Amusements in that Capital." Politics are not within the Author's plan and we may consequently be censured for their introduction : but who can, a: this instant, con template Franca, without adverting to the pliteno men t of her political situation ? The Author of these Letters, who has not inscribed them with his name, informs us that they were written in the two last months of 1,01, and in the first fore of the sue- . eteding year. The picture which they give of Paris seems to be accurate, and is certainly entertaining. It presents to us, in distinct and appropriate co louring, the three descriptions of people who at present form the h;gh society of that capital,—the antient noblesse, who are still afflueut ; thc numer ous train of Government, the new men, who by various means have et.riched themselves during the Revolution and the War. Of these classes, the first are represented as the most proud and inacces sible, the second as the most gaudy and the most Polite to strangers, and the third as the most ex travagant and voluptuous. Fot the entertainment of our readers, we will se lect an extracß front the 7th letter, which describes an eveniig or era party, of which our Author was Vne• " The fire was nionopeliaed by a party of zealous disputants, who, tasenii,g their backs to the corn pally, aad talking altogether, funned a separate group, or rather a debating society, round the chimney. Fr-im tbe loudr.ess of their voices, and the ieufenct of their gestates, I supposed they were slissr.tssing some i s reat nationat questiou, and expecting to gain much useful intelligence, listened with ail the painful attention of extreme curiosity. I soon disc3vered, to my no small :astonishment, that it w,ts not the bate of the natiisi, but the accuracy of an expre,sion, which excited their zeal. '!"he abbs 1)e1:11e had, it seems, in a puem Lately published, used this phrase. " Jr tfc:etentl4 flue silouce, jc ue roil quc la fltllit." • " Whether it was possible 66 to hear silence," and a- see night.'' WAS thz 4 great subject of dispute ; and • 1 eat, hey aud scv teat I V the metaphy..iral aistinetions, nice definitions, and 1 pedantic remarks, which this question excited, Formed-a cutious specimen the Frenot character. Sonic of the ladies joined in tooe debate ;-and I know not to what height it might have been carried, had. not the arrival of the thi interrupted the orators, and stopped the , conversation, with a subject more agreeable to the general taste. • (Tv be cu.dinueti.] IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. MOUSE OF LORDS, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 3. A number of Peers, among whom were the Bishops of Ely and Chichester, the Earl of Coven try, the FAR Berkeley, Lord de Doustanville, and several others, took the oaths. Two Petitions .against the Woollen Manufactory Bill were received, read, and ordered to be laid upon the Table. Several Petitions in Cases of Appeal were read, and the respective Causes to which they referred set down for hearing. Mr. Munden, one of the Agents of a Scotch Ap peal, was examined, as to the consent of the Agent on the other side to the prayer of his Petition, that the Cause might he heard on a particular day, and answering for his being agreed, the cause was upon a Question, ordered accordingly. Lord Chief Justice ELLENB , ORO UGH brought in a Bill from the Judges. Adjourned till To-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS, THURSDAY, FE SktiA a Y 3. New Writs were ordered to be issued for..the Borough of Ipswich, in the room of George Alex ander Crickiit, Esq. deceased, and for the Town and Port of Hastings, in the room of Lord Glen bervie, appointed Surveyor of His Majesty's Woods and Forests. About. twenty Members took the Oaths and their 'Seats. The SPEAKER called the attention of the House, to two Petitions against an inutile return for Drogheda ; the circumstances of - which he consi dered it necessary to state to the House. By the Act of the 28th of the present King, such peti tioners not lodging recognizances within the time prescribed, might, within a farther time of twenty me days, either deliver the same personally to the Speaker, •or enter into the same before a Magis strait, who should transmit them to the Speaker, to be by him reported to the House ter them, either to receive or discharge the same. In one of the present cases, no recognizance having been en-. tered into, the order must be discharged. lheotLer, which was the Petition of Henry Mead Ogle, Esq. was in some degree new, and merited more parti: cularly the attearion of the House. By the A.‘.l of the 28th of the King, coupled with the order of tho House of 1779, it was made laq:fill for the S z ,eaket to examine into the validity of the securities, and due notice for that purpose being given. Two days had been considered a sufficient notice under thip regulation. In the present instance, however, al though the recognizances had been lodged In due time, no such notice had been given. He thought therefore, that as this was a new case, the present order of the House should be discharged, and a fu ture day appointed for taking the same into con sideration. Lord HAWKESBIJRY then moved that the pre sent order be discharged, and that the question be taken into consideration on Monday next.—Agreed to. P. NNE RESTRICTION ACT. Lord HAWKESBURY. " A right honourable friend, who is prevented by a slight indisposition from attending in hi) place, intended to have g►ven n:•ticc for Monday next of a motion for leave to bong in a Bill for the fui.ther restriftion of payments in specie by the Bank ot . England, for a time to be limited. In his absence, I beg leave to give a notice to that effect." Copy CIA Letter from Lord Macartney to the Court of D:reetors, dated Jan. 8, 1797. Copy -of. Minato of Lord Hobart and Council of Fort St. Georo, dated Bth Oat. 1793. Copy of Minutes of Lord Hobart and Council of Ditto, dated 26tli Nov. 1795. Laid Cllyeri Mutates transmitted to the Court of Dircrtors, in March 1800. Lord CASTLEREAGH said it was his object that the House should come to the discussion on the question, with every possible information that could throw light upon it. He rather suspected that some of the papers the Noble Member in tended to move for, would be included in the •o luminous mass of documents moved fur prior to the recess. The Motions were severally put and carried, and the prtpers ordered to he laid upon the Table. Mr. CORRY moved for the Accounts relating to the Irish Protestant Charter Schools—the Female Reform institution—the Penitentiary House—the Foundling Hospital—the Marine Hospital—the Westmoreland Lock Hospital—the House of In dustry, and a variety of other charitable institu tions. Ile also moved for the Estimates of the Espences of these different Establishments, which were ordered accordingly. Mr. ORMSBY presented a Petition from the Company for improving the Town and Harbour of Sligo, praying for the repeal of a certain Act passed last Session of Parliament—Referted to a Committee. Mr. JOHN CLAUDIUS BERESFORD pre sented a Petition from the Royal Canal Company of Ireland.—Referred to a Committee. The House adjourned. SIXTH TIME. THEATRE-Rona, DRURr-LANE. THIS EVENING will be preeented a New Comedy caned HEAR BOTH SIDES. The Character: by Mt. Dowtun, Mr. Bannister, Jun. Mr. C Kenibk, Mr. Raymond, Mr. Sliest, Mr. Wroughton, Ntr. Cherry, Mr. Wewitter, Mr. Collins. Mrs Pope, and Mrs. Jordan The Prologue to be spoken by Mr. Parini:ter, Jon. akd the Epilogue by Mrs. Jordsn. To which will be added, LOVE AND MAGIC. The New Come 4 will he performed every Evening till fur ther notice, with the new Pantoniime. The Gentleorn who made Ins Third Appearance in Richard the Third, on Friday night, was again received with universal applause. Due notice will be given of his next Performance. TH,RAT'RE-ROna, Co VENT-G A R DEN. TillS EVENING will be performed the Comedy of THE MAN OF THE WORLD. Sir Pottinax M'Sycophant, Mr. Cooke; Lord Lumber court, Mr. Warldy ; Melville, Mr. Cory; Egerton, Mr, Siddons. I.tty Hint, Mnr.. Mattocks; Constantine, Mrs. IL Siddons ; Lady M'Sycnphant, Miss Leservei and Lady Rodolphe Lumbeecourt, !Ors. R. Johnston. To which will be added, HARLEQUIN's HABEAS. To-morrow, Family Quarrels, with the Melo-Dame. Th..: Young Gentlesuin . who performed the Part of Othello oil '.`lond..y night for the Sd time, was received with the great est z?platiire, and will make his 44 appearance on any Stage oh Monday next, in the Character of daffier, it the Tragedy of Venice Preserved. The bientleman who per runnel the Character of Hamlet, last night, for the first time, was rms-irt.,l with unbounded applause, and aril reiieat that Character orii Wednesday next. AFFAIRS OF TILE CARNATIC. Mr. KEENE. 4 , There is a sub3e.r.l likely to be soon brought forward in debate, with referenee to which your table is covered with -papers. 1 mean the transa&ions which have taken place in the Car natic. It is important to ascertain whether the al terations which have taken there are consistent with justice or not. If they are inconsistent, I apprehend any further inquiry will he unnecessary ; for no con sideration of expediency can justify what is in itself unjust. In order that the Hone may be elabled to determine upon the question, it is inctispensible that it should he in possession of every fad relating to it. The question mast ultimately depend upon the con sideration of the facts.-1 conceive, therefore, that it cannot he idvantageously brought foriiard with out onr knowing the hiaory of the rise and fall of the ruling family in the Carnatic, the rise and pro grets of the British connection with that family, and the conditions on which it was originally formed. 'This is necessary to our thorough corn. prehension of the substantial and political justice to be decided upon. But it is requisite the House should have new lights to guide it.— lie labours of the Committees of this 'louse have at different times in a great degree elucidated the subject ; but the documents they have collected, are so very nil merons, that for any Gentleman to attempt to form an accurate judoieut from them, would be at tended with great difficulty. I. would refer those who wish fur information, to a work whirl) has stood the test of time, and which in point of com position and the taste displayed in the arrangement of the facts of which it is composed, will raise an eternal monument to the ability and talents of the author—l mean Mr. Orme's history of Hindostan. It appears that when Governors of Madras were sent out from this country, race: inater-ial innova tions took place. From what is stated in the record to which I have alluded, I apprehend Gen tlemen will see a political necessity for the measures it recommends, and be convinced that if they . are not adopted, perpetual confusion must take place is the country, and that we most inevitably be in volved in a perpetual war by descent. With these views, I beg leave to move that tl.!.:e be laid before the House. A Copy of a Lever from Lori Macarthey to dr.: Court .f Directursetthe E.t4lrw4 , Company, dated Ist Dec. 1782. Aouthec Leitto from Lord Nlacartney to the Court of three tos,, dated 21iit Jan. 1764. Another Letter tom Lo d Macartuey to the Court of 1: • reztur4, dated 4th dupe, 1795, with 14 lnclusures. THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON FRIDAY, FEB. 4.. Both I louses of Parliament met yesterday, for the first time alter the recess, and the business of the Session was resumed.—They were uncommonly well attended, considering that no particular business was expected to come on.—ln the Commons the majo rity consisted of new Scotch and Irish Members, of whom a great many were sworn in.—With the ex ception of Lord H..‘ , xt:snuav, we did not notice any of the Leading Members. His Lordship ap pears to have attended in his place for the purpose of giving notice of a Motion for the continuance of the Act restricting the Bank from paying in specie, which will expire on the Ist of next month. We observed in a former Paper, that such a measure was in contemplation. 'The difference in the course of Exchange, between this country and the Conti nent, being so great at present, as to threaten an extraordinary exportation of specie, were the re striction to be taken off. Several papers relative to the recent transactions in the Carnatic, were also moved for ; from which we may conclude, that this subject is likely to be among the first that will occupy the attention of Parliament. Various reports were in circulation about changes in Parties, but we could not trace them to any au thentic source. The opposition side, we believe, has not acquired any i.trength during the recess, and the arrival 'of so many Scotch and Irish Mem bers will swell th?. ranks of the Minister, with whom the great majority of them acted in the last Parlia ment. It seems to be the general opinion that 'the Session will run a good way into the Summer, and that it v. ill produce much warm and interesting de , bate. We have again to notice the non-arrival of Paris Papers, of which none have been received since this day se'nnight. As this disappointment cannot be imputed to the weather, Mr. Pierrepoint having ar rived from France in the course of the week, the cause is supposed to he of a political nature.—What measure the French Government may be planning that requires such a precaution, we cannot conceive. —Some people, combining the late acetl:lts of the severe police exercised upon English Travellers with the late d at4es in the Official Journal, think that the Firs► Consul is preparing a grand exposition of foreign plots aniconspiracies againsthis C overnr.-.ent, the effect of which would be injured were they to transpire ptematnrely, fir be dealt out by retail. A Political manoeuvre of this sort, to divart public at tention, is not new in the history of governments; and the deplorable state of St. Domingo, seems to call for it at the present day. We arc not, how ever, disposed to give credit to this, or the many other rumours to which the interruption in the re ceipt of the French papers has given rise. Eng land, though innocent, would certainly be set • down a principal in any such plot ; al:d such a charge would he very inopportune at a nv.,:r.ent when France, if we may credit report, is soliciting her friendly accommodation in the West Indies. Wednesday, at twelve o'clock, the Convocation met agreeable to adjournment. 'There were pre sent his Grace the Archbishop of CANTEarnay. Bishops of LoNDoN, ELY, ST. ASAPH, BATH and WELLS, LICHFIELD 'and COVENTRY, ROCHESTER, and DEAN of WESTMINSTER. After appropriate prayers, in Latin, they proceeded in full dress to St. James's, with their Address, which His MAJESTY was most graciously pleased to accept. They wore a scarlet robe under their lawn. The DEAN of WESTMINSTER wore an entire scarlet robe, with the badge of the Order of the Bath, of which he is Dean. - -.- A Letter from Cape Francois, dated Nov. 2.7, says, " General ROUCH A M CEA U is arrived here from Port-au-Prince, to take the Command in Chief.— There are now off this harbour twelve or fifteen sail of transports direct from Marseille: but it is said they will be ordered against Port Liderte, in order to retake that town ; then to proceed to Port-au-Prince, as no Brigands appear to be there. The number of troops arrived is computed to bt from 1500 to Mo." - The PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATEs has heed requested to lay before the House of Representa tives, such information as he possesses, relative to the violation on the part of Spain, of the Twenty second Article of the Treaty of Friendship, Limits, and Navigation, between the two countries. The last advices from Bombay state, that the mourning for the Persian Ambassador being over, the Flag of his Nation was hoisted, and saluted with a royal discharge of Artillery. The utmost harmony prevailed between the suite of his late Ea cellency and the Company's soldiers. We are hap py to add, that the unfortunate affair is not likely to produce any of those Sisagreeable consequences which at first were apprehended. COIODeI NIGHTINGALE, son-in-law to Sir Lio- NEI. DARELL, proceeds with Lord Wm. BEN TINCK to India, in order to enter upon his new situation of Quarter -:Master-General to all his Ma jesty's forces in that part of the world. This is supposed to be the best appointment his Royal Highness the Duke of YORK has to bestow ; and the mode in which it is said to have been conferred. must have added trebly to the obligation. LOW' PELHAM, the Earl of DARTMOUTH, and the Duke of RoxBURGR, went from Court full dressed to the House of Lords yesterday. There was a greater number of Peers, spiritual and tem poral present, than usually attend when no parti cular business is expected to come under consi. devation. No day is yet fixed for he departure of Genera/ Sir THOMAS TRIGGE, fur Gibraltar; he will be ac companied by Major DARNLEY and Captain TEWKESBURY. On Wednesday last, Capt. PRICE was sworn into the command of a new ship of SOD tons, built by Messrs. Mrs.'. Ai:Rs, and which will be launched a their yard on Tuesday next. Colonel Ct osr. remains at Poonah, as the British Resident at the Court of his Highness the Peishwa. The Nabob Vizier has returned to Lucknow, hav ing accomplished the object of his journey of raising levies for tile Peishv.-a. Minx A AfrimEn A 1.1. i Nita:4, Executive Prime Minister of Lucknow, has resigned that charge into the hands of the Nuwab. The Nabob of Surat has ordered some duties to be remitted, which heretofore attached to Persian commodities introduced from the gate towards Per sia, respecting which a dispute arose in August last. and some Persians were killed. The Earl and Countess of BESBOROUGH, Lord and Lady MORYETIi, the Earl and Countess of CHOLMON DEL EY, and several other fashionables, in tend leaving Paris, on their return, in the course of 2 few days. 0 nWe inesday an overland d ispatch from Bombay, is Bussara, was received at the India House. The latest letters from the Presidency are dated the 9th cf September, by which we learn that tranquillity was completely restored in Guzerat, in which dis trict the Government had been induced to march a. body of troops, for the purpose of restoring peace among the Rajahs in the Western parts. Sir Willi um Clarke, who had the chief command of this detachment, has returaed to the Presidency, after having taken measures for the peaceable conduct of the Hill Rajahs, and particularly Mulha Rao. Before the commencemert of the late war, there no such thing known in the Army as Second Field Officers. If those two were now placed on half pay, the same expellee would keep ten Super numerary Lieutenant; on full pay ; and every mili tary man knows .M itch are most useful in a regiment . By this regulation a valuable, but distressed body of men, would be provided for, and the service reap the , benefit. Mr. GREGORY, from Cambridge, and Mr. EvaNs, from Christ's Hospital, are appointed to tho Royal Military Academy, at Woolwich, with u view to the admission of a larger number of pupils at the conclusion of the present recess. Mr. EvANs's appointment has occasioned a vacancy' for a second Mathematical Master at Christ's Hos pital. Among the people of the Phamix who attended at the lire in falcon-court, on Wednesday night. Mr. Danit. 4 Davies deserves particular notice ; by his personal activity, he prevented it from destroy ing an adjoining house, to which the fiarrws 11.4 already conutunicated unperceived by the fire men. Last Sunday forenoon, at the Presbyterian Cha. pcl, Leominister, as the ReVerend Wit.tiAra Law ao.rti was about to conclude his discourse,• ho gently stooped forwards, and expired without a groan. He was about 65 years of age, and had for a series of years been a very indefatigable Mi nister to that congregation, during which time he published several svhgioa. books and trActs. ''wf 1 r