The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-05-06 00:00:00

• • • -4...-...••••0 1 delay. The LARD MAYOR, not dottbzing the trtith of the idtelligence, communi:ated the news imme diately to the Stock Etcl►ange and to Lwro's, and ohiet-cd the following Bulletin to be posted up at the 11.insion-house:— M 1 , /' S p l'lnj 66 L o " plovirise i tar LAN this mortt , tg, infor•nrl the !Attu) MAvitt, that the N rtnatinn with t.ie Frz..ch Re ➢atAie es brouAlat to all anti,:uble conclucion." This joyful intelligence spread through the City with &leer: is rapidity. Pleasure beamed in every eye, and mantled upon every countenance, with the exception of a few discontented political critics, teho not doubting the substance of the story, in the prefe , undnees of their sagacity, never sespeaed the hoax, ae-1 feared only that the national honour and interests might be compromised in the terms. Amidst the general joy and exultation, several of the principal monied men flew to the Maesion house, to enquire into the particulars of this intel ligence, which was not onl unexpeaed, but con trary to the speenlations of some of them, and to the general tone of the must recent accomits from France. The letter being shewn to Mr. A. Geer. that gentleman declared an opinion, that it was not Lord lIA WKESBURY's hand-writing. We be lieve also, that it is not customary for Government to send its communications, upon such important occa sions, except by special and well knowa messengers ; whereas, the present communication was made by an unaccredited stranger, who delivered the letter at the side door, as it were by stealth, and did not, as is the usual mode, come to the front gate and send in the letter to the por‘er in waiting, to be by him transmitted by the confidential servants of the place to the Lo an MA Y 0 R. The form of the letter was not exaetly officiel, and differs from the precedents used upon similar occasions, and the phrase " ir, and the French Republic," could only be account ed for, if the letter were genuine, by supposing that the word Country or Government was, in :Ile hurry ef writing, kft out after the word "stir," and that it should have run thus—" between th's country and thene ncli it opitblic."—Struck,on relic& on,w ith these inaccuracies and informalities, but influenced principal y by the opinion of Mr. GOLDS:VD. the LORD MA von wrote a letter to Coveniment, stating the circumstance, and dispatched it by a gentleman ht his confidence. In the mean time the glad tidings had diffused itself over the West-end of the Town, and, having reached the eats of Government, the Under Secretary of Sta e w as sent into the City to contradict the report, and pronounce the letter an impudent forgery. The following notice was also sent w those quarters which, as places of the mos t public resort, were the most likely to give the cen tradidion a quick and extensive circulation, and also to the Editors of the Evening Newspapers, with a view to counteraa the ettc a both in town and country : T o tbe EDITOR of tbe Trelsury, May a, 1803—One &deck. 4 ' SIR, " I have to aeonaisit wm, that the !lies age which w.4s flippose4.l to have been sent this miwning from FlAwlaw posy t.. the Limo 114alroit, suting, that the Neg ,eiations win, Fiance had terminated iimcably , tray a tabricatioa, an4l 1111ta11y deNtuLts ul truth. I am, Sit, Yom., moat obwrhoilt humble servant, J. SAkGINT." Soon after twelve o'clock, the Loan MAYOR received intelli . ::ence to this effea : Upon which he immediately sent one of the City MARSRALL's, with a copy of the oontradiCtion to the Stock Ex change, and ordered the copy of the forgery to be torn down from the front of the Mansion-house, where it had been posted up immediately after its receipt. The discovery of the fraud, did not how. crer come in time to prev:nt its effeets to a most enormous extent, both in relation to the change in the Funds, and the quantity of business trans acl:d. The three per cent. consols, which had left off on the preceding day at opened at 6:), and were at 71 at twelve o'clock, when the accoant of the forgery reached the Change. And here again, we had a proof of the extraordinary temper wf the public mind. With all this damning proof, communicated through the LORD Mayo s, the Stocks, after a &scent to tip), aaually attempted to rally, and did recover a little fin- a while after the first panic. The contr.rdittion, how ever, soon became irresistible, and the Funds LumLlod before it through the intermediate grada tions, down to o. This was their state at one o'clock, at whica time the panic, confusion, and alarm were so great, they would have certainly fallen still lower, had it not been thought advisable to) clear the market and shut up the Exchange, in s:ead et waiting for the usual hour. A termination be;ng thus put to the opration of the fraud and its rer.roa..Riv.: aid upon the market, the next obje,ft was to remedy the evil as far as the evil is suscepti ble of cure; and, accordingly, a general meeting of the gentlemen of the Stock Exchange, was immediately held, at which it was agreed, that all bargains done before half after twelve o'clock, at which time the discovery of the forgery was known oa'i.lasge, should be deemed null and void. —This rem•Jj is, we believe, the best that could he dcvisebl, but *e regret that it is not canpletely ade. .• .0 , ..,•••• qu the to its ohjenn Jo the rim place, we do not see aow it can apply to bargains fur Money ; and coo s, ipiently all real purchases for money must stand good, unless the parts shall be found privy to the forgery. Sccieeile, al! thoir who have made gam bling bargains, influenced tosalde by the report, or in confidence upon the conJusi of their. friends and neighbours, may conceive theMselves aggrieve , ' by the annulling of their bargains, fir as to them the foundation is Nei:illy fair, as in the cese of any other of the nen:emus false reports which daily in fluence the Funds.—lf, however, it has the eel of restraining the rage for gambling at the Stock Ex change, which is the disgra . Ce of the country, the public will have reason to rejoice in the remedy, however they may lament the possibility, that the guilty party may escape its application.—With a view also to discover the authors of this foul trans aetion, a reward of 50001. has been offered by the gentlemen of the Stock Exchange, with the addi tion of 5001. by the - Lorin Meao a. The most stria enquiry will also be made inoi the early sales of the day, the charanlms of the parties, and all the circumstances under which they were min'e. No diligence, zeal, and energy will be wanting to trace the source of the fraud, and a confident hope is entertaiiwd, that enquiry will prove successful. The sensation produced by the discovery of the fraud at the \Vest-end of the town, was very diffe rent from that felt in the city. In the neighbour hood of the Thenge, it was all anxiety and disap pointment, and every passenger presented a dismal countenance. The pielure in the \Vest-end of the town was the reversn There the people might be seen laughing at the credulity of their friends in the East, and expressing their astonishment at the su- CCS3 of the imposture. In the great mass of the d'eappointed, there were several who blamed the LORD MAYOR, and considered his conduil as pre cipitate. The person who delivered the letter, was booted and spurred, and had every appearance of a man just arrived oT a journey. Great stress was laid upon these 'circumstances, as not corresponding with the description of a Mel3enger employed only bxsten Loud 1-I.y.s•KsL;tuity's of and the Man sion-house. Among other circumstances which should have also excited his suspicion, it was argcd, that the Minister having promised to make the earlieet possible communication upon the sub ject to Parliament; his Lordship had no right to expert that it would be broken in that way. It was hence inferred, that he had not exercised a sound judgment upon the occasion, nor displayed a degree of caution proportionate to the magnitude of the subjea. An impartial consideration of all the feels will not lead to so harsh a censure. His Lordship was not at home when the person, who represented himself as a Messenger belonging to the Foreign Of fice, delivered the letter. He had, therefore, no opportunity of a personal interrogation. Besides, the seal was a genuine impression, it being found, upon examination, to have been taken from a true official letter, and transferred to the cover of the fabricated note. The word " ThowleJtvry," written • above, on the inside ; and on the outside, in the usual form, was found also to be a tolerable good imitation of his Lordship's hand-writing. It is also to be considered, that the public mind was wouqd up to the highest pitch of expenation, that the com bustibles were all prepared, the train laid, and an ex plosion every moment expe&ed to take place. If then his Lordship,in a novel situation, and inexperienced as he must be in the forms of diplomatic intercourse, was rot sufficiently alive to a slight departure from them on thepresent occasion ; if partakingof the public sentiment he gave an casy credence to a contmani. cation whith could, if true, relieve the general anxi cty if, as a good subica, he was transported beyond the limits of a cold and calculating caution in a case which announced a great benefit to his country, the truth of which no good teen would wish to question, and v hich enlisted upon its side the best feelings of the heart; if, we say under such circumstances, be yielded to surprise,. and became the dupe for the moment of a deep and well planned artifice, we do not think we can fairly find fault with hint, without, at the same time, finding fault with those loyal, pa triotnr., and benevolent feelings, which may have fa cilitated the delusion, feelings which do honour to the man, and entitle him to the regard of his fel low-citizens. We had received Pali:. Journals in the morning , and could not help comparing one remarkable cir cumstance in them, with the cements of the forged letter. At the last Consular Levee, the Ambassa dors of ali the Courts of Europe were present, ex cepting Lord WiturwoitTu. In common times this might happen without hoeing any way singular but at such a moment as the present, the absence of our Minister from the Levee was remark able ; and comparing it with the general tenor of the private letters from Paris, seemed t o threaten something very different from Peace.— Indeed, so general was the teport of his Lordship's return, a bookseller in Piccadilly, gifted no doubt with mond s ht, positively stated on Wednes day that his Lordship had actually left Paris on the preceding night. Had this been stated as a mete ~. ' ~+- =~= speculation, we should have readily subscribed to it. fin. we believe that sore of the best informed circles would not be surprised to see his i.ordsbip the bearer of his own tidings. Should this prove the result, we shall not probably have reason to regret it so much as some persons may, at first Mash, suppose. A state of aaual hostility would he preferable to the state of uncertainty and unprofitable expence which the country now suffers. But in the event of the return of our Ambassador, it does not follow that we shall be plunged into immediate and anive war; and yet our situation will be moire definite and satisfinflory. More than a month elapsed after the return of M. Cum:vs-Aix to France, before war was declared, had should Lord Win rwoarn return to-morrow, the interval between that and a proclamation of war would probably be still greater ; nor would the hopes of an accommodation be ent:rcly excluded in the mean time, as the cause of peace between the two nations might perhaps be as safe in the hands of some neutral state, as mediator. it has been the uniform policy of the It•T CONSL L to endeavour to throw the odium of a rupture upon this Country, and thireby make a sear popular in France, and the powers of Europe ap provers of his condud. This policy ministers have uniformly endeavoured to defeat by moderation, by concession, and by forbearance, while the Ft asr ComFul was hourly insulting one half of the states of Europe, and oppressing the other. If an ac commodation should not unfortunately take place, we have reason to believe that they will adhere to the same principle, and pursue a humane, philosophical, and generous line of con due. They will not serve the ambition of the Fittsr. CoNsuL, by fretting and irritating the people of France into his selfish views. The Treaty of Amiens has shewn at what an enormous price Eng land has been willing to purchase the friendship of France. should that Treaty be cancelled, the Eng lish Ministers will evince fresh proofs of kindness and forbearance. They will not• maintain a little petty war in the channel. They will not frighten and alarm the innocent inhabitants of France by singeing a few yards of coast; or, as Mr. Sul:a/DAN happily expressed it, " by gnawing with their teeth at the rocks of Noir-Moutier." No, if England shall be compelled to raise her hand once more against France, she will strike for some great purpose. St. Domingo will fall ; Louisiana will fall ; all the colonial and commercial hopes of France will pe rish. These are large objeas, and for nothing less will England allow herself to provoke the hostility of the French nation. In consequence of the extraordinary occurrence which took place yesterday in the city, and the un settled and confused state of the market, we have not been furnished, as usual, with a regular and au thentic report of the Funds. The following, how • ever, will be found a tolerably come& account of the fluduations in the 3 per cent consols 71. 701, 63. 6i. Yesterday a Court of Lieutenancy was held, when Capt. JENNINGS of the East London Militia, was appointed Major, and Capt. Po ar ca of the West London Militia was appointed Major of the West London. The Paris Papers contain some extraas from the German Gazettes, which are eagerly caught at as as indicating the happy issue of die discussions be tween the two countries. The following article is quoted from the Journal de C9logne:— ~ Letters from Aix-la-Chapelle; dated the 24th April, state, that two days before, the Preied had received from Citizen Eua t, a Member of the Le gislative Body, a letter containing a* passage very important and very interesting for the friends of peace, and which may be regarded as official. It is given in then words :—' I take up my Ten to-day, only to announce to you with greater promptitude a happy piece of news—that of the continuance of peace. Yesterday evening, April 18, the difficulties were removed, and the two Governments have come to a complete reconciliation." The same intelligence is thus announced in the Mentz Gazette, of the 21th Letters from Paris, of the I:+th, entithd to the utmost credit, as sert, that peace is secured between the French ire public and England, and that alt the differentes which had arisen between the two Governments, were happily adjusted in a definitive manner on the 18th instant." La Cle fdu ailing, of the ‘2:l instant, observes— " A report has been spread that the English Am bassador was preparing - to depart yesterday evening, or very early this morning." The Duchess of Po anoN, and Lady G. Cat' EN- Ins:4 are expe&e,i from Paris on l'hlrsday nest, at her Grace's vill.t at Eastshcen, Stary. A i w varnii:i for 'earthen ware has lately beeN discovered. It is made of equal parts of white glass and soda, finely pulverised, c. r!fully sifted and mixed. This varnish is applied in ih. same manner as that in common use. The advantage of it is, that it is safe, and can have none of the poisonotts effeas that arise from the decomposition of lead varnish. A new sugar hits been discovered, by Pr Tessor PROUST, in the grape. which is the basi- of wii.e. It is different from that yf the sugar-cane, and crys tallizes differently. Messrs. CIItOTCILET s QUAVIt t and PAL? ET have often combined their talents for the amusement of the Public, bat. we have never teen this Trio to greater advantage than since their ininwrsion in the Wat.as ; to the waters of which they have given he hie of Geniuc, and the S a r. a of ~~~_ THEATRE. DRUTIV-LAVE. • Their MaJEcrtts and the three elder Plt INCEMEi honoured Ttr Alarrive Prom..r.t. and A House to be Sold with their presence here last rti:!ht. Never were the Royal Visitors received with more enthu siastic proofs of loyalty and atreclion. The Per formers exerted themselves to tL utmost. Mrs. JUR DA S i to Ler usual vivacity, added a playldlness never seen but in her own performance, and then only in her happiest mood. Her exenions, aided by \lr. BANNIS f gat, (though indisposed) were very necess..try to chace the tear of sensibility from the cheeks of tie' knyal Grotipe, who, though so far elevated in rank above the charvaers, sheaved how deeply their feelings could be affe6ted by scenes of humble life and manners. Miss DEca-,IP, in the ent , ktainment, displayed an uncommon share of vi vacity. Her italian mock bravura was encored. The ROYAL ILI" seemed in high health and spirits, appeared much pleased with tLir entintain ment, and retired amidst the huzzas and plaudits of an a.imiring audience. Gad saw ibr and Rie Brriannia, were sung, the audience joining in lull Cll, rus. HIS MAJESTY was in regimentals: the Qt.:Li , . sr, white and gold, dark robe trimn:ed with gold ; h-ad-dress, black turban studded and braided with diamonds, a white feather in the shape of a crescent. Princesses AuntsT a and SoPiiiA were diessed alike, in white and silver ; bandeaus to match, with a small variation in their feathers, which were white ; diamonds, necklaces, ear-rings, Ste. Princess EtIZA puce and silver Chambray' muslin dress, diamonds on her sleeves ; head-J:ess, a superb bandeau composed of stars and chains of diamonds, a single bird-of-paradisc feather, diamond necklace, ear-rints, S:c. FASHION. THE COUNTESS OF KENMARE`S ROVT This Lidy,whose elegance an .1 hospit.ilitr has been the theme of praise in the fashion:Lble world for sonic years gave, on Wednesday evening last, her first Rout this season, since her return from Killar ney, to near live hundred of the fashionable circle, at her house in Portman-square. At nine o'clock the whole of the superb, elegant, and extensive rooms were thrown open, which, for style and fa shion, have riot been e t xcelled by any of the season. In the splendid circle v.-ere, • The Marquis of Lorn. Barb—l)rhy, M iuntnotric, Liineri;k, Leitrim, Farnham, Abuytw, Gallo•••••ay. ri;., Stanley, and IVCiity.ii:th. 13.5h.4 e , of Liier,clc. Suitoun, D.llon, Primrose, Ch sulszon and Saltouti. as—J. Hayes, E. Renyon, W. iermitighani, L. Pa-ors, H. D•shwoo,l, G. Sheene,• F. Stuilev, and H. V. Tempest. Generals—Needham, (4.'11,661, and Taylor. Cal 7Lets—Sparruw and Sheeue. Major Eustace. Me;sri—Etmer t W. Shannon, M. Stapleton, Burke, Llcyd„ Swinbiinie, Gerrard, Herbert, Cornwallis, Hethers, Weston, two Jenninghams, Dillon, Sloane, Hare, Nolcken, Chipne;, FaulkuJr, Paris, and Piillll. Nurchionesse:s—Salishwy and Headfu t. Countesscs—! larcoutt, Carliampton, Derby, Dawsan, Clare, Portarlington, Mounttiorri , , MiAint-Edgecumbe, Linience, Le.t.iin, Ito•Aberry, and to run. I'isr.nunus>,,—Ne•.rark, St :alley, and Allan. s Nolken Ludits—tiLstwp, Downer Fitzgerald, tulkeley, Woccl house, Geaurd, Lit Aughrim, Melville, Hen. ley, Benyon, Mone!it o n, Situder!arid, Ematace, Cu,- hid, Deerlttirst, l'arsans, Dui :surly, ttiis,xy Dillon, Sturtun, Dawuoits, Saltuun, M. Taylor, and l'oreliester. Wright, Needham, Smith, Elmer, Drum mond Smith, Swinburne, Wheeler, Hethers, W:ston, White, Fiuherbert, Co!terell, Dillon, H. Dawkins, Ploarten, Sparrow, Sloane, Boyne, D..! Gray, Surtoun, Chipney, But ler, Faulkner, Paris, Penn, and Sawbridge. Min;—Sydney, Wright, Cooke, Elmer, Wodthouse, John stone, Gerard, Gibbs, two 'ffltieJeri, Iluddlestun, Hztth;rs, Roadie, Eu,tace, two Crimer-4, Dill, n , Plunckett, Dishstuad, two allot's, Stucton, White, Vaughan, and two Allan. FASHIONABLE PArtTIES THIS EVENING. Countess of Derby's gland Ro.q, Grosvenor-square. Mrs. 'Thompson's Ball Herefor.lestree'. Lady Lumnis ROLL , Naw BAIA-street. Yesterday at half past nine o'clock, his MAJESTY and the Duke of Cums ND, attended by Cen. GWYNNE, rude from the Queen's-house to Kew, where his Maits.r: inspeCted the new palace, i!rd other works carrying on there, and returned at half past two. The Prince of WALES and Duke of You,: yester day paid their respeCts to their MAJ:i.iTILS and their HO VAL S: .STErtS. The Princess Charlotte of WA tr; was with her MAJESTY and the PKINCEiSCS during yesterday. Yesterday thelCountess of UXB RIDGE, and several others of the female Nobility, paid a morning visit to her MAP:Arr. Sir Joni , ' Sitso.r.v, report states, is in a few days to lead the beautiful Miss L. CROFTON, daughter of Baroness CROFTON, and sisler to Mrs. Sr. G to CALLFILID, to the alter of Hymen. Yesterday, Lord Rots gave a grand dinner, at hi; house in Berkeley-squarc. Lady Hum locat's•ltout, Lady DE CLIFFORD'S 11.011 t, 'Mrs. Hatt's Rout, Mrs. \Vincar's Rout, Mrs. lIAMMLRSLEY'S Rout, la t night attradled large parties of thefashionable world. Mr. JOHN FRANCIS HA I:TWRI.L, Esq. who re ceived the honour of knighthood, was one of the proxies of the Knights of the Bath, on Wednesday at the J.evee, is the Commissioner of the Navy. Mr. S r. GFJR GE CAULFIELD does not take pos— se-.sion his new house in Grafion-street for this fortnight. Sir 3 irtittn CortEltrt.t. set off yesterday even• ing rrom his house in Grosvenor place for Ba:h, on a to Ladv CO L TIRE._ L, where her Ladyship has been Ler sonic weeks indisposed. Mr. PoNsos a v and.his beautiful bride, Lady F. Possos ay, will set off next week, fionr the British. Rite!, Jexm.yn-street, upon a tour to the Continent. They will proceed by Paris and Brussels to Vienna. Yesterday was tn,arried by Tech' licence, Mr. Lirrtzn•tr., offratiley-street, to Mks CAarrt; , second dautfluer of Mr, Cs;•rsitr. the Banker, at his IhRTSC Bruton.street ; after the marriage ce relnony, the happy pair set off for Coppies-hill, Wirobleo.to.o. The new market immediAtely to be built north of Finsbury=sqtrare will in magnituJe sarpass nny other in London. l'he following ett,ets art levelled. completely to the ground, on. the market is to be ece&d, viz. Dulre-.truer, Princes -street', and. King -street, with tLe parts to the taunt of 40 kcivs gruuLl. - -b-. I • I . . I ~~ ~~ , •: