The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-12-25 00:00:00

PORT'UOA't. . T a toncortor observations upon the advantages !Cicely en ite delis:A by England, from the removal of 4he rest dusts Portuguese Government to , the Brazils / are ex:reeled from BIAILAND'S Modem Europe. In contemplating those important scenes its which great Britain is so essentially interested, so deeply engaged. Portugal claims, in an eminent degree, the attention of an English observer. The entitiesl state of that country has peculiar claiins to our regard, on account of the multiplicity and im portance of its connttions with England, its long and faithful alliance, and the benefits arising awn their commercial intercourse. By the best-informed writers on the manufanures end trade of Great Britain, it has been observed, that Portugal and her Colonies constitute one of the greatest and best markets. As Portugal, has scarcely any ma nor:satires, and Brazil is one of the richest, the most extensive, and the most populous of all the European settlement:, the demand for the manufaiured gods of this country is always great from that quarter, and must he increased in proportion to the improvement an .1 the increased wealth and population of the Portuguese Colonies. Porto; d also, by means alter settlements in Congo, Angola, and other parts of Africa, affords, a mar ket to B itish goods, and opens a channel for their introdunion into sever :I parts of the African con tinent. These considerations are both a powerful and national inducement to Great Britain to ime ,rest herself in whatever relates to the safety and prosperity of such an ally. _ The extent of Portugal, and the number of her inhabitants, are inconsiderable, wben compared with the corresponding circumstances of other countries on the Continent of Europe. Her mili tary strength is conseqirently small, and she cannot be supposed able to Tioaintain a contest with any of the great Continental Powers. Her only sure reli ance :s on Great Britain. To her alliance with this country Portugal owes het independence, and even her political existence. When Portugal was in the exulting period of i her splendour, and when her commerce was just at taining to its highest pitch, England did not derive from her commercial connexions with that king dom, the same advantages as she has dnee in latter times, for want of the means of furnishing the re articlts of trade. The manufatturing sys tem of Great Britain was then in its infancy. The Netherlands, at that time, supplied Portugal with inanufaaured goods, for the use of her numerous and extensive colonies, and the wealth which Bowed from the Portuguese settlements into the mother country, was drawn from thence to Antwerp, Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, and other commercial and mannfafturing towns in the Belgic provinces. The oppressive and tyrannical measures of Philip 11. in driving these provinces to tevolt, and -compelling their manufadurers and artisans to seek a peaceable asylum in England, and other conntiies, bereaved the Netherlands of this advan tage. And while he chewed himself the implaca ble enemy of this cOuntry, he injudiciously, and unintentionally, conferred upon it a benefit of the greatest magnitude. Had nut the despotism and tyranny of Philip obliged the manufaaurers of the N therlai.ls to fly for refuge into England, and other foreign C. unties, and at lase caused the t0t...1 separation of those provinces from the Spanish llifiusarchy, the pro,:ig, an: mass of wealth dra vn (ram the Pc , thriese, as well as the S, , settle- ments,would I Ave been conc:ntrat.rd mabiii his o.en dominions, instead of being almost prised Tutu Facign cntitries, aud par:kularly into gland, a country ag.tinst which 11-: professed the Most rancorous and detcrnir,td y. 'Tis baldly pr.ssiLl,, in crln'ii...!etirg t! esc c o vn t,, to aruid making sonssieleaiors on the vondedul elisp..q-aatiuns of tilaelik-con:tonlir.g novidence, which overrules the court.:As an.l deter mines the issuz of all mundan.: The history of mankind abotuhls with instances of plan of aggrandisement, t gnu. J by ci.e most NaretlPPrinces, and the most prof.mni conctrtcd ssith the greatest sagacity, and plomis- Fig indisputable success, %%MO have, I y unforeseen causes, not only been totally disconee; od, even cone , rted to the ruin of the projes:hors, by the in scrutable &cress of Him who has dr:lased, that he confoun.: the wisJons of the ma.: ; I. e. when 'aging in opposition to his will ; v.!lo never fails of accomplishing his promise. Philip 11. has been generally a Tru dges( and a palitic Priree. He was, beyond all .nan n'eT of doubt, superlatively ambitious ; and, not v:ithstanding his irjudicious mcastrees, he ra;ght be sell skilled in state affairs. He snord at unenn troulable power, end universal sv.;,). Fascinated by his predominant passion, and led astray .by that meteor of political ngwanclisemint, which haadaz• :led the ey-i, and slouched tho tiederstarrdi* of many fitst-rate politicians ; his inxdinati ambi tion drew a era before the coruerrtences of. his con- A& 'thigh proied, IC' every rttpeiff, diametrically oppo i e to what he eAr. disastrous. in the el e teens* lto biomer kin and equally adsobillkage ous to thoeut enemies. whom he most desired met. IVray not Philip -be. in this respeft, denomi nated the prototype of a celebrated perserage of the present day ? and might not theekcifts of his inju dicious proceedings have operated as a salutary eau . tion to the •politicAl Colossus of our times ? As the tyranny and ambition of Philip laid the foundation of the greatness and power of England, the mi. li7ary preparations and menaces of the Emperor of France, instead of depressing, have raised that Power to the highest pitch, and roused her energy in a manner unprecedented at any former period. The enterprising projels, and formidable menaces, of the French Government, have made Great Britain acqeainted with her own strength, beyond all former experiments ; and caused her to exhibit a dispfay of naval and military strength, unexampled in the annals of the nation, and able to bid defiance to all the rest of the world. Thus, when the Supreme Ruler has decreed the fall of nations, or of individuals, a judicial infatuation pervades their councils, turns their deep-laid and well-concerted schemes to their own disaster, and converts into foolishness the wisdom of the Ahitho phels of every age. If, however, the ungovernable ambition of that Power should resolve on the conquest of Portugal ; and Spin, allured by the promises, or awed by the meraces, of France,should consept to the march of the invading army through her 'territories, the most sanguine speSator can hardly entertain a doubt of the eventual subjugation of the devoted country. France would pour in so formidable a force, army after army, if necessary, that it would be impossible for the Portuguese, even with the assistance of Eng land, to make a successful resistance against such an accumulating mass of invaders. Should such an event take place, Portugal hesestill one resource left, such as few of the kingdoms of. Europe pos sess. In the very worst reverse of fortune, Brazil will afford her the means of securing bar independ ence. That rich and ettensive country might be a safe retreat for the Portuguese Government, the. Nobility, and principal inhabitants, in the last ex tremity, and in the most desperate situation of na tional affairs. That colony, extending from the equator to 55 deg. S. lat. and from :15 to 6 . .) • ‘‘.. long. being not lets than two thousand fear hundred miles in length from North to South, and seven hundred miles in breadth from E. to W. af fords room for more than ten times the Lumber of inhabitants which Portugal contains, if they co* All he conveyed thither ; the seat of Government, and the wealth of the nation, might be removed into that country, and a new Portuguese kingdom be established in America, which, in process of time, would, urquestiecally, become far more wealthy and powerful, well as far more extensive, than the present European kingdom. The removal of the seat of the Portuguese Go vernmeut from tie cld to the new continent, may, perhaps, stem a prejeft of romantic speculation ; but it is not impessible that a period may ;strpes when it will be found eligible, or even necessary. It would be a bold decisive measure, and charac teristieAl of an enterprising spirit of independence. Seidl migration would certainly be attended with great difficulties, but it would not be iznpradficable• I 1 etot y rum emus instances of the migrAtioas (1 vast bodies of men, in the earlier ages of the w 113; bet it must be confessed they took place pr:n cipAlly or solely among those uncivilized nations and neanderin : o trihes, who had not acquired any I permanent estal li,hment, or fixed property, of eon siderahle value, and who had no large and se althy towns or cell pee essions to leave bah . nd. Thee I valuable considerations strongly attach the inha bitants of a civilised nation to the soil, and on this account, the removal of such a nation as the Por tuguese, tr. any ether nation of modern Europe, would be far more difficult, as well as far more te pugnAnt to tLe inclinations of the people, than the migrations of the Goths, the Vandals, and other Northern nations, in the times of antiqii' , y, or those of the Tarar ttibes in a later r , ,ri(),!. The m;ma tion of the Portuguese to America, 'multi not, how. ever, mret with such formidable obstacles as thou adventu•e•s had to surmount, when they migrated in rumorous boldest, with their wives, thcir children, and their all ; they had often a passage to force by the sword, without the prospect of any possessions e,tr settlements, but such as thq could acquire by desperate courage and uncertain war. In this resped the. Portuguese, if reduced to the necessity of trans ferring the seat of Government from Europe to America, would have the advantage of retreating to a fl mrishing colony, at present in their own possession, without the hasord of war or the trouble of concriest I but they would re quire shipping, which was act necessary to the emigration of the uncivilised nations of former age., for thbse were rammed by land, and ge . , , • , , madly to salits Imerioeemimriet, at at leas t to such. as were m ir y remote. It L ~ - 4 j r poor, to bOotit n oosible, At op. • vary .., 4- , Portugal • mstrasport themeekeo.lo!.4btk iow I the suppositsonould be romantic t the seat Of o iltfllintilty the east opoloot of the inlarbitawee, and the greats; part of the wealth of the country might be conveyed to that settlement, and it is net to be imagined, that the whole body of any 'nation ever emigrated from its ancient seat. When we are told of the emigratip . n of the Goths, &c. we are only to suppose them to consi l t oldie leaders and principal persons, with the warriors and the mos s enterprising and adventurous part of the people, wi..h their families ; and must take it for granted that a very great number, perhaps even a consider able majority of the people, was left behind ; and a similar emigration of the Portuguese might be ef felled'. All that is valuable in Portugal, exclusive of the landed property, might, under the protedlion of a British naval force, be conveyed beyond the Atlantic, where a new kingdom might be formed, which, in alliance with Great Britain, might bid defiance to European hostility. (To be continued.) ' I V ▪ Tali BRITISH PRESS Hill, in a few days, be printed "pox a beautiful new Type, cast on purpose by Mr. THORNIS, of Barbican. THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON, FRIDAY, DFCEM OZR Accounts have been received at the Admiralty, that the fleet under the command of Sir C. COT TON had been seen, all well, clear of the Channel, steering a southerly course. The ships have feur months provision on board, and the troops left all their heavy baggage behind. The Sth Regiment, at Portsmouth, which expefted to form a part of the expedition, was ordered, on Monday, into bar racks. Neither its destination, nor that of the 7th, which is also at Portsmouth, are yet known. Of the other troops now at that port, same of them, it is raid, will shortly embark for the West Indica. We gave, yesterday, an account of the political dinner given by the POITVOUICR AMBASSADOR, ill honour of the Birth-day of the Queen of PcursoAL. Dan Rudely. end Zia Speeds un she 22e1 Septtaber," we mentioned as one of the toasts drank upon the occasion with enthusiasm. Don RODRIGO is the brother Ito Count Dc SCZA, the Portuguese Am bassador at our Court, and accompanies the Royal Emigrants to the Brazils. The speech alluded to was one is which he strongly urged the measure of emigration, and the necessity of adhering to Eng land in all extremities. The following is a List of Merchant ships that have received sailing Orders, under command of His M Amy v's frigate Amphiost. Capt. Hosre, bound for Gibraltar and Malta : London, Rover, Helena, William, Neptune, Doug's', Isis, hiersurr, New thligertte, L Betsey and Sally, En devour, Mediteneneen, Astley, Dolphin, William. Robert and Sally, Sarah Arm, Frederick, Thetis, Phoenix, Gallant Schemer, Three Brothels, Ilawkesbury, Ambrosio, and Tho mas and Mary. - Letters from the Conqverr, of 74. guns, Captain .1. PELLFAV, dated the 7th instant, state her being all well at that petiod, and that Sir S. SMITH, with five sail of the lire, and three frigates, were closely bl-ck.idirg the Tagil', but exile led to be shortly juiced, by same more ships from England. Captain Ye.o did nit leave town ;iota yesterday, when he proceeded to Plymouth. lie is the bearer of disrechcs for Sir SIDNEY SMITH. Cr SIDI ST. M A *TIN Da Femr, Ambassador from the King of SARDINIA to our Court, lately pre sented a remonstrance ta Government, in which he complains that our cruiser. in the Mediterranean brae Itsquently violated the neutrality of Sardinia, by carrying off Frstich vessels, wrecked upon the coast of that island, and pursuing their crews on shore; and that the Fasscis Copal, r., in Sardinia, had demanded his passports, and threatened His SA RDI' lAN MAJESTY widi hostilities, in case repa ration as refused, and this system of aggression should be continued. Government have, in come (pence of this representaticn, ordered, that instruc- tions thruld be sent to our naval forces in the Me diterranean, to prevent a repetition of these irjuries, and to provide for the security of the Island against any attack on the part of France. A Petition for a convoy to be appointed for the proteCtion of the remaining homeward-bound Baltic trade, left in Car'sham and other Swcdish ports, wet lately forwarded from Huil :—The Petition was signed by 70 merchants and shipowners; the unexpefted departure of Captain Fa•zt:a, from the Sound, with all the ships of war under his command, having excited a considerable sensation. The fol lowing letter, from Mr. STAKINOLTII. 000 of the ,-- • • ... Melt for HO, to *both the Petition wet for. warded, was received there In answer, ea Thursday rooming: -- " London, December 15,1807 SIR-4 have laid your letter, with its inclosure, the Lends of the A.l!niratty,, arpi I here . ruaaon to thy a k i „ . , will instantly alopt every praB icahle measure for the proter.,,, a of the Rrish ships remaining in the it Iltic. Captain F:aen appsam to has* left Nation much earth* than was eirpt:fted ; and the worst consequence. are to be sprehen I liar,: tae honour to be, &r, J. STANIFORT/I. .Tcse;>ll Ezingtoss, Esq. In consequence of the above petition, and several pr irate letters from individuals, the Gentlemen of the Committee of the Russian Company also waited im mediately upon the Lordsof the Admiralty, to enforce the prayer of it. Their Lords:tipsexpressed some sur prise, that Commodore Fa act a had net sent a convoy for those vessels before he left the Sound; and a - tuned the Committee of their desire to do sv thing possible to afford them proteetion. It ri I be a matter of some difficulty to extricate the ves sels in question. The two Danish ships of the line, which were in Norway, had apparently been laid up there for the winter; in consequence of which, our cruisers stationed to watch them, came away; and the Danes, taking the advan tage of this circumstance, refitted those abips and proceeded to Copenhagen; so that to !Fins our vessels through the Grounds, it will be necessary to send some ships of the line, a measure which the advanced season of the year renders bezardotts.— Had the measure recommended to the Admiralty some weeks ago, by the ship-owners at Hall,lof stationing one or two small cruisers off Bornholm, been adopted, few, if any, British ships would, in all probability, have been captured. In our Paper of Mor day we slanted, that Ma deira is the objeti of the expadition under Sir SA ?suet. HOOD and General Battasvoitn. Our infor. ?nation, we are confident, will be found sorrea.— General Beacsroan's Aid-de•Camp, Captain PLra. D AAAAA TH, has arrived at Cork, to take his passage to Madeira in the Virginie frigate. An Order of Government has been received at Dover, to fa out she Danish vessAs, lying at th pl4co, and to send them up the Thames. Most cf thew vessels having cargoes on boar.!, and all ship. ping business being very doll, at D„ver, the inha bitants have prepared a Memorial to be presented to the Ifon,'Mr. Jzsielosote;one of the,Representa lives of that town, requesting him to endeavour to procure a countermand of the Order, and permis mission for the vessels to unload at Dover, as this would afford employment to a great many petunia of that place, who mast otherwise remain idle. The following is a list of merchantmen that salted from Monte Video, under convoy of Admiral Mug r v's toviadron, Mc. The Jam, Monday; Ocean, Crawford; and the Miner3l Spring, Nevin. for Landon; Ca.tle, &Owl's. far Liverooor; Sauey, Bated, for Guernsey ; Mary, Clark, for Ayr; Favo rite, Cleadaorl. and the Stirrer, Mack, for London; Attire, Seale. for Belfast; Prinos Town, Fraser; !Imam, doll. ek; Tagus. Conolly ; Ellen, Watson; and the Clarkson, Stephen. am, for London ; Lancaster, Arms , rong ; and the Ilani , dt, Townsend, for Liverpool; and the Prioco of Wales. Walker, (or Falmouth. _ _ _ _ _ The five former.parted the 13th Oti.tober, unJer convoy of the Steady gun-brig, Th.: four next parted the 18th September. The Mali da, CAN. for London, parted, the 14th September, in the River Pinta. A large prize ship, with prize goods and troops nn board,wal abandoned and scuttled on the Brazil bank. A fleet was spoken with on the 25th nit. cif Cadiz, supposed to be the Saracen's convoy from Pisosmouth. We, yesterday, announced the arrival of the ;Vintner Castle pack, t, with-a mail Com the Lee er-rd Islands. "l'he packet 1. ft fortula on the Bth Admiral Coca,' A lit was at that island, wait ing for the arrival of a British force from Barba does, under General BOW Y Lk, for the purpose of attacking the Danish islands. A part of the Admi ral's FquAdron had (seen employed in closely invest in r, the islands of Santa Cruz end St. Thomas's. The squads on consisted of the following ships:- 64. a. Gina Beleisle Si! Cygnet Si A Innander 74 1-I,4bieux 16 01. x 2l These Island., it was thosght. would not fall without considerable•resietance. When the Mail set cur, the West India fleet had not sailed ; it was colleting at Tortola for that purpose. The August packet was, we understand, taken by a paivamer. There is one other article of West Loam intrili• gence, the particulars of which are net yet wilic - ently known to render the informs fin interestlig. It reip:flf disturbances and an insuireElion in M.a - tinique, the occasion of wiiich is not stated. la the beginning of (.2 1 9ober, a nioniber of erecutions took place. The c.rws wzit desisted from 11-minique: A meeting of the Magistrates of the county of Tipperary was convened at Clonmel, on Tuesday week, from a former adjournment, to take the slat,. of that county into consideration, and on this occas on we are uncommonly •grati6A to observe that the late violations of toe public peace, by the deluded peasantry of that" cuuoty, had subsidid in so conderab!, a degrey as to induce tlio.e Gentlemen to adopt the follpsving reselotion r— " That we, n'aserve with pleasure a diminution of the system of outrage which originally called us together ; and treat. that by the rztrtions of the Wiritraey, with the military co-operation eft/piled to us, it may be ultimately re fired nnnecessary to apply to Government to resort to the Imo:calor: Nor trretel Slanted at flow hard is t 3 t• I thy twis liar often .1 Thai host grii lbw greet In A ti. I in encki Uthilft with t' lie cqueablit I 8,4. ....Red io : 1.1. 1 10:11 IllftS T• 1 ntitely n t.i LJ• el SW:h ingrate T 3 'task as be After Miring Of your m silence you TeßAfte dim lame brother Wipe - Ales &my owls Colonel • at Kenyon toner's HA their iriend Lord an, day aikido street, for t Thursatay I hunt the pt forward wit pren ice of dance eeived the r The Max suite, passel for &ottani The rival seat, at the Gorge Lisa POWeeLL re Covent-Gal to be bap, 1.1 ilartrin A Ati►vcd, burgh, the Somata piste, the I Lord Bras for Belfast We r.gr No a ro Lit Greystock- Mr. Ws& Cie recover ger. He ii Lord G. anti the par c4iontss of mat unforft the Can't* c The Edit Jae, until t.l where they lOUPIa wrr .Hoary' Moo t, be raid 7 he Qua Thiec o seat - 41Jc, J would Banc at the N ew tier accom aro particii tpr plusuri hi! J•sei party at h hor itte4tri 8 1 t•''e,day. prepared, s Mr. WILL , was admara West Mr. M cittwoc IPL(Ist. The broil at the New age of Mr eddy anent iteighbouth lers , ed chit Ai Sato I combated There ari mit Hatlet toad, at bir pate the i' banterous the two clut is much hui credit t • la of Died, at December s seeded to It the Float 1 Scceand. We usslal lass Issea ap of Ws Lae YIALTIIII 8 to this carp