The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-04-09 00:00:00

t•,, !tic red. There were rations isuliie dorm , - which, it had been said, were not tit to he , pro d‘,..:ed, on account of their containing things not tit to be made • public ; yet even that tom proved no ground for their non-production to the House, any more thou it did in the present instance. 'fbe most wholesome role wa , , when things of this sort had once forfeited their prennisinns to privacy, they should be produced when calltal for. A man who was acting in the capacity of a Minister, most take care to write with the utmost discretion, so as not to sirbiect what he deemed confidential commu nication to the inspection a nd scrutiny of the public. such n letter sit that now called for was part of the correspondence of a public man, about puldie atliiirs, likely to be called forwar d ; and when that . . correspondence was allotted to, in order to influence the judgment of the House, the weight of reason ing, no doubt., preponderated upon the side, that the House had a right to call for the production of it. Such abuses might lie often employed for ini pmper purposes by the Executive Government of the country. %Vied had the House had of lute bat justifications, by secret articles, private letters, is,. when particular transactions could not lie upon public grounds ? This beihg a 'nest improper and injurious mode of argument, he should certainly vote for the original motion of his ilooourable Friend. Mr. STUMM Houma,: argued, that what had been stated formerly by Ins Right Hon. Friend hid not been for the purpose of influencing the House. Ile was not to be deterred from stating his senti ments by the high dictatorial tone which the Dm. Gentleman opposite bud assumed. It did appear from past experieuce. that these Honour able Gentlemen themselves never once consented to the production of any one private document, al though they now chose to call for one that was tic.. knowledged upon all hands to be entirely of a pri vate nature. He should rote for the amendment of the Noble Lord. Dr. Lawitesca thought that the statement that hail been given on the other side of the House was nothing but froth and ._•:y bubbles, and argued that no dictatorial tome was attempted to he used by the Honourable Gentleman who had made this motion. He approve; of that motion, because the grounds upon which it was aced in argument. upon a former occasion. had evidently made a great lin - preission upon the House. Such being the case, the Douse had surely a right to me that document, as it must contitin public matter. and the production could not be avoided by the mere statement, that it was private correspondence. The refusal of it would be a violation of the principles of the Con stitution. He heard it intimated, that it contained a name which Ministers wished to keep secret ; bnt he might observe, that there had been instances where secret intelligence had been communicated without the iasertion of names. Mr. J. HAWKINS BROWNE spoke in favour of the amendment. Ile thought that every man we; at liberty to judge what degree of confidence was fit to be given to the persen employed in an offieial situation. He agreed, however, with the Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite, that if a private letter bad brmi quoted upon public grounds, it became a public document. It was by these means alone that public afinim could in many instances be con ducted. The letter in question had uot, however, been to quoted ; and it was in vain to my that it weld he predated witliont the insertion of names, . . as it had been upon former occasions found to fail, and that they were actually concealed from every person. except those from whom they were not in tended to be concealed. Upon the whole, bethought there was no ground for the production of unit a paper, and as it had often happened that the House had erred more in the production of docu ments than in the detention of them, he should rote for the amendment that had been suggested. Dr. LAWIIIIIICS, in explanation, said, that he had always contended, that legal evidence was not memory to be produced, but that Parliament should have the best possible evidence. Mr. CANNING said, that before the House went to a division upon this question, he wished shortly to state the grounds upon which he thought the amendment should be agreed to. lee had ab stained from doing so, till he had heard some of the opinions of others upon the subject. He con curred with what had been stated by the Noble Lord who had spoken. If such a coalidence as that inferred by this correspondence was not to be given to him, to enable him to fulfil the duty he owed to the public, he would rather consent to retire from his situation, than hold it without re taining his honour. The Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Windham) hal, by pushing the . matter to an extreme, imag ined a case that was nut likely to occur. He ggerl the House to consider what had been the uniform understanding of those in office, and whether past experience had led to any of those abuses and ineonvenicricies allud ed to by that Right Hun. Gentleman ? It had been supposed possihk, that the whole correspondence abroad might be conducted, by means of private betters alone. That was an extreme case, which did not appear to him likely . to occur. From the ge neral nature of the debates in that House, it did not stein probable that historians would have occasion to recount each a chasm as that now hinted at in the diplomatic intercourse of the country. It was indeed a thing that could not take place, as it would be discovered. by the Sovereign himself, in his octal capacity. Could it he stated to the king, upon the arrival of mails, that by some mis take no correspondence lied heels sent that was fit for the inspection of His Majesty ? Ile really thought that the acuteness of that Right Holt. Gentleman, if not applied practically to subjects of this nature, was more likely to be prejudicial than to be bene fi cial i n co n ductin g public business.— There might, no doubt. be many cases in which a 'inister might get private information of transac tions that took place, and form opinions of their springs and motives, which he might think proper to communicate confidentially, but which might be exceedingly improper to explain. It might be information procured from a mistress, a courtier, or the favourite of a sovereign, and only such as should be disclosed to the Minister at home, that he might forum a more ar'urate opinion of the state of affairs abroad. Did the Right Honourable Gentleinau mean to sty, that such information should not be disclosed to that Mi litate:, without .:ouie future compiler, at /10 great distance of time, biking &ambled to state it to the aublic ? ft would be easy to point out books that have been transjoted lute different language*, that hap e been the cause of the dowufal and ruin of individuals. There had been no official communi cation of this private letter to the I louse, the Only allusion to it having been made by the Noble Lon!, upon his being inked if any private doeunieuts tually passed? and he had merely, in the course of debate, stated a fact, which lie would have stated, a nether that cerrespondence was to be produced or not. How would that Right Hon. Gentleman hare had his questionauswered, but by such an allusion being made ? The Hon. Gentleman who had mail.: tics motion seemed extremely au;ry upon the oecie,ani of tins document haying limo refired, and hot hi could be more unliecomitig than the coinusecit. h. had indulged himself in. Although, however, (Mr. Whitbread) had assumed such a dictatorial tone, he (Mr. Canning) had really no fault to find with his statement, which seemed to have beta) divi ded into two parts. He (Mr. Whitbread) had admitted. • that its being a private letter, was, in itself, prima facie cynic -lice against its nroclue tion ; and next, that, if Hat document involved in it a name, he would not be for prud6ving it. Now it was in the first place a private lettia, and therefore that was prima facie evidecice of its not being tit for production, and another argument against it was, that it did actually contain a name. It was in vain to think of producing it without the names it contained, as the whole would soon be divulged. There seemed to be a wish to put Me authority of the writer to the test, by calling for the production of a document that could not, by the very arguments used on the opposite ...tile, be fit to Ow produced. Alt that had hero stated by his Noble Friend was, that general opiiiioii, formed in Russia, that if the Copenhagen Es peclitiou had not been undertaken, according to all he observed at St. Petersbnrgh, there would ' not have been war with Ruccsie. Unless they meant to dispute that such a statement was made, they bad made out 110 plea tnr the production of that private correspondence. He wished the House to observe the impossibility of public busi ness being Carried on, antes., such a confidence was put iu the employed by the employers, and a power given to communicate any private intelligence or opinions that might occur to him. The Noale Lord bad also stated the opininnsthat had pre veiled abroad u to the encroachments likely to be made upon oar maritime power, and had explaibed met:l ead! wha. he had done in rcgard to the unilateral Article that had been delivered to him. The pro duction of that document was also unnecessary, ns it was not a formal declaratiou, but merely a pro- posal thrown out by one party, which had received a verbal answer from the other. ltappeared that a separate article was to be admitted into the Treaty of Tihit, because Britain had refused that part of the proposals made, which was likely to infringe upon the maritime code. Such was the dispatch of Lord Gower, four days after the Treaty v signed. He should not Object to the production of that dispatch, us it would only tend to 'thew how effectually the honour and dignity of this country had been maintained by a refusal to accede to pro positions injarious to the present system of mari time law. The Right Hon. Gentleman then pa-p -etaled to quote several passages from this disputch, and concluded ,an eloquent and argumentative speech,- by stating. that he had no • *action to agree to the production of the documents called for, with the exception of those the Noble Lord bad alluded tu. Mr. WRITS/L/7AD replied at considerable length, and disavowed all inclination to asinine that dicta torial tone which had been ascribed to him. He was only assuming those privileges which he aaa entitled to by the common courtesy of the floosie, and which he did not refuse to others. He tlinstght it would have been at least fair to let the House have those papers. before the Hight lion. Gent. read partial extracts from them, which he might deem tended to the justification of his Adminis tration. Hi:should still insist tl. • the Nobie Lord was not justified in making a quotation from the letter, which was denominated private. Since that quotatioo had been made, it was sorely fit for production. The Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to animadvert upon the use that had been made of the Unilateral Article, which the Noble Lord had stated as the grounds of his sup posing there would be war between Russia amid this country ; uud argued. that that opinion being erroneous, that document ought also to be pro duced, as well as those others which were to he granted for the mere justification of Ministers.— He argued, that the maritime rights were included in those articles, and might to have been other wise discussed. He had no reason to discredit the statement of the Noble Lord, hut why should not. equal credit be also given to Lord Ilatchioson ? He did not call for these documents for the par pose of getting information of ►ecrets, lint merely t. get evidence of what had been already told. A dirision then took place upon the amendment ; when there appeared— /Vt. it 114.—Apiialt it SO.—Majority 6s. Upon our return to the "finery, Mr. TIFNRY THORNTON brought up the Report of the Rever sion Bill. Upon the question that it be read a serond time, Mr. W1111'61041) stated, that he had intended upon this occasion to have moved some amendment to this motion, but finding the matter becoming daily of increasing importance, he wished to have till Monday to consider more fully the particular amendment :.e should propose. He did not think it impossible that upon Monday be should oppose this Bill altogether, and produce another, for the purpose of following up the whole of their original object upon this subject. The Hon. Gentleman who had brought it in had only proposed it as ex pedient, not being ut all sure that their Lordships in the other !louse mi►tht not be olfend.Kl with it as much as formerly. lie sl►oulti therefore I,c dis posed to keep the whole mutter within their own hands, as they did last year, and follow, iii another Session of Parliament, the precise same course they did in the former Session. The Bill was then read a second time, and or dered to be committed on Monday next. IRISH DUTIES DILI.. Upon Mr. Ftisrea ttioviug the third reeling of this • Mr. Ttaatexe said, he conceived this Mill to be a counterpart of the fine Bill upon the Orders in 'Council; he would wish to ask what 111:111 the unionist of the duties intended to be received ? Mr. Forrta answered, that it was net in his p.m.er to state the amount. 1:r. 'Fixes Eir then observed, that this Bill did not. like the other on., express that those duties were founded upon the Orders in Council, but merely that it was expedient that certain duties should he imposed upon goods 'exported from Ire land. Ile shonld be glad to know why it was ex pedient to do ho ? Mr. Fosriat answered, that the expediency was, 111:It Greta lirituiu having imposed similar duties, Lrelaml Nhueld *tend npua a similar footing. Mr. .IsICKNEY next objected to the circumstance of Leo India goods haring been omitted, and also to the anrehnuseing clause, owing to its being Ml pro;verly expressed. Sir .10/1:i NEWPORT objected to the bill, because he did not deem it expedient to raise duties in Ireland, merely on ace nut of duties being levied here. If the two countries were to be assimilated stall, be should aWI to see that operation begun by adopting some measure for the bene fi t of the people, instead of being for the purpose of taxiug them. The preamble of the trll was exactly the same as that brought in to raise the ways and rowan., and therefore was improperly introduced. It was imumosible that any duties could, with jus tice, be raised in Ireland, till the supply came to he vorrd for that country. lie objected to the power conferred upon to exercise their tlivottsitisin to particular persons, as they might think proper ; for he conceived this would always be time case wbitu tucu authority was to be exer cised at a distance from the established Govern ment of the country. After some further conversation, in which the several obje ctions were answerer by the CHANCEL- Lg.& of t he EXCHEQUER, Mr. F ).TER. and Mr. RUE, the . Bill wits read a third time, several ausendrueots adopted, and the Bill passed. IRISH LINEN BOARD. Sir Some N KWPORT moved, " That there be laid before the House au account of all appointments of (Arent in the Linen Board of Ireland, from the 31st December last, specifying the names of such officers, their goal iliestioss, dates of appointment, &c." The ratios lie gave for this motion was, that an appointineut to the office of Inspector had taken place,-contrary to the Act of Parliannent. Some conversation ensued upon this subject, and Mr. Rose proposed to leave out the specification of the several qualifications, which was carried with out a division. ORDERS IN COVNCIL. • Upon the motion of the CHA tiCk.LLOR of the Es- CHEQUER, the order of the day for the Committee upon the Petitions against thoi.e orders, was post poised from Monday to Tuesday next, when the several witnesses were ordered to attend. The other orders of the day aere then disposed of, and the House Aourrietl at eleten o'clock. THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON. SATURDAY. Arm g. Amer:can papers, it is mid, have been received ; but it is not preteided that iliey contain any Grer intelligence than the 26th February—the date of the American papers received some time ago. The Unicorn frigate, arrived at Torbay, reports, that Sir T. Deckwoarst has proceeded from the West Indies to the Brazils, in search of the Itnela- fort stioadron. Yesterday the Duke of YORK held a public day at his office in the Horse Ottards, and gave au diences to a number of military officers. The stemma contained in the letter from Ply mouth, yesterday, rvspecting the action between and the French fngates, was no: quite con ect. L'Aigle and the Intpetuena- were in com pany when the French frigates hove in sight ; L'Aigle very soon brought one of the frigates to action, which had not continued long when the French ellp•Hill, finding it i inpossthie jo resist any longer, set all the sail he could, and ran di rec tly stein an upon the isle of Germans. The nest morn ing she appeared to be a perfect wreck, lying upon her beato-ends, and the sea breakimr over her. A shift of wind having taken place, it be. cante impassible for PASO to set fire to her : and the French having been enabled, by it smuttier of craft from L'Orient, to lighten her, they succce ed in getting her into L'Orient. The other fri gate escaped the Intpetreux by superior sailing. L'Aigle had nine men wounded. We are happy to add that Captain Wotres wound is very slight. The Strirliassi, POWELL, and the Albion, HOLIMI, with a fleet from Cork, arrived ut Bar- Woes on the 19th of February last. The following is the Noose List for Governors and Directors of the Bank of England, for the year ensniost Fix GOVERNORS JOHN 11 ' 1111110R K.Fsy. Governor. JOHN Pk:ARSE., Esq. Depot) Governor. For DIRECTORS Alexander Baring, E.q. iscit.v ITaitland, Esq. Thomas Roddington Esq. Itelltsh, Esq. Alexander Champtivr:, Esq. Sir Richard leave, Hart. Jamas Campbell, Esq. Jeremiah I 'live, Eaq. Bicknell Colley, Esq. Chariot" hate , L e g. Hem) Davidson, E.g. , Thum.. George Dorrirn, Esq. John Thikerßueltants, Esq. Jeremiah ll•rman, F..q. John Stsiiirorth, E,.q. John Josiah llolford, Esq. Simnel Thornt.m, Loq. Thomas Lang-ley, Esq. Stephen Thoruton, Esq. Berston Long, Esq. Rob, rt Wit:a Asa, Ertl William Mooning, Esq. Benjamin Winthrop, Esq. The Election for Governor uoil Deputy Gover nor will he held on Tuesday, tire I.2th, and for Directors out 'Wednesday, the Loh instant, from tun in the forenoon till ( o ur in the afternoon. Some persain3 affect surprise that the City Lot tery, which is now so near its determine' should have become so popular. The wyfoler ceases, when it is contemplated that every man in society has a natural ambition to p.m.:est a house which he can call his Uwtl ; and especially so, when an opportunity affords him nutte•rous chance, of obtaining an efiviable liabitafiy:, fora :.take of ad venture ts.o insiauiticant Avow to u.entiuu. ,g'ktftwii t n (2. VOCAL CONCERT. 1* The fourth Ladies' Vocal Concert was held ori Thural:,/ night at Lady DRUM WON D SUITS'S ete gant house, Hyde-park Terrace. The selection was excellent, and did great credit to the taste of Mr. KM Y V ETT. Mr. W. Ka 1r EETT, and Mims Glutei.' Ern, were iu fine vice, and did great jus tice to several favourite airs. Thcre were present Viscountess Dowwe, Ladies Pailawvu. TAY LOK I ELIZABETH LEE, RADITOCE. and Snalanas IVe,holi'of BATH and WELLS, Sir TAPE% and Col. TifoßN rox. Yesterday the ROYAL FAMILY left LOW)" for Windsor. Ilia MAI MY set off about ten o'clock; the Qi Ewe and Pat accsaLs about 11. The ROYAL I.)::KLS paid their respect 4 to Their Meaerrist previous to their leaviogitown.. About a week since the Prince of SVat.e sent slr. Itosssautu, the profile painter, to Ciadield, to Like the likenesses of Momsteua, and all the French Mikes, which he accomplished, and they are to be added to the Paixcs's collection. • Mr. Wain:Locks, late a Lieutenant-General in the army, has taken u villa near Mitcham. in Surrey. The neighbours have already named it lionse. The refusal of Ministers to sell the French bark, uuless they take something else along with it, is not a new idea. The fellow who hawk libels throe gh the street are accustomed to cry out, •• %hall buy my straw / not sell my book, but I'll sell lIIV straw ; who buys my straw shall have my book." Mr. liessie has made a stseeewsful attempt to prove, by his Comedy, that "all the Wurld's as stage." . . _ _ Lord and Lady VCIIIION, with their amiable and accomplished daughter, (one of the richest heiresses is these kingdoms) are arrived at their town re.Mieuce, Park-plaee, St. James's, fbr the season. Lady Caaottun Laws's grand rout, on Thane day eveuing, was attended by upwards of a. thou sand Nobility and Faahionables, eeverul of whom sat an hour iu their carriages before they could get up to Melbourne house. At Lady Soaeas's grand roat, on Wednesday nightobe Ladies were principally dressed in white satin dresses, high on the bosom, tii 111 l ned with lace, xlitivt sleeves, white gloves, faus, and shoes; head-drowses diamond bandeau:L. Adminal RAISIEII died, on Timmley, at hie house in Great George-street. • By his death there is a vacancy for the borough of Sandie ich. 'Elie last Bath arrivals are— Bake or Athol, Baron Ilenerg, Lady George Suttee, LadtAston, Huss.Mrs.l.. mallow Misses R;slpole, Stir at.d Lady Anbrry, Sir Thos Ramsay, kir Thos. and Lady Hos keth, J: Cuter, Sir Chas. fisinptltle, General St. John, Lieult.-Ceduoe Roolen, Lieut.-Culonel Cr,.., Rolierbion, Major and Mn. tioen, Mejor Henry, Major Joyce, Ile. Hod Mrs. Sons, Rev. Mr. and M.ss Gould, Rev. Mr. Minya, Rev . Mr. Wray, and Rev. Mr. Veal. The of lased will give a grand dinner, nett Sunday, at his house in Berkeley•imearv. The Ductless of Dot.Tox gave * grand rout on Thailßflif tiight It T,Er hoes( rn Gensvenor-sqwares which was attended by the riincipal Nobility and Farhionables in town. Lady PLItTli had a select'perty, on Wednesday evening, at her house, iu New Norfolk-strestothielt was attended by the Countess of CAILIIIIMeTOI4 Count DE. VAL'Delltil 1., Ladies !Miamian and E. CARPI:STEIL, Mrs. WaLroLa, Mrs. T. Salim and Mrs. James. Viscountesa Annaue is the second wife of the Viscount, and daughter of Sir Jose Elms, Baro net. He was married in March, 178 g, to Miss MENTEa, who died in September 170, without issue, and Married in 1800 his present lady. His Lordship is ,in his forty-second year, having been born in I. Mr. ItAtaztst, to make amends for the disap pointment of Maclaine CATALANI's iadiTOsitioN has promised the inhabitants of Bath Mrs. Bite LIN Gron, Mrs. Acne, Mr. 'MAciaLATn, and Mr. Bev NET, for his Spriug Concert. Lady HEATticorF: has postponed her grand party, 'lntel:Weil for last evening, until the ineskh itistatit, on account of the indisposition of the Duchess of NlottiraosE, who must have been dines turbed by the noise of the carriages, their homes ▪ Ihe I)ticheas of 3loxraosE, whose illness has• east a gloom over the fashionable werld, is the Duke's second Wife, and sister to the Dale of M's IN CHEATER : we are happy to state she was cousidered better last night. Tuesday se'imight, alter the funeral service in the Catholic chapel at Bristol, the re mains of the However Countess of l'iNetAt. were deposited in a vault i7djoi 'ling the chapel, to be removed at a more advanced pant of the year to the family vault at hi leers, in Ireland. Yesterday afternoon the remains of Mr. Lrtiesit s Messenger no the Proprietors of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, were interred near tlie • tondo of that celebrated Comedian, EDWIX, in the bitrial-ground of St. Paul, Covent-Garden. They were followed to the grave by mews. James and John Brandon, shtick, Cooke, loeledon, Palnar, Weathers, Murray, Mathews, Illsitehard, Palley, Glowourisa Kiag, Chiremont, IRarless, Slag ier, Goi'mlo to, Davenport, Sisinneos, Geowtret, istrocian s Jrtferies, if ild, Trel.y, Oil Friday was shot at Kirkandrews, near Car a most singular woodcock, It was of an ex traordinary large size, and was furnished with only one leg; upon the moot minute examination of the bird, it was evident, that it Lutist have bete formed iu that state. The Earl of MotRA indulged his domestics, Ind their friends, with a grunt ball and supper, last • night, to celebrate- the baptism of their young Lord. The great silver cistern, whirl' holds twenty r six gsllohus. wan fille.l with punch. At nine o'clock fifty persons sat down to :upper in the graiid din : iinc Itarlatir, ow!, 'tiler drinking the Leiehhs of the Noble Furl mid his amiable Countess, % , .d t h at f Lord MAl'ettlANS: n.iight inherit the virtues of his • noble parrots, dun, '11.6 commenced, which write. nueel till a late hour.