The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-01-14 00:00:00

.:~'.~.~ THE STATESMAN. 111aU. LIFE BELOW STAIRS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. flea,--1 very much approve of an article in your pltriotic Paper of Monday last; earnestly recom renting all housekeepers to peremptorily forbid tivir Ferranti, to reroice visiters. I am a house )„,Ter, and have not for several ) ears past allowed o ut of my domestics to ask their relations or ac auaintances into my kitchen, not only because it c : v: : to servants a tern to idleness and dishonesty theyj"r will he always sure to entertain their friends the ver) best manner), bat that it encourages them f make brothels of our houses; and as vice is pro f ; essive, the pretended lovers of our kitchen wenches are sometimes thieves in disguise.—Some years since ev ery bed in my house, in the summer time, during my absence from town, was let to servants out o f place. My trusty servant took in washing, to a gnat extent, and it was my good fortune to, de tect her in the height of her glee, surrounded by her i w i z ers. by coming unexpectedly to town; and, as • k nould bare it, I found my door vp6ii the in., one of fir , party having stept but for souse porter slid gin. I walked directly down seeks, whitne Wahl about fifteen seated at table, on which was a I n . : , dish of ham, in slices, a turkey, and pastry, wi , ll some of my old Madeira and port on the table. Tl;e table, as you may well suppose, was soon In an uproar—the most 'expert making their escamtle aiyH etatring the kit Chen ; but willing to ascertain whit these guests were, that my trurty servant entertained at my expence, I took care to secure the door, to revent the escape of the rest.—Three of the party,.l evered, Lodged in my house—three others were _ . t:3:tesmen in the neighbourhood—and a fourth was a tree -grocer, who supplied me with vegetables.— v laundry, on lisiting it, was like an oven, and lien susp.ibtl to dry in it belonging to different people., On examiAing a!l my apartments before ...en" to bed, I discovered a man in a closet in a lumber !-iom adjoining to the servants'-room, who, on being el....:ged out and gnestioned, fell on his knees, said 1 was Betty's sweetheart, and hoped 1 would not hart him. I gare him in charge of the wateh, and nest morning lie was recognised at Bow-street as suspicious fellow, who had long been vigilantly .;:ached by the Officers of the Police, from having Itrfa seen in bad company. It was this adventure that decided me to allow no visiters in my kitchen ; sad I was the more strongly confirmed in this reso lution, ou fluffing that a friend of mine had made a similar discovery, only with this difference, that a ball instead Ida supper was given ; and I have since fffunfl that it is a common practice for those left in charge of a house, when the family is absept„ to let the beds to servants out of place; and for . gentlernen's coachmen, late at night, to ply in the streets. In Ciort, Sir, the proffijacy of, out ierifiltS is arrived i such a height, as tryseriously call for the interpo si;ion of the Legislature; and when you are in-. formed that one Register-Otfice for Servants had 5e..10 ou their list, I will leave you to judge how ite:assary it is to have a vigilant eye over the morals of a class of people to whom so much is confided, and who have it In their power to do a world of I.li,cliief. I have, therefore, again to than. you for the very wholesome advice you offered to Mouse. LeTers, by recommending them to discontinue the miwhieveus, and dangerous indulgence of their. servants to have visiters, some of im may•, possibly, be admitted with a view to ~,') and murder the family. I am, Sir, yours, le. A HOUSEKEEPER. - ;atitrilav a Mail from the West Indies, brought to .'in.ml;l by tlie I artiret packet, reached e letters and papers from Surinam are of the 30th Dmierni a 9th November, and Barbadoes ! •- •-•2.1!1 November.•We collect from them that mach i. , ;gnation h.:s been manifested by the House of •As !•!,.!)1y, of St. Christopher's, in consequence of the 1.-.!llitation of a dispatch from Governor ELLiorr to Ltvraraol..--." In this dispatch," observes the A' . .,Yibly in their Address to the Noble Secretary, -• r most vilifying reflections are east upon the -4%.01e population of the colony, with scarcely the "rf ption of a class, character, or perion." Tice !Itraing is the offensive extract of the'displitcbae:—.. " fact is; the government or smaller tabled& inrmed in times when - many of the Peoprietairs 0t..11 upon their estates, and the white population %a, in some instances perhaps ten times as . numerous a% it now is— of th t s, few 'white inhabitants who re manuyrs. ovil seers, self-created lawyers, self. 41' :e,.ted pe).:ciatia, and adventurous merchants, sits little (41:ital and scanty credit, compose the rsvzt q Vie acquirements of education "'"A of this - description of persons are very i , ta I to the task of taking a share in the govern 'PP. prevalence of principle, either merit, pr n?so, I fear, not to be fairly calculated tie repetition of the hackneyed expressions of di an ostentatious use is frequently made in ad and on all occasions meant to meet the pub '' c. 44. at hoine. To collect from each a state of so '.:lY: meu fit to be legislators, judges, or jurymen, l'' Perfectly impracticable; individual interest, per influence, animosity of party feuds, weigh Int the scale of justice, and divert the course of authority Into acts of arbitrary and uo -aiftable power, cloaked under the pernblance, and' with the name of, constitutional acts.—The l obiere is, therefore, I fear, only to be solved, by ontirming the melancholy. statement I have made in ' oattet 01 this dispatch, of the unworthy and in 4:tluate materials which compose those tribunals, ''"'Properly styled Courts of Justice, in several of West India islands." The Dividends are now 'paying at the Bank. The t,, to Lott ery b egins Drawing et sNiue e'Clock o a esday morning, and finishes the Mee day. THE - NAPY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. Sin,—Observing in one of your Papers a para graph relating to Preach Privateers, you state a let ter from Admiral FOLEY says, " that from the ig norance and inattention of the Commanders the ships are captured, and that it seems to be a rule in the trade bound up Channel, that if they cannot weather the South Sand Head, they continue their stretch all night, which bring them under the enemy's batteries." Now, Sir, after twenty years spent in the merchant service, and always successfully per formed the object of the voyage, and at all seasons of the year, I never yet knew the South Sand Head was au object to be weathered, by ships running for the Downs, with the wind any way from the westward. The stigma cast upon the Commanders of merchant vessels, is a mean and a disgraceful one; and it is hardly to be supposed that any man would, after a long and perilous voyage, put his liberty and his earn ings at such a stake as Admiral FOLEY pleases to re present. No, Sir, the privateers of the enemy are often t• be met close in upon the coast; and it is not thz first Naval Officer upon the Coast station who has said—" he would sooner recapture than prevent one." I am your's, occasionally, A SEAMAN IN THE MERCHANT SERVICE. Portsmouth. PROTECTION OF COMMERCE BY THE ADMIRALTY. TO THE EDITOR OP TliE STATESMAN. There is nothing from which the country receives deeper wounds than from the French privateers, the existence of which, to a great extent, must originate in the culpable neglect of the Admiralty. One of the Government Papers, a few days ago, exultingly stated, that his Majesty's cruizers were beginning to be more successful, as the Furet French privateer had been captured by one of them. But it will be ob served that she had first taken TWENTY-FOUR PRIZES, many. of them West Indiamen. Quere—Are not the Owners of the Furet, from such a number of valu able captures, able to start fresh with just such an other vessel ? The writer of this article dined lately in company with a Gentleman belonging to the Ad miralty, when the topic of conversation turned on the captures, and he was asked, why the Admiralty did not clear the, narrow seas of French privateers ? 're this he answered, that our Commanders of small vessels did not capture French privateers, because they were afraid of !RE EXPENCES of condemning them in the Admiralty Court, as the process would cost them double the amount of what the prize would sell for. What will Sir W. SCOTT say to this ? PUBLICOLA. PRISONERS OF WAR. _ TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. Sin,-1 have read, in your Journal of the 11th instant, a letter upon the subject of Prisoners of War, which has interested the friends of humanity, and particularly those who have some relations pri soners in France. I must confess, that I was in duced, like many other people, to think that we had offered very advantageous proposals to the French concerning the exchange, and that on the contrary, their's were neither founded upon reason nor justice ; and I pitied the long captivity of our unfortunate countrymen without the prospect of an exchange.— But Candidus's letter has awoke my attention, and in making use of the small portion of understanding that nature has given me, I see plainly, by an im partial examination, that the proposals of the French are not so much to be despised, nor so much to the disadvantage of thii country, as they have been repre sented; and it gave me some hope that the long suf ferings of our prisoners may soon come to an end.— According to Candidus's statement, I found that the principal, or rather the only, objection made against the plan of evacuation proposed by the French, con sisted in this; that some of our countrymen, ac cording to their plan, would remain two months longer in France than according to our own.— It is now easy to prove that the portion of time for this purpose would be the same in both cases. To elucidate this matter, we must remember, that when Mr. M'Kensie was at Morlaix, the Eng lish prisoners in Fiance, were estimated as one to three, with respect to the ['ember of French pri soners in England, and it was for that very reason that the French proposed to exchange the prisoners by 3,000 at it time (viz. one thousand English and two thousand Spaniards or Portuguese), in order that the English in France, and the French in Eng land, might constantly remain, during the exchange, in the same proportion. Now, if we suppose the sea-ports agreed upon by each Government for the evacuation of the prisoners to be at Plymouth and Morlaix ;—in order to carry home our own 16,000 prisoners, by one thousand at once, it would require the ships fitted out for that purpose to make s i x te e n voyages from Morlaix to Plymouth. If, therefore, the ships, instead of bringing over only one thousand at once, were to bring over three thousand each turn, the whole 16 thousand English and 32 thou.' sand allies would be all brought over in the time as signed for bringing over the 16 thousand English only. This statement is accurate, and presents itself to our conviction at once. Some people, I know, have objected to the Spanish and Portuguese Prison- , ers coming to this country (according to the plan of' ' the French); but I consider their coming hither of a much greater advantage, in a military point of yiew, than if they were sent to Cadiz (by one thousand at a time), where they would be of very little use, and of no influence in the operation of the war; wheelies, if we had them here altogether, we could carry them to whatever point of the Peninsula we might choose, either to strike tome great blow, or to make a very powerful diversion. As to the eapence which has been mentioned for clothing and arming them, I dare say that two mouthy pay of the French Pri.ouers in ' England would.be more than sufficient for that pur pose. Besides if those prisoners 'were sent from France to Spain as we propose, would there not then be the same attendant ex pz.tce?Do not our Papers often inform us of clothes and arms being sent for our Spanish Allies ? and would there he any differ ence of expenditure, whether we should seoft these articles packed up, or on the back of the soldiers ? But even if we were to equip them, to the Peninsula, in the most expensive manner, it would only be to spend a pound to save much more than 10,000; would toyeaven, then, that we were never to make a worse speculation than this!--I can remember • but one thing more, which has been advanced against the plan of evacuation as proposed by the Freuch,which, so far from being an objection, is, as I should think, a high recommendation to it; and that is, that our allies would be exchanged at the same time with our own prisoners. For my part. I cannot conceive that our prisoners would object to this plan, nor can I see in what manner it would be an injury or an' in justice toward's our soldiers to exchange them with those who have fought by their side, and been taken along with them. . Were it not for such erroneous ideas, our countrymen would now have been return ed to their homes a year ago. How many years they are still to remain captivet, and what good rea son may be given for their captivity, we must ask of those who lay all the blame upon the French Go. vernment.—As to our plan of evacuation, Candidus has given us very clear reasons, why the French Government must object to it. The French have as great right to mistrust tt., as we mistrust them; and can any one blame them ? nsy, hare not the trans acttons for these last ten years proved, that we are by no means so pure a people as to refuse to adopt a measure very advantageous, only because it is unjust: Might not the French have just ground to expect that after the evacuation of Spain and Portugal by the British army, we should say them ; now that the Spaniards and Portuguese are become French sub jects, we cannot reasonably exchange them against Frenchmen : when, therefore, and against whom (the French would sac) would have been exchanged the 30,000 French 'Prisoners remaining in this country ? We see then, Sir, that by consenting to the French plan of evacuation, our countrymen would be ex changed in the same length of time, as by our own ; that we should save more than one million sterling a year (necessary for the maintenance of the French prisoners in this country) and moreover should have 50,000 English and Spaniards to dispose of. These are advantages resulting from an exchange of prisoners' to the couutry at large; and what a blessing would it be,—for our brave and unfortunate country-1 men, who, without it, may perhaps never see their countrymen, or their friends in England, who long to see them ; for the wives and children who have been depriv ed of their husbands and fa thers for so many years? (I mean the wives and zhildren of the English travellers detained in France ever since the year 1803). It belongs only, Sir, to a pen like yours, to treat such an interesting subject as it ought to be. When the good of the country is in contemplation, it is enough to give a hint, and I hope, that through it the truths contained its this Letter will find their way'to the Public, alai perhaps neck - our gracious and benevolent Prince (the only hope of England), who will not think ,I am sure, this subject unworthy of his high consideration.—l have the honour to b . !, Sir, your most qbedient servant, AI ILES. RUSSIAN TRIAIER. A hoet five years ago. the Captain of a Russian vessel lying in Dublin harbour, frequented the Roscius Tavern, in FOIVIICts - rtrevt, accompanied by a dog of the Terrier kind, which he had brought over a nth him. lieiug most unexpectedly compelled to the dug was left behind ; and having diligently explored all the Q taws, even to the l'igeon-house, he returned to the lisisciva, where he met Mr. Cornellys, the veteran comic actor, who re ceived him with moult humanity, and still continues to supply his warns. Although very infirm, and nealy blind from age, and we may safely add, grief, the creature still makes occasional vi sits to the Quays, the Decks, and Ringsend, and was a well knobs n passenger in the ferry-boats that used to ply at the latter place before the ereetidn of the Is ooden bi itges. 'The boatmen tiring acquainted with his s'ory, admitted him free; andlt was truly affecting to behold his eag er inquiries has we may almost admit the term) after his behov ed master! lu this affectionate search he carefully examines all these places• where it is sup posed his master bad occasionally sto. ped ; and it is no less re markable than true, that he appears to distinguish the foreign vessels—always going on board and minutely inspeeting them, particularly those from Denmark or Sweden. while he uniformly passes by our own, or those from Britain. The gratitude of the canine species is so frequently recorded, that we shodld not men tion that amiable trait, as being conspicuous in our present sub ject, did we not think that it deserves particular nonce. Sensi ble of the obligations he owes Mr. Coruellys, he never meets him hut what he offers his raw fora friendly shake, and if it was not accepted, would neither eat nor drink, fearful that his benefactor might be displeased with him. When be goes to the Roscius, and does not see Mr. l'orivoil3s, be proceeds to the Shakespeare, in Cope-street, where he waits his coming ; and at both those houses he is a frequent visitor. lle is allowed by the best judges to he of a most valuable breed ; and to have been a remarkable tine dog in the early part of his life. On Wednesday night the family of Captain So merville, iu George-street, Plymouth, were alarmed by some cries in the room where the Captain's Stew ard slept, which were attributed by Mrs. S. to his being in a fit. It appears, however, that in the middle of the Might the Steward was awakened by the pressure of a cold hand upon his face, which, be-- ing rather superstitious, he ascribed to a supernatu ral cause; on questibning the supposed ghost, the application of the hand was so forcibly repeated, as to convince the Steward that it was no airy phantom which disturbed his repose, but real flesh and blood. Recovering from his consternation, be instantly sprung at his unknown assailant, and a severe cou test ensued between them, in which the Steward re ceived many violent blows. The scuffle was . soon put an end to by the approach of Captain Somerville, at which the robber immediately quitted his antagonist, and darted through the passage and street-door with the greatest precipitation. He was vigorously pur sued by Captain S. and his Steward, who were al most in purls naturalilius, but in vain, though the robber, in his flight, was so hard pushed as to drop a great coat arid a pair of boots, which he had taken from the passage. John McLean, smith, of Greenock, died on Sa turday the 4th inst. in consequence , of being stabbed with a penknife, on the morning of New Yearns nay, in an affray on the Laigh-street.. As a pre.— cognition is going on relative toil& unforturiate-oc curreuce we cannot, at present; enter into kettielllr Several persons accused aro la custosly. • . THE • WAR. WRITTEY immionATELT DVaTIVG Tag SC RELDT Ext'LLUTI /N. Sore. !Master John Hull, I sha'nt know till 11n dead i t's now you are driving to heels-over-head ? Truth, I've watch'd you, my dear, day and night, like a cat And, good luck to myself, if 1 know what you're at. But the reason you waste all thks blood and this gold, Is a secret, they su7---that can never be told : To he sure, fur s- 114 4tscrets my tongue isn't fit i . For I can't keep it still, lc ithout speaking a bit. Arrah ! well, I may speak now, for—hark ye, dear joy, Thu' you say It's your country the French would destroy, Since you do It yourselves, they may let it alone— And mine may be taken, instead of y our own. - You pay all, and fight all—and lose all, they say : Now don't you think, John, that's quite oat of the way ; For, honey, your allies feel so hurt on that score, That they scorn to stand by you, and help any more. And these foreigners, too, have a whim in their head— That ate more they neglect ye, the more they'll be paid : Sure they'll say that your King, now they've left him alone, Will bribe 'em, and feed 'em, to fight fur their own. A rrah, ho f could they say such a heathenish thing, Ora andtenerous church-going King ! To fill foreign mouths, will he pinch from the poor's ? And tax their last scrap, for Croats and Pandours ? Och, John ! these connexions with Goths and with Hunt, Was ever the curse of your isle and her sons ! If you knew when you're well, you'd stand fiat on you ground, And at any one end on't, you'd face the world round. Don't you think i's a pretty political touch— To keep shooting your gold in the data of the Dutch?... • Sending trooph to be swarop'd, where they can't aim their breath ? And buying a load of fresh taxes V 4 ith death ? Theo, your friends, who've been sucking the sap of yoar skull, Now choose to he fed on yonrfat, Master Bull ! ()eh your uaisker-month'd Prussian is but a bite-- And your eagle of Austria is only a kite ! Like the jay in the fable, all pluck you, good John: But the whole mean W shew you their tails when they've done— Och ! 'twill please you to see, when they all hare a feather, How they'll push forth their wiag, and go off all together I Then comes the account, John ; and sure, to be frank, The cost is unbounded, the credit—a blank ! It's a right Flemish bargain, where all you can Is a plentiful balance of—taxes and blame. N4V4L INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTII, Jaw. 13. Arrived the Tyrian Captain Burgoyne, front Cork ; and Fylks frigate, Captain Prescott, freer Guernsey. Sailed the Mariner, Lieutenant Grilnths, with a convoy for the Downs. Arrived the illissictoe, Violet, dal, and Thracian, Captain Symes, from cruising. Sailed the Porcupine, of 28 guns, Captain Elliott, on a cruise. The Inconstant, Commodore Owen, is ordered to the Downs. DEAL, JAM. 13. Arrrived his Majesty's ship Ccrberus, from the a Baltic. Came down from the River the David Scott , East Indiaman, and sailed to the westward. Arrived his Majesty's ship Mosquito, from'Sheer ness ; and the Cliccrful, from a cruise. F.II,MOUTLI, JeN. 11. Sailed the Szzatutr, packet for Lisboa and dm Brazils. GItAVESEND, Jaw. 1.1. Sailed the Cu"palls East India:Dan, for the Downs. YARMOUTH, Jew. 13. Sailed this morning his Majesty's ship D.esiri.e, fur the :kore, to refit ; and the Censor, with a convoy for the Downs. No intelligence of the .S . /. George and 11fence. DANTIKOUTH, JAN. 10, An inquiry relative to the report of six Am ricats vessels having been lately taken and carried into Mor. laix by the French, it appears that only one Ame rican vessel was there, and she was not a captured ship. LEITH, Jaw. 11. The Snake sloop of w•ar arrived on Thursday, in the Roads, from a cruize. A brig is come into the Roads, supposed to be the Clio sloop of war from a cruize. Thirty-eight Danish prisoners were landed yester day forenoon from the privateer lately captured by the Egeriu. Some more French prisoners were landed this morning from the Zealous. The Mariner, Ballantyne, put back tOPortsmeuth on !iaturday last, with the greater part of the Ilea that sailed-on the 7th inst. having been driven overt. the French coast by contrary- winds. Mr. G. H. Daussitoria, the present candidate for the shire of Kincardine, on the resignation of M r. W. ADAM, was unsuccessful in his opposition to the coin. mending, county influence of that Gentlenian, at the last General Election. The Opera House did not open on Saturday night, owing to an apprehension, that, from the machinery of the new Ballet, the performance might be pro tracted beyolut midnight, contrary to the regulation fcr the performance of Saturday. The Drawing of the State Lntery begins on Tues. day morning next, at Nine o'Clock. It will be titlp visalite for all those who intend having a Ticket or Share,. to buy on or before Monday.—Phe . Scheme • contrins.Two Prizes of 20,0001. besides many . Cap ital Prisms, and no Prize less than 201.—Only 12;000 Tickets: in former Lotteries, the chance of* two,* • Prizes,ot.2o,oool. would have cost the adventurer treble Oe sum that Tickets and Shares are n6w selt• . ing for lw.Hoassar and Co. at their old establish if. • °slice, r510..26, Combat, where the veil' first Prize • sf 20,0001.: -was sold to the ticianate Cooper of ,t Bee,* —'llili4ly Mei* *at 100084111 W of Alder- L saw Al.s.voa, after Virpecri.ig the IL ;turns, ordlrA it to fall td. per peck. ♦, 1! . ~ i ;_ .~.~ -.----.....• ................L.. ...... • -..- ..-... ...;,...wainivz -,...,...••••."......-- - 1 .3. . , .. . 'I. , . A . _ r~~~ * kk 4 .I • s A. i • • i '.' I I ' '• t!' • , I 1 ! f I I, !.' 1 I 11 I t • !! • - ,; 1 • . • ~ . ..,i .i ! !, i ; ) . :". it k . 11 • 1 ' Iti , i ,I. •'• I A $ 1 t ' I! I ' ki* 1 1 1 It ' k l '! 1 . -. ; I ' . . F. ; 6 ' 1 ' 1 11 1 . i : e , Af I I , i ? ! 04 1 *: . t . • 1 1 • '1 • 1 , 1%...1 . 1 f - I 1 4 1 1. 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