The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-08-08 00:00:00

, . eithout Wing tomePadialne 0n.t.a.7 a as a pply in g ncumert t Ig to refer te: He objeB d th i s • the who l e o f which wou ld , in fact, be o - i no out an encou ra g ement to the enemy. He also d the vast power put into the hands of t which might occasion an intro °ll'ekelMe-aetistracy, , bat ausPead person, Ito be treated as one coenstffefled. lie a l o objede the Bill in its pre ha because the House had refused those amendments s d rills which would have made it less ob jelteionnanible. He also objeded to the Bill as being that . it WAS calculated to unavailing, and thinking Irene mischief 'lran it would prevent. produce more P (GC° 1 Tdeclared, that his duty to the public , and to his own conscience, obliged him to refuse his concurrence to this AR. It gave it°s ecurity t. the ; Leslie., by investing the execution o f it to the distortion of the Lord-Lieutenant and , he Pin:) , Council, or legal advisers of the Lord- Lieutenant ; but it depended upon any two Magis rots to snake their domiciliary vi bI bb all over I i, at all hours , and und e r any given clocum os ram stances. Assertions, however respettable thrquar ter from whence they came, made without proof or o o Ommeutary iiquify. were ne ground for him to roe for this Bill. During the Administration of the of Hardwick , and the Duke of Bedford, such oisasnres had not been resorted to; but when some disturbances had aetually arisen, and the Noble Duke WJS applied to to proclaim a certain part of oriend disturbed, hr refused, and the delinquents sere brought to justice. without recourse being had so such extraordinary provisions. He also objeded o s the duration of the Bill, which would be for about rte years, (unless Parliament should pass another t to repeal this one sooner); and he was equally i.issatisfied with the reason which had been asocrod for this duration, that the subje& might oit be brought under disco sion soon, and that it right not cause irritation. [Hear ! lacer !] A w oe iv:parliamentary reason never had been al leg-d, and he thought it required unusual boldness in any nierrOoer to aasien such a reason. The atten tion of Parliament must frequently be called to the Motion of Ireland. and Ise hoped some Member w wive for tile repeal of these ants it such ,lets were given to Ireland, Ireland might indeed hart such Moos elsewhere. He hoped Parliament would see the wisdom of tan other measures in ceder to invigorate our Armin and Navies; and as Lced Chatham said, that he should seek fer merit ,oh .„„ e e f o und it, peen in the bl-ak mountains of the Ni rah, and sine* then these Mountaineers had fright and cenqueted for us in every corner ol the world. Such he trusted would be the rife& or a s y st em of confidence and conciliation towards Ire land ; but unless Ireland was governed according to the spirit of the Union, we endangered the cut ti: g off one limb of the Empire. The Hon. AUCLIn (*CS DILLON-1' Mr. • Speaker, was 1 in this stage to contend against Vie prineir le of this Bill, it would require little labour or inquiry to prove it a dared infringement and a complete violation of the Bill of Rights. But is discussing the present measure, suspending as it does the most sacred and indisputable rights of the subject, I pronounce it altogether unnecessary in my couutry• For the last ire years its policy has been vier!. and meta is nothing is the history of that pesiod to recommend its continuance. The indiscre:Mn of the Irish Magistracy has, in some cases, caliol fso and solicited its operation ; and there is a circumstance, which I feel it my 'duty to impress upon the House. that at the only period during the patrintic Administration of the Duke of Bedtord, when this 8;11 was called into operation, i: was so callel y the Magistracy, without the ' country being prevteasly proclaimed by the Lord Liseerono a to very AO of Parliament re ' Tiirel ar.d dire led. Will then the House, upon 160! ground:, or as in the present case, upon the absence t.l all proof, deprive the people of Ireland c! the of the Constitution > Will they com ma tar caprice of individuals, a power so un limited, over which there is no constitutional con- tool, at the same time that it is liable to such olio eirievnus abus..? Does the stare of Ireland justify k! Of my part of toe country I can speak with confidence, and can further adduce this strong and tonclu•ive faB to fortify that opinion, that at the lee Assizes in the Circuit which includes a great ritien of the Western part of Ireland, there have been more than seven c.spital cnnviCtions, and soingst these convictions, there was net on^ person meld for any thing bordering on a treasonable of fence (Hear l Hear! Hear !) What proof more coarinsitig of the state of chat country? What firm unanswerable ohjelion to the uncanstitu tonal and unnecessary innovation on the right; of ti,e Isiah people? The House should recollect the sentiment of the revered Kilwarden, when the b :eadieg victim of that conspiracy conducted by tic ilWated enthusiast Emmett. " Let not the liber ties of my country b- suspended, said he, in conse glens of soy mender. Let it...not be the pretext of C LvenJing the civil rights of the people." If then such a Ferrol, that jealousy of ins editsg the !IJlrts ad Ireland oug h t to operate. with what jotice east His Majesty' s Mi n i sters , at t hi s per i o d o f k nowledoed Irish trat.qoillity, force forward a nut: s, hostilely violating toe liberties safety ' security, of all tho se w h ose immediate in retests and charatser are identified with tire pros oity et that country e The Trestion which now soles the Irish feeling is rot founded upon spe illative points o f G ove rnme nt.. It is out now an totes' to promote an Agrarian Law, or to devise the best predicable ineolts ref advancing such a P u lt ; l 4 o- It is merely , . to obtain for the people of , nti r si • partiovition of t h ose r i g h ts , to w hi c h, a iitit '1 they are entitled, and which., as British laa k:: 9 they ought to enjoy. Mischievens I pr i aloste the poli c y w hi c h i s . only ea'culateciro tio . 7 tLie ;lm claims of reason aa d t h e I r i s h pee oeunde r such inr l oosiions, it would be iaeon -1 not vote for tire amendment of my lion, 01r. M oore , Hid° "• GEORGE ) PON3ONIIY" Sir, I rise 7 1.64 re OW did Oppo s i t i on to t h e principle of lit ' bins I ;ou not reconcile it to my c on sc i ence e L e to t h w en tti s u web passed. much less to give wantoe, uncalled.for, and tyran tisular o f the constitution in Ireland. The I dis the best answer to the alleged nes 1111 °If- it is both loyal and tranquil; and in the Ups cinch have to sro i ) , been made, a n d t h e measures Oru oded upon these charges, it is with ' • regret I call it a calumniated and ininred country. Some counties have been alluded to, in which a spirit of insurraion is alleged to have manifesteditself. Ile county of Tipperary has been particularly mention ed. In answer, I can s.ifely affirm, that from the most anziaus inquiry I have found such statements to be both incorreel and unfound-d ."—(Hear! h ear ! ) A loud cry of groton ! (mouton ! from the Af tnizttrid Mr. SLIER IDAN—" Mr. Speaker, you, Sir, are called upon by almost the ge'neral voice of the Hon. Gentlemen on the opposite side of the House, to put, or rather to get tid of this Irish Question. — ( Hear ! bc.r /I—l did still hope that the Ministers of the Crown, when they wile made acme:tinted ' with the variety of arguments which have been oared by my lion Friends, who pr.c.ded me, and it they were not, as they ought to he,struck with the tome and cogency of the ouservations of my Right I ton. and Learned Fliend, (Sir Ar thur Piggott) they should at least, in condescension, have endeavoured either to coincide with or to answer them. 11, upon a former occasion, when a bill of an analogous na. tile was before the House, equally violating the Constitution, and suspending the rights of the Irish People, I boldly declared my opinion of it, as an wattage and insult upon the L-elings of that country, with what patience can I consider the present mea wit, coupled with the contemptuous silence of the King's Ministers upon it. Can I consider it but as an outrage, as an insult, not only upon Ireland, not only upon the Itiends of that coun try, but upon every man who would attempt to declare an opinion h.:stile to their intentions and views upon that basely-used, and too long calum niated eountry. (Hear ! Hear I) It to such minds the recommendation of a more salutary policy had the probability of success, I would advise them to rated, befoie they persisted in putting into execu tin the rash determination of governing a proud, but loyal people, by the suspension of every civil blessing, and the violation of eve:y constitutional right. It was once the glory of Englishmen to de. wand a Government by law. It is now the misera ble policy of British Ministers to prefer to that to. vernment by law, a Government by force. (Hear! Hear!) The importance :of Ireland, no man conversant with the interests of the empire is wil ling to deny ; no man so uninformed as to be in clined to dispete; yet how is it possible to recon cile the coodud of the King's Ministers with re gard to that people ? their silence with respell to the violence of the measures which are so precipi tately urged ? unless we attribute it to a gross igno rance of that country which they are called upon to govern, and with whose views they profess to be so intimately acquainted. When any one of the King's Ministers is asked, what is the necessity for these coercive measures which affel Ireland ? from what causes do they originate, or by what occurrences are they justified ? The answer is, " We have been told of their necessity. We, the servants of the Crown, and the persons who dired the government of the country,are totally unacquainted with the state and condition of Ire land. As to ourselves, we know nothing about it." But let them recoiled they are responsible for their expedients. Let them recoiled that their ignorance of the condition of that country will poorly com pensate for the greets of the sytem to which they have resorted. Let them, as confessedly ignorant, learn to be diffident, and immediately withdraw the license to have a country plundered, and a people murdered. (Hear, hear !) Th.*Ainisters have ar rogated these extraordinary and extravagant powers to themselves. They have superseded the common law, to ad upon their own arbittary discretion. And when a member of Parliament calls upon them to explain, or offers to their consideration powerful objediens against the measures' proposed, the Go vernment is either totally silent, or the answer is, that it is unnecessary to debate a measure, the prin ciple of which is analogous to a bill already sanc tioned by the legislature, and for the passing of which the same necessity exists. Really it would have been at least gentlemanly in the King's Ministers to have favoured the House, the country, and the people of Ireland, with something in the shape of better rea sons, than we are tweed to guess from their unac customed silence. Surely there is not that uncom mon want of ability, talent, and eloquence,opon that side bf the House. Indeed it can be nothing but gross and complete ignorance of the subject, for their veriest enemies have not yet denied them, up on other occasions, a full quantity of plausibility-- (a laegn)—ln the species of recommendation which ibis measure has received from a Right Hon. Genttim an, not now in his place (Mr. Grattau), though justly entitled as he is to the esteem and gratitude of his eountry, I never can concur—l -caunot, in my conscience, lend my support to a spirit of coercion against Ireland. I cannot approve a system, which, originally bad, the history of the last fourteen years has proved to be both mischievous and inefficient, and that is con tradided by every thing which ought to be evidence in its favour. Nave any of those persons, who are constitutionally responsible for this mea sure, manfully come forward and avowed its net's. sity ? Has any Member on the Ministerial Bench even offered his own private opinion and judgment, as a guarantee to the House for suffering it to pass into a law, and disgrace the Statute Book ? No. Quite chop-fallen. l'he Secretary of State for Ire land, (a Member across the Table," There is no Se cretary of State in Ireland.") Well, the Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Arthur Wellesley, never has asserted in this House, that such Bills were rendered necessary from the State el Ireland. He knew better, he was so convinced. he would not hazard ..is cliarater upon hasty considerations, But tecolleding the circumstances of the times, is it possible to believe the Right Honourable Gen tleman serious? Is it at a period when treason is said to be ripe in Ireland. when disaffedion is sup posed to be general, and insurrection slushy or ganized ; is that a proper period to lend the Chief Civil Officers, to whom alone is entrusted the civil duties of the Irish Nation, upon an ex pedition to the Baltic ? (Led cries of he I &or() Is it, I say, a fit or convenient time, when most loud in your cries, and proscription, and persecutions against belated, Out unwisely you de prive is of its military force. and attempt to garri son it with two coercive sod penal ads of pauliao meat i ( ilcar 1 beer . 1 ) If it is possible that Mi. ulnas can be einem in each geoduet, I know not ~".. • - 7-)?- • -r to whet to attribute it, bet to that ignorance which they profess :o have of the country, and to that ',Hence of temper wleirsh is ever beat to oppose that which a wire policy diElates, but prejudice denies. • Mr. CRAV:, in a hold and animated manner, defended Ireland from the unjust impuretions against its loyalty and allegiance. He was con vinced that the true policy ice gevernine Ireland wet to extend to its p e ople t he full participi:ion cf Coratituti‘.nal rights. Heethen declared his con viclicm the injustice and impolicy of the present Bill. and strongly supported the Amendment of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. P. Monte.) 'the qne•tion was then luudly called foe. when the House divided. Fur the pir.tponement of the Bill to that day three months, Aye., <3 ; Noes, 80 ; Majority, 52. Upon nor re-admission to the gallery we found Lord HENRY PETTY upon his legs, strongly posing the dutption of the Bill, as it then rte.:id, for two yeast, and the ensuing Session of Parliament after their expiration. He contended. that fills of such a descriptiau, which so particelarly trenched upon the literrty of the subjel, and la :arl could only be tolerated by a strong feeling of necessity. ought only to be enaCted annually, tar this reason, that the House should unceasingly and untemit• tingly apply itsell to the consideration of the neces sity, and to the adoption of a suitable remedy.— So feeling, he proposed an amendment, limiting the duration of the 11.11 to one year and two months after the Meeting of the ensuing sessionof Parliament. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ohserved, that it was only a needless repetition to teply to oblations which had been stated and an swered in the discussitet of a Bill (the Insurreelion,) founded upon a similar principle, and upon the sanye necessity. The Noble Lord and his friends not only admitted that necessity, but were anually prepared to ad upon it. in a way similar to that adopted by the prevent Administration. lie there fore could see nothing in the amendment of the Noble Lord, but an inclination to procure those an nual discussions, which, it they did not augment, in no degree traded to diminish, Cie causes of that ne cessity, which was admitted, and regretted by every side of. the House. Mr. SHERIDAN denied that though the two Bills (Insurreelion and Irish Arms) advanced pari piece, that therefore they were analagous in their ptinciple. In the former Bill, the power of pro. claiming counties *as vested in the L-ad Lieutenant, but the search for arms, under the present Bill, was committed to the Irish Magistracy. If the neces sity tor this Bill must exist for years, in the name of truth, tell the people of Ireland at once, that It is their inheritance. But let the Right Hon. Gentle. men, when they have manufaeured the necessity and promuted the disaffeetion, call upon Puha. mer.t to nation their enlightened . expedients. The amendment of my Noble Friend wisely says, if the Bill can only be defended by necessity, then let it he compulsory upon the King'. Ministers annu ally to prove to Parliament and to the Country the existence of that necessity. Mr. ELLIO IT could not reconcile the position, that beteuse he was friendly to the principle, he ought therefore to sappurt the duration of the Bill. With him it way a strong feeling, that in proportion as an attack was made upon a constitutional privi lege, • greater jealousy should be exercised. lie seriously recommended to the House to consider the state of Ireland, and to advert to the benefits that country would derive from an extension of civil rights to its Catholic population, modification in the colleetion of tythee, a proper system of national edu cation, and provision for a resident clergy. Mr. WILBERFORCE argued at some length in support of the advantages of infusing into the Irish peasantry the suds of religious knowledge, but opposed the amendment. Mr. WINONAM supported the motion of the No.rle Lord He contended, that without any improper effects, such a Bill might, if necessary, be annually introduced in the tarn way as the Mutiny Bill was. Indeed he felt convinced that though the principle of the present masure might be , justified by necessity, yet he would accord with his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Sheridan), that with such pro visions, and in such hands as at present, it was cal culated to do more harm than good. Upon the question being put. the numbers were, fur the original Clauses—Ayes 79 No.rs 34. Ma jority against Lord Henry Petty's Amendment-45. The hill was then read a third time and pasted. The Irish Militia Completion Bill was committed, and report brought up. Ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. A: twelve o'clock the House adjourned. The following is the Minority, upon the amend ment of Lord HENRY Parry, to limit the duration of the frith Arms Ad: Loaf H. Patty Messrs. G Ponsoaby Messrs. W. Mettles W. Re, se is P. Moore &HMOS Milton W Smith TalSot S If A. Piggott Whitbread Barmaid —S. Romlly Cuthbert r—•—• Windham —M. Somerville B l and Calcraft Han. W. Caverkl.sh Lubbock Lamb Mr. Ward H. Martin -- sharps A. Dillon G. Hobbert Jerilll Meisra Sheridan Parry . Maxwell Boureue Cram•• — • . • -. . W. Eltuth Millar 'fellers—Mr. Crone) , and Mr. Dawson. FOREIGN INThLLIGIESca. FROM THE FRENCH PAPERS. ••••... wastes, ions SO. The following circumstantial account has been published by this Court, of the entire destruaion of the Corps which were landed at Reggio last month, under the command of the ?since ut Hesse Philipstahl • G• The Expedition ;ailed frcm Palermo, under the command of the Prince, on the 9tli of May, and• disembarked immediately. It was composed of the Chasseurs of the Priam of Hesse, the Apulian Chasseurs, the Samnite Grenadiers, the Regiment if Cavalry of Waldinsimaare. and of some Cal. nonce's and Pontoueers. This was augmented by the levrefraleur, and by so mg Sicilian troops. It must be observed, to the diseace of the Laws of War, that some of the troops employed on this service belonged to the girth= of Gaeta, although by the terms of that capitulation they were nut to • a' F~ .i- _~ • I 7 • . • I .• ferret against the French for one year. The Prince had v ith him six pieces of artillery, and an immense quartity of ammunition. Ott the 14tIr of May, 1 battalion of Samnites. aeprorted by a detachment of Cavalry, advanced to l'lace-de-la-Ccoironne, to reconnoitre the Freoclt „joists; _but they were driven back to the pala,:e of p ,4alano. On the 22d; a flotilla, rahich had Arsenio bird hear Pharto.arrivedoat Gioga at break of day, hod a disenilrorkation 'commenced. At the same time the Corns of the Prince of Hesse advance.: to Plasisode•la-Couronne. - General Abbe, who. ac eor..i'lo to his instritAions. was to draw on t!.e eneinv lor a feigned re:rear. arrived, on the 24th. at Monteleole. The Prir.ce of Hesse took a position at Rowan. " A corps of Rrigands, a detachment of the Chas scuts of Philipsrahl, and a '',qiiadron of Cavalry. advanced to Mileto ; hut 4') of 007 Light Troops were enough to inthoidste them ; they retired with the loss of several men. On the 25th, they advinced 'to attack our advanced post 't their force tors sisted of 200 Cavalry. bOO Brigands. and 130 Clios• nom. General Regnier had conceded b•ahind or advanced posts $0 Chas:curs and two companies of Light Tammy ; so that the efterny, riot seerig any force to alarm them, advanced with more tMida . :4l%. But the French Chasseurs, impatient at rice not advancirg, charged them, and with the aid of the Light Infantry, completely defeated them. the Brigands were cut to pieces ; the Chassen,s of Poi lipstahl made phoney,. and the temain• of Ore 200 Cavalry were pursued tour miles beyood Milrto. " On the 26th tlie Prince of Hesse . nearaped at Micro, hut his advanced guard d ire not pren ht j . - self before the French advaocrit pool. On •ho 27th :he Prince of Hesse Etta a Fig of "l uh.-. to the Commandant of Moro . kleone, d, sir ng him 'to evacuate that town, und,or the pre'esc , r of satin: the Inhabitants from the I enr,rs of War ; but tlasit intention on the part of the Price c , ,uld be of no use, because the Brigands were under ft, diserptind, • an I have frequently committed ti,e rn , nt atruciout crimes before his face. Under these eirculoszances, I General Regniet resolved to attack the Enemy. The General could easily have co:leafted noire troop, , • but it did not require more thou gmeotaird of lA*, number of the enemy to beat them. " On the morning of the 26th, the French Troccis began to march, so as to arrive a: Mileto by break of day. The Prince of Hesse, trusting to his superior *embers, reposed quietly in his bed. while our light troops drove in his advanced posts, and took posses. iron of ete tillage. The main 1),..4 of the enemy's army was drawn up in the plain beyoud Mil•ato they were entrenched up to the ahouldets. and had six pieces of cannon. They ooze, however, Ursine- Oliately attacked, and after an affirm of some du ration, completely routed. They fled towards Ro sario, leaving the:r artillery, ammunition, and bag. gage, in net possessi ,n. At Roiarno the French divided themselv.s into too cootn:ns ; the . ne ad• vanced towards Gina, the route which the Prince of Hesse had taken ; the other advanced to Se minarr. " On the 29th of May, a corps was sent Under General Abbe to Reggio, in ord,r to m..ke prison ers of those who had not time to embark. Some were taken. The Prince of Lesse,• wits about 100 Otn:tos and then, arrived there on the tash, aboet two hours before night. He had ridden 60 miles in one day, and aclo.owledged that he had so :ter ran so fast in his life. Except the row troops that embarked with the Prince. none of them returned ' to Sicily. They were all either killed or taken." * >7l dt . Tll2 FiaNCH 41trD sWEDES. Extra of a Letter, from an OfAcer belonging to the Expedition, dated Stralsund, July 20, Ido7 soo 6' We landed with the 2d division in Port Bay, in the S. E. end of the Island of &igen. and marched across the country to this place. On the 14th, His MAJISTY came to town, and in the afternoon his • array WAS attacked about six miles from hence ; and after some smart firing on both sides, the Swedes retired. They were very soon in might of this town, and the country being titer, their whole line was to . be seen distinctly from right to lett : they were rather in a valley, as they just came over sumehigh ground, in which the enemy's advanced guard now appeared. The moment was critical, and every one looked with anxiety for the event ; not doubting but an anion would take place. Very soon the r enemy's artillery rendered our situation not very• agreeable ; however curiosity led me to take a sta tion clear of both parties ; the firing now seemed to increase, as the french had got a considerable number of guns up, as also howitzers, with which they now and then gave a few shells by way of va rying the scene ; however, on the whole, they hurt but a few men. In this situation were things at about six o'clock. when a part of the enemy's line advanced upon our right, and a body of infor try was likewise observed threatening the left. I now looked upon an saion as certain, aqd took my ground ac cordingly in a more open spot ; but in less than half an hour, the right of the Swedes were fiiing eft' as the rear, and the centre were marching the tame way in line (having gone to the right -about), the left were not long folloseiag the rest; and as the whole Made for one gate, they very soon got into eonfu. sion, and whether through fear or what, I'll not pre• tend to say. but such a scene for about an hour took took place, that I am unable to describe—suffice it to say, they came in pell melt, as if the word had been Sauce at peut. The flying artillery, which I ex peeled would have covered the retreat, was among the brain, the cavalry followed, and the infantry now left to take care of themselves. The town guns now opened upon the enemy, who retired epon the high ground where they passed the night Bi vouce, (an extraordinary night-goerd kr the secu rity of the camp.)—The next day they sere very busy in hutting themselves, which they seem now to have completed; and we ate ereoely surrounded • with camps of that des-riptioa, front right to lift about two miles distant. oOn .oirr part, extra-works are throwing ep, . , 1 and every preparation made for a siege. labs& :• have no doubt will take place, stalest the Km, t .tomes to terms. The enemy are making mot very lh kelge batteries about a mile distant, of emu' fort antears, and when finished will be notified to go by a shell. 44 The streets are close, and the houses moody of wood—thus vretnay look for a horrid scimed de. 1 our; •-~+s