The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-03-22 00:00:00

PRIPATE CORRESPONDENCE. PARIS, MARCH II). General Duaoc set off some days ago in grea• haste for Berlin. his mission is supposed to be of a very important nature ; but to what particular ohjells it may relate, has not as yet transpired. It is thought by some to lx cormeaed with the existing negociations between the Governments of England aid France ; although it is not very evident in what manner. It is expeeted, that domiciliary visits will shortly take place in Paris, owing to the apprehensions en tertained by the Government of the Royalists. The First Consul, it is reported, intends setting ofl'on tl.e 3J or 4th of next month (Germinal) for Brussels, to make a month's tour. It is not sup poseJ, that so trifling a circumstance, as the pros pect of a war with England, can alter his inten tion. It might appear remarkable, to thoscwho did not know the state of the French press, that the same dissertations should appear on the same sky in al mil all the Journals of Paris. This was the case yesterday, with respct to a letter from a Caput's, aiw.s eriallitla m France, to a Banker in Lemion.- 1 purport of this letter, like almost all the politi cal lucubration% of the present day in Ptais, is to give the public of France an erroneons idea of the resource; of England, which it is their constant duty to undsrvalue. In like manner, the amounts of debates and warli':e pieparatirms in England, are given in the same stile in all the Parisian Journals, and not until some time alter the reception of the English Papers. The speeches of our Mem ber; of Parliament are consequently garbled in a curious manner. That of Mr. Win2liam, for in st:.:nce, is cirri, in such a way, that it is very diffi cult to understand why Mr. SUERIDAN should have conirnented upon what he calls his pusillani mous &aline. or wily Mr. WINDH•I+ should have • xplained. Of the Conscripts of this year, no less than four thousand have alread! deserted. The punishment they are to undergo, is serving in the Colonies. At this rate there will soon be sufficient to compose a formidable colonial army ! One of the most curious decrees of commercial police recently passed in France, is the prohil,i:ion on refined sugar. In a few weeks this prohibition will probably be again taken off. In 'France decrees issue forth on the public with the velocity of light: sting, which establishes a //origin uncertainty in commercial speculations. One of BONAPARTE'S adhererrs, in defending those measures, observed lately in a public company, that they seemed totally to misunderstand the FIRST CoNset.'s views; they were to render France glorious, and to allow tly Ems lirb to letrehanditc. One of the bye-standeesebserved, that it would be difficult to comprehend a greater sum of nunience in fewer words. Yesterday, about eleven o'clock, that piece of ar tillery taken by General Lawson of the Royal Artillery from the French at Alexandria, on the tist of March 13;)I, which lay at Malta for some time, and has been since brought to Woolwich, was mounted on a new carriage, on the Parade in St. James's Park where the old brass piece stood which had been placed there in the time of Charles the Second, and w hich we hope from its antiquity and the circamst.uice of that Park having been estab lished by that memorable Monarch, will still Lind room on that Parade. This wonderful piece, which was, when taken, twenty feet long, has been, from sonic defer in the muzzle, cut down to the length of sixteen feet, one inch ; it is of a Bute,' make, with raised work of hierog!yphics, with two inscriptions on it not yet decyphered ; it is five feet three inches in circumference, seven in ches and a half in the bore, and sixteen feet one inch long ; its weight is eighty-four hundred, two quarters, and fourteen pounds; its carriage on which it is placed, stands five feet high, and is about fourteen feet 1. elegantly carved, and ex ecuted by Mr. PONCON , SV ; it is painted so well, it is hardly distinguishable from bronze. The carved work represents Britannia seated upon a lion, with a compleat view of Egypt and its pyramids ; a cro codile highly finished; a Turkish sabre; a trun cheon ; a crown, with G. R. and a star and garter. The breech of the cannon rests upon an Egyptian idol. It is surrounded by a cteveux ,k frieze railing, and was put up under the direcction of the gallant officer who had the honor of taking it. Notwith standing a pavement was crewed on purpose for the receipt of the piece, yet the weight was so great, that it broke and sunk the stones on which it was placed. His Royal Highness the Duke of YORK inspeaed it on Sunday, and a vast concourse of people assem bled, to witness the preparations; se rhuch so, that it was found necessary to call in a guard, to kcip off the populace. A serjeant's guard of the Royal Artillery is stationed at the spot, till an iron railing can be fixed up. On Tuesday morning last, Major Si RR, on infor mation received to that etket, proceeded with a guard to a certain place in Dolphin's Darn, near .I)u:ilin, where lie found eighty-four newly-forgM pikes, of an improved and peculiar constration.— Sear. At the Assizes of Hereford a nue bill was found against the Rev. John Luncr, tor a libel on It M. tlianutra, F.sq. the Lite unsuccessful c.►tudidate for that county. - - - At a meetin g , . of the Hereford Agricultural So ciety, on MOlllly Lat. Mr. KNIGHT informed :he Meeting, that although the late decision at Lord So se ravt ra's gave a preference to the Devonshire oxen, exhibited in London, yet, on slaughoming them, the Herefordshire were found to have three inches more of solid meat, on the ribs, than the De vonshire, to which the premium had been awarded. ~ NOTTING 11. i 01, 1 1 4 Atz .1 1 • , . At the Assizes for this County, which erdel nn Tuesday last, came on the ca-e of Rose v. Flint, for an assault, in the market-place of this towns on one of the days of the last contested eleEtion. It ap peared in evidence, that the Plaintiff was made an acting constable at the said election, alum g with others, to keep the pe ac e, and t o preserve free ac cess to the hustings; that in the discharge of this duty, he was wantonly assanhed and beaten by the Defendant and others. He, therefore, instituted this action against the Defendant, and called seve ral witnesses, who proved the assault. The learned Judge lamented this case, as it exhibited the de praved state of public morals, in such a large and populous city as Nottingham. The simple act of ob structing a constable in the performance of his duty, was amenable to the laws ; but this, said his Loidship, was an offence so heinous, as called for a severe punishment, as an example and as a warning to others, not to hinder or obsti at measures which may be taken for the preservation of public tran quillity in cases of riot or tumult. The defendant's Counsel called no witnesses; he was therefore orderei to be imprisoned in goal for the space of two years, and, at the expiration of that time, to find two sureties for his good behaviour in '251. each, ad himself in 501. THEATRE. DRURY-LANE. Mr. Cooent, last night, made another and con siderable rise in our estimation, in the character of Richard the Third. He preserved the spirit of that charader with much more uniformity, than in his last performance. Ihe many and various impres sions which are constantly agitating the Tyrant's mind, amid the complication of his ambitious de signs, were marked with full effed ; and his transi tions were much more easy than we could hare expelled. The applause he received g reatly ex ceeded what had been bestowed upon his former performances. We have the greatest reason to encourage Mr. Coort a in his histrionic exertions ; all that he wants at present, to satisfy the most fastidious ama teur, his obvious good sense and genius promise us with his increasing experience. The Duke of CvssICEILLAND arrived at Worcester on Tuesday last, to inspeEl his regiment; that city being at present the head-quarters of it. On the same evening he honoured the Theatre with his presence, as, a private gentleman, although a box had been previously fitted up for his reception by Mr. Michael. On Wednesday his Royal Hi ghness paid a visit to the Bishop of WORCESTER, at Hartle bury-place, and in the evening went to Mr. ED MUND'S Concert. His Royal Highness is principally engaged with his regiment, the appearance and dis cipline of which is beyond most others in the ser vice. The election of J. G. COTT F.ItEL, for Hereford, being declared null and void, Jon?? MATTHEWS, of Belmont, Esq. has declared himself a candidate for the vacant seat. The lively Miss Sims, of Covent-garden Theatre, is performing at Worcester with great success. The Earl of Ai RL Y died at Corlachy, on the 3d inst. He is succeeded by his eldest son DAVID Lord OGILVIE. Mrs. Es.rEN finished her second engagement at Edinburgh, on Saturday last. She has made ano ther offer of her talents for charitable uses. Mr. KEIIIILE arrived at his house in Russel street, on 'Saturday night, from France: and we hope to have the pleasure of seeing him on the Drury boards very speedily ; and that thevreport i‘f his going immediately to Ireland is void of foundation. It is a pity that Mr. Krista LE should have left Paris without having recited Collint's Ode on the Pittston:, for the benefit of the FiasT CONSUL. An elegant Ball was given upon the 17th March (St. Patrick's Day) at the Mansion-House of Dub lin. The objea having been to assist the manu faaurers of the metropolis, Irish manufaaures were generally worn, and the Lady Mayoress had the sa tisfaaion of making festivity auxiliary to the offices of benevolence and charity. A new Candidate is soon expened to come for ward at Drury-lane Theatre in the charaaer of Oroonoko. The principal performers in I) A tiSS PORTER'S new Opera, are—Messrs. BRAHAM, INC L E DON, 11. JOHNSON, BL ANCH A RD, Mrs. SIDDONS, ar.ci Mrs. H. JOIINSJN. The Duchess of Sr. ALBAN'S, Lady W. ItussEt, Lady CAST LI,REAGH, and Lady HEATHCOTE, were among the fashionable beauties at the Opera on Saturday. The subjea of Mr. Ltwis's Mono-drama, which is to be brought Forward for the first time this evening, at Covent-Garden Theatre, is of the most affcaing nature—The scene is a mad-house. Lord Bm.or has completed the Gothic improve ments at his fine antique seat in Staffordshire, which boasts some of the finest growing timber in the "!sine NVindivst , ..r Spring Races will commence on the 21 st April. Tb l e match between the Arabian horses, for 1000 guizAts, which has excited so much' cu riosity upon the turf, will be determined at these races, The Duke of Ricumomn's rumoured severe in disposition, now appears to have been only a slight attack of the gout. llie iron bridge across the Thames, at Staines, is nearly completed. it is a most beautiful strudure. The 'Earl of Esssx inten!s to pull down the old family mansion at Cashiobury Park, near Watford, and to build an elegant house, which it is expelled will cost twenty thousand pounds. Last night the Marchioness of . 6AUSBUILY, the Marchioness of ABERCORS, and Lady RLAD, had parties at their respedive houses. Lady SALTON s ball, which will take place this ;s expected to be oue of the most brilliant of the season. Lord ..)L; CLIFFORD has taken Sir WILLIAM Pc LTENEv's late residence, in Bruton-street. Sir WILLIAM PuLveNev removes to Park-lane. C: A. RslsG.—Mr. Mu DY'S breed of Derbyshire i breyl.c.unds beat the Newmarket Dogs, at their last nit eting, and were reckoned the best there. After the Mahon Aiming, Major Tornasi's dog, Black rmi.h, (who had offered to give a hundred yards s:. t to any dog there,) in running a hare up a p hul on the Wolds, burst a sinew, and : died a • days afterwards. He was got by Samba/4 and .s never beaten. DEIBLAr, Mara' li While' the niece visor . ous preparations are making ih Great. Poitmin, an equal adivity prevails here. • A proclaination W a S issued on Tuesday last for again embodyirtg the militia; the Boaixi of Ord nance have received orders to purchase horses with out limitation, and all other measures are taking which the security .of the country suggests. The Captains 'Comrhandant of th:: several 'Yeo manry Corps in this city, waited, agreeably to no tice, on his Excellency the Lorct4 Lieutenant, on Tuesday last, when his Excellency intimated to them the probability of their aCtive szrvices being shortly required. He said, that while it was ne ce:;sary for the country to assume an imposing and energetic position, it shottld not, however, excite alarm in the public mind. He understood that in times of great commotion and danger, the capital of Ireland found its security in the zeal, courage, and loyalty of its Yeomanry Corns, and occasion might possibly arise, which, making it necessary for Sir iam Meadows to withdraw from Dublin the wh or part of its garrison-troops, would of necessity transfer the military duty to the Yeomanry again : in such an event he had the fullest confi dence in their alacrity and generous zeal, and that the order and security of the metropolis could never be confided to better hands than its loyal and spi rited Citizens. His Excellency concluded a neat address, highly flattering to the charaeter and con dud of the inhabitants of Dublin, by requesting the Yeomanry Captains to make returns of the effeEtive strength of their several corps to Sir Edward Lit debates, in order that arms might be issued ac cordingly. The Officers of the Stephen's-green in fantry had a meeting in consequence, yesterday, and the Merchants' corps axe to meet to-morrow : On Monday next it is expeeted that all the returns will be made ; and we have no doubt of their fully justifying Lord Hardwicke's confidence in the zeal and loyalty of the Irish metropolis, and the Public's grateful sense of his Excellency's mild, just, and conciliatory administration. AMERICA. 110VSE OF WkIHINGTON, rzu. 2 SENTATWEs. Mr. moved the Order of the Day, upon a Bill to prevent the importation of certain persons, whose admission is prohibited by certain laws of the State Government. The House went into a Committee upon the Bill. A discussion of considerable length arose ; from which it appeared, that great enormities had been praaised by the French Governors in the West- Indies, in procuring their disorderly blacks to be smuggled through the Southern States, and by that means very much endangering the lives of the in habitants, and the tranquillity of the Union. The Committee arose without going through the Bill, and obtained leave to sit again. The GRAND SEIGNIOR presented Lord ELGIN with a sabre richly set with diamonds, of the value of 100,000 piastres. All the persons of his retinue, from the First Secretary to the lowest domestic, likewise received presents, most of them of great va lue. A short time before his departure, the GRAND SEIGNIOR sent on board his ship several chests full of Oriental and Turkish rarities, intended partly for the King of ENGLAND, and partly for Lord ELGIN. The value of all these presents is estimated at 600,000 piastres: Sir .1 A MES CR AUPORo has lately sold his beauti ful estate in Bedfordshire, and has taken an elegant house in Dover-street. It is said, that seventeen sail of the line are get ting ready with all possible expedition in the inner road of Brest. On Monday las. there was a requi sition at Cherbourg for men, and the officers were sending them off in waggons from that and the neighbouring places for Brest, with the greatest expe dition. We have no doubt that similar aaivity pre. vails in the ports of Rochfurt, L'Orient, and indeed in all the French ports. Our letters from Dover, received yesterday, con tradi6l the report which prevailed on Saturday, and to which we gave no credit, of an Embargo having been laid on all British vessels in the ports of France. Such a measure was apprehended, by the masters of some small trading vessels, which in duced them precipitately to quit the French ports ; but it certainly has not yet been carried into effea, if it ever as as intended. On Saturday came on at Coventry the eletion of a Member to serve in Parliament for that city, id the room of NATO. JEFFERYS, Esq. declared not duly decd by a Committee of the House of Com. mons. At the close of the poll the numbers stood as follows :- Pk:fER MooRE, Eq. P;) G. F. STRATTON, Eq. 36 We have already presented our readers with twd accounts of the memorable and extraordinary con versation whicl. took place between the Fi est CoN st I. of France and Lord Warr woicra at the drawing-room of Madame BONAPARTE on the Leh inst. As every thing that relates to a circum stance so new and unprecedented in the annals of diplomacy must appear curious and interesting, we think it proper to add the following statement of the.proceeding, which has been transmitted to us by a French Gentleman high in the confidence of the' Consular Government : " The Ft asT CONSUL being present at the Draw. ing-room of Madame BONAPARTE, which took place on the (22d Ventose), 13th March, .and hav ing found Lord Wurrwoa Tit and M. de Malcosr standing together, said to them, We have fought for fifteen years, and it seems is a storm ga thering at London, which may produce another • war .of fifteen years more.—The KING of EN G- LAND has said in his Message to the Parliament, that France had prepared offensive armaments ; he has been mistaken ; there is not in the ports of ante any considerable force, they having all set out for St. Domingo. He.aaid there existed some differences between the two Cabinets ; I do not ' know of any. It is true that his Majesty has • engaged by treaty, that England should evacu ' ate Malts —lt is possible to till the French people, but not to intimidate them!' " At the conclusion of the Drawing-room, the ENGLISII MINISTRIL being near the door, the CON. sin. said to him, The Duchess of DORSET has 'passed the most unpleasant season at Path ; I most ardently wish she may pass the pleasant one also ; 6 but if it it true that we are to have war, the re ' sponsibility, both in the sight of God and man, • will be on the•ae who shall refuse to execute the Treaty ii . • PARIS, I , !..rn y frotri Rochell 6, that on the sth instant the frigate Themis sailed tram thrat,road or Lisbon, having on board General Lasnes, our Ambassador to the Evart of Portugal. The Tribunate yesterday adopted, by a majority of vt.ices t 54 to 3, the 4th tide of the civil code, ,which relates to the absent. Adjourned to t he I Gds. French Fuads-5 per cent. 58 581 H 591/ 60. MARCH 15. Our trade With the Levant is beginning to revive ; but the greatest difficulty is felt for want of capita:. The English, who are much more fortunate in their commercial speculations, have established a kind of company at Smyrna, and have adopted such wise re. gulations, that they have greatly the advanuge over us. As the.following article is the first that has yet been hazarded by any of the French Journals, in allusion to the topics now under discussion between the two Governments, we have inserted it at full length, that our readers may be enabled to make their own observations upon it. The peace of Europe is the work of the French Government. After so dreadful a War, that peace was unquestionably the most signal service that his ever been rendered to humanity ; most unquestion ably the times we live id will, in that respect, an ticipate the judgment of history and the admiration of posterity. It required no vulgar dexterity to win over Paul I. from his long and cruel prejudices, and to detach him from a coalition, to which he ' must have been the more ardently devoted, as he was powerfully influeared by chivalrous seutiments of honour and glory. That was the first step to wards the execution of a plan, a plan equally bold • and great, to compress, as it were, betw e en F ran c e and great, the Belligerent Powers, in order to com pel them to make peace, and to hasten the execu tion of the treaties. This conception, which has already proved so happy by its results, is, more over, the strongest guarantee that has ever been given to Europe of a solid and durable peace. England had contrived twice to cajole us. Per haps Lord Cornwallis would have exhibited a repe tition of the part which has been played by Lord Malmesbury ; but the circle of Popilias was traced out, the treaty was concluded. A Message from the King of England to the House of Commons has overcast with clouds that peace which has so anxiously been looked for ; a peace which was as urgently wanted by his subjects as by the other na tions of Europe :--and what does this Message con tain ? It were improper to speak of what concerns the chiefs of nations otherwise than with respeet ; besides, were even what emanates from their au thority, absurd and ridiculous, the consequences of it are always so important, especially under cir cumstances like the present, that nothing like levity or pleasantry should be indulged in. " The King of England thinks it necessary to ac quaint the House of Commons, that as very consi derable military preparations are carrying on in the ports of France and Holland, he has judged it expe dient to adopt additional measures of precaution tor the security of his dominions," &c. &c. We cannot well conceal from ourselves the state in which our Navy, as well as that of Holland, was placed at the conclusion of the war. A Nation should be provided with a military farce propor tioned to the extent of its territory, to its possessions, to its commercial relations, and to the forces that may be opposed to it. 'lire first died of the solicitude of Government should consequently be the restoration of our ma rine. Surely the English could not imagine that, in consequence of treaties, it could limit the number of our ships, and replace a Commissary in the port of • Dunkirk—those times are no more. Why then ma nifest such anxiout alarms with resped to a Govern ment, that solicited by the most earnest wishes, that negociated by every possible means, and that en forced by all its influence and authority, that peace which had become so necessary to all Europe, which was wasted away by the calamities of a war no less frantic in it; objet than furious in its prosecution. But, in order to place the merit of this message in a stronger light, it needs only to be translated in other words. What would be said of the French Government, if it had sent to the Legislative Body a message as follows : Government thinks it ne cessary to acquaint the Legislative Body, that as the English Government do not burn at least the halt of their ships ; that as a certain degree of a.hvity is observable in the English ports, arsenals, and dock-yards ; that as they do not fulfil treaties, &c. &c. Government has judged it expedient to adopt new measures of precaution for the safety of the state." There undoubtedly is no difference between call ing for the reduction of an existing force, and pre tending to prevent the creation ct a necessary one : but there would be still another difference with re sped to those Governments who would hold that lan guage, viz. France might ground it on motives that would not well be suited to the English Go vernment ; for we might still continue to repeat—it is we who have insisted on, and who have made the peace; it is you who were anxious for war: it therefore, you who may, and who ought, to excite suspicions. England is labouring under an enormous debt, and Would fain charge the interest upon us, and the reimbursement of the capital, by means of a Com mercial Treaty, arranged suitably to its own fancy. It is perhaps a mere turn of good nature to attempt to make dupes of us. It appears to us, however, that if Europe has no reason for looking upon us as cowards, neither has she very many grounds for sup posing us to be ideots. After having conquered with arms in our hands, after having conduced negotiations with an equal degree of wisdom, foresight, firmness, and greetness of soul, it were necessary to suppose that a Government who had accomplished all these great thln2-,s, mdst have very suddenly degenerated, to allow themselves to be induced indlredly to defray the expences of the war that has been waged against us, and to furnish the means of recommencing it. There is a term at which governments, lilt indt viduals, must at length do justice to each other, and consent to get disentangled by their own means from the emharrassnients, however great they may be, into which they have voluntarily thrown them selves, unless they be prepared to expose themselves to a situation still more perilous and porrlexing.— I journal did Conrurce l ere. -4 , ... ~'/ • ~. . 4 A 11 ~. 4r• I *ll 1 Cr > r', • F