The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-07-07 00:00:00

for tr;-morrow. 'fl ATToRNEY GENERAL moved, pursuant to notic e, fbr leave to bring in a Bill for thc Protec tion of Mack Game in tile New Forest, in the Co.inty of ,Southampton, by postponing the Corn m:ncetnelkt-of Shooting from the Ist of August to the Ist of September, and other regulations. Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE wished it should stand over until next SessiLie, in order that the Gentlemen in the neighbourhood shirild have an opportunity of considering how it might 'effeA their interests.— Leave given. Mr. TIERNEY presented a Petition from the Debtors confined in the Fleet Prison, praying Relief. .—Ordurcd to he laid upon the Table. The ATTORNEY GENERAL brought up the New Forest Game Bill—read a first time ; ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. Mr. ALEXANDER. reported the Resolutions agreed to in the Committee of Supply, empowering the Lord Lieutenant to increase the bounty for rais ing the Additional Military Force in Ireland ; and also the Resolution, that it be an instruction to the Committee nn the Irish Army Defence Bill, to make provision for said Resolutions in said Rill. Sir WILLIAM PULTENEY obtained leave to bring in a Bill for erecting a Beacon upon the Bell Rock, upon the North-East coast of Scotland. A Motion relative to the Duties upon Sugar, of which an Honourable Member gave notice yester day for to-morrow, was deferred by Sir W. Pulte ney, the Honourable Member not being able to at tend to-morrow Col. HUTCI I I SONsaid, he had lately made some objections to the Malt Duties, with respe& to their operation upon the Irish Manufacture. The answer which he had received, that though the advantage Was now in favour of the English distiller. the !fish distiller Nvould have a correspnudin advantage at the end of t h e war. There were two Gentlemen in town who represent the Irish distilleries, and they were of opinion that the answer wai not satisfac tory, as the advantage was contingint, whereas the loss was present and certain. It was therefore his intention to move for a return of the stock here on hand, with a view to make it the foundation of some measure for the compensation of the Irish distiller at a fume day. In taking this course, his conduCt was direned by hi. judgment. He neither can. vassed the approbation, nor deprecated the censure of any man. The Hon Member concluded with moving, " That there be laid before the House an account of the quantity of the stock in hand of hum..-made spirits of Flngiish gross distillers upon the I 111 of dime." Mr. VA t S. I. F said, the motion, if carried, would not answer the object, as there was a large qua:ltity in the hands of dealers as well as of dis tale! s. Sir LAWRENCE PARSONS was convinced that the present mode did not interfere with articles of the Union. The Irish distiller was only placed in the situation of an English di:aiiler, who happens to have no stock on hand. The only mode of carry ing the Act into effed would be letting the counter vatting duty take eel upon the same day as the in ternal duty. He did not think there was any foun dation for the opinion entertained by the Honoura ble Member (Colonel Hutchinson.) Colonel HUTCI lINSON then withdrew his mo tion and proposed another to the sante Kat, only substituting 5 - h July for sth June. Mr. VANSIT I'AR 1 . said, the same objections applied to this as to the former motion. Col. ti tiro tINSON withdrew it, and moved. That an account be laid before the House of the probable amount of home-made spirits permitted for home distillers, from the 14th June to the 3th July." Agreed to. A Message from the House of Lords announced their having agreed to the Clergy Farming and Resit .nce Bills, the Scotch Militia Families, and one private Bill. Mr. WICKHAM obtained leave to bring in a Bill, for extending to Ireland the Provisions of a Bill, passed this Session in England, for relieving Magistrates from the Keels of vexatious Suits and Aatons, in con , equence of erroneous Cony k'tions. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that he understood the necessary papers could not be prepared before Saturday ; he found himself under the necessity of moving, that the fur ther consideration of the Report of the Real and Personal Consolidated Duties Rill, which stood for Monday next, should be deferred to Friday.—Or det ed. . numerous refletions hat which were supposed calculated to excite desponden cy; but the language °lbis Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Windham) instead of creating despondency, had united the spirit of the nation, and perhaps, in a great measure, gave life to the present system. Ile did Hot conceive bow it could be deemed liable to any degree of censure. The enemy, as usual, held out the old threat of invasion, which had never been put in practice, and of which he, for one, without absolutely despising them, could not view with any serious apprehensions. But the House would do well to consider whether there were not other points on which the enemy might deem us more really vulnerable than the threatened one of inva sift. He meant the finances of the country ; and whether the threats of invasion were not made in reality as an attack npon our funds, or at least ma terially to effect them. The opinions delivered by au officer of great reputation and experience, (we believe him to have alluded to Col. Cratifurd,) were such as might perhaps have the effeft of de. ten ing some of those powers on the Continent, to which neither that gallant officer himself, nor his military reputation were unknown, from joining us in the contest, or at all events, at least retard the assistance and co-operation which they might other wise be disposed to afford us. In the year 1 ;98. the French had recourse to the hacknied menace of our invasion, and formed, what they called, the Army of England, stationed on the opposite coast, and under the direction of .leave Bonaparte. But what was the result, and what the real destination of these troops ? This country soon afterwards heard of the operations of that formidable army, as it was called, upon the shores of Africa ; and were after wards pursued, battled, and captured by the real Army of togland, whose name they had the vanity and presumption to usurp. They never, however, dared to make any attempt upon this country, and what reason had we to conclude, that while those threats were held out to NI us, to intimidate us, that the << al views of Bonaparte were not d:reaed actainst our settlements in the East Indies, against the island of Jamaica, or for the put pose of renew ing his attacks upon the shores of Africa ? We are, therefore, while possessed, as at present, of sieoeo regular troops, and 50,004 militia, besides volunteers and ye( imanry corps, to think only of con fining ourselves to measures of home defence, when we should have a disposable fierce to meet the ene my at all points. Was that the mode of conduit suited to the charac=ter of Englishmen at the time of hostile menace ? Certainly not. The people of this country required no great preparations to fit them for adion. As a proof of this, he mentioned that four battalions, consisting of only 1400, scarce ly accustomed even to their uniforms, did not hesi tate to attack the troops of General Pichegru, with so much sitecess, that they defeated their adversa ries, and left 280 of them dead on the fiele. Our military force, however, was not confined to the numbet of regdlars and militia in this country. We at this moment retain double the number of troops in Malta Which was necessary for its defence, and the same ni;ght fairly be .said of the quantity of troops stationed at Gibraltar. With resped to the mighty threat of invasion, that was very far from being new in this country. The only novelty, in rt&, was, on the mode of putting it in praelice. When Louis XIV. really meant an invasion under the pretence of restoring the Stuart family to the throne, he was possessed of a fine army, generals of the first reputation, and, what was more, of a fleet which gave him the command of the seas. That monarch tried the experiment in reality, but his scheme was rendered abhortive, and totally frus trated, by the memorable defeat of his fleet, by the brave squadron under the command of the gallant Admiral Russel, at the battle of La Hogue. Such was the fate of the boasted superior navy of France, and now they idly talked of coming over to attack us in a parcel of open boats. What the etrea of any such en terprise could be easily anticipated. • A prudent General would hesitate even to pass a broad river in the front of an enemy, and should he be hardy enough to do so, it must be with the disadvantage of leaving his artillery, ammunition, and cavalry behind him. But supposing even that the French should conquer the difficulties of passing the seas and landing, they must be instantly dismayed at the reception they would infallibly meet with. Even every tree would be an enemy, as they must be sure there were some Englishmen behind it. Yet what preparations could they make with which we must not be acquainted, when our frigates and cotters were bold and courageous enough to go into and ex plore the roads and harbours of the enemy ? Ad mittinx, even for argument sake, that they could land, let it be considered in what manner they could get back again, or whether they would not find themselves even in a worse situation than even that of their troops in Egypt, who were compelled to surrender to the viCtorious arms of England ? To this must also be added the consideration, that if the seas should be so boisterous, and that our staunch ships could not keep out, bat be obliged to quit these coasts, it Islamd be still more impossible for their open or flat-bottomed boats to pass over. It was said by an officer of reputation that many parts of our coasts were accessible, and that the French Might be enabled to land on severe' different points: but admitting this to be their design, the chances would be still mote adverse to them. Ac cording to Bonaparte's own calculation the chances were a hundred to ene that the army he meant to lead would be sent to the bottom of the sea. That calculation was certainly not exaggerated, and if the chances were a hundred to one against a single army, they must be three hundred to three against three armies, and so on in the same progressive proportion as their numbers may be multiplied.— The plan on the whole appeared to him to be in a great degree chimerical, and he would put it to any Naval Officer at present in the House to say, whether there would be any immediate danger, or whether it was pradicable for the enemy to venture to come out, and put to sea in flat-bottomed boats, at the ap proach, or during the time of the equinox, which would soon be coming un. One thing, at least, he believed, would not be contended with him, namely, that in the event even of a successful landing, they oust be destitute of artillery and cavalry, without the last of which they could not proceed with any degree of effed. After all, however, he was very far from attempting to induce Government to retard ... irk ; -iir-,.. - measures of precaution, but would be glad, on other hand, to see it increased, so that we might have a powerful and vigorous force, both for defensive and offensive service. That was the way, instead of letting them dream of an invasion, we might make a formidable impression on the .French , and induce them to tremble for their own safety. The effect of such conduct on the rest of Europe, mid the powers of the Continent, could not well be mistaken. No person could be so little conversant with the feelings of mankind as not to know that the unfortunate and oppressed people of Switzerland, would be ready to throw offtheir present galling yoke, whenever a favourable occasion should present it self. Even Spain, however it may be now obliged to act in concert with its master, must feel happy in the opportunity of again asserting its former in dependence. Germany, also, dismembered, parti tioned, and plundered, would be anxious to seize an opportunity of turning upon its oppressors, and the same might with justice be said of many other coun tries, which waited only for the means of carrying the war with effect into the French frontiers. Even in Ireland, which was deemed the most vulnerable point around us, those hopes must now be vanished, which the enemy might formerlyhaveentertained from that quarter. The time for France to makeany impres sion there was, during the late unfortunate rebellion, to which it promised and endeavoured to afford all the assi , tance in its power. The mass of the Irish people, however, though mislead at that time, was now enabled to judge of the value of French pro mises, and that sort of aid and comfort given by France to all those countries which suffered them selves to be deluded by it. In Ireland now, as well as here, the arbitrary arid tyrannical government of France would meet with nothing bat enemies in every hush, ditch, and avenue, besides the military force prepared to meet its forces in do! field. As the spirit of the nation was now evidently raised, he wished for the colleaion of a strong effective force • for vigorous foreign service as well as for home defence. The present arbitrary government of France could not now find the 'ame pretences for support which covered the designs of its former sovereigns. He could not call to mind any in stance furnished by history, of a formidable inva sion, which was not marked under the pretext of redressing some wrong, or restoring some monarch or family, which might be said to have a title to the throne. There were no pretensions of that kind to be set up now, and the enemy would now find in ail directions, only swarms of people ready and willing to meet them in the field. It had been said, that to objea of the enemy, after landing, would be to push for the capital ; but the example of his tory would spew, that it was always the policy of invaders to avoid the capital of a country. That was the policy of William the Conqueror, and the brave host under his command, though he set up some pretensions to the crown, which was recog nized by many. After the leo tle of Hastings, instead of proceeding immediately to London, he took up his post and ere fed his citadel within nine miles of the coast of Essex, in a position which enabled him to awe the metropolis. But supposing it Fran c ible for an enemy even to gain possession of the metropolis of England, he would not still despair, as there would still remain a great deal more to fight. He then apologized to the House for detaining it at such length, and declared his main objet to he, that of doing away erroneous impressions, and to express his opinion, that the attempts at invasion would prove to be impracticable. General LOFTUS followed, and was displaying his views of the great advantages of our situation, when . Sir ROBERT BUXTON seeing the same dis cussions co, military subjeas, which were before thought improper for the public ear, likely to be re newed, moved the enforcement of their Standing Order. After this strangers were of course ordered to withdraw, and the gallery was cleared; nor were any persons but Members admitted during the remain der of the night. Our respea for the rules and orders of the House will not allow us to give any account of the infor mation we might have received through private channels, of the nature of the discussion, during our exclusion, which was conduaed by Colonel Cran ford, Mr. Windham, Lord Hawkesbury, and seve ral other Gentlemen; after which the House resolved itself into a Committee (Mr. Alexander in the chair) filled up the clauses, ordered the Report to be re ceived, and, after disposing of the remaining. Orders of the Day, between ten and eleven o'clock, adjourn ed till to morrow. Bill was Yea! a second time, mid referred to a Pri- Central CASCOIGNE said, that he nevi.r in dick n < 'ate Costimittee. his life ruse in that House with more reludance than the of Foote's Divorce Bill was passed, and ordered to he did on the present occasion, to observe upon a ~ n :t might the Lords. measure, a collateral part of which had already claims] The liill for carrying into- elle& the purposes of been the subjea of numerous animadversions in insteac Queen Anne's Bounty Ad, was read a second time, Parliament. Many reflelions had passed in speeches might Ind committed for to-morrow. which were supposed calculated to excite despouden- and in ~~ii , A~ StIIGEONS. ? . parliament. He On the Report of the Resolutions relating to the Pay and Cloathing of the Militia being brought up, Sir W. EI.FORD said, he had been in hopes, that some provision would have been made fin - the Surgeons of the Militia. It was certainly right that the regiments of Militia, considering the sort o f service they were most likely to undergo, should have the same assistance from regular bred profes sioaal persons as the regulsrs; but, at present, the encouragement in the former department was such, as 10 otler no temptation, except to raw and inexpe r oced young men, who might be under some c ilty to find any other mode of employment. By the r.7,..tiations now in being, Militia surgeons, in time of peace, must have been thirty years in the service, before they could be entitled to the small provision of three shillings per day, which the House mint be sensible was extremely inadequate to the expe4a tions, and just pretensions, of experienced profes sional men; and front some calculations he had seen, it would appear, that should the present war continue for even five years longer, there were brit a very few Surgeons of Militia, who could be enti provisions made by the At of was not, he said, provided with Lions, and just pretensions, of experienced proles- - c sional men ; and from some calculations he had , seen, it would appear, that should the present war continue few ueforseugvreneofinvs of eyea m rs ili l t o i zger wilo th co er u e ld w b e e re en b t f . ' I a i . • eel' to the scanty provisions made by the ACt of I Parliament. He was not, he said, provided with any motion on this subjea , but threw out these few i observations for the consideration of His Majesty's 1 Alinisters. i Lit Nu answer was made, and the resolutions having been agreed to, the Bill was ordered to be read a third tune to-morrow. IRISH ARMY OF RESERVE. I The Order of the Day being read for the House I to resolve itself into a Committee , to consider of the I Bill for the Augmentation of the Military Force in Ireland. The question was put *.j.lat the Speaker ' do now leave the Chair. A . i 1 1 • _ _ .....- 1--- THE.ITRE-ROrAL, HATMARKLT. • TIIIS EVENING will be presented, (for the WI ' • this Seamn) the Comedy of THE MOUNTAINEERS. Orlavian, Mr. ; Viroiet, Mr. Palmer ; Kilmallock, Mr. De an ; Hule z,n %luler•, Mr. Archer ; Seth, Mr. Ma thew'. Zorayda, Mrs. T. Wisoilfall ; Floranthe, Mrs• Good all; Agnes kits. Atkins.. To which will he added, a Farce called, A MOGUL TALE. _ The Mogul, Mr. I):•L'Amp ; Doflor Pedant, Mr. Burton ; Johnny Atkins, Mr. Mathews. Irene, Miss G.tudry ; Fanny, Mrs. Uibl,s. THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON, THURSDAY, JuLy 7. Yesterduy the Funds were very dull at the open ing, but they became a little brisk in the course of the day, and several purchases were made at im• proved prices. A good deal of business was done in the Omaium at 5 discount. In the debate in the House of Commons last night upon the Irish Army of Reserve Bill, General GASCOIONE went into an examination of the praai cability and probability of an invasion. He was followed by General LorTvs ; of whose speech Co lonel CR AUFVCD and Mr. Purr appeared to be tak ing notes. This disposition to enter into a course of military observations, which might perhaps unintentionally disclose some fa& of importance for the enemy to know, or some opinion which they might be anxious to ascertain, induced Sir Rostrorr BuzTow to move the Standing Ordey fur the t xclusion of strangers. The gallery was aco.rdingly cleared, and remained shut during the debate. There is no ground 1 , 4 alarm is, this proceeding. It was merely a precau. tiunary measure upon the same principle and n ll , tive which governed the House upon the night wi l y. e Colonel Oust:Ts:no spoke in a former stage of the Bill. ••••,••m... We yesterday received New York Papers to the 28th May inclusive. The Americans were then U. acquainted with the cession of Louisiana, but they had learned that the conduct of the Cu zF . Co N il; towards the American Minister has lately becom e conciliating and pleasing, which was the more re. rnarkable, as it had for some time been marked by coldness and austerity. On the II th inst. the American Ambassador at Paris, received a lev er . in answer to one addressed by him to the Ficsr CONSUL, on the subjet of American Debts; i n which the most full and satisfaaory assurances we re given, that every letter of the Convention should be pumFtually complied with. On the Bth April, a Proclamation was issued :it Jamaica, direding that no person, not a natural born snbjed of Ilis MAJESTY, from any Island or Colony in the West-Indies, in possession of any fo. reign European Power, should land in the Island, except in the City of Kingston ; nor there, without having permission from the Police-Office, and giving a Freeholder's security, to the amount of Five Hundred Pounds, for his peaceable conduit. The French garrison at Aux Cayes is closely be sieged. The Brigands commit great depredations in the plains. On Tuesday, the Duchess of YorK dined v.itS their MAJI:ST lis at Windsor. About seven o'clock the RIPY AL FAMILY left that place for Kew, where they had a selea party ; the Countess of MANsrict.o and Mr. GKEVIL LE were of the com pany. • Yesterday morning early, MA; oz the Messenger arrived at Kew with dispatches to his MAJESTY from the Secretary of State's Office, to which Lis MA lEST v returned an answer. Soon after breakfast their MAJESTIES. the Duke of Kea r, and ThttNeEssEs, took an airing in a phaeton and two sociables in Kew and Richmond Gardens. At I'2 o'clock, Her MAJESTY, the PRINCESSES, the Duke of KENT, Duke of GLOUCESTER, and Princess Sopart of Ct.ouc FATE'', attended by Countess of A VIASFWItV, and 4r. GittwiLt took an airing to Sion-House, near Brentford, the seat of the Duke of NORTNUSIDERI. AND, with a view of honouring their Graces With a mornirg visit ; but unt4tunately they were in Loudoc. —The Royal Party, however, alighted and viewed the spacious mansiun, and walked in the delightful gardens near the river Thame,. Yesterday Baroness lios r and Earl and Coun-. tens CARDIGAN dined with Thuir MAJESTIES at hew. The Dutch Rag of truce that arrived at the Nore on Sunday, came for the purpose of conveying to 1 loll.tnd the Lady and servants of the late Ambas sador. The vessel has been ordered to be detained for the present. Ihe garrison of Dublin, for the ensuing year, is to be composed of the 16th Light Dragoons—tl e 17th, 2 Ist, and 36th Regiments of Foot—the Lon donderry and Longford Regiments of Militia. 'I he Rev. W. C. TA v Los, of Loose, is appoint ed Chaplain to the Regiments now encamped on. Coxheath. A meeting has been held in Kent by the LORD LIEWTENANT, for the purpose of digesting and adopting such measures as may be necessary for providing for the defence and security of that County in case of Invasion. The plan suggested and approved of for Kent, appears to be most unex ceptionable in all its parts ; and it is certainly no small recommendation to it, that it has the sanction of so admirable an Officer as Sir D A YID DuNn AS. Captain EsiiNGrom is appointed Inspeaor of Marines at Dover. Many of the new levies, as well as the regiments, are to be formed into rifle corps. General SMITII died on Sunday, leaving a very large fortune behind him. BONAPARTE'S Grandfather, it appears was a Butcher. Hence he may be supposed to inherit a propensity to slaughter. No sooner was the CHIEF CONSUL'S hack turned 'Ton the finger-post that pointed the Road to Eng land ! over the pathless deep, than a 'Bri,ish seafar ing prisoner climbed up the post, and by an amend ment in chalk, made it a more true, and natural index, viz. the Read to RUIN. We learn, by a letter lately received from Bom bay, that the king of BURMA H is again assembling a vast army. This is stated to he fur the expre put pose of expelling a strong detachment of Tomtit - - nese, who have enterred the King's territories, at:a committed many .1,.(1s of depredation. The King has sent a deputation to the King of St.+ st, to in form him of the state of affairs, and invite him, as a colleague, to th against the invaders. The leader of the Tonquincse army is named ONFOL, a man celebrated for his enterprise, and long since bani.:! - .- ed by the EM et non for his intrigues. Yesterday the Old Bailey Sessions commenced hr fore Mr. Justice Rowel, and Mr. Justice L AWRENCE. John Thompson, alias John Kelly, was capitally convided for robbing Mary Hurst on the highway of a basket containing several books. OFFICL, 1110w.STLELT. Yesterday, upwards of forty persons taken into custody the preceding night, under authority of privy-search warrants, principally at a public lions:: of ill fame in Tottenham-court -road, and another near Leicester-square, were brought before N. Bond, Esq. and Sir W. Parsons ; when several of them not being able to give a good account of themselves, and being able men, were oent on board the tender, at the 'lower, to serve his Majesty. '>;~ p • a i .1 1 , . . ~ . I ~.. _r. _.. ~_ 1 •.. ty It,r SI lu. reit the the in. ley r, n to re. red the er g iii ere uij 1 at