The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-03-15 00:00:00

Mr. CANNING thought no inconvenience could exist from the Petitioners having w de in,snated theniklifes. TtERN EY said, he had no objecticht to these Merchants individual's., but he objected to them teivtniug the title of " A Society of Merci.;cifs tradl lig to the Continent iu the Cotton Trade." It is as evident, that Ministers finding mite oppo,iti•in occurred no to their measures, froin the other Peti tion already presented, had been under the no, y of appl y ing to any cluiuicol club they could find in the city of London, wherein the Minister, of t h e day" were always the first. Ahlion 4 ll the lt.ght Honourable Gentleman opposite thought proper to recognise these club., yet there was uo occomon for the House of Commons duii so. Mr. Wits DHSS! thought that the reeeiting such a Petition from persons calling themselves a so ciety, would tend to produce a false impression, slid injure other Petitioners, upon a subject that affected the whole body of English merchants. WHITIBILEAD suggested that it would be der to withdraw the Petition, and to allow them present a rectified one, not assitining that con s 4 umict to themselves which belonged to suet) I()lnpanies of Merchants as those trading to the a t nth Seas, or the Society of Merchants trading to . :.e East Indies. • Nlr. Cassiso said, that the reason this Club of Men:bouts. as they .had been Ailed 1w a Right Hun. Clesstlemonsippatite (Mr. Tierney) had de signaled themselves "a Society of Merchants," &c. was, perhaps, on account of their own modesty. It might not, perhaps. be ill-timed to remind that Rieht Hos. Gentleman, that he (Mr. Canning) had had once the honour, along with him, of belonging to a Club, which they themselves, out of modesty, Merely called " The Club," but which the world choose to denninivats 'fne Literary Club." He should have no ohjtetion. however, to approve of the Iloa. i;nronet's withdmwiug this Petition fur the present. Sir Cnaittes Paws added, that it was *greed to at a Meeting of these Merchants, called together for the express purpose at the City of London Tavern. !'.t that Meeting, he was rare there was not one dissenting voice. He was surprised that s , .ine of the 14o,ionrahle Gentkmen opposite hod no heard of such a Society df respectable Men t mints, and that their ignorance Or theni could c wrote as,iin objection to their Petitiss being re evited. • Ile had no abjection. Innvetor, to with draw thY Petition for the pieseat. Mr. W 'urine ay mover" That there he laid he- f:re the Horne as Account of the Exports in Bri twh iiinpa to Denmark. frets the year )7!m to Ja unary 1110 c distinguishing each year, and the foreign frets the British ratunsfactures." This Motion. after a few observations from Mr. Bose. who thosight that such a prodoetitio would tepid to no odsontage, srsiii4rrftd to. Upon the Motiou of Mr. At.eitmtratt BAIRN°. there was ordered to be I'M before the House account of the notaber of yards of printed and dyed cotton exported from dos conatry to the United Suter of America. siacs the par Eng, aunt. guishing each port, sad etch gear. The third reading he the Collies Weil Mill. bitten BM was piStponitits Wednesday. The Expiring Laws 811 l ra • reported, and ordered to be read a third breve to•nterrow: urns* iiLi.. The Socarrsirs at Wsmarciredtho Order of the Day for the third reading Oral *BIM Mr. 11.‘11114CINIFy rued, the . he- di& not' Otranto obstruct the progress of titsbed' hit beef- an Amend:at/A to propose te-is clause of it. wisieh should cithet do bereft onefter the thirti as the Swisher tnight•dsreet, as being the tarot vonsonaut wilts.the vulva of the House. The SPIIALEIL oi)terVe4l, that it was usual in such cases to allow the Bill t Le read a third time, and then to propose any non , clauses or amendments u;,..a the queetion that the Bill do pass. The SIMAILIiIt then pat the woollen, that the' Bill be teat} a third time. This belt* altreed en, the luttiou as to its paining was pod accordingly. eitANCIS BOR.OI-1 rr—. , I gave noticethe other slay, Sir, of IleV lineation to propose a clause to be sided to this Lill, forthepnrpose of preventing 00i time Army front hong cashiered and dismivsed the ser.icie, except by the judgment of a Court 11.ar -Lid. &Los I camiot, therefore, lie sup;..osed to he tak i..g time I loner by surprise upon a inattersoimportant. I shad, 1 trust, he ahle to sliew that it is a measure , not oalv iuiportant to the service itself. hut ma terial far the interests of the Crown and the wel fare of the country. It appears in itself so mo derate and an unobjectionable, that I flatter myself with the hope and expectation that gie House a ill, witbeirt much argument. Le eerily induced to itilopt it. lam not ind.ted uwarc of any other oh jectum that can possibly he urged against it, thou that• it is supposed to be an encroachment upon die parregative of the Crown. If that, however, were theorie s I Aonhl stilt hope that such an ob jection would mot be cor.sidered as inanrinnunta hie, if I can at the same time show that the .exercise of such a prerogative be ig,;utious to the service. I think I can slow : Flow erer, that it is lust an encroachment upon the prerogative of the Crown ; when I consider that the tinny itself is always to be considered, and re= resented as a grievance, not only to the country, Int repugnant and dangerous to the Constitut , ai. th,refore, cannot be said to be au olne- t *slot is must to be interfered with, but what slionld e.e.ner be saii,l is, that no prerogative of the Crown ;711) Orte;l4l to taro thing that is a griivance upon The vutojeet. What I wish by this clause is no thing moire than to secure to officers in the army that justice ai.d fair dealing which woe must %uprose is is the intention of the Crown to a std. them, so that I only pron•ct ti,e I town from the responsibility of . 11 , .ing that, a ht.h. if well adeised, no king would. .•i , ^ do. It is oa übreasonstLle thing to prouove to the lino-e. that officers should Le protczted their ci.ura. ten and reputations, a n d f. : bate in the Cr,a,titution of their coin.. . equany stir': other rab j ects of the rett;.ii. At 1... sent rem•tineal in a situ !• nn I::'st r••••(1.•••,1 tot.c..y defenceless t: ~ .0 a • •• as hi their than:eters, whicii sairtlistened to by parsons 1:. ()awe, who ,utarmation t. um others, aeriivz lierhars ha a ma- Fialeat or sou-interevted Th.• in' sa ttsbutory reason that can be giro, en for making 'owe t er alteration in this rrspect,"6 that which (wens; upon the first btush of the thing, that no man shot' d be pnai shed without having the possibility of a hearing. Sueh, however, 141 now the unfortunate situation in which officers in the army stand, that they may not only be punished, thOr characters ii;jured, but eveu their fOrtunes way be ruined. We per- mit gentlemen to purchaec cnto the service, anclyet they may he dismissed from it without the formality of a trial, so that not only their characters, which are dearer to them than life itself. but tly-ir fortunes are put at risk, with out any retire:. being afforded to them. -What I intend to propose-, would tend to discriminate Between thou peewits who are properly dismissed from the service, uud those who are the victims of malice and slander. As the case stands at present, it is in the power of an individual notat all connect ed with the service, by an arbitrary stretch of indis cretion, to procure the dismissal of an officer, without affording him that opportunity which other classes of society enjoy, of bringing the accusation before the public and the King, for the justification of his character. My oblject, Sir, is merely of a prospete tire kind. My purpose is merely to look forward to the preveutiou of future abuses. lam not at all disposed to state any particular cases that have hap pened, nor to cast the smallest redaction upon any one. I have heiird it said, that this would be cruelly hard in cases ,whgre person& hail actually- com mitted offences, to expose them, by bringing them to a Court Martial. Of this, however, I cannot nee the force of argument. The insertion of this thins, will not restrain the Prerogative of the King. It will leave it entirely as it stood before, and at the•sanse time prevent the hazard of a King doing that which it Is not to be supposed a Kiug would intentionally do. It would somewhat assimilate the proceedings in military matters to the real spi rit of the Constitution, which has been particu larly careful to remove from the Sovereign every act, even of apparent harshness and seer rite. The Constitution of the country has protected the Sore reign, sad surrounded and adorned the throne with all those mill prerogatives which go to the mitiga tion, or even reprieve of desieved puilislnents.— In this case, as in all others, the King should therefore be protected front any connection of ideas of an unpleasant nature, esdecially where the alleged offence actually amount. to uu.oceuce. I sholi.d propose that Iseneticent prerogatives alone should be exercised 1 )y the Crown. It would have a good effect upon the .retiree becAse, when °Ri cers feel themselves under that coestitutional pro tection which even the rneanes, mail of the comae," is entitled to, I think it e eafl iieerssardy make them more careful of t :or i ateres• . of tau ircoui J try, by thernatroneer interests; •• the iplessanes ot our Constitution, to which they are t all :Mies heuiid he loyal, by haviug it in their . tection. I i sou t.i also protect officers who have - in this Ilou,e, from being subject to opore: or dismissal, in consequence of any vote they think it 'pru dent to give ill this House. As tne law exists, an officer may be condemned to lawny and disgrace, worse than natural death, by the hands of an i- Bible assassin: ai tainet zd4 r t i t ee st r ejty r simeidet.ii . are in ths as ing exposed to paislunputs greeter than the law can inflict upon the most atrocious criminals. It will not surely be centendetl, that there are not ample ratans of punishment of every description in the army to keep up that discipline which is necessary to a military establishment. When we recollect the nature of that tribunal . a Court Martial, outlin ing to theroselyea the functions of Judges and Juries, we must be convinced that there is no spe cie% of offence to which Hwy are not competent. — Nat, their power even extends to . what is called ungentlemanly behaviour. It cannot be contended, therefore, that there arcane possible means of escape, if an individual ass by his misconduct subjected himself to dismissal. From that tribunal he will meet with redress, or with that punishment which necessity may require. With these observations, Sir, I shall wove, •• That there be inserted a clause iu the Mutiny Bill to this effect, • and be it fnr ther etieted, that no waiter/ officer, baring a warrant or commission from the Crown, shall be cashiered or dismissed the service, nor be deprived of pay, otherwise than by a Court Martial, orby an &Mrs* from either House of Parliament,' Stc. etc. The SecatialTaele- 01 I am sorry it is not is my power to coi with the Honourable Ba ronet's opinion as to d propriety of inserting such a clause as that he sow proposes. In the first place I may observe, that the Hon. Baronet has laid no grounds for altering tie constitution of the army, and therefore there is !galling to induce the House to make any such alteritiou upon the constitution of the army. I can hare no hesitation iu recom mending the system so long adopted, uotwithstend iag the disadvantages to which the Hon. Baronet has stated military men to be subject, in being deprived of the common law of the country. In the second place I may observe, that great lucon venienr e woolsl arise to the service, unless tie- power he vested in the Crown. There is no pre rogative of the Crown which may not be pii,lred to such an extreme as to be productive efabuse. For example, I may mention that option of peace or war, which exists in the Croau, a:id which may tend to the ruin of the country. But eau that be alleged es a reason ale- that power should be diminish.% a hen it is feical to have the most salutary c•Tect ? The idea of having an army to tally independent of the Sovereign, is so ahsurd, that I cannot it to a matter of argument. Any interference of the !louse world be 511 aeminievio of ti•e permgieive of the Ctowil, which would be illl pi. , per." 1-0•71 FO LI:ESTO% E—" I think the Hon. Baronet has shcivn go-it moleration, as there certainly are abuses •• Idea utigLt ha-e tern Stated, had lie nr,t oishti , l to ittoiil all anosimas to what had passed, Lut tip , r , .ls in make his measure prospective. 1-le a!tieest iraeisuble grounds for &clewing -.rah :irco.et?c.l:ll4. It is in fact a protectite, to 11:/- 4:1-sr er has been given to his areu e.:-••••.:. I hog ever, that this Immure sheald is a. ;,-• hs a clause in the :NI aziny . !,•i• hr a :separate Bill." IY:eh' EIT ranke against the hart-sake. such a measure either in this Bill or any t-. 11 of f.. irral FITZPATRICK al,' spoke scainst it. He erid it would be necessary to make out a very strong yl, • ease, by instancing abuses, before CUClit 191 ibisova tioa should be lands upon the Military !wilte i m of _ the country. ,;, Mir FRANCIS BURDETT was proceeding . t d en large again capon the stibject, hut it being tleemcd out of order, 1“.• coildaded with agreeing to with draw kis motion for; the pre,:eut., us there ~would, no doubt, he aithfliei opportunity for bripging it again under consideration. The CHANCELLOR o f the EXCHEQUEH ,raid a few words expressive of his disapprobation of the measure, and also of the mode of - withirraw i in; it, without takiui , the sense of the Ilc use upoii its impropriety. The Question as to withdrawing the Motion was then put and carried. Mr. Cat.calrr next rose, and enlarged con siderably upon the impropriety of the clause in troduced into this Bill by a Noble Lord apposite (Lord Castlereagh), for the purpose of doing sway the measures of the former Government, by giving an option to the men to enlist for life, intead of a limited time. He argued, that the Limited service, so far from being a disadvantage to our colonial and East India possessions, would be of infinite benefit to them, although the Noble Lord had maintained the contrary. The East India Com pany had inttodueed this regulation in their service before it had been adopted in His Majesty'. ser vice," and no inconeenonceoccurred. He then took a view of the success of the measures of the former Administration, which he endeavoured to prove was much greater than what was allowed hy the present Ministers, and that it bad not yet a fair trial. The measure proposed by them would tend much to the increa:v of the Poor Rates, by leaving the widows and children of soldiers bur dens upon their respective parishes. lie concluded by moving., " That the words intLoduced for the purpose of ailowit.g persona to enlist for unlimited service, be omitted, and the words' limited service' be introduced." The SLCRETARY at WAR (Sir JUDOS Pulteney) in reply to Mr. Calcraft, remarked, that he was perfectly consistent, in as much as he had from the first opposed the system of raising men for a limited terns, and that his measure did uat preclude re- eruits ei tering for seven years, while at the seine Slim., it woe them the option of enlisting foto life. Mr. MUGGE BATIWIRIT spoke iu favourgif Mr. Caleralt's motion, wod against the elaine:fcf? en listing for life. He want At length into the roes tion. she «iuK how. tnalelitnort beneficial it star to the ser;i;ie, by encounigiag young men of charac ter to ent.:r the arms'. • Colonel, 1t AUL %VOW) differed from his Ri Kht Hon. Frietid . iuit sat down, and thought tlielt l.en9r of a limited service much greater thatt vice for life. . - Sir GI:ORGE WARRENDEI entered at glint: length into the me.its of the question; he eosbal deri-11 the claUse of the Secretary at War most highly objeciiimable. He disclaimed all idea of a wish to raise dissatisfaction amongst the people, and he could refer to his conduct in that part of the kingdom to which he had the honour to belong. bs Ut.P9ft,Litiissilseliva-1. Assay ipi•eass‘the , tigo. Tentions of Parliament. lie lied in the last Set- sion felt it his duty to oppose the military plea of the Noble Lord, but the House having passed it into a law, he did not hesitate to exert all his in fluenee in his own Relment to obtain the number of Volunteers reqnir , in which he was fortunate „ enough to be successful. Colonel Dcacete entered at length into the question, and was re.narkio.s that the OppeStiOn . was only at* 1 ::•.1 6 einborrasS Governoiseille; 7 wheh he w. called to order Ity I%fr. who said the 1.1,in. Ocutleinada halo° right to charge GeatlemetVon his side . 9l the House with fries lously iu4ding Yee b, stow.. of tt, winch was too common a pracem evi Gentlemen on the Trite miry side ; on winch he was called to order by; Mr. CANNING, who remarked, that if the lionotirable Member was out of order by improperly making charges against the other side, the Right Honour able Gentleman had no right to accuse the whole of his friends. The Right Honourable Secretary was proceeding, when there was a general cry of •• Order I" Mr. LYTYLEToN took an early opportunity of entering the st.ongest protest in his power against the clause; and considered however specious it might appear at first sight, that it was the most ready way of injuring the army. Mr. GEolleE JOMerrollE defended the clause on the same ground as the Secretary of W ar. Col. SHIPLEY said, if the limited plan was not good, the returns on the table were false. Mr. WINDHAM began a most voluminous speech, in which he defended his plan with his usual per spicuity ; he stated his wish for an old soldier to be rewarded for his services; he charged Ministry with clandestinely endeavouring to undermine his plan, and comnpared them to froward children, spoiling the workmanship of able artificers; they perse vered, sith a pertinacity beyond all others, to bring shame upon themselves and the country, and by compulsion to empty the pockets of die people, in their slid schemes, which, if continned, would prove ruinous beyond redemption. His plan had been agreed to hr two successive l'erlinnents, then surely it was not fair to ask them to eat their words ? —But he complained most of the smuggling manner in which this business had been attempted to be carried into effect, and trusted the House would vindicate its own honour, by re s tating such underhand manoeuvres, which would out; be fol lowed by more shameful proceedings. Lord . C.slll.EleAGit was satisfied that no dimi nution in exertion had taken place in the practice and operation of the system of die Right Honour able Gentleman &inns: the last year, mmotwithstand. hag that it did not produce the effeets so mach boasted of. He had argued, that the present sys tem is impotent and useless, and that at has been productive of much injury. The Nohle Lord then recapitnlated time variety of arguments with which he supported ti:e propriety of leaving to time option of the soldier whether lie should prefer limited or unlimited service. Mr. WINDHAM explained, and trusted that upon a question of such intitute importance to the coun try, the House would look for some stronger grounds for their decision than the hasty. assertions of the Noble Lord. Lord Geoaoe CAVENDISR thought that Pattie : • mint should not give its 'section to a measure %Mob would owl to chew its indecision and hie. solution, Sir RALPH gILBANIII supported the clause. A division then took place. when there appeared for the nootiouof Mr. Ca[craft, Ayes Noes : Ma The Bill wa s the n read a third time, and ordered to be sent to the Lords. Adjourned at HA I. F PAST TITLI.YE O'CLOCK* FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. GOTTENISURtifi STOCIMOLM, MALCH 3. Intelligence was received, on the 4gth of Fe. bruary, by the telegraph, at Grislehama, that the Russian troops Wive entered Finland, near Als. homfor, awl advanced as far as Louisa. This in telligence was the more unexpected for His Ma jesty, as the Russian Minister continues still in this city, and His Majesty's Ambassador, Baron Stediugk, remained, as late as the ;4th of 7e bruary. us Petandougite--65ftelskohor --Oetwarte, 3./ WELS?MOPOII, /U. A. Intelligence having been received that a cowl. derable number of Russian troops were assembled in Riissian Finland, and on the frontiers, Lieut.. General Kloreker, who, during the absenee of his Excellency the General-in-Chief, Count Kling*. pont, commands His Majesty's troops iv that quar ter, put the whole army in Finland in !notion, and ordered it to rendezvous in different places. The garrisons of the fortresses have been considerably reinforced ; all strong places have been supplied with provisions and warlike stores; and, in general. the most vigorous measures adopted to pet the country in a respectable state at defence. Meg of the inhabitants have also oared to take pp arms, in case that their *nista** sheeld• be ee• .quired. Relying on the justice af oar ateseOte exrct, with confidence, a soccesdel none of the conflict in'whic6 we are to be engaged.--(Ssockfiehis Giaelte, March 1:4110, res. After the Prince floral or Pl-ince of Astatine 1114i:web set at liberty, p Committee of Eatieiry was appointed with regard to the authors of tha-, lute conspiracy against His Majesty's life. risk Commissieners have nog piabliabedtheie raped. -- according to which the Doke of lasses& see woe athirst Soldisaci. have jawlmajob l orLit winazeirfois certif.; itasaber of 'coral ands Bi.bop has been ordered to withdraw to a Couousit auigned to hiin.-o(HosolnirgA Correspoodeates, of Feb. td.) *Jinx', res. I. . WE understand, that Ks Majesty intends few daysfi Pin the army in Calabria, in ord lie presesitat the siege of the Castle of Scylla* • __ • .TIZININA. TM 17. From 40 to 30,0€0 Austrian troops are to form * neat spring, an Army of Observation on the Turk ish frontier*. The Turks are reinforcing the garrisons of Churgewu and Ismail, and form a cordon of troops on the southern banks of the Danube.—(l IL) EASES OF THE HAIN, FEE. 19. It is generally reported here, that the Archduke Charles intends, if his health permits, to undertake, next spring, a journey to Paris, attended by the Archduke Joseph. Letters fiom Italy mention that the kingdom of Etruria, the mamk of Ancona, and Civita Vecchio, are to be incorporated with the kingdom of Italy, —(lbid.) oorrawsuesa, PTS. The frost has set in so strongly here. dualist English ships of war the Vanguard, Name, Stately, and Qoptvc, are all fast in the ice in t►eme Roads ; and so is a large con►oy of merchant easels bound for Englaad : the packets are the Nay see. sell that have kept in open water. ns. gSb The greater part of the coatty that hare bee► so long detained by contrary winds, and afterwards by the frost, got to sea this morning, owing 10 a sudden breaking up of the ice; the Yeagroni. of 74 guns, sailed with them, and will accompany them to a certain latitude, when she will return and cruise off this coast. The Assiut, Stately, awl Quebec, are still in the ice. Private letters from Stockholm, received by the l:►st post, mention the spiritertrepreseutation made by tho King to the Russian Minister there. He tells hires—that a►ishing to remiin at peace, he shall not attack any power ; and, moreover, will take upon himself to be guarantee fur the tranquillity of the Baltic; but that if lie is attacked, he shall defend himself, and if the Russian troops eater Swedish Finhiud, he ►sill w.t only tin ctin►junctioa n.th his ally) attack Norwily, but will Wockade all the ports in the Baltic. MARC?, (2. A Swedish Cr,uri , fr passed thrcugli fkineur on Saturday last, fmul Kid, oh his wt . r to the Kieg of Sweden, et Grip.hu!m, with ilite:turence that the Freuch Lad entered lio!stein, sad wets expected