The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1803-05-31 00:00:00

- - -.OW' • ;•r - I - 1- F 7 iiz I: Ikl t\ THEATRE-ROYAL, EATALI:ZZET. Tills EVFNING will he pt•••sentr.d.io Three Ads, THE VOICE OF NATURE. Alphonso, Mr. Archer; Rinaldo, Mr. 1. Palmer; Gareb, Ssnith ; Child, Master Byrne ; Ricardo, Mr. Chapman. Clorinds, Miss Sead g ell ; Alzira, Mrs Cleland; Lilla, Mrs. Rend.lta, Mrs. ; Isabel, Mrs. T. WoodfaU. After which a New Comic Piece e-1 1 .1•Al Mits. WIC;GIN S. To which will he addled, OBI; Or, THREE-FINGERED JACK. I\l-morrow, The Simi:W.l niCalaiss, with Msa. Wiggins. ME _BRITISH PRESS. LON DON, TUESDAY, MAY 31. We yesterday stated the extraordinary resolution taken by the FIRST CONSUL for detaining all the English in France as prisoners of war. The follow. ing is said to be the substance of the C:nsular &cm: issued for that purpose. " Every Biit'sthsulalea (of an age not under eighteeh, nor exceeding sixty) who is at present to France, slial! Imme diately be constituted Prisoner of War, to an for such Ci tizens of the RepubLe as shall have bren awl made Prisoners by the Vessel or Satijcas of his Britaatiic Mujooty, riot to a Decliirittlon of Wat." We cannot. voneh for the precise terms of the de cree, but there can be no doubt as to its objea.— It is also said that all British property in France is ordered to be confiscated without e..'en the exception of the effeas and furniture of Lord Wm r w o rrn. Our ship letters, now become one of the most inter csLing articles, strongly corroborate this report. — The Ataland packet, Captain H ASIMoND, which sailed a few days ago under a/gig of truce from Do ver to Calais, returned on Saturday with dispatches from Mr. TALnoi, who is detained prisoner at Ca- Id:, in contempt of the sacred character with which he was clothed as Secretary to the English Am bassador. Of the same policy which has been ex tended to Holland, Mr. W osr arr, the messenger, who arrived from the Hague on Monday with dis patches, brings the follov-ing details. He states that Sir ROURRT LIST UN, our Envoy, has been made a prisoner of war, and put into confinement in the Grille Prison. Mr. WAGST A FF and Mr. EAST set off from the Hague together for England; but having reason to suspect that their sailing from Helvoetsluys might be objeCted to, they agreed that Mr. EAST should go before, and leave Mr. WA:ISTM behind with the dispatches; and should the latter find that the for mer had been detained, he might adopt the best method he could for leaving the country. 'When Mr. EAST readied Helvoetsluys, he found that the two English packets, which had been waiting there for some timc,had been detained,and the Captains and the crews made prisoners. As soon as it was known that he was an English messenger, he was also sent to the grille prison. Mr. We G.F.r rr, who was apprised of what had passed, made the best of his way to Schev e- Rag. wli ere he procured an open boat, and ai rived safe with his dispatches in England. Capt. Diets:e of the King's packet, and several other English, were also taken into custody. The cause assigned for this ferocious measure is the commencement of hostilities by England, without any formal declaration of war. This, however, is a vain pretext that will not bear examination. We have been unfortunately too often at war with France to afford her an excuse for not remembering 'tlie form in which we commence it. We commented it, in the present instance, in the usual form, by a Proclamation for issuing Letters of Mark and Reprisal against the Vessels, Property, and Subjeds of the French Republic. This was language, one would suppose, too decisive to be mistaken by the FIRST CoNsut of France, who so far from insisting upon any technical terms, in which alone it might be conveyed, had recently maintained, that he should consider the refusal of the English Government to surrender Malta, as a "Declaration of War." Were this cruel and inhospitable proceeding calculated to answer any beneficial purpose,the end would be some justification of the means. In every part of the world, however, it must operate to the disadvantage of the Ft its r Coast; t., both in relation to his charatier and his views. In England it must excite terror and dis gust. In every civilized state of Europe it will be comidered a proof of a narrow and little mind. Unable, therefore, to account for it upon any princi ple of rational policy, some persons ascribe it to in sanity. 'I his, however, is rot the fa& The corres pondence lately laid before Parliament shows, that the Fi est . Comet is subjen to furious bursts op passion, but we do not believe they have yet settled into systematic madness. But the ferociousness of the measure is not its worst quality. It has been marked by the most unprincipled fraud and deceit. It was natural that the English, who had resorted to France for health, pl i casure, or for the sake of eco nomy, should, upon the first announcement of the differences between this country and France, take the alarm, and prepare to return home. We stetted sonic weeks back, that no pains were spared on the part of the French Government, to divert them from their purpose. The English families settled at Boulogne, and all the other towns upon the omit, were assured, that they had nothing to fear ; that even in the event of war, they had only ~~,~. tc, cot dua tlleulselves peaceably., and their persons: and propatr should be proteeted. These hopes were held out to the last moment. Even after the de. parture of Lord %I'm z ks OR TH, MoTAL LEY RA ND pctt. sonally assured Lord Y Alt x our tt, and several English of distinCtion, now prisoners in France, that there was not the slightest ground for apprehension. The conduCt of the FIRST CONSUL is, therefore, not only ferocious and vindietive, but treacherous and base. _ - h unites the qualities of the Tiger and the Fox, and must render him an objea of detestation to the civi lized world. _Yesterday we received New York Papers to the Ist instant, but they contain little intelligence of any importance. Letters from Port Republicain, re ceived at Philadelphia on the ¶sth last, represent the political condition of that place as considerably ameliorated. The arrival of 4,000 troops, and the establishment of General ROCHAMBEACS head quarters there, together with the receipt of a large sum of specie, had greatly relieved the depression which was daily increasing. It was however ap prehended, that unless additional reinfl.rcements speedily arrived, the whole of the present crop of Coffee would be lost in the plantation, in conse quence of the want of hands. Late on Sunday night Meson and Dots ALMON, the Messengers, were sent with dispatches to his MAlrsry at Windsor. Yesterday morning., soon after breakfast, his MA.. JE,T R., attended by Generals GAR 111 and HA it couar, and Major I)Lsaaow•, took an airing on horseback through Eton and beyond Salt Hill, where his Majesty mu the third division of the Stafford shire Militia, commanded by Col. SNEYD, on their march from High Wycombe to Windsor. The di vision halted and saluted his MAJESTY, they then continued their march to Windsor, headed by his MAJESTY, with their excellent band playing. There were upwards of 1100 of the men. His NIA.) LST v afterwards rode in the Great Park. The Royal family are expe4ted in town this day. A rumour is in circulation, that the present. Mi nisters are to be joined by Earl MOIR A and Mr. TIERNEY. Not fewer than 100 English are confined at Calais, hv order of the Film . Cosst:L. In the ilurnber are Sir JAmcs CRAWFORD and Mr. Coam, R N. Yesterday morning, at five o'clock, the first batta lion of the second regiment of Guards, marched from St. James's Park to Woolwich and Deptford. General Sir DAVID Durmas arrived on Sunday at Chatham, where he inspe&ed some of the regi ments of Militia, which are going to f.rm a camp in Last Kent. Lord GARNER has shifted his flag to the Prince of Wales, of 9.1 guns, Captain Cir ra an. The Grainpu; cf 50 guns, Captain CAULFIELD, is arrived at Jersey. Rear Admiral Sir JA MES SAUMAREZ hoists his flag on board her, as Commander in Chief of the ships on that station, and Captain H. DOWN re A N is appointed his Captain, vire CAULFIELD. The Snipe gun-brig is ordered to be paid off at Sheerness, and to be commissioned by her former Commander. The Buckingham, of 64 guns, is ordered to be got ready a for prison ship immciiatcly. The Captain of the AueZhinei packet, which re turned on Saturday afternoon from Calais, brought over dispatches from Mr. TALBOT, informing his Majesty's Ministers of his detention. The Consular decree is said to have been issued on account of our having made captures at se:t,with out a previous declaration of war. But this is not a new conduit on our part. A considerable number of troops have been re cently marched into Calais, or quartered along the adjacent coast. The report was generally accredited at Calais, that the chief command of all tie! forces in that part of the Republic had been given to Ge neral Iklasste A, whose arrival from Paris was daily expcded. A Letter from Pert Royal, dated March the 16th, states, that Admiral DUCKWORT kt's fleet was lying there, and all very healthy. Mr. MuaitA v, Mid shipman of the Leviathan, is appointed Lieutenant of the Stork. The Bellerophon is just arrived from a cruize, and will sail again in a few days, as she is re markably healthy. The Juno, with General Sir Tiros' as Tnioce, arrived several days before the Amazon sailed from Gibraltar, at which place were the Maid tone, Viao rieuie, and Bit:, re. Admiral DE WINTER had been at Lisbon a few days before the Amazon arrived, and went up the Mediterranean with four sail of the line. A promotion of Admirals is shortly erpeded, in cluding Captain STIRLING, in consequence of which the three Colonels of Marines become vacant, which, we understand, are to be tilled by Captain Louis, Sir RICHARD STRACIIAN, and Sir S. SMITH. From the moment in which the Treaty of Amiens was signed, there was not a single feature in the condua of the French Government, which indicat-, ed a disposition to preserve the peace. No overture was made for a Commercial Treaty. On the con trary, every impediment was assiduously opposed to the "fair and honourable efforts of the British traders. Their ships were seized, and their property was con fiscated in a time of profound peace, and that under the operation of laws enafted during war, avow. efly of a temporary nature, and of which the sigma-• tnrc of peace should have been the sentence ot re peal. ' Let no man say, that the reign of terror is at an end in France, or that BONAPARTE does not deserve the charaler given him by Mr. PITT, who called him the " Child and Champion of Jaeobinism." Even ROBESPIERRE respeited the law of nations so far as not to detain and imprison Ambassadors. Mr. TA L Rol's person ought to have been sacred; but what shall we say of the arrest' and imprisonment of Mr. Uncle, by a Government, whose Ambassa dor is still in this country ? With resped to the de tention of all other British subjeds in Holland and France, it is a measure which, we should think, could only have been permitted by a people reduced to the lowest slavery, and commanded by a despot, who had lost his senses. We hote, however, and indeed we are sure, that Great Britain will not imi tate the condud adopted by the French Govern ment, and forced upon the Dutell 1l oTi AT On the 211th inst. Mr. James Thompson,uurgison on the Staff, with his ;family, lattded at Plymouth from a pilot boat, which took them on board off the Start, out of the French cortette Naturaliste, of 14 guns, Captain Hamlin, from New Holland : she left Port Jackson the icult November. 1802, arrived at the Isle of France the 3d February, 1803, and sailed again the 10th following: About a week previous to her sailing from Port Jackson, the Buffalo, of 12 'inns, Lieutenant Kent, arrived there from England, and the crew all perfealy healthy. The Investiga tor, of 14 guns, Capt. M. Flinders, was also on her voyage, circumnavigating the island, and *as ex petted back this month ; her crew were also in per lea health. The colony appears to be in a most flourishing state, and at this time grows much more corn than is necessary for the consumption of the settlers, and but for the distance that they are from any market, they would annually export a consider dole quantity. 'I tree French ships had arrived there, the crews of which were very much afflieted with the scurvy. There appears a probability that the Great Nation are about to claim an exclusive right to this very distant country, and to disturb the peace of this newly-established colony ; it is likely that more will be known on this subject at no distant pe ro.l Mr. Thompson is charged with dispatches for Government; and soon after he sailed, a packet boat was sent after him, with other letters of a pub lic nature. The noted Barrington is not dead, as was reported some time since, but he is in a state of lunacy, and net expeacd to live long. The Na• tt:raliste, on her way up channel, was not spoke by one British cruizer. She is bound to Havre de G race. The Captain was informed of the war, but said he Was proteded from molestation till he reached his destined port. A Parliamentary Club has been recently formed under the patmnage of. his Royal Highness the Prince of WA LES. It is to consist principally of Irish Members of either House of Parliament, with out any distinlion of politics or party. The Candi dates are admitted by ballot, and one black ball ex cludes. His Royal Highness the Prince of WA I. ES has the nomination of six members, out of his friends, who hare no scat in either House of Parlia ment ; with this exception, all the members are Irish Lords or Commoners. There was a meeting on Sunday se'nnight, on which day the Club was formed, and dined together, the Duke of I.Ei STER in the Chair. flie PRINCE was of the party until near twelve o'clock, when he retired much pleased with his new society. The Club will dine together again on Sunday, the sth of June, when, we un derstand, the Chair will be taken by the Right Hon. W. B. Possosny. Had the Duke of Bear enronD and Lady Gconct SA GORDON remained in France, they would have been sent into re:;,tirky. By their determination, however, to enter the Temple of Hymen, it is with them “ out of the frying-pan into the fire." Yesterday the arrival of the ship Canton, from China, was announced at the East India House.— She left St. Helena the sth of April.--!- - The City of London, outward-bound, arrived there on the 3d of that month ; and the Marquis of Ely, from China, sailed from St. Helena on the 4th ; as did the Rd- Jey, whaler, the 25th of March. Government have purclia , ;el the Isle of Lundy from Sir Wm. HUNT, for a Military Depot, and to keep the French prisoners la. The Countess of MOVNTNORR ts's Masked Ball did not pass over so peaceally as has been represented. A masked battery was opened at supper upon M. P. Aso itcws, who was challenged by Sbrelegh and Darby, to give a similar-entertainment upon the strength of the rise of gunpowder. It did not however come to an explosion, as Mr. ANDRE‘t S fought sky. Dispatches were yesterday sent oft from the Secre tary of State's Office to Vienna. Mails arrived yesterday from Hamburgh and Holland. A Letter from Vienna, dated the Bth in stant, brought by the latter, informs us, that the Arabian Chief, A anut WECHAB, has made himself mater of the city of Mecca. Soon after the Doris frigate lost her prize, the French brig Pordain, four Frenchmen, who were concealed, joined the others that were left on board, and rose on the English sailors ; they discharged two pistols, and wounded two of the seaman ; but the Bri tish tars were not to be easily frightened out' a of their prize, and, though inferior in numbers, they soon beat the Frenchmen into a sense of their inferiority. It would seem, from the following Extra& of a Letter, written by an officer on board the Naiad frigate, and dated the 24th inst. off Ushant, that the reports in circulation, respeCting the capture of the Hazard sloop of war, by the enemy, are not entitled to credit : 41 We have taken four prizes. The Hazard sloop of war has been in company with us all the tirne.— We fell in with Lord NE: SON yesterday. His flag was then on board the Pillory. During the time we were in with him, he shifted his flag on board the Anphisa, and it is supposed he has gone to the Mediterranean. Two Dutch East Indiamen have been detained by a couple of our frigates. 'I here were four of them together. We expect to fall in with the other two." The rumours which have been spread relative to the los,; of the Pitioory, we arc happy to state, are altogether unibunded. On Friday se'nnight, an inquest was taken at Thorpe, on the body of J. Farrow, who with there others were driven on shore there in great digress. The deceased expired of hunger soon after he landed, but the others are likely to recover. It appeared that they were seamen belonging to the Pearl, which about a fortnight ago sprung a leak as she was going from North Shields to Copen hagen. It was so evident that the vessel would founder, that the deceased, and rest of the crew, fourteen in number, left the pumps, and threw over the boat, by which a hole was stove in her side. They, however, all got in, and about ten minutes afterithey saw the vessel sink. They were now left to the mercy of the waves,. without oars, sails, or provisi ons ; and although they had stuffed the hole with their jackets, the boat filled so fast, that they were engaged night awl day in clearing it with their hata. Oo the third diy ten of the men died of famine and fatigue ; and those that survived were so ravenous, that they subsisted on parts of their dead comrade!. The unfortunate survivors had been five days in this dreadful situation, whets the boa tdrifted ashore. URIC/IV.II. r. • ON VESTA, IN MAUL!. E r ; In nun thy chisel has its art essay* TIIE ARTS. .3. 3% To shape the angel-form of yon fair maid Thy skill was lost! in nothing they agree; • Ye<, yes, in one—insensibility Note —The thought is in Racire. ON FLORA's PORTRAIT IN COLOURS. FaIEND. Not this the face of Flora, I declare ! More bright her rose, her Idly too more fah... Such ni:ttcliless colours, who .---- PAINIFII. N my, pri'liee Due eaucrs arc the mutnc, the same our shop! Note. '!'his WAS actually,:.:.! by I? t.mbrandtlo a Lady, who complained of his colours not being etim:al tu her complexion. ON CHLOE, IN W IX. Oh ! well than art depicted here ! Thy splendid bosom's magic charm, Thy neck, and nature too appear -lit thou, like it, wilt melt—w twit warm. t •. ON KATE, IN BRONZE. • : A copy this you say ? If so, 'tis odd— But, no! you joke—'tis Kate% own face, by G--(1! Tempe, ilov 21. OLD NICK. To the EDITOR of the BRITISH PRESS. 110MER.—FUX. S I R, Mr. Fox having merely given a free translation of the passage he quoted from Homer, i n th e splen did•. speech lie • delivered in the House on Tuesday night, the 2l.th inst. it may, perhaps, not be disa greeable to your readers to have the original brought before them, accompanied by a more correa ver— sion. After much contumelious and reproachful language between Agamemnon and Achilles (in whose places the Orator puts France and England) the latter " half unsheaths his . glittering blade," when Minerva descends and gives him this more safe than polite counsel AXX' ovyt, Eel/Or, ES P ; iA so ZE,e, - AW /ITO& 17110110 (A&V out ;STOP, WS ETETZI irtp. Port. B. i. v. 210. Thcfrrec of keen reproaches let him ji•ei, But dreoth, obedient, thy revenging steel. ; COWPER. Restrain thy wrath. Draw not thy faolcli ion forth. Retort, Llid sbarply • and let that suffice. OLD NICK. FASHION. The Duchess of BOLTON gave, on Saturday even ing, a grand Music Party, at her house in Grosvenor. square, to about three hundred persons of distinCtion. Among the company were _ His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Duke of Rutland. Marquis of Winchester. FarisSuffelk, Derby „ and Carlisle. . . . 'Viscounts—Stanley, Wentworth, Falmouth, Cranley, Rane -I,c,r!i, Courtenay, Loftus, and Hitachingbrrike. " I.lrds—Printrose, Bayning, A. ,Someriett, Foley, Loftus, W. St wart, Dursley, Ossulstotr, Aughriin, Huntingfiald, Marsharus, and I . l.mpletown. Sirs—R. Millmaikc W. Keit, and J. Shelly. C;ctierai*—St.Jolut, and Thornton. Colonel Drummond. captains—Wow:turd, Page, Cockburn,_ Sutherland, and Cotton. 111cssrs.—D. Smith, Johnson, Monson., Primmse, Harvey, E. Walpole, Lawis, Moore, S. Stanitope, Foljarnbe, Coventry, Herbert, Pelhams, 0. Hunter, Kitinaird, Lowther, Vaned:, Cuthbert, Colinore, Skeffington, and Manners. Duchessas--Beaufort,R utiand, and Dowager Ruthnd. Marehionesses—aath, Salisbury, and Winchester. Countesses--Carlisle, Carhamptun, Suffolk, Clatibinsid„ Roseberry, L-Atrim, Liverpool, Tankerville, Dowager Essex, Retires, D.r.rby, Dowager Sefton, Keninare, Carnarvon, Gallo way, Cork, and 11 , 1exlroroitgli Viscountesses—Wentworth, Gosford, and Stanley. ladies- .M. Coke, Tancred, I)owager De Clifford, ITunliskr-, (.Aston, Douglas, J. Howard, Andover, C. Johnson, S. Lum ley, Ludlow, Mariners C. Howard, Mayo, De Clifford, T. Henke, is enke, Laiess, two Thyttnes, Haggcrston, Monson, Lang ford, M. Primrose, Clements, A. Harvey, C. Jeakinson, Cal therpc, A. Bennett, M. Foljambe, Dcerhurst, Somersctt, H. Leslie, Bayning, S. Vvner, Ashburnham, Mu tier , Stewell. Aughrirn, li. Lowther, Middleton, G. Cecil, and L. Mau ners. Mistresses—Cusans,Moraat, Darner, W. Gosling, D. Smith, Walpole, Fitzherbert, Law, Hertford, Sydney, Cala, at, How ard, 0. Hunter, and Cuthbert. Misses—Cusanc, Malinke, Lawley, Morison, Townahend, Calthorpe, Law, Taylor, Coventryi, l'elhams L. Gower, Far (lnter, Manners, and Courtney. The Rot AL CIRCUS was 'last night crowded at an early hour to witness the first representation of Number Nip ; and never was an audience more am ply repaid for their attendance. It abounds with every variety of Amusermnt, and is blended with a story of considerable interest. The Scenery is ad mirably painted, the Music of the most pleasing kind, and the Dresses of the first description. Its second representation was given out for this Even ing, amidst a thunder of applause. Capt.BritsAan,onlysonuftheßishopofLtmEßlCX, arrived in town last night from the Cape of Good Hope, where he had been for sometime past Pri vate Secretary to the Governor of. that place. . The Countess of ANTRIM'S Rout last night w:t': honoured by the presence of a large portion (.1 rank and fashion. Green and silver will be the prevailing dress or the Knights of the Bath's Ball, to-morrow night a . . Ranelagh. The Duchess of Bo trot; gave an elegant dinner on Sunday evening, at her house in Grosvenor square. The remains of Lady Haavev, sister-in-law to Lord HAWKESDURY, who died some time ago in Italy, were brought to town and buried yesterday in St. Martin's church. The Ladies TOWNSHEND'S and Miss ELLERKERC Balli l last night in Upper Brook -street, was very The Earl of DARNLEY gave a grand dinner on WALES, Earl of RODEN, Earl of MANSFIELD, Mr . Sunday last to his Royal Highness the Prince of The Countess of DARNLEY and a r lar VANsiTTART, MI. CANNING, and Dr. B E AKS, gepatty atloii: friends house d s i n dined ki on eY S s u ci n u d arc ay . last with the Hon - Trioat A; &Rol, at his house in Berkley -square. ... ~.,~