The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-03-13 00:00:00

7'•''" --- - Sir J. Newport brought ep the Dublin Pavement Bill. After some observations from Mr. SHAW and the SPEAKER, the second reading was deferred to Monday three weeks. Mr. Hobhouse brought up the Report of the Royal Marine Mutiny Bill ; which was metered to be read a third time tromorrow. The Report of the Cnmmittee of Supply was brought up, and the various Resolutions were screed to. !'he Irish Hearth Tax Bill, the Irish Unmanu faßured Tobacco Bill, and the Loan Bill, were seve rally read a third time and agteed to. Mr. Vansittart presented an account of the estimate of the sum awarded by Dr. Swahey, kc. in consequence of the loss of the ship Dunkirk, which was ordered to be laid on the Table. The House went into a Committee on the Sugar Drawback 13i11 ; when Mr. VANSIT FART moved, "That it he an instenaion to the Committee, to make provision, in the said Bill, for suspendieg the countervailing duties on refined sugar, exported from Ireland to Great Britain, and for allowing other bounties and drawbacks in lieu thereof." The House being resumed, the Report, with the Amendments, was brought u,), and ordered to be received to-morrew. The Pad lington Canal Bill, and the Coffee and Cocoa Wareh )(Ise Bonding Bill, were committed. On the Motion of Mr. VANSIT RT, Ae eatints were ordered to be laid before the House, of the Number of Licensed Stills, in England and 3.:orland, and of all scuts of Worts and Wash, brewed for Exportation, from the Ist (Maher. gOO, to Ist March, 1807, and the quantity of dis tiiied Spirits exported from Scotland to England, for the same periods. Mr.WHITBREAD moved," That the Order for the Attendance of Witnesces, on Mr. PanlPs Petition, which stood for Toesday next, be discharged;' which being done, he diets moved, "That the said Order stand for Wednesday next." Agreed to. Sir THOMAS TURTON proposed to postpone his motion for papers revelling she Cam natic, until Tuesday sennight. Mr 'PIERNEY complained of this delay. After some conversation, the day was fixed for Munday sennight. Mr. lIIBBk.R.T said, he rose for the purpose of making a motion, founded on the Petition which had been presented front the Planters, Annuitants, and Mortgagees of the West India Colonies, pray ing for refits ; bet, first of all, he wished to make same observations relative to the value and import. fusee of the West India Trade. Mr. Hibber t then • went at considerable length into the native of the Colonial Trade, its exports and imports, and quoted the opinions of Sir dosOua Child and Mr. Adam Smith. Atter enlarging on thcie topics. Nlr. Hits. bert moved, "That the 1 titi.n of the West India Planters, &c be reterrtd to a Meet Committee, to examine tine matter thereof, and to report, t-other with such opinion: and observations as shall appear ke them, from time to time." Mr. JACOB said, he did not rise for the pur pose of opposing the mco ion , but to repel the insi. nuition of the Hon Geetleman, that both former and present Ministers had looked upon the Colonies with cold indifference. Mr. ROSE did nut agree with the Hon. Gentle. man in opir.i-n. Earl TEMPLE defended the measure of the American letercourse Bill. Sir T. TUR lON also denied that there was any want of attention to the interests of the West India Colonies. He instanced the quantity of rum used in the Navy. &e. Mr. ‘VILBERFORCE was glad that this Peti tion had barn brough t forward. previous to the pas sing of the Slave Trade Abolition Rill, and trusted due attentirp, would be pail to the interests of all parties. The Motion was then put and carried. r, \ I • MUTINY BILL Mr. Hobbouse brought up the report on the Mu tiny Bill. Oa the motion that the 8.11, with the amen]. ments, be read a second time, a conversation en sued between the Secretary at War, Mr. Rns-, Col. Bastard, Col. Wood, Mr. Yorke, Mr. Windham, Mr. Canning, and Sir .1. Doyle, on pirticular amendments, all which were agreed to ; after which the SPEAKER inquired whether any rentletnait had any additional amendments to propose ? upon which Lord CASTLEREAGH took occasion, as for- ms►ly, to enter, at considerable I. ngth, into an in ve,tigation oi; the Ri-ht I Gentleman's (Mr. Windham s) ttiluary System. k ;Aid, it was not at all calculated to elleia its osen purpose, and proved no indueernent • fur men to enlist into the Army. It had tended to, place the country in an ila,: , !(,tiAte state of defence, and was like ly to create much future injury. It exposed Cie country to a very great degree of hazard and peril, at the time when soldiers would be entitled to their discharge. He was sorry to observe, that since the military force of the country had come under the management of the Right Honourable Gentleman, it had in every mat of view been in a great degree deteriorated. He attached great blame to Ministers (considering their conduit when in opposition) that they had not tl.m.ght proper to send portion of their dispos able force to assist the Powers upon the Continent. Nothing bad as yet been done to assist our allies in defeating the enemy upo:t the Vistula. The last Ministers were severely blamed fur not assisting the Continental Powers, althot.gh they bad at the very time upon the Continent a force of no let than 4.5,0:;0 men. Indeed, it was impossible to say that Ministeri had done apy one thing, except the grand's( of the enormous sum of 110,0001. as a subsidy to the King of Prussia. The country was not, however, placed in a state of greater defence than formerly. as a great portion of our force, he believed from 14 to 15,00 D men, was s-nt open f• reign service. This must tend mate rially to weaken our home defence. As far as that defence depcniled'upon Whinteers, it was im possibt- not to feel that that great source of public strength, which the Right Hon. Gentleman had found in a state of vigour, efficiency, and arrange- Mein. had lost all its former spirit and energy, since it had fallen into his hands. No measures had been taken to render it an auxiliary to ttie other species of foice. He had no dnuln but that the .ott;ury would feel great consolatice, could they he con vinced, that the troops sletacl.ed upon foreign wivite, had been sent upon any prudent or be neficial scheme, so as to render corresponding advantage: to the country, by weakeaidr, true enemy elsewhere; but it appeared to him that their arrangements in that particular were equally ohjeaionable. Maul) , thousands of the flower of the British army, instead of being placed within reach, were locked up in the Wand of Sicily, at a triorn-ot when it did not require much sagacity to conceive, that no advantage could he thereby rendered to the country in that quarter. Upon these grounds, he should conclude by proposing an amendment to t!.e clause relative to the oaths to he taken by re.:ruits when enlisting ; that clause was No. t;;;, upon folio 51, and the amendment lie proposed was, "'That the following words should be inserted ; • Provided always, that if any such recruit shall declare before a Justice of Peace, nr Chief Nlagi,trate, his inten tion to enlist, without limitation of time, on receiving such additional bounty as His Majesty shall direa for such extended service, that it phall be lawful to administer the o.ith prescribed in schedule No. 1. as annexed to said Bill!" Mr. Secretary WINDHAM said, he felt some satisfaction in hearing, that, even according to the Wile Lord's own statement, the question was not one depending between a total failure and suc cess ; he having owned that the measure had &dually succeeded in a certain degree. 'f .e Noble Lord had, however, employed a great many words in endeavouring to prove that that success had been prodeced otherwise than by the merits of the system itself, although he had stated no justifiable argn. ments for such a suppositi in. The country was, at present, in a state of greater security than when the Noble lord and his Colleagas left it to the ma nagement of others ; while, at the same time, there was not such immediate danger threatening the country. He ( Lord C.) blamed Ministers in re gard to their general mode of cordon:lig :he war, and had impresses! his ()pinion, that they ought, some how or other, to employ die regii4r force of the country, in co-oper.iring with the Continental Powers ; althnugh lie had not stated in what place, or in what kind of operations, they could possibly have be. n efedually en gaged. Was it not much better to wait, till •some favourable opportunity offered, than to Mate the country in a defenceless state, without any prospect of advantage either to our allies or ourselves ? A great many contradidory charges had been brought against Ministers, without their having the pos-ibility of answering them If any thing was to be done, it surely was most prudent to have some parizalar °V i ed in view. Activity in war was at alt times useful, hot that usetul ness must be guided by existing circumstances.-- The Nnule Los d's ideas upon this suhjed, seemed to coireode with those of a certain French author, who said, " it is better to be doing notAst c r, than to do moth:mgr." Gentlemen might, with the same pro priety, sae, oWe do not recoiled of having made a law, why then let us make one; we have made no expedition, come let us make one." He did not think that it could he shown, that Govermairent had as yet had great estcoaragement for cosminental operations or expeditions, from the experience they had had of the former miss, fitted out by the last Administration. They did, indeed, contrive to drown a great many men in eie Dutch Channel. He thought it tar preferable to stand still, and pre serve our army in the country unbroken, to assist our allies upon ;winder occasions. Here the Right Hon. Gentleman entered into various calculations, to show the superiority of the present system of re cruiting, over the former one. Mr. ROSE replied to the arguments produced by the Right lion. Secretary, at ccasiderable length ; and concluded with expressing a wish, that the House would agree to the amendment of his Noble Friend. Col. SHIPLEY, and Major PARRY. spoke in favour of the Right Hon. Secretary's system, and againat the amendment. Sir J. PULTENLY spoke in favour of the amendment. Sir JOHN DOYLE ro4e, in the midst of a con. fused cry of Hear/ beer! and essaseins/ quostion. " Was I not warned, Mr. Speaker, by the lateness of the hour, I could not be so stupid as to overlook the hint I have received. ( bogie.) But ray incli nations to address the House are materially dimi nished, in consequence of the cleat and distina sentiments which have fallen from the two Ho nourable Officers, who spoke from this side.-- The Noble Lord has founded his proposed amendment, on what formerly constituted one of his leading objeftions to the system of the Right Honourable Secretary. Formerly it was an itnportant charge against the efficiency of this theoretic, visionary, and Quixotic plan, as it wan desioaated, alas it mined -issintwilses of eer vice, in their nature different, that it confound ed the number of men raised for limited service with those who were enlisted for life. Yet the Huse is now called upon by the noble Lord, to en. graft upon the system which it has approved, an amendment directly hostile to the pnnciple and operation of that system. I should be ashamed. in the presence of the Right lion. Father of that system, to describe the various mischiefs which sere attributed to it, or even to mention the ridiculous epithets applied to it. But what does experience ray of its consequences? It proves in this opposition of theory to theory, that, on the part of the measure, it was the downy of human nature, whilst the theory of the Noble Lord and his friends was abundantly supplied from a fund of paradoxes ; paradoxical, Loth as applied to home and foreign service. But we are told of the torpor which has charaSerised it. In answer, I will state a plain positive fan, and no oratory ; namely, that it has twice succeeded in the regiment which I have the kea,eur to command, by nourish ing the battalion on foreign service, with an addi tion of 2.0 recruits ; and next, by an actual increase of that at home, to the amount of 200 men. The op ponents of the measure have said it was not necessary. We, on the contrary, contend, that there existed two prominent evils calling for remedy ; namely, a diebi nation of recruiting, and an increase of desertion; in other wards, that soldiers came in too slow, and walked off too fast; we, therefore. approved a sys. tem likely to !rime sego, and calculatettto coatinwe them. The Noble Lord airlift to forward the coritierse of that proprisition. To support this opinion, 1 have only to advert to the returdi place& upon your Table. By these 1 find. on a corn• prison of the number of men raised ander the vistein of the Right lion. Sec; t try, from the '27th ni lune, 1-cO6, to the 22d of January, 1807, with the cor:esp , •t.tling periods of the S preceding vars. that the an.ount, under the system of the Noble Lord, of rn ra anually taised for the time specified, in the thre.. years, was in the whole 11,643 ; deserted and irj2a:qllll, t leaving a balance of 9,221. Whilst the number raised frem the '27th of June 11106, to the "2:?.,1 of January, 1807, under the improved system of the Hight lion Secretary, was in the whole 3,23" ; deserted and rejefted GOO ; remaining in the si: /.00 4 . I his calculation, I must :epee, is exclusive of guards and headquarters. It there fore app , :ais that the number of men obtained since the aooption of the Bight Hon. Secretary's plan, exceeds the average of the three former periods, in the proportion bf above three to two. Bet if the Guards and head-quarter returns were to be comprehended within the calculation, the excess would be found in the ratio of 2to 1. With se. sped to the quality of the men raised, both physi cally and morally, the House would best judge by the desertions and ri jeflions. I Ipon a calculation of the returns, it would be found, that the deser tions under the termer plan were as I in 9. ender the present system, they are as lin 14 The amount of the rij, fled were in :he antecedent pe riods as lin 9. Whilst, under the present system, they are under lin 21. (The Hen. Member seas here teetrienturile iderrooted Ay some hod cow:king front the Uppostliee Beach.) I apprehend this interruption has not proceeded from any indisposition in the House, but from an indisposition to hear me f A load laugh!) Flowerer, I shall conclude my aritlunetical calculations, by recommending a plan which is progressively increasing. and which, on the present average, is competent to pro duce 26,000 men annually." With respell to the dangers arising from men taking advantage of their capitulation of bruited service, the Hon. General instanced the conduit of a gallant Highland regi ment, and of the brave army which went up the lidediterranem, under the command of the illustri ous Sir Ralph Aberaomby. In both those cases, the men had the option of their contra& li mited as they were, some as to time. and others in space andaime, and in both, the proud and generous feelings of a British soldier were eminently conspi cuous. No man who knows, said he, the great and gallant spirit which charafterizes our army, can, for a moment, listen to the lasinuatiesi, that in the hour of their country's danger and vicissitudes. they would take odvantage of any selfish capitulation, and desert their post. Such may be the sngges tams of a cold calculator, but it is not the feeling of a British soldier. Meer ' bear I did intend to have trespassed longer, Istn am now convinced could not leave off at a better time. Mr. PERCEVAL contended, that the eases al luded to, by the Hon. General, went direly to il litstrate the arguments of all those who supported the former system. In fall, men were ready enough eo extend their services, both as to time and place, unless restrifted by the advantageous simpli ficition of the Right Hon. Gentleman's system. With all the specious, but delusive promises of that system, there was nothing in it to compensate for the difficulties it entailed on the country ; whe ther arising out of the Colonial service, the demand of discharges in time of war, or the great increase of expense in the detail. The Hon. Gentle man entered into a comparisons of t:ie returns, under the former system, aided by the Parish Bill, with the amount, since the adoption of the new plant and contended, that there WAS an absolute loss. He ridiculed the idea cf the im provement in the quality of the men ; he was sur prised h3w men could be so amused or deceived. Human nature was to be radically changed, human aature was to grow up to the standard of the Bien Hie,. Gentleman, and it was probable that, by the iffea of its mag'c influence, he himself might gain the advantage of an inch or two (A larez4). With respea to the gallant Colonel or General (Craw turd), whose mime was introduced, be trusted, that to whatever part of the globe he was destined, he carried with him the countenance of Ministers. He hard that his labours may be crowned with success, and that he would not have to report his triumphs to ungrateful masters (A load era .f hoar ! hear !) that it he should be fortunate enough to score for his country as peat a con quest as the Cape of Good Hope, he will be at least entitled to the gratitude at this House, cr b..• allowed to wear his hard-earned laurels, without obloquy and reproach( Repeated crier of bear.' hcar! It was an awful pospett for the Country, it wa an awful 1-sson for the Naval and Military Gentle men of the House, to reil-a, that they were to earn their professional charaaer and tame, by their ser vices within these walls—( Loud and reiterated e, :es of A.m. it bear! Mr. WINDHAM rose to explain ; and was pro ceeding to reply to the latter vations of the Learned Gentleman who spoke last, wi.en he was called to order by Mr. SIURGLS BOURNE, as having spoken before. Mr. FAWKES —" Mr. Speaker ; Sir, I am ig norant to what part of the world the expedition of that distinguished and gallant Officer, whose name has been this night introduced into the discussion, is destined, but 1 do contend, that it he should be found to have neglated his duty, and disobeyed his orders, to have engaged in any other line of coadu& not comprehended within his directions, and dangerous in its consequences, if for such of fences he should he brought to Court Martial, and found guilty of all the charges, then 1 ant confident he will never receive the approbation of this House, or the support of His Majesty's present Ministers. Lora and re:orate' apphsases fee sane sainalts,frons the Minitterial Benches.) The question being then loudly called for, the House divided, when there appeared, for Lord Castlereagh's Amendment 60.—Agairr3 it I 7S. The Amendment was accordingly negatived, by a majority of 119. The second reading of the Catholic 11:11 was post poned until Tuesday next ; and the llouse adjourn &i, at Halt-past One set:lock. • Pt Rateml! OrsLLIGENCE. ~;-. F10)1 THE bigTeli. AND HAMBVic, • • PAPSIts. 1113.1.tT1N UP "lir. (Ault; ARM; .11811111 tYL AU, F(11. 14.. The enemy, has taken a position behind ter. Piegel. Our patroles are before Koningsberg, I ~-. the ttjnper or less thought proper to concentrate !i s army, in winter-quarters, in such manner, ttnt h may be in a (A edition to covet tae ;`,.z. Vistula. The number of cannon wl.ith have twos taken, since the battle of Bergtried, is about sir The twenty-four pieces which the enemy left beni:-.e. in the battle of Eylatt, are scut to Thor*. l'faz enemy have circulated the bulijnined report, W I & is entirely False. They attacked the town, bu t sr . ? , inunediattlychiven back. They acknowledge:lke it men killed and wounded, but their lass If 11014 greater. Their capture of nine eagles is no le.st • tban the account of their taking postession of town. The Grand Duke of Berg still has his ilea:- quarters at ‘Virtemberg, close upon the Prqe!. Gen, Hautpoult Iras di:d of his wounds; 141, i e s generally deplored ; but few erarri.irs hive term oared their career so glee ionsly. His division *feels— rassiers has distinguished itself in all the beniet. The Emperor has given orders for removing his holy to Paris. The General of Brigade, Bonardi Saint. Sulpice, who was wounded in the wrist, relestd go so the field horpital in the rear, to be ette,, t d, bat made a second charge on the enemy with Lis ea. valry. His Majesty is so well pleased with his eel du.% that he has appointed him a General of Mt sion. On the lett). Marshal Lefebvre advanced rt Marienwerder, where he found seven Prussia,. squadrons, he defeated them, and made prisoner* torte hundred men ; among whom are a Colcsil, a Major, and several other Officers : heels* roe,: eso .horses. Those who escaped, fled towarris Dantsic. [ Russian Report, mentioned in this is not given with it) SIXTIE•rit BULLET:N. PRCiSI AN 'VIM; tat. 17. The conqu.'!t 1.4 Silesia is prosecuted. The fir , tres% of Schweidni , z has surrendrred, and the capitte latian is annexed . [We do not tl.ink it necessary to insert itos ~ 2!t conditions are the came as those cn which lirei..sa and Brieg surrendered.] The Prussian Governor of Salvia *cs shut rp it Glass, after having been driven hi General Lefebvre out of the positions of Frankenstein and Natasha& In these Affairs, the Wurterttherg tve,pi hehare‘i re markably well. The Bavari.na re?tmerit et Toar and Tus:s, commanded by C:Ionel and t'V Cth regiment of 4AvAriAn Infantry of the Line, ander Colonel Baker, eminently distinguished themselves. The enemy loss about lOU killed, and 300 pi - Isom:ft. The siege of Cosel is concluded with v;kitir. Since the battle of Eylad, the enemy have re assembled behind the riegel. We hoped to have driven them from that position, had the river re mained frozen ; bat a thaw has commenca this river is a boundary, beyond which the French army has no interest to pursue them. About 3000 Russian prisoners, who were at We lenberg, have been set at liberty by a troop of Ces• sacs, consisting of 1000 men. The cold has entirely ceased ; the snow is err:l where melted, and the season exi,ibits a sii gulat phatnomenon of the mild weather of the la,t d”. of April, in the middle of the month of Felsrua7y. The army is entering into cantonments. SIXTY-FIRST BULLETIN• LANDSRIMG, rga. The battle of Eylau was at first cons,dcred at I vietary by several of the enemy's °dicers. Such, indeed, was the belief at Roiling:berg, during ;La le evening of the 9th; but the alarm was great. when the Russian head•gnarters and the army ar rived there. Scion after our cannon was heard, and the French were seen in the possession of a bright which flanked the whole of the Russian troops. The Russian General declared, that he woubl defend the town, which greatly increased the alart• of the inhabitants, who said, We shall share th• fate of Lubeck." It was fortunate, however, f ; this town, that it did not come within the plan •, the Trench Generals to drive the Russians 1:6i.: this position. The number of dead in the Russian army. ir. G , . nerals, and other Officers, is •ery remarkable. In consequence of the battle of Eylav, mere than 5000 wounded Russians, found on the field of battle, or in the neighbouring hospitals, have fallen into the hands of the victors. Part of them are since dead. The remainder, who were slightly wounded, have increased the number of prisoners. Fifteen hundred have been sent back to the Russian army. It is reek one,' that the Russians had 15,000 wounded, be 'ides these 5000 which ftil into the hands of tlr French. l'he army has resumed its coartert. The r int ter me' reg' bur poi Ot l.n a, I:, in TI