The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1804-10-06 00:00:00

LeTERICIL srrturroN 0? FR4NCE. At no former period of hostilities between Great Britain and France. was it so difficult as at present to be infirmed of the internal situation of the latter. During the whole American war, the communica- lion between this Country and the Continent was kaptopen by regular packets from Margate and Dover to Ostend and other ports on the Coast of Flailders, then a neutral country. Neutral and eve* British travellers visited France without im- peOment or vexation, when their condua was pru dent. They did not meet with even so trifling dii. Realties, nor were obliged to observe even those for malities to which foreigners are now subjected in England. During the hist revolutionary war, which was terminated by the Peace at Amiens, even in the time of Robespierre's and the Directors' reign of term, an easy communication with that country remained open for neutral travellers, either by way of Calais, Gravelioss, or Dunkirk, who, when awe their passes had been approved in the port where they landed, were not exposed to any insults mode tba toed in the intetior ; they were sometimes, bdaad• hi 4 under contribution, by some greedy retie* Congnissay, bbt not, as at present, stopped, h:lrraised, and detained by Reny erogenic, At Mtge where they changed horses, and often between the relays. The Liberty of the Press, another soiree of lamentation wjth regard to the situation of States. though often violated former revolu time* tyrants, was never for a long time entirely sonadlated. nor its Avery and annihilation orga- mimed, es ander the Corsican Usurper's organised mign of terror. A neutral traveller, provided with the fairest pass, or a Frenchman of the proscribed asspectrd cut, having both a regular pass, and A card of elitism, if they should take the most inna cent notes, or ask the most indifferent questions, are wrested, tried, condemned, and in twenty-four hours executed as spies, according to the sen tences of Bonaparte's Special Tribunals, which are not responsible far their condua, and composed of military men and desperate charafters, that have lignred in all the horrors of the revolution, without Immunity, honour, or honesty, and as long as na meplate rewards their crimes, are, with the same inset indifference, his executioners, as they have &beady been those of his wertito predecessors, Robes. Owe and Barnes. The small French Papers, vrh:di we almost exclusively receive, contain some, though garbled accounts of want of affection, patriotism, or faith in some departments," in their accounts oi the suspension of the constitution, the imprison :masts. transportations, or shootings, of political in- Mk or religions schismatics. But the accounts most MM depended upon, are those of enlightened private socrespoodents, or well informed and impartial tra- Milne, who, having the courage to vi.it modern Ti'ande, hare afte:‘-ards the talents to relate well ! , what they have seen an.l obierved wit', a•tenli.:o 'With their relations we have often had the , saßdattiop to entertain the public from stic:i soul ccs. tired tins gratuitous generwity to furnish matter for 061. cotstemprirviti A gentleman, who arrive] last ?timid 1 , in thi , coootry:, *din the Cooti.ient, and who left Paris on the 20th uff. has favoured us with soine new pa-- tiashws, settiCh, we hope, will not he real seithe:u . Wrest. In no former year in the memory of 01.1'1 Ls France suffered more from huric tnes. storm sonlagrations, pnud fevers, aod the ovarflow of rivers i than the present. The harees., aid the pro dudions oldie earth, have been lost rill in l in tory two departments, orithree•eightli parts of France. In •these destarments the misery is so ,great, that go . vernmsnt, instead a the usual contribu tions, have been obliged to adv.& ice ur.eards of one . Istustked millions of byres (four millions am :ling) to prevent a pr 'sent famine, and to buy cat tle:, grain, ke. fir ag tin towing auf cultivating the lab. In the same departments, fever:, and dis ease, the consemience of unwholesome food, have mask the morality an great, that hardly hands enough would have remained to till the earth, had not Bonaparte tacit/ 3 admitted the non.exceit lion of the law concerning conscripts, and even given leave of absence to those 1 nurg men of those coun ties, who had been Inca. roeated with his troops, to return house and assist their parents, relatives, and countrymen. No people in Europe *have, during late years, been more wretched and oppressed than the Fiend., Ind none are, therefore, snore superstitious. Ot all the departments where the Imperial f'onstitution has been suspended,and Bonaparte's special tribunals botcher ea Mew, not one has suffered from those calamities, by which Providence has a'..llizted the in- Imlitants in other provinces, known to be nmst at tached to the Usurper. These remarkable oi cur maces cause much conversation t and a belief pre. vail 3, among the lower classes, that though the Cor sican is a favourite of fortune, he is not beloved by the Deity, who punishes Frenchmen for the crimes of their Ruler. Of this the disaffeßed take great 'ssivassage to recruit adherents, in which they are LON iiON, SATURT)kY. Ocrosut 6. The idea which we formed of the nature and ex tent of the attack upon the French fltilla, at Bou logne, on Tuesday night, was perfectly coned. The loss of the enemy is still only matter of conjec ture; some accounts stating so low as 13 brigs and Run-hosts, and others so high as 130. There can, however, be very little doubt but that the enemy have suffered considerably. So tinexpeded was our mode of attack, and so great their surprise at the explosion of our fir: ships in the midst of their line, that they were utterly incapable of malting any re sistance; and, cutting their cables, hurried in under their batteries, as close as the shallowness of the water would allow them. In the confusion they suit red much by running foul of each other; and our cruisers, closing upon them, and keeping up a furious fire, completed their defeat. But whether 10 gun-boats or So gun-boats were destroyed is an object of minor importance. The great question was to ascertain the pudic:ability of preventing the enemy from assembling a large force adequate to the purpose of invasion, outside the harbour, under the proteftion of the batteries on shore.— That question is now decided in our favour.— We have oow proved that we can attack and dispetse the greatest force that can be brought out in two tides, without loss of ships or men, and with very little expence. Considering, then, this the true light in which we ought to ex amine this service, and the fair mode of appre ciating the value of the atchievement, the condua of those who dwell upon the number of men killed and wounded, of ships sunk and ships blown up, with all the vapour and exaggeration of French Journalists, deserves the censure of every good and loyal man. The sale of a few papers extra for the day is a miserable compensation for the permanent loss of charaaer and credit with the public, which must be the necessary consequence of an uniform system to mislead their judgment, and abuse their credulity. It is not improbable but that BONA.. PARTE was an eye witness of this seco.id discom fiture of his Marie° fleet. A letter from Mentz, dated September 19, received by the Hamburg!) Mail, due on Sunday, states, that BONAPARTE, after passing a few days in that city, where he was hourly expelled, would return to the coast, leaving his wife to go back directly to Path. We have, with our usual candour, inserted an extraa from one of the letters, giving an exaggerated ac count of the attack upon the French flotilla. One of the cutters belonging to our &et, off Brest, observed on the 26th ult. a convoy of fifty French coasters, near the port of Doualan, not far from Concameau, which it chased, and forced to take refuge under the proteCtion of the batteries. The place being very bad anchorage, and the wind fa:r, this convoy sailed in the night, under the es cort of four first-rate gun-boats, but were perceived at day-light by our cutter, and pursued immediately as far as the river of Pont d'Aven, where the French batteries began to open► a heavy fire, but without any effect. At high water, the convoy moved nearer to the share, under the strong battery of Rice, and our cutter cast anchor at the distance of a league, with the intent to cut out, during the night, some of the French ships, for which purpose, forty of its crew had already volunteered. When thcti• were to set out on the expedition, a small boat was observed at a distance, rowing with its oars mu6le.l towards our cuuer: It tad on board two fishermen, formerly Chnuans, known to the French pilot on board our ship, who came to inform us, that the Commandant of Concarnean, susyeting our intent to cut out some of the merchantmen, had put on board the outermost vessels two companies of the 16th regiment of the line quartered in the vici nity; and that, besides, one company of eying artillery had arrived on the coast to proud this convoy, and the gunners of the 48th Company of the Garda Cilia had i puharked on' board two stout merchantmen severe . pieces. pf artillery, and placed themselves in the midst of the French coasters, so that it would be rash to make any at• tempt against them, which caused . our cruiser to desist. The description these Chonaos give of the tyranny of Bonavasra and his satellites is dread ful : they declared positively, that hardly a day passes in which some of the unfortunate inhabitants were not tried by his special tribunals, and executed. At day-light their report was confirmed, as far as the preparations to receive us. YeSteMIIT, at two o'clock, the RUSSIAN AM 11 AS SADO& had an audience of Lord 111.1tIOWSY. Lord Havritasnuar left town yesterday, for \Vermouth. Thursday dispatches were received from Admiral CORKWAL Lis, of Brest. dated the 28th ult. They were brought by the referral,le, of 74 guns, arrived at Plymouth; and state the harbour of Rochefort to be closely watched, for the purpose of preventing any gun-hosts from entering that port. The Hydra frigate. with the fleet under convoy for the Mediterranean, which sailed from Ports mouth on the 2Sd August, were all well off Cape Sc. Vincent's on the 10th September, with the wind Basun! y. The Wasp sloop of war was appointed to sail from Lisbon with a convoy for Elle:tad on the twit tierember. . Reports were in circulation on the Exchange of Ilamhurgh. that ALEXANDER has aaually declared sear against France—but they did not receive much credit. A letter from Wetzlar, slated Sept. IS, says, " The Prince rf Orange has left Oranienstein for Coblentz, whe:e he intends to pay his respells to the Emperor. The Prefea at Coble. tz is a near :e -lation to the Empress." On the Itith last, the Swedish Charge d'Affaires, Ackerblad, left Paris, to join his Sovereign at Stral sund. The eight persons, who were arrested on the 2.5 th of August, at Genoa, are still in prison ; it is now known, that they endeavoured to cache disturbances, on account of a forced loan, and a new tax. Hi, Holiness has expressed his entire acquiescence in the assumption of the Imperial Emperor of Aus tria, by his Homan Imperial Maivity, and, imme diately upon receiving the official no: ifizari :4.1 of this event. dispatched his Nuncio to b ie:ini with nev: credentials. There now unhappily remains no dc lib: that the epidemic disorder which rages at M.l..ga is the Yellow Fever; it has been more de , titiaive than it Walf last year. and in the lag week there have been days in which 200, and even as many as 2, - 6 per sons have died ; a number which is the more consi derable. as ueaxly two-thirds of the inhabitants have left the city. Iv PARIS PASITIONS. As fashion was never less despotic, sts 'the fancy of el ha , never heen more exercised, or had More mom to .1...p1ay itself. Every sine strive to invent sorrib'new colVaeket. W e see rubes of all cuts and enlours. We have lately seen teem three first r to women cf fashion dressed in a most remarkahle ode, which herame them exceedingly, although it was very F...velopeil in a riding habit of green Florenre, with co!laia, the edges trimmed with a narrow gsloon (dog silk, these Li .. .es looked 111 if they had their par-Efea., spread over their sLoaWcr vet such u ere the gracefulness of their mare. m .n its, and the eieg inee of thei r shape. although th es et inim bar. et', :hr y looked moat interesting and divine A mamma fashion dues nut we r her Cachenire in undress, but a square worsted shawl instead of it. embroideted in worsted of the same, refine and white silk. The Ceeltemire announces full dress, which she reserves for night. There was a great erred on Sunday the Ifth last, at the Fair of Salat Cloud, but the elite of all the Fdr gasates of Paris were at a grand ball gives by bitailaiue Itre.- rnier, at Oiehy. The prevailing robes in this brilliant ceLe were white without a train, trimmed from the bottom to the Ce'l. tin with white ribbons placed at equal (I:static-4, Cormier, hen the breadth of the robes below, and the closen.xs and decrees. of the plaits in the caws, a fan all ronnd.—The gent.emea principally wore cocked bats and a feather, small %game jail buckles, ribbons to their knee bands. and nankeen er rese silk stockings.—The bodies of the carriages in the lierliae •are painted some sea green, others dark green, and the wheeb vermilion or amaranthus. The new fashioned s-at far the driver is upon a small bawd over the fore wheel. The bowleg is mostly white, with scarlet anemias, spangled with sham The footboard behind is enclosed with a sort of balustraie, like wings. The body begins to be 'astounded at the comers, but the sides ate,'as usual, very convex...a-The lights (lis lanterns) form a square upon rub side of the carriage. every where assisted by the infetiqr clergy; jostly, not only ditalrefted but discontented; who invent prophesies, and publish miracles, coresponding with their views and interests. In a country governed by a regular and lawful sovereign, this would be of little consequence ; but in Revolutionary France, ty rannised over by a foreigner, it may be dangerous, particularly if it made any impression on, or pro selytes in t:ie army. In most of the churches in the country it is impossible to hear, by the manner the priest pronounced it, whether they say, Donine, Saivant lac losteraterea Napoleonem, or Do mine,Sahrnnt pc Regent bxlericans, and in the towns, where the Bishops officiate, and, of course, pray for their revolutionary Sovereign, at that part of the service, either the congregation leaves the churches, or no voice accompanies those of the pre lates. This is even the case in some churches of Paris, where all the curates are bought over to the new dynasty. All sorts of grain have greatly risen in price in France within five weeks ; but at Paris, the bread costs only four sous a pound, though it was as high as six sous at Rouen, government making up the difFerenc between the price of grain and that of bread in the capital, either by requisition or confis cation, on th 4 markets in the vicinity. At Luzac ald at Poitiers, in the beginning of last month, the corn markets were surrounded by gene d'annes; and police commissaries from Paris took possession of every sack of corn ip the name of government, for which they paid in dais, according to the price the police minister, Fouche, bad settled. A pro prietor, now in town, who, according to the pre ceding market price, expelled to receive for his grain sir thousand livres, obtained only in ready money for the bons two thousand livres ! Exten sive granaries are ereßed, both at Paris, and near die camps on the coast, all supplied in the same man ner. The markets at Montreull, at Lille, at Cour trais, and at St. Nicolas, have all been swept away, and the grain paid for upon the Paris terms. As the Flemish farmers afterwards did not bring the corn to market, vißualling commissaries for the army went from farm to farm, and took an account of all grain found ; and, after allowing the proprie tors a certain quantity, paid for the rem:,inder in boas, according to Fouche's rturristinni, and saw it carried to the army magazines. In Picardy, and in the department of the Seire, viaualling and po lice commissaries have committed the same violent and oppressive ads, which, according to reports, have procured the capital grain enough for twelve months, and the army sufficient for ten months to come. This outrage will, no doubt. give the same blow to agriculture, that already ruined commerce in France since the revolution. The late fall in the funds is the consequence of the want of money, and a deficit in the contributions, more than from a dread of a continental war, though every body looks forward with terror to the measures of Web/ and finnan*, which a continental war will occasion. a: Least, if it does not begin with viaorics and con- Extortioners, plunderers, and the armies, have already exhausted Italy. Switzerland can fora; sh no supplies, either of provisions or of money and Holland, though once rich, is utterly unable to continue to support its own and those French troops already encamped in that country. It is said at Paris, that of the seven hundred millions, expelled in contributions. according t. the budget for year 12, there had been colleted sip to the 90th Messi dor, that is to say, in the space of ten months, only three hundred and ten millions. 'l'l 11+'. BR [TI6II PRESS. ROYAL FAMILY. WILYMOUTR, OCT. 4. Owing to the badness of the weather yesterday, the picket guard was dismissed before His M A 1 LSI Y landed. About eight o'clock, the ROYAL FAMILY went to the Play, which went cff well. His NI AJESCY was on horseback before serer o'clock this twining, and rode to the barracks to inspe& the horses and stal.les. After breakfast, ti.e Hors:. FA M awe and attendants went on boat-dee Ho) Al Yacht. the Duke of CAssaarDat bathed this morninr, and AIN %cu.& set off to meetrsoroe horses from London.' This nizilt Th-ir MAJ CST! s command The Wes dcr ! ari.CLiere Layhs at Lock.m*. Her Royal Highness the Princes CU AMLOTTI of lN'acns, in an open landau and fonr horses, two outrider, and the postiiions in state liveries. tat: an airing yesterday through Kensington, Wands worth, and Putney, and returned through Hyde Park to Carleton House. After taking some se fieshment, Her ROYAL Motistrits went to Black heath to dine with her Royal Parent, the Ptin*sa of WALLS. Lady G. nos TCRritit is expe&ed is towns ea Monday nest from kAmsgate. Sir Bouscmisa, Lady 'Warr, and family, beta Ashford, in Kent; and Colonel BA/4111s Y, from Barham Downs Camp, are arrived at Attu's Hotel, in..fermvn-street. The Hon. ikrittis se BRODERICIL MUM,' to town last night from Broadstairs. • • Baron Mt.:scummy assures 'tts that Tatiday night being very dark, Mr. PITT sad Lord Has son's,/ viewed the engagement 'at Boulogne from Walmer Castle. Alderman Flower being anLereriasly, would lose br being made LORD Mairoa, who is only an ooNeef. Mr.. Coone made his &bet for the season lad night, at Covent-Garden Theatre, in the eh/ratter of S'r Prrtmar . I .ll.S,ropilant, in M•CICLIN'S Mar 4 ihe 'Fork. He was received upon his riiirei with as explaiws of plaudits dut lasted several minutes. The Gentleman announced for the &veer ef Sir Callaghan 0' firallopban, at .Covent-Gardat Theatre, is to be a Mr. H reseal . , from the Dublin Thcan e. The performers at the Paris Theatres are at wc with the authors. The former, most of wham have a salary of 40,000 francs a-year, want to reduce the emolument of the authors, lew of whom make m4ll than from four to 60t)0 tr.me, :i-year. The at tempt, however, it is though, will nut succeed. Mrs..loansal, Mrs H. S: room, and Mrs. Gt.o •aa, are all in the tiive've way, and will certaiai! b? in the straw before Uhrktmas. At the Theatre A./.1,141•40P, at Paris, tee Deal. mix in every part of the house; but a woman 4r fashiou never appears but in a grated box. We are assured, that the Emperor and Empre' of Garret rival the Emperor and Empress re -tic French in conju42l fi..lel:-.y, and sleep in 0. , . bed. The ebianf , , a as the Boys, of Pails, wear s serpent. With tlic °lie this ornament forms a mint with the other it const 3 tutes the than, of their the tail er..l is neat Cie watch, and the bead Iola:, a with a key in the mouth. Lieut.-Col SCODONS, of the Aldcrsgate Vnlez vvrs, died yesterday mornin, about six o'clock, 5, g-L , in his St0111:ICh. Mr. Spancta Sorra has arrived at Berlin, frrm Vienna. Msd.sme BOIAPARTE, the mother of NePol.r. -4 ea Emperor, has returned to Rome from Lucca. A super!) witch, with a chain set with brilliant:. a ricii necklace, and a diadem of diam 7 Mds, arc pre panng, at Vienna, as preser.ts for the Lady of de Parsee AMBASSADOR, and her Son, to whom the Esi PERO% stood godfather. Tit the great disappointment of die inhabit:anti cr Colotne, a mrgraime prcreated the Essreass hoc receiving all the honours destined for her. The Liege gate, at Aix-laZbapelle, is changed into a triumphal arch, called the arch of Naniszve the FIRST. Jacob-street has taken the same r.amer.l a•-.d the new fort At St. Julich is called the fort of Napoleon. A company of speculaters hate . proposed to roc traa, for a very large sum, for the use of all t windows in the street of Notre Dame. at Paris, ••• day of the Empalme% coronation. from Yal His Roy, before !us Tats Imre' vet' rise for cerair even \lon when he 1 su, that Boarbono body. in ft —u of Flir•. 'Mille! te Louis •he Irn•Ild tc throne of A cony from Car Thur,l 1 UV's!. Sacordv aceompan Aktetmet itetrali t, they he= Messrs. ',alters or amined p qniry, as 1 as also 14, or r•;-% i MY up an , reran