The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-01-03 00:00:00

. ,I • THE BRITISH PRESS. LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 3. We give, at length, tins day, the Report of the Board of Inquiry upon the Convection of Custra, All the causes and consequetwes of that measure were submitted to the Loan!, and imele proper subjt ets for it. consideration: Among Cle the country, gr ling its opinion upon potolie aad private accounts, conceived that blame might probably attach to the Ministers who planned the expedition. That the fears of the enquiry were well foninhql, the Report of the Board, end. the 1%41tt As of some of the Mt:mire:li, clearly evince.— t • three Ge:l.rals are all honourably acquitted. a. I t Inquiry is pi tinou.tecil m oecß scary ;-... ecrough the whole or the Report, the " ureat w.i.n of Cavalry" in the Skins!) army is repeatedly urged. The extraordinary circumstance" of three Genetals tumbling over each other on the field of battle, is dwelt upon, and the defect in the Conitaissariat Department is also conftsed. Now- these three grent defects apply only to Ministers, but the Report of the Board is confined to the Cetierrili. Had it meant to hove pronounced upon the conduct of Iklinist , :rs, it must, if acting consistently, have declared them culpable upon the very grounds and for the very reasons upon which it has acquitted the Gc send& Want of room obliges us to defer our fur ther observations ou this 'retirement suitject. The town was thrown into great fermentation, yesterday morning. by pretended intelligence of great importance from Spain. la the city it oa► currently reported that the British troops had cm tained a splennui victory over the French, whoe« 4i4S are estisuatcd at front 10 to 15,000 in killed, ornisailed, and prisoners. No person, h •wever, corn ; ear how, or from whence this intelligence vitae. We understand that the whole story ori ginated in a letter which was brought to Lord CA:TLEI.CACH'S Office, probably sent over lion Is . pain by the bait mail. It ass written by one b.IAY, as artilleryman, to his wife, and is dated from logo, on the 17th December. It talks of a plorious victory having been obtained over the French, and mentions various particulars. But, as Government has received dispatches front Sir DAVID BAIRD, elated " Villafioila," on the same day, the 17th, and as Lugo lies near 80 mike be . the absurdity of the radiation needs ao further comment or refutation. The substance of the intelligence received by Government, yester day. is, we believe, contained in the following 11 0wiliffm-WEEVE, ./SO. Z, lea 9. " Lettere of the itith Dicetaber, datrd Toro, have bees re ceived from lieutenant-Graven! Sir Jo v 1 1 1:sosc, who was NKR flawing his junction with Sir DA YID B t ER ID, and was ft Erci.i.•Er wtth the hope of falling in with Mamba! Sottur, who lead barn nuttiest to wake himself waster of Leos sod Lokora. thigaili,r4;eto wl eIIAREEE STEWART, with put of the isth best Dragoons, had surprised and takeis debit bonne of cavalry and hifintry at fired*, with *bunt So,oaol. in value, of cuttoo, which the Fernels had collected. he/ had also taken u patiote of 411 ()dicer stsclda Illewposs. disputclies, of which thr shove is stopp.ised to lka the sol"fiesice, were receited, yesterday, at Lsord CAbTLEREAOW4 (MCC. To. recent arrival, from Ctiroman, thoti4h they come down to so lute a period as the 27th of De cember, and tnougli Licieurtart was apparently master of Madrid full three weeks previois 4 to that time, Set afford ns isearcely any clear, or satisfa, - tory, or iutelligihie information, respectiag the AV 14,1eat elate of etrairs. They shed a dim deceptive light over all the operations. leaving us marry in the same,: state of ignorance and uneertaitity as ire were in before they arrived. 64 Official and dt ini %Aerial Ilniletias," which are most mita:Mem, though most precarious grounds of belief', as they may Ib4l issued to-clay flout any of the public offices, cud disavowed to-morrow, without ceremony, since they are destitute ;Irony signature, date, or mark of authenticity; these communications rather in crease than diminish the political darkness. 'Piero are, however, some stepping stones on which to 110'04 the torrent, if, ufirr all, we may safely place oar foot on them. iflie position of Moose and that of listen are defined. So is the situation or-,..iipied by the Vallician army under Rouses. These respective Inks,* authorise us to hope and to ::•;sitaie, that, after ao long a period of irresolution, nit of unveils'', 'luring which N A POLLUX, with his eltara-teitstie velocity and derision, has penetrated to the metropolis, and entered it; we are about to a lopt otTensie operations. But how are we to fill nit, in our imaginations, or how are we to acceunt • f.,, thh chasm of • teen days, between the Ath of December, when the 111th Ilulletin I. wren us, anti „„, ~,; d i of t h e same mouth, when the Cornana ~,ai l 'Aim away ? Was the whole interval a blank ? What Ito, Leon floor at Madrid, after tl.e city submitted ? Hare neither Mr. Facat. vr:in we. 1 'f gi:ivt - 4. coarsely iii miles from itiadritl ; nor Lord Wit.t.lAM I;4STINCE• a lto was---sse kocw :vs nfiere ; g:con Gosermitent any Miasma, so out this trod interesting of :11 paints? host we have r•enarse to anotlyin 3 . 14 letters farm Trioxide, or -• 'y on private rumminuottions, to a ff or d some lht ? Ur do 51414tras reserve and withhold any - authentic statements *L, , they witty hussars ? The fact itself is most estraordistiny ; more cape cially us 'we may almost be assorts, thin tu•4ottots from Madrid, dottn to the lath, that is; ten days later titan the last Bulletin, may, or must linve reached Paris by the eath, even through the ordi nary channels. Consequently, if NAPOI.F.ON had felt the saute desire to expedite their contents to this country, winch impelled him to send over the thr?t lest Bulletins, we • might, before this time, hsve known all the coosequences and results of the suloZiission of the Capital.— Such a silence certainly seems to augur favour ably for the great cause in which we are all engaged. We do not by Liu) , means arioqate to be able, from any sources of information which are open to us, to supply the void of which we com plain; but we have had opportunities to know, that - Government is antler some embarrassment how to reconcile the very eimtrielietery and widely- opposed amounts traustaitted them from the diplumatie and from the military authori ties now in Spain. •We are assured that Mr. FitERE writes in terms of t•atiguine confidence relatiie to the spirit of the people, the re slimmer of the eountry. and the final issue of She contest. On the other hand, Sir JOHN Mooaa, we believe, entertains, and has transmitted to Mi nister*, much less encouraging or exhilirating opi nions. It is however passible to recoticile, in some measure, :hese discordant Phoenicia*, by supposing that the public mind is more energetic and more strongly pronounced at Madrid, or in New Castile, than in Lton, or in Sidatuanea.. But these are not the only points upon which the Itlinieter and the Com nialider-iii-Chiel hate, as we understand, com pletely dithered. '1 he former urged and exhorted that the British forces um] r General Mooae shoved Airtime leaving Bailin to follow. The latter coneeiriiig such a disjunction of his a: my to he most ilarierons and unjustifiable, declined to adopt that step. We believe that the public opi mon entertaiiied of Sir JOHN MOORE will rescue hint from any imputution of undue caution. In fact. however much we may regret that Niadrid was ahans•ated to its fate, yet when we consider the immense superiority of Boatel...tree, particularly iu cat airy, how can ac, with the degree of .informa tit). wind' we possess, suffer even a shade of cen sure •o'plass AP:OSS our minds respectiag the line of conduct embraced by our Commander in Spain? If, a• there seems •carat to hope, the Freodi have oetai di flitted at Itoreis, in Catalonia, and are se ly greased in Barcelona; if PAI.AFOX COTO' maialh at Sant :0345, us we know he den; if the ;iriiiipm of Cviera mos, of Moat.*, and of so many er Spanish Generals, arc still collected under iicir respective leaders; while Mooae, B A IRD, tic llostam a, are advancing across Leon, towards l'uhalcia and Valladolid ; ',hove all, if, as we have mason to believe, the Spanish people, and even the l'ortegnese, are not suliclued, but will resist their Hagitious invader, and will not abandon their bleeding country to the vindictive tyranny of a aorthlet.i Italian; then there is every foundation for hope. Till we know, however, with more cer tainty, the results of BONAPARTE'S entry into the capital of Spain, we eau only reason on uncertain data, and may find all our most apparently conelusions overturned by the next ac co•wts from Maibid or from Corunna. To those we look comae,/ with equal eagereemi and soli cit ode. F was reported onSisuclay at Ratn.:gate, Deal and Dour, that the Flushing squadron, consisting of nine tail of the line, of 74 guns each, 411111 several fri ;aka, had taken advantage of the late easterly winds, and put to !tea. All was hustle and activity among our shipping in Us, Downs, in consequence of this report. The quadrant antler Sir RICUMID STELA CH tx, immediately prepared to go in pursuit of tl; enemy, and a number of pilots, from Dover, went on board the several ships. According to the latest accounts received at Deal, irises understood that the Flashing sqnadron had only m u le a move ment, which indicated an intention to put to sea. The forte embarked, in the course of last svirk, at flantsgate, amounted to 2,701.1 men. Some of the traosports arrived on Sunday. at Portsaiouth. Extr..rt of a letter fruits Madrid 110- NAIPARCI. addressed MOILLA, as represented in the Frene [:inlet,. the hitter never 1/11Ce chengrel countenance ; but as boon as the exhortation was Nlautta replied iii a imist manly tone of voice, suitabk to hid dignity... I urn a Spimiard, and am hostile to tile usurpation of Frenchmen and Italian:J-4 came nut here to receive your re • proarlies ; I have done not duty, as a man dial a soldier. to my Kin d and eiountrv—my life I set at nought; but. whist I live. I shall . perseterr in my . conduct, and a hith I sheet both Just and honour alrle." Extract of* Letter from Cortuma. ilatetl 1)e -e,:mip.r 25 t am may arpesal that nom- of our urmy have het his.* eii2:iged except the 15th light tit agoons, who fell in ao ts Jito Freoeh cavalry, and made them primuent. They are arrived here. I have travelled six days up the country ; the people are not alarmed, but are ill under urms. and march iaK Its jOlll the mf Our two u.sposi joniesl on the 121 h, as ..d the l'ortugnese mud 3latrtis Ho- It AS A, malona together 81.000 men. The whole populat:ott of the country are on the alert, and aik. pen/ unanimous in the common r 41111 4 ,... . A letter ftotu Cosanna, of the 23th ult. co:rising the folictirioit postscript—°• 'Eke lAth Light I tra goovis Mill in 300 French caral7 ; this is the skirmiaL" ---. _ i Tnr 4 r 3: A AA THE ROYAL FAMILY. On Saturday morning. about eight o'c'o , :k, his Royal Highness the Dukeof Voll4'lol town, nibir travelling carriage, fur Windbir. Hi-4 Itoyai iTtigia ness took with lain the volin:pi:mi,us Prueeeding a and Report of the Coort of Inquiry nj n tte: Convention of Chant. They were so e: t: emely large, that it was necessary to form them into two pant.S, evil weighing nearly twenty pounds. as Royal lligh new iirrm ved at Windsor soon after ten o'clock. lam a short time after, his Royal Highness had an inter view with liii MAJESTY, and laid time Proceedings and Report before him. His Royal Highness pro ceeded to read them, and continued to du it. du ring the whole of the day, except at His Aixasstry's dinner-time; and at fonr o'clock, the dining hour of Her MAJESTY and the PIIKCESSIES, when his Royal Highness dined with them. iIieMA JESTY informed the Duke he should consider of the business tilt Sunday, and desired his Royal Highness to attend him again oil that day, it being his Royal Highness's indention to ~o to Oat lands that nig h t . The giusxx desire d him to bring the Duchess with hint. On Sunday morning their 'Royal highnesses airived at Windsor, from Outlands. Their Royal Highnessetihaving invit e d a n large party to di nner o that day, in consequence of its being their Royal Parents' wish to see them at Windsor, appointeil Lady Saturn, and one of his Royal Highness's Aides-du-Camp, to preside at the table. to entertain their guests. A four o'clock the ROYAL FAMILY gat down to dinner, and His MAJESTY, in compliment tea the Duchess of YORK, sat at table the whole time, Al though he had previously dined about one o'clock ; His MAJESTY partook of the confectionery, dessert, and wines, and we have great pleasure iii saying, hs appeared in most excellent health and spirits. There were presect, besides Their MAJEsTtEs, the Duke and Duchess of YORK, and tire Pittam.sscs the Onkes of CVMBERLAND and CAMBRIDGE. • In the evening the Roy A L FA N i I. v partook of tea and coffee, during which time tier MaixsTY's Enid played several pieces of sacred Laurie from the works of Harper.. Soot. after uine o'clock, the Duke and Diiche,4 of YORK left Windsor—His Royal. Highness for London, where he arrived shout twelve o'clock. Her Royal Highness the Duchess went to Outlands. It is understood that Ma MASENTY COMOloi• catcd to the Duke of Volts. his royal sentiments upon the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry upon the Conveutiou of Chum, before he kit Windsor on Sunday. The Duke of Yost: transacted business, yester day, at his Office in the Horse Guards, and in the evening sent off an express to Hiri NlALmsrv, at Windsor. Mr. THOMPSON retuned, last night, to his house in Grosvetior-squure, from his seat in York shire, for the season, arid will soon enliven the tit shionahle circles with splendid dinners and concerts., The Earl of Many hits been deprived, for th.s fortnight pilot, of his usual sport of stag-hunting on account of the inclemency of the weather. Ili,. Lordship intends, this day, turning out a line •tag at Wailiou Heath. The PORTIA/DM AMBASSADOR gaie a grand dinner, yesterday, at his house, ill South Andlt)- stieet. to several of the Portuguese Nobility. His Royal Highness Munstnua returned to town, yesterday, and in the evening entertained a select party at dinner, at his house, tu South A udlcy-street. The Marchioness of lIFRTFORD had a select part), last evening, at her house, in Nlaiichester /opiate. It was attended by til . • Countess Dowager of SErrox„ General and Mrs. ST. Jour, Mr. JANES, and several other Eashionables. The Duke and Duchess of BEDFORD will give a grand dinner, this day, at Woburn Abbey. Their Graces sent, yesterday, an invitation be express to the Countess Durniger of SErrom. Ifer Ladyship sill leave town, this morning, to join the festive parry. PAUL METHUEN, Esq. is entertaining an elegant assemblage of Nobility, at Confirm] House, Near Cliippeuharn, Wilts. slis• VAIME left town, yesterday morning, to delight the gay inhabitants of Bath with her sweet sung and fascinating mice. She will re main there dining the rest of the Subscription Concerts, which conclude the end of this month. Mrs. ETRE, who wade MO favourable a debut hot season at Drury -lime Theatre, comes forwani this night in the part of Mn.s Candour, in Mr. Sun- SUDAN'S Comedy of The School for Scandal, as successor to Maw I'ure, the original performer of the part. There is a new candidate for fame in Tragedy playing at the Edinburgh Theatre, a Mr. Sow tars ; he was to perform Macbeth to Miss WM.- TOlk's lady Macbeth, ou Thursday tii4lit last. By the latest accounts frtibiSpain, Lord and Lady HOLLAND were at Vigo, to which place they had got aids great difficulty ; from Vigo they proposed continuing their route, in letters, through Oporto and Coimbra to Lisbon. The Duke of Gusteesesa stood sponsor to the infant son of Lord A/moll:a. The christening took plaCe tabula a fortnight since. The engage.. anent. of his Highness preveuting him from being present, he stood by l'r"Y' The Drum i of The Exile has been got up with gnat splendour at the Maui:ln-sr er 'theatre. TbEt pints are tilled as follow Coast Calmar . PAlnge. ' Dora. r Cu.ireotte mrs.Gsantsc. .I.erifsa Aire taut's^. They hare also got up the romance of (tire Beard, with all its decoration,: Mrs. C;Ansttit is the Fa tima, and Miss LAILIZMAN enables sweetly in Bede. Mr. Met.vrti has Mao strived there. and was to make his appearance Mat night in th- character or Will Steady, in the farce of The Purse; or, The Brutal's, Tar. Tice lion. Mr. SrtrrAnr, Mr. Anntx, and Mr. Ba.)wa, hare %•.izeervileJ t 1 r, MA:LINI. Mr. Moony. and Mr. BUDGIi. as Cowitz.itccit.eni far victualling IlisMs.issites Navy. wimourmni- - : THEATRTS. . . - • Dituitte-Lens. SHAKIPEAXE'S Trarisly: of Romeo and Julia was performed, here lust ;tight. Mrs. 11. Stlittox• tilled the part - of ofts/iat aids all the delicacy, sweetnees, and interest of this author. It is a part for which Nature has .Oortookd her with every,re quisite.tif make it a perhitt'Veigesentivtion—the satin:m . 4 her eotostananit, ; :PW litAtteueve of her accenta,•and her insists's:aura kiwi, where neces sary, eathel forth the most re/damns avidnuse.— Mr. ELtisTort was the ititnteo of • the night— and if he did not possess all the softness of the au thor, he was not deficient in the spirit. Mr. B.tiS• "'WM. is always excellent in Mercurio. The who:e play went off with the greatest success. Kn the Paiitomisne Mr. RoaLar took Mr. D'Eavtutt:'s part of ilethineon Creme, and was very well received throughout. The house was quite full. HAYMARKET. bast night the Trarely of Hamlet drew a very crowded and fashionable audience to this house.— The Hamlet of Mr. YOUNG is highly creditable to his srbilties: it was sound. and excited louil plaudits in various parts, particularly in the scene with the Queen, who had a very able representa tive to Mrs. ST. LEDGER. The Geueetfigg r r ttf Mr. FMCS', was admirably :disponi:de There wno a plentiful assemblage of children to eiiny the Christmas tricks of Mother Conte and het merry associvites.—Amoug the Fashitniables present. were Lady IinceiSiCHAISSIIIRE, Lady THEOUOsYA CRADOCK, and several others. BATH, DECENEER 31. .~ The members of the York-house Catch.cl gave. their first splendid entertainment to the Lathes, ou Friday evening last. The room was crowded with • all tl.e ,Volrlesse and Fashionable, of this gay city, long before seven o'clock. With reward to the performance, i shall only say, that, i nd ependent of the regular singers, the powerful unrivalled talents of STOZACE, Mrs. ASIIE, Mini SHARP, 3li-a MCL. VILLE. RALZEINI, and BRAHAI, were •exerted with the happiest effect. 111adain CATALAN' wits present, and appeared to Le in excellent iiruitit and spirits. It is rumoured that she iutenns giving Concerts here and at Bristol, if the proprietors of the Opera-House do not accede to her terms. Perhaps it may please Mr. Capone's* frierids to in ferno them, that duriug die three weeks he staid at Bath, uni performed at this Theatre, he was on . y . once iridivposed, and that Was•in the part of Rieherd the Third. In his second ae*tie, whim he killed King . !leery, a person in the gallery conceiting it was - Lot done well, cried out " That's not like the Duke of Gloucester," Coot came forward to the (rout of the stage, and putting on one of his ini t eritaaile sneering looks, answered. " That a net like . s Ens fish auditor." This . le 'delighted the itinienco. that the man naa turned. out of the lanese, fwd COOK : went on without further interruption. Mrs. Dttgotis, front the Covent-(garden Com-. pany, makes her first appearance at Pri-tol on Monday, and at Bath on Titesday, in the chaa rector of Resetta, in Lill' C in ea Mr. Dt.. MOND. Jun. has produced on excellent after-pieces called Tlic Irina Mask. There are SeNCIal berautie fel scenes, painted by GRIEVE. and aurae inaeniaur machinery, by OtreNs. Mr. BENNET lia4 :aided greatly to Ins well-earned fame, by compriaing two !only for the piece : they. style him in the Theatre SACCHIN I the Younger.. LORI) CARDNISR. An express, we noderstand, arrived in man ye.terrisT, front Bath, stating the death of his Lordship. whu Mud bc.si • PI that city for stone time for the benefit r t his in ell!, Ili Lordship was in his 66th year; he was 'visa at Uttaarter, in Staffordshire ; his tither was • Licutenast-Culor.cl is the tub Regiment oe Dragoon Guards, and a uatis e i Cole raine, in the North of Ireland. Lord Gordiae, eaueneured his naval career on the tat of Ala), 1765, uu I,Uald Sledway, of •.0 guns, colonnaded by Captain Peter Dennis; he was in that ship is .he .veep,,.. with the La;le, they took the Due 149144.0 e, cif ti•l rums. On the 7th of Basch, 176.', he *as advanced In • Liontenant, and appointed to the Belton., of 74, one; he was al 'meant. he nine Onrions actions, iu all of tibias be 4 .lsplayed each . courage, *lll, sad magnimitaiity, as were re. seek.' elfin:ate ly by his Sovereign, with the appoiatnicut of degatil .if the Blue, 3lsjor-General of the Variacs, crusted a Rerun if the Tutees Kingdom., aud had the honour of mreAvtur Oran the hand of His Ilaje..ty a gold th. io n in anprolastio• wf his conduct no the 1 9 th of Mlll, and ist of Jute, pea He married is the year t7tio, Mies Hide, ofJanctica, and has • left by her Ladyship, who s mesh. s hint, a viry isautendo Coady, including two sons iii the nave. .•ss-wworse..siss u i The Growler gun-brig, Lieutenant CriossuAir, arrii ell ut Plymouth let Saturday ntaromg, affil brought the following Circular, which had loam transmitted from off Minim., by Captain II %PDT. tri, of His Melody's ship Oder:rot, iih a resew that it might be generully made humeri to the Commander.; of all His :Majesty's ships and vessel; bound to Spanish ports:— rail-ern. off Baby., Der. 22. SI EXEDRAS DC M. The French entered St. Anthem ua the troth alt. it two.. o'clock—French enter% d St..ineunio, Nov •t, wiHl a Circe e f 'goo trace—Frene!l ut Neonssinta Vine ..or, with a fore Id !ilk) 011 11 - . - Freffeh at Aleut latrst namoviots— British, under Sir David at Astorga, sad an. . 1: — Marquis of Bowmen, with Genes,sl I sith, Si 3 e Grneral Battastansi, with R strong fiwee, at oted between the Myer de Seilas and Vincrute. These ',Nlemarahile are to he maul.. k.u,wn to any of His NlArerrev's yir. i may uwet, am,: all resee'di laMlll.l to either of the Omar -.lseutioned ports are to be arquAinted of their l.aulb is imen.• session of the enemy. Gijon to beapproacited with caution. (Signed) D. Hay:ovum,. • Extract of a letter from Falmouth. dai...l " Late last evening arrived the Diva:. i 'act et, Copt. Mail* front Corimita, a trio!) arle left on the. atilt in t. at which one ate, ..nuts wale received. that the French, after sta toe attar ks, bast of *kick wee a most saugninery one: h..d merle themselves masters of .Nlaulliel it was sivd that the unruly lost in the different uttaek.. about- ao.ooo men. 'The armies tutder Sir D. Baird and Sir J. Moore had formed a juaction at elladoird en 17th ' ;net. mid were repulty".44vencing toward Madrid. The army under the I:irtivis dr la liworea wars following; they were full 33,te00 men, well data • The Siwatieh Genesi Benito ds i& Juan, his been banged at Talavera, by the he coranmoded, iiiivtaig Loren discovered torall l T , correspondence with the et ems. On the rope bah put round his neck, he confessed that several what olllcersof rank in the Spetaishenny were cosicenheile'