The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1805-03-19 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEPir. HOUSE OF LORDS ....MONDAY. MAUCH 1$ The Royal Anent was given by Commission to the Measure Hones Duty Bill, the Salt Duties and Property fax Bills, alsn to the Mutiny Bill, and to three Private Bills. The Lords Commissioners were, the Lord Chaniseller, Lord Walisingham, and Lord Felentsorongh• • • • Counsel were farther heard relative to the Scots Appeal, the Earl of leinuoul a. Mauls and Others, via. Mr. Noland as second Courted for the Reepondente, and Mr. Adam on the part of the Appellants in reply. The last mentioned Cinutsel was interrupted in his reply, for the purpree of permitting their Lordships to receive Bills from the Commons. (Sn this °cc-Aston, Mr. DICKENSON, ion. brought up the Marine Mutiny Bill, and also two private Bilis. - Before the Counsel were called iii; Tne Earl of DARNLEY moved for the production of copies of certain letters f our Captain Fraser, of the Hiudoosten; and Captain Fay, of the Hyena, relative to the state and condition of these vessels, their fitness to keep the sea, &c. which was ordered accordingly. Lord Viemunt MELVILLE addressed the Ursine, in refer ence to what had transpired oat a recent evening, in the debate upon the subject of naval affairs. The gist of what had fallen from a Noble Earl on that occasion might, he conceived, be resolved r'ta three le-Aisle propositions: first, a charge against the present Adomalty Board, for purchasing a number of ves sels !or ti r service of the navy, which were unfit fur that pur erid.y, a emerge of Mainline vessels in the tnerchairts' said-, at the extravagant expellee, and interior quality, com pared a 'tin those bark ill the King's - yanis; mod, lastly, an aver ted.' blast the Royal Dock Yards could supply tee sail of ships annually, to the service of the navy. In order to bring this subject, which was certainly one of great national importance, fully under the mataideration of their Lordships, he should, pursuant to the intimation he had given on that night, beg leave to ernes fry the pmductim of a number of official deco reents, which he deemed essential to that purpose. Mis Lordship then moved fur the production of various naval documents, between twenty and thirty In number, and met h/wing almost every branch and detail of the service of the navy; particularly the number and istectietion of ships of war built, retrieved to be built, launcher!. teeeired, docked, refitted, and put ir and out of tommisien ; and the numbers of a. tabeers employed since the 15th'sot Nlay lareeethe period of the present Board of Admiralty coming intoolllee. Also for the preelection of a variety of diked documents r.. hetes to the state of the navy, in the interval between the years 1770 and 178.9 There, on the questions being put, were severally ordered to be laid before the House. Thor Noble Viscount else, by command of His Majesty, presemed An Account of the Number and Names of the Ant firers dircharged from the Royal Dock Yards, by order of the Navy Bond. And, secondly, An Account of the Numbers of the mid Artificers. distinguishing their respective trades and =rations, who have since been employed in !Its Majesty's Yards. *These Documents, on the Mellon of the Duke of Clarence, were ordered to be printed. The LORD CHANCELLOR moved that the Counsel be bow called tn. In consequence of this proceeding, a conversation took place, In which the Earl of Darnley, the Duke of Clarence, the Lord Chandelle-, arid Lent Auckland, took a part, which princi pally respected a question of the propriety of salting in the Couried mail some degree of discussion, which the ten first mentioned Peers seemed to think it peeper to enter into on the imennent suhieet to which the "ducensents moved (or by the Nets! , Vieeount referred, ...Is finished. The Eerl of DARNLEY ohserved, that, genteelly speaking, the Noble Viscount". Idea of the objects of whet lie haul ad 'armed on a former night was correct save the last per - posttest], in which hie meaning wars, that under a proper system for the management of Need Atfeirs, the number of sr.:stele adverted to might be supplted by the Royal Dock Yards, but under the present system tat erlininistration. The Duke of CLARENCE had some questions to put to the Noble Viscount, relative to the ',Seed to which the docile merits referred; a subject of wrest public inement, though he had every feeling with respect to the hearing of Cininsel, as an im;eree•ir nidavidual comets ration. It was also his intention so Like ae early nimorrunity to move fee some (Luther naval do cunieers, which he thought rem:sear, u; on the occesien. The LORD CH ANCELIe iR referred tn the general peac bee of tire House, when Counsel were iriterrupterlfse the am commodatinn of public businese, particulerly in the in ternee of a nee% , and alluded to the extreredivary expend., the yarirea trust be put to, did the bearing stand over till amehet day. Lord AITCRLeND, ill support of what MI from the Noble Lord on the %Vo erect, referred to the uniform practice of the House on such occasions. The Coutteel were then called in, and Mr. Adam finished his reply. The further convideratinn of the ease, with s referenc e t o the judgment of their Lordships, was then adjourned till Wed nefriae. Mr. PARNF.LL, from the Irish Chancellor of the Exche quer's Office, presented an ailment of the Stunt remitted by Gnsernment from England to Ireland, with the Rates of Lit eltarige, Ike from the let of February, leke Ordered to lie on the Table. The Douse then adjourned till to-roormw, when their Lord ships stand summoned upon Lord Auckland'. Medan, fee Committees to search fie Precedents. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The Home went to the House of Poen, and heard the Royal Avwlnt ',veil ►y Commis/trots to several stub'oe and puvate Sine. _ _ The Report of the Committer on Wiliryer% Ititt^ty MI waa burghs op. agreed to, and the Ash ordete , i in be rid/mg.-ed. The Land Tax Commissioner.' Name ild• waa ord. r.d t o be committed this day fortnight. A person from the °lire of the Auditor of the Exchequer, promoted an atienunt of some Exchequer Hills, which was or dered to he printed. The Marine Mutiny Rill was reported, and a clawed added, aruiuilating it, in regard to oaths at rrginieritul Courts Martial, to Co. Mutiny II II or the Land army. The Bill 1 , 14 a read a third tune and pat-rd. r. JO( IVO vNI, horn the Office of the Chief Sioretaiy of Jr Lind, presented at the Bar certain Irian Account, nog the Borough Conipensations. Ordewil to he on the Table Mr. ROSE presented an account of tlic licerh:eii granted to puttonit trading with Fiance, Spain, and Holland, winch was *friend to lie on tic table. INDIA. Mr. FRANCIS rose to put off bis Motion on India affairs, to Monday next. Lord CASTLEREAGH wished the Hon Mem ber would defer his Motion a week longer, the pa pers being voluminous, and the subjefl of India po litics of so wide a range. He asked what was the nature of the intended Motion ? Mr. FRANCIS consented to put off his Motion accordingly to this day fortnight. He could not then say what would be the precise terms of his Mo• Lion, but did not doubt but he should have an oppor tunity to explain it to the Noble Lord before the day appointed for the consideration of it. The no tice thus stands for this day fortnight. This was the 19th of March, and the supplies all fill on the 25th, so that delay would be dangerous. Mr. KER was in favour of delay ; was proceed ing to remark that the tax was odious, vexatious, impolitic, and unwise, when he was called to order. After a few words in explanation from Mr. Corry, the Bill was read a seeond time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow. IRISH IMPORT DUTY RILL... On the Motion for the second reading of the Irish Import Bill being moved by Mr. Foster; Mr. DAWSON proposed a further delay, this being the day appointed for the cdebration of the Festival of St. Patrick, tutelary Saint of Ireland, and sot many Irish Members being therefore pre sent. Mr. FOSTER thought that as this second read stage of the Bill, when no debate upon it -.Eked, the time for discussion would be for he supposed that no Caen objcft to the principle of the Bill, granting a supply to His Majesty. THE BRITISH PICESS LON DO N, TUESDAY, MARCH 19. The Claim Fle •t arrived safe at Canton in the beginning of OZlnber. It appears from our Falmouth Letter that Tea of the Mediterranean Fleet have reached Gibraltar, and it is nit now supposed that so much as one half of it has been lost. The Tenth Report of the Commissioners of Na val Enquiry, containing 352 folio pages, was yes terday laid before the House of Commons We have seleaed from this voluminous mass as much as our limits could possibly admit, and may be necessary, to give a clear and satisfaaory view of the case to which the public attention has been so long direaed. Our extraas, of course, relate exclusivel y to the ofti,:es of the Treasurer and Paymaster of the Navy. It ap peals the Commissioners issued their precepts to the Treasurer of the Navy, for an account of the state and disposition of the balance of public money with which he stood charged upon the 31st of December in each year, from 1786 to 1802, inclusively, that they might judge of the propriety of the ba lances of p•iblic money left in his hands, and see whether the balances unappropriated to the public service, at those periods, were in the Bank of England, as required by law. The several retur.is mail to these precepts commenced with the ye.tr 1784, and the Commissioners discovered by them that the sums standing in the name of the Treasurer of the Navy, at the Bank, were, for the most part, considerably less than his unappropriated balances. The discovery of these deficiencies led the Com missioners to enquire more minutely into the subjel, and they discovered, among other regulations for the condua of the office of Treasurer of the Navy, a re solution of a Committee of the House of Commons in 1782, that the Treasurer of the Navy shall not Apply any sum of money imprested to him, to any purpose of advantage or interest to himself, direly, nr indirealy ; a warrant under His MAJESTY'S Sign Manual of the With of the same month encreasing the salary of Treasureiof the Navy from 2,0001. to 4,0001. a-year, " in full satisfaaion of all wages and fees, and other profits and emoluments theretofore enjoyed by former Treasurers ;" and an MI passed in the 25th of the present Reign, direaing that " all monies for the service of the Navy should be issued from the Exchequer to the Bank of England ; and that nc money for the service of the Navy should be placed in the hands or possessidn of the Treasurer ; aad that no monies should be paid out of the Bank, .~~~.. but for Navy services, and in pursuance of drafts drawn by him, or persons in his office duly author- ised by him, specfying the heads of service to which said sums were to be applied." Mr. BARRE held the office of Treasurer of the Navy at the time of the above resolution of the Committee of the House of Commons, and the Report states, that he stridt ly complied with the above regulations. He was succeeded by the Right Hon. Herrav DusoAs, now Lord MaLv Icr. e, who held the office from the 19th August, 1782, to the 10th of April next year. Lord BAYNINO held the office from the 11th of April 1785, to the 4th Jan. 1784, and, during his time, "no part of the money issued for the service of the Navy was converted to his use or advantage." From the sth Jan. 1784, to June I, 1800, Lord MELVILLE was a second time Treasurer of the Navy, and Mr. Toovrta Paymaster under him. The Commissioners accordingly applied to the lat ter for information, and upon being called upon to account for these deficiencies, lie acknowledged, that he had been in the prallice of drawing money from the Bank in large sums, and lodging it in the hands of private Bankers, previous to its being issued to the Sub-Accountants for the public service. Being asked whether he derived any profit from the money so withdrawn, he refused to answer, upon the ground that he was not bound to criminate himself. Lord Viscount MELVILLE was next applied to, and he admitted that Mr. Taor Tea had his permission to lodge the money in private Banker's hands, but not, as it would seem, to the extent understood by Mr. Foot -Tea; but being asked whether, during either of the periods of his being in office, he derived any emolument from said praarce his Lordship refused to answer, upon the ground assigned by Mr. TROTTER, and that he would not disclose delicate and confidential trans thions of Government. The sums drawn from the Bank by Mr. Taort ea appear, from the books of Messrs. Courrs and Co in whose house they were placed, to be so large as 100,0001. at a time. Tkere is one instance of a sum of 1,000,0001. drawn in on: day ; and, from their magnitude, the Commissioners presume they must be public money. The Clerk of Messrs. Coons deposed, that they were appropriated to the purpose of discounting private bills, and buying stock on account of Mr. Tit oa ea. The latter also ad mitted in his examination, that " in following Lord MCI. VIC Les instruftions, or in aging for his Lord ship, in his affairs, he seldom nr ever considered, whether he was at the time in advance for his Lord ship, when he had occasion to advance a farther sum, ant exceeding from 101. to 20,0001." Lord MEt.- vttt.e says, he permitted Mr. 'rawer ail to pursue the course of depositing the money in a private bank, in order to facilitate the business of the office, and Mr. sr ILOTTER has assigned various reasons in sup port of that pra&ice ; but the Commissioners have over-ruled or refuted them all, and declared, " that the withdrawing of the public money from the Bank of England, in the manner, and for the pur poses before related, was, in their judgment, a dis obedience to the law, as established by the 25th of this present reign, chap. 31." We have received New-Y(.ik Papers to the 10th last, but their contests we not important. Private letters have beet seceived from Canton, dated the latter end of July last, which state the city to be, at one period, with not more than a month's consumption of rice, owing entirely to the ucc-s,ftil depredations of the Ladrone Pirates, who have long infested that coast; but that, at the date of these letters, all anxiety had ceased, by intelligence having been received of their complete dispersion by a gulp, which had been lent to the Chinese! Go vernment by the English supercargoes, and said to be commanded by English Officers. Some Paris Papers have been received, but their contents Are of no importance. The Session of the Legislative Body dosed upon the tith. Mr. PITT last night gave notice of his intention to make the duties on wine permanent, and to put an additional tax upon pepper, in order to make good the deficiency occasioned by the rejetlion of the proposed tax !iron horses used in husbandry. A report wa. yesterday prevalent in the City, that the PIiIPCP Cr . Wales, Captain Pales, whidi parted company from the Indiamen off the Cape in a gale of wind some months ago, bad got into St. Augustin's Bay, in the Island of Madagascar, dismissed, and otherwise much damaged. This ac count is said to be received in a private letter from Pondicherry via Madras ; there was likewise a ru mour, that her long boat had drifted into Pondi cherry Roads. _ _ Lord PERCY, report says, intends to offer himself for Middlesex, in the probable event of the late elec tion being declared void. It is now generally understood, that the Secret Expedition, under General CR•io, will sail in the course of the present week. When we first an nounced this measure, one of our contemporaries alluding to it, pertly and flippantly observed, " we notice this repot t merely to contradict the assertion, that General Ca AIO is to be at the bead of the ex pedition. That General is going out to the West Indies in the place of Geseral N G r." `f'f.' ti; THE CHINESE bINNER. ♦ TACT WHICH OCCUARLD DUIIIHO LORD MAXIM'. NAY'S I.6lllAssT TO CHINA. BY OLD KICK. The feast prepar'd, the spies**, mad Atlow'd the eye no rest; 14 ‘ • The wealth of " Orm us and the We" Ap,)ear'd to greet the guest. No idle tongue, no converse light, The solemn silence broke, Because, 'tis fain'd, our Englishman No word of Chinese spoke Now here, low there, he pick'd a bit Of what he could not name, And all he knew was that, in fact. They made him sick the sane. CYtNI•TAV. hie hre,t, pre on each dick With pasted Ciiiricee grace, And much CH 'NO thought he relith'd therm At eery ugly face. At last he swore, he'd eat r.' more, (7was written in hie kick.; !) " For sounds," said he, " tile Devil 1t.,. Szilds both the meat and cooks!" But, corers clu,g'd, he brighteied And thought himself in luck, When, close before hint, what hisser Seemed something like a duck. Still readies.; grown, and, to be OM, His brain he set to rack ; At length 117 i tuned to one behind, Ara, pointing, cried, " ;hula, quick?" The Chinese gravely shook head, Next made a rey'rent bow, And then express's( what dish it w..t, By utering, " Bow, wow, wow!” • Milton. ing was a; stage of t was to be candied, in the Committee ; denten meant to of namely, lint of vs BREACH OF PRIVILEGES. Mr. T. STEELE moved for a new writ to be issued for the City of Bath, in the room of Lord John Thvnne, who has disqualified himself by sit ting in the House and voting, without taking the oaths, aii•l, in other respells, not complying with the law in such cases provided. Lord John 1 hynne had accepted the office of Vice Chamberlain of His Majesty's household, in June last ; but, from inad vertency, continued to sit and vote, notwithstand ing, without having given in the requisite qualifica tion. The Hon. Member said that, as the House always shewed indulgence to such of its Members as had inadvertently transgressed its privileges, he had no doubt but that, after they should have order ed the writ to be issued, they would permit him to bring in a Bill to indemnify his Noble Friend from the penalties and disabilities consequent by the law on such omissions and inadvertencies of his Lord s' p _ _ 'f he writ was now ordered, and Mr. Steele, hiv ing moved for leave, brcught in his Bill of indem nity, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. IRISH ACCOUNTS. Mr. PITT moved for a Committee to examine the debts, etc. outstanding, or the balances due to Great Britain and Ireland on the expenditure of the United Kingdom from Ist Janunry 1801, to Ist Ja nuary 11405, and to consider of the best means of ascertaining the balances at the end of each year. —Agreed to. Mr. PITT, Mr. Fosrxa, Lord CASTLEREAGH, Mr. CORI Y, the Mas reit of the ROLLS, and seve ral more members were appointed of the Committee. Mr ROSE moved for the appointment (4 three different Committees to-morro.v, to regulate the degrees of intercourse and indulgence, to be al lowed to foreign nations, their prizes and trade, in His Majesty's dominions abroad.—Ordered. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice that on Friday next he would move in the Committee of Supply, for some additional taxes in place of those which had been rej..seted, and also to make the tax on wine permanent, and to have an additional tax laid on pepper. The report of the Committee on the Expiring Laws Bill was read and agreed to. Mr. Husxissosi moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend an Act passed in the 45th of Gecnge 111. which prohibited issuing promissory notes under the value of 51. The Excheqinr Bills Bill and Expiring Lays Bill were committed, and the report ordered to be received to-murrow.--Adjourned. ANTIENT MUSIC. The rehearsal for to-morrow night's perform - ze took place yesterday at Hanover- , ,cluare Ro. s, under the direction of the &Id of Da RT ; the Noble Earl was not present. The Direffrg present were, &ills DARNLEY, FORTLICV4 {immune. Mrs. &LI INGTOW attended, and we. in exeellent voice, and suns Le. the bight Sera phew." Mr. BAR EL EM•N sung his master-picce of .1 Lord, have Mercy upon me," by PLILGOLEZt. The selection is very judiciously made. On Sunday evening, r. seledio,i from the Sacred Oratorio of Jovph, was performed by Her MAIII - v's Band, and the G.-ntlemen of the Choir, before the ROY AL FAMILY and a selen party. Yesterday morning, His MAJ sory and the Duke of CA ?A 1111110 t, aecompani?cl by Generals Firzeoy :nd Morasses, inspetied the Royal Horse Guards in Windsor Great Park. Her Msassry and NINCLSSES took an airing to Frogmore. Last th• ROYAL FAsas.T had a Vocal Concert by the Gentlemeh of Windsor Choir. It seleel furry were present. Yesteiday the Duke of CLASZNCS and Earl DA ItNI.SY, after attending the House of Lords, visited His Royal Highness the Prince of WALLS, at Carleton-house. This day the ROYAL FAMILY come to tows from Windsor. The Right Honourable Lady Louts,. CONNOLLY has attired in Dublin from this country. Her Ladyship is accompanied by Lady SARAH NAPIER, her sister, and Err too daughters ; Lady Is iItLLA FITZOIRALD, sister to the Duke of LEINSTER, and Mr. Hztrov, of Straffan, brother-in-law to his Grace. Her Ladyship intends residing at her seat at Castletown, diffusing happiness amongst her te nantry. Sir LUAU GRAHAM has removed to his new house in Cavendish-square. The Marlborough Coursing Meeting took place yesterday se'nnight, when the cup was won by Lord RIVRIS'S celebrated Rolla (late Pizarro.) Mrs. Mottura LS ' Mrs. BLAND, and Signior MO SELLS. are the vocal performers at the Oxford Con certs this night and to-morrow. Apartments have been fitted up at Hanover square Rooms, for the residence of Mr. GRLAru ■ cx, the eonduanr of the Concert of Ancient Music. The Young Retries played Herniet again last night to a crowded audience. The Marchioness of S &Lissom gave .5 grand' Route last night, which was honoured b y the pre sence of . • Hi, Royal Highness the PrI,ICP of Wales, tie Dula` of C,a renet and Cumberland. The Marchiontse of Downshire, the Couotertme(Chatham, Cholmondeley, And Cainden. Melville, Somerville, Brownlow, Cavrdor, Fitzpatrick>, G. Ca veanlish, and the Earl of Derby The Marchioness of Aim !colts entertained a • large party at supper last night. The supper con sisted of all the delicacies of the season, served in the most sumptuous manner. Amongst those who graced the festive board, were— Tile Duchess of Gordon. Marchioness of Watm ford. Ti Counts:lnas of Buckinghamshire, Westmoreland, Chatham, and Jersey. Viscountesses—Castlereagh, Villien,Goefort,ord !linchinsrook. Ladi..s..-Perth, E. Monk, Bamford, M. i. Fate, S Bailey, and Baroness Crofton and daughters. Tha Marquis of Waterford. Viscount Villteni, sod Mr. Monk. A new Tragedy, called .44prand, written by a Gentleman resident in Salisbury, will be performed at that Theatre to-morrow night. Richmond, on Sunday, from the beauty of the day, exhibited the first symptoms of spring ; the town was quite in a bustle with the visitors frcm Londun, principally in carriages and on horseback ; the Star and Garter, the Castle, and the Talbot, had all their respeetive companies. The following entertainments were annotince4 for last night's performance at the Govort The'. tre :—'l he Jew ; Jabal, by the Comic Infant Rodeo. End of the Play, the Song of yobs 801 l verse' Parte, by the Comic Infant Romig's. With the t arre of My Grandmother Dicky Gossip, by the Gale Infant Retool. And on Thursday, by desire cf Captain LA/Midas, of the Royal Engineers, re Poor Gentleman Dr. Olapad, by the Comic 1 .7 e " g 14,cats. bra ful of nei itr bet s ot ed cal Hi Ki 'U •