The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1809-08-17 00:00:00

RF 7 ' " ' . . MISCONDUCT OF THE 4p,M.MA11",., The two Naval Courts-Martial cers, t hat have lately occurred, A l e 'patent linis 'Oa sentences of which have been 1411,!efore thrpublic, lie now open to the consideratib; tihd dischstiish Of .; r ersoile qualified to animadvert Vision the causal andiefficta of 114Viti trAllbdC1101111; arid, oa n the fish navy constitutes the glory, the superiority, and the security of this country, the subject is of vital importance. These tianbactions become more evi dently of consequence, if a discordance of opinion among the officers, any) the defective execution of the service that occasioned these trials, may Le traced to measures subversive of good order, by on abuse of that power which was constituted to sup port and preserve naval discipline. _ It is natural for men in authority to extend their power. This is evident in thy conduct of indivi .i.ials, but not less so, in that of bodies of men asso c. ited in commissions denominated Boards. His. tory is replete with instances that prove the neces sity of some check upon this propensity, which, otherwise, degenerates into despotism. The Su preme Naval Board of this country being invested w f ith the tlse , i ft whole power arising from thePrerngstirw o • . . •• . meet. w it h scarce ly any check, but from the rare interposition of liar : liament; and its we-At constitutional power has her ri very much augmented within these thirty years, by the measures it has pursued of increasing the proportional siutnbers of the commissioned AB CM to the slumbers of the ships owl Vt-6,..h. elll ployed upon service. This will he evident by a comparative statement. In thLyese 1782, at the close of the American War, the British navy nonsiste.l of the ftriloWilig number of ships tin.l vessels in commission : - I...tate.A•bsttle ships cosumnind by Post Captains ..113 Mgr', not of toe hoe, commanded by Post Croatia 130 —.-... C 43 Ships sinl teasels owlet Comm:mien .. ........ . • • . 14j The ssuiblislimert of Naval Commissioned Of ftcera, in 17:42, wits— Flal.oflicsrs 51 Post Coyish's ..... . ..... •• • • —367 Commanders toi Lieutenants. 1169 In the present year, leo9, the l!ritish navy con sists of the following numbers of ships and vessels in commission : Lise-istbottle strips commanded by Post Captains.. ton imps, Ilei of the hue, commanded by Post Captions iris • 178 Slum mil mash uuier Csuaimaders 907 The establishment of Naval Oliminiseletteri 3 Ofw. Seers in the present !Per. FlakOtlic•as ...• •• 175 . • Pest Captains Comma.. ',,• Lieuteaal.ts i 0 These statemeuts, collected Win Stecrs.Lists of the Navy, at these two periods, dinnonstrate how far the Board of Admiralty Atelide'd it's pltromige . during the intermediate time; warrant these facts it follows, that if there were a sulkient intinher of coe;tuissioned offiems in 1 i shave a..c now a greatisniiiy more Ohio a proper nhapher upon the lists. Such measures may he justly deemed air ONlrstragaiit waste of the petite treasure, to odd to the influence of Nliiiister;•: • but even 111. s tr of very ferior iotpottaucr, when ounipared to the baneful effects this Anse of power has eventually had upon naval dacipliiie. The most perceptible check upon a , i ) raviejsur extrtiun of power in the Admiralty, has ariscn fimn the la:deuces of Naval Courts-Mar tial; but, by loadin 4 the lists with conimissioued *liken., min, by keeping the emoluments of tliu,e officers apt low as pu•nable, an undue influence over them has been obtained, and this .salutary check completely destroyed. The selfish passion of ea. tending pumar has produced a contempt for the ominous sea officers, wherever those o pini ons hunt interfered with miniArrial authority., until, by degrees. it has struck U. the very fountlution tit good order. Is the tonisoctious of the fleet in Basque Komi, OW find a pilaw captain selected by the First Lord tits Admiralty, wed sent to Clettlte a must int porta ist enterpnse against to enemy's wpiadriiii, without the coneurr, ice of the Ailment, who rem iminded a formidable force, and whose dnty it was to do every thing in his power to take or destroy the French ships then lying at author uear the Esi fleet. Whether this was distrust of the faro ssional skill, or conttuipt for the } pmeral elianic i,rs of the Flag Officers:4ml Captains slip s played on this service, it us equally tuortaystvz ...d dcgradin. Indeed, such u liar of cousin, t email nut hare been conceived, had not a total disrepird for the opinious and feelings area officers pervad ed the sm,reine tit usitlionty. It will lie difficult, it nut impossible, to find any proeftlent for the. measure ; but even could a pr e . cram he foetid, and similar 6111111411Tr16 Istir.u...l, then any inferior officer might be scut to pet form tlie li s idttlial services, ender the eye, mid by the asei.tiliee of his superiors. This would omonot to the mounipttoo of a power to destroy snowier god wl..nduna non fousuled repots oink 410C1 lIVIIIO. rity, oluch mold sot lie carried lido effect without rreertisrmag •be principle upon which discipliue is eatahlonstel. • 'Mc following passage front Lard Coehrstier evidence at the last Cuort-Martial, (first day), illusis ides this male agent : " When we anchored it was shoat two o'clock, some lirip brought up, (as marked in Chart, to SW fur the violet' tom of the bombs, hat lon far oft to he of any rise. 1 mule the signal fur 1b... to rloar, bat as there is no flag to express, brigs only, without frigates or larger rearekr, moat of which were cum tairrolud try toy SellMll, I rwrismunt, so far aa lay is my power, that tha signal was intimated Sot tlirm, by firm" upnw them foams the maim- deck, for this quarter-deck shut, which I Oa tmeal aq•clf, did ant reach t firm. Tibia MIMI, I was after wards rahormeil.gare emanderalae offeace ; sad as Wee as karat that ?ruin Sir ll_ Neat, I declared to my Luta Gambia, that it was ant ormaneties, N ibe slightest &pee, to hart 1 It ill toots 11. e supreme naval Authority that ell tits Lordship's Isdiaps. I had then so Ow to espress, by a heririt.,•44 as irrli se all pi riiisincisi We - source, which tritonis tairprsPhaa teramairirathos, whorl MUM wearily.' 1- 4 affect tlic maritime rove adds country, take theii . rise. It is frean that source that unanitnity and istler spring, and from thence confusion and party iriaare produced and prevail in the navy, if the °malt? had , hieen successful in the attack made stpon Admiral Keppel, he would have been dis graced as a man, eml dishonoured a an officer. A de rpotism, resembling * that of the Turkish navy, would have pervaded the srrvii e: the similitude continu ing, would at last have terminated in the 'aide contempt for practical seamanship which prevails among the Turks. lint the sea officers of that pe riod were aware of the blow aimed at professional knowledge, and they shewed that they were capa ble of preserving the dignity of the British navy, without wounding its discipline. The acquittal of Admiral Keppel hail no injurious effects upon the authority of the Admiralty. The supreme power remained entire. It is true that presumption and ignorance could no longer retain the direction co! the navy, because experience had taught the Mi nisters some deference for professional skill. If the Admiralty shall choose to employ an in ferior or junior officer upon ally enterprise of which they may judge him most capable, the superiors or seniors may be removed; but it is beyond the power of any authority to alter, by its fiat, the principle upon which the laws of all force are and must be founded. It appears that Lord Cachrane, Captain of the lesperierase frigate, obtained from the Admiralty the means which he deemed necessary to VCCOIll•• l i!1 •11 I,lle defeat or destruction of the enemy's ships in Aix Road, in which he was to he soled by His Majesty's ships, commanded by Admiral Lord Gauthier, sent to blockade, intercept, or destroy that Fvencli squadron. Lord Gauthier, in answer to the diseelions of the Admiralty to assist Lnrd Cochrune, uses these worn., 4. He assures their Lordillips that Lord Cochrane shall have every as sistione, with all the memos in his power to give Lint, for the aucotnplishinent of io ileuirahre as ribs jest." Unfortunately fur the accomplishment of this service, 411 immutable rule of discipline inter. ft red, sit as to rehder it impossible for the Corn mand rt.-MA to give the assistance in the most effec tual manner. It was beyond his power to give Lord Cochrane the itnaseeliate command of any of his ships. one only excepted, which was a frigate. Therefore the Admiral's assistance in ships to be managed by Lord Cochrane was actually so con fined vs to amours to nothing. It was conse quently impeded by requiting a longer time for every step Ie be taken, and upon time the success of , !netlike operations generally depends. Lord Coubrene's ideas of assistance were first to be coat litinicateil to the Admiral. The Constnander-in citief was tneii to judge of the propriety o f the suggestion, fium the view which his more distant situation gave lnin, ..f the operations and condi tiou of the enemy, aod (with the exception of one frigate) the directious for assistance must at last be given to a person saperior in command to Lord Cricheane. whit would execute the service accord ing to Ins own lidginent, without regent to the plans or intentions of Lord Cochrane, as ships upon this duty must at the time aec aaaaa ily he separated from the body of the fleet.° It is Mere material to observe, that, wider the above circumstances, the Captaites of the ships sent by time Admiral infallibly supersedi d the Cap tain of the Imp-repose fniate, who was the per son appointed by the Admiralty to perform this service. IC niters were diftereitt ideas respecting who was to command, delay or coofusiou are the consequences. Rat lest these should not be sufli tient to ilistr.,et the :lintels uf officers, under circum stances so unfortunate, some doubt inay have re fitaiiiPd as to the time when Lord Cochrene's poser of concluctiitithe enterprise was•to terminate. If it were bounikl by the explosion and destruc tion of the lire-ships, the whole service entrusted to Ins management finished before the dean of the next day, awl are had eolith% further to perform, but by the orders of the Admiral. But if be be sustained as the judge of future operations against the enemy. as has been above supposed, the whole transaction is involved in impenetrable confusion. Direction, issued by the Admiralty, to sit Ad miral ciiiiiinandiug a beiliildtoll. toenapluy all 111111 6,1451 on a certain service, however dose orders way be qualified, by pistilig the selected person under the Admiral's reminand, mid however the Corninalider-iii-Cl.,ef may he officially vested with isnwt rto eon- tool I ,do tint change the mature of such ctions. They wer,, therefore imoutesti hiy binding upon the Admiral, and he hail an al ternative ono restgootion.—The cousequences us tui ally follow. The wonder then is, not that ins- a 111, perf e ct service, discord and collusion, have ensued ; casion, at tile head of their respective corps, but rather how the duty could have beers so w.:11 however diminished, are still firmidalde, stud e performed, under circumstances so unfortunately slat almost wholly of veternu troops, will fill up tile erroneous. vacancies occasioned by the raruage at Ta'aver As far us the operations in Basque Road, and Wherever it may be judged prudent to take up o what has resulted from them.are kuowil, they prove position, the French, even assuming that they have the truth of the facts, and the coin losinos winch lost ten, twelve, or tifteen thousiold men, have been down from them. The junior officer, •27tli and 2.Bth of July, canilor Ise estimeted at less initorully perceiving that his K.4ll:flit behasiour at- I than sixty thousand troop., tit for service, as fur as trailed particular notice, pursues a line of conduct, 4 our iaformation reaches. Cnn we drive such a which obliges the Commander-in-Chief to demand low— over the Pyrenees ? Or, if we could. can we a Court-Martial upon himself, which, alone, creates i retake the fortrusses occupied by the Corsica', Ern. some distrust in him among the nuinformed part of prow ? And if we are unable to effect these tan the public, who always attach superior merit to ohjects. ..list avails our temporary oceupstiou of thew who are exposed to personal danger. Some Madrid, and tar proelaturiug of Fi.eDISIAND degree of discord tool animuNity has also breal pro- Vlltli eu the Prad•? Must not the ultimate p os . duced in the navy, en effect always prejudicial to session of Spain rest with N•eor.ects, if lie reduce the public service. And if it were practicable to Austria to accept of peace ? Will he not return, Is. continue the scheme of obliging superior officers to he did lest NO vreul)er, at the head of one 11mM...A lie indirectly COMulaorleti by inferiors, the very and fifty thousand soldiers, mud sweep us heforsr foundation of all discipline must he demolished. him ? Or does Lord CASTLEREAGH mean. Iliac Sir The state mid force of the two fleets in question, Mantle, because lie has defeated Joimett Bona.. aggravate the error ; for the enemy's skips to lie at- PAR ru, snail wait to . try his fortune uguitist NAPO. tacked„ were ',curly equal in forcetothoseoftlir• Eng- Leon That experiment might be too Inazardloui. fish. The person entrusted with the execution of lu fact, Sir AaTHUIt, at Talavera. like the LILACS' this enterprise, was Captain of a frigate, junior to all Pat Nice, at Poictier., and like HENRY the Vtli, at. the Captains who could act in corninanding ships, A4iiirourt, iu the midet of a foreign country, at one (tidy except.d. The Captain of the huperiettre tacked by a vastly superior en, my. and destitute of frigate, did wit offer lunrelf, nor solicit this duty,* all means of retreat, hail no alternative, except nor slid he pies* himself into notice. Ile was se- victory, or complete destotpcuon. In that desperate leered, and invited by the First Lord of the Admi- position, hr has obtaitte4 a signal triumph. Bur, ratty to perform a service which must disappoint would tint this triumph, if it hurl liappeued on the the hopes of dome who for many months had been Drove. or on the Danube; it had hero ginned rintiously ciatising,in tempestuous weather, to inter- over the loupes of the tyrant who is conteuding ut ceps this very squadron of the enemy, the glory of Voiotia against Austria ; instead of bang gained whose destruction, or defeat, has been thus twitch- over the tool whom be has placed to Castile. awl ed front them, by outraging discipline, insetting the who must rise or fall with Oe good or the iii-for navy, sail ',flooding tile feelings of the must uteri- time of Natimcson ;—we would ask, whether, if torious officers. I Talavera had been Gratz, or Leolwil, or Lintz, the • See Lord Game% seldom so Admiral Horny% Court- SI ortial. operation, Boil the benehts to Europe, at lraet the chauces of benefit to the world, and to the cause so which we are all engaged, would Slut hate been multiplied ail hundred fold ? Wr teuuaiu alai of that opinion. IVr consider Austria us the pillar of the Continesit. while she is nasubilued. We re gard Spain as a corollary and au acceriry to the piece. So, we believe, does Ito eiseanre himself. But in delivering and iu ileft:nding there senti ments, we trust. that no moo will accuse es of not wishing to 410 i lintlee to the glorious event now an der our examitiation. Upon that point, we know how securely we may trust to the caeduur anal the discernment of the public. We this day resume our extra.ls from the Spa nigh and Portuguese Papers, to the nth inst. They represent the spirit of the voinitry every where kindling again into that enthusiasm which blitzed out at the coinmenestment of the present straggle, but whit•li we feared hail long since nearly spent itself. The provinces of Guthrie, Eieemy, am& Asturias, are actively employed in prepnriligtheir strength, and putting forth all their means of re. Meunier. The French, it is said, have abandoned the siec.,ft of (;eronn, and iuu no part of the Penile. SOIL do they appear to enjoy a moment's repc,e, being every where harassed and attacked the natives. It was reported, lest night, Liaise believe without geoil authority, that another engagement had taken philtre is Spain, in which Sir Aetlsue WULLESII.V. hull again defeated the French. A French privateer, from Boulogne or .Celsie, had captured a brop on hoard of which she put some of the crew. fhe ling was re-captured, and sent into Dover, on Tuesday. The Frenehinee, who left France on Monday looming, state, that in) recounts had then arrived of pesCe having been concluded between Austria and France. By a French Colonel; takes prisoner, we learn that Justin. lionapan - rit quitted the field, with Vet. coo, at half-past four o'clock, and the army retreaded at five. The fullowisig letter has been received by Sir Jolts l)oet.c. Governor of Guernsey. from Mr. AaCHDtKIN, itriti,h Vice-Consul at Cadis:— " OFFICIAL. " CADIZ, Avo e.--Acciroets here bees received from General Cuesta of • signal victuty gained by the Combined British and Spanish Armies, a the Doghbourtinsid of Sal. dos, between the and myth ult. against the French Army nutlet Victor ' which they compute!, rusted, with a tremenduns loss. Ours is satituated at 3.900, acid &bedpost eras have also lost wenn) ; bat all have cowered theawisidliw with maierial gluey." " NOT OFFICIAL, BUT LIKELY. " Letters frees Seville, of esterday's date, lay, that hits has serreedered with t coou taro, and that the Sp, oldt toy wader tileaseet Vasops had catered Madrid. It is also said that the Serene Jost, hare coots rod the rank 0f Criptsie - General Is lie Spoisleb army uu Sir A. %dimity, sad the Grand Crew of CWI4OIIII. as Cocoa tilkirledr "A. A lICHDIMIN, Vice-ceseet Ministers, it is inlet, have given orders for the immediate forwarding of supplies of arms and ame inuoition to the Marquis de la Rousts*. Twenty thousand stand of arras have. accordiaig to report, beau issued by Government, and in part embarked. In addition to these imppliem, contrairts have been entered into by the Spanish Legation, for immense quinines of the most essential reticles of military clothing and accoutrements. Au order was given• in one day last week, Sly tbs Spanish Legation. in the tome of the Spanish Government, for the fol- - . - lowing of:tidos, to be furnished, on their account, at the expiration of one month from the date oi the order : 50,000 Pair of Stac;:iar (CAtio), t rs,neoWed; et °swats, Pair of Shots, I +ism,* Ravassosks. 25,000 Shirts, The house to which this order hut been given has recently furnished warm clothing for 50,itv" men (to be paid for by the S:isni.h Governance,. in order to enable the I`3triots to kiwi) thg'fieht during the ensuing alive .. ... THE BRITISH PR E SS. LONDON, THURSDAY. Augusr 17. The Defender gois-brig, of 14 guns, arrived Id Margate, on Tuesday, from the Scheldt., She lock her departure about seven o'clock in the morning, at which time our forces had been occupied about four hours with the bombardment of Flushing.— The Defender, however, did not lose sight of the place until about nine o'clock in the evening. In the interval, the town appeared a blaze of ire,' and several flags of truce were observed pass ing and repasstug. The bombardment, how ever, wus renewed about eight o'clock, with increased fury. Admiral lies.rs was proceed ing up the West Scheldt. The peasantry about Rotterdam had risen to support us, and it was hoped that Rotterdam, with three French sail of the line at that place, would soon he in our poi. session. A more particular account of the news brought by the Defender and the Bermuda, which left Welchem' on Sunday, and arrived on Monday at Harwich, will be found under the head of " THE EXPEDITION." Government, we understand, have received di .- pnte!ies by the Ur/finder gun-brig, stating, that Flushing had offered to Plureittler, but that the terms were refused. It W 35 al.° reported, last Hight, that a British force, of three rail of the !hie, had taken lielvoctrluys. New Yolk papers to the lids Imit were retei%ed yesterday, taut data contents are of no importance. Wr hare made tome extroct% from Borhadoes Potters to the ith ult. being the latest intelligence from tiitst titiirter ; but tl,ry cosition little of ;toy interest. We feel no ordinary pride and pleasure, in ad mitting the brilliancy and importance of the victo ry of Talavera. We esteem it, how-ever, es less a part of our duty to the public, to examine with partiality, and to state with manly fairness, our opinions on the constiusencrs to be anticipated from the expected newel, to Madrid. And let us begin with the renitence tbst sustained in the two armies. It the British army reduced ewe fourth, as it assuredly mast be. if we nave had .• 1101 kill ed, 3913 wounded. and 6;:j we cannot deny, that one ur two more sueb victories will new ly annihilate, or will at least extremely reduce, our force ; which, at the ',resent moment. it, is toot", believe, very easy to reinforce from England. The enemy, indeed, it appears, has sustained a far se verer loss ; probably double, amounting to 10,000 men, together with cannon; ammunition, and tum brils. Nor can he fail to stiffer in his retreat, whichever way he direct it, by elesertiou, and the * merahle inconrenicneies attendant cm a defeat ed army. But, admitting all these etas and mis fortunes in their utmost extent, we cannot he so sanguine, or so intoxicated by our success. us to suppose, that, though they may evacuate the me tropolis and New Castile, they will not rally, and form a powerful army, either in Arragon, protected by the Ebro, or between Segovia. Valladolid, and Burgos. Nat and Simla, neither of whom, we believe. althoogls it is so stated in the Saini.h Pa pert, wine clear the sceuc of action on the late oc- I Mr. wb 4 /CC c b if