The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1806-03-25 00:00:00

P IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Men Dior, Masco le. Ce ounsel were fully heard relative to . the Soots Appeal, William Allan, merchant in Leith, v. De Voz, Ramsay, Wdliamson, and ethers ; viz. Mr. Adam, on the part of the Appellant ; Messrs. No land and Horner, for the Respondents ; and Mr. Adam in reply. Alter which, the Lord*Chan tenor, who seemed to have his mind decidedly made up as to the merits of the case, addressed a few observations to the House upon the suhjea, and concluded by moving, " that the judgment of the Court below be affirmed ;" which was ordered AC.. nordingly. THE IMPEACHMENT. After the above order had been made, LotilViscount MELVILLE, who had been some time in the House, rose, and presented a paper at the table, which was forthwith read, but rather in an under -tone, by the Clerk ; it proved to be his Lordship's answer respeaing the additional Article of Impeachment eshitsited against him by the Com mons. After formally reciting that proceeding, it went (as we could colleen) to state, that the said Viscount being called upon to answer, though no precedeat applied to a proceeding of the kind, thought it incumbent on him to enter his protect against the same ; and though not conceiving him. self bound by law or former custom to answer, yet the said Lord Viscount Melville. confiding is the goodness of his cause, and :he justice of their Lordships' House, at the same time, saving and re serving to himself, all legal ohjettions, aild with respea to the not being prejudiced, by any want of forte in the proceeding, and all rights and pri vileges as a Peer of the Realm, and a Member of this Horse ; he hereby answered, that he is by no means Guilty of such High Crimes and Misdemea nours' as charged in the said article, and that he is rea d y _ to prove such before this Right Honour able House, to which he humbly submitted the justice of his cause; and praying that he may be discharged by the same, and dismissed with respell Wall the allegations therein recited against, him, &c. The answer was ordered to lie upon the table ; and on the motion of Lnrd WALSINGHAM, a copy thereof was ordered to be cummunicated to the [ Commons. The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted their Lordships, that a Noble Friend of his, then absent, intended to-morrow to move, in his place, the 'thanks of that House to Sir John Duckworth, and the Officers under his command ; he would there fore propose, that their Lorcithips be summoned far to-morrow ; which being moved by his Lord ship, the same was ordered accordingly. A few Private and Return Bills were brought up from the Commons, by Sir J. W. Anderson and Mr. Baldwin ; the former were forthwith severally lead a first time. General Oakes appeared at the 13.1 r, and pre sented the First Repiirt of the Commissioners of Military Inquiry, which was ordered to lie on the table, and afterwards copies thereof to be printed foe the use of their Lordships. Ott the motion of Lord WALSINGHAM, an address was ordered to l• • presented to His Majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to *trier that there be la•d beL•re the !louse a copy of the fit st Repoli of the Commissioners appcinted to digest and revise the civil affairs of his Majesty's navy. Lord WALSINGHAM moved, that the pre sent order, respecting the further consideration of the Roos Peerage, be discharged, and an order for she same purpose made for the first 11Iursday after the Easter recess, which was or dered accordingly. Mr. IRVING, Inspector-general of tililmpons and Exports of Great Britain, presented a statement of she amount of the same, during the interval of eighteen years, ending the sth day of January last, which was ordered to lie on the Table. Atter some routine business was disposed of; the House adjourned ull to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Sir Samuel Romilly (the new Solicitor. General), and two other Members, took the oaths and their seats. Mr. Johosnn, from the Office of the Chief Secre ury of Ireland, presented at the Bar an Account of the Consolidated Fund of !retold, with the Charges, Payments, and Surplus, for the year I 80.5. .—Ordered to be printed. Mr. Irwin, the InspeEler General of Exports and Imports, presented at the gar an Account of the Exports and Imports for eight years, ending Fe bruary IBo6.—Ordered to lie en the table. Mr. Cocke, from the Exchequer, presented at the BAT an Account of all Interest pail on Exche quer Bills, in the years 1803, 4,5, and the Average thereof.—Ordered to lie on the table. The Bill for paving, lighting, and improving led Lion-41(1.1re, was read a fast, and ordered to be read a second time. Sir P. STEPHENS moved for an Account of the Sums of Money paid by the Treasurer of the Navy towards promoting the Discovery of the Longitude.—Oti•red. The Cape of Good Hope Bill went through a Committee, the Report to-morrow. The Secretary at War brought up an Abstraft of the total number of Mtn raised in England and Ireland, under the Additional Force Bill. Ordered to b e pr.itted• Mr. Vansittart brought up several Accounts pur suant to At of Parliament.—Ordered to be pr►ntei. Mr. IIItOOKF. postponed his motion, relative to the sontratt for spirits foe the Navy, to this dry se'nnight. Mr. W. POLE moved for several papers relative to I n d ia , w hich, he sa id, were necessary to the Mar quis Wellesley, in his defame, among *ltch were the following : A letttr from the Coveinar-General in CrAincil, to the Secret Committeeoiated the 31st May, 1110.5, with the inclosures Another letter from the same to the same, rela tive to the Mogul, dated the '2d June, 1805. Another, dated 7th June, 13(5—from the same to side same,.relative to Wellore and Goab, with the inelesures, and a long string of other papers . which were all ordered. The Report on the Expiring Laws Bill, respeft ing the British Fisheries, was brought up and read, and ordered to be further considered on Thursday. Mr. GREY gave notice, that he would. to morrow, move a Vote of Thanks to Admiral Sir J. T. Duckworth, for his late Vietory over the French Fleet. Lord TEMPLE postponed the Committee on the Tortola Free Port Bill, to this day se'nnight. The Irish Land Partition Bill ; the E.xci‘e Ex piring Laws Bill, and the Felons' Transportation Bill, were severally read a third time and passed. The Reports on the 10,300,0001. and the 1,500,0001. Exchequer Bills Bills, were severally brought up and agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. The Witnesses' Bill was read a secor.d time, and ordered to be committed on Thursday. The Solicitor-General, and Mr. Sheridan were, on the Motion of Mr. Whitbread, ordered: to be added to the Impeachment Committee. Mr. Vansittart brought up several Accounts, pursuant to order, relative to the Barrack Depart ment, which were ordered to be printed, and re ferred to the Committee of Supply, on Wednesday. Mr. Rake, from the India House, presented at the Bar several Papers relative to India, pursuant to the order of the House. Ordered to be printed. THE lIUDGET. Mr. ROSE said, that as be saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his place, le wished to repeat what he had briefly touched upon on a former night, relative to the bringing forward the Ways and Mean., before the Army Estimates were finally settled. On more mature consideration of the sub jeft, he was confirmed in the opinion he then gave, that it might be attended with great inconvenien cies, and he was positive such a thing had not been done since the Revolution. The whole, he understood, would amount to upwards of ~.4,000,0001. towards which there was not more provided, as yet, than the Land and Malt I and the War Taxes, which be would take at about I 6,500,0001, ; and it the Loan were to the extent that was talked of, the Ways and Means would exceed the Supply. Ile did not think it was easy to form, with any degree of certainty, a conjeflural sum for the army. He hoped, therefore, the Noble Lord would take the matter into consideration, and as sured him, that he should at all times be ready to give him every assioance in his power. Lord H. PE :"Y said, it was not his intention to vote any sums of money. He only meant to state what is probable will be wanted, and the sums might afterwards be voted. Mr. ROSE repeated, that no such proceeding had taken place since the Revolution. Mr. HIJSKISSON said, he apprehended the Contractors for the Loan would expxa en assur ance, that the sum now borrowed would be all that would he asked for this year. Lord HENRY PE rry said, if the Bankers had not thought it worth their white to ask any such as surance, he did not 'see why the Hon. Gentleman should concern himself with it. The SPEAKER rerdnded the Hon. Gentlemen, that there was nu question before the House. IMPEACII M ENT. A Message from the Lords informed the House, that their Lordships had seta the House a tit= copy of the answer of Henry Lord Viscount hi:4- stifle, to the farther article of Impeachment, 14ving the 10th, charging the said Lard Viscount Melville with high crimes and misdemeanours. The said answer was, on the motion of %!r. Whitbread, read, which protested against the said 10th article, as an unprecedented mater not before known in the prafiice of Parliament, but reserving to himself the benefit of, &c. The said Henry Lord Viscount Melville, in an swer to the said article saith, that he is no way guilty of the high crimes, &c. laid to his charre, and this he is ready to prove as the House may direct. _ _ _ Mr. WHITBREAD then moved, that the said answer be ieterred to the Committee for concluding the Impeachment, to consider the same, and report their opinion to the House, as to what is further to be done in 'the business.—Ordered. The Honourable Member immediately afterwards brought up the report, which was a replication hum the said Committee to the said answer ; in which they reply, in the name of them , elves, and the whole Commissioners of the United Empire, and say, that the said Henry Lurd Viscount Melville, is guilty of the said charges, and that they are ready to prove the same. It was then ordered, that the said replication, he the replication of the Commons to the answer of Lord Viscount Melville, and that it be engrossed. TREASURER OF THE ORDNANCE. On the motion of Lord H. Petty, the House re solved itself into a Committe of the whole House, on the Bill for regulating the office of Treasurer of the Ordnance. (Mr. Hawthorne in the chair.) Mr. WELLESLEY POLE addressed the Chair man of the Committee, and stated, that be was well convinced, it was the object of the Noble Lord, and his colleagues in office, to prevent, by this Bill, the Treasurer of the Ordnance from making use of the public money. He was convinced. however, as the Bill now stood, it would not effilt this. He had, therefore, communicated with the Noble Lord on the subjea ; and, in consequence of what had passed between them,heltadgrepared two clauses to be added to the Bill, which he begged leave to submit to the Committee. Before he lead them, however, it would be necessary to en into some explanation of their tendency. The lion. Member then entered into a detailed account, of considerable length, as to the office of the Treasurer of the Ordnance, and the nature of the payments, which are very corn. plicateal, under three or tour different heads of pay ments, and whicL none but those perfealy ciinver sant with the transaCtions of the Ordnance Board, could possibly guard against. He pointed out two er three cases, in which the Treasurer might make u.e of the public money, notwithstanding this Bill, if more efficient clauses were sot added. He thought the Bill would be very advantageous to the public interest, and wished it, therefore, to be as perfea as possible. A Bill of the same kind, he said, had been long in contemplation of His Ma jesty's Late Miaisters ; and his Right. Honourable Irriend, lately deceased, ha I only delayed bringias! it forward, from an islea, that as Commrssioners had been appointed to inquire into this department, it would he more respectful to wait for the report. He believed this Bill to be a mere transcript of that which his Bight Honoerable Friend had left behind him ; but was not, by any means, in a peeled state, and, therefore, he would do all in his power, from the knav:ledge he possessed of the business of that Board, to make it so. He then read his clauses, pointing out, at the same time, how they applied to the security of the public money, by preventing ba lances from continuing in the hands of the Trea surer. He said there was no mention made of ire land in the Bill, which, he understood, arose from an intention of some alteration in the arrangement of the Ordnance Board there. The interests of the people of that country had been highly benefitted, since the Union, by the abolition of the Irish Boat d of Ordnance, and putting it under the management of the Board here. He hoped, therefore, His Ma jesty's Ministers would rot make any alteration in that department, which should take it out of its pre sent channel. Lord H. PETTY owned the Bill was nearly a transcript horn one left behind by the Right Hon. Gentleman, and professed himself very willing to adopt any clauses or amendments of the Honoura ble Gentleman who had just sat down. As to Ire land, it was only intended to put the bu-iness of the Ordnance under the direCtion of the Lord Lieute nant. Mr. WELLESLEY POLE deprented that kind of alteration ; and said, if they gave the manage ment of the Ordnance to any Lor-i Lieutenant, he did not know any measure mole likely to be attend ed with mischievous consequences. He then pre sented his clauses, which were read and agreed to, and added to the Bill. The House then tesunsed, the report was received, and ordered to be taken into further consideration this day se'nnight, and the Bill, as amended, to be printed. Mr. WHITBREAD brought up the engrossed replication to" the answer of Lord Melville, which was read, and ordered to the Lords by Mr. Whit bread; who gave notice, that even the time came, I he should moved that the House do attend the trial , in a Committee of the whole House. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The House went into a Committee of Supply, in which were voted grants of various sums for the miscellaneous services of the present year. The House resumed, and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow. . _ ..... Mr. VANSIrcART moved, that an Address he presented to hi., Majesty, praying an account of Ali sums paid out of Or. Civil Liir, in pursuance of Addresses of that I louse, and net made goad by tuliament.—Ordered. _ . . The Committee of Ways and Means was deferred to Wednesday.—Adjourned. SUMEMEN f V , VIZ LONDON G.IZE7'7'E EXTRAORDIN.4IIY Co' SUNDAY, LARCH 23, 1 aoG. Arlyniraltt-oSre, MarcA 24, 1806. Dispatches, of which the following are copies, from Vice-Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth. K. R. commanding a squadron of His Majesty's slOps, addressed to William Marsden, Esq. and hroug'.t to England by Captain Nathaniel Day Cochrane, were yesteruay received at the Ad mirairy t Superb, to Leeward of the Town of St. Do- Srt , asingue, about it Leagues, Feb 7, 11400. As I feel it highly momentous for His Majesty's service, that the Lords Commissioners of the Ad miralty should have the earliest information of the movements of the squadron under my command, and as I have no other vessel than the Kings-fisher, that I feel justified in dispatching, I hope neither their Lordships ot Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood will deem me defeaive in my duty towards his Lordship, by addressing you on the happy event of yesterday ; and as you will receive my letter of the Sd instant herewith, I shall only say, I lost not a moment in getting through the Mona Passage, and on the sth, in the afternoon, was joined by the Ma gicienne, with a further corroboration from various vessels spoken, of an enemy's force of ten sail of the line, with as many frigatei and corvettes, being in these seas; I therefore continued under easy sail for the night, in my appenach off the town of St. Domingue, having given orders to Captain Dunn of the Acasta, whose zeal and aaivity I have experienced for a series of years, to make sail with the Magicienne, Captain M•lienve, two hours before day-light, to reconnoitre ; when at six o'clock the Acasta, to our great joy, made the signal for two of the enemy's frigates ; and before seven, for nine sail At an anchor; at halt-past, that they were getting under weigh ; the squadron under my command then in close order, es i,h all sail set, and the Superb, bearing my flag; leading and ap proaching fast, so as to discover, before S o'clock, that the enemy were in a compact line, under all sail, going before the wind for Cape Nisten, to wind ward of Ocott Bay ; and, as they consisted of only five sail of the line, two frigates and a corvette (which hereafter will be named), I concluded, from the information I was in possession of, that they were endeavouring to form a jun&ion with their re maining force, and, in consequence, shaped my course, to render abortive such intention, which was completely effeeted by a little after nine, so as to make all aEtiun certain. I therefore telegraphed the squadron, that the principal objea of attack would be the Admiral and his seconds, and at three quar ters past nine, for the ships to take stations for their mutant support, and engage the enemy as they got up, and a few minutes after, to engage as close as possible, when, at a short period after ten, the Superb closed upon the bow of the Alexander, the leading ship, and commenced the action; but after three broadsides, she sheered off ; the signal was now made for closer :saints, and we were en abled to attack the Admiral in the Imperial (for merly Le Veugintr), the fire of which had been heavy on the Northumberland, bearing the lion. Real-Admiral Cochrane's flag. By this time, the movemeut of the Alexander had thrown her among the lee division, which Rear-Admiral Louis hap pily availed himself of, and the anion became ge octal, and continued with git:at severity past eleven ; eic Prem.:ll A.lnair4l. not.:h i t_ wed, and completely beat, hauled direa fur the laud, and not bung a mile off, at twenty minutes be fore noon tin on shore ; his foremast then oily standing, which fell dice my on her striking; J r which time the Superb, being only in sevinven fathom water, was forced to haul off -a avoid the same evil ; but not long atter, the DitaneJe. 01 81 . . • • • • . • guns, pushed on s:h.ne nrar Ins Admiral, when his masts went: alai I think it a duty I owe to charafter and my country to add, from the informa tion of Sir Edward . Berry, after she had stru:k, and the Agamemnon desisted from firing into her, from the Captain taking off his hat, and making every to. ken of surrender ; and Captain Dunn assurrs both ensign and pendant were down ;—tn comment on which I leave to the world. Ai:out fifty minutes after eleven the firing ceased, and uppn the smoke clearing away, I found Le Brave, hearien a Cum. modure's pendant, the Alexander. and Le Jupiter, .a our pos-essinn. When 1 contemplate on the result of this aftion, when five sail of the line had surrAndered, nr were apparently destroyed in less than two hours, I CAI:. nut, though bound to pay every trihute to the 1.,- ble and gallant efforts of the lion. Itear-Adniii,l Cochrane, Rear-Admiral Louis, the Captains, ) ficers, seamen, and royal marines, under my ci-,ri mand, be vain enough to suppose that. witlrtut tine aiding Hand of Providence, such result could base been effeißed, and with a loss so comparatively small ; and though I shall ever sympathise with the conneaions of those that fell, the refiedtion on the cause will, I hope, afford much consolation. To speak individually to the condo d of any one, would be injui ions to all ; for all were equally am mated with the same zealous ardour in support r.l their Kin , . and country. Vet, possessed of there feelings, I cannot be silent without injustice to t!i: firm and manly support for which I was indebte.l to Captain Keats, and the etre& that the system if discipline and gond order in which I found the S - .:- perb must ever produce ; and the pre-eminence et the British seamen could never be more highly eta. spicuous than in this contest. After the action the water being too deep to chor in the bay off St. Domingue, it was requisite to bring to with the prises to tepair datnage4 put the ships in a manageable stare, and shift the pri. soners, which took me till this afternoon ; when I detached the Hon. Captain Stoptord in the Spencer, with she Donegal and Atlas, which latter bad km her bowsprit, with the prizes to Jamaica ; and br ing anxious, with Rear-Admiral Cochrane, that lie should return to his command, where his services must be wanted, a jury mainmast is fitting in the Northumberland, under thts island, to enable her to get to windward, when 1 shall order the Aga memnon, which is staying by her, to accompany the Rear-Admiral tie his station ; and I am now proceeding with the Canopus, Rear-Admiral Louie, Acasta, and .Magicienne, off St. Dorningue, to make certain of tie Imperial aad Diomede being completely wrecked, after which I shall repair to Jamaica. Having recited the transactions of this Florian' combat, which will fairly add another sprig of laurel to our Naval History, and assist in promotirg our country's good, 1 am, Sir, &c. J. T. DUCKWORTH. Superb, off Sainte Destnire, Fcb. 7, IBM For the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, I send you herewith a List of the Killed and Wounded in the Squadron under ray command during the action of yesterday ; but asit was hastily colleded, should I find any errors, they shall be amended by a subsequent opportunity. You will also have the French Captains' statement cf their loss in the captured Ships ; and l can venture to say, the French Admiral's will not he in a less pro. portion; and the striking of the Diomede implies she did not escape tie irresistible fire of His Ms. jetty's Ships. A copy of my public Thanks given to the Admirals, Captains, &c. for having so gal lantly performed their ditty in this truly decisive action, I request you will Ley before their lordships. I am, Sir, &e. J. 1. DUCHWOR IN. To William Marsden, Eel ; are. Jec. &c. Admiralty. BRI risii LINE. ‘Veather divitinn—aSuperb, of 74 guns; Northurnbedand ,74 i S;rencer, 74 ; Agamemnon, 64. Lee division—Canopus, 34 guise ; Donegal, 74; Atlas, 74. Frigatee—Acasta, Magicienne, Kingsfisber, and Epervier. FRENCH UNE. L'Aletandre, of 84 guns ; 600 killed and woended.s.Takell• Mini;teriale, .1120 guns; number of killed and wounded u known, but cotaatly niany—oUn shore, and curapleul wrecked. Le Diorneile, of 44 guns; number of killed and wonid..d et. known, but certainly many—On slime, and cuinide wreeked. I.e Jupiter, of 74 gum :200 killed and wounded--Ta!zei. Le Brave, of 74 guns; 26U kiled and wounded—of ekes. Frigates-1m Feliene and La Corneae, escaped. Curvette—a•La Diligence, escaped. Contra Admiral L. Capitaine Le Plot. Alexandre, Capitaine Garman. Conde. Dunned., 11,:nry. Jupiter, —..—.. An A'istroet of the Vied and Wounded en board t'e. 'peruse Ships odds* Squadron under the Commando Admiral Sir John Thomas Dockworth, K B in the A - t sof the 6th of February, 1406, in the Bay of the Tow... St. Domingo*: Superb SrailiCl killed—John Broukbasik, Thomas PAW' Game Legard. Marines killed—. Thomas Kenry, Morgan, Cl""'' Mork. Teal-6 °fi fer * woullsleti-.Charles Patriots+, Lientinsant , IVilliam Pickering, Master, belly; Charles Thomas Jackson, Jos. Laotian, Junes Wilcox, MOO men, all slightly. Seamen wounded —Thomas Richards, John Wills". andel M'Dunald, all dangerously ; Nathaniel Haecri Nl;iitellta'C, If Mlnentte. J.llllOll Willman, William P I Z, Philip Jones, all bails, Diehl Mavis, Henry Wa lker ! ham Moody, T. G•ills, Jnl.n Walbstsnk, John 14.0•":: John Badeock, Neil, roman Swingy, James I. Andrew Hawn, Wiliam Henry Lea .er, John Hand! l" James Fnglish, Patrick Morph., Thomas Tyler Rod!, Read nit, Andre-, M.Donald, John Wl." Micfuel Muted.y, R. Loots,. 'Mouses Bear, PAJ.p William Moffatt, jtsf. I. Amu, George B•owne, Jon'. tor, Jos. Legg, Andrew bil•gearkip, Licari* no" , slightly. • Toiaiao.4o wounded. Royal Marines wounded—James Qnsrman, daxlNl mal : mud Parodies., John I.;.,trisean, both lordly i tiny, James Thomas, Thomas Warmood, Jena Daniel Roberts A. 0-oer, all slightly. Tau'--9 wounded Recapitulation—oN. °Slams idled; 7 pacers weir 6 SI 1 I