The Sun. — London, England, 1812-06-05 00:00:00

E-'a, the Happy Return, meeting the Spanish fleet, ca - AsiSting ; 26:_sail, between Calais and Dun- kirk, nmde th'ein strike on their own coasts. In 1647, a lieu of Swedish men of war, : and ten ineTell2 - :;it-fi,,tn, bound for Constantinople, refusing to strike to some of our men of war off the Isle of. an engagement ensued, and they wereall into the Downs, but soon released, In 167'2, the ,Count D'Etrees, Vice-Admiral of France,.joining the Duke of York, with a s'qua droll of 34 men of war, saluted I)im witb 13 guns, ant strurk his flag. In• 1663, Sir R. Tloi es, going - down the Sv - in, in the Charles., met the King of Denmark's bro ther coming into the river with his' flag flying, and suffered him to go by without striking, for which :was sent to the Tower. " • • 1n,1675, Captain, Joseph Harris,, Commander of the Quaker ketch, ha.ving struck his topsail to a Spanish man of war, in the. Pay, of Biscay, was tried atl Court-Martial, and sentenced to be shot to death ; and he was accordingly brought upon deck, and men stood ready with their muskets to • shoot him ; but was pardoned, unier the Great Seal, consideratiori of- his former good services, and knovrn prOofs of courage. King Charles H. in. his declaration of war against the Dutch in 1761, observes,—` The right of the flag is so ancient, that it was• one of the first prerogatives of our royal predecessors, - and, Ought to be the last frdm which this kingdom should ever depart,' Sic.—Ungrateful insolence ! that they should contend with us about the domi nion of those seas, who, even in the reign of our royal father, thought it an obligation to be per mitted to fish in them !' And King William's cleclavation . bf -war against France, in 1689, has these words :—"rhe right of the flag, inhercnt in the Crown of England, .has been disputed by Lis (Louis's) orders, in violation of , our sove reignty in the narrow _seas, which, in all ages, has been asserted - 1;v our preflecessors, and which we are resolved to maintain for the honour of our crown, and of the English nation.' In the general printed insttnctions'to the Com manders of ships of war, issued by Order in Coun cil of 1734, and continued down to 1806, the ar r ticle runs thus When any, of his Majesty's ships shall meet with any ship or ships, belonging to any foreign Prince or State, within his Majesty's sea r s (which extend to Cape Finist4rre), it is expected that the said foreign ships do strike their topsail, and take in their flag, in acknowledgment of his Majesty's sovereignty in thoSe seas ; and if any shall refuse, or offer to resist, it is enjoined to all Flag Of ficers and Commanders to use their utmost endea vours to compel them thereto, and not suffer any. dishonour to be done to his Majesty.' But the right of the flag, as well as that of searching ships of war, has been abandoned.— When the glorious victory of Trafalgar had swept every hostile fleet from the ocean, the new gene ral printed instructions } , Li sued immediately after that battle, dropt the article respecting the flag altogether. How far this concession of a right so highly prized , by our ancestors, was wise or po litic, we will not trust our feelings to argue. But it is, at least, a refutation of the charge so 'fre quently brought against us of being the tyrants of the sea.' Possibly, indeed, it is not our in justice, but our too great concession and mode ratien which has produced or encouraged these captious complaints. Had England maintained the state of her naval throne, America would never have dared tO refuse obeisance and reve". rence to her power. The modern Charlemagne, however, talks of restoring the liberty of theseas.' A specimen of what that liberty would be, were the French fig triumphant, the, Americans• have already had in the destruction oft their merchant 'vessels by French incendiaries: Let Mr, .iefferson himself furnish the description. Speaking of French armed vessels (but concealing the naine), some some without, and . . others with illegal they bare captured,' 'says be, at the very entrance of our harbours; . as well as . upon the high seas, not only .the vessels of our friends, coming to trade wit'a us, but - `our own alAo : they have earrie,d them off ,under pretence of legal e.djueication ; but not daring to approach a court of justice, they - have plundered and sunk . them by the way, in obscure places, where no evidence, could ariseagainst them, maltreated the crews, and abandoned them in boats in the open sea, or on desert shores, ,without food or cover *. "Yet it is by these people that America expects, her maritime rights' to be respected ;,\ these are the apostles of the liberty of the seas. 3. The impressment of American seamen fur-. nishes an inexhaustible topic of 'appeal to the passions of the multitude. In the last. messagel Mr. Madison Adverts to it only in a general '‘vty among those other wrongs of which Ameri l ea has c6rarnssions, * Zeffereon's Nlesc,i C,,‘ltig:e.3s, iu December, 1805. to complain r but. clic. C6mmittee rr.4ke ample. amends for the President s silence, 'While we are laying before you the just com plaints of . our, merchants against the plunder of their ships and cargoes (by tbe . French, let it he observsri, thiangh designed as a charge- against England), we cannot refrain from presenting to the justice and 13urnanity of our own country the unhappy case of, our impressed seamen. Althotgli the groans, of these victims of barbarity for ,the loss of (what should be dearer to the American's than life) their liberty, although the cries of their wives and children, in the privation of protectors and parents, have of late been drowned in the louder- qlamours at the loss of propertyi yet is the practice of forcing our mariners into the British Navy, in violation of the rights of our . flag, car ried on with unabated rigour and severity.' 4',To be continAt.d.) MAILS. A2nrvr.u-1 Lisbon, 1 New-York,: 1 Dublin, I Waterford. DuL:-1 Cadiz, 1 Guernsey, 1 Jersey,• 1 Waterferd. PRICE OF STOCKS Tills DAY AT TWELVE O'CL.ICK. Console for Opening 6O -61 1 Red. an t ic.- - - 60 THE SUN. SOLLA QL'IS FiLLSIIM AITDEAT ? LONDON, riun ‘y, .TUNE 5, 1612. We ` yesterday stopped the Press to announce the arrival of intelligence of a very hostile . nature' .from America, It seems that the American Go, vernment, goaded by the incessant solicitations and menaces of BIJONAPARTE, and perhaps deceiv ed by, a notion that the moderation of Gyeat Bri tain proceeds from fear, are seriously cieterthined to plunge their country into a war 4;vith Great Britain. That this violent measure is the result of French influence, there can be no doubt ; the most fertile imagination cannot suggest any pos 'sible advantage that can result to America from it. America has already exhausted almost every means of hostility in her power against us, except the invasion,of Canada. Upon that notable pro ject, we know that the American orators are very fond'of declaiming ; • but we have some reason to believe that it is one of which the American Co vevament will not be in great haste to make the elf.- perithent. Our Readers will find, - under` the head of American Papers, the public details which have reached us. We learn from private accounts, that Letters of Marque have been issued, which is, in fact, tantamount to a Declaration of War. • We have nothing new to communicate on the subject of Ministerial arrangements. Lord MOIRA i 3 using every effort to carry the commands of his Royal Highness into execution. The 'PRINCE. REGENT, acecompanied by the Duke of CUMBERLAND, left town soon after nine o'clock, for Windsor, where they were met by the other branches of the Royal Family, who, with a select party of , particular friends, paid their complimentary respects to the QUEEN, ill the Grand Saloon, on the return of the day. Princesses AUGUSTA, SOPHIA and CHARLOTTE OF WALES, the - Dukes of CLARENCE and KENT, rode' on horseback in the Plantations, &c. acembpanied by Lords SOMERVILLE and ST. HELENS, Generals CARTWRIGHT, and WINYARD, Cblonel TAYLOR, and Lady ROSSLYN. Lady MURRAY gave a Rout and Supper at her elegant house in Wimpole-street,•on Wednesday evening. • The Bishop of BATH and WE is commenced \ his triennial visitation and confirmation on Mon day last. Mr. SCHAW, the Messenger, was sent off with dispatches to America about three weeks ago. Sir SIDNEY SMITE returned last week to his house in Albermarle-street, from Brighton. Sir SIDNEY is perfectly .recovered; and was at the Lady Mayoress's Ball. Yesterday afternomf Mrs. Por.LocK, La(ly of Mr. POLLOCK, Chief Clerk of the Treasury,:-en tertained, according. to annual,ostorn, die Female Children belonging to the.Asylurn-, at her in'4n sion, Belmont- !House, near Vauxilail,, Nwith tea and plum-cake ; and on .their . departure in the evening gave : each of them' sixpenc ; the little. orphans (200 in number) were highly plc: red, as they are not suffered out of -their hospitabie place of refuge, only Iyhen e7lis good Lady solicits their innocent company. , The. Belfast Papers speak of 'Mrs. C. KEMELE in a very warm style of panegyric, particularly on her. performance of Letitia Hardy, Theodore, in Deaf and Dumb, ,31... aria, in The Citizen, the Widow Belmour, Lady Julia; in her own little piece of Personation," Beatrice, and Mrs. Oakley.' But high as their encomiums are, we do- think that she deserves them. Yet this spirited actress, who has so long been a favourite of the public, is strangely excluded from the boards of the London Stage, where she commenced her theatrical life She has, we understand, been detained in Ireland by adverse winds. lionmAtr and his daughter are on the eve of de parting for America upon a very promising en gagement. We were in hopes, however, that they would ha.ve settled matters with the Ma nagers of the New IDrury•lane Theatre, as they are both so well iutitled to permanent situations on the London Stage. • NAVAL NEWS. PLYMOUTH, JUNE 3.—Arrived late last night the American schooner Purse, from Bourdeaux, with a cargo, bound to New York, detained, 'after "a very smart thaSe, by the Amide frigate,'Cal,A. "Dunn. During the chase the .P urse was datnaged in her sail's and rigging by the fire from the Ar ?nide, which was so galling that the crew ran be low, and, when taken possesson of, : the piaster only, named Turner, -remained on deck. "It may be recollected that the Niemen frigate, commanded by Sir Michael Seymour, Bart. detained, 'some time since, an American schooner, called the Purse, on her voyage from New-York to Bourdeaux, which was afterwards taken possession of by the Master . and that part of the American crew who were left on board; and carried into the latter place, after a desperate resistance on the part of the Prize-master, a very promising young man, named Saunders, the greater part of whose crew had been previously secured below, which , was effected during the night. We understand • Mr. Saunders was shot dead by the American Cap tain, who was severely - wounded by that un fortunate young man. We 'are,, however, hap py to state that the American schooner - is the identical vessel' that was- detained by the Niemen, _and commanded by•the man who, -it is said, shot Mr. Saunders— Soon after her detention it' was 'discovered, and the master 'and crew were imme diately sent on board the Amide, and the former put in. irons. ,Sailed the izexerablem'an of war, for. the '.French coast ; the ship Union, li;raft, for the River ; and two cartels for .N.orlaix,, with released French pri- SollerS. FALMOUTH, JUNE 2.—Arrived this morning the Sa4dwich,packet, Capt. Schuyler, 'with mails and dispatehis (said to be irnportant) directirom NeW York, which she, left the 9th ultimo. - The Princes's .Mary packet - left New York on the 28th April, but had to touch at Halifax. The Bill passed in Congregs, authorizing the President to call'oA 100,000 militia, is 'carrying into effect orders had been issued that the Governor of each State was forthwith to prepare his 'quota, tO be in rea diness at a moment's notice. General Hull was said to be on his way to Detroit- from:Washing-, ton, to join about 3000' troops, which, in case of a, declaration of war, were tO make a desCent upon Upper Canada. The federal party Was expected to carry a large majority in the Assemiq'i but the Republican ascendancy in the senate, it is thought, will be far greater. The United States frigates President and Essex returned into Hampton Roads on the 28th April. from. a cruize. Th e frigate John AdaniNzu heaV ing doWn Hampton Roads, fell over and sunk, but was risen again in a few hours after. The Ame ricans are flushed with the hope of the conquest of Canada and Nova Scotia. ..Capt. Schuyler spoke yesterday in Lat. 49. 30. Long. S. 10. his Majes ty's ship Conzet, wi - th'the convoy for NeSvfound land. The Sandwich left Berthuda on the,loth of April, at which time his Majestys ships Spartan, Indian, And Julia, and the Chub schooner were lying there. Also arrived this morning the packet Lady Ara . bella, Capt. Porteous; with Mails, from Lisbon, six, days passage.; , k ite brings no other news than that General Hill had succeeded'in destroying the bridge at Almarez. The enemy are said to have lost 800 men ; our loss was very trifling. No packet was at Lisbon when the Lady Arabella sailed. Last evening arrived the Echo cutter from 'Ales , sina, with wines, 33 days passage ; brings an ac count of the loss of one of the Falmouth paCkets (three days previous to the Echo's sailing) on' the Sic:lian coast. It is supposed. to be the Dispaich, which left this on the Bth March. • CIIAT i fI4M, JUNE 4:—This being the Anniver sary of our beloved Sovereign's Birth-day, the guns fire:'. round the garrison at twelve, and the prism:-ships fired three vOilies of musketry at one o'clock. Orders are come down to the Dock-yard to fit the Diomede, SucceEs, and St. Fiorenzo, as troop ships. DEAL, JUNE 4.—Arrived the Rinaldo sloop of, war from a cruize ; and the Albion cutter from, off Flushing. Sailed his Majesty's ships Pompee for Ports mouth, and the Gloire for Sheerness. PORTSMOUTH, JUNE 4.—Arrived his Majesty's ships Live, frorn . a crUi;ze, Diadem, from the Downs,. acid the H6tspur ,• after seeing, the East Indiamen that sailed from hence. on the Bth Of. April, to a certain latitude. Sailed hi, Majesty's ship Bacchante . with the Spanish Ambassador for Lisbon ; ileteon with a• convoy for the Downs ; and this Morning, very . early, the outward bound East Indiamen under. convoy of the Jason. YARMOUTH, JUNE 4.—Arrived the British Fair -gun-brig from a, cruize. Sailed the Ki'zg George cutter for Hosely Bay. The illercwriv.s, with a convoy, is in the offing, standing to the Eastward SECOND EDITION-. SUN-OFFICE, 'lwo o'cLocn. We 'stop the press to lay before our Readers the following Official Bulletin which Was issued 'ibis, morning : 'Downing-street, June 4; 1812. Dispatches have been this day received from Colonel Sir nov.-ARD DOUGLAS, of which the follow are Extracts : SANTIAGO, MAT 23, 1812.—0 n the 18th inst. General CASTANOS received information from the Marquis of PORTAiO, who now commandi the divisions of the sixth army in tl}e Viergo, that the 'enemy had collected about 15,000 men on the rivers Esla and Orbigo, and that it ap peared to be their intention to advance upon Vii lafnanca, and Puebla di Sanabria. This re-union to threaten Gallicia was only a feint to favour the ulterior design of advancing i into Asturias ; which the enemy accomplished upon the 17th instant, with about eight thousand men under General Born•itT ; and they now dc= copy their for Mer quarters in Oviedo., Grado, Gijon, &C. ' FAIkiTIAGb, MAY 24.—This town is now the- Seat of the Provincial Government, and I atj happy. to say, it is in perfeet harmony with Gen. CATANOS.. .I -Iv invited a Deputation of the Junta to meet him here. I was then at Corunna, and promoted the transfer of the whole body, as the 'host likely means of destrOying difference. Ge neral CASTANOS'S wisdom has done the rest. I have the honour to transmit intelligence from Burgos. The reported entry of General TVIENDI . • ZABEL into BurgOs is corroborated ,by this, ana with the other inclostrres, holy very riously the enemy are harassed by the activity 01 the parties in the North. • Don GimoximoMEP.lNO (carAmonly called EV' FURA DE VOLLORRADO), a LUOi able and euter-• prising Chief, whom 1. have on several occasions supplied • with arms, &c. has lately had two . bril liant. actions with the enemy. • • On the •1 6th -of April, near Aranda,, he came i 1 suddenly .upon a considerable body of the enemy , by a well planned. and ably executed inovernen , t- Frofn a perfect knowledge of the country, be gain cd, with a part of his force, the -possession of a height over which the enemy had to Rao in retiring to . the town of Oatoiitt de .1 14 . 1 'de prods ; having then *attacked tbeth witb great vigour; lie succeeded in making 51; 9 : ! pzi:anors, including I Lieut.-Col6nel, and I b `.l other officers, after a resistance which cost tile .eneMy 73 killed, and 97 wounded. The prisoners immediately suffered, in the pr"' portion of twenty for each of the three Member ° of the Junta Of Burgos, who were lately • put c) death by the enemy ; and in the proportion of te n for each of MERINO'S soldiers, who lately share d the same fate. This act was accompanied by a declaration, that in this ratio, retaliation woul d always be observed. On the 28th, when retiring to Villafranca, Nv- • the remainder of his prisoners, MER IN 0 . took pot . with a part of his force, at a cross road, where,'" expected a rescue would be attempted. Being 31 ; prised of the advance of the enemy in pursuit the convoy, accordingly he dressed an ,ainbur 6 cade, into which the enemy fell, and left Rau men, .having also a considerable number . ° wounded. The Argo, of 44 guns, having on. board 1 / 11 ' LISTON, proceeding from Constantinople, as Aril pasaador from his Britannic Majesty to the 00, - , man Porte, arrived in Gibraltar Bay on the `2S t 7, April; and sailed again for her ultimate destina ti° ' on the Ist of, May. • _ A letter from. Gibraltar, of • the sth ult. st a-e l i the following reasons for the late gallant, tholl;iti, only in part successful', attempt of the gr ei ,, 12 ,, 1 and Goshawk, in the harbour of Malaga. A torious freebooter , called Barbastro, had b ee i a long committing depredations' on-the Spanish n y British commerce in that quarter, and was 19 , te i l atlhe head of no Less than nine privateers, rrb i ' c i:, with some other small vessels, were destine° t o take away the French property from. Malagl•'.d e ; the event of a successful attack on the 'by General I3ALT.ASTROS. The particulars 01 attempt of our little Squadron are already t . It was conducted with so much spirit, that c•e-_,P ili USHER, of the Illlacinth,•carried the Mole - b ea d l e a' few minutes ; while Captain LinnuaN , Goshawk, made himself master of the shiPP ll ".75 The whole of the eneiny's privateers would been brought out, had not the wind sudden l Y f fbe ed. A dead calm, and a bright moon, ga ve fire enemy great advantage; and' 'an incessant from the beach was poured upon our bra ve n t. lows, in the midst of Which fell the gallant C3.err, I'ALBtTitN. In spite of every obstacle, holcol.w, Captain Usium's efforts were at least partiAlY of warded, by .bringing off . the pi i vateer' 10 pins, and 60 men ; the -Naprilon, of 1 g and 30 men ; and another vessel. Nothing, We Conceive; could be more ins tilt . i i 6 ;- to public feelings than the proposal of a sub'e:.jog tion for the family of Bellingham : conside Ivo that, far from being dependdat Win, iletheir more likely to be a burthen on them all" th o, connections. Under these circumstances, sa e! to propose a subscription may in some be considered as offering a ieward for .4gase tion A