The Sun. — London, England, 1806-03-21 00:00:00

./,`P.P.EP , DIX to tyre IN - par -14 ExPon. [From Les Nouvelles a la Main.] Daring the - preceding•lear,our Financial trans. astions have been as proSperous asour Naval aChieve:= ments have been. -Weliave. pillaged the Bank ,of Vienna ; our Imperial Bank of France haS stopped payment, and We'havc graciously transported to Cayenne its- most • refraEtory creditors... Thirty five Bankers of our Imperial Capital have failed, and ' . eighty7seven . Bankers of our Imperial Department's Lave announced their failure, and are insolvent.. In • , our extensive Empire of :France alone, ,' 5093 • -sehantsaud.Tradestnen have, _within the same period, • 'become Bankrupts, and _:1044 Manufacturers have beenruined. To amend, however , these and other trifling accidents, we have, with our usual paternal care for the , Welfare of our People, licensed- 519 new Imperiar.Ganibling-houses; and half that number of trnperial Lottery Offices. SiXty-six new IMperial Gaols have been constrnaedi new Imperial Racks have been invented ; new Imperial Oubliettes (pits with trap-doors) have been - dug ; and. the number af.ourlmperial Spies and Executioners have been doubled. - " If in our Imperial HOspitals thousands•have died of want or by,neglea—and if in our Grand Empire thousand's haViperished by their own hands in despair, tirbyfainine from exhausted nature,scores in our Itri penal Palaces have been elevated to Princes, Senators, Grand Officers, &e. and the 11.IeipberS of our Imperial Dynasty, and sourlrnperiall'aVouritei, have grown. wealthy in proportion as our . Other-Imperial' Sub jeas. have endured or suffered from misery and po verty. If in battle, by sea- and ,land, above, fifty' thousand of our Imperial defenders have been ear : ried off, their loss Is not only.repaired, but their • vacancies have been tripled .by the - number of our Imperial -conscripts, If the Tempest. and British COWARDICE have annihilated the greatest part of our . Imperial Navy, we have also captured .or. burnt English Merchantmen by dozens ; and if-the Shop 7keepers have taken - the Cape of Good Hope, our niperklTroops-haVe pillaged Dominica and - threat ened Jamaica.: • • • " As to external politics,. we have exterminated sixty thousand Germans, and in return, indemnified' Germany with. -three Kings our Imperial Arthies . have: violated two thousand German 'women and girls, and ,we have bestowed upon Germany in return, a -Son = and a Niece of our chaste Sp ouse. We have , stint TE D.Eux at . Vienna, danced . At Munich, "smiled at . Stutgaiedt, negotiated at Carls . rhe„ and frowned at F.rauckfort—all for the glory of:the. Grand Nation.! l", The ,tntertainrnent given .to Marquis,,Wva.tmEY yesterday, at :Willis's Rooms, was the best conduded. and- most expressive mark of respect and attention ve.iaicb we reiuember to have. bees evinced , by indi-. • viduals, as •a testimony of their esteem for an illustri; 'ails public eharaer. Party .and palitics were on • occasion entirely forgotten, vvhiNt a spirit of tarmony;:, and: attachment to their Noble. Quest, *ecrned to-.be the predontinant.seutirnent:that per vaded this festive The Gentlemen who thus manifested their per onal regard Inv the Marquis, were ,aniong the most distinguished Civil - and Military .Officers of 3esty and the. East India Company, who served in - during .MaratiisNYELLtsLzv's Administration, alto the principal private G:entleMen who resided there at the same period ; these, altogether, formed ' a .numerous and most respeetabLs. body, composed of persons from each : of , the several - Presidencies of ndia.. The style of the entertainment was in every re- , spell worthy of the oc&asion ; the choicest wines, ',gild all the delicaelesof the, season were provided, and the guests who partook were, for the most part ; of the highest rank and distinaion.. Among the compitiy we noticed the following personages I)uke--Montrose. • Marquisses—BucLingham, Thomond, and Blandford. Eatls—Westmoriand, Winchelsea Sandwich, Dartmouth, Buckinghamshire , Chatham, Bathurst, Camden, i•ortesue, Malmsbury, Westmeath, Carysfort, and Limerick. Viscounts—Lowther and Sidmouth. Lords—Hawkesbury, BraybrOoke, Auckland, Mulgraie. Carrington, BaYning, Glastonbury, Henley, Glenbetvie, Clancarty, and Castlereagh. • • The Speaker of the' House o f Commons. ' Sirs—E. Nepean, W. Farquhar,. 1. Metcalfe, Grant, A. Wellesley, A. Clarke, and I. Newport. Generals—Phipps, Forbes. and Balfour. .. Colonels—Leslie, Blair Wood; Shaw, and Walkeritone. Messrs.—Vansittart, Greville, Canning,.l. Sullivan, Wallace, Steel, Milford, Hohhouse, H.' Addington, W . I ake, Wellesley Pole, H. Wellesley, Willis, Dundas, S . Bernard, Hastings, 'R, iohnston, 13aber,. Monckton, Golding, Russel ; ecc. The ..mtisic was excellent; the most celebrated vocal performers gaffe delightful specimens of. their profestional abilities. General HARRIS, the Victor of Seringapatarn, proposed several loyal and patelotic Toasts—" The . IC.ing The Queen and Royal Is'amily"—" The Prince of Wales"—" The Duke of Clarence and the Navy"—" The Duke of York and the Army"- , -" The India Company"—" The Direaore%-a-and " The Memory of Lord Cornwallis." —Also each of the leading Members of the present Administration. • • • The health of - Marquis WELLESLEY was drank with sincere fervour, which drew from his Lordship an acknowledgtnent expressed in the most animated and grateful terms ; the scene altogether was 'ex tremely interesting and brilliant, nor should it pass unnoticed, that those Gentlemen who otTe'red so pleasing a tribute of their applause, were all locally acquainted with Marquis WELLESLEY's Administra tion in• that country which has been the theatre of. his Lordship's important and splendid services. On Tuesday night, when Miss CR ANPIELD was dancing a Pas Seal, at the Opera, she had the mis= fortune to sprain her ancle, and dropped down sud .denly on the Stage., The other - Performers imme diately carried her'off the Stage. His Royal High ness the Prince of, WALF.s, with that degree of hu- Inanity and condescension Which dignifies his cha raaer, stepped out ofliis box, and ordered his own Surgeon to be sent for to attend her.—She is now considerably better, but she will not be able to at tend her professional avocation for some time to tome. Through the activity of that indefatigable Officer of the Police, Sayer, of Bow-street, a gang of despe .rale villains has: been 'discovered in the vicinity of Chelsea, viloseiclepredations have been lately chiefly confined to strpping lead off the tops of houses. 0! le of these pests was vprehendiod by Sayer on Wednesday night: IJANK OF ENGLAND. .• , A General L uourt 01 Proprietors Was heldY,esteri day. at the Bank _to •co'n'sider of the Dividend tai be paid on the sth Cit April, and on other special affairs: The Court met at i2o'Clock precisely, and ' as Veri nu..meronsly attended.- After the proceedings of the last General Court were read by the Secretary, Mr. Wi•sirniuir;theGd,vernor,inforined the Court,. < - that this was a General Quarterly_Cour t of Proprie tors, held pursuant to the Company Charter. He. 'then stated that the Court of. Directors; on an exn inination of the accounts of the Company, pro Posed that a diyidend of three pounds ten shillings per •cent. on the stock . and profits of the Company. be. paid on the' sth of April next. On putting the ques.. tion 'on a Proposition 'to that effea, HdARE; a Proprietor, rose, not for the pur ....pose of opposing the question as to the amount of the, dividend, though it was not the dividend which he would recominend if he•had the opportunity of in-. , Spetling the Accounts of the Company, but with a view to obtain an explanation of the intentions of the Court Of Dire&ors hereafter with respect to the -dividends. A bonus had, at different times, of late, been added to the rekviilar'dividend ;"and 'when it was considered that the Company was in possession of a surplus of near four millions; it was not unreason able to expea that an' increase of :dividend - should take place: . ''lt'vias"-highly desirable that the 'Pro ' - .prietors should know, for certain, : what they had to expe&, because whilst the matter continued - in the, present state, of uncertainty, they were exposed to many inconveniencies. A Proprietor, for instance, might dispose of his stock on the eve of the issue of a bonus, of which he could not be aware. — In such a case the loss would'be equal to the amount Of the bonus. He begged, however, to be clearly' '.understood - not to insinuate the most remote suspi-' ••cion that any Member :of that Court would take ad- Nraritage of his previous knowledge of such , an in crease of dividend to purchase Bank Stock. He thought the GovernOr and the Court of Direaors, on the contrary, entitled to the gratitude of 'the - Whole Company, for the regularity and correCiness 'with which its affairs had been condutted. His sole object in rising had been to obtain some information as to the future couch*. to be pursued by the Court -of Directors with . respea:to the . dividends. The Govtatqoacould, in reply, only state his per sonal- opinion, which was also the opinion of most, if not all, the Member of the Court of Direelors.— This opinion Was, that.as'soon as the savings wculd enable the*Court of Directors to divide five per cent. in' addition to the ordiniry dividend; the' 'amount 'of dividend 'should be twelve• per cent. The' Court would recollect that for two or three yearkpast 'a bonut, or participation of profits of five per cent. had been regularly added - to the October The increased profits on their concerns oflate had en abled the Court of Directors to issue this participation.- But as they were a Commercial Company it was im . possible for them' to say, that they sliould bealways' . able to do so. Their profits Were grPater at present than they would be in time of peace, when the re striaiOn of the issues of speCie would"-cease. A con siderable alteration might take place. in the profits, and in fairness and justice to themselves, to the Proprietors, and the Public, they could not hold 'out any prospe& wbich 'subsequent circumstances might put it out of their power to realize.. Besides, it might lead the Public-to suspeCt that their pre sent, prOfits were excessive and.it was Very mate rial that the confidence of that Public in the bonus should not be: exposed to the - influence ot6en un founded suspicion. As to the loss allUded to by the Proprietors, five per cent. on stock worth 'two hun. dred per cent. was scarcely worth the considera tion of any matt The participation would be is sued whenever the circumstances of the Company's affairs would admit of it ; and when the savings Would enable the COurt Of Dire&ors to add five per cent. to the dividend, it should then be fixed at twelve per cent.. This was considered the most eli gible mode of proceeding, and would not be liable to, any suspicion on the part of the PubliC. - The savings of the Company formed a Fund , whic h the y wereknoWn to possess, and had been created Without a shadoW of imputation against its propriety. So Jong ago as the year t 797, when they had been called on to submit their accounts to Parliament, their savings amounted to between three and four millions, and were ,never the objet of censure or suspicion. Mr. HOARE declared himself perfeEtly satisfied with this explanation, and was sure that every Mem ber of the Court was equally Mr. WINTHROP begged- the Court of Dire&ors might not be held as pledged to add the 5 per cent._ to the ordinary Dividend the moment the savings would enable them. Circumstances might occur to render such a measure immediately imprudent. The Court was aware ofthe necessity'of keeping a sufficient . surplus- to guard against every possible contingency. Mr. LONG, Deputy Governor, stated the reason why the Court of Directors had not come to any final determination on this subje& to be that the ' question respecting the right of property in the bonus or participation \ that had already been issued, was at present pending before. the Lord Chancellor, and the Court of DireCtors did not deem it proper to come to any final resolution till a decision shall be had on that question in Chancery. After a few words , from :I\lr. FOSTER •apd:. Mr. HOARE, the Proposition for a Dividend - of-31. 103. was unanimously% agreed to.: • - It was.also moved by the Governor, and agreed to by the Court, that the same be paid without a deduction of 6.t per Cent Property 'Mk, which the Court of Direflors undertook to discharge. ' • The GOVERNOR acquainted the Court, that the Dividends would be delivered and paid on the 9th of April next. Mr. liVlNTurnor next called the attention of the Court to another important subject whi, h was to be submitted to their consideration. Every Gentleman who heard him would recolle&that when the Com pany's Charter had been renewed in 1800, a sum of money, amounting to three millions, had been lent to Government, interest tree tbr six years, as an equivalent for such renewal of their Charm. The profits on such Loan, under such circumstances, had been ascertainqd by the, host accurate calculation to be equal to the.benefit the Bank would derive from, the renewal Of its Charter for '2 r years. Circumstancts had, however, -since takenn s placeo that tendtved the profits of the Caninany ~ strelter than . they - had -- Elea: at tinic that measure., ne also atlic'e'sent - in their 1 , . - 0 - 2;nss'thrtiugh Nriiarrient; for`lodging all the Moneyi,slitcritir'public -i serviee isf the Piank,,tiutil applied to dint oc. -ecinsi 7: del-ably acid 'to these profits:" It would; therefore, by evident to the Court, that in justice , - in !fairness,- in liberality, they were bound to make some return to that Public which plaCed such unlimited confidence in them. 'Their establishment was one unexampled in the history of Nations. There .never had been in any oountry-h,Ctimpaity either so importaa, in . its objets,. or possessing so,tnuch public credit. It therefore .became them to lidt in a in:miler corre spondent to the extent of their circumstances. The, three millions lent to Government on the renewal .of their Charter were payable in April next. The Cciurt of Directors had taken the subje& .into their consideration as:well as His Ma? Sty's Ministers. — It would be obvious to the Court 'that, under the present circumstances of the Country,: it would .be impossible for Government to, repay thdse three . millions without great inconvenience to. the. public -service. His Majesty's Finance Ministers had taken the subject into their consideration, and .under all the , circumstances. of the case, thought that the Loan ought to be continued to the Public at a rate of in terest lower than the legal rate.. This was the sub- , jeft which he.wished to submit to the consideration of the Meeting. The rare of interest proposed. was three per cent. till sir months after the conclusion of a Definitive Treatrof.Peace, with a. power ofde-. manding payment whenever the Three per, Cent. might rise to eighty per cent. The GOVERNOR: 6/07/ read the Letter from Loris' GRENVILLE and HENRY. PETTY, dated . Treasury Chambers, 1.806, which stated, that as the Bank enjoy 'd at present advantages . . which were not, in contemplation at the time of renewing their Charter, the Public were intided to farther accommo-' .dation, and demanded a continuance of the Loan.of this Sum, at Three per Cent. until six months after the termination of the liar. , • The Govsitsox having stated the subject for the consideration of the Court, Mr. HOARE rose for the purpQse. of making a Motion, That the Court of ProptietOrs-do agree to the terms contained in the Letter of the First ,Lord of the Treasury and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He thought that the Company was',boundin justice .and gratitude to agree to the, propoSal, and he did -not doubt but that it would .be.unauhnously agreed to. , . . . . Mr, LOWNDES, with great pleasure,. :seconded the Motion of hii Friend, because he .could,without , vanitY say, that it: perfectly accorded x , ith.his own • . opinloo. . : , . . - . ... . • Afoot her Proprietor- also expressed his_ approbation of the Motion. . , • •• The GOVERNOR then stated, that the Three per Cent. on these three millions would add 90,0001.'3- year to the profits of the Company'. As. he had foreseen the unanimity of the Court of ,Proprietors On the subje&, he.had prepared the form of a Mo tion for the bccas . ion. The OA:leg:IOU was then_ put, and. the Motion that the terms proposed in th Letter of Lords c;renville and ,Henry Petty be agreed to,: and carried unani mously.--The court,then adjourned.: CITY RUSINESS.---The ; . Right Hon:, the LORD MAYOR. yesterday laio before the Court of . Corn* . Council a Letter he'had received from Lord BAft- RIt,IGtON, incloSing a Petition from several Seamen and others confined in - the Citadel at ValencienneS, in France, which was read, and a Motion was made by Mr. S., DUEL DixoN, " That - it be referred to the Committee of General Purposes to consider the best mode of providing and affording relief to our Fellow-Subjects who are prisoners in France," Whieh was unanimously agreed to.—After ulna' de bate, in which Messrs. WAITHM4N, S. DIXON, De puty WaEtqcft, DORN,PORD, &C. were engaged, it was relerred . to the City Lands Committee to con sider the measure of improving Smithfield Market, connected 'with the expediency of retnck;ng it to some other place, where it may be carried into -et= fe6t at a moderate and reasonable ey.pence, with in struaions, if any part of' the improvements should exceed the lhnits of the City, to get the same incor porated therewith. Monsieur Bounaureer, a French Pilot, who was in the boat which brought the Flag of Truce, says, that Boulogne is become a King's Port, no MerchantVes- Eels, Privateers, or even prizes, are Suffered .to • enter, Unless loaded with ordnance or military stores .- 7 - , There has been a very large &ECU made to hold the Flotilla, and 'which contains seventeen feet Water at high water., andthe Port is said to contain ten•at . low Water a large harbour is also made at Wymill and Vimereaux, with immense fortifications to defend them, - and the flotilla is again equipping. • The French Admiral VI ',LLNEUVE has had the per Mission of Government to remove to Reading, where he now retrains oit his parole. SMITHFIELD MARKET, 111,cit This day's Market was but thinly supplied with . different : kinds of Cattle ; the prices are advanced since Monday's market, and the trade for the most part was very indifferent. The business done in the Haymarket Was tritling; Hay and Clover fetched better prices than our last account; Straw continues as per last.—We , subjoin an accurate statement of the prices and numbers : • To sink the Offal per stone of 81b. ss; 6d. to 65 ,6d.—Mutton 6s. oi. to 6s. 6d.—Veal 55.• tod. to bs. od.—Pork 6s. od. to 7s, cd. 13e.asts 530. —Sheep !STD.—Calves 95. —Pigs 310. . SMITHFIELD HAY MARKET. Ilay 31. os. to 51. os.—Clover 41. o 5 to ios.—Straw, 21: 10S. tO 31. 35. CORN-ExcntazoE, MA.ncit 21.—The arrivals of Wheat to-day are very few, prime. samples fetch last price, other extreme, heavy sale ; owing : to the' late reductions .in the price of liarley; it has more ready sale, fine is in dethand,, at rather better _price ; Malt heavy sale; White Pease in little re ,quest, and few here; New Tick Beans in plenty ; Oats in tolerable supply, and m:tintain their quoted prices; Flour without variation. Wheat 44 5 a stis a 68s od 13eans 33s "a 38s od Fine ditto. - 725 a 745 oe. Tick Bells ass a3ts od Rye - - 365 a 4:,s.cd Oats 2;s a 26S a 28s od 26s ,a 325 6d Poland ditto sos aps od Malt 61s a 68s c.d it ape Seed - 391 - 421 White Pease 3^ = :{os od Fine Flout 62s a 6 6 ,35 od tatty ditto 3-,s a 3 5 s Scc,onds a os ad pirtzh • The following „I;epout .canhot:fail•tO- interest out iteaders,. as the . t!.ecision .amounts to a. new and so aiiirmance of t. 13.4 prii)ciple which i at . pre sent wariAly disputed by the United States of Ante rica.:-- • .;; - Privy Council Chamber, Marchli, 160:3. Present—Earl F ITZWI LLI A NI, Lord .1 3 ..sielerit. Duke pf MONTMOSE, • • Lord AUCKLAND; - • • • MASTER pf th',.t ItOLLS;" Sir - WILLIAM l'aV! •Sir WILLIAIVI SCOTT. . Case of the William, John Trefry, This Case, which was. an Appeal 12,- , an American Claimant, from a.. sentence of the Court .of . Vice- Admiralty of Halifax, came a second. - tine'before the Bbard on farther. proofsi. on. the 24th of last month, when it Was fully argued by the - King's Advocaie for the . Captor,. and, Dr. ARiIoLD ani- Mr, STE PHEN for the Claimant. , • At the close:of the argument it was • the Court, that tlr. - .s.y had'no 'doubt what oision ought to be, but that they Wished to i ,Lteito the various cases • that had been cited in t.l,)e ment, 'and oh. that . account only th-2: Cause to-stand over for judgment oil a filo:ire Accordingly this day 'tb.c unanimous • theit Lordships was given in • a very aUle an - thinons . manner by Sir .WILLIAM Gr NT, the •Mcister 'ef the Rolls. His Henotr first . briefly* stafed the. single gue.-..tion in the cause to be; whether the . v`oyage in which tl:e property of the claithl ent was mbal - ked -at the 611;0 of the capture y•as .a .voyagr,.. The ~caro in question consisted of.eocoa, which *at Laguira, a Port in the .Spanish Province of Cl. raccas, in South America, on account of.the ant, in the . same Ship in whicll it .I.vai now-..A:idp tured, and was bredgl";:f • to IVI.A - I.)l;.‘:heacl, i; a.,Pou ri ef the United - States,where it WLiS e d ,arki I<l uicd, a bond having been, given as usual f;ir the dutics.; but it was a few days .afterwards re-shipped in the same bottoni, and,dispatched - on a voyage to Bilboa. Debentures - were thereupon gratitel to the claim tit for the amount a tt,,e. duties, a small part excepted.; and these'Debentnres bein-r, at a subequentparip4, given up to the;Custorif-17ouSe,..and the small. .b - lance of duties paid. in cash, the bond &yen on the entry from Laguira was Cancelled:, . This, our Readers will. observe, is . the '.ortlinft ',ty. course. of proceeding in lilce cases.; 'and-which . ; 'it is contended on the,pat t.-of America; amounts to a .fair importation into.thet Country, so as - to justify the subsequent trausatiEsion of the produce ofda hostile Colony to the Mother Country, or any other :Port in-Europe, while the contrary is maintained by .our Prize Courts. . The MASTER of the ROLLS did enter into' those general principles.of- the ,did of Nations, on. which this 'Co'mtry asse:t,s..:i. right to preventlN'ien trals 'from carrying 'lrade, Of. our Enemies in general ;. principles which have hen so often di scusSed, and . so oftl2u , soleninly recogni.zwi by the Lords ,Corrunlssioners. He only observed, ;hat by the uniform. Sense of the Board, whatever branch of that trade was not allowed . .by His Majesty's NVar Instruelions, was unlaw":al; and. that therefore the only question for their - Lordships in 'this case was, Whether the voyage in. qucStion was flirty the licence of the Royal Insuutlion which applied 'to it ? 4 His ffonour then proceeded to expose; in a strain of the dearest and most 'conclusive reasoning,' the _absurdity of regarding the deviation from ,the direa course, of the intended voyage, sto) ping at an, Ame rican Port, the landing and re-shipping the cargo, and the formal proceedings at the' Custom-house there, as legalizing a volynge which would otherwiw have been nfilay.vtui under the Royal Instruaion, when those ads are discovered to have'heen morel t ostensible, and -concerted for the very purpose of evading the rule of law. , • The true intention of the parties, he observed, might pot, in general, be easily discovered, because the same exterior circumstances naturally accompa nied an evasive and genuine importation. • But when an intent merely to .give a false appearance to th... 1 transaction Was discovered, it ,was impossible for the Court to give effe& tp such an intention, by bolding thatthe old voyage was discontinued, and that a ne%r. ope had commenced, ,without - admitting that the legal charaEter of a .transaCtion was to be deter- Mined, not by its real nature, but .by the naru which the parties chose to give it, and the false co lours which they made it to wear. .< The dire& voyage from the Spanish Colony tei Spain was clearly -prohibitedbut when Colonial produce, shipped in the former, was designed 'to . be carried in the same bottom to the latter, a deviltion from the dire& course of the voyage, contrived for the Mere purpose of giving a, new name and new appearance to the transaction, could not alte'r .the . case. It was still in substance and effeta a dire& and single voyage ; and in the cwstruaion of plain com mon sense it was impossible to view the restric tion in a different way. (To be conthard.,l After illustrating the point much at largo, his Honour adverted to the circumstance of paying or,' securing duties, which has been much insisted on by the Merchants of America as' legalizing these, voyages according to the former judgments of out own Prize Tribunals.. In this rasped, he said, the Lords Commissioners . had been alledged to have. departed 'in a late case,- that of the Essex, Orme, Master; from some rule they had previously laid down. But,,in faa, the paYment of duties had never been regarded by them in any other light than as circumstantial evidence of,lro 7ta Jicks in the importation into Ainerica. It had been supposed that large import duties 'were Vaid in that Country ;- and if sow to be sure it furnished a strong indication of a design in the paity paying them, to ma)te real, and not merely an ostensible importa;- tion. So the Court of Admiralty had reasonably thought in the case of the folly, Lasky, Master, the first case on this sUbjeal; but the Learned *Judge of that Court had anxiously guarded in his judgment. against the notion that this; or any ether 'circum stance, amounted to conclusive evidonce that ti:e iro portation was genuine, or that the payment ofduit:s of itself Ipivelegality to the wade. :~- ~~