The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-04-14 00:00:00, page 5

limited view of the subject, on my part,
it would be proper lor me, now, that
the circumstances were better known,to
present him an official note on it ; he
admitted the propriety of it.
1 then «4re\v iVir. Canning’s attention
to the subjects on v hich 1 had asked the
interview; being iht case of the Impe
tu* ux, captain Love’s correspondence,
the conduct of captain Douglass, and of
111 Ih itish squadron gem rally on cur
coast. I observed thitt I had hereto
iore postponed any official tonumi: ica
tion on the^e points, from a desire to
connect them with tin greater objects
depending between our goviinmcrds,
and ol course, from motives the n-pst
friendly :—that i brought them to his
vkw at this time, in consequence of
IVir. Pinckney and myself having com
rm need the other business, as lie knew
had been clone ; he promised to attend
to them. *
Un the 29th July, I wrote Mr. Can
ning the note which I had promised
him in the late interview: I addressed
it in terms which I thought suitable to
the occasion, observing to state in it,
that 1 look the step from a sense of du
• y, applicable to my station as the resi
dent minister, and without authority
h om my government: I considered the
act as that* ol the British officer, in
which the government had no agency,
was not bound to support, and which it
would be honorable lor it to disavow. I
flattered myself that some advantage
might arise from the measure, and that
under the circumstance in which it was
taken, no injury possibly could, His
reply is dated on the 3d instant, which
though expressed in rather a harsh tone,
may he considered as conceding essen
the point desired. It is my intention to
.ay nothing more to him on the subject,
till I hear from you, and in the mean
time to observe the most conciliatory
conduct that circumstances will admit.
Such is the state of this country, at
the present crisis, that it is impossible
to foresee what will be its course of con
duct towards the United States. There
has been at all times since the com
mencement ol the present war, a strong
party here for extending its ravages to
them. This party is composed of the
ship owners, the navy, the East and
West India merchants, and several po
litical characters of great consideration
in the state. So powerful is this com
bination, that it is most certain that no
thing can be obtained of the government
on any point* but what mav be extorted
by necessity. The disasters in the
north ought to inspire moderation, but
with respect to the northern powers, it
seems to have produced directly the
opposite effect.- A fleet of about 25
ships of the line, with a suitable num
ber of frigates, &c. and above 20,000
men, has been lately equipped, and sent
to the Baltic, as it is said, to take pos
session oi the Danish & Russian navies.
J his measure is imputed to an under
standing which it is supposed has been
t stabiished between the cabinets ol Rus
sia and Pai is by the late peace, and
which has for its object a concert ot
measures for the purpose of attempting
to torce on this country a maritime code
more favourable to neutral nations_
The motive assigned for the expedition,
is that ol taking possession of the Da
nish fleet, to keep it out of the hands of
the French ; that the Russian fleet is
one of the objects, is not so generally
believed, though perhaps not less pro
bable.
Mr. Pinckney and myself have taken
the first step in our business. We will
write you in a few days the state of it.
You may be assured that we shall do e
very thing in our power to promote, in
the mode most likely to succeed, the
object of our instructions, and the inter
ests of our country. Want of time pre
vents my going into further detail.
1 have the honour to be, with great
consideration, sir, your most obedient
servant,
JAMES MuNROE.
fames Madison, Esq. secretary of state,
Washington.
INTELLIGENCE.
London, February 19.
In nil the late discussions in parlia
ment, it has been observable that mini
sters could not bring down the inde
pendent representatives of the country
to the support of their measures. .They
have been left entirely in the commons
house of parliament, to the phalanx of
immediate dependents in office. Not
one ot their majorities has shewn that
they carry with them the sense of the
house, and day by day their numbers
have declined. In the house of lords,
last night, they were left in a positive
minority. The numbers, on a motion
of lord Grenville for the production of
certain papers which would verify the
assertion in the preamble to the orders
in council, were 47 to 38. And these
forty-seven peers, as will be seen from
the list, comprehended many of the
highest and most splendid names in the
united kingdom. After this division,
expresses were sent in all directions to
bring down peers to the house.
A letter from He!sinborg,5th Febru
ary, says, “ The British'-yessels which
put into Carlshamn, remain there vet, it
not being possible for them t\ pass the
Sound without a very strong convoy.
The building of gun boats & privateers
at Copenhagen, goes on with great ra
pidity. By accounts from thence, 1*
gun brigs are already complete. A large
Danish privateer, of 26 guns, has for
some days been cruizing in the Sound.5*
A circumstance rather remarkable
happened yesterday in the house of
lords, where a motion of lord Grenville,
connected with the order of council,was
carried against administration by a ma
jority of t); but it appears in this instance
ministers were taken by surprise,—and
lord Sidmouth’s motion for restoring the
Danish feet, was afterwards negatived,
on a division of 106 to 51.
Gottenburgh, January IS.
The English men of war the Stately
and Nassau, of 64 guns each, which ar
rived here last week, have brought the
sum of 100,0001. for the king of Swe
den, which is now landing. These
ships are to remain in these seas through
the winter, if the weather will permit.
It is said that one of their first opera
tions will be to relieve the twelve sail
of English merchant vessels now lying
in Carslshamn, which cannot come
out for fear of the Danish men of war,
gun-boats, &c. which are in that quar
ter. .
February 8.
A Danish man of war of 64 guns, at
least,and said to have onboard 800men,
has been for two or three days off this
coast; and although she has been seen
by an English ship of war lying here,
the wind has been blowing so strong
from the w< stwardas to render it impos
sible to go out after her.
Hanover, January 8.
By order of the French government,
the intendant Bellevillo, gave notice in
the course of last month, that a forced
loan is to be raised in the Hanoverian
dominions to the amount of 9 millions of
franks, which, in case of non-payment,