The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-02-23 00:00:00

illness, and that it was very uncertain when he
would be again able to attend. Dr. ROBERTS was
then called to the Bar of the House.—lle said that
he was Mr. ATnins's Physician ; he had seen him
this day, and, from his judgment, he thought him
incapable of attending the Committee that morning.
He further stated, that it was very uncertain when
he could, with safety to his health, attend again.
On a Question put by the SPEAKER, that Mr.
JOlll4 ATKINS be discharged from any further at-
tendance on the Committee, it was carried in the
affirmative.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of
the whole, upon the Order of the Day, respecting
the Militia Training Bill, which was ordered to be
engrossed, and read a third time, paragraph by
paragraph, on Thursday next.
'I he House adjourned till to-morrow.

THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.
TO-MORROW EVENING will be proented a New Histo-
rical Play, in Three An‘, called
THE HERO OF THE NORTH.
To which will be added,
THE SULTAN.
THEATRE-ROYAL, COVEN!.-GARDEN.
To-mot( ROW EVENING will be performed the Comedy of
THE MAN OF THE WOIILD.
To which will he acktNl,
A TALE OF MYSTERY.

.mmoIMIP on.•

TH:E BRITISH PRESSI

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY, FEB. €23.

Ash-Wednesday—A Holiday at the PuMc Offiret.

We mentioned some time ago, that the GREN-
VIL LE Party did not see the financial state of the
country in the flattering light in which it was held
up to public view by the Minister, at the commence-
ment of the Session. We also stated, that it was
the intention of that party to take an early opportu-
nity, after the recess, to attempt a refutation of the
Minister's statement. Our report of the debate
which took place list night in the House of Lords,
upon the sccond reading of the Bank Rent iaion
Bill, will be found to bear us out in what we have
asserted. Lord GRENVILLE expressed an earnest
desire for an enquiry into the state of our finances,
and in words that spew he entertains a doubt, if not
of their prosperity, at least of their adecinacy to
their preseat or probable future burthens.

Yesterday we received the Moniteur of the 17th
instant ; it contains nothing of importance.—We
also received some Papers by the Dutch Mail, which
ate also barren of interesting intelligence.

Yesterday morning a Messenger arrived at the
gecretary of State's Office from Windsor, with dis-
patches from his MAJESTY.
The East Indiaman, having on board
Lieu:. Col. Dcseatsav, Brigade M:ajor COLE-
BROOKE, and a detachment of Royal Artillery, put
into Portland Roads, on Friday morning, in conse-
quence of adverse winds.
Sergeants MACKAY and SUTHERLAND, late of the
Ross and Cromarty fencibles, who were tried and
acquitted for the alledged murder at Aberdeen,
upon the King's birth-day, were on Thursday libe-
rated from gaol, information having been received
that no farther prosecution was intended against
them.
I do not know whether the Ministers of Bo t-
P ARTE are themselves the dupes of the id!e stuff of
*heir writers, but we are assured that nothing can
equal the credulity with which the Fitter CONSUL
adopts all their tine reasonings to prove that English
riches are merely fictitious, and that English credit
is artificial. It appears so important to demonstrate
this great truth to the world, that after having
charged with that department M. HAUTERIVE, he
has withdrawn it from him, and entru:ited it to
M. FIEVEE, the author of some good romances,
and who has written, not without success, from ima-
gination, upon the finances of Great Britain.—
e:ourirr de Londres.
An enormous deficit appears to exist in the finan-
ces of the Batavian Republic. The supplies neces-
sary for the present year will, according to letters
from the Hague, arnetiat to nearly fitly-three mil-
lions of florins, whilst the entire revenue of the Re-
public amounts to only thirty millions. There is
consequently a deficiency to be provided for of twen-
r' -three millions of florins.
A number of troops have arrived at Dunkirk, in
order to be embarked from thence for St. Domingo.
Great quantities of aims, and ammunition, destined
for that colony, are likewise daily arriving at Dun-
kirk, from Liae, Douay, and Maubeuge.
Admiral Biceenroe, who constantly cniiice in
the waters of Sardinia and Malta, narrowly watches
eaery movement in the Mediterranean!
The Corporation of the City of Cork have unani-
mously voted the Freedom of that City to Lord
REDESDALE, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland.
On the 20:11 instant a very particular order was
received at Plymouth, from the Admiralty Board,
by the difforent Captains of his Majesty's ships and
vessels at that port, viz. that in future no young gen-
tleman of the Royal Navy, in the Channel, North
Seas, Bay of Biscay, Straits, Coast of Africa, New-
t; iundland, Halifax, or the Vest Indies, having serv-
ed six years according to the usual routine of the
service, shall be confirmed as a Lieutenant, until he
bath been in England and examined before the
Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy at Somerset
House : this regulation does not extend to those
serving in the least Indies or Cape of Good Hope.
The solemn declaration made by Colonel DES.
PA n r.) of his innocence, has, it is reported, made a•
very deep impression on the minds of several who
heard him in that awful moment. 'I he coolness
and intrepidity which he evinced has, however
been equalled, if not surpassed, by men of the most
consummate villany, in similar cases ; and every as-
surance is a trifle light as air, when opposed by the
verdia of his country. It cannot be forgotten that
Lord Lov A tdied with no less firmness this SION sr;
and that in 11:s last moments, exultiog in the purity
of his patriotism, he exclaimed—" Duke tt decoram
Pt pro pair a "mi."