The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-11 00:00:00

thz Speaker sea orifed Op custody et the
Sergeant at Amts.
Mr. SHERIDAN said, he'dittl pot rise to east the
sli,,hestrefleaion co the Member sof the Liskeard
rmttee, but thought it necessary to give
a Petition of Applpal woub.l soon be laid
llouse against their decision.
Thz SECZETAR at WAR gave notice,
he would move on Mond ty next for lea-
in a 13111 for consolidating the exist;n.
making provision for the families of Milani-men.
'1 he Report of the Committee on the
nue Bill was brought tip and agreed to.
The Order of Lie Day, for a Commi
whole liouse, on die Irish Customs, was read, and
the same p.istponed till to-morrow.
The Irish Postage Bill was read a third time and

-

passed.
The Irish Hat Duty and Game Certificate Bills
were also read a third time and passed.
The consideration of the Dublin Watch Lill, was
postponed to this day so'nnight.
ALLIAND../t brought lip the Report of the
Committee on the Irish Chalking Hill. The amend-
ments were read n second and agreed to, and or-
derea to be read a third tin::: to-morrow.
Mr. WICK HAM gave notice, that he would on
to-morrow move for leave to bring in a Bill to
oelpower the LORD LTIATcNIiNT of Ireland to
increase the Irish Militia.
Mr. A rzwinte brought up the Report on the
Marine Mutiny Hill; which was read a second time,
and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.
The Newfoundland Judicature Bill was brought
in, and read a first time.
The Bill for preventing litigious Mtions in the
superior Courts of Ireland, was read a second time,
and committed for to-morrow.
The names of the Members remaining on the re-
duced list, after the ballot for a Committee to try
the merits of the petition complaining of an undue
elation for Carnarvon, was reported as follows :

R. AI!cHDA LE, F.sq, Chairman.
John Fuller, El. Sir W. Elford,
J. Lvoo, E.q. Lord Vi,e.iunt Matthews,
Rt. kw, %V, Hancock, F. S.iiinderson, Esq:
T. A Wr:g!it, E.q. Sir J. Pulieney.
H. Cooke, LI. • Nminees.
R. Deverel, Eici. The Hon. G Watt: and
C. S. Oliver, El. G T. Fottescoe, Esq.
There being no other lA:sine:4s before it, the Ijouse
adjourne4 till to-morrow.

--~-~--

in our Paper of yesterday we noticed the com-
munication made to the House of Commons by Mr.
Erskine:, from the Prince of \Vales, assuring the
Douse, that His Royal Highness is perfe,4ly satis,
fled with the arrangements already made in his fa-
vour.—As the conversation which took place upo.
the subjea was accidentally omitted in pur Parlia-
mentary Report, we now insert it.
Before the orderof the day,
Mr. ERSKINE rose and said, that though there
was no question before the House, he begged tp be
indulged with saying a few words, which were con-
neaed v. ith his Majesty's Message about to be taken
into consideration. He said, that his Royal High-
ness the Prince of Wales, haying learned that notice •
had been given by a Noble Lord who sat near him,
(the nature of which might be inferred from what
had lately passed in tbeliouse,) had, the moment
he was acquainted with the subjea of his Majesty's
Message yesterday, commanded him to express his
most earnest wish (if such a wish might be allowed '
to have any influence with the Noble Lord, and '
the generous disposition of the House) that no mo-
tion s% h itever, relative to any personal interest of
his Royal Highness, might be brought forward at
this important moment of public difficult, and ex-
pellee. That this noble principle and feeling, so
truly worthy of a British Prince, was nothing new
in the character and conduct of the Prince of Wales.
That he desired to bring it to the recollekion of the
House, that under the severest pressure of the aa of
1795, during 'the long continuance of the war, his .
Iloyal Highness, notwithstanding the irresistible na-
ture of ;leis claims on the public, had never enter-
tained an idea of presenting them to the parental
attention of the King, or the just consideration of
the House; and even when they were presented at
last for judicial decision, he could ,say from it higher
soiree, if possible, than the ;Prince's authority—he
could say it from his own certain and positive know-
ledge, collected from many communications, and
from the whole of the Prince's conduct, that th .y •
were not urged to create a fund f.r hiscornfc,rts,
but to shew to the world that he had never pressed
!von the ,comforts of the people, ,par'had been any
btu-then on the public, asiliad been so frequently
1 and so invidioogy insinuated. ilit that point a view,
the claim was most important, and had only been
briven up from motives which refleaed the greatest
hhonour upon the Prince's character. Mr. Erskine
said, that the Howe would easily see how unfit it
would have been for his Royal 'Highness to have'
interposed any similar expression dins wishes upon .
the former motion ; such an :interference would-have
amounted to a declaration, that if his private coin-
forts were attended to, he was careless of that state tt
and dignity which were the state and dignity of the
nation, represented by the monarchy, and which it,
was his duty, when consistent with priyate justice,
to assume. This, he was persuaded, was the mo-
tive Qf,the Noble Lord who•had given notice .of the
motion, upon public grounds, jealous of the honour
of the Royal Family ; and indeed it was:impossible
for my rnanto plat alt y otherconstruaion upon sueta
spontitueops.ivish of tivi Iloose,.than as a tribute
of pfection to liis ,i‘lajesty, and regard_for the dig—
nity of his Government. All these considerations,
however, had given way
.in the l'rince's,feelings to.
the public presstsre of the present nioment t • and so
entirely did he himself enter into the spirit of them,.
,thatil, after the utmost rqoderation and forbearance
which a great and posverfolnation could decently •
observe for the prtservation of
.peace, we should be
forced into war, by the piniption or injustice (4.
France, he would' cheerfully devote to the service
of his conntry• the last „shilling derived from a long
life of lahour, and .would willingly shed the last.
- .
drop of his blood in its, defence.
Lord P9RTCHESTER said, he ,concurred with
.the Hop.. Gentleman's
_request, and felt it incum-
; upon him, both out of respect to the declared wishes
' of.his Royal Highness, and also in consequence of
' the present critical,posture of public affairs, .not to.
press his intended motion. Indeed, in consequence.
of the events which have taken .place, .he was conti-
dent that hissit oyal (Highness wonld.not wish that at
such a time any. farther measures should be brought:
forwaryl forAe ,increite
.9f his splendour and dig.
•

•!'`

S

with;il thpie F!;r. days from
Guernsef and Jersey, have war?
seamen. They were ordered to
an Admiralty Messenger, on secret
.s kaye been received by the Com-.
cr of the Portsmouth Division of
to send out the same number of re-
, as during the war.
lamations were published last night;
aging Seamen and Landmen kotne
vice ; the other requiring our Seattle"
and Mariners in foreign service to return: These
Proclamations will bp found in our fourth gage:

Orders are immediately to be sent to our foreitm
possessions, suited to the present posture of affairs:
Their precise import we have not the means cf

knowing. The Dub of Marlborough packet, whicia
should have sailed from Falmouth ft,r Jamaica, of

the 2d inst. has been detained to carry out some of
the dispatches.
Ten • line-of-battle-ships are ordered to be pre-
pared for commissioning for sea servicg.
Lord Pito nv, of the- Amelia frigate, at Wool.
wich, has been particularly aaire, in impressing sea-
men. His Lordship, on Tuesday, procured nearly

200 men for his own ship. Me boats belonging tq
his MAJEsTO different ships at Deptford and Wool-
wich, employed on this service,toolras many marines
as they could carry, with their musquetsloaded:
These few particulars will be sufficient tq
give an idea of the warlike bustle and note

of military preparations, that distinguish the
present eventful crisis. The public eye is fixe4
upon them : they excite the feelings, and awake
the energies of the country from that peaceful
repose in which they were beginning to indulge.
In all this bustle and activity, we cannot forget that
commerce is at a stand, that enterprize is suspended,
•
and that all our mercantile speculations are rendered
abortive. If we look to the funds, we find them de-
pressed below their state at several periods of the
late war. If we.look to our ports, we will find
those merchantmen locked up, which in that war
proudly sailed in sight of the French coast, under
the protection of our gallant fleets. The present si-
tuation is therefore woi•se than actual war. It is a
state of fearful suspence, in which no man will 44
any thing, because he knows not 'That to do. It is
a state of commercial abeyance and national fever.
affording heat enough to cpniume our strength,
but withholding the nourishment that should che.:
rish and support it. Such a state cannot be
too speedily put an
,c14:1 to. It came suddenly opol
us, and cannot he too suddenly taken away. The
most ingenious hostility could not conceive or adopt
a mode of warfare more destrative, than the pro 2
longation of such a state.t
Disappointed in the hope eflearning, through the
medium of Parliament, the precise and pargoillir
causes that have pr ,duced this crisis, speculation has
•
endeavoured to discover them elsewhere. Various
reports were circulated yesterday, many of then?
grossly improbable, and all of them to be received with
caution. It was said, that a French Rect had attacked
two English 71's and a frigate, in the Mediterranean,
that the 74.'s were taken, but that the frigate
escaped into Malta. Another report stated, an ac.
teal attempt to take that bland by a coup-de-main,
by a force from Toulon. These, however, and such
like rumours, we are disposed to discard as totally
undeserving of credit. It would be idle to press such
unauthenticated stories, when we find abundas cause
in the tone, temper, and language of the FIRST Cog..
SUL. We know what the Grand Pacificator has done
since the Treaty of Amiens. Switzerland will.testify
that. We know the language which he has held since
,the same period. We have read it in the Monittur.
Judging then from these data, we believe that he 40
not, in hi s diplomatic discussions with England,spokett
the language of moderation. It is said, that when
Lord Wnrrwonru, at Paris, demanded, on the part
of this Government, an explanation of the motives
and obje4ls of the warlike preparations going on in:
the ports of France and Holland, he was answered
by t:he Minister TA L LET R AND, with great hauteur,
that it was " the will y the Fiasy.C.,4l.istA. It
also ,said, that in a dire& application to Go.
• xernment, he threatened, that if Egypt was not
• instantly evacuated by our troops, and Malta
agreed to be given cp, ,the FIRST CONsw.
would consider he .refusal as an unequivocal decla.
ration of hottdities, and conduit
:himself accordingly,!
It:is also said, that the ft arr,CoNsuL afterwards de•
dared to our Cabinet, That as the British troops,
according to his information, had now evacuatee
Egypt, he also expected Malta to he given up, in
conformity with the terms of the Treaty, of Amiens;
and further, that !he
.shoUld mrsider the sending
of a single English
.soldier more .to that garri-
son, a declaration of war ; and that, in such case,
he should order his forces in St. Domingo Ito eva,
cuate that Island, and make an attack Opon
Jamaica. This last part ,we .thittitjmPiohable,
but the rest we readily believe, because they
are not more offensive and hostile, *thin what he has
trumpeted through the world in his Gazette. We
believe also, that the sarcastic taunt in the last M -
nifesto, that England, single-Iliadic!, is not 4

. .-

' ...Y.4lllls!ilialiPle•- ..11r7-j'..7- :""....141"'"7r- -r-- ~ --..- .
..
tad, el the nity, But to saying dila mail, his Lokiisit said bets schi:-E. tone
he must g the same tispe.siejAre the Hoge at Ilel Portsmouth for I
eto east the by no means abandoned the priOciple of his inteuNd • '
rants to impress
skeardCom- moption • and he trusted the sync would ere long ar-
notice that rive when the House would find leisure to renew its those ports by ar
l isetn,re the attention to this sub' ; and he hoped that when- service.—Orders
ever that period shou arrive, the Rouse would ad- mauling Officer
notice, that vert %,•ith much satisf4tion and gratitude to the
ive to bring public spirit with which 'Ps Royal Highness's con- Royal Marines, to
I. laws for duct had been aCtuated•under the present circurn- cruiting parties In
tact-men. stances. Two Proclama
Irish Acre- The SPEAKER having remarked that there was
no question before the House, the conversation end- one for encouragi
nittec of the cd. to enter the service