The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-04-26 00:00:00

- THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,

TUESDAY, APRIL '26.
11111 ILIA

th, tblic

Although yesterday was a v at the put.
offices, the critical state of public affairs colleacd
numerous acsemhly at the Stock Exchange. The
public mind seemed to have recovered a little from
the panic of Friday aft&noon, and private sales were
made at tis, 6.51, tis.—The money and the May
prices were the same. No circumstances have come
to our knowledge that justify this increase of con-
fidence. The contents of the dispatches received on
S,tt:orday, of course have not transpired ; but it is
very evident that they were not such as the
Minister expected on Tuesday last. The Privy
Council that sat upon them did not rise until five
o'clock; but Mr. DRES!iINS, the Messenger, left
town about three fur Paris ; and at seven the same
evening, Mr. MASON, another Messenger, was sent to
th►e Hague This bustle and aCtivity did not evince
the conclusion of a dispute, nor any thing of the de-
cisive nature which the public were taught toexpeCt.
But if any 'doubt remained upon the subject, the
conversation which took place last night in the
House of Commons would be sufficient to dispel it.
The gallery was crowded with strangers, expeCting
that Mr. ADD !TWIGS would make his promised
communication. No such conmsunication, however,
was made; and all that can be c(..l!ected from what
passed, is, that he thinks it prob Able he may be able


to make it before Tuesday next. Under the infli
'nee of that presumption, Mr. PATTEN postponed
his motion on the state of the nation until that day.
No besiness, therefore, of any importance, will be
discussed in the House of Commons during the-re-
mainder of this month, but the first week of May
is expected to produce much warm and interesting
debate. We think it, however, very probable that
Mr. PATTEN'S motion may suffer another adjourn-
ment. Those who have studied the temper and policy
of the present French Government are not very san-
T rise in their hopes that matters will be brought to an
issue even on Tuesday next. While all the objects of
the l'ozsr CONSCI. can be attained by negotiation
and del.!y, lie will not be anxious to bring things,
liv war, to an inuncJiate conclusion. The Oppo-
sition know this, and therefore are not over zealous
to press the Minister. They think they may allow
him as much time as he can reasonably ask, be-
cause they cape& nothing but evasion and delay;
and, despairing in a satisfolory issue, they feel
that every hour encreases the weight of responsi-
bility. The reports circulated since the arrival of
• the dispatches on Saturday, arc of a nature that fa-
vours this view of the subjeCl. Lord WH I T WORTH is
said to have experienced another burst of passion from
the FIRST CONSUL. In a conversation upon the de-
mands of the English Cabinet, BONAPARTE is said to
have asked his Lordship, if he wished that he should
put himself at the head of. 500,000 men, and over-
whelm this country ?LordVs' u env° itTitasked whether
he was to consider it a mere private conversation,
or should transmit it to his Court ? To which the
list. Comet. replied, that his Lordship might use
his own discretion. It is also reported, that this in-
terview was immediately followed by orders dis-
patched to the several ports of France, to expedite
the naval preparations ; and that the public mind
is worked up to a very high degree of irritation
and enmity against this country, from a con-
viCtion artfully produced that the whole blame of
the present misunderstanding rests with England, in .
her refusal to execute the Treaty of Amiens. We
do not pledge ourselves for the truth of t'iese re-
ports ; but without going that length, we must con-
si‘kr them of importance. Our situation is me-
lancholy indeed, if we must set about preparing
for war whenever BONAPARTE chuses to be in a
passion. Such, however, is the growing senti-
ment in this country, ,or such reports would be
subjects of ridicule and not of serious consideration
and belief. It is one of the evils that necessarily
arise from despotism, but it is also an evil that may
be reduced by a bold and firm demeanour on the
part of those with whom it comes in contact. We
cannot, however, state the case fairly, without ad-
verting to both sides of the question, and therefore,
we must admit that a report of a contrary nature
has also its supporters. It has been said, with some
degree of confidence, that the subsisting differences
with France have assumed a more pacific aspeet;
and that no serious difficulty stands in the way of a
complete adjustment. The improved state of the
Funds yesterday is in favour of this supposition, but
we see nothing else that gives it an air of credibility.

Yei,terdny we received the Paris papers of the•
'l'hey contain no intelligence of much im-
portance. At Brest, Ghent, and other places, the
rumours are said to be more pacific ; but they rest
entirely upon letters received from London. Th'ey
were sent to France the beginning of last week..
when our readers remember the hopes of peace be-
gan to revive.

An article from Brest of the 14th, states, that there
has not been these ten years less aetivity at Brest
than at the present moment.
The French Funds are steady. •

The long-expeeted A mbassa:lor from the Court of
Spain, the Chevalier D'Arsot:Aca, has arrived: He
landed at Dover, on Sunday, with his suite. -
A letter from Gibraltar, of the 3d instant, says,.
44 The French are arming most adively in all the
ports in the Mediterranean, and are purcha'si'ng
naval stores at any price. By the last accounts
from Toulon, they were then paying as high as
four livrcs a foot for ship-amber.
Yesterday morning arrived a mail from New-'
York atut halifax, brought to Falmouth by the
Owen Charlotte racket, in seventeen days from Ha-
Wax. •
On Sunday afternoon the Purser; of the Lady*
Jane Ando: and Walthanutow arrived at the East-
:lndia House.
Passengers by the Lady Jane Dandru,—Colonel
and Miss HAMA MAN; Capt. BRIM°, DAVID VAN•
iIN II k: V DLN, J. FLEMING, and P. Texvcs, Esqrs.
Mess. Bo srow and !tort; am.

Passengers by the Walthanutow,—Lieut. Colonel
revues; ;Nlistresses, Cot:KAI. RN, HOLLAND, Ai-
BUT!, BUJ CASEMI:NT ; T. COCKBURN, W. CUN-
NINGIWW, T. CAO:NENT, T. BAILLIE, and J.
GAttoiNLis., Esqrs.; Lieut. PAriacKsoN, and Mr.
GOoDu.%

Passeit,zers by theTillicherry,—Major-General Po r-
'Wv NY Aau and Lady, Mrs. GIL-
Ha NI, Lieut. COI.
LET, and Lieutenants BILECH F. and CUNNINGHAM.
A Portsmouth letter, dated on Saturday, noticing
the statements in some of the London papers, says,
" The London papers state, that the exertions in
Plymouth 1)ock-T.ard are relaxed. We have intelli-
gence contradiAing that statement; ard at this port
the exertions are as unremitting as at any time du-
ring the present discussion with France ; the ship..
wriBhts, &c.-will Bork even to-morrur ."

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