The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-04-16 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
SATURDAY, Aram
I 'The rands continue to rise. They left off yes.
triliy at 641. We may fairly infer from this
insproretncnt, nnder the present circumstances of the
Market, that thc apprehensions of a war arc wear.
int away. W. arc not aware of Any particular fad
re.ently tran,pired of sufficient importance to be a
satisfad,ry re.u.un tur t'ais change in the public
mind. We are therefore si.sposedtoattribute it to a ge-
reral view of our present situation, and of the proceed-
alp thaLled to it. Von:he firit warlike symptoms ma-
ignited on our put, there was a danger that France,
t &ken by surplice, /night commit herself in adual
' some *lent and precipitate measure

by.
Th ilAtigcr has, howerer,.passed Away, and both
hive had full mete neigh the consequences
in a topture. They have also obtained the advice
of au‘i4, Atn.triA, And Prussia, who have been con-
sulted ► bett► parties upon tl.e stilijea of their pre-
sent difescnas I acid it is genera, u•tderctood that
'neither p.irty !us received much encourvi,Ternent to
renew their quarrel- This 4. a state of things in it.;
nature pacitu, because i affords time for caiol ward

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deliberate refitttidn ; and the mote the Vlik‘T CAN-
.set. rethati, the...more lie Must be cUI YUlceJ that
'this is not the moment to go to war with England.
It is testy in relation rothis state of the political re-
lations between the two countries, that the report of
Mr. PITT'S return to office could have been sup-
posed to have produced the effen of raising the
funds. Although the FlRsr Comsto. may' not wish
for war, yet he may expes.ct to extort much from the
present Minister, without bringing matters to that
extremity. The character of Mr. Purr does not
hold out that promise, and as the FIRST CoNst
would probably abate his demands in the es'ent
of such a change—the apprehension of such
a consequence cannot fail to influence his con-
do& ; and hence the return of Mr. PITT to office,
or even the dread of it by France, if France he not
prepared and ripe for war, is a pacific symptom.
No foreign intelligence had arrived when this
Paper went to press.

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A King's Messenger set oft List night with Go-
vernment dispatches for Mr. JAc Kstv, the Consul
at Berlin.
His Royal l lighness the Duke of rsr, was er.
peaed to sail from Gibulter on the 2d inst. hi the
.lmazoa frigate.
Yesterday morning his NI A./FAT V, accompanied
by the Princesses SurntA and AMELIA, attended by
(;acrals Ow VNNE. and I-Nile:nett T, Sir WI a s
and Lads' PITT, took an airing on horseback in the
la)ngWalk, and inspeaed the improvements carrying
on in the Great Park.

Her MAJESTY-, accompaniid by the 'Princesses
Ai.ousTa and ELIZARtTII, attended by the Mar-
chioness of BA TO and daughter, took an airing in
a sociable by Cranhourn Lodge, and honoured the
Honourable Mrs. 11 ARCOURT with a morning visit.
The Princess MARY, attended by Lady Cl{ ANLEY,
took an airing to Frogniore.
On Thursday the 11th regiment of Light Dra-
goons had a grand field day on Ashford Common.
At a full meeting of the officers of the East Mid-
dlesex Militia, held at the head-quarters, (Edmon-
ton), yesterday, Colonel Woo' in the Chair, an
elegant gold-mounted sword was unanimously voted
to he presented to their late Colonel the Earl of
Mat...sr irto, as a token of their esteem.
The religious veneration lately revived in France,
under the auspices of HonAP ART e, seems to be as ex-
travagant as any of the other transitions in that
Country. It appears by one of Mr. Kiwi's letters
from France Lately published, that the people in
sonic of the small towns on the road arc now ac-
customed to kneel and prostrate themselves on the
appearance of a 13 isiz or !
Prince WILLIAM of Grovererra departed from
Copenhagen the 4th of April, on his way to Ham-
burgh, There he is et:pefted to arrive on Sunday the
10th. He has received from his DaNisii MAJ rsr v a
present of a gold snuff-box, worth six thousand rix-
dollars, and in which is his Ma./scry's pintire.
Prince's attendants also received presents from the
King. The Prince gave the Chief Marshal, HA UC
a ling worth five hundred rix-dollars; and a breast-
pin, of the same value to Couut VON Ho Ls real,
gentlemen of the bed-chamber.
By a vessel arrived at Plvmouth on Wednesday,
in forty-aeven days from Demerara, we learn that
a great mortality prevails among the I)ntch troops
that have taken posension of that settlement, as well
as on board their ships of war, nut less than from
fifty to a hundred dying daily.

The death of the Earl of Destretts causes a va-
cancy in the Scotch Representative Peerage, of which
his Lordship was one. In the year 17811, on a va-
cancy which then occurred, the Earl was set up by
Opposition against the Candidate (Lord Ck T ti-
C ART) supported by the Administration which caused
one of the severest struggles ever known on such an
occasion; the last mentioned Peer carrying his elec.!'
Lion by a majority of only three. The Prti Nee, 34
Duke of RovusAv, voted for Lord De MIFRIES.
Amidst all the rumoured changes not an evq
seems to have been direaed by the ministers to thi
old opposition. In this cabinet dance the late and!
the present ministers set to, change sides, right hand
and left, and cast off, but they appear invariably
determined never to seek for partners from the
other side of the I-louse.

Nothing can more strongly evince the deep-rooted
detestation entertained by the inhabitants of the
petty cantons of Switzerland for the French partisans
in that country, than the following melancholy cir-
cumstance :—On the '22d of last month, about sixty
of the inhabitants of the Canton of Underwaiden,
who are all roman Catholics, set out to join in a pro-
cession which was to take place in honour of St.
Nicholas. It was necessary on their way to cross u
lake. On arriving at Sarnen, a village on the banks
of the lake, they found only one boat clkengaged,
which could not, with safety, convey more than
forty.—There was another boat, which had only an
individual passenger, who was a clergyman. This
person offered to accommodate a part of the pil-
grim% wish a passage along with him. But he had
taken an aftive part in those measures which bad
led to the ruin and subjugation• of their country;
•and not a man of the •ilty peasants could he found
to pojlute himself so far as to cross the lake in his
- company. Animated with religious zeal, none of
them would.stay behind. All of them crowded in-
to one boat, which had scarcely put off from the
bank, when she went down ; and the passengers, with
the exception of a very small number, instantly pe-
rished. The survivors are stated. to have owcd'their
rescue principally wile atqive exertions of the clergy-
man. Alluding to this circumstance, the Editor
of the Gazette di France, in a style of unfeeling ri-
dicule, expresses his surprize, " that they did not
immediately plunge again into the lake, on being
informed who had saved them." In this country,
thank God, this brief narrative will be perused with
far different feelings. Vhile we regret the indis-
cretion which hurried the sufferers to their fate, we
cannot but applaud the heroic contempt which they
manifested for one of the instruments of their op-
pression. Freemen, Englishmen, will sympathise in
the sentiments which animate the brave peasants of
Underwahlen. To both the " love of liberty with
life is given," and long we hope will both consider
life itself" as " the interior gift of Heaven."

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Sitc::l4milatakitatr:Z:

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ACr.ll. tituOr."
The deer which was wised out for the
ertion on Tuesday, is'a great favourite
NI Ali • v. At starting from °Ascot Heath
with great swiftness towards Bagshot, making a
dauhle to the right, crossing the front by Czsar's
Camp and Southal Park, and through East Hamp-
stead Park ; and what is very remarkable, to the
plate where he had twice before been taken after a
very long chace. The sportsmen expected he would
have halted there, but he ran with greater speed if
possible, leavin Bracknell to the right, through the
mclosure, by Vi avell and. Winkfield church, crossing
the plain 'through the woods, by Genera/ HA u-
covices, St. Leonard's-hill, and made his way to El-
wcr, at which place he ran into the Mill River,
where he remained some time, but being closely pur-
sued, he escaped out of the river, and the chace was
renewed. The deer then took his course towards
the river Thames, to the left of Winthor, and crossed
the Thames. The huntsmen were then obliged to
come through Windsor and Eton, and their appear-
ance attraOed the attention of the inhabitants.
His MAJ EST Y and attendants then gave up the
chace and returned to the Queen's Lodge after a
pursuit of upwards of three hours. The chace was
renewed by the remaining sportsmen, who were very
numerous. The deer took to the left of Eaton,
and made much ground before a double back to
the left, where he plunged into the Thames near
Surley-hall. By the heat of the day, and the length
of the chace, he now became quite exhausted, and
two of the foremost hounds pursued him into the
water, where they seized him, and would have
drowned him in a few minutes, but for the assistance
of a man in a large boat, who went to the deer's
assistance, took the dogs oir, and brought the
deer safe to Windsor Bridge, where he was put into
a stable, and taken proper care of.
T HE AT R E.
DETJR V-L AN E.
The interesting Comedy of Deaf and Dumb, and
the re-appearance of that inimitable actress Miss
De CAMP, in the charader of 7ulio, drew a most
crouded and elegant audienee last night. Miss
De;CAMe was received with reiterated plaudits on
her entri. Her fire and expressive countenance
pourtrayed her feelings in the strongest terms ;
never did she endow the eharaOer with so much
interest as last night, and it is but justice to say the
sensibility of the house was in unison with hers. Mr.
Barreilv, for the first time, performed the part of
Fromm!. It does not afford scope for any great
exertions, but we consider this Gentleman an acqui-
sition to the Theatre. Mr. WeoI'GHTON put forth
all his powers in the charader in which he was so
well known to excel, of De 4rlemont. Never was
the horrors and agitation of a guilty mind more
forcibly expressed. Mr. POPE was an excellent re-
presentative of the philanthropic 4111: P.Etie. Mrs.
MiAiNTAIN introduced a beautiful song in Mari-
ann., the composition of Mr. KELLY, which she
gave in her best stile, and was rewarded with an
estate. She gave the part all the interest of which
it is capable. Miss Poet.. and Mr. Poweee played
with their usual excellence. Miss De Ca:ste spoke
the original Epilogue. It was followed by the En-
tertainment The Children in the Wood. Mr. B AN-
eisrEn, junior, in Waller, and Mrs. BLAND in jo-
zepbine, received their accustomed tribute of apply-
bation.

is di-
his

CiPT,ll.l' 3141CN41.114P1r.
Yesterday, at two o'clock, Sir RICHARD FORD
attended at Blake'. Hotel in Jermyn-street, in order
that the examinations of the several persons taken
before him respeciing the late fatal duel, in which
Colonel Montgomery was killed, should be read
over and sw:ora to in the presence of Captain Mac-
namara ; which being done accordingly, the parties
were bound over to give evidence upon the trial ;
and a commitment to Newgate, for the murder, was
made out for Capt. Macnamara. Mr_ Andrews,
Mr. Cline, and two other eminent Surgeons who at-
tended the Captain were then sworn, and deposed,
that he could not at present be removed without en-
danrrin:' his life, in consequence of an inflamma-
tion h. -ing taken place in the wound, which they
said w:, • ~ casioned by a part of the clothes driven
in by t:. tl, and still remaining in the body. The
infla,riirtion, they added, had produced a consider-
able degree of flrer. The warrant of committal to
Newgat,., therefore, was not executed, and the Cap-
tain w. s left in the care of Mr. Townshend and
three othe; Bow-street Officers, who are stationed at
the rit.!l4 until he may be removed with safety to
Ncwgat 11...1r. Erskine and Mr. Knowles attended
on the pat 0: Captain Macnatnara, but they did
not think it r.,.:cess-try to interfere, or to make any
application for hi, admittance to bail in the present
stage of the business, and on account of the near
approach of the Sessions. Mr. Macnamara, the
t.aptain's brother, and two sons, were present upon
the u.;ca,ion.

In a most curious produaion which has been
lately published at Paris, by a French Author, who
styles himself Professor of Languages, and entitles
his Book 4' An Eng'ithman's Judgement on Bona-
parte ;"—" Ou Bonaparte japs par un ;"—we
read the following modest expressions, which, no
doubt, will be felt in Lonion as highly descriptive
of the sentiments of John Bull.
• Les Empires diront to jeur. It verite,
• Lt transnsettrunt ton non a!a posterit,i I"
•• Empires are Ti legrophs to spread thy name? "
•' Pritriirrim—the Guardian achy fame."
Upon these lines we shall only remark that the
FIRS'. CONSUL'S Telegrap.tis arc going so fast ors of
order front overworking, particularly his Durcu and
his Swiss Te/egraphs ti:::: i'osterity—the Guar-
dian,"—is likely to have b,,on--•-ki sinecure employ-
ment ! ! !
To compare his hero to,Juiius Casar was also a
natural twit enough, amt hr has accordingly
availed himself of his classic parallel in theie lira :
" Lursque pp a eclia,ip auk hurreuers de Dl'murt,
A Neptune en fureur C:e7.7.tr L'twit son sort:
•• II fendatt (rune main Its vogues 1..: in&Alret,
" Et de l'autre II tenai-. Ceinisstntaires.”
" Casar, on Egypt's shores his life to ore, .
F thw peas burr.rs of a waery pave,
co:whits hictortutie to the ve.vrei ;.
Amid whilst onwhand the haiseerous bjtuvre braves,
.fe from tlic exitge,s.tha; aOanal hip waft, •
The records of htsfame the other tuft ."
This is rather Aoti;:un yppy‘lll4sicet. The eight
Of BONAPAkIs ISsypt WOUld SkZatCC bear a
Com ineodarj. , P.

D-1*144 ATTACK.

4ligsterday afternoon, :4 five o'clock, as Mr. Spell-
ear-Townsend, a Gentleman of great respeaability,
Who holds a high situation in the Navy-Office, So.
merset-I louse, was returning from the Office to his
house in Cleveland-Court, St. James's, he was stop-
ped within a fi w yards of his own dcw,r by a Gentle-
, man of the name of Grant, lately, we understand,
a merchant in Lawrence Potmtney-lane, with a pi,.
nil in each hand, who approached,and thus addressee!
him :—" You d—d v—n, you are, the cause of des-
troying the sappiness oy mind,-„take one of these
pistols, and you shall instantly shoot me, or I shall
shoot you." Mr. Townsend, perceiving Mr. Grant
assuming an attitude, which indicated a resolption
to carry his desperate purpose into immediate exe-
cution, made an attempt to rush suddenly by and
gain his own door, when Grant who stood in his
way, turning round as it were with intent to follow
him, discharged one of the pistols at him. The
pistol was loaded with swan shot, but the pantie
were so close at the time of the fire, the charge
probably passed him liLe a single ball, and Mi.
Townsend fortunately escaped unhurt by it ; a con-
sequence that could scarce have happened, had
there been distance betweenlfor the shot to scatter.
Mr. Townsend, however, wtis nut thus freed front
danger, for in the sudden spring to gain his own
door his foot slipped, and -he fell upon the pave-
ment, and Grant, seizing the opportunity, folios.-
ed up his diabolical intent, by discharging the con-
tents of the second pistol at him, while he lay pros-
trate upon the round. The:contents of the pistol
passed through Mr. Townsend's coat, and slightly
wounded one of his knees, and the wadding lodged
in the skirt of his coat, an set fire to it. Mr.
Townsend, however, made a sudden exertion, and
recovered his feet.

The report of the two pistols brought several of
the neighbouring people, sothe of whom saw the
whole transaction from their ..W•indows. The popu-
laceli immediately collected around Mr. Grant: he
was secured, and immedisiftly conveyed to Bow-
street, where he underwent a long examination be-
fore Mr. Bond and Sir William Parsons; after
which he was committed for further examination.
Upon inquiry we learned that Mr. 'Townsend has
been used for a considerable time past to receive
anonymous threatening lekriers, but from whom he
was not able to form any conjecture. The last of
this description which he received was in the follow-
ing words You have heard the fate of Colonel
Montgomery it shall be yiittrs one of these days."
This letter, and several others of the same class,
and in the same hand-writing, are forthcoming.
Mr. Grant, we understand, appears to be insane, and
the cause of his melancholy state, as well as of the
crime which he attempted, is supposed to be this,.
Some time ago he paid his addresses to a daughter
of the late Lord Dudley and Ward, who was be•
queathed by the will of her father a sum of 40001.
Mr. Townsend was one of the Trustees in the will.
in whom the above sum was vested for the use of
the young Lads, in case she should marry with the
consent of her friends. This consent Mr. Grant was
unable to obtain ; and Mr. Townsend, as an honour-
able, faithful, and just trustee, adhered to the will.
This disappointment is supposed to have preyed.
upon the mind of Mr. Grant, and to have produced
that alienation of understanding, under the influence
of which he made such a desperate attack upon the
life of a most respectable and worthy man.

Yesterday afternoon, the Attorney of Surgeon
HEA VISIDF., went to the htiuse of Lord EL LEN so-
aocf.ll, fur the. purpose If applying for a writ of.
Habear Corpus, to bring t 4 the 14iy of his client
from Newgate, in order thitt he might be admitted
to bail. Counsellor Wooeo-attende on the part of
Surgeon HEAVISIDE, in or r, if accessary, to ieen-
force the application, an answer any objeaions
that might be made. His Lordship, however, was
not at home, and Mr. WOOD being obliged to g'
away before his Lordship's return, the merits of the
question Nvere not gone into, and' the applicaticAo
stands over. ~
Most of the accounts of the proceedings on the
case of Mr. ASTLETT of the Bank, since that gen-
tleman was taken into custody, are very erroneous.
All die examinations have taken place at the Bank,
and he has not yet been at the Mansion-house. lc
has been said, that he refused to answer any ques-
dons put to him ; but we understand, this is not the
Ea, and that he has, on the contrary, communi-
cated upon the subjed freely.—llia final examina-
tion is expeded to take place this day.
In a late number of an Am'ilxican paper, Tir
Wilmington Mirror, apt extraordinary publication
has appeared under the signature of ,s T. 'IC/ONE v,"
stating, most peremptorily, that the celebrated
Major-General Lr e, of the American army, was
the real anther of the Letters of J ctsius.
B'JNAPARTE is reported to have explainel to Mr.
las' is csTus r., the American Minister at Paris, thtt,
the interruption the subjeds of the United States
met with on the Mississippi, was the effed of a rifts..
take, and that the navigation of that river should be
free to them as formerly. Should this be true, Mr.
MONROE, the American Envoy Extraordinary, who
is just arrived at Havre umhe United States, and
was expeted at Paris on th 11 th instant, finding
the objet of his .mission fulfilled before his arrival,-
may the sooner come to LOndon to succeed Mr.
KINV, the station to thigh he is ultimately des-
tined.
Pr:.vate letters from hlaris contain the following
intelligence :—After th4First Consul had received,
on the 29th of March 7. a Courier from Gencr.:l
Andreossi, an Extrao4rary Council of State s
held, and the important, question of Peace or War
again debated. It Is understood that tile votes were
not adverse to the maintenance of Peace, and a Cou-
rier was sent off to General Andreossi at London,
with the ultimatum of the French Government.
England, it is said, is to evacuate Malta, and a
Treatrof Commerce to be negociated between the
two nations. Should war, however, ensue, it will
not be declared by the Chief Consul, but a Sena:44A
Consuhum will be passed, which will render it a. na-
tional transadion. This document, it is said, is
already prepared and printed.
The preparations made for the journey of the
Flitst CoNsui. to Belgium are of the most expel:,
sive nature. He is,availing himself of the popula-
rity, in the mean time, which he has borrowed from
the establishment of the Concordat. He attends high
mass every Sunday, and•on the two last days of the
holy week a most rigorous Fast was inflicted on all
, those who are domesticated in the Palace of the 'ktt-
.l aeries.

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