The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-04-23 00:00:00

ACT/ON ,IT S.4N FE LICES.

iT "I°'inot
he .r•iluo int of the action, terween the
F. rip It and • putty I the f)sth Rifle Corp., ut S:111
Felices, on the Agashr, noticed iu The Gazette
S4turds Ile' gill. VI extracted from r prorate 'earl
fr,utk ru Utfil Cr ul the 95th

.• 5 IHa I DK Tonto, NiAgc9 eo.
.11 aii,e this 00000 after au act with
the enemy. We had hero reinforced be three more
compaiiies of our regime's', making alt' erilier 300
men, under th-• commend it our gallant Colonel
BECKWITH. Very near Mehra de Pure" is a town
called Sat, F. lice., at which place the enemy have
• garrison of 3000 iiif.ntry and 500 cavalry: betawea
the town anus the river Raguita. At this time of
the year it is passable only at the bridge, which is
situated at the bottom of tine motintaius. The enemy
had a strong picqurt, the advaticetleentries of both
parties, during the night, being within ten yards of
the bridge. The whole country on both sides of
the river IS so MOolitiloollit at..l full of rocks, that 1
always thought it impossible for either party to
hurt the other. The French thought otherwise,
and last night, about eight o'clock, they advanced
with SOO chosen inen towards the bridge. Here I
Confess Ain at a loss to know in what man-
nerthey passed smell an i time precipice. In tour
hours the 500 met, were asserolthrd at the bridge,
us, tly at 12 o'clock at night, passed over it, and
made our ailvanced ceutries prisoners ; but our pit-
quet of h 0 men, posted behind the rocks, 'mute-
diately opened a tremendous tiring upon them. The
enemy did not fire, but kept forcing their way up
the mountain, thereby, I suppose, to surprise the
remainder of our men ; but they were deceived—
our picquet retired slowly and in excellent order,
aud, in less than ten militates. the whole of our 300
were down upon thins. The enemy, finding the)
had failed iii surprising us, comment.. hiring iu
every direvinn. Here a general action took place,
and continued upwards of an hour. At this time,
half-past one o'clock, and quite moon-light, the
enemy made a desperate posh, apparently with as
intentom to charge up the mountain-, shouting—
" Long live. Naecir.tosi;“ we, in return, gave them
three hearty cheers, and immediately eharl!ed ; then
the enemy gave way, atilt fell down the rocks in
every direction.—l have not tune to learn the relict
number of killed and wounded; howtver, we have
only one officer, Lietreionit M 1.111.1.11, killed,
and about It men. We have found two officers
and go Frenchmen killed. Colonel liacawyrs
received a shot through his cap; the fellow was tied
more than six yards distant at the nine that he
fired; the Colonel knocked him clowii, sod nails
him ti prilooer—lie begged the Colonel to spare
his life, saying he had give') an English .oldier a
,hire at Corunno. The enemy had 20110 men
t..rimal on the hills, ready to cross the bridge, if
the .;00 chosen men had succeeded in forcing the
P•c•-•. I forgot to mention we had 100 Sparii,to sot-
,h,-r, with us; the Captain and 30 men fuoigeit
ti! other officers sod 70 men ran off the moment.
*`u y heard the enemy had crossed the bridge."—
action arc gilds in our
'apers,

SIR FRANCIS BURDE7I".! LETTER
TO THE ELECTORS OF WESTMINSTER.

66 Tower, April 20, 1810.

" Sir Francis Burdett presents his respectful compliments
to the High Bailiff of Westminster, and transmits to him
his answer to the letter of the Electors of that City, which be
did him the honour to present to hint tins morning.
" Arthur Morris, Esq. High Bailiff for the
" City and Liberties of Wiatininster."

" Tower, April go, MO.

" CaNri.ixtitst..—lf any thing could increase, or confirm
the constant resolution of my life, never to betray the confi-
dence vim hare placed in me, it is the kindness and affec-
tion which your letter of the 17th inst. testifies to me, and
the wisdom and propriety of your conduct at the late meet-
ing. A scrupulous adherence to the Common Law of this
land, and the wise provisions of the ancient statutes Jecla•
rattily of that law, which together form shat, I understand
by the Constitution, raised uor country to an unexampled
height of happiness and prosperity ; ■ud, in an exact pro•
portion to the Minim:. neglect of them, has the: country
declined.

" la defence of these Lawn, and this Constitution, I smile
at any prnation to which, personally, I may be subjected,
thinking as I do, that life canned no well, awls° happily,
because, id cannot be so honourably and usefully, expended,
se iudefeneeof this our best inheritance, slid in the main-
tainance of the good old cause, fur which Hampden died in
the field, and Sidney and Rumen on the scaffold.
" Laws, to he entitled to respect and willing obedience,
must be pure—must come from a pure source—that is, from
euturnon consent; and through go lancorrupt channel—that

is. an Howe of Commons freely elected by the people.—
Ntorcover, they who pay the reckoning ought to exatninsanil
coutrioil the account ; and the only controul the peoPle ran
:have, aby a fair reprematatiou in Parliament. The -neces-
sity of obtaining this check by • consilintiosal reform, is
•ow acknowledged by all, except those who, contrary to
law, have possessed t►emselres of • property in the Home
of Commons, by whom this land; this England—

- this dear, dear land,
Dear, for her reputation through the world,
Is wow leas'd out
Like to a tenement, or pelting • farm ;
England, bound in with the triumphant sea, -
Whose corky shore beats back the envious surge
Mowery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With Ink) blots and rotten parchment bonds.

" From this foul and traitorous traffic, our borough monger
Sovereigns derive au igtmeose revenue, cruelly wrung from
the bard hand of hpoest lal . 1 do, however, now enter.
talo an ardent hope; that this degraded and degrading system,
to which all dur difficulties, griermict-s, and dangers are ow-
ing, will at length give way to the moderate, but determined
pee vev entice of a whole united people.

" Magna rbarta, and the old law of the laud, will then re-
sume their I mpirc; freedom will revive ; the cite, pillars of
the State, coiling theinselvie up iet their own naturally Mr-
row 'phi re, will fall utf and pee ish ; property, and political
power, which the law never separates, nil be re YOIUYI ; the
replat ed in the happy and dignified station allotted
Lien by the Constitution; the people, relieved from the bit-
terest atilt enema, time curse of Canaan—that of being the
servant of servants ; and restored to their just and indisput-
able rights.
" to effect thew• great, important, and necessary pur-
poses, no exertions of sine ►hall rye, be wattling ; without
these atiasament, no efforts of mine can avail.

" The people of England must speak out—they must do
snas-v—.4lrey must act ; and if, following the example uf the
Electors of tiesturiaster, they du .nx in a firm and regular
manner, spun n concerted plan—ever keeping the Law and
Constitut•u is view—obey must finally succeed in recovering
that, to which they aie lemihy entitled—the appointment
of their mill guardians and trustees, for the protection of
their own liberty and pcuvrrly. They must either do this,
us t►ey. must inevitably fall • sacrifice to use or the other,
of the usual custriuptible fa. town that ever disgraced this or
any other country.
"The nitration is sow at issue; it must now be ultimately
determined whether we are henceforth to be slaves, or be
free. Hold to the laws, this grim country may recover , for-
sake thew, and it will certainly perish.
" 1 am, Geutkruen,
" Your most obedient, bumble Servant,
" FRANCIS BURDETT."
Te the Electors of Westminster."

• PsHIT, aseau —JoitvioN.

Onr readers rill hud ths beautiful quotation from Shah'
speare, an happily applied by Sir Francis Burdett, by re-
hiring to Richard II Act 2. Scene t.

Rl€ll.4hD TILE SECOND.

(1 FROM HUMICS INGL4ND.I

" To .apply treasure, the Parliament imposed •
new tat of three groats ohi every person above 15
50:0r, of aer; loot the miwl♦ of the populace mere
noftvi,iirahly disposed for this measure; they had
to oroothli for a better condition, and to 11111 r.
inur against the °lyres...iota of the Nobility. Tao
vt-rbetc were forrpient in their mouths:

•' %% hen Adam debt% and Evr own,
" 11here was thou the Gettiletsmi ."

" These duets-men were xrredily rect n•ed by the
multitude. and eugraeen on their hearts. when a
rritural incident fanned the Pplif ks of generrl revolt
tutu open it tune.

' The tint-ortherers demanded, Or* blacksmith
of Emit it. payment for his daughter, whom he as-
st mil to be below the ale assqpied by the statute.
o.so of these (Amite offered to produce a very in-
decent proof to the contrary. which the father se-
ar immediately knocked out the rufilin's
broil.' with hi' hammer. The eels, was appland-
et', the people flew to arms, the sedition spread
fun the ennisty et Eases into that of Kent, Hert-
ford. Surrey, Swims, tee. The leaders assumed
the finglierl names of Wet Tyler mid Jock Strew.
Trmy committed the most outrageous violence on
the Nobility and fientryt het had the misfortune to
fall into their haudt—t hey assembled their followers
on Blarklweih, to the number of se hundred thou-
sand—they broke into the city, and required of the
King the abolition of slavery—freedom of com-
merce in merket towns, without toll or impost—

LYCFON Tiff 4TR

rUniler the special bermes( the Lord Chamberlain.]
Their Morgues' tier/sets •ill, this present MONDAY,
April in, IStoi, perform the Tragedy at
GEORGE BARNWELL ;
OR, THE LONDON MERCHANT.

TharoughtUodi_Mr. Powell Litierarga. Barna..ll, Mr. Mel-
; NillwnnJ, Mrs. Posta Marla, MlOs RSV.
Lad .4 the Play (tint tow), a Ne. room Ballet, called
VII.L 4GE, DOCTOR.

Composed by Monsieur Fraucerco Antonin Mootignaiii,
■ celebrated Mime, sad Principal Grotesque ()amps, from
the TIMIre at Lisbon his first appearance in Eszlaud.
To which Mitl be added, the Colienly of
THE 3111)N14:HT HOUK.

The Marrone, Mr De Camp. the General, Mr. Parma
Julia, Oiger Mns Edwin.
lu anairuw, The Confederacy, and Hit or Mts.!

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LON DON.
MONDAY. Aram i:i.

The East India, Mediterranean, •nd Qin.lieir
Convoy*, remained yr.terday at Spithiad. The
two latter will sail the first fair wind.

We stated, en Suiiirilay, a report that three
islands, on the cow,t of Sicily, with Syraerae
were destroyed in Friarnary, by an earthquake.
The following are ihe the salaudeNintgettli,
Alacata, and Terre N o.

fir FAANCiII BUIDSTT written a letter to his
Caustitisents, in vwyr to their letter °Utile 17th
instant, approving or gilt conduct. We this day

insert a copy of it, u poldiated by the 1;,„,,,,,
solar of the evettitig pronto wf so,ani.). with ,„„
raphoiniury twits, for the benefit of the
two ypele,, we have addend several other,. .0.
!Mew that hr has boat carefully sturlyise
arcainee Historical-Play of kirks/41 der S, ewer
tau his letter te little more than a win.• of
dies of particular µimages from I hitt Brawl'.
caterpillar." and the catalogue of the goods to
derived from the change which be recommend.,
were evadrutit beret" the ilartinet, when be isidifea
his leiter. Itieffeati waia minor, when In amounted
the Throne, and his reign Ors out continued ss.eit.,„f
evil -trite, and treason:Llr plu s.
Hems, so a snore magnificent resin, than any lii",;g
befure or after hies ; his very household conmisied of
Root) persons; and this prodigality wa. prnt4l,4
our or the principal sources of the public di.co".
tent." We have, is another part of our
ce ~,tract fr.,tu nom to chew the chewier of ti,,
people, and of the num. It was the reign of J... I,
Straw and Wet Tyler, characters that live in
age, and may he traced in our own ; a reigo
which we had much such a mob in Suothtiud,
that which lately pe !tektite people before ;he
net's house its Piccadilly, and atnicked
iu the Monies. The reasons which mite loot
induced Sir FRANCIS to direct the puhlteattetitil,
to the unfortunate seigis of Mensal) il., to au.l.e
his quotation, and to borrow all the ideas and
imagery of his letter from it, we do not pretend to
poi:lively know. If the people, however, will tale
the hint sind read, they may there dente a salutary
lesson. They will find that HENRY of BOLING.
DRONE, a principal hero of the piece, declared,
and vowed, and protested, that he only wasted
his own, and that all he asked was the rester.-
tints of tights, of which he was unjustly drprired,
but no redeem or compensation could satisfy him ;
he murdered his King, and succeeded to his crown.
We do not, however, mean to couple Sir Faucts
BURLOCTT will, Hasse of Bostxceause, and to
charge the Baronet with traitorous designs, lie
has, by his q itotat ion, pointed out the state of Eti4.
land under teen 4.RD 11. as similar to its state un-
der GEORGE the TuiND ; and we have tnerely cited
some passages from the history of the former rime,
to enable our readers to understated sold 'olio-ewe
his quotation. The minority of It Int En, slid his
extrovagauce, produced re Jack strew and a Wat
Ty/tr. and public discontent, in whatever cause
oriOititilig, will always produce such eharicters ;
but, without classing Sir Fasmicis Manny with
ambitious, artful, sedition' demagogues, all
candid mind.; must admit, that he has not coil-
ductial I self, as pat riot and champion of liber”,
iu • way wholly unexceptionable. The charges of
superfluoui re.istatice, attended with the effusion of
blood, and of having wilfully misled the Serjeaut,
we pass by, and come directly to his last letter.—
Ilis call upon the people to act, has certainly some-
thing equivocal in it; and the paesege where he
describes the noose of Commons as composed of
two of the most contemptible factious that ever
disgraced this or any other country—for it will bear
no other [tweeting—is as false as it is gross. There
never was a more respectable Opposition then the
presetit, whether viewed in relation to its numbers,
its talents, its rank, or its property ; but it has been
the principle and practice of Sir FRANCIS and his
followers to hate and revile the Opposition, mach
more than the feeble mid imbecile Ministry who
are the real source of the public discontent which
now prevails, and has encouraged him to come for-
ward as the champion of our rights and liberties.—
There is another objection to thin letter. In pri-
vate life, when a party resorts to the law far redreo,
lie is hound in justice and propriety to patiently
await the result, without attempting, in the mean
tone, to excite a prejudice and inflame the public
mind against his adversary. We are no reasou
why the same rule should not apply to the case of
Sir FRANCIS and the House of Commons, with
which he way be considered as having joined issae„
on the question of right. If that right shall be de-
cided in his favour. he will entitle himself to the
everlastiag gratitude of his country ; hut such let.
ten Hs that alluded to, will only dim theorist of his
triumph.

The report that Sir D. Mamas had tendered
his re.ignation *so Commander-to-Chief, io cons,-
quence of a wait of cordiality hetween him and
Ministers, is, we are assured, wholly attlout
foundation, and that he urither has expr:ssed
desire to retire from his office, our has any intei:-
bun or disposition to do so.
Strong detachments from the ban:Oil-ma of
the with and Nlst regiments, are (intend to embiii.
tor foreign service, to join the Ist battalion of Ili •r
regiments.
Tote squadron for the Battle, under the com-
mend of Molina Sr J. ',Luau's, was expected
t.i sail from Y aritiiiutn on Saturday. It consists of
the Iforbark. Meteor, Plaatergertet, Gavel, Vs"-
award. Hero. and Princes Cary/lac ships of tier
line, with the Illeynard and Prometheus frigate+,
said some smaller scrods.
Capt. J. Silt ANT is appointed to the Saklaitka
frigate ; Ciiplmill SPCA*, to the Royal .Y.ircreigni
the of Admiral Picsmoas.
G,neral WIALTII SM. I.ltollteibtaiit-GOVergiOr of
Portsmouth Garrisoe, is appointed to the comensi.d
at the South-West Mantel, and hiss 6 sedtlieheasl-
quarters at Portsmouth. The Earl of Crtir•n re-ii
the command, by the general reduction which h-4
taken place lii the Military Staff aheriugfinout the
kiiigi'mu. M.J.o Fic.rs a. Asststaut Adj la INu t-1;r-
-enti awl 14i I .1131.TT, Assistant Vinii iris
lirlaster-trentrsl, ret.stu thine situitivos.

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