The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-09-20 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
Till tircnodosa to.

We stated, yesterday, that among the vnrious
reasons assig,aed for the great depression of the.
Funds, ii contest between two parties oil the Stock
Exchange was the most plausible and ellicient.—
A l'ritit of last evereug conjured up a new Zdll
and says, Other persons ascribe the dertssion
to the state of the commercial world, winch, this
say, inerch rots to keep by them in rash
the am oulit of the hills t bey have negotiited, lest
t'icy should be rt•tiirieed upon them unanswered:—
Till% state of things siaturolly prevents any new in-
vestment in the funds, and even obliges people so
circumstanced, to sell out, to have by them a suf-
ficient sioc!c of ready cash. Thi, with the report,
true or ltho, that two iiii!lions of Ono t i ttt n, deposited
in the Lame of the late Sir FaANcis BARING, are im-
mediately to lie brought to market, sufficiently ac-
counts, according to those persons, for the Present
comparatively low state of the funded property."--..
We do believe that this alleged cause is as far
from the truth as nay of those which we have ohs-
credited ; and we continue to believe that the de-
preemies) is the result of a spirit, nut of very Christian
charity, operating against a party that has long
been considered as having u powerful influence in
the Stock Exchange.

We give thi. day the French Official Account of
the Surrender of Altneida, as contained in the re.;
part of Nlerdial MASIEN does not differ se.
terially fcuto Lord WELLINGTONi'S account, which
Hp:reared bi the London Genette, which we co-
pirl
yesterday.—Tins coincidence need not suer
prig- us, as his Lordship, it is acknowledged, knew
nothiug of the hosiness hut what he learned from
French deserter..— The explosion of the principal
magazine • s admitted in troth accounts to have been
the great and decisive cause. This explosion, which
took place o a the evening of the 2tith, is described as
terrible. Terrible it certaely was, foe .500 rt.'s:mu
were killed or wounded by it. The powder destroyed
also appears to have been the principal supply of
the place ; fur :ilt`iough the fortress made very
little res;statice titer that aceideut, there is nut a
pound of powder in the return of ammunition rind
a:ures found by the French on entering
the pl ‘ce at nurse k nu the morning of the
During; the uiglit of the 2lith, the confla-
gration, caused by the exploding of the magazine,
was aggriivsted and augmented by the furtoi fire
of thi! besiegers, from their bombs and howitzers:.
and Ms:As:NA describes the town as wrapt inflames
when he sent iii his summons on the morning of
the 27th. In this summons may be seen the great
respect with which the garrison inspired him.—
Notwithstanding its deplorable condition, he offered
it honourable terms, and none other were accept-
ed. The garrison, it is true, surrendered prisoners
of war ; the military part of it to be conveyed to
France, but the Portuguese militia were to return
to their homess after having surrendered their arms.
The fate of Almeida may prove a useful lesson to
the other strong towns in Portugal, destined to re-
sist the Invader. It skews how imprudent it is to
venture the whale of the powder in one and the
mine magazine, where a spark of fire, or the fall
of a single ',mob, as in the present case, roust prove
fatal.—The private aecimut from Lisbon, which
annotine,al this umfortunate event, suggested
that it was elfectert by treachery. Of this we find
no notice, nor could we expect any, in the French
report; but the possibility of tr.,achery is an ad-
ditional argument in fuveirr of a different disposal
of the antinuirition in a fortress, from that of Al.
meida. Some of the Treasury prints make light of
the premature and unexpected fall of this plate;
others of them, not daring toont rage common sense,
confess its import ince. Almeida was abundantly
sum.* ell with provisions, its garrison was strength-
crool by a Lb lush regiment, and a 11 dish Corns
minder was placed at its head ; this .hews what
importance Lord t.Vet.t.teceow attached to it.—
It was expected to hold out at least two n.oriths,
and Our to carry the campaign into the rainy and
sickly season, by which time the means of the
enemy would be exhausted, and they would be
rendered unable to prosecute their operations
farther its the present year. An event which
has destroyed these expectations, and opened
the way for the immediate advance of the enemy
into Porto:pi, cannot be contemplated with any
other sensations than those of anxiety and ap-
prehension for the safety of our army. and the
final issue of the war in Portugal.—The report
complains bitterly Of die system of waste prictbert
by Otir many The horrors committed by the
English," it says. " are deplorable. They cut

dais theTiorn, destroy mills, houses, ,„ v
. a desert ctithe country."—This
collect from the General Or te.s t,:.• t ?
neral to harays and the pr..,
enemy) is 4,1,1; but it is idle aid 1,4 c 1,.;„,
sent it as contrary to the n!" •:i
Law of suppose, r. i
British army should have been iota tit
pean.uls, to build bridges rod nt.tk,t
to I,ei:itAt.• the progress of the ene.ny
doctrine would come with a bad grace fion)
In
most humane of Bus: APACTE's GentrAs ; but ;,,‘
quite disgustiug from the lips of the IZIA4n,
shg
in contemplation of a counnitid in the sully dri.irssi
for the ineaviorr or &gland, boosted that lie sng
leave it a country not 6t to lire in !—Th? fal! sr
meld I, and the consequent danger to which Ind
WELIANGTOP is exposed, hare increined the
of Miniver* to expedite the departure of ri,brans.
intuits. The Med:cal Staff belonging to them hu
rceeive.l orders to proceed immediately to
mouth.

" "

We have reecived the Bursen Halle Litt, !nlii
9.h September. They contain a comirtnnws
the plan devised to carry oft JOSEPH fr Alsind;
and an account of a grand entertaintn...t et Prtts,
burgh, in honouruf Itrra•raast.'s

Order, were received on Moielay, .it Plyinos
for every ship of the !isle ready for ivNi to be
tuodiately victualled for five months.
Viernit Flunumi was 'Ately tried at Par:, for
su►render of Cayenne to the Ai g
forces; it was allegrd that he had cipitelsiol
order to eave his own plantation's and prnprrlt.
wee in be Aut Guilty, 41111 we, forihso
set at liberty, and restored to his finctio,.s.
The gallant 13th Light Dragoons hare gives!
enemy II specimen of whist toy br tfrectei his
troop of It highly disciplined regiment
Light Dragoons. Private letters meutioa is t
highest terms, toe bravery of the men is the lit
rencontre. It has long been a favourite corps in
owing to the great attention paid to the infra
economy of it, by General Ilovrow, it fiei“ferier
none.

Lord PAGrell excellent regiment, the rill*
Dragoons, now on Dublin duty, are agsistin
seri ice. ulthough they suffered so mach whesliall
employed. It rs astooishiog with what alsentyix
Isigidyestesamesi regiment procures recruits. Ti
horses are now iii the finest order possible.
The spirit of revenge against the Life Carl
slots not appear to have *monied; fora fee cl.)
since, when the sentinel ou duty at the Han
Guards requested sere men, chosen, blades

op the passage. to pass on ; instead of doinK
of them strut le All 03 so severe blow ea the si
es'to movie Kim rto drop his carbine; be, lineow
was anon enettlell to resume it, sod with the bo

euti eta:wieldy settled die whWle party, who to
precipitate retreat—And last week, se one
the privates also of the 2d regiment cot paw
dirmisii u field, Bear nakervotreet, he wee meth,
nut's who reale it, who, after abu,ing Min for
•trespitas, very coolly celled to some of ha mewl
•throw him over the hedge, which t.,ry did, se
ceremenie.

A French Gentleman hired a small West Be
a few days since, under pteteme of going to Cs
for the shootinat carom He embarked fame
and his Most valuable effects. and booted for
aquadron. lle was received in the Nolo,
brought over to Portsmduth.
Extract of a letter, dated Abrantes, August
is We have had several skirmishes n:!11 the CA"'
of RIWNIER, in which we have been uniformly a
cessfuJ. The Portuguese have improved II tf
Government and in their army ; in the latter, I
on discipline anal numbers: almost every battsli
is commanded by British Lieutenant-Colonels
Marrs, Some arrests in Lisbon have lately tat
place, and in that city the cry or not ro re.
Long lice the Prince Regent,' us ' Long hullo,
Geciaolt and the English Nation.' We 11.1
met with tin opposition but from the rich; tl
docility of the poorer climes has been exemploi
anti much beyond any praise. The linhhel
have improved much faster than their Office
The desertions from the enemy are coartaia,
are almost to an incredible extent. We !nite
lac demonstration of the bad condition if hist
valry. We dread the inclemency of the WOO
the next month." A

•••• .....
Mr. GRATTLW has given hiv Answer to the
drew of the Corporation of Smiths in [Milo.
has dreliired, that on the question of the twit
of a resident Parliament, his opinion is nail
and undltetoble. _

At the Yot kshire Assizes, a person of the n
of I.lsTee recovered the penalty of leol.
Mr. K. PRILMTLEY, a Gentleman of fortune
Halifax, 'bill, wits one of the Collectors of the
rimed Taxes there for the year laP6, for h
received more money from one Mr. C LUDO
than he was directed by the Cormuissincers of
Ass it Taxes to collect.
A Doe' lately took place nett Colder:,
King's Own Dragoons,
teem Captain 6 and Cornet of
in which the latter
wounded in the leg.
The Grand Farmer, Margate packet, !rat
main-mast about three o'clock nn Smolay morn
last. off Herne Bay, about two miles bele,
Heculvers, in consequence of a it-Aden
wind when carryin:: too great II press of !Alb
PrOrid litielly, the passengers, .brut 40 it' t'o
bre, were all b •low drck at the rime; if They
not the consequences might have been dreailbil
The accident happening dining the Itlght.n.rae;
much didistresson board. The anchor allslBll.llceil
ly cast a,and , soon es the dawn ofday napeared.
jolly-hors was hois.ed overboard ; nanothstio
the swelling surf, the whe:e of lire posoriticer•
safely landed. A difficulty here m.o.'. V. 'nlrstohility oT worrying enti‘eynnce• rn Mol•
(,leitant twelve none.). this burro end !A...! I'4
Vat affordinOnly the mirmr.tnriable sc,o•
lion of carts; three were pro. d. rad 0
many el. tica.e female. aid c..rldren ..)
over an extit me rug;rd ro.d, to Mer;:o!e•