The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-02-04 00:00:00

t

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—TeesnAr, FIB 3.

HOUSE OP' COMMONS.

BARR ACK CokiMISSIONf r:C.

id ftrin7 some guns and musketry it tn her, she
li•wered her sails, and hailed that she had atm&
She is called the Jima, commanded by Captain
Francis Capelle, with 31.) men, m,iunting four guns,
and has on hoard a great number of small arms.
Had sailed from Flushing 12 days ago, and made
two captures ; one of whic'i, a large Prussian ship,
laden with a valuable cargo of timber, hound to
London, i re•captured on the same wirning.
I have the honour to he, &c.
(Signed) J. Tricer, Lieut. and Corn.
To Itsce-Adialial Russell, .t.. Stc.

The House proceeded to the hearing of an Ap-
peal from the Court of Chancery in Ireland, in
which Arthur Burke Baker, Esq was the Appel-
! int, and Lord Viscount Clifton and Eleanor Doyle.
were the Respondents. Thc: Solicit-sr-General and
Mr. Scarlet, were hard in behalf of the Appellant.
as were Mr. Richards in,l Mr. Leach, on the part of
the Respondents. The Solicitor-General having
addressed their Lordships in reply, the further con-
sideration was appointed fur Monday next.
Viscount Bolingbroke touk the oaths and his
seat.

On the motion of Lord WA LSIISIGHAM, the
Militia Service Bill was read a second time,
and ordered to be committed to-morrow.

1,11. Higham pretented at the btr, the Account
of the Commissioners for the Reduftion of the Ni.
ton Debt, for the last year, ending the Slat of
January, 1307. Ordered to lie on the rabic.
After the disposal of acme private business, the
Hct:se adjourned until to-rnlrrow.

The AtioiNli'-Gi44-R.L rO4e, he said,
in pursuance of his notice of yesterday, to move
for lease to bring In a Bill to enlarge the powers of
the Commissioners for examining the Barrack Ac-
counts. His Majesty had, by the advice of the
Lords of the 1 reasury, appointed Messrs. Charles
Harris and William Bragge, as Commissioners, to
examine the accounts relative to the Barrack De-
partment. In this business these Gentlemen had
proceeded for some time, but it had lately been
found necessary to invest them with certain addi-
tional powers, not comprehended in their original
appointments ; namely, the power of examining
upon oath the persons who came before them ; and
the power of calling for accounts aid papers rela-
tive to matters conwoned with their department.---
He took the liberty of moving for this Bill, for
the purpose of enabling them to proceed with
effeet in the discharge of that duty which was
imposed upon them. It was not, however, in.
tended, that they should be enabled to commit ;
but that they should call upon the Attorney-
General to apply to the Court of Exchequer,
for the purpose of infiilliniz a fire ; and also to give
them power to adininisier oaths, the want of which
had found to be very iiiroireciiirnt. Su7h
were the objets of this Bill : and he apprehended
that thete would be no oppoidtion to it. The Right
Hon. and Learned Gentleman then concluded with
movi.,g for leave to bring in a Bill, i• to empower
the Corriros,innezc of the B.urack Department to
administer Oaths to witnesses called before them,
and to call fur the produtthin of such Accounts,
Papers, and Ducuments, as they may deem neces-
wy fur the investigation of such business and mat-
ters as may be submitted to them." Leave
g!ven.
Mr. ROSE gave notice, that, on Thursday next,
he should move for the prod:id-lion cif the opinion
given by the Attorney and Soln.itor-General upon
that part of the Third Report which was submitted
to them. relative to Mr. Alex. Diviscin.

Mr. BIDDL7LPH gave ntiae, that, upon Tues-
day next, he should bring forw.ad the motion of
which he hail fornsetly given nctiee, relative to the
Abolition of useless Places, Pensions, exorbitant
Icec, and Sinecures.

MS. K RICK presented a Petition from the
Clergy of Scotland, praying that the Bill presented
to the House, by the Lord Advocate of Scotland, for
sus;•ending the powers of the Lords of Council and
Si-ssion, relative to the lu7menting the Stipends of
the Scottith Cler,z7, should not be permitted to
pass. The Hon. Member hord the House would
hear Counsel in their behalt, ,r.sior to their going
i..to Committee on tae said Bill.

This, the SPEAKER observed, was irregular,
as the 331 had beer. ilteady read a second time.
Mr. E ENRICK oiemrved, be was not aware the
Bill had been MAJ. a second time.
Mr. ADAM oh:erved, that even were it not
irregular to hear Ciuthsel at this period of their
prmeadings, ya is w0:3.1 be imprudent to im-
pede the wog: ess of the Bill through the House, as
its otij•il was to hani4it the Clatgy of Scotland. He
then proceeded to prate the nanite and objell of the
Bill in question ; he °heaved, that this all was not
ir,i:nded to MAT any permanent n•gulation resprel-
in:e the income of the Srotti;h Cler7y, or d••piicc
the .n of any ri:-.:11t which they po•vz.sr,l ; lie trusted
the flause was IC/0 well acquainted with the general
eiroprh?ty and go.h.lne,s vi the intentions of the
Mover of this Bill, to f:Speu him for a mom,:nt of
any int•iition to molest diitterf., mit:h less essen-
tially injure, the Ciergy ni iieJ:land, a body of men
whom all who atritew mast revere; as well on account
of their benevolence and worth in private life, al
their teal and alacrity in the rasfarmance of their
religion: public dune.; the irnention of the BA was
only to suspend, fora short time (till the 1Q.:1 of
May neat), ceteein pownrs vested in the Curt of
enliMli Court had lanly been overwhelmed
w,th an enormone load of bu r.ess ; the views of the
:lover were in the f.;gliest degree fricadly to the
Cirry I and it nnield be found, that the result of
this appliention, to suspend these powers, would llc
highly advantageous, bath to the Cierzy and the
Coto t of Swum+ in Scotland. In the present
sate of the Bill, it was impossible its general prin-
ciple could be uncletstwod. The Petnion, prc.iented
by the I-lon. Memhar, contained a •AgVe and gene.
rat ouiretion. not to the modhicatien of the
f.tt: to the principle, of which princirles tau peti-
none., Inuit be ueces;arily ignorant, until the fill
VAS 1a..: oat-re the fornmwee, and the 61. inks tilted
up. Limeade, was intiinesi to believ:,

House would permit the iSiil to go through its
present stages, reserving their final opinion, mull
the circunsttancea, necescary to firm ajust decision
on the merits and intentions of -th-r Bill, should he
more fully laid before the Committee, and corrimu-
, nicated to the House. _

Mr. KENRICK observed, that as he had only
just now received the Petition, at the dcnr of the
House, he was unable to say, whether the Prayer of
the Petition was against the modification, or the
principle of the Lord Advocate's Bill.
The LORD ADVOCATE•' o'ssorved, he could
he, of all men, least suspeeted of bringing into
Parliament, a Bill, militating, in the least, against
the Clergy of that country, to which he had been,
front his earliest infancy, fondly attached ; he was
conscious, ,that, whatever might be the present
opinions of the Scottish Clergy, or this House, it
would soon be discovered, he had :Vied on tile
most friendly principle to the Petitioners, namely.
that of procuring summary relief for the Clergy,
by an adequate augmentation of their salaries, with-
out at the same time bringing additional burdens
on the Landholders of Scotland; he added, that
the ohjeCtion, which was general, was only against
the principle of the Bill, of whicli they certainly
could not be adegnate japes in i's present stage ;
and that this ohjeCtion had beet hastily made to the
House, from the alarm naturally resulting from an
idea that some great change was about to take pLice
in the ecclesiastical state of Society. As this could
only arise from a gross misconception or misrepre-
sentation on the part of the Petitioners; he hoped the
Bin would he suffered to go through its course.
On the motion of Mr. KENRICK, the Petition
was ordered to lie on the table, until the Report of
the Committee on the said Bill be hid before the
Hubse.

Lord FOLKSTONE informed the House, that
he would deter his intended motion, relating to
several A!ls for the regulation of Contested Elec.
tions, until Monday next
0,1 the :notion ot the LORI) ADVOCNTE, the
Scotch Clergy Bill was crdered to be committed °a
Mot day rear.
Mr. fdtDonald then brought tip a Petition from
the West India Planters, relative to a supply at
herrings from our fisheries, for the maintenance of
the Negroes employed in our colonies in the West
Indies, aliich was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. PARNELL gave notice, he would to-mor-
row move for the postponement of the consideration
of the Mayo Ele,Rion Petition to a future day.
Mr. CORBY observed, that this had already
given much anxiety to the people of Ireland, and
therefore wished the Hon. Gentlemen would name
the day.
Mr. PARNELL assured him he was evilly
anxious for its determination, and would therefore
bring it before the House as speedily as possible.
Mr. HENRY MARTIN gave notice he would
move, to-morrow, fur the discharge of the ord..: on
the Petition for the late LleFtion of Downpatrick.
Mr. Grattan brought up a Petition from theiTan-
riers of the City of Dublin, against the Oak Bark
Lill, which was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

Lord Temple then brought up the Report of the
Committee on the Petition of the Sierra I.cone
Company, which was otdered to he on the table, be
printed, and taken into the cons:dcration of a Com-
mittee of the whole House, on Monday next.
Mr. Hoblicuse then hrougf t up the Report of
the Committee on the East India Judicature Dill,
which was read, and ordered to lie en the table.

The reduced ii,t of the Members appointed to try
the merits of the Shrewsbury Petition w.is tires pre-
smted to the House, the names are As follow
Buller, Lsq. P.alN4 Sheldon, Isq.
It.gid lion. N. Vant.ttart. ,lonn Ramsay, Esq.
Win Gore, E•q, Slisidao&Carcw,
11. Esq. Wm. 4nn,
Lord VI•C F.11...d0ne. Hon..locrqyn Pearce.
K. C Ferign.un, EN. Esq
C 140111..1.1.!ly, E.q. F. limner, FA.
Oil! •rne Merkh•nl Esq.
-

Ell 1 EMPI.E moved the Order of the Day fir
the second reading of the Land Tax Commissioners'
Bill, which was read, and ordered to be committed
for Tuesday fortnight.
Mr. Hobhouse brought up the Report of the
Committee on the Irish Trea'ury Bills Bill, the
Amendments were read and agreed to, and the Bill
was ordered to be read a third time to-mnnnw•.

Also the Report of the Committee no the Bill for
preventing the SeduElion of the Military; which,
with the Report on the Irish Gunpowder Bill, was
read and agreed to, and the several Bills ordered
to be read a third time to.rnorrow.

Mr. Vassittart brought in a B:11 for suspending
the Paiment of all Drastbscks and Bounties nn
Spirits. exchanged between England and Irdand,
which wss read a first time, and ordered to be read
A seco.:J ;:me to•mcrrow.

On the Mltinn i•f Mr. V ANSI ITART, the Howe
went into a Contrni:tem nn the Tobacco Bi:1.

The Report was then brought up by Mr. 1-1013-
house, including a new clause, peratittiag the lin-
prtation uf Turkish Tobacco, in small parcel.;
which wa, azree.: to, :And leave given to bring in
J B:11 t tt ereto.
On the mutton of E.irl TEMPLE, the House

• . -
re,olved itself into a Committee on the titans In.
trrcourse Bill. The resolthions wile then read
and agrced to, and the Report ordered to be received
fo-nioi row.
Earl .I.E.‘iPLE moved, That the House should
to-morrow resolve itself into a Committee, to take
irito consideration several ads relative to our Trade
to and from the Cape of G.iod Hope."—Ordered.
Mr. Highara then presented at the liar of the
House, an iicr,iunt from th- Corainii,iontrs ap-
pointed to consider the probable means of the Re.
duilion of the National Delit, for one year, admg
the 31 of January, 1807.—Aujourned.

OFFICIAL DISPATCH

GENERAL BENNINGsEN TO THE KING OF PRUSSIA

From ea Kant:Atig

" I have the happiness most reipedfully to ac-
isaint your Majesty, that I Lave succeeded in re-
plAsing the enemy, who ye.terday morning attacked
me on every pin: near Puhusk. The main attack
was made bi General Sone'', r, at the head of 15,0J0
me.... on Illy lei: wine. near Farms:tanks. iu the view

'of getting rssession t..t‘n ; I had only .7100
Men under'General Baggoliant ft ~,,,rinLe the enemy
on that side; they made a brave thstent.'s till I sent
a reinforc.anent GE three battalions of resere•-, and
afterwards three mire und:r Genet al Tolstoy, L 7
which means the right wing of the French %Its to-
tally deeeted. The second Attack, equally brisk,
was made on my right flank, where General Berke-
ley AL: Tilly was risted with the van-guard. This
wing extended on the road towards Stzesocyn to a
small wood, where I had placed a covered battery,
which the enemy attempted to twin I therefore
made a movement backwards on the right, which
succeeded so well, that I not only fius:rated the at-
tempt of tl:e enemy, but was also so futtuaete as to
reinforce General Berkeley de Ten with three bat-
telions, ten squadrons, and one battery, to repulse
the enemy ; on which the enemy retreated from the
wood.

6. The attack commenced at eleven in the morn-
ing, and lasted till dark. From the relation of all
the prisoners, I WAS opposed by Messrs. Murat,
Davou,t, and Lasnes, with an army exceeding
50,1,0 r; men. They have lost ab,,sit 5300, accord-
ing to their own account.
" All my troops forght with the greatest
bravery. The following Generals particularky dis-
tingnidled themselves—Osterman, Tolstoy, Bar ke-
lay de Tolly, Prince Dolgorauky, Baggonant, Som.
molt and Sitoff of the Infantry, also Colorrels Da-
viddoffsky and Gondoff, &c. &c. &c.
" Field-Marshal Kamenskoy departed from Pul-
task for Ostralenska on the morning of the With of
December, previous to the attack, and again gave
up the whole command to me, so that i have had
the g.•,,d forrunc to command alone in Otis affaiss,
and to beat the enemy.

4, I have to lament, that the long ex?erted suc-
cour of General litrshovden had not arrived, al-
though he was oaly two German miles distant, and
even halted half way. I should otherwise have
been able to follow up my viaory. I have further
to lament, that the total want of provisions and
forage oblige me to retire with my corps to Rozan;
the enemy has not molested me in any retreat.
(Signed) "BaNNiacsss."
" Rosen, the U;th (15th) Dec ME "