The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-12-04 00:00:00


OF COMMON COUNCIL, brc. s.
There was a very numeroos meeting of this'
Courr, in consequence of the expelled Motion of
Mr. Waithrnan on the Resolution of Thanks for-
merly voted to Sir Home Popham. Tt.ere was a
multylicty of previous business' and a variety of
reports were brought op by Mr. James Brewer.
The Thanks of the Court were unanimously
voted to the late Lora Maroa, ordered sq be
written on vellum, framed and glas4 and present-
ed to his Lordship.

BREACII OF PRIVILEGF.
Mr. WAIIIINIAIt called the attention of the Court
to a circumstaace which had occurred since the
notice of his intended Motion. and was adopted tor I
no other purpose than to create an unfavourable in-
fluence in the minds of the Members of the Court.
.—.on Wednesday last, Br /I 't Weekly Ihßpateli
was left, with the usual notice, by the Marshalmen
tit this Court, at the houses ot its respeetive Mem-
bers._ In that Paper there was a long article in op-
position to the intended Motion, and in defence ot
04 zinme Popham. It could be for no other pup.
pi)... it:an to produce at. unfavourable impression
against the Motion which he (Mr. Waithmai)
wouldh ivy the honour to submit.
Mr. S•seutt Dixon contended, that every means
were used by the last speaker and his friends, by the
means of the Newspapers, to forestall the decisiOn
of this Court. In one paper, (Mt 7. inits,) there
was a menace held out to give the speeches in
poetry. But he would tell the dirty fellow who
wrote it, (it he was in Court,) that it was a libel,
and ought to be punished.
Atter some observations, a motion was put. and
carried, to have the Marshalmen called in, in order
to be examined, relative to this uhjus:itiahle inters
Terence.
The Marshalmen accordingly attended, and
stated, that they lied received the Newspapers,
will. the other regular notices, at the Mansion-house,
and were desired, by his Lordship's gate-porter, to
deliver them at the respective houses ot the Members.
file Lye() hitter)* assured the Court, that he
was perteelly unacquainted with the delivery ot
these papers. On his return from the Old-!Smiley,
he found one on his own table, and he was led to
presume that it had been Sent by the Lditur.
SLR lIONSF. POPIIIAM.
M. WArtit ii a N ruse to IllAtite his promised mo•
fon. lie ithe.red the necessity of according the
decision of that Court with the carcuinstatices of
the case. Circumstances with which, it the Court
was a,quainted, it never would have passed the re-
solution which it was the ofjeCt of his present mo-
tion to resci:.d. Was be not apprised of the inten-
tion ut some persons to oppose him, indeed of then
determination, previous to the ili.eussiun, to give
their negative, he would have shaped his speech in
a very n irrow compass, and confined himself to a
very shrift steno it ut the particular.. But he
still felt confident, that be addressed himself to a
lumber of men anxious to decide upon the merits of
every transailtion, avid who, theretute, would fuel it
their duty, upon the full knowledge of circum-
stances, to rescind that vote, to which they (Meet
would have agreed, but hi the absecce of true e.t.a
accurate information. The charge against Sir
Home Popham was, for acting seafront due:lions
in his stuck on Buenos Ayres, and by withdrawing
the troops and.ships of war from the Cape of (staid
!toper leaving that valuable possession m a state of
insecurity. Independent 01 WO culpable conaul,
Sir tl. Popham had, by his letter a dent time pre-
vious, intimated to the Admiralty, his expedations
of art adcbtinnAl Freoch squad:foto in the Mamiiiias ;
and with this krvawledge he left tie Cape without
a ship of war, and had aftsully determined to sail
on toe expedition to buttress Ayres, even without
land troops, Sir David Baird having positively
refused to admit any embarkation of the troops at
that settlement. Fur subsequent •1145.0115, that gal-
lant officer was induced to change his upsnion. and
perhaps the acquiescence can he reconciled with
the contraEl entered into between him acid Sir
Hume Popham, when it was agreed, that of the
plunder ot Booms Ayres. tory should each divide
twodifths. Indeed, in the whole of the business, it
was evident, that the adventure origin ited 111 the
spirit of plunder and booty, and the same span
was the aCtuating print-10e through every singe of
it. The worthy Commoner then took au eaten-
sive view of all the letters and dustaments proauced
on the trial ; Erst, the a:ting without or dtrs, the
inadequate force, the want of provisions in tam ar-
Matnetit, which Was for two days aftually without
bread, and the dreadful state nt insecurity in subsets
the Cape of Good Hope, the Ingo road for our
Indiamen, was placed. Having left the Cape, the
gallant Officer took a stretch for St. Helena, and
also deptived that Island of the greatest part of its
garrison. The next point was the iittormation upon
* which he aged Had he any certain grounds for
the formation of his opinion, or for the hope of its
success ? No :he steed upon the general inferences
of a weekly Provincial Newspaper. Forsooth, a
good authority, for a man entrusted with the per-
formance of limited duties, in a certain latitude, to

extend his sphere of abort, and commit the coun-
try and government in the prosecution of an at-
tempt with which they were originally unacquaint-
ed, and for which they were made ultimately re-
spoasible. Having reached Buenos Ayres, winA
tan be said for the anxiety and suspense in which he
kept this country atter its recapture by the inhabitants:
Three months elapsed, and no communication Irons
Sir Hume. The responsibdity of the G:-.$ vet nruent, and
the anxious feelings of the country, were wantuidy
sported with, only to give Sir Home an•aher chance
to retrieve his reputation. 'inc dollars were tea
home ; the coitti aft for their division was executed ;
OZcers weir called upon to make up certaw sums
for Sir Home; but a tit seized him upoo his being
apprised of the death of Mr. Pitt, and no nicnton
was atter made of those sordid expeiaations. 'I he
Gentleman then entered into a ttaesety of other ob-
servations, and concluded with at:Efrain*, that to
r...tcoe their own Journal; from the imputation of
xls;u:di!y, and the charaaer of Sir Hume from in-
•iitzi they were boo i 4 et, rescind • resolution,
Incompatible with the merits of the case, and at
dired variance with the decision of the Boerd, of
Admiralty, during the last and present Actmusistra-
l!on, and with that explicit verdict of Witt Hunt W.
th 4 Ccititt, by which that Officer was tried, Wag