The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-03-18 00:00:00

lIOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. ALEXANDER bmeglit up the Report of the Corn-
mitt-e- of Supply respecting the Sums voted in pursuance of
Addr.sses of the House, and Sum> issued by His Majesty to
different persons, and the several Resolutions were agreed to
A Massage from the Lords informed the House, that the 4
Lordships had agreed to the Property Duty Bill, Salt Duty
Bill, Mutiny Bill, and several private Bills, without any
Amendments.
Mr. FOSTER brought up the Irish Export and Import Duty
Bill, Inland Duty Bill, Stamp Duty Bill, Postage Duty Bill,
and Malt and Spirit Duty Bill. They were severally read a
first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday.
Mr. W. DICKINSON brought up an Account of the Rates
of Exchange of the Bills drawn by Admiral Blanket and Sir
Home Popham, during their stations in the Red Sea. Or-
dered to lie on the Table and to be printed.
The report of the Royal Marine Mutiny Bill was brought
up and agreed to. Bill ordered to lie read a third time on
Monday
The Sugar Diairback Bill was committed. The Committee
agreed to give a bounty en all sugar exported from this coun-
try to Ireland, and the report was ordered to be received on
Monday.
The Exchequer Bills Bill, and Expiring Laws Bill, were
read a second time, and ordered to becummitted on ?don-
day —Adjourned.

THE BRITISH PRt.ESS•

LONDON,
MONDAY, MARCH 18.

We have received a Calcutta Paper, of the Bth
of September, 1804, from which we have made the
following extraa

" The American brig Washington, arrived on the
sth, left Mocca, on the west coast of Sumatra, on
the Bth of August. This Settlement had been cap-
tured by the Bombay frigate, Commodore HAYEs,
and the armed ship Lord Ca,ttereqh ; about two
hundred of the natives were killed, and a few of the
English. The town was completely burned; all
the guns, a large iron chest of dollars, and some
other property, were carried off by the natives.
" It is with great concern we have to state, that
letters were yesterday received from Backergunge,
dated August 2, which mention the loss of the ship
Csuddate, Captain FELL, on the 28th July last.
"Captain and Mrs. FELE, Mr. BAIL, Second
Officer, Dr. ANDEItSOII, of His M siert v's 75th
Regiment. and ninety other persons, have perished
on this melancholy occasion.
" Messrs. DLLs., Joras, and Fox, Mates of the
Ctswi,tlate, and ten Lasesrs,were providentially saved
in the jolly boat.

" The long boa was in the at of being hoisted
out, for the preservation of the remainder of the
unfortunate people, when the ship is reported to
have gone down, head foremost, and involved them
in destruCtion."

This da• Lord Gaartvit.ta aid Mr. Fos will
have an intesview with the Catholic Delegates.
Earls Stttwsnuar, FiNGALL, and Kt..sm %SL, Vis-
count SOUTHWELL, Lerd Tat si BLESTOS, and
Messrs. RYAN and SCOLLY.

Though it is to be regretted, that Mr. PITT did
not, in the late interview with them, prom:se his
support, yet it must be a subj.& of consolation to
every well wisher of his country, and advocate fur
British conneetion, which so materially depends up.
on such conciliatory measures, that the time is not
far distant, whentlieCathulic shall be admitted, with-
in the pale of that Constitution, they so essentially
contribute to maintain.

The Catholics are indisputably right in demand-
ing discussion, and th.tt under the most able aus-
pices. The only impcdintent•, which prevent the
free dissemination of any truth, either moral or
physical, are ignorance and selfishness, ignorance of

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its existence. and selfishness alarmed at its progress.
Now the only means of removing both is by dis-
cussion. The mists of error are dissolved by
the active force of reason, which clears and rari-
ties by its power, and selfishness ceases to oppose,
when its fears are proved to be groundless.
Since the Pure has been stripped of spiritual as
well as temporal power, and the House of &instil'
has become win& in the memory of its warmest
adherents, there does not exist the most remote

cause, either foreign or domestic, of destroying, by

the intervention of religious opinions, the establish•
ment of church or state. Besides the solemn and
unequivocal renunciation of all juristliaion in tem-
poral matters, of a foreign power over the concerns
or internal polity of any state, made by the Catho-
lics of England in 1792, and saniioned by the an-
swers of all the principal universities on the Conti-
nent, together with a like profession of the Catholic
Delegates of Ireland by their Committee in 1793,
must, if faith is to be kept with them, or evidence
given to the body in any Matter whatsoever, satisfy
the doubts and fears of the most timid.
It is absurd to calculate on the affeaion of the
Catholics, where there is no reciprocity. It is idle
to call upon them to support a constitutiou, if

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you debar them from its enjoyment. The feelings
of human nature will ever triumph over affeaed
theories.
If you call on the Catholics of Ireland to unite
heart and band in the present contest, let no fo-
reign emissary have the power to contrast the per-
fed freedom of Religion, which all seas enjoy in
France, with the monopoly of the Protestant ascend-

one) in Ireland.
On the Catholic question, Administration will
have great difficulties to struggle with. Many of the
component members are individually pledged to the
measure, the justice and policy of which are not dis-
puted. The weight of talents, which the Opposition
possess, roust embarrass even Mr. PITT, in a pro-
traded and animated debate. A great number
of his most decided supporters on other questions
will probably desert his standard on this occasion;
men who would, in this enlightened age, blush to be
numbered among the advocates fur intolerance.
Many Irish Members will vote for the question
from a conviltion of its policy, and some altuated,
no doubt, by private considerations.

A report prevailed in the City on Saturday that
the Brest fleet had sailed, but no advice' to that
effect have reached the Admiralty. The following
account received at LLOYD'S appears to have beer►
the only foundation for the rumour :
" The American ship Rebecca, Captain Nt re MO,
which arrived in the Downs yesterday from Leghorn,
in 50 days, on the I Ith inst. was spoke with in I.L.
44 long. 9. by the Hero man of war, in company
with five other ships of the line. The Master's
Mate of the Hers informed Captain N. that the
Brest fleet was out. The same day was spoke with
by a frigate, who asked him if he had seen the
French fleet."

Exclusive of the extra& which we have made
from the Gazette or Saturday night, it contains the
Official details of the defeat of Colonel MONSON, and
the engagement between the Centurion and the squa-
dron of Admiral LINOIS, already before the public.

Saturday a great number of letters, brought by
the Aims, from Gibraltar, obtained circulation, the
contents of which are very interesting. It appears,
that the dreadful gale, of the ':'.oth January, de-
stroyed the New Mole and King's Bastion, up-
wards of twelve square.rigged vessels, and did con-
siderable damage to many others. Five valuable
prizes were driven ashore in the New Mole, and an
English and /Swedish brig, and a Greek polaere,
completely wrecked. The Mole is, in short, almost
blocked up by the fragments, and the damage is
estimated at 200,0001. A transport, with 300 of
the 57th Regiment, had her stern beat in; and, to pre.
vent her from foundering, the troops were obliged
to encounter the danger of putting ashore during
the storm, leaving behind them all their arms and
baggage. They, however, gained the land in safe-
ty. On the dOth, another storm occurred, in which
sixteen vessels were totally lost, and many others
damaged.

The expedition fitting out at Algeziras was sup
posed to be against the shipping in the Mole, where,
on the 10th of February, there were upwards of se-
venty valuable prizes—for several nights, towards
the end of January, the troops at Landport were
under arms, expeaing an attack—the Spaniards
amounted to 7000 men, and were provided with
ladiiers, being, it is said, encouraged to an attack
by several soldiers who have deserted from the gar-
rison, and falsely reported our forces to he a eak and
disaffeeted.

The Pisgard and Chrlders sailed from Gibraltar on
the 11th, to proted such of the Arrow's convil as

have escaped.

The Spanish gun-boats have greatly annoyed our
trade, capturing every vessel entering the hay with-
out convoy. The flotilla now fitting out iu Algezi-
ras is to comprise 42 gun-boats, with furnaces for
heating shots; ten mortarlioats, 2 howitzerditto,
armed feluccas, and auxiliary vessels of all de-
scriptions. The Commander of this force is Don
FRANcisco Mauari.t., who has under him 10 Post-

Captains. 4.0 Lieutenants, 2S Ensigns, and 2,250

men. Part of these vessels arrived at Algcziras on
the Bth of .I.init try; the rest ate preparing at Bar-
celona, Ca.l i, and Carthagena.

The Racen shop of war, with dispatches to Lord
Nei sou, ran aground sear Cadiz early in Febru-
ary, and was taken ; the dispatches were sunk, but
recovered by the enemy.

Yesterday, at one o'clock, the LORD CHANCE; -
LoR transaded business with Mr. Pirt, at his house
in I )owning-strece.
The Thomas and SaIIy,WRTTS, from London for
St. Michael's, is captured by a privateer near St.
Michael's.
The Gawp, FORRISTER, from London for Mo-
gadore, is captured by four Spanish gun-boats, after
an actlbn of two hours, and carried into Ceuta.
Saturday sennight Rear Admiral DRURY passed
Cork on his way to Cove, where he was to hoist
his Bag next day.
His MaJcsry's fleet now at Beerbaven consists
of three ships of the line—Prioress of C.Wilge, Golustk,
and Raisonshle, and Valk $ frigate.