The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-11-28 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE VENER.IBLE.

TORBAY, R0V.425.
1 am sorry to inform you of the loss of 1-1"
Majesty's ship Venerable, of 74 guns, Captain Pus
ter ; she went on shore at Peignton ! lead, hist eve
ing, at half past eight, p. es. it being on *.poirit
rocks, she bilged almost immediately.
I am this instant returned lions the Spit, ssli
there is a most distressing scene : the ship is cote.
pletcly to pieces; and the shore, fur three qua.
of a mile, is covered with the wreck of the ship, ac
different stores out of her. lam happy to find, th
not more than three or four lives arc lost. "
greater part of the crew arc on board Flis Majesty'
ship liapetrieux, of 80 guns, Captain Martin; the
mainder at Peigntun Hospital. The latter ship r
mained and came to an anchor very near shore t
assist ; and, if possible, to warp off the VeaersGY
She now rides hard, uith a great sea, and smart
at East. The Goliath man of war is also in the
The brig Melly, Capt. Cummings, from 'Veit,•
mouth for L verpool, is also on shore in •he gay
and it is feared will be lost. The aced, nt happt
ed to the rieprolte owing to a man f o.cr
hoard in fishing the anchor, it being exceed avi
dark; in lowering down a beat to save the ra.
two more fell overboard; the ship was then hers
to to save them, when she drifted on shore, anti
falling little wind, veered several points to the Lasi•
ward, at the same time, that they could not lay col
the shore.
•

CITY BUSINESS.
Yesterday, a Court of Aldermen V 134 held at
Guildhall. at which were pre,cnt the Loin NI YOll.
fifteen Aldermen, the Recorder, Sheriff's, Casuals*
tierjeant, and Town Clerk.
It being the that Court in the May.oralty, the
Lotus Avon addressed the Aldermen, in a very
sensible speech, on the occasion, thanking them for
their Attendance, and trusted he should have their
assistaixe whenever he ne:ght request it.
The Court pr, weeded to examine the hi eal weighers
Reports, and ordered the price of Bread to be rail'
to trild. the Quartern Loaf, Wheaten, and 13J.
kidusehold, to take place to-morrow.
The thanks of the Court were given to the late
Lau Mayon (for particulars, see front of Paper).
A b•ali year's divide.id of the Orphans' Stack was
ordered to begin paying on the 11th. of January
nest.
The several Precepts for W tr(hn.e.es, to be 1,-11
on St. Thomas's Day next, for r
Officer% tor the year ensuing, %vele ordered re :LI
issued.

- ----
This day the Loyal Whitechapel Volunteers
hare a grand field-day in the Tenter-ground, Co0J•
man's-tiel where they AN to go through the six-
teen manoeuvres before the Earl of HARR' soros.
The ltitie Company that is forming to be attach-
ed to the several regiments of Loyal London Vo-
lunteers, -all close takers in the course of net:
week.
We wonder that Messrs. Wls:Dif Ast and Co.
their enmity to the constitution of the Volunteer k • •
of the country, and to the privilege which this I,r (-
claims of nominating its own officer,' and legit' :l
ing its concerns by committees, should not ha,
taken notice of the Honour-Able itillery Comp'
which, from time immemorial, has elected it-
em annually, down from the Colonel to the Set -
jeants, and regulated its affairs, both military so
civil, by annually eleaed committees : and yet the::
is no Volunteer regiment in London, or, perh ips,
in Great Britain, that can boast of greater
plane, or of being better appointed.
Last week, the Roborough Battalion of Volun-
teers, Colonel Lopez, were mustered for :Ts ivw and
inspeftion, on the Down of Roborough, in Dzron.
near the clump of firs, 4:20 rank and file. The in-
speaing Officer wai Lieutenant-Colonel Tsvt so,
of the western distria. After this fine body of
hardy Devonshire Volunteers bad
gone thniugh a
variety of maneuvres, in a very coma style, the
review and inspeaion finished, and Lieutenant-Co-
lonel TAY Lao returned his thank! to Colonel Lorca,
for the very soldierly appearance of the Roborough
Battalion of Volanteery under arms.

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COURT OF RING'', BENCH. Waal' ‘IIIISTIO. Nov. 27.

LIBEL UPON THE EARL OF ST VINCENT.
lila ICING v. W. H. MANN ESQ. JOHN DODD, AND
OFOHOE SYDNEY.
In this case Mr. ERsectsx, on the first day of
Term (the 6th inst.), bbtainci a conditional Rule
for leave to hle a criminal inflrmation against the
Defendants, for a libel upon the Earl of St. Vin-
cent. Of which motion, and the subsequent appli-
cation to enlarge the Rule, in consequence of the
absence of onc of the Defendants (Mr. Bourne)
in Ireland, we laid the proceedings before our
readers in our Papers of the 7th and 16th inst.
Mr. WOOO this day showed cause against the
Rule on the part of Mr. W. P. Bourne, whoae

afEtaelt when read, he said, he had no doubt, would
be a full and satisfaaory answer to the Prosecutor's
affidavit, and would entirely exculpate him from
the charges laid against him, not only to the Court,
but to the Noble Earl on whose behalf the applica-
ti,m had originally been made. He then o.,served,
that he should not trespass upon the time of the
Court by stating the particulars of the Earl of St.
Vincent and Mr. Tucker's of ; but would
come dirk* to the affidavit of Mr. Bourne, which,
in the most explicit, unequivocal, and satisfaaory
manner, denied any knowledge of the second
pamphlet, entitled, Audi .lltera,n Parlem," alluded
to ou the part of Earl St. Vincent; and, as to the
first pamphlet, Mr. Francis William Blagdon, for
the purpose of vindicating the chamfer of Mr.
Bourne, though at the greatest risque to him.elf,
came forward in the most honour able and gentlemanly
manner, and by his affidavit avowed that he was the
author of it. The affidavit of Mr. Bourne stated,
that he never wrote or published the pamphlet called
" Audi APerrim Pariern, mentioned in the affidavit
of lienjamin Tucker, Esq. or any pa of such
pamphlet; nor 1,,,d he to least knowledge of the
author or wrier of the sa;d pamphl2r, nor could he
form any judgment, opinion, or bolicif as to w'-to was
the persua by whom the said manuscript v..,q writ-
ten : and he further stated, that though it was re-
ported in London, previous to his departure for Ire.
land about the 18th of last May, that •unn matters
were about to be pnblished respeaing conduit of
the Board of Admiralty, yet he never had any fur-
ther kn• wledge or information t. an common report
with regard to any such reported publicatim; ; nor
did he ever direaly ar indirraly know or heat more
of any such publication ur.til after his return from
Ireland to Londo:,, which was ;6aut the 2d of
Seetember, when he first heard that Ac pamphle•,
intitled a 34.1 i Alteram Pare"," had haven publish-
ed in his absence, and which, he had since been in.

formed, .14,1 published in the month of July
preceding, but wf ich pamphlet, or the -manuscript
if which ~ .0p1.14, he had not reac-- or seen, sae*
and excer: e much as he had seen in the office copy
of the ..rhicdivits, on the part of the prosecution.
And he 'Luther stated, that he never had any com-
munication, direly or ihdirally, with John Bud.'
and George Sydney, or either nF them, the publishlo-r
and plan r, or reputed pubhsi er and printer, of the
said pamphlet; that he was wholly unacquainted
with them, and that, to the hest of his knowledge
and belief, he never saw either of them, or heard
of either of them, until after this prosecution was
comment-d, and then for the first time only by the
irter which he received from his brother, Fee
Bourne, and the copy of the Rule et Court enclosed
therein, which came ta his bands, when hr was be-
yond Limerick, in the west of Ireland: and further,
that having from an early period of his life, very
much participated in the respell and good wishes
which some of his nearest friends entertahied for the
charatter acrd the person who is now the Earl of Mt.
Vincent, and, having from such early period, felt an
animated ixerest in all those persons whom he con-
ceived
to have served his country, which, in the case
rt th,- said Earl, was about the beginning of the pre-
sent year, increased by a seuse of oblig,ation for a
favour which at that period had been conferred by
the said Earl, at the solicitation of him, Mr. Bourne,
upon a near relation hf his, he laboured to corrcEl
what he believed to be a prejudice in a part of
-the public mind a'ainst the said Earl; that he
thought I.e particula:ly demonstrated those semi-
mem% after harir.g called last May on Mr
tucker, his Lordship's then private Secretary,
to express them by Lis successful exertions to put the
Earl. through the confidential medium of his Se-
cretary, in possession of the muoiscript, and about
700 impressions of a pamphlet announced for publi-
cation, intitled " Naval Administration; a Letter
to the Earl of St. I/inc.:in, K and which, it
published to the world, appeared to him to be calcu-
lated materially to injure nix Lordship's charaFter—
an aa, which he, judging of the operation of zealous
service on the common feelings of mankind, did
h•ipe and believe w,-114 have highly gratified and,
obliged the said Earl, instead of being misconstrued,
as he fratnd it had been, to his prejudice : hat he
never wrote, or printed, any pamphlet or other
thing to injure or selleech upon ; or that, ac-
cording to his judgment, could possibly injure
or retied upon, the Noble Earl, ,or that was
in any manner or way calculated to wound his
cflra&er or lerl'ngs ; but that he, Mr. B. on
various occasions, laboured to toroteß his Lordship's
eh trdaer, and sedulously sought occasion, to add to
his renown : That he never. slireSly nor indireElly,
in any way whatever, gave out Coat, auy money
had been paid by the Larl, or by any person
zetitig for him, fur the said pamphlet, or for
acre suppression thereof; that be never in his
life hoped or wished to obtain any money or pro-
perty whenever from the Earl, or from any other
person, for the pamphlet, or for the suppression !
thereof, nor would he have received such, had it been I
olf,•resi to him: That he did not knew, or had he
an:, reason to believe or suspe4l that lie had been
is the least degi et instrumental in fit nishing or
supplyiag the author of the pamphlet, called " Audi
Ahem,' PaHem," with the manuscript, or with a
copy Lt. the pamphlet called " Naval Administra-
unn, az." or with any part of either of them; but
verily believed that the author of the pamphlet called
"Audi Aileron, Poi bad obtained the manu-
script or pamphlet called " Naval Administration,
Ike." or such part or parts thereof, as he made use
of in the pamphlet caned " Audi Afteram Paden,"
from some quarter, and by some means, totally un-
knilWß to Mr. Bourne.
The Learned Counsel then proceeded to state the

affidavit of Mr. Francis William illagdor., who ad-
mitted that he was the author of the first pamphlet,
and stated nearly as follows :
The affidavit thea stated, that Mr. William
Henry Bourne had no share whatever in the com-
position of the pamphlet, nor did he furnish Mr.
Blagdon with the least inf.amation as to any mastiff
comained in it. He then denied any knowledge wit it-
ever, nor could ha form any belief, as to who was
the author of the pamphlet entitled " .4 ?di dlletram
Par!em," and that he believed the passages quoted
from the suppressed pamphlet in the other pamphlet
could have been o'stained only from some r.son or
persons employed in the office where the suppressed
pamphlet WAS printed.
Mr. Woon then said, he could not avoid observ-
ing that the Earl of St. Vincent had been a little
too harsh in making this application in the absence
of Mr. Bourne, in Ireland ; he might have waited
until he should at least know from that, gentleman
how the matter stood. The anxiety of Mr. Bourne
for the reputation of the Noble Earl, had been too
hastily construed into guilt; he therefore trusted
the affidavit of Mr. Bourne would be hilly exculpa-
tory of his condua and that of Mr. Blagdon, who,
leaving all personal considerations aside, came ft,r-
ward in so explicit a manner, would convince the
Court of the former'; innocence; be therefore,
upon these grounds, hoped the Court would dis-
charge the Rule as to Mr. Bourne.

Mr. Fi LLD! sic also, on the part of Mr. Bourne,
observed, that however culpable, however hideous
th's offence might have been made to appear by the
superior ability and talents of his lA,ained Friends
(Messrs. Easicise a•nl GARRow) on the other side;
vet, from the affidavits then read, no gnat what-
ever could attach upon Mr. Bourne ; no doubt but
that there was cause for very sti.,ng ►uspicion, as to
his being concerned in the second publication; and
if he was the author, he was one of the most f 'ohs!)
men in the world to give up to Earl St Vincent's
Secretary, that which, of all others, would tend must
t.l criminate himself, ultimately putting an offen-
sive weap.m in the ! and; of his adversary• ; but the
Court of Judicature in this cuuntry, he thanked
Heaven, v ld not deci.fe upon bare suspicion,
whi,:h was 1: •his case ov r•,et completely by incon-
trovertible evidence. Indeed, if it had been tri-ti
by Oyer and Terminc,, under the present existing
G ivernment . ' France, this gentleman must in-
eviiably ' ; and it by the inqui-
sition, he vale dou',tie nave been roasted alive.
If he ,very the author of the second pamphlet, it
was a) !ally t ,sing hi-. head into the fire to gain
up tho.e rr pies of the fit st.

•
Lord • : ..s.risoaouon—" Mr. Erskine, do not
those aCtavrts sati iy your'
Mr. EllS141:••." IF your Lordship will allow
me, I all make a ! observations sshich occur to
me by and by. when the Gentle.nen at the other
side have June."
Mr. Frixorno continned.—He expressed some
sorprom at his Le. rued Friend's declaratioa, of an
inteoi:ors to make time observations upon f.e case
hereafter. 115 w.as wrdl awatlr et his e,oquence and
ingenuity, wh: ..1 he had mr doubt at present could
only he direeted to a well-J..served eulogium upon
that Z: •ble Earl, who !tad been attacked in this most
scurrilous prortigtion. br.t veh •se charafter stood so
high in the public muvl, that he could feel little
anprehe rsi,m I.n it, and whatever else :.is Le.u-ned
Friend's surrior talents and abilities mr•f•tt suggest
to the Curt; he was Hold to say. that he
defied them to hiring in an. other taus which could
amount to a presumption against Mr. Bourne. As
to some passages in the second pamphlet similar
to the fir a, he begged leave to remark, it might
be possible, some of the copies of the latter might
have been taken out of Mr. Tucker's oth.:e (where,
perhaps, they were not kept very carefully), by
Some persons belonging to the Admiralty, and
through that means came into the hands of the
author of the second pamphlet. It often happened
tillt although a pubbcation may be suppressed, yet
some co; ies may be got hold of either by the pi in-
ters themselves. or those creatures ire 'amine
who frequently do much mischief in their own
way, or by other persons employed in pullMg off
copies io a printer's °dire. In short, no other
answer could he given, than what had been, to these
charges. As to the Printer and Publisher of the
second pamphlet. Mr. Boerne had no concern whin-
ever with then; ; and as to Mr. llagdon, who came
forward in so very handsome and honourable a way,
whatever suspicion might formerly have rested on
Mr. Bourne this fag alone pots the case beyond a
',Nobility a/ doubt.

Mr. hs rt. followed on the same side, declaring,
that before his Lordship put the question to Mr.
Easirme, he felt very little apprehension on the
part of Mr. Bourne; and he could not help express-
ing his sot prise at his Learned Friend's &cluing
his dissatisladion, upon what appeared to him the
clearest and most unequivocal answer. It should
not be sent forth to the public, that Mr. Bourne,
with the mind of a libeller, had done this; the
generous feeling of that gentleman expressed in his
fetters, who, not only in common with other men, ad•
mired and respefied the high charaeler of the Earl of
St. Vincent, but had acknowledged, in the fullest
manner,obligations of a private nature. Ile concluded
by observing as to the possibility of some copies of
the I st pamphlet having fallen into the hands of the
author of the second, and cited a ace of a felony,
which w.O tried some years ago at the Oft Bailey,
where the Defendants were charged with pur-
loining some copies of publications, and it ap-,
peared that the printers had a right to take off
a certain number of copies fur their own private
purposes.
Mr. Eits,a ivt, in answer to what fell from Mr.
Fielding, observed that he did not mean to pass any
eulogium upon the Noble Earl, as the best he could
make, was to advert to that Gentleman's great pub-
lic services, which have laid him open to those scur-
rilous attacks. He differed very widely in opinion
from his Learned Friend, Mr. Fielding. in thinking
that the French would guillotine any man for libel-
ling Earl St. Vincent, for, on the contrary, the of-
fender would find ample proteition and encourage-
ment among them. He expressed his dissatisfaiftson
upon the answer gives to the charges, which could
not convince him ; and, after a most laboured de-
nial of the second pamphlet, he contended Mr.
Bourne did not deny that he was the publisher of
the first pamphlet, nor did be say that he had not
circulated some copies of it. As to the other two

44,

•
persons, Mr. Sidney and another, uo del.,ilze what-
ever had been made f,r them.
Messrs. GA 'mow and Jsavis follnwed nn the
same side.
The rule wr discharged as tn Mr. Rovirise' and
made absolute against the printer and vender of the
pamphlet

•
Mr. 1 lELDTNG then, in the most res,,letqfu! man-
ner, begged t!ie G.urt would allow i.lr. liuurre 1 ;s
costs ; who, he obsi,rved, was a gentleman of great
respectability, hut of small fot tune, and had been
put to great expense in this business.
Lord ELLENHOROUGiI—" It is very clear this
Gentleman's motive was to recommend himself to
the favour of the Earl of SEVinctnt, which made his
conduCt an object ut suspicion. From the affiiravits
he has produced. he certainly ought to have his
costs, but if a man conduits himself so equivocally
as to give rise to suspicion, he ahnuld abide the con-
sequences."