The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-12 00:00:00

Lord MILVILLE, First L'rd of the Admiralty.

Lord I laweessuav, Secretary of State for Fo•
reign Affairs.

Lord II 4 'mower succeeds Mr. Yoat:t in the
Home Department-.
Lord MULORAVL replaces Lord lloliae, as Se-
:rctary of State for the War Department and the
Colonies.

The Earl Of CHATHAM remains Ilt the hca:l of
the Ort.ii:.ice; and
The Earl of Warr stottLa tin continues Lord

Privy Seal.

It is %opposed that Lord CASTLISICAOII.wiII con-
tinue in his in:seiir office. use present Secretaries
of the freasury will retire. Mr. Seniors, BOURSE
is mentioned as one of the new Secretaries. Mr.
Ross is, it is said, to be the Treasurer of the
Navy. Mr:Lcoo, perhaps, Secretary at IVar.
Mr. S rums continues Joint-Paymaster. General
Musts's%) continues at the Board of Controul—

and the Duke of MOUTIROSII to be Lord I.ientenant
of 1?-land. As the Gazwrtxt.ts cannot,withoot dis-
gracing themselves, desert Mr. Fez, they of course
remain inexorable to aU the amorous entreAtios of
Mr. Per r, who, we are assured, is so hard prea.xl
to find persons for places, as to be un.:er the ne-
cessity of peturitting even Mr. TICIIINIY to con.'

tinue in office. --That Mr. Prrr, bj the cl...ier7
tion of the Gans4 V ILL/3, cannot form an Admi-
nistration exactly to his own mind, may be true;
but we hope and ',relieve that the difficulties, which
he finds in the way of an efficient Administration,
are much exaggerated. The Martplis of ST nr roar,
yesterday with drew his motion in the House of Lords,
and pronouncest_. an eu:ogiuT upon Mr. Pt rr.
We should thence infer the Marquis does ;tot
mean to continue in opposition. This, howe% er, is :-..
the only falling off which we can easily
nor shall we be surprised to see Mr. Pi T
time, at the bead of one of his old imposing
rities. The report of this change of Minis:: y, we
find, has reached the Continent, and we are assured,
by passengers recently arrived from ilusuni, that
the rumour of Mr. PITT'S return to office had, is
a ni;:tcri:d degree, discouraged the deiigns of the
enemy.

We have the pleasure to announce the safe arrival
in the Downs of the ship ll:afore, from Bombay,
which place she left on the 11th December. She
sailed from St. lielena, the 14th March, the day
previous to the W.:parture of the Speculator whaler.
The following passcngers embarked on board the
Maori, at Bombay :
George P3rry, Et. Member of Council; Lieutcnant.Cot.

Wary Oakes ; Mrs. Oakes, and Fruilp ; Lieutenant. ?navy.
Quid Forbes, Dunbar, and James Mille, of His Majesty's 78th
regiment ; Lieut. E. Pluctor, of Ilia himecty'Y 66th regiment ;
Lieut. John Makeson ; Mr. J. Sandia ith, juu.; I'. 1141, E.
and Hugh Munro, Esq.

The Purser arrived at the India House yesterday

morning.

•
By Cie last accounts from Batavia, we are in-
formed, that the Dutch East-India Company had
neither any opium in store, nor did they possess any
means of purchasing what was offered for sale.—
No specie was allowed to be exported.
It was from one of the outward-bound China
fleet that passed the Straights of Sunda in August
last, that the Batavian Government received the
first intelligence of the probability of hostilities be.
tweets England and France, nor had they received
' any positive intelligence of the fad on the .sth of
oeptember. The Dutch men of war that had been
armed enfigie for the purpose of cam ing cargces
to Holland. on receipt of the above intelligence,
commenced preparations fc.r an cape:led war. .
Accounts from Casten state, that some of the
northern prosinces are at present in a state of inset-
reaion A short time since, a most daring robbery
-as committed in the city of Canton—a forn:idable
b.tnd of robber., armed with two swords each, en-
tered the gates, and proceeded to a public office
where thy knew cash was deposited, and very
coolly walked off with their booty, without any in-
terruption.
The tour China ships, Perworrancr, Tme Briton.
Neptune, and Royal Charlotte, weighed anchor with
the outward bound India fleet en Tuesday last. re-
msiu at Portsmouth for the next eonvaf.

His Majesty's ships Trident, Capt. SURRIDGE ;
Tronct/l/tti, Capt. Ossoins ; Cotton-Jun, Capt. RAI-
NIER; Lanett:ter, Capt. FOTIIERGILL; and Albatrot4,
Capt. Lord GEORGE STUART, were in Bornbayll.u--
hour the 7th November last.

Admiral RAINIER landed at Bombay on the 10th
of that month.

The Brunswick, the Marquis .?t" Pv, the Conlon,
the Lord Neltan, the Pride,,s (Aar/etre, the Lady
lane Dander, and the Matra, of intledey, out-
ward bond East Indiamen, were left all *el on
the 12th .of April, in at. 12. long. 25. by the
Lapsing frigate. The Marchiosiss of Ewer parted
convoy on the 22d March.
The ships Priors •f Wales and Ceylon, sailed from
Bombay for Benr,,al, in November last.
His Majesty's ship St. Fwmnico, Capt. BINCITIAmi
arrived at Bombay the 13th November last. The
Fos frigate quitted Madras in company with the
tit. Foreaso ; on their passage they touched at the
Sy Chelles, where they found the French corvette
La Fleehe fitting out. The Frenchmen immediately
abandoned her on the appearance of His Majesty's
vessels, when Capt. BINOIIAM took possession and
burnt her.
La Fleas was the same vessel which the Victor
sloop, Capt. Cottiss, during the last war, engaged
off the Isle of Mahe, and after several broadsides'
sunk. The French, however, had weighed her
again, but only to experience a more mortifying
and derided fate.

In the C'elctsite Gazette of the f4th September
last, Lieutenant ALDER has been erroneously stated
to have been killed in the adion of the 11th Sep-
tember.
The name of Lieutenant Acute d'ec not appear
in a list of killed and wounded, subsequently re-
ceived.
MI the French prisoners who capitulated at Pon-
dicherry, were embarked on boar,' the ,Nets Ja. osr
the 21st Oatther, for the purpose of being conveyed
to Europe.
It is reported that the Packets which now commu-
cate with the North of Europe, will be removed
from Harwich to a station more Nortlivard. Yar-
mouth or Hull are mentioned as their future ports.
A Mail from New York and Halifax arrived this
morning. It was brought by the Princess :Impute
packet.
The Stone Expedition is totally abandoned, and
the ships that were to be employed in it, sailed for
the Note, on Wednesday, under the convoy of the
SripArr bomb. _ _

Vesterdry, tamers Goaeirro, Esquire., Citizen
and Stationer, paid the usual fine of 4001. and
twenty marls, to be teemed serving the office of
Sheriff for London and Middlesex.
Lietre cant-Colonel Hasacv i, rieded Lienteriart
C.donel Commandant of the f)th Regiment or
London N'olunteers, in the room of Sir VLLLta'/
CUKT us, resigned.
At the Charity Sermon reached on Sunday by
the Rev. Dean KIIIW!N. in St. Peter's Churcl.,
Dublin, for the Female Orphan Hcuse, the me
culleBed was 7.231.

I

TRUCHstsirIAN 4ALLEity.

-

We have given some account of a few of the
y fine specimens of painting to be found in this
.11e6lion. We lsegan with the German school, as
Jog that which is least known in this country,
.r producing artists of very high merit, and corn-
ning the great qualities of the Dutch, Flemish,
,d Italian schools; with a charaeter, notwithstand-
g, peculiar to itself.. We should have been glad
have followed our objea, in first pointing out the
reat masters of the German school (as found in
Ins gallery), and then proceeding with the Dutch,
lemisii. Italian, and French masters. Our ohjeet
to-chew, that this Gallery contains a colleftion
ioiens in these several schools, more perfea,
wrming one entire school of the different man-
, ers of painting, than any thing before offered to
.üblic inspeCtion in this country. In this course
e were interrupted by the information given the
nblic, that the Gallery is to be disposed of by a
ale commencing on the I tith of this month. In that
uterval we may not have opportunity to pursue our
emarks farther ; uoi would they be of any moment,
as they cannot be. broaght to the important co•iclu-
sioa or demonstrating the valise of this roltrthcn, os
fording the ground-work of a great notional sehnid of
;nail:. As to the Gallery, therefore, we shall
vow only refer the sincere lovers of the art to their
examination of its various specimens, while
they have yet the opportunity to judge for them-
selves. But we must say a word or two of the
misfortune to the arts, in this country, in the disper-
sion of this solleCtion. All well-informed and can-
did amateurs in this country acknowledge, that the
art has not made that progress here, which might
be expelled from the fine genius, and taste, and
feeling, which distinguish ate nation in other re-
speas ; and from the liberal temper of the English,
fearless of expence, and the ambition of their cha
railer, emulous of all that has been great in all
other parts of the world in all former times. Some
theoretical critics of foreign nations have attributed
this to the influence of our climate. But tae weak-
ness of this supposition is fully demonstrated by our
poets, who have proved that neither the skies of
Greece nor Italy have shone upon (we will not say
engindered, in compliance with that superstition)
finer, more vivid, rich, or beautiful proiudions of
imagination, than those of our isle. The fad must
be referred to moral causes, for the explanation of
its existence. It is not for us, here, to trice those
causes. Many, however, have long been obvious to
every ecalods enquirer l and, among these, none
more than the want of is "sake gallery, ever before
the eyes of students in painting, to form their taste ;
that is to say, at once to slew them what May de
dont, and bow it has ken heretofore done; for that is
the use of a comprehensive collettion of paintings,
consisting not of one or two masters, but of masters
of every school, and even of the less perfea, as well
as finished performances of those several masters.
This was found in the Trachsessian Gallery, in a
very eminent, in a very great degree ; and we must
Lament (and all will lament, who are proud of the
English rivalry of other nations in all that is great),
that neither the taste of private amateurs, nor public
ambition, has been excited to save it froro dissolu-
tion. What personal, what little motives may have
had their share in this national disgrace (for such
we will call it), we will not pretend to develope.
But woe be to him, who sacrifices his country's ho-
nour to-his petty self.
We shall, if opportunity allows, aloft a very few
specimens more (but generally) of the piaures of
this Gallery before its sale.

nrrrutetrzek.

COURT OF RING', BENCH, WESTMINSTER, Mu 11.
CORPORATION OF LIVERPOOL.

THE RING v. WILLIAM HARPUR,
The judgment of the Court in this cause was
finally pronounced. Lord Er.teNIOROUGH observed,
that as the whole of the arguments on both sides
had been already gone through with so much clear-
ness and precision (the substance of which we have
given in former papers), he did not think it neces-
sary to take up the time of the Court by any com-
ments upon them. The Defendant had been ele,ft-
ed Mayor while in the office of Bailiff and a Mem •
ber of the Corporation of Liverpool. Toe Court
were of opinion that louder the Chatter of Charles
the First, the office of the one was incompatible
with the other, they therefore gave judgment of
water against the Defendant.
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTI4)N.
THE LINO V. ALEXANDER DAI/iDsON, Esq. JOHN
y E PARso AND THOMAS HOPPING, GENTS.
These three Gentlemen were brought up to re-
ceive the Judgment of the Court. The first is a
gentleman of large property ; the second, a farmer
and grazier, noted for the several improvements he
has tirade in the breeding of cattle, and well known
to all the agricultural societies in• this kingdom;
and the third, Mr. Hopping, is an attorney : they
were erns :ieted at the last assizes for Somersetshire
before Mr. Baron Graham, on a criminal informa-
tion under the Bribery AR. The indiCtment charged
them with conspiring together, corrupting and giv-
ing bribes in money to persons having a right to
vote for Members of Parliament for the Borough of
Ilehester. It appeared in evidence that they gave, or
procured to be given, the suns of :hal. each, to 36
persons, among whom was one John Edwards, a
witness for the crown on the trial below ; that Mr.
Davidson, by the advice of Parsons, purchased a
riece of ground, and thereon b.rilt several houses for
pe p of carrying into effeet t:.eir intentions, as
it appeared they were given to sev oral persons, with
intent thereby to create voters—all which was con-
trary to the Al of Parliament. On the day on
which they were first brodght up to receite judg-
ment (Monday last), Messrs. ER at ISE and ALLEN
applied to the Court on behalf of Mr. Davidson,
and, in a very feeling address, Mr. ERSKINE stated
his long intimacy with die Defendant ; he has
known him to be a man of the strictest principles—
and, altho' he had been convicted of the crime of
bribery, yet he knew him to be a man who had a
high sense of his moral duty, both to himself and
his country—that had he thought affidavits could
have served him on the present occasion, they would
have been procured from persons of rank and re-
spectability—among whom were several of the first
Officers under the Crown ; but Mr. Davidson's elm-
rafter was too well-known in the first circles of fa-
shion, to requite any such ; his infirm state of health
would be greatly encreesed, it not endangered, by
long confinement ; and he this day came before the
Court, full of contrition for the offence he had been
guilty of, and ready to submit himself to the consi-
deration of the Court. •
Mr. PARsoNS produced several affidavits, from
William Dickinson, Esq. M.P. for Somersetshire;
Dr. Parry, F.R.S. and several Members of Agricul-
tural Societies—all deposing to the social and moral
habits of this Defendant, and of his great exertions
in the improvement of Agriculture, by which he
had greatly impaired his fortune.
Mr JEKYLL, on the - art of this Defendant, made
several observations on the affidavits produced in his
behalf. He said, and so the affidavits produced
proved, he was. a roan of most excellent private
life, and of great public utility ; that. in the present
case, it did not appear he had been aetuated to the
commitment of the crime he was convicted of, by
any mercenary motives whatever ; but the contrary
appeared throughout. He therefore hoped what
had been now offered to the Court in mitigation of
his offence, and the large family which he had en-
tirely depending on his industry, would be taken in-
to c• iesideration by the Court.
Mr. Hot PING did not produce any affidavits, not
did any Caramel appear in his behalf.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL then addressed the
Court at great lengths, aid enlarged with great
ability upon the crime which the Defendants had
been convicted of: he observed they were not only
chargeable u i:11 bribery, but conspiracy ; and in the
instance of Mr. Hopping, with n t less than subor.
nation of perjury : with rester& to Mr. Davidson,
he allowed him all the liberaiity and acuteness of
feeling he was cetitkd to, but presumed they were
not so keen from his pest conduCt, as to make it
probable the admonitions with which the sentence
might he accompanied. would make any material
part of his present suffering. With tespet to Mr:
White Parsons, he did not wish to lessen the weight
of those numerous and respeaeble affidavits rn his
favour, but they were the less to be regarded as
they seemed to misunderstand his chareeter ; he
WAS a jobber in voters as well as in cattle, and while
promoting the agriculture was sacrificing tire poli-
tical liberty and independence of his country. With
these observations he submitted the .Defendants to
the decision of the Court, and the justice of their
country.
Mr. justice G aost,in pronouncing the judgment of
the C 0..• t, adverted to the evidence on the trial, and
observed, that they were convieted upon plain and
uncontrovertible truths of conspir Mg to return Mem-
bers to Parliament, of taking ground, and building
houses, for the accommodation of those whose votes
they could thereby iefluence ; of giving large sums
of money by way of bribes ; of sots a system of
corruption as was scarcely credible, cotopirin; to
overturn one of the first polttical principles of the
state ; and bribery to make them commit perjury:
He would ask their inward monitor, which is the
greatest sinner, Ire who, perhaps for his femily's
sake, will accept the proffered bribe, and lulls his
conscience to sle:p, or he vrho disseminates the poison?
The one finds means to curt upt —the rest find objoets
.410 corrup i's, and deal out the medicine—the one
the principal leader (Parsons), the tithe: s ready to
an. As to him. Parsons, he was the chief actor ie
the piece ; he recommended all to Davidson, the
borough, the building the houses, &c. He WiS
Said to be a man of humanity, a.id one whom no
cceisideratioe wouhi tempt to ail tnorelly wrong,
but wit,- has been a coaster:elate lire...tete. The
Learned Judge then conciuded leg, .4 under
the present circum.boices et ;:e e, the court

maiden you all equally guilty, and through me
now orders that you and each of you stand commit-
ted to the custody of the Marshal of the Marshal-
sea, for the space of twelve calendar months."

THE KING D. WM. WALES HORNE.
The Defendant in this case, who is a Dissenting
Minister, was convi&ei at- the last assizes for
Leicester before Mr. Justice Roonr, for having held
a seditious conversation against the King, and the
prosecution of the present war carried on against
the French : the words in the indiament were.
" Here is a health to our friends over the water,"
meaning thereby the French; and in a conversation
with some of his neighbours, he said, " You might
a; well pay 10,0001. a year to Bonaparte, as to the
King." These words were clearly proved, and the
Jury found a verdia, that they were seditiously
spoken; he was this day brought up to receive the
judgment of the Court, and taking into considera-
tion that he had not made use of those sentiments
beyond the walls of his neighbour's house, and that
he had conduaed him-elf with great propriety since
his confinement, he was ordered to be committed to
the common gaol of Leicester for the space of Three
Months, to pay a fine to His Majesty of tool. and
to be further confined till such sum should be paid.
THE KING U. ARTHUR SALE.
The Defendant in this case was a printer by trade,
and conviEted of a similar offence, having printed
and published certain seditious papers, with a view
to endeavour to persuade His Majesty's subjeas
not to resist the enemies of this country; he also
was brought up to receive the judgment of the
Ceurt. and was ordered to be imprisoned six calen-
dar months, to pay a fine of lord. to His Majesty,
and to be further imprisoned till such flue should
be paid.
THE RING V. JONATHAN PANTHER.
The Defendant was convifted of a similar offence,
having written a seditious and offensive libel on the
return which he WAS to have made to the Commis-
sioners for the Army of Reserve. Upon the Court's
proceeding to pass judgment upon him, he asked eta.-
mission to say a few words in mitigation of his punish-
ment: he then said, he did not mean any thin sedi-
tious in writing the libel in question; that his political
principles were always for the good of his }sing and
country ; that he might have spoken with violence
against some certain persons, but never harboured
a thought hostile to the King or Constitution. He
had no less than six in family, one of whom aas
blind far several years; they were hll dependent csa
his industry, and were he to be long confined, his
business must totally go to wreck; that since his
imprisonment, his partner had taken an. unfair ad-
vantage of him, by which he was much injured ; he
therefore, under all these circumstances, threw him-
self on the mercy of the Court.
Mr. Justice Gauss had prepared to pass judg-
ment, but from the address ot the Defendant to
the Court, we are inclined to believe the sentence
was changed, as the Court, after some consultation,
ordered that the Defendant should pay a fine of
1001. and be imprisoned for three calendar months.

COMMON PI.LAS, Wormholes.

CHASIRERL AN O. PORTERS.
Application baying been made for a new trial
in this case, the question, Whether a note given on a
receipt stamp was as good uif given on a note
stamp ? was raserved for the consideration of the

Court.
Sir JANES MANSFIELD having referred to an ad
of the 37th of His Majesty, which states that every
note must be given upon a stamp of proper deno-
mination, if otherwise, or should a note be given on
a stamp of equal value, but of a different descrip-
tion from the stamp necessary to be used, such mis-
take is to he'remedied by applying to the officer of
stamps ; who, on receiving the fees, will alter the
instrument to itsproper form. It was clear, he ob-
served, that the at considered all instruments goo..
for nothing unless on proper stamps ; theref we the
commissioners of stamps were authorised to put tht
proper marks on the fees being paid. The note in
question was consequently considered of no use.
The other Judges were of the same opinion.—Rule
granted.
Mr. Serjeant Best moved for a rule to shew
cause why the sum of 2921. should not be delivered
to a person named Bourne, against whom a writ of
jieri facia* had been issued, and judgment entered
upon a warrant of attorney, for 1701. The 2921.
had been given by the Defendant in promissory
notes, which are not yet due ; and the Plaintiff had
' proceeded to judgment, keeping the notes in his pos-
session.—Rule granted.
-

DAME AND OE3ERS V. EXECUTORS OE C svar.t.
In this case, reserved for the opinion of the Court,
the question arising was, Whether a bond entered
into with the Royal Society of Musicians in the year
1790. by one of the colleilors, named Jesse nor-
wool, which imposed a penahy upon him, and his
successors to the office of tulle:tor, who should not
make an annual return of the different rims receiv- I
led during the year from the subscribers to the
caarity ; was not done away by the incorporation of
the society, effefted by a charter some time since ?
The anion was brought to recover the sum of Stitil.
on the bond (daring the present term). It then ap-
peared that llorwood had died without making the
yearly return, and doubts havlng occurred As to the
obligation of the bond, a vet di :t for nominal damages
was give.r. The Court, atter a long di.cussinn of
the case, intimated an opinion that the contras en-
tered into by I lorwood was rendered nugatory by
the incorporation of the society in the year 1800.—
Another point remains to be argued arising out of
this vase.