The National Register.
London, England, 1817-09-15 00:00:00

THE EARL OF ST. VINCENT.

The last Tricolor
Won
By the Naval Flag of Britain—
The Colours
Of L'Etoile, captured by the Hehrtts,
March 27, Isld:
Most respectfully dedicated
To JOHN, EARL of ST. VINCENT:
The offering
Of a grateful Pupil
To au illustrious Master.

ti

This Nobleman, having► lately been on a visit to his I
friends in the county of Staftiwd, was on his return to
his seat near Brentwood, in Essex, surprised by a pre-
sent of a novel but agreeable. kind. In his hall his
Lordship found placed a French revolutionary flag,
and near it a marble tablet, with the following in-
cription, which sufficiently explains the motive for de-
positing the flag in that place:

Tt was after a chase of 120 miles, and a well-fought
action of two hours and a quarter under an incessant fire
from a French battery, that the Etoile French frigate
vas captured by the Hebrus, under the command of ;
Captain Palmer, by whom the flag of the captured ves-
sel has boon placed as above stated. The official ac-
count of the battle is to be fimnd in the Gazette of
April 2, 1814. Next to the satisfaction which Lord
St Vincent would feel from conquering his country's
enemies in his own person, is that of seeing them sue-
cessfully combated by others who had learned the art
of victory under kis eye, and from his example. The
present was therefore a most grateful one.

Extract of a letter front New Orleans, dated the Ist
of August, says :—" Lieutenant J. S. Cunningham '
commander of the United States schooner Firebrand,
arrived in town yesterday morning from Vera Cruz,
having brought with him, from that place, Wyat,
charged with the murder of Captain Driscoll, of the
schooner Fox. The Firebrand sailed front the Balize •
on the 2nd ult. and arrived at Vera Cruz the 14th ;
saluted the Fort, having first ascertained that it would
be returned gun for gun, which was done ; received
the prisoner Wyat on board, and sailed on the 20th.
During Lieutenant C's stay at Vera Cruz, he was
treated with marked civility by the officers of the Go-
vernment and by the citizens. On the '2lst spoke the
American brig Charles, Captain l'riett, of and from
New Orleans for Vcra Cruz ; her commander informed
him, that on the 14th he was boarded anti taken pos-
session of by a small schooner, which her crew called
by the fietitioas name of Incommuna, the Captain of
which went by the name of Bon Ami. She was under
the Mexican flag, and had a crew of 25 negroes, and
three white officers; overhauled the cargoes of the
Charles, broke open all the letters, detained her twelve
hours, and then suffered her to proceed. On the 18th
the Charles fell in with the privateer Mexican Con-
gress (formerly the Calypso), Captain Piinett, was
ordered to seal his boat and papers on hoard, with the
chief mate; after some hours detention the boat was
bent back, with orders to the Captain to fidlow the pri-
vateer; in three hours she ran out of sight, with the
mate and papers of the Charles on board. On the
third day afterwards, the Firebrand fell in with her,
destitute of all her papers, and liable to be treated as
a pirate by the first vessel she might meet with ; being
then within a day and a half's sail of Vera Cruz, con-
veyed her back within sight of that port."
The Western Luminary says—" A respectable
woollen manufacturer at Crediten, of capital and ex-
perience sufficient to gautnunee pertimmance, has sub-
suitted an offer to the principal landholders and ma-
gistrates of that neighbourhood, which is likely to flum
a precedent to other places :—it is to contract for
stated nuutbe•r of years ,three to seven we believe) to
Maintain the poor and keep the roads in repair, for
5001. a year less than their average cost of the last
seven years. Of course he calculates upon employing
many of them in the various branches of the woollen
manufacture, and on the roads, according to their age,
sex, and ability ; and the Guardians of the Poor, if
they close with the offer, will take security for their
prcixr treatment."
- - - - -

A letter from Dominitm, dated July 19, states,— 1
" That flour was thirteen dollaN per barrel, and fidl-
log, much. There were from six to 9000 barrels of it
in the market. There bad lately arrived about 1000
hokr.ima•ls of tobacco, and that the markets had been
overstoc:ill with all kinds of American produce ; sugar
eight dollars to nine per cwt. They also mention that
all the exportation of sugar in foreign vessels was pro-
hibited on the Ist of July.—Two French store-ships
had arrived there from liovhfort."
The Duke of Wellington, we understand, become
a Collector of Painting and Sculpture. Ills ample for-
tune will afP,rd him the means of gratifying his taste ;
and a m.likt gallery the the reception of the works of
the most celebrated Masters, both of ancient and mo-
dern art, is to form a rart.of the national mansion to be
erected for him. Ills Gr.tce ha; lately added to his
coll'AAion a very tine cast in bronze, from the celebrated
• of the G/adirdi Lich '- for the

THE NATIONAL REGISTER;

TALMA AND OXBERRE

The following article merit, notice, as it thews the different cha-
racters of a French and an English actor, and as the contrast is at
evidently in favour of our countryman. It seems that Miss Penley,
a :cry interesting actress and amiable young woman, was performing
with en English company of cetnedianb at Valenciennes, and was to
have a benefit on the Tuesday. All her boxes were let, and she had
reason to expect a very profitable night. On the Monday the French
troop of comedians arrived, and the hopes of Miss Penley were ex-
tingaished by a refusal to let the theatre be opened, except for the
French company. With a laudable impuLse of humanity and British
Oxberry addressed the subjoined letter to Tahoe. The Tragic
Hero, however, was too lofty to condescend to write an answer him-
self, and therefore sent an Ambassador and Plenipotentiary, to ex-
plain and adjust matters, but particularly to demand an apology of
Oxberry hoc that passage in Ins letter, which as one part of an alterna-
tive, intimated the possibility that 'Palma had not improved by his
' travels. Oxberry, however, though not a tragic Hero, sus disposed to
spew that he possessed more than mere entitle spirit, Mr he declared to
the Ambassaulor and Plenipotentiary, that it was a rule with an Eng-
lishman, never to make an apology when he was in the right, and
therefore ridiculous in a Frenchmanto require one. The Ambassador
and Plenipotentiary seemed to be struck with this emphatic trait
of British character, and retreated with such an abundance of cour-
teous gesticulations and grimaces, that Oxberry was enabled to
sapply his comic treasury with additional stores fur the true gro-
tesque.—

"Valenciennes, August 1.
•
.• On Tuesday. July the lftth, Messrs. Oxberry anti Penley, from
the Theatre Royal, Dmry-lane, were announced to perform at this
Theatre; but M. Telma, arriving late on the Monday evening, the
English company were compelled to give way to the French one, as
there is but one theatre for both companies, and Telma made his first
appearance on this stage, in the tragNly of • Manlius Capitolinus,' by
Ko.se. Messrs. Oxberry and Penley, I am informed, waited. she
whole of Wednesday expecting some apology from the French Man-
ager, for his illiberal and unjust conduct to them and the English
company of comedian,: but not receiving any, the annexed letter
was tiowarded to M. Talmu, who on reading it, solicited an interview
with the English Manager, informed hint that two English Generals
haul just called m pay their respects, anti after amusing hint with in-
numerable trifles equally vain end ridiculous. requested he would in-
form Mr. Oxberry, that he was ignorant of the whole proceeding,
wished hint a good morning. declared nothing would give him greutzr
pleasure titan to see him in Paris, anti that he would there skew him
what a grateful recollection he entertained of the hospitable and ge-
nerous conduct he had experienced in England."

" M. TALMA, " Valenciennes, July 16.
"I shall not atedogise for addre,,ing you in English, knowing you
arc well acquainted with the language, but proceed to ask whether it
u as consistent with the liberal character report had given you, after
the spirited and generous manner in which my countrymen, partial-
lady the theatrical part of them, received you when in England, to
lend yourself the Very moment you re.commeneed your professional
dudes in France, to the commission elan act,tuiparallelled, I believe,
in the annals of histrionic art ? The Saturday previous to your arrival
the English company of comedians announced me and Mr. Penky
of the Theatre Royal, Drury-l.ane, to perform in a play and farce
oo the Thursday following, and though you did not arrive till nine
o'clock on the Monday evening, by the same hour the next morning
the French play-bills were posted over the English, and M. Le Ware,
very politely (leaving justice out of the question) sent to inform the
English Manager you had arrived, and be must give up the Theatre
for your use. My friend Mr. Penky and myself have certainly
grounds for complaint, were our talents much more !mull& than your
liberality can estimate them; but whilst honoured by approving toices
on the other side of the water, we can smile at every slight that may
be east upon them on this. You surely must know the performances
in question were for the benefit of a lady of no mean talent, and I be-
lieve of irreproachable mord character. In England, M. Telma.
' such a diameter is entitled to, and receives the protection and sup-
port of every liberal mind. Surely the boasted gallantry of the
, French nation is on the decline, or M. Tatham is not impnwtsl by
travel. When I shall tell this tale in the Green-Room of Drury. my
brothers and sisters will scarcely credit my story, my friend Dow ton
must censure his credulity, and regret that such things have been.
I am, Sir, your humble servant.
" English Hotel. W. Oiagnay."

I
antique statue of the Giaiiaior, which is for the pre- ;;;;
1A:1444ml ilk t'ut L.trtlen of Ins house in Piccadilly. en
t