The National Register.
London, England, 1812-03-15 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RECISTER.

M ARCH 13.

FOREIGN I N TELI,IG

FRENCH PAPERS.
•
THE MARSHAL DUKE DI ALI:UFERA TO THE PRINCE Or
NEUFCHATEL AND %V AUlt
'.M.
Head-quorters at Valencia, Feb. 7.
The fort of Peniscola, which, during the sh ges of Saginituni and
Valencia, had forced me to throw a detachineot in my rear to cover Ike
communication of the army, became immediately afterwards the obk et
of my attention. I before observed that it could not be blockaded in
account of its natural position. It is situate on a rock insulated by the
sea, near the great road, one league from Eenecarloa, and is oely che-
fleeted with the Continent by a tongue of sand, thirty toises in bred
and sixty in length. An old castle of the Templars, built on the MUD -
mit, is surrounded by the town, containing 2000 inhabitants, And wits
a fortification of sufficient extent, guarded by several ranges of ban( ries.
A garrison of lOno wen defended the place, under the orders et• B: jo„
diet- Garcia Navarro, a man of rack, who was taken prisoner List y, ar
at Falcet, and made his escape. Five English
vessels crul,ed on the
coast, andi communicated with the place, which thus r:•ceived crank thtl
succour from without. On the 20th of January, the Comma ot
Severoli, with five battalions, cemmenced, by my orders, 11,e
operations of the siege. A bombardment commenced on the
and continued with activity for eight days. The trenches were orer.,
in the night of the 314. The enemy kept up a brisk fire. On the 2 t tit
February lieutenant Prunel, an Officer of my Staff,
ae whom I had t
with instructions, having been admitted into thr plr. brought tack
an answer and propositions, which were itnmedhtt.ly seat to Ile-.
The preamble was remarkable, and of a nature atinunticing the se.-
mission of the place. The Governor, In an atimatrti iii,,cott. ye, t
xpre.t :E
his true sentiments and his hatred of the Envlish, who pressed him %.:1.!,
menaces to surrender the fort to them. lie hesitated not to pre ter the
French, and to recognize the present Government as the oely ot.e
calculated to put an end to the misery of his country. I sent imme-
diately the proposed capitulation, with my answers, in the martin, sub-
joining a letter to the Governor. In the interval the labourt of the
siege Were continued, but the Governor acce oing the meddled card-
tdation, put an end to hostilities. On the 4th, at noon, Pet h.reta
was surf endered to the troops of the Emperor with provi-ins for two
monthi, and a considerable quantity ot ammunition. The tiro:ln-
stances which have accompanied the surrender of Peniacola, mat the
submission of the Governor, Garcia Navarro, are a conquest of oei-
Pion, from which I hope the best effects. Every thing here I'vith the
exception of Alicant, of which an English General, Roche, has taken tLe
command) tends to the conclusion of the war, which may all early be
regarded as terminated. The inhabitants show themselvei to 1w act Lated
by a good spirit, to the gates of Meant. lam
D, wituch respect, &c.
The Marshal D'ALBUFERA.
The following Letter from Pedro Navarro, Commandant of Peniscola,
in answer to ot,e received from Duc D'Albufera, shows the treachery
of the traitor.

Peniscola, Feb. 3, 181'2.
M. Ls lk.lns sus r. The letter of your Excellency is very agreealle.
and I desire only opportunities of proving the sincerity of the principl:
I hive manifested. I have followt:c1 with seal-1 may say with fury.
pat ty which I believed just ; but now that I recognise the neeey.it
uniting ourselves to our King, to render our i; ountry less unfortunate.
►
Iflfcr to serve !loM with the same enthroirum. Your Ercellenry may tie
certain of me. The surrender.of a strong fort, s.v.nli provisions. and
that i> ti,:resiary for a long defence, must operate as a tali cotivicao,
and is a sure gti.irantce of my promises.
I salute you with the greatest respect, &C.

IMI'EUTAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY, MARCO 9.
DRURY-LANE THEATRP.
Lord DUNDAS moved the third reading of the Drury-lane Theatre
Bill.
The Duke of Noarotx made some observations upon the moncr,,4
which had been claimed under the patents granted by Charle:, 11. ‘vi';(ll,
he said, had been granted at a time when the population cat the moro:
polls did not amount to more than a third of the present numiar qt
inhabitants. It wai but fair that with the present greatly incr(1:••,1
population there should be an additional number of Theatres. A c`;'''
trary course bad, however, been pursued, and the theatres erected ut"'''''
these patents had been enlarged, till it was scarcely posmble to hear br
see the performances ; and this again had led to the degradation of ihe
stage.—lt had lately happened, when there was only one theatre, .:
wild beasts from Africa had been introduced upon the stage, aud sec:Oo
had been exhibited, which were only tit for a bear-garden in 1
loyitki'
in-the-Hole. He did not, however, wish, after their Lordiiiips' torn,,r
decision, to make any motion upon this point now but to confine 1.3
attention to the power of creating a limited number of private bc,.-.OPa
He thought that the public access to a theatiii was a public right, "

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