The National Register.
London, England, 1808-04-18 00:00:00

pint is. THE" NATIONAL REGITER.

•
may 7.Johnßirkett Wienholt, Old Swan, merchant, at twelve,
at Guildhall.
May 11. John Godfrey, Stnke-Lneey. Iferefordsblre, hop-
merchant, at eleven, at the Crown Inn, Worcester.
CERTIFICATES, May 7.
J. Cole, Fore-street, stationer.
W. Disting, Plymouth, tallow-chandler.

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Lonbon,
MONDAY, APRIL IR, 1808,

4

POLITICAL EVENTS OP THE H•EI:lf.
SIR R. STRACIIAN AND TIIF HOSTILF. FLEETS.
:fhe Princess Elizabeth packet, with mails from Sicily
and Malta, has brought intelligence of Sir R. ST R %CHAN
and his fleet. He joined Admiral THORN DOROUO or Pa-
lermo, and their combined squadrons amount to sixteen
sail of the line. They had seen no enemy's fleet; but it
was ascertained at Gibraltar, that the Carthagena squa-
dron was at Port Mahon by the latest accounts. The Tou-
lon fleet had sailed oL the 10th of February : and as the
Rochefort squadron was said. by the crew of a ship under
convoy of the Sirius, to have passed the Bay of Pallas,
near Carthagena, On the Ist of March, 'some persons have
conjectured, that the Rochefort and the Toulon fleets may
have effected a junction.
Perhaps there Dow is reason to believe that the Rochefort
squadron, concerning which so many reports have been cir-
culated, has not entered the Mediterranean, but proceeded
towards the West Indies or America. In the beginning of
this Week, the following information was posted at 'Lloyd's :
" The Abram, Watson, arrived at Lancaster from Hayti, was
hoarded on-the 14th of March, in lat.:AL long. 61 41. by the
Detnarara brig of war, which had been dispatched to Bermuda
b‘. sir J. T. DUCKWORTH off Martinique, and wits oil his re-
turn to the West. Indies.' Capt. CaorroN, of the Demarara,
in,Orted iii•thc Abram's log-book as follows :-- • •
.• " Monday, March 14.
" On Mominy, the ith inct. the Mullet schooner fell in With a
" French squadron, consisting of six fad of the line (one of
" them a three decker), in hat. 3V. N. Long. 69. W. steering
" W. N. W." The Mullett kept company three hours.

There can be little doubt but this is the Rochefort
Squadron. The Floridas. which we believe have been
ceded to France, were in all probability ttheita imint : and
it they touch at the Chesapeak, ise think it must he merely
as a matter of convenience. But whatever be their destina-
tion, we have every reason to hope that some of our
squadrons will overtake them. Should St. notuingo or
:Martinique be their object &and in that case it is difficult
to conceive why they have gone so far to the Northward),
they will 'be fortunate if they escape both Sir J. Duca-
v.oivra and Sir A. COCHRANE. That the enemy are going
against Nova Scotia or Canada, we cannot believe: their
niece is too small. if, indeed, the Americans were deter.
mined upon war with us. and have made preparations to
invade our American possessions, we should not he disin-
clined to believe that this squadron meant to co-operate
v‘ith them—hut we have not heard of any military prepa-
ratiiins. Are the enemy ;going to make au attack upon
Newfoundland P--. This is barely probable. •
Upon the whole then the Floridan appear to be the only
probable place of their destination. Circumstances which
took place some time ago, but which did not excite • much
itteUtion at the, time, are now recollected and brought in
aid of this conjecture. ATORSAU'S journey in Such haste to
the soother', frontiers of the United States, is now supposed
to have had tome relation to the. views of the Freuch upon
the Floridaq. Jt is said a!so, that the last ar(Frice4 from
haw York brought au account of sixty French Officers hay-

ing landed there, and proceeded to the Florida'. It is cer-
tain that the wife of General Mon eau, several months ago,
left America fur France, for the alleged purpose of arraug-
ing some family concerns, but with the real object, as *as
supposed, of mak lug her husband's peace with her hushanifi
persecutor. We know it was said in the American Papers,
sonic time ago, that BONAPARTE was 1144.10.41 determined
to let the Americans take possessiou of Louisiana, though
they had bought it ; and that as to the Floridas, he vas re-
solved to secure them for himself—he may think that the
possession of them would enable him the better to awe the
American Government ; and certainly, the latter would find
him a most vexatious and troublesome neighbour. Two
thousand troopii, the most that. the Rochefort Squadron
can carry, would indeed be alone sufficient to secure the
Floridas ; but where we have nothing but conjecture be-
fore us, the best we can do is to select the least impro-;
bable.
A letter was on Friday received from Liverpool, by *re-
spectable house in the city, which stated, that a ship had
arrived there from Boston after a short passage. It was
understood that the vessel brought important intelligence,
but there had not been time to ascertain what. In all pro,
if there really be aavy intelligence, it is something
relative to the arrival of the French Squadron in some part
of America. The coincidence of dates confirm this opinion.
It was on the 7th of. March that the Mullet schooner fell in
With the squadron ; four days were sufficient to bring Bitt
intelligence to the Chesapeak, and three days molt would
convey it to Boston. Hence we have a3nonth and a day
for the voyage to England, with continued westerly winds.
Since writing the above, we have learnt that the Admi-
ralty have received the following information : we do mit,
!limner, pledge ourselves fur the accuracy of the state-
ment : .
" Capt. 'Deems, an American, arrived this day from Mala.
• ult.; which place Ire left on the 25th of February, lie.reports,
bthat on the 21st of February, seven sail of French line-of-battle
ships Here seen oil Naluga : . that forty-set en hours after, tea
sail of British '4nips of tar mAde signal oil.' the same place.
Both fleets were standing up the Alediterranean.• What is very
extraordinary, the Captain, on his passage to England, never
saw a British man of mar until he arrived in the Bonus."

-f--


Late last night we received thexontents of five Gottc-n-
-burgh Mails, which arrived in the course of the day. The
intelligence brought is onntinsti altogether to the concerns
of Sweden. The Russian army has been augmented. to
,004000 men, anti the Swedes have found it necessary to re-
treat. But this appears to have produced no impression
upon the mind of the .King. De has called otrt all the
force•of his dominions. by. a conscription, and it is calcu=
lated that 150,0n0 men will be raised. .
' We are happy to peri,eive that, a part of our EngilA
snp-
:plies are arrived„ Sit,SAmuct..l-foon reached the coast of
;Sweden on the 7th instants „Several. mete:of war and-fri-
!gates, with arms, -were already. there: This seasonable aid
appears to have.relie.ved, the minds of the people frontal'
,apprehension on the side of Zealand.. To the 26th ult.: the
trench had not crossed the Belts. . • •
The answer of the King of Sweden to the Danish Decla-
'ration of War was alsn brought by the same mails. • The
.answer unfolds in manly and energetic language the policy
!observed by the several Courts. The idle pretence urged
;by Denmark that Sweden was untrue to the cause of the
'Northern Powers, and that she Aim bound to make corn-
!mon cause with them, is answered by a reference to the:
conduct of Denmark hers:Af,. who, when Russia, Prussia,
;Ireften, were at war with .vrance in 1ti436, sheltered
herself in her neutrality, and withdrew from ail sympathy
And participation with her neighbours. And surely • they.
:who think that Denmark had.a to do thio, admit
that Sweden might follow her example ss ithout meriting a
rat 'en of war. The K it bout. re4erve,
riat he did not think hiumlf int,.!rysted in. the preservation