The National Register.
London, England, 1809-05-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

MAY 21.

Tiie ltilase top, big „ resolved into a Committee, Lord
Fo LKESTONM proposed the following amendment to that
part of the Kill which designates the nature of the crime of traf-
ficking in Places, That every person discovered in such °Wetter
shall forfeit and pa) the sum of 5001. to him, her, or them,
w h.) shalt satires ur sue for the same, or shall be liable to such
dme or iinpri+e►nment the Judge or Judges trying the said of•
fence, shall think proper to direct."
14,trd Po i.K ifsToN g said, he purported following up that
sawn haent, if It wat4 agreed to, br A resolution to the following
etl'•et :--•• )That if :in persaii.otending shall discover his or her
accomplice in aitv %nen corrupt practices, such per-on shall he; in.
Mel from all pun►shntottts, and Mitiougn disabled from
tlte• situation sic ill►gally procured, shall receive the said
owls ofsoo . for such information.'

The I4uuse then di% idea—For the amendment 31-40 W it
74 Ms jot it: O.—A journed.
Tue3da) and Wedneeday nu bu-iness of importance.

ThzirOay, .11ay is.
NONEVENT TO THE LATE CAPTAIN nAnnixcr.

Qa the motion of Mr. R. WA ao, on entry on the Journols,
to the proposal or Nloattuent to Captain Falconer, of
the Illanc:f frigate. in 1793, was read, together vt ith the oh:).
Goo .of ne preying~ qw ion. and the division thereon.
_ _

Mr. \V ARD thmi said, that in rising to propose the great no-
Iloilol honour of a monttipent in St. Paul's to the bp..mory of
Captain flardenge, he certainly was impressed wilt, the idea
that this honour should be confined to the reward oldistinguished
sery lees. But though the action in which this gallant officer
lost his life was tioly attended with the rapture of a frigate, he
trusted that the II °use would jolt) him in thinkiug. that, under
all the circumstances, it deserved t •at commemoration which he
now proposed. The Hon Memher then entered into a detail of
the distinguished career of Captain Hardiuge in the service of
his country, who, he observed, even at the period when he fell,
was but a vnu h in years, though a veteran ip service. The
commencement of his career Iva;; at the siege )f Acre, under no
less an officer than Sir S. Smite. He next commanded the Ter-
ror bomb, at the bombard Petit of Granville, and !o his conduct
on that occasion the highest compliments were paid by Sir J.
Saniourez. Ile afterwards pet formed a most remarkable exr
plait, when in collimation wk.(' Captain Perry, having moaned
their boats, they took the Atlanta $104,0, which Lord Keith, in
his letter to the Admiralty, on that occasion, characterised as
one of the most brilliant ex pipits-of the war. Ile was next ills,.
(died to the Indian seas, having the command of the San
fiortaiza, a 32 gun frigate ; and here, while engaged in the pro-
tee! ion •of our trade in that tparter, he met the Piedmont:Ow,
of .10 guns, and 560 men, that had long been the terror of those
seas. Though his crew hardlyarnounied to 200 men, and such
was the force of this French frigate, yet be did not hesitatf- a
moment to attack her, and the #ght was continued at invervats
for three successive days. This was not one of those actions of
which eithc.r death or glorious victory is,the rapid consequence ;
even on the second day of the action his ship was so much dis-
abled that he was forced to lie by to refit; and an officer of only
common iutrepidity, after sustaining such an unequal action,
ti °old have perhaps been glad of this opportunity of i,ot renew-
ing the combat. But so far from this. Captain tlardinge only
repaired his da:nages, in order more effectually to close with his
enemy, and it was in this• last encounter that, by his untimely
f ills his country lost the services of this gallant. °nicer. He
coneluded by moving,
That au numble Address be presented to his Maje(tY, praying
that tie would be pleased to order a monument to be erected to
the memory of the late Captain (:. N. Hardinge, in St. Paul's
Cathedral, in commemoration of his gallant services. and of his
glorious fall ; and acqualuting his Majest v that this House would
make goqd the eIL pence attending the same.
Mr. WIN DIIAI4 opposed the motion.
Lord CA fl• LER CA OH thought the circumstances.rtt tending this
exploit would make it useful for the House to vote this memorial.
In all great naval victories, it had been the practice to vote mo-
minims to those captains that had fallen in battle ; ;0141 iu too in-
stance was merit more completely hrought to the test, than in
actions between fiigates of nearly equal force. •
Mr. W t Luc:alto Rea thought there was no reason to fear that
the blouse would be oppressed with a number of Instauces of this
kind, for there had been only three instances of the kind since
1160. Ile knew that it was the intention of iris late lamented
friend Mr. Pitt, a little before his death, to fora a sort of
radatiuu of distinetioas, adapted to the merit of different ser-
•,

vices, and he must regret that this plan had not been carried
into etlect. liesizles, he wohla stiAge,c, that great actions, such
as thot‘e of Lord Nelson, were idenittied with the hist4ty of the
country, but exploits of this kiwi, which of course had little ins-
medinte influence on the fate of war, were best commemorated
by memorials of this sort; and certainly nothing could be more
gratifying to a lover of his country, than to see the Cathedral of
St Paul's decorated with monuments of this description.
The motion was then put and carried.