The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-29 00:00:00

LOSS OF SEVEN SHIPS IN THE

GULF OF RIGA.

The accounts that have reached Dundee are not so
satisfactory as could be wished ; but there is reason to
fear that the loss sustained has been very great—no
fewer than sixteen vessels are said to have shared in the
calamity. The following are the most material circum-
stances that we have been able to collect ; and we are
obliged to a gentleman who kindly favoured us with the
extract from a letter received here yesterday from Riga,
dated the 6th instant, which is the latest advices that
have come to hand :
" EXTRACT OE A LETTER FROM CAPT. ARTHUR BROWN
OF THE REGINA, OF PERTH.

" Windau, May
.1, 1839.

" am very sorry to inform you of the loss of the
Regina, in Riga Bay, amongst the ice. I passed Do-
mesness on the 23d ult., and proceeded up the bay
through a narrow cut in the ice, about a quarter of a
mile broad, with a fleet of about 70 sail. We had not
proceeded more than 25 miles when the ice closed in
upon us, and we were forced to drop our anchor on the
night of the 24th. On the morning of the 25th, about
eight o'clock, the people of the Orlando, of Aberdeen,
were heaving their clothes on the ice, and I can safely
say, in less than three minutes she went down, and
left not a vestige of anything behind her. We were
lying about 200 yards below her when the flaw took us
and squeezed the sides of the vessel like a bundle of
matches, the ice rolling up the taffrail. I went down
to the cabin and found that the bulk-heads were squeezed
to pieces. Before I got well on deck again, she was
filled. I stepped on the ice off the rail, and down she
went. The ice closed over the Queen (Regina), and
she was seen no more after 15 minutes. The Duke of
Richmond, of Aberdeen, shared the same fate. The
Pacific, of Montrose, went down on the top of her, and 2
Dutchmen alongside. The Deptford, of Sunderland, also
went down at the same place : and the destruction ofthe
vessels was completed in less than an hour's time. The
Agenoira, of Dundee, is completely ruined—her timbers
are broken, and she is making a great deal of water.
The Argo ofVictoria
,Dundee is nearly as bad. The
was lying close
by, and the men had their clothes on the
two vessels farther a-head, thought
'
ice. There we "e
to be the Rapicl and Henry Holland of Montrose.
The Hero of Duodee was lying at a great list (lying
The The
JUehvae,s,
flying, her Union
eRr,.,
Orband,
over on her side), with her colours
down as a signal of
there.distress.
Eagle were lying upP.RaTng.
and a few more, further down. I advised the Ceres,
Bruce, to run out again, which he did ; but I do not
think he would get round the reef. If the ice take
anothe set, the most of the vessels will suffer.
44 Riga, April 24-6th May, 1838.
" The ice in our river began to move a few days ago,
and the navigation at Town is now quite open ; but,
owing to the unusually strong current, no ships have
as yet been able to get up. The ice has done much
mischief in the 13ay--five British and two foreign ves-
sels are known to have foundered, and nine other ves-
sels are supposed to have shared the same fate. None
of the barks have arrived, and as the ice only broke
upon the 16th O.S, at Witepsk, will arrive later than
usual ; in consequence of which, we have no expecta-
tion of the Hemp Bruaek opening before the 15th of
next month."—Dundee Courier.

The 10th Regiment ofinftitr
700 strong
(recently from Dublin),arrived this in town yesterday, by
ay
railway, from Liverpool. The military force here at pre-
sent, therefore, consists of one regiment of Dragoons,
three regiments of Infantry, and a company of Artillery_
a force amply sufficient to preserve the peace of the town
and neighbourhood, if it should be threatened by the
Chartists —Manchester Guardian.

• At a few minutes past three o'clock, the Lord Chancel-
lor, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Viscount Duncannon, the
Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Falkland, took their seats
in their robes as Commissioners to give her Majesty's as-
sent to the Speaker chosen by the House of Commons.
There were several ladies within the bar, among whom
were, we understood, the Lady of the Right Hon. Gen.
tleman who had just been chosen Speaker of the House of
Commons. On the Opposition Benches were Lords
Rosebery and Cholmondeley, and on the Ministerial side
of the House Lord Farnham, Lord Portman, and two or
three other Peers.
Mr. SHAW LEFEVRE, attended by the mover, seconder,
and a large body of Members, having appeared at the bar,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, my Lords and
Gentlemen of the House of Commons, her Majesty, not
thinking fit to be personally present at this time, has been
graciously pleased to issue a Commission under the Great
Seal, constituting me and other Lords therein named Com-
missioners, in her Majesty's name, to declare her Majesty's
approbation of the choice of her faithful Commons of Mr.
Charles Shaw Lefevre, as Speaker of that House, which
Commission you will now hear read.
The Clerk having read the Royal Commission at the
table,
Mr. LEFEVRE said—My Lords, I have to acquaint
your Lordships that in obedience to her Majesty's com-
mands, and in exercise of their undoubted right, her Ma-
jesty's most faithful Commons have proceeded to the election
of a Speaker, and that their choice had fallen upon me.
Deeply impressed with a sense of my own unworthiness, I
now present myself at your bar and submit myself to her
Majesty's Royal approbation.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—Mr. Shaw Lefevre, we
haveit in command from her Majesty to declare her Majesty's
entire confidence in your talents, diligence, and efficiency to
fulfil the important duties of the high office of Speaker of
the House of Commons, to which you have been chosen by
that House. In obedience to the communication which
has just been read, by virtue of the authority therein con-
tained, we do now declare her Majesty's Royal approba-
tion and allowance of you, Sir, as Speaker of the House of
Commons.
The SPEAKER—My Lords, I submit myself with all
humility to her Majesty's Royal will and pleasure, and if,
in the discharge of my duty, and in the maintenance of the
rights of the Commons House of Parliament, I am led into
any involuntary error, I humbly entreat that it may be im-
puted to me alone, and not to her Majesty's faithful Com-
mons.

The Speaker and the other Members having retired,
their Lordships adjourned during pleasure.
The LORD CHANCELLOR resumed his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
Lord SE GRA VE presented petitions from Bristol,
in favour of Rowland Hill's plan of Postage.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
Torrington in West Sussex, against the present pro-
posed plan of National Education ; also petitions
from a great number of schools, establishments, and
places, in favour of the adoption of penny postage.
The Earl of RIPON presented a petition from Yar-
mouth, praying for the Established Church in Canada.
Lord MANSFIELD presented petitions from Suffolk,
Clackmannan, and other places, in favour of a uniform rate
of penny postage.

Lord-BROUGHAM presented petitions from 50 dif-
ferent commercial establishments in London to the same
effect; also petitions from a great many places in the
country to the same effect. The Noble and Learned
Lord wished to correct a statement that had gone abroad
by mistake, in reference to the appointment of the day
for the second reading of the Beer Bill. He begged to
state that it was postponed till Monday next, and that
beyond that day, as it had been so frequently
put off already, he would on no account delay it.
The Noble and Learned Lord wished to know whether it
would not be convenient to the House that he should
postpone his motion relative to the correspondence that
bad taken place with respect to the affair of Col. Prince
until Monday next.
Lord ELL E NBOR OUG H said the charge aga;nst Col.
Prince was of so gross a nature, that he did not think
it ought to be delayed. He observed that Colonel Prince
had made a statement in his own defence already, and he
should take the liberty of reading parts of that statement.
He should have done so to-night if he could have expected
that so many Noble Lords would have been in their places.
Lord BROUGHAM had no objection to its keeping its
place for Thursday.
The Marquis of NORMANBY should be ready on
Thursday to enter into everything that he was aware of
relating to Colonel Prince's conduct.
Lord EL L ENBOROUG H knew nothing of Colonel
Prince himself, he had only read his defence.
The Duke of WELLINGTON was of opinion that it
would be absolutely impossible to consider this question in
reference to this gentleman, without considering the whole
question out of which the war had sprung. He knew nothing
of it except from what he heard in the House last
night, but he thought he should be able to show that this
was owing to the system of warfare which had been carried
on, and that that system was to be traced to some other
(mortar.
Lord BRITtRarA/V1 had' no doubt that the Noble
Duke might be able to show that : but whoever might be
responsible for this wild outbreak his observations should
be strictly confined to the conduct of Col. Prince.
Lord ELLENBO ROUGH said it ought to be remem-
bered that when his Noble and Learned Friend was bring-
ing this charge of murder against Col. Prince, he at the
same time brought a strong charge against the officers who
had sat on the Committee of Inquiry.
Lord BROUGHAM said, that the sentence of the Court
of Inquiry had been printed in the Gazette, by Sir George
Arthur, which be had seen, and the sentence did nct acquit
Col. Prince of having killed four or five men (the Noble
and Learned Lord believed the question was between four
and five), after the battle was over; but it stated the charges
brought against Mr. Elliott, and confirmed by Mr. Charles
Elliott were very much exaggerated, therefore, those
persons were reprimanded, and one of them had been dis-

missed. But Sir e. Arthur stated (and upon his the Noble and
Learned Lord's statement was founded) that he severely re-
proved Col. Prince for having putto death the four or five men
who had surrendered, without any trial or legal proceeding
whatever. That was the charge brought by Sir George
Arthur against Colonel Prince; and he added that
his conduct could only be palliated by a reference to the
excited state of his feelings at the moment.
Lord EL LE NBOR OUG H said that Colonel
Prince's statement was that the five men (for there
were five) were put to death after the action was
over, but while they were yet in momentary expectation
of an attaok.

Lord BROUGHAM said that Colonel Arthur's state-
ment was, that they were put to death without any legal
proceeding.

The Marquis of NORMANBY believed the explanation
of Colonel Prince was, that they were put to death imme-
diately after, or at the conclusion of the action ; and that
they were shot upon the spot.
Lord BROUGHAM said it was very true that it
appeared they were shot upon the spot, and that
they were fired upon one after the other upon the
spot, and killed dead upon the spot. but that was after
they had been surrendered up by the Indians, and to whom
it had heen said, in answer to an inquiry if the men were
safe—can't you trust a British officer ?
Lord PORTMAN said he really would put it to the
Noble and Learned Lord, whether it was fair that this
matter should be pressed at present, in a desultory con-
versation, before the papers were laid upon the table—
(Hear, hear)—surely the conversation had better not be
carried further. —( Hear, hear.)
Lord NORMANBY was understood to say, he wished
it to be known distinctly, that he would be prepared either
to produce the papers, or to give a satisfactory reason why
not.—(Hear, hear.)

Lord BROUGHAM said, his Noble Friend (Lord
Portman) had himself added to the desultoriness of the
conversation, by making his lecture after the desultory
conversation of which he complained had concluded.—
(A laugh.)

Lord PoRTATAN said he could not know that the
engagement had finished, seeing that his Noble and
Learned Friend had not sat down.—(A laugh.)
POSTAGE.
Lord BROUGHAM said he had risen to present
a petition from Mr. Dionysius Lardner, who represented
that his correspondence had long averaged 5,000 letters
annually ; and that he had calculated the expense upon
Rowland Hill's plan of postage, and found that without
using the means of evading the postage, which at pre-
sent he was forced to employ, the postage would be
a gainer, by the vast increase of his correspondence,
and he therefore prayed that the plan be adopted.

THE COLONIES.
The NOBLE and LEARNED LORD then presented a Bill de-
claratory of the legislative power of the mother country over
the Colonies—and prohibiting, under penalties, the fraudu-
lent practice which had been adopted in some Colonies, of
passing resolutions, instead of Bills, against the coloured
population—for instance, raising the qualification for the
elective franchise from 201. to 501., in order thereby to
avoid the superintendence of the Governors or of the Home
Government.

Lord RODEN presented two petitions, praying for a
uniform rate of penny postage ; also a petition from a pa-
rish in Essex, praying their Lordships to support the Pro-
testant institutions of the country; and a petition from
Bangor, in the county Down, against any further grant to
the College of 11194.100 th.

The Bills on their Lordships' table were advanced a
stage.
Adjourned till Thursday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MAY 28.

The Gallery was opened at Three o'dlock.-
Mr. SHAW LerevaE, who appeared in an undress
wig, and without a gown, sat in a chair at the corner of
the table until the arrival of the messenger from the Lords,
and was congratulated by almost every Member who en-
tered the House.

At ten minutes after Three o'Clock the Deputy Usher
of the Black Rod entered, and summoned the House to
the House of Lords.

The SPEAKER, on his return, having taken the
chair, said—l have to acquaint the House that the House
has been to the House of Peers, where the Lords au-
thorised by her Majesty's Commission have declared that
her Majesty approves of the choice which this House has
made in electing me to be its Speaker ; and I hope I may
e permitted to make this observation, in again expressing
y sincere and heart-felt thanks for the honourable mark of

confidence which the House has conferred upon me, that I
feel I shall have infinite occasion to call for their indulgence
and support ; but I know that indulgence and support will
never be withheld from me if I proceed fearlessly, faith.
fully, aid honestly, in the discharge of my public duty.—
( Loud cheers.)
Mr. Cowl.Et was introduced, and took the oaths and bis
felt for Hertford.

NEW WRITS.
Sir T. FREE MANTLE moved for a new writ for the
borough of Ludlow, in the room of Viscount Clive, now
Earl of Powys.
Mr. E. J. STANLEY moved for a new writ for the
city of Edinburgh, in the room of the Right Hon. James
Abercromby, called up to the House of Peers.
The Holmes Estate Bill was read a second time and or-
dered to be committed.
SMALL DEBTS BILL.
On the motion of Mr. WILSON PATTEN, the Old-
ham Small Debts Bill was read a second time and ordered
to be committed.
Mr. HUME wished to know what was intended to be
done with respect to the Small Debts' Bill ? They had
been expecting for the last two months that the Govern-
ment would bring forward some measure that would render
them unnecessary, and on that account many of those Bills
had been postponed. He thought the House ought to know
whether it was or not the intention of Government to bring
in any general measure, which he was sure ought to be
done, as the present system of piecemeal legislation was
extremely inconvenient. He thought the present Bill
ought not to proceed further till it was known what the
intentions of the Government were.
Mr. W. PATTEN was as anxious as any man to know
what the intentions of the Government were, as he be-
lieved it was the intention of parties to persevere in these
Bills till checked by some general measure.
Mr. HUME, as no Member of the Government was

phouldresent,be pos wouldtponed move that the second reading of the Bill
s
Mr. FRESHFIELD, although he was desirous that a
general measure should be brought forward„ considered it.
unjust to postpone the present Bill when others had been
allowed to pass.
Mr. HUME observed that as there was some risk of
there being a House to-morrow, he would move the post-
ponement of the second reading to Thursday.
_ _