The Sun.
London, England, 1806-01-24 00:00:00

Mr. PITT.

When we yesterday performed the painful duty-of
announcing to the Public the Death of that great
man.„ Whose almost uneqUalled..talent's, whose un-
daunted firmness, and whose real patriotism have
'for so long -a time preserved, under- Fidairen,-this
Country from those dreadful calamities which have
ddsblated the greater part of Europe, we -paid an
Humble but sincere tribute to his memory. But to
.do justice to the talents and to the chargter of Mr.
PITT would require eloquence equal to his own ; to '
attempt to enumerate the various acts of his life .
which entitle-him to the sincere gratitude of his
Country, and to the admiration of mankind,
_._
would be to give an history
,of Europe for the
last twenty years. ,At any time we should feel
ourselves mdst unequal to such a task, but now,
. when our minds are bdwed down, and our facul-
ties overwhelmed by the heavy affliaion
,with which
it has pleased God to visit this COuntry, we feel
that every attempt •on our part to do justice to his
chars ter must be feeble indeed. But conscious as
we are of our inability, we are irresistibly com-
pelled to trespass for a short time upon our Readers,
on this most sudden and most afflieling event. .
From the time that Mr. PITT reached the age of
terminated
manhood to the awful moment which
his earthly existence, every faculty of his Mind was.
devoted to the Public Service. At the conclusion of
.a 'War the most disastrous this . Country had .
ever experienced, in which a large portion of the
Empire was severed from the' sovereignty of Great
Britain, in which our united Enemies were enabled
frequently to maintain a doubtful contest with Ifs
...„..
for maritime superiority, and at one time to ride tri-
umphantly hi the British Channel—at that arduous
period was Mr. PITT ' (then only 24 .years of age)
placed by Hi; MAJESTY at the head of his Councils.
The difficulties he had then to encounter cannot be
forgotten. The Finances, either from want of skill,
or from negligence, had fallen into a state of disor,:
der, from, which it appeared almost impossible to
extricate them ; the trade of the Country, was lan-
t
guishingglooin and discontent perVaded every
quarter of the Empire—and a party, powerful from
rank, from talents, from numbers, and . from
in-
fluence, were openly endeavouring to seize the reins
of Government, and to deprive the Executive
Power. of its Constitutional Right of choosing its own
Ministers. This is but a feeble sketch of ,the
state of '.the Country when Mr. PITT was, placed
at the head of Administration ; bUt in a short time
these difficulties vanished, as it were by magic, be-
fore the talents of that great man.—By a bold appeal
to the loyalty ,and good sense of the People of Great 1
Britain, he completely defeated that Party, which, 1
conscious of. its own strength, had smiled in con.-
temptat the efforts of a boy. Nis 'next obje& was,
to restore the Commerce and to improve the Finances i
of the Country. These objeas the great powers 1
of his own mind, and the assistance of most able
colleagues, enabled him to accomplish, in a manner i
that exceeded the hopes even of the most sanguine :
all the old channels of Trade were re-occupied, new' 1
'ones were opened, confidence and industry revived
in every part, and the Country began to enjoy that
' commercial prosperity ,which, under his fostering I
care, has now risen to such an unparalleled height.

To the'financial talents of Mr. PITT even his most
violent political enemies have ever been ready to do
justice. Under his care order was restored in every
branch of the Public Receipt and Expenditure, and the
,Revenues, which, when he came into office, were un-
equal to the demand of a most moderate Peace Esta-
blishment, soon increased to such a degree as en-
abled. him to accomplish an objea, which, if he had
done nothing else, would alone have intitled him
to the lasting gi:atitude of his Country. We mean
the establishment of:THE SINKING.FUND. For this
great object he appropriated one million annually,
which has now produced a fund of above eight mil-
lions a-year, applicable to the discharge of the Na-
tional Debt. But much as we admire those great
talents which enabled him to conceive and accom-
plish so important an object, we are inclined to give
him "still greater credit for the unshaken firmness,
for the inflexible perseverance with which he ad-
hered to, that plan in the most trying seasons of dif-
ficulty and distress. It is to that great and wise
measure that we are indebted for our present finan-
cial prosperity. It is by the operation of that mea-
sure that this Country has been enabled to bear,
without any diminution of Public Credit, the enor-
mous expellees of a Contest unprecedented in the
annals of mankind.—We trust, that after the ex-
ample given by Mr. PITT, no Minister will aver
venture, under any circunastaaces, to divert any
part of this Fund to any other purpose, until the
whole of our Public Debt shall have disappeared.
During the continuance of the affii&ing event

which occurred a few years after the period to which
we have alluded,
:Mr. PITT had an opportunity of
displaying his inviolable attachment to the best of
Sovereigns, and his unshaken adherence to the Prin,
ciples of . the Constitution.; and his efforts in the

cause of both were, by the blessing of ProvicLnce,

succc'ssful.

We come now to that great, that dreadful event
which has so long convulsed the Civilized World
which has been the parent of so many crimes and so
many miseries—which has almost swept from the
face of the earth so many great and powerful States—.
which has crumbled to atoms the whole fabric of
European Independence—which, in its early stages,
threatened to dissolve all those ties which bind
Society together, and form the chief happiness of
civilized life—which. has caused more wretched-
ness and misery to mankind, in every rank and
gradation, from the Sovereign to the Peasant,
than any event recorded in the history of the world-
-we mean the French Revolution. The ardent love
of Liberty which actuate the People of this Country,.,
and that generous feeling which makes them anxious
for the happiness of their fellow creatures, led
them A first to contemplate that Revolution with
'delight, because they conceived that it tended to
emancipate a great' People from What was then,
considered as a state' of Slavery. They consider-
ed only the present good, which they conceived
it was calculated to promOte ;—they did not see
the dangers which lurked behind. sThis was the 'feel-
ing of -the mass of the People ; .but there was a
party in this Country, comparatively small indeed in
numbers, but formidable from their activity and
perseverance, who hailed it as an event which.
opened to them a prospect of acting among us,
those scenes:which very soon desolated France, and
disgraced the
,cliaraCter of the Country. But the
intuitive quicknes's- and comprehensive powers of
Mr. PITT'S mind enabled him to foresee and to esti-
mate the dangers with which_ it menaced every State
in Europe. He did not, however, resort to 'War until
the repeated insults of the French Government—m-
tit their intimate connexion -with, and avowed pro-
teaion of, the disaffected in this Country—untirtheir
,
open contempt of the rights of -independent Na-
tions rendered -War a matter not -of choice but of
necessity. It is not our wish upon this occasion
to revive a discussion upon events which are past-
- we shall content ourselves with repeating theopinion
which, since the Establishment of this Paper, we
haVe uniformly maintained, that it is to the abilities
and.the firmness of Mr. PITT this Country is in-
debted for having escaped the effects of that storm
which desolated the rest of Europe.
The Union of the two Sister Kingdoms, Great Bri-
tain and Ireland, forms • one of the most important
epochs in Mr. Fires Administration. The advane-:
tages and disadvantages of the Union have been so
often and so fully discussed, that we refrain fivn,
any observation on the subject. They who consider
it as beneficial to the Empire, venerate the Author
of so grand a scheme; and even they. who disap-
proVe of the measure, must admire the talents an:(
perseverance displayed in its execution. The Kish
Union is still,further memorable, as conneaed with
Mr. PITT'S resignation.
The subsequent events, on his being re-called to
office by. His Majesty, are too recent for repetition.
Though there are too many in the world who judge
of measures not by their apparent expediency at the
time when they were planned, but by the succesi
which attends them, yet the impartial part of, the
community declare, and posterity will recognize, the
merit of Mr. PITT in exciting on the Continent a
Combination against the rapacity and ambition of
the FRENCH EMPEROR, which circumstances,' On
which it was impossible for human foresight to cal=
-culate,' have unfortunately rendered abortive.
Judging from the aspen of most *sons in. the
metropolis yesterday, on hearing the melancholy in,
telligence of Mr. PITT'S death, we have every red-'
son to believe that the same regret will prevail all
over the Country. We never witnessed a more ge-
neral expression of heart-felt sorrow, as if the nation
had received a fatal shock. DejeEtion appeared in
the face of every man capable ofappreciating the na-
ture of such an 'event,- and many could only express
their sorrow by mournful gestures.. it should be
mentioned, to the credit of the Conductors of those
Papers which have been uniformly hostile to Mr.
PITT, that they have treated his charaCter with the
highest respeCt, and his memory with the utmost

reverence.

We look with confidence to Mr. Fox for an Eulo-
gium on this Great Man, in that place where his
eloquence has so often excited admiration and
astonishment, and where his wisdom and his virtue
will never be forgotten. In this respea, Mr. Fox.
will ad with a due regard for consistency, while he
pays the well-earned tribute to transcendent worth
and abilities ; for it is upon record, that when Mr.
Fox was asked his opinion of Mr. PITT, by Mr. PITT:S
greatest enemy, he had the manliness and the justice
to declare, that he thought him the greatest Statesman
that this or any other country had ever produced.

Nor is this all, for during
.the last Parliamentary
Session, when some pecuniary transa&ions were
alluded to, in which Mr. PITT was concerned,
and which were
.made the subje& of insinuations
against the purity of his charader, Mr. Fox, wit.i

- .
laudable. earnestness; rbanifested his unwillingnesi
to give the least credit to the possibility of there be-
ing any fonbdation for such dblique attemPts td tarnish
the reputation of his illustrious. adversary, and Übe:-
Tally declared, that he should be deeply grieved in-
deed if they were fodnd to have the slightest colour
of truth. Surely, then, we may , reasonably ex-
pea, now as death has put his seal upon this great
and disinterested Statesman, that Mr.• Fdit will
display the sane manly and honourable feelings,
and pay due homage to his memory. - The rest
'bf the Opposition may of course be expe&ed to imi-
tate the condua- of their Leader ; and we therefore..
trust that all party feelings will be sacrificed at the
shrine of liberality and justice, and the voice of Par-
liament echo the general expression of national ad-
iniration and regret.

It would be injustice to thefeelings of Englishmen
to suppose that they will not take a strong interest
in every thitig that relates to this illustrious States
Man, whose loss must be deeply felt by every friend
to civilized life. His friends were cheered by the
hope on Tuesday morning,' that his disprder had as-
turd.cl more favourable symptoms. The fever was
less, and the medical attendants seemed to entertain
some hopes of his recovery. At night, however,
eery unfavourable symptom returned with aug-
mented force. At length it was deemed necessary
to apprize him of his alarming state, and thenielan-
choly consequences that were soon likely to ensue.
The Bishop of Lincoln, the tutor and early friend
• of Mr.,PITT, was thought the most proper person to
perform this awful duty. As it was conceived that
it would be impossible for him to survive much
longer, the Bishop entered upon his melancholy
task. Mr. PITT heard the fatal tidings with his
tisual firmness, and it appeared that lie had fully
prepared his mind
.for, the event. He had -desired
that some papers shouldbe brought to hinr, to which
his signature was necessary, And after he had settled all
. .
worldly concerns, he desired to receive the
.Saerament
from-ft his venerable' friend, and it was accordingly
administered. In the most composed and' colle&ed
state he afterwards expressed to the Bishop his per-
fe& resignation to the will of Heaven, and his mind
bore up, under his nearly exhausted body, with such
Manly fortitude, that he entered into a conversation
on religious subje&s, speaking of himself with
Christian humility, though with philosophic firm-
ness---,a'firmness indeed that must rather be refer-
ted to that spirit of devotion which was always a
leading sentiment in his mind.—A long period, for
. such an awful crisis, was passed in the solemn duties
of Religion, and almost the last words he uttered
signified that he died in peace and good-will towards
all mankind.--=He bad received.no sustenance since
the Tuesday. His Will was made in a calm interval
between that and the following day.—He had signi-
fied a desire to write a few lines, but his exhausted
condition depriVed him of the power.,---The Earl of
CHATHAbI took leave of him on Wednesday, and
the interview was understood to be most tender and
affeCiionatej and particularly distressing to the former.
Lady HESTER STANHOPE),his niece, who had resided
With ' him some time, was the next that passed
through the same agonizing ceremony.—His last
moments were passed without a struggle; and he
left the world with a serenity that could only be the
tesult Of a consciousness that he had faithfully dis-
charged his duty in it, and thathe was resigning his,
spirit to the will of •a. beneficent Creator.—Thus
ended the life of that great man, which had been
so honourable to himself, and so useful to
Country.

Though we have previously stated the substance
and almost the words of the following article, yet
we think it proper to present it to our Readers, as it
comes from authority :

" As the public anxiety must naturally be much
excited on this occasion, we have made the necessary
• inquiries with Tespeti to the last moments of this
.truly Great Man, and it is with full AUTHORITY we
give the following statement : •

" Upon being informed by the Bishop of LINCOLN
of his precarious state, Mr. PITT instantly expressed
himself perfeetly resigned to the Divine Will, and
with the utmost composure, asked Sir WALTER FAR-
CLUHAR, who was present, how long he might expe&
to live. He then entered into a conversation. of some
length with the Bishop of LINCOLN upon religious
subjeets. He repeatedly declared, in the strongest
terms of humility, a sense of his own unworthi-
ness, and a firm reliance upon the mercy of Gop,
through the merits of CHRIST. After this the Bi.
shop of LINCOLN prayed by his bedside. for a consi-
derable time, and Mr. PITT appeared greatly com-
posed by these last duties of religion. Mr. PITT af-
terwards proCeeded to make some arrangements and
requests concerning his own private.atTairs, and de-
clared that he died in peace with all mankind."

Theillutchesses of BEDFORD and MANCHESTER did
the honours for the-Dutchess of GORDON on' Wed-
nesday night,as she was tor) deeply interested in Mr.
PLTT'S health to• leave her room.

NA VA L 117,.§

PoArs .io 2ix, JAN. 23.—8 y the BarZi/ta, N'S' IL
licyr Master, arrived this day at the Motherbank,
from Gibraltar, we learn,-that the Russian' Squadron,

of five Sail of the Live, a Frigate, and two Brigs,
which sailed from hence some weeks since, had all
arrived safe there the 24th ult. except the Argus,
one of the Brigs, which, during the passage, parted
from the Fleet, and sailed again on the 28th to the
Eastward.

Ori the 2gth the Gibraltar Fleet, consisting of 25
Vessels, sailed under'Convoy of L'Aimalle Frigate,
Caroline and Childers Sloops of War, one of which
(name unknown) was burnt, being in tligtiess. On
the 15th 'inst. Barzilla parted company in a
gale of wind about 120 leagues to the S.W. of the
Lizard.

The Enchantress Armed Defence Ship is appoint-
ed to take Convoy to the Westward and to Cork.

The Locust Gun-brig has dropped down to St.
Helen's.

The Nancy Cutter, Capt. CHILDE, has Carried
away her bow-sprit, and come into the Harbour.
Arrived the Chance Cutter, from a cruize.

DEAL, JAN.. 23.—Arrived the Howe Frigate from
Spithead ; and Merlin Sloop, with a Convoy, from
Lisbon.

The Archer Gun-brig yesterday captured the
French National Transport, No.' 4, going from Ca-
lais to i3oulogne, with 2000 staves for puncheons on
board. The Arc/wi has since sailed off Calais.

Put back the Perseverance, for the East Indies ;
Remittance, LAM!, for New-York`; Pitt, -, for
Jamaica; -and the rest of the outward-bound, which
sailed. under convoy-of the-Prospero bomb."' -

YARMOUTH, JAN. 23. - Arrived yesterday the
Majestic, Vice-Admiral RUSSELL; Stately and Prin-
cess _qf Orange. Considerable apprehensions-have
been entertained for the safety of.these Ships, as ,the
--'rest of thQFleet with which they, sailed' arrived! a
week since, and they have experienced:MOSt'dread-:
ful gales of wind;: they do not appears hocvever; to
have met with any material damage..

Co wEs, JAN. 23.—Arrived at the Motherbank
the Danish Hoy Elizabeth Maria, Capt. P. Cipts-
TIANSEN, from Cadiz, bound to Tonningen, laden
with wine, &c. ; the Brig Success, of London,
JONATHAN PIERSON master, from Gibraltar, bound
to Leith ; and the Brig Sally, Capt. SINCLAIR, frorn
Trieste, bound to Hull: the above Vessels came
hoine with about 25 Sail more, under convoy of
L'Aimable Frigate, most of which are safely arrived
at the Motherbank.

Yesterday morning PRINCESSES AUGUSTA,SOPHIA,
and AMELIA, with their .usual attendants, took a❑
airing on horseback, in Windsor Great Park,
.'HER MAJESTY and PRINCESSES took an airing to
Frog►nore.
. .

During the late violent gales, -the Brig. Sincerity,
lying in Milford harbour, broke from her moorings
.a few'days since, and carried away her bowsprit by
striking against the mainmast of the Brig Senhouse,
GEORGE WHITE; Master. The mainmast of the
S.enhouse went by board, and the vessel was also
much damaged.
_ _ _

The William and Mary, of Pwlhelly, JONES, is
totally lost in West Dale, near the mouth of Milford
Haven, and all hands perished. A very small part
of the cargo will be saved.
On Wednesday evening a fire broke out on board
a vessel lying in the harbcur of Yarmouth, laden with
brandy, which for a short time blazed very furious-,
ly, but was at length got under without any very
considerable damage..

On. Tuesday evening last a fire was discovered in;
a bed-room at the house of Dawson TURNER,' Esq.,
of Yarmouth, in which his only son, a child of about
five years of age, slept ; and although by the very
kind and prompt assistance of his friends, the fire
was very soon extinguished, yet we are concerned
to state, the child received so much injury, that he
survived,only a few hours.

Yesterday morning the Bake-house belonging to
Mr. HAWKINs, at Halfway-house, Portsea, caught
fire, which destroyed the: premises, together with
nearly 100 bags of bread.
iloMerry, who murdered his daughter, and after-
wards cut his own throat; as mentioned in a former
Paper, is since dead,- and the verdi& of the Coroner's
Inquest being felo de se, he was buried at the junc-
tion of four cross roads.

Last Tuesday night, or early on Wednesday morn-
in cr, the warehouse of Messrs. Potts,Cooke, and Potts,
o?Coleman-street, was broke open, and, robbed of a
large quantity of Spanish wool, rose wood, and
other property, to a large amount, with which the
thieves made their escape.
A few days since three young men were killed in
Dolwarth Mine, in Camborne, by the platform (on
which they were at work) in a shaft giving way,
which precipitated them to the bottom, and were
instantly burled by a quantity of earth falling
upon.,them. A number of men were immediAtely
employed in digging them out, and in the course of
48 hours they succeeded in finding them, but two of
then) were so mangled that the Coroner's Jury could
not view their' bodies. Fortunately they were young
men, and have left no families.

A yearling wether sheep, the property of Mr.
James 'Vat-Worth, of Troy, near Monmouth, was
• exhibited at the late Bath Agricultural Meeting,
which weighed 301. per quarter, and Qoilbs. of
rough fat, led solely on grass and hay, and had been
feeding only one year, being kept till Decernber,
t 803, in a store state. , It was allowed by judges to
be the best of its.age ever exhibited: