The Sun.
London, England, 1808-01-13 00:00:00

THE. THEATRE.

,
• ' , COVENT-GARDE.
... . . . ~ .
The
,name of the dramatic, novelty brought for-
ward last night at this Theatre is The . Wanderer ;
:. ),•-
or, The Rights olHospitality. - ,).,
, _t . .
141AMATIS PERS*ONA;:'
- 4 -Prince4jOism und . - . Mr: C. mar. c.
Count Valdestan ' - - Mr. Porr. ' ' •
Count karre . - - - Mr: 1,3./t UN OR..
• .Colonel. Batter, - - I) LAN HARD. • .
Gustavus Adolphus - .. 0-4 Itor-tharmoti T •
16111. Say. • • • Mr. FAWCETT.
Countess Valdestein %. • . :Miss Smut'. •
Christina. - - . Miss NORTON.
The • scene lies, in an ;Island belonging to the
Crown of Poland. The piece maybe considered as
a free translation of a French Drama, founded noon
the attempt of the unfortunate issue. of the STUART
race, generally' styled the Pretender,. to reeover.for
his family the Crown' of Oreat Britain. The failure
of that attempt, and the extremndill6 which the
Prince was reduced, constitute',JlieSible the pre-
sent work, which is supposed to begia,:jzss after4js
defeat~ • The work before us isaitribtee3 o'the pen
of Mr. C,EtAttLp's•Kis amt.pc,cvlea, ,liiMve , we tin-
derstand, does. not absolutely.airovibistfliself as the
author. -The present Drama; it seems, when it was
first submitted to the Licenser, contained eiadly
the same eliaraders as constituted. the Dramatis
.:Personae. in the but was reje4ect on
. , that very ground. ' The English author having since.
".;31$Covereci a similar btury in the history of Poland,
Wisely transferred the scene of action to that court-
. - try, and converted his' charaders into natives of the
soil.. Sigis.muntl, driven by his distresses, flies to
the mansion Of Count.,Yis4dastrin; who happens to be
'''''abs'ent. The Countess, pitying the miseries of the
illustrious fugitive, affords him shelter, and, with
the. assistance 'of itamsey, an old Scotchruajs, and
.4 confidential servant; conttives a plan . for his es-'
. .. cape.. In this situation Count Spam arrives.in pur-
• suit of the Prince, having traced him to the Island.
Fortunately, he does nor know the Prince's person,
and therefore the Countess deceives Sparre„ with
the pretence that Sigismund is her husband.. Sigis-
.iiiind, in his attempt to escape, -islsreiherfted,pand
btiligecl to rettun to the Castle of Val,detei_rt, 'where
6 isexposed to new dangers of dis'eovery, as alone/
Raner and a party of soldiers have,arriy4 to aster
the pursuit. Having observed a Danish4A hover=
ing; hear the Island, for the purpose; aiiPffpposed,
of aiding. the escape of Sigzsmund, „Saner had
ecured a boat intended for that, purpose, and
ttationed . guards at every place. where a landing
Might be attempted. J,ust.• as- Sigismund, having
struggled over all, minor difficultip,..„ was about to
inakc a second attempt to escape froßLithp Castle,
Count Valdestein,- whom he had hitherto ile,rsonat7
'eel, arrives. It is lucky that his perion'4llols; un-
k nOWn to the pnrsuers of Sigismund, and' 'tlf4r4ore
soon perceiving the scheme which his..wile Ind de-
viied; and having had • his life ' pteser% ed by Sigis-
.. ~.
• *find, he determines to • assist her in maintaining
-The Rights of Hospitality aad effeding the escape
6f l'he Wanderer._ After some very ititeresting per-
fileXities; and traicli. ingenious eguivoque, the faith-
fig IlaniSeY brings lolortuation that the Prince is
safe on Ward. the Danish Fleet. Valdestein then
iltroWs off the Mask, testifies hii admiration of the
Ountek, for, the noble spirit of humanity which
'she had exerted in faveur of the unfortunate,' and
tied, Gusia.iiirsAdaphus, the son of the, lawful
onarch,..who bid visited the Island, is obliged to
icknov'vledge that, placed in a similar situation, be
patild' have thought it the great duty of benevolence ,
td have rescued an unhappy Prince from the..tlestrue•
tier' that awaited him. Tim graver, and the 'more
afteaingpl4iti of this'drarna,are somewhat relieved by
i's tender hi terenurse between Count Spat-re and Chisti-
lih UeiCe of Count l'aldestein, and the blunt 'humour of
the faithftal Ramsey, This tender ihterecVfle,„hziw-
eter;c9mingsoinewliatabrnptly,afteranalpwiita-
r.tion in which Si,gisnaund was ini.'olverl', excitek.4
ludicrous feeling
_in the,audience, which indeed:, vas
but momentary, and which wss the oriii,,all,4•l' Ise.
eniotioh 'in. the audience
.during; the wh4/4aure=
ientation. The fable. is, .an• the whole;., xmonte-
.•
resting, and many situations strongly ' arrest the
f.:;ellngs.• The seutinkents arc, in general,' animated.
and impressive; and the language' is corr6et And
elegant, without affeding round and harmoniaus pe-
tiods. `.che honest frankness ci(Volonel f3gi-o,.as
Well as that or old Bartse.y, agreeaLly &versifies the.
piece: _

I'he Play was in generat very Well acted.
,siffr.
C. .Ir, a it LE was excellent in Sigisinund. 1-*0
.V.A , qv;
dignity .to the:" little part of, Veildesi,ein-:-'—go.,:ift,
Sparre , bad a Very . reipeaable. ti,,presentltion,, (11V
BRUNTON, and F. w CaTT and. I.laAN'oWn/tri,,,fe(iifirecl.
ample justice to Ramsey and Bane?... ' ItAikeVi-r m-
deed acquitted himself admirably in his part, and
proVed, as he has done upon other occasions, that
he is capable of pathos, as. well as. of high comic
humour., Miss 4M. Lill merits high praise . for tiles
affetaing -manner in which she entered into the dis-
tresses of Sigismund, and her transitions into the'
expression of sentiments calculated to deceive his
enemies. The Play was .relieved by chorusses, and an.
incidental dance,as well as by a display of the soldiers`
traversing the Tsland in pursuit of the unfortunate
hero of the piece.—A very numerous audience' gave
a warm and decisive verditt in favour of the play,
When it was "announced for repetition this evening.
The Prologue, which took occasion from the
scene of attion to pay a tribute to the firtn and
he-
roic` character of the present King of SWEDEN, was
written by Mr. TAYLOR, and was delivered by Mr..
Banwrolv, with his .usual good sensc.—lhewttpi7
longue, consisting of a sprightly appeal to the 8041.114
in favour of the At..hor, was spolien'with spirit and'
gaiety by Miss Nowrou. 411:

ci tonin
Lieutenant FAIRNIAN accomplished his mat% Irsit
terday, by going twenty miles on the HariOw, road
in seven minutes less than three hours, the
.time
fixed for the fulfilment of the bet.
On Monday night, or early 'yesterday morning,
some housebreakers broke into the shop of Mr. Ri•
chardson, Button Manufacturer, in King-street, St.
James's, in a manner extremely curious, and which
must have been attended with cOnsiderable lab Our.

Mr. Richardson's house is divided by 'a tilffelAclis
, wall from:a tailor's stall 'in Tyler's,courfi,. atitfiTe
passage into the stall not being difficult; the tbieve.'s
broke away the wall,sufficient to admit a passage for
one of the thieves into the house, and they stiQ-'i
ceeded in carrying ott a very considerable bootyi,not
an article a Which has yet been traced. Not a night
pastes without a depredation of this sort being coins
mated in and about the same neighbourhood.

.411 L' L 1 C NP4 E S

CONGRESS-HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

WASIIINGTONy'DEd. 7.—A. Message, in writing;
was received from tho PreSident of the United
States, which the Speaker declared to be confiden-
tial. The galleries were accordingly cleared, and
the doors cloied, and remained so until the Hemet
adjourned. •

B.—As soon as the House assembled, the
doors were again closed, but were opened in about
half an hear..

NON-IMPORTATION ACT.

Mr. NEWTON said it would be recolithed by the
House, that on Monday next, the 14th, the law pro-
hibiting the importation of certain gOods, wares,
and, merchandize, would go into operation ; and it
was also known, that this law, in its present state,
was exttemely, deleFlive. For the purpose of pre-
venting the perplexities which might arise from these
deals, he offered the following trSOilltiOn :

Resolved, That the Committee of Commerce and Mann.
fattures be instructed to inquire whether any, and if any,
what, `alterations are necessary to be made in the Ad bearing
date the 18th day of April, tgoii, prohibiting the importation
of certain goods, wares, and merchandize ; ith the powesi to
report by Bill. or otherwise. He s lid, it was the duty of all
Governments to prevent liti;;ation
.and to amend any ..of
their law 3 which were tound to give rise to it.

The Resolution as agreed to—ayes 84.
The Hduse went into a Committee of the whole
on the Bill from the Senate, making an appropria-.
tion of 850,000 dollars for the building of 188 ad-
ditional Gun-boats. .•,
Mr. MiLNER movedtO strike out the words' eighty.
eight: He thought a less number of Gun-boats,
in addition to those we already had, would be
quite sufficient. He said, that the aggressions com-
mitted on our.commerce could not have been pre-
vented by any nuMber of Gunboats. A few Fri-
gates would better e4able us to avenge the insults
offered us. He was no friend to a large navy; but
be thought that a few Ships would be of great itn.
poitance to this.country.
This Motion' occasioned considerable debate. It
was opposed by Messrs. Burwell, Crowninshield,
and Blount, and advocated by Mr. Milner; when
the ques'tion.was taken, and the amendment was
The, Bill was, then agreed to without amend-
ment.

The same Committee, of the whole proceeded to
consider the Bill making fOrther provision for the
proteetion of oui: Ports and Harbours, and tOr
building Gun-boats. Considerable debate also took
Place on this Bill ; but before it W3S pile through,
a Motion was made, that the Qommittee of the
whole rise, report progress, and ask leave to sit
again.—This Motion was agreed to.
The Committee of the whole then rose, reported
progress, and obtained leave to sit again.
Mr. BLOUNT immediately moved, that the House
again resolve itself into a Committee of the whole on
the same Bills.

This motion was agreed to; and the lionce no
&gain* went into a Committee of the whole on
the same tobjed. .

_
Another motion was soon after mad and carried,
that the Committee of the whole again report'
progress, and ask leave to sit. again. . •
Mr. DANA offered the following Resolution :

• Resolved, That it is expedient to 'provide for regulating
the conch 8, of such Merchant Vesstils,. as, by .agrteinent -of
the resin lain owners, may sail' in Concert for mutual as,i4-
slice and cctence in any lawful ; and also for set-
tling, acct rding to the course of. proceeding in Courts:of Ad..
the respective rates of contribution to be Matte be-
tween them on account of.any loss or damage Which nzay be
thereby incurred.. .. .
Mr. CROWNINSHIELD Wis Opposed to going into
any regulation on the subjea. Were we willing,
he asked, to allow our Merchant Vessels ta arm
them Selves.,, and go in
.a
.body, While we were in. a
state, of neutrality? Ot; Were. we ,prepared to deny.
the right of search of r+lereramt Vessels for contra-
,baud goods ?' Although, he said, we might be'
ohliged'to have recourse .to the mode pointed out in
the negotiation, cter, at the present time, it would be
improper to adopt it.
Mr.s.ak-Nit 'said that it was not the objeet' of the
11,solution to change the situation of'Opr at airs
with regard to foreign nations : it was `Merely in-
tended as a permanent national regulation: We
had laws,' he said, regulating the distribution of
:prize- tnoney, and the .amount of salvage in cases of
.re-capture; these were permanent laws; and yet •
they only operated in time of war. If, after discus-.
sion,• the House should conceive that it was impro-
per to adopt the principle contained in the Resultl4,
tion, might be rejected.

The Resonation was a4reed to, and made the or-
der of the day for Monday next.

Mr.' Nawrort, from the. Committee of Com-
merce and MatmfaCtures, presented " A bill Sup-
plementary to the Act prohibiting the^ importation of
certain goods, wares, and tnerchandize )" which was
made the order of the day for Thursday next—and
thin the. House adjo'ured (four o'clock).

.DEC. Bone, from the Committee of
Public Lands, preiented " A Bill making ftyther.
.provisionfor the sale of the set ions of lands here-
tofore reservc:.i for the future disposition of Con-
gre.ss." Referred to a Committee of the whole. On
Monday.
_ _

The House proceeded to consider the Beport of
the Conyittee of the whOle. yesterday, on the
Bill from the Seuatq making appropriations for
building 188 , additional Gqn-boats. Considerable
'ebate arose on. agreeing to said Bill, occasioned by a
motion to strike out the words " 188 Gun=boats,'
and insert' " 124 Gun-boats, and 4 Frigates of 44
i;•
_guns each." The questioh was taken on the amend.
nient, and it Was lost, ayes 10. • The Bill was then
ordered to be read a third time'lo-Morrow.

The Honse . then adjourned at balf-past, two
o'clock.

NEW.YORK; U.

Sr. BARTHOLOMEW*94-6•Clipt. BURRIEVL, Wliq 3r.
rived,, yesterday, in 23 days from Point-Petra
(Guadeloupe) informs, that an embargo was laid on
at that port for eight days previous to his sailing,
owing to an Expedidott that was fitting out at Point-
Tetre, consisting of the Brig General Ernerif, and
a large Cutter, both Trench Privateers, carry-
-114 upwards of 300 men. This Expedition was
planued against St. Bartholomew's, and was Com-
pletely successful. The fort was surprised and car-
ried at midnight; an American Brig and Schooner
lying there, both belonging to Baltimore, were
coptured; they were .uutlar Swedish flags, and

103 Jed- with coffee frinn St. botningri. „ The &Op-
!
I dition returned to i"oint-Pette Oti the
.19th of No
vember with their prizes and 80400ibs. coffee,
Liken from the store of Mr. ----, agent for the
Americans engaged in that' tragic.. :The intelli-
gence that thte rich cargoes were at St. Bartholo-
mew's,- which tempted to the Espcdition, is sup-
posed to have been cominuiticated ,by a'
merchant at St. Bartholomew's,. who ba; done a
vast deal of American businesS, and had a great share
of their'contidence, bin became disaffeaed in conse-.
quence of another Agent having been sent out.--.-,
• - however, is only given as a suspicion.
Several large West Indiatnen have been captured
by 'French Privateers,. and brought tá Point-Petre,-
with coffee, sugar, and cotton, from Demerara and
Surinam. Markets at Point-Petre for American
commodities, very dull, and payment hi bad sugar
and high price.
Dsc. 12.—1 t. is rumoured this morning that Gen.
Tuna EAU, the Minister of France, has detnan4ed that
the Government of the United States shall shut
their Ports against the British. Whether this ru-i
moor is well founded (and the prediaions,of vassal-
age thereby verified), a very short time will furnish a
fUll'explanation. If any Government has dared to
insult our country by such a demand,. is there an
independent or rational man in the United States,
that can hesitate, for one Instant, to say how it
should be answered ?—(Pol. Beg.)
New YORK, DEC. 14.—The United States
Schooner Revenge, Capt, REED, arrived At this port
on Saturday evening, in 26 days, frotn Cherbourg.
Capt. REED is the Csarer of very ImpOrtant dispatches
from France for our Government, He left.this city
yesterday morning,-for Washington. Capt. REED
informs, there is every prospeet of the existing dif-
ferences between this country and Great Britain be-
ing amicably settled; and also that BUONAPARTZ
has declared, that there shall no longed be .ANY
NEURTRALS ; and that if this country should.send a
Minister to the Court of Sr. James's, after acertain
period, he would consider it as a declaration of war.
This account corroborates the report that-Tort-
BEAU had demanded Of. our Government to shut its
Ports against Great Britain.
The Aft prohibiting the Importation from Great
Britain, of certain goods, wares, and merchandise,
goes into. operation this day.
ExtraCt of a Letter from a Friend now at Washing-
. ton, to the Edit-ar of the Freeman's Journal, dated
Dec. 8, 1807.,

" The House of Representative were yesterday
several hours in conclave,' on , a Message from the
President, understood out: of doors to relate to
our affairs with Great Britain. Nothing is suf-
fered to transpire ; but it is believed that there
is no ground for new alarm. I know at least
one Member, who had firmed an opinion be-
tore the dispatches came, to..band, that as mat-
ters now stood, if we should have war, it would
be our own fault ; and I am happy to : assure
you, that his opinion, instead of being weaken-
ed by the dispatches, has been, completely con,
firmed." •

A Letter from Washington, received on Thursday.
inomilig, states, that a private conversation, which
tasted seven hours, has been held betwten the
Seerelary. of State and Mr. ERSKI the British
Minister, ‘,vbereon a communication; was made Eby,
the President to the Congress, which oceasiOnetl
their deliberations with' elitsed doors on Mouthy
last—the result of which had not transpired. at Oct
date of our last advises troth Washington..;—(Poi.
Reg.) •
PHILADELPHIA., DEC. I.e.—Vbre have been favour-
ed with an extroa of a Letter front 'Batavia, dated
July.9s, IHO7, to a Gentlean in this.city, stating;
than dispatches had been 'received by the Govern-
men-t of Batavia ifrom Ternar; of a large H :et of
Sixty Sail of British Men. of War, and .Tran6ports,
with 20,000 land' forces on board, having passed by,
supposed to be intended. apiost the Manillas. The
Fleet was lifted out at Bengal and Calcutta.

BRITISH REPIEIP.

LIVES OF RRITISH.STATESMEN,

BY J. MACMARMID.

SO large a proportion of the Publications of the
present day consist of mere coMpilation; that the
Author-of an •orignal work has,a. decided -claim on
the public attention.4The Work above-mentioned
has _recently issued from the Press, and appears to
us to supply very successfully an. acknowledged de-
sideratum in English Literature. Of the different
Lives contained in it, ,;our attention has been most,
strongly attraaed.by that nf Wentworth. .We pre-
sent our Readers with an Extra& relative to circum-
stances not generally known, and which occurred
in 1635, 'sorne'years after Wentworth had been
made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland by Charles I.
" Elated with the unexampled success of
measures, 'Wentworth justly boasted in..hi; dis-
patches, of the important services which he had ren-
dered to the Crown. He spoke of vexatious em-
barrassments succeeded by an ample revenue ;, of
importunate demands superseded by an unlimitted
prerogative. He declared that if his Majesty was
hereafter disappointed of any reasonable desire in
Ireland, it might justly be laid to the charge of the
Deputy : for now,' said he, the king is as abso-
lute here as any prince in the whole world can be.'
" The vast and gratifying acquisitions, which he
had so rapidly made for the Crown, emboldened
Wentworth to aspire to some of the Sovereign's re-
wards. An Earldom had, in his eyes,. peculiar
charms t and, as he had little reason to.expedt a
refusal where titles had been so freely distributed,a
he ventured to express his desire to the king. He
intimated that this distin6tion, while it added digni-
ty.to his person, would greatly•assist his future use-
feiness:, _by affording an unequivocal proof of his.
• Majesty's approbation and favour. But Charles was
by no means se Well inclined togrant this request as
the suitor expected. He hadindeed been very lavish
in his commendations of the Deputy, and must have
. been sensible of the important services which he
had rendered. But Wentworth was no longer to
be gained over : wholly disjoined from the Opposi-
_lion, he was now irrevocably devoted to the Court ;
and while he extended the regal power in Ireland,
he also gratified his own ambition. It was true that
the Deputy had conferred on the. Crown benefits
which even exceeded expectation : but his admini-
,,tretion was only begun,; still greater cervices wars

to- be expeaed ii.tim him : and it might hot ba ;In-
poiitic for-tii Stiverei4u to -:etain iti his,liancis 'au
incentive; which aprieareki so alluring, to roe ambi.
tion—of-his Mitii,te;', ,

rt, lhere Were yet. ot her re:-..:0n s for rcceivillg the
.5
appli, wilt, or Wentworth with coldness. , Tnrc,-ngll
eiAlliifiAszinig faeility Charles often earned from
liii:Courtierr the praise of lib, ality, 17,7 grantsei-
tremely prejudicial to. his ailairs ; and tlniugh era-
scious of his imprulence, yet l,e wanted resoln!too
to repress their impOttunizy by flat denials. Froth
.the unbouncied coinpl,;vani..o of Wentworth to the
Sovereign, and ins hanghtine,s to the stO.i-
jeat, Charles was led LO eveat that the Deputy
might be induced to aa an intermediate part be-
t Ween-the and his courtiers, leave all the merit
of cogossion.to-hiS Majesty, and take upon him-
self thci :whole 9ditam of denial. In recoMmencling
to Wetter:hien some grants on the Irish Establish-
mentl Charles desired Wentworth to concede or re.:
fuse thost,.;as. the good of the ,Service, required ;
yet, so too,'-added he, as I 'may have thanks
howsoever ; that if there be any thing to be denied
you may do-it, not I: This ungracious oti-iee, re-
peatedly urged. with more earnestness than delicacy,
Wentworth undertook with the most loyal devo-
tion ; and having also voluntarily stood forward ,c 6
refuse the noxious graces, he had accumulated upon
himself a load of displeasure, both from the English
courtiers and the Irish people. But however accept-
able this service, Charles was aware that, by con-
ferring upon this Minister any marked distillation, Lie
would seem to approve every part of his conduct;
his imperious speeches, his harsh refusals, and thus
draw upon himself a portion of that odium he was so
solicitous to, avoid. His reply to Wentworth's kJ-
plication obscurely intimated these sentiments. Ho
thanked him for taking ...pon himself the reftisal of
the graces 'he assured him he was not displeased
at his request, since noble minds are always accom-
panied with lawful ambitions : but he, hoped that
he would patiently wait the time of favour, and allovi-
hinato doill things in his own manner. .

cr Tlit 'refusal ill corresponded with the estimate
whichlVdiftorth-had formed of his deserts; Whiie
he subtnissbrely:thanked the king for his gracioni
reply, he could riot refrain from expressing h;i cha-
grin in a letter to Lord Cottiogton, his colletTae in
administration. His application fur the. Earldom w't
indeed a secret lodged in his own biiiist'; but he
dwelt upon his expeNces, his difficulties, his net.
of the royal proteaion and cOuntenance. Yet I
am resolved;4artdAte,' to complain of optling. I
harts beecupprthing nnprOSperous, slowly heart
and coldlranswered.',"
ziliatUY