The Sun.
London, England, 1808-02-16 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL.

Air. A BERCROMBIE-movki, that au humble
Address be presented, to-his:Majesty, praying that
lle may be f'r'ost gracionslyvleased to order4hat there
lie laid before the Houso,:. Copies of the lif4tralions
that were sett out to the Harl of. St: Vincent,—karl
Rosslyn, and Gcrierai Sinicoe, in the year 14366;
,WhiLit they weft: off Illy Tagus, ,
After a few observalions from Mr. CANNIN9,•the
Motion was -carried nem . con. •` • •

Mr. Ar, sac noNritim next ,moved for .the produc-
tion of' MI the • official comtmanications bich were
made by. the Earls Rosslyn or Sr. 'Vincent, to the
Prince Regent of. Portugal, together with the An-
swersThercto. ;

Mr. CANNING tibtierved, that if the; Hon. Gen-
thimanhad communicated with him a: feW mihutes
rrevietta to his making the motion; ,heiwnald have
inforrhed him of , a- mode by which he WOLlici sin less
against public expediency, and at the szniie time attain
t objeit•Which he'appeared to have in view...As the
matter now stood; he was in duty bound to ,iippose
the motion: It the communication were th be now
made int he debate;'and afterwards :transplanted into
the Netyva perm; the i.e teas note Sovereign in Enrol)*
who would not hereafter 'etitrenelf.himself behind
etiquette, and refuse to,hold any direct cow:mince»
that with a British Minister. He Wag glad that
lied an opportunity of making a stand against the
practice of disclosing 'what iqtssed in ethifideinie
be-
tween a British Minister and a Foreign Prinde.
iitlr...-/DAM opposed the principle laid down by
t; e Right Hon., Secretary, and .expreased, his stir.
prise at hearing such (latrine first broached by:the
person, who, own fotmernighf, read in that Eiou6e
urrais of 'doentnents which beloogeti -w
and en far insulted the Constitution 'as to withhold
the:document,• which he had partially cr)tcd, irtim
Parliament : He should shoal), bring forward ,a
motion on this 'sabjeet, in order that .the Howe
;might be. convintled how it stood in this:respeot,
and where the boundaries ..of the CrAwn,were

_ .
N_,ll', CANNING suggested 'an amendment, by
which the instruaions to Lord Rosdyn, &e, and
an Account of their Expedition, would be, given,-
AO that the substance only of what passed at the
Curt of 'Lisbon would be obtained.--l'he Amend-
ment was then agreed to.
Upon Mr., AntnicaoSsatt's third Motion being
put, for obtaining Copies of the Order. of Recall of
Si. Viticknt, &c. and of the Dispatches contain.•
ing at') Aceouut of what passed at their audience or
L-avc, Mt. CANNING made an obje6tion to the
port of the Motion, also upon grounds of de-
lic:„te attention to etiquette, and the mischief that
m ipo iro4u publishing official comMunications
of :.!,at nature: _ _

Mr. Sli R111.41V hoped the Right Hon. 'Gentle-
man would not. confine himself narrowly-to the pro.
tilm, King or Emperor. Was oot,,the rank of
I,lrAt .."(Instd of France nearly equal to that of s Mo-
narch 1 And what
.were the communications olLord
Whitworth, when we thought fit tobreak ‘ith that
Vint Consul did they not contain detail, of priVete
conferences wlticli it Win tbonsla necessary toeolau
tronicate

YESTgatIAN Debates of considerable length and
importance took place in both Houses of Parliainent.
In the House of Lords the Orders in Council formed
the subject of discussion, and a Motion of Lord
Ati,clU.ANu, for referring to a Committee the Papers
laid before the House on the subject of the Regula-
tions respecting the Trade of 'Neutrals with France,
was negatived by
,a Majoyity.of 53. ;•

In the Hunse of Commons, Mr. T. GftexviLLE
made his peornised Motion for Papers respecting the
Expedition to Constantinople, which, with a few
e'Keoptions, were granted.

',Trion the arrival of Sir C. Co-yro ntT the Tagus,
Sir SIDNEY Smmt sailed for the Brazils, to take the
comntatid.pt the rtivOl I,l'oree in that quarter.

• I
,1 With such a Viva' ai ours. which has extleriertee'd no.
thing but rlecid.4 victory in every part of the world,. we
" are now to be told, tbitt.,we had oc,-..:sioit to be atr.ltd of
e:ig‘trem Skip belonging to a l'ower that'had nut ptahiscd
" naval' manceuvri-s for ho many years, and which wcrct to be
I. lent to the French who, &trice the battle of ratalgar.
" have swt been •able- to quit, their hathouts unless by.
" 5ic4411.7!.-IMoitooNo Coaotneit,e).

This is one .of the.many cluriptions to which the
Opposition have recourse, both, within and without
the House, to weaken, if puotible, the etfe6t which
the wise and vtorons Expedition to the Baltic has
prOduced on the public . mind, and to palliate Or ex-
cube the ck torpidity of their own hateful
Ad rninist ratiOn.

•
By. what fatality '4.11W :111e Party cannot taloa
•• • •,
a single step
.without'expoting eit,Ler their ill riiih
or their • imbecility;? Every document for which
they li I've elan4intred in either House, and which
bas to ep granteci with a 4cility, that seerns to Wye
equally mortified .and astonished •them, has turned
to:thvii utter confusion, and defeated-, •in every in-
'Aimee, the charge whic:i it :was eirPeaed to estd-
blisb 1 • •

;Nothing was so loudly and so pathetically dwelt
on,
.asthe:sofferings of the rransports on their re
turn from the Ball ca in'consequence of the want of
orders from Admiral GAMI3IIA ; and ,one Paper,
do. oted to the passions of a great Naval
Officer, has had the maligruiitsatisfaCtionof seeing
its Ataternents respecting " the wanton shipwreck"
of the German Troops, copied into the. Moniteur,
and, with kindred spirit, addressed to the feelings
of the Hanoverian N.ation! ! !

In an evil hour, the Opposition were, persuaded to
call for the Produaiou " 61 such Dire6tionsis were,
given to the Transports on their return," believing, as
itiShould seem, with the Paper in question, that none'
were issued ; and that a sensible blow might be thus,
given to (he Ministry, through the sides of Admiral
GAMBLER. The Directions, however, were, produc-
ed, and roupd to bOat once judicious, 'precise; and.
humane ; permitting the Fleet,. under adequate pro-,
teetion, to make for a variety of Ports, as ocCasion
might serve, or the season allow : and from that in-
stant• their partizans have p4lerred a sullen silence
on " the cruelty of 'condemning all the Ships to he
111 the exposed and, dangerous Roads of Yarnlbut 11.4
We bhall find an opportunity of sheaving that
Lil es failure lens taken place- on every occasion in
w'hich document have been deinanded with a view

„ „.. .
present we :must content ourselves witar 9Ait,og,l ie
paragraplt which-we have given av the head of' this
article.; am) whichjtideed, contains a:faithful suit-
;nary of :Ali that has been advanced by, thejeaders Of,;
Opposition ,on the great question whith,ll3B
lessly engrossed the timet•of both HotiVes% •
, • •
•.In stating the number of Ships' f'” of tvltich' we
•
were :afi-aid,"-at eighteen, there is a miserable at 7,.
tempt at 'fallbacy, vitieh we Were sorry to see pat in
pradice on a more serious occasion.. true„,
that we found but eighteen Sail of the Line afloat
at Copenhagen; but there were four huge Ships
.on the stocks, which would 'have been etni-
;Owed .by the' end of,: April, and. which we
properly destroyed, • and two seventy-fours in 2one
of the. Norwegian iNbielf a "navigation of
. a few hours would- have added to the rest. Thus,'
instead of eighteen, there would have been. twenty-
, four Sail of the Line "to be, afraid of; Whhont
counting sixteen. stout Frigates, noW'happilY in our
harbours, and smaller Vessels of War without num.,
. ,
ber. By some unaccountable depravity Of memory,
the latter force is always forgotten
,by the Ojiposi-,:
Lion Speakers, as ,well as Writers, who can recollect
nothing of all the Danish Navy hut eighteen rot.
ten hulks !" Indeed, kohl the ditferent tenni which
they make use of when treating of the " valnable
acquisitions" made by theyiench in Portugal, it'ap-
pears that they ,consider the three crazy wrecks in
the Tagus as a more formidable means of offence
than all that we have taken from Denmark!

But these'" object s of our tear," belong to ‘! i
Power that has not pratlised naval manceuvresfol.
eighteen years," and 'consequently can have no.sai-
iors fit for service.

,

When will the Opposition learn the value of con-
sistency ; spiders, as naturalists tell us, might make
silk if they could be persuaded *to live together ;
and certainly a weak argument might be made to
appear strong by uonfederacy. The Herculean 0b.,.
*quit, and which has been urged with the most in-
decent violende against the Expedition to Copenhagen)
is—that " by the unjust seizure -of a few rotten
hulks, we have alienated the minds of the Danes,
and forced an ABLE AND szttr,rtm body of Seamen.
into the service of France, which is anti enabled
to send .her Sh,ps to sea!" And it now appears, fretn
the Mouth-piece ,of the Party, which never speaks
but., by orders from ,Head-quarters,"that thosektive
and hardy Mariners, ,whose ability to injure us, was'
lately rung in a peal of terra through the Nation,.
are a lubberly set of fresh-water Sailers, , Who
" have not praelised a naval inanatuvre for eighteen
yyars ! ! !", To remark on the glaring inconsistency
of those statethents, which originate in a violent
-inclination 'to do . misclfef, without the requisite ta-
lents, would be to abuse the patience of our ReAdes.,
We trust that the admirers of such transcendant
surdity make all clue advantage of it.
" These ShiN.were to be lent to the French,
who since the Battle of Trafalgar have not been able.
to quit their Harbours, unless by stealth." ‘Thtfi'ls •
true ; and it seems au argument worthy of all, the
Talents, and perfealy consonant to their praCtice
while in otlice;' that becau'se the immortal NELSON'.
(whose natne we never
,prottotince but with mingled
sorrow and veneration) destroyed twcuty-throe Sail
of the Line at Trafalgar, the French ,should, there-
fore, be generously allowed to supply the defiCiency
in their Navy, by " borrowing " twenty-four ,
from Denmark !I! .

. .
Butwere twenty-four-Line of Battle Ships really all
that France' wanted " to borrow ?" In general,- hex:.
.loanS, or to speak more correeflY, her has
not been of a moderate kind, but, in every instance
which has come to ounknowledge, have Jitrigehod
to the utmost boUnds of possibility. Itt the vresen t
case, .she,had previonsly persUaded Russia
commodate". her with eighteen Sail oldie Line, and
twelve-Irrigates, solely, as that Magnanimous PoWer
confesses in as many words, the just purpose,
of enabling her; to conquer the Liberty of the Seas
These, added to the former, would haVe compotied-
a tolerable Fleet. of forty-two Sail of the•Litie, and-
twenty-eight .Frigates. BLit France had nut yet •
done with "borrowing".! On 'the opposite side
of. the Baltic' lay' twelve seventy-fours, and as
many Frigates, in most excellent eonditiop.-,
Of' all these, the French, with an -overwhelming
fort :e by Laiid and' Sea, would hate obtained "the
loan," and, perhaps, . of. no small' part of SWeden,
into-the bargain ! This deep laid and destructiye,
scheme, which nothing could have prevented but
the Lionel), AC.l.l*'itY of Government, would have
.
placed at the disposal bf. . our inveterate Enemy the.
most formidable Fleet of which France was ever
possessed, and in- a .situation themost favourable for
annoying ns which she ever enjoyed. The Baltic
hwernts*With Merchant Ships, which would have
beets converted into Transports, for the innumerable
hosts of French that. lined , its • Coasts, and
co;iVeyed to Scotland, or the North of Ireland,
v;lienever out Vessels (sUpposing that we Could have
spared sutticient to watch thein„) had been blots,n
itura their slation, by tutu twq hundred
,Sbir;.ol

r
have cx3E)-4crated in the slighteo degree, and
which we-.solemnly assure our Readers, we know
to 'laid' 'bee.tVqbeditdied, the Country haa been
Ireszued., ,by, the wisdotn''Of - Min liters,' in
the French, auct„geviously r‘ bor.,
tlieL,Oppositiowsbilapers express it;
NavY Of actin-lark; on ../Aich the exebu.
tion, 3kf i the whole rested. It is for this salu-
tary' energy). r Lich loran so, glorious .a• contrast to
the listlCtig; and 'pernicious stupor of their *mime-
diate_predeeessors, that they have, been reviled, the
Country fatigued, and. the business of the nation im-
peded by senseless'and never•endingclamours on po-
litical virtte, Whielt, as ,ari absira& priheitile, is Only'
fitted for a Chime for school-boys; andias main-
tained on onelide only,, leads directly to politica
displution .

it

GENERAL Ii HITELOCKk's 11.1114 L.

SIXTEENTH DAY.

YESTERDAY the exAloinatiOn: of Qapt. SQUIR4S,
of the artillery, : Major ROCHE.; ..the bearer. of
the Flag of. Truce, was
_concluded, avd :that of Mr.
BULLOCK, Deputy - Commissaly - General, com-
menced, which occupied the attention, of the Court
until it broke up. Mr. But.,Locx's evidence, whicll
was of a very interesting kind, was this mOrning re-
sumed.

i
. t

PORTSMOUTH, FRB. .15.—Arrived His Majesty's
Ship Avenger, with a convoy, Iron% the Downs.
Sailed His Majesty's Ship ll.yacinth., with Dis-
patches, for the Brazils ; and the Portmahon on a
cruize.—Also sailed from Lymington His Majesty's
Ship Pelter, with a Fleet for the Mediterranean: Se"
'vend Coasters bound for the Westward sailed with.,_
them.

• DEAL, FEB. 35.—Sailed through the Downs for
Portsmouth the Rolla, TnomrsoN; for Malta.
Arrived his Maje Sty's Ships Mutine, Royalist,
Pandora, Blazer, and the Furious, • from a cruize,
and remain in the Downs with the Ships as per last.

We are obliged topostpone till to-morrow, the
State Papers pteqeeted yesterday, by His Majesty's
Command, to both •Houses of Parliament,.viz. the
,Note from Mr. KIST; Charge d'Affaires from the
Court of Dentnarky relitiVe• to the,Order in Coun-
cil, of the 7th January, 1807, to Lord Howler.,
and his Lordship's Answer,
Last night we. received some further FACtraas from
the Frynch Papers, of wh ch the following are the
principal :
7 " AtOrt4RDAM, JAN. 93.—The Enghhh 'Bit. of
;,War the Spereler, of 20 guns and A 3 men, is wreck-,
og near Terschelling; 3(1 of the crew were saved ;
the rest were drowned. .

1/ COP lOWA GEN,iJA t 2.—Translations are mak-
ing, with all expedition, of the extreiwily curious
pieces of Miuisterial,Correspondence ,tmt ween. Den-
mark and Sweden. These will afforda striking proof
of then-means which the Englisn,Goraiernment have
oot been ashamed to employ to attain •their end.
d' CONSTA NTINOPLE, Dec. • :I 9 Persian
Officers charged with a particular Almission io the
French Ambassador, have embarked at rrebisoude,
to . pass the Black Sea, on their way. to Con.
stamitinopleh'
The Merchants trading to St, IDemin,vp, .and the.
Proprietors of .articles the produce. that. Is4ted,,
lately imporied into this country,' met, yester.:ay at
the City of. Landoll Tavern, when it as resolved
to-preseut.e.:Memorial to the ,Chancehor of this
Ptchequer, stating the ,great 4raardship.they,sustain
tit. consequence, of then new duty imposed rupee'
coffee, &c. and. prayißg that the..cargoes of all
Ugh • Vessels. as had obtained, the King's licence, to
import the =produceof St. Domingo should be ex 0111.14
fraimani „the new duty, as
.the coffee cannot, at this
ompultrant,. be sold tor.. its original cost, Should 'any
licences be hereafter. applied for,. now .that
tentions of Governmeut are known, the Merchants.,
agree.Amost eheertnily to pay the new. duty;upon all
importations made pursuant to such future olicences,
Committee was appointed to wait upon time CHAN.
II
CELLO of the EiCHEIWEIt with the Memorial this
day.
the in-
One of the Opposition Papers traffeEts to discredit
the report from, Guernsey respecting. the Fleet of,
large'Ships aepn op the 24th ult.. because ' he can-.„
not
,see Hhy a Dine should speak truth !"- Call y 0,4
this backing your friends ? " Wo. arc sure," add
the.. Writer, " that if, we were Danes„ we should
feel nu inclinatign to tae correct in our :inferma-
non !! !" Front the general habits at inaccuracy
apd decepraion which are so, visible in every .depart 7
meat of L ht, Paper in question, ("here cao he no possible
dpubt of the Wm itees invincible aptitude to mislead
still, however, we are somewhat surprised at the
simplicity of the coplession, ,for which, here appears
no immediate necessity.
. .
A charge has been exhibited by the friends of
young Lady in St. James's, agaiinica'Gentlturan at
turf celebrity„tar an attack and violation of her per-,
son, under peculiarly.. singular circumstances. Thp
offence was said to have been commit ted'at the house,
of this friend' of the accused, who has absented,him-
self.
~The yettog..4ady is in her torah year, and tho,
danghter,ol:o,Qpi4ent man. A 1,.v days will pro-.
bably bring, something further to ligin on the bu!•:..
siness.
. .

, .
PAMELA, the supprised daughterOf the late Dulte
of.()I and wile :of the late Lord Low ASD,
FITZGERALD, stated to have been tor same titres
past in this country, and to have effected her escape.
In the cartel which conveyed Prince tSTE.RIIAZY eiDd
other foreigners from Dover tp Calais on Friday latit.
BY a Vessel arrived in the River from Lisbon,
which place sheleft on the 26th-tilt. accounti have
been received that General .I.utiors army had licen
reinforced to 60,000 men—an expedient which was
rendered necessary.from the growing discontent and
hostility of the people towards their oppressois.

Di/U.)
Yesterday, at his house in Harley-street, ;►; the 1
yE3C
Of his age, Thomas Edwards Freeman, libg. or hattesioid,
in Gloucestershire,

• .
'LoNnom : Printed by R. liAxese of Martleott.csoouurtth,
.ItOw-strer), and published by W. A. Sce nits (f
MOttliclll•etreAti Itt 31111.001Gei 112 i. Std*