Star.
London, England, 1808-04-12 00:00:00

REVERSION BILL.

Mr. WHITBREAD took a view of the whole of the proceed-
irgs with respect to this Bill, and expressed his fears that the
House would have to regret the sacrifice of its consistency without
the assent of the other House. In consideration of the wishes of
some of his friends, he would not oppose the third reading. He
understood that a Noble Friend of his (Lord Porcbetter) meant
to propose, after that stage, some amendments, calculated to
bring back the Bill to its original form, and with these he would
coincide.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER explained his
conduct, in concerting with his Noble Colleague (Lord Hawke:-
bury) in the limitation proposed by him in the other House. He
thought it no dereliction of the unqualified assent he gave to the
original Bill in thii House, to agree afterwards to a modification,
tending to dilarsn the opposition be found made to it in the Lords.
MCM. A. TAYLOR was very severe on " the dark party
behind the 'Throne," and thought the Bill would not satisfy the
People.
A desultory conversation then ensued between Mr. Fuller, the
Secretary at War, Mr. Littleton, Mr. W. Smith, Mr. Willoughby,
Mr. Vyse, and Lord Porchcster.
The SPEAKER then put the question, that the Bill be read a
third time, when
Lord PORCHESTER rose, and, with a considerable degree of
animated argument, proposed an amendment, which went to
alter the preamble of the Bill, and make it more agreeable to the
feelings of the Public.
The Bill was then read a third time.

Lord PORCHF-STER expatiated at sane length on the impor-
tance of passing the broad principle of the Mil, without limitation,
which the House owed to its own dignity, ass 4 to the feelings of
the country, and concluded by proposing to omit the words—
" during the inquiry now pendingin the Hesse of Commons,"—
and also the word " suspend," in order to insert the word "p►o-
Aii:l.'

Mr. BANK' S again explained the principles by which he had
been actuated in this proceeding, which was, that since he could
not do all he wished, he wished to do all he could. While he de-
scribed this as the course that his judgment prescribed to him, he
by no means presumed to dictate to others. lf, contrary to his
expectation, this Bill should meet in the other House with the
fate of its redecessor, it would then be for the House of Com-
mons to avail themselves el the eoestitutional means in their

power for remedying the evil.
Mr. ROBINSON supported the Bill In its existing shape, and
opposed the Noble Lord's amendment.
Mr. TIERNEY supported the amendment.
Mr. STEPHEN opposed the amendment of the Noble Lord.
It bakianno means been yet proved that the abolition of the prac-
tiee tins offices in reversion wai injurious to the country,
and it appeared to him, at least a very questionable assertion, to
Contend that it was so. He deprecated the disunion between the
co-ordinate branehts of the Legbdature; and condemned la warm
terms the attempts that were making at sub a critical period as

thepresent, wises the Executive Government had but too non,
difficulties to contend with, to impels upon the prerogatives
Crown, and by that means to increase those difficulties in a tts.
fold degrce.
sir FRANCIS BURDETT sad Mr. WINDHAM now ob.
peered upon theirlegs, but the cry of Burdett Burdett ! 121,14
drowned every other, the worthy Baronet addressed the Hou46
follows :

" Me. Speaker—lf ever I heard an outrage upon this Hots, t
arising from want of temper in any Honourable Meister, I hate t
now beard it from the Honourable ..;entlemart who has jaw Ili I
down. I shall follow him through his arguments, however,wwe
out criticising his language—the irregularities in the latter I as,
scribe to the defect of his temper. The Honourable Gealmet;
has 11141110 himself in vapid declamation about the fe,,kh,,
likely to be produced in the country by the language beer IA
by Gentlemen on this side of the House ; but I muse ten te, Hes
nourable Gentleman, that this has as much to do with the gee►
lion before the House as it has with tho system of Lopridura
other abstract branches of science—IA t.e Hoetwi,_
able Member calls himself a Learned Gentleman because he a &
lawyer, yet he tells us that the Constitution is not to be Immo
from books. Ido consider then that he has forgotten, wpm
baps has never read, that Sir Hem y pine's, that h gh poodle
lawyer, in the reign of Charles the Firs, exprers'y gave it as hi,
opinion, that the King can have no prerogative which CU totem
to the mischief of hi' people, or to the continuance of an sloe
although the prerogative might, extend to every thing s& &&:
pressly prohibited by law. Now, if has bets sheen, bie;br&he
Commime of Pittance, that Reversionary Grants are a grew &&e,
and entail much mischief upon the people.—that they are contour
to every principle of the Con.stitution,and even to common sense-
is the House to be deterred from enforcing the etax,,,,m4heies;
of its Committee, or from executing the sacred trust repcmg &&
by the People ? 1 know, Sir, that in this, as in Meer nips. there
may exit a inalige Ant 'power behind the 'I bronea—sti men hest
that has stakbed the Constitution to the heart ; and will the
Honourable Gentleman still hare the perenatoptice to tan bp,/
a British House of Commons to extend the prertgatives of the
Throne ? Sir, we have seen all the nations of Purer slegued atie,
by ore ! Their melancholy examples ought totted us, that fitr
pottum and mercenary armies will not uphold the These—
( Bear ! hear ! lure !)—The experience of menthe, sight to
tcaett ui, that nothing but an armed arid satisfied People, eau
ing in the integrity of their Government, cm defend lingbeg
shall never cease in professing that my wish for Referta is ie,
creased by the dangers of the country. Is this a time to tee &,
of the pride and privileges of the House of Lords, and shall we
not tell them uf the insulted privileges of the Houseof Commit
( Hear hear !/—L agree with Ministers and their adherents,
in thinking this a futile and inefficient part of the great system of
Reform that ought to be pursued ; but though trifling, it Is &
commence. As to accommodating the words of the Bell to the
taste of the Lords, it reminds me of the story of Bottoms the
weaver, in one of Shakespeare's Comedies ; Bully Bottom waste
act the part of the Lion, and after having put on the Lioe's sake
he said, " Ladles and Geiitlemen, be not afraid, I'm no lion, but
only Bully Bottom ; and as for my roaring, I shall roar like any
Nightingale, that you may not be alarmed:. This is preciely the
shape in which this measure is to be accommodated to the House
of Lords—it affects to look big in their eyes, but is a mere hs!f
measure in the end. I shall therefore not vote for the Bill as wow
altered, because it compromises the dignity of the House. Bekre
I sit down I have.a word to say on the subject of the opposition
this Bill has met with in a certain quarter(Heor ! Leo r !)
Sir, the people are sorely grieved—they are tossing and tumbling
on a bed of sickness, and, unfortunately for us, they look to this
House for some relief. The opposition to this measure foe their
relief has come from persons who are largely paid for doiog oo
thing—(Hear ! hear !)—I would have them recollect, Sir, ths
the day may come, when, instead of Bills of Reversion, they sig
hear of Bills of Resumption—(Hear! hear.' Ater!/—Yes,
although we rnay despise the wisdom of our ancestors, it wits at
unusual to hear of such Bills in their times. A repetition of this
cry of Parliament would indeed be an unpleasant sound to the
. ears of those to whom I address this discourse—(lfeer Li f/
Once for all, Sir, 1 would have them to recollect that the
nous sound of Refund! Refund ! may yet prevail throughcetthe
Land—(Hear ! hear ! hear ! )
Mr. WINDHAM did not think that the meuureafabolhhisg
Reversio:ss would be so productive of advantage to the people se
some of its warmest advocates seemed to suppose. The assertion
of the Hon. Baronet, that it would be the commencement of sr
fortn,was to him no recommendation of it, knowing, as be did,
the dreadful dangers which might ensue from misguided attempts
at reformation, of which we bad had eullitient examples in a
neighbouring country. A 3 to the corruption that was so generally
asserted to exist among the higher orders, he contended that that
corruption existed in an eqnal degree In the lower, and that the
tree struckits roots as deep into the euthas it elevated iu branch"

into the air.
Mr. SHERIDAN could not be provoked to ray a word at m
late an hour, by any thing but the extraordinary positions whi.
he had just heard from his Hon. Friend. What! all corruption.'
the State was to be found only at the root I The people were the
root, and from the people then sprang up all corrupdon. He
must beg his Honourable Friend to recollect that he had mow.
sively represented such a variety of places. Whether the Count/
of Norfolk, Norwich, St. Mawe's, or High= Ferren,that even
a memory like his, and such a known acqoaintmee with the
Constitution of Parliament, could not well enable him to say it
what place he was really the Representative. His Right Hr..
Friend had chiefly insisted, that the root of catnip*. mato be
traced only to the people. He would contena klthe ray mars*
It was Government that was the seducer; the People the so.
duce& The present question would put it to the test; aid
his Hon. Friend's principles were to be adhered to, it wadi
only prove, that the drippings of the top of the tree were Out
the real cause of the blighting of the branches and the corrupt.a
of the root. Where root, branches, &c. were undermined, call
any fair fruit be after expected to blossom from such a meal
The notion was absurd.
Mr. WILLIAM SMITH wished to speak ; but the cry ci
question, question, rather overpowered him, and the Howells.
mediately proceeded to divide on the amendment--Ayes
Noes usu.—Adjourned at Half-past Four o'Clock.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

NAPLES, MARCH Is.
We learn from Tarento, that several small ships
of the line and frigates have appeared before that
port. They are supposed to be part, of the French
and Spanish squadrons which are cruising in these seas,
and which, we understand, sailed from Carthagena.

Ad. MILAN, MARCH 17.
Mr. Ad. ••r, the late English Ambassador at Vietuia.
arrived at riesto on the Bth instant. Two English
frigates u ere expected in that port, destined to eon.
vey to Malta the Ambassador and the other English
in the Austrian Straits. An English squadron of IS
sail continued to cruize in the Adriatic, and pre.
vented vessels from either going out or coming into
Trieste. It was feared that the English would seise
the first favourable opportunity of attacking the five
Russian ships of the line and frigates which were ill
that port.—According to the last intelligence fsre
Dalmatia, the English have occ}lpied the Isle of Le.
sins, on the coast of that province, in order to eb'
tain, as is supposed, the more easily, water and pgio
visions, and also a shelter in bad weather.
VIENNA, MARCH 12.
Two Couriers arrived here in the night between ds
7th and Bth instant, from Constantinople ; one WI
the Imperial Internancio, and the other from Gesp.
ral Sebastiani. 'l'be latter continued his route for
Paris.. It appears from the reports brought by tbese
Couriers, as well as from private letters, that the
Turks are preparin s
g for war with extraordinary zed'
vity, and that the Porte seems to wish to enter into
negociation with England. The Austrian troops
continue to advance towards the frontiers of Croatia
and Sclavonia, in order to draw a cordon along the
frontiers of European Turkey ; that is to say, on thou
of Austrian Dalmatia, Croatia, Sclavonia, the Sas
nat of Temeswar and Transylvania. General Due
will, it is said, command under the Count de Bel'
legarde.

Pr •
iace Su

fah-. ea
Thy
manner
ended g
va
hirn bel
K
thing, tl
The
me ?
That
drew k

r •

atanatp, MARCH 19.
NINS &mom At MOUT.
Sunday the 13th instant, such important
siete Sue
',e taken place, that the hurry in which I
efne pill
net allow me ,to arrange them in a proper
certain • • intelligence having been received •of
•
eler'
to Emperor of France coming here, it was asked on
King, and at the request of the Admi-
& Part ()
f the
as, prince reaFe), what was the object of his
Iley,and whither his troeps were directed to marcht
aawer was, that he came in a peaceable manner,
aa—raed of the nation, and to make a Prince
•pi,e King, with his natural simplicity, and
tsatisfaction, shewed this letter to the Ad-
el° b-a h-ebeine immediately aware of • the blow
°l:6dt who, him, prepared to make arrange-
to escape to Mexico, taking with him the King,
aelts
the succeeded in persuading to follow him, ap-,
...or him with what they had to fear from the ar-
-7...aci the
11`" Emperor and his troops ; and for this pur-
the Admiral took out of theßoyal Chest, 36. mil-
tv;seftiais. In the course of last month, he had sent
millions to Corunna, which were destined
trade sixty
elk den, where he has forty millions of dollars.—
oe Wednesday, he arrived in Madrid, and withdrew
co sod* M the evening, according to his usual
own, to Aranjuez. As soon as he arrived there,
oiled a meeting of the Council, in which the flight
of their hiajesties was discussed. The following day
cceday),early in the morning, the signatures of the
ersons were collected, and when
Ca-
tr;Prin'sturnciP4 Pcame, he said that he did not chuse to
.0 ear should he allow them to do what they intend.
represented to him in the most earnest
s'el 'The King
runner the danger in which they found themselves ;:
the general discontent of the people of Madrid, de.:
eanded his head, (as the Admiral had falsely made
• him believe). Cavallero said that there was ne such
Mil, that all was false, and that he had been deceived.
The King immediately answered—do they deceive
) Do they betray me ? Who is the traitor ?
me •
Tht is the yentleman, pointing to the Admiral, who
drew his sword. The Council immediately broke up.
• Theimeeipal party consisting of Cav eller°, the Prince,
•Ajtenere, Fernando Nunes, who they saw was woun-
ded, as were most of the Grandees. This happened
• atnightth : at the noise the Life Guards entered, and
among em the Halbert bearers, and soon of ter ads'
the mob.
The project, which was for some time only suspect.
se was ascertained by the orders given to, hein th I.ife e
Guards. On the following day (Monda)
• toning, the Life Guards tock post on the road of
canna. The Hall of the Council and the whole of
tee Palace presented a scene of popular tumult. Some
of the Guards cried out " Kill him!" others " Seize
km!" and some pointed the sword to his breast.
The Prince of Asturias clung to the Admiral, who
• Flacing himself between the troops with fixed bayou-
ea, fled to his house, or concealed himself in the
Palace, and the Queen to her apartment. On Wednes-
der, in the evening, a mail arrived, with an order for
C the ganison of Madfid to assemble and prepare to
march. At seven o'clock at night the bearers et these
ekes went to all the coffee-houses, and wherever
:her found officers or guards, directed them to join
their corps, and through the whole town the ear-
rages and horses were put into requisitio n. The
he
:els remained all day in their quarters, which
of them were en any account permitted to leave, and
much fermentation was observed among the people.
And it was a matter of joy to them to go to the
house of the Admiral, to see that he had no longer a
guard of hussars.
The Council of Castille met the same day, and
continued in deliberation from ten in the morning
until four in the afternoon, to answer the two ques-
tions of the King, whether he should leave the coun-
'l!, and whether lais people were disturbed ? to which
nestions the reply was, that he ought rot to leave the
stery, ;tor would they allow hint to do so. That the
rople were quiet and loved him, as he might himself
se, if he would come to • Madrid. This and the
thole of the preceding day, nothing but complaints,
clamours, and farewells, were heard in Aranjuez, e-
cause the King entertained the project cf departing,
until two in the afternoon, when a courier arrived
from Napoleon, assuring him that he came with pa-
t& intentions. This intelligence was immediately
promulgated, and the lamentations were converted into
shouts of joy, ccmgratulations, and embraces through
ut allAranjuez. The Patriarch returned home full of
joy, exclaiming, "nothing is the matter, every thing is"
lettled, go and make it public, let every one know.
At half past eleven o'clock the same day, five loaded
waggons passed through Aranjuez. Silva and Don
Vineent arrived and brought the news, and a courier j
dispatched by Cavallero brought it to Government,
with a charge to proclaim, as soon as it should reach
Belicias, " All is settled. I am the bearer of good
news, and of the orders for the troops to depart."
At midnight all the Kin's Guards, the Admiral's
Hussars, the Volunteers of` the State, and the Ca-
valry with loaded carbines and pistols, and the Ar-1
dicey with lighted matches were on duty.
Yesterday (Thursday) in the morning, the annexed
edict was posted, intended to undeceive and tranqui-
lize the people; but at the same time, it was well
known that the Admiral was neither apprehended nor
disgraced, as had been reported. On the contrary,
on the Tuesday the Royal Family breakfasted at his
house, and on the following day he was at the Palace,
which grieved every body, and the inhabitants of
Aranjuez continued much disturbed. Last night the
Admiral withdrew from the Palace, at l 1 o'clock,
and at one attempted to escape. The life-guards ob-
served it, approached, and having ascertained the
fact, fired a pistol, at which signal the rest of the
guards assembled, and a throng of people endea-
voured to force their way through the Admiral's hus-
sars, who surrounded his house. Some of the life-
surds were killed, and Don Diego Godoy (the
Admiral's brother), who was at the head of his regi-
meat of Spani'h guards, ordered them to fire, but
n-ne obeyed. He repeated the order, when the peoJ
Fix, and even his own soldiers, fell on him, fired at
hi.n,.i beat him, and tied his hands and feet, The
esturbatice became general, from a belief that the
Royal Family, who were in bed, intended to escape.
I ,!rtv Life Guards set off at full speed after the Ad- •
rseral, who had fled, and they succeeded in overtak;
ite- him, when they bound him, and took him to the
Pa'..ice at two o'clock— they came up with him at
Oauma. The Princess of Peace and her daughter
• tiey caused to alight, put them in a coach drawn by
t.v peasantry, who conducted them to the Palace and

delivc red them to the Prince. who came out to re-
ceive them with two candles in his hands.
This day, at eight o'clock in the morning, our
Royal Family appeared in the balcony of-the palace,
to thank the people. At twelve, two deco es were
',posted up in Madrid, one of which, address: d io the
President of the Council, is in substance as iolllws :
" The King, in order to undeceive your Lordship and the
Council, and that the Publiz. may be correctly informed of what
occurred last night, makes known, that in consequence of a dis-
turbance between some hussars and life-guards, some military
and peasants aisembled, induced by an erroneous belief that their
Majesties intended to leave the country, but their Majesties
neither think of leaving their country, nor have they ever thought
for a moment of withdrawing themselves from the bosom of
their beloved subjects ; that at live o'clock in the morning, every
thing was quiet in the palace, and he directs the President to
make it known, in order that the public may banish from their
minds all false reports," &c. &c.
The second Decree recommends the public to hold
good harmony and peace with the French troops, who
are to pass through the capital and its environs, on
their march to Cadiz.
This evening, the annexed Manuscript Decree was
published, which levelled the Grand Colossus. Such
is the general joy and satisfaction of the Public, that
1 doubt whether a General Peace would cause greater;
and we all publicly congratulate each other. The
Public look upon the French without fear, without
dread, and as their deliverers. The privates will be
received at their quarters, and the Officers at the
mansions and dwellings of the great. Order is recom-
mended.
will enter the city ; the
To-morrow, about 4,000
following day, the Imperial Guard; and on Monday,
Prince Murat. General report says, that the Em-
peror is detained by these occurrences, because letters
from Bayonne and Yrun say, that he arrived there
on the 12th, and others contradict it. La Manche
i 3 in a state of much confusion, and the people are
determined to prevent the departure of the Royal
Family the intelligence of which had reached that
province.