Star.
London, England, 1809-04-14 00:00:00

CHELSEA HOSPIT A L-COLONEL GORDON.

mittee of the House should be appointed to inspect I
the ground in question, or at least some means should
be resorted to for the purpose of ascertaining the value
of the ground disposed of, and the manner in Which
it had been disposed of ; for certain it was, that if it
had been disposed of in the manner he had been in-
formed it was, there could be no doubt whatever that
a great and serious abuse hut been committed,
Mr. ROSE professed his entire ignorauce of the
transaction alluded to.
Mr. LONG confirmed the statement of Mr. Hus-
kisson ; when

Sir CHARLES POLE t;nrested the pzopriety
of increasing the pay of the retired Officers on the
Marine List.

Mr. WELLESLEY POLE replied, that such a
matter was under the considLration of their Lord-
ships of the Admiralty, and mould, he believed, be
finally adopted.

IRISH SPIRIT DUTY BILL.
The House went into a Committee on the Irish
Spirit Duty Bill.
Mr. FOSTER obs.rved that when the dutSr should
be reduced so low as to meet the wishes of the Gen- '
tlemen on the other side of the House, the Irish dis.
tiller would have an advantage over the English dis • ;
tiller, as the latter was obliged to produce 21 gallons
of spirits from 200 weight of sugar, whereas the Irish
&sailer need only produce 18. It therefore followed,
t'uit the Irish spirits would be made stronger for the
same duty. Fie thought it but fair to take notice of
this circumstance, although he was ready to conform
the daty to the wishes of other Gentlemen.
Mr. BA RHAM said, that while there wws no spirit
intercourse between Great Britain and Ireland, there I
could be no advantage gained by one over the other. !
He wished much that the duty should be lowered in I
Ireland, in order to prevent illicit distilleries.
Mr. NIA RR YAT was of the same opinion.
Mr. FO'TER said, that it had been his intention
to reduce the ditties, in consequence of the sugges-
tions which had been made to him, from Ss. to
10d. a gallon. He should, however, keep himself/
unfettered until the next Report of the Committee,
which wer. then sitting. When that Report should
be presented, which would probably take place in less
than five weeks, he would still hold himself at liberty ;
to alter the present Bill, or bring in an entire new
ono, as it should then appear proper.
After some further conversation, the Bill went'
through the Committee, and was ordered to be re.
printed, with the amendment.

LOCAL MILITIA BILL..
The House then went into a Committee on the
Local Militia Bill.
Sir THOMAS TURTON spoke to the practical
inconvenioncies that were likely to result from the
constant continuance of the ballot.
Lord CASTLEREAGH could not see that any
clause of the bill would be productive of the incon-
venience alluded to by the Hon. Baronet. He ob-
served, that as many counties, not from negligence,
but from accidental circumstances, had no: been able
to complete their number, he would propose that the
old bounty should be continued till the lit of January
,next, imtead of the 10th of May, as before intended.
This would- give full time for the completion of the
quotas in every quarter, at the old bounty paid by
the public. This was agreed to.
RANK OF YEOMANRY OFFICERS.
Lord CASTLEREAGH proposed that the Yeo-
manry Cavalry Officers shoitld rank after the Local
Militia Officers, as those did after the. Regular Mi-
litia.

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT seeing a Noble Lend
in his place, expressed a wish to know from that No.
ble Lord, if shat he had heard with respect to the
disposal of the public property to an individual was
founded in fact. The circumstance he alluded to
was this--he had understood that a portion of the
ground belonging to Chelsea Hospital, lying along I
the bank of the River Thames, and particularly eat-
clamed fOr the air and exercise of the pensioners, had
been lately consigned over to the use and possession
of Colonel Gordon. He should forbear from com-
menting on the nature of such a statement, until he
learned from the Noide Lord whether it was true, or
how far it was so ? and, according to the answer he
should receive, he would be guided as to the nature
of the parliamentary proceeding he might then think
it advisable subsequently to adopt.
Loid CASTLEREAGH, observing that he was
particularly applied to by the Hon. Baronet, begged
leave to atsure him, that it was the first time he had
heard any thing of the circumstance alluded to, and
that therefore it was not in his power to give the
Honourable 13.;ronet any iafurmation whatever on the
sue:jeer.
Mr. HUSK; SSON admitted that what the Hon.
Baronet alluded to was not altogether unfounded in
fact. The state of tile grounds belonging to Chelsea
Hospital had been submitted to the Commissioners,
and it did appear that the Infirmary was inconveni-
ently situated. It was considered that it svoald prove
most advantageous to the interests of that Institution
to have the ground teat could n:)t be better disposed
of let out for building. Under these circumstances
it way, he believed, that Colonel Gordon had become
a holder el that part of the ground.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said, that he was glad
he had brought it betare the House, as it was evident
that the statement which had been made to him did
! appear to be founded in fact. It was clear that it
ought to be followed up by es,n-y possible inve itiga-
tiou. He thought it would be reciaisite ;bat a 5t...-07.1-

Sir THOMAS TURTON found fault with this
as injurious to the Yeomanry. The clause, however,
vas agreed to.
In answer to a question from Mr. MACLEOD,
Lord CASTLERE AGH said, that tie remaining
Volunteer Corps were to rank as before.
Upon the point of training, in some cases, beyond
the limits of the county, his Lordship said, that this
was proposed merely for the convenience of certain
cfsrps which might be at a great distance from their
own county towns. An amendment was accordingly
iltroduced, stating distinctly that men were not to be
removed to the adjacent counties unless on applica-
tion of the Lord Lieutenant, stating, that this would
be more conyenient for themselves.
Several new clauses of no particular importance
were added. After which the House resumed. Re-
port received, and ordered to be further considered
on Monday, and to be printed.
The other Orders of the day were then disposed of.
—Adjourned.

LONDON,

rRIDAY, APRII. 14.
PRICE OF STOCKSIITHIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK
Console, for money, 673—Ditto for May 6ala.
Omnium 1 pr.—Exchequer Bilk, Its. 13s. prt.z.
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY.
Bank Stock 2441 India Stock Itssl4} 181
3 per Cent. Red. 6711 India Bonds, I4s.
3 per Cent. Cons. Irish 5 per Cents. sri Li
4 per Cent. flttatf Escheq. 1 s.
5 per Cent. Navy 981 99 981 Lottery Tick,A,
Log Atm. 184 S-16 Consols for acc. titqf.f.

Sir F. KM DETT again rising,
The SPEAKER here suggested that there was, FRENCH FLEET.
then no question before the House, and asked the 1
. . . The reports respecting the combined squadron,
Hon. Baronet, whether it was his pleasure forthwith 1
to submit a motion to the House, or to give notice of ,the enemy, lately in Basque Roads, are various,
such a motion ? ' interesting at the present moment. •
Mr. HUSKISSON here rose; but the Speaker The Captain. of a vessel arrived at Plymouth 11
would not suffer him -o proceed, Charante, has sent letters to town, stating that
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT then said, that he i
..r•ench fleet from Brest, &c. after anchoring
would to-morrow submit to the House a motion on i
the subject. I Basque Roads, had, from the insecurity of its
za to CRRISTOPIIER RELY HUTCUINSON. tion, and the apparent preparations made by the
that ' tish Admiral for its destruction, weighed anchor
Mr. PARNELI. moved, pursuant to notice,
•
,
the name of Mr. Christopher Hely Hutchinson be ad- . proceeded to Rochefort through the Charante P.o
ded to the Committee on the Irish Drawbacks on
..This undertaking was commenced on the 4-th ins'.
Spirits Exported, &c.
and when the signal to unmoor was m 1,.?,.! by
The CHANCELLOR oldie EXCHEQUER op,
posed the motion, on the ground that the only reason French Admiral the utmost confusion ensued. T
assigned for add'ng the name of the Hon. Member offing was so narro.ved by the stntk•-• of a.: il:
was, that he represented the City of Cork. This rea- fleet, that the French had not sufficiett 52,..---,:nr,
son would apply equably to every Member in that •
naturally ran foul of each other in vaii..t.o: dir,H
House represeliting a mercantile interest.
Mr. C. H. HUTCHINSON had no personal mo. Not one ct them is stated to have got in with: tit
tivc in wishing to be on the Committee ; but that he ors damage. Some are said to have run ashore,
ware in danger of being totally lost ; others 11
could rtz.t well forego his claim without doing injustice
to the city he represented, which was in itself equal . •
mew guns overboard, and mostof them were clisant
to one third of the distillery interest in Ireland.—
and rendered unfit for scryice.
Leaving it to the House to determine his pretensions,
he should now leave it. The Honourable Member Our own letters from Plymouth Doclz, rco
then w.eldrew. I this morning, sate that the Betsey cutter has broi
Mr. Possoscv, Mr. P. Mooac, Lord H. PETTY, home accounts, that the British fleet was prep,
Mr. TIERNEY, and Lord A. HAMILTON were for ad-
ding the name of Mr. Hutchinson to the Committee ; to attack the French ; and our Plymouth letti-;•:
Ports, that the Betsey left our fleet bombarding
the CUANOELL',)R of the EXCIIEQUER and Mr. FOSTER P
were against it. Mr. Parnell's motion was, however, iof the enemy. The following are the letters to w.
agreed to without a division. I we allude :
Mr. WELLESLEY POLE pbtained leave to ,
bring in a Bill f r the more conveniently paying al7
lowances to persons on the Navy Compassionate List,
and also with respect to the Half Pay of Officers on
the Marine List.

" PLYMOUTH DOCK, APRIL

gi The Betsey cutter, which arrived her.: yest,
evening from Rochefort, reports that every prtr
tion was making for an immediate attack of
French Squadron in Basque Roads."

" PLYMOUTH, APRIL

4.‘ Last evening grrived the Betsey cutter, fro
Rochefort ; among the many reports in circu!
one is, that the British Sqt4dron were left
hurtling the French fleet in Basque Roads, bu,
we do not vouch for."

On these letters we have only to lenlark, tht
ther of them are inconsistent with the accoui,t
mitted by the Captain fro:n Ch: ratite ; fur it
be supposed that the British fleet would nct d
thing in its power to prevent the cnenly's rnovel

On this subject the following para;raphs app
Exeter papers :

" EXETER, APRIL

" A Naval Officer passed tlirGugh this 'city
o'clock this evening, in a chaise and four, expn
London. It Is said, he is the bearer of imp,
dispatches, no less than the destruction of the
fleet in Basque Roads."— (Trewman's Flying

" EXETER, APRIL 12, Half past seven,

" A Captain of the Royal Navy passed
through this city in a chaise and four, fron
mouth, with the utmost expedition for Lond
doubtedlythe be!,rer of some very important
gence, either from ;lumina Dt;cr.vvoai4l or A,
SropioßD's squadron, no particulars of whicl
communicated ; all that transpired was as fs;
" That he was the bearer of Good News, a
.Rasinc;i, and a very Hot one—and said that wi
prepare oar Bell-ropes for Ringing."
onL
"He changed horses at LA.ND'S L Io
and enquired the shortest possible time he could
town ? the answer was 21 hours, but, by' sei
horses forward he might gain two hours, he a
hoped to be there in nineteen hours." (IP
.Exeter and Plymouth Gazette.
We have thought it our duty to lay the above
meats before our Re:.ders, the various report!
culation having excited considerable interest;
is proper we should at the same time mentiol
our Falmouth letter of the 1 Ith mentions, tin
" American ship, supposed to be the Pacifi'
! " dispatches from New-York, had arrived
HOiling ; that the Consul's boat had gone off
" ship, and that a pest-chaise was in waiting
ceed with the bearer oldie dispatches for Loi
We call the attention of our Readers to this
stance, as the post-chaise alluded to in the
News-papers, way prove to have been the c,
mentioned ; though it is possible that :motile]
might also arrive at Falmouth atter the depai
the Mail.

SPAIN.

Since writing the above, we have learnt ti
vernment has received o cial advices iiom
containing intelligence highly satisfactory ;
a syllable of the contents had transpired w'
Paper was put to press.
On the other hand, we have to state,
Letiei:s in fie City from Lisbon coma
very unwelcome intelligence—the French ail
be in possession of Opoito, and the merchi
inhabitants of Lisbon are in the utmost conste
preparing once more to embark. The int
received at Lisbon respecting Caraionia is
distressing— the Patriots were flying in all di
and the French had obtained possession of
Ports.