Star.
London, England, 1814-03-24 00:00:00

BRITISH tiIIIPPING.

Mr.WALLACE moved that there should be laid
before the House an%iccount of the number and ton-
nage of Ships built in the ports of London, Bristol,
and Liverpool, since the Pith of his present Majesty.
The Dover Insolvent Debtors' Bill was read a
second time, and ordered to be committed to-
morrow.
Mr. GRANT'S Indemnity Bill went through a Com-
mittee, the report was received. and the Bill read a.
third time and passed.—Adjourned. •

EAST-INDIA HOUSE.
A Quarterly General Court was holden yesterday
at the East-India House. The minutes. of the pre-
ceding Court were read, and several documents pre-
sented by the Chairman, among which was one rela-
tive to the Pensions on the Establishment—when the
Chairman stated, that the pension granted to Mr.
Hastings was not included, because it had expired.
He added, that it was the unanimous opinion, how-
ever, of the Court of Directors that it should be re-
granted to that venerable and respectable gentleman,
in which they hoped to have the concurrence of the
General Court—(Near, 7sear.) With respect to Pen-
sions in general, it was the intention of the Direttors
toi submit, at an early period, various particulars to
the Court of Proprietors.
A ballot was appolated for Thursday the Bth of
April, upon the request of Lord H. W. Stuart, to
termine whether his Lordship should return to India.
• QUALIFIED PRoPRIETORS.

Mr. R. JACKSON rose to submit his motion to the
Court, respecting the eligibility of Proprietors to sit
on Committees, who were not qualified to vote or
ballot, and of taking part in the debates under simi-
lar disqualifications. He began by impressing upon
the Court the difference between a privilege enjoyed
from courtesy, and one which was in‘isted upon as
a right, and contended that the claim set up by
those Proprietors, who were not qualified to vot,e, of
participating in the discussions of that Court, had nn
other origin than that of courtesy. If, however, that
courtesy was to be transformed into a right, the
greatest dangers and inconveniences would ensue.
The Learned Gentleman, after some general preli-
minary observations, proceeded to observe, that it,
WAS not until the sth of William 111. in what was
called the Great Charter, that :►ny thing like a quali-
fication was specified ; and therein it wasstated that no
person who was not duly qualified should have either
.g vote or yoke" in the proceedings of the Cou. t.
The qualification required was .ICIOOO stock ; and the
same Act set forth, that the Dire. tors, in calling
Quarterly Courts, should call such only as were quili-
fied to vote therein. That enactment, he contended,
remained still in force, as it had never been repealed
lby any subsequent Act. He was aware that much
might be said upon the advantage of allowing men
possessing ability and science, to speak in that Court,
though not qualified to vote upon any question ; but
he was also aware that such a privilege had ot :en been
ahlised. By the Charter of the 6th William and Mar) ,
every Proprietor, before he voted, m►ght be required
to take his oath that the stock he held was for himself,
and not in trust for any other person; and this law
also was still in force. The said Charter further stated,
that every Proprietor refusing or neglecting to take
such oath, not only should not vote on any question,
but should not even be admitted into the General
Court. By the 10th William 111. the qualification
was reduced from £lOOO to £5OO, because, as stated
in the Act, many persons were excluded, to the
prejudice of the general interests of the Company,
as the votes were thus thrown into a few hands
only. Many evils, however. resulted from this new
arrangement. Collusive transfers, jobbing, &c. took
place to a considerable extent ; and, to use the
language of a Learned Friend of his, individuals
who were Non-Proprietors at ten o'clock in the
morning, became Proprietors at twelve, for the pur.
pose, perhaps, of carrying some particular question,
and were Non-Proprietors again at six o'clock in the
evening. To remedy these proceedings, an Act was
passed in 1767, requiring new qualifications, by which
no person was entitled to vote who did not hold one
thousand pounds stock, and had possessed that stock
for twelve months. From these specific enactments,
all of which still remained in force, he apprehended
he had made out a sufficiently clear case, as to, the
qualifications of Proprietors in voting, and the ab-
surdity of allowing those to speak in th 6. debates
who were not entitled afterwards to vote upon the
question in debate, was evident. Mr. Jackson then
concluded by moving two Resolutions: the first, that
no person should be admitted to sit in a Committee
of Proprietors, who was not qualified to vote in a
General Court ; this Resolution, if adopted, to be a
bye-law : and, secondly, that no person should be
allowed to take any part in their discussions who was
not entitled to vote or ballot.

The CHAIRMAN informed the Court, that in antici-
pation of the question then before them, he had ap-
plied, not only to their own Counsel, but to the Soli-
, citor and Attorney-General, as to the power pos-
sessed by that Court of making such bye-laws as were
now proposed. If they wished, the opinion of those
eminent legal characters should be read to them.—
This was accordingly done, and the substance of the
opinion was, that though the Court had a free power
in appointing Committees, they being of its own
creation altogether, yet it had no power to take away
a right once vested by Act of Parliament in the Pro.
prietors. Such a right they conceived the one claim-
ed by the holders of 4500 stock,- of partaking in the
discussions, to be ; and therefore any bye-law, abro.
gating that right, would be null and void.
Mr. Jacicsox said, that as his first proposition was
conceded by the law authorities, whose opinion had
just been read, he should certainly press that, and
withdraw the second, which they contended could
not be adopted by any General Court. It would cer-
tainly be gaining something to prevent disqualified
persons from sitting on Committees.
Mr. PLUSIMEB vindicated himself, as one of those
alluded to in the late Commit ee, who was disquali-
fied for sitting in it, and moved as an amendment,
that the further consideration► of the question should
be adjourned rine die.
A long and desultory discussion now took place,
upon, whether Mr. Jackson's propositions compre-
hended one motion or two, and whether, therefore,
they should be put separately or together ? After
much talking, and the Amendment being pressed,
that was at length put and carried, as appeared upon
a division, by a majority of eight, there being 33 for,
it, and 25 against it.
Mr. Htnaz then rose to make hie motion upon en.
acting a Ilye-lasv, requiring that not less than sixty-
four qualified Proprietors should be present at the,
voting of any sums of money ; but the Chairman
stated, that the same legal authorities had been con-
sulted upon this question also, and their opinion
(which was read) was, that if such a Bye-law were
passed, it would be null and void. Mr. Hume, of
course, did not make his motion, and the Court then
adjourned.

FREW!! PAPERS.

TARBES, MARCH M.

The Duke of Dalmatia has just addressed to
army a Proclamation, full of energy. We extract
the following passages :

SOLDIERS !—You are called to new combats :

Ihfre flI 'b• no repose for us, whether we be the
assailants or the assailed, till this hostile army, form.
•ed.of suck extraordinary elements, shall ,be annihi-
lated, or till it shall have evacuated the territory of
the empire. NN, hatever be its numerical superiority,
and whatever progress it may make, it does no; suspect
the dangers which surround it, nor the perils whisk
await it, but time will teach it, as well as thc. General
who commands it, that it is not with impurity tht
parts of our territory are invaded ; that it is not With
impunity that the french honour is insulted.
" Soldiers !—The General mho commands the
army against which we combat ceety day, has had
the audacity to invite you, and to invite your coup.
trymen to revolt and sedition. He speaks of peace,
and the fire-brand; of discord are in bis train
He speaks of peace, and he invites the French tc
civil war. Thanks then be given him, for having
thus made tts acquainted with, hi-. projectfr '—
From this moment our forces are menaced a hundrzd
fold ; and from this mnment he himself rallies rotted
tEe Imperial Eagles, those who, seduced by decci!fel,
appearances, had been able to believe that he nvdr.
,war in an honourable manner.

" He has dared to insult the rational honow ; hr
has had the baseness to excite the French to'betray
their oaths, and to be guilty of perjury toriar„s thtit
Emperor; this offence cannot be avenged but in blood
cs To arms !—Let this cry resour,d thte.;gl, the
whole South of France. There is not a single /French.
man who has not ter revenge himself, or he abjures
his country, and from this moment he ought to he
redioned among the number of the enemy. Fit a
few days, and those who have been capable of be.
lieving in the sincerity and delicacy of the line*
will learn to their cost, that their artful proini.:es had.
no other object than to enervate their courage, and
to subjugate them : they will call to miud these
ianimous beings, who calculate the sacrifices they
must make to save their country; that the English
have no other object in this war than to 4estroy
France by itself, to reduce the French to servitude,
like the Portuguese, the Sicilians, and all the ether
people who groan under their yoke.

66 The history of the past will offer itself to the re-
membrance of these Anti-Frenchmen, who prefer
transitory enjoyments to the safety 4 the great ft
mily, and they will see the English cause Frenchmen.
to be butchered at Quiberon by the hands of French.
men ; they will see the English at the head of e•:!ry.
conspiracy, of the overthrow of all principles, of tat
destruction. of all the establishments of greatness
industry, to gratify their inordinate ambition and
their ins4tiable avidity. Does there esist on the
face of the globe a single point known to the English
where they have not caused to be destroyed, L'y 'se.
duction or by violence, the manufactories, the pro-
ductions of which eclipsed their own ? Such would be
the fate of the French establishmects if the English
obtained their end.

" Soldiers! Let us devote to opprobrium and ge.
neral execration, every Frenchman who shall have
favoured, in any manner whatever, the insidious pro-
jects of the enemy ; even him who, though fur a mo-
ment subjected, shall not have tried all imaginable
means to injure them. Let v.s also devote to opro-
brium, let us not acknowledge for Frenchmen Clcse
who, though able to defend themselves, Make use of
specious pretexts to dispense themselves from it.
66 From this moment there is no longer any boni
between them and us, and we may anticipate in4.x:
orable history which will transmit their ::arms wits
execration to posterity.

" As for us, our duty is marked out, honour and
fidelity, that is our motto. To combat to the last
the enemies of our august Emperur, and of our deAr
France, respect to persons and property, to pity tl'
misfortunes of those who are for a moment subjecte:'•
and to hasten the instant of their deliverance, °bee-
ence and discipline ; implacable hatred to traitors
and to the enemies of the Frencame, interminable
war to those laito should attempt to divide in order
to destroy us, as well as in the wretches who should
desert the imperial eagles to range themselves under
another standard.

‘. Let us have always in our minds fifteen ages 0:
glory and the innumerable triumphs which havefen-
dered our country illustrious. Let us contemplate
the prodigious efforts of our great Emperor, and his
signal victories, which will eternize the French name.
Let us he worthy of him, and then we may bequeath
to our posterity, without a stain, the inheritance which
we have received from our fathers. Let us be French-
men, and let us die with arms in our hinds rather
than survive our dishonour.

" The Marshal of the Empire and Lieutenant-Ge-
neral of the Emperor, (Signed)
66
The Marshal Duke Of DALNIATIA."
" lifad-quarters, March $."

COMPIEGNE, MARCH 16.
On the 14th the enemy shewed himself before Con.'
piegne, from the other side of the Oise, coming bum
Noy en ; alter a few cannon-shot, and a fire of small
arms, he retired.
The next day he returned in force with three picas
of cannon, a howitzer, cavalry, and infantry. 1:11

P"

*own was srenmoned three times in the an ; the
brave Major of the 136th, who commands there, an-
swered, " Bring me an order from the Emperor, and
!Fon shall enter the town." The cannonade and fire
of musketry lasted almost the whole day ; the inha-
bitants valiantly seconded the garrison,. The people
of the neighbouring villages rose in mass at the first
cannon-shot which they heard in the morning, and
hastened to.the assistance of the town ; 200 of them
drone away 300 infantry, which occupied the moun-
tain of Margny, fiur musket-shot from Compiegne.
The inhabitants made a sally, and the retreat of
the enemy was decided. He was pursued a league
frim the town. Three citizens were taken prisoners,
having pursued the enemy with too much ardour.
it is said that two of them have just returned, having.
escaped by swimming over the Oise.

The zeal of the garrison, of the inhabitants, the
country people, and the officers who directed the de-
fence, is above all praise.

, The cannon damaged several houses in the town,
but the mischief is slight—nobody was wounded.
To-day (the 16th) the enemy have not returned,
and we are tranquil.