Star.
London, England, 1812-02-24 00:00:00

CATHOLIC EMANCIPATiON.

On this most important question—a question which
embraces the vital interests of the country) a most un-
expected concession has emanated from the PRINCE
REGENT and his Government.

We understand that a message was yesterday sent
. by his Royal Highness the PRINCE REGaMY to Mr.
PONSONBY, the object of which was, to declare, that
neither his ROYAL HIGUNESS nor his Government
should in any manner interfere in the approaching
discussion and decision of the claims of the Irish Ca-
tholics; or, in other words, that it should not be con-
sidefecl or managed as an ordinary Government ques-
tion; but left entirely to the full, fair, impartial, and
uninfluenced deliberation, and decision of Parliament.
Mr. SftErIDAN was appointed to be the bearer of the
message, but with that good sense, discernment, and
knowledge of mankind, which uniformly guide his
conduct in matters of such delicacy and importance,
he requested that a third person might be present,
when he was charged by his ROYAL HIGIINESS with
the message, and while he delivered it to Mr. PON..
SONBY. The request was acquiesced in, and Mr.
ADAM was the third person selected. Thus was all
misconception of the terms and tenor of the message
guarded against, and all possibility of future mistake
about the accuracy of its Livery obviated.
The issue of this concession may easily be foreseen.
—ln the nature of things some time must elapse be-
fore the event, so anxiously looked for by the Catho-
lics, can take place ; but as their emancipation may
now be considered as resolved on, we look with con-
fidence to their leaders for that moderation and
patience which always charcterize men who look only
for their rights, and who have no sinister views.
Need we add, that this great question involves ano-
ther of equal magnitude and importance. Our states.
men need not be informed (for they must know the
history of their own country) that the disabilities and
penalties existing by statute against Protestant dis-
senters were imposed upon them, only in consequence
of the difficulties that presented themselves against
every attempt to fetter the Catholics exclusively ; and
not in consequence of any apprehensions that danger
might result to the safety of the Constitution, from
their exercise of every franchise.
Nay'more : such was the dread of a Catholic suc-
cession to the throne of these kingdoms (a dread
which now happily no longer exists) that the Protes-
tant dissenters themselves, seeking the sAft:ty of the
state in preference to every other object, not only
agreed but requested, with the view of lessening the
apparent partiality of the measure, that they them-
selves might also be excluded from holding places of
trust and emolument :—And hence the Corporation
and Test Acts.

What ignorance do many of our Country Courts
display at this moment ! Is this a time to introduce
intolerant doctrines, and constructions of these Sta-
tutes unauthorised by precedents drawn from the pe-
riod in which they were enacted ?

The PRINCE REGENT gave a grand dinner on Sa:
thrday to the following persons :

Princess Charlotte, with Lady. De Mord and Mrs. Utlney ;
the Duke and Duchess of York, and Duke of Cambridge; Lord
Lauderdale, Lord Yarmouth, Lord Tyrconnel, Lord and Lady
Keith, and Miss Mercer Elrobinstune; Lord Erskinc, Mr. She-
ridan, Mr. Adam, Mr. Culli-g Smith and Lady Anne C. Smith,
and the Miss Fitzroys; Colonel Torrence, Mr. Greenwood, and
Mr. Tyrwhitt.

In the evening her Royal Highness the Princess
CHARLOTTE, accompanied the Duchess of YORK to
the Opera, attended by the Dukes of YORK and CAM'
BRIDGE. There were also in the Box the Lords LAU-
DERDALE and ERSKINE, and Mr. SHERIDAN. This
was the first appearance of her Royal Highness in
any pOlic place of amusement or assembly. Add•
ed to loveliness of person and countenance, her man-
ners and deportment appeared most affable and un-
affected. Though her presence was entirely unex-
pected, it soon attracted and rivetted the attention of
the whole audience.

The Duke of YORK gave a grand dinner on Fri.
day to

His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, Princess Charlotte of
Wales, Duke of Cambridge, Lady De Clifford, Lady Anne Cul,
ling Smith, Lord Yarmouth, Lord Tyrconnell, Chevalier la
Caineai Colonel Blointield, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Adam, and Mr.
Culling Smith.

GENERAL ELECTIONc-..-IL is reported that Mr.
BRAGGE BATHURST has expressed his intention to offer
himself no longer for Bristol. In the mean time the
canvass for Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY and Mr. E. PRO-
THEROE goes on with unusual ardour. A third Can-
didate, Mr. HENRY HUNT, has come forward on the
independent interest. His declared resolution is—
" never, directly, or indirectly, to receive one farthing
tithe public money."

LUCIEN BONAPARTE'S Poem was to hare been
printed in this country. A specimen was printed at
Worcester. Application was made to his brother NA-
POLEON to permit the importation of it into the Con-
tinent ; but this he strenuously refused. It would in-
deed be circulated abroad; but one copy would enable
a French printer to publish it, to the infinite detri-
ment of the London publisher. Hence the publica-
tion is suspended here, unless the author will bear
all the expences, which would be considerable from
the style of magnificence which is designed for the
decorations. It was intended to publish the original,
and an English poetical translation of it at the same
time ; but the execution of the latter is delayed on
account of the difficulties attending the publication
of the former.

The King of DENMARK has ordered, that the letters.
and papers found upon the Officers and Seamen of
the Sr. GEORGE, shall, after inspection by the Magis-
trates, be sealed and transmitted to COpenhagen.
The claim of Lieutenant HOMY, Royal Navy, to
the Marchmont title, is to be tried in the beginning
of March.

ArTELLICEIVed.

FALMOUTH, FEg. 21.
Afrited yesterday the Montague packet, frost the
Leeward Islands-28 days from Martinique, did not
speak a single vessel on her passage. The Fancy,
hired cutter, with dispatches for the fleet off Brest,
has put in here by contrary winds. Eight o'ckck
P. /.I. the Duke of Kent, (2) Captain LAwReNcE, has
arrived from Jamaica In 32 days, brings no particu-
lar news.
PLYMOUTH, FEBRUARY 22.
Yesterday the SURVEILLANTE frigate, Captain Sir
GEORGE COLLIER, which was reported to have been
drove into St. Sebastian's, in a gale, and there taken
possession of by the enemy, arrived here from Corunna,
all well. Came in the Spring, from Corunna ; VOLAOE
and FAVOURITE sloops, from the Westward ;
Francis and Eliza, and Thomas transports, from the
Coast of Spain . they have on board 300 German
deserters from the French army.—Put back the Tox-
NANT, 80, ARMIDE, 38, FAVOURITE, 18, and the
Eliza, Jane, and Neptune tenders, in consequence of
foul winds in the Channel.
PORTSMOUTH, FEBRUARY 23.
Arrived his Majesty's ship ROMULUS from Lislscrias
with dispatches ; and the HERALD sloop of war, from
the Mediterranean.—Arrived the PORCUPINE, PART&
RIDGE, GOSHAWK, and NORTH STAR, from a cruize.
—Sailed the PEACOCK with a convoy for the Downs.
The CRF.SSIt, Capt. PATER, which sailed on Thurs-
day, to cruize off Brest, was forced back to Spithead
this afternoon, her mainmast having been damaged
by lightning soon after leaving this port.
The POSIONE frigate, the Hon. Captain FANE, was
commissioned this day by Lieutenant M. CoNoux.
The VICTORY, ORION, HANNIBAL and PoicrtEns,
are all ready for sea, and only waiting for orders.
The ARMADA has dropped down to St. Helen's to
be in readiness to sail at a moment's notice for the
Mediterranean. She is waiting lor orders.
The East-Indiamen under convoy of his Maje;ty's
ships PIQUE, Hon. Capt. MAITLAND, and ANTLL( pr,
Capt. WHITE, pro iempore, still remain at the Mother- I
bank.
The FURIEUSE, Captain MOUNSCY, for Cadiz and
the Mediterranean, and the ZESOBIA, Captain A. R.
WKENZIE, for Lisbon, still remain wind-bound in
Yarmouth Roads, with their convoys r the MO',
Captain Loring, is waiting to accompany them to a
certain latitude.
DARTMOUTH, FEBRUARY 22.
Arrived, the day before yesterday, the Eliza car-
tel, with Mrs. BERKLEY and flrmily on board, from
Morlaix ; arrived to-day the Adelaide cartel, from I
ditto.
DFAL, FEBRUARY 224
His Majesty's ship WARRIOR, andvLady Carring-
ton, Indiaman, are again put back to the DoWns, by
the violence of the gale which we have experienced
the whole of this day from the W.S.NIT: 'The Amer'
rican sloop Jenny, MYERS, for Oporto, has lost an
anchor and cable, which is the only zhip that has
suffered during the gale. Several ships have drove
considerably, without doing or receiving any da-
mage.—Wind W.S.W.
FEBRUARY 23.--Came down from the River, the
Wexford and Glatton East Indiatiren, and several
others, particulars not known, and remain in the
Downs.—Wind W. and moderate.
YARMOUTH, FEBRUARY 23.
On Friday p. m. sailed with stores for Anholt, the
Cautzen sloop of war: and arrived in these Roads
p. m. the DAPHNE, Captain Firm; ; FLL, Captair
HIGMAN 1 RALEIGH, Captain HOOPER ; PLOVER, Cap-
tain CAMPBELL.; and the FLAMER gun-brig t and this
morning and Saturday arrived, the PYRANIUS frigate,
Commodore DASHWOOD after remaining a few hours
they all got under weigh (except the FLAMER), and
proceeded for the island of Anholt, and having a very,
favourable breeze, they were oot of sight by half-past
three o'clock. Remain the Solebay (Vice-Admiral
MURRAY), Aquilon frigate, Chanticleer, and Flamer.
—A report is in general circulation of the removal
of the packets from Harwich to this port ; it being
found that when the packets are wind-bound at Har-
wich, they can sail from this port.—Sharp press here,
by which several useful hands were added to the navy.
I.EITH, FEBRUARY 20.
The CHEROKEE sloop of war sailed from the Roads
on Tuesday, with a convoy of three sail, for London.
—The sloop Rose, of Berwick, from this port for
Newcastle, was run down off Spittal Point, on Fri-
day afternoon, by the brig Ocean—crew saved. It
was expected she would be righted at low water.
GREENOCK, FEBRUARY 21.
Arrived on Tuesday the Alexander, MITCHELL,
from Honduras, in 59 days : sailed in company with
the Perceral, LITTLE, of this port, for Bristol ; part-
ed on the 10th Jan. in lat. 30. 38. long. 76. 49. all
well. On the 28th of January, spoke the Atlantic,
LITTLE, from Jamaica for Savannah, out 14 days,
and was informed two French privateers were cruiz.
ing in the Gulf of Florida. Same day, spoke an
American schooner, name unknowv, from Jamaica
to Amelia Island, which vessel had been boarded by
one of the above-mentioned privateers. Left loading
the Clarendon, Foems, for London, and NeFturre, of
Hull—the former to sail in fi days, and the latter in
14.—Arrived here on Wednesday morning the Co-
met, EDDINCTON, from New Brunswick, in 30 days.
Left loading, the Fanny, CoLsroza, for Port Glasgow.

eamm.r.
A small vessel, the property of Chinese, has been
condemned at Calcutta, for violating the British Or-
ders in Council, by trading, two years ago, to the
Dutch settlement of Sourabaya, under die colours of
a native Prince. The Judge recommended a petition
to the Kkg in Council, as the Chinese had probably
never hearl of these Orders.

JAmAicA PAPERS.

Papers have b:ca received to the 25th of
December.

The House of Assembly bad been prorogue fes
the 14th ultimo. Ammag t'ae last iwoceedinss dig he
Session was an I.,struttion to the Commissionns t
Correspondence to transmit to the 14 nd Ag
here their Petition to the Pauses Renews.. The
Council lad refused to concur in this measure. An
Act pasted on the 14th of Dne:nbcr imposing a dUty
of 3s. 4d. per lb upon teas imported into the island.
In answer to a message from the Lieutenant-90.
vernor, recommending to the House to (tarnish sup•
plies for various fortifications &c. the House repro.
sented that such was the distress of their constituents,
that they could not provide money for many objects
which they thou ;lit highly expedient. The expen.e
of the Ordnance department, the House also stated,
ought to be defrayed at the general cost of the Em.
pire. They passed sr Resolution for the support of
the White Troops necessary for the protection of the
Island, but upon a new plan, by which a consider-
' able saving will be effected.
The Royd! Gazette states, that the inl'abitants of
the province of Santa Martha, who are in 'avow. of-
the Cortcs, have declared war against Carthag na,
and that several battles have been f aißlit on tl.n r
Mordent, on both sides of which fortifications had
been constricted. Much bin° I had not been shed, but
the contending parties hadbeen alternately successful.
.....The inhabitants of Carthagena had declared them.
selves independent and abolished the Ingssi.i:ioa. The
Officers, both civil and military, had taken the oaths
prescribed. The Viceroy of Santa Fe, nominated by
the Cortes, was expected to arrive from the Havannah.

THE ARMY.

Tues.lay the Berwickshire Regiment of ?braids
snatched from Queensberry-house Barracks, Edin-
butgh, for Paisley ; they were replaced by the Rea-
frcwshire Militia, from the Castle.

Two troops of the 15th Hussars marched, on Mor•
v,horn Nottingham to Leeds ; another squadron
have returned to the former town from Derby.
The '23 battalion of the Royal Lancashire Militia
have ni irchedhom Barwick, on their route for Muir
selburgh

The Forfarshire Militia, at present lying in Tyne-
mouth barrack, and the Carmarthen Mil tiA, lying at
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, are under orders to march for
ScrtlAnd.

A trcop of the Catbineers (or6th Dragoon-guardß)
a now sationed at Hamilton from l'icrsh•ll barracks,
which, with the two troops that have kr.en there (or
some time past, make nearly iO') men, fully moue.
and iu cactlleut order.

Mr. Yonze's levees for Naval Officers have been
fully attended during the last week. More than lorty
of various ranks, solicited audienCee on Monday law.
Nothing farther has transpired respecting our rela.
tions with Sweden. But it is pretty well known that
Benr4.i.norre is anxious to keep on good terms a id%
this country, from a conviction, that it is only by
such conduct lie can hope to stand well with the I
people of Sweden ; and *e have reason to believe
that a reasonable prospect now exists of effecting
a regular uninterrupted intercourse between the two
countries. BONAPARTE is of course greatly dis.
pleased with BERNADOTTE for the disposition the,
evinced by him;—and this was the cause of.the
late movements of the enemy's troops in the di.
rection of Swedish Pomerania, and their subsequent
seizure of the Island of Rugen. Bemed:erre is a
man cf ambit:on, and possesses a towering mind that
has ever been averse-to the admission of any species
of controul, and with the crown of an independent
kingdom awaiting him, he is indignant at the idea of
beumring the mere vassal of a Tyrant, wltose con.
duct, white even acting under him, he is well known
to have disapproved and abhorred. Several months
ag', he signified his anxiety- to form some amicable
arrangement with this country, upon the subject of
commercial intercourse. To forward this desirable
object. Mr. THORNTON undertook his late voyage to
the Baltic, and a correspondence was then com.
menced, and still continues upon chit subject; and
the dispatches brought by the last packet, we ar.l
happy to find, afford the strongest lirpes that the de-
sired object will shottly be accomplished to the full
satisfaction of the people of both countries.

Cots MAR sr, MARL.LANT, Fie. 24.--Tlda dat the fresh
arrivals of Wheat make a middlirg supply ; sake rolerib:y brisk,
and fully at last prices ; some &elect aid auntie about igtis. per
quarter. Bliley and Malt are each uearly at rite last increase In
price. In Peas and Beaus of each description no material varia-
von. We have ncr many fresh arrivals of Oats, hut tolerable
quantities remaining—part of last week's (upwards of 38,000
quarters); front the demand, last prices are beady supported.
Flour without alteration.

CVRIENT PRICIS I
Wheat, 645. s6s. 10.7 a. • Heins 5Ss 604
•

Fine ditto, 1146. 118 s. Tick duo (new) 498.64 a.
Rya 50s. 56e. Ditto (fine Old) 55e, .bas
Barley, 50s. stts. Oats, 301 32s 37s
Malt, 84s. 90s. Poland ditto, 38e. 40$. Od,
White Peas !boilers) 765. Ms. Potaroe ditto, 44a.
Grey diva, Ms. es.. Rape Seed, 469, £6B.
Fine Floor, 90s. 9h—Seconds, 65.. to 90s.
SMITHFIELD MARKET.—February 114.
Beef Ss Id to 6s 94 Vest 7. Od to Is Ocl• '
blotton bs 2d to 6s Id Pork. as 011 to Ts sd
IttAD Of CATTLII ruts SAT.
Beasts, about 2200—Sheep and Lambs, 12,3011.
Calves, 100-.-Pip, SOO.
PRICE OF HAY AND STRAW IN SMITHFIELD
Hay 41 4s to 51 bs New Clota 51 Os to CI 6a
New Hay 01 Os to Cl Os Straw ill Os to II Itie
At Les..ves Maker, Wheat £27 to £2B per bad; Barley 54a
to 581 ; Oats 38. z. to 40). per quarter; Flour 92.. per soak. rie.E
Ss. to ss. sd per :tone ; Mutton 45.11d.t0 6%. 4d. per stone% Poik
es to 60. 3d. per stone; store Pigs were consideratly cheaper
Winchester Fair, on Monday, was pretty well attended, al-.
though the day was unfavourable. The price of old cheese was
from 846. to 105 s. per cwt. and that of Sew, from 68s, to SW.
There was a large quantity pitched, a deal of, whirls ref
mained unsold on Ti ',day, and sone eefwednesday, The price
of loft dor cheese • aperienood wane depression, oq the second
and tLird day; but that of the rhos natitund 1404


OLD BitziEr, FEB. 22.


li'mjantin H:irlicoel,a letter carrier, was indicted for
*king two Bank of tnglarid notes, of ael each,'
from a letter which he *as entrusted to deliver in
the course of his business. Magdalen Latbourne,
who resides in Canterbury, sent the two notes in ques-
t on, on the 27th of January, by post, to a Mrs. Bar-
tington, Who lives at Not 67, in the Old
This letter did not reach its destination, and some
suspicions having arisen about this time, against the
prisoner, his house was searched, and several country
balls and London bank-notes were discovered in a
tea-pot; the notes mentioned in the indictment were
not found, but the letter in which they had been en.
closed was. These facts being distinctly proved, th •
prisoner was called on for his defence, when he sa-
ted that he was in ill-health, had a 1.11-;.;e family of
children, and was apprehensive at the time he had
committed the crime which had hiten proved against
him, of being sent to prison, a circumstance which
would havestwea attended by the loss of his trnploy,
ment and of course by the toter ruin of himself and
his family; he f rtfessed himself willing to make what
reparation he could to those he had injured, and
handed some bank-notet to the Solicitor who had
been employed tn prosecute him.
A number if respectable persons from Leicester-
shire, of which county the prisoner was a native, and
from Nottinghamshire, where he had been for s• me
time resident, attended and gave him an excellent
ch greeter. .
Sir*Guattot: Wool) sutimed np the evidence, and
the Jury returned a verdict of Goilty, but earnestly
-recommended the pri.soncr to mercy.
Coacoll was• indicted for forging, uttering,
and vending stamps, and thereby defrauding his Ma=
j•-sty's revenue.
The prisoner resides in Oxford-street, is a vender
aF medichurs, with which he was in the habit of sup.
plying a Mrs. Carver, who retailed them in a shop
near the Royal Exthange: From this persona Mn
Fr.:nce, clerk to the Solicitor of the Stamp-office,
pitrchasid tome medicines which were supposed to
be sold with false stamps, and, on examination, this
proved to be the fact. An inquiry, consequently
tcok place, and reasonable ground for suspicion ap-
pearing against the prisimer, his house was searched
by Vickery, a Bow-street officer, and a number of
forged stamps found in it. In order to evade the pe-
nalty attached to forgery, a vacant space was left in
the centre of the. counterfeit stamps, which it was
thought would constitute a diss:milarity sufficient to
have tl-at effect, but this, when dte stamp was pasted
4 n phial or pill-box, was covered with a seal or label,
so that ouly the part which was like was to be seen.
—Shortly after the search in his 4muse, t'te priso-
ner was a pp• clicitded at Pill, in Somasetshire, and
some bottlt..; cif medicines were found on his person
and in hip baggage, with stamps of the above de-
seri ~tion.
Mr. France, the Clerk, swore, that the stamps on
the medicines he had bought front Mrs. Carver,
. would hare passed with him while the centre was
covered..
The prisoner's Counsel urged in his favour that
the forqed instrument was riot set firth in the indict.
• ment with sufficient precision, as also that there was
not a sufficient similarity between that instrument
and the one of which it was supposed to be an imita-
tion to subject the prisoarr to the penalty of forgery.
Mr, Justice BAILEY having recapitulated the evi-
dence, the Jury returned a verdict of guilty of utter--
ing and vending the stamps, knowing them to be for-
ged, but not guilty of forging them.
Framers Kasen, a most interesting female, was in-
-1 dieted 14 stealing one ruff, two tippets, and one cap,
the property of Joseph Arundcl, on the 25th of Ja-
nuary. Th . prosecutor's wits keeps a milliner's shop,
in the City Road. On the 21-th ult. the prisoner left
her direction at his shop, desiring him to call the next
morning at her braise with specimens-of his goods,
some of which she wished to purchase. Next mor-
ning he took a considerable number of articles to her
house in Ashby-street, Goswell-street, and he was
- shewn • into a room without any fire, where he re-
mained for some time. At length the prisoner came,
admired the articles, took some specimens of them,
and said she would go into the next room, and show
them to her mother and sister. Soon after she re-
turned again with the articles, chose some, and paid
"three guineas for them. She scrambled up the re-
mainder, which lay loose on the table, and said to
witness he should not remain in that cold room, but
'that she -,onld take li'm to one u here there was a fire.
Witness :;'owed her into the next room as last as he
could, and upon entering, lie slw her putting -some-
thing carefully by in a drawer. fle thought there was
smut thing very extraordinary, particularly when he
stw such a diminution in the bulk of the articles he

bad bil:ught t but he was not satkfied of any thing
improper until he went home, wlit:11 he missed the ar-
. t.cles mentioned in tl:c indictment. He then pro.
-wired a search-,..arrant, but on his return with. an
officer, the prisoner was not there, nor could he find
the articles-he had lost, nor those he had sold." The
witness tin&rwent a cross-examination by Mr. ALUM
• Be said be did not think it necessary to bring. his
wife as a wt tncss, although she had made the articles
in question. The officers who had searched the house.
were not examined before the Grand Jury who found
the bill. He positively denied that he stated before
the Magistrates of Hatpn-garden, that his'. ife had
assisted him in packing up the goods the night before
lie took them to the house. He w.as positive that he
had packed them himself the same morning-
. The case here closed fcr the prosecution,; when
Mr. -King and Mr. Lakin, Solicitors far the prisoner,
declared positively that the prosecutor stated repea-
tedly to the Mavistrates at Hatton garden, tint his
*le had misted him the night btfore in packiug up
the articles.
Mr. Justice HEATII--.-" Gontlemen of the Jury, it
apperi to me that this business need proceed no
farther. There are other witnesses ready to appear-
for the prisoner, among thrm many noble per‘ons,
who w-osild state her character to be -perfectly pure ;
but the prosecutor, %%hose testimony is in itself ex-
tremely weak, has been contradicted by two respec-
table and unbiassed witnesses. 1 think you can have
uo hesitation in acquitting the prisoner."
Jury rose to a man, and without the least pre-
vious commenicatiou, each seemed designs of Our-