Star.
London, England, 1801-12-19 00:00:00

CONTINENTAL COMMERCE.

Yefterday there was a meeting at the London
Tavern of the Merchants interefted in the trade tc
the Continent, and particularly of the Members
of the " Society of Merchants trading to the Con
tinent," to take into confederation the intended
increafe at the Poll-office on continental Corre-
fpondence. The meeting was by no means fo fully
attended as might have been expeded from the
nature of the fiibjeet, and the great number of per.
fns interefted in it. A long converfation (Mr.
HAN K s v in the Chair) then ratted, upon the great
hardfhip and inconvenience to trade from the in-
creafed expence, particularly in the tranfmiffion
of bills of exchange.
The refult was the appointment of a Commit.
tee, with inftrudions to make a reprefentation to
the Directors of the Poll-office on the fubjed, and,
in cafe of a faihire of redrefs, to remonllrate with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and reqoeft
fame new regulation might be adopted to reduce
fo heavy a burthen upon mercantile inured.
Mr. CHAP4IIIILS obferved, that the Ad of Par-
liament taking off the reftraint upon foreign car-
refpnndenee commenced that day ; but the-liberty
which it granted was a barren one, if it was con-
fined only to a mere epiltalary corr.( fpondence;and
did not permit the drawing of bills of exchange
and the remittance of money.
The CHAIRM•N, in anfwer, laid, that the trai-
torous correfpondeoce impaling the reftric-
Hon, was only to be in force during the war. If
then, by the figning of the Preliminaries, and the
King's Proclamation, the war was at an end, the
reftridion of courfe fell to the ground. He owned,
however, that a doubt might be entertained whe-
ther the war was to be confidered as aetually at an
end until the figning of thz definitive Treaty ? and
therefore he fuggeded that an explanation with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this point
alto lhould form part of the inftrudions to the
Committee.

A Gentleman fuggeled, that as the point
turned upon the conitrutlion of an Ad of Parlia-
ment, the Chancellor of the Exchequer could do
no more in it than any other individual. This ob-
fervation being acqinefced in, it WAS agreed to
take the Attorney General's opinion upon the
pint.
Some other queftions were then flatted, which
being confidered irrelevant, and likely to pro-
voke a long and unprofitable dikullion, the meet-
ing was diffolved.

The Marquis of SALU BURY proceeded yerterday
morning to Stilton, whence he will march his re-
giment, the Hertfordlhire Militia, to the towt of
Hertford.

Lord Hurc HINSON, of Alexandria, is the fixth
Peer in the Imperial Peerage; who take their titles
nominally from thofe pla:es where they atchieved
glorious or memorable aftions ; the others are,
Lords AMHERST of Montreal HEATNTUILD of
Gibraltar ; DUNCAN of Camperdown ; NaLsori of
the Nile ; and ABIRCILMANY of Aboukir.

The beauty of the weathe:, and the Rrength of
the ice, attraEted a confiderable number of (kaisers
to the Serpentine River, in Hyde Park, yefterday.
The ice is bearing over the whole fheet of water,
and no lzfs than three or four hundred perfons
tbemfelves at a time. Among them, in the
eaile part of the day, was a Dutch Lady, who
ex..ra.irdinary (kill and grace. Should
the w, other hotel. the cronds of beauty and fafhion
will be great .o-morrow.
The weather was colder on Thurfday night or
Friday morning than at any time during the pre-
fent W ater.--One of FRAZER'S Stop Thermome-
ters. hut in a North afpeCt at Ifiington, has flood
as folloa s curing the %reek :
Berr. ten tea quads), 'nett and M radar morning
(even ,='Occk. a: 14 A 8 below the (regales point.