Star.
London, England, 1807-05-02 00:00:00

DOVER. MAY t.

It h repotted that the JACKAL& gun•brig was yet.-
terday captured off Calais by fome gun-boats which
came out of that port to attack her, The being be-
calmed dole in with the (bore, and unable to get out.
A very heavy firing was heard here this morning
from the French coal, the caufe not yet known.—
Paired by this day, the (hip Mercurius, Captain
Ca st? at Lt., from Copenhagen, bound to Santa Cruz.
—Wind E. S. E. and moderate.

DEAL, MAY z.

Sailed through the Downs lan night, from the
River, the Duke of York, TOMLIN, for Dublin.—
Artived this morning the Explotion bomb, from
Portfmouth, with a convoy, which are failed fur the
River.—Wind N. E.

LLOYD'S LIS T.
GRAVESEND, MAY I —Sailed, the Marquis of Huntley. More•
ton; London, Brown; and the Caledonia, Miller, for Africa.

MEBTISG AT THE ST. ALBAN'S TAVERN.

A numerous attendance of Lord Counter/es
friends, purfuant to public notice, took place yeller-
day at the St. Alban's Tavern, about two o'clock,
when Mr. Wit LOCK (of Golden Square) having taken
the Chair,
Lord Coon All a raid, he felt it his duty, in mire-
qrience i f having offered himfelf a Candidate for the
City of We:1111;11(1er, to Rate his principles to the
Elea-11.s. His fiat leading principle was, to fupport
any nreafore in Parliame-•t, whoever might bring it
forward, that tended to promote the fitbflantial in-
terelt of the Country. He would be always ready,
in the fame manaer, to oppofe the machinations of
party, and the intrigues of faaion. It was on this
ground he gave his vote on au important queflion,
brought forward by the lore Minifies, he meant the
abliraCt proporoion, " that the King could do no
wrong"—but that Rill, as wrong may he done, the
King mull have relponfible advifcrs. Though he ac-
knowledged the principle, yet he law mifchief in its
effeas, it the question were carried on that occafion ;
he named. that the intention of the party was to
prefs his Majefly on an ablfraft point, with a view of
accomplifliing a fallious purpofe, and not from any
motive of maintaining the purity of the conflitu
tion. Under fuch circumltances, he felt himfelf
called on to vote with the prefent Adminitiration on
chat tingle p int. It was the only vote he gave dur-
ing 'he thou time he had the honour of a feat in
Parliament, and he hoped he fbould never have caufe
to regret the part he had taken. He had made up
his wind, after maturely confidcring the fubjea,
and upon conviaion that the King had aCted contli-
tutionally in difmiCling Minitters, who had tent in a
declaration which made their profeffions of giving up
the Catholic queflion extremely fufpicious. His /414.
jeily was juflified therefore in requiring from them a
pledge, as a kind of lecurity agairdt their declara-
tion. This was his view of that tranfaaion, and he
voted accordingly. Some perfons objelted that
naval men were not fit, from their fituations, to hold
feats in Parliament ; but he was convinced that naval
men ought to have feats, becaufe they were more ca.
pable than others of Rating the abates and grievances
which might exill in their department. He had no
hefitation to fay, that more important fervice might
be rendered in three hours by a naval man on
naval affairs in the Houfe of Commons, than by
a perfon of another calling during a whole feflion.
—But he might be afked why he flood for Weft-
mintier ?—his anfwer was, that, by reprefenting
fuck a City, he would be more independent. He
would Rate unequivocally that, in his opinion,
all rotten boroughs ought to be disfranchifed; for to
their baneful influence he attributed the peculation,
corruption, and other evils which affliacci the coon-
try.—( Great parafier). He differed widely, however,
from Sir Francis Burdett, who thought that corrup-
tion would ultimately lead to the regeneration of the
countt y. What was corruption to deftroy every
thing at prefent, in the hope that, when it exhaulled
its means, a new order of things would arife, which
mutt give up all thole bleffings in praeice, which
only exilled theoretically at prefent ? He was of opi-
niJn, on the contrary, that though the torrent could
not be tletnrned, yet that we may turn it, and thus
check, in the firfi inßance, if we could not effeaually
(top, devallation and ruin. The Noble Lord then
entered into a detail of abufes which exilled in the
dock-yards, under the late Lords of the Admiralty,
and Rated grievances in the Naval Hofpitals, which
lie meant to bring before Parliament. He had it alfo
in contemplation to propofe a meafure, the objea of
which fhould be, to attach refponfibility to fome per-
fon or perfons, whenever an officer in the army might
be difmiffed the fervice by his Majelly, without a
charge exhibited againa him, or being tried by his
Military Peers.
Mr. FELIX MECARTHY here afked his Lordfhip,
what his opinions were as to the Catholics, becaufe
if they coincided with his opinions, his .Lordflup
fhould have his vote and intereft.
LordCocH a AN a replied, that hewas as great a ftiend
as any man could be to the Catholics of the Empire ;
he was aware that the lower orders of the Catholics in
Irelandwere greatly oppreffed by tythec, which h; did
not think they fhould be called on to pay. They did not
receive inflruaion or proteaion of any kind from the
Proteßant Clergy ; he thought it unjaft and oppref
five, therefore, to make the poor labourer part with
the tenth of his fcanty crop of popatoes in order to
fupply the Clergyman with luxuries. Thefe and other
grievances called loudly for redrefs. As to the quef-
tion afked by Mr. M'Carthy, he would f►ankly
ac-
knowledge, that he felt extremely lorry in not being
able to give up the prejudice of early education,
which inculcated and impreffed on his mind the fu-
premacy of the Pope, and the belief of the Catholics
that the Pope could abfolve them from their oath of
allegiance. It was on this ground he felt it his duty
not to agree in allowing Roman Catholics to hold
commit ions in the navy. The ties of religion were