Star.
London, England, 1812-01-23 00:00:00

SECOND EDITION.

The letters to Government from General COOK, at
Cadiz, are dated on the 31st ultimo. They contain
no account whatever of the defeat of the French at
Valencia. We are sorry to state, that at Cadiz no
hopes were entertained that Tarifa could hold out
much longer.

Yesterday we communicated the arrival of Jamaica
Papers to the 24th November, and we this day fur.
nish our readers with some interesting extracts :
The Act for doubling the duties upon grain im-
ported from America was passed in order to encou-
rage the cultivation of corn by the small Settlers of
the Island.

The difficulties under which the coffee and sugar
Planters labourare expressed in strong language, and
meetings have been called throughout the Island, at
which some violent resolutions have been adopted.—
They state,—is The situation of the Cultivators of
coffee has reached the utmost pitch of distress, being
unable from the produce of their estates to procure
food and clothing for themselves and negroes, much
less to pay taxes and expences necessary to keep up
the cultivation of their plantations and to meet the
demands of their creditors."

These and similar complaints have excited senti-
ments in the House of Assembly, the existence of
which we have to regret.
A motion was made by a Mr. STEWART, to with.
hold the customary provision for supporting the
troops employed in the defence of the Island. This
rash suggestion was very properly negatived. Our
brethren in Jamaica should think a little upon what
their brethren in England, as well as themselves, have
to bear.

A strong remonstrance from the whole body of
planters has been sent home. They urge the conti-
nuation of the system of distilling from sugar instead
of grain, and suggest a variety of other means of al-
leviating their distresses.

13y the American ship Hindostan, which has ar-
rived in the Clyde from Charleston, in 29 days, we
have received American Papers to the 17th ult.—
They contain debates of the House of Representatives
up to December 10.

The House had resolved itself into a Committee on
a former report of a Committee of Foreign Relations.
Mr. PORTER had stated the views of the Committee,
by charging Great Britain with having recourse to
miserable shifts, to justify what he calls unprovoked
aggressions on their rights ; and contended, that the
exigency of the United States demands war, and that
it was now the only mode of obtaining justice.
Congress have come to a determination of formally
recognizing the independence of South America.

•, WASHINGTON, DEC. 7.

" Yesterday, when Mr. PORTER called up the con-
sideration of the Report of the Committee on Foreign
Relations, he briefly stated the objects and views
which had governed the Committee in the Report,
which he had submitted to the House. The Orders
in Council were of themselves a sufficient cause of
war with the Committee ; and which causes were ag-
gravated
by the minerable shifts of the British Minis-
try, and their authority in this country. Any man,
not wilfully blind, could see that Britain had not
acted towards us even in a manner which accorded
with her own ideas of justice ; she captures under a
principle this week, which she does not avow the next;
and if a doctrine so monstrous was sanctioned, she
would next trample upon the necks of our citizens in
the streets. ft was the unanimous opinion of the Com-
mittee, that these encroachments were such, as to de-
mand war, as the only alternative to obtain justice.
—Our situation was like a young man establishing
himself in society, who, if he submitted to indignities
at the outset, would have to incur a double expence
of time and labour to establish his lost character.—
On the carrying trade, the Committee expressed no
final opinion. It was in our power to harass the re-
sources of Britain, as well on the ocean as by land ;
to carry on a was again it her coast and colonies, at

her own door; and destroy her trade with the cold•
nies, by the number of privateers which would be fit-
ted up for service. We had it in our power to make
a conquest of Canada, which to Britain was of the
utmost importance; from whence she had imported
articles of the utmost necessity last year, to the
amount of 600,000,000 dollars, a great deal of which
was for square timber for her navy. We hold a sword
over her resources which would cut her to the quick.
—it is therefore the determination of the Committee
to recommend open war, to the utmost energies of this
nation ; yet he hoped it would not be entered into
prematurely, for the howlings of newspapers. He
knew that many of his friends were for immediate
war—he felt the indignities of our situation as sen-
sibly as any man in the House, and he would go as
far to redress them, when the preliminaries were set-
tled ; but he did not wish to invite to the feast till
the cloth was laid—till the nation was pat into the
altitude, and a war demanded by the crisis."
The Resolutions were all carried in a Committee
of the whole, except the 2d, in which the words—
" ten thousand" were struck out with a view to in-
sert a larger number, which there appeared to be
some difficulty in fixing on ; the lowest proposition
was 12,000, and the highest not exceeding 50,000 ; it
was however agreed to let it remain—so that when
the bill was reported, the House could fill as they
saw proper ; more time would elapse, and they would
be better informed on the subject.—[Ten thousand
vas an idea quite out of order to mention ; they wt.ve
quite up to the war mark.]
The Resolutions were afterwards taken up in the
I House, and the first carried by ayes and noes, 117 to
11 ; RANDOLPH in the minority.
The second Resolution was then proposed by the
SPEAKER-a plea for time was put in by Mr.
RANDOLPH, and Mr. GOI.D6BOROUGH, of Maryland,
who said, if they were to be dragged into a war, it
was but reasonable to give them one night more to
I reflect on it. The House then adjourned till this day,
eleven o'clock.

" The House sat lent a very little time to-day,
and adjourned on the motion of Mr. RANDOLPH, as
the Committee of Investigation wished to have this
day for the examination of persons, agreeably to their
powers ; unless time was given, as the duty was ar-
duous, it would be putting a veto on their proceedings."