Star.
London, England, 1812-04-01 00:00:00

SECOND EDITION.

Dispatches were this afternoon received from Lord
WELLINGTON, dated at Elvas, on the 20th ultimo.—
His Lordship was busily occupied in preparations for
the siege of Bldajoz, which was expected to f4ll in a
few days. Every Medical Officer had been pre-
viouily ordered off from Lisbon to the Army.—
His Lordship had also sent an order, that every Mi-
litary Officer, who had come sick to Lisbon, and was
nearly recovered of his wounds, should forthwith be
sent to the Army. General PEACOCK was busily em-
ployed in getting the Officers and Doctors off:--the
number of both descriptions which he would he able
to send, would of themselves be a great reinforce-
ment to the Army. Marshal BERESFORD was at Lis-
bon urging the Regency, and hastening the equip.
meat of the Portuguese Army. He w.is to be up
with the army at Badajoz ; and Admiral BERKELEY
nas sending a body of seamen to assist in the siege,
under a Captain of the Navy.

THIRD EDITION.

STAR OFFICE, TPIREE O'CLOCK.

Since the above was put to press, Government has
issued the following Bulletin :

WAR DEPARTMENT, APRIL 1.

Dispatches have been received from the Earl of
WELLINGTON, dated the 20th of March.

His Lordship invested Badajoz on the 16th, and
broke ground on the following day, forming his first
parallel within WO yuds of. the outworks, called la
Picurina. Lord WELLINGTON conducts the siege in
person, with the Sd, 4th, and light divisions, upon
the left of the River. •

Sir THOMAS GRAHAM crossed the Guadiana on
the 16th, with three divisions• of infantry and two
brigades of cavalry, and marched upon Santa Mar-
tha and Valverde, while Sir ROWLAND HILL, with
two divisions and a brigade of cavalry, moved
upon Merida, where he made some prisoners.
These movements induced General Dnourr to re-
treat fiorn Villa Franca to Homachos, to preserve
Lis communication with General DARICAN'S division,
ssationed at Llerena.

Upon the 19th, a sortie was attempted by the gar-
rison of Badajoz. Two thousand men pushed out
against the right flank of cur work, but were imme-
diately drivcn in with considerable loss, by Major-
General Bowes.

In this affair General PtcroN's Aide-de'Camp,
Captain CUTHBERT, was killed, and Lieutenant-Co-
lonel FLErctleft slightly womndel Since the com-
mencement of the operations, the loss of the allies
has been about 150 men killed or wounded.

There was no general movement of the enemy
upon the side of Ciudad Rodrigo so late as the 17th
March, but two of the three divisions of MARMONT'S
army, which had been upon the Tagus, had moved
through the mountains in the direction of Valladolid.
The rains had been very heavy for the last three day..

A very spirited affair has lately taken place in the
Scheldt. Three French ships of the line, coming
down, were attacked by one of our frigates and two
sloops a,f war, and the Admiral's ship was driven on
shore.

Cazta;n KxowLes, of the Hotspur, an American
vessel, boimd from Baltimore to Bourdeaux, arrived
in town this morning, to make remonstrances to our
Government on the subject of an occurrence of a sin-
gular n ttire. The Hotspur was, a few days since,
intercepted on-her way to France, by his Majesty's
ship A OttOMACIIr ; and, it is stated, that the Captain
of the Biltish ship, finding that the Hotspur had dis-
patches on board for Mr. JOEL Bain.ow, the Ame-
rican Minister at Paris, insisted that they should be
delivered to him ; and after perusing their contents,
ordered the Hotspur into Plymouth, retaining the
dispatches to lay them before the British Government.
We have no further information to lay before our
Readers on the subject ; but it may not be amiss to
remind them, thiit from certain documents presented
to the British Court of Admiralty, some time since,
it appeared that intelligence deeply affecting the vital
interests of Great Britain, has repeatedly been con-
veyed to the enemy through the medium of American
dispatches.
Sir WILLIAM SCOTT, on that occasion, openly de.
dared, with that prudence and temper which marks
his character, that he could not for a moment believe
it possible that the Ministers of a neutral power could
lend themselves to so nefarious a purpose.
We presume, therefore, that the seizure of the
Hotspur's dispatches, if correct, is connected with
the disclosures wade in our Court of Admiralty,
above alluded to ; and if this be the fact, we cannot'
sufficiently applaud the spirit and promptitude with
which our Government has acted. The democratic,
or rather the French factions in America, ought to
be taught, that there is still one Power in existence,
perfectly competent to enforce the law of nature and
nations z and we never heard it asserted by any Jurist,
that neutrals were permitted to perform the humble
duties of Spies to contending Powers.
Captain KXOWLFS brings Baltimore Papers to Fe-
bruary '24th, but they contain no intelligence of a
prominent nature.

NIY4L INTELLIGENCE

. FALMOUTH. MARCH 10. . . .
Put baCk the littke of Clarence, For, master, With
the loss of masts, and leaky. Thi cOnirt4, which ar-
rived fast night is not iindei the LATONA, as reviled.,
but his Majesty's Ship PrLdnes.—Winti S. W.

PLYMOUTH, MARCH 30.
Arriied the ALMON cutter from Basipie Roads
the Ititutackwr, of 14 guns, from ?almonds ; the
OacsTas, 18 guns, from Scilly ; arid MELVINAI from
Villa Nova and Gibraltar. Went into the Sound from
Barnpoot, the DRYAD, 36 guns, after having refitted.
Came up harbour to refit, the Es IMISPISENANTE, 10
guns.—Wind W. S.W. moderate.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH st.
Arrived the sloops Good Intent and Union, froth
Waterford ; and the Industry, from Dundalk.

DEAL, MARCH 31.
Came down from the River the Brunsbery, for
Malta ; Bell, for Portugal ; Ann, and Adventure,
for Malta ; Britannia, for Gibraltar; Brilliant, for
Trinidad ; Cambridge, for Gibraltar; Heron, and
Grant, for Lisbon, and sailed with the whole of the
outward-bound merchantmen, coasters, and colliers,
under convoy of his Majesty's ships SPECULATOR and
Decoy, for Portsmouth. Sailed the Euphrates, Mo-
narch, and Northampton, for the River. Wind N.E.