Star.
London, England, 1807-04-23 00:00:00

ruißmym F.t.ECT lON.

The Order of the day having been read for reclin-
ing the debate upon the queilion for agreeing with
the Refidertion of the Pent hyn Deakin Committee,
" That Sir Chrittopher Hawkins, by himielf and his
agents, were guilty of grofs bribery and corruption
at the late election."
Calirtin HERBERT role and Elated, that al-
thr.tign the Houle certainly owed great deference to
the Ref lutions and decifintiri of its Committees,
when finally made, yet great cantion lhould be uled
in any proceeding pi °poled to be grounded upon re-
ports partially made by Inch Committee-, upon a
part Cnly of the evidence before them ; and fuch
was the nature of the Refoluti,sn which the Houle
was now called on to Adopt. in fuel) cafes it be-
hoved the Houle, before it should ground any pro.
ceeding, more eiPec'ally one of a erfc inating and penal
natute, againfi any perfnn who micht be the fubjed
of Inch a Refs lotion, minutely and deliberately to
-e4aroin.; the whole of the evfden“, and to be t.tt:l-

, .
fled that it fully bore out the charges The Hoofe
I owed a deiicate regard to its own dignity, as well as;
to the efficacy of the example ;wended to be ira
preffed by the folemnity of its proceedings in fuch
cafes; and therefore, it ought not to direa a crimi-
nal profecution againft the party accufcd, unlifs the
charges were fo palpable, and the proofs fo clear, as
to render a conviEtion by a Jury morally certain—
for an acquittal upon fuch a charge. through any
failure is the proofs, would tend, in no trivial degree,
to depreciate the authority of the Houfe, and lower
the opinion of its wifdom in the public eflimation—
he would, therefore. put it to the confederation of the
Houfe, whether it would not be more advifable, tin-
der fuch an uncertainty, anil even fuppofing it poffi•
ble that the refulution of the Committee was fupport-
ed upon fairly balancing the evidence, rather to let
the matter reit bete, and confider the Hon. Baronet
already punifhed enough by the vexatious to which
he had been expoled—the aainns, butts, anl ex-
pences to which he had been made liable—without
following up the bufinefs to a criminal profecution.
—The Honourable Member went at length into a
comparative examination of the teliimony offered on
both fides, the proininent points of which retied
upon the controlled evidence of a Mr. Moone and a
Mr. Stoner : both were decidedly in contradiftion to
each other, and he conceived the one as f.tirly enti-
tled to belief as the other. The Honourable Mem-
ber was then proceeding to read Come written affida-
vits which had been put into his hands on the occa-
lion, when
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQI_JER
rufe to order, and tojeacd to the Hon. Member be-
ing allowed to read, as part of his fpecch, affidavits
woolly extrinfic to any tettimony.before the Com-
mittee on the Penillyn Eleaion, fur the purpole of
impeaching their deciftun.
The SPEAKER clearly coincided in this opinion.
Mr. HERBERT apologifed for his departure
from order, and argued that from the whole of
what he had hated of the evidence before the Com
mitice, there was no proof of any direct aft or
agreement on the part of the Hon. Baronet, for the
! purpofe of bribery or corruption, or that any thing
i more had been proved thin that Inch pr-poll-
Lions had been made to him, hut not that he had ever
agreed to them. And as to tile evidence that the
1 Petultyti Committee had given twenty (billings each
Ito a 'umber of perfons to drink Sir Chrilinpher
1 Hawkins's health, the :eft& proved it was not costa-
-1 &red by thole perfons as a payment for their votes ;
for out of one hundred who received the money,
ninety had voted againft him. There were many
precedents to 'hew that it was not unufual with the
Houfe to pafs over fintilar Reports of their Commit-
tees without any criminal proceeding ; and he trolled
they would do fo in the prefent cafe. He concluded
by moving, " That the Refolution be taken into
farther confideration this day three months."
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON faid, that,
from every attention he had been able to pay to the
evidence in this cafe, for five weeks in ftteceffinn, he
Iwas clearly of opiniontthe Refolution of the Com.
4 mittee was fully (unlined, and that there never was
a cafe which came before that Houfe better labltan.
timed, or in which the Houle was more imperionfly
bound to aO. The fimple queflion propofed by the
order of the day was, nut to proceed direaly to a
penal prolecution, hut for the Houfe to agree with a
Refolution of its Committee. The motion of the
Hon. Gentleman was to abandon the cafe altogether
—to this he could never agree, but would fupport
' the original Refolution.
Mr. LEE KECK, as a Member of the Commit.
tee, felt the cleareil conviaion that their Refolu.ion
was founded upon the moil unquellionable proof!,
and therefore that there never was a oefe which
called more fincibly. upon the jithice of the H. ufe to
follow it up by a criminal profecution: There had
been leveret inlionces of Mambers,botb expelled and
profecuted for offences, and he did not confider that
the lituation of Sir C. Hawkins ought to be any thing
better un account of his being returned fur two other
I places.
I Mr. STEWART did not think the bottle mild
lenter into a confideration of the merits of the cafe,
; after having appointed a Committee for that particular
purpofe. He, however, thought that he had never
heard of a cafe of more open, barefaced. and indecent
corruption than the cadent, and therefore thought
;the Houle Ihould take fame proceedings upon the
Rept-to of the Committee.
Mr. HURST thought that in a cafe where the
; charaaer, honour, and fame of an Hon. Member
was c !fleet fled, the Houfe Should not proceed unlefs
I lip il the clearett evidence. It did not appear to him
I that the refolutiun of the Committee was fopported
by very clear evidence. Two of the witneffes, Mr.
Stoner and Mr.Moone,fwore direaly in contradiaion
to each other. Mr. Stoner (wore that he never did
receive a written agreement. which the other (wore
he had received. He thought time warnot a fit&
l cient preponderance of evidence for the Houfe to re-
folve upon any fevere meafure. Sir Chriflopher
Hawkins had alfo declared to him, upon his honour,
Oat there never had citified loch an agreement as was
i !worn to by one of the witnelles.
Sir W. W. WYNNE faid, that whatever Sir Citric-
topher Hawkins might deny, Hill, as his agent (who
mull be confidered as an unwilling While's) had ad.
mined it upon his oath, he could not but be:ieve that
there was fuch an agreement. If the agreement was
of a different nature, and not for giving twenty four
guineas a man to the vraers, why did net Sir Chrino-
pher or his agents produce that agreement which had
taken place t Mr. Stoner faid he burnt thole papers;
but it was eafy to guefs what fart of papers thole
were that people are In eager to burn.. He thought
that prt fecution was the heft mode of meeting crimi-
nal offences ; but that the honour and dignity of that
Houfe might alfo require another mode of punifhing
the obtaining feats by bribery. The man who bought
his fear, was the man molt likely to fell his vote. He
hoped that they would ea towards this corrupt Bo-
rough, as Parliament had done in the cafe of Shore-
ham, Cricklade, and Ayletbury.
Mr. WINDHAM profeffed not to have liudied ibis
cafe at ail, and to know no more of it than what he
had heard fence he came into the Houle. He, how.
ever, entreated the Houfe, not to be led away by all
extrinfic confiderations, but limply confider what
was their duty upon the prefent occalion. If the
guilt were clearly proved, he did nor fee why there
might not be conenrrent profeentions at the fame
time ; but if it were doubtful, he thought it would be
too much to begin by inAißing punithment.

. .
Mr. WHITBREAD took notice, that thL R,Ol
Honourable Gentleman who (poke laft had left tht
Houfe-completely in doubt what was his opinion, r,
on which fide be meant to vote. He was differently
eircumnanced from that Gentleman, fir he had re 4
the evidence, and given Come attention to the ear,
but he could by no means conceive how the Hoof,
' could be laid to be affuming the quilt of Sir Chrifio.
pher Hawkins, by opening, as it was ulna'. to do,
with the refolution of the Committee fele&ed br
them to determine the quenion upon their oaths.
Mr. ROSE thought that the report of the Commit.
tee was fufficient to fend the party to his tijaildroye
a Court of Jullice. If any preiudice could be Cup
Ipofed to cull! here, no fuch prejudice could be Cup.
pofed to influence the common tribunals. He there.
fore was for the profecntion of Sir C. Hawkins.
After a few words from Mr. 8 IMEON and Mr,
LETHBRIDGE, the yieflion was put upon Capt.
Herbert's motion, and was negatived without a divi.
lion. The debate was then refumed upon the originit

quellion.s .
Mr. SIMEON thought the Refolutirn wns
f banded on evidence fufficiently clew. He of em.'

that there had been corrupt practices, but be did
think that aduAl bribery had been proved. He dre;

I,

a dillinaion between agreeing to bribe, which b;
th'mght had been proved, and ;rano' bribery which
he thought had not been proved. In fupport of dia
opinion, he commented at tonfiderable length on the
evidence in the Report of the Committee,
Mr. LEYCES rER, in reply to Mr Simeon,o.
Rued alio at confiderable length from the evidesce,
front which he drew an oppofite conclulion, as
cot cdered that bribery had been made out.
ll Mr. HU Rs-r repeated his former arguments, and
added, that giving the pound notes intimd of a din.
tier could not be confideted as bribery.
Mr. SWAN (Member for Penrhyn), declared,
that he never heard of loch an agreement, at the
1 time he joined his intereft with Sir Chriltopher Haw.
1 kips, and if he had believed that there was loch an
agreement, he would not have joined him. He would
(late for himfelf, and for one hundred and fixty.tsra
I freemen of Penryhn, who voted for him, that they
[knew of no loch agreement, and if they had they
would not have given Sir Chriltopher their inaepen.
dent vote:.--[A laugh.] He knew the town of Pen.
ryhn well : they had never afked from him eyes a
fingle folitat y alining, and he knew they 'pertain
corrupt.—[4 laugh.] As for the bulinefs of the one
pound notes, it was this: he had always confided
it neceffary to follow an old cuflom, which, perhaps,
would be " better in the breach titan in the obfer•
Ivance," of (hewing fome attention to his Conflituents.
Inttead, however, of opening public hooks, he found
!that it was leis expentive to diaribrite fmall hunt of
I five and ten thillings a man. When a comprcmile
was made between his friends and thofe of Sir Chrif.
topher Hawkins, it was thought right that Sir
Chriflophes Ihould give a dinner; but atterwaids,the
one pound notes were fuhßituted in the place of a
dinner, and was Get tainly only meant as a mark of
attention, and by no means as a bribe, as no oppofi-
tion was expedled in the Borough, nor was there a
probability of an Elation form taking place.
The CHANCZLLOR of the EXCHEQUER
thought that the Houfe mutt feel, that atter toe It. '
port of their Seler9 Committee, they ss ere bound 13
take tome proceedings on it. and order a profetutim
It did appear to him, that there was upon the faced
the report firificient evidence to juaify the refolutios
that the Committee had come to. He preferred a
profecution to expulfion, as it appeared to him a little
unfair that he Ihould be tirft puitifhed by expullion,
and then fent to a trial, where, pc: hapr, he might he
acquitted. If he had been returned for but one place,
the Houfe could have done nothing more than order
a profecution.
Mr. BANKES laid, there was no inflance en the
Journals of a Member being ordered to be profecuted. i
and yet allowed to keep his feat. He indanced the,
cafes of Mr. John Ridge, in the reign cfQtyen Anne .
John Coanechi, in the year 1715 ; and Sir A. Grant i
who had. all been expelled from the Houle, and sf •
terwards ordered to be profecuted. The Shepherd,
faiher and Gin, were expelled and profeented fa
bribery, in the year i 7co. It Sir Chriltopher had but
returned for but one place, the report of the Cr'*
mittee would immediately deprive him of his feat ;-
and he did not think that he lhould be in a betta
fituation, becaufe he had been returned for three
places.
Sir NV. W. WYNNE fhought that when a Con
mittee had reported any Member of that Horde to b
guilty of bribery, he fhould be no longer permittd
to fit among them.
Mr. S. BOURNE thought, that the Honk one
not both- to infliet the ponifhment of expulfion, as
order a pr.•feeution. He much preferred the late
courfe, and thought that if lie were found guilt
upon a trial in a Court of Jollice, his expullion frci
that Finnic would he merely a matter of courfe.
Mr. WHITBREAD laid, that he could ea(r
conceive a cafe, ahhough he would not fay that th:
was that cafe, where a perfon mignt he acquitted
a Court of Jultice, and yet where the Hook of Cot
mons might he fn convinced of his criminality, as,
think it necelfary to expel him. In the prefent ik
fiance, however, he was for a profeention.
Mr. ATKINS WRIGI IT replied to the argument;
that had been urged againfi his original motion.
While lirangers were excluded, we learned that
Mr. Atkins Wright. moved " that the Attorney Gc.
neral be direkted to profecute Sir Chriltopher Haw•
kins for bribery," &c.; to which motion Mr. DalltaN
moved, as an amendment, to leave out all the word'
after " That," and to fubflitute, " Sir t bridopher
Hawkins be expelled." After debating fonie• time,
Mr. Bankes's amendment was, we underilood, (for
the doors remained doled during the remainderof
the difctifflon) negatived without a divition- The
original motion for an Addrels to his MajeflYr pray'
ing hint to dire& the Attorney-General to profecute
Sir C. Hawkins, was carried, as were alto fimilar
motions for the prolecution of eighteen perform of lie
Committee of the Elefors of Penryhn, who had
fixed the price for which the votes were to be 0)14
and who had invited Sir C. Hawkins, by
a deputation
from their body, to porthole them.
al

I. was mereitby byrain Hcrbert, that Moor,

accomplice in the trancaelion, but who had given
evidence before the fele& Committee of the Houk",
Commons, fitoold alfo he profecuted by order of
1-lotife. This motion was refitted on the gook' °
h. having. alleady given evidence before the C.ln•

m•
to
ed

,!A
yen

the
1 of
otTl.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK
Cantolt, for money, 63W—May 631+ —omolum pr.
Exchequer Ms, par. to mi. dif.
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY.
Rink Stock $35 534
3 per Cent. R. An. 6s 651
3 per C. Cont. An. 6sll
4 per Cent. Sof*
5 per Cent. Navy 96it
Long AIM lit ss•s6
Short Ann.

lndfa Ssoek z 861.11
fndia Bonds sa.ss pr.
Ezeheq. Billa.par ta. dif.
Omnium i i prem.
Irifb Ditto 4 prem.
Lottet7 Tickets 191. ER'.
Confols for ace. 63{ 63

mittee of the Houfe,itad olhis tellintOny biing
ellen-
tial to the profecutions !bat had been ordered. The
Houfe divided on this queftion,-i-For Captain Her.
bert's motion 13—Againft it 46.
After the Gallery was re•openei. the Hottfe in a
Committee of Supply voted t 6841. to make good the
deficiencies of the votes for the fervice of the Britifh
Mufeum in 18os, and 38711. for the eflimated
ett-
penfes of that ettablifhment in the current year. The
Report to be received to-morrow.
The fecund reading of the Clerkenwell Parifh Bill
was put off till Monday.—Adjourned.

Some additional French and Dutch Papers have
reached us, but not later in date than thofe we an-
nounced yelierday. From one of them we have given
a letter from Madrid, containing an account of the
capture of the Britifh fchooner (the CRAFTY) with
difpatches from Admiral DUCKWORTH, and from
Malta. This letter does not mention that the dif-
patches have fallen into the hands of the enemy—a
circumftance that could hardly have been omitted to
be mentioned, had it taken place.

Refpeaing affairs at Conftantinople, the only new
article prefented in thefe papers is the following ex-
tra& from the Vienna Court Gazette of the 4th init.
" The Englifh fleet, which had direeed its courfe
for the Sea of At mora, has not made its re-appear-
ance off Cortantinople, as was apprehended. It
repaffed the Dardanelles on the sth of March, with-
out any frefh 'a& of hoftility, and has refumed its
nation off Tenedos. The reafons of this important event
are not fujictently untierflood."
A letter from Rotterdam, received yefterday, of
the date of April 19, Rates as a rumour, that Admi-
ral DUCKWORTH had again appeared off Conftanti-
nople on on the 7th of March, and adds, that a force
of 6000 men, from Sicily, had been put in poffeflion
of the forts of the Dardanelles.—We are not told how
this account found its way to Rotterdam.
On the 16th inft. the Dutch Legiflative Body ter-
minated its fitting ; on which occafion a Deputation
waited on King Louis, and prefented an addrefs to
him. In reply, the minion Monarch condoled with
the Deputation on the ftagnation of their commerce,
and the lofs of their colonies ; bnt encouraged them
with the flattering hope that the Emperor NAPOLEON
would reftore to them all their former property,
greatnefs, and power.
Letters from Gibraltar, dated early in March,
mention, that feveral (hips had paired up the Medi-
terranean, for the purpofe of affording Admiral
DUCKWORTH additional means of attacking the Otto-
mon Capital, (hould he be compelled to extremities.
Thre vefrels not only contained the ordinary means
of bombardment, but alfo carry out a very power-
ful battery of fire-rockets. The reinforcement was
expeeted to mach the Dardanelles about the middle
of March ; if, therefore, it be true that the Btitifh
fquadron has retired. as Rated in the Foreign Papers,
it may have been merely for the purpofe of forming
a jun&ion with this force, of the approach of which
the Admiral was apprifed, We truft that more cer-
tain and fatisfaltory accounts will reach us before
many days (hall have elapfed.
" MADRID, MARCH 14.

eg On the 9th intl. an Engirt galley, of 14 guns, 1
13-pounders, appeared off Cape Leon. Two Spanith
privateers immediately fet fail from Algefiras, and
took poffeflion of it, after a long and very buil
engagement. —The Prize was carried into Ceuta.—
The Englifh had five killed, and I 3 wounded : the
lots of the Spaniards was fc,ur killed, (among whom
was the Captain of one of the privateers) and to
wounded. The Engli(h galley was cart ying di [patches
to London, from the Britifh Minifter atConflantinople;
and alto difpatches from Malta."

JAMAICA MAIL.
By this Mail, the arrival of which we announced
iefterday, accounts have been received of the (ale
arrival of the Weft India fleet at Jamaica on the Bth
of March.
The abolition of the Slave Trade had produced a
great and general fenfation. It does not appear,
however, to have given any check to the ordinary
rigour of the Planters—the papers flill overflow with
advertifements for fugitive flares, and the prOfelred
(lave brokers kern to have indultrioufly availed them-
felves of the circumftance of the abolition to double
their price. There are fome ingenious calculations
to prove the impolicy of the meafure ; the injuftice,
the inhumanity of it, are paired over in a few words.
0 The Parliament of England," lays one of there
Rpers, 66 does not know the happincis of our naves.
What, in faa, is flaver y in the \Val Indies? It is
nothing but a fy item equally advantageous to Mailer
and Slave—the Mailer is fecure of fervice—the Slave
is fecure of what is fuflicient for his exiftence. He is
fecure of more—he is fecure that his wife and family
will befnpported. In what kingdom of Europe can
the poor fay as much ? Mr. WILBERFORCE is a very

worthy roan. btt he has conceived too much
at the name of " Slave."— •

The French privateers (till continue their depreda-
tions.—The preparations at Guadeloupe Rill con-
tinue :—the Jamaica Papers are full of conjeBures as
to their probable obje4t. Some of thefe conje&ures
are ridiculous enough. The mai rational opinion is
that expreffed in the King]lon Gazette:. The alarm
at the preparations at Guadaloupe is unworthy both
of our courage and our common fenfe. Why are
thefe preparations at Guada'oupe ? The anfwer may
be given in a word—they are preparing at Guada-
loupe, becaufe they fee us already prepared in Ja.
maica :—They art doing now what we hive done
two years fince :—They intend no Expedition, but
they fee us in a Rate of attack, and have therefore
the common prudence to put themfelves in a Rate of
defence."

There is no authentic intelligence from St. Do
mingo. An American veffel arrived at Jamaica re-
ported that a General Engagement had taken place,
and that Piaou had obtained a complete Vktory.
—The American (fated, however, that he had
learned this only from report ; that the illand wis
evidently in the midi of a civil war when he had
left it; and that &angers were not fuffered to land.
The mon horrible cruelties were pradifed by both
parties—no prifoners were Caved—trey were all exe-
cuted, by hanging or impalement, in the moment in
which they were taken—Pitlou was confidered as the
mon humane. The Mulattoes were to a man for
Piitou. All agriculture, both of corn and the cane,
had ceafed—the Hand was ravaged from one end to
the other.

The veffels concerned in the Smuggling Trade
between Jamaica and the Spanifh Main, report. that
a general ferment prevails through all the provinces
of Spanith America ; and that the authority of the
Government had been in vain exerted to reprefs the
fpirit of turbulence. The Militia, who hail been
armed by a late ordinance, had refufed to give up
their arms, and the Government had been obliged
to compromife.

The fleet for England was appointed to fail on the
Loth of May.

GOTTENBURGH AND HUSUM MAILS.

The Mail of the 17th arrived this day. The fol-
lowing are the principal articles of intelligence re-
ceived by this channel :

CONSTANTINOPLE, MARCH as

The Englig) Admiral has rcpaffed the Dardanelles,
where a more alive and continued fire was kept np
on him than at his former paffage. He, however,
loft only a corvette and a brig laden with ammuni-
tion, and on the 7th of March, the whole of the
Engliih. fleet was again on its old Ration off Tenedos.
The Engliih appear now to confine themfelves to
the blockade of Contlantinople, as they have already
taken fcveral merchant (hips under Turkifh colours,
bound to that capital. This hoftility againft private
property, has induced the Porte to have recourfe
to repasts, and the real has been placed not only on
the palace of the Engin Ambaffador, buton the ware-
houfes of the Englifh merchants ; and it is underftood
the declaration cf war againfi England, which will be
publiihed in a few days, will be accompanied by a
Firman, ordering the coufifcation of all Englith pro-
perty and goods, without exception, throughout the
whole Turkifh empire. _ _

The Porte has formally acknowledged the new
king. of Holland and of the two Sicilies, and figni-
fied to Count Ludolph, the Minifler of king Ferdi-
nand IV. that in future he can only be confidered as
a private individual.

BERLIN, APRIL 14.
Letters from Dantzig announce that the fiege of
that place h continued with much aaivity ; the gar-
rifon has indeed made ftveral forties, but has always
been repulfed with lots ; we are allured that fome
Ruffian troops have arrived in that city, which were
Cent by lea. In one of the lift forties 4o Ruffians
were made prifoners.
Four hundred Pruffians from Koniglberg who de-
bat ked almoft oppolite Pillau, (cutely arrived at the
village of Karlfber when they were taken by a fmall
French divilion : among thefe 400 men are 120 boric-
men.—( From the Telegraph).
NUREMBERG. APRIL 9.

A report is circulated on the Lower Maine that an
armittice has been concluded between the belligerent
powers of the Continent, according to which there
will be between the two armies a (pace of 25 German
miles unoccupied by the troops of either party, but
which will be neuter.--.L'Aki/k :t1
..0 _pr 17.

BAMBERO, APRIL to.

They write from Pofen, under date of the 2 rft of
March, that intelligence from good authority con.
firms the report circulated tome time fince. of nego.
ciations having been entered into by the Belligerent
powers, and add, that, zccording to the turn which
there negotiations have taken, there is room to be-
lieve that peace will loon be ligned.—ldem.
VIENNA, APRIL 4.
The St. Petes:Purg6 Court Gazette of the 22d of
February (Gth of March, N. S.) under the head of
Koningiberg, contains the following intelligence :
" Governor General Ruchel has been ordered by
the King to Memel ; but his Excellency will only
makea thort flay, and will immediately return hither.
The French General Bertrand arrived here from the
French bead quarters, and has alfo fet out for Memel,

accompanied by Major Aid de•eatnp kleift, and a
Cabinet Courier. We are ignorant of the objea of
his miffion, but whatever may be the nature of the
propofitions he has to make; his Majefly is firmly
deiermined to reject all 'Aegociations which (ball'
relite to the Pruftan Monarchy eaclufively, and not
take any Rep without the content of Ruifia and
England, his allies."

" GOTTENBURGH, APRIL 16.
• lig Accounts have reached us to-day (but not offs•
cial ones), that the Swedifh army from Stralfund has
taken poffeffion of Roßock in Mecklenberg, and that
in its march thither woo more prifoners have, fince
the affairs of the sd and 4th infant, fallen into its
hands, betides baggage, ammunition, &c. and a
eonfiderable fum of money equal to about 80,0001.
Reding; the prifoners previoufly remarked, it is lard,
that a general difcontent prevails in the French ar
mies in Poland; in confequence of the hard fervices
they have been expofed to. Indeed, from all ac-
counts, it would teem that if a Cafe rallying point
could be offered them, great defertions would take
place."