Star.
London, England, 1804-12-21 00:00:00

CAPTURE OP THE ALMA.

Yefterday a meeting at held at Lloyd's Coffee.
honk, to take into confideration the capture of the
Althea, and the cerrefporidence which has taken
Iplace on this fubjeet with the Court of Dirators of
the EaR India Company, &c. . ,
Mr., Mavoa opened the bufinefs in a long and'
able-. fpeech. We can only
bgvi,vreecairiketch of the
Principal points. He .began the atten-
tion of the Meeting to the 'RefoladtTogns of their
Committee on the 3oth of Oftober, a copy of which
was tranfmitted to Lord Castlereagh and the Court
of Ditators. On the part of his LordOsip an in- I
terview was obtained, and Mr. R f tranfrnit-
ted from the Court of Dirators a paperameY
containing
obrervations on the Refolutions of t Corom'
deigned to loftily thole inaruCtions of the Giotivtee,
nor General to which the tor; of the Althea :vas er.
he attributed. It was his duty on the preferntolcsta:
fion to offer a few obfervations on this -a
flruck him as being one of the moil. extraordinaryppefic
produftions he had ever witneffed. lied it indeed
been the production of a folitary individual, he
filsconld have paired it over in contempt, but profeffing
to..come from the whole Court of Direftore, and
brought forward as a complete anfwer so the Ref o-
Intim of the Committee, it 'claimed the ferious at-
tention of the meeting. The charge reside by the
Committee was one of the cleareft imaginable. It
was limply this—that in confequence of inllrudions
frost% the Governor General to Captain Maxwell on
the -troth and 27th of February lA, Entail (hips were
excluded from that proration granted to a foreign
drips and that the confequence of thefe inftruilions
was the capture of the private fhip the Althea, value
foot, hundred thoufand pounds. This charge was
founded, in the firs inlar.ar no a letter of Mr.Lumf.
den to Captain Maxwell, on the 6th of February, Rat-
ing, that leave war granted to a Portuguefe fhip to
proceed to Europe under his convoy, and that Capt.
Maxwell was to afford this fhip all the proteflion in
his power, confittent with the fafety of his ir•-ne-
diate charge. The other document to rapport the
charge, was the letter of inflruCtions to Capt. Max-
well, informing him that five private flips, of which
the Althea was one, had leave to proceed under con-
vey of two flips of war ; but that it was not the in-
tention of his Excellency, that Captain Maxwell
fhould take charge of the private (hips after feparat-
ing. from the ihips of war, or to fuller his pairage to
be in any degree retarded by he rivate Rips. It
wasaimpofilhle, he contended, t
not to fee the very
marked dittinetion in the fort of protation to be
given to thefe Portuguefe veins and the property of
the British merchant. The Governor• General, doubt-
lets, as Mr. Mayor contended, in confequence of or-
ders from Leadenhall-fireet, had Wiled inftrultions
leaving Briiirh flips
of immenfe value atfolutely un-
proteited. But this was not the extent of there orders.
They not only did not provide for the proteftion of
the veffels, but abfolotely prohibited Captain Maxwell
from yielding them any affift once, even in cafes of the
greateft peril. Captain Maxwell was clearly inlarad•
ed to afford every fort of protation to the Portugoefe
thip dining the whole voa2ge ; but, he is oti quitting
the flips.-of war to make the bell of his, way to
Europe without once 4hinking of the fate of the
private flips. and this at a time when the Lakes-is
Seat were infefied by an enemy's fquadron. It was
not indeed eafy to conceive a negative againit protec-
tion,snorb (honey expreffed than in the Governor's
inffiruliions. this was the fair flatement on which
the iefolutions of the Committee were founded.—
What was the reply of the Court of Dirators.? Had
they in a manly and candid manner acknowledged
that they were aßoniffied at the extraordinary in-
Rrultions which had given rife to the Refolutions of
the Committee ; that they were totally unable to ac-
count for them ; and that without delay they Would
write to India for the fpecdieft explanation, accom-
panied fly orders, to prevent the repetition of fimi-
lar extraordinary inflrueficas in future. If they
Waited in this manner, he was fore the Committee
would have felt themfclves indebted for Rich candid
tondua. This could only, however, have proceeded
front total innocence in the bufinefs, and complete
ignorance of loch inftruaions having been given by
the Governor-General. This ground being untena-
ble, the Dire&ors began their defence by reference
to what Captain Maxwell had done for
was far the
fr pom
ro-
, teition of the whole convoy. He
• trifling to throw the flighteft infinisation on the eba-
rafter of that Officer. On the contrary he was eon-
-winced that he did his duty on every odcafion, with
fidelity and fpirit. But this was not a quefiion refpec-
, ring his merits, which were not difputed, but whether
the extraordinary of& es to which he had been alluding
had not occalloneci tl:e lots of the Alvitea ? A pofitive
wohibitien was slimly not annihilated, though all
the bad confequences which might have refotlted
• from it. had not taken place. The cie amine of he ,
;nitrations ilia recur' ed for confiderattoo. The Court
near aliened that their difpatch from Bengal did not
allude to the orders in queltion. is was of no eon-
fequence, fince it was not attempted to he denied that
the inftrations were feat to Captain Maxwell in an
of (cum. What, however, put the matter to tea
was, that Captain Maxwell in his evidence Rated that
he confidered the Wit ations as abfolotely depriving
him of all controul over the private flips. Mr.l44avor I
commented very ably on this part e anfwee of
the Direitors, and maintained that it was impoffible 1
:1 pit their conitrutlion on the orders without con
• 1. g• 1 the pl ainch ter ms of language.. He !hewed
-ion. in A ,
:.iat it was impoaible to conceive a prohibition drawn
op in terms left liable to millnierpretatioo. He went:
• 4m to comment on the fourth fe3icn of the anfwer ef
which Le argued was not applicable
i ttlic,:..thi:i7r:6l;rs)The ;.riv-ate merchants complained, not
that t:leas..!-: ips did not prote& the private
fhip, but thac3tiliner'l6itila, teetion prooted to a forever
fuhj..:B. This was the
.1' . was withheld croon •a B,;:ifi,
% contraa they held up,
lant,cl L taiinthAelarithenell lad
ht.
; c trot t .iii lots o
C.onsmiztec. The next part of the
Nlay.lr mulled was the inter-
tri
b Ile evidenced t
bco 11:• re,:t'll':e.
'10).10 on whiz .
't Lord liawkefbury's office.
view of the Comm.''c‘
' " Noble ',old did e,-
.•
At that intervicw. tOottg.::r.cf.
the
Cow t of Di.. c.
dcavour to dc': c.] the
h An!'
ton, adrnittcd that t
rottedieii.. ritei,;. ra)ti.:!-Ice
.?;:iarr
fiern•Gi.:l:n.ctt-
cal's orders 'gas
"ic
en•and made it highly re
9.1.'
she
minds of
di!.
" e 'the oature of the protec-
, , Cary that, for the foto! .
e itdps Noold he defined
rs to be affordea to
. „„ ,i,c„itai as pcic. IPfinsi"atafwer wait.eccifive is is-

your of the refolutions of tifi Committee. The private
merchants could not defire any thing more explicit
in favour of the extenfion of, and protedion to,
a trade fo much encouraged by the Legislature,
and fo loudly demanded by the Country. At this
interview one remarkable obrervation was made by
Lord Cafilereagh, that, generally, a!! order: relea-
la: to the fang of the Company's (hips originated
in England. Having flailed what refers to this
interview, Mr. Mayor direded the attention of the
Meeting to fame circumflances which came out
on the examination of Captain Maxwell, which
Itrongly confirm:4i the fufpicions of the Commit-
tee, that the orders which occafioned the lots of
the Althee, were fent from Leadenball greet.
He admitted, in the entitle of his evidence, that he
had ()titer order: than thofe already difclofed at the
period of his failing from Bengal, but declined,,9.44-
aq of their. This remarkable anfwer the Commit-.
tee had tranffnitted to the Court of Direftors, accom-
panied by a requelt of a copy of there orders.—The
Dire/tors admitted there were other inftruftions, but
Rated that they did not relate to the Althea. This was,
however, mere evafinn, for it was ridiculous to think
that there inflrudiono did not relate to the proteCtion
of all the trade ready to fail, of which the Althea
formed a part. The very circumflance of the prohibi-
tion not extending to the Porturefe fhip, formed a
ftrong proof that the Governor aded in conformity to
orders recently received. In this, Rate of things, the
Direhtors had declined the further dircirlEon of the ruby
jed, and it was necelfary for the merchants to ellablifh
the juttice of the conftrudion put on the orders in the
Refolutions of the Committee. Mr. Mayor then ex-
plained the mode in which the inveßigation (hould be
demanded, which will I.e feen iielow. He doled his
long and able fpccch by fume obrervations nn the im-
portance of the private trade, which had encountered
fo much hoftility from the Corset of Direftors, and Co
little dired fupport from the Executive Government.
At prefent the private merchants could rot Packer
themfeives under a fmaller premium than 25
Though this Itlid not amount to an abfolute prohibi-
tion, yet it would, if continued, materially tend to
tenure this trade into the hands of thole Foreign Na-
tions from whom Britith merchants had wrelled it.
The private merchants were at prefent in the fitua-
tion of being cheated, deceived, and denied that pro-
tedion granted to foreigners, and this too in a branch
of trade which, from its dißant pofition, left them no
opportunity of remedying the evil by timely remon-
(trance or encreafed premiums. But the private
merchants had mule of complaint. not only againa
the Government, but the Company. For feveral
years the Company had armed their Ibips to pro-
ted the Bengal traders, which paid a premium
of one per cent. If the Althea had paid this
premium, be was informed, on high legal autho-
rity, that the Minters had a right to recover from
the Company the whole value of the fhip. If this
(hould be found to be the cafe, the Company might
depend on it he (hould not lore Gght of the Wands.
—Previous to his fitting down he made Tome pointed
'remarks on the high pretenfions of the Company, and
their hats! tmatincnt of the private merchants, which
perfilled in would prove a Rrong a.rgoment againft
she renewal of their charter, the applicatiots for vihids
*a; at no very remote period. a concluded with
moving the folkwing refolutions :
Hcf.,!ved, That the proceedings of the Committee, purfuant
to the Refolutioos of 'the rex detaber lift, have fully confirmed
the R.cialusans of the General Meeting of that day, that the
drudions of the Governor General of the 6th and ayth of Febru-
ary laft, precluded Botch (hips from the protedlon which was at
the fame time granted to a foreigner, and In confequenee of which
the Althea, of the waits of above acopool. la into the hands of
the enemy, sod aa being equally extraordinary and repreben6ble.
Reeked, That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to the
Chairman and the Members of the Cosuaittee, for the seal and
ability with which they fupportad and earned into died the Re-
ligation. of the General Meeting. • . •
, Refulatal, That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to Mr
rilwor, for his caulk& an this =alba.
Which were adopted.

On Friday evening lift, about fix o'clock, as Mr
and Mrs. DISNIV, of Surbiton-houfe, were returning
from town in a curricle, they were (lopped on the hill
near Kingßon, within too yards of the turnpike gate,
by two men armed with ittol,, who robbed them of
two valuable gold watches, and Bank of England
notes to the amount of 321.
On Tuefday fr'nnight, while the 'flay Companies
of Volunteers were vozrching from the Square to the
1,,,4ay, at Greenock, in order to embark, one of the
privates was obliged to quit theranks, being furl-
day feized with ficknefs. He was immediately tart
tied to his lodgings, where he expired alma inflan-
taneoufly.
Wednefday as a nnifery-maid was caring Oxford-
fleet, near Bond beet, irith a child in her arms, and
leading another, (be was knocked down by a car•
riage, one of the wheels of which went over the young.
cft child, by which it was fo mach hurt as to render
its recovery hopelefs.
Some days fince an apprentice to a fhopkeeper op.
polite the ViCtualling Office at Chatham, in opening
a drawer to ferve tome ivory black, unfortunately
rniflook the contents of the drawer, which was filled
with gunpowder, and a (park falling from the candle,
it blew up with a great explofion, by which the Osop-
window was forced out, and the boy moft dreadfully
burnt.
foe evenings fince the linen warehoufe of Meffrs.
Murphy and Co. of Paternoller row, was entered by
means of falfe keys, and robbed of a large quantity
of l,ilh linens b y thieves at prefent unkbown.
Friday night, the warehoufe of Mr. Joule Twos(
zoo, merchant in Stirling, was broke into, and
goods to a confiderable amount carried off.
On Tuefday morning early the premifes of Mr.
Jackman, of Kingfland Road, were difcovered to be
broke open, and property ttolen to the amount of up-
wards of pl.
A few evenings fince, fume perfon or perfons got
up to the uinchw of a bed room, at the Plough, in
Little Dourton, Ostiirdlhiic, in which lay the dead
body of a man ; they puiled a fiseet frern off the
body, unpinned another which was wrapped round
it, an. were drawing it towards the window, when
fortniiately the head attic': againit a pewter plate,
which falling on the (him, by its noife alarmed the
people in the !mule. On entering the room they found
the corge with the hc.td lyi! g on the floor, and drawn
near to the window ; but for this timely intrution, it
is fuppoled the body and lien wositi have been taken
off together.