Star.
London, England, 1803-02-04 00:00:00

GREENOCK, FEBRUARY t.

Arrived here on Saturday, in 33 days, the Arh
adne,
.1°14,135-opt, from Batbadocs, with the lots
of her boats, which were can ied away, with almaf
every thing elfe on the main deck, in a dreadful
gale, about the beginning of lafi month. which
fatted fevers) days. On the 13th ultimo. (poke
the American (hip Minerva, LINDSAY, in lat. 48.
long. 23. from Charleikon for this port, all well,
!ben out 35 days, the Captain of which informed
Captain JOHNSTON, that he had been lying to for
7 days in the fame gale.
The Sally, SHAW, from this port to Hambargb.
was weU on the Bth ult. in Lochleigh, near Staffs.
North Highlands.

French politics are completely at an end at the
ICJurt of Peteriburgb. The Cabinet of Ruffle
has at length dircovered that the name and
influence of the Emperor Axe: Aimee have been
employed by the French Court only, to exalt its,
own power, by making the former the dupe of its
intrigues. The Court of ROSA has been governed
ever fince the death of the Emperor Pact. by the
moll pacific emMeils. Remote from the fceneenf
danger, and anxious to reflore the bleffings.of
peace to the di/trailed world, that Court lent its
power and influence to Inch meafures, as appeared
likely to 'fee this defirable obje&. But when it
perceived the rapid and gigantic Arida of Gallic
ambition, it wikly reverted to that found policy
which is fo worthy of its greatnefs, and has alto-
ether renounced the connetlion which it had
formed with France, with the Cole view of bringing
about a general peace.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF KINO*,, BENCH, FEB. 3.
THE KING V. RICE.

The Defendant, Lieutenant henry Rice, was
brought up to receive fentence for tending a chal
lenge to Captain Freemantle, of the Ganges. He
had let judgment go by default. To-day, his own
Counfel, Mr. I...lest:lac, moved fur the judgment
of the Court. The information was therefore now
read. The belt ray to convey a proper idea of
this very curious cafe will he, to Rate the fubllance
of the affidavits on both fides.
Captain Freemantle Rates, that he was Com-
mander of his Majeily's (hip Ganges in the years
t Soo and t Not ; °trimmed a part of the Channel
fleet. For I,rne time the Defendant was Fittl
Lieutenant, but in December 'Soo deponent con-
fidered it his duty to apply to Lord St. Vincent to
remove him ; he was folely .floated by a regard
to the good of :he fervice, and had no motives of
a perfonal kind ; the Defendant was luperfeded by
the Admiralty, and another Officer was appointed
in his Read. Nothing more paired between the
parties till the 16th of July lalt, when the depo-
nent, at his houle at Swanbourne in Buckingham-
(hire, received the following letter by the Pod :
" st tt, " No. 5, Adam-rtreer, A,Ldphi.
" I here mentioned to all my irtenth your Conine Looduct to t
. .

me, a conduct which I mutt fay is um •rxikme.m.iii,,lintson.'s,6,l•.
and ..itfts . You told he gallain Ad. tura) (Lord St. Vin-
cent's), who then commanded the Channs.l Ike?, an 4lfiate
fapy with refiwa to me. and in conkquence of this fatife re-
prefentation I was luncrfQded. Ark me 'fun, or my friends,
Tvioat will heal the wounds you have ineLled ? They

will tell you, that nothing remain except to give me, in the
field, that C164(261,4,1' which every Gentleman In England,
whole feelings have been injured and outrag.-d like mine, has a
right to demand from the perfon who has done him fuck an in-
jury. hly mind has been long prepared to mak,. every Lrrifice,
and be Aimed I Wall rather bleed on the I.:atibld, than Cubmit
to be trampled on by a petty tyrant.
l am, Sir, with the mutt marked contempt, &c.
EDWARD lIENIIT
" Poftfeript.--1 revel your anfwer loon. at be :aired I do
net mean that the butinela thould nit h-r,."

lie received another letter, reproachinghim for
not anfwei ing this one, when on the 27th of July
he wrote to the Lords of the Admiralty, inclofing
them both. He commanicated information of this
Ilep to the Dcfendant, from whom, on the tßth of
Augull, he received a third letter, cont. • • g there
espreffions:—" Your condua relcmbles that of a
dirty, fnivelling boy at Ichool, who, when he is
afraid of being beat, applies to the mailer. I per-
ceive that you have not thefcelings of a gentleman;
therefore it is unneceffary to thy more." Captain
F. farther Rates, that, fincc the commencement of
the profccutiin he has finial times met the De-
fendant, nhol,ati never failed by words or geftures
to insult him. On the igth of December he met
him in a lireet at the Weil end of the town, when
he laid, '! Are you not afliamed of what you have
done and was going on to tile other opprobri-
ous espreflions, when depon:nt walked rid. Again,
on the tBth, in Pall Mall, he oloet yeti the De-
fendant following him ; to avoid him he went into
the bode of a friend ; he believes that the Defers.
dant remained opposite the houfe the whole time,
as, when he came out, he was immediately ad-
dretfed by him in theft words:—" You have taken
an unfair advantage of me by complaining to the
Admiralty." Deponent replied, " My duty to
the King's fervice required that I Should take this
Step ; but I cannot dilcufs the propriety of it with
you." A number of people gathered round, when
he walked away. He believes it was the Defen-
dant's °Nell to hold him up to contempt for apply
ing to the Admiralty, refuting to fight, and com-
mencing this prolectition.
Mr. I:asocias then desired the affidavits on the
part of the Dcfendant. to be read.
Lieutenant Soaley ,fwears that he was third
Lieutenant on board the Ganes from Auguft
teoo, till April iftot. He confidered the condo&
of the Defendant as gentlemanly and officer-like;
he was not quarrelfome, and always behaved re-
fpeelfully to Capt. Freemantle. One day in No-
vember, 11300, Capt. F. called up I.ieut. Rice on
deck, d—d his blond, and Paid he deferred to be
hanged, and that he would hang him. Lieut. R.
was going to reply, when he exclaimed, " Hold
your tongue, or I will confine you." Soon after
Captain F. in deponent's prefence. read a letter to
Lord St. Vincent over to the Defendant, laying,
that if the Defendant would not fecal his com-
plaints to the Admiralty, he would try him by a
Court Martial for having fent a boat on Shore,
contrary to orders. This affair of the boat hap-
pened two months before. The Defendant refufed
to do fo, unlefs Captain F. fhould apologife to him
for the words he had tiled. This Captain F. thid
lie would not do, and put him under arra. At=
terwards the Gunner brought a meffage, which
he had received. in thefe ords—" Tell Rice I
have no with to hurt him, I am as an xictiv. to make
it up as he is. If he will write to Lord St. Via- I
cent, laying that his complaints were premature,
matters would eafily be arranged." The Defen-
dant replied he was ready to make all honourable
conceflluns, but Captain F. mull apologife. The
Gunner returned with orders to fay that Captain
F. would not apologife firft ; hut he afterwards
came back again with an invitation for the Defen-
dant to meet the Captain on Shore. They both
went on Shore accordingly. The Defendant upon
his return teemed extremely ditratisfied. He was
obliged to keep a watch like the Junior Liente.
mats, a thing extremely unufual in a (hip of the
line. In a thou time he was fufpended, and af.
terwards irregularly fuperfeded by the Admiralty
—They were then off Brea, but a Ship, the Rut:
fel, was returning to England ; on board this (hip
the Captain refuted to let him go, and detained
him unneceffarily ten or twelve days in a very de-
grading fituation.
Henry Rice, the Defendant, depofes, that be
was appointed Firll Lieutenant to the Ganges in
taco. She was then lying at Portfmouth. He
was unknown to Captain Freemantle, and received
letters of introduEtion to him, to which he paid no
attention. The Deponent believes that he was much
chagrined in not being allowed to name his own
officers. Deponent's father and tillers being on
the coal!, came on board for an hour. When they
were lime, the Captain appeared violently angry,
and Asti to Do not you know that I do.

not chute company on boat-3 my velfcl ?"—To
which he replied, that it was not poffible for a
fin to tell his Father, you Fauf ret t•jit ear
While the (hip was lying at Shithead, the Captain
on going on !lore one day, left the following Or-
den." Let all the women be fent away before
three o'clock in the afternoon, and let no boat he
fent on Ihore after thath,,ttr.".Depottent was not
on board at the time, and did not arrive till after
three, lo that he was not refponfible for the execu-
tion of this order. He found that about tso had
been fent away, but that to or to fill remained.
He ordered a midlhipman to carry theft on (lune,
and return immediately. This young man did rot
return till nett morning, and had 101 l three of his
crew. Captain F. was in a violent paffion, and
threatened to bring Deponent tn a Court Martial;
but upon a properexplanation taking place he was
pacified, and nothing more was laid of that mat-
ter for two months after. After the grofs language
deice ibed by Lieut. Maley, he wrote the following
letter to Lord St. Vincent
MT LORD,

It is with reat concern 1 nate that I have been molt mote-
ferve,ny ill-treated by my Commanding Officer. He damned
my Wood, laid that I ought to be hanged, and that bewould
%lug me. It I me. it loch language lam certainly eat fur my
ilia/doh hut, confcious film I have tnhaved .an ulcer and
Grneknytn. I demand an Inquiry: and lum t that, if your
Lortithin fulnekut rrafun, you will not deny me one.
Nutt receiving an anfwer he wrote again, ea.
prciling how miferable he was under the fligma
that there attacked to him. Soon after Captain
F. threatened to try him for find'ng the brat on
!kora, unlefs he Mould meal his co.uplaisits. The
Affidavit mei), confirmed the liatement of
Lieutenant Soaley, as to the letters to Lord it.
Viocent's upon that foible& and the fubfequent
overtures for accommodation by the Captain ; as
to the dinner on More, it liated that the Defendant
had In firmly relied upon it, that Captain Free.
mantle intended to make an apology, that he had
written to Lord St. Vincent, begging him to de.
they hi. 'etre, s, and think no more of the coo.
plaint. But „hen he met Captain Freemantle
on those, fo far from the apology he expeeed,
the Captain laid, in a very 46 and tralant
manner, 4, You cannot fuppote that what I
(poke in paflion was ferionily meant. The fame
thing may again happen within a month ;--but
I give my word and honour I will take no ad.

vantage of your conduet about the boat." This
deponent confidered extremely unfatisfadory, and
therefore refilled to dine with him He was on
his return obliged to keep the watch, and feworal
initances were limed of Captain F. attempting to
bring him into contempt with the men. la Ja-
nuary, dor, Captain F. Paid be had received a
letter from Mr. Nepean, by which deponent was
ftiperfzded. Deponent laid he would not confider
himielf as fuperfeded unlefs by an order coming
regularly from Lord St. Vincent. " Then I far-
pend you," Paid the other. " Am Ito confider
myielf as a prifrmer 1" allied deponent. " You
may confult the dictionary for the meaning of the
word," replied the Captain. The fame fads were
Rated about the Captain's refufal to allow him to
return to England by the Ruffel, after the regu-
lar order arrived, with this addition, that on ac-
tion was every day expelled, and that he could
have claimed no part of the Ihip. Next came a
letter, dated on the 27th of kit month, which he
bad received from Lord St. Vincent, to the fol-
lowing effect
lar—Althoogli I maw, in ray dicta capacity. Wafers to
year favour, u a scatlasaa, 1 mutt fay that it miaowing so
your exemplary conduit! off Cadiz that you were promoted
from -- so the tarn, are. ST. waterer.
The deponent concludes by laying, that from.
thee repeatedindignities, when he was no longer
in aCtual ferrite, being free from the laws of rub.
ordination, he confidered himfelf called upon•to
demand fatisfathon. He expreles contrition for
having violated the law ; but declares that he felt
no malice to Captain Freemantle, and was merely
actuated by a define to afkrt his own honour.
Admiral Montague's affidavit fluted that the
Defendant had long (erred under him in the &1..
ferent fituations of Midtbipman and Lieutenant ;
that he had every opportunity of knowing his
character, and that be always appeared to him
to be moil zealous for the interelL and honour of
the nariy ; that for a great number of years he had.
not known him in a tingle inflance difobedient or
reluctant to obey orders ; that he was by no means
of a rgarrdftwie or litigious difpofition, but no the
contrary of mild manners, and of that esrllanL
peed even towage, that was equally incapable of
giviaz or of kering infults. This affidavit concluded'
with paying the highett compliment to bis cha-
rafter in general as an officer.
A number of affidavits followed Admiral Mon-
tague's as to the Defendant's charafter amongft
them were the affidavits of Captain Drury of the
Neptune, Capt. Mork, Lieutenant Tilnan of the
Sampfon, and in thort of aimed every Officer
whom he had ever ferved under, or who had been
his meffmate ; as alfo of the Surgeons of the dif-
ferent Chips in which he had ferved. Their affida-
vits perfectly agreed, in defignating the following
as the character of the Defendant, that he was a
man wild in bit towoneet, rOellfnl sad olvoSent to bit
foperiors, lived to bit itfetiors, and of a thipofttioa to
amiable and toneittating, that be Wel wsiverfaily ryjoefied
and beloved 11 all et& barn ban.
Mr. Ga a aow rofe on the part of the profecution,
but was flopped by the following queltion
Lord ELLTNIOROUCIN—Pray, Mr. Garrow, is
not this rofecution at the instance of the Admi-
ralty f•Blir. GARROW—.It is, my Lord.
Lord ExxialloltOUCH—Then I thould wills that
thii bufinefs may lie over till the Admiralty, and
Lord St. Vincent's have an opportunity of reading
the affidavits which we have now heard read. It
will then be for their deferetion, whether they may
think proper to bring the Defendant up for judge
went or not.

Mr. G wow took the hint and fat down.

Lord Etta:omens/0N then obler4i, that then
had been very improper condo& face the cons.
mencement of this profecution--(Here he alluded
to the Defendant's infulting the Profecutor in St.
James's•llreet and Pall.mall)—lf this condo& was
perfifted in, he fad the Court would be inclined
to all with feverity to the Defendant.
Lieutenant Rico then withdraw.—Tarn mar.

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, FEB. 3.

IN CONTINUATION FROM THE PRECEDING FACE.

THE KING V. WISE.

The defendant, Ifaac Wife, had been commit•
ted to Newgate, on a charge of uttering bad money
to a perfon of the name of Dumpy, and entered
into a confpiracy with others, fome of whom have
received the fentence of the law, to bribe the pro-
fecutor not to appear againit him. The parties
were profecuted and conviaed of this confpiracy,
and the defendant was brought up to receive the
juidgment of the Court.
Mr. GARROW, on the part of the profecution,
°braved, that this was one of the word offences
that could be committed, inafmuch as it tended
to defeat the Admini(lration of inflict, by bribing
a winters to abfent himfelf, and nor to give evi-
dence. Some of thole who had been engaged in
this confpiracy along with the defendant, had fuf-
fered imprifonment for a certain time, and that
was taken into confederation by the Court, when
they pronounced their judgment. But that was
not the cafe with the defendant, for he had only
recently returned from a foreign country.
Mr. Mike GROS, obferved that this was a very
alarming offence to every man, who coafidered
the confequenee of defeating the procefs of the
law, or the defeating of thole profecutions, which
for the fake of the public mutt neceffarily be en-
forced.

The Court having taken all the circumflances
of this cafe into confederation, ordered the defen
dant to be committed and detained at the New
Prifon, aerkenwell, for one year.