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

MEETING OF SHIP OWNERS.

Yelterday a Meeting of the Ship Owners of Lon-
don took place at the London Tavern, for the
purpofe of taking into confideration the Report
of the Committee appointed to invelligate the va-
rious circumftances calculated to thew that the
Tonnage Duty is molt oppreffive in its operation.
Mr. HILL was in the Chair ; and by his defire
the Report was read by the Secretary.
The CHAIRMAN then addreffed the Meeting in a
very neat and appropriate fpeech. To the Corn-
mittee the higheft praifes were due for the diligence
and activity they had difplayed both in their col.
!alive and individual capacity. They had fre-
quently had interviews with Mr. Addington and
his confidential friends; they had laboured moll
affiduotifly to convince him that the Tax was of
the molt ruinous nature, and that, in imputing it,
he counteraaed all the maxims of policy which had
regulated the public meafures ofGovernment from
the earlieft times of our hiflory. They had endea-
voured to imprefs on his mind the neceffity of giv.
ing every encouragement to the Shipping Intereft,
at the time when all the Governments of Europe
were adively employed in encouraging commercial
enterpnfe. They had infifted more particularly
on the neceffity of this encouragement, at a mo-
ment when the Firft Conful of France was ufing
every effort to revive that fpirit of commercial ac-
tivity, which the horrors of internal commotion,
and the dangers of external warfare, had fufpend-
ed. After illultrating thefe points, the Chairman
proceeded to allude to certain expreflions employ-
ed by *n Honourable Baronet (Alderman Curtis)
in the Houfe of Commons, refpeCting the increafe
of the fhipping intereft. In alluding to this fub-
jal, he was abundantly fenfible that it was not,
at that time, his province to refer to what had
been Paid in the Houle of Commons. He had too
much refpea for that Honourable Body ever to
entertain a with of infringing any of their pri-
vileges, but the expreflions to which he refer-
red had been, he underllood, repeated in other
places, and therefore they were a fair fubjeft
of animadverfion.—The Honourable Baronet had
laid, that the fhipping intereft had filled their
coffers during the war, and it was but fair that
they fhould now difburfe a certain portion of the
gains for the public. If thefe were not the Ho-
nourable Baronet's exprefs words, they fully con-
veyed the meaning which he meant to convey. It
was hardly, he conceived, neceffary for him to Rate
to the Meeting, what was a matter of knout ex-
perience, that very little money was obtained by
the (hipping trade, and that this little was gained
at the expence of great rifksand numerous dangers.
But it was not neceffary to put the matter folely
on this footing. Without meaning to call any im-
proper refleetion on the eonduCt of the Hon. Ba•
ronet, without meaning to throw out the flighted
infinuation that the fortune which he had acquired
during the lad war was not fairly and honourably
acquired, he might be permitted to fay, that the
Hon. Baronet's own expreflions applied as thong-
ly as the Ship-owners, to the eircumflance in which
he was now placed. The Meeting were fufficiently
aware that the Hon. Baronet had very confidera-
bly increafed his fortune by the loans and contra.%
which, Curing the war, he had .obtained from the
Government.

Here a letter from the shipowners of Hull was
read, Gs the fubjeft of the Refolutions of the
Chamber of Commerce. From thefe Refolutions,
which tended to countenance the idea that the
Tonnage Duty was not oppreffive to the trading
intereas of the kingdom at large, and of Hull in
particular, they had found it necefrary to inaitute
a correfpondence and co-operation with the Ship.
owners of London, and, in coming to this deter-
mination, they had met with the concurrence of

the whole (hipping interell, with the exception of
a few individuals.

In corroboration of there general ftatements, Mr.
HILL took occafion to adduce tome very important
fads. He Rated, that while every article employed
in Shipping had, within the lad two years, in•
created in price upwards of 72 per cent, the in.
create of freight had not been more than 20, to
that there was a lots of about so per cent. for
which there was no profped of obtaining an equi-
valent.

After the Refolutions of the laft Meeting, held
on the IR of December, were read by the Secre-
tary. the Chairman adverted to the manner in
which the Petition had been prefented to the Houfe
of Commons by the Lord Mayor, and paid his
Lordfhip louse very high but well merited com-
, pliments for the alive and zealous part he had
taken in this bufinefs.
A Motion for a Vote of Thanks to the Com-
mittee gave rife to a long defultory converfation
refpeeting the expreffions which had been em-
ployed by Alderman Curtis on this fubjeet.
A Gentleman, whole name we did not learn,
contended that the Hon. Baronet had included in
his flatement the (hipping of the EMI India Com-
many, and this was followed up by others, who
I argued, that the EaR India Shipping never was
*included in an enumeration of the general (Lipping
of the private Merchants.
Several letters were read from Ship builders of
eminence, which certainly did very materially in-
validate the Honourable Baronet's Ratement.--
There was one from a (hip builder in Rotherhithe,
Itatinic that fince the stk of Oftober, only
one (Lip had been built in that yard, whereas in
about the fame period after the American war there
was no lets than five completed. Other letters
mentioned that no (hips had been built fine the
peace but filch as were previonfly ordered. A
letter from the Dock Yard of Mr. Perry noticed
that he had not fince the peace built a tingle (hip
but for the EaR India Company. The letter of
Jofiah Young was, if poffible, Rill more explicit.
It alerted that there was sot a tingle (hip building
in the River but !hips for the EaR India Company,
with the exception of one fmall veffel. Mr. HILL
produced additional fa'ls, all tending to the fame
°Wee. It had keen Rated by the Minifter, that the
Britifh fhirping of Ana greatly exceeded that of i
the preceding year, but that the foreign (hipping i
had confiderably diminitheil. The explanation of I
this lattercircumfiancewahhoweverobvious. The

increafe of the foreign 'hipping in spot arofe from
the number of veils that entered the ports of this
Country with fupplies of wheat. There was ann.
ther circumftance likewife to be taksn into confi-
deration, and that was the law paired in 1786 for -
regiflering (hips. By the regulations of that Ad,
our (hips indeed immenfely increafed on paper,
but this was not the fair method of afcertaininF the
aftual amount of (hipping. He concluded with a
few remarks expreffive of the importance of pro-
teeing and encouraging our (hipping, at a time
when our trade was the protedion of the commerce
of the civilized world.

The Vote of Thanks then paired, as alto one to
the Prefident, and the Meeting adjourned.

PRESENT STATE OF PARTIES.

(FROM THE TRUE BRITON.)
We fume time fince intimated our intention of
offering to our Readers fipmeobfervations upon the
prefent hate of Parties, which has to many perfons
prefentcd fn fingular an appearance, and has led to
fo many curraus and ungrounded fpeculations.
This we (hall now endeavour to execute; and, in
the courfe of it, may perhaps find it difficid, to'
avoid fome curfory obfervations on the public con-
du6t of a few of the leading perfons who conftitute
them.

After haying for fo many years been accuflomed
to fee the two branches of the Legiflaturc pretty
regularly divided into a Miniaerial and Anti-
minilicrial Party—into two diftina claffes, namely,
thofe who fupported, and thofc who oppofed the
Meafurcs of Government, much of what has of
late occurred, efpecially in the Houle of Commons,
cannot have failed, at firft 117 ht, to appear extra-,
ordinary, and almoil unintelligible. iVhen the
•_

prefent Adminillratio❑ was fi r frcalled to power by

their Sovereign, they avowed their approbation of
the general principles on which their Predecelfors
had afted, and were warmly fupported by the
GRENVILLE!, and feebly oppofcd by the old Op.
pofition. In the avowal of the fupport promifed
by the former, a few of Mr. Pirr's friends did not
join ; nor did a few of the Leaders of the latter,
amongft whom we reckon Mr. Ti ERN ay, Sec. feem
difpofed to concur in any hoftility againft the new
Government. Mr. PITT gave his cordial fupport
from the firft, and has continued it without inter.

ruption to the prefent time. We have no reafon
to furped that he has the Icaft difpofition to
withdraw it.
Since, however, the period to which we have
above referred, Tome confiderable alterations have
taken place. At the prefent time, we find the
whole Gasavicts Party, headed in the Houfe of
Commons by Mr. WINDHAM, embarked in a vio-
lent, determined, and fyftematic Oppofition,which
on Tome occafions might, not incorrectly, perhaps,
be called a factious one. Amongft their Allies,
though not yet fitting on the fame bench with them,
may be reckoned Mr. CANNING, and his imme-
diate friend!, who declared himfelf only in the
prefent feffion of Parliament. On the other hand,
we find Mr. Fox regularly attendin the Houfe,
and declaring (as has Mr. Sots:nay his unequi-
vocal approbation of the conductof is Majefty's
Minifters. Mr. 'num has been filent—Mr.
Gaily has not attended. Meas. MAITLAND, Hos-
-1 mouse, and others of the fame fide, have openly
and decidedly joined the Government Phalanx, as
have tome of the Country Gentlemen who were
in habits of oppofing the laft Asniniftration.
We believe Mr. ERSIIINIL to be very friendly to
the prefent Minifter, though he has not publicly
avowed himfelf fo. In the Government itfelf;
we mean the Cabinet, there has been no change
whatever fence its firft appointment, excepting in
the valuable acceffion of Lord CASTLIRIAGH to

the Board of Controul ; and a more united and
confially•connetited one, we believe, never ferved
His Maissry, notwithlianding the idle reports of
oceafional difagreements, wholly unfounded, and,
lately, between two individuals, of all others the
lean likely to difagree, 'we mean Lord Hawaii*
BURY and Mr. ADDINGTON.

This being the outline of the prefent Rate of
Parties, if it may be properly fo called, we can
hardly be furprized that Speculation fhould have
been pretty bufy, and that Politicians lhould have
fancied they faw the ground laid for De iv, important
changes, and new political alliances. No uscon-
fiderable part of thefe theories tnight perhaps have
been precluded, had Mr. PITT'/ Rate of health
enabled him to attend the Houle at the beginning
of the SelGon ; as we fincerely hope it may admit
of his doing after the Adjournment. Had be been
prefent, one defcription of his Friends would per-
haps have hardly rifked their declaration of the
abfolute neceffity of his return to Power, and
another, of a Rill more inveterate character, might
polfibly have abllained from thole expreflions of
perfonal rancour, whole diretction and motive Item.
ed to be, as they were indeed univerfally under.
Rood, to difunite two great Public Charafters,
whofe friendfhip has
. .

I. Grown witlitlicir growth, and ftrengtbeted with their
&with ;"
and which, at the fame time, was calculated to in-
jure the reputation of one of them, which for-
tunately flood too high to be affeaed by firth con-
do& by inducing a doubt of his teal feelings,
opinions, and intentions of the 6.1. e meafures of
Government,and towards the ir,dividuals who con-
flituted it. Such declaratiows, language and con.
due, ow part tit with
the of —o.e whom Mr. PITT
had aged for o many years, and with whom he
prekrves a perfonal inlimacy, naturally excited in
Come brealts miftrufl.s and anxieties that he was
about to depart from that manly, generous, and
public-fpirited line which has marked his whole
conduit fence he ceafed to be Miniller, and for
which he has fo jultlyexperienced the applaufe and
admiration of the Country.
Speculationsof another defcription appearto have
originated in the fupport given to Government by
the leaders of the old Oppofition. It Teems to be
the falltion of the prefent day to be ever looking
out for Come fecret and fclfifh motive, by which
the con.lua of all public men is direard. In many
cafes this way undoubtedly be jail : hut to .tdopt
it univerfally, would, in our opinion, be an tin
warrantable !awl on human nature. In the prc

fent cafe, what claim to common continency could
the Gentlemen, of whom we are fpeAking, have
maintained, had they perfined in oppontion to the
prefent Miniaer ? Thcy had for ten years been
crying out for Peace—He has obtained it—They
had deprecated itsbeing interrupted by Continental
confederations.—He has prcferved it. But does it
neceffarily grow out of this approbation, fo
ex-
preffed, that a political union mull take place be-
tween the Adors and the Approvers ? Does it
follow that thofe who fupport one leading line of
conclue, have abandoned their old principles, as to
other Meafures; or that thole who experience fuch
fupport, have adopted them ? And it neither were
the cafe, we fee very great obflacles in the way of
fuch Unions, as come Papers have amufed their
Readers with the reports of, but to which we nes er
for a moment gave the lealt credit. Not that we
approve of a profcribing fyftcm, and have read and
fern enough of the State of Parties in this Country,
and know enough of Mankind, to be fully fatisfied
of the nonfenfe and abfurdity of it. Had the Go-
vernment been weak, thele rumours might have
made fome impreflion on us; being prong, and
daily increafing in ftrength, and therefore in no
want of fuch alliances, we dobelieved them. The
ne,Vity of fuch an Union, we can only in one cafe
anticipate ; and that is one which of all others
we the moft deprecate, but about which we are
quite at cafe.

Whilft on this part of the fiibjat, we cannot
help noticing, with aftonithment and difgult, fume
animadverfions which we have heard made kiy in.
difcreet and bigotted Partifans, on the Milliner's
arerpiiriz (as it has been firangely called) fuch fop.
port, and on his not Handing forward on all occa.
lions to repel the inceffant attacks which have been
made on the meafures andcondua of his great Pro.
deceffor. Thefe are charges equally foolifh, inn-
dious and cruel. To the fire—we would only
llThcre did ever exilt fuch an idcot of a Mini-
fier as would refute to erupt fupport, from what-
ever quarter it might be tendered ? Where was
ever yet to be found an individual at the head of
an Executive Government, fo befotted and fo fuici-
dical, as to refill and to difclaim fupport fpkta-
neoufly offered to him, unclogged with conditions
of any fort, and by doing which he might rilk the
failure of meafures on which he thought the wel fare
and fecurity ofthe Country depended,and,however
remotely, the permanence of his own Government?
On the fecond partiof this charge, we (hall only
()Verve, that we are, and ever Ihall be, quite -
fenfitive to any calumnies that may be uttere
againn the late Minifter, as any of thole can be
Who may be ranked amongft the number of his
perfonal friends. Mr. Pure is (thank Con) not
deftitute of numerous friends in the Houfe, men
confequence,rank,and talents, abundantly equal to
the talk of anfwering and repelling fuch attacks as
may be made in his abfence. The event has fully
proved it. When prefent he wants none. Mr. AD.
DINGTON has, on every occafion that particularly
called for it, and on a great many that did note
terrified in the moll unqualified terms his admira-
tion of the meafures, and his devotion to the priss•
ciples which marked the condo& of the Adintni-
ftration which preceded him, and has no lets ge-
neronfly than jufty attributed part of his own foi-
eds, to his having toned up to the fame printiplps
and the fame fyitem. Had we not witnefled it, we
could not have conceived it poffible that any ex-
peltation fo barbaronfiy and extravagantly uarea-
fonable, could have been formed, as that a Wiailker
who has quite enough on his hands to jellify
.aid
defend his own meafures, however mentotiors they
may be, mull have the double duty insppfed on him,
of individually undertaking the inftificasion of all
thofe of a preceding Government.
On the conduit of the Oppofition, now properly
fo called, we cannot help obferving, that it appears
to us inexplicable. Soon after the change in his
Majefly's Councils took place, Lord Gazavisse
promifed his cordial, sails,, :rod &give Support to
the new hEniltry. Ageing slum kfiniftry he has,
for the lafi year and a half; direaed his cos' s 4
soaker, ad aaive ophiri. • and according to his
own fiatement, becaufe the'', had been gushy of the
Convention with the Northern Powers, which re-
lieved Great Britain from the formidable holtility
of four great Continental Powers : and afterwards
of the Preliminaries with France, which reflored
Peace to this Country and to Europe. To thofe
two. great meafures Mr. PITT gave his molt un-
equivocal rapport and approbation. And yet this
coyfiget Statefman tells us, that Mr. PITT if the
o y perfon, at the profait triir, capable of laving
the country. To the great talents and fplendid
Cervices of that truly continent Satefinan, we molt
readily bow :—but is be to Cave the country by aa-
ing up to thofe meafures which he has fo decided.
ly approved, or by attempting to undo them ? By
which line of condo& would Mr. Pirr become en-
titled to the confidence of Lord Gager est., and his
affociates? This corifiloot Statefman, and hist-ea/Am
affociates will be punted to anfwer this quake.
To funs up the whole—we fee bot one courk fpr
the prefent Government to purfue, which is, to all
Steadily up to the line which they appear to have
, chalked out for themfelves. The .prefent Elate of
parties is the belt comment on, and the toren tett
of the public approbation of their pat condua.—
They need not deprecate the continuance of an
Oppolition which has fo recently Stigmatized itfelf
by its refilmee to a mature for the reform of
abufes, which was Co loudly called for, and the
meaty of which has been fo long acknowledged
and by a defperatc attempt to flop the Suppjme
the Houfe of Lords—an attempt, we believe, new
in the annals of that part of the Legidature. The
meafures of a Government may be very wife and
highly falutery to the country, whore affairs are
intrufied,to its management, though unaccompa-
nied with the difplay of extraordinary oratorical
talents. Like the powers of Mechanifm, the affairs
of State may generally be confidered as going on
the molt correaly and fatisfaaorily, when there is
the leafi appearance of effort:

" &OA throne
Oft watcr faired inrodcrers, and the bird
That flutters WA is bur gra as fat wi-g."
Of this quotation we willingly leave to the
went of our Reader., end to the coolie

the jultice awl propriety of the application.

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LAW INTELLIGAACE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, FEB. I.
RUSSIAN RDIRAILCO.

SEALE V. TH01401014 AND JONNsON V. BECIDIIICIR.
These were two fpecialverdids, which came on
together, and were very ably argued by Mr. Ser-
jeant LANs, tor the plaintiffs, and by Mr. Serjeant
BAT tAT, for the defendants.
The two plaintiffs were two feamen on board
two Englith flips on a voyage from Hull to Pe-
terfbargh and back to London. It is unneceflary
to Rate that they were detained by an order of the
late Emperor, from November loth, tSoo, till
May the 28th, ißot, having beeh marched up
the country several hundred miles fiom the (bore
Thefe iwo aftions were brought for wages *during
that interval, from the time they were taken out
of their Ihips and marched up the cnui.try till they
were brought back again, and let at liberty. All
their gages outward and homeward were paid ;
and the tingle queftion for the decifion of' the
Court is, whether thefe feamen are entitled to re-
ceive wages during what is commonly called the
Ruffian Embargo ? There is no difference between
this cafe and the other of Johnfon V. Broderick,
except that Johnfon is a foreigner (a Swede); and
when the Britills crews were taken out of their
fhtps, and marched up the country, this man, as
well as all the other foreigners on board Britifli
fhips, were claimed by their Confuls, and fct at
liberty.
At the conelution of this argument the Court in-
timated no opinion.
When this important queßion is decided, the
=oft material parts of it !hall be Rated..
Llt MILEY V. HOTCHINSON.
A Rule had been obtained on the part of the
defendant, to thew caufe why the (hould not be
clifcharged out of cuilody, on filing common bail
on the ground the was a married woman.
Mr. Serjeant BEST (hewed caufe.—His client,
who had mulled her, fwore the did not know the
defendant was a married woman at the time the
trolled her, and that the had no reafon to fuppofe
but that the was a femme foie.
Mr. Juice Rooxr—Did the reprefent herfelf fo?
Mr. Serjeant Bisr admitted that (he had not.
Mr. Jußice HEATH—She muff mifreprefent her-
felf in order to deprive her of that privilege.—
Rule abfolute.