Star.
London, England, 1810-04-19 00:00:00

THE LATE DISTURBANCES.

Lord ossuLsToN rose to put a question to the
Secretary of State for the Home Department, with
respect to a subject which considerably agitated the
public mind. He saw in the newspapers a Procla-
mation, offering a reward for the d scovery and ap-
prehension of persons alledged to have fired at some
of the military in the course of the late disturbances ;
and he saw also the report of a Coroner's Inquest,
who had found a verdict of " wilful murder against
a Life Guardsman unknown." Now he wished to
know, whether it was intended to issue a Proclama-
tion, and whether it was in the contemplation of Go-
vernment to take any steps towards discovering the
offender, whom, he understood, it could not be diffi-
cult to find out, as he was one of a rear guard, con-
sisting of only six persons?
Mr. RYDER admitted, that if the concluding
statement of the Noble Lord were correct, there could
of course be little difficulty in discovering the offen-
der alluded to, if offender there were. His Majesty's
Ministers had no doubt instituted an inquiry, as their
duty prescribed, into all the circumstances connected
with the conduct of the soldiery and the populace
during the tumult, and he was enabled to state, that
there was no instance in our history where it was
found necessary to collect the troops, in which the for-
bearance and moderation of the soldiery was so re-
markable, while they were not only pelted by the
populace with stones and mud,but actually fired upon.
This moderation was, indeed, not only manifested
during the period in which the army were engaged in
Piccadilly, but upon the Monday when the prisoner
was conveyed to the Tower. Such was the result of
the inquiry which his Majesty's Ministers had insti-
tuted. As to the particular event adverted to, he was;
assured that no shot was fired by a soldier, until seve-
ral shots were fired from the same place to which the
fatal shot was directed. Under these circumstances it
could not be expo. ted that Government should issue
the Proclamation required by the Noble Lord ; nor
did he think, unless a different result should appear
from farther inquiry, it would be consistent with its
duty to issue any.
Mr. WHITBREAD agreed with the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman, that the conduct of the soldiery
had been very exemplary ; but did that Right Hon.
Gentleman mean to say, standing in that House as a
Minister—
Here the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
OUER rose to order, observing, that as there was
no question before the House, the Honourable Mem-
ber was not warranted in proceeding further. He
had no objection whatever to a discussion of the case
referred to, but he felt the impropriety of allowing a
speech to be made, and to go forth without any
answer.

The SPEAKER remarked upon the point of or-
der, that it was deemed generally inconvenient to the
House to extend a conversation of this nature beyond
the mere answer to the question proposed. If it
were desired to carry the subject farther, the practice
was, according to the custom of the House, to give
notice of a motion. He begged pardon for inter-
rupting the Honourable Member, but being appealed
to on the score of order, he felt it his duty to state his
opinion.

Mr. WHITBREAD ex-pressed • his resolution to
avail himself of his right to make it:motion, without
giving any notice ; and that motion would be, that
the verdict of the Coroner's Inquest should be laid
before the House. He was really much astonished

' • ,
at the..viry extraordinary doctrine laid down by the
Right Hon. Gentleman. What t did the Right Hon.
Gentleman mean to assert that the verdict of a Coro-

ner's Inquest was not deserving of any investigation
—that it formed no ground for additional inquiry—
that no step should be taken in consequence of it ?
Was it not due to the cause of justice, to the feelings
of the public, to the character of the soldiery, one of
whom was accused of murder by this verdict, that
an inquiry should take place ? Such an inquiry in-
deed seemed peculiarly due to the vindication of the
troops ; for until the guilty individual was discovered
the whole body was liable to be implicated in the im-
putation which that verdict conveyed; and why should
not a proclamation be issued in orderto facilitate thrt
discovery t but it appeared from the statement of his
Noble Friend, that there was an obvious facility to-

wards that discovery, within the reach of Ministers,
without any proclamation whatever. Why should

. .
not such afacility /hen be immediately resorted to ?
- -- - - -- - -

Slimly no Minister would pretend to disregard the
verdict of a Coroner's Inquest, to assume the right
of a Grand Jury, or to prevent that case which a

Coroner's Inquest pronounced to be wilful murder,

from being referred to a jury for trial! It was clearly
necessary that the inquiry should be followed up on
this business, for the satisfaction of the public and the
soldiery. If it turned out, from that inquiry, that
the statement of the Right Hon. Secretary was well
founded, that the conduct of the troops was in all in-
stances marked by forbearance and moderation, and
that several shots were fired from the place where this
murder was alledged to have occurred, then the in-
quiry would be most satisfactory ; but yet it could not
be argued, that bocause the soldiery in general be-
haved well, the murder of an innocent man by one of
those soldiers, ought to be overlooked. Such an in-
ference alone could warrant the disposition betrayed
by the doctrine of the Right Hon. Secretary, and
therefore he felt himself irresistibly impelled at once
to oppose it. Therefore indeed he was urged to that
which he should be otherwise indisposed to do, if lie
was :lot so pressed.
The SPEAKER hoped the House would feel that
he had done no more than his duty in stating the
usual order of the House upon a case of this nature;
and on any future occasion he should content him-
self with merely a siniilar statement, leaving to any
Honourable Member to use his own discretion after-
wards.

Mr. WHITBREAD disclaimed the slightest in
tendon of finding fault with the conduct of the Chair.
But he hoped it would be remembered that his con-
duct was not without precedent ; for a Right Hon.
Gentleman had, not long since, made a motion in
that House, at a late hour of the night, without any
previous notice, at which he would himself have at-
tended, if he had been aware of the intention to bring
it forward.
Mr. CANNING comprehended the allusion of the
Hon. Member ; but contended that the case he refer-
red to (a vote approving of the Speaker's conduct,
as we understood), arose out of the discussion at the
time before the House, and had no analogy whatever
to the manner in which the Honourable Gentleman
had brought forward this motion, which motion he
should oppose solely upon this ground, that bring in-
troduced without any previous notice, it took the
House by surprise.
Mr.TIERNEY supported the opinion of I,\Tr. Whit-
bread.
Mr. NV. SMITH thought the doctrine laid down
by the Seer etary of State rather hastily hazarded,
and that be was not at all aware of its tendency. The
verdict of a coroner's inquest was, it would be recol-
lected, taken on oath, and was that the case with the
inquiry instituted and conducted by the Right Ho-
nourable Secretary, or was that inquiry made in open
Court ?
Mr. RYDER re-asserted his former declaration—
that Ministers saw no reason tc alter their course up-
on this subject. The event alluded to had occurred
many days ago. Ministers had been since engaged'
in their inquiries, and they did not feel it their duty
to advise his Majesty to issue any proclamation upon
the subject. What might be the result of further in-
vestigation he could, not pretend to anticipate. The
inquiry was still going on, and would not terminate
while any facts remained to elucidate or any prospect
of new information offered. Such being the intention
of Government, he saw no reason fur this motion,
which, however, he should oppose because the manner
of its introduction was contrary to the uniform recog-
nised practice of the House.
Lord OSSULSTON admitted the general good
conduct of the soldiery ; but he begged the House to
recollect that one inoWending individual had been
murdered, and the good conduct of thousands was no
atonement for the crime.
Mr. W. SMITH explained.
Mr. HARVEY COOMBE stated that there was
an inquiry in the City to-day, in consequence of an
unhappy
event similar to that under consideration.—
The firing of the soldiery had been productive of very
unfortunate results in that quarter ; but in stating this
he wished it to be understood, that something must
be allowed for provocations. There were undoubt-
edly some Attacks made upon the soldiery in the city,
but neither those attacks, nor their general modera-
tion could plead for such a crime as that to which the
motion before the House referred ; and therefore he
would support it.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
thought this motion ought to be resisted from the ir-
regular manner in which it was brought forward ;
and particularly because there was no urgency in the
case that called for any departure front the usual
forms of the House. There was in fact no obect in
view which could not be answered without resorting
to the irregularity complained of, to which irregula-
rity the Honourable Mover seemed to have been
prompted solely from a desire to make a speech. But
if the conduct of the Honourable Member were sanc-
tioned, any other Member might take the same course,
and the House must be aware of the inconvenience
to which such a practice would lead. There were
other reasons upon which he would oppose the Ho-
nourable Member's motion ;—He conceived it tanta-
mount to a call upon the House to interfere with the
executive authority, and with the ordinary adminis.
tration of justice in a very improper manner. Go-
vernment were already occupied in inquiring into this
subject,. am! on what gruund cotlld that House
inter-
pose, unless upon that of a suspicion that • 'Govern-
ment was not doing its duty ? His Right Honour-
able Friend had truly stated the result of the inquiry

so far as it had gone, and that certainly did not fin-
pear such a special case as would justify the issuing
of a special:proclamation. To the general abstinence
and moderation of the soldiery, his Right Honour-
able Friend had very justly borne testimony, and
no direction was that moderation more proved than
in the very place-, or its vicinity, where the shot wa,;
fired which produced the. murder alluded to, He un-
derstood, indeed, that from the very alley where the
death took place, the military were more annoyed
by brick-bats and mud, &c. than from any other
place, because the cavalry could not enter or even ap.
proach it. But there was an officer present in tilt!
House who was on duty at the time, aild who iia,l
in his power to state the particulars.

Captain AGAR, without meaning to offer nny
nion upon the motion before the House, thought
his duty to state what he knew from having been or.
the spot, in the performance of his military dut,-,
he could assure the House, that the event which gave
rise to this discussion, occasioned the utmost pain ti;
the feelings of both the civil and military who wit-
nessed it. Indeed, he knew well how much it ri41::•
ted the military. But the fact was, that from t.;:e
alley alluded to, which was near St. James's Cl:l:.ci.„.
the military received the utmost annoyance. Indeed,
above 15 or '2O shots (by one of which a soldier wa:
wounded in the arm) were fired from that direction
before the soldiery were even allowed to load. 'Po thii
not only he but several others, among whom was the
Civil Magistrate, could bear testimony. He thought
it t iglrt to add, that the Noble Lord was mistaken in
speaking of a rear-guard—for there was no such
thing. There was near that spot a large detachment
of between 60 and 100 men ; as to five or six per-
sons, he could not answer whether so many might
not have been separate from the main body, but there
was no such thing as a rear-guard. He should not
then farther trespass upon the attention of the House,
but would take occasion when the case came to
specially discussed to state his sentiments more fully,
and he hoped the House would be so good as to hear
him with patience.
Mr. LASCELLES was against the motion.
Lord 0S SU LSTO N explain,ed.
Mr. WHITBREAD rose, and was proceeding to
reply, when .
Mr. CROKER rose to order, and said, that as the
Hon. Gentleman insisted upon strict right in bringing
forward a motion without due notice, he (Mr. C.)
would press the strict right of the House, which pro.
hibiteti that Honourable Gentleman from replying.
The SPEAKER was of a different opinion. He
thought the mover of an original question entitled to
reply, with the pleasure of the House.

,n:ial
iss the
,oi
il:)ijnegc t, BREAD
Gentleman
said,
ttohl iii")eidt
of I\tliire. HWo.lullrißblile
the means resorted to would not have answered that
end, as it would be in the power of any Gentleman
to move the previous question, which would open the
debate to him and every other Member. With respect
to the first speech of the Right Hon. the Secretary of
State, he had been provoked by the doctrines laid
down in that speech to make the observations he had
done, and when he was stopped in proceeding in those
observations, he had had recourse to that mode which
the case itself justified him in resorting to, independent
of such interruption ; as long as he wasa Member of Par-
liament, a case had not before occurred in which he
would have thought it necessary to exercise that discre.
tion till that day, and in that instance he bad acted up
to the best of his judgment ; the occasions of d •eang so
can be but very ran... With respect to the gallantOßicer
under the gallery, he gave him and his brother Officers
every credit for their manly and judicious forbearance
and moderation in the recent disturbances; still, how-
ever, it was no reason, if among a thousand of the
soldiers, with the exception of one man, they had all
conducted themselves with temper, and that that one
man had' been guilty of murder ; there was no reason
why that one man should escape with impunity. He
asked the Chancellor cf the Exchequer, as a lawyer,
if the verdict of a Coroner's Inquest was not sufficient
to dispense with the sending a Bill before a Grand
Jury ? the whole of the evidence taken before an in-
quest was taken upon oath. He thought it, therefore,
indispensible that this man should be put upon hi;
trial. He would ask the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, if he or any of his colleagues knew who this
man was ? If they did, ought they not to give him
up to trial ? This would put an end to further pro-
ceedings. He did not complain of the conduct of the
soldiers in general ; on the contrary, he understood
that their conduct and moderation had been praise-
worthy ; still, however, he would say, that in cases of
as great emergency, the peace of the city had been
preserved by the wisdom, firmness, and clemency of
an Hon. Member of that House—the then Chief Ma-
gistrate, and that without calling in the aid of the
military. Under all the circumstances of the case,
be felt that he was justified in making the motion, he
had made, and that he could not consistently consent
to withdraw it.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR stated, that he was coming
down Sackvilfe-street when the unfortunate shot was
fired. The carriage in which he and a Noble Friend
of his were, was stopped by the Guards, and directed
another way, as, in consequence of the excessive tie
mult of the populace, it would be necessary to fire.
He then got out of the carriage, and proceeded to-
wards an alley, when he heard a pistol discharged,
and from the sound of the report, he had no doubt
that it had been charged with blank cartridge.t-:
Shortly after he heard a shot from a musket, and he
thought, from the quarter from which the noise issued,
that the shot had been fired from some window in the
range of houses opposite, and not from the military
then passing—(htar, hear.)—He was at the entrance
of the alley, and on hearing the shot, and observing
the direction, he made the best of his way down the
alley—(a laugh.) He hoped that the man who fired
the fatal shot, if any of the military had done se,
would surrender himself to justice, as, under all the
circumstances of the case, there could be little doubt
that he would be acquitted by a British Jury—(hear.)
captain AGAR. observed, that a question had
been put to the Right Hon. Gentlemen opposite, whe•
titer thqy knew who the man was that fired the un•
.
fortunate shot ? He said that several other shots had
been fired, and he doubted very much if the man hitt:
self who fired the unfortunate shot knew that he `t3l
• fired it. It was also to be observed, that the milita::
did' not fire till' ordered by the Magistrates.—(llf-.'
hear, hear.) a divis:::.
The motion was then negatived without

1....‘•'

; or CUMBERLAND—.THI 15T/1 111101 MINT OP i
LIGHT DRAGOONS.
I-TTLETON rose to present a petition from
I.
e,•.:';-•t, a Captain ht the 15th Regiment of
;ravine* relief from the pressure of severe
; oed grievances. suffered by him in
cc r r that redress having been deferred and
Jeried to him, to which, by the articles
tilt himself entitled. The person by !
,••• Petitioner alledged himself to be in the first •
•:,. and principally aggrieved, was the Co-
,t the Regiment, his Royal Highness the ,
, f Cemberland ; and a further allegation was,
:he Pait,olor had been obstructed in his due
.7 C f seekir.g f .r his remedy against such alledged
and that such obstruction was in direct ;
tazion of an article of war, which article left no 1
discretion in the Commander in Chief, but to forward
.1... complaint and lay it before his Majesty, taking
s,:c Majesty's pleasure thereupon, and acting accor-
Now, with respect to the statement of facts
cnn..lited in that petition, he (Mr. Lyttleton) would
t .;ssine that statement to be true. He would not
tr z?, it the Commander in Chief had actually,given
7,.ii5a1 complained of. He had, however, felt it
, is i!,,ry to present the petition, and if the House
proper to receive it (and he was not
any opposition to be made to it) he should
i,llO-: tip that motion with such ulterior proceeding
3, 11::'''.;t suit the general wishes of the House.—
t.• 2 be glad to be enabled to ascertain those '
."? to:ict according to them ; or if the mode
frm- (I,i;i; ling the redre!,s sought for, adopted snbse-
eiicntlr by him. should not be approved:of, he would
vail;ng to acquiesce in any other that might be
riff lily thought less exceptionable. He then moved
t the petition be brought tip.
Gcneral CRAUFURD said, that he must posi-
tively protest against such a Petition being received
by that House. He thought it v. ould be establishing
a daneerous precedent ; they could not be too can-'
bats in interfering with the Military Government,
titich was exclusively vested in the Crown. With
rlect to the allegations in the Petition, he believed
them to be imaginary; one ground of complaint con-
tained in the Petition, was, that the Commander-in-
f had rehised—
Mr. WHITBREAD rose to order, and objected
to the Gallant Officer commenting upon the contents
cf a paper not before the House.
General CRAUFURD resumed. He could not
comment upon the Petition, but he would contend
that the Article of War in question, did not deprive
Commander-in-Chief of a discretionary power.—
He then argued generally against the dangerous con--
nuences resulting from insubordination in the army.
it that House was to be thrown open to such can-
; it one officer might petition, why not a re-
If this petition was received, they would
:arty more before the end of the Sessions; and
wi'at a ferment, what irregular convulsions, what
.ctious divisions attaching themselves to the different
;,aaties in that House would rise and spread through
tie army ; they would have a petitioning army, a
liailiamentary army, and who could foretel the con-
1/41uences ? He repeated his conviction, that the Com-
Leadyr-in-Chief had done nothing more than exercise
a discretion vested in him, and that that House should
be cautious in submitting the military government to
tlecesaoul of the many headed monster.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, that he and many of
those shting near the Gallant Officer could ease his
apprehensions of any alarming consequences resulting
from a discussion of this sort. He (Mr. Whitbread)
had in 1806, presented a petition from Mr. Cochrane
Johnstone, and yet 40 more had not been presented
tat Sessions, nos one more. A motion had been
made, in the course of last Session, respecting what
was thought the improper promotion of a certain
Officer, Lord Burgherst, and that motion was not
naly acceded to, but had such effect, that that pro-
motion was revoked; and yet there were not forty
ether motions in the same Sessions, mar one other mo-
tion of a similar tendency. So much for the imagi-
nary fears of the Gallant Officer. He knew well the
necessity of due Subordination to the preservation of
discipline ; but he thought that discipline was in no
ilconsiderable degree maintained by the power of re-'
rlmstrance vested in every junior Officer against dip
injustice of his superior. He knew also, that no-
thing could be more foolish in principle, or mis-
' tisicvous in practice, than the taking the army out of
the bids of the Crown ; but how had the motion
litiere them any such tendency ? It was to receive a
petition that complained of the course of remon-
strance between the Officer and the Crown having
been obstructed (hear.) It had been stated that the
Commander in Chiefhint
had a discretion vested in hi
11 law, which discretion he had only exercised in
:he case before them • but the fact was, that the article
war gave no such discretion. [Here he read it to

tioth? (Hear ) lie thought that an opposite con-
clusion was to be inferred from that offer. As to put-
ting the army under the controul of the many-headed
monster—that that House was .a many-headed mon-
ster could no doubt be easily proved, but that it as-
sumed any share in the military government by in-
quiring into abuses whether military or other, was
not so clear. He should vote for bringing up the
petition, not thinking that it would tend to those irre-
gular convulsions (though, by the way, he had not
beard of regular convulsions) of which the gallant
Officer was so apprehensive. •
Mr. MANNERS SUTTON was for the petition
being received, and trusted that his Gallant Friend
would be prevailed upon to withdraw his opposition
—at the same time he thought that the petitioner
might have taken an opportunity of personally pre-
senting his remonstrance to the King ; it was also to
be considered that the Commander in Chief might
have taken his Majesty's pleasure upon the propriety
of presenting to him that remonstrance.
General LOFT, and a Member under the Gallery,
whose name we could not learn, said a few words
against receiving the petition.
Mr. LOCKHART thought that it appeared that
the petitioner did not take all the steps he might have
taken in pursuit of his redress, before he applied to
that House, and he should therefore vote against the
motion.
Mr. LYTTLETON observed, that in the answer
of the Military Secretary to the Letter of the Petitioner
no ground was stated why the remonstrance was not
duly followed up. He should not advert to the orna-
mental parts of a Gallant Officer's speech, they had
been already so adequately answered. It had been said
that the petitioner should have gone and made his
bow at the Levee, and presented his remonstrance;
that he thought would have been an irregular and dis-
r tful proceeding. Thepe,titioner had taken a better
ande more regular course. He could not adopt the ex-
planation that had been given by the Judge Advocate,
nor if be could, did he think that it solved the•diffi-
malty. -He had not the smallest notion that this mo-
tion would have been opposed. He only asked of the
House to hear the petition, and put the case into a
proper train. He was not acquainted with Captain
Foskett, and when that Gentleman applied to him to
present his petition, he frankly told him his reluctance,
and said that it was not his disposition to institute any
accusatory measures against a Prince of the Blood,
and more particularly so, on account of the inquiry
proceeded in during last Sessions, respecting the Duke
of York ; and also from having observed, that the
House were by no means disposed to entertain ques-
tions tending to an interference with the military go-
vernment. (Hear.) This. however, was mete matter
of feeling, and ought not to be allowed to interfere
with a principle of public duty. If that House was
to be deterred from the steady performance of its
duty, either by the influence of the Crown upon the
one hand, or popular tumult on fhe other, it signified
very little whether they sat or not—what they did or
what they omitted to do.
Mr. RYDER observed, that when he was Jude
Advocate it was always considered discretionary with
the Commander in Chief to lay the Memorial of any
Officer before the King or not.
The petition was then brought up and read. It
stated,
46 That Henry Foskett had been 30 years in the
army, and four years senior Captain of the 15th
Light Drains; and that since his appointment to
.
his troop, he bad suffered certain grievous acts of
injustice. In 1806, a junior officer was attempted to
be put over his head as Major; Captain Foskett re-
quested a week's leave of absence from the Duke of
Cumberland, to state the circumstance to the
Commander in Chief, but leave was refused, and
for five months he was forced to remain at quar-
ters, contrary to the general usage and right of the
officers of the regiment. When the regiment went to
Spain, Captain Foskett, though anxious as a sol.iier
to accompany his regiment, was peremptorily com-
manded by the Duke of Cumberland to remain at
home. Captain Foskett, feeling; himself deeply hurt,
applied to theConimander in Chief, the Duke of York,
once more ; and his statement was considered so for-
cible, that an immediate order was sent to the re-
giment in Spain for the return of a Captain. and Cap-
tain Foskett was appointed to his proper place in the
regiment. The petition went on to state that the
Duke of Cumberland, to impede this measure,
threw out a number of aspersions on Captain Fos.'
kett's character, but they were instantly proved to be
without any foundation. The regiment happened to
be at that time coming home, and thus Capt. Foskett
lost the opportunity of doing his duty, as was intended
by the jubtice of the Commander in Chief. On a
vacancy's occurring, the Duke of Cumberland de-
clared that be would not recommen, him for promo-
tion, and two Majors from other rrnents Were in
succession put above him. Captain Foskett procured

...,--,

ii.e House—lt stated in substance, that the Officer

;tggrieved should prefer his remonstrance to the Co-
lozel of the Regiment, to be by him forwarded to the

recommenchttions frontall the Colonels who had corn.

mangled the regiment on actual service, and who of
th;- hi

. XL Is. 'lll 'I la , y no..
'.2cnauander in Chief, who was thereupon to examine course knew ziaireaaf the merits of an officer lan .
•",u ..1,4
report upon the merits a the case to his Ma- RoyalHighneascouldhavedoneCapt.Foskettconceiv.
:„.'-'!*•;--1-lere the words were o to examine into and ing himself cruelly treated, wrote to Colonel Gordon
:.eq. 0:1 upon-'—report upon ; not to determine, but to ,on the 2.5 th of September, 1809,requesting as inquiry
rrt—according to thrse,words, and none could be into his case, under the 12th Section of the Articles of
i:,..i11e,r, there was no option; whatever. Sir David War. His request was denied, but he was offered a
.'-',nja-s did not report—he determined. But the , Majority of Infantry, which he thought proper to de-
`l;,;.:L`l:. Oilicer said that he knew the contents of the ' cline. He nave appealed to the justice of the House
, 100. n, and that he believed the grievances alledged to rescue him from the innumerable wrongs heaped
i,itercia to he imaginary. Why, really, .he thought upon him, and mallow him that fair and open en-
..t.sufferer the best quiry which was the right of the.Britisb subject.
udge whether they were so or
~., It was he who wore the shoe who could tell Mr. LYTTLETON then moved, that the petition
li.ei. -c it pinched. A should be laid' upon the table.
gainst t'aat opinion of the Gallant
~1 al- there was opposedhis (Mr. Whitbread's) who General PHIPPS vindicated the conduct of the
'''Ll read
_the statement of them, and thought 'them Commander in Chief.
itart-bre: ki
1 nif- He doubted if .he himself .
could ; Sir HENRY MONTGOMERY observed, that the
I,ore sp„.•
Le
or "v we them. But k was said that they could • reason why the petitioner was not sent to Spain was,
_.ered to
dr be imaginary—it WAS to that Proof they that histroop was the most ineffective in the regiment.
allenged them. ' • •If also operated against his claims, that be had been
C''•eral CR
t;;I, . AU FURD here interposed, and said, a set and in a differ where six shots were fired by the
._tlie epithet he had used was nugatory. principals.
,111-
if ,-WHITBREAD, in continuation, .said, that . Mr. WHITBREAD stated, that the observation
the were indeed nugatory, that would be the best of the last speaker merely rested upon assertion, and
P'"ved by rece' •
warrant d wing the petition ; they could not be that there was assertion also in contradiction to it.
lie4rd the in presuming them to be so hefore they i The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,.
bit them. But did the gallant Officer know that although be conceived that the petitioner could obtain
ceDavid Dundas had offered to Captain Foskett no beneficial result, was 4611 of opinion that the pe-
:an he
othel:ad presented his remonstrance, a Majority titian should be received, subject to ulterior conside.
the c 0,„ rerlent i (Thar.) Did' this, look as if ration. He wished to impress upon the House, that
a Mri.nan4er in Chief: had conceived the complaint the promotion of that Officer was not impeded, as a
. oskett to have teen either frivolous or vexa- Majority had btan offered to hint in another regiment

neither was he supplanted by any junior ofllter in the
same regiment with him.
Mr. WILLIAM SMITH expressed his opinion
that the Petition should be received.

Mr. LYTTLETON observed, that with respect
to the alledged duel, the Petitioner had, in his me-
morial
to the Commander in Chief, alluded to that,
as one of the aspersions of which he complained. He,
as the subject was mentioned, would say, that though
the Petitioner acted as a friend upon that occasion to
one of the parties, he had exerted himself actively to
promote a reconciliation—(Hear, hear.)—lt was not
his wish to have alluded to the circumstance at all ;
but, as it was mentioned, he was determined to repel
with indignity any attempt to whisper away the cha-
racter of the Officer whose Petition be had the honour
to present.
The Petition was then ordered to lie on the Table.
Mr. FOSTER brought up the Bill for the Preven-
tion of Frauds in the Irish Flax and Hemp Bills.--
It was read a first time, and ordered for a second
reading on Tuesday se'nnight.
Mr. DAVIES GIDDY brought up certain Reso-
lutions respecting the proper notices to be given upon
the Petitions for Private Bills ; which were agreed to,
and ordered to be considered as Standing Orders.-'--
Adjourned at twelve o'clock till Monday se'nnight.

EVENING STAR.

LOSDON.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ON'. O'CLOCK:
3 per Cent Cons. for money 631 70—acc. 701.
Reduced C 4-4 per C. 831 84-5 per C. Navy 99a.
PRICE OF STOCKS YUJI:WAY.
Bank Stock 270 Long Annuities 1811
3 per Cent. Red. Ann. 69,1,169 India Bonds,
$ per Cent. Cons. 691/ Exch. Bills, 7s. 14s. pre.
4 per Cent. 831,84 Lottery Tickets £24 Et.
per Cent. Navy 99ii Cons. for Acc. 7011

We have received Dutch Papers to the 14th in.
dant, but their contents are almost co upletely devoid
of interest..

neparations are making at Antwerp for the 'veep.
tion of the French EMPEROR and his new EAIPRESs.
They are to be present at the launching of several
ships of war.
The KING of HOLLAND has arrived at Amsterdam
from Paris.

Letters from Holland state, that the new territory
annexed to France from Holland, is to be known by
the name of the Mouths of the Rhine. The latest
accounts from Holland, in these Papers, are to the
15th inst. For many years the public have not en-
joyed suck perfect tranquillity, as at the present mo-
ment.

Besides the Cadiz Papers received yesterday, Go-
vernment also received dispatches from that place of
the Ist instant. General GRAHAM has taken the com-
mand of the British troops at Cadiz, and the Duke
of ALBUQUIALQUZ has resigned his command of the
Spanish Army to General 13cacs, the former Gene-
ral having, as it is said, been appointed Ambassador
to this country. The accounts from the South of
Spain describe the spirit of insurrection as continually
breaking out, and distracting the attention of the
French, so as to prevent them from pursuing any
steady plan of operations against Cadiz.
Letters from Gibraltar confirm the intelligence of
a victory having been gained by the Spaniards in Es-
tramadura : 3000 of the enemy are said to have been
killed, and 1500 taken prisoners.

Spanish military titles have been bestowed by the
Junta at Cadiz, on General STEWART and several
other British Officers now under his command.

The CROCUS has arrived at Plymouth with dis-
patches, after a passage of 14 days. Of course she
brings nothing of a later date than the accounts be-
fore received.

Some New York Papers have reached town, but
none of a later date than those already in our pos-
session. An article of the 15th February, from that
city, says, " Congress have refused an appropriation
for a Minister to Madrid. The PRESIDENT assured
the Chevalier Oms, that no Ambassador should be
received from 30111P11 BONAPARTE, while the contest
continued in Spain."

Yesterday, about twelve o'clock, the KING arrived
at the Queen's Palace, from Windsor, where he was
received by the Dukes of YORK, CUMBERLAND, KENT,
and CAMBRIDGE. Soon after two o'clock his MA-
JESTY held a Private Levee. The following had the
honour of being presented to his MAJESTY :
Mr. W. W. H. Ou ARDEN, on his appointment as a Lord of
the "1 reasury of Ireland, and on being sworn of his Majesty's
Privy Council.
Brigadier General HOUGHTON, on his return from Nova.
Scotia, and on being appointed to the Staff at Cadiz.
'I he Hon. Capt. DOUGLAS, K. N. on his promotion.
Mr. NzwaoLT, on his Appointment to the office of Judge at
Madras, on which occasion he received the honour of Knighthood
The Earl of Comurowo, on coming to his title.

His MAJESTY gave audience to the Lono CHAN-
aci.Lo!t, the Marquis WELLESLEY, Earls CAMDF.N,
Limit/mot. and. CourrrowN ,• Messrs. PERCEVAL, RY-
DRR, 'add Mr. M. Strrrox. The latter laid before his
MA.ticiir the proceedings of some Courts Martial.
The West-Essex Militia,inaTched. on Friday morn-
ing from Mill Bay barracks, Plymouth, to da duty
at Dartmoor prison, in the morn of the North Devon
Militia, who are returned to their former quarters in
the Citadel. •
Last weeks about 190 of the Royal Cheshire Mi-
litia, in garrison, at ,Plymouth, volunteered into the
Guards, the 22d, as Cheshire, and other regiments
of the line.

The 18th, or Royal Irish, under the command of
Captain Gone°Qum, marched from Gloucester on
the 9th and 10th instant, and took possession of the
pleasant and healthy barracks at Ottery, in Devon-
shire, on the 16th and 17th, where they are expected
to remain for a considerable period,--they at present
consist of about 500 men.

•