Star.
London, England, 1818-01-30 00:00:00

HAMBURGH, JANUARY ie.

Last night we had here a violent storm, with hail
and rain. The Elbe rose to an unusual height, so
that all the lower part of the town is inundated, and
the streets can only be passed in boats. Trees have
been torn up, chimnies thrown down, and a great
many houses, particularly in the country, much da-
maged. The storm was so violent as to cause the
church bells to ring. We expect melancholy accounts
from sea.

Yesterday we gave a brief notice of the receipt of
American Papers to the 29th, and such of their con-
tents as we had time to examine. But they deserve

a more particular notice.

On the 22d of December, the PRESIDtNT, through
the Secretary at War, presented to Congress a state-
meat tespectinw the Arm and Fortifications of the
ljnited-Statel, which will be &Ind in another co-
cluillYt- Fr4mi 4.oCllffaeßt yti unlearn but,
litds.on the points to which it allude', ; but we learn
from another source, that the effective force of the
army is about 8000 men. " The military establish-
ment, as it now stands," is declared to be " sufficiently
extensive to keep tke firtifications in a state of pre-
servation, but inadequate for defence against a strong
and skilful enemy." The Roman legions were, during'
peace, employed in building and keeping in repair
fortresses and all public works. The American Go-
vernment is wisely imitating this policy. Why
should not Britain do the same to a greater extent than
we have yet done?

But other accounts have been received from Ame-
rica which seem to demand more immediate atten-
tion than any thing connected with this Message—
unless indeed the Message itself has a collateral rela-
tion to the fact we are about to state. The Ameri-
can Government has dispatched a frigate round into
the Pacific Ocean, to take possession of the River
Columbia :—that is, in other words, to seize a British
station, where there is a small British Colony, with a
fort, on which flies the British flag. It was origi-
nally taken possession of by VANCOUVER in his Ili kart-
nic Majesty's name. British American subjects have
long occupied posts on the heads of the Columbia,
and the rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains
to the Pacific. They had, previously to the disco-
veries of Messrs. Lewis and CLARKE (particularly
by the expedition of Sir ALEXANDER M'KENXIII),
explored the whole country, but they had made
no establishment on the coast till 1813. In that
year; previous to the arrival of the Racoon, their
traders from the interior made an arrangement with
some citizens of the United States who had esta-
blished themselves at the mouth of the Columbia, by
which they purchased their goods and post, and were
found in possession by Captain BLACK, of the Ra-
coon, who again declared his MAJESTY'S title to the
Settlement by the right of original discovery, and on
this repeated the solemnities before made use of by
VANCOUVER and the other British navigators who
had visited the spot. This is, in fact, a revival of
the Nootka Sound question—Ae claim made by the
United States arising solely from the purchase of
Louisiana from Spain, and which, by their construc-
tion, would put an end to our projected expedition to
the North Pole, since, if discovered, they would claim
possession of the whole of it!
The American brigs Fox and Kanter, sailed from
Trieste the 11th instant for Baltimore, laden with
arms and ammunition.

BRIGHTON, JAN. 29.--The PRINCE REGENT will
leave the Pavilion for Carlton House, about the Bth
or 9th of next month. The improvements at sin: Pa•
viliou immeliately after be recommenced.