The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-03-15 00:00:00

SCOTCII JURY 811.1..

Sir G. CLARKE presented a Petition from the
freeholders and herilurs of the county of Edinburgh,
against this Bill.
Mr. HORN ER said, that he could not let this Pe.
tition pass without noticing that it stated, that this
Bill hud but very lately come to their knoilerlgo;
whereas he knew that it had been printed at Edin-
burgh before Christmas.
Sir G. CLARKE said, that the original Bill had
been sent down to Edinburgh, but that it had been
so materially altered in the Committee, that it had
since assumed a new shape. It was to the ne►v
Clauses that there was the principal ohjections.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR did not conceive that upon
every alteration which might be made in the Com-
mittee, it wai necessary to consult the people in
Scotland. Although the Petitions were entitled to
great respect, they should not prevent Parliament
from legiclating,
Mr. HORNER certainly agreed with the Peti-
tioners in thinking that the Judges should be all men
who had devoted a considerable part of their lives to
the study of the Scottish laws.
Mr. DUNDAS considered that the most important
part in the whole Bill was the Clause for requiring
unanimity in the Jury, instead of being content with
a plurality. If this Clause were to be expunged, he
should not be at all anxious about the Bill.

The retition was then brought up, and ordered to
lie on the table.

Mr. W. SMITH expressed his doubts of the pro-
priety of introducing into Scotland the English prin-
ciple of unanimity in Juries. lie questioned much,
whether the scruples mentioned in the Petition as to
its irrecancileablenegs with the conscientious ad-
herence to their oaths, were not very well founded.
Be agreed, however, that all the lawyers he had ever
met with, regarded it as a practical benefit, whatever
sole...im it might be in theory.
Sir J. NI ACKINTOSII and others supported the
e pleasure, after which the Petition was received, and
ord 'red to lie on the table.

TiteCHANCEI.I,OII, of the EfICREQUER. laid
on the table, the Convention, signed at Chaumont,
between the Ministers of Great Britain, Austria, aiid

Russia.

Mr. HORNER enquired, ultether it was intended
fn produce to the House immediately, Copies of the
Treaty of Ghent, and the uegociations which pre-
cri.ded it?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER re-
plied, that in consequence of the intelligence of the
%American Government having Ratified the Treaty,
It would be shortly laid on the table of the House.
After a few words from General THORNTON,
the Report of the South Sea Act Committee was
brought .up.
The War Duties, Customs, and Eveise 13i114 were
then read a first time, and ordered to be read a se-
cond time on Thursday.
The Wine Daty Bill was postponed till Monday.
• The Sugar Bounty Bill then passed through a
Committee, after which the House adjourned.

COMMODORE DECATUR'S' ACCOUNT of
the CAPTURE of the PRESIDENT.

Ilis Britauaie Najetty's Ship Eakinlan, at Sea,
Jim. IS, 1815,
SlR,—The painful duty of detailing to you the
rtrticular causes which preceded and led to the cap-
ture of the late United States frigate President, by a
squadion of his Britannic Majesty's ships (as per
margin) hos devolved upon me. In my communica-
tion of the 14th, I made known to you my intention
to sail on that evening ; owing to some mistake of
the pilots, the ship, in proceeding to sea, grounded
on the bar, where she continued to strike heavily
for an hour and a half. Although she had broken
several of her rudder braces, and had received such
other material injury as to render her return into
port desirable, I was unable to do so from the strong
westerly wind which was then blowing ; it being
now high water, it became necessary to force her
aver the bar before the tide fell ; in this we suc-
eeeded by ten o'clock, wheu we shaped our course
along the shore of Long Island for fifty miles, and
then steerel S. E. by E.; at five o'clock three ships
were discovered a-head, we hauled the ship up im-
mediately, and passed two miles to the northward of
them ; at day-light we discovered four shipsie space,
one on each quarter, and two a-stern, the leading
ship of the enemy a ruzee, and about three miles
distant: at meridian, the wind became light and
hatlling ; we had increased our distance from the
razed, but the next ship astern, which was also a
large ship, had gained and continued to gain upon
us considerably ; we immediately occupied all hands
to lighten slip, by starting water, cutting assay the
anchors, throwing overboard provisions, cables,
spare spars, boats, and every article that could be
got at, keeping the sails wet horn the royals down.—
At three, we had the wind quite light ; the enemy,
who had now been joined by a brig, had a strong
breeze, and were coming up with us rapidly; the
dymion (mounting 60 guns, ‘2,1-poteulers on her
main deck) had now approached us within gun-shot,
mud hail commenced a tire with her bow guns, which
we returned from our stern; at Live o'clock she had
obtained a position on our starboard quarter, within
half point blank shot, on which neither our stern
nor trailer guns would bear ; ww were now steering
by N. the wind N.W. I remained with her in
this position for half an hour, in the hope that she
would close with us on our broadside, its which case
I had prepared my crew to board; but from his
continuing to yaw his ship to maintain his position,
it became evident that to close was not his inteution ;
every fire now cutsome of our sails or rigging, to
have continued our course under these circumstauces
would have been placing it in his power to cripple
as without being subject to injurrhimself, and to
have hauled up more to the northward to bring our
stern guns to bear would have exposed us to his raking
fire.

It was now dusk, when I determined to alter toy
course south, for the purpose of bringing the enemy
abeam ; and although their ships astern were draw.
up fast, I felt satisfied I b hoold be enabled to

.
tnrow kiln out of the combat before they could come
vp, and was not without hopes, if the night proved
• dark (of which there was every appearance) that I
enizlit still be enabled to effect my escape. —Our op-
rment kept off at the same instant that we did,
nod our fire commenced at the same time; we con-