The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-29 00:00:00

TO HIS SERENE HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF
NEUFCHATEL.

gg MONSEIGNEUR—AgreeabIy to the eommuni.
cation made to your Serene Highness, in one of
my preceding dispatches, the batteries at Mata.
gorda Point were unmasked at four o'clock on the
morning of the 21st, and a fire commenced from
48 pieces of cannon and mortars on the enemy's
ships, which had taken a station between that
point and the Puntal Castle, from which they sup.
ported the fort.of Matagorda, and greatly incom-
-moded our works. Several red-hot shot were
fired, some of which struck a ship of the line and
stt her on' fire. This ♦essel, as well as several
bombs, sloops, and gun.boats, were obliged to
withdraw from their position. The whole fire
was then directed on Matagorda. This fort, not.
withstanding, continued to defend itself until the
morning of the 22t1, and would probably have
held out 24 hours longer, if one of our shells,
which fell on the powder magazine, had nut blown
it up, dismantled the works, and killed a number
of men. The rest of the garrison, alarmed by
this accident, hastily embarked, and left the fort
to be occupied by the. Imperial troops._ Marshal
*the Duke of BellunO informs me, that it via in.
tended, on the following night, to occupy it in
corn ; to repair the works, and direct 21 pieces
of cannon that have been found there against Ca.:
diz.

" The capture of the fort of Matagorda will
necessarily hare produced a great effect at Cadiz ;
anil the more so, because the enemy's ships may
now be attacked at their anchorage, and cannot
communicate except by stealth, and at night, with
their establishment-at the Carraccas and the inner
harbour. We shall also derive this advantage
from it, that we shall be able to erect our batteries
nearer, and to throw shells into Cadiz ; at thechannelsame time that we shall assemble, in the channel of
Trocadero, the flotilla 'of bombs and gun.boats we
are preparing. Twenty of these gun.boats will be
immediately manned, and others are building.—
But on this subject I must inform your highness,
that the presence of a body of 1000 or 1260 sea.
Men, completely organized (or even more, it pos.
Bible) would be of peat advantage to the service
in this quarter. The greater part might man
these vessels, anti the remainder might be advanta-
geously employed on the coast of the Ocean or
the Mediterranean —a disposal of this force that
would contribute to keep the country in subjec.
tion, intercept every kind of mercantile communi.
cation, and thus contribute to the success of our
operations. Then should we begin to conceive
hopes of soon seeing the numerous population 'of
Cadiz, which already begins to be skraiteuesl,
submit, and drive out the English of their own
accord.

" Marshal the Duke of Treiiso, after having
cleared the coast of Ayamotite of the enemy, and
beaten the corps of Ballasteros at Zalainea la Real,
took measures fur keeping the inhabitants of that
district within the line of their duty, 'and is sending
to Seville the troops that he finds it necessary to
leave there. General Brayer has entered Estra-
Madura with a strong corps. He is to communi-
cate with Ahe second corps, which has pushed de.
taehments to Los Santos and Zafra ; he will after-
wards take a position at Ronquillo,
(Signed) The Duke of D A LMATIA."
NAPLEt, MAY 6. A cut down .ship of the
line, carrying 50 guns (thirty 24-pounders, and;
twenty 33-pound aartonades) has continued for
these four days in the gulph of Naples, and -in.
terrupted the communication with the capital.
Means were prepared to take her, or at least to
oblige her to retire.
The day before yesterday, the.3d, about 7 in
the morning, 'a flotilla, consisting of a frigate, a
sloop, a brig, end cutter, and six gun-boats that
sailed the preceding night, arrived within a* short
distance of the enemy's vessel, which they re-
solved to carry by boarding. The fog prevented
them from ascertaining the strength of the enemy.
When it cleared up, they were within pistol shot;
but they found that the sides of the vessel were too
high to allow them to hoard. The action began.
The Neapolitans bravely supported it during three
hours ; from the heights of Pausilippo to those of
Ischia. Although they were caught in a. calm
which ihatained them for three,quarters of an hour
under the euemy's Are, within half pistol shot,

nothing could induce them to gilts up the atte,tipt,
until the enomy bore oil and got out or the B;,y.
On the morning of the 4th she was seen at a great
distance, making for Sicily ; in the evening •he
was out of Sight.

•
At• the. beginning of the engagement,. the
Commander of the Squadron had his arm brokt•tt
by a shut ; the Second in Command was killed,
and two other officers woundoil. At the end of
the affair we had 30 killed and 90 wounded. The
frigate and sloop have received a good deal 'of da.
mage ; but they will soon be in a condition to put
to sea again. They returned at 3 o'clock in the.
evening, with the guii.boats. The hrie,, which
was very much damaged, sunk after the actions It..
was impossible fur any squadron to behave with
greater bravery than the flotilla did in this brilliant
affair, which was nut attended with all the success
that slte at first expected, but which has, notwith.
•standing, produced this advantage, that it has re.
moved, fur some time, the enemy, whose presence
was 'productive of so much. inconvenience." •
VIENNA, MAY 7.—As the theatre of war be.
tween the Russians and Turks closely .apprtaxi.
mates the frontiers of fitiii,gary, the Austrian Co.
vernment has thought it proper to e,tahlish a re.
spectable cordon of troops, the•chief coinmand of
which is confid.4l to Lieut. Field Marshal Dake. • .
His head.quartors will be at Teriles%sar.
MAY 10.—Oar troops will form a cordon along
the frontiers of Turkey ; but the principal feree
will be concentrated in the liannat, and the terri.,
tory of Syrmia.
OSTEND, MAY 20.... Their Majesties arrived
here this day at noon. They came in a verf hand. .
some yacht, by the canal of Bruges. His. Ma.
jest), the Emperor, before he enteral the town, '
visited the port, the jetties, basons, sea.ilyke,"
fortifications, and the extensive and magnificent
works, commenced since his last journey) and
.now nearly finished.

• •
7 :

STATE OF FIV,INCE AND HOLLAND.

(EXTRACT OF A PRIVATE LETTER.)
66 I am just returned to Paris from a tour
through different parts of France anti jjullanrls
and transmit you some observations and facts,
upon which, though not written with much me. .
thod, you may implicitly rely.
66 The country parts of France are in a cam.
plete state of culti►ation, and the roads very good.
The general appearance of the peasants and their •
houses is improved. There is an immense traps. •
port of goods in all directions by laud carriage.
The tolls are entirely taken off the roads ; and,
independent of the usual interior trade, there is that
which was formerly carried on by sea to Bolllnd
and flanlburgh, in wines, brandies, oil, fruit, 4e.
They aro all conveyed by land carriage, and •se
complete are the arrangements, that the expenco
on a hogshead of wine from Bourdeatie to Ghent,
as well as the time of its arrival, is known etactly.
Time, 40 days; expenee, 10 to 45 Du tchguilders,
FromGlient the conveyance tollollan if is by water.
44 The interior towns have all ► sad dead I k
all the proprietuts, or people. living ea their in.
comes, bang at Pa..is.
.44 No foreign newspapers are permitted or seen
in France, and of course the people know nothing
but what the Government choose to tell- them, 4nd
what is told them they do not believe,—Notflitig
struck ipe with so much surprise as the complete •
alteration there is in many parts of the French OM,
ratter. Formerly, however volatile they were,
they felt an interest in public measures--noW not
the least ; and a Frenchman scarcely ever talus 4
newspaper in hand but to read the feuilletoti, or •
criticisms, upon plays and fashions. The Govern.
ment and the Nation are two distinct parties, Thu
Emperor is not in the least beloved by the penplie •
but he little regards that. .
" Egotism is the order of the day in Paris, end
bad faith.betweeo map and man has risen to a ser,.
prising height in the higher orders., The pollee is
very strict, and in consequence of the late esta.
blistiment of State Prisons, no. persons even its •
private company will venture to find fault with the •
proceedings of. Government ; if they did, the
chance is, that they are taken up and carried to
one of those prisons, where they may remain for
months without being once examined: Justice is•
very well administered between individuals in ell
points, except where Government have an Wrt.,
est, and then the. decision is in favuur of Goy
•

"The French nation and the Brabanters are much
pleased with the late marriage, considering it as the .
means of preventing future wars. The new Em.
press has a very good and sensible look, but alto
keeps all the Court Ladies at a great distance.
66 Individuals who hate sous in Spain never get
aoy letters, so that io France, much less is knoWn
of that country than in England, •
" In purchasing land in France; yen cannot
make more than 3f, or 4 per cent, intern' upop
money.
The improvements going on in Paris giro
bread to an immense number of people, and
causes great circulation of tneney ; 411 projected
•
since-BonaParte's time are quibitly 4040 ; Ehgse
began before•him go on slowly,. ' •
66 The situation of Holland is most lamentable
—I see nothing but bankruptcy, The object at •
Bonaparte is either to ruin the country, thereby
to make France flourish, or to plague them so at
to make them desire a regnion. At this momcipt
very severe measures have been taken to prevent
all intercourse, and to bring offending parties be, •
fore a French Military Tribunal, that is, ip other
language,. to be shot.” •

Bouu....The chief sporting matches which
now engage the attention of the cognbsgentf,-arq
the boxing-matches ne;t Thursday. Betting was
as high as two to one at Tsiaeries, yesterday..
on Sam versus Medley, who is training 4t 'Atm,
nington, in-Kent. it has been already itatetit
that Medley is a stone and a bait *slier than
Sam, and he is a known good alai; ; hot Sam is
backed, as never haring lost a battle. Dog/se/AO
is still the favourite against Burn; ti _ and the third,
match wilt be between Dixon 'and ISuifurtio ar.A4
good ones lu miniature,

.srl

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE 01' LORDS, MAY 28.

In the appeal " Meckle v. Dick," Sir Arthur
Pigott and Mr. Leach were heard for the Respon-
dent, and Sir Samuel Romilly partly in reply.
On the Motion of the Right Honourable Lord
Hood, the Bill for Paving, Watching, and Light-
ing the Town of Ramsey, was read a third time
and passed.
The Stamp Duties Surplus Appropriation Bill,
the Excheyner Bills Bill, the Machinery Expor-
tation Bill, the Irish Insolvent Debtors Bill, and
some other Bills were brought up by Sir James
Graham, Mr. Grattan, Mr. Dickinson, and
oilier Members, and read a first time. The Stamp
Ditties Surplus Appropriation Bill was read the
first time on the motion of the Earl of Liver-
pool, and ordered to be read a second time on
Friday.
The Scots Coors Regulation Bill was, after some
conversation between the Earl orLaudertlale and
Viscount Melville, ordered to be read a second
time on Wednesday.
The third reading of Gard's Divorce Bill was
postponed till Friday, at ;he request of Earl Grey,
who intimated his intention of moving to leave out
the clause prohibiting the offending party from
marrying again.
The Loin Bill. the Isle of Man Customs Con-
sole:kilo', Bill, and the Scots Excise Officers Su-
rraonnation Bill were read a second time, and
committed for Wednesday.
The Irish Warehousing Bill, the Oil of Vitriol
Bill, and the Scuts Roads Bill passed through
Committees and were reported.

SCHELDT EX PED r tow. CATHOLICS. -- SPA-
N CAMPAIGN—STATE 01."IIIE COUN-
TRY.
Earl GREY expressed his regret at again post.
in the name of a Noble Earl (Donough.
more), the motion relative to the Catholics, but
it was wished in consequence of the. indisposition
of his Noble Friend (Lord Grenville), who was
particularly anxious to be present at the discusion,
and whose assistance would be highly desirable.
Ile was th,:refore desirous of postponing the mo-
tion till Tuesday the sth of June.
The Duke of NORFOLK expressing a wish,
that it might be postponed till the fallowing day,
Earl GREY consented, with an understanding,
that it should certainly come on on Wednesday,
the 6th of June, and proposed that the motion of
Noble Friend (the Marquis of Lansdowne),
relative to the Spanish Campaign, should stand
fur Friday the Bth ; and that his own motion
should be fixed for Wednesday the 13th.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE acquiesced in
this arrangement.
The Earl of DARN LEY postponed his motion
relative to the Return of the State of the Troops
employed in the Schel.tt Expedition till Friday.

The Lords wen•. ordered to be summoned fur

the 6th, Bth, and 13th of June ; and the orders
for the sth and 7th were discharged ; the orders
for Friday next, the Ist, remained that day,
being fixed for the Earl of Darnley's motion.
,Adjourned till IVednesddy.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MAY ?B.
The Brazil Machinery Export Bill was read a
third time and passed.

The Lowland D.stillery Bill and the Flax Bill
were reported, and ordered to be react a third tune
on Wednesday next.
NAVAL REVISION. _ _

Mr. HORNER postponed, till the sth of
June, his notice of motion for an Address to his
Majesty fur the 15th Report of the Commissioners
of Naval Revision.
The Irish One Million Two hundred Thousand
Pounds Luau Bill was read a first, and ordered to
be read a second time on %Vednesday.
On the motion.of Sir JOHN SINCLAIR, the
Stage Coaches Bill was recommitted.—Report on
Wednesday.
WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE.

Mr. ROSE (the nsual form of Ong into a
Committee on the ‘Vo;Alen Acts •having been
gone through) obtained leave to bring in a Bill to
repeal several Acts rela;ive to the IVoullen Alanu_
facture, and to exempt several persons subject to
penalties under the billl4o from the obligation to
pay.
The West India Coffee and Sugar Bill was
committed, reported, and ordered to be read a
third time on Wednesday.
The Inland Coal Bill and Pension Duty Bill
werepread a second time.—Committed on Wednes.
day.
The Goods Warehousing Bill and Irish Beer
Dill were read a third time and passed.