Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-04-15

| British sloop OF war on the Saturday fol-
lowing, which made the eight day that we
had nothing to Gator drink. i lost every
thing | had except my protection and a
few small articles which ! had IN a belt
around my waisss butt assure you Twas
/ was very Thankful For getting off the
! wreck With my life; when | shall get
! home God only knows, but / hope it will
be next spring.
We give from the Newport Mercury,
the following singular paragraph =
6 British Parliament
" Our November file of London papers,
received by the prize Adeona, contains
a lengthy debate in the House of Lords,
! On tie 14th November, Oh a motion Of the
marquis Of Buckingham, for the produe-
ton of the minutes and sentence of the
court martial on capt. Barclay, for the
loss OF the fleet on lake Erie. In the
course of the deoate, tie most gross mis-
tatements were made BY several 5. Noble
Lords" respecting the force of Commo-
dore Perry's squadron I; which, in fact,
was less in number of guns and men. than
the British. The marquis of Buckingham,
however, outsnspt them all. He stated,
that, 8 tie .enaerican fetitla asas D0U-
BILE IN number Of SHIPS and CANS and in
Number and quality Of seanea'' -
8 The same file also contains an IN
terestiag debate in tie House Of Lords,
ON tie 9Th OF Nov. ON the address to the
Prince Regent. Lord Darnley said.
8 that when he found Britain deriving
from the brilliant results of the continent
| al war, none OF the advantages OF peace,
a large army kept up in Flanders, her at
lars Of the Congress still unsettled, and
above all her e5.orts lnsnlted and rellelied
on the other side or tie Atlantic,
he could not avoid expressing his dis.
satisfaction. To one part Of our policy,
tRe naval, he had last year adverted--
That while our military reputation was
raised to its highest pitch, our naval
shoald have sunk, and at a time when its
whole force was disengaged, seemed
extraordinary. That in the course of
the var with but few exceptions, VIC
| tory should have been ON the enemy's
slde IN the ACTIONS OF vessels of the SAME
class, was also extraordinary; SO much
SO, that he should feel himself obliged to
call their lordship's attention to the facts
early in the session. On the whole
view OF the state Of the country, he found
no cause for congratulations. lie did not
overlook the success which had partially
attended our iaud operations; bat it was
| a matter OF doubt with HIM, whether these
were not oyermatched by the national III
dignation at the burning OF property Eat
| Washington not connected Withna1ional
uses.o
In reply to Lord Darnley, Lord Mel
vile (tne first lord OF the admiralty made
the following most extraordinary state
nent, which every one must Know to be
gross exaggeration of British CAPTURES.
Lord Melville said, $ that he presumed
IT was the noble lords Intention to state
that the naval administration was detici-
eat in the reputation which had hitherto
belonged to the sea forces OF England
| Let it be remembered, that where the e.
nemy sent no fleets to sea there could be
no great naval victories but with the
| numerous seamen OF the enemy, her null
titude of privateers, her natural means
of annoyance to uaue when spread o.
YER the world, the question OF success, or
discontinue, was to be decided by look
mo to the protection afforded to that trade
N the presence OF that host of enemies
Something might be guessed of this from
| the fact, that between captures at home
and our colonies, we had within few
| hundreds of $4,000 american SeameR
prisoners This was not like inactivity.
| We had also captured from them more
| than 600 ships Of arar and armed res-
SETS He would add few little facts
| ofthat nature. The list was thirty eight
| ships Of AGAR from the greatestforce down
| wards, and one hundred and ninety
| nine armed ressels CAPTURED or destroy
| ed. Nine hundred eessels had been taken.
| and from the number captured abroad, IN
| different parts of the world he would net
| rate the entire number at less than nine
| teen hnndred!n'
| That the first lcrd of the Admiralty;
| should have said, that TIE British hat
| taken 10000 seamen prisoner%-that the \
| lad captured two hundred ships Of wa
and armed yessels-thnty -eigsht shgs O