Newspaper Page Text
BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
House of Loans, June 29.
AMERICAN TRADE.
Lord Hawkcsbury presented, by his majes
ty’* command, the order in council continuing
the provisions of the American Intercourse act,
which expired dining the recess; and gave
notice that it was the intenuon of his majesty’s
government, to propose to parliament a bill for
continuing tile above act for a time to be t erc
fn specified, ar.d to propose in such bttt a clause
cf indemnity for the advice given to his maje'ty
to continue the provisions of the former act, af
ter it had legally expired.
Lord Auckland stated, that the reason he did
pot, wheninoflice re < mmend the continuance
of the act which had now expired, was the
pending negotiation with Ameiica. He stated
that whdn the treaty, which was the result of
that negotiation, came to be discussed, it would
be disi usse.l as a tieaty ratified, ai,d lie felt sa
tisfied it would be (bund tliut every possible at
tention had been paid to the interests of this
country. Ho thought it but fair, now to state,
that when the question of tne renewal of the
.American intercourse act came to be discussed;
Le should probably hoof opinion, that the same
reasons which before operated, did not exist for
the continuance of the act. One part of it in
particular, he objected to, and did object to dur
ing the negociatnn ; he alluded to that part cf
it which allowed to the Americans a carrying
ttade between our possessions in the East-Indies
and Europe.
House of Commons, June 29.
AMERICA.
Lord Temple said, that seeing the chancel
lor of the exchequer in his place, he would beg
leave to ask him a question. In the course of
the last session it had fallen to his lot to bring
in .i bill, which had been passed contrary to the
opinions of those who composed the present ad
ministration-—he mount the American inter
course bill; and hr wished to know if the present
ministers meant to move for its repeal ?
Mr. Rose said, that he foi one had strenu
ously opposed the bill alluded to, during its
progress through the house, because he disap
proved the measure ; but as it hud received the
approbation of tiie house, and passed into a law,
he did not think it would be decent to move its
repeal, till its operation was somewhat better
known.
June 3%
T ORF.IOV AND BRITISH SHIPPING
Nr. Eden rose, in pursuance of his notice to
make a motion relative to this subject; this he
prefaced by a speech of consideiable length,
St ring the object he had in view to be to shew
the prosperity and increase of our navigation,
■while the country was under the management
of the late administration. One great cause to
winch the decline of British navigation was as
cribed, was the passing of the bill, called the
A nericun intercourse hill, which ban been rep
resented as a wanton innovation ; and yet by the
answer given last night by the treasurer of the
jvtvy, he learned, that ministers had no intention
of repealing it, although they had allcdgcdthat
J: went to do for enemies what they could not 1
do for themselves and to resign toother na
tions our naval superiority. The house had
been told that tin whole conduct of the late
ministry was a series of concessions to neutrals,
and that they were weak enough to commence
a negotiation during the existence pf the non
j.npo’ tation act.
Mr. Rose said, he did not rise to oppose this
motion, but. to state that he was at a loss to know
wnat the honorable gentleman could possioly
mike out fro. n such an ccount. I'he only law
passed during the last session which had any
relation to this matter, was the American Inter
course bill, and upon that subject the noble
lord opposite to h ; m (lord Temple) had asked
lii n yesterday whether ministers intended to
repeal it. in consequence of the objections for
merly stated to ii ? To this, he answered, that
it was rather an important question to be deter
mined. during the pending of a treaty with A
mcica ; although lie was convinced that such
4 repeal must be of advantage to the country.
During the time that bill was pending, he was
convinced it would prove a mischevious bill,
• and he was more confirmed in that opinion, as
he could venture to s iy, that it actually puts
this country in u worse situation than we were
in before, by enabling the Americans to drive
the British shipping out of the colonial trade,
as the West-Imliaii had no means of carrying
his sugar to America. On these grounds, he
very much doubted whether,upon a competiti
on between British and American ships, the
latter would not gain the ascendancy.
\ lscouut Howie k said there was no man more
desirous thin he was to cultivate the good-with
and friendship of America, being convinced it
was for tins interest of both countries ; but lie
could not carry that desire so far as to say that
an act’s parliament, detrimental to our interest,
and destructive to the British colonies, should
pot be repealed as soon as its evil effects were
riisrnyered. If the right honorable gentleman
had experienced the inconvenience he express
ed, no'lnng could justify him in not repealing
it. The truth was. all the charges brought
forward upon this head formerly were totally
Unfound* and, and had been only made by the
present ministers to serve their own purposes
when in opposition, but which they in their con
sciences. could not venture to itipport. Before
he sat down he could not help saying a word or
two respecting the conduct of another right ho
norable gentleman opposite (Mr. Percival) res
pecting the order of council, p issed in conse
quence of ibe Ei cnyh decree of the 21st of No-
vember. That right honorable gent! man bad
stated, that he thought then, as he steined still
to think, the n easuie of the last administrati
on wholly inadequate to the purpose intended
why did lie not now take upon hints# f to ad
vise his majesty to correct the spiriiiLss mea
sure? Was not that deciee just asJmuch in
force against this count! yasit vj “A,hen he
first objected to it ? The whole s,, u^ r ,Jct of the
present ministers manifestly shr. togri that they
do not believe what they thtnisty exeeaid when
in opposition. Joseph
Mr. Ros” icpeatedthat so far. t s< repealing
the American intercourse bill, ‘ ’ auld rather
tinder existing circumstances ac, its renewal.
The chancellor of the exri.aquer rose, he
said, not for the purpose of pKblonging this dis
cussion. He still continued tb lament, that the
measuie which the late government had
thought proper to adopt, at the time when the
violent decree of Fra tee respecting neutrals
was passed, was not met in a manner more
efficacious; hut still he did not conceive that
this would be a proper or convenient time to
make any alteration in it.
July 1.
Lord Cochrane gave notice, that on Monday
se’uight, (which he afterwards changed to Tues
day) he should move that there be laic! before
the house, an account of all the places, offices,
pensions, sinecure employments, fees or emo
luments enjoyed by membeis of that house, or
m trust for them, their wives, children or de
pendents.
FRENCH GRAND ARMY.
SEVENTY-EIGHTH BUU.F.TIN.
[On comparing the translation of the seventy
eighth bulletin, as published in the Boston
papers, with the copy in our possession, we
find that the following preliminary remarks
are omitted. They are of consequence, as
in some measure accounting for the long
inactivity of the Grand Armies.— Charleston
Times.^
Heii.sbf.ro, June 12.
Negotiations of peace had taken place du
ring tiie whole winter. A general congress
had been proposed to France, to which all the
belligerent powers must have been admitted,
Turkey alone excepted. The emperor had
been justly indignant at such a proposition.
Alter a few months parleying, it was agreed
that all the bellige cm powers, without excep
tion, should send plenipotentiaries to the con
gress which should he held at Copenhagen.
Ihe emperor had made known that if Turkey
was admitted to make common cause in the
negotiation with France, there was no incon
venience in England making a common cause
with Russia. 1 lie enemies then asked upon
wliat basis the congress would have to nego
tiate. 1 ney p- oposea none, and would, how
ever, have the emperor propose some, i lie
eniperot had no hesitation to declare, that in his
opinion, the basis ot the negotiation ought to
be equality and reciprocity between the two
belligerent masses, and that the two bellige
rent masses should enter in common into a
system ot compensations.
i’lie moderation, the clearness, the readi
ness ol this answer leit tiie enemies of peace
no doubt upon tne pacific dispositions of the
emperor, l hey d>euded the effects of them ;
and at the very moment when it was answered,
that theie was no further obstacle to the open
ing of the congress, the Russian army quitted
its cantonments and came to attack the French
army. Blood has. therefore, again been shed ;
but at least France is innocent of it. There
has been no pacific overture but the emperor
lias listened to. t here has been no snare laid
by the abettors of war but his will has avoided.
They inconsiderately made the Russian army
run to arms, when they saw their steps balded ;
and these criminal enterprises which justice
disavows, have been confounded. New checks
have been drawn upon the arms of Russia ;
new trophies have crowned those, of France.
Nothing more fully pioves that p.ssions and in
terests, foreign to those ot Russia and Prussia,
direct the cabinets of these two powers, and
lead their brave armies to new misfortunes, by
forcing them to new engagements.
EIGHTIETH BIILI F.TIN.
Tilsitt, June 19.
During the time which the French army
signalized itsell on the field of battle of Fried
land, the grand duke of Berg arrived before
Konigsbeig, and took in flank the troops of the
army of general Le toeq.
On the 12. h, marshal Soult found at Grentz
burg the Prussian rear gunrd. The division
ot the dragoons of Melhaud executed a tine
charge, overturned the Prussian cavalry, and
took several pieces of cannon..
On the 14th the enemy was obliged to shut
himself up in the place of Konigsberg. To
wards the middle of the day two of the ene
my’s columns that were cut off, presented
themselves to eniei intothe place Six pieees
of cannon, and from three to 4000 men, which
composed this troop, were taken. All tiie sub
urbs of Konigsberg were carried; we there
made a great number of prisoners. The re
sult of these affairs are, 5000 prisoners and 15
pieces of cannon. On the 15th and 16th, the
corps of the army of marshal Soult was detain
ed qefore Konigsberg, but the march of the bo
dy of the army on \y ehlau obliged the enemy
to evacuate Konigsberg, and this place fell in
to our power.
We have found at Konigsberg an immense
quantity of provisions. Two hundred large
vessels which had come from Russia, are still
loaded in the port. There is a greater quantity
of wines and brandies than we had any reason
to hope for.
A brigade of the division cf Saint Hilluire is
before Pillau, to form the siege ; and general
Rapp has sent from Dantzic a column charged
to go by the Nerung, and establish before Pil
lau a battery, which will shut up the Huff. ‘The
vessels manned by the mariners of the guard,
render us masters of this iittle sea.
On the 17th, the emperor moved his head
quarters to Drucken, near Klein Schirau ; on
the 18th, to Spaisgirren ; the 19th, at 2 o’clock
in the afternoon, he entered Tilsitt.
1 he grand duke of Berg, at the head of the
greater part of the light cavalry, the divisions
ot dragoons and cuitassiers, have gone on beat
ing the enemy for the last three days, and has
done him much injury. The sth regiment of
hussars has distinguished itself. The cossacks
were many times overthrown, and have suffer
ed much in the different charges. We have
had but few killed or wounded—in the number
ul the latter is the chief-d’escadron Picton, aid
de-camp of the grand duke of Berg.
After the passage of the Pregel, opposite
Walheu, adrummer was charged by a cossack;
he threw himself on his bcily ; the cossack
took his lance to pierce the drummer, but the
latter preserved all his presence of mind, and
seized the lance, disarmed the cossack, and
pursued him.
A particular fact, which excited the smiles
of the soldiers, took place for the first time
near Tilsitt. We saw a cloud of Kalmucks
giving battle with bows and arrows ; we pity
those who prefer the arms of the ancients to
the moderns—but nothing is more laughable
than the play of those arms against our mus
kets.
Marshal Davoust, at the head of the third
corps, at Libiau, fell on the rear guard of the
enemy, and made 2,500 prisoners. On this
side marshal Ney arrived on the 17th at In
sterbourg, lie there found one thousand woun
ded of the enemy, and considerable maga- j
zincs.
The woods and the villages are filled with •
isolated Russians, either wounded or sick, j
The losses of the Russian army are enormous ; ■
it has not taken with it more than 60 pieces cf J
cannon. The rapidity of the marches hinder ‘
us from knowing yet all the pieces which have
been taken at the battle of Friedland, we be
fieve the amount exceeds 120. }
At the height of Tilsitt, the billits here join- *
ed, Nos. 1 and 2*, were delivered to the grand
duke of Berg, and afterwards the Russian
prince, lieutenant-general Labanoff, passed the
Nieman, and conferred one hour with the
prince of Neufchatel.
The enemy lias burnt in great haste the
bridge of Tilsitt on the Nieman, and appears
to continue his retreat towards Russia ; we are ‘
on the confines of that empire. The Nieman, j
opposite I ilsitt, is a little larger than the Seine ;
we see on the leit bank a cloud of cossacks
which form the rear guard of the enemy. No ■
longer do they commit any hostilities.
What remained to the king of Prussia is J
conquered ; this unfortunate prince has no
longer in his power but the country situated
between the Nieman and Memel. The great- ;
er part of his army, or rather the division of his >
troops, are deserting, not being willing to go in- :
to Russia.
• Set our paper of Tu*fday lift.
LISBON, June 16.
An earthquake took place here on the sth of
this month, at four o’clock in the afternoon. [
There was not a single building thrown down,
although a great number of houses suffered
more or less ; but there is not one, as is asser
ted, the ceiling of which does not exhibit some
traces of the shock.
It was so smart, so rapid, and so unexpected,
that hitherto it has not been possible to make
any meteorological observations upon it ; at
least no mention is made of any. The only
thing which people in general are agreed upon,
is, that the shock was as hard as in 1755, and j
that it would infallibly have produced the same !
effect, had it lasted so long.
Although no houses were thrown down by |
the earthquake of the sth, irany persons were
wounded by the fall cf stones from some walls,
and tiles falling from the roofs. No person
would have lost their life, if the fright occasion
ed by the first shock had not induced four or
five individuals to leap out of their windows
into the street. Two or three were killed in
this manner, and others wounded.
Most of the inhabitants passed the night in
the open air, either in the fields, or in the
squares, and on the keys. One cheering cir
cumstance, was, that the Tagus was very tran
quil ; whereas, in the earthquake of 1755, that
river, previous to the fiist shock, was inwardly
agitated, and covered with bituminous matter.
FRANKFORT, June 23.
Letters from Vienna, at length, confirm the
intelligence of the evacuation of Wailachia, by
the army of general Michclson. This retreat
has been made under pretext of covering the
siege of Istnail; but it is evidently grounded
on the impossibility of the Russian general be
ing able to maintain possession of this province,
or to defend it against the Turkish armies now
advancing, and whose van-guard is already ar
rived at Widdin. When Michelson invaded
Moldavia and Wailachia, he relied on receiving
reinforcements from the different Russian pro
vinces, and more especially from those border
ing on the Black Sea. Instead of this, he has
been under the necessity of sending one of his 1
divisions to the assistance of the Russian army 1
in Poland ; and the troops he expected to re-1
ceive from Tauride and Ukraine, not only have j
not joined hitn, but will probably find themselves
insufficient to preserve the provinces invaded by j
the Turks and Persians.
PARIS, Jane 27.
People now ask with less uneasiness than
curiosity, what will be the fate of the king of
Prussia, all whose states must in a few days be
in the possession of the French. We shall
not take upon cursehes to discuss either the
generous propositions which may have been
made to him, or the imprudent refusals which
have followed them : previous to the battle of
Friedland, he might yet appear to have some
thing to put into the diplomatic scales : he
was still king of a few provinces and of tiie
wreck of an army. As long as Russia and
England left him any hopes, there might have
been some merit in sacrificing them to his
safety. But now that he would present him
self bereft of all resource, all that he would
preserve can only be a gift of the magnanimi
ty of the emperor of the French.
LONDON, June 28.
The expedition has sailed; and as a senti
ment denouncing the absurdity of so devoting
our force, is as generally as we believe it to b
correctly entertained, we shall say no more about
it but join in the solemn wishes of the country,
that it may return in safety.
In this wish, however, we do not include the
Hanoverians—mot that we wish they should
fall iti'o the hands of the French through a log,
or any such accident, and thereby ptobubly be
converted into enemies; but we cannot fotbear
expressing a wish, that these whiskered gen
tlemen may never more honor us with their
presence. If they are to be employed any
where, itvould be perhaps better that they
w ere sent where there is less charge of their
falling into the hands of the enemy, since an
opinion does seem, some how or other, to pre
vail among us, that they might become more
active and dangerous to us under the command
of Bonaparte- than they can possibly be service
able under that of the duke cf York ; and it is
supposed that they would smoke their pipes
as contentedly under the trees of the Thuille
ries, as beneath the shade of those in St. James’s.
The objection to the Hanoverians is by no mean*
lefTened from the allegiance which they owe to hi*
majesty, as elector of Hanover (a title which it might
be matter of congratulation with the public, ihould we
never more have occasion to recognize : and any par
liamentary compensation to his majesty we would wil
lingly tu'ofcribe to, rather than allow this bait to con
tinental ftrifs to be again upheld to us.)
June 29.
We received last night Dutch Journals
clown to the 23d inclusive, with Paris news
down to the !9th.
The only article of importance appears in
the shape of an extract ftom the Publiciste of
the 18. h, where it is said that a peace is likely
to take place between France and Sweden, and
that Bonaparte has made certain offers to the
king ot Prussia, which he must either accept
befoie the 15th July, or lose his crown.
T he papers contain the articles of capitulation of the
fortrefs of Niefse, in Silefta The garrison, as we have
before lined, are prisoners of war.
June 30.
The feeond division if the expedition was expefted
to fail yeilerday. The firft and feeond batta'ions, third
fourth ‘ nd fifth battalions of the line, the. feeond and
fourth companies of arti ery of the German leg on
were all on board and in the Downs on Wednesday.
The whole amount of the troops from this country, will
not be less, it is said, than 30/ 00 men.
The expence of the late Yorkibire ele&ion is pretty
accurately calculated at 10001 per hour during the poll,
for each of the parties, making the w hole sum amount
of expemlituie to be 33b,0001. —112,0001. for each can
didate.
July 1
A formidable insurrection is said to have bro
ken out in Persia, headed by Been Sing, a man
of extraordinary enterprise and courage. He is
the person who, with 1000 Mussulmans, oppos
ed the 74th and 78th British regiments at Pan
tiely, in 1804, during the war with Scindia, in
whose service he then was. He formerly held
a command in the Persian army, but “left it
in disgust at some neglect, and since the peace
with the Mahraattas, has resided at Sheraz,
organizing ihe rebellion which he now directs.
In the course of the last month, the ratifica
tions were exchanged in the palace of govern
ment, of the different treaties which the houses
of Anhalt, Schwarzlrerg von de Lippe, Reuss and
Waldeck, have ceded to the Rhenish confed
eracy.
The meeting which took place between the
king of Sweden and general Buine was a most
curious one. ‘The spirited young monarch
hud only in view the making an acquaintance
with a French marshal, and for that purpose
desired Brune to meet him. Having bdtn of
ten taunted by Bonaparte, he thought lie would
now retort on one of his marshals n erely for
the purpose of venting his abhorrence cf the
tyrant. Peace was quite out of the question,
and the marshal, having been obliged to hear
the most overwhelming truth* respecting his
master, retired quite mortified and confoun
ded. ‘I his statement may be depended on as
a tact. W henever, in the course of his con
versation, Gustavus uttered Bonaparte’s name,
lie each time expectorated. He even went so
far as to say to Brune “ there is no honor to
be got in your master’s service. Come over
with your Dutchmen into mine, and you shall
find honor and bread.”
The intelligence of a revolution at Constan
tinople, received by the mail yesterday, is lia
ble to much doubt. The report, however,
was thought of sufficient consequence to be in
cluded in the dispatch of the British envoy at
Altona. to government. Some private letters
from Hamburgh go so far as to state, that
peace had been offered to Great-Britain and
Russia, by the Porte ; and that Sebastiani had
been obliged to leave Constantinople, dreading
the fury of the populace, which vehement*
Jy directed against French influence.