HISTORICAL CHRONICLE, 1812. PROCEEDINGS IN THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS, Jan. 7. Parliament was this day opened by commission. The Commissioners, Earls Camden and Westmoreland, and Marquis Wellesley, took their seats; when the Speaker, with the members of the House of Commons, appearing at the bar, the Lord Chancellor read the following Speech: "My Lords, and Gentlemen, "We are commanded by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent to express to you the deep sorrow which he feels in announcing to you the continuance of bis Majesty's lamented indisposition, and the unhappy disappointment of those hopes of his Majesty's early recovery which had been cherished by the dutiful affection of his family and the loyal attachment of his people. "The Prince Regent has directed copies of the last Reports of her Majesty the Queen's Council to be laid before you, and he is satisfied that you will adopt such measures as the present melancholy exigency may appear to require. "In securing a suitable and ample provision for the support of his Majesty's royal dignity, and for the attendance upon his Majesty's sacred person during his illness, the Prince Regent rests assured, that you will also bear in mind the indispensable duty of continuing to preserve for his Majesty the facility of resuming the personal exercise of his royal authority in the happy event of his recovery, so earnestly desired by the wishes and the prayers of his family and his subjects. "The Prince Regent directs us to signify to you the satisfaction with which his Royal Highness has observed, that the measures which have been pursued for the defence and security of the kingdom of Portugal have proved completely effectual; and that on the several occasions in which the British or Portuguese troops bad been engaged with the Enemy, the reputation already acquired by them has been fully maintained. "The successful and brilliant enterprize which terminated in the surprize in Spanish Estremadura of a French corps by a detachment of the Allied Army under Lieutenant General Hill, is highly creditable to that distinguished officer, and to the troops under his command, and has contributed materially to obstruct the designs of the Enemy in that part of the Pensula. The Prince Regent is assured, that We you reflect with pride and satisfacto the conduct of his Majesty's troops, GENT. Mag. January, 1912. and of the allies, in these various and im. portant services, you will render justice to the consummate judgment and skill dis played by General Lord Viscount Wellington in the direction of the campaign. In Spain the spirit of the people remains unsubdued; and the system of warfare, so peculiarly adapted to the actual condition of the Spanish nation, has been recently extended and improved, under the advantages which result from the operations of the allied armies on the frontier, and from the countenance and assistance of his Majesty's Navy on the coast. Although the great exertions of the Enemy have in some quarters been attended with success, his Royal Highness is persuaded, that you will admire the perseverance and gallantry manifested by the Spanish Armies. Even in those provinces principally occupied by the French forces, new energy has arisen among the people; and the increase of the difficulty and danger has produced more connected efforts of general resistance. "The Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, commands us to express his confident hope, that you will enable him to continue to afford the most effectual aid and assistance in the support of the contest, which the brave nations of the Peninsula still maintain with such unabated zeal and resolution. "His Royal Highness commands us to express his congratulations on the success of the British arms in the Island of Jaya, "The Prince Regent trusts that you will concur with his Royal Highness in approving the wisdom and ability with which this enterprize, as well as the capture of the Islands of Bourbon and Mauritius, has been conducted under the immediate direction of the Governor General of India; and that you will applaud the decision, gallantry, and spirit, conspicuously displayed in the late operations of the brave Army under the command of that distinguished officer Lieut.-general Sir Samuel Auchmuty, so powerfully and ably supported by his Majesty's naval forces. "By the completion of this system of operations, great additional security will have been given to the British commerce and possessions in the East Indies, and the colonial power of France will have been entirely extinguished. "His Royal Highness thinks it expedient to recommend to your attention the propriety of providing such measures for the future government of the British pos sessions in India, as shall appear from experience, and upon mature deliberation, to be calculated to secure their internal prosperity, and to derive from those flourishing dominions the utmost degree of advantage to the commerce and revenue of the United Kingdom. "We are commanded by the Prince Regent to acquaint you, that white his Royal Highness regrets that various important subjects of difference with the government of the United States of America still remain unadjusted, the difficulties which the affair of the Chesapeake frigate had occasioned have been finally removed; and we are directed to assure you, that in the further progress of the discussions with the United States, the Prince Regent will continue to employ such means of conciliation as may be consistent with the honour and dignity of his Majesty's crown, and with the due maintenance of the maritime and commercial rights and interests of the British empire. "Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "His Royal Highness has directed the Estimates for the service of the current year to be laid before you. He trusts that you will furnish him with such supplies as may be necessary to enable him to contiue the contest in which his Majesty is engaged, with that spirit and exertion which will afford the best prospect of its successful termination. "His Royal Highness commands us to recommend that you should resume the consideration of the state of the finances of Ireland, which you had commenced in the last Session of Parliament. He has the satisfaction to inform you, that the improved receipt of the revenue of Ireland in the last, as compared with the preceding year, confirms the belief that the depression which that revenue had experienced is to be attributed to accidental and temporary causes. "My Lords, and Gentlemen, "The Prince Regent is satisfied that you entertain a just sense of the arduous duties which his Royal Highness has been called upon to fulfil, in consequence of his Majesty's continued indisposition. The Commons having withdrawn, the Earl of Shaftesbury, in a neat speech, moved an Address of Thanks, which was seconded by Lord Brownlow. "Under this severe calamity, his Royal Highness derives the greatest consolation from his reliance on your experienced wisdom, loyalty, and public spirit, to which in every difficulty he will resort, with a firm confidence, that, through your assistance and support, he shall be enabled, under the blessings of Divine Providence, successfully to discharge the important functions of the high trust reposed in him, and in the name and on the behalf of his beloved Father and revered Sovereign, to maintain unimpaired the prosperity and honour of the nation." Lord Grenville concurred in some parts of the Speech and Address, referring to the state of his Majesty's health-to their Lordships' fixed determination to support his Royal Highness the Prince Regent in administering the great trust reposed in him, and to the conduct and valour of our troops. But he retained all his objections to the system upon which Ministers acted. He objected to the lavish profusion with which our resources had been squandered, to the Orders in Council, which, though they had inflicted a blow on the Enemy, had recoiled with greater execution upon our own commerce and manufactures,-to the system which united the Bank and Government, and enabled the former to issue base coin and depreciated paper: a system of which the Bank alone reaped the profit; while the guilt and dishonour fell on the Government, and the loss on the publick. His Lordship reprehended the system which had been pursued in Ireland, noticed the distracted state of that country, and concluded with stating that these topicks would shortly come before their Lordships, separately, for discussion. The Earl of Liverpool defended the conduct of Ministers. Earl Grey expressed himself to the same effect as Lord Grenville. Earl Darnley and the Duke of Norfolk spoke a few words; after which the Address of Thanks was agreed to nem. diss. Lord Holland inquired of a noble Marquis (Wellesley) what progress had been made in our mediation between Spain and her colonies in South America. The disunion, he asserted, had lasted a year and a half, and had cost nearly 200,000 lives. Marquis Wellesley replied generally, and attributed the delay to the narrow prejudices, jealous passions, and conflicting interests, which rendered it necessary for Ministers to proceed with the utmost caution. Lord Holland professed himself dissatisfied with the answer. Earl Fitzwilliam appointed the 24th inst. for his motion respecting the affairs of Ireland. In the Commons, the same day, the Speaker having read the Speech from the chair, Sir F. Burdett rose; and after an eulogium on the magnanimous character of the Prince Regent, and concurring in the praises bestowed on the valour of our troops, adverted to the calamitous events of the present Reign, springing, he said, hom that detestation of the principles of liberty, liberty, which had been equally the origin of the present unfortunate war, and of that with America. The object of the present war was not the liberty, but the independence of Spain; what pretence then was there for continuing the war, since the Sovereign, whose rights we maintained, had conceded them to Buonaparte? There was no chance of our succeeding in driving the French out of Spain: our laurels were great, but barren; and our victories were, in their effects, mere defeats, while the French were making rapid progress towards subjugating the country We were fighting to maintain our Catholic allies in the Peninsula, and neglecting our more valuable allies at home: the Irish, a generous, brave, and long suffering people, were, for a trifling consideration, withholden from their best and dearest rights. The Hon. Baronet next glanced at the traffick in seats in that house,-the burdensome taxation which had generated a pauperism throughout the land, aggravated by the infamous exactions of surveyors and surchargers, the erection of depots, fortifications, and barracks,—the calling in for our defence foreign mercenaries, who had not been able to defend their own country, -the restrictions under which the press laboured, by the Attorney-General being permitted to file ex officio informations; and concluded with moving an Address to which his speech was an echo. Lord Cochrane adverted to the corruption and bigotry of the Portuguese Government, which, he said, had still the gaols of its inquisition crowded with victims, and gave his support to the Address. 1 Lord Jocelyn opposed the Hon. Baronet's Address, and substituted another, which was seconded by Mr. Vyse. Messrs. Whitbread and Ponsonby declared that they could not consistently vote for either Address; they thought the Hon. Baronet's Address contained topicks not proper for discussion at present: the latter gentleman lamented that such slight mention was made of the affairs of Ireland in the Speech. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said a few words; after which Sir F. Burdett's Address was negatived by 250 to 1, and Lord Jocelyn's Amendment was carried without a division. Jan. 8. Mr. Secretary Ryder brought up the Report of the Queen's Council, upon the state of his Majesty's health*. On the question that the Address to the Prince Regent be brought up, Mr. Whitbread said that he feared that we had spared more troops for the war in the Peninsula than we could well afford; but finding, notwithstanding they were under the conduct of so able a general as Lord Wellington, that the Enemy continued in military possession of the country, he despaired of final success. He wished to be informed what was the state of our Army in Portugal. Was it flourishing? were the ranks full? He censured the delay in the departure of the mediatory commissioners to South America. He thought that con * QUARTERLY REPORT OF THE KING'S HEALTH. The underwritten Members of the Queen's Council, after quoting the Act under which they met yesterday se'nnight, at the Queen's Lodge, Windsor Castle, to examine the physicians upon oath, in order to ascertain the state of his Majesty's health, declare, "That the state of his Majesty's health, at the time of that meeting, is not such as to enable his Majesty to resume the personal exercise of his Royal authority. That his Majesty's bodily health appears to us to be as good as at any of the periods of our former Reports; that his Majesty's mental health appears to us not to be worse than at the period of our last Report; that all the Physicians attending his Majesty agree in stating that they think his Majesty's complete and final recovery improbable→→ differing however as to the degree of such improbability: some of them expressing themselves as not despairing; others, as not entirely despairing; and one of them representing that he cannot help despairing of such recovery. (Signed) C. CANTUAR. E. EBOR. MONTOR, WINCHELSEA, AYLESFORD, ELDON, ELLENBOROUGH, W. Grant. "Shortly after the above Report had been read in the presence of all the Physicians, and one of the members of the Council§ had left Windsor, the Physician alluded to (Dr. John Willis) in the last clause of the Report, stated, in writing, to the other members of the Council then remaining at Windsor, that he had unquestionably made use of an expression which might carry a meaning far beyond what he intended to express, and assured the Council, that, whilst he thought the final recovery of his Majesty very improbable, he by no means despaired of it. The members of the Council to whom the above statement was made (having sworn the Physician alluded to to the truth thereof) afterwards communicated the same to the whole Conncil assembled the 5th January, who have deemed it right to subjoin this fact to the above declaration. Signed as above. St. James's-square, Jan. 5, 1812. (A true copy.) J. BULLER.' Archbishop of Canterbury. ciliation ciliation had not been manifested towards the United States,that Government had asserted that the Berlin and Milan decrees had been revoked by France: we had denied it. He defied the Right Hon. Gentleman to state a single fact that had occurred since the 2d November 1810 to prove that those Decrees had not been revoked. He ardently wished for peace, and was of opinion the character of Buonaparte was no ground of objection to negotiating. Both countries were great, but England was a country of factitious greatness, and France of natural greatness. Would to God she had ships, colonies, and commerce; for until she has each and all, he feared, there was no chance of peace to the rest of the world! The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied with warmth, that the concluding prayer of the Hon. Gentleman afforded a clue to his reasoning: if he thought it for the interest of this country that Buonaparte should have ships, colonies, and commerce, it was but natural that he should disapprove of all those means that may have been resorted to, to deprive the French Ruler of them. The Hon. Gentleman had complained of the present state of affairs in the Peninsula. Did he recollect the state of these affairs at the commencement of the last Session and his prophecies upon that occasion? if he did, his confidence in his own foresight ought to be a little shaken; instead of it, they find him prepared to re-prophesy. Destroy his web of sophistry in vain, The creature's at his dirty work again." Before this time we were to have been swept from the face of the Peninsula,-to have been driven into the sea. Instead of which we have driven the French out of Portugal, and have kept possession of that country in defiance of their hosts. He was happy to state that the military force at present in the Peninsula was by 10,000 men more than it was at this time last year. The Hon. Gentleman concluded with saying, that he should regret a war with America, which would be injurious to us, but more so to America. Gen. Tarleton, Mr. Creevey, and Mr. Hutchinson, spoke at some length; after which Mr. Creevey's motion, that the report be brought up that day week, was negatived, the report itself read a first and second time, and ordered to be presented to the Prince Regent. Jan. 9. Lord J. Thynne brought up the Prince Regent's Answer to the Address, thanking the Commons for offering to provide amply and suitably for the comfort and dignity of his Royal Father under the calamity with which he was afflicted. The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, "That no private bills be read a first time after the 24th of February next; and that no report of a private bill be received after the 20th of April next." Agreed to. In consequence of some observations from Mr. Creevey, relating to the offices of Clerk of the Privy Council and the Marshal of the Admiralty being conferred upon members of that House, and the Paymastership of Widows' Pensions not being abolished, a short discussion ensued, which was terminated by the rejec tion of a motion for appointing a Committee of Inquiry. Mr. Hutchinson gave notice, that on the first Tuesday in March he would move for a Repeal of the Act of Legislative Union between Great Britain and Ireland. HOUSE OF LORDS, Jan. 10. The Earl of Liverpool, in a neat speech, in which he warmly panegyrised the Governor General of India, Sir S. Auchmuty, Gen. Abercrombie, and Colonels Ward and Gillespie, with Commodore Rowley, moved the Thanks of the House to "Lord Minto, for his zeal, wisdom, and ability, in attacking the Enemy's possessions in the East." The Earl of Moira would not oppose the Vote, though he was adverse to the system of Island conquests, which was merely the purchase of a more extended cemetery for our soldiers. Lord Grenville praised the speech of the Noble Secretary: be cordially supported the present Vote, which was for a distinguished union of political and military success. The Earl of Buckinghamshire returned thanks for the tribute paid to Lord Minto. This motion being carried, was followed by separate Votes of Thanks to Generals Auchmuty and Abercromby, Admirals Bertie and Stopford, Lieut.-cols. Gillespie and Wetherall, Commodores Rowley and Broughton, and the officers, soldiers, and marines, employed in the expedition to Mauritius, Bourbon, and Java. In the Commons, the same day, Mr. Ryder gave notice of a motion for the appointment of a Committee to take into consideration the inadequacy of the Nightly Watch employed in the Metropolis. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in moving the Thanks of the House to Lord Minto and Sir S. Auchmuty, for their services in the East, stated that the merit of having planned all the expeditions belonged solely to the former. After noticing, in terms of high praise, the conduct of Cominodore Rowley in wresting the superiority from the French in the Indian seas; the gallantry of Sir S. Auchmuty, Colonels Gillespie and M'Leod, the latter of whom died in carrying a redoubt; he moved first, That Thanks be voted to Lord Minto for the wisdom and ability with which he had applied the resources intrusted to him, to the destruction of the French power in the East Indies; stating further, that the brilliant successes which had attended our arms were owing to that vigorous system of operations which he had so wisely adopted and pursued. Mr. Sheridan thought the merits of Lord Minto had not been made out: no necessity had been stated for the Noble Lord accompanying the expedition, and superintending the military and naval operations in person. He disapproved of this civil controul, which was too like the system adopted by the French in the revolutionary war, when civil deputies from the Convention were sent to superintend the commanders of armies. It was confessed that Lord Minto had undertaken the expedition contrary to the advice of every person, even of Admiral Drury himself. He then stated that greater dangers never encompassed any army than those in which Sir S. Auchmuty had been involved. That gallant General had no alternative but a disgraceful and precipitate retreat, or an assault by storm, in which the safety of the whole army was at stake. He concluded by stating, that he thought justice had not been done to Commodore Rowley, who, by rallying our broken force in the Indian seas, paved the way for the subsequent successes. Messrs. Yorke, Ryder, Freemantle, Grant, and Elliott, supported the motion; which was opposed by Messrs. Whitbread, P. Moore, General Tarleton, and Sir H. Montgomery. The motion was afterwards carried without a division, as were separate votes of Thanks to the officers, soldiers, &c. employed in the expedition to Java. Votes of thanks to Commodores Rowley and Broughton were likewise carried. INTERESTING INTELLIGENCE FROM THE LONDON GAZETTES. Admiralty-office, Jan. 4. Admiral Sir Roger Curtis has transmitted a letter from Capt. Symes, of the sloop Thracian, giving an account of his having, on the 18th ult. driven on shore, under Cape Levie, a large French lugger privateer, pierced for 18 guns, and full of men, which was totally dashed to pieces on the rocks. Admiralty-office, Jan. 11. A letter from Vice-admiral Sir Edward Pellew, bart. Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's ships and vessels in the Mediterranean, dated on board the Caledonia, at Port Makon, 7th Nov. 1811, incloses the following account from the Hon. Capt. Duncan, of the Imperieuse, stating the sapture of three gun-boats, at Possitano, in the Gulph of Salerno, on the 11th ult. Imperieuse, Gulph of Salerno, Sir, Oct. 11. I have the honour to inform you, that his Majesty's ship under my command, this morning attacked three of the Enemy's gun-vessels, carrying each an 18pounder and 32 men, moored under the walls of a strong fort, near the town of Possitano, in the Gulph of Salerno. The Imperieuse was anchored about 11 o'clock within range of grape, and in a few minutes the Enemy were driven from their guns, and one of the gun-boats was sunk. It, however, became absolutely necessary to get possession of the fort, the fire of which, though silenced, yet (from its being regularly walled round on all sides) the ship could not dislodge the soldiers and those of the vessel's crews who had made their escape on shore and taken shelter in it; the marines and a party of seamen were therefore landed, and, led 1 on by the first Lieutenant, Eaton Travers and Lieut. Pipon, of the royal marines, forced their way into the battery in the most gallant style, under a very heavy fire of musketry, obliging more than treble their numbers to fly in all directions, leaving behind about 30 men and 50 stand of arms. The guns, which were 24pounders, were then thrown over the cliff, the magazines, &c. destroyed, and the two remaining gun-vessels brought off. The zeal and gallantry of all the officers and crew in this affair could not have been exceeded; but I cannot find words to express my admiration at the manner in which Lieut. Travers commanded and headed the boats' crews and landing party, setting the most noble example of intrepidity to the officers and men under him.-Owing to baffling winds, the ship was unavoidably exposed to a raking fire going in; but the foretop-sailyard shot away, is the only damage of any consequence.-I have to regret the loss of one marme killed, and two are wounded. HENRY DUNCAN, Captain. To Sir Edward Pellew, bart. &c, &c. Killed and wounded.-T. Workman, pri-` vate marine, killed; O. Jones, slightly wounded; D. Jones, ditto. HENRY DUNCAN, Captain. Vice-adm. Sir Edward Pellew, bart. has transmitted a letter from Capt. J. S. Tetley, of the Guadaloupe sloop, giving an account of his having captured, Oct. 24, off Cape Blanco, after a chace of 13 hours, the French schooner privateer Syrene, of six guns, pierced for 12, with a complement of 61 men; eight days from Leghorn, on her first cruise, and had made no capture. Rear |