be fitted with a ring and eye bolts for guns, and that small vessels be prepared to receive large oars, that they may be able to act in a calm, if necessary. Seventhly, That the said vessels be under orders to attend to, and obcy, the signals and directions that may be made to them by the commanders of his Majesty's ships, or from the signal stations on shore, and when detained, that they be entitled to demurrage according to their regular tonnage, at the same fate as common transports; the time of detention to be certified by the officer who may order it. Eighthly, That the said vessels on arriving at and sailing from port, be subject to be visited by the commanding officers of the Sea Fencibles of the district.

INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN. The Chams of Erivan, Sur, Gheutsi, Hoé, and Tir, sent ambassadors to Constantinople, to complain of the encroachments which the Russians are daily making upon their ancient possessions. The Porte not being disposed to engage in hostile discussions with the Emperor, recommended a patient forbearance on the part of these chiefs, assuring them, at the same time, that he did not doubt that Russia would speedily remove the cause of their complaints.-Gen. Brune has demanded, in the name of the French Republic, that the Grand Signior shall exclude all British ships from the Turkish ports and shut the entrance of the Dardanelles against their commerce.-Notwithstanding the order of the Senate lately issued by the Ligurian Republic forbidding the importation of any English commodities, many vessels, laden with those commodities, have evaded the strict search, which the order directs shall take place, and have entered Genoa. In consequence of the supplies that have been thus furnished, the price of British manufactures and colonial produce has suffered considerable diminution. The Spanish money ships continue to arrive in the ports of Spain, and active military and naval preparations continue to be made in different parts of that kingdom. His Catholic Majesty is said to have declared, in answer to some communications from the British government, that it is his sincere wish, that the pacific relations between the two countries may remain unbroken. M. Champagny, the French minister at Vienna, has recently held frequent conferences with Count Cobentzel. It is supposed that this intercourse is preparatory to the departure of M. Champagny, who will soon return to France, to fill an important station in the marine.-The 15th of August has been celebrated, at Paris, with considerable pomp, as the anniversary of the Birth of the First Consul, of

Buonaparte's appointment to the consulate, for life, and of the signature of the Concordat. On the same day, M. Le Baillie De Ferrette had an audience, and delivered his credentials as minister plenipotentiary from the Order of Malta.-The Legislative Body of the Batavian Republic adjourned to the 15th of October, after voting a tax of 2 per cent. on property, to defray the expenses of the war; this tax is considered as a voluntary gift, and is to be paid in four instalments, between the 1st of October, 1803, and the 1st of April, 1804.

The ex

The

DOMESTIC.-The accounts which have been received, during the present week, from Ireland, present but gloomy prospects of the condition of that country. tent of the late conspiracy becomes every day more known, and, the knowledge of those connected with it make it the more alarming, An universal prevalence of dissatisfaction becomes more apparent, and, although the public tranquillity has not been disturbed by any fresh instances of tumultuous discontent, it is generally feared that all the precautions of government will not prevent further insurrections.Disturbances have arisen in some parts of Scotland, in consequence of an attempt to execute the provisions of the General Defence Bill. In Angushire, particularly, the populace resisted its operation, and committed several acts of violence. interference of the military has in many instances been found necessary to quiet the opposition which has been manifested.It is reported that the nephew and niece of Madame Buonaparté, who had been taken prisoners on their return from the West Indies, have been sent to France in exchange for the young ladies who were detained in a boarding school at Rouen.On the 17th inst. His Britannic Majesty issued an order for granting reprisals against the Ligurian and Italian Republics.-The Right Hon. Charles Yorke, late Secretary at War, has been sworn in, as His Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the room of Lord Pelham, who resigned. Mr. Yorke is succeeded in the war department by the Rt. Hon. Charles Bragge, who lately resigned the Treasuryship of the Navy, to make room for Mr. Tierney. Several changes, in the subordinate offices, have also taken place, among which is the appointment of Mr. Pole Carew to be under secretary to Mr. Yorke, and Mr. Francis Moore to be deputy secretary to Mr. Bragge. - The Baltic fleet, which has just arrived, is the

largest that ever came to this country. It consists of 381 sail; of which 136 are destined for London, 74 for Hull, 20 for Newcastle, 23 for Leith, 18 for Liverpool, and 110 for different other ports.-According to a statement which has very lately been published here, the number of cargoes of the fishing vessels which entered at the Coast Office in the Custom House, London, was, in 1798, 1407; in 1799, 1622; in 1800, 2167; in 1801, 2668; and in 1802, 3255; amounting, in all to 11120. According to the same statement, 2238 tons of fresh Cod, Haddock, Skaite, Thornback, &c. and 186,200 fresh Mackarel, were brought to Billingsgate market, in the season of 1802, by the different candidates for the bounties granted by the Treasury; and, in the season of 1803, 3576 tons of fresh Cod, Haddock, Skaite, Thornback, &c.; 866,995 fresh Mackarel, 4,677,500 fresh Herrings, and 10,309 bushels of fresh Sprats.

MILITARY.-Several Bodies of French troops have began their march from the interior of Italy towards the shores of the Mediterranean, The army of observation in the south of Italy, under the command of Gen. St. Cyr, is daily receiving reinforcements: it occupies, at present, that part of Naples which extends from the frontiers of the papal states to Otranto and Tarentum. Part of the two divisions which are posted between Mantua and Verona, have received orders to pass the Adige, and take their route by Ferrara and Ancona, into Naples. Not more than 12,000 men will then remain in the environs of Mantua, and on the borders of the Austrian frontiers. - Troops destined to strengthen the army in Hanover are now passing through Westphalia. The cabinet. of Berlin has consented that they should traverse that part of the principality of Munster which belongs to Westphalia; and the Prussian general Blucher has had several conferences with the French general for the purpose of regulating this passage. The number of French troops in Hanover, exclusive of Osnaburgh, amount to 19,600, which are thus divided, 4480 infantry and 840 cavalry in Callenburg; 4623 infantry and 1155 cavalry in Lunebourg; 860 infantry and 260 cavalry in the Duchy of Lauenburg; 2970 infantry and 1050 cavalry in the Duchies of Bremen and Verden, and the province of Hadeln; and 880 infantry and 500 cavalry in the county of Hoya.-It is said that a French camp of 15,000 men, will be formed towards the beginning of September, about

five leagues from Brussels, on the road to Namur. The camp on Gossel-heath will be broken up. The French are withdrawing from Overyssel to the southern part of the Batavian Republic, particularly towards Zealand, Bergen-op-zoom, &c. The head quarters of the Batavian General Bruce will be removed to Ter Goes, where a camp will be formed. Gen. Dessolles, with his division, from the territory of Osnaburg, will occupy Overyssel, and Gen. Cassagnes will remove from Dwentar to Gourda, which as well as the other towns in that department will receive strong garrisons; the army will be formed nearer the coast. 12,000 men are proceed. ing towards the coast of North Holland; 15,000 are assembled in Zealand, and a large detachment has been embarked at Bergen op zoom for Zierikzee. Strenbergen has received a considerable body of French troops; and five battalions of Batavian infantry from Gossel-heath have arrived in the Isle of Walcheren. Flushing, Middleburg, and throughout Zealand they are busied in preparing for the invasion of England.

At

NAVAL: On the 1st of August, Capt. Mundy, in the Hydra, captured the French lugger Le Favori, of 4 guns. The capture was made near Tongues, by the boats of the ship, under the direction of Lieut. Tracy. The crew of the lugger run her up near the branch and landed, but notwithstanding their being aided by a large part of the military on shore, Lieut. Tracy succeeded in bringing her off.-On the 13th Capt. Rose, in the Jamaica, off the Isle de Bas, captured the French privateer Fanny of 2 guns and 24 men.—On the 14th Capt. Paget, in the Endymion, captured the French privateer Le General Moreau, of 16 guns and 85 men; six days from Bourdeaux. On the 15th the boats of the Cerberus, under the orders of Lieut. Mansel, made an attack on the enemy's shipping in Concalle Bay, but the coast being alarmed, they could only bring off one large fishing vessel. They proceeded, however, to St. Cas Bay, where they were successful in cutting out seven fishing vessels, of 16 or 18 tons each.-On the night of the 16th Lieut. Watt with the boats of the Ville de Paris, passed within the rocks at Ushant, and brought out the French lugger Le Messager, of 8 guns and 40 men.It is said that Sir Home Popham has been appointed to the command of a secret expedition, for which preparations are now making at Sheerness.

SUMMARY OF POLITICS. PRINCE OF WALES.In two former numbers of the present volume†, we thought it our duty to remonstrate against the conduct of ministers, with regard to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; and, we derive no small satisfaction from perceiving, that there are very few persons, who do not, on this subject, entirely concur in our sentiments. To refuse the Prince a command, while the rest of his Royal Brothers are employed, is to make a distinction so invidious, is to cast such a slur on the character and rank of his Royal Highness, is, in effect, to give such a stab to the monarchy, that no person, who does not wish to see the destruction of that monarchy, or, at least, who is not perfectly indifferent as to its existence, can possibly hear of this refusal, without feeling the utmost indignation at the conduct of the ministers, to whom, and to whom alone, it can, or ought to be ascribed. The evil consequences, which this attempt to degrade the Prince must produce, and the dreadful consequences, which, if persevered in, and followed up by other attempts of the same kind, it may finally produce, shall be the subject of a distinct essay in our next number: at present we shall content ourselves with urging the necessity of publishing the correshendence, which has, on this occasion, taken place, between his Royal Highness and the ministers.- -That it is expedient, that the heir-apparent to the throne should stand high in the opinions of the people, is, we imagine, a position, which even the ministers themselves will hardly attempt to deny; and, disguise the fact how we may, it is absolutely impossible, that, while the transac tion, of which we are now speaking, remains enveloped in darkness, the people of this country, whose habit it is to think for themselves, should not entertain doubts respecting the character and views of their future Sovereign, doubts not less dangerous to the present safety of the realm than injurious to his Royal Highness. By pub. lishing the correspondence, therefore, the danger would be removed, and the injury palliated, though by no means redressed.— It has been officially declared, that his Royal Highness has offered his services as a general in the army, employed for the defence of the country; for the defence of the people, over whom he is to reign, and whose peace and happiness and safety must, in a great degree, depend upon his

+ See pages 192 and 218.

wisdom and his courage. All that the people know of, as the consequence of this offer, is, that it has been rejected. They are well aware, that his Royal Highness has been a military man from his youth; they perceive his Royal Brothers and Cousin invested with high military commands, and they, moreover, see the latter sent to infuse, by his presence, a military spirit into the people of that principality from which his Royal Highness takes his title! And, can it be supposed, that the people do not wish to know the cause of this distinction? Had the slanders of the King-killing saints reduced the nation to that state of indifference, gloomy indeed would be the prospect before us! As to the objection founded on the field-marshalship of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, that might have been obviated by placing the Prince at the head of the irregular army, a measure which would, in every point of view, have been attended with immense advantage to the service. Besides, if there had still been an objection to assigning the Prince a command in this Island, what objection could there be, or can there now be, to giving him the military or civil command in Ireland, where there is every reason to hope and to believe, that his presence alone would give greater security to the country than an army of an hundred thousand men, and where, without some such step, it is greatly to be feared, that tranquillity will never be restored?. No satisfactory reason can, therefore, be conceived, why, at this time of universal zeal and exertion, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales should be condemned to an irksome, not to say disgraceful, inactivity; and the nation demands from the ministers, and beseeches from his Royal Highness, that explanation, which can be afforded only by the correspondence, which has, on this subject, taken place between them. For want of an explanation of the truth, falsehoods are. circulating in every direction; falsehoods the most atrocious in themselves, and of a tendency the most dangerous. We shall not dwell upon the insinuations which have been made as to the "manner," in which the Prince tendered his services, the "exorbitant demands" with which his offer was clogged, the "interest"ed" and "aspining" views, apparent in his conduct. These wicked and base insinuations will produce little effect upon well-informed persons; but, then, how few are there who answer that description! The minister did, indeed. condescend to ac. knowledge, that the Prince's offer was made in "a most handsome and gallant manner;"

but, it is understood, in the world, that these are words of course; and, besides, their effect was instantly destroyed by the mysterious close of the minister's declaration, from which the natural inference was, that something was suppressed in tenderness to the Prince. Thus it was that the affair went forth to the world; and, under the improving influence of those wretches, who are never wanted to anticipate, and, we hope, in the present instance, they have surpassed, the wishes of their superiors, the Prince's injuries have been increased a thousand-fold. The truth is, that, unless the ministers publish the correspondence, we, for our parts, cannot see how the Prince can avoid doing it; for, to suppose him willing to bear the conclusions, which the partizans of ministers draw from his silence, would be to join in the slander that we have so decidedly condemned. The publication of the correspondence will also destroy the effect of the insinuations, by the means of which it is attempted to fix upon another great personnage the blame of refusing the offers of the Prince. The nation will then see, that the refusal came from the ministers, and, from the nature of their excuses, will be able to discover the real motives, by which they have been actuated in injuring and insulting a personage, whom, next to their Royal Master, it was their bounden duty to cherish and to honour, but whom, for reasons too obvious to mention, they wish to keep in a state of helplessness and obscurity.We shall, in our next, resume this important subject.

RUSSIA. The policy of this court is by no means decisive. It is not inimical to us; but, there appears to be no reason to suppose, that it is hostile to our enemy. As far, perhaps, as is necessary to put a stop to French encroachments in the North of Europe, Russia may interfere; but, we have been informed, and that, too, from very good authority, that the Russian ministers are afraid to stir an inch with the persons, who at present bold the reigns of power in this country. This is what we have frequently predicted those who abandoned Portugal, the King of Sardinia, the Stad holder, and the Vendean Royalists, can never expect confidence from any foreign court, which is not under the influence of insanity or of treason. The nation is now suffering for the folly and pusillanimity of its ministers. Were there, in power, men in whom Russia could confide, a Russian fleet would, perhaps, have been at this moment in the Channel, while a Russian army would have been on its march for Italy. We should find it difficult to answer many of the ques

tions of our correspondent THOMAS, who is a very well-informed politician; but, against facts we cannot reason, and we know it to be a fact, that Russia is, and always, since the accession of Alexander, has been, favourably disposed towards this country; and, our readers may rely, that the weakness and pusillanimity of the English ministry are the principal cause of the indecision of Russia. Events may, indeed, lead Russia into the contest; but, till she has decided, there is always danger; and, it must be obvious, that her assistance now, would, at once make a most important change in the complexion of affairs.

SIERRA LEONE. It is a considerable time since we endeavoured to draw the attention of our readers to the baneful effects of fanaticism, as displayed in the establishment of this colony. Far be it from us to regret the loss, which has been sustained by the original promoters of this measure; on the contrary, we heartily wish, that their persons and properties were all embarked in the philanthropic experiment; but, we do regret, and we blush for, the weakness of that government, which could be induced to expend such large sums of money, in support of so visionary a scheme. Now, however, we have the satisfaction to learn, that a naval gentleman of abilities and character, has been sent out to enquire into the present state of the colony; and, as his return is daily expected, we venture to predict, that, if his report be made public, it will clearly appear, even to the most incredulous of Mr. Wilberforce's friends, that government and the country have been shamefully deceived and cheated, and that nothing but destruction awaits a colony, which, without ever having produced any one good effect, has cost so many lives, and such large sums of money.- -If the few re maining settlers, who, according to the last accounts, had not a foot of land beyond little cover of the guns of the fort, and very of that under cultivation; if these misera ble creatures were not already expelled, or cut off by the natives, whom they went out to civilize, it would be a consumma tion devoutly to be wished, that Messrs. Wil berforce and Thornton, and all the other persons, who are filling our streets with blacks, and raising up amongst us a race of filthy mulattoes, would themselves go to the relief and re-establishment of that colony, on the success of which the civilization of Africa and the happiness of the blacks in the West Indies are said to depend.--Short follies are best, and we do

• See p. 244.

a

hope, that the government will not be deladed into a longer continuation of its support of the colony of Sierra Leone, which, above a year ago, we endeavoured to convince them was a project too wild to be adopted by any man in his senses. SUBSCRIPTION AT LLOYD'S. Some time ago, a number of persons, consisting chiefly of monied men of the City of London, met at Lloyd's Coffee-house, and agreed to commence a public subscription, the ostensible object of which was, to form fund for the relief or reward of the "Defenders of the Country." Some stock-holders began the subscription with £20,200 Consols, that is to say, in stock. The fund has been growing ever since, and does, it appears, now amount to £150,000, exclusive of the £20,200 in Consols.--We, for our parts, are no great admirers of public subscriptions of any sort, particularly for the reward of soldiers and sailors. To obviate the base misrepresentations, which would be made of this sentiment, we will, without proceeding farther, just observe, that we wish to see meritorious soldiers and sailors amply rewarded, but, except in very extraordinary cases, we with not to see these rewards conferred by any others than his Majesty, and tho e who act immediately under him.--The fund at Lloyd's would not, however, have attracted much of our notice, had not some of the subscribers, or pretended subscribers, to it, made use of their own pretensions to liberality for the purpose of reproaching and insulting the Nobility, Gentry, and Clergy. The first assault of this kind peared in one of the newspapars, in the form of a letter to the Earl of Suffolk. His Lordship had, in his place in Parliament, made some very just remarks on the backwardness of the City of London; in revenge for which he was, by this insolent writer, tauntingly invited to add his name to the subscription list, and was, at the same time, reminded, that only three of bis order, had, as yet, shown a disposition to assist in rewarding "our defenders." Accusations of this kind have, from that time to this, frequently appeared in almost all the newspapers, against the Nobility, Gentry, and Clergy. The second class, in this enumeration, inight, surely, have been spared; for, thanks to the National Debt and its baneful consequences, the race of country gentlemen is almost extinct; their estates are gone to the nabobs, planters, and stock-jobbers, their children are becoming clerks and waiting maids, while they themselves are pining away upon an income, smaller, in many instances, than

ap

that of the man who makes their shoes. The Clergy are, indeed, still a body. The land, the houses, and the produce, which they possess (blessings on our wise and provident ancestors!) cannot be entirely swallowed up by the voracious hunters after gain; but, from various causes connected with the increase of factitious wealth, the property of the Clergy has experienced so great a relative diminution, that the average income of a clergyman of the established Church is considerably less than that of a journeyman printer! What, then, in the shape of money, was to be reasonably expected from these two classes? The Nobility, indeed, are, thank God, yet possessed of great estates: they have, as yet, survived the commercial defuge. But, where is there a nobleman, who does not live up to his income, and who does not, through one tax or another, pay to the government every penny, which comes into his hands, and which is not expended amongst the people? Is this the case with the money dealer, or trader of any de-, scription? No: he scarcely ever expends a fourth of his income; and, having no dig. nity to support, the money with which he purchases reputation at Lloyd's he can save by laying down his gig, or letting his country box. Whatever the nobleman gives to a subscription, he must raise out of his bonâ fide property: not so the trader, who gives that, perhaps, which never was, and never would be his. Besides, do the Nobility contribute nothing on this occasion? Are not their servants, their horses, and their own time and attention all employed in the service of their country? And have they not raised ten times as many real effective men as all the traders in the kingdom put together? The remaining country gentlemen have been singu larly active: they have every where shown, that, though reduced to a mere handful, they have not degenerated; and, as to the Clergy, it may be safely averred, that the country owes more to their exertions than to those of any other class, the Nobility not excepted. Let any man go through half a dozen parishes, of any county in England, and observe the influence by which the people are put in motion, and, then, let him say whether a stock-jobber, who has squeezed down his ten guineas at Lloyd's, ought, with impunity, to be suffered to reproach the clergy. But, who is it that thus calls upon the nobility for subscriptions? A company of merchants, tradesmen, stock-jobbers, loanjobbers, insurance brokers, and bankers, who are all, indeed, stock-holders, and who issue their invitation from a Coffee-house in the