CHAPTER VI. Discussion on the Treaties of Peace in both Houses of Parliament.-Marriage of the Princess Lord Nugent, Mr. Fazakerly, and Mr. Tierney, BOOK XVII. In the house of commons, a long discussion took place similar to that which passed in the house of lords, upon the policy of the treaties. Lord Castle reagh concluded a lengthened speech, by moving an address to the prince-regent, approving of them, &c. Lord Milton disapproved of the occupation of the French fortresses, and levying the contribution, because they would serve to exasperate the people. While so large a force, and such latitude was left to the British commander, he must consider the Duke of Wellington as King of France, with power, at any time, to march his army to the capital. Sir James Mackintosh, The most considerable event, in England, this year, was the marriage of Prince Leopold, of SaxeCobourg, to the presumptive heiress of the British crown, which took place at Carlton-house, on the 2d of May. When the ceremony was to commence, the Lord Chamberlain conducted the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg to the altar. His lordship then went to conduct the Princess Charlotte, and was accompanied by the Duke of Clarence, who conducted his royal niece on his arm to the altar, where she was received by the prince-regent. The ceremony was then performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. All the members of the royal family and the cabinet-ministers were present. The Prince of Saxe-Cobourg, on this occasion, was made a British peer, and the rank of general in the British army given to him. His first introduction to the Princess Charlotte was a letter from her uncle, the late Duke of Brunswick, which he delivered in person, with the permission of the prince-regent, during the visit of the allied sovereigns to London, in 1814. A considerable sensation was excited through the country, on learning that an insurrection had broken out among the negroes at Barbadoes. The circumstances attending this insurrection, which took place on the night of Easter Sunday, April 14, are as follows:-The instigators-negroes of the worst disposition, but superior understanding, and some of whom could read and write-availed themselves of the slave registry-bill introduced into parliament, to instil into the minds of their fellows a belief that they had been already emancipated by the British government, but that their owners withheld their liberty, which they were justified in obtaining by force. The first object of the insurgents was, the destruction of all property by fire; and the effect of this plan was most severely felt in the windward part of the island, where about twenty estates suffered, more or less, to the amount of 100,000l. Martial-law was im 1816. 1816. BOOK XVII. mediately proclaimed by the commander-in-chief, and the militia, in conjunction with the regular CHAP. VI. troops on the island, behaved with the greatest promptitude and firmness. The insurgents were attacked, dispersed, and pursued in all directions: great numbers were taken, and many tried by court-martial, and executed. The whole number of slaves who lost their lives, as well in the affrays with the military as by the hand of justice, was calculated at little short of 1,000. The attention of all Europe was excited early this year by the atrocities committed by the Barbary states on the commerce and lives of Europeans, and scarcely a day passed without hearing of some fresh outrage committed by them on the inhabitants of the small states of Italy, who were dragged from their houses by these barbarians, and carried into slavery. The crippled condition to which the long state of warfare had reduced the navies of all the states bordering on the Mediterranean, naturally caused them, on this occasion, to look up to Great Britain for that protection which her trident alone could afford against the outrages of the Barbary powers. The British government therefore determined to interfere with a strong hand, in order to put a stop to their career; and, accordingly, they sent Lord Exmouth, the British commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, with a strong squadron to Algiers, to try, in the first place, the effect of negociation. His -lordship arrived with his squadron before that city on the 31st of March, and immediately entered into a negociation with the dey, who agreed to release all Sardinian and Genoese slaves at 500 dollars a-head, and Neapolitans at 1,000 dollars. It was moreover stipulated, that he should never commit hostilities against Sardinia, which had placed itself under the protection of the British flag, while he remained at peace with England; and that, in case of war with the other pow ers, all prisoners taken by him should be treated as prisoners of war are by Christian nations. From Algiers the squadron proceeded, on the 7th of April, and arrived, on the 11th, at Tunis. Here the admiral obtained the full extent of his demands the abolition of slavery, the free liberation of the Sardinians, and that of the Neapolitans, at 300 dollars a-head. The total number, at both places, was about 3,000. At Tripoli his lordship was equally successful. The fleet then returned to Algiers, for the purpose, as it was understood, of obtaining a revision of the treaty concluded by the dey with the Americans, by which he granted them extraordinary privileges in regard to the sale of prizes in his ports. Lord Exmouth also proposed, that the sovereign of Algiers. should subscribe to the arrangements accepted by the rulers of Tunis and Tripoli for the abolition of slavery altogether. The dey, who, after the recent visit of his lordship, had certainly no rea son to expect such a demand, signified his willingness to conclude a perpetual peace with the king. dom of Hanover, but desired that such part of the negociations as referred to the abolition of slavery should stand over for six months, that he might, in the mean time, apply for the advice and sanction of the grand signor on the subject. The British admiral agreed to the proposal, reducing the time to three months; and having appointed the Tagus frigate to convey the dey's ambassador to Constantinople, he sailed for England, and arrived at Portsmouth with bis squadron on the 24th of June. In the mean time, the diplomatic arrangements of his lordship produced nothing but dissatisfac tion in every quarter. They were not only condemned by the Italians, the French, and other Europeans, by whom they were represented as having compromised the honor of the British flag and nation; but, as was naturally to be expected, they excited violent discontents among the preda tory barbarians also. Owing to this cause, no sooner had he quitted Tunis, than the Turkish soldiers rose in that city, of which they made themselves masters, with the intention of deposing the dey; but, from want of concert among them, the design miscarried. A body of the most desperate of them, to the number of 700, however, seized the Goletta, a fortress which is considered as the key of Tunis, and after plundering the Christians and Jews settled there, embarked coboard five strong vessels for Italy or the Levant. Another sanguinary outrage was committed on the 23d of May, at Bona, a port in the territory of Algiers. This coast is much frequented by Esropeans for the sake of the coral fishery; and, on the day above-mentioned, there were upwards of 200 vessels under the British flag in and near that port. Here such of the Christians as happened to be on-shore were suddenly attacked by a force of about 4,000 Turks; sixty defenceless wretches were killed, and 900 secured and thrown in irons. These were threatened with instant death, but released the following day, through the interference of the British consul, who fortunately escaped the massacre; on which they immediately hastened away in their ships with all possible expedtion. When the British government heard of this af fair, they were deeply impressed with the neces sity of pursuing decisive measures. No time wa lost in equipping a squadron of ships of the line. frigates, and bombs, provided with Congreve mekets, which were ordered to rendezvous at Ply mouth, under the command of Lord Exmouth Some delay occurred in getting the fleet ready for sea; but, at length, on the 23d of July, Leed Exmouth sailed from Plymouth for Algiers. The following is a list of the vessels composing lordship's fleet: Guns. Ships of the Line-Queen Charlotte, 100, Admiral Lord Exmouth-Captain James Brisbane. Albion.. Minden Frigates-Severn Glasgow Hebrus Granious Sloops Britomart ... Mutine.... Prometheus Bombs-Belzebub Hecla ... ... 74, Captain W. Paterson. 50, Captain E. Chetham. 40, Captain Hon. F. W. Aylmer. Captain Dashwood. Captain Sargent. Captain W. Kempthorne. Captain Hon. G. J. Perceval. Besides the above ships, Lord Exmouth was joined by several others in the Mediterranean, under Sir Charles Penrose; and also by a Dutch squadron, under Vice-admiral Capellen. His His lordship was detained at Gibraltar four days, by a foul wind; but having strengthened himself, with the addition of five gun-boats, he set sail from this place on the 14th of August; and, on the follow ing night, was joined by the Prometheus, Capt. Dashwood, from Algiers. The British admiral had sent this vessel to Algiers for the purpose of getting away the consul. Captain Dashwood informed Lord Exmouth that he had succeeded in getting the family of the British consul, at Algiers, on-board, by stratagem; but that their flight being too soon discovered, the consul, together with two boats'-crews of the Prometheus, had been arrested, by the dey; who, having already received a report of this second expedition, had made all preparations for an obstinate opposition; and, summoning the inhabitants of the interior, had already assembled more than 50,000 men, both Moors and Arabs, under the walls of Algiers. The Dey of Algiers was represented as a man of good understanding, grave and deliberate in council, and quick of penetration. He was aga, or general of the army. During Lord Exmouth's first visit, he was day and night at his post, examining his defences; and was found upon the shore by the officer who went to demand the conul. He had only reigned a year. His immeHiate predecessor governed but a few months, when he was strangled, being, as he was told to consider himself, only a locum tenens, until a betker person could be chosen. The custom of the Country forbade that he should live; for no one, having once filled the office, can revert to his former station as a subject; and no age, former from the cruel penalty of this barbarous custom; nor can he refuse to serve when chosen. In fact, the Janissaries (Turkish troops) are the governors of the country; they destroy, by the edge of the scimetar, all those acts of the dey and divan that are opposed to their barbarous prejudices and cruel feelings. Algiers was well fortified, being defended by about 1,000 pieces of ordnance of every calibre, 300 of which were brass. The place is surrounded by a high wall, the southern side of which is adorned with men's heads, trophies of their cruelty. In consequence of a calm, and afterwards by strong easterly winds, Lord Exmouth did not arrive before the Bay of Algiers until the 27th of August in the morning, when he immediately sent, by a flag of truce, a written proposal to the dey, stating, that the late atrocities at Bona having broken all former connections, he demanded, in the name of the prince-regent : 1. The immediate delivering up of all Christian slaves without ransom. 2. The restitution of all the money which had already been received for the Sardinian and Neapolitan captives. ד 3. A solemn declaration from the dey, that he bound himself, like those of Tripoli and Tunis, to respect the rights of humanity, and, in future wars, to treat all prisoners according to the usages of European nations. 4. Peace with his majesty the King of the Netherlands on the like terms as with the princeregent. Lord Exmouth directed the officer to wait two or three hours for the dey's answer, at which time, if no reply was sent, he was to return to the flag-ship. The officer was met near the mole by the captain of the port, who, on being told the BOOK XVIL CHAP. VI. 1816. 1714 HISTORY OF THE WARS BOOK XVII. was impossible. The officer then said, he would wait two or three hours, on which the captain CHAP. VI. observed, two was quite sufficient. In the mean time, both sides began to prepare for action. The 1816. Algerines, besides their batteries, had a number of frigates, gun-brigs, and about fifty gun-boats, completely equipped, in the harbour. No answer having been returned, after a delay of more than three hours, and Lord Exmouth having observed his officer returning, made the signal to know if the ships were all ready, which being answered in the affirmative, the Queen Charlotte bore up, followed by the fleet, for their appointed stations. The utmost anxiety was now depicted on every countenance, and every bosom throbbed high to cover themselves with honor, and rescue their fellow-christians from ignominious slavery. Lord Exmouth, with the Queen Charlotte, came to anchor with two anchors from the stern, with her broadside within pistol-shot of the batteries, just before the opening of the mole. This daring and unexpected manœuvre quite confounded the ene my; and a second ship-of-the-line had already well nigh taken her position before the batteries opened their fire. The Dutch squadron having been directed to take their position opposite the southern batteries, Lord Exmouth was enabled, with his fleet, to take such a position as to command the whole of the mole and all the enemy's ships. The engagement now commenced with great vigor on both sides, for the particulars of which we cannot do better than describe it in the words of Lord Exmouth, in his dispatch to the British government : Queen Charlotte, Algiers Bay, Po "Sir, "In all the vicissitudes of a long life of public service, no circumstance has ever produced on my mind such impressions of gratitude and joy as the event of yesterday. To have been one of the humble instruments, in the hands of Divine Providence, for bringing to reason a ferocious government, and destroying for ever the insufferable and horrid system of Christian slavery, can never cease to be a source of delight and heartfelt comfort to every individual bappy enough to be employed in it. I may, I hope, be permitted, under such impressions, to offer my sincere congratulations to their lordships, on the complete success which attended the gallant efforts of his majesty's fleet in their attack upon Algiers of yesterday; and the happy result produced from it on this day by the signature of peace. "Thus has a provoked war, of two days existence, been attended by a complete victory, and closed by a renewed peace for England and her ally, the King of the Netherlands, on conditions dictated by the firmness and wisdom of his ma jesty's government, and commanded by the vigor of their measures. 1" My thanks are justly due for the honor and confidence his majesty's ministers have been pleas! ed to repose on my zeal on this highly important occasion. The means were by them made adequate to my own wishes, and the rapidity of their mea sures speak for themselves. Not more than 100 days since, I left Algiers with the British fleet, unsuspicious and ignorant of the atrocities which had been committed at Bona; that fleet, on its arrival in England, was necessarily disbanded, and another, with proportionate resources, created and equipped; and, although impeded in its progress by calms and adverse winds, has poured the ver geance of an insulted nation, in chastising the cru elties of a ferocious government, with a prompti tude beyond example, and highly honorable to the national character, eager to resent oppression or cruelty, whenever practised upon those under their protection. 10 of wind to qu Would to God that, in the attainment of this object, I had not deeply to lament the severe loss of so many gallant officers and men: they have profusely bled in a contest which has been peculiarly marked by proofs of such devoted heroism, as would rouse every noble feeling, did I dare indulge in relating them. o Ton "Their lordships will already have been inform ed, by his majesty's sloop Jasper, of my proceed ings up to the 14th instant, on which day I broke ground from Gibraltar, after a vexatious detention by a foul wind, of four days. durensomen "The fleet, complete in all its points, with the addition of five gun-boats, fitted at Gibraltar, de parted in the highest spirits, and with the most favorable prospect of reaching the port of their destination in three days; but an adverse wind destroyed the expectation of an early arrival, which was the more anxiously looked for by myself, in consequence of hearing, the day I sailed from Gib raltar, that a large army had been assembled, and that very considerable additional works wat throwing up, not only on both flanks of the city but also immediately about the entrance of the mole; from this I was apprehensive that my in tention of making that point my principal objecti of attack had been discovered to the dey by th same means he had heard of the expedition. This intelligence was, on the following night, greatly confirmed by the Prometheus, which I bad der patched to Algiers some time before, to endeavour to get away the consul. Captain Dashwood had with difficulty succeeded in bringing away, de guised in midshipmen's uniform, his wife and daughter, leaving a boat to bring off their infant child, coming down in a basket with the surgery who thought he had composed it, but it pily cried in the gateway, and, in consequence, |