been such as to render him particularly worthy of a very distinguished mark of approbation. The Earl of Cavan is, Sir, an old, admired, and experienced officer, who has obtained no other favour than that of being placed on the staff of Great Britain. Had I observed a regiment bestowed on him I should have considered it a due reward for long and real services.—I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, A. B.*

DOMESTIC OFFICIAL PAPERS. Letter from the SPEAKER of the HOUSE OF COMMONS, to the Lerds Lieutenant of Counties, inclosing the VOTL OF THANKS given by the House to the VOLUNTEERS.

House of Commons, Aug. 10, 1803.

My Lord,-By command of the House of Commons, I have the honour of transmitting to you their unanimous Vote of Thanks to the several Volunteer and Yeomanry Corps of the United Kingdom, for the promptitude and zeal with which, at a crisis the most momentous to their country, they have associated for its defence; accompanied with an order, that a return be prepared, to be laid before the House in the next Session of Parliament, of all Volunteer and Yeomanry Corps, whose services shall have been then accepted by his Majesty, describing each corps, in order that such return may be entered on the Journals of the House, and the patriotic example of such voluntary exertions transmitted to posterity. In communicating this resolution and order, I have the greatest satisfaction, at the same time, in bearing testimony to the confidence with which the House is impressed, that the same spirit and exemplary zeal will be exerted throughout the present contest, until, with the blessings of Providence, it shall be brought to a glorious issue. -1 have the honour to be, &c. &c.

To the Right Hon. Lord

CHAS. ABBOT, Speaker. &c. &c. &c.

The Vote.

Mercurii, 10 Die Augusti, 1803, RESOLVED, nem. con. That the Thanks of this House be given to the several Volunteer and Yeomanry Corps of the United Kingdom, for the

NOTE OF THE EDITOR.-After correcting the mistake which our Correspondent points out, and which was not his but the printers', we still are not prepared to agree in the full extent with his remarks.

The nobleman in question was, we are informed, a very creditable example of a young man quitting the enjoyments of rank and fortune, in order to embrace the hardships of a soldier's life; of which he seems to have taken, too, his full share. We remember to have noticed the name of Lord Craven, both upon the Continent, and in the West-Indies; and never heard, but that he served with perfect credit. To what degree persons of his description should be allowed a preference over the mere soldier of fortune, is a nice question. Something ought to be given to that principle, though commonly, in all likelihood, too much is given. Upon the present instance we do not feel ourselves sufficiently informed to give any opinion.

promptitude and zeal with which, at a crisis the most momentous to their country, they have associated for its defence.Ordered, nem, con. That a return be prepared to he laid before this House in the next Session of Parliament, of all Volunteer and Yeomanry Corps, whose services shall have been then accepted by his Majesty, describing each corps in order that such return may be entered on the Journals of this House, and the patriotic example of such voluntary exertions transmitted to posterity.Ordered, That Mr. Speaker do signify the said resolutions and order by letter to his Majesty's Lieutenant of each County, Riding, and Place, in Great Britain, and to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Letter from LORD HOBART to the LORD PROVOST of the CITY OF EDINBURGH, inclosing a Plan for a VOLUNTARY NAVAL ARMAMENT.

[See Register, page 172}

Downing Street, Aug. 15, 1803. My Lord, I have the honour to transmit the outline of a plan for a Voluntary Naval Armament, for the protection of the coast, which has received the approbation of his Majesty's confidential servants, and which, it is believed, may be carried to an extent that would complete the security of the coast, under all circumstances, against any attempt on the part of the enemy, and be likewise productive of other beneficial consequences.I have particular satisfaction in acquainting you, that the East-India Company, the Corporation of the Trinity House, the Cinque Ports, the Proprietors of Lighters employed in the Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the Thames, and several of the Owners of Ships employed in the Coasting Trade, have already come to resolutions for carrying the proposed plan into execution.The importance of the Commerce of the Port of Leith, and the loyal and liberal spirit of its inhabitants, animated and encouraged by your active and well-directed zeal, afford the strongest ground of expectation, that this measure may derive essential assistance from the resources in men and shipping which that town possesses, and that, by means of a judicious application of those resources, the Coast of the County of Edinburgh may obtain that constant protection which, you must be aware, might not at all times be equally attainable by any other means.--I have the ho nour to be, &c. &c. &c. HOBART.

To the Lord Provest of the City of Edinburgh,
Sc. Sc. &c.

Letter from LoRD HOSART to the LORDS LIEUTE NANIf Counties. Dated Downing Street, August 15, 1803.

My Lord, I am to request your lordship will inform me, with as little delay as possit le, what quantity of arms will be necessary, in addition to those already in possession of the Yeomanry and Volunteers, to complete the number required for the several corps in the County of --, already authorized by his Majesty- -The number of arms, either not returned to his Majesty's stores at the conclusion of the last war, or since delivered to corps formed in the County of amounts, as far as has been ascertained by the Board of Ordnance, to -Your lordship

will understand it to be the intention of Government, that the whole number of Volunteers now proposed to be armed, shou'd not exceed six times the number of the Milina, exclusive at the Supplementary quota. Upon the receipt of

Downing-street, Aug. 19. MY LORD,I have had the honour to receive your Lordship's letter of the 17:h, and I lose no time in acquainting you, that the printed re gulations for volunteer infantry, issued in June last, are not to be considered in any respect applicable to corps accepted by his Majesty since the date of my circular letter (the 3d) of August, restricting the allowances before given to volunteer corps of infantry, to the allowances of 2cs. for clothing, and Is. per day for twenty days exer. cise; and to corps of cavalry, to the contingent allowance of £120 per troop. With respect to arms- have to request your Lordship will, inform me what quantity will be necessary (in addition to those with which the several corps can provide themselves, and to those already in possession of the yeomanry and volunteers), to complete the number required for the several corps already authorised by his Majesty.Your Lordship will understand it to be the intention of go. verament, that the whole number of volunteers, now proposed to be armed, should not exceed six times the amount of the militia, exclusive of the supplementary quota.-Upon the receipt of your Lordship's answer to this letter, instructions will be given to the Board of Ordnance to send the arms, as soon as they can be prepared, to such place within the riding, as you may point out, that they may be distributed under your Lordship's directions, to the several corps according to your Lordship's discretion. The discrimination which it will become your Lordship's duty to make in the distribution of the proportion of arms you will receive, should be guided by a reference to the local situation of the corps requiring them. I have the honour to be, HOBART. Earl Fitzwilliam, &c. &c. &c.

INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN.The King of Cochin China has published an edict, granting to English ships free permission to enter all the ports of his dominions, and exempting them from the payment of port-duties, and every other species of impost. In consequence of a representation made to the Grand Signior, by Gen. Brune, the Ottoman Am bassador, whose departure for Paris had been some time delayed, was immediately ordered to set out for that capital. Two impor tant sittings of the Divan have been held, at the instance of the English and French ministers at Constantinople. Numerous tribes of banditti have, for some time past, infested the remote parts of the Ottoman

Empire; and several caravans, laden with Turkish and Grecian merchandize, passing from Constantinople to different parts of Germany, have, lately, been plundered on the frontiers. Many of the inhabitants

of Suabia, and Wurtemburg have been persuaded to emigrate to the Upraine. Considerable numbers recently embarked on the Danube, for Hungary, whence they continued their route, by land. to RussianPoland. A Russian squadron, commanded by Admiral Krusenstern, and destined to circumnavigate the globe, sailed from Cronstadt on the 23d of July ——An ordinance of neutrality, for bidding all the subjects of his Imperial Majesty to enter the service of France or England, either by sea or land, was published at Vienna on the 7th of August.-- His Britannic Majesty, as Elector of Hanover, has protested against the Convention of the 5th of July, as having been concluded without his knowledge or authority. The ratification of the Convention, concluded on the 15th of June, between the French, Batavian, and Italian Republics, relative to military operations against England, have been exchanged at Brussels, on the 24th of July. The blockade of the Elbe has produced the greatest distress in the City of Hamburgh, and in all the places dependent on the navigation of that river. The Neapolitan troops, which were sent to garrison Malta, have returned in detached bodies to Messina, Syracuse, and other ports of Sicily. An American squadron is collecting at Messina, whence, after obtaining some Neapolitan gun-boats it will sail, on an expedition against Tripoli.

DOMESTIC.--The special commission for the trial of the rebels in Ireland, was opened on the 24th of August, when, after a charge made to the grand jury by justice Downes, bills of indictment were found against sixteen persons. A proclamation was issued on the 20h, by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, ordering all the inhabitants to remain withing their houses, from nine o'clock in the evening until six in the morning, and to affix to their doors, lists of all the persons residing in the house.-Martial law has been proclaimed in the counties of Kildare and Westmeath.——Several of the principal conspirators among whom is the brother of Counsellor Emmet, have been taken, and many depôts of arms, have been discovered. In one which was found in Thomas Street, were 17,000 pikes, 11 boxes of powder, 14 bundles of cannon powder, 42,000 rounds of ball cartridge, 240 hand grenades, 156 grappling irons, and

various other articles of military stores.It is reported that, on Sunday last, fires broke out in three different parts of Dublin, and that, although every exertion was made by the soldiers, and well disposed inhabitants of the city to extinguish them, they caused very extensive destruction. -The greatest dissatisfaction prevails throughout England, in consequence of the refusal of government to accept the offers of all the volunteer corps which have tendered their services. Some of these corps have declared that their number shall not be lessened, and that government shall either have all or none, and others more enraged, have determined to disband themselves.--Much offence has been given in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, by the riotous and disorderly conduct of some of the volunteers.— For some days past reports have been in circulation of a conspiracy in Jamaica, but letters from Port Henderson, dated on the 3d of July, are silent on the subject.

MILITARY.--Detachments of French conscripts are daily arriving in Hanover, for the purpose of being armed and clothed at the expense of the Hanoverians. The troops now in the Electorate are to be reduced to 12.000 men, who will be commanded by Gen Montrichard: the rest, under the command of Gen. Mortier, will form a part of the army destined for the invasion of England. A park is forming, in the environs of the City of Hanover, of all the artillery, &c. belonging to the Hanoverian army, which, together with that at Kameln, will supply the place of the French artillery sent to Breda.Great preparations are making in Hanover to aid in the invasion of England. All the carpenters are pressed into the service, and timber sufficient for the construction of 160Q Bat-bottomed-boats is to be taken from the forests of Lauenburgh.— the French are raising a legion of Hanoverians, who are to take an oath of allegiance to the French Republic.-Gen. Cassagnes has fixed his head-quarters at Gouda, and Gen Dumonceau is mustering all the Batavian troops in North-Holland, whither the artillery, which was at Gorsel-Heath, has

been sent.

Gen. Brune has the command of the Batavian troops in Zealand.-Large bodies of troops are constantly arriving on the coasts of Belgium, where an army of 50,000 men is forming under the command of Gen. Augereau: the head-quarters will be at Bruges. Gen. Massena is to have the command of the army assembling near St. Omers.

NAVAL. On the 19th of July, Captain

Aylmer, in the Wasp, captured the French Privateer Le Desespoir, pierced for 10 guns, and carrying 28 men; three days from Hodierne. It is reported that Lord Nelson has taken possession of the City and Fort of Messina, and has declared, that if the French occupy Naples, he will occupy Sicily.--A British squadron is blockading the Island of Guadaloupe ---French privateers are fitting out in many of the Spanish ports, and British prizes are frequently carried in there and sold.--Several small vessels at Stadt and Harbourg are preparing to descend the Elbe, for the purpose of compelling the British vessels to raise the blockade of that river.--The following is a statement of the present distribution of the British Naval Force.

SUMMARY OF POLITICS. CONTINENTAL POWERS.-The hopes, which were, some time ago, entertained of our obtaining the co-operation of a part of the continental powers, seem now to have vanished. Austria is resolved not to move; Russia is afraid to stir with ministers such as we have at present, and Prussia, though once upon the point of marching an army to the protection of Hanover, will now suffer any injury from the blockade of the Elbe and the Weser rather than take part in the war. It is very certain, however, that, on the 23d of May, the King of Prussia signed

an order for putting fifty thousand men in readiness to march for the protection of Hanover; but, having set out for Magdeburg, in the night of the 23d or 24th of May, he there, by the advice of Beymé, revoked the order. Haugwitz, minister for foreign affairs, Schulenberg, minister of state, Field Marshall Molendorff, and even Lombard, secretary and cabinet coun-ellor for exterior relations, are said all to have approved of the order; and, it is stated, that, in consequence of the revocation, Haugwitz has obtained leave to visit his estates in Silesia, where he now is. It is well known, that leave of absence of this sort, in the courts upon the continent, are frequently regarded as resignations, or dismissions, from office, in the same way, that leave to travel is sometimes regarded as a sentence of banishment. This intelligence, on the authenticity of which our readers may place a perfect reliance, shows, in a very striking light, the imbecility of our ministers and their agents. We long ago complained of the sending of so inexperienced, so every way unfit a person as Mr. Jackson, to a court like that of Berlin. What should such a man as Mr. Jackson do? how is it possible that he should ever gain over any one to bis opinion, even supposing him to hit upon a right opinion himself? he has been a consul; his education has been commercial, rather than political, and his notions are, we dare say, confined within the narrow compass of his little parsimonious bureau. Is it in the power of such a man to make converts to his views? Can he carry conviction to the mind of a hesitating statesman? The rank, talents, information, and manners of an ambassador should be such as to render his society at once an honour and a pleasure. What honour should M. Beymé, for instance, perceive in associating with Mr. Jackson; what information could he derive from him; how could he possibly care any thing about him?-But, however unfit this ambassador may be in other respects, as the representative of our ministry, he is by no means inadequate to his situation; and, if they were all in the service of the Little Turtle, or some other monarch of the trans-atlantic woods, we should have no objection to their living and dying in office.-There can be no doubt, that, if we had had an able ministry at home, and an able ambassador at Berlin, Hanover would at this day have been in quiet possession of the House of Brunswick; whereas, we now think it very probable, that, unless a very great and very speedy change takes place in the councils of this country, it never will be

possessed by that House again. The loss of Hanover, too, falls in with the prejudice of the people of this country, who think they have got rid of a burthen; a prejudice which the ministers are not ashamed to encourage, while they affect to regard themselves and their adherents as being exclusively the "friends of the King." Against the further effects of their friendship, may God defend His Majesty and his Royal House!

VOLUNTEER CORPS.-When we were, in our last sheet, endeavouring to describe some of the evil consequences likely to result from this system; when we were styling these corps "seminaries of indiscipline," we hardly imagined, that, with all their committees, and their presidents, and their reso lutions, and their votes, and their elections, we should so soon have witnessed the verification of our remarks. We published on Saturday, and on Monday we found one of these bodies of "defenders" deliberating upon an order received from the war office, and coming to a resolution," one and all," not to obey it: that is to say, they were in a state of downright mutiny, for which, if they had been under laws, such as are alone fit for soldiers, every tenth man of them ought to have been shot. The causes of the discontents amongst the volunteer-corps men require to be briefly stated, previous to any remarks as to the mode of restoring harmony in the country. The ministers have, all along, proceeded upon the maxim, that their places are to be kept by no other means than that of following the bumours of the people. Upon this maxim they delayed the measures for defence, till, to use their own words," the people called for them;" and, upon this maxim, finding that the General Arming Bill, which provided for the compulsory drilling of persons of all ranks, was not very well received, they availed themselves of the clause relative to volunteer-corps, and immediately pressed the lord lieutenants to obtain as many volunteers as possible.-The General Arming Bill was amended by another, and the ministers acquired new popularity from the suspension of the provisions relative to the compulsory drill. In the mean-time, volunteering wen vigorously on, thousands and hundreds of thousands, of all ages, were daily pressing forward in the cause of their country, till in a very short time, there was, we are informed, a million of men, whose names had been enrolled as members of volunteercorps. Upon perceiving this propensity t volunteering, Mr. Sheridan, whose "true English feeling," like the tears of a ira

gedian, may at all times be considered as a perfectly disposable force, saw a fair opportunity of ingratiating himself with all the weaker, and, for this purpose, the better part of the male population of the kingdom; and, with this view he brought forward the memorable vote of thanks, a correct copy of which, together with a correct copy of the speaker's circular letter, will be found in the preceding pages of this sheet.* Our readers will recollect, that we objected to this vote of thanks on several grounds, but particularly as it gave so high and so solemn a sanction to the system of volunteer corps, to the prejudice of every other sort of service. We expressly stated, that men were rushing into these corps, not from a desire to be foremost in meeting the enemy; but, on the contrary, with a view of avoiding the risk of such a meeting at any time whatever; they have, said we, "put on a "soldier's habit to avoid a soldier's duty." This soon became apparent even to the ministers themselves, who, to their utter surprize and consternation, discovered, that the acts which had been passed, exempted the members of volunteer corps, not only from the compulsory drill, as provided for by the General Arming Act, but also from all the effect of all the provisions of the Army of Reserve, and even the Militia Acts. In short, it was, on or about the 18th of August, found out by the ministers, that, by a fair interpretation of the several acts, compared with one another, the volunteer corps would be a sanctuary for all those who were crowding into them. But, to render this sanctuary inviolable, effectually to shelter the volunteer from the danger of becoming a soldier in the army of reserve, or half a soldier in the militia, it was necessary that the offer of service of his corps should be accepted by His Majesty. This provision enabled the ministers to check the growing mischief. By a letter dated Aug. 18th, Lord Hobart informs the lieutenants of counties, that "the inconvenience "which must unavoidably arise from carrying the volunteer system to an unlimited extent, has determined his Majesty not to authorize, at present, any additional vo"lunteer corps to be raised in any county

"where the number of effective members " of these corps, including the yeomaury, "shall exceed the amount of six times the "militia, exclusive of the supplementary

By correct, we mean authentic; for, we beg leave to be distinctly understood, as not pledging ourselves for the grammar or the sense of either of these documents.

"quota." Before this notification was received, and had been fully explained (for every word these men utter requires explanation,) the number of volunteers had, in many places, amounted to five or six times that of the militia. Reduction, therefore, is now become the order of the day. Some of the persons, who have enrolled themselves, or, as they phrase it, "signed the declara"tion," must be rejected; and, whether they are vexed at being excluded from a participation in Mr. Sheridan's thanks, or at being again exposed to the army of reserve and the militia, certain it is, that they are extremely angry with the ministers, with respect to the ignorance, imbecility, indecision, and pusillanimity, of whom, they have, at last, adopted our opinion. The offers of the men we by no means applaud; because, though some of them were, doubtless, actuated by public spirited motives, the far greater part of them evidently were not, else they would now quietly submit to be excluded. We rejoice at the reduction, be the cause what it may, inasmuch as we prefer a less evil to a greater. But, whatever may have been the motives of the volunteers, whatever may be the magnitude of the evil prevented by the measure which has given them umbrage, it must be confessed, that the conduct of the ministers, in this respect, has been most scandalous, if not highly criminal. On the 30th of July, they inform the lieutenants of counties, that "is the opinion of His Majesty's confiden"tial servants [a phrase, by the bye, which they use with great ostentation] "that, in all places where volunteer corps

it

can be formed, upon such conditions as "His Majesty shall approve, it would be "desirable, that EVERY ENCOURAGEMENT "should be given for that purpose, such an

arrangement being calculated to con"centrate the force, to promote the con"venience of the public, and to render it

unnecessary to have recourse to the com"pulsory clauses of the act." On the 3d of August, addressing themselves to the same persons, they say: the necessity of "the earliest attention being given to the "training and exercise is so generally felt, "that I am persuaded your lordship's in"structions for that purpose will have their "due weight, and that they will be framed "with a proper regard, as far as is con"sistent with the urgency of the conjuncture, to local circumstances,' What, then, had happened between the 3d and the 18th of August to render drilling unnecessary (for the letter of the 18th puts a stop to it), and to render the volunteer

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