remainder postponed till the accompts

were presented.

In the discussion, Mr. Tierney pressed the necessity of appointing a Committee up stairs, to examine the accompts of the Commissariat in the Peninsula; many of whom, being contractors as well as Commissaries, had made immense fortunes.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that such a Committee would interfere with the one appointed in the Peninsula.

Some discussion also took place respecting Capt. Usher, who, while cruizing in the Mediterranean, was called upon to convey Buonaparte, with a suite of 50 persons, to Elba. They were seven days on board ship. When Buonaparte landed, he wished to defray all the expences that had been incurred; but Capt. Usher, supposing his Government would be offended If he accepted such payment, declined it.

Lord Castlereagh engaged, that Capt. Usher should be remunerated.

April 11.

Mr. Serjeant Best moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend and alter the Act lately passed for the relief of Insolvent Debtors. So early as the reign of George II. an Act was passed, by which persons imprisoned for debt might be compelled, under pain of transportation, to assign their property to their creditors.

This

Act, however, only extended to persons imprisoned for debts under a hundred pounds. It was, however, now well known, that there were many persons living in prisons at great expense, and in a luxurious manner, who would not take the benefit of the Act, and preferred remaining in prison to assigning their property over to their creditors. The first object of his Bill would be, to extend the principle of the Act of George II. to debts of any amount, aud to empower creditors to compel their debtors to assign over their property. The second part of the bill would go to punish those debtors whose insolvency was occasioned by vice or culpable extravagance. It was his most anxious wish to find a mode of distinguishing between cases of insolvency proceeding from vice, and that which was the effect of mere misfortune. The only way which occurred to him of distinguishing honest and fraudulent debtors was to adopt some kind of scale. What he should propose was, that any debtor that could give up property which would pay 15 shillings in the pound to his creditors, should be entitled to his immediate discharge. the debtor could only pay 10 shillings in the pound, then he should propose that he should be imprisoned for twelve months before obtaining his discharge. If, again, the inability to make such payment proseeded from the debtor's wasting his pro.

If

perty during his imprisonment (a property which he ought to consider as that of his creditors), then he thought that he should be imprisoned at least 12 months within the walls of a prison. In case of total insolvency, then he thought the imprisonment should be for two years. He should, however, always wish to leave it open to the prisoner, by his own oath, and whatever sufficient testimony he could procure, to prove that his insolvency was not occasioned by his own misconduct or extravagance; and that, in case of satis factory proof being made to that effect, the Court might, with the consent of the majority of his creditors, give him his discharge. There were many prisoners who contrived to get themselves removed by habeas corpus from the country to the prisons in the metropolis, for the purpose of making it difficult for their creditors to oppose their discharge. To prevent this trick, he should propose, that such persons should be sent to the county gaol nearest to where the majority of their creditors resided, before their discharge could be granted.

Mr. H. Bathurst conceived that Lord Redesdale's Bill had produced ill consequences to public and private morals. Neither the debtor himself, nor his friends or relatives, would make exertion to pay the debt, when they knew that the imprisonment was for so short a term.

Mr. Horner approved of debtors being compelled to surrender their property, but disapproved of the plan of punishing in solvency as a crime.

Mr. Abercromby objected to the principle of the Bill; and Mr. Lockhart warmly

defended it.

Leave was given to bring in the Bill."

Mr. Hart Davis moved an Address of Thanks to the Prince Regent, for the Treaty of Peace with the United States of America.

Mr. Ponsonby proposed an amendment, censuring Ministers for not concluding a peace immediately after the Treaty of Paris, on the 30th of May.

The amendment was negatived, after some discussion, by 129 to 37; the original question was then carried.

HOUSE OF LORDS, April 12. Marquis, Wellesley concluded a long speech, in which he complained of the favourable terms granted to Buonaparte by the Treaty of Fontainbleau, and the neg lect of measures to prevent his escape, by moving an address for papers.

The Earl of Liverpool said, that the Noble Marquis would not deserve, the praise of foresight, as he had not stated his objections until after the event which he pretended to have foreseen had occurred. He explained, that it was necessary to

grant

grant favourable terms to Buonaparte, to conciliate the army, and make it pass over to the Bourbons in a temper to be made use of. After a long discussion, in which Lords Grey, Grenville, Bathurst, Melville, Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earls of Aberdeen, Rosslyn, and Buckinghamshire, participated, the motion was negatived by 53 voices to 21.

In the Commons, the same day, the Scotch Jury Bill was committed.

Mr. W. Dundas said, that, in order to conciliate the scruples of those who objected to the clause requiring unanimity in the Jurors, he had introduced an amendment, which provided that, after the Jury had been locked up 12 hours, if they were then not unanimous in their verdict, they might be discharged from giving one, aud the Judge might either grant a new trial, or deal with the case according to his discretion.

HOUSE OF LORDS, April 13. Marquis Wellesley, in an energetic speech, called the attention of their Lordships to the manner in which the war against America had been conducted, as well as the negociations for peace. He contended, that, by omitting any opportunity to bring the contest to an amicable termination, Ministers were provoking America to become a great military and naval power; and that the Commissioners had made such demands, both in respect to the Indians and a new boundary, that they were compelled to abandon them. At the same time they had settled none of the original causes of war, such as the right of search, impressment of seamenblockades, &c. To leave these questions on the foundation of public law, was to leave them to the appeal of the sword on the renewal of war; for every war in Europe would inevitably lead to war with America. He concluded by moving for

INTERESTING INTELLIGENCE
Admiralty-office, April 8.

Rear Admiral Sir P. C. Durham has transmitted a letter from Capt. Fleming, of his Majesty's sloop Barbadoes, giving an account of his having on the 11th Jan. captured the American privateer schooner Fox, of seven guns and 72 men, out 12 days from Wilmington, without making any capture.

Admiralty-office, April 15.-Extract of a letter from Vice-Adm. Sir Alexander Cochrane, G. C. B. &c. dated on board H. M. S. Tonnant, off Mobile Bay, the 14th Feb.

It being the intention of Major-general Lambert and myself to have attacked Mo

copies of the correspondence between the Commissioners.-Earls Liverpool and Bathurst replied, after which the motion was negatived by 83 to 30.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 14.

Mr. Ponsonby inquired if any overture had been received from the present Ruler of France; and what had been done in consequence.

Lord Castlereagh replied, that such a communication had been received, and that it had been transmitted to our Allies at Vienna.

Mr. Whitbread inquired if the letter which had appeared in the public prints, addressed by Prince Talleyrand to Lord Castlereagh, was authentic.

the conclusion, that it was genuine. Lord C. refusing to reply, Mr. W. drew

Mr. Tierney, after noticing that 928,000% was consumed by the Royal Family; that the expenditure of the Regent, in buildings, horses, furniture, was extremely profuse; that money was allowed her Majesty for travelling, while her journeys were confined to between Windsor and London; and that all the expences incident to Levees and Drawing-rooms, being merged into private parties for political purposes, had been saved; moved for a select Committee, to inquire into the items of the Civil List, with liberty to send for persons, papers, and records, and to report thereon.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer conceived, that all the beneficial purposes of the motion would be answered by an amendment, omitting that part which empowered the Committee to send for persons, papers, and records.

Messrs. Ward, Bennett, Whitbread, H. Martin, Calcraft, W. Smith, Lord Milton, and Sir T. Acland, spoke in support of the motion; which was opposed by Messrs. Huskisson, Rose, Long, Sir W. Congreve, and Lord Castlereagh.-On a division, the amendment was carried by 127 to 94.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTES.

bile, and finding the entrance into the bay so guarded by Fort Boyer, as to render it unsafe to attempt forcing a passage with the smaller ships of war, the Major-gen. and myself thought it adviseable to attack the fort by land; and on the 7th a detachment of ships, under the command of Capt. Ricketts, of the Vengeur, effected a landing of the troops intended for this service about three miles to the eastward ·

of the fort, which was immediately invested, and our trenches in the course of fortyeight hours, pushed to within pistol-shot of the Enemy's works. The batteries be ing completed upon the 11th, the fort was summoned, when the officer commanding it, seeing the impossibility of effecting any

good

Our Parliament bas voted a subsidy of five millions to the Allies of this Country in the common cause against France. This sum is to be shared equally by Austria, Russia, and Prussia.

A speech of Lord Castlereagh's in the House of Commons, on proposing the subsidy was a manly refutation of the vulgar calumnies on the Allies of the country, so industriously promulgated by the Moniteur and by certain admirers of Buonaparte on this side the water-that "for all that is done, British money must pay." The vast exertions now making by all the Powers of the Continent, must satisfy every one, that our subsidy cannot supply the motive which impels them to action, nor cover more than a comparatively small proportion of the attendant expence. By the Treaty on which our 5,000,0001, is supplied, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, are bound to bring each 150,000 men into the field. England is to furnish a force of the same extent; or, failing to do this, to make up her contingent in money, at the rate of 201. for, every infantry, and 301. for every cavalry soldier. The Allies, however, have not confined themselves to bringing into the field merely the 150,000 men specified in the Treaty. Austria, exclusive of a force of 1,50,000 men employed in Italy, which alone would have satisfied the Treaty, has armies to the same extent on the Upper Rhine about to act against France. The Emperor of Russia has put in motion an army containing 225,000 men in its ranks, under General Barclay de Tolli, which is expected to arrive on the Banks of the Rhine, as complete in numbers as it was when it quitted the Russian frontier; and he has signified to the Prince Regent, that an additional force of 150,000 men, under General Wittgenstein, is assembled, and will forthwith march against France, if the exigencies of the campaign should make this measure necessary; and the whole of these corps are represented to be in a state of military efficiency that never was surpassed. Prussia, instead of the contingent that she is bound to furnish by the Treaty, has put in motion an army consisting of six corps, and amounting in number to 236,000 men. forces to be furnished by Bavaria, Wirtemburgh, Baden, Saxony, Hanover, the Hanse Towns, and the smaller States on the Rhine, amount 150,000 more. To these are to be added the English army under the Duke of Wellington, and the army of the King of the Netherlands, each 50,000 strong. The gratifying result of this statement is, that no less than a Million and Eleven Thousand men are now advancing to the frontiers of France. The subordinate. States it is proposed to assist by distributing among them that sum which

The

may be due from England to complete the contingent which she has engaged to furnish. Thus, supposing she should not augment her army beyond 50,000 men, which it is assumed will be the extent of her co-operation in men in the present campaign, the difference to be paid in aid of the exertions of Bavaria, Wirtemburgh, and the other powers above enumerated, will be 2,500,000l. While with forces so greatly augmented, the Allies prepare to advance upon Buonaparte, it will no longer be necessary to separate their armies, as formerly, to waste and besiege the strong places which he had garrisoned in every part of Europe, and which required to be watched by superior numbers of the Allies. Those strong places being in the hands of the Allies, they can pour their undivided masses into the very heart of France. its frontier they possess some of the strongest places in Europe; on which, if checked, they can securely retire. A strong barrier has been erected on that frontier of the Netherlands which it might be expected the French would attempt to penetrate; and behind this the Allies possess Antwerp, Bergen op Zoom, Breda, and Maestricht.

says,

FRANCE.

On

A Declaration of the King of France "The Sovereigns who now afford us so strong a mark of their affection, cannot be abused by the Cabinet of Buonaparte, with the Machiavelism of which they are acquainted. United by the friendship and interests of their people, they march with out hesitation to the glorious end where Heaven has placed the general peace and happiness of nations. Thoroughly convinced, in spite of all the tricks of a policy now at its last extremity, that the French Nation has not made itself an accomplice in the attempts of the army, and that the small number of Frenchmen who have been led astray must soon be sensible of their error-they regard France as their Ally. Wherever they shall find, the French people faithful, the fields will be respected, the labourer protected, the poor succoured; they will reserve the weight of the war to let it fall on those provinces who at their approach refuse to return to their duty."

Private accounts from France give. strong indication of the speedy commencement of hostilities. Soon after Buonaparte published the circular letter to the Sovereigns of Europe, he was extremely apprehensive of an immediate attack, his finances and his means being then in a state of utter disorganization. Since, it is said, he has restored order; and it is asserted, that instead of waiting for the

* See p. 364.

attack

attack of the Allies, he would, knowing war to be inevitable, anticipate their designs; and proceed against the left wing of the British line, for the purpose of cutting off the communication between the forces under Marshal Blucher and those under the Duke of Wellington.

Among the ways and means devised to defray the expences of the impending war, he proposes to mortgage the property of the Communes remaining unsold on the 1st of May 1815, for one-fourth of its estimated value. All the citizens of the several departments are invited to advance their money upon this security according to their means, for which they are to receive receipts bearing an interest of & per cent. No offer under 100 francs will be received.

1

The Moniteur lately gave a Police Decree from Nantz, which admits that many points of the departments of the West are in a state of agitation; and an Order of the day published by Count Lobau, does not affect to disguise the fact, that something like disorganization and disaffection begin to pervade the ranks of the French army. There also a strong Proclamation from General Rapp against the National Guards on the Lower Rhine, who abscond to avoid joining their corps; and against the Magistrates, who have not been sufficiently active in compelling them. On the whole, we are not without sanguine hope, that when the day of trial shall come, the triumph of the Allied Powers will be facilitated, not merely by the laudable spirit of the people, but by the loyal disposition even of the regular troops, who, we are well assured, continue daily to desert in considerable numbers to the standard of their lawful King.

Popular commotions in favour of the King have taken place at Toulouse, at Montauban, at Bayonne, and at Bourdeaux. At the latter place, several of the populace were killed by the soldiers, who were reduced to the necessity of defending the barracks with artillery. Even in Paris persons have been taken up, while distributing pamphlets exciting to insurrection and the assassination of Buonaparte. These symptoms of disaffection, with a want of zeal in the National Guards, have induced the Government to promote confederations in its favour in all the departments. At Paris, the inhabitants of the suburbs the Fauxbourg St. Antoine, and St. Marceau, have confederated to the number of 15,000 men. They proceeded to the Court of the Thuilleries, and were received by Buonaparte, who promised them arms; adding, that while he went to the frontiers, he should be tranquil as to the capital, for they would defend it with the National Guard. This Jacobinieal association is believed to have for its

object to overawe the latter, which is composed of respectable citizens.

A long Report from Fouche, the Minis ter of Police, gives official information of the existence of a strong and general disposition in favour of the Bourbons; with all the organized character of societiescorrespondence, internal and external, among the more systematic partizans ; and the overt acts of pulling down the tris colour-flag, hoisting the white flag, and crying "Vive le Roi," among those whose unmethodized zeal and honest nature are less capable of disguise or restraint. The Report is couched in strong terms; and while it must alarm the friends and adherents of the Government, it will serve to encou rage the friends of the lawful Monarch. Its presentation was followed by a Decree reviving the coercive laws of the Revolu tionary assemblies.

Lucien Buonaparte's arrival at Paris is officially noticed he has had conferences of business with Napoleon, and the Palais Royal has been assigned for his residence.

In a Decree for convoking the meeting of the Electors of Colleges in the Champ de Mai, which Buonaparte published on the 30th ult. he no longer affects to enter tain hopes of Peace, but distinctly mentions War as actually determined upon. The preamble stated, that according to his original intention of convening the Electoral Colleges in the Champ de Mai, a general Committee was to have been formed from them, after which a few mouths would have enabled him "to ac complish the grand object of all his thoughts ;"-but that from the hostile dis positions of foreign Powers, he considered war inevitable, and was obliged to pre pare for it. It then goes on to state, that this state of things has forced him to call together the Electoral Colleges for the purpose of electing Deputies, without waiting till the people shall have accepted the new Constitution. He therefore de crees, that the Electoral Colleges of the Departments and Arrondissements shall assemble within four days after the promulgation of this document in the chief towns of both, and proceed to the election of Deputies to the Chamber of Representatives. These Deputies are to proceed to Paris; and the Chamber will be convoked after the acceptance of the Constitution has been proclaimed.

t

Carnot and Fouche have been chosen members of the Legislative Body. They preferred this to being in the other house; as it is said, by being there, they can better maintain their influence.

It is announced, that the heights to the North of Paris, such as Montmartre and Menil Montont, will be defended by works, and mounted with 600 cannon; while, to the Southward and Westward, the inhabitants