case; that they had no reason to expect the footing of French ones, it will be useful better terms than the Dutch and Genoese, to state the following facts. During the who had been the friends and allies of late war, the several factions that rose to France; that they must be content to lose power in France, pretended uniformly to the whole arrears of their interest, two- respect and pay the utmost attention to the thirds of their capital, which had been paid claims of the public creditors. The interest off or reimbursed (as they call it) during the was regularly paid till September, 1796, war, and for the remaining third, must re- either in specie, or in assignats and mandats, ceive an inscription in a five per cent. stock, the current paper of the country. These taken as at par, though the price was then to Frenchmen, however depreciated in comfifty. So that according to this proposition, parison of specie, were of considerable value, a creditor for 60001. besides the loss of all being receivable for all taxes and contrihis interest, found his capital reduced to butions; and while the law of the maximum 10001. Some, in despair, accepted these lasted, a legal tender at a fixed price even unequal terms; but their compliance was for the necessaries of life. From that peuseless to preserve even a wreck of their riod to March, 1797, the dividends were orproperty, for they could never obtain a dered to be paid one-fourth in specie, and farthing.Othr English creditors, who three-fourths in bons, a species of paper did not despair of the honour and justice of having an advantage over the assignats and their own country, applied to Mr. Merry, mandats, as being receivable in the purchase the English resident at Paris, for protection of national property. From March, 1797, against this injustice. Mr. Merry promised to March, 1798, the dividends were paid to apply for instructions to his own govern- entirely in bons, which were circulated at a ment, and make an application to that of trifling loss. About this time two-thirds of France for the execution of the treaty. If the national debt. (converted into capital by any application was made by him the French valuing the life annuities at ten, the perpegovernment treated it with silent contempt. tual at twenty years purchase) were paid off --Finding no hope from Mr. Merry, the (reimbursed the French call it) in bons, not English creditors, in September, 1802, as- bearing interest, but convertible by French sembled in London, and appointed a com- creditors only into national property, and mittee for the prosecution of their claims, consequently to them of great value. The who requesting an audience of Lord Hawkes remaining third of the debt was funded in a bury, stated their case to him, and presented five per cent. stock at par, called the Tiers a memorial, claiming the assistance of their Consolidé; the interest of this remaining country against this injustice and breach of third was paid from March, 1798, to Septreaty. Lord Hawkesbury promised them tember, 1799, in bons, which, when issued, an answer as soon as the opinion of his Ma- were at a very small discount; from Sepjesty's ministers could be taken upon it. The tember, 1799, to September, 1800, in bons memorial was presented on or about the of another description, which had nearly 20th of September. No answer was re- maintained their value at the commenceceived till about the 11th of January, when ment of the present war. Since September, the committee reported to the creditors, that 1800, the interest of the Tiers Consolidé, although they had reason to lament many now called the Cinq. pour Cent. though opinions expressed by Lord Hawkesbury in sometimes six m nths in arrear, has been the course of their conference, and although paid in specie. Most of the French paper he considered them as having no right to formerly in circulation, had been annihilated better terms than French citizens, (notwith-by the directory, or funded at the rate of standing his lordship was reminded that such a proposition was made by the French Pienipotentiary at the negotiation, and positively rejected by Lord Cornwallis,) yet they were happy to add, that his lordship had promised to write to Lord Whitworth at Paris, to obtain such justice as they were entitled to. In order further to elucidate this subject, and to shew at once the difficulties of the principle rejected by Lord Cornwallis, and revived (apparently in direct contravention of the spirit and letter of the treaties of peace) by Lord Hawkesbury, viz. that of putting the English creditors on

This

about two per cent. by a consular decree,
before any of it could possibly come into
possession of any English creditor.
short statement shows how extremely diffi-
cult it would have been, if not impracticable,
to adjust the equivalents to be received by
the English creditors for the various ad-
vantages enjoyed by Frenchmen during the
war, (independent of the reimbursement,)
which could not be ceminon to them.
the French government, to show they had no
serious design to do justice to the English
creditors, even upon this principle, had,
since the peace, passed a decree, (evidently

But

aimed at them,) which postponed all funding of unbooked debts to the 22d of September,. 1803; and declared that such debts should only bear interest from that time. This, at one blow, struck off ten years' interest from the claims of the English creditors, and seems, upon all principles, a direct breach of the treaty of Amiens. So secure was France of making her will the law. Such was the state of the English creditors, when Lord Whitworth was sent ambassador to Paris; the well-known manliness and energy of his character revived their hopes, that the dignity of their country would again be established on its ancient ground, and that Englishmen would no longer be injured and insulted with impunity. They were not de. ceived in their expectations: upon receiving a statement of the creditors' case, his lordship presented a vigorous remonstrance to the French government, and declared he would never cease to demand for them the same justice which the French creditors had received in England, and which he conceived was due to them by treaty, unless he should be prohibited from persisting by the government of England. Nor was it only by memorials that Lord Whitworth asserted the rights of the nation he represented; in his famous conference with Buonaparté, of the 21st of February, 1803, as reported by himself to Lord Hawkesbury, he says, "I

peated applications both to the French and English government, have obtained nothing: such of them as went to Paris to prosecute their claims, and enforce the performance of the treaty of Amiens, (and amongst the rest their accredited agent, a gentleman upwards of 70 years of age,) are detained prisoners in France. The object of this statement is not to criminate any man, but to obtain final justice. At the beginning of the last war, the property of Frenchmen in this country was sequestered to secure the restoration of English property upon the conclusion of peace. Is not a debt of three millions, due to subjects of England from the French funds, an object worthy the attention of our government? Is it not their duty to secure those subjects from foreign oppression? Are they willing to subscribe to that state of comparative inferiority on our part, which the French are ready enough to inculcate? Or do they think the honour of the country sufficiently preserved by protecting our own shores from violation, when not an Englishman can set his foot upon the continent, without being subject to contumely, injury, and outrage? Surely the English creditors of France have a right to expect from their own country, a fuller measure of justice and protection at the return of peace, unless some imperious necessity demands the sacrifice of their interests for the good of their country; and when the interests of individuals have been sacrificed for the publ good, the generosity and justice of Great Britain have ever been forward to afford the fullest indemnity.

INTELLIGENCE.

alleged, as a cause of mistrust and jea"lousy, the impossibility of obtaining jus"tice, or any kind of redress, for any of his Majesty's subjects. He asked me in what respect. I told him, that, since the sign"ing of the treaty, not one British claimant "had been satisfied, though every French<man of that description had been so within “one month after that period." This digFOREIGN.-Some late accounts have been nified and firm conduct of Lord Whitworth, received from Constantinople,which state that so worthy of the ancient character of his a courier had just arrived there from Syria, country, promised to produce the happiest with the news of the death of Abdul Waceffects for the interests of the British cre- hab and his brother, who had both been as-ditors. A proposition had been made by sassinated while at prayers. The intelligence Lord Whitworth to Talleyrand, and ac of this event produced great rejoicing in the cepted by him on the part of his government, Turkish capital, and it was hoped that Arabia to appoint commissioners of both countries would be speedily restored to tranquillity. for the liquidation of the claims of the Bri- The chief of the rebels in Romelia has been tish creditors and this proposition was ac- taken and beheaded, and his head has been tually lying before our ministry for their publicly exposed. Representations have confirmation and approval, when the war been made to the ministers of the Porte by broke out. After all this, what is the pre-all the European powers at Alexandria, comsent relative state of the French and Englishplaining of the frequent violation of their funded creditors? The former received, at the peace, their whole principal and interest, without even the trouble of applying for it; and can at this moment receive their dividends, and sell their stock, as if they were Dauves of this country: the latter, after re

rights and privileges.It will be recollected that some time ago, Mr. Falcon, the English consulat Algiers, was dismissed from that place by the command of the Dey. The reasons of this dismissal are not publicly known; but on a representation of the cir

357]

also further discussed in a committee of the whole, on the 29th. In the House of Lords, on the 1st of March, a very interesting conversation took place respecting the state of his Majesty's health, in which in answer to a question of Lord King, Lord Hawkesbury spoke to the same effect as Mr. Addington had done, on the 27th ult., in the House of Commons. The question of Lord King was very pointed, as to whether it was on the authority of the fifth physician, who attends his Majesty, or that of the other four, that it has been asserted that there is no necessary suspension of the personal exercise of the royal authority? On the 2d, some debate took place on a motion made by Mr. Foster to "inquire into the state of the circulation " in Ireland, both in species and in papers, "and the cause of the present high rate of "exchange against that country." Some conversation also took place respecting his Majesty's health; Mr. Grey desired to know, whether Mr. Addington had stated what he said the preceding evening, in consequence of his having had a personal interview with his Majesty? Mr. Addington admitted that he had no personal interview with his Majesty, but that what he had said was on the authority of all the five physicians. On the 5th, the order of the day being read in the House of Lords, for going into a committee of the whole on the Duke of York's Estate Bill the Lord Chancellor left the Woolsack and made the following communication. "The bill now before the House is one, my lords, which cannot be proceeded on without the previous consent of his Majesty. have now, therefore, the happiness to state I to your lordships, that I yesterday was honoured with an interview with his Majesty, and this interview has been repeated this day. I took occasion to explain to his Majesty what were the contents of the bill, and I have it in command from his Majesty to inform the House, that so far as his inte. rest is involved, your lordships are at liberty to proceed on the bill." A very interesting debate afterwards took place upon the Irish Bank Restriction Bill.-On the 3d instant his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was pleased to appoint Richard Brins ley Sheridan, Esq. to be Receiver General of the Duchy of Cornwall, in the room of the Right Honourable Edward Lord Eliot, deceased.The Earl of Westmeath has lately been elected one of the Lords of his Majesty's Bedchamber, in the room of Lord Rivers, deceased.- On the 24th ult. the Rev. Henry Plimley, A. M. Vicar of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, and Chaplain to the Right Hon. Lord St. Helens, was-instituted

[380 by the Bishop of Salisbury to the Living of Windsor, on the presentative of the Lord Chancellor.Mr. R. Norman is elected a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bramber, in the room of Mr. George Sutton, deceased.

-

ceived from India, but they do not confirm MILITARY.-Late advices have been rethe report of an action between the English army and Scindea, on the frontiers of the Nizam's territories, they state however, that from the position of the two armies, such an event was daily expected; that the Mahratta confederacy against the British has been broken up, by the retirement of Holkar, the chief member of it, who has been collecting all his strength to the eastward of Poonah, with a view to reinforce the British army he has also brought forward an im mense treasure from one of his hill forts, upon the promise of ample remuneration on the reduction of Scindea. Intelligence has recently been received from New Providence, stating that the French, who have, for some time past, been collecting in Cuba, have embodied a force of upwards of three thousand men, with which they intend im expedition was to be against the port of mediately to attack the Bahamas: their first Nassan, where they were daily expected, and where there was one sloop of war stationed, and a detachment of one hundred men from the seventh regiment in garrison. Gen. Marmont has left Paris to take the command of the French troops in Holland." --Citizen Cuveliar, who commands the legion of the guides and interpreters, destined for the expedition against England, has published a concise but strong proclamation, in English and French, addressed to those who are enlisted, or wish to enlist, in this legion, and particularly the Irish emigrants in France. This proclamation is fixed up in all the public places, and at the corof observation. ners of the streets, and attracts a great deal

NAVAL. It is said, that most of the American frigates on the Mediterranean station have nearly half their complement English seamen, who entered in that service during the peace: when the accounts of of the war reaching them, four of them ship, in the bay, and entered on board our got away from the American commodore's men of war; and, at the same time. brought a memorial, signed by upwards of they might also be allowed to serve their fifty British seaman on board, requesting country on board our ships of war lying at Gibraltar, they having entered the American service during the peace. The Ame

several dispatches from Lord Nelson: the first encloses a letter from Capt. Raynsford, of the Morgiana, to Capt. Cracraft, of the Anson; it is dated off Cape Spartevento, October 16, 1803, and announces the capture of La Marguerite French privateer, of two six and two four-pounders, with forty men. She was taken possession of while at anchor by the boats of the Morgiana, under the command of Lieutenant Lawrence, who boarded and carried her under a brisk fire of grape shot and musketry. One of our seamen was badly wounded, and since dead Of the French crew, thirty-seven escaped to shore.--Another letter from his lordship, dated the 16th November, announces the capture by his squadron of Le Renard French schooner, of twelve four-pounders and six swivels, with eighty men; and Le Titus transport, with twenty-six soldiers, from Corsica to Toulon.-And a third en. closes a letter from Captain Gore, of the Medusa, to Captain Hart, of the Monmouth, senior officer in Gibraltar Bay, which states, that on the 8th December he chased and captured L'Esperance privateer, of two twelve and two six-pounders, with seventy men, and destroyed La Sorciere, of two twelve and two six-pounders, to the westward of the New Mole Head, Gibraltar. Lord Nelson, and Captains Hart and Cracraft, express the most favourable opinion of the officers who performed the abovementioned services.- -On the 17th instant Lieut. Williams, in the bed cutter Active,. fell in with sixteen sail of French small gun-boats and transports, proceeding from Ostend to Boulogne; he immediately attacked them and succeeded in capturing La Jeune Isabella transport, fitted up for carrying horses. The rest ran so near the shore, and the batteries kept up so warm a fire, that Lieut. W. was unable to do them any further mischief.

rican commodore, however, positively refused to give a man of them up.--About the middle of November last, the Ameriean frigate Philadelphia of thirty eight guns and three hundred and twenty men, un'er the command of Captain Bembridge, was Lost off Tripoli: she was in chase of a Tripolitan vessel, which run in shore, near that place, for protection; and getting into seven fathom water, she put about on the other tack to stand off the land, but unfortunately struck upon a sunken rock. On seeing this, all the gun-boats from Tripoli came out to attack her. Captain Bembridge ordered all the masts to be cut away, in hopes of getting the ship off, but in vain: the gun-boats got under her stern and raked her, on which he ordered part of the stern of the ship to be blown away, to get some guns to bear upon the enemy, and supported this unequal combat for four hours, when the ship fell nearly upon her beam ends, from the tide's leaving her: all further opposition being impracticable, she struck her colours, and was taken possession of, and the officers and crew made slaves. There were a number of English seamen on board, who are involved in the same fate, and who from being taken fighting under American colours, will not be given up by the Dey of Tripoli. For some days past, it has been rumoured that the Toulon fleet had escaped Lord Nelson, on the 28th of January last, and got out to sea: this report which has prevailed very generally, has not yet received any official contradiction or confirmation, it was supposed to be the intention of the French admiral to collect the ships at Rochfort and those scattered in the harbours of Spain, and make a junction with the Brest fleet. At Ferrol, the French have four ships of the line, at L'Orient five, and at Brest eleven sail of the line, (three of which are three-deckers) and thirty-eight frigates and smaller vessels; at Boulogne, it is positively asserted, they have one thousand and fifty gun-boats, &c.; at Flushing the flotilla is reported to be very considerable at the Helder there is one ship of seventy-eight guns, three of sixty-eight, four frigates, four brigs, two cutters, and fifty sail of transports, with eight thousand troops: between the Helder and Amsterdam, there are twenty-four thousand soldiers in quarters, fully equipped and ready to embark at Helvoetsluys there is one ship of eighty guns, one of sixty-eight, two frigates, and two gun brigs there have also sailed from Rotterdam, within the last six weeks, one hundred and fifty gun-boats for Flushing.mediately to general complaints on the

The London Gazette of the 23d ult. contains

PUBLIC PAPERS. Declaration, given in to the Diet of Ratisbon, by the two Comitial Ministers of the Court of Vienna, on the 30th of January, 1804. (Continued from p 295.)

It cannot be dissembled, that in the state in which the affairs of the empire are at present, the dispositions of these tribunals would never operate but in a partial manner, and would never be any thing but palliatives. The col lisions in question are, indeed, too complex and too extensive; they lead too im

part of the States; they are even too inti