vent for years, paying that money to go vernment which they owed to their creditors. Men in trade must conceal their losses, and put a good face upon things; and then we are told we must give up part to save the whole. Was this no grievance? The worthy member concluded, by asking how we could compliment the Sovereign upon the security of the throne to his family? Things might last his time, but who could insure longer? In what situation, too, were his Majesty's relatives on the Continent? The worthy member saw much matter for condolence, but none for congratulation. Mr.Dornford Mr. Cook and Mr.Griffith supported the motion by a few words. Mr. Alderman Wood was not aware what was to be done. The motion went to no specific object; and upon that principle he should have supported the amendment had it been persisted in. when the court went up with a cringing address, they were well enough received; but when they carried such a one as they did upon a late occasion, the manner in which the corporation was treated was most contemptuous. The worthy Alderman had heard, and he just now whispered it in the ear of the hon. Baronet (Sir W. Curtis), that Mr. Perceval's resignation was tendered on Sunday last; the hon. baronet declared he did not know it; and therefore the worthy alderman gave him credit for his present indifference about party; it might lead him agreeably to chime in with whomsoever should be minister. Mr. Alderman Goodbehere expressed his surprise to hear this called no political question. In his opinion it was most deeply so. However desirous they were to honour the King as a man, they ought to take care not to lose all respect for the privileges of the people. He would put it seriously to any man, whether he could sit down contented, with believing, that the succeeding reign would be filled up of the gloomy list of taxes, defeats, and loans of which this had been composed. It was a bad sympton to see mankind so blind to their situation as they now seemed. Mr. Kemble was for the motion. The question was then loudly called for, and the motions were put and carried unanimously. It is inconceivable the privations that our army has experienced in Spain. A letter from a most respec table officer, dated Lisbon, states, that they were six days without any kind of provision except the corn which they gathered in the fields, rubbed out, and boiled. In speaking of the battle of Talavera, he says, that it was one of the most bloody that ever was fought, while the Spa niards looked on quite unconcerned and that the men were employed three days in burying their slain, and nearly half way up to their knees in blood! The following dreadful accident lately happened at Inverness, Scotland. A great many persons from Dornoch, and other parts of Suther land, who were on their way to at tend the Tain Market, most imprudently crowded into the passage-boat at the Meikle Ferry, to the number of from 100 to 120, being considera bly beyond its burthen. Unfortu nately, however, from an anxiety to get across, an anxiety too' common in such cases, they were insensi ble to the imminent danger to which they were about to expose them selves; for they had scarcely proceeded half way from the shore, when, dreadful to relate, the boat sunk, and all on board perished except five persons. The misery and distress in which this awful event has involve hundreds of our fellowcreatures, cannot be contemplated without the most heart-rending sor Tow. The Princess of Wales has accu mulated debts to the amount of 49,000l. and her husband has agreed to pay them. His royal highness has likewise promised a further annual allowance. The first instalanother instalment to the same ament of 10,0001, has been paid, and mount will be paid in January. 'At a late meeting, Mr. Adam informed the creditors of the princess, that the prince's treasurer had constantly every quarter paid the allowance of 12,000l. a-year to the officer of her royal highness, and that this allowance had never been an instant in chief, has bestowed the colonelcy in arrear from 1802 to the present time, and that the prince had always paid this sum clear from the income tax, though 12,000l. per annum was deducted from himself on that account; that the prince had now increased the princess's income to 17,000l. a year, to be paid quarterly, without deducting the income tax. Mr. Adam then stated, that the princess was paid for personal expences at the exchequer 5000l. a year, making in all an income of 22,000l. and that it was upon this increased income of 17,000l. a-year nett, that the Prince had devised the security for the creditors in future, having made it a condition that the Princess should appoint an officer to receive that income, who was enjoined, in the settling the accounts, to follow the course prescribed by the act of parliament for regulating the expenditure of the Prince; that a paper to this effect had been accordingly signed by the Princess, so that the creditors had now only to observe the forms of the act of parliament, in order to assure their payment. Mr. Adam assured the creditors, that the Prince had appropriated as large a sum as his situation would admit to discharge the debts of the Princess, and that the regularity of the payments might be depended upon. Nor was this all, for as some of the creditors had expressed a dread, upon the possible calamity of being deprived of the Prince, his Royal Highness, though precluded by law from binding himself by deed or note, would render his property and rights, in case of such event, available to the same purpose. Mr. Adam finally observed, that the Prince assumed the whole debt of the Princess, amounting to 49,000l.; that 10,000l. had been now paid, and that in the first week in January the second instalment would be ready. of the 95th. regiment (consisting of three battalions) upon himself; he was previously colonel of the Scotch Greys, and governor of Chelsea Hospital!! The British Navy.-There are at present in commission 801 ships of war, of which 161 are of the line, 28 from 50 to 44 guns, 168 frigates, 172 sloops of war, 9 bombs and fire ships, 95 armed brigs, 14 cutters, 154 armed schooners and luggers; besides which there are repairing, building, and in ordinary ships, which make the total number 1057, including 265 of the line.. Mr. Samuel Dixon, a common council-man of the city of London, famous for his professions of loyalty, love of order, &c. was fined at the Surry sessions, on Monday July 17, in the sum of 201. for assaulting and obstructing Mr. J. Lee, a constable, in the execution of his duty, in suppressing a riot. al A short time ago, Mr. Roscoe, of Liverpool, received an anonymous letter, informing him that six black slaves had been thrown into prison by a Portuguese Captain, upon ledged actions of debt; but in reality because he found that they were free on their arrival in England, and he hoped by this expedient to detain them until his vessel should be ready to sail. Having verified the fact, Mr. Roscoe sent a person to bail all the actions. An order was accordingly issued for the dis charge of the prisoners, when it was discovered that the Portuguese Captain had mustered about one hundred of his countrymen to seize the blacks by force on their exit from prison. Application was instantly made to the magistrates, who took the Captain into custody, bound him to his good behaviour, and restored the poor blacks to the enjoyment of their newly-acquired liberty. At Winchester assizes, a cause of asault and false imprisonment was Sir David Dundas, the commander tried, in which the celebrated Mr. W. Cobbett, and Aslett and Dubber, A young officer, quite a boy, was lately ordered to embark for India, and received 951. by a bill, and 401. in bank notes for his passage and pay. On the Friday evening, while on the quarter gallery of the Indiaman, at St Helen's, he dropped his pocket-book over board, containing these sums. This happened about eleven o'clock at night; he was in a deplorable situation, without friends nearer to him than Aberdeen. As the mail-boat, from Portsmouth,was crossing to Ryde, on the Sunday follow ing, a passenger saw something at a distance in the water, and persua ded the captain to go towards it; it proved to be the pocket-book, with all the notes and bills. The passenger on landing, mentioned this circumstance, and, in less than an hour, the officer was put in possession of it. The pocket-book was in the ocean from eleven o'clock at night, on Friday, until the same hour on Sunday evening, and must have gone up and down with the several tides within that time--possibly from Cowes to Spithead, and back again, with every tide. The new theatre at Covent Garden was opened on Monday the 18th. inst. but such was the indignation of the public on account of the rise in the prices of admission, and the extravagant engagement made with Madame Catalini, who was to have had 40001. a year exclusive of two benefits., that the utmost noise and confusion reigned the whole evening, and not a word was heard of the play or the entertainment. The same scene of confusion continued for seven nights successively, till at length a proposal from Mr. Kemble of a committee to examine the books of the managers and to report their opinion, was acceded to, and on his farther informing them that the ongagement with Madame Catalini was at an end, tranquility was restored. The house is to be shut up till the committee have made their report.The farce performed on one of these evenings will be a sufficient speci men: "To the hisses, hootings, howlings, roarings, &c. with the usual accompaniment of whistles and cat-calls, were added the sonorous breaks of bugle and coachmen's horns, the harmony of which was occasionally improved by the clattering of sticks against the seats and ceilings of the boxes. Such, in a word, was the confused noise produced by this discordant concert, that you would imagine the pit and basket to have been converted by some Circeau cup into dens of lions, bears, and wolves, who roared and howled their indignation at the degrading metamorphosis.” 248 THE LOWEST AND HIGHEST PRICE OF STOCKS From AUGUST 26, to SEPTEMBER 25, 1809: inclusive. By JOHN HEMMING, Broker, No. 3. Capel Court, Bartholomew Lane, London. Bank India 3pr.Ct. 3 per Ct. 4 pr Ct 5 per Ct. Long Ann. Omn. Days Stock. Stock. Reduced. Consols. 98급 99 India Exche. Stocks Shut and Open. 8. 15p. Bank, Sept.5. Oct. 19. 23.24p. 8. 15p. Red. p. 23.24p. 8. 16p.L.An. 22.23p. 8. 16p. 4. 21. 22.23p. 8. 16p. 21.22p. 7. 14p. 13 68 99 4p. 21p. 7. 14p. 14 187 188 68 99 20.21p. 6. 11p. 19.20p. 6. 11p. N.B. The days omitted are Sundays, or Holidays.The blank spaces denote that nothing was done in that fund.P. stands for Premium, and D. for Discount THE MONTHLY REGISTER. FOR OCTOBER, 1809. MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES. SUBSTANCE OF THE ELEVENTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ERS OF NAVAL REVISION. This Commission was established not so much for the fundamental investigation of abuses, as for canvassing and sifting the reports of another department of the state since the commencement of his Majesty's reign, namely, the commission of naval inquiry. This Report relates to the provincial victualling es tablishments at home. "We have already mentioned, that any partial alterations and amendments would be insufficient; and that nothing less than AN ENTIRE NEW SYSTEM would be likely to produce effectual and permanent good. "This opinion being completely the reverse of that which has been repeatedly and strongly expressed by the two boards who have preceded us in an inquiry into the system of management in the victualling establishments, we feel it our duty, on that account, to enter more into the detail than would otherwise have been necessary, in order to shew the grounds on which we have found ourselves obliged to differ from such respectable authority; as well as to prove satisfactorily, that so far from the present system being entitled to the approbation which those commissioners have bestowed upon it, the business, on the contrary, is conducted in a loose and confused manner, without system, clearness, regularity, or method: that with respect to the accounts of stores, they are unnecessarily intricate and voluminous, without providing any sufficient check, being in most instances unsupported by any vouchers; that some of them, intended for the charge and discharge of store accountants, are so erroneous as even to leave the accountant himself completely ignorant of the real quantity of stores in his possession; that various descriptions of public stores are VOL. VI. received and issued in large quantities, without any accounts thereof being kept rendered; that the superintending board in town has no means of forming a judg ment of the propriety or impropriety of the expenditure of stores set forth in the accounts submitted for their approval; and, what is not a little extraordinary, no uniformity is preserved at the different ports, there being many books and accounts kept and rendered from one establishment not required from another, though the nature of the business transacted at both is precisely the same; that with respect to the accounts of cash, some of the disbursements are subject to no controul, and the accounts to no check, and a few even to no examination! "Nevertheless, we think it right to state, that it would be a harsh and unfair conclusion to impute these evils altogether to the mismanagement of those to whose care the conduct of the victualling service has been entrusted. They are rather to be considered as the consequences of defects, which have gradually and imperceptibly arisen in the course of the last century; during which time partial alterations only have been introduced, thus adding something new to the remains of an old system, instead of abandoning the old altogether, and forming an entire new one adapted to the present circumstances; for, however well suited the regulations which were established at the beginning of the 18th. century might have been to the small extent of the victualling service at that time, it was by no means surprising to find them but ill adapted, or rather wholly inadequate, to conduct it properly on its present extended scale." It must be observed of the concluding part of this extract, that it only removes the accusation from the subordinate ministers to the principal ones in the department; acquitting the former upon the score of their being mere agents, and impeaching the latter on account of their adoption or retention of a system, which K k |