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justify a British officer in having obtained under false pretences, passports in feigned names from the Representative of his own Sovereign, and in having made use of such passports for himself and a subject of his Most Christian Majesty, under sentence for high treason, disguised in a British uniform, not only to elude the vigilance of the French Government, but to carry him in such disguise through the British lines. While the Prince Regent cannot but consider it as a material aggravation of Sir R. Wilson's offence, that holding so high a rank in the army, he should have countenanced and encouraged an inferior officer to commit a decided and serious breach of military duty, his Royal Highness nevertheless thinks it equally necessary to express his high displeasure at the conduct of Captain J. H. Hutchinson, for having been himself an active instrument in a transaction of so culpable a nature, more especially in a country in amity win his Majesty, where the regiment with which he was serving in the course of his military duty, formed part of an army which had been placed by the allied Sovereigns under the command of the Duke of Wellington, under circumstances which made it peculiarly incumbent upon every officer of that army to abstain from any conduct which might obstruct the execution of the laws.

"His Royal Highness the Prince Regent being unwilling to visit these officers with the full weight of his displeasure, which the complexion of their offence might have warranted, and also taking into consideration the degree of punishment to which they have subjected themselves, by violating the laws of the country in which this transaction took place, has signified to the Commander-in-Chief these his sentiments, that they should be published to the army at large, in order to record in the most public manner the strong sense which his Royal Highness entertains of the flagrant misconduct of these officers, and of the danger which would accrue to the reputation and discipline of the British army, if such an offence were to pass without a decided expression of his Royal Highness's most severe reprehension.

66 By Order of his Royal Highness,

"THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF."

The following is an official Copy of the Declaration of the Bey of Tunis, published in consequence of the agreement lately

entered into with Lord Exmouth.

Tunis, the 19th of the Month Juhmed Anell, in the year of the Hegira 1231(April 17, 1816.)-Declaration of his Uighness Mahmoud Bashaw, Bey of Tunis, addressed to his Excellency Baron Exmouth, Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the Bath, Admiral of the Blue Squadron of his Britanic Majesty, &c.

"In consideration of the anxious desire manifested by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent of England to put an end to the Slavery of Christians, his Highness the Bey of Tunis, wishing to testify his sincere desire to maintain the amicable relations which subsist between him and Great Britaiu: as a proof of his pacific disposition, nnd of his esteem for the European Powers, with whom his Highness is desirous of consolidating a durable peace, declares by these presents, that in case of war with any of the said powers, none of the prisoners shall be reduced to slavery; but that they shall be treated with every possible humanity, and as prisoners of war, according to the forms adopted and practised in Europe; and that at the end of the war the prisoners shall be exchanged and sent home.

"Given in duplicate at our Palace of Bardo, near Tunis, the 19th of the month Juhmed Anell, in the year of the Hegira 8231. (Signed) "MAHMOUD BASHAW,

Bey of Tunis, &c."

EXPEDITION TO AFRICA.-Letters were last week received from Major Peddie, the Military Commandant, of the daring enterprize of entering Africa, and tracing the course of the Niger. The letters are dated Senegal, the 15th of March; they mention that the expedition will not leave that place before September next, on account of the rainy season. In the mean time the Major was making every necessary preparation, collecting information from every person who had travelled any distance in the interior, making himself acquainted with the most minute circumstances respecting the fate of the lamented Park, and guarding himself from the mistakes of that celebrated tra

veller. He writes that every person in the expedition is in the highest spirits, and from the admirable plans laid down, they feel confident of ultimate success. Our readers are acquainted that there are two expeditions proceeding to explore Africa, the one proceeding by boats up the river Congo, the other tracing the river Niger. Major Peddie.commands the latter; the general opinion entertained is, that both rivers join, and empty. themselves into immense morasses in the interior of Africa. The two expeditions are, in consequence, expected to meet; anticipating this event, the letters which we have perused say, "with what ecstacy will the survivors meet, relate the hardships they have endured, and, in the wilds of Africa, where footsteps never trod, and where silence reigns with undivided sway, raise the cup of friendship to their dear friends of the sacred isle."

May 9.-The house of Messrs. Fairly and Co. having occasion to send to their establishment of Calcutta thirteen chests of dollars by the Lady Campbell, lying off Greenwich, they were put on board the Company's hoy Coromandel, for the purpose of conveying them to that ship. As the trust was valuable, the usual caution on such occasions was observed, and the crew on board was increased, and supplied with additional arms, It was

between two and three o'clock on Thursday morning se'nnight when the hoy reached Bugby's-hole. A small craft came alongside on pretext of asking questions. As only two men appeared in view in the boat, no serious alarm was excited, until a tarpaulin was hauled on one side, and discovered about the number of twenty more. The hoy was now on the alert, but it was too late; the pirates were soon on board, and placing a pistol to the head of Mr. Abbot, the master, demanded his submission. Mr. Abbot and Mr. Champion, the Company's officer, and the crew, were driven into the cabin, from whence they discharged several blunderbusses at the banditti on deck.-The fire was returned; and an exclamation was made as if a person was wounded; it was succeeded by a voice, saying, "We will murder them all;" which led the crew to the resolution of fighting for their lives, if the vessel was attempted to be scuttled, as they apprehended. In the mean time the villains broke open the hatches with a crow-bar, and proceeded to rummage the hold. Their alarm, however, was so great, that they hurried into their craft only seven chests of the dollars out of the thirteen on board. In each chest were contained four bags, with 1,000 dollars in each, so that the whole amount of the booty obtained would amount to about 7,0001. The robbery being thus completed, the pirates ran the hoy on shore, to prevent an immediate pursuit. same day, Thursday, a vigilant search was set on foot by the police after the robbers, but without success. A deposition to the above effect was given at the Thames police-office by the master and crew of the hoy. On following up the enquiry, it appears that nine bags of the dollars have been recovered. It would seem that, from the speedy approach of day-light, and the slackness of the tide immediately after the robbery was committed, the villains were afraid to venture on shore with their stolen property, and had therefore deemed it expedient to sink the whole or part of the chests, as they supposed, within low water mark, in Gallion-reach ; for about seven o'clock, at low water, three of the chests were observed uncovered on the shore, where they had been just left by the tide.-The commander of an ordnance transport, two Green

The

wich watermen, and the master of a peter-boat being on the spot when the chests were first discovered, claimed au equal right to their contents. A mallet and chisel were brought from the transport, and the chests were opened. Upon ascertaining the contents, the Greenwich watermen, more prudent or more honest than their colleagues, proposed that the whole of the bags should be taken to the Water Bailiff for the benefit of the owners. This was objected to, and the property was divided; but, unfortunately for the master of the transport, whilst the boys were carrying a part of his share to his house, they were seized by an officer, who had been all day on the lookout. The boys, being interrogated, confessed where the remainder of their master's booty was hid, and the dollars were immediately removed from their hiding place in the sand. The next step was to take the master into custody, and to look after his colleagues; but, to the credit of the Greenwich watermen, they came forward the next morning with the whole of their share of the spoil, and with an offer of their evidence as to that part of the transaction in which they had been engaged.-The watermen say they know the peter-boatman; and it is, therefore, probable that about three thousand dollars, which came to his share, will be restored; in that case, Messrs. Fairly and Co. will have recovered three thousand pounds in dollars out of the 7,0001. that were carried off. Nearly a dozen persons, from first to last, have been examined on the subject, but several of those, although found with part of the dollars in their possession, do not appear to have had any thing to do with the original robbery.-There are four persons in custody against whom there is much presumptive evidence of guilt; their names are Spindlove, Corby, Brown and Connor: these men constitute a part of what is called the Blackwall gang. They have been all examined and remanded, to give time for further evidence against them. Since this daring piracy has been committed, the officers belonging to Lambeth-street Police-office, as well as the rest of the police of the metropolis, have been on the alert to discover the real robbers, but more particularly Dalton and Miller, who searched all the creeks and corners to Gravesend; the result was, that they learnt that two persons well known to them were principally concerned in the robbery, viz. John Brown, who had been tried at the Old Bailey some time back for stealing cloth from a vessel in the river, and William Corby, a publican at Blackwall. On further enquiry, they ascertained that these persons had absconded into Essex; thither they pursued them on Saturday se'nnight,

armed with pistols and cutlasses ; and after tracing them through different places, at length received information that they were to come out of the marshes at a certain part of the road near Plaistow, about four o'clock on Monday afternoon. The officers during the day remained in disguise at a public-house there, and at the appointed hour went in a cart to meet them. Driving on slowly, they perceived two men coming along, dressed in clumsy jackets and trowsers, who, on approaching the cart,, recognized the officers and ran off. Miller, however, at the first effort, seized Brown; and Dalton presented a pistol at Corby, who succeeded in getting over the ditch, declaring he would blow his brains out if he did not instantly surrender. This had the effect of preventing him running away. He contrived, however, to pull off his jacket and hat, regardless of all threats, saying he would not be easily taken. The officer, perceiving this, sprung across the ditch, when the other darted into the marshes again, and in attempting to leap over another ditch in the rear, stuck in the mud, and was taken before he could extricate himself. Here a desperate battle ensued, Corby being a most powerful man; but after some minutes fighting and tumbling in the ditch, Corby was compelled to surrender, and the officer brought him handcuffed to his companion on the road, who by this time was secured by Miller, after considerable resistance. Having chained them together, the officers proceeded to search their hats, jackets, and clothes, and found on each about 500 of the stolen dollars, all wet, which they brought with them to the office. Connor had his last hearing on Tuesday, at the Thames police-office, when Martin, a waterman from Woolwich, deposed, that he was awakened between 2 and 3 o'clock on Thursday morning se'nnight, by a rumbling noise in the street, and on looking out of the window, he saw three men dragging along what appeared to him to be a large heavy chest. One of them was a tall man in a light jacket, the other two men rather short. He enquired of the party what it was o'clock, but no answer was given, except that one replied, “never mind, old Martin." The tall person he conceived to be the prisoner, he had known him for two years, he had always known him by the name of Mat, and that was the name he heard him called by his comrades. report having prevailed that Connor and his companions had taken the chest to Mrs. M'Farlane's, who keeps a publichouse at Woolwich, but was refused admittance, enquiry is making as to the fact. May 24.-Yesterday the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold had their first dinner party, at Camelford-House, which was honoured with the presence of the

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Prince Regent. His Royal Highness was received at the door by Prince Leopold, who conducted him to the drawing-room, at the entrance of which he was received by his royal daughter. The dinner was most sumptuous, and consisted of every rarity and delicacy of the season.

All the ships which were re-commissioned at Portsmouth for the peace service, have now proceeded to their several stations. They were nine months obtaining their complement of men. Those which have sailed are, the Amphion, Capt. Bowles, and Hyacinth, Captain Sharpe, for South America; Pactolus, Captain Dobbie, for Halifax; Rifleman, Capt. Allen, for Jamaica; Griffin, Capt. Murray, (Captain Hewson having been invalided from ill health) for St. Helena and the Cape; and the Nimrod, Capt. Ferguson, for the Leith station.

By a return made to the House of Commons of the Poor-rates or other Rates paid in the year ending the 25th March, 1815, it appears that the amount paid by 12,889 parishes of England, and 1033 parishes of Wales, was £7,023,386 18s. 86. --773 parishes of England and 81 parishes of Wales have made no return. So that the sum total paid by this part of the United Kingdom cannot be less than eight millions sterling per annum.

The doubts respecting the genuineness of the Asiatic Prince, who called himself son and successor to the Emperor of the Birmans, are fully justified by a letter which we have just received from one of our correspondents at Bucharest. Unhappily for this "nephew of the Suu, and relation of the Moon, of Lucifer and all the Stars," Major Stewart, aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of India, Lord Moira, was at Bucharest on his way to London. The Major, who, by a ten years residence in India, is as well acquainted with the language, customs, and manners, of those countries, as with those of his own country, was very desirous to get acquainted with this descendant of the Blessed Friend and Cousin of the Almighty God." He the more easily found an opportunity, as the Prince of Wallachia, who had already conceived some suspicions respecting this pretended descendant of the Royal Family of the Birmans, requested him to visit, since nobody could be better qualified to find out the truth, or rather the falsehood. Major Stewart fulfilled the Prince's wish, and with the English Consul residing at Bucharest, went to see this adventurer, when he not only discovered irrefragably all his lying assertions, but by addressing him in the Indian language, of which the impostor did not understand a syllable, threw him into such confusion and perplexity, that he found it advisable to quit Bucharest.

See Asiatic Journal, page 407.

PARLIAMENTARY JOURNAL.

House of Lords, March 1.-A motion was made by Lord King, the object of which was to learn what means had been taken by Ministers to obtain payment, -1. Of a loan to Austria in 1793; 2. The balance due from France on account of prisoners of war; 3. The state of the Russian loan; and, 4. The loan of £600,000, and subsequently of £300,000 to Portugal. The motion was negatived without a division.

7. The Duke of Bedford rose to make the motion of which he had given notice, for an inquiry into the state of the nation; but solicited the indulgence of the house, on account of indisposition. He had not proceeded far when he became too unwell to proceed, and was obliged to sit down. Lord Liverpool then proposed that the debate should be adjourned to Tuesday next, which was agreed to,

12. The Duke of Bedford moved that the House should resolve itself into a 'Committee on the state of the nation. On a division there appeared for the motion, 71; against it, 140; majority 69.

14. The Earl of Liverpool brought down a Message from his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acquainting the House that his Royal Highness had given the Royal Assent to a marriage between his daughter, the Princess Charlotte Augusta, and his Serene Highness the Prince Leopold George Frederic of Cobourg-Saalsfeld, and requesting a provision for their establishment. Lord L. afterward moved an address, which was carried nem, con. 15. The Marquis of Landsdown moved for an address against the proposed

peace establishment. numbers were

On a division the

For the Address, present,.... 27
Proxies,.... 42

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March 22.-Lord Grenville wished to call the attention of their Lordships to a subject of great importance to the country as connected with its Indian possessions; he alluded to the great inconvenience of blending the commercial and political Reports of the India Company by the Governors of our different possessions in the East. He wished to get information on this subject, and to know why that distinction should not be observed in those departments which had been particularly observed in the Charter. He did not seek this information unnecessa◄

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May 3.-Earl Stanhope moved, That the House do resolve itself into a Com mittee to consider the best means of arranging the Statute-book into distinct and proper heads. The Lord Chancellor moved an amendment, that a select Committee should be appointed, instead of a Committee of the whole House; which was agreed to.

May 13.-The Earl of Essex (a second time) complained of being obstructed by the military in his passage along the streets, and moved a copy of the order under which the military had acted. On a division, the motion was negatived by 33 to 36.

House of Commons, Feb 26.-Numerous petitions were presented, on this and other days, from the city of London and most other parts of the kingdom, against the proposed renewal of the Property Tax. The House having gone into a Committee of Supply, a discussion took place on the army estimates. Lord John Russell and Mr. Frankland Lewis spoke at length against keeping on foot a military force, as being pregnant with danger to the liberties of the country. Mr. Yorke (from the Treasury Bench) defended the proposed establishment.. Mr. Brougham spoke against it. Lord Palmerston went into the detail of the estimates, and the debate was adjourned.

Feb. 27.-Sir S. Romily charged ministers with purposely delaying the meeting of Parliament till an unusually late period, in order to give it no opportunity of a full consideration of the Property Tax. If, at the last enactment, it was intended to continue this tax, why was it not openly stated? The Chancellor of the Exchequer explained, that when the tax was last year before the house, he had thought that the Bank would be able to resume its payments at the end of the year; but circumstances had arisen which

rendered that measure impracticable. The adjourned debate on the army was resumed. The speakers were Messrs. P. Grant, Robinson, Freemantle, Peel, Sir R. Heron, Sir J. Newport, Sir F. Flood, and Lord Binning. The debate was adjourned.

Feb. 28.-Several petitions against the Property Tax were presented, and several members expressed their sentiments concerning it; after which, the debate on the army estimates was resumed. the motion for the house going into a Committee on the estimates, it was carried by 241 against 121.

On

March 4.-Colonel Foley, on presenting a petition from Leominster against the Property Tax, observed, that it also called the attention of the House to the formation of a Military Club, under the sanction, and with the approbation of the Commander-in-chief; and expressed a hope that the House of Commons, with due jealousy, would not fail to watch the proceedings of such a formidable body, the effect of which would be to separate the military establishment from the other classes of the community: a distinction inconsistent with the true principles of the British constitution. Mr. Gooch, looking to the glorious achievements of the members of the Military Club, thought it unjust to hold them up to the world in the odious light of oppressors of a free people, and subverters of the happy constitution of Great Britain.-Mr. C. Wynne protested against the language used by the hon. member, which tended to destroy the freedom of debate, and to limit the right of the House to interfere in a subject which, by many, was deemed to be highly dangerous to the constitution.— Colonel Wood, in consequence of statements made that night, felt anxious to give the composition of the Club. In it there were many naval and army officers; there were also many East-India officers, who had made fortunes in that country; there were thirty-six Colonels of militia. Gentlemen might be surprised at their number, but that was it, formidable as they were. There were likewise Lord Lieutenants of counties; and he was sure that this Club could not mean any danger

to the constitution. Mr. G. Rose stood up, in order to state that he was a member of the Club (loud laughter), though he was neither a military or naval character. The honour had been conferred on him, not in his individual, but in his official capacity. Lord Milton said, he must confess that what had been stated by the right Hon. the Treasurer of the Navy, instead of extenuating the objections to the Military Club, had, on the contrary, done every thing to add to its exceptionable character. Mr. Brougham said he was by no means convinced, after Asiatic Journ.-No. VI.

all he had heard, that there existed no cause for jealousy or alarm on this subject. He highly esteemed many members of the Military Club, and had the honour to call Lord Lyndoch his friend; but personal character could have no weight in questions of constitutional importance; and he knew, from good authority, that great influence had been made use of to induce individuals to become members of this institution; and that regular returns had been made to an illustrious personage of the names of those who acceded, and those who did not.-The House having gone into a Committee of Supply, the adjourned debate on the Army Estimates was resumed. The speakers were Lords Castlereagh, Palmerston, and Nugent; Messrs. J. Ward, Protheroe, and Bankes. The debate was again adjourned.

ing a petition against the Income Tax, March 5.-Mr. W. Dundas, in present

from the inhabitants of Edinburgh, and five smaller ones from the same neigh

bourhood, begged to state, that he differed from every word of the allegations contained in the petitions.-Mr. Brougham said, there was no interpreter of public feeling from Scotland: in Edinburgh, from which the hon. member derived his seat in parliament, there were but eighteen, or at most twenty-five voters. -Lord Castlereagh observed, that the speeches made on this subject were solely for the purpose of exciting clamour; to which Mr. Horner replied, that the strongest epithets, and the most marked aversion, had proceeded from gentlemen who usually voted with ministers.-The Chancellor of the Exchequer, after going through the history of the Property Tax, from its first enactment, observed, that not only the amount had been raised by the opposition, when in power, but it was the plan of Lord Henry Petty (then Chancellor) to make it perpetual, or, at least to mortgage it for a certain number of years, without regard to peace or war. -Mr. Holme Sumner, and Sir Edward Knatchbull, were not averse to the tax, as modified by the Chancellor.-Lord Cochrane presented thirteen charges against Lord Ellenborough, respecting his conduct on his trial. On his lordship's motion, seconded by General Mathew, who did so because he knew nothing of their merits, they were ordered to be printed.

March 6. The adjourned debate on the Army Estimates subject being resumed, Mr. Calcraft, in an excellent speech, went through the estimates, pointing out where the reductions might be made. The House afterward divided upon Mr. Wortley's amendment for reducing the amount of the peace establishment about 10,000 men. On a division, the amend VOL. I. 4 K

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