events which add so much luftre to the British character, you will, I am perfuaded, as cordially join in the fentiments fo juftly due to the conduct of my good and faithful Ally the Emperor of Ruffia; to his magnanimity and wif dom, directing to fo many quarters of Europe the force of his extenfive and powerful Empire, we are, in a great degree, indebted for the fuccefs of our own efforts, as well as for the rapid and favourable change in the general fitua tion of affairs. I have directed copies to be laid before you of thofe engage; ments, which have confolidated and

cemented a connection fo confonant to

the permanent interefts of my Empire, and fo important at the prefent moment to every part of the civilized world.

"Gentlemen of the House of Com

mons,

"The ample Supplies which you have granted to me in the courfe of the laft Seffion will, I trust, fo nearly provide for the exigencies of the public fervice, even on the extenfive fcale which our prefent operations require, as to enable me, without further aid, to continue thofe exertions to the close of the present year :—but in order to afford you the convenience of a longer recefs, I recommend it to you to confider of providing for the expences which will be neceffary in the early part of the enfuing year; and with this view I have ordered the proper Eftimates to be laid before you.

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "In purfuance of your recommendation, I judged it proper to communicate to my two Houfes of Parliament in Ireland, at the clofe of their laft Seffiou, the fentiments which you had expreffed to me refpecting an incorporating Union with that kingdom. The experience of every day confirms me in the perfuafion that fignal benefit would be derived to both Countries from that important

meafure; and I trust that the difpofition of my Parliament there will be found to correspond with that which you have manifefted for the accomplishment of a work which would tend fo much to add to the fecurity and happiness of all my Irish fubjects, and to confolidate the ftrength and profperity of the Empire.” His Majefty having retired,

fpeech of much argument, went, over The Marquis of Buckingham, in a of furthering, with all our efforts, the the grounds, which thewed the neceffity diftinguished zeal of our Allies, and for this purpofe his Lordship was of opinion that the measure propofed in the Speech, of extending the voluntary fervices of the Militia to Holland, would tend moft materially to accomplish the defirable end. His Lordfhip then enumerated the gallant exploits of our various Commanders, and concluded with propofing an Addrefs-the echo of the Speech.

Lord Amherst feconded the motion. The question was then put, and the Addrefs carried nem. diff.

Lord Grenville moved, that there be laid before the Houfe copies and extracts of correspondence between the feveral Governors in India, the Prefidencies there, and the Court of Directors, relative to Tippoo Sultan fince the arrival of Lord Mornington in India; which motion was agreed to.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25.

Several petitions refpecting the hearing of appeals were presented, the titles read, and ordered to lie upon the table. Their Lordships proceeded to St. James's with their Addrefs to his Majefty.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26.

Lord Grenville prefented feveral State Papers relative to the treaties entered into between the Emperor of Ruffia and his Majesty : and also papers relative to' the late Indian war. All of which were ordered to lie on the table, and their Lordships adjourned.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 24.

THE

Mr. Shaw Lefevre rofe to move an Addrefs to his Majesty thereon.

Colonel Elford feconded the motion.

...WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25. Mr. Shaw Lefevre brought up the Report of the Committee on the Addrefs, to which the House having agreed,

Mr. Plumer faid, that there fhould be a call of the House, that the reprefentation of the people at large might be afforded every opportunity of confidering the measure intended to be proposed by Minifters relative to o our Militia that they might affent to it or not as their mature judgments fhould guide them.

One

One part of the principle certainly met his approbation, viz. that of reducing the number of the militia, as thould every measure that tended to decrease the expenditure of the kingdom. But the other part, viz. that of lending them out of the kingdom, met his strongest diflike; for he could not but doubt the utility of tranfporting the flower of our army to Holland. He then moved a call of the Houfe for to-morrow fortnight.

Mr. Jones faid, he cordially agreed in fentiment with the laft Hon. Gentleman, and would as cordially fecond his motion. Mr. Pitt faid, that he could not bring himself to believe that the Hon. Gentle man meant to perfift in his motion; for, as the importance of the fubject fufficiently spoke for itself, he was convinced that was an argument as perfuafive to urge the attendance of members who chofe to appear in their feats, as any call of the Houfe could poffibly be.

The House then divided, for the motion, 4; against it, 93, majority against it, 89.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26. Mr. Pitt moved the confideration of his Majefty's Speech, which being read from the chair,

Mr. Bragge moved a fupply to the King, and a Committee was ordered thereon to-morrow.

He

Mr. Dundas, in compliments of the higheft ftrain of panegyric, moved the thanks of the Houfe to the Governor General of Bengal, to the Generals in the expedition against Seringapatam, and to the officers and foldiers by whole bravery the late fucceffes in India were accomplished.-Agreed, nem. con. then moved that the thanks of this House be given to Sir Ralph Abercromby, and to Sir James Pulteney, for their glorious achievements in carrying the Helder Point in the face of the enemy, and to the officers, non-commiffioned officers, and privates, ferving under the above Generals in the fame expedition; which being also agreed to, nem. con. the Right Hon. Secretary next proceeded to move votes of thanks to Admiral Mitchell and the officers and feamen under his command, and that Lord Duncan be requefted to communicate the fame, which likewife was agreed to, nem, con.

Mr. Dundas then, in terms of the warmest and most expreffive eulogium, entered into observations upon the gallant prowels and fingular valour of Sir Sidney Smith, together with the refult thereof, and moved the thanks of the Houfe to

him, which being feconded by Mr. Pitt, was carried nem. con.-' -Thanks were then voted to his officers and seamen, and he was requested to communicate the fame to them.

Mr. Dundas, pursuant to his notice, moved for leave to bring in a Bill to enable his Majesty to accept the voluntary fervices of additional men from his Militia forces.

The question being put,

Mr. Tierney, in oppofition to the queftion, and in oppofition to its principle, gave his molt decided negative, and concluded with ftating, that as he anticipated no ultimate good could poffibly arife from any thing on this topic that he fhould advance, it was his determination to be silent on the fubje& hereafter.

Mr. Sheridan entered briefly into ob fervations, fhewing the madness (as he termed it) of the prefent fyftem of warfare; and, after fome pointed remarks, specified his refolution of referving his ultimate declarations until the events of a few days furnished him with that which he already anticipated.

The Bill was brought in, and read a first time.

Mr. Dundas prefented a copy of the treaty entered into between the Emperor of Ruffia and this country, which was ordered to lie on the table.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 27.

Mr. Dundas moved the fecond reading of the Bill for enabling his Majesty to accept the Voluntary Services of a certain number of the Militia, which was agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be committed on Monday.

The Houfe refolved itfelf into a Committee, to take his Majefty's Speech into confideration, Mr. Bragge in the chair.

Mr. Pitt moved, that a fupply be granted to his Majefty, which was agreed to.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28.

Mr. Bragge brought up the Report of the Committee, containing a Refolution, that a Supply be granted to his Majesty, which was read and agreed to, nem. con.

On the motion of Mr. Wallace, the Navy Estimates for Jan. and Feb. 1800, were ordered to be laid before the House.

Mr. Rofe moved, that there be laid before the House the charge of Guards, Garrifons, and Ordnance, from Sept. 1799 to Sept. 1800: alfo the amount of Exchequer Bills iffued.

Thele accounts were brought in im mediately.Adjourned. M m 2

FOREIGN

MY LORD,

I have the honour to inform you, that on the 20th inft. at half past eight A. M. Cordovan Light-houfe bearing E. by S. fix or leven leagues, I difcovered two fail in the S. W. to which I gave chace, and foon perceived they were ftanding towards us, which they continued to do, until his Majesty's fhip, under my command, was within two miles of them, when they both bore up and made fail, going on large different tacks. I continued to chace the largest, and foon brought her to action, which was maintained with great gallantry on the part of the enemy, until his hip was wholly dismantled, and had received feveral fhot between wind and water; when La Vefale, a French frigate, of 36 guns, twelve pounders, and 235 men, commanded by Monfieur P.M. Gafpard, ftruck to his Majefty's fhip Clyde.

Her confort, the Sageffe, of 30 guns, availing herself of the vicinity of the Garrone, had got fo much the start of us, that any pursuit of her would have been unavailing.

The Clyde's Officers and men conducted themfelves much to my fatis. faction; and received that fupport from Mr. Kerr, the First Lieutenant, which I was prepared to expect by his animated conduct in former critical and more trying fituations. He has loft an eye in a former action.

The Veftale is from St. Domingo. I find by her role d'equipage, that the brought from thence many paffengers, whom he landed at Paffage; from which place the had failed two days, on her way to Rochefort, in company with the Sageffe, who had lately arrived from Guadaloupe.

Inclofed is a lift of the killed and wounded.

I have the honour to be, &c.
CHARLES CUNNINGHAM,

[Then follows a lift of killed and wounded.]

C

3.11 DOWNING STREET, SEPT. 9.

A difpatch, of which the following is an extract, has been received from Lieut. Gen. Sir Ralph Abercrombie, by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, one of his Majefty's principal Secretaries of State.

Head Quarters, Schager Brug, Sept. 4. From the 27th of Auguft to the ift of September, the troops continued to occupy the Sand Hills on which they fought. On that day the army marched and took poft with its right to Petten on the German ocean, and its left to the canal of the Zuype in front. Oude Sluys on the Zuyder Zee, with

A better country is now open to us. We have found fome horfes and wagprovifions. gons, and a plentiful fupply of fresh

The troops continue healthy, and behave extremely well.

The 11th regiment of Dragoons are arrived and have begun to disembark. The transports have been ordered to return to the Downs.

I have the honour to inclofe herewith a return of the artillery, ammunition, and Engineers ftores captured at the Helder.

[Then follows a return of ordnance, &c.]

ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, SEPT. 10, 1799. A letter from Captain Sir Sydney Smith, of his Majefty's fhip Tigre, to Evan Nepean, Efq. Secretary to the Admiralty, with its inclofures, of which the following are copies, were yesterday

received at this Office:

Copy of a Letter from Captain Sir William. Sydney Smith, of his Majefty's bip Tigre, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated off Mount Lebanon, June 16, 1799. Sir Morton Eden has forwarded a duplicate of your letter of the 4th of May, informing me of the failing of the French Acet from Breft. I take for granted this fleet is bound for these feas, to fupport Buonaparte's operations, not knowing that his expedition to Syria has completely failed, as the inclofed duplicates will inform their Lordships.

Tigre,

Tigre, Acre, May 9, 1799.

MY LORD,

I had the honour to inform your Lordfhip, by my letter of the 2d inft. that we were bufily employed completing two ravelins for the reception of cannon, to flank the enemy's nearest approaches, diftant only ten yards from them. They were attacked that very night, and alfo every night fince, but the enemy have each time been repulfed with very confiderable lofs: the enemy continued to batter in breach with progreffive fuccefs, and have nine feveral times attempted to ftorm, but have as often been beaten back with immenfe flaughter. Our best mode of defence has been frequent forties, to keep them on the defenfive, and impede the progrefs of their covering works. We have thus been in one continued battle ever fince the beginning of the fiege, interrupted only at fhort intervals by the exceffive fatigue of every individual on both fides. We have been long anxiously looking for a reinforcement, without which we could not expect to be able to keep the place fo long as we have. The delay in its arrival being occasioned by Haffan Bey's having originally received orders to join me in Egypt, I was obliged to be very peremptory in the repetition of my orders for him to join me here; it was not however till the evening of the day before yesterday, the fifty-first day of the fiege, that his fleet of corvettes and tranfports made its appearance. The approach of this additional ftrength was the fignal to Buonaparte for a moft vigorous and perfevering af fault, in hopes to get poffeffion of the town before the reinforcement to the garrifon could disembark.

The conftant fire of the befiegers was fuddenly increafed tenfold; our flanking fire from afloat was as ufual plied to the utmost, but with less effect than heretofore, as the enemy had thrown up epaulments and traverses of fufficient thickness to protect him from it. The guns that could be worked to the great eft advantage were a French brass eighteen pounder, in the Light-house Catle, manned from the Thefeus, under the direction of Mr. Scroder, Mafter's Mate; and the laft mounted twenty-four pounder in the North Ravelin, manned from the Tigre, under the direction of Mr. Jones, Midshipman. Thefe guns being within grape diftance of the head of the attacking column, added to the Turkish mufquetry, did

great execution; and I take this opportunity of recommending these two petty Officers, whofe indefatigable vigilance and zeal merit my warmest praise. The Tigre's two 68 pound carronades, mounted in two Germes lying in the Mole, and worked under the direction of Mr. Bray, Carpenter of the Tigre, (one of the bravest and most intelligent men I ever ferved with,) threw fhells into the centre of this column with evident effect, and checked it confiderably. Still, however, the enemy gained ground, and made a lodgment in the fecond story of the North Eaft Tower; the upper part being entirely battered down, and the ruins in the ditch forming the afcent by which they mounted. Day-light fhewed us the French ftandard on the outer angle of the tower. The fire of the befieged was much flackened in comparison to that of the befiegers, and our flanking fire was become of lefs effect, the enemy having covered themfelves in this lodgment, and the approach to it by two traverses across the ditch, which they had conftructed under the fire that had been oppofed to them during the whole of the night, and which were now feen compofed of fand bags and the bodies of their dead built in with them, their bayonets being only visible above them. Haffan Bey's troops were in the boats, though as yet but half way on fhore. This was a moft critical point of the conteft; and an effort was neceffary to preferve the place for a fhort time till their arrival.

I accordingly landed the boats at the Mole, and took the crews up to the breach armed with pikes. The enthu fiaftic gratitude of the Turks, men, women, and children, at fight of fuch a reinforcement, at fuch a time, is not to be described.

Many fugitives returned with us to the breach, which we found defended by a few brave Turks, whofe most deftructive miffile weapons were heavy ftones, which, ftriking the affailants on the head, overthrew the foremost down the flope, and impeded the progrefs of the reft. A fucceffion, however, afcended to the affault, the heap of ruins between the two parties ferving as a breaft work for both, the muzzles of their mufquets touching, and the fpear-heads of the ftandards locked. Ghezzar Pacha hear ing the English were on the breach," quitted his ftation, where, according to the ancient Turkish custom, he was fitting to reward fuch as should bring

him the heads of the enemy, and diftributing mufquet cartridges with his own hands. The energetic old man coming behind us, pulled us down with violence, faying, if any harm happened to his Englith friends, all was loft. This amicable conteft, as to who fhould defend the breach, occafioned a rush of Turks to the fpot; and thus time was gained for the arrival of the first body of Haffan Bey's troops. I had now to combat the Pacha's repugnance to admitting any troops but his Albanians into the garden of his Seraglio, become a very important poft, as occupying the terre-plein of the Tampart. There was not above 200 of the original oco Albanians left alive. This was no time for debate, and I over-ruled his objections by introducing the Chiflic regiment of 1000 men armed with bayonets, difciplined after the European method under Sultan Selim's own eye, and placed by his Imperial Majefty's exprefs commands at my difpofal. The garrifon, animated by the appearance of fuch a reinforcement, was now all on foot, and there being confequently enough to defend the breach, I propofed to the Pacha to get rid of the object of his jealoufy, by opening the gates to let them make a fally, and take the affailants in flank : he readily complied, and I gave directions to the Colonel to get poffeffion of the enemy's third parallel or neareft trench, and there fortify himself by fhifting the parapet outwards. This order being clearly understood, the gates were opened, and the Turks rufhed out, but they were not equal to fuch a movement, and were driven back to the town with lofs. Mr. Bray, however, as ufual, protected the town gate efficaciously with grape from the fixty-eight pounders. The fortie had this good effect, that it obliged the enemy to ex. pofe themfelves above their parapets, fo that our flanking fire brought down numbers of them, and drew their force from the breach, fo that the fmall number remaining on the lodgment were killed or difperfed by our few remaining hand grenades thrown by Mr. Savage, Midshipman of the Thefeus. The enemy began a new breach by an inceflant fire directed to the Southward of the lodgment, every fhet knocking down whole fheets of a wall much lefs folid than that of the tower on which they had expended fo much time and ammupition.

The group of Generals and Aïds-du

camp which the hells from the fixtyeight pounders had frequently difperfed, was now affembled on Richard Cour de Lion's Mount. Buonaparte was diftinguishable in the centre of a semicircle; his gefticulations indicated a renewal of attack, and his dispatching an Aid-du-Camp to the camp, fhewed that he waited only for a reinforcement. I gave directions for Haffan Bey's faips to take their station in the fhoal water to the fouthward, and made the Tigre's fignal to weigh, and join the Thefeus to the Northward. A little before funfet, a maffive column appeared advancing to the breach with a folemn step. The Pacha's idea was not to defend the brink this time, but rather to let a certain number of the enemy in, and then clofe with them, according to the Turkish mode of war. The column thus mounted the breach unmolefted, and defcended from the rampart into the Pacha's gar. den, where in a very few minutes the braveft and moft advanced among them lay headless corpfes, the fabre, with the addition of a dagger in the other hand, proving more than a match for the bayonet ; the reft retreated precipitately; and the Commanding Officer, who was feen manfully encouraging his men to mount the breach, and who we have fince learnt to be Gen. Lafne, was carried off, wounded by a mufquet fhot. Gen. Rombaud was killed. Much con fufion arofe in the town from the actual eutry of the enemy, it having been im poffible, nay impolitic, to give previous information to every body of the mode of defence adopted, left the enemy should come to a knowledge of it by means of their numerous emiffaries..

The English uniform, which had hi therto ferved as a rallying point for the old garrifon, wherever it appeared, was now in the dusk mistaken for French, the newly arrived Turks not diftin guishing between one hat and another in the crowd, and thus many a fevere blow of a fibre was parried by our officers, among which Col. Douglas, Mr. Ives and Mr. Jones had nearly loft their lives, as they were forcing their way through a torrent of fugitives. -Calm was restored by the Pacha's exertions, aided by Mr. Trotte, juft arrived with Haffan Bey, and thus the contest of 25 hours ended, both partics being fo fatigued as to be unable to