rica in neutral bottoms, and several others. The Coal and Fishery Committee had leave to fit, notwithstanding any adjournment of the Houfe. Mr. Foddrell, after fome prefatory remarks, moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend and explain the Vagrant Act. The Bill was prefented, read a firft time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Thursday fe'nnight. Mr Jones gave notice, that at an early period after the adjournment, he fhould fubmit a Motion refpecting a Parliamentary Reform.. Mr Pitt, after fhortly expatiating on the abufes in the returns and confequent collection of the Income Act, obtained leave to bring in a Bill to remedy the fame it was intituled "A Bill to explain, amend, and render more effectual two Acts of the 38th and 39th of George III. for granting to his Majefty certain Duties upon Income;" which, being read a first time, he moved that it fhould be printed for the convenience of Members, and lie on the table till a day fhould be appointed for a fecond reading.-Ordered. 17. Mr Rofe moved, that the Order of the Day for the fecond reading of the Income Bill, which stood for to-morrow, fhould be discharged, and that the fame be poftponed to Friday fe'nnight, in order that opportunity might be afforded to confider feveral objections made thereto, and to adopt alterations or additions accordingly. Mr Tierney with fome warmth rofe, and defired to know through what quarter thofe objections had been started.--He knew of no quarter but that of the Houfe of Commons, from which objęctions could legally or honeftly be fubmitted. It abounded with many objections, not only the Bill then in queftion, but the whole mealure; and for that reafon he took the opportunity now of giving notice, that on Thurfday next he would move the Houfe for a repeal of it altogether. Mr Rofe differed with the Hon. Gentleman, and was of opinion, that without any degradation of parliamentary dignity, objections might very fairly be made and heard, and alterations adopted accordingly, when grounds for fuch alterations were fubmitted. Mr Tierney contended that the Bill in its prefent fhape was unprecedented, as : inftead of amending an old law, it was forming a new one, which, if that had been fairly ftated, the Houfe would not have had the difgrace of being duped into the adoption of an act which reflected reproach on them. This Bill took the tenth of every man's income, together with the addition of the affeffed taxes, which were particularly exempted. from that of last year. This therefors was a new tax, and confequently a trick played on the condefcending temper of the House. The Speaker obferved, that if the Bill were as the laft Hon. Member described, it certainly was invalidated by feveral ftanding orders of the House, and could not proceed a step further; therefore he fubmitted to Gentlemen the propriety of turning that circumftance in their minds in the interim between this and Friday fe'nnight, to which day he fuggefted the propriety of poftponing further difcuffion. The Solicitor General entered into a long difcuffion on the principle and propriety of the Bill, and the hafty manner in which Gentlemen were then prematurely reflecting on it. He fpoke to the propriety of reading it a fecond time on Friday. The Speaker then put the queftion, that the Bill be read a fecond time on Friday next, which Mr Gray and Mr Sheridan both oppofed, and the House divided---for the motion, 85; against it, 20.---Majority for the fecond reading next Friday, 65. The House then went into a Committee on the Exchequer Bills Bill. 18. The Speaker rofe in his place, and fignified to the Houfe, that having applied his best attention to the Bill for amending the Income Act, and having applied himfelf more especially to the fubject which laft night occupied the confideration of the Houfe, he felt it his duty to ftate, that it is a Bill, which by the introduction of fome claufes therein, that ought previously to have been voted in a Committee of the whole House, is fo vitiated, that it must be withdrawn. He then obferved, that the form now to be pursued fhould be, if the Houfe agreed with him on the propriety of withdrawing it, to fignify the caufe thereof, for the reafons before stated. Mr Long faid, that in conformity with the advice and opinion of the Chair, he would move to have the Order for read ing the Bill a fecond time on Friday next discharged; which being moved accordingly and agreed to, he then asked permiffion of the House to withdraw it, aligning on record the reafons ftated from the Chair; and leave being given, it was withdrawn accordingly. Mr Long faid, that in the abfence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer it was committed to him to ftate, that the Right Hon. Gentleman he had juft mentioned intended on Friday next to move, that the Houfe fhould refolve itself into a Committee of the whole Houfe to take into confideration the laws relating to the Duty on Income, for the purpose of framing, on the Report of the faid Committee, fuch a Bill as may beft meet the intent of rendering more effectual the faid laws. Mr Tierney, in adverting to the notice of Mr Pitt's intended motion on Friday next, and in confequence of the absence of several Gentlemen attending the Seflions through the country, faid he fhould poftpone the motion which he proposed for Thursday, until Thursday Te'nnight, which, after an obfervation from the Master of the Rolls, was put down for that day. The Order of the Day for taking into confideration the Report of the Bill for preventing Bull-baiting, being read, The Secretary at War oppofed it, and moved, "That inftead of now, the Report be taken into confideration this day fix months," when the Houfe divided---for the Bill, 41; against it, 43. It was therefore loft by a majority of 2. 21. The Order of the Day being read for confidering the King's Meffage on the Union, Mr Pitt moved, that the refolutions of the Houses of Parliament of both kingdoms be referred to a Committee; and the House having refolved itself into a Committée, Mr Pitt rofe and faid, as the fentiments of this and the other Houfe of Parliament already expreffed their fenfe of the adoption of the measure on its general principle, it was now his duty to lay before the House, without further recapitulation, and within one comprehenfive fcope, the complete views of the Governments of both countries, which, in compliance with his Majefty's moft gracious Meffage, had been confidered as fit to fubmit to Parliament, and here consented to already.. The Right Hon. Gentleman then pro ceeded to ftate the feveral refolutions, which were fimilar to thofe that were moved by Lord Grenville in the Houle of Lords. Mr Grey rofe and faid, that without venturing into the tedious confideration of the detail of the fubject then before the House, he had no hesitation at once in declaring that he abhorred even its principle, and fhould oppofe it accordingly. He would affure the Houfe that a Union was held in deteftation by the almoft unanimous opinion of the people. of Ireland. The landed interest was againft it, and the whole trading part of the community. Of the 300 Irilh members, 120 were decidedly hoftile to it; of the 162 that voted for it, he knew that 116 were placemen or English Generals in command there, who had not a foot of land in the country. He fhould therefore move for fufpending all further proceedings till the people of Ireland are fatisfied. Mr Dundas entered into a very long argument in favour of the measure; afferting that Scotland was benefited by the Union, and ufing a variety of arguments to that effect. Mr Tierney, against the measure, and in fupport of Mr Grey's motion, took a comprehenfive view of the fubject, and concluded with faying, that, confidering it in whatever way he might, he deemed it equally difgraceful to Ireland, and detrimental to this country. The House then divided on Mr Grey's motion---for it, 30; against it, 236;— Majority, 206. The further confideration of the Report was ordered for to-morrow. 22. Mr Pitt moved for the House to refolve itself into a Committee, further to confider the Union. The House being in a Committee, he then faid, that he would poftpone till Thurfday the confideration of thofe Articles that relate to the admiffion of the 100 Members into that House, and thofe relative to the Church and to Commerce, confining himself fimply to the feventh Article, as it adverted to the contribution Ireland fhould hereafter pay, which he did by merely moving that Refolution of the Irish Parliament, which, after fome debate, was agreed to, and the further difcuffion on the Union ordered for Thursday next. 23. Sir Charles Bunbury moved, that the the proper officers do lay before the Houfe accounts of the number of perfons confimed for civil debts in the various prifons within the Bills of Mortality. The motion was feconded. by Mr Buxton, and immediately granted, and the requifite orders iffued forthwith accordingly. [This is understood to be preparatory to an Insolvent Act, in cor fequence of the very crowded state or the goals of the metropolis with diftreffed debtors.]. The Bill for authorizing the iffue of Exchequer Bills was read a third time, paffed, and ordered to the Lords. Adjourned. THE MONTHLY REGISTER Interesting Intelligence from the London Gazettes. Copy of a Letter from Admiral Kingsmill to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated at Cork March 10th. SIR, BE SIR, I have the honour to be, &c. kept up a confiderable time, in the hope of escaping by difabling our mafts, fails, and rigging, an act of temerity to be regretted, as it occafioned a lofs to his Majefty's fhip of one feaman killed and five wounded, two of them mortally, and fince dead; and to the enemy a loís of 18 killed and 25 wounded, most of which have loft limbs. The Heureux is the moft complete flush deck fhip I have ever feen, coppered, copper faftened, highly finished, and of large dimenfions; viz. 128 feet long, 32 and a half broad, and admeafures near 600 tons. ing are very extraordinary: fhe will be I have the honour to be, &c. Extract of a Letter from the Hon. Courte- I have to acquaint you, that on the 5th inft. in lat. so deg. 2 min. N. long. 14 deg. 43 min. W. his Majefty's fhip under my command captured the French fhip privateer Heureux, of Bourdeaux, On the 20th ult. I retook the Elimounting 22 brass twelve-pounders, and zabeth Jane, of London, from the Bamanned with 220 men. She bore down hamas, with twenty-five Frenchmen on to us at eight in the morning, her Com-board her; that veffel parted with me mander taking the Phoebe for an Eaft on the 24th, and I have not fince heard Indiaman, and not difcovering his error of her; on the evening of that day, in until within point blank mufket fhot, lat. 45 deg. 45 min. N. 10 deg. 29 min. when she wore on our weather-bow, and W. I captured the Spanish brig privahauled to the wind on the fame tack as teer El Batardo, of 14 guns, and 87 men, the Phoebe. In this fituation fhe began out of St Andero eight days, on a cruize a fpirited, well-directed fire, which was of three months; had made no captures. It then blowing a hard gale of wind, and a very heavy fea running, I thought it impoffible to take poffeffion of her, but by the zealous and well-managed conduct of Mr Jofeph Blyth, my Second Lieutenant, with the Gunner, and seven other Volunteers, she was boarded; the boat, in the attempt to exchange prifoners, funk, when, from the few perfons on board with Mr Blyth, and the darknefs of the night, the 'Spaniards twice attempted to retake her, but were fruf trated. Admiralty-Office, March 27. Major Douglas, late Commander of the party of Marines ferving on board his Majefty's fhip the Tigre, arrived this morning with dispatches from Sir Sydney Smith, Knight, Captain of that hip, and fenior Officer of the fquadron employed on the coaft of Egypt, containing an account of the capture of the fort of El Arish, by an advanced body of the army of the Grand Vizir, affifted by a detachment of Marines from his Majefty's fhips under the orders of the Major. By this account it appears, that the Grand Vizir moved from Gaza to El Arish on the 20th December laft, and that the French Commandant having refufed to capitulate, the fort was reconnoitred by Major Douglas, accompanie ed by Lieut. Col. Bromley and Capt. Winter: that batteries were erected on the 24th, and the following days, the fire of which was attended with complete fuccefs; and that on the 29th in the morning, the enemy having cealed firing, Major Douglas afcended the wall of the fort, by means of a rope which was let down for him, and received the fword of the French Commandant; but that it having been found impoffible in the first moments to reftrain the impetuofity of the Turkish troops, 300 of the French garrifon were put to the fword, the remainder were, however, by his exertions, and those of the Turk ith Commanding Officer, placed in fecurity, and the fick and wounded taken care of. The Major acknowledges himfelf highly indebted to the affiftance of Lieut. Col. Bromley, and commends the good conduct of Captains Winter and Trotté, and the gallant behaviour of Mr Thos. Smith, Midshipman, belonging to the Tigre, and reprefents that the chearful manner in which the whole detachment Ed. Mag. June 1800. MY LORD, I lament to have to inform your Lordfhip of the melancholy death of Patrona Bey the Turkish Vice-Admiral, who was affaffinated at Cyprus in a mutiny of the Janiffaries on the 18th of Octo ber; the command devolved on Seid Ali Bey, who had just joined me with the troops from Conftantinople, compofing the fecond Maritime Expedition deftined for the recovery of Egypt. As foon as our joint exertions had restored order, we proceeded to the Mouth of the Damietta branch of the Nile to make an attack thereon, as combined with the Supreme Vizir, in order to draw the attention of the enemy that way, and leave his highness more at li berty to advance with the grand army on the fide of the Defart. The attack began by the Tigre's boats taking poffeffion of a ruined Caftle fituated on the eastern side of the Bogaz, or entrance of the Channel, which the inundation of the Nile had infulated from the main land, leaving fordable paffage. The Turkish flag difplayed on the Tower of this Castle was at once the fignal for the Turkish gun-boats to advance, and for the enemy to open their fire in or der to diflodge us; their nearest poft being a redoubt on the main land, with two thirty-two pounders, and an eightpounder field-piece mounted thereon, a point blank thot diftance. The fire was returned from the Launch's carronade, mounted in a breach in the Caftle, and from field-pieces in the fall boats, which foon obliged the 30 enemy enemy to difcontinue working at an intrenchment they were making to oppose a landing. Lieutenant Stokes was detached with the boats to check a body of cavalry advancing along the neck of land, in which he fucceeded; but I am forry to fay with the lofs of one man killed and one wounded. This interchange of fhot continued with little intermiffion during the 29th, 30th, and 31ft, while the Turkish transports were drawing nearer to the landing place, our fhells from the carronade annoying the enemy in his works and communications; at length the magazine blowing up, and one of their thirty-two pounders being filenced, a favourable moment offered for disembarkation. Qrders were given accordingly; but it was not till the morning of the 1ft November that they could effectuate this operation. This delay gave time for the enemy to collect a force more than double that of the firft divifion landed, and to be ready to attack it before the return of the boats with the remainder. The French advanced to the charge with bayonets. The Turks completely exculpated themfelves from the fufpicion of cowardice having been the cause of their delay; for when the enemy were within ten yards of them, they rufhed on, fabre in hand, and in an inftant completely routed the first line of the French infantry. The day was ours for the moment; but the impetuofity of Ofinan Aga and his troops occafioned them to quit the ftation affigned them as a corps of referve, and to run forward in purfuit of the fugitives; European tactics were of courfe advantageously employed by the French at this critical juncture. Their body of referve came on in perfect order, while a charge of cavalry on the left of the Turks put them completely to the route in their turn. Our flanking fire from the caftle and boats, which had hitherto been plied with evident effect, was now neceffarily fufpended by the impoffibility of pointing clear of the Turks in the confufion. The latter turned a random fire on the boats, to make them take them off, and the fea was in an inftant covered with turbands, while the air was filled with piteous moans, calling to us for affiftance; it was (as at Aboukir) a duty of fome difficulty to afford it them, without being victims to their impa tience, or overwhelmed with numbers: we, however, perfevered and faved all, except thofe which the French took prifoners by wading into the water after them; neither did the enemy interrupt us much in fo doing. Major Douglas and Lieut. Stokes, who were with me on this fervice, gave additional proofs of their zeal, ability, and bravery, and the boats' crews, as ufual, behaved admirably. The lofs in killed on our fide cannot be afcertained. The French Generai in his offer to exchange prifoners on the general account, allures me he has eleven hundred. As to the enemy's lofs, we have no means of eftimating it, but it must have been fufficient to convince them that fuch victories as thefe againft troops, which though irregular, will fight hand to hand with them, muit coft them dear in the end. I have the honour to be, &c. W. S. Smith. Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Keith, K. B. Vice Admiral of the Red, and Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Veffels in the Mediterranean, to Evan Nepean Efq. dated on board the Queen Charlotte, off Valette, 20th Feb. SIR, My letter of the 15th acquainted you, for the information of their Lordfhips, that I had received intelligence of the reported approach of an enemy's fquadron towards this ifland; and although I had confiderable difficulty in perfuading myfelf that they would hazard the attempt in the face of fo fuperior a force; I nevertheless confidered it incumbent upon me to take the neceffary precautions of reconnoitring the quarter in which they were to be expected, and at the fame time guarding most particularly the entrance of the harbour of Valette, as the only point in which they could fecure themfelves, and debark their troops and ftores.-The wind being ftrong from the S. E. and accomparied with rain, I could only communicate by fignal; I accordingly denoted the bearing and the reputed force of the enemy, and directed the Foudroyant, Audacious, and Northumberland to chafe to windward, and the Lion to look out off the paffage between Gaza and Malta, while the Queen Charlotte was kept as clofe in with the mouth of the har bour |