Thro' streets & fields, o'er ditch & moat, 'Twixt hope and fear, his hands unbound The rope by which 'twas moor'd on; Then push'd his vessel from the ground, And off went Adam Gordon. "Farewell, my bonnie knight," he cried; "Go make a stir and long quest, But Fortune will not leave his side Who thus hath baffled Conquest." Now should the reader wish to know What afterwards befel him, The records of CHRON. DUNST, 18 will show A prisoner he was made, To fortune and to fame he rose, A Knight with belted sword on; Cheer'd by the love of her whose smile He sat him down, afar from town, Beneath his laurels' shade. May every future Mountaineer, LINES J. M. [May, His to compose the agitated breast, To soothe the sorrows of the wounded And watch the Sun's decline That on me let attend ; Content-let ever reign; Nor of my lot complain! For ev'ry ill it will provide, Mankind's best hope and friend. T. N. 18 Chronicon de Dunstaple," being the records of Prior Moryas, edited by Hearne. HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 30. On the question for the House going into a Committee of Supply for the further consideration of the Army Estimates, Mr. Creevey opposed the Speaker leaving the Chair; and, alluding to the report that Government were about to reduce the salaries of subordinate Clerks in Office, proposed a Resolution, pledging the House to reconsider the salaries of the principal Clerks. This Resolution was, however, negatived on a division by 55 to 22; and the House went into a Committee. May 1. On the motion of Mr. Vansittart, the House proceeded to take into consideration the Resolution relating to the Officers' Half-pay. Colonel Davies objected to the Resolution, and proceeded to condemn the present system of halfpay altogether. The number of Officers receiving half-pay at present was 8761, and the expence to the country was 760,000. Now he complained, that as occasion offered, the army was not filled up by Officers from the half-pay, and the halfpay list thus lightened to the country. Lord Palmerston said, the Commander in Chief filled up vacancies from the halfpay list as far as was consistent with the good of the service. To fill up appoint ments from the half-pay only would shut out persons in civil life, the leaving the army open to which, was necessary to connect the interests of the army with the property of the country. Any one who had viewed the transactions of Europe for the last twelve months would see how necessary that was. Mr. Hume went into a calculation to shew that, by filling up vacancies from the half-pay, a saving might be effected of 353,5681. He concluded with moving an amendment, founded on his calculations. General Gascoyne observed, that since 1816, from 250 to 300 officers per annum had voluntarily retired on half-pay, and it was not likely that they would again wish to be put on active service. After some further conversation, the amendment was negatived, and the resolution was agreed to. May 4. On the motion for the House going into a Committee of Supply, to take into consideration the Navy Estimates, Mr. Hutchinson entered into a detailed review of the conduct of Austria and Russia towards Spain and Naples; and moved, as an amendment, that the House should go into a Committee, to inquire into the present state of the country, as connected with events passing on the Continent. The House afterwards went into the Committee of Supply; when a discussion of some length took place on the motion for 71,000l. for the expences of the Board of Admiralty. A deduction of 5,000l., moved by Mr. Bernal, was negatived, on a division, by a majority of 115 to 77. HOUSE OF LORDS, May 7. The Royal Assent was given by Commission to a number of Bills; amongst which were those authorising the resumption of Cash Payments by the Banks of England and Ireland. In the House of Commous, the same day, the remaining Navy Estimates were agreed to in a Committee of Supply. Mr. M. A. Taylor's Bill for regulating Steam-engines went through a Committee, after a division on an amendment proposed by Mr. Buxton, that the Committee should be postponed for six months; the numbers being, for the Committee 83-For the Amendment 29. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 8. Mr. Henry Grey Bennet called the attention of the House to a Breach of Privilege, contained in certain observations in a Sunday Paper, called John Bull, relative to an explanation given by him on Friday last, of what had been represented in the public Prints to have been said by him in the course of debate on a former night relative to the Lord President of the Court of Session, in Scotland. The House voted the publication a gross and scandalous Libel; and the Printer of the Paper was ordered to attend at the Bar of the House the next day. Mr. Lennard afterwards submitted to the House, pursuant to his notice given some nights ago, a motion for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the Acts of the 60th of the late King, relative to Seditious Meetings, Political Libels, &c. Two divisions took place on the motions for the repeal of the Acts relative to Seditious Meetings and Seditious and Blasphemous Publications. The former was negatived on a division by a majority of 89 to 58, and the latter by a majority of 88 to 66. Mr. Scarlett obtained leave, and brought in a Bill, to amend the Poor Laws; and Mr. J. Smith brought in a Bill to explain and amend the Bankrupt Laws. May 456 Proceedings in the present Session of Parliament. May 9. Mr. Weaver, the Printer of the Weekly Paper entitled John Bull, attended at the Bar of the House, and was examined by several Members. After his examination was concluded, Mr. Weaver was ordered to retire from the Bar, but not to leave the precincts of the House.On the motion of Mr. Bennet, four other individuals, connected with the Paper, Mr. Arrowsmith, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Duckworth, and Mr. Shackle, were ordered to attend forthwith. Lord J. Russell brought forward his motion on the subject of Parliamentary Reform. The proposition of the Noble Lord was met by the previous question proposed by Mr. Bathurst. Upon this amendment a division took place; and the numbers were, for the original motion 124, for the previous question 155. May 10. The case of Breach of Privilege, as connected with the John Bull, came under consideration. Messrs. Shackle, Arrowsmith, and Cooper, were examined at the Bar; and a variety of questions were put by different Members to ascertain in whom the Proprietorship and controul of that Publication rested. Mr. Cooper, in his examination, avowed himself the Editor of the Paper, and the author of the paragraph which had proved SO obnoxious to Mr. Beunet and his friends. After this avowal, Mr. Bennet moved, that the Attorney-General be ordered to prosecute Messrs. Shackle, Arrowsmith, Weaver, and Cooper, for a malicious libel, reflecting on the Hon. Hen. Grey Bennet, a Member of the House. This motion was objected to by the Marquis of Londonderry, Sir F. Burdett, Mr. Brougham, Mr. C. Wynn, and others, as unjust, after the House had, by its inquisitorial powers, possessed itself of a great portion of the defendant's case. The Marquis of Londonderry, for the purpose of affording time for the House to give cool, deliberate consideration to the subject, proposed that the debate on the question should be adjourned till next day. This amendment, after some discussion, was adopted, and an order for the attendance of the parties was made out. Lord A. Hamilton then brought forward his motion relative to the representation of Counties in Scotland. But the thin attendance in the House induced the Noble Lord to compress his speech into a very small compass. Several Resolutions were negatived without a division. On one, that had for its object to pledge the House to take the subject into consideration next Session of Parliament, a division took place; when the Resolution was negatived by a majority of 57 to 41. May 11. A warm discussion took place on the course to be adopted on the ques [May, tion of a breach of privilege, committed by the Newspaper called John Bull. Mr. Bennet withdrew his motion for prosecution by the Attorney General. Mr. Baring moved, that Mr. Cooper, the Editor, and Mr. Weaver, the Printer of the Paper in question, should be committed to Newgate. To this motion an amendment was proposed by Lord Nugent; namely, that Mr. Cooper, having acknowledged himself the author of the paragraph, should be called to the bar, and reprimanded by Mr. Speaker. The Marquis of Londonderry, however, suggested, that this was too lenient a course, as the party ought, at least, to be committed to the custody of the Serjeant at Arms. Subsequently, both the Marquis of Londonderry and Lord Nugent withdrew their amendments, and the House decided that Mr. Cooper should be sent to Newgate, by a majority of 109. to 23. A discussion then took place on the subject of the prevarication of the other witnesses. R. T. Weaver was also ordered to be committed to Newgate, on a division of 34 to 27. The House then went into a Committee on the Ordnance Estimates; in which Mr. Ward moved the sum of 43,0701. for paying the salaries of the Master General, Clerks, &c.; when Mr. P. Moore moved an adjournment, which was agreed to. May 14. The Ordnance Estimates were discussed. Mr. Hume moved, as an amendment, that the salaries should be reduced 25 per cent. The Committee divided on this amendment, which was negatived by a majority of 134 to 78. A second division subsequently took place, on a similar motion, on the salaries at the Out Ports; but this was also negatived, on a division, the numbers being-For the amendment 53-Against it 110. The original Resolutions were, of course, adopted. May 15. Sir Francis Burdett rose, pursuant to notice, to call the attention of the House to the transactions at Manchester on the 16th of August, 1819. After the number of Petitions that had been presented, and the statements they contained, he was at a loss to know whether the blame was to be imputed to Ministers, to the Magistrates, to the Yeomanry, or to all together. If the House would do its duty, it would go into an inquiry as to the conduct of an Administration, which, he contended, was stained by the blood of the People. He called upon Ministers, if they wished to stand fair with the country and the world, to graut this inquiry; to let the world know who their spies were; and to tell us at least who was intended by A. B. and C. in the Correspondence respecting the Manchester business. He then moved, that a Committee of the whole House should be appointed, to in quire into the transactions at Manchester on the 16th of August, 1819. Mr. Hob. house simply seconded the motion. Mr. B. Wilbraham defended the conduct of the Manchester Magistrates, and blamed the Hon. Baronet for having suffered this motion to sleep for one whole twelvemonth after he had given notice of his first motion on this subject. After considerable discussion the debate was adjourned. May 16. The adjourned debate on the Manchester business was resumed. Sir R. Wilson, said, it was but natural for the Solicitor General to defend the conduct of Ministers and the Manchester Magistrates, at the expence of the People; but he did not think that the Learned Gentleman had done enough to prove to the House that the People were in the wrong, and that Government and the Magistrates were in the right. The debate Occupied the House till two o'clock in the morning; when the Motion was nega tived on a division; the numbers being, Ayes 111, Noes, 285-Majority 124. May 17. Previous to Sir James Mackintosh bringing forward his motion for the second reading of his three Bills on the subject of capital punishment for forgery, &c. a number of Petitions were presented from all parts of the country by different Members on this important subject, all strongly urging an amelioration of our Criminal Code generally, and particularly urging the abolition, as far as possible, of capital punishments-as operating rather to familiarize the mind of the offender with death, than to deter him from the commission of crime.-On account of the thinness of the House, the Bills were read a second time sub silentio, and the debate FOREIGN FRANCE. on them agreed to be postponed to a future stage. May 18. The question respecting the Newington Select Vestry Bill came before the House. The parties, however, appeared to have cooled since the last discussion on this subject; and they now readily adopted the advice of a mediator, who appeared in the person of Mr. Bankes. That Hon. Member suggested the propriety of withdrawing the motion for discharging the present Committee, and adopting in its stead a motion for the revival of the Committee. Mr. H. Sumner agreed to accede to this proposition, if his Hon. Colleague, Mr. Denison, and his friends, would pledge themselves to suspend the wordy warfare which has, up to this period, existed in the Committee, and go at once to the merits of the Bill. Mr. Denison assured his Hon. Colleague that himself and his friends had no other object but to go at once to the merits of the Bill. With this understanding the motion for reviving the Committee was agreed to. Upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer moving that the House should resolve itself into a Committee of Supply, an amendment was moved by Mr. Chetwynd, that it be an instruction to the Committee to enforce the most rigid economy consistent with the public service, The amendment was opposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as unnecessary, and was negatived, upon a division, by a majority of 65 to 40. The House afterwards went into a Committee of Supply, and some other items of the Ordnance Estimates were discussed; two divisions took place on motions for reduction one proposed by Mr. Hume, the other by Mr. Gipps, both of which were negatived by considerable majorities. OCCURRENCES. The Queen's Courier was lately stopped at Lyons, on his way to Rome, and had all his despatches seized by the French Police; his person was searched, and his letters taken from him; a seal was put upon his bag, which was sent to Paris. The Courier was desirous of carrying the dispatches to Paris, but was prevented; he returned to England, and arrived at Brandenburgh House, on Saturday night. Lord Hood wrote immediately to Lord Castlereagh, who replied, that an instant communication should be made to the British Ambassador at Paris. Her Majesty has sent a person to Paris with the Courier, with instructions that every letter should be opened. ITALY, SARDINIA, &c. In Naples and Piedmont all continues perfectly tranquil; but several of the GENT. MAG. May, 1821. promoters of the late revolts have been arrested in both countries. The leaders of the Carbonari appear to have taken up their residence for the present in Switzerland. Accounts relating to Naples state that the Austrian Army of occupation is to be reduced to 12,000 men, who will be distributed among the fortresses. Two flying columns of Austrians had been scouring the country of the bands of brigands who infested it. One De Negris, who had been appointed Captain of Legionaries, had assembled some fugitives at San Bartholomeo, in the Capitinate, and there hoisted the standard of the Carbonari; but at the approach of the Austrians this band dispersed. Two of them were made prisoners, and imdiately delivered over to the Military Commission. Measures Abstract of Foreign Occurrences. Measures of severity continue to be pursued in Piedmont. General Gifflenga, who accompanied Prince Carignano to Novara, and had at first only received orders to retire to his estates, has been arrested. There was found in the carriage of St. Marsan and Levi (who were taken, after the affair at Novara, with 10,000 francs and some papers) a corre spondence between Gifflenga and St. Marsan, the son, which compromises the former deeply. Some of the parties arrested, and, among others, Colonel Palma, are said to have gone mad. The latest French papers state, that the Sardinian Minister presented to Louis XVIII. a letter from Charles Felix, King of Sardinia, announcing his accession to the throne. The Prince of Cisterna, and other members of the Piedmontese Junta, have been compelled to quit the territory of Geneva, Col. Palma, who figured so conspicuously at Alexandria, has been arrested at Monaco. A ship, having on board Count de St. Marson (the son) and Santa Rosa, bound to Spain, put into Antibes. They were not permitted to leave the town, and a courier was dispatched to Paris, for authority to send them away. SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. The report of the flight of Ferdinand VII. from Madrid, in consequence of Outrages offered to himself and the rest of the Royal Family by the populace, is contradicted. It is asserted, however, on the authority of a traveller arrived at Bayonne, that after the assassination of Vinuessa, the mob proceeded to the King's palace, and sent forth the most horrible vociferations against his MaJesty, and his brother Don Carlos; but the Authorities, with the aid of the troops and the militia, succeeded in reestablishing order. The Cortes, it is said, repaired in a body to the palace, for the protection of the Royal Family. The Empecinado has dispersed Merino's band, and made the greatest part of them prisoners. Merino himself eseaped, with 19 horse. All the Monks and Canons of Burgos have been arrested; and Military Commissions have been formed at Salvatierra and at Vittoria to try the Chiefs of the insurrection at Alava. In private letters from Lisbon, it is stated that the determination of the King to return to Europe was communicated to the Portuguese nation in an official note from Sylvestra Pinhera, the new Minister for Foreign Affairs at Rio Janeiro, addressed to the Governors of the kingdom of Portugal, in which he states, that his Majesty has for some [May, months contemplated such a plan, which would have been carried into execution sooner, but for the confinement of his august consort. It is affirmed that the Liffey, British frigate, which sailed from the Tagus last month, proceeded to the Brazils, for the purpose of affording protection to the Royal Family on their voyage to Portugal. Much activity prevailed at Lisbon on the 3d, 4th, and 5th of this month, to expedite the departure of arms and troops for Bahia, for the purpose of assisting the revolutionists. The accounts vary as to the number of troops who were to sail. Some of them mention that they would amount to 5000 men; others, that the force would be much more considerable. The Saxon Government has established a very rigorous censorship of all works printed in that kingdom. Letters from Prussia again hold forth an expectation, that the long-promised Representative Constitution will speedily be introduced. It will, it is said, be first submitted to a Commission composed of persons among all classes of society. A strong opposition is expected from the Nobility in what relates to the abolition of feudal rights. The reports of the intended resignation of Prince Hardenberg are declared to be unfounded. A letter of the 31st of March from Constantinople says, "The Government, by the command of the Grand Seignior, are inflicting the most rigorous and summary punishment upon all the Greeks who have any connection with the insurgents in Wallachia and Moldavia. The individuals on whom this vengeance has already been exercised are three Bishops, one of whom, the Bishop of Ephesus, expired on the rack, obstinately refusing to make any confession. From the expiring agonies of the other two, some very important secrets have been elicited, which will throw considerable light upon the proceedings of the traitors. Two individuals of slight importance, acknowledged spies, have this morning been strangled." Advices from Constantinople to the 11th of April, state that great alarm existed among a part of the population in consequence of the circulation of a Manifesto by Ypsilanti, asserting that the forces of a neighbouring power, to the amount of 80,000 men, had been placed at his disposal. As popular credulity was wrought upon by this statement, the Baron De Strogonoff thought proper |