—n , . From tie London Gazette. Aom.kalty Office, February 3. A later from Rear-Admiral Bligh, late Cip. iin of his Majesty's (hip the Alexander, to Mr. Stephens, (a L>>pv oi which is as follows J .va» it ttivvd at ill.* (iifiee the 30U1 oi lafl mo nrti: 0-i hoard the M•> a!, a! Ertjl, November* 23 1 Sir, THE arrival of t*ne Canada must long lirice have infoinied thcii Lord flt'jjs of my mi-fortune, in 11»fiL«his M jcily's Ihip Alexander, iatc u.idcr inv command, having been taken by a fqua'ron of French (hips of war, con fiding of five of 74 guns, three large frigates, and an armed brig, command ed !>y Rear-Admiral Neilly : fartlter paiicufars and details 1 herewith tranf ini'' you for their Lord (hips informati on. We discovered this squadron on our weath.-r bow, about half pad two o'clock, or near three, in the morning on the 6th tn!l. being then in latitude 48 deg. 25 min. N. 7 deg. 53 min. W. the wind then at well, "and we fleer ing north-cad ; on which I immedi ately hauled our wind, with the lar b :>ard tacks on board, and without lig nai, the Canada being close to us. We puffed the Itrange (hips a little before four o'clock, the neared of whom at about half a mile didant, but could not diicover what they were. Shortly as ter we bore more up, let the reefs out of-the topsails, and set flee ring-fails. About five o'clock perceiving, by my glass, the strange (hips (land as ter us, we crouded all the fail we could po.Tibly set, as did the Canada, and battled more to tlit ealtwfard. About day break the Canada pa (Ted us and (leering more to the northward than we did, brought her 011 her larboaid bow. Two flups of the line and two frigates pursued her; and three of the line and one frigate chafed the Alexander. A bout half pad seven o'clock the French ships hoiited English colours. About a quarter pad eight o'clock we hoided , our colours ; upon which the French ! (hips hauled down the English, and j hoiiled theirs ; and drawing up within • gun (hot, we began firing our dern- j chaces at them, and received their bow chaces. About nine o'clock, or short ly after, obleiving the (hips in pursuit ' of the Canada, drawing with her, and fii ing at each other their bow and dern- I chaces, 1 made the Canada's signal to . foim a head for our mutual support, , being determined to dtfend the (hips 1 tQ the lad extremity ; which signal (he ' inl'iantly answered, and endeavoured to ! put .it in execution by deering towards | »is ; but the (hips in chafe of her, fer ing j her intentions, hauled more to (larboard to cut lier off, and which obliged her , to deer the course (he had done before. | We continued firing our dern chaces at the (hips pursuing us till near eleven o'clock, vvien three (hips of the line came up, and brought us to close ac tion, which we sustained for upwards of two hours, when the (hip was a complete wreck ; the main yard, Ipank er-boom, a:.d three top-gallant yards {hot away ; all tiie lower mads (hot through in many places, and cxpe£led every minute to go over the fide ; all the other mads and yards were also wounded, more orlefs; nearly the whole of the (tending and running rigging cut to pieces, the fails torn into rib bands, and her hull much (battered, and making a great deal of water, and with difficulty (he floated into Brett. At this time the (hips that had chaced the Canada hadVjuitted her, and were com ing fad up to tts, the ftiot of one of them at the time palFfing over us. Thus ftuated, and cut off from all resources, I judged it advifeablc -to oonfult my (ITicers, and accordingly afiembled them -Jl on the quarter-deck; when, upon surveying and examining the state' of tiie Ihip, (engaged as I have already described) tliey deemed any farther*re fillnnce would be ineffectual, as every pcffible exertion had already been uTed in v 11 it to save her, and therefore they •were unanimously of opinion, that to fefign hq' would be the means of fay ing the lives of a number of brave men. Then, and not till then, (painful to re late) I ordered the calotfrs to Le struck ; n menfure which, on a full invettigatiou, I (tope and trust their Lordships will not disapprove. Hitherto I have not lu'en able to colieft an exa£l lid of the kMled and wounded, as many of the former were thrown overboard during the aAioii, and, when taken possession of, t'ie people were divided and sent on board different (hips, but I do not be lieve tbev exceed forty or thereabout. No officer above the rank of boatfwaiti's riate, was killed. Lieutenant Fitzger ald, of the Marines, Meffvs, Burns, s oitUvair., and M'Curdy, pilot, were w;ni!K?fd, blit in a fair way of doing •ell. The cool, steady and galfcmt behaviour of, al m} officers ana (hip's company, mar in s a: well as Teamen, throughout the whole ac tion, merits the highest applauses; and I fhoiild feel myfelf deficient in my duty, is well win what I owe to those brave men, were Ito omit requeftirg you will be pleaftd tt recfcTvjmefid them in the manner to thdr Loidfhips' favour and prote&ion ; particularly lieutenants Godencb, Epworth, Carter, Weft ~nd Daracott; Major Tench, Lieutenants Ficzgcrald and Brown of the ma rines ; Mr. Rbhinfon the m after, together with the warrant and petty officers, whose Wvcry and good condu<sbl ftiall ever hold in the higheHiefliination. I have hitherto been treated with great kindness and humanity, av.d have not a doubt but that I fliall meet with the fame treatment during my captivi ty I am, with great r. fpe&, Your mod obedient, and Moll humble servant, R. R. BLIGH. LONDON, January 18. At Giave tlie. French emigrants vrete given up by the 14th article of the-capitulation. The constant facri sice of thcfe unfortunate men during the present war, is ail indelible blot on the reputation of the Allies. A swarm of French privateers are cruizing off the Texel, and take a great number of prizes ; since the 9th of last month those privateers have earried in to Dunkirk 20 Dutch and 16 Engli(li prizes. Tiie lated letters from Waifaw are of the mod melancholy description. Mod of the illudrious Polish Patriots have been suddenly seized b.y different detachments of Cossacks, and sent as date priioners to St. Peterfburgh. Madalinfki has laid down his arms, and obtained permission to return to Warsaw. The Empress of RulTia has writte*' a letter to the king ot Poland, inviting him to quit that capital, and go to Grodno, as a place of more security. The King declared, that, though the rigor of the season, and the bad date of health, were contrary to fucli a journey, yet he would obey the requed of the hmprefs. It is, alas! but too 1 true, that tin? life of that excellent Mo narch ptomifes but diort duration.— The wretched (late in which his coun try is involved, has nearly affected him, ! and will probably accelerate his death. 1 The l'torrors and cruelties exercised by the Ruffian butchers upon the un fortunate Poles, are beyond description; they have not onlv raised heavy contri butions eveiy where, but even gather the revenue, and ever since the reduc- : tion of Warsaw not a single sous of the public money has been applied to the exigencies of the State or the King. Famine and want prevail eveiy where ; and so exhaufled is that devoted coun try, that even the Ruffian plunderers, unless they receive speedy supplies, will be compelled by hunger and wa.it to quit Warsaw and other didriilsof Po- 1 land. On the 26th tilt, a very serious infur redlion took place in the City of Augf bourg, which has-been quelled by some Audrian regiments. Letters, from Genoa mention, that the French Commissioners buy up all the provilions they can in that part of Italy, and pay the mod exorbitant prices for them. Orders are said to have been issued to press every seaman for the fcrvice of the navv, from Deal to the Land's end, whatever may be the lledination of the merchantmen in which he (hall be found. In pursuance of the sentence of a Court Martial held on board his Ma jedy's ship Stately, the Honourable Admiral Cornwallis President, the fol lowing men were executed on Tueldny lad, 011 board the Culloden, for being the principal,-, concerned in the mutiny on board that (hip, viz. Francis Watts, Cornelius Sullivan, Jeremiah Curtain, John Johnson and Joseph Collins ; three hung on the darboaid, and two on the larboard foreyard arm; all the Chap lains of the fleet had orders to attend them : they behaved very penitent, and admitted the jitft ess of their sentence; exhorting all the fliip's company to take warning by their U ihappy end, and never more to be concerned in mu tiny or dilobedience to their (uperior officers. They were turned off about a quarter before twelve, and hung till near one. David Hyman, Samuel T*igge, and James Morrifh, who were condemned with the others, received hi* Majedy's pardon, and weT* put on board three different (hips. Weduefday afternoon an Americau brig called the Betsey, Capt. Fletcher, arrived at Portsmouth from Havre-de- Grace ; which place (he left on the 1 Ith ind. On coming afhoreat Portsmouth, Capt. Iletcher dircflly waited upon Sir Peter Parker, the Port-Admiril, and gave him the following informati on : that the French fleet returned to Bred about ten days ago, awd that the FevoJutionaire, of l 10 guns, in going in, (truck on a rock, and is totally lolt: 'He ciew were all favcd. He also dates, that within these few days two large frigates were launched at Havre, and that there are more in gre3t forivardnels. Capt. Fletcher frt off immediately for London, with upwards of 20,0001. in specie. The late Bankruptcies among the j 'oKfh Jews have operated the tai ure of I'he inibfi.rluivcs of the former, who le nuioeious and opulent, arose from he nnhapny dillrartions of Poland, nit end of attending the fair of Leipllg, hey transmitted a formal intimation to heir creditors, that they were unable o pay their debts, till the lapse of ten rears. By these bankruptcies, it is >elieved, that foms of the Dutch and 3ritilli merchants have collattrally fuf ered considerable loflts. The French General Jourdan, is said ohave been a Haberdalher ; but, what ever he was, it is certain that he is now a man of business. As this fchemt succeeds so well with them, suppose wt should try the experiment of putting our Man-milleßers, Haberdashers o Small Wares-, and Man-mercers, into t (h>?e of requisition, just to fee wha they would do in the army. At home they are totally useless, and a phange of place might pofiibly produce a change of manners. Considering the exorbitant price of bread, of vegetables, and animal food of all descriptions,—a Proclamation for a fact was fcarcaly necefiary. Many orders of his Majeily's liege fubje&s will- be under the necefiity of fading upon compulsion. It is a fa<2 very well authenticated, that in the conference which the Dutch commiUion ers, Messrs. Brantiizen and Repelaer, held at Bois-le-Duc with General Pichegru, the latter ad+ifed them by all means to continue their journey to Paris, and said, " that from that moment he confidcred the negociations of peace to be opened." In consequence of this expreflion, alltheDuch troops which occu pied Bommel and tfce right basks of thd Waal, were ordered to confine themselves to defenfive measures, as it was supposed the French would follow the fame line of con* du&; and this they might have done, if the extreme rigor of the season had not furnifhed the French General an easy means of eroding the Waal on the ice, and of accomplilhing the reduction and conquest of the rich Pro vince of Holland. This perfidious conduit places,in the fulleft light, the principles that guide the policy of the Convention. So long as it seemed impos sible to remove the obstacles which obstruc ted their troops from penetrating into that province, they profeffed an earneit desire of entering into negociations of peace with the States General ; but these obfta. les were no sooner removed, thau, notwith(landing these negociations, they forced their way, sword in hand, into the very heart of that country, which, relying on their boasted principles of moderation and justice, had deputed commis sioners for the conclusion of peace. All the conclusions, therefore, which certain people would draw from the present tnodcrantifm of the Convention, in favour of pacificatory measures, are evidently illusive, since that moderation is nothing but a mask to hide their ambitious projeits, and facilitate their execution, by imposing upon the weak and unguarded. NATIONAL CONVENTION. Sitting of Dec emit r 28. Duhem.—YOU have given proofs that the whole Convention will a repub lic (laughtei—murmurs.) It can there fore never be your intention to second the toolifh hopes of ariftociacy and roy alifm, which are impudently reiring their crests at our very doors, and would re-ettablifh the conllitution of 1791. ( The whole A (Terribly rose, crying out Vine la Republique If The above introductory observations led Duhem again to denounce a publi cation, entitled, " The French Spec tator during the Revolutionary Govern ment," by La Croix, ancient profeffor at the Lyceum. He read the following pafftge from the 23d Le&ure : " What may be the true wifli of the French nation remains flill doubtful to me. lam not yet certain, that the people of France do really feel that love for the Republic which results from a careful eomparifon of the present go vernment with that you have delivered them from. The number of individuals, who like machines, follow every impulse they receive, and adopt or seem to a dopt, every opinion suggested by others, is so very great, that I do neither rely on external demonllrations, nor on ac clamations, produced either by feai or deli re of imitation." (The whole Assembly arose again, and exclaimed Vive la RepvbKquc / un der the loudest ftiouts of applause.) The author then endeavors to prove, that the clubs, fe&ions, and the popu lar assemblies are divided by different opinions ; that their members do not constitute the tenth part of the nation ; that the sentiments proclaimed to-day, are difa vowed to-morrow ; that it is im pofiible to take the sense of the prima ry assemblies, because agitators and a nsrchifts wnuld soon direct the elections, intimidate the citizens, and force them to eledt enemies of public order «nj re pose.. In his opinion, it would be ne cefiary to exclude from those elections all those who could neither read nor write well; who had not been establish ed at lead a twelvemonth in the place where they give their vote, nor paid their contributions and taxes. The au thor afterwards continues in the follow- in manner.: " The Convention ought to fend in- I to every Department a Reprefcntative of the People, charged with enquiring into tlw true sentiments of'the nation, and aflifted by the national agents, who should visit the different communes and invite all the inhabitants of the age of twenty-one and above, to produce their receipts of contribution, and to have their names, places of abode, trade and profeflion regiflered in a book, des tined for that purpose. This done, they (hould be requested to sign a bulletin, at the head ef which should be printed the following words: Liberty of Opini ons, Protection of Property, unci Public Welfare ; and the fpaee under them be divided into different columns, bearing the inferiptions Republican Conflitution of 1793 ; Conflitution of 1791 /idhe- Jton to an honourable peace, if it should be propefed by the Belligerent powers. In each of these columns the citi7.ens in a separate room should inferibe Yes, or No; fold uf> the bulletin thus signed, and put it in a separate box, on which the national agent should put the nati onal seal, and all these boxes Ihould be carried to the chief place of the fedlion, there to be opened in the presence of the commissioners ; all the different bulle tins taken out, and coHe&ed in an lirn, to be sent to the Convention. By this Assembly forty commissioners should be chosen from among its members, to scru tinize the votes, and verify their result." The author adds, " A great number of people are still of opinion, that the Constitution of 1791 better suited the national character than that of 1793; and that the former, instead of being an | nihilated, should have been modified." [•(The moll violent expveflions of difgult and indignation burst from every part of the hall. Several voices demanded the arrc'l of the author.) Laignclot announced, that the Com mittee of General Safety had already oidered the writer to be taken into cus tody, the bookseller BuifTon, to be put in a state of arrefl, and all the copies of the work to be seized, and that the said committee intended to surrender La Croix up to the -Revolutionary Tribu nal. Duhem continued tht reading of the fame work, whose author aflerts, that in cafc the majority of the people wished for the re-cftablifhment of royalty, the Convention would in its wiftiom con fine its authority within due bounds. Bourdon, de l'Oife, exclaimed, " I declare, that I never will put other li mits to the authority of a King than a poignard." (Loud plaudits. The as. fembly rose once more, and cried out Vive la .') In a dialogue, contained in the fame treatise, between the author and a mem ber of the Convention, the latter utter ing some doubts, that natwithflanding the oath of oblivion, which would be exacted of the new monarch, those who had voted for the death of Louis XVI. might not be fafe if they remained in France, the former answers—" Before you resign your powers, in pursuance of the last decree you are to enact, three vrflels mull be in readiness to convey to America all those deputies and admi nistrators, who should wilh to go thi ther ; the value of the revenue and es tates they leave behind, mutt be paid in specie into their hands; and besides this, the sum of twenty thousand lvres to each of them by way of indemnity." (Bursts of Laughter.) 1 tie reading of La Croix's work be ing finilhed, Mailhe informed the Con vention, that nothing could be more certain, than that the enemies of liberty were fnd*avoring to destroy the repub lic; that the committees of government were on the point of making a report relative to this fubjeft, wherein they intended todefcribe the fitua(ion of the Republic on and since the 9th of Ther midor ; to unfold all the dark manoeu vres of royalists ; to refute the paradox which ignorant men had of late asserted, viz. 1 hat the people had a right to chufe such a goverrment as they pleas ed—and to demonflrate, that the nati on had no right to chufe and to fubjeft themselves to a King ; that they could not re-eftablilh royalty without violat ing their own rights; and that a private individual, a Frenchman, who wished for a King, was not a man, but a tiger, a foe to humanity. (Shouts of Ap plause.) Lequinio.—For several days past, Royalills, and other ill-disposed people, have rflumo' fhe'i j.r. fi-Uou« which you will never be able cntir.- . '' destroy, without depriving thcin c "'js.;, lait hope j I mean the lull ofTsprin of the impure race of tyiams, who .. i,» the temple. (Piaudits), I move that the committees be charged with devis ing and pvopofing the bed means of purifying the foil of liberty of he lalt remaining trace of royalifm. Referred to the committees. Boiffy d'Anglas said, (hat the Roy alists, with a view ot attacking the republican government, endeavoied to excite in Paris commotions favourable to their intentions, and that they meant to take advantage of the difficulty o£ procuring provisions, occaiioned by the fererity of the season, to alarm the peo ple with refpeft to their lubfilteiice ; but that ail pjfiiblc measures had been adopted to convey to the capital by land those provisions, which on account of the Seine being frozen over, could not arrive by water. Cambon observed, that in all the ma noeuvres of the Royilills to overthrow the Republic, he clearly diicerned the i iequel of the plans of Pitt and Cobur -. (Plaudits). He complained of the per secutions, which in several department* true republicans fufT'ered foil, the p?r tizans of the constitution of 1791. He declaimed with much warmth against libel-mongers, informers, and the ob» Itacles whichobit ruded the exoulpaticn of such Deputies as were theobjedts of calumny and flandcr. " I freely speak my sentiments (added he) when I fay, that we at present bend our necks under a tyranny moje grinding than even that of Robcfpierre." (Murmurs.) Several voices—- He is right ; Fre ron's tyranny is horrid." Bourdon, de I'Oife—" The firft e motion of t hit Affcmbly, on hearing lead the. infameitt production of Royal ty, produced the solemn promise of polgnarding Kings. This our enemies (hall learn and ttemble, (fhotits of ap plause.) 1 here are people who wotiid render useless all the victories of your armies, by confining France with'n her ancient limits, and make peace h.y leav ing on our ihoulders a nation*! debt of eight thousand millions. But you ft,all soon perceive, that in cafe of need we are able to carry on the war three years longer.— (Ten years, cried a great num ber of membeis.) Your enenves are not ignorant ot it, and this makes then tremble." Sitting of Dec. 2g. T rCiitpemier thjst in a few days he would propose a total abo lition of the Civil Courts of jullite n the Diftri&s. (Muimurs) Armonville mounted the tiibune with the red cap on his her.d. A great number of voices,—Down with the cap. Armonville placed his cap on Marat's head. He was applauded fiom apart of the Hall, and proceeded to juftifr himfelf in fifveralcharges broughagainft him. Syeyes demanded to he dispensed witu being a Member of the Commit tee of Twenty-one, on pretence that he was a fuppleant at the C.*imittee of le gislation. Bernard de Sainles thought it strange that Sveyes should make life of fslfe pretences to get difpei.fed with his duty; Glauzel laid, that Syr yes would do well to cheek his indolence, and to be moie exatt in the performing of his duty. Johannot read a proclamation, desti ned to acquaint the French people with the beneficial consequences of the abo lition of the lawof the maximum, which was approved of and adopted Michault du Doubs.—" This procla mation will not do. It fays, that pa triots aie no longer persecuted in the Departments, and I afiure you, that they are treated there with the uttnoft infamy. Ihe Popular Societies are in tended to be suppressed in a mass.— (No no,exclaimed the whole conventi on.) Well, enact then a Decree which states, thae the Popular Societies have never ceased to de'erve well of country, and that the Constituted Au thorities are toprotedthin.-"—(laugh ter.) Girot Pouzol " The proportion suits wonderfully well the time, when all the popular Societies congratulated us on the overthrow of that whicfi lor ded it over them all." Lefage Srnault.- «' Thou lieflv'* -(Violent murmurs.) The Prenclent called Senault to or der. Several Members den aided that he should be sent to the "Abbay ptifon.- Senault and Rua mp i raised their voice in the uproarious confufion which enfned.---At lad Girot was allowed to proceed.-—" Ye are no citizens, ye who fpnrn at this greai Society, becaule it A S- ' 9 i *
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