FATE OF PEROUSE,

The French Navigator.

AFTER the laple of years fome glim

merings of information has reached Europe with refp &t to the fate of the French Navigator, Peroufe.-Our readers may recollect that he failed on a voyage of difcovery with two frigates, and that after performing part of his voyage, he touched at Botany Bay. From the period of his failing from New South Wales, no account was ever received from him. A veffel was fent from France, under the command D'Entrecafteaux, in fearch of him, but the fearch was ineffectual. At length an 'American fhip, which had traversed the South Sea, brought to the Mauritius, in February laft, fome information, which gives ftrength to the conjectures that have been formed of the unfortunate Navigator's having been maffacred, with all his crew.

The following article on this fubject appears in a Moniteur received yefterday.

EXTRACT FROM A JOURNAL ENTITLED THE NOUVELLISTE LES ISLES DE FRANCE AND DE LA REUNION.

"Mauritius, Feb. 14. "Captain Ingenold, commander of the American fhip the Charlotte, arrived from China, fays, that he learnt, in his voyage in the South fea, at the Sandwich Ifles, and on the north west coaft, that before the revolution of France, without being able to determine precifely the year, a veffel from Breft had, in the month of April, anchored in the Bay of Comfhervar, a bay which is 53 degrees 13 minutes north, oppofite Englefield Bay, in the inland called Queen Charlotte's Ifland.

"That this veffel having a great quantity of fick, was attacked by the iflanders, who got on board at the moment the crew were employed in reefing the fails; that they maffacred the captain, who was on the deck, and the whole crew, with the exception of a young man, whofe fate is unknown.

"It is added, that the islanders deftroyed the veffel, after having unloaded it. It is to be prefumed that this veffel is M. La Peroufes's, or her companion."

OBSCENE BOOKS AND PRINTS.
Court of King's Bench.

THE KING V. AITKIN.

The defendant was brought up to receive judgment, for the publication of a libel, contained in a book of fhocking and candalous abfcenity, of which he was found guilty.

Mr. Park obferved, on the part of the profecution, that in this cafe, his public duty required that he fhould fay a few words: he owed it as a duty, not only as an advocate in the caufe, but as a member of fociety. General fentiments of compaflion for the defendant, he had no difficulty in feeling; but this was one of thofe cafes which called for indig nation. The publication for which the defendant food for judgment, was of fuch an infamous kind, that the reading of the whole of it was fpared at the trial, it being admitted to be fuch as ought not to be uttered in any language. It was alfo proper to ftate, that this very defendant had been under the fentence of the court, for a publication fimilar to the prefent-part of which fentence was, "That he thould pay a fine of 2001." He had obtained from the fountain of mercy a remiflion of his punishment as to the fine; and this, he faid, was an aggravation of the defendant's guilt. He wished it to be taken as a notice, that there was a fociety now established, having for its object the fuppreffion of fuch publications as this, and that they were determined never to flacken in their efforts.

The judgment of the court was pronounced by Mr. Juftice Lawrence, who expatiated with great propriety on the enormity of the defendant's cafe, and then faid, that the fentence of the court upon him was, "That he be imprifoned in Newgate for fix calendar months; that, during that time, he do stand in and upon the pillory for one hour, in Leicester Fields, near the north-east corner of that place; that at the expiration of that time, he do enter into his own recognizance of 500l. for his good behaviour for feven years; and that he be further imprifoned until fuch fecurity be given."

LITTLE GOES.

The statute against this fpecies of gaming was put in force on Friday July 30, for the first time, at the Manfion-houfe, before Mr. Alderman Boydell. Two women were brought there for receiving three pence of a third perfon, and agreeing to return five fhillings if a ticket, No. 58, in the Little Go, or private lottery, hould be drawn at a certain time; and alfo fixpence, to return half a guinea, if another ticket, No. 30, in the fame Go, or lottery, should be drawn at another time. The cafe being made out to the fatisfaction of the Magiftrate, the prifoners were fent to the Compter, to afford them an opportunity of turning King's evidence, and giving up their principal; in default of which they will be fent to the House of Correction, as the act directs, unless they pay the fine of 100l. one-third of which goes to the informer, one-third to the conftable that apprehended them, and the other third to the crown.

A very curious tone has been prefented to the Antiquarian Society by Captain Turner, who lately arrived from Egypt; it is one that was taken from the French at the famous battle of Alexandria, in which the brave Abercrombie fignalized himself fo much. It meafures feven feet long, and five feet fquare, and has three inferiptions in different languages, the Egyptian, Greek, and Hieroglyphics; the Greek has been decyphered, and proves to be an edict of their priests for deifying one of their Ptolemys, for his great and good deeds done for the welfare of his country; the infcription in the Egyptian and Hiero. glyphics are fuppofed to be on the fame fubjects.

were

A number of other great curiofities have been fent to the British Mufeum within thefe few days, which brought over in the fame veffel. They consist of an immense stone bath, covered on the infide and out with hieroglyphics. The latter measures about 10 feet long, and five feet deep and over; a fecond bath, of fmaller dimenfions, likewife covered with hieroglyphics; a maffy stone coffin, inferibed with hieroglyphics; a prodigious hand in stone, part of a ftatue, which must have been one hundred and fifty feet in height; two fine marble ftatues, in Roman habits

a number of monsters and heads, feveral pillars and other curious ftones, a dei fied ram's head, which measures about four feet, from the nose to the crown of the head, and in every other way proportionate: the right horn is broken off Two pyramidical obelisks, the four fides of which are full of hieroglyphics; a large cylindrical pillar, about 12 feet long, three and a half in diameter, and a great variety of ancient Egyptian fculptures, highly curious, but much defaced from the ravages of time. They were brought by land from Blackwall on fledges, and many of them being fo extremely maffy, they were obliged to have temporary wooden frames made for them, or they could not have been got on shore. One of the baths weighed about eleven tons; eleven horfes were obliged to be had to draw it. The other weighed about nine tons, and nine horfes drew that. The whole of them that were depofited in the Museum weighed about fifty tons.

The following is the amended claufe in the police act, empowering magi trates to apprehend reputed thieves, and we have no hesitation in saying, that if police officers were to pay a strict and proper attention to it, the defperate gangs of plunderers which at present infeft the metropolis, would be speedily annihilated.

"And whereas divers ill-difpofed and fufpected perfons, and reputed thieves, frequent the avenues to places of public refort, and the streets and highways, with intent to commit felony on the perfons and, property of his majesty's fubjects there being; and although their evil purpofes are fufficiently manifeft, the power of his majesty's justices of the peace to demand of them fureties for their good behaviour, hath not been of fufficient effect to prevent them from carrying their evil purpofes into execution; be it enacted, that from and after the paffing of this act, it fhall and may be lawful for any constable, headborough, patrol, or watchman, to apprehend every fuch person, and convey him or them before any juttice of the peace, and if it fhall appear before the faid juf tice, upon the oath of one or more cre dible witnefs or witneffes, that fuch perfon or perfons is or are a perfon or perfons of evil fame, and a reputed thief or

thieves,

thieves, and fuch perfon or perfons fhall not be able to give a fatisfactory account of himfelf or themfelves, and of his or their way of living, and it fhall alfo appear to the fatisfaction of the faid juftice, that there is juft ground to believe that fuch perfon or perfons was or were in

fuch avenue, ftreet, or highway aforefaid, with fuch intent as aforefaid, every fuch perfon fhall be demed a rogue and vagabond, within the meaning of the ftatute made in the 17th of George II. and as fuch liable to imprisonment for fix months.

August 26.

THE HE late depredations of the Dey of Algiers are still the fubjects of complaint in the French official papers; they enumerate the fums paid the barbarians by the various European powers, and record the outrages they have perpetrated during the lait fix months.-This repetition of grievances may be looked upon as a juftification of the intended attack by the French upon the piratical states; and we accordingly find by the Paris papers received on the 25th, that one or two French fquadrons which have failed from Toulon, are in the firft inftance to vifit the Bey of Tunis and the Dey of Algiers, perhaps to make a fhew at leaft, of a disposition to accommodate differences: but fhould the French have recourfe to hoftilities, there is little doubt of their intention to establish themselves in Africa, fecure both fides of the Mediterranean, and carry their connection as near as poffible to Egypt, their ultimate view being manifeftly directed to a participation in the trade to the Eaft Indies, which is also a point to which they will direct the attention of their allies as much as poffible, but with no friendly eye to this rival country.

Complaints against the English newf papers occupy the laft Paris Journals received, couched in strong and bitter terms; and which on the part of the French Government have been followed up by a feizure of all the English newfpapers in the Parifian coffee-houfes, &c. and a probibition of their introduction in future.

On the fubject of protected emigrants, as they term them, we are forry to fee that the Moniteur of the 22d contains an article from St. Brieux, dated Aug. 10, ftating, "that a perfon of the name of Desjardins, one of the most ferocious of the Brigands of the Cotes du Nord, has eftablished his refidence at Jerfey, and

that thirteen individuals condemned to death as contumacious, for having af faffinated feveral wealthy proprietors of national property, are with him, and appear to enjoy fpecial protection."

We have nothing to fay to the truth or falfehood of thele affertions, only, that coming through the channel of the offi cial French papers, they shew that an uncommon degree of rancour continues to actuate the French government against this country.

The Paris papers of the 24th contain the important declaration of the Emperor of Rufia and Bonaparte, concerning the indemnities of Germany, in which, the caufe affigned for the interpofition of the former is, "the fulfilment of the treaty of Luneville." Thus it cannot escape the notice of the moft indifferent obferver, that the Emperor of Ruffia and Bonaparte are the only powers which give a tone, a vigour, and a command to the new arrangements, and that the Emperor of Germany, our most faithful ally, as a bye-ftander, is obliged to pafs over the plan, uttering no fentiments but the complaint," that the agreement between Ruffia and Bonaparte was without his knowledge or affent." And, as if France meant to improve the humiliation of this once great power, friendly to Britain, by crushing another of our allies, we have just learnt from Lisbon, that the French General Lafnes, ambaffador to the court of Portugal, had fuddenly quitted that city on the 10th, a circumftance which is faid to have delayed the failing of the packet two days, and to have been occafioned by the court of Portugal's refufal to difmifs the minister of police, upon the demand of General Lafnes, for fearching his baggage in the difcharge of his duty.-The depreffion of the ftocks is now imputed to the above intelligence.

SUMMARY

HOUSE OP LORDS. WEDNESDAY, April 28.-The Bill for repealing the Income Tax, the London Port, and Exchequer Bills Bill, and feven Private Bills, were brought up from the Commons, and read a firit time.

The order for the fecond reading of Lane's Divorce Bill, which stood for tomorrow, was ordered to be discharged, and Tuesday next appointed in its stead. A Petition was presented from certain Infolvent Debtors confined in Devonshire, which was ordered to lie upon the table.

Counsel were heard further in the Scotch Appeal between the Incorporation of Flefhers in Edinburgh, and the Provosts and other Magiftrates of that City.—Ordered to proceed on Tnefday

next.

FRIDAY, April 30.-The Royal Af fent was given by Commiffion to the additional Affeffed Tax, and to the Malt and Beer Duty Bills; and also to feveral Private Bills which had paffed the two Houses of Parliament.

May 4. - Lord Grenville brought forward the motion refpecting the Peace, of which he had given notice.

The fpeech of his Lordship was long, animated, and full of argument. It occupied nearly two hours and a half. To him, the Definitive Treaty appeared to depart most importantly from the Preliminary Articles. It could excite in his breaft no feelings but thofe of disgust, of regret, and humiliation. It prefented to the world, on the very firft view, the picture of national honour facrificed, of national good faith broken. By the Preliminaries, we were to maintain the integrity of Portugal. Instead of this, we had confirmed the ceffion of a territory to Spain; and what was more, had given to France new boundaries in Guiana, which would enable her with ease to attain in that country any objects of her ambition. Let us now turn to another ally, the Prince of Orange. He too had been shamefully abandoned. We had, indeed, ftipulated for his indemnification, but had omitted to notice when, how, or by whom, it was to be furnished. It was scarcely necessary to mention the juggle by which France Vol. III, Churchm. Mag. Aug. 1802.

exonerated Holland from fupplying any part of it. He would now call the attention of the House to the Cape of Good Hope. By a fomething called economy, this valuable poffeffion had been furrendered to the enemy in full fovereignty. In periods of war, this ceffion would be felt feverely. The noble Lord then turned to Malta; and entering at confiderable length into the history of the Order, he contended that it was now degraded, that great part of its eftates out of the Inland was confifcated, and that the remainder would foon fhare the fame fate. To place the island under the guarantee of Naples, was, in effect, to give it to France.

By the prefent Treaty, no provifion, he urged, was made for enforcing the claims of British creditors; the inhabi

tants of the ceded countries were abandoned? and, by the article which related to prifoners, we were made to pay for cloathing and arming the Ruflian troops againit ourselves. But the circumftance which appeared to him more fraught with danger than any he had just mentioned, was the non-renewal of ancient treaties: a principle equally new and dangerous: thus we had abolished the old public law. The gum trade, and right of cutting logwood, would. alfo be injured or loft; the safety of our Eaft-Indian poffeflions endangered, and the honour of the British flag impaired. He then entered into a review of the recent acquifitions of France in America and Italy; and concluded by moving, that the Houfe fhould take the Definitive Treaty into confideration on Friday fe'nnight.

Lord Pelham declared, that he should referve his anfwers till the day on which the queftion would be debated. That day, he thought, fhould be Tuesday or Wednesday, instead of the day moved by the noble Lord. His Majefty's minifters, he said, had made as good conditions as they were able; and, inadequate as they might be held to be, he flattered himself, that, could the fenfe of the people be taken, they would rather have the peace, fuch as it was, than a continuance of the war.

The Treaty was alfo defended by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Thurlow, and e Lord

Lord Auckland; the latter of whom pledged himself to prove that our Indian rights could not be injured by the omiffion to renew ancient treaties.

The Treaty was strongly objected to by the Earl of Carlisle.

After fome converfation, the amendment, that the Treaty be taken into confideration on Wednesday fe'nnight, was put and carried.

May 7.-Lord Spencer, after expatiating on the importance of Malta, and the evil which might refult from its falling into the hands of the French, concluded by moving for an Account of the Territorial Revenues and Commercial Duties of Malta, from its surrender to England to the present time.

The question was put and carried. May 10.-Lord Minto brought forward a motion for the production of Papers relative to the Italian Republic, and the ceffion of the Island of Elba.

In a fpeech of fome length, his Lordfhip ftated, that on the Continent, fo difgraceful were the terms of peace confidered, that when the preliminaries arrived at Vienna, they were believed to be the fabrication of France. His Lordship next adverted to the Establishment of the Italian Republic; the Ceffion of Elba; and concluded by moving an Ad. drefs to his Majefty for fuch Official Documents as related to these transactions.

The motion was opposed by Lord Pelham, on the grounds that no fuch documents were in poffeffion of government. The formation of the Italian Republic had, he allowed, excited a great degree of alarm in minifters; but it had been thought imprudent and impolitic to break off the negotiation on that account.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

May 5.-Mr. Elliot moved for different Papers connected with the Definitive Treaty, viz. the Treaty of Badajos, that between Portugal and Spain, and Copies of any Conventions or Armif. tices concluded between Portugal and Spain in the year 1801, and communicated to the British government.

Lord Hawkesbury declared, that to the first motion he had no objection, nor to the second, if confined to the Treaty of Madrid; and as to the third, no

communication had been made to the British government.

After fome obfervations, the first and fecond motions were agreed to, and the third was negatived.

May 6.-Lord Temple moved for certain Papers relative to the island of Malta. His Lordship ftated as his reafons, the change which had been made in the conftitution of the order; the lofs of the revenues of the knights; the imperfect guarantee which was obtained for the island, and the intrigues which were, and would be carried on by France to obtain poffeffion of Malta. His Lordfhip then proceeded to confider the ufurpation of the Italian Republic, and the ceffion of Elba! on both which subjects he dwelt for fome time. His Lordship then moved for an Account of the Revenues of Malta; a copy of the Laws of the Island referred to in the tenth Article of the Treaty; and a copy of the Treaty of Luneville.

The first motion was agreed to, but the second and third were negatived. May 7.-Mr. Nicholls brought forward his motion relative to Mr. Pitt.

Tracing his measures from the commencement of the war, to the time of his leaving office, he contended that they were all equally cenfurable. The war had been undertaken to protect Holland, and deliver the Low Countries: thofe objects were not attained. A peace was now concluded, which placed France in an alarming fituation. At home, the liberties of the subject had been destroyed; and the ftrength of the country reduced. Every mode of corruption had also been employed. The Honourable Gentleman concluded by moving an Address of Thanks to his Majefty for having removed the Right Honourable William Pitt from his councils.

He was followed by Lord Belgrave, who entered into a warm panegyric of the late minifter, and in conclufion moved, that the Houfe fhould pafs a Vote of Approbation of those measures which had been held forth as the objects of cenfure.

This motion was feconded by Mr. S. Thornton, and gave rife to long debate.

Sir H. Mildmay moved, as an Amendment,