pretexts, was grounded an applica tion for an infringement of the Company's privileges. Whereas the fact is, that these 108 ships, with the addition of others subsequently admitted, were unloaded in the month of November, such only excepted as were delayed by causes not dependant on the Company.

The general state of the business performed by the Company during the last year will stand thus:-598 ships have unloaded, and 106 smaller vessels and craft;-of the above number of 598 ships, 593 were completed upon the 3rd Dec. 1808.

Thus so early as the close of the month of November, the great body of shipping in the West India trade were completely cleared of their cargoes; an instance of dispatch singular and unexampled, and evidently proving the superiority of your establishment, particularly under the embarrassing circumstances of an extraordinary accumulation of produce on hand, occasioned by an almost total stagnation of export; if these advantages be contrasted with the delays, impediments, losses, and abuses, which must have arisen under the former system, their value will be incalculable.

During the utmost pressure, and under peculiar circumstances of the season, the Company did undertake to provide at its own expense, and beyond its exclusive means, an extraordinary provision of warehouse room, but it did not become necessary to resort to it, beyond an accommodation for 5,747 casks and 4,137 boxes, and 511 barrels of prize or foreign sugar, and thus may the dispatch given to the shipping in such a season, afford the best proof

of the adequacy of the Company's resources to the general exigencies of the trade; but it may be proper to add the following statement of the quantity of goods actually lodged within your warehouses at one time, exclusive of the articles on the quays;-102,647 hhds. and trs., 11,612 chests and brls. of sugar.14,681 puns. and hhds. of rum.— 38,239 hhds. and trs., 190,408 bags, coffee.--1,411 bales, 164 pockets, &c., cotton.-24 casks, 3,168 bags pimento.-201 casks, 1,006 bags, ginger.-1,100 casks, 13,257 bags, cocoa.-1,786 casks, wine, -Making a total of 11,612 chests, &c. 1,575 bales, 207,839 bags, 158,678 casks. Let this statement be compared with all the accommodation existing at the port, for the housing of West India produce, previous to the formation of the docks, which according to the best computation in respect to the article of sugar only, was not capable of containing beyond one-third of the quantity, which has been actually deposited in your warehouses.

The system of providing distinctly for the shipping of goods to the West Indies, and the security afforded thereby both to the ships and goods, belongs peculiarly to your establishment; and, to a sys. tem so recent and dependant upon corresponding regulations of the revenue boards, it cannot reasonably be reproached that it is yet susceptible of improvement; sufficient however has appeared to show that this part of your establishment, is one, which must eventually prove of essential benefit to the WestIndia trade of the port.

The regulations of the Company have all been framed in strict consistencywith its solid and permanent

interests,

interests, by a constant and primary regard to the security of property, the interests of the revenue, and the accommodation of the trade, and not in any case directed by narrow views of present profit, in contradistinction to those more essential objects.

With the laws and regulations of the revenue departments it is necessary that the Company should cooperate, and sometimes it has been accused of disappointments, and delays, originating solely in that connection. But in respect to that part of the system over which your directors have control, they are ready, at all times, to adopt suggestions for improvement, whenever they shall be found upon attentive consideration to be compatible with the great objects of the institution. The principles by which the court of directors have uniformly governed their conduct, have been those of sound discretion in the application of the funds of the company, a liberal construction, and performance, of its engagements with the public, and a scrupulous impartiality in the administration of business.

How far these objects have been faithfully pursued, and successfully accompanied, may be best evinced: as to the first by the prosperous state of your finances; as to the second by the details furnished by, and the facts connected with this report; and, as to the last, it may fairly be demanded whether one single instance of deviation can be produced.

Copy of a Letter from Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, Commander in chief of his Majesty's ships and

vessels in the Mediterranean, to the Hon. W. W. Pole; dated on board the Ocean, off Toulon, the 19th of October, 1808.

Sir, I inclose a letter which I have just received from the right hon. lord Cochrane, captain of the Imperieuse, stating the services which he has been employed in on the coast of Languedoc. Nothing can exceed the activity and zeal with which his lordship pursues the enemy. The success which attends his enterprizes clearlyindicates with what skill and ability they are conducted; besides keeping the coast in constant alarm, causing a total suspension of the trade, and harassing a body of troops employed in opposing him, he has, probably, prevented those troops which were intended for Figueras from advancing into Spain, by giving them employment in the defence of their own coasts.-On the coast towards Genoa, the enemy has been equally annoyed by the Kent and Wizard. Those ships have had that station some time to prevent the French ships sailing from Genoa, and have almost entirely stopped the only trade theenemy had, which is in very small vessels;-during their cruize there they have taken and destroyed twenty-three of those coasters. I inclose the letter of captain Rogers, giving an account of the attack made at Noli, and the capture of the vessels in the road.

I have the honour to be, &c.

COLLINGWOOD. Imperieuse, Gulf of Lyons, Sept. 28. My lord,-With varying opposition, but with unvaried success, the newly-constructed semaphoric telegraphs, which are of the utmost consequence to the safety of the numerous convoys that pass along

the

the coast of France, at Bourdique, La Pinede, St. Maguire, Frontignan, Canet, and Foy have been blown up and completely demolished, together with their telegraph houses, fourteen barracks of the gens d'armes, or Douanes, one battery, and the strong tower upon the lake of Frontignan. Mr. Mapleton, first lieutenant, had command of these expeditions; lieut. Johnson had charge of the field pieces, and lieut. Hore of the royal marines. To them and to Mr. Gilbert, assistant-surgeon; Mr. Burney, gunner; Messrs. Stewart and Stovin, midshipmen, is due whatever credit may arise from such mischief, and for having with so small a force drawn about two thousand troops from the important fortress of Figueras in Spain, to the defence of their own coasts. The conduct of lieutenants Mapleton, Johnson and Hore, deserves my best praise, as well as that of the other officers, royal marines, and seamen.

I have, &c.

COCHRANE. Imperieuse, none killed; none wounded; one singed blowing up a battery. French, one commanding officer of troops killed: how many others, unknown.

H. M. S. Kent, off Genoa, Aug. 2. Sir, I beg leave to acquaint you, that yesterday, running along the coast from Genoa, towards Cape del Melle, we discovered a convoy of ten sail of coasters deeply laden, under the protection of a gun-boat, at anchor close to the breach abreast of the town of Noli; and as there appeared a fair prospect of bringing them out by a prompt attack before the enemy had time to collect his force, I instantly determined to send in the boats of the Kent and VOL. LI.

Wizard; and as there was but little wind, I directed capt. Ferris, of the Wizard, to tow in and cover the boats, which immediately put off, and, by great exertion, soon towed her close to the vessels, when it was found impossible to bring them out without landing, most of them being fastened to the shore by ropes from their keels and mast-heads. The boats therefore pulled to the beach with great resolution, exposed to the fire of two guns in the bow of the gun-boat, two field-pieces placed in a grove which flanked the beach, a heavy gun in front of the town, and a continued fire of musketry from the houses; but these were no check to the ardour and intrepidity of British seamen and marines, who leaped from the boats, and rushed upon the enemy with a fearless zeal that was not to be resisted. The gun in front of the town was soon taken and spiked by lieut. Chasman, second of the Kent, who commanded the seamen, and lieut. Hanlon the royal marines; and the enemy, who had drawn up a considerable force of regular troops in the grove to defend the two field-pieces, was dislodged by capt. Rea, who commanded the royal marines, and lieut. Grant of that corps, who took possession of the field-pieces, and brought them off. In the mean time, lieuts. Lindsay and Moresby of the Kent, and lieut. Bisset of the Wizard, who had equally distinguished themselves in driving the enemy from the beach, were actively employed in taking possession of the gunboat, and freeing the vessels from their fasts to the shore; and I had soon the satisfaction to see our people embark, and the whole of the vessels coming out under the 2 E protecting

protecting fire of the Wizard, which, by the judicious conduct of capt. Ferris, contributed very essentially to keep the enemy in check, both in the advance and retreat of the boats. I should have pleasure in noticing the midshipmen and others who were conspicuous in this little enterprize; but I fear that I have already given a longer detail than it may be thought worthy of, and shall therefore only beg leave to add, that one seaman killed, and one badly wounded (since dead), both of the Kent, is all the loss we sustained. The enemy left many dead on the ground. The gun-boat was a national vessel, called la Vigilante, commanded by an enseigne de vaisseau, with a complement of forty-five men.

THOMAS ROGERS. P. S. Since writing the above, the boats of the Kent and Wizard have brought out, without mischief, from under the guns of a fort near Leghorn, where they had taken shelter, three laden vessels, and burnt a fourth, which was aground, and could not be got off.

Revolution at Buenos Ayres.We have long expected that Liniers was exerting himself to the utmost infavour of the family of Buonaparté, and we now learn, by letters from Rio Janeiro, of the late date of February 6th, that a revolution took place on the 1st January, in which Liniers triumphed, and is now completely master as viceroy of the city. It seems that the marriage of his daughter with a young man of the name of Perichon, which was contrary to law, disgusted the people generally, who were, besides, very desirous to elect a junta, in imita

tion of Seville, &c. The Cabildo met, and the usual elections took place on the 1st of January; after which, previous depositions having been made by arming, &c. on both sides, to decide the matter by force, in case of necessity, a negociation took place between the Cabildo and Liniers, regarding his laying down the sovereign authority. At length the heads of that body went to the Fueste to treat personally with the viceroy, when up went the drawbridge, and they were quickly marched through the Puerto del Socorro to the water side, put on board a schooner, and have been sent off, nobody knows where; but it is supposed that the voyage was not a long one, since it is known there were very few provisions on board. The names of those who thus put themselves into the trap are-Alzaga, Vilanueva, Sta, Coloma, Varela, and another.

As a proof that this revolution is altogether in favour of France, we only need state, that the abovementioned Perichon is a Frenchman by birth, and is the person who was charged by Liniers with dispatches for Buonaparté, giving an account of his defence of Buenos Ayres against the British under general Whitelock, and who, on his return from France through Spain, on his way back to South America, was, in May or June of last year, apprehended in Andalusia, by order of the junta of Seville, and confined in Cadiz, from whence it would appear he effected his escape.

The event which has thus taken' place, though unfortunate for the patriotic cause of Spain, has removed every difficulty which obstructed the course of operations that it might behove the government of

this country to pursue, in concert with the prince of the Brazils. Monte Video still holds out against Liniers, and must be prevented from falling under his authority, or the whole of Spanish America may be lost.

It is to be apprehended, that the French squadron which sailed some time since from L'Orient, may have proceeded to the Rio de la Plata.

REPORT from the Committee of the House of Commons, on the Patronage of the East India Company-Ordered to be printed, 23rd March, 1809.

The select committee appointed to inquire into the existence of any corrupt practices, in regard to the appointment and nomination of writers or cadets in the service of the East India company; or any agreement, negociation or bargain, direct or indirect, for the sale there of; and to report the same, as it shall appear to them, to the House, together with their observations thereupon; and who were empowered to report the minutes of evidence taken before them; and their proceedings from time to time, to the House-began their investigation by examining into a case brought before them by George Woodford Thellusson, esq. a member of this House, in which his patronage and confidence appear to have been grossly abused.

The whole evidence being given at length in the appendix, your committee content themselves with inserting in this place, a short abstract only of this, and every other transaction; giving the names of the persons appointed, of those by whom they were recommended, and

by whom their nominations were signed, together with the names of the intermediate agents in any of the negociations where money was paid or received.

Those appointments which have been completed in consequence of any such bargains, and upon which satisfactory evidence has been produced, will be placed first; a second class will be found of nominations which appear to have taken effect, but with regard to which, from the death of some of the parties, or from deficiency of proof in other particulars, your committee are unable to ascertain the names of the persons who were sent out to India. It is a satisfaction to your committee, throughout the whole evidence, to remark nothing which traces any one of these corrupt or improper bargains to any director, or induces a reasonable suspicion that it was done with the privity or connivance of any member of that court. Several negociations which never took effect, will be found alluded to, or detailed in parts of the evidence; which it was thought proper not to reject under the comprehensive directions "that your committee should inquire into any agreement, negociation, or bargain, direct or indirect, for the sale of such nomination ;" and when such information was received, they deemed it inexpedienttowithholditfromthis House, though they are fully aware that their desire of opening every channel of inquiry has led to an extent of examination, and to a mass of evidence from which much might be retrenched without detriment, if it had been easy to establish a satisfactory principle of omission, or abridgment, which might have left nothing wholly irrelevant or trifling, while 2 E 2

it