(60) with a view to that colony, and to the Spanish fquadron which had been there for fome time paft, the troops intended for this expedition from Martinique were accordingly embarked in the fhips of war, and tranfports, and I failed from Fort Royal Bay, the 12th inflant, with the fhips and veffels of his majesty's fquadron under my command, as per margin. Lieutenant-general fir Ralph Abercromby embarked with me in the Prince of Wales. The Invincible had previously failed for Barbadoes, with two tranfports, to embark a part of the 14th regiment, and the Thorn and Zebra were ordered to receive the The detachment from Tobago. Favorite was fent to St. Vincent to collect fome troops from that island, and the whole were ordered to rendezvous at the island of Cariacou, one of the Grenadines, on or before the 13th; and, on my arrival at that ifland, the 14th, I found all the fhips and tranfports were affembled. On the 15th, in the morning, I failed with the fquadron and tranfports, paffing between Cariacou and Grenada; and on the 16th arrived off Trinidad, and ftood toward the Gulf of Paria, when having paffed through the great Bocas channel, at half-past three in the afternoon, the Spanish fquadron were difcovered at anchor in Shagaramus Bay, confifting of four fail of the line, under the flag of a rearadmiral, and one frigate. As the day was well advanced before I approached the bay, and the enemy appeared in ftrength on Gafparaux ifland, which commanded the anchorage, by batteries erected for that purpofe, I ordered the Arethufa, Thorn, and Zebra, to proceed a little farther up the gulf, In the evening, just before dark, I anchored with the flips of the line in order of battle, oppofite the enemy's fquadron, within random fhot of their hips and batteries, and ia conftant readiness to prevent their efcape during the night, which I fufpected they might attempt, as all their fails were bent, and they appeared perfectly ready for failing. At two o'clock in the morning of the 17th we difcovered one of their fhips on fire, and foon after three others, all of which burnt with great fury until near day-light, when they were entirely confumed. One of them having efcaped the conflagration, the boats were feat from the fquadron, and fhe was brought out without having receiv ed any damage. I have great fatisfaction in acquainting their lordships that this fqdron of the enemy, commanded by rear admiral Don Sebastian Ruiz de Apodaca, were deftroyed or captured according to the lift I herewith enclofe; and although this fervice was effected without any other act on the part of his majefty's fquadron under my command, than being placed in fuch a fituation as to prevent their efcape, I am fully convinced that had they remained at their anchorage until the next day, the officers and men whom I have the honour to com mand, would have completed, by their exertion and zeal, the capture of the whole, notwithstanding the advantage of their fituation, under the * Prince of Wales, Bellona, Vengeance, Scipio, Favourite, Zephyr, Terror bomb. the cover of about twenty pieces oppofition: the general took pofof cannon and three mortars, which feffion of the town the fame evenwere mounted on Gafparaux ifland, ing, and the 18th the governor deand had been placed there for the fired to capitulate for the whole Jole parpofe of defending the fhips ifland, and the articles were agreed in the bay that island, which, like to, and figned the fame day; a cothe flips, had been abandoned durpy of which I herewith tranfinit *. ing the night, was taken poffeffion of foon after day-light by a party of the queen's regiment. : Captain Harvey, of his majesty's fhip Prince of Wales, will have the honour to deliver this difpatch, from whom I have always experienced the greatest zeal and attention to his majesty's fervice. I have the honour to be, Sir, General Abercromby, early in the morning, joined the Arethufa, and the troops were all landed, in the course of the day, under the direction of captain Woolley, covered by the Favourite floop, about Your most obedient humble fervant, three miles from the town, without HENRY HARVEY, Lift of Ships of War burnt and captured in Shaggaramus Bay, in the Gulf of Paria, February 17, 1797, by the Squadron under the Command of Rear Admiral Harvey. San Vincenté, S4 Gallarado, R. A. Don Sebaftian Ruiz de Apodaca, 74 Don Gabriel Sorondo, 74 Don Raphael Benafa, 74 36 Don Toref Jordan,-captured. 28. On Sunday afternoon, about four o'clock, a moft dreadful fire broke out at the old family manfion of the duke of St. Alban's, at Hanworth-park, near Hampton; which, in the courfe of three hours, detroyed every part of the building, and all the beautiful gallery of paintings, which were an heir-loom with the house. Very little of the furniture was faved. The fire broke out at the back of the house, near the library, and was occafioned by a girl belonging to the farm yard lighting her fire too near the win. dows; owing to the high wind, the fames caught the thutters, and the conflagration fpread through the manfion before any affiftance could be obtained. The ordinary gazette of this Burnt. HENRY HARVEY, evening announces the following captures by the veffels employed at Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands: The French corvette Le Cerf Volant, by captain Rickett's of La Magicienne; the L'Africaine, of 18 guns, by captain Cook of the Quebec; the General Leveau, 16 guns and So men, and a Dutch brig and Spanish schooner by the Refource and Mermaid; the Maria Topaze, of 10 guns and 64 men, by the Lapwing, captain Burton; the Galzo, 18 guns, 124 men, by the Alarm, captain Fellows; La Legere, of 6 guns and 48 men, by the Bellona; La Buonaparte, 14 guns, by La Suffifante, captain Wittman; the L'Efpoir, 4 guns and 48 men, by the Lapwing; and a French fchooner of 2 fix pounders and fome * Vide Ar Ralph Abercromby's Letter. fwivels (62) gafwivels by the Matilda. This zette alfo contains the following accounts: An Account of Spanish Veffels, detained (by Admiralty Order, being Spanish Property) by his Majefty's Ships and Veffels under the Command of Henry Harvey, Efq. Rear Admiral of the Red, Commander in Chief, &c. &c. &c. Leeward Iflands. Schooner Paftora, laden with oxen, hides and cocoa, fent in by, the Bull Dog. Sloop Maria Manuel, laden with cattle, fent in by the George armed floop. Launch Delbarmen, laden with mules, fent in by the Alarm. Schooner Flora, laden with fundries, fent in by the Alarm. Sloop Prince of Afturias, in ballaft, fent in by the Alarm. Launch Rofaria, laden with 900 dollars and fome hogs, fent in by the Alarm. Launch San Jofeph de Arminas, laden with corn, fent in by the Aların. Launch Del Carmen, laden with mules, fent in by the Alarm. Sloop San Nicholas, in ballaft, fent in by the Alarm. Launch Rofario, laden with mules, fent in by the Alarm. Launch Del Carmen, laden with corn, fent in by the Alarm, Ship Anna Maria, laden with dry goods, fent in by the Fury. (Signed) HENRY HARVEY. An Account of Veffels recaptured by his Majesty's Ships and Veffels under the Command of RearAdmiral Harvey, Commander in Chief, &c. &c. &c. Leeward Ifland Station. Ship Britannia, in ballaft, fent in by the Bull Dog, recaptured, having been taken by a French privateer. Brig Lady Mary Fitzmaurice, laden with merchandise, fent in by the Lapwing, recaptured, having been taken by a French privateer. Sloop Ferdinand, laden with merchandife, fent in by the Lapwing, recaptured, having been taken by a French privateer. Schooner Syren, laden with fugar and cotton, fent in by the Ariadne, part of the cargo condemned as a lawful prize. Schooner L'Alexandre, laden with warlike ftores, fent in by the Ariadne, condemned as a lawful prize. Guinea fhip, Helen, laden with flaves, &c. fent in by the Vengeance's tender, captured the 7th of December, 1796, by the Scipion, French corvette. Ship Afpinall, laden with flaves, fent in by L'Aimable, recaptured. Ship Thomas, laden with fugar coffee, and mahogany, fent in by the Invincible, recaptured, HENRY HARVEY. 29. The earls of Suffolk and Oxford were at the levee at St. James's; the former nobleman, who made a motion in the house of lords on Monday for the dismissal of Mr. Pitt, had a private conference with his majesty before the council commenced, for near twenty minutes, in which the noble earl laid before his majefty a picture of the diftrelles which his minifters had brought on their country. bled in common hall, to confider the report of his majefty's answer as to the time of receiving their addrefs voted on the 23d of laft month. The hall being opened with the ufual formalities, the lord mayor informed the meeting that the report of the sheriffs would be read by the comon fergeant. Mr. Sylvefter (the common fergeant) read the report. It flated that the fheriffs had attended at St. James's on Friday, the 24th of March, to know when the address, carried in the common hall, which was held on the 23d, fhould be prefented to his majesty; that the duke of Portland had informed the fheriffs that his majefty received addreffes from the city of London as a corporate body only, and that he would receive the addrefs of the livery in the common form at the levee on the Wednesday following, or upon any other levee day. Mr. Hanfon, after a fpeech of confiderable length, moved, "That the fheriffs of London have at all times a right to an audience of the king, and when deputed by the livery of London, they are in duty bound to demand it." Mr. Farmer feconded the motion. He faid he had more refpect for his majefty than to believe that the aufwer given to the fheriffs was the king's anfwer. Precedents had been fought for to fupport the prefent refufal to receive the city addrefs, and it had been faid that it was in fome degree warranted by an act of parliament paffed in the reign of Charles II. but that was furely an æra too inaufpicious to liberty to permit any of its regulations or practices to be now held up as examples. The queftion being put, the refolution was carried in the affirma tive, as were all those which followed. On the fhew of hands only two appeared against each resolution. Mr. Waddington faid the refolution he had to propose would have come with peculiar propriety from the alderman of the ward of Farringdon Without (Mr. Wilkes), who, he was forry to obferve, was not prefent on that day. He thought the fheriffs had acted very improperly in taking an anfwer from the duke of Portland, and returning without having an audience of the king. The duke of Portland acted, in this inftance, only as a fervant, and it did not become the citizens of London, in common hall affembled, to receive the answer of a fervant of fervants. He hoped the livery of London would not fuffer the rights and liberties of the city to be fo infringed. He concluded by moving, "That the lord mayor, attended by the fheriffs and the reprefentatives of the city in parliament, be again requested to prefent to his majesty the addrefs voted in the common hall of the 23d of March, and that no answer be received through the medium of a fecretary of state." Mr. Waithman feconded the motion. The following refolution, moved by Mr. Hanfon and feconded by Mr. Waddington, was next carried -That the fheriffs of London, attended by the city remembrancer, do wait on his majefty to know when he will be graciously pleafed to receive the faid addrefs on the throne. To the motion of Mr. Farmer it was refolved-That the fheriffs be inftructed, if neceffary, to inform his majefty, that the lord mayor, aldermen, and livery of London, carnot deliver their addrefs in any other manner (64) PRINCIPAL manner than to the king on his throne. After this refolution was paffed, Mr. fheriff Langfton came forward and informed the livery, that they might depend upon the theriffs of London doing their duty agreeably to their inftructions. Mr. Waithman ftated, that the proceedings relative to the calling of the laft common hall had not been entered upon the journal. He therefore moved, "That the anfwer of the lord mayor to the requifition of the livery for holding the laft common hall, together with their remonftrance, be entered upon the journal of their proceedings." Mr. Waithman faid, that however he might have difapproved of the conduct of the chief magiftrate with regard to the calling of the laft common hall, his lordihip on the prefent occafion had acted in fuch a manner as could not fail to procure him the approbation of the livery. Impreffed with this fentiment, he moved, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the lord mayor for his impartial conduct this day."Carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Farmer, the refolutions were ordered to be correctly copied, figned by the town clerk, and published in all the morning and evening papers. 3. A meeting of the inhabitants of Westminster was held in Palaceyard; (Weftminster-hall having been fhut against them by order of the keeper) to confider of an addrefs to his majefty, &c. Peter Moore, Efq. one of the fe- numerous an attendance. He was them together upon this important |