is, what the House, now assembled, should of towns and boroughs, to acquaint their under such circumstances adopt. You, representatives thereof.-MR. SHERIDAN Mr. Speaker, have, in my apprehension said: Mr. Speaker, fully concurring in intimated the proper course we ought to the propriety of every sentiment expressed pursue. There can, as it strikes me, be by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and no discussion upon any other subject but feeling, as I do, highly gratified, as I am the adjournment, and the interval of that confident every man who has heard him adjournment. But setting aside the ques- must, in the sanguine hopes he entertains tion, whether this House is competent or of the speedy recovery of our gracious incompetent to entertain any other than Sovereign, I only rise for the purpose of that of adjournment, surely when we take seconding his motion !-(Marked and coninto our consideration the circumstances tinued cries of hear! hear! after this speech.) under which this day we are assembled, -The motions were then put and agreed no intimation from the Sovereign expres- to; after which the House adjourned to sive of his desire that we should meet, but Thursday the 15th inst.- -There is little on the contrary, the most authoritative ex- room for commentary upon these proceedpression of his will that such meeting from ings. They contain mere matters of this day should be further prorogued, there fact, which, though of a very interesting can be no doubt that any other course than nature, are simple and dry. It apadjournment would be highly inconsistent. pears, from what was said, in both Houses, Then the next point is, to what period that that the illness of the King is not, however, adjournment should extend, so as to afford likely to be of long duration; and, prothat notice and preparation which is best bably, before the two weeks are expired, calculated to obtain a full attendance he will be found capable of affixing his such a degree of attendance as would pro- signature to the Commission for the furduce a true parliamentary opinion as to ther prorogation of the parliament, in any ulterior measure, whether of a farther which case, the session will, of course, not adjournment or not. For this object, I begin till after the Queen's birth day, as think the least time should be fifteen days. has been the custom for many years past. Indeed, we have a parliamentary enact-It will be a session, begin when it ment that may operate as a guide; I mean that which empowers his Majesty upon any unexpected emergency, to convene his Parliament in four-lent accession of dominion by France in teen days. In modern times there has also been a case which might indeed be judged a precedent, and to be only analogous, where a similar motion was proposed and universally acceded to. A motion to that purport it is my intention to make before I sit down. I apprehend there is only another consideration springing from that motion, immediately incident to that proceeding which goes directly to further its object. I allude to the necessary means of procuring that very full attendance which, under such circumstances is most desirable. I conceive that the best means are a Call of the House on this day fortnight, and that in the intermediate time a circular letter be written by you, Sir, requesting the attendance of members. I bave only to conclude with moving, that this House do, on its rising, adjourn to this day fortnight; that on that day there should be a Call of the House; and that in the interim the Speaker be requested to write a circular letter to all Sheriffs of counties, Stewards

will, during which questions of great moment will and must be agitated. The operations of war in the South and the si

the North of Europe, are not, I should think, any longer to be passed over in silence. Napoleon is gradually getting round us; and, if his army in Portugal should not, without loss of time, be completely defeated, and even annihilated, it will be time for us seriously to look to ourselves. The danger is, every hour, becoming visibly greater and greater. It is hidden, as much as possible, from the eyes of the people, by the falsehoods of the venal press; but, those falsehoods do not stay the danger, which is making, and will continue to make, its approaches, in spite of the cheats practised by a set of venal writers, and, in spite of the stupid blindness of their dupes.

I am compelled, for want of room, to omit several articles, and especially one upon the conspiracy in Portugal.

WM. COBBETT.
State Prison, Newgate, Friday,
November 2, 1810.

PORTUGAL.-Dispatch from Lord Talavera P. S. I have learnt that Generals Grainto the Portuguese Government, dated atdorge and Foix, both belonging to the 2d Alcobaça, 5th Oct. 1810. corps, were wounded in the action of the 27th ult. It is added that the former is since dead of his wounds.

The enemy having moved forward in force, his advanced guard in front of Coimbra, on the afternoon of the 30th ult. and morning of the 1st inst. I conceived it time to withdraw the advanced guard of the allied army to this side of the river Mondego, on the 1st inst. and to continue to withdraw the main body of the army In the retreat of the British cavalry from Fornos, Captain Kraukenberg of the first regiment of Hussars, and Captain Cocks of the 16th Light Dragoons, attacked and charged the enemy. In this skirmish Captain Kraukenberg was wounded, but I am happy to say but slightly.-I continued to withdraw this part of the army by the roads of Soute and Pombal, for Leiria, near which town it all arrived on the 3d, and halted during yesterday, the advanced posts being at Pombal. General Hill retired with his corps, by the road of Espinhal, upon Thomar, where he arrived yesterday. The advanced guard of the enemy arrived yesterday at Redinha, causing our piquets to retire from Pombal towards evening. Thave received'information that their 8th corps was at Condeixa, and their other troops on this side of the Mondego. I have, in consequeace, continued to withdraw, and our advanced guard will to-day be on this side of Leiria. With few exceptions, the troops have continued to conduct themselves with great regularity, and have not suffered fatigue. The army is now at no great distance from the position where I propose to receive the enemy; and continues animated with the best dispositions. By all the information I have received, the enemy suffers the greatest distresses. The inhabitants of the towns and villages have universally 'abandoned their homes; car rying with them all that they could transport, and that might be useful to the enemy; and by this means, in spite of the habits and practice of plundering by which the armies of the enemy have at all times been -animated, they have been prevented from deriving any advantage from the few resources which the inhabitants of the country may have left, in consequence of the impossibility of bringing them off-Nothing of importance has occurred in the north, or in the provinces of the south of Spain, since my last dispatch. My last letters from Cadiz are dated the 22d of September. I have, &c. WELLINGTON.

ENGLAND.-Prayers and Thanks-giving for
the abundant Harvest.-Oct. 17, 1810.
At the Court at Windsor, the 17th of
October, 1810, present, the King's Most
Excellent Majesty in Council.-It is this
day ordered by his Majesty in Council,
that his Grace the Lord Archbishop
of Canterbury do prepare a form of
Prayer and Thanksgiving to Almighty God
for the abundant Harvest, to be read im-
mediately after the General Thanks-
giving on Sunday the 18th day of No-
vember next, and to be continued until
Sunday the 25th of the same month inclu-
sive; and it is hereby further ordered,
that his Majesty's Printer do forthwith
print a competent number of the said form
of Prayer and Thanksgiving, that the
same may be forthwith sent round and
read as above directed in the several
Churches and Chapels throughout those
parts of the United Kingdom called Eng-
land and Ireland.-W. FAWkener.

NAPLES. Report to the Minister of War..
Head-quarters at Scilla, Sept. 25, 1810.

Monseigneur, I had the honour of giv ing an account to your Excellency of the attack made on the 11th instant, by the English, on the transports of the Division of Reserve commanded by General Cavagnac, which were at that period lying at anchor in the bay of Pentimele, near Reggio.-I now hasten to communicafe to you a journal of the events which have taken place since that time, up to the 25th inclusively.-On the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th, there was nothing new.-On the morning of the 17th, his Majesty hav ing ordered that some troops of his guard should reconnoitre a transport-ship to the south of Messina, there issued from the port of that city several gun-boats, which came to attack them. His Majesty then, also, sent several gun-boats to support their fire, together with some light vessels filled with troops, with the design of boarding the enemy. The enemy's vessels then formed in line, and opened a very wellsupported fire on those of his Majesty. The latter advancing in order to board, did not return the fire, lest their progress

weakly, off Pentimele, where the division of reserve lay at anchor.-This division set sail about half past ten, and arrived, without meeting the enemy, on the coast of Sicily, not at Scaletta, which was the point marked out for its debarkation, (the sea-breeze which it fell in with on the coast not having permitted it to ascend so high), but at Saint Stephano, 4 miles farther to the north, and of course nearer to Messina. All the troops were landed and formed in an instant, so as to leave nothing to fear from the dispositions which the enemy might adopt. All the dispositions to be wished for in such circumstances were taken by General Cavagnac. In the mean time the two divisions Partonneaux and the Guards found themselves constantly destitute of the least breath of wind, and could not execute their movement. His Majesty vainly hoped, and waited the whole night in his barge with the most lively impatience, for a breeze to fill his sails; the most complete calm on the contrary prevailed, and lasted till day break.-It was far from being supposed, that the sea at Pentimele was not subject to the same calm which prevailed at the Punta del Pezzo, there being only eight miles distance between them. It was, therefore, with surprise and extreme uneasiness, that his Majesty at five in the morning learnt that the divi

should be thereby retarded; but the ene- | my having perceived their design, tacked about, and regained with all sail the coast of Sicily. The vessels of his Majesty then taking the enemy in flank, kept up upon him a very brisk cannonade, and a wellsupported fire of musketry.-His Majesty, present at this action, directed all the movements. The enemy's loss must have been considerable.-On the same day, his Majesty having given orders at four in the afternoon that all the troops of the army should hold themselves in readiness for embarkation, each corps was in consequence placed behind the boats destined for its respective transport, for the purpose of effecting their embarkation with the least delay when the order should be given. At eight in the evening, the order for embarkation was given; the division of reserve, eight miles distant from the others, did not receive the order till halfpast nine. The wind, which during the whole day had been favourable for this expedition, had totally ceased in the channel at nine in the evening; it still lasted, however, at Pentimele, where the channel, beginning to widen, affords a freer ap proach to the southerly winds.-The divisions Partonneaux and Lamarque were embarked at eight in the evening, as well as the Royal Guards; at half-past nine the reserve was also embarked, so that at ten the whole army was ready to sail : hission of reserve had been able to execute Majesty was himself embarked, together its movement, and was on the opposite with all his Staff,-Detailed instructions shore; a very brisk firing at the point of had been given to each of the Generals its landing confirmed this intelligence, and commanding the divisions and the corps unfortunately the signals agreed upon of guards, with regard to the manner in could not be given at that hour. But which they were respectively to act, and as that division had orders to retreat, in also, after the debarkation, with regard to case the two others could not effect their the plan of attack, the only one which passage; it saw, at the same time, that the local circumstances permitted his Majesty divisions Partonneaux and Lamarque were to adopt it was perfectly understood; still on the Calabrian beach, and General but there was room to regret that it could Cavagnac ordered a return.-Two brigs be only partially carried into effect. and an English corvette, followed by a The Generals commanding in chief the great number of scorridors, immediately Artillery and corps of engineers had also issued from Messina, to attack this conreceived the instructions necessary for voy; but a contrary wind did not permit their service, as well as the head comm- them to execute this design; and they mandant and director in chief of the ma- were obliged to confine themselves to a rine. In short, nothing had been neg- fruitless cannonade. His Majesty had lected by his Majesty to secure the suc hitherto preserved the hope that his re cess of such an enterprize; the good serve division had returned untouched," spirit of the army gave every reason for and even after having obtained some adhope. The wind continued during the vantage over the enemy; but by a fatawhole night deficient in that part of the lity, which in great enterprises often dechannel occupied by the two divisions pends on the smallest details, thirteen of Partonneaux and Lamarque, and the the transport ships, after having landed Royal Guards; but it still blew, though the troops which they had on board, pro