the loss which this division of the army sustained by the accident which deprived it of the services of Major-gen. Couran, from whose energy and ability much was justly to be expected. To Major Glegg, Assist.-adj.-gen, and to Capts. Chambers and Powell, Dep. Ass. qua. -master-gen.; to Capt. Foster, Military Secretary; Lieut. Col. Hagerman, Provincial Aid-de-camp; and to Lieut. Nesfield, 89th regt. Acting Aid-de-camp, who have rendered mefevery assistance in their respective situations, my best acknowledgments are due: they are likewise due to Major D'Alton, Brigade Major with the right division, for his uniform correctness, zeal, and attention to his duty.-To Lieut.-col. Campbell, of the 6th regt. I am also much indebted, as well in his capacity of commanding officer of that excellent corps, as in that of senior officer of the reserve of this division. Col. Fischer, of De Watteville's regiment, and Lieut.-col. Ogilvie, of the King's, are entitled to my best thanks. The zeal and exertions of Major Phillot, commanding the Royal Artillery; Captains Walker and Sabine, and the officers and men of that corps, have been unremitting, and merit every commendation. I have reason to be pleased with the activity and zeal which Major Lisle, and the officers and men of the squadron of the 19th light dragoons, have uniformly displayed.-The Enemy, it is now ascertained, made the sortie with his whole force, which, including the militia volunteers by which he has lately been joined, could not consist of less than 5000. About 200 prisoners fell into our hands; and I cannot estimate the Enemy's loss in killed and wounded at less than that number. The dreadful state of the roads and of the weather, it having poured with rain almost incessantly for the last ten days, renders every movement of ordnance or heavy stores exceedingly difficult. By great exertions the commanding artillery officer has succeeded in moving the battery guns and mortars, with their stores, &c. towards the Chippawa, to which place I mean to withdraw them for the present.

Camp before Fort Erie, Sept. 19. Sir, I have the honour to report to you, that the Enemy attacked, on the 17th in the afternoon, at three o'clock, our position before Fort Erie, the second brigade, under Col. Fischer, composed of the 8th and De Watteville's regiments, being on duty. Under cover of a heavy fire of his artillery from Fort Erie, and much favoured by the nature of the ground, and also by the state of the weather, the rain falling in torrents at the moment of his approach, the Enemy succeeded in turning the right of our line of picquets without being perceived, and with a very considerable force attacked both the picquets, and support in their flank and rear; at the same time

another of the Enemy's columns attacked in front the picquets between No. 2 and No. 3 batteries, and having succeeded in penetrating by No. 4 picquet, part of his force turned to his left, and thereby surrounded our right, and got almost imme. diate possession of No. 3 battery. The Enemy then directed his attacks with a very superior force towards No. 2 battery; but the obstinate resistance made by the picquets under every possible disadvantage, delayed considerably his getting possession of No. 2 battery, in which however he at last succeeded. As soon as the alarm was given, the 1st brigade, being next for support, composed of the Royal Scots, the 82d, and 9th regiments under Lieut.-col. Gordon, received orders to march forward; and also the light demibrigade, under Lieut.-col. Pearson; the 6th regt. remaining in reserve, under Lieut.col. Campbell. From the Concession-road, the Royal Scots with the 89th as support, moved by the New-road, and met the Enemy near the block-house, on the right of No. 3 battery, whom they engaged, and by their steady and intrepid conduct checked his further progress. The 82d regt. and three companies of the 6th regt. were detached to the left, in order to support No. 1 and 2 batteries; the Enemy having at that time possession of No. 2 battery, and still pushing forward, seven companies of the 22d under Major Proctor, and the three companies of the 6th under Major Taylor, received directions to oppose the Enemy's forces, and immediately charged them with the most intrepid bravery, driving them both across our intrenchments, and also from No. 2 battery, thereby preventing their destroying it, damaging its guns in a considerable degree; Lieut.-col. Pearson with the Glengarry light infantry, under Lieut.-colonel Battersby, pushed forward by the centreroad, attacked and carried with great gallantry the new intrenchment then in full possession of the Enemy.-The Enemy, being thus repulsed at every point, was forced to retire with precipitation to their works, leaving prisoners and a number of their wounded in our hands. By five o'clock the entrenchments were again occupied, and the line of picquets established, as it had been previous to the Enemy's attack.—I have the honour to inclose a return of casualties, and the report of the officer, commanding the Royal Artillery, respecting the damage done to the ordnance and the batteries, during the time they were in the Enemy's possession.

L. DE WATTEVILLE, Major-gen. Casualties of the Right Division of the Army, in Action with the Enemy, Camp before Fort Erie, Sept. 17.-General Total: 1 captain, 2 lieuts. 7 serjeants, 105 rank and file, killed; 3 lieut.-cols. S captains, 10 lieuts. 1 ensign, 13 şerjs. 1 drummer,

147 rank and file, wounded; 2 majors, 4 captains, 3 lieuts. 2 ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 assistant-surgeon, 21 serjs. 2 drummers, 280 rank and file, missing.

Officers Killed: --- 6th foot, Capt. R. D. Patterson; 8th foot, Lieut. Barston; De Watteville's regiment, Lieut. Pellichody.

Wounded: Royal Scots, Lieut.-col. J. Gordon, sev.; Lt. J. Ruttledge, since dead; 6th foot, Lieut. Andrews, sev.; 8th foot, Lieut. Lowry, sev.; 82d foot, Capt. J. M. Wright, since dead; Capt. E. Marshall, sl.; Lients. H. Pigott, W. Mason, and R. Latham, sev.; Lieut. G. Harman, slightly; Ens. C. Longford, since dead; De Watteville's regt. Lieut.-col. Fischer, sev. ; Capt. Mittleholzer, sev.; Lieut. Gingins, sev.; Lieut. Steiger, sl.; Lieut. La Piere, sev.; Staff, Lieut.-col. Thomas Pearson, Inspecting Field Officer, severely.

Missing: 8th foot, Capt. Bradbridge, Lieut. M'Nair, Ensign Matthewson; De Watteville's regt. Major De Villatte, Major Winter, wounded; Captains Zehender, Hecken, and Steiger; Lieut. De Berry, Lieut. Hecken, wounded; Adjutant Mermet, Assistant-surgeon Corbea.

Extract of a Letter from Lieut.-general Drummond to his Excellency Sir George Prevost, dated District Head-quarters, Falls of Niagara, Sept. 24.

The troops fell back at eight o'clock on the evening of the 21st to the position alluded to in my letter of that date, and bivouacked for the night under torrents of rain. Soon after daylight on the 22d, the Enemy discovered our movements, and pushed out his picquet posted on the plain opposite Black Rock, and immediately retreated, after exchanging a few shots, without attempting to molest them. Having waited until two o'clock (as well for the purpose of giving battle to the Enemy should he have ventured out, as of giving time for the movement of all incumbrances behind the Black Creek), I ordered the troops to retire across Frenchman's Creek, and the bridge over that creek to be destroyed. A cavalry picquet was left to watch this bridge; and the troops then proceeded to take up their cantonments. The whole of the movements has this day been completed; and the troops are now in comfortable quarters, where it is my intention to give them a few days repose.

This Gazette also contains a dispatch from Lieut.-col. M'Doual to Lieut.-gen. Drummond, giving an account of the repulse of an attack made by the Americans at Machinac, and the capture of the United States schooners Scorpion and Tigress, commanded by Lieut. Turner of the Ame rican navy, which gave us the command of Lakes Huron and Mickhigan. The British loss was only two seamen, killed; Lieut. Badger, and seven soldiers and seamen, slightly wounded.

.. Also an account of the capture, after a chace of eleven hours, by H. M. S. Medway, Captain Brine, on July 12, of the United States brig of war Syren, of 16 guns, and 137 men. During the chase the prize threw overboard all her guns, boats, anchors, cables, and spars.

Admiralty-office, Nov. 22:

A letter from Capt. Milne, of the But wark, dated Oct. 22, states the capture of the American privateer Harlequin, of Portsmouth, with 10 guns and 115 men.

A letter from Capt. Maeculloch of the Barossa, dated Sept. 29, states the capture of the American schooner Engineer, of 8 guns and 35 men;-and also of the Freind's schooner, bound to St. Bartholomew's.

Downing-street, Nov. 26.-Dispatch from Lieut.-gen. Sir George Prevost, bart.

Head-Quarters, Plattsburg, State of

New York, Sept. 11.

My Lord,-Upon the arrival of the reinforcements from the Garonne, I lost no time in assembling three brigades on the frontier of Lower Canada, extending from the river Richelieu to the St. Lawrence; and in forming them into a division, under the command of Major-gen. De Rottenburg, for the purpose of carrying into effect his Royal Highness the Prince Regent's commands, which had been conveyed to me by your Lordship in your dispatch of the 3d of June last. As the troops concentrated and approached the line of separation between this province and the United States, the American army abandoned its entrenched camp on the river Chazy, at Champlain; a position I immediately seized, and occupied in force* on the 3d inst. The following day the whole of the left division advanced to the village of Chazy, without meeting the least opposition from the Enemy.-On the 5th, it halted within eight miles of this place, having surmounted the difficulties created by the obstructions in the road from the felling of trees and the removal of bridges. The next day the division moved upon Plattsburg, in two columns, on parallel roads; the right column, led by Majorgen. Powers's brigade, supported by four companies of light infantry, and a demibrigade under Major-gen. Robinson; the left by Major-gen. Brisbane's brigade.The Enemy's militia, supported by his regulars, attempted to impede the advance ́ of the right column, but were driven before it from all their positions, and the column entered Plattsburg. This rapid movement having reversed the strong position taken up by the Enemy at Dead Creek, it was precipitately abandoned by him, and his gun-boats alone left to defend the ford, and to prevent our restoring the bridges, which had been imperfectly destroyed-an inconvenience soon surmounted.

Here I

found

found the Enemy in the occupation of an elevated ridge of land on the South branch of the Saranac, crowned with three strong redoubts and other field-works, and blockhouses armed with heavy ordnance, with their flotilla (the Saratoga, 26 guns; Surprize, 20 guns; Thunderer, 16 guns; Preble, 7 guns; 10 gun-boats, 14 guns ;) at anchor out of gun-shot from the shore, consisting of a ship, a brig, a schooner, a sloop, and ten gun-boats. I immediately communicated the circumstance to Capt. Downie, who had been recently appointed to command the vessels ou Lake Champlain, consisting of a ship, a brig, two sloops, and twelve gun-boats, (the Confiance, 36 guns; Linnett, 18 guns; Broke, 10 guns; Shannon, 10 guns; 12 gun-boats, 16 guns); and requested his co-operation, and in the mean time batteries were constructed for the guns brought from the rear. - On the morning of the 11th, our flotilla was seen over the isthmus which joins Cumberlandhead with the main land, steering for Plattsburg-bay. I immediately ordered that part of the brigade, under Major-gen. Robinson, which had been brought forward, consisting of four light infantry companies, 3d battalion 27th and 76th regiments, and Major-gen. Powers's brigade, consisting of the Sd, 5th, 1st battalion 27th and 58th regts. to force the ford of the Saranac, and advance, provided with scaling-ladders, to escalade the Enemy's works upon the heights: this force was placed under the command of Major-gen. Robinson. The batteries opened their fire the instant the ships engaged. It is now, with deep concern, I inform your Lordship, that, notwithstanding the intrepid valour with which Capt. Downie led his flotilla into action, my most sanguine hopes of complete suc

* This Return was published in the

cess were not long afterwards blasted, by a combination, as it appeared to us, of unfortunate events, to which naval warfare is peculiarly exposed. Scarcely had his Majesty's troops forced a passage across the Saranac, and ascended the height on which stand the Enemy's works, when I had the extreme mortification to hear the shout of victory from the Enemy's works, in consequence of the British Bag being lowered on board the Confiance and Linnet; and to see our gun boats seeking their safety in flight. This unlooked for event depriving me of the co-operation of the fleet, without which the further prosecution of the service was become imprac ticable; I did not hesitate to arrest the course of the troops advancing to the attack, because the most complete success would have been unavailing, and the pos session of the Enemy's works offered no advantage to compensate for the loss we must have sustained in acquiring posses sion of them.-I have ordered the batteries to be dismantled, the guns withdrawn, and the baggage, with the wounded men who can be removed, to be sent to the rear, in order that the troops may be sent to Chazy to-morrow, and on the following day to Champlain, where I propose to halt until I have ascertained the use the Enemy propose making of the Naval ascendancy they have acquired on Lake Champlain. I have the honour to transmit herewith* returns of the loss sustained by the left division of this army in its advance to Plattsburg, and in forcing a passage across the river Saranac. I have the honour to be, &c. GEORGE PREVOST.

Right Hon. Earl Bathurst, &c. &c.

[The Dispatch of Commodore Sir J. L. Yee, shall be given in our Supplement.] Gazette of the 19th inst.; see p. 586.

ply being brought up, Mr. Whitbread said, that the King of Sicily had told his Parlia ment that England had made loans to him, and asserted that, besides past favours received by his subjects, still greater might be expected from us.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that the loans alluded to were small advances made by Lord Bentinck in 1812, to the amount of 150,000l. and which was in truth only an anticipation of the annual subsidy granted by England, and from which it had afterwards been deducted. He had never stated that Lord W. Bentinck had guaranteed the Crown of Naples to Murat; but only that that Nobleman had undertaken to use his endeavours to induce the King of Sicily to accept an indemnity, in case it should be thought ne.

cessary

cessary at the Congress that Naples should continue to be held by the present possessor: A conversation now took place respect ing Saxony. Mr. Whitbread commented with severity on the annexation of that country to Prussia; and be quoted Prince Reppio's proclamation from the foreign journals, to prove that Lord Castlereagh had assented to that unjust act, in consideration (as he supposed) of the Elector of Hanover having been made a King. He was at the same time represented as having opposed the independence of Poland. He wished the Hon. Gentleman would, before the recess, give some information respecting the situation of Saxony and Poland.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, "I feel no objection to give the Hon." Gentleman some information upon one or two of the points to which he has referred: 1st, with regard to Saxony, I believe that the fate of that Kingdom has not and cannot have yet been decided, because the Congress, by which the decision is to be made, is not yet met; I cannot therefore believe that the fate of Saxony is yet fixed -much less do I believe that any British minister would have been a party to any such decision as is supposed to have been made. As little do I believe (and the Hon. Gentleman will have reason on some future day to recollect my assertion) that any British minister will be a party to the subjugation of Poland."

Mr. Whitbread said he was hardened against the implied' threat. If he knew but little, the Right Hon. Gentleman knew less. Instead of his hopes-expects-and believes-why not tell them at once from the tenour of Lord Castlereagh's letters, that Saxony had neither been delivered up, nor was to become the property of Prussia.

Mr. Vansittart, that he might not be misunderstood, explained as follows:"What I said was, that the fate of Saxony was not, I believed, and could not be, decided, because by the last accounts the Congress had not yet met, whose duty it is to decide; therefore, I presume that any occupation of Saxony which has taken place, according to the public accounts, can only be provisional, merely a military occupation of the country, such as was before maintained by the Russians. This was all I meant to state with respect to Saxony; and the British Minister therefore was not a party to the transaction. As to Poland, what I said was, that it would not be found that a British Minister had' been the author of the subjugation of that country,'

Mr. Ponsonby said, he would willingly hope, not only that our Minister would not be a party to such a transaction, but also that the King of Prussia would pot. What had been his sentiments and

conduct at the treaty of Chaumont? The first article of that treaty recited the wrongs committed by Buonaparte in Germany, and that the Allies were anxious to recover and to protect the rights and liberties of all nations:" yet in so short a time the whole of Saxony was delivered up to the dominion of Prussia, and the people transferred like so many cattle in a fair; and this was called a provisional occupa tion of the country. Such had been the conduct of the two great powers of Russia and Prussia. The right hon. gentleman said, the Congress had not yet met. What signified whether the Congress met or not, if these two Powers continued to pursue such conduct? The whole business was a deception and false colouring, calculated to impose on the world; and our Minister being present, and not quitting Vienna as soon as he saw what the views of those Powers were, had debased and degraded this Country in the eyes of Europe. the accounts in the papers were true, what were the great armies kept on foot for? Was it for the liberties of Europe? No; it was to overawe the people of Saxony, while the scandalous plans of the two Powers were carrying into execution. He should be happy if Ministers could deny this view of the matter, but he thought it impossible.

Mr. Bathurst rose several times to explain. He at first asserted that Ministers were not speaking on the ground of reports, but that they had official information that our Minister had never assented to any decision about Saxony; afterwards that they had accounts that no final decisión had taken place respecting Saxony, which was to be held in trust for Prussia until the settlement made by the Congress; and again, that Prince Repnin's proclamation, being from Dresden, of the 11th, the same date as Lord Castlereagh's last dispatches from Vienna, the latter could make no mention of the circumstance. Ministers had no doubt that the proclamation was unauthorised.

Mr. Lyttleton, from residence abroad, could assert that the Saxons, with the exception of six or seven persons who had been bribed by Russian money or Russian honours, protested against the annexation of their country, and called for the restoration of their Sovereign.

The resolutions were then voted.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Nov. 30. The Royal Assent was given by Commission to the Malt Duty, Irish Glass and Timber Duty, Neutral and Foreign Ships, East India Goods, Wool Importation, Promissory Note, Irish Peace Preservation, and Exchequer-Bill Bills.

The Lord Chancellor introduced a Bill for establishing the Trial by Jury in Scotland,

in Will Causes. To be considered after. the recess.

The question that the House do adjourn to Thursday Feb. 9, was then put, and carried after some observations from the Duke of Sussex and Lord Donoughmore, an the unpromising state of Continental affairs, and the spirit of aggrandisement evinced by several Powers, coupled with a request for information.

In the Commous, the same day, a Bill, introduced by Alderman Smith, was read the first time, for repealing the Assize of Bread in the Metropolis, and empowering Magistrates to punish Bakers mixing improper ingredients with their bread, and also Chandlers in whose possession light Bread might be found.

On Mr. Serjeant Best moving for the number of Insolvent Debtors released from the Fleet and King's Bench under the Insolvent Act, in order to devise some theans to distinguish the unfortunate from the fraudulent debtor; Mr. Lockhart said, he should after the recess, submit a motion for amending the Act.

Mr. Horner said the Act had been effective, and it would prevent that indiscreet credit usually given by tradesmen.

Serjeant Best replied, some tradesmen must either trust, or lose their business.

Mr. Horner moved for a variety of papers as to the manner in which the war had been carried on in Canada, the Courts Martial on Capt. Barclay, Gen. Proctor, &c. which, with the addresses from Bristol, Liverpool, &c. respecting American privateers on our coast, he considered as an impeachment of the Naval Administration of the Country. A very long discussion, in which all the leading members participated, ensued: the papers were granted, except the Court Martial on Gen. Proctor.

Mr. Whitbread, at the close of a vehement attack, accusing Ministers of wishing to screen themselves from the consequences of their neglect in not supplying all our commanders in America, with troops, vessels, ammunition, &c. said, that it was fortunate for one Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. W. Pole,) that he was the brother of the Duke of Wellington. The world was full of his Grace's achievements; he had conquered every thing that was opposed to him, and he had afterwards conquered the Mint for the Right Hon. Gentleman.

Mr. W. Pole said that his Brother was indeed desirous that he should be in the administration, but the invitation had come direct from the Earl of Liverpool.

The question that the House do adjourn to February 9, was then carried, by 63 to 23.

The

In no age, perhaps, were diplomatic affairs kept so sacredly secret as they have been in the present instance. Yet the public curiosity must be fed from day to day; and hence the French, Frankfort, Brussels, and Hamburgh Papers, have been the constant channels of new, renewed, and contradictory statements. plain truth is, that their Conductors have no opportunity of knowing any thing of the matter, The very latest of these Papers add not a jot towards the removal of the obscurity in which the transactions of the Congress are enveloped; on the contrary, their varied and incongruous statements only the more condense the cloud; and, after perusing them, our doubts, and difficulties of judging, are but increased.

To abstract, therefore, the substance of false statements, and unfounded rumours, would be to administer to the rational appetite for knowledge, a spurious and

Respecting Saxony and Poland, all we can discover with any clearness is, that they are subjects of the most difficult adjustment, and that the opposition to the views of Russia and Prussia is of the most determined character: but we do not know even the Powers who resist the pretensions of the two States. France is the only one who has explained herself openly on the subject; but by whom she is backed in her opposition, is still matter of uncertainty. The accounts which are published, of the policy pursued by our Cabinet in these most intricate questions, are contradictory in the extreme. It is asserted in one place, that England stands up for the Independence of Saxony; and another account represents our Government as very earnest in their exertions to annex it to Prussia. The same uncertainty exists respecting the conduct observed by Austria; and as she has great pretensions herself, we cannot believe that she is so zealous in opposing the claims of another Member of the Confederacy. Whence then does

the