Here again, you have a happy confusion in your ideas, which frequently puts it out of the power of your adversary to reply to you, from his not knowing what you intend; and thus, with a fair chance of your friends thinking they understand you, you have a still better for your opponent's mistaking your meaning, and, perhaps, fixing the very point you could not.

With all these endowments I am convinced, after the first fermentation of rivalship is over, that Mr. Long will find you useful, and relent in your favour. What, though you are not quite a Gifford ?* but you may shew with Herriot!-Cobbett writes with more elegance-but the Oracle has not a happier contempt of decency and truth!

If I may advise you, it is to go on as you have begun; that is, to go back and change sides once more, if any side will receive you; for a more decided contempt of principle and consistency, will make your fortune-By the way, it is foolish in the Addington's to complain of your quitting them. You served them long enough (at a stretch)-you appeared to fetch and carry very prettily, and to be bringing hints and suggesting arguments, and all very prettily. Very well, then, upon every principle of fairness aed equality, you may do them as much mischief as you did them good-you can plead a set-off you know-and, besides, you can, at any time, serve the PITTO-FOXO-WINDHAMITES, as you served them. You cannot change too often---it is inconceivable into what a tortuous and thorny path a sneaking love of character will conduct you-you should change your party rather oftener than your gloves-Remember to have no memory--Imitate Mr. Fox; whose mind" you very laudably predicate in the one hundred and twenty-sixth page of your immortal work, "to be of the first class." Shew yourself worthy of the fourth or fifth form then; and although you have not an opportunity of forming a coalition with the man who struck your name out of the council-book-you can vote against your friends for their sake, and with your enemies for your own-you can vote for an enquiry into Lord St. Vincent's conduct, out of regard to his reputa tion, as the Presbyterians fought by the king's authority against his person.-Vote, in short, for any thing, so that it contradicts your other votes; and that no man can guess what vote you are likely to give. This is the arcanum, the true secret. It will make you be respected in spite of all disrespect-it will cause you to be courted by those who laugh at you, and make you of consequence where you are despised.

Sir, I trust you will forgive my officiousness-but although from the gallery I have observed the efficacy of these precepts on the floor-If you follow my advice I am certain Lord L, Gower will grow civil to you, and Mr. Long shake you sometimes by the hand. If not I fear you will remain, in the facetious language of our common friend, Joseph Jekyll, "Your own exceeding great R. WARD.”

I am, Sir, with sincere admiration of your vast talents and variety of virtue,
Your friend and well wisher,

COCKERMOUTH',

March, 15, 1804.

JASPER JONES.

Juftice Giffor, Editor of the Anti-jacobin Review.

FOREIGN POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

The plan formed for the restoration of the legitimate sovereign to the throne of France, now appears to have been of the most extensive and formidable character. It is said that much pains had been taken to sound the disposition of the troops; that the spirit of disaffection was very generally diffused among them, and that if the person of the Usurper had been secured, the enthusiastic cry of royalty would have resounded instantly through every part of France. It is impossible to explore, with any degree of accuracy the ramifications of this extensive and active confederacy.It is generally supposed to have comprehended many of the best and ablest spirits of of the country; nor is it possible, after this event, that the Consul, who has become as timid since his usurpation, as he was bold and daring in his progress to power, can ever enjoy a moment of repose, whatever appearance of tranquillity the face of public affairs may present to his view-however loud may be the shouts and applause of a contemptible rabble, he must every instant dread some new explosion destructive to his illegitimate authority, and fatal to his miserable existence.

Among the persons arrested at Paris, under suspicion of being concerned in this confederacy, are the following distinguished characters, General Dumas, Madame Dumas, De Septeuil, General la Fayette, the Abbe David, Roland, E. Godin, Lajollias, the celebrated Madame Tallien, Madame St. Leger, Limodin, Bouvet, Desonvilles, General Delinas, Charles D' Ossier, &c. &c.

Georges, the Montrose of France, the intrepid and indefatigable supporter of the cause of his lawful sovereign, has at length been apprehended by the blind slaves of the Usurper. He was stopped in a cabriolet, near the barriers, as he was endeavouring to effect his escape from Paris.-The officer who stopped his horse was shot dead upon the spot, and another of the guards was wounded in his attempt to seize the person of this gallant royalist. He was, however, overpowered by numbers, and conducted to prison. He boldly avowed his object, and gloried in the attempt of which he has thus unfortunately become the victim.

The French army which is stationed in the Neapolitan territories, under the command of General St. Cyr has been augmented to 70,000 men. The republicans have modestly required that some of the principal military stations of the country should be surrendered into their possession. They have also demanded the loan of several ships of the line for the purpose of augmenting the still feeble navy of the republic. These demands have been hitherto firmly resisted, and it is apprehended that this circumstance may lead to the renewed occupation of the City of Naples; in conse quence of which preparations have been made to remove the royal family, upon the first aiarm, to the Island of Sicily.

By advices received from Mostar in Dalmatia, it appears that a very serious insurrection bas lately broken out in that city. The particulars of the disturbance are very imperfectly related, but there are several circumstances which render it highly probable, that this rebellious movement was occasioned by French instigation and intrigue. It is said that some persons of considerable rank and consequence, and, among others, the nephew of the bishop of Montenegro, were detected in a correspondence of the most criminal nature, and have since paid, with their lives, the just forfeit of this treasonable attempt.

DOMESTIC POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

The restoration of the health of our beloved sovereign has diffused throughout the country the most lively sensations of joy. Among every rank and description of persons, it has become a subject of mutual and sincere congratulation; and the cloud which has so long impended over the public mind is at length completely dispelled. The bulletin of Thursday was expressed in the following terms." His Majesty is so much better, that in our opinion a little time will perfect his recovery." To increase and confirm the satisfaction which this intelligence is calculated to inspire, such is the opinion of the attendant physicians in his Majesty's confirmed state of convales cence, that no further communication will be published upon the subject. His Majesty has been several times attended in the course of the week, by the Lord Chancel lor and Mr. Addington; he has signed several important papers, and transacted the usual business incident to his exalted station, without experiencing the least uneasiness or fatigue.

It appears from the official statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons, on Wednesday, that the supplies voted for the naval service of the year 1803, exceeded the actual expenditure by the sum £845,315. This strict attention to the national economy, amidst the extraordinary exertions of the admiralty, and the difficult and complicated details of our naval system, will not be reviewed with indifference, or ingratitude by an intelligent and observant public.

It was also stated, on the same evening, by Mr. Vansittart, in consequence of some observations from Lord Folkestone, that of the £5,500,000 the estimated a mount of the war taxes, £3,131,000 had already been received, leaving a balance of £379,000 to b paid in before the fifth of April. We are happy to have it in our power to submit these facts to the public, because they tend so completely to refute the false statements and to overthrow the gloomy and malicious predictions which have been so continually and so actively propogated by the writers in the service of opposition.

Printed by JAMES WHITING, FINSBURY PLACE

Published by J. PARSONS, Bookseller, Ludgate Hill; by CLEMENT, 201, Strand (to either of whom all Communications are requested to be sent) sold—and by A. HAMILTON, at his Musical Library, 221, Piccadilly; by E. KERBY, 2, Stafford Street, Old Bond Street; SEATON, 40, Oxford Street; THOMAS, 35, Old Bond Street; WOODHAM, opposite Chancery Lane, Holborn; PECK, Lombard Street; and by various Booksellers and Newsmen in Town and Country.

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MR. PITT'S ATTACK UPON THE ADMIRALTY.

Having, as we trust, fairly rebutted, in our last Number, the two first charges of Mr. Pitt's late extraordinary and unfounded attack upon the Admiralty, we have now to proceed to the consideration of the third-the substance of which we have shewn to be" that a sufficient number of contracts for the building of ships of war have not been made by the present Board of Admiralty, either for the service of the present moment, or for the future preservation of the British navy.

4

Now, in answer to this charge, we shall distinctly shew

First. That it is, de facto, false-inasmuch as the present Board have made contracts, to the extent of what they deemed really necessary or advantageous to the service.

Secondly. That the very basis, upon which Mr. Pitt- has built this charge, is a proof of the comparatively less exertion of the late Board of Admiralty with that of the present, and of the innumerable defects in the old system; which it has been the unremitting study of Earl St. Vincent to correct.

In the first place, therefore, to shew how little foundation there exists for Mr. Pitt's assertion" that no Contracts have been made to any extent for supplying any "deficiency in the navy which may occur in the course of a few years," we shall lay before the public the following statement of ships now building in the merchants'* yards, by order of the present Admiralty, by which, it will be proved that, although the arrangements they propose will render the King's yards nearly, if not wholly adequate to all the necessities of the navy, that still, in the present crisis, and previous to the full operation of their extensive plans, they have not refused to avail themselves of the aid of the merchant builders, to meet the extraordinary demands of the times, when it could be done, without impeding more, important considerations-for that it might not, is a very possible case.

The fact is that there are now building in the merchants' yards, by order of the

present Board of Admiralty, since July, 1801.

Three Ships of the Line,

Nine Frigates,

Twenty-nine Sloops of War,

Twenty-nine Gun-brigs, and
Twelve Schooners.

And in the same space of time, there have been ordered in the king's yards-
Five Ships of the Line,

Five Frigates.

Now much as the Right Hon. Gentleman may have thought fit to complain in the name of the contractors, surely this is no very small proportion given to those gentlemen-Mr. Pitt, however, either did not know the fact, or misrepresented it; or was dissatisfied, because the merchants had not exactly the two-thirds of the whole work which the late board, with their "utmost activity, zeal, and spirit," had surrendered to them to be badly performed.

Under the pressure of present circumstances, it is evident from the above statement, that half the work has been given to contractors-a greater proportion certainly than the present admiralty would perhaps have allotted them, under any other circumstances, but as they have perhaps as much view to the interest of the country and to the exigences of the present crisis, as the Right Honourable Gentleman himself, they have thought proper to place half the number of ships required in the merchant slips, until by the final arrangement of their plans they shall have increased, as we are about to explain, the powers of his Majesty's dock-yards, so, that in future, and for the good of the service, it is most important—instead of the Right Honorable Gentleman's TWO-THIRDS, somewhat less than even ONE HALF will be the proportion.

It is pretty clear, however, whatever may be the future intentions of the Admiralty, that upon the present occasion the Right Honourable Gentleman's chargeagainst them of not employing the merchant builders to any extent is perfectly unfounded.—The Right Honourable SHIPWRIGHT indeed adopted rather an extraordinary mode of instituting his calculations in this instance-for he seems rather to have counted the number of SLIPS that were empty than those that were filled, when he arraigns the present board for suffering Fourteen slips belonging to conractors to remain unoccupied, although he well knows that, at no period, was the half of those slips occupied for the building of ships of war. Whether by this mode of arguing the Right Honourable Gentleman has let us into the secret spring of all that activity and zeal manifested by the late board, we do not pretend to say--but if the rule for employing the merchant builders, was by counting their empty slips, we must confess it accounts for the profusion of the late system, without attaching to the board much credit for the principle of their exertions.

But, be that as it may-That the Right Honourable Gentleman's charge" against the admiralty of having made no contract to any extent” is de facto false, is sufficiently proved by our having shewn that more than half the number of ships ordered by the present board have been laid down in the merchant yards!

We shall now, therefore, proceed to the second consideration of this charge, by which it will appear, that the very basis upon which the Right Honourable Gentleman has founded that charge, is a proof of the comparatively less exertion of the late board of admiralty, and of the innumerable defects of the old system.

In doing this we shall have to shew the impolicy of trusting nearly the whole