a great rendezvous of privateers and it earnestly intreats the house to against our trade in the Indian seas, "undertake, before it is too late, in has been taken. The expedition was a true and cordial spirit, the measure planned with great prudence, and the of reform upon principles which, by conquest was made at very little ex- conciliating the affections of the pence of either ammunition or lives, people, and at length restoring to It will lead to the capture of the Isle your honourable house its due weight of France, and thus France will be and character, may rescue our counleft without any possession in the east try from domestic discord, and secure of Africa. The Isle of Bourbon lies it from the foreign foc, give stability to the east of Madagascar, just within to the throne, and perpetuate the the tropics. Its inhabitants will have constitution." no reason to regret the change of masters, and this is the only alteration they will find by the capture. The property of private persons is left to them, and the capitulation is very honourable to the garrison: but the governor may not perhaps think it adviseable to avail himself of the permission to return to France with the greatest expedition. We would not answer for his meeting with so good a reception there as in our own country.

At home, the matter of the greatest importance is the meeting of the inhabitants of the county of Kent, on the subject of a reform in parliament, and, we are happy to say, that it has been followed by requisitions for a meeting of the two great counties of Essex and Devonshire. It is impossible, after the open avowal of the abominable corruption practised for seats in parliament, that Englishmen, who have any sense of their duty to their king and country, should refrain from using every constitutional means in their power to prevent such abuses, and to bring back the house of commons to what it was intended to be a just representation of the people. The example, set by the county of Kent, will operate greatly to produce the desired change. The meeting was most respectable; the discussion conducted with the utmost order; and the petition passed unanimously. It states the hearty approbation of the petitioners in the constitutional government by king, lords, and commons; but laments that, from the defective state of the representation, the decay of some towns, and the rise of others, that the house of commons is not what it ought to be. It deplores the rejection in the house of a motion, in the last session, to take into consideration the state of representation,

The speeches on the occasion kept completely to the subject of the petition, except in the instance of one member for the county, Sir E. Knatch bull, who would not openly attack it, but entered into an idle discussion, irrelevant to the subject. The meet. ing very properly set him aside in the presentation of the petition, and it was voted unanimously to be presented by the other member, Captain Honeywood, a most worthy and independent character, who was prevented by illness from attending,but declared, in a letter to the high sheriff, his full concurrence with the petition in every respect, and his ardent desire for reform. It is indeed inconceivable how any member for a county can be of any other opinion: that he should deign to sit in a house where he is shoul dered by a man representing stones, or a few empty houses, or who is sent thither by a peer or a rich commoner, having the command of a borough with half a dozen votes. The thing so glaring, that, when any man talks of innovation to set aside the just demands of the people, it is ten to one that he is a gainer by the present system; and opposes the constitution merely for corrupt purposes. the innovation of time which has brought the country into this state; and as well might a man say that he would not repair the roof of his house, but let the rain pour in, rot his floors, and compel him to live in the ground floor, merely because it would be an innovation to mend the roof of his house.

It is

Gloucestershire presents a very different scene from the county of Kent There the old farce of election squibs, the stupid terms of Whig and Tory are bandied about, and a grand stir is made about the influence of peers in the elections. On the latter hend, we

agree entirely with the opposition- The metropolis exhibited, on the party; but then, we shall be glad to night of the accession, a most disbe assured, that no peers interfere on graceful scene. In consequence of their side: and, if they have solicited the much-lamented illness of the the interest of peers, there is no rea- Princess Amelia, it was generally unson for complaining against that in- derstood that there was to be no illufluence. The fact is, that the county mination, and the well-disposed inhaof Glocester possesses a peer of very bitants conceived that they were large property, and, under the present paying the best compliment to the system of elections, he can, by the sovereign, in following the example weight of his purse, overcome any set at Windsor. But some vagabond private gentleman; and it requires royalists were not pleased with this the union of a number of private gen- determination; and, encouraged by tlemen to act against him. Such an the illumination at some houses, union it is very difficult to form, and which, to their eternal disgrace, took much more to preserve for any length no pains to prevent the riot before of time. The family is always on the them, these lawless wretches filled the watch, the country gentlemen are apt streets with their squibs and crackers, to sleep on their arms. They are now annoyed the passers by with every awake, and we wish them success: possible outrage, and paraded many but they ought to read the Kentish streets, forcing the inhabitants to petition, and, if they would send a place lights in the windows, of which similar one to parliament, they will no small quantity were broken, either do much more good than by sending for disobedience of the order, or supthis or that man to represent them. posed tardiness in the execution of it. It is the expence to which individuals Several of these vagabonds were are put in county elections, that brought up the next day before the throws them into the hands of peers. public offices, and we were happy to Destroy this expence; let the votes see that this was done in consequence be taken in every hundred; let every of the exertion of some respectable) freeholder on the present terms, and persons; and we are persuaded, that, every copyholder and householder with a very little exertion on the part renting a property of ten pounds a- of the householders, the whole of such year, have a vote, provided the latter scenes might be prevented. Ten or has been five years in possession of a dozen of them, joining together his house; and we will secure any might easily have secured the ringCounty in England from the over- leaders, and prevented the whole tugrown influence of any peer whatso- mult. We cannot find words, however. Peers can do nothing in Kent, ever, to express our indignation at because the property in that county is the owners of these houses who, in from the excellent law of gavelkind, shewing their pretended loyalty, did so much divided, and in consequence not take care that it should be the county is better cultivated, and done without violation of the public the higher classes cannot tyrannise peace. over the lower.

BOOKS PUBLISHED, OCTOBER 1810.

As this Department will be of great Importance to AUTHORS and BOOKSELLERS, as well as to Literature in general, it is requested that NOTICES of Works may be forwarded as early as possible (free of Postage,) which will be regularly inserted.

ANTIQUITIES.

BIOGRAPHY.

The Life of Dr. Beilby Porteus, late

A Complete History of ts, Curtons, Lord Bishop of London. 8vo. 9. the Druids;

their Origin, Manners,

The Life of Christ, compiled from

18mo. 3s. 6d.

Powers, Temples, Rites, and Supersti- the four Evangelists. By J. Sabine. tion; in Scotland and Anglesey, at Barr Beacon, Druid Heath, and many other parts of England. 3s,

Life of St. Julius Cæsar, Knt. elephant 4to. 31, Os

Melchisedec's Existence as King of of the People. By John Lord Somers.
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God. By G. Sharp. 2s.

The enlightening and invigorating Influence of Shining Exampies, 1epresented in a Sermon preached at The Judgment of whole Kingdoms Carter-lane, Sept. 16, 1810, on the and Nations, concerning the Rights, Death of J. Paice, Esq. By J. TayPower, and Prerogative of Kings, and lor. Is. 6d.

HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.

DISPATCHES FROM THE BRITISH
ARMY IN PORTUGAL.
GAZETTE INTELLIGENCE.
Downing-street, October 6, 1810.

Aldea del Obispo, Aug. 30, 1810. A Dispatch, containing the following SIR, The painful task has fallen letter from Colonel Cox, was re- to my lot of acquainting your excelceived on the 4th inst. at the Earl lency, that I was reduced to the neof Liverpool's office, addressed to cessity of surrendering the fortress of UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. XIV.

Almeida, which I had the honour to command, on the 27th instant, at ten o'clock at night, in consequence of the unfortunate explosion of the great magazine of powder in the castle, and the small magazines contiguous to it, by which dreadful accident I was deprived of the whole of my artillery and musket ammunition, with the exception of a few made-up cartridges which remained in some of the expense magazines on the ramparts, and thirty-nine barrels of powder which were deposited in the laboratory.

Upwards of half of the detachment of artillery, and a great number of infantry soldiers, besides several of the inhabitants, were destroyed by the effect of this terrible explosion. Many of the guns were dismounted upon the ramparts, the works were materially injured, and a general dismay spread amongst the troops and inhabitants of the place.

GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY, OCT. 15.

Downing-street, Oct. 14.

A Dispatch, of which the following is a copy, was received this day at the Earl of Liverpool's office, addressed to his lordship, from Lieut.-Gen. Lord Viscount Wellington, K. B. dated Coimbra, the 30th September, 1810.

MY LORD,-While the enemy was advancing from Celerico and Francoso upon Vizen, the different divisions of militia and Ordenanza wert and Colonel Trant, with his division, employed upon their flanks and rear; attacked the escort of the military chest and reserve artillery, near Tojal, on the 20th instant. He took two officers and 100 prisoners, but the enemy collected a force from the front and rear, which obliged him to retire again towards the Douro.

I understand that the enemy's com munication with Almeida is completely cut off; and he possesses only the ground on which his army stands. My dispatches of the 20th instant will have informed you of the measures which I have adopted, and which were in progress to collect the army in this neighbourhood, and, if possible, to prevent the enemy from obtaining possession of this town.

In this distressing situation I received a letter from the commanderin-chief of the French army of Portugal, proposing to me that I should surrender the place to the French army under bis command upon honourable terms, which, he said, he was ready to grant; I answered, that I wished to know the terms which he proposed; upon which the articles, On the 21st the enemy's advanced of which I have the honour to send guard pushed on to St. Cambudao, at your excellency a copy, were trans- the junction of the rivers Criz and mitted to me, and which, after using Dao; and Brigadier-General Pack reevery effort in my power to obtain tired across the former, and joined more favourable terms, I accepted, Brigadier-General Crawfurd at Morwith an exception in favour' of the tagoa, having destroyed the bridges militia regiments. I hope my con- over those two rivers. The enemy's duct on this trying occasion will meet advanced guard crossed the Criz, your excellency's approbation, and having repaired the bridge on the that I shall remain justified by the 23d, and the whole of the 6th corps circumstances in the eyes of my was collected on the other side of the country. river; and I therefore withdrew the cavalry through the Sierra de Busaco, with the exception of three squadrons, as the ground was unfavourable for the operations of that army.

The Prince of Esling has been good enough to allow me to return to England on my parole, accompanied by Major Hewitt and Captain Foley, of the 24th regiment, and we are now on our way to France, to embark from thence for a British port.

I have the honour to be, &c.

On the 25th, the whole of the 6th and of the 2d corps crossed the Criz, in the neighbourhood of St. Cambadoa; and Brigadier-General Crawfurd's division, and Brigadier-Gen. Pack's brigade, retired to the position which I had fixed upon for the army on the top of Sierra de Busaco. These troops were followed in this move