granted, there would probably be a difference of opinion, but, considering the occasion, it obviously would be improper that it should be a scanty or penurious grant. He concluded with mɔving "that a sum not exceeding 200,0001. should be granted to his Majesty, to be applied towards the relief of the sufferers in Russia."

Mr. Ponsonby said, he should vote for the grant, but not for the reasons assigned by the last speaker. It would not afford either speedy or effectual relief to the sufferers; but he looked upon it in the light of a gift to the Emperor of Russia, and as a mark of gratitude for the extraordinary efforts made by that country in resisting the power of France, and opposing the continental system which, was attempted to be forced upon it.

Mr. Bathurst defended the words speedy and effectual" applied to the grant, as being used relatively, and in conjunction with other measures of relief.

Mr. Whitbread said that after fully exercising his judgment upon the question, he could not suffer the vote to pass unanimously. He thought the proposed grant would prove ineffectual, and that it was inconsistent with the sentiments of justice which the House was bound to enterta'n for the distresses of their own countrymen. The sum was too paltry to be of any real use; and it was the duty of the Russian goverment to protect its people, and to alleviate their wretchedness, oc

casioned by an act unparalleled in the History of the worldthe conflagration of Moscow. The sum appeared to be in reality a contribution to carry on the war, and no other than a paltry and contemptible subsidy.

Lord Castlereagh strongly disclaimed the appellation given to the grant by the last speaker, and said, that by the vote now proposed, we were subsidizing the sensibilities and generous feelings of all the world.

He

Sir Francis Burdett could not consent to give away money which, whilst it could not be effectual to relieve the calamities of Russia, would add to the burdens already so severely felt by the community at home. thought it was hard that the people of this country should be called upon to support the emigrants of all nations; and yet when relief was requested for our starving manufacturers, the answer was, that in times like this, economy must be attended to, and it was impossible for the House to grant relief to an extent that would be of any avail.

Mr. Wilberforce did not doubt that the sum asked for would be of material benefit to the Russians, as similar grants had been in other cases. It would shew at least the sympathetic feelings of the House for the distresses of the Russian people ; and he could not conceive why nations should not be generous, as well as individuals.

to.

The resolution was then agreed

Nothing

Nothing further of importance occurred in Parliament be fore its adjournment for the Christmas recess.

It should be recorded, that in

addition to the parliamentary aid granted to Russia, considerable private subscriptions were entered into for the relief of the sufferers in that country.

CHRONICLE.

JANUARY.

XTRACT from the Danish'

E newspaper of the 31st of De

cember, 1811:

"We have received accounts that the English ship St. George, 98 guns, commanded by Admiral Reynolds, and the Defence of 74, Capt. David Atkins, were driven ashore on the morning of the 24th instant, near Cape Ryssenstein, in the lordship of Rinkiobing. The crew of the former is said to have consisted of 350 men, and of the latter, of 550 men, not including the officers. Half an hour after the Defence had touched the ground, the whole went to pieces, and all the crew (excepting five seamen and one marine, who saved themselves by holding pieces of timber) were drowned. Capt. Atkins reached the shore, dead. The day after, in the afternoon, there were seen from the land some part of the cabin and poop of the St. George, upon which were standing many men. Part of the mast was cut away, and some men endeavoured to escape on it; but it is conjectured, that few have been saved, since the waves and the current, with the wind coming from the N. N. W. would sweep them off before they reached the land. Some, likewise, attempted to save themselves on a VOL. LIV.

raft, but are said to have perished; and when the accounts came away from Lemvig, intelligence had reached that place, that the St. George had totally gone down, and that only twelve men of the crew had been saved. The ship was upwards of 300 fathoms from the land."

Lemvig, Jan. 6.-There were no more than eleven men saved of the crew of the St. George, as the twelfth died before he could be brought into a house. These seamen state, that the ship, previous to the loss of her masts, had likewise had her rudder broken by striking on the Redsand; and the one which was made on board to replace it, was too weak to steer and govern the ship, in a gale of wind in the North Sea, and which might, probably, cause the ship's stopping.

The Defence first took the ground; and on signal being given by her of the accident, the St. George immediately let go her anchor, but in bringing up with the anchor she took the ground abaft, so that her forepart, which had deeper water, and was confined down by the cable, was, in a short time, under wa ter. To save them by boats and eraft from the shore was impossible. Such as were hoisted out were immediately driven from the ship, with the exception of one single B

boat,

boat, in which about 20 men attempted to save themselves, but it upset alongside the ship, and they were all drowned. On the afternoon of Christmas-day, when the last of the eleven men left the ship, on a small piece of plank, Admiral Reynolds and Captain Guion, the commander of the ship, were lying dead aside each other, upon the quarter-deck, as were also about 508 men of the crew, who had died through fatigue and cold, and from the sea breaking over them; only about fifty men remaining still alive, whose cries were heard until it became dark, when, it is to be hoped, that an end was put to their misery. Two days afterwards, when the gale was abated, and the wind, being easterly, was off the shore, a Danish boat, with two of the English sailors, went on board to bring away the corpses of the admiral, the captain, and several other persons; but they found the deck was washed away by the sea, with all the bodies lying on it. It is supposed the ship must now be broken right athwart, although both ends of her are still perceptible, and that it must be the ammunition lying in the bottom, which holds her together. Among the ship's crew, which is said to have been no more than 750, about 40 were reckoned in the class of officers; and of these, exclusive of the admiral and captain, ten were lieutenants, one secretary, one captain, and three lieutenants of marines. The secretary, who was a married man, was half dead when he came on shore, and expired immediately after. A quantity of gold coins found upon his person, such as whole and half guineas, Dutch ducats, &c. and

likewise some English Bank-notes, is, so far as yet known, all the money saved. According to the report given by the survivors, the admiral must have been a most gallant man. He would not quit his ship, but die on board her. He was a widower, and has left two daughters bebind him, and a son, who is a captain.

A great number of dead bodies have driven on shore between Hausbye and Nessum, all of which were interred with military honours. Forty-seven barrels of gunpowder have been saved out of the Defence.

Narrative, by a Person on board the Grasshopper, of the circumstances attending the loss of that Vessel and the Hero. On Wednesday the 18th of December, 1811, we sailed from Wingo Sound, in company with his Majesty's ships Hero, Egeria, and Prince William armed ship, with a convoy of 120 sail or upwards. The Egeria and Prince William, with the greatest part of the convoy, separated from us in the tremendous weather we had shortly after leaving the Sleeve; and on the 23d instant, we found ourselves in company with the Hero, and about eighteen sait, mostly government transports. At half-past eleven on that day, Captain Newman made signal te come within hail; when he told us, as he conceived we were near about the Silver Pitts, he should steer S. W. after noon, which was accordingly done; and at the close of the day, we steering that course, running at the rate of nine knots per hour, at about ten o'clock, the night-signal was made to alter course to port two points, which was repeated by us, At this time

only