which overthrew them, and drove them from the village of Elvina. The 2d regiment of light infantry covered itself with glory. General Jardon, at the head of the voltigeurs, wrought a terrible carnage. The enemy, driven from his positions, retreated to the gardens which surround Corunna. The night growing very dark, it was necessary to suspend the attack. The enemy availed himself of this to embark with precipation. Only 6000 of our men were engaged, and every arrangement was made for abandoning the positions of the night, and advancing next day to a general attack. The loss of the enemy has been immense Two of our batteries played upon them during the whole of the engagement. We counted on the field of battle more than eight hundred of their dead bodies, among which was the body of General Hamilton, and those of two other general officers, whose names we are unacquainted with. We have taken 20 officers, 300 men, and four pieces of cannon. The English have left behind them more than 1500 horses, which they had killed. Our loss amounts to 100 killed and 150 wounded. The Colonel of the 47th regiment distinguished himself. An Ensign of the 31st infantry killed with his own hand an English officer who had endeavoured to wrest from him his eagle. The General of Artillery, Bomgeat, and Colonel Fontenay, have signalised them selves. At day-break on the 17th, we saw the English convoy under sail. On the 18th, the whole had disappeared. The Duke of Dalmatia had caused a carronade to be discharged upon the vessels from the fort of Santiago. Several transports ran aground, and all the men who where on board were taken. We found in the establishment of the Palloza (a large manufactory, &c, in the suburbs of Corunna, where the English had previously been encamped), 3000 English muskets. Magazines also were seized, containing a great quantity of ammunition and other effects, belonging to the hostile army. A great number of wounded were picked up in the suburbs. The opinion of the inhabitants on the spot, and deserters, is, that the number of wounded in the battle exceeds 2500 men. Thus has terminated the English expedition which was sent into Spain. After having fomented the war in this unhappy country, the English have abandoned it. They had disembarked 38,000 men and 6000 horses. We have taken from them, according to calculation, 6500 men, exclusive of the sick. They have re-embarked very little baggage, very little ammunition, and very few horses. We have counted 5000 killed and left behind. The men who have found an asylum on board their vessels are harassed and dejected. In any other season of the year not one of them would have escaped. The facility of cutting the bridges, the rapidity of the torrents, which in winter swell to deep rivers, the shortness of the days, and the length of the nights, are very favourable to an army on their retreat. Of the 38,000 men whom the English had disembarked, we may be assured that scarcely 24,000 will return to England. The army of Romana, which at the end of December, by the aid of reinforcements which it had received from Gallicia, consisted of 16,000 men, is reduced to less than 5,000, who are wandering between Vigo and Santiago, and are closely pursued. The kingdom of Leon, the province of Zamora, and all Galicia, which the English had been desirous to cover, are conquered and subdued. The General of Division Lapisse has sent patroles into Portugal, who have been well received there. General Maupetit has entered Salamanca; he met there some sick of the English troops. Thirty-first Bulletin. na. The English Regiments bearing the numbers 42, 50, and 52, have been entirely destroyed in the battle of the 16th, near CorunNot 60 men of each of these corps embarked. The General in chief, Moore, has been killed in attempting to charge at the head of his brigade, with a view of restoring the fortune of the day. Fruitless efforts. This troop was dispersed, and its General slain in the midst of it. General Baird had been already wounded. He passed through Corunna to get on board his ship, and he did not get his wound dressed till he got on board, it is reported that he died on the 19th. After the battle of the 16th, a dreadful scene took place at Corunna. The English entered in confusion and consternation. The English army had landed more than eighty pieces of cannon: only twelve were re embarked; the remainder has been taken or lost; and by a return, we find ourselves in possession of sixty pieces of English cannon. Independent of two millions of treasure which the army has taken from the English, it appears that a still more considerable sum has been cast away among the rocks and precipices which bordered the road from Astorga to Corunna. The peasants and the soldiers have collected a great quantity of silver among the rocks. the engagements which took place during the retreat, and prior to the battle of Corunna, two English Generals were killed, and three wounded. Gen Crawford is named among the last. The English have lost every thing that constitutes an army-Generals, artillery, horses, baggage, ammunition, magazines.. On the 17th, at day-break we were masters of the heights that command the road to Co runna, and the batteries were playing upon the English convoy. The result was, that many of the ships were unable to get out, and were taken in the capitulation of Corun In na. A Five hundred English horses were also taken still alive, 16,000 muskets, and a great deal of battering cannon, abandoned by the enemy. A great number of magazines are full of preserved provisions (munitions confectionnés), which the English wished to carry off but were obliged to leave behind. powder-magazine, containing 200,000lbs. weight of powder, has also fallen into our hands. The English, surprised by the issue of the battle of the 16th, have not had time to destroy their magazines. There were 300 English sick in the hospital. We found in the port, seven English ships-three loaded with horses, and four with troops. They could not get out. The fortress of Corunna is of an extent which secures it from a coup de main. It was therefore impossible to enter it before the 20th, in virtue of the annexed çapitulation. In Corunna we found above 200 pieces of Spanish cannon. The French Consul Fourcroy, the General Quesnel, and his staff; M. Bougars, Officer or Ordnance; M. Taboureau, auditor; and 350 French soldiers or seamen, who had been made prisoners either in Portugal or on board the shipAtlas, have been delivered up. They express great satisfaction at the conduct of the officers of the Spanish navy. The English have gained by their expedition the hatred of the Spaniards, shame, and dishonour. The flower of their army, composed of Scotchmen, has been either wounded, killed, or taken. General Franceschi has entered St. lago de Compestella, where he found some magazines and an English guard, which he took. He marched immediately upon Vigo. Romana appeared to have, taken this route with 2500 men, all that he could rally. The division of Mermet marched on Ferrol. The air about Corunna is infected by the carcases of 1200 horses, whom the English killed in the streets. The first care of the Duke of Dalmatia has been to provide for the restoration of salubrity, equally important to the soldiers and the inhabitants. General Alzedo, Governor of Corunna, appears to have taken part with the insurgents only from the constraint of force. He took the oath of fidelity to king Joseph Napoleon with enthusiasm. The people manifest the joy they feel at being delivered from the English. GREAT BRITAIN. The attention of the nation has been drawn during the last month to a subject of the highest consequence to its honour and prosperity. No topic has excited for several years so lively and universal an interest, and we cannot do more justice to it than by preserving the able speech made in the House of Commons, by Mr. Wardle, when he first brought it forward in that assembly. On the 28th of January, Mr. Wardle, Member for Oakhampton, rose and spoke as follows: Fully aware, Sir, of the great importance of the subject I am about to submit to the consideration of the House, I most sincerely lament that my abilities are unequal to do it complete justice But yet I trust that an ardent zeal for the welfare of my country, sup ported by facts strong and incontrovertible will enable me to surmount every difficulty, and eventually to rescue the state from the baneful influence of a power which has long been exercised for the worst purposes, and which, in fact, tends to endanger our ultimate security. To stand forward the public accuser of a man so high in rank and so strong in influence as his Royal Highness the Commander-in Chief, may very naturally be deemed no less a bold than an arduous undertaking. But, however bold, however ardu ous it may be, being determined that no consideration of that nature shall ever induce any hesitation or wavering in the performance of my duty, either upon this or upon any other occasion, my mind is fully made up for perseverance. In the resolution I have formed, it is but reasonable for me to calcu late upon the concurrence and co operation of this house and the country For, at a crisis of peculiar poril, when the great if not the only means of our safety may depend upon the judicious organization and able direction of our military force, every man in the community must feel a lively interest in the object which my motion has in view. I trust, therefore, his Royal Highness the Duke of York, will this night find, that however exalted his rank, however powerful his influence, the voice of the people, through their representa tives, will prevail over corruption, and justice will be done to the calls of a long-suffering and meritorious body-to the best, the vital interests of the people. In the course which I am pursuing, I teel conscious of no motive but that of a desire of serving my country, and I am confident that none other can be fairly ascribed to me. The conviction of my mind is, and for some time has been, that unless the system of corruption that has so long prevailed in the military department be done away, this country may fall an easy prey to the enemy. Consistently, therefore, with any ra tional feeling of solicitude for my country, which involves my own connections and my family, it is impossible that I should sit silent and allow the practices wbich have come to my knowledge to be any longer concealed from those who are so much interested in their character and tendency. It is upon these grounds, Sir, that I am urged to offer myself to your attention. The first point in the case which I have to state, relates to the half-pay Fund, which is an establishment under the direction of the commander in chief. This fund arises out of the sale of commissions vacant by death; by the promotion of officers not allowed to sell; er by dismissions from the service. The power of the commander in chief over this fund, was constituted, and Intended, for the reward reward of merit, either by the appointment and may be obliged to resort to him hereafter; of meritorious officers to the commissions which so became vacant, or by selling them, and applying the produce of such sales to the redemption of half-pay commissions, or to the compassionate fund. Here the power of the commander in chief over such produce ceases. If the commissions I have described are otherwise disposed of, the authority vested in the commander in chief is abused, and the objects of the half-pay fund are abandoned. Now, if I can shew that those commissions are appropriated to very different purposes, it will, of course, appear that such abuse and abandonment does take place that merit is not rewarded-that the Half pay List is not reduced-that the Compassionate Fund is not assisted. For the purpose of shewing this, it is absolutely necessary to call the attention of the house to another establishment of the commander in chief's, which is quite of a different complexion to that I have just mentioned. This establishment, which consisted of a splendid house in Gloucester place, a variety of carriages, and a long retinue of servants, commenced in the year 1803, and at the head of it was placed a lady of the name of Clarke. As this lady forms a prin. cipal party in several of the facts which I have to cite, I am under the necessity, however reluctantly, to mention her name, as well as that of others, in order to make out a fair parliamentary basis for my motion, and to satisfy the house that I have not brought it forward upon light grounds. In producing this satisfaction, I have no doubt of succeeding, and I assure the house that I shall endeavour to avoid trespassing upon their time by the statement of more cases than appear to me necessary to the particular points which my motion embraces. The first case to which I have to call your attention is that of Captain Tonyn, whom I understand to be an officer of merit, and, in alluding to him upon this occasion, I beg it to be undestood that I mean no reflection whatever upon his character. This officer, who held his Captaincy in the 48th regiment of foot, was promoted to 4 Majority in the 31st regiment, according to the Gazette, on the 2d of August, 1804. For such promotion, to which, no doubt, Captain Tonyn's professional merit entitled him to aspire, he was indebted to the influence of Mrs. Clarke; without which he might have long looked for promotion in vain. To Mrs. Clarke, Captain Tonyn was introduced by Captain Huxley Sandon, of the royal waggon train; and the terms of agreement were, that Mrs. Clarke should be paid 5001. upon Captain Tonyn's majority being gazetted. In order to secure this payment it was arranged, that the amount should be lodged in the hands of a third person, as agent to the parties, and this agent was a Mr. J. Dono van, a surgeon, of Charles-street, St James'ssquare. As I shall have frequent occasion to introduce this gentleman's name to-night, it seems right that I should present the house with some information about him. It appears that Mr. Donovan was appointed a lieutenant in the 4th royal garrison battalion in the year 1802, and that he was afterwards promoted to the 11th battalion. What the cause of this appointment and promotion was I have endeavoured to ascertain, but without success. I have, however, found, that the services of Mr. Donovan could not have been of a military nature. In fact, since the day of his appointment, in 1802, he has never joined his regiment. But there seems to be some reason for granting him a perpetual leave of absence, as he had been on constant duty in London. This Gentleman was a Member of the medical department of our army in the American war. If he deserved promotion, surely our medical staff is large enough to provide for him. What then could have taken him into the army? But to return to his pursuits in London. The 5001. lodged with this Gentleman was paid to Mrs. Clarke, by captain H. Sandon, as soon as Major Tonyn was Gazetted. Here it be comes necessary to observe to the house, that the regulated difference between a company and a majority is 11001. which should have been appropriated as I before mentioned. But how does the affair stand? Mrs. C. gains 5001. and 11001. are lost to the Half-pay Fund. This sum, however, of 5001. was paid by Mrs. Clarke, to a Mr. Birket, a silversmith, in part payment for a service of plate for the establishment in Gloucesterplace; the balance for which plate was afterwards paid by his Royal Highness the commander in chief. The positions which I hold to be clearly deducible from this case are these-First, That Mrs. Clarke possessed the power of military promotion. Secondly, that she received pecuniary consideration for such promotion. And, thirdly, that the commander in chief was a partaker in the benefit arising from such pecuniary consideration. To establish the truth of this case I have the following witnesses: Major Tonyn, Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Donovan, captain Huxley Sandon, and Mr. Birket's executors. The second case I have to adduce, relates to the subject of exchanges. Upon the 25th July, 1805, an exchange was concluded be tween lieutenant-colonel Brook, of the 56th regiment of Infantry, and lieutenant-colonel Knight, of the 5th dragoon guards, through the influence of Mrs. Clarke. The agent for negociating this transaction was a Mr. Thynne, a medical gentleman. The circumstances of the application to the Duke of York were shortly these-Mrs Clarke wanted some money to defray the expences of an excursion to the country; she therefore urged the commander-in-chief to expedite the exchange, as she was to receive 2001. for it. This urgent request was made upon a Thursday, and its influence was such, that the ex change A change was actually gazetted upon the Saturday following. Mrs. Clarke in consequence received 2001. from the agent. This case then serves to shew-first, that, in addition to promotions, exchanges also were at the disposal of Mrs. Clarke; and secondly, that the purse of the commander-in-chief was saved by the supply which his mistress derived from such sources. The witnesses to this case are, Lieutenant-Colonel Brooke, Lieutenant-Colonel Knight, Mrs. Clarke, and Mr. Thynne. As a contrast to the preceding exchange, I shall take leave to state a case of peculiar hardship which ocurred within the year; two meri. torious officers, Major Macdonaid and Major Sinclair, both of the first regiment of infantry, and both indisposed, were anxious to make an exchange-the one desiring, for the recovery of his health, to remain in England; while the other, from a similar motive, desired to go to the West Indies. These gentlemen sought their object by every honourable means. The most urgent requests, and the most respectable recommendations were made in their favour, but in vain. No mistress was resorted to-no bribe of 2001. was offered-Major Macdonald was forced to go to the West Indies, and fell immediately a victim to the climate; Major Sinclair was forced to remain in England, and survived but a few months. Thus was the country deprived of two highly deserving officers. The fourth case I have to adduce refers to Major John Shaw, of Colonel Champagne's Ceylon regiment. Major John Shaw was appointed deputy barrack master of the Cape of Good Hope, on the 3d of April, 1806, through the influence of Mrs. Clarke. It was known that this officer by no means enjoyed the favour of the Duke of York-that in fact his Royal Highness entertained some prejudices against him. But these obstacles Mrs. Clarke easily contrived to overcome; for it was agreed to pay Mrs. Clarke 10001. for the major's appointment. The appointment was therefore made, and the major himself paid Mrs. Clarke 3001. Soon after, 2001. more were sent to Mrs. Clarke by Major Shaw's unele, through Coutts's bank, and the payment was made by one of Mr. Coutts's clerks. The remaining 5001. however, was not paid; and when it was found not to be forthcoming, Mrs. Clarke was enraged, and threatened revenge. Sheactually complained to the commander-inchief of Mr. Shaw's breach of contract, and the consequence was, that the major was soon after put on half pay. I am in possession of several letters which passed upon this subject, from Major Shaw and Mrs Shaw, threatening both the commander-in-chief and Mrs Clarke with public exposure, &c. if their complaints were not redressed, but in vain. In conse. quence of this business, I have been induced to examine the half-pay list, in order to see whether any similar reduction to that of Major Shaw had taken place in the barrack depart ment-but I have found no such thing, such officers being, in fact, kept on full pay, even on the home staff. This case of Major Shaw was indeed the only instance I could find of such an officer being reduced to half-pay. The case of this officer, then, demonstrates, that Mrs. Clarke's influence extended to appointments on the staff of the army, as well as to promotions and exchanges in the army itself; secondly, that the commander-in-chief punished an individual by reducing him from full to half-pay, for non-performance of a nefarious contract with his mistress; and, thirdly, that the commander-in-chief was a direct party to all this shameful transaction. The witnesses to this case are, Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Shaw, uncle to Major Shaw, Mr. Coutts's clerk, and Mrs. Shaw. I now come to the very novel case of Colonel French and his levy. This oflicer was, through the influence of Mrs. Clarke, appointed by the commander-in chief to conduct a levy in the years 1804-5. The colonel was introduced to Mrs. Clarke by Captain Huxley Sandon, and the condition upon which he obtained his appointment was, that Mrs. Clarke should have one guinea out of the bounty of every man raised, together with the sale or patronage of a certain number of the commissions. The agreement being concluded, it was communicated to, and approved of, by the commander-in-chief. Colonel French was accordingly sent by Mrs. Clarke to the Horse. Guards, and, after many interviews, the levy was set on foot. As the levy proceeeded, Mrs. Clarke received several sums of money from Colonel French,Captain Huxley Sandon, and a Mr. Corri. She also received 5001. from a Mr. Cockayne, who is a well known solicitor in Lyon's-inn, and a friend of Captain Huxley Sandon. But, to return for a moment to Mr. Donovan, the garrison-battalion lieutenant, This gentleman, who was such a prominent agent in these transactions, was acquainted with an old officer, a Captain Tuck, whom he very strongly recommended to seek promotion: and to encourage him by a display of the faci lity with which it might be attained, he sent hima written scale of Mrs. Clarke's prices, for different commissions, which, instating, I beg leave to contrast with the regulated prices of the army. Mrs. Clarke's Prices. Regulated Prices, 1500 550 400) An Ensigncy 200 From this scale it appears, that the funds I have before alluded to, lost, in an enormous ratio to the gain of Mrs. Clarke, or any other individual acting upon the same system. Here I am to take leave of Mrs. Clarke. Here the scene closes upon her military nego tiations and in what follows, the commander in chief alone is interested. It appears that his Royal Highness required a loan of 50001, from Colonel French, and Mr. Grant Grant, of Barnard's-inn, promised to comply with the request in procuring the money, provided the commander in chief would use his influence and obtain payment to Colonel French of a balance due to him by Government on account of the levy. This was promised; but the commander in chief failing to fulfil his part of the condition, the loan he required was not advanced, and 30001. still remain due from government to Colonel French. The case of this levy shews, first, that Mrs. Clarke, in addition to promotions in the army, to exchanges and appointments on the staff, possessed the power of augmenting the military force of the country; secondly, that in this case, as in all others, she was allowed to receive pecuniary consideration for the exercise of her influence; thirdly, that the commander in chief endeavoured to derive a pecuniary accommodation for himself, independently of Mrs. Clarke's advantages. The witnesses in this case are Colonel French, Captain Huxley Sandon, Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Corri, Mr. Grant, Captain Tuck, and Mr. J. Donovan. The last case with which I shall at present trouble the house, is that of Captain Maling. This gentleman was appointed to an ensigncy in the 87th regiment, on the 28th of November, 1805-to a lieutenancy in the same regiment on the 26th of November, 1806and toa captaincy in the Royal African Corps, under the command of the Duke of York's own secretary, Colonel Gordon, on the 15th of September, 1808. I have every reason to believe Captain Maling to be a very unexcep tionable character, although I cannot help pronouncing the mode of his promotion as extremely exceptionable. But this promotion was effected through the influence of the favourite agent, Mr. Greenwood, in whose office Mr. Maling was a clerk, remaining at his desk while advanced in the army by such an extraordinary course-by a course which interfered with the interests, which superseded the rights of many meritorious officers, who had long served in the army--who had fought and bled for their country. This Mr. Maling has also, I understand, had, while so promoted, some appointment of paymaster in Ireland. I would appeal to the candour of the house, to the common sense of any man or body of men, whether it be right, whether it be tolerable, that such an accumulation of favours should be conferred upon any individual, without any claim of protes sional merit, but merely through the operation of undue influence, while so many hundreds of truly deserving men are slighted and overlooked? I would ask, whether it be possible that our army can prosper-that its spirit can succeed, or its character be advanced, while such injustice is tolerated? I will not dwell upon those points-it is quite unnecessary. The facts I have stated are such as must suggest such reflections to any man's mind. The house must feel the 1 But propriety, the necessity of grounding some proceeding upon such facts. The proceeding I propose will, I have no doubt, be acceded to. I am sure I have stated quite enough to induce the house to give what I ask-I could state more, if necessary. There is, indeed, one thing to which I cannot omit alluding. The house must be astonished indeed at the corruption of the times, when told, that there is at this moment a public office in the City for the sale of commissions, at the same reduced scale as that of Mrs. Clarke; and that the persons who manage this office stated in my presence, that they were the agents of the present favourite mistress, Mrs. Carey. Indeed, these agents declared further, that they were also enabled to dispose of places both in church and state, and that they did not hesitate to say, that they were employed by two of the first officers in the administra tion. But these are points to which I may, on a future day, feel myself more enabled to speak at large. The honourable member concluded with moving for the appointment of a Committee to inquire into the conduct of the commander in chief, with regard to promotions and exchanges in the army, &c. &c." MIS. CLARKE, one of the late mistresses of the Duke of York, has since been examined many times at the bar of the House of Commons, and her evidence, which has been clear and correct, and corroborated by a variety of other evidence and written documents, has engaged the labours of the house, and the undivided notice of the public, through the month. The volume detailing these proceedings, will be one of the most interesting in the English language. cannot be expected that we can give even a faint outline of them, we shall however preserve certain letters of the Duke of York, written during the time, and since the period of his residence with Mrs. Clarke. DURING HIS RESIDENCE It WITH MRS. "To George Farquhar, to be left at the Post office, Worthing." Weymouth, August, 4, 1805. My MY BELOVED." How can I sufficiently her pretty pretty letter gave me? Millions and express to my sweet darling life the delight millio s of thanks for thinking of me. heart is full of your affection, and on it my whole happiness depends. I am quite hurt my life did not go to Lewes races.-'Twas kind of her to think of me: but I trust she knows me too well not to be convinced that I could not bear the idea of the great sacrifice which I am too sensible she has made to me. Yes! my angel cannot expect to hear from me from hence. There are few here that I know, except Lord Chesterfield's family.I went to the play last night: it went off better than the |