38 
red. We.ftated fome time fince, that a 
difpute had arifen between the city of 
‘Amferdam and the Batavian Republic 
relative to the mode of levying the taxes 
there. Taking advantage of this trivial 
circumfance, the Chief Conful difpatched 
General Montrichard to take the command’ 
of the French troops in the Dutch {ervice, 
ordering him to fix his head-quarters at the 
Hague. The Batavian Government, with 
“a becoming {pirit, reprefented that it could 
not recognife General Montrichard in this 
capacity, the aflent of the Republic not 
having been previoufly obtained ; and in- 
timated an in‘ention of continuing the 
French troops no longer in their pay. The 
reply to this reprefentation was an order 
from the Chief Conful demanding.a joan 
of 80,000,000 of florins (about feven 
millions fterling) and an intimation, on 
their pleading incapacity, that he would 
fend an army of 40,000 men into the cen- 
tre of the Republic, to enforce the collec- 
tion of it. Later advices however inti- 
mate, that the Dutch are now in hopes of 
* procuring the removal of the French heade 
quarters from the Hague. Poflibly, as the 
affairs of the Chief Conful in the Weit 
Jndies become more embarrafled, he may 
think it prudent to relax in his demands 
on this republic; or peflibly they may 
have commuied for their offence by the 
eguipment-of the fleet which is intended. 
to convey the new governor of Louifiana, 
General Vitor, to the place of his deiti- 
nation.. 
GERMANY. 
The Emperor has not yet ratified the de- 
finitive conclufum with refpeét to the in- 
demnities. Ine vote of Brandeuburg, fe- 
conded by thofe of Bavaria, Heffe Caffel, 
and Wirtemberg, declares a readinefs to 
contribute to the furtherance of the inte- 
reits of the Grand Duke of Tufcany, but 
objects to any referve being imferted in the 
general conclufum on that fubject. All 
the votes hitherto given have been in fa- 
vour of the general conclufum. It is how- 
ever fuppoled that the Grand Duke of 
Tuicany will be advanced to the electoral 
dignity, and that he will receive from 
Munich the bifhopric of Eichitadt, the 
allodial property of that court in Bohemia, 
and fome diftrigis in the Upper Palatinate. 
Thofe who conceive that the activity 
and encroaching fpirit of Popery is altoge- 
ther fubdued, will do well to dire&t their 
attention to the infidious propotal of the 
court of Vienna for increafing the num- 
ber of Catholic votes in the Diet of theEm- 
pire By the fpirit and firmnefs of the 
King of Pruffia this manceuvre has for the 
State of Public Affairs in Fanuary, 1803. 
[Feb. 1, 
prefent been fruftrated. His Majefty de- 
clared, that, however in future he might be | 
difpofed to withdraw his oppofition to 
fuch an arrangement, at this time, at leaf, 
‘it appeared unneceflary and improper. 
EGYPT. : 
Such are the revolutions in the military 
force and genius of ftates and empires, that 
the once formidable power of the Otto- 
man Porte now fhrinks before the molt 
puny antagonift. ‘* Man but a reed 
againft Othello’s breaft, and he retires !” 
As the perfidy of the Fiench towards 
Touffamt in St. Domingo has been am- 
ply.avenged ; fo the cruelty of the Grand 
Vizier feems to have recoiled upon him- 
felfin Egypt. By letters from Conftanti- 
nop!e, bearing date the 2d'of December, 
it appears that the Porte had juit received 
advices of the-entire defeat of their forces 
there. ‘The Mamalukes, it is faid, were 
furrounded by the Ottoman troops under 
the Pacha of Cairo; but in the mean 
time Olman Bey had procured a large re- 
inforcement unknown to the Pacha. The 
other Beys then brought a body of troops 
to act on one fide of the Turkith army, 
while Ofman Bey attacked ‘on the other. 
The confequence was the total route of 
the Ottomans, with a dreadful carnage, 
which was only put a ftop to by the inter- 
vention of the Englifh from Alexandria. 
Yn the mean time the Beys are entire maf- 
ters of Lower Egypt. : 
- Mott extraordinary changes’ have hap- 
pened in our time in the political world : 
but none is more aftonifhing than the al- 
liance, which is faid to have been con- 
traied on this occafion between the Porte 
and the famous Pafwan Oglou. That 
atrocious rebel, it is now reported, is the 
man to whom the Divan confides the con- 
queft of Egypt, and he is making prepa- 
rations to that effeét. Should this be the 
cafe, either the Porte has determined to 
get rid of a troublefome neighbour, by ce- 
ding to this enterprifing chief the govern- ~ 
ment of Egypt,or he,in accepting the com- 
miffion, has deeper views. ‘The Porte is 
probably equally jealous of the French 
and Englifh, the only two powers’ who 
could effentially affift it in this objeét; and 
thefe powers are probably equally jealous 
of each other. - 
WEST INDIES. ; 
In the beginning of the month an un- 
founded alarm was excited by intelligence 
faid to have been brought by the Ehza 
‘{chooner> purporting .that the ifland of 
Jamaica had been invaded by a large” 
body of troops, French and Spaniards, 
from Les Cayes. The momentary ap- 
' . -prehenfion 
. 
