The National Register. — London, England, 1818-03-30 00:00:00

A .) fx , C. / ,: No. 529.—V0L. XI. romucAL I)ISQU ISITION. ON THE AFFAIRS OF FR tNCE. THE news from France this week has liven more than usually interesting, and we propose to allude to t more particularly under this head, as it affords us au oppot tunity of commenting upon it, and various mat ters connected with the internal state of the kingdom with more freedom than in the usual place. Our at tention is especially excited by the Report of the Corn- Mittee appointed by the Chamber of Deputies to exa mine the Finance Law for the current year. After a particular and close examination of the various items stated by the Minister of Finance u requisite fur the public service, the Connuittee recommend reductions to the amount of :22,t291,000 francs, making the grand tatal, 974,980,000 of francs,. that is, about 40-millions sterling. in justice to the Committee, we must say they appear to have been scrupulous in their examina tion, and impartial in their recommendations of re trenchment ; but, perhaps, after all, this is only a scene in the graaddrania, which is intended to move to pity the tender hearts of the Allied Sovereigns. The Reporter, M. Roy, concluded his. address us follows " In the moan time we are justly alarmed at the ronsiticcuble in. creme of the expenditure. All is changed around us, and we pro. reed as if nothing were changed. The resignation of the country in this period of misfortune has been great and admirable; it originated in their love of their king; but though their attachment is immats ble, all their resources are e.thausted, and we announce to you this fiightful truth, that if the extraordinery charges which press upon tieti shall not cease in the course of this year, it will be impossible fa: you to establish the budget of 1819." 41 ' This," we are informed, " produced a strong sensa tion in the Assembly "—no doubt of it—so it was in tended, and it was intended not only to produce a sen sation there, but in other quarters, where it was hoped these profie.sions of poverty would avail to release them from the contributions stipulated by the Treaty of 1815. We have too strong a belief in the ingenuity of the French 'Nation, not to suspect that more is meant in all this than meets the ear. They arc equally ex pert in getting up State tragedies and State tierces; and what is still more convenient, they can pass from one to the other with the utmost celerity and composure. This transaction is of the latter kind ; or, rather, in deed, it is Harlequin playing tragedy for his own bene fit. We are quite persuaded that the littistry would never have volunteered these protestations of poverty and alarm, witl.eet they had seine secret purpose to answer—and ;hat purpose was, to induce the Allies to remit the contributions that arc yet due, and withdraw their troops from France. It; however, the Allied Courts are satisfied that the tranquillity of Europe de pends in any degree upon tl:e continued residence of their troops in that country, we trust that they will not suffer themselves to be iupased upon by any pretences of this description. We woad ask, did they who now suffer, ever evince any extraordinary compassion for tlutse who suared fro:a !Lir tyraany ? Was not the glory of France erected on tle ruins of other nations? Were not her armies f‘d wi:11 their abundance ? Was not that abundance, in many it.stances, converted into famine and national ruin ?—wity then sheuld we pay attention to their demands, particularly when they may reasonably be suspected to be founded on fallacy and desi . :,en. If the general' welfare squire that the articles of the Treaty should be strictly adhered to, it is the duty of the confederate Powers to see that it is done. In treating of this subject, the question will naturally be put. " Do you then doubt the pacific disposition cr the strength of the Ron rlsni gor,:roolcot ?" Not the formerly, certainly—far it is the clear interest of the I much nation to remain at pew: ; ‘vo!e they to go to ar, their destruction would inevitably be the result; 1 ut we canact conceal that the Government is weak— that it has many opponents, mai those oponcats of the alio nal Umitittr+ Our Bing, Con4titution MONDAY, MARCH 80, 1818. class, who are most likely, if restored to power, to plunge Europe into war, and deluge the Continent with blood. It is, therefore, highly necessary, that so dangerous a faction should be repressed ; and it is much to be feared, that if the Army of Occupation were now tvithdranm, they might be the means of creating the dreaded evil. But here we shall be asked : " Where is the justice of maintaining a dynasty on the throne, which you confess to be disagreeable to the people ?" Speaking abstractedly, we detest the idea of upholding the power of any Sovereign, merely by fo reign bayonets ; but in this instancq, what evidence have we to prove that the people at large arc inimi cal to the Bourbons? and if they be so—have they not to accuse their own frivolity and instability of being the cause of their subjection—were not the Bourbons received everywhere with acclamations—were not the people as delighted with the restored family as a child with a rattle ?- Every public demonstration. of joy was manifested at their return—and if Frenchmen will be hypocrites, they must take the consequences.. The enmity to the Government was very naturally attri buted to the men who had attained the highest honours under Buonaparte, and were, of course, dis satisfied with the change—military men and military habits had acquired such. a predominance in the nation, that it was difficult to diffuse . that spirit of peace throughout the people which the times required;. while, at the. same time, the Allied Sovereigns could not iden tify this restless disposition on the part of the discon tented, with the general feeling of the nation, especi ally as the return of pence was found and acknowledged to be productive of the 'nakt beneficial results to the pacific, the industrious, and consequently, the more valuable portion of the community. When we consi der the discordant materials of which dice French Court is composed, we shall not, indeed, be surprised at the degree of ferment and party animosity which subsists, and, undoubtedly, keeps the Allies continually on the alert. This agitation is promoted by the most perni cious intrigues carried on frequently by persons, whose engaging them, is disgraceful to their rank ; their public characters and their private feelings. Where almost every leader of a political party entertains views di&rent, perhaps, diametrically o;posite to the other factions, fhw men can be found, on whom sufficient reliance can be placed, to entrust them with the affairs of the king l in ; the lmstility of the parties to each other is not like an ordinary struggle for power ; it is system opposed to system ; it is the eNperience of one century warring with the bigotry of another. We have not now room to descend to the particular; of these clashing interests, but we shall take an early opportunity of resuming the subject, to which, we have . no doubt, the course of events will shortly lead. New York Papers have arrived to the 21st The President had sent a message to Congress, recom mending that an Act should be passed for re:unding the discriminating ditties levied on British goods or vessels subsequent to the Jd of July, 1815. Th e Spa nish government, it is said, had applied to the Prince Regent to act as mediator between it rnd the govern ment of the Unitel States: but his Royal Highness had declined to officiate in that character, uftless he should receive a similar amilieath.n from the latter.— The Committee of the Pennsylvania Legislature, to whom Mr. Cobbett's petition had been referred, had reported favourably thereon, and a bill was ordered to be brought in, fir paying back to him the sum of t 2,300 dollars levied upon his bail, after be left Ame r:en, under a supposed ihrfititure e: his recognizance, art which sum he had remitted to them from England la 1804. .1a article in an Havannah paper contains an official aceonat of the exceation of General Mial. The report is sigma by a surgeon, who examine:l the anti specifics tho place and number of the woumb re ceived. ..(1. - - - - - - - - REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Observations on the Slate of Ireland, principally directed to its Agricultural and Rural Population; in a Series of Letters, written on a Tour through that Country. BY J. C. CURWEN, Esq. M.P.-Iw° Vet.s. fivo. A modern Tour is, of all kinds of literary composi tion, the most convenient for modern publishers and readers. Formerly, it was the object of a tourist to comprehend in his Book as much as possible relating to. the country he visted—to dascribe the scenery and build.. ings—the manners, customs, and laws—nay, even ta:e history of the people; but now it is far otherwise— This plan was found extremely prejudicial to the book seller's interests—it was diffusing knowledge at too cheap a rate ; and a most happy thought it was, that the information which heretofore might be found in one book, should now be sought in six ; and, consequently, halfa dozen travellers mayeasilygroover the same I.T,roti without in the least interfering with each other sohaer. vations. We have agricultural, geological, and anti quarian tourists—delineators of buildings, and narra tors of scandal—sometimes we are favoured with en. gravings for the sake of the book, and sometimes with a book for the sake of the engravings, and so ou. Let it not be supposed from these remarks. that wc intend to trifle with the work now before us, on the contrary, we were led to make them from the consi deration that Mr. Curwen appears to us.to have return. ed to the good old method of affording a really valuable niass of informatibn generally ; for although, us the title declares, he has one leading object--one tirvourite pursuit principally in his mind, re nevertheless takes such a comprehensive view of the whole subject, and sets out with the professed intention of making enqui. ries respecting the important question, of the state of the people in a moral and political view, that he must be entirely excluded from that class of travellers who treat only of one particular feature, and take it for• granted that their readers are previously acquainted with all the rest. _ _ _ We are sorry that it will he utterly impossible for us k in our limits, to render that justice to the work which its merit claims ; the utmost we can effect will be to ex. tract such observations as appear to us more particularly deserving of attention ; and, at the close, to take a short view of the Author's lendin g principles and con clusions. We may observe here, that no gentleman is more qualified for the purposes mentioned in the title page, than Mr. Curwvo, from the study of his life, and the comprehensiveness 4)f his mind, and that the Letters afford ample evidence of his talents as a politician, aft agriculturist, and a writer. Mr. C. expresses a fear that the Work may fail to amuse from the deficiency of anecdote, but this is more than compensated by the accumulation of valuable filets and observations upon subjects of infinitely more im portance than the mere ephemeral opinions and trans-. actions of the day. Our Authors course is through part of Scotland to Port Patrick, and thence to Donaghatlee, and this af fords him the opportunity of making some useful oh servatiens on the agriculture of onr northern neigh bours. In doing this, he is led to make the following sensible remark, with which we entirely agree : " Fanning ha's certainly much to recommend it as a rational amusement ; it not only occupies time agreeably, but gives to a country lire it social interest in the seasons, in the general prosperity of the neighlsours and dependents ; and fiiroish , s, on reflection, ato Veit satisfaction, of which sporting is not susceptible. Field :lungs, of every description. ri or! oft nly fall to afford the pi lonised enjoyment; and even under the most unlimited reward of satignine hope, leave behind them a recollection a hich it becomes necessary to stifle, or thr self-reach of %%antral cr u elty towards creatures linald paralyse all pleasure, in this reflection—flint whets %n eat' inflict no pain, ac eon find on sport. " fu addition to which, how omit are these pursuits the bane of social intercostrai, even among the nearest connec tions and dearest fi lends, file I•ll , •Jiintt of contention and ani mosity, which heroine isiveterate. and descend a nialediction . to gooo t tedtips ge!;rtatiall•! Not so a ith farming: no pr eminent cscrllence minag-ment —no extension of improv e ."/ forth a dr.:ire to Illftlfaill—to inclination to ender- 1. salue—nojealoosy of superior means or talent. The onl sentsineuts wl•leli are exeited arc those of renilciiiig jostic e to merit. by cainnienil..tion without asintatien ; and a tiesir to emulate Inns; agiccessful examples which promise to ill • exc ai d ur of friends anti competitors such substantial t o , wards." t I: In n letter from Donaghadee there fare some excrr. lent comments on the Union in 1230 t, n'hieli are equally distinguished by candour, NVIAOIII, and iwrartildity. ~;i~ w` ,•.