The National Register. — London, England, 1814-12-18 00:00:00

DEC. IS. The appalling intimation on the part of Ministers of their intention to continue the P opertv-Tax, in defiance of the pledge given to the public at the time it originated, that it was to cease with the war, has produced throughout the eouetry a simultaneous feeling of despondency and alarm. To yield to this tax in perpetuity, is a burthen, the contem plation of which is calculated to shake the nerves of the ' most phlegmatic. That the expences incident to the pro lougatien of the American War, are alone the motive with Ministers for persisting in so odious and unpopular a mea sure, and that with the termination of the war, this tax would cease, few will believe, who cast a sober eye to the general state of the financial concerns of this country. We are induced to think the true state of the case to he, that were the country now enjoying the profoundest and most unqualified peace, the enormous amount of annual in terest due to the public creditor, together with the itais pensible charges of a peace establishment. will effectually prevent the relinquishment of this prolific source of revenue. How Ministers wi I steer their way between the storm of pub lic clamour, and the financial adversities they have to en counter, is not easy to discover. Perhaps a kind of compro mise will take place between them and the public; and after obviating some of the most obnoxious features of this sadly oppressive tax, a reduced per centage will be proposed, which from the bare contrast with its present exactions, will be submitted to without More opposition than that afforded by a Lttle transitoty grumbling,. In whatever way this subject may be disposed of, the case of the occupiers of land presents so irresistible a claim on the justice of the et u'itrv, that we cannot entertain a doubt of its meeting that redrcssive attention it so obviously and imperiously demands The - inhabitants of the Ward of Cripplegate met on Mo n day, and agreed to petition Parliament against the renewal of the Property Tax.—A meeting is shortly to be held in Westminster for a similar purpose, and in many parts of the country they are following the same example. A report is again circulated that there are to be changes in the Ministry. The Duke of Wellington, Marquis Wel lesley, and some of their immediate friends, arc mentioned as coming in; Lot d Caittereagh to be called up to the House of Lords, and made nonier, vice Lord Liverpool, ticho retires. The French papers mention that a note of great import ance has been presented by Lord Castlereap,b to (..01111t Ncs• scbode, in which his Lordship complains of the delay inter posed by Russia in the arrangement of the fate of Poland. Pussia is said to have first proposed the union of Poland to her dominions: this was resisted and abandoned. Then, that Poland should be erected into a - kingdom under the controu I or influence of Russia; this was deemed equally ; and, it is added, that Lord Castlereagh threat ened, if it wet e persisted in, to shut up the Sound, and in terdict all communication with the Baltic. -The ncgociation of Lord Strangf:ird, for the final and total abolition of the Slave Trade under the Portuguese flag and authk.rity, is terminated, and the Court of the Brazils has assented to. its cessation within the term of four years. An edict to this effect was placarded at Peinandruco and the other pricipal settlements, that the merchimts might have doe notice on the subject. Letters from Warsaw of the 24th ult. mention, that Mar sl.al Barclay tie 'Folly has ordered great magazines :o- he formed in the departments of Cracow, &c. Rlissian and poli'ib troops were di , Z!) , under revitw of the Wand Duke Cclwantine. POLITICAL PROPHECY. 857 The following prophecy appears so near to completion that the Editor of the Times will feel obliged to us for proving to the public the accuracy of his speculations : " The Wisdom, prudence and discretion characterizing the polic,y of Louis X must cause a general explosion' in France ; if if has been retarded bll political dqicullics, the cause of triumph will onlj be 11w mere rapid ) •and the most astontshing events incr.?) be predicted. Sir George Murray left town on Thursday evening to etn• bark on board of the Niobe, at Portsmouth, t 4 proceed by the way of Halifax to Canada ; he is not going out, • as has been erroneously represented in the papers, to supersede Sir George Prevost, being only a Major. General, and junior to several General Office's serving in the Canadas. I I Commodore Owen left town on the same service on Friday Mr. Cannintr arrived at Lisbon on the 2gth ult., and no.. finding a convenient residence ready for his reception, he returned on board the Leviathan, where it was nudcrsto►4 he intended to remain till his furniture arrived 110111 Eng land. The Afadrid Gazette . announces that the Ex-Minister, Ma. cannz, will be con►fcned ten years in the strong Castle (t Antoine, at Coruntia. His daughter will be detainecl is a Conveut. An expeditinn, on a large scale, is fitting out at Cadiz. destined against Buenos Ayres—it is expected to sail about the end of January. The law for restoring the unsold estates of emigtants, which passed the French Chamber of Deputies by a latgt! majority, has been carried with .'ill greater unanimity through the Chamber of Peers, there being in its fivour 1 - 00 votes out of 103. Macdonald, Duke of Tarente, who spoke very eloquently in favour of the restitution of un sold estates, has given notice that we will propose a law for granting annuities to tkose emigrants whose estates have passed into other hands by a national sale. e• This measto(, eminently just and politic," said the Mat shal, " will p o , : s ess the immense advantage, that by airing a compensation to those who have lost their all, it will at once put an end to their legitimate complaints, and will dissipate all alarms in thu bona fide purchasers of national domains." MATIC REGISTER. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. DRURY LANE. On Friday last Miss Walstein resumed the part of I,ctifia in the Beite'.s Slratagem, at this theatre. !Zejoicing at the convalescence of her mother, she appealed in in creased spirits, and her reception was such as to throw no damp upon them. Less of a11ect:10)n ;Ind mole warner marked the early parts of her pedOrmance, yet even then the continual grin which she mistakes for a smile, ga%e an uniformity of expression to her countenance, by no means eloquent or pleasing. Iu the hoyden scene she was spit ited, but again approached too dose to vulgarity. She ought not to forget that her aim in iwitiminv, this character is not to disgust her lover with her person, !pit with the piciended weakness of her intellects, and, therefore, that a pro!'ucion of bodily contortions is unnecessary. This defcct, however, may he einjly corrected. It is perhaps originally one of j men% hat, %rhea it has once been pointed out, bee o n one of will, and therefoie removable at pleasure. In the Laly o ‘VAl:teiu haa also sotatnyhat inytoved. tier