The National Register. — London, England, 1808-02-21 00:00:00

122 THE TO COR RESPOND ENTS. We thank A 3ubscriser RIO N. R. for their friendly hints. 'We .hall he happy to receive the promised favours a Mr. B. near N tni at k. We cannot compliment the CorreFpondent who sine himself A Friend to Common Senxe and Rational Justice, as be ap pears to be iliveEted of both. We refer Diomede to our Theatrical Criticisms of to-day. The unprecedented demand for complete Sets of Trur. NA TION A bad, durim; the last week, completely ex hatt,•ted the I.(litiotis of t'irst Numlnrs of the Paper, as well us the Eixbitnialical Title- Page; all of which are again xe printed, and may he hail of all the Newsmen. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Lonbon, s UNDAY, [JAR V 21, 1808. POLITIC.IL ISVNNTS OP THE 111:10G All lia! Cottenburgh Mails which were due, amounting to ten, have at last arrived. Those which were received on Friday evening conveyed to us the intelligence that Russia has actually declared war against Sweden. This, howeNer, was so much expected, that it has not excited surprise. It is even stated that the Russians had com menced hostilities. But this intelligence we are inclined to think is premature. The moverneats of the Russians are seldom so rapid. It appears that Sweden has no less than '25.000 men in Finland, and from the population it is said. that 20,000 more may be raised. The country itself pre sents formidable difficulties to an invading enemy. It is •mountainous, and the defiles are very narrow, and well defended with fortifications. The King of Sweden will make an obstinate resistance; and will, no doubt, be aided from this country. But will this tend in any degree to reduce the power of France ? Witt it not, On the other hand, tend rather to increase her power, by weal cuing that of the other states, by which she might, hereaiter, be op- Paris Papers to the 31st have also been. received. They contained a.Declaration by the King of Prussia, in wnieli he renounces all connection with England, and shuts 10s ports against her vessels. The principal feature of this -Declaration, is the plainness with which his Prussiau Ma jesty expresses the necessity under which he acts. The 'measure, hcacknowledges, will bear very hard upon his suffering subjects, but such is the will of the master .whom he mum: obey. . A new decree has also been issued by the King of Hol land, in which the exclusion of all British Coninaerce is enforced with additional rigour. Wt. have received s'orie intelligence from Portugal. The French commanders have been pril:tic in Pro:lama:ions; some of them of the most ignornnt nnd pnrnicious descrip tion, Thus, it has been erderol, t!lat the price of bread and other necessaries shall not be raised ; by which means they will be prevented from coming to market, and the miseries of the people will he enhanced beyond even what the necessity of the war wonld inflict. This proclamation, at the same time, is undeniable proof of the severe sea/city which prevails. A rigorous military authority is main , tamped, and by tbib Luaus a forced tranquillity is pre served . rEI3. 21. protracted and warm.! The Opposition seem determined to give the Ministers as little rest as possible, The Orders in Council have been discussed both in the Upper and the Lower !Louse but with -little variety or argument.. The material question is, whether, by the measure, we really do any materi-al 'mischief to our enemy, or procure any great advantage to ourselves. The Ministers say we do both ; the opposition conteed that we do neither. The Expedi. [ion to the Dardanelles formed the subject of the other principal Debate. This was introduced by the Deposition, iu order to vindicate their conduct from the insinuations which had been thrown out against this measure. It had been represented as a transaction, similar in principle to the I:,:ipedition• against Copenhagen ; and we do not see that the explanation of its authors has placed it in a very . different light. We arc happy to notice the intelligence which has been recived respecting the Rochefort squadron, the particulars relating to the mode in which an account was conveyed of its coefse to Sir JOHN Dueswolern, and of his sailing:in quest of it we have communicated in our Xautical hr telligence. We are sorry to learn, it is Sir Ss mu et. tfooe's opinion, that the chance of Admiral Dveawoirrn's overtaking the enemy is not very great. But it is a great satisfaction to know, that he will arrive in the West Y. (lies in sufficient time to prevent any mischief which the squadron might have effected, had it been permitted to range those seas for any time. Effectual means, too, have been taken to it form Admiral Cocitasse of their arri val; so that we have every reason to hope we shall sooner or later receive a perfectly good account of them. The cartel that carried over the Russian Ambassador, M. A Lorees, landed on Wednesday, at Calais, and reture.ll to Dover, on Friday. It brought back a packet of Let ten from M. Aeorees, which was sent express to the Office of the secretary of State for the Foreign Department. One of these letters, address . ed to the Prussian Ambassador, is sapposed to contain his order to quit this country imme diately. It is s'ate:l, but, we believe, without any authority, that the Ministers mean to frame a Motion, in 04 House of Lords, on Monday, for rescinding a Resolution which was voted vainst them on Thursday night, when they were surprised by a division at an early hour, at which their friinds had not entered the House. Tnc fo:lowin,ir Letter has been communicated to us, dated Stock bo!m, Feb. 8, which we believe is the latest Weill. from Iwedcn " Sweden is on the eve of difficulties. The Russians are ru moured to have actually passed the frontiers. So far f know to a certainty, that the officers attached to the Finland regi meats received orders yesterday morning to join their corps im mediately. General Klingspor, Commander in Chief in Fin land, leaves town Oil: , afternoon with his Stair. It is stated, that Baron titt•ttingli had sent orders to the regiments on the rraatiers to collect themselves into a and that be would come and take the command of them until his Majesty's pleasure was kno..i n. Baron Stedink was the Swedish Minister at St. Peter,ourgh. Operations may .pos,iiltly begin with unexpected celerity. Finland is a strong military position, of which a great part, however, can be less successfully defended amid the snow and frosts of winter, than in the usual season of campaigns, The actual amount of the Swedish force in or near Finland, it is nt c..sy to determine precisely. The lowest estimate, is four teen thousand, a force certainly sufficient to guard the country .again , t a surprise. It is said, a number of foreigners arc buying up sie!ar. coffee, &c. which have risen 50 per cent. in Ham• hur:h and the Baltic. A large quantity, it is said, is in the pre. scut difficulty of navigation, going overland to Russia. Sea-coal, km- wood, and coffee, arc tremel; , dear at Copeatiagen." NATION/V I „RUM4,TZR. I I t, r