The National Register. — London, England, 1811-11-10 00:00:00

NATIONAL REGISTER._ ROYAL FAMILY OF SPAIN. The following extract of a letter from a Gentleman who has lately paid a visit to Marseilles, furnishes some curious particu lars relative to these unfortunate and degraded Sovereigns :- 64 From the in contradictory statements which 1 have read, relative to the situation of the deposed King of Spain, and his consort, I was induced, as I happened to land here, to make some inquiry into the true state of the ca:e; and the short acs count I am about to give you may be relied upon, as my infor mation proceeds from ocular proof, and the testimony of respecs table persons in the confidence of the royal prisoners. The stint allowed by Napoleon for the support of the establishment is great indeed, when the cheapness of this part of the world is considered ; namely, 100,0001. sterling per annum ; the house. hold is very numerous, consisting of upwards of two hundred persons, principally Spaniards; every thing wears the splendour of a court, bulls, concerts, etc.; and though not on a grand scale, yet with as much ceremony and pomp as If they were still seated on the throne of Spain. " The people esteem the King very highly, pity his misfors tunes, and whenever he appears in public (which often °tears, unattended, and without the least appearance of state), the greatest attention and respect is observed towards him, 11107 i so than perhaps he, of late days, experienced in his oven ea pital. " The Queen, who is now neither young nor handsome, but enjoys a good state of health, has lately d scarded her old fa-' vourite, the Prince of Peace, and has appointed to his situation a young Officer of the Spanish Guards, who, it is said, does not relish this appointment, which he is obliged to fill. The hatred of the Queen against her former subjects is inconceivable, and if it was not well authenticated, could not be believed, so great is her deep-rooted resentment. " The Prince of Peace, however, still retains the influence he ever possessed over the mind of the weak and unfortunate King. Of Ferdinand (whose residence is at Tours, and whose allowance from the Government is said to he double of that paid to his father). I have only heard, that since the attempt which was made to effect kis tscape, he has been niost rigoroissly watched, and all his Spanish friends and attendants have been removed, and replaced biy confidential FRENCH WORTeIES. Two Officers of the rank of Colonel cOnipoie his body-guard, and who accompany him wherever he goes, so that he is com pletely under their superintend:nice: of course the possibility of au escape is impracticable. The people here detest the present Ruler of France and his Governmeht most cordially. the law of conscription in particular; from instances which I have heard related of it, nothing can be so bad, more abominable, ut tyrannical." the man of taste to indulge his desire of refinement, and that de sire to gain strength from the arts which it creates; in short, un til the structure of the mind be changed, it he provoked to exer tion. Nature gerself seems to have contemplated an union of mankind in a commercial intercoutae ; and it has more than once hr en declared by a solemn vote of Congress, tha we could not relinquish our navigation, without eventually relinquishing our independence. It would be a surrender to the most powerful nation in Europe, of a monopoly of our productions, of controul ing our industry, and commanding our resources. It would enable such a nation in the exercise of her lawful rights, without affording us the least shadow of complaint, to stamp what value it pleases on the motives of our indwtry, or on our industry it self. I fear, Sir. that a surrender of our navigation would be come a fire- brandk of discord among ourselves. Let us reverse this scene. Retaining our navigation, we con tinue to transport our own commodities; the freight for trans• portation, the ships, the hardy seamen who direct them, are the property of the natioo—bearing aloft a neutral flag, we are no leager at the mercy, avarice, or ambition of every nation who mieht choose to disturb the tranquillity of the world. Tither) it he impracticable to abandon our navigation without a surrender of that independence which nature acknowledges, and which we once so nobly asserted, it follows, than we must afford it an ade quate protection: the question arises, What force will be re gaited to afford this protection ? I cculd here quote the opinion of the immortal Author of the Declaration of Independence in his Notes on Virginia, on this subject. But I shall for the present defer this discussion for another opportunity. For the present I shall observe, that as a navy is the only na tural erotaction that can be afforded to commerce, so will it I; also prove a strong bulwark of national defence: a navy can be' employed to protect, but never to destroy our liberty ;to be use- I ful, however, it must be permanent. ro build a navy, is not the work of a day; nor can the time at which its service may be reettired be always seen. Providence has blessed us with the finest materials for constructing a navy, she has planted the live oak, cedar, and pine trees along our coast, from St. Mary's to St. Croix ; she has deposited in our moontains rich mines of cop per and iron, and cherishes in our soil the articles of flax and hemp ; she extends our commerce through every ocean and clime; she branches the nerves and hardens the sinews of our seamen, and fires them with an intrepidity which BifTicultie3 serve only to confirm, and no danger can appall. And shall we spurn these advantages, and, by neglecting to improve, cease to deserve, and ultimately lose them? But, it is said, " that a navy, whetvestablished, may he made use of as an argument for extending our power." If by "power" we are to understand the means of enforcing a respect for our neutral rights, which, it is acknowledged, have been shamefully violated, it is indeed the professed object of a permanent navy. Put if by this expression we are to learn, that when strong enough to render ourselves respectable in the eye of other na tions, we shall be tempted to abuse our power, then I will ask, would a child not laugh if he were told that manhood . was nor to - he desired because its vigour might be abused ? And what is not liable to abuse ? sooner than submit to abandon the ocean, let us have a navy to protect our commerce ; or, let us dissolve our Union and re turn again to the dependent condition from which the blood of so many martyrs have so recently streamed to release us. It is not to connect us with the balance of Europe, nor to involve us in her destructive wars. It is to keep out of her turmoils that a navy is desired. It is to add to the many powerful motives which the two great belligerent nations now have to respect us, another that would stamp an irresistible force, and prevent them from being forgotten amidst the calculations of convt!nience and the • violence of war. All the complicated terrors of foreign conquest and domestic tyranny, and the artful misrepresentations of party spirit, have been brought to ..bend their force against the esta blishment of a permanent navy. It; advocates have been openly charged with a desire to accu mulate power in the hands of the executive, - and to feed the ambition of a few individuals. A good citizen has little to care who holds the reins of Government, while the constitution of his country is maintained inviolate, and her interest promoted. Banish suspicion, and it will be perceived that the Executive can never derive a dangerous strength from a naval armament. It is here indeed unlike a standing army. If it ever be convert ed into an engine of ambition, its object must he a foreign coun try, and before this can be done the will of your Legislature must be previously perverted. A navy may be employed to protect, but never to destroy our liberty—and happy shall we be to maintain ottr honour and independence by an institution which can never endanger our liberty. I have thus far hastily collected my own ideas, and several in telligent writers on the advantages to be derived to our country from the establishment of a permanent navy, and I shall feel flattered, should you deem them worthy a place and on seeing them inserted in your next paper. VINDIM• 2 'UESDAY'S LONDON GAZETTE. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, NOV. 5. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. Rear-Admiral Legge to John • Wilson Croker, Esq. dated on board his Majesty's ship Re venge, in Cadiz Bay, Oct. 21. take the advantage of the Cambr:an calling off this port with a convoy, to acquaint you fur their Lordships' infor mation, that, in consequence of the Spanish General Ballasterot being pressed by a superior force of the enemy in the vicinity of S:tn Roque, application was made to Major-General Cooke from the Spanish Government here to co-operate with them,in making . a diversion in his favour, by landing a British force at Tariffa. Major-General Cooke having communicated the same to me, I. directed the Stately, with the Columbine and Tuscan, to perform that service, and they sailed from hence with eight companies of. the 47th. the like number of the 87th, a detachment of 70 rank and: file of th. 9 ;th Regiment, and fourpieces of light artillery, with, the officers, gunners, anti horses attached to them, in transperts,. under the command of Col.' Skerritt, on The 11th instant, since which the wind has blown constantly so strong from the east ward, that the Spanish part-of the expedition have not been able to move; but I had the satisfaction to receive yesterday a letter of which the inclosed is a copy, from Capt. Dickson, of his Ma jesty's ship Stately. I haw• not written so fully as I should have done, not whhing to delay the Cambrian, as she has French prisonets under cons troy, - and they ere short of water. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) • A. K. LEGGE. His Majesty's ship - Stately, Tariffa-)3ay, Oct. 20. SIR—I have the honour to acquaint you, that the whole of the artillery and guns were landed on the teth inst. and are now ' in thu field, in short, every description of stores are on shore, and all is going on as well as possible. The day before yesterday the enemy, about 1500 strong, made hib appearance, and indicated TH