The National Register. — London, England, 1816-05-05 00:00:00

~$ ~~ No. 43 , 1.—V0L. IX. POLITICAL DISCIVISITION. HIGH MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCES. HYMEN has now set his seal to the restoration of peace in Europe. On every side matrimonial alliances treato flow ClAnteetiOnA between monarchs, and are fo • led to bind the nations of the earth in concord and frater nity : not that fraternity preached by the sanguinary apostles of the revolution, with cannon and with sword, to rave ' s-ea cities and disfranchised generations; but that hie:idly disposition and confidence which all the mem bers of the same great family ought to feel towards each other. Were the lessons of experience blotted from the page of history, well might the sanguine philanthropist now dream of the near approach of that blessed period, when war and all its horrors shall cease ; when justice Isbell 'revisit the earth, and universal peace reign amidst universal felicity. But the terrors of the past are still too present to our imaginations, not to weaken the ar dency of hope. The fragility of the most sacred ties, when tried by the touch of interest, has been too lately end too clearly demonstrated, to allow us to repose much confidence in the durability of the national connections produced by intermarriages in the families of their rulers. Was it not the very system adopted by Napoleon in the plenitude of his power ? Nature had given him many brothers and relations; Kings courted their alliance; and the conqueror, hoping to extend and confirm his autho rity by an union of blood and interests with surrounding Princes, eagerly profited by their disposition. The stock of the Napoleons was grafted on almost every Sovereign House on the Continent; and his own marriage with the daughter of the Emperor of Austria, seemed to set the key-stone to the arch of his fortunes : yet what support and what stability did he derive from these multiplied alliances, from the states and crowns which he bestowed on his kindred and allies ? As Jong as he was prosper ous, disregarding the iniquity of his course, they moved in his train, his most zealous assistants, his loudest ad mirers. At the first check, the nearest of all his rela tives and friends, his own father-in-law, the Austrian Em peror, forsook him, and swelled the ranks of his enemies. This was the signal fur desertion. The kings whom he had made, who had given their daughters to his brothers and adopted son, did not hesitate to follow that example. They had received from him all he could bestow ; they were offered to retain it by his foes ; all ties of blood and gratitude were broken ; without any declarations of war, they fell off from his side, some at the moment of battle, others at the hour of retreat, which they were pledged to protect; and grown relentless through the dread of not being forgiven, if he triumphed over the desertions of his friends and the hostility of his enemies, they displayed more bitterness against him, than those whose couutries he had ravaged, and whose capitals he had laid low. Af ter such instances of their fragility, who can place any re liance on the security which is expected to spring from the matrimonial alliances now concluding between Sove reign Houses on the Continent. In vain do the Sovereigns of France and Naples, of Spain and Portugal, the King of the Netherlands, and the Emperor of Russia, the Prince Royal of Sweden, and the yet unnamed father of his bride, hope to secure themselves by intermarriages against future infidelity and treachery. Let but the powerful voice of interest speak Once more, and Spain will join in an attack upon France : Russia will consent that Spain, II ol land and the Netherlands, shall fall under the dominion of an Usurper, Naples will he sacrificed, and Portugal invaded. Not so is the umion which lees this week gladdened the eyes of Britons, and secured to the first throne in the world, a long succession of patriotic Kings. As inde pendent in her choice, as her country is independent in her institutions, and her power, the Daughter of Albion has selected a Prince, not for the sake of continental con nection ; not to court the support of the mighty, and perhaps the envious. .". " .1:3 has sought for merit in the house of the persecuted, not among the splendours of tanpire. She has given us the only King ou the Conti- SUNDAY, MAY 6,181 G. Our Sing, einultitution an %MU. nent not stained with ingratitude fir a natural Ally ; and even should in future times the overpowering three of the neighbours of the virtuous and injured Saxon, com pel him to enter into a confederacy against us, the rupture of the connection would leave Great Britain afflicted in heat-t, but unimpaired in power. IMPERIAL P.IRLIAMENT. ROUSE OF LORDS, Mom DAT. Arm 2). Lord Bi:vres (Earl of Strathmore, in Scotland atroduced with the accuttomed formatitie+, sworn, and took WA seat. His Lordship's supporters were, Lord+ Boston awl lireadalbane. A statement of the additional annual charges of the Public Debt for the last tell years, and also of the tiet produce of the Public Revenue within a given period, sae presented by Mr. Alcuck, from the Treasury, and ordered to lie on the table. Lord NAPIEII presented a petition from the Royal Burch of Selkirk against the Leather Tax ; of whieh town, he acintreil their Lordships, whatever might lie thought of the inhabitants out wearing shoes, the shoemakers were famous for making very good shoe+ ! —Ordered to lie on the table. The Earl of Livuoto DALE presented a petition from E%q. a claimant of the Borthwiek peerage; pray ing (as we could collect) that he might be allowed to take up the proceedings at the stage they were in at the period of his father's (the late clitiunud) death. Referred to the Committee of Privileges. FRIDAY, MAT S. THE STATUTE BOOK. Earl STA/1110PN said, there was no subject of more trans eendant importauce than that he was about to snl 't to the House. It was no less than the Statute Book itself, with all its biconveniencirs. He stated the precedents of two former in stances. The one was the consolidation of the Revenue Penal Laws by Lord Grensille, in 1809; and another similar instance in the sed of the King. His proposition was, to purge the Sta tute Book generally, instead of doing it in a partial way. He had moved, that the Judges should combine to one act all the laws inflicting the punishment of the pillory, which Bill wan now before the lionac. The Judges had stated the pillory to be a punishment by Common as well as Statute Law. They added, that these were all the Statutes inflicting that punish ment, which they knew of. This was a fair admission on their part, and which called for an amendment of the Statute Book. But they had omitted the second of Geo. 11. inflicting the pil lory for perjury or subornation of The list Geo. 11. inflicted " oath to administer s reflect on any of the Judges; hot was it not a . of the Statute Rook, when the Judges theinselva -eller sit months, could not say that they had collected all the Acts in flicting the punishment of the pillory? It was not that alone; the nucertainty of getting the first lawyers to agree on many points of the greatest importance, was another enormous pies:seer. He mentioned the information he had received from the Lord Chief Baron Eyre ; and lie used to ask similar questions of the other Judger, most of whom differed with each other. This also chewed the necessity of purging the Statute Rook. A lawyer now liven (Selby) had published a work on Uses of Trusts anti Powers, which he had exemplified by 11100 decided cases. On this account, the laws of England required simplifying. Mr. Vince had published a little pocket wutk, called an Abridgement of the Law, in 20 and odd vols. La tblio. It' it bad been continued till now, it must have been Lu 100 volumes. He (Lord S.) once had the better of laird Thurlow on a question of Statute Law, which was a great fea ther in his cap. He went and sat on the woolsack with Lord Thurlow, who said to him, " I should be ashamed of myself if I had nut a knowledge of every poiut of the common law; but I know nothing of your (using a word he could nut utter there) ----Statute Book." Mr. Dunning never would give an opinion as to what was law according to the Statutes. He used to tell the people to bi 'tug hint the Statute, and be would endeavour to expound it. After such authorities as these, the words of the Scripture would apply to the Statute Book: " Hate salt bath lost its savour, st hetes. ith shall it be salted." He chewed the inaccuraey of Special Pleaders ; a friend of his had got a de 'elaratiun drawu tip by one of the first men in his profession, with a uurubei of counts, nut one of which was calculated to nutiutaiu a verdict if his friend had got one. He (Lord S.) went to the Special Pleader and pointed it out to him. He agreed, and do ew up a new set of counts, which were us bad as the others. At last he reduced them to two, and they were sufficient. The inure they looked at the Statute Book, the more they would find it slwilur to the A ugrau stable; and the more they would find it required a similar remedy similarly applied. Many laws, instead of being voluiniuues, should be wri'teu on a card to fie in the palm of a man's baud. There had been 1174 Acts passed and repealed, IWO of which bad been repeal ed in the present reign ; so that they had passed Acts by wag gons-full to repeal them by cents-lull. it aas illegal for suy woman to lease the country without a pernessiou signed by six Privy Councillors ; and the reason was, because the woolen were so impishly iuclimal. He praised the shortness of the Code Napoleon, and which is continued Mader the Bourbons. The Common Law of England Wits admirable also, as being a collection: of principles, and was clearly and shortly expressed. In MAK; of this, he instanced Nlagna Charts. Let them look. he said, with horror at that which is now called the Statute Book; and then let them turn with delight to that which KW their Statute Book (Magna Charts). It had been said, the Laws of England were open lo the poor as well as the rich; but it had also been wed observed --•• ! and so is the Lon don Tay rii."—lts remedy was, to appoint ..essor, learn ed its the law; with 211 or At clerks, to real the Statute Bank Oita OCCiIIIIAC, by doiog so they would find what had, been repealed ; and so el ass the Statutes under their propel heads, capittee ateliers:4 instantaneous revision. He emichi by moving, " That the house abould result Auto a ris• Pares Sid. Mittel' to Consider Of the hest means of arranging the Statute 1140 k under distinet and proper beads." After that he should propose, by :1(1 of Parliament, that no Bill slnmld lie brought In, rontaining any thing but what was in the title of it. This would prevent the s!atitte Book from emer :gain getting into ennen.inn ; for at pre4ent it was a public hotchpotch from be ginning to cud —a pert; et charm The Lo nu Catmscrr.Loir confessed that a classification of the statutes might do ,rime good ; and therefore lie slionht not oppose the motion for going into a Omnitittee to consider the hest means of making that classifiration. Bid ho moved an Amendment, that a Select Committee ghoul l be appointed. instead of a Committee of the whole Homo. ; which wis agreed to, nem. di... after a few words from Lord Holland, HOUSE OF COMMONS, MownaY, A PafL 29. THANKS OF THE HOUSE 'IV LORD EDW. SOMERSFT, Lord EDWARD SUM Esser appearing in his iilitce in full mil form, the SMAA La proceeded to address. hint as follows;-- " MAJOK-G ERAL LORD Euw. SOM ensrr, " At length we are gratified by seeing amongst us one of those distinguished Officers to whom this House has voted its Thanks for their eminent services in the battle of Waterloo— a victory eclipsing the tame of all other battles fought in those celebrated tields of war, and consummating the glory of the Duke of Wellington; with whose great name the gratitude of this House has justly associated that of Fleld-Marshal Blucher. " In the narrations of that gigantic conflict, our historians will always relate, that Major-General Lord Edward Somerset, already known by his brilliant services in the Southern Pro vinces of France, held a high and forward command in those gallant charges by the British Cavalry, which defeated and destroyed the boasted squadrons of Cuirassiers. They will re late also, that Lieut.-General Sir Henry Clinton, who had is five former battles commanded divisions of that heroic army which rescued Portugal and Spain, maintained a conspicuous post in the support of the embattled line, where the British Guards repelsed and put to flight the Imperial Ouards of France. Nor will those other illustrious men be forgotten, who might new have been standing up amongst us to receive our Thanks, if the fate of war had not laid them low in their grave of glory ; soldiers long dear to the affections and remem brance of their county, which will never cease to revere and regret the veteran but ardent valour of Pieton, or the bright and rising honours of Ponsonby. " The days, indeed, of these our mingled triumphs and griefs are now concluded. Other scenes have vistaed, and other cases have arisen, to demand our vigilance. Front the contest, however, now' has - ' splendid examplei of 5...., valour, and constancy, as we this day to commemorate, will deeply impress upon one eve. mica and upon our Allies, in all ages, a just respect for the councils and arms of this Empire. " The special duty which I have this day to di s ch arge is, to deliver to you the Thanks of this House, for your last great services. Awl Idu therefore now, in the name and by the command of the Commons of Great Britain and Ireland ie Parliament assembled, deliver to yea, Major-General Lord Edward Somerset, their unanimous Thanks, for your indefati gable seal and exertions upon the 18th Jane, 1815 ; when tbd French army, commanded by Bnonaparte, received • signal and complete defeat.'—(Leed and cowliased cheers from every pest of I Or Mum.) Lord Euw. Sometime begged to express to the House thf high sense he entertained of so distinguished a mark of their approbation of his conduct in the memorable battle of Water. luo. Thu House would naturally believe that the impression made by so bouottrable a testimony to his tremble exertione b deprived him of words to express his foeliugs in adequate terms.--(Hear, deer, /o** , 4—Whatever might have been hie merits iuthat great conflict, however, he begged to state, that his success was mainly attributable to the brigade which the Commander is Chief had thought proper to place under his command, whose persevering valour and admirable discipliud contributed so much to the emcees' of that important day ; ani mated as they were by the example of that mass under whore they bad the humour to serve, and whose presence instilled but one feeling in the breast of every individual In the British army ; namely, the full and unehalen determination to bring the battle to a successful issue..-(iiter, hear, door,)—lt having been his lot to form a part of the army mu that day, and his conduct having been deemed worthy of the notice of that House, were eiretunstauces which would be remembered by bins with pride and gratitude to the latest hour of his life.— k flew, hear. I—He had now only further to express his aeknow. ledgments fur the handsome manner its which the vets of the Ileuse bad been counuauteated by Mr. Speaker.—(flele, Ater, The CH C IiLLOR of the EICHEQUSR moved, that the speech of Mr. Spealer, and that of Laid Edward Skumeraet, should be eutered epuu the Juarual►..—Ordered. WOOLLEN TRADE. Mr. F. Lewis, Chairman of the Committee appointed to in. quire into the state of the woollen trade, as connecte‘weity the agricultural interest, rose, for the purpose of presetting to the liouse the Report of the Committee. In doing I ns, he begged to remark, that an alarm had been excited gMong the inamitacturers of woollen cloth; and, in consequetke, many petitions had been presented to the House, which were in earl utterly unnecessary . . inasmuch as the fears entertained by the petitioners were quite groundless. The Conwelatce had di. reeled their inquii les to the price of woo/. &son 1780 down to the latest period; and the result of their inquiries was, that for the last ten years the price of wool, so f ar f rom d i creasing, had increased. The Committee, therefore, had come to a re solutiouoliat no part of the distress at prese:4 pre•sin; on the agricultural interests, was attributable to the importation „e foreign wool, and that of consequence there was uu ut,corpity for a prohibitory lior upon rho subAcci. ~ ~~ v, • I r ~\ 1 ' I ) • 4 I - . 4 , • . 1 I k . tatts frt. + 'nail ~ • . . , , .•. frottOtituttott atilt Zatinf• I i., -, - I ( . • NDAY, MAY 6, 1816. Pares Sid. mitre.. to consid er o f t h e b eet means o f arran g i ng th e S tatute ' with ingratitude fi ir a natural Ally ; and, II ;vim; under dis t i net end proper beetle." After that he sh ou ld propose, by .Irt of Pa r li ament, t h at no Bill +hotild lie brought future times the nverpowering force of if the virtuove and injured Saxton, coin- in, containing an y t hi ng l eo what was in the title of it. Thi s into a confederacy against us, the rupture would prevent the statute Book from es er :gain getting into entifiteion ; for at pre4ent it was a public hutch-potch from be- in would leuve Great Britain afflicted in ginning to curl—a pert; et chaos. paired in power. The T..011D Cute ecreenti confessed th a t a c l ass ifi cat i on of , the statutes might do c ome good ; an d th ere f ore be s + hould not , oppose the motion for going into a Censinittee to consider the 'ERIAL P.IRLIAMENT. best means of making that classification. But h.- moved an 1 Amendment, that a Select Committee ghoul f be appointed, OF LORDS, MONDAY. AMT. rt. -..-41.--- instead of a Committee of the whole MOM' ; which w is agreed i • to, sem. dit. after a few worth from Lord H olland, Irl of Strathmore, in Scotland uwa . introduced 4 ' ; - ed formalities, sworn, and took hie seat. His tees were, Lords Boston mud Breadalleine. HOUSE OF COMMONS, lelowneY, APRIL 29. / . • , the additional annual charges o f t h e p u i r li c THANKS OF THE HOUSE T m O LORD EDW. somurr. en years, and alai or the Oct produre of the Lord EDWARD SUMMER appearing in his phice in full uoi- ithin a given period, wao preseuted by Mr. form, the I.ItAIC La proceeded to addreeehini AA follows freasury, and ordered to lie on the table. " iIIAJ4II4-GENERAL LORD EDW. Soasensgy, presented a petition from the Royal Burgh " At length we are gratified by seeing emingst us one of the Leather Tax ; of which town , he assured it those distiuguisbed Officers to whom this llolese hes , voted its I 1 Thanks for their eminent service's in the battle of Aenterloo— Meteyer might lie thought of the inhabitants the shoenialere were famous for making a victory eclipong the tame of all other battles fought in those -Ordered to lie on the table. UDtRDALE presented a petition from ---celebrated fi elds of wa r , an d consummat i ng the glory of the Duke of Wellingtou ; with whose great name the gratitude of tills , House has justly associated that of Field-Marshal Blucher. i claimant of the Borthwiek peerage; pray. In the narratio ns of that gigantic conflict, our historians °fleet) that he might be allowed to take up t the stage they were iii at the period of his ... wilt always relate, that Major-General Lord Edward Somerset, leiwante death. Referred to the Committee already known by his brilliant services hi the Southern Pro- FRIDAY, MAT S. vinces of France, held a hi g h an d f orwar d command in those i 1 gallant charges by the B r i t i s h C ava l ry, w hi ch defeated and THE STATUTE BOOK. more t destroyed the boasted squad rone o f Cuiraseiers. They will re- said, there was no subject of rans- late stet), that LienteGeneral Sir Henry Clinton, wh o had i s . ce than that he was about to sill 't to the five former battles commanded divisions of that heroic army less than the Statute Book itself, with all its , . which rescued Portugal and Spain, maintained a conspicuous He stated the precedents of two former in- • post in the support of the embattled line, where the British 'e. was the consolidation of the Reveuue Penal Guards repnised and put to flight the Imperi a l G uar d s o f muffle, in 1809 ; and another similar instance France. lor will those oth e r Winn-ion, men be forgotten, 'dm:. His proposition was, to purge the Sta- who might new have been standing up amongst us to receive ly, instead of doing it in a partial way. He our Thanks, if the fate of war had not laid them low in their _ lie Judges should combine in one act all the grave of glory; soldiers long dear to the affections and remem- punishment of the pillory, which Bill was brance of their county. which will never cease to revere and Dllie. The Judges had stated the pillory to by Common as well as Statute Law. They regret the veteran but ardent valo ur o f Pi s t on , or the bright were all t This was a fair admission on their he Statutes inflicting t h at punish and rising honours of Ponsonby. knew " 'the days, indeed, of these our min g l e d t r i um ph s an d gr i e f s of. are now concluded. Other scenes have opened, and other tiled for an amendment of the Statute Book. cases have arisen, to demand our yigiiance. From the long fled the second of Geo. 11. indicting the pil- •%. '', contest, however, now happily closed. this sharable advantage or subornation of perjury. The 31st of has resulted to oar emus s-1114 bia * the gsuaishment of death (or taking a ( WIC *goal.. grthege lanits, VlESarriellh. ' - to any seaman's will. He did not mem to established the superiority or our national ; and .11,4 , splendid eramples of skill, valour, and constancy, as we have • • ) • the Judges; lint was it not a condemnatin enter when the Judges th emselves , after its this day to commemorate, will deeply impress upon one eas- t say that they had collected all the Acts in- mies and upon our Allies, in all ages, a just respect for the intent of the pillory? It was not that alone; getting the first lawyers to agree on many councils and arms of this Empire. ratest importance, was another enormous The special duty which I have this day to di s ch arge is, to deliver to you the Thanks of this House, f o r yo ur last great rat rationed the information he had received services. And Ido therefore now, i n the name and by the lief Baron Fvre , and tie met! to ask similar • - - -- e ationat Lktaitittr+