The National Register. — London, England, 1808-05-08 00:00:00

MAY S. bis legs. But a man may attend his duty at the House of Com mons, without attending his duty in the House of Commons : an d this desirable object he'effeCts,• by going up stairs to Bel lamy's, where he may eat and drink as long as he chases, so be be but sober enough to get down stairs when the division is called. A man who did not know the ways of the place; would be apt to imagine that by not hearing the arguments advanced in the debate, a Member might chance to be incapacitated for giving his vote in a proper way : but in order to obviate that difficulty, those Members who understand their business well, make up their minds about their vote before the matter is dis cu3sed at all. They know that the wisdom of any individual is weak : that the more heads there are, the greater is likely to he the sum of good cou nsel : and therefore, modestly distrusting their own capacity, they always take care to vote on that side where the majority of opinions demonstrate- that the truth must be situate. A man accustomed to the place will also he careful at what moment he leaves the House. It would not he prudent, sinless he meant to make an evening of it, and stay away from the counting of the House till the disison, it would not, I say, be prudent for him to go up to his wine, while any thing enter taining was before the Speaker : hut when a dull doctor or a country gentleman gets up, and attempts to declaim or to crack jokes, then, then, the experienced Member will retire to Bel lamy's, and make amends by wine for the absence of wit. What I have been telling you hitherto applies to those Mem hers who go to the House for the mere purpose of voting : but there are some who have a taste for politics, and they stay quietly in their places and attend to what goes firward, in order that they may do some good to their country, and make a re spectable figure at the county meetings. And there are others who follow debating as a trade, and who of course are obliged to he constantly in the shop. Such are some of the Ministers, and other ingenious men, lacking advancement: all these.are constantly on the watch for the faults of their adversaries, in• order that from those faults they may prove their own superior Me to the sweets of office. These are the people that protract . the debates till three or four o'clock in the morning, and instead. of showing bow the country might be managed right, show only. - where their adversaries have managed it wrong. You will observe, on entering the House, a remarkable par tiality which is entertained by many worths , men for that side • of the building which is the right-hand side of the Speaker. When I first came to town I thought it seemed very odd 'that so many more people should sit on that side than on the other,. when the places did not seem at all warmer, nor the seats at ail softer. • Nay I heard, that though a set of men, who had once been Ministers and sate on that side too, were all gone over 'to the opposite benches, this party that loved the right-hand places, gave up even the pleasure of associating with their old com panions, and unaccountably staid behind. I asked my father what was the reason of this, and he answered : Those are called the Treasury Benches. I did not understand his answer at the time : but when I had lived a little !muter in the world, I ac knowledged that it was quite satisfactory. Believe me, dear R. your's always, C. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. SPAIN. M 4DRuD, MARCH '26.—Extract of a Letter from nn Officer in the French army :—" On the 23d, we appeared before Ma drid, and entered the city the same evening. An immense con course of people came out of the city to meet us. The whole army was collected together in the finest order. The Grand Duke received them, amidst the acclamations of the Spaniards. He afterwards made is entry into Madrid, preceded by the fro pi..rial Guard on horseback, and by a numerous Staff, and fol lowed by all the cavalry, and the first division of infantry, un der the command of General Mennicr. The two divisions re mained encamped on the surrounding heights. The streets and balconies were crouded with inhabitants, and the Spani►h wili- • 4 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. OEM\ tary who expressed great satisfaction at the arrival of the French. On the 24th, the Prince of Asturias, proclaimed King by the natives made his public entry on horseback. lie is fine man, and has an agreeable countenance; he went to the Royal Palace, which is not far from the Palace of the Admiral. The Police of the city is maintained by patroles, which are commanded by two officers, one French, and the other Spanish, to prevent all disputes that might arise from the difference of laaguages." • Supplement to the Madrid Gotrtte of the QV of March. • His Majesty has issued the fAlowing Decree:--" Although Don Pedro Cevallos, my first Secretary of State and Dispatches, has sent in his resignation for different reasons is iiich he hap stated, I have not received his resignation, bec.iese it is proved to me, that though he married a cousin-y,ermatt of the Prince of the Peace, he never participated in the projects and unju , t designs which arc supposed to have been conceived by that man, and upon which I have ordered judicial enquiries; which skews in him a noble heart, faithful to his Soveregn, and a s, r vant of whom I will not deprive myself. My will is, that this order be published and made known to my subjects. " ifraninez, March 21. I r KING. " To the, Marquis Ceballerv." MARCH SO.—The army is lookt.(1 upon here with a vety favourable eye.---Last Sundae the Military Mass, at which the Grand Duke of Berg and the 'French General assisted, was very brilliant, and produced a eeep sens.rt:ion. King Charles and the Queen are still at A raaiuez ; the Prince of Asturias and the Queen of Etruria are at Madrid. LOWER. SAXONY. IT A mist: lICH, APRIL 951.—ThiS morning all the Spanish troops 'i still remained in Hamburelt, and its environs, re ceived orders to march to Altona, and go into quarters them, till further orders. A detachment of them a 'lived to day at seven o'clock, at the g,.:tte of the city ; the Danish soldiers on duty refused them admittanee, upon which the Spanish Officer who commanded theta, waited upon the President of the Senate of Altona, who told him, he had no or.,ers fr.on his Sovereign to receive them; and that he. had severAl da...4 before made the same dechration to the French Comman;heit at Ilambur4h. General Moms. The Spanish Officer then said, that his orders to enter wer , s pmitiye, and that he must to o pose force to force. The President still persivtinz in his refteal, the Spaniards en tered with fixed hayimets, and soon after were billetted on the inhabitants. APRIL 25.—The Prince of Poute Curvo has had fre quent conferences s ith the new :King of Denmark, in which he expressed to him his surprise at the defective state of the military preparations in 'Zealand, even for the defence of the country against England and Sweden; and also at the little progress made in the measures necessary to co-operate with the French and Spaniards be the invasion of Sweden. lie loft Zea land because he did not think himself safe there, if an attack should be immediately made by the combined British nod Swedish fleets.. He also left his head-quarters at 011ensee in Fulitten, and retired. to Colding, in Jutland. He k said to have • transmitted to Bonaparte some strong remonstrancesson the im practicability of conveying his army to Sweden, without the elitist imminent danger of its being destro-yed the British said Swedish maritime force. But all the answer 1w received frons his Illa=ter • was, that he.expeeted he would send him no wore cliipatehes unless they were dated rram Stockholm. SWEDEN. GorrENtivncn, Ara L 9.7. —A .I)ri , k ertenot - ati : .r.r was elk. tinetly heard here th‘ wholc.of the night o 1 Mirada) Ixsl. w loch proves to have been alt.:et:wk . made English sloop Daphne, and two others. upon the h:,rnotst 0: 1 7 1,,strind, in Jot. land, out of which they tut ten vr-sei: laden r is h corn noel pro visions, destined for Nor wk., and this afternoon arrived with their prizes here. APR it. `ls.—Our acconnt from Norw ny incorn), that the Swedish army nal. vanced as I . :. a*: r, n hick is within ten S‘vedish, or 70 Lo:;lish soles, of t..ri•ti:tna, anti that they have posiesed taemselves, by storm. of t essemial forts in that neighbourhood , in w hich thef took 500 prisoners, with very little loss on tilt ir , isle. Some travellers have arrived within these few days from flamburgh. who bring news down to the 1541 inst. They 'ay that 201)0 French troops have entered Aliena, and that they re in full possession of Holstein, hut that none of them Imve yet collie over to Zealand. A report prevailed whet. tat tra• . 7.; 7. . • ' 1