The National Register. — London, England, 1818-08-23 00:00:00

,/,'A rizo,le - c) No. 550.—V0t. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. STATE OF EUROPE. There have been, during the last week, considerable 'fluctuations in the finds, which the Morning Chronicle impute! to the floating rumours of war with America — o f the disputes between Spain and Portugal, leading to a war in Europe--and to the Congress about to meet at Aix-la-Chapelle having views of aggrandisement fbr tae Great Powers, which would wobu'uly lead to the 34sturbance o f the peace e • These inthours have furnish:l an oocmion fir a formal eentrwliotiun of them appearing in the CoNricr, which; as it has every appea' ranee of being officiaLwe Audi here insert " 1. As Car as the most authentic intelligence enables us to form any opinion ; as far, we beliove,we may add,. without fur of contradiction, as any occdunts have reached Government, there never was a time since the peace conclodcxl with the United States, in which that eace was less likely to be disturbed. So fur from it, that the diplomatic correspondence between the two Governments is conductei in the most amicable and tx)rdial terms. As far, therefore, as human fereAght -an divine into futurity, we have, from the friendly spirit now happily existing m each side of the - Atlantic, every ground for expecting a lasting peace. After this positive statement,. we need scarcely add, the. insinua tions in the Mornivg Chronicle, of persons who are sellers being in the secret, ate utterly unfounded. " 2. With respect to Spain and Portugal, the differ. cams that have i 4 some time subsisted aro certainly not adjusted. It is possible that Portugal may urge as an apology for not giving up Monte Video, that the spanigh.Gevernment might nut be able to keep it against 67: --rert3 of the insurwents; and that if the latter did get pomession of it, ilia security of the 'Portuguese. territorici in that. part of the American Continent might be endangered. Thea, Portugal, as a set off against the complaints made Ly the Spanish Government rela tive to Monte Video, may etzsibly reciprocate complaints against the conduct of Spain to the Portuguese territe- ries in Europe. But, be this as it may, the differences, though yet unadjusted, wiil not, we may safely predict, lead to any rupture between them. Without being more explicit, we may conclude by saying, that they will not go to war in opposition to the expressed will and policy of the great Allied Powers ; which polity is must decisively that the peace of Europe shall not be disturbed. " This last assertion, in which we are sure we shall not be contradicted, might serve as a sufficient reply and refutation of the last rumour, that the Congress about to be assembled is more likely to light up again the flames of war than to confirm and consolidate the blessings of peace. But.we will nut discuss this point so briefly. It is well known that the Congress of Vi enna, interrupted and broken up so unexpectedly by the irruption of Buonaparte inFrance, left many pints un— settled. The subsequent events, the treaties can.;:..- fluent upon the secon:lZntranee into Paris, the cl.,:bii.:ll - of foreign troops in the French territories, ren dered it inoxpedient to rf)..!st.etithle a Consregs the el.ims upon Franco b::-1 been lig - Id:late:4 or siulielent security given for the liquin:Ati.):l, Lola until France lila ken restoloa to su-.:11 a state of internal tranquillity as - _ to render eat, military txeupati , :o no 1on;;er nzeeFg..ry That period, it is sail, is tice.nuil by the ANIL!! l' o'er; to have arrive,l, m.. 1 the evacuation is to take ~ ,Liee fore the commencement of November. Fraic.t.t, so important and necessary a luny to any arrol;Nment enlbraClll3 tiro WhOIC Of the Ear. real fonily, be able to assist at the CoN;res4 in a m In: free and un fetterol state than she could have done hal the Con c,resa been Lela in tt.e intyr% .- al that has elapsed since Eigr.atuxe ef: the treaty Kt tile end of tl.c Scar 1315. d~ Z )11 / -lAt • 'I •Tin +N4I Ig , Cur UtQ, totttitution anti airl.9. SUNDAY, AUGUST 9.4, 131 S. If we might prcitnne to hazard iroenjecture relative to some of the - pH:244Pa' objects 40011 occupy the use ful and h'onourable Labours of the Cougrev, one of them will relate to the situation 411 re Germanic INsitcrs, now in a state of considerable doubt and confutiatt,:in consequence of the dissolution of the old tics that CUB" sisttN , intd the loose and imperfect nature of the new ties Ay have replaced them. This will be a work of gretkniaety and delicscy ; but all difficulties will yield to theAliorouith conviction that the Congress is not in.. fluencea l„y any selfish or persoual views, but solely by eentent,Amoladate, salimeira4lte.general petiCe:. "sere see hash'-' souse questiotiti 7 ef territorial limits wiitilillemain to ae more acearateiy settled, par ticularly, if we are not misinform:tad, he;westkliivaria, Wurtemburgh, Baden,. and Hesse. A - " The differences between Spain an orgill on this Chrigres.s he discussed and final' .4; 4 " The relative situations and privilegl: Terent religious persuasions, particularly of the , ho hi therto, particularly in Germany, have beets so grim% ously oppreesed, may be another point of discussion. " It may be,..t00, that the Congress will take into its consideration time different military establishments to be kept up by each power. • " i hew, some of the principal subjects—others there nae of le:s . importance. But wa htte enumerated enough to allow that peace, not war—consolidation, not ~, ttwressiort,—are the ain't and objects of the Con gresi. And we conclude by repeating, that if we were to name the period when a long and happy peace was likely to unite . - nll the Continental nations, we should name the perkatin which we now submit this article to the British . public." : _ _ • . Uron the subject of America, the seizure of the Floridas by the ambitious Republic did not appear to ns sc.) tie:nest With war by any means as- the apparent murder of Mr. Arbuthnott, nisi of our allies the Se minole Indians. It is very probable that the Floridas have beets sold, but that a rale lefAtanded policy on the part of Spain has been thought necessary to clis gulie the transaction. If this has not been the case, Spain is so little able to resent the insult, and a pecu niary indemnity would be so convenient to her, that the result, in all probability, will be the same. But the conduct of the - American authorities towards a British subject has every appe-arance of being so outrageous, that we doubted whether that cassia be looked over by England, even iu her present breathless situation From the foregoing vticle in the Ministerial paper, it should appear, either that the information as yet received by Ministers does not warrant so unfavourable a con clusion, or that our Government has received assurances from the American Minister, that either the act will be grovel to hare been justiratide, or that satisfaction will be given. The article does not in any way hint even at Arbuthoott's case, and is thus reserved, pmba hly, in order not to compromise Administration, in the present stage of the business, either with the country, or the American negociator. Its peaceable cha racter is, therefore, rather negative, and ought not to inalce us too sanguine in our conclusions that nothing hostile will arise ontof the utTair of Arbuthnott. As to the Congress, it is not at all probable th"t that will load to war; hut the evacuation of the French territory is a circumstance of a much more questionable churae t r. A private letter from Rio Janeiro of the 2d of .Jane sirs, that among the corsairs whiell thee are antiiii p . , nt %-1 . Chili, there is an English vessel, the l in.lhatn. I ler crex is cotil posed of Akers and seamen of all nations, and she has just left Valparaiso. They expeet even moment the arrival of - Lord Cochrane, either at Chili ;or at Burros Ayres. The Lod Nisvor has been unanimously elected Pre , silent of' homsiss Hospital in the room of the r law Sir-C. - Eri.c, Litt dt:ccasad. -4/ c, ~~ r v r&. • , OF THE METROPOLL9. Pullet 9411. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PRISO.V.; This important document respecting the state of the prisons within the City of London and Borough of Southwark, which was ordered by the House of Com. mous to bi.; printed, has been just issued from the The tninut‘s of evidence exten:i to a very great length. We must content ourselves with giving the result of the Committee's investigation, with regard to the prin. eipal prison, Netvgate, as expres.:ed in the following statement : " Oa the whole, therefore, it appears to your Com mittee, that so far as the construction aril extent 4.; NelVkite siapermit, the erearaient cf tote prisotZer generally isMal*as meeta with their approbation. The prison litre does not appear worse, or more severe, than is consi. with such an establishment, or injurious to t 1 h of the prisoners. tion of a former Committee was directad ne • dad state of Newgate, which at that time IN • t e piece of confinement, not only fie criminaie but also for &eters. The new prison in Whitecross Street, has relieved Newgate of the debtors ; yet, with the conviction of the impartanee.pf elassificatiorid6l' separation, which your Committee cannot too frequently or too strongly press oft the attention of the House, they consider the ateommodation of this prison as still altogether inadequate. " When the local position of Newgate is consitlerecl e and the great expellee alreely incurred by the 6.lty of Lianclon,eit cannot be expected that the present gaol should be pulled down, and a hatter constructed, more commodious, and . a more extended prison erected in its place, which could only he effected at a most enormous expellee. Your Committee, therefore, must confine their suggestions of improvement to a change in the appropriation of the present buildings. " It appears to your Committee, that very material improvement may be facilitated without nny great or unreasonable sacrifice. The regular and immediate removal of convicts after every Seskions would give scope fur numy important alterations; and provision ought to be made for that purpose by an establishment, where, inland ‘f 'liaing in acetate of filth - and idlettees. the convicts may be usefully employed. And they may . thriller remark, that if larcenies were tried at the (garter Sessions, as in other counties, instead of be ing tried at the Old Bailey, a considerable. influx of prisoners would be prevented. But, if your Committee inigit venture to suggest what appears to them the most expedient arrangement, they would recommend that Newgate, as attatched to the Old Bailey, should be exclusively appropriated to prisoners for trial. On a review, then, of the whole evidence concerning New gate, as well as from the observatiens they were able to make while inspecting the prison, your Committee are decidedly of opinion, that the public interest requires a speedy alteration in the condition of Newoa e te. - They impute no blame to the present keeper (Mr. Brown), and the orders and regulations he has adopted under the sanction of the City Magistrates are a great im provement ; but the want of sufficient room to classify the prisoners—the entire absence, as frr as the men and boys are concerned, of all employment—the prosnia cuous assemblage of persons of all deseriptions,- ages, and characters of crime, have deeply impressed your Committee with the opinion, that no one can eater the walls of Nee-gate without going out from thence more depraved and corrupted than when first committed thereto. And though the Magistrates of the city of London have shown a praiseworthy disposition to re medy the grievances complained of in forruer Aimee, yet front the over crowded state of the prison, and the confined accommodation for its numerous inhabitants, the main and prominent evils cannot be removed ; and still less would it be possible so to rgoliate its in terior arrangement as to fit it for those purposes of re furtnatory punishment wuick the good of soeiety re. quit at." The 3,000,0001. received front France to indemnify the British chtitnants for their losses thrott i ;h the ordi nances of the French Government, will r,:mnain un tetwl‘c.i till t:le next Session, witut an Act: of Appro. pt'at:oii is ti. Lr piti:4e(l. This Boa-1 for time inv,.stigation of tho cLiitis of Briti..ll stmh,(. Is on the Gmverntitt-ot of France, which h:ms lif:emm tsit.me.h,ll nt Paris sin,:e the ytlmr lb I.L. is now ti•AtmAefred to Lootlull. The Cc' mfluuisaiouers ()v. copy the house in Poliepeat &mitt . was lalc!y Txrusport, cam