The National Register. — London, England, 1816-06-02 00:00:00

JUNE !. POLITICIL DISQUISITION. CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ALIEN BILL. THE Mien Bill is now removed to the Upper House. Notwithstanding repeated efforts to Olen its provisions, it has Nasal through the Commons as it came from the hands of Mini,sters, in unmitigated severity. If majori ties were always the test of excellence anti of popularity, this measure ought to be considered both faultless and generally approved ; for it was forced through all oppo sition by a superiority of numbers, which has not been so constantly displayed on any other question. Much tray certainly be uttrihuted to the late period of the session when it was proposed, and when a full attendance of members is with difficulty procured, even on questiens entirely British ; but more, perhaps, to that indifference to the private interests of foreigners, with which it is customary to charge Englishmen abroad. From what ever cause, however, the Bill is proceeding triumphantly; and although it may be delayed in its completion by the activity of the Opposition in the Upper House, there is no prospect of its experiencing the slightest alteration before it is stamped into a law by the Royal Assent. ' We have already stated the arguments used by the antagonists and the defenders of this measure. The former oppose it, not orly on the grounds of common jus tice anti common right, but on principles of national honour, and cosmopolitan generosity. Necessity is the principal weapon of the latter : because the bill was once found necessary, and was introduced on that ground by men who admitted that it could be justified on no other, as contrary to ancient British practice and policy, they consider that the same plea will serve for its revival. Let us then examine whether it be now equally well founded. Under what circumstances was the measure enacted? When Europe was in a state of convulsion; and when our shores, though unpolluted by the, feet of revolutionary hosts, had not as successfully repelled the invasion of revolutionary doctrines—when a fire was burning silently within our own island, which only wanted the stirring of a few hands to blaze on hi! , ll, and unmet the beacons of devastation that glared through *very continental state,—the sacred right of self-pre servatien, no less inherent in nations than in individuals, then demanded the suspension of all foreign rights, and the exclusion of rho agents of ruin. When the scene was changed, and the continent, wedded to the fortunes of its conqueror, presented a firm, united, and awful mass of hostility against us—when the powers of the Atlantic joined their menace to the storm, and the East thook in its fidelity—when, lookhig :AU the broad extent of the universe, we saw but ourselves against tur embattled world—when every duty was defence, and every post a post of trust, we well might guard against the admission of foreign betrayers. One treacherous land might have defeated the noblest eflimts of the country, and by their trinniph over us nations would have scaled their ever lasting. servitude. lint now do such dam-ers exist? Is rot our only dreaded enemy a captive in our power? Is not France our friend ? or, supposing that she cast off the Bourbon yoke imposed upon her, is the able to affect any thing by Ler hostility against us ? Exhausted, both by her conquest and her defeats, chained to the ground by the residence of foreign armies in her for tresses and her richest provinces, surrounded by states restored to the plenitude of their strength, and keeping the scale of Europe in a just equipoise, she is as imp n tent in arms as in intrigue. What other nation do we dread ? They are all our allies in. council and in action. Our gold, our talents, and our blood have fought their battles, broken their fetters, redeemed their independence, and re-edified their power. A stronger tie than gratitude —interest—binds them to our cause. Do we fear any peril at home ? Are corresponding societies revived ? Are revolutionary doctrines so much in fashion, that a srark will set the train on fire, and destroy our corstitntion and our peace ?—No ; a revolution, still more complete than that which has liberated the continent, has united all political sects of Great Britain in a deep and firm sentiment of loyalty and satisfaction. All now feel the re- • mita of those measures which they :aw adopted with variety and doubt, and long folle...wed without hope. ' They fund that they have conducted the country to un bounded success, and to an unprecedented height of pnwhr and of glory ; and, exulting hi the greatness of their native land, they sanction t:ith their gratitude and their admiration the system from which those 171MIIITCS have emanated. At home and abroad we have there fore ho cause of fear. How then arc we called upon to ext. rt the right of sslf-preservati: n, that right which alone con justify the eeshenshin of other rights, and n •eoihtes of. j crtic . • and. pro i• THE NATIONAL REGISTER. would be deluged with dangerous characters. Dange rous to whom Not to us, for amongst us they would no longer find a single hand to clasp in friendship, a single sentiment to share in unison, and they are not backed by any Earthly power to support and give effect to any possible machination on their part.—" But to admit them," it is urged, " would be to display a total insensibi lity to the real state of Europe." Why, then, do Austria, Russia, and Prussia, not only admit, but invite them ? : Do not those nations form the greatest part of Europe, and must we be more careful of their interests than they arc themselves ? We close our gates to men of doubtful opinions, lest they should endanger the pence of Europe ; uni the three great European Powers offer a shelter within their dominions, not to men of this description alone, but to the most notorious characters of the Revo lution ! What contradiction is this? And why should we volunteer, to the infringement of ancient customs and of national credit, to remove imaginary perils from those who most assiduously court them ? On no consideration of English or European interests can, therefore, the plea of necessity be justified. It may be agreeable to the Go vernment of France that we should adopt the measure ; but we rather suspect that it is below the dignity of the British nation to legislate for such a purpose, and to de part from the policy, the wisdom, and the hospitality of its ancestors, to become, as it was truly expressed in the House of Commons, " assistant police-officers to the House of Bourbon." COTTAGE FARMERS. -" A bold peasantry, their countr's pride, When once destroy( can never be supplied.' The recent plan of parcelling estates into large firm•c has nearly engulphed this valuable race. There is now scarcely any medium between the large farmer and the poor labourer. The cottage firmer, who formerly sup ported, in the comfort of moderate independence, a large and healthy progeny, now exists but in very tow in stances. " A time there wwi, ere Englanri'm griefs beisn. When every rund of ground maintained t • mar.' Happy would it be for the country if this state of things could be returned to. One hundred years ago the country was Totted with cottages, each boosting its own little plantation and cheerful garden. These monu ments of better times are now but scantily bestrewed. ' It has been said, that the extended manufactures of the, country have given employment, and almost ws.althy to the poor ; but might it not be replied, their extent has also given an almost fatal stab co the morals of the country ? Look to the distrCwts formerly agricultural, now the seat of manur, ic t urc ,. The village churches within those dist;icts were wont to be wcH attended; the fathtr, ;'ne mother, and their smiling children, thought it an'almost deadly sin to omit divine service ; the sabbat. l '. tvetiings were spent in domestic innocency. ! what is the fact now ? In many instances, what the village church then had, the village ale-house has now ; and, though the pecuniary means be increased, the wife is no longer happy—the childroa, ragged, and dirty, and starving! Again, look at the districts now agricultural ; examind the classes of persons by whom they are inhabited ; and few will be found, excepting the large farmer and poor labourer--the latter in part sub sisting either upon the elemosynary bounty of the for mer, or upon the poor's rate. How small the number of those who, possessing " neither poverty nor riches," remind us of the country's best estate; and who should he considered as the remains of a class from which that cluntry once derived its glory ; and as the patterns of a elms, without the renewal of which that glory can never be completely restored. It was lately stated in one of the Paris - Papers, that her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales had been at Tunis, from which she was preparing to sail for Con stantinople. This account, although doubted by mane (X our cotemp(mwies, is perfectly correct. When the Sparrowhasd, recently from the Mediterranean, sailed from Tunis, her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales ems living there, in the Bay's Palace. he having given it up to her, whilst for her accommodation he had gone to reside in the country. Ike Royal I lighness arrived there in a felucca, which ,Jie had hired in Skily, for six months, it being her intention to proem & from Tunis to Constantinople and the liklorea. The Earl and Countess of Derby and family arc pre paring for na immediate excumion to the Continent. Amory, the extranwlinary and unprecedented occurren ces, hprpcning in these eventful times, may be mentioned the degrndation which 7W Officer of exalted rank clperi. enced, not long since, for - trishonottrable conduct, proved at the bar of public opinion, as well as that of justice. To our great surprise, we now learn, that another distin guished Officer (whose name has been continually belbre our eves, in print) is shortly to be publicly disgraced — be ii to he strino d o all his lurnevrs—and his name struck out of the Army Lint. The judicial exposition of the offend ingparty is ahund imed, the necessary proofslaing wan; ing; but enough is knawn to justify tte conduct of the higher powers; and'at th, same time demonstrate, that neither • titles nor riches can screen ortaiders from merited punish '"eat. The sr-este.? it!' 1 - "_ . of t h e prc:,;rtt (~ 2 'enet we o• DRAMATIC REGISTER. DRURY LANE. ISO Mrs. DAVISON, AVIV/ is deservedly a public favourite, had a very full attendance of her friends at her benefit on Tuesday night. She appeared as Macheath in the Beg gar's Opera; a character about the propriety of hera.ssemp. tion of which there may be some difference of opinion. She played the part, however, with considerable success, infusing into itnitich moreof thatfeeling, with which an audience can sympathise, than is usually found in the re presentations of some, who seem to consider Macheatli as a case-hardened villain, with not a single spark of humanity belonging to him. Mrs. Davisosrs Nell, and DOWTON'S Jobson, in the Farce of The Devil to Poi!, which followed, were highly diverting. covps rt; On Friday night Mrs. SIDDOSS performed Chief* Katharine, in the Play of King Henry the Eighth. tin. the benefit of Mr. and Mrs. C. Kemble. Her reception was worthy of her distinguished talents. The House was crowded to excess, at an early hour, and peals of applause from every part of it saluted her on her entree. NEW ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE. The Lord Chamberlain has at, length granted a re stricted licence to the proprietor of this national un dertaking ; and the Theatre is now in so forward a state that a few days only are requisite to fit it for the recep tion of the Public. The general style of its decorations is rich, light, and elegant ; the proscenium is beautiful in the extreme. The roof is supported by arches, which close upon the slips, and thus.. gives an air of finishing and compactness to ti e whole, which is the perfection of architecture. A faint rose•colour is the prevailing com plexion of the boxes, which in the front are ornamented with gold wreaths, that encircle figures on a ground Or white. In addition to the performers selected from•the London Theatres,Mr. Arnold is about to bring finwani the most popular actors from Bath, Dublin, York, and Edinburgh. The principal female singer is a Miss Merry, a pupil of Mr. Walsh, who is said to be a young lady of talents and education. Report says, the com pany altogether is more numerous than the regular business of the stage would require,; thus affording an am pa specimen of :Ile musical talents to be found in the theatrical :trek. Mr. Bartley,. of Drury•lane Theatre, is to 'oz the Stage Manager ; Mr. T. Welch, Director of the Musical Department ; and Mr. W. Penson, Leader of the Band. Among the performers of provincial ce lebrity are, Mr. Wrench, late, of Drury-lane ; the Messrs. Short from Dublin ; Mr. Broadhurst, late of Covent- Garden; Mr. and Mrs. Chatterley,and Mr. Gomery, from Bath • Mt-Atte - sell, from Edinburgh: Mr. Wilkinsen, from Norwich, Mr. Lanca.ster, from Swansea; Mr. I3arnett, from Portsmouth; Mr. and Mrs. Grove, late of the Haymarket Theatre; Master Barnet; Messrs.Wheatley Nichols, Her ring, Isaacs, &c—The other Ladies are, Miss Kelly and Miss I.. Kelly, Mrs. Penson (from Edinbargh), Mrs. Leo nard, Mrs. Pincott, &c. &c. The Sorry Theatre has fallen into the pessessien of M. 'l'. West, the ground-landlord, who has let it on lease to Mr. I'. Dibdin : and it is now undergoing a ecnt rlete and thorough repair. Outmox's ()a . m.—Poor Thompson, the author of this piece, fell on Simday last a prey to acute iCelifies. The ungenerous, and, we may add unmerited attack, ss hieh was made on (The ron on the first night, affected , him very much ; for he had been led, by favourable reports of the performers, to expect it would be crowned with the most brilliant success, and hail calculatodi on prodneing a piece annually, which would has e been :t little annuity to bins. The excess of his disappointmeht could only be equalled by his transports of jo y , when, on the • gerund representation. his production was human ed with uni versal applause. Thus plunged from one extreme to do other, he was taken alarmingly ill on Saturday. :mil died the next day. lie w> at Drury lane en Friday night, and said to :qr. Parry, that SO 1111161 was he pleased ss ith the nimic which ile_ had adapted to his words. that he would very shortly vs.it on him with another play— but alas! he is gone " To uitoiher and a bett(r wo;•14."°. Ve hear, that the Atanaccrs of Deur -lane intend to alter and t tat.pre , a Cberarix Oath into one act, nod to pi ferns it for the benefit of the author's unhappy wife and thcee children, tin arc kit totally inipenvitled for. • Vide the Phy of the &ran:l-r, ai!apted for the •stage ft.. Thompson.--John nattier expired on th.24dage - aclit6tspotl,juat he had uttErtxt the above Kno:me. LADY Aeon.—Tlic following ase authentic copies 04 letters written by Lady Abdy. We give them, rot tear open afresh the ‘vtaintb , xrhich must have been in flicted by a circumstance within the recollecticn of our Readers; but to show the misery that eras r, nsentent its this, as it is in almait every instal se, upon a degrada tion '.iont moral oropricty cf conduct:— tsuperecribed), Sir Willinn Ahdv, haronct. At C. Egolire. llottishaaa Hall. Cdrnbridge. Oh! do not cctre to roan. I Lm wile; I am a lost, miserable wretch. I hate givt.n up very thing for Charles h e nt i oc k. He Iva cause ,A n y min; he has made me wrong you so cruelly, I (cult! ruler bear to r.r you se am Forgive rte. I shall r.tv..r torgit 'pm Aim', ners .0 met you have been indeed a kind hushaul to tree. lem un worthy of vou. I shall olwnys rcgrct you; vs love e eu, 6.6 l u r g a& Oh ! may rut be es hrppv as I mu ave.tclu i r, This is *he on:y %Lan I can I•ave upen earl. Ines, ,ye u, dear ‘‘'illrem. Oh, lam eiltratmd. (Superscribeel . Mt.. Ch 01,9 To Le luvr, totth!•err. 11,11, ca=b,ie t -p. ug, keii Sir Willite with )cu ;t Le r.te t f hint i h. Ls kir.. , t.; Li in ; Itioacen will Hew you. A u.ker4l 1 e fr. :au t . % :44 at • r• ;.S .!,•.,