The National Register. — London, England, 1817-08-18 00:00:00

~~ e Ibt 04/I!jt ___ktionat ,oittr + NNW •, • a 1 fur tting, tontitution mar gatid. • fr. No. 497.—V0z. X. MONDAY-; AUGUST 18, 1817. PRI"E Slid POLITICAL DISQUISITION. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OP 'MC COMMONS ON 11IE POOR LIIIS. FOREIGN: INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. His Grace will be plaintiff, and two very distint.nislbi Counsellors of Brussels will plead, one for the Nobie Loin. the other for the Editor ; they are Messrs. Tarte, sen. and Toohand. ANTWF:RP, AUGUST 10.—The kingdom possesses tbelleaC toricA of arms. which were furnierly fully employed ; and yet tie Ha toverian vessel, the ?olden Rust, lately entered this port with 32 chests of English muskets from London on ac count of the Government of the Netherlands : and these mus kets, by a decision of the Director General of the convoys hind licences, have been admitted free from all duti Is. What a vast field for reflection does this open !—Vaircaut sie is & g ique, to dogust 13.) IN our last number we gave the substance of the Report of the Lord's Committee on the Poor Laws, and stated what were the means recommended fbr allevia ting the present distress. Since then the Report of the committee of the COmmons has been made public. It is of very great length, and, like that of the Lords' commences by a recapitulation of all the Acts on the subject paased prior to that of the 44:d. Idiz. We shall endeavour to give our readers the substance of those parts of it which recommend the adoptionrof any mea surds not alluded to by the Lords. Tt has long been matter of complaint with occupiers of houses or land, that they alone were subject to the blather's of the Poor rates ; the interest of money, whe ats in the funds or elsewhere, not being liable. On this subject the Report observes, that there can be no question but that the Legislature intended to bring every species of imonie into equal contribution, but that they failed to accomplish this, front the difficulty of ascertaining legally the amount, or even the existence a property that was not risible and local. 13nt the Re port suggests that a material improvement may be made in the collection of rates in large towns, where, a great proportion of property necessarily escapes its share of cantribation, from tenements being of small value, rented for short periods, and the occupiers, who een alotte be rated under the existing laws, either quit ing their residence before the rate can be collected, or being too poor to admit of the rate being levied. To obviate this, the Report suggests that the owner of the property should be chargeable with the rate, and it would then be his own affair to make such bargains with his tenants as would secure him a complete re muneration. With the same view of making.all property, which can be defined, contribute to the relief of the poor, the Committee suggest, that provision should be made to prevent, extra-parochial parishes being exonerated from this burthen, But as they are well aware increased re ceipts, will but edd to the evil while the present mode of relief is continued, the Committee conceive that, with tie view of providing such a check, as may lay the foundation for a better system, it may be worth the most serious consideration, whether a provision of va rious local acts, by which the assessment itself, was li mited for the time to come, might not be applied to all parishes or districts. By this limitation, the strictest economy would be created in the disbursements of the rats, and this together with the earnest recommen dation of " patience, labour, frugality, sobriety, and religion," as emrhatically expressed by Burke, might give a hope of an amended condition. After expressing its opinion of the benefits likely to be derived from the establishments of Saving Banks the Committee proceeds to point Out a method by which parochial bear:fit societies, may he made eminently use ful in effecting a transition from the present system of relief, to one thunded c,n better principles. This the Committee conceives may be effected, by the parishes paying for the admission into those societies, of such persons as have large families, and are now receiving parish relief. In addition to this, the practice of provi ding employments for the children of those who are become chargeable to the parish, is strongly recommen ded, rather than persevering in. the practice of allowing the parents, a certain sum for their maintenance, by which means thy are reared in habits of idleness and ignorance. The recommendations contained in the other path; of fL:is report, being similiar to those of the Lord's Com nistiec, we rjrain from noticing them, but we would stronoly rt.:on:mend that vat of it which refers to the law of settlement, to the attention of our readers. The observations are so sensible, and Ix) strongly put, that we think every one at all connected with parochial af fairs ahoull give them the most serious cmwitleration. PARIS, AI:G. 9.—The negrociations with the Court of Rome are concluded. M. Tullryrand Perigord, (;rand Almoner of France ; M. de la Lnaeme, Bishop of Langres ; and M. Ileansset. !Bishop of A Nit, are created Cardinals. Amongst the Archbishops and hildrps who have been nominated by the King, and instituted hy the Holy See, his Eminence Car dinal Tulleyrand is promoted to the Archbishopric of Paris; M. de la Fare, formerly Bishop of Nancy, to the Archbi shopric of Sens; M. de Bemis to the Archbishopric. of Lyon ; the ancient Bishop of !:steron, to the Archbishopric of foulonse; M. de Voncy, formerly Bishop of Rochelle, to the Archbishopric of Rheino ; M. ile Latil, First Almoner to Monsieur, to the BiAmprie of Chartres ; and M. Lalonde, Pastor of St. Thomas d'Acqoin, to tke Bishopric of Rhodes, &c. Ate. • SPAIN, Within the four last months there have sailed from the port of Cadiz S or 9000 troops of all descriptions ; with a great quantity of artillery and anionition of all kinds for our pos sessions in South America. A new expedition, composed of about .100 men, of whoin about a fifth are cavalry, will sail in a few days, and will complete the force that Government will send to those possessions, to endeavour to re-establish there its authority. Independently.of these measures, every nu r chant vessel leaving the ports of Spain for Pern or Mexico will transport a certain atim:nrof troops according to her toe:mgr. . These reinfoecernents are designed to till up the vacancies necessarily occasioned by a destructive war. The Viceroy-of Mexied gives an account, in his dispatches of the tith efbParch, of various actions which had taken place up to that•period between the Royalists and the Instil Rent+. The consequence had been the complete dispel sion of the troops commanded by the Chief*, Vargas, Gumaler, Reyes, Gomez, Roaxs, and others. Surprised, on the side of Tenets cingo, the 2711 t of February, in their intrencliments, they abandoned to our troops GO muskets. 110 horses, a nd many stores, with the military chest, in which were 24,000 pias tres (50001.). The military authorities are daily adopting fresh measures to secure the tranquility of the country, and in many towns and villages corps of Royalists have been form ed, for the defence of different places. This will tend greatly to diminish the number of rebels. The following is the letter addressed by the Emperor Alex ander to M. de Pizarro, Counsellor of State, and Member for Foreign airs " Mc IChevalier Pizarro—the King your Master having selected you, in comequence of the confidence with which you have inspired hint, for tlw e hief depository of his inten tions on all that regards the external relations of our country, it becomes the friend and ally of the Sovereign whom you serve in so distinguished a manner, to linnonr in your person his Majesty's choice, as well as the zeal which proves the wisdom of the favour which he has shewn to you. It is on these accounts that I have determined to appoint yon a Che valier of the Order of St. Alexander, of which I have the pleasure to send you the decoration. I pray God, M. le Chevalier Pizarro, to have you in his holy keeping. "St. Petersburgh, May 14." • 6 ALEXANDER." GERMANY. FRANKFORT, ..ktv 341.LInihe1ast Sitting of the Diet the Minister tor Baden, Count Mandelsholle, made a long and remarkable discourse concerning the piracies of the Barbary States. He observed, that the conduct of England was the most strictly consistent; that in the European Law of Nations it would be difficult to IMO the position that a line can be drawn in the sea, on one side of which a Bag shall be legal, and nn the other piratical. He thinks it would be a disgr.u•e to Germany to depend only oil foreign aid, and advise% that measures be concerted to defend their own trade by their own resources, which he says cannot be very difficult. A German Paper furnishes an account of the proceedings of the Diet, on a Petition hoot] a bookseller, complaining of an unwarrantable seizure of book,, his property, by the Elector of Hesse. The Diet rejected the Petition, but at the SAW time the act of the Elector was very properly con demned by the Reporter. From a toady so cautious and so little energetic as the Diet, the people cannot expect much active as ; but as the Protocols of the Diet are pub lished in all the German Pavers, the vet y knowledge that a complaint of abuse will he so extensit els divulged, must have no, small effect in lit eying the petty Soi,ercigus of Germany within bounds.. NORTH .111 ERICA. Extract or a letter from o.lehec, July 3.—" The weather IS very indifferent, tand ieenp , to indicate as bad a swami., ifs we had last year. It has been colder this la't inonasdian it was in the early part of klity : we have had violent. rains and high winds. The ship Mary soiled Isom hence for Greenock, on Saturday last, and was wrecked yesterday morning; Lien tenant-Colonel and Mrs. Smelt, of the 103 Regiment, wire passengers, but fortunately escaped without injury. The Prevoyante store ship was eon ogronntl, a few weeks ago, but she is sluice got WV and mitered." NOIR :.ANDS. linesser.s, Accutatt.—ln ottc of our Journals %re read the following article t...," Th.-correctional Tribunal of (Aunt vk ill have toatry, on tht loth this month, an action tin. calumny, brought against the litiltur of Atte Journal of East and West Flanders, on account ti an article inserted in that Paper on the l•altof June he i k t, ceived in these terms : " It is a ffi rmed that Ir. Datum is administering the Co lony (MAtrlinique..tif which he is Intendant), very well in to voile of a foreign Oovernment. " Lord Wellington has desired to see ham retained. No more is wanting to perpetuate Lim iu Lis liouvurablt func tions." M MR. OWEN'S PLAN: We profess ourselves to be of that claw of persons, whom one of our elegant writers long ago described, that never like to read a book without knowing some thing about the author; and we are always the more curious on this head,Av hen new doctrines are promulgated, either in religion, polities or morality. Mr, Owen hp therefore gratified us much by the short sketch which. - he has given us of his life; it was only wanting in ad. dition to this, to see his person to make our knowledge of him perfect—this we have seen, and we are now as familiar with Mr. Owen, as if he had invited us every day for a twelvemonth, to bed and board. That ' our readers may become as well acquainted with him us ourselves, we will insert the short sketch .of his life, which has already appeared from his own pen in several of the daily papers. " I was born in Newtown, •Montgomerysliire ; left it, and came to London when I was about ten i ears of age ; soon after came to Mr. James M'Guffog, of Stamford, in Lincoln shire, where I remained upwards of 9 yea's; returned to town, and wa.s•a short time with Messrs. Flint and Palmer's London-hridge. I went after wards toMancliester,and was some time with Mr. John Satterstield, whom I left, while yet a boy, to commence business on a limited scale, in making machi nery and spinning cotton, part of the tithe in purtnership with Mr. Jones, and part on my own account ; afterwards I under. took to manage the spinning establishmouts of the latc Mr. Drinkwater, of Manchester, at the latter place , and at Nor. wicks, in Cheshire, iu whi ch occupation I remained 3or 4 years. I then formed a partnership to carry un a cotton - spinning business with Messrs. Moulson and Scarth of Man chester ; built the Cliorlton mills, and commenced a new finis under the designation of the Chorlon Twist Company. along . with Messrs. llorratlaile and At kinson, of London, and Messrs. IL and J. Barton and Co. of Manchester. Sonic time after wards we purchased the mills and establishments ut New Lanark, where! I have been before the public for 1$ years past, and I am now 46 years old." During these IS years, Mr. Owen has been active. ly employed in maturing Lis schemes for the comfort and re-moraliuttion of the poor, within the circle of his influence, and he has now attained to that point, which will either extend that circle or anihilate his hopes of further success. We cordially agree with • him, in his views of the present degraded state of the lower orders of -the people of these islands, but we en. tertaiii 4rong. doubts of the efficacy of his pl ans f or amelidr4ing their conditition. The principle with which Mr - Owen sets out, is that, " Any .general character, from the best to the . worst, from the most ignorant to the most enlightene,l, may be given to any community, even to the world at large, by the applicaion of proper means; which meens are to a great extent at the command and under the controul of those who have influence. in the. affairs of men." Proceeding- upon this principle, Mr. Owen conceives that there is only one effectua/ plan, by which the world at large can he redeemed-from the state of ig-. - norance and vice in which it .now it, and that is by dividing every nation into " communities of" from 500 to 1500 persons ; founded on the principle of united lidxsir and e.-pondiLwe, and having their basis in agriculture." All the individuals of each of these communities will be lodged in the same building, which building will be surrounded by n quantity of land, pro portioned to the number of persons of which the com munity may consist ; the provisions fix the whale • community will be cooked in the same kitchen, he consumed in one common mess-room ! And all children abOvu three years of age will be taken 9 . their parents, lodged ttigeth‘r,.'aisirtled together, instructed together ! Such is the outline of Mr. Oureat's plan so far respects the Countiy. How the reform is to be complished in towus, where land is not to Ise had ; do not so well comprehend, nor do we believe Owen himself has made up his mind on that peh and yet he tells us, if the whole of the rising gene ra .- tion are not instructed in the principles, which h e l ava • down, tit; a d o pt* u f them willlug t_ 216, - , • COlll.. of the (4 r . "* . ‘'N a. and 4 , lipt all the • A front t and as it " LI, we u Mr.. N 1..°