The National Register. — London, England, 1809-09-03 00:00:00

SEPT. .SP. provided the electors know it first, elv, not deceived in their choice. All we would prevent is, that a good rich corporation should not choose to. intrust, with all their liberties, a plain, honest, country neighbour, and find him, within six months,. changed into a preferred cunning courtier, who shall tie them to their choice, though he is no more the same man than if he were turned Papist, 'which, by the law as it stands already, puts en incapacity upon him. Another objection k, that this act may, by its consequence, prolong this Parliament, which they allow would be a Very great grievance; and yet, suppose the king capable of putting it upon us, which I have too much respect for hiM to admit of, though I am glad, however, that it is objected by Privy Counsellors in favour, who consequently, I hope, will never advise a thing which they mow exclaim against as so great a griev ance. But pray, my Lords, what should tempt the King to so ill a . policy I—to whose good will does he owe all his power which these Lords suppose he may use to their prejudice ?—ausl, therefore, give me leave to say, as I must not suspect him of so ill a design as the perpetuat ing this Parliament; so he cannot, he ought not to sus pect a nation so entirely, I was going to say, so fondly de voted to him. My Lords, no man is readier than myself to allow that we owe the Crown all submission as to the time of calling Parliaments according to law, and appoint ing also where they shall sit ; but, with reverence be it spoken, the King owes the Nation entire freedom in chus ing their representatives; and, it is no less his duty than it his true interest, that such a fair and just proceeding should be used towards us. Consider, my Lords, of what mighty consequence it may be that so many votes should be free, when, upon one single one, may depend the whole security or loss of this nation ;—by pue single vote such things may happen as I almost tremble to think of;—by <me single vote, a general excise may be granted, and then we are lost;—hy one single vote the Crown may be im powered to name all the Commissioners for raising the taxes ; and then, surely, we should be in a fair way to wards it ; nay, whatever has happened may again be ap prehended; and, 1 hope, those reverend prelates will re flect, that if they grow once obnoxious to a prevalent party, one single voice may be as dangerous to that Bench as a general dissatisfaction among the people proved to be in a late experience; which, I am far from saying by way of theatening, but only. by way of caution. My Lords, we may think because this concerns not the House of Lords, that we need not be so over-careful of the matter ; but there are Noblemen in France (at least such as were so before they were enslaved), who, that they might domineer Over others, and serve a present turn perhaps, let all things alone so long, till the people were all mastered, and the nobility themselves too, to bear them company ;—so that I never met a 'Frenchman, even of the greatest tank (and some had 10,000 pistolea a-year in employments) that did not envy us here tOr our freedom from that slavey, which they groan under : and this I have observed universally, except Monsieur de Lovvoy, Monsieur Clohert, or such people; because they were the Ministers themselves who occasioned these complaints, and thrived by the oppression of others. My Lords, this country of ours k very apt to be provoked. We have had a late experience of it ; and though every wise man would bear .a great deal rather than make a bustle, yet, really the people are othewise, and at any time change a present unewiiiiess for any other condition, though a worse. We have known it so too often, and sometimes repented it too late. Let.them net have this new provocation, in being debarred from a secu rity in their representatives; for malicious people will not fail to infuse into their minds that all those vast sums which have been, and still must he raised towards th;s war, are not disposed away in so fair a manner ae it ought to be; and I am afraid they will say their money is not given but taken. However, whatever illeCe44 this hill may have, there must needs come SOITIO rood effect of it; for, if it 1 1 5 44 e 4 , it will give us security ; if it be obstructed, it will give us warning." • THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 559 . We shall only add to our observations which have thi s day been extended to an unusual length, that the same complaints were made more than a century ego, that are made at this time, and in the very same terms; the modern reformists have. not even the merit of novelty in their language,—the same necessary organization of our representative system was reprobated in these good old times as in our own days,—the same disaffection prevailed ; and as it was in the beginning, so it is now, and ever shalt be, world without end. We shall dismiss this question for the present, with observing, that of all the errors to which we are subject, none are more dangerous, either in public or private life, than those which arise from excellencies or virtues misunderstood. As surely as in private life an ex cessive generosity will destroy a great fortune, or an ex treme frugality will annihilate all enjoyment of it, s') surely will they endeavour to obtain an impracticable and in'ett physical state of perfection, impede the progress of those reasonable reforms, which are consistent with oar safety, and not inconsistent with our liberty. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. F,tom ?Hp FRENCH, DUTCH, 4ND GERM4N PJPERS• row.— PA RIS, AUG. 10.—His Excellency the Count of Hunnhoure. Minister at War, has received dispatches from his Excel Marshal Jourdan, Mtjor-General of the French army in Spain dated, the 30th of July. They confirm the accounts of the suc-' cess obtained over the Anglo-Portuguese army, in conjunction with the Spanish insurgents commanded by Ctiesta, in the battle of the 26th of July. On the 27th, the King of Spain inclined the French army upon A lherche, after havingdriven the Englials advanced guard from Ci.zalegas. He afterwards obliged it to abandon a second position, taken un in the woods, situate be tween Talavera and that river. This advanced guard defended itself vigorously, but was defeated by the first corps, commanded by hi; Excellency the Marshal Duke of Belluno. An elevated plain, by which the left of the British army was supported, and Oa which it appeared to intend to fortify itself, was carried in the mint brilliant manner by a part of the first corps, hut night coming on, it could not take a positi o n there. On the 28th, after various successes on both sides, the enemy's army was nat only driven from the elevated plain it occupied on its left, bat was, besides, forced to abandon Talavera de la Reyna, and its whole lines, after the most vigorous awl obstinate conilict. The im perial army remained all night on the 6AI! of battle. :_The Por tuguese corps had advanced under the command of (leneral Wel, son, to Varal Camera,, but retired after the 2fith of July. The loss oft he enemy has been very considerable. All our regiments were engaged, excepting the reserve. The nature of the ground would not permit the cavalry to act. We expect fuCther purti.. culars of this important victory.— From the Moniteur. We read in several of the public joareals, that a report is cir culated in Vienna, of a projected marriage between the Prince Rovol of Bavaria and the Arelaktrht ss Maria Louisa, the daughter of the Emperor of Austria.--Abdtle du Nord, Aug. 18.• PAR is, A uc:. 16.--The sitting of the Senate the day before yesterda, was a most important one, as appears by the following official documents published this day in the illenitaue. AUG. 13. —Yesterday the Prime Arch-Chancellor of the Etapire attended the Meeting of the Senate, at which the Senator Count Germain Gamier presided as yearly President. The Are!. Chancellor was accompanied by the Minister of War, the Arch Treasurer, and the al Mister of The Prince Arca-Cam). cellor delivered Of' following speech :—" At the moment the Emperor left this place to obtain revenge for the breaking of ' the treafies of Austria, his 11Iaje,ty ordered every means of pre caution to he taken for the security of the fron.ticrsot his empire. He every where relied upon the allegianee4%l his people, as3ured that they would come forward Id dacha every part of the empire which might be threatened, Notwithstanding these prerautkms, a great Expedition was assembled in the different harbours of England. The enemy bavinsr, probably changed the destination of this Expediticn, when informtid of the cessation of leaaili ties with Austria, it has ma d e its r i ppfsarimee in difft•rent points on the northern coast.; of Vratice, aai has ilnisl:ed by lauding l'a i n the itland of Wale!: ,r _v.