The National Register. — London, England, 1808-03-27 00:00:00

THE NIATIONAT, REGISTER. IRCIT 27. TILE PARKS, KILNS, tiGTON-CIAILDENS, &e. Another day of rest now calls the gay votaries of pleasure to these rrnpuria of dress and fashion ; Sir John with his bass, my lady in her barouche, women of character dressed for the seasint, and women of no character dressed for any sea.on, ulI hasten to the gay resort, all ptessed on by Sunday bucks anti tpts of I.looa in the ride, or .4 ‘k ept along by the lievinjug crom i of .14An Trot's family , tt ho gobble down a hasty dinner, to take walk and .bony their finery. At this propitious season, when Spring, with all its verdure. hastens to deck our fields w ith oative emerald, a change ot dress becomes an important topic, and those ss ho wish to shim. as the arbiters of fashion (like true philosophers) first try - twit espeeimentt: at the Sunday resorts.—The last w erks have beet productive of much novelty this way, and this day, should pro pitious Sol, still shine resplendent, we may expect much of this important business settled. 'the gayer nylophs, warmed by the approaching sun, now lay aside their clay-cold habiliments, whilst the pearl, the faun, nod the lath purple shot, strive eagerly fur pre-eatioetwe ; cloth caps now yield the pal to those of a lighter texture, and might% mill he the struggle between the chap.:aux a la Diane, and al( cuipiirs a la Bergere. The stores of Antiquity are already ransacked ; the four gam l i Ts of the glohe are deficient in novelty, and kleaven itself 'idea be taken by storm. Each.article of apparel, w ill there fore bear the patronizing name Of some tutelary Goddess, till all Kensington Gardeus shine a galaxy of native Stars, and the Astronomer fond of contemplating the hraecnin hudirs, may here Raze himself to madness. We might pursue the metaphor, but Snitie tricked wits may perhaps by their eccrntric lectures, call our attention to the conjunctions of the inferior planets, to blaz ing comets, or pun us through all the signs of the Zodiac from Virgo to Gemini. 'Mnkt all this dearth of uovelty, yr e are surprised that none of our fair countrywomen have clapped on the conjuring cap; but were it in our power to recommend a fashion, it should be the Cap of Aluicaj, and the Mantle vi' Reserve. 905 11r. Deputy Goodbehere could not comprehend the necessity sf the Address, as his Nlajesty could not entertain the smallest ,Doubt of their loyalty and attachment to his Sacred Person and f;okernineut. This Address savoured strongly of a party ques tion, but he trukted the Court would feel its own 411W/I'l;4lWe 1 1v rejecting it, is hich would be P °ix ing a proper example to the country at large ; and conclude d by moving an amendment, lisclaiming party matters. 11r. Waithman expected that Ponwthilv in the shape of argu ment would he bromAtt forward to convince the Court of the ib.zoltite necessity of s uch an Address; he was well aware of the situation of this country, and was not, by any menus, friend ly to petitions for peace, though they m ere dictated by the p re ,.....c e of existing eircumstatice,.. Ily this sweeping Address. the Court was called on to sanction the entire coralnct of Mini . •fer , ; but be could not g:o to such lengths, fur they had not yet !lune any thing in fa% our of the people. Ills Majesty's Speech recommended ecuimmy : had that been pursued ? Ao. The fate of the h eversion Bill w as fresh in the recollection of the Court_ After all this we were not called upon to thank his INlajesty me the happy choice of his Jliniste rs. lie concluded by provoking 3111 ameminient also. _ . Q I ,o, d e f e nded thz. Copenhagen Expedition told the Or ders in Council, hut lamented the fate of the 1: everOon 13e11 ; tie also propo'ed au amendment re,pecting that Bill. After a fees - {N rtt from Mllr. Jack, Sir C. Price, Aldermen Shaw and Curtii, the amendments werc rejected, and the ori ginal Address agreed to. A Committee was then appointed to prepare the same, and the Sheriirs were directed to bait upon Lac King, to know when he will he plea,ed to receive it. . Tuesdav a Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall, which Ras numerously attended, previous to which the Lord 111 nor ordered the price of Btead to be reduced to lid, the qu:trteru loaf, of wheaten, and 91d. household. A motion was made, and question proposed, that it he refer red to the Special Committee to consider whether, in the pre sent critical situation of the country, it would be ad% isable to effect au alteration in the per►munent military syste►u of this City, with a view to add to the national defence, as well as to the internal protection of its inhabitants ; the said Committee to report their opinion thereon, together w ith any other mat ters which they may think connected with the subject. A long amendinent was proposed, and upon a division brim called for, a :Member observed, that there was not a sufficient numle'r of Members present to constitute• a Court, upon which the Court broke up. Thanks and the Freedom to Capt. Rogers were voted. A Report from the Navigation Committee was presented to the Court, relative to the Bill pending; in Parliament, for erect ing a Bridge over the River Thames. which was read, and a Petition to the House of Commons thereon w as proposed, read, and agreed to, and ordered to he signed by the Town Clerk, and presented to the Sheriffs, attended by bile Remembrancer. Friday a Court of romnimi Court it was held at Gitilditall, con%ened for the purpose of addressing his Majesty at this im portamt crisis. Mr. Samuel Dixon stated the object of his motion, and said he wa% at all times all ad% orate for peace, but the tones were Auch as to preclude any idea of that desirable event. His Nla- Jesty's Minister s had done every thing in their power to maintain the interest and dignity of the country ; and they could not act otherwise than reject the mediation of Russia, aisl Austria, who were immediately under the controut of our eternal foe, win) aimed at nothing but the destruction of this, the only couatr% that would rather sink than Meld to hit lie deprecated the measures of those who brought forw4rd the petitions of peace, and praised the conduct of Lord Milton,. with respect to these petitions, lie concluded by nnoyiag an Address to his Ma jesty of the important state of public affairs, and to assure his Majesty on the unshaken attachment of the court to his most Sacred Person and Government. Mr. Dcputy Buz becuuded the inutioo. INDIA AFFAIRS. Friday a Court of Directors was held at the East India House. when Capt. Collins was sworn into the comm►►nd of the Chip consigned to Madras and Ilengal.—The Court adjourn . ed at six o'clock. TIIE THEATRE. COVENT-GARDEN'. The English opera is a species of amusement, which, though it combines inure advantages thau auy other regular class of the drama, has nevertheless made the smallest advances towards perfection. Its natural and inhereut inconsistency is its only ob jection : but as that objeesion has been waved by the public. who are content to hear songs introduced when singing must be impossible, the opera is become a kind of drama as such esta blished as tragedy or comedy. Hut whatever resources of pathos may subsist in tragedy, whateser benefits of gaiety way be found in comedy, wha teser accommodations for poetical unskilfulness may be met in either, all, exist in the opera as it is now constituted. For :.n opera is a mixed entertain ment, tt hich may contain indiscriminately pathetic and comic scenes—which may avail itself of all the pomp and circumstauce of machinery and decoration—which, while it may appeal to the head and the heart, may also retain in its service the im portant assistance of the ear. It might naturally have been expected then, that the English opera, possessing thus all the credit of genius, and all the convenience of indolence, would become the must perfeet sort of theatrical representation. But we see no such effect ; and there is not upon the stage a single opera which deserves to hold the saute rank in its own sphere that the. School for Scandal occupies as a comedy. The. Beg . gar's Opera is a work of genius, but by nu means a regular play ; and Love in a Village is a regular play, bat by no means a work of genius. The operas of the present day hayo neither regularity nor genius ; and it continues to he a matter of regret that no piece has yet been produced which may delight at once our musical and our critical taste, and set aside Lord Chester field's sly .Lkigrani, Au opera, like a pillory, may be said To bail our cars down, and expose our bead. It is urged by modcru authors, that iu these finals, when the lnlaic bus became the principal object, there a necessity fur l ii‘ ing t 4,; first party to the Last : alld that as siugers . __._ ..~ ..~