The National Register. — London, England, 1809-03-26 00:00:00

MARC!! 26. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. • routine and miserable combinations of official systematists. To their anxious and diffident policy, and to that exclu- I sively, should be attributed the disappointment and mor- , 1 tification which attended our arms since the ill-fated at tack on Duulsirk. Net one of our expeditious, since that time, has been planned, or executed, with heart, spirit, or promptitude, These weak and heartless men obstinately adhered to their pusillanimous half-measures, after the victories at 'llaida and at Vimiera, the prodigies performed at Acre anti at Rosze, had raised an immortal monument of the tiperiority of British courage. Sluggishness and excessive ...antion are so deeply ingrafted in our councils, that even in this tremendous crisis, when the last battle for the inde pendence of the world is on the eve of being fought, not a single demonstration evinces, on the part of our Govern- Ment, an intention, or even a wish, to take an effective part in this g reat and decisive struggle. When our whole army should line our coasts, where an adequate number of transports, for their cenveyance, should he in coestaet readiness, we do not hear el a single movement pre paratory to an invasion of the enemy's shores. Would to Heaven f the intelligent and the patriotic among 'our countrymen would reuse themselves, in this alarm ing juncture, to a stronger sense of the danger and disgrace of our inr,ctivity. The delay of a month may be I. fatal. We sleep and lull ourselves ia security, when the forked lightening menaces the 'mansions and lives of our nearest . neighhours. The storm which threatens them with destruction, if we do not contribute to avert it, will, after having ravaged their fields, collect, with more frightful symptoms, round our own shores. The same warning has been frequently given to other governments on occasions less terrific ; anti they rejected it with the same overweening ioufidence, as we seen! to do in this moment; --they gave likewise a preference to the weak policy of reserving their armies for the eventual dangers that might occur. not reflecting that, when they arrived, hew incompetent their single efforts were to meet them. ' The Prussian army, had it been stationed in Anspach and Bayreuth, at the commencement of the last campaiit Austria, the disasters of the latter might have been pre vented; and FREDERiCii W ILLIAM would reign as Sovereign over the great tract of country extend ing from the NieMen to the Rhine. But the despicable Automata in office rejected this vigorous and self-evtdeut policy, soldiers experience. ff we will avoid the dis asters which have overwhelmed a Monarchy founded, as we'may say, on military honour, we must also adopt aline of conduct the very reverse of that which subverted, in the course of . six weeks, an Empire which ficl been erectingduring fifty years of genius and the most unpre cedented exploits, ' Our army, if promptly and efficaciously employed, may save Austria, Europe, and ourselves. it is nauseous, it is insulting to repeat what ()Very man knows, and what the French have felt—that our soldiers, in every thing which distinguishes the profession, are superior to those of the enemy. 'if we have a deficiency of men qualified to con duct large armies, a few battles will create and call them into notice. BACON says, that the exercise best eualified , to preserve the 'health and vigour of a state, is a just war., the present is, unquestionably, the justest and ost honourable that. a country was ever involved in. We . are' , l i going to 'fight for. every thing which is binding on men, *rushee, honour, permanent security, or permanent miP.ery,. appeal,- with equal' force, to the feelings and interests o 1 the British nation and government. Th'e apathy and. lukewarm ness of the Ministers 'appal us, we mast confess. They have . done, and do nothing; worthy of the resources -of thecoua-. try. We:see in their measures, conduct and policy, alithe alarming- signs which preceded the downfall -of the Prussian Monarchy. They evince the same levity and oscillation on the very brink of the precipice. They issue orders, and withdraw 'them in the same breath, ..They! plan expeditious, awl whew they are road, for Win, .. • . order the troops to disembark. They begin to arm when the contest is half over; and every act of their foreign po licy is stamped with want of fixed object and will, A New-York Mail arrived yesterday and brought New-York Papers to the 19th of February inclusive, with sotue letters from New-York of the lath. A Non-Intercourse Bill is in its pro gress through Congress, by which the importation of British and French goods is to cease after the '2oth of May, and the Embargo, as it respects all other Countries but Great Britain and France, was to be repealed on the 4th of this month. 'ki►e following are the important contents of these Papers : HOOSn OP 22.VPRBSATAT4TIEAS, .7.1 N. 50. A message was received from the President, it embraced a letter from Mr. CANNING to Mr. PINKNEY, dated the 22d of November, in reply to Mr. ffirtu.Ncv's of the 10th of that month. Mr. NICHOLAS moved to strike, out the whole of his resolu. tion for removing the Embargo and preparing for War, except the word Resolved," for the purpo:•e of introducing a propo sition, following nip the repeal of the Embargo, at a certain day, by letters of marque and reprisal. The tnation to striks out was carried by a great majority. Fee. I.—The Ilousedecided 53 to 41, to ;Triune the con side: ration of Nicholas's Resolutions. The question was taken, to strike out that part of the Rom lution w hich proposes issuing Letters of Marque and Reprisa4 and carried in the affirmative—Ayes 57, /fives 39. It was decided by 61 votes to 2, to repeal the Embargo on the 4th of March. FEU. 11.-.. The Approbation Bill was read a third time and passed. The following is a summary of the provision of the Bill : All armed ships or vessels of Brett Britain and France are inter dicted from entering our ports, from the passing of the act. Un armed vessels are to he interdicted, from and after the day of nest. Importations of British and French goods, wares, aud inereharniize, are to cease after the 20th of Atay next. If either Britain or France shall revoke the Orders or Decrees violating our neutral rights, the operation of the law as it re. spects the power revoking. should forthwith cease. As it re spects all other countries, the Linhargo is to he repealed ou the 4th of March. Vessels sailing after the removal of the Em !.argo, are to give bonds in dotehle the amount of the vessel and cargo, not to violate the provisions of the Non-Intercourse Law. The Bill was made the Order of the Day for Tueslas . This Bill has been reported much earlier than wits expected. The !tli Of March is coil: 010 the day vs hick bas been finally fixed oa . for the repeal of the Embargo. Esoa Y, Fr.a. 14.—The Bill for laying an additional duty upon importations was considered in Committee of the whole. . The blank in the first section, for the advance per cent= upon the permanent duties now imposed by laW, was filled on the motion of M r . Alston, with the word fifty (per cent.) Of course the duties are nut doubled, as was originally contemplat, ed. The Non-Intercourse Bill has qot heen taken L. The Senate have passed' Mr. Giles's Resolution, No. 1, of the Repeal of the Enibargo, and substituting NOn-lnie‘yourse—, Ayes 23--Noes The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave notice on Fr;day, as will be seen by our Parbatheritary Report, of a niotiint to • bring in a Bal:for preventing the disposal of places by hrok,ers. Whatever good this Bill may do, therefore, iii ►t dud any, of which we have some doubt), will have resulted from the labours and discoveries of Mr. Wardle, But why is it only now that such a measure has been first thought of? The evil to be remedied—the traffic in public offices,- has been as notorious 44 public advertisements could render them; and as the customs and manners of a people are said to be-best learned by their novels and newspapers, foreign ens must have had a strange idea of the British Govern ment, who saw in the same column advertised a sale of horses, and of « Seats in a certain Assembly." •. The Emoluments lost by the Duke of York, in conse quence of his resignation as Commander in Chief, are esti mated by military men at about 60001. per anti. Th?, ap pointments are 'l,O/.' a‘clay; besides an allowance for be hones, his travelling expouces defrayed, stationary, &c. ;