The National Register. — London, England, 1818-10-19 00:00:00

I Zrb t 7pLatitinal N o. 558.—V0n,. X I. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. THE HOLY ALLIANCE. • THE mysterious intentions of the Holy Alliance, as it has been called, are now avowed. The object of ceis Confederacy is acknowledged to be a league Of Sove reigns in support of Monarchical authority. On this stinect the following observations are *so'seusible, and the langnnge so forcibly expressive, that we unites', tatiugly insert them from a cotemporary Journal-. feeling glared our Readers will be much gratified by their perusal. • At the commencement of the revolutionary war • with France, when it was the common cant of coat . tiers, that " this was the cause of crowned heads," a learned and distinguished divine shrewdly remarked, • then I know what is the cause of uncrowned heads." • The feeling, thus truly expressed by our countryman, • pervaded Europe at that period, weakened all the ' exertions of the Allies, and contributed as much as the enthusiasm of her armies to the astonishing success of • the Freawh Republic. The abuse of victory on the part of France, her scandalous want of faith to those • mho minded in her promises, end, above all, the degrading despotism to which she unreluctantly sub ' mitted, gradually obliterated this feeling; and the • disasters of her Russian campaign enabled the nations • she had deceived and abused, to shake off her yoke.— ' Can it be the wish of the Sovereigns to revive among • their subjects the sentiments that prevailed at the • commencement of the French Revolution? Do they suppose it was attachment to them, and not iudig • nation at the inflonous oppression of France, that roused the world against Napoleon ? Do they imagine • that those who wished well to Fiance at the beginning of her revolutionary caner, arc become indifferent to • liberty? Do they think arbitrary power will be to ' lerated by their subjects, provided it is exercised by legitimate Sovereigns ? What means this holy alliance —this armed coalition in support of monarchical au thorito—this guorantee y/ recognised dynasties against the democratic spirit of ticir sub s i•••'s V Must nations submit in future with resignation to every sort of ' oppression it may please their sovereigns to inflict ? If they attempt resistance to established authority, however weakly or wickedly administered, must they • expect to be opposed and punished by the united force of all the Sovereigns of Europe ? Is there to he no term or limit to tyranny, except the will of So ' vercigns and their Ministers? Arc nations henceforth • to be considered as so many gangs of slaves, without redress or protection against the cruelty, rapacity, or • caprice of their masters ? Is this the reward of their p• atriotic exertions against France? Are these the ' fruits of the deliverance of Europe ? What worse could have happened under Napoleon ? ' Before this unholy league is eon , unimated at Aix ' la-Chapelle, we beseech the assembled Sovereigns to pause, and to reflect a moment on the state of the • world and of themselves. They roost be aware, that • the hostilities which have c esolated Eurcpe for the • last twenty five years, have bad more the character of a civil or religious war, than of a contest of nation • against nation. Mankind have been nod are still di ' vided into two parties, the advocates of ancient vi • leges and existing abuses, and the friends of reform 6 and good government ; and if Kings and Ernoel-nrs • will condescend to inquire, they will find, Ir:latover • the Nletternichs, the Hardenbero, and the Castle ' reaghs, may tell them to the contrary, that the latter are not the least numerous o: least powerful party.— ' Arc the Sovereigns prepared to drive so considerable • a portion of their subjects to despair ? Have they so • soon fio h nit their laic situation under Napoleon ? • Ten years ago it was in the power oft he exile of St. IlaCna to have swept theta and their dynasties from /lz cz .i.‘_- lit..k.i.Oztrr+ Our iiing, (tontitution anti /tips'. MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, ISIS. • the face-of the earth. To his mercy they owe, that • they are still in existence. Ile spared them, heeause be had the silly vanity to be one of themselves.— ' But let them take care, lest by their misconduct they raise up a second Nvoleon. If sech a revolutionary • conqueror should , again . appear, by what arguments • will they appeal his clemency ? Will they boast 'of their gratitudte to 'IIN predecessor? By what in ' sinuations will they stir up their subjects to resist his arms ? What have they to remind the nations they govern, but of hopes deferred, of pinnises broken, of engagements violated? We have no ttesire to excite fresh disorders. Twenty-five years experience has con ' vinced us, that inverfeet liberty, with peace, is pre ferable to a more perfect system that must be obtained by arms. What we re•plest of Sovereigns is to form no confederacies against their people, that must excite an universal combination of mankind against them ' selves. If they have enemies among their subjects, let them disarm their resentment by satisfying their just desires. Let there be no further delay N the `grant of Constitutims promised at divers trues to certain nations. What the Kings promised in the hour of peril, let them fulfil in the moment of victory.' As far as the interest and the character of Englund are concerned, she was not a party to the Holy Alliance, we were told by Ministers last Session in Parliament, but the British Secretary of State is one of the junto at Aix-ia-Chapelle, and it seems highly probable that, whatever are the machinations there, our Cabinet, though not parties, are priVy to them, and, though not bound by treaty, vill be aiding and abetting in their execution. Otherwise for what purpose is our Minis ter there? That this is so is much to be regretted, not because our assistance will be any thing cllbetual in aid of the Allied Sovereigns, but as the attempt degrades the character of our Government to a level with despo tic Monarchies. As to the success of this Alliance, whether we join or not, that will be much the same, as the attempt of mere Governments to controul the spirit of an enNghtened age is as puerile, and as likely to be' el'ectual as the celebrated orders of Xerxes to bind the raging sea with chains. The Lancastrian schools, and the liberty of the press, even imperfeet as it is, will produce a power which armies and alliances can neither subdue, nor resist ; which cannot be banked or dammed up, even by the builders of the Egyptian pyramids, but, like the Nile, will overflow the couotry, to leave it afterwards improved and fertilized. HAnzas CORPUS ACT —Bishop Burnet rektes circumstance respecting the Habeas Corpus Act, which more curious than credible ; but though we cannot be induced to suppose that this important statute was obtained be a jest anti a fraud, yet the story proves that a very fbraiitiable opposition was made to it at the time :—" L was carried,'' says, he, •'by an odd :mi llet: in the 1-louse of Lords. Lord Grey and Lord Norris were named to be the tellers ; Lord Norris being a man subject to vaponrs, was not at all times attentive to what was doing; so, a very fat lord coming in, Lord Grey counted him for ten, as a jest at first, but seeing Lord Norris had not observed it, he went on with this misreckoning of len, sb it was reported to the house, and declared that they who were for the bill were the majority, though it indeed went on the other side ; and by this means the bill passed."-1 Burnet, Ilia (kap p. 4.95. The Imperial Ukase ordering a new levy throughout PuFsil of two men in every 500 inhabitants, is given in the Hamburg faiiL This measure is de clared to have been occasioned by the necessity of filling up the allay to the Peace Establishodent, below which l 'standard it hart fallen, through the 'suspension of all recruiting during the - years 1816-17. The Ting of WurtemMirg, it is said, feels inclined to make common cause with, or at knit to favour strongly, the Grand Mike of Baden, in his quarrel with the Court of Munich ; but the general belief is, that these unhappy disputes will be refera to that teibunal which is per '.als most competent. to - settle than, viz. the ,hied iur.reiBns. PRICE 9V. 711 E QUEEN: The following Bulletins of the Queen's health have been issued since our List : " Kew Palace, Oct. 11. " The Queen by' p.m , 1 a hotter night than eauld have been ex pected, from the une44.,..s .order which her Majoty laboured ye e t ads y " " Kew Palace. Oct. 15. "The Queen has not had a good night, and her Majesty fells a want of that refreshment which she has lately derived front sleep " •' Kcw Palace, Oct. t t. " The Queen passed the whole of yesterday hi comparative ease and couilOrt, autt sl?pt well last night." " Kew Palace. Oct. 15. •' The Queen continues in the same state in which hec ,Majesty was yesterday. •.' Kew Pz.lace, Oct. IF. " The Queen passed the whole of yesterday in a state of r ease than she haul experienced during a few of the preceding cll. 11 er Majesty has had a good night, and feels herself refreshed by her sleep." " Kew Palace. Oct. 17. " The Queen continued in a state of e,se thmughout yesterday. but her Majesty has passel a less comfortaLle night.. The symptmsis of her Maji sty's disorder remain the same as for some time past. '• Kett• Palace, Oct. lg. " The Queen has had some hours' sleep, but her Majesty's disease is not diminished. ~ F. NIILLMA N." From these bulletins, our readers will perceive that the symptoms of her Majesty's disorder continue una bated ; and that the debility of the Royal sufferer is excessive ; no motion of any kind is at all attempted, lest it should induce a recurrence of spasm. It is raid, the King has latterly manifested some uneasiness at the continued absence of her Majesty ; who used to make it a regular role of visiting him at least once evert• day. Fite Prince Regent is constant in his attentions to his Royal mother. We regret to state, that the Princess Sop'.iia still continues in the same low nervous state. The Duke of York paid his usual visit yesterday - to her Royal Highness. The Duke of York, in consequence of the inlispo sitien of the Queen, has relinquished his animal visit to Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, to take the amusement of shooting. 1 Duke of Gloucester is expecte:l to return from the Continent in the course of a few (lays. Sixteen horses belonging to her Majesty, and several of the Princess Augusta's, have been sent from. Kew to Windsor; the garden chairs, in which her Majesty used to tale exercise, when she first went to Ketv, have also been sent off to Windsor. Plese circumstances give risr: to the idea that her Majeseys removal to Windsor may be again in contemplation. On Monday her Royal Highness the Princess Au gusta gave a plentiful dinner, to the whole of the work men employed in the Royal gard.nt; and plantations at Ktw. Three ample tables, most bountifully famished with cold roast beef, puddings, Ste. were act out in the Holly-walk, on the further side of the lawn, at a diair4 tance of nearly half a mile from the Palace, and up wards of 60 persons sat down to them. They a-ere divided into three classes; at the first table were the gardeners of the botanic gardens ; at the second were Owe of the kitchen garden ; and the third was oven piod by the labourers employed in the improve:nous which are carrying on under the direction of the Prin cesses. Daring the repast their Royal Highnesses, attended by Gen. Taylor, visited the scene, and walked several times round the whole of the tables, with the most graceful condescension. After their Royal Fligh news had fetired, the health of Ac Queen and Princesses was 'drank in plentiful libations of porter. brought to the scene of action iu barrels, and after sitting about two hours, the numerous assemblage departed to their several homes, beating with them large petrtions of previsions for their families. The Duke and I)uchess of Kent, after vending some days at Spa, return to Brussels. . The Grand Duke Michael, in his late tour, is raid to have disbursed in travelling espenees in England, so great a RUM as 20,00 01 . The innkeepers where he put up charged enormously high. At on hotel in Elin. burgh, the bill fbr two days is meetioned to us to have amounted to 2751. After this bill was settled an aftercbarge was made of 50s. for a luncheon • of bread and beer for eight men. In Dublin the hills were mere mod rate. At an inn in South -street, the char g e for four oys was only 1501. at which the Grand i i Duke was so sal stied, that he presented the larailard with an extra 501. i 1 .