The National Register. — London, England, 1811-08-04 00:00:00

ThE NATIONAL REGISTER. *recovery. In the mean while, the Cressy succeeded in cutting off another gun-boat, No. 15. (Signed) FALSE :N. On board the Cressy, at anchor off Wingoe, July 1 - 0, ;811. His Majesty, while he laments the fate of his brave seamen, nevertheless feeds gratified in acknowledging the great bravery which they displayed in thi,, action, and in testifying to Lieut. Pilsen his approbation of his good conduct, of which he had • before given distinguished proofs. By order of his Majesty, Castle of Fredericsberg, July 16,1811. (Signed) BULOV'. COPENHAGEN, J IS IG.-A French privateer has lately taken two English vessels laden w ith coffee, runt, mahogany, and log wood. One of these vessels has been carried into Clnit.tiansand, and the other into Drontheini. PAIMPOL, JULY 22.—The privateer Turbulent, of St. Mato, brought in yesterday, an armed English schooner of t-4: tons, from Messina to Jersey, laden with sulphur and almonds; it was captured near Star Point. The schooner did not surrender till after a welt contested engagement, in whi,b the English Cap tain, his mate, and one of his seamen, were severely wounded. The French had only one man hurt by a spt ut ball; but their rigging and sails were riddled by pals, bullets, and grenades. The English defended themselves bravely, and both the victors And vanquished deserve every praise. ANVI WERP, JULY 23.—There have entered this port since . July 12, sixteen vessels laden with cotton-wool, lcaf-tobacco, coffee, sugar, potash, and mahogany. PARIS, JULY 25.—His Majesty this day condescended to sign, at the Palace of St. Cloud, the contract of marriage between the eziator Count Abrial and Mademoiselle Abrial. PAArs, 31:N 6.—By letters from the Southern Departments, We learn, that the coasting trade is much more safe and active than in former years. We no longer see English ships on the coast ; and we begin to send by sea, merchandize destined to Leghorn, Naples, &c. The Sicilian cruizers dare not approach our coasts. Marseilles keeps up commercial relations wi,ll the ports of Barbary, and does something in the I.evant trade. 'lite grand fleet is still at Toulon, and performs evolutions. The greatest activity reigns in the docks—new :ships of the line are builtimg. The chief force of the English is near Minorca.— There have been but few ships for these two months at Messi na. The greater part of the British troops have left Sicily. PARIS, JULY 29.—There is a strong report in circulation of the death of the King of England. 48 fered• a sufficient and durable guarantee of her friendship, and that the SpAniards and PertugueAe, under the present cn-cutn suttees, cannot rely upon the constant support of the British' Government. .Aucsaution, Juror IB.—The fluctuations 'Which the publ:c funds of differenr countries of Europe experience—the stability of those of France, amidst this gsneral agitation of the commer. cial world—are questions which stsonaly occupy the attention of our writers on political economy. There are some who as cribe these fluctuations of public credit to the interruption of maritime commerce ; but how can a variable effect, like the rise and fail of the public flids, depend upon a fixed and per manent.cause? Why should France, which, like other nations; isileprived of maritime commerce, enjoy a more steady credit? The true origin of these fluctoations must be sou lit fur in the vicious financial organization of monarchies in oilier respects powerful and prosperous. None of them have been able to get rid of the obatacl , s opposed to a gooJ system of taxation, by the privileges of root, and the constitutions of particular pro shoes; nor to bimplify the mode of collecting to:as, and the system of public accounts. Hence it happens, that Govern ments pove•sid of immense territorial resojirces sometimes do not know how to find funds for their current expenses; and more frequently still, are vite igoorant whether they have or have not wherewith to cover the outgoings of the year: hence the naccssity of paper money. But in the emlasitui of this re presentative sib;, what guarantee can a State hold out which never accurately knows iTs resources, and which is not certain of being able to render them available at a given moment ? It s nit surprising, that in such a state of things, public credit varies according to the agitations of the public mind • conse quently, it depends on the coo:bloat:to:3 of a crowd of stock jobbers, too capsrt in exciting sudden alarms end groundless Notoing of (Lis sort can ii.fluence the public credit of a monarchy wl4ch possesses a wellsorganised system of finance. Such is the case with France; and if we wish to know why the public funds of that cosniry do not experience those sudden chatiaes, which so cruelly liosoird both the fostimes of indivi duals, and the very existence of families, it is it: the Exiwilion of Cu? vote of the finimets q f the Frtptre that we shall find the honourable cause. On reading this Exposition, we are still hos struck by the greatness of the resources of the empire, than by their unfailing . certainty ; we are not hew.' (no d, as in tlit English budgets, by incalculable sums; we are tranquillized the proofs of a seem:: ititurity. We there see an Empire thre.l timos more populous than the Britisla rai•ing annually a sum equal only to half of what Englond expends —a sum, how- - ever, niore thao sufficient fur the maintenance of its armies and fleets, and for the expenses of so mow/ useful and magnificent works : we learn that this sum is raised upon a principle of just equality, on all the provinces of the sinoire, and on all the branches of the income of individuals. mirst thence be convinced, that this burthen, considered as a svhole, is still much less than the nation could Sear; while, considered in re-; gard to its distribution, it does not press more hisaally on one class or on one part of the empire'thm on others. At the same time we romatk; with what a happy equality these public revenues flow back, by the annual t xpendizure, to all the corners of that vast Monsrehy. The diilerent branches of administration—the courts of . I'os:ice—the public woks—the institutions for education,—boing distributed over the whole surface of the empire upon aiaumform principle, the sums ex• pended by the State circulate eqnal:y through the whole empire. When we aid to these advaotages that ef a simple and expedi-s tious mode of collection, and a prompt and clear mode of ace count, we have the idea of a perfect system of finance, or, what amounts to the same thisg, of the system of the finances of France. Such an order of things banishes every idea of those extraordinary and violent measures to which a State without finances has recourse—measures whish endanger the fortunes of individuals, or at least render them uncertain. Hence no alarms, no fluctuations : the sesnrity, solidity, and order which reian in the finances of the State, by excluding . all the speculations of stock-jobbing, or circumscribing them within narrow li.uits, oblige by a salutary re-action, individisals, and particularly merchants, to introduce in like.manner order ant solidity into their commercial transactirms. It is to this aflianc of public credit with the credit of individuals, that the Paris course of exchange owes the advantage of being more steady , I and sure than that of London, or any other commercial place. Suchet (say the French Papers) after a:. capture of Tarra gona, repaired to Barcelona, by way of Villa Franca and Villa Nova; from thence he marched towards the IVlontserrat, whi ther Campoverde has retired. A daughter of Lucien Buonaparte, it is said, Is shortly to be sarried to a Mr. Charltoni it young gentleman pf eons:ale/at* anded property. COMMENTS ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. How happens it that the friendship of the British Government has always been dangerous—that England has constantly infused into her external relations the same spirit of intrigue, of perfidy, and infidelity ? Are we to accuse the men who in all times have directed her Councils ? Can wet suppose an uninterrupted succession of Ministers without good faith in their transactions, without perseverance in their engagements ? It would be un just to maintain such an opinioa ; besi&s, it would imt serve to txplaia the diplomatic history of several renturiPs ; and in !riving nations a salutary distrust fur the ruture, it would not demon strate clearly enough that it will always be impossible to find a guarantee in the alliance of Fnglaud. The policy of the Cabinet in London is not in the head of the Sovereign—it is in the system of the Ministers. Their vie -vs, 'passions, and plans vary according to the parries to which thc..y belong. Peace, war, treaties, expeditions, are calculated itp.m their Parliamentary position. In other Courts of Europe a change of Ministry dues not produce a change of system but with Sovereigns of no character. At London, on the contrary, the stability of things depends always upon the stability of per sons. How can we find in the Councils of Great Britain that con siqcncy in p.ans, that perseverance in the stlection and employ ment of means, of which a permanent administration is alone capable, by makin z its glory consist in extctits.og what it has conceived, in finishing what it has begun ? What Minister will ever be self-denying enough to execute the plans of his prede cessor, whom, besides, he has succeeded solely by proving the danger of following them ? It is folly, therefore, in 2 ny Power, at any period, to found a solid hope upon the co-operation of litivland•; became, a: a mo ment the most unforeseen, it may be deprived of it, or not sup ported in its enterprises conformably to the treaties that may have been concluded. This danger, which is a necessary conse tluence of the ort;:inizatimi of the Englfr:i Government, threatens every Power that oni:fs itself with it; it would be much more grievous for a State ;hat should make its preservation depend upon the suppo:t of Great 13ritain. Spain and Portugal are in this situation. We must therefore agree, that England by the essentially varyingprinciples of her Government s has never of- , • • 4. I