The National Register. — London, England, 1818-11-16 00:00:00

/I 4 f /ti .(jAff (9 ZaPet . " , t 4-1 Oation(k NO. 6.-VOL. XI. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. REDUCTION OF THE ARMY. As length we have reached the period so long wish ed for, that of the redaction of the army to a peace esta blishment. There are, however, two ways of doing this; either by reducing the number of regiments, offi cers, and men, or by reducing the numbers in each regiment. The former plan is that which is to be adopted. The Morning eltrossick says, The more closely that the scheme of army reductions is examined, the less satisfaction will be derived from it as a measure of retrenchment. In the House of Commons, last year, Lord Palmerston distinctly said, that it would be infinitely more economical to reduce regiments altogether, than to keep up a number of * skeletons. Seventy regiments at SOO men each would be infinitely more advantageous to the country than ninety at GtO each; and he held out this as the plan of reduction to be pursued, stating the amount of say 'lug that would thereby accrue. How will the go ' ble Secretary at War reconcile the plan of reduction actually adopted with that which he announced ? The extravagant course is preferred to the economical. e The country is saddled with much more expense than would have been incurred by following the plan of the Noble Lord ; anti what is of almost equal im l• enience, influence would have been diminished in the same proportion as expellee. • But through the whole arrangement, official regard • has been paid to the preservation of patronage ; and • acordingly we see that that branch of the service • which is the most desirable to young men of interest, the Cavalry, is to be kept on a much higher scale • than the Infantry. The expense of this is not the • only evil. The Line will be made merely a transit •to the Horse. Every Cadet of Parliamentary fami • lies will look for removal to the Cavalry, that he may • not be sent to the West Indies ; and the influence of the Crown will thereby be promoted to a dangerous extent in time of profound peace. At no former time was the Cavalry kept up to so high a rate, and there can be no good reason for it in the present state of our resources.' The argument adduced by the Courier is, that by preserving skeletons of regiments, we may, in any war breaking out, in a few months raise our army to a war establishment, for that there will he nothing to do but to distribute the new levies anion the skeleton regi ments thus preserved, where they will be commanded by veteran officers, and surrounded by veteran soldiers ; whereas, were the regiments reduce I altogether, the new levies must in such a case be formed into new re giments. and they would be much longer being brought to a state of discipline. But, granting this argument its full force, on what supposition does it proceed ? On one of preparhlg now for a future war. But was. not this painful necessity the very thing which was to be avoided by restoring the Bourbons ? Was it not the very evil we complained of in Buona parte% time, that pestee must always be accompanied 11 preparation for war ? What have we gained, if this necessity still exists ? The fact is, this necessity does not exist to the extent alleged, but in some measure it does, and the reason is plain ; we di 1 nut finish our work after the battle of Waterloo. Our Ministers im puted too much of the past evils to the sole character of Buonaparte, and imagined they did every thing in re storing the Bourbons They fin-got, in Buonaparte 's crimes, those of Louis XIV. anti of Louis XV. lizta they remembered these tilt) , would have been satisfied in expelling Buonaparte, and instead of insisting on Louis XVI IL's restoration, they would have insisted en the cession of Alsace and Lorrain, and the iron bar rier of the fortresses of Flanders. A tuitittr+ Our Sing, Comititution ate itabni. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1818. The fact is, Franee is too powerful. Under the weak Louis XV. she endangered Europe, and under Louis XVIII. or his successor, be he ever so mild, or pious, or legitimate, she will over-run the kingdom of the Netherlands is one campaign. Whether we reduce our army by regiments, or preserve skeletons, shall we venture to go to the expence of a war to preserve these Netherlands ? The expence is what we cannot stand, and that plan of reduction which saves most money, is that which will best enable us to *mew a war when necessary. Had the war been esogianed another twelve month to accomplish the reduction of the French empire, it would have been real economy, for then our work would have been done, and we might have gone to bed ; at present it is plain Ministers have so little confidence in the durability of peace, that we are to lie on our arms. CANTERBURY, Nov. 13.—The remainder of the 2d Dragoon Guards, whose destination is Irelaad, have been landed at Dov€r, as also the 3d (King's own) Dra goons, the 12th Lnncers (680 men and 600 horses,) and the 18th Hussars; these will be followed by the ' 11th Light Dragoons, which is to give up part of its horses to the 3(1 (or King's own) which regiment re mains in this city for the purpole of receiving them. The 12th have marched by the line of the coast for Chichester. The embarkation of the 3d (Buffs) for Ireland, which was previously prevented by a fresh wind from the coast, was yesterday completed at Deal, that of the 29th foot was also commenced on board the Brilliant and Lady Hamilton transports, after which the 7th and 23d Light Infantry will proceed to the same point for a similar purpose and destination. We are sorry to state that, in consequence of a very severe attaok of the gout, the Lord Chancellor was not able to attend Westminster Hall yesterday. On the 7th inst the fintrth regiment returned to their old quarters at Winchester, which they quitted previous to joining their companions in the Peninsula. Only 50 men remain of the numbei' formerly there.— Many of the privates have brought with them French women as wives, and a numerous assemblage of children. Query, as they are not married according to the Pro testant church, will not the women be returnable to France in case of the man demanding relief from his parish? The men look well, and arc remarkably healthy; not more than twelve of them on the sick list. They will be disbanded shortly. Battalions of the 4th, sth, and 79th regiments of infantry, part of the army returned from France, have marched through East Grinsted and Horsham this week, on their route to Winchester. It will be recollected these three regiments bore a conspicuous part in most of the dreadful conflicts, wherein the British troops were engaged during the late war. It is understood, that the dispatches which Captain Brine, of the Musquito, arrived at Portsmouth, from St. Helena, brought, relate to a plot which was near upon being carried into effe,A, and which had for its object the release of Buonaletrte.—Some persons re• siding in England are the principals. 'l'be substance of what has been suffered to transpire at the Government Offices relative to their contents is, " That a corres pondence had been intercepted by Sir H. Lowe, which proved the existence of a communication between that island and certain persons resident at Rome, Paris, and Munich ; and that this communication haul for its object the liberation of Huonaparte from St. Helena." From its being deemed requisite to consult the Attorney and Solicitor-General, on the subject of the communication from Sir 11. Lowe, we may infer, that it actually does iaiplicate some persons re-idcnt in this country, though, from prudential reasons, an attempt may have been made to suppress that circumstance while the matter is under the conAideration,of the Law Officers. _ _ By the followin g provision in the Act for confining Buonaparte in St. Helena, it will be seen that any at tempt to rescue him, is made a capital offence: _ '• And be it further enacted, T•nat if at,y person or prrsoas, being a subject or subjects of, or owing alleAianec to. his Majesty, his heirs or successors, shall rescue, or attempt to rescue, the said Na poleon Iluonaparte, or shall knowingly and wilfully aid or assist in the escape of the said Novolron Ruonaparte, or in any attempt to e-cape from such custody as aforesaid, of from any limits or bounds wherries he now is or at any time hereafter shall or niav be detained and kept in custody as aforesaid, or in which he shall or may be suffered to bm at large within the limits of any island or country. territory or place, or within the limits of any districts or bounds within any island or country, territory or place. upon parole or with• put pamle, all and every such persons offending. shall, uron being era vict( d thercof.headiTlged guilty of felony, and :hall sutler doing, at in cases of felony, without benefit of cicrgy. ' THE QUEEN. PRICE 94d. The following Bulletins of the Queen's health hays been issued since our last : " Kew Palace, Nov. 9. " The Queen tblt herself more ally throughout yesterday, but her Majesty's night was a restless one. ' " Kew Palace, Nov. In. " The Queen has not rested well in the night ; but her Majesty has had some good sleep this morning." . " Kew Palace, Nov. I t. " The Queen has had little rest in the night, and her Majesty remains very much indisposed." " Kew Palace, Nov. it. " The Queen was in a less uncomfortable state through the whole of Yesterday ; but her Majesty has had a bad night." " Kew Palace, Nov. 13. " The Queen had some sleep in the uight ; her Majesty appears to suffer less to day than she did yesterday." Kew Palace, Nov. 14. "The Queen continues in m uc h th e muse state. Her Majesty rested ill in the early part of the night; but had some good sleep this morning. " F. MILLMAN. " H. HALFORD.. The Queen has experienced a considerable abatement of her sufferings since Thursday noon. Throughout the latter part of that day, the violence of the symptoms gradually subsided, and she passed the night without any recurrence of them. Towards morning she slept for several hours, and apparently with some degree of comfort, for on Sir F. Millman visiting the Royal Chamber at the usual hour on Friday morning, he found her Majesty a good deal refreshed, compared, at least, with the last two or three days. Her Majesty continued without any relapse through• out the remainder of the day ; and, when Sir Henry Halford returned from Windsor, at three o'clock in the afternoon, she was considered out of immediate dan. ger. Sir Francis Millman availed himself of the cir cumstance to visit his family at. Pinner. It was, how. ever arranged, that he should return to the Palace at an early hour, yesterday. The Prince Regent went away on Thursday night, somewhat earlier than usual ; and on Friday night his Royal Highniss omitted his visit altogether. A mes senger arrived from Carlton House, between six and seven o'clock, and the evening roport of Sir H.Halford was forwarded by him to the Prince. The Princess Augusta was sufficiently recovered from her indisposition, to accompany ber Royal Sister, the Duchess of Gloucester, in a walk on the lawn. Their Royal Highnesses remained out upwards of an hour, agd were attended by General Taylor. The following paragraph is from the Morning Ohre. sick : It has been the constant observation of the public, that the Bulletins and Circulars from Kew have given very imperfect notices of the nature or progress of her Majesty's complaint. While rumour stated, from time to time, the private opinion of the Physicians, that the Royal sufferer was fast approaching the uuiversal doom —and that the certainty of a general mourning put a stop to all other manufactures, but that of articles in black, it was observed that no Prayers were offered up to the Almighty in our churches for the recovery, nor was it understood that she had desired the spiritual con solation of any Divine. Indeed, it was understood that her own confidence in her strength was at variance with the opinion of her l'hysicians. We have once or twice stated circumstances in her case, that came to our knowledge, differing essentially from the account of the Court Reporter. In like manner we now it our duty to state, that on Saturday evening last, her Majesty felt coisiderable temporary relief by a small rupture of the skin in both ankles, from which there has been since a considerable effusion of water. It was not occasioned by any puncture, but the effort of nature, anti as we have stated, it had the effect of affiording temporary relief; but it too frequently happens that such cracks in the skin of a dropsical patient produce symptoms of more speedy termination than the disease itself. We fear that her Majesty's malady is come to that stage when the most loyal, as well AS filial tender. ness, may pray for relict' (min her sufferings. Iler Ma. jest! receive , ' the week before last a large packet of dispatches from the Duchess of Homburg., and we un• derstand that but a few days ago She gave orders to her s ilversmith to manufacture a sumptuous set of plate for „ /0: tine, for with several articles of silk, as pre. for her favourite dattghter:"