The National Register. — London, England, 1816-03-25 00:00:00

IkiARCIT 23. Cicrmatt pai.ers to the 14th inst. and Paris papers to the '2oth have been received in the course of the week. The former are destitute of general interest. By private advice:. frcw Vienna, the dinrence between Austria and Bavaria appear to be adjusted by the cession of two Ba varian circles to the furtner; this intelligence was, how ever, received LA this country some time ago, and had it utit berme something of an official stamp, we should be inclined to call into question the authenticity of the in formation transmitted by the private correspondent from Vienna. We most positively deny the fact, that Austria is prepared for war, or that Bavaria dare unfurl the flag of battle against a rawer so much her superior in phy sical means. Like another leading power, in the late tre mendous conflict, the finances of Austria are in too ruinous a state to admit of her drawing the sword on a question of not much greater importance, than the break ing of art eg at the broad or the narrow end,and the de cision of which could be easily effected, without a rash and intemperate appeal to arms. We are in the mean time not blind to the ambitious views, and the spirit of aggrandizement, which from the earliest period, have been the leading features of the political system so tena ciously adhered to by the court of Vienna; but we pre,. diet, that it will not be from the Jetty . .ars of Austria and Bave.ria, that the repose of Europe will be broker. The last advices from I'aris of the date of Thursday lust, represent the situation of France as far from tran quil, the spirit of alarm is azain reviving, and the Go v•eniment is seriously apprehArive of commotions. We extract the tidlowing from one of the letters:— " The fermentation which still unliapri'y prevails, and the niersadt:g attitude of Lyon and several of the contigious 1)e -r:et/mitts, have excited just apprehensions in the Ministers of the Allied POWCII4. Si111:1` 1 tote to dun last, '3l. de l'oligrue was deputed to the Duke of Wellington, w hem he met at t hi El!. see Itourhen, s. WI M. Fagal, Ambassador of the King of the Loa' Countries, and intimated an intention of the Court to ape. Late a change in the Ministry in favour of the L'ltra-Royalists. The Duke made no it ply, but, in conjunction with M. Forza di Borgho, !male shortly after an energetic representation to the King himself. 31. Poyzo tli Bcrglat's %vas verbal; his Grace cons ed his sentiments by letter." The storm, which bus long desolated this fair portion of Europe has indeed passed over, but the swell is still on the ocean. In the present distracted state of her Government, split by faction, and torn by civil dissen sions, it is in vain fur France to look for that settled. • peace, on which the pros' erity of a nation is founded. If we look to the state of her finances, what a deplorable picture presents itself to our view. By refixring to the letters of the 14th inst. we find that the Chamber of De puties was occupied for two days in discussing the Budget, and at the close of its deliberations, had not proceeded one degree in determining the sourcts from which the public supply now in arrear is to be drawn; the violence of the contending rallies here present itself, and the dearest interests of the country are waerhiced to support a cleep and intriguing faction. By the papers of the 20th inst. we r.ljoiee to observe, that a bright gleam of hope has dawned on the fiite of Sir Robert Wilson, and his two associates. It is finally settled, that they shall take their trial before the Court of Assize. The most serious charge against them of having contrived and facilitated Lavalette's escape, has been withdrawn. We extract the article in (pies:ion from La Gazale de France:= " By virtue of a Decree of the Chamber of Accusation, dated the 16th hist, Madame Lavatette k definitively restored to liberty. The keepers and servants of M. Lavaler.e arc to be brought before tile Court of Assize, as charged with having facilitated the escape of M. Lavalette. Mesirs.Wilson, Bruce, and Hutchinson are equally to be tried by the Court ()lA:adze, as accused of having ClogA107:111111(d the aftuesaid escape. Thus, with respect to theut, the fikt head ut' accusation is done away." The Duke of Wellington, we understand, left Paris for Cambray, immediately that the serious part of the charge sgc.inst his countr►•men w.:s abandoned. The sentence ofCalonel Boyer has been commuted into imprisonment for 20 years in it state prison. General Manton Duvernet has been apprehended. The French funds continue to tall. The five per cents are at 59 f. 40 c. _ We have just received French Papers to the 23d inst. Their contents are as us.nd of - li!tle importance. The remains of the Duke d'Enghien have been found. The spot where they were buried was pointed out by an old peasant, who Lad dug the Prince's grave. The body had been thrown into it without any coflin. A bout was first found, then the whole skeleton. The hack-bone was per forated by two halls, and a large stone lay upon th,: skull. His watch, his seal, a gold ring, end eighty ducats in a purse, were found with the remains of the hotly, which wire taken to the castle and buried with (I , le. ceremony. Extracts from the celebrated Letter addressed by the Duke of Wellington to the King of France, have reached Town ;M. .Jules de Polignac wes, in consequence of this letter, deputed to wait upon his Grace, cod it is remarked, that the language of the Minister, towards the Chamber of Deputies, has since assumed a firms: tone—and they Imre declared, that the King will consider any further resistance to the law passed in Septemkr Iti 11., diposing of the royal forests, as a direct attack on his royal autho rity. If the Chamber do not retract, it is sum, scd it will be dissidyed. The dissolution either of the Chainb•r or of the Ministry is said to be inevitable. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 1 he last phrase of tl.is letter is, Litz :1111y, as foliows : Et mire Map% peul re ardor COMM' certain Tie le plas g . 4 - rand ntul prcnd ca swim , dans son propre palais.—" And your Majesty may consider it as certain that the greatest evil originates in your own palace.', We hope to be abk, in our next paper, to lay before the puhli,: a correct copy of this important document. The Public will learn, with real regret, the renewal of hostilities in our Indian Empire. Letters dated the end of last July from Karmoul, in the Bahar, state, that when the Government expected a long repose, a new war had suddenly broken out and extended itself from the southernmost point of the eastern boundary, as low down as Chittigeng, up to the northernmost parts of India, where Europeans had never before set tint. The British arms have atehievc.l, by their valour, the expul sion of the enemy, inure formidable in themselves than the mere value of the conquered territory; but the ex penditure and the loss sustained have been considerable, among which is to be estimated that of a number of our beat Officers on the Establishment. Lord Moira, after an absence of a year, was on his return to Calcutta, from whence it was supposed he would resume the next cam paign, after new arrangements had been made, and the nuns had ceased so as to enable the army to take the field. His Lordship's Proclamation, declared, that " the sword should not be sheathed until the Company- was indemni fied for the expenses of the war." A partial change in Administration is confidmtly Spoken of. The present Chancellor of the Exchequer re tires, and is to be succeeded by either Mr. Peel or Mr. luskisson. Lord Castlereagh will be called to the House of Peers ; and Mr. Canning. is mentioned, we are in alned, as his succes,or in the Lower House. The deli ni:ive Settlement of the new arrangement, awaits only the return of the Prince 1t gent to Town. It is wish particular pleasure we notice, by the last ac counts front Brighton, the convalescent state of the Prince Pe, eat. His restoration to perfect health, is, however, slow; and we fear this week will elapse, bcfi,re he will be able to return t, Town. He enjoys the exercise of horsebadc about the Pavilion-lawn, but the manner in which he was placed on the hot Tc's back does not indicate any great power of muscular motion. An inclined plane was constructed, rising to about the height of two feet and is half, at the upper end of which wzls a platform, His Royal HiOness was plaked on a chair on rollers, and so moved up the ascent, and placed on the platform, which was then raised by screws high cn:ugh to pass the horse under, and finally his Royal Highness was let gently down into the saddle. The Prince orCobot.r , generally accompanies his Royal Highness during his rides, and exhibits every mark of atketionate attention to the parent of his future Bride. IiER MAJESTY'S DRAWING Roost.—Thursday her Majesty held a Drawin ,, Room at Buckingham House, fur the first time since last asitumn, which was attended by nearly all the persons of distinction in town. It was at first intended that this Levee should be held for the purpose of introducing Prince Leopold Saxe Cobourg, but the indisposition of his Royal Highness the Prince Re gent prevented the introduction. It is however understood, that in consequence of the Prince Ite , 4eat's recent atta'k, her Majesty has ordered that a Grand Drawing-room shall be held on Thursday week next, for the purpose of introducing Prince Leopold, the Princess Charlotte's intended husband, preparatory to the solemnization of their nuptials, for which the most splendid preparations are making.—The dresses are to be of the most costly nature, and are at present in a very forward state. The Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Chancellor went in their state carriages to the Drawing Room, as also the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City uf London. The spectacle on the whole was very brilliant, and the fineness of the day added to the general ettixt. A half yearly General Court of Proprietors of the Bank of rat ml was held at their House in 'fbreudneedle-st reel, on rho:Airy the 21st inst. when the Goverimr matte the following contmunication to the Court, viz. That since the Dividend was increased from seven to ten per emit. in the year 107, the rrolits of the flank beyond the divi dend hate bleu acemintlaiing ; though the amount of those ac cossitilations lists beau greatly overdated. Fawn that period the Conrt of Directors has thought it expedient to retain from re rommending fartlmr p.trtieipations reserving the surplus as an additional scenrity b.'. the inerease:l issue of their notes, and to meet any exigencies which might arise in their affairs by a re turn to a state of peace. The Court of Directors hopes, that at no very distant period some mode may be devised fur meeting the just expectations of the Proprietoi a, In the. mean it must be obvious to every elleetin g and unbiassed in i Met the present occasion is one of nll others, the must unfaiuuralsle fur a change in Ilia rate cf Div blend. The Gov erivir ti en proposed that a Div:alend should he made of per cent. int. and profits 'for the half year, ending the Apr ii next; Gli M11;cli an amendment was moved, •' 'That this Court do now adjoiwn to Tau rsdav, the 2:ttli iostaid, for the purpwe of enabling the tios . crmo and I)lreemrs to lay berm e at an account idiewing dr- surplus profits of this cerrpo raCon tit the late :1 period within the last half year to et hieh it may have beau awed:a:R-41. 11 hieil was Leveived b) a vt ry huge majwity —The pro sid fur the Dip And of five per a amt. was lint and car ted by a ‘et' . I.4rge majority ; A% hen a papa it signed by eleven Proprietors, was delivered to the Governer alum:no:in. , a Bal lot un the im of Ammalment, which }dot was filed for T.'esti:l, the stab notant, tionh 1215 in ILL Illjtuing to four in the Afteruw.m. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. ABANDONNIENT OF THE INCOME TAX. THE emiltlenee with which we announced, last Sun day, the approaching downfall of the Property-Tax, cr. , - ated no little astonishment in the minds of those who thought themselves most able expounders of political prognostics. Notwithstanding the fervency of their wishes, they anticipated nothing but gloom and defeat; whilst, cool and attentive observers of the progress of events, neither biassed by fear on the one hand, nor by partiality on the other, we were able to trace the course of ministerial measures to the very crisis of their fate. Oar prophecy, however wild it might appear to the eyes of an anxious and apprehensive public, bore in our own a character of mathematic truth. We sent it forth to the world fearless of the 'lnuit, and in less than forty-eight hours the event realised it to its fullest extent. The country, we then said, would have her wish : the country has it now, and greater blessings than she even dared to hope, have attended the triumph of her exertions. She con tended for the abolition of one tax alone. Against it all her fears and all her efforts were directed. The re:•. however heavy and oppressive, were forgotten in the heat of remonstrance as light burthens, which might be cheerfully borne if the mighty grievance wera removed. That grievance fell under the pressure of universal hostility, but it did not full alone. The shock of a na tion's muted sentiment was too powerfid to be resisted. It shoo?: the existing adminiqration to its fimndation, and 100,4(m:(1 other taxe•:, some of which have already dropped , to tne gruund, whilst others still remain in a tottering state. Whatever opinion we may retain of the general merits of ministers, and of their measures, it is impossible to con template this noble instance of national energy without admiration. Its effect will be twofold. It will produce at home that close attention to economy, which was lemnly promised, and which may be rendered consistent with the greatness and the power of the country. It will astonish abroad the nations of the earth. It will rend asunder the veil of their ignorance, and will show them the Mash Constitution, beaming in all its beauty and all its strength. Notwithstanding all that has been said and written upon the subject, they have but a very faint idea of the rights of Englishmen, and of the Ulu. ence of the national voice in the government of the state. In some places where miserable imitations of our Co:fti tution have been erected, their conceptions arc still more erroneous, for they judge of the original by the imper fections of the copy. But in general, it is fancied that we possess the forms of freedom in greater perfection than other states, but little more of the reality. Despotism is thought to assume a different shape amongst us. If it do not move in undivided power, girt with the splendours of a crown, and armed with the terrors of a sceptre, it is considered to reside in the corruptions of an election, and the majorities of a Minister. The will of a Court may be less publhly declared, will Continental slaves tell you, but it is as iiiithfilly executed amongst you as under the most arbitrary governments ; and the right of speaking and publishing your thoughts, is left you ns a mere blind to prevent you from perceiving your thraldom, and as lit tle dangerous to the ruling authority, on account of the peculiar frigidity of your temper. This belief has been considerably strengthened by the events which have am:- eeeded tacit other with so much rapidity during the last few years. The unanimity with which England has borne burthens so multiplied, nod made exertions so stu pendous, and so incessant in the cause of universal five dom, is not generally understood on the Continent. It is considered, not as the effect of national spirit and mag nanimity, but as the result of national dependence on system imposed upon the people by the superior power and inflexibility of its government. The appearance of our Minister abroad, moving amidst Kings and Emper ors, as the Representative of his country, in ves.c.l i;h ail the influence of her power, her sanction, and her r ;lory, the arbiter of Sovereigns, and the distributor of States, should have removed that übsurd belief, but only served to spread, and to increase the delusion. The more dig nified was his station, the more imposing his attributes, and the more closely they coincided with the Continental notions of despotism. The agent of a great nation was thus de:2raded into the anihnssador of a Court ; and the illy-will and invincible constancy of Eng Lind, into sub serviency to power. With what feelings will Drupe now learn the defe. t 17 of that system whirl she delighted t o eo,,,ikr as di - t r . Ji guised, but real and resistless despotism P She, who has i • seen that minister in the FL:nitwi t of his power, who "I: i