The National Register. — London, England, 1818-01-11 00:00:00

- (9e ‘2IZZ4I atio IA roi No. 518.—V0i.. XI. Our sing, Conotttution anb it a 133 SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 1818. lives would have been spared to society, crimes would have been prevented, ant the duty of the Recorder at the Old Bailey would have been rendered much lighter than it has been for many of the preceding Sessions. We trust that yet much good may be done, and hope the Magistrates, and Parish Officers, and others in au thority, will follow up the efforts of the late Meetings in promoting an object so congenial to every feeling mind. To this end the Laws already in force, and which have been but partially, and in many instances improperly administered are full/ sufficient anti ought .l to be carried into effect eft a more efl• and regritrp. 1 hensive scale. The rigorous and more coercive poxi t of the system has been executed to the.very letter, in the imprisonment for seven days, and then passing to their parishes hundred of wretched beings, who in many in. stances have thus been driven from the only spot where they were likely to obtain employment, and fixed in re mote parts of the country where they must iemain in a state of pauperism, being driven from the place were work was to be obta i ned, and where with the ailof little temporary relief, they would ere long have 'teen enabled to obtain fin honest livelihood. We would address ourselves, on another part of this subject, to the Officers and Vestrymen of the parishes, particularly in and about the Metropolis, where an ex traordinary increase of poor has of late been ex2erienct.stl. What in the name of common sense, could have induced these pcaplc, day after day, to behold the most «•retched miserable and famishing object► of their own parishes as well as casualties, cro.vding their doors and their Vestry Meetings, without determining to put the law in force in its most benevolent provision for their assis tance and relief?--Can it be finintled on any rational principle that the inhabitants of Bilston, Wedneahury, or Wolverhampton should be paying a rate of fifteen or twenty shillings in the nstind, heosiiia4he eil mutiote 'sae numbers of their poor required it, while the rich and populous districts of Bloomsbury, Mary-le-bone, Isling ton, &c., tvhcre the sac te cause existed, have been mode rately assessed at Si. 6d. or 4s. 6d. in the pound, mean while numbers of poor, honest, yet distressed persons, not without claim upon them, have been reduced to the lowest ebb for want of a trifling allowance, and the streets of these parishes crowded with poor Sailors and Mendicants of every discription. It is in vain for these persons to say that their rates are higher than they ever were before, that the parishioners will murmur at any further increase, that the Workhouse is already full, &c. ; the plain and simple matter is this,—the poor MUST be supported, even though you should be obliged , to raise your ratesfrem Ss. 6d. to 108 6d., or even more, in the pound.—That they should be rescued from their present wretched condition is absolutely JSDISPENSIBLE —your duty is imperative—the nation calls ibr it— the voice of suffering humanity dennou/s it.—Enlarge, then your houses of reception, your Workhouses, your Asylums—extend your alms, your pensions, your gra tuities—the law of the land will bear you out—it au thorises you to raise supplies in proportion to the exi gencies of your case.—To delay this is trifling with a serious and important duty; u duty which lies with heavy responsibility on every person placed in the situa tions of Guardian, Governor, or 0 vzrseer, of the poorand indigent part of the Community. This extcntion of re lief will be required only for a short period. The day of amelioration we are persuaded cannot be far distant ; and there is little doubt that there will ere long be a considerable demand for labourers and mechanics of every description : there is indeed at the present time, more general employment, than has been at any period H.:v. the termination of the war. Already the mann • irers of Spitalfields, Manchester, and other weaving s, (notwithstanding the check which they have rio, ad- reeci% ad by a late unfortunate event) find abundant tar li orE , r i o ,i, nun: b ell o f employ, for their Wynn ; the Iron Works and ether PRICE 9il Mining operatians of the Country have been consider• ably extended, and the price of their produce is advanc ing in the market ; while the docks, the quays, and water-side parts of the metropolis, exhibit a scene of bustle and business strongly indicating a growth and increase in the general trade and prosperity of the coun try. These consider:Cams will, we are persuaded, be an inducement, (if any inducement be wanting) to lead the persons we have been addressing to a more liberal and benevolent exercise of their functions as Parish Of lice* in tlia protection and relief of thole indigent said anfortunas *tugs whom mischance m 4. of thai own misconduct has driven to the sad necessity of' seeking their assistance. N. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. ---as.--- ON THE RELIEF OF THE DISTRESSED POOR. " A due care for the relief of the Poor is an act, first, of " great piety towards Almighty God, who requires it of you ; " he bath left the poor as his pupils, and the rich as his Stew " arils to provide for them : it is one of those great tributes " that he justly requires from the rest of mankind, which, " because they cannot pay to him, he bath scattered the poor " among them as his substitutes and receivers. Second, it is "an act of the greatest humanity among men. Merry and " benignity is due to the very beasts that serve ns, notch more " to those that are partakers of the same common nature • w[LVI us. Third, it is an set of great civil. pristlenre and "*;oidetn ; for poverty itssl: is apt to emasculate the minds " of men, or at least it makes them tunialtuntis anal unquiet. • Where there are many very poor, the rich cannot safely 4 ‘ continue such. Necessity renders men of phlegmatic and " dull natures, stupid sad indisciplinable. mid men of more " fiery or active constitutions, rapacious and desperate." " SIR MATTHEW HALE." IN the course of the past week, two Public Meet in-gs have been held, the one in the City for the pur- ' pose of adoptan ,.i g some means of affording relief to distressedScamen, and the-other, at the Crown and Anchor, 't to consider the most advisable steps to be: pursued for the immediate relief of the destitute, and the ultimate suppression of mentlieity in the mL tropolis." The reflection that twill most fbrcibly strike the minds of many on this occasion, will doubt less be that of surprise, that no measure of the kind has been resorted to, by the Nlagistracy and the head of parishes, whose duty,it was to have shewn a sense of feeling for the distresses of their fellow countrymen, our brave defenders aid others, befitre the approach of a season, when the grea est in,lcincricy of wcather was naturally to be expected. Many of these persons .'oining in the cry of the multitude, have been apt enough to pass censure on the Government, and to call upon Ministers to come forward with sonic mea aure..to alleviate the distress of those neglected beings, little considering that a great degree of culpability might be fairly attached to themselves for a runniness of duty; an inattention to the strong appeals of suffer ing humanity presented to the eyes and ears of every one, for months past, in the scenes of wretch eines' and misery which have so long pervaded the streets and avenues of the metropolis. Had the Churchwardens and Overseers of parishes attended to these calls in a manner becoming the duty of their office, we should not have had our feelings harrowed by the frequent accounts which have been detailed in the public journals, of poor seamen and others, literally starving and dying in the streets, from a want of the common necessaries of life. Government has long since shewn a laudable example (and which ought to have proved a stimulus to persons filling those offices,) by the advance of a sum of great magnitude, consider ing the state of the National Finances, for promoting t . te employment of the poor in the carrying on and completing works of public utility and conveni ence : this has, doubtless, been the means of affording provision to many, who would otherwise have been thrown upon the public, and added to the already eau terant mass of pauperism and wretchedness. It is certainly not less the duty than the Interest of time powerful and the affluent to afford, not merely casual, but substantial relief to the dsstressed poor, who by misfortune, or even by some degree of miscon duct, may have been thrown upon the wide world. The learned and upright Judge, whose words we have quoted at the head of this article, bears us out in this opinion, by an observation which is tantamount to this, that the safety of the rich depends upon the comfort of the poor.' We know, unfortunately, too well, the great increase of crimes which has us, and whi"h, there can be no tl..uhl measure .o be attributed t,) thlt pace 1:1 a great b:ing which renders ma. " li,:cipliaable, rat rate." Ha' mul tespc- cetings Tulin to., c:►ae :d at au as tiu FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCF. PARbt, JAN. I,—The law on the Journals, adopted by the two t3hani hers, and fall eti iLii by the King nn the 30th of December, was published yesterday, in the intiletin des lois, in the following words:— " Louis. by the Grace of Cod, &c. .•• We have proposed. the Chambers have adopted—We have or dained, and do ordain as fidlows " The.lournals, and ollier twriodieal works, which treat of poll. tical matter and intelligence, shall not appesr without the King's authority, until the end of the Sesslon of the Chambers of tal 8." The day before yesterday the Mike of Wellington ►rent to the 'Tuileries, and bad an interview with his Majesty. His Grace aftenvards paid a visit to Monsieur and the Princes and Prtocesses of the Royal Family. lie then returned to We Tuileries at 4 o'clock. The Duke of Wellington appeared at Court on the 2d inst. with a considerable limber of Englishmen of distinction. The King, by an ordinance of the 31st December, establlibed a preparatory sellout for youths who might be destined to the French military service. The sons of such officers as are more distinguished by merit than fortune will be insti oiled at the public expense. The education of others is to be paid fir by their u nities. The whole number of pupils will be 599, of whom 300 are to be supported by the state. Those who pay, will be charged 1,0 W) trs. per annum, 411. 13s. 43. After coutplieliag their preparatory course of instruction. the pupils' will be received into u more advanced school, o Inch is altoaedw► of a military character, and will contain 394 stu dents. Those who answer satisfactorily their examinathrn here will be appointed to subaltern commissions in the army. SPAIN. MADRID, Dec. IS.—By the Royal decree, which ordains a levy of 13,900 men a_year, for four years, to replace the military who have received leave of absence, it is remar►ed that a great part athe exceptions consecrated by the ancient ordinances, are no longer maintained in this levy. The no bles are to be drawn by lot, and to serve as distinguished soldiers or cadets, but if they st ill be exempted, they shall pay a sum of 20,000 mats de reUan. There are no longer ex empted front service, Ist, Ecclesiastics who do not possess benefices; 2d, Novices in religious orders; 3d, Persons em ployed in the Inquisition Who have uot a Rival diploma; 4th, Ihe bachelors; sth, Tile alcaldes of the Holy Brotherhood ; 6th, he sons of officers; 7th, The city militia ; Sib, The shepherds, &c. GERMANY. VIENNA, DEc.l9,—The Government, for the purpose of afrordinit a vent for the produce of Austria by the Adriatic Sea to the North American States, has sent orders to Baron Charles de Stormier. the Imperial Conniiissioner at St. Hele ns, to proceed to Philadelphia in quality of Cumul•Gcneral of Austria. appointments of this nay char2e are fixed at 21,000 francs in specie. M. dc Stnrsner has besides a sa,. lary of 12,000 francs, and 10,000 ducats, fur his first esta• SOUTH AMERICA. Th e m o yaid le Diary, (Cadiz) of the lush, contains the ex tract cola letter f the city of 31exieo; dated the ::0111 of September, which, after confidently expressiog the expecta tion (since shown by 1)e Linan's dispatehes to be futile) that Mina and his colleagues had been captured in Cino.um, thus proceeds :- 44 This day arrived the convoy from San Luis, with Gl3 large, and 36 small bars of silver, and some iitgets nt Anninais has gone from Tid.ineingo to Puebla, where hie Court-martial, ordeied in consequence of the 'info; tuna,' action of Pcotillus, is to he held." The same paper contains the fallowing extract of a letter flow Vt ra Cruz, dated Sept. 22 .-- " Yesterday a very valuable convoy, consisting of 1,690 moles, left this place for the interior. The Chieltaiu, Men dez, has surrendered, under the decree of amnesty, to the Commandant of Misantla, Signor Martinez, together with sue of his armed followers, 6 pieces of artillery, 641 barrels of powder, some other warlikzt stores, :mil a few Intleheill. A company of infantry and .inoth( r of ow, ali y were ezpvcied to follow his example." neTY ov SuGAR.—The import .111.3, , nn Muscovado r f:: em aen this time be 30s. in place of v7s. per cwt.; tht. , incr. chants were so convinced of this event harpenn g. that at the t'intolll llotise the W11(11114 thAid for sugar duties only. for the week ending on Monday, as b.itag 11. sterling. The due) of 304. has now rum nwllced : the aggregat.c average nt the tot::ir for tl.c four mouths rte. cling bat January, +tab 50a. Sid. each:are of duty. • a• (t-lttr+ ('~