The National Register. — London, England, 1815-12-24 00:00:00

THE NATION DEC. gm. • they returned thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings they enjoyed. They never failed to say grace before and after meals, to pray every morning at sun-rise, and they frequently repeated the Lord's Prayer and the Creed. It was truly pleasing," says Capt. Pipon,' to see these poor people so well disposed, to listen ao attentively to moral instruction, to believe in the attributes Of Oed, and-to place their reliance on-divine goodness. The day on which the two Captians landed was Saturday the 17th September ; but by John Adams's account it was Sunday the tittle and they were keeping the Sabbath by making it a day of rest and Of prayer. This was occasioned by the Bounty having proceeded thither by the eastern route, and our frigates having goni to the westward ; and the Topaz found them right according to his own reckoning, she having also approached the island front tee east ward. Every ship from Europe proceeding to Pitcairn's Island, round the Cape of Geed Hope, will find them a day later—as those who approach them round Cape Horne, a day in advance, as was the case with Captain Folger, and the Captains Sir T. Staines and Pipon. The visit of the Topaz is, of course, as a notable circumstance, marked down in John Adam's Journal. The first Ship that apl peered off the island was on the 27th December, 1793 ; but as she did not approach the land, they could not make out to what nation she belonged. A second appeared some time after, but did nut attempt to communicate with them. A third came suffeiently near to see the natives and their habitations, but did not attempt to send a boat on shore; which is the less surprising, considering the uniform ruggedness of the coast, the total want. of shelter, and the almost constant and violent breaking of the sea against the cliffs. The good old man was anxious to know what was going on in the old world, and they had the means of gratifying his curiosity by supplying him with some magazines and modern - publications. His library consisted of the books that belonged to Admiral Bligh, bus the visitors had not time to inspect them. They inquired particularly . after Fletcher Christian. This ill fated young man, it seems, was never happy after the rash and in considerate step which he had taken ; he became sullen and mo rose, and practised the very same kind of conduct towards his companions in guilt which he and they so loudly complained against in their late commander. Di3appointed in his expectations at Otaheite and the Friendly Islands, and most probably dreading a discovery, this deluded youth committed himself and his remaining confederates to the mere chance of being cast upon some desert island, and chance threw them on that of Pitcairn. Finding no r anchorage near it, he ran the ship upon the rocks, cleared her of the live stock and other articles which they had been stuXlied with at Otaheite; when he set her on fire, that no trace of inha bitants might be visible, and all hope of escape cut otl-from him self and his wretched followers. He soon, however, disgusted both his own countrymen and the Otaheitans, by his oppressive and ty rannical conduct; they divided into parties, and disputes and affrays, and murders were the consequence. His Otaheitan wife died within a twelvemonth from their landing, after which he carried off one that belonged to an Otaheitan man, who watched for an opportunity of taking his revenge, and shot him dead while digging in his own field. Thus terminated the miserable existence of this deluded young man, who was neither deficient in talent nor energy, nor in connexions, and who might have risen iu the ser vice, and become an ornament to his profession. John Adams declared, as it was natural enough he should do, his abhorrence of the crime in which he was implicated, that he was sick at the time in his hammock ; he expressed the utmost willing ness to surrender himself, and be taken to England ; indeed, he rather seemed to have an inclination to revisit his native country, but the young men and women flocked around him, and with tears and entreaties begged that their father and protector might not be taken from them, for without him they must all perish. • This island is about six miles long by three broad, covered with wood, and the soil of course very rich ; situated under the parallel of 25 S. latitude, and in the midst of such a wide expanse of ocean, the climate must be fine, and admirably adapted for the reception' of all the'vegetabl e productions of everypart ofthe habitable globe. Small, therefore, as Pitcairn's island may appear, there can be little doubt, that it is capable of supporting many inhabitants ; and the presentstock being of sogood a description,we trust theywilltnot be neglected. In the course of time the patriarch must go hence; and we think it Would be exceedingly desirable that the British nation should provide for such an event, by sending out, not an ignorant and idle evangelical missionary, but some zealous and in: telligent instructor, together with a few persons capable of teach ing the useful trades or professions. On Pitcairn's Island there are butter materi4ls to roo k ;won than su4sionaries kint . s )4t •r--w'~- 821 so fortumtte as to meet with, and the .best results may reason/o,ly 'be expected: Something we are bound to do for these blameless !and interesting people. .Captain I'ipon supplied them with some tools, kettles, and other articles, such as the high surf would permit them to land, but to.no• great extent ; many things are still wanting' fur their case and coin !fort. The descendants of these people, by keeping up the Ota beitan language, which the present race speak fluently, might be the means of ci vilising the multitudes of fine people sca.tered ov:r the Innumerable islands of the great Pacific. We have only to add. that Pitcairn's island seems to be so fortified bv.uature as to oppose an invincible barrier to an invading enemy; there is no spot ap parently where a boat can land with safety, and, perhaps, n:'! !rem than one where it can land at all; an everlasting swell of the ocean 'rolls in on every side, and breaks into foam against its rocky auct iron bound shores. PO RPERT Y TAX. ..........._ . COPT OF A MINUTE OF THE LORDS or Tilt TREASURY, DATED 14T14 NOV. 1815. The Chancellor of the Exchequer states to the hoard, that representations had been made to him oft lurdship a' isin l ~ out of the provision contained in the Act of the last :ses,ion Parliament, cap. t O, which directs that the assessments to tie duties uncle:. schedules A. and B. of - the propel tv. fo! the year ending the sth day of April, 1815, shall rentiiin in fo;.:0 - foe the year commencing from that date, and ending Pi t , the sth day of April, 1816. as in many cases the landlord: in con • sequence of the great depreciation in the y' cc of ;.;rain and other agricultural produce. been under the.inecessity ofi-educing the rents at which their lands were he prior to the sth day of April 1814, upon which rents the assessments to the Property Duty for that year ought to haw", been made; and that unless a proportionate abatement is — , l l `.owed in the assessment, the occu. pier's of lands will not 0n1.71,e charged to the tenants' duty uttOr schedule B. -upon a lai , ;,'oei sum than the rents actually paid to their lataords i but will also remain burthened with the amount of 0:4, landlords' duty charged now under schedule A. upon the etifference between the rents at which the lands weie let at and previous to the sth of April 1814, and the reduced rents pow payable to their landlords. My Lords, on full consideration of this subject, are of opinion, that it may be advisable to grant relief in all cases of tenaotry at rack-rent, where it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioners for the general purposes of the Property Act, that the estate is duly apd fully possessed of the actual rent or more which was payable in the year commencing on the sth day of April, 1814, and that the estate bath been bona Pe let by a fresh lease or agreement, either to the same or another tenant, at a rent less than the amount charged in the assessment for the said year, to continue at such a reduced rent during the current year commencing on the sth day of April, 1815, in which cases the assessment for the year commencing on the s th day of April, 1815, may be redliced to the actual rent payable in that year. My Lords are also of opinion, that relief should be grantedlt - all cases where the occupier being also owner of the estate in question, shall prove to the satisfaction of the said Commis sioners, that the estate, of which he or she, is owner and occu pier, is assessed far the year commencing on the sal of April, 1814, at the full rack-tent at which it was then worth to bo let to a tenant ; in which last mentioned cases the assessment for the year commencing on the fifth of April, MS, may may be reduced to the annual value of the said estate Ott that day, such annual value to beeompeted as the Act direct s on tge amount at which the estate was then worth, to be let at rack-reut—But my Lords arc of opinion, that the relict should be confined to cases of lands let to tenanants at rack-rent, and t owners and occupiers duly and fully assessed, accol ding to the directions of the acts in the said first year, commencing as atoi e said, and should not be extended to other cases where the estate bath not been so duly assessed and proved to the satist'action of the said Commissioner:. In all eases which shall be duly prov ed tfi conic within the description of this minute for 'chef; my Lords 4re of opinion, abatement shuuld be made for the as-