The National Register. — London, England, 1819-10-18 00:00:00

tr JP, ationalf Mt LtiOttr+ Ottr Ming, CondUtution any No. 2YO.—VoL. XII.] Vo[Meal Itetrosspect. Tut Gazette of Tuesday last contains a Procla mation calling Parliament together on the 23d of November, " for the divatch of business." The state of the Country assuredly is such as to demand the most seri o us deliberations of our Naticnal Coun cils, and the adoption of some Legislative enactments which may heal the wounds and lacerations which h 3 Constitution is now suffering in ne struggle between the violent extremes of Radical Reformers on one hand, and the still more dangerous attempts of establishing a system of lawless and military des potism on the other. We call the latter the more dangerous, because it marches on towards its object, backod and encouraged in the first place by those whom we ought to consider it a duty in all things lawful to respect and to obey, and because power and authority are already in their hands. Besides this no man needs be told how eager are a large portion of mankind to be on the side of those whence the best recompence of their services may be looked for, how many more make it a sort of point of conscience, to support what is culled Government, without ever troubling themselves to enquire whe ther it acts right or wrong. The Revolution of 1688 did much towards establishing a better set of principles, and more just motives for action, but it vas, we fear, rather owing to the circumstance that the support of public freedom was at that time identified with the ,support of the administration, and with resistance to the dethroned family, than from a pure spirit of patriotism in too many of those who were firm in their adherence to the cause of Civil Liberty. We are reluctantly driven to this melancholy view of the human character, by seeing how the greatest violations of those sacred principles upon which that Revolution rested, are now viewed with calmness and indifference by some, and stre nuously aided and abetted by others. What would those who compelled King William to dismiss his own i 'yds have thought and acted on the massa crees committed at Manchester? It is on these grounds that we really look forward with but very little satisfaction to the assembling of Parliament. Our confidence in the mass of public virtue to be found there was very greatly shaken by many acts of the last Session. It is still, however, the only anchor upon which our hopes rest, either for redress of the past, or preven tion of future mischief; and yet who can look for ward with any confidence that remembers what is our state of representation, what were the majorities obtained by a set of Ministers against whose policy the whole nation rings with the loudest clamours; what are the sentiments already publicly avowed by them upon those very points which would con : titute the leading objects of discussion, and which, in fact, constitute the sole and entire cause of Par liament being at all assembled. !f the work of Legislation is to consist of fresh gagging Bills, fresh suspension Acts, and all those temporary trawls of freedom, to which we have before been subject, but which, thank God, experience has shewn to be totally indequate to controul the spirit of the tittles, then who wouid not rather pray that Parliament should not meet at all ! %% itla respect to Ministers, such a measure is now much too late to salve even the appearance of their conduct. They should either have done this much sooner, before they had presumed to give any opinion of their own, or they MONDAY, OC !OBER 18, 1819. should have let the laws fairly and fully take their course, and have aided instead of doing any thing which would either retard or inflame their impar tial execution. Meetings contirue to be held throughout the kingdom, for various objects. Gene rally indeed for the wise and constitutional purpose of declaring their abhorrence of the foul murders at Manchester, and of the violation of the Laws and Liberties of the Country which they involve, but but others, and those too frequent to be enumerated amongst the Reformers themselves, whose numbers seem to be daily augmented by the fresh causes of discontent which are every day arising, and some few even for the extraordinary object of rearing ,fresh Corps of Ycositanry, as if the lesson we have had of their services weer not a sufficient antidote against the power of the Military mania. The funds have bean fir several weAs gradually declining, and the accounts of the ( , sarter s Revenue just published, presents a deficiency of upwards of a million as compared with the corresponding quar ter of last year. Amidst minor occurrences, we may just mention, that tste boasted Norwich Declaration turns out to abound with ABSOLUTE forgeries of m names, and that t The Tintes has been excluded from the Reading. , because its accounts of the proceedings at M heater, are too true and faith ful to be borne. pon this loft point we can as sure our Readers4hat we have before us a very considerable num of private letters from b d Man chester itself, all which agree in every praise of the minute accuracy of that Paper. The Editors state, that its circulation has, from the public con fidence placed in', its veracity, augmented Three Hundred a day within the few weeks last past ; and we have outselves, great pleasure in thus_ adding our humble tribute of thanks to that valua ble journal. PyIBLS • Paris Papers orTuesday last have been received. The indispositionOf the Duke of Berry does not appear to have been so serious as it was at first re presented ; hii Royal Highness, however, is con filed to his chamber. The Deputies elected to represent Corsica in the Chamber of Deputies, arc General Sebastiuni and M. Ramulino . ?he former is known as one of Bonaparte's of ears, and a Deputy of the Hun dred Days—the hater is cousin-german to Madame Letitia Bonaparte. It is remarked in the Journal de Debuts, that she stupidity of Itomolino was so great, that Nu n, who studiously endeavoured to give political titnk to every branch of his family, could make not*,, ,, of this fellow beyond a director of taxes. It would thence appear, that his only title to his present elevation is his relationship to the exiled Emperor. The private correspondence of the Consfilulionnel, dated Madrid, e ;;oth ult. announces the irrevo cable breakin pof the Cadis expedition. The military cl nd provisions, it is stated, have been burnt thority ; and the soldiers, on re ceiving orders.. march, for the interior, deserted in all direction time Minister of War has issued orders fir Ali ding arrested. French and Eng lish merchants, it is observed. have had all their hopes of advanfigeons speculations frustrated, and " have only caste to die beside the ashes of their bale,:, which they have been compelled to resign to the flames." A r rrests continue to increase in Ma drid and Grana4a ; at the latter town, it is said, the heads of #te most distinguished families are now in prison. French Fogg! Oct. 11.—Five per Cents, (39 f 90 e. ; Bank Stock 1,160 f. PLituv, Om 2 —The students of all the Prus sian Universities ; Lave been absolutely forbidden from nth:titling u general meeting of the association of Burschenchuft, which appears to have teen sum moued by circulars. [Pima 91d. DISCOVERY OF PIKES. Blackbart Mail office, Tuesday evening, Oct. I!. Information hash's been given this day, that a large 'somber of pikes weremitle and sold in Mellor, near this town, Mr. John Kay, constable, attended by a party of dragoons now stationed here, went this evening for the purpose of ascertaining the trudiof the !statement.-- On arriving at the spot, a person named Ralph Miller a blacksmith, was immediately secured, and hi. ahoy searched, when 1 I pikes were found on the premises. The blacksmith was immediately brought before T. D. %Visual:es, L.I. I)., who after au examination ofsonte length, c ttttt nutted the prisoner to Preston. Maitoffce, 6 o'clock : (Wednesday morning, Oct. 13.) This morning about 4 o'clock a person named James Morris, machine-maker, arrived here in a post-chaise. —He was taken into ctistody at his residence at a place called l'ike Law, near Bellthorn, by the constable and a small party of the Dragoons, who escorted him so this place, where he is as present in custody, and isles be brow:lit lwfore T. D. Whitaker, LL. D. this forenoon. A number of pistols, bullets, unfinished pikes, &c. were found in his posses ion. Half-past 7.—We stop the press to state, that another person named John Knowles, of Rawtrustall, has just been brought in. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM 11R. HARMER. .: . 111anclicster, llkuroday . livening, Nino o'clock, Oct. lat " My dear G.—You w - 111 hart learnt, no doubt with sensations of astonishment and regret, of the extraordi. nary adjourument of the Inquest on John Lees. How this proceeding is to be reconciled with any principle of law and justice, I am wholly unable to perceive, and there was only this circumstance wanting to completely falsify the assertion of the sob-ember to the London Ad. dress, " thatthe laws were open for the punishment of offences, &c." I have not the exact words before me. but I believe I have stated the substance. We had be tore instanced the Grand Jury throwing out bills so as to prevent pnblic investiaati )))) —the Magistrates refus ing so hear evidence, sod to grant warrants against per sons charged with capital ottencea; and now, to cam. plate the climax, a Coroner rejects evidence touching the death of an individual, and just at the close of the investication adjourns the Inquest for nearly 2 months, thus afforling the culprits an opportunity of boldly pas slug through the streets, insulting the relations and friends of their victims, and then escaping with into:att. ty. lam really so shocked at this outrage on the law, that I cannot yet compose ntyself to write on the sub. jrct —Yon are my, good.friend, mistaken in supposing " I would olect to the Coroner receiving exculpatory evidence:" because it is laid down by Sir Matthew Ilale, that the Coroner is to hear as well the evidence which maketh for, as that which maketh against the prisoner. Hut had the law been otheruise, I think it would have been imprudent in me to make the object Lion, because it would have shown a conscious appre. 'tension that my case could be beaten down; feeling coulident, however, that it could not he even shaken, hate therefore courted and challenged my opponents to produce n nnesses; they have produced them, and every one has teinled most strongly no support instead of contradicting the evidence adduced by me. I should have been n London by this time, had I not known that m r friend was on the roal; I was, therefore, pellet' to await his arrival, which has just taken place, and I ant glad to state that he is in good health and spirits. We shall probably set off to-morrow, and be in town on Sunday. ILve the goodness to acquaint Mrs. H. and family of this, and that I am well.—Mr. Dennison desires his respects to you. Yours most truly. JANI ES HARMER. From Rasta& it is stated that Sandt was eonsi. demi to be out of danger, and that his fate would be soon decided ; we suppose b) the new tribune) at ayenee. 11'e und,:istand that the late visit of Count Capo d'lFtria to this country, hua partly tbr its object the representation of the disaffection of the inha bitants of the lonian States under the present livstern of government exercised there. He is, in deed, reported to have publicly declared a* Paris, that unless this systi.tu is changed, the Brit pire runs a serious risk of losing this valui pentlage. New Vi.rk papers to the I I th, and Boston to tilt , nave anis ed. they supply nu addi:itrit; resrectina the neaoriattorta with Strain V , nida ireal. A letter from Green Hoy, in rhigati territory, dated July 19, gives a ("winos, of the tiaitatiots of that country by cl . rnitlt . tti oh eh 'nay he compared o ith the lA\llf MS IA it lotore darkened th.• air of F. tvist in ;het: .round, as Ca as the e 4 ,e et tu!irtis.4e- in, tt a. COI these in.:cent (calluil by the F•etwli the itiriscvs in cousemteriee of 11l .king their, 'Teal JI w 9111111 s are most numerous and desourteig them), and egetatitm of all t itids was utterly destroyed. fish E. - ( 7 --- -, I - ~ ~ uatir •, .... •, •tr . ' ) ) the ' s • ' - •I" ii 121 i di e7a. ii ;• ) ;Is ..„, I ,l_ " iii , ", ~v , "". V. \'• v's s. it - of i ''• 4 .... .i. - hie t .. :• " -- .,..40 1 IV 4 ..4it. :'," -sso‘ 1 " . 1 • ' , erril • . N' C .0 hawkb.et , . vhen m...`".•1 -