The National Register. — London, England, 1819-07-18 00:00:00

PPR, V Grl 4 4 e /a/-^, /v C • r t gationaT t trl s + Our onsftitution anb L aina. vol.. XII.] SUNDAY, JULY 18, 1819. [yule 9!//. r••• No. 1199. Volitical littrospect. Tile session of Parliament has now closed, and presents to us a retrospect of checquered and•varied 'character, cheering 'in some points, but mirably -calculated to excite despondency in others. The popular spirit which animated.and directed the .re turns at the late election, in almost o'•ery quarter, •where it could fairly and Tully act, was naturally .hailed as an auspicious omen .of an approaching im •provement in our national policy, and a confidence began to be cherished that.all glusingand notorious abuses of power at least .would be no longer sanc tioned. Ministers themselves were not unalarmed, and their whole application of politicil tactics clearly proves it. Week after week passed away lkfore any thing was brought forward which eould I,ring into view the relative strength of their friends and their opponents. •F,ut in the mean time they were not idle. 'Not only were those arts which the lope • possession of place teaches, and the intimate acquaintance with the weakness of some, and the wickedness of tubas, which it affords, turned to • every possible account; but a pretended semblance of liberality ofsentimentand .measures was adopted, admirably. adopted to win...the young and unsuspect ing, to lull to rest the vigilance of those who are not accustomed to political manoeuvres, and finally to secure to themselves the continuance of place and power. Nay, they did sat hesitate, in some in stances, to avow the total eba*ge of their own minds in favour of mensuses they 4tail once most violently opposol, and expressed on all occasions an "anxiety to be enlightened .and informed. They presented themselves as reeds, against which the storm might vent its fury, but could make no impression where it found no resistance. The/ talked and vapoured .about purity of elections, and joined in the punish ment of bribery and corruption, when it could nei ther be palliated nor concealed. They saw the country determined upon the removal of •the Bank Restriction, and they immediately united, after having kept the bubble entire fur twenty years, in bursting and trampling it beneath their own fuer.. Mr. Grenfel had so long and perseveringly exposed the glaring impropriety and the evil.tendency of the I.lbsisting connection of Government with the Bank, that this bond of union war every day becoming .more hopeless of continuance. The whole body of the ministry turned at once their backs upon their allies, and a rupture, a I:appy rupture, between those whom un ,evil policy had so long held toge ther, followed. The 'same in4afatigable gentleman recororaerlt, from the opposition, a recourse to the sinking fund instead of the money atrek.et, Mr Van- I sittart handsomely amares that side ofthe I Ices how gratefully he accepts their assistance, and the plan is pursued accordingly. Sir M. W. Ridley expo.; dates upon the vexations and traibles of surcharges, and threatens to bring forward an awkward motion for Ministers to grapple with, unless an accomnto. dation is granted by allowing a composition at a given sum, and thr a given period This plan els° is received with gratietter. Mr. Brougham, bow wisely we must presume to question, is, after every species of obloquy and abuse being poured upon him, persuaded to leave in the hands of Lord Castlereagh his subject of enquiry into the public charities, and his Lordship is now the champion of theinjunsi and defrauded poor. How his Lordship, and Lerd Lens- dale, and the Bishop of Lincoln, may adjust their •respective duties, interests, and pretensions, remains yet'to he discovered. But it is clear that Govern ment has not only succeeded in getting the whole question into their own hands, but•in making it a source of considerable ?atronag also. It is thus, and we might run through forty instances more to prove it, that their places have been purchased, and are now held upon a tenure, on which we sincerely hope that few besides - thanselves would consent to hold them. That they have, by one means or ano ther, brought to a close a session which promis:td VCPy different results, anti retired to their bed o f roses in the flail enjoyment-Y: all the honours which against the power anti influence of Ministers; we have-compelled them to adopt many from their op ponents, and measures, we will venture to say, of the very first and vital importance, and we have escaped some evils. Had 'Parliament sat a few weeks longer, we are not sure but another trial of Gagging Bills , Suspension Acts, and Indemnities, might not have been had recourse to. If Ministers I .bad been.not still sot~' from the friendly grasp -el the band of Mr. Oliver, and if Mr. Canning had not remembered the wretched Ogden, the meetings of 'Stockport, and l.eeds, and other places, might again have become tco treasonable to be left to the sole care of the British Constitution. Lastly, we have punished and thrown open u few rotten and corrupt boroughs. This is but one step, it will be said, but whilst it keeps alive the spirit, and renders even an imperfect good, we are not disposed to overlook it, and we think it may, in some degree, be useful towards a more general and extended rational Re form. An official circular, .which we have given in another part of our journal, contains the regulations to be observed by 'those who emigrate from this country to the new colony of the Cape of Good Hope. It will lie recollected, that 50,0001. were granted by the House of Commons, on the motion of the:.Chaseellor of the Exchequer, for encouraging emigration. The money grunted is to be applied excitingly to the benefit of those who will angage to carry out at least .ten able-bodied individuals above the age of 18, with or without &millet', the •{iovernment reserving .to themselves the right of selection. Each person so engaging is to deposit 101. for every family so taken out ; but the family is novro coneist of more than a man, his wife, and ta•o children, under the a<,•e of 14: all ebildren.aboee that age, and under 18, are to lee paid for at the rate of .51. a head, and 51. for every two children un der 14. In consideration of this deposit, .s passage and provisions during.the voyage will be provided by Government. On landing, one third of the advance money will be.returned, and 14)0 acrts of land granted, on acquit rent, not exceeding; 21., to. be remitted for ten years, to every suds peram an family whom he takes out. One third more will be paid when the settlers are actually fixed •in their allotments, and the remainder three months after wards. If 100 families emigrate -togetlier, and apply for permission to take with them a minister of their own persuasion, Government undertakes to give a salary to such minister, if approved of by the Secre tary of State. If ant• parishes unite in selecting a person to go to the Cape, with savers uraler dire.Aiou, such. as arc described above, and shall advance money ia the above mentioned proportions, they may bargain with such individual or -settlers, that they Ehall not again become chargeable to their respective parishes. Such are the outlines of the system on•wbi.h the Government intend to proceed in forming the new colony at the ('ape. The precautiom thus taken will obviate many of the difficultire•encuantered those who go to the Uuite.ll States in the vague hope of finding•immcdiate relief from British taxa tioa, abundance, and the enjoyment of a free GoverAtetit 'llll► it,-;.map, be made a question whether,,,vmdcr the existiagtsr•s of settlement in this •country, • any parish can say to its poor, "We viill•give .. ydu a C - Main_sum, ar.d you shall never more be tfpublesome to us." An emigrant might soon discover that an African climate and colonial habits were injurious to his health, and de trimental to his little comforts ; by his bargain with the parish-officers he must remain where he is office, abstractedly considered, can bestow, we most readily concede. They have got 10,0001. a year fin the Duke of York, they have saddled the people of England with 3,000 5 0001. a year of additional t:“- &that, they have dine all they attempted towar.'.s placing an extinguisher upon the dawLing liberties olSouth America, and closing that interesting quar ter of the globe against British commerce. After this view of our state of legislation it may be asked, where is the cheering part of such a picture? It i 3 this, we have carried some measures decidedly located, because revocarc grodum is not merely a serious work anti labour,2mt.an aLsolute imprTxtica. bility. He may die if he remains ; he must starve if' he returns. The requisition of a previous mosey deposit is a prtaleatial measure, and the method of returniog it by instalments very judicious; .and wu •doubt riot that, though some few objections may be readily made to the scheme, its adoption will be productive of much practical benefit. 'Extract of a letter from the Agent to Lloyd's st. 'Genoa, dated July :3. We have just seen two letters which a Catalonian firm of this city has received: onc is dated the Ivtli ult. t=an. Barcelona, he other the 20th telt from St. Filieu. The Brat states it was re parted there. that the .llgerineb wcregoing to decho e war against Spain and Ifoiland, arid thereffire it would he prudent for the Spanish ectscels to be on their guard. The second says—" This morning, at nine o'clock. we reeci.ed the sad mews that the Alge tines have declared war ag 'lost Spain. We noon request you well acquaint all the masters of Spanish VCS.e.% Of it. and likewise send this intelligence forward to Anetina, Venice, twe.' It seems that the writer of this news is owner of several vessels. 'The master of a small Catalosian boat, who is naked here, :. nil kit Cadaqucs last Sunday, wile 27th ult.. we learn has r.llOl led the bailie news, natio:N.4:3i an express had arrieed the, frein But evlona. to put masters of vessels on their ertiard. It is said that the above mateerlves further added. that a Spar ish frip,ec„ which had been sent to ',briers with the usual presents, had returned to Spain without being received there. We cannot giro antee the auth.mticity of these fact•. cop ciatly as it seems the Spanish Consul has received no 'Oleanl ode ie.t about them, but think it our duty to t elairt titein. as vet- have collected them, fur the infor natio* of the subscribers ter 'Lloyd's." The 'French journals continue to give frightfe.l accounts of the disasters caused I.y the Lac stoma on the Continent. "On the 7th instant a hail-stout kid waste Malleroy, in the arrondissement of .Iton. targii. On the 9:11, utmost all the atrrotal6semtot of Ilainbouillet was tlesolAted. f 1011-stmes fell as large us fivelfrane pieces. On the sante day, the plains of Limours, Gomez, and Sarcluy, in the de. partment of the Seine ei4.0i.0, experienced a simi— lar cillamity. We are told that the vines have crueily st.ffered in the Cute d'Or, and at Vraison ; and in the neighbouring communes, in the depart ment of the Lower Alps, the hail exercised equal ravages. The crop of olives, of grapes, and of corn, is entirely destroyed." Miss &nucrville, nLo wane time since monied. Mr. ~Bunn, bus now assinned Itier matrininnial mane, and is engoged to r erform at the Pitmiughaina theatre. where she t. exrcetcd to rrpc‘r in tEL ratter el Evadue. *mil Lic.. ~./....? .iik. ,i......; 1. A ' ....