The Statesman. — London, England, 1814-02-15 00:00:00

!Rr" . • . 1 4: lions. I3L. tCKsTUNE calls this municipal think he ought to have called it universal it suits all nations and governments. It adapted to the cities of Pekin and Constan. to that of London. It not only suits us no it would suit us whatever might happen to. us hcfes after. If a man were so rich as to be able tq buy, all the venal boroughs in the kingdom, or such e num, ber, at least, as would fie Sullicievt to command a majority, and to make his single will the law,- 13LAcraToNE's definition would still hold. Neither is there any atrocity now committed, nor that . ever has been committed, by any Government in the ad mid, thnt might not be sanctioned by such law as this. In short, this Judge puts in the same degree of estimation the arbitrary commands of a despot, and the legitimate compact entered into by a free people ; both are held to be law, according to his systt in, but I think it is impossible for any moral win to say, that both may be enforced with equal just' • , It is impossible for me, however, to con template, without the strongest feeling of repro batiorr, such sentiments in an English Judge, *hose duty it is, as I conceive, to maintain the purity of that law which ALFRED constructed on the principles o .Christian justice and philadahropy. A man of sue h ..extensive knowledge as BLACKSTONE WAS, must hive seen, and seeing ought to have de plored, those sulferings,which force, in all ages,, has intlie'ed upon weakness. To give such force the sanction of law, is to overturn the very foundations of morality , it is to legitimate opppression, an act very unbecoming a Christian Judge, w hose religion teaches him to believe that " detestable in Ike sight of Goa is the band of the oppressor." Children, women, and slaves i-aIP 011(101) been, from their weakness, the objects of oppression.—At 'parts it was lawful to pot to death all weakly and deformed children ; and )7 7 ihe laws of that country women were only va les! kr their utility in keeping up population : • au athletic ci'izen might require the loan of the urlfoof one who was infirm, under the pretence of iw plying the State with healthy citizens. To kill rly , r slaves was an amusement : they laid in ambush for them, declared war against them, and killed them by thousands ; in this exercise their youth were trained to war, and acquired a passion for sanguinary pursuits. The Romans were very similar to them:, by a law of it °mows, says Bishop Portreus, infant murder was rtermittid, and does not appear to have been forbidden by any subsequent law. Adult children were considered as a part of a man's goods, which he might sell or dispose of as he pleased. A slave could only be.sold, once by his master, but a son might be sold by his father thrice; by which I nn. derv++ tel t that if a slave saved sufficient of his pew litan to buy his freedom, he could never more be re aut;al to slavery, unless the person who sold him was his own fattier. Husbands also had power of life and death over their wives, who were under as great subjection to them as if they were their fathers. .As to slaves, it was a common practice to expose those to die of bringer, who were sickly, or past la iar..l4 one man, VEDIUS Poeta°, was in the :t of throivirrat Ina, -silliest - tier - offended him, irate - beonds, to feed his fampries. Now all thoie aims Were done according to lam; that is, such law r p Ks force exercises ever weakness; or, according to the Blackstorrian phrase, as the superior prescribe; to the inferior; not such law as our ancestors, in the time or lizsirty 111. were governed by, when the Chief Justice oh that day told them that justice teas Ira GOD, and that law and justice signified one an ?the same thing. Not such lee as once flourished In this happy country, when AIMED told his !or in: subjects, 46 never to refuse to strangers the rights of . nnospitality ;"--r" never to cause affliction of any kiad to the man who was innocent, and free from guilt;'--" never to oppress the fatherless children and the widow, for Af• they did, the sword of the Almighty would make their children fatherless, and their wives w idows ;" by which is to be understood, that if they felt no compassion for persons so desti tute as widows and orphans, the ferocity of their disposition would lead them into wars which would bring upon them and upon their families the pu nishment due to that ferocity.— I have adverted more than once to those humane regulations estab lished by Mail) respecting slaves; consequently 1 treed not repeat them ; but I have never noticed ' his amiable laws to protect female mod. sty, even in 1 the lowest order of life. If a woman's garments were raised as high as the knee, it was a fine; if higher, the offence was still greater : if she was I thrown down upon the ground, the intention was punished, though not accomplished. How different is the spirit of these laws from the boasted legislation of Greece and Rome ? Here we behold a benevolent desire to guard the weak from insult and oppression ; .there we see oppression sanctioned by the law itself, and the wrnng doer, instead of receiving correction, meeting impueity and reward. Law, therefore, taken in that loose licentious sense in which Maur- STONE uses it, instead of being the, guardian of vir tue, may he t! , e parent of vice—instead of deserving our respect, may be the proper object of our abhor rence. tint law, as Inaetrost defines it, is quite an other thing : in the one case we behold a vile prosti tu.e ) ielding herself up to the lust of power, in the other we behold the modest and amiable hand .maid of justice. it has been said, how truly does not signify in the way of argument, that Kipg Joint offered the GRANO Si lONIOR to turn Turk, and hold his king dom of him, provided he would protect him against his subjects. Had such an event taken place, .1 maintains that BLACKSTONE'S definition of law would have suited England meter a Turkish Government, and Nlahometan regilion, as well as under its pre sent constitution, for law would still have emanated from " the 4upreme Power," whatever that Power might be, wiletlter, as Mr. B. says, 46 from a popu lar or a Roy al. source—a hether prescribed by the will of one man or the will of the comm unity—for it cannot be denied," says he," that a Monarchy has its laws as well as a Republic."-1 his is my oppo nent's last asset lion, and, as I apprehend, a very erroneous one. The truth is, Mr. EDITOR, that this has been denied—yea, over and over again denied : and therefore, it is a little too much to say, that it cannot he denied. If a man were to look among o,k' English writers for great authorities, he could -.hardly select two names to which more weight is at tar'•ed than thoseof LOCKE and HOOKER. The first, speaking of arbitrary power, says, in that case, • ,•• • erne of the last- they Win ever pert • tuger,—itthey had even Wette d rrte as Stn enemy. ill he o IA Goo I reverence toe sincerely his ipooll would I resign the right ear Trisi by ittryrao_ to wish, eVin to an enemy, so cruel a curse as tresign this ; sad verilty thigh, that the W e il l * . of living without either' law orpropeity.' No . ; tlwho would take the people's money to supper - et should be sorry to behold the H ottentot in that 'war,. without allowing ,t kept to enquire into the deplorable stale, much less the mbst cetnterios and justice of that mar, would commit au act of as great was indeed his pr c ecursor in that glorio c a ree r, and amiable people that I was ever acquainted with ! atrocity as to hang a Man teit'hoit it trial.' Let et who saith :--The ?Wu( power - of making laws Yet such was their lot when I saw them.— . not flinch from our duty then, int point of sock to command whole,politic societies of men belongeth And soon after I heard, that they had thrown ' vast importance as this, be the consequences what• so properly unto the same entire societies, that off their chains, and that their bondage of more they may. The people of Finland have given • for any Prince or • Potentate, of what kind than three centuries duration was at last ter- their money to curtail the ambition of - Books soever upon earth, to exercise the same of him- , miaated—for so long was the period between the sup- PARTE ; and surely they hare a right to e.iquire o self and not by express commission from (isms pression of their free Government, under Louts IL as the wonder-working Parliament (for so it (as Moses did), or else by authority, derived at the to the Revolution, which, in 1789, restored law and was , called) told RICHARD If. whether the ea+ . first from their consent upon whose persons they im - p ro p ert y in France—but which, alas ! excited the iron s money was applied to the use intended or' pose laws, it is no better than mere tyranny. Laws env y and the malice of surrounding nations. I saw not ? Whether, Wanted of bounding the ambition of they are not, which public approbation bath not these detestable conspirators on their march into that man, some other concealed object is not at pee, : made so." Now here are three great authorities, at Champagne. Pheard their insolent threats, their sent in pursuit ? Whether, to speak out plainly, sla t lauguage.—Not to submit to personal outcry against the bend of the French'ait o very distant periods of time ; first Locke, who died prophane and senseless llayears ago ; next Homiest, who died 214 years le individual, though a madmsti or lion, has not been a mere stalking horse to cover the; the will of a sing ago; avid neat ileacron, who died in the beginning an idiot ; not to make such a one the supreme dis- des ign of Perv's former confederacy against those' of HE eiort Il l.'s reign, about 580 years ago : all poser of the lives and properties of five-and-twenty very principles of Law, Property, and Lilseety, of whom declare, that law is not loaci without the millions of people, was, in the estimation of these which are the foundation of oar own Coustitation,• consent of those who are to he governed sty it. And bedlamites„ treason and`retellion. ,It seemed to me as th n ey were also of that which would have beea, I may add to this the authority 'of ALFRED, who at the time that one effect of the Revolution had established in. France, had it not been for such inter-, died 915 years ago, and who tells us that he did not been to east out of France all the knaves and fools, ference ? These are important subjects of enquiry,. dare to commit these laws to writing which he has whilst tboyational people remained there. Knaves and must be referred to another occasion. I have h av e.olways been the leaders of fools — and fools alread y tres p assed too much u p on y our left us, without the same public approbation. After such authorities as these, are we now to be told by they must be, indeed, who can believe that feudal anxious to establish, beyond possibility of a question Mr. 8., that law' may Proceed just as well from the rights are better calculated to prodflce public happy- er misrepresentation from any quarter whatever, will of one man as from the will of a community ? ness than the security of law, anti the sweets of pro- principles of great political importance. This mast Na, .he even seems disposed to think that such law may perty. Soon after this, appeared the Manifesto of he my excuse for entering so much into detail : a pet• be constitutional. What a pity that he tad not the Date Of BRUNSWICX, which Mr.CottaETTfias with litical principle well established, being, in my 1 ; great propriety republished in his Register. Nothing nio n, a kind of bloodless victory gained over in, the days of WAT TILLER, he might - then have had an opportunits of preaching up the excel- Gan be more proper, since the project of restoring the enemy. 1 remain, &c. knee of a Constitution derived from one man's will. Bettasous is now avowed. This Manifesto declares, According to Mr. 11.—a monarchy has its laws at that the French people 66 had overturned all order well as a republic, only they arise from a different and lawful Government," whereas, according to source ; and lie- adds, 44 which is the most pure; the constitution of our'own Government, according , just, and le g ifiniate, I will not determine, but, in to thedefinition of BitACTON, and the fundamental my opinion, those laws are likely to be most berme- laws and institutions of ALFRED, there had been no ; ficial, that are euacted by the common consent"— lawful Government in France for -300 years ; that I am sorry my friend should be any way at a loss Constitution was established at last, and then, in. respecting what is most pure, just, and legitimate : deed, there was a lawful Government. Then there and, I must confess, that I am rather surprised were such rules of action set up as might be called that he should, whilst labouring under such uncer- law, because they were done with the concurrence tainty, venture to decide on what is most betteficial; of the people—but no man who has not totally for, lam well persuaded myself that ill pOlitics, abandoned his senses ; no man who knows what the perhaps more than other things, the conduct that is true principles of Government are, can say, that the most just will always turn out to be most beneficial. French edicts, dictated by the bon plaisire of the I might bring in' proof of this opinion the conduct of Kings of that country, were law.—To call such a Lord Noam, in the American war; and that of state of things 44 order and lawful Government," Mr. Peer, in the Coalition against French itidepentl- is an insult to the Reader. However, so they ence ; both of which met with a success proportioned are called in the manifest - 0, and the Constitu to the justice of their measures. Has Mr. B. never tion, which had restored law and properly to the heard that " honesty is the best policy." Some French people, was called an invasion of the politicians there are amongst us, it is true, who, King's " legitimate rights—an attack made upon like the Athenians, in the passage before quoted, his sacred person and his august family--a sub regard that as just which is most to their interest ; version of the throne and of the altar," &c.— but these people iu my opinion do not know how to It etas pretended, too, that 46 the major part of the calculate properly upon their interest. To such per.. inhabitants only waited till succours should arrive sons I recommend the following passage from openly to declare themselves against such pro- HoOsreat :—" Certain half waking men there are ) ! ceedingi ;" and in order to take the sense of the who neither altogether asleep in folly, nor thorough‘4lnationfair/g, they threatened • with the most cruel ly awake in the -light of true understanding, have toed barbarous punishments whoever dared to oppose thought that there is tint at all any till.* jasisserighe....their relostatemeat of the imbecile Louis in his in itself, but look wherewith nations are inueed, itlse -reamer-despotism. In short, the Manifesto express -same they take to be jnst and right. Whereupon ly declares, AOC" they will not acknowlerigwAsur their conclusion is, that seeing each sort of people other laws in France except such as Audi _be derived bath a different right from another; and that from the King,"--which we very plainly see was no which is right of its own nature ought to be law at all. Many people were sensible at the time every where one and the same, therefore they of the atrocity of this action, but many others were think that in itself there is nothing right.— not. How did this happen ? Because ever} man is These good folks, that I may not trouble their not sensible of the vast importance of the principles wits with the rehearsal of too many things, have I now contend for ; every man has not formed in not looked so far as to perceive, that do as thou his mind a proper distinction between law that moulds! be done unto, is a sentence which all nations is legitimate ,and that which is spurious. Ev-ry under Heaven are agreed upon. Refer this sentence man is not aware that in the one consists jus to the love of GOD, and it extinguisheth all heinous tice itself, a thing most estimable ir) the sight of Goo crimes ; refer it to the love of thy neighbour, and all and beneficial to his creatures ; whilst, by means of grievous wrongs it banisheth out of the. world."— the other, that is, by means of that spurious, ille- Fccles. Pol. p. 15.—Letnot any man tell me that lam gitimate law, which is the offspring of force, the preaching up a novel doctrine, for this passage was greatest iniquities and oppressions have been prac w litter) two hundred years ago,—if it seems new to tised upon the earth, as I have shown in the instances the present generation, so much the greater misfor- above cited from among the Grecians and Romans, tune. for them ! Behold bow admirably it a 4 rees to which also I might add several from the moderns, with IittACTON'S doctrine, that law is justice, and but that.. would lead me too far. 1 presume to think justice from Poe; and with Axeltetesaisn, who after ' that the facts, and the reasoning which I have ad reciting the Second ,Commiidment adds, AY/Mote tamed, afford ground-work and foundation suffici ' this and you will have no Neel any other terv."-- eat for all I mean to offer in conclusion. IThearue, the genuine, towing of law, entertained-by First, I beg leave to say, that this attack upon our ancestors, being grounded on Christian justice, -the independence and freedom of the French people, tended to make men virtuous, and peaceable, and was the greatest injury that could be done to them, happy—the spurious Blackstonian doctrine is only as a nation, and Justified- any thing whatever that fit for modern unprincipled politicians. We have they could do to the coalesced Powers in_the way of lately abolished the Slave Trade ; certainly we have retaliation. I will not even scruple to say, that if done well in an doing • —but if we had always acted they could have exterminated the. Powers who thus on the principles of BitacTom, lad ALFRED, we never confederated against them, for so wicked a would have had a Slave Trade. Yes, we have began purpose, they would, in my opinion, have stood to think negroes our fellow-melt; and that it was our justified inahe sight of Heaven. duty to do to them, as we would be done unto. We Secondly, I affirm it, as my opinion, that this was have at last felt for the wireless of these . hleckoeigh- • not only a crime of the greatest _magnitude against bours ; but the miseries of our white nCiertinfivser the French ,nation, but also against all nations, have been in the habit of turning to ridicule; a half since it is unequivocally declared to be a Crime, in starved Frenchman roasting a frog or eating soup that abominable Manifesto, for any people to aspire meagre, with ruffles to his hands, but no 'shirt to his after the Government of law, or, in other words, back, was a picture that never fined to excite Jane it sets up, under the pretence of upholding the rights BULL'S mirth—not so FORTDSMII, win" speaks of of Kings, a Government by force. the misery oUthat nation with the feelings of a men, Lastly, I must avow, that consistent with these and points out the cause with the ability of a politi •.' opinions, and consistent with what I read. in Bnac (ion. He plainly shows us, that it *as because there TON, that Law is Justice. I cannot but consider this was neither law nor property in France, that the attempt, in 1792, to subvert the Government of Law people there were so completely wretched: and that in France, in order to restore the old mis-govern it was because there. was both law and property in tnent of force, as an act of rebellion against Heaven England, that the people here were so well clothed, itself ; whose will is, that we should do uuto nil so well fed, so comfortable and so happy. The men, without .distinction of friend or foe ) as we French people had no property; because their King would be done unto—whereby, us Ilooteit says, laid on them what taxes lie pleased ; and the pea- " All grievous wrongs would be banished out of the wintry were eternally pillaged by his men at arms, as world."—Yes it is the will of Heaven that men Forruscue calls them. Neith er h a d th e y an y l a w • should live un d er the dominion of that law, which is for thus, saith he , " the Civil Law singed), qua d synonymous with justice s Ip2t that which is synony plasscitprincipi Legis hahet rigoren t;" and then he mous with iorce—it is His will that mankind gives us to understand, that the people of England should enjoy, in perfect security, the right would tint dance to this tune. lie tells us, that a of property—rejoicing, as they • are commanded " King of England can neithe r c h ange law,the ' nor to do, with a thankful heart in the fruits or thejr impose any taxes, but with the f ree consent f the own labour. It is riot the will of Heaven , that the people, wherefore, (says Ire)', they are rich," &c. industrious peasant should be plundered in the men &c.—Alas I poor Frenchmen how sincerely do I tier that FoavescOr. describes in days of Old,: and pity their hard lot I They have never done me say that Jams JAQUES ROUSSEAU has so pathetically de wrong; oil the contrary, they have treated me with lineated in the present—it is not the w' h neaten kindness and hospitality when I was among than ; that the bun plaisire of a fool, an iclia or , is Mad but if even I had experienced in, their smiling lend _emu, should be set up in any country (land which smiled even amidst the sieours of feudal as the craerion of. ust and unjust. Igo dismiss despotism), that sort of austere forbidding , vrelcogne freely the qtrestion of peace and war, is-beyond all which in England is often the rcceptiou the ' dispute the . privilege of the people, aiid 1 hope it Buckinghamshire, Feb. 4. TIMOTHY TRUEMAN. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. The Sessions commenced yesterday. J. El:mere was indicted for assaulting dames Cooke, one of the under-keepers of Hyde-pork, on Sunday, the '23cl of November. Instructions, k eftfeatred, had been given by the Ranger of the' petit to prevent' horse-dealers from riding in Rotten:row. On the day in question the Defendant, whose brother is a horse-dealer, at tempted to ride into the row, but was stopped by the Prosecutor. He immediately jumped from his saddle, and placing himself in a boxing attitude, challenged Cooke to fight ; this he howevei declined doing, when the Defendant threatened if ever he got him' out of the park he would do for him. This constituted the assault. Mr. ALLEY, for the Defendant, said he was not a horse-dealer, but an officer in the army, and uas induced to act as he had from the impertinence of the Prosecutor in attempting to exclude lien from the privilege enjoyed by other gentlemen. The COURT having held that in the eve of the law an assault had been committed, the Defendant was found guilty, and sentenced to Pay a fine-of Twenty Shillings. - Liza Lercis, an Attorney's clerk, and his wife, * Ta hour-working woman, were both indfcted b TT the parish of St. Giles's, Cdpplegate ) for - aeMisasi} fully and is beating with a large stick 4peot parish apprentice, named Ann Byrne, auccomiselr on the Gth of January last, after the girl had been, three years with them, having been hound at the age of ten years, and instead of being taught her trade, flogged for not blacking her master's shoes to his liking, and for offending her mistress on some other occasion, to such a degree, that an adjoin iug neighbour heard the screams, whereupon the girl being told by her mistress that she would not be kept, vas directed by a woman in the street to the workhouse, where, on inspection,. she was found so beaten and blackened with stripes, that Mr. Laystaff the Surgeon, deposed to the colour and appearance of her back to he like that of a Zebra. The child was of an interesting countenance, and very in- nocent. Mr. ALLEY conducted the prosecution, and Mr. GUaNEY made a short address to the Jury in gallon, without calling any witnesses. The Dgendants were found gisillij, and the wiftr being pregnant, was fined is. only, and the bur band 101. BONAPAR,TE REPREiEYITJ)the R ussian's as wild and nupniilr, when he fled from Moscow ; but It found himself mistaken, as they have politely returned hint the visit In Fiance wmeh than he expected, alai du not Metal td re turn till-they pay their respects to the capital. So wive many impostivis been mistaken that counterfeited Prince's brated Raisia Oil, us It is "proved that Prince's Russia Otlls the only genuine in the universe. Therefore purchasers 11l be particular in asking for Prince's Russia Oil. Is proved the be* and wholesomest, preparation in the universe for moistening toe hair, When dressing real or false hair ; and is so great a liwartsheer, if weal constantly, that never a hair will fall oe-tuni. grey ; io short, w In t e hair Ims got thin or bald, and the least coats Fe ma may rely cot its tieing restored. Gentlemea wearing powder ought to use Prittee's Russia Oil to mokielt their hair when dressing. iiwtend of Panamint, or mixt ait h P alum, as it is well known, that powder makes their hair dry, fall off, or tarn grey ; but Prince's Russia it is sorb a nisorisher to the•kair, that if osedoctiostaat when dressing, :cot a hair will fall off or tura grey. Ladies wilt find it pieferaole to tuiy article when dressing either real or fate hair, no duly or exercise whatever will twitig it out of curl the whole day. Be particular in asking for Prince's Russia Oil, at Bs. per bottle; one bottle, cant "ut four small, at lt. 25.; or six large bottles at 51. ditty included But Prince's plain Russia Oil, only 2s. lid. wit! a Medicine Stamp. Directions with particulars incl. sed, sealed up with etch bottle. S• Id bs the Proprietor, Prince, Death', at his how; John street, Oxford-street. • Observe, it iN exactly opposite No. 8, uevl door to Cliatelt s maker's. Be particular, as the numbers ore irtegular in John-street; also sold by must principal Per fumers in Medtcine Venders. After spending Thousands, which can be proved by the Pen. prietors of the principal Newspapers in London, that Mr. Prince wits the tint that advertised Russia Oil in their Papers ; and it IllSd can he proved by the principal Perfumers nod Me diciiie V. nders in London, that Prince's Russia. Oil is the ori gi. al and only genuine, and us a proof is sold by the folowing Gentlemen t Mr. Santis, Perfouseekshio Majesty, New Bood-street liTt drie, Perfumer to her Mojesty, XichltOriee-street ; Bosley i Blew, .to the. Prince stint Princess, unit DA...did Misfit* of Yrirti, tor kiptir-sireet ; Dlewltry, 4S, St. Pool's Chori4-3nrd; Dicey, Dow Giiiirch-yard; [larch., 95, Fleet - inatket ; Boiler, 4, Cheopside ; Edward., 66, St. Paul's Choreh. yard; Raton, 150, Oiford-treet; Dhvison, 59, Ficel•Areet Rigge, 65, Cheapsitle ; Bolionand 'Vett, Royal Exchange; aid by mast principal Perfwiiersiand Medicine Venderc Mr. Prince can iiity thin Web , the original Proprietor of the Russia Oil in the uoiliertes'hvien if they wain the genuine R t.i:l Oil at Peteistiurgh, the capital of Russia, they most scud to Mr. Prince, Deign', linidon, for it. Mr. , Prince iirgrs one Cant:and pounds co nosy. one w it.. can prove it* eontrarv. there fore any villains wlliug Russia °divot preps* 110,9ir. OrinCe 1 r 4 nupostors, and milers of coienterfeits., • —1/ LONVON t Vri..sett and hi D. 4,0 y l I SACIIC SCATU,SNIAN OFF 1( 6, 87,'Fleeosatvt. , T S'rAT E -gNiAI law, bbt X " the ittw ou dfib hat, lii' 'eh ts ely string taw,--Ifir necessaq,,te L be ing lay & the eventilf ,t se. I,thes is as well ciety ; over whom nobody este item is,pewer to asks th dans, ttittople, as lows but by their own consent, ex - by authority re. at o now,—but ceived from them."—And thett - he refers to 'the ju. 1 shot 'A. us here- dicious lloosEe, as he constantly. ca9 l o him, who deploi . . . _ am; ~, . ~. 0 4 i . • 1 I f 0 4 er r r ii 1 - , . 1 f i i r I / 0 . t . t I I 1 r I I 1 r .. 11 r 1 . ' r' r '' I 1 r I , :_ i