The National Register. — London, England, 1819-05-03 00:00:00

( itAti #4 ,, j// , / rln• itAtiontat Our Mtn, Cort6iftution ants ilitta6. MONDAY, MAY 0, 1819• No. 1178.—VoL. XII.] Ll'atcr. ON THE NELESSITI OF ILETRENCHMENT. WE have repeatedly had occasion to allude to the' present overwhelming system of extravagance, and particularly to what we consider tit excessive and unconstitutional military establishment in a time of peace. It is not, however, in the military estimates alone that this spirit of profusion exists. It per vades every branch of the administration, and swells every item of the public expenditure. The sums that tra expended in downright waste arc immense; and ulasever has witnessed the profusion in the establish teent of 1 nobleman of great fortune, and dissipated liabites-sthe wanton waste, the constant riot, and the combination between the servants and trades men for the purpose of plunder, has an idea in miniature of the great establishment of the nation:4 In both instances the sums that are thrown away, would maintain a handsome, nay a splendid esta blishment. It is certain that the waste of our go vernmeut far exceeds the expenses of the Prussian monarchy with its army of nearly three hundred thousand men. It is perhaps equal to the expendi ture of the Austrian empire, thoegh a population of seven and twenty millions is subject to the hn pedal sceptre. At least ten millions are consumed in waste, through negligence, or malversation, in this country. Its this calculation is included the unnecessary expense, incurred in the collection of the revenue,—the money consumed in jobs, besides -what is wantonly expended in the government ofikes. The sums raised for the peer, and that are diverted from their use, may also be included, be cause the poor rates, at their prevent amount, are a consequence of that flagicious policy which has leought down so many other evils on the country. In our computation we have not included unmerited pensions, sinecures, overgrown salaries, useless offices, and superfluous servants of the government. Upon the wie.le, the sum has been under-rated Tether titan exaggerated; and if it has been said truly thus a common-weu!th might be supported out of the trap pings of a monarchy; it might he asserted with at least equal confidence, that a splendid and vigorous empire might he maintained from the mere waste of the British government. But this consideration, painful as it is, is net. the most humiliating part of the subject. The money, we!...th is thus wasted, is partly applied to purposes ti,e most destractive of the morals and liberties of the nation; and the re maincer goes to the most venal and meddling adhe rents of the ministry. Eta the injury, grave as it is, does not rest here. Its effects are spread over every part of the body politic, however remotely elmected with the gevernment. Persons connected v:ith the law are rroverieially im lined to ley the r :embers of the community under contribution. At tee same time the expeneos of the law administration are enormous, and form a grievous tax upon the public. An those emanate from the character of tile government. Parsons and magistrates are also encouraged to job, and, in every instance, at the ex pense of the country. Next the administrators of the poor take an active part in the system; and it may be boldly asserted, that the sums of which the public are fleeced in this manner, are nearly equal to those which are raised fur the public service. It must, therefore, cease to be matter of surprise that industry languishes; that the middling classes cent- plain so bitterly of the severity of the tides; sail that the industrious poor are reduced to a state nearly bordering on despair. This picture, loaded as it is, does not present the whole of the evil. A spirit of improvident expense and heartless dissipa tion, through the cair4ispie of the public ministry, runs through every pagof.society. Vain and hol low ostentation is the of the country. The di4. sipation of the govern Z t has nearly. ,extinguished every principle of frugality; and the public in gene ral imitate the vices of their rulers .in exyniding beyond their income. Where all this will end, it is easy enough to foresee; and the country, if it be not reasonably arrested in its head-leng career, will add another to the list' of•tbase States, that have fallen from the summit 'of greatness to a state of the ut most degradation. The remote avprehension of such a fall ought to rouse every energy and call every virtue into action. The bare probability of it should alarm the rich in particular; fur the country would not sink without a struggle, and its convul. sions might be terrific; perhaps end in throwing off the vicious humours that enfeeble and disfigure it at present. In compliance with a Requisition to the High Sheriff of Devon, a County Meeting was convened on the QSd inst. at the Castie of Exeter, for the pur pose of considering the propriety of petitioning the Legislature against any further conces4ons to the Roman Catholics. O❑ the High Sheriff taking the Chair, no person was prepared to support-the Re quisition, and an adjournment was moved by some of the friends of Catholic Etnaacpation ; hut at that moment Mr. Prebendary Dennis entered out of breath, and after being adowed a few minutes to re cover, moved a Petition to Parliament against the emancipation of the Catholics, which was at last car ried by a considerable majority, though there was move,l no amendment to the Petition proposed by Mr. Dennis, that the Petitioners relied implicitly on the wisdom of Parliament, to grant such conces sions to the Catholics as were consonant with justice and the security of the empire. The Committee of Finance have presented a se. cond report, which relates to the Army Estimates for the current year. They camraence by congra tulating the House that the• state of affairs in Europe continued to preserve such an appearance of tran quillity, as permitted the withdrawing of the Army of Occupation from France. The measure had ne cessarily led to a great diminution of the military force of this country ; a number of men, equal in amount to the whole army returned from France having been either reduced, or placed under orders for reduction. Of the home force voted in the esti mates of last year, a reduction of 9,142 rank and file has taken place, which, in addition to those reduced after evacuating France, will ultimately effect a di minution of force amounting to 34,t IS, officers and men. The amount of reductions actually effected last year, amounts to .26,042. The total number of men estimated fur the service of the present year, erdurivcl.• of those to be employed in India, autounts to 69,794 men. We have mentioned above, the actual reduction which took place in the course of last year. The-aggregate of reductions made in the last two years, amounted to 55,802, officers, non-commissioned officers and privates. The total sum to be voted for the ordinary services of the Army fbr 1819, mounts to 6,5112,802/. 12s. 3d. The report of the Bank Committee of the House of Commoos is supposed to he nearly ready. It is said, that Mr. Tierney dividad the Committee, sad alone in voting against the Report. Thus, then, the report csnnot be in &your du very sudden us decided phtn for the resumption of cash payments, or Mr. Tierney would not have voted against it; and yet it must hold out a reasunahle prospect, a rational scheme for that resumption, Ur the other five or site opposition no-mlsers of the Cemmittie would not hive voted for it. The public attention has been very properly call to the Parish Clerks' Bill, now lx!fore the House of Commons, and we hope that the well-founded opposition to the Bill will prave effectual. We see uo rational grountis for proposing such a measure, which must add consi.lerably to our present paro chial burthens, which are already excessive. We expect to hear of petitions presented to Parliament from every parish embraced in the provisions of the Bill, re prevent it from being carried irate a law. • CRIM. COY. AT PARIS.-1 case of adultery, e;- treittely couiphcated, and sufficiently sca t :4 4 4ms, was brought cut last Wednesday before the Tribunal of Correctional l'ory.e at Paris. A lady, aged i 4, was ac cused of Itatin , 2-, remitted herself to lie seduced by Tier physician, and u i it4sing committed the crime of adul tery with him. From the nil ot ter of lathes who at tended the court, it was evident that the case was consi dered highly interesting. The acernitplished elegance of the accused, the chants of her figme, her trembling attitude at the bar during the discussion, excited muck interest. The other accused is much esteemed in hie ino! . 6sion s; a physiaan. Several wit:tesses were eri atnira anti in par:lonia two servants, whose testimony as to the facts was sufficiently conclusive, at least as 141 apparance. Tue intercourse was discovered Ly the husband in rather it extraordinary stiatiiier. Thu lady. when writi:l4 twit letters, one to her-141s4antl .atul ano ther to her loser, mistook the auperscrtpi;fin ; and her husband, theSiem- 8., on rye:As:i * v , a nave in an unstsual style, siispected some mystery. and after some inquiry, succeeded itt deint'ipillit the yoltole. The further prts eyed ngs were citkred tilkYretluaday next. - - The following address was ou IVednesday Ire sented to the Court by the London Grand. Jury : The Grand Jury of the city of London having presented to the Court all the bills tallith have been brought before them, tale leave respectfully to ask foe their nischarge ; at the same time lamenting the r' tern of crime wimich they have had to investigate. and looking ei..ocontidence to the r.doption of every means which may tend to promote its Jimintitien. In the prosecution of tbeiz duty, the Grand Jury hare visited the Gill,' of Newfate, and feel called urn to express their approbation eat the conduct of Mr. Brown, the keeper, in the superior cleanliness of the prison. well as in Om:: evimirnt regard which he pats to the comfort and necessmtics of fire imrsonermm: ; but they r.:„;ret that time limited ex tent of the prison wilt not admit. in its present emweed state. of a tnor .m complete clizrofiemstion of the prisoner!. The attention of the Grand Jury lies been morefartieularly drawn to the system adovd by those li.m:mes wlsee benevolent attentions. to the int. provemmnt of the tein.Je prisoners are so strongly evir.ced by their advancement in morals and discipline, which in the opinicn of this Jury demand.; their public thantcs. Signed in behalf of the Grand Jm:ry, THOI'd AS PHIPPS. FeiesestA. Grand Jury-room, Old Bailey, April 11. 'flee: Prince llegent has pm c isett tee 1 3 .11. ice nt New market. ts hit is mu undergo a complete :coos:Atkin under the Jilt:en:in of Mr. Nash. A correspondent from Grimsby, referring to the arrival of several vessels at that port from tee Con tinent with bones, observes,' that the eagernes‘fof English agriculturists to obtain this manure, .and the cupidity of foreigners in sui , plying it, is such u to induce the latter actually to rob the sepulchres of their figefathers. Bones of all descriptions are im ported : pieces of half-decayed coffin-tire are •found among them; and tho.e skilled in anatomy have no hesitation in pr.uouncing many of the bones to have belonged to human beings On Palm Swill:ly, a young matt,: bricklayer, of sober and ii.tii.tirimas galas, %yeti' pahu tug with some ht his winkmen ; on returaiiiit ; twilit: he got itorn6earml ..1111/ ; he fulue,t.t with two of his companioss, and !mat them both ; he attacked the third, and sweat log a d►eadful oath thin lie would kill the other matt was figh:ing wish, or he should kill him, he intim thately tell down senseless; his contpanioes took him home, from whence lie was ,conseyed to St. Bartholo mew's flotpit.l, where he died On Sunday last, tint haml e t been able to move himself since that day. On Saturday the.Chancellar of the &Lavoie visited the Persian Ambassador, at his Ism it &hales -meet, Berleley-square. ori• • , , 1 --, c t " 1 - .4 ..., 4. ~-.,..- ..-,, ( , ' I t•l!A' , i: N