The Sun. — London, England, 1819-12-29 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN. Ma. EDITOR--It is not now tny intention to attempt to prove, that whatever evils Britain at present suffers from the diminution of her com merce, she might, and even will ultimately lose little and gain much. It is the present crisis of distress and danger that I would contribute my humble a , sistance to alleviate. Neither shall 1 at !his time seep to trace the origin of the evil. The di,ease which temperance might have pre vented, too often needs the bitter draught of the physician ; yet could the rich and poor, the governor and the governed, mutually attach some portion of blame to themselves, how much of th e rancour of animosity (even where the gnaw i“gs of hunger give it keenness) would he assuAged. At present, indeed, all is calm, but it is that louring, that sullen calm, so well depicted by the Roman Historian. And however politic the con duct of the State may be, in restoring► the bayonet to the disbanded veteran, for the present protec tion of property, ultimate salvation depends not so Lunch on the State as the litndholder ; not on the bayonet, but the work tool of the peaceful labourer and mechanic, With the owner of the soil rests is preservation, and the preven►ion of 'anarchy. But to restore order by the bayonet of the soldiery, and the slaughter of twenty or a Lund' ed thousand famished or deluded wretches, could not be salvation but sacrifice. Surely, the most safe and humane mode of stilling the present clamour for Reform,' must be to fill the mouths of the hungry; doubtless, the wisest means of filling the mouth, is by the employment of the hands. This is true charity. This at once would winnow the chaff from the grain. This would soon render tl►e sword UTI - ; or if still necessary, bring that of every patriot from the scabbard. To employ the labourer, indeed, the Land owner must possess the means of remunerating I►in, fur his toil. But if he who bath not a sword, let him sell his garment and buy one,' has been con►tnantled by a Prophet of old, well may the Land-owner borrow, who possesses not otherwise the means of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, and leave the debt, and the toils,,and improvements, by which it has been re paid, a it.ceful legacy to his posterity, and a glorious monument of his own patriotism and philan trophy, The means of employing the Poor, I shall con sider under the six following beads of—National, Provincial, Parockial, Commercial, Charitable, n d WVitl► regard to National employment :—The Funds of the State seem too much exhausted, and otherwise too fully employed to admit of any extraordinary exertion at this crisis. Yet the new Erections for public worship, the magnificent Edifices in the vicinity of Carlton House, the Breakwater at Plymouth, and the Caledonian Ca nal, nor only amply vindicate Government from any set ions charge of supineness in this respect, but will continue for ages, stupendous Monuments of National glory, and of the glory and wisdom of the reign of George the Third. WVir►t regard to Provincial: money spent in County Works, is rarely contributed without re- Inctence, and often misapplied. A Committee, however, front the different parishes, might, per haps, in part obviate these difficulties. And where alterations in the roads were not particu larly wanted, few P, orincisl Works could be snore generally useful than Workhouses, Infir maries, and Gaols ; the former of which might occasionally be erected in various situations. And doubtless the Poor-rates of many Parishes might be considerably diminished by the removal of their vagabonds to the latter ; and much of the expences attending the erection and maintenance, could be provided for by the well regulated labour of those whom it contained.—Bridges also might be built without the burthen of a County rate, at this present exigency. For if individuals were back ward in lending, the State could. hardly refuse to supply the deficiency on legal interest ; and for this interest a toll would provide. : • By Parochial employment, much might be ef fected. How many Parishes that wring the hard earned pittance from sire hand of care, in order to pamper the vagabond in idleness and vice, by proper regulations .might teach him industry and virtue ; and to supply, its a great measure, his Wants by his own labour. The erection of Parochial Workhouses and Hos pitals, would yield immediate employment to many ; would afford an asylum to the deserving and destitute in future ; and teach, even compel, the spergithiitt to support himself by the sweat of his own brow.-1n the smaller Parishes, one building might -suffice, in the double capacity of hospital and Workhouse. The respective divi• SiODS however, to be inner reg jIdI inns Si vario , is as their names. A nd any nutnlier of Parishes or ownships, could unite in the erection of one (Ge neral Hospital for the aged and deserving, and of a similar Workhouse fo-r the unemployed. Another, and, perhaps, a more eligible mode of giving imme,liate occupation to all the laborious classes, would be the cultivation of a common, a portion of a common, a farm, a field, or a garden. All of these, except the common, might be rented by any parish or township. And there are few parishes that do not contain an individual possessing sufficient leisure, and sufficient charity, to be rendered happy by the active superintend :lnce of such an Establishment, under the direc tion of a Committee or Vestry. Such an office seems peculiarly adapted for the leisure hours of a village Clergymen,--for uniting and endearing t he pastor and his flock to each other, and con- Iributiug to the happiness of both. Under such an Institution, even infancy, and decrepitude, might be usefully employed in the gathering and drawing of weeds, and the dibbling and planting of grain and roots ; and even the most auk ward outcast from tie manufactory would soon learn to handle the spade with dexterity. Mete are also few villages or towns, that do not admit of some degree of ornAment, and im provement ; either in the streets, market, green, church, church-yard, school, workhouse, and, above all, in the roads and footpaths. To have the roads in good repair, is not only a comfort and convenience to the inhabitants, but a saving also in the labour of the horse. And were those cause-ways in the village lanes, that were once so general, but which are now hardly to be tarn, ex cept in Cornwall, Devon, and some parts of the North, again to re-appear, the use of the horse might, as formerly, more frequently be dispensed with : and certainly the poor would be greatly benefitted, both by the future convenience, and present employment. New modes of facilitating the conveyance of merchandise, though they come under the beads of National and Provincial, seem more peculiarly, at least at this juncture, to class under that of Commercial: whether they consist of tonne's, bridges, aqueducts, new roads, rail-ways or canals ; all which are generally conducted to the most advantage under the superintendence of Commercial Companies : men who want employ. ment for their Wealth, their talents, end their imaginations. To this catalogue mly alao be added, mining, the erecting of warehouses and inns, ship build ing, and the constructing of docks. Though the parishes of towns and sea-ports, might per haps, in some instances, have reeourse to one or other of these for the advantageous employment of the poor. The charitable also, who had no landed property on which to employ his wealth, might here fittd a drain to his superabundance, as well as the commercial speculator for its in crease. There is one circumstance respecting the fad litating the conveyance of merchandize, which seems highly to merit the attention of the Legisla ture ; though never yet, I think, even alluded to. But were the labour of the horse diminished by canals., rail-ways, tunnels, and every other pos sible means, what an increase of population, and power, would be given to these Islands ! For, if I mistake not, the land necessary for the support of a hundred horses, would more than maintain two thousand individuals. By Charitable employment, 1 would merely de signate that in which the funds are purely vo luntary and benevolent ; and without any stated proportion. Under that of Individual, the field seems wide, and almost boundless. It does not merely in clude all, or nearly all, of the former ; together with inclosing, fencing, draining, inigating, and building, with similar modes of fertilizing land, and improving property. The sides of the moun tain might once more be made to wave with the forest, and given _in perpetual tenantry to the wild boar and the stag the fertile plain, divest_ ed of the pine and larch, again made to wave and smile with the golden harvest, or to blossom and blush with tl►e riches of the orchard. I do not, indeed, compare the value of the deer with that of the sheep ; or the manly joys or healthfulness cf the cbace with the avocations of the shepherd. But when the timber of the forest came to be cast into the scale of interest, I doubt not but it would preponderate in favour of re-clothing the mountain with its native honours, and restoring the woodland with its original inhabitants. Still more would the scale of interest then preponde rate for divesting the fertile plain of many of those sombre and unmeaning masses by which it is at present disfigured, and re-stocking it with the hawing-herd, and making it again toTgladden with the plenty created by the toils of the cheer ful husbaudman. In point of beauty also. how No Paris Papers arrived this morning, none having been published on Sunday. CHARLESTOWN, Nov. 2U. (Received this Morning.) MARTINIatIB. ST. Pleat:es, OCT. 30.—His Excellency the Governor of St. Lucia issued, on the 21st inst. a Proclamation, of which the following are the principal features : " Tue fort of Castries is open for the space of one year from this date, to the vessels of all Nations in amity with Great Britain. In con sequence, vessels as above specified may introduce into this port of Castries, free of all duties (ex cept tonnage duty of one dollar per ton), rice, grain, corn, flour, vegetables, and all kind of pro. visions, horses, mules, lumber, and materials for building ; it is permitted to vessels bringing such specified articles, to re-load wit}► any quantity of Colonial goods they choose, subject to the duties stated; 9 here. per hogshead of rum, 6 livres per hogshead of molasses, 2 livres per 1001 b. of sugar, 3 !lyres per 100 lb. of coffee, 2 livres per 1001 b. of cocoa, 4 livres per 1001 b. of cotton." Our loyal and patriotic Readers will, we doubt not, read with much pleasure a Letter signed A. in our Paper of this day. it is, indeed, highly enentitled to the attention of our Readers, as well as of the noble, the affluent, and every class of the community. As our Reformers in Parliament are desirous of ►nquiring into the STATE OP THE NATION, we refer them to this Letter, which is evi dently the result of good sense, extensive observa vation, and true patriotism, and which not only gives an account of the State of the Nation, but suggests sonse admirable remedies for its relief. We have to apologize to the Author for not hav ing given to it an earlier insertion, 'but the ex treme length of the Debates, occasioned by the efforts of those modern Reformers, has occupied our Paper so much as to have offended, we fear, several other respectable Correspondents. Ma. CANNINa.—The rancour of The Old Times against this Gentleman is so disgusting, that we wonder even that Paper should not spew more knowledge of mankind than to suppose that their feelings will not revolt against such outrageous malignity. The Old Times may be considered as the tccornplice of the anonymous Miscreant who threatened to murder this great ornament of the British Senate, and the Writer who assailed him in that Paper yesterday, displays such a rooted male volence that if he is not the anonymous miscreant alluded to, yet it seems evident that he is equally ready to put the threat into execution. But the ninudence and folly Of 7'he Old Three on almost exceeds its venomous malice. ft threatens " to make an example" of Mr. CA: 4 " NING ! The Times, renowned for apostacy of every kind, and a source of the most abusive ran• coin- asks, " why cannot he, (Mr. CANNING), be quiet ?" is ivossible N thv it can suppose that Mr. CANNING coui be rendered unquiet by the, despicable attacks of The Old - Times Its owa conrcious guilt is the cause of this attack upon Gentleman of the highest talents. The Honourable ' Gentleman, in alluding to a Paper which abetted $ secret Ruffian who threatened to murder him, did not condescend to mention the name of the polluted and dastardly Journal, but it took the charge to itself, and instead of remaining quiet itself, poured forth a !orient of abuse on him yesterday which has plunged it deeper, if possible, in the Gulf of infamy. The attack of such a Paper al The Old Times, on Mr. CANNING is a com plete illustration of the fable of the Frog and the Or, and we conclude that it it did not thus spit forth its venom, it vtould burst with horrible venom. Can any body trust to a Paper so marked - by malevolence, and that, in a memorable instance on record, baying received' literary favours from a Noble Lord and his conflec4: l / 4 ,., lions, after h a vi n g no doubt deriver!considerable: advantage front ,the communications in .credit and profit, tinned upon them and with the : ,, basest ingratitude, b e t ra y e d t h e i r names to t h e world ? Heaven defend the Government and the Country front tire support of such a Paper as The Old Times, and may Mr. CANNING be always hu [loured by its abuse, and never be disgraced by its commandation. LIBELS.—The following instance of tbs po nishment for Libels, which happened in the reign of CHARLES the FIRST, may tend to recoricila Modern Defamers of Government to the present reign. For our part, we most heartily wish, that die COBRETTS, WOOLERS, HUNTS, HONES, and CAttLILEs of the present time, had existed at that period, though we are charitable enough not to wish that they might hive been quite so severell punished, however justly they might have de# served similar inflictions : " Doctor LEIGHTON, a Roman Catholic, pub fished a seditious hook, entitled " An Appeal to the Parliament; or, Sion's Plea against the Pre lacy," wherein lie was chat ged with -a Libel Against the King, the Peers, the Bishops, and the Prelates, and being convicted thereof, was, fur the offence, committed to the Fleet during life (unless the King should order his enlargement) ; lined ten thousand pounds ; referred to the Hight Commission Court to be degraded of his 'Mini stry; and then to be whipped at the pillory at Westminster, and standing on the pillory, to lose one of his ears, have ik;s nose slit, and his face branded with a double S, and in like manner to be whipped, and lose his other ear, at the pillory in Cheapsitle.'' RETURN OF RADICALS FROM AMERICA —ln ad; dition to the return of COBBETT, the great Chiet tain of the Radical Reformers, several others hays considered it as prudent to follow his example, in leaving the Land of Milk and Honey. Amongst others that have ariived is Bentow, of Manchester notoriety. This roan was the locum tenets of COREIETT in all his intrigues in that part of the Country. This person has within these two or three days appeared in London hum Americs• The account he gives of the English people ti l ers is truly deplorable—they a re literally slam A man named Drake, a staunch RadLal, possess ing some property, who lett Englaml for Americo , about twelve months since, to better his conditioxi has spent the whole of his property, and is noW !educed to the most wretched sote of penury.--' Benbow has a communication from Wm LClat IC, I I journeyman coach-maker, whom our Heather' will recollect as having had the honour of being Chairman at several of HuNT'S Meetings, party cularly at " Spa-fields." Benbow is to get Clark'' father to raise a sufficient sum to defray the ex' pence of the passage of this misguided youv4 man, as " Jonath.ri's Land " does not posses. 111e3IIS to enable hint 10 live. He thsegibid being ill the most extreme state of destitution' The description given of others is precisely th e same. Brettell, Pendrill, and other notoriou s characters of the Radical tribe, have also at' rived. Every petty Radical looks for his share of nfe toriety. Mr. Hu Ni s eminence is a sort of Mo ° narchy, which Universal Suffrage cannot tolerate; and though VVATSON, WOOLER, and CARLIL.P with the mischievous ti die that et cetera thei r heels, would convert it into an oligarchy, ther e i are thousands of bold spirits who desire an ece republic. A - Macclesfield Reformer, by name Josell SWANN, who seems to hare done little more o f present titan sport a while hut, is struggling out° his obscurity This he end e av ours to d o by a d v er; tising himself in .Waoe's Manchester Paper, l' l % and all ; with a vapouring sper c h, which he sly ' he made to a party of the Macclesfield Yeomanq ; —lf his story be true, we w ou ld a d v i s e SwAN N •to come up to town forthwith, and clal' fl kindred to the Swan with two necks in Lad-lad e i The Radical Geese are all Swans, w e knot ; 4 ' l it were wise, perhaps, to provide against the ° G° casion which May put one neck in jeopardy. Last evening the Petsce RitGENT arrived Callum-House from Brighton. Mr. YATall, of Cov«nt•Garden, is gone 00.1: to Birmingham, where he was to make his apPe l4 l ', e ance in Richard the Third, last night, at Theatre of that town, which is re-opened for t. Chriatunwe tu , tch wwild the :Ippearance of this Island be irn - pr,ved. The farm house and farm, the hamlet, the alpine cottage of the fore , ter, and the occa sional hunting and summer residence of the noble man, beneath tke wo?dland shelte'r, would en croi upon the wilderness, a nd the desert-Zitool4 bloc urn like the rose, Let, then, the Nubility and Gentry of Britain, instead of depositing the surplus of their abund ance for usury in the funds of the State, in freighting the vessels of India, or in augmenting the extent of their domains, increase their reve nues and feed the Poor, by the improvetnent of those they possess. Let the poor Merchant turn Tradesman, or rent a farm ; the rich buy one ; and instead of France and Germany employing their squalid Weaver in Alanchester and Glasgow, let Great Britain give plenty and health to her hardy labourers and mechanics, by the uniting - of her provinces, the fertilizing of her Wastes, the planting of her mountains, and the ornamenting of her cities and her palaces. THEATRICAL REGISTER. Performed Last "Viz!, t. TUEAfRE ROYAL, DatirtY-LANE.—The Dramatist: Vapid, Mr. Elliston ; Marianne, Mrs. Edwin. After which (id time), .Jack and the Bean Stalk. TIJLATNE Roynt., COVENT-GAHDEN.—Thr Comedy of Errors ; Drontio of Ephesus, Mr. W. Farrell Adriana, Miss Ste phens. After which (id time), Harlequin and tThu Quixote. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The llEicrtlT OP MAar-Lt•BoNNE, and TEN Tax on the New Law of Libel, tomorrow. For EscuLAPlus and 10Norus, see the First Page. PIUCE 0 THIS DAT AT r Bank Stock 217 3 per Cent. Red... 64 67k 67 8 per Cent 7si 4 per Cents 83i;,1 84 8:31 r STOCKS tvELvP: ocLocK. Bank Long Ann. 17i 7-16ths India Bonds Exch. Bills, 2d 4s. 7s. dis. Coils. for Account .... Gaiii MAILS. ARRlYElr—nine. Dus—i Du},lin, 1 Waterford, 2 Guernsey and Jersey, 1 Got tenburgb, 2llawburgh. HIGH ‘VATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO•MORTIOW. Morning, 7 unnutes after 1. I Evening, 35 minutes attar 1. THE SUN. SOLEM QUI, LSUM AUVEAT ? LONDON WEDNESDAY, DECEIII3ER 20, 1819. DOR toe, G toline, The A the Ar Iler bii This m HAll Lord `fritll ti 'Was li S UffiCit DEA bdajest forei gt loam Liv York, only li Ler. in Ca keel, got of Rm !Choc North Ext dated the 1( POOl, coffee want the es: vve ft bodie, 'lvo a of the the is 'betel be do th 'well I totiri Dotes u itb ?Wit awful man, fi um of 111 piece grnre 'note of ! netull *a.ll, tray, 1 (D 1 . 1)4 Arist( grist c Tie, va lituat t tur► The : of WI Co Ping eels bi hiLid rnastP acne been Tb Was 1 the c hrers valiiii rende stnte lure The 11 Pa as t e aud fi 'fin shire 10 pr, Inasti and inst. boat, She I born e cargo te.t ' roagil inhat to thi iost - 1 cargc Part linue Veste Ilia/ , lave disp o by t h tem p ter o InEtru In Ku 'ft) Liv ei isetw •ons] ligne lu g Erma tw o bora. thori