The Sun. — London, England, 1801-12-31 00:00:00

POLITICAL 'CONSTITUTIONS. Tti E Public are already acquainted Wi tit the Politi cal Works of Mr. H. R. YoRKE, and must, of course, entertain a very favourable opinion of his talents and acquisitions. There is a vigour in his style, and a solidity in his judgment, which entitle him to a high rank in the-Republic - of Letters. This Gentleman, after a diligent investigation of the several Political Constitutions of the principal Eu sopean States, has announced his intention of de livering the result of his Inquiries in a series of LECTURES. The subjea is deeply interesting, and will, no doubt; be discussed with great ability by this writer, whose imagination is impregnated by learning, and guided by experience. A general view of these Ledwes has been published, and this view evidently displays the powers of an enlarged mind, fulFy impressed with the necessity of Legisla tive Restrictions in Society, and capable of appre elating the merit of Political Systems, in • relation, to National Character. We have .not room, at present, for more than the following Extract from . this work, but we can recommend it to our Readers as a produdion which abounds with profound and ingenious observations, calculated to reconcile Men to the state of Society in which Providence has been pleased to place them, and to make them shudder' at the idea of all violent innovations, c‘• It may be objeled, if Public Good be the object of all Government, how arc we to reconcile to it those undisguised violations of justice, and those wanton aEts of cruelty which are often.perpe_ trated on the Continent of Europe ?—To this I answer, that the maladministration of Governors is no more evidence against the general rule, than the abuse of a principle can be inferred as an argu ment against the principle itself. Public Good is the cause, though not always the efea of Govern ment ; and when it becomes avowedly and syste matically abused, the delinquents have commonly experienced, in the vengeance of an exasperated People, the punishment due to their crimes. Such a mode of obtaining redress, or averting further mischief, is for ever to be deplored, and rarely oc curs in a State whose fundamental Laws have guard ed the Subjea against such heinous exertions of power. It is the possession or want of such secu rity which marks the difference between Free Go vernment and Despotism ; and although every . State under our present consideration, enjoys some kind of provision against Injustice, whether arising from the influence of religion, an intermediate body of men, or Jaws become sacred by their antiquity, yet, in pro portion to the strength of this security, the People must undoubtedly be denominated more or less free. It may, however, be assumed as a political aphorism, that wherever a Government has existed for ages, and men have enjoyed tranquillity under ir, it is a proof that its principles are not essentially at vari ance with each other. The exercise of power may be strengthened or relaxed, according to the moral condition of the People ; and what might in Britain be termed an ad of tyranny, may be requisite in kussia, to preserve unbroken the cowmon links Gi Society. We, therefore, who live in 'a land of the highest liberty to which we are fitted, are not warranted in pronouncing an indiscriminate censure on every exertion of power that we cannot easily reconcile to our own habits and institutions. The beast of prey and the docile animal are differently treated ; the one, we are compelled to enclose within irons bars, the other, we.permit to range at liberty. In the same manner, the Citizen who is habituated by education and example to .a sense of justice, we can commit to the guidance of his own discretion ; but the fierce and unruly barbarian must have all his motions watched, lest he spread around him the evils which spring from violent and uncontrouled passions. In short, we are not dis. cussing which is the best abstract Form of Govern ment, but that which is best adapted, in its pradical application to the People governed. In this sense, the reply of Solon must he considered as the expres. lion of political wisdom. i‘ If I have succeeded in removing a prejudice which has been the cause of our voluntary igno rance of the Institutions of other States ; it follows, that some inquiry into their Constitutions and Laws, will be prOduaive, at this time, of number less advantages. For, the new century opens with everts of such extraordinary magnitude and inte rest, that without some previous knowledge of this kind, sve shall be neither fortified nor prepared against the consequences which are likely to arise from them. Since the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks, every century has been fertile in great and unexampled changes. To that event is ascribed the revival of Letters Among the Western Nations. The next century beheld the rapid change in the Reli gion, and 'the Political System of a considerable part of - ...;:arope. The —w dopmes of the Reformers supported on one side, and - opeosed on the other, with all the zeal which the interests of Religion, well or ill understood, are apt to inspire, impelled alike their partizans and adversaries to extend their -intellectual pursuits. Quickened by this great mo tive, emulation enlarged the sphere of human know ledge ; and its light, long concealed beneath .the clouds of error and confusion, blazed forth even on subjects seemed most foreign from those dis putes. In the seventeenth century, a new System of Philosophy was founded, which, though perse cuted at first with great acrimony, was afterwards embraced with superstitious avidity, and at length reduced to those principles only, which were Just id true. Lastly, the eighteenth century has wit- Pessed Revolutions in Government, Laws, Manners, Religion, and States, of which there is no example in the annals of the human race. " Every age which thinks in a different mode from the age that went before it, invests itself im mediately with the title of Philosophical ; much in the same manner as antiquity dignified with the t i a lne of Sages, those who had no other pretension 2 it than the merit of contradiffing their cotem rotaries. In modern times, we attach the charac ter of Philosophers to many, who are merely dis uished for their talent of 'furbishing up old bysLems in a more polished phraseology ; or who, , - 1 for the empty gratification of a transient popularity, have caught the Public by surprise, and diverted them from the beaten' track of sober experience, and cautious indudion. Indeed, the habit of gene ralization, though generally productive of scientific research, yet, when applied to the purposes of po litical inquiry, if extended too far, is as liable to pervert the understanding, as the, habit of genera lizing from, one or a few particulars in the history of man. These systeMs have been received with such extacy, and are circulated with such: pertinacious zeal, that it is much to be feared, society will not easily recover from the 'shock which it has expe rienced. Helvetius himself, the most acute and original genius of this sett, is now become an an cient, compared with some of his disciples. As these builders of ,' , l! rial castles are fond of propaga ring their dolrines, perhaps without foreseeing their pradical influence on society, it has been questioned by cautious and well meaning persons, whether the,. advantages 'which genuine philosophy expected to de rivefrom the discovery of the art of printing, may not be ultimately defeated by the chartered libertinism of the press ? Doubtless, if we compare without preju dice, the present state of human knowledge, with that which has passed away, we shall perceive a consi derable progress in various branches of moral and natural philosophy. But the generations which are yet to follow, will discover in many points which may seem too minute and familiar for philosophy to dwell upon, the sources of many errors of the un derstanding, and of many corruptions of the heart. We nevertheless alledge that we have discussed and analyzed all subjeas from prophane mythology to the foundations of revealed religion, from meta physics to matters of taste, from music to morality, from the scholastic disputes of theologians toobjefts of commerce, from the rights of princes to the rights of subjects; from questions of the utmost im portance .to questions of no importance at all. On some of these subjefts new light has been shed, upon others fresh obscurities have arisen : the conse quences of this general ebullition of the mind, have been compared to the ebbing and flowing of the ocean, which casts some goods on the shore, and re moves others to a greater distance." - THE SUN. 110LIM QUIS DICIRI IFALSUM Aurosnr ? LONDON, DECEMBER 31,1801. YESTERDAY accounts were received in town, by the way of Liverpool, from Martinicze, dated in. November.—The first accounts of the Peace arrived the 16th of that month, and the confirmation of the Preliminaries having been signed on the 18th. The intelligence was of course not very agreeable to the English Inhabitants of an Island about to be ceded to France. •We are sorry to say that , a considerable, mortality prevailed in • Martinique, particularly amongst the Military—it had indeed been so great that the Volunteers had for some time been obliged to assist in the Garrison duty. From Jamaica accounts have likewise been re ceived by the last Packet, of the date of the ist of November, which bring very distressing accounts of the ravages of the Yellow Fever, particularly amongst the Troops.—Lord BALCARRES was to take his passage home in the Retribution, which was to sail early in November, with a Convoy from Port Royal. 7 —The season was highly favourable to the Planters, but more than commonly unhealthy. There was a great wish at Jamaica for Peace, the intelligence of which would probably soon arrive after the date of the above Letters, to throw a gleam of consolation over the misfortunes under which they laboured there. Two Harprburgh Mails still remain due. Earl ST. VINCENT, we are concerned to learn, had on Tuesday a relapse, and it was reported was extremely ill. The Minotaur, Druid, Dolphin, Trusty, and Ceres, were on Wednesday released from quarantine. Major-General Elm; H and,the Earl of CORK landed. Early yesterday morning intelligence was received at the East India House of the safe arrival of the Bridgwater in the Downs. 'She left 'Madras the 13th of August, arrived at St. Helena the gth of November, and sailed from thence the isth . , leaving there the following homeward-bound Ships ;—the Melville Castle, Travers, and Skelton Castle, from Bor. lay ; and the Coutztes.; of Sutherland and Loy.. alist, Rice Ships. The French Government has determined, in an- swer to the question—how far the iMportation of English Coal is to be permitted into France that under the present circumstances no change in the Law on this head is necessary, and that till the Definitive Treaty is signed, no Vessel laden With Coals can be allowed to land her cargo on any pretence whatever. After all the afferent plans of indemnities and secularizations which have been proposed, another it seems has been devised, the object of which is to preserve the constitution of the German Empire. But to allow of those indemnities and seculariza tions, and at the same time to preserve the Ger manic Empire, seems to be an achievement above the reach of political wisdom. A wager of zOOO guineas has been laid by a LinColnshire Gentleman of great sporting celebrity in Lord MoNsoN's hunt, that he rides from Lon don to Barton water-side, a distance of 171 miles, in twelve hours, having any number of horses he chuses. It is considered a very sporting bet, as the Gentleman rides at least fifteen stone and a half; he is to perforth. it within six months, giving' four days notice of the time. We understand March is chosen fot the time. ' NAVAL NEWS. rofiBAY, Dyc. 29. ARRIVED yesterday morning, His Majesty's Ship L'Oirearr, and sailed again immediately, with out coming to. Arrived yesterday, His Majesty's Brig The following Ships now remain in Torbay Ville de Paris, Hercule, ' Courageux, Royal Soveregn, Robust, Indefatigable, Neptune, Magnificent, Sirius, Prince of Walps, Edgar, Unicorn, Royal Georgei Belleisle, Childets, San Josef, Irresistible, • Atalante, London, Audacious, and Prince, Excellent, Sylph. 14:legal, Bellerophon, FALMOUTH, DEC. 28: ARRIVED the four-masted Ship Invcntion, to load pilchards for the Meditteranean ; the American Ship,Pallas, Capt. JOHN DULLING, With tobacco, 3z days passage from Norfolk, for orders ; and the Bark Betsey,' TUCKER, from Petersburgh, with wheat, for Lisbon. Sailed the Walsinghanz Packet, ROBARTS, with Mails of the isth and zzd inst. for Lisbon. The outward-bound West India Ships got under weigh, but it suddenly falling calm, they again came to anchor. The Lady Hobart Packet, with Mai.h for the Leeward Islands, still remains. The Schooner Minerva, Captain DUP EN, of this Port, sailed from Mount's-Bay on the r+th of No vember last, with pilchards and tin-plates, for the Mediterranean : off Cape Ortegal she experienced the most tremendous gale that could possibly be conceived, during which she lay on her beam-ends ; one man was washed overboard, and the greater part of her cargo (for the preservation of the crew), was thrown overboard. By the drift of the sea she was fortunate enough to reach St. Martin's, in the Isle of Rile. The King George Packet will take the Mail of the z9th inst, for Lisbon. PORTSMOUTH, Dr.c. 3a. SAILED His Majesty's Ships De Ruyter and Cal cutta, with sealed orders ; and Stark, tOt . the Baha ma Islands. MANSION-HOUSE, Dvc. 30. SHEERNESS, DEC. 30. A Court-Martial was held yesterday on Mr. J. Ew i Ng, Purser of the Alonzo Sloop, fcm' kre'ing disobeyed the orders of Lieut. HAwKiNs t of that Sloop, and for calling s him a scandalous scoundrel; when the Charges being proved in part, he was adjudged to be dismissed the said Sloop. Another Court Martial was also held on Liey,t. R. N. DYER, of the Alonzo Sloop above-mentioned, for having broke open the chest of the Purser (Mr. Ew iNG), and taking thereout some wearing appa-• rel belonging to him ; when the Charges (which were exhibited by the Purser) being found malicious, vexatious, and ill-founded, he was honourably ac quitted by the Court. This day arrived the Bittern Sloop of War, Capt. KITTOE, from, Yarmouth. DI4L, DEC. 30. THE Dart Sloop of War, and Assistant Navy Transport, sailed this morning to the Westward. The following are the Ships, under the CoMmand of Vice-Admiral Sir ANDREW MITCHELL, K. B. that arrived at Spithead on Tuesday from Bantry Bay. Vi e-Adaiin. Sir A Windsor Castle .:. 98 C 2 ca on ' [aim Ought. Mitchell, 8 S Rear-Admiral Campbell, Temeraire - - 9 ? Captain Eyles. Barfteur - - 98 S Rear -Admiral Coll'ngwood, • -z Captain Ommancy. Princess Royal - 9 8 ? S Rear-Adm. Sir E. Gower, Captain Atkins. ' Atlas - - 98 - Jones. Glory - - 98 Formidable - 98 - Grindall. J uste - 84 - Sir Edward Nagle. Malta - - :3 4 - Bertie. Achilles - 74 , , Walls. Orion - 74 Centaur - 74, Majestic - ' 74 Resolution - 74 Hon. Captain Gardner. , The above 'Ships sailed from Bantry on Saturday evening last, in consequence of Dispatches received by Sir ANDREW MITCHELL, by Lieutenant R. HARRISON, of His Majesty's Schooner Spider.-- They parted company, in a gale of wind, with the Namur, Hon. Captain DE COURCY, and the geance, Captain DUFF. His Majes,ty'4 Ships Hawke and Surinam arrived at St. Kitts on the 9th of November, with the ships from Grenada, Trinidad, and St. Vincents, to join the homeward-bound convoy. His Majesty's Ship Carnatic has detained and sent into Jamaica, the Schooner. Three Friends, -, from the Bay of Honduras, with mahogany. The Thomas and Sally, Purchase, from London to Cork, is put into Milford, having 5 feet water in her hold, and making water very fast, and must have foundered but for the assistance of some passen gers on board ; she must discharge her cargo. The Pallas, Uckerman, from Stettin to London, was lost on 23d Nov. on the Coast of Flanders. COAL TRADE. A Coal-heaver, on behalf of himself and others, preferred a complaint against Mr. Sant, a coal-mer chant in the Adelphi, for not paying them what they were entitled to as demurrage, for having been detained on board a Collier , in the River, the cargo of which was consigned to him. It was stated, that he Coal-heavers were liable to be punished, if, after going ort board a ship to deliver a cargo, they ,quitted it without performing their engagement; but it was the duty of the merchant to take care to send his lighters. It was inferred that the mer chant frequently delayed sending his lighters,. with a view of keeping up the market ; but in that case the coal-heavers contended they had a right to be paid for the time they were delayed. Mr. Sant maintained, on the contrary, they had no right to demurrage ; or that if they had, the Master of the Ship, and not the Merchant, ought to pay it : it was a demand he certainly should resist. The LORD MAYOR said, if Mt. Sant conceived he could resist the demand on legal grounds, he had no objection to affording him the opportunity. He shduld therefore give directions to the City Comp troller to take such steps as might be necessary to ascertain the rights of the parties. A fire brvkc out yesterday afternoon, at the Dowager Lady PEMBROKE'S, Cavendish - square, which has completely destroyed the house. This unfortunate circumstance was occasioned by the carelessness of a servant, in placing some linen too near a fire in the attic story. The devouring ele ment raged fox upwards of three hours. The chief part of the ,Furniture was saved, and happily no lives were lost. Lady PEMBROKE was not in town, but was expelled. at the very moment when this melancholy event took place. A very numerous concourse was attraded by the sight, which, though very distressing, was most awfully magnificent. The Marybone Volunteers - attended with zealous promptitude, and were highly serviceable in pre venting any augmentation of mischief, from the designs of those who are always ready to prey on MistOrtune. , . MELANCHOLY EVENT.—Yesterday afternoon as Mr. Cnam E as, of Craven -street, was going down Southampton-street in a gig, the horse suddenly• took fright, and ran with the utmost speed across the Strand, into the gate-way opposite, Mr: CHAN.- B ERS and his man, who was with him in the car. riage, were .both thrown out ; the former was severely braised, and the servant had one of his legs broken. A few days since, a hand-bill of one of the pre tended Fortune-tellers was sent to a Magistrate for Middlesex it was headed with large letters, Mrs. D. Mantua-maker and Astrologer."—lt then stated, that she bought and sold all sorts of, Ladies' wearing apparel, and answered all lawlul questions gratis, in every thing that Ladies desired to know, both by sea and land, and assured those who would favour her with their commands, that she would give s.atisfaaion—lt wAsx;quested that those who favoured her by calling, would only inquire for the Mantua-maker. The Magistrate sent the bill to the Public-Office, Bow-street, when the Magistrate employed a woman to go as diredled the bill, to No. 2, Gilbert-street, Bloomsbury, under pretence of hating her fortune told, When she got an interview of the learned Lady,. she told her she was married, that her husband was abroad, that she had not heard from him for such a length of time that she was afraid he was• dead. She wished to -know what was become of him, as she, was in great distress about.his . fate , upon this all: learned Lady pretended to make some calculations,- and told her that her husband was alive and well, and would return to England in a few months ; but he would die in a short time after his return ; that she would have another offer in marriage, which she advised her to accept, as she might depend she would have no more children : the woman then told her she was engaged in a law-suit, and wishedr to know the event. The Lady pretending to fore . know the decision of a Jury, she, in her great wis. dom, informed her, it would be decided in her fa. your. For all this. important information the Woman paid two shillings. On this an information was grounded, and Sayers and Townsend went with a warrant and took her into custody. They found in the room two young Ladies, genteelly dressed, who the Officers likewise took into custody, and on an investigation before the Magistrate, the young Ladies turned out to be daughters of a very respea. able Gentleman who resides a few miles from Lon. don. They confessed 'that they came to London for the express purpose of consulting Mrs. D. —One of them is twenty-two years of age, and lately married, and she confessed that her errand was to know if her husband was true tr, The other, about seventeen, wished to know if she was to have a good husband, and if it would be soon. The Magistrate, after giving them a suit able admonition for their folly and credulity, ad vised one to go home to her husband, and the other to go and attend to the good counsel of her parents, instead of listening to the deceiving folly of Mrs. D. This they both with shame and contrition pro mised to do.—Mrs. D. was committed to the House of Correaion as a rogue and vagabond. The wo man who went for the purpose of informing, is not a married woman, nor has she a law-suit depending. Yesterday a seafaring man, lately returned from sea, was attacked by a stout . fellow at the corner of ." the King's Mews Gate, by an 010 trick of pretend ing to have India or China goods to dispose of ':cheap, they. being smuggled, and the man wag' forced into a public house, the corner of the Mews, by three men, when a waistcoat was pro duced by one of them, who asserted it came trout: China ; but Jack having been at China, asserted; it never was made there. At length a dispute arose, and the Police Officers were sent for, who took them to Bow-street. On examining the waist; coat-piece, it proved to be a :Jpitalfieltis manufac , tore. They were all committed as idle and disov ,derly persons, not being able to give a satisfaCtorY account of themselves. AMI a Cour the En having tinued presum ior the CORNS' French and at went tc they ht neat rcii semblei of the seen a : the un Minis t negotiz misters, part in Minis( of Cici the Col will cal BRE je&ure peditio other c itself c the nig inornin sight.— lured tl returne joined will be Goer; Tuban; Gen. C; Tose de ttleroa ; SOUtrOli Le FO thcse sh Petit ; 1 Roussea Le Mc Lo Cisa I,e W Le km Revohil L'Ura Capt. L La Sc La Fr. Le Re La Ct La Ci Li Ft! trite,, Ca cieuse, 4 La Cigo (this Co Cap t The from S to join ISLE before Tr.Evi NAFAR :Jailed I; A. HAG o f wh by thi L'Orie dron, BR U state, lng to persons nies in munitil during The before Dutch dared t FRE says o wager with d such ar some c poses 11 has ma which pose th A few the Sei rapid i the po and ye to perfi Was of thropis and wh alive, Lion ; I hi g her 3elves.' The and the \ were c 4A r civ em