The Sun. — London, England, 1806-08-28 00:00:00

DOA' G,ISPAII MELCHOR DE JOVELLANOS ON THE DIVERSIONS. OF A PEOPi.. We are indebted to the pen of Lord HOLLAND for - the translation of the blowing passage of an Essay on Popular Diversions, by the great and good Statesman whose name is prefixed ' • and "• who is now languishing in the' dungeons of Palma, im prisoned without ,an accusation, and condemned without theform of a trial." ; . This virtuous Spaniard deplores the fallen state of his Countrymen ; and, in a most eloquent paper, displays the influence of an harsh and vigorous police on •themoral• energies of a • nation. It is a lesson to our purit4nical societies and reforming Magistrates, which they ought to read before they attempt to mortify the spirit and change the cha iaster of Englishmen The , labouring class of society require diver sions, but not exhibitions : the' Government is not cared upon to 'divert them, but to permit them to divert themselves. For a few days, the short mo ments which they can devote to recreation and •en , terbinment, they .will naturally seek, and easily find, amusements for therriselves. Let them merely be unmolested, and prote&ed in the enjoyment of them. A bright sky and fine weather, on a holiday, which • will legve them - at liberty to walk, run, throw. the bar, to play at ball, coits, or skittles, or to junket, drink, dance and caper on the grass, will fill all their desires, and yield them completd gratification and contentment. At so cheap a rate . may . a whole people, however numerous, Ise delighted and 'amused. . . " How happens it then, that themajority of the people of Spain have no diversion at all ? for every one who has travelled through our provinces must wave made this melancholy remark. Even on the greatest festivals, instead of that boisterous merri ment and noise which shOuld bespeak the joy of the 'inhabitants, there reigns throughout the market- places and . streets a -.slothful inactivity, a ;gloomy stilines; - which cannot- be remarked without the -mingled em(Ations of surprise and pity. The few persons who leare their houses ,seem to. be driven trot them by listlessness, and dragged. as far as the threshold, the market, or the.church-.dodr, .there, muffled in their cloaks, leaning•against some corner, 'seated on someibench, or lounging backwards and forwards,without objed, aim, or purpose, th,ey pass their hours, aye,. • may say their whole evenings ; without mirthi• recreation,• or amusement. When yon add to this piatire, the drearinesS and filth of the villages, the poor and slovenly dress of the in habitants, the gloominess and silence of their air, the 'laziness, the want of concert and union, so striking every where, who but would be , astonished—who but would be afilided by so •mournful'a,pba.nome - non ? This is not - indeed the place to expose the errors which conspire to produce it ; but whatever these errors may be, one phint is clear—that they are all to be found in the laws. Without wandering from my snbjed, I may be permitted to observe, that the chief mistake lies in the faulty police of our vil lages. Many Magistrates are misled, •by an ill judged zeal, to suppose that the perfe&ion of mu nicipal government consists. in the subje&ion of the people ; they imagine that the great objed of subor dination is accomplished if the inhabitants tremble • at the voice of justice, atid no one ventures to move cr even to breathe, at the very sound of her name. Hence any mob, any noise or disturbance, is termed a riot or tumult ; and every little dispute or scuffle becomes the subje& of a criminal proceeding, in volving in its consequences examinations and arrests, - imprisonments and fines, - with all the train of legal persecutions and vexations. Under such an oppres-• -save - police, the people -rowing dispirited and dis heartened, and sacrificing their inclinations to their security, they abjure diversions, which, though pub lic and 'innocent, are replete witl' embarrassments, and have recourse to solitude and inaction, dull and ,painful indeed, to their feeling, but at least unmo lested by law, and unattended with danger. `f The same- system has occasioned numberless regulations of police, not only injurious to the liber ties, but prejudicial to the welfare and prosperity of the villages, yet not loss harshly or rigorously en for,:ed on • that account. There are' some places where 'music and ringing of bells*, others where balls and Marriage suppers are prohibited: In one village the inhabitants must retire to their 'houses at the curftw; in another they must not appear in the streets without a light 3 - they must not loiter about the Corirrs, or stop in theporehes : and in all they are subjed to similar restraints and privations. The ran for goverl . ting, in some eases perhai)s the 'avarice of the Magistrates, ha i extended to the must miserable hamlets, regulations which would hardly be necessary in all the confuion of a metro polis ; and the wretched husbandman who has.wa tered the earth ,with the sweat of his brow ; and slept on the ground throughout the week; ciimot . on Saturday night bawl at his will in the streets of his village, ur chaunt his ballad at the door of • his sweetheart. " Even the Province in which I live (Asturias), remarkable for the natwal bbeerfulnOss and innocent manners of its inhabitants, is not exempt from the hardship of similar regulations. Indeed the discon tent which they produce, and which I , have fre quently witnessedi has suggested many. Of these re fle6lions on the subjea. The, dispersion of fortunately prevents that municipal police, which has been contrived for regular ,villages and' towns ; but the cOttagers assemble for their diver sions at a sort of wake, called. RomeriaS, ,or Pil grimages. And there it is that the regulations of the police pursue and molest them. Sticks,' *hiCh are used more on account of the inequality. Of, the country, than as a precaution for self-detence, are prohibited in these wakes. Men dances are for h.d.'en ; those of women must cloSe' early in the evening; and the wakes themselves, the sole diver sion of these innocent and laborious villagers, must break up at the hour of evening prayer. 'How can they reconcile themselves with -any cheer fellness to such vexations' interference ? It may, indeed, be said, " they bear it all." Yes, it is true, they do bear it all ; but' They bear it with an ; and Who is blind to the, consequences of long and reluc- * Thereis a custom in Spanish villages of parading the streets on' holiday nights with the hells taken from the Mules and wethets. 'llte rude kind of music they prochice ti " Coneerrada." • ' • It was confidently reported this morning that a Messenger had reached Town in the course of , the night with Dispatches from Lord LAUDERDALE; but upon enquiry we find that no Messenger has artived. Mr. SHAW, who was sent off with Dispatches to Lord LAUDERDALE on Saturday last, could not, as we stated, yesterday-, arrive at ,Paris .before Monday afternoon, and we know that the Messenger, with his Lordship's . answer, is . not expected till to night or to-morrow morning. 'Wa announced yesterday the capture of a part of the homeward-bound Quebec Fleet by a Fratch Line-of-battle Ship. During the course of the after nocin the following Bulletins were sent from the "Admiralty' to: the LORD MAYOR Admiraly-O . Fte, Aug. 27, 2 P. M. Message by Telegraph, from Portsmouth : Masters of fotrr of the Champion's Convoy are arrived in an A inviican ; only six are c;iptiired by the Veteran.". N. B. The Veteran is lerome Bonaparte's Ship. Admiral y-Oece, Aug. 27, 4 fr. fn. Names of the Ships burnt Lire, 'Lydia, Inhu and James, Alexander, Sli er-. Eel, And the Hester." It is evident, from the above account, that Jr- ROME BONAPARTE was on - his passage tO I,!lntope. But it is rather singular that his Ship should have separated from the rest. of GUILLEAVMEZ'S Squa . - 'droll. It .is not likely that his Ship should hite been sent singly to Europe, while the remainder .of the Squadron reinamed.in the \Vest Indies; we are therefore inclined to_ think, that the whole Squadron is on its return home. • The. se.paratio.u . inay have been occasioned by stress of weather, or Admiral GUILLEAUMEZ may have conceived that there was a greater chance of his Ships getting into Port by running singly thanby.keeping It is . indeed possible that Sir JOIIN WARREN may have • overtaken the French- Squadron, and aetained the ,other Ships. Our Readers will find 'further parti culars respe&ing the Quebec. Fleet:in our Ports mouth Letter. IT gives us sincere pleasure to learn, that the last Dispqehes received . by Goyero . lent From St.peter4- burgh contain the strongest, assurance bf the Em peror ALExAt.:DER's determination to preserye his friendship and maintain hiS 0-operation with this . , Country. This intelligence tends strongly to con firrn the opinion we have , frequently expressed, that the Emr.Enor, of IlusstA will not ratify Treaty signed at Paris by M; p'OnnittL. Yesterday, .about twelve o'clock, Tits lkilAsEsTy arrived'at the Queen's Palace from Windsor, escort ed by a party of Light Horse. _ Soon after two o'clock HIS' MAJESYYId a Pri, vato Levee, which was nttended by, The Archbishop .of Canterbury. The I.orcl Chaucellor. The First Lord of the Treasury. The Secretaritn; ot . ,'Srate . for the Home •and C0101'441 DC. partments. . . . The Lord Privy Seal. The First lord of the Admiralty. . . . . The blaster-General of the Otduance, The l udge- Advocate. 'The Attorney-General. . Earl Paolet . (in Waiting.) - , , Lords Holland and Cathcart (Gold Stick:),, ... Sir Stephen Cottcrel. Generals Sir W. Clarke, \Vetherall, and Floyd Captain Pallier; R. NT. . _ . . The foilokving had the honour of being presented to His MAJESTY : • Lord Holland, by Earl Spencer, upon his being appointed 'one of the .ConankissiOners.to 'rivet their Excellencies, Mess. Monroe and incknek,. the A-rneriCara A mb.issarliir.:, to settle the difterznces bet ‘vecri our Gownuticnt and the United Srates. Brigadier-Gen. Wetherall, upon fais ter ern froirvA . rwrica., Major-Gen. Sir,William Clartle, upon his arrival horn Ore Last I ndies. • ' General Floyd, upon Ws return From. I relmid. Ca t. Punier, on his being appOinted Post Captain s , by Earl Paulet. , * His MAJESTY . crave ' audiences to the Loan CgAN-• cELiox and all the Cabinet I‘ , liniSters. After which His MAJESTY 'held a Privy Council, at which Lord HOLLAND was introduced by Earl SPENCER, sworn in a NlCmber, and took his seat' at Honourable hoard accordingly. His MAJESTY Was pleased to appoint the Arabi ShOp,Of CANTERBURY, CUANCELLOII, and Earl SPENCER, Commissioners to prorogue the Par-• liament to 'the gm of 06tOligr, agreeable to the Order of Council on the 130' inst. ,They will ac cordingly attend the House of 1-',.. , ers today, at half pasi due o'cloCk, anti prorogtw' the Parli::unent cordingly. His MAJESTY set off fql, his return to Windsor about halt' past , ' , The PRINCE of WALES left town at four o'clock off Monday, for Bushy Park, where his Royal iligh riess'ifie Duke of CI,ARFicF: was Waiting tbr 'At half-past five the . Royal Brother's set out upon their tourfrom Bushy, 'aecompanied by Colonel LEE and Major BLPDMFIELD. On Monday night they slept at Benson, and yesterday visited Blenheim, 'the Magnificent se of the Duke of MARLBoaou . The . hoyal Brp h aie.rs be a 4 ant Si! i i weeks np:igf their tour. • ' ' OM submission ? The state of freedom 14 a state of peace cod cheerfulness ; a state of subjeaion -is a state of Jureasinessand . discontent. :The fortuer then is permanent And durable'—the latter unstaOle and, changeable.. , • aAt ccmtinurt) , • MAILS. ARRIVED-2 ColleDbUrgil, 1 Dublin, r ‘Vaierforct. DUE-2 Hamburgb, t Gottenburgli, r Lisbon, t Waterford, PRICE OF STOCKS • 71:15 DAY AT TWELVE O'CLOCK 4 Consols 63i1Orrinium - - 7i 8} THE SUN. SOLEM QUiS DICLRE FALSUM AUDISAT LONDON,, THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1806. NI/'AL NEWS. Lord and Lady CATIICART are expthed to visit the Royal Family to-day s . at Windsor; previous-td their setting off for Scotland, for his Lordship to ,take upon him the Command-in-chief of that Coun try, to which he was appointed some time stiiii2e - :! His Lordship will set off on Monday. or Tuesday-next. • Mr. LILEURNE, the Messenger, set off last night from the Admiralty, with Dispatches for Plymouth. 'ley are supposed to relate to the return of JEROME Bosarmern's Squadron from the West Indies. , Mr.' Fox yesterday,, by the advice of his Physicians, went to the Duke of DEVONSUIRE'S seat at Chis wick. Many persons assembled- at the door of his residence in the Stable-yard, to s.:e hini set off. A platform was contrived, by which he easily ascend ed to his carriage, as the exertion of - rising by steps would have been too fatiguing •in his present debi litated state. He was apparently in very good spirits, though he is evidently much altered by his long protracted and alarming indisposition. It is now ad mitted that he must again Undergo the operation of tapping, but as he is in a better condition than he' was at the time when it was first performed, his friends seem to expeCt a more permanent advantage from the repetition. Yesterday a Court of Direelors was held at the East India House, when Capt. ROGERS was sworn into the command of the General Stuart, consigned to Madras and Bengal. Capt. GEORGE ASTLE, who commanded the Vir- . ginie, in the last War, with 'so much credit to him self, is just named to the Spartan, of 40 guns, just launched at Rochester, and confessedly one of the finest Frigates in the service. The following notice was posted tip at LLOYDS :-- • the TourterelM Fri gate arrived et Bermuda on. the 27th of June, with five Transports, •frorn ports nuluth ;. the Norris, PALOTER, a Dane, from Leg ham to Hambro', is detained and 'sent to Algesirasi the Louisa, CLARK, of and from Philadelphia, is detained and sent into Gibraltar ; the Venetian, EL SIDGE, from New , Yprk. to Martinique, and the Harriet, from St. Martin's to Newhaven, are,de tained and sent into Newhaven ; the Frid6,24(44 and from New York to. Martinique, is detained, sent into Antigun, and coodemned. The Francis, CAL LAGHAN, from Charlestown to Barbadoes; waS taken 7; on the 26th of March, and sent into Porto Ricor. A 'Convoy for Tooniogen is appointed to sail° 1 on the 7th September, and one fur the Baltic -on the oth: Lord STViIIOPE has recently printed a little work, at the Stereotype Press, merely for circulation among his private friends, which he has entitled " Princi ples of the Science of Tuning lastrumeots with fixed Tones." In this little Treatise the nature of musi cal temperament is investigated; and explained in a ' novel, interesting, and satistaetory manner. That't disagreeable sound, technically, called the which musicians have always been so anxious to-get: rid of, proved to ke of great advantage in modula tion, when distributed according to Seriph - ape teutprement. His Lordship objeas to, the expees:' Sion, the TVidf, in the singUlar number, and shewi *.that there 'are in faa.t,flae Widves in the quints and' major thirds A and . clearly demonstrates, that so far from being'imperfeCtions " it is precisely the proper o,istr:betio s u Of those tive wolves which produces that' charming and,. essential variety of charaaiers between different keys, which is one of the chief re 7 . quisitea in a well tuned instrument."' the late Stafford Assizes, Mr. D. in cross-eg amining a simple country lad, asked him if he did not, )w much m,such oney a person had in his 'pocket' w-1; :q1 'he wet l t trout home " Sir," said the lad. Loci 3 at me, Sr,"l said the Counsel, you are upon yonr oath, will you say that you did have just come to., not know " Yes, Sir." ‘.‘ Now," said the lad, The Jamaica, BuRNs, and another. of the Fleet, " look at me, Sir; can you tell how much moneV • arrived this morning from Jamaica, parted the . COM,* I've got in my pocket ANT:CITATION Rnaur,an,—=-The late Lord AVON.. modore on Wednesday last, the F 6 rtunee frigate., MORE, although it matr of distinguished talents, was and the six Ships for Clyde, on Friday night, in sight of Cape Clear, 41 well. C a pt. U. h as not seen t h o too apt, from a hasty dlsposition, 'to aoticinate the tendency of an argument. A celebrated lawyer, J eanie, of And for. this port, nor the pfd- bit, client had suffered in consequence of this ha bit, took the t . nllowing method of reproving . it venture, MAIR, since off the Banks of eugigsdßeing Newfound land. Capt. g. sawanother of the Fleet this morn dine in company with the Noble Lord; he delayed going till the , company were at . .• en off . dinner, 'when ho. entered the room.: he apologiad mg, wh the Clock, but d o es no t k now h e r . for his absence, apparently, with much agitation, t e n v a :y e- mi A. n s t;t t e lie wind is f i iir she may be looked fear jus stating, that, from ,a melancholy event he had witnessed, he found himself unable to, master his The Argo, passed late last nig,ht for Port 4 feelings : ‘.‘ waa,passing through the market," said ;„" a.calf was bound to a-post : thebutcher had ctittsgow, with tics ber. drawn his knife, and was just advancing, when a The Anna Maria, ELMES, arrived.here yesterday from Newfoundl a nd, after a passage of 16 days frona beautiful child ran across hiw, and 0 ! my God ! he land to land. The' child!" exclaimed his Lordship c.‘ -No, my Lord,. the calf; 'WI your Lordship is in ! Capt. ELMES fell i n w ith th e Lill y , the habit of anticipat4." Bone, of and for thiS Port, from Jamaica (one of Among the numerous improsements lately made ,- the Fleet), an the 13th inst. i n l a t. 55. 13, eon 43. , • at the s . plendid seat of Mr, ABRAHAM GOLDSMID, • " near Merton, in Surrey, is a curious well. It is sunk qnci kept company with, her till S atur d ay se ' nn i g h t, in the yard, oppoSite the servants' hilt It is up- when the Lilly shortened sail. Capt. E. lost sight wards of 200 feet in depth ; and about the mouth ofeight o'clock, P. M.-- Sa w h er nex t of her. about it ere led a circular stone s wall, thirty-one feet .high. On the summit is a curious gallery of carved morning on shoxe off Tory, on a sand bea c h. C a pt. stone, inscribed with Hebrew characters. The water, E. thinks she might h ave b een got o ff h a d t i mely which is forced up from the well by an engine, is assistanee been afforded f rom the land,' but - he is l -fi:aid The she Lilly go lay to over pieces a t low i f the water, westerly a nd winds apt. E. e s drawn from a brass cock. The' following lines are engraved upon a stone, opposite to this.elegant struc-' 'a tore : in. Anna thit M a riaksshe,stbru:itg ,struck at the height an o d f tide.otbhregedto o o T ai h e e an-anchor to keep her from' drifting asho re , aa ' pt2. E. could, give no assistance. She is supposed to have • gone op shore about two o'clock in the morning, as a s mart ; breeze was blowing at that time, and, at day-liht, fired a gun of distress. She has' a very valuable cargo,on board. Potursmotmt; AUG. 27.—The following is a list Wthe Ships which sailed frOm Halifax, under Con voy of the Champion Sloop of War, and were after wards fallen in with by the French Ship Veteran, commanded by JEROME BONAPARTE, on the 16th inst.—The passengers belonging to those Ships burnt were put on board the Airtericin Ship Alert, which passed this port thii.morning, from which they were landed belt. Ellison, Sauter, and lames, granite, fn . Portsmouth; Slim ver,Eel, Stephenson, lohn and fames, bowel!, and Lyddell, Lawson, for London ; Esther, Sanderson, for Liverpool; and Sarah, Gill, for Belfast—burnt. Europe, Steel, and Polly, Hutchinson, fot Ayr,; FoX, Cockerel, and William, Armstrong, for London; and Alex• ander, Reece, for Liverpool—uncertain. Ranger, Richardson, for Oporto ; Harmony, Smith, for Chepstow ; Wilton, Thompson, for Belfast ; and Favourites Brown, for Greenock, parted in a gale of wind to the north ward. Eagle, Robert, for Portsmouth, and John, Malleiy, for London, escaped to the northward. Osborne, Maffham, for Portsmouth, hauled to the south ward. Sally, Moore, for Portsmouth, supposed to have gone not& about. Betsey, Inowern, for Greenock, parted without leave through the Streigllts 'of Belle. Three Brothers, Duncan, fu'r —, likely to escape. • Since writing the above, the Eagle Transport for this Purt is arrived, and gates, that the morning after having been fallen in with by the Enemy, se veral of the convoy were seen from the mast-head• t , elring away for England—the Enemy out of sight. • Just arrived the For tunde Frigate, Capt.,VANstr- TART, from the West Indies. PLYMOUTH, AUG. 20.-Arrived the Danish Brig Zurtuna, Capt. KOEDT, from B2rcelona, bound to *lensburgh,, laden with brandy, &c. detained by the Trqfalgar Privateer ; and the Danish Brig liaabes Aneker, Capt. 13.171.1., from Benecarlo, laden with 6tained by the Lively Privateer... Arrived - the.D.anish-Brig 4urora, Capt. JANsETtr, from Cette, laden with wine, Br9.' f9r Copenhagen, detained by the Lively Privatger ; and the Danish `Alp Die Fran.' Afargaritha., Capt. PETERSEN, fro ‘ ni -Cette, bound to. Nieugadt, detaitied by the Unity friyateer. Arrived the Young Roscius, Hero,' and Betsey y3ivateer4,, from a Cruize. HARWICH / AUG: 27.--The Diana Packet, Capt. SEE WARD, sailed this afternoon with a fair I,Vind for Husurn, with the, Hatnburgh and Bremen Mail . . The qottenburet Maii rernalins ji tliffirq being np Paclte Harbour to,convey it. Remain ttie CA4rsgr and Indignant Gun-brigs, .GRE&lfacx, Auo. Q5. --The Margaret Bogle, HANNAH, and the Roberts, BLACK" from Jamaiq„ This Well Abraham dug, and high the waters rise; Vo, irom the grave, .nr,an hopes to reach the skies; Thus through the hii.is the silent waters drain,•• brought from depths to mount in springs apin. • 18(36; HILL _and Mrs. ArmNs, it is said, do not return . to Coyut-Garden Theatre, preferring a provincial management. The place of the former at Covent-, gardenl'heatre is to be supplied by BELLA:KY, a' good musician, iktid formerly lcno.wn as an, Oratorio Singer in the:Metropolis. FAwt ETT is going to venture. upon the part of. Lord Og in which the ; admirers of good . C omedy must wishlte . may succeed, as the Clandes tine Marriage, hardly been equalled by any dra matic produCtion 'that has since been submitted to the Public. • • DEAL, AUG. 27.—Arrived the Leverett Sloop of War, and several 'other Cruizers, from ()tithe French Coast. The King of Hor,x,AND has been severely ar raigned for bis restridifiti, of the Press in thar coun try: Bet if be denies his subjeas the privilege of . publishing their opinions on the GovernMent of other' countries, a;ii, well as their own, they are atT least permitted to utter their sentiments at home a very great luxury; cOnsiderMg the family he conies' from, and the Imperial Head of that family, Be sides, there is no reason to a' . ;Trehend that the King of HOLLAND ever Means to i,sue a decree prohibit ing the Mitch from politiC4 *subjeas• either at home qi abroad ! ! " YARNOUTH, AtIG. 27.—A large Ship (in appear ance AmeriCan) . struek upon the Hope, near Yar mouth.yesterday, about e i g ht p. m. She heat off her : rudder, but afterwards succeeded in getting otf, ancl,i4now at anchor in Lowestoft Roads. SHEERNESS, AUG. 27.—Sailed this morning His Majesty's Sloop of "War Cormorant, Capt. Pilaw mo Eomith a large Convoy for the Baltic. Passed by the Nore several of .the West Intl a ships for i;ie River.