The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-09 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

This Theatre presented a splendid audience last
night to witness the performance of CHERRY'S
comedy of the Soldier's Ihioghser. It Is lilt prero.
gstive bf genius to enter by force of imagination
into the sell-various feelings nod einotioos which
the rest of mankind know by experience ; to con.
etive in full force the afflictions which have
bowed down, and the joys winch have elevated
other mortals; and to convey these concept to
the bosoms of all within the sphere of their in-
flictive. Whoever have only seen 111111 admired
,Mi•s O'NeILL in each characters as Beloidera and
Juliet, have much to add to their sum total of ail.
noratinn. Poo.ibly. when cool have beheld her nt
The Jealous Wife or The Soldier's Daughter.thcy
will find themselves a little puzzled to decide
wherein her true forte lira.—whether she is a
more accomplished votaress of the Comic or
Tragic Muse. Her Widow Cheerly last night was
exqingitely rich in all the requisites for the cliarac-
ter—Apirit, vivacity, frankness, openness, etch.
IleS%—all softened and mellowed by a kindin-ss
of heart and generosity imaged in look aial accent
while pistoling and executing the work of benevo-
lence. 'l'i' cite examples of beauties where the
whole performance was a succession of them, would
be superfluous—yet we must say, that the two we.
sages in which she recalls the Serjeant's wife to the
recollection of the Governor, and taxes him with
being a seducer, appeared to have seized on the very
spirit of sly humour. The applause was general
and sincere. Mr. FARREN felt perfectly at home
in Governor Heortull—he exhibited a must natural
portrait of the eccentric good old man. Mr. AD-
BOTT'S Matfuri. jos). was strong and pathetic. The
play went off with great eclat.

Yertirrhy, about two o'clock, the PRINCE Re.
GENT left Carlton-house, for the Pavilion at Brigh.
tots.

The Duke of YORK left towu ou Wedursday
fur Outlauds.

Lord ARDEN and General TAYLOR, the execu-
tors to the late QUEEN'S will, are daily busily em-
ployed in arranging the affairs and private property.
Earl (asvatv still continues much indisposed, at
Ins seat, Hempstead Lodge. Berks.
Lord and Lady HOLLAND have taken a house in
St. Jameb's-square (late the residence of S. Ttioaw.
TON, E. 41. M.P.) where they are expected on Mon-
day next, from Hulland House.

Yesterday the LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL
arrived iu town, from a visit to hie brother, Mr.
RYDER.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wit] give
a grand entertainment on Thursday next to a large
party of distinction, at Ina residence iu Downlog-
street.

Nletleinoiselle Gomm, of the Academie !Loyale de
at Paris, is engaged as one of the princi-
pal dancers fur our Opera-house. Her figure is
petite; and she is said to possess great talent. Her
forte is iu the light and vigorous, or comic style of
dancing.

A new piece, under the title of The Heart of
Mid Lothian, has been announced as forthcoming
at the Surrey Theatre on Wednesday next. The
story is, as we understand, taken from ''ALTER
Scores popular work, The Tales of My Landlord.
It has beets dramatized and adapted to Ilse stage
by Mr. 'l'. DIRDIN. Report speaks most favou,-
ably of its merits; those who hare heard it read
place it amongst the best and most effective of
this gentleman's productions. The story is full
of incident, and the situations of the Dramatis Per-
sonar, at various times, interesting, end produc-
tive of great stage effect. Mrs. EGERTON, late
of Covent-garden, is engaged at this Theatre, and
is to sustain the fine drawn character of Mudge
Wild-fire; the other parts are strongly cast. No
expense has been spared in bringing it forward ;
and we trust the Manager of this favourite place of
Billu+ement will be rewarded with that success which
his exert lulls SO well Merit.
Recollect ! HAZARD and Co. sold both the
Tinny Thousands last Lottery, and that both the
Thirty Thousands muff he drawn NEXT TUESDAY, when the
Lottery finishes. The Wheel contains Two Prizes of 30,0001
3 per Cent. Consols; with severid others of 5,0005. 1,0001.
&c. &c. Money. HAZARD Cu.', Olfices, Royal Es-
clialige.gaie, 26, Cornhill, and 324, Oxford-street. cerner of
Swallow-street —HAZARD and Co. have Agents in all the
principal Country Towns.

The new Military Clods-house, iii Waterloo.
place, is now ready for the reception of the Mem-
bers. The principal rooms are furnished with all
the elegance of modern upholstery, and embellish-
ed with splendid lustres, mounted in bronze and
or-molts. The window-curtains of the lower apart.
silents are of fine drabs ball, faced with crimson
velvet, and the grand suite of dining-rooms shove
are hung with curtains of crimson, orsiatnented with
gold fringe. The capacious cellars have for some
tune been oinply stored with the finest wines of the
best vintages, adapted to " the piping truss, of
peace." The house is to be opened soon after the
meeting of Parliament, with a magnificent enter-
tainment, to which the PRINCE REGENT Itas beets
Invited at his own request. The CIaiIIANDEIL-IN•
CHILF will preside ha the Chair.

TO 7111 EDITOR GI TM. IsLI tfi,ll TRE%:.

FIRST LITTER.

SIR—As the meeting or Parliament is near, and as there
is every probability, from the disposition that appeared to.
wards the close of the last Ses•:ion, and born the charariers
of some of the Members who are lik►ly to hhe an active
part in the next, that a considerable sires will be lard in
the debates upon the necessity of economy and retrenchment
in the public expenditure, it inlay not he entirely nseleas tr
tecal to the public attention the tit principles upon which
those impoi tent doctrine. hang.
Before, however, this discussion is entered upon, it will he
right very briefly to trace the grand fundamental error that
appears to have been adopted by almost every writer and
speaker upon this subject, and to spew the rai.chiefs, or
some of them at least, that have followed.

This come is the assimilation of the character of the
wealth of nations to that of the wealth of iodividualv ; and
because the poverty of our language affords but the same
signs by which the vicissitudes they are both supposed
equally to be subject to can be described, it has, from the
earliest writers upou the subject of political economy to the
present hour, become a conclusion, into the truth of which
it seems almost heretical to inquire, that public like private
wealth may be exhausted ; and that, by the same process of
extravagance, a nation, like an individual, may be brought,
iu a pecuniary sense of the term, to ruin.

Hence we find an tinvaried strain of complaint in the
most enlightened authors and public spear's, of increasing
expense and consequent increasing debt—of querulous
warnings against new loans and taxes—and of fearful pro.
phecies of overwhelming distress and bankruptcy.
It would seem strange, if one did not daily witness the
facility with which even men of liberal education surrender
themselves to igoorance and imbecility upon this subject—
that no lentrili of experience, no exposure, however clear or
repeated, of the emptiness of those fears and the falsehood
of those pronto ries, has been able to produce some tendency
at least to conviction of this error ; one would have thought,
but for the reason just hinted at, that they who at this day
we this country at the head of Ilse world, with a debt, as it
is called, of 0110,000,00 N. and upwards, would have inquir-
ed into the correctness of those principles, however sancti-
fied by high names and long usage, by which the world has
been led to imagine that a nation, like a private person,
could mortgage all its revenues and spend all its money.
This error, therefore, further consists in ascribing. the
difficulties that may,and indeed must arise to a country, the
appropristion of whose wealth is not regulated by wisdom,
to the exhaustion of its resources, produced by wantonness
of expense, instead of attributing those difficulties in the
disorders that are naturally produced by the resentment of
a people who behold their Rulers lavishing the produce of
their industry in mischievous or frivolous porsuits, or npon
insignificant or wicked men. I hope hereafter to shew that
this distinction is of vital importance, and that if clearly
understood and correctly applied, it will disappoint the ma-
chinatious or coiled the fully of those who, from sinister
views or childish apprehensions, agitate the public mind
with unfounded representations of impending calamity.

I shall conclude this letter by briefly noticing a few/ of the
leading mischnla that are inevitably produced by the error
have mentioned.

A nation who believes that the weight of its taxes and the
extent of its expenditure will exhaust its wealth and dry up
its resources, is naturally kept in a state of confirmst alarm
and discontent ; it loses every feeling of dignity and just
sentiment; ■ senseless hope of accumulation, or dread of
diminution of its treasure, alternately disturbs its repose;
and it hears of a new tax or a new establishment with
equal abhorrence, whether it tends to promote the most
honourable ur the most pernicious designs ; and upon this a
general spirit of discontent and of distrust in the Govern-
ment is necessarily consequent.

Further—lt affords • constant opportunity (too valuable
to be missed) to those who, whether in or out of Parliament,
have no views but to attack and embarrass in the financial
operations of the country. Is any public work proposed to
be carried on at the public expense? no inquiry is proposed
as to its utility or its tendency to promote the dignity of the
country:—Can we exist? is the insidious question followed
by as instantaneous cry of poverty, increasing debt, liank-
ruptey, sod ruin. These are mounds so well calculated fur
the undistinguishing ear and understanding of the multi-
tide, a•d so eagerly adopted, as it mast be admitted 'bey
are, by writers arid speakers of almost every description,
that hitherto there has been no resisting, nay, nu attempt to
resist them ; and the consequence has frequently been, the
forbearance to begin, or, if begun, the feeble and impel feet
execution, or utter abandonment of winks which 'he glory
of the country calla for, but which, with r such a delusion,
it must fur ever call for in vain.

These are • few only of the mischiefs just alluded to—it
is evident they are 'peat in themselves Rod pregnant with
pewee', and, if what has been observed be correct, experi-
elite of itself is nut very likely to remove the cause : ibis can
only be expected room an unprejoilievil view of the subject.
In the hope, out a very sanguine One I coofeas, of exciting
such a view in the public mind, and that some able pen
may be brought forward to give it its full effect, I shall veil.
tore, through the medium of your impartial Paper, to sketch
an outline of what appear to me the true principle of the
wealth of nations, confined however at present to the ques.
lion at this time su muck agitated, of public economy and
retrenchment.

Yesterday Mr. VimEs, the King's Messenger,
arrived in Downing-btreet, with (brooches Iron
Vienna. He wus secompaitied by an Austrian
Courirr.

Sir MURRAY MAXWSLI,. it it now said, is deter-
mined to tight the battle, and has for the last month
been occupied with his friends in making prepara-
tions for the election.

The whole of the interior of Burlington Iloum
has been arranged and decorated under the imme-
diate superintendence of its liberal proprietor, Lord
G. C•VENDISIi, who has spared nu expense in ren-
dering it worthy of the beautiful and pure state of
the elevation. The new graild suite of apartmcsor,
towards the garden, far surpass in taste and magni-
ficence those of any other MAMMA, in the inetiOpolli,
particularly the music-roots. It is to be lamented,
however, that by the restoration of the old borr oak
gates to the front wall the public are now deprived
of even a peep of the house trims the street.
• The female servant of Thos. DERRY. Esq. of
No, 2, Lucas-place, Bethnal-rt. lc, a tine young
WOlllOll, aged 17, was killed yet•terday by a fail
from • window in the two pair of the front of her
master's house, which she had been iueautiously
clettiiug ou the outside.

0

. • •

.~ .

I.dIV INTA LLIGEACE.

COURT OF K Nms nr.prcu, Gun•tuf.r.,
I:KIDAY, hioluaßy. I.
Adjourn.-d Sittings after Ifiehae:..aar Terns. before
Chief Jothce Asnorr and Si:eclat Juries.

litellelN rind ANC rts Fat t'. F.R and
This action was nrought by the Pleintilfa. as
owner* of toe ships, named the /.pelt salt ateak.
against the Defendants, who are West lrklis mer-
chants of the first lability, to recover a roill•
penaidion in damages for the alleged breach of a
contract to supply the above-mentioned vessels with
full freight Irmo the !eland of Jamaica to London.
The Plaintiffs' case, as 'stated by Mr. Serjearit
COPLEY, and proved in evidence, was briefly
this :—lis 1815, the Defendants, who porweimed
large property and very considerable influence in
the Island of Jamaica, chartered several vessels fur
the purpose of conveying %Vest India produce to
this country. The number of vessels completely
laden by them in that year amounted to six. In
Ilia. sensors 1816.17, they entered into contracts
with the Planstifla to exert their best interest to
supply the ships Leda and Ste fliill: with full freights
out, and home Nano Jamaica to Lf111111)0, for which
service they were to receive five per cent. on the
cargoes. At the period whets these contracts were
entered into, they had taken up five other vesiele,
namely, the Sir'Godfrey Wehster, the Dorothea,
the lOster, the Braannia, and the Monarch, with
tile saint inletllittil• In two of these ships they
were per:so:rally interested, being part owners.
These vessels severally arrived out at Jamaica
—but. ire the end, it appeared that the Lcda
and the .S.rdfo/k, the *hips m Itieetion, obtain-
ed no cargo, either out or home, through the
interest of the Defendants. The failure of the
cargoes, with reference to the West Indies, was
attributed to yarning causes—arnongat which were,
the scantiness of the crops, the lowering of the
freight, the in9ux of other slapping, in consequence'
of the piece, 41111 the early arrival of other vessels,
in which the Defendants,it was said', were pirsorially
interested. On the part of the Plaintiffs, it was
alleged es a ground of culpable negligence, that
they had detained their (the Pistaitit}V) shins in
the river, although they had every reason to know,
that they entild not perform their engagements in
consequence of the serious failure of the %Vest
India crops and, beyond this, it was said, that
they bad sent siut their own ships earlier than the
Plaiutiffs', by reason of which, priority of interest
was exerte.l fur them, m prejudice of the Plain-
tiff,' vessels. In Litt, it appeared, that, of the
whole seven ships taken up by the Defendants, only
two had been furnished with complete cargoes.
For the 111 f ..e.ericants, it ryas argued, that the
agreemerits into which they had entered could not
be construed with the same strictness which a char-
ter party would warrant, tinder the provisions of
which they would he bound to filod freight, in all
events. If they had acted bona fide, and with a
reasonable expectation, that they would be able by
their interest, to proside the I'l alitifra' ships with
freight, but had unfortunately been disappointed
hy unavoidable circuinstauces, then the action
could not be maintained. The criterion of their
geod faith, and of the honesty of their intro-
' titii.a, was to be found in this circumstance, that,
in the year preceding, they had 'provided the
same number of ships with complete cargoes,
with the exception nf a small brig. called
the Monarch, winch hid now been superadded.
%Vitii respect to the alleged breach of agreement in
not providing outward cargoes, it must lie attri-
buted to the event of peace, which, in the year 1816,
had thrown a vast Humber of shits out of employ.
meat, its cohsegteence of which it was impossible
to provide all the vessels then in the market with
full Caignes tor outward voyage.. The same cause
also openried will, respect to homeward afirieghte
wrote—ono:li, added to the failure of the %Vest
Ivtlia crops, rendered the hopes and expectations
origioully eirtertained by the Defendants abortive.
In short, it was contended, that the spirit of the en-
gagement entered nits) on the part of die Defend-
ants, was, that they should use their interest, to the
heat advantage, in endeavouring to supply the
Defelitlanta with freights; but, if events rendered
it impossible for them to procure freights, they
were not liable upon a coatract, the execution of
which depended upon contingencies over which
they had no control whatever.
The CHIEF JUSTICE, in summing up. observed,
that lie thought a merchant, who entered into Pesch
a contraet as the present, did not hind himself to
tied a cargo as an offreighter—hot lie merely de-
clared that he isosaessed a certain degree of interest,
which lie world exercise, such as it. was, to provide
a cargo. This he was bound to do before lie re-
ceived the five per cent. for which he stipulated.
He was called eti to perform his egreeinent, to the
tamest extent his interest. In looking at the
case. regard was to be had, not only to the extent
of the intereat which he possessed, but also to the
number of ve.sels which lie himself sent out, as
well as to the 'mothers sent out by other protons—
the failure of the crops—the arrival of ship#, in
conarquence of the peace—and other ciretimetrinces
which he could not foresee. If the Defendants had
performed their duty reasonably, eccording to the
fair construction of the agreement, they were en-
titled to a verdict ; hut, if it appeared that they
had not exerted their interest properly, the Jury
would find for the PI instil% with such damages as
the circionatances appeared to justify.
Tta- Jury inimed;atelj teamed a verdict for the

Mr. Serjrant COPI.r.Y, Mr. MARRYAIT, Mr.
CAMPBELL, and Mr. F. Poi.LocK, cohchtettil the
CAW for the PlAiltltflA. For the Defendanti, the
Coetearl weir Mes,rs. ScAitt.hrr, GURNEY, and
CHITTY.

1111.4 r2IIIIM. at-copied the Coirt from its sitting
until !i,elf.p.ibt four o'clock.

Lord CAnnrcir is to he tiu new RepresPntitive
Peer, la the 'now ut Lord.Nortratr.Asu.

, ,
There was some expeettatota that the twittule
which took place at the lAA Weonnustee Elre:1011.
between Mr. IIuNT, and Mr. Lt:E, the High ton-
bumble, would tint' become the subject of legal tn.
veengwoott before the pre.ent Westunneter Session..
but We understand the mutter it ultopther dropped.

if EsPMINSrER SF.SitONS.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 41.

ASSAULTS.

Jenathan Asquith and Danicl &nigh *ere
inflicted fur nopinultiog Mr. Win. Parkin ou
Ist Aulino 11,4.

Mr. Parkin stated, that on the dry mentioned
in the indictment, be went into Mr. Agiquitlei Joy,
in St. Martiii'r.lane, for, the putpose of baying a
trap. bat, and hell, for Mr. P4linerof St. J.ttlt,'.-
Rttli via trifurrurd that they wire not sot,'
there tbet., osol directed to another .11. Mr.
Stmght, alto wes in the Amp, asked the PrOstetiti.r
if he would buy some ivory—lie re.died lie wnokl
have no dealing with him, as he had Deed lino una
handsomely nil it former occasion by sumniorion;
to the Court of Requests„ where, however, he was
foiled in his purpose. .The Prosecutor had rourd!y
used these word*, when Staiglit struck him a blow
which broke his nose. Mr. Asquith held the firm*.
tutor's lams while Staight committed the assaii4.
Mr. Peliner's servant, who was in attendance to
carry home the trap end ball, corroborated the
Prosectitor'e evidence.
Mr. A DOLPIIII3 addreir,ed the Jury for the De-
fendants, and said lie had witnesses to trove that
the assault, so far from beii g covitinited by iLe
Defendants upon the Prosecutor, was iii
witted by the latter upon the former in the most
unjustifiable manner. He c.eilled.the following a it-

Thomas Ball stated that he wad ■journeyman in
the employment of Mr. Asquith. On the Ist August
last he reutentbered Mr. Parkin entering the 811014
in which were Mr. Asquith and Mr. Staighs. Mr.
Parkin said he wanted a b;it, trip, and bull; he was
told they did not sell them, but directed where to
go. On reCeiving this answer. Mr. Parkin said to
Staight, " You are a d—d meal fur summoning
me." Staight replied that it was his father who
had done it; a great deal of abuse was anti pnured
upon Statght by Mr. Parkin, who said that »cr. it
not for the law he would knock his 'wad (A; at
last the latter sei2ed Staight and knocked Lint
against the counter. 'This was the nature of the.
asaau It.

Mr. Richard Way, and another v‘itl:: la, w boot.
tree-maker, corroborated the evadete:c of Thomas
Ball.

The Jury returned a verdict of Not Calfly.
John Lawlor wan indicted for as►:miting Sarah
Blaming, a girl 14 years of age, with ihtet,t to
commit a rape. In another count he was charged
with committing a common assault.
The Prosecutrix gave her evidence at considerable
length, end described the manlier in which the Pri-
soner committed the ott'enctioritli v.inclo he stoat
charged. It appeared, however, that s!te had not
disclosed the circurnstasice to her Af..ter, :714t, :Dyed
at a distance from her, until t. rnouth after the cc-
currence took place, and also, tart alter she hail first
charged the Prisoner with sit attempt to commit
the crone laid to his charge, else had !wide a .
tioiud accusation against him fur having aeoiully
perpetrated the greater offence. But w hen n .1::-
geon was sent for by the Magistrate at Qti
square, to pronounce a medical opinion on the
case, the surgeon, after audit% himself of the best
meant, of judging in his power, declared that ow
such injury as the Prosecutrix then stated covist
have been committed. Verdict—Geary of a (am-
nion ossouh.

ELECTION OF A CHAIRMAN.
At the close of the day, when chile was a full at.
tendance of the Magistrates of We-tinimiter, a effort
adjournment of the Court.took place, for the pur.
pose of electing a Chairman for the Woominster
Sessions, in the room of the late \Vii. Werson,
Esq.—when Itottent BAUFfi, Esq. one of air Ma..
gistrates of the Marlborough-street Police OfF.coi,
was unanimously chosen to fill the chair. This re-
spectable Gentleman has officiated since the death
of the late Chairman, and attracted universal anew.
tion for the mildness of his manners, and strict juw
Lice of his decisions.