The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-26 00:00:00

ON THE MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

" All might go well in the Commonwealth, if every one
" is the p irlianient would lay down his own interest, and aim
"at the general good. If a man were sick, and the whole
" College of Physicians should come to him and adininiiter
" severally, haply so long as they observed the rules of art,ht
" he might recover ;—but if one of them had a great deal of
" Sgamony by him, he most put off that, therefore he prescribes
" Seamony ;—“nother had a great deal of Rhubarb and he mast
" put off that, and therefore he prescribes Rhubarb, &c. t!“.y
" would certandy kill the man. We destroy the Common.-
" wealth while we preserve our own private intcrca:s and
" neglect the public." SELDEN.

The meeting of the two great Assemblies of the na-
tion, which is fixed for Tueelay next, the 27th inst. is
a circumstance to which people in general look forward
with a considerable degree of interest. Whether in a
time of peace or of war, the vast and important concerns
orthe nation which are then di..cnssed, are sure to ex-
cite a lively concern in the minds of a very large pro-
portion of the Community. We are now fortunately
placed beyond the necessity of leasing eupplies for war-
like operations, but such has been the paraly2iag
tore of the dreadful conflict in which wo have been en-
gaged, that the severity of the shock has extended to
the remotest parts of the kingdom, and has been felt
through all the ramincatii us of our widely extended
commercial relatiens. We can, however, at length,
after having weethereil the storm which has 'newel SD
diftstrous to of the Nations of Europe, cengretu-
late ourselves on the recovery to health of the body
politic, on the reeureitetion attic trade, manufeetures
-anti commerce of oar country, which has token elace
in a very material degree since the last Scesioa cf Par -
liament, and which must be a matter of rejoicing to
every well wisher to the prosperity and happiness of
Oid England. Still, however, much remains to be
agile, in regard to certain matters nearly connected with
the welfare and improvement of society, and which,
we trust, the Member; of both Housee, during the
recess, have not failed scrionsly to consider. On the
Meeting of Parliament,. the nation might fairly antici-
pate a remedy for every pressing evil, an enactment of
measures tending to the general benefit of the Com-
monwealth, would every Member, as Sellen observes,
.1 ley down his own interest, and aim at the general
igQ9d." —blt the circumstance which occeteoi during
a. late ression, when the Minister was abandoned iu
his attempt to carry the Property Tax Bill, by those
wealthy Members who hat before voted with him wen
nil occasions, affords a sufficient illustration of the de-
pendance that is to he placed upon any description of
men when their own immediate iniere is concerned.
The character of these persons is analogous to that of
the Quack Doctors with their " Scamony" and their
"Ithubarb," and we may attribute to -them a consi-
derable,part, if not the whole of the difficulties with
which Ministers have had to contend, in regard to the
financial operations of Government.
Among.the most promiaent subjects likely to occupy
the.attention of Parliament in the ensuing Sestion, we
may anticipate an early debate, (though probably it may
go no further than a desnhory conversation) on the sub-
ject of the late long-to-be-lamented breach, made by
death in the Royal House. This will probably be fol-
lowed by some observations on the subject of the succes-
sion, which, however, is al:eadv so settled as not to
require the aid of parliamentary interference. The
Habeas Corpus Suseeueitet Act will be setfered to die a
natural death. The tranquil state of the country, and
the generally improved as; act of domestic affairs, are
sufficient to warrant this aupposition, were it not
;Arme:elicited by the circumstance ofthe liberation from
peisou a all the persuas wls,
,W1:41 confined under 41