The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-12 00:00:00

millions.

The permanent annual revenue is estimated at 24
of dollars. The expense in 1818 would be
greatly lessened, it was estimated at about 22 millions
of do liars.

Hostilities between the army of the United States
and the Seminole Indians have commenced. General
Gains was surrounded and blockaded in one of the forts
on St. Mary's; be had dispatched an express, request-
ing immediate reinfineements. Some Spaniards arc re-
ported to have joined the Indians.
It is asserted on good authority that the Venezuelan
Minister, after perusing the President's Message, im-
mediately dispatlhed an Wtrress to his colleague, Don

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Pedro Gaul, the Deputy. from New Grenada and Mex-
ico, and to G‘meral Aury, at Amelia Island, advising
them of the contemplated hostilities against that place.
It is added, he has directed Aury to defend the place
to the last, unless attacked by a very superior force, in
which case he is to enter a solemn protes,t in the name
of the South American Government, capitulate, and
surrender themselves prisoners of war.
The Paris Papers of Monday announce the return of
the Duke of Wellington to Cambray. He left Paris
on Sunday morning. On the evening before his de-
parture, he was present at a grand ball given by the
Minister of Police, where he was distinguished by the
affability of his manbers, and from which he did not re-
tire until one in the morning : 4 hours after he com-
menced his journey. It is believed in Paris, that he
will proceed immediately to London, and return to the
French capital before the end of the present month.
A single Madras paper of the f23rd August has
been received, by which we learn that the important
fortress of Durwan had surrendered without firing
a gun, to the advance of Colonel Pritrler's force, under
the command of Major Newall. Kishoul had also
been given up. The inhabitants of the surrounding
country expressed great satisfaction at the prospect of
being taken under the protection of the British Govern-
ment. The :mops in camp are represented to have
experienced much inconvenience from the rains that
had fallen.

French papers of three days have arrived: those of
Thursday last, containing the report of the commission
on the law for recruiting the army, which was present-
ed to the Chamber by the Comte d'Ambrugette. It is
asserted by the report; that voluntary enlistment had
been found an inadequate means of supplying the mili-
tary establishment, weak as it was, which France could,
under her present circumstances, maintain in active
service. The military system adopted by the other
European Powers is said to impose upon France the
rigorous duty of employing the same instruments and
resources—to wit, a recruitment by conscription;'
against the abuse of which, however, the most solemn
guarrantees are to be provided by law. It is necessary
to satisfy the feelings of Europe as to a complete renun-
ciation on the part of France of every scheme '. hich
would have aggression and conquest for its object ; as
it is, on the other hand, essential to secure from danger
the institutions and interests of the State. These im-
portant ends arc proposed to be attained, by placing at
the disposal of the Government such military force as
may be strictly requisite to discharge the functions of a
peace establishment, and by leaving to the legislature
itself theabsolute determination of its numbers. The re-
porter then proceeds to particularize the several enact-
ments of the law, as they were amended in the Commit-
tee. The Royal Guard is to be filled up by soldiers se-
lected from the other corps of the army ; and also by
voluntary enlistment. The cavalry, artillery, and corps
of engineers arc to be recruited by voluntary enlistment,
and if other means be wanting, by draughs from the de-
partmental legions The ranks of these legions are to be
supplied by volunteers, and if then defective, byconserip-
tion. The above clauses comprise the grand principle
and outline of the measure ; the details of the execution
are given at large in the report. The most important are,
that the age of 20 is the limit, below which no youth
shall be called upon for his services; that six years is
to be the period of service ; that substitutes are al-
lowed ; and that the total of the conscription shall not
exceed 40,000 men. With respect to promotion, no
person can become a non-commissioned officer, who has
not completed his 9.oth year, and served at least two
years in a regular regiment ; none can be an officer who
has not served for two years as a non-commissioned
officer, in a regular course of instruction at a military
school, and passed his severa! examinations with credit.
A great number of Members inscribed their names to
support and oppose this prrjet de loi. Among its ad-
vocates arc the heads of the libercaux, as they are
called, and of the military. Of its enemies, the most
distinguished is M. Villele.
M. Laisne de Villeveque submitted a proposition for
restoring to the unthrtunate emigrants the renter which
they possessed on the Grand Livre in the year 793.
M. Laisne, in defence of his proposal, made a stren-
uous appeal to the equity of the Chamber; calculating
that the charge thus incurred by the nation would not
exceed, on the widest estimate, the sum of 2,000,000
francs per annum. England was induced by mere
humanity to expend a much larger sum on their behalf. ,