The National Register.
London, England, 1817-12-08 00:00:00

- a
THE NATIONAL itzarsTrn.

The singer, who on his first appearance in this conntty,
though quite a youth, not only eclipsed all his rivals,
but absolutely threw them into the shade ; who, sub-
sequently, during his visit to Italr., extorted the univer-
sal applause of a people, of ail others the most refined in
musical taste, and the most inclined to dispute that of
foreigners, and who has been for near 20 vearsthegreat -
ornament of his profession, gave on Tuesday even-
ing a new cast to the general character of his talent.
All the evolutions of' the .art, those displays of rapid ex-
ecution which used to dazsle and astonish us, were en-
tirely laid aside Of all the songs which were assigned
to the part, net one contained the slightest ornament ;
and two of the numbers were sung entirely unac-
companied by the orchestra, and gave us, what we do
not recollect to have heard before, the delightfhl effect
of his unassisted voice, which completely filled the the-
atre The most striking of all was the noble ballad
of "Scots trka kae wi IVallace bled." This was given
in a high strain of martial fi..eling, assuming, as the sub-
ject requires, an occasional deep tinge of melancholy ;
then again borne away and animated by the full ar-
dour of patriotism. We Lave never head any thing of
the kind more impressive; and such was the sentiment
caused by it in the audience, that not contented with
one, they call fur a second encore, We arc happy to
record, both for the sake of the singer and his hearers,
this instance of' success, but we would by no means
have him lay aside his florid style altogether: there are
occasions when it may be used with the greatest pro-
priety—the art is to select them. The admirers of
Miss Stephens had also ample cause fin' gratification :
she gave us some beautiful instances of the sottovocesw
piano, which hushed the audience, and sounded

" Silver sweet, as lovers' tongues by night."
This piece it admirably filled. Mrs. Egerton, as ffie
mysterious Gipaei, gives us u striking portraiture of a
very difficult character, and Liston, in Dominie
Sampson, with his exclamation " Prodigious J" twenty
times repeated, at every repetition excites our risible
faculties. We trust the theatres will see there own
interest, and that good pieces, and actors of first-rate
talent, are equally necessary to till their benches, and
to preserve unsullied the high character of the British
drama.

Kean, we are sorry to hear, still continues in a very
precarious state.; and is rendered by his indisposition so
weak, that, when he recovers, he will require some
time to regain his strength, before resuming his pro-
fessional labours.
BA RBA DO BS, JUNE 17.—Lord Combennere, the new
Governor, in his address to -the house of Assembly,
said, " I cannot refrain from drawing your attention
to another important measure for securing our political
happiness, by diffusing religiousinstruction more gener-
ally among the lower classes of the people. Late oc-
currences have powerfully shewn the wisdom and ne
cessity of imposing moral restraints on the passions of
uneducated persons ; and I have no doubt of your con-
tributing, some portion of the revenue fora general
plan of instruction, by the clergy of the established
church, when the finances of the colony will admit
of it."

NAVIGATION Or TIM RHINE.-•-A cutiousdispute is
said to have sprung up between the German and Dutch
politicians as to the meaning of a clause in an article of
the Congress of Vienna declaring the Rhine free. The
Germans, it is said, demand the free navigation into
the sea, which the Dutch resist. Those who say that
the Rhine flows into the sea have, we fear, never, even
in a translation, read the sermons of an English divine,
and who is likewise, we believe., a very estimable man,
though on the occasion on which we are going to speak,
somewhat given to plagiarism. He compares the specu-
lations of the Heathen philosophers, on subjects of mo-
, ruls and nature—so juA, so profound, so eloquent in
themselves, but terminating in no assurance of eternity
—to the Rhine, that magnificent and noble river,
whidt, after flowing through and enriching the finest
.countries in Europe, loses itself in the lx‘cs of Holland
without reaching the sea. The comparison is just, grand,
and appropriate ; hut was stokn by the living divine
out of Hooker. The gentleman statesman have, there-
fore, .neither re.la Hooker nor his fidlower : or, perhaps,
they did not, as we are doing, seek for geography in
theology. To return, therefore, to our proper province
—the Germans cannot seriously think that the Congress
of Vicuna entitled them to traverse the kingdom of
Holland, on the pretence of the free navigation of time
Rhine ! ‘Ve should be glad if such an intercourse as
this prevailed among other nations; fin- it would indi-
cate a much more pure state of society than any with
which we are acqu:inteil, either from experience or
reading.
Mc Ply:north, Tel "We have beard with
deep regret—indeed with horror, that on Wednesday,
the 9th ult. a Sermon was 'preached at Millbr(x)k, in •
this neighbourhood, bye young man, a local Preacher
of a dissenting chapel, from the 9th chapter of the se-
cond book of Kings, verse 34.—A text evidently se-.
lected .with some bad and malici s mention. Such an
act cannot b viewed with too h „II a dgree of reproba-
tion, and we devoutly hope the individual will soon be
noticed from azoper quarter."

DUTCH COLONIES IN INDIA

A brie/ sketchof some of the Indian Colonies retamal tothe Dutch
in 1814, extracted from the recent work of Sir Stamford Raffles. will,
perhaps, be interesting to the Public:—
' Javaeciatains a population of more than five millions of people,
who have in a few years acquired a taste for our manufactures, and
who, 43 they are devoid of the prejudice of the Hindostanis, ungl are
more exclusively an agricultural people, consume them in a ratio
beyond any other Asiatic people. Its revenue arising from land and
rent, customs and excise on opium and spirits, is a million sterling,
well inartag,ed. With our navy and our neighbourhood to India, a
garrison of 3000 men was found sufficient for this great colony. The
Dutch, under their circumstances, will not defend it with 2o,000:.--
Its exports are IS millions of oaffee, 10 of sugar, a prodigious quan-
tity of rice, half a million of dollars worth of birds nests, and teak
wood of the finest quality in inexha isti:de quantity, and at low prico,
besides a vast variety of minor articles.'
Banes, an acquisition of our arms, upon which the Dat.At could
have no claim of prior oceupation, producing, aocording wSir S:11111.
foul Raffles, near five millions of pounds of the purest tin, was .sur-
rendered for Cochin, an useless spot on the Malabar roost, the valua
of which meg be estimated by a proposal CIO the retort!; of the Dutch
Government • to abandon it as usehms."
Of the sacrifices in Sumatra, the Moluccas. and Borneo, we shelf
only say, that Sumatra produces the best part of the pepper which is
consumed by mankind ; the Itiluccas die whole of the finer spiceria ;
and Borneo perhaps as much gold as the whole of the rest of Asia put
together.
These islands arc valuable on their own account, from the value of
their natural productions, their singularity, and the riehes of their
soil; circumstances which connect them at once with all the surround-
ing nations, if not with all the world. But to this nation they hate
another commercial claim. They are the only countries in the whole
world, the commerce of which it; allowed by the Chinese to be meal-
setry to them. These countries supply them with tin, with gold, wits
bees-wax, with birds' pests, and with bach-de-nser articles. all of them
rendered by utility and habit indispensable. These islands I,e within.
a few days sail of China, and tho most valuable of them lies on the
direct and inevitable road fraum Europe, India, and Anieriea to that
country. To conclude, it is remarkable, that the island of Banza
forms with Sumatra, the narrow strrits which constitute the only se-
cure route Imm all these countries, as well as back again. In coming
to the principle ports of the Archipelago, or in leaving them, this
route cannot be deviated from with safety. In making up our ac-
counts with the Dutch in Java, we are informed that there is a balin*
against them of a trillion skirling. How is this sum to be paid ?

•
AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR NOVEMBER.
Wheat.sowing in the southern counties, and upon turns
soils, will continue through great part of the next month : in
the northern counties, it leas been chit fly finished in the pre.
sent, excepting upon some impoverished farm.•, which did
not produce earn enough for seed, from the badness of last
year's crop, has greatly contributed to keep up the market
price. 'Flue seed season, too dry in the comineticement, has
been, fur the greater part, the finest possible. Of this the
improving distrirts to the nortli-wcst have. in the present
year. made the most expeditious use—sowing with wheat,
their beans, potatne, and turnip grounds: the turnips being
drawn and stored, their harvest has been well secured, as hat
been fortunately tic case in most parts, when not to.. early
begun, excepting in the most exposed northern situations,
where oats were still standing and green, hi the middle of
this mouth, and which must be cult in that state.

Meetings have been held in various parts of the counm
try for the purpose of preparing Addresses of Condo.
knee on the late lamented event at Claremont. With
one exception, they have been carried with great
unanimity, and that exception has been caused, MI
might be expected, by one of the siea4y friends of re-
form. Mr. Hallet of Berkshire, who has tl-e supreme
happiness of being recotded by Cobbett, as an immaculate
patriot, aided by a man named Harris, succeeded tin. some
time in creating a tumult, at the Heading meeting,
but the good sense of the meeting ultimately prevail.,
ed, and the Address was carried.

ECORDE R'S REPORT.—Friday the Recorder made
a Report to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent of
the Convicts under Sentence of Death, when George
Pearson, John Vartie, and Thomas Daltry, were order-
ed fi,r execution on Thursday nett. The others were
respited (luring pleasure.
The Ellice transport, sailed from Cowes on the 25th
'of October, with troops fir Gibraltar. The ship struck
on a reef of rocks off Pont de Bares on the coast of Gal.
licia, on the Bth inst. She had 10 officers and 143
men, women, and children on board; of whom Lieut.
Wallis. of the 60th regiment, .and about $O, people,
were drowned. The ship and cargo were totally lost,
with all the personal baggage of en!) individual.
A statue of the late Right Hon. Spencer Pcrceval
was placed last week, on the North side of the chancel
in All Saints Church, Northampton. It represents the
late Member in his Robes, as Chancellor of the Ex..
chequer, with a roll of paper in his hand. The figure
stands on a pedestal of marble highly ormituentect,
on which is the simple-inscription—Spencer Perceval.
The increase of the trade from Liverpool to India far
exceeds the expectation of the persons who Were most
sanguine, upwards of 30 sail of drips from that port
being now engaged in it.
It appears from the Dublin papers of the la instant,
which arrived yesterday, that the typhus fever increases
in certain parts of Ireland. !n the space of 26 days,
246 patieats were received into the fever 11(.6pital of
Limerick, which considerably exceeds the number dis..
charged in that interval.

AVFN A AT CAI Al'. -•.A %Cr% serious atria, 1,001 place on
the 14th tilt. at Ltonlrettnnt, a village in the department of the
Pas dit Cislak. Two non eentinis.ionod otfircrs, diseonielat,„
rd itli the be:mown, they receked Itom %tr. Climjact, where
they were lodged, engaged in so .lively an altero abase. that
bloWssoon followed. when the schooitioototter ut Noe village
had the impudence to sown! the torsi*. Mlle inha504,11,.
,tattiiv as-enebled ; several soldiers Utln :liial.
rootr les, whelk Ow)* recriw 1.1 a volley•froon the m1111104%5
and
,oufut V.Cll,.quirt, which woujojeitih,
of +Almon, one muttony. The ue.ur will, lelminated by the
.11115.11 i.t a Niiperiiii officer; and the day after. the Age do
Pai.r alailt his report, when nine individuals were appro.
houdidand ecuiduci‘d tott. °user's.