The National Register.
London, England, 1811-03-24 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

To BY has been received. Sharp instruments are frequently
useful.
TILE WESTMINSTER ELECTOR, who inquired whether we WOlll4
achnit a vindication of the City of Westminster's Loyalty in
our pages, may be assi.lvd that it xsl.3 be welcome, as well ai
necessary.

THENATIONAL REI;ISTER.

tOll4Oll.
SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 1811.

THE KING.

Bulletins of his Majesty's health issued since our
last publication :

Sunday—His Majesty continues much the same as he has been
I
through the last week.

Tuesday—His Majesty is •in every rcspect as well as he }hie
been through the last week.
Thursday—There has been no niaerial difference in his
Majesty's-state within the last eight or tcti days.

RETREAT OF MASSENA.

Important intelligence was received east night..
NA,PoLeoir, who boasted that his troops were in pos-
segion of three-fourths of Portugal, may, shortly
find. that he does not retain a foot of ground, in that
country.. MAsszatkcornmenced his retreat on the
sth or 15th inst. (the information being of a tele-
graphiC nature, the date could not be exaqiy, ascer.
taine33, and onr army inunedi.aiely marched in his
gaumit. 'The French metal had, ,no doubt, cern-

'p`~l~3a

AA
..

menced by sending his
side of the Zev..re, where
a stand under the peotection of his tetes de pont.

He will thus have obviated the necessity generally
attendant on hurried retreats, of abandoning his can-
non, and in the same manner secured his magazines,
leaving only with the troops what would be neces-
sary both for their defence and support during their
march. Admitting on one side the wild. ,m of these
precautions, on the other it is possible that they have

led him into greater difficulties. Abrantes is in tau
possession, as well as the full command of the Tagus.
The garrison of that town, reinforced by the divi-
sion lately commanded by General HILL, and which
occupies.the left bank of the river, but which at the

very first signal may be easily conveyed over, might
without incurring great dangers, reach the banks
of the Zezere before the arrival'of the French army,
and accomplish the destruction of the corps left to
guard the depots of artillery and magazines before
it possibly could receive any assistance. Such an
exploit would not only reduce MASS NA to the
deepest distress, hut would compel him to give
battle to our army in the most unfavourable
position, " placed between two fires, his line of
retreat cut off, and his artillery as well as
his supplies captured. Tn such a situation his
total ruin must ensue. Trusting in the skill,
ze•i!, :.nd activity of the Officers who shared

Lordship's dangers and dntiec- with unabated
Inlet= •iuring the whole of thccampaign, we en-
tertain no doubt-that should such a service be at all
practicable, it has not only been attempted, but car-
ried into execution *with the most brilliant sciccess.

ACCOUCHEMENT OF THE FRENCH EMPRESS.
We suppose the accouchement of the French Exr-
islVESs has taken place, for on Wednesday last the
batteries on the French coast fired, im' x de juie; and.
in the evening of the same day, the whole of Bou-
logne- was illuminated, and a great quantity of
fire-works let off. From the great number of
guns fired, it is inferred, that the Eiatursss has got
a Son.

FRANCE AND RUSSIA.
Some letters from the North ccmtinne to mention
the probability of a war between Russia and
'France. As it will be a war of BUONAPATITEN own
seeking, as he will chuse his own time for beginning
it, we should pause, a little, before we consider such
an event as a subject of rejoicing and congratula-
tioti. It might open the Baltic and the Russian
ports to our commerce ; it might restore the rela-
tions of amity between this country and Russia ;
.bdt is it altely that these advantages would be of
long duration ? At presenio though for a time the.

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Rtissia ate shut against us, yet
Governments are not in their
hearts hostile to us. But the first consequence of a
vc ar between Russia and France would be the anni-
hilation of the Prussian power. It is sunk indeed), it
is shorn of its beams, but it is still of consequence
to this country that it should not be altogether de-
stroyed. If Russia were likely to be assisted by
Austria, there might be some hope ; but Austria
will be thrown decisively into the opposite scale—.
She will do that against Russia, which Russia did
against her. The Russian troops are excellent ; but
they would be outnumbered. Regardless of the
waste of life, BUONAPARTE would pour forth against
them not only the French troops, but his Rhenish
Confederates, his Italian, his Austrian troops, for

Austria must in fact be considered as under his

.command, though he has permitted his fad/Er in-
law to retain the nominal Sovereignty. It is to be
apprehended also, that he might intrigue with the
Porte, to induce her to continue the war against

Russia, promising her the recapture of Wallachia

and Moldavia, and perhaps some other boon..
'Whilst the Turks pressed her on one side, he and
Austria would attack her on the other, and could
she be expected to succeed against such
odds ? It is believed that 131.70NAPAii rE has formed

the project of making himself master of the whole
coast of the Baltic—that he is desirous of
tqe itusiau power mere eastward—that be
thinks Moscow the proper capital of the Russian
Government—and that Petersburgh should belong
to some other power—what that power is, we need
not particularize. If such be his-designs; if there
seems not merely a probability but a possibility of
his executing them, ought we to hail a war with
Russia as a desirable event ? It may be said, in.
deed, that it will neither be retarded nor accele.
rated by any thing we can do. True ; but it is
still necessary to make the remarks we have made.
in order to check those extravagant hopes and ex-
pect ations which some persons seem too much dis-
posed to entertain.

BANK DOLLARS.
On Tuesday last the Directors of the 131nk of
England gave public notice that their stamped
Dollars would in future be received and issued by
them at five shillings and sixpence instead of five
shillings. This measure was rendered necessary
by the increase in the price of bullion, by which.
each of those Dollar-tokens, when melted and sold
in bars, afforded a profit of three-pence ; and they
were in consequence rapidly disappearing. This
alteration has, however, produced on the public mewl
an impression which probably had not bees antici-

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10,0410910,49

TIIE.:NATIONAL REGISTER,
heavy aettilery to the left ports of Prussia and i
eit is probatle he will make we know that the (