The National Register.
London, England, 1817-11-03 00:00:00

IA tOiOttV+

Our Ulna, Conlititution anb t ato4.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER' $, 1817.

neral robbery of the native powers, and this character
they assign to this war as well as to the rest. To de-
termine, however, how little is to be got except indc;:d
it be " bloo:ly noses, and cracked crown;," we have
only to consider what sort of enemies we have to contend
with in the present instance, and their character, as
drawn by an elegant historian of our own time, will
teach us what sort of fbrbeanince is due to them, when
violating the faith which they had solemnly pledged.

" The Mahrattas, whether considered as a nation or
as individuals, constitute a peculiar pheenomenon in the
history of human society. Superstitiously addicted to
the mild rites of the Brahmin religion ; never eating
of any thing that has life, and by their belief in the
metempsychosis, restrained front milling even the most
noxious reptile that molests them, yet barbarously mu-
tilating., and in their sanguinary warfare, putting to
death thousands of their fellow-creature, and that
often with aggravated tortures, they oxhihit a contrast
cf character unparalleled. The engine► of that torture,
which they are said to carry with thein to force a eon-
kssion of concealed treasure, are of a terrible descrip-
tion. The iron chair, in which, heated red hot, the
offender is placed, and the envelope of the same metal
also heated red hot to encircle the head, are among a
few of them. Their more lenient punishments arc
slitting the nose, and cutting off the ears ; but Ber-
nier, who was an eye witness of their cruelties during
the plunder of Surat, in I(hi 1, says, that to make the
rich inhabitants discover their wealth, they were guilty
of more horrid cruelties, cutting off th‘:'egs and arms
of those who were suspected of secretian. How asto-
nishing must this conduct appear to oery reflecting
mind ! Scrupulously minute to obseve all the pre-
scribed duties of their cast, with respect to diet and
ablutions, even amidst the tumult of war, and often to
the obstruction of the business of a campaign, yet prac-
tising every specks of brutal inhumanity ; how strange
the transition from the meekness of prayer to the rage
of plunder, from ablution in the purifying ware that
washes away sin, to bathe in torrents of human blood !"
Against such an enemy, what should be the course
but extirpation ! At least we hope t present contest
will not end until their power is 1 so low that they
will cease to be a scourge to those arm d them.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRANCE.

PARIS, OCT. —With the view of redneing the expellees
of the Marine, the, King, by an Ordinance, has fixed the
number of Officers as follows :

Art. I. From the Ist of Noecinher next, the corps of Of!kers of
our tl;irine shall be composed ill follows:
Vier Admirals
Hear Admirals l4

20
Captains de Vaisscan ft 04f thtliee
Captains of frigates • bo
having the rank of Chefs de Bat
Lieutenants tie Vaisstau I tal ion
ditto of Captain t-'6O

rvio
441
Ensigns de Vnissesu

The number of pupils of the Marine of the first and second class
shall remain fixed at 300.
NETHERLANDS.
M. Von Wiehevoort Cromwell'', Deputy to the State,' Ge-
neral from the province of Holland, has ohla.ued the honour
of Presidency of the States General.

kind of vexation those who arc establiahed on the lands of the no-

.--
bility.
3 These contracts arc not to exceed the term of 20 years. They
must clutrly specify the conditions to which the planters submit.
as well as the annual rent, which they engage to pay the landlord
in money or kind.
4. The reciprocal payments which at the term of the contract shall
he exigible by the consent of the contracting parties, on the suppo-
sition that then the planter quits the land, or the proprietor refuses
to retain him, shall be dctemiined with clearness and precision.
5.;0n the death of the proprietor his contracts shall be binding on
his heirs, who shall not have the power of making changes. except
with the consent of the planters and the permission of the anther

b. The planters who may be established on the lands of the no-
bility shall enjoy during their residence in Russia a full :mil entire ,
liberty of conscience, and shall be exempt from all civil and military
sellike, except by their own consent.
UN [TED STATES OF AMERICA.
A circular issued by the American treasury, explains the
provisions of the new Navigation Act, passed by Congress on
theist day of March last; and announces the Comm. nceinent
of its operation on the Ist ofOrtober last. This measure was
chiefly designed by. Congress to protect the carrying trade of
America, as against tha•e nations who have heretofore adopt-
ed a similar expedient for the protection of their own. The
principal clause is a transcript, almost verbatim, from the
English Navigation Act passed during the Commonwealth hr
1612, and which was levelled against the carrying trade of
the Dutch, prohibiting all cations trout importing into Eng-
land, in their bottoms, any commodity which was not the
gi °wilt or manufacture of their own country. The At rican
act contains a similar prohibition as to imports into the United
States front foreign countries; no goods being suffered to en-
ter in any foreign bottom, except the productions or manu-
factures of the country to which the vessel shall belong : but
with this proviso, that the act shall not in any manner operate
against countries which have not passed, or shall pass a law
of the sante nature, fur tli• regulation of their foreign com-
merce. England, and, we believe, Sweden, are the only
Slates to which the laws,: re.trtctuun is at present applicable.