The National Register.
London, England, 1816-04-29 00:00:00

POLITICAL DISQUISITION.

['a• Though the • fuHowing was writ!..n before the fermi-
tidtion of the trial of Sir ROBERT WILti)V, dee. WAS known,
we do not feel inclined to wi•lilield fioin our readers au
article which lids a tendency, by the' rce of comparison, stAl
more tit endear our excellent Constitution to every subject.
Heim; under its protection.]

NO situation can b.: more interesting than that in
which our three countrymen, implicated in the escape of
Lavatette, are placed. Never had criminality appeared
in so noble a lilt. They are offenders, but their offence
is a virtue; anal whatever punishment the law of France
may dare to inflict upon them, they stand not only ac-
quitted in the eyes of the world, but loaded with its
praises, and its blessings ; at once the heroes and the
martyrs of humanity. Who is there, with hearts to feel
and courage to execute, who would not have sheltered
and saved a man, condemned, like Lavalette, to die for a
doubtful political offence ? Who would have closed the
dour of pity against him ; betrayed the sacred minden=
due to mistbrtune, and restored the victim to the bands
of his tormentors ? No Englishman would, be his rank
or his politics what they might. Nu Englishman can con-
template the feeling conduct of Sir Robert Wilson, Mr.
Bruce, and Mr. Hutchinson, in assisting Lavalette, and
their firmness, candour and dignity on their trial, with-
out a sentiment of national pride and exultation.. After
having tried the strength of British N.abyar, the French
will at length learn to appreciate the manliness of the
British character. They will see with their own eyes
the effect of those principles of freedom imparted by our
Constitution, to all those who live beneath its influence.
They who, crouching beneath imperial or royal despotism,
know only how to tremble and to obey, will view, with
aleortishment and admirution, melt, against whom the
veigeance of the laws is let base, meeting the storm un-
appalled, and exprming themselves with all the fearlev
ness mid majesty of freemen. That Sir Rub. rt and his
friends will be condemned, there is little &AIL.; bat their
sentence, whatever it may be, will ealy prove a seal
of honour set to their names fir ever. And what a
deplorable view do the whole proceedings of the trial
present of French justice ! The only evidence against
each of the accused i 3 himself! In England, the confes-
sion of a criminal is of no avail against him, coleys it be
corroborated by disinterested witnesses. In Fiance, not
only is a conti2ssion admitted as a proof of guilt, but it is
extorted in the must artful and unfair menner. Secret

examinations are multiplied before the trait, in order that,
in the multitude of his answers, the accosed may erimi,
nate himself; and his private eorresponden., aod indi-
vidual politics, are dragged before a jury, however un-
connected they may be with his offence, to prejudice their
minds against him.
The charge of being parties to a plot against the tran-
quillity of Europe, and of the French Government, hay-
ing been abandoned as totally untenable, why should
the French Advocate General, in his exposition of tl,e
case, have renewed it in all its violence, as though it
was upon it that the prosecution was founded? Why
should he have said, contrary to the declaration of the
court of accusation, who had dismissed the charge,
" that by saving Lavalette our. countrymen wished, or
at least appeared to have wished, to excite to sedition, or
to revolt, and to excite any kind of disorder, provhicd
only it was disorder?" Why did he attempt to persaa..ie
the Jury that "- an appeal was to be made to the friends
of liberty, who were to put themselves in motion ; thtlyet
were to be movements in the provinces ; and, above ali,
a good means of cOtation would be the persecution of the
Protestants, real or pretended! Oh ! excellent! This
is an idea which catches like wileffire, which :preterit like
contazion among the p,...9p1e in general, (and, mark this)
which engenders a spirit ref mortal hatred and coltenri t
.tic the n-n' driaastv." Why bring forward the sentimerits .
of Mr. Edward Wilson in England against his brother
in France, and all this upon the charge which had been
abandoned ? Why not abide by his own darlariti2r,
" that, instead of being accused of a system, .our coon-
trytnon are only accused, and have only to dekul them-
selves, on a het." Fseellence is only known 1r•
trust. Happy those who, oiler having considered suit
sickening exam; lee of forek,m justice, may turn to the
British constitution and say, " this is the shield of my
rights, and the rock of my .wkly."

• By a Jamaica Mull we have receitted the following
:
" Admiral I)onteas has liven notice of a Proelamation put).
fished at tin Cameras, by tlit• coptain-General :ae Pt OVII:CCS,
relative to the blockade of Idarawrita, which thee:cells with
death the crews of all oc.seis found conveying supplies of any
description to the patriots.
" The tints- Spanish Patriot*, who hail been delivered up by
the Governor of tiiitraltor to the agents of Ferditiami vI i. and
stibrieirsently confined at Ceutt, but u %% ere liberated in Itr-
eettiber List, MOOR to the into, prontion of the Itriti,h •Govccit-
!tient, had arrived ill .1011134'4, na th-ir way 40 the tit.anish set-
b 'tient. in America, of who.b they air. natives. "Fltry
sirs a .I+e t:air* Paper, ' that their restitution to
is the edect of theexcel:enee of iho E Constitution, the
integrity of his Royal Hitchricts the Prince Regent, sad tin.
noble patriotisupof the Parliament of tir,.„t ,rheir
gratitude,' they -..y. • requi,es that the whole wor!ti
UMW o.stent of their .ibiisations to tie Itritish Government
:and its Charta:--Thene observations are fol:esed by
copies of scVetal documust, r Lative a lane liborat ion."

£►'lcDtt. onitor.

*:r»nr.R XI.

EALrs P(.141.1.1 SVPPFHA ?ST trx.

quac a 9 xi* , cibms keit tit,
,ARt fxril, cut nitruta tatitut graribete soperou.
0%. Mwi. kV. V. ttk

AMONG the changes which haws taken place in the
habits of the potpie of this country, increasing in them
the predisposition to apoplectic disorders, may be reckon-
ed the greater prevalence of spirit drinking ; n custom
evhich, although chiefly confined to the lower (mien; of
ioviety, is much to be deplored, from its extensive in-
fluence on the comfort and prosperity of the inhabitants
at large, no less than from its prejudicial effects upon the
health of those who rue addicted to the practice. This
pernicious poison operates both on the sangotiferous and
nervous systems, increasing the mousentem and velocity
4.1 the circulation, and diminishing the sensibility and mo-
Laity of the nerves. Of the power of this stimulating fluid
to cause important changes in the state and structure of
the delicate brain, no taw eon doubt who has witnessed
its evident effiscts upon the hotly in general ; the totter-
ing limbs, the unsteady gait, the imperfitet speech of
• those under the temporary influence of spirituous pota-
tion, are sufficient evidence of the powerful effects pro-
duced on the system; while the hlouted thee, the stupid
and vacant countenance of those who have long indulged
the habit, are no less evidence of the important changes
gradually taking place in the structure and functions of
parts by a frequent repetition of its application. Whilst
ardent spirit thus increases the predisposition to apoplexy
tad palsy, and favours the operation of the exciting causes
of these disorders, if also becomes itself an exciting cause
of them. A temporary excess in the use of spirits fre-
aaently proves thud in those who have laid the founda-
tion of a strong predisposition by a long continued habit
of drinking. It is not excess only which renders ardent
coirits prejudicial to the human constitution ; even a
moderate use, long continued, produces a state of the sys-
tem more prone to be affected by the usual exciting
causes of apoplexy. Of' the tendency of ardent spirits to
produce congestion or inflammation in the liver, no one
doubts, as this is found to be a common consequence Of
intemperance. It is not to be wondered at, that a cause
adequate to produce a change of structure in such an
organ, should be sufficient to impair the delicate tnnetions
of the brain. Because, sometimes in persons dying of
apoplexy, the liver has been limod diseased, some patho-
Ingists, fond of overrating the importance of this viscus,
have pmpogated an opinion that the diseased liver was
the cause of apoplexy ; forgetting that the pernicious ef-
fects of the real exciting cause (ardent spirit) were ex-
erted simultaneously upon the two organs. This evil of
spirit drinking is lamentably extensive among the lower
orders of people, the most important part of the national
population, both as to their numerical proportion, and
their share in contributing to the comliart and accommo-
dation of the whole. Under the head of spirituous po-
tation roust be included the too five use of WINE, which
produces in the higher classes of society correspondent
mischief with the abuse of spirits in the common people.
The emtnin of hard drinking in convivial companies has
of late fallen into di'usc, anti in this respect one of the
predispesieg causes to apoplexy may be thought to have
diminished ; but it is to be feared that enough yet re-
mains to contribute a share towards the production of
this disorder. A beverage common to all classes of so.
vier; is now to be mentioned, the use and abuse of which
constitutes no inconsiderable means of increasing the pre-
disposition to apoplectic disorders. This is PouTER. In
its purest state, when manufactured from malt and hops
alone, it may be included amongst the vinous liquors
which have the property of increasing the velocity and
momentum of the blood. But this liquor, even in its
purest state, possesses a stronger power than belongs
merely to its proportion of spirit, in producing the apo-
plectic predisposition : this power it derives from its im-
preimation with bap, a bitter narcotic plant, whose action
upon the animal system, in common with the other pl an ts of
its cuss, is that of a sedative, diminishing the sensibility
and mobility of the nervous system. A constant and
• long continued use of this sedative,it istobe apprehended,ac-
tualiy so ranch impairs the nem m s energy as to lny the thun-
dation of these complaints. When Ihrmerly it was the
fitsbirm to cure the gout by the Portland powder, a com-
position consisting chiefly of Litter narcotics of this de-
scription, it was remarked, that all those who took the
medicine, although they were cured of gout, and appear-
ed to have had their health improved for a time, speedily
fill victims to apoplexy. Porter then differs but in de-
gree from the medicine alluded to ; it is to be considered,
whether the long and uninterrupted use of this bitter
infusion may not make up thr its inferior strengths and
bitterness. If serious consequences are to be apprehend-
ed from this Leverage in its genuine state, %Out shall we
say to that vile compcsition, which; passing, under the
name of porter, is known to consist of some of the most
noxious sedatives tutd narcotics? The constant use of
such a spurious liquor cannot but lie highly prejudicial to
the health of the community. The original intention
of employing hop in the brewing of malt was, to check
the natural fermentation of the beer, and to prevent its
goirg on to such an extent as to convert the vinous

TIM NATIONAL lIEGISTIiTt.

riple into vinegar. Habit has relonciled the palate to
the hitter taste of the plant, and the sordid avarice of
brewers has impelled them to supply its place by
cheaper, although noxious ingrediints. To add to th(
intoxicating effects of the liquor, and to enable the brewer
to withdraw a proportion of malt, is the intention of
employing opium, coeculus indicus, and the other nar-
cotics. It were much to he wished, that the laws were
more effectual in securing to the public a more regular
supply of genuine unadulterated porter, instead of that
sophisticated litpior we so frequently meet with. G.

DRAMATIC REGISTER.
—Nar—
DRURY-I,ANF..

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet was performed on
Tui•sday night; and Miss Gm stnict, from the Bath The-
atre, made her first appearance betiire u London audience
in the character of Juliet. Her reception was very favour-
able; and her talents are ofun order which ,by proper culti-
vation, may arrive at eminence. I ler figure is good—her
appearance altogether interesting—and her voice, though
not remarkable either fir strength or variety, is, if we
mistake not, capable of a greater display of both than she
could fairly be expected to manifest in a situation so alarm-
ing as that of a first effort before a merrepolitan audience.
Mr. lint:, in Romeo, was alio much applauded, and the
whole went off with considerable erlat.—nz Tragedy
was succeeded by GARRICK'S Ode tO SIIAKSPEARE, which
was recited by Mr. Poole ; but the grand por;cant, illustra-
tive of our Bard's dramatic efforts, was that which pro-
duced the most powerful (Mixt. It would be impossible
to select any subjects better calculated for paatomimie re-
presentation than the prominent situations ufliirded by
SIIAKSPEARE'S dramas. halcpendently of their own
impressive nature, and of the fine opportunities they allow
for attitude and movement, they are all so generally
known, as to be easily intelligible. It would be endless
to enumerate the ditkrent passages and characters group-
ed together in this magnificent review; but there is some-
thing exceedingly sublime and affecting in the rapidity
with which the mind is hurried over so great a space, and
the recollection awakened to situations so dear to poetry.
Nuthing'ceuld be better adapted to set the great genius
of our immortal Bard fully before the audience. Mrs.
BARTLEY, as Melpomene, appeared mounted in a car, sur-
rounded with the appropriate insignia ; and, by the ex-
pression alter countenance, afiiirded a spirited picture of
the Muse. Mrs. DAVISON, as was equally cha-
racteristic. Of the characters of SIIAKSPEARE, some
were well displayed and some indiffert ntly. Indeed, it•
could not bo otherwise, en an occasion where it was
necessary to muster the whole corps of the Theatre; but
with every fair allowance, the effect, we have before ob-
served, was in a high degree sublime.