The National Register.
London, England, 1813-02-21 00:00:00

FEB. 21

corrupting the morals. The dreadful infliction of embowel..
at present left to the discretion of the executioner. It had been prac-
tised on general Harrison, the regicide ; who, when his bowels were
ri.,ped out, leapt up and struck the ex. cwioner :--also in the reign of
El zabeth, (au the fourteen conspirators with Babington :—and in the
feign of the first Edward was int-hoe-I upon David Prince of Wales,
on account of the bravery with which he had defended his country
against the invasion of Edward ; awl on William Wallace, for the
valour and obstinacy with which he opposed the British arms. The
next thing :o which he ohjected, was the corruption of blood, which
was a- very dilthrent thing from the usual cases of forfeiture. The
lauds and property were not forfeited to the Crown. which was in•
sllted : nor to the public, whose laws were violated ; but to the next
suoerior lord of the Al.s Mr. Justice Blackstone had in several places
reprobned this custom.
The first zit:orlon on the Privately Stealing Lill was then put, when
The SOLICITOR G aNta At. rose, (he said) not to oppose the motion,
but to otter a few observations. He differed on the subject of cor-
ruption of bleo ; he thought it a wholesome penalty ; men who
clud, b.: influenced by no laws human or divine were (it was well
koowv) frequently impressed with the le.:r •of bringing any harm on
the relatives and their posterity. It was a motive strong enough to
arrest the arm of suicide itself. He commented on the case of the
water pirates, and said that there never was a clearer case,_ nor one
more aggravated in its, circumstances. The Jury had, indeed,- drawn
up a petition for mercy ; but
.it was well known that. English Juries
w, re susceptible of mercy, and were not inaccessible to the represen-
tations of friends and relat tons.
Mr. F ANK LA N D defended the criminal code of England. _.
Mr. G ARRuw evlained ; and a few remarks from Mr. B.161.111;11ST
hiving called up Sir SAMUEL Roraft.i.v, the latter took the oppor-
tunity.of solemnly declaring, that he had no knowledge, whatever of
the author of the petition to the Regent which had been the subject
of animadversion.
After a fetv words from Mr. RYDER • letVe was given to bring in the
Bill.
Sir S. ROMILLY also obtained leave to bring in Bills concerning
the punishment of High Treason and Felony.
On the motion of Mr. HILLY AnatNo-roN, the House resolved
itself into a Committee, to consider the Acts for regulating the wages
of Artificers and Labourers, for the ritrpose of framing a Bill.
After some conversation between ?Ir. TilomEsoN and Mr. H..
AppiNcToN, it was resolved to repeal the Act. as. far as it related to
tit • settling and regulating of wiles by the justices.—Leave was given
bring .11 ato Bill fur that put pe,e.—Adj arned.

ling was

THCRSDAY, F LI. 18.
Th! House ballot ted for a Committee to try the merits of the Col-'
chester Election. The foll.av:ing were the persons chosen :—Messrs.
C. grant, jun. J. Baker, A. Holdsworth, Vyse, A. French, H.
P. I. Dawkins, It. P. Carew, H. Bruen, W. R. Cart-
wiight, Tlrs. Knox, G. Roceford, Sir C. Saxton. They retired to
pose muice.,, who, on their return, were stated to be Mr. W.
tle, and Sir E. Knatcbbull.
AMERICAN WAR.
Lord CASTLERRACH trusted‘ on this occasion, no important dloe-
rence of opinion would exist, and Tice thought the unanimous vote of
that night would lay the bast foundation for a permanent and honour..,
able peace. The Orders in Council, and the illegal blockades (as they
called them), but above all the Oractics a impressing the King's sub..
jei.ts• when found on board American inerchautmcn, had been com-
plained ot by America. He defended the principles op which the
Orders in Council had been resorted to, and eontendp cl that the
b ockade sj stem rested on the ordinary principles of matitime,law.
The most interesting part of the case was, the general question Whe-
ther this country had or had not a right .to impress her own subjects,
when found on bard American merchantmen ? America ought to
admit, while she manifests so much. anxiety to protect her own sea..
men, that England had a right to the service of her own subjetts:—;t
America had, in his opinion, prostituted the character of hi .r
GOVeril.
mein, in taking the tone which she had assumed on this subject,
which was founded neither on reason nor sense, and only calculated to
excite unjust prejudices, which might be fatal to the future harmony
of the two nations. The American Government accused this country
of having impressed 15 or 20,000 of her seamen to mast English ves-
sels. Could it be believed that the English Government were so dead
to all the great interests of state, as to risk a war with America for
such an object ? At two periods, not very distant, an order hpd been
given to cap on those who could claim to be discharged as .AnteriCati
eeamen to come forward, when (in January, 1811.) out of the 40.000
mentioned by the American Government, but 3,500 could pretti
claim to a discharge on this ground. When a similar call was made at
the beginning pf the present year, (many having in the mean time been'.
liherated,) the number fell S or 400 short of that which he had just.
st The usual proportion of those entitled to a discharge on this
ground, was found to be one in four of the number who sniffled to be
dismissed. Now if it was admitted that many who were really Arne..
riians, from the difficulty ot procuring proof- -4 their being so, were
wrongfully deupined, and taking the number t.
half the toad lumber claiming so be discharged'

Ti Ti

E e

instead ,
be 16 or 1700

the English
be so i►►fatuated,

that England
her pride wou
sanction suer

ly acknow,
tion was-.no

land should
from wishing AmeL ;an impressed,
were given not to take Then, unless under very particular circtaismiliiisteeg
who were in possession of American certificates. These indtensuloise,
however, had not been given, without a consciousness 'that many of
these certificates were fraudulently obtained, and so. fraudulently
granted, that a knowledge of the practice was totally inconsistent with
the idea, that we ought to entertain no apprehensions of theeondgct of
America. Certificates were granted in the United States with.* de..
gree of laxity, of which for the honour of Anattica, every one'ought
to fed ashamed. In New 'Yolk and Philadelphia the system of ob..
tainirg these from the collectors 'Was so scandalously complete, that
at the former place an call woman, in one day,. was antlered last the col.
lector to qualify a whole host. On her oath. that those she introduced
were Americans, they were all registered as subjects of the United
States, and this went on till at last the clerk, who was under the col-
lector, was so shocked, that he asked his superior " if he cinald suffer
so palpable a cheat to pass, and dim could lend himaelf to so disgrace-
ful a transaction ?" The answer of the.collector Was, " that he acted
ministerially :" and the old woman went on to swear In those she had
brought, receiving two dollars for each; and all those sw:ett. in were
registered as American subjects. At Philadelphia the proceedings
were as bad ; but he would not follow Up this statement by a detail of
similar transaetions.—lf the statements of the American Government
respecting the impressment of 'American seamen were true, in what
part of the Union would the people be found indignant at the outrages
of the British ? Was-h' in ti.e agricultural paste-.in the more retired
States in the blississipi ? No; it was in the Eastern Staten;, vitere real
American seamen were to be found. Yet it was in these very parts
that the war was_ most unpopular. There the people were most
against Mr. Madison,' and in those districts it appeared suit .a single
vote had been given for this President, who hid done then the favour
to engage in a war for that in which they were so much interested.
He proceeded to contrast the temper of the Governmenti of England
and America. Re thought there veould bone charge againse.the Eng-
lish Government for want of forbearance, he was rather led to expect
one of an opposite nature. This was not the time to go into thisesub-
ject, but hereafter he should have, what se..s in his own mind, a per-.
fectly satisfactory case to submit to the House. .He [anteing:el the de-
gradation of the American.character; he lamented it, forevery nation
was interested in it, and he thought the letting:down of heeeliaracter
no gain to Great Britain, but much evil.. Instead of assisting those
who were struggling. against the tyranny of France, she had thrown
her weight into the opposite scale,' and that at the mottent when she
was on the eve of receiving the Duke of Bassani:es declaration of the
Code of France, which was hostile to the rights of every country
Then it was that America seemed impetlern so et into.a war relief
than settle the differences between her and •Bngland.. She made her
declaration at the moment the 'French IRiderdetlirid, that fie .would
invade and subjugate every titulary which refit-NM to receive ,hievotri-
mercial system ; at that moment when buoniiparte went to. pufhim..
self at the head of his lost army, with whichlw sanguinely :loped to
subdue the world to his terms. This degenerate mistakenidea was
taken up by America, and at that moment she thought it consistent
with her character and her interest to become the associate of France,
—(Hear, hear !)—He concluded by moving, .
0. Thera% bontble Addreisa be presented to his Royal Highness the
Prince Regent, to acturiet. his Royal 'Highness that we have taken into
ma most serious Considerrion the Petters laid before this Mote by his
Royal iligimeses eonimand. relative to the lareneg.echitiona between
this country .and America ; that whilst we deeply regret that they have
failed to preserve the relations of peace aild'anatv 'with America', we
entlrely approve of the resiltatiee.offered b$ his Reval fliOneps to the
utijuit pv01144'13 of the American f..ioi4riimenr,.being ilionmehly sa-.
tided those p,retensions could not be nchnitspd without the suarentier of
titetancient -rtghts and best interests, of lA!` Empire, and to*ssitte his
Royal Highness, tits, impressed wits litete ideas, midi gelded of the
justice of the war. Ito may rely on the deadens and cordiet Uippint of
this House in every wisere which may be necesietpto-presetete the
war with 'vigour, incordea tb bring It to a tale arid.. 410.0010 110.1- •
notion." • •
' Mr. PciwsoNoy said, the. Orders in'Council-14c1 been reveritd, and
had not produced. peace. The country was in it smite of wrist and en
a subject wholly cliatinct from. the Order* in Council. Hie,..theully lie
might animadvert °formic of-the language of the Address, frifiror.
parts of ih.e.peee.ll 0
..t/tie Lord, 'lilt no dispositian.th Otraeaincte
the, proposition' which rion.oech,sp.".....iitted to thene—cfteer, Bear.!).—
he first' was.not war; ef. our making. The Croy/A:had lot
dit"l4llod • '

31STER; 117
20,000 American stamv lateg...inPnriorTice....te Might
MO who were continued in owr nory,-contrapy to the wish of
.h Government. Could the House believe, could my man
uated, (for he regarded it as an infatuation evcnin America,)
anti was so much distressed for men to man her fleets., that
would bend to seek such a resource, and her Government
uch an act of injustice ? America, he trusted, would 'holt.
ledge, that we had not wronged her, ands feel tttatrhe guts.
.not whether we should take her seamen, but iThether Eng-
Id submit to be deprived of her own ?. Ministers were to fir
hing American seamen to be . impressed, that instructions

II
proofs of their beings o- , wete me tuvr•-•••-•-• ------- - ,
Lnibbearrgettih.Tt
tkveoputidtobs amountiihtaot
dfnectiterefidrstplacteu,situzas.rtt:.o9vritry nts.our te ;king.
:"-tte uror;onu
• -.• , 1..- I ... • !.,.. v, .fp IT
-,--,
' • ••• 4 .'
.. Y ••
4..
-. •
? ,)
. . .