The National Register.
London, England, 1819-05-17 00:00:00

G 4 TIIE

STATE OF THE NATION.

Ttn attention of the country was newer more
imperiously directed to tl.e.preceedings of the I.egis
Lturo, than at the present moment. 'With a new
Parliament, which has now been sitting for some
ras,nths, but Alt:ling which time scarcely a qwstion
Lad arisen, previous to the Catholic Claims, which
seemed of sufficient importance either to. ensure the
attendance of its Members, or fairly to try its senti-
:ro upon the general Lathers° long pursued, but
both on that occasion, and again since tapun
the hardly less important Question of the -Scotch
Burgh., has so nobly done its duty, it- impossible
got to feel a deep anxiety as to what may be its con-
duct and decisions upon the great Trials that arc
now immediately before it. The Plot of the'Rrerna
is now at its very height, and the.developementrbe
it happy, or be it miserable, must be soon disclosed
A want of some strong and decisive measure on the
part of what is called the Opposition, had Lag,.,11 to
be much complained of; but the uniform rcsistauce
'shewn to any amelioration and improvement, the
notice for nn extensive Loan for the currert Service,
'ithout a symptma of Retrenchment, and the Report
of the Bank Committee, nisi. h holds out no hope
of any .early retur.-.• tea snore .wholesome Basis of
Public Credit, or a more rational medium of com-
mon Barttr, has t.t length roused them. They are
now rising in proportion -to rho exigence that calls
Car their cxcrtiuns. Rlr. Tieracyi we are happy to
r,bserve, has given notice of a motion for an Enquiry

into the State of the Notion, a.moticra which to some
inarporhaps savour of the character of an investigs-
tion of an old arta entangled account between a
-spendthrift and creditor, which the thriller so na
4urally hates to contemplate and shudders to enter-
,toin, but which we have yet no hesitation in affirm-
-mg, is due to Ministers themsolve:, if it can be the
-means of proving the impossibility of avoiding the
difficulties in which we arc involved, awl still more
'due to the country which has a right to .expect
either that such a case should be made cut, or that
all confidence sluiuid be immediately withdrawn
from those.hands :n which it has been abus2d.
then, his Majesty's Ministers should either directly
eppofe or attempt to get rid.of it by any of those
miserable expedients so Mien had recourse to as
screens fin-•a bad•causr, tt hatever may be the fate of
•saelt motion in the House of 'Commons, -5,;:t the
real motives on. which .such investigation is de.
-dined, cannot fail to be clearly • understnld or .pro-
.perly appreeiated by the whole country. In r.
situation like oars it win not do to tell es that
:noptiry is not needed, nor shall we readily bed eve
that improvement is not lath practicable and absn-
lately required. In the first place, the Finances of
the country are• universally admitted to be in u con-
dition in whieh,s nationaLbarltruptcy might almost
be greeted as a blessing.. iVe have 'pent in the •
last 19. months thirteen anti a holf millions of money
beyond the amount of our revoune, and, contrary to
every former precedent, as we proccedin the duration
- of peace, we proceed also in the eleprossin of pblie