The National Register.
London, England, 1819-11-29 00:00:00

It !9, 1819.

MONDAY, NO'

been found hollow and delusory ; it was the energy
of British industry and the exertion of British capi-
tal making the last effort, but which have now sunk
under the accumulated weight of their burdens.
The funded property has sunk.in value nearly 10..5 per
cent. in the two last years, diminishing the actual
wealth of the country, if money lent to Government
can be so considered, by Two Hundred Millions.
i Agriculture is depressed, 0 mst always be the case
in any situation of public stt jun
'ng, and as evils
cause evils, and sorrows ante 'not single, the
defalcations of the revenue are most alarming. In
the mean time public discontent never ran so high.
The country is absolutely divided into two-parties
equally dissatisfied, though disposed to take different
ways of applying the remedy required. One is for
upholding the authority of the Crown, as it is called,
and trusting to force and to authority to correct evils
which those very engines themselves have caused,
whilst the other would anxiously remove discontent
by removing the props upon which it rests, and the
food upon which it feeds. They would relieve tax-
ation, because taxation is the verrroot of our misery
and misfortunes ; they would introduce a sober and
well-digested plan of Reform into our system of Re-
presentation, because its present Iniquity is glaring
as the Sun at noon-day, and arimitterl by every
honest man throughout the kingdpm ; they would
remove civil disqualifications on the score solely of
religious opinion, because for the slictates of consci-
ence-man ought, and can, be-only accountable to
his God. One-system -has 'been triad, and its fruits
are fairly manifest. Private and vublic prosperity
has neither of them certainly been promoted. True
religion has still less reason to boastiof her progress.
Our liberties are most alarmingly threatened, and
yet this is a time, says a certain class of politicans,
" tcrraly round the Throne." If ''e could take
these men at their word, we should readily sub-
scribe to their creed, but by rallying round the
throne these wise sages, we fear, imean rallying
round its worst and must cruel nnemies. They
mistake the servants for the master, the accidents
for the substance, and worship the priests with
" their teething pots and flesh-hooks" whilst their
devotions should rather be directed h), the Deity at
whose altars these men officiate but alone hirelings of
a day. Of this unhappy character is a.pastoral letter
too important to be left unnoticed, addressed by Dr.
Milner to his flock, as Catholic Bishop of the Mid-
land District ;it inculcates the most abject sub-
mission to rulers, whether virtuo or wicked,
whether the instruments of good orLe vil, whether
answering or not the purpose for svhish the offices
they bear were ordained, and in :boil, reviving in
their full force and abrreity the iery same doc-
trines which have aka* Caused one revolution h,
England, and if ever they should be acted ,on, and
enforced again, we sincerely hope wip be followed
by another. But whilst we thus er*ose their po-
litical danger, as well as moral 4bsunlity, we
cannot forget how heavy a charge they bring even
upon religion itself. Christianity inculcates no
such doctrines, and speaks no such language as
Dr. Milner would put into her mouth. Her pure
and holy precepts, abhor all oppression mud injustice
and wrong, in those who rule, and equally forbid 1
those'who arc subjects to minister to such misdoings,
or even to acqtvierice in silent and tame submission.
Our saviour did indeed charge his 'scorers "to
render unto Caw the things that azt Ciesar's;-