The National Register.
London, England, 1814-05-15 00:00:00

FOLITIC..a. DiSWILS'IIION.

AiSiere.---••

I)EBATT:.4 «ti Ti4E WAR WITH NOR WAY.

Of five year, it has Ikea customary to make the session of
Pot hatneut r‘..-scinble a theatrical sea;ion as much a, pos,ib e.
Ti:at ulifk.rtutia-e b.,(1% of men ludicrously (:11!...d tkv
in derision e; their of abilitv, have greatly esti tcd thom•
seftes to produce this elect. We know not whether it was
throskill displa.,2d by Mr. Whitbi ead in this way, that got
Lion his situatiou at _Drury -line, but certain it is, he fo -
ineriy n,ad.2 a peat tl.eattical figure among the Westmit,ster
perfoi-me!s. Ile and I, s opposition friends, unable to get
t..n.,-.:!;enents, Late oceasiona!ly ecurtcd the favour of

Liu4,k-tt by taking a wit of benefit. Mr. Pon-
u,rd to choose the War i:: the Peninss!e, a tragedy,
for r:ight ; Air. Oattan, the Catholic 2uestion, a senti-
Inc wig eonic-dv, for his; Mr. Whitbread, perhaps out of
r..spr•ct iend Mr. Arnold, generally tcok The
is ni:PicaPA aitd !-;ir Burdett, if we may add hint to the
" the T.dents," generally amused the town with
" i'niknieorary liefol in," a farce.

The predenee cif Ministers, and the happy course of
rycne,, pre-. en ted these persoes in the present season
from cotning forAard, a; mu:J. " Orange Boyen,'". The
sai,ender of Cakis,- and The dw...0.fa1l of hart'," have
caused the ordinary political dramas to 10 all their attrac-
tion. Mr. Potisonliv, *Mr. Grattan, -and Francis Bur-
.
dett, have Ja,.-.rdly made their appearance this season, and
?tr. Wh•tbread, who, like Grimaldi, used to take several
benefit. in the coti se of Cue year, has hardly had one night,
si!.ce the meeting of Parliament.
I? 1 this di.ttessing state of thin..s, their admirets were in
holies their atlaits might be retrieved by blitigiag forward
a I,ew actor on the usage. Sir James Ma kiutosh was
1)1.,u;;Itt out with great pomp, and sonic were weak enough-
to lupe, that in him the party would find a political Mr.
Kenn. A ctowd assembled to witness his thlu!, who left
the lionFe with a feeling which might almost be compared
will, that of the serious part of tie audience who first wit-
oesLed the exertions of Mr. Coates in RUIPCO. Whatever
resiicet the public may ewe to Sir inmes ns an author, he
is nA likely to gain much favour as a parliamentary orate r.
If, indeed, the fa•ttlty of cloathing a meagre idea in a mul-
titude of big) sounding worths, aided by a terrific st remit,
cdeulated perhaps more effectually to astound common
souse, than Mr. Whitbread's roar ; if these qualifi, a ions,
ethled to a happy knack of speaking on any thing but the
question before the House, be valuable, the Parliamentary ex-
hii)it ions of Sir James may deserve praise. if a pettifogging
t ,:ent fur quibble be that which should constitute a States-
ti•an or a Senator, even then Sir James Mcckintosh has no su-
perior in either House. When he fist came eut, his cut
an..i dried speech, intended, as unquestionably it wag, for
an P.wwer to one which he thought must he made, hut of
v:hich. or-luckily for him, not one word was uttered, was
praied 1,,y several of the party for the great knowledge of
prd:lic law displayed in it, though it was uni vet sally admitted
•to be somewhat out of its place.' By some fatality the same.,
Mina ((instantly attends The speeches to which Inv
barrangues are intended to be answers; are MYrt
pr."(.