The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-31 00:00:00

TITP. lIATTORAY. ittostatt;

in the last quarter, or from realizing the hopes of
the Lords of the Treagun. We understand that in
the Customs abase, there was in the first week of
the preent quarter, us compared with the corres-
ponding week in the last year, a falling oft' to the
amount of 100,000/. The produce in the second
week it seems was greater, but in the
,fortnight
from the 14)th to the 2.1 d of October, it appears by
official sta•.cments, that in the whole revenue, as
compared with the produce of the corresponding
quarter in the last year, there exists a deficiency
of no less than 37011: The amount of the two
week's revenue from the 10th to the 231 of October,
for the years 1818 and 1819 are,

Fur the ) t Iry _ £1.118.4.13
1b49 1,"80,b II

Deficient—.

It must, however, be admitted, that from the
account of a week or a tintnight no argument can
be drawn to prove either the improvement or retro.
gre:Asion of our finances. The receipts of so short a
period may be affected by a thousand various cir-
cumstances, and it appears in the present gnarter
that the second week offered a much more flittering
indication of the state of the revenue than did the
week preceding, This partiAl statement having
escaped from the Treasury, we felt it necessary to
communicate it to our readers, but we think it would
be much more prudent it' such statements were in
all cases suppressed, fur they cun• tend no other
purpose than to deceive the public by creatirg
cr-
r impressions respecting the financial estate of
the country.

THE NOI:FOLIC COUNTY MEETING
Vas held on Friday, pursuant to the appointment
of the High Sheriff; the Freeholders were too nu-
merous to he contained in the Shire-hall, and the
Mayor having• .politely grunted the use of St. An-
drew's Hall, the meeting was adjourned to that
place; the late hour at which we received our report
prevents our saying more than that a series of strong
Resolutions were moved by the Right Honourable
the Earl of Albemarle, seconded by S. T. South.
well, Esq., and passed with scarcely any dissentents
in the numerous body of the respe:AabilPY of the
County— we shall next week give the particulars of
this interesting meeting.

..,•iVet us great pleasure to learn, that, hesides the
Chamber of ((mutterer at Birmingham, several other
highly respectable Borties have it in contemplation to
Petition Parliament for a modification of the restrictions
on the ttatle with France, and for the diminution of the
duties on French wines. We feel convinced, that dime
who really wish to relieve the distresses of the country
could not possibly adopt a safer or more prac.icable and
eflicicitt means of accomplishing that object. At .his
Instance of time it is needless to enquire whethes-creat
Britain or France was foremost to fever and restrict the
freedom of wad,. with its nearest and most opulent neigh-
bour. We believe both parties were in this rested
equally blameable; and it Is certain that which ever
may have been the first to commence this absurd crusade
on the comforts and enjoynients oi its own subjects, its
measures have been hot too well seconded by the other.
Tue wretched effects of such blind and infatuated poli-
cy have at length become manifest. Instead of being
natural enemies. Britain and France, from their near
vicinity, anti the extreme variety, as well in their raw
as in their manufactured proilucts,..re especially fitted
to maintain au expensive and mutually beneficial inter-
course. And as the time is-prude by in which gold and
silver were alone considered us real wealth, it is to be
hoped that the restrietions and prohibitions to which
these unfounded notions gave. birth, will no longer be
permitted to retard the march of national prosperity-. It
4econtes the people of Britain to *hew that they have
emancipated themselves from the disgraceful prejudices.
by which their ancestrov were animated when they de-
clared the trade of France a 'sane -A rich, power-
ful and wealthy nation, must toitlosdnedly prove un
infinitely better costumer that, (vie that is comparatively
poor and miserable. We do urn reap a single. adiantase
from our intercourse with Poringal, which we might
not realize in a tenfokl proportion were we to permit
a similar intercourse wish France. It cannot be too
generally. understood, that it depends entirely on our-
selves whether thirty millions of peopleshall become
the consumers of those commodities which are now
heaped up lit our warehouse., and for which no market
can be oh able& Ni, is it at all necessary, in order tobritia
about thus most desirable result, that we shmild attempt
to negociatt a commercial -treaty with France. It is
more than probable, indeed, that sod, a measure would
utiscarrr ; and it is therefore fortunate that it is of very
s condary isnportance. All that is required to lay the
foundation of a cot 1111 l erce, of which it is impossible to
estimate the fissure extent, and which would give an
immediate s * lug to the languishing inclastry of the
country, is to hare senserenotiAli to porrhase from the
French those commodities with which they can furnish
us cheaper than any other nation, or than we can pro•
duce at house. 'flits is the entire . %tent of the sacrifice
that we are called on to make. li. as a nation, we
consent to jet on thissmile principles, which rtgaila.e
the comltter of every prudent indi.aclual, we shall infal-
libly open a stew and boundless market for the toothier
of our capital and industry. The French, we may
depend boot it will not refuse to sell, But as there
can he no selling without an equal buying, there Call be
no manlier of doubt that by acting on a liberal system
unra-lves. we shall compel them to abandon their re-
sUictions.