The National Register.
London, England, 1819-04-25 00:00:00

utt Afton

No. 1175.—V0L. XII.]

VoMica! llcttoiSpra.

Lord Castlereagh commenced his Pas liamentary tam
paigii this session by affirming that " he wee warranted in'
making the declaration that no distress existed in the
country." We know the noble Lord's unblushing effron-
tery, but what we most arlinire is the exquisite fully of
this assertion. What man in the kingdom, in the House, or
out of the House, believed it? We know that hit emanates
shouted out, '' Hear, hear," butt even they must have re-
garded it either ass. trial how for their leader's impudence
would carry hint, or as a specimen M. the Attest gratuitous
folly that ever fell from the lips of mortal man. Never,
never were "our commercial and financial pros-
pects" (to borrow a phrase from lire cslkttive wisdom of Ike
- Won) in such a hopeless and desponding situation. 'Furs
Iticis nay we will—Mane hes ter,Leeds, Nur iv ieh—eotion,
woollen or %mite!, never did such a scene of despair pte-
see:itself ; and we firmly believe that the realisation of the
prospect will far earned in the sent of calamity, the moat
desponding anticipation. Lit us not deceive ourselves
with the absurd and foolish hope that " things will
raorid," that " they will come about'—we are now only at
the lit ink, and the slough of Despond lies in witie stretch-
• iog and appalling extent before ou,. It we look to agri-
culture, call we discover a gleam of hope? Nut one.
Misery and distress unknown and unequalled lies in that
quarter. Will our commercial relations revive our sink-
lug spirits? Alas! no. Foreign manufactories rivalling
our own, and their isiatkets glutted with English goods.
wine% are se;ling all over the world at less than pinue
cost, are the leading features of this part of the picture.
And then, as to finance—w here is the man, however igno-
rant, besotted and stupid, who can look there without,
we will not say, alarm or upprehension, but without utter
despair ? ft has been our constant and unceasing endea-
vour to strip this subject of the jargen and mystery in
which it has Lien throndetl,and to lay before our traders
the real stud true state in which it stands. We honestly
confess that we shudder at the lid filinentof every predic-
tion we have offered in relation to it. A loan of Firrcen
MILLIONs, and probably of Flvt: AND TWISNTV, iii the
fifth year of peace, is now pretty openly avowed! /is a
very low v ears Of the system last so long) the interest of
the debt must swallow up the whole resmoue of the tour.-
try. More titan twenty years since, Mu-. Fox forewarned
the ignorant and deluded assembly be was addressing of.
the necessary csnseqttenee sr their meaturts. "If we"
do not apply the remedy in time," said he, " our fats it
meuitribie." fits advice was dist egarded, h's counsels were
despised, his predictions were jeered at. Miserable in-
fatuation! England will have to de,dere hi misery and.
rout, and to weep in tears or blood the injection of his
oialustaty counsel.

Accounts have been received from Halifax to the
3d ult. The finances of Nova Scotia are repre-
sented AS being in a condition fur from flourishing.
They had came under discussion in the House of
of Assembly, in a Committee of Ways and Means,
When Mr. Archibald 'Loved the follo;ving reso-
lutions:—

" licsolved, That at. increase of the revenue is necessary to
nieet the expenditure uf the current year."
On this motion a great number of Members de-
livered ti.nir sentiments, as to the best mode ,f
ovt.rcoming ttie difficulty, which was greater, as the
flowic was convicced, that it would be injudicious,
tither to increase the duty on any article, or to im-
pose any new ones; it was recommended that the
expedient of a fresh issue of paper should be re-
sorted to, this would be altogether unnecessary.—
i'lle first resolution was, however, laid upon the
tsiblos. On the •12th_of March the debate was re-
sumed, and after many fresh arguments had been
made use cf on beth sides of the question, a bill
was introduced for raising the amount required, herO ile mposition &duties on superfine flour, tobacco,
brindY, rim, and wine imported into the province,
a'l also on all artieics importzi by foreigners.