The National Register.
London, England, 1809-06-04 00:00:00

_,,THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

....WO, 0 • •

offered, and at the sane time it was declared, that in virtue of
t e v isting alliance with France, eery attack upon the pre•
sent order of things would he considered as a violation of the
rights stipulated by Treatie4 which ought to he maintained by
the force of arms. —A.ustria not reicefin; the pacific insinuations
made to her, pretended at first that her measures were only
defensive. that they were occasioned only by the fear of the
danger which threatened her; that her intention was not to un-
dertake an offensive war, and that she would not break do,
pea( e.— Facts hale proved of how little value these assurances
were. The measures Of defence which progressively increased
have changed into offensive measures. in the room of the fear
that was expressed, ambitions plans have been developed, and
the war has broken out by the invasion of Foreign States, even
before any declaration of war in the accustomed form.—Austria,
who knew pirfectly the conduct tx hich Russia would hold unfitr
the present circumstances, has determined tn. renounce her friend-
ship, and rekindle the of war even upon our frontiers:,
ratly.r than desist front her projects.--In consequence orders
have been given to the Russian Ambassador at Vienna to quit that
capital immediately, and it has been declared to the Austrian
Ainbassador at this Court, that from this moment his diplomatic
fanctions have ceased, and that all relations are broken ow with
lyitu and his Court.

P.IIILI.4.IIEST.

HOUSE LORDS.

There was no business of importance before the House on
Tuesday and IN eduesday. •

ThursdaN, June 1.
Paulet's Divorce Bill was rejected.
Tat! Vau‘ hall Bridge Bill was returned to the Commons with
amendmeas: •

relief, and allow their mimes to be specially inserted in the PAIL
One of those unfortunate person:, hod actually suffered already.
1.1 years imprisonment, and another 13 years. There was
thing in their crime that must not have been folly expiated by,
so long and severe a confinement and exclution from Society...
No possible or good purpose could be itnsweret: :o their creditors:
by the eontiouance of their miseries, as they were totally instill..
vent, and must ever continue. so while in prison. Inearreratioik
Cur life never could have been contemplated by legal justice
against anv man, for not paving a debt becane utterly incapa-
ble of so doing. He should therefore take tie liberty, in the
Committee upon the Bill, to propose a Clause for the liberation
cf all Insolvent Debtors, after tive years impr!sonmenti for any
sum not exceeding SUOOI. and all debtors confined for any sun),
who shall have suffered in succession ten years imprisonment.--
Ile had some thoughts of extending the operation of those Clauses , .
to Ireland, but found on _enquir, they were nqnecessary, as
few of. none would require own'. Ile also hinted to his Nlajes-
tv's Chancellor of the Exchequer. the case of Debtors to the
Crdwn, who were expre:•sly precluded from the benefit of every
Insolvent Bill. Ire expatiated on the i;everity of inflicting im-
prisonment for life upon men for tines or penalties on evasions. or.
frauds upon the Revenue, a species of frauds, not less criminal.
than any other, although much trore venial in popular eAima-
tint), and to which the temnUilians were many and strong, and
he trusted the Chancellor of the Exchequer would have no strong
ohjections to a Clause for their relief. '
The Bill teas read the second time, and ordered to be com-
wilted.
Mr. Straw LEFrvtir presented a Petition. from the Inokeep-.
ers and Publicans of Kent and Sussex, compkiioing of the great
hardships sustained by them, as yidl its many other Petitioners,
by the frequent billeting of numerous soldiers upon them, in their
progress through the country f and praying relief.
The SIICIMrA R Y at WA R said, a plan was in the contemf
platioa of the.. Secretary at' War, for limiting the allowance of
meat to be given to the'soidier at the wot' price.— . .
The Petition was ordered to lie on the table. '
Mr. SA VI rd.c presented a Petition from. the Innkeepers and
Publicans of Oakhainpton to the like purport. Ordered to lie
on the table.

FRAUDS IN THE IRISU REVENUE.

Sir Jo IIN New PORT rose to call the attention •of.tlie Home
to an appointment which had been made in dettnnee of ,the ex-
press words of the Act of the 46th pa►r of the Kings • and of
every principle Nine which promotions and rewards should he
conferred. By the Act to which he had alluded, nay oftieer of
the Customs or Excise, who should, after the pulsing of that
Act, take or accept.nf any fee, gratuity, or presents, from the
Distillers whom they visited in the courssof their duty. should
be thereby incapacitated from holding any office, civil orniilit~ry.
Notwithstanding the express words of this Net, a Mr. .Benua
champ H ill, who • had confessed before Commissioners of Err.
(-Fifty, that he had regularly received WI. per wet* from two
Distillers who were in his district, was not only not dismissed,
but was promoted from the situation of •Surveyor to be an In-
spector-General, which was a promotion in that very depart-
Ment in which the frauds had been colnuit!ed 1 t n.:e; in Sep-
tember 1806, that he had coefessed hints-cif guilty of tho fraud,
and on the Bth of March 180.5, he received his promotion. He
thought it would he useless to endeavour to guess•at what sort or
doreoce could be set iip, and concluded by moving a resolution,
stating the words of the Act lathe 46th La his Airkiesty, con-
fession of Mr. Dill that he had acted contrary to it, and his sub-
sequent promotion. • •
Mr. FosTea said, that certainly, owing to the inadequacy of
their salaries, an universal system of corruption had formerly
existed among the revenue officers of Ireland, and that out 432
Excise oaie-rs examined by the Commissioners of Enquiry,
of ahem had confessed that they had received similar presents.
They justified it from its being a constant practice, and known
to he so by the Board who employed t heto, and who yet took
no measures to stop it. The practice of receiving these gratui-
ties. was so universal, and so lo,g in a manner connived at, that
it would have been unfair to select one or two inch viduals for.
punishment, as almost every toner o!i;eer in the revenue equally
deserved to be dismissed. Mr. 11111, however, was very ready
to give ever:; information in his imwer to the Commissioners of
Enquiry, and was in every other.respect a yer!, goad Aker.
!Ie %vas
.therefore promoted for A16..14190, althoti6ll he had in.
common with all other gxciseineu figne aahing illegal nog ha.
proper. Ile therefore umvedithe. Ivey ioo‘- question
Mr. PL rya MOORNSilicythai..WlibOUt. pretending to those
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