The National Register.
London, England, 1819-04-19 00:00:00

No. 1174.—V0L. XII.]

ASSAULT UPON THE MILITARY.

Onn Legislators have determined that they may
leave the Nation, without f ar, to take care of itself
under the anxious solicitude of the followers of our
" heaven-born Minister," while they enjoy the
necessary relaxation of a fortnight's recess; thus are
we deprived even of their good deeds es a subject
on which we might indulge in panegyric ; under
this privation we may, with pride iu the institution
of Juries, refer our readers to the report of a trial
at the Westminster Sessions, where it was attempt-
ed by strong swearing on the part of some soldiers,
" mere instruments perhaps," to establish a privilege
in favour of the Military, to shove, to push, to
trample upon a respectable Tradesman, only because
they were a guard returning from " duty" at Co- '
vent Garden Theatre. We are and always have
been, averse to so frequent incroachments us we are
doomed every day to witness on the liberties of
Englishmen, which have their rise in the inclina.
tion constantly ahewn since the first Regency Act
to introduce German military parade ; it is a system
we are fully persuaded, to whicit the natural pro.
pensities of Englishmen can never be brought to
submit.

We well remember that when a great inclination
to riot showed itself in London, during the shriev-
alty of Mr. Alderman Wood, a few troops of Horse
Guards were kindly sent to the assistance of the Civil
power. The worthy Sheriff, however, ordered the
Commanding Officer to return immediately and
wait till he was sent for, adding, " Till I find the
civil power unequal to the preservation of the Peace
I will never allow the appearance of the soldiery."
The exertions of the Peace Officers were sufficient,
and probably many lives were saved by the laudable
firmness of one man.

While on this subject we may be allowed to p:.int
out the inconvenience to the public of the manner
of marching the Guards night and morning, be-
tween the Bank and the Barracks ; they uniformly
march two abreast, and invariably pass as it were,
purposely, through the most crowded streets, with
as little consideration as may be for those who un-
fortunately cannot get out of their way : the recent
Verdict, however, has established the fact that they
are not invested by their uniforms with the privilege
of assaulting the public with impunity.

Letters and papers to the Wth ult. from Havannah
bare been received, by which we learn that the fleet of
Spanish ships which from that port on the :6th
of February, under convoy of a frigate and sloop of wai,
for Cadiz, had a few clays after their departure experi-
enced severe sveather, and were compelled to return to
tile island. Several of them narrowly e,caped being
raptured by the Patriot privateers; and had the vessels
continued on their voyage, no doubt several of them
would have laden into the hands of the corsairs, if se-
p 'rated from the ships of war aecompansing them. The
Blase trade with the coast of Africa in January and Fe-
bruary last hail been less active than usual. The Ha-
vannah Diary contains only a small list of ships which
had arrived within that period, but a number of vessels
wrre preparing to leave Cuba, and would return after
having obtained fresh supplies of negroes.
In the urt Alinanack, published at Berlin by M.
de Ruch, Bonaparte Is designated as a knight of the
Order of the Black Eagle.