The National Register.
London, England, 1816-08-19 00:00:00

ON THE PRESENT NATIONAL DISTRESS.

Cr,
a

WF. cannot but again recur to the subject of our Dis-
quisition last week ; not be!nuse it is a pleasing one, bltt
on account of its increasing interest. AVe can assure our
readers, that we have no love for such a doleful vmploy-
meat IN that of detailing the distresAes of our fellow-men ;
and, only the hope of becoming instrumental in
miti-
l;;~tingthose distres,;2s, could support u:-, in it. We hope
this will be a sufficient apology to them fir the varia-
timt from our usual practice, if indeed any apology be need-
-1.:1 on such a subject. But we are persuaded, that the
~,:titiment of a noble Roman pervades every breast—
Homo gum : lannsui MU ame alimium puto.

Every day brings fresh rumours of new distresses, and
of the increase of the calamity where it has been felt be-
time. We understand, that in the sister kingdom, even
in its capital, hundreds of ftiailies arc perishing for want;
and that above eight thousand arc daily supplied with
soup gratis, at the houses opened by some benevolent in-
dividuals for that pug rose. We arc fully persuaded, that
at no period in the history of this country has so general
a distress as the present been known to prevail. In for-
mer times, (the years I79(;-7-8-9,) when provisions
were scarce and dear, those who suffered by this circum-
stance were few, comparatively speaking, and their suf-
ferings of short duration : besides, labour was then abun-
dant, and idleness a matter of choice, and not necessity ;
nor were the middle and upper orders of society at all
prevented from supplying the wants of the lower. The
evils of 1813, which resulted frtan the war with Ame-
rica, and the decrees of Buonaparte were confined
in the extent of their influence, and were imme-
diately relieved by the wise revocation of the orders
in Council, and the destruction of the Continental System.
But our circumstances are now widely dith!rent from
those of any former period. The distresses of the pre-
sent period are felt universally ; and, though they are
less poignant in the metropolis, yet we are by no means
freed from the general evil. We call the evil a general
one, because it extends to our manufacturers as well as to
the owner and occupier of hind ; and to the home trader
us well as to the merchant. The return of peace, to which
we all lookedforward with so much pleasure as the consum-
mation of our wishes, has operated no relief to our burdens,
but has rather increased their weight, and confirmed our
ruin. The county of Cambridge has suffered more by
the general distress than any other place. In one parish,
all the inhabitants, save only one individual, have been
^omplotely ruined. The whole income of that one gen-
t:eman was absorbed by the poor-rates.
In some of the Western counties of England, particu-
%lay in Devonshire, whole districts are in a total state
starvation ; and in Ireland, to the case of which we
have bef;ire alluded, the distress exceeds even the worst
:Isom known in England.
To discover the cause of these evils is, we think, by
deli

one corvette. live ongs, one Kammer, anti tnree trans- ,
• •
ro means an main:portant investigution. This is a deli-- .
tram the day that sheAmned to inhabit his palace.
lions, commanded by the Admiral Loral Exmouth and
Late subject we well know, and difference of opinion will by the Rear Admir.:l l'er.rose. The Princess ifested On the itith, the Atlmind wcnt to see the •,13ushaw,
•,., I.revail. Put we think that nothing cm be more foolish that she had nett ;11,4 to do with poliCteal aflitirs, and that Imving already at this time ivritten a.letter to the French
Consul, informing him dna he. wished him not to con- •
:;.an to ascribe oar diitres.ses to the change effected by the . she wi..hed to attend the invitation of the liashaw, which
tonne his negoviation for. the ransom of the Neapolitan
was done, and to her grist satisfaction she WitS received
~..ace. The weight of our taxes is, we think, principallyslaves. In short, after the most serious amid warm tlis-
' awl entertained with the higlie::t marks of consideration
:he cause of our sufferings. If this burden were re- cussions, Lord Exmouth obtained the liberty, without
::y :and rt...spect by all the sons of the Bashaw, and the whole
moved, our trade would increase, and we should have Court of Bardo, dre:t:ied greatest reatest splendour and auy ratt§om, of the Sardinian captives, and, under the
promise of a present, the Neapolitan captives were also
....) furtlitr cause of complaint. We alluded to this in our elegance.
set at liberty; the Basliaw condescended finally to ud-
,rticle of last week, and we wish to state it again as car On the Inth, in the morning., the Admiral, Lord Ex
mot the mediation of England, in order to settle a &Il-
i lin perLuasion, tin:t retrenchtneut of our national expert- mouth. went ashore, and proceeded imusediately, ..weom-
num: peace between his Sicilian Majesty and his Sar-
trinied by tile Enol'sli Girard, to the lignlo. He had an
'{acre is the only rowdy for our distress ritely to be alai= Majesty with that Regency."
a• t'alience of the •liashaw, and during a ((inlet-cum of two
____ ..ss
~ uy availing. • hours he insisted an tit: ( Mowing pretenjous :---
V
But the effect of this remedy, even if it el:onid be up- " i‘t. TM: lii,ertv of all stavei withinit cxee,4o n.--241. AuAUXHALL BRIDOX.—This bridge consists of nine
Pla-
:lied, win be slow. And, as tl:c evil is great, ,lonettlying ' exeLaph.ry tioni,liment of tlw Tuni.ian Commander, who, with arches of equal spun, formed Of cast 1110X1 ant raised u , 14 I r...-,-;s_
two corNiir!, colimi.l, 4 tiic ism iovu,ion On the i.liind of St, atom. piers. The span of each arch is 80 feet, .4 .. .-,- .
___ ..howa be done fiir its mitigation immediately • lin- this
•
%iitiev till r iiic Enoilbia f1:14, mats itlisiantling the promise width of each pier about 14. The trite'has c. ''w • •
tirpos.2 vr, know of re method likely to succeed ~:o well
r.--aid is likely to rtioninertite its ro. r .•,...... 1...
out 11;hati made a few dais Wort In the Co iiiiii under of an appearance,
.s 9 az the benevolence of individuals. This has in many
inn, Eugtish veuct. that bc avoid Iva aticaTt a 'oelm?.. --;td. 'fiat better than must Tegulations pi .A:
. • • .. ~ _., NPR 1:::,,
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