The National Register.
London, England, 1820-05-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL. REGISTER.

E.OIIDOIT.
MONDAY. MAY 20.

Tats great o bject of those who arc determined to
uphold that system of administration, the bitter
fruits of which the nation is now beginning to ex-
perience fully, is not to defend the measures which
have ruined us, (for they have not an argument
that will maintain them), but to injure the cha
ratter and reputation of their opponents, and to
induce the people to acquiesce in men and met-
sures, as they are, through hatred and contempt of
their opponents, thereby becoming those very re-
volutionary characters which they pretend to repro-
bate. For what can be worse, or tend more to
anarchy than to deny the existence of public virtue,
and for bad or foolish men, not able to vindicate
themselves, to endeavour to induce all others to a
level in the opinion of mankind ?—A nation (which
is only a large number of individuals arranged in
social order for the mutual good of each other) can
afford to pay a certain sum out of the public indus-
try and produce to support those who bear rule and
fill situations, precluding them from works which
encrease food, ur other necessaries of life; yet, no
nation can support more than a certain proportion
without serious inconvenience. The amount of the
proportion, in consequence of those numerous sums
of stock money, (or, funded property), which is after
all nothing more than imaginary sums raised upon
the industry of the present age to support the pro-
jects of the last, furnishes so many with fortunes
arising out of the industry of others, that the na-
tion has a hundred times more of unproductive
labour to maintain than a natural state of things
would require, or, in other words, than the neces-
sary appendages of civil society require; but so
many have found it their interest to promote this
draught upon industry, that the members of the
governing orders, who ought to arrest those evils,
find it so much to their private interest to continue
them, that they insensibly combine to support the
measures, influence, and patronage of Government,
and agree to the most violent measures to protect
them, feeling that a full and accurate investigation
into the items demanded. and the causes which lead
to the demand of them, would shale the foundation
of their own wealth and power. In the mean
while the evil is grown so enormous, and the dis
tresses of the many so crying amid the comforts of a
few, or, comparatively few, that a general turn over
of a new leaf becomes necessary, and sacrifices on the
part of all the upper ranks, and especially those who
have thus grown rich out of public poveay, because
so imperative that the fabric of society is threatened
with dissolution from the state of contending parties
—and what is the natural remedy? the only re
medy, for such a state of things ? Why, a radical
reform or change in a great proportion of the con-
stituent parts of that body which represents the
people, and some measures to secure a body of rue❑
who shall be less interested in selfish considerations,
and more disposed to rise from individual to general
good. And is not every other measure, till this be
adopted, merely a mockery, and like children throw-
ing in pebbles to stop the course of a stream ? This,
in short, we conceive to be the correct view of the
subject, that unless all classes of people (agricultural
among others) will press first upon Government, the
sense of that ruinous expendii tire wasted in wars
abroad of doubtful good at least, and patronage and
influence of still more doubtful good at home, and
will awaken Government to a sense of the necessity
of some radical measures to meet a radical evil, that

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

all other measures are mere delusions. This is
the substance of what Mr. Coke sail on Thursday
night in Parliament, and has brought him to a con-
clusion, that he will not consent to irritate the manu-
facturer against the farmer, by measures of doubtful
utility at least, and which only lead to a quarrel
between the different clams of society, and hinder
them from joining heart and hand in those only
great remedial measures of a constitutional nature
which can be of any service.

The Government of St. Petcrsburgh has issued a
new ukase, extremely beneficial to the temporary
interest of the calico-printers of Russia, but calcu-
lated materially to injure the interests of foreign
merchants trading with that country. All printed
goods when printed and brought to market by a
Russian printer, will be entitled to a drawback of
37i copees silver to the pound, which is the amount
atitity on the white goods when imported. These
copecs, in addition to the duty of one rouble
40 wpm. laid ou foreign prints, give to the Russian
printer en advantage of one rouble 774 copecs
silver, or ss. 4d. the pound, Russian weight (about
14 oz.) over those printed goods imported from
abroad. Tl:is ukase expressly adds, however, that
the said drawback will be grunted to thew printers
only who havo actually ordered the white goods
from abroad, and entered them in their own names
at the custom-house ; the drawback cannot be
claimed when the goods in the unprinted state have
been purchased ofnterchants in the market, who will
consequently be driven out of commercial transac-
tions, of which they have hitherto formed the chief
medium.

In the Memoirs of the late M. Suard, there is un
Anecdote of the Prince Royal of Portugal extremely
interesting. In speaking of the dreinift7l earthquake
at Lisbon, when fallen and falling houses were
burying the dead and the living in one common
grave—when the earth was threatening to open, and
the sea to break in and ingulph the whole, a young
man, in the flower of age and strength, raised his
voice amids the ruins, and cried out, " Follow me,
my friends; let us yet strive to save those who may
be alive." In the ruins of a house he observed an
old man with his legs broken, and whose lamentable
cries for assistance were disregarded. The young
man made his way through the tottering fragments,
drew the victim from the ruins, hoisted him on his
back, and brought kin to a place of shelter. The
old man was a nerd. Toe young man was a Duke
of Braganca. 'I his spectacle of a Prince of the
Royal Family bearing a negro on his shotliders—
this homage paid to humanity in an unfortunate
individual, of a race scarcely regarded us a man,
profoundly touched every beholder, at u moment
when their hearts were petrified by terror, and re-
stored their energies for the succour of others us it
by miracle.
Preparations are now actively currying on in
Westminster.hall for the Coronation. Arrangements
are making to suspend magnificent chandeliers from
the rouf, and after Saturday next the buildings at
the extremity of the hall, in which the Courts of
Chancery and King's Bench are held, will Le taken
down, to affurd additional space for the ceremony.
We trust that, in the reconstrection orthose Courts,
more attention will be paid to the accomn . s:afion of
suitors and the public. The Coma of Klng's
Bench will sit next Term in Sergeants'-iiii:.
The complete abandonment of the expedition pre-
pared at Cadiz agaiast South America is at length
announced in letters from that civ of the 'id inst.
The greater part of the transports chartered in
France and in this country for the conveyance of
the troops had already received their certificates of
discharge, and the remainder were to receive them
us 'list us they could be unloaded. In addition to
this decisive step it is stated, that all the troops who
had fulfilled their period of service had been dis-
banded. Full two-thirds of the expeditionary army
were in this predicament.
Importation of Foreign Grain —Tice ports arc
now open for the free importation of wheat and
flour, oats and peas, from the British Colonies and
Plantation in North America, but continue shut
against the impartation of any description of fo-
reign, except buck wheat, which is imported at u
duty of 10s. per quarter. The weather has been
exceedingly fine, and there is, in consequence,
little chance of the ports being opened in August,
fur the importation of grain from the Continent.
The Cato Street Conspirators —We are assured,
that there is, at the present moment, a panlon
making out in the CIVAVn Office (and which, in the
course of the ensuing week, we understand will
puss through all its formalities) for all treasons coin.
'flitted by Adams, Monument, Dwyer, and Edwards,
antecedent to the 23d of February last, it is stated
that the above four persons are now confined in
different gaols, under the direction of Lord Sidmouth,
and that they will not be liberated till their pardons
are signed by his Majesty:

173

Royal Society.—A Council was held on Thursday
lust, when Sir Joseph Bankes tendered his resigna-
tion, but it was not accepted, on the avowed ground
of delicacy and respect fur u gentleman who has so
lung filled the President's chair, with honour to
himself and satisfaction to the Society. It is sup-
posed, nevertheless, that the worthy Baronet will
persevere in requesting to resign thu Chair. trod we
understand that, in that case, it is nut unlikely that
it may be taken by Prince Leopold This amiable
Prince has, it seems. particularly turned his: atter..
turn to Natural History, and is particularly conver-
sant with Mineralogy and Botany. Ile is, indeed,
understood to be attached to the Sciences itt general,
and to have made great progress in the study of then)
all. We learn, it has been whispered, that the
Prince, in consequence of the espected resignation
of the present revered President, had been consulted,
and had spoken to his Majesty on the occasion, from
whom he received the most gracious encouragements
If this arrangement should take place, the Prince
• will have a very gratifying occupation to fill his
vacant hours, anti will confer additional honour upon
the Society, while it will tend to attach him still
more to a country which has treated hint with so
much liberality, and of which he expresses his CUM
grateful sense on all occasions.
CAUTION To CAKTERS,—A few days since, at A
risee.too of tin cot sssss issiouers of the Uxbrt*ze Torninka
Roads, irld at Hanwell, some of tha party hearing an
unusual Mist', ran to the window., and observed two
carts laden with dung, with three tine animals in each
cart, gallopping at a furious rate down the hill, the.
drivers nAita at some distance behind. On the bridge
they passed a stage coach, crowded with passenger,,
witch narrowly escaped desrtuction ; and a gentleman
on a spirited horse was placed in iiiiiitent danger. The
two carts and horses hissing continued their fortious
ace for a cons (terabit! distance, Col. Clitherow (a -
ma •istrate) who was at the Illeetiltg, with great prorlip.
tittfle directed his horse to he saddled—mounted him_
immediately—overtook the otraiders—tave the charge
of their teams to other persons, and caused the two col •
prits to march before him back to the inn where the
meeting was held. He then made information of the
offence upon oath, before Mr. Pork's (another magistrate
present), whoconyicted them in the penalty of lUs• cad:.
one of them, servant to Farmer Stone, borrowed the
money and paid the penalty; the other, servant to
Fanner H tennis, in default of payment was eotoositted
to the house of correction for one moods: It is to h-
hoped that this ins,ance of S4ll ttttt ary punishment may
operate as an example to the drivers of carts and wag-
gons, and 'mime Mem to keep close to their horses,
as to have " the &over 1111 l ent and command of them," a:
the law dittos.