The National Register.
London, England, 1816-04-15 00:00:00

MONDAY, APRIL 15, ISI6.

It leads the pious mind to the contemplation of its Sa- ,
:iour, like the star that guided the wise men to the place
where he lay, and makes it a partaker of the joy which
the shepherd felt from the songs of the angels that an-
nounced his birth. The festival of EASTER is accompanied
with recollections as interesting, as it places before us
the consummation, that train of labours, sufferings, and
instruction, which he undertook to regenerate the world.
The word Easter (or what in German is called Ortern),
is of Saxon original, and the seaS4n is so culled front the
divinity to whom April was delkated ; but both in the
learned, and all the southern langeages of Europe, the
term for expressing the festival is derived front the Pas-
chal feast of the Jewt, during the period of which our
Saviour was crucified. The observation of it began early
in the Christian church. The disciples of our Lord, and
their immeTaite converts, would remember with peculiar
interest, and with ardent piety, the anniversary of so as-
tonishin, an eitnt that happened so near their own time,
or within the veigeof their own experience. The prin-
ciple of association behtg natural, would gain strength
by its religious consecration, and extended the *ante pious
regard to other 'lays than those connected with the his-
tory of our Saviour. 'During the progress of ecclesiasti-
cal comiginas, the number of f2eivals was accordingly
greatly muliplied, a powerful host, of saints userped the
calendar. and a graft liortion of ii"..ue was enjoined to be
&scree.: :o their paseover. This evil had grown to such
alie;ht before the ref Tmation, and is now so inveterate
in 'be Ileaum Catholic system. that out of the 365 days
of the year, theze is not one which is nut appropriated to
some saint or other, and some days are even encumbered
with several. The different refoemers that arose about
the time. of Luther, had:different ideas with regard to the
number of feastrtai be retained, though they all agreed
in Imaging the calendar from ficticious or obtrusive saints.
The English church perhaps, retains too nr,my, the Cal-
vinistic churches too few: " Jack;(to are the of
the Tale of the Tub), tore all the lace off his clat," and
perhaps with the-ailnlaace of the action, rent a little of
the coat itself. Though there be too great a tendency in
the popular mind when ceremonietaand festivals are mul-
tiplied, to depend an ceremonies aild festivals alone, they
ought not to be -entirely disregarded us aids to devotion.
There is surely a medium, and *as nn good Christian
would pass the Budd-of Bethlehem without thinking of his
Saviour's birth, or the holy sepukhre, without recalling
his death and resurrection, so we ought not to fbrget that
Christmas and Feeder may be rendered subservient to
nurposes as pious, and reeollactimis as vivid and inter-
esting.

DfPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUAE OF AloNwtv, Avail. 8.

The Weights and Alinsures WitS brought up from the
Cammors:, and on the motion of Earl Stanhope, seas ordered to
be read a second time on the 7th May.

BUONAPAIITE'S Di:TENTION.
Earl BATHURST moved the second reading pf Bnonaparte's
Detention 11:11. _ . .

Lord HOLLAS no said, on quell a Illation he had eKpeeted the
Noble Sacrelary of Situ would h3vt` given .Tat .le eXillanhition
all to the parried.: of the Bill; and PS to the .01 and police
of the mea4ire; fur his part he saw neither wisdom, policy, er
magnanimity in it. Still he admitted that the greatest part of
;he people of this country agreed with 7•linit.ers. is the pro-
priety of detaining Bunnaparte in custody; hut he could by no
~:cynic agree ,n is; and it was his intention to record his dissent
from this Bill on the Journals of that House. This Itilrriaid
said that it was incemary to consider Bawl:wane SF a prisoaer
of war. Now he wished to know front the Judges, whether an
alien enemy could be detained as a priaoaer of war rifler the
signatnre et a Treaty of Peace, and fur that purpose he moved.
that its accord reading be postponed till after the holiillys, in
or•ter t i gi:e the Judges an opportaaity of uncoiling, they be-
ing now *Orient on the Assizes.
Earl BATHURST hail conceived the object of tills Bill to be
so clear, and so evident, as to require no explanation. 'flue
moment Royalism:lle surrendered bini.,ell* lie was as much
prisoner of war as If he had been taken at Waterloo, la-cause
ate act of his had put an end to hostilit.e4 lretween Its and France.
The cliarach•r of a pri-oner of war was well kao All to mir
statute took; and this :till was only meant to declare
parte a prisoner of war. 'file Noble Lod had forgot that our
obtaioing posaestdon of the person of Boonaparte tvas the re-
mit of a common (Cot with our elks, aeot tact- had n right Io
he coasulted in seendir, Elul. To do which etlectually, it be-
came neeeslary that one of tile Alhed Powers ‘ltotild have tikt!
custody of his person ; he believed lie was securest with
aid would have less chanee of again thsturbiog the repose
of Europe, flout he would have ha-I it he bad bccuplaced under
the power of itossM, tistria. or Esassia.
The Earl of Lac i/Elt MALE tlitetglif that Bunnimarte mil ht
have remained in this country perfectly sale, under the care of
peaceottseers.
The 11:11 was read a second time, the. atnend,nNit of Lord
Holland being negatived without a dip i :him—Adjourned.

TCF•DAV, APRIL 9.

A Ittett.atte rrnrn the Outiftions bentglit up the Prineems Char-
otte6 Eslablihhtettit, the nutter luta Clime Duty latpurta-

PRICE 9 ,Id.

tion, and the P4ll/Clll5UrCil Bats, which here read a first
time.

The House went into a Committee on the Bill for detaining
Napoleon Buonaparte.
lite Earl of LAUDERDALE moved an Amendment, to leave
out all the words applying the term of `• prisoner of war" to
Buonaparte.
Tire Amendment was negatived without a division.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE said, that although persons were
punishable for as.sisting Buonaparte our of the beands of the
island of St. Helena, yet it was ambiguous; and he sricrni4
therefore, move the insertion of the words " or further" the es-
cape of Buonaparte.
This Amendment was agreed to.
Lord linti.ssin moved a proviso, that no defendant, against
whom Buono ante might bring an action, should be allowed to
plead that he was AM alien enemy.
On this Amendinant the House divided—For the Amend.
meld, it 10. The preamble thi n received some
verbal amendments. and the Bill went through the Committee,
and was ordered to be reported to-morrow--Adjourned.
WenNrsnAv, APRIL 10.
Earl Bathurst presented an account of the sums already paid "
by France, as part of the war contribution to this country.•
!fad a Noble Marquis been prr:eut. lie could have shewn hint
that thic, and ever% sum which France had to pay yearly, would
he more than stiteitirt to defray the espence our army In
France. —The account was laid on the table, UU4I ordered to
be priuted.—Adjourned.

TIICRSIDAY, APRIL 11.

The Royal Assent -,vas ti.ven. by Commission, to—
The' truces, Charlotte's Annuity Bill, Bannanarte's -Detcf-
lion Bill, the St. Helena Intercourse Bill, the Reis: Duties
Bid, the Lead Bill, the Promissery Notes Bill, the American-
Trade Convention Bill. the Irish Parise Ditties Bill, the Bank
Advance Bid, the Manchester Watr•rworks Bill, the Exeter
Gas Lights Bill. the Southwark Bridge Bill, and several others
of a private nature.
The Transportation 818 was lea I a second time. The Bat-
ter and (Ifieese Bids went through the Committees. The
Coroner's, and the IfigHland Society's Bills were read a Ilcst
time.—Adjourned till Friday, the 26th instant.

HOUSE. OF COMMONS, Movntv, APRIL 8.

Petitions were presented front the Tanners sad Leather-sellers •
of Cumberland, Ludlow, Mack-tiehl,Sa lop, Durham, and other
places, against the Tax on Leather; from the licensed Vic-
tuallers of Catater'oury and Knareslywongh, against the Li-
cense Dirty ; one front the Freeholders of Suint.rsetshire rgairst
the Leather-taa, the Poor's-rate, and the oppressive weight of
'Faxes generally; and p rity biz /Ix every pm,si We retrenchment
in the expenditure; Itl6o iron Worcester :aid Beverley, airainst
the Insolvent Act ; and one from Dutnfiics, praying relief for
the Agricultural laterest.
Mr. HARVEY presented a petition from the porter sun! ate.
brewers of Norwich, praying that so :e allowance should lie
made to them, equal to the war duties, &you the stock is hand.
The lion. Member contended, that uhless soma smell meastwo
were adopted, the repeal of the war duty would prove as in- -
jury to them.
Air. CALVERT was convinced, unless the suggestion was at-
tended to, the brewMg trade would be sus7enderl. An Hon.
Bert. (Sir.M. IV. Lid:vy) had said on a former nizlit, that if
this duty were Liken off, porter might to be lower :5 pennv i:s
the not. 'fhat I inn. Bart. should have recollected, that which
this duty was laid oil, the brewers iiieren :ed their price aid:
one halfpenne, and it would now, when the !hay was taken ot,
be lowered a 'halfpenny, and that he thought mightsatisfy tlfe
Hon. Gentlenum

Mir d. W. [WILEY desired only tint the reduction in the
price, now the duty was about to be t4ktut oti; should he equal
to the athauce o inch took place at the time the catty was bed
on, and that the quality of the article hold shoe's' be the 571,11 C.
he COO` idereti that the great root of evil ease 1,44 the
monopoly cf public Looses which existed among,' toe r!reat
brewers. _ _

'Sr. C. BARCLAY coot:gide(' that the advance of one Kir-
thiug prr pot .i0re17,12. was by no mass equlu to ii.e advance
which had taken place during the ea:ue period ou every other
urtiele of life.

Mr. tI'ESTERN wished for the immediate repeal of the duties
in every respect, as tlnt -only step winch could afford relic( to,
the barley growers.
The CII.IAt•ELLOR of the rsentiourtt world advise- tstio
brewers, as a measure of economy, to brew immediately and
largely, and to buy up, all the malt they before the ;nice
of barley, and consequently of limit, should inerr_a•fx, a eirensa-
stance which certainly must occur, and that at uo very tLatant
period.--i tl
Sir r. It uansfer presented a petition from Ilre county'. of •
Wilts, complaining of the -weight of ta Imtist. under which the
country laboured ; it also complained of the large military es-
tablisloacnt propowl to be up ; awl of the suite
of the Representation of the kingdom, wad- pr4you Parr.a•
menhirs- liCll4lll.
Mr. Mr•rit uEN stated, that he had understood Meer* wean
not Olole than 111 persons p reSea fat the inecemg at which this
petilie.:l was 31Zerti to. Asunder reunion, which. be trusted,
would convey We sense Ofthe Counv, was iii preparation, and
would, in a few slays, be presents d to the Wiese.
Mr. Dount.kti laid, previous to the House going, Into a Com-
mittee, he wished to ask the tmlile Lord whether he bad any ob-
jection to prodneinn certain Papers Laing to the receipt and
apylicasion of 3:49,00:11. from France, and which, without any
application •to parliament, had beta appropriated to Co- pay-
ment of the army. lit ut present knew of impart of-bur Con-
stitution "chid: gave so itillgeroll9 a power us this to the Minis-
ter of the Crown.—lf a power so dam,erotu, to the Cotraitution
did exist, the House>lt trld lose uo sitar in interfering end put-
ting au end to it. He s:muld cow, if the Nellie •Lord hail nu ob-
jection. move for Papersealati%e tl t•mi subject.
Lord CASTLUISAGH bad tat objection to the motion, though-

.

this sulsject had already been beto..e the Huusr ; and rlie.ded
explanations had been inade on the mantel. Ile had hecore
•teed, that part of this rant lid dl been 2111,hi'd to the remnciut
the s!atotes and pieta. es from France; tint the monument of
Cardinal Vorl., and tzi other purposes of the army.
Mr. llot-GL ILS them, 1110Vell far an account of all snap) of inintry
become d tie or received front F: ;nee; how applied, ot intended
to he apiiii, d, since the l-ita tifJittie,llAs, with the date, and
amount of sums actually revel% ed, and how applied.