The National Register.
London, England, 1809-03-12 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

sources of this contagion in society. We perceive effects,
but we do not explore cruces. We punish the sinner,
without taking any trouble to remove the sin.
Does it never occur to our reasoners on adultery, or
have they omitted to observe it, that, in nine cases of ten,
as the discussion respects fashionable society, adultery is
the consequence of improper marriages ? Nature is not to
be counteracted. Emotions native to the human feelings,
born of the heart, may be stifled, for some time, but they
mill, if their causes recur, eventually set all dicipline at
defiance. It is vain, perhaps the worst of folly, to oppose
artificial distinctions to natural sensations. The question
of adultery, with reference to society generally, is not very
difficult. (treat people can act; middling people would act ;
lower people do not act. Look at facts, The higher or-
ders are often married by compulsion, the middling orders
often marry from what is called prudence' but the lower or-
ders marry themselves. Man talks of the girl of the
heart, but forgets that woman has also the man of the
t.

If, nevertheless, we must persevere in the old way, if
we must punish instead of prevent offences, might it not
he eligible to make adultery liable to the exhibition of the
pillory 3 I can conceive no spectacle so really amusing,
pelting forbid, as would be two dears, coupled in board as
in bed, with their joint heads popping up through the in•
terstices of such an instrument !—llow truly affecting
would be the gazings of the fond pair; now obli►luely ;Lino-
TOUS towards each other, and now languishingly directing
their contemplatio:►s on the surrounding multitude ! ! 1 fi-
gure them to my self; I am delighted by anticipation.
March 10, 1809. HOMO,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Tuesday, .Ifurch 7.
Th►' Irish Distilleries, the Spirit Import Prohibition, and the
Irish Bank Note Bills. were read a third titne.—Adjourned.

Monday, March 6.

The Bill I'm-sit:pending the Act respecting the Irish Distilleries,
Rld the Bin Cor more rare; v preventing I..'orgeries on the
Rink of' England, pa,sed through the Conunittee.—Adjourned.

Thursday, March 8.

The Earl of Montt observed, that amongst the Papers on the
table respecting Spain, there was a dispatch from Lord Castle-
reagh to Sir Arthur Wellesley, dated the 15th of, u:y, referring
SA) another dispatch from the Secretary of State to Sir Hew Dal-
rymple, which it appeared from the allusion made to it, stated
that a request had been made by the Council of Seville for the
aid of British troops, and that an authority had been given to
Sir Hew Dalrymple, then Governor of Gibraltar, to give a
pledge that 10,000 British troop, should be sent to their assist-
ance. This dispatch to Sir hew Dalrymple did not appear on
the table, and he wished to know, if it was amongst the Papers
still remaining to be presented, or if any objection existed to
produce it ?
The Earl of Ltv nit POOL observed, that the dispatch rererred
to transactions antecedent to the events in Spain, Ivh:ch had be
col.h! matter of notoriety, and that way probably the reason it
was mit produced; he would, however, look into it, and lay it
upon the table, or at least so much of it as could he made public,
if there wa.s. any part of it that required secrecy.—Adjourned.

LOUSE OF COMMONS.

Monday, March 6.

CONCILIATION WITH AMERICA.

Mr. Wismar:an now rose to make the Motion of which he
had given such frequent previous not"••e. He spoke in sub-
stance as follows :—Whilst I am plea, ►og the cause of right,
and therefore the cause, the concerns of all nations, let me not
be accused with wanting a due feeling for my own country,
with pleading the cause of the stranger or the enemy against
oarselves. Truth, honesty, and fair dealing, are the common
cause of all nations; and when I plead that my country
should act rightly, and that it should act honestly, I neces-
sarily plead, at the same time, its true and genuine in-
terests. Never can 1 take the part even of my Country
against what is right, because never can I coercive the true
interests of my country advanced, by departing from such line'
of rectitude. The result of the whole system has verified my pre-
diction, but I owe it to my Honourable Friends to mention, by
the way, that in the Order of the 7th of January they had on
idea of the extent which a subsequent Ministry would give to.
this act—they had no possible idea, that what was meant as an
experiment would be adopted as an approved precedent, that
an exception to their general policy would be pleaded as a
rule, and that they would be thus interpreted into what they
would never have intended. Had the Continent taken arms
against Bonaparte ? Had the soldiers refused to march, because
they wanted coffee and sugar for breakfast ? And as to Ame-
rica, how had America taken it ? Had she pocketed the af•
front as predicted by the Right Honourable Gentleman ? No I
for no sooner had intelligence of the Orders reached America,
than the American Government expressed their opinion of them.
From these considerations, Sir, I say that the Ministers would
have done well had they paused to revise their own acts, had
they acted under their experience, and become wise hy the effects
of their errors. The point of truth is, that our Government had
not the due spirit of conciliation. They had disavowed the act
of Admiral Berkley, but they had not reprimanded him. He
had, indeed, been recalled from that station ; but, as if to shew
that he bad not lost the confidence of Ministers, and that they
did not blame the spirit, though they could not justify the act,
he was ostentatiously sent out on another service, as soon as he had
returned from the American station. If the war goes on, can we
expect to retain Canada, or even our insular possessions in the
West Indies ? It would be a war ruinous on its result, and
would he productive of the most calamitous consequences. The;
hole world would he against us, and we should scarcely have
:t resource to apply to. We should recollect the millions of debt
which our merchants are unable to recoverirom America, and
the incalculable losses they sustain from the suspension of their
intercourse with that country. The Honourable Member
concluded by moving, " That an humble Address be present-
ed to his Majesty, representing, that in consequence of the
passing of a Decree at Berlin, and the alledged acquiescence of
America in the said Decree, his Majesty has been pleased to
issue his Order in Council, relative to the said Decree, and that
the said Orders were followed up by certain acts (luring the en-
suing session of Parliament, in which a power was reserved to
his Majesty of annulling the said Orders if it should be conceiv-
ed expedient. That in consequence of such Orders in Council,
the Congress of America conceiving they interfered with their
interests, anti exposed their system to such innovations as they
did not think were consistent with their views, they parsed a law
laying an embargo on all American ships in their own ports, at
the same time offering, that if we would rescind our Orders in
Counci!, that we should have the exclusive commerce of that
country, by which means, our interests, in other respects, would
he essentially improved ; that this offer, so just in principle, and
in tendency so highly advantageous to Great Britain, we believe
and hope k still open for hi: Majesty to receive. That the con-
tinuance of the Embargo, is manifestly injurious to this country
and to our commercial interests ; most humbly praying that his
Majesty will be graciously pleased to adopt such measures 113
may open a course, and by a temperate and judicious negociation
lead to a decision, conducive to the interests and welfare of his
Majssty's subjects.
S':EPIIEN said the lion. Member had deprecated,.
amongst (,ther things, the attributing to him a want of zeal
towards the interests of his country, but he begged to assure him
that instead of any such character or sentiment prevailing in his
mind, he Lad the unfeigned homage of his heart ; he was per-
fectly as:tired of the manly and hnno►irable principles which
actuated the Houourable ;Icanber, and he believed that there

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