The Sun.
London, England, 1819-06-11 00:00:00

FOREIGN ENLISTMENT BILL.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL. having movecl the
Order of the Day for the Committee on the Foreign
Enlistment Bill,

Mr. Alderman Wool) presented a petition, si„,,ned
by a great number of the inhabitants of West-
minster, -against the Bill. The signatures, thong!)
so numerous, were obtained in the course of t w(i
hours,—The petitio❑ Was 'nought up, read, and
laid on the table.

The Order of the Day having been read,
. .

Colonel Davis mentioned, that as an erro-
neous impression had gotie abroad, he found it
necessary to correct the mistake. It could not be
denied, that the. Noble Lord (Castlereagh) am!
others had.in similar questions been goided by the
policy and nsage which had been established for
more than a century and a half, and yet they now
came forward to ovet (urn the principles which bad
been sanctioned and acted upon by their ances-
tors. It was extraordinary, that although no
treaty approximating in any way to the effect now
Wanted existed, the Noble Lord and his Colleagues,
to gratify the beloved Ferdinand, proposed a mea-
sure disgraceful to our Councils as a Nation. If
Spain affected to clai.o the facilities which were
now about to be granted by the British Govern-
ment, the Honourable Menilva iaststed, that the
conduct, Of Ferdinand, evet since his return to
Spain, entitled him to on tour esy or nick!-
: I:ence from this coloorF. that memorable
event, the ,ehole career of Ferdinand bad been
• a series of aggressions against this country.—
BritiSlt merchants had been wantonly imprisoned
by hint, and the commerce be'ween Spain and
Eoolaitd totally annihilated. Wits it to such a
Prince, governed b! the-caprice or prejudice of
the moment, that we ought to yield the dignity
of our nation, and the independence of our Parlia-
ment ? Kemonstrances had been made to him in vain
on behalt of the British merchants so abominably
treated. Instead of obtainiug their release or a
mitigation of personal inflictions, our remon-
taoces produced only the renewal of his aggres-
sions, with every bitter aggravation of antipathy.
One would scarcely suppose that similar conduct
could be adopted even under the most despotic
Go.vernment. A letter from Mr. Simpson, a resi-
dent Enelith mercltatir in the capital of Spain,
would prove the gratitude of Ferdinand for the
services of this country. In the year 1816, his
dwelling-house was entered in the night-time,
and his papers and goods seized, and Mr. Sitop-
son himself sent to prison, under the false pretext
that he was a dealer in contraband goods; but he
had the authority of Mr. Simpson for saying,
that he was ready to make slfidavit, denying
the truth of the allegations, and maintainiug
that he had never dealt in contraband goods.
But even if he bad dealt in contraband goods,
that fact was no excuse for this violation now
mentioned. By every Treaty with Foreign
Powers at' peace With. England, the house of
a British merchant !resident abroad was deemed
sacred. The Noble Lord (Castlereagh) knows,
that trade with England had been 'prohibited
by Ferdinand, and that any attempt to that
effect was punishable with death. The ab-
surdity of the two Acts of George 11. was evident.
By the new Act fifty or sixty officers now serving
in South America would be rendered liable to te-
lolly'. But the spirit of freedom which animated
those men induced them to ton every risk in so
glorious a cause. Two Officers had lately appear-
ed at the Prince Regent's Levee in the military
uniforms of the South American Patriots, and
actually took leave id the very same regimentals !
(Hear, hear, With laughter )—No event could
prove so beneficial to England as the emancipa-
tion of South Ameriea. It would lie an admirable
tource of commerce in favour of this coutory. But
by the Treasury cotes which had been -circulated,
the Ministers were in earliest to ser‘e Ferdinand,
and to support the new policy of the Legiti-
mates.--=-(1-tear, hear, hear !)
Mr. ROBINsoN had no hesitation in allowing,
that if the arguments of the last speaker were well
founded, there was sufficient cause for going to
war. Notwithstanding the odium attempted to
be thrown ou the Spanish Government, and on
his Majesty's Ministers, the House would ac-
knowledge that the measure was not (oily pro.
per, hot justifiable. He protested against the in-
sinuations towards his Majesty's Governmeht
that they were not sincere in the adoption of the
measure. The honour and good conduct of this
cutintry were deeply involved in the Bill uow pro.

.. •
posed. What he Said might nut. perhaps have
sufficieist weight with some Gentlemen on the
opposite side of the Houie ; but lie declared to
God that he thought the measure necessary, and
that he himself, as well as Ikose with whom he
had the honour of acting, were perfectly sincere
on the occasion.—(Hear, hear, hear).—rl general
denial of 'the rectitude of a particular policy
did not prove an hostility to freedom in any
quarter of the world. If he understood the ques-
tion, it regarded the propriety of our supportiog
the act of neutrality bet ween this coantrey and a
power with whom we were now at peace. The
violation of that neutrality was not only an offence
against the corntnon but an offence against
the law of nations. In support of the Bill, a re-
ference was made to the proclamation of the year
1816, when Military Officers and those on half-
pay had been prohibited front engaging in the
service of the South Americans. One would have
supposed tnat ibis would have checked any viola-
tion of the neutrality ; but, in the course of time,
fleets and armies were equipped from our ports,
and persons acting as agents were found ready to
enlist regiments as soon as disbanded. Under
such ciretonstauces, could the Spanish Govern-
ment look on with indifference?—'(Hear
knew very well, when the passions were excited,
it was easy to bring those passions into play ;
but he thought it very culpable to permit
our prejudices or passions to bias decisions
or qoestions of the first national import-
ance. It had been used as an argument, that
the measure proceeds from the suggestion of
Foreign lower; and that therefore it ought to
he resisted by Parliament. Were such an orpi-
ment well brooded, it would be a sufficient
cause for exciting the jealousy and indignation
of the House. Bur the measure was foonded on
other principles. It was for the maintenance of
that neutrality which had been unwarrantably
violated by the subjects ofshis country. Between
that supposed suggestion and the remonstrance of
Boonaparte against the Liberty of the Press of
England there was a strong analtigy. To gratify
Buonaparte by checking the liberty of our press,
it would have been disgraceful had Ministers collie
down to the House, in obedience to the dictates
of Buonaparte, to have proposed a Bill to that
effect. One case bore a close analogy to that
now under discussion. In the year 1794, a
treaty was entered into between England
and the United States of America, in which
there_ was a clause prohibiting the Govern-
ment Of either country from allowing their
respective subjects to enlist iu the service of
Powers at war with either nation. This was an
Act for the maintenance of neutrality between the
tWor Powers ; and the United States passed an Act
in support of the principle. To bring the analogy
to bear—Suppose the subjects of the United States
equipped ships against our possessions in the West
Indies, and suppose we demanded a redress for this
I violation of neottality, if the Ametican Govern-
sent refused it, there would be a just cause for
wain—(Hear, hear, hear !)-1 be conduct of Sir
Gregor Macgregor and his followers was con-
demned 'as unjustifiable in every respect.—
Some persons might say, that such proceedings
would be productive of great advantages to
commerce ; bot he could only view such acts
as gross violations of the law .ot nations, ante.
open acts of robbery.—.(Hear, bear; hear !)
But be had no doobt that those persons would
find themselves guilty of wanton plunder, and
couseqoently liable to felony. The sensibilities
of the human mind were laudable ; and lie by no
means 'condemned those. who were actuated by
such motives. The Honourable Member declared
that he was not insensible to feelings in fae'our of
• liberty ; and he could not biotin; such noble ins..
pressions without violating the operations of his
own heart.—(Flear, hear, Hod cheering !)—But it
was necessary that we, should not sacrifice our na-
tional interest and honour for feelings founded in
error. If nations knew that we were governed by
such passions or feelings, the political line of ob-
ligation would stiffer, and other States would be
less careful in their conduct towards us.—(Hear,.
bear !)—ln no period of our history was the
maintenauce of peace more desirable than that
which we now witnessed.—,(Hear, hear !)—Some
Gentle Men attempted to console us by assurances
that what we lost in the Old we might find in the
New World. Do they thick that the countries
alluded to would be more apt to confide its us by
a violation of neutrality ? No. It would not
only arouse their apprehensions and fears, but
tend to destroy those inestimable bonds an which
our peace and harmony m-ainly depended,—(Loud
cheering )
Sir J. MACKINTOSH Said, he would contend that
the present Bill was a direct violation of the prin-
ciple or nentralitywas against the common Jaw
of England--against all the maxims of her great
constitutional writers, and against the declared
acts of her Government.—[Here the Honourable
and Learned Gentleman went at considerable
length into detail, and proved, in a variety of in-
stances, particularly in the reign of James the
First, that similar applications as those which
are supposed to have been made by nhe Court
of Spain, were. rejected by that Monarch.]—
He asked, then, was' the Parliament of the
present day prepared to yield to the weak
and bigot led principle which was formerly
refused- to Philip and to Charles—to Ferdi-
nand, to whose name he would put no addition,
no epithet would he strong enough to apply to
hires? It Was 'Said that a neutral principle was
merely sought to be established by the Bill. Was
the Government of England, he asked, for up-
wards of 2(10 years past, without having esta-
blished any principle of neutrality ; and was it
found .necessary to do now that which at 00 tor-.
mer period of her history had been ever done he-
tore—Which was not done when Spanish influence
was high in this country, so high as to bring about
the destruction of one of the brightest ornaments
of England, the valiant and accomplished Sit Wal-
ter Raleigh, a philosopher and a soldier, whose
genius did honour to his country ? Yet Spain,
at that day, did not dare to suggest what
the Minister of this day calls upon a British Par-
liament to do. The Hots. and Learned Gentle-
man proceeded in a king and animated speech to
oppose the Bill. It was one of those, bad measures
which latter times had so much encouragen—it
criginated from the same source as that of

Alien Act. Formerly it was the pride and glory
of England to extend her protectiou to eve's, one
who took refuge in her bosom train oopreision
and misfortune—but that asviorn has been closed
against the unhappy stranger. lie hoped that
Pat!lament would make a hrtn stand against a
meastne which he . considered subversive of
the best interests of England, destructive to
her commerce, , and disgracettil to her fame.
Jostice and policy called upon them not to op-
press the rising struggles of a long soifering
country, against tie odious power that oppressed
it. The Hon. Gentleman then spoke of the re-
fusal of the Spanish Monarch to grant the request
so frequently made by this Government to release
those popul.ir and able Members of the Cortes,
who are now languishing in prison ; arid con-
chided with declaring that Arguillas had (folic for
nothing what Ferllinand had beets paid for.
Mr., CA&NtIvO assured the House that none
could lie more sensible titan h4nsell to the spieu-
did impediment which the Hon. and Learned'
Gentleman had opposed to the doe consideration
of the merits of the question before. the House.--
Ile, however, conjured Honourable Members not
to suffer their minds to be led away by the force
of glowing eloquence abstractedly front the teal
facts of the subject to be discussed. It was not
for the 'House to look to the character of Ferdi-
nand upon the question, but to see ho* far
the propoSed measure was called for by',- the
circumstances .of the case. He contetVed,
however, that the Cortes were more di a '.. sea
ro fix the yoke of slavery on.
the Co- 'nits
► lo
than lerdknand, and insisted that the r eat y
now subsisting hetsveen this country and Spaineee
ought to be religiously observed, and strictly car,:
rigid in!o execution. Whether the provision? of
this Treaty were or were not exceptionable,- be
did not take upon himself to decide; but once
they had been subscribed, they ought, confor-
mably with good faith, to be duly enforced. The
Right Hon. Gentleman then observed, that the
law now existing paid no regard to neutrality, as
it permitted British troops to enter the service of
one of the belligerents, while they could not
enlist under the banners of the other ; nor would
the mere repeal of the Act of George the Second
tend, of itself, to the impartial preservation
of neutrality ; and he, therefore, was of opi-
nion that a specific measure was necessary on the
subject. It was wrong, he maintained, to attria
!aloe to the British Government any inclinatiou to
assist one side More than the other, as they wished
to act with the strictest impartiality towards both.
He denied that the situation of Europe, at the
period to which the Hon. and Learned Gentleman
referred, was analogous to that now existing. In
one instance, a spirit of adventurous enterprise
was sanctioned, which in the other would not he
justified. The usages of modern Europe did not
recoanize such proceedings as those adverted to by
the Honourable and Learned Gentleman. It was
a notorious fact that troops-enlisted in the South
' American service, were now paraded about in
many parts of our Empire, and the effect of
this could be only to weaken the allegiance
of British subjects to their SOveteign. The Right
Honourable Gentleman next adverted to the
manifesto of Great Britain, on the aid afforded by
the French merchants to the Insurgents of North
America, and inferred from it that Spain had a
just right to remonstrate under similar circum-
stances. Spain was decidedly hostile to colonial
'emancipation ; and would be so, even had she a
Monarch endowed with as many virtuesas the pre-
sent Monarch, in the opinion of the Hon. and
Leasned Gentleman, was stained with crimes, lie
dwelt at some length on the temerity which led
British officers to South America, and said that
nothing but disappointment and misery could be
expected to result from it. [Here the Right Hon.
Gentleman was intermitted by an Hon. Member
on the Opposition side, who rose for the purpose
of addressing the Chair, and was called to order].
Mr. Canning then observed, that as two• ne-
gatives made an affirmative, so two irregu-
larities made a regularity.—(A laugh.)—The Hon.
Gent, could not speak from uncle, the gangway,
nor could he speak while he (Mr. Canning) was
speaking, so between both irregularities, he hap-
pened to set himself right.—(A laugh !)—He
then resumed his arguments upon the question,
and said that the consequences of tolerating the
sort of trade now carried on with South Ame-
rica, would be to pervert and disgrace the cha-
racter Cat the British merchant. The most dis-
gusting scenes, lie was- sure, would be wituessed
all over this country by bands of military adven-
turers parading it in evety direction, if the
House,- through a mistaken zeal in the cause
of freedom, should reject the proposed measure.—
(Cheers from, the Ministerial Benches.)—He
showed that the celebrated Memoire Justicatif,
which he had understood to have been drawn up for
the Government of the day by Mr. Gibbon,
asserted principles on the part of this country
in such language, that at the present, if the circum-
stances under which it appeared were unknown,
it might pass for the remonstrance of the Spanish
Ambassador. Those principles had been sanc-
tioned by Europe and by the United States of
America. ' He then called• upon the House
to look at the first Article of .the Code of
Citizenship of South Ainerica, which declared
that eitiaeos should forfeit all the rights
and privileges of citizenship if they accepted
foreign officea. He did not say that temporary
disadvantages would not follow the passing of
this Bill, but the evil it was intended to meet
was a growing one which ought to he checked.
If this were not done, Seems were likely to be
presented in the ensiling. Summer of a nature
most disgraceful to the character of the country,
awl bodies of armed men raised for foreign
service mhstlit parade our streets. If the Bill were
rejected, let not the Executive Government be
blamed, shonld such a spectacle be witnessed.
Ministers had done their dory by bringing forward
the present imeasure to maintain the honour awl
neutrality of the country ;- arid if their conduct
•eft a 100 on i•s character, which might easily be
said, but which would be difficult of proof, if
they forgot their ditty by leaning to one side or
to the other, it would hereafter be competent
to Parliament to recal that power which they
now gave.

Mr. SCAHLET UnderStoo(l nentrAlity to be the
only object that the Eight Hon. Gentleman had

in view. The present measure, be contended,
went to violate neutrality instead of prcsetving
it. Spain had no right, under the law of nations,
to :all upon this country to do that which was
not sanctioned by our Constitution. But this. the
Right Hon Gentleman turned into an argument
in fa our of h:s view of the question, and took
cred for his readiness to grant that which Spain
ua Ili? power In enforce, and no right to demand.
Mr. Serjeant COPLEY argued that all that was
proposed by the Bill was to give efficacy to laws
which were admitted on all bands to be wise. If
we were called upon to pass this measure in con-
sequence of Treaties with Spain, whatever the
consequences in a commercial point of view might
be, they should not prevent us, as a high-minded
tia,.on, from adopting it.
Mr. lißouonam said, that the powerful speech
of his lion. and Learned Friend (Sir J. Mackin
tush) still remained unanswered=-that the best
precedents which he had produced from the
best times of our history were still untouched,
notwithstanding" the witty declamation_ of the
Member for Liverpool, and the acute legal argu-
ment of the Learned Serjeant. All the rwers
intended to be conferred by this Act on the Ex-
ecutive Government, were at variance with the
first principles of the common law and the Cott
stitution.

Lord CASTLBREAGH said, the course suggested
would be the most convenient that could be
taken. He then replied to the principal argu-
ments of the last speaker ; and to the assertion
tbdt this Treat y hart rm.yr been seen by ParliaMent,
he would reply, that it was laid before them with
other Treaties which were made the subject of
perhaps the most approving addres4 that
ever passed from the Commons of England
to the Crown, in which the SoYereLtt was
assured that he might depend on that Ilinise to
make good and enforce the same. In passing
on Act which was required by the character of
tl,e country, it was nor for them to consider what
would be said cft it by the people of South Ame-
rica. Such had not been the conduct of the
United States las' year when they passed a. simi-
Lir Act ; and it would be the greatest slain !licit
Could tall on the country if they were to suffer such
a feeling. to interfere with time performance of
their duty.

Tile question for the Speaker's leaving the Chair
was p►►t And agreed to, ond the House resolved
into the Committee.

The first clause having t,!et, agreed to,
Mr. Wit.so:4 opposed the remainder of the Bill.
The House then divided, when the numbers were
as follows :

Fot the Secotill Clause
A:taittst it 174
Majority in favour of the Clause ' •
The other clauses were debated at considerable
length, and sever 4 amendments moved and agreed
to, after whic:t the House resumed. and-the report
was ordered to be received this day.—Adjourued
at Four o'Clovh this Morn lug.

LONDON JOURNALS.

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS 9F Tills DAY.

[Morning Post.]

TIMBER DLITIHS.—W;are sorry to find, by the
Resolutions submitted to Parliament for a Re-
vision of the Ditties of Customs, that it is intend-
ed to impose duties on deals, timber, and wood'
of all descriptions from the King's North Ame-
rican Colonies. The•amount and gradation of
these duties we do not know, as the Resolutions
will not be in a course of delivery until rit;xt
Monday, which adds to. our regret, as less time
for their consideration is afforded to the Ship-
owners and Merchants at the Outports, than if
their delivery to the Public had taken place
sooner. We, however, trust, that the trading
community at large will have snliicient titno al-
lowed them to consider of this serious revision and
increase of the Duties of Customs. As to that on
timber from British North America, eve shall al-
ways lament it ; for if we are correctly informed,
it will produce ruinous effects on the Shipping In-
teicst, and add greatly to the depression of the
British Colonies ; for it will, in all probability,
in a very few years annihilate the only branch of
trade left them, since the late Treaties with the
United States. At present upwards of twelve
hundred square-rigged British ships are employed
in the Colonial timber trade—which must aban-
don it, if ANY ditty is imposed on timber from
thence, unless an equal amount of duty is imposed
on all foreign timber imp :reed.

• ENewhuies.]
The following notice has tice.n lately issued at
Ailtton-under-Lime, by some poor,.ignorant men,
who think,themselves capable of forming a Con-
ritution ; hot who have not sense enough to s-ee
that public meetings to do away with the existing
Government, and to choose another„ must neces-
sirrily be illegal, in all countries, and under evet y
form of law :
(enev.)
"We, whose names are hereunto sub.iiiined, having wit-
nessed Out increased and stilt increasing misery and distress
of mu' country, and,cunceiving liketyise, that a Governineot,
emanating from the free choice of a majority of the people,
will be the only rational :beans of recovering these terrible
evils, ducall a public leeting on Monday, the I,lth instant,
in order to make a solemn Appeal to the whole of the People
of Great Britain, praying them to join us iu so laudable au
undertaking, that by a determined and resolute perseverance
in every means that the laws of God, and the ancient Consti-
tution of our Country furnish ns with, we may unite in re-
estahlisltiog our Gut eminent in its .pristinv purity, which
was founded on the principles of Eternal Justice and the
Rights of Man.
(Signed) " John Saxon, Joseph Hilton,
" James Ashworth, Josiah Malley,
"'Thomas (-leap, Joseph Shan,
" James Etchles, John Litigant..

" The Chair to he taken at Twelve o'Clock, when a string
of Resolutions' and an Address to the whole of the People of
Cre:it Biitain will he suhtni:tt'd to the Meeting, fur approval
or ie3tcti

Yesterday a fiallot was taken nt the Ea,t India
ffotie fov the determination of the following
. _ .

"'f't•stthist ourt concur in the recommendation oft he Court
of Directors, as coatained iu theii-Iteso!ution of the 20th uit.,
att;t t.l;:zt the Sum of 60.0001. he accor•dinal gravies!, to he
applied to the benefit of the Marquis of Hastings, in the mode
FWrttrti out in that Itcsolutiou, subject to the confirmation ul
another (...;,:ttera! Court." .

At •ix o'clock the glasses were fitially closed
delkere(t to the scrutlueers, who reported the

,11-1
191

.
t) oe,
k\4r 1-1 Clutstionj
Ag;,iast

Ma;:ority fiq the. Q.neqiww

THE `444lti"N IL

soi.Em QUIS DICE RE FAISUM UInAT ?

' LONDON,
FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1819.

We received this morning the Paris Papers of
Tuesday last.- The Chamber of Peers met on
Monday, and referred the projet ,respecting the
Financial Accounts to a Special Committee of
seven. When the report of this Committee was
ready to be made, the Chamber was to assemble
again. In the Chatnber of Deputies the discus-
sion was continued on the Budget of the Depart•
mem of Marine and Colonies, and war, again
adjourned till Tuesday. The following are
extracts :

JUNE B.—The King received yester-
day the Officers of the Legions of la Meurthe, la
Mayenne, and des Vosges.
" Several Joarnals have stated that the Duke
of Wellington is to proceed to Stockholm on a
pa: Ocular mission.

" The Spanish trigate Viva has sailed from Co-
round for Cadiz, with a convoy of thirteen

t tanspart s.

Ths King, it is said, wi] go to St. Cloud
about the 20;b or 25:II lust.

" From Turin these is a report of an Italian
Confederation, under the protectorate of-a power-
ful Sovereign, but it wants confirmation.

FIVE PER CENTS.

Monday

. 67 f. 45 c.

DEPP,IIIILD STOCK.
Of the 22d March, 1817, .... $l7 f. 50c. -
42d wept.. 1817, • 85f.
Yid March, 1818, . f. 50c.
• 28,1 Sept.. 1818, f. 50c.
29.t1March,1819, ..791. G 0 c.
" STOCKHOLM, MAY '24.—The regiments for
the camp in Scania are on their march.''

The most serious reports arc in circulation on
'Change this morning, respecting the news from
the Cape of Good Hope. It is positively stated,
Unit ail the inhabitants capable of carrying arms
have been summoned by the Governor to join
the Army, alul that Martial Law had been
proclaimed. It is said that Government
have received accounts more gloomy than the
ReportS in queStion, hut very properly do not too
hastily submit the particulars to the Public.

TUE FUNDS.--.Tili3 day is a holiday at the
Bank, but the Stock Exchange is open, and an
immense quantity o! business has been transacted.
Consols opened at 704, but afterwards fell to
690. Ofuniim, which was 3 per cent discount
yesterday, commenced at t per cent. ptemitim,
it afterwards fell to 71 discount, but recovered to
par, which was the state of the Market at one
o'clock. It is now evident that the party who
have been disappointed in losing a share of the
Loan, have done their utmost to depreciate its
value, and even bets were offered on 'Change
this morning that it would be at 2 per cent. pre-
tnium on Tuesday next. It is currently reported.
that the party who sold so largely yesterday at
a discount, will not be able to get the Omnium
to deliver.

'According to the accounts received from Ame-
rica by the late arrivals, numerous failures are
daily occurring in New York, Philadelphia, and
the principal towns. Bank Shares and Govern-
ment Stock of. all descriptions have fallen consi-
derably, and a further depression is certain.

The Friends of our Establishment in Church
and State will rejoice in finding that. Lord Olives
Bill for removing Restraints on POPERY was ne-
gatived last night in the House of Lords, by a
majority 0f.59. We give the Noble Lord full
credit for the purity of his motives, but conceive
that his understanding was imposed upon, or did
not . perceive the extent of mischief which the
measure was likely to produce. A different fate
attended the ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S Bill to pre-
vent the Enlistment of our Countrymen against
our Ally, which was carried last night in the
House of Commons by a m,tjurity of 74.

Hostile as most people feel on the subject of
TiotATtoN, ‘vhich, from not sufnciently consider-
ill:: the necessity of the measure, they clesignae 8S
odious, We are persuadcd that feelin6s of Ps-

triotism are so prevalent, that every sacrifice
would be cheerfully made to the general good.,
ovided that those persons on whom it 'has
hitherto fallen so heavily, were a little more re-
garded in the regulations of such a resource.
Amongst several classes deserving- of particular
consideration, may be reckoned those persons
who are somewhat advanced in life, and who, to
secure a small piovis•ion, or part of a provi-
sion, for old age or infirmity, have sunk their
little property in annuities, especially those who
have purchased GOVERNMENT LIFE ANNUITIES.
Such persons must feel severely the slightest
diminution of their annual income. All feel-
ing hearts and liberal minds would rejoice
in the exemption from the Property Tax
of all Annuities not exceeding one hundred pounds
a•yeur, possessed by persons turned of fifty years
of age. We yesterday noticed what Mr-MANs-
FIELD said on the subject of a PROPERTY TAX,
with which we again express our hearty concurs
fence, and most earnestly recommend to the Le-
gislature. If it be objected, that to exempt those
who possess Annuities of one hundred pounds would
be going too tar, as they may derive income from
other sources, yet it would be easy to, confine
the exemption to, those who have actually no
more than that exact annual sum for the support
of themselves and their families. We also agree
with Mr. INlANsteumn in most decidedly object.'
ing to an INCOME TAX, because Income is a
very uncertain and constantly varying source of
suppot t ; and though such a Tax might he light
and easy one year, yet income might be so lessened
in the next, as to occasion great distress and the
most lamentable privations. Again and again then
we most firmly recommend a Property Tax, be-
cause it would chiefly operate on a RICH ARESTO.•
CRACY, and other wealthy parts of the Commu-
nity, who ought cheerfully to bear such a Tax if
they have any regard to their station in society,
anti a due sense of the hardships which are en-
dured by those who, however their inferiors with
respect to the enjoyments of life, are, perhaps,
their superiors in knowledge, abilities, and virtue.
To support our opinion, we may say our convic-
tion, as to the essential national benefits which
would arise from the resumption of a PROPERTY
TAX, under the qualifications which we have sug-
gested, we shall subjoin an Extract from The
Carlisle Patriot of the sth inst., heartily conciirrinl,s
with what it says of the Faction who presume to
denominate themselves NVHIGS, though they to-
tally differ from those who originally bore the
name, and who were real friends to the Pilo-
NARCHY, while they strenuously maintained the
right of THE PEOPLE ; but the Wilms of the pre.
sent day are the advocates of Innovation, and re-
quire such a Reform as would ultimately annihi-
late the Monarchy and every trace of Popular
Freedom
That our financial embarrassnfents and commercial
distress are very great, must be admitted. But what measures
have the Whigs proposed for our relief ? 'Why the aliolition
of a few sinecure places, the charge of which would neither
burthen nor relieve the public: but they hnew that this abo-
lition would diminish the influence of the Crown, which the
Whigs have always viewed with great jealousy, ten this in-
fluence was not at their disposal. Independent of this must
inadequate measure, all their proposed reductions were to be
made at the risque of compromising the national honour, or
the nations' safety. The continuance of the Property Tax,
however modified, was opposed by them, although the only
certain source of immediate relief, and the principle upon
which it is folinded is incontestably just. That every man
should pay according to his real property for the relief of the
Strqe, or, to other words, contribute in proportion to the
value of the benefits which he enjoys under its protection, is
equally agreeable to the rules of justice, and the maxims of
common sense; and that men should derive any degree of
popularity or influence from the rejection of such a sound and
wholesome principle, affords only an additional proof of the
strength of selfishness, or the blindness of party."

Mr. FOLLIOTT, of Chester, we understand, re-
cently applied to Administration, requesting
that no opposition might be made on their
part to a motion, which he was prepared
have brought forward. in the present Ses-
sion of Parliament, for repealing the duty of
10 per cent. on Legacies bequeathed to Public
Charities throughout the British Empire. We
regret to find that this application,bas not been
attended with success. However, we trust that
Government will consent to a measure so beneficial,
when the exigencies of the State shall be less press-
*. In reference to the interesting view of the as-
sembled children in St. Paul's Cathedral yesterday,
amounting to upwards of seven thousand in num-
ber from-various places, we may ash, who, among
the vast multitude that witnessed that affecting
spectacle of innocent Children supported by
Charity, but, on the least reflection, must wis)l
the repeal of a tax which may be considered as a
powerful obstacle to the general diffusion of
knowledge, a check on benevolence, and conse-
quently an injury to the best interests of the
social State.

on which a reduction of Duty is to I e made a
yet it vaties so materially from many of the
Duties proposed to be imposed by the Resnlv
tions of the House of Commons of Tuesday last,
that. our Correspondents, to whom this paper has
been sent, apprehend that there must h.. some Mig"
understanding on the subject.--=this paper omits
altogether the alteration in the Duties on Timber,
and especially the New DUTY intended to be int'.
posed on Timber from British North America,
which is, we believe, to be taxed for the vast
time. Its effect on the SHIPPING INTEREST Will
be highly. injurious, whilst it will check the es'
putts to those Colonies.—We really think the
Merchants and Ship-Owners at the Ota,poaTS
should have time sufficient allowed theM t°
make representations -on the New Duties of
Customs, as the Resolutions on which the!
are founded will not, it is said, be- delivered
to the Public until next Monday ; although thee
were submitted to Parliament on Tuesday last. We
hope that all the indulgences proposed to be made
to Newfoundland will be extended to the Kintes.
Colonies in America ; for we see no reason whf
Newfoundland should be favoured at their e%-.
pence-and to their detriment. The Fisheries Of
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Lower Ca'
nada, are as extensively injured by the late Treaty
with the United States as those of Newfoundland,
and therefore are entitled to the same protection
from the Government and the Legislature. Among
our daily extracts front the LONDON JOURNALS
will he found an article on this subject, taken
from The Morning Poet of to-day, which corre'
sponds with our own opinions, and which we
the more readily insert, because it comes from a
Paper firmly attached to Government, but always
alive to the general interests of the Empire.