The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-01-07 00:00:00

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Ing the inveigler himself
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dad be, tjegp
,pat
td after seaaent
o very life end f
being his dipes,
ainishment, and
brought fordh sl st
itasteecl of eaecrattons. Eery eat and. .
sentiment is outraged, in the most shocking nutmeat
If Ministers imagine that by this species of. proceed',
iog.they will gain the affections of the People, they
will find themselves miserably disappointed. ~,
To the, charge of implication in the. crimes or
Oliver. Ministers gave a flat denial ; they have sc.
knowledged him to be an agent, sent by them to
make discoveries of treason. :No proof, however,
is adduced to rebut the charge, though of such meg.
nitride as to render indispeusible the productiou 4
irrefragible evidence. A bare denial places them lai I
no better situation than a prisoner at the bar pleading
not goilty. But their advantages are far superior to
those of some prisoner., who, though they may WI
perfectly free from guilt, yet have not the means tie-. 1
cessary to prove their innocence. Cm) facility is,
within .the react of those Ministers.; they have or
the evidence at hand, also the power of bringing it
fOrward. Then why do they not do so .1 Do they
imagine assertion to be enough ? if they do, let them
recollect how often they have deceived ihe People by
assertion, and what has been the consequences
thereof ; then let them say, whether the People will
be any longer .satisfied with mere assertion. There
appears no evidence to exculpate Ministers ;• hut
there appaars enough to criminate them. —The
non-production of evidence, of itself, pretty strong-
ly proves the non.eaistence of any of the ape.
cies which may tend to exonerate them from the
charge of participating in the crimes of Oliver. Were
there any calculated to produce this effect, they
would lose no time in bringing it forward, that they
might rescue their characters from the odium in which
they are enveloped. It is a matter of the greatest
importance. Every thing which could be of any ser-
vice, they have urged in their defence, notwith.
standing they are only io the cue of a drowning
man, who has nothing to catch hold of except a few
straws. No necessity esists for further evidence to
rove the guilt of Ministers, than that of Oliver be-
tog at large, after the commission of such heinous
offences. Ile has not only been the instigator,
but actually the contriver, of the treason, for
which the poor simple men of Derbyshire, have
been doomed to so terrible a punishment. Ministers,
perhaps, do not prosecute him, for fear he should
lay open their designs to public view. Accomplices
are afraid of each other, and this accounts for the
passiveness of Ministers. Besides, were they to
punish those whom they employ to effect their wicked
purposes, who could he found so to serve them lo
future. It would be annihilating at one blow their
system of Spies, Informers, and Treason-hatcher*.
They hue plunged the country iota so abyss of
slavery. To attain this object, war ieee waged
against the liberties of the French—Associations of
life and fortune men were formed—Loans and Sub-
sidies were sent to foreign Powers, till the country
has been drained of its riches, consequently poverty
stares the whole community in the face—blood has
been made copiously to flow from the veins of the
People—the Bouneons, the Pope, and the Inquisi-
tion are restored— Suspension and Gagging Bills are
passed—large Standing Armies are kept up in times
of peace: but what is peculiarly characteristic of
the effrontery of Ministers, is reprobating the System
of Terror, when emplyed by nom:smarm to go.
vern the French nation, and now surploying it them-
selves to govern this nation. .
" Dismiss the Ministers" ought to be the cry from
the Land's End to John.ol-Groat's. The voice.of
the People is a mighty voice; who is to withstand
it ? Will Ministers in that case dare to say, even
when supported by the whole tribe of Borough.
mongers, we will withhold your rights, and your
grievances shall not be redressed ; we will continue
in our places, and role you with a rod of iron ? The
Constitution, though much dilapidated, yet has suf-
ficient- energy to purify itself. Let then Petitions,
praying for the dismissal of those Ministers, issue
from every corner of the kingdom ; and let every
man put his signature to those Petitions. as the
means, and the only means, of arresting those arro-
gant men in their diabolical career of driving the
People into a state of desperation.
Dec. 39.
Id

W. M.

The Duke of WELLINGTON, whose recant
.intlinFy•
ings have, by their direction, infused a general belief
that they are prompted by certain diplomatic motives,
is now said to hot expected in town in the course of a
few days. It is also added, that the purpose of bis
visit is to be present at a final consultation with Mi-
nisters, on the subject of withdrawing the Army of
Occupation.
DANGEIt OF MOVING dowitturs BY Waxes
On New Year's Day morning, at six o'clock, left
Newgate fur Sheerness, by the Thames Taman-
packet, 50 male convicts, most of them transported
for life. The fog being very thick, the vessel ran
on shore facing Woolwich Dock-yard ; happily no
accident happened, but had she run fifty yards fur-
ther, she would have struck on some piles, which
would have risked the lives or loss of some of the
convicts, as well as of the vessel. She lay for ten
hours before she could be got off. It can only be at-
tributed to the strictness of the watch kept over the
desperate characters on board, that no attempt was
made at escape. The packet arrived safe neat morn-
ing at Sheerness, and the convicts were delivered on
hoard the hulks, under the charge of Mr. Bishop, of
Newgate.
Couw-Ficameoz, JAN. 7.—We have had no ar.
rivals of any grain, and what Wheat remained over
from Monday's supply was fully ideqoate to the de-
Mand, having bet few buyers at market; but what
was, disposed of was on Monday's terms.—The Bar-
ley trade was very heavy, partidelarly the inferior
qualities, which are un?aleablerat a decline of Is. per
(patter.

SCOTLAND.:

entrinuin *Orly mid
rsice4 beeriesolter
rind for the most
ittinlly different
tett *ithiitit .1111
Charlet LL. 104.

,
iiestiOns ton.
ifficOstic,
"'MAO bly
lit iflagifi y
ly , , 0r *bitterer
. does indi-
rpetlytto thelialue of private prNter f, end of
tfah cheek the activity of individeateiertion.
The Berkla -System, one of the worst of II ese ifinses,
bsti lately' attracted much attention, rata eit/
posed in its true colours by the ass *44
tines Public Bodies ;tit we think its.Areels 'oil pro.
petty may be placed i& a more conspicuous point of
view, hy,a. short .outpericel statement, than by the
Most laddered argumeist.
in skis statement, we mean to take for granted,
dist all Burgh debts in general most ultimately fall
upon the property in the Brugh, iu the shape of addi.
tiosel assessaieuts; and this must hold true in every
Burgh, unless a state of things is brought about in
werck,lhe Bur6h4tas e surplus revenue, prp_gortiooed.
to the amount of its debts. Now the very esisiewilw
or debt is a proof that Its revenue is deficient 01fit
thoOgh some of that debt may have been contrartedin
executing improvements which were expected to yield
a great increase to the City's futirtg, esperience shows
that in all burghs the necessities of the public service
grow much'fister than the produce of the revenue;
and that sums destined beforehand for discharging
debts, when received, omit?, found sufficient to satisfy
the demands of the day, or to prevent the necessity of
borrowing more. indeed, no person acquainted withi
the history of the system wilt tweet debts to be paid
off in this way, unless the management of the funds
is vested in Trustees distinct from the Magistrates.

In 1799, Mr. James Bruce, accountant for the City of
Edittburgh, stated, that the City funds were in such a
prosperous state of growing increase, that they
would not only pay ordinary expenees and interest,
but afford a sinking fund for pa}•iii off the debt pre-
viously contracted. Bow has this flattering prospect
been realized ? About 20 years have since elapsed,
daring which the town has increased rapidly in
wealth and population : the town's revenue, too, has
risen perhaps in a still greater proportion ; and yet
it is pretty well known, that the debt has increased
to three or four times the amount owing in 1799.
After this, wbn would be so credulousas to believe
that things will be in a better state for paying off debt
in the ensuing 20 yeeei than in the period preceding,
or that some future period of prosperity will remove
en encumbrance which our past posterity has only
more and more augmented. In nearly all Burghs the
the case is similer. Those who are in the must
flourishing condition think they do a great deal if
they keep the debt from increasing ; in the greater
cumber this is mere then is attempted.
There is no doubt that some of the City debts
were contracted in executing what were deemed pub-
lic improvements. Perhaps some of these public
works were m conceived, souse Of them unnecessary,
some cremated injudiciously, end probably none of
them conducted with that considerate regard to
economy which might be expected from a private in-
divides, looking after his own affairs. But we do
not mean to insist on objections of this kind. It is
more material to observe, that few improvements are
judicious or beneficial which do slot speedily reim-
burse the ezpence they have occasioned ; and there.
fore they can never furnish an escuse for a large
amount of debt. Besides, as there mast always be a
call for public works of some kind in o growing city,
they ought dot to be classed as eztraordinaries, end
provided for by loans ; because, if this system is
adopted, the City debt moat continually and una-
voidably increase. In short, we consider the most
of the Bergh debts ascontracted under circumstances
which hold out the prospect of their being increased
rather than diminished, as long as the present system
endures. Let us see, then, how this growing burden
is likely to operate on private property.
If an iudisidual, who has houses or lands, ewes
a 'certaip sum, it is clear that we mast deduct that
sum from the nominal amount of his property, if
we wish to know its absolute value. It makes no
difference whether the debt is contracted by himself
ow another person, providing his property is answer-
able for it. Now, as the Magistrates of every Royal
IBurgh can contract debts to any amount, for which
the property, both heritable and persosial, of the in-
habitants is liable, it is obvious that the debt of the
Burgh is really a mortgage over the property within
it ; and that if the . debt must in some way be din.
charged nut of that property, the value of the latter
is diminished by every sum borrowed by the Ma.
gistrates. From the nature of the circumstances,
as we have already shown, and especially from
the necessity of borrowing money to pay the in-
terest, the debt will always be increasing. And
therefore. though additional burdens may not be
imposed for a time, they must come sooner or later,
and the longer they ere deferred the heavier they
will be. Let us now lake the case of Etlisiborgh, the
rental of which, according to the Police Asses.smerst,
is 313,0001. Suppositts. according to the principles'
we have laid down, that the Income of the City is
not more than sufficient to meet its ordinary espen.
dilute, and that new assessments must be imposed
sootier or later to discharge the Interest of the exist-
log Debt, then we have to enquire what the effect of
the City Debt would be on the.property oaf it►divi-
duals. It is clear, tint when the amount of this
debt reached 313,0901. the amount of the rental, it.
would require a perpetnal assessment of 5 per cent.
on all the rents in the town, supposing the money to
be raised in that way, to pay the interest. But if
the object were to eztinguish the principal, sum et:th-
in a giten period, suppose Wily years, then 6.kgsw,
cent. .would be required. 141 us supposo,
that, the City Deist should arrive at 624,0‘1P1es
then, calculating on the. principles already I
Aow.ir, it would require 10 per- per coot: on the;
Ilrents. of Edinburgh to ;my the interest ; and if
it was proposed also to estieguish the principal
suit in thirty years, no less than 13 per cent. ou the
rents would be required. When the debt amounted

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Iftr, foot of. Oa, vary idea! qt,'r •
fit—i- 'l4usiqr el is ~ ~ . .:r - , did It (Awl
'l3t.°ll hi. trial. 111.)Yoell IN e . 1114. t 'Men mil4e leoter so keenly into goestio
sot reef beirreltiddopcedgq ,his. *Their dell rights 00 Into those that
I "Ail of ,the censPhaeb and of eb -' property. lret withoit 041 Itberty ion r
, to consign him to ignominitma
L, seearein the enjoyment of the fruits of hi
d to show Mercy to them, wooldlise.
, and there ,is probably no political. abase I
shoots of appisase from the Point! itOscripti+di whith does not tend, dirge;
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