The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-10-21 00:00:00

TIIE STATESMAN.

Permit me, however, in acknowledging the re-
ceipt of your Letter of the 10th inst. and trans-
mi,ted to me through your Committee, to trespass a
little on sour atteinion, to olfer my congratulations
on the effect which has already boen produced by the
example set 1w you, on a former occasion, to the
Electors of the Uriiited Kingdom, and to anticipate,
that on every [utilise revurr..isee to the elective fran-
chise, the noble principle for which you arecontend-
ing will be felt more strongly, and that " the People,
rousing from their apathy," will imitate the City of.
Westminster iu the purity of their Elections.
In this view of the subject, Gentlemen, I cannot
but congratulate you on the recent exercise of the
Royal pproptive by the PRINCE REGENT : and
being fully convinced that dissolutious of Parliament
contribute to the emancipation of the Crown, even
more (in the present state of the Representation)
than to the Liberty of the Subject, I confess that I
am not one of those who anticipate that the late
constitutional measure will be followed by a breach
of the law.
Gentlemen, no part of the cant of the times seems
to me more absurd and hypocritical, than the decla. :
oration by party men against what they term the
44 overwhelmilig influence of the Crown," when the
fact is notorious to us all, that the ruling Faction in
Parliament seize the offices of State, and share them
stinong.4 themselves. If a doubt as to this tiutli is
entertained by any one, let him reflect on the lan. !
gunge of the Parties themselves, 44 Such an Admi-
nistration cannot stand." And why, Gentlemen ?
not because the Royal protection has been with-
elrawn, but because a sufficient number do not agree
is to the division of the spoil. What motive has the
Crown for supporting scandalous abuses that are
hostile to the interests of the public. As far as the
question regards those who fatten on the plunder of •
their Country, it is needless for me to put it. Our
liberties in these days are not in danger from violent
and open exercise of Regal Authority; such acts
being free from the deception practised by the mock
Representatives of the People, would not he tole-
rated for an instant. No, Gentlemen, it is by the
Iltiuse of Commons alone that the Constitution is
&obverted, the Prerogatives of the Crown usurped,
the Rights of the People trampled upon.
Gentlemen, I shall not attempt to enumerate the
s cisious of the late House of Commons, that will
stamp indelible disgrace on the memory of the prin-
cipal sictors,. who cannot escape from the contempt
and exicratiou of posterity, like the nameless indi.
vidoals who composed their corrupt majorities. The
ejects;
.however, of the system of corruption can be;
More bil'efly stated—the prolongation of war—the
increase of the National Debt—the depreciation of !
our currency—the disappearance of our coin—the
stagnation of our commerce, and the consequent un-
exampled embarrassment of our manufacturers.
Those are the result—for all which evils, Gentle-
men, there is no remedy but in the controul that
'would be exercised over the public expenditure, by
an honest House of Commons, add in the attention
that such a House would pay to the interest of the
State, Without a change in the principle on which 1
Illemix.rs are returned to Parliament these objects

cannot be attained : nor would a Peace, in the pre-
sent state of things, produce the benefits anticipated
by those who are not aware that the manufacturers
of France undersel these of England wherever they
eeme in competition. Even at Malta, our commer-
cial depot, for which we commenced a war that has
cost us Five liandred Millions sterling (a sum that
would have annihilated the Natinnal Debt), when
I was there about two years ago, French goods, im-
ported under licences, were thence distributed, not
only to the neighbouring States of Barbary, hut to
Spain, and even to Gibraltar! Glass, for the use of
the British fleet in the Mediterranean, was brought
from the dominions of Bonaparte, because it was
cheaper! 1 am in possession of official documents to
prove these facts. The stores were full of English goods,
which afforded profit to the merchant, not by the
course of trade that is beneficial to a country, but
by taking the dollars collected to the Commissary
General, who furnished them with bills at 30 per
cent premium, paid out of your pockets ;—Such
was the course of exchange caused by the detnand for
specie for the Sicilian subsidy, and for the pay and
maintenance of an army of .16,000 men, to prolong
the oppressions of a people, who were able and wil-
ling to defend themselves, but not to uphold the
tyranny of a wicked Government, whose abomota-
ble despotism bad made a desert of the most fertile
soil in the world. A spot which was once the granary
of Rome.

To return, however, to our own folly, and to
the cause of the ruin of our trade, which tho aboli-
tion of the Ord ors in Council rannot restor-, al-
though their promulgation contribute:l to destroy
it—let Inv call your attention to the total neglect of
Alinisters to the principle of the navigation laws,
which were the foutulation of the corrmerciat great-
ness of this country, and of its nar:l superiority ;
and in doing so now, you will remember that I have
snore than once noticed the liubjoct, and that I stated
to you, three years ago, from documents presented
to the House of Commons, that there ware then
actually 27,000 foreign seame.i (the greatest part of
whom belonged to countries subject to France) em-
ployed in the trade of the Thames.—Ves, Gentle-
men. of the River Thames !—Whilst in the same
year there were only 16,000 British sailors occupied
In its commerce to and from all parts of the Conti-
nent ! although the market of Spain had been opened.
This was one of theeffects of the virtual abandonment
of the Orders in Council, whilst they were nominally
upheld as of vital importance. Perhaps, as it is the
nature of corruption to sptead, in order to increase
the patronage of Ministers, by the profits arising to
indiridads from a monopoly of trade, and the sale
of licences—a disgraceful traffic—derogatory to the
character of the nation—thus are we involved in war
with America.

Hurtful, however, as the ventures we have m-
imed have been, our total neglect of others has
proved still more prejudicial : for whilst France has
inflicted the evils of war, or intimidated surround-
ing states, into compliance with her views, we, who
)iave possessed the facilities to direct every portion
of our force to unknown points within the extensive
range of two thousaed miles of unprotected shore,.
have never even made a demonstration with Wee.*
tion to tlisterb the enemy's projecti, and force bim
to keep hia lettims at bone, whirs. they mutt be

paid and maintained brill! Treasury of France ; but
have left him at full liberty, to prosecute his plans at
the expense of our AIN., or in the way most
conducive to his interests: and, surely, none could
suit him better than to lix the little army of England
in the centre of the Peninsula, where its movements
are not of a desultory nature, and where, admitting
the great ability of its Commander, a compara-
tively small portion of the enemy's force is fully ade-
quate to counteract its known movements ! " Just as
barbarians engage at hosing, so you make war
with Philip; for when one of these receives a blow,
that blow engages him : if strock in another part,
to that part his hands are shifted ; but to ward off
the blow, or to roach his antagonist, for this he bath
neither skill nor spirit. Even so, if you hear that
Philip is in the Chersonesus, you send forces thither;.
if in Thermopyle, thither ; if in any other place,
you hurry up and down, you follow his standard.
But no useful scheme for carrying on the war—no
wise provisions are ever thought of, until you hear
of some enterprise in execution, or already crowned
with success. They who conduct a war with pro-
; deuce, are not to follow, but to direct events. But
you, Athenians 1. though possessed of the greatest
power of all kinds, Ships, Infantry, Cavalry, Trea-
' sure; yet trfr this day, have never employed any of
them seasonably."" It is not in our power to pro-
! vide a force able to meet him in the open field, but we
must harass him by depredations : thus the war must
be carried on."

Ceutlenten, as the duration of war, by increasiwg
the taxes, will occasion the permanent decay of ti•ur
commerce, you will forgive my transcribing these ob-
' servitions, delivered by one of the ablest men of
former times, as they are very applicable to our si-
: tuation. What pare of those kingdoms would be se-
cure from attacks if the French possessed a naval su-
periority, with only 20,000 troops at their disposal
—it is obvious that there must be in every district a
force eq.• al to that which the enemy could bring
against it ? I shall abstain from directing your at.
tention to particular objects in illustration of the
fact, for the reasons given in my first Letter which I
had the honour to address to your Committee.
Gentlemen, I cannot avoid stating a fact to you
which I have often offered to prove at the Bar of the
late corrupt House of Commons ; namely, that whilst
our commerce has decreased, that kind of trade which
is most beneficial to a State, has augmented on the
shores of the enemy, in a prodigious ratio, and the pro-
duce of the Northern and Southern Prot inces is free-
ly interchanged under the protection of the abuses
in our Admiralty Courts, n hick afforded it better
securty that' all the batteries of France ; the plain
reason for which is, that each of the numerous !
coasting vessels must, for the benefit of the Court, be
separately condemned, at an expence greater than
was formerly demanded for the adjudication of an i
Indiaman ! Gentlemen, the rapacity of the Courts'
is frequently not satisfied by appropriating the wholes!
proceeds to themselves, but the captors are compelled'
to pay an additional sum for Otis performing a ser-
vice to their country. Gentlemen, that you mr.y I
have a correct notion of a Proctor's bill, I take the
liberty of enclosing one for your inspection, which
I assure you, may be considered very moderate, be-
ing
only 6 fathoms and a quarter long,..er 37 feet 6
—whereas I now possess others, that extend to +9'
feet ; hut I prefer sending (his to your Committee, as
it is the one produced by myself in the House of
Commons, and by the venerable 1:71r1 of Suffolk in
the House of Lords—the exhibition of which wait

pronounced, by the present Lord Chancellor (the
brother of the Judge of the Admiralty Court) to be
a species of mummery never before witnessed
within those walls, and altogether unbecoming the
gravity of that branch of the Legislature."—Whe-
ther the attempt to expose abuses, which paralyse
the efforts of the British navy, deserve the stigma
thus cast upon it, by so grave a character, I leave
you, Gentlemen, to determine.
I beg that the items may not pass unobserved,
where the Proctor notes his pecuniary reward for at-
ternling, teeing, consulting, and admonishing him.
self, in his other capacity as Marshal, of all wi.ich
he makes au affidavit, for which also he chaiges a
fee !

I am aware that I have trespassed longer already
on your attention that I ought to have done, had
the pure •,riuciplei on which you conducted the elec-
tion allowed me to address you personally ; how.
ever, as this opportunity did not occur, you will, I
trust, forgive my adding au extract from a statement
which 1 made two years ago in the House of Corn..
mons, on the subject of the Navy Estimate, with a
♦iew to contrast the rewards granted fur different
kinds of services.
Gentlemen, it appears on the Pension List of
the Navy, for the year 1810, that " thirty-one,
Commissioners, Commissioners' wives and clerks,
have 38991. more amongst them than is paid to all
the wounded Officers of the Navy of England !
Thirteen daughters of Admirals and Captains, some
of whom fell in the service of the country, hate
amongst them all, from the gratitude of the nation,
a sum less than a Commissioner's widow

4 Daughters or the gallant Capt. Courtitey, 101. Ica. each per ann.
1 ditto of Admiral Sir A. Mitchell,
2 ditto of Admiral F.pworth,
1 ditto of Admiral liepple, 251. each.
1 ditto of Captain Mann,
4 ditto of Admiral Muriarte,

Captain Johnson receives 451. a year for the loss of
an arrn and poor Lieutenant Chambers, who lost
both his legs, gets 801. whilst the Clerk of the
Ticket °dice retires on 7001.

" To speak less in detail, 32 Flag Officers, 22
Captains, 50 Lieutenants 130 Masters, 36 Sur-
geons, 23 Pursers, 91 Boatswains, 97 Gunners,
202 Carpenters, 41 Cooks, cost the country 40281.
less than the net proceeds of the sinecures Lordai
Arden, Camden, and Buckingham !—All the super.
animated Admirals, Captains, and Lieutenants, have I
but 10121. more amongst them than Earl Camden's
sinecure alone!--All that is paid to the wounded I
Officers of the British Navy, and to the wives and
children of those dead or killed In action, does not
amount, by 2141. to as much as Lord Arden's sine-
cure !--The Marquis of Buckingham's sinecure will
maintain the whole victualling departments at Chat-
ham, Dover; Gibraltar, the Downs, Heligoland,
alta, Cape of,Good Hope, and Rio Janeiro, and
leave 5,4661: in the Treasury. Three of these com.
Ortable sinecures would maintain the Dock-
yard Establishment& at Portsmouth and Plymouth;
. •
. - . .

and the sinecures and= ifFer
by deputyl would more than• maintain the ordinaryl
establishment of all the Royal Dock-yards
the Kingdom. Calculating at the rate of allowance
made for Captain Johnson's arm, Lord Arden's
sinecures are•equal to the value of 1022 Captain's
arms; or, by poor Lieutenant Chambers' pension, to
488 pair of Lieutenants' legs! ! !"
Comment is unnecessary : Such, Gentlemen, is
the reward for long and faithful set vices ; that, for
exertion, I have already shewn you.
Thus the war lingers on, the supplies for which
are voted by those who are interested in its continu-
.l Mice : nor will it ever be terminated successfully in
pitched battles by the military force of England
against the resources of France. Even on the sup-
.! position of perfect equality, more men would perish
before the contest could be decided, than England
nnw maintains on the Continent—could we supply
the deficiency ?
Gentlemen, to skew you that there is no hope
from a change of Party, unless a Reform in the
. Commons House of Parliament shall previously take
place, " the pensions given by the late Whig Admi-
nistrations to Commissioners, Clerks, and others,
whom they forced out of office to make room for
their friends, amounted in 13 months to 15081. more
than the present Administration have given away in
the three years that have elapsed since,"—i. C. up to
the year 1810.
• The example of the industrious bee demonstrates,
by the laws of .Nature, that the drone k trot to lite
at the expellee of the ccontnunity—notwithstanding
what the Whip•; have said of sinecures being held by
tenure, equal to that of freehold property. I have
the honour to be, Gentlemen, respectfully, your obe-
dient humble servant,
12; Yurtmau.square, Oct. 11. COCHRANE.