The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-05-12 00:00:00

SECOND EDITION

ON PURL((: GREDir

yP"ule:lisc
It would seem as if writers were afraid to s
this delicate subject, lest the Minister shouldPflackc:
which the prophetic
them of invoking evils,
The financier of Britain woum
at no great distance.
that, because he can fiat}
.have the people believe,
new articles of taxation, there is no danger to
Credit. lie is greatly mistaken, for the m
Government consumes more than the indusoltryienotf the
nation can supply, taxation will lose its effect. There
is a maximum in all these things, and the Miniarr
will shortly prove it. Draw from whatever part yen
please, it will he the same as lading Water out of
reservoir—theintiustry 0
f a li1i1:
thi Oolne
can
nmes yielddowbnutt to a t
weieve,. !f
year, and the Miuister has occasion for tsvettly-iivi,,
the
draws
wtasiferioams,
cued,l
as a
i
financier,
efflux front
money by
an
the other. To advance then is to lose the Public ,re.
(lit—to recede is to lose his own. IS was the (Sia
v.ith nauce and her rulers; but our
Ministers
clause
to hazard all, rather than lose their plates. A fur.
titer prosecution of the war renders such a calamity
as is spoken of more than probable. Jf every battle
ended in a victory, and every ex?editiot lobtained
conquest,, the evil would not be removed to a greater
distance. There would be a demattil.for more money
to pay the iuterest of so much as had been spent le
acquiring those honours or possessions. No acquiii.
tions ever did more than give influence to the Crown
and to the Misiistry. The People have hitherto only
laboured for that influence, but it lets not lessened
their labours. &kitties make a government strong,
but they-make a nation weak; and too much vigour
in the body politic, as in the body natural, brings es
an apoplexy. It behoves the Councils of the natio%
to reflect what is its actual position, and whither it is
advancing. He is a traitor of the worst kind who
resists the enquiry, this being a proof that he is sen.
•
sible of the danger. A breach of the national faith,
in one instance, would have the same effect as in
many ; the direfulness of the event ought not to pre.
vent us from contemplating it. Let the time arrive,
says-Mr. HUME, and surely it will come, when the
new funds created for the exigencies of the year are
not subscribed to, and raise not the money protected.
Suppose that either thu cash of the nation is exhaust.
ed, or that our faith, which has hitherto been so am.
ple, begins to fail us--Suppose that, in this distress,
the nation is threatened with an invasion—a rebellion
is suspected, or has broken out at home—a squadron
cannot be equipped for want of pay, victuals, or re.
/31'7s-6r-even a foreign subsidy cannot be advanced
—What must a• prince or a minister do in sr.eh an
-emergency ?• The right of self-preservation Is una.
lienable in every individual, much more in every
community, and the folly of ourstatesmen must be
greater than the folly of those Who contracted the
deb! ; env, what is mare, than tire-tolly of 'thole wile
trtited, or who continue to trust, this security. If
these.:statestnen have the meant of safety in their
hands, and do not. employ them, the funds, created
and _mortgaged, will by that time bring in a large
yeedy.revenue, sufficient for the defence and security
of the nation.. Money is, perhaps, lying to the Ex.
chequer, reedy for the discharge of the quarterly in.
terest. Necessity calls, fear urges, reason exhort,
compassion alone exclaims. The money will imme-
diately- be seized for the current service, under the
most solemn protestations, perhaps, of being imme.
diately replaced.—But no more is requisite; the
whole fabric, already tottering, falls to the ground,
and buries thousands in its ruins ; and this is called
the natural death of Public fredit, for to this period
it tends as naturally as an anifnal body to its dissolu.
tion and destruction. The ptiblic is a debtor whom
no man can be obliged to pay. The only check which
the creditors can have on her, is the interest of pre-
serving credit—au interest which may be easily over-
t balanced by a great debt, and by a difficult and ex.
Letters of the 30th nit. from our fleet off Flush. traordinary emergency, even supposing that credit it.
ling, mention, that to the French fleet consists of recoverable ; not to mention that a present necessity
fifteen sail of the line (three of them t hree-drekers), I often forces states into measures which are, strictly
all strongly manned, and the British of ten _ail, all I speaking against their interest. 'Were it not deemed
of them seventy-fours ; that the two fleets were only '
a few miles distant from each other; that the enemy a crime of the. highest nature to allude to the affairs
seemed determined to come out, and were eipected , of France,.. immediately prior to her Revolution,
to unmoor every moment; and that the British s;gir I useful lessens might be gathered from that country as
_wasking.to prepare for battle!" The numerical to. Public Credit. But it is constructive treason for
superiority of the enemy is scat,. bill errtertiin no an air to insist that-there are" wiser usen than ovr
apprehensions for the result of the action, should -
present rulers, else might they be told, that the pm-
the enemy venture on the contest.
HAMPDEN CLun.—Yesterday the first dinner of • duce of a country's industry ouce made incompetent
the New Clubs under this- name, so dear to every Ire the demands of the government, all is over ; the
true and honest friend of constitutional liberty, was libration never can be recovered under-the same regi•
held at the Thatched House Tavern, WALTER E''AW/Elcq, = men. • As soon as it was known in France, that the
Esq. in the Chair, who, in a most eloquent and inv= national income was not equal to its expenditure, the
pressive address, explained the object for which the!
peep e, t perceiving that the system must end, resisted
Club was established—that of pursuing, by every
merit of the taxes. Ministers then repented, but
legal means, a Reform in' the Representation of PaY
the People in Parliament. We are prevented by repentance was too late.—What a memorable lesson
the horrible occurrence which necessarily engaged ought this to teach the Minister and his colleague's.
our attention last night,. from.doing_more. than bear- lint, alas! they are too wise to learn any thing,
ing our warm testimony to the clear,' sound, and raft- either from experience or the dictates of reason.—
*nal principles contained in the Resolutions which .
Headstrong, theypersevere
in their system, though it
form t helialthf of this new Institution, and which can•
not fail:to associate And invite all the friends pf Par- ik bringing swift destruction on the Country, au
liamentarY Reform into one effective body. The 'PniiilViug the best interests of the Crown is difficulty
Assoalation of so malty men of lauded property, 'and danger. -
from everi_ part of. the United Kingdom, can, -
not.fail to produce. the niost salutary effect ; for , The Marquis of Ilertreonn transacted bushiest
we are persuaded, that it Is: only necessary, to 31raw yesterday with Mr. PritcEvAr. in Dowiving-street.
the public mind fairly: t• the discussion of the great The journeymen hoot and shoemakers in and about
_s
source of the.pational calamities., to make the pen- London struck for an increase of wages three month
pie unanimoaeiq ;heir •pursult of a Reform. Mr. ago. They are now at work. Whets theN. struck
FOrlerSlaml a number ef. eolmated constitutional they could earn 40s, a-week. The number of these
toasts frees the Cr.lai ge was ably secvuded by workmen who were willingly idle 13
for the fast
TuttoemirebTOrt, •ihe Deputy-Chairmau i lust -weeks amounts, it is said, to 18,600, and then'
thaneatineeting *asked fOr the Stb or June.
U4--4R us at sipregat Prices. Itoldrt d A./drifts-eight thourod poem . .

STATESMAN OFFICE, THREE O'CI.OOA.

'

eAR- WITH AMERICA:

We have received accounts from Washington to the.
15th of March, is hich state, that Congress were on
fbnat day debating the important question, WHETHER
THEY SHOULD ISSUE A DEOLARAFION Of WAR AGAINST

GREAT BRITAIN ?-It was generatly believed that
a majority would decide In the affirmative; and such
was' the expectation of an immediate rupture, that
several Government Contractors had began to make
large purchases of salt provisions for the use of the
American Navy. As the Euphrates arrived on Mon.
day, at Liverpool, after a short passage from the
United States, we may expect to hear by to-moirow,
the result of the Debate in the Rouse of Representa-
tives. For our part, we cannot consider the interfer-
ence of the American Government as to Amelia
Island and Florida,. in any (Abel light than as a De-
claration of War against this Countiy.

L night Government circulated the following
abstract of the last dispatches m hich we mentioned
yesterday to have been received from Earl WELLING.
TON

" WAR DEPARTMENT.
" Dowating-streei, Nifty 11, ISII

" A dispatch has been received from the Earl of
WELLINGTON, dated Alfayates, the '24th of April.
His Lordship's army having continued its march in
I the direction of the above place, the enemy retired
before him, and their rear-guard crossed the Ague&
on the t3d, retreating upon Tormes." A body of Por-
tuguese Militia having been collected at Guarda pre-
viously to Lord W.'s movement to the Northward,
Maastortt had marched against them on the 14th April,
with a considerable force, which obliged the Militia
to retreat; and their'rear-guard having fallen into •
confusion, about 150 of them were made prisoners.
—Upon the 15th, the enemy moved towards Briga-
dier-General WlLsores corps at Lagrusa, and drove
in his out-posts, but on that night began their re-
treat, and General WILSON reoccupied Guar& upon
the 17th of April. While MARMONT collected hii
forces for
.this temporary incursion into Portugal,
General ABADIA had moved a Spanish corps into
Leon, and had obtained some partial successes.—
von JULIAN SANCIIEZ had likewise been very suc-
cessful in Castile against the enemy's convoys anti
communications. It appears that General 11.tr.Les-
TEROS did not enter Seville during SouLT'S absence
from that city. General Daourr is at Puente titri-
guna, in Cordova; and Marshal :40ULT at Se‘illet"
This forenoon a mail arrived from Lisbon, by
which we have received further accounts from the
Peninsula to the 4th instant. The Lisbon Papers
contain a dispatch from Earl WetalNG•rox to the
Portuguese Government of the same date, anti nar-
rating the same occurrences which are noticed in the
above Bul4etin. The following is the only additional
article worth noticing : .

LISBON, Mt.y 3., •

Lord WELLINGTON advanced towards Ciudad Ro-
drigo, the French flying before him. His lead-
quarters are now at Fuente Guinaleo. Rodrigo is.
completely supplied, and all things in those parts
are quite secure from future attacks. People here
are generally of opinion his Lordship wilt shortly
return south, drive Soul:: out of Estremadura, and
under certain citcunistances, follow up the blow, and
raise the siege of Cadiz. Four thousand Spaniards
of MraELLA's corp, and two companies of very
fine Spanish artillery are at Badajos. Count ua
PENA is at present intended as the Governor.