The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-12-19 00:00:00

TI 1E STATESMAN.

Great Britain to relieve the distresses of its Allies,
may give its Government a just ground of pretence
to influence the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh to join
in the laudable and so anxiously wished-for
attempt to procure an honourable and safe peace.—
In this point of view, we confess, 1k a are not so
satisfied with the arguments, or rather observations,
of Lord lloLt.aen on this topic, as we generally are
with the reasonlog of that Noble Lord on other
subjects ; for we cannot see how tho proposition
for the Grant can be impolitic, and at the same
time unwise and unsafe to reject it. If the Grant
be calculated to produce a lasting good effect, then
is it safe and wise to agree to it, and of this circum-
stance, Ministers are, undoubtedly, best able to
judge, who have frequent correspondence with
Russia, and have daily communication with its Am-
bassador. Let them, however, be made to answer
for the consequence of their profusion and liberality
to suffering Allies, while they have abundance of in-
dustrious, but suffering Fellow-subjects, on the
point of being' driven from agonising want, to the
most desperate and dreadful resolves I:

he had taken was much greater than he had at first
supposed them to be. A platy of the Cossacks are
said to hare pursued BONAPARTE from the field of
battle for several wersts, but were unable to come up
with him.

LOSS OF.TRE ALAN, KINGS CUTTER, AND ALL
HER CREW, EXCEPT ONE MAN.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED ALBOROURR,
DEC. 16 :—"" I have to comrnuuicate the melanche!
ly loss of his Majesty's cutter Alban, commanded
by Lieut. KEY; she was driven from her station on
the Dutch coast by the present very heavy gale, and
forced on shore here this morning, and is a complete
wreck. lam extremely sorry to say, that out of a
crew, consisting of 56 men, three women, and two
children, only one woman, servant to Mrs. Ker,
and a young seaman of the name of JAMES NEWTON,
arc soya. The surgeon, Mr. J4stEs 'Flummox,
came on shore with some life in him, but he died
Immediately afterwards."

The Speech of Sir FRANCII BURDETY, at the Din-
ner
given by the Electors of Westminster, on Mon.
day last, at the Crown and Anchor, a correct report
of which was inserted in the STATESMAN, is highly i
deserving of the public attention ; and it has, as
might be expected, provoked the rancour of the Mi. "
nisterial Journals. The worthy Baronet has, is his
usual feeling manner, exposed many of the abuses
and corruptions of the State ; and we consider the
subject of too much importance to be passed over iu
silence. When the Government of a nation is en-
trusted to men, who have not only proved themselves
incompetent to the task, but have been declared to be
so by a vote ofthe House of Commons, it cannot sur-
prise any rational being that our situation should he
daily groning worse; and as the late Elections +.
have excluded several of the most patriotic and en-
lightened Members, to make room for others of a I
very different description, and the mere tools of the
Administration, it is not difficult to foresee the base-
ful consequences likely to ensue.—Sic Futecis said,
he would not enter upon the foreign relations of the I
country--a subject on which he might possibly be
mistaken, but confine himself to the internal state
of the Nation, upon which there could be no dif.
ference of opinion. It used formerly to be denied
that the House of Commons was in that corrupt
state so generally believed; but that which was
formerly denied, was now most unblushingly
' avowed Ind defended. It was now notorious-
ly known to be corrupt in its constitution
and no longer any ' safety for the liberties
of the' subject ; for there could be no redress
to the people slum the House of Commons itself
was the great grievance which was complained of.—
The attacks which had now so long been systemati-
ally carrying on against the liberties of the coon.
try, were calculated to excite the most lively alarm.)
in the minds of all persons capable of reflection.—
The Court of King's Bench had become of late years
little inferior to the Court of Star Chamber; and he
had no doubt, if the same system of severity conti-
nued much longer, it would become as odious in the
eyes of Englishmen, as ever the Court of Star Charn.
her was.. He did not merely allude to the case of a
few individuals who had been fined and imprisoned,
it was the press of England which loudly called for
something to be done, to put a step to the most
fatal mischief which could threaten a country.—
To have a licenser, certainly was destructive to li-
berty ; but destructive as suclea system was, it was
far less cruel and unjust, than that which at present
prevailed. A sham trial, and oppression exercised
according to the forms of law, were all acts of in. ,
juitice the most severe. By the arbitrary and un-
restricted exercise of ex-officio informavions, it was
in the power of the Officer of the Crown to put any
man in peril when he pleased. He could withdraw a
I prosecution when he pleased, or keep it suspended
over the head of the victim, and wait tell such a
Jury could be obtained as might be depended on.
The worthy Baronet made many other observa-
tions
upon the present practice of the Courts
on the Law of Libel, as it is called by the
ignorant and prejudiced part of the community,
and pointed oat the great dangers to which all per-
sons engaged in the Press are exposed. It must,
however, be admitted, that the evils are greatly
increased by the apathy of those Journalists who I
have the good fortune to escape the vengeance of the
law, and to this shameful neglect of Public Writers
may, in a great degree, be attributed the severity of
Ex-officio Prosecutions. The late Attoeney-General,
Sir VICARY Grum, sec uld not have had the courage
to carry his vindictive proceedings the length he
did, had the Public Press done its duty.
The Ressian Ambassador in London, has received
Dispatches from St. Petersburgh of a somewhat later
date than that of the. Marshal KUTIISOW'S Reports,
published in the Extraordinary Gazette. The Bus-
Alan Messenger left thatcity after DAVIELII, and over.
took him on the read to. Stockholm. He reports, that
just before he left Petersburgh a Feidt-yagor had ar-
rived with the account of the death of Nair, and
the surrender of the remains. of Bkr.auLtnaots's
army, he baying epees! made prisoner himself.—
'Mete is, we undentitat, a longer ankmore (leaned
report from Marshal Kurusow, written at his. lei-
sun; it V* he !tatoo that the ttembi: of prisoo".

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Yesterday, at three o'clock, the PRINCE REGRNT
held a Court at Carlton-house. The Count DE
LIEwEN, Lieutenant-General and Aid-de-camp to
the Ear Elton of all the RAJ/SIAS, and Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to his Britannic
MAJESTY, was introduced to his Royal Highness
by Viscount CASTLEREAGH, as Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, and conducted by Mr. CHESTER,
Assistant Master of the Ceremonies; when his
Excellency delivered his credentials, and was most
graciously received. His Royal Highness was at-
tended by the Lord Seward of the Household, the
Vice-Chamberlain, the Master of the Horse, the
Comptroller of the Household, the Treasurer of the
Household, the Marquis of IIEADFORT as Lord in
Waiting.
A Privy Council was afterwards held, which was
numerously attended. The RECORDER of I.oNnos
made a Report to his Royal Highness of the persons
capitally convicted at the October Sessions, in the
Old Bailey ; when Thomas Gley, for forgery, was
ordered for execution on .Wednesday eext.
• The PRINCE afterwards gave audience to several of
the Cabinet Ministers.
By the Zephyr, from Santander, dispatches have
been received, addressed to the REGENT'S Govern-
ment by Sir HOME PoEllAsi ; and if we are correctly
Wormed, their contents are peculiarly interesting.
If is said that General C.IFFAREELI, who succeeded
MARMONT in the command of the Army of Portu-
gal, has withdrawn with the forces under his orders
into France. Connecting this movement with the
events that are occurring at the distance of 2500
miles, it will afford Matter of curious and important
speculation.
A vessel has arrived fromi Halifax with the intern.
gence, that the number of voters for the Presidency
of the American Republic is known, and that it is
ascertained a majority of one only appears in favour
of Mr. MADISON, in the competition with Mr.
CLINTON. This one vote is itself of douhtful vali-
dity, because it originates in one of the Members of
the Elective Body for the State of Massachusetts,
and it is a matter not yet settled, whether this Pro-
vince has, or has not, an improper excess of one
vote, according to the Code of the Constitution.
The speculators in the city are determined to kill
BONAPARTE twenty times over. They now say, that
two Officers had reached Paris with dispatches for
the Ministry, and that they accompanied their ver-
bal communications with a message, which they pub-
licly delivered, that BONAEAItTE was dead. The im-
mediate consequence of this parole decisration, we
are told, was, that the Officers were put under arrest,
and consigned to prison.
Lord tistutowny has been the fortunate competi-
tor for the rich Deanery of Wells. He has got it
fur his brother, Mr. HENRY RYDER, a young Gen-
tleman who had previously obtained from that pa-
tronage; which should be exercised for the benefit of
the public, one of the valuable Canonries of Wind-
sor. As Ministers persist in this mode of distribut-
ing the preferments of the church, dividing its loaves
and fishes among their own connexions and Parlia-
mentary supporterss without any regard to theclaims
of professional merit, it is to be hoped, if they value
the appearances of a decent consistency, that the argu-
ments drawn from the perils, which are said to sur-
round the establishment, will no longer be used
against the efforts of those friends of Religious Li-
berty, who, to unite the nation in a bond of cordial •
union, would sweep from our statute .book the re-
ago states, that the dreadful situation of Box.
A Gentleman who left Hamburgh fourteen days
mains of a dark and bigoted intolerance. i ' •
Lotd OssuesToN,
,last night, presented a Petition
•-/ rolic.e was so severe, that several persons who oily
in the House of Comte-0,4,1er leave to bring- iraurE's army in Russia was known there; but tLe
Bill for erecting a Third Theatre in the Metropolis.
He asserts that the North of b
uyGerma is ripe
ANOTHER BnEvEr.--This measure we understand
of general insurrection against the French.
dared to hint at it, were arrested geos-tratitnef;
once more to be in progress ; and, for the purpose
benefiting two or three personal favOurites, about A
fewer than 11'2 Meetings of Creditors, under di :,r•
eighty new names are to. be added to the already ;
eat commisaiOns, this day at Guildhall.
enormous and disproportionate list of Generals. Inof tt.e
Correspondent informs uc, that there are 76
looking into the Army List, our Readers will find, r
erkv, at the Salisbury Theatre, on M
that the number of Genera' Officers to the British -Che
most brilliant Bpd crowded audience. Years'y
Mrs. JORDAN performed the part
army already amounts to within a very few of six
hundred; of which about two thirds are living armor
A NEW PROvERE-46 lie is a wise
retirement, and unemployed. The pretended grounds
knows his own` Ilogi."—A few days sine a f.
for this new Brevet are, the alleged mortalities in.
in whole of the pit was laid into the boxes.
this rank in the course of, the current year; but
considerably trespassed upon (as he thougi.
these are known not to have exceeded ten or twelve
neighbour's sow, resolved upon impolitic
at the utmost, and, under pretext'of replacing those in this neighbourhood gilding his turnip-fieldh, adi
ten or twelve, about eighty new ones are to be ap-
which be did ; but the following day, in e
•
pointed. In truth we cannot see why a subject of rounds, be discovered the offender in
this nature is not as much a question of Parliamen- field, upon which he devised an expedien
•
tart' animadversion, as the once-intended conimu- reel
or animal : when, upon investigation, y
it
nity of rank with our own Officers to those of the 13°
German LegiOn : for if there is to be no limitation, that the sow, which had been trespassing
likely te ore effectual, and actually sh
or rule of authority, on the object of Brevets,
and that she has left 12 pigs behind her too young
morning, Highness the PRINCE REGENT might some and
her fuss (Bar;/ Post.)
morning, in the effusion of his bounty, extend the
his want, in both instances, was no other than his °s'°'
rank of General, by one comprehensive grant, to
all the Colonels and Lieutenant-Colonels of the
British army. Meanwhile,_ should this whispered
Brevet be really forced upon the army, we are to
hope that some of the -double commissions of the
as well as some of the
sinecure Staff situations, with all their. beneficial
allowances, held by favourites, will be given up,
as provisions to some few at least of the many meri-
torious officers who will otherwise be thrown out e(
;read by their uucoveted prothotion.

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