Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-01-30

stop, "ili, III 'e" Wy
ness.
LONDON. Nov %
DreodJM State Of HsNand "A gentleman
Of erra, resprctabiiitv, scen'ly arrived ''o"
Holland, gives the following details rss'ee.'
ing the situation of THAI unhappy county
r.. SAYS. that the accounts which have SP-
peared in the English papers OF the distress
occasion,d in Holland by b"naparse's de
cre,s for the prohibition OF all Commerce.
and of the riaor with which those DEGREES
were exeolsed, fs!! very lar snort ol Tue
truth. No person can 60 mile ou' %
town wthon, being n'inu''iy searcheo o. "o''
upon his leaving it, aud upon MS re'u'n !
and if lie happen to meet an ott'cer o. u'e
Customs CD0uanier) in his walk me
same ceremony is repeated. lhe srar+n
Tor prohibited eonds in the houses OF moi
vi,luas is carried on, # possible, IN more
v,x,,iuus manner. The thcers very ire
cuen,ly choose T.. make their search IN the
mad!e of the night; every Individual IN
the house is forced 70 get up immediately +;
and every drawer, chest, closet. &c. must
b- oprn,d-This visit and examination may
be repeated Just as often as the othc'rS
pleas, aud the slightest opposition 10 inc
officers is punished with the most unre!rnt.
ing severity. hut the MEASURE o! hoea'
partr which has spread ths greatest m"rfP
asd d-solation throughout Hollsnd was ''Is
annihia,ing a, once Two thirds OF the pubic
d,Lt, and thus robbing he public Creditors
of two thirds O: ,hvir property. by ms
s,rocious act OF violsrcr, an immense mum
Der OF families have been ieduced 10 ahsn-
lutte bepgsry. During the last lew years,
aanv OF the most Respectable DuIfh mer-
chants, 10 conssquenc ot the lmprdime nts
thrown in the wav OF trade, had Withdrawn
their capitals AID placed them III the funds.
They are now utterly ruin"d, because inc,
one ,iird Of their caphal is nom;nahy ieft
Them, set in the pr seht state OF the IMAM
ces, there is but ht,ie chance that the In'e-
rest even upon tia. third VIII be paid. Eve
~ appearance OF trade had vanished the
merchants have shut up their counting
h.usrs, and Of course all the persons in heir
service have bern dismissed, without the
possibility Of obtaining any employment
Blu. the most distressing part OF the inlor.
maEi's statement was that which related 10
the hospitals and other charitable instilu.
tions Their chief aud indeed their only
support, was the proper " dizzy had IN their
funsis, for, in the present w1c,chrd safe of
Holland, it is in vain to lnok for voluntary
contributions. BY Donapar,r's decree re.
spsc'ing the pubic funds, these situ'ions
were at once deprived OF all their resources,
and Of course the unhappy object. whom
'hcy supported, have been left destitute.
Upwards OF 10000 unfortunate b. ings have
in CONSEQUENCE OF this MEASURE been turn.
I'd out Of hospitals and other charitable in.
s;ilutiops, to perish and starve in the
streets. The gentleman who gives this
flici:ng relation Say. within these three
weeks, numbers ct poor creatures lying in
the streets Of Amssrrdars, and actually dy.
ing Ter want. In the midst OF this scene Of
wrstcnedness. the French officers and SOL
di7rs 5stTay the most unteelins barbari,y,
and Inc most wanon insolence they are
IL general Chartered upon such inhabitants
as still retain any portion OF pro o.r,y, twelve
fourteen, or even sixteen Of III. n are some.
tlmts CHARTERED upon one individual.
Such is th- almost unparalleled state Of
misery, 70 which that once rich and happy
country has hecn reduced, and all this com.
rllraged mass OF human wrst, hedaess IA.
hsen produced By the unprinoirlrd smbi.
ton, and Inc atroc!ous Cruelty oil one man.