Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-09-18
FOREIGN.
LONDON July IL.
TIFF LAST SESSION.

venue OF the united king ,ion, are in fou-
rishIng condition :" so said the speech of the
| prince regent at the opening of the last
session of parliament. This assertion, com :
ing with the knowledge of the splendid vic
| tories by which the war was closed. gain
| ed credit: but II was that kind of credit
| which arose more from a wish TO believe it,
than from conviction of its truth. The
temporary delusion into which the country
was thrown uy the exultation at its achieve
ments soon vanished. Experience, that
Slow but unerrng monitor, declared that
! " the manufactures, commerce and reve-
nue. OF the United kingdom were NOT in
fiourishing condition." and the groans of
! distress from all parts Of the country loud
| ly echoed the declaration IN S.. Stephens
| chapel. Min ste.s heard the cry, but they
disregardsd it. asproceeGing from imagina-
| ry distress. or ignorant impatence." The
| story OF distress was again and again re-
| peated. but minister's still shut their cars
| AGAINST Its trnth, and in their firm belief of
the flonrishing state of the country, the
continuance OF the property tax was propo-
sed. lhc nation was alarmed, its indie
pendent representatives were reused, and
AFTER long struggle. temporary check
was put to ministerial extravaganza. But
the distress of the people was too great to
be relieved even by the abolition of the pro-
perry tax. Complaints from the manufac-
turer, the tradesman and the farmer were
again heard. Ministers, smarting under
their recent defeat, were afraid to be a
second time deaf to the calls ofthe people.
With cunning cagerness TO regain some
portion OF the public confidence, they made
half voluntary sacrifice, and RENTED
part OF the war malt duties. AS far as
ne y.nll of
but still the public burdens were too hea
Wy tor the distressed state of the country,
and the people once more approached the
legislature, and prayed for relief. With
the simplicity of their ancestors, they ven
tured to affirm, that large standing army
i'll time OF profound peace, was an unne-
cessary expence on the nation, and estab-
fishing precedent highly dangerous to its
constitutional liberty. They pointed out
to the attention administers the many thou
sands OF the public money which might be
saved by retrenchment of expence in the
several departments, and by the abolition of
s;necure places. This, from tie heohls.
WIS too much to be borne. 1t was, iHthe
opinion of lord Castlereagh. carrying sig
norant impotence" to too great a length.
He loudly detained against it as likely to
alter the " fundamental features" of the
constitution. To hearken to the voice of
the people in every thing, would be to es-
tablish downright democracy it would
place the government of the country in a
very contemplate lght to the sovereigns
of Europe. 1t was therefore not to be en-.
CURED, and must be opposed. 1t was in.
deed opposed. II passed unheeded. The
supplies for an immense standing army
were voted. No reduction of the large
war est 'blishments were made, for il W u d
be worse than mockery to say that the dis
missai of few poor clerks was an useful
reduction. No abolition of sinecure places,
no the season passed On. job succeeded
Job, while majorities could be procured to
support them, and the failure Of any one
JOB seemed oHly to sharpen ministerial in
genuity in devising another. And this
Jooblng continued until the very last week
OF the session. But during all this time,
was there nothing done to remove the dis
tress of the people Was no concession
made to their cries ? We shall answer, a
great deal was done. When the hurry of
business was nearly over, and the signs Of
public distress were too manifest to be long,
er denied,a proposition comes from the trea-
sury bench, which is to develope an uni
versal remedy for every species of distress.
ms was nothing less than the establish
ment OF saving banks "you shall" says
rich sinecurist, in his commiseraton for the
poverty of the people, "you shall be relisv-
ed, you shall have, now that you are unem-
pl0yed, banks, into which we can pnt M
your savings, and though you only should
be able to save five or SIX pence in the
week, yet this sum will be a resource. for
you shall receive the interest of your depo-
sits when they amount to poundl" This
was, indeed, doing a great deal, but it re-
CURED that this beneficial measure should
be sanctioned by the house of peers, and I'M.
fortunately for the people, their lrrdships
IN that house. had not wisdom enough to
discover the great national utl ty of saving
banks, when the people had no longer any
thing to save, and they laid it aside till the
next session. When that period arrives, if
things go on in their present state, we much
fear that their lordsliips will be saved the
trouble OF legislatiDg at all, and if they do.
It must be to enact some measures which
may people deserted houses, and cultivate
neglected fields. But to return tn the "l last
session." 1T continued TO pass on, acts no.
on acts were agreed to, for carrying into
effect various plans for the moral improve
ment of the people. Colonial statues. nv
randall m onuments, and costly palaces
were projected and voted, and as mn, h
was promised in month as could be per-
formed in century. Judging only from
the many enactDents which were made.
we might almost say that the golden age
was returned, and that the more ealieht>
ered part o. mankind seemed only anx oas
how they could best impart their own hap