Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1817-12-09

have at length decided upon them, and We
have this morning received copy OF the
decision, including specification OF CHAR
pes: but the length precludes US from IL r
oishinc our readers with copy We
shall briefly state the substance
The charges consist Of the four. follow
ing, viz.
Charge Neglect of duty and unoffi-
cer-ike conduct.
Charge 2--Couduct unofiicer-like and to
the prejudice Of good order and military
discipline.
Charge s-Disobedience Of orders-
Charge -Muliny and beginning and ex-
citing mu'lny.
In support Of The first, ten specifications
were named in support of the second,
four OF The third, two; os the fourth,
four, The sentence of the court, which
was pronounced on the llth OF November,
acquitted him of the first and secoRd char
ges; guilty OF the FIRST and second specih
cations ofthe third CHARGE. emitting the
words " his commanding officer !" and in
like manner they find him guilty Of the first
and fourth specifications of the fourth
charge, emitting the words :" his command
ing officer J" but (unexpe cted conclusion y
acquit him of the fourth charge. These
exceptions of the words +" his commanding
officer" seem meant 10 deny that brigadiaT
Swift is his uperior officer, as stated In the
charges.
Finally, the court sentence Capt. Fat
ridge to be cashiered, but in consequence Oh
the zeal and perseverance which he had lnl-
formly displayed in the discharge OF his du-
ty, recommended him to the clemency OF
The President, hoping the punishment may
be RENTED, and accordingly the President
approves OF the sentence, and RENTS the
punishment. Thus we have the aborlIve
result Of another court martial, to the tune,
| presume, of another sixty or eighty thou
sand dollars. God save tbe heohle.
The reasons, ofan Enrotean qorifer, for
The extraordinary POPULATION Of China.
+" The superstition OF the people, which
makes them deem it unhappy 10 Gle with
out posterity, produces early and univel sal
marriage"
" For many ages The country has been
free from the ravages of war;"
" The people oil the East have been re-
markabe for ealing little, often sustaining
nature wish the merest pittance Of rice
The land, being all of it the Empe-
ror's, is not divided into large estates
among the great lords, nat into small por.
tons among the cultiVators
" Almost every thing in China being
done by human labour, and there being
scarcely any beasts of burIhen, and but few
reared for The table, greater proportion
(the whole with very little d7duclion) of the
produce Of The soil, goes Immediately,
to the maintenance OF human beings, than
in any other country"
But the Chinese, Notwithstanding for so
many ages they have kept good so great
are far from happy. Accor-
ding 10 the concurrent testimonies of re-
cent travellers, as wen French as English,
the appearance of the generality ofthe peo-
pie they saw, in their Journeys, by different
rou:es to Pekin, was wretchedly squalid
ohiJ hdH SChNu'J dSO, SAAud Wao rep
resented as the Eden OF the world-the seat
Of primeyal simplicity, of pure morals, oil
most exemplary order, of arts and science,
md, in short, of human felicity. But since
tie interior of that vast country has been
In some measure explored by intelligent s.
honest travellers, the illusion is vanished.
90
o. s. Coniuussioners.-It appears clear
that certain gentlemen have been authorised
by government to act as Commissioners
upon the subject ofthe Revolution in South
America, and that they have proceeded TO
the Chesapeake apparently to take passage
in the Congress frigate but the intentions
of the administration and the nature of the
services TO be rendered, are buried in pro
found mystery. AS there has been no re-
cogniton by any act of Congress Of indie
pendence Of South America, and as the
President could have no authority under The