Newspaper Page Text
—
From Cohbett's London Register, of October 12.
TO Sill FRANCIS W7RDETT, BART.
(coxcirnEn.)
IX. A reformed parliament would not leave the civil
list andlhe “crown lands,” as they are called, in their
present state. In this time of public distress, a reformed
parliament would think it reasonable; and, indeed, ne-
eessarv, that the civil list should be greatly reduced.—
The enormous sums now swallowed up under that name
n’most surpass belief. We see, that the President of
the United States of America, who is the chief magis
trate of a pcoole equal in number to the people of F.ng-
Jand and Wales, including Scotland, perhaps; whose
country has a quantity of trade and commerce not much
less* than this country has; and who was able single-hand
ed to carrv on a successful war against the undivided
power of England: That chief magistrate, a man chosen
for his wisdom, experience, and great talents, has no
more allowed hitn than si c thousand hounds a year.’ Yet,
America i J'vell governed, and so well governed, and
so happy are the people, that there is no misery
in the land, and tiicre are not as many crimes com
mitted there in a year as are committed ill England
and Wales in one week, or, perhaps, in one tiny! To
what, sir, are we to ascribe a difference so dis
graceful to us? Shall we hear it asserted that we are
naturally a murdering and a robbing "ace? If our govern
ment were to do this, it would not answer its purpose,
for the Americans are of the same rare. But, we reject
with indignation the unjust idea. We are naturally as
honest and as kind as the Americans are. It is our mis
ery, and that alone, which produces such a muss of
crimes in England, compared to what is committed in
America. And this misery arises, as every one now sees
from that pressure of taxation, which forces men into
the lists of paupers and beg ars. When a man becomes
a pauper or a beggar; when want is continually staring
him iu the face; when hunger gnaws his sto a..ch and
cold pinches his limbs; when his present sufferings are
merely a foretaste of that which awaits him later in life;
when hope has ceased to linger in his bosom, then comes
despair, and with the remaining energies of his mind
and body, he seizes by force or by fraud on that -which h-
cannot obtain by labor. This is the beginning of crime;
and we have here the true and only cause of the differ
ence between ns and the Americans in this respect. The
President’s six thousand pounds a year is an example
worthy of imitation in England, especidlvin this season
of horrible distress. The hirelings of the press tell us,
that we have secured on- constitution by'the suer fees
that we have made. You know, and the people now
see, -what they have secured; but, be this as it may, il it
be acknowledged, that zee have nude sacii fires, let us
ask what sacrifices the royal family, the judges, the
placemen, the sinecure men, the pensioned ladies, the
notice justices, and others, Jiave made. Their incomes
{lave been augmenting during die whole oi this long sea
son of sacrifices/ 'Tins is a curious n. utter. Well might
Canning and Gilford, in the* Anti-Jacobin newspaper,
call upon the people for sacrifices; while they themselves
and GiLi.iur the Caricature man, who obtaining sine
cures and pensions! Well miait George Rose call upon
the people for sacrifices for tlie preservation of the con
stitution, while he, from being a purser in the navy, was
risinw to the receipt of ten thousand pounds a year nut if
those very sacrifices/ It is now acknowledged, by the ve
ry hirelings the.use Ives, even bv that most corrupt of
prints, the Times newspaper, which was conceived in
sin and brought forth iu iniquity, and which has never
belied its origin; even by this vile hireling it is now ac
knowiedged, 'hutgreat and genera 1 distress prevails.—
Well, then, wiii none of those who wallow in luxury
out of means derived from the public purse, do nothing
in the zc"" of m.tiring sacrifices? Will Canning and Gif
ford still cling to their sinecures? Will Hose and all the
rest of diem do the same? Will they teii us, that we still
ought to pay them to the full amount? Will lord Gren
ville and Mr. Ponsonby and lord Erskine and lord Do
noughmore and hundreds of others; will they say, tiiat
the people have no right to call upon them for sacrifi
ces? Will the Seymours and the Somersets still hang on?
Be it so, but,surely the civil list, which has ha t so many
hundreds of thousands added to it during the season of
the people’s sacrifices, ought now to be greatly reduc
ed. If each of the junior branches of the royal family
were allowed as much as the President of the United
States is allowed, and if the king were allowed ten times
a3 much; this, surely, would be enough. It will be time
early enough to talk of -splendor when the nation s 11..I
again he relieved from its distresses, and when the .lum
ber of jiaupers shall have been diminished. It will then
Sc time enough to have grand d imers anti suin.itunus
fe'-'s. Besides, the preside^ governs America very well
without any splendor at all. No country upon earth is
so well governed; in no country are there so fe*.v breach
es of the peace ; in no country is the iaw so imp ici ly
and cheerfully obeyed. Why,’then,, need our royal fam-
ii he so anxious to secure the means of living in splendor?
Splendor may serve to dazzle shores, but it never can be
an object of respect with free mfen. If a reduction such
as I have here spoken of were made, a mil lion of pounds
a i e-r would thereby be left in the pockets of the people,
instead of that sum beinganmiallv taken from them by
the tax-gatherers. This would be the true way of ena
bling the farmers and tradesmen to pay wages sufficient
to keep laborers out of the poor-house. Mr. Va.ysit-
tvkt’m scheme <poor mail!) was, to raise taxes first, and
to give those taxes to persons, who, in consequence of
that, would be able to tend the amount of the taxes to
those who hadpfrst paid the said taxes! But, this notable
scheme is not I think, half so good as that of leaving the
money in the pockets of the people, who, by the taxing
scheme, are not only compelled to pay the tax, but the
tax-gatherer also. A reformed parliament would, there-
Hnre, infal.iblv reduce the charges of the civil list in some
what nearly the amount that 1 have mentioned, and, in
doing this, they would realty render a great service to
the royal family as well tp the people. A reformed par
liament would, too, ascertain the precise amount of the
-king'sprivate property. I lus is an odd thing; or, at
ieasf. it so 1 intis oddly to me. Whence conies this proper
ty? The fact, however, is, that the king lias a mass of
private property; that property is in the funds too! And,
v/hat is most curious of ad, the “U h.gsfi' while in power,
passed ail-act. which geem filed this property from paying pro
perty ta.v, while they nearly doubled that tax upon the pro
perty of every widow and orjihan who had property of
■the same sort! So much mrwhiggism; hut, there i * pro[>er-
ty of this sort belonging’to the king we know fri -ni tilts
ac' of parliament. As to the amount of it there are
different assertions. But, it cannot he a mere trifle
Now, sir, while this fund exists, \ think a reformed
parliament would easily convince the regent, that
the people might, during the present distress, be
sp ired the paving of any thing at ail for tile support
of any part of tne royal family. That the king,
whose allowance has been augmented, in the shape of
“arrears of civil list,” many times during the last twenty-
live years; and which augmentations have taken place on
the express ground of the increased expend- of the neces
saries of dfe; that the king should, during this time, have
had money to tend to the government; that being the case,
in fact, when money is placed in the funds; tiiat this
should have been the case; that the king should have had
private property of this sort, under such circumstances,
appears wonderful to me. But, such is the fact, and I am
very confident, that a reformed parliament would endea
vor to prevail upon the regent to consent to a measure
for making his money available in the present time of dis
tress. Nor would a reformed parliament overlook tiie
crown lands, which, in fact, are now* the people’s lands.
A reformed parliament would remember, that the crown
was formerly supported by its men estates without any
charge upon the people, except in particular cases; that
■wars were sometimes carried on out of the means afford
ed by these estaU-s; and that, when this royal family re
ceived a fixed sum per year out of the taxes, the public
^ecame proprietors of the crown estates. The sum fixed
qn was 800,0001. a year. This sutn has been prodigious
ly swelled; and, wliat is very curious, the estates, which
maintained the families and courts of former kings, now-
yield scarcely sufficient to pay half a dozen sinecures! Mr.
Hosatssoti, who has a contingent pension of l,2(A)f. a year
;»th a reversion of half the amount'to Mrs. Emily ilus-
■Jfjsson, his wife, is the chief steward for the management
«f these estates; and, a reformed parliament, would
Just take the liberty to ask Mr. Huskisson the reason
of this -wonderful non-productiveness. A reformed par
liament would go back in their inquiries upon this subject.
They would sift out an account of the grants made of
nuts of this immense estate, within the last 25 years.—
They would see what sums had been received, and of
whom-, and by whom, for renewal ofiene's, .-nd for aliena
tions of i>art*of*this publ.c estate. 1 hey would enquire
into the cause of Tracts of land being taken in by' indivi
duals in the JWw Fares’ and other Forests and Chases;
and thev would, with very little difficulty, ascertain the
amount of the i i mense quantities of timber that have
been felled, and what has been done w ith the amount of
the trunk lop, top, and bark. A reformed parliament
would have nothing to do but t& send one of their own
bodv, with power t o take evidence on the spot, to as
certain all these matters to a scruple. This immense
estate, or, rather, this long list of immense estates, if
managed in the wav that a reformed parliament would
cause them to be managed, would, I am satisfied, go a
considerable way in defraying all expences which would
be necessary in the governing of this country'. The
I droits of admiralty would also be a subject of strict in-
iquirv with a reformed parliament, who would never
sleep ’till they had before them, in black and white, a full
account of all the receipts and all the disbursements up
on this ample score. When they had that account before
them, they would know what to do; and, there can be no
question, that they would do wliat justice should de
mand at their hands.
Now, sir, though a reformed parliament could not, all
at once, relieve all the exist ing distre ss, I think it is evi
dent, that a reformed parliament would be able to do a
great many good things, and to afford the nation a great
deal of relie f. The question of our enemies is, therefore,
already more than answered Thev now sve ••what good”
a reform of p irli men! would do; and, if they should turn
|°av. 'll it all tiu-se things can he done
round upon us, a
without a tvfoe u o :
the best possible o r
one s
F*dd.
parliament, we deny the fact upon
innd, namely, that nothing is to be
done, till 11 irough-elections are put an end to. But, be
sides, if (iiev tell us, that all these things can be done
bv the representatives of Old S .;-«iti. Gatton, Quecnbo-
romch. Ce.rfe C stle, Whiehelsez, Ike. why have these
thing’s not been done, or attempt'.*:'? Ther has been want-
ng either the -eid or the Uo-.a..nd it i« to us, no mat
ter, which, since the • iter* ha*** keen the s,unt
X. But, c ei .. -efr,-.ue.l | art lament make wheat, 15*.
a b :shei .w.'/i a ,’len'i*'-;| crop and hue harvest; can they
hr ng back S u.di Down F.wcs to 40*. instead of the 18«.
which the v . : sell t; <::-n thev rn.e.e a cow and a calf,
which nr vs; :’>r 7'. he ■ -r i the 101. which they were
I worth four or •! •* s ago; can they, bv any means,
bring back ‘h*.* * i.;. r inoiuv, and puff the bubble up to
its former ' N't And if !:u*\ could, they would
not. “Wav, ti r-formid parliament con'd not con
tinue to ;>, v diehiv-: of: he debt in full?” NO. And,
if thev could. X y v n! ! eo* e<*.v.*pt r o those individuals
who should "he found * i'-.iv ., foil* c .uin to such pay
ment; and, to p ■ fi—'i a r.-for * -. d parliament would find
ample means, without a Tc.rr ssing svstem of taxation,
and without am e.ie .,ct of injustice or of harshness to
wards any individual or any hotly of ;ncu. There
ire fun Tiol.Ler.i of different descriptions. It is certain,
tiiat a m il who has acqnirtd his property in private
life is entitled to that property, fairly estimated; but,
the bubble of paper-money lias shifted property from
one man’s pocket toanother nun’s pocket By this spe
cies of leg**rdem.:i:i one ill. n’s cow has been changed
into fixe pound's worth from twenty pound's worth,
for this ;s realiv the proportion as to the lean horned
c ittle. Upon hr whole of that sort of form-produce,
which is not affict.d in its price bv the seasons, a fall of
much more than one half lias taken place. Wli never is j chance of escanm
fit for the mouth or for immedin.c a-e in any Way, sells at
some pricet but, there I are some things such as colts,
weaned calves, store iambs, which will really bring no
thing worthy of the name of price. Manv men chiefly
the rearing of sheep; and they art* now selling for 9s. a
head ivhat they ought to sell, according to their expen- j and energy to remove the pressur which tile people
ses. at 25.s. a head. < Ian it be just, then, that the bubble, | feel; they would instantly put an end to that everlasting
which has so lowered‘heir >* p-.rly, should not lower ! source of ill-will and bloodshed, the religions <Usabilities
the property of the fuiidhniuer-' Suppose A and B to j of Catholics and Dissenters; they would throw open the
have started in lol2, each worth a thousand pounds in ' doors of promotion and honorable reward to men of all
his pocket. A lent his money to Perceval and the rest j religious denominations; and would thereby put an end
of them, and B went to farming. A w s to get 5 per j to those bitter animosities, which, while they make men
cent, for his money, and It tiie p.-ofk f his money and i persecute eacli other, render the whole mass more com-
his labor. A had to receive of B in taxes tne amount I pleteiv subject to oppression. A reformed parliament
of abou J r O bushels of wheat: for 70 bushels of wheat! would, at once, recal the army from France, and dis-
cost them about 5 ■!. This was fair as long us the bubble j claim, in the mint distinct term.,, all intention or desire
continued; but, the bubble gels a crack; and tilings are • to interfere in the domestic affairs of other nations, ex-
so changed, tiiat Ad in., nils and receives of B. more .than j pressing, at the same time, its anxious wish to see
190 bushels of
ly understood
in all sorts of farm produce, winch is the case, he re
ceives more than double of a hat he ought to receive, ac
cording o tne fair interpretation of the implied con.fact
at the out-set. It is, therefore, manifestly unjust, that
this rare of paying and receiving should continue. In
feed, the thing-is impossib'e, hut .fit v. eve possible, it would
great errors in the nr?T:»yIwCtton of an entirely new sort
of government, yrlcch the people had never Before beard
any thing about. 'Therefore, sir,mvc are not to be scared
by tiie hirelings who tell us (very f.iis'ly, I hope,) that
the government will never yield, and tiiat we shall not
have reform with ail revolution. But, we do not, I hoot*,
stop here; for, if we coulcl believe it possible, which vvt
cannot, tiu.t England would, in theed, derive no great
er beni fit from the change, than France iias derived from
her change, still we ought to proceed! For, sir, in spite of
every thingth t the Bourbons, aided by a million of men
in arms, have In en able to do, s'ill the state of France is
a state of blessedness, compared to what it was before
the revolution. France now possesses the Cntl: .'Tapoieou.
instead of the cruel feudal system. France, in spite ol
invading and watching armies, has not been, and will not
be, rcplunged into the barbarism of tiie seventeenth cen
tury. Religious toleration Cannot be gotten rid of. though
murders are committed in the name of .lesi.s Christ.—
The priests will never regain their power, and the petty
tyrants of the noblesse are forever ejected from their
power of robbing and insulting the people. To see
foreign army in their country, to uphold the Bourbons
against tile wishes of the people, must give the latter pain;
but thev are* much bett.r of]’than before the revolution,
when they were liable to be robbed and beaten, without
daring to rerist, by any of the myridon* of the crown.
And, in truth, it is no 1 more humiliating; it is even le.s= hu
miliating, to he kept in awe by a foreign artiiv, brotwht
into the country on purpose, that by an aim, of
own country, consisting of our own countrinicn
! fed, and elo tilled hi ourselves In tiie former cast* it j s
an open acknowledged submission *t* foreign force; to
the superior power ofn conqueror; but in the latter case,
it is a sort of sneaking degradation, which se*ks to hide
i’self even from the eves of the degraded party himself,
who vainly imagines that, in shutting his eves to his own
disgrace, hi* can hide it from the rest «f the world. Sup
posing. then fore, that things were to remain in France,
as they now are, the French h..ve great’y gained bv their
revolution, besides having inflicted jus' punishment on
the greater part of their oppressors, and that is it clear gain
an enjoiment possessed and paic, which nothing can
deprive them of. Bui things vvili not ren.aiu as they are.
T e French revolution is not yet ended. It cannot stop
where it. is, and the events of every day tend to impress
this truth on our minds. However, even the view that
present circumstances present, ind ccs us to conclude,
making the verv worst of every tiling we see, that ;e
example of France contains no one argument ag’ainst the
most strenuous exertions in favor of reform in England.
To return to tiie fundholders, sir, the notice of whose
f.dse alarms have led me into tills digression, I think thev
ought to see much more cause for alarm in the continu-
noe of the present sys eni, than in a reform that would
put an end t, it. Several of the correspondents of the
board of agriculture, magistrates, and of course “friends
of government.” t; 1! the boar;!, that if something be not
dour, tliey do not hHieve tiiat the peace of the country can ! 5
be preserved! Bv which they must mean, that the people I
will rise and help tiler,tsclvts. This is revolution at coce;
or at least, op -n rebellion. So that it is their opinion, that
one of these vvili take pi ice, unless something be done.
And what is to b done other than taking off the taxes
in the wav that 1 have proposed? And who will do 'hat
but a reformed parliament? Tims, then, the fundhoiflers
oust, I should think, at least, clcarl) see, that their only
by this board embraces rr. ester* vFn--..
saivi miles, through out of the most im , ,-s ?,! ^ *•*•'*-
on the globe, and its e^LUduneWt wVii
rights of tr.e respective governments to an in "*
her ot very Valuable Islands, which are no" '■ " ur "
” uf
controversey In addition to the political ,)f
suiting from tins commission, we amicii* t
hors of the commissi ners, and the gentleman -
accompany them, much useful and interestin'
uon connected with the geology, niineroiogy ^
HorUiw^.;^
SAVANNAH REPUBLICAN 5 *
a >._ i ■ .«
Thursday Evening, December 5, isig
xr ,* r ' V I A f H 7 GTOV C,Tr » November 25* *
Martin D. Hardin is appointed bv the irim’
of Kentucky, to be a senator in congress i r ? 0re rnc»
to fid a vacancy occasioned by U.e
Barry.
Benjamin Massey, republican, and Thr
federal, are eiecled electors of presidem • m ] Rs .
dent, on the Eastern Shore of Mari-foi.p ' lU 1 v,Ce 'l ,r «i-
The governor of Virginia has officially n-
foltowmg persons to he elected electors of ° C
Vice-presidenl for that state;—
George Newton
Charles H Graves
John Pegram
Mark Alexander
Joim l’uniai
Branch T. Archer
Joseph C. ttaheli
C.llarlts A ..neev
(ieorge Penn
Yv in. i». Poindexter
Spencer Rome
Sthrcshley Reynolds
Robert i'avi'ir
November 26.
.. . . department, November 25 IRIR
Notice is hereby given, tiiat funds have beer’ * ‘
for tne payment ot surh treasury notes o' ‘
then on, as are now due at the I>, 311 ,,m‘ - ir 'd res ;
New-York, in the state of X-u y,, lt , ‘. he , r,; . v «
not embraced bv the notification fi-om this n ‘
the 22,1 of August, 1816. ‘ ' ,11S Uc I’ urtE «*‘*t ol'
turned ti;e
president ojm
Isaac Foster
Brazure \Y. p rvor
William Jones’
William la-e Ball
•7tci.ii T Brooke
Hugh Holmes
John Dixon
Archibald Kutin
Arcliibald Sttiait
Andrew Russell
Charles Taylor
John Webster
led
accordingly he p ad
ptCiiv; ',v.
ruin, is in a refirsn,- tiiat while the
ciioice ot the country, in general, lies'between reform ..nd
con fusion, their on u particular choice lies between reform
with something, and confusion with not a farthing. A re
formed parliament would "preserve the pence of the coun
try,” I’ll warrant it. They*would hasten with sincerity
wheat instead of tiie 70, which it was clear- I and religious liberty flourish in every part of the world,
that awns to receive. And if A be paid j This is the way that a reformed parliament would pro-
Aiul the saiJ treasury notes will
upon tiie application of the holders thereof
at the said Loan office in the c tv of New
time prior to the first day of Jan.ian, 1817 \fu r •*•■
day interest will cease to be payable upon the smJ lr '
»urv notes. rci '
The commissioners in the several states are reo, K .,tH
to make this notice generally known by all the i ‘.n- n
tiien* power; and the printers authorised to pub i-' -h,
Luvs of tne l nited States, will he pleased to insi'- e
once a week in their respect, ve papers until the first ,’ u *’
of January next. \V». H CuAivmua. '
cced, in ,»r:it*r to preserve tiie peace, and restore the
happiness of the country.
Having now, sir, shown that a reformed parliament
would be able <o do something that no one will deny ,o he
good, unless lie be an eater of taxes, I shoutu next pro
ceed to answer the s.-conu question; natneiv, “in W H \T
he iinjus!. A reformed parliament, therefore, after mu- MANNER can a reform take p,ace without creating eoufn-
king every reduction ill expenses tiiat was parcticnbte,
would betake thems'*lvcs to the great task. They would
inquire who tin* fundholders were, when they deposit
ed their money: they would hunt out the receivers of
public money th; v would see the extent of the nation’s
means, and they would, in a very short time, and with
the greatest correctness, allot to every one his real due.
Such a p rliu went would be tiie best friend of tiie funtl-
liotder, because it v.'ou.d begin by lopping ofF almost eve
ry expense except th**t of the debt, and would thereby
secure the best and onlv chance of his being paid. At
inv rate, the lot of the fundholder could not be -worse
than it must inevitaMy hi -* ne in the present progress.—
With a reformed iiariiarnent an accomnioihition, a com
position would take place; but, if the b hble finally burst i
to thin air, without a reformed parliament, such a com
position ntav Income whuiiv impracticable. No persons
therefore, ought‘o wish for a reformed parliament so
niestiy as t '** fundholders, the greater part of whom
are now, from ignorance, its d-ciiled enem.es. They
have a sort of vague fern*, that a reform of narliament
would lead to their utter ruin, an* : they have still sign
ing in th. ir ears tiie sounds, created by knavish horror-
mongers, ..bout die French revolution. The causes **f
that revolution would; however, if they rightly under
stood th'-m, produce a vein different effect on tiie mind.
It is notorious to all men who have read noon the sub
ject, that it was the extravagances of the French govern
ment which produced f he revolution. These extrava
gances, which imposed intolerable burdens up >n the
people, were perceived in. in spite of ail tin* complaints of
the pentile, at a moment when the taxer pi c sal them to
th- earth. But, at last, the government could no longer-
collect the means of paying the interest of the debt. .Still it
oers-vered in the extravagance It could not, however,
by all its cruel edicts, wring from the people a sufficiency
of inonev to pav the just demand upon it, and at the same
time to support its army and its sv - rms of lazy dependents.
In tiiis diiemiua, it called the notables together, and they re-
co.nmended reform! Still 'here was time for the govern
ment to have s..ved itsiV.' from the destruction, and the
country from bloodshed •• ;t the govcrmian., urged
by the blood-suckers of tlio country, endeavored to sup
port the old system; discovered insincerity in all its pro
fessions for the public good; allied itself in wishes, at
least, with those who had gone abroad to invite tiie aid
hired soldiers; tin
>k* he
•••one enraged; vengeance
Uirusted calm reason from her seat; and tne throne, the
nobles, the church, all were buried down in an instant.
From the government, vengeance marched with fire and
sword against all its friends. Property became exposed
to the caprice of succeeding men in power, and, in the
uproar, the opulent fundh'<lilcr thought himself happy
to escape with his life to some dirty hiding place, there
to reflect on the important truth,thatTI.MELY REFORM
would have secured to bi-n the pass ssion of his fortune.—
Happy would it he if, profiting from tiiis dreadful cx _ -
aniplc, tiie fundholders would now join their efforts to
those of the fne.idsof timely reform. The hirelings bid
us be warned by the French revolution Let them lake
the awful warning to themselves. They are for ever re
minding us, that that revolution has ended in despotism.—
VVe, therefore, wish for a reform that shall prevent revo
lution. But, sir, if they will have it, that our government
will never yield upon this point, and that if we have a re
form, we shall not have it without a revolution, we will
not believe their assertions; but if we were to admit them,
for argument’s sake, even then we should see no reason
to desist from our efforts to obtain reform, being con
vinced that the e.campls of Tranee ought not to (lUtrir. us.—
We have, in tills country, a form of government that we
like; we have great constitutional principles and
laws, to which we are immoveubly attached, which our
brethren in AmericaiiaVe firmly and most wisely adher
ed to, and which nothing can improve. These are land
marks for us, and would be our sure and certain guide.
Whereas the French had never possessed arty fixed prin
ciples or laws of this description. They were “all at
sea»•” and no wonder, if, in the midst of their rage, and
their vengeance, and their torments, they committed
Sion,-” but as this is a subject that requires ta be treated
oi somewhat in detail, il must be postponed till ano
ther week.
In tin* n. -anwhile permit me to congratulate you on the
noble efforts, which the friends of freedom are making
in the city of Loud, i, and on the triumph of those eff orts.
I he re-election of the lord mayor, excellent!v sound a id
brave and public spirited man as he* is, is nothing com
pared to tiie: demonstrations upon this occasion in favor
of those principles, which are now prevailing in even
quarter, namely, the principles of reform. There was a
time tv lien a man like the lord mayor would not have ob
tained a hundred votes in the city. Singular that the Piit
crew, by persevering in a poll, should stik to proclaim
t.ieir own disgrace! But tiie truth is, that they can hardly
believe that wliat tiny now behold is a n-uity. Their in
solence cannot yit recede from its former point. Ido
not so much wonder at tiiis, seeing that I myself, though
for twelve or thirteen years occupied in coolly foretelling
the blowing up uf tills system, am actually as.onished at
what I see around me. 'Tin star as ofFi.t would appear
to have been placed in the Guildhall by his corrupt friends
and jobbers, for ihe express purpose of now carrying
back the recollection of the livery to his innumerable
acts of oppression and insolence. Without this object
in their sight, they might be induced to stop short in their
reflection; but with this before tlie-in, the trial of Tooke
and Hardy, the transportation of the Scot patriots, the
suspension of the habeas corpus act, the treason and se
dition bills, the laws to cramp the press, the basilic* and
“governor.” Aris, the loan to Hoyd and Benfiel.l, the
bank restriction act; all these and a thousand other things
rush in upon the mind. No wonder that Mr. Thompson
was led into vehement language, when, with the miseries
of his* country in his mind, ne happened to turn his eves
towards the statue. But the more solemn tiie proceeding
in tiie removal of tiiis object, so justly hateful to the eyes
of the friends of freedom, the bet ter it will be. It was
voted into tiie hall bv the enemies of the country; let it
be voted ,ut of ;he hall by its friends. It is indeed a deep
disgrace to the city of London that it should remain there;
for as long as it so remains, will the city be justiy accus
ed of entertaining bad principles, or of want of courage
to assert good ones. This was the man who first set that
mischief on foot, which has at last covered the country
with misery, after having enslaved a great part of Europe.
He was a cold, a hardened, a merciless man. The cool
manner in which he pursued Messrs. Tooke and Hardy
the evidence he gave on their trial, (to say nothing about
that of his friend IFilbeiforce;) his Cold Bath-Fields pro
ceedings; these ought never to be effaced from the minds
of the people of England and Scotland; and the useful
sort of pubHc instruction would be to give a true account
to the people of his acts, and those of his underlings and
successors. However, we have lists of the members of the
Pitt Clubs, which may serve to guide us in the selection
of those, who are entitled to the largest share of our re
sentment. A short time will shew, whether these combi
nations of men will have the impudence to persevere in
insulting the people; but whatever they may do, the days
of their glory are gone, never to return, and the days of
their shame are at hand. I am with great res >ect, your
most obedient servant, \Vm. Cobbett.
M. Cohrba df. SrtutA, minister from the king of Pc-,
tugai to die United States, arrived in this city on Frith*
The Alexandria Gazette semi-offieia'.lv states, that “the
Swedish minister M. 1)k Ka.vt/.ow, w ill be ir. Washington
on the 1st December,” ami that “the Spanish minister
Dos O.Ms, is now on his way there.”
A bill has been introduced into the legislature of
North-Caroiina, to compel the banks of that state to pay
specie- for their notes. r 1
November 27.
The chevalier Josb Corkf.a be 8err,*, had an audience
of the president on Saturday last, when lie delivered his
letters of credence as minister plenipotentiary of his most
faithful m..jesty the king of Portugal, Brazil a’nd Aiganu.
The second session of the fourteenth congress com
mences in tins city on Monday next, being the first Mon
day m December. Already the members begin to arrive
at the seat of government.
As the session must terminate on the fid day of M„rch
next, it will necessarily be a very short one; but it v ; | bv
therefore, more than usually* interesting, since business
will proceed with more spirit; and the mi,ids cf the
members, as well as the attention of the public, be ie=t
relaxed than at the close of a long session.
It is not easy to say what subjects vvili obtain the atten
tion of congress, though many may he enumerated that
will present l ieinseives for their consideration. It doe?
not at this moment strike us, that our relations wit'i am*
foreign power are in such a state as to be necessarily
brought into discussion. The triv ial misundirs’ar.di;; *
with Russia is so certain of being adjusted, when brought
in a correct light before her enlightened sovereign, tint
n is notjprobahle congress will have occasion to act or.it.
Nor is it any more probable, we trust, tiiat the reported
demand of the French minister will be stiff, mt to v ioke
me peace between the two nations, who have at pre-.n
iio rcai cause for enmity, and whose governments 'vilt
j ■ f> t suffer an imaginary one to disturb their tranqitiiitv.
Of the present state of our relations w ith Spain, we arc
not advised, hut are under the intoression that it is not
essentially varied since the last session of congress. Ti;"
attack on the Firebrand, vve take it for granted, will b.
disavowed, and properly atoned for—for vve have no faith
at ad in the late* rumors of a declaration of war against
us by Spain, and very little in the idea, which some niter-
tain, of a wish on the p..rt of Spain to prov oke us i to i
war. With the whole world, in short, we are at peace;
and,deej»ly interesting as our relations with some of those
po wers are, and all-important as they may, under oilier
circumstances, become, vve do not see hat mere is any
prospect of a material change of our attitude towtuds
either of them, at the approaching session of congress.
If, indeed, congress should think proer to jHor,. any
aid to the independent arms in South America, a** u.,sheen
suggested, our relations with Europe might be •Jiecu.l
by such a course; but it is not at present quite clear to
us, how the United States, consistentiv with the princi
ples of our government, can afford direct aid to tl.e Inde
pendents, however its members may inch' idualiy y;t
success to those whose object is to vindicate anil fstabl*®
the principles and institutions of civil and religious tru-
doin in 8 utli America.
The objects of a domestic nature, which offer them
selves to the consideration of Congress, are ntin'erou?
and important, embracing many disputed questions "*
internal poiicy. First in the pubfic view, though far
from first in importance, of ail these, is the act ot the
last congress, which prescribes the mode in which th e
members of congress shall be compensated. That la' 1
will doubtless he repealed in obedience to the public will,
almost unanimously expressed; and in lieu thereof, an
increased per them compensation be established. The
next question in the public eye, is the expediency ot
continuing, for a longer time, the direct tax, which, b>
the law of the Last session, was limited to the present
year. f
The passage of a navigation act; the establishment 0
a national university, the extension of the military
my, the establishment of a corps of invalids, the ei uni
fication and organization of the militia; the imp<T-*n-
question respecting the expediency of employing » d
of the national funds in making roads and canals; thvs*>
and many other great questions, must pass under rtvlt '
during t’hi ensuing session, and as many of them L
finally acted on as time will permit. . t
A glance over the wide field before them, is sumoa *
to show tiiat the time of congress would be fully em l’
ed for a much longer session than that which is at *' *
Let us hope that tiie session will he productive of asm
benefit to the country, as the adoption ol tiie wi»
measures can ensure. .
GuoRniA.—John McIntosh, Charles Harns^H.
GUDRitlA. .IOI1I1 .vieIII 10311, x/u.tii*-3 —aher.
ell, Jared Irwin, John Rutherford, General -'( er ‘ , e .
Joun Clark, and David Adams are appointed v j ce
gislature of Georgia to be electors of president a
president of the Lulled States, w ho will all '
James Monroe and Daniel D. Tompkins.
am
cte fat
Afbany, November 19.
Roundary Line.—Colonel Oglevie, the commisioner ap
pointed on the part of the British government to estab
lish the boundary line from the 45tn paridlef of latitude
on the St. Lawrence, to the lake of the woods, arrived in
tiiis city on Saturday last. General Porter, the American
commissioner, had arrived several days before. The city
of Albany being the place designated by the treaty of
Ghent for the first meeting of the commissioners, we un
derstand that it accordingly took place yesterday. From ' vjl 5 Hrinchard’s on Ellis-street, wmc; 1
the lateness of the season, however, they will not be able out in a stable of Mr. j. & U «;
to commence their operations this fall; but we are informed
that they will probalaly organize the board, and make the
necessary arrangements for entry on their labors as soon
as the water shall open in the spring. The line to be run
On Sunday morning last about day break, a
ii r a r»„: I...„n I*'llm-StX
fire broke
get r which
soon extended to ‘the back stores of. Mess «* f an d
Townsend, and of Messrs. M'Geheeand MuW®.
in a short time the line of back buildings deJtrove d by
and the three adjoining lots, were eitaer