Page images
PDF
EPUB

Religion, natural and revealed, stitution and Course of Nature. Joseph Wilson, A.B. 4s. 63.

to the ConBy the Rev.

NATURAL HISTORY. The Natural History of British Insects; together with the History of such Minute Insects as require Investigation by the

Microscope: the whole illustrated by coloured figures, designed and executed from living specimens. By E. Donovan. Vol. XIV. 11. 11s.

Mr. Crossfield desires us to state, that the price of the Calendar of Flora, is 1s. 6d. instead of 3s. 6d.

REPORT OF DISEASES,

Under the Care of the late Senior Physician of the Finsbury Dispensary, from the 20th of April to the 20th of May, 1810.

THE

HE alternate smiles and frowns of our fitful and coquetish climate, have recently appeared to produce in more than usual abundance, rheumatic, catarrhal, and the more strictly pulino. nary, affections.

Two of the most important cases, in the treatment of which the reporter has been concerned during the last month, were instances of pleuritic inflammation. Pleurisy is one of the few diseases in which bleeding is imperiously demanded; more especially when it occurs in the unimpaired constitution of early youth. Even at an age farther advanced, and when the springs of life have been somewhat worn, venesection may and ought to be had recourse to, although in a more cautious and sparing manner. But in most of the other derangements of the frame in which it is usual to employ the lancet, the writer of this article still adheres to an opinion which he has so repeatedly expressed, that it cannot fail to prove often a cause of the eventual, sometimes of the almost immediate, extinction of vitality. In the different in terruptions, for instance, of nervous energy, which are exhibited in apoplectic and paralytic paroxysms, the first thing which is generally thought of, is to open a vein; as if we should most effectually relieve actual exhaustion by substracting the vital fluid, or as if the best mode of restoring impaired or suspended powers, were to have recourse to that evacuation which of all others seems best calculated to produce the extreme of debility! The immediate administration of brandy, or some other powerful stimulus, is, in the majority of such emergencies, more obviously indicated than depletion of any kind, more especially of blood. To use a metaphor which has been almost worn out in the service of these reports, we ought to blow the nearly extinguished

fire, instead of scattering with a careless extravagance, the fuel which supports it.

In cases likewise of confirmed pthysis, there can be little doubt that bleeding proves generally injurious, by the weakness which it aggravates or occasions. In instances even of hopeless consump tion, it hastens the march of an inevitably fatal malady, it hurries those steps which are unalterably pointed towards destruction. By no dexterous management of the reins, can we turn this disorder out of its course, but we may restrain, in some degree, the rapidity of its progress, and cause it to move at a more leisurely and easy pace to the grave.

Several recent cases have demonstrated, or rather illustrated to the reporter, the inexpediency of mothers who are sickly and consumptive suckling their children. Without considering whether the taint or germ of any specific disease can be cominunicated through such a medium, there can be little doubt that the milk of a healthy cow is preferable to that which is secreted by the breast of an unhealthy woman. Many female parents are apt in this way, to inflict upon themselves as well as their infant offspring, serious and irreparable inischief, from a mistaken sense of maternal obligation. Violations of duty are sometimes not more injurious than erroneous conceptions, with regard to its dictates and its limits.

The only other case which the reporter means at present to notice, is that of an unfortunate man who became a victim to the disastrous issue of a va riety of commercial speculations. The same blow which deranged his affairs, produced a disorder of his reason. His finances and his faculties fell together. The phantoms of imagination indeed survived, and seemed to hover over the ashes of his understanding. The demon of speculation, which had before misled

his mind, now possessed it entirely.
His projecting spirit, which was always
more than moderately intrepid in the
maniacal exaltation of his fancy, took
a still bolder and sublimer flight. Some
of his schemes reminded the reporter
who
of another madman,
planned,
after draining the Mediterranean, to
plant it with apple-trees, and establish
the coast.
a cyder manufactory on

In such cases, we do not so much
pity the insanity as the_misfortune to
which it owed its birth. In better times
it has been remarked by professional
writers, that it was not the unforeseen
depressions, but the unexpected eleva-
tions, of fortune, which most frequently
rise to mental aberration.
gave
May 21, 1810,
J. REID.
Grenville-street, Brunswick-square.

STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN MAY.
Containing official Papers and authentic Documents.

[blocks in formation]

TURKEY.

A French army under General Marmont is forming on the frontiers of Turkey; and it is reported at Vienna, that the Austrians are to take part against that empire. The avowed object of the projected coalition, is to compel the Porte to break off all connection with England.

Mr. Adair, the British ambassador at Constantinople, has addressed a letter to Mr. Merry, the consul at Smyrna, in which he says, that the French government had insisted on the grand signior going to war with England; but that the threats of France had been disregarded, and every demand injurious to our friendly relations with Turkey, rejected with indignation: that power being determined to assert its independance to the last, to adhere to its treaties, and, if necessary, to put forth its whole force to maintain them.

ITALY.

On the 28th ult. was published at Rome an imperial decree, dated at Compiegne the 17th of the same month, according to which, every ecclesiastic, secular, or regular, in that city, not being a native of the departments of Rome or the Trasimene, was, within fifteen days from the day of its publication, to withdraw therefrom, and to repair to his native diocese. Natives of the two departments specified were also to retire from the city to their respective dioceses. All the secular priests resident at Rome were, within two days, to present themselves before the director-general of the police, and to declare their names and places of nativity, and their intention of obeying the imperial decree. The superiors of con. vents were, within the same space, to deliver in lists of the clergy under their superintend. ance. Special provisions will be adopted as to the Irish, Scotch, Sicilian, Maltese, Ar. menian, Greek, and Asiatic clergy; and all others who may be prevented, by political

circumstances, from returning to their own

countries.

FRANCE.

A French decree relative to American property in France, dated so far back as the 15th of March, was published on the 8th instant. It orders that all American property under sequestration shall immediately be sold: that all Americans shall depart without delay from the French territory, under pain of being arrested; and that the decree shall be sent to the powers of the north for their adoption. This measure was suggested by the act of the American legislature, who some time ago decreed, that all French and British ships entering the ports and waters of the United States, should be liable to be sequestered.

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.

The late king of Spain, Charles IV. still resides at Marseilles, with his spouse, the queen of Etruria, and the prince of peace.

Dispatches have been received from lord Wellington, at Almeida. The brigades of Generals Hill, Payne, &c. were concentrated on the Turon, and occupied Rio Seco, St. Pedro, &c. The advanced corps under General Hill being at Castle Bom, within about ten miles of the head-quarters of the enemy.

The divisions of Regnier and Loison had rejoined the army of marshal Ney, which about the 1st instant was reinforced by corps of 10,000 from Valladolid, and further Lord Welsuccours were daily looked for. lington's army was estimated at 60,000 men, of whom 23,000 men were British. Loison was at San Felices on the 5th.

[blocks in formation]

gloomy views of the financial situation of the country. It would be highly satisfactory to know that such had been the produce of Our revenues in that very year, when men of great weight and authority in that house an ticipated a failure, that instead of the deficit they apprehended, there had actually been a very considerable increase.

The following is the general view of

The navy

THE SUPPLY:

£19,258,000

The army, including army for
Ireland, and extraordinaries

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

not be properly called arrears, as the assess ment for 1810 was to the 5th of April, which was only last month, and which sum is now in the regular course of collection. Since 1804 there had been granted, on account of the property tax, 115,880.0001. of which there had been received 107,441,478/ leaving a total arrear of 8,437,5227. There could be no reason to think that the receipts of the property tax in the present year, could fail short of 11,400,000. and when he should add to them the estimated amount of the other 20,307,000 war taxes, he thought he might fairly reckon 4,411,000 on the whole amount of the war taxes for 2,000,000 the year, at 19,400,000. The average pro300,000 duce of the war taxes on customs during the 20,000 last three years had been 2,050,000!. that 400,000 should be taken at their produce in the pre980,000 sent year, added to the 11,400,000, it would form a total of above twenty millions. 50,565,200 1,600,000

} 18,000

52,135,000
6,106,000

Total for Great Britain £46,079,000 He next proceeded to the ways and means for meeting this supply.

[blocks in formation]

Loan

Making a total of

3,000,000

He now came to the assessed taxes. The produce of these taxes the last year was 6,459,000!. The amount of arrears last year, in the assessed taxes, was not less than 600,000, but the whole amount of such arrears, at present outstanding, did not exceed 300,000. Making allowance for the arrears collected within the last year, he should take credit, on account of the assessed taxes, for 5,860,000/

The accounts on the table would shew the committee, that the receipts under the head of stamps, had amounted last year to 5,193,000/ which was an increase above the receipts of the preceding year of the sum of 1,236,9077. 2,661,602 This increase was, in some degree, owing as 4,400,000 well to the collection of arrears, as arising 19,500,000 subsequent to, and out of certain regulations 350,000 which have been adopted on his own sugges 8,311,600 tion in the year 1805, in the act for consoli 3,000,000 dating the duties on stamps.

8,000,000

It might here be material for the satisfaction of the committee, to look to the state of £46,223,202 the trade, manufactures, and commerce of the country. The official value of imports last year was 36,255,2097. The prosperous year of peace (1802), was only 31,442,318. being an increase last year of nearly 5,000,000! above the most prosperous year of peace. The exports of British manufactures last year amounted to 35,107,000l. in 1802 they were only 26,993,199,being a difference of between 8 and 9,000,0007. in favour of last year.

which exceeded the supply by £144,202. Having stated to the house the total amount of the grants, he made some observations on the different items. As to the war taxes. they had last year produced 29,707,000. The produce of the tax upon property actually paid into the treasury in the last year was 13,751,2337. of which sum the assessment had only been 11,400,000. The excess of the receipts above the assessment of the year was 2,551,233 It would not, however, be reasonable to calculate upon so large a receipt in the present year, as the excess of the receipts above the assessment, consisted of arrears which had been collected with great activity and success.

There was no arrears due now of a later date than 1807, and the arrears which now appeared to be due were as follow:-For 1807, the arrears were 409,9251.; for 1808, 530,368/.; for 1809, 1,540,7504; and for the present year, 6,241,4057. This last sum, however, could

After a few words from Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Tierney, the usual resolutions were agreed to.

The parties who had prepared lists for the loan waited upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 16th. Mr. Perceval had proposed to give for every 1007. sterling 130% in the reduced 3 per cents, the rest in 3 per cent. consols. and the party willing to take the smallest quantity of that stock to have the loan. The sum wanted is eight millions for England, and four for Ireland-Two of the lists, Goldsmid and Co. and Baring and Co. having made a similar offer, were declared

to

E

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

On the 21st Mr. Brand brought forward his motion relative to parliamentary reform. He adopted the course followed by Mr. Pitt in 1782, and merely moved for a committee to enquire into the state of the representation in parliament. The plan which he recommenos is to disfranchise the rotten boroughs, and transfer an equal number of members to populous towns which have at present no representatives, giving the right of voting in towns to all householders paying taxes, and in counties to copyholders as well as freeholders; limiting the duration of parliaments to three years; altering the mode of elections so that the votes shall be collected in districts; and red: the number of placemen and pensioners who have seats in the House of Commons. After a long debate, the motion was negatived by a majority of 234 to 115. On the 21st, a numerous meeting of the livery of London was held at Guildhail, to consider of the rejection of their late petition to the House of Commons. Mr. Favell moved a string of resolutions, drawn up in as violent language as any of their precursors, reflecting on the House of Commons, and on the counter declaration of the livery, signed at the London Tavern, in the most opprobious terms; which was eloquently seconded by Mr. Waithman, and others.

A new

petition, corresponding with the resolu-
tions, was read to the livery for their
concurrence, which was assented to with
great acclamations, and ordered to be
presented to the House of Commons by
Mr. Alderman Combe.

1. Resolved-That the rejection of the
House of Commons of our late humble ad-
dress, petition, and remonstrance, appears to
us a violation of our constitutional and in-
disputable right to state our complaints and
grievances, and to call for relief and redress.

2. Resolved-That such rejection is an additional proof of the shameful inadequacy of the representation of the people in the Cornmons House of Parliament; and more forcibly demonstrates the necessity of a speedy and substantial reform in that hon. house.

S. Resolved-That we have viewed with mixed sentiments of indignation, concern, and pity, the address of certain persons styling themselves "an adjourned meeting of liverymen, held at the London Tavern, the 4th day of May," inasmuch as the statements

[ocr errors]

contained in that address, imputing to the great body of their fellow-citizens, in common-hall legally assembled, motives and designs to "villify and degrade the legislature;" to" alienate the affections of the people from the government;" to "procuce contempt and distrust of the House of Commons ;" to "introduce anarchy;" and to subvert the constitution;" are false assertions, origina❤ ting with individuals who derive influence and emolument from the heavy burthens of the people.

4. Resolved-That amongst the names of those annexed to that address, appear the signatures of contractors, commissioners, and collectors of taxes; of placemen and placehunters, with a long list of their agents, and clerks of their dependants, emissaries of mi nions.

5. Resolved-That it is undeniable that power, influence, threats, and delusions. have been employed, to prevail upon many to concur in the said address.

6. Resolved-That whilst we disclaim any imputation against the motives of several, who, by gross misrepresentations, by arts of the basest kind, or by downright intimidation, have been compelled to lend their sig natures to the said address, it is to us a source of high consolation, that the address carries within it its own refutation, consisting only nies, which those who have propagated them of allegations unsubstantiated, and of calummust know to be groundless.

7. Resolved-That the said address ap pears to have for its real object the excite ment of civil dissention, the increase of pub lic abuses, and the further and fuller partici pation in the wages of corruption by many of those who have signed it, and who, taking advantage of the present unhappy contest be tween arbitrary privilege and constitutional freedom, have endeavored to confuse and dis tract the public mind, for the support and continuance in place of a corrupt, weak, and wicked administration.

8. Resolved unanimously-That in the years 1679 and 1680, under the infamous government of Charles the Second, the city of London, and other parts of the country, petitioned the king for the redress of grievances, and the sitting of Parliaments. That various counter-petitions were presented to his majes ty, expressive of their abhorrence of the said petitioning, as tumultuous and seditious, and encroaching on the royal prerogative. That on the 21st of October, 1680, the Parliament met, and its first acts were to expel abhorrors, and to pass a vote, "That it is, and ever hat been, the undoubted right of the subject to petition the king for the calling of Parlia ments and redressing grievances; that to tra duce such petitioning as a ulation of duty, and to represent it to his majesty as tumultuous and seditious, is to betray the liberty of the subject, and contribute to the design of subverting the ancient legal constitution of the kingdom; and they appointed a committee

6 te

to inquire after all those who have offended against those rights, and accordingly expelled several of its members, and petitioned his majesty to remove others from places of trust." That on the 29th of October, 1680, the Commons voted "That Sir F. Withers, by promoting and presenting to his majesty an address, expressing an abhorrence to petition his majesty for the calling and sitting of Parliament, hath betrayed the undoubted rights of the subjects of England; and that the said Sir F. Withers be expelled the House for this high crime." That for the exercise of the undoubted right of petitioning, the city charters were seized by a quo warranto; and it was argued for the city by Sir George Freby, then recorder, "That the constitution and the law of the land had given to the subject the right of petitioning, and of access to the supreme governor, to represent to him their grievances, and to pray a redress of them; and that the same law gave them also a right to state in their petitions those facts and reasons which caused their grievances, provided those facts were true." And further, "That as there was one part of the constitution which gave the king power to prorogue, so there was the gave another part of the constitution that subject an original right to petition for redress of grievances; and that therefore to pu nish a man for shewing in his petition those grievances which he desires to be redressed, and the causes of them, was the same thing as to deny him the right of petitioning; and that such denial would infer oppression and the most abject slavery; for, when subjects are misused and grieved, and are denied the liberty to complain, and pray the king to redress those grievances, or shall be punished for petitioning against them, they must necessarily be abject slaves."

"

9. Resolved That these arguments having been overruled by venal judges, judgment was obtained against the city; the abhorrors for a time triumphed; the liberties of the people, with the right of petitioning, was subverted; and the succeeding monach, in consequence thereof, driven from his throne and dominions. At the revolution of 1688, in the Bill of Rights, "the undoubted right of the subject to petition" was, among other things, claimed, demanded, and insisted upon.' This right has been of late again in vaded, the people oppressed with unprecedent. ed grievances and calamities, have been denied access to the sovereign, their petitions have been rejected by the House of Commons, and their grievances remain unheard and unredressed. The exploded doctrine of passive obedience has been revived in all its extravagance; and a new race of abhorrors have sprung up, who, like the abhorrors in the days of Charles the Sec dy by the foulest calumnies, by vilifying and traducing the petitions of the people, are (in the emphatic language of the then House of Commons) "betraying the liberties of the subject, and contributing

to the design of subverting the ancient legal constitution of the kingdom." That as the corrupt participators in public abuse, under the mask of loyalty, subverted the liberties of the kingdom, and involved James the Second in ruin, so the corrupt and unprincipled of the present day, under the same legal pretence, would involve the country and sovereign in similar difficulties, if suffered to persist. It therefore becomes the imperious duty of every real friend to the country to resist their mischievous designs, by recurring to the genuine principles of the constitution, and by using every legal means for obtaining a full, fair, and free, representation of the people in Parliament.

10. Resolved-That inseparably attached to our glorious constitution, we admire, venerate, and will support and defend our king, our lords, and our commons, in their respective and collective capacities, with all their just prerogatives, rights, and privileges; but we can never consent to grant separatively to king, lords, or commons, a power contrary to, and above, the laws of the land, which are and must continue to be the results of their collective wisdom and authority.

11. Resolved-That notwithstanding the rejection of our late petition, we still feel it our duty to give to the House of Commons every opportunty of hearing and redressing the grievances of the people, and that an humble address, petition, and remonstrance, be presented to that honorable House.

12. Resolved-That the said petition be fairly transcribed, and signed by the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, and ten Liverymen, and presented to the House of Commons by H. C. Combe, esq. one of their repre

sentatives.

13. Resolved-That the thanks of the Common Hall be given to the Right Hon. Lord Erskine, Sir Samuel Romilly, knt. M.P. and Samuel Whitbread, esq. M. P. for their able, constitutional, and independent conduct on all occasions, particularly for the stand they have lately made in favor of the domi nion of the law, against arbitrary discretion and undefined privilege.

14. Resolved-That the thanks of this Hall be given to Hervey Christian Combe, esq. alderman, and one of the representatives of this city in Parliament, for his support, in the House of Commons, of the right of the livery to petition the House, and for his general conduct in the House.

15. Resolved-That the thanks of this Hall be given to the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, for his readiness in calling this Hall, and for his independent and honorable conduct in discharging the duties of his office.

16. Resolved-That the thanks of this Hall be given to Matthew Wood, esq. one of the sheriffs of this city, for the indepen dent manner in which he has always discharged the duties of his office.

The

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »