Confulum opes, fremidique exercita jura tribuni. • Dormiet et Ratio, dea maxima? Quoi tamen aras Tum ftetit ante cibos, ut pinguis, ut iratus bos, Aufus erit? Quandò hic fitiant tot guttura, quando Non rubeant, et cras cœnacula nõta revisent. Confilium laudo.' (Quid, dii, quid ftemmata profunt 77 Ecce! mihi princeps! tota tibi voce propino Majeftas populi !'Tum janctis planétibus omnes Perfonuiffe foum jurares Mænadas Hebrum. At te, quem primo tenuerunt carmine, mufæ Deftituent? Furiamque, facemque, et Gallia viri Quicquid habet?-Donis animi, Demofthenis adde Eloquium; accedit, quanquam non dulcis habenti Nobilitas, procerumque fluens de fanguine fanguis. Sed, doctus licèt, in venalem curió linguam Leges et plehifcita coäcta, Et cum confulibus turbantes jura tribuni., Lucan. 1. 1. + οφς" Οιοι Τζόιης δεξὰ κρήδεμνα λέομεν. Ηom. Il. Ego vos pofthac, viridi projectus in antro, Virg. Ec. 1. Dumosâ pendere procul de rupe videbo. 100 Aufus Lucan. Exiit, et Gracchi maduerunt roftra cruore. Jam vidi quò dira ferant; tamen hoc mihi mirum Patere tua confilia non fentis? Constrictam jam omnium horum confcientiâ teneri conjurationem tuam non vides? Quid confilii ceperis, quem noftrum ignorare arbitraris ? Cic. Cat. 1. THE HISTORY. SUMMARY OF POLITICS. T. v. HE ftate of the continental politics has remained fo ftationary, fince our last reflections on the fubject, as to afford no ground for fresh animadverfion, without entering into that labyrinth of Ipeculation which we have hitherto fo ftudiously avoided, and which it is our fixed intention to avoid hereafter. According to the fashionable mode of compofing historical differtations, not by queftion and antwer, but, by queftion without answer, we might indeed afk, does the Emperor, by the difmiffion of THUGUT and the appointment of COBENTZEL to his office, indicate a difpofition to abandon the warlike plans of the former, and to adopt the pa cific intentions of the latter ?Does a perfect harmony -fubfift between the courts of Vienna and Berlin? Does the Emperor of Ruffia perfevere in his determination to insist on preferving the in- *\ tegrity of the German Empire? Do the hoftile movements of the principal neutral powers betray a refolution to make their neutrality relpected, or to become active participators in the war? We might extend fuch questions as theic almost ad infinitum, but undefs we had the ability to furnish fatisfactory answers to them, (which, we fincerely confels we have not) we fhould only be wafting the time of our readers, as well as our own. We fhall, therefore, defer all reflections on the political state of the Continent until we know what that ftate really is. Moft heartily do we with that all periodical writers would follow our example. In the confideration of our domestic affairs, one leading fubje&t preffs itself fo forcibly on our attention, as almost to exclude every other. We mean the high price of every article of provifion: we have long lamented that fpirit of avarice and extortion which feems to pervade every description of traders-though we are for from afcribing to this caufe the evil which we now deplore. On the origin of that evil fo little harmony of opinion fubfifts, that it would would be the height of prefumption in us, to fpeak of it with confidence and decifion. Unhappily the fentiments of the government are at direct variance with thote of a great majority of the people. The latter are perfuaded that no fcarcity fubfifts, and that the prefent price of provifions is imputable folely to monopolizers and foreftallers. The former, on the contrary, are convinced that there is a real and alarming fcarcity, and that the dearness of provifions is the natural and unavoidable confequence of fuch fcarcity. Government, most certainly, have the best means of information, and we know that they have spared no pains to obtain the most authentic intelligence. But we have alfo reafon to believe, that the intelligence which they have obtained is as contradictory as that which we have received ourselves. We have had a variety of publications and feveral letters from various parts of the kingdom, on this fubject, long lying upon our table: But we have rather chofen to fubject ourselves to reproach for negligence and inattention to our correfpondents, than haftily and incautiously to agitate a subject, on which, of all others, error and misconception may be productive of the most fatal confequences. If we have any thing like a fixed opinion on this point, it lies between the two prevailing fentiments; we are difpofed to believe, first, that there has been a confiderable failure in the produce of the prefent year, but not to fuch an extent as has been believed by many, and as the partial experience of individuals has tended to prove; and fecondly, that the price of corn, and other articles of confumption has been partly Owing to fuch failure, and partly to that avarice and extortion of individuals, which we have fo frequently reprobated. But there is one question which we have frequently asked ourselves, and which we are still unable to refolve-Why leave that a matter of doubt, which can with fuch facility be converted into a certainty. Why not ascertain the real quantity of corn in the country?—There is no delicacy obferved refpecting the disclosure of every man's income, when the good of the state requires such disclosure, however prejudicial, under certain circumftances, it may prove to individuals. The amount of every man's ftock, who deals in excifeable articles, is expofed without fcruple. On what principle, on what pretext, then, can helitation arile, refpecting the propriety of fubjecting the stock of a farmer or corn dealer, to a fimilar inveftigation especially, when we confider that the motive of fuch inveftigation is fronger in the latter cafe than in the former, in the fame proportion as the fubfiftence of a nation is more important than its revenue. Ministers, however, have wifely determined fairly to meet, and fully to difcuis, the queftion, at the approaching meeting of Parliament, and we earnestly hope, that the first measure refolved on, will be to afcertain the real extent of the fcarcity, and, if found to prevail in a lerious degree, to fubject the corn to the excife laws hereafter, and, for the prefent, to put all the corn in the kingdom into the hands of government. In the event of an extenfive scarcity, it is obvious that the only effectual remedies will be a decrease of confumption, and an increate of importation; the former muft depend chiefly on the exertions of individuals; the latter on on parliamentary bounties. Let them but know their real fituation, and the religious principles and good fenfe of Englishmen will combine to make them bear it with patience and refignation. Nothing, we are perfuaded, will tend fo much to calm the public: mind, to allay apprehenfions, and to infpire confidence, as the acquifition of this knowledge, and the confequent removal of doubt and uncertainty. It is not poffible to touch upon this question without adverting to the recent meetings which have taken place, in the metropolis and its vicinity, for the avowed purpose of recommending it to the ferious confideration of parliament. Such recommendations, if wholly unconnected with objects of a different nature, would have been, at least, harmless and inoffenfive; but, in the city, they were rendered the inAruments of party, and the vehicles of falfhood. In the course of the debate in the Common Hall, the fufferings of the poor (which, Heaven knows, are fufficiently fevere, though not more fo than thofe of the middle claffes of fociety) were greatly exaggerated; and either the person who moved or the perfon who feconded the question had the effrontery to declare, (if the printed accounts of their fpeeches are to be credited) that thirty people had actually died through want, in Spital Fields. Now we have taken fome pains to afcertain this fact, by the most diligent enquiries throughout that populous district, of the principal inhabitants as well as of the parish officers, and we are enabled to affert, that this rafh declaration had not the fmalleft foundation in truth. But there is a certain defcription of orators who feem defirous of arrogating to themselves exclufively the licentia mentiendi; and, when we have stated that the perfons who moved and feconded the queftion in Guildhall are both Methodist-teachers, the one formerly an itinerant preacher, the other actually a preacher, either itinerant or flationary, we hall leave our readers to guefs to what defcription of men we allude, One of these individuals, though affecting an extreme difinclination to fix the caufe of the alledged fcarcity of corn, has not fcruple, wherever he goes, to afcribe it, mott falfely, to the war. there were many well meaning men who voted for the petition, cannot be doubted, but the fpirit which actuated the majority of the Common Hall, (and which ever will actuate that democratic compound of folly and affurance) was manifefted in their refolution not to prefent the petition unless the King would receive it on his Throne. They well knew that he would not receive it there, and they hoped, no doubt, to be able, by his Majefty's refufal, to make the credalous populace believe that he was careless about the relief of his people. Their malice, however, was defeated; the trick was too grofs to im. pofe even on the moft ignorant; and the nation foou learnt that their gracious Sovereign, who ever watches over the welfare and happiness of his fubjects, with a folicitude truly paternal, had actually antici pated the measure propofed, and had already given orders to affemble his parliament. That A body of the patriotic conftituents of Mr. TIERNEY, in the Borough of Southwark, converting a public veftry into a Jacobin club, and thereby exposing themselves to an indictment under the act for the fuppreffion fuppreffion of feditious meetings, have exceeded in violence the most violent of the declaimers at the Common Hall. In the long ftring of refolutions which they have publifhed, it is difficult to decide whether their ignorance or their profligacy be moft confpicuous. They contain nearly as many falfehoods as affertions. Affuming to themselves an effential part of the Royal prerogative, they have RESOLVED to accelerate the return of peace; boldly afcribing the dearness of provifion to the war, they thence take an opportunity to brand that war as the fource of every evil; and to ftigmatize as enemies to their country all thofe who will not, forfooth! "concur with their fagacious opinions and fecond their laudable efforts !-There is an impudent fneer at the King in one of the refolutions which cannot be read without indignation by any honest man, and which nothing but the black heart of a Jacobin could engender. Here again the Methodists were particularly active, and the first name on the committee, appointed by this chofen band of patriots, is that of a man, whofe portrait was admira bly drawn by Mr. GARROW, at the laft Surry Ailizes, and for which an apt comparifon might be found in the pages of Paradife Loft! The veftry, however, it must he acknowledged, took the most efficacious means for preventing a famine, by refolving wholly to abstain from fome, and totally to difufe, other neceffary articles of consumption! But while, with every true friend to the country, we strongly reprobate fuch meetings as thefe, we moft deeply deplore and mot fervently deprecate, the fatal confequences which muft refult from a continuance of the prefent high price of provifions. Callous, indeed, must be that heart, which feels not for the calamities of its fellow-creatures, and truly depraved muft that mind be which harbours not an eager defire to relieve them. We rely, however, with confidence, on the vigilance of Government, and the wifdom of Parliament; we truft they will investigate both the remote and immediate aufes of this alarming evil; and we are convinced that they will adopt every prac. ticable measure as well for lightening, as for removing, the burden. TO CORRESPONDENTS. WE have to acknowledge our obligations to various Correfpondents for a variety of interefting communications, which the length of feveral important articles, in the prefent Number, has reduced us to the neceffity of poftponing. We hope to infert most of them in our next, when any which we may be obliged to postpone, to a subsequent Number, fhall be more particularly acknowledged. TO OUR READERS. WE have received from a valuable Correspondent some account of the Life of the late Mr. JONES; and a highly refpected friend has favoured us with a portrait, which is deemed a good likeness of the venerable Minister of Nayland. The portrait has been put into the hands of an eminent-engraver, who has engaged to finish the plate by the middle of December, fo that it will appear, prefixed to the ac count of Mr. Jones's Life, in our number for that month, which will be published on the first of January. |