great cattle are repofing in filence under the oak, which is their natural fhelter, that therefore those who make the noise are the enly inhabitants of the field. We believe, and we willingly be lieve, that the great mafs of the people, in all its ranks and fub divifions, is convinced of the bleffings it enjoys, and looks with an attentive and difcriminating obfervation on those who have on either fide claimed their confidence or tampered with their cre dulity. This portion of our fellow-fubjects confifts of the great and independent bodies of the landed intereft; the extended and enlightened claffes of the commercial world; the bulk of our farmers, our freeholders, and our tradefmen, wherever induftry, profperity, and fecurity have fcattered the feeds of domeftic enjoyment. Indifferent, for the most part, to the men who rule them, though alive to the dangers which have threatened the conftitution, the principles and progrefs of the revolution on the Continent have funk deep into their minds. They remember when the writings of Paine and his affociates were no lefs feduloufly diftributed and circulated than thofe of Cobbett and Sir Francis Burdett; and alike deteft the fhameless verfatility of the pamphleteer, and the unblushing pertinacity of the Baroner. The power and views of France, whether regicide or royalist, whe ther maddened by anarchy or crushed by defpotifm, are alike odious to them; and the eulogifts of France, in either ftate, are alike fufpected. While they are unwilling to repofe in any fet of men that confidence, which Mr. Pitt commanded, and directed to the nobleft end, the falvation [prefervation] of his country from the revolutionary ftorm; they demand from ministry the integrity, unanimity, and firmnefs that diftinguished his wife adminiftration; the economy and prudent application of thofe financial refources which his genius created for us, and foftered to maturity; the commanding mind, the clear and fteady light, by which he expofed to view the machinations of democracy; and the vigour with which he repreffed their execution." P. 9. He then informs the "Whigs of England," as he terms them, how they may acquire the fame fupport. He warns them that they too are hated by the democratic faction, and feared as the immoveable bar to their fuccefs. He advifes them, as more congenial to their high birth, their talents, and the estimation they wish to acquire," to conciliate and guide the people, the real people of England; not truckle to the threatening demagogues, of the day." He exhorts them, by their conduct, to convince us, that they are not guided by fanciful theorists, nor intimi dated by factious demagogues; and he plainly points out the caufes of that diminution in their numbers and influence which the Edinburgh Reviewer admits. Thefe, in his opinion, were "the ill-omened and memorable coaliton," their fubfequent efforts against Mr. Pitt's adminiftration, their "conduct on the India Bill, the Regency, and at the commencement of the French Revolution;" Revolution;" on which occafions. " the people of England faw, or thought they faw, the defigns of perfonal ambition in the dif guife of public principle." The advice given to them by the Reviewer" to conciliate that democratic faction whom he boldly ftates to be almoft for revolution and republicanism," this author warmly reprobates, but not, we think, with more feverity than it deferves; and he animadverts on the artifice of that "democratic faction," in turning the infurrectionary violence from its original and unpopular destination against the Crown, and directing it against the House of Commons, in order to calumniate the most venerated inftitutions of the kingdom. Nine-tenths of the people of England, he afferts, are neither " almoft courtiers nor almoft democrats," but fincerely attached to the laws and conftitution. Other important remarks on the prefent ftate of affairs occur in the courfe of this work, in which the author has, in our opi nion, equally evinced his judgment and his patriotifm, and by unmasking the defigns of infidious political writers, done an acceptable fèrvice to his country. ART. 18. The True Briton, by way of Reply to Sir Francis Burdett's Letter; addreffed to the People of Great Britain. Wherein the Rights of the House of Commons are clearly afcertained. Earnestly recommended by every Friend and Lover of his Country. 8vo. 30 pp. 1s. 6d. Hatchard. 1810. The intentions of this author are fo manifeftly upright, and the caufe which he fupports, (in our opinion) fo decidedly juft, that we lament it is not fupported by greater ability and ftrength of argument. He indeed maintains the right of the Houfe of Commons to commit, on the juft ground of its being neceffary for the maintenance of their dignity and confideration, and contends, that the powers claimed by them are not likely to be abused by a body of men who are bound by every ftrict tie of honour and duty to defend the conftitution. But instead of urging thefe topics with energy, and explaining them with precifion, the greater part of this tract confifts of common-place remarks, and feeble declamation. Though the writer oppofes, we believe with fincerity, the doctrines of Sir F. Burdett, and points out the tendency of his conduct to promote the views of our inveterate enemy, by deftroying the public peace, yet he appears to afcribe that conduct (atrocious as it has been, and long as it has been continued) to mere want of confideration. His language too is weak and flovenly, and his perpetual rejection of the relative pronouns, renders it, in fome places, fcarcely intelligible. The conclufion, though the reft is profe, confifts of a page and a half of lines, which rhyme indeed to each other, but have scarcely any other property of verfe. Take, for inftance, the first twerle lines: 1 "Some "Some men are emulous to acquire a name, The Houfe debates are read in every town, By may'r and juftice, by farmer and by clown, Why your own trumpeter prove to all mankind?" P. 29. The bellman is a Homer compared to fuch a poet. ART. 19. Reform without Innovation: or, curfory Thoughts on the only practicable Reform of Parliament, confiftent with the exifting Lars, and the Spirit of the Conftitution. 8vo. 23 PP, 1s. No publisher's name. 1810. The only expedient and practicable plan of reform, according to this writer, is to inforce the ftatutes that require a landed qualification for members of parliament. This he would effect by rendering the land or annuity fecured on land, liable to their debts during the whole time of their fitting in the houfe. Such a meafure, he thinks, would not only prevent thofe evasions of the law which are understood to be frequently practifed, but rid the house of those unworthy members, whofe chief object, in procuring a feat, is the fecurity of their perfons from arrest, and render parliament as independent of the crown as can be expected, or perhaps defired. That the qualification acts, as they have been deemed expedient, thould not be evaded, is a pofition which cannot, we think, be denied; but furely an annual income of 300l. a year, is, in thefe times, no great pledge for the independence of its poffeffor; and this ftrong objection lies to any con fiderable increase in the qualification, that it would preclude many young men of promifing abilities, and perhaps independent minds, from ferving their country in parliament. The fubject is too important and extenfive for a full difcuffion in this place; but, while we approve of this author's propofition, fo far as it goes, it appears to us likely to have no other effect than. that of excluding a few needy adventurers from feats in the Houfe of Commons; and, if it were extended, according to its true fpirit, fuch a measure would deprive the nation of talents that might adorn, and patriotifm that might preferve it. ART. ZO. The Impress confidered as the Caufe why British Scamen defert from our Service to the Americans, with a Review of the Encouragement now held out by the Royal Navy, and the 4 Means M Means in our Power of abolishing the Imprefs. 8vo. Js. 6d. The act of impreffing feamen can certainly only be justified, in a free country like our own, on the plea of ftate neceffity. That it is execrated by our failors, and that many have been induced from it to defert to the Americans, among whom exists a fimilarity of language and manners, there can be no question. But whether the plan here propofed, though evidently the refult of great good fenfe and found patriotifm, be unexceptionable, is more than we can haftily take upon us to decide. The condition of failors has of late years been fo meliorated, with regard to provifions, pay, and prize money, that it might be supposed to hold out every poffible inducement for them to enter themselves as volunteers, and to return in time of war from their places of concealment. This author thinks that the addition of 20,000 marines to the present number, would provide for the defalcation of 10,000 feamen. Thefe marines should be diftributed in proper proportion on board our fhips of war. A fhip of 74 guns has now 125 marines, if this plan were adopted it ought to have 208 marines. The queftion appears to be well worthy of ferious difcuffion, and we accordingly recommend it to thofe to whom it more imme diately belongs. ART. 21. An Expofition of the Conduct of France towards America: illuftrated by Cafes decided in the Council of Prizes in Paris. By Lewis Goldsmith, Notary Public, Author of "The Crimes of Cabinets'—Tranflator of Mr. D'Hauterive's "Etat de la France à la Fin de l'An. 8,” Fc. &c. 8vo. 133 PP Richardfon. 1810. If the maxim of nil admirari were not in thefe extraordinary times prefent to every reflecting mind, we should have felt much. furprize on perufing this publication. That the author of " The. Crimes of Cabinets," the tranflator of Hauterive's "State of France," the late editor, (if we are not mifinformed,) of the Anglo Gallic newfpaper, The Argus," fhould have fuddenly become the declared enemy of Buonaparte, the detector of his perfidy, and the warm advocate of Britain, is a metamorphofis to us more wonderful than any which has yet occurred in this age of transformations. Whatever may have been the motives of this extraordinary change, we will give to this author, (as it is faid we fhould to another perfonage,) his due," and fairly admit that he has produced, and well enforced, many strong, and apparently authentic cafes, to prove not only the fhameless rapacity BRIT. SKIT. VOL, XXXVI. JULY, 10, ་ and atrocious depredations of the tyrant on American commerce, but his determined and fyftematic hoftility to that country. The greater part of thefe cafes will be found in an Appendix, but a few are introduced into the body of the work. As an introduction to this Expofition, the author adverts to the ferment produced in all civilized states by the French revolution, the prin ciples on which it was pretended, that revolution was founded, and the fituation of the American ftates at that period, con→ nected, as they were, with England, in amicable commerce, but interested in preferving a perfect neutrality. He then briefly notices the ftate of parties in America, the jealoufy of England's naval preponderancy entertained by Buonaparte, his confequentprofcription of her manufactures and colonial produce, and his infolent threats of war with the American republic, in the event of her concluding a treaty with Great Britain, the dread of which, (the writer afferts,) prevented its ratification. This ftatement leads him to the well known Berlin deeree; a copy of which is here inferted, upon which he remarks that "at that period there was not any ftate or nation in Europe that could be called neutral. The decree, therefore, could be conftrued in other way than as pointed against the independence of American commerce." The American minifter at Paris, having confidered it in this light, and requested to know whether it was applicable to American veffels, (as feveral were then in England ready to fail for America,) was told, in a letter from the French minifter of Marine, that the enperor had decided " that the Berlin decree was not in contravention to the exifting 'treaties between France and America." The firft grofs violation of this affurance we will give at large, as ftated by this author. no "At this period there was in the river Thames an American veffel called the Horizon, captain Mac Clure, owner of the ship and cargo. She had been at Lifbon; when there, fhe had been chartered by the Spanish government to carry out certain articles to Lima, and to bring from thence three millions of piaftres for the Spanish government. To complete this engagement, it was receffary for her to come to the port of London. She was lying there taking in her cargo at the time when this famous Berlin decree, and the affurances of the French minister of Marine upon. it with refpect to Americans, became known here. In full con fidence of the faith that might be fuppofed due to the imperial decifion, the failed richly laden from the river. On the coaft of France, the experienced a very heavy gale of wind, and was driven on fhore. The custom-houfe officers went on board and fequeftered provifionally (provifoirement) both fhip and cargo.. *He promises to prove that they were only a pretence in a future work. The |