Spain, Austria, Portugal, and Turkey, and even before he had yet conquered Calabria, and expelled from the Adriatic and the Mediterraneau the Pope and the Queen of Etruria, could any thing be more ridiculous and presumptuous than, under such circuminces, to decree that the whole continent should shut its ports against the English, and sacrifice its interests, commerce, and territory, because such was the sovereign pleasure of Napoleon? The decree, however, went forth; and the exalted imaginations of French visionaries already beheld the industricas Britons expiring under their burdens, and left to the mercy of the waves. What asad picture did they give us of their situa tion! Great Britain presented nothing but inactivity, famine, discontent, and frequent insurrections; and there were some who already beheld King George on his knees, imploring peace from the hero of the age, the arbiter of the destinies! So 'great is the influence of falsehood, under the reign efignorance! But the English, though excommunicated by the bull of Buonaparté, instead of declining, continued to advance in riches and strength, whilst specie was disappearng in France and Spain; and the man of opulence was compelled to eat the same breakfast with the porter, for want of sugar, toffee, cocoa, and other colonial commodives. The colonies, both Spanish and French, were, in consequence of this decree, exposed to the manifest hazard of being revolutionized, and proclaiming themselves independent. Those of his allies, who exist by commerce alone, would have been compelled, as the only means of saving themselves from total ruin, to cast off the protection and alliance of their lord Napoleon, and his armies would have run the risk of being dissolved and dispersed, in Consequence of there being no more money to plunder, nor kingdoms to conquer; at the same time that having no maritime force to cope with the British, the latter would continue in the exclusive enjoyment of the commerce of the Indies; and the necessity of obtaining the productions and manufac tures of Europe would compel the inhabitants of America to open their ports to the English. The project was therefore ridicu lous and chimerical; and Buonaparté knew well enough that this was not the way to deprive England of the dominion of the eas, nor to deliver the ports of the continent from blockade, and to retaliate in bisturn; for England had a force to keep us ia a state of blockade, and Buonaparté had none to prevent it. But he longed to uquer and divide the continent among his brothers, and devised this project, to conceal from the French his true intention, and that he was dragging that nation into the field of slaughter, for the purpose of creating kings, after having, in order that they might get rid of kings, scrificed three millions of the youth of France; and thus he disguised the private interest of his own family under the pretence of the general interest of the nation. This decree was, theretore, a political prognostic of the prea editated articles of the peace of Tilsit, and the division of Europe into two empires: Bonaparte taking to himself, for the present, all that part of the continent which extends from the Vistula to Corfu, and is bounded by the Baltic, the Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Adriatic, leaving the rest to Russia : so that this project comprehended the conquest of Spain, Portugal, Etruria, the Papal States, Denmark, and the Hanse Towns, and uimately Austria, which was the only thing wanting to complete his work of desolation. All were included in his decree of continental blockade; and this was a sweeping expedient, in order to furnish a decent pretence for the entrance of his armies, whose approach would have been preceded by proclamations, affirming that they came only, to compel the common enemy to keep within his own limits, and to conclude a maritime peace. The French appeared on the stage, and the performance commenced; and those who in the first act performed the parts of friendship and moderation, in the second boldly threw off the mask, and represented the robberies and frauds of their leader and his gang. The English, beyond all comparison wiser and more sagacious than the French. saw, in the execution of the decree of continental blockade, the destruction of the monstrous empire of France, and the recovery of the freedom of Europe and the world. They protected their allies, and left the other pow ers to be undeceived by experience. All of them are accordingly undeceived, and resolve ed to shake off the yoke. They open their hearts and their ports to the English, who are capable of affording them, in the most generous and energetic manner, copious aids of every description; and on opening the communication, they find that Great Britain, instead of being sunk into dejection and poverty, is much more flourishing and opulent than before. They blush for having placed any confidence in the French, complain of their seductive proclamations, and for ever detest and abjure their friendship. They acknowledge with shame the al suid and extravagant course which they were pursuing, in lending their aid to the continental blockade: they now hold it up to ridicule, and swear eternal friendship to Great Britain. AUSTRIA-Proclamation issued by the Emperor of Austria, for organizing a National Levée en Masse. Dated Vienna, June 9, 1808. sidence, Vienna, June 9th, in the year 1808, and of our reign, the eighth year.FRANCIS. ALOYS, Count Von Ugarte, First Chancellor. JOSEPH, Baron Von der Mark. JOSEPH CHARLES, Count of Diedrightein, JOSEPH, Baron Von Kielmansegge. PORTUGAL.- Proclamation of the Duke of Abrantes (the French General Junot) General in Chief of the Army of Portugal, to the Portuguese. Dated, Palace of Lis bon, June 20, 1808. What phrenzy agitates you? Into what an abyss of calamities are you about to plunge yourselves? After seven months of the most perfect tranquillity, of the most com. plete harmony, what cause have you to rush to take up arms-aud against whom? Against an army which was to secure your independence, which was to maintain the integrity of your country, and, in a word, without which you would cease to be Portuguese. Who can thus urge you on to betray your own interests? Do you then wish that the ancient Lasitania should henceforth be no more than a province of Spain? What can you expect in a contest with an army, numerous, valiant, and inured to war, in whose presence you would be dispersed like the sands of the desert, by the impetuous blasts of the south wind? Do you not per ceive that those who mislead you, look not to what may further your interests, b solely to the means of gratifying their revenge, and, provided the continent is disturbed, what signifies it to them how much blod may flow? Should those perfidious islanders land on your territory, leave me to combat them; this is the duty of my army; yours is to remain peaceably in your fields. I pity your error; but should you persist in it, should you continue deaf to my voice, tremble ; your punishment shall be terrible. Can you regret a dynasty which had abandoned you, and whose government has so We, Francis I, by the Grace of God, Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Bohemia, Gallicia, and Lodomeria, &c. &c. Archduke of Austria, &c. &c-We have discovered to our beloved subjects, in our letters patent, of the 12th ult. our design attending the organization of the reserves, namely, the defence of the monarchy, which is to be founded on such means as to afford us the possibility of facilitating the finances of state by a reduction of the regular army. -In this design we have found it good to organize a national levée in masse, tending to defend the country.-We do, for this end, choose a period when we are in friendly relation with all the powers of the Continent for only then, if such measures are ripely adopted, and cemented by time, can success be expected from them, in case they should become needful.-To execute these measures, we have appointed plenipotentiaries, whose knowledge, zeal, and attachment to our person and the state, have been repeatedly tried, viz. for Austria, Carniola, Carinthia, Stiria, Triest, and Saltsburgh, our aulic commissioner, Count Von Saurau. -For Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, our serene cousin, his Royal Highness the Archduke Ferdinand, with our Upper Burgrave Von Wallis and Governor Count Lazansky, -For Lower Austria, and Austria on the Ems, our serene cousin, bis Royal Highness the Archduke Maximilian, with the President Count Von Bissingen and Baron Von Hackelberg For Gallicia, our general of cavalry, Count Von Bellegarde, and the vice president of government, Count Von Wurmser. They have received defini-humiliated you, that you were no longer ranked tive instruction as to the manner and time of execution, and will take the other requisite measures accordingly.-We expect our beloved subjects, who have always shewn in a most laudable manner their unshaken devotion and fidelity towards us, will acknowledge in that regulation the full measure of our paternal designs, and assist to carry them into effect with all their might, as a measure inseparable from their welfare. The activity and prudence displayed in this business shall obtain our special approbation, and recommend them who shall laudably distinguish themselves in this particular. Given in our capital and place of re among the nations of Europe? What do you wish for? To remain Portuguese? To be independent? This the great Napoleon has promised you. You, yourselves, have earnestly entreated of him a king, who, aided by the omnipotence of that great monarch, might raise up again your unfortunate country, and replace her in the rank which belongs to her. Doubtless, at this moment, your new mo narch is on the point of visiting you. He expected to find faithful subjects; shall he find only rebels? I expected to have de livered over to him a peaceable kingdom, and flourishing cities. Shall I be obliged to shew him only ruins, and heaps of ales, inhabitants shall fire upon the French troops, shall be delivered up to pillage, and totally destroyed; and the inhabitants shall be put to the sword. Every individual taken in arms, shall be instantly shot.-Done at the head quarters, in the Palace of Lisbon, June 26, 1808.-(Signed) The DUKE of ABRAN TES. TUSCANY-From the Paris Papers, July 13, 1808. and dead bodies? Would he reign over a desolate country? Certainly not. You would only be an unfortunate province of Spain. Your customs, your laws, every thing has been preserved. Is not your reli gion ours? Has it suffered the slightest insult? Are not you, on the contrary those who violate it? You yield to the seduction and guidance of heretics, whose only wish is to destroy you and your religion. Ask the unfortunate Irish catholics what oppression they groan under in their own country, and by the orders of their own government. Is it not you who violate it, by obeying the ministers of that holy religion, (whose first precept is obedience and submission to the laws,) when they dare to instigate you to commit murder and assassination upon men who lived in the midst of you as brothers? Let them tremble! They will pay dear for the calamities which they inflict upon you; but you, Portuguese, will be the unfortunate victims of their crimes.-If there still existed a few abuses in the administration, the experience of each successive day was diminishing them. My decree of the 14th of June has already regulated an interesting branch of the finances, by settling the pay of the soldiers on a sure footing. The salaries of the administrators and judges ere regularly paid. The emperor Napoleon,jesty the emperor and king has been pleased satisfied, in consequence of my reports, with the public spirit in this kingdom, has just remitted the half of your contribution; and it is at the instant that he is accomplishing all your wishes, that you permit yourselves to be hurried away by the influence of a few miscreants; it is at the moment of reaping the fruit of your tranquillity-it is at the instant that happiness is within your grasp, that you deliberately cast away from you even the most distant hope of it. Well! Portuguese, you have only the interval of a moment to implore the clemency of the emperor, and to disarm his wrath. Already his armies in Spain approach your frontiers; if you hesitate, you are undone. Lay down your arms; return in peace to your homes; imitate the tranquillity of your capital, and the adjacent provinces; follow your agricul tural pursuits; reap that fine harvest which heaven has sent you, after so many alarms of a dreadful famine, from which I have been able to preserve you. Expel with horror from among you those wretched miscreants whose only object is the pillage of your cities. Merit pardon by prompt submission, and a prompt obedience to my orders; if not, think of the punishment which awaits you. -Every city, town, or village, which shall ake up arins against my forces, and whose In pursuance of an imperial decree, dated the 12th of May, at Bayonne, an extraordinary junta is appointed to conduct the administration of Tuscany. It consists of general Menou, the councillor of state Auchy, and the masters of the rolls Chaban, Degerando, and Jeanet, together with the auditor Balbe Berton Crillon secretary general. General Menou takes the title of governor, is invested with the chief command of the troops, and will officiate as president of the juuta. According to a decree of the junta, the commencement of the session of the extraordinary junta will be notified to all the civil and military authorities of the three departments of Tuscany. The following proclamation to the inhabitants of that country has been ordered to be published and placarded all over the three departments:-Tuscans! His ma to confer upon you the honour of being You are a good, a virtuous, and a loyal people. The emperor knows and esteems you. Place your whole confidence in him. Let violent men of all parties become silent, and forego their absurd expectations. Let the brave, the wise, and the impartial classes of persons unite, and as in all other parts of France, possess one soul and one heart. It is by such conduct, that you will make yourselves worthy of being the children of Napoleon. BRITISH ARMY.-General Orders. is always to be worn, except in very hot weather. (Signed) W. SHENER, Maj. A, Assist. Adj Gen. I. D. SWEDEN. From the Stockholm Gazette. Head-quarters, Graisby, July 27 —His roya majesty received yesterday the follow ing report from field-maral Count Kiingspur, dated Head quarters, New Caleby, the 20th instant. My last report, was of the 9th instant, an! was dispatched by messenger Brolin. Major Fleandt was since forced to retreat from Peroo and Kockonsari, and to fall back upa Dinkas. By this retrogade movement the rear of our army was so much exposed, that nothing but a brisk attack on the ene m's min force, near Lappo, could ward off the impending danger. I therefore or dered major general Adlercreutz to take the command of the troops assembled near Lower Harm to attack the enemy, which was done on the 14th inst. with so mech success, that victory, although dearly bought, declare in favour of your majesty's troops. The enemy has retreated since that action to Salmai, and taken up there a strong and advan· tageous position. Before the above expedition against Luppo was undertaken, a Swedish brigade, with a considerable park of artillery, marched under the orders of Colonel Von Essen from Socklott to Dunkars, to join major Fleandt's corps, and make a diversion in that quarter; but the enemy's position was found so strong, as to ren ler an attack in front utterly impos sible. I accordingly ordered Colonel Essen to endeavour to turn the enemy; but before he was able to perform that movement, he received intelligence, that the enemy had left the above position, and was retreating, burning and destroying all the bridges imme 1st, The officers of infantry, with the exception of the mounted officers, are to wear black cloth leggins when on duty, and at all inspections and reviews 24, Officers are to wear their hats straight when on the parade or on duty, and not with the corners in front.-3d. The mounted officers of infau.ry to wear the shoulder belt and regulation sword-4th, Lace on the skirts of the officers' coats is contrary to regulations and must be discontinued -5th, The staff sergeants to be dressed according to regulations: the sergeant-major, and quartermaster-sergeant, to be distinguished only in the m ner pointed out.-th, The bugle horn players to be dressed as the drummers of the regiment.-7th, The men are to carry their great coats at inspections and reviews, as likewise on all duties.-8th, Regiments not provided with grenadier caps and pioneer appointments, are to be immediately supplied.-9th, The plates on the caps of some of the corps, and the sergeants' swords and sashes, (the latter being crimson) are reported contrary to orders. They must be in strict conformity to the king's regulations ; an 1 the general officers will give orders accordingly, and see that they are complied with-10th, The clothing is to be made up in strict conformity to the sealed patterns; and general officers, when inspecting regi-diately after he had passed them. Colonel ments, are enjoined to pay particular atten- Von Essen is in full pursuit of the enemy, tion on this head, and to report any devi. and I entertain some hope, that this opera ation therefrom, for which commanding of- tion will soon force the enemy to quit Salmi, ficers will be made responsible.—It appear and fall back to Knortane and Alawɔ.— ed some time back, on an inspection being Colonel Sandals has reported from Sawolax, made of the clothing of the militia, that that he detached major Aerenkih!, with 500 the coats of many regiments were men, in fifty smul boats, to make, an tight, particularly in the sleeves, as not to attack on nine of the enemy's gun-bots admit the waistcoat being worn, which was which had sailed from Kuopio: although the supposed to be the cause of the sickness object of this attack, to take the above gunwhich prevailed at the close of the last win-boats, could not be attained on account of ter, and the early part of the spring. The colonels must be cautioned with respect to the ensuing clothing, and the general officers will be careful to see that the men have on the proper waistcoat with sleeves, which SO the enemy's superior weight of metal, and the wind coming foul, yet the enemy's gunboats were compelled to make a precipitate retreat to Kuopio.-M. KLINGSPOR, -Field marshal and general-in-chief of the army. Printed by Cox and Baylis, Great Queen Street; published by R. Bagshaw, Brydges Street, Corelle Gurle, where former Numbers may be had: soid also by J. Budd, Crown and Mitre, Pall-Mailḥ LETTER I. 321] TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE CITY AND LIBERTIES OF WESTMINSTER. St Austle, Cornwall, Aug. 22, 1808. GENTLEMEN, It is now sometime since I had the honour of addressing a letter to you. Indeed, having completely extricated yourselves from the trammels of the regu Jarly drilled opposition, as well as from those of the ministry of the day; having, by actions as well as by words, clearly proved that you are no longer to be made the dupes of any set of trading politicians, there remained no longer any occasion for me to trouble you with my advice. It is not, therefore, with a view to convey to you either advice or instruction that I now address you. My object is to communicate to the nation at large facts, which I have recently collected, which, in time, may, if deeply imprinted upon the minds of men, become of great public utility, and I choose, as the vehicle, an address to you; first, because I am always anxious to show you marks of my respect, and, secondly, becanse, as it will evidently appear from the sequel, the conduct of the persons, of whom I shall have to speak, is of that sort which you, above all other men in the kingdom, have a right to canvass and to judge ot.The subject is that, in which, more than in any other, you have, of late years, shown that you took an interest; namely, the means that are used for returning Members to the Commons House of Parliament; but, when you observe what part of the kingdoin it is, whence I address you, you will not anticipate any very striking instances of those salutary effects, which many persons were sanguine enough to expect from the excellent example, given by you, of purity of election. On the 19th and the 20th of this month, there were two Trials, at the assizes, held at Bodmin, in this connty, and, it is the facts, brought to light upon these trials, that I am about to communicate, having taken particular pains correctly to collect them.As for yourselves, you appear to have imbibed a thorough conviction, that, until the constitution be again acted upon, in substance as well as in form, with respect to the electing of members to serve in parliament, there will be, and can be. no really useful reform, of any kind, take place; that all the talk and all the attempts, relating to abuses, will in future, as they hither. to have, produce no other ultimate effect, than that of causing new burthens to be laid upon the people; that it is foolish to hope for any of the political changes, which all good men would wish to see take place, until measures be adopted to give good men a chance of having a voice in the returning of those, who have the power to promote or to prevent such changes; that, in short, while the source is foul, while that is poisoned by corruption, it must be folly in the extreme, or the basest hypocrisy, to believe, or affect to believe, that the stream can be pure. With respect to the foulness of the source, generally speaking, there are few persons who have any doubt; and, except the Edinburgh Reviewers and their disciples, including your old friends, the Whig reformers, there are no persons, not interested in the t.de of votes, who do not lament the existence of the evil. All men have a general notion of the vile traffic that is carried on in Boroughs; but, notions received from general descriptions have not upon the mind the same effect as those which are received from a detail of facts, especially when that detail is of undoubted authenticity. For this reason it was that I attended personally the two trials above spoken of, took down the evidence with great care, and strictly watched the whole course of the proceedings; and, in now communicating to you, and to the public through you, what transpired and what took place upon this occasion, I am not without hopes, that something may be done towards the producing of that deep and general abhorrence of these corrupt practices, which must precede the adopting of measures for their destruction. In both of the cases, to which the trials related, SIR CHRISTOPHER HAWKINS, Baronet, was the principal party accused. The first was a prosecution of him and eighteen others (amongst whom was a clergyman) L |