deed, it appears as if this event had been foreseen by Buonaparte; for the troops he is sending to Spain take the eastern entrance; and His Most Catholic Majesty, Joseph, has escaped (as report affirms) to Bayonne, before the Biscayners could prevent his exit. The deficiencies of this province have been, in part, and will be more effectually supplied by Great Britain, and arms, ammunition &c. will be sent forthwith. We should not be surprized, if the event proved, that a British army has, 'ere this, united with the Biscay-quits it as a petty thief.-Pride and insult acners ¿ who are, we understand, directed by the junta of their province. They are not Spaniards, in their own esteem, as the Welsh of our island are not Englishmen. They have shewn themselves formidable enemies to the foes of Spain, and on this occasion they will not disgrace their character. It gives us pleasure to learn, that the Spanish colonies have given tokens of amity to our governors in the West Indies; and that the machinations of the foe will be completely disappointed in that quarter: to this we add our hopes of the truth of the report, that the island of Trinidad has addressed his majesty, Jequesting the establishment of the British constitution in that island, as in others under the British dominion. May this renown of the British character, constitution, legislature, manners, and liberality, be spread far and wide, to the infinite benefit and happiness of the human race! The following pasquinade has been conveyed to us, and though part of it has been already before the public (or our judgment deceives us) yet we willingly close our number with its insertion. SPAIN. King Joe and Co.-The entry into, and retreat of the would-be king of Spain from the capital of Madrid, afford a contrast at once striking and gratifying.-With a parade. blazoned forth in the foreign papers, Joseph Buonaparte enters Spain-his route is marked out with the utmost nicety-to-day at Tolosa to-morrow at Victoria-on the 16th at Burgos, on the 20th at Madrid.-Europe was desired to believe that this notice of his route was given, that the impatient Spaniards might be prepared to receive him with fêtes, with illuminations, and with all the pomp and circumstance generally attending accessions. -We were told that clemency and affability were in his train-he pardoned the guilty, he conversed with the utmost graciousness with the poorest of his new subjects; his march was described rather as the march of a monarch who had saved his country, and who, after some great and decisive victory, was returning in triumph to his capital, amidst the thanks, the gratitude, and the benedictions of his people. He enters the capital on the 20th, and on the 27th he sneaks from it with fear and trembling-he enters it with all the pride and retinue of an eastern sultan, and he is glad to depart with the court plate in his pocket to pay the expences of his journey. On the Monday he exposes his august person to the eager view of the populace and on the Saturday he is glad to take away his august person with all possible secrecy and dispatch: he enters Madrid as a powerful monarch-he company his arrival-fear and felony attend his departure. Such are the Buonapartesif they cannot govern, they can steal-and-if they are not permitted to play the parts of kings, they will content themselves with playing the parts of thieves.-His august majesty said when he entered the country, that "he came only for the happiness of Spain;" and yet the last three day's he was at Madrid, he was employed in sacking the palaces and churches of every thing valuable. Judge of me by my actions," says this august robber upon his entrance, and yet he has proved himself as expert in thieving as his brother Napoleon, or Lucien, or any other man that ever deserved the gallows. This flying king of Spain, Gibraltar, and the Indies, was so eager to get back to Bayonne, that his august majesty, as Shakespeare says, With a robber's haste, Cramm'd his rich thiev'ry up he knew not how; so fearful was he of being intercepted, and delivered up to the exécuteur de la haute jus tice. The free Parisians will be obliged to illuminate to keep the people in the dark!' Although the kingdom of Spain might have turned out a good thing, yet it seems the great Napoleon thought it not worth the risking his precious person for !-he therefore, sent a gust Joe from Naples, to face all dangers, and, if not to conquer, at least to plunder, drink,* and run away. Not the least amusing part of this air is the account given in the Moniteur of the unutterable lamentations that really were uttered by the people of Naples on the loss of their beloved monarch: the least that is certain is, that they will not be able to enjoy the satisfaction of beholding the entry of his succes sor, the renowned and redoutable, the hu mune, compassionate, and sympathising MvRAT, ci-devant Duke of Berg; but now, JOACHIM, by the inscrutable decrees of Provi deuce, King of Naples and of the two Sici lies- -when he can get them! * On account of his august majesty's partiality to Bacchus, the noble Spaniards call him Pepe Cuba, which in English is rendered Joe Butt! .......... The Table of the Prices of Stocks, &c. &c. will be inserted in the Supplement. "of any dignitary, should take place, "without the consent and approbation of the crown; that the election of every bishop should be submitted to his majesty'; " and that he should exercise the same aut"thority in such matters, as was possessed by other princes in catholic countries." It had been said, that the cathol cs still laid claim to the estates of which their ancestors were usually mentioned in their marriage settlements. He believed no lawyer conld say that he had witnessed the insertion of such a claim. Besides, it was erroneous to suppose that the catholics were composed only of the lower classes; the fact was, that there were many gentlemen of property. amongst them, and he believed that the fee simple of their estates would not amount to less than £1,000,000. It was therefore absurd to suppose, that men of this description would wish for such a transfer of property, and such a convulsion as the resumption of old catholic estates would produce.-At pre sent, the catholic felt his inferiority, and nothing could fully restore him to the manly feelings of a freeman, but the enjoyment of all the privileges of a citizen. If the present system were continued, it must inevitably produce bad citizens, easy to be conquered, but difficult to govern. The catholics came forward, not with affected humility, but as freemen addressing freemen, anxious to support, as well as to share, the privileges of their fellow subjects. PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY. CHAP. VI.-Irish Catholic EmancipationIrish Bank-Sir Home Popham-American Produce-Supplies-Ways and Means -Loans for Ireland-Institution for Vaccine Inoculation-Treaty of Alliance with his Sicilian Majesty-Vote of Money to East India Company-Mr. Palmer-Dis-had been deprived; and, that such claims tillery Bill-Spanish Affairs - Army Clothing Sweden-America- Peace Third Financial Report-Returns of Resident Clergy-Court Martial-Assistance to Spain-King's Speech-Prorogation. MAY 25. Various petitions having been presented, from the Catholics of Ireland, praying for what they termed emancipation from the inabilities under which they labour, Mr. Grattan rose and moved, that the first, or principal petition, he referred to a committee of the whole house.-The following points of the very long speech which he delivered upon the occasion, were most remarkable. After expressing a wish, that the discussion of the subject should be so conducted as to promote the spirit of union and concord, instead of sharpening the minds of men against each other, he observed that it had formerly been objected, that the catholics acknowledged a foreign power (the Pope), and that it was not safe to trust them. But the catholics now disclaimed such jurisdiction; and in 1791, when the sentiments of the different catholic universities of Europe were taken, they solemnly declared, that they abhorred the doctrine that no faith was to be kept with protestants, and declared, that the Pope had no temporal power whatever in England. It had been said, that there was a political incompatibility. should be recollected, however, that there was now no catholic claimant of the throne. The catholics, abjuring the Pope's authority in every point connected with the state, regarded him as possessing none but spiritual power. Excommunication was merely a spiritual power: it was the deprivation of communion, and ought not to carry with it any temporal consequences affecting the person or property of the individual. The power of excommunication was exercised by the bishops alone; and Dr. Troy had declared that it was so seldom put in force, that, in his extensive diocese, only two persons had been excommunicated in the course of seventeen years; and the same number during the incumbency of his predecessors. To obviate the objection that the power of the Pope, in appointing the catholic clergy, was dangerous, Mr. Grattan stated, that he was authorised by the catholic clergy of Ireland, to propose that "no appointment VOL. IV. [Lit. Pan. Sup. 1808] It of England were averse to the measure; and Mr. Wilberforce observed, that the people against the catholic claims, it was because if petitions had not been sent from all parts they entertained a belief that parliament was disgusted with the measure. He did not say how far concessions to the catholics were right or wrong, but he would say, that when similar claims had been lately rejected, the house should not proceed with the same dispatch that they used on other measures of less importance. Mr. Ponsonby observed, that it had been insinuated, that this discussion was provoked by gentlemen on the opposition side of the house, from party motives. He repelled the insinuation, for none could be so stupid as to entertain such an idea. But whilst he contradicted that charge, he would rebut it with a counter accusation, that the terms on which the catholics acceded to the union were those of a participation with their Protestant brethren, in a religious toleration; and, if he were not very much mistaken, the circular letters on that head gave assurances, that unless such concessions were made to that body of men, not one of those who undersigned such letters (among whom 2 X Lord Sidmouth entered into an historical retrospect, in order to shew, that the admission of catholics to offices of trust would be impolitic and dangerous, and concluded with opposing the motion. the noble Lord Castlereagh was one) would, this was the more worthy of attention, when hold a seat in his majesty's councils.-Re- it was considered, that the presbyterian specting the future mode of appointing the church of Scotland did not even acknowcatholic bishops, the following mode was ledge the king as its temporal head. suggested: - that when a vacancy of a "diocese shall occur, the clergy shall meet, " and fix on three, whom they shall name as fit for the prelacy, and send them to "the king, to nominate the person among "the three whom he most approves, and "that nomination to be transmitted to the "Pope for his sanction;" so that, in fact his majesty has the nomination, by that means, of every bishop in Ireland. 66 After a very long discussion, in which the petition was supported by Mr. Wyndham, Lord Milton, Mr. Fitzgerald, Lord H. Petty, Sir J. C. Hippisley, Mr. Elliot, Mr Whitbread, and Mr. Martin, and opposed by Lord Castlereagh, Mr. Canning, Mr. Yorke, and Mr. Perceval, Mr. Hutchinson moved to abjourn the debate.-After a great cry of question! question! the house divided on the motion of adjournment;-Noes, 298Ayes, 118,-Majority against the adjourn ment, 180. After some farther discussion, the house divided on the original motion, for submitting the catholic claims to a committee; when the numbers were ere-Noes, 281-Ayes, 128.-Majority 153 against the motion. The bishop of Norwich expressed an opinion at some length, that the catholics were not disqualified by their tenets from holding offices in the state. The archbishop of York, in opposing the petitions, observed, that if the present claims of the catholics were allowed, toleration would be blotted out of the vocabulary; and the bishop of Bangor maintained that the tenets of the catholics, as established by their canons, and the council of Nice, were subversive of the constitution and the protestant church. After many other members had delivered their sentiments, the house divided on the question. The numbers, including proxies, were, non-contents, 161, contents 74 Majority 87. The subject of Catholic emancipation was again agitated, in the House of Commons, May 30; and, in the House of Lords, June 22. In the former instance, Sir J. Newport On the 27th of the month the same sub-moved, "That it is the opinion of this House, ject was discussed in the House of Lords. that persons professing the Roman Catholic Lord Grenville, in rising to propose that the religion ought to be eligible to be elected to house should resolve itself into a committee, the place of governor and deputy governor of for taking into consideration the claims of the the bank of Ireland, if otherwise eligible catholics, observed, that he had not conceived it advisable for the catholics to present this motion was negatived, by 64 against 61. with respect to property."-On a division, their petition under circumstances so unfa-In the latter case, lord Grenville presented vourable as at present. He had not entertained a hope of being able to effect any change which might promote their object; but he confessed, that the catholics exercised a sounder judgment: they trusted to the justice and the strength of their cause, in which it was now obvious that they triumphed. A series of events had occurred since their claims had last been submitted to their lordships, extremely favourable to their object. The voice of the protestants of several counties of Ireland had been heard in sup-port of the catholic claims. His object was, to comply with the wish of the catholics, in such a way as to make the concession a boon to them and a benefit to Ireland. With this measure, he meant to combine a general system for the improvement of that country. For instance, he meant to look to the situation of the established church, and to the nature of the provision made for its pastors. In adverting to the proposition of the catholics, that the king should have the nomination of their bishops, he observed, that a petition from several merchants and other catholic inhabitants of Dublin, praying that parliament would consider them eligible to fill the office of directors of the bank of Ireland. He then rose on the order of the day for the second reading of the Irish bank charter bill, and, after deprecating the policy of excluding the catholics from situations in the Irish bank, which he described to be a fiuaDcial corporation totally unconnected with politics, he moved that a committee of the house should insert provisions in the bill to render the catholics of Ireland eligible to the office of bank directors. This motion, after a discussion of considerable length, was negatived on a division, by 101 againt 63. MAY 27. In a committee of ways and means for Ireland, a resolution was agreed to, "that it is the opinion of this committee, that the governor and company of the bank of Ireland, be continued a corporation unul Jan. 1, 1837." MAY 31.-A long discussion took place, on the motion of Mr. Lushington implicating the conduct of Sir Home Popham, respecting his trading transactions in the Etrusco, a ship which he had commanded under imperial colours, and which had been captured by one of his majesty's cruizers. The grant of £25,000, which Sir Home Popham had obtained from the treasury, in compensation for that loss was treated by Mr. Lushington as a misapplication of the publie money calculated to operate as a discouragement to the British navy.-The motion was negatived, by 126 against 57. JUNE 1. In a committee, to consider of the trade to America, a resolution was agreed "That it is the opinion of the committo, tee, that, for a time to be limited, the goods and manufactures of the United States of America be permitted to be imported into this country in American or British ships, on payment of the lowest duties from any other foreign country. And that tobacco and snuff, the produce and manufacture of the United States of America, imported in American or British ships, be permitted to be imported into Great Britain, on paying the lowest du ties of the most favoured countries." Supplies...... Surplus Ways and Means.... 20,000,000 300,000 4,500,000 1,500,000 1,161,100 8,600,000 48,811,081 48,405,033 436,048 A loan of eight millions for England, and two millions five hundred thousand for Ire land, had been contracted for, for every hundred pounds of which the subscribers had agreed to take £118, 3s. 6d. in the four per cents. thus creating a capital of £12,408,375; the interest on the English part, which amounted to £475,536, being at the rate of £4 14s. 6d4d. per cent. By the funding of four millions of exchequer bills, the total of the capital created was £13,693,263, the total annual charge of which was £728,783. To In a committee of ways and means, the Chancellor of the Exchequer entered into an explanation of the terms on which the loan for the year had been obtained; previously to which, however, he submitted the following recapitulation of the various items of supply which had been already voted, and of the respective ways and means which had been resorted to, for the purpose of meeting the sup- Saving in the management of the public plies: £. 17,499,947 19,039,189 1,534,571 1,750,000 1,500,000 1,100,000 2,500,000 18,319,807 cover this there was as follows:- debt... Increase in the Assessed Taxes.. £375,000 65,000 120,000 170,000 730,000 Mr. Perceval contended, that from funding four millions of exchequer bills, when stocks were at 634, and by borrowing ten millions and a half in the four instead of the three per cents. there had resulted a saving to the public of four millions of capital debt; and that by the single measure of contracting for the loan in the four per cents. there was a saving of 3,100,000l. capital debt; and also a saving in the annual charge, of 2000l.; besides the advantage of being able to redeem the debt at comparatively a very inconsiderable loss. He concluded his statement with moving a resolution, which was agreed to, "That it is expedient to enable his majesty to raise eight millions by way of annuities for Great 5,953,748 Britain, and two millions and a half for Ire 54,173,544 Deduct Irish proportion of Supply and Civil List..... 5,861,515 Total to be defrayed by Great Britain 48,305,033 land." For foreign and secret service money 68,000 .L. 1,913 Lords and Commons. For ditto........ 21,250 For extra charges of messuages belong- laity, (additional) in consequence Loan for Ireland. Trish money 280,466 A variety of resolutions, correspondent to the above statements, were agreed to. JUNE 9.-On the motion of Mr. Rose, the following resolution was agreed to:"That this House, from the reports of the colleges of physicians of London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, under their consideration, is of opinion that great benefits would result to the public, if a central institution were appointed in London, to be superintended by a certain number of gentlemen, composed from the Royal College of Physicians, and from the Royal College of Surgeons, for the purposes of vaccine inoculation." He observed, that the average of the expence would be from £1500 to 2500 per annum. JUNE 10.-A message was brought up from his Majesty, acquainting the House, that he had entered into a treaty of alliance and subsidy with his Sicilian Majesty. This treaty, Mr. Canning said, was no new transaction, but merely the completion of a mea. sure which ministers had found prepared to their hands on coming into office. When the British and Russian troops were landed in the Neapolitan territory in 1805, the govern ment of this country had engaged to assist the latter with a subsidy of £300,000 a year; this treaty was more fully arranged by the late administration in the autumn of 1806, and Mr. Drummond was then sent out to Sicily 363,334 for the purpose of entering into final arrangeThe treaty was returned to this 280,466 country in the spring of 1807, but several 82,868 alterations were then made in it, and it was not finally settled till within these few weeks. 29,557 The message was referred to a committes of 400,000 supply. 333,334 Charge on the 5th of January, 1808. 22,500 ments. 215,484 JUNE 13.-In a committee of supply, Mr. 6,000 Dundas shewed, from the report of the com50,000mittee appointed to consider the state of the 200,000 Loans raised in Ireland 1,170,134 901,041 259,093 -9,767,550 East-India Company's affairs, that there was due from the public to the Company the sum of £1,500,000; accordingly he moved," that it is the opinion of this House that the sum of £1,500,000 be granted to his Majesty to defray so much due to that Company for monies advanced by them on account of the pub lic service."This motion was agreed to without a division. The Chancellor of the Exchequer then moved that the sum of £300,000 be granted for the purpose of enabling his Majesty to make good the subsidy to the like amount to his Sicilian Majesty.-This, also, was agreed to, without a division. The Chancellor of the Exchequer next proposed a grant of £50,000 for certain losses Revenues and extraordinary resources 4,800,000 sustained by fire in the town of Roscan in the 2,000,000 island of Dominica when attacked by the French fleet, in 1805.-This produced a long conversation; after which it was agreed, that the remuneration should be proportionate to 9,767,125 the losses of the sufferers. |