Imatges de pàgina
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troduced by some very ingenious remarks of the Translator; who seems to be convinced, as well as ourselves, that M. Gregoire has ventured beyond his depth. In fact, we acknowledge very little obligation to the reverend writer for this ill-conceived, and injudicious addition.

that whatever is iniquitous, should be at thesame time impolitic, and that fearful calamities should be the chastisement of crime. The individual culprit suffers not always here below, the punishment due to his offence; because, to use the words of St. Augustine, God has eternity to punish in It is not so with nations: in their collective capacity, they do not belong to the future state of existence. In this world, Slavery dates from a period so early, therefore, according to the same Father, has obtained an establishment' so exthey are either recompensed, as the Ro-tensive, is so solidly settled among almost maus were; for some humane virtues, or all the nations of the globe, that to erapunished, as so many nations have been, dicate it wholly, appears rather Utoare events to which, in Eugland, the mi- pian than hopeful. It may, however, nisters of religion have often called the at- be moderated in ' most countries; and it tention of their auditory. France, who ought to be suppressed in that modern for a century past, has waged impious war branch of it, which has been instituted with the Almighty, and with divine truth, by the whites for the purpose of traffic Was drunk of the cup of bitterness. Who and merchandize. Whatever others do, knows if the dregs are not still reserved for let us clear ourselves as men, as Chrisher! This language we must expect to tains, from this abhorrent practice. be ridiculed as fanaticism by certain in- We should be delighted if the latter modividuals; this is one of those lesser trials tive would be found more powerful and· prevalent in France, than the language of this writer, and our own information, leads us at present to believe or infer.

for national calamities. These calamities

to which by habit I have become perfectly resigned.

A Sermon, occasioned by the Detection and Punishment of Criminals, guilty of Robberies and Murder, in the Counties of Essex and Hertford, preached at Bishop's Stortford, March 19, 1815. By William Chaplin. Conder. London,

1815.

For a series of years the outrages of the Algerine pirates have been the subject of complaint: it is disgraceful to the Continental Powers that they have not yet adopted vigorous measures for the suppression of this nefarious system, which has prevailed, during the last twenty years, to a most calamitous extent. In former times, respectable missionaries went to spend their lives among the Africans, and to meliorate the toils of the slaves by sharing them. Other ecclesiastics employed themselves in raising money in Roman Catholic countries, for the purpose of rausoming occasion, and its plainness. The first WE distinguish this Sermon by its captives. These sources of good works have been almost dried up by the suppreswas felt by all to whom the discourse sion of religious orders, and the persecu was addressed, and we trust, the latter tion which has been directed against the will produce those effects on his hearers ministers of the altar. Will any one ven- and readers, which the worthy and beture to assert that the enormities com- nevolent preacher contemplated. Smalmitted by the pirates of Algiers, Tunis, etler crimes lead on to greater: whoever cætera, are comparable to those which Europe has inflicted upon Africa? What would that Europe say, if suddenly a second Genseric, a descendant perhaps, or at least a follower of the King of the Van-in proof of this progress of guilt, is a dals, were to make a descent upon our coasts, saying I come as a liberator ?

We conjecture that this last reflection includes a political meaning: would the writer have ventured this, under the Napoleon dynasty?

The second part of this work, op the traffic and slavery of the whites, is in

factor to his race, and to his country. can prevent smaller crimes, is a beneTo take advantage of striking instances

very likely means to impress on the conscience of the half vicious, of the unwary,

too startling to be worn off, too deep to of the inexperienced, a conviction · be erased. The good done may never be known; yet, possibly, nothing is mare entitled to the appellation and character of good, than such concealed conversions.

It appears, that a burglary and mur- | in such deeds, it may be hoped, would der was committed at Berden, iu Essex, have acted otherwise, if they had duly in March 1814. Two men apprehended considered their gross impropriety. I shall at Bishop's Stortford, in the following therefore state some of the reasons, which January, were found to be the ought to induce every oue.couscientiously perpeto avoid the practice. trators. They were executed at Chelmsford, March 13, 1815, They had long The Preacher proceeds to observe-It been notorious as poachers: they found is a violation of the laws of the counthat business lucrative ;-that mal-prac-try. No man has a right to take the tice led to worse, and murder filled laws into his own hand, and dispense the measure of their guilt. To deter with them whenever they may not agree others from this common transgression, with his individual opinion. "It is not usually thought no great harm, was the doing to others as you would have them object of Mr. C.'s impressive address. do to you." He proceeds,

up

The text is from Psalm cxix. 158.“I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved." The Improvement directs,

(1.) That nothing shall be done which has a tendency to sanction or promote the deeds of transgressors.

It is the fruitful parent of the worst of crimes and miseries.-It leads to pilfering, and pilfering leads to house-breaking, house-breaking to murder, and murder to the gallows. I apprehend there is no doubt of the truth and reality of this statement, with regard to the unhappy indiviI hope it is not necessary to say to any duals whose end hath given occasion for one who now bears me, that to participate this discourse. And not in reference to in any way in the profits of the transgres- them only, but many besides. There is sor, is to participate in his guilt. If there reason to fear that this single practice, conbe the most distant concurrence, or even tributes much, by its tendency and conconnivance, on the part of any other indi- sequences, to swell the calendar of every vidual, that individual is himself a trans-assize; to people our gaols, to bind fetters gressor and if the laws of his country do on cur countrymen, and lift up against not find him out, he may be assured the them the executiouer's arm. laws of God certainly will-But I hope better things of you, although I thus speak. While it is my duty to state truth and fact, with the utmost fidelity and plainness, I hope the application cannot be made to any within these walls. If it can, I leave it to God, and to conscience.

tion of Knowledge and true Religion "Let us be anxious for the promoamong all classes of the Community." The non-observance of the Holy day, and contempt of public worship, are the most ordinary forerunners of crime, and flagrant evil.

But it is incumbent on me to advert to another node by which deeds of transThese wretched malefactors seemed at last gression are encouraged. I mean the prac- to be aware of it themselves, as they had tice of countenancing pouchers, (for I wish both lived in the omission of their duty for on this subject to speak very plainly) by purchasing the produce of their nocturnal charge to his wife, that she should not do years. One of them left it as his dying depredations. Until the recent events had ●ccurred, I was not aware that this prac-children should be carefully brought up in as he had done, and above all, that his tice existed in any respectable quarter, at the practice of keeping the holy day. least to any great extent. But I am surprised and grieved to find it does exist to an alarming degree, and probably in all parts of the kingdom.-In proportion to its prevalence in any vicinity, it is natural to expect the public will be pestered with thieves and robbers.-1 should be altoge

ther unfit to stand in this place, if I did not on the present occasion, follow the strong impulse of my mind, and enter a public protest against such an infraction of order aid of law. Perhaps mistaken notions may prevail on this subject; and honest minds may be deceived by fallacious arguments Many who have been concerned

In proof of this, in the present case, we have the confession of the unhappy culprits themselves: the letter-read from the pulpit-could not but deeply affect the congregation; and we suppose will not fail of exciting the sensibility of

our readers.

"We have this to beg of you all, that through our misconduct in the way we have goue on, we hope yon will not afflict our wives and our poor innocent children, for they cannot help what their parents have doue. And now do we heartily beg

It may be of importance for the Scottish proprietors, who seem to be so little acquainted with the principle and operation of our poor laws, to know the causes which have led to the great expenditure under them in England, that they may profit by the information, in the future progress of the poor laws in Scotland. These causes I apprehend to be,

to you all, that you will afford that assis- Į otherwise rise to the level of those who tauce to them to give them some learning, I do want. He thinks this management that they may not be like ourselves, who better than that of Scotland. Neverhave come to this maturity of years and do not know hardly how to read ̧ theless, says he, the gospel prayer. But O, pray think ou our children and afford them that small favour, that they may not die without knowing how to read the commandments of God; for we ourselves find it hard that we have not that gift, but we beg you will not let our poor children be at a loss for it. Dear friends all, our glass is run, I hope it will be a warning to all men, for our sins have overtaken us at last, which brought us to the end of our glass. So we hope it will be a affording an insufficient stimulus to many. 1st, The inequality of the assessments, warning to all men never to do what we have done. So adicu, adieu, from us poormical administration of the laws; which classes of society to provide for the œcono ́siuners here, leads to,

"WM. PRATT aud Taos. TURNER." This subject might, we fear, be justly introduced into most country pulpits throughout the kingdom: if it should not operate as reproof, in some, it might, as warning, in all.

The Principle of the English Poor Laws, illustrated from the Evidence given by the Scottish Proprietors before the Corn Committer, &c. By John Wev. land, Jun. Esq. F. R. S. Price. 38. 6.1. Hatchard. London. 1315.

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2dly, Want of intelligence in the persons to whom the primary administration of the laws is intrusted.

3dly, The complicated nature of the laws themselves respecting settlements; leading to great and vexatious expences, profitable only to the profession of the law.

4thly, The laws relating to bastardy. whereby the moral and industrious part of the community is put to a great expense, order to hold out a premium for the vices of the idle and the profligate.

5thly, An over-propensity for maintaining large workhouses and poorhouses, whereby the average maintenance of a pauper is increased from about Sl. 10s. to

far is this additional expense from rendering the poor more comfortable or happy, that I am persuaded their feelings are justly described by the poet of the lower

classes:

There are some good remarks in this pamphlet. Nevertheless, we cannot al-about fifteen guineus per annum; and so together bring ourselves to approve of a system, by which the labourer is taught to look to any thing but his labour for the supply of his daily bread. We may be wrong; but, there is a moral feeling connected with the matter, which ought not to be trified with, nor to be checked. That the Poors' Rates are not an evil The pauper palace, which they hate to see, without some good, may be true; but a That giant-building, that high-bounding wall, much superior good crowns the satisfac-Those bare-worn walks, that lofty thundering of that man who can preserve his independence.

«There, in one house, throughout their lives to be,

hall,

It is a prison with a milder name,

CRABBE.

As we cannot enter into the subject, | Which few inhabit without dread or shame." a subject not susceptible of compression into a narrow compass, we shall merely state that Mr. W. considers the 6th, The profusion of public-houses, Poor's Rate as the best means for biplacing temptation at every poor man's elbow, stowing › bounties on large families, thereby keeping up the labouring population, yet not raising the price of Wages: excluding those who do not Want assistance, whose wages would

the highly manufacturing state of society 7thly, The size of the large towns, and in England, whereby a reproductive part of the people; (i. e. the labouring poor residing in the country villages; who alone

can rear a surplus population to supply, larger portion of the comforts and conve 1st, the waste of the towns and manufac-iencies of life than it did in the more simturing districts; and 2dly, the increasing ple stages of society. demand for hands in a progressive society) When this progress is considered as bears but a small proportion to the whole extending itself to thousands, and even population. It is necessary, therefore, that they should be enabled to rear large fami- to millions of individuals with their ialies, and more than half of the money col-milies, the consequences of the accilected under the poor laws is devoted to this purpose. This head of expense will be considered useful or pernicious, according to the view which is taken of the general political effect of the laws.

dents of life, in some or other of their various forms, striking among them, may readily be conceived.

Mr. W. commends the principle of settlement as practised in Scotland : certainly, it has been the occasion of prodigious expenses in England. He adds, in a note,

8th, Lastly, and above all, great and superfluous expense has been incurred from the consequences arising out of the want of adequate means for the moral and reliIt may gratify the curiosity of the Enggious instruction of the lower orders. lish magistrates, who may honour this With these causes of great expendi-pamphlet with a perusal, to know, that in ture in consequence of the Poor Laws, Scotland the place of birth is the place of must be taken into consideration the in- settlement, except where another has been creased expenses of the poor thein- gained by a three years residence, without parochial assistance, or public begging.selves; by which some of them are reThis appears to be the only mode of gam duced to difficulties sooner than theying a settlement; and the simplicity of the otherwise would be, in the ordinary rule is attended with one admirable effect, course of events: while at the same viz. that the doctrine of removals, with its time, these causes prevent them, when long et cetera of orders and appeals, vexations poor, from regaining that station from and expense, is altogether unknown. (See which they had declined. Some of Hutcheson's Justice of the Peace.) these are owing to themselves; others may be attributed to a public state of things; over which individuals have no power. Mr. W. offers a striking picture of the progress of such indulgences, in a paragraph, which we select.

It appears from Mr. Hutcheson, that the ordinary, or as it is sometines termed, the natural and proper fund to maintaining the poor in Scotland, consists of collections at the parish-church, the letting out to hire a parish-hearse, or pell, (mortcloth', or by the interest of money or land (mortified, A Yorkshire peasant, (whose progenitors i. e.) bequeathed for use of the poor. This would have thought themselves injured is under the management of the kirk-sespast redemption, by a proposal to substi- sion, consisting of the clergymau and tute wheaten bread for their cat cake,) by elders, or substantial persons of the parish an apprenticeship to a clothier or a cutler, a body very like our select vestfics in one of the county towns, not only be- But "the needful sustentation" of the poor comes himself a consumer of wheaten is not intrusted solely to those scanty and bread, but the progenitor of a permanent precarious supplies: when they prove inset of such consumers. His sisters, whose sufficient to enable the poor, in theanancestors were satisfied with a competent guage of the Scottish statutes, to "live portion of home-brewed beer, by a few unbeggand," the law directs the deficiency years' service in an opulent family, not only to be supplied by an assessment on the pa becomes herself a consumer of tea and su rish. Meetings are, from time to time, to gar, but the mother of a permanent pos- be held in order “ to take inquisition of all terity of such consumers. In process of aged, poor, impotent, and decayed per time these new habits travel from the sons, according to their number, to consi towns to the furthest recesses of the agri-der what their needful susteutation may cultural villages, and a permanent change extend to." r is introduced into the mode of the people's This adjusting of the list of the poor, and subsistence. If, then, the condition of the fixing the assessment, the law has com Jabourer must in some degree keep pace mitted-to joint consultation of two respecta with the progress of artificial enjoymer ble dies of men: the heritors, or landamong the rest of the society, it is neces-heers, who are liable to one half of the sary that a real increase should take place | assessmer t, and the kirk-session, on behalf in his wages; i. e. that the fair exertion off of the criter substantial parishioners, whe his industry should exchange against are able to the other half.

Parliamentary Portraits; or, Sketches of the Public Character of some of the most distinguished Speakers of the House of Commons. 8vo. pp. 235. Ss. Baldwin and Co. London. 1815.

A public man in a free nation must expect to see his public actions canvassed and scrutinized, closely, very close ly;-from different causes. He cannot be a public man without having deprived some opponent of the honour conferred on himself He has disappointed the ambition, or has controuled the efforts of a rival, whose partizans ill brook the mortification, and stand ready to take their revenge on the first favourable opportunity. This spirit may be conqueréd, but it is not subdued; it may be silenced, but it is not converted. Honest men may honestly differ in judgment on many propositions; but honest men are seldom violent, or overbearing.

Again, this spirit of opposition is in some places successful, and sends its representatives to the Commons House of Parliament; and here, amidst a mixed assembly, commences the career of a British Statesman. What is he sent up to the Grand Council of the Nation to do? To watch over its concerns: to give his advice, when necessary. But, if he does not perceive any occasion for giving his advice, in the form of speaking his opinion, why should he obtrude it? A question debated in Parliament is something like a point of law, argued in Westminster Hall; the party most interested in it speaks by his counsel, not by himself. Perhaps the bystanders are interested also, especially if it be a point of public concern; but none of them adduces arguments; they form their opinion from what they hear; and the matter may be amply discussed without their interference, as speakers.

side.

In point of fact, those Parliamentary debates, in which the greatest number of speakers have engaged, have seldom added much to the arguments, on either The later speeches evinced the convictions of the speakers, but usually on similar grounds, and not on additional reasons, essentially differing from those already urged. The House forms its VOL. II. New Series. Lit. Pan.

judgment, and decides; but decision is distinct from speaking. To regret that oratorical powers are not abundant in the House of Commons, is unnecessary: good sound judgment, clear unbiassed understanding, integrity and intellect, are far superior qualifications. The sup position of this writer, that opinions are made up, and votes engaged previous to discussion, is true only to a certain point. There is, always, a respectable body of independent men in Parliament, who follow their party only so far. Let the minister propose any thing very much amiss, they will soon let him know who governs the kingdom. Neither will they be dragged at the chariot wheels of opposition; they care for their country: not for A. or B,

The office assumed by an individual of judging on public men from public appearances, is somewhat invidious; it is little recommended by modesty; it may be executed with integrity; or it may be warped by party; it may be. skilful, or it may be coarse. It implies a superiority not easily to be allowed; and it demands qualifications not ordinarily attained. These must be assumed, by writers for newspapers; who must affect to lead, in order to be popular; and' must pronounce decisively, where real judges would hesitate. The general character of a newspaper, also, influences the writer; he must study to satisfy the proprietor as well as to please his read ers. The present portraits are sketched with spirit; that they are accurate likenesses will not be granted by all: but, we who are old artists know, that differ ent painters draw different likenesses; and that the disposition of lights and shades renders the same countenance not the same. We submit two extracts: the first describes the scene of action; the second one of the principal actors-at present.

In turning our thoughts to the composi tion and proceedings of a great popular assembly, all whose transactions appear at least to be conducted through the medium of speech, it is impossible not to be struck in the management of the chief instrument with the dearth of dexterity and excellence of its operations. The spirit of our constitution directs, and its ostensible practice complies with that direction, that all public

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