rican war, progreffively increased in a greater proportion than its expences. In our youthful days we remember being taught, that the refult of any fum in arithmetic, if correctly calculated, must always be the fame, whatever variation there might be in the procefs: political arithmeticians, however, are, we perceive, in the habit of drawing very different and contradictory conclufions from the felf fame data. We are neither qualified nor required to correct their statements; but may certainly be allowed to hint the danger of any falfe and flattering eftimate on financial fubjects. Diffidence is far more becoming in a minister than pofitiveness and prefumption as to the refources of the kingdom: economy is the natural confequence of the firft, extravagance and beggary of the lat. Thofe writers therefore, who, in order to fupport our fpirits in thefe trying times, delude us with a difplay of fancied affluence, are guilty of an offence whofe enormity is only to be measured by the mifery which their works are calculated to prodúce. We do not, by any means, intend to apply this remark to the author of the prefent pamphlet; his ftatements may, for aught we know, be sufficiently correct, and his writings may refult from the pureft patriotifm; our's is a general obfervation, and naturally refulted from contemplating the different, and, as we before faid, contradictory conclufions, which from the fame data are drawn by our modern financiers according to the tone and temper of their politics!

Mr. GRELLIER has published "The Terms of all the Loans which have been raifed for the Public Service during the lat Fifty Years; with an introductory Account of the principal Loans prior to that Period, and Obfervations on the Rate of Intereft paid for Money borrowed." This ufeful publication affords a bird'seye view of the progreffion of minifterial extravagance. In the year 1776 a loan of two millions was raifed: for feven years prior to that period there were no fums borrowed, nor were there any for the four fucceeding years. In 1789, 1,002,500l. were railed; in the three fucceeding, nothing. The following table of loans, borrowed fince the commencement of the prefent war, affords a fubject of moft ferious and melancholy, contemplation:

1793

1794

1795

1796

£•4,500,000

11,000,000 18,000.000 25,500,000

The only publication which remains to be noticed is, a compilation whofe long title page thows the important and multifarious information which it contains: "A complete State of the British Revenue for the Year, ending January 5, 1799 being an authentic Copy of the feveral official Accounts prefented to the Houfe of Commons, placed under the following Heads: Public Expenditure; Public funded Debt, and Reduction of the fame; unfunded Debt, and outstanding Demands; Exports and Imports; Arrears and Balance of Public Accountants; Account of the hereditary and temporary Revenues of the Crown, and of the Civil Lift Grants; an Account of the Revenues which would have been applicable to the Civil Lift had they been referved by his prefent Majefty-of the Amount of the Annuity referved by his Majefty in lieu of thofe Revenues, and of the Difference to the Public; and, an Account of the Expenditure of the Money granted for the Service of the Year 1798."

POLITICAL ECONOMY. Mr.DANIELWAKEFIELD has attacked the French economists in "An Enquiry" into the truth of their two pofitions, thar labour employed in manufactures is unproductive, and that all taxes ultimately fall on land. This very important fubject-for fo we confider it as affording the only juft ftandard of taxation, which for a confiderable time lay dormant, has of late been revived: their fyftem was oppofed by Dr. Adam Smith, with many ingenious and ftrong arguments; which arguments are fome of them placed by the present author in a new and friking light.

The fubject has also been touched upon by Mr. WALLACE in his "Effay on the Manufactures of Ireland," and very minutely canvaffed by Dr. GRAY in his pamphlet, entitled, "Effential Principles of the Wealth of Nations, &c." of both which publications we have taken notice in our former Retrofpects. It is obvioufly impoffible that the question should

be difcuffed within the narrow limits which are prefcribed to us: we can only fay, that notwithfanding the ingenuity and acuteness of Mr. Wakefield, we fee no fufficient reafon to relinquith our favourable opinion of the fyftem of the economifts.

A Citizen of London has published

"A.

"A Letter to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor on the High Price of Coals; in which the Caufes of fuch High Price are confidered, and a Plan propofed to prevent the fudden and exceffive Rife of that neceffary Article of confumption." The plan is, to purchase in fummer a cer tain quantity of coals, and in the winter time to fupply the poor with them at the same price. This plan, which the worthy citizen of London has propofed for the relief of his fellow-creatures in diftrefs, we are happy in being able to fay, is adopted in many villages of this coun

try.

Mr. ACKLOM INGRAM has published "A Syllabus, or Abtract of a Syftem of Political Philofophy," to which he has prefixed a differtation, recommending that the ftudy of political economy be encouraged in the univerfities, and that a courfe of public lectures be delivered on that fubject. We are entirely of opinion, that political economy is as effential a branch of education as any which can be taught in our univerfities: if lectures were publicly delivered on this important fubject, the fenate and the bar would both of them reap abundant benefit.

POLITICS.

M. RAMEL has published a "Narrative," which has been tranflated into English, "of_the_Deportation to Cay-. enne of M. M. Barthélemy, Pichegru, Willot, and la Rue, &c. in confequence of the Revolution at Paris, of the 4th of September, 1797." This interefting volume, which is written by one of the unfortunate victims to directorial defpotifm, relates fuch a series of fufferings, and the history of fuch complicated cruelty, as it is hardly poffible to conceive that people who arrogate to themselves any portion of civility and refinement could have wantonly inflicted on their fellow-creatures. The French revolution, however, has familiarifed us to the perpetration of enormities with which we had hitherto been happily unacquainted in the course of it

"Murders have been performed

Tooterrible for the ear."

But the reign of terror was profeffedly abolished when the merciless profcription which is narrated in thefe pages took place the fpeedy execution of the guillotine was only exchanged for the more lingering horrors of deportation. The fixteen ftate prifoners left the prifon of the Temple, at Paris, on the 8th of September: they were conveyed in four

carriages, which formed a kind of cage, fecured on every fide with bars of iron, breaft high, bruifing them with every fhake or jolt. Efcorted by 600 men, infantry and cavalry, and two pieces of cannon, they arrived, on the 2ft, after having fubmitted, at almoft every place they paffed through, to the fouleft infults, at Rochefort, where they were embarked in the fpace of two days, under the command of Captain Le Porte. Their treatment on board the veffel, La Vaillante, was the counterpart of that which they had already received. The detachments which were appointed to guard them chiefly confifted of men who had formerly been felected from among "the revolutionary bands of the committee of Nantes, fo famous in the annals of terror by the maffacres and the drownings of the priests who were fentenced to depor tation;" and M. Ramel afferts, that himfeif and comrades occafionally heard thefe monsters relate to each other, with an air of triumph, the various atrocities which they had committed: After a quick paffage they anchored, on the 10th of October, in the great road of Cayenne; their confinement here, however, was not thought fufficiently rigorous; and, on the 22d of November, they were fent to a fort in Sinamary, where they were feparated into feven rooms. The firft occupation of the prifoners was to clean these out; for it feems they were full of vene. mous infects, fcorpions, millepedes, mufquitoes, gnats, &c. &c. &c. &c. ! Their food was an allowance of bifcuits, a pound of falt meat, and a glafs of rum, to correct the extreme bad quality of the water. The bread which was given them was fometimes full of worms and ants; and the portion of wine had grown four in the magazines. Some of thefe unfortunate beings fell a facrifice to the hardships which they fuffered; others (eight of them), it is well known, by the affistance of Captain Tilly, an American, whofe veffel had been taken by the French, having previously intoxicated their guards, feized a canoe that always lay near the fort, and escaped from their confinement. This narrative of M. Ramel, as to its leading facts, is of unquestionable authen ticity; but himself has been fo great a fufferer in this perilous deportation, that for the honour of humanity we hope, that the feelings of the writer may have hurried him into occafional exaggeration.

A member of the Germanic body has published "An Examination of the Conduct of the European Powers fince the Commence

Commencement of the French Revolution, and of the natural Confequences by which that Event must be followed." The anonymous author of this tract evinces very extenfive political information; he has penetrated into the interior of almost every European cabinet, and criticised its operations in regard to the French revolu. tion with great keennefs and feverity. The writer, whofe antipathy against the republican form of government is moft deep and deadly, very juftly attributes the victorious progrefs of the French arms to the irritating and ill-concerted op pofition which, in the early period of the revolution, was made against them; and he now confiders, that nothing but the fteady coalition, the vigorous and compacted efforts of all the European powers, can fave them from falling victims, each in its turn, before the coloffal ftrength of France.

25

The author of a tract, entitled "Neutrality of Pruffia," is, in common, we believe, with politicians of every opinion, difgufted with the duplicity which has marked the measures of that power in relation to the war: he reprobates the neutrality of Pruffia, and urges her to rejoin the coalition against France, and forget the natural rivalship of Auftria and herself; a rivalship which ought to be loft in one common exertion to crush the Republic. This pamphlet, which is tranflated from the German, is faid to have excited confiderable attention on the continent. A French author has tranflated from his own original, a pamphlet, entitled "Neceffity of deftroying the French Republic proved by facts and arguments. The author afferts, that no reliance can be placed on any treatics. which may be made with that power for peace and it must be acknowledged that the frequent changes which take place in the conftitution of that country would make it neceffary to be ever prepared against a renewal of hoftilities: the party who is in power to-day may be deported to Cayenne to-morrow. The late operations in Holland, however, have convinced Englishmen that the French are not incapable of making treaties, and of making treaties which are honourable to humanity. We feel no diffidence in this affertion, fince it is very well known that the troops engaged in that unfortunate expedition were at the mercy of the enemy, and muft inevitably have perished, (had they not received permiffion to return), even if the French had neither drawn a sword nor

fired a mufquet. This pamphlet, whether written by a Frenchman or an Englifhman (on this fubject, we have our doubts), has very little novelty of remark or ftrength of reasoning to recommend it, "The Failure of the French Crufade, or the advantages to be derived by Great Britain from the restoration of Egypt to the Turks," is a pamphlet by EYLES IRWIN, Efq. who long fince predicted the failure of Buonaparte's expedition to the Eaft. In the prefent publication, Mr. Irwin gives us a flattering picture of the advantages which the literary world will derive from this restoration, and from the speedier communication with our fettlements in the Eaft. It must have been fince this pamphlet was written, however, that the Turkish power has received a confiderable shock from the French arms

In compliance with a request of the WeftIndia merchants and planters, and the mercantile intereft of Liverpool, his Royal Highness the DUKE of CLARENCE consented to have published "The Subftance" of his fpeech in the House of Lords on the motion of the recommitment of the flave-trade limitation bill, 5th of July, 1799. Our opinion on the fubject of the flave trade has, on many occafions, been too peremptorily stared, to require any confirmation at present. The great argument which his Royal Highnefs adduces against the measure of total abolition, is, the grofs barbarity of the Africans! Alas, how long is this moft miferable of arguments to be valid? So long, it will be answered, as the Africans remain in their prefent ftate. And how long, it may be rejoined, will the Africans remain in their prefent state? The obvious replication is, fo long as the merchants and planters perceive the validity of their arguments, fo long as they perceive that it is calculated to uphold their tyrannical and iniquitous ufurpation. The Negroes, therefore, are retained in flavery because they are barbarous, and they are retained in barbarifm because they are flaves! What odious logic! What wretched reasoning! The Duke of Clarence endeavours to prove that the traffic, as carried on by the British merchants, is far lefs oppref five to the Negroes, than as it is carried on by any other country which is engaged in it: an immenfe capital, moreover, upwards of 80,000,000 being employed by our merchants in the Weft-India planta tions, he argues on the score of humanity for the continuance of the trade: abolith· it-the merchant would be ruined, and the Africans,

Africans, in their prefent ftate of barbarity, would receive no adequate benefit. The merchants and planters would have food much higher in our eftimation than they do now, had they inftructed his Royal Highness to affure the Noble House that means were already taken for the civilization and inftruction of thefe miferable, thefe degraded beings, and that a final period to their fervitude was bona fide intended, fo foon as fhould be confiftent with the welfare of the flaves, and the fafety of the mafters.

The "Subftance" of the Earl of WESTMORLAND'S fpeech on the fame occafion, and on the fame fide of the question, is alfo publifhed at the request of the triumphant Weft-India merchants and planters. Whoever reads thefe pamphlets, fhould alfo read another which was not printed at the request of the Weft-India planters and merchants, namely, the "Subftance" of the BISHOP of ROCHESTER'S fpeech in the House of Peers on the fame day, and on the fame occafion. The prelate argues against the unspeakable iniquity of this curfed traffic, with a tone of animated indignation becoming his character as a Chriftian teacher, and as a man of feeling for the diftreffes of his fellow creatures.

Major CARTWRIGHT has published "An Appeal, Civil and Military, on the Subject of the English Conftitution." The first part of this work has long been before us the fecond and third have the fame object in view, namely, the vindication of univerfal fuffrage, and the eflablishment of an univerfal armament. Major Cartwright is not a political Hotspur; his propofitions are not thofe of an hafty ignorant enthufiaft; they are the refult of deep and laborious research into the legal and historical antiquities of this country. To the univerfality of arms our author attributes the flourishing ftate of the kingdom during the reign of the illuftri ous Alfred; the refiftless authority of his laws, the energy of his civil and military power. Let any man, fays he, compare the internal tranquillity of thofe diftant times, with the frequen turbulence and confufion which have appeared among us : let him take a retrofpect of what happened in St. George's Fields, of the infamous conflagrations at Birmingham, and of the infernal proceedings in the capital in the year 1780; and then let him afk himself, if any of thofe events, fo alarming and fo calamitous to the people, and fo difgraceful to Englishmen, could poffibly have taken place, had the fyftem of the immortal Alfred been in ufe and vi

gour?" The abolition of mercenary fol diers, and standing armies, conftitutes, of courfe, a part of Major Cartwright's plan.

An anonymous writer has undertaken a work of no common difficulty and danger; he has undertaken to trace "The Rife, Progrefs, and Confequences of the new Opinions and Principles lately introduced into France." In this publication is a moft ftrange mixture of fenfe and nonfenfe, of tolerable reafoning, and empty contemptible declamation: "we are furprised that a man who difplays occafional flashes of intellect should yield the moft unhesitating credulity to all the tales of the Abbé BARRUEL and Profeffor ROBISON; and that he should actually recommend to government, as the means of arrefting the dangerous progrefs of French philofophy, the abolition of the fociety of Freemafons, the regulation of the prefs, the qualification of book fellers, and a limitation of their number! The author, propofes moreover, that review. ers fhail be under the neceffity of di'clef ing their names: "for readers," fays he, "will be highly cenfurable, aud guilty of the moft criminal negligence and dangerous credulity, if they place confidence in the advice or affertions of a writer of whofe judgement and honefty they are entirely ignorant." Now, the judgement of a writer is very eafily eftimated by his compofitions, and as to his honefty-but readers, mark the confiftency of this gentleman; his own publication is anonymous.

Dr. THORNTON has published a third volume of his "Politician's Creed; or Political Extracts, being an answer to these questions: What is the best form of government? What is the best adminiftration of government?" In this third vo lume the following important topics are touched upon, accompanied with much excellent advice, and many valuable hints: the feverity of our penal laws; peniten. tiary houfes; employment of convicts; transportation; prevention of crimes; police; receivers of ftolen goods; receiv ing of bafe money; begging, public eftablishments for the poor; the adminif tration of juftice with refpect to the poor; flavery, &c. &c.

Mr. CHARLES TWEEDIE, junior, has attempted to vindicate "The Conduct of Great Britain against the Calumnies of Foreign Enemies and Domestic Confpira

tors."

Mr. Tweedie has unfortunately employed his pen on a fubject which has fo frequently been canvaffed, that we know not how to estimate the merit of his performance: the portion of original matter

indeed which it contains, muft, of neceffity, be very confined, Mr. Tweedie, however, with an immaturity of judgment,fhows himself to poffefs confiderable abilities. "Confiderations on the impolicy of treating for Peace with the prefent Regicide Government of France," is a pamphlet written in the moment of fuccefs by a fhallow and intemperate politician, who, probably, has long ere now feen the emptinefs of his fpeculations, and lamented the foolishness of his advice.

The Rev. FRANCIS WOLLASTON has published, in the character of a country parfon, an "Addrefs to his Flock, to caution them against being misled by the Wolf in Sheep's Cloathing, or receiving Jacobin Teachers of Sedition, who intrude themfelves under the fpecious Pretence of inftructing Youth and preaching Chriftianity!" This zealous churchman, on hearing that the Union Society of Greenwich intended opening a funday fchool at Chiflehurst (the parish of which Mr. Wollafton is rector), where the children were to be "taught reading and fpelling, to reverence God, and to obey their parents," inftantly took the alarm, and "declared most decidedly his difapprobation of the thing (to ufe his own polifhed phrafeology), together with his reafons for fo doing, both in the church porch before divine fervice, and in a veftry after it." What led Mr. Wollafton to fufpect that this Union Society was a junto of Jacobin emiffaries we know not; this we know, that the fufpicion was highly injurious, and that 'Mr. Wollafton has by no means made a proper apology for his rafh and intemperate conduct on the occafion. In an extract from his addrefs, entitled, "The Origin and infidious Arts of Jacobinifm, &c." a cold, ungracious, and fullen apology (if apology it may be called), has been wrung from the reverend author with no fmall difficulty: we fhall co py the paffage in juftice to the calumniated fociety; but we cannot confider fo reluctant an acknowledgment of error as an inftance of candidnefs or contrition in the offender: " Having many times been defired to make the following extract, I now feel inclined to comply with that request: becaufe, after feveral weeks obfervation of the conduct of the Union Society of Greenwich, against whom I thought it behoved me to caution the flock committed to my care, it feems but doing juice to that fociety to take this opportunity of declaring, thus publicly, that I acquit them of all charge of fedition. Their behaviour at Chiflehurft has not, as far as I hear and beMONTHLY MAG LIV.

lieve, had any tendency that way; neither do I understand that any thing of the kind has been proved against them in any place."

Some few political pamphlets of infignificant importance, which are not mentioned, may have appeared in the course of the last half year; but we are not aware of having omitted any which are entitled to enumeration: from ENGLISH PO-> LITICS, therefore, properly fo called, we proceed to the

POLITICS OF IRELAND.

Since the difaffection of fo large a proportion of the people of Ireland to the connexion with England has become too glaringly manifeft to be any longer concealed, and fince the attempt of the English minifter to effect an Union, an attempt not to be baffled by the majority of the Irish Houfe of Commons declaring against it, the subject of Irish politics has become more than ufually important: hence the vast number of productions on this fubject, under which the prefs has lately groaned. Notwithstanding the multitude of pamphlets which we noticed in our last retrospect, we have still more to attend to in the prefent; but as, in fact, thefe numerous publications contain only the fame arguments repeated in different language, and the fame facts diftorted into various fhapes, we fhall content ourselves with a very flight notice of them.

"The Speech of the Right Honourable, JOHN FOSTER, delivered in the Committee of the Irish Houfe of Commons," is the moft able of the publications in favour of the independence of Ireland. In his'celebrated fpeech, Mr. Pitt's arguments are closely combated, and many arcaftic obfervations made on that gentleman. Allowing Mr. Fofter the ground which he has taken to make his stand upon, it is impoffible to deny his carrying every one of his points triumphantly, but we think that he affumes what ought not to be granted to him, viz. that he fettlement of 1782 was a final one. We have no conception how final fettlements can be made between flates which form part of an ever-changing world. It would be, the extreme of arrogance in any generation to pronounce their own work perfeet, and to forbid pofterity to make any change init. If the two parliaments be the reprefentatives of their refpective people, who will deny that they have a right to do in 1800 what their predeceffors might not think right in 1782? The real point to be agitated is, whether an Union be useful and agreeable to the people of the two countries? if this be granted, the terms 6 R

of