Page images
PDF
EPUB

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

VACCINE INOCULATION.-Lord H. Petty called the attention of the house to this interesting subject. It appeared, from his statement, that the progress of this useful discovery had been much retarded in London, owing to certain prejudices; and that, in consequence of this, the number of annual deaths, which had been reduced from 1811 to 622, had again risen to 1685. Under this consideration, it became the duty of the legislature to lend to useful truth every aid in its power, and to give the fullest sanction and weight to what it knew to be right. With this view, it was his intention to propose an humble address to his majesty, praying him to direct his college of physicians to enquire into the state of vaccine inoculation, its efficiency, and the causes that have retarded its universal adoption. The report would be made before the next session, and the result of it would be generally acted upon. If the report should be correspondent to his present conviction, and it should appear that any discredit thrown on the vaccine inoculation should be unfounded and exaggerated, it would be a proper question to suggest the best means of preventing the circumstances that might have given rise to it. He moved accordingly, that an humble address should be presented, praying his majesty to direst his college of physicians to enquire into the state of vaccine inoculation, and to report the same, with the evidence, and their opinions and observations thereupon.

Mr. Matthews had at first doubted the efficacy of this wonderful discovery, but on the strictest and most particular investigation he was now satisfied. The name of Jenner would be allowed by posterity to deserve well to be enrolled among those

Inventas qui vitam excoluere per artes

Atque sui memores alias fecere merendo.

After several observations from Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Windham, Mr. Bankes, and Mr. W. Smith, all of whom concurred in the praise of this useful discovery, the motion was carried unanimously.

DOMESTIC EVENTS.

THE YOUNGER BRANCHES OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.

His majesty's message, recommending to parliament to increase the provision made for the younger branches of his royal family, has been taken into consideration; and it has been agreed to in the committee of supply, that the incomes of the Dukes of Clarence, Kent, Cumberland, Sussex, Cambridge, and Gloucester, should be augmented from 12,000l. to 18,000l. This increase, with that of an additional 10007. per annum to the Princess Charlotte of Wales, the five Princesses, and the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, will be an annual addition of 43,000l. to the national expenditure. We do not object so much to the magnitude of the sum, as we do to the time in which the measure is brought for

ward; and with all the respect and loyalty which we feel for the sovereign and for his family, we do not hesitate to say, that at a moment such as the present, pregnant with danger and difficulty, fraught with taxation beyond all precedent, it would have been wise in the king's servants to have postponed the proposed increase until the conclusion of peace, or the arrival of an hour more propitious to its adoption. It must be the sincere wish of the country that his majesty's offspring should possess the means of upholding the high situations, în point of splendour and comfort, which they naturally fill in the state; but how comes it, that the inadequacy of these means has been discovered, only at the very time when the liberality of the public is most restricted, and when economy and order are become absolutely necessary to the preservation of our dearest interests? As the princes and princesses have for the last four years contrived to exist upon the establishments voted in 1778, would they not have more effectually secured the esteem and attachment of the people, in still suffering the severe privations and hardships they endured from the smallness of the provisions made for them, than in thus having them brought forward by ministers? To forbear from asking, or from taking, during a contest in which they themselves have so very much at stake, would have been an act of magnanimity that must have inspired courage and perseverance among their fellow subjects, and an act of sympathy that must have shewn they were no less ready than the landed proprietor, the merchant, and the tradesman, to suffer in the common cause. The crisis in which we live certainly does not recommend the application, nor justify the liberality of the guardians of the public purse.

"Non hoc ista tempus spectacula poscit."

We are, however, more inclined to attribute the measure to the new policy of ministers than to any sanction it may have received in another quarter, or to any intimation from higher authority. The man of the people and the men of the people are most strangely changed. The possession of power and place has spells and charms so dazzling and so potent as

[ocr errors]

to cheat the eye with blear illusion, "And give it false presentments ;

They can no longer see any danger in the influence of the crown or the gratifi cation of royalty; and whether we are to have no peace without the restoration of Hanover, or to increase the revenues of the royal family, they equally prove themselves servants of all work,

The reasons urged by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for this augmentation deserve notice. Lord Henry Petty observed, on Friday evening, (we quote his language from The Times, a paper remarkable for the accuracy of its parliamen tary reports):

"The provision for the younger sons of the king was fixed at 12,0001. per annum in 1778. This was judged at that time to be a proper sum, and adequate to the due support of their rank. But he would leave it to the house to determine, when they looked at the increased expence attending every article of consumption, when they considered that most of them were doubled since that period, and some of them more than doubled, whether that sum could be regarded as any way adequate. From the advanced ages also of the illustrious personages

more appearance and greater expenditure were called for, than in the younger part of their lives, when this sum was originally fixed.”

If this argument be strong in favour of the princes, is it not at least equally so in favour of the great mass of the community, particularly of those classess subject to the operation of the income duty, who are now taxed doubly, having at the same time to pay doubly for the necessary articles consumed by their families? Is it not, above all, a conclusive and triumphant argument in favour of the middling ranks of society for a total exemption from that unequal system? If, as Lord H. Petty declares, most of the articles of consumption are doubled, and in some cases more than doubled, with what justice can persons with 1502. 2001. or 3001. a year, be required to pay a tenth of the whole, while persons of thirty, forty, and fifty thousand per annum, contribute merely in the same proportion?

The only prince who has declined coming forward with any claim on the liberality of the public is the Duke of York. The Prince of Wales is, and will, we trust, be long out of the question. It appears, according to the Chancellor, of the Exchequer, that the Duke of York conceives himself sufficiently provided for by parliament, and we are glad to find that his royal highness knows when he has enough. But surely the other princes have had other sources of emolument, exclusively of their establishments. The Duke of Clarence has had the profitable situation of Ranger of Bushy Park, with the peculiar advantage of an excellent and economical house-keeper, who has acted her part both in public and private with deserved success. The Duke of Kent is Governor of Gibraltar, and Colos nel of the First Regiment of Foot, consisting of four battalions. The Duke of Cumberland has a regiment of Light Dragoons. The Duke of Cambridge is Commander of the German Legion; and the Duke of Gloucester, Colonel of the Third Regiment of Foot Guards. It will not, we think, be maintained that these are situations of no profit; and when we state, that in the months of October and November last, the Dukes of Clarence, Kent, Cumberland, Sussex, and Cambridge, had each 20,000l. and the Duke of Gloucester 19,500. out of the proceeds of the captured vessels before the issuing of letters of marque, few will, we apprehend, think that their royal highnesses have been exposed to any materia! embarrassments and inconveniences in their respective housholds.

LORD NELSON.-The following codicil to the will of this illustrious hero was not proved till the 4th instant. It shews that public spirit and a strong sentiment of justice and generosity mingled with his last feelings, while it bears ample testimony to the eminent services which Lady Hamilton rendered to this country; it will also account for the rancorous antipathy of Buonaparte towards the Queen of Naples, by whose active intervention these were so happily carried into effect:

CODICIL.

"October the tzenty-first, one thousand eight hundred and five, then in sight of the combined fleets of France and Spain, distant about ten miles.

"Whereas the eminent services of Emma Hamilton, widow of the Right. Hon. Sir William Hamilton, have been of the very greatest service to my king

and country, to my knowledge, without her receiving any reward from either our king or country; first, that she obtained the King of Spain's letter in 1796, to his brother, the King of Naples, acquainting him of his intention to declare war against England; from which letter the Ministry sent out orders to then Sir J. Jervis, to strike a stroke, if opportunity offered, against either the arsenals of Spain or her fleets; that neither of these was not done is not the fault of Lady Hamilton; the opportunity might have been offered. Secondly, the British fleet under my command could never have returned the second time to Egypt had not Lady Hamilton's influence, with the Queen of Naples, caused letters to be wrote to the Governor of Syracuse, that he was to encourage the fleet being supplied with every thing, should they put into any port in Sicily; we put into Syracuse, and received every supply-went to Egypt and destroyed the French fleet!-Could I have rewarded these services, I would not now call upon my country, but as that has not been in my power, I leave Emma Lady Hamilton, therefore, a legacy to my king and country, that they will give her an ample provision to maintain her rank in life. I also leave to the beneficence of my country, my adopted daughter Horatio Nelson Thompson, and I desire' she will use in future the naine of Nelson only; these are the only favours I ask of my king and country at this moment, when I am going to fight their battle. May God bless my king and country, and all those I hold dear-my relations it is needless to mention; they will, of course, be amply provided for.

Witness, HENRY BLACKWOOD.

T. M. HARDY.

"NELSON AND BRONTE."

MASSACRE IN ST. DOMINGO.-Captain Dodge, of the schooner Mary Ann, who arrived at New York in sixteen days from Cape Francois, brought intelligence, that on the 14th and 15th of May, a general massacre of all the remaining white inhabitants of Cape Francois took place, and it was said generally, throughout that part of this ill-fated island under the dominion of Dessalines. The particulars of this tragical event are briefly these :-Some time previous to the 14th of May, the greater part of the white French inhabitants of Cape Fran cois were ordered, under some pretence, to a fort about three leagues from the town, and there confined. On the night of the 14th, the residue of these unfortunate people, amounting to about one hundred and fifty, were strangled in their beds, by order of the emperor. The blood-thirsty villains, not content with this, plunged their bayonets in their bodies, mangling them in a horrid manner. They then plundered the houses of those unfortunate people who had thus fallen victims to the avarice and cruelty of the black emperor. On the 15th it was reported at the Cape, that those of the inhabitants who had been sent to the fort had been put to death in the most cruel manner, and their dead bodies treated with the greatest indignity.

The following unpleasant information has been communicated to a mercantile house in Leeds, by their correspondent at Naples, under date of the 16th ult. "I have now to acquaint you, that a number of merchants here have been obliged, by order of our government, to present their books, which have been examined, and a great number of others have been notified to give in a note in the space of forty-one hours, to the minister of the finances, of all the money,

effects, &c. belonging to the present enemies of the French empire, under penalty of an arbitrary punishment, and ten times the value of the effects not given up."

The following is the quantity of strong beer brewed in London, by the first six porter breweries, from the 5th of July, 1804, to the 5th of July, 1806 :

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

Barrels.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]

160,845

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Statement of the quantity of beer denominated porter and stout, brewed in London, by the twelve principal houses, between the 5th of July, 1805, and the 5th of July, 1806 :

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

It appears from official returns lately received from India, that in the Presi dency of Fort St. George alone, 429,821 persons had been successfully vaccinated between September 1802, and May 31, 1805, being, on an average, 160,000,

a year.

A practical horticulturist recommends that birdlime be rubbed on the young twigs of gooseberry and other fruit bushes, on which, at this season, the caterpillar begins to commit its depredations on the shoots; and on which also, the fly that produces the caterpillar might be caught, and thus prevented from laying its eggs on the leaves, &c.

The number of bankrupts announced in the London Gazette, from December 27, 1805, to June 27, 1806, amounts to five hundred and ninety-one !

Lord Minto is certainly nominated for the government general of India. He is succeeded at the board of controul by Mr. Thomas Grenville, a gentleman highly qualified for that, or indeed any other ministerial situation. He has also a seat in the cabinet. Lord Lauderdale is consoled for his disappointment, with the great seal of Scotland, vice the Duke of Gordon. The salary is 30001. per annum.

The commissioners of naval enquiry have completed the investigation to which they were delegated by parliament, and their board is consequently dissolved.

At present there are two hundred and three weekly provincial newspaperspublished in Great Britain and Ireland, of each of which one thousand copies are sold on the average. At sixpence each paper, the annual return to the proprietors is 263,9007, and at the duty of three-pence halfpenny each paper, they

* Owing to repairs and improvements going on, and which are not yet come pleted, this house has brewed but little more than half the season,

« EelmineJätka »