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could for expect any favourable change of sels belonging to the English squ the sentiments of the King of Sweden, and expressly prohibited and that sho that if was the for his Imperial majesty fo vessel or boat, of any description secure his subjects against the evils which the coast throughout all Portugal, unde secretly them. pretext whatever, (even with a Bag of trek His majesty was accordingly compelled to it is ordered, that all officers commandi alter the character of his measure-He has batteries or forts, do fire on them; any offi received intelligence that his ambassador incer who shall suffer a vessel of boat to ap Stockholm on the 20th of February (3 March) proach the shore, shall be fried by a court was put in a state of arrest by the Ribg's martial and broke. Any individual deorder that all the persons belonging to thetected in endeavouring to get on board an Russian embassy were also confined in one English vessel under any pretext whatever, house, by his command, that the said mo- shall be brought before a military committee, narch had even proceeded so far as to order and condemned to six months imprisonment, all the papers and letters of the embassy to or to death, according to the case.-111. be taken inder seat, and the whole mission Any master or owner of a boat, or other into be guarded by the military, his majesty dividual, who shall be proved to have facilihas therefore to complain of an act of tio- tated the passage of any person to the Englence committed against his prerogative and lish squadron, shall be brought before a millthe dignity of his crown, which concerns tary committee, and tried as an accomplice all offer powers as well as himself. The with the enemy, and as an instigator and diplomatic body, resident in Stockholm, was spy, and be punished with death.IV. Any so perfectly sensible of the truth of this as- individual, convicted of exciting the soldiers sertion, that it immediately protested against of the French and Portuguese army to dean act of violence unprecedented in Europe, sertion to any power whatever, will be with the exception of Turkey.-The empe- punished by death as a crimp traitor.-V. ror might use reprisals, but he has preferred. Any person who shall give information of a to direct his ministers to increase the atten- mister of a boat having conducted any one tion which they have always paid to the Swe- to the English squadron, or any person using dish ambassador who is still in Petersburgh, endeavours to get there, through the interand to take care, that, should he chuse to rention of a crimp or spy, on the fact being take his departure from hence, he may not proved, shall receive as a reward the boat and experience any difficulty or unpleasant pro- one hundred-cruzados for any individual, or ceedings on his journey. His imperial ma two hundred for a crimp or spy--VI. All the jesty hereby informs all European powers, property of those who have quitted Portugal· that, from this moment, he considers the up to this moment, and are gone off to the former Swedish Finland, which his troops enemy's squadron, shall be sequestered, if have not been able to subdue, but in conse they do not return before the 20th instant. quence of several actions, as a province con- The magistrates in each department will quered by his arms, and that he incorporates examine the respective inhabitants, and take it for ever with his empire. His majesty a list of those persons who have fled, and expects that Providence will continue to transmit the same to the intendant general of bless his arms in this war, and assist him to the police.-VII. The French military penal remove the evil f from the frontier of his code from this day will be put in execution empire, to which the enenties of Russia en- against the Portuguese army, agreeable to deavour to expose bini. which every deserter out being arrested will be punished with death VIII. The secreta Jury of state, the commanders of the Trench, not. o Dated April 5, 1808. Spanish, and Portuguese armies, all magisThe general in chief of the army of Por-trates and justices of every description, are topal, understanding that many soldiers and inhabitants of the kingdom of Portugal have suffered themselves to be deluded by false proclamations, published by the English, to procure soldiers, of which the British squadron is so much in need, and wishing to pre-ed-Jusor. vent the misery of those who may hereaftet become the victims of the perfidicus insinuations of the commanders of that squadron, it it decreed 1. That all communication between the kingdom of Portugal and the yes

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PORTUGAL.Proclamation by General

charged with the execution of this decree, throughout the kingdom, and to make the same generally known any boats found without a copy y of this edict, shall be seized and sold for the benefit of the captor. (Sign

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SWEDEN. The King of Sweden's Procid=
"mation on the Rupture of the Intercourse
With Prussia. Dated Stockholm Castle,
April 5, 1808.

s Adolphus, by the grace of 8311 Sweden, of the Goths and

DUTCH BUDGET,A Committee of the
Council of State, consisting of M. M.
Van Leyden, Van
Van Westharendrecht
Cuypus, and Heinlopen, brought on the
gth instant, to the Legislative Body, the
following Message, relating to the Finan-
ces, and in the Sitting of yesterday the
Projet of a Decree, proposed in the Mes-
sage, was adopted. Dated, Utrecht,

March 30.

Y unto all our true and loyal Ceeting-We herewith graciousnown to you, that his majesty, of Prussia, has declared to us that . of intercourse between his dominioas weden is suspended, and that in conence thereof all trade and navigation to edish ports is prohibited under severe pealties; and that further, all Prussian hardours are shut up against all Swedish ships, -This proceeding has not by any means been occasioned on our part; the said go vernment, reduced by French tyranny, af fords a fresh proof of the oppression to which all states must submit, that entertain any connection with the French government. An unfortunate lassitude, which prevented Prussia from resisting in due time, has brought her to the distressed situation in which she is now placed-groaning under the domination of France, which still occupies a considerable part of the remains of that monarchy with a numerous army, notwithstanding the conclusion of peace. We commend you all and severally to the me ciful protection of Almighty God.-GUSTA-cerity and constancy of our efforts in the

VUS ADOLPHUS.

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The King to the Legislative Body;-"Gentlemen;-We have charged a committee of our council of state to present to you a projet of a law relative to the finances of this year.--At the commencement of your present session, we expressed on our part a strong desire to adopt à definitive and permanent system with respect to the finan ces, but since the 28th of November, affairs have not been ameliorated, and we have been under the indispensible necessity of provisorily shutting our ports. This extreme and painful measure ought to ensure to us compensation, to which we have so much title, and affords an irrefragable proof of the sin

common cause. Thus we must postpone all idea of a definitive and permanent system until a maritime peace, when alone it will be possible to reduce our expenditure to the amount of our revenue."It then goes on to state, that the expenditure for 1807 had been› 78,000,000 florins, and the revenues only 55,000,000, leaving a deficit of 23,000,000, exclusive of previous arrears. To meet these a loan of 40,000,000 had been negotiated, which produced 38,000,000; the 15,000,000, after providing for the deficit, was applied to the payment of arrears. The estimate of expenditure for 1808 is 74,000,000, whilst the revenue is not estimated to produce more than 50,000,000.It is said in this part of the Message, "We cannot dispense with maintaining in a good state the squadrons of the Texel and the Meuse. We announce with pleasure to the Legislative Body, that as the price of our efforts France has expressengaged to procure the restoration of our colonies, and particularly those of Guiana,"

Inhabitants of Norway,-The Danish government has declared war against Sweden without any cause or provocation on her part, and has increased the calamities which affected the North, and spontaneously submitted to a foreign yoke. The Swedish troops therefore enter your country according to the laws of war, and in order to prevent hostilities from being committed on their own country. But the laws of war are carried into execution only by soldiers. The principal inhabitants of the towns and country, if they excite no disturbances, shall enjoy tranquillity and protection.-The Swedish soldier, celebrated for order and discipline, respects the personal safety and property of the unarmed; and, should Provi-ly dence bless his majesty's arms, the army under my command, so far from proving hurtful to your different trades, shall open your ports to commerce and importation, quicken your industry, and secure in the North an asylum for loyalty and honour.AUGUSTUS MAURICE ARMFELDT.

To meet the deficit of the present year a sort of forced assessment is proposed, which was adopted by the Legislative Body, by which those paying it are to become credi tors of the state to the amount required. This is resorted to instead of a lean.

Printed by Cox and Baylis, No. 75, Great Queen Street, and published by R. Bagshaw, Brydges Street, Covent-Gerden, where former Numbers had may be sold also; by J. Budd, Crown and Mitte, Pall-Mall.

VOL. XIII. No. 22.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1808.

[PRICE IOD.

"Undoubtedly, no report could spread through the kingdom, relative to any stoppage in the Distillery, which would not immediately SINK the price of barley."MR. ARTHUR YOUNG'S Evidence before the Committee.

The price of barley has RISEN in consequence of the sitting of the Committee, and the discussion of the intended measure for stopping the distilleries."MR. COKE, MR. FOSTER, MR. PONSONBY, SIR HENRY MILDMAY, &c. &c. Speeches in the House of Commons.

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SUMMARY OF POLITICS.

CORN AGAINST SUGAR.This question, after having gone through a pretty good discussion out of doors, has, at last, come before the House of Commons, upon a motion of LORD BINNING, made on Thursday, the 19th instant, to refer the report of the select committee to a committee of the whole House. Upon this motion the House, after a long debate, divided; for it 122, against it 108; of course, there was a majority of 14 for going into the Committee.This subject, owing to the principles that it mvolves, is of great and singular public importance; and, owing to the discussion having been conducted free from considerations of party, that discussion is worthy of the attention of the public. It must be interesting, too, to hear what has been said in parliament upon a matter respecting which so much has been said elsewhere; and therefore I shall here insert an account of the debate, as I find it given in the newspapers; for, though the report of the speeches will not be found here nearly so full nor so correct as it will be found in the regular Parliamentary Debates, yet, the substance of the greater part of what was said may be collected, and it is necessary that whatever observations present themselves to me should, to answer any useful purpose, be made without delay." LORD BINNING rose pur"suant to the notice he had given some time

ago, to make a motion on the subject of "the Distilleries. Previous to moving that "the house should go into a committee, he "would explain the nature of the Resolu"tions he meant to offer in that commit"tee, and the nature and causes of the "changes made in those Resolutions since " he had first announced them. The topics "involved in the Report were important " and momentous, and the highest authori"ties differed among themselves upon the principal points. The committee was ap"pointed in the first instance to consider "of the means of affording relief to the

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"West India proprietors and merchants, "and the order, under which the committee "assembled, directed the committee to in

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quire, whether the most immediate and "effectual means of relief would not be to "confine the Distilleries to the use of Sugar "and Molasses alone. In the course of this "inquiry, it became necessary to ascertain "how far the agriculture of the country "would be affected by such a restriction,

and this investigation led to the knowledge "of facts, which established the wisdom "and necessity of the restriction, exclusive of. "all consideration whatsoever of the interests "of the West India Islands. It was impossible

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to separate the two questions; but this he "would say, that neither he nor the com"mittee could have recommended the Re"solutions they had done, if the interest of "the country, distinct from those of the "West India proprietors, had not, in the "opinion of the committee, rendered such

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measures necessary. The committee find"ing that this country was generally depen"dent for a sufficient supply of corn and "flour upon foreign countries, and that this "supply was cut off in the present state of "Europe, without any prospect of a suffi "cient resource in the last year's crop of "this country, thought it right as a precau"tion against famine to stop the distillation "from corn, with a view to a more ample "and satisfactory supply of sustenance for "the people. Here the noble lord went in"to a statement of the quantity of coru im"ported into G. Britain annually, and con"tended, that the saving, by the prohibition "of the Distilleries, would be 470,000 qrs. "which would cover more than half the de"ficiency created by the stoppage of impor"tation, and more than the whole importa "tion of oats. Under these circumstances "it seemed right to suspend the distillation "from corn, with a discretionary power to "the privy council, to extend or to put an "end to the restriction as circumstances may require. This was the substance of 2 D

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pect of the impediment being speedily re"moved. The supply of last harvest was "not sufficiently abundant to have a surplus "fund that might be relied on. The stock

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on hand was far short of the probable de"mand. In the south of England the crop was abundant, in other parts it was not. "The crop of wheat was in general good, "the crop of barley was short, and that of "pulse good for nothing. Here the noble "lord cited the evidence of the witnesses "before the committee, beginning with "Mr. A. Young, in order to establish that "the general crop of last year was short, and "the supply in the country insufficient.] "The stoppage of distillation from grain "would be adequate to the importation of 470,000 qrs. In the present circumstan"ces it seemed essential to divert so large a supply from luxury to necessity. It was objected to the measure, that it laid down "a bad precedent, tending to encourage the perpetual interference of parliament in "such cases. But the circumstances of the present case were peculiar, and unless the "same identical circumstances existed, the

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precedent could not apply. It was said "the quantity of grain to be sown next year "would be diminished by the stoppage. "But the quantity to be sown depended on "the prices, and the present prices were far "from being low. Instead of falling, they "had risen since the present measure had "been announced. Here the noble lord "cited accounts of prices sent to him, which "shewed a continued rise in the price of "corn in the last two weeks. In Scotland "in particular, the accounts stated that the

same good with unanimity, was with him "most important. He had therefore made "the adjournment from yesterday, and he "had also made some changes in the Reso"lutions he intended to propose, which he "had reason to think would render them

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more generally acceptable. It had been "objected by the Irish gentlemen, that the "Report of the Committee, by proposing

to prohibit the importation of Irish spirits "into England, went to a violation of the "articles of union. As nothing could be "further from his wish, than to interfere "with this compact in the slightest degree, "this prohibition was to be now omitted. "The first Resolution he meant now to

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propose, was, that after the 1st of July, and "thence to the 1st of Oct. next, all distilla"tion from corn, grain, flour, meal, pota"toes, and bran, should cease throughout "the United Kingdom; and 2dly, that in "should be lawful for his majesty in coun"cil, after the 1st Sept. to continue the re"striction till 40 days after the commence"ment of the next session of parliament.

Thus, if the ensuing harvest should be a good one, the restriction might expire at once ; if it should not, his majesty might. "continue the restraint till parliament "should provide such remedy as its wisdom

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may think fit. It was intended also to re"duce the duty on wash made from suger. "These provisions, it was proposed, should "be extended to Ireland. But as his in"formation on the state of that part of the "United Kingdom was not so complete, he "would leave the details of the arrange

ments, so far as Ireland was concerned, to "be afterwards settled and explained. He. "understood, however, that government "had received information from Ireland,

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stating it to be adviseable to stop the dis"tilleries at present. If after the ensuing * harvest Ireland had a superabundance, this "country or Scotland could not fail to afford

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"mittee had commenced its inquiries. It "had recently risen in consequence of the

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agitation produced by the investigation of "the committee. The report itself allow"ed, that every permanent interference "with the present established system of "agriculture was injurious; and it express"ed great reluctance at adopting even a temporary restraint. [Here the hon. gent. "entered into a detail of the management "of barley farms.] In this species of culture, and that of wheat, an increase of one-fourth had taken place within 15 years. The importation had proportion ably diminished, and the fluctuation of "the price of corn had materially lessened. "The measure went to check the establish"ed system and do away the progressive "improvement. With respect to the West "India planters, he doubted whether they "stood in need of relief. The demand for sugars had lately increased so much as to create an advance of 6s. per cwt, on one ar "ticle. This demand had arisen from expor "tation.Thedistress of the West India planters "had no claim upon parliament any more than "that of any other class of men,-the Staf"fordshire potters for instance. A propo "sition of the same nature as the present "had been brought forward in Mr. Pitt's "time. But it was found the revenue "would suffer materially from it, and it was given up. Was the chancellor of the exchequer prepared to say this measure "would not hurt the revenue, or was he prepared with a remedy for the defalcation? The land was already sufficiently "burthened with land-tax, property-tax, "and tythes, and it might be expected that "gentlemen would not go out of their way "to burthen it, for the West India planters." "He was sure the West India interest was "at the bottom of this measure; for till "their distress was represented as so severe, "this measure was never thought of He "had no objection to the stoppage of the

security against the apprehension of scarcity in G. Britain. That this relief to the West India interest could be inciden

tally introduced, was a great additional recommendation of the measure he in"tended to propose. If the restriction was

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necessary as a measure of precaution, it could not too soon be carried into effect.

If it was not, the dispute could not be "too soon put to rest. He moved that the

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report be referred to a committee of the whole house, and he anticipated from the moderation and the good sense of the gentlemen present, that the wishes of the committee would be carried into effect."-MR. COKE (of Norfolk) agreed that this question ought to be set at rest. He was sorry to observe a practice of suspending the statute of Wm. and Mary, which was the best security of the agriculture of this country, by affording the means of dispo"sing of the surplus produce. The brewe"ries and distilleries took off this surplus. "If their use of corn was stopped, the de"mand must be lessened, the price must

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use of grain in the distilleries, if it should' "be necessary. The government ought to have the discretion to impose or to remove this restriction when corn should come to a certain price indicative of scar"city or of abundance."- SIR W. "CURTIS avowed himself a friend to the

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