person, said, that he should probably never want the suit of cloaths, as he distinctly felt death taking measure of him for his shroud." This individual some years afterward died suddenly of palsy. Bath is a favourite place of refuge for the paralytic, whether made so by debauchery or natural decay. But the fashionable springs of that crowded mart of health, are not impregnated with the power of restoring lost energies, or bringing back the tide of ebbing animation. The late Dr. Heberden, eminent for the largeness of his experience and the correctness of his observations, observes, that "these waters are neither in any way detrimental nor of the least use in palsy." If such neutral merit were attached to every remedy employed in medicine, it would in any hands have the praise at least of an innocent inefficiency. The professor of this art or science, if it could then be called either, would require little more than automatic skill. One should imagine indeed that with many this were the actual opinion: how cominon is it to hear it said of a person that, to be sure, he is a stupid man, but he is a very good practitioner. As if to be able to correct the irregular or erroneous movements of so delicate and complicated a machine as the human frame, required no superior sagacity or acumen. When it is considered that in many serious and critical disorders, so short a time is allowed to the physician, in which not only to form his opinion, but to act upon it, his office would seem to require a more than ordinary perspicacity of talent, as well as alertness and facility in the extemporary application of it. It would be desirable for him to possess a faculty of discernment approaching to that of intuition in the instantaneous result of its operation: the urgency of the case may be such as not to admit of much pondering and poring over it; the patient may die during the delay of a drawling deliberation. only exist separately, but the one may appear in its most virulent or malignant form, without any simultaneous tendency to the other. Consumption, indeed, seldom comparatively commits its interual depredations upon a frame, which is defaced by tumours or cicatrices of the more superficial glands. But scrophula is a word of wide and uncircumscribed import. It serves as a kind of lumber-room in medicine, into which may be thrown any of those anomalous and unlabelled maladies, which have no place assigned to them in any other department of the nosology. From its being vulgarly denominated "the evil," one should imagine that it was the characteristic calamity, the great original sin of the physical constitution. But popular prejudice clothes it with horrors and with ignominy, which are by no means attached to it, in the eye of reason or common sense. It is a complaint which, compared with many others, is an object scarcely deserving of any painful solicitude, or serious apprehension. By early exercise and discipline, by a judicious education of the muscular fibre, that due and healthy tone may be given to it, from an absence or deficiency of which, arise immediately or indirectly, all the degrees and modifications of scrophulous disorder. At this season of the year, scrophula is apt to shew itself more particularly on the external surface of the body. Consumption and scrophula are by many regarded as the same disease, only affecting different parts. In fact, however, there is scarcely any connection or alliance between the two maladies. They not It is not a merely idle nosological distinction between physis and scrophula. The treatment which the one requires is, in several circumstances, opposite to that which would be best adapted for the other. The marine air and immersion in the sea, scem specifically deobstruent in cases of glandular obstruction, but invariably aggravate and accelerate the fatal progress of pulmonary ailments. To send a consumptive patient to bathe in the waters, or simply to inhale the atmosphere of the ocean, is infallibly to hasten his exit out of the world; it is to drive him by an unnecessary impulse down the declivity of existence. For that class of sufferers, not only an inland situation should be chosen, but one that is most sheltered from the cruel keenness, lungs of the physical, were formerly imágined to be indurated glands. But a greater accuracy in anatomical research has proved this opinion with respect to their structure to be erroneous. "There is no glandular structure in the cellular connecting membrane of the lungs; and on the inside of the branches of the trachea, where there are The tubercles, which abound in the • Posthumous Commentaries, p. 303, of follicles, tubercles have never been seen.” the Latin edition. Baillie's Morbid Anatomy, p. 46. or or still more unfriendly vicissitudes of external temperature. There is in this country an indiscreet passion for air. We often find taking the air to be, with the hectically disposed, the same as taking a chill, and of that chill consumption to be the ultimate, if not immediate, consequence. To the physical, a spare diet should be recommended; an abstinence, for instance, in a great mea sure, from animal food. To the scrophulous, on the contrary, a generous regimen is most wholesome and congenial. But the generous ought here to be distinguished from the stimulating; which latter is almost exclusively, but from its decidedly bad operation upon the health very improperly, called good living. The writer may be suspected of having, on a recent occasion, driven the matter too far, when he reprobated the use of strong liquors altogether. This may have appeared as the prudery of temperance, as carrying it to an unnecessary and even ridiculous extent. But it should be recollected that prudery consists not in the excess of a virtue, but in the affectation of it. Those are the real prudes in regi men, who would strain at a gnat and swallow a camel; who would on no account drink a glass of wine, but would not scruple, every day of their lives, to ingurgitate in a pharmaceutical shape, tertiâ quâque horâ draughts containing the worst and most concentrated spirits. In this consists the privileged debauchery of nervous valetudinarians. A man, it is true, may be intemperate in his eulogy of abstinence, and violate moderation in his invectives against excess. But where are we to find or fix that imaginary line, the meridian of moderation? It should at the same time be considered that what is evil in its essence, no reduction of quantity can convert into good. Vice retains its character in all the gra dations of its scale. In none of its descending degrees can it produce any thing better, than more diluted and mitigated mischief. April 24, 1810. J. REID. Grenville-street, Brunswick-square. STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN APRIL. Containing official Papers and authentic Documents. RUSSIA. Substance of the Ukase, issued February 2, 1810, by bis Imperial Majesty, on the Subject of Finances, after baving received the Advice of bis Council of State. ALL the Bank assignats (the paper money of the country) now in circulation, are once more declared to form part of the national debt, and guaranteed by all the wealth of the empire. From the present moment, the bank assignats shall receive no increase. In order to pay the national debt, a loin shall be opened in the interior of the country, at fixed prices. In order to provide for all expenses, and to reduce the taxes to their former state, it is ordered, provisionally, for the present year, and until the publication of general regulations for the finances and taxes, that the following additional imposts shall take place: An increase of 2 rubles a-head on the crown peasantry. An impost of 3, 24, and 2 rubles, according to the various governments, on the peasantry occupied in cultivating the lands of the state. Citizens employed in the arts, and other branches of public industry, shall pay 5 rubles. Countrymen trading in both capitals shall pay for every shop 100, 50, and 25 rubles, In both capitals a duty of half a ruble shall be raised on houses, in virtue of the existing imposts. The tax on traders shall receive an increase of half copeek on the produce of industry and the capital. The price of salt, formerly fixed at 40 copeeks per pood, shall he raised to one ruble. The impost on copper shall be augmented three rubles per pood. The Custom-house duties on imported goods, shall be raised from 210 to 490 rubles, and in proportion. Stamps have also experienced an advance in price. The nobility shall assist in relieving the wants of the state, by paying a duty of 50 copeeks for every peasant in their possession. SWEDEN. The following royal decree has been issued: Know all men by these presents, that We, Charles XIII. having in the third article of the the treaty of peace concluded with the emperor of Russia, dated 17th September last, agreed to adopt such measures as should be regulated by the treaty then about to be entered into between Sweden, France, and Denmark, for enforcing the continental system, ordered, in our circular of the 27th of October last, that no British vessels, or ships of war, should, after the time therein mentioned, be permitted to enter our ports; and further, in the third article of the treaty with the emperor of France, of date the 6th of January last, having fully and in every respect acceded to the continental system, bound ourselves to shut our ports against the trade of Great Britain, and not permit the importation of English goods or manufactures, of whatever description, or in whatever vessel the same might arrive: and whereas having relinquished the permission we reserved to ourselves in the treaty with his majesty the emperor of Russia, of importing colonial produce, we now only retain to ourselves the power to import salt, sufficient for the consumption of our kingdom; farther, to fulfil the treaties with the said powers, we hereby graciously command, that on and after the 24th of April next, no goods shall be imported, neither on paying the duties nor in transitu, which belong to Great Britain and Ireland; the colonies or countries under the influence of the British Government, or goods of any description whatsoever, loaded in vessels from Great Britain, or any of her dependencies, be admit ted into any of our ports: and that all vessels, under whatever flag, which shall be proved to carry such goods, as are not furnished with certificates and documents to certify the origin and full particulars of their cargoes, from their ports of lading, shall upon their arrival in our harbours, be ordered off, save and except such vessels as are solely laden with salt, the importation of which, from all foreign countries, we permit, in vessels not belonging to his Britannic majesty or his subjects. For the full execution of our decree, we com. mand all officers, and persons in our service, to exert their utmost vigilance, in strictly examining the papers, certificates, and documents, of all vessels that may arrive, agreeably to the gracious separate command we on this subject, shall or may issue. Given at our Court of Stockholm, &c. FRANCE. The only event, of any interest, that has taken place during the last month, is the marriage of Buonaparte, to the princess Maria Louisa, of Austria which after having been solemnised by proxy, at Vienna, on the 12th of March, was repeated with great pomp at Paris, on the 1st and 2nd of April; these two latter days being appropriated to the civil and the religious ceremony respectively. SPAIN. The supreme council of governmen: has received the following report, ad-`` dressed to his excellency don F. Guia: MOST EXCELLENT SIR-It is with the utmost pleasure I transmit to you, for the information of his majesty, the annexed report, which I have just received from colonel don J. Valdivia, relative to the evacuation of Malaga by the French. This flattering intelligence I have received from the chief magistrate of Marvilla, by which it appears, that captain F. Lopez, who arrived from the port of Malaga, affirmed to him that the French evacuated that city on the 17th, at seven o'clock in the morning. I further learnt that the enemy has also evacuated Medina, and fallen back to the woods near Chiclana, and that in consequence of a sally, inade by the enemy, the French lost about 1000 men, in killed, wounded, and priADRIAN JACOME. soners. Lines of Gibraltar, March 20. Extract of the Dispatches transmitted by the General in Chief of the Army of Estremadura, dated the 21st of March. In consequence of a fruitless attack made by the French against Badajos, they established themselves in Merida, Zafra, and Santa Marta. In order to molest them, the mar quis de la Romana detached major general don Carlos O'Donnell, who commands the second division of that army, with orders to attack Caceres, Truxillo, and the front of his position. O'Donnell marched, accordingly, from Albuquerque, on the 12th instant, with 2500 men, 200 of whom were cavalry, and pursued his march till the 14th, when at break of day, our advanced parties fell in with the enemy's vanguard, and drove the French out of Caceres, and pursued them as far as Alden de Cano, three leagues distance from Caceres. Being again attacked in that position, they retreated to Meandello, nine leagues distant from the point where they were first attacked; and it is known from accounts since received, that they have completely evacuated Merida, Zafra, and Santa Marta. The enemy's loss is said to exceed 150 men. It is reported that in consequence of the ahove successes, our troops entered St. Olalla on the 224, to which point major general don Francisco Ballasteros was directing his march, to cut off the enemy's retreat. The loss which the French sustain from our flying parties is such, that the foreign troops who serve in their armies are quite disgusted with that kind of warfare, and desert in considerable numbers. Upwards of 100 have to-day arrived at Cindad Rodrigo Badajos, and Astorga; and all deserters unanimously state that desertion would be more frequent, were the men not afraid of the peasants. The junta of Seville has reported from Ayamente to the supreme council of regency, under the date of the 24th inst. that the French have been completely driven out of Estremadura, and pursued by general Ballasteros, who ar rived rived on the 228, in St. Olalla, and that the dispersed enemy retreated partly to Seville, and partly to the Sierra. HOLLAND. On the 31st of March were exchanged, at Paris, the ratifications of the follow ing treaty, there concluded, on the 16th, between the respective plenipotentiaries of the king, and his illustrious brother, the emperor of the French, king of Italy, &c. constitutional principle in France, that the Thelweg of the Rhine forms the boundary of the French empire; and as the dock yards of Antwerp are, by the present state of the boundaries between the two countries, uncrotected and exposed, his majesty the king of the French, king of Italy, &c. Dutch Bra Holland cede to his majesty the emperor of bant, the whole of Zealand, including therein the Isle of Schouwen, that part of Guel derland which is situate ou the left side of the Waal; so that henceforth the boundary between France and Holland shall be the Thalweg of the Waal, from the fort of Schenkens, leaving on the left bank Nymeguen, Bommel, and Wandrichem, then the princi pal stream of the Merwe which runs into the Blesboch, through which, and also through the Hollandsch Diep, and the Walkerak, the line of demarcation shall be continued, until it reach the sea at Bieningen or Gravelingen, leaving on the left the Isle of Schouwen. His majesty the emperor of the French, king of Italy, protector of the league of the Rhine, and mediator of the Swiss confederacy, and his majesty the king of Holland, being desirous of terminating the differences that have arisen between them, and of making the independence of Holland harmonize with the new circumstances wherein the English orders in council, of 1807, have placed all the maritime powers, have agreed to come to a mutual understand g thereon, and to that end, have nominated as their plenipotentiaries, viz. his majesty the emperor of France, &c. the sieur John Baptiste Nompere, count de Chement, and funded upon its territory. pagny, duke of Cadore, grand eagle of the legion of honor, &c. his majesty's minister for foreign affairs, &c. And his majesty the king of Holland, Charles Henry Verheuil, admiral of Holland, grand eagle of the legion of honor, grand cross of the Dutch order of union, his majesty's ambassador to the emperor and king: who, after exchanging their full powers, have agreed upon the following ar, ticles: 7. Each of the ceded provinces shall be released from all debts not incurred for its own interests, sanctioned by its particular govern ART. 1. Until the English government shall have solemnly abrogated the restrictions contained in its orders in council of 1807, all commerce whatsoever is prohibited between the port of England and the ports of Holland. Should there be reasons for granting licences, those only shall be valid which are delivered in the name of the emperor. 2. A corps of 18,000 men, of which 3,000 shall be cavalry, and consisting of 6,000 French and 12,000 Dutch, shall be placed at all the mouths of the rivers, together with officers of the French customs, to see that the contents of the foregoing article are carried into complete effect. 3. The troops shall be paid, fed, and clothed, by the Dutch government. 4. All vessels violating the first article, that may be taken on the Dutch coasts, by French men of war or privateers shall be declared good prizes, and in case of any doubt arising, such difficulty can alone be desided upon by his majesty, the emperor. 5. The restrictions contained in the above articles shall be revoked as soon as England shall have solemnly revoked her orders in council of 1807; and from that instant the French troops shall evacuate Holland, and restore to her the full enjoyment of her independence. 6. Inasmuch as it has been adopted as a 8. His majesty the king of Holland, in, order to co-operate with the force of the French empire, shall have a float a squadron of nine sail of the line, and six frigates, arm ed, and provided with six month's stores, and ready to put to sea by the 1st day of June, next ensuing; and also a flotilla of 100 gunboats, or other armed vessels. This force shall, during the whole period of the war, be maintained and kept in constant readiness. 9. The revenues of the ceded provinces shall belong to Holland until the day of the exchange of the ratification of the present treaty. Until the same day the king of Holland shall defray all charges of their adminis tration. 10. All the merchandize imported by American vessels that have arrived in the ports of Holland since the 1st of February, 1809, shall be put under sequestration, and made over to France, in order to her disposing thereof according to the circumstances, and the state of her political relations with the United States. 11. All merchandise of English manufacture are prohibited in Holland. 12. Measures of police shall be adopted for the purpose of strictly watching and taking into custody all insurers of prohibited traffic, all smugglers, their abettors, "&c. In a word, the Dutch government pledges itself to extirpate the contraband trade. 13. No depot of goods prohibited in France, and that may give colour to contraband traf fic, can be established within a distance of four leagues from the line of the French cus tom-houses; and in case of trespass, all such depots shall be subject to seizure, though upon the Dutch territory. 14. With the reserve of these restrictions, and so long as they shall be in operation, bis majesty • majesty, the emperor, shall suspend the prohibitory decree which shuts the frontier barriers between Holland and France. 15. Fully confiding in the manner in which the engagements resulting from the present treaty shall be executed, his majesty the emperor and king guarantees the integrity of the Dutch possessions, such as they shall be pursuant to this treaty. 16. The present treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications exchanged at Paris, within the period of fifteen days, or sooner, if possible. Done at Paris, this 16th of March, 1810. (Signed) CHAMPAGNY, Duke of Cadore. The Admiral VERHEUIL. GREAT BRITAIN. The debate in the House of Commons, on the expedition to Flushing, after having continued during several nights, terminated by four separate divisions, which took place at seven o'clock in the morning of Saturday the 31st of March; in which a greater number of members voted than had ever been known on any former occasion; there being counted, on one division, 504. The first division was on the resolutions of lord Porchester, conveying a censure on ministers on the ground of the expedition being impolitic: upon division there was a majority of 48 in favour this of ministers. The second division was upon the amendment, approving of the conduct of ministers on the policy of the expedition: ministers had a majority of 40. The third division was upon the resolution of censure, as to the policy of retaining Walcheren so long: ministers had a majority of 51. Upon the fourth division, approving of the conduct of ministers in the retention of Walcheren: ministers had a majority of 23. From this melancholy subject the public attention was contrived to be immediately called off by the proceedings of the House of Commons against sir Francis Burdett, in con. sequence of a pamphlet published by him, addressed to his constituents the electors of Westminster, in which he denies the power of commitment for libel, recently assumed by that house in the case of Mr. Gale Jones. Mr. which was rejected by a majority of 38. The motion for committal to the Tower was then carried. This was in the morning of Friday, April the 6th, and the speaker issued his warrant for the commitment of sir Francis immediately; but as the principles, in the support of which the baronet had thus engaged, led him of course to consider that instrument as illegal, he determined not to obey it; and after having refused to comply with the personal requisition. of the serjeant at arms to surrender himself as a prisoner, he in the course of Saturday addressed the following letter to the speaker: SIR. When I was returned, in due form, by the electors of Westminster, they imagined they had chosen me as their trustee in the House of Commons, to maintain the laws and liberties of the land. Having accepted that trust, I never will betray it. I have also, as a dutiful subject, taken an oath of allegiance to the king, to obey his laws; and I never will consent, by any act of mine, to obey any set of men, who, contrary to those laws, shail, under any pretence whatsoever, assume the power of the king. Power and privilege are not the same things, and ought not, at any time, to be confounded together. Privilege is an exemp tion from power, and was, by law, secured to the third branch of the legislature, in order to protect them, that they might safely pro tect the people-not to give them power to destroy the people. be illegal-I know it to be so. being more desirous of getting out of my pre- Sir, this is not a letter in answer to a vote of thanks; it is an answer to a vote of a very different kind. I know not what to call it ;" but since you have begun this correspondence with me, I must beg you to read this my answer to those under whose orders you have commenced it. I remain, sir, Your most obedient humble servant, Piccadilly, April 6, 1810. Those who had taken up this business, were employed on Saturday and Sunday in concerting the most advisable means of carrying the warrant into execution; as sir 3 C Francis |