fant King, born for the happiness of Frenchmen, that our hopes and your future felicity are founded. He is the pledge of the national prosperity and your repose. The oaths which we have taken to his august father are also the heritage of his son. In passing from the one to the other they do not change their nature, and bind us equally to both of them. Let this truth be always present to the eyes of every Frenchman, and we need no longer fear the plots of the wicked, nor the convulsions which afflict the nations abandoned by the wrath of Heaven to anarchy.' What gives a distinct character to the last attempt against public order, is, that from the first moment of its execution, the impossibility of success, and the atrocity of the crime, struck every mind, and even the accomplices themselves. Such also was the rapid march of authority, that in less than two hours every one of the criminals were seized and chained. Nothing can be a stronger proof of the wisdom of the institution destined to protect the citizens; nothing can contribute more to quiet them than this developement of force, which put a stop, even in the moment of execution, to crimes the most difficult to foresee. --May the act of justice exercised against these traitors teach every man that the times of disorder are for ever past, and that no one can withdraw with impunity from the fidelity which he has sworn to his Sovereign and his august dynasty.-We learn from Vienna, that His Highness Field-Marshal the Prince of Schwartzenberg has again beaten General Tormazow, taken a great number of prisoners, and ten cannon. -The Empress visited yesterday the Napoleon Museum. Her Majesty returned at three o'clock to the Palace of Saint Cloud.- It was by orders of His Excellency the Grand Judge that the execution of the Military Commission, sitting at Paris, was suspended, with respect to Rabbe and Ratian, under condemnation.

gunners and other troops, to the amount of from 1,000 to 1,200 men, and two pieces of cannon; two 74-gun ships, a brig of war, and several gun boats and small vessels protected the disembarkation without gun-shot to the fort. These troops formed behind a ravine, established a battery, and towards morning marched in columns upon Denia, driving in the advanced posts, who slowly retired, disputing the ground.--The Chief of the artillery battalion, Bonafoux, Superior Commandant of Denia, had from break of day discovered the enemy, and made with his garrison dispositions of defence, composed of the 117th Regiment.-The English General summoned it. The Commandant Bonafoux coolly replied, that he waited the effect of his threats. At the same time with his handful of brave men he resolved to march upon the enemy, profiting by the arrival of the Captain of the 117th voltigeurs, Faubert, who on the report of the fire ran with his company; he marched it on the left of enemy to turn it, and with the remainder attacked them in front.This double movement made the enemy recede, who precipitately embarked their cannon, and approached the shore, ordering their boats to approach the land. We pursued them with so much vigour, that they left 4 killed and 18 wounded upon the heights of St. Nicolas, and ran in crowds into the water, in order to escape more quickly under the protection of the fire of their vessels, and of the grenadiers of the 81st, who formed upon the beach in order to arrest us; but the French precipitated themselves upon them with so much vigour that they overthrew them, and caused them a considerable loss before they could re-embark. The enemy had in all 30 killed and nearly 80 wounded. On our side we had one killed and 15 wounded. Informed of this attack of the English, I ordered the General of Division, Hubert, to march the necessary troops thither, who found nothing to combat, and in the mean while charged General Harispe, to annoy and reconnoitre the enemy to the walls of Alicant. This movement was executed on the 8th of Oc

Paris, Nov. 1. Minister of War.-Army of Arragon. Extract of a Letter addressed to His Excel-tober, by the light cavalry brigade, the lency the Duke de Feltre, Minister of artillery, Mesclop's brigade, Robert's diWar, by the Marshal Duke d'Albufera.vision, and the Cuirassiers from Rovaldi Valencia, Oct. 17.-In the night between the 4th and 5th instant the English General Donkin, Quarter Master General of the Anglo-Spanish Army, disembarked near the heights of St. Nicholas, before Denia, with the 81st Regiment of the line, some

and Monforte, near St. Vicente. In sight of the place and Anglo-Espanola Army, General Harispe executed several movements to draw the enemy from their position, in order to fight them. The soldiers (To be continued.)

703]

As illustrated in the Prosecution and Punishment of

WILLIAM COBBETT.

[704

In order that my countrymen and that the two sureties in the sum of 1,000 pounds each; world may not be deceived, duped, and cheated that the whole of this sentence has been executed upon this subject, I, WILLIAM COBBETT, upon me, that I have been imprisoned the two of Botley, in Hampshire, put upon record years, have paid the thousand pounds TO THE the following facts; to wit: That, on the 24th KING, and have given the bail, Timothy Brown June, 1809, the following article was pub- and Peter Walker, Esqrs. being my sureties; lished in a London news-paper, called the that the Attorney General was Sir Vicary Gibbs, COURIER:- "The Mutiny amongst the LO- the Judge who sat at the trial Lord Ellenborongh, «CAL MILITIA, which broke out at Ely, was the four Judges who sat at passing sentence Ellenfortunately suppressed on Wednesday by the borough, Grose, Le Blanc, and Bailey; and that "arrival of four squadrons of the GERMAN the jurors were, Thomas Rhodes of Hampstead “LEGION CAVALRY from Bury, under the Road, John Davis of Southampton Place, James "command of General Auckland. Five of the Ellis of Tottenham Court Road, John Richards ❝ringleaders were tried by a Court-Martial, and of Bayswater, Thomas Marshan of Baker Street, “sentenced to receive 500 lashes each, part of which Robert Heathcote of High Street Marylebone, "punishment they received on Wednesday, and John Maud of York Place Marylebone, George "a part was remitted. A stoppage for their knup- Bagster of Church Terrace Pancras, Thomas "sacks was the ground of the complaint that ex- Taylor of Red Lion Square, David Deane of St. "cited this mutinous spirit, which occasioned John Street, William Palmer of Upper Street "the men to surround their officers, and demand Islington, Henry Favre of Pall Mall; that the "what they deemed their arrears. The first Prime Ministers during the time were Spencer "division of the German Legion halted yesterday Perceval, until he was shot by John Bellingham, "at Newmarket on their return to Bury."- and after that Robert B. Jenkinson, Earl of LiThat, on the 1st July, 1809, I published, in the verpool; that the prosecution and sentence took Political Register, an article censuring, in the place in the reign of King George the Third, and strongest terms, these proceedings; that, for so that, he having become insane during my impridoing, the Attorney General prosecuted, as sedi- sonment, the 1,000 pounds was paid to his son, tious libellers, and by Ex-Officio Information, the Prince Regent, in his behalf; that, during my me, and also my printer, my publisher, and one imprisonment, I wrote and published 364 Essays of the principal retailers of the Political Register; and Letters upon political subjects; that, daring that I was brought to trial on the 15th June, the same time, I was visited by persons from 197 1810, and was, by a Special Jury, that is to say, cities aud towns, many of them as a sort of deps. by 12 men out of 48 appointed by the Master of ties from Societies or Clubs; that, at the expira the Crown Office, found guilty; that, on the tion of my imprisonment, on the 9th of July, 1812, 20th of the same month, I was compelled to give a great dinner was given in Londou for the pur bail for my appearance to receive judgment; pose of receiving me, at which dinner upwards of and that, as I came up from Botley (to which 600 persons were present, and at which Sir place I had returned to my family and my farm Francis Burdett presided; that dinners and other on the evening of the 15th), a Tipstaff went parties were held on the same occasion in many down from London in order to seize me, per- other places in England; that, on my way home, sonally; that, on the 9th of July, 1810, I, toge- I was received at Alton, the first town in Hamp ther with my printer, publisher, and the news-shire, with the ringing of the Church bells; that man, were brought into the Court of King's Bench to receive judgment; that the three former were sentenced to be imprisoned for some months in the King's Bench prison; that I was sentenced to be imprisoned for two years in Newgate, the great receptacle for malefactors, and the front of which is the scene of numerous hangings in the course of every year; that the part of the prison in which I was sentenced to be confined is sometimes inhabited by felons, that felons were actually in it at the time I entered it; that one man was taken out of it to be transported in about 48 hours after I was put into the same yard with him; and that it is the place of confinement for men guilty of unnatural crimes, of whom there are four in it at this time; that, besides this imprisonment, I was sentenced to pay a thousand pounds TO THE KING, and to give security for my good behaviour for seven years, myself in the sum of 3,000 pounds, and

a respectable company met me and gave nie a dinner at Winchester; that I was drawn from more than the distance of a mile into Botley by the people; that, upon my arrival in the village, I found all the people assembled to receive me; that I concluded the day by explaining to them the cause of my imprisonment, and by giving them clear notions respecting the flogging of the Local Militia-men at Ely, and respecting the employment of German Troops; and, finally, which is more than a compensation for my losses and all my sufferings, I am in perfect health and strength, and, though I must, for the sake of six children, feel the diminution that has been made in my property (thinking it right in me to decline the offer of a subscription), I have the consolation to see growing up three sons, upon whose hearts, I trust, all these facts will be engraven.

Botley, July 23, 1812.

WM. COBBETT.

Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent-Garden.
LONDON: Printed by J. M'Creery, Black-Horse-Court, Fleet-street.

VOL. XXII. No. 23.] LONDON, SATURDAY, DEC. 5, 1812.

705]

[Price 1s.

[706

trary, we here see, that the Prince has nothing but his satisfaction to express upon the situation of affairs, and that, really, does not seem to form any very good ground for a rather hasty meeting of the Parliament. However, we shall by and by see something which may better account for the measure."

"By transferring the war into the in"terior, and by the glorious victory of "Salamanca, the enemy has been com"pelled to raise the siege of Cadiz, and the delivered from the arms of France; al"Southern provinces of Spain have been,

SUMMARY OF POLITICS, REGENT'S SPEECH.On the 30th of November the new Parliament, which had before met for the purposes of swearing in Members, choosing a Speaker, &c. had its proceedings opened by the Regent, who delivered to it a Speech, upon which I propose to offer some remarks.- -It was difficult to foresee what this Speech would contain; what hopes it would hold out to the nation; and yet, we find the language of the Regent as cheerful as ever was the language of his father, even in those only prosperous years of his reign, while Eng-though I cannot but regret that the land had a commercial treaty with France. "efforts of the enemy have rendered it necessary to withdraw from the siege of efforts, nevertheless, have been attended "Burgos, and evacuate Madrid. with important sacrifices on their part.. "which must materially contribute to ex"tend the resources and facilitate the exer"lions of the Spanish Nation.

This Speech I shall, of course, consider as the Speech of the Ministers, and shall make no scruple in freely delivering my opinion upon it, inserting the several parts of it as I proceed.

ઠંડ

My Lords and Gentlemen,

66

66

These

-I am

confident I may rely on your affording every assistance in support of the great

It is with the deepest concern that I "am obliged to announce to you, at the "opening of the present Parliament, the" "continuance of the lamented indisposition" contest which has first given to the Con"of His Majesty, and the diminution of the "tinent of Europe the example of persever"hopes I have most anxiously entertained "ing and successful resistance to the power. of His Majesty's recovery.- -The situa"of France, and on which not only the "tion of public affairs has induced me to" independence of the Nations of the Penin"take the earliest opportunity of meeting" sula, but the best interests of His Mayou after the late elections.I am per- "jesty's dominions essentially depend." "suaded you will participate in the satisSo far am I from believing that any ad"faction I feel at the improvement of our vantages have been gained in the Peninsula, prospects during the year. The zeal and "intrepidity displayed by the forces of England in those countries has, during the that I am pretty certain that the cause of "His Majesty and of his Allies in the Pe- last year, lost ground. It is true, that, by "ninsula, on so many occasions, and the the valour of our countrymen, victories "consummate skill and judgment with have been gained, and glorious victories "which the operations have been conducted "by the Marquis of Wellington, have led valiant armies, commanded by skilful and they were, because they were gained over "to consequences of the utmost import-brave Generals. It is true, that, our army ance to the common cause in that quar

"ter."

In this onset of the Speech there appears to be an incongruity; for who would not have supposed that it was some difficulty in the circumstances of the country that had induced the Prince to call the Parliament together at sa early a period? On the con,

has penetrated into the heart of Spain, and that it even took possession of the Capital; but, it is not less true, that our army has subsequently been compelled to retreat; that it has been driven, not only out of the Capital of Spain, but a great distance backwards towards Portugal. Now, I am of opinion, that the cause has suffered by this;

Z

drigo.

-The Regent has been advised
to tell us that the Southern Provinces of
Spain have been delivered from the arms of
To deliver means, generally, to
France.
set free from; but, it means further, that
the party delivered is placed beyond dan-

the same cause. It, therefore, appears to
me, that this phrase is not a proper one.
The Southern Provinces of Spain have, in-
deed, been evacuated by the French for the
moment, but they have not been delivered
from the arms of France, under which
arms they may fall in a month or two;
and, perhaps, have already fallen.The
Prince, in speaking of the sacrifices which
the French have been obliged to make,
should not, it appears to me, have omitted
to express some sentiment or other respect-
ing our sacrifices during the campaign.
The French official report, after a pretty
ample detail of the several actions which
took place from the time that Lord Wel-
lington began to retreat, says, that we lost
seven thousand men in those actions. The
Courier news-paper says, that this is an ex-
aggeration. It may be so; but I think
that there can be no doubt at all of our
loss having been very considerable; to a
much greater extent, at any rate, than we
can immediately supply the place of by
troops sent from home. Of this fact the
Spaniards are well aware, and they are
aware also of the circumstance of Napoleon
being now engaged in a war in the North
of Europe. If, they will say, the English
are unable to keep Madrid now, how are
we to hope, that they will be able to expel
the French from Spain when the French
army shall, from whatever cause, have
returned from the North? This is the
question which all our adherents in Spain
will put to themselves; and I should like
to hear what answer could be given to it.
In short, every view that I take of the mat-
ter, terminates in the conclusion, that our
cause in Spain and Portugal is more despe-
rate now than it was a twelvemonth ago.

and I am persuaded, that, with the excep- I now than they would have been if Lord tion of the Prince Regent and his Ministers, Wellington had been driven back from Rothere is scarcely any one who will not agree with me, that, unless we could have kept Madrid, it would have been better not to take it. Who has not observed, in almost every week of his life, that to succeed in a small degree, and to be able to hold your ground, is far preferable to succeeding to ager of being again placed in thraldom for very great extent, if you are compelled to abandon any considerable portion of what you have obtained. The man who is gaining a fortune is in better heart, and is looked upon as being more prosperous, when he has secured the first thousand pounds, than he would be if he had gained a hundred thousand and lost fifty of it; and there can be little doubt, that the people of Spain have, at this moment, less hope of final success from the efforts of Lord Wellington, than they had before he moved forward from the walls of the city of Rodrigo. They now see, and, of course, they will now say, that though valour may put him in possession of a part of Spain, he has not, and we are not able to give him, a sufficient force to maintain that possession. In answer to all those who shall tell them that the English army will come to their assistance, it will always be said, the English army has already been once in possession of Madrid. There is nothing that so strongly tends to the producing of despair, as disappointed hope. When the unfortunate TRENCK, shut up in a dungeon, and bound in chains, by order of the despot of Prussia, the dominions of whose successors have since been subdued by the French; when the unfortunate TRENCK was endeavouring, by almost more than mortal efforts, to extricate himself from his chains and his dungeon, and when there was only one door standing between him and liberty, and, perhaps, between him and what in such a case was still sweeter than liberty, revenge; when, in that moment of most lively hope, the knife, with which he was working his way through, snapped asunder, he, with the remaining stump, endeavoured to destroy his own life, though he was a man of, perhaps, as much fortitude as ever man possessed. If the knife had snapped at the beginning of his efforts; if it had snapped at the first door that he had to work through, no such desperate effect would have been produced upon his mind; and I think that we set at defiance the dictates of reason, if we do not conclude, that our friends in Spain will be much more likely to despair

-The Speech talks of the resources and exertions of the Spanish nation, seeming to take it for granted, that all the people of Spain; that, not only the armies raised amongst the Spaniards, and armed and commanded by the government at Cadiz ; that not only all these are on our side, but that the whole of the people are also on our side, and that they abhor the French.Reader; "most thinking" reader!

ex

you know, that there are eleven millions wanted from us, and for what? Why, of these people? And do you consider, for no definite object; not for the obtaining that out of eleven millions, there ought to of Peace; not in defence of any English be about two millions of men capable of territory attacked; not in support of an bearing arms? Do you consider, besides, English right called in question; but in that the French, even at this time, are re-support of the GREAT CONTEST! presented as having only about a hundred And what is this great contest? Why, we thousand men in Spain? And do you not are told, that it is the contest," which has wonder, then; do you not marvel; do you "first given to the Continent of Europe not think it passing strange, that these hun- "the example of persevering and successdred thousand Frenchmen are able to keep" ful resistance to the power of France, possession of the greater part of Spain, in "and on which not only the independence spite of two millions of men able to bear" of the nations of the Peninsula, but the arms, who hold them in abhorrence, and" best interest of His Majesty's dominions who are encouraged and abetted by all those "essentially depend."- -This is all matwho are not capable of bearing arms; are ter of opinion, as far as relates to the best you not wonder-stricken, that these hun- interests of His Majesty's dominions; and dred thousand Frenchmen, having opposed my opinion is, that those interests would to them a population of eleven millions, be much better served by a Peace, in which with a prodigiously large Spanish army, Spain should be left in the hands of the together with all the forces that we are able Buonapartés, as it formerly was in the to send, not excepting the King's German hands of the Bourbons, than by any exerLegion, are you not posed and puzzled be- tions that we are able to make for effecting yond description, to find out the reason, that which we are pleased to call the dethat these hundred thousand Frenchmen, liverance of Spain. And, as to the with all these forces opposed to them, have" ample!" The example! The example, not been made into crow's meat long enough which Spain has set to the Continent of ago?" Most thinking" reader, do not Europe, what, to come to plain facts, is puzzle yourself, do not pose yourself any that example? Why, it is this, the exlonger about the matter; but say with me, ample of eleven millions of people suffering that, there never was, in this world, a na- a French army to remain in possession of tion of eleven millions of people that suf- their Country for four years; seeing thein fered the army of any enemy, however nu- in possession of the Capital of their Counmerous, to remain for four years in the try at this moment, and of four-fifths of its country, if that nation were heartily dis- Provinces; though that eleven millions of posed to drive them out. Being of this people have been supplied from England opinion, I see with no pleasure that part of with arms and ammunition sufficient for the the Speech which too clearly points at fur- equipping and providing of an army of six ther and larger demands upon us for the thousand men; though that eleven millions carrying on of the war in Spain. I was in of people have constantly had the assisthopes, that the Speech would have inform-ance of a powerful English fleet, and of an ed us of intentions on the part of the Regent English army, consisting of, perhaps, sixty - seriously to set about the work of Peace, thousand men; this is the example, which for which the present circumstances, though the contest in the Peninsula presents to the less favourable than when Napoleon last Continent of Europe! This is the example tendered the olive branch, are by no means of "successful resistance to the power of unfavourable. We are told that he is in" France," in consequence of which sucimminent danger in the North; that he is in a state of great peril; and, indeed, the Regent himself has been advised to tell us, that the enemy's presuniptuous expectations have been signally disappointed in Russia. This, then, seems to me to be the moment for proposing Peace, that is to say, if Peace is ever again to be proposed. But instead of this being the case; instead of telling us of endeavours to convert our own victories and the efforts of Russia into the means of "I have great pleasure in communicatprocuring us some little abatement of our "ing to you, that the relations of peace burdens, we are told of fresh assistance" and friendship have been restored be

cess, and for the sake of giving effect to which example, His Royal Highness the Regent calls upon the Parliament for assistance in support of the GREAT CONTEST out of which this precious example has arisen!The Speech then goes on, according to the report of it that has appeared in the news-papers, to speak of the affairs of Sweden and Russia in the following terms: