That the Thanks of the Common Hall be given to the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, for his upright and impartial conduct this day.Resolved-That the Thanks of this Common Hall be given to Samuel Birch, Esq. and William Heygate, Esq. Sheriffs, for their prompt attention to the directions of the Common Hall, at their

That the Thanks of this Common Hall be given to Robert Waithman, Esq. and Samuel Favell, Esq. for their uniform and steady attachment to the Rights of their Fellow-Citizens, and for their zeal and abilities displayed on the present occasion.

WOODTHORPE.

OFFICIAL PAPERS.

FRANCE.-Reports laid before the Conservative Senate on the 10th of March, 1812.

(Continued from page 418.)

escape;

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by keeping him in ignorance of the complaints and real condition of his subjects. -VIII. That the only reason assigned for not receiving our Petitions, according to ancient usage, was contained in a Letter from Lord Hertford to John Wilkes, Esq. then Lord Mayor; wherein it is stated that the King has directed him to give notice, that for the future his Majesty will not re-last Meeting.--Resolved unanimouslyceive on the Throne any Address, Remonstrance, and Petition, except from the body corporate; but it nevertheless does appear that two Addresses from the Court of Lieutenancy of this City have since been received by his Majesty on the Throne-one on the 16th of December, 1795, and the other on the 30th day of May, 1800-although the said Court of Lieutenancy does not constitute the Body Corporate of this City; while in October following a Petition was refused from the Livery, in whom are vested the more important rights of electing the Chief Magistrate, the Sheriffs, the Representatives in Parliament, the ChamberFor a considerable time the Englain, the Auditors of the City Revenue, lish Government has proclaimed everand other Officers.--IX. The advisers lasting war,---a frightful project, which of the answer of the Regent, by which our the wildest ambition could never really Petition, as to all its useful purposes, has have intended, and which presumptuous been rejected, have proved their enmity to boasting alone allowed to the rights, privileges, and franchises of this frightful project, which nevertheless will City, their treachery to the honour and in- be realized, if France is but to expect enterests of the Crown, and their contempt of gagements without guarantee,-of uncerthe public voice, as conveyed by the largest tain duration, and more disastrous than war Corporate Assembly in the Empire.. itself. Peace, Sire, which in the midst X. That our Representatives in Parliament of your immense power has been so often be, and are hereby instructed to support all offered to your enemies, will crown your measures which have for their object the glorious works, if England, banished from investigation and reformation of public the Continent with perseverance, and sepaabuses the abolition of useless places, rated from all the states whose independence pensions, reversions, and superfluous estab- she has violated, consents to return to those lishments the relief of the sufferings of the principles upon which European society is people, by re-opening the channels of co-founded,-acknowledges the Law of Namercial intercourse-the punishment of de- tions,---and respects the sacred rights conlinquents, however high their stations, and secrated by the treaty of Utrecht.——In whether as traders in public appointments, the mean time, the French nation must reor in seats in the Legislature-and, above main armed: honour commands it; the inall, the restoration of a full, equal, and free terest, the rights, the independence of the representation to the People.- -XI. That people, engaged in the same cause, demand the Sheriffs, attended by Mr. Remem-it; and an oracle still more certain, often brancer, do forthwith wait upon his Royal delivered even from the mouth of your Highness the Prince Regent, and deliver Majesty, constitutes it an imperious and into his Royal Highness's hand, in the name sacred law. of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery of London, a fair Copy of the foregoing Resolutions, signed by the Town Clerk. -XII. That the Resolutions of this day, together with the Petition, agreed to on the 26th day of March last, be signed by the Town Clerk, and published in six Morning and six Evening Papers.-Resolved,

II. Report of the Minister of War to the Emperor and King, on the subject of augmenting the army, for the purpose of enforcing the Continental System.

Sire, The greatest part of your Majesty's troops had been called without our territory, for the defence of the grand in

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been called upon to join the active army; the second, of men from 26 to 40 years; and the third, of men from 40 to 60 years of age: to the 1st band the active service will be confided; then the 2d and 3d bands will only have the reserve service, which is quite local.For 1812, the 1st band, comprehending the conscripts from 1806 to 1812, who have not been called to the army, and who have not since married, and are in a condition for service, will form a resource of 600,000 men.[ propose to your Majesty to raise from this number 100 cohorts, which will constitute the fifth part of those who remain of the classes of 1806, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. These men should be organized and clothed at the chief place of each military division.These cohorts, composed of S companies, 6 of which are to be fuzileers, one artillery, and one a depot, will contain nearly one thousand men each. Your Majesty would thus have one hundred cohorts or battalions, who, constantly under arms, and united in brigades and divisions under the order of Chiefs of the Line Staff, would offer a chosen army, and might be compared to the ancient French grenadiers. These troops, constantly encamped, and by reason of their service abundantly supplied with every thing, would suffer few losses by war.--By this means our strong places on the Rhine, our establishments at the Helder, upon the Meuse, the Scheldt, at Boulogne, Cherbourg, Brest, L'Orient, Rochfort, Toulon, and Genoa, .would be guarded by a combi

terests which are to ensure the preponderance of the empire, and maintain the Berlin and Milan Decrees so fatal to England. The continental system has scarcely been fifteen months in execution, and England is already at the last gasp. Had not events happened which your Majesty could not have expected, perhaps, in this short period of time, the prosperity of England would have been entirely annihilated; and convulsions would have been experienced in her interior, which would have finally thrown into discredit the war faction, and called to the Administration moderate men and friends of justice.——— No person understands better than your Majesty, to expect from time, what time is to produce; and to maintain with unchangeable constancy, a system and plan of conduct from which you have calculated the results which are infallible.During the absence of the greater part of our troops of the line, the immense number of maritime establishments, strong places, and important points of the empire, are guarded by the fifth battalions and the depots, and by the marine troops; which is attended with the inconvenience of diverting, by incessant marches and countermarches, the fifth battalions and depots from their proper destination, which are to supply the active armies. These marches fatigue the soldier and embarrass the administration. Besides, when such numerous armies are seen without the frontiers, the citizens who do not understand the measures taken by the Administration for the interior establishments, may feel some justifiable un-nation of such force, that in five days, easiness; these inquietudes are of themselves contrary to the dignity of the Empire; these must be prevented from increasing, by the establishment of a constitutional force, for the defence of the territory alone.By our constitutional laws, the national guard is specially charged with guarding the frontiers, our maritime establishments, our arsenals, and strong places; but the national guard, which embraces the whole of the citizens, cannot be placed on permanent duty, but only for a local and particular service.In dividing the National Guard into three bands, and in composing the first of all the conscripts of the six last classes, viz. from the age of 20 to 26 years, who have not

30,000 men could be collected at any particular point of the coast attacked; and in less than ten days, considering the speedy means which your Majesty has established in urgent circumstances, from 60 to 80,000 men of the first band, the mariue troops, the departmental guards, and of the filth battalions; all of which would march to the point menaced, and could form a junction, independent of the assistance afforded by the 2d and 3d bands of the neighbouring departments.I do not propose the establishment of any cavalry; the gens d'armes alone, forming a force of 16,000 chosen men, will furnish sufficient cavalry for the attacks against which we have to guard.- ~(To be continued.)

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

VOL. XXI. No. 16.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1812.

[Price 1s.

"Buonaparté promises the people of France an abundant harvest next year: and having already "aggravated the existing scarcity, by sending grain to supply the magazines of his armies in Germany, " he will drain the country of the produce of the next harvest, should it be abundant, to feed the “same armies.”—-COURIER news-paper, 8th April, 1812.

"Such are the attempts (the hand-bills at Manchester) to delude and irritate the lower classes, "and direct their hatred against their own government, instead of against Buonaparté. They who "make them (the attempts), know that the evils which we suffer, could not be cured, but would be “aggravated by peace. They feel that the war must be continued, and they would raise a civil war to "palsy the foreign war."- -COURIER news-paper, 10th April, 1819.

"We did hope that we should have had only the disturbances in our enemy's dominions to record: "There is there some cause for them."-TIMES news-paper, 11th April, 1812.

481]

SCARCITY in FRANCE,
and

[482

ought never to pass undetected; falsehood ought never to pass in the world for truth. These falsehoods have, too, a tendency to injure the cause of freedom; they have a tendency to prolong the sufferings of Europe; they ought, therefore, to be exposed to all the parties concerned.I shall begin with an article in the COURIER of the 8th instant, from which I have taken my first motto; and which, as the reader will see, is intended to inculcate the opinion, that, not only is there a scarcity in France, but that this scarcity has been produced by the war. Mark, reader, that the scarcity in France is held out to us as having been produced by the war. Bear this in mind. And, not only is the scarcity in France held out to us as having been produced by the war: but, the war is represented as being ready to swallow up the next crop as soon as it is gathered in. It must be sent to the armies

RIOTS in ENGLAND. These are very interesting topics at this time, and it is of great consequence that correct notions should be entertained with regard to them, not only in this country and in France; but in all other countries. The smothering system has prevailed so long in England, that, really, at last, the world knows but very little of what passes here, and even we ourselves do not know much of it. As far as lies in my power this base system shall be thwarted. I will make all known that comes to my knowledge, because it is for the good of the country. I will place all that I come at in its true colours, as far as I am able. I will not only not lend my aid to the long-practised imposture; but I will do all that I can to expose that imposture, supported by means of a servile and corrupt press, the most efficient instru-out of the kingdom, we are told, and I beg ment in the delusion, the debasement, and the enslaving of a people. There is, it appears, a scarcity of grain in France; and, it is well known, that there is a scarcity in England. Our hired news-papers have noticed both; and, it is my intention to let the world see what they have said of both; what their tone has been when speaking of the scarcity in England, compared to what it has been when speaking of the scarcity in France; how they blow hot and cold with the same mouth; how impatient they are to see insurrections in France; and how they are for instant punishment of every creature who dares complain in England. But, it may be said, "why not "let them alone with their falsehoods?"

Why? Why, because falsehood

you to mark it well. Nay, further, we are told, that the war has, in France, caused such a drain of men, that there are none but women left to till the land; and, that, therefore, the war, while it demands corn to be sent out of the country, lessens the amount of the produce by taking away the hands that ought to be left to till the land. This, you see, reader, is what we are told is the effect of war in France; and, we are therefore, told, that the people of France hate the war, and hate Buonaparté because he continues the war. Mind, reader, all this is in France, as we are told; but none of this is said of the war in which England is engaged. No, that is quite another af fair.- -After this preface, I ghall take the publications, upon which I mean to com

R

ment, one by one, beginning with that" by sending grain to supply the magazines which relates to the scarcity in France.

SCARCITY IN FRANCE.

"for his armies in Germany, where there "is the same scarcity as in France, he will "drain the country of the produce of the "next harvest, should it be abundant, to

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I shall first insert the above-mentioned article from the Courier, repeating here," feed the same armies. Finding that there that I deem the subject of great import- " is a disposition to discontent and tumult, ance. The article is intended to deceive a disaffection to his person and govern the people of this country as to several ment, he bids them beware of civil dispoints. It is intended to make them be-sensions, and warns them, that nothing lieve, amongst other things, that the state can recompense a nation for the calamiof France is such, that a little longer con- "ties attached to a revolution; with the tinuance of the war will totally ruin her," truth of which the people of France and overset Napoleon. It is, in short, in- "must, of course, be deeply impressed, by tended to delude the people of England to "the calamity, consequent upon the French their infinite injury. It is intended to aid "revolution, of having him for their Sovein the destruction of all that remains of free- "reign, with the Iliad of woes he has en-' dom. It has all sorts of wicked purposes "tailed and will still entail upon them. in view; and, therefore, I shall go into an "Finding, too, that there is a deep hatred ample exposure of it." The fact of a "of the war with this country, he attempts 66 great scarcity in France, not only in Nor- "to remove it by the repetition of his promandy, but in every other part, rests, mise, that the ocean shall be free, and "not only upon the authority of private" that he is giving the law to us." "letters, but is confessed by BUONAPARTE The objects of this paragraph are, to per"himself in the answers to the Deputies suade the people of England, that there are "from the different Electoral Colleges of great miseries existing in France from the "France. Some persons may be asto- scarcity of grain; that the people suffer "nished at the frankness of this confession, terribly from the war; that they, accord"but the fact, we understand, is this:-ingly, detest Buonaparté; and, that we "In reading the Addresses of the Electoral "Colleges, as published in the Moniteur, one might conceive that there was nothing "but happiness, prosperity, and abundance, "a mild Government, and a contented "people, throughout France. One is na"turally, therefore, surprised at many of "the answers returned to them, answers "which so ill correspond with the tenor of "the Addresses. But these Addresses "have been the means of conveying to "BUONAPARTE language and information "of a very different nature from that con"lained in our public speeches. They No: they do not rest their "have told him of the general scarcity that hopes any longer upon the ruin of the fiprevails; of the discontent that has been nances of France; they have not the impuproduced by a war that renders a conti-dence to do this, while it is notorious, that nuance and aggravation of the public mi- France abounds in gold and silver coin, sery certain; they have represented to part of which consists of the guineas which "him that by the drain of the conscription have emigrated from England to avoid "laws, the land is chiefly cultivated by wo- the society of our paper. They have "men (a fact upon which our readers may not the impudence to do this; but, really, rely), and, therefore, inadequately culti- that which is attempted in the above para"vated in consequence of the feebleness of graph is not much less impudent.We "the hands that cultivate it, compared are told, that, if we look at the Addressers "with those of the other sex. These facts of the Electoral Colleges, as published in "the Addressers have communicated to the Moniteur, we should conceive that all "him, and he touches upon them in his was content and happiness in France. But, ❝ answers. He promises them an abun- says the hireling, you must pay no atten"dant harvest this year: and having al- tion to these, because it is a fact, upon "ready aggravated the existing scarcity, which you may rely, that the Addressers

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have only to go on, only to push on, with the war for another year, or so, and we shall overthrow him and get rid, at once, of all our dangers. Such are the objects of this publication, and such have been the objects of thousands and hundreds of thousands of publications, since the Antijacobins began the war against France in 1793. They do not now foretel the fall of the French ruler on account of the assignats, as they did during the first four years of the war, and as was done by Sir Francis D'Ivernois and Mallet du Pan.