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was obliged to work it out by addition-
al labour, if perchance he could get
employment; in consequence of which
that labour, and every thing else used by
the individuals, cost the community at
least 151. a year more than they did before.
The community was at last induced to
go
to war with a neighbouring community.
They fought and destroyed oue another
for a long time, till they were almost
unable to go on fighting, which led
them to agree to drop it. The managers
of the community in question, boasted
of their unrivalled glory, and the mighty
things they had done; but they paid no
attention to this material difference
between them and their opponents
during the conflict-that the enemy
was throwing off a great load of debt,
with which they had been previously
incumbered, while they, on the other
hand, were every day adding to theirs,
which had already been too heavy, and
had actually amounted to 6091.-in ad-
dition to the former 3001. and the first
annual expence of 51.

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and bread fall to 6d. the farmer would get no sale for his produce. The landowner reasoned thus :--- If foreign grain 'should be allowed to come in so low, my tenant would, ere long, be ruined, and my share of the interest upon the 'public debt, which now amounts to 9007.—will come full upon me, and my great extra rent, which was more than 'sufficient to meet it, will be entirely gone.'-He then says to the attorney; 'this will never do; we must make a law prohibiting foreign grain coming among us till our own is at 80s. a quarter, 'which will keep the loaf always at 16d. to 18d. and this will so effectually protect my farmer, that he can pay a very high rent, and, in this manner, my proportion of the taxes will be distributed among the whole community, except the small proportion which attaches to the grain consume.'--The attorney approves, and says, that there is another financial reason for keeping the price at 80s. as cogent as any yet mentioned —viz. the influx of foreign grain at such a dow The grand question came then to be, price, would reduce the value of every how is the 301. the interest of this 600l. article, and as the sum required to pay to be raised? The answer was, in the the cabinet-maker and cutier the interest same manner as formerly-two fifibs, of their 9907. is generally raised by a per or 121. on the land-owner, and three centage, if all our articles fall in price, fifths, or 181. on the members of the that per centage will lower also, and our community. Each again endeavoured means will be insuflicient to pay our to lay it on his articles, but found the first and natural annual ex ence of 51.— additional price drove away his custom-and 451, the interest of the 90s, of ers, and diminished the usual demand. public debt. They therefo agree it is for The land-owner, however, had been more the advantage of their se' me of finance, fortunate; for, on account of the diffi- as well as the lando er, that grain culty there was in the way, during the should be prohibited fm coming into war, of any grain coming in competition the community, till the own prices are with that which his farmer produced, at 89s. per quarter, oʻ loaf above 16d. he had nearly doubled his rents; and or 18d. This I cor ve to be a plain although he thus raised the quartern and obvious view of the case, though, I loaf to the whole community to 18d. admit, not a complete one. But it is he thereby received much more than sufficient to suggest to every considerate was requisite to Cover his propor- mind this enquiry-Since it is admitted. tion of the interest of the increased the grower of corn cannot raise it with, debt. But, after the peace, their advantage, unless he is protected against, former enemies of the neighbouring foreign grain coming in under 80s. a community were able to, and did really, quarter, how comes it that a British farsend into them grain at such a low price mer, who is allowed to have more capias would bring the quartern loaf to 6d. tal, more industry, and more science than. instead of 180. at which it had been kept foreign farmers, cannot produce corn. ever since the land-owner had raised his upon equally cheap terms. Why has not, rent.-The farmer immediately told the the legislature made this inquiry? Until land-owner, that he must be protected. this is ascertained, no effectual cure can, The land-owner consulted the attorney, be applied to the existing evil, which is and they saw at once, that if the neigh-so much complained of. bouring grain was allowed to come in,

G. M.

INSPIRED WRITINGS.

racle may be received by Catholics, we
of the Protestant Church do not admit
of evidence of this description. Besides,
if it was not till after three centuries had
elapsed, that the Holy Spirit condesend-
ed to sanction the New Testament wri-
tings, it would follow that the Christians
who lived prior to that period, were left
in darkness and uncertainty as to the au-
thority of the sacred writings, and, con-
sequently, without any stable foundati-
on on which to rest their faith. This is a
view of the subject which no sincere be-
liever can adopt, without charging the
Almighty with partiality, and wantonly
sporting with the feelings of the
tures he had made. The authority of
the author of Ecce Homo must, there-
fore, have been rejected by all good
protestants, even although it had not been
thought necessary to put that work
down for the safety of the protestant
church, and to preserve unshaken the
faith of thousands, who might otherwise
have been staggered by a perusal of its
dangerous arguments, and the fearless
manner in which the writer discusses
the most important and interesting sub-
jects.

crea

Mr. COBBETT. In your Register of the 18th ult. a correspondent asks, by whose authority those books (the New Testament Scriptures)" when formed into "their present collective state, were de"signated holy inspired writings ?"—For some time I was surprised that a question, involving so many important consequences, had not received a prompt and satisfactory answer, either from yourself, who had already so powerfully advocated the cause of the established church, or from one of your Fordhams, your Churchmen, or other staunch supporters of the faith, who so ably assisted you in your pious opposition to the repeal of the penal statutes against the Unitarians; but, after some enquiry and considerable reflection, my surprise subsided on finding, that no celebrated ecclesiastical historian, as far as I have been able to discover, has attempted to fix a period when the books composing the New Testament “ were designated holy inspired writings." The author of Ecce Homo, who refers to Tillemont and other fathers in proof of A writer of the name of Dodwell, in his his statement; but whose authority has dissertations on Irenæus, says "that a been overthrown by one of more weight "collection or canon of the books of the and general influence; has asserted, that "New Testament was made in the reign it was not till 225 years after the birth of" of Trajan the Roman Emperor, more Christ that those books were received a century after Christ." -Dr. or acknowledged as inspired. His words Mills, who treated of this subject in the are; At the end of three centuries beginning of last century, asserted, that "(i. e. in the three hundred and twenty- "there was no collection made "fifth year of the Christian era) some bishops decided, that these four gospels were the only ones which ought "to be adopted, or which had been "really inspired by the Holy Ghost. A "miracle enabled them to discover "this important truth, 50 difficult

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to be discerned, at a time even "then not very remote from that of the apostles. They placed, it is said, promiscuously, books apocryphal and au"thentic under an altar:-the Fathers "of the Council betook themselves to prayers, in order to obtain of the "Lord that he would permit the false <c or doubtful books to remain under the altar, whilst those which were truly inspired by the Holy Ghost, should place themselves above it, a circum"stance which did not fail to occur." -In whatever light this pretended mi

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any books of Scripture, whether of epistles or gospels, till about 60 years "after the death of Christ. Not of the epistles certainly; for concerning the "authors and authority of some of these, "there were great disputes and doubts "in the apostolical churches in the fol"lowing ages, which had never happened "had any of the last surviving apostles "constituted a canon. Nor of the four "gospels, the reading of which in the "churches was not then determined and "agreed on."-Another writer about the same period, Dr. Beveridge, says

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Among all the more ancient writers of "ecclesiastical matters, you will hardly "find two that agree in the same num"ber of canonical books."-Again, 66 no

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"turies of Christianity."I could multiply authorities on this subject; but as they all differ from one another, this would only tend the more to confirm what I have already stated, that no certain period has been agreed upon by the numerous writers of church history, when the books of the New Testament were designated holy inspired writings.-1 cordially agree with your correspondent, "that if these books were more candidly "examined, and more rationally considered, the truth and rationality of Christianity would be, better understood." It must, at the same time, however, be acknowledged, that where a difficulty presents itself in the outset of this examination, it cannot be expected that any one can enter upon it, with an unbiassed and unprejudiced mind, until that difficulty is removed. The point under discussion appears to me in that light. It involves, in my apprehension, all that is desirable on earth. Upcn it depends the truth of our holy religion, the foundation of our faith, the hope of a future existence. I trust, therefore, that some abler pen thay mine will take up the subject, not only for the sake of consistency, but that infidels, who are always on the watch to take advantage, may be for eyer silenced, and the divine authority of the sacred writings established on an immovable basis.

dividual, except inasmuch as it shews the falsehoods which have been had recours to, in order to make up something like a defence of so disgraceful an expenditure of the public money, as is the giving of such sums to such a man. However, as it has been taken up in Parliament, I trust the enquiries will not cease until the evil is done away. I have already communicated to you, that Sir John Downie played a principal part in the late tragedy of the restoration of the Inquisition, and that Ferdinand, according to his custom, got tired of the man, and sent him to Seville. General Morillb was about this time appointed to the chief command of the embryo expedition to South America, and passed through Seville on his way to Cadiz, to commence operations in the organization of his army. It will be perhaps, thought extraordinary here, but it is no less true, that a part of this army, and one in which Ferdinand placed great confidence, was a deputation of Priests, consisting of a certain number of every order in Spain, headed by the new American Inquisitor General, Ramon GuiraquizSeville, which is only about 30 leagues distant from Cadiz, was appointed as the place of rendezvous for these Priests. Sir John Downie, finding his appointment of goaler, or (as he calls it in the paid for puff paragraphs in the Sun and Courier) Inspector of the Palace, neither profita bles nor honourable, set to work immediately with the Holy Brotherhood, and so well succeeded with them that Ramon Grain aTHE INQUISITION. quiz wrote to the Inquisitor General at SIR,Since my last I perceive, by the Madrid, desiring that Downie might Morning Post and the Times newspa- be permitted to embark with the Exped ipers, that Sir John Newport in the House tion, stating his devotion to the interests of Commons, and Lord Landsdowne in of the Holy Office, and that he would be the Lords, have taken up the Inquisition an excellent counterpoise to the rugh General, Sir John Downie.--The Chen-independence of the General in Chief, Mcellor of the Exchequer, in defending the rillo. This officer, as I have already item of about 135,000l. of the public mo- stated, was originally a private ma tine, ney, which has been paid to this man, and serving on board the Spanish Feet, independent of an annuity which he re-in the battle of Trafalgar, was taken priceived from the public, (for what is not soner, and confined on board one of the explained) stated as a sort of salvo, that prison ships at Portsmouth, until he was the brother of the late lamented breaking out of the Spanish revolu jon, Captain Downie, of the Navy, who was when he was sent home with the whole killed on the Lakes in America. This of the Spanish prisoners. Natur lly declaration produced a letter, which has boisterous and violent, a man of war: the been inserted in all the newspapers, con- a mountain camp, his only education, tradicting the assertion, and stating Sir which his guerilla avocations had : ot John Downie to be the son of a weaver, contributed much to soften, he appear ed in Renfrewshire.---Now this has nothing little disposed to submit his operatic us whatever to do with the merits of the in- to the guidance of the priests, who cr

VERITAS.

the

course. Thus stood the expedition, when after repeated disappointments it sailed; but, owing to some unexplained cause, it has returned to port, and it is said its destination is changed. What will now become of Sir John Downie remains to be seen. Perhaps he will return to the Inspectorship of his Palace at Seville. At all events, he has little chance of being employed in the regular Spanish army, where his Inquisition merits are very thoroughly understood, and properly appreciated.

The capture of Monte Video has placed the whole eastern part of Spanish America in the power of the Patriots. An army of 40,000 men, flushed with conquest, most of them "Patriots of the

sidered their approbation of every measure as a sine qua non to success.Ramon Guiraquiz was indefatigable in his applications in favour of Sir John Downie, and at last succeeded; but not, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, in getting him appointed a Lieutenant General on the staff of the expedition; his only rank is that of Brigadier and he is inferior to all the staff officers employed. On his arrival at Cadiz, he was received most coldly by Morillo, who, from his residence in England, (limited as it was) was enabled to form a pretty ac curate judgment of General Sir John Downie. In addition to which, he considered him solely as an Inquisition General, and from his residing constantly with the Priests, he received the Spanish nick-“ soil," accustomed to habits of freedom, name of "El Inquisitore Ynglese." For five months, the expedition remained in preparation at Cadiz, and during the whole of that time, (so cold was the reception he met with on his reporting himself to General Morillo) he continued with the deputation of the Inquisition at Seville, and never once joined the army until its embarkation, when he arrived with the Holy Brethren, having with him a Lieutenant Steele of the Marines, and was appointed to the same ship with Ramon Guiraquiz! This Lieut. Steele left England in the year 1813, having been permitted by the Admiralty to enter the Spanish service in the corps of General Doyle, who being totally without officers, came to England to recruit for them in the British service; and finding none to be got at in the regiments of the line, he applied to the marines, where he succeeded in getting half a dozen, one of whom is Sir John Downie's follower, Lieut. Steele, who, also, in imitation of his master, calls himself by some pompous designation--if not General, certainly at least Colonel.

General Morillo looked upon these men with suspicion-he remembered, that while he was bravely fighting at the head of his guerillas, Sir John Downie was otherwise employed at Madrid; and perhaps judging not over favorably of the man, who, notwithstanding that he owed his all to the late government, had been ungrateful enough to be a principal operator in its destruction, he avoided all communication with him, and left him to the society of his friends the priests, with whom alone he had any sort of inter

and detesting tyranny, either civil, religious, or military, would have laughed to scorn Morillo's army of 8,000 men, even with the aid of his Holy Brotherhood Deputation, the Pope's Bull with which they were furnished, and the threatened Auto de Fé, which was to have been celebrated in honour of God, on their arrival in America. Morillo himself is known never to have been at all sanguine of success. The priests imagined, that their fulmination of burning in this world, and damnation in the next, would have effectually put down the efforts of the revolutionary party; and that quiet submission to the "San Benito," would have been the immediate consequence of their first appearance. Cevallos, however, who, is still at the head of the government at Madrid, began to find that the expedition would have been a certain sacrifice, while the ships, and their stores and equipments would have been an important acquisition to the revolutionists; and it is understood by the best informed Spaniards here, that certain information was received of the complete establishment of the New Government. However this may be, it is certain that the expedition is suspended for the present; the troops have all disembarked, and have occupied again their old quarters at Cadiz, the Isla, St. Maria, and Puerto Real; and the priests have returned, some of them to Seville, where Ramon Guiraquiz has himself gone ; and the remainder occupy the great convent of the Dominicans, near the Water Gate at Cadiz. In the mean time, the Inquisition is not idle:-All the revolutionists have been publicly excommunicated in

every church in Spain. All communica- | in conversation with them. One of the tion with them is denounced under the pro-proctors (who was of Trinity College) severest penalties, and a complete sepa- accompanied by the marshal of the univer ration is effected between the colonies tity, stopped the young women, and and the mother country. The evils which charged them with having been in conthis will produce, will no doubt be at versation with the gownsten. They in first, most severely felt, but the consevain denied the fact. The pro-proctor dequences must eventually be beneficial to sired them to follow him, which they did both parties. All revolutionary govern- attended by the marshal. The gownsmen ments are liberal in their policy. They perceiving the young women were stopped, will no doubt invite all Europe to a free and supposing that it might have been trade, and thus commercial prosperity occasioned by their having apparently will be both given and received; while, been in their company, returned and on the other hand, Old Spain, where indo- begged leave to assure the pro-proctors lence and inactivity have so long been that no blame whatever was imputable habitual, will give way to exertion. This to the young women; but they were dewill arise from the scarcity of the pre-sired to go to their College, and the lecious metals, which the revolution must necessarily produce. Under the old system, so abundant was the supply of gold and silver, that little labour was necessary to obtain support. A most material change will now be produced, and I have no doubt, that if the government is not so stupidly blind to its own existence, as to still encourage the dominion of the priests, and the ignorance of the people, that a material alteration will take place in the general habits and pursuits of the whole nation.

In my next letter, I shall trouble you with a statement of the operation of the Inquisition upon trade, commerce, and agriculture. In this country, an Englishman can with difficulty understand how these great causes of national prosperity can be interfered with by the church. 1 shall explain this, and will shew clearly, that Spain possesses every requisite to rival the most favoured commercial nations, if a wise and liberal government were to give spirit and energy to the exertions of the people. I am, &c. March 1, 1815.

Civís.

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.

SIR,-To the many instances of the abuses of the proctorial power in theUniversity of Oxford, which have been lately animadverted upon, in your Register, I beg leave to add the following: On the 29th of November, 1811, two young women, the daughters of a widow in the middling rank of life, resident in Oxford, were in the High-street, near St. Mary's Church, betwen four and five o'clock in the afternoon, when two gownsmen crossed the way, and endeavoured to engage

males were escorted to Exeter College,
where the marshal learned that the Vice
Chancellor was engaged, and would not.
be spoken with. The pro-proctor upon
being informed of this circumstance, de-
sired they might be taken to the marsi.al's
house, and said that he would send the
senior proctor to them. The marshal
obeyed the pro-proctor's directions, and
conducted them to his house, where the
senior proctor came soon afterwards.
The young women asked what they had
been brought there for. The proctor said
that the pro-proctor had informed him
they had been talking to the gownsmen.
This they denied, and begged they might
be liberated. The proctor replied that
they must be confined there all night,
and taken before the Vice-Chancellor in
the morning to exculpate themselves.
They then requested that their mother
might be sent for; but this was refused
by the proctor, who immediately left the
house, desiring the marshal to confine
them. The marshal conducted
into a room up stairs (the usual place of
confinement for
common prostitutes,)
and locked them up. Perceiving the mar
shal before he left the room was about to
take away the candle, the girls begged
they might have a light and a fire. But
he told them it was as much as his place
was worth to allow them to have either
the one or the other; and they were con
fined all night, without fire, candles, or
any sort of refreshment. In the course of
the evening, their mother, and two of
their friends, wished to be admitted, but
were refused. About nine o'oleck the
fol owing morning, the marshal desired
them to prepare to go before the Vice-
Chancellor, and then left them. He re-

them

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