tians too, to buy and sell and make merchandise of human flesh !

But if we have reason to regret the failure of our exertions in behalf of the enslaved, oppressed, and tortured Africans, our arms and our councils in the East have been crowned with the most triumphant success. The Pindarrees, so long the scourge of India, have been dispersed and annihilated; the Mahratta Princes, those factious and restless agitators, have been effectually humbled and punished; while their fortresses and fastnesses have been carried, and the tranquillity of India re-established by a series of successes which must render for ever memorable the able and victorious government of the Marquis of Hastings. Every one acquainted with the history of India, and with the miseries inflicted on that unhappy country by the predatory and roving hordes of the Pindarrees, and the ceaseless intrigues and broils of the Mahratta Princes, must be satisfied that this was not a war of aggrandisement; but, on the contrary, purely defensive, and rendered unavoidable by the ravages committed by the former, no less than by the dangerous spirit and designs of the latter. It will also be found to have given great additional security and consolidation to our In dian Empire. The nucleus of discontent has been destroyed; pro tection insured to the peaceable in habitants of the plains: and the Nepaul frontier erected at once into a formidable barrier of defence and in timidation; for, by bringing us, as it were, in contact with the feeble and overgrown empire of China, we may have roused the jealousy or awakened the fears of the Chinese, neither of which are very dangerous, but we have also taught them to respect us. Such is a brief and imperfect outline of the state of affairs at the com

mencement of the present session, the first of the new Parliament, which took place on the 21st of January, when the following speech was delivered by commission in the name of the Prince Regent :

"My Lords and Gentlemen,

"We are commanded by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent to express to you the deep regret which he feels in the continuance of his Majesty's lamented indisposition.

"In announcing to you the severe calamity with which it has pleased Divine Providence to visit the Prince Regent, the Royal Family, and the nation, by the death of her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom, his Royal Highness has commanded us to direct your attention to the consideration of such measures as this melancholy event has rendered necessary and expedient, with respect to the care of his Majesty's sacred person.

"We are directed to inform you, that the negotiations which have ta ken place at Aix-la-Chapelle have led to the evacuation of the French territory by the allied armies.

"The Prince Regent has given orders, that the convention concluded for this purpose, as well as the other documents connected with this arrangement, shall be laid before you: and he is persuaded, that you will view with peculiar satisfaction the intimate union which so happily subsists amongst the powers who were parties to these transactions, and the unvaried disposition which has been manifested in all their proceedings for the preservation of the peace and tranquillity of Europe.

"The Prince Regent has commanded us further to acquaint you, that a treaty has been concluded between his Royal Highness and the Government of the United States of America, for the renewal, for a further

ther foreign or domestic, the whole scene presented a most cheer, ing prospect. The treaty which had been concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle between the Allied Powers, had ensured peace and tranquillity to all Europe. The allied troops were withdrawn from France, and every circumstance connected with this most important treaty was an argument in favour of a firm and substantial peace. By the decisive conduct of the Governor of the British possessions in India, nothing was now to be feared in that quarter. The British force had turned its arms against the aggressors, and the result was the overthrow of the daring enemy. By the commercial treaty which had been concluded with America, the union with that country had been more than ever closely cemented, and on every side subjects of congratulation presented themselves. While the British commerce was in a most flourishing state, there was every prospect of continued prosperity; and while the revenue had increased, the national expenditure had greatly decreased.

In seconding the address, Lord Saltoun went over, and dwelt upon the same topics with the noble mover, taking a rapid survey of the state of affairs both in Europe, America, and India. In fact, no debateable positions had been introduced into the speech delivered in the name of the Regent, which contained, as our readers will perceive, nothing but a bare recital of facts relative to our foreign and domestic relations, all of them of the most animating description, and so perfectly inexpugnable, that no amendment was moved in either House of Parliament.

Accordingly the Marquis of Lansdown did not feel himself called upon to offer any opposition to the address. In giving a general concurrence, he,

however, regarded himself as bound at the same time to state a few considerations which the communication from the throne presented to his mind, not as objections to the motion now made, but as having reference to topics which had been omitted. He was ready to admit, that our relations with at least one great member of the alliance appeared at present to be such as were favourable to tranquillity; but what he chiefly relied upon for the continuance of that blessing was the state of France. He therefore most sincerely concurred in all that was stated in the address relative to the evacuation of the French territory. He rejoiced to see France restored to her proper rank in the system of Europe, and was happy to find that the principle of rendering her a member of the great European confederacy was adopted. It was also with much pleasure that he perceived what had been done by treaty, well seconded in France by the adoption of a system of internal policy best calculated to give popularity to the Government, which wisely sought its preservation and security by the establishment of those free institutions on which the happiness and prosperity of the country must ultimately depend. For these reasons he relied, for the continuance of peace, far more on the state of France itself than on the relations subsisting between this and other countries. Having said thus much with respect to the treaty concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, he could not dismiss the subject without adverting to another point of great importance connected with these negociations, viz. the Slave Trade. This subject was one which must have occupied the consideration of the Ministers assembled at the Congress: it was one which his Majesty's Ministers would not fail to urge on the attention of that as

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sembly; but the silence of the speech too plainly indicated that the result had not been successful. The state of the revenue formed another topic of the message; and what was said on that subject afforded him satisfac tion. He was happy to find that the state of things which he anticipated Jast year was realized, and that there had been a revival of commerce and industry, which was necessarily ac companied by an improvement of the revenue. Whether the effects of the revival of trade had as yet reached those to whom it was of the greatest importance it should extend, namely, the labouring and agricultural classes, was still doubtful. In the mean time, while admitting the advantage which the prospect of an improving revenue afforded, he must remind their Lordships, that the prospect was by no means such as to relieve them from anxiety respecting the state of the finances, or to induce them to relax in their endeavours to reduce the expenditure of the country to a more economical scale. The improvement of the consolidated fund, as compared with former years, had been stated at L. 3,000,000; but the actual surplus was only between L. 200,000 and L. 300,000, and that was more than absorbed by preceding deficiencies, Even calculating the improvement of the revenue to its fullest extent, it would not exceed 53 or at most L.54,000,000, while the expenditure amounted to L.68,000,000. Thus, notwithstanding the improvement which now formed a subject for their Lordships' congratulation, there would remain a deficiency of L. 14,000,000. As to what might be done in the way of reduction, he could at present form no certain opinion; but he did not anticipate that ministers would carry it beyond L, 4,000,000.

Having now noticed what appeared to him to be the principal topics introduced into the speech, he had to regret that it communicated nothing on a subject of far greater importance than the improvement of the revenue; he meant the state of the currency. He said this was a subject of far more importance than any increase of revenue, inasmuch as the basis of a system was of more importance than the actual state of the superstructure raised upon it. The state of the currency, their Lordships would recollect, was not a financial question of an ordinary kind. It went to the foundation of all pro perty: it embraced the consideration of the safety of all classes; and it was for the interest of the Bank Directors themselves, as well as of any other individuals in the country, that a prompt decision should be adopted. It was full time to come to a determination on this subject. Was it or was it not the intention of Ministers to propose to go on with the system? It was also to be recol lected, that whenever their Lordships directed their attention to this system, they would have also to take a view of that severe and dreadful penal code, by which the system of paper currency, if it longer existed. must be upheld. Upon the question of expediency of continuing the present currency, would depend that of maintaining in force laws which humanity and the opinion of the country had condemned. He knew it might be said, that there would be time enough for the consideration of these subjects, and that the Bank Restriction Act would not expire for some months. If it was the intention of Ministers to allow the act to expire, the sooner that intention was known the better. The same observation applied to the op

posite alternative; for it was of all things most important, that the state of doubt which at present prevailed should be removed. He could not sit down without adverting to the reference made in the speech and the address to the relations subsisting between this country and the United States of America. He learned with great satisfaction, that the treaty with these states had been renewed; but in noticing this topic at all, it was impossible not to recollect transactions which had lately occurred, in the course of certain military operations of the troops of the United States, and which transactions were of a nature to produce no slight sensation in this country, as they involved the sacrifice of the lives of two individuals who were British subjects. He alluded to transactions which had taken place in the course of hostilities between the United States and the Indians within the Spanish settlements. Until, however, the Government of the United States avowed or attempted to justify these transactions, he should withhold any positive opision. The principle on which that court-martial proceeded, if consist ent with military law, was one which could scarcely be expected to be enforced by such a government as that of the United States. There might be a pretence for applying such a law to Ambrister, who was taken with arms in his hands; but with regard to Arbuthnot, there appeared no pretext whatever. He had no doubt, however, that a distinct explanation would be received from the United States, as the nature of these transactions was inconsistent with the genius and free institutions of that Government. With respect to the war in India, as far as he could at present form an opinion, it appeared not to have been undertaken from a

spirit of conquest, but in resistance to aggression; and the manner in which it had been conducted and brought to a conclusion, he was hap py to acknowledge, did honour to his Majesty's arms.

The Earl of Liverpool followed the Marquis of Lansdown; and after complimenting his Lordship for the liberal view which he had taken of the speech and the address, and stating the desire of his Majesty's ministers to avoid subjects on which a difference of opinion might arise, proceeded to advert to the different topics which had been brought under their Lordships' consideration. Among these topics was the evacuation of France by the allied troops, a measure on which the Noble Marquis looked with approbation. He partook, he said, in the feelings which had been expressed on the subject of the evacuation of France by the allied troops. In the first place, it was desirable that France should of fer no grounds on which the military occupation of her territory could be any longer enforced. It was stipulated by treaty, that that military occupation should cease at the end of three years, if circumstances were such at that period as to render a continuance of it for five years unadvisable, when it was stipulated that at all events it should be at an end. By the most speedy termina, tion of it, therefore, the allies showed that it was not their wish to continue it so long as they might have done, and that, consequently, the measure appeared to them origi nally one of necessity, and not of choice. From the time that the military occupation of France was determined on, he had always looked forward to the evacuation as a measure which, to be advantageous and agreeable to that country itself, must appear voluntary and cordial