more of those wholesale robberies, at which some of them have connived, no doubt, for a share of the booty. The plea, I am told, with the new watchmen is, that they are clever fellows. Sir, I admire clever fellows as much as any one; but I humbly presume, that what we want is honest men, who will guard our property as carefully as they guard their own, by day and by night; for I need not tell you, that much of the mischief done by state watchmen is at night, when we are quietly sleeping in our beds, and never dreaming of waking poorer than when we went to rest. The watchmen, in Shakspeare's time, were provided with what he calls bills, and so are our modern watchmen; and it is owing to their flourishing such bills, that many of us are so poor.-No, Şir, let us have done with your clever fellows, and try what mere honest men will perform. I am, yours, AN ALARMIST. NEW MINISTRY. [From the General Evening Post, Feb. 18.] MR. EDITOR, AT T length we are arrived at the era of a new Ministry, concerning which I beg leave to congratulate all those who have been looking up to it, as to a remedy for all our evils. Such persons must certainly be now highly gratified in the near prospect of peace and prosperity; and it is surely not too much to say, that these blessings must flow from the approaching change. The worthy Patriots who are now about to conduct our affairs, have so often pointed out the errors of their predecessors, and so often expatiated on their own wisdom and foresight, that they have nothing to do but to avoid the former and bring the latter into exercise. Indeed, I consider them as under under great obligations to those very predecessors whom they have so long censured, because, if it had not been for their folly, ignorance, and extravagance, how could the new men have accumulated all the wisdom, knowledge, and economy, which are now to be exerted in favour of poor Old England? But, Sir, as men just elevated into high stations are sometimes apt to forget the steps by which they arrived at such honours, I would beg leave to remind them, and particularly their friends and supporters, of a few professions and promises they have held out, and which I have taken the trouble to collect from their past speeches for the last three years. In the first place, then, as they have repeatedly informed us, that all we have lately been doing against the power of France has only a tendency to increase it, I fully expect, indeed, I have, from their own declarations, every reason to expect, that they will immediately adopt such measures as may effectually eurb the power, insolence, &c. &c. of Buenaparte, and bring him to acknowledge that nothing more was wanted to defeat him in all his designs, than the appointment of a new Ministry. I expect that they will immediately order him, or persuade him (I don't care which), to withdraw his armies from Spain and Portugal; and that, as a preliminary, and to show how sincere they are in confiding in his honour, they wilt order Lord Wellington and his whole army to return safe and sound; and, that their arrival here may be the more secure, I expect they will issue such orders to the winds and waves as will compel them to be quiet during the voyage from Lisbon, or wherever else they may embark. They cannot think that I expect too much in this last request, since they have so often blamed their predecessors for conniving at equinoctial and other gales, whereby ships have been lost. In the second place, I fully expect that all differ ences with America will be instantly made up. Indeed, if I can at all depend upon their professions, this will follow as a matter of course (immediately upon kissing hands); and, therefore, I mention it principally to express my regret that we have not a system of telegraphs between this country and that continent. Such a system would save a deal of trouble to the American Legislators, who will be squabbling and quarrelling for some considerable time, before they can learn that all objections to a cordial peace are removed. I next, Sir, look to Ireland, and perhaps with more confidence, if more be possible, than I do to America. In Ireland we surely have reason to expect, not only perfect harmony and peace,. by admitting the Catholics into public offices, but all those other consequences that have been predicted, among the peasantry, wealth instead of poverty-clothes instead of rags and beef and mutton instead of potatoes and buttermilk. I cannot but wonder at the blindness of the dismissed men, who could not see the intimate connexion between the doctrines of Popery and the liberty of the subject. Did they never read history? These, you will allow, Sir, are at present our chief objects of concern. I might mention taxes-I might mention the price of the necessaries of life-I might advert to the riots at Nottingham, and the state of the poor in Lancashire and other manufacturing coun-ties, and the general state of commerce; but what would it signify to dwell, even in a newspaper, upon grievances which, we have been again and again told, never could have taken place but under the Administration of ignorant and incapable Ministers, and which, of course, will now all vanish, like darkness. before the sun, when we have a wise and able Mi nistry? nistry? I might also say something about Parliamentary Reform, and economy in the public expenditure; but, as these blessings are so near at hand, that one may almost fix the day and hour when they will be bestowed, I need say no more, than to felicitate my country on the glorious era at which we are now arrived, and to subscribe myself, Sir, your humble servant, ONE OF THE HOPEFUL. P. S.-I forgot to notice the rise of the Three per Cents to Ninety-five, and the return of payments in gold; but, as these are comparatively trifles, I leave all this kind of felicity to the Gentlemen of Capel Court. THE NEW MAN OF WAR, CHATHAM. MR. EDITOR, WHE HEN I first read in your paper that the Walcheren ship, just launched, was to be called the Chatham, in honour of the Earl of that name, I took it for a sly attempt at irony by some roguish Correspondent; but, finding the same thing gravely announced in The Courier and The Morning Post, L could no longer refrain from examining into the matter with my own eyes-and sure enough, the first thing I saw at the dock was this very ship, with the Earl's effigy under the bowsprit. The master-carver has been fortunate in the choice of his log of wood, which is, indeed, an exact resemblance of the original. The stockings are ungartered, and hang down negligently, and the night-cap is still on. The various attributes, though but the commonplace emblems of war and commerce, are not badly executed. His feet are resting on a cannon presenting its its breech, and his head and arm recline gracefully on a keg of Hollands. There is also an image of Fame, exceedingly large, but at the same time made subordinate to the main figure, by the concealment of her face under his robe, and by holding her trumpet behind her in a position which appears to me awkward, if not indecorous. The circumstance of time is pointed out, by introducing contemporary characters; and the stout little legs of Mr. Perceval are well contrasted with the thinner ones of Mr. Wilberforce. The twin Secretaries, also, Canning and Castlereagh, are seen scratching at each other with one hand, and clinging to the Earl's blue riband with the other. On the stern is a representation of the great Hospi tal at Flushing, and, over it, a very distant prospect of Antwerp. IMITATION OF ANACREON. MR. EDITOR, [From the same, Feb. 27.] Wednesday, Feb. 26, 12 A. M. THE Admiralty and Treasury having both gained high poetical celebrity, the one by the celebration of Talavera, the other of Roncesvalles, great emulation has naturally arisen among the other offices of Government. As your columns sometimes admit poetry, we request a place in them for the following, as we conceive, exquisite imitation of Anacreon. You will perceive, Sir, that it is almost a literal translation, only adapted to modern taste, of that Ode of bis, in which the Muses are described as giving Cupid, bound with roses, to the custody of Beauty (who in that poem is represented as a different personage from Venus); and when Venus seeks to liberate him, she finds that he prefers his captivity, and refuses to have his rosy restrictions taken off. We have no |