Too long to man I partially affign'd He continues to expatiate on the peculiar merits of Mifs Baillie's writings. We cannot attempt to give famples of the various ftyles in which this author has written; but we recommend his volumes, as what he calls them, "Poetical Recreations." LAW. ART. 16. The Conftable's Affiftant; being a Compendium of the Duties and Powers of Conftables and other Peace Officers; chiefly as they relate to the apprehending of Offenders, and laying Informations before Magiftrates. By the Society for the Sup pretion of Vice. 8vo. 48 pp. PP. 15. Rivingtons, &c. &c. 1808. This appears to be an extremely ufeful manual for a peace officer; and the committee have done very wifely in prefixing to it a critique, which, as it bears the name of a very eminent counfel, muft have more effect than any anonymous opinion. We fhall therefore copy it. "Mr. CONST's Opinion on this Work." "On my first perufal of this compendium, it occurred to me that the material part might be given in a fmaller compafs, and I flattered myself that I could fo comprefs it; but failing in the attempt, I have again reftored it to its firft fhape: for I found that whatever I cut out, made fome other part defective, for want of the context. If therefore I have not improved it, I fatisfy myfelf that I have not deteriorated it; fince, with few alterations, and thofe trifling ones, I return it with perfect ap. probation, for the purpofe for which it was prepared. It con. tains fufficient instruction for the Peace Officer, to act with advantage to the community, and with fafety to himfelf: his duty is ftrongly and clearly marked; and if he acts in conformity to the directions herein contained, it must materially tend to the improvement of the morals, and confequently to the ultimate comfort of thofe, who may be affected by the coercion it promotes." "Pump Court, Temple, "FR. CONST." June the 15th, 1807." After fuch an account, there cannot, we think, be any doubt refpecting the merit and utility of the tract. POLITICS. ART. 17. The Red Book; or, the Government of Francis the Firft, Emperor of the English, King of the Scotch and Irish, &c. Ec. s. A Dream. By Caffandre Non-Reveur. 8vo. 76 pp. 2s. 6d. J. J. Stockdale. 1807. Under the form of a Dream this author very justly, in our opi nion, predicts the fate of Britain and its dependencies in the event of a certain baronet and his associates fucceeding in exciting a ge neral infurrection, the only object to which their proceedings feem to tend, and the only means by which fuch a junto could obtain power. -He first represents the general maffacre and devastation that muft accompany fuch a revolution, and the confequent fubjugation of Our country to the tyrant of the continent, which must enfue. The British navy and army (he ftates, with great probability), would be fo torn by internal factions, and become fo mutinous and difaffected for want of pay and provifions, as to oppofe little, if any refiftance to the numerous invading hordes of France; of which thefe islands, after experiencing all the horrors of invafion and plunder, would become in effect a province. This author's object is manifeftly to warn the people against the arts of demagogues; a defign which has our warmeft praife. Nor is the execution of it contemptible. The names, however, which he has chofen for his heroes, (Francis Brutulus, Brutus Bobheart, &c.) do not ap. pear to us to be happily devifed. ART. 18. Church, King, and Conftitution; a Dialogue between Mr. John Bull and Mr. Simon Weathercock. Second Edition. 8vo. 20 PP. 6d. Hereford printed. Riving tons, &c. London, 1807. After fo many pictures of John Bull and his fentiments, this is one which muft ftill be contemplated with pleafure. The worthy Englifhman ftates briefly, but clearly, to a wavering neighbour, his reafons for having a warm attachment to CHURCH, KING, and CONSTITUTION. The warmth of his fentiments, refpecting the fecond of thefe great objects, is particularly pleafing to us, because it fpeaks not only our own feelings, but thofe, we are perfuaded, of a very large majority of the people. "Bull. Ah! Simon, Simon, can you want to be told any thing about the King? Every mouth you know, that speaks truth, is full of his praises. I am fure I cannot utter a thoufandth part of his goodnefs, and fhall never fatisfy myfelf if I attempt it. I have felt fo much for him, within this last month, and thought fo much about him, that all my thoughts and words feem to be got into my heart, and ready to burit it with fwellings of honour, admiration, gratitude!" P. 8. When When fuch fentiments are the refult not of flattery but of truth, and almoft of univerfal feeling, how glorious is it for the Object of them. The reft of this Bullite tract is as found and just as the above fpecimen. What can we fay more? ART. 19. Peace without Dishonour. Way without Hope. An Argument against War with Great Britain, Recently published at Bofton, By an American Farmer. 8vo. 43 pp. Butterworth, 1807. The object of this fpirited, and (in our opinion) truly patriotic tract, is to convince the author's countrymen, the Americans, of the injuftice, as well as the impolicy, of going to war with Great Britain, on account of the affair between the Leopard and the Chesapeake. This writer very properly diftinguishes between the fuppofed claim to fearch fhips of war for deferters in general, (a claim which the British government has never, we believe, afferted). and the fpecific demand of deferters known to have been enlisted, and to be harboured on board of American fhips. He then very perfpicuously details the facts of the cafe, which had been greatly mifreprefented in America, and which, he fhows, were miftated even in the proclamation of Prefident Jefferfon. It appears from this statement, that five British feamen, four of whom were natural born subjects of Britain, rofe upon the officer under whom they were employed, threatened to murder him, and made off with a boat belonging to the ship, to the American fhore, where they landed. The very next day, they were enlifted as part of the crew of the Chesapeake; the day following their Captain (Lord James Townsend) demanded thefe men of the recruiting officer of the Chefapeake, pledging his word, that they were his failors; and that the British government had a property in their fervices, but received an evafive answer; and the men were not delivered up, nor difcharged. Applications were then made by the British Conful to the Mayor of Norfolk (in Virginia) and by the British minifter to the American government, but without effect, Thefe men continued on board the Chesapeake till the fhip failed down the river, when four of them deferted. The fifth, Jenkin Rat, ford, remained on board till after the last demand made by Captain Humphreys; to which demahd Captain Barron replied, that be knew of no fuch men as Captain Humphrey's defcribed. After the action Ratford was found hid in the coal-hole of the Chesapeake, and has fince been tried, found guilty of mutiny, and executed. Thefe previous demands and refufals, occafioned the order of Admiral Berkeley to fearch for the deferters alluded to; on the circumftances attending the execution of which, this writer remarks, ift. That it would not have been beneath the dignity of Captain Barron to have stated the cafe truly to Captain Hum phreys, and delivered up the only man of those demanded who remained on board ;-2dly. That nothing in the anfwer of Captain 24 B. is B. is an excufe for not delivering up Jenkin Ratford, then on board the Chefapeake ;-3dly. The author condemns the meannefs of the American papers, in reprefenting the attack as cowardly and affaffin-like, as the American frigate was nearly or quite equal in ftrength to the British man of war, and is proved to have been fully prepared. The author goes on to difprove the Prefident's affertion, that "the feamen demanded had been previously afcertained to be native citizens of the United States," and fhows that all the feamen demanded were native British feamen, and confequently that all this exaggerated criminality falls to the ground.” The cafe of the other deferiers not demanded, but found on board the Chefapeake, is then fully, and we think fátisfactorily, dif cuffed; although the author fhows. it forms no part of the real queftion. He then examines the principles of the law of nations on this fubject, in order to afcertain whether, or not, the American government was in good faith obliged to give up these deferters?The authorities of Grotius, Puffendorf, Burlamaqui, and Vattel, and particularly Grotius, are cited to show that the fubjects of any ftate, though not in public employ, cannot expatriate themselves in time of war. "How much stronger," he adds, "is the principle when applied to perfons in public employ, bound by an exprefs agreement, obliged by having received the public money for their fervices, and on whofe fidelity the exiftence of the nation more immediately depends."-" if," he adds," it be the higheft crime, and one of the greatest injuries a fubject can do to his country, to defertits service, can it be neceffary to prove that it is unlawful for a friendly nation to receive, encourage, enlift, and defend by force fuch deferters?" The author proceeds to answer those who admit that the practice of enlifting British deferters is a violation of neutrality, but contend that, although the government might have waged war for the detention of them, their officers had no fuch right. This allegation is, in our opinion, fully refuted by strong and ingenious arguments, which our limits will not permit us to detail. The expediency of a war with Great Britain is next examined, and the probable gain and loss estimated. "If we fucceed," fays the writer, "we gain the right to cover a few British feamen whom we do not want, but we hazard our lives, our liberties, our government. We do not hazard our property; that, together with our neutral advantages, will inevitably go to enrich our enemy." He truly afferts that Great Britain does not claim the right of fearching bips of war (as pretended), and that "the cafe of the Chef peake was not grounded upon it: it was a reprifal for a wrong done by the Americans." The little probability that any important advantage could be obtained by a war is forcibly pointed out, and the diftrefs and ruin likely to enfue to the commerce, finances, and agriculture, of America, trongly depicted in the remainder of this tract; of which, we truft, truft, fufficient has been faid by us to evince, that, while the author maintains the cause of this country, he confults the best interefts of his own. ART. 20. Information and Remarks on the Present State of the Debtor and Creditor Laws. By a Barrifter. 8vo. 138 pp. Symonds. 1808. The important and difficult subject of imprisonment for debt is here confidered, very fully and elaborately, under the feveral heads of ift. Arreft and Bail. 2dly. Of Pleadings, Judgments, Writs of Error and Executions. 3dly. Of the Bankrupt Laws, 4thly. Contempts of Court and Attachments in Equity. sthly. Of Crown Debtors and Damages for Adultery, Affault, Defamation and other Perfonal Injuries. 6thly. Of Prisons and Prifoners generally; and the Ends of Imprifonment for Debt 7thly. On the Inefficacy of partial Infolvent Acts; and propofed Outlines of a more general Remedy, confiftent with Public Juftice and Individual Right. On thefe topics the author difplays confiderable information, and appears to be actuated by fincere benevolence. His remarks, however, as they could not be expected to have much novelty, fhould have been compreffed into a much smaller compafs; which might eafily have been done by carefully avoiding repetitions. He infifts, as many have infifted before him, that, while the effect of our laws is the oppreffion and ruin of many well-meaning but unfortunate debtors, they allow in many cafes a difhoneft debtor to hold his creditors at defiance, and waste in luxurious indulgence (which even in a prifon may be had for money) the property which ought to be applied in fatisfaction of his debts. We are inclined to think that the latter of these cafes is more frequent than the former, or at leaft that the creditor is most often the fubject of pity. No fafe or adequate remedy, however, has yet been found for either of thefe inconveniences, although the fubject has been frequently brought before Parliament, and confidered by fome of the ableit men in the kingdom. We would not, nevertheiefs, difcourage the well-intended efforts of this writer; and recommend the perufal of his work to thofe refpectable perfonages who meditate a reform in that branch of our laws. For he who labours diligently on any fubject, feldom labours wholly in vain. ART. 21. The Policy of the Blockading Syftem Refuted, with In the preface to, this pamphlet, the reader is folicited, as a favour, to banish prejudice from his mind under any and every form. |