name. -Dear possess the prerogative of recommending COMMERCE AND NO CORN BILL. to the Government what corps are to bel reduced, and what retained in the ser- would wish to make the projected Corn SIR,-There are many writers who vice; and if Major General Hamilton Bill a National Benefit, in order to enand the Royal Waggon Train are consi-hance or keep up the high prices of every dered of sufficient use to justify their not being reduced, the Commander in intention to dispute. The simple ques thing. That it may be so, it is not my Chief has the power to do so. Whatever faults the Duke of York may possess, greatly depending on foreign markets as tion is, whether England be, or be not, want of generosity is certainly not among a mercantile nation? We are led to be. them; and if his liberal and open mind has been imposed upon, it can only be lieve, from the tenor of Mr. Vansittart's said that it is much to be lamented.speech, that we are. When he was about However, as far as his Royal Highness is credulous mechanic, &c. &c. he said, that raising money at the expence of the too concerned, there is not one of the per- all countries were open and ready to sons recommended by him for the deco- receive our manufactures. If it be so, ration of the new order, but is certainly it requires no stronger argument than an honour and an ornament to it. If Mr. Whitbread brings the Royal Waggon tion, over again. merely putting the same, or a similar ques Train before Parliament, certainly he bread (which appears to many an advan If you pay dear for will expose a job of the rankest sort; for from its first establishment to the pre-high wages,) can you supply your foreign tage, because it affords the mechanic, &c. sent time, it never deserved any other customers cheap? or will they buy dear? The pretty pink liveries are the The argument answers itself:least consideration. It is the enormous Bread, high prices; Cheap Bread, low expense with which the public has been so long burthened by this job, that loudrices.-Allowing that we are not dependly calls for investigation. No subject questionably are depending on them for ing on foreign nations for bread, we unexists, in the whole range of public money as the price of our manufactures; abuses, more deserving the attention of and if they will not lay out their money Parliament, and it is to be hoped, Mr. with us, how can we get dear or cheap Whitbread, if he has it in view, will not bread, and supply Mr. Vansittart with lose sight of it.Whether the word taxes? If Corn Bills, and such like logic, "Temporary" means Permanent," the ensuing army estimates will shew; for which is, in my humble opinion, our naare to prevail, away goes foreign trade, no doubt can exist, but that the Tempo- tional support: and which certainly must rary Rank Major General Waggon experience a lamentable decline, when Master General must speedily disappear, we consider the substitutes or improveIt is indeed a serious consideration, that ments that the different nations have be has been so long allowed to "fatten" made in their own manufactures. Within on the public purse. That he has so the last twenty years they have verified done is evil enough; but I am again de- the old adage: Necessity being the mosirous, Sir, to impress on your mind, that ther of invention, they have improved and it never was intended to include him manufactured many articles which are among the new Knights of the Legion of now superior to ours; therefore I contend, Honour, which Order, absurd as it is, it that it would be politic to damp this spirit could never have been intended to render of improvement, by exporting cheap, and so perfectly ridiculous. Lord Cochrane securing a certain trade with less profit, is certainly fortunate in getting out of it. than an uncertain trade with great profit, His escutcheon would be but ill associ- which must ultimately involve our Manuated with those of many of its new mem-facturers in ruin and national misery.-The 'bers; and the Noble Lord may rest as- former being most likely to secure sured, that there is no honest man in the national pride, and commercial prospe 'United Kingdom who does not think him rity, I do earnestly contend, if our rulers honoured by all the attempts at degra- would have England to flourish, we must dation which have been so unfeelingly have Commerce and no Corn Bill. and so unmercifully heaped upon him. I am your sincere admirer, Horse Guards, Mar. 1, 1815. A CONSTANT READER. P. C: Feb, 28th, 1815. our A PLAIN PICTURE OF THE CORN LAWS. not by them be reimbursed for their proportion of the public expense. They therefore, sent to the neighbouring com MR. COEBETT.-Suppose a commu-munities their surplus articles, who, on nity of 15 persons with their families, servants, and labourers, as follows: 1 bricklayer 1 clothier 1 smith 1 cutler 1 shoemaker 1 baker 1 weaver I carpenter and cabinet maker account of their excellence, and being che per than they could get then made among themselves, were not only glad to receive them, but gave such articles in exchange as sold at a price, in their own community, which enabled them to pay their proportion to the public expenditure, and to add something considerable to their own stock. The managers, the land-owner and the attorney, got the community to build a wall around them. This wall cost 3001. which was paid the bricklayer after This community subsisted by each, borrowing that sum, at 5 per cent. in their line, furnishing to the wants of from the cabinet maker and cutler, bethe others, at a rate of prices regulated cause the society had no tangible money by the value of a quartern loaf, which of their own. The annual interest of this, was at 6d. The land-owner let land being 151. was proportioned as formerly in to the farmer, who agreed to give him addition to the previous annual expense, such a rent as would leave him a fair viz. two fifths of it, or 61. on the landprofit, after selling his produce to the owner, and three fifths, or 91. on the victualler and baker at such a price as 14 members of the community. This would enable them (with a reasonable new addition to the public expense, profit to themselves,) to sell the quar-every one endeavoured to reimburse himtern loaf at 6d. In like manner, all the self for, by laying it on the articles he other members of the community fur-manufactured; and, on the same principle, nished to one another their respective the landowner proposed to lay his proarticles as wanted, at prices which were always determined by the wants and supplies; and regulated by a reference to 6d. the value of the quartern loaf. portion on the land. No, said the farmer, I cannot give you this additional rent, for, if I do, I must raise the price of my corn, which will have the effect to drive The land-owner and attorney managed all our neighbours to the neighbouring the public concerns of the society, which communities for a supply; because they cost annually 51,-lu laying this sum won't give me a high price if they can upon the whole, two fifths of it was put get corn at the former rafe. To this the upon the laud-owner, because he was landlord replied—the attorney and I will rich, and lived upon his rents, without get a law passed to shut the gate, so as being engaged in productive labour, not to let any corn in at a lower price The other three fifths was laid upon the than you can sell it at with my 61. laid 14 remaining members of the commu- upon it. The farmer acquiesced, though nity, who each of them, in course, with some ́scruples, and in this manner laid as much upon the article which the matter was settled.-The loaf rose to he produced to his neighbours as reim- by which the landlord's share of the. bursed him for the proportion which additional expense was divided among be paid of the public burdens. This all the community who used the corn; 51. being an addition to the public he was thus relieved of it entirely, except. expense, was raised by adding some- as much of it as aftached to the propor thing to the former price of every article;tion of corn whieh he himself consumed. which was raid by him who had it. from his stock, and by him who had no stock, by giving more labour, or work than he did before, But the cutler and cabinet-maker made always more of their respective articles than their neighbours had occassion for, and could It is most evident, that, by this 3001. debt, and the management by which the payment of the interest of it was distributed among the whole, every individual was put to an additional expense. Of course he put it upon his articles; and he that could not lay it upon these . was obliged to work it out by addition- The community was at last induced to go to war with a neighbouring community. They fought and destroyed one another for a long tine, 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 doue; 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 6001.--in addition to the former 3001, and the first annual expence of 51. The grand question came then to be, how is the 301. the interest of this 600l. to be raised?-The answer was, in the same manner as formerly-two fifths, or 121. on the land-owner, and three fifths, or 181. on the members of the community. Each again endeavoured to lay it on his articles, but found the additional price drove away his customers, and diminished the usual demand. The land-owner, however, had been more fortunate; for, on account of the difficulty there was in the way, during the war, of any grain coming in competition with that which his farmer produced, he had nearly doubled his rents; and although he thus raised the quartern loaf to the whole community to 18d. he thereby received much more than was requisite to cover his propor tion of the interest of the increased debt. But, after the former enemies of the neighbouring peace, their community were able to, and did really, send into them grain at such a low price as would bring the quartern loaf to 6d. instead of 18d. at which it had been kept ever since the land-owner had raised his rent. The farmer immediately told the land-owner, that he must be protected. The land-owner consulted the attorney, and they saw at once, that if the neighBausing grain was allowed to come in, 6 and bread fall to Gd. the farmer would get no sale for his produce. The landowner reasoned thus: If foreign grain should be allowed to come in so low, niy 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; prohibiting foreign grain coming among 'this will never do; we must make a law us till our own is at 893. ' which will keep the loaf always at 16d. a quarter, to 18d. and this will so effectually pro'tect my farmer, that he can pay a very high rent, and, in this mauner, my proportion of the taxes will be distributed among the whole community, except the small proportion which attaches to the proves, and says, that there is another grain I consume.'-The attorney apfinancial reason for keeping the price at 80s. as cogent as any yet mentioned-viz. price, would reduce the value of every the influx of foreign grain at such a low article, and as the sum required to pay the cabinet-maker and cutler the interest of their 9007. is generally raised by a per centage, if all our articles fall in price, that per centage will lower also, and our means will be insufficient to pay our first and natural annual expence of 51.— and 451. the interest of the 9001, of public debt. They therefore agree it is for the advantage of their scheme of finance, as well should be prohibited from coming into as the landowner, that grain the community, till their own prices are at 80s. per quarter, or the loaf above 16d. or 13d. This I conceive to be a plain and obvious view of the case, though, I admit, not a complete one. sufficient to suggest to every considerate But it is mind this enquiry-Since it is admitted the grower of corn cannot raise it with foreign grain coming in under 30s. a advantage, unless he is protected against quarter, how comes it that a British farmer, who is allowed to have more capital, more industry, and more science than foreign farmers, cannot produce cora upon equally cheap terms. Why has not the legislature made this inquiry? Until this is ascertained, no effectual cure can be applied to the existing evil, which is so much complained of. G. M. INSPIRED WRITINGS. 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 designated holy inspired writings ?"—For some time I was surprised that a question, involving so many important consequences, had not received a prompt and satisfac tory 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 Hemo, who refers to Tillemont and other fathers in- proof of his statement; but whose authority has been overthrown by one of more weight and general influence; has asserted, that it was not till 225 years after the birth of Christ that those books were received 66 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 condesended to sanction the New Testament writings, it would follow that the Christians who lived prior to that period, were left in darkness and uncertainty as to the authority of the sacred writings, and, consequently, without any stable foundation on which to rest their faith. This is a view of the subject which no sincere béliever can adopt, without charging the Almighty with partiality, and wantonly sporting with the feelings of the creatures he had made. The authority of the author of Ecce Home must, therefore, 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 subjects. A writer of the name of Dodwell, in his, dissertations on Irenæus, says "that a "collection or canon of the books of the "New Testament was made in the reign "of Trajan the Roman Emperor, more "than a century after Christ."--Dr. Mills, who treated of this subject in the beginning of last century, asserted, that "there was no collection made of er acknowledged as inspired. His words are;-" At the end of three centuries "(i. e. in the three hundred and twenty"fifth year of the Christian era) some any books of Scripture, whether of bishops decided, that these four gos- epistles or gospels, till about 60 years pels were the only ones which ought "after the death of Christ. Not of the to be adopted, or which had been" epistles certainly; for concerning the "really inspired by the Holy Ghost. A" authors and authority of some of these, miracle enabled them to discover" there were great disputes and doubts this important truth, so difficult" in the apostolical churches in the fol"to be discerned, at a time even "lowing ages, which had never happened "then not very remote from that of the apostles. They placed, it is said, promiscuously, books apocryphal and authentic 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" Among all the more ancient writers of doubtful books to remain under the "ecclesiastical matters, you will hardly altar, whilst those which were truly "find two that agree in the same numinspired by the Holy Ghost, shouldber of canonical books."-Again," no place themselves above it, a circum- "one can be ignorant that some of the stance which did not fail to occur." truly canonical books of the apostles or 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 In whatever light this pretended mi-" were doubted of in the three first cen 1 dividual, except inasmuch as it shews the "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.cordially agree with your correspondent, "that if these books were more candidly "examined, and more rationally consi"dered, the truth and rationality of Chris"tianity would be better understood." If 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 dis-baps, thought extraordinary here, but it cussion appears to me in that light. It involves, in my apprehension, all that is desirable on earth. Upen it depends the truth of our holy religion, the foundation of our faith, the hope of a future exI trust, therefore, that some abler pen than 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 ever silenced, and the divine authority of the sacred writings established on an immovable basis. VERITAS. 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 tain number of every order in Spain, headed by the new Ame rican Inquisitor General, Ramon Guiraquiz, Seville, 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 profitable nor honourable, set to work immediately with the Holy Erotherhood, and so weil THE INQUISITION. succeeded with them that Ramon Guiraquiz 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 emberk with the Expedipers, that Sir John Newport in the House tion, stating his devotion to the interests of Commons, and Lord Landsdowne in of the Holy Other, and that he would be the Lords, have taken up the Inquisition an excellent counterpoise to the rough General, Sir John Downie.--The Chen-independence of the General in Chief, Mccellor of the Exchequer, in defending the rillo. This officer, as I have already item of about 135,0007. of the public mo- stated, was originally a private marine, ney, which has been paid to this man, and serving on board the Spanish Fleet, 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 salre, that prison ships st Portsmouth, until the he was the brother of the late lamented breaking out of the Spanish revolution, 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. Naturally declaration produced a letter, which has boisterous and violent, a man of war and been inserted in all the newspapers, con- a mountain camp, his only education, tradicting the assertion, and stating Sir which his guerilla avocations had not John Downie to be the son of a weaver, contributed much to soften, he appeared in Renfrewshire.Now this has nothing little disposed to submit his operations whatever to do with the merits of the into the guidance of the priests, who cou |