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on the subject to the British cabinet. It was afterwards stated, by the French government, that a Russian minister was expected at Paris, with the view of meeting there a British plenipotentiary. On his return to Paris, after -coming to this country, he repeated to Talleyrand the substance of the conversation which he had had with him, respecting the restoration of Hanover, and the basis of negociation, which was admitted to be correct; but, at the same time, Talleyrand stated, in a fair and manly way, that circumstances had altered, which would produce an alteration of terms. However, when he then mentioned the understood basis of actual possession, no objection was made to it, nor did he believe that any would have been made, had not the French cabinet discovered a great jealousy of ours, when they learned the death of Mr. Fox. He declared that he had never received instructions not to produce his full powers, unless the basis of actual possession were committed to writing. His Majesty's ministers were well aware of the probability of D'Oubril's signing a separate treaty with France; yet he received no instruction from them, how he was to conduct himself under that circumstance. In this state of affairs, Lord Lauderdale arrived.

gociation had been broken off entirely upon Russian grounds; had it not been for which, we might have got over all our other difficulties with honour. He had no doubt that Russia would have agreed to a separate treaty, could she have done so, advantageously to herself. Yet he thought, as the whole proceedings of the French had been a tissue of chicanery and finesse, we ought to have broken off the negociation much earlier.

Mr. Whitbread differed from Mr. Montague. Mr. Pitt, of whose character he seemed to entertain so high an opinion, had not only ceased to cherish political animosities against his public opponents, but had actually recommended to the selection of his sovereign, his great political rival. He was sorry, that the inexpediency of having entered upon the late negociation, seemed to be an opinion gaining too much ground in this country. Were the supporters of that opinion prepared to say, that, between this country and France there no longer existed any method of conciliation?Against such a principle, he must continue to raise his voice, and to lift up his hand. However he had coincided with his honourable friends, who composed the present administration, upon the expediency and propriety of entering upon a pacific arLord Howick now expressly stated, that rangement with France; however he adLord Yarmouth returned to Paris with verbal mired the candour, sincerity, and manliness, instructions; and, afterwards, when his full which characterised its origin and prior conpowers were sent to him, he was instructed duct; yet, with deep regret, he must declare, not to produce those powers, without an ac- that there were, in the progress of the negoknowledgement, on the part of France, of ciation, some parts which he conld not apthe basis of the uti possidetis: in a subse- prove. Notwithstanding the assertion of his quent letter, his Lordship was instructed noble friend (Lord Howick) that, during the ot to procced with the negociation, until whole period of the negociation, no difference France returned to her acknowledged basis. of opinion had subsisted among his MajesMr. Montague declared that he saw no-ty's ministers, he could see, from the awful thing in the late negociation but the triumph of artifice over credulity. He much disliked, that expression in the letter of our first minister, of perfect attachment to the minister of France; it was too much for the taste of an antigallican Englishman. Buonaparte's main object, throughout the negociation, had been to carry on his designs against Prussia more securely. It was bad policy in this country to make war upon Prussia; as by that means, we rendered it impossible for us to assist her against France. Hanover had been used as a bone of contention, to set this country and Prussia at variance. The hon. gentleman blamed ministers for appointing Lord Yarmouth as a negociator, that noblemaa being unacquainted with diplomatic discussions. Even Lord Lauderdale, notwithstanding the intimacies which he had contracted with the Brissotine faction in 1792, seemed to have been kept at Paris only to witness the fresh thunderbolts of war that were forging against this country, and against Prussia.

Sir Thomas Turton considered that the ne

period when death closed the scene upon the enlightened statesman, who first conducted the negociation, characters which distin guished one part of it from another. He conceived, that peace was equally desired by both governments; nor did he see any justífiable ground for the charges of duplicity, deception, and bad faith, which had been so liberally, and perhaps inconsiderately indulged in against the enemy. His reason for believing so was, that the enemy had no interest in such a system of acting. Lord Yar mouth had been arraigned, for a premature exposition of his powers, in opposition to the orders which he had received not to produce them, unless Sicily were given up; but, between the period when those instructions were given, and that act of the noble lord, great changes had occurred. Sicily was no longer considered as a sine qua non, but as an article of barter, on a full and appropriate consideration; and M. d'Oubril_had actually signed a separate treaty with France. He could not perceive that any injury had re

1101] Observanda interna.—Lancashire.-Lincolnshire.—Northamptonshire. [1102

sulted from the exhibition of his full powers.

Mr. Whitbread expatiated on the propriety of selecting Lord Lauderdale as a negociator; yet he thought that his lordship had been somewhat too peremptory; and he regretted the formal and categorical manner in which the recognition of the principle of actual possession had been demanded. Occurring at the' moment, as it were, of the death of Mr. Fox, it excited a suspicion that the system of British policy was about to be changed. -After adverting to the conduct of Prussia, to the former partitions of Poland, to the infraction of the treaty of Amiens, &c. &c. he observed, that it was impossible for him to join in any resolution, imputing the failure of the negociation to the injustice of France, or to agree to what appeared a corollary from it, that there was no alternative but interminable war with France. He must therefore make an effort, though perhaps unseconded, to procure the resumption of the negociation, before the avenues of peace were actually closed, and "the gates of mercy shut upon mankind."He accordingly moved, as an amendment, "to assure his Majesty of the firm determination of his faithful Commons, to co-operate with his Majesty, in a vigorous prosecution of the contest: and to express their earnest prayer, that his Majesty may be graciously pleased to listen, as far as may be consistent with his own honour, and the interests of his kingdom, to every facility of just arrangement, calculated to put an end to the horrors of war."

This amendment was seconded by Mr. G. Johnstone; but, on being put, was nega tived without a division.

On the original question being proposed, Mr. Canning expressed his surprise at the silence of the ministers, in neither offering an explanation, nor entering into a vindication of their measures during the late negociation. For his own part, he condemned the negociation; he wished for war, as it might lead to a speedy and honourable peace.

Lord H. Petty, Mr. Perceval, Lord Howick, and Mr. Whitbread, subsequently spoke in explanation; after which the original motion for the address was carried without a division.

OBSERVANDA INTERNA.

Fisheries. Owing to the encouragement given to the Newfoundland fisheries by the present government, it appears that whereas in the year 1805, 467 ships, 52,997 tons burthen, and 3514 men employed in the export of its produce, there have been in the year 1806, 577 ships, 64,667 tons burthen, and 4,336

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Mr. Stock's Charity.-On Dec. 17, ten poor curates were elected to receive the present year's donation of £10 each.-Among others, Jas. Marshall of Ireby in Cumberland aged 53, has 10 children; his living £25 per annum. John Topping of Staple ton, in the same county, aged 43; dren; 30 per annum. Henry Johnson of Martindale, Westmoreland, aged 48; 6 children; £30 per annum. Daniel Fidler of Little Wakering, Essex, aged 37; 5 children; £40 per annum.

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Propagation of White Thorn.-We learn from a communication to the Society of Arts, that the white thorn, which is so valuable for fences, may be propagated by cuttings from the roots, with considerable success, while cuttings from the branches do not thrive. The roots of plants a year old will afford each ten or twelve cuttings, and in three years, a succession of plants fit for use will be produced.

LANCASTER.

This

Repository for the Poor.-Among other modes of assistance afforded by the Repository at Lancaster, the plan of selling blankets at reduced prices to the poor, has been adopted. Twenty pairs have been already ordered: which are to be paid for by those who purchase them, in small weekly sums. method has been found in other places to supply the poor with an essential comfort, without taking from their earnings more than they can conveniently afford at one time, and to be more beneficial than where the relief has been entirely gratuitous.

LINCOLNSHIRE.

Curious Fossil Animals.—A few days ago as some labourers were digging clay in the brick yard of Mr. Pool at Bottleford, near Grantham, about nine feet from the surface they discovered the head and horns of an animal of the bull kind, of most extraordinary dimensions. The weight of the horns, with a piece of the frontal bone, is 31 pounds, the span from tip to tip is 2 feet 1 inch; and the greatest bulge of the horns 3 feet 2 inches; each horn from the skull to the tip measures 2 feet 8 inches, and is at its base 1 foot 14 inch in circumference. One tooth weighs 2 ounces. There is an imperfect cavity in the clay, in which the body of the animal is supposed to have been, and on each side was a large piece of an oak tree, as black as ebony. Some part of the horns near the tip is completely petrified.

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of Southwick, near Oundle, had three hor-
ses poisoned a few days ago, in consequence
of eating the fibres of a yew-tree.
Since this information the public prints
have mentioned the poisoning of several fine
cows, by the same plant.

SUSSEX.

opinion of the learned members of the Antiquarian Society.

DUBLIN.

St. Andrew's Church.-The Church-Wardens, and Committee for conducting the repairs of this edifice, met on Thursday, Jan. 15, to investigate the cause from which the fire proceeded, that broke out that morning in the vestry room, when it appeared to be accidental. From this vestry-room, there is a door which leads into the reading-desk of the church, under the pulpit and organ; and but for the timely discovery, the flames must in a very short time, have communicated into the interior of the church. The works of this beautiful edifice have been carrying on near fourteen years, and are now in such a forward state as to permit of divine service being performed there, on or before the ensuing Easter. The coup d'œil of the interior of this church is light and airy; the architecture, not any of the five orders-forming a light and irregular Gothic, which pro duces a very pleasing effect.The disposi tion of the organ, pulpit, reading-desk, communion table, and seats of this church, differ from any other (we believe) in the United Kingdom. The organ is elevated as high as the roof will, with propriety, admit.

Antique Ornaments.-The late high tides which made such encroachments at Brighthelmstone and at other places along the Sussex coast, washed down a considerable portion of the cliffs (a combination of sand and other loose matter) about three quarters of a mile west of the sea-houses at Eastbourne, and completely swept away all the shingle below, which brought to light some curiosities that have all the appearance of being of the highest antiquity; at least of a period before the conquest of Britain by the Romans.They consist of gold rings or bracelets, bearing a polish equal to any trinket, when first turned out from the jewellers' hands; a mass of mixed metal, of the colour of gold, and of brass celts differently formed, and in the highest state of preservation; the latter, it may be fairly conjectured, were the weapons of war used by the Celta, who anciently peopled this island from the adjacent contínent. The person who first found one of these bracelets, by traversing the strand in Beneath the centre of this is the pulpit, search of valuables, which is customary with under which is the reading-desk, and below, sea-roamers after the shingle has shifted, hav- in front of this, is the communion table, ing sold it by weight, for nine guineas, and with the words, "Do this in remembrance made the circumstance known, the search of me." At each side of the organ, is a galwas pursued by others, who soon picked up lery, with a light and beautifully ornamented four more varying but little in size and figure. Chinese railing in front, and elevated upon The belts were found in the cliffs owing to small brass pillars, being the places allotted for a portion of one of them being exposed by the boys and girls of the parish charity schools. the fall that had taken place. There is rea--All the seats in the lower part of the church son to believe, from articles of a similar nature that have been discovered in various parts, chiefly at the southern extremity of the island, that those above-mentioned, were deposited with the body of some dignified person, or possibly with a family of ancient Britons in their burial-place; if so, they must have come from the surface of the soil above the cliffs, and it is probable that some mound, or at least some evident swelling of the earth covered them, when they were in their original situation; and if this be the case, the cell of the cliffs from whence they descended, contains other burial-places, which may be traced by the heaved-up earth. If the conjecture be right, that these ornaments, &c. were originally deposited in a sepulchre, the scite of it will be found to be high, and to command a distant prospect. The ancient Britons seldom varied from their customs.

Charles Gilbert, Esq., whose disposition to curious investigation does him credit, caused the several articles to be collected and sent to Sir Joseph Banks, for the inspection and

gradually rise above each other from the centre floor or area, in an amphitheatre. form; and the gallery is carried entirely round the church from one side of the organ to the other. Throughout the church are many pieces of ornamental carving in wood, executed in a very masterly and workmanlike manner. The ceiling is very neatly stuccoed and painted; in the centre there is an oval, of open-work stucco, from which is to be suspended that large carved and gilt branch which was wont to light up the Irish House of Commons.-The walls around, from the gallery to the ceiling, are empannelled and ornamented; the ground a light blue, the moulding and ornaments white.

Powell's Christmas donation.-Alderman Vance, as late Lord Mayor, attended by the late High Sheriff, distributed the Christmas donation of a piece of beef, a loaf, and a piece of money, to each of the confined debtors in the four courts, and City Marshalsea, on Christmas eve, pursuant to the last will of Mr. Powell, a gentleman who had once expe

rienced the gloom of captivity, as a debtor, in one of those mansions of misery, on a Christmas day, without a dinner or ineans to procure it: but whose industry, after his enlargement, enabled him to bequeath the interest of £1000 4 per cents, to be annually distributed in the above humane manner by the ex Lord Mayor.

OBSERVANDA EXTERNA.

ARABIA.

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Names of Countries. Europe is called by the Arabians from the Franks, or French, Afranjiyah; a which they gave indiscriminately to all the nations of Christendom engaged in the Cruzades. But, since the Arabians have had a Inore considerable knowledge of Europe, they have distinguished some of the nations by different names; as Ingitar, the English; Afransuavi, the French; Nemseh, the Germans; Rus, the Russians; Andalous, the Spaniards; Talian, the Italians; and, Ich, the Polanders.-This is of more consequence since the French revolution, than ever it was before: as it is absolutely necessary to personal safety, that a Frank, or European Christian, be not mistaken for a Frenchman.

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Military Hospitals.

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There were received into these hospitals, during the year 1805, 204,490 sick soldiers, of all degrees, officers included: who have received attendance during 4,928,909 days: and have cost 8,901,200 francs. Of this number, 181,584 have quitted the hospitals, 6,437 have died, 16,469 remained in the hospitals. The average number of sick per day, has been 13,504.-The mortality has been one in twenty-nine and a quarter.--The daily average cost of each patient, has been one livre, twelve sous, two deniers. Not quite

1s. 6d. English.

VOL. I. [Lit. Pan. Feb. 1807.1

Silent Nation in America.

At a late assembly of the deaf and dumb, the Abbé Sicard mentioned the discovery of a nation in the northern parts of America, which had no language, but used signs as the medium of expression. A remarkable circumstance is, that the signs employed by this si lent race, are nearly the same as those devised by the Abbé for the instruction of his pupils. Astronomy employed to explain Prophecy.

M. de Lormel has published an explanation of the prophecies of Daniel, founded on the great period of the obliquity of the ecliptic! -This obliquity, however, has its periods of augmentation and diminution, as produced by planetary attraction-what then becomes of this principle of explanation?

Motion of a Wood.

From Beauvais we learn that the wood of Bourroche, about three leagues from that city, has lately descended from the side of the hill on which it stood, and has sunk into the very deep excavations which had been made by a stone quarry. Happily, no person was hurt by this occurrence, but instead of a mountain and a wood, the scene now presents only a valley in great disorder; the tops of the trees just peering among the enormous masses of stone, while their roots and trunks are sunk to great depths below, probably never more to behold the light again.

This accident, which bears some resemblance to the fall of the Rosemberg, Pano rama, p. 419, has, very fortunately, been free from its calamitous consequences.

Diminution of Animals.

The animals used for food in this kingdom, appear to be diminishing progressively and shortly, it is feared, will fail of the customary supply. Skins of all kinds are sensibly increased in price, and will soon be too dear for the arts. To choose, says the writer, one example out of a thousand, the binding of books is doubled in its cost within twenty years and we are actually employed in seeking after substitutes for calves' skin and sheepskin.-The tanning of hog's leather is advised-if those who are fond of smoaked hamns can spare it from covering those delicacies during that operation. Instances of the return of Ancient Customs in France.

The Holy Crown of thorns, given to Saint Louis by Baldwin Emperor of Constantinople in 1238, and which was preserved untouched amidst the revolutionary mania of 1793, was solemnly transferred on Sunday the 10th of August to the Metropolitan Church at Paris. The relic was exhibited w public adoration in a beautiful gilt frame representing the terrestial globe, s amounted with a cross, at the foot of which was a lion, with this inscription, Vicit lo de tribu sula. Thuilleries.

In front of the principal body of the pa 20

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Spanish Newspaper.

On the 21st of August, 1806, a newspaper printed in Spanish, made its first appearance at Paris: the purposes which it is intended to answer, cannot but present them selves to the imaginations of our readers, without needing any comment from us.

Preservative powers of Acid Fumigation. M. Protat M. D. Physician to the military wards of the general hospital at Dijon, has reported the following observations. There were during the course of 1805, very many adynamic fevers, particularly among the refractory conscripts, and others discharged from prisons; but it is consolatory that this disorder, which is extremely fatal, has not taken off, this year, more than half of the number which it commonly does, and which it had done the vear before. This favourable alteration is attributed to the care employed, every day, in making fumigations of the oxigenated muriatic acid, in the wards. What is particularly remarkable is, that in former years, when these fumigations were not made, many of those who had the care of the sick took the disease and died; while, on the contrary, since this mode has been adopted, and daily practised, not a single individual employed in the service of the wards has contracted this species of fever. This statement agrees with observations made in the military hospital at Paris. Compare Panorama, p. 839, a very striking instance of the preservative power of this fumigation.

GERMANY.

Plan for paying off the State Debt. Vienna. A project for extinguishing the debt of this state, has been started here, which has been thought very feasible. Among the 22 millions of people comprised in the hereditary states, it is supposed, that 10 millions, are sufficiently wealthy, to support, during three years, an extraordinary contribution of five florins in bank bills each person:

this would diminish 50 millions yearly, which might buy up 60 millions of government bonds, which now lose 10 or 12 per cent.; so that at the end of three years, including the effect of compound interest, more than 200 millions would be redeemed and by this measure, one of the deepest wounds of the Austrian monarchy, would be healed,

ITALY.

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Astronomical Observations.

M. Calandrella, astronomer at Rome, has published Observations on the annual paralfax of the Star Lyra, which he finds to he five seconds: this discovery, if established, would greatly diminish the distance at which the fixed stars have been calculated. Instead of six or seven millions of millions of miles, it will justify barely half that quantity. [Compare Panorama, p. 623.J

SWITZERLAND.

Mineralogical Tour.

Mr. Escher, Member of the Helvetic Administration of the mines at Zurich, known to the friends of mineralogical studies by his memoirs in the Miners' Journal, as well as the many useful articles on geogonomy, and geology in Ebel's Introduction to the most useful manner of travelling in Switzerland, and an accurate observer of nature, has planned a mineralogical tour from Zurich, over the Grison mountains, to the Ostel peak of the Tyrol. We are, hitherto, but partially ac quainted with this interesting country; and, indeed, we have only some few notices of the latter part of the tour, by Dr. Gebhawf. Mr. É. also meditates a second journey, through the western Alps, between Dauphiny and Savoy, where his geognostic penetration will collect many interesting results.

PERSIA.

Account of the Ruins of an Ancient Palace near Bagdad.

About 20 miles southward of Bagdad, for merly stood a very large and extensive city, which belonged to the Persians; some part of the palace remains to this day, entire. The gardens extended over the present course of the Tigris. The walls with which it was surrounded, still reach to the very banks of the river, and appear to have been formerly continued. The roof of what seems to have been the hall of audience, in this once magnificent mansion now called Tauk Kus serah, the last Persian monarch who resided here, is partly extant; although it has, ac cording to the best information received, already stood about 1200 years. It is of so astonishing a height, that it is doubtful whether any man could throw over it. This place is now called Soliman Pák, taking its name from a celebrated barber, who, having acquired great riches, directed his body to be buried close under the arch, and a handsome tomb to be erected over it.

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