tended to widen the breach between America and Great Britain. The author then difcuffes the rejection of that arrangement by Britain, together with the grounds and motives of that measure. Lastly, he ftates the circumstances of the late negotiation with Mr. Jackfon, and examines the foundation of the charge againft that gentleman, of his having infulted the American government. In doing this, he analyzes the whole correfpondence between Mr. Jackfon and Mr. Smith, and fhows (we think very clearly) that the charge of indecorum refts on the American fecretary. Laftly, he points out the real caufes of the rupture of the negotiation, which he imputes folely to the American government.

For the reafon above stated, and indeed from the impoffibility, within our limits, of doing it full justice, we have given only a fhort abstract of this important work; but we would strongly recommend the perufal of it to all who wish to be completely in formed of the nature and merits of the controversy to which it

relates.

ART. 24. The Subftance of a Speech delivered by Jofeph Marryat, Efq. in the House of Commons, on Tuesday, the Twentieth Day of February 1810, upon Mr. Manning's Motion for the Appointment of a Select Committee to confider of the Act of the 6th of George the First; and of our prefent Means of effecting Marine Infurances. Published by the Special Committee at Lloyd's. St. cond Edition. 8vo. 40 pp. Richardson. 1810.

It appears that the motion referred to in this fpeech was founded on a petition offered to the House of Commons, by a number of refpectable perfons defirous of forming themselves into a company for the purpofe of effecting marine infurances. Two companies for that purpofe had, it seems, been established by the 6th of George the Firft. But thefe companies being each on a limited fcale, and confining themselves to the regular infurances (as they are termed), do not feem to have interfered much with the infurances by individuals, or to have prevented a fair competition. Such confe. quences appear to be apprehended from the new company propofed, comprifing, it is faid, nine-tenths of the commercial intereft in the city of London; and the fpeech before us contains a variety of arguments against the establishment of fuch a company. On thefe arguments it would not be proper for us to give an opinion; as they have been, or will be, more competently difcuffed by the many refpectable members of parliament who are converfant in fubjects of a mercantile nature. Nor indeed would it be fair, as we have only one fide of the question before us. The trite maxim of audi alteram partem is peculiarly applicable to questions involving a variety of private interefts, depending lefs upon general principles than fpecial circumftances, and appealing to the wft of profeffional knowledge and perfonal experience.

ARO.

EXPEDITION TO THE SCHELDT.

ART. 25. Thoughts on the Refolutions to be moved this Day, Mon day, March 26, in the House of Commons, by Lord Porchefter. 8vo. 26 pp. 15. 6d. Becket and Porter. 1810.

The Refolutions to which the title-page of this pamphlet al ludes having been negatived in the Houfe of Commons, after a debate continued during feveral fittings, it would now be fuperBuous to enter at large into the merits or errors of the Expedition to the Scheldt, on which those Resolutions conveyed a fevere cenfure. The measure in queftion is juftified by the author before us chiefly on the ground of its having operated as a diversion in favour of Auftria. We believe this object, though certainly avowed in the debate, was admitted, by the defenders of Admi niftration, to be fecondary to that of deftroying the fhips and arfenal at Antwerp, the very great importance of which warranted, it was infifted, a confiderable hazard in the attempt.

The retention of Walcheren fo long after the ulterior objects of this Expedition had been abandoned, is deemed by this author a measure of "found and liberal policy," in order that our ally (the Emperor of Auftria) might reap the full benefit of the fuc cefsful efforts we had made in his favour by obtaining better terms from France. This confideration alfo was, we believe, urged in the debate. Yet the more obvious motive feems to have been the opinion of refpectable naval officers, that the poffeffion of Flushing would afford our filcet a moft convenient station for blocking up the harbour of Antwerp. When, however, the dif ficulty of defending it against the formidable attacks of the enemy was correctly afcertained, together, with the amount of the force neceffary to its defence, and confequently liable annually to confiderable lofs by disease, the refolution was taken to relinquish it.

The author of this defence feems to be a well-intentioned ad. vocate of the exifting Government; though in the affertion, that had it not been for unfavourable weather the fleet might have proceeded up the Weft Scheldt in time to effect, the moft important objects of the Expedition, he feems to be fupported by evidence.

ART. 26. Brief Remarks upon the public Letter of Sir Richard Strachan, and the Narrative of the Earl of Chatham. 8vo. 36 PP. 25. Becket and Porter. 1810.

After the full difcuffion which took place in the Houfe of Commons on the subject of the Walcheren Expedition, and the refolution paffed, acquitting both the Army and Navy of all misconduct on that occafion, we cannot approve of

pam

pamphlets, in behalf of either Commander in Chief, imputing blame to the other. We shall not therefore enter into the particulars of the tract before us, further than to ftate, that the author complains vehemently of the conduct of Sir R. Strachan in fending a letter to the Admiralty, impliedly at leaft, reflecting on the Commander of the land forces. He alfo throws fome blame on the Admiralty for publishing thofe reflections, more efpecially as an extract of a letter, which feemed to imply that other reflections equally strong had been omitted. With that public Letter to the Admiralty, a private Letter to the Earl of Chatham, of the fame date, is contrafted; in which laft the Admiral feems to coincide in the opinion that nothing further could then be done. He is alfo accufed of having inaccurately flated, in a letter of the 11th of August, that part of the fleet had paffed through the Sloe-paffage into the Weft Scheldt above Flushing; an inaccuracy, however, which this author admits was afterwards corrected.

Many oblique reflections are thrown out upon the profeffional character, and the conduct, upon that occafion, of Sir Home Popham; and it is infinuated, that, although nominally only the Captain of a man of war, on that Expedition, he was, by a manœuvre, made, in effect, Captain of the Fleet. Indeed almoft every thing which the author blames in the conduct of Sir R. Straehan is imputed to this (fuppofed) fecret adviser.

With regard to Lord Chatham, this author (though manifeftly his partizan) does not go into an express defence of his conduct, deeming it would be indecorous at prefent; yet as the Commanders by fea and land appear to have been unanimoufly acquitted by a vote of the Houfe of Commons, it does not appear that any military enquiry is likely to take place; but he attempts (ineffectually we think) to juftify the delivery of his Narrative to the King, without the knowledge of any other member of Administration, and his request of fecrefy. On this fubject also there has been a parliamentary decifion, from which (were it decent in us to can. vas it) we do not feel difpofed to diffent.

ART. 27. A Notice of the Evidence given in the Committee of the Houfe of Commons during the Inquiry into the Conduct and Policy of the late Expedition to the River Scheldt. With Obfervations. 2s. 6d. Becket and Porter. 1810.

8vo.

52 PP. After the long difcuffions in the House of Commons on the Policy of the Expedition to the Scheldt, and the voluminous evidence on that fubject published from time to time in the Newfpapers, the opinions of most men on that tranfaction mult, we conceive, be made up; and few, if any, new arguments can be produced on either fide of the queftion. Yet a judicious and impartial fummary of the evidence might still have its ufe. Such a fummary is not, however, contained in the work before us, which only adverts occafionally to the evidence, and confifts

chiefly

chiefly of remarks tending to vindicate this meafure of Admi niftration.

The general policy of an Expedition for the fupport or aid of our allies is confidered by the author as univerfally admitted. On his part, he admits that a defcent in the north of Germany was pointed out by the Cabinet of Vienna as the most efficacious mode of affifting its views. The author, however, contends, that this fuggeftion (which it feems went only to the employment of 10,000 infantry, with fome cavalry and artillery) was made under the impreffion that we could fpare no larger force than that re quired, and that if the extent of our refources had been known, the diverfion which they might make in another quarter would have been deemed important, though at a greater diftance from the scene of action. It is alfo alleged, that this requifition was made on the expectation of a movement on the part of Pruffia, on the probability of which Minifters were bound to exercise their own judgment, and regulate their conduct by the refult.

It is alledged, upon the evidence of Mr. Husk iffon, that the ftate of the exchange upon the Continent (being at a discount of not less than 20s. per centum) was fuch as rendered the employment of a large force in Germany fcarcely practicable (or at all events attended with a ruinous expence) from the confequent difficulty of obtaining foreign coin. The fame objection the author deems applicable to the employment of a larger force in Spain; more especially as, by the exertions which we did make in the peninfula, the object of a diverfion in that quarter was already attained

The author next proceeds to defend the measure adopted; which, he contends, combined a diverfion in favour of Auftria with an important British object, namely, the deftruction of a confider. able portion of Buonaparte's marine. This Expedition, he infifts, ftill operated as a diverfion, notwithstanding the armiftice at Zuaim, which might not have terminated in a peace; or if it did, the terms of that peace might, by fuch an exertion on our part, be rendered more favourable to the Auftrian Emperor.

The progrefs of our preparations for this Expedition is next diftinctly stated, in order to prove that no time was unneceffarily loft. It is then confidered whether (as to the objects in view) we had a reasonable profpect of fuccefs. Of thefe the capture of Walcheren is juftly confidered as morally certain with the force employed against it; and thus the author deems that capture a great advantage, whether it fhould be determined to retain or (after demolishing the arsenal and bafin) abandon it. We fuspect, however, that this last measure was not originally in the contemplation of Government.

In the fequel of this work the writer relies much on the probability that appeared of the armament's arriving in three or four days from the Downs at Sandvliet, the intended place of debarka tion for the attack on Antwerp, and afcribes therefore the failure

of

of that part of the plan to the unfavourable weather that oc. curred. He ftates alfo the evidence which was produced of the weak and unprepared ftate of that city and its garrison. The retention of Walcheren, after its evacuation had been determined upon, is juftified by the request of the Auftrian Cabinet that we would retain a footing in Zealand as long as possible, and the ad. vantage thence derived to Auftria in the negotiations for peace. Upon the whole, a fpecious and in fome refpects just defence of the Scheldt Expedition is made by this author; but fome of his affertions are, in our opinion, too ftrong, fuch as that the conqueft of Walcheren, though not retained, was a greater object than the deftruction of the fleet, dock, and arfenal at Antwerp.

MEDICAL.

ART. 28. The Phyfician's Vade-mecum; containing Symptoms, Caufes, Diagnofis, Prognofis, and Treatment of Difcafes. Accompanied by a felect Collection of Formula, and a Gloffary of Terms. By Robert Hooper, M. D. Licentiate in Phyfic of the University of Oxford, and of the Royal College of Phyficians of London; Phyfician to the St. Mary-le-bone Infirmary; and Lecturer on Medicine in London. 12mo. 280 pp. 6s. Murray. 1809.

On the medical treatment recommended in a work like this, or any general work, there will, of courfe, be various opinions; but that the arrangement of the book is luminous, and the plan extremely judicious, is by no means liable to a doubt. The author has arranged his matter in the following manner. He gives, 1. The characteristic fymptoms by which difeafes are known. 2. The caufes from which they most frequently have their origin.

3. The circumftances that more especially point out the dif ferences between difeafes which refemble one another.

4. The figns which influence the judgment in forming a prog nofis of their event.

5. That mode of treatment, which, in the prefent improved ftate of medicine, is deemed moft appropriate, and which experience has fanctioned.

Thefe remarks, with the formule and gloffary, form a very complete book of reference. Dr. Hooper has before diftinguifhed himself by useful and medical works. See our General Index. The difeafes are arranged after the Cullenian nofology, the fymp. toms are, in our opinion, neatly, accurately, and concifely narrated; and the formulæ fubjoined in general elegant, and fuch as experience and found judgment would fanction.

DIVINITY.

ART. 29. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of St. Alban's, at the Vifitation holden, May 24, A. D. 1809,

connected