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standard price of 77 shillings and 10 pence halfpenny, or about per cent.'

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The ingenious writer does not seem to bear in mind that the operation of Mr. Peel's Bill was not merely to diminish the amount of the currency, but, which was of far greater importance, to alter its very nature and character; to give substance to that which had none before, and to make paper convertible into gold, at the option of the holder. We entirely agree with him that, as long as paper is thus convertible, it never can exist in excess, and never can for any length of time sustain the prices of commodities above the level of prices in other countries: it is only when it ceases to be convertible into gold, and thus becomes depreciated, that a permanent rise in prices, as computed in paper-currency, is effected. The 60 millions of taxes were paid, and all the operations of commerce and agriculture were before performed, by about 19 millions of inconvertible paper; they are now performed by about 14 millions of paper which is convertible. The annual amount of taxation, therefore, was positively increased by Mr. Peel's Bill twenty or five-and-twenty per cent.; the national debt contracted under currency of one denomination being now payable in currency of another denomination:-it ought, consequently, in justice, to have been attended with an equivalent reduction in the national expenditure.

NOVELS.

Art. 17. Pen Owen. Crown 8vo, 3 Vols. 1l. 11s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1822.

We are indebted for many hearty laughs to the novel of Pen Owen; yet it has but little story, and that little is extremely improbable. The author's digressions, also, are prosing and tedious, particularly those in the first volume: but the characters are so skilfully drawn, some of the serious dialogues are so excellent, and many of the comic scenes and situations are so droll, that most readers will be, like ourselves, in good humour with the book. Art, 18. Conduct is Fate. 12mo. 3 Vols. 17. 18. Boards. Blackwood, Edinburgh; Cadell, London.. 1822.

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There may be advantages in the method here adopted of placing at first before us the centre of the picture, so that the principal objects are immediately seen in the most attractive light: but, to change the metaphor, when writers at once leap in" to the middle of the story, they are obliged also to "dash through thick and thin" with explanations and retrospections, which are far more puzzling and improbable than a methodical narrative might have appeared. The heroine of the present tale gives the history of her life to one of her lovers, and we are thus enabled to guess at many matters which had long been unintelligible; but, “when all is said and done," enough remains to pose the most experienced brains, and to keep the moral a long way off from the most tender consciences. The work may, however, be well intended, and it certainly displays powers of fancy.

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EDUCATION.

Art. 19. The Conversational Preceptor, in French and English; consisting of useful Phrases, enlarged under distinct Heads. By J. L. Mabire, Professor of Languages in Paris. To which are added, Amusing Dialogues, on Subjects of general Interest, by M. Leblanc. Pocket Size. 6s. 6d. half-bound. Leigh.

As these phrases are so carefully classed that no very laughable mistakes can arise from employing the idiomatic expressions which are here copiously furnished, the book may be useful for reference; though we believe that the labour of committing dialogues to memory seldom facilitates the speaking of a language..

Art. 20. New Tales for Young Readers. By a Lady. 12mo. Half-bound. Bowdery and Kirby. 1822.

These tales may be found amusing, and certainly contain nothing very reprehensible: but the story of The Lovely Child,' who always looked pretty when she was good, may perhaps encourage juvenile vanity; and, in the Fairy Tale,' the plan to deceive an old grandmother, even with just cause,' should not have been commended.

NAVAL AFFAIR S.

Art. 21. Cursory Suggestions on Naval Subjects; with the Outline of a Plan for raising Seamen for his Majesty's Fleets in a future War, by Ballot. 8vo. pp. 97. Rivingtons. 1822. The prosperity of our navy being ever a subject of the utmost importance to this country, though it is now unfortunately too much the fashion to neglect it, we are desirous of paying due attention to all suggestions respecting it which seem to merit consideration in themselves, or from the character of the proposer. In the present instance, we do not agree with all the ideas of the writer : but he offers them with much modesty, even concealing his name, though he states that he has been nearly eight-and-twenty years in almost constant employ in the navy, upwards of one-andtwenty years a commissioned officer, and for eleven years in the command of one or other of his Majesty's vessels of war.' If our information be correct, his rank is that of a commander; and the small vessels in which he has been employed in that capacity have, apparently, given a bias to some of his opinions; while his want of experience as captain of a line-of-battle ship may have led to a similar effect. We shall advert to several of his remarks, as they

occur.

The prejudice of mercantile seamen against the navy, to which the writer alludes in p. 16., we conceive to be materially subsiding, in proportion as the rigour of the discipline in our ships of war decreases, which it certainly has done; and the discipline and comforts of large ships ought to be superior to those of small vessels, because they are governed by officers of the best experience, which always tends to render discipline milder in its nature. We therefore do not think with the author, p. 25., that the pay and prize-money attach the sailor to small vessels, but the love of

change,

change, (which is favored by the manner in which those vessels are employed,) and the relaxation of discipline that prevails in them. The desertion of seamen frequently occurs from some little error in discipline, unknown to the captain till it is too late; as also from the crews being idle, and too much in port. We do not coincide with the writer in his previous remark about long voyages, and arrears of pay, though the present regulations have prevented much of the latter: for we conceive that sailors prefer both, thinking nothing of the privations that attend long absence, but glorying in the idea of abundance of cash to spend when they return. They do not study their own comfort, and it would be unwise to do it too much for them; since we should thus alter their nature, and lead them to look for more indulgence than a hardy class of men can require.

With regard to the Term of Service, (p. 35.) if men were allowed to enter for a short time only, no ship could be well disciplined, or kept in good order; and we cannot but think that the discharging of men ought to rest with the Admiralty. As to reprimanding an officer publicly, (p. 48.) surely this ought always to be avoided if possible, since it would prejudicially lower him in the eyes of the men; and as to making all' notoriously bad characters' associate together, (p. 49.) any hope of a reform would thus be precluded. In his observations on Impressment, (p. 62.) the author yields to the general ideas entertained on that disagreeable mode of obtaining men: yet, such are the nature and feelings of a sailor, that he will frequently volunteer immediately after his own impressment, to go and take others in the same way; and we have not only known men become attached to officers who impressed them, but have seen them rise also to the rank of officers, even as high as captains.

At p. 72. we come to the plan of balloting which is here proposed: but it does not strike us as likely to succeed, or to satisfy the men themselves. A seaman is not so easily made as the author seems to think, (p. 91.) but is a peculiar being, formed from a life of experience; and the plan of training them, proposed at p. 92., would make them useful only in smooth water.

We have thus expressed our opinion on a few of the author's suggestions: but we have, in course, left a great many unnoticed, and many that deserve to be considered, and will obtain the concurrence of naval readers. At the conclusion, (p. 95.) the author states his disapprobation of a kind of carronade, (not 'cannonade,') on the non-recoil principle, introduced during the war; and we agree with him in his objections, which we know were made by other officers, who also complained of them.

Art. 22. Suggestions for the Abolition of the present System of Impressment, in the Naval Service. By Capt. Marryat, R. N. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Richardson. 1822.

We cannot but think that Capt. Marryat has been more fortunate in his propositions about impressment, than his brother-officer whose pamphlet we have just noticed; and indeed his plan for manning the navy appears to us extremely good, and such as, with

a few

a few alterations, might be carried into effect with great advantage to the public service. We do not, however, subscribe to all his preliminary observations. When he speaks (p. 13.) against taking officers from the merchant-service, and says that our young officers are now well educated and well informed, we grant that they are such when they come from our naval academies: but they will be what the French were, no sailors, if some men are not taken out of the mercantile service at the beginning of any future war. Several of our best officers have come from that school; and a good sea-officer can be produced only by experience, and many years of actual "buffeting of the waves.' This is a very important point of consideration; and we need hardly say that a gentleman's manners and education, with even a complete theoretical acquaintance with the naval profession, will not compensate for the absence of practical knowlege in "the howl of the storm" and "the tug of war."

We do not consider a ship as well manned with the proportion of landsmen allotted by Capt. M. at p. 33. Among the latter class, it is advisable to have as many artificers as can be procured, who are the best substitutes for actual seamen; and we know that many men, brought up to trades, have become tolerable sailors by entering the service at an early age. The proportion of boys in ships of the line, during war, we consider as too great, since they tend to crowd the ship without adding to her strength.

After 43 pages of introductory matter, much of it employed in controverting the ideas of Mr. Urquhart in his several publications relative to the navy, we arrive at Capt. M.'s plan for supplying the number of able seamen necessary for the naval service, without impressment. Into the details of this system we have not space to enter; and, as we began by expressing our approbation of it, we shall conclude by recommending the consideration of it in the pamphlet itself, to all who take an interest in this important national question.

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MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 23. A Narrative of the Political and Military Events, which took place at Naples, in 1820 and 1821; with Observations explanatory of the National Conduct in general, and of his own in particular, during that Period. Addressed to his Majesty, the King of the Two Sicilies, by General William Pepe. With an Appendix of Official Documents, the greater Part hitherto unpublished. 8vo. 6s. sewed. Treuttel and Co.

The unhappy termination of the Neapolitan revolution, and the participation of General Pepe in that event, are equally well known. The topic must by this time have lost much of its interest yet a work published by so important an actor in so important a scene must have a certain value attached to it, even if it contributes only to the materials of future historians. We are sorry, however, to observe that the narrative before us is more a criminatory remonstrance than a cool exposition of facts; though we could scarcely expect a sober and measured statement

from

from a man who has been driven into exile by the vindictive policy of the restored dynasty.

We shall extract a part of the letter which is addressed to the King of the Two Sicilies. It will be recollected that his Neapolitan Majesty, in compliance with the invitation of the allied powers, repaired to their congress at Laybach; that the Austrians crossed the Po on the twenty-eighth of January; and that the Neapolitan army fell back on Aquila on the same day. General Pepe, we think, satisfactorily accounts for the successes of the Austrians:

During these conjunctures, your Majesty's first letter spoke of the amusement you had found in the chase, and of the superiority of your dogs over those of the Emperor Alexander. While the nation was amused in this manner, the Austrian army had time to concentrate itself on the left bank of the Po, in order to fall upon me by forced marches. At the moment the enemy was in a situ ation to commence hostilities, your Majesty's fatal letter arrived, in which the invasion of the country by a foreign enemy was announced, even though it consented to return under the absolute government. This was a moment, Sire, when the Neapolitan nation deserved to be regarded with attention by your Majesty, and by all Europe. Formerly a nation was considered to be ripe for freedom, when it could acquire it without foreign assistance; but now it must also maintain it against disciplined armies. Well! the nation was prepared to do so. I will not allow myself the least exaggeration, and I appeal to his Royal Highness the Duke of Calabria, for the truth of the fact, that when your Majesty's letter was published, fêtes and other demonstrations of joy were exhibited in all the chief provincial towns. It was the general oba servation, "We have given proofs of every kind of moderation in order to avoid a war; now that it is become unavoidable, we wilł meet it with cheerfulness." The persons most attached to your Majesty repeated publicly that you could not have taken any step more contrary to your assumed interests, or better calculated to unite the hearts of the Neapolitans in the defence of the national independence.

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But in what state of defence did your letter find the nation? The Austrians passed through Bologna on the 8th of February, and on the 15th I had not yet received my appointment to the chief command of the second corps of the army in the Abruzzi, nor my brother that of chief of the general staff. Every thing else was of a piece with this; no disposition for war no plan of defence and no military espionage organized. There were no magazines of provisions in the Abruzzi, no means of conveyance, no hospitals, no quarter-master-general, no money in the armychests, and not even a paymaster-general. The magazines of shoes and cloaks, promised to the militia, did not exist any more than those of fire-arms. The battalions of militia had not yet received orders to march, so that it was impossible for any of them to reach the frontiers of the Abruzzi before the enemy. For the same reason, nearly half of the national battalions only learned on

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