occasion and I am equally ignorant how to thank you for the very flattering marks of your favour, with which I am now, and have long been, honoured. I feel I shall not be able to state, in the collected manner I could wish, the object for which I, at present, stand before you; and I beg you to impute that failure to any other cause, than a want of respect to those whom I have the honour of addressing. "Ladies and Gentlemen: immediately after the late destruction of the Theatre Royal in Covent-Garden, I trust the proprietors paid that humane attention to its workmen and dependents to which they were justly entitled: and I also trust they have lost no time in preparing to resume their share of contribution to the amusements of this metropolis, by engaging and fitting up for your reception the house in which we are now assembled. We have, however, to ask great indulgences at your hands; and we must be forgiven it we do not represent the productions of our poets with all those illusions of scenery, habits, and decorations, which the proprietors formerly spared no expence to provide, and no occasion to bring forward. In the Theatre of the ITALIAN Opera, to which we have been compelled to have recourse, we are naturally not so well provided to give life to the works of our native poets; and we must make large drafts upon your indulgence. Permit me, however, to state, that we shall make daily progress in bettering our present provision, and shall immediately set about to erect a new Theatre, such as we think will be worthy of the metropolis where it is situated, and in which we hope to be able to receive you by next September." We have inserted the above from the report of the newspapers, as we could not obtain an entrance. But one of our friends who gained admission assured us that Mr. Kemble in the delivery" spoke like a tall fellow that respects his reputation," while another (characterising the composition of this finished piece of oratory) replied, he's like Parolles! he's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator." 46 A romantic melo-drama entitled the Forest of Hermanstadt, or Princess and no Princess, by Capt Hewetson, author of the Blind Boy, has been produced at the King's Theatre. It is from the French, and the fable and incidents, are nearly the same as those of The Mysterious Bride.-The princess of Bulgaria, on her way to espouse the prince of Transilvania, is deprived of her royal robes Sarcastically alluding to those times when managers of play actors used to deliver their bills of fare, and expatiate on their contents, by sound of drum; in which stile, if our memory fail not, the grandfather to this "same learned orator," used to exhibit. by Oswald, the officer to whose charge she was entrusted. Oswald's sister is imposed on the prince for Alexina, the true princess, and after a variety of adventures at an inn, the imposition is discovered, the impostors are disgraced, and the innocent are made happy. The music is by Jouve, and is very pleasing. -The piece was received with general approbation, and forms a very attractive spectacle. DRURY LANE THEATRE. The Mysterious Bride, a traditionary play, written by Mr. Skeffington, was again brought forward on Tuesday, Sept. 27, and met with twice performed last season for benefits, and a total failure, notwithstanding it had been received with considerable applause. shall not now remind the reader of its of its contents, than by merely stating that it defects by entering into any further analysis merited at least a longer existence We The Fortune Teller, a new musical farce, was produced on Thursday, Sept. 29, for the first and last time, as it received the just fiat of utter condemnation. The music was pretty; it was composed by Reeve, and we hope to hear it again in better company. A specimen of the songs will be found in our POETRY, as well as the prologue to the Mysterious Bride. The grand spectacle of Caractacus has been twice performed in the course of this last month. Such an exhibition would better become the theatre at Erfurth, than the servants of his Britannic Majesty at Drury Lane; nor should we be at all surprised to hear that it was performed at the former place the same day it was at the latter; indeed the splendid representation of a British prince in chains would be in character there, and a most acceptable sight to the monster manager of that theatre, who has ordered his troupe of players with Talma at their head, to march near seven hundred miles merely to entertain and cajole an imbecile prince, whom he either wants to rob or to force to serve his purpose some other way, until he can say to him as he did to Ferdinand: Prince, il faut opter entré la cession ou la mort !-Vide Don Cevallos's Exposition, page 353 of the present volume. Pizarro has likewise been again announced but it has been at the ITALIAN Opera House, and therefore perfectly in character, we must allow !-Want of room prevents us from making farther observations at present, we will not however lose sight of this subject. In the mean time, as we are " English, sirs, "from top to toe," we wish Buonaparté had ordered his Italian and French pensioners from London-aye, ALL of them-to have assisted at the Erfurth Harlequinade. VIEWS OF SPAIN. Taken in the Year 1805. No. VI. In perusing the following account of Spanish Commerce and Finances, we are to take into our consideration the extreme difliculty of procuring authentic information on those subjects under the late government, which, whatever intelligence it might receive from its agents, always supposed secrecy to be a necessary ingredient in the composition of a statesman, and absolutely indispensable a state affairs. From the publicity of our mational proceedings, and the notoriety given to them by the press, with the general interest taken in them by the people, and the rapid circulation which they experience, we are entirely unqualified to judge of the diffi culties attendant on the procuring of authentic documents, in despotic governments. The suppression of facts, the mutilation of accounts, are the smallest evils to which an inquirer is exposed: it is well if he does not also meet with falsifications, and additions calculated to mislead him in essential matters connected with his inquiry. This must plead the excuse of the original writer of these papers for not presenting accounts of a later period than appear in his commupications. With whatever earnestness he might desire to obtain them, they would be nevertheless withheld from him, as from the public at large. COMMERCE. No country in Europe is better situated than Spain is for the purposes of trade. A considerable extent of coast on the Ocean, and on the Mediterranean, also, commodious harbours in both seas, roads affording safe anchorage, a convenient latitude for the departure of her ships either for India or America, which affords her considerable adFantages over the northern nations who have to pass the Line-In the New World, from the point of California to the streights of Magellan, on the west of America, an immense extent of coast, where the ports may vie with the best in Europe.-On the eastern coast of America, the gulph of Mexico, totally under her dependance; the island of Cuba, the most considerable of the Antilles, and which alone might supply all Europe with sugar; on the south of the Portuguese settlements in the Brazils, that of Buenos Ayres; in the Indian Seas, islands valuable for their extent, position, and productions: such are the claims which Spain might assert to the VOL. V. [Lit. Pan. Nov, 1809.] monopoly of the trade of the whole world. And why should not Spain assume that commercial superiority to which her topographical situation entitles her? What was England before and during the long wars be-. tween the houses of York and Lancaster? Where were her manufactures then?-Where those vessels that have since given her power such preponderance? A parcel of Flemish Alba's oppression, transported the art of mafugitives, intent on escaping the Duke of nufactures to London; the Reformers sought in Great Britain an asylum which France denied them; and brought over their industry with them. The ships of the Hanseatic towns transported the native productions of But Elizabeth (that great sovereign) knew how those islanders, their lead and tin. to avail herself of the faults other monarchs committed; and to her England owes her commerce and progress in navigation. Commerce establishes itself by mutual exchanges; the overplus of one country is sent balance is in favour of that country which to supply the deficiency of another, and the gives more than it receives. It will appeat from the sequel, that the balance of com merce might be in favour of Spain; for she has every thing to give, and, if she choose it, nothing to receive. - abundantly with every article of the first neHer European continent supplies her cessity.-Árragon, Valentia, Andalusia, Castile and Navarre, supply superfine wool; consequently cloths. Valentia, Grenada, Murcia, supply silks; consequently rich suffs for objects of luxury.-Catalonia, Vady, wine, solder, and oil. La Mancha lentia, Murcia, and Grenada, supply branabounds in wine, and, with a few improvements in the agricultural system, the execu tion of the royal order of the year 1765 for the liberty of the interior trade, and the prohibition to export abroad, she would have corn in sufficient quantity for her consumption; because the overplus of the produce of Estremadura, which passes into Portugal, and that of Castile which finds its way into France through St. Andero, might supply the wants of Galicia and the Asturias. The Canary islands, fruitful in every kind of grain, would supply the metropolis. The island of Lanzarotta, one of the Canaries, might fur nish more than is requisite for the consump tion of Madrid. Biscay supplies iron of excellent quality. The Pyreneans, the mountains of Galicia, Andalusia, Catalonia, Navarre, abound in timber for ship-building. The kingdonis of Grenada, Arragon, and Navarre produce a sufficient quantity of hemp for the use of the navy. With the assistance of the laboratory established at Ferrol, the Mexico coppet might be prepared, and supply the M place of that which comes from Sweden and Trieste. The American possessions furnish cedar wood (the superiority of which for ship-building is decidedly acknowledged), sugar, cocoa, cochineal, coffee, indigo, vanilla, cinnamon, and medicinal drugs; and all those productions in such abundance that they partly supply several countries in Europe. Such is the enumeration of articles of the first necessity, which Spain can derive from her vast possessions. We must not omit her mines in Peru, Potosi, Chili, Mexico; those inexhaustible treasures supply all the specie in currency throughout the two Americas, and even in part that of India. From all these advantages, it is easy to perceive, that the trade of Spain demands encouragement only. It would considerably increase if wealthy proprietors could be induced to engage in it. The sovereigns have neglected no means that might turn the attention of the nobles to maritime trade. Royal cedulas have declared wholesale and extensive commerce to be not degrading; but the Duke D'Ossuna is hitherto the only Spanish grandee who has embarked in commercial speculations. Balance.......... 605,613 8 From this statement, taken from English registers, it seems clear that the balance is entirely in favour of Spain. I hear from well-informed authority that the Spanish American mines yield the king an annual revenue of thirty millions of dollars (near £7,000,000) clear from all charges for the administration, and after paying the troops in America. From the custom house duties on money or merchandize coming to private individuals in the metropolis, the king derives forty millions of dollars. The total amount of the revenue derived from foreign possessions only is consequently seventy mil-Import. from English lions of dollars. This simple sketch-will, I imagine, be deemed sufficient to prove the degree of prosperity to which the trade of Spain might attain. Let us proceed to examine what real advantages Spain derives from it: and these we shall discover in a statement of the imports and exports daring the course of several years. We begin with England; the most preponderating power in trade at present. Spain exported into England imported into England. Spain. 1781.. £114,492 7 -1782.. 114,541 12 Total:. 926,746 13 Total 3,125,113 13 1785..£788,064 2 Total.. 788,064 2 years.. 138,682 1 English Importations to Spain. 1792.. £794,101 11 1793.. 476,726 17 1794.. 634,654 0 1795.. 430,830 19 Total..2,342,312 17 By the treaty of Amiens Spain relinquished the Island of Trinidad, the key of the Mexican gulph, to the English. The following is the statement of the trade carried on by that island with the English West India islands. Islands to Trinidad. 1792.. 1793.. 1794.. 1795.... Total.. Export. from Trinidad to English Islands. £17,829 592 3.017 42,950 1795...... 8,283 If The contraband trade cannot well be country. Such a loss cannot but prove prereckoned among commercial operations; ne-judicial to the population of Spain. The vertheless that branch is so extensive that last returns stated that population at eleven insurers are found for the introduction of pro- millions five hundred thousand, but we must hibited articles; which are, cotton in general, deduct the victims of the war, and of epidemuslins, tobacco, quicksilver, &c. Themical diseases that have raged since at Cadiz, exportation of specie is strictly prohibited. Malaga, Carthagena, and Alicant. those emigrants to America remained on the continent, there is no doubt but Spain would see her population considerably increase, and her state of cultivation improve in proportion; it would remain to be proved, however, whether the advantages derived from that measure would compensate those that arise from the communications at present maintained with foreign possessions. The loss of North America, far from having proved prejudicial to England and to the English trade, has, undoubtedly, increased it ; but this proof cannot be adduced in support of the proposition for abandoning the Spanish possessions, the soil and productions of which differ essentially from those of the English colonies. A celebrated writer, Arthur Young, considers possessions beyond sea, as pernicious to European States. Being a cultivator, he sees nothing but corn: all his speculations are confined to the improvement of a corn field or a meadow. Consistent with his own principles, he maintains that funds laid out on agriculture instead of sugar, coffee, and indigo, would yield greater profit to a country than men and nioney, sent to a distance, and there employed. M. Bourgoanne is of the same opinion with the English writer; but I know not whether his advice to Spain, to abandon her colonial possessions and shut up her mines, proceeds from the same principle. In order to prove what interest Spain could have to give up her colonies, I will only state that it appears from the returns of merchandize that have entered the port of Cadiz from the peace with England in Nov. 1801, to Dec. 1802, that their amount has been no less than £21,343,055. As to the colonial system of the Spaniards, all writers agree to describe it as extremely mild and humane. In his view of the climate and soil of the United States of America, Volney tells us, page 410, vol. 2. "The Spanish laws with respect to the blacks of Louisiana are the mildest of all European codes." And Bourgoaune speaking of the slave trade, in reference to the Spaniards, says: "One must acknowledge however, not to their praise, but in their excuse, that if that horrible practice could be tolerable on any part of the globe, it would be under the Spanish dominion, and it is not undeserving of Lotice that the nation which, together Not having been able to procure an equally accurate statement of the importations fron the Spanish colonies into the ports of St. Sebastian, Bilboa, Corunna, Malaga, Alicant, and Barcelona, we must trust to what we have offered as sufficient to combat M. Bourgoanne's opinion. That author would perhaps have better understood his Catholic Majesty's interests, if he had advised the establishing European manufactures at Mex-with the Portuguese, is blamed more than ico, Peru, and Chili. The people of those countries, emerging, as it were, from the hands of nature, and consequently susceptible of receiving every impression, would adept the opinions and customs of our continent: their ideas would expand, and from a combination of the character of the inhabitants under the Line with that of those from the polar extremities of the globe, an empire, formidable to maritime nations, would arise, and assure to the crown of Spain, that preponderance to which it has a right to aspire. There is no doubt but too distant and extensive a trade combines several weighty disadvantages with it. The navigation in remote parts of the globe, and residence in unhealthy climates, carry off a great number of persons, and affect, not only the existing population, but also that to be expected, by impeding the marriage of such expatriated rovers. The number of Spanish subjects who yearly nigrate into the colonies is calculated at twenty-four thousand of these one third only returns into the mother any other, for the cruelties practised in the New World, is that by which the negroes are most kindly treated; as if by dint of human attentions that nation intended to make them forget the crime of its ancestors." Thus philosophy even is forced to depart from her usual severity to bear homage to truth. FINANCES. The general embarrassment of Finances is the order of the day throughout Europe. The system of Spain has undergone the same general judgment, and the public declare it bad without knowing its particular detail. Adam Smith, after having examined the debts of the great nations of Europe, which he compares to those of private individuals. considers the ruin of their governments, without distinction, as extremely probable. Without attempting to discover how far this assertion may be just, or how far the comparison of the resources of individuals with those of states may hold good, I will enter into that celebrated writer's meaning, and conclude that a kingdom is the better | The provincial taxes are laid on wine, vinegar, administered, and the furthest from ruin, oils, meat, candles, &c. when its finances are in a good condition. And, in this respect, what power in Europe can be compared to Spain? It is impossible to ascertain the revenues of the Royal Treasury; they depend on what is collected from the mines in the New World, which, notwithstanding the sketch I have given, have no regularity in their yearly returns. The following are slight hints at the services of such Spanish Generals as distinguished themselves in the war against the French revolutionary government: they serve to shew that the Spanish soldiery has lost nothing of its ancient bravery, and that its commanders Spain has no debts; and whatever M. Bourgoanne may say, Philip V's paper money obtains credit enough yet to be negociable. I have seen proofs of it myself, and since the reigning dynasty has occupied the throne of Spain, confidence has replaced that mistrust founded on the malversation of the finances which prevailed under the Austrian kings. The government has created and issued a paper money; this paper is exposed to and undergoes the chances of the different commercial places. In the year 1802, when,know how to avail themselves of the courage Spain was at peace with England, it was generally at four per cent. after having lost sixty during the foregoing war; and, in consequence, the royal notes were in a train of liquidation by cash A payment. government, which is calling in its paper, is not in a distressed condition. of their troops, as well as of their knowledge. of the districts and scenes of action. The places in which these officers fought, are the same as are now likely to be fields of blood" in conflicts between the generals of Buonaparte and those of the Spanish patriots. They may give some idea of what has been done in that country, and by whom. GENERALS. Paper money has advantages, the effects resulting from which are incalculable; among the first is that of attaching the opulent sub- Į jects to the government, by engaging them to invest a part of their capitals in the public Don Antonio Ricardos knew how to avail funds but this union of interests can be himself of Spanish valour.. At the opening established only in countries where a'national of the first campaign against the French, in spirit exists; and it was probably from the the early part of the French revolution, with knowledge which the Count Cabarrus had of five thousand men who had not seen active the Spanish character, that he caused the service for a long period, he took possession of creation of paper security, known under the Bellegarde, after prodigious efforts of bravery; name of Vales Reales. Count Cabarrus had he forced the whole line of forts on the vast and deep knowledge in finance; but he frontiers; penetrated into Roussillon, and is a foreigner, and this reason was sufficient would have taken Perpignan, if he had had to raise him rivals and enemies, who impeded men enough to have kept it, and to mainhis views and plans. The Prince of Peace, tain an army in the field. He contented who takes merit wherever he can find it, has himself with attacking the entrenched camp lately promoted that of a person who appears that covered Perpignan, to produce a diverto be the most enlightened financier Spain | sion in favour of the different operations his possesses at this moment. I mean the go-generals were undertaking. The battle of vernor of Catalonia, Don Blas de Aranza. Since he has occupied this important post, he has given proofs of very extensive knowledge in matters of administration. Public opinion has long pointed him out as the fittest person to be minister of Finance. The Royal Treasury is under the direction of two Treasurers General. Three Directors General have the detail of the administration. M. Bourgoanne agrees that Europe has nothing superior to this system. The Royal Revenues arise from the produce of duties on provisions, tobacco, snuff, salt, wool, powder, brimstone, and quicksilver. The tents and tithes bear on the property of the clergy, and on the rents and tithes of private proprietors. The land taxes are very trifling; I know no country where the proprietor is less oppressed. There are duties called Annates and Lanza, that bear on the Grandees alone. Trouillas will be for ever memorable; it procured him as a recompense the name and title of Marquis of Trouillas. This general may be reckoned among the eminent of the age. On his death, the Count of La Union had the command of the army. Although his successes, while general of division, had gained him a reputation, yet as general in chief he failed; and remained on the field of battle. Don Joseph de Urru1ja, who succeeded him in command, revived the spirits of the army, discouraged by the Count of La Union's misfortune. He re-organised it, stopped the French on the river Fluvia, and by partial engagements accustomed the Spaniards again to victory. The peace of Basie prevented his executing the vast plan he had conceived to drive the French army beyond the Pyreneans. From the confidence with which he had inspired his men, the good order he had esta |