of the old capital, it is evident that it must fall: and the intereft of the government fecurities fubfcribed to the additional capital would not have exceeded 61. per cent., the dividend upon it would not have been above 31. per cent.; and this author has taken care by his plan that the Bank fhould not retrieve their former profits, by re-augmenting their circulation, by means of his invention of a new fpecies of paper to fill up the vacuity. It must be enquired alfo, where are the licensed bankers to procure coin, to circulate five millions of paper, if it cannot be done by the Bank? Have they more credit or facilities? The notes of the bankers, it is here faid, are to be taken in payinent of taxes, which will favour their continuance in circulation; but those of the Bank, the place of which they are to fupply, have been long in poffeffion of the fame advantage, which does not prevent their being brought in too faft at this juncture.

Other obfervations on this production fuggest themselves to our minds, but it does not appear neceffary to give them to our readers.

LAW.

ART. 43. The pofthumous Works of Charles Fearne, Efq. Barrister at Law; confifting of a Reading on the Statute of Enrollment; Arguments on the fingular Cafe of General Stanwix, and a Collection of Cafes and Opinions. Selected from the Author's Manufcripts. By Thomas Mitchell Shadwell, of Gray's Inn, Efq. J. Butterworth. 4to. 68pp. 125. Boards.

The great learning and ingenuity of the author of the Essay upon Contingent Remainders, and Executory Devifes, muft render all his productions highly valuable to the legal profeffion. The wish to become mafter of his pofthumous works, will not be decreased when it is confidered that its object is to provide a more adequate maintenance for the widow of a gentleman, whofe talents entitled him to fill the highest and moft and lucrative offices in the law. The book has been patronized accordingly by a fubfcription, in which the most eminent perfons in the law have inferted their names.

The reading upon the ftatute of inrollments is a learned and useful effay upon the fubject, and the arguments in the cafe of the reprefentatives of General Stanwix and his daughter, were extremely acute and ingenious. Of the opinions, the following account is given by the editor in his preface.

"The opinions make up the chief part of the work, and are selected from amongst a great number, the editor avoiding the infertion of fuch as might by publication be productive of any inconvenience to the parties concerned; thofe he had admitted are moftly on general points; and all dates, names, defcriptions, and all references to perfons and places, or the property of individuals, have been carefully altered or omitted."

"The title of each opinion, for the moft part, (particularly where no cafe is prefixed) contains the chief fubject, combined with the turn of the author's opinion upon it, and is only a short abstract of the opinion."

For

For any errors which may appear in the editor's lift of the publications, Mr. Shadwell offers the following modeft apology :

"As to any defects or inaccuracies, and, no doubt, there are fome with which the editor may be thought chargeable, he begs leave to offer in extenuation, that the lines devoted to this compilation, were ftolen from the exercife of profitable employment, folely for the fatisfaction of endeavouring to ferve a very deferving lady, the widow of one who was the guardian of his infancy, and had honoured him with his most intimate friendship."

If any fuch errors do exift, they have been paffed by unnoticed by us; and we venture to recommend this book equally to the friends of humanity, and to the votaries of fcience; to thofe who wish to receive valuable information upon different points of law, and thofe who with to excite others to diligence, by fhowing that, in a liberal profeffion, diftinguished merit can never be neglected.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 44. Outlines of an Attempt to establish a Plan, for a juft and regular Equivalent for the Labour and Support of the Poor; and to reconcile the Weights of the Kingdom to one Standard, by connecting them with the Copper Coinage. 8vo. 68 pp. 25. Woodfall.

The poor, employed in agriculture only, are the objects of this writer's attention. We with, that infead of declaiming against poorboufs, he had attempted one of thefe two things; either to inform us, by what means feparate dwellings are to be built (or, as it is commonly faid, harbour is to be found) for every poor family which chances to want fuch aid; or elfe to infure a regular infpection of poor-houfes, by magiftrates, clergymen, and others appointed for that purpose. This is indeed a grand defideratum; for we much fear that the humane, but optional provifions of the act, 30 Geo. III, c. 49, are not very generally attended to; though perhaps all the other fervices which a magiftrate renders to his country (and they are most numerous and important) would fcarcely outweigh a regular execution of this fingle act of parliament.

The author's juft and regular equivalent for the labour of the poor," is a certain quantity of wheat, or its value in money, at the option of the labourer, for every fix day's labour. We perceive fome formidable objections to this plan. First, it fets an equal value upon the labour of different men, whofe degrees of fkill and ftrength are exceedingly various. Secondly, it fuppofes that when wheat bears a very high price, and this option is given, farmers must, and will, employ as many labourers as at other times; but, in fact, most of them would then be unemployed. What would have become of a farmer, who had threfhed and fold his corn foon after the harveft in 1795, if he must have paid his winter-labourers at the advanced rate which af terwards took place in that year? He muft have let his business itand fill.

At p. 21 it is faid, "that the poor-rates have increased beyond the mount of the land-tax;" and where is the wonder? The latter is a

fixed fum, and is a lighter burden, juft in proportion as money is de preciated, and rents are raised; but the burden of the poor rates is only nominally increased, in the fame proportion; for, in truth, two millions raifed by poor-rates at this time, are of no more value than one million raifed fifty years ago. Besides, if our whole population be prodigiously increafed, as it doubriefs is; the poor, being propor tionably more numerous, must require a correfpondent increase of the total rate for their relief; but this may bring no additional burthen to the rich, whofe numbers, furnishing that relief, are increased in the fame proportion.

Willing to rectify fome errors (as we account them) important and not unfrequent, we have noticed fo much at large this part of the tract, that we must difmifs that part which relates to Weights and Coinage merely by reporting. that it propofes" to effect the following national benefits: Firit, relief of the poor of Great Britain, by the fuppreffion of falle weights and base coin: fecondly, establishment of one general standard for weights: thirdly, obtaining a revenue, or at least a faving to government, of the expence of a new filver and copper coinage." P. 24.

The ideas concerning Weights and Coinage appear to be new and ingenious, and highly deferving the attention of all perfons converfant in thefe fubjects, and of the Legislature.

ART. 45. A Dreffing for L**d T**,**av, prepared by a Surgeon. 8vo. 26 pp. 1s. Cox, in the Borough. 1797.

This piece does no kind of honour, either to the author, or the cause he undertakes to defend. Of the caufe, it may be truly faid, that it requires no fuch defenders. It is by argument and found reason, not by raillery and flimfy attempts at wit, that a caufe must be supported, in which all ranks of men are interested; and that due fupport it has received from the able pen of Mr. Chevalier, an account of whofe publication we have given in a former part of this number. We may add, that nothing which we have vet feen or heard, and we have attended to the arguments of the opponents, materially affects the reafons which he has urged, for renewing the charter of the Surgeons Company, or for indulging them with the title and the additional privileges for which they petition. That the Court of Affiltants were quite blamelefs in their conduct, and had coninitted no errors, it would be prepofterous to fuppofe. In the arduous bufinefs they had to perform, fome om fhions were almoft unavoidable, and fome acts would be committed which had been better avoided. Among them, the ftep of parting with the Hall, notwithstanding the defence fet up for it, feems deferving of reprehension. But as the Company have fuffered no actual lofs, and, in the other fide, have been materially benefited by that proceeding, furely the agents in it have not either merited the opprobrious names with which they have been branded, nor the rancour and virulence with which they have been oppofed. Time will, we doubt not, foften the afperity of their opponents, and induce them to acquiefce in a measure, which has for its grand object the honour and advantage of the profeffion of Surgery. But fuch a coalition of fentiment, is not likely to be effected, by the pamphlet before us, which is

ar

at once vulgar, illiberal, and indecent; and when we confider the high character of the perfon to whom it is addreffed, and that it prefumes to arraign him for his parliamentary conduct, we are at a lofs whether to admire moft, the abfurdity or temerity of the writer. We are forry to have heard the name of a gentleman affigned for the writer, from whom we should have expected better things, but as the author, whoever he is, has had the decency to with-hold it from the public, we fhall not attempt to draw the veil afide.

ART. 46. The Outlines of a Plan for establishing a United Company of British Manufacturers. 8vo. 6d. Eglin and Pepys. 1798.

The ingenious author of this pamphlet deferves great credit for his philanthropy; and the idea which he has here thrown out well deferves the moft ferious confideration. The times, however, are neceffarily hoftile to the accomplishment of his object; but when fortunately a peace fhall come, we fhall be glad to have his plans properly difcuffed

ART. 47. A Vifit to the Philadelphia Prifon, being an accurate and particular Account of the wife and humane Adminiftration adopted in every Part of that Building; containing alfo an Account of the gradual Reformation, and prefent improved State of the Penal Laws of Penfylvania; with Obfervations on the Impolicy and Injustice of Capital Punishments, in a Letter to a Friend. By Robert J. Turnbull, of South Carolina. 8vo. Philips. 2s. 6d. 1797.

This author merits applaufe for his benevolence; but his opinions relative to capital punishments have been often and fuccessfully controverted. The particular prifon of Philadelphia feems to be admirably regulated.

ART. 48. Allegorical Miniatures for the Study of Youth. By the Author of the Brothers, a Novel for Children. 18mo. 84 pp. 1s. Darton and Harvey, Gracechurch-Street. 1797.

The Lilliputian library has now become extenfive, and inftruction is offered for children, in every attractive form that their teachers can wish. The Brothers had a degree of merit, to which we bore proper teftimony, in our fourth volume, p. 245. The prefent little volume confifts of tales, which are chiefly allegorical; but the veil is not fo thick, as to prevent the young ftudent from tracing out the useful moral beneath,

ART. 49. Mr. Palmer's Cafe explained. By C. Bonnor. 8vo.

IS. Richardfon. 1797.

38 pp.

The object of this pamphlet, is to invalidate the charges brought against Government in the Memorial of Mr. Palmer. The agreement which Mr. P. affirms to have been entered into by administration, to furnish him with a per centage upon the Poft Revenues during his life, Mr. Bonnor contends to have been only a Propfal. In addition to this, Mr. Bonnor charges him with having devised a scheme to throw the whole country into confufion, to create delay in the convey

ance

ance of letters, and, in fact, to cause the worst poffible conduct of an important public concern, intrufted to his management, and for which, in addition to a great many thousand pounds previously received, he was then in the receipt of near five thousand pounds a year." To fubftantiate this accufation, fome extracts are annexed from letters in the fignature of Mr. Palmer, the object of which is not capable of mifconftruction. This is the fubftance of the pamphlet, and the credit of the writer is pledged to the truth of these allegations.

FOREIGN CATALOGUE.

FRANCE.

ART. 50. De l'Influence des Pafons fur le bonheur des individus et des nations, par Madame la Baronne Stael de Holftein. Paris and Lau

zanne.

The title of this work reprefents it as confifting of two parts, of which we have here the first only, together with a sketch of the second.

Mad. St. de H. confiders as paffions all thofe affections, which placing, as it were, a tyrant within us, either make us feek for fubjects in others, or enflave us to them. Such are the paffions of glory, ambition, love.

At the fame time, fhe allows that there are likewise what she calls affections égoïftes, fuch as the love of play, avarice, drunkenness; and, laftly, paffions which pretend to no pofitive enjoyment, but merely to fatisfy the difpofition to do injury, fuch as envy, vengeance, and the love of mischief, or vice, for its own fake.

Having treated of thefe different paffions, the author describes, in a fecond fection, those fentiments which the regards as intermediate between the paffions, and the refources which we may be faid to poffefs within ourfelves, friendship, filial, paternal and conjugal affection, religion.

In a third fection, an account is given of those resources themselves, which are philofophy, ftudy, and beneficence.

It is the author's object to prove, that happiness is incompatible with the paffions; that it is the character of the most gentle of them to communicate its emotions to the whole of life, whereas its enjoyments are confined to a few inftants only; thar if their absence does not abfolutely ensure happinefs, it fecures us at least from any great evils; that philofophy, ftudy, beneficence, are the only refources of which perfons naturally too much expofed to the tyranny of the paffions, can effectually avail themselves; that the paffions are even not required for the purpofe of giving an impulfe to the foul, but that