S'2'2 1. O N 
bad been attempted with 360,000 men, including Co,ooo 
cavalry—no nation had ever made fuel) exertions or fieri- 
rices as RufTia—a population of 200,000 fouls had volunta¬ 
rily devoted their habitations to the flames, fooner than 
they fliould afford a (belter to the invaders. Belides Mof- 
cow, no fewer than 100 villages were left and confumed 
on the advance of the enemy, and their inmates retired 
for (belter and feciuity to the woods and forefts. Rullia 
had been invaded becaufe die refufed to accede to the 
Continental fyftem ; and a deadly blow was intended to 
be (truck, through her, againft Great Britain. 
Lord Holland (aid, that* he found himfelf placed in a 
very painful fituation by the considerations on which this 
motion was urged ; for, whilft he mult doubt vvbether this 
was a wife or politic grant, he felt, that, when once pro- 
pofed, it might be unuife and unfafe to rejeft it. He 
then dated fonie reafons why he thought that it would 
have little efficacy in producing the intended relief; yet 
be would not oppofe it, principally becaufe be would not 
have it imagined that any member of that houfe could be 
infenfible to the merits or the ('offerings of the Ruffians. 
He further hoped, that the propofal might be regarded 
as evidence of a Complete co-operation and concert be¬ 
tween the two governments, not merely for carrying on 
the war, but as to its objefts, and the grounds on which 
a general peace might be eirabliflied.—The addrefs was 
then unanimouily agreed to. 
In the houfe of commons, the houfe having refolved 
itfeif into a committee of fupply, the Chancellor of the 
Exchequer, after fome preliminary ftatements of his mo¬ 
tives and views, moved, “that a fum not exceeding 2oo,oool. 
fhould be granted to his majefty, to be applied towards 
the relief of the fufferers in Ruflia.” 
Mr. Ponfonby faid, he fliould vote for the grant, but 
not for the reafons affigned by thelaft fpeaker. It would 
not afford either fpeedy or effectual relief to the fufferers; 
but he looked upon it in the light of a gift to the emperor 
of Ruflia, and as a mark of gratitude for the extraordinary 
efforts made by that country in refilling the power of 
France, and oppofing the continental fyltem which was 
attempted to be forced upon it. 
Mr. Whitbread faid, that, after fully exercifing his 
judgment upon the queftion, he could not fuffer the vote 
to pafs unanimoufly. He thought the propofed grant 
would prove ineffectual; and that it was inconfiftent with 
the fentiments which the houfe was bound to entertain 
for the diflreffes of their own countrymen. The fum 
was too paltry to be of any real ufe; and it was the duty 
of the Ruflian government to proteft its own people, and 
to alleviate' their wretchednefs, occafioned by an aft un¬ 
paralleled in the hiftory of the world—the conflagration 
of Mofcow. The fum appeared to be in reality a contri¬ 
bution to carry on the war, and no other than a paltry 
and contemptible fubfidy. 
Lord Caftlereagh ftrongly difclaimed the appellation 
given to the grant by the laft fpeaker; and faid, that, by 
the vote now propofed, vve were fubfidizing the fenfibili- 
ties and generous feelings of all the world. 
Sir Francis Burdett could not confentto give away mo¬ 
ney, which, whilft it could not be effectual to relieve the 
calamities of Ruflia, would add to the burdens already fo fe- 
verely felt by the community at home. He thought it was 
hard that the people of this country fliould be called upon 
to fupport the wretched of all nations ; and yet, when 
relief was requefted for our (tarving manufacturers, the 
anfwer was, that, in times like this, economy mull be 
attended to; and it was impoflible for the houfe to grant 
relief to an extent that would be of any avail. 
Mr. Wilberforce did not doubt that the fum afked for 
would be of material benefit to the Ruffians, as fimilar 
grants had been in other cafes. It would (how at lealt 
the fympathetic, feelings of the houfe for the diftrefles of 
the Ruffian people; and he could not conceive why nations 
ffiould not be generous, as well as individuals,-—The refo- 
lution was theta agreed to. 
D O N. 
It fliould be recorded, that, in addition to the parlla* 
meutary aid granted to Ruflia, confiderable private fub- 
feriptions were entered into for the relief of the fufferers 
in that country. 
Nothing farther of importance occurred in either houfe 
before their adjournment for the Chriftmas recefs. This 
adjournment took place on the zzd of December, and ex¬ 
tended to the ad of February. 
1813.—The events of the laft and prefent year will dif- 
play a glow of returning fplendour from the political at- 
mofphere, too long obfcured by night and ftorm and tem¬ 
ped. . At length the exulting nations may encourage the 
cheering hopes, that they are no longer to bow under the 
iron rod of the oppreffior; no longer to fee defolation 
fpread over their fields, their paternal inheritance the prey 
of the fpoiler, their children made to pafs through the fire 
to the modern Moloch. We have to congratulate our 
countrymen upon a fucceffion of victories the mod impor- 
tant, the mod fplendid, the mod glorious, that are found 
to adorn the page of hiftory. Annies beyond all example 
numerous and powerful, who meditated the deftruftion 
of empires, and the consolidation of one unbounded rule 
of defpotifm, have been levelled with the duft, with no 
monumental record to mark the fpot where they perithtd ! 
Let us be animated with the noble conviftion, that in the 
depreffion of a tyranny the molt barbarous, the mod am¬ 
bitious, the mod infatiable, that ever was exercifed, the 
valour, the perfeverance, the patriotifm, of Britons, have, 
by the acknowledgment of all the world, largely and ef¬ 
fectually contributed. Once more the aufpicious wings 
of favouring winds waft our deeply-laden barks to every 
quarter of the univerfe. Hope is revived, indudry quick¬ 
ened, commerce in activity; and literature indulges the 
mod pleading and condolatory fpeculations. One aft of 
juftice we owe to ourfelves-. in the deeped gloom, fpread 
by the melancholy afpeft of events, the Britilh nation has 
never given way to defpondency. From a fimilar prin¬ 
ciple in this great and awful reverfe of events, we impofe 
a reftraint upon our emotions of exultation : it is enough 
that we have feen the tyrant fallen, incapable, at length, 
of again loofening the facred bonds which united nations 
together in the amicable interchange of good offices. The 
further events we leave to him wliofe goodnefs has brought 
about the prefent; but, with the molt delightful compla¬ 
cency of expectation, we may now hope to liften to the 
founds of the lute of peace; and, under the fweeter influ¬ 
ence of its infpiring melody, the difciples of the mufes 
may each, under the facred (hade of his own vine, culti¬ 
vate, without danger of moleftation, his favourite purfuit. 
Such are our wi(hes, and fuch the flattering profpeft of 
the prefent period! 
On the 9th of January, the London Gazette contained 
the prince regent’s Declaration upon the fituation of Eng¬ 
land towards America, with relation to the caufes of the 
war which had unfortunately broken out between the 
two countries. His royal highnefs moftfolemnly declares, 
(and we can eafily believe it,) that no defire of con- 
queft, or other ordinary motive of aggreffion, can be im¬ 
puted to Great Britain. Then he contemplates the con¬ 
duct of this government towards the United States of Ame¬ 
rica; and (hows that a fpirit of amity, forbearance, and 
conciliation, has ever characterized her tranfaftions. His 
royal highnefs next enters into the fpeculations of the ruler 
of the French, in iffuing his decrees of Berlin and Milan, 
and expatiates at large, and with much clearnefs, upon 
the rights of this country, and the pretentions of the 
United States, in a long but interefting official piece, which 
ends by declaring, “ that, di(appointed in his juft expecta¬ 
tion, the prince-regent will dill purfue the policy which the 
Britifli government has folong and in variably maintained, 
in repelling injuitice, and in (upporting the general rights 
of nations; and, under the favour of Providence, relying' 
on the juftice of his caule and the tried loyalty and rirm- 
nefs of the Britilh nation, his royal highnefs confidently 
iouifcS 
(t 
