76 Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature—Political Economy, Sc. 
philanthropic magiftrate, that perfons of 
high fituation, to whom the plan had 
been communicated, ali hough they had 
exprefled their approbation of it, had ob- 
jeéted to the means propofed for carrying 
it into execution. 
To this tra&t two anfwers haye appear- 
ed—one, intitled « A Letter to Abraham 
Goldfmid, Efq. containing Stri¢tures on 
Mr. Jofhua Vanoven’s Letters on the pre- 
fent State of the Jewith Poor, pointing 
out the Impraéticability of amelisrating 
their Condition through the Medium of 
“Taxation and Coercion; with a Plan for 
ereCting aJewifh College or Seminary,&c. 
by PaiLoJupZus; ‘— the other, intitled 
an * Anfwerto Mr. Jofhua, &c. &t. in 
which feme of his hafty Miftakes are rec- 
tified; with a Word-to R. Colquhoun, 
Efq. on the Subjeét of the jews, as treat- 
ed in his * Police of the Metropolis ;° 
with an Introductory Letter, fetting, in a 
confpicuous View, fome of the Jewith By- 
Jaws, as obferved at prefent; and an ex- 
a&t Copy of the Bill now before Parlra- 
ment, for bettering the State of the indi- 
gent Jews, by L. ALEXanDER.” We 
cannot fpareyroom to enlarge on the fub- 
jet here difcuffed ; but, to any one defir- 
ous of making himfelf acquainted with 
the particulars of the benevolent and pa- 
iriotic undertaking of Mr. Vanoven, we 
can recommend both thefe latter tra cts, as 
inveftigating the matter, inallits bearings, 
with great judgment and acutenefs, 
Mr. STEPHEN, an Englifh barrifter, 
who, during ‘ome years, practifed in the- 
Wett Indies, is the reputed author of fome 
letters to the Right Hon. Henry Adding- 
_ ton, Chancellor of the Exchequer, &c. 
mntitled “ The Crifis of the Sugar Coio- 
nies; or, an Enquiry into the Objects and 
probable Effeéts of the French Expedition 
to the Wett indies, and their Connection 
with the Colonial Interefis of the Britifhi 
Empire ; to which are fubjoined Sketches 
of a Plan for fettling the vacant Lands of 
Trinidada.” Thete letters were written 
when the event of the French expedition 
to St. Domingo was in fvfpente; and 
one of the obicéts winich the author had in 
view was to fuggelt meafures of policy to 
the prudence of the Britifh Government, 
in confeqvence of the exiiting conteft 
between France and her cclonial Ne- 
grees. It gives us pleafure to  re- 
mark in Mr. Stephen a» cect ed oppof- 
tion to the Slave-trade, and to Jearn, that 
it is his firm opinion, that the French 
gxver can reftore Negro bondage to the 
fame ftate of extreme vaflalage, and utfet 
human degradation, which diftinguifhed it 
before the Revolution. 
‘¢ The Conftitution of the United King- 
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, Civil 
and Ecclefiaftical,by Fr.PLowpen,. Elq.”” 
The reputation which this learned barrifter 
acquired, on a former occafion, for gene- 
ral talents, and a particular acquaintance 
with the eonititution of his country, will 
inno refprét be diminifhed by the prefene 
volume, except indeed, one obfervation, 
which is prefented in a different form, 
fhould feem to indicate a mifconception of 
one of its fundamental principles. Mr. 
Piowden obferves, that “ it is a fir 
principle of our conftitutional policy, that 
every law is the free, unbiaffed, and deli- 
berate act of every individual member of 
the community.”’"—** The laws are the di- 
rect emanations of the fovereignty of the 
whole: the-confent of every individual is 
formally included in every law,” &c.— 
‘¢ Brom this affent of each individual 
arifes the right and intereft, which the 
community poffefies, collectively and indi- 
vidually, in the aétual performance of the 
‘covenant and engagement, which, at the 
pafling of every tw, each sdclas ieliedh en- 
ters into for the performance and obfer- 
vance of it.” What can Mr. Plowden 
mean by fc aflertions as thefe? He 
certainly does not want tobe told, that’a 
very great majority of the inhabitants of — 
the United Kingdom of Great Britain 
and Ireland have no vote, either in perfon 
or by proxy; and that, therefere, the bulk 
of the people, to ufe the memorable ae 
of a lofty prelate{Bifhop Horfley), have 
nothing todo with the lJaws—but to obey 
them. In a future edition, perhaps, Mr. 
Plowden will explain thefe extraordinary - 
paflages. 
Sir Gzorce Dattas has addreffed a 
‘¢ Letter to Sir William Puit-ney,”’ on the . 
sain of the trade between India and Eu- 
‘epe. Animated have been the debates, 
hot in Parliament and the India-houfe, 
on the complex interefts of the Eatt India 
Company. Sir George is an advacate 
for the liberal policy of enlarging the pri- — 
vileges of the free merchants, in order to 
attract to this country as much of the 
trade of India.as its capital and indufiry 
can reach. In the courfe of difcuffion, the 
worthy Baronet adverts, with great force 
of argument, to the probable effect of fuch 
policy, in fecuring that country to Great 
Britain. It is obvious that France will 
take advantage of the prefent peace ta 
improve 
x 
3 
