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The fituation of the Cape of Good Hope, however, placed as it is directly in the middle between the two great divifions of the British empire, forces itfelf upon the attention of Great Britain, as a poffeffion which would not only contribute to her profperity, but which feems almost effential to her fafety. The Cape in the hands of the tributary republic of Holland, can only be confidered as a French colony; and when we confider that Bonaparte looks upon our Indian territories as the great refource of our national power, we cannot fuppofe that he will long neglect to avail himfelf of the advantages which the local fituation of the Cape prefents for our annoyance. Here he may have an opportunity of gradually throwing in forces and ftores, and of accumulating, almoft unperceived, fuch a force as may prove truly dangerous to our poffeffions in the Eaft. Without a port to retire to for refreshment or for fhelter from the storms of those latitudes, it is impoffible that our cruizers can here watch the motions of our enemy, or blockade his fquadrons as we do in his European harbours. The forces which he might difpatch from this station against our Eaft India fettlements, would be far more dangerous than the fame, or a much greater number, fent out direct from Europe. As the climate of the Cape feems in a parti cular manner fitted not only for recruiting the health of the foldier, but alfo for preparing him to endure the heats of India, our enemy's troops would on their arrival be enabled to cope with our forces on equal terms, and even with the advantage of unbroken health and fpirits on their fide. We e may reft affured that the enemy who could undertake the romantic fcheme of penetrating by Egypt and the Red Sea to our eastern empire, will not overlook the eatier and far more fure means, of effectuating his purpofe, which are prefented to him by the Cape of Good Hope.

"To collect fuch a force, however, at this ftation as might actually endanger our Indian dominions, may be the work of time: but our enemy has not to look forward to a diftant period before he can turn the Cape to the purpose of annoying us. Thofe veffels, which convey the refources we derive from the Eaft, muft of neceffity pafs the feas which may be said to be commanded by the Cape. In the outward bound paffage, indeed, our hips may take a wider range, but it is impoffible for them to bear fo far to the fouth, as to be entirely out of the reach of an enemy's fquadron ́ ftationed off the Cape to cruize against our trade. When we confider the loffes we fuftained in the last war by the cruizers from the Mauritius, and the Ifle de France, and when we look to the relative fituation of thefe illands and the promontory of the Cape, we fhall be convinced that with all these stations at once in their poffeffion, our enemies may fo completely command the track of our Eaft India merchantmen, that an escape to Britain with their cargoes, will be nearly as difficult for them, as to escape from the Havannah to Europe is for the Register fhips during a war between Spain and this country.

"When these confequences of the Cape being in the hands of our enemies are duly confidered, it will appear a matter abfolutely required by political prudence, that we fhould lofe no time in regaining this colony.During a war, the fafety of our East India trade can no otherwife be fecured; and equally, in peace and in war, the Cape may be made ufe of for fuch preparations as may afterwards be employed to wreft from us our most valuable poffeffions. If report may indeed be believed, the French have already begun to collect at this point a force, which muft caufe the more uneafiness, and probably damage, that this is the station, in all the

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world,

world, where we can least watch its motions and counteract its opera

tions."

Capt. Percival then proceeds to state other advantages, both of a commercial and a political nature, which would refult to us from the poffeffion of this colony; all of which tend moft clearly to prove the wifdom of that able ftatefman, Lord Melville, in deprecating, in the ftrongest poffible manner, its reftitution to the Dutch. We cannot compliment our author on his ftyle, which is, indeed, in many places, extremely incorrect; but his modeft apologies preclude the feverity of critical cenfure; befides fuch cenfure would be highly improper, to fay the leaft of it, when applied to a book which contains fo much ufeful and valuable information, and which difplays fo much true British fpirit, and British principles,

An Addrefs to the Public, from the Society for the Suppreffion of Vice, infituted in London, 1802. Part the Second, containing an Account of the Proceedings of the Society, from its original inftitution. 8vo. Pp. 96. Spragg, Rivingtons, &c. 1803.

WE

E find, from this fecond part of the Society's Addrefs, that it has not only completed its internal arrangements, fo as to methodize the proceedings, but has advanced very far in those plans of utility and public advantages for the execution of which it was originally formed. The management of its concerns is entrusted to a Committee, which is affifted by three Sub-Committees, the attention of which is limited to specific objects, and which make weekly reports to the General Committee. The first of the Sub-Committees applies itself to breaches of the Sabbath, and to cafes of profane fwearing; the fecond to irreligious, licentious, and obfcene books and prints, and to falfe weights and meafures; and the third, to diforderly public-houfes, brothels, lotteries, cruelty to animals, &c.

The refult of the fociety's labours, as appears by a table annexed to the Addrefs, has been 623 convictions for profanations of the Sabbath; feven for vending obfcene books and prints; 11 for riotous and diforderly houses, &c. 33 for lotteries and little goes; and four for cruelty to animals; making the total of the convictions, at the suit of the fociety, fince its inftitution, 678. That the community has materially benefitted by their labours, no rational man can doubt; and that much good has been done in the way of prevention, to which they have always recourfe, before they proceed to punishment, is equally certain. But till we cannot but think that the Committee are much too fanguine in eftimating the extent of their fuccefs. They fay, for instance, that "in the cafes of profanation of the Lord'sday, their preventive efforts have been attended with peculiar fuccefs, and to the effect of fuch efforts, they afcribe, in a very great degree, the generally improved appearance which the metropolis exhibits on

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the fabbath." That thefe efforts may have produced fome vifible effect, we are not difpofed to deny; but we can by no means accede to the justice of the obfervation, that the appearance of the metropolis on the Lord's day is materially improved: nor will the members of the fociety wonder at our fcepticifm on this point, when we inform them that, within our knowledge, Seventy-two convictions for profanation of the fabbath have taken place at one office, in three days, for offences committed in as many parifhes. Most of these offences were committed by publicans, who fuffered perfons to tipple in their houfes during the hours of divine fervice; and fo far are we from believing that this practice, and that of perfons exercifing their calling on the Lord's day, are diminished, that we are fully convinced, not a Sunday paffes which does not afford in the metropolis alone, and its immediate vicinity, materials for at least one thousand offences of that defcription. Nay, in fome diftricts, the law is fet at open defiance: the penalty is paid again and again; the party complains of oppression; and threats have even been made to magiftrates, on the part of perfons convicted, to apply to the legislature for a repeal of thofe odious ftatutes which impofe reftrictions on their exertions of industry!! With thefe facts before them, the fociety will be lefs cautious in drawing fuch general inferences, from effects fo partially fuccefsful. In fact, the fine for a breach of the fabbath is fo fmall, that traders, who are not reftrained by principle from a violation of the divine and human laws, which forbid the profanation of the Lord's day, look upon it as the price of a licence for carrying on their trade without interruption, and pay it as fuch, though not without much grumbling. It is with them a matter of calculation of lofs and gain, and fo it will continue until virtue enough fhall be found in the legislature to render the law effective. The threatened application for a repeal of the ftatute will put that virtue to the test; meanwhile we would not have the society lie upon their arms, under the false notion that the enemy is subdued, when, in fact, his power is inexhausted, and he meditates a feverer blow.

The profecutions for the fale of obfcene books have opened fuch a fcene of iniquity as every friend to fociety in general, and every parent in particular, muft fhudder to contemplate. On confidering it, inftead of wondering that profligacy is fo great in the middle and upper claffes of life, we are aftonifhed that it is not infinitely greater. Upon one of thefe trials, it having been infinuated by the counfel for the defendant that it was illegal for perfons to affociate for the objects purfued by the fociety, and particularly for the profecution of offenders, Lord Ellenborough obferved, in fumming up the cafe to the jury"Something has been faid about the perfons who have formed themfelves into this fociety having acted contrary to the law. It does not appear to me they have done fo, by any thing they have done in profecution of the purposes of the fociety. If they have done fo, that fhould be brought forward as a crime; and then, when it comes under difcuffion as fuch, it will receive its proper confideration; but, looking

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looking at this profecution only, fo far from seeing any thing which trenches on the law, I conceive that they have done very properly in taking an intereft in the morals and happiness of fociety, and in exerting themfelves to prevent the contagion of thefe infamous publications. It appears to me, that they deferve the thanks of all men; and I do not know of one rule of law upon which they have at all trenched."

We recollect a fimilar charge of illegal conduct being preferred against the Proclamation Society, by fome fapient fcribbler in a Morning Paper, although as confcientious a Judge as ever fat upon the bench, and as found a lawyer as any this country could boaft, was a member of that very fociety! The charge was treated as it defcrved, that is, with fovereign contempt, by the fociety, who juftly confidered it as one of the darts of ignorance thrown by malice; certainly, telum imbelle fine ictu. We fhould have thought, too, that no man who had difcovered aniong the members of the Suppreffion Society, the names of a Park, a Garrow, and a Richardfon, would have prefumed to charge it with giving its fanction to illegal proceedings. But fome felf-fufficient gentlemen have gone ftill farther, and have not fcrupled to affert, that this fociety is not only illegal, but unconftitutional. If it be illegal, it certainly is unconflitutional, becaufe every breach of the law is an unconstitutional act; and if it be unconftitutional, it is certainly illegal; for every violation of a conftitutional principle is, of neceffity, a breach of the law, fince the conftitution itself confifts of the laws of the land. And, if it be unconftitutional to fupprefs vice, and to promote virtue, not by puritanical reforms, or by a rigour be yond the law, but fimply by enforcing obedience to exifting ftatutes; not by the exercife of inquifitorial powers, but by means of the judges and of the magiftracy of the realm, punishing only, and that by legal means, those who have violated the laws of the realm: if this be unconftitutional, then is the charge founded in juftice. But fuch a charge, however confidently advanced, is really too ridiculous and too filly to be combated by ferious argument.

Lord Ellenborough took occafion, on another of thefe trials, to carrect another vulgar error, which, however, we have heard maintained by those who ought to have known better, relative to the means employed for the detection of culprits of a certain defcription-" As to another thing which has been faid about the nature of this difcovery, I would take this distinction.-If a perfon feduces another, who is innocent, to commit a crime, that inducement is a crime of the highest enormity; but if a perfon be in the habitual course of committing crimes, and it be difficult to detect him, on account of the fecret manner in which he commits them, then to produce a declaration of that which may lead to his detection, and prevent the future commif fion of the offence, is no crime, but a beneficial fervice to the communi ty." A diftinction fo obvious, we fhould have thought, had not experience taught us the contrary, could not have efcaped the most fuperficial obferver, the moft fhallow understanding.

A third charge which has been preferred against the Suppreffion Society

Society, is, that of encouraging informers; and it has even been publicly affirmed, that they kept a whole troop of informers in their pay, The affirmation is grofsly falfe; because, we understand, they never had but one agent in their pay, and he had been dismissed long before the affirmation was made. But as to the charge of encouraging informers, we have been fo long accustomed to the jacobinical cant on that fubject, that we fhall not be furprized at laft to fee every parish. conftable holden up as an object of reprobation, for doing his duty occafionally as an informer. This queftion was ably difcuffed, fome years ago, in the House of Commons, particularly by Mr. Pitt and Mr. Windham, in a debate respecting the Loyal Affociations of 1792; when thefe diftinguished orators put the parliamentary jacobins, for fuch there were in those days, to fhame and to filence. Any fool may at any time, and on any pretext, raife a popular clamour against informers; but if informers be really fuch a horrid race of being as, by thofe vociferating gentry, they are stated to be, let the blame attach only where it ought to attach; to the legislature, who have not only fanctioned and encouraged informers, but have rendered them, in many initances, the only means by which the laws can be carried into effect. Of this no man, who has the fmalleft acquaintance with our penal ftatutes, can poffibly be ignorant. The fociety, in adverting to this charge, in their prefent addrefs, fhew that this encouragement of informers proceeds from the introduction of no novel principle of legiflation, but is founded on a principle as old as the conftitution itfelf. The charge, they obfèrve,

"Is founded on the fuppofition, that, to give information against criminals, is an odious and an unworthy tafk. But this fuppofition is at variance both with the fpirit of the conftitution, and the principles of morality. According to the firft, it is not only the right, but the duty, of every individual, to denounce to the magiftrates thole who violate the laws. The great Alfred, who may almost be confidered as the founder of the conftitution, impofed this duty upon all perfons in the most folemn manner, and made the principle of mutual inspection, and of mutual refponfibility, the main-spring of the adminiftration of justice; and, although the forms, introduced by him, have, in the progrefs of civilization, undergone a material change, the principle on which they were established is still recognized by our law, which declares mifprifion (or concealment) of treafon, or felony, to be a fubftantive crime. In a moral point of view, the most cenfured character of informer is, on account of its utility, highly meritorious, when it is affumed from laudable motives. To drag guilt from its lurking holes, in order to bring it to condign punishment, is one of the greatest benefits that any man can confer on fociety; and when the performance of this disagreeable task is prompted by a regard for virtue, or a folicitude for the general welfare, the individual performing it acts a part, as honourable as it is ufeful."

Thus much, no doubt, their well-meaning accufers, if any fuch there be, will concede to them; but, they will add, it is a very different thing when a man is prompted, by the hope of gain, to become informer. So that the fame act which is virtuous when proceeding

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