upwards of 279,000 scholars; and likewise 4179l. 18s. 5d. in very small sums, to such schools as were found, from particular circumstances, to stand in need of pecuniary aid. The committee state, that they received frequent testimonies of the salutary effects of Sunday Schools, both upon the civil and religious condition of society; and they are therefore happy to perceive the increasing regard entertained by the public for this institution. Small and limited during the first years of its establishment, it has gradually enlarged the sphere of its operations; and it comprehends, within the scope of its bounty, every portion of the United Kingdoin, Scot. land excepted. The design of the institution being to qualify children to read the Scriptures, Spelling-books, Testaments, and Bibles are the only books which it provides. It is presumed, therefore, that both the means and the end will approve themselves to Christians of every denomination. For farther information, reference may be had to the Secretary, Mr. Thomas Smith, No. 19, Little Moorfields. VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, PORTUGAL. THE state of the war in Portugal occupies, at the present moment, the almost exclusive attention of the public. The crisis is fast approaching which must decide the fate of that kingdom, perhaps also of Spain; aud the interest which such a crisis would naturally excite, under any circunstances, is greatly increased by our knowing, that it is on a British army, under Divine Providence, that the decision depends; a consideration which, without doubt, weighs immensely in favour of a successful termination of the campaign. After the fall of Almeida, Massena's arany advanced into Portugal; that under Lord Wellington retiring slowly and in perfect order till it arrived at the Sierra de Buzaco, about thirty miles to the northward of Coimbra. Here, on the 27th of September, an attack was made on his position by two corps of the French army; but, after a wellfought action, they sustained a complete repulse. Not only the British troops, but the Portugueze, behaved with the greatest gallantry. In British troops this was no more than was expected; but the Portugueze were hitherto untried in regular combat, and it required a proof of their valour and steadiness, such as this day's battle furnished, to produce that confidence in them which they have now so well earned. Lord Wellington expresses himself strongly on this subject. They have proved that they are worthy of contending in the same ranks with British troops in this interesting cause, which they afford the best hopes of saving." The loss incurred by the British on this occasion was 106 men killed, including 4 officers; 493 wounded, including 34 offi cers, and 2o missing. The Portugueze loss amounted to 90 killed, 512 wounded, and 20 missing; so that the brunt of this brilliant action seems to have been pretty equally shared by us and our allies. The loss sustained by the enemy, Lord Wellington states to have been "enormous:" 2000 were actually left dead on the field of battle; and his Lordship adds, that he understands, from the prisoners and deserters, that the loss in wounded was " immense." Two of their generals, Merle and Maucon, were wounded; and General Simon, 3 colonels, 33 officers, and 250 men, were taken prisoners. Supposing, therefore, that the French left on the field all their killed, which is not very probable, their loss is even then ten times as great as that of the allied army. If the wounded were in any thing of the same proportion, their effective force must have been diminished, in that one day's encounter, by at least ten thousand men. We were particularly gratified by that part of Lord Wellington's dispatch, wherein he states that "the army has conducted itself in the most regular manner. All its operations have been carried with ease, the soldiers have suffered no privations, and have undergone no unnecessary fatigue; there has been no loss of stores, and the army is in the highest spirits." Lord Wellington's dispatch containing the details of this affair, is dated from Coimbra, on the 30th of September. To this place he had withdrawn with his army, to prevent any attempt on the part of Massena to turn his flank, and to cut him off from Lisbon; and he has since retired to Torres Vedras, a strongly fortified position within twenty miles of Lisbon, where it is evidently his purpose to wait Massena's attack, who is posted about twenty miles farther north. The force of the French is stated to be . between 60 and 70,000 men, exclusive of the loss sustained on the 27th September; the allied army may be considered as nearly equal to this in point of numbers. Their relative situation in other respects, however, was widely different. Lord Wellington had -used the precaution, in retiring, to remove as far as was practicable, the means of subsistence into the rear of his army; and what could not be removed he destroyed; the inhabitants of the wasted districts retir ing with him. The French, therefore, will have to depend for provisions chiefly on the stock which they brought with them into Portugal. It appears from Lord Wellington's dispatches, that they are cut off from their communication with Almeida, and, to use his own expression, that "they possess only the ground on which the army stands." His Lordship, in their front, confines them on that side; a large body of Portugueze Militia, under Colonel Trant, in their rear, renders it difficult, if not impossible, for them to draw supplies from the northward; and the Marquis Romana, with about 12,000 men, by a rapid movement from Seville, has planted himself on the eastern bank of the Tagus, between the left wing of the French army and Spain. Under these circumstances,, though generally far from sanguine in our expectations, we are led to indulge a strong hope that the French will be completely baffled in their attempt on Portugal; indeed we are disposed to think, that the only chance they now have of escaping, is to retreat. The bodies in their rear and flanks, though they might harass them, could not perhaps oppose any effectual resistance to such a movement; and it may be Lord Wellington's best policy not to suffer himself to be drawn after the French into the open plain, where their numerous cavalry could be brought to act. We are anxious to repress those unreasonable anticipations which may issue in disappointment. We shall have obtained a great triumph even it Massena is merely compelled to abandon Portugal; and in that case we shall probably have greater cause to admire Lord Wellington for his herole forbearance, than if he had been tempted by the fear of clamour at home, or by the ambition of glory, to stake all the advantages which have accrued from his cautious policy, on the issue of a pitched battle, under circumstances favourable to In Lord Wellington's gallantry and skill we repose the atmost confidence, the energy. and we shall feel satisfied that, if Massena shonid effect a retreat without a general engagement, there were the best reasons in the world why Lord Wellington should not force him to it. Even in the case we have supposed, however,we may fairly calculate on Massena's being obliged to leave behind him his artillery and baggage, and probably not much less than a third of his army. He has already had a specimen of the difficul ties and disasters which are likely to attend his retrograde progress. As he was advanc ing on Vizen, Colonel Trant attached the escort of the military chest and reserve artillery, and would probably have succeeded in taking them, but for the sudden appearance of a large force, which obliged him to retire with about a hundred prisoners whom he had made. This active officer was prevented from executing a plan by which the victory of Buzaco would have been rendered still more disastrous and embarrassing to the enemy, by the ill-timed interference of a Portugueze general; but no sooner had the main body of the French advanced from Coimbra, than he suddenly fell on that place, surprized the garrison that had been left there, and took them and a great number of wounded French prisoners. The number taken is stated at 5000 men. This achievement shews very strongly the straitened circumstances of Massena. The capture of a body of wounded men may, it is true, have no great influence on the fate of the campaign; still the spirit of an army and of Massena world have been most anxious, if a country depends so much on opinion, that he could, to have prevented the disgrace of such an occurrence, which, as it will be generally considered as a testimony of his weakness, cannot fail to raise the hopes of the Portugueze, and proportionably to depress those of his own army*. The periodical rains had begun to fall with great violence on the 8th of October. It is said that our forces were well sheltered, but that the French were greatly exposed. It appears that, about the beginning of September, a plot was discovered in Lisbon, which had for its object to assist the Frengh in getting possession of that place. The chief agents in it, who have been removed out of the country, are said to have been Portugueze nobles. The particulars of the conspiracy have not transpired. * Massena's account of the battle of Buzaco has reached us, in which he boasts of having driven the British before him with great loss. SPAIN. The Spanish Cortez have at length assembled; but we are sorry to perceive that their proceedings hitherto have partaken far too much of the character which marked the first movements of the French revolution. Their tribune, their gallery, their crude disjointed propositions, their declamatory harangues, their verbose annunciations, all remind us of the National Assembly; and before any thing has been done, we are told that the people are transported with joy, and penetrated with the warmest affection towards the august congress, whom they speak of as the consolation of the oppressed, and the terror of the wicked. We could wish there were more of serious deliberation, and less of popular display. It is by the former, not by the latter, that the independence of Spain, and the freedom and happiness of her inhabitants, are to be secured. We sincerely hope that their future meetings will wear a more grave and business-like aspect, one more worthy of the mighty work they have taken in hand, than those of which the record has reached us. Soult is said to have revoked the sanguinary decree which we stated him in our last to have issued, directing his troops to treat all Spaniards taken with arms in their hands as robbers. They are now to be treated in all respects as troops of the line. The decree of retaliation adopted by the Spanish regency has probably produced this change of policy. SICILY. It appears from the French papers, that an attempt was made on this island by Murat, about the beginning of September. He threw a body of men on shore in the night; which, it is stated, were again re-embarked without much loss. It is attributed to a sudden calm that a larger force was not sent across the strait, and, consequently, that it became necessary to withdraw those which had debarked. Some indistinct expressions, however, about English cavalry, and want of boats, prepare us for a very different report from Sir John Stuart of this affair. It is certain that Murat has issued a proclamation postponing the conquest of Sicily, content, for the present, with having proved that the strait which divides it from Italy may be passed and repassed by the French flotilla; and that Sicily may therefore be conquered whenever its conquest is seriously attempted. TURKEY. The reports of the progress of the war between Russia and Turkey differ so much, that it is difficult to ascertain its real state. The probability appears to be, that the former have, on the whole, had the disadvantage in the campaign. EAST INDIES. We are happy to announce the fall of the Isle of Bourbon on the 8th of July. It was taken in the course of a few hours, by a force of about 2500 European and 2500 native troops, dispatched against it from Madras, with the loss of only eighteen men killed and seventy-five wounded. The Isle of France, it is said, will be the next object of attack, and, if reduced, there will not then remain to Bonaparte a single colony in any part of the world. GREAT BRITAIN. BULLION COMMITTEE. NEARLY at the conclusion of the last session of Parliament, several Reports were presented to the House of Commons by the respective committees, which were ordered to be printed, but could not be delivered until after the lapse of a considerable period. It probably will be agreeable to our readers to receive some account of the more important of these during the present suspension of parliamentary intelligence, and we proceed, therefore, in the present and some succeeding numbers, to give a brief summary both of a few Parliamentary Reports, and of some other papers laid before parliament, which are well entitled to public attention. The Report on which alone we shall dwell in the present number, is that of the Bullion Committee, which we understand to be also sold by the booksellers, and to have attracted no small share of general attention. We shall give the substance of it, and then leave our readers to judge in a great measure for themselves. The select committee in question was appointed to inquire into the cause of the high price of gold bullion, and to take into consideration the state of the circulating medium, and of the exchanges, and to report their observations thereupon. consisted of the following members: Francis Horner, Esq., Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, Right Hon. Geo. Tierney, Earl Temple, Hon. Thos. Brand, Henry Parnell, Esq., D. M. Magens, Esq., G. Johnstone, Esq., Davies Giddy, Esq., W. Dickenson, Esq., H. Thornton, Esq., Right Hon. R. B. Sheridan, A. Baring, Esq., W. Manning, Esq., R. Sharp, Esq., P. Grenfell, Esq., J. L. Foster, Esq., T. Thompson, Esq., J. Irving, Esq., W. Huskisson, Esq., Hon. J. Abercrombie. Mr. Horner, who moved for the appointment of the committee, and mentioned, at the time of doing it, the very extraordinary and alarming state of the exchanges, and the unprecedented high price of gold, was appointed chairman. The Report is distributed into several parts. In the introductory part, the committee state what the market price of gold has been. They say that gold bullion, of which the mint price is 31. 178. 10 d., was as high as 41. in 1806, 1807, and 1808, and rose to 47. 10s. or about 15 per cent. above the mint price, about the beginning of 1809; but that it had recently fallen a little below that point, viz. to about 47. 6s. per ounce. They remark, that silver also had risen as high as 5s. 8d., or more than 15 per cent. above the mint price of that article. Hamburgh, Amsterdam, and Paris, are stated to be the principal places with which exchanges are established, and the exchanges on the two first of these places are said to have been depressed as low as from 15 to 20 per cent. below par, and that on Paris still lower. These, however, had recently improved, together with the price of bullion, but continued to be about 7, 9, and 14 per cent. below par. The Committee then proceed to state, that the high price of gold was ascribed, by many witnesses whom they called, to an unusual demand for that article on the Continent of Europe, and particularly for the use of the French army; but the Committee dissent from this opinion, for the following reasons. If, say they, there was this unusual demand for gold on the Continent, influencing its price here, it would in like man ner influence its price in the continental markets; and those who 23cribed its high price here to a great demand abroad, ought to have been prepared to state, that there was this corresponding high price abroad. It appeared, however, by the evidence, in particular of Mr. Greffulhe, 66 That there had been no alteration of late in the mint price of gold in foreign places, nor had the market prices experienced an advance at all relative to the rise which had taken place in England." The Committee also remark, that if, on the one hand, the gold in the French military chests had been increased, on the other, the general supply of Europe with gold had been augmented by all that quantity which England had spared out of its circulation ;-and that, both in the Seven-Years' warand the American war, no want of bullion had been felt in this country;— that an equally high price of bullion had never before occurred, during the twenty-four years which had elapsed between the period of the reformation of the coin, and the suspension of the cash payments of the Bank of England; that in the two periods of the reign of King William, and of the early part of the reign of his present Majesty, a great difference had arisen between the market price and mint price of gold, but that in both those instances the reformation of the coin had been found effectually to lower the market price to the mint price. The Committee expressed their doubts respecting the alleged fact of a SCARCITY of bullion in this country, the commercial advantages which we enjoy affording us the means of importing it, and rendering us the channel through which it passes from America to Europe;-that what was called scarcity ought rather therefore to be denominated dearness, and had been explained to mean only dearness by one of the witnesses. The Com p mittee farther say, that the rise in the market price of silver in this country, which has nearly corresponded with that of the market price of gold, cannot in any degree be ascribed to a scarcity of silver, the importations of that article in late years having been unusually large. of its having once had the shape of coin, is not permitted to be exported. These circumstances are said by the Committee to have caused the whole of those fluctuations in the relative value of gold bullion and gold coin, which used to take place, or which possibly could arise, before the suspension of the cash payments of the Bank of England; and, accordingly, about five and a half per cent. was the limit of the depression of the value of coin below that of bullion which then actually took place. Since, however, the Bank had ceased to pay in gold, and paper, not convertible into cash, had become the circulating medium, we had been exposed to a new cause of variation between the market price and what is called the mint price of gold, from the possible excess of that paper. The Committee proceed to compare this excess of paper (which they suppose to involve a diminution of its value), with a deterioration of the quality of the current coin of the kingdom. This excess of paper, they say, cannot be exported to other countries, and not being convertible into specie, remains in the channel of circulation, and is gradually absorbed by increasing the price of all commodities. "An increase," they affirm, "in the quantity of the local currency of a particular country, will raise prices in that country, exactly in the same manner as an increase in the general supply of precious metals raises prices all over the world." By means of the increased quantity of paper, the value of it in exchange for commodities is lowered, or, in other words, the money prices of all other commodities are raised, and that of bullion among the rest. Thus it is that an excess of the market price, above what is called the mint price of gold, is said to arise. "It is further evident," the Committee subjoin, "that in the event of the prices of commodities being raised in one country, by an augmentation of its circulating medium, while no similar augmentation in the circulating medium of a neigh The Committee then proceed to remark on the meaning of the term high price of Bullion. Gold, they say, that is, gold in bullion, is intended to be the measure of the value of all commodities; it being the object of the Legislature, by the medium of the mint, to secure to the people a standard of a determinate value, by affixing to certain pieces of this article a stamp which certifies them to be of a given quantity and fineness; and if this intention of the Legislature were completely fulfilled, the coined gold would bear precisely the same price, in exchange for all other commodities, as it would have borne had it continued in the shape of bullion; but it is usually subject to some small fluctuations. These fluctuations are said to arise, First, from some expense incurred (hitherto about one per cent.) in converting bullion into coin, through the interest lost during the detention of it at the mint ;-Secondly, there is a slight diminution of the value of coin occasioned by wear: the average difference between the weight of the current coin and that of the same coin when fresh from the mint, is stated to be about one per cent.;Thirdly, the coin is said to be depressed below the value of bullion by the difficulty which the holders of coin experience when they wish to convert it into bullion, in consequence of the law of the land having, by a policy which the Committee consider to be questionable, prohibited such conversion. That species of gold which can be sworn off for exportation, in consequence of its never having assumed the shape of British coin, is more valuable by about 3 or 4 shillings per ounce, than that which, in conséquence |