perfon, and a real calamity in a ftate; fo that every employment of riches, is not the ufe of riches; neither in the main is every fuperfluity an abufe. Morality and politics. will, I dare fay, fubfcribe to these truths.

To the Printer of the POLITICAL REGISTER.

SIR,

You have here an account of a Tract lately published in Holland, which may not be uninteresting to many of your Readers. It is written by M. de Haren on the conduct of the Dutch at Japan. He indeavours to justify them from the feveral reproaches and accufations laid to their charge, concerning the bafe and unchriftan manner they are fuppofed to have adopted for ruining the commerce of the Portugueze and establishing their own in that country; and he fhews that they only availed themfelves of circumftances, and fometimes had recourse to reprisals against a nation with whom they were at war. But he does not touch upon their fupplanting the English by the fame infamous ftratagem.

The quefton he examines, and which has been varioufly agitated, is, "whether the Japonefe require the Jefumi of the Dutch, and whether they comply with that teft. The ceremony called the Jefumi is performed at Japan in those parts were there are any fufpected Chriftans. Commiffioners with a lift of the names of the inhabitants of all fexes and ages, vifit fuccefsively every houfe with two Images, one reprefenting a crucifix, and the other the virgin Mary or any ather faint. They affemble into a room all the inhabitants of the house and oblige them one after another to trample upon these images. Even children are not exempted. Their mother, or nurse lead them along, place their feet, and hold them up by the arms. M. de Haren affures us, that no fuch teft in deteftation of Chriftanity, was ever exacted from the fervants of the Dutch Eaft India Company, nor were they ever eye witneffes but once of that ceremony, and this was occafioned in confequence of a fact recorded in the regifters of the factory of Nangazaqui.

In 1704, the governor fummoned before him the chief of the Dutch factory in order to proceed to the examination of fix ftrangers, who had been laid under an arrest, and whofe language was not understood. Two of them proyed -to be Hollanders; one, a Flemming; two Scotfmen; and one an Englishman. They had been made prifoners by the fpaniards, and having efcaped in a boat, were driven by chance on the coaft of Japan. One of them faid he was a

Proteftant

Proteftant, and the reft obferving the fatisfaction this account gave the Dutch, did not hesitate to declare themselves of the fame religion, The Japonese who had made an exact inventory of their effects, were uneafy on finding a Catholic prayer book amongst them. The owner of the book pleaded an excufe which was admitted. However the governor having them fearched again, a ftring of beads with a medal at the end reprefenting a faint, was found, to the great confternation of the Japonefe council, in the pocket of one of the two Hollanders. This circumftance, equally alarming to the Dutch Factory, drew bitter reproaches from the Japonese on this man for not having made a difcovery of his beads on examination; but he, without being in the leaft difconcerted, anfwered only that he did not believe fuch a trifle was worth mentioning, becaufe indeed it was not properly a fet of beads, many of the grains being wanting; and happily for him, he fhewed that he had made ufe of fome of them as buttons to his waistcoat, where in fact there appeared three or four, which greatly appeafed the Japonefe.

Thefe prifoners had a journal among their effects, which belonged to one of the Hollanders. Being delivered to the Heads of the Factory to give an account of it, they discovered by it that this Hollander was a zealous Catholick, and that he prided himself in having converted two perfons to that religion. All of them would have met with inevitable deftruction, if they had made a declaration of what they had difcovered. They contented themselves with faying, that none of the fix was a Prieft; that one of the Hollanders had deferted from Batavia, and that they claimed him to be fent back there and punished. The Japonefe Govenor did not confine himself to this examination: He made a long recital of the perfecutions the Catholicks had fuffered, and of their refolutions to die rather than commit a facrilege. Afterwards he orderd to be brought in the images that ferved for the Jefumi-teft, and told the prisoners they were to fpit upon them with contempt, and trample on them in an indignant manner. They all did as they were defired, and being difmiffed, were commanded on their peril to quit the country on board Dutch fhips and no other. In the mean time they were put again under an arreft and a hut of wood was built for them in which they were guarded by an armed band. This hut was burnt as foon as they had left it, but every night during their journey, they found a new one which was also burnt the next day,

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The refult of M. de Harens refearches is, that the Dutch more dextrous and more prudent than the Portugueze, never concerned themselves about the political affairs of the Empire of Japan, and availed themselves of circumstances for gaining there a fettlement. They have ever fince, he fays maintained themselves there alfo by the fame prudential conduct, and by a fubmiffion to the laws, which forbid the preaching up of any religion contrary to the worship authorized and followed in that empire.

Parliamentary Proceedings in Ireland, continued from page 201, of our laft number. Feb. 11, 1772. MR. R. Cramer mentioned, that notwithstanding promife had been made that no penfions fhould be added to the lift, yet feveral penfions had been ordered fince October last, and made to commence, fome in January 1770, and some in January, 1771.

Sir George Macartney replied, he fuppofed the honourable gentleman had been copying fome coffee-house lift, but that it was very common to antedate the commencement of the penfions, feveral months prior to the date of the King's letters to fuch perfons as merited fuch favour.

The House then refolved itself into a commitee, (Major Sir John Jefferies in the chair) on the heads of a bill for regulating Mafons, Carpenters, Painters, &c. and preventing combinations of the journeymen. The Bill being agreed to by the House, Major Jefferies was ordered to wait upon the Lord Lieutenant with the faid bill. The Houfe was then called over, and the defaulters ordered to be called over again on Monday next, and those who were not then present to be taken into cuftody of the ferjeant at arms.

Mr. Barry Barry moved, that a lift of the Penfions granted fince January 1, 1771, fhould be laid before the Houle, This was agreed to.

Mr Flood moved to have the Patent for the New Commiffioners of Excife read to the House, which was done. Mr. Mafon faid he thought there was fomething very particular in defiring the Excife Patent to be repeatedly read, and no notice taken of the Patent for the Custom houfe Board. He therefore moved that it might be read alfo; which being agreed to, it was read accordingly.

Mr. Cramer then moved that the former Patent for the laft Revenue-board might be read, to fee the extent of the powers in the different Patents, this was complied with.

Mr.

Mr. Flood moved that the refolutions formerly agreed to, relative to the new Boards might be read, which was done. Mr. Solicitor General moved that the Lord Lieutenant's anfwer, when the refolution was laid before him, might be read, which was alfo agreed to.

Mr. Flood then arofe, and faid, "he did not at prefent intend to enter into a difcuffion of the propriety or impropriety of the meafure, that had been already fully and fufficiently defeated; but the question then properly before the Houfe, was, how they fhould vindicate the honour of that houfe, affert its rights, and fhew a proper refentment for the contumely and infult with which it was loaded. The advice of the Houfe of Commons, expreffed in a refolution, and laid folemnly before the reprefentative of Majefty, was, that, feven Commiffioners had been found fufficient for the bufinefs of the Revenue.-Was not this an implication, that more then seven would be more than fufficient; and was not this fhewing the fenfe of the Houfe to be against this measure, as unneceffary and burthenfome? Yet the refolution of the House had been mocked at, their advice flighted and the measure caried into execution, in express contradiction to the Commons of Ireland. Was it not eafy to perceive that the intention of the Ministry was not only to throw contempt upon the Houfe, but even to make the people out of love with Parliament. The Commons are to give their advice, or not; they are to interpofe when any ruinous or destructive measure is on foot, or not to interpofe. If they are not advife, nor to interpofe then they are ufelefs; they are only a mere mockery of Parliament. But if they advife, if they interpofe, and they are then fet at naught, what muft people think of the dignity and utility of Parliaments, when they behold their advice and interpofition ferves only to bring down upon them, and to confirm the very evils which they deprecate. And people will foon grow out of love with Parliaments, when they fee they are made ufe of as a fword to wound, not as a fhield to protect them." He then moved the House to refolve, that this Houfe will difallow any expences, or contingent charges, or falaries which may be incured by dividing the commiffioners of excife from the commiffioners of cuftoms. and increafing the number of Commiffioners, contrary to the advise of this House fhewn in the refolutions which had been then read.

Mr. Mafon (one of the new Commiffiqners) began with complaining that "on this occafion he had been pointed out as a peculiar object of obloquy, both within doors, and to the public without doors, as if he had been particularly

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F f

culpable

culpable. Why (faid he) is the Patent of Excife particu larly animadverted on, and not put on the footing of that of the Cuftoms? Why is complaint made that the Board of Excife is taken from the Board of Cuftoms, and not that the Board of Customs, taken from that of Excife? When the refolution was inade, that feven commiffioners had been found fufficient, it is plain that regarded only times past, not the prefent time. Seven might have been a fufficient number in the year 1758, and yet not be fufficient now; therefore that refolution was only declarative of what had been, and not of what was, and as it had been made a handle on the prefent cccafion he looked upon it as a difgrace to the House. ??

Lord Kildare, jealous of the honour of Parliament, and with an honeft fpirit of patriotiin, which foeminently distinguishes that young nobleman, and worthy reprefentative of Dublin, took fire at this expreffion, and called Mr. Mason to order. Mr. Mason ftrove to extenuate the harshness of the expreffion and then went on thus :

"The diftreffes of this nation have been frequently mentioned in this houfe, and painted in very affecting colours. If this nation, is diftreffed, can any thing be more agreeable to true policy and tenderness in government, than to strive to relieve that diftrefs, by a proper collection of the established revenues, rather than burthen the publick with new taxes. It is notorious that all has not been made of the revenues which might have been made; and his Majefty wifely thought that the best resource was by this measure to regulate the mode of collecting the revenues, that the whole of its produce might be brought into the Treasury, and fully applied to the exigencies of government.-Gentlemen talk of the great increase of expence this measure will introduce, but they forget furely that all the expences of collecting and managing the excife and customs must be taken from the produce of the revenues and not from any appropriated fund.'

Mr. Cramer replied, that" even allowing the whole of the Gentlemen's argument, it proved nothing; for, if the charge of collecting the revenue was thus enormously encreafed, yet, though that charge was taken from the produce of the revenue, the neat remains would be thereby proportionably leffened."

Sir Edward Newnham fpoke next. He faid "from an experience of twelve years in the revenue, he averred that five commiffioners only were fufficient to do even more bufinefs than they have ever yet had to do.-That he looked upon this meature to be adopted only with the intention of procuring an undue influence by the multiplication of offices,

and