Star. — London, England, 1830-01-23 00:00:00

THE LITERARY UNION. We yesterday announced the opening of this establish went. We now give a List of the Trustees and Com mittee for the year 1830, which we invite our con temporaries to copy, for the general information of the pub lic, and to prove a kindred spirit with the principle of the new Institution. Sir GEORGE DUCKETT, Batt. THOMAS CAMPBELL, Esq. Doctor LARDNER. W. ALEXANDER MACKINNON. Rev. Doctor WADE. WILLIAM AYRTON. Esq. THOMAS BARNES, Esq. Prince CIMITILLE. Sir FRANCIS PRIMING, Dart. I. L. GOLDSMID, Esq. Doctor HENDERSON. JOHN GIBSON LOCKHART, Esq. JOHN MARTIN, Esq. R.A. Bight Hon. Sir I. G. OUSELEY, Bart. W. H. PICKERSGILL, Esq. A.A. Sir GEORGE STAUNTON, Bart. Right Hon. Lord Viscount TORRINGTON. R. WATSON. Esq. I. WEBSTER, Esq. MR. OWEN. ADDRESS to the MERCHANTS and to the WHOLESALE and RETAIL TRADERS in GREAT BRITAIN. The business in which you are engaged is, fortu nately for yourselves and society, rapidly drawing to a termination. The genuine British merchant is already scarcely to be found in any part of the world, and the wholesale and retail trade of tne kingdom will soon be absorbed by a few great houses, such as Morrison and Co. Leaf and Co. Ellis, &c. &c. which principle of trade will continue to obtain until the whole business shall be taken up by banking bazaars, which will supersede banking, and every other more expensive and hazardous mode of representing and distributing throughout society the wealth of the producers. It is, doubtless, under existing pleasant to our feelings, to be obliged to alter our estab lished habits, and to seek subsistence by a different direc tion of our faculties to that we have been accustomed: but such a change as that which is about to become un avoidable on your part, will, instead of being productive of injurious results, be ultimately highly beneficial to yourselves and to the public. It is evident to every one, that you do not create a particle of wealth for society; but that, without any adequate compensation to it, or real benefit to yourselves, you consume, in the support of useless, showy establishments, a large portion of that wealth which others produce. The real utility to the public of all your industry lies in the distribution you may make of the wealth produced by the industrious classes: but this your system effects, only at an enormous waste of that wealth, and at a cost of, perhaps, 99 per cent. beyond what would be necessary under a rational ar rangement of society, to produce and to distribute in the best manner. 1, nn- You are, however, blameless ; you have acted under a system which you did not comprehend—which you could not direct, but which, on the contrary, has controlled you. You would not run much less risk, you would be engaged in occupations greatly more favourable to health and intelligence, and be less liable to deteriorating mental and moral influences, were many of you to become pro ducers of wealth, under proper arrangements, instead of being distributors of it, under the very unfavourable cir cumstances in which you have hitherto been placed. The interest and happiness of yourselves and families require that you should, as speedily as possible, be relieved from the injurious position in which a most irrational state of society has placed you—making you almost a dead weight upon society, and rendering you, by the fanciful, expen sive establishments you have thought it beneficial to form, useless and extravagant consumers of wealth, instead of being active and intelligent producers of it, which wealth would have been made to add greatly to your own com fort, and to the riches of the public. It is clearly, Von, for the interest of the British Em pire, that there should be, among its population, the greatest number of intelligent producers, and the fewest distributors of wealth. I therefore thus address you, to prepare you for a change of this description—a change which the increase of knowledge renders necessary and unavoidable, and which will contribute more than could any occurrence, however favourable under the existing system of society, to the attainment by your class of permanent prosperity and happiness. The superior faculties of your nature can never be called forth under a system which makes it appear to be your interest to endeavour to buy as cheap, and to sell as dear as possible. While men are involved in such practices it is idle to talk of virtue ; as under a sys tem which is technically termed fair trading, they do but endeavour to obtain advantages one over the other—the more acute or intelligent prevailing over the more ignor ant or simple. In a rational state of society, were you to be as suc cessful in obtaining wealth as you are under this system generally the reverse, your employment would be deemed useless and degrading. It is a system of vicious competi tion, for the purpose of procuring for each family the ' greatest amount, directly or indirectly, of the hard earnings of the industrious classes. It is a wretched ar rangement of society, productive of little good to any, and of much evil to all. That such a system should be brought to a speedy ter mination, your interest and y our happiness clearly re quire ; and therefore it is expedient that you should afford all the aid in your power to effect the proposed change with the least possible delay. Your friend and former associate 49, Bedford-square, Jan 18. ROBERT OWEN. The Journal de Rouen bas the following article : " The project for opening a canal from Rouen to Paris seems likely to be carried into execution. We are as.. sured that the plans and designs have been already trans mitted to the chief authorities of the department. The expence is estimated at upwards of sixty millions of francs, which would indicate that the canal is to be ex ecuted on a very large scale. If we are rightly informed, It is intended that vessels of 200 tons' burthen should be able to proceed to Paris. For certain parts of the canal advantage will be taken of the bed of the Seine, which will be widened and deepened. For other parts, cuts will be made, in order to avoid the windings of the river and difficult passages. Even if this gigantic project should not be realised, it is certain that the navigation of the Upper Seine is to be improved. It is not yet said whether the works from Rouen to Honaeur are to be executed ; but these seem a necessary consequence of the others, and capitalists to undertake them would certainly be found, either at Rouen or elsewhere." COLUMBIA. TO THE THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. LETTER XXIV. Bogor*, Oct. 14, ISM Si a—The high police and criminal justice, " those two tutelary institutions of social order and public peace," are very far from having obtained in Columbia any degree of perfection. The first, which should pursue the attempts, and macLinations against the internal tran quillity by securing the delinquents and delivering them over to the judicial power, scarcely can be said to exist. The second is very dilatory in its administrative proceed-, Inge. The laws are intricate, and, by their entangle ment, cause great prejudice in criminal, as well as in the civil cases. This is another of the sorry legacies be queathed us by the legislation of Spain, and the conse quence of not having promulgated our own civil and penal code. In the midst of all the misfortunes of Columbia, the army has preserved its glory untainted, and its love of country has continued to shine with the same splendour as in the first days of the Republic. With very few exceptions, under peculiar circum stances, it has been the ornament and pillar of our in dependence, and of order, and we owe to it— Country and Government. History will consecrate the names of the many illustrious warriors who have contributed to the glory of Columbia, and whose conduct has been distinguished by so many virtues. Nevertheless, even in this branch, various reforms are also necessary, especially in the administrative parts, where a great want of method and economy prevails. Our army is mostly composed of persons who embraced in very early life the profession of arms, and who have not had the opportunity to improve their minds and culti vate general knowledge ; hence some individuals enter tain exaggerated pretensions, •are ever desirous of in tervening in political and state affairs, and are prone to make of the armed force, a sword of Democles. With this exception, the Columbian army has given the most exemplary proofs of endurance, disinterested ness, and devotedness; often totally destitute, frequently wanting absolute necessaries, ill paid, ill clothed, ill provided—it has yet always been faithful to the cause of the country, has every day acquired fresh titles to national gratitude, and possesses the most incontestible right to be recompensed by the Government, us soon as the public prosperity permits those rewards to be distributed which justice has already put on record. Thanks to HLAV EN I have now concluded the painful task of examining the internal state, and foreign relations of Columbia. My heart has ached every time that I was compelled to take from my palette those black colours which I was obliged to use, when delineating the moral physiognomy of our people. There are patriots who will, perhaps, be offended at my not having dissimulated some of its lineaments; others, more sanguine in their views,will accuse me of having painted our situation in too dark hues ; but I believe that I have strictly fulfilled my duty, by not violating the truth, and by not asserting or suppressing any thing that might cause, or connive at error. Of what use is it to write, if the torch of truth may not be lighted which should show clearly to the nation all that was interesting for it to become acquainted with? Do evils exist the less because they are covered with a veil? and if they be not examined and exposed, how is it possible to apply any remedies? But if my description of the present state of things be calculated to afflict us, do not let it be supposed that I see in this state, any thing out of the natural order, or that I despond as to the future. If we open the annals of the nations which have preceded us in the course of ages—if we reflect on the many generations which have passed away--on the many distinct races which have disappeared from the earth, without enjoying a pros perous social state, we must agree that a multitude of favourable circumstances, and an extraordinary amount of fortuitous intelligences, are necessary to favour the introduction of light into the popular classes, to disperse the mists of ignorance, and to perfect political science. We shall find that the cause of the slow progress made by men in their moral improvement, is to be ascribed to their natural indolence, the attachment which they have to contracted habits, to the blind respect they entertain for those prejudices which they have imbibed in their infancy, as well as to the difficulties opposed to their amelioration and instruction, by classes which are in terested in keeping them in subjection under the triple yoktrof ignorance, despotism, and superstition. If from the records that we have indicated as contain ing the important story of the life of nations, it should appear that other people, more happily situated, and as sisted by circumstances more favourable, have made but slow advances in the path of improvement, is it to be wondered at that Columbia should have committed faults in her political infanc, and that he should have stag gered on her road b e tween i the nfluences of light and darkness ? The history of antiquity, of the middle ages, and of all modern people, offer sufficient examples of vicissitudes and errors. Even France and Great Britain, what did they not undergo before they could consolidate their institutions? In the United States of America, after the war of independence, we saw agitations, dis turbances, heated factions, and insurrections in some provinces, although under the Presidentship of the virtuous, and prudent WASHINGTON. Was not the general Government on the point of being overthrown ? was not the Union threatened, after thirty-eight years of existence ? lam satisfied that the evils of Columbia are but tem porary, and I have no doubt she will triumph over them, because she possesses in herself a great inherent vital power. If the Constituent Congress and the LIBERA TOR apply, as I have no doubt they will, the remedies which the public weal demand, we shall shortly see its prosperity re-established, and those elements of good, which hay* been hitherto compressed, will develope them selves. Countries like ours, " which are engemmed with emeralds, amethysts, cinab er, platina, iron, copper, and lead—countries where we tread on gold and silver— countries which produce all the wealth of the vegetable kingdom, such as vanilla, coffee, tobacco, silk, cotton, quasi*, cacao, and cochineal," cannot be poor. after the day they determine to be industrious. Material improvement will aid moral improvement, and abundance will intro , duce reforms into our social and political customs and habits. In Columbia, favoured in the greater part of her ter ritory by that tranquil sone which Vino IL describes " as most suitable for the habitation of man," the smiling aspect of a beauteous Nature will contribute to exalt and nourish the imagination. The spirit of men will kindle, consolatory acts will disseminate their flowers, the sublime sciences will take root, and all the rays of genius will shed their lustre. Industry will receive a powerful impulse—we shall our products to Pent mid Guyana, to Para an e d7ordi Americo, to Africa and Europe. Civilisation, the daughter of Time, and pro tectress of nations, will extend her empire to the shores of both Oceans, will pour forth from fall hands, all her benefits over the country of heroism, AND Tun wept or BOLIVAR. GARCIA DEL MO. WATTS v. LAWSON. The following is the letter-of Mr. WATTS, 1.0 which we referred yesterday : SIR—My attention has only thisday been directed to an article in a late number of your journal, under the above head, which professes to have been copied from the Times, and which contains some very gross misrepresentations on the subject of the late trial. The original remarks, coupled as they were with a repo r t of the evidence, what flatly contradicted them, appeared to me to require no comment ; as, however, you have thought proper to transfer them to your columns, you will not, I presume, (unless your notions of justice resemble those of the editors of the Times), refuse insertion to my reply.. It is not true that the editors or publishers of the Tines, or any of their servants, " offered to insert with pleasure" the " long letter read at the trial, so far as it pretended to correct the report of what took place at the police-office." In consequence of their refusal to insert the letter subscribed with my name, and afterwards pub lished in several other newspapers, upon the pretence that they had nothing to do with the truth or falsehood of the imputations made at the police office, another statement was prepared by Mr. Emerson, confined almost entirely to the correction of the misrepresentations, ex aggerations, and omissions of the report. After striking out nearly all that could have rendered such an explana tion effective (on the novel ground that if " they al lowed their reporter to be contradicted he would be for ever disqualified from appearing at a police-oflice again,") and prefixing to the fragments which then remained the word "ADVERTISEMENT," they informed Mr. Emerson that they should require ten guineas for its pub lication (altered and modified as it had been by thorn selves ;) and in reply to a further application respecting it to Mr. Murray (a reputed editor and proprietor of the Times) he was informed by a letter from that gentleman that the statement could only be inserted as an adver tisement ; and that he could not order its insertion with out being himself responsible for the payment of the money (ten guineas) demanded for that privilege. The letter was returned the next morning, abridged and altered throughout, and with the word " advertisement" prefixed to it. This document, and the letter from Mr. Murray (the existence of which the editors of the Times seem to have forgotten,) you are at perfect liberty to in spect if you think proper so to do. It will be seen, therefore, that the remark of the learned Judge was well founded, and did not " spring out of either a misrepresentation or misapprehension of the plaintiff's witnesses." The assertions of the editors of the Times, that they could have proved the correctness of their ac counts if their able counsel had deemed it expedient, is almost too ridiculous for notice. After procuring the postponement of the trial, at great expense to themselves and inconvenience to me, upon the pretence of the ab sence of a material witness, they call no witness at all ; but content themselves with the defence that they "wished to cast no imputation on me ; that all that I had done was consistent with honour, and that there was, therefore, no imputation upon me." This declaration, and the learned Judge's opinion that the defendant had not only failed to support his plea of justification, but that the plaintiff's evidence had " negatived certain parts of it, which, in his Lordship's judgment, reflected upon the plaintiff's character,' will (with the verdict of the Jury) afford abundant answer to the gross insinuations above referred to —I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Torrington-square, Jan. 19. A LARIC A. WATTS. WEST LONDON THEATRE. THE CITY PANTHEON. The minor and private theatres are running a race with those of higher pretensions ; and they are not only entitled to the encouragement of the public on account of being less expensive, but for the fair proportion of talent displayed by the performers. The boards of these minors are now not unfrequently graced by actors that have figured with applause in the larger theatres ; and whose powers of pleasing are equal to many who look with scorn on their humble exertions. The West London grows daily in celebrity ; and under its present mantgement will, no doubt, prove as gratifying to its visitors as comfortable to the enterprising parties engaged in it. For some evenings back the new Melo-drama of the Field of Forty Footsteps increased in attraction, and certainly not without reason, for it is really a well-conceived and effective piece ; some scenes are intensely interesting, though neither over wrought nor unnatural. The marriage contract in the last act is perhaps the best. Miss A. TIME'S conception of what we would call the tragedy of passion, for such it is, rather surprised even her oldest observers. Vie two's acting is as excellent as Mrs. WAY LETT'S is amusing. There is, indeed, a pleasing diversity in the whole of the characters, which adds to the interest of the piece. The City Pantheon is an histrionic School of a dif ferent order, in which students, subscribers, and amateurs, are at liberty to unfold and display their talents for the drama, without those restraints wbich impose fetters on the performers and audiences in places of a higher order: When the public are informed for the first tirte—for we never observed that the place was noticed be fore—that the Pantheon is situate in the classic recesses of Grub-street, it need not be added that there is some attractive metal to be found there. In a recent visit we found it a place in which were collected Noble, simple, all coodithms, Lawyers, poets, priests, physicians I The performance was Pizarro, with the musical altar piece of Rosiaa ; and with some slight exception. in the memories of the unpractised—for which a due apology was made—there really was nothing to laugh at or blame in the whole evening's entertainment.— The novices are assitted here by a few players of some standing and fair fame. Among these, it is but just to mention Mrs. CitAwronv, whore performance u Elvira was most deservedly applauded. The company at the Pantheon are deeply indebted to this lady for her able assistance ; and her friends, both in town and in the pro vinces, will be gratified to learn that she ably sustained her well-earned reputation on the evening in question. It would not be fair to close this imperfect notice of the Pantheon without reference to the scenery, which is painted and got up by Mr. BCDTORD, truly in a very exquisite manner. The house, which is calculated to contain about 1,500 persons, was crowded to excess. It may be proper enough to entreat Ministers to con sider the posture of national affairs, to hold county meetings, and frame petitions to Parliament for the repeal of oppressive taxes. Some good is sure to spring from careful investigation and fair discussion; but who reaps the advantage ? While politicians are disputing as to the causes of the present distress, -and opposite partite are throwing the blame of the deproseion of wade. and the .sanity of MO:My, one upon the other ; while even &- interested and isp assionate anatomists—for such, we hope, there are,—earnestly endeavour to trace the canoe of the disown in Ito elects, the wink of destruction is p r oceeding ; and, whatever may be the result as to the body politic, to many of its mambas their researches are windy &post-mortem eaaminatiOn.—Chrittim Advocate SEVERITY OF THE IVEATHER. So - Wense was the cold on Monday night last, that Fahrenheit** t j hormoineteiv (in die, garden of a gentleman residing in this town) fail to sat degrees, being 26 below the freezing point.—Cmairidge Chronicle. In consequence of the very heavy fall of snow, four or five of the coaches, from different parts of the country, were unable to reach this lowa on Wednesday last, and those that did arrive were in mend long after their usual hour. The snow has drifted so considerably in several parts of the Norfolk road as to be above six feet high, in consequence of which the Swaff ham coach was drawn one stage beyond Brandon by eight waggon horses.—Cambridge Chronicle. Monday night the London mail did not arrive till seven minutes past seven o'clock, P.m. being more than three hours and a half beyond its usual time. It seems that Sunderland-bridge the horses suddenly ran off, by which the coach was overturned, and the harness so much de stroyed, that the coachman had to return to Durham for a fresh supply before the mail could proceed. There were no passengers, and we understand the guard and coach - man escaped with little or no injury.—Edinburgh Paper. The following extracts from the Paris Papers show that the unusual severity of the season experienced in England, is common to all Europe : The cold is excessive in Hungary. They have not experienced the like in that country within the last twenty years. The communications between the cities of Rotterdam and Dordrecht, were, in the beginning of this month, maintained by sledges on the ice. In the former of these cities a fair was held upon the Meuise.—Le National. The Memorial des Pyrenees of the 12th instant, states, that within the memory of man so severe a Minter has not been felt in these countries. '1 he bread, the meat, the eggs, freeze in the apartments. The ground is so Lard, the grave-diggers being unable to open it to inter the dead, the coffins arc left without burial until the thaw. Letters of the same date from Neuchatel (Switzerland) state that the Lake is frozen front Iverdon to Grandou e to about nine inches in thickness. It extends along the lake to a distance of two miles front the shore. A linter, laden with wine, was caught in the ice, at several hun dred paces from the bank. Fears being entertained that the wine would be frozen, an attempt was made to bring. it ashore by means of sledges, drawn by horses harnessed with very long ropes. The attempt completely succeeded, and all the casks were landed. The bargemen reside on board, and go on foot to the town to purchase provisions. It is a long time since a like phenomenon has been wit nessed there. The course of the waters being impeded bye the ice, this consequence has been, that in the department of the Eastern Pyrenees, a great portion of the fields, and even of the roads, presents nothing but a sheet of ice. At Angouleme, the subscriptions for the relief of the poor, amounted, on the 7th of this month, to 4,398 francs. In a great number of the towns of France, subscriptions for the same purpose are opened, and fill rapidly. The severity of the winter is such, that in a great many places great numbers of unfortunate people would perish of cold and destitution, if the public benevolence did not come to their support. The Departmental Journals cite many in stances of persons who have perished by the cold. A letter dated Madrid, 31st December, says, " The cold is so extraordinary at this moment that the thermo meter of Reaumur is nine degrees below Zero, a circum stance which never before hapren:d in the memory of man. The same degree of cold is felt in the provinces ; and accounts from Bilboa state that swans have Leen seen there, an occurrence extremely rare in the Penin sula. Several sentinels and carriers have perished fri.m cold ; and the French Mail, which should have arrived on the morning of the 28th, is not yet come in. The cold has caused much sickness. The total superfices of the streets and places of Paris, is estimated at 3,000,000 metres. The cleansing of si considerable an extent of ground, presents great *didicul ties which are every year in proportion to the severity of the season. In the course of the months of January and February, 1826, the administration expended on extra ordinary days work labourers and carts to break, raise, and carry away the ice, a sum of 150,000 francs. It the course of the months of January, February, and March, 1827, a sum of 163,000 francs was applied to this purpose. From 1827 to 1828, there was uo winter. In the course of the months of January, February, sad March, 1829, a sum of 196,000 francs was expended Ott this service. On the 6th of December, 1829, the thermo meter had fallen to 44 degrees, and on the 14th the cold became still more intense. On the 17th, 19tp, and 20th, there fell, without interruption, a much more considerable quantity of snow than in any preceding year, and recourse was had to extraordinary means. In fine the expense of breaking and carrying away the ice amounted to 146,000 francs. Thus then the sum expended for this purpose in the single month of December, 1829, has been nearly as considerable as that laid out during the two or three month.' of each of the win ters of 1226 and 1827, and during the three first menthe of 1829.—Le National. The Rhone is frozen at the Bridge St. Esprit. The like did not happen these fifty years. A soldier of the regiment of Hohenlohe lately crossed the riser on foot. Figaro. The cold is excessive at Perpignan, in the neighbbir hood of which a river, having lately burst its batiks; a I flock of 200 sheep was found, perished in the ice ! The Pyrenees have been for some time impassable by carriages of every kind, owing to the frost, and the mails are conveyed by men on foot or on horseback. The letters contain nothing worthy of notice, except tho intensity of the cold at Cadiz, where they have had three degrees'ef frost by Reaumur's male, equal to 2Li of Fahrenheit. Such a circumstance bad not occurred within the raesnefiry of the oldest inhabitant. Frost is so unusual et Ca4i4, that even ice hes not been seen since the year 171 k, a period of 37 years. A translation of Moona's Life of Lord By RoR 'is preparing for publication in Paris. The spot on which the coin containing the sacr4ll remains of the lamented Sir Tuumas LA wnrac.p . iw deposited is in the south-eastern vault, adjoining the cemeteries of the deceased's predecessors, Wrwr, It iv- WoLDS, BARRY, and OYU, and within a few yurdi cf the tomb of Sir Cutters:sem IA WREN. The state of the streets is quilt shaißefel. It secn4l seem as if those who have the direction of such matters had determined to leave to the slow process of the and thaw, that which the inhabitants pay so largely fur having oe by human labeur.—Morning Herald. • • - NNW FARDINGDON NAIUtZT—THIS DAY. . Them 'ruin menses supply of Ilse mess km ttuday..44lb. umbel Imo very respectahly amide& bless pit Th. di o t owb Dss4—R•sedag pens. diL sad M. CANdesokstata.. . "y. 4d. sad 4s. Squid quantity. Is. Row 1114..._ P 4 Rine of Due, W. Wayless Illeme-..lll.sider. If* .. ed• is. did. Ne 41.444. Own. 41. , d. 411 0 464 * W. to U. Pass (cosatry kd)-1144.14 7d. • 'ln *a use Airs went Vessiellii ill hake tat • • r • . . : , ' 1 7 • \ . '~ '~ I I