Star. — London, England, 1820-01-08 00:00:00

THE E‘'ENING STAR LONDON. SATURDAY. JANUARY 8; Is2o. THE FU201133. PRICK Of STOOKS THIS DAY AT OKI: O'CLOCK 3 per Cent. Reduced 68+ 3 per Cent. Consols 67+ 68 671 ex. div. Si per Cent. 76+ 4 per Cent. 85+ 86j 86 5 per Cent. Navy 1,021. 103 1021tx. div. Bank Long Annuities 17 15-16 India Bonds 9s. pr. Exchequer Bills (V.) par ls. dis. Consols for Acct. 694 k. The Paris Papers of Tuesday arrived last night, and those of Wednesday this forenoon. The follow ing are extracts: . - • PARIS, JANUARY 3. The Commission of the Chamber of Deputies en Petitions sat yesterday. They have prepared a Re port, which is to be presented by M. Maine de Bitan. The Deputies are summoned for to-morrow to hear a communication trom the Minister of Finance, and the Report above alluded to. M. lc Marshal Davoust had a private audience of the King, yesterday. The Duc de Bassano, banished by the Ordinance of the 24th July, 1315, arrived yesterday in Paris. Al, Bory Saint-Vincent, one of the recalled exiles, and one of the • authors of The General Annals of the Physical Sciences, set out from Brussels for Paris on the 31st ult. It is believed, that in a month \he will return to join bis learned fellow-labourers. It appears that M. Lavalette must.surrender him self a prisoner as soon as he shall arrive in Paris, in order that the King's pardon, which has been granted to him, should be confirmed iri solemn audience. M. Decazes is so indisposed, that he was not able .to appear at Court yesterday. _ _ The Law of Elections seems fatal to every one who means to attac:. it. It has given to M. De Serres a pain in his chest ; it has afflicted M. De l' with a loss of speech ; it has confined M. Decazes to his .bed; it has given head-aches to M. Laine,. and- a severe cough to M. Pasquier. As for M. Roy, be is quite hoar , ..e. M. Portal alone is able to speak, but every one knous that he will not speak. The recess of the 13ritish Parliament has caused a great number oi % English per ons of distinction to visit Kris. Lord Lowther and the lloi - .ourable Mr. Burrel arrived yesterday. JANUARY 4. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. The Motes-Verbal of last Sittirg having been read and approved of, M. BOR EL DE BRETIZEL made. a Report on a number of Petitions. None of them were of any public interest. The MINISTER of FINA Nen ascended the Tribune, and developed the grounds of a Project cf Law, libe rating the purchasers of national domains, or their assignees, of all balances which they may be owing to the Public Treasury. " A wise Government (said he) &lows of what importance it is to property, and to agricultural improvements, to place proprietors in a state of perfect security. It is in conformity with this principle that the present -Project has been drawn up. An article of the Charter has pronounced the inviolability of all property, even of that called na tional—the new law will go farther ; it will accord that which has not even been promised. The Govern ment will sacrifice, by this act of liberality, an arrear of between two and three millions, which, however, it could not have expected to recover in less than fifteen or twenty years, while a benefit will be con ferred, of the most extensive kind, and calculated to consolidate all the national interests." M. CAPELLE read the Project ; and, on the motion of the PRESIDENT, it was committed to the Bweaus for examination. PARIS, JANUARY 4. The King transacted business to-day with M. Hoy, the Minister of Fin adces. Count Gentil St. Alphonso has-resigned his situa tion, in the War Department, to General Latour- Fois sac. All the Civil and Military Authorities have bees sus pended from their functions. French Five per Cents. Tuesday, 71E Wk. A Harnburgh Mail has brOttght as, this forenoon, the Speech of his Royal Highness the Duke of CAMBAIDOK, as Governor-General and Represen tative of his Royal Highness the PRLNCE REGENT, on opening the General Assembly of the States of Hanover, on the 28th ultimo. At ten o'clock his Royal Highness proceeded in state to the Church of the Palace, and after Divine Service repaired, with much pomp, to the Hall of the Assembly; where, having taken his seat, and saluted the Deputies, who then all sat down, his Royal Highness (without rising) addressed the Assembly in the following words: " Worthy assembled States of the Kingdom—The more important the period is which begins for our beloved country on this day, on which the now es tablished relations and forms of the Assembly of the States take effect, the more agreeable it is to me to perform, as Governor. General of the Kingdom, in the place of the Prince Regent, my august Brother, the duty of introducing you, the Assembled States of the Kingdom, into the new sphere of action which now opens itself to your exertions. " The Royal" Letters Patent, of the fith of this month, have acquainted you with the principles which guided the Prince Regent in fixing the Con stittition of the General Assembly of the States ;—he had not in view the introduction of a new Constitu tion, founded merely on theoretical principles ; but, on the contrary, proceeded upon the conviction that it was most, consistent with the welfare of the king dom, to preserve, as far as possible, the existing In stitutions, which had been already sanctioned by ex perience, and only to introduce such modifications as the change of circumstances renders necessary. 44 The division into several Chambers is conform able to the German Coustitution, and particularly to that of our country : it is introduced into the General Assembly of the States with the more reason, as the important affairs of the country are thereby subjected to a mute careful and thz.rough examination. But far from you be the thought that the two Chambers are to be guided in their deliberations by a different ~.object. No : however your views may differ upon the subjects laid before you, you must turn all your thoughts to one grand object—the general welfare of .the country ! 6 • The Prince Regent depends on your patriotism and public spirit 'for keeping this object always in view; and for remembering that you all,, without ex ception, have to represent, in this Assembly, not your own persons, your class, your province, but the whole kingdom, and all classes of the inhabitants. The rights acceded to you are great; but great alto are your duties. The word of the Prince Regent gun In. tees the pre,ervation of the first; fulfil the latter with conscientious fidelity, and the satisfaction of having promoted, to the best of your ability, the gentle. good of the country, the favour of the Prince Regeii; and the gratitude of your fellow-citizens will accom pany ybu from this House to your own homes. " You w:11 be iej(:iced to Lear that no Hanoverian has been denounced as Ia• taking in the intrigues, the extensive ramifications of which have induced the German Confederation to adopt general mea sures. Unite your endeavours with those of the Go vernment to maintain this disposition ; that, under the blessings of undisturbed tranquillity and order, the welfare of the public, and individuals, may daily increase. .4 By the laudable exertions of both Provisincal Assemblies• of the States, many important aff.iirs have been put in a train for further discussion: it will be for you, Gentlemen, to complete what they have begun. Among all these subjects, one of the highest im portance to the welfare of all the inhabitants of the country, is the establishment of a general system of taxation, adapted to the wants of the &ate, and the situation of the various parts of the kingdom. The necessary previous measures are ordered, and the results v ill be laid before you in due time; and lastly, it is hoped in your first Session. Mean time, the existing taxes must continue, that the wants of the State may not be unprovided for." His Royal Highness proceeded to observe, " tfiat the Prince Regent, desiring to alleviate the public burdens as much as possible, had ordered very con siderable reductions in the army, and extended them as far as his obligations to the Confederation, and the maintenance of internal order allow. Some changes will be made in the military organization, which will be communicated to the States. Several subjects, connected with the administration of jus tice, &c. will also be laid before** States, in this and the following Session. Any proposals which you may yourselves make on the subjects submitted to you, will be willingly received and attended to by the Prince Regent. • The Ordinance which contains the necessary rules for the Order of your Assemblies, as well as the full powers of the Members, will be communi. cated to you by the Royal Commission, acting in the place of the Hereditary Marshal. At his hands you have to take the oath which the law prescribes. Bear it constantly in mind, and the blessings of HEAVEN, with imploring which we began our so lemnity of this day, will crown your labours with a secure and happy result." His Royal Highness then rose and returned to the Palace, in the same state as he came to the Assembly. A great number of spectators attended the ceremony. ~p..C~•.~.•. e •• ---~.,. BRUSSELS, JANUARY 3. •,IIII , ::.71 According to letters from the Southern Provinces, the excessive increase of the floods has caused great alarm in the Districts threatened to be inundated.— On the 27th ult. expresses arrived from several parts, at Utrecht, with alarming intelligence upon the state of the floods. The General Administration of the Dykes assembled immediately, and remained sitting, in order to meet with promptness every danger. CORFU, OCTOBER se. Ills Britannic Majesty's Commissioner, Sir Thomas Maitland, arrived here yesterday, on board the frigate Glasgow, and immediately disembarked. Major- General Adam, who officiated as Governor in his ab sence, did not expect him so soon. His Excellency had gone on the 11th, in an armed chaloupe, to Santa Maura, in order to ascertain on the spot what had beer► the cause of the late disturbances. According to a Decree of the Senate of the lonian Isles, martial law has been proclaimed at Santa Maura for - an indefinite period, and will remain in force as long as the General Government pleases,— TomeAlfF7 . BIRMINGHAM rowwgamipio. TURSIMY, JANUARY 4. At twelve o'clock the Hton BAILIDIO took the Chair, and read over to the Meeting the Requisition, io compliance with which he had called them togetisep to take into consideration the distressing state of Ma-' nufactures and Commerce, and to enter into Resolu tions to Petition both Houses of Parliament to make" inquiry into the causes of such distress. CHARLDS LLOYD, Esq. Banker, moved the dwee first Resolutions; and prefaced them by saying, that the situation of the country, and of Birmiigham In particular, was truly distressing, and milled most urgently for an inquiry to be instituted into the causes of such distress. He was a very old man, and his townsmen would, he hoped, appreciate his motives in coming forward upon this occasion, for nothing bat the awful importance of the occasion, could have justified him, at his time of life, in taking an active part in public business. He had always promoted the happiness of Birmingham, as much as lay in his power, and he yet hoped to live to see the return of prosperity to his townsmen. His speech breathed the purest benevolence, and his venerable appearance gave an uncommon interest to the proceedings. RICHARD SPOONER, Esq. seconded the Resolutions moved by Mr. Lloyd, in an animated and impressive speech. He stated, that the cause of these unexam pled distresses called most imperiously for inquiry : they were brought upon us by man, and they must be removed by man. They were an unnatural state of things. A country like this, possessing wealth, and all the means of creating wealth, more than any other country in the world, could never be reduced to this deplorable state of misery and privation, 'without being under the influence of some fatal delu sion. In 1816, we were told that the distresses arose from the transition from war to peace; but there was now no such transition! Was it not strange that this country could support a war of unexampled continu ance and expenditure, with a population compare. Lively thriving and happy—yet in time of peace, no thing but beggary, pauperism, and ruin, stared every man in the face? What was the end of war, but a state of things, which gave plenty and prosperity to the in dustrious of every class of the community, and which was always looked forward to as a compensation for the evils that are endured in the progress of it. In 1317 and 1818, trade revived, and with it hope and expectation that all would be well again, and that the gloom and distress of 1816 had passed away. But now, in 1820, the misery has become overwhelm ing, and we are plunged deeper and deeper in ruin. The payments made to the Out-poor at the work. house in December, 1816, amounted weekly to about 4.:700. The payments in December, 1819, to the Out pour, amounted weekly to about the same sum ; but in 1816, the bushel of wheat was 15s. now it is only bs. consequently, the number now receiving parochial aid is nearly double to what it was in 1816. He then alluded to the various plans for relieving the poor, with which the Newspapers are filled, and stated that it was mere delthion to think that the mass of the population could be prcivided for in any other way than a fair remunerai ion for their labour, and that this 'remuneration must be found, or the evils would cure themselves, and that at no distant time. As to charity it would be ruin to think that its efforts could be, or ought to be, efficient in re lieving the wants of the million. His speech was re ceived with great applause. Mr. JOHN TURNER (button manufacturer) rose to object to some of the observations of the - last speaker. He thought that he had made some remarks which were extremely improper, respecting Charitable In stitutions—(No, no !)—He insisted upon it •that he had—(Hisses). He was not to be put down by cla mour. He observed a party in the Meeting whom he had recognised at former Meetings—(Question . !) The Thom BAILIFF requested that Mr. Turner might proceed without interruptioq. Mr. TURNER resumed. He said that he did not understand Mr. Spooner's account of the Out-poor ; but he had no hesitation in saying, that the cause of the paupers being so numerous, was, they were idle and improvident men, and many received relief who were able to pay to the poor themselves. Hz. had a man some years ago who was enabled, by employing others under him, to get ten guineas per week— (Hisses. —What has that to do tvith it!). He said, men would not work—(Hisses). His mouth was not to be stopped—(Give him some Pea' Soup!)—Mr. Turner could not obtain a patient bearing, and sat down, after thanking that small part of the Meeting which had hot interrupted him. As to the others, they were beneath his contempt—(Loud and general laughter and hisses). Mr. Sroowxa explained. He said Mr. Turner had cemprtmented him for the goodness of his heart; but t , he felt no gratitude to him far sacrificing his head at the same time; and he would leave it to the Meeting, _whether his head and his heart did, or did not, meet their approbation? Resolutions were passed, and very able speeches were delivered by T. G. Sateox, Esq. Mr. JAMIE Panasow, merchant; Mr. Porra, merchant; and other highly-respectable Gentlemen, Mr. J. }imam merchant, stzteif,4oi . the Manu facturers were themselves ills Cause of their own dis tress, in a great measure. /hey aile credit to vaga- A .4', • • bond merchants, c.arltal,* and their losses mom from that Thf:Prt,e4nectiPt '~ ' K -` :. • . •-• nated with a - Glendon= who had publithed optnlons respecting the Paper eurrency, but he thought the evil rested upon that. It enabled men to speculate and over-trade. He made cat ious other o ervations ancrallusions, which by some were considered irrele vant to the object of the Meeting. Mr. Pitirsos said, that if it were allowed for Gentlemen to state their opinions of the causes of the present distresses, he saw" no end to the discus sion, as men were as different in their opinions of such causes as they were in physiognomy ; all that was wanted was inquiry. Mr. TltositAa AttwooD then Carrie forward and said, that as he had been pointedly alluded to by one or two Gentlemen. be thotr.ht proper to address a few observations to the Meeting He sliould not now give his opinion as to the cause or the remedy of that distress, which he could not contemplate without horror and amaze,, ent. He knew both cause and remedy ; and 11:! was as certain of them as he was of the ground upon which he stood. Ile had heard a great deal about over-trading, and over ',population, but he despise • such opinions, founded as they were upon error. Lord Lauderdale and Mr. Brougham (for both of whom he had a great re spect) assigned our distresses in part to over-popu lazion—but what is the fact ?—Do we not see the markets glutted with all kinds of food and clothing, and all the necessaries and comforts of life on the one hand ;—and a starving, poverty-stricken, mise rable population, wanting that abundance of the 'produce of the earth, to feed and cloth them—Ln the other hand ?—The Clothiers in Yorkshire and else where, are crying out that they cannot sell their goods—the population are crying out that they are . th . pen ingfor want of them, but have no money to buy 'them with?—Do not the farmers say they cannot get a price for their grain, and their butter and cheese, that will enable them to pay their rent and taxes—. and are not the population now famishing for want of food?—Let us hear no more of surplus population, until it is found that Yorkshire cannot supply us with clothes,—and Englanu with bread !—He had like wise heard a great deal about the evils of machinery, but he looked upon that in the same light as he did upon some other opinions. Whatever increased the wealth or productive powers of a nation w a , a goad. A nation cannot be too rich. We cannot have too much riches among us. Suppose, by the agency of machinery, the produce of the country be ti ebled in one year, the natural consequence of that would be, that we should ali be Gentlemen for two years ; we should have created as much in one year as would last us three, and where would be the harm if we were all Gentlemen for two years ? He then al luded to what Mr. Turner had stated respecting the cause of pauperism, and thought that Gentleman answerable for casting such reflections upon the , working classes as he had dome. %% as this a time to tell the poor that they had been improvident, whet, they were absolutely s% tithing under the pres sure of want and hunger and cold ?—wlen the cup of wretchedness was up to the brim? Hew would that Gentleman, or how would any of us feel, if we were in the same situation as they are; obliged to go to our Parishes for the miserable pittance which was to save our wives and our children from death? ' Should we like to be taunted with the errors of our 'former prosperity ? and who amongst you, Gentle men, who are now. in a proud eminencewhich places you far, far above want, that has not errors to lament? but, fortunately, errors which have not that fatal et. fect which sends you to your parish as a pauper"— He said, that so various were our opinions upon these things, and many of them so miserable, that he thought the Nation was running mad, before it could come to its senses.--The whole of his speech was de livered in a manly, able, and patriotic straits, end produced a great effect on the company. Mr. Emsoxas congratulated the Meeting upon the unanimity of its proceedings, and the part which those Gentlemen who conducted it had taken. They were the natural leaders of their townsmen, and whenever the people were separated from them, it was much to be lamented. He did not think the Parliament would take any notice of the Petition s farther than suffering it to be read and laid upon the table. He said Mr. Turner came there to divide the Meeting; but he was happy to see that he had received that rebuke from Gentlemen which he so much me , rited.---The Meeting then broke up. We regret to learn, by a second edition of Mt Litchfield Mercury, received this morning, that the Birmingham Theatre has been burnt to the ground s " Litchfield Mercury Office, Friday, 10 o'clock. We stop the Press to state that intelligence has just reached this City, stating that the Birmingham Theatre has been burnt to the ground. The flames were discovered soon after the per formances of the evening closed: further partictlars have nit transpired." We find the intelligence also confirmed by the fol• lowing article in The Coventry Herald : a Henkl Office, Friday. " Just U our Paper was going to Press we learnt that Theatre &gal l Birmingham, was last night entirely destroyed by fire. The play of Pharr* bad been performed; and k is presumed the fire-works introduced, had communicated with a part of the scenery. The fire was discovered about half past one o'clock ; and ip three hours this noble building was a canoe• plete heap of ruins." Yesterday morning, as a poor Woman Was Walking along Charlotte-street, Fiteroy-square f with a heavy load on.-her head, she slipped down, and was' se iii:eadfully hurt, that she died while being conveyed, r o. a shutter, to the Middlesex Hospital. .. . . • • • • • • F ► e e r t t LI e I. O • Is 1- lC le le lt, s- ld if .c 1 ? lar es t? se he Id la ad I be ch ey ad it he be Abe red or , rSe the s IP