Star. — London, England, 1820-03-21 00:00:00

• WESTMINSTER ELECTION. TENTH DAY. The numbers at the close of the poll this day were, Sir - - - - 5754 Dlr. Ho 4110(1$1; 5501 irk. LA • t - 2809 Mr Lena then came forward and addressed the Diet:tin e -. Ile said, that' in cons equence of the ab scree or the lion. Gentlemen who had addressed them on the part of the Honourable Baronet, it be came his privilege to speak first on that day. It was the less necessary that a substitute should appear for the Honourable Baronet, as his poll spoke adequately for hint, leas the same was not the case with Mr. liobhouseS whose. condition on the poll created no despair in.him. They all knew well, not only from the example of the present but of past Elections, that Monday .was always a prospei M 5 day with his op ponents, vet the result of this prosperous day was very far from giving him the least alarm, as it had ended in placing Mr. lit-Isle:else not more than 130 a-head of him---(slieslanse and disapprobation). He should confine himself to a very few remarks, be cause he found that whether he spoke or omitted to speak, he was equally censured by his opponent. He Lad been charged on the last day with being too erbose in his steeelies and advertisements, but he could say, with all respect to Mr. Ilobhouse, that he neither. spoke his speeches nor wrote his advertise ments with a view to please him. If he did, it was very probable that he would be willing .to take his hints, but as in their present state of rivalry nothing could be farther from his intention, the hints were thrown away upon him altogether. Something had been said as to the propriety of his(Mr. Lamb's) put-', ting an end to the contest, by resigning, in order that his opponent might go to the assistance of Mr. Samuel Whitbread, in Middlesex; but though he felt every good wish towards that Gentleman ; though 'he hoped and believed that his canvass would be at tended with success, he thought it not unnatural that he should attend to his own business in the first in stance. Besides, he could tell his opponent, 'who was so anxious to have the Election carried with a high hand, that if he was to retire before all the Electors had polled, that satisfactory conclusion could not be very distinctly manifested. The Honourable Gentleman had spoken of his altered tone with re spect to the Honourable Baronet. He had never spoken of him in any other ; but he could not avoid cangratolsaing the Meeting on the altered tone of the Lionourable Gentleman himself towards the Party of which he (Mr. Lamb) was a member. They recollected his language on the last Election ; they recollected being told, that if it was not for the Re volution the Whigs would not have a rag to cover their nakedness. They recollected being told at the conclusion that the name of Whig was become a by word and a reproach; but in the present Election he thought eloper to eulogize them, and to hold out their principles as worthy of imitation. He had not spoken disrespectfially of a single Whig, with the ex ception of himself. He had no doubt thaf the Hon. Gentleman was influenced by the best motives in this change, and that, considering the Whigs to be useful to 'thew country, he had fairly retracted his former impressions upon feeling that conviction. The poll was not more against him (Mr. Lamb) than he had anticipated; and he still felt confident of success. His friends, who now saw the necessity of coming for ward, would, he had no doubt, exert themselves ac corcengly: there were Electors enough still unpolled to secure his success, and it only required activity in them to prevail in putting a very satisfactory end to the present contest. Mr. Horan:meg, in beginning his address, observed, that considering the extraordinary patience which his Honourable opponent had evinced, and the very persevering manner in which he had adhered to the present contest, he could not help regretting that he had not been sent on a more fortunate expedition than the present, because his patience skewed that he was capable of enduring not only fifteen days, but fifteen years fatigue. In this opinion he was the more confirmed, because he did not see how it was possible for his. Honourable opponent to cut down the very high majority lie had of neatly 700—but there was not any idea of what a man of talents might do. As, however, Mr. Lamb informed them that he was still confident of the result, he hoped they would still continue their cdotts. lie was aware there was still a great number who required to be polled ; but still it might easily be imagined, from the number who had polled, what were the zeal sentiments of those who had not polled. He had, on a former day, expressed a wish that this contest should be ended, in order that all the ener gies of the Electors might be turned to the accom plishment of their mighty object, the success of Mr. Whitbread, but his opponent seemed determined to hold out to the last. That Mr. Samuel Whitbread was a young man deserving of their attention, was what none of them could deny. He must therefore own that he was quite astonished at the coolness of his Honourable opponent, who had followed the old maxim, "let every man attend to himself first:- let still he was sure that his Honourable opponent would forgive him, when he said, that Mr. Lamb, in now coming forward for Westminster, had consulted his own interest, not that of the Electors. His de sire in wishing to support Mr. Whitbread, was not because Mr. Whitbread was a Whig, but because he was a friend of thorough Reform. This, and this only, was the reason why he supported him, and this was the sole reason why he should support him still. The Honourable Gentleman then, at some length, justified his not making allusion to the 'Whigs, as he eonceived Mr. Lamb did not belong to that body.— :sir. Lamb was, on the. contrary, he contended, a' Candidate solely depending on Ministerial influence. —He again regretted the unnecessary protraction of this contest, as he thought it would be much more advisable to let the energies of the Freeholders in Westminster be at once directed to the mighty con test for the County. Ile eulogised the krarquis of Tavistock, Mr. Lambton, Lord John Russell, Sic. for the noble stand they had made in the cause of Reform, aid sincerely regretted that he could not include Mr. l.tnib among these friends of Reform. He exhorted them strongly to persevere in the cause, and had no doubt that, with all the influence Ministers possessed (nod that influence seemed of very little importance at present), he would finally succeed. No person addressed the Meeting on behalf of Sir Dur,lett, and it broke up Wort five o'clock. 'tH) EVENING STAR. LON I)ON. Ellititll7sC—The Sermor. on the death of his late MAJTSTY was preached at Dorking, Surrey, by the Rev. GEORGE Flamini, M.A. Vicar of the Parish, whose name was incorrectly given in our Advertisement of its Publication. TUESDAY, MARCH '2l, 1820. IMF FUNDS. PRICE Of STOCKS Tills DAY AT ONS O'CLOCK 3 per Cent. Consols 68 5 /s IX; 3 / 4 5 per Cent. Navy 104. 1 / 4 South-Sea 'Stock 75 7 / 8 New Annuities MIA 1 / 2 Exchequer Bills ('2d.) Is. 3s. dis. Consols for Account 68 7 / 8 % ;13. Bank Stock, I per Cents. Reduced, :1 per Cents. 4 per Cents. India Stock, and Bank Long Anus. are all shut. Letters from Madrid, of the Bth instant, present a lively picture of the state of the public mind in that city during the remainder of the day on which the KING'S acceptance of the Constitution was promul gated. The whole city wore the appearance of a great public festival rather than a National Revolu tion, or change of the form of Government, and all ranks participated in the general joy. The reflection that this beneficial change had been effected almost without the effusion of blood was common to all, and even the lower classes spoke of the circumstance to each other with pride and triumph. Apprehen sions seem to have been entertained by the French, residing in Madrid, that the event would awaken the recollection of the former struggle for liberty, and revive the popular hostility against their nation; but no symptom of this appeared. When recognized, they were - frequently accosted in the street by well ; dressed persons, who observed, that they were now about to become as free and as happy as they. with out encountering the horrors that accompanied their Revolution.' The defection of General O'DoNNELL, mentioned in the Paris Papers, had been followed, it is said, by that of three of his brothers, who all held commands in the Royal service. The first of them, with the rank of Colonel, had under his charge the Imperial Regiment Alexander, and was with it at Qcana when the Constitution was proclaimed. He itbmediately seized on all the money that belonged to the KING, and placed the messengers of the Government under arrest. The second, Jos. O'DONNELL, who was marching against RIEOo with a considerable force, was believed to have actually formed a junction with that Commander. The third, Don CARLOS O'Dox- NELL, holding the important office of Governor of Old Castile, there was little doubt had imbibed the same sentiments. In other parts of Spain, a similar spirit was spreading with extraordinary rapidity.— The Regiment of Malaga, commanded by Brigadier- General PIQUERO, and in garrison at Ciudad Ro drigo, had taken the oath to the Constitution, and was directingits march on Astorga. Colonel ACE VEDO had proOeeded from Corunna to Santiago, 'and the new Authorities were appointed under his super intendence. The kingdoms of Leon and Murcia had extensively imbibed the spirit of insurrection. Gene ral Eta°, hitherto one of the firmest supporters of the Royal cause, had been so warmly pressed by the military and inhabitants of Valencia to proclaim the 'Constitution, that he had written to the KING, to say no alternative was left him but to .accede to their wishes. To complete the circle of disaffection, the entire army, previously under the command of Gen. FR EY R it had revolted, and declared for the Constitution. In the mean time, a Courier had been dispatched from the KING to General BALLASTEROS, who had been banished to Valladolid, investing him with the office of Commander-in-Chief. This distinguished Officer lost no time in repairing to Court, where he ventured to remonstrate with FERDINAND ; con demned the measures which his Government had pursued ; advised him not to delay to comply with the wishes of the nation ; and declared, with the frankness of a soldier, that he would consider it his duty, even in support of the Throne, to occupy Madrid with his troops, for the purpose of instantly proclaiming the Constitution of 1812. Such an imperious combination of circumstances' was not to be resisted ; delay was only accumulating danger. The crisis was awful—and just at this mo ment, when all was desperate, the KING suddenly accepted the Constitution. When this conclusive measure was determined on, the Duke of INFANTADO, President of the Council of Castile, one of those who had been most conspi cuous in overturning the Constitution, addressed I FERDINAND in the following remarkable words— " Sire, your Majesty has saved yourself, but we are all lost for ever ;" alluding, evidently, to the Article 172 of the Constitution, by which it is provided, that every person who advises the KING to interrupt, or to prevent the Sessions of the Cortes, shall be treated as one incurring the penalties of high treaton, and prosecuted accordingly. The Grand Inquisitor has already received a note from the KING, which informs him that the Inqui sition, as it has hitherto existed, is at an end. All the prisoners confined in the dungeons of the Inquisition have been set at liberty. In Murcia that act, so gratifying to humanity, was performed by the peoitle ; amongst those persons who have thus been delivered from the persecution or that terrible tribunal, was Brigadier-General Tpaztoos, a very distinguished character in the Spanish army, on ac count of his gallantry, military skill, achievement, and a decided patriotism, which had caused him to., suffer more than two years grievous imprisonment. We now present, for the consideration of our Readers, some leading principles of that Constitu tion, which the King is about to acknowledge on oath as the rule of his future conduct. The-clauses which it will be our business to select, may suffice to shew the degree of power which his Catholic Majesty must hereafter be satisfied to wield, if he reigns according to the Constitution which be for merly rejected. " At:. 2. The Spanish nation is free and independent, and is not, myr cannot be, the patrimony of any person or Amity." "5. The sovereignty .resid.es essentially in the nation, and the right of enacting its fundamental laws belongs exclusively to it by this sanse principle." Here, therefore, the King of SPAIN admits, in so many words, that " divine right" is an obsolete pretension. " Ch. 2. Art. IL All Spaniards are bound, without any diseisse tion whatever, to contribute, in proportion to their means, to the expenses of the State." 13y this article the exemptions cf the Nobility and 1 Clergy are abolitled ; and the great, but hitherto impracticable, basis of the financial plans of M. Mc GARAY established in full force. " Art. 9. Every Spaniard ii also bound to defend his country in arms, whenever the law may demand his services." The first Article of the chapter which treats of the Spanish territory, enumerates amongst the integral parts of the empire, the " two Floridas," and the In surgent parts of South America. This may lead to some critical and most important questions. Will the Spanish Nation guarantee the result of the Royal negotiations with the United States ? or will it sur render South America_without another blow ? The Cortes rejected the propositions of South America in 1809-10; and would, we doubt not, be more com petent to enforce the claims of the mother country upon her colonists than the Government of King FERDINAND has ever been. But peace is now essen tial to the Spaniards. The general principles of chap. 3, viz. " On the Government," are worth quoting, for the neatness and brevity with which they are expressed. " Art. 14. The Government of the Spanish Nation is s li mited, hereditary, Monarchy. " 15. The power of making laws is fired in the Cortes jointly with the King. y" 16. The execution of the laws is fixed in the King. " 17. The application of the laws, in civil and criminal cases, is placed in the tribunals established by the law. " Art. 19, and seq. The right of granting letters of citizen ship to foreigners is lodged in the Cortes. " 9.3. Citizens alone are eligible to municipal offices, and per mitted to vote for them in those cases pointed out by the law. " 27. The Cortes consists in the union of all the Deputies that represent the Nation, notninated by the citizens, in manner las thereinafter stated. " 23. The basis of national representation is the populatioi. " 31. For every 70,000 persons there shall be one Deputy to the Cortes ; any odd number exceeding 35,000 shall name a De puty for themselves. St. Domingo names a Deputy ; and the Ultra Marine population, viz. that of North and South America, elects Deputies in the same proportion as that of Old Spain. " 34. For the election of Deputies to the Cortes, parish, dis trict, and provincial meetings shall be held. " 36. The parish meetings to be held throughout the Euro pean dominions, on the first Sunday in October, in the year pre vious to the meeting of the Cortes. " 91. To be a Deputy of the Cortes, it is necessary to be a citizen twenty-five years old, with a proportionate income, to be hereafter specified. " 95. The Secretaries of State, the Councillors of State, and the Officers of the Royal Household, are ineligible as Deputies to the Cortes. " 102. The Deputies to be indemnified for their expenses by a provincial rate. " 104. The Cortes to assemble every year in the capital of the kingdom, with power (by Art. 10;) to remove to any place, not more distant from Madrid than twelve leagues. " 106. The session to begin on the Ist of March, and continue three months. " 108. The Deputies shall be renewed entirely every two years. " 110. A Member is not eligible to two successive Par liaments. " 117. The Deputies swear to preserve the Roman Catholic religion, to protect the political constitution, and to conduct themselves faithfully to the nation.—N.l3. All reference to the King is omitted in this oath. " 119 and seq. The King is to be made acquainted, by a de putation of 22 members, with the assembly of the Cortes. Ile is to attend personally at the formal opening; or, if not. the President shall open the session without delay. The King is to enter the assembly unguarded. Ile is to make a speech, saying whatever he thinks fit, or send his speech to the President. The Cortes cannot deliberate in presence of the King. The sessions are to be made public. The persons of the Deputies to be inviolable for their opinions. Is criminal cases, they are to be tried by a tribunal of the Cortes ; and are not to be sued at , civil law, nor levied upon for debt, during the session, or fur one month after wards. " Art. 131.—The powers of the Cortes are, viz. in the Ist place, to propose and decree the lass s : and to interpret and alter them on necessary occasion. valiy, To take . an oath to the King, to the Prince of Astu rias, and to the Regency. as is pointed out in their places. " idly, To determine any doubt of fart or right, that may occur in the order of succession to the crown. at 4t igy, To elect a Regency or Regent of the kingdom, when the constitution requires it, and to point out the limits within which the Regency or Regent must exercise the royal authority. " sthly, To snake the public acknowledgment of the. Prince of Asturias. 6thly, To nomivate • a guardian to the King minor, when the constitution requires it. • " By the 7th, They are to approve, previous to ratification, the treaties of offensive alliance, of subsidies, and the p.irticalars of commerce. " By the 3:11, To permit or refuse the admission of foreign troops into the kingdom. • " By the 9th, To decree the creation and suppression of of fices in the tribunals established by the constitution, and also the creation or abolition of publ i c offi c es. " By the 10th, To fix every year, on the proposal of the King, the land and sea forces, dctermining the ostablishm:nt in time of peace, and its aurtntntation in time of war. " By the 11th, To issue ordinances to the army, the fleet, aril to the national militia, in all their branches. " By the 12th, To fx the expenses of the public administration. " 1;7 the 13th, To establish annually the taxes. " By the 14th, To take property upon loan, in cases of re• ceisity, upon the credit of the nation. By the 15th, Ti approve the &vision of the taxes arnorg the provinces. " r 7 the 16th, To examine and approve the accounts of the application of the public funds. " By the 17th, To establish the Custom-houses, and duties to be paid there. " By the 18th, To order what is expedient for the admirds tration, preservation, and alienation of the national funds. " By the 19:h, To determine the value, the weight, the standard, the figure, and descriptio - i of money. " By the 20th, To adopt the system it may judge most con venient and just of weights and measures. " By the 21st, To promote and encourage all kinds of in dustry, and to remove the obstacles that paralyse it. By the *2d, To establi=h a general plan of public instruction ht the whole monarchy, and approve thzt is intended for the education of the Prince of Asturias. " By the 23d, To approve of the generel regulation for the police and health of the kingdom. " fly the 24th, To protect the political Therty of the press. " By the 25th, To render real and efFective the ren'ansibility of the Secretaries of State, and other persons in public employ. " By the 26th, Lastly, it belongs to the Cortes to grant or refuse its consent in all those cases and acts which the constitu tion points out as necessary." Tile above powers, it will he admitted, are such as place the Government very nearly in the exclusive grasp of the Cortes. To this it must be added, that by a subsequent provision the KING has the rreroga tive of withholding his assent to a particular law for - .wo successive years ; but in the third year it becomes a law in defiance of him, if so resolved by the Cortes. A permanent Committee, oi legislative corps of ob servation, is to be nominated before the close of the Session, and to continue sitting in vigilant attention to the proceedings of the Government, until the next assembly of the Cortes. This Committee has the Pre rogative of summoning an extraordinary meeting of the Cortes, when the Crown shall become vacant, or the KING incompetent, or when his M_AJEsT2 way Ise desirous of convoking them. " Art. IU. The p-rson of the King is inviolable. He may issue such decreesaad inst.:::tiens as he may deem necessary to the execution of the laws ; may declare war, make peace, invest with honours, nominate to employments, military, ecc/t -siastical, and civil; pardon culprits, propose laws, appoint and dismiss his Ministers ; but he cannot prevent the assembling of the Cortes, nor quit the kingdom without their consent, on pain of abdication ; nor rerounce his Royal prerogatives, nor cede territory, nor make alliances, nor grant subsidies, nor levy taxes, nor give exclusive privileges, nor tuuch the liberty or pro perty of a subject, nor contract a marriage, but with consent." The Ministers of State are seven :—Foreiv,ii Affairs, Interior, Colonies, Justice, Finance, War, Marine— all responsible to the Nation. • The above will furnish our English Readers with ample subject of reflection, and much, no doabt, of gratification, when they compare it as a system of Government with that which has prevailed in Si,aia since the memorable-era of the Emperor CHARLES V. The Paris Papers of Saturday arrived this forencon. They are almost wholly taken up with the change cf - affairs in Spain, respecting which they continue to supply -many additional and interesting particulars. The following are extracts : FROM THE JOURNAL DES DEBATS. It was not till after the resolution of the King was known in the city, that the people collected around the Palace, calling out " Long live tk. King and the Constitution r There was previously no commotion of any sort. The King shewed himself twice to the People, and his presence redoubled their acclama tions and enthusiasm; he took a walk 'on the Prato with the infants, and was everywhere received wi marks of affection and respect. The prisons of the Inquisition, as well as all the others, have been opened to the prisoners of State, of whom, however, there were but few : but as late as the 9th of March, no of act had announced the sn2pression of the Inquisition, which is not or dered by the Constitution. IRON' THE CONSTITUTIONNEL. 'MADRID, MARCH G. Extraordinary Couriers have been sent to all the Courts of Europe, to communicate the great change which Las been effected. The Ministry vainly flat tered themselves that they would have the support . of the garrison ; the dispositions of the Officers anl soldiers of the Guards themselves were entirely cOn formable to the wishes of the People. The Government endeavoured to deceive us to the last. The Rebels, if our oppressors might be believed, were always beaten ; Catalonia was faithful ; while at the same time we had undoubted intelligence th. t in Barcelona, the seccnd town of the kingdom, the Constitution had been proclaimed. The Officers of the garrison of Madrid, in spite f promises of every possible . advancement—in spite cf the infmnons calumnies against the Liberals, which were spread in the barracks by the partizans of the Inquisitorial S , :stern, sheaved a reserve which the Court seems not to have understood as it ought, and with respect to which it was under a great illusion. The news of the Proclamation, by O'Donnell, of tl.e Constitution at Ocana, produced a great sensation is the Capital. Ira the night of the (fth and 7th a nn:::- her of the Officers of the Guards proceeded to the Great Square to erect a pillar on which the wurl CONSTITUTION had been engraved; but the Court, previously informed of their design, had assembles; la number of troops on the spot. The Infant, Dr.: N. i ti 1 1 I it i i I • IF', IP 1 1 1 v • • • f '