Star. — London, England, 1820-08-03 00:00:00

w . N. . what way the erection of villages in the form of pa. rallelegrams, conlftepeal those enactments against foreign trade, aolaidi are a disgrace to the age we live in r It has seldom fallen to our lot to remark on a more flippant, or a more misplaced sneer than this. Is there anything ridiculous in the form chosen by Mr. Owen for his projected villages? Or has he bad any part in enacting the statutes complained of? • Statutes, Goo knows, many of them highly absurd, and seriously injurious to the country, but most of them adopted at theespecial instance and entreaty of our merchants and manufacturers. es For ourselves, we do not despair of our coup, • try,". say the Reviewers ; " and we have no objection ' • to state what, in our opinion, would restore the king doth to its once flourishing condition. Give freedom to commerce, and lighten the pressure of taxation, 'and-we shall have no complaining in our streets. As et:anti - rot is always an exchange of equivalents, a nation ihatwill not buy, cannot sell ; and restrictions upon import a 4 prohibitory duties upon export. On the contrary, the more we admit the productions of foreign countries, the more extensive becomes their demand for our commodities. Let the absurd sys tem of our Corn Laws be cautiously and gradually abolished, and allow the cheap agricultural produce of the North of Europe, and of the Continents of Ainerica and Africa, to be freely introduced, and we shall obtain an unlimitertiot for our manufactures ; the profits of stock will be restored to their level in other countries, and the consequent accumulation of capital, will cause the increanng demand for labour to bear a nearer proportion to the increasing supply of labourers." We as little despair of our country as the Re- ' , viewers • possibly can du. We conceive there is re quisite only a little common sense, or a little common honesty, in conducting the affairs of this mighty kingdom, in order to carry it to al degree cf power, and of prosperity which it has never yet approached. But although we consider a perfectly five trade, ac companied by its necessary attendants, a total aboli tion of - the Excise, and Customs, with their nume rous Officers; as a necessary step towards its ultimate prosperity, yet we consider, it as one which ought to follow, but by no means to precede, a total change in our system of Taxation. The Commercial Peti tions, which so nearly advocate the principles of the Edinburgh Reviewers, as to make it not improbable that they originated with them, hold out as the grand panacea against all our evils,. a free trade in Corn : but they would not disturb the existing Du ties, becau e they would not cripple the Revenue. Yet we, on the contrary, conceive that Corn is the very last article to which this free trade ought to be extended, because the trages of labour, and the pro fits of industry, are so heavily taxed in this country, that if our farmeis had their lands free of rent, still they could by no means.generally compete with the foreign corn, even in our own market; those only who occupied the superior qualities of land, could in such case continue their cultivation, and the inferior qualities, amouiaing to perhaps half our territory, must be returned to grass: But what must be the - unavoidable consequence of our coming to depend for a large proportion Of oar subsistence on fo reigners? That the first year of general scarcity in those countries from Which we tommOnlj: dreW • most considerable suppliewould shut them exporta tion against us, and we must be subjected to fa mine instead of scarcity. This is not a casualty Un likely to happen : seldom have twenty years passed away without producing more than one season of ge neral scarcity over Europe, which has not unite quently extended to North America. Whence, then, are we to draw our supplies? From Africa, in its present state, is too absurd a proposition to merit a single observation. But this is not the only risk we should run, in adopting such an improvident sys tem : e have had recent experience that even " a Heaven-born Minister" could not keep a small pro portion of the ports of Europe open to our com merce, and that his successors were equally unsuccess ful with regard to those of America. Has our Go vernment attained to so mpch wisdom as never again to be exposed to folly? Or has the Holy Alliance secured us against a possibility of recurrence to the sword ? The amount of our Standing Army would not indicate such a belief. We have hitherto but too much cultivated foreign commerce, which, though sometimes a rapid, has been always an unstable, road to wealth; which has been the origin of most of our wars, and the principal cause of our present over whelming Debt. Although palliatives may be ad ministered to our present distress, yet we firmly be lieve, that no serious permanent improvement in our condition will be effected, until we procure a Legis lature whose interests shall be identified with those of the Nation at large; then, and not till then, can confidence be restored, and the public burthens ap portioned, according to the ability to bear them:, When this shall take place, and the Landholder and the Fundholder shall be made to contribute in a fair pro portion, according to their property, with the rest of the community, then will the capital employed in industry be probably restored to that productive rate of profit, which may enable our Agriculturist and Manufacturer to resume their former activity, inde pendently of protecting Duties; but should it then be found, that a recurrence to inferior soils had so far enhanced our wages of labour that we were still unable to compete with foreigners in the supply of' our own markets with Corn, the general interests of our population would then render it expedient to re lieve the capital employed in Agriculture, from such a proportion of the public burthens, as should re store to it in average years, the possession of its own market, and thereby secure the country from those most terrible calamities, famine, and consequent pestilence. All writers on political economy have, with one voice, admitted that capital, when unrestricted, w ill naturally: flow into those employments which are most beneficial to the Public at large ; and upon this prin ciple are rested the Commercial Petitions. But will it conduce to the free employment of capital in those occupation to which it would naturally flow, to re move them from one employment of capital, while they continued to be most rigorously enforced on every other? Certainly not. Such regulations could , only tend to divert capital still . farther from its natu., r al'course of employment, and to drive it into chan nels less beneficial to the Public thin those into which it would naturally flow. Mr. Ricardo says, ao sot exact a dtity 04 foreign corn, becauortiolkwill en-, hatke the wages of labour, mil consequently dimi- - nish the profits of stock t • but impose heavy dutietoo articles of luxury, which will form no part of the consumption of the lsthoureroand'*hicb cannot, them. Jere, afoot the rate of profits outatock. It appears to us, that Kr. Ricardo*, argument isiustificieut, b.. cause it is the general interestof the Public that every: article of our consumption, whether necessary or , luxury, should be procured at as little espense as possible. If one man's labour employed on cutlery in England, will in France exchange for as much silk goods as can be produced by a price equal to two men s labour in England, is not the public loss the same, by employing 100,000 men in the silk manu facture, as if thescloo,ooo men had been employed in raising grain, which could have been procured from Poland at hal f .the price at which it can be grown in Britain ? In both' cases the labour of 30,000 men would have been lost to the Public ; but in the one case that loss might have been compensated, by the security which it afforded to the permanent sub sistence of the people; while, in the other case,- we, do not see what compensation is held out to the Pub lic-in return for so seriousa loss. Let it not be said, that Isy this means alone .the rich and luxurious can be taxed ; such a reason cat; only be applicable where the rich and luxurious have an exclusive influence in the. Legislature, and where, in consequence, they can seldom be brought to agree to tax themselves directly. In 1813, the property of all descriptions in• Great Britain and Ireland, exceeded, at the most moderate computation, 4,00() Millions; two per cent. on v.shids, would have yielded no less than 30 millions of ae l „ nual revenue. . The interest of the public debt amounted to about 30 Millions ; 10 millions -would have been sufficient for' a peace establishment under any reasonable Government, which rested on the choice of the People, not on the influence of patron age; and it would have left 40 millions to be annu ally applied to the reduction of the public debt.— Restore the circulation to what it was in 1813, not lby a new restriction on the Bank, but by an ahem ' tion in the standard of the coin r_ and the property of the kingdom would still approach to 4,000 millions; two per cent. on capital would be as small a deduc tion from the profits of stock, as at present exists in most other European countries; it is such as no one, who employs his capital in industry, would grudge to pay, if relieved from all other burthens ; it us sin as all our Colonies would be willing to pay for a free trade with all the world, .for the protection of the mother-country, and for the entire management of their own affairs; and this tax on the Colonies would' furnish another 10 millions at least, to be applied to the discharge of the public debt. But public debt will never be discharged by a bad Government; — whatever revenue comes into their hands, beyond the exigencies of the &lap,. will be squandered in bribes to the betrayers; or in pay to the coercers of the People. " Our advantages," say the Reviewers, " from po sition, from coal-mines, and from the industry, skill, and energy of our people, are so considerable, that, were it not for unwise laws, and over-strained taxation, England, for ages to come, might continue the great -workshop and emporium of the world. There is nothing appalling in our situation, except the want of wisdom an our Rulers: We cannot but congra tulate the People of the United Kingdom, upon this open exposition - of the principles oithe Whig party,' as detailed in the article under revieK by the mow eminent thedrists of a most theoretical, faction. A great proportion of the People have.tureed is disgust. from the subornation • of- crime, from the demorali zation of the Spy system and from the scenes of blood which have been l ately exhibited, while one party has had the welfare of the Nation confided to it. We have now an outline of the priociples, on which the next greatest political party in Parliament intend to govern, should they come into authority. Between these parties, there seems only to be offered to the People, on the one side, individual proscription and general oppression ; and on the other, the conversion of our country into a great workshop, dependent for our daily subsistence on our capricious customers.--. Which of these alternatives is founded on the greatest degree of wisdom, we shall not presume to decide; but we hope, that at no very distant period, the irre sistible power of public opinion will cause the rejec-- don of both. There has recently been exhibited, by the People of England, a temperance, a calmness, .a forbearance, and a knowledge of their political right, which cannot long be resisted by corruption, by so phistry, or by military power. To that, and to that only, we lock for any permanent or considerable amelioration of our system of Government. THE EVENING STAIt. LONDON.' . THURSDAY, :AUGUST 5,.1910. 1 • THE- MIND& . Pitlet Of STOCKS 11111S-IMV A? Oat OS** per Cent. Reduced 69169 S per Cent.. Cons. 68% yi s Si, per Cent. 7794 3 / 4 -4 per Cent. 87 Y 4 1 ,6 34 5 per Cent. MIA 34 ye ° Long Annuities 18 1-16 1 / 2 India Stock 117 218 .: ... . India Bends 221. 235. pre. New Annuities 68% Exch. Bills, Ss. Ss. 4e. pr.—Omnium 1 /s dis. Cons. for Acct. 68% }fi The Paris Papers of Monday arrived this forenoon. Lieutenant-General CLAUSEL, one of the exiles re stored to their country by the clemency itiho arrived in Paris on Sunday. From Naples there is scarcely anything in • the way of news. The following is an article from Rugs-: burgh, of the 23d - July : " We are assured tht a part of the Neapolitan army is almost entirely disbanded, and tbat.the young men of the last levies are returning every where to their homes. The National Guard of Naples renders great services, and contributes essentially to the main-, tenance of pub& traiscwillity in tin capital. " Several **tete god otkik .principal Fanc. tionaries do not aeiebp itis said, towitept the eminenv places to which •they have been called. The report of the flight of the CheyiPer 'de Medici, Minister Of Finances, is Oronenus: 'This *Aster, to whoa% the administration was indebted for much amellorAtion, and who has founded a good system of Finances, has decliro publicly, that he will hasten to render .an fccount of his management. He will endeavour, bpdtis account, to prove to his talernies the injustice or their assertion respecting him. We fear (it is said in a letter from Na'pl*s) that thrnew Revolution will not contribute much to in crease the prosperity of the Neapolitans. It is very probable that for a time it will hinder, or .at least re- bard, all amelioration in the system of government, and in the administration, and that, in the provinces, it will give rise to armed bands, under different names and pretests, who will impose on the land-owners, taxes much more considerable than •those to which they have hitherto submitted, especially the very high land -tax, in respect of which the greatest discontent had been manifested. a We have not yet received any news from Sicily ; but it is believed that the Noblesse of that Island will not relish much the Constitution of the Cortes of Spain. 44 The Neapolitan troops, which were posted on the road leading to Terracina, for the protection of travellers, have been removed, and their place sup plied by other detachments." • Accounts from Madrid give the proceedings of the Cortes down to the iTah of July. A proposition has been laid before them fbr granting a recompen s e, to the army of Quiltoow, and another to -give the Ktrro, in all Public Acts, the title of FERDI NAND THE GREAT. In the Sitting of the 19th, M. MottzwA .'qumtuA proposed that the Cortes should take into consider ation the state of the Nation, seeing that so many alarming rumours are in circulation, and panics* laxly that the Bishop of Bulawckot has refused to obey the Royal Order, which enjoins the Ecclesiastics to explain the Constitution from the pulpit. M. Bosun() ALPUENTE supported the motion, hi. sisting on the necessity of clearing up the reports that were abroad. M. VirroatcA endeavoured to shew the futility of the reasons offered to induce the Cortes to take so ;grave a proceeding. Of what consequence was the talk of a small number of idlers ? What availed the insignificant opposition of a handful of egotists, with out support, and without means ? The House decided that the proposition should not be taken into-PA— ' Letters from Berlin of the 16th, state, that tran quillity is completely restored in that capital, and that the public order had not been comproMised since the trials occasionect by the drunken workmen on the night of the 10th. • The accounts relative to Au PACIIA. continue to .be very vague and contradictory. According to some letters, his propositions have bees accepted by the ;Nave; others affirm on the contrary, teat lit over- Aires have been ineffectual, and that he continues his armaments with the greatest vigour. Since the re turn of the Governor-General of the lonian Ides, Sir THOMAS MAITLAND, it is said that the Britannic Government has given the most formal orders to all its subordinate agents not to interfere in any manner in the pending contest between the PACHA of 'salsa and the POSTS. FROM OUR PRIVATE CORRESPONDENT. " PARIS, JULY V. " The question of dissolving the present Parliament merges in another: the KING has been sounded on the point of creating the Count d'A ItTOIS Lieutenant- General of the Kingdom, to avoid similar occurrences to those in Spain and Naples; but it is only the igno rant and ill-advised who could recommend such a measure. Of two things, one must happen ; either the Count d'Anrots would, or would not, respect the Constitution. If the former, his Lieutenancy would be without an object; far assuredly he is not, he can not, be more attached to the Constitution than his MAJESTY: if the 'latter, the party must be my igno rant of public feeling, and the national sentiment, to imagine that France would permit either the real or . virtual abolition of those rights which it has cost her so much to obtain; besides, it is a personal insult to the KING, to suppose him incapable of governing the kingdom. He is like the Bishop, to whom some ap plied invoking rain, and others fair weathel: he can not satisfy all; but•of this we are certain, his Royal Highness the Count d'Aniots would not succeed better. We wish to draw no invidious comparisons, but it is well known, that the time his ROYAL Hum alms devoted to pleasure, his MAJESTY devoted to study. The Count's Court would be like that of our CHARLES 11. whereas, that of his MAJESTY re sembles that of WILLIAM 111. Several changes of Prefects have taken place, and four are suspended. The Liberals view this with a suspicious eye; but there is no ground for appre hension—the Sheriff of Kent becomes Sheriff of Sur ier; and the Sheriff Of Sarrey becomes the Sheriff of Kent. It is in this" - system that the cbapger have been made.—Mach has .been iaid as to the &icon- ' tented state of the nation; bat it is greatly exagge- 1 rated. The nation is jealous of Its liberties, and it hgs'a right to be so; for if once it starers. these io be invaded, nothing but force can - recover thew., and re course to such a menu:, is_too dangerous fir the na tion to think of it. " Some time since, a man - applied to an et at Paris, to: engtavt him two platei, ot A i r p _ . d American &eke. , T he engraver, not reading Emit lish,. ' stewed thetwo.modal-aoterto an Esig h- . • who informed . him that the man wanted to C. 41144 - 0 forgery, and he declined engrAVing them. T!IP n th*n went to the Palais Roya', and got another graver to undertake it. The Police, being al Apprised of what was doing, took the proper IA e. caution, and as the man was going away with the plate in his possession, he was arrested. He turns ut to be a Frenchman, travelling for a house in Ncw York. He had a letter of credit on Paris for 15,000 francs (C 1,250)." New York Papers arrived this morning to the 11th of July: A letter from Aux Cayes, of the 7th June, re. ceived in Philadelphia, says, that a Treaty of Amity, Commerce, acrd Navigation, is now forming betvi C'2" King CHUISTOPHE and President BOYER, UodEt file auspices of Great Britain, which has accepted t;A: office of guarantee. The following is an extract of a letter from Nit. au-Prince, dated 19th June: " I take the liberty of enclosing you the law of t li e present Session of the Chambers of the itertblic: " Article 1, prohibits the importation of Spirituals Lac: e - s into the Republic, under penalty of confiscatior. " Article 2, permits the importation of Gin fir six min,ls after the passing of the law, to be stored in the public warehc , ..s.% " Article 3, prohibits the consumption of Spirituous Liquv:s imported contrary to the law. " Article 4, grants one year for the consumption of Gin re maining in the country. " Article 5, appoints certain Oiersere s to ascertain tiae quanti:7 of Gin in the stores and shops. " Article 6, unimportant. " Article 7, ditto.. " Article 8, imposes a fine on Captains •f any vessels :et which there may be any Spirituous Liquors imposted, Ztt: passing of the law." NEW YORK, JULY 4. BOARD OF HEALTH, JULY 3.—Upon rel. ling a communication from Middleton;Connec i ut, (f t h e 2d inst. it was Resolved, "That it be recommen 'ed to the Health Commissioners, to order all vessels arriv:ng from Middleton, to proceed to the Quarantine, ant there be subject to the directions of the 11 eal th- aft _er." LATE FROM PANAMA.—Captain King, arrived at Baltimore from Charges, wts at Pa ama on the 12th of May, at which time the United States frigate Ma cedonian, was daily expected from San Blas, with a large sum of money. No news from the Pacific Ocean, since the taking of Valdivia by Lord Cochrane, and the blockade of Guayaquil, by the Chebuca, a Chilian 22 gun ship. CIMACOA, MAY Q. The schooner Two Sisters arrived on Tuesdayfrom • Carthagena, last from St. Martha. NO attempt had been made upon it by the Patriots. All was trampil at Carthagena, but the Governor anticipated an at tack from the Independents, who are said lately to have gained aomesidvaveges at no great distance 'fibril - the - city. The commeiCe of Carthagena was `inein4y - • at- a stand. The Constitution bad not bceo ...psbdatzved Caraccas. - ST. THOMAS'S, JUNE 6. Oar market continues very dull. Flour goes off slowly at five dollars: a plentiful supply in store. The Patriot privateers :are very numerous; they re cently made some valuable captures. Accounts from .Bolivar state, that he- had been very prosperous in all his plans. Admiral Brion, with his squadron, is reported to be bound on a new expedition. T The following is an extract from a letter received by the last arrivals from Gibraltar Trade conti nues remarkably brisk here, especially in Glasgow and Paisley manufactures : more could have been sold this year, had they arrived, than for five years past. Under our excellent Governor, Dow, we enjoy more privileges than under any of his predecessors. The Dutch squadron, consisting of one eighty-gun ship, two frigates, and two sloops of war; and the new Yankee ship, of 100 guns, the Columbus, Com modore BAINBRIDGE, are here at present." AFFRAY AT GREENOCK. A distressing "affair has occurred at Greenock.— Between twelve and one o'clOck on the morning cf the 29th nit. a dispute took place in a low public ' house betwinseven soldiers of the 13th Regiment and some sailors, *hen they came to blows, and the sol ' diers were worsted. Maddened by drink and the beat ing they had received, the soldiers ran immediately to their quarters, whither they were followed by the crowd, and loading their pieces, commenced firing froni,the windows. The interference of the . Police having been in the meantimecalled for, a party of them came up to the soldiers quarters, when two of the police-men were killed by the fi re of the musketry, and a sailor so severely wounded that he has since died. The Officer of the 13th who was on guare, immediately ou being apprised of the 'disturbaac., proceeded to the spot, and secured all the sevel men, who have since been handed over to the Civil Power.—such are the accounts which we have heal(' of this most unfortunate event, but we have not been able to procure any letter from Greenock fn the subject. It is so far consolatory that there was no previous ill blood betwixt- the military and the inhabitants, and there hqs been no manifestation of any such spirit since. In waiting for the judicial procedure in this unfortunate affair, we must, in the meantime, express our regret at two innocent men having lost their lives in the conscientious discharge of their duty.— GIaSZOW Herald. I I. .