Star. — London, England, 1830-07-29 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS. Tim rs —Mr. Brougham accepts the invitation of the Freeholders of Yorkshire, and offers himself as a candidate for the representa tion of that county. There is an homage paid to genius and talents in this proceeding which is highly gratifying. It is not possible, perhaps, that the for., and Learned Gentleman can add much to his incessant and various toils, even under the excitement of such a distinction ; but, by being elected, he receives the high reward of his past exertions, as well as an earnest of his future devotion to the cause of his country. His address is eloquently written. It will, we trust, be felt by the county, that to make the honour com plete, Mr. Brougham should be secured, not merely against ruinous, but against any serious expenditure. JIEIALD.—There seems to be no doubt but that some of the most competent Members of the last Parliament, and many other persons who would be valuable Members of the next, are deterred from offering themselves solely on the score of expense. Alen of moderate income, especially if it be derived from land, must for some years have found their means diminishing in a much greater ratio than has accompanied the demands upon them. The. tax-gatherer's receipt remains much the same, while the tenant's payment, per contra, is greatly diminished. To expect then that a man so situated, however well qualified he may be to serve his country, will embark in an outlay of from 10,0001. to 100,0001. thereby entailing a perpetual rent-charge, equal to the interest, upon his estate, is to suppose one of two things —that such a man is either an idiot, or expects to reimburse himself by the sale of his vote to those who have the power of re warding him. If such a state of things is to continue, if such is to be the known ant acknowledged state of the elective franchise throughout England, it would be better that seats in Parliament were put up to the highest bidder, and the Legislature brought at once avowedly, instead of covertly, to the hammer. The hest Par liament, which has distinguished itself by doing more useless and less useful things than ever emanated from collective wisdom, among other things decreed that no man should so much as offer him. self as a candidate at an election, without being liable to, and giving security for, paying a proportion of the expense of providing hustings, 6r.t. Though we not agree with those who have asserted that this is, of itself alone, acting as a material obstacle to persons coming forward upon the present occasion, it is in principle most reprehen sible, because it establishes a point which the Legislature ought never to have itself sanctioned—viz. that its threshold can never be approached but at a pecuniary charge to the person who approaches it. l'he contrary is the principle which Parliament itself should recognize ; and having defined, as the Constitution has done, the qualification as to property which Members of Parliament should posies', every species of expenditure by candidates should be rigidly prohibited, and the unavoidable expenses of elections—such as those of hustings, poll-clerks, &c.—be paid by the county, city, or place, which is to have the benefit of the labours of the person elected. The at once honest and profligate avowal of an old Member of many Parliaments ago—that, "having bought the electors, he had a right to sell them"—applics, with more or less truth, to every case where a candidate, having impaired his fortune by getting into Parliament, must repair it, if he can, while there. To say nothing of any other species of reform, this seems to be both easy and indispensable, that elections should be carried on at the expense of the electors, and not of the candidates. if this were the case, it is not the strongest purse which would decide a man's fitness for the highest duties of a citizen ; nor would a man, when placed in Parliament, find, as is now so often the case, his free-agency shackled by the debts incurred in placing himself there. Cuttowiche.—The intelligence from France is of a most start. ling nature. Neck or nothing seems the order of the day. The French Government is, indeed, playing a bold game. Our readers will see that the liberty of the Press is at an end, and the Constitu. don destroyed. This is a bold beginning. The Report of the Ali. nisters to the King, explanatory of their views, is one of the most singular documents ever published by any Government. The nation is treated as a herd of cattle. The people are stripped of their privileges with an insolent audacity of which we have no pre. vious example. The Press, the Constitution—all must yield to the wishes of the King ! The reasoning will deceive no one, and it deserves no answer. It amounts merely to this s the Press is against us, therefore we must destroy it ; the Constitution is against us, therefore we must destroy ft. The only answer the people can make is, the King is against us, and therefore we must destroy him. The King has made war on the nation. The issue must determine whether the French are for a time_(for the peeple can never be finally subjugated) to be slaves, or the King is to atone for his temerity by the destruction of himself and family. There is no blinking the issue. Under all circumstances, the course which the French Government has adopted is perhaps the most politic. There cannot be two supreme powers in a state. A Constitution necessarily sup. poses the supremacy of the people as represented by their deputies. The King, however, had declared that he was determined his power and authority should be paramount. From the moment he dis. solved the Chambers, because they represented too faithfully the wishes of the nation, he entered on a course from which there was no retreating. It is clear that he had made up his mind to peril his all in the attempt to reduce the people to subjection. He had gone too far to recede, for he could never nave hoped again to possess the public confidence. The Chambers lately elected must, in self. defence, have followed up their victory. As, therefore, the combat was inevitable, there would have been no use in shrinking from it. That the French will submit patiently to this revolutionary mea. sure is not to be supposed. The question which most people will ask themselves is—what is the step which will be first taken ? In all conflicts like that which is about to take place, advan. tage in the outset is usually with authority. The people are strong in their mass; but organization is with their opponents. There is one advantage of being first in the field, that the wavering and timid are apt to infer from it the possession of some resources, not generally known, which causes the confidence. One object of the French government in this coup cf etat is, no doubt, to create a belief that other governments will not look with indifence on the conflict, and that they have made sure of the armed force. We, however, are strongly inclined to believe that the neighbouring go vernments will take no part in the contest. We think—we are al. most certain—that our own government will not meddle with the French; and it strikes us, that the neighbouring governments of Austria and Prussia will be cautious how far they provoke a high-spirited nation like the French, by interference. The two ob. jects of possessing the French army, and possessing the co-operation of foreign Governments, are incompatible with each other ; for no French soldier will ever suffer a foreigner to pollute the sacred soil of his country.--The wishes of the people of every country must be for the people of France. Whenever a government declares that it can. not stand against the Press, it declares that It ought not to stand.— Humanity is outraged by the bold assertion of the principle that there is no obligation from which Governments may not shake themselves free. The measure of the French Govern went is not within the limits of law. The only law it acknow. ledges is the law of convenience.—We gave the Freedom of the Press; we gave the Law of Elections ; we resume them as we gave them. The people are our chattels, and our will is our law. The cause of the French nation is the cause of every nation. May they prove themselves worthy of the great cause, and, in this try. Mg conjuncture, vindicate their title to uphold the rights of the human race. Hitherto the French have surpassed all expectation. They will not surely now fail in their duty in the twelfth hour. There are occasions when men feel elevated above the ordinary con siderations of life. There are brave and determined men in our times as well as in the times that are gone ; men who will account life as nothing when the sacred name of country calls on them to hazard it in her defence. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. From the Me sayer des (Admires of Tuesday, (2d Edition.) PARIS, JULY 27, Room. "The following ordinance was posted up yesterday evening in Paris ;—We, Prefect of Police, &e. seeing the ordinance of the King, dated the 25th inst. which puts spin in force articles 1,2, and 9, of the law of the 21st of October, 1814, Ate. we have or dained and ordain u follows :—Art. 1. Every individual who shall distribute printed writings, on which there shall not be the true in thcation of the names, profession, and residence, of the au thor and of the painter, or who shall giv e to t h e p u bli c t h e Name sritings to read, shall be brought before the Commissary tit' Police of the quarter, and th e wr i t i ngs s h a ll be seised. livery individual keeping a reading.room, coffee-house, Re.. who shall give to be read journals, or other writings, printed contrary to the ordinance of the King of the 25th inst. relative to the press, shall be prosecuted as guilty of misdemeanours which these jour. mils, or writings, may constitote, and his establishment shall be provisionally closed. 3. The The ordinance shall be print e d, p u b. lished, and po ste d up . 4. The Commissary Chief of Municipal Police, the Commissaries of Police shall be enjoined to see to the execution of it. It shall also be addressed to the Colonel of the city of Paris, cornmeal:ler of the Royal (iendarmerie, to cause the execution of it as far as he is concerned." (Peon the Journal chi Commerce.) Pants, JULT 26.--VIOLATION OF THE CNALETEI.—AIO - Or THE LAWll.—Violence has triumphed in the councils of the King. The constitution of the state is attacked in its founds. tiors—the body politic is dissolved. France is replaced by the crime of the Ministers an the provisional situation from which the charter had saved it on the 4th of June, 1814. The legal title which would legitimate the raising of the taxes in 1831, has just been de. ...toyed. The aime for which Ministers are going to answer before the nation has been characterised by the Royal Court of Paris to the sentence pissed upon us with respect to the Breton sub. saiption. In condemning us for having published that does. ment, the magistrates have declared that the imputation was *thou which ascribed to Ministers the intention of overthrowing the bases of the constitutional guarantees established by the charter, and the design attributed to them criminal, either to enact and to levy taxes not assented to by the two Chambers, or to change illegally Mentor& of eltelions—This odious Imputation has become an official truth—this criminal intention is realised. THE ERCHANCIE, THREE O'CLOCIL—An immense crowd went to the Exchange to.day ; curiosity and uneasiness were im pressed on every countenance. Even those persons whose previous opinions were justified, or their interests promoted by the state of the Change, were not able to rejoice at it. After all that was ob. served, as absurd and mad in the ordinances, what was most talked of was the infamy of the maneeuvre, by the aid of which a well-known jobber bad taken advantage for the account of a Minister, of the coup d'etat, which that Minister had had in his portfolio ever since the7th inst. The fall has been evidently checked by the re-purchases of jobbers, who had acted on the supposition of a coup treat, and who had profits to realize. When these operations shall be liquidated, there will doubtless be no buyers but those who shall believe that despotism and tyranny are a regime favourable to the development of the public wealth and credit. " FIVE O'CLOCK. " Theagitation has constantly increased. The 3 per Cent.. arc offered at 74f. 6ltc. without buyers. Every body anxiouly inquires, and all the information agrees in this point, that confidence has been suddenly suspended. The bankers have shut up their coffers; no dealings in merchandise are going on ; and we learn from all quar ters that directions are given to suspend the purchases that had been ordered. " It would be difficult for us to express the impression produced by so unexpected a blow on the immense concourse of merchants of every description who are assembled on 'Change today. The next account of the revenue will make the Ministry acquainted. (From Li Globe.) After some preliminary observations, the Globe says How. ever, the charter and the laws offer us a last resource. The ordinances are null, the Chambers are not dissolved. The dissolution is null, because the Chamber of Deputies has nei ther been assembled nor verified. As far as it exists it exists still. It is regularly convoked for the 3d, and at all events, according to the charter, it ought to meet by right on the 17th of August; we depend on its not failing to do as the charter directs. After all, we confide without fear the defence of legal liberty, by legal means, to the bravest nation in the universe : the days of a new glory are come for France. A letter, accompanying the express says — The three per cents. remain offered at 7% Thus the fall since Saturday is 7 francs. The Constitutionnet and the Debate have not been published this morning —The editors of the Nations,/ and Temps have this morn ing resisted the officers who came to brzak up their presses. They did not tesist by open force, but the officers who were accompanied with a great display of military force were obliged to force the doors. The presses were then defactd amidst the remonstrances of the pro prietors. Since this morning the gendarmerie has been stationed on the Boulevards and about the Exchange. There has been some disturbance at the Palais Royal, and at the hotel of Prince Polignac, the windows of which were broken. In general the capital presents an appearance of extraordinary agi tation : above 40 couriers were despatched yesterday in different directions. A postcript, dated 6 o'clock p.m. uys, "It is af f irmed fresh troubles have taken place at the Palais Royal, but at present all that hi true is confined to sonic assemblages of people. to the closing of the shops in some quarters, and to the report of the march of some battalions which are doubtless sent to prevent disorders. The National has a spirited article. of which the following is the conclusion :—The Government has this day lost the character of le gality which commands obedience. We resist it in what concerns ourselves. It is for France to determine how far her resistance ought to extend. The following editors and managers of jour ash now in Paris have signed a spirited remonstrance : '• Dm. Gauja, manager of the National. Thies, Alignet, Carrel, Chambolle, Peyeae, Albert, Stapfer, Du bubochet, Rolle, editors of the National. Leroux, manager of the Globe. De GuiSard, editor of the Globe. Samna, jun. manager of the (currier des Eleeteurs. B. Dejean, editor of the Globe. Gnyet, Bloussette, editors of the Cowries. M. Auguste Fahre, chief editor of the Tribunes des Department: M. Annee, editor of the Constitution !. M. Cauchiiis-Lernaire, editor of the Constiktionnel. Senty, of the Temps. Hausman, of the Temps. Avenel, of the Courrier Francais. Dussard, of the Temps. isevasseur, editor of the limitation. Evariste flumoulin. Alexis de Jumieu, editor of the Courrier Francai• Chatelsin, manager of the Courtier Francais. Plagnol, chief editor of the Revolution. Puy, editor of the Revolution. Buten', Barbarous, editors of the Temps. Chaim, editor of the Temps. A. Billiard, editor of the Temps. Aden, of the Tribune des Department. F. Larreguy, editor of the Journal du Commerce. J. F. Dupont, advocate, editor of the Coster/7 Francais. Ch. de Remusat, of the Globe. V. de Lapeloute, one of the managers of the CourrierFrancais. Bohan et Roqueplan, of the Figaro. Coate, manager of the Temps. J. J.Baude, editor of the Temps. Bert, manager of the Commerce. Leon Fillet, manager of the Immo: de Paris. Valliant, manager of the Sylphs. The National contains a letter, signed Charles Dunoyer, in which the writer declares that he will pay no tax until the ordinances dated the 25th are repealed. FRENCH FUNDS--Pans. JULY 27. The per Cents. 99r. 99r. 50e. 100 t. 994 - 50 e. 100f.99r. 50e. Three per Cents. 72f. 721. 50e. 721. 72f. 25e. 72f. 50460 c. Rentn de Naples, 811. 50c. 25c. sof. 50c. 75c. Rent* Perpetuelles d'Espagne, 66* 65i 65 644. Exchange on London.—One month, paper. 25f. 40c. money, 25f. sk. Three months, paper, 251. 25c. money, 251. 2Cc.— CoursAuthentique. DOP Ell, July 28, 183'). His Excellency le Duc de Laval Montmorency, the French Am. bassador, embarked this morning in the Salamander Post Office Packet, at 11, a. m. for Calais. His Excellency proceeds immedi ately to Paris, and will resume his employ, at the British court, in a few weeks. At five this morning, an artillery company, with 300 rifle bri gade, garrisoned here, marched to Deal, to occupy Barrack Quar. ten during the election, which commences on Friday morning, at 10 o'clock. Mr. Poulett Thomson, and Sir John Rae Reid, have been personally pursuing their canvass in Dover, for these last ten days, and, it is said, with every prospect of success ; and but night, Mr. Halcombe made his entry into Dover, the populace drawing his carriage, and accompanied by a group of at least 2000 inhabi tants. The contest was expected to be no less.severe than expen. sive ; but to preserve order, great numbers of additional special constables have this day been sworn in. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. The following arrivals are posted at Lloyd's :—Tke Carron, Stratton, from Richebucto, and Bootle, Bothwell, from Leghorn, at Cork ; Scott, Lunden. from Quebec, at Dublin ; Countess of Errol. Ritchie, from St. Petersborgh; Thomas and Robert, Dry. den. from Archangel; and Ringdove, Garden, from Gottenburgh. off Bridlington; Louisiana, Oliver, from flavannab, off Dover; and Maria, Boyle, from St . Petersburgb, at Guernsey. A new schooner from Shoreham was on shore, and on her beam ends, at Brighton, last night. Tile Mary, from Jamaica, is supposed to be arrived off Brighton. Venus swum sum—The Tertius, Brown, for Cognac. on the 2d inst. in lat. 48, long. 43; Syron, from Poole to Newfound. land, on the 3d, in lat. 48, long. 40; Minacies, of London, for Ha lifax, on the Bth, in lat. 48, long. 58; Robert, Carr, from Belfast to Q uebec,i on the 18th, in lat. 44, long. 50 ' • and Tarbokon, from Newry to Quebec, on the 281 b, in lat. 48, lo ng. 47. Dorm, JULY 28.—Wind E.N.F.—Arrived from London, the Sir George Cockburn, for the South Seas; and Cynosure, for New York, and sailed. Poarsuotrin Jura 28.—Wind the Dromore, Petrie, from Leith, for the Cape of Good Hope and Swan River; and his Majesty's ship Undaunted, from Plymouth. FALMOUTH, JOLT gB.—The Sir Edward Codrington Kindly, from Loud= to Quebec, has been surveyed , and fogad to have four futtocks broken. two planks stove in the starboard bilge, her fastenings loose, and a great many treasons started. JULY 27.—Wind N.—Arrived it the port, the Iddy.tose, Harrison, from St. Michael's ; and Eliza, Grove, from Boston. PIAMOHTM. JOLT 27.—Wind W.B.W.—Arrived of the poet, the Relief, Slocombe, from Pict's,. Sailed the Metcalf, Barren, for New South Wales. Rosser s, Jinx 27.—A twig from the Eastward, supposed to be an American, ran oo eM Goodwia Sands this afternoon, but got of without assistance, and proceeded. IVEIF SONG ON OLD SIMILES. The Bard. of all countries and ages, Prove futile the art they profess. When Woman their talent engages, And her beauties they strive to express ; (I) They Similes vainly apply all, The praise of the fan to proclaim, But when through creation they try all. No parallel charms they can name. King Solomon, all things so deep in, Strange choice of a Shepherdess shows ; Her eyes were like Pools. &la to keep in ! Like Lebanon's Towet was her nose ! (2) And Horace, so curious in diction, Quite chills us with Glycera's charms ; (3) Were her beauties of Marble no fiction, What a true frigid, cone were her arms ! An Elephant, Ladies, they make you, When your teeth, as of lery, they praise; And when, far the Sun. they mistake you, Your face must be all in a blaze ! (4) No such charms I should wish to discover 'Ti. your dear flesh and blood which I prize; And Jaggernaut might be your Lover, (5) Bad you really got Diamonds for eyes. With metaphors Poets too, try you, Meaning more than the eye always meets ; Thus they wish with a rake to supply you. When they call you a Garden of Sweets ! And when they all over have stuck you. (li) With 'Allies and Roses so gay, That they would, if they could, come and pluck you, The Puppies mean really to say. The Lips of a girl, plump and pouting, Resemble red coral, some cry, While others exclaim, without doubting, They are cherries which tempt us to buy : (7) Now, to my mind, most stupid the Bard is Who such kind of language could hold, }or the coral, I'm sure, much too hard is, And the cherries, I swear, are too cold. Such Rhymsters must surely be guessing, And cannot their subjects well know ; Anita so soft as the lips, pulpy pressing Or what can so thrillingly glow ? If a Simile then, 'twere my duty, To find for the Lips I adore, They arc like—to each other—in beauty, 1 might say, but 1 dare not say more. (1.) Although it be not necessary to " swear to the truth of • song," yet it may be remarked that there is some truth in what is here said en badinaye ; for we shall find on reflection, that the' similes which have been employed by the poets of all countries and ages, to illustrate the personal charms of the fair sex, are few in number, and consequently become very hacknied in application. A friend has just pointed out, in Hunt's very entertaining and in-' structive Ileflector, some remarks on Ills subject, and the follow ing extract from Shim Icy's Comedy of the Sisters pity men of your high fancy Should dishonour their own name by forming Prodigious shapes of beauty in our sex. If I were really what you so commend, Mankind would fly me— Two suns, instead of eyes, and they rot melt The forehead made of snow ; no cheek but two Roars inoculated on a lily; Between • pendant alabaster nose ; Lips cut out of coral, and no teeth but strings of pearl. (2.) " Thine eyes axe like the fish-ponds in lieshbon by the Gate of Itatit-rabbin : thy nose is u the Tower of Lebanon, which look eth towards Damascus.”—Soloason's Song, chap. vii. v. G. (3.) Urit (Hymn nitor Splendentis Pans immune purius. Hon (Me xix. lib. 1. (4.) Potts, who have likened their mistresses to the sun, are in. numerable : Petrarch forms two or three of his sonnets on this, in one sense, although not in another, cold conceit. But perhaps the most outrageous application of it to be found extant, is in the works of Votture. It appears to have been a favourite conceit with that writer; and one of his sonnets is really so amusingly extravawt, that I am tempted to quote it here, with a translation, which l ope will be found sufficiently faithful.—lt is the following:— SONNET. Sous an habit de lieuts L nymphe que radon, L'autre soir apparut si brillante en ces Que l'eclat de son mint et eeluy de les yeux, Tout la monde la pelt pour la naissante Aurore. La terre, en Is voyant, fit mille fleurs &lore, L'air Put par tout remply de chantes melodieus. Et les teux de In nuit paslirent dans les deux, Et creurent que le jour recommervit encore. be soleil qui totnbom dans le sein de Thftia, R'allumant tout 1 coup see rayons swords. hit bourne' see chevaux pour aller apres elk. Et l'cmpire de Hots ne l'eust ague retenir ; Male la tegartlant miens, et la voyant si bell , II at cache sous l'onde. et n'osa revenir. In transcribing the above I have retained the old orthography of the author. TRANSLATION. Brilliant in charms, the nymph I love, last night Appear'd deck'd out in all the flowers of May; Iler eyes and her complexion shone so bright, Mortals conceiv'd it was the Dawn of Day. The Barth put forth of flowers a rich display, The air was filled with warblings of delight ; The Stars of night withdrew their feeble ray, Believing it the Morn's returning light. Sol, who in Thetis' bosom had retir'd, His late extinguish'd beams lit up again ; And turn'd his steeds, to chase the Maid desigu'd, Which Ocean vainly struggled to restrain. But when he saw the maiden's face so fair, He slunk beneath the waves in deep despair. Butler has successfully ridiculed this hacknied hyperbole, when he makes Hudibru say in making love, " Those Heavenly attracts of yours, your eyes And face, that all the world surprise, Do dazzle all that look upon ye, And turn all other ladies tawny." (6.) Jaggernaut, the immense Indian idol, by whose chariot an. nually so many Hindoos, it is said, suffered themselves to be crushed to death, and was supposed to have had two large diamonds for eyes. They were, however, when the Idol was submitted to military sou. tiny, found only to be imitation diamonds—for the priest is as keen a judge of diamonds as the soldier, and had anticipated the latter in his researches. (6) " A garden enclosed is my sister"—" Thy plants are in orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruit' —" Let my be. loved come into his garden, and eat his please:me fruits."—The He. brew expression isfraits of attoffillCSS...4:ile Solomon's Song, chap. 4, verses 12, 13, 14, and 16. (7) The " Cherry-ripe" of Herrick is well known ; but he is no. the original nee only dealer in poetical cherries.—He likewise might be quoted as to coral lips. PitOrINVIAL INTELLIGENS. GENERAL . ELECTION. CANTERBURY.—Canterbury Election commences this day. Fats Ex.—Lieut.-Colonel John Tyuen Tyrrel, eldest son of Sir John Tyne', of Bineham House, has tome forward to oppose Mr. Wellealey--the election will commence on Friday, the Str. of August. 'lnst.—lt is said that Mr. Sykes will nut stand. A Mr. Heathcote is talked of. NEXT (COUNTY)—Election takes placron the 10th of August. Liven root. —The election will take place on Monday next. — These is scarcely any chance of a tOrmidable opposition being raised against the old Members. Itlasttiortonon—.There will be a contest in this borough. Sir Alexander Meet and John Mirehouse, Esq. naive offered themselves. Nzwcasvi.e.unnza•Lros 'has been canvassed by Mr. Peel and Mr. Miller. Quilts/moot:Tex.—John Cape), Esq. and John Gladstone, of Lluerpool, junior, are canvassing this Borough together. o:roan University Election takes place tomorrow. STAFFORD (COUNTY) election is expected to take place on Saturday, the 7th of August. tivarroan (Boaouon).—Mr. Campbell, K.C. Mr. Thomas Gisborne, and Mr. Richard Spooner, are candidates. WARWICIDINIRC—The nomination for this County will take place on Tuesday the 3d, and the election, on Friday the Bth in Austin. Messrs. Lawley and Dugthile are at present the only can. dWates. WasTmlo4llll.--The election Is fixed foe next Saturday. Cansatnos.—The elections for the University and Town will take place oo Saturday and 3londay next. Sowenwana.--The election is appointed for Friday. A num ber of workmen were employed the whole of yesterday in este iss the Hustinp, in front of the Town, in the Borough. There is I no opposition to the sitting Mambos, (len. Sir Robert Wilson and 1 1 Mr. C. Calvert, whose return Is considered safe. Yonasnins..-111s. Brougham has accepted the invitation of the freeholders to become a candidate. ST. Irlts—Ms. Stirling has announced himself as a Candidate ou his &this's batten, tie Walter Stilling having formelif 4OP resented our Borough for three successive Parliaments. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. When reviewing last week Sir JAKES MACIEIVI oast's History of England, we had intended to add an extract of his opiniuts on Magna Charts, preparatory to the insertion of what we deeth a curious paper in opposition to the doctrines which Sir JAM Es mat .. tains—namely,that no part of Magnet Charts infers that the peoi:;r were, at that time, represented. As we consider the subject u: e of deep interest, we have determined still to give the paper a place. We precede it by FM extract from Sir JAMES% History : " To constitute this Common Council for the levy of aids," gay . the Charter, we shall cause the Prelates and greater Barons to be separately summoned by our letters; and we shall direct mt- Sheriffs and Bailiffs to summon generally all who hold of us in chief; and re shall take care to publish the mute of the summons in the same way, and give forty days' notice of tht meeting.' ro the Upper House of our modern Parliament, this clause is s•i:l per (ectly applicable. Front the Lower House, the Common Cottr.cl of Joni'', Charter essentially differs, in excluding represerna"or . and in confining the right of concurrence in imposing taxes to the rest tenants of the Crown. It presents, however, the first anti n• of a Parliamentary Constitution." So says Sir JAMES 'MACKIN( _ rosix ; and now let us proceed to"our historical illustration There is nothing in the great charter of King John whin': make us conceive that the people of Englaird were, in that age, presented in Parliament." This assertion is ma* 11 a late i:•go nious writer• ; and it having excited my curiosity so far as to induce me to look into the great chatter, and to examine in..) I*-4 consequences, I shall beg to lay before the public a few of the ideas which occurred to me on this occasion. When tl'e confederacy of the nobility and the people under .Juan had, in some measute, revived the freedom of former ages. and I sd produced the Magna Cltarta, twenty-five herons were chosen Con servators of the public liberties, in conformity to that charter; and. from the list that is given of them, I am inclined to think, that mr. argument of good weight is to be drawn in favour of the early repre sentation of the people. The matter at least is curious; and what I am to advance has not hitlitsto been remarked by ary writer on English history or antiquities. Theite congervatotg weret The Earls of Clare, A iibermale, Gloucester, Winchester, li ereford. Norfolk. Oxford; 7. W. Mareachall the younger, Gi'their de Clare, Robert Fetzwalter, I..lu:ice de Vele ; 4. The Mayor of Landoll, William de Atibenie, William de Blobray, Ricliard de Perci, Geoffrey de say, : William Maier, Roger de Mutnbezon, John ritzrohett. William de Huntingfcld, William dc Lanviday, Robert de Roil, Hugh Bigot. The Constabk of Cheater, Richard de Sluntficlici ; 14. I{'hat I consider as very worthy of remark in this list of name•, is the appearance of the Lord Mayor of London, and the Cortstai, of Cluster. According to Mr. Hume, and to Mr. Blackstone, these corset s.t_ tots must all of them have been of the order of the nobility ; they must have been Earls and greater barons. In what way, then, is it to be accounted foe from their reasonings, that the Mayor of !Ando' should rank among the baronet peajores IP and that the Constable o: Chester should likewise be entitled to the same honour? As Mayor and Constable, they possessed not, according to the principles of these writers, the smallest title to this precedence. According, then, to the opinions and reasonings of Mr. Hume and Mr. Blackstone, this matter abounds with difficulties that seem to be inexplicable. Let us try to account for it on diferent I will suppose, with some acute and judicious writers,: that the people in the age of John were actually represented iu parlian• ent ; and that the word baron was synonymous with freeman. On this ground, it is natural to conclude, that the twenty-five conservaters would be chosen out of the three estates ; with the exception, flat the spiritual lords would decline any share in the trust,a. they were in the interest of John, and favourers of arbitrary power. The names, accordingly, of no ecclesiastics appear in the list. The choice must have fallen on the temporal nobles and the core. mons ; and, in this view of the matter, it is not surprising, that the Mayor of London, and the Constable of Chester, should have been in the number of conservators. By this plan, they must have con. sisted of seven earls, four barons majoree, and fourteen commoners. And, what confirms this conclusion in a very curious and th , cisive manner, is the appearance of the Lord Mayor at the head of the commoners. It was his proper place : for, it is worthy of notice. that at this day, the representatives of London, on the meeting of a new Parliament, go in their robes to the house, and take their seats on the right hand of the Speaker's chair; a pre-eminence which is their peculiar privilege, as the other members sit promiscuou.ly. I do not propose to enter at large into the great question about the early or late representation of the people ; but, if the difficulty stated in this paper is tried by the opposite opinion. which historians and antiquaries have formed on that subject, it is cb. vim's, that it cannot be explained films the reasonings of prero. gative writers, while it easily reconciles with the opinions of those who lean to the popular party. And, that the pesple in those times could not in reality be so much oppressed by the nobility, u has been so frequently asserted, I would remark, that their influence must in a great measure have depended on the lenity with which they treated their vassals and retainers. For, in the number and attachment of these, their power consisted. That the Dames oft:, threw off all subjection and allegiance to the sovereign is certain But what enabled them to do so? They must, doubtless, have courted their vassals and retainers, who alone could constitute their force. That the term baron might apply to commoners, will not he et n. teased by any one who is versant in ancient papers and recoils. The citizens of London are frequently stiled howsines, rives, bargenses. and **nowt. Lendonine ; and the men of the Cirque Port. wire tilled IAIIOIIII3 and allanntB opaque perhisse.§ That the consetvators might be enabled to act with full force. all men in in the kingdom were bound to swear obedience to them ; and the freehokkes of each county,' says Mr. Hume, were to ehuse twelve knights, who were to make a report of such evil customs as required redress, conformable to the tenor of'ehe great charter.' This, continues the sore author, seems u certain pm j, that the house of commons was nit then in being ; others we the knights and burgesses irons the several counties could hare n in to the lords a list of the 'rimester 12 lamest any new election 1 If this conclusion be well founded, what I have said Is to little purpose. But I will venture to &Ohm, that it has no solid founds. Lion ; and that it rests on a mistake, which this very able historian has fallen into, in regard to English jurisprudence. In England, at a very early period, and even at this day, all writs of inquiry directed to the sheriff, are returnable on the oaths c f a jury of twelve men • nor has the government any other esesti:u. clonal and legal method of coming at the truth of facts. In the pro. sent case, this method was followed. The grievances tomplatrie.l of were enrolled by this means ; and the sheriffs, as appears from the records, made their returns accordingly. It is thus, then, that I have been led to think, that from the sr. pearance of the L ord Mayor of London, and the Constahle of Chi.. ter, in the list of the conservators of the libetties of England, an gument might be brought in favour of the early rep/uncover:l 6: the people. We have inserted the above abridgment of a obscure van, ;ten taking an interti.t in the enquiry, and we .hall tor:elude with a ►,•. mark of our own on the text of the Charter, ss given by Sir Jam MACILINTOSU. The exprestion, " and •e shall direct our Act w. and bailiffs to summons you're, all who hold of us in chit f." da not, we think, infer that othtrs wire not to be spiciallp ' , no mon, d Cr, ptrhaps, summoned according to sornt existing special c ustom. • Mr. Wight, in hie Treatise on Election Law,, p. 16. t Blackstone 's tetrod. p. 32, edit. 1762. Whitelake, Petit, Tyrrrl, Bacon, ettkpla, Lyttel•on, Wibertua, pricr et cnn Tenure tcelerior Chri%ti eantuariar, pret.i( hominibus I.undorroe Francis et Anglia, soluton.— teens. Any/. No. 28G. Chita appellantur ir. membranis autheniiein H. Rex Anglorull, epi.rovis—tt butgen,ikum Lur,doriae, !,alu. um. Form. Amp!. Nu Cs. Reeeduitm Robtrii lr &ud ni;!it et 31lie'litelis dr titilume bergeftiti Lontlonsae. Hit }Leif/nit. 10 FA I. Hid. P. thinfridus 3lartel t•asoniltus Leudui.iat. et unisit•uo hotlxiluis, te. Pure. Atiy/. Nu. 210. Major Lou denim , et Air Imams Lun. L denise lute aaaaa runt, kc. Mona. 6. H. 3. Au.. 5. 4. .L.. hie.. vuL I. p. N Vol I. p. 329. I