Star. — London, England, 1810-12-12 00:00:00

' THE CalttES. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17. is day's debate, Senor TORRERO, after a speech -nor Creus, who declared himself hostile to the m of the Press, spoke to nearly the following " Mr. President, I differ from the last speaker lee he has taken, but in rising to give my opi. wish to recall the assembly to the funklamea iples on which we have to argue this ques id from which I perceive we have strayed. I , e this question to be divided into two parts ; its justice, the second its necessity. Justice is I principle of civil society, and the child of is the Liberty of the Press. I wish to prove it which mankind is possessed of to obtain that and if I•succeed, the detention of it will be :e, and all injustice is wrong.—Let us apply inciple to the present moment, and let us look land for an,example. The grand cause of that i independence is the power which every man sof canvassing actions of public men, of ing the conduct of the representatives of the in Parliament, and of making known an opi pon it. It is impossible *to describe the error importance of this weapon, and of the power' smanates from the Press. England knows its she protects the Press, and in return the Preu itected England. ieright of canvassing the actions of the Govern an7 imprescriptible right, which no nation can without •ceasing to be one. But let me recal ttention to the memorable Decree of the 24th tember. 'What did we then do ? We declared crees of Bayonne unlawful and null ! and for Cason ? Because the act of renunciation was into without the consent of the nation. To has that nation now devolved its cause ? To We.are its Representatives, and by our Constitution could take few steps without the our Constituents. But when the People placed in our hands; did they deprive themselves of iportant right of inspecting and canvassing our ? Why did.eve on the 24th of September, de responsibility Of the Executive Government ? id we assure to ourselves the power of review. actions ? Because we were placing power in ids of men who might easily abuse it, if there io bridle to check them, and there is no bridle Cortes. . But are we infallible ? Are we not to err ? Can the people on our first assembling xch confidence in us as to require so precau- Hake not the people the same right over us have,over the Executive Power ? Suppose the .ative and the Executive were to unite to restore ism, have the people no defence? No resource ? not here be perplexed by metaphysics, but let guided by facts, reason, and experience. The have one resource, the Press. But if that be red them, what signifies it, whether they be en by one, by five, by twenty, or by an hundred? tatety% for their right have the people after our , The people of Spain have ever detested ci trs. But there is a pacific mode of obtaining re namely, the bold expression of public opinion. the people's safeguard, and we are not yet suf ,y awake to its vast power of forcing Govern to be just. Yet by this, and by this alone, can tion be saved. But if .you deprive the people liberty of speaking and writing, how is thie to be declared ? If I were to tell my Conti in Estremadura of n previous censorship of the what would they say to me when they found; express their opinions they must send to the for a licence ? It is, therefore, one of the of mankind to have free liberty of the Press ; m both wise in theory, and confirmed by prac id experience. England, by enjoying it, has ;tally resisted despotism. Whilst the Liberty Press exists, Parliaments cannot be suppressed: ccintrary, they gather strength to curb the . • The high situation in which England now arises from the Press ; for a free Press, in Country, gives that powerful arm of public t o without which all others arc vain. -he second point I hive to call to your notice is Grounding, as I have . done, the liberty subiect on a free Press, I next declare, that in 3- way can Spain be saved.. I repeat, that if litations with which we propose to curb the .ire Power are netessary, much more so.are 'istraints oil ourselves, which afford our Con.; is the means of watching over our conduit. I tpolten Of experience. If Spain had been able :pest her 'public opinion, would all those itga scenes' of intrigue have been permitted in the 1 Would Godoy haie long retained a poWer has proved •so fatal to:his country ?. the of Wales .in England were placed a prisoner. ortt Palace,..under•the' will of bad Ministers, the •Etiglisli nation be silent?' Yet we have lemur:and this sufficiently proves ' that liberty, a free Press, although it may be the good man': willfstlll.beahothmg a dream. .1 wish to ibis _question dispassionately, and with calm lag.: • ence between Myself and. My uts that they .40nceive the evils . of a free ,; be as niMion," the good as twenty.. I, on trary, tliiiikthe evils are as twenty, and the ~,411ion::: They ilave Warmly digressed on lament, .• If twere now to run over all tlt ,cr'&9lt ciVil suck ty, .the curses of anibit ion, airs Of war, the . woes. of famine, and the' de cf.pestilenie, I couldltighten yotr all,• But dxf441.11 picture k might draw, woold yOu ht . good: of Csvil society, and conchhie to de: here wahave no' Republic of Pl ato . H ere . fallible men, with la the mixture of.good behroging to our c ntiition , and it is from a' e atone .ot adv.intage and inconvenience that• form' jits decision on any question. A g*.tt ut desiroutot tr - Anslating the bible Urpit torrents of abuse were poured I . for the attenipt.t . 'The „same-language was .to LI'S efforts:4s to ours. Whsttwas his an-. 46 Ide not deny its. ittcoroixtsienciet, hi i, ira l tiffi ,a the balance'?" The s.true is our case. 'Mud t: , e gnosl.wopld have been • o r :* •41 t 01 our Matures. rvtt„. COl:Citlde .• • I believe : 4lie nation to po ssess a and inviolable right to the aved.:m of the press, ••••1 - .1) . ,',Ayr.411 - 3 by , which Olty ,;.;) 4ssert their just. 11S user ' the. conduat,ol their yepresentaiives. i 4.4.1411 la is general,- but at ti . i . *3 113 1 nlont they leg4ite tiHu the .vacate of their beloved ifsing.' 4 • N. • • WE In this day's c from'Senor Cret Freedom of the effect:—" en the line he ha Ilion, I wish to, tal principles on tion, and from v conceive this qtr th: first its justic the vital princip Justice is the Li the right which liberty, and if injustice, and a this principle to to England for : station -1 s indeper • possesses of can inspecting the c people in Parlia nion upon it. mots important which emanates shoprot bas protected E The right of inert is an . imps resign without • "-your attention I of September. the llccrees of what reason ? entered into wit *horn has. that -Ourselves. We . original Constiti rtrillrof our Cons power in our h; the important r -*cams ?- Why stree.the . respons Why did we as Ong its actioni the hands of nu trere•tO bridle but the Cortes. liable to err ? bave such confi Cons ? Have that we have 4 av Legis.ative and despotism, have Let us not herc 'es be guided b: people have oni debarred them, slaved by one, I ICI It safety selves ? The wars. But dress, namely, This is the peol Eciently awake , • tnents to be just the nation be sv of the liberty t opinion to he d tuents in Estrei Press; what wo that to express Cones for a lic fghts of monk *system both • 'bee and. experi res •f the Press exi On the cdntrar Crosyn. • The i iii3laced, arises * tree Country, withou " The secon, . itinecessity.. ( 6f the subject o 00' other way c. tile limitations ~ Executive Pow those restraints stituents the me have spoken *ot to express her mous scenes of -Estwial ? Won which has pros . Prince of in his own P..la wouki the Eng been-silent ; without a free I dirrarn, xt•i!l still argue this vie xeot swig. opponents Press t.; be es a • ,the,Ctiti.trarY t .godd ati aonnifil ail its dartsios. evils iricidept 'ti itor4-ors of vi , V • ' - ttpti (r.pes frOrn the cixe.t..tt forget the'grsod •stroy here we - statai, land and b trance 4 4 / 4 1 ; • . we can fs . irtti ii . inquis:tr,r or Sp, • into SP intsfs. on kin) fill. the 01 - 6,24 to Vl's' 4 r « Ido •Pnlt on the fral tittt i;.(114 , nr tits‘). n Fi "1 o man sacred and , mri) r P o,)i4ytifi Weir DIM& 4414; rccpin - When Fie tetetts, he will hale the pave, In attend ing to the proceedings of the legislature, to assert his, own prerogatives. Until then, the people have not only their own rights, but those of the monarchy to maintain. If they do not maintain them, who can say that this country will not follow the steps of re volutionary France, and the Cortes become a national assembly. Let those who dread republicznism from the liberty of the press, look at the reverse of the:.ptc ture, and tremble. I again repeat it—the only safeguard for the rights of the people, and the prerogative of the King, lies in the tribunal of public opinion. Let the Cortes be preserved pure. if they become corrupt, the people will become so too. We must, therefore, strengthen ourselves from the only source of purity— the public opinion.—l have heard much against the Press, but the objections appear to me to have pro ceeded more from personal interests than from a sense of the public welfare. lam but asking for justice. Should the good which I augur from the Freedom of the Press, be exaggerated, and the mischiefs foretold from it be true, still let us grant it, for before Justice even the powers of darkness must sow. Much has been said on the score of religion. I can add little to what Senor OLIVEROS expressed yesterday, but I must recal one circumstance to your minds ; that the sa cred head of our Religion, the Pope, is now under persecution, that Bonaparte has even, commenced a civil suit against him, and that from the degra ded state of Freedom in France, no man dares to lift his voice or to move his pen in defence of that venerable person. These are the fruits of an arbi trary censorship on the Press ! But there are some persons who think, that works would be published hostile to religion. It probably may often happen, that in parties conversations will turn, on religion, but if one man decries or blasphemes it, twenty zealous 4e fenders spring forth in its support ; so would it be with the press. I must, therefore, declare that the Cortes will be acting against the nation, if they do not decree the Liberty of the Press. 'We shall be betrayers of the People's hopes ; the re-establihhers of the despotism we have abolished ; the destroyers of the last chance of Spain. The censorship of the Press, is the last hold of the tyranny under which we so long have groaned. It is your vote which must root it out, or fix it for ever." THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18. Senor GARCIA. DE HERKEROS on this day explained the vote he should give on the first Article of the Report, and which would appear contrary to the opi nion he had expressed on a former day. He w-ts for a free circulation of opinion, " for (said he) a free press does not depend on anterior or posterior censor- . ship, but on the free circulation of mens' writings." He agreed perfectly to the first Article, with the ad mission of the word " politica," by which modifica tion religious subjects would be excepted from dis cussion, or remain on the same footing as before. Senor Mexta observed, that by the French code, st Prefect was appointed in every department of France, whose business it was to censure the press. Was this example to be followed by the Cortes ? El Senor LLANERAS read a discourse against the abolition of the previous censorship, endeavouring to prove that the liberty of the press was not only con sistent with it, but better secured by it. Senor ARGUELLES then rose, and said he wished to bring the matter to a point, for otherwise there would be no end to the discussion. He approved much of Senor Mexia's speech, who had argued from facts. The Deputy from Majorca (the same SenorLlaneras) had said, that with honest tribunals there would be no necessity for a free Press. He perfectly agreed with that Deputy, that if all men were infallible and incapable of wrong, there would be no occasion for any laws whatsoever ; but for his part he had never known but one class of men, namely, such as they all were, fallible beings, subject to all the imperfections of their common nature. " The Deputy for Major ca," continued Senor Arguelles, " has declared that the Inquisition was a proper tribunal for judging what books ought to be permitted. Does he forget that the library of the Marquis of Villena, with all his valua ble manuscripts, was burnt by a Friar of the Court of John the Second,.who was himself a literary cha racter and a poet, notwithstanding which, the king: dom was ruled by the favourite Dr. Alvan de Luna ? The religious and political zeal against the Liberty of the Press did not abate in the subsequent reigns ; nevertheless, upstart minions governed the nation in the time of Eurique quarto, Felipe tercero y quarto, and never were so numerous the regulations against the free communication of our political opinions as in the reign of Charles the Fourth. Even a prudent tolerance in political matters would have preserved us from the present calamity. Had we been possessed 'of the Liberty of the Press, should we have had its censors, and our very judges themselves, composing, the Court of Godoy, that Court where every thing was sold, and which might justly be called the mar- ket place of all justice and liberty ? " There is not a nation in the world which . has not suffered an age of disorders for want of the liberty of the press, for one evil which has been produced by its excesses. There I rest its claim, and I challenge the world to deity it." Senor Colonel GOLPIN said, that the freedom of the press was just, useful, and necessary, and that they could 'not go on one step without it. There was no othei mode of coming at the public opinion. A for mer speaker had asked what was to be done, if the press should be directed against the Cortes ? He would answer, that the Cortes would derive from it the same advantage which the Parliament of Eng land derived from the public newspapers, through which they learned the opinion of the people on their conduct. He. said, that those who feared that the lihetty of the press would be employed against the characters of individuals, would do well to recollect, that they might equally be injured by the circulation of libels in manuscripts, with this most fatal differ ence, namely, that in the one case the evil would be manifest, and the powers of defence would always re main, whereas in the other the blow is secret, the dan ger is unknown, and the means of defence are abso lutely taken away. It was clear, therefore, that the absence of a free press afforded no security t 3 dnats for the protectitm of their characters, hut, on the contrary, by encouraging defimatory manuscripts, subjects them to infinitely greater inconeeniencies. "On the conclusion of this speech, Senor G.14.14G0S moved that the question should be putlis the vote. The Marquis of Vioo then rose. and read a long and 'laboured argument against the Liberty of the • Press. On which Senor TORRTRO spoke again nearly as follows : " The last speaker ascribes to me that I had said that England stood alone by therrecdom of the Press. This is not correct. I said that England stands by public opinion, which the Liberty of the Press pro tects a!d fosters, but which is ,itself rooted in the liberty of the subject. On every debate in Parliament , the substance of the speeches of its Members is imme- I diately printed and circulated all ever the country ; land from thence it arises that the poorest peasant in the most wretched village in England has the power, if he has the capacity, of iaspectinfr and judging of the conduct of every public man in the realm. " That Member has acknowledged the beneficial efficacy of the Press in England, but denies it to Spain. I affirm that the efforts of a Free Press would be equally beneficial to Spain, as the basis of our Go vernment is the same. Englandhas her Parliament; Spain has her Cortes. England has a limited Mo narchy—Spain is in the act of limiting hers. Eng land has a just division of the three powers, Legisla tive, Executive, and Judicial—we have just declared the same division. What, then, is there in these two nations, so allied in character, and so similar in the basis :of their respective Constitutions, that should confine to England the benefits which are ad mitted to belong to the Press in that Country, and prevent our reaping some of the same fruits ? —Had we been possessed of the press in Spain, would some Priests have ventured to assert that Charles the Fourth was inspired by GOD to put the Government into the hands of Godoy ? If we had had the press, Godoy must have fallen ; as we were without it, he has lived to perpetrate our ruin. I re peat, that had it not been for the decided public opi. nion of England, established 1.1 the efforts of the press, and acting on a wide and fertile soil of national education, England must have perished from the con vulsions of her parties. Should the King ever enter tain the wish, and possess, through the agency of a stronger executive than we now grant him, the means of destroying the Cortes, what refuge have we ? Whi ther are we to fly ? Whither, but to the good opinion of the people of Spain, gained by our own actions, and disseminated by the press ? " Had G9cloy known the feelings of the Spanish people, he would have been deterred from committing many crimes ; but, amidst fools and bad men, while statues were erecting to his fame, he was deceived, and the nation was undone. Had we possessed the press, Charles IV. would not have dared to carry on that wretched system of government which had re . duced us to our present situation. " The power which the Parliaments of England hold over their Kings, arises from the knowledge which the people possess of the principles of those who compose Parliament, and from the support they give them." With this speech the debate on the first article con cluded, after which a warm discussion took place with regard to the mode of voting, and whether it should be public or secret ? Some Members having observed, that in England the gallery was always cleared when the question was put by the Speaker, Senor Aanueues stated, that by the standing or ders of the House, even the discussion was secret, hut that the practice was uniformly the reverse, for Eng land had virtue enough to respect the opinion of the people. The President having declared that the Session was closed for that day, the votes were not taken until the next day, Friday, October 19th, when the ques tion being put on the first article (amended by the insertion of the word " politica " as above-mentioned), and the Secretary writing down the name of each Member, there appeared in favour of it 70, against it 32. GERMAN PAPERS. FROM ITALY, Nov. 16 —We, Joachim Napoleon, King of both Sicilies, &c. do Decree as follows : Art. I. The Decree of the slit of August of this year Is re pealed. The duties on goods therein named shall be paid ac cording to the tarif affixed to our Decrees of the 24th February, 1809, and 16th May, I N !O. Art. 11. From the day of the publication of the present Decree, throughout our Kingdom of Italy, no other kinds of cloths, cot tons or silks shall he permitted, not obtained from manufactories in the Empire of France, and they shall be accompanied by the certificabe of origin, a form to be directed by the French Govern ment, with the necessary documents to give it authenticity, and to prevent fraud. Art. S. Our Minister of Finances is charged with the execution of this Decree. (Signed) Naples, November I. JOACI-lIM NAPOLEON. I BREMEN, OCT.IB.—PROCLAMATION. The Senate has appointed his Excellency Count Von Campares, President of the Council at Hamburg'', to execute the Decree of his Majesty the Emperor against contraband trade, and the Council has issued an order that each inhabitant shall produce a decla ration of his concerns in forbidden goods. The Senate is determined to comply with this regulation in the strictest manner. By it also a form is to be delivered from house to house, to be filled up by the inhabitants in the presence of persons appointed by the Senate. It gives the Senate great pleasure to remark that since the publication of the Decrees of Berlin and Milan, the public notices it has given have not been made in vain. They have no doubt that the same attention and obedience will be paid to the present. AMSTERDAM, NOV. ^s. The account of the finances of this Empire from 1809, is at this moment under the inspection of the Emperor, as well as the Budget for 1811. No aug tnentation of contributions is happily necessary, and the finances of this Empire are in a state of the greatest prosperity. Not only will there be no new contribu tions, but the expences for the public works, and for all the great contributions which interest our interior prosperity, will be increased. A great extension will be given to works relative to bridges and causeways, to the Hydraulics of .the great ports, such as Cher:: bourg, the Basin of Havre, the Basin of Antwerp, &c. ice. to the construction of banks, to secure our great places, such as Alexandria in Piedmont, Havre, Ostend, Antwerp, and the different places on the Scheldt, icc. works, which of themselves will illustrate I the present reign in the eyes of posterity. In 1810 the phblic treasury expended more than 120 millions for these purposes. The sum destined for the year 1811 exceeds 140 millions. What can be a greater and more astonishing proof of our pros perity than the immense sums paid for works, which are not of urgent necessity , an d a ll o f whioi might be adjourned or suspende d . AV!. RICA: BOSTON, NoVIMBER te. Inclosed you will find Copies of the Proclamation, and Mr. Gallatin's Circular By these instruments it will' be obvi ous , Great Britain repeals her orders in Counci stores full liberty to neutral trade, a war i , France has done what was her part of the yoking her Decrees, and Great Britain in annulling her Orders in Council. VIII done, all commerce mu s t b e suspended, 2d (.4 . February, the Non-Intercourse La\ renewed. England will capture our ships arm them for defence; hostilities will fr our Declaration of War will be the nest This Proclamation has not been issued consideration • the Cabinet m et for several it was adopted. It has been contemplated time; but the dispatches from General received on the Thursday preceding the vember, put the matter beyond doubt. Oa vices, an American Paper of some anthorir tithed the following. It is stated to be th of a Note transmitted to the American El General Armstrong, and received by him his quitting Paris. Art. I. The Decree issued at Rambotui yoked. Every Ametican vessel will be witted. c , Art. 2. The confiscated pr o p erty w ill as soon as Congress shall have rescinded t the subject of fines incurred for the contra the Nen-intercourse Bill. ~ Art. 3. The Americans may introd into our ports the produce of their own boil port a contra •.Aloe in the production of - sail." WASHINGTON CTIT, Nov. 2,1 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED A PROCLAMATION. Whereas by the fourth section of the gress, passed on the first day of May, Is 4 , An Act concerning the commercial the United Slater and Great Britain and their detendencies, and for other Intritoses," it . " that in case either Great .Britain or F. before the 3d of March next, so revoke or edicts as that they shall cease to viol to commerce of the United States, which/net. of the United Stain shall declare by progamoti,n, the other nation shall not within three mint' after so revoke or modify her edicts in lit then the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, sevens ninth, tenth, and eighteenth sections of tied •, An act to interdict the commercial between the United States and Great Britain . and their dependencies, and"for other purposes, from and after the expiration of three mr the date of the proclamation aforesaid, be , have full force and effect, so far as relates minions, colonies, and dependencies, and des, the growth, produce, or manufacture minions, colonies, and dependencies of the refusing or neglecting to revoke or modif' in the manner aforesaid. And the restrictions posed by this act shall, from the date of such - motion, cease and be d , scontinued in relation nation revoking or modifying her decrees ner'aforesaid." And whereas it has been officially made this Government that the edicts of France the neutral commerce of the United States so revoked as to cease to have effect on the present month. Nov, therefore, I, Jeans President of the United States, do here): that the said edicts of France have been as that they ceased on the said first day of month to violate the neutral commerce of States ; and that from the date of these presen, the restrictions imposed by the aforesai, cease anti be discontinued in relation to her dependencies. In testimony whereof, I have caused the Seal States to be hereunto affixed, and signed the hand at the city of Washington, this second) s.)ber, in the year,of our Loan one thousand and ten, and of the Independence of the United thirty-fifth. (Signed) ANU MADISON By the President, R. S MITu, Seartili (CIRCULAR) Treasury-Department, November Sot—You will herewith receive a Copy' clamation of the President of the United nouncing the revocation of the edicts of F , violated the neutral commerce of the United and that the restrictions, imposed by the Ist last, accordingly cease from this da d to France. French armed vessels may, therel admitted into the harbours and waters of : States, any thing in that law to the contrary notes' standing. It also follows, that if Great Britain shall not, as the 2d day of February next, have revoked or mot fled in like manner her edicts violating the nett nommerce of the United States, the 3d, 4th, 5 6,044 7th, Bth, 9th, 10th, and 18th sections of the Act to interdict the commercial intercourse between dig United States and Great Britain and France 3, 11 their dependencies, and for other purposes, shall' a conformity with the Act first above mentioned, be* vived and have full force and effect, so far as relate; to Great Britain and her dependencies, from mu after the said 2d day of February next. Unless dogs' fore you shall before that day be officially netifi e l , 7 this department of such revocation or mediticstio: you will, from and a fte r the s a id day, carry feet the above mentioned sections, which prolu b c both the entrance of British vessels of every doe"? tioninto the harbours and waters of the United Sigel' and the importation into the United States doll Iles the growth, produce, or manufacture of th e . r minions, colonies, and dependencies of Great B i n and of any articl e s wh a t ev er brought from the sal dominions, colonies, and dependencitss. I am, respectfully, Sir, your obedient servant! • (Signed) ALBERT G4LLATP. The Collector of the . Customs for the Dibtric,„,.... PRICE OF S POCKS Tab DAY AT OW; 0 CLOD , . 3 per Ct. Cons. money, shut—for opg. 670. Reduced 66{-4 per Cent. 32; 1 4 . Navy 5 per Cent. that—Ommum Ali .1:k PRICE OF S JOCKS ILSTMWAY. I a per Cent. Red. 6164 661 bldis bowls, 9 116 9 per Cent. Cons. shut Etc. Bills, 4s. 64 'prom 4 pee (Nat. sisH •.. eiablem di , . 5 per Cent. Navy Au BROM Loatey I Jetta!". • Log Asa. 7 044 kr _—...•st di P reidesit tr. 4 that nt Ica, an d is ineri ta, e wit do rind th at it and on d ie " I aw . s; ee l . Ins follow , gn step. aedMi , I days ed for sen t Arm.t '6 ll ' 2ci of 4 . On the* T rity has he subs4 a4 Executive II es n PrtliOus y t bOtlinn ism. 1 se frecly ad. Si It be eest,.. the law . :invention dote f lu ; soil, a n d tt , f the Fred •11 11110. 1 S rins. A Act of 1410, east rearm ' Fr::nce . • is provi France al or modify .. the Mt o the Prai. hal mew, and • ; nnnths there An manner nth, eightl the act enti Or LI intercou . lin and rot posev , non hs f ca e revived - es to the do. dto the a ; P'" re of the do. e nation dun rat fy her edicts rictions such prod ~,„ ttion to , the in the taro r de known to of ice violating e es have bets le first of the ~ s MADDISO36 by proclioa, c so revoked if the presest If the Unied ' c presents, A sad act shd ) Francs asa p of the Unild same wialt C day of Now . . 1 I eight board tired Stew tM f lON cretary el Stet ' tuber 2,1815. oy of the Pa States, ar France which , 'sited States, Act of My ay in relating theref id d the Unite' rary shall not, 011 ked cor ma; the toga .56,64 II I the Act to a b et ween dig France anA tes. shags is it