Star. — London, England, 1831-02-28 00:00:00

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. BE LG lUM. The provisional Government and Congress are playing their part in •seroking a crisis. By casting back the last protocol of due great powers ;11 their teeth they have thrown down the gauntlet, and, lest any chance i accommodation remained, have now decided upon a Regency. which to represent the Duke de Nemours till lie comes of age. On the Roth , Ite question was put to the vote in the National Congress, and the re 9olt was the election of M. Surlet de Chokier. The majority was eery large. The whole number of voters was 157, of whom 108 voted fur 31. Chokitr. PoLat:n.—Tire accounts from Warsaw reach to the 14th inst. The lies•hins had entered Poland at several points along a line of frontiers of 300 English miles. The Russians had advanced their posts nearly halfway from the frontiers to Warsaw, though the head.quarters of P./cruel Diebitsch arc said to be not yet far (root the Bug—at Biala, oa the ditect road to the Polish capital. Lublin had been summoned and preparations made for a siege. It seems that the insurrectionary or partisan warfare has not been considerable, but the spirit of the troops described as admirable. FRANCE.—PubIie attention acems entirely occupied with the new air of elections, which was to be agreed upon preparatory to the disso. Trion of the Chamber of Deputies. An important modification of its xotisions, as we presented them on Saturday, was inevitable from the - tone of public opinion. The motion of General Sebastiani with respect to Belgium, acquires additional importance from the new circumstances isflich are constwitly arising upon the Continent. The Courrirr Francais says—' Singular reports circulated to.day in the Chamber. It was announced, as certain, that the Ministers were no longer disposed to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies. The explana tion giv, n by 31. Laffitte, in answer to Al. Bourdeau, and the habitual contradictions of the Minister, render such a change of purpose not im. 2:obalile, however absurd it may be.' • La Tribune sapi—' It was reported this evening that M. Laffitte ass to quit the council, and that Casimir Perrier was commissioned to compose r. new ministry to give entire satisfaction to the centres. Though we must be prepared for any thing, we find it difficult to be lteve this news.' ..t this moment scaffoldings are raised round the church steeples to take down the crosses. While the Administration rders r.ueli a measure, M. Lafayette declares against this destruction of Inc emblem revered by the Christians, and protests against this violation or the liberty of religious worship. The Ccogrricr Francais says--" It is strange we should complain of the arbitrary measures of M. de Montalivet to procure a plot. The !barrier pretends that the restoration has set the example of all sorts violence. All the world knows that the liberal party was engaged in Onspiring against the restoration. For 15 years was legal order ever tiolatt.d to obta:u information respecting the commite dirccteur and the s:eieties of Carbonari ? Were the houses of Messrs. Lafitte, Lafayette, 6ic. ever forcibly entered to find arms against them ? And if such acts had been committed, 'he Couriier and all the journals of that party %%cid not have found anathemas enough to stigmatize the Government. A day, however, will come, when men of all parties will join in one opiLion against the young Mini s ter w h o h as ta k en upon himself the fr.t revolutionary measure against persons that has been ordered since tit: time of the empire." Tr icrir.—lt will be seen that this Power is arming, but with what 0: jest is a mater of speculation. It is thought at Constantinople that t'., :ornaments fitting out there arc directed against Greece, but previous would rather lead us to believe that they are connected with resizion of Russia, which is, of the two, an object of much greater :1:Tonal:co to the Grand Seignior. JAW. 10.—The armaments are continued with great activity, and, however improbable the assertion may be, it is said they arc intended to subdue tircece ; 20,000 regular troops are already in motion, which, it is announced, march to Negropont, in order to pass thence to the Mores. By the end of this month the fleet will be ready to put to sea; ..nd an expedition is preparing with all haste, which is reported to be destined for Prevesa and l'atras. The Captain Pacha is hiring Euro pean ships to convey the troops and stores. GOTTINGEN, FEB. 15.—There are still about 300 students who have private lessons, and frequent the classical establishments and the li brary. In order to obtain the permission of the Academic Senate to re main in the city, each of them has been obliged to procure a certificate twat a Professor, respecting his conduct, and also to prove that he took :to part in the troubles which lately occurred here. FRONTIERS or ITALY, FEB. Is.—We have no certain information :especung the farther progress of events in Central Italy.—A letter from Allan. of Feb. 11, says, " We live here in perfect tranquillity."--A letter from Piacenza, of the lOth, says, " You doubtless know the news from Modena and Bologna; here and at Parma all is quiet."—lt Is re ported that Austrian troop,' may be expected—The new Government it Bologna, which thinks of incorporating Modena and Reggio with it, calls itself Forkraxione Italia. It is said that blood has been shed at Forli, and still more at Ancona. In consequence of the alarming accounts from Italy, several Austrian rouiments, under General Frimont, have received orders to be ready to march at a moment's notice. The corps in Lombardy is to be reinforced !Jaffee() men from Stitia. General Frimont will employ ;he troops hint according to his own judgment, and, on the application of tea KY. :al governments of Italy, send them wherever their 'service ap pisr, r.cessary for the maintenance of order. The conventions entered tuts wi,a most of the Italian princes bind the Austrian government to send :lain in certain a fixed contingent of troops, and to protect theft rights.-- Tee events in Modena, Bologna, and Ferrara, seem already to have te. grind the execution of the conventions, and to have occasioned the raurch of tour regiments under Lieutenant Field Marshal Prince Ben. ch,ile, who, however, is said to have halted for the present, and to have asked for further instructions. The Austrian government is said to be temly resolved to restore tranquillity in Italy, and to maintain it by all the means which it has at its command. The principle of non-interven ii"s in the affairs of other States, set up on the part of France, even if P had rot been essentially violated by the conferences in London, in ohieh Prince Talleyrand has taken put, cannot be binding on any Power, after the Declarations made by the Courts of Berlin, Vi enna, and S:. Petersburgh, that they would never allow and tec , gnis.: it. if circumstances should require them to act for 111: mainterance of the balance of power in Europe—to which tied& rein the French Cabinet refrained from making any answer-0r give •uch ground for complaint from any quarter, even should the measures prepared against Modena be extended to other parts of Italy. This is very likely to ' , Aspen, as the insurrection commenced at Bologna is em-adina. and threatens the temporal d om i n i on o f t h e P ope. I t I be r ' would unjust for the French Cabinet to complain of this, for it would be very presumptuous to attempt to weaken, by any kind of dcnionstra. :'en, the effect of conventions between the parties, and to fancy itself .lee from the reproach of desiring to enforce the right of non.inter. tuition orly in its own favour. Prn. 16.—According to accounts given by travellers, which are in. deed by no means to be implicitly relied on, two of the members of the Provisional Gevernment of Modena, who are distrusted by others, have bee's it.tudered. No Austrian troops had yet entered Modena, but the Austrian garrison at Ferrara had been considerably reinforced. Those travellera hear nothing of the farther spreading of the insurrection, but said that great consternation prevails at Rome. The intehtion of Austria to interfere in putting down the revolution hy arms, appears to be now placed beyond a doubt. A communication to that effect is said to have been made by the Austrian Ambassador to the French Ministers, and, what is a little singular, to have been re ceived without disapprobation by these functionaries, with the excep. :ion of Soult, who not only dissented from his brethren of the Cabi. net upon the measure, but threw up the seals of the Ministry of War in disgust. The Ambassador is said to have confined his master's intentions to his own possessions in the Peninsula; but a letter from the " Italian frontiers." which will be found amongst our extracts, and which seems to speak with some authority, enlarges the project to all those parts of Italy where the " Italian Con. tedcration, which is the name of the new revolutionary association, shall he proclaimed, and proceeds to argue against any right which the french might be supposed to have of interfering, taunting that Go ternment with having itself compromised the principle of non-inter vention in the part which it took Jointly with the great Powers, in the affair of Belgium. The whole article is a de fi ance of the French Government. Concurrently with, and of the same character with ,his proceeding, is a note from the other Powers, which is said to 1144 been delivered to die French Government, calling upon it per eaßtorily to stat e w h at i ts f oseign policy is likely to be. The sow: tins, tops, by these accounts, appear to be now as anxious for a contest as They are represented hitherto to have been desirous of avoiding it. The Austrian troops are moving in masses upon Italy. but no new revolu nonary movement had taken place. It seems, however, impossible :hat the French people can be passive. Putts, FEB. 23. A courier arrived yesterday afternoon from Home with despatches from the French Legation fol . the Government. It is said that he has stated, that at the very moment of his departure h ad visited had he le were fighting in the streets of Rome. His Holiness several quarters of Rome, and frequently alighted ; he %.115 rteeivi ri with extraordinary enthusiasm, and testimonies of the most perfect attachment. In the quarters of the Tranaleverius and that e the Monti, the people wanted to take the horses from the carriage of ills Holiness, crying • Santo Padre nontemete de mills not siamopronti ;'er defend ma lasciate ci fare.' These troubles were excited by trangers, who were with great difficulty saved from the fury of the People, and there is no doubt of its being the result of sonic Buenas papist plot. Ihe Papal troops, and the great majority of the populs. ':on, hav e b e h ave d with equal courage and fidelity. The Sovereign Pontiff afterwards retired to the Castle of St. Angelo, where his Holi. i , e , s may awu i t without danger the end o f the troubles. Two proclamations have been published —one by Cardinal Ber. ' ett orlirmSiecretary of State, the other by Monsignore Capelette, Go we of Rome the first appealing to the civic of Rome to weonn the fidelity and the efforts of the troops of re ar l d ine ; the other ordering mangers, who have not been settled for a year, to quit the "Pits' in 24 hours. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. LISBON, Fzs• 12. I will now give you the particulars,which I have collected from very good authority, of an attempt at revolution on the morning of Tuesday last, at day-light. It would appear that the Police had been informed of a plan for a revolution to break out previous to Don Miguel's return to Lisbon from Salvaterra, where he now is on a hunting and shooting excursion. The constitutionalists had not been idle to bring it about, first by inducing the people not to accept of the Government Paper, spreading the most alarming reports, and endeavouring to seduce the troops in such a scandalous and foolish manner, that last week ten shopkeepers in the Rua dos Fanqueiros were taken in the act of bribing two serjeants of the .sth regiment of infantry by those very same serjeants, assisted by a patrol of police, which were in the same street at the time. Another serjeant, who appears to have accepted the bribe, and pretending fidelity to their party, gave information regularly to the Police of their plans and measures; a French transport being to sail from the Tagus on the Tuesday, they judged it a favourable op portunity by which they ought to profit, and consequently they prepared every thing for the explosion on that day nt day-light ; but the serjeant acquainting the Police with it at ten o'clock on Monday night, the Count of Barbaceua gave secret orders to the commanding officers of the garrison to hold their regiments in readiness, but without sheaving any symptoms of alarm ; the troops were therefore under arms in their barracks at two o'clock iu the morning, and at a little before six a number of rockets were fired off in the vicinity of every barrack ; they made no impression what ever on the troops, who remained firm in their ranks, pre serving the strictest discipline and obedience to their officers. Some of the persons were arrested by the Police in the act of firing the rockets at the Castello, Ciunpo d'Ouricpte, Belem, and Campo de Santa Clara. The troops, when knowing the intention of those signals, vociferated death to the traitors. The serjeant then went to the different regiments with some of the Police to select the few that had taken the bribes, and it is astonishing the small number of those un fortunate soldiers who were implicated ; it is beyond con ception the fidelity shen•u by the troops to the King. Au order of the day, given by the Visconde de Souse], com manding during the illness of General Leite, expresses ill very strong terms how steady and faithful they were. I have not heard of any person of consequence having been arrested. Public tranquillity was not fi n • a moment disturbed, and on the same day every one attended their usual occu pations, as if nothing hail happened. The King has issued a decree, and I assure you it has had as wonderful effect on fhe royalists, who scent to be greatly satisfied, and possessed of greater courage and enthusiasm in consequence of it. Any other attempt, after what has just taken place, on the part of the liberals, must be as useless as this one has been, and I think that no more revolutions will be attempted by them in Portugal. If you were here to witness the joy and enthusiasm of the people, I am certain you mould form the like opinion. Yours, B. 1 - 1,1 ILL IA Ai E.\ 'll l l RI REFORM. The city of Exeter, on Wednesday last, displayed a con firmation (if confirmation was wanted) that the sense of people is in fa,-our of Parliamentary It ; and (which in our opinion is mom important) that reform should com prise the vote by ballot. h was truly a meeting of the peo ple and included a large mass of the respectability and intelligence of the city. The Halifax petition for reform is signed by upwards of 6,000 of the inhabitants. Several other petitions of the same kind have been sent to Parliammt from different townships in the parish of Halifax. A highly respectable meeting of the friends of reform was held in the Sunday School-room of the Independent Chapel, at rlland, Monday last, when a petition for an effectual reform in the Commons' House of Parliament was unani mously agreed to. The petition has been signed by up- 1 wards of 1,500 persons, and has been sent up, accompanied by a protest against the statement of Sir .1. Johnstone, as to the condition of the labouring poor. A most respectable meeting to petition for a reform in the representation, was held at Blackburn last week, John Hargreaves. Esq. in the Chair. The liberal Vicar of that town, the Rev. Dr. Whittaker, addressed the meeting in favour of Reform, and moved the first resolution. The petitions agreed to at the public meeting of the in habitants of Leeds, in favour of Parliamentary and econo mical Reform, were made tip, Monday. after having lain for signatures seven days. The number of names most deci sively attests the general feeling of the Borough of Leas in favour of Reform, being no less than 17,515; and if the town bad been canvassed, nu doubt the number would. have been still greath.. A large portion of the xt ealth anti respectability of the town were included in the signatures to these petitions. The LOrd Advocate is.now employed in London on the plan of Reform for Scotland. The general principle of the measure was settled some time ago, but in what regards that division of the island, we may readily imagine that there is much in the details which mould be best arranged by oral communication between the Miuisters and the first officer of Scotland. A petition to the House of Common! , has been prepared, and is now obtaining signatures, in Keighley, praying for annual Parliaments, universal suffrage, and vote by ballot, together with a total abolition of the Corn Lai: s. I . lle residcent electors of the borte, ; ll of Minium have re solved to petition Parliament against any measure of reform, which shall interfere with the existing state of the borough fianchise in Great Britain !! ! The electors have been long celebrated for their acuteness in making the most of their privileges; and they are likely to suffer materially by ary rude inroad on our " ienerable institutions." REFORM PETITIONS.—It is calculated that between ten and twelve thousand petitions for Parliamentary Reform have been presented, many of them signed by ten, fifteen, and twenty thousand persons, most of them adding their addresses to their mune. The scene on Saturday at the House of Commons was, perhaps, the most remarkable that ever characterised the history of the right of petition ing. On Friday, as well as on Saturday morning, hackney coaches, porters, and footmen were arriving with bundles of petitions ; and the ante-rooms, the vote-office, &c. were literally crammed with them : there was scarcely a spare room, closet, or corner, near or about the lobby, that was not occupied with bundles of reform petitions. When the House assembled, the seats were so covered with bundles of petitions that, in many instances the members found it difficult to find sitting-room for themselves. It is the fashion of the House, that the Speaker should call the names of those who have signed the " Speaker's Paper," as having petitions to present; and he does so in regular succession ; but on this occasion many members waited five hours without their names having been called, while others retired, after the exhaustion of so many hours, without presenting the petitions with which they were intrusted.— Those petitions, of course, still remain to be presented ; and many others arrived as the House was about to adjourn. The common council have at length exerted their right to , destroy the job of selling the Second ar i es ' Office, and bevel re-elected that independent gentleman, Mr. James, without purchase, intending hereafter that the office shall be held wring pleasure. SI'IRIT OF THE JOURNALS. CstltOwlcm—On the occasion of Lord Brougham's elevation to the first dignity in the law, we gave warm expression to our anticipations of the great national benefits likely to result front this accession of power and usefulness to a man, the whole tenor of whose previous life afforded evidence of desire so earnest to improve the Juridical Institutions of his country, and who was on all hands allowed to possess in an eroi. neat degree the mental endowments, activity, and industry neces sary to the successful execution of so great a work. Since he ac cepted the Seals only three brief months have elapsed, and we find him announcing from his high place, that the so long desired mea sures of Reform in the Court of Chancery are already matured and ready to be submitted to the consideration of the Legislature. When we contrast the energy and dispatch of hies proceedings with the indecision, tardiness, and timorousness of his immediate predecessor, whose big promises, from time to time reiterated, and on one occasion solemnly announced in the King's Speech, proved utterly abortive and ineffec tive, we think we have an abundant justification of the anticipations hi which we indulged. Tt 'mi.—Saturday seemed at least to be a day of promise for the cause of reform. Innumerable petitions were presented, and hot a dissentient voice was heard. Even the Beresfords and Hondas:es showed no sign of resistance. Lord Chandos made a sort of an ap peal to the compassion of Ministers,—.a cry for mercy that the op. poncnts of reform anoidel not be sent to be tried by their country for resisting the jest and universal denoted fore purer system of parliamentary representation. But, in spite of this fair outward ap pearance, it is pretty well known that the boroughmongers are hard at work, and in their usual unscrupulous way. Attempts are ma le, a; d by a person whom we have more than once exposed,and whom we fear we shall again have to hold up to public scorn (dirty and dis h esting as the task is to meddle with such a creature), to neutralize and nullify the altewal consent of the King to the projected Reform ; it has even been suds ciously awned, that His Majesty, in his repeated anti earnest declare. dons in favour of reform, was insincere, and humbugging his itniaters. We ask, without hesitation, does any man believe gaol frank, generous, upright Monarch to be capable of such dissimulation ? No : the King is most zealously anxious, after long and minute inves tigation of the details of the subject, that this great question should be carried. But, powerful as the Royal sanction must be, let not NI inisters trust to that alone. Theit enemies have not forgotten the Ministerial pledge that the present Government will stand or fall by this ques. I Lion. There are two modes by which they propose and hope to gain I a victory. One is characteristic enough of the military quarter from which it proceeds : it is, to meet the bill at its very entrance, and to scout it by an avowal that no refinm is required. The other is 1 more circumspect, and equally characteristic of the very "candid" person from whom it emanates : it is, first, to allow that many abuses ' exist—that it is most desirable to yield to public opinion, and prune I away those faulty excrescences : then, after this liberal display, to I deprecate the particular measure proposed, as subversive of our an. I dent institutions, and not even calculated to conciliate those the dread of sham is the sole cause of the intended reform. Haw shall the ministers meet these two modes of attack ? The first, we appre- ' herd_ is not very formidable, and may be disposed of by a very short I stilly—Weed, we doubt whether the assailants will not he too few to be I worthy of any counter-attack at all. The second mode of proceeding cat, be defeated in only one way. Lct the reform (t.nd we bather hope from Lord Althorp's speech and Lord Brougham's character) be so comprehensive and efficient, while at the same time it avoids the absur dities of universal suffrage and annual Parliaments, that the whole country shall at once feel the sincerity of the Ministers, and their right feeling and correct appreciation of the real wishes of the people. With a measure thus manly—thus fitted to the wants and demands of' thc na don—they may laugh at a Parliamentary defeat. They may appeal at once to the country, and the country will support them. But if their measure shall be a mere trimming compromise--a mere complaisant attempt to conciliate Parliamentary Whigs and Tories—it will assuredly fail. They may dissolve parliament, but the usual conseqnences of weak and inefficient measures will overtake them ; and the people will reject their appeal with contempt and disgust. Let them be libetal and firm, and we will guarantee their success. Half measures will as infallibly conduce to defeat and ignominy. KILKENNY ELECTION. KILILENNT, strong croft was made this day on the pan of Colonel Butler, but, nevertheless, Lord Dun. cannon had a small majority even on the day's poll, which stood thus at the dose: Lord Duncsanon ... 93 Colonel Butler 89 Majority for Lord Duncannon.... 4 GROSS POLL. Lord Duneannon Colonel Butler ▪ ... 187 ▪ ... 109 Gross Majority for Lord Duneannon.... 78 In the above numbers arc included 13 questioned votes, which were this day allowed, a portion to each of the candidates. The numbers which I gave you yesterday of the state of the poll on Tuesday (103 for Lord Duneannon, and 102 for Colonel Butler) included objected votes, which are not allowed in the Sheriff's return. When the poll dosed this evening, there were 36 freeholders unpolled on the tallies of Colonel Butler. Lord Duncannon has also a considera ble number in reserve. There is now no doubt that Lord Duncannon will be the sitting member. DRURY-LANE THEATRICAL FUND. The Committee of Alanagement met on Saturday afternoon at the Theatre, and the Secretary (Hughes) read upwards of 70 letters front Noblemen and Gentlemen, accepting the appointment of Vice. Presi. dents, and announcing their pleasure of attending the Fund Festival, on the 18th of March. Amongst the chief patrons of the Fund who honoured the Committee with epistolary communications, were—The Duke of Bedford, Duke of Montrose, Marquis of Station], Alarquia of Londonderry, Earl of Essex, Earl of Fitc, Earl of Belfast, Earl of Glengall, Lord Belgrave, Lord Saltoun, Right Hon. John Caicraft, Hon. Ci. Lamb, Hon. Oen. Phipps, Hon. Col. Craddock, Sir F. Burdett, Sir 6 Duckett, Sir T. H. Farquhar, Sir W. Curtis, Sir C. Flower, Sir 31. A. Sher, A. W. Roberts, Ettq. F. Polhill, Esq. John Some, Esq. Butler Danvers, Esq. Col. Berkeley, &c. &c. COVENT-GARDEN THEATRICAL FUND. The Fund Committee, the following being members for the present rear:—Messrs. Faweets (Treasurer), Abbot, Farley, Richard Jones, liceley, Mathews, Meadows, Charles Taylor, Young, at: d Egerton (Secretary), assembled at the Theatre on Saturday, for the despatch of business. Tile Secretary read a letter from the veteran Faw. cett, who, although he has retired to Ritlinocks, near Miley, from the laborious duties of his profession, retains his situation as Treasurer, and exerts himself most actively in promoting the prosperity of the Fund. The letter stated that he had had the honour of an intert tew with his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex—that his Royal Highness had received him in the kindest and most gracious manner, and entered icto a glowing description of the merits of the institution—that, on looking over his engagements for Lent, his Royal Highness found that Wed nesday, the 23d of March, was the only day on which he could posi tively promise to take the chair. lii. Royal Highness was therefore pleased to command that the anniversary festival should be held on that day. The secretary also stated, that in an interview which he had had with the Hight lion. Jokn Calcraft, that gentleman had com municated to him the gratifying intelligence that his Majesty had com manded hint to state that it was his determination to emulate the noble example of his much lamented and illustrious brother George the Fourth, by patronizing both Covent-Giuden and Drury-Lane Fund, upon the sante liberal scale a. his Royal brother had done, and had also corn mended the Right Hon. Gentleman to elnounce the munificent sub scription of one hundred guineas to each Fund.--(Loud applause.) NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Meszii ARRIVED Tuts Dar.—Dublin, 2 ; Watertnrd, 2; Guernsey and Jerst-y, 1; France, 1 ; Malta. 1. t FROM OUR coaarsronnarx. FALMOU ru, Frn. 25.—Wind W. to N. W.—Arrived his Majesty's steamer .Meteor, Lieut. Symons, from the Mediterranean—sailed from Corfu 31.‘t January, Malta 4th February, and Gibraltar the 14th, with mails, Ike. The Meteor left at Malta his Majesty's ships 111adagatcar, Pelicap, Blonde, and Raleigh ; at Corfu, his Majesty's ships Melville mid Proeris; and at Gibraltar, his Majesty's ships Gloucester and Pallas. AINo arrived the Solace, Cross, from Cardiff fut Malta, and the William, 31iI.:ren, from Liverpool. Sailed the Stanmerpacket, Sutton, for Lisbon, with mail of the 22d inttant ; Mary, Riches, and Shannon, Harris, for Liverpool ; Londonderry steamer, 1%1-Keay, for London ; his Majesty's steamer Meteor, Symons, for Plymuu At; and Agenoria, Cox, for Lisbon. }.• as. Vt.—Arrived the Ardent, Govan, from London for Belfart; and the Adder cutter, Bawden, from a cruise. Sailed the Hatch ',hip Henrietta, Klasma, for London. Dm, Fan. 26 and 27—Wind S.S. W.—Arrived the Thos. King, Williamson, and Agnes, —, from Demerara; and Whim, Brown, from Alexandria. Arrived from London, the George Canning, Stewart, for Barbadoes ,• and Sir Charles M'Carthy, Godby, for St. Lucia. His Majesty's brig Flying Fish arrived from a cruise in the Channel. The Duke of Roxburgh, and Lady Nugent, sailed again this morning. A brig, with Spanish colours, passed through from the westward. PLYMOUTH, Pas. 25 and 26.—Wind N. W.—Arrived the Apollo, Lettere, from Messina ; and Fancy, Fowler, from Figueira. Off the port, the Sylph, Orley, from Denia. Basnot, Fan. 27.—Arrived the Marla Elise, from Trieste; Ceres, from Ancona ; David, and Ruby, from Leghorn ; Planet, Brown. from Aguilas ; and Vintage, from Oporto. Lmearoor., Fra. 26.—Arrived the London, Graham, and Home, Mitchell, from New Orleans ; Rolla, Wallace, from Nausea; Arab, Bell, from Sa b . Mary Howland, Hillman, from New York ; Dora, Strrchan, from G e no a; Ell en Clare, Roberts, from Leghorn; and Velem Castle, Dennis, from Usbon. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. SIR—In this city, where political subjects are anxiously discussed, the STAR is in good estimation for its general liberality, and its uniform adv;:cacy of the interests aio; liberties of the people ; but the Paper which reached es to day has, in one respect, surprised many of its admirers. I allude to its advocacy of the trite scheme of Mr. mot Horton, so oddly adopted by an administration ethic ; professes so much tenderness for the liberty of the subject 'The article must have been written by some very good na tured disciple of Mr. Horton. No nom can really be so ill-informed, as not to he se :i! that if an alternative is given to ove:seers and guardians u: the pear, either to keep a man or ray for his trtinsporfatieo, the will or inclination of a poor dependent on parish boat . will have nu weight in the result. The means of annoyaf.c.. are sd iuliuite , that the passing of the hill -... would he a sertence of transportation against every poor man in the country, and it would be so felt by the poor universally. At the same time it will not be pretended that the inea.se:e is intended to be applied to the useless and burthensome pee; , for;: strait waistcoat or solitary cell would be the suitable p: - vision for those who employed Parish Funds to transport e;-1 men or cripples, or natural children, who with aged widow, and women constitute the burthensome poor—it seems there fore to be proi:oscd, in neglect of these claimants who ab sorb 19-20ths of the Peur Rates, to employ these very rates in transporting able-bodied men who are no expenco to the parish, or if so, by a gross abuse, which, in eve:-y case, ought to be punished as a fraud. A more wild and creel project, therefore, never enter:..! the head of man, and that it should be entertained by the present Administration is passing strange. If we have a superfluous population it must he among the drones; among those who perform no labour, for it is a con tradiction in terms to alledge that those are superfluous who do all the work of the country, and on whose labours the drones feed. If Lord Howick's had been a bill to transport the non-productive classes, there would have been sense and reason in it. If your pre-conceived opinions are from any cause fa vourable to a measure so unparalleled in the history of na tions, I conjure you, at least to allow your readers to hear both sides, for it is a question which has excited an intensk, public interest. Bach, Feb. 26. CATO. IMPERIAL PA LIAM The House met on Saturday for the purpose of receiving the num e rous petitions for reform in Par;iament which it was consideted essen• tial be presented previous to the ictroduction of the reform Lill, on Tuesday next. The SPEAKER was enabled to take the Chair at twelve o'clock. An immense number of Members were present. Lord ALTHORP presented an immense number of petitions, observing, that without reform, there would be no security for His Majesty's present Government. (Loud cheers.) When he and his colleagues took office, it was on the express understanding that they would not continue in office unless a reform were granted, which would give the people a full and fair representation. But as a measure had been preferred by government, and was soon to be pro posed, he would not make further comment, lest he should provoke discussion. He then proceeded in presenting petitions from Manche s. ter,Bristol, Monr•outh, &c. Mr. O'CONNELL, Mr. PORT MAN, &c. supported the prayers of the Petitioners, expressing their conviction, that without Reform no real benefit or security could revult to the people. Lord A LTHORP also presented petitions for Reform and Vote by Ballot, from Ludlow, Leamington and about fifty other places. Mr. H. DAVIS presented a petition from Bristol against reform.— He regretted that in the present state of the country, this question was to be agitated. lie agreed with the petitioners, that the reform sought was little less than revolution, and was calculated to destroy the fabric of the British Constitution. Mr. HUNT said the hon. member had no right to call reformer% revolutionists. The petition was not that of merchants, bankers, &e. it was a hole and corner one. It was then sent to parishes within 14 miles of Bristol, and they had got the four to sign it. ' Mr. S. DAVIES declared there were 5,000 signatures, all residing, except about 700 in Bristol. Petitions, praying for Reform, were presented by Sir H. Bux Durex, ' from two places in Suffolk ; by Mr. TRULL, from Bury St. Ed mund's ; by Sir WILLIAM FAWKES. from Cambridge ; by Lord STAN. LEY, from Liverpool ; by Aid. WarrumAN from three parishes in ' London; by Sir JOHN SEBEIGHT, from Hit c hi n an d Bi s h op ' s S tart . ford ; by Mr. DOUGLAS, from the county of Lanark ; by Mr. PHII.L. POTTS, from Gloucester; by Aid. THOMPSON, from the Merchants, Bankers, and others of the City of London ; by Mr. KENNEDY, iron' the City of Edinburgh, signed by 21.700 individuals; and also front Glasgow, signed by 35,175 individuals, and from four other places in Seetland ; by the LORD ADVOCATE, front Cupar, and two other places ; by Sir RONALD FuousoN, from Dundee, and several other places. Mr. HUM E, in reply to an observation from a member (Sir G.W,r. render), said he considered, that if upon enquiry it was found that the church property was improperly applied. the State, by interfering therewith, was only assuming a prerogative which they had a right to do. Mr. O'CONNI;LL concurred in the opi:,:ons of the Hon. blember for Middle ex. Mr. HUME then presented petitions from various parishes of the metropolis, from Manchester, from the incorporated trades of Leith, from Galway. Durham. &c. &c. Mr. C. 110BHOUSE presented a numerously signed petition from the parish of St. Ann's, praying for parliamentary reform, a: el vo:e ty ballot. The lion. member, in alluding to the state of the cauntry, said that it had been hinted by some, that it the house repelled reform, it would bring the house into discredit—el:se-nein indeed He could say that the rejection would render the house powerless. The tittle was now come :hat the Government must grapple with a new question. Lord G. BE RESFORD, Sir F. BURDETT, and Lord ERRING TON, presented a great many petitions for reform. Mr. O'CONNELL, at the request of his constituents, rose to sup. port the petition. Sir F. DURDETT presented about 20 petitions front various parts of England fur reform. Lord MORPETH presented petitions from Leeds, praying for vote by ballot, and that all the elections in the country should take place in one day ; also from She ffi eld, Boro ug h b r id ge , C ounty o f York, Ike. Sir W. INGLEBY expressed 'egret that the rich pauper' would nor do as the poor laws compelled the farmers and others to. support the poor relations. He also coLdentned the Tythe system as grievous, vexatious, and injurious, and declared that the Church was tottering to its fall. He spoke this as a good churchman, and from the wish that timely warning would be given. • Sir H. HERON was for Parliamentary Reform, also the Vote by Ballot—only he wished that subject to be discussed separately. Mr. O'CONNELL. presented a petition from two inhabitants of Carlow, for Reform ; also from Wicklow. Ile then presented three similar petitions (fur the Noble Member for Woodstock), from Chip. penham, freemen of Oxford, &c. Mr. HUGHES HUGHES said this was the first time that he had heard of any of his enlightened constituents having petitioned for Re. form—a subject to which he should attend. Mr. HUNT then presented 24 petitions for parliamentary reform and vote by ballot ; (the first of which had been presented by Lord Radnor to the House of Lords, and received., He spoke of the im possibility of duly attending to the petition. He observed if the Bir mingham Political Union petitioners could have seen how their petition was presented by an Hon. Bart, not even mentioning the number of petitioners till asked, it would hare made them resolve never to petition that house again ; it was enough to drive the people to desperation and revolt. He then presented pinion.. from Ashton-tinder-Line, Worts. ter, Bolton, and severally praying that if they had rot the protection of the ballot, they wished not to base what would be to them a curve. He also presented petitions front Manchester and Peterafield, the peti tioners describing he said in glorious terms, the rascally business which went on in that celebrated borough at elections there. Also petitions from the Paisley Reform Society, from the limunda Meeting at Black friar', from Radford, Newark, trisherough, Rumford, and Mr. Jones, of Gloucester. He declar e d t h a t h e most unequivocally concurred in the prayer of the petitions. He should be prepared to meet the enemies of the vote by ballot. At Bristol, 400 eersons who voted for hint ?ix teen years ago, and 1,200 who v o t e d f or hi m at P reston at a former election, had t heir names placarded, and they were persecuted to the at. most possible extent. At Bolton, the young men had signed a declara tion, that unless they had a share in the representation, they would tot in gaol rather than serve in the Militi Upwards of 100 additional petitions from all parts of the country were presented by various other members. Each of these petitions pointed out the necessity of reform, but they differed as to the nature and extent of the required measure. The house adjourned to Monday. It was impossible to ascertain the exact number of petitions that were presented, but we might in moderation compute them at 800—ail of them in favour of reform—three-fourths of them for vote by ballot— more than half of the number prayed for universal suffrage. and a great rrof them for short parliaments. It is also remarkable, that a ma. trof the boo. members who expressed their opinions were In favour of the vote by ballot. 14 1