Star. — London, England, 1822-01-16 00:00:00

I 1• . - THANKS-et:them:H.AtOka !VT HOUSEHOLD. ERS of READIP.G to J. FIUME, Esfy. • . . ti compliance with a Requisition presented to HRNRY DIANE, Esq. Mayor of Reading, a Meeting of the Inhabitant Householders of that Borough was convened, on Monday. last, at the Guildhall, for the purpose at considering of " The propriety of expres sing their gratitude of Joseph Hume, Esq. for his con stant and unwearied exertions in Parliament, and, more especially, for his most laborious and minute detail and demonstration of the wasteful extravagance • exercised in various branches of the national expen diture, and of the corrupting influence thence arising; and for his cretinous and indefatigable endeavours to promote economy, retrenchment; and reform." At twelve o'clock the ightott entered the Hall, • and was received with the 'most cordial applause.— lle immediately proceeded to open the business of the day by stating, that he had desired the attendance of the Inhabitant Householders on this occasion, in consequence of having received a Requisition, most -numerously and respectably signed, calling on him to convene a Meeting, for the purpose of consideting the propriety of expressing their gratitude to Joseult Ilume, Esq. for his conduct in Parliament, and fOr other purposes therein stated. But, the more fully to explain the object for which they were assembled, he would call on the Town-clerk to read the Requisi-. tion at length. The Requisition having been read, The MAYOR stated, that it then devolved on the Meeting to appoint a Chairman—(Loud cries of, . 1 ! the Mayor, the Mayor)." Being thus elected to preside over the business of the day, the MAYOR shortly addressed the Meeting. He wished (he said) that they had nominated a more able and experienced person to fill the important situation' of Chairman. But, having raised him to that ho- :tour, he would endeavour to discharge the duties which it imposed on him, without the slightest de gree of •partiality—( Apple use. J—ln so numerous a Meeting, it was natural to expect that sonic difference of opinion would arise; and, therefore, he earnestly requested that every person might be heard peace ably, attentively, and without interruption—(Ap pinan.J—Such conduct would add much to the cre dit of the Meeting, and would also save a consider able portion of tine. He would take care that the several Resolutions sh..uld be put separately and dis tinCtly. It %mild be his duty to decide whether they were agreed to or not; and this he would do, ac cording to the circumstances, unequivocally, and to the best of his judgment—( Alpplesuse).—lt was un necessary for him to trescass on them farther. He would, therefore, take the liberty of calling upon some Gcntlenian to come forward with a proposition to the Meeting. Hes ItY MARSH, Esq. then presented himself to the Meeting, and, in a speech of considerable length, noticed the distressed state of the country, owing to excessive taxation. In alluding to Mr. Hume, whom they were that day met to thank, he said there were many individuals of great ability in the House of Commons—they could make eloquent speeches, and declaim, w ith much effect, against taxation ; but there were very few who could enter into the detail of ac counts, and anatomise the public expenditure, as Mr. Hume hnd dime--(Applatise).—He had laid base the nerves and sinews of corrupt on, and shewed how they were nut tured by the pubic purse. He was a man to whom labour seemed to be a pastime, and in whom perseverance was nature—(Applause).—He had done more to expose the present esti avaeant system, than any o.her individual in the House of e Commons. He was not admitted, like the hero Hercules, to enter the Augean stable for the purpose of cleansing it—he was obliged to look through the crevices and holes tor the purpose of describing its filth ; and, havisi done so, he called on the Public to , et about purifs ing it Mr. Hume threw a new light on this system f so cial order." Ministers, when they introduced the topic, bad always connected it with the ne.essity of ',waning the . Government ; but Mr. Hume had shewn that the phrase had another meaning, and that many of those who used it meant, " that it was neces sary to be supported by the Government."—(Ap plause).—He and a few others had done a great deal for the country. Mr. Marsh concluded by Moving a series of Resolutions; the first two, thanking Mr. Hume for his active exertions in investigating the na tional expenditure, and entreating him to persevere in his honourable course; the other Resolutions were respecting the excessive taxation of the country, causing national distress, which could only be re lieved by the adoptiou of a severe system of retrench. ment and reform in every branch and department, commencing, as justice demanded, with the most ex• tensive and costly establishments. After these Resolutions had been put and carried unanimously, and thanks had been moved to C. F. Palms:a and J. B. MoNce, Esqrs. the Representatives of the &Lough, for the steady support they had given to Mr. Hume, Mr. FYSCHE PALMER stood forward, and was re ceived with long-continued plaudits. He said the Resolution which the Meeting had just been pleased to pass, was extemely flattering to his feelings, be cause it expressed their approbation of his public con duct; and nothing could be more satisfactory or more complimentary to any man, since it did not proceed from blind pat tiality to the individual, nor was it a' husfiage paid to one in power, whose authnrity might be supposed to influence their conduct—(Applause). was not granted as a reward for venal votes in the support of corrupt and wicked measures, but was confessed as an acknowledgment for the faithful dis charge of that trust which his constituents had re posed in his hands. He was the more flattered, be- CAWe it proceeded from a Public Meeting, held un der the protection of the Mayor of that ancient town, and was carried with such cordial unanimity, as ren dered the compliment doubly valuable. It could not fail to make a strong impression on his mind, and it certainly would stimulate him to exert all the ener gies :le possessed in supporting the tights of diese who viewed his past conduct in so favourable a light.—_ Ile begged leave to say, that having done no mere than his duty, in watching over, with his best ability, the interests of those who had sent him to Parlia anent, the compliment they had paid him was quite unexpected on his part. But though the compliment was unexpected by him, the votes he had given could . I , o t be unexpected by his Constituents; because he had, during a canvass of a year and a half, before, tne election wok place, given his opinion on almost • every subject that had sincelseen bteught forward in Parliament. Therefore, whenever any particular .question was introduced, them was not an Elector in the town who could not judge of the vote he meant to give. It was on this principle that he had been a steady advocate for frequent Elections, because it brought the Representative and the Voters together; the latter, if necessary, to question, and the former to answer for what he had done. The Honourable Member noticed the services of Mr. Hume ; services which had been acknowledged by Ministers, who had complimented him on his exertions, but he was sorry so say he never SAW their votes attending on their compliment. That good was likely to be ef fected by Mr. Hume's exertions, he had no doubt; but it could not depend on him individually. He must have the warm and zealous co-operation of the people. He must be strenuously supported ; and if not supported by Public Meetings, he knew not from what quarter he was to derive support—( Applause.) Beaten as they had been by large majorities, what was to console Mr. Hume and those who had fought by his side hut the eipressed and avowed sentiments of the people? Mr. MONCK entered more at length into an exa mination of the Parliamentary conduct of Mr. Hume. It was certainly necessary (he said) to have been pre sent, and to have witnessed, as he and his Hon. col league daily and nightly had done, the efforts of Mr. Hume, his unceasing perseverance, and his minute, his extraordinary accuracy, in order fully to appre ciate his labours—( Applause) all knew that, at one period, when the annual estimates were pre sented to Parliament, it was customary to have what as called •• a grand field day"—one side of the House to make a general attack, and the other to make a defence as general; after which, the matter remained unnoticed during the rest of the Session— (A laugh). —But Mr. 1-lume acted very differently. Instead of dealing useless blows in the air, at random, he came to close quarters, and grappled with his ad versary. Instead of making general, and therefore unavailing statements, he overhauled the estimates, night after night, with the accuracy of an accountant, but with the enlarged views and temper of a statesman. It was in this manner he contrived to bring to light many odious jobs and abuses—thus it was that he dragged into day, the wanton, woful, and wasteful extravagance of Ministers. He pointed out various instances of shameful corruption, particularly in Queenborough. He made manifest the lavish ex penditure ot the public money, for that worst of pur poses, the corruption of the People ; and he proved that the national treasure was expended in buying those who ought to be the guardians of the national rights and liberties, and who were most emphatically denominated the guardians of the national purse. It was clear from his statements, that appointments of considerable magnitude were converted into mere jobs, for the purpose of bribing those, who, if they acted rightly, would be the constitutional watch-dogs of the State —(Applause). Though all this was de monstrated by Mr. Hume, yet he made no converts —in no one instance was he found in a majority—he was not able to reduce the estimates a single shilling. But the House of Commons, with extraordinary in consi teney, after having refused to sanction's single motion for retrenchment in detail, suddenly voted for economy in a wholesale way. Yes, they voted that memorable Address calling on his Majesty to direct his Ministers to revi e the whole expenditure of the country, particularly in the military department.— dhe Honourable Member next alluded to the state of Agricultural distress, which could only be relieved by a must material reduction of the taxes. If such a reduction were made, a double benefit would accrue 1. om it—the country would not only be relieved to the amount of the sum deducted, but it would render a less quantity of gold necessary for the public set.- vice, and thus the remaining taxes would bear more lightly on the community. With respect to another remedy which had been scouted in these Resolutions, the introduction of a new Corn Bill, he could scarcely speak of it with patien:e, it was such a monstrous absurdity. Surely that man must be neatly mad who could argue that, to make bread dear was the proper way to extricate this country hum her difficulties— (Applause).—Let the Landlords and Proprietors, instead of stipulating for that which was odious and contemptible, stand forward and make common cause with the People. Then, and only then could they obtain, and then, and only then would they deserve, success—(Cheer ing). The thanks of the Meeting were then voted to the MAYOR, and the Assembly dispersed. CORN IMPARTS.—From the Ist of October, 1820,1 to the Ist of January, 1821, there were imported into London 81,880 quarters of British Wheat, and 107.39 sacks of flour; and which is nearly the ave rage of the same quarter during the last 12 years ; 1 but from the Ist of October, 1821, to the Ist of Ja nuary, 1822, the quantity of British wheat imported into London amounts to 150,694 quarters; and of flour 128,206 sacks. By the Indefatigable, which ar ived at Liverpool on Ftiday, we have received letters from Bahia, dated the 6th of November, which state, that an insurrec- . tion occurred there on the 3d, among the native B t a ziltan tioops,with the design of removing three Mem , uers of the Provisional Junta, who were suspected of selling Commissions in the Militia. The Portuguese soldiery, however, among whom was the Lusitanian Legion, took part with the Government, which so overawed the malcontents, that they suffered three or four of their leaders to be apprehended and sent on board the Don Pedro Portuguese frigate, then in the harbour, in order to be conveyed to Lisbon, to be placed at the disposal of the Cortes. The Insurgent troops afterwards succeeded, by stratagem, in gain ing possession of two of the fortresses of Bahia, which they occupied, and again held out defiance to the Junta. Their position was a strong one, but as they were only provisioned for a few days, and had no supply of ammunition, they were expected in a very short time to surrender at discretion. It was noticed, that chain the commotion the inhabitants of Bahia in general took so little interest in the trans action, that after the ringleaders were arrested, and about to be conveyed on board the frigate, they ap plied to the Commanding Officer for a guard to pro tect them against the fury of that populace whose rights they professed to , advocate, but who, so far from supporting them, tumultuously demanded that they should be put to death. • 'l HE EVEN ING STA 11. LONDON. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1822. STOCK EXCHANGE-ONE O'CLOCK: The Market opened this morning at 77%. The business chiefly doing is in small sales; the leading Brokers being engaged with their Account. The Ac count is' reported to be a heavy Bull Account.—Con sols continue steady, at the above price. Bank Stock 237 1 / 2 -3 per Cent. Red. 76% 77 3 per Cent. Cons. 76 1 4 3 / a 34 ex. div. V A per Cent. 88-4 per Cent 96 3 /x 5 per Cent. Navy 108 1 / 3 108 108 1 4 ex. div. Bank Long Annuities 19 7-16 1 4 India Stock 235 1 / 4 —South Sea Cock 85 1 / 8 per Cent. 1751, 76—Etch. Bills £lOOO, 4s. ss. pr. Cons. for Account 77% 34 3/4. Our Readers are aware that Ministers have, for some time, been investigating all the Government Offices, with a view to ascertain not only what re ductions could be effected in them, but also whether some curtailment might not be made in the salaries of such persons as it might still be necessary to retain. One of the first measures contemplated by Ministers was the dismissal of a large number of Clerks, and a considerable reduction in the salaries of those still employed. A Treasury Minute to this effect was issued in August last, which, if it had been carried into full effect, would have borne very heavy on those who hold subordinate offices under Government. We are happy, however, to find, that on more mature consideration, these regulations have been much mo dified, as will appear from the new Treasury Minute, which we insert in another part of this day's Paper. From this document we find that every person em ployed in a Government Office is to be subjected to an abatement of 5 per Cent. on his Salary; but per sons at or under £lOO a year, only to 2i per Cent.— Those payments are to provide in part fur their fu ture Retired Allowances. Such as hold offices, the salary of which is consi dered higher than necessary, retain those offices at their present salary until removed by promotion or otherwise, and in the meantime suffer a further as• sessment of 10 per cent. on so much of the salary as exceeds what any such office is to confer in future. If the parties die in actual service, the money which had thus been stopped for the expense of their retire ment is to be refunded to their surviving relatives. And, as many dismissals must take place, such persons as have served more than twenty years are to receive the usual superannuation. Those who have served between ten and twenty years, are to receive pensions of half their present salaries; and those who have served between five and ten years, pensions of one-third their salaries, until they can be again em ployed in future vacancies. Finally, the young men who have served less than five years, are to receive a gratuity of one year's pay. Such are the retrenchments contemplated by Mi• nisters ; they are not, however, such as will either satisfy the country or alleviate to any extent the pub lic burden. It is not by dismissing a dozen or two of subordinate clerks or reducing the salaries of such as have barely the means of living, that the public expenditure is to be lessened, but by a rigid economy in every department of the State, and particularly in such offices as have large emoluments attached to them. It will be in vain for Ministers to enumerate the trivial savings they have effected by paring down the salaries of junior clerks, while they are enjoying lucrative offices of from two to ten thousand pounds a-year, undiminished. New York Papers to the 22d of December, and Boston to the 24th, arrived this morning. FROM THE NEW YORK GAZETTE OF DECEMBER 21. LATEST FROM THE SPANISH MAIN.—The fast sailing ship Hippomene, arrived last evening from Curacoa, whence she sailed on the 6th inst. By this arrival we have accounts from Porto Cavello to 23d ult. which represent the affairs of that place as in a wretched condition. The Royalists were unable to obtain any fresh provisions from the interior. The destruction of the outer fortifications had afforded them materials for fortifying the inner. All the pri vateers had been hauled up in consequence of a re port that an American and English squadron had ar rived at St. llomas's, in pursuit of picaroons. The American schooner Union, and the English cutter Ardent, had been captured, sent into Porto Cavello and condemned, and the crews treated in a most shameful manner. The British frigate Falmouth had been off the harbour, and demanded all the English property which had been captured by privateers ; the demand was not complied with, and she sailed for Jamaica to obtain a competent force to compel them to restore such property. A French brig, of 16 guns, had put into Porto Cavello, with a schooner under convoy. The Authorities ordered the schooner to be taken possession of, but the Commander put thirty or forty men on board of her, which induced the Go. vernment to suffer him to depart without molestation. The expedition which had appeared off Laguira, re turned to Porto Cavello on the 22d ult. with the loss of four killed and six wounded, having been into a small Patriot port, six leagues from Porto Cavello, and plundered the inhabitants of evelything. The frigate and brig were stripped and hauled up. An . expedition, of 409 strohg, under Colonel Garcia, had marched far Caraccas, but on arriving at Valend ; they found the Patriots so strong th they made a precipitate retreat. In consequence Of the nail es piracies on the Dutch flag by vessels fitted out at Porto Cavell°, the Governor of Cur acoa had wrin ca Ito Surinam for an additional naval Torte. Ten D utch vessels bad been captured by Spanish privateers. Accounts from Buenos Ayres state, that tie p a . triot General Artigas was a priAmer there; th i n e place was very unsettled, and that they had Lai three different Governors in a month. Captain Wheeler arrived yesterday. in 16 tics from Port-au-Prince. News had arrived th,t th e Spanish part of the Island of St. Domingo had b een taken by the Patriots with little opposition. In the Republic of Columbia the following corn. metcial regulations have been adopted: IMPORT CUTICL On Bar Iron, Tin Plates, Copper ditto, Paper, Rigging, Tar, Pitch, Cables, Cordage, Anchors, 15 per cu.,. On all Cotton, Woollen, Linen, Ilempen, and Worsted 171 per cent. On Hats, Wax, Wine, Vinegar, Oil, Gold and Silver NV.,t,t,, , Saddles, Stc. 20 per cent. On Silks, Jewels and precious Stones, Handkerchiefs, A rt dal Flowers, Looking-glasses, Spices, Olives, Sc. 20 per c •at. On Shoes and Duets, Household Furniture, ready.t c ,4, Clothes, 25 per cent. All other sorts of merchandise, goods, and cco l . mercial effects, which are not expressly (cr ve . hended in the preceding Articles, shall pay a du:y of 20 per cent. On the 14th November, the General Congress of Columbia passed votes of thanks, separately, to Holland, the Abbe de Pradt, Mr. Speaker Cai, Colonel Duane ; and to James Marryatt, Sir Robert Wilson, Members of the British of Commons. BAHIA, OCTOBER 25. A vessel, in four days from Pernambuco, informs that Governor Luez Barretto and the battaitcn Algarve, were to embark for Lisbon on the f.).7z a instant, and that a large number of Merchants ci that Province have chartered three vessels to cc:n..l l them to Lisbon. BOSTON, DECEMBER 2e. Caraccas Papers to the 2'2d November hare bo.:1 received at Baltimore. The Columbian cruiser , . c tinue to be successful in capturing Spanish proi;e.r. They have also passed a new Tariff of duties. G.: ral Devereux had challenged the Vice-Pre , ,i,ent Narina, and had been tried and honourably acquire..;; Narina had since been dismissed. The Comet arrived at New York on the 21 A, being 40 days on her passage, with Mr. and Twedie, the Treasury defaulter, under the a.51111.t.'d name of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Yesterday, at three o'clock, Mr. WILsoN I M.il. ! - cr the City of London, accompanied by a Deputatio:: Merchants, waited upon the CHANCELLOR of ti,e Ls- CHEQUER, at his house In Downing-street. Preparations are making at Carlton Palace for el reception of his MAJusrY, who is expected to ari:ve to-morrow, or Friday, from the Royal Pavilion. Yesterday being the Birth-day of his Royal High ness the Duke of GLOUCESTILR, his Royal 11.g,11:..65's trades-people, illuminated their houses on the o. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Priocesi Of DENMARK are now in Pali-. They paid a visit to the KING on Thursday. The Duke of NioNTaose gave a sumptuous dinner yesterday, to a large party, at his house in Giuisc nor-square. Yesterday, the Marquis of LONDONDERRY transactd business with the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEtter Yesterday Count and Countess LIEVEN entert.n.hd a large party of distinguished foreigners with a ci..- ner, at their house in Harley-street. In the even::; the Countess had a music party. Yesterday Baron de WERTIIER, the new Prussal Minister, took possession of his new house in Mans tield-street. Preparations are now making for the matrimor6l alliance between the Hon. AGAR ELLIS, the son of Lord CLIFFIMN, and the Hon. Miss HOWARD, SC:Otii daughter of Lord and Lady MonPETII. This day Count and Countess Sr. ANTONIO gate a grand entertainment at their house iu Hanort.:- square, in honour of Captain JOHNSON, of the (ista:.., the Countess's nephew, coming of age. Gorhambury, the seat of the Earl and Countess ,4 VERULAII, near St. Alban's, will, in the course oft!.e. ensuing week, become a scene of great festivity, sue. ral distinguished personages being invited to meet big Royal Highness the Duke of YORK, who has signified his intention of honouring the Noble Earl and Cod:. tess with his company. The Irish Papers contain an account of a ditillg attempt made on the 4th inst. to set fire to the clistrcX of Templemore, in the county of Kerry. The diaries had collected the Bibles and Prayer-books to gether in a pew, and set fire - to them ; but the tianics did not communicate to the wainscoting; and th.:s the building escaped conflagration. A house in u'e neighbourhood of Chute-ball had been burnt to the ground; and a man of the name cf 'CRUDER, E Beaufort, had his house attacked by some rutlixoi who seized him, and cut off one of his ears. A letter f: om Demerara, of the . 24th of OctoNt, mentions an extraordinary instance of the riole"'' with which lightning acts, .on the sudden e 5 1 ,1 0,101 of electrical clouds. It occurred on board a ves:: . l called the Susan, on the voyage from New Briinswi , ;%: to Demerara. On the Itith, all hands being on toe fore-topsail-yard, the dangerous fluid struck the ye , - sel with terrible force, coming down by the wed of the foremast, which it can ied away in a monsco:, about eight feet above the deck, along with every person aloft, and shattered the main-topmast and jity mom into splinters. It also burst the ship on the starboard bow, two planks from the deck. One vi the crew was, in a manner, annihilated by the thun derbolt ;. no mat k remaining of hint but spots of his blood on the sails and rigging. The rest were more. or less hurt by the fail, when the masts and rigging Came down. • • • Au toe to . Per ter e ter ba a let 'e • . I 1. • • i for spi the is Ni th. ens ter ted t. the ade tht nr rr.. tai • 1 of be ,ay, Ph en sal )sse su TV TO 7:3 1 sal all 101 cl ha zer Fl or fro )i2:l : ef tt:t. e:t clo Q 1 . lad 4 ! • th noet.l hi k y.; se Ev w, r el Te MI 11 1 igh. ess's Si of Si ) the niter al cte.l I.: 3. iatd It w. • Otte a: 1 .:, !ss 1!:: cve• 3 itied )it tn - cb to- th.3 ti'e the n er ilost vice 1 1 0e. vet.- ago/ fiery I the oc 11011- t store . ding