Star. — London, England, 1821-12-28 00:00:00

i s. • _r- • MADRIDSi Ns DISCUBK.rOI*. Among the Addresses presented from various cities toroll his rv ise was one fro milksgob in which is the ou Tfteri hew, Sire, a Angle honest man in Spain who is not firmly convinced that the public prosperity `cannot be estab lished dillhose fatal enmities are extinguished, which inconside fat and penrerse men attempt not only to eternize, but daily to berm* among the individuals of this great family—among hrethreS There is not a Spaniard, endowed with virtues and lame judgment, who doubts for a moment that the constitution oldie Ministry is the only anchor which secures the vessel of the hate, and that without it theft Is no salvation for the country. The immense majority of the Nation is convinced el these truths, and proceeds in the path of its Consitadonal duties; while a few individuals everywhere sow 4frame, pretending that they alone know the true state of alifeko o end would have the Governmeot of twelve millions of pee* osehadvely di rected by them and their party. It is time to observe, that while peaceable dims omperly obey the laws, and wish abuses to be corralled by *imam they prescribe , some persons, not In general researbablefisetheir virtues, their talents, their fortunes, or their services, dlesegir& the laws; and note= the Authorities-0 die =At Waking she Constitution, and proclaiming Ilea man have been too keg sulfated to assume a dangers.* men diner, &c. &c. " The People desire that all should be placed • S ate with the fundamental law of the State, as your dolly expresses : thee desire that the conduct of and other Authorities should be inquired into-.4lsairfeiltse their errors, or their crimes laid open ; but in the easilinit presalhod by the laws ; for they are fully aware that one dr mere crimes of the agents are infinitely less dangerous than the lienbordina. don of citizens who pretend to subject the measures et the Go vernment to an illegal inquiry, and to disobey them when they are not conformable to their own wishes, atc. • --~ .:. ~ A private letter,.dated Madrid, December 13, gives the following sketch of the proceedings of the Cortes of that day :—" It is now five o'clock p. nt. The Sit ting is just over, and the discussion is adjourned till to-morrow. The Ministers were vehemently:attacked, even by their friend.. They defended,themselves very feebly : their contradictions, their hesitations, their whole plan of defence, manifested their utter weakness. To justify the circulars addressed to the Political Chiefs, as to the influence which they were to exercise in the elections, they produced anonymous letters. The public audience appeared beyond trea sure indignant. The Count de Toreno, who could not obtain a hearing, did nothing during the whole Sitting but go from bench to bench to beg votes for his friends. At the breaking up of the meeting, he was hissed by more than a thousand persons at the door.—A report has been spread, that Velasto, the Commandant of Seville, had taken the field, at the head of some battalions. It was first put in circula tion yesterday, and not being confirmed to-day, ap pears consequently to be unfounded. Madrid is per fectly tranquil. Notwithstanding the important dis cussions that have lately taken place, the city has never been more quiet: there has not been the least symptom of agitation." Advices from Cadiz, to the Bth instant, by way of Gibraltar, state that the King's Message to the Cortes, relative to the late occurrences at Cadiz, and the Answer of the Cortes, reached that city on the Ist. The acting Commandant of the province immediately communicated their contents to the inhabitants, to gether with the determination of that Assembly to refer the Message to a Special Commitee. The wishes of Cadiz having been thus complied with, and her petitions being now under the consideration of the fathers of the country, the Commandant exhorted the population to await their decision with calmness and composure. On the same day, the Provincial Depu tation addressed a Memorial to the Cortes, in which they enumerate the acts of the Administration, which, in the opinion of the memorialists, demonstrate the guilt of its Members, and then ask—" Whether the People, who have witnessed the same, are to hold their tongues, blindly to obey, and even to suffer themselves to be bound up for the sacrifice? Are they to suppress their complaints until they be en slaved? If even under the old system the laws al lowed mischievous orders to be resisted, can such re sistance be illegal under the reign of freedom? No Constitution, no Code, can be in opposition to the supreme, to the fundamental law of the salvation of the country." The Memorial then reminds the Cortes that the wishes and prayers of the city of Cadis are also those of the whole province, those of Seville,' those of Galicia, in short, those of many other parts of the Monarchy, which equally distrust Ministers, and are equally determined to oppose them, and to protect their liberties from all attacks. The Memorial con cludes as follows :—" Elected by the People, and especially appointed to maintain their rights, what side will the Cortes take in this contest between the People and Power? Which ought to be their first care, public security, or the continuance of discredited Ministers in office?" The Literary Gazette, No. 258, the last Number for the present year, will be published on Saturday, with the following contents : Reviews of Archdeacon Coxes Shrewsbury Papen, a striking view of the Ministry at the time of the Revolution.--Wilks Memoirs of Queen Caroline, curious Pvticsdars of her early life, &c.—Lady Hervey's Letters, with many Anecdotes of Et:makable Persons.—Lord Byron's Tragedies.—Epitome of biblical Literature during the Sixth Century.—Egyptian Anti quities.—Unipe Retry and Biography.—The Flea, by Peter Woodhouse e and the Feminine Machined, by Thomas Indrewe, poems and Writers of the Age of Elizabeth, hitherto unknown.— Original Poetry, by eminent Writers.—Dramatic Criticisms.— Notices of Science.—Varieties of Humour and Literature, &c. &c. dm—Subscribers desirous of commencing the Lite _ _ rary Gawite for I e 22, will please to send the orders to their Booksellers or Newsmen as early as passible, that arrangements may be made accordingly.—Literary Gazette Office,362, Stradd. About four weeks ago, a Jew came to Glasgow, who thought thot no man could be found in that City to beat him at the draughts. lle was taken up by Mr. A. Blair, a warper, for the best ofnine fames, for fifteen pounds a-side. The parties met on Thurs day se'nnight, in a tavern, and, after a contest of four hours, the result was, four or five games drawn ; three won by the Jew, and five won by Blair. There is an old man in Montrose, John Halket, by trade a mason, who remembers of the rebellion in 1745, and of the visit of the Duke of CUMBERLAND, which was impressed upon his mind by a circum stance which age cannot efface. He and several other lads happened at that time, at a bonfire, to drink the health of " Charlie," and this coming to the ears of the Duke, they were all whipped through the town, each boy led by his father, as a punishment• for the crime. John is about 84, is still healthy and vigor ous, and delights in telling this, and many other stories of the olden day. THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1821. Hazy Imoczne.—Holiday skate bask. THE FUNDS. The Stock Market is more steady to-day the panic has subsided, and Consols fur the Account have improved to 7734. The purchases made yes terday, it is ascertained, were for the Bears, who had, on the previous day, sold largely on 'Change. 'The Jew Bulls took advantage of the depression caused by the 'Change Bean, by buying up all Stock offered, and have in consequence increased their pro fits. The system of jobbing on the Exchange s, we think, injurious to the Public, as a combination of either Bulls or Bears is calculated to produce a false fluctuation. We recommend to the Committee of the Stock Exchange to declare all such bargains illegal. Agricultural Meetings seem 1110 W to be the order of the day: nor can it surprise any person that men suffering as the proprietors and occupiers of land do at the present moment, should, like the drowning man, endeavour to seize upon any twig that may help to keep them above water. But whence the present distress ? If we give credit to some, who affect to have studied the subject deeply, it is owing to the importation of corn. When? Three years ago !! Let it be so for the present moment. Im portation, under the operation of the present Corn Laws, has caused corn to fall in price! and the in ference is, that there ought to be a duty upon all corn imported—no matter what the scarcity at the moment may be—of forty shillings a quarter!! Will this, Gentlemen, remedy the evil of which you com plain—namely, low prices? If the importations which took place three years ago be the cause of the present low price of corn, what has caused the depression in the prices of beef, mutton, lamb, veal, and poultry of every description? Is this also to be attributed to importation ? If so, we ask when, or where, these importations took place? Gentlemen, you are deceiving yourselves ; 'or suf fering others to deceive you, and to prompt you to seek a remedy for your present distress by an act dis honest in principle, and which, even if you could carry the measure, would leave you where you are. It is impossible, by any coercive law, to benefit cne class of the community, without injuring other classes pre cisely to the same extent. You would like, by any means, no matter m hat, to see tke price of grain so fixed by law, that the quartern loaf should never be sold for less than one shilling— you would, perhaps, prefer eighteen-pence ! Can this be effected without reducing the labouring chivies, who are, after all, those who have the best right to be well supplied, as they furnish everythihg that goes to the support of the unproductive classes :—we say, can this be ef fected without reducing them to a state of the greatest wretchedness ? Can a system which, by any possi bility, may produce such an issue, be right in itself? would it not ultimately defeat its own object by re ducing their number ? or, in othei words, diminish. ing the very sources which now serve to supply the wants of all. Reduce their number and you reduce the surest means for the consumption of your own products ; and vain will be your labours to obtain large returns with a diminished number of customers. " But are we to have no relief whatever under our present distresses?' The agriculturalist may fairly put this question. But is his the only class that may thus speak ? No, truly ! and he has no more right to seek redress—a fallacious redress too—at the expense of other classes, than they have to seek redress at his expense. It is an incontrovertible axiom in civil economy,' that a community can continue to contribute from its gains to the necessary expenses of the State—or wasteful expenditure—for this alters not the result, just so long as the labours of the productive classes can maintain themselves and those that are idle, or who, however busy they may be, add nothing by their labours to the common stock. When a State gets beyond this point, one or more of the classes of the community must begin to suffer—and that se verely ! At first this falls on those who are least able to protect themselves, namely, the very classes which minister to the wants of all—the labouring classes ; of whom undue advantages are taken by the very men who have been made rich by their labours. Wages get reduced and indescribable miseries follow. But evils arising from a larger expenditure than the productive labourers can furnish, at last spread them selves over the whole community. The labouring classes, unable with their reduced wages to satisfy, to the full, the cravings of nature, are obliged to go with, often, less than a half meal. In other words, the demand for the products of the agriculturalist are reduced a half, and yet he wonders at the large supply in the market and the consequent reduction of price ! A reduced number of consumers and low wages are absolutely incompatible with high prices of corn. You might as well, by legislating, attempt to alter the times of sun-rise and sun -set, as to reconcile them. And should it be said this is not intended, the case will not be altered ; for plain it is, that you seek, by high prices, to pay yourselves at the expense of others ; aad whatever may be the sirsuimus route of the ope, 'ration, what you want to get must come from those who are productively employed—and this for a self evident reason—none else ate producing anything either for themselves or for you. You are aiming at an impossibility, and sooner or later you will be con vinced of it. But is there no remedy left? Yes, there is, a very sure remedy, if properly pursued ; but, even if pur sued with every degree of energy and prudence, one of slow operation :—namely, a real and efficient re duction of the public expenditure. There is no other remedy but this—or else to encounter the dangers to which other nations are exposed. Yes—and every day's delay tends to increase the danger and to hasten such a crisis. In what do Revolutions originate ? In distresses of one kind or another. The Landholdets and Occupiers are now suffering—they feel the evil— they endeavour to avoid it, and to throw the burthen on others : but this cannot be done without injustice —and injustice is oppression, on whoever it may fall We like not, for reasons which must strike every pm , dent reader, to trace the operation through its various windings and ramifications. Enough shews itself, on the bare surface, to put wise men on their guard, with respect to palliatives, which can only tend ultimately to aggravate the evils that are now complained of by 'all classes—except the Consumers of Taxes. The Paris Journals of Tuesday contain a report of the proceedings in the Chamber of Deputies of the preceding day, which throws some light on the state of parties in France, though it does not develope much of the policy of the Government. The Sittings commenced with the Minister of the Interior (M. Cos wens) presenting a law project on the salutary policy which had been adopted by the Chamber of Peers. The new Minister was treated very uncourteously by the Members, who called out on all sides---“ Speak louder!—get somebody to read for you r The Pas- SID/MT rang bis bell and called silence, and the Deputies talked to each other while M. Commie finished the reading of his speech. The Chamber then proceeded to the order of the day on the law project relative to the provisional three-twelfths of the revenue. M. de Coaflei.Laa, the only Deputy whose name was inscribed for speaking, mounted the tribune, and voted against the provisional tax, unless Ministers gave a formal assurance of terminating the precarious state in which France was placed relative to foreign Powers.—" What idea," he exclaimed, " What na tional pride, animates the Representatives of a Nation formerly so great, but which now only fills up the vacuum that is left on the map of the world, by the magnitude of its Budget?—(Bravo! on the left.).- 1 You are asked for three-twelfths provisional. Open your eyes, and you will see that provisionality itself is infused into all the branches of your system, and enervates and withers you—(Marks of approbation on the left).—You have provisional justice!—when, instead of a Law on the Jury, which is so necessary, and which has been so frequently promised, nothing but a system of penalties, of suspicion, and of censor ship, is thought of—a system which degrades the most generous and most ingenious of civilized na tions." He proceeded—France now had a provi sional system for the interior, a provisional public credit, and a provisional war system—a system which was opposed to the passing of a law dictated by na tional feeling, which would unite, by one noble tie, the veterans of whom France was proud. This pro visional state of the War Department deprived France of a guarantee against possible events, which, perhaps, were near at hand—a guarantee more satis- factory, and more worthy of a brave people, than that of foreign mercenaries, maintained at double pay—(Murmurs on the right, and interruption).— (Voices on the left—" Can such murmurs be heard in a Ft ench Chamber r)—The Speaker continued—" I might also say you have a provisional state of foreign affairs: but human blood shed with impunity in the East by barbarians—but the cry of despair from our neighbours, who extend their arms towards us, and who have been delivered up to foreign bayonets—but the political balance of Europe broken in the face of France—but our maritime commerce repressed, I might almost say, excluded by the free States of South America, while that of our skilful rivals is, by an opposite conduct, become more flourishing than ever among these people. AU these things announce to us that this single vice in our political existence requires from us a guarantee before we vote the three twelfths. Gentlemen, if the interests of the country be, in your eyes, above all considerations, recollect how often you have had cause to repent allowing a similar opportqnity for taking securities to escape you." M. de Vittate, and M. Cossuullt PERRIER, after wards bore a part in the discussion—the former taking credit for a diminution of taxes to the amount of 34 millions, and the latter insisting, on the contrary, that there was an increase in the supply for this year to the same amount, the last Budget being for 866 millions, and the present for 890. M. Naomi complained, that fixing the imposts of 1822 by those of 1821, was adding to the taxes of the ensuing years the extraordinary taxes of the present. He proposed to add to the Ist article of the Law Pro• ject the following words 5..:“ With the exception of the local contributions, which, being granted for a li inked period, shall cease to be collected on the Ist of January next." M. CASSIIIIR PERRIER, and General Foy, both ad najtted, that, under the present circumstances, it wit necessary to pats the proposed law ; which was cordingly carried by an imme nse ma j o rity --28 it, and only 13 against it. M. Da LA BOURDONNATZ was then chosen a President, and the Chamber adjourned. As the leading Members of the regular Oppose joined on this eccasion in supporting the iklinist, Projects, no inference whatever can be drawn the above comparison of numbers, of the tel strength which is likely to be displayed in their cure political Contests. The promised Law of the Ministers, on the and their first dispatch from the Foreign Office, constitute at once the test of their political sy and the trial of their official strbngth. Reports current in the best informed political circles in Paris, say , decision in the latter case must be prompt and unbe s i. cuing, as Russia is said at last to have declared ope n l y her hostile intentions with respect to Turkey. All the letters, commercial as well as political, fr o m t h e cities of the North of Europe —such as Berlin, Peters. burgh, Riga, and Leipsic—speak of war betue m ALEXANDER mid the Potte as no longer doubtful. Private letters from Odess.a; dated the 2.1, stet, that fresh massacres have taken places at Constar. tinople ; but as the intelligence from the Turkish c a . pital only comes down to the 25th ult. they are of course silent as to the reported murder of the Sri.. TAN, which is said to have taken placb two days latet. One of these letters asserts, that the SULTAN lad declared that he would never agree to the conditions of Russia; it is added, that the Ministers of England and Austria had been insulted, and that pistols sere even discharged into the house of the latter. Accounts from Vienna, of the 12th in-% repeat the report of the insurrection of the Janissaries and ti l e murder of the SULTAN, or his favourite, NALFBEr. FENDI ; and private letters from Semlin and Belgrade, of the 6th inst. also mention it. As it is probable all these reports have sprung from the same srairce, ere must wait for later intelligence before we can give it full belief; but a revolt of the Janissaries, and the murder of a SULTAN, are not events of great rarity in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Private letters from Madrid speak of the fall of the Ministers as certain, with the exception of the Minis ter of Finance, who was expected to retain his place. The report that a depot of 40,000 or 50,000 s t an d of arms had been discovered, appears to be without foundation. By the latest accounts from the loin Islands, we learn that, after the affray which mob place between a detachment of English soldiers and the inhabitants of Zante, in the attempt to plunder a Turkish vessel which had been driven ashore in Cheri Bay, both the naval and military force at the island were much strengthened by order of Sir THOMAS MAITLAND. He then proceeJed to punish the ring leaders in the affray, and afterwards to disarm the whole of the islanders, whose custom it had previ ously been to wear arms of some description as a part of their dress. This custom having existed among them from very remote antiquity, the at tempt to disarm them became extremely odious, and some of the villagers resisted ; and it was not till troops kad been sent against them, with field-pieces, that they could be induced to give them up.-- The surrender was effected in all instances without bloodshed, and in the towns no opposition was made. About the middle of last month, there had been seized in Zante about 20,000 pieces of every Mad, including guns, pistols, swords, and stilettoes, and it was supposed that there remained about 10,000 more to collect. It was understood to be the inter tion of Sir T. MAITLAND to disarm all the other !slands, after having put the finishing hand to the measure in Zante. Hamburgh Papers to the 19th instant and Wes sels Papers to the 25th, were received this morning: TRIESTE, DECEMBER S. According to the latest accounts from Candia, the Greek Insurgents had made considerable progress, and kept the Pacha and the Turkish Authorities blockaded in the City of Candia. They had seized on the Fort of Karabasa, one of the most important positions in the Island. The Turks, who had hitherto received assistance from a division of the Ottoman fleet stationed in the neighbourhood, are in the most critical situation. The Greeks, who are animated by despair, are fire times as numerous as they, and daily receive reit• forcements by sea. BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 24. The Austria,. Observer of the 12th,130,146, and 15th, has no news whatever from Turkey. lllra ° II failed Ulu we l t, ti f or ced h to sea, vas eat N ee arts Naito tub ins r e ceived state, bu k receiv vrecteli The 2 wrecked the ere, The 104 la The J tat neat The ! comider The 1 cod witl The f Jansales The Ma yellow f I to in ti The I spoken wets sic PLYAI Hibbert lIIIDCE, Harrig, Nail Guernu top-sails gale frog RAM from flu Wllll rain the seh brol drove tt Door for Dii treW 1521 forth, DEA 1. Fort Wi lietty, 1 Ulcer at BRIS7 saved, a wreck, ill the II which s; YAilb Newcas apparen thip, Ju CENT' evertlw Bremer Ben, n.• for J.r wards : Lance, Amigo, tanuia, 'll days t ; i n P t'n ceired a Vice: already journed msitio t t once a The rt from oft We( relativ e terlainc icit fu. to esc* Press e, will 4frir iystern, Vas 12 Current 1 E0 ,0 4 1 their p er i s hed unbesi. webers FROM THE MAINE, DECEMBER 12. According to late accounts, hatred to all Chris• tians is said to have attained the highest pitch in the Barbary States; so that the Porte, in case it should be involved in war, may probably derive great stir port from them. The Juliana Indiaman, Captain Octr.vtv, WWI arrival from India in the Downs was announced about ten days ago, was, on the morning of the tid instant, blown out of Margate Roads. It was this morning posted at Lloyd's, that there is strong ma' son to suppose she has been lost on the Kentish Knocks and only two men saved--See Naval Intelligence. The Irish Papers are still prolific in the most pain ful of all intelligence, deeds of outrage and murder. The L.aw seems to have lost all its terrors iP Luna _ . _ A&' VI .~~ • F El