The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-10-25 00:00:00

1Y THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. Sta—The followtog is extracted from a letter, written by a very respectable and very intelligent Gentleman, in theprovision trade, to his correspondent i,i Waterford, on the subject of the circulating me dium; and the effect which it has, and is likely to Lave, on the prices of commodities. In the expecta tion that it will induce others to pursue a subject new so important to society, I send this extract to you, and am, Sir, your most obedient servant, Oct. 23, 1821. .1. S. " The agitating in Parliament of the measures re specting the circulating medium, and finally, the partial payments in specie, have not lessened the cir culating medium of the metropolis, in so great a degree, as that of the country at large. Gold and paper, in London, are nearly the same in amount, as the paper was in November, 1820; but a great reduction has taken place in the country paper; in the place of which very little gold has, as yet, been substituted. If our political relations remain the same, and no very unfavourable weather take place, low prices must continue; unless the circulating medium be mach increased. "The fear and anxiety which, for some time, have pervaded the minds of almost all the circulating coun try bankers, in consequence of the financial measures of the Government, have caused them to contract their issues, so that many millions less are now in circula tion ; and, although the country people prefer the paper of their neighbours before that of the Bank of England, yet, when they come to have their option of paper or gold, country paper will then be much more reduced, and a failure of a few banks will create a ruinous run on all. The anticipation of the approaching general payments in gold, as provided by 111 r. Peel's Bill, will, in 1523, produce comequences, which, compared to the present difficulties, will be mountains to molehills: the idea of supporting the present rental, and the present prices, under such circumstances, would be perfectly ridiculous. I consider the prizes you expect for your provisions and butter too high. The shopkeepers in our country villages are badly off. The farmer has plenty of produce, and barters with his men for labour; who con sequently, have little occasion to go to the shop. There is an abundance of meat of all kinds in this country, which will greatly diminish the quantity usually taken from London. Taxes tend to diminish the people's ability to purchase, and, consequently, tend to reduce prices. Therefore, if the circulating medium be brought down to what it was in 1794, prices, in 1823, must be lower than in 1791." THE REiENUE. [FROM TILE NORWICH MERCURY.] The subject of Revenue is again brought under our eyes by the returns of the last quarter, which present a far snore favourable result than could have been an- ticipated. The friends of Administration of course exult in this gleam of sunshine, above measure, while thos e who look rather to general causes and effects, than to partial symptoms either of prosperity or de cline, have gone deeper into the matter, and by the production of parallel quarters, at remote dates, (1819) have shewn that the great increase over the same quarter last year is attributable to a considerable defal cation in the quarter of that year, as compared with the year previous. The same view of the case is cor roborated by the fact, that the Revenue of the whole year ending Oct. 10, inn, is less by 115,000/. than _ _ _ that of I 52.0. Such comparisons are certainly useful to financiers, but with the nation the simple questions for considera tion are, first, whether the income is equal to the expen diture; and secondly, whether there be any provision for the liquidation of the enormous debt (eight hundred and thirty-six millions) which now weighs down the people by the payment of interest, in the event of war requiring new exertions. In relation to the first, we are confident the answer must be in the negative. Mr. Vansittart has boasted by anticipation of continued pro bable savings, of a new " real sinking fund," of paying off the four and live per cents. &c. &c. but when the al lotted date of his calculations has expired, not ene of all these predictions has been verified.—lle has by a course of expedients, by loans in the money market, or from Mr. Pitt's sinking fund, by the sale of old stores, or by the repayment of the French indemnity, and such casualties just bolstered up a statement to meet the time and to " beguile the time." But the fact is, that in the majority of instances the debt has actually been in creased instead of diminished, and in spite of convic tion, in spite of the diversion of the sinking fund to the payment of interest in lieu of principal, in spite of the fall instead of the rise of the funds, in spite of the impo sition of new taxes upon most objectionable articles, the nation has been content to go on in hopes. In the mean while the decrease of proiuction and of commerce, the depreciation of value, and the addition of these new taxes, have made the burden incalculably heavier upon the people, and the capital problem now is, to discover whether, under these advantages, the State can still totter on, till its Bankrupcy shall be precipitated by a war, or whether a partial insolvency shall be declared by a sacrifice of a part of the interest now paid to the public creditor. In the sixth year of peace, under a debt of 836 millions, the Chancellor of the Exchequer anticipates, by the aid of such transient and temporary expedients as we have related, that the Revenue may exceed the expenditure by two or three millions—pro w:Jed always it maintains its comparative produce, which, balancing the year ending at this period-with the last, we see it does not. The question then returns upon us—can there be the smallest hope of an increasing revenue, while the country is in such a state of distress ? Can the people, with diminished means, even continue to pay imposts thus augmented ? Upon the ge neral face of affairs it is clearly impossible. and nothing therefore can be so idle and so frivolous and so fallacious, as to encourage the foolish expec tancy of an overflowing exchequer from an imps veris.bed Nation. The fact is. that nothing bat a powerful stimulus applied to industry, er a deter mined and solid reduction of expense. can give the smallest hope of the State overcoming its dithculties. We may linger and linger on for years, and " groan and sweat ander the weary load"—we may, and we think we shall, see the Chancellor of the Exchequer come next Session into the House with a swelling port VIE STATESVRN from some paltry saving or some new scheme to gull the country. But we say—look, reader, to the ge neral face of affairs; and if the Minister chews that he can extract gold from ruin, he must add to the misery and accelerate the final destruction. Nothing can he so clear. The value of commodities is lessened from 30 to 50 per cent. Fixed incomes have emigrated ; many per sons of capital, industry, and talent, also have expatri ated themselves. The Gardens of taxation are increased both in the nominal and in the real amonnt. From what source then is national prosperity now springing ? There is fraud and fallacy upon the face of every as surance that is held out to make us believe in the possi bility of such an improvement. It is not, nor it can not be. And if the giant power of the State appears to lift its head above the flood of its embarrassments, its exaltation will he found to proceed from the heaps of the weaker multitude of its children who are bu ried in ruins heneatb its feet, by the influx of the over whelming tide. SIR ROBERT WILSON. No. I. SIR ROBERT NEILSON TO THE ELECTORS OF SOUTH- WARK. GEN TLEmcx,—l feel it to be my duty to lay before you Copies of the letters which have passed between Lord Viscount Sidmouth and myself ; with an accompanying memorandum of a conversation with Sir Richard Ilirnie. —And 1 have the honour to be your most obedient servant, R. WILSON. _ _ 18. Regent-street. Oct. 23. 1821. To the Electors of Southwark. No. 11. SIR ROBERT WILSON TO TILE LORD VISCOUNT SID- MOUTH. IS, Regent-street, Oct. 19, 1521. MY LORD,—llaving► seen a statement in the news papers, authenticated by the signature of Mr. Thomas Jnlion, Clerk to the Magistrates of the Kensington Di-, vision of the county of Middlesex, in which it is asserted that Sir It. Birnie, one of the said Magistrates, did, at a General Meeting of Justices, held on the Bth of Sep tember, 1821, at the Hammersmith Coffee-house, declare that information had been given to him, at Bow-street, upon oath, that a meeting had been held at the house of Mr. Youde, at which the plan of interruption to her late Majesty's funeral was concerted, and that I had attend. ed the meeting ; I have to *quest that your Lordship will be pleased to direct a copy of such information upon oath to be delivered to me,' that I may be enabled to in stitute a prosecution for perjury against the person so swearing.—l have the honour to be, your Lordship's obedient servant, It. WiLsort. To the Lord Viscount Sidmonth. No. TILE LORD VISCOUNT SIDMOUTH TO SIR ROBERT WILSON. Whitehall, Oct. 19, 1921. SIR,--4 have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day, referring to a statement in the newspapers that Sir Richard Birnie had declared at a general meet ing► of Magistrates, that information had been given him, on oath, that you had attended a certain meeting, at which the plan for interrupting her late Majesty's fu neral was concerted ; and requesting me to direct a copy of such information upon oath to be delivered to you, that you might be enabled to prosecute the informant for perjury. In reply to this request, I have only to ob serve that, if any such information does exist in the hands of a magistrate, it does not appear to inc that I am the proper channel through which an application for its production should be made.-1 have the honour to be your most obedient and humble servant. To Sir Robert Wilson. No. IV. SIDMOLtTII. MINUTE OF ♦ CONVERSATION BETWEEN SIR R. WILSON AND SIR R. BIRNIE. On the receipt of Lord Sidmouth's letter Sir R. Wil son addressed a letter to Sir R. Birnie, for a copy of the deposition on oath, assigning also the motive of the re quest. The letter was sent on the 20th. On the 22d Sir R. Birnie sent a note to Sir R. Wilson, stating that he had been absent attending the funeral of a friend in the country, and requested Sir R. Wilson to call upon him, when he would give him the information he required. Sir R. Wilson having waited on Sir R. Birnie the same day, with Mr. Wm. Lambton, and renewed his de mand for a copy of the information on oath, Sir Richard informed Sir It. Wilson "that no information in writing had been taken; that the information was a verbal one, founded upon a report at the Freemasons' Tavern of a Meeting having been held at Hammersmith, at which an officer had been present; but that, on the examination of the Tavern•keeper at Hammersmith, Mr. Youde, all the Mag►istrates were satisfied Sir R. Wilson had never been in the house."• R. WI Lao * The above Minute was shown to Sir R. Birnie, and re ceived his sanction. THE KING. [PROM TILE COURTER OP YESTERDAY EVENING.] Advises were received this morning at Carlton Pa lace from Hanover, dated on Wednesday last. His Majesty's attack of the gout has been very slight,and we rejoice to say he is recovering from it rapidly. His Majesty sets out from Hanover to - day o n his return to this country. The following is an extract of a private letter from Hanover, dated Wednesday, Oct. 17 You will have learned that the slight indisposition of his Majesty has occasioned some interruptions of of that series of celebrations that were prepared by a joyous people to honour his reception : but I have great pleasure in informing you that the statement of this morning is that our Sovereign is considerably better, and that he will not be much longer confined to the Palace. The indisposition is a very slight attack of the gout, affecting the knee. His Majesty is zealously attended by Sir William Knighton, his Physician, and Mr. Walker, the Royal Apothecary; and the general good health of the King is such, as to leave no doubt that in a day or twohe will be enabled to take his accustomed exercise in public. This trifling interruption of health has not occasion ed any interruption of public business. His Majesty has daily given audiences to the Marquess of London derry, and to the Foreign Ministers here. With respect to the Palace of Herrenhausen, at which his Majesty resides, it may not be uninteresting to inform you, that it is about a mile and a half from Hanover. For upwards of 60 years it has not had a Royal Visitor; indeed it had no inhabitants but per. sons connected with the household. What changes have taken place were made expressly for his Majesty. The beautiful situation of the Palace, the high culti vation around it, and its gardens and plantations, which occupy nearly 40 acres, all contribute to pro- 1 duce the most enchanting effect. At this pleasing re sidence his Majesty remained somewhat closely con fined during Monday, the slight attack of the gout having commenced on Sunday. He admitted but few visitors. Yesterday the king gave long and particular audiences to the Marquess of Londonderry, and to some foreign personages of distinction; and in the evening despatches for England were made up. Between the Palace of Herrenhausen and Hanover is the fine mansion which was formerly the residence of Count Wolmoden. It was afterwards purchased by the Hanoverian Government. That mansion is the present residence of the Marquess of Londonderry, who has with him Lord Clanwilliam, his private Se cretary. The Noble Marquess is very much liked, and is every where received with uncommon respect. His affable manners, and his gentlemanly con descension, secure to him the admiration of all parties. The dinner parties at the Palace of Herrenhausen are daily of an extensive and most splendid charac ter. The various foreigners who are here from dif ferent Courts, give increased eclat to the list of vi sitors, as well as to the dinner and evening parties. There are daily three distinct tables. The demand for provisions at Hanoverhas not been for years any thing like what it now is. Of course there have been conse quent rises in the prices. Such, indeed, has been the consequence of the influx of visitors, that a bed for one night, at the ordinary inns, costs a Louis d'or, and this price receives the sanction of the Authorities. To-morrow (Thursday) is expected to be a gay day with us. In the course of the afternoon his Majesty, it is expected, will be able to attend a further, although it can be only a partial, review of the troops at pre sent stationed about the Palace, and in the neigh bourhood of Hanover, amounting to upwards of 20,000 in number, cavalry and infantry included.— The appearance of these troops is moat imposing. --1. After this review there will be a splendid exhibition of fire-works in the gardens and grounds surrounding the Palace of Herrenhausen, at which the public will be indiscriminately admitted. ICis at present positively calculated that his M. jesty will not extend his visit to us beyond the middle of next week—not after the 24th instant. Sir B. Bloomfield has orders to that effect. The Director pf. the Prussian Posts is already here, waiting to receive his instructions respecting the route that his Majesty I may take ; and he has commands from his own Uo s I vernment to secure all possible facilities. P. S. I ought to mention a curious robbery that has liken place Isere, and which has occasioned a good deal of conversation, as well as much activity on the .part of the Police. Sir B. Bloomfield left his watch is a chamber adjoining to his room. He was absent fora short time, a person with a message from the King having detained him. when on his way back to his chamber ; bat on returning he discovered that the watch was gone. This loss is the more vexatious to Si, B. Bloomfield, as the watch was the gift of the King, and contains within it a fine likeness of his Majesty. All the endeavours of the Police to get any traces of it have yet been fruitless. Extract of a private Letter from Hanover. Detoher 19.—1 t gives me great pleasure to inform you that,)kis Majesty is so far recovered from his recent attach of 'the gout, as to be able to walk about his chamber...fie was visited during the day by most of his Illustrious Relatives, and there also came a host of distinguished cisaracteri inquiring after his Majesty's health with anxious solicitude. Prince Metternich is positlfeig, expected on Saturday. and the question* pawn a; war between Russia and the Porte wilt probablz 10141q eldest before his Majesty return to England. No. V.—(Second Series—No. I.) SIR ROBERT WILSON TO LORD VISCOUNT SIDMOUTII. IS, Regent-street, Oct. 29, MI. MY LORD,—Having received information that a depo sition upon oath exists in the Home Department of my having been seen, on Tuesday, the 13th of August, on horseback, with a porter pot in my hand, encouraging the populace to pull up the pavement and oppose impe diments to the funeral procession of her late Majesty, 1 have the honour to request your Lordship will be pleased to direct a copy of such deposition to be delivered tome, that t may institute a prosecution for perjury against the person so swearing. 1 have the honour to be, Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant, To Lord Viscount Sidmouth. R. WILSON. No. Vl.—(Second Series—No. II.) TIIE LORD VISCOUNT SIDMOUTII TO SIR R. WILSON , Whitehall, Oct. 23, 1t321. Sra—l have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, in which you state that you have re ceived information that a deposition upon oath exists in the Home Office, of your having been seen on horseback, on Tuesday. the 14th of Aug. with a porter pot in your hand, encouraging the populace to pull up the pave ment, and oppose impediments to the funeral procession of her late Majesty ; and you therefore request that I will direct a copy of such deposition to be delivered to you, that you may institute a prosecution against the person so swearing for per jury; and I have the honour to acquaint you. in reply, that I should not think myself justified in Ruing the directions for which yeu have applied. 1 have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, To Sir Robert Wilson. SIDMOUTH. NORTH AMERICAN EXPEDITION. MONTREAL, AUG. 28.—A letter has been received. from a person belonging to the expedition under Capt. Franklin, across the Continent of North America ; dated in June last, on the borders of the barren ground, only 'l5 miles from Hearn's River, in about 64 north latitude, and 110 west longitude from Greenwich : all the Mem bers of the Company were in good health and spirits; and had a very agreeable winter, living on the flesh of ret s i ed Deers; which animal abounds in those regions, and passed the encampment of the party, in immense droves. The encampment was made in Sep tember last, when further progress became imprac ticable : the party consisted of Capt. Franklin and two orthree Naval Officers, one seaman, 19 Canadian voy ageurs, and 17 Indians, making in all 40 persons: they were to commence during June, their passage down Hearn's River. Tee Aiser.—The 2d, or Queen's Own, who have boon stationed here for several months past, are, we regret to say, about to leave us. Three companies. consisting of 100 men, are already gone; they went on Monday (22 inst.) and the remaind five compa nies. consisting of about 200. expect to receive their route to follow on Friday or Saturday. Their place of destination is Chatham, where they replace some troops who are ordered to Ireland. The second will ; he succeeded at Brighton by some of the Guards. but we do not know which. It is expected that the 2d .01 go to Ireland in the ensuing spring.-.-(Brightoa hroxicle.) J) PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT 01.111: O'CLOCg. Rank Stock 2404 40 I Indio Stock 240 1 per Cent. Red 77),1 I Ditto Roods —s 725. 3 per Cent. Con. 7SI South-Sea litnek 31 per Cent. SS South See Old Ann. 4 per Cents. 964! Ex Rllls3d. 10001. Bs . 4s. 5 Per Ct. Navy Illila 6OOl. N. N. Os. !A P. 3 per Cent. 1 Small 6s. 7a. pm. Lew Ann 1911 1 India for ditto Imp 6 tber Cre.t. Con, for Aoet 7Sin 'deb 6 per Coat Lott. 'Tickets 191. iss. No article announcing births, marriages or deaths will be inserted without being properly authenticated. NEXT TUESDAY LOTTERY BEGINS.—ALL !go. NEY.—THREE OF £30,0001! !—NOT TWO BLANKS TO A PRIZE. 530,000 FOR TILE FIRST-DRAWN PRIZE. rbe 4,tittiimatt. 4 ' THE BETTIES STATESMAN" IS INCORPORATED MITE a Tlll STATESMAN." LONDON: THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 2, 1821. STOCK EXCHANGE, TWELVE O'CLOCK. Consols opened this morning at 783 for Money, and 781 i for the Account, with bat little business trans- acting. Paris papers to the 23rd inst. have arrived this morning. The Austrian Observer of the I Ith inst. has pub. lished a long statement of the operations of the Aus trian fleet in the Levant from the 17th to the 22nd of August. The same paper announces that the intelli. gence from all the coasts as far as Zante during the period of the Austrian squadron remaining there, as stated by the Observer, has been confirmed as fu as regards the situation of affairs in the Archipelago, the Morea and in Epirus ; and also with respect to the burning of the fortress of Ali Pacha ; the negociatioss of Ali with the beseigers ; the failure of the attack on Parga, &c. &c. Mention is also made of the maritime armaments of the Greeks of Spezzia. Hydra, and Ispara. These since the month of April, have armed 180 brigs, like Corsairs with guns, of which nine pounders are the heaviest metal. In July, 18 of these Corsairs harassed a Turkish Corvette, but ultimately retired towards the Archipelago. About the same pe siod the marine of Galaxis assumed a warlike attitude, and co-operated with the revolutionists. The Turkish fleet is ascertained to have left the Dardanelles on the Ist ofJuly. It consisted of 19 vessels of war, having on board about ten thousand men. After this fleet set sail, a violent north wind cast a great part of it on the coast of Samos. The troops took refuge is the island.—The remainder of the fleet continued at sea. The transport ships were, for the most part, set fire to by the Turks themselves, and not by the Greek% The fleet proceeded towards the island of Rhodes to await a junction with the squadron of the Paths of Egypt. Such is the account of matters as given by the 'lranian Observer; we place but little reliance ea the correctness of what it states, By accounts from Lisbon, dated Oct. 4, it appears that an article of The Constitution has recently been approved of, depriving the King of the power of pre. venting elections, of proroguing or dissolving the Cortes, or even protesting against their decrees. An additional clause states, that in the event of the King's acting in a manner contrary to the article, he shall be considered as having abdicated the Throne, and the persons advising him thereto shall be punished as traitors. Letters from Madrid, dated 11th of October.—The Universal says, that in the electoral assemblies every thing proceeds in tolerable order. The detention of Riego still excites the greatest dissatisfaction. It is reported that some of the inhabitants of Madrid had attacked the members of the Patriotic society of that city, and that the authorities had for the present suspended its meetings in order to restore was quillity. Some tumultuous scenes are said to have been renewed in many Cities of old Castile. — The journals of Grenada announce that the speech of the King, at the opening of the Extraordinary Cortes, produced a very salutary impression. In the Sittings of the Bth, 9th, and 10th. the Cortes continued their discussions on the territorial division. The Cow mission of war has made its report on the message of government, relative to the army of from Bto 10,000 men of the provincial militia. The Commission has recommended the measure, but at the same timeadvists the recruiting of the army without loss of time. The fever at Barcelona still continues its ranges. The numbers who have become its victims are various ly stated, from 10 to 15,000. The Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Talleyrand de Perigord, died at Paris, at 5 o'clock on Saturday morning. The Marchioness of Londonderry his sr' rived in that capital. Her Ladyship was on Pride, evening at the Opera. The French Five per . Cents. as received by exPse" are quoted at 89 fr. 95 c. EXTRACT OP A LETTER FROM PUILADELPRIA, SEPT V.• Our letters from Nachitosh of the 18th of August state that, several persons have arrived there lately from St. Antonio, bringing accounts that the lcde• pendent flag was every where flying. except at Yea erns. That place being very strong an d filled with merchandise and King's stores, hclds out is order 1 0 obtain terms. Accounts have been received from N ew Orleans, stating that General Long has been there condemned to be bang for Atilliag a man. We 1111° learnt from St. Louis that the Bank of Missouri has failed, to the mita of hundreds of the citizens, lA ° had laid by their paper fur the purpoae of making payments fee their lands, and whose hopes are noir sir tl rely blasted. , *Je .x) ■ I 1 I .....•••••