The Statesman. — London, England, 1818-12-29 00:00:00

: mitto-vomp- • 4 • \ C .T~:.' lS .:. y 1 ' 419 will be nearly the same as in the preceding year—say 2 million. of dollars. The Baltimore Papers confirm the statement of the arrival of Lard Cochrane at Margaretta, rnd his haring taking the command of the Venesulean Squadron, vice Admiral Brion, who had proceeded hasd•quarters. HAMBURG!! MAIL. nitrovettN Dse. 19.—The Assembly of the States • bf the kingdom has dpcidtd, ie one of its first Sit .* sings, that the lettere shall be abolished; it has been also proposed that exculpatory oaths in criminal examinations shall be abolished as wholly useless ; the introduction of the Trial by Jury has also been spoken of. TANGIERS, Nov. 12.—Theplagoe proceeds, daily incresaiug, Wits fatal career, and will soon have st • ',bitted ks greatest height here and in the neighbour hood. The number of deaths antoonted here, within • • few diys past, to above 30; in the worst times it never amounted to above 40 per diem. In the city 'there died in August 1 00 , in September 267, in Oc tober 479. In soma villages the whole population is swept away ; the covet atad ti ther cattle roam about without an owner, till Gevernnnr thinks • 'fit to collect them for the use of the Sultan. In the northern cities of the kingdom, Tetuan, Meouinoz, • and Fes, the disorder rages under the name of a fever, for nobody dares publicly to call it the plague. One of the Consuls, who lately sent to • - Fez to obtain certain intelligence, received through hiragent, a Jew, a certificate of the perfect hesithi. nese of the city, though the messenger verbally affirmed that be had himself seen several persons brought oat who had died of the plague. CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 16.—The Persian Am bassador, Mirsa Abdul Hessen Chan, had an au. (Hence of she Sultan last week, and delivered the presents, consisting of horses, shawls, and rich stuffs. —He takes similar presents to the Emperor of Aus tris, the King of Frake, and the Prince Regent of ' England. His stay here is drawing to a close, af ter which he will proceed to Vienna, Paris, and London. 4 Sixty-four iron cannon have lately been proved at Tophans, which the Porte hes purchased abroad. — Its agents are commissioned to purchase more cannon end ammunition. • MECKLENBURG, Dec. 18.—In 'the sight of the lit inst. Mr. Von Plessen, land-owner at Nepersdorf, ' was murdered in his bed in a cruel manner : he was • found at day-break weltering in his blood, the skull ' fractured, the brains scattered on the floor, one eye out, the breast and arms pierced with many wounds, •apporently inflicted with knives end pitch forks. Notwithstanding these dreadful wounds he did not die until the third day. As there was no ap-1 pearince of any robbery having been committed, it -supposed thatketred and revenge, excited by the harsh treatment exercised by the deceased to his vassals, were the motives of the crime. One of the domestics Ass been arrested. This crime has excited the greatest sensation, as it ie happily almost unheard of among s-• in Mecklenhorg, and we areivery impatient to '• lite more particulars. Hamburgh—Eschauge on Londowi • Dec. 22.- 7. 32. 11. DUTCH MAIL. FR A MICRO RT, DEC. 17. --Prlvateletteis frogs Spain, _ in a German Journal, state, that " the mutiny among the Spanish troops stationed about Cadiz, to embark for South America, is not so inconsiderable as it is represented; fatigued by marches and counter. Marc hes, halt flaked, without pay, and almost with out proviaioos,'they desert in whole troops, and on all sides, notwithstanding the efforts of the Priests. Part of these, with their arms arid baggage, havejoin . rd. the Cossacks of the Sierra Morena, as they are .called. This appellation is singular enocgh for the smugglers, of whom the bands of Sierra Morena con. gist. They are of the common description of banditti ; the name of Guerillas would be more suitable. They " 'atehospitable, honest, and even compassionate. They are enemies only to Monks, Inquisitors, and the Serriles (or the adversaries of the Liberals). • They • traverse the Sierra Morena in numerous bands, and spread theskselves at times from Seville to Madrid ' end Estreinadura. Unless speedy measures are taken properly to furnish the troops with provisions and pay, the soldiers will soon have no resource left but 'to join these bands. The Minister of War has given orders to take as many of these people as possible, , ; and send them to Csraccas. The Ministry are still I insecure, and are sensible that they stand on very ,tonsolid ground; the Members are not united among' t . themselves, and the intrigues a re continuall y digging _en r.`yss under the steps of the Government. As anon as the King was informed that the Memorial of " Don Flores Estrada (in favour' of a liberal form of .Government) had been printed in London, the Coen . cil of State was summoned to consider of means to prevent the importation of it. The work is delivered • to the Inquisition ; but, imtnithstanding, it has been circulated in Spain, and has made a profound jar. pression." HAGOE,.Dffc. 25.—The following accounts have • been received by ptiiate persons from • " iron, Dec. 11. " The district of the Sierra Morena forms a chain ' of mountaisis;'ditriding Andalusia from New Castile. in all times the 'defiles and villages of these moun • tales were the retreat of smugglers, who brought • all kinds of foreign merchandise from the coast of Andalusia, and afterwards disposed of it in the in • tenor of Spain. Under the reigns of Charles • end Charles IV., several regiments of dragoons were constantly employed in pursuit of -the smugglers; • they generally moved in large bodies on foot and on ' 7 ' horseback, well armed, and maintained a sort of mi litary discipline. " The war in the Peninsula against the armies of Bonaparte pot a stop to tire disorders ; the greater part of these smugglers, influenced by ardent pa . - triolism, joined the Guerillas, and were very for. 'ridable to the enemies of Spain. Since the restoration of Ferdinand VII., these who have survived the .• mar, united saith deserters and others, hove re . touted to their old trade; but as they are now more numerous, more practised in via:fare, and the n'teaits of opposing them are no more the same ) the hand' L Cr ~~ 1.... ~..,.. .....'• ~-~._- t-_...r- „".,;,~ "T" - : :_~ peel 'Pt `tat Jqe being what we now purpose to call their a tteition without the closest spplicxtion of the mind to this one thing ► the result of our i. , semigation may be lost. We have at featly shown that reasoning, or the process by which we pass from one jutiKment to Imo. ther, may be either true ,r faire ; right or wrong 1 judgments result from the one 0( i§e other. For as the reasoning of a Counsel is f °undid upon evidence, the judgment of a Jury is fasadadiupon the same. B a t at every step of a train 4t (atoning must be item,• diaiely discernible, else' we can never arrive at the conclusion ; whenever we lose sight of a Counsel's arguments, from that cement we cease to see the bearings of the evidence ;! our judgment is bewildered; dust is thrown in our ayes, qui in vein we are as tonisbed at our stupidity In ndt arriving at th e con . t l ut i o ns to which the Counsel lies been driven by fail. lacious premises, or aseumptine evidence. This it is in meat' asses, and - in nose more en, than la Ike prosecutions for passing Forged Notes. The evidence upon 4hich Juries are called to de cide in these cases, is what Legislators, Morslttit,• and l'hilosophers cal I probabk evidence—a species of evidence that requires, however, an agreement of many witnesses, in great ',rimy of circucnstances, without the possibility of a previous concert, to make it equal to that of demonstration ; and in regard to its application to a casts of trial for passing a Forged Bank-note, it holds oat three grand sources 'theism a Jury may arrive at a true and just verdict for or . 4 jo a d g fe a hn i against ya nlohfte ethings,accused.m o te stim ony--that n_d4Tphia: persons so which aegs, c hf e i s oc r r ew e au — eci:r t ue li ca e noi idg e o v nal i ie d isilec e de_ i ti ce tee and that, whereby those who are good judges of the point in question, guide oar the altar of truth. Wfr shall allow .that circumstantial evidence may sometimes come in as t collateral in such prosece. Lions ; but, to our minds, contemplating the matter as if we were at this toOtent closetted in a jury. room to.make up out doaisiomso the *llamado fated a felloss.ctcatuie, there seems to be no other way of viewing the species of evidence -now bet 'l'o us, than , through the media we hold up to the " mind's eye" of our Readers. Upon the evidence of human testimouy the greater part of our knowledge is.built. The faith of I, i.tury depeivit upon it. Our most- lloly Religion is found. ..• ed upon the testimony of the Apostle. The jgdp menthe sofemn tribunals, with regard to men's 60 quirettighte, pad souls-reard to their guilt or their ietiocence when they are eharged with crimes, is founded upon this evideoce. All the Counsel, alto the Judges bf the Empire know, that a great part of their business is to canvas and weigh the evidence of human testimony. As respects the second source of probable evi. dente, which we consider the authority of those who ere good judges of the point in question, we remark that Parliament itself, the Supreme Court of Judi cature of the British Nation, is often determined by the opinions of Lawyers in points of law ; of Phy sicians in cases of medicine ; and of other artists in what relates to their several professions. Now se maintain (from the practice of Parliament), that in cases of prosecution for passing Forged Dotes, the minor Courts of the realm hare a precedent for act. ing otherwise than has hitherto been done. Hitherto a Bank Inspector has been the sole judge of the point in question—his ipse dixit decides whether a Note be good or bad, genuine or forged ; bet it is marvellous if a Batik Inspector be a better judge than an accomplished engraver, since it is now mktioe. ledged that there are really no secret marks about a Bank-note, which any careful judge of engraving and printing may not discover.-- - We insist upon it that the Jury alone ought to de• cide this point, and if they Cannot discover whether a Note be really forged, let them, in addition to so liffpector's evidence, call in the evidence of three or more first. rate engravers: engravers too of Bank of England or Country Bank-notes—for the former are not superior in execution to tire latter ; and upon rill agreement cr disagreement of as many judges of the matter in question, and assisted by the testimony of their own senses, let the Jury return a verdict. The third source of probable evidence upon whirl% a prosecution for passing a Forged Note proceeds, is, that whereby we recognise the identity of thing., and persons of our own acquaintance :--That tiro Bank-notes may be so perfectly alike as not to le tlistinguisbable by those to whom they are best kiloae, cannot he shown to be impossible. Noy, we Ito" from the confessions of Inspectors that this may 11 "P' pen—that a genuine Note has been called a forgoll. nod a Forged Note taken at the Bank as a red Brisk-note. Now here is the key of the arch ups which the palladium rests. Among a Ormond Bank, notes Ito man cook! immediately recerize an in& dual one without oily doubt ; amorig a thou'ill o . sigtotares of the words Entering Clerk, g judge of writing would discove r that every &Wig Clerk was not in all respects a perfect and cettlPi i imitation of some other. How then can an losytt tor and Signing Clerk swear. to the identity of individual Noce, when the imitation beteeen 0 61* mid other Notes is so met, that 11 Jet I . . • as • , , '... . , , I ..; . t A V' bet Construct their verditt 11- tria gb o f individealh ' r attarot oing offence, se ha till some observations make., In bringing th point bef:.re our Reader take leave to saytth every tireorestenee kihanished fully privateering to han d. from our mind, its the retrtrapvilittli Of the late trials IV' come ~...... except the evideac. For, that slog' e being *hut .: -FATESMAN approaching prosecution of a number of individealat charged with the crime of uniawfully prirateering under the South American Ilag. In lea The Paris Papers to the 26th have come to band. The 5 per Cents. were done as low on Thursday at Paris as M. 25t. but rose, towards the close of the market, to 63f. at which price they left off. The King, on Thursday, transacted business with the Duke of TA ItlitaTUM, the Chancellor of the Order of the Legion of Honour. The same day the Duke of Bouenox had the misfortune to have his carriage overturned on his return from hunting at Chantilly. Ilia Highness received a severe woond on his shoulder, but it is not expected to be attended with any serious consequences. The Bureaux of the Chamber of De puties had nominated a Committee to ' , asinine the Provisional Law of Finance, presented at the last Sitting. The names of the Commissioners are M.' BRETON, the Duke of GAETA (Finance Minister to, BONAPARTE), Count HAUTETEUILLE, Count BEUG• NOT, M. MENAGER, Baron DELESSERT, M. GANILII, M. DE WENDEL, and M. 'ARMAND. Count DWG , NOT was appointed Reporter from the Committee. — Lours XVIII. has issued an Order, Supplementary to that of September last year, relative to the con cerns of the Scotch and Trish Colleges at Paris, and the Colleges, of the British Jesuits at Poictieis, Douayi Sad St. Omer. They are to be placed under the management of a Board, subject to the superin tendence of the Minister of the Interior. The Ad ministrator-General is to be chosen by the King, from a list of Clerical Catholic Candidates from the three British nations, submitted to him by the Mi nister of the interior. The POPE seems to have found the petty Protestant Princes of Germany more accommodating, as to a Concordate, than a true son of the Church. The Papal Nuncio at Munich has not yet been able to effect an arrangement on this subject with his Bavarian Majeity. Prince KARAM: A, the late Hospodar of Wallachia, had not determined on a retreat into Switzerland until he wasiPtiosed a refuge in the Austrian States ; the Court of Vienna being afraid of embroiling itself in disputes with the Porte on his account. A Mail from Holland, with letters end Palters to the 25th inst., has arrived. By the latter of these we learn that the persons implicated in the late pre leaded• plot still remain in custody; and it is said the littottbations against them have been handed into Court. Priest* accounts received in Holland from Spain, cotrQrs the statements respecting numerous desertions from the espeditionery troops at Cadiz, and their having joined the smogglees of the. Sikrra Moron.. They also state, that as goon as Faint ..; NANO beird of rho work of Don-Fum .. es EAN - I - ANA klieg .bean poehlished in London, recommending liberal form of Government, he caused i measures to be taken to prevent its introduClion into his terra.! tories. Tbe work is, nevertheless, circulated with avidity in Spain. Letters received at the Ham, from Iron, mention the same facts, and also notice that great care is taken to prevent the circulation of English Journals through the dominions of Fotot• NAND—the Beloved! They state, that two Couriers bad passed through that plaice, on the 7th, for Paris and London ; and that the most alarming reports were in circulation. According to advice, of the latter end of August, from Vera Cruz, Father Ton- RES had defeated a body of troops rent against him. The standard of Independence which he had again set up, bore the iuscription—" Victory or Death!" The accounts presented by the Blois of England of the number of Forgeries which have taken place since 1797 (that is, since the suspeosion of cash pay ments), but more particularly since 1815, eahibit, in a frightful degree, the rapid progression of the crime of Forgery. In 1798 there were only twelve prosecuted, and the sixpence of the prosecutions during that year amounted to only 41301. 18s. —An increase too abrupt for the teem gra dual distinguishes each succeeding year. In 1817 the list of prosecutions amounted to 142, the a:- pence to 29,9101. 45. Id.—the capital convictions 32. To the Ist of April, 1818 (three months only ), a total of 128 'prosecutions appears ; and the expence incurred in these prosecutions, since the suspension, amounts to the sum of 257,1351. 12s. 2d. —Tbis enumeration is exclusive of the num ber of persons who appear, by the annual Par liamentary returns from the several Clerks of Assizes, to have been discharged without prosecu tion, from want of evidence, hills thrown out by Grand Juries, and other causes. The increase in the present year, it will be observed, is alarming in the highest degree ; and should the prosecutions con tinue at the same average rate, the total cannot fail of presenting an amount not only shocking to every 'friend to humanity, but furnishing the most itre• (reptile proof of the inefficacy of capital punish ment as a preventive of Forgery. The morality, the injury likely► to follow such a progression of crime is sufficiently apparent. But to the interests of trade, in a country like F,ttglaml / whose continpr cial prosperity so eminently rests on the full end unembarrassed state of its currency, it is as impossi ble to calculate on the consequences, as it is to avoid being alarmed at their tendency. Hitherto we have pnid considerable attention to the prosecutions for passing Forged tank•r.otes.— Bat of the species of eTitleuce upon which the Juries EmPs,!P- - —.-'r" -Tk a are more formidable than they- ever were before. On the other hand, the soldiers intended to go to South America dairy join them, so that their nonsbers'eon tinselly increase, and their boldness is doebled.— Already not contented with smuggling, these hinds, we are informed, have levied contributions in several places. They have also stopped and plundered tome travellers. Such is the state of things. It is :even said, that some malcontents have joined them.; but this Is a tepott, the truth of which cannot be dis covered. 46 We hear nothing farther about the expedition. The preparations go on with activity, bat udthiug can be said of its departure. 46 Letters from Vera Cruz of the end of Aegest, say that Father Torres had defeated a body of troops sent against him : on his standards he has inscribed Victory or Death !' Foreign Joarsials, ',hid: it was attempted to introduce contrary to the positive orders of the Government, have lately been 'seized on the frontiers. These Papers are sent to Madrid. Increased vigilance is eterted at all the Custom houses to prevont the introduction of Newsplipert• Many Spanish works printed in London have also been seized. 44 P.s.—Since yesterday two couriers have passed thrdogh, going to Paris and London. The most estaordluary and alarming reports are circulated." FRENCH PAPERS. st•• —....-- . PARIS, DEC. 25.—The King yesterday hear i Mess ' in his apartments. . On the Duke de Bourbon's retern on Wednesday evening from the chase near Chantilly, his ,oseriage broke down near his residence, by which his Royal Highness is much wounded in the shoulder, but is it hoped the accident will not produce any serious consequences. In the Chamber of Deputies the Bureaus appointed a Committee for the examination of the Project re specting the collection of sia•twelfths of the Taxes, cousistieg of the following Members: —M. M. Deugnot (Rapporteur), Breton, the Duke de Gaeta, Ole Count de Ilautefeuille,the Baron Delessert,Ganills, Wendel, and Lormand. The Diet of Frankfort has adjourned itsßlittings, , which will not be reamed till the 20th of Jansserry. French Fuuds.—Five per Cents. 63G-.44lank Steck 1495 f. VIENNA, DEC. 14.—The Emperor and Empress of Austria have fixed the 10th of February for their departure for Italy ; they proceed first to Venire to pass a part of the Carnival, and continue their jour ney to Rome by the way of Florence, to celebrate the Holy Week and the Festival of Rester. Their Imperial Majesties will then probably visit Naples.— After their return they will proceed to Prague, where the Empress will be crowned as Queen of. Bohemia. This solemnity will be followed by the celebration of the marriage of the Archduchess Caroline with the eldest son of Prince Maximilian of Simon* the pre sumptive heir to the Throne of Saxony. 1,1 is again reported that the Empress will shortly afterwards be crowned Queen of Hungary. The Emperor of Russia intends to gait 4bla tapi r 1 tal the 21st inst. His Imperial Majapy *lll dee p on the 22d at Brim. • PRICE OF STOCK"' THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK Hank Stock 5 per Cent. Navy 9 per Cent. Red. 77 Inglis Bonds 76 77p I per Cent. Con,:ols Lone A nn. liper Cent. 86; Lorksol4 for Ace. 78; 4 pre Cent. 94; Exchequer Bithi Omniutn 10 16 THE STATESMAN. LONDON: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1818• The intelligence of Lord CocnitAxe's arrival a Maga retie, and his haviag assumed the command of the Venezuelian fleet, which wore rather a doubtful ap pearance, seems to be confirmed. The Baltimore Papers which have come to hand to the 30th elk. state the circumstance in explicit terms ; and if they can be relied upon, his Lordship had commenced the corn. mavd of the Independent squadron by adding con siderably to its strength, end taking measures for giving effect to the cause in which he has embarked. He is said, as stated in the St. Thomas's letters, to have carried a squadron of five ships to Margareita, where, immediately on his arrival, he took the com mend of all the Venezuelian fleet, and placed num bers of the men out of his ships in those of the Independents, which were but thinly manned. —We shall merely add, that we hope the in telligence of so valuable an acquisition as Lord COCHRANE'S service to the cause of South American Freedom, in the commanding capicity thus mention ed, is true. We hope, also, that his Lordship will chace the flag of Spanish despotism from the Ocean, as it. has been banished from the lands it has bloated so long. The American Papers contain no news of any operations of the armies. A new sloop of war, called the Nymph, a very fast sailer, well manned and equipped, was cruizing off the coast, for the protection of the trade to !Anoka. This vessel was reported to be one brought out by Admiral COCHRANE. The Papers also furnish us with the proceedings of Congress down to the 26th alt. incloding the Annual Treasury Report, the substance of which has already been stated in the Message to Congress. The Pitestoesur of the United States has laid before Congress an account of the eapences hitherto in curred for re-building the public edifices of Washing ton destroyed during the war. The som-total, in. eluding the House of Congress, called the" Capitol," the President's house, and various public ofllces, is 320,060 dollars, or about 72,0001. of eur Money. — A considerable iutetest is suited at Baltimore by the