The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-02-23 00:00:00

PRir.4ITI(O9IIII6.SPONDENCE. tti, Floe. e are at this moment in a very Odin* ai led state. micleisl may be remarked on the count& 1 Of numbers, though they dare not express theta ;ekes, for in feet the mad, of the people are much ex t+erated. Vie rage for dnela hes again commenced: in this way the feelings of Frenchmen evaporate, when they cutout write and complain. The consequences will be serious. for things art in a forced, an unnatural, state a: the present monsent. The French military have beets humiliated'; this they cannot brook. They dissemble, but they do not cea.se to feel.—We are at this moment anxiously looking for the defraudment art the duel that is to take place between laulaistwat (Use de Victim') and the Due tie Vits-Jatents ; it will he a cembet a 2 meet. Illy :hare-master was the other day implicated Uwe* of these political duels ; he once, poor fellow, knew better times, and wore %lib tumour an epaulette; he was killed on the spot. On Tuesday Men,. D'Ecqueville, a superior officer in the Uarde Royale, having bete at the Ilmilleries, and seeing the melancholy state into which every thing was thrown, had been usable to restrain his tears. Oe corn ing to the table Whine, where he generally dined, his tears were visible as be sat at table. Mons. Lecoin ire. as Aide-de-l!anip of Mammas, who sat opposite, see iol, this, took some water in a glass, and dipping his fin ders in, applied it to his eyes, in derision. Upon this .q. D'Eciteeville said," there is sot enough," and threw a glass o f' water in his face. They fought in consequence yesterday morning, and M. Lecointre was stout through et c heart. It is an unquestionable fact, that the viperous. heroic, conduct of the One de Berri has conciliated the winds of all orders of people. even of those who were the least disposed in his favour. It is certain that the as-' sassin replied to the question, " When did the idea of tt is crime first, enter into your mind Y 0. When I saw .Y..onsieur enter the tows of Mets in theotitist of foreign syltliers." When be was told that his namelv•ilW beam ever exit - mfr./, be answered, " Yee cannel 111 . .soroof that t emit till fifty years are pat; Brutes's, Dame it not eta crated." Ft...MI.ILS OF THE ANCIENTS'. The Egyptians and ancient Uneks occasionally buried in their eon houses, of which there are some few in stances in Scripture, among which that of Joab may be ..ted. In other respects it was much more general to inter in eaves, hills, reeks, and where the primary race of those respective people occasionally were compelled to reside, whilst in a state of nature. Such, at least, ti as the case with the ancient inhabitants of Crete', many parts of Asia, and in Persia, to the pre at tit day ; and also of the Chinese. For, to instance only the ease of Naxi Kasten, a Persian prince, who aas buried among the mountains in the district of De jnees, to the best of our memory. An anecdote is also related of the interment of a Chinese prince in a mountain, where be was buried with about WO of his courtiers. another anecdote is related of Cyrus, a hieh appears to re eyrie the general disposition of nature; fur he desired to be so disposed of,tiat hie remains might be most beueficial to his country, and accordingly wished for his body to be converted into 110.111tItt for the land. The most singular practice was observed by the Ethiopians in the disposi tion of their dead, as related Say the spies of Caanhy-es. .tilter all the moisture is extracted from the body, they cover it totally with a kind of plaster, which they make to resemble tie original as near as possible ; they then tn...lose it in a very hollow column of crvstal, of which they have great plenty, sad easy to work, through which the contents ate clearly seen, without any disagreeable sated, or any thing which is offensive. This coin the oesrest relative keeps in his ewn house for full twelve irtonths, olefin I. is different kiosk of victim, wed the first fruits of the earth. Afterwards these are removed, and set up round the city. - - The funeral ceremonies attending Scythian princes were very singular: they were first enibelined, after- Wards ca fed through various provinces of their king-' Blom, till, at last, they were brought to the lierchi, in the most remote parts of Scythia, where the corpse was played upon a conch, round which, at various distances, were placed degrees, sad, upon the whole, pieces of stood covered with willow, in a trench near the spot where the Borysthenes becomes navigable. In some other parts of the trench, one of the concubines of the deceased, baring been previously strangled, with his Laker, cook, groom, and most confidential of., horses, and choicest effects, were burned, and a mound as high as possible raised over the whole. It woui3 seem, from what little has been shown, that the Jews, as well as others, usually buried their dead without the city ; such was, also, the case with the Athenians, the Smyrneans, Sicyoniano, Corinthians, sn..! Syracusians. Examples are not wanting that si milar customs were then observed by the ancient Ro mans, or at least previous to t h e existence of the twelve tables, before which, and even subsequent thereto, if say were buried within the city, it Is as not without a special permission from the senators. This mode of in. irritant was usual in Jades, as passages in their latter history will flint*. The only people we remember wha disregarded this custom were the Lacetheinanians; the manly spirit, and heroic policy of their legislator, Ly rurgus, desirous to eradicate every species of stupid su perstition from the mind of his people, among other in stitntions, directed they should often come near the deal, end hail them loitered le and near the temples; where monuments to petpetnate their virtues were erected, that the youth might be led from their infancy to behold such objects, nor dread the spectacle of death ; and, likewise, that the oseswinsses of their memorial might be often viewed, and that the young might emulate the 11.101 C virtues of their prelim:ewers. The Athenian practice, lawever. with regard to those who died in defence of their country, was at once so pa triotic aid affectionate, that it cannot but deserve parti cular attention ' • it a ff ords an elevated ides of that po lished people. About three days before the funeral, the bones of the slain were placed in a tent, raised on pur pose, so that every person might have an opportunity to frequent them, and pay the last tribute of a tear. All sorts of odoriferous herbs and Sowers were strewed around the tent, sell ear► man brought sonic in his heed, that he alight consecrate them to the manes of his favourite friend. On the fourth day a coffin of Cy press was seat from every tribe to carry off the bones of 'their owe members; after which went an empty covered hearse, in memory of these who weld not be found. The procession was carried on with a peculiar decency of sorrow, whilst great astaben of inhabitants, heti, strangers aid citizens, assisted in the train of mourners. The parents of the deemed attended at the sepulchre to weep. No eye timid refrain from tears, and the tne linclsoly distress übieb appeared is the faces of the assembly, seemed a true espy of the sentiments of all. Tl.e hoses Isere accompanied in this manner to the pub- lie place of burial, situated is a pleasant spot without OP city, called Cetnismlosea, sod reaunistrd to the ground. The ober asserit erected to be honour of these cit!sens was Wet aed with pillars, trophies. and lescrip teems, such as were used about the tombs of the mom ho • operable persona, and the esreareery reaeleued with a 'speech is praise of three all, the irata.soope of which was to animate the Swim* with' resoiatienOw tomtnendieg a-. courage of the dead ;to i er w teirii of patriotism THLSTATESMAN. into the minds of their fallow citizens, by celebrating the principle ;glottis>, wh it Writes the valiant to battle. The 'majority of both ()reeks and Romans loherited a i linperstitiews five, and they were tinnily persuaded that if the holy was subtitled, the soul was unblessed; ima gining that all such, who had not obtained a grave on earth, could end no rest in a future state, not being per. milted to enter Elysium; but that the spirit of the de ceased wandered (or a hundred years on the shores of the St} x, or hovered about the spot where the body lay; for that reason, the duty of interment was with them indis pensable, as innumerable passages of their authors will abundantly prove. For this purpose their travellers, whenever thee met with a dead body, uniformly cast dust or mould upon it three times, and of these one handful at least upon the bead ; this they did if tliNr haste was ever so urgent. Some persons, allowed the rites of burial, were distin guished by pecans,. eircumst • those killed by lightning were buried by themselves, being thought odious to the gods, of which see Plin. ii. M.; those who wasted their patrimony also forfeited the right of burial in their father's sepulchres; and those who were guilty of self-murder, were disposed of privately, without the usual solemnities; those, likewise, who were considered public or . private enemies to the State; such who be trayed their country; all tyrants, who were looked upon as enemies to their country and race; those who died in debt, whose bodies at Athens belonged to their credi tors; and, lastly, those offenders who suffered capital punishment, but especially such who were exposed on the cross. This last superstition was also believed in Jades, whence the motive for the miserable death of our Saviour. , PRICE of irrocKs THIS Soak Stoat I pee Cent. ited. 3 pet Cent. Cenci S 4 per Cent. 77A si 4 per Ceuta. R7A per Ct. Nary Long Ann. IS 3-1 Imp. pet Ceat. Awn. 871 TO THE EDITOR. Sta—To ascertain the true rinse of the present dis tress, is of all things the most important ; for if we at tribute it to causes from which it does not proceed, in eideavoitring to remove it, we may add to itaseverity. Not Withstanding the ability you have displayed upon that subject in your paper of the !9th ult., I think you are not correct in attributing it solely, or even princi pally, to the national debt. It will be readily allowed, that the distress presses with much greater severity on the manufacturing dis tricts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, than it does on the nation generally; consequently, if we attend to the par ticular circumstances of these districts, they may serve as a clue to the cause of the distress, which more or lees, affects almost all classes and The most intelligent and best informed men calculate that full two-thirds of all the woollens manufactured in '1 the West Riding of this county. are exported, and I be lieve that a still larger proportion of the trade of Laura shire is foreign. Now commerce, whether foreign or domestic, is nothing but an exchange of equivalents, and that nation which refuses to receive the produce of other countries, destroys the market for its own ; and any nation which prohibited importation altogether.i would put an end to exportation also. Since the cos, elusion of the late war we have increased the restrictions on the importation of corn, butter, cheese, seeds, wool. Ike., in fact, on the principal articles produced by one customers, and, consequently, hare destroyed the de mand for our manufactures to the same extent. This cause is quite adequate to produce the distress experi enced in the manufacturing districts, and I believe it is also the source of the sufferings of the labouring classes throughout the nation. For though I think tt is set correct to ascribe our sufferings to the national debt. land am firmly persuaded, if it could be cancelled le morrow, if we persisted in the present systeit, little relief would be experienced ; yet I hare no doubt that our distress is caused by a species of taxation. The Isame laws which destroy our commerce, ensue the agriculturist to charge q mmoopoly price for all e pro. ductions of the soil , sad thus virtually to levy a llies en the other part of the community. of that magnitude that. in comparison, the interest of the national debt is a mere trifle. We hear a great deal of the low price of provisions, and how inadequate that price is to the re nianeration of the farmer, and though the necessaries of life are cheaper than they have been for many years, yet it is understood that even now they sell for double the prices in this country to that which can be obtained abroad. We may form some isles of the amount which is thus wrested. principally from the labouring classes, when we find that. estimating wheat at 70s. per quarter. Mr. Colquhtinn calculated the annual value of the agri cultural produce of Brea( Britain at upwards of two hundred and sixteen millions. It is agreed by all writers on political economy, that the price of wheat re gulates that of every other production of the soil, be cause every fanner will produce that article which pars him best. soil consequently, if wheat does not pay as well as any other crop, he will grow something else in pre ference. Now, as wheat at present dues not sell for 70s. per quarter, if we suppose that the annual value of agri cultural produce in Ureat Britain is reduced to kit mil lions, it is evident that if instead of wheat selling fur 64a. per quarter, it only aold for 32 per qnarter (which 1 believe is more than its average prices on the Continent), that produce would be worth no snore than ninety mil- 1 1 lions, and consequently the farmers of Great Britain are selling their produce for ninety millions per annnm more than it would sell for at the continental price. It Is therefore evident, that if high prices benefited the agricultusists, they would hare no reason to complain of lhaving to pay their proportion of a taxation of fifty mil -1 lion., when their produce sells for more than it does abroad he nearly double that sum; and it is only upon the principle that they antler in common with the Ilia nufacturing classes, under the pressure of a taxation of not 50 millions but 140 millions, that we can account 1 for their distress. Ido not ow-an to say, that our excessive taxation to the State is not a renewed & on the contrary, I am full aware that it is, and that without any • additiou t would press with great severity on the country, loot that it is not the only, nor even the principal cause of our sufferings. If thin opinion be founded in troth, it is not to paying off the national debt alone, or to domestic oolonisation and spade hnshandry that we are to look for relief, hut, in the words of 'the lediabwrels Retitle (No. $4, page 47:9, we must " give freedom to cow metre, and lighten the pressure of taxation, sod we shall have no romplaining in our streets. As commeror is always an exchange of equivalent., a nation that will not Itny cannot sell ; and restrictions upon Import are prohibitory defies upon export. On the contrary. the wore we admit the production. of foreign countries, the more extensive becomes their demand for our commo dities. Let the absurd system of our Coro laws be cau tiously and gradually abolished, and allow the cheap l agrictiltural produce of the north of Europe. and of I the continents of America and Africa, to be freely introduced, and we shall obtain an unlimited vent for our manufactures; the profits of stock will be re stored to their level in other countries ; and the reuse meent accemulation of capital will canoe the increasing demand for labour to bear a bearer proportion to the ipereasing supply of labourers." MaIIICATOIII. _— _____ . _ MAILS. . J 11111 t. Olt. I MIR. 1111/. 9 Dublin I WitterforJ - • • • 0 I Ourease7 $114../ervey ilmteittni , ll% 0 Itltne•nr , :h LONDON: WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEIRVARY 23, 1820. The following intelligence from South America, of so recent a date as Nov. 1, has been received this morning:— OFFICIAL DISP.►TONES OF GENERAL PAM TO 11111 lIXCEL- LIMY TUI vtcg-raisiusx Mo/sT EXCILLEYT SIO-11 have just received from the Commandant of the frontier of the town of St. Fer nando, in which he announces that the enemy evacuated the aforesaid place, in the night of the 15th inst.; be im mediately set out on his march, and after having cauti ously reconnoitred it, took possession of thesatne, where he found two quintals of powder, ten thousand nails for constructing vessels, eighty aerobe of iron, and the stores full of provisions, and all sorts of grain. Their preci pitate retreat was evident from their not having offered to set fire to the town, and throw the artillery into the sea. The parapets remained intact; for although un dermined in various parts, they did not blow them up; they likewise burnt the best vessel they had built. De willows have been dispatched in every direction, to ascertain the route they have taken, and of which your Excellency shall be advised. JOSE ANTONIO Pin. Achoquis, 20th Oct. 1919. (LATI FROM LAGUIRA.) Extract of a Letter, dated Jan. 2 :—" Capt. Hampton, of the schooner Cecilia, arrived from Laguira, states. that at the time of his departure there was no news at that place, there having been no communication with the interior for the last fifteen days, in consequence of an incessant rain during that time. On her passage from Porto Cavallo to Laguira, the Cecilia was boarded by the Venesuelian armed schooner Almedia, and treated with great politeness. The Alanedia was blockading Laguira very closely, hut did not molest neutrals. She has captured a Spanish schooner from Lapin, bound to Curacoa, with a cargo of flour, and has sent the Cap tain on shore to procure the money to ransom her." (111011 UATANNAII.) Extract of a Letter, dated Nan. The British flo vernment schooner Primrose has taken, on the 22d of last month, one of the great many privateers which in-1 fest our seas, and retook a boat called the Conception.l from Bocha Calavers, bound to this port. Prices at Havannah—flour, I 8 dollar.; rice, A ; beef, 10; pork, 20; lard, 19; hams, 20 ; cheese, 6; cod-Bab, I to 4 ; black-pepper, 43; candles, 63, 3 to 4 cents per lb.; map, 10 dollars ; molasses (new), 7 dollars, 28 cents. per bore. head ; coffee (now), 112; liftmen& sugar, 8; bee irowo, 6; hides, 20 reale ; bills on Charlestown, 3 per cent. premium ; ditto on Northern States, none on London ; dollars scarce. Extract of a Letter from Buenos Ayres, Nov.l4:—" I have just received advice from MonteVideo,that Artigas, assisted by Correra, late Director of Chili, is at the bead of 3,000 turn, on his march against Buenos Ayres, and has cut off all communisation between this city, Peru, and Chili. The markets are dreadfully bad, and bides scarce : a cargo of dour could be put off promptly just sow at tij to 9. PARIS. The open declaration to the KING, that the de-I struction of the House of the Bourbons is medi tated, has thrown all the Royal Family into an abyss of despair and rage. The best friends of Louts XVIII. arc afraid the sensation of distrust and indignation, thus infused into the Monarch's breast, should urge him to some measure which may dimi nish his reputation for being a mild, well-meaning, but weak Prince. REVOLUTION—Resolution is in every one's mouth ; but the Ultra-Mosterchk par ty are well described by The ConstiNtiowitei as the only real Revolutionists. Their writings, their speeches, their prejete, are all subversive of the constitutional order of the State, and threaten to renew the public and personal vengeance that oc casioned the shedding so much blood in the South. The same justly esteemed journal above-named, obery es — We are assured that the majority of the Chamber of Peers are duly sensible of the importance of their high destination, sod that they apprehend that their exist ence depends upon the existence of the Representative (lover nment, and the taus on whieh they are based. It adds. that they condemn the conduct of the Ministry. who only seek to draw from the public monrnlng the means of favouring their own ambitious views or pri. rate interest, and of establishing a dietartitre upon the ruins of the national institutions." But for the disaster which has befallen the Royal Family of France, we doubt not their jour nals would have been full of conjectures on Spa nish affairs. Their columns are now Iliad with what more nearly concerns them. Party nine very high indeed; and which is calculated to be followed by measures pregnant with events. Although the Ultra Replies are not strong in themselves; yet their principles are likely to be adopted by the Government, even to the bawd jof another revolution. The HaLeas Carrie is to be sespended--evapeeted persons. of come, are to be imprisoned without knowing when they are to be tried. The extension of the time of the ChamH ben' sitting—snd the narrowing the bastion which DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. lad% Keogh !II I/Mottos& I. lbo. 140. pa. Old Au:today. 1114 EL Rills, !J. Is. IP& his. Ditto Com. °minium Con. for Ae. OM} Lott. Tletetts CI t btattihttatt. " THE BRITISH STATESMAN" IS ISCORPO AAAAA WITH " THE /tATtfMAS. •• the elections are to be carntd on —k fait tit Constitutional Charter is to be pia ie sh,,S tto because an assassination has been conimittei: tat although the perpetrator declares that be h id It ther abettor for accomplice, yet are tb e sho : measures justified by, and grounded on th e gar ; Lion or declaration of a concerted plan of e r n ,. nating the dynasty of the Bot:boNt. It b avail that Lourel affirms, that he has motetno st ,, the act for Are years back—it is charr e d sme : theless, upon repent opinions; and Om it ,. CaeEs is accused as having, by his modem s:4li ' wards the Liberals, provoked it. There was a strong report 3 - esterdsy, nay at e said, that intelligence had been brought to ott the Public Offices, that the assassin Loc eet committed suicide, and it was added, by po i ,. The difficulty of effecting his self-destruction us in a moment, guarded as he is by sentinels,. have him continually in their view, and am enie . 4 , as he is by the camisole, which is a sp ees , strait-waistcoat and *trait every thing. H e put nothing to his mouth but by the 'pen a l s . tendance of those about him : we may tberee. s , upon mature reflection, conclude that it I N , groundless report.—From what we have coteri e s of the character of this man, we cannot milt N I . suede ourselves that he has any motive toe tee . minating his existence a few days or a few w ee }, sooner than the prescribed period of it by th e in Mr. TIERNEY effected, last night, r i m y gravity, and partly by pleasantry, a very am* though not a very important object, with 6 CIIANCELLO3 of the EXCHEQUER, a Geotkinee that solid and sturdy ecrnposition, who, like s *, built in his original country, is not espy. pg about"—it was, in forcing him, with someak e . tance, however, to change Lord CAtinotteee i expression of " a high persorage" to " thele k ee —end why not call persons and peratrola their proffer names, styles, or titles. We indeed, some doubt of the propriety sf ed if Lord SIDMOUTH the Doctor; because weal* that all he ever did towards restoring thesee e t his diseased country has turned out, sive me It is guessed that the Queen may arrive ill* land about the Ist or 'id of May, thouglimi timation has been received in Lando* is its effect. It is currently reported that the exidig Pa went will terminate its labours mach estfurtka has hitherto been expected. The dirsolisisadts said, will take place on Friday or Satavdaysest fisilit: A noimeroi.s and very respectable hotly Om tlemen met this day at one o'clock, at ids.* Tavern, to adopt measures tor set-twist dawdle. ties et oae of the worthy Repesseotains et city, Mr. Alderman Thorp. A string of were proposed for this purpose and larrW Dor mously. The worthy Alderman was toodly cheers by all present on his entering the tom. Pis the activity of his friends, there is every rem r believe that his success is certain. It is not surprising that some timid Eighine ple, residing in or near Paris at the timed* assassination, should have resolved to quit fent altogether. As fnr ns the alarm has had sec will prevent such persons from the future mere of want of patriotism, in spending their ows try's money in a foreign land, upon the soul economi►ing their means; when, perbsp, tis have lent themselves or their countenance to very measures of the British Governmeet e have driven them to the expedient of u A lady, who has just retnrned home kw (the village near Paris where Dr. Frak . sided), affirms, that placards were stuck op the walls, with the phrase "Alfas lee Terris APv N.-A wag inquired of a gestleinsa,by way of twitting him for having left his as" the moment of distress, from parsimonious ulna why he carried his money out of &wised Os. it in a distant land I It was dew, be replied,lit . with the view of making it go further. It is said that the Count de (area had of si ttltl7 kw tone of voice to the assassin of tM re Berri in his first examination, and that bad replied in the same tone to the Minillr, need the words " Je yowl le Jure" loud ea. be heard by all present. The Duke de • explains this circumstance by stating, that b suggested to M. de Cazes to inquire,in a Isx of the assassin if the poignard was poisoned. circumstance may hnve find its rise in the Lion made by the dying Duke de Berri, on a Penal gentleman being desired to such lbe from the wound, in order to prevent its lion and coagulation in a vital part of the den It is stated in the Boston Evening Gatti" the total number of deaths in town from the PS 1818, to mu, agreeably to the record kept stilt office, was 1070 ; 113 of whirls died in the u 1 Septeniher-174 of constimplon, 109 trplies old age, 147 infantile disease', SP still bum, St sit Dant fever, 1 yellow fever, and 19.2 of distorts.. The trial of Lea and Harmer, against when! bills have been fotiod by the Grand MY dh . ` diesel for an alleged conspiracy to defame tbe of a certain liable Duke, has been reesseul SO j Middlesex Sessions into the King's lisete. ll " come on in the sittings after next l'erni. 711 in question appeared in the papers lat ely. atb l head " blysterions Affairs in High Lite; is uw"' Harmer was professionally cog-aged. Mr. Long Wellesley, though he stet* r Wilts, declares he sill not repeat the or hire mum in a contest, by which he WOO to smerillee the future prospects of his t.' resources from his tenantry. The cranberry has been sn wok extensively by a gentleman et chasms. It is helieved that they y41v14 wt. crop. .., I I - --