The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1826-10-30 00:00:00

GERMAN PAPERS. VtENVIA. REIPT. IC. The Austrian Observer contains the following account of the late engagement between the Greeks and the Turks a-- CONSTANTINOPLE, &CPT. 29. Several Tartars.who arrived here on the 23.1, brought a confirma tion of the news already received from Smyroa of an engagement, (0 the 9th, 10th, and 11th. between a division of the Constantinopl tieg, under the c•onmand of the Patronn Bey, and the Greek squadron, under Minutia and Sachtury, near Mitylene, In which the Greeks were defeated. Then Tartars were despatched by the Capitan Pacha from Phoksa (on the Asiatic coast, at the entrance of the Gulf of Smyrna), where the Admiral has been ever since the 4th instant, to repair his ship.. The Greeks lost but three fire ships, which burnt withont effect, a three-masted ship, which sunk, and had six brigs much damaged. They sent these, with part of their squadron, to N'athi, in Samos, retreated to Ipsara, and have since only had a few vessels crui•ing between that island and the Golf of Smyrna. Of the first division of the fleet of Constantinople, there are constantly six in the Gulf of Lepanto, and 19 In the port of Navarino, a few of which sometimes cruise as far as the coast of Mains. The first six, commanded br Sali Bey, are at the disposal of Redechid 'lochs and the other 19, under the Capitan Bey, at the disposal of Ibr ahim Pacha. According to the latent accounts from Alexandria, of the 25th August. the Egyptian fleet arc still at anchor there, and it was doubted, as the equinox was approaching, whether it could put to sea before the middle of October. Ibrahim Paella. by the latest accotants, had will preceded to the South, against Maine, and is said to have advanced, at the let. ter end of August, as far as filarathonsol. ills chief force acme to he collected between 31istra and 'Melees's. Bcdschid Pacha, after the victory at Athens on the 20th Augtott, had advanced to the D.:rvenochorbt (villages in the defiles), and en camped near itlegara. while Omer Paella continued the siege of the Atropoli.. %%EN OCT. 16.—Metalliques, 90i Bank Shares, 1.077. .1' en Zeitang, Oct. 21. TURKEY. [EXTRACT OF A PRIVATE LETTER.] COUSTANTINOPLE.SEPT. 11. Don't allow your fens to get the better of your good sense; we (the English) are under the care of a mast efficient Minister, Mr. Canning; and though he may have been compelled to tee strong language to this Government regarding Greece, and other matters, yet I ant well assured all will go well ; and English di / oat:They will, I trust, make the Turks aware of their own duty towards England in particular, and Christians In general. The Turks require frequently to have their eyes opened to their duty and inferiority; and Etteland and Russia are row giving them a geod schooling, which they must, however reluctantly, submit to Ili:edit. It is eappneed the conferences at A kermann will terminate eivisfactorily to the Russians. Tl:ueugh the conduct of the Greeks is not so persevering and enterprising as one could wish, yet I trust, by one means or other, their cause will not fell to the grourd. I dor't think the spitan Pacha will be able to do any thing against Samos. Before titian...miles you the papers may have given you some atreeurn of the &fatted conflagration which took place here on the 31st alt. and Ist inst. To how many dread cata strophe% is this devoted cone exposed! Nl'llen lat titres reflect on what its inhabitants undergo, I cannot but say in my mind, Why is their fate an mach harder than my own ?" I allude mere particularly, theugh not exclusively, to the Christian papule tioa ; yet, in this country. peoele Lear up against misfortune with a fortitude thct is quite astonishing. But this is the character of a Mussohnan ; and it is from their example that Christians and others have acquired somewhat of the sane philosophy. The misery produced by a visitation like the one I have Just wit r.tosol, as well as by the events of the late overthrow of the Janis reries, must undoubtedly be very great, and yet it strikes me so much is not suTered in the aggregate as by the starring operatives in a large manufacturing town like 3linchester, the absolute if life are so much cheaper here. The value of a penny will boy a pound of common bread, and a few genres, or dateo or onion*, or a little cheer, to season it ; and fur drink, a draught of UAW is all a man in this country looks far. Grapes now sell for about I}el. for 21b. 4.5 t :s ; a good teeter melon Id. or lid.; muek metro, Id. or besides the reasonableness of the price of food, no Turk will ranee coy poor man a enossel s u j asks for it at tOs kitchen; Pnul In the kitchens of the rich, lsagb quantities of feed are daily preoarod for the relief 44 the eliaertmode— Then airewoma what tffee - tidieg pants in the character of a alusaulman; but diver. The tire first appeared about half-past seven in the morteng of the Slat ult., the wired being fresh at north-east. I must refer you to the pm:or:yea* to find out the spot of its commeneement. which was in a baker's: shop (that is, a baker of a small hoop-shaped cake, much eaten here). The site of the shop was • little to the tight of the Porte, which in plate 1 is No. 5, and also a little nearer to the water's edge. You will observe that the wind would blow directly on the hill. When I first saw the lire, a little after nine, it was burning with great fury, and a large space was fast consuming. Though I conceived it was a dangerous lite, yet I was by . no means prepared to see the dreadful destruction it had caused: us most rapid progress was up the bill between II and 12 o'cleck. The pillar, or potphyry column, of Constantine, No. 7, as well as the mosque of Oemond, No. 8, were surrounded by the Aimee; the tops of three of the minarets of the latter soon took fire. At this time, all command of the destructive element seemed lost, and it raged with a fury indescribable to those who have never witneseed such a spectacle. On the other side, its course was towards the Seraglio wall, and it consumed every thing before it up to the wall. leaving oGly a little corner above the Green Kiosk, No. 2, whilst towards the Porte it reached the sea wall, and in one instar.ce get over and destroyed an amber (Government werehouse). The direction it tow took was skirting the wall of the Seraglio ; at one time, when looking on, I thought one of the cyprees-trocs had caught fire Inside the gardens of the Seraglio; the fire was completely under them, and only kept out b y the wall. It climbed up the lath and passed to the other side; its ravages soutd now only be traced by us from the vast volumes of smoke which mingled with the clouds shove, or an occasional glare of flame about the centre; howevet, the whole side of the hill towards us was one mass of fire; and as the smoke blew oft* we perceived the immense range of buildings, the ‘'izier's Palace, or what is brown by the name of the Porte, No. 5, to have caught fire, and a very few hours reduced that enormous pile to a heap of ashes. Nothing now stood before the flume; and the whole space of ground (ahem half a mile) front the Seraglio wall on the cast, the ewer on die mouth, and passing to the west of the mosque of Achruet, No. 4. was completely devastated. I lave now described the work of destruction which came under err own observation, being on this side of the hill ; the brow of which having crossed the fire, it continued he course forwards for .bout the saute width till it burnt out in the sea of Marmora. hav ing lid waste, in space, at least ace twelfth the city ; and this cutest. eontairs nearly all the konnks and palaces of the Ministers M Mate and wealthy men, of which ninety were burnt, besides ferry-one stone khans Gorge buildings contaloing shops and ware bosoms). One uf them, Vialr Khan. contained two hundred odues (suites of coontirg-houses and warehouses); only two out of the ' , We =aped. and an immense quantity of valuables were lost in Mese and other similar buildings ; they had been considered fire. purl, and much property had been curled to them so places 01 tine". Many of the khans had settle slight wooden coffee-houses to tleir open courts in the return. and some of the rooms had wooden floors: though all were provided with iron doors and shut ters, as is universally tl:e case with magazipes for goods in tit's country, the centignous fire made them red hot, and the flames conmuoicated to the buildings. The enormous pile of Rouyak Yeti Khan, N 0.9. was skirted at its upper end by the tire, but rot inured. Besides all this, several thousand shops apart are de "TnYell, and the entire number of selwelling.houees is estimated tram melee to twenty-five thousand ! Knowing that exaggermion eenually gives toe large an estitnate, I should place the number even lower titan the lowest, and call it ten thousand, about the stee number that was burnt at Tophana, about three years ago ; but, in mint of amount, this fire is emit:need to have deotroyed ten ernes the value that was destroyed by the fire in Tophane. The inaliklirgs of the Porte, though of wood, are of such gigan. tie dimensiore that they must have cost some ntiliiors of piastres. Dolt:mit qt:ite a national ore, sod will, doubtless, hum the nutn hez of dealers who have suffered, have a considerable effect on trade; some European merchants may evermally surer by failures, in consequence of the fire, but it will have little or no eflect on the English trade, out dealers having eeraped with a very trifling loss, tast of their shop., they having luckily got their contents of mane ticlorn elti; I Allude to the English generally. who may thus be oinsidered very fortunate. To add to all this affliction, the lost of Lfe has been vey 7trat. In Vizier Khan, fifty unfortunate beings tuielitd! and a greater number of white awl black slaves in the slue market, amt , :ghat whom the Flamm Ited alien ty committed tireadfaltavamo, betides many others in differeet piano; thus have really 200 of our fellow-creatures been cut off in this epenlling manner. To name a sum as the total of the loss wobld be to hazel d ice opinfoo on very vague ground.. I have heard ten millions oraling nomad, but that is beyond bound ; ore ounrter of that sum ;Hay be nearer correct. and one-third perhaps yet nearer; but 1 Uwe rot give it as at all a sure tolculatlon; it is possible, indeed. amount to murk none, but I should think It could not exceed hoe million notoot. sterling.—an er,ormous SUM ! The fire burned hnure, till non of toe Ist ; during the night, the spectacle was ireelly grind in the extreme ; but when It was burning with its mated Nev. it was on the opposite side of the hill to us, and the entrodiate fire thus partly bidden, but the whole Heavens above +Kw:wed as it were is mass of flame ; the smoke was also of *ruddy hue ; you may fern* to ynur imagination such a sight, hut I can. ret descrifte it. The standard of the Fai•h was removed from the le.raglio to its former place of 'comity, within the Scogelio, having hen exposed within it. walls on the day preceding the bre, at which iet.e the encampment broke up." • The genthensn to whom the letter is addressed Ins a prima view of Coastantir.ollei MARINE INSURANCE. The exposition which has taken place as to the Warn of the Saint Patrick's Assurance Company forms matter of deep import, not only to that part of the commercial world immediately connected with the shipping intereit, but through them to others, as regards the honour, character, sod stability, which attach in the eyes of foreigners to England, as a commercial nation. During the period of a war, unparralleled in history for its duration, most ably was commerce benefitted, protected, and extended, by the operations of those wealthy individuals, known under the appellation of the Underwriters of Lloyd's. There is scarcely a port on the globe, or an inhabitant of a civilized nation engaged in trade, that does not owe something to the honour and integrity of those who, in the possession of princely fortunes, came forward to afford protection to foreign and domestic commerce, by marine insurance; and which, from the circumstances of the times, was carried to an extent that defies a similitude of example in the history of the world. Such was the situation of commerce as connected with Marine Insurance for a long series of years, and until the return of peace, when amidst the feverish excitation which existed for the employment of capital—the neagurY =P r ' asiquence of a-Superabundance of money, and limited means for its employment --Companies out of number were formed, and amongst them several for effecting Marine Insurance. The progress, however, which has marked their career, has heen any thing but satisfactory, and the result of the St. Patrick's, selected for an example, gives a striking illustra. tion of the fact, that Marine Insurance cannot be carried on by Companies, either with advantage to the merchant or profit to the Shareholder. In the case of the Company under immediate consider ation, which in its constitution and regulation differs im materially from others projected for the same purpose, the fact has been that a large portion of business has been done with a very limited capital, under the delusion of a nominal investment. That the business in London and other places has necessarily been delegated to agents, (these agents, of course, doing as much business as they possibly could, but without, as it would appear, a proper discretion as to the nature of it,) and the Directors having failed in the proper discharge of their duties, the whole concern has been subjected to deserved and well-merited obloquy. Such a state of things has naturally produced irritation and distrust between these invested with the management and the body of Shareholders, and reference has been had on both sides to Counsel, which may be embodied in two points—the liability of the Directors for the defalcation arising from mismanagement on the one hand, and the question of individual responsibility as regards any and every claim that may be made on the Company on the other. On the cast: submitted to Counsel by the Directors, they have obtained an epHon that they are not liable to the Shareholders on the ground of mismanagement ; while on that submittrd on the part of the Shareholders the pro- • position is as clearly affirmed that they are, but that it can only he enforced in a Court of Equity. On the question of individual responsibility :he opinion appears unanimous that each and every individual Shareholder is liable in his own pet sonal property for one and all of the debts claimable, and to be claimed, for one and every transaction entered into by the Company, and of course that the sale of the shares will not disrobe the Shareholder of thltst with which he clothed himself in that capacity. being the pressen situation of the Company, wit! bows chits. to a large amount, the Directors have made a call of 21. los. per share, which sum, should the call be obeyed, will about meet these liabilities. But this appears a matter of considerable doubt ; for it is appre. herubd that many of the Shareholders are persons in si- ' tuations of life that will preclude them from making fur- ther payments ; and it also is upon record, that a consi derable number of shares remain unappropriated. These circumstances of course only tend to add to the weight of responsibility which attaches to the more wealthy Share holder, as he will clearly be liable to be sued to any amount not exceeding the nominal capital of the Company. The consequence of this state of things is, that the claims made' on the Company are not satisfied; and should it become necessary to seek assistance from a Court of Equity on the' part of the Shareholders against the Directors, the period at' which they may be is a matter altogether too problema tical to be decided here. Such is the result of the proceedings of the St. Patrick's Assurance Company up to the present period,. and which . displays a decided case made out against the principle of Marine Insurance being intrusted to Companies. It is true there appears to have been something wrong in the appointment of the agents ; hut still that is a circumstance to which any and every Company would be snore or less liable. It is on record that there are other Companies of the same description which are labouring, to a certain ese tent, under similar difficulties, and not one of them can be said to be in a prosperous situation. If such is the general state of things, can this important branch of commercial policy too sued . ' revert back into that individuality of action which marked its source during so long and brilliant a period ? Is it possible that there can be a stronger case made out in favour of it than is exemplified in the honourable in tegrity which distinguished " Lloyd's" (luring a period of upwards of twenty years, when England maintained the maritime sovereignty of the world ? In the case of indi vidual insurance, the chances of a fair and honourable claim being disputed arc few indeed ; but in that of a Company they may have to be prosecuted both in law and in equity, at a delay that may extend to the usual sum of human existence, and at an expense, the extent of which it would puzzle arithmetical ingenuity to ascertain. Per haps, the profession of underwriting displays fewer in stances of Whale, or bankruptcy, than any other, prin cipally from the circumstance that those generally emi nent names that conduct it are also to be found in other departments of commerce. !lane!' is the care, and the result of individual action has proved an honourable fea ture in the commercial history of the country, must that tot be miss/tiered • wild infatuation (alone worthy of the period that gave it birth) which would attempt to divert it into another channel To capitalists like the underwriters at Lloyd's, acting in their individual capacity, and resting upon their individual responsibility alone, can marine in surance he safely intrusted; with them it has flourish ed through their means; the public commerce has been protected, and private property secured. In the hands of such nien, this branch of commerce is safe; in the bands of Companies it is at least doubtful, as is fully exemplified in the case cited. Then to those who have protected commerce triumphantly through a long series of losses, both by the battle and the breeze, let it be in common jus tice and in cirmnon honesty confided. Z. Cor.N LAWS....--A requisition to the Worshipful the Mayor, praying him to call a meeting of the inhabitants of Liverpool, to take into consideration the propriety of peti tioning the Legislature for a repeal or modification of the Corn Laws, was lying for signature yesterday, and it has already received a great number of respectable natnes. We hear that it is intended to present it huinediately.—Lieer pod Chronicle. NA lIN.—At a meeting of the freeholders and heritors of the county of Nairn, on Tuesday the 17th current, Wil liam Mackintosh, Esq. of Geddes, in the Chair, it was re solved that the Right Hon. Lord Cawdor be requested to present a petition to the House of Lords, .and J. Stewart, Esq. of Carnousie, Esq. M.P. to the House of Commons, praying for a protecting duty on the importation of fo reign grain, for home consumption, and leaving it to the paternal care of Government to determine the amount of that duty, so as to afford a fair remuneration fur the home gee m.r• PRISE. GREET 801 "D 3. The following letter from Spaniolaeki, another of the Greek Derides, appeared IA the rime: of Saturday morning:— Sto,—ln sower so tholdeekvitions and amnions respecting me, in wild *aught proper to indulge ,in Ins speech to did lies* Beddliblide en the 23 inst.. I beg ydu would be se goalie Is glee a site la year raluablejournal to the follow. legl:et two 'knees ealbspeed by me, amongst miters, to the se which he wee a member : -- ,t September 27. " In, coo Sequence of yOtr resolution, taken on the sth inst., you have required separate accounts of Messrs. Orlando and Luriottis, and myself, respecting the application of the funds proceeding from the two leans contracted in Loudon in 1824 and 1/125. I have now the hrnour to acquaint you that such accounts can only be furnished to you hy Messrs. Orlando and Litriottis. who alone have bed the management of the funds. As tor me, I only arrived in England when they were nearly exhausted. The only sum of which I have had the exclusive charge was that of 14.0201., placed Sr my disppsal by a letter of credit from Messrs. Ricardo on Pans t and 1 beg to lay behare you the following particulars of its application." " October 8. " Mr. Smithson, Secretary to your Committee, has transmitted to me, at your desire, the copy of an account current to Messrs. Orlando and Lutiuttis with the Greek Government, relative to the loan of 1835, and delivered to you by Mr. [animas. I hasten to comply with your r quest, by making the following observations an its contester— ., "1. Mr. 1— riven to the Committee any copy at to the Greek Government, of shigpaker to • UAW. and which require to be looked riottis has not which were " 2. The sum of 7001, given up by Messrs. Ricardo out of their cmmission. has not been passed to the credit of the Go vernment, though the 14,00e1. bonds which the two Deputies have kept foe their own private account, have been palmed to its debt. "3. Of the 218,0001. bonds passed in the accounts of the two De• puttee as having been purchased, only the following ought to be placed to the debt of the Government. ra. : X 158,000 purchased by blears. Ricardo. 25.1100 purchased by 'Mr. Ra 14,000 kept by the two Deputies for their own account. £107,000 " ds'tnihe retraining 21.0001, the real value of which amount* to 11 ,2801. they ought not in any manner to be char ptl to the Greek Government, 13,0001. of them having been withdrawn and pall by. Messrs. Ricardo, in virtue of a private order cif Mr. Lo ri( tt6, and the remaining 8,0001. having, most likely, been disposed of in a similar manner by Mr. Ralli. " 4. The sum of 4.8001., passed as having been paid to Sir. Bonn!, so brokerage on the loan of 11125, should be withdrawn from the debt of the Government, no brokerage having been paid. " These are my general observations; but in order to give you a clear and precise notion as to the dentils, I will, in the course of submitto-morrow, subt to you a brief sketch of the accounts of the two Deputies, and of these of Messrs. Ricardo, which will, I hope, not only enable you to judge of the corn c.ness of my rirnarks, but likewi , e enable you . o determine the sum of which Messrs. Orlando and Luriou s are debtors to the Greek Govemnlent." I now put it to the Greek Bondholders, whether I have appeared at all unwilling to lomat) the Committee with any information re specting the matters of their investigation ; and I do declare to them my belief, that without the objections conveyed by my infor mation, the Giemmittee would have discovered nothing to object to. It appears to flue that the time lost is the invention of vague and misapplied accusations might have been advantageously employed in using exertions to save some remnants of the wteck which has defeated so many fair prospects. it might have been better em ployed in inveitigstang :he mysterious affair of the twenty-one thou. sand bonds passed by the two Deputies to the debt of the Govern ment, as bought at ill. at a time when they were only valued at ; in requiring of Dlr. latriottis and Mr ilocfl explanathms re lative to the strange transactiln of the 4,lltiet. pn,sed in the account of the Deputim as paid for brokerage, and which sum was after. wards demialiasted a /ore in speculations on the funds ; in deter mining the debt of the Deputies. Dime.. Orlando and buriottis, and insisting on its being immediately applied to the urgent W. gencies of Greece ; in endeavouring to account for and explain the striking contradiction which is manifest in the Report of the Committee, where the two Deputies are mad; to appear debtors to the Government in the !AIM of 2thtiOol. ; and where, further on, Ur. Luriottis (representing also the absent filr. Orlando) is made to appear the credttor of the Government for 3,U ;U/. These, Sir, are points which ought to 'havis s oecupied the attention of the act mg members of the Committee, and whicii, to my infinite sue. prise, were altpott completely overlooked at the general meeting of ; he _ With regard to the choice made of the persons who are directed to auditslie ace eta of the two Deputies. altd whit li does not happen to b.arPWlleti of by Mr. Robertson, hshall tale leave to state thm. the Greek Otawmwasent Ins had better • means of being acquaint! ailkhlarose matters tlt *hat acolloolan could have acquired In the space of two months. M. Ricardo, and myself, have not been charged with the investigkion of our own accounts ; these have beetirecelved and examined six months ago, and have nit been withheld by me from the comm!. tee ; but we arc instructed to audit the accounts of 11r. Orlando and Jlr. Lutiottis, which shall be done so soon Is the last-mentioned gentleman thinks proper to give th:m. In spite of al! that has been hitherto said and written on the subject of the management of the loans, and on the mismanage ment of Greek affairs In London, the public still remain in the dark as to the real authors of the many evils that have till now re sulted therefrom.. Many of the most devoted friends to the cause have been accused and attacked, though they have either nothing or title to answer for. Some of them did, from excess of zeal, re commend and urge an enterprise which has not succeeded; but could they have been required to stand responsible for its success ? Could they have beers expected to take upon themselves the details of its execution ? Errors have been committed, but their conse quences are cnly imputable to those whose duty it was, and who had the power, to watch with vigilance, for the purpose cf . pre venting evil ; and who should have sought a remedy with energy and decision, and not have lost their time in useless complaints and tardy and suppliant representations. Tlitte gentlemen find it row very convenient in throw blame on every one, except on their own weakness. The plan of recrimination Which has been for some time pursued may, indeed, succeed in taking away public attention from various important points, but truth will not always remain concealed. To myself I must confess it is most painful that the noble and disinterested zeal and devotion Elamite of the best friends of Greece should be paid with ill-founded accusations and mis taken inculpations t 1 trust, however, in the generosity of their own sentiments, when I express my hone that their exertions will not thereby be lessened in a cause which they have till now be friended. Greece stands in need of friends, and for tbis reason it would be well that the system of indiscriminate eccusation should, for once, cease. If nn good can be done tor her, at least I beseech the British public not to suffer her to experience evil by a total renun. elation of good-will towards my unfortunate country, and by thus provoking a complete desertion of her generous friends, if faults have been committed by any of the latter, they should not be con. sidered as detrimental to the praiseworthiness of their authors, when it is evidct:t that the best intentions directed their proceedings. If they are convicted of having given ilkiudged advice, it should also be known that the a hest counsels giv,en by them have but too often remained unheeded and neglcted. I have the honour to he, Sir, Your most obedient servant, C. SI'AMOLACKI. _ - . ... Panton-street, Leieciter.square. . -. ..—.... NORTH AND SOUTH AMPH 'AN COFFEE-HOUSE OCT. 23. Sinaapore Papers have been received of the lltiidNiay; the following is an extract : . The supplies of Opium hava beep vcr7 trillitiand prim have o been plaint 'fled. A few chests of Patna hare en sold at WOO Mhos, •souta illalsa at PM to MO dolts.. Ti s stock in the tint sis now ery small. . s The i • • produce Isarebeen retrilmited for some time past ; eppers the arrivals are unusually small, and prices are rather higher, 7A dollars having been paid: Sugar is held, at 71 to to 7.1 dollars. Tin sells at 211 to 21A dollars. Several parcels of Spence have arrived, whirls are offered at 10 Sollani: The Seorpion and Cornwallis have sailed for London. The Sir Godfrey Webster and Fortitude aye both loading, and will take Olen. departure shortly for the sums A entioation. ........twes.e , _.....esi•eutt_. Extract of a letter dated Buenos Ayres, 4th August, 1826:—" On the Ist instant, our little Mosquito fleet, consisting of six vessels, had an engagement with the Brazilian squadron, consisting of twenty-three vessels, under the command of Norton, in sight of the town, for six hours, and although the disparity of the force was so great, still the Brazilians obtained no advantage whatever, and had old Brown been properly supported by his own commanders, he would have made some prizes to a cer tainty. His own vessel was attacked by Norton, in the Mahoya, of thirty-six guns, another of the same size, and three corvettes, and not one vessel dared lay himself along side of Brown, but kept pouring in their grape-shot with out intermission for upwards of three hours, untiljklast Brown's ship w as + mu l cte d so unmanageable, by Riving her rigging and sails cut away, that the old man was obliged to hoist his flag on board one of the brigs, nod stood to windward with the remainder of the fleet, to draw off the large vessels from theihipin which he succeeded. He had the satisfaction of disgusting three vessels, a corvette, brig, and schooner. Itls own lots was only seventeen killed and about thirty Wounded in the whole fleet. The Brazilians must have equally as many, if not more. Four teen days ago a number of young Englishmen got up an English play here, the Mountaineers, for the benefit of th e wounded, that did them so much cre dit that several of the most respectable people have requested its being repeated. •„_ Punric MEETING OF THE 'WORKING CLASSES AT MANCHESTSR, ON THE CORN LAWS, TAXATION, &c. On 'Thursday evening last, pursuant to advertisement, a PO:lie Meeting took pine In the Manor Court Room, in fligh.stree, of the Working Classes and others of this town, " To consider the propriety of petithming'Parliament, for a total and immediate Re. peal of the Corn Laws—for a prompt and very great reduetien of the present enormluts amount of Taxation—and for such a Reform in the Commons' 'louse of Parliament as will secure to the peope a proper and constitutional control over its Members, especially as regards the managementof the public money, and to prevent a re., currence of that bankruptcy and ruin which are now devastating the country, and which threaten to reduce Fmetend--our once free and happy England —to the condition of the poorest and must despotic country in Europe." The Chair was annotinced to be taken et lialf-past seven o'clock. but long before that time the avenues leading to the Courtroom were filled whh a dense multittide of the labouring arises, and when the doors were opened, the rush was like the breaking of some river from its embankment. The room was tilled almost in an instant, and hundred., enable to effect an entrance, crowded upon the stairs, and at theouter door. The time arriving at which the Chair should have been taken, and the ineetirg manifesting some impatience. Ur. Honed xs—* , the man in the fustian jacket"—get upon the platform, and neid, that owing to certain circumstances the business of the meeting could not commewce for live or six minutes. " I hope, therefore," said he, " you'll wait patiently, and then we'll get on rapidly, you'll see." (Applause.) Ina few minutes afterwards he propoied to the meeting that Mr. Eddie should take the chair. " Is he a working mea l and a townsman ?" cried out an indivi dual in the doted. " Ay," said another, " he is ; and he ' s. a good rm." Mr. EDDIE was then voted to the Chair, which on taking, he said._" Gentlemen, you'll excuse me. I feel that lam incompe tent to fulfil the office in which your favour has placed me. flow. ever, I . am herr, and I'll do my best; no man can do more." (Applause.) He then with a loud and dear voice read the adver tisement which had convened the meeting, and said ee" Gentlemen, a string of liesoluions, founded on this advertisement, will be submitted by others who are to come after me, for your approval or rejection. If any gentleman who hears them read, and wishes either to make an objection to them, or to amend them, let him come forward to the hustings, like a man, and then and there state his objection ; and not disturb the meeting by calling nut, • I ob. ject to that motion,' and so on, followed by another ; then there may come cries of silence,' until the harmony of the flleetingbe. come completely disturbed. I hope, too, that in a ny observations that may be made, all offensive expressions may be avoided, and that no one will indulge in anything personal, or tending to the in. jury of azwther's reputation, but that every thing w.II be conducted manfully, peaceably, and orderly (Cries of Bravo); and that those who act to the contrary may be turned out of the room ; and I hope they who come to disturb the Meeting may he sent back to their employers with a message, that we can do without them.' (Great applause.) I shall now leave the business of the Meeting to those who ate better able to address you." A person in the crowd here begged that he might be allowed to make a few observations before any resolution was propoeed. (Cries of " Turn him out," and " Come forward.") The cry ef " Come forward" prevailing, the man mounted the platform. On being asked his name, he said it was Clark. Mr. CLARK then said, I don't rise for the purpose of opposing the motives that brought you here, for callous and cold must he be who would not raise his voice against the execrable Corn Laws (great applause), laws which disgrace the statute hook of this coon. try. It possible they are mere oppressive than the laws of D ra c o , which were so cruet that they were said to be written in blood.. There has been of late a great cry out about blasphemy, but those who raised the cry are more blasphemous than they upon when it was raised. God in his goodness has blessed earth with abundance, and bid us enjoy it, but the Corn Laws step between God and his creatures and say you shan't enjoy it.. Now I take this to be the foulest of blasphemy. (Applause.) I assure you lam anxious for the repeal of the Corti Laws, and that anxiety brought tie hither ; but I really don't think it meeting held in a room by candle light is calculated to gain your object. (Token, of dins probation, with cries of " Go on.") I mean that a meeting held at the open air, and in the open lice of day, would have a tar greater effect. It was here submitted that as them was no motion before the meeting the speaker was irregular. Mr. CLARK wits desired to submit a motion if he had one to sub. mit, but he declined doing no, and as he descended from the plat. form he said, " I'll not submit a motion to tiny meeting that is not held in ,tbe day time, in the . open air, and in such a plate as Pe terloo." _ Ms. Mutual' rose to propose the first Resolution. lam sorry, said he, that any interruption should have taken place, for I be. lieve we bare all met for one object, and that one cause has brought us here. With respect to the time and the place of meeting to which the last speaker objected, I have to observe that 1, like you, am one of the working classes. If the Meeting had been celled jp, the open day-light,. I, for one, could not have attended, because my day time is devoted to the service of my ear . Moyer, obi all of you have duties to perform la the day time, which to neglect for the purpose of attending any fleeting, would subject you and me to the appellation of bed sarvants.— Now our object is not to make bad servants, but to endeavour to redress those:gri. vances, occasioned by mis-government, that really tend to make bad servants, for how can man with empty bell es make good servants ? (Great applause, with cries of hear.) Tue propriety of the resolution I am about to move for your adoptior, nerds not the fofce of logic nor the strength at' argamcot to prats. The proposition it contains is self-evidentit brings convich n with it. The Gazette, for the last nine monilis, has proved the truth of it, and proclaimed to the whole world the precarious situ. anion of our manufacturers, many of whom, from affluent circum stances, have been brought almost to a level with their starring work-p.mle. An instance of this I can prove in the fate of one of my late employers, whose capital of 30.000 t. has been swept away through the direful effects of Corn Laws rind taxation. (Applause.) Need we, I say; need we, who contpose that useful class of society call. d " the labouring classes," suffer all the misery and privation hidi this resolution has pointed out ? Whr, there is pot a street, there is not a lane, there is not an alley, in the town of Manchester, that does not bear evidence of the truth of the resolution 1 have proposed. As I said before, it requires no force of logic is r strength of argument, to prove ir speaks for itself. When I looked over its lines, it reminded me of a certain philosopher and astrolo ger, who denied the existence of motion, and also of a person who took it into his head to convince him that such a thing did exist, by making a man rise up and walk before him, which simple circumstance convinced him that there was such a thing as mutton. Now the distress under which we labour is as clear a the sun at nom day, and those who deny it require as little to convince them of it, existence, as it requited to convince the Hos gopher and as raloger of the existence of motion. (Loud applause.) There is not an individual, from one caner of the empire to the other, but what is aware of it. llas not the King upon the throne subscribed his thousands towards its relief ? (Applause.) I have no doubt that many of you here are living proofs of the fact, and w hose empty stomachs bear leethoony to its truth. Jl any of you, I em certain, have not tasted the bread of life from the rising of the sun down to its setting this day. (Cries of It's true—it's true.") !lad it not been for the bounty of benevolent individuals, during the late trying times, many thousands of the working classes of Manchester would have been swept away by the ruthless hand of Famine into eternity. (Applause.) Have not many of the higher classes, though themselves undergoing daily losses, come forward with their twenties, fifties, and hundreds ; not to keep us from went—bat from the grave ? (Great appiause.) Our 'toff:rings have muds us politicians, and induced us to study political economy, in order that we might find out the real cause of them. The individuals to whom the remaining resolutions are committed, will point out the causes of our present suffering—for thipe is no effect ever takes place without a cause. Suffering will not only teach the labouring classes to be politicians and political economist:, but philosophers. lie then read the first resolution ' which, with the others that were passed at this meeting, will be found below. The resolution, being -put front the chide, was carried unanimously. Mr. Berm es said they were sgain :net to consider the old ones doss of the Cern Laws, the merits of which bad been frequently diseusaed, and which were now well known. What they wanted was cheaper bread, and they knew that they could no: have this without a repeal of the Corn Law", and a free importation of foreign grain. We could thea export to other countries out rnaaufactur.d goads, and import in exchange for them their corn . This we a r e denied in order to enrich the landholders, who, whih packetimf the moths of our labour, will state in our starving faces, and call us " poor devils." We should be " pour devils," indeed, if we allowed them to enjoy their monopoly without raising out votes against it. We have a host of strength arrayed against us, and against it all that we can do is by petitions and remonstrances. Hare we are, honest mechanics, met to petition for our rights ; all we want is the wages of our labour. The country has been kept from ruin 1,,r the lust forty years by the genius and industry of her mechanics. lie re collected seeing in a London Paper, during the late distress, an ad vertisement of a boxing match for the benefit of the starving ma nufacturing population of Manchester. A part of the mechanics, who for the last forty pears had kept this country from ruin, were to be benefited by people whom they would be asoamcd to be seen in company with in the public street ; they ought not to have need of such a benefit, nor should they if the mechanics came for ward, not its a altilly-slially way, but boldly, and sign pajama fur their rights. They might be told by some that their petitions pro. ducal no effect ; they were laid on the table—he might as wall say the she—or perhaps they , were cut up by the tailor to take the fashion of a new coat. It was an injury to an Englishman to throw out his petition . , but still he ought to persevere. Some would my, let thesystem alone, and,it will fall of itself; but unfortutimely it would fall . , as it did in France, amidst the horrors and bloodshed of the revolutitm. (Great applause and approbation.) Was there present any lather whmwithout feelings of ap probation .) contemplate such a fate for his children Be trusted not but that all present would calf for a repeil of bad laws to prevent such a result. Some would tell them to mind their work, and let the landowners mind metre ; this the working people must do, otherwise, to use a coca. mon phrase, their mouths must be sawed up. Others say, go to other countries, who would be glad to get you, and who s a y, " as the English will not take our corn in eachLige for their manufac. tures, therefore we mu-t manufacture for ourselves." The Corn Laws have been upheld thus:—My Lord so and so has three sons; he says, 1 would like, if I could, give each of my sons the income nuisiug from my hundred acres. I will raise any rents, and the Corn Bill will prtnect tiny tenants ; and if they quit the farms, others • Will take them. This as Whit the landholder kid, as the Wont created we gave him what be imbed for hie bead; but they twee now coming round under the instruction of Henry Hunt, our friend, whohee never deserted OR. (Greet applause.) He conies forward boldly\ and shows the farmer that they are hot benefited by the Corte Laws, and overturns the resolotama of thei r su7 , r n nters no has told them that the manufattbreta do het wish to take their living froth them : no wonder that they never before saw this, for they cotild not see beyond their noses. If the manufacturers and farmers came forward hand in hand, and successfully permed this tax on Weed, all others would follow; if they cut down this root, all the breathe* would fell t 00... • Mr. WmEELu thought any one might tee in the eountemmarg rf the met limier' of this country the effects of this bread tax. He reminded them of the Weei er . in which di% law was passed ; the military were to be men in almost every •dtmer, and the artillery.t men slept at their eannotui. He would sall if it was to be repes'ol in the same manner; or fetid they carmly.stand by and me tteie famishing children deprived of their bread ? Ile, et one time, bad understood, that when he had paid fora loaf it was his own; but he had now teemed that this was not the case. Ile, when hi France, *here they Could buy bread at a penny per pound, while here they have to wt y twopence, thought he might no well being some cheep bread with him. Knowing that they wo AI not allow him to bring more than one toe, he got oat hiked, an large, that it could scarcely be, got into the oven. He landed at Portsmouth, anti was making thchest of his way along the street with hi. loaf. when Mr. Motley, of the Excise, tapped him. and said, " Where got yen that bread ? That is not English bread ; it belongs to me • ' laugh) cud so he took it ; although (said Mr. Wheeler) I thnught I had the best right to it, for I paid the brass for it. Taking tbt bread tom under my arm was the next thing to taking the bread out 6f toy mouth. (A laugh.) This was in consequence of tbe In. finial Corn Laws. - Mr. HODotNs then presented himself, and was received Vide load and gefteratepplause. He mid he could not try If ft wee fortunate or unforternme that the motion he was to propose had been put into his hand. It was, however, on a abject that weeld cheer them all whenever he named it—taxation. (A laugh.) The working classes were in an awkwaid predicament. By one petty they were called en to petition. By another it wee argued that if they did not petition, it was it clear and densooetrative proof that they were quite satisfied with thirgs as they were; and a third port, held that it was sheer Impudence if they opens/ their mouths at ell. The latter wished to inculcate on them the doe• trine of passive obedience. and non-resistance; and if they did not choose to acknowledge the doctrine, they hero held as vile Radicals, and ought at once to be put down. Mr. Hodgins then read some extracts from the Manchester Herald. who might, he said, be called *e Field Marshal of the Corn Texas. Though this paper told them they could do nothing to alter the Opinion of the Ministry, who had already nude up their minds what to do, he could remind • him of emelt° , s on which they had made up their minds as positively, and yet had altered their intention's/hen the voice of the people was heerd. When a Bill of pains and penal. ties was brought against an oppressed, an injured, and brokers.. hearted female (great applause.). Lord Liverpool said, "be just, and fear not;" and yet the Noble Lord threw up the Bill. The people's voice was hear.d, and Eldon shed t ens; he would not call tfem crocodile tears, but team he shed (e laugh); and Castlereagh did one just act, aid we know• of no other just act of his but one, which was his last. That Bill was abandoned in consequence of the people's opposition to it. and its fate ought to give them en. couragment. (Applause.) Mr. Hodgins then proceeded to con. went on the iferald, who, bid ns he was, had, however, given the !herdic), one palpable hit; for if manufacturers were to be pro. tested by du i.s, why should not the landholders tie protected also? He was not for repealing the Corn Laws without hailing them a moticrine protecting duty. If we wish, said he, to secure our own rights we mum pay deference to the rights of others. Even their beat friend, William ( obbett, allowed the* if the taxes contiraetl to be demanded in full, and the Cloth Laws taken away, the land lords would get no rents. Taxation was the great evil. It was a general practice to draw off attention by a side wind, when the people we'e determined to gain a point; and when a remedy was prannse I, if nos fault could be found with it, fault would be found with him who proposed it. Should they reject a remedy suggested by Cobb tt be rinse he began his career try driving rooks from the corn del la ? Shield they reject a remedy suggested by Hunr, because he came to Manchester anti frightened one pawnbroker and one rfng rh eMl.baker into fits? (I:atwitter, and very great ap. placse) No! even if Lord Eldon himself were to suggest a re medy. it should be examined ott its own merits, without r:ferenee to the m n who braught it forward. In this respect he (Mr. linclg•nst was not lilt: 31r. Cobbelt. elm said that any body who looked at Lord John Russell would at once say, " I shall pit no regard millet he suggests." When starvation stared them in the face, they ought to listen to every one, and select that remedy which was most likely to remove or alleviate their distress. As illustrative of the evils of the present system, which threw wealth into great masses, Mr. Hadgins related, with affecting pathos. a story whith he had read of a poor weaver and his wife expiring of hunger. This story was told in the Manglester Gazette, anti close upon it was a par nymph descriptive of the grandeur of the Dithe of Devenshirel embassy to Russia. Was it posiible for any one, having the feel. into Pad a man, town from the scene, where two kind partners, who bad striven together through all the evils of life, and had sunk, elution!) starvation at last, into one grave, to the magnificence and the splendor of that embassy, and not be convinced that so much wealth, and so much poverty, existing together, indicate a bad system ? (Applause.) The people, in their distress, were also in sulted by the building of splendid palaces ; and while starvation was stalking round the land, Ministers were laying out two hun. dyed and fifty thousand pou nds in building houses for the King. (Cries of " Shame, shame. ') None, but Englishmen, having the sound of millions constantly in their ears, could believe that such an'enormous sum was to he laid out , in this way in the midst of ge. nerd distress. A great writer, sixty years ago, had said that the character of an Administration might be known by observing the condition of the people. If this was applied now, what would he the cmclusien ? The people must not be satisfied wth calling for a repeal of the Corn !JAWS, which caused but a part ot the min under which they groaned. They must call elso for a reduction of taxation• which had increased until it was unbearable. In the reign of Queen Anne, when England really was •• the envy anti admiration of surrounding nations," the taxes amounted to only five millions, and now they were more than eleven times five. Of this enormous amount, the greater pert were collected in an lat. rest way—in a way that people did not know how they were got, and it was this indirection that blinded them all. Beer was taxed to the amount of 3,200,8001. ; but the great folks who brewed their own escaped. 440,0001. was paid on candles—" Ay," said he, -' this very candle in my hind is taxed, and we pay for the ' light it gives us." 1,600,000/. was paid on printed calico), paid by their wives and daughters, who wore taxed gowns and 4,200.0001. was paid on ten. Thee stuns were all' gathered indirectly. A dealer buys five pounds' worth of tea, and pays 5 1 . more of tax; then comes his profit upon the tea, and . upon the tax, so that the poor woman, for her sixpence, gets no more than two pennyworth of tea. I wish, said he, that those who live on the taxes would come and collect them themselves. I should like to go and see them set about it. I should like to see them go in upon the old women when they are drinking their two pennyworth of tea, and say, " Come. give me fourpcnce." I should like to see hon th • fire.irons, and the pokers, and the stools, wculd then ' fly. Great laughter.) I should like to spare adoy from toy Picric, to go r and with the tax-cater. anti see hint receive his wages in the way he ought to receive them. (Applause.) Mi. Hodgins then commen.e.l, with much humour, on Mr. Canning's flail to Paris, which. he said, was not likely to produce any good, flw the Hour. bone, for whim lie had spent so much blood and treasure, had, in • spite of hh carried their usurpanon to the gates of altutrid, anti were not likely to make its any concessions (Hear, hear, anti loud applause.) Alluding to the system which in our own country 31r. Canning Ad t worked so well, he said that he also had seen it work well, but hors did it work pow ? While the paper money was afloat ell seemed prosper , ty—while they were borrowing and spend. ing all seemed prosperity t but the day of reckoning had co: - oe, an t i how was it now ? They borrowed. and there was great faith in the lender ; but it was a faith that would lead them to repentance. It was like the faith of John Taylor anti his wife. An old man, a man after Cobbett's own heart. who had boarded a few guineas, went to lire with his relations, who were very kind to him whilst the gold lasted. When it was none, ite found that he was no longet wticome. A reverend divine met him one day on the inad, and asked him. " Where are you plodding to, al man ?" " Why," said he, " I am goinn to 'where they dunna want me, anti I am come coin where they can do salt enough without me." " Indeed well, where are you goring?" "To the workhouse," said the old man, " And where do you come from ?" " From my relations, who hire found nut that my money is done." '• YOU are a enter fellow," said the divine; " what 'faith arc you of ?" " Why," said the old chat) " lam of the same faith as John Taylor and his wife." " The same faith as John Taylor and his wile what faith is that ?" " Why, Sir, you seen that they keep a shop, and I have run in their debt six or seven ;fronds, and they begin to think that 111 ne'er pay them, and 1 begin to think so too." (Great laughter.) Now, gentlemen, said Mr. llodgins, the Funds holders, I suspect, begin to think they'll ne'er be paid, anti I begin to think so too; (great applause) although 1 am of opinion that our bargain with them should he held as sacred as a bargain between any two individuals. Mr. Hodgins concluded by urging them to mend forward and petition, and give the Members of the New Par. )lament an opportunity of showing if they have any regard for the welfare of the country. Their enemies were already in the field, with Sir Thomas Lethbridge at their head, and they ought to make a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, and make the beam kick up, and pitch Sir Thomas and his troops on the other std:. ((treat applause.) rep 3 r l enn r. G t :NETT (of the Manchester Mercury) rose, and said a few words in defence of that paper, which had been somewhat mil.. It did not advocate an importation of Corn free ot duty, while duty was imposed on the importation of other coin. modities, but had said it would be but justice if a moderato duty was paid. DETROSIER Said- + ll `-' happiness anti --- - the • viduallY i 'flunky, it this country, maintenance churches ;- . , ..... qt. DETROSIER said, that the end of all Government was the oldness and comfort of the goverord. When it so far forgot purpose for which it was imutured as to set up an interest indi- malty its own, and different from that of the majority of the corn- mity, it was no longer worthy of support. The Government of s country, for many years past, had been in this state; they had erred for themselves sinecure places and pensions. Where should appeal against' those unjust acts? To the Government! it a they who thus shackled us, for the purpose of aggrandising unaelves and their friends. Aware of the power which superiti, n had over the minds of ener., the Government had faltered a arch established by law, to which it had greeted sums for it's tintenance greater than the income tii( all the other Christian arches in Europe; and through the medium of the legislative war it had so fat prevailed that it weadringerous form individual open his mouth against its usurpation. To misinanagethent **ziand oft,' her present diskreeo 1 nor would she Seer recover MI -ear ois , -