The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1824-02-20 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS PERSUASION OF PERSONS HOLDING OFFICES IN IRELAND. • Mr. GRATTAN said he would net detain the House long. His • ion was merely a continuation of that submitted to the liousea ) 1: nights since by a Noble Lord (Lord Althorp). It was known all, that :he Act of 1703 gave to all the Catholics a right to offices, with cotain specified exceptions. His object in making his motion was, to chew the House and the country how that Act operated. In his opinion, nothing contributed more powerfully to the disturbames of that country, than the exclusion of Catholics front the places and ollica to which they were by law eligible ; and the repeal of the penal code to-morrow would not tend more to the iran9uillity of Ireland, than the admission of Catholics to those s j. Coat ees which by law they were competent to filL He would move • for the retorts of the religious persuasions of persons filling the fol. •i 'swine, situatiors, or any of them : '1 Barristers—Commissioners of likokruptcies, Commissioners of • Inquiry into Fes of Courts of Justice. Barrotere—Taxing Officers of low Courts, Counsel to the ' r Crown for the Six Circuits during the Aiteises of 1813 and 1814. Barrieters--Commissionen of Customs, Excise, Collectors of • Stamp Duties. 4,,, Barrister , acting as Chief Magistrates recaiyhtg Salaries as Police , Magistrates in the City of I)nbltn. li a rristera—Commissioners of Appeals in Revenue Cattew-1 ; Crown Solicitors, Clerks of the Crown, Clerks of the Peace, Chief : Magistrates under the Insurrection and Constabulary Acts, Trus.' tees of the Linen hoard. (These consisted of 71 persons, and to I his own knowledge there was rot a Catholic am oogat them.] J. General laves:tors of Proms. Deverhock lltouty-Gorernors, and Directors of the Bank of Ireland. Scholars of Trinity College, Dublin. Commissioners for Distributing the Grants to the Lord Lieu tenant for the promotion of Education. Coineniesioners of the General Board of Health. (;ouituissioners of Inland Navigation, Auditors of Public Ac ccunts, of Customs and Excl.?, of Stamp Huth s. Commissiorere for l'aving and Lighting the City of Dublin, for erecting Fountains in ditto, fur preserving the Port of ditto, fur malting wide Streets in ditto. The motion being seconded by Lord A I,TH()R P, Mr. tH/CI.IIURN could not refrain from noticing the differ ence between the notice of motion, as it stoud upon the board, and that made by the Honourable Member. The Honourable Mem- l bee's motion, as he read it, wax for a return of the names and reli- ideas persuasions of nll persons connected with the general idled ! Monition of justice in Ireland; of those persons in the ieccipt and! management of the revenue, and in the general manufactures and , educatioo of Ireland. This was the motion of which the Member had given notice, and to his motiou he would refuse his concur rence. It was, as be thought, a serious matter to call upon any class of persona to make a return of the religious sentiments they professed; and as a proof that the House agreed with him in the senouimess of this consideration, they never called even fur a return showing the number of the people s without obtaining, by Act of Parliament, the consent of the other branches of the Legislature. jhls measure was resorted to in a question of mere nember ; but upon this occaeion, a bare no:ice of motion was deemed sufficient by the Honourable nleinber, for making an inquiry into, and re quiring a statement of, religions opinions. Ile would thertice object to the motion, because he did not think the Hoe• e possooed the inquisitorial power of examining into the faith of am persons. Ho would also object to it for another reason : the law hap thought proper to lay down a certain 'ad, to be taken by every individual previous to his taking office, and by his refusal to take that test, it might be known what his religious opinions were; but when wee that individual accepted office, the Government did not deem it expedient to make any farther inquiry. But, in the present case, the motion of the Honourable 31ember affected not only those per. sans who held places of emolument under the Crown, and who, if the motion were acceded to, would be subject not only to depriv *non but to penalty—but it also went the length of affecting those who held sititat,jons of mere honour, and accepted them through their anxiety to perform a public duty : fur the Member's original motion went to tic extent of calling upon the consciences of all those concerned in the administration of justice in Ireland. Mr. GRATTAN said he meant only Clerks of the Crown, and iliilar officers. Mr. OfftiLBITItN insisted that there was a test propmed pre vious to the admission into otti:o, and after the admission there was no power to make the inquiry; the measure called for by the BOIL Meniber would be at once inconsistent with justice and the . practice of Parliament. Ile would have no objection to a motion for the purpose of ascertaining if the persons in office had taken the testa proctibed by law; in this motion he would concur. For his part lie never wished to inquire into the religious senti ments of any man. As long at he was connected with Ireland, he lied acted upon a principle widely different ; and in appointing an individual to a situation in the Customs or Stamp Oilice, lie never - • asked if he were a Catholic or a Protestant ;he forehore to make rt tuquiries as to his religious opinions. In the exercise of Government petronage, he was influenced by the capacity and talent pcssoned Ay the individmil recommended, and by these consideration.. alone. It was not the wish of the Government to make itself popular by contributing to the vanity of either p arty, and raising the idol of the eft at the rapt-nee of that of the other. If the lion. Member per. seined in his moriors, he would oppose it, as he was sole it w mini oonfer no benefit, nor produce any of those effects which he ap peared to expect. lard ALTHORP said, when he ainsidered the peculiar manner Ie which the offices in Ireland were tilled, that in a country in which the Catheltes were PO rune MUM, and rot one of them ob tained a situation s he was compelled to admit that it could no: be d by chance; it hail all the appearance of design :it was utterly ambit that these persons should be thus studiously excluded, if It were not on the ;mond of their religion. As to th e argument used by the Right Hon. Secretary, that the House was called upon to eterelse an inquisitorial power not known to the Constitution, he would deny it ; there was nothing inquisitinial in the measure, fur through the entire of Ireland the religion of each person who ac cepted office was a matter of notiwi:ty : it was perfectly well known whether lie was a Catholic ur Protestant. The production of the Papers sought for was a matter of extreme importance. The differ ence in the consideration of the question was, that the cimunstanees alluded to were perfectly well known in I teland ; but they were not so in this country. The struggle here was fur situations which all were alike competent to fill ; in Ireland, the Catholics were eligi ble but to a few, and from these few, though competent by law. they were excluded by prejudice, and exchidod they would remain, whilst they were considered a degraded caste in their own country. He was na anxious to shew England the importance of the mca- 1 mire--to show how these ottices were filled, and how Ireland was over:led. Ile saw no difficulty whatever in the return ; there was nothing inqi.isitorial in the measure, and it was of vital importance ' to the state of Irelar.d. Mr. HORIIin'SE said that when the Act of 1793 was passed. ft was intended to give Ireland the advantage of opening certain situations to Catholics; but this Act had been most shamefully evaded, as he spoke on the authority of a gentleman an whom he mule) rely, that in nineteen out of twenty instances the holders of all die appointments therein-named were Prete/tents. Al r. Girl 'Lill 'RN.—That is not true. Ma 110111110 USE sterol, that so far from its not being true, sit lion. (entletion near him said that he might safely state it as CJ out of 31 ; and indeed Knottier Hon. Gentleman skid there was brume Catholic in any of the responsible situations named. With ropect to what had been said as to the indelicacy of inquiring into the religious peiecieles of persons holding offices, it was the ennstant practice, anti be did rot conceive there was any thing in. quiehorial in it. Every person in Ireland knew the religious per suasion of his neighbour ; and if it was not so, he was sure that no sine would object to arswer such a question. It had been urgent by the Hoe. Secretary fur Ireland that many of the situation, alluded to in the memos row called for were places of no emolument. bum :nerdy henorary ; and he therefere could not conceive in what shape the nwetoo would extend to them. Ile (Mr. liobhouse) thought dent if the people of Ireland were like the people of England, they would like to he put in places of honour, and such as would entitle thtm to be looked up to wit h respect. Such was the fasl., he con. in !wed, with the 71 trustees of the Linen Board; but the fact was, that the Irish Government Lad been acting on a system of exclu. sum, contrary to the wish,. of the Seven ign, which had been so cpenly enters', set! ; and the motive fa refusing the returns now ranee for MAP Cron' a disinclination to chew how far this system had ken carried. la the Art passed in 1783 there were 8 classes of ap pnintmer te to ei hichCat ht the barristers were eligible,rual there werel3 classes of , i t witions contiected with the whniteistration ofjustice which were also open to Catholics: from every one of these, lie would un dertake to say, the Catholics were wholly excluded. Ile (Mr. !lob- ISOUIC) W :.S tonvireced, that the reason assigned for not wishing to pry into the faith of persons holding appointments in Ireland, was not the true reason of objection to these returns; but the real fact was, that the lionourablenceretaor for Ireland, if he might express hiniself without giving oftener, did nut wish to sliew that the Act of 17:C was a mere farce and delusion. Ile had expressed himself thus far on this question, as he did nut think it possible for the Diglien 3lembers of that House to interfere too inquently in the debates on Ireland, to convince the people of that country that tinelishmen were nut wholly indanent to its interest. lie would *mime for Ireland, as for Yorkeiiire. or any integral part of this country. lie therefore trusted that the returns now called for wouki be produced. The CHANCEI.IAIR of the EXCIIEQUF.R could not ad mit that any substantial reasons had been givoi fur complying with thi. motion , and he thenifore should untie with his Honourable Friend, the Secretary for Ireland, in foisting it. Ile world state, in eau:lei:en ef %hat had been alga by the llonoorahhe Member for Wattnirso.7, that two appoimments had reeently taken place, and tn. Is.* ens:. the persons appoheed were !;atht;lion—Mr. WAIT,' N.V-(rtes Ceennissioner of Stamps, and .Ir .Trny, an Inspector of l'ustono. This fact lied conic to his knowledge accidentally, but it was ranient to chew that religious nolnionis had very little to do with :civil apeointments. as he Sc, sure that the Government never made these on, inionsa suhiect for inquiry. Mr. II; 'IIE was very hippy to hear of the instances alluded to by the Charicellor of the nchequer. as they were exceptions to tit- general rule, and chewed a detomination on the part of Mi nisters h ere to dissolve the junto that had ro long ruled Ireland ; hut he still thought that these returns were necessary , and he hoped . ihet the motion would be teamed, as he thought it indiepensitele de.: illy elaraid be laid on the table; anti if his friends should fail now, he would ietroduce she ss'ejcrt until it succeeded, as he felt con. rimed that the irritation of Ireland was kept up by attending to the intereete of :he few, wad nieriectieg those sif the many. The I "anatteit•ent of inland had hem serinstalous. and hemmed tiorlesely, tan the Greeks themselves with all the opproision that lied been l'ioiled on then,, had met suffered half so much as the Irisn had trOne their shameful ni;sruli.. 110 trusted that his 311,j:soy's nli i'j'''cl", would not preen the question to a division, but concede the PrZsluetion of the toper& Mr. AGAR ELIAS thotight that the papers were important, aid was motet-convinced than ever et the neoeouty of the returns, by , ' (to statement of the lion. the Secretary of Ireland, that he could • hh , s e y how many Cinhoiiess held these appointments. Mr. PEEI. rose to ulaierre, ilia* the lion. Alember for Montrose *as very unfortunate in attributing to the English Treasury the appointments of Mr. Mahon and Mr. Troy, as they had both been made by the Irish Government. If the Hon. Gentlemen opposite were desirous of showing, that partiality existed in those appoint ments, let them state their facts, and then they might be fairly met. He did not suppose that the question would be satisfied by shewing that there were more Protestants than f'atholies in OniCe in Ireland ; but let him produce an instance where a Cacho. lie and a Protestant were candidate.t for an office, and that an undue preference had been shewn to the l'rotestant : that would bring the question to an issue. Reference had been made to the Trustees of, the Linen Company ; now it happened, that the great linen inw nufactories were chiefly in the north of Ireland, where the majority of the people were Protestants, and therefore no argument could I be deduced, if it should turn out that ore of these seventy-four trustees was a Catholic : the Honourable Gentlemen might as well institute an inquiry into the reliMon of the gentlemen em ployed in the iron or any other trade. The lion. Gentleman con cluded by stating, that he should oppose the return now called for, for fear that the principle of such an inquisition might be ex tended, and also for the inconelusiyenehs of such a return, if made. fir JOHN NEWPORT thought the return of essential im portance, to phew that House and the Country how the Act of 1793 had been enforced, as he did not think it right that the peo ple of this country, or Ireland, should be hoodwinked by Acts of Parliament, which were never put in operation ; for the Catholics of Ireland were not in poaseouiun of any of the places named by that Act. The preamt Government deserved no credit for the two ap pointments that had been alluded to, for both of those Gentlemen had been brought into of by the Administration of 1006, (" No, i no," from the Chanceller of the Exchequer) an administration which professed and acted on a union of interests of Catholics and Protestants. On the whole, he contended that the Act of 1793 was fallacious; put the facts against the proofs, and leave the public to judge, not by words, which were asserted on one side of the !louse and contradicted on the other, but by documents on the table of the House. It was idle to contend that the lower classes of the people of Ireland were indifferent as to their exclusion from any offices of retpectability on account of their faith. Let than look to the illustrious lined Avonmore, who Tidied himself from being the son of a wool-comber to the high situation of Lund Chief Damn; and there were many of the lower classes of perhaps equal talent, certainly of equal ambition and therefore it was absurd to state that the people of Ireland did not fed degradation at such whole sale exclusions. IiIr.C.INN iNO fully concurred In all that the lion. Baronet had stated at the conclusion of his speech, and they were topics fur which he had often contendcd in that (louse hand in hand with the llon. Baronet; but be was of opinion that he hail, in intro:lt:log those topics, digressed trout the subject thn under discussion. It was his opinion that there should exist no bar to preferment be. tween the Sovereign and the subject; but, as Parliament had re stored to the Crown what thrmerly had belonged to it, viz„ the faculty of appointing to offices, he never would consent to the principle, thit Parliament had a right to interfere, and call for an account as to haw throe °Netts were bestowed, and it was contrary to the usual policy of Parliament in all eases. Until the year 1819, no Homan Catholic could serve in the army; yet it was well known there were many in the %rmy, and it was to protect these that an Act of Indemnity was annually passed. Suppose • menial had been made in that !louse before that period, to ascer tain the religion of the officers of the army :t would have had the effect of exposing to a prosecution many Catholic officers, who had crept into it by the connivance of Parliament; and such an inquiry w0..1-I Ilan:savoured of the spirit of persecution, and on this same prf,ciple he would object to this motion as often as it was brought forward. It was not discreet to inquire into the exertise of patronage, unless prime fault t r crime could be charged on the party on whom it was bestowed. There was at present as earnest a di s positi on t o a dmi t panics of all religious principles into a share of the State, as ever existed, butlinquiries like the present were the means of checking such a distiosition, and instead of soothing party (sling would set rather as a firebrand. Mr. HUTCHINSON supported the motion. lie could not see why Ministers opp•vial the motion, without it was to conceal from the population of Irelaud the real state of their grievances. Mr. GRATTAN replied; and the House divided— For the motion, II ; ai,ntinst it, 30 ; majority against the motion 27 ••. _ _ The other Orders of the Ihy were then disposed of, sod the House adjourned at half-past ten. PRICES or BRITISH S' Rank Stock 23114 39 3 per Cant Reduced. tr 24 3 per Cent. Cons. t ll 3 3.; per tem. 101 4 pet Cent. 11t2g New .1 per Cents:looß 7 bong Annuities. 22 7-Id Imperial 3 per Cents. Bank for Account I Cons. for Act. 91i 'TOCKS YESTERDAY. India Stock, India Bonds, 71 pr. India for Account, South Sea Stock, South Sea Old Annuities South Sea New Annuities Ex. Bills, 1,99111. 32 41 pr. Ditto, 5001. 39 12 pr. Small, 29 42 pr. Lottery Tickets, IW. 19s. PRICES OF FOREIGN Austrian aip, 10 9.; pr. Ditto for Acrt. 10 10 pr. Ditto paid in full Wk . Chllian llontiN id II 1 aai Ditto f o r Account ill 121 14 r.oi Colombian Bonds, 72l 2lt I 7011 611 9 70 Do. t.w %ccount, 721 17 2 14 1 7031 ;0 Iu 70 Datii.h Bonds, 99} 9 Ditto Marks Danco, 90 Mcx. Scrip, 7,1 t 64 763 74 Do. , liir . Account it g 4 4 4 7 _ . Neapolitan Bonds, 119 Ditto fur Account V 6; 7 Portuguese Bonds Ditto Scrip, 3i pr Dit telt Bonds STOCKS YESTERDAY. Prussian Bowls, tpo. Ditto tor the Account 9.3 Ditto Booth (11:22).1131 g 1 1 1 Russian 1101.1111, :14 1 1 1 4 4 Ditto for Acct. 914 44 Russian Aletallic Stock 871 :vanish v per Ct. Cons. 243 1 A A Ditto for Accost* Ul Ditto 170 & 2145 Ronda, 241 Ditto A pzr Cents. (ltl.1) 181 Ditto tor .tcct. 183 Anglo Alex. Alines 81 Pr. United do. 21 1 1 pr. Ft. Rentes, 100 f. WE 50e. 2k. Do. Scrip, 111 1 pm. Do. Ex. 25f. 84k. 524 c. I LS. I Flanders, and I French. ;It and I llaniburgh. 31.1 AnetvED-1 DUE-1 Gottenburgl Elm WritiOtt alreoo. TliC BUJ I'lSn Pn gas commenced publishing yesterday morning at five o'clock. LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBIWART 20, MS. The kading cot:tents of tit:: I!imitate and Etoile of Tuesday and Wednesday will be found to follow. The foreign Pipers contain nothing of any importance. From the Moraines- of Tuebtlay, Feb. 17.] The official part containa only some unimportant notices from the Dep.vtment of the 31inister of Justice. Tot-Lot:sE, Frs.ll. Thirteen Constitutional priests. coming front dilfereat parts of Catalonia, have arrived here : they come to expiate, In voluntary exile, unfortunate errors, the fruits of a ►ystesn which has plunged Spain into an abyss of mittfortunes. These ecclesiastics, who all found in our city the huspi:ality due to misfortune, almost all belong to the secular clergy. The third squadron of the regiment of Chasseurs of 31orbihan (about VI men and 110 !tortes, will arrive here on the 13th and 14th, on its way to Bayonne. It is going to join the remainder of the regiment at Cadiz. (From the Etoik of Wednestlay.] PARIS, Fey. 17• M. Joseph dc lieredia, brother to the Minister of Foreign Af fairs in Spain, who is entrusted with a mission to the Court of St. James's, rtlative to the liquidations and claims, arrived at Bor deaux on the 12th of this month, and set out fur London the fol. lowing day. The French ennui! at Tunis has written the King's Attorney- General at 31anwiiits, declaring that there is not the smallest truth in the story told by the Joarmal dr Cummerce, and repeated by the Pit*, that M. F. a merchant of Marseilles, settled at Tunis, has committed suicide, after hating made a solemn affidavit that he had committed the crime of Itarstry, for whieh M. Vita Costa, a merchant of Marseilles, halt been condemned to live years impri sonment. (The Flolle, in addition to the bulletins of the health of the Princes of Con& in the other papers, gives a later one, of the 17:h February, lii.lf.past seven in the morning, ahich is not so favourable as that of the preecdirg evening.) FRENCH Ft: xna.—Pan is, FED. 17—Five per Cent. Consols opened at 190 f. ; highest, 100 f. We. ; lowest, 99f. 61./e.; closed at 100 f. : Bank Stock, 1,750 f. : Neapolitan Five per Cents. tiJiif. : Rente d'Espagne, 211 f. Exchange en London.— One month, 2Sf. lJc. ; three months, 25f. 35c.—C'oars Aitt/tve. tight, Feb. 17. A number of petitions were last night presented against the duty on coals coastwise. The repeal of this obnoxious duty is loudly called for: it presses on every portion of the community, but distressingly on the poorer orders; to then it brings in its train unqualified suffering and mi sery. The present winter has passed mildly away ; but the rigours of that of te2g and 1144.48 were bitterly felt. The sense of the , country has been declared by the number of petitions presented; we trust, therefore, that the Chancel lor of the Fachequer, who has paid a proper consideration to the feelings of the country since his accession to his high office, will be influenced by these appeals, and include this distressing impo.-4 in any reduction of taxation he may bring forward ou ahe 23d. Another rixluedon that ought to take place, though it is not called for by the voice of 1 wretchedness as strongly as the other, is that of the duties !on wines. Mr. Thomas Wilson, the City Member, pre- rented last night a petition, praying a reduction of tuese duties. The receipts of the duties on wine, Mr. Wilson stated, from Int to 1824, had considerably diminished, `and this in the face of a higher assessment. The fact is, as Mr. Hume stated, the consumption is materially dimi nished ; and the revenue, by the heavy impost, proportion ' ally decreased. Hence the adultentio• of wines, and the injury done to the health of thouvrods: for every bottle of genuine wine sold in the Cities of.jmnion and Westmin ster, ten are adulterated—in tin isticle even of Cape t esn wine, almost exempted from sl ut .N a protection to the growth in that colony. The Opo ish, and French wines are taxed an high, that tAlmidt sailed Cape is manufactured in hogsheads, and sold in one year In London, under that name, than is pressed from the vineyards in South Africa in kn. Not only the health, but the morals of the *pie, suffer dreadfully from this tax. Gin, a most pernicious liquor, would not be consumed in such quantities here, if wines were at a moderate price; nor whiskey, in Scotland or Ireland, lead to crime and general detnoralisstiott. Thirty years since, when all nocessaries of lift were little below their present standard, the tradesman in middle life could have goodl 3 9ft.vdne in his cellar for a guinea a-dozen ; now he cannot fft it for three times that sum. Wine is essen tial told noniforta e .snd often to the health of maul, to whom the present Idgb duty acts as aldtstter proscription. Forty years .ago Are; was common./IA through Scotland add Ireland, and little beside was drunk. It has been super seded bytho. furious spirit called whiskey, with little im provement either to the health or morals of the community. The revenue would suffer nothing from a reduction of the duty on Willis, which the increased consumption would Inure than fill up. We would wish to see the subject more generally pressed in the House, and Mr. Wilson's sugges tions receive the proper attention from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Secretary Peel, last night, obtained leave to bring in a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to juries, —a most necessary measure. We trust the present system of special juries will be included, and at length corrected : as the evil at present exists, these juries are re gular fee'd retainers of the Crown, who earn a stated and calculated subsistence by their attendance in the Court of Exchequer and elsewhere. Sir John Newport expressed a hope that the benefits of a similar rtforin would be ex tended to Ireland, where much abuse and frequent oppres sion exist in the formation of special juries. The general administration of justice has latterly much improved In Ireland ; and the system of special juries never has been of the same objectionable nature as in this country. There are no individuals there permanent jurars,tum moned and paid by the Treasury Solicitor ; and the only instances in which we have known justice outraged in Ire land were, when party or rather religious feelings inter fered, and prevented equitable verdicts from being re turned.—We are happy to know, from a statement of Mr. Secretary Peel's last night, that the grsies abuses of prison discipline will at length be corrected * his interposition. The feeling which Mr. Peel has exhibitbd on this occasion, and the decision with which he has seta, to correct magis terial tyranny, are highly honourable to him. He took the first opportunity this Session, to record his opinion against the monstrous oppression of dooming untried individuals to the toilsome and degrading labour of the tread-mill; and be is now about to extingitiah that tyranny by the authority of the Legislature. *'wonder how will Mr. Chetwynd feel or defend his acts, when the history of his conduct to the Flints comes before the House, u come it will; his seanwinize in the Court of King's Bench will, we fear, avail little for his defence in Parliament. In fact, the tyranny of Magistrates under that vile legis lative abortion, called "The Vagrant Act," was latterly becoming quite monstrous. In London it was frowned down as soon as attempted by the Press; but in the country a system of despotism was daily strengthening, under which at length no man could exist : in fact, it be came essential to a gentleman's independence and personal protection to procure a commission of the peace, to guard him from the tyranny of his privileged neighbours. This system has been exposed, and has awakened attention in the highest quarter. Mr. Peel's interposition will, we trust, at length put an end to it, and check the arbitrary powers of Magistrates. ‘Vhen two solitary instances, in the persons of Mr. Troy, a nephew to the late titular Arebbishep of Dublin, and Mr. D'Arey Mahon, who, we believe, is not a Catholic, were cited by Ministers, last night, as an example of the impartiality with which government offices have been ap portioned in Ireland, it formed a weak defence to the charges of general exclusion brought against them. Mr. Mahon has been appointed, after several years of active service, an Officer of Stamps ; and Mr. Troy, who was Col lector of Customs at Castle l'ownshend, in the South of Ireland, to the same situation in this country. But do these two appointments bespeak justice and impartiality in the division of offices to the Catholics generally? These are but the " rani minks gurgile: raxtu"—two solitary exceptions out of a multitude beside: it would be strange if, out of a population of six millions, a few Catholics were net employed. The Greeks were not excluded from authority under Turkish despotism : off the contrary, the collection of the revenue and seve ral other offices were left in their hands ; yet who could say the nation was not proscribed ? We are sure it is the wish of the Marquis AVellesley to rct with the greatest impartiality in his high office, but he cannot do so under the present system; the patronage is not in his hands. The fact is, the Catholics still are, to all intents and purposes, excluded from all office and emolument in Ireland; every thing, from the highest situation in the Revenue, down to the lowest appointment in the Excise, is in the hands of their adversaries. The change of sys tem is merely nominal—virtually it remains the same : of the multitude of offices carved out for Government depend ents in Ireland, a list of which was produced by Mr. Grattan last night, the Catholics hold, in fact, none. The penal code in this way is in full activity against them, and a Catholic cannot look for any office of confi dence or emolument whatever : be is excluded from many by statute, but those he might fill are studiously withheld from him. Mr. Canning, with i bis talents, ought to have ad duced some better reasons for resisting Mr. Grattan's motion then the sophistry by which he negatived it. What the Foreign S,Tretary said funned no defence for Ministers. The Catholics cannot be contented under the mortifying treatment they receive ; nor can it be expeceed that Ire land, under such a system of proscription and insult, can remain tranquil. A lit e:al and enlightened Ministry would at once blot out the foul penal code that degrade. so large a 'part of the population of that country, and dis dain to act on so unwcrthy a system of narrow and impolitic exclusion. POI2EIGg IIVTELLIGLNCE. FRENCH i'APERS. We received last night, by Express, the French Jour , nals of Tuesday, from which the followingare extracts: — From the C'owslitstionnel.l PIEBPICIWAX, FEB. 9. A Courier, which arrived on the Atb, from Barcelona, announces to the Merchants of this the taking of the Ntanish frigate I l'Etoile, by the English. This frigate had • million and a half of piastres oo board. It is thought that the English had in view, ' , by this 111116441/8, the securing to themselves the debt which wu contracted by the Constitutional Government. PAU'S, Fen. It In site of the pmceedings of the Prussian 3linister at Snit. issiand, the Government of the Cantos of Argovia has positively refused the givin; up of the Professor Vollemius, a naturalised Argovian. [From the Jame-nal del Debuts.) rintltrx PCB. 12. There is a good deal said about Prince Prederkb going m Vice roy to the Indian possessions of Holland. This appointment is connected with the grand plan Ay the it-organizationof those pro siness, which are still far from being well administered, and with out a good state of defence, which these rich and important pos sessions require. At Tremont the pelitital state of affairs remains a strong organization, both military and civil, to ward off the danger which all our India. possessinws are at this moment threatened with. The Island of Java, from which wren, auger, cotton, and indigo are exported, augments tom pest in its pro duce: as does the Island of Dance" with us immense mine*: Celebes anti Borneo, which aye rich in diamonds and gold ; and the Islands of Amboyna and Banda, se productive in apices. The above possessions may be said to be an empire more important and twee rich than the Brazils. According to the last statement from the ancient tioyernor. Daendels, the revenue amounted to 10,720,000 nix dollars 67,177,0u0 lune& BRUSSELS PAPERS. We received yesterday, *was Papers to the 17th of February. The following adlegxtratas : Raessets. It is again stated that M. de Faich Is defioitively ilP fgtd Atnbartaikw to the Court of London ; it is added, that Berea Vaa 11)er Cappelien, Governor-ticomal of the Kam Ditties, wig least his gereennicut in the course of next June; mid that on his ar rival in the Mother country, he will take the department of Foreign Affairs. His Royal Highness the Prince of Draw is ex pected here in a few days. We learn front the Jaseital of Antwerp, that a deficiraey of 40,000 florins has been discovered is the coffers of the Municipality of that city. It seems that this orobeulement commenced three or four years ago. M. J— D—, the cashier, baa been arrested on suspiciue of the futud, au,: is now in prison. Re is only twenty. four years of age, and married alas or ten months ago. HANINUMGR, Fes. 10. The Swedish Diet has proposed that two Profaners of the Uni versity of L psal, two of that of Lund. and two Members of the Academy of Sciences toot Nobles; shall in future have seats in the Diet, in the Chamber of the ( krey. The King has approved of ibis proposal , and sanctioned the Decree which gives it legal validity. Vixx!t A, FEB. 7.—Metalligua, 83 7-16 ; llama Shares, 343 i • PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS: ARMY ESTIMATES FOR 1a24. Lord Pahuerston to-day will, in a Committee of Supply, propose the Army Estimates for the service of the year 1524. The only peculiarity in them, as compared with the Estimates of 1443 , is the charge for proposed new regi ments. Having made the charge for the existing rezi ments, together with those recently raised, the 9 tth, 95th, &c. the estimates contain these items : 96th regiment of foot, from the 25th February, 576 men, rank and file: number, including non-comtub.sioned offi cers, 650 ; pay and daily allowance of commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and private men, 14,7201. 7s. 6d.; clothing, 1,4461. 17s. 10d. ; agency, 1561. los. 6d.; annual allowances to Field Officers, Captains, Riding Masters, and allowances for farriery, 36.)1. 18s. Bd. Total, 1 16,6891. 14s. 6d. Three more regiments (these arc the regiments proposed Ito be raised) of like numbers and thargc, viz. 97th, 98th aad 99th, Rom the 2.;th of March—numb e r of rank and tile, 1,72c1 ; number, including non-commissioned officers, 1,950 ; pay and daily allowance of commissioned o ffi cers, non-commissioned officers, and men, 39,7821. Is. 611. ; clothing, 3,9061. 12s. ; agency, 42'11. !is. 3d. ; annual al lowances to Field Officers, Captains, and Riding Mas ters, and allowances for farriery, 9871. 15a.--Total, 43,0991. 6s. 9d. The charge for recruiting for the current year i 3 esti mated at 72.0001. and in such charge there are these items, which contemplate the raising of nearly ten thousand men during the year:— Levy money of recruits, say 4,000 men, ■t an avers2,r of 41. each, 16,0001. Levy money of 3.704 reeruite for six new regiments, at an average of 4L each, 14,9011 L Levy money of recruits (Irish Estab men, at an avenge of 41. each, 7,1201. I), say 1,780 FASHIONABLE INTIsLLIC E.VCE. The Duke of York had a grand dinner party yesterday is tha Stable-yard, St. James's. Lord Gerydyr entertained the Marquis and Marchionea of Lim. down and a distinguished party at dinner on Wednesday, at his house iv Piccadilly. Lord King had a dinner party on Wednesday, at his house is Dorer-street. The Marquis of Camden entertained his Excellency Baron Fagel and a large party at dinner on Wednesday, at hia house in Arling too-suem --- Lord Henley had a dinner party yesterday, at his house in Hert ford-street, May-fair. Load Saltoun entertained a distinguished party of friends at din ner yestraday, at his house in Great l'umberland-street. Dovir Lady Neare had a select circle of fashionable. yester day evening, ut her house in ,11bernsrle-street. Count Lumen entertained Viscount riranvillm the Prussia/51i ' nista:, and a large party of distinguished personages, at dinner on Wedrirday, at Ashburnharis House, Hay-hill. The Marquis ar.d Alarchioness of Salsbury left tows yesterday for their seat, llattiekL The Countess of Sandwich has arrived at her house in Dover. ' street, front Brighton. The Earl of Pembroke has arrived at his house in Privy Gardens, from his seat, Wilton House, Wilts. Captain Barton has arrived at enton'a Hotel, St. JilMeeb4tlellt, from a tour. . _ _ The Bishop of Drousore, and Mr. Richards, arrived yesterday, at Gouhrs hotel, Jennyn-strest, from Brighton. Mr. aad Mrs. Wentworth, and family, have arrived at their house in Hanover-square, from their seat, Woolley Park, Wake , acid, 1 urkshica. Captain and Mrs. Cheavet and Miss Cheaveß, have arrived 'at the lac Pesersburgh Hotel, Doveratraet, ham a tear. Depar tures from ditto :—M. Le Orange, Esq. for Paris; J. W. Paw lett, Esq. for Clifton. Lord W. Lennox has arrived at Miner's Hotel, Conduit-street, from a tour. _ _ _ Air Char es Henry mote, Bart. has arrived at his house in Con naught-place, from his seat in Ireland. Sir John Copley, Bart. has arrived at his house In Oeorge.street, Ilanover.square, from his seat, Hanwell Park. Sir John and Lady Shelley left Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley. square, yesterday, for Iklvoir Castle, on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. Lord Sayeand.Sele has arrived in town from a tour. Frankfort Papers to the 11th instant arrival lesterday. They are destitute of interest. Letters received yesterday from Missolonghi, dated the Isth and 30th December, stated that Patna was capitu lating, and that the terms were in the process of being set tled. A newspaper has been established at Missolonghi, in Creek and Italian, wli:ch is published twice s-week. The Greeks are about to attack Lepanto, and two thousand Suliotes are associated under Mavrocorelato for this pur pose. There is very little doubt of their success. The accounts of the union of the Primates of Missoloughi and the Military Chiefs, arc most gratifying. Yesterday morning, at eleven o'clock, the Lords of his Mikjesty's most Honourable Frit) , Council assembled at the Council Office, Whitehall. l'here were present, the Lord President, Sir John Nichol, Sir Henry Russell, Lord Colchester, Mr. Sturges Bourne, and Lord Stowell. The business upon which their Lordships met was to hear and determine French Al a ads. Their Lordships were en gaged till near four o'clock iii hearing an Appeal from the French Commissioners decision, in which 150,0001. is at issue, arising from the bankruptcy which took place some years since, in the extensive house of Boyd, Bentield, and Kerr, and which was the cause of a great number of other failures. The same parties recovered 100,0001. some time since, under similar circumstances. The King's Ad vocate, Mr. Foul)longue, Mr. Tyndale, and Mr. Kerr, were heard upon this great question. The pleadings were principally in French. The decision was postponed to a future day. At Lloyd's, on Wednesday, Joseph Marryatt, Esq. eldest son of the late Mr. Nlarryatt, M.P. was unanimously chosen one of the Committee, in the room of his father. Yesterday morning W. Wingfield, Esq. was introduced to the office of a Master in Chancery, by the Lord Chan cellor. The Learned Gentleman appeared with his Lord ship on the Iknch at the sitting of the Court ; and as soon as his Lordship placed his sew hat upon his head, he bowed and retired. We understand that Mr. Sergeant Bosanquet will pre side as Judge on the Western Circuit, in the room of Mr. Justice Richardson, who is in Italy, for the benefit of his health. ' Rov.st. AcAnrmy.—ln consequence of the indisposition lof Mr. Fuseli, the Profe.,sn's first lecture on painting was postponed. Martin Arthur Slice, Esq., the Royal Academician, who wrote the Rhymes on Art, and several other works, is the Author of the new Tragedy of A/aso), which was for sonic 'time in rehearsal at Covent-Garden Theatre ; but which 'has been lately withdrawn, in consequence of the new Lieencer, appointed by the Lord Chamberlain, haying re fused to sanctiou its representation. It is expected that S. H. Kilderbee, Esq. son of the late 11/r. Kilderbee, of Great llleinham, will shortly lead to the hymeneal altar, Lady Louisa Ikons, one of the daughters of the Earl of Stradbroke. At the Middlesex Sessions, yesterday, several appeals were heard as to the settlement of paupers. Tea Gam' CAusE.— &away last, a numerous Meeting was held in the Town-hall ; Liverpool, C. Law rence, Esq. Mayor, in the Chair, for the purpose of pro moting a subsenption to support the Greeks in their present struggle against the oppressive rule of the Turks. About 1501. was subscribed before the meeting twparated. The Resolutions were mcvcd by the represintatives of every party. We are sorry to karn, that Sir Thomas Reid was at tacked on Tuesday att'ernoon last, by an apoplectic fit, and is in considerable danger. The following is An abstract of all the 1. Land Forees•(Nn.73,o4l) 2. Staff (rich's' vs of India) I Public Ihparuntatts . 4. Medicines . . . . 4. Volunteer Corps S. Atifimentsinthe Fast In. India Conipany's Terri. tories (exclusive of Re cruiting Troops and Companics—No. 7. Recruiting Troops unti l Conipanies for ditto (No. 305) - . 8. Royal Military Colle 9. Army Pay of Uenend Of ficers 10. Garrison, 11. Full Pay for Retired 018- tlTa 12. Half-Pay and 31ilitary Alloinuirea . . . 13. Foreign Half-Par - 14. In-Peniiinnera of t'helaea and Kilmainhaal flaa- pools - - - - - lb Ont-Pensioner of Chelsea Hospital . . . 16. Royal 31ilitaryy, Asylum 17. IVidows' Pensions . 18. CompawdonateList,Boun tv Warrants, and Pen sions for Wounds . £. d. 4. 2,734,146 12 8 117,823 4 11 114,55.0 13 2 17.380 17 6 153,343 12 8 639,696 6 9 20,258 2 1 11,423 19 1 169.170 0 6 33,192 12 4 134,442 0 1 638,92 4 6 111,260 0 0 46,399 811 1,219.417 11 10 23.864 5 3 131,251 U 0 1841,384 13 9 47.241 9 11 33,000 0 0 19. Supera anees 20. Exeheq . llCT Fees - - Deduct— The Regiments for Service in India . - - - - Remains t—Exelosive of the Royal Veteran Battalions Add—. IV. 31. Royal Vsenan Battalions (N 0.3,351) . . . Remains Charge for lii2Sl 2,967,939 5 84 6,784,376 I 5 .4 630,696 6 9 8,144,881 8 8 101,188 8 11 6.245,g62 17 • Including India, Etc. the total number of Officers and Bien is 93,323. The " Army Extraordinaries" for IP2I are estimated at 620,0001. and the Commissariat at :i 10,30 Ll., so that the amounts are thus : Forem, Pensions, he. (Including India) - .4:5.711.8V1 13 5 Royal Veteran Battalions . - It 1,1181 8 It Army Extraordinaries - - 6210110 (I 0 Commissariat - 30,304 0 8 Total Chsrge . £7,845,671 5 The total last items are drawn from Estimates separate from the Army Estimates. The charge for the Army in the Finance Accounts of 1823, was 7,698,9731. so that there is an increase of charge of about 150,0001., though the expense of the new regi ments is not estimated at above one-third of the amount of such increase. The item about recruiting makes up the balance. BANK ISSUES. The accounts of the wet kly amounts of Bank-notes and Bank post-bills now in circulation, which wise moved for by Mr. Grenfell, and the production of which there was some idea would be opposed by Mr. Manning, were pre sented on Wednesday. They are ordered to be printed. The amount of notes, speaking in round numbers, is twenty millions now in circulation. According to the ac counts of last Session, the amount of Bank-notes and Bank post-bills Were—. 11123. January 14 - . .C20,V7.540 -- 21 - - 19,1'41,5311 February 11 - 18,111/,460 April 16 . - 19,604,660 Till the present return there has been none since last. The small additional amount in the issues is to have been mainly occasioned by the disappointment re garding the double sovereigns. That coin, when about half a million was ready fot delivery, was found to be de ficient ; the wreath on his Majesty'a head was wanted. The issue was consequently countertnanded, and the die has been broken. Others are to be prepared. PENITENTIARY. An estimate of the Sum that will be wanted to defray the expense of the establishment of th.. Penitentiary /louse at Milbank, from the 21th of June, Is2l, to the 2lth of June Itet .1 : Salaries of ofßcers . . - - . cn.ooo Victualli-g l,foo prisoners and 70 officers . . 11,:.011 Clothing for 1,00(1 prisoners . 2,f-03 Foals, candles, wood, and 011 - . . 2,0J0 Furniture, utensils, and balding. and repairing ditto foe I 1,00(1 cells - - - - ICOil ' Repairs and alterations on the building,fitting up of eells,&e. 2,4 alt) ' Miscellaneous services, including tools, books, stationery, ' 1 gratuities, and clothing to discharged prisoners, &c. - 1,:i00 C 21.600 . 4,500 ices s. d. 3,130,405 0 11 Deduct profit by the prisoners' eansinp 1:20,000 Add for supposed deficiency on tile Grant of Supply foe last year, in consequence of the great e•lbenhe incurred by the sickness width so lung prevailed, the fitting up of hulks, Re. . 3,t/MS 1 tr.t,iouto Clear of fee', ants all other deductiooL TATTERSALL' S, I'FL b. 1104. The Subscription Room was as well attended as is 7crerailv ease un Thursday. but thcr, were no cnganetrents entered into either on the Eidillesworth, I werby, (lake, Of notteastor St. 1.-!er, worth notice; what bets took place were principally on •?.e t.t. !ogee; there •rere no alterations in t ither stakes of any ;oust - rptenec. IVe therefore refer our sporting reader■ to the fell state ment as given by us t.n Aloaday last for their present inn•ern.rtee. Mr. Mallet, who has for fourteen years filled the sitoace;i of second clerk to the magistrates at Shatlwell and Mary la-bonne police-offict a, has been appointed first clerk at the police-office, Hatton-garden, in the room of Mr. It. Ford, sen., who was discharged. 1 ~! 8 10