The Sun. — London, England, 1823-11-22 00:00:00

PARIS PAPERS. From the Moniteur. PARIS, Nov. 18.—The official part of the Mcniteur mentions his Majesty's having given private audience—l. To M. le Bailli de Ferrette, Minister from the Grand Duke of Baden, who presented, a letter notifying the death of the Princess Catherine Amelia Christina Louisa of Baden ; To M. de Pappenheim, Minister from the Grand Duke of Besse, to notify the death of Prince Louis Charles, Landgrave of Besse ; J. To M. de Treillinger, resident Mi. , uister from the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to notify the delivery of the Duchess Ida, his Royal Highness's daughter-in-law, of a daughter. After mass, the Ambassadors and Foreign Mi nisters paid their respects to the King and the Royal Family. His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio compli mented the King, in the name of the Diplomatic Body, on the anniversary of his Majesty's birth day. The non-official part of the Moniteur announces that the Court will go into mourning for four days for the Princess of Baden and the Land gr.ive of Hesse. It contains also congratulatory addresses to the King on the glorious termination of the ex prditiOil to Spain, from the tribunals of Amiens, ,Nancy, Blois, Versailles, and Moulins. (From the Etoile). PARIS, Nov. I O. —Yesterday the King heard mass in his apartment, after which his Majesty transacted business with M. Dondeauville, Mi nister of State, and Director-General of the Posts. Lust evening a musical party assembled, by invitat►on, at the residence of the Duchess de Berri. Rossini sang several airs, accompanied by the piano. The King'has decided that a public reception shall be given to the Duke d'Angouleme : the modesty of the august Prince will consequontly be compelled to yield to his Majesty's orders. The itinerary of his Royal Highness is (hanged. lie will sleep at Tours on the 18th instant, instead of passing through Orleans. The Prince will be at Chartres on the 30th, and ar rive in Paris on the 2d of December. lie will arrive by way of Versailles. The military mall°. ci►ies and deputations fron► various corps will go to meet the Prince ; all the regiments of the 'Guards are to be in Paris by the day of his entrance. His Excellency the Marechal de Lauriston is expected in town to-morrow. BREST, Oc•r. e7.—The Minister of Marine has ordered the discharge of the crews of several of •the ships of his Majesty, which are to be di.. mantled. The levy of seamen which was lately -ordained has also been countermanded. NEWS FROM SPAIN. (DY AN EXTRAORDINARY covanat.) MAnain, Nov. 12.—The King will enter Madrid to-morrow, at noon. The people are overjoyed. The town is wholly occupied in pre paring fifes. It is to-day, at Aranjuez, tl►at the King will licue the important decrees which Spain expects Tro rn hitn. 1 t is affirmed that the Ministry is on time point of being finally constituted. Don Victor Stwz will "it . is said, cense to be Minister, because he the King's Confessor. (From the Constitutionnel.) Pants, Nov. 19.—Strong as she is, England does not give Lerself the trouble to parley with the Continent, nor even to thresteo it or attack it; not at all. She .goes little by little, and wittedipleinatie address, in which she has long practice, ti recognize American Independence—to form there commer. • vial connections, much more useful, much more fruitful for her prosperity, than tho relations of dependance which can exist . .inetween a metropolis and colonies. She goes on, in a word, to secure to herself the only kind of -domination compatible with, the present time, and during this interval innumerable ships will cover the seas, and protect in silence the establishment of pier connections. The Holy Alliance will call England to a Congress ; but as it is useless to go to plead before others for . the possession of an Object of which one has secure possession, England will not repair to it, or at most leave a visiting.card by a ceremonious diplomatist, and she will continue her useful. ,proCeedings. In this case the Continent would have only two courses to take; either to make a sodden attack, or to acknowledge im. mediately the Spanish Colonies, in order to participate in the advantages of a prompt recognition. But we have said, that to subjugate America by force, and in spite of the English, is, Impossible; to acknowledge her is A mortal sin, which the Hely Alliance will not commit. The Continent will therefore make useless propositions of arrangement, and will lose in trifling the time which England will employ in veieful nego. ciations. Here we suppose the greatest possible wisdom in their Councils ; but It is not improbable that a military enter prise may be attempted, and that Alorillo ' with a few Spaniards reed Russ Ans, may be put on board a few rotten vessels at ~/dessii, to oppose the English fleets. In that case the te great Powers,i in which till interests and opinions centre , wo u l d definitively. mea sure their strength ; and as th e q uarrel must come to an this would probably be the poi nt i n which the two opposing lines would meet. • FRAN s'tag's, Nov. I.4.—Mitch . is said in society about a Circular that Count Nerieelrode lies recently addressed, accord. mg to report, to the European Cabinets, concerning the present state of the relations - between the Porte and Russia. He there states the causes of complaint which Rua. sia bad against the Porte; the proceedings of the mediating, Powers to restore harmony betwixt them, and prevent a rup. ture, and finally, the results of the negoelations which took place on the subjects by means of which it has been }exigible to p r e s erve peace, without derogating front the o ign ity and 'honour of Russia. As to the affairs of the Creeks, they are passed over) rather slightly, and it appears. that confidence is placed in 'the justice and equity of the Sub lime Porte, that it will know how to reconcile the rights of Sovereignty with the interests of humanity. While the Cabinets shew so little interest in the fate of 3 whole ('brig. rims people, individuals do not discontinue their generous edbrts in favour of their unhappy fellow Christians. We learn by a letter from London, that Clem Deivioz, a Montene grin( formdely in the service of the French Empire, is raising lengland, a legion of 2,000 men, well equipped, and of different arms. He expects to complete his corps before the " end of the year. A Colonel of Artillery, formerly in the Inn. perial Guard, will " se rve under Oeneriti Deivioz. The greater pert of the soldiers are furnished by Switzerland and Germany.' s to the officers, General Deivioz will easily find them, for there are more than 200, of different countriea, who, et the disastrous result of affairs in Spain, in whose cause hey were engaged, are in London, without employment, .and most of them without the means of support. Several Ger two officers, however, particularly Prussins, have em barked for England,. with 'the intention of joining Gene. ral Deivios, and there would be a still greater number had they not been informed that they will be obliged to equip themselves a their own expence, and that they could expect ooly very trifling pecuniary assistance from the Greek Von'. native in England.—General Deivioz expects daily the re. tarn of a Greek, whom he has sent into the Peloponnesus, in *Mato obtain correct informotion on the political and military gate of Greece. ITAGUE, Nov. 15. SECOND CTIASCIIIER OF TIIE STATES-OENERAL. The order of the day was the debate on the project of law relative to the deposit of property of persons presumed to be absent. M. Nlcolai, in a very concise speech, 'hewed the advantages of the proposed law. Baron di Stassart approved of the law, as being eminently calculated to preserve the interest of the absent in ordinary, times, but he objected that it did not. offer the same security in time of war : for instance, where a -province might be in invaded by an enemy, and when it might be thought necessary to remove to some place of greater safety, the sums deposited in the public coffers. lie is far from thinking that sucha govern ment as ours would ever apply such sums to its own use ; but if the war should continue and interrupt the communication for some years, a family may be put to great inconvenience ; he therefore proposed that the families of the absent persons should be permitted to receive. by way of deposit, the sums that have devolved to such persons, in case they should desire it, and on giving sufficient security. Some members replied to these objections. and the question being put, was adopted by 66 members, M. Stassart's being the only vote against it. The Chamber then proceeded to discuss the project of law for relieving from the land-tax for fifteen years the build ings erected by the Benevolent Societies of the Hague and Brussels. Messrs. Barthelemy and Van Alphen spoke in favour of the proposed law. The'former observed, that the object of the establishments which it was intended to encourage was twofold —to cultivate an immense tract of waste and barren land, anti to employ in a manner useful to themselves and to society, numbers of unhappy persons, whom misfortune and indigence seemed to condemn to a premature death. M. Van Alphen showed that, while England made an annual sacrifice of 80,000,000 (8,000,000/.) for the support of the poor, without being able to extirpate mendicity, the means used in our king dom were much better calculated to attain that object. The speaker remarked on the liberality of our financial laws.— " While our neighbours (said he) try to encourage the industry or their country by prohibitory laws and high duties, we em ploy the indigent in the cultivation of waste land, and our urn. ,ort duties are very moderate." The law was adopted without one dissenting voice. GREECE. [From the Conetitutionnel.] CIII.AXATA, OCT. 12.—[Extract from a Private Letter. A dispatch boat has brought the newt' to Hydra that the Greek fleet, commanded by Admiral Miaoule, divided into three di visions, attacked that of the Turks (at the end of September) off Mitylene. The battle lasted four hours;—the Greeks, with their fire-ships, set fire to four large Turkish ships--others sunk, or went ashore on the coast off Asia, and two captured frigates were carried into the port of Nara. The rest of the Turkish fleet, pursued, took refuge in the port of Oliveto. Seven thousand fresh troops have left Peloponnesus. They have already passed the Isthmus of Corinth and march on Thessaly to join Odysseus and Nicetas, who intend to take the offensive. . . The Turkish army which penetrated into Liiadia, after the considerable checks it experienced in the month of .July in Boxitia, took refuge in the isle of' Eubcea, where it requested from the Turks of Negropont an entry . into that place. Re pulsed by these last, who had not provisions enough for them selves, they were exposed to several attacks which the °reek Commander, Diamantis, directed against them with much fury. After several bloody defeats, some feeble wrecks which had escaped the enemy's sword took th e road of `Lei. count, to march on Tessaly, where they are pursued. Such was the fate of the army slestined by the Porte to reconquer re101)01111e6US. The other troops, composed of the Albanians of Seodra, after the check suffered at Carpenissa on the 20th August, took a strong position in the environs , whe re it remained. in inaction. Informed of this defeat, the Podia of Scodra advanced at the beginning of September with the troops at his disposal, and took the command of the united army. On the Pith September he attacked the Commander, Contoyanne, who defended ono of the passes to Missolungiii, and was repulsed with loss. On the fith he attacked the Sullot corps, which occupied the other defile. Here the combat was most bloody, and the Paella did not retire till he had suffered considerable loss. The Ottoman Commander, however, trusting to his superiority of num bers, seems disposed to persist in forcing the passage to Mis sehinghi. --- • Extract qf a Letter from Florence, dated Nov. 15. " I have had a most interesting conversation : with your friend the Bishop about the affairs of Greece, with which he is, perhaps, better acquainted than any other man in Europe.— This venerable Prelate would scarcely believe me when 1 de scribed to him the apathy which pervades the Ministers and people of England towards his unfortunate country. He says that, next to sending out supplies of the nature above-mention etl, the greatest service die Greek Committee can render Greece is, to convince the Government and people that it'is their in terest to favour her independence. The fact of Turkey being unable everto regain possession of the territory lost through its own tyranny and oppression, and of the well known intentions of Russia to reach Constantinople the moment her plans are matured, were the chief grounds of argument made use of by the Bishop. " The old man is of opinion that a King should be placed over Greece. lie wovid prefer a foreigner—the Prince of Co burg, for instance ; or, as suggested by others, the son of the deposed King of Sweden. Although this Monarchical spirit is far from being general among t h e numero•ts Greeks I have met with in Italy, it certainly prevails in several respectable quarters. The Bishop quoted many eminent writers to prove that democracies are not suited to large States, because they possess less vigour and promptitude than smaller ones. To this line of reasoning I opposed the splendid example of North America, its freedom, activity,, land enterprise, so far aims e all other nations ; and, snore especially, the inestimable advantage of being enabled to change a President who may have proved himself unfit to govern or unworthy of public confidence. They talk, said I, of the prospect of small Republics and the decline of large ones; hut they forget to cite the corruption, the effeminacy, the disorder, and the convulsions to which large Monarchies are subjected, while every hour adds wealth and power to America! " In allusion to passing events in the Morea, the Bishop thinks Corinth must soon fall, because the supplies have been cut off. Patras could not hold out many days against a regular siege I it is commanded, has no casements, and is crowded with Turks. The possession of this point would secure the fall of Lepanto, and command all the trade of the Gulphpre venting the enemy from attempting another landing in the Mores. " There is a report at Leghorn that Mytelene has revolted. This would be an event of vast importance. ,The island has a warlike population of 80,000 Greeks. it possesses two strong fortresses ; its possession would enable the Greeks to blockade the mouth of the Dardenelles, and eventually lead to the re duction of Scio. "'lll the public bodies, and eminent public men, whether Greeks or otherwise, with whom I. have conversed on the affiiirs of the Confederation, most strenuously urge the expediency of our changing both men and measures in the lonian Islands. The Russians and French contrived to conciliate these Islands by securing the Ariatocracy, while the present powers there have selected the most inefficient and unpopular men they could find to fill all the places of trust. " A notion seemed to prevail on the Continent that England had a selfish policy in view towards Greece. 1 have,.how ever, laboured to produce a contrary opinion, founded on our real interests. So long as Greece could be kept down by the Porte the British Cabinet sanctioned her oppression : but the moment she freed herself, and the question was, whether she was to become a Substantive State or be added to Russia, no doubt could remain in the mind of any sane Statesman. For how could it be the interest of England, not only to increase an Empire alread too large fir the safety of Europe, but make• her a great naval Power into the bargain ? " There is a report here that Lord Byron has offer:A to raise 500 men for the Confederation, and maintain them at his own expence: the report relative to the resignation of Mavrocordato requires to be confirmed. The Bishop observed tome on this sub ject, that if the Prince withdrew front the helm, it would only he for a short time; isnd with a view of rendering more important .services to his country in another place, than he could by remaining there now that the campaign is at an eat'." DEATU OF LORD ERSKINE. The intelligence of the death of this distin guished Orator reached town yesterday morning. lie died on Monday evening at A huondale, six or seven miles from Edinburgh, of an inflamma tion of the chest. Lord ERSKINE had bean twice before ill of the complaint which has now proved fetid to him—in 1807 and 1819. His ,recovery at the last of these periods was deemed impossible, but his extraordinary stamina bare him out against the expectation of the physicians. Almondsle was the seat, and is now the re sidence of the family of the late Hon. Henry Erskine, the brother of Lord Erskine, whose reputation at the Scotch Bar, and in Scotch society, almost equalled that of his Noble Bro ther. His wit was unrivalled. Lord Erskine was 73 years of age. He was the third son of the late and youngest brother to the present Earl of Buchan. In presenting a brief sketch of Lord Erskine's life, we shall confine ourselves to his professional career, to which indeed hs is indebted for all his well-earned fame. Mr. Thomas Erskine went to sea with the late Sir John Lindsay, nephew of the great Earl of Mansfield. He never, it is believed, had the commission of Lieutenant, but acted for some time in that capacity by the appointment of his Captain. His reason for quitting the Navy is said to have been the slen der chance of obtaining promotion ; and as he had only served as an acting Lieutenant in consequence of the friendship of his Commander, he was unwilling, after having been honoured with such a distinction, to return to sea in the inferior capacity of Midshipman. On quitting the naval service, he entered into the army as an Ensign in the Royals, or First Regiment of Foot. This was in the year 1768, and happened not so much from inclination, it is said, as because his father, with a small and strictly en tailed estate, had not the means of assisting him, with conve nience, to pursue one of the Learned Professions. He went with his regiment to Minorca, in which island he spent three years, and continued in the service about six. During the period Mr. Erskine served in the army, he ac quired considerable reputation for the acuteness and versatility of his talents in conversation. Mr. Boswell, who met him about this time in a mixed company in London, mentions, in his Memoirs of Dr. Johnson, the delight which the Doctor and himself felt from the ability of a gentleman, who was no other than the subject of this memoir, while discoursing on tome temporary topic which, at that time, happened to be an inte resting question of dispute in the circles of the Metropolis. Whether the consciousness of these powers, or the sugges tions of his friends, or the embarrassments of a scanty income, first invited him to make preparations for the study of the law, it is of ne importance to inquire. It has, however, been said, that Mr. Erskine, had no merit whatever in embarking in so new and arduous a pursuit; but that it was literally and most unwillingly forced upon him by the importunities of his mother, the Countess of Buchan, after the death of his father; and that the hopes of succeeding in it were fortified and kept alive, against his own' prepossessions, by her counsel and persuasions. Mr. Erskine was about twenty-six when lie commenced his course of legal study. He entered as a Fellow-Commoner of Trinity College, Cambridge, in die year 1777 ; and, at the same time, inserted his name as a student on the books of Lincoln's lan. One of his College declamations is still extant, as it was delivered in Trinity College Chapel. The thesis was the Revolution of 161311. It gained the first prize, which he refused to accept, not attending Cambridge as a student, and only declaiming in conformity to the rules of the College. An ode, written by Mr. Erskine about this time, in imita tion of Gray's Bard, is worthy of notice as a sportive produc tion of his fancy t it was published in 7'he 2ifonthly Magazine. It originated in an occasion truly humorous. The author had been disappointed by his barber, who neglected his usual at tendance upon him, and prevented him from dining in the College-hall. In the moment of disappointment, hunger, and impatience, he is supposed to have poured forth a malediction against the whole race of hair-dressers, with a denunciation, prophetic of a future taste for cropping and unpowdered hair. Mr. Erskine did not enter the University for any academical purpose, but merely to obtain a degree to which he was entitled as the son of a Nobleman, and by which he served two years in his passage to the Bar. His education had been previously completed in Scotland. His father, ono of the most accomplished men of his time had uniformly felt an extraordinary solicitude as to the education of his children, and actually removed from his family estate in Scotland for the purpose of residing at St. Andrew's, where he continued for many years. During this time he procured for them a private tutor, one of the moat elegant scholars of that part of the Island, to assist their studies at the school and University. Mr. Erskine always pursued the study of the Belles Letters with unremitting ardour, and had the advantage of imbibing from the most eminent persons of die day diet various and extended knowlege which can never be derived from books or Solitaryapplic.ation. In order to acquire rs necese eery idea of the mechanical parts of his, future profession, he was persuaded, by the Judicious counsels of his friends, to enter as a pupil into the Office of Judge Buller, then an eminent special pleader at the Bar. During this period of his life, Mr. Erskine experienced all the difficulties arising out of a very limited income. He had been already married about four years, and was obliged to ad here to a most rigid frugality of expenditure. The part sustained by the late Mrs. Erskine, before the cloud that overhung their first entrance into life was dissipated, is highly hononourable to her feelings ; she accompanied her husband to Minorca, followed his fortunes with the most cheer ful constancy, and while he was engaged in the pursuits of a most laborious profession, never guttered any pleasure or amuse ment to interrupt her in the assiduous discharge of her domestic duties. 'While he remained in the office of Mr. Buller he pursued the business of the desk with unremitting activity and ardour; and, on that Gentleman's promotion, lie went into the office of Mr. Wood, where be continued a year after he had been in considerable business at the Bar. In what manner our advocate first cultivated popular decla mation does not clearly appear. It has been said, that he was an assiduous attendant at Coachmaker's Hall, cre a debat ing climb of some estimation was at that time held. But the style of Mr. Erskine`e oratory bears internal testimony against this assertion. Mr. Erskine had now completed the probationary period allotted to the attendance in the inns of Court ; and he was called to the Bar in Trinity Term 1778. Ile is a singular ex. ception to the tardy advancement of professional merit at the English Bar. It is not worth inquiring how long lie continued a mute auditor in the back benches of the Court, among the crowd of young men, who may be not unaptly, compared to the ghosts that linger on the banks of the Styx for a passage over the lake ; but, by a singular partiality of fortune, he was not tortured'by the" hope deferred," and the sickening expectation of a brief, which so many men of promising talents are doomed to undergo: an opportunity was almost immediately afforded him of distinguishing himself in Westminster Hall. Captain who had been removed from the superintendence of Greenwich Hospital by the late Earl of Sandwich, then First Lord of the Admiralty, and one of the Governors of Greenwich Ilospital, was charged with having published a libel on that Nobleman, and the Attorney-General was instructed to move for leave to file a criminal information against him • this was the occasion of Mr. Erskine 'a first speech in Court. 'ln oppos ing the motion of Mr. Attorney-Geueral, an opportunity pre sented itself 4if entering into the merits of the case in behalf of Captain Millie. lie accordingly expatiated upon the services which had been rendered by his client, and on the firmness with which he resisted the intrigue and artifice to which he attributed the prosecution set on foot against him. In the course of this speech, lie also attacked the Noble Earl in a tone of sarcastic and indignant invective. Lord Mansfield interrupted him more than once; but the Advocate did not abate of the severity of his aniinadversions. It was at that time no common spectacle to observe a man, so little known to the Court and the Bar, commenting with asperity of remark on the conduct of a powerful Statesman, who held an elevated post in the Administration, and distinguishing himself by a species of confidence not usually felt in early efforts of public speaking, under circumstances that rendered it prudent to abstain from personal severity, and conciliate the Bench he was addressing. This was the first trial of his talents at the Bar, having been called only in Trinity Tenn, and having been employed for Captain Baillie in the Michaelmas Term following. He is said to have been indebted for this opportunity to no - interference, recommendation, or connection. Mt acquaintance with Capt. Bailie originated in his having accidentally met him at the table of a common friend. Almost immediately after, Mr. Erskine appeared at the Bar of the House of Comiiions as Counsel for Mr. Carnan, the bookseller, against a Bill introduced by Lord North, then Prime Minister, to revert in the Universities the monopoly in almanticks; which Mr. Carnet's 'had succeeded in abolishing by legal judgments, and he had the good fortune to place the Noble Lord in a considerable minority upon a division. To the reputation which these speeches conferred upon him, it has been said that he attributed the subsequent success he ex perienced in his profession ; and that, us he left the Court upon one of these occasions, nearly thirty briefs were offered to him by the attornies who happened to be present. He was now sur rounded by clients, and occupied by business. Of the various cases in which he was employed, it would be absurd to expect any mention, as they consisted only of the ordinary and daily transactions of the Term and the Sittings. The public feelings were now altogether occupied by the in teresting trial of Admiral Keppel. Mr. Erskine was retained as Counsel for the Admiral—a circumstance owing to the ig norance the Counsel (Mr. Dunning and Mr. Lee, who were originally engaged) displayed relative to the sea phrases, with out some knowledge of which the case was in a great measure unintelligible. The former, afterwards created Lord Ash burton, recommended Mr. Erskine as completely qualified for the task, in consequence of having been made acquainted with the manner in which he had passed the former part of his life. Having drawn up his defence, he personally examined all the Admirals and Captains of the Fleet, and satisfied himself that he could substantiate the innocence of his client, before the speech which be had written for him was read. For his exec t ions on this memorable occasion, Mr. Erskine received 1,000 guineas. He was now in possession of the best second business in the King's Bench : by the phrase second business is meant that sort of business in which the lead is not given to the Counsel who are not yet arrived at the dignity of a silk gown, and of a seat within the Bar of the Court ; but an event took place which called his talents into activity on a most memorable occasion : we allude to the riots which disgraced the City of London in the year 1780. Every one knows the universal consternation which at that time agitated the kingdom; when the security of the nation was threatened in the destruction of the capital. After the suppression of these tumults, the vigilanceof the Magistracy was exercised in directing the insulted justice of the country against the actors in that dreadful conflagration. The part at tributed to Lord George Gordon in these outrages is well known. Mr. Erskine was retained Counsel for his. lairdship, in con. junction with Mr. Kenyon, afterwards Chief Justice of t he - King's Bench. The duty which more immediately devolved on the former was that of replying to the evidence : a duty which he sustained with infinite judgment and spirit. Ills speech on this trial abounds with many of the most finished graces of rhetoric. It is rapid and impetuous ; and altogether in that style and character which are most impressive in Judi. cial assemblies. The exordium is after the artificial method of the ancients, who never begin an oration without an appeal to the tribunal they are addressing upon the embarrassments and peril of the function they have undertaken. I stand,' said Mr. Erskine, ' much more in need of compassion than the Noble Prisoner. lie rests secure in conscious innocence, and in the assurance that his innocence will suffer no danger in your hands. But I appear before you a young and inexperienced Advocate ; little conversant with Courts of Criminal Justice, and sinking under the dreadful consciousness of that inexpe rience.' There is perhaps no department of his profession in which our Advocate has reached higher excellence than in his obser vation on evidence. The defence of Lord George Gordon re. quired the exercise of these powers to their amplest extent as the case on the_part of the Crown was supported by a variety of witnesses. Having delivered to the Jury the doctrine of High Treason, as It heal been established by the celebrated Act.of Edward the Third, and as it was expounded by means of the best authorities, he made :most dextrous application of thoserules to the evidence which had been adduced. They who study this speech will observe, with emotions of admiration, the subtledes with which he abates the force of the testimony he is encountering, and the artificial eloquence with which he exposes its defects, and its contradictions. I say, by God, that man is a ruffian, who on such evidence as this, seeks to establish a conclusion of guilt r was his exclamation as he was finishing this topic of his defence. An impassioned mode of address, which, although it may find some apology in the perpetual ex ample of Cicero, Is not altogether suited to the soberness of English eloquence. Of this speech, the concluding sentence is truly pathetic. We scarcely hesitate to pronounce it to be the best effort of Mr. Erskine's talents ; it doei not, indeed, dis play the minute beauties of cultivated diction, nor those grave remarks of moral wisdom with which his latter speeches, in imitation of Mr. Burke, are pregnant; but ? considered in re ference to the occasion on which it was delivered, it is a most astonishing effort of vigorous and polished intellect. In the month of May, 1783, 1 r. Erskine received the ho nour of a silk gown : his Majesty's Letters of Precedency being conferred upon him, us has been said, on the suggestion of the venerable Lord Mansfield. His professional labours were now considerably augmented, and he succeeded to that place which had been so long occupied by Mr. Dunning, afterwards Lord Ashburton. It would be impossible, within the space allotted to this article, to give an account of the causes pleaded by Mr. Er. skine ; his exertions being, for the most part, absorbed in the transactions of daily occurrences which are discussed in our Courts of Justice. From the infinate variety of these causes it is not extraor dinary that he should have acquired too artificial and common place a method of putting Ins topics ; but It is no just cause of reproach that Mr. Erskine should„in a great measure, have ex pended his store of expression and on thinking on these sub jects ; this is not poverty, but exhausted wealth—the indigence arising from too lavished a prodigality of his mental opulence. lie who looks for a perfect model of the style of Mr. Erskine, must examine his speech on the trial of Stockdale. When the charges against Mr. Hastings were published by the House of Commons, a 31r. Logie, a Clergyman of the (lurch of Scot land, and a friend of the Governor-General, wrote a tract, in which those charges were investigated with some acrimony, but with considerable warmth and vigour; so that the pamphlet being considered as libellous by a resolution of the House, a criminal information was filed by the Attorney-General against Stockdale, the publisher. In the course of his defence. Mr. Erskine urged many col lateral topics in favour of Mr. Hastings, in a style of fervid and ornamented eloquence. Mr. Erskine was elected one of the Members for Ports mouth in the year 1783 can honour which lie probably derived from the reputation he had acquired at the Court Martial which sat there on the trial of Admiral Keppel. His political charac ter may be extracted from his speeches in Courts of Justice, as well as from his uniform conduct in Parliament ; hut from no transaction in his life did he derive a more permanent rep tation than in his noble struggles in defence of the Trial by Jury. In his celebrated argument in support of a Rule for anew trial in the Dean of St. Asaph's case, he made an admirable effort to concentrate all the doctrines, and to combine all the reason ing' which lay scattered throughout so many volumes of legal learning. Upon the principles laid down in this speech Mr. Fox framed his Bill. The independence exhibited by our Advocate on every oc casion, threw upon him the defence of a multitude of persons prosecuted for sedition or libel by Government. His defence of Paine, however, occasioned his sudden dismission from the office lie held as Attorney-General to the Prince of Wales; but he was subsequently appointed to the dibniity of Chancellor to his Royal Highness, an office which had - lain dormant for many years. One of the most brilliant events in Mr. Erskine's profes sional life was the part cast upon him, in conjunction with Mr. i th n tot could' fatiguesd tend (afterwards Sir V.) Gibbs, in the Stat e T r i a l s , i n t h e year 1794. The accused persons looked up to Mr. E rs ki ne as t h e i r instru mentiineeg overioo insensible oed the h at e of safety. He undertook their sever a l d e f ences w i t h an 'elucidate enthusiasm their which ic innocence,—nothing rendered nce,— m of nd a long and continued exertion; nothing was omitted that to weaken the force of the case stated against them by the Crown Lawyers. One of Mr. Erskine's hat speeches as a Counsel was on the prosecution of the publisher of Pain's Age inf 1 ea ". Subsequently to this period, a great change• the political hemisphere converted the eloquent Advocate a Peer of the Realm. S after t oon aft death of Mr. Pitt, the subject of this memoir was sworn Member of Privy Council, created a Baron (February a ' 4 the 7, 1806) by the title of Lord Erskine, of Restormail Castle,in Cornwall" , and en. asLord trusted with the Great Seal Britain. High Chancellor of Great That he did not long hold his h• h • • ig judicial office is suffi ciently known to the Imblic, nor • sion that his Chancello rs hi p w ofis i shortt regretted by the prol es _ and habits had b ut ill qualified duration. Hi s p ar . and h appealed is decisions are never to him for his new station, Lord Erskine has since occasionally as authority. dis cussions, and written a taken part in public ome pamphlet s thing to his Courier reputation. , but without adding any PRICE 01 STOCKS TUB DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. 4 per Cent. . ."- 9 9 z Rank Stock shut India Stock .................. 3 per Cent. Red. 83 India Bonds 781. 795. 3 per Cent. Cons. B 3t South Sea Stock ............ -- 3i per Cent. — Old Annuities ............ --- New ...103 1 104 Ditto Small ................... 5 per Cents. 1797 Bank for Act. ............... Bank Long Ann. 9 lndia 1 for Con. Acct. Imp. 3 per Cents. 100 Ex. Bills ..................... 46 45 / Cons. for Acc. ~• --- ~. 831 PRICE or FOREIGN STOCIiS IN LONDON, Nov?"' AT ONE O'CLOCK. French S Five per Cents. 00. I Scrip, 14. Six per Cents. 00. Russian Five per Cents. (Metallic) 00. Ditto New 831. Five per Cent. Bonds, 784. Five per Cents. (Metallic) 00. Five per Cent. Bonds, 1820, 00. Spanish Ditto 1821, 28i. Ditto 1823, Itli. Prussian 1 Five per Cent. Bonds, 874. 1. Ditto New, 884. Danish Five per Cent. Bonds, 00. Chili 67. Colombian Six per Cent. Bonds, 60. Peruvian New Loan, 00. Portuguese Scrip, i dis. Poyais _l' 4. I New, 41. IBank Shares £OO Os. Seven per Cent. 000. American Six per Cent. 00-000.- Five per Cent. 00-000. Three per Cent. 00 00. Neapolitan Austrian 111011 WATER A Morning, 33 minim T LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORRO:. es after 5.'1 Evening, 59 minutes ; ,fter ;• THE SUN. SOLE3I QUIS FALSUM 4111).C.ir • LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER '2'2, 15,23. There have been various reports recently rt specting an intended augmentation of the 05' ttry, as well as the Naval force of the emitter!' We have refrained from noticing these rumour s (which we knew to be premature) until it shouij be in our power to announce the actual doer' mination of Government. We are now enabled to state that the Army :o receive an addition of ten thousand men. 11'' ,crease will be effected by the addition of lift! men, immediately, to each battalion, and tin/ more in the month of January next. The object of this considerable augrnentati° :o the military force of the country, strengthen the defences of the transmarine P°s' sessions of the Empire•. It „111 c omp under tl'e notice of Parliament ou the present:►tiu►t 0C tie Army Eitimates, and will of courto recelVe 111°1 approbation of every Member of the Legislature' and of the Public. In our preceding columns we have g iVell e" tracts from the French and Dutch Papers. Irk° of i e several d e Etoile repeats the statement from Brest, vib icil tmhaentGlinagzei sFranceips o f w u r, relativ e nild ' we noticed yesterday as having f irs t a ppeared it ' is of their crews. Still, however, the intelligence t; only given on the authority of ad vices fro' 131 ; 1 and, even if it should be authenticated oil ici ' Y ' l it must not be forgotten that the bil iu g " ; 1) to . some of her ships of war during 11 ' " ' II , 0 might comport very well w ith a reselu3, formed by France' to enter upon aCtlYe °P tve tions early in the ensuing year, at the same i ce that her apparently pacific dispositions woul.Sior 1 to lull those suspicions which her conductiewoi, Spain, and other indications of a restless Art es , tious policy, have been so well calculated , 0 t he el, ( 111 ; cite. An article in the Constitution . w r iter ° to d t i t s ie cha dr g is: exception of the anticipation of i ts 00 England may be speedily broug ht into CO ides of p c with Russia), gives a tolerably enrr- t o , this the policy which will be piirsne d . --- country with respect to South 41ilertc° ' her oil° Great Britain has only to puo' fle' re" free, unfettered, and independent 4 oe f / well gardless of the temporary coalit ions ' or la ter, whose conflicting interests must, oSier, great' t oo lre dissolve their confederacy—to take ever) 1 esr s ad , for the extension of her own comMerce tight" t the a t e ness, which is compatible wi th 0 10 3 and independence of other states, ---t° Anpeci h 'Oh Cv • te t relations of amity, and to nst ll-1 - fiti g i ~, belie ~,, Lions wherever a reciprocity of - a s bir,'' ' e , D tb her use ' the promise of permanency to her fr i and above all, to 44 cov er the seas v ig t P Os r e tiler . lig numerable ships of war t " in ° vi° to the t i eo connections may be protected fro ~ 0 t to l' o the of adverse Powers, —she has on ly t i t e , ofi ce aq u a bit s things, and she may bid defian i t sol il l t. ttlii- side threats and to the machinations o , t , s ic id n' 111C " f iti e which is eager to disturb 0010 1- _ juste to es at her prosperity. There iS on i v to i n . ei which we should be most iIePP ) he ci ) , • of t oie g country cultivating a connecties f e st 0 , There Are ?O W kind :—we mean Greece. the 1 0 to sll 4 ‘ sures which would tend mer e . 0) a sew # tion of her prosperity an