The Sun. — London, England, 1823-04-05 00:00:00

PA IRS PAPERS. [FRuM TILE CONSTITUTIONNEL.] PAIL s, pIL 3,—Within these few days rumours of a very strange and contradictory nature on our political situation have been in circulation : whilst on one hand fresh negOcia tions that have arisen from the mediation of Austria .are spoken of; on the other it is asserted( that the signal of hostilities has been given, and that within two or three days at the farthest the French army will have effected the passage of the Bidassoa. This last report does not in the least discourage those who believe that there will be peace. In order to make peace., it is said,' war must be begun, for even up to this moment the sword is not drawn, and in the respec s tive situations of France and Spain, the con clusion of any treaty is nearly impossible, events alone can facilitate it. According to these same persons, the parties are very disposer) to roll' by the very first opportunities to enter into a oe. gociation,and it is hoped that they will be seized on both sides with avidity. In support of their opinion they say that one of the most influential Mem bers of the Opposition on the Right, and one of the most avowed advocates of war, spoke the day before yesterday, in giving Isis opinion on the Budget, of an ambulatory diplomacy which is to' follow the army. This expression is explained by the departure of M. de Martignac, who they suppose is charged with powers to negociate at anytime. M. the Abb6 Duros is talked of as having recently come from Madrid ; he is an old French emigrant, who was Curate and Confessor to the Queen in Spain, and it is asserted that he is to depart • within a few days, some say for, Bayonne, others for Seville. This journey, most, likely very insignificant in itself, and which was undertaken merely on account of his own personal affairs, has been considered by many as a political • mission, and it must not' be wondered at, as, in the present ser ious state of the country, trifles are commented on, and even acquire a .greet interest. • The; Journal des Dhbats informs us' that, ac cording to letters from Bayonne, of March 25, General Quesadu had entered fruit ; but our let. ters of the 27th positively contradict this asser tion. , General Quesada has not quitted St. Jean de Luz. The. silence which the President of the Coml. cil, preserved on being reproached with having always had the intention of negociating even in making war, could not escape observation. As for.ourselves, though we may be accused .of being revolutionists and the enemies of public peace, we 'shall put.up our vows till the last moment for the preservation of peace ; and if the war shall unhappily begin, we shall still preserve the hope that endeavours :will be ~ made to shorten its duration. We do not conceal from ourselves., however, that there are difficulties in entering into negoci ations, before which the pretensions of both parties must give way. In fact, if Spain accepts the conditions, she will acknowledge the prin. ciple of armed intervention, against which she has declared with so much haughtiness ; and it the French Ministers are contented with any mo difications whatever in the existing system, they will acknowledge its principle and its o'rigin, which in all their public acts they have hitherto declared they could not admit. Events, how. ever, are powerful conciliators, and to them be. : longs the power of smoothing all the difficulties; and deciding the question. The Constitutionnel remarks with reference to the account of a conspiracy in France, of .which • so much has recently been said in English Jour. pals:—" Till now they had 'said nothing of Great Britain, but we are much astonisherd that during the six years, in which every event which has agitated Europe and America has been attributed to the Directing Committee, that nobody has yet pointed out to us what this Committee is, of whom it is composed, and of the place where it holds its sittings. It ought not to be difficult to dis. cover the traces of such numerous acts, of which it is said to be the* sole instigator and director." We cannot think, after the guarded silence of the Moniteur, and the principal Ministerial Jour. nets on this great conspiracy, that the private , correspondents of the English Papers should be believed on their words ; and at a time when 'it is of such great importance to calm all minds, we cannot but express our surprise at seeing certain Papers which speak incessantly of their love for the country, collect with such facility rumours and exaggerations which are only fit to excite dis. quietude in the public. [[PAUSE T UE COURIER FRANCAIS 4 I PARIS, APRIL I.—The day before yesterday the grenadiers of the Ist company of the 6th legion invited M. Mercier, their comrade, to a banquet. The first toast was, "The King and Cshsartertln, ;" the second, 44 Prosperity to Coin.. !tierce and Industry." The number of persons assembled was 80, and the greatest cordiality and harmony prevailed. A letter from New York of March 1, says, that the Spanish Consuls in the Unitvd States have received orders from their Government to deliver Letters of Marque against the French, should war be declared. [ It ODi THE sointwAL DES DEBATSA We are assured that the Ministers will this day present to Else Chamber of Deputies a law prnject, for the'organization of an army of re serve, by anticipation on the levy of 1823. M. Tabarie is appointed' Directeur of the Ma Eerie! of the war. Letters from Bayonne of the 27th, say, that M. de Lostaude, Aide•de-Camp of General Guil leminut, has been arrested and conducted to Paris. (This is the officer whose arrival in that city, under the care of a gendarme was noticed in 'Flu SUN of Wednesday.) The Spanish Chief •Gorostodi, after his fruitless attack on frun, has arrived at St. Jean de Luz with 600 men. All the revolutionary Spaniards have been expelled from Bayonne, as they endeavoured to create .disunion among the troops of Quesada. The ' Spaniards have spread a report that Bessieres had capitulated and accepted the amnesty. M. de Bois Bertrand, Commissaire General of Police, arrived at Bordeaux on March 26. PERPIGNAN, MARCH 25.—The Junta of Ca talonia having solicited the favour of being presented to his Royal Highness, were in formed that the Prince would willingly re ceive the members as private individuals, but that he could not give them audience in the cha racter they had assumed. The Curate 'l'orderas and Father Miro were presented in the name of the Spanish Ecclesiastic refugees, to his Royal Highness, who received them very graciously. The Baron d'Erotes continues to organize his troops. lie refuses to recognize any act of the Regency. Several chiefs, among others Carol, have 'renounced every kind of military duty. Mises is banished to St. Laurent de Cerdans, where he lives quite retired with his family. A great number of other officers have laid aside the epaulets which indicate their rank. There is in general very little harmony among the refugees. The division of Ero les will encamp as soon as armed, at the distance of a short league from Perpignan, between the villages' of Baixas and St. Esteve. The news from the frontier an nounces the arrival at Campredon, of a foreign legion, 900 strong. it has taken the name;of " the Legion of Death."—(Constitutionnel.) BAYONNE, MAUCH 27.—An Aide-de-Camp of General Guilleminot was arrested yesterday, and delivered into the custody of two gendarmes, who have taken him to Paris. The reason assigned for his arrest is a military conspiracy in which he is implicated. Longa, one of the Ciders of the Army of the `Faith, being unable to get 200 officers' uniforms made, has sent to Toulouse, a Jewish mer chant, named Molars, who-is said to be in high credit with, the Chiefs of the Faith. These Chiefs continue to purchase horses, good and bad, at any price. They pay 1,000 francs ready money for them. Accordingly, all the inha bitants are eager to take advantage of this rise, more especially as the food for horses was be come very dear. All Spaniarda known to be attached to the cause of the Cortes now in this town, have re. ceived orders to depart without delay. .7Letters from Saragossa state, that Capaspe, Bessieres's Lieutenant, 'has finally capitulated -with General Ballesteros. The foreign legion which was formed at Bilboa is gone to Tolosa : a part, it is said, will proceed towards 'run. It is to serve as a free company. On the departure of the last accounts, the Pastor was still at Irun, where he was employed in organizing his corps. Two battalions of Volunteers have arrived at Barcelona from Majorca. Ten thousand muskets of English manufacture have been lauded at 13 II boa . ' remedying the defects ; but which he ascribes to the difficulties in the way. He considers, however, that great sub s ta nt i a l amelioration has been effected, and adverts to an Act of Par liament of the last year from which the greatest benefit has been derived, and from the effect of winch he expects the certain reformation of the laws, and of the judicial service of the States. This Address concludes with the following observations on the late general elections.:— " At the time (says Sir Thomas Maitland), that the present charter was framed, it must .be known to those I am now ad dressing, that the greatest difficulties were supposed to exist in introducing the system of voting viva voce, instead of the one in practice of balls and ballotting boxes : and, it was even contended, that this last manner of voting was necessary, for the peace and harmony of society. " It appeared to me then, as it (hies now, that the introduc tion of the system of voting viva voce on a ll occas i ons, would of itself tend to form the character, and correct the morals, of the people more than any other measure that could be adopt ed ; and its success has, I own, exceeded my most san guine expectations, anti, I apprehend, has also surpassed those of every well-wisher to his country. For whether we look at the number of electors who assembled, and their zeal and anxiety to exercise their elective franchise, or whether we con sider the quality and description of the persons they returned as their Representatives, it must be obvious, that every thing that has been said by a few factious individuals, is proved I by the act and deed of the whole of the Nobility, and of every person of respectability or property in the country, to be ut terly false. . _ "'The conduct, in fact, observed by all ranks of society, Seems to me to be exactly the one best calculated to Ensure, and at the earliest period, an extension of the liberties and franchises possessed by the people. " Let me not, however, be understood as holding out the most distant idea, that his Majesty will ever permit the intro. duction into these islands of those wild and destructive prin ciples which can only tend to Rap the wealth and happiness of nations. What I mean to say is, that you will always find me disposed to propose to his Majesty's Government such further extension - of the privileges of the people, as a conviction of their moral improvement, and of their increased attachment and confidence in their Government may warrant—and any re commendation on this head, when limited within the bounds of any real practical view of the case, will certainly meet the sanction of his Majesty, from that anxio us so li c i tu d e ever dis played in favour of these States by your august Prot ec t or , my magnanimous and gracious Sovereign." PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. SUFFOLK MEETING. Yesterday it Meeting of the Nobility, Gentry', Clergy, and Freeholders of this County, was held at Stowmar ket, in pursuance of a R equ i s i t i on s i gned by 1,300 Freehold ers , and presented to the High Sheriff, llzatitY USBORNE, Esq., for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of ad dressing a Petition to the House of Commons, praying that Parliament might be reformed immediately and effectually.. The Meeting mos held in the market-place of Stowmarket, and was numerously and respect a bl y atten d e d . Amongst the Gen tlemen on the Misting*, we observed the following :—The two County Memb ers , Si r In n. Parker, Sir R. Hartland, Sir Wm. Middleton, Sir ..^.. Eagle, Mr. James M'Donald, Mr. Gage,, and several others. Shortly after one o'clock the Hum Sit Earn- took the Chair, and having read the Requisition, he shortly add resse d t h e Meeting. Ther e were , h e said, Gentlemen present of different political opinions, but he trusted th at every G ent l eman who should address ie Chair would receive a full and impartial hearing. Sir Ilitzmy BUNBUHY then came forward to propose the Petition; he was received with loud cheers. -T he Hon. Baronet commenced by saying that he bad in common with the Meeting to regret the absence of Lord Henry. Fitzroy and Mr. Rigsby, who were detained by unavoidable causes. The Meeting would recollect that they had twice before petitioned for Reform, and that their petitions were not attended to with any effect —but he was persuaded that good resulted from those peti titions notwithstanding—they refreshed the memory of Hon. Members—they conveyed salutary hints—they tended (to use a phrase borrowed front the Fancy) to take the conceit out of them,-(A latigh.)—Gentlenien in that House had said, that the system, as it worked, was a very good one. It was, no doubt, a good system for the majority of the House.--aye, and a profitable one too.—(A, laugh.) —it was a pity that the people did not catch that rose - coloured view of the subject, lie feared that 5-Ochs of the people were not prepared to pro. nounce the system a good one. —(No.! no 1)--It was then to bp lamented that the interests of the people and their opinions were opposed to the interests , of Hon. Members of the House of Commons.—lt was theAuty of the county again to petition for Reform—.they had' pledged themselves to do so. There was not, in his opinion, a more favourable opportunity for ask. ing for Reform for the last 30 years. They did not stand alone, they acted with the country at large--with Yorkshire, with Herefordshire, with Lincoln, and many other counties. In Yorkshire alone the Petition was signed by upwards of 15,000 freeholders.—(Hear, hear, hear 1)—It has been conten d e d by some persons, that the taxes that had been recently taken off, afforded a satisfactory proof that the House of Com mons was disposed to do all that could be done for the relief of the people, and that, therefore.—And first, with respect to the degree of relief atibrded—he would ask was that relief, great or small, to be ascribed to the self. moving and generous patriotism of the Ilouse of Commons ? No, the Minister saw the missry of the people; he saw a otorm rising around him, and he found it necessary to do som e thi ng to allay it; he sent down his edi c t to take off'taxes but he( Sir IL) felt convinced that if it h a d b een t h e policy of the Minister "to put on instead of repealing taxes, lie would .find equal fact. lily on the part of die House of Commons. He might be re minded that the language of Ministers had of late improved —he knew it, and lie congratulated the country that the fact was so ; he hoped to see a more enlightened policy pur. sued. The conduct of die Government with respect to Ire land—the measures which lie hoped were about to be car ried for the relief and tranquillity of that country, inclined him to draw a conclusion so favourable to Ministers.—. At home, the country, from one end to the other, resounded with the groans of the impoverished, ruined farmer. Abroad, the Desp o t s o f t h e C o ntin e n t were l eagued together to put down the hopes and the liberties of mankind—(Cheers.)—The Parliament had sat for two months—during that time, on nights. when q ues ti ons o f t h e utmost i mportance were to be brought on, the Speaker could not make a House; and even when Houses were made, on questions of the utmost interest, not more than from 70 to 150 Members could be prevailed on to attend.— The Hon. Baronet next contrasted the present , state of the House of Commons with what (he asserted) the Constitution of England intended the House of Commons should have been. The arguments of the HonoUrable Gentleman were nearly the same as those urged in 'the Petition. He then alluded to the conduct of " the Holy Alliance," an alliance (he said) of tyrants against th e liberties of mankind—(Loud cheers).— Those unprincipled Monarchs turned their arts suid their arms against the Spaniards, merely because the Spaniards aspired to a state of freedom ; it never could be forgotten that when the Thrones of the Despot s w ere crumbling, they were upheld and preserved by t h e p at i ent fortitude 'ant! 'the heroic devotion of those identical Spaniards—(Loud cheers),—supported by the blood and treasure of England. Who but must abhor the vile Bourbon and thecrafty Mostiovite—what Englishman, attached to. the ancient Constitution of his country, but inust feel in dignant and alarmed at the peen hostility of the tyrants of th e West against all freedom and all representative Governments. at al To ,place. Great Britain in , that situation where she could l times be able t o d e f eat the projects of these tyrants, th e union of her people—the reforni of all abuses, particularly the Reform of her Repr esentative System, eras absolutely neces sary. He wished for an effectual Reform; the detaili of the measure might be gone into at a more convenient time. The lion. Baronet then moved that the following Petition should be adopted as the Petition of the Meeting s— " To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled. " The humble Petition of the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, anti Freeholders of the County of Suffolk, assembled at Stowmarket, " Sheweth—That the County of Suffolk has twice laid Peti tions before the present Parliament, praying for a R e f orm i n the Representation of th e C ommons ; but that these Petitions, as well as many others of the same tendency front other coun ties, remain without effect. " That your Petitioners feel an increased cmviction of the benefits which would result from a more free, more general, and more frequent exercise of the elective franchise—but your Peti tioners renew their supplication not merely becaus e th ey be lieve that R e f orm would be beneficial, but likewise because they claim it as a constitutional right of the people. " That your Petitioners regard with veneration and warm attachment the genuine Constitution of England ; anti they therefore feel the greater sorrow and indignation when they trace the growth and witness the effects of abuses which de. grade and endanger it. "rhat this revered Constitution gives to the people a share in the Legislature, and a power of checking the Ministers of the Crown, by means of a b o d y of Representat i ves i n Parliament, freely hosen 'by the Commons At large from amongst them selves. "'!'hat the Peers of the Realm, and the Crown itself are pro hibited bylaw, as well as by the spirit of the Constitut ion, from influencing or interferin g w i t h t h e El ect i on o f a Representative of the People; so that the Rouse of Commons ought to be corn. posed of Members chosen by the free Commoners of the realip to protect particularly their rights and interests. " That, in fact, the composition of your Honourable House is widely different. That a large portion of your Honourable House consists of Members nominated by certain Peers of the realm ; a second portion by the Ministers of the Crown ; and a third by individuals who have acquired an undue influence in decayed Boroughs, and who too frequently make this influence the means of bartering the interests of the na tion for their own personal advantage ; lastly, that a con siderable number of the Members of your Honourable House enjoy lucrative Places, Pensions, or Commissions under the Crown, which render them more 'or less dependent upon Ministers. That your Petitioners beg leave to sub. intt the present state of the Representation in Suffolk, as one amongst many examples. That from this County sixteen Members are returned to Parliament ; only two of whom are chosen by the Freeholders of the County ; that two are elected' by the Freemen of Ipswich ; two by those of Sudbury ;"and the other ten Members are returned to your Honourable House upon the nomination of a very few individuals. " That your Petitioners disclaim any intention of throwing who who are e indiscriminate w e c r e n o s f u n r o e, m o i r n a i m t o p n u , ti o n r g t u o n a w n o r t t h h e y m m e o m ti v b e e s r to all thus returned to Parliament ; but your Petitioners cannot help seeing that, in consequence of these abuses in the Representa tion, a large majority of your Honourable House is composed of Members who are completely independent of the people, and whose interests are distinct from, and frequently adverse to, those of the nation at large. " That the injurious results of these abuses have been glar ingly manifested of latey ears in the subserviency of Parliaments to the Ministers of the Crown—in the enactment of Statutes which tend to,subvert the constitutional liberties of the subject ' —in a great waste of the public treasure—in the imposition of excessive taxes—and in a disregard of the opinions and .peti tions of the people —even under circumstances of great national distress. " That the severity and continuance of this distress make your Petitioners feel the more sensibly the want of Representa tives whose interests would be the same as those of the people. " That your Petitioners behold with disgust and indignation the absolute Monarchs of Europe conspinng against the free dom of mankind, interfering with the internal affairs of inde pendent and unoffending nations, and trampling alike upon civil rights and international laws. That your Petitioners can not but feel a• jealousy of the designs which these powerful and , 1 unprincipled invader s ma y enterta i n aga i nst the free Constitu tion of England, if they should unhappily succeed in destroy. ing the liberties of Spain and Portugal. That your Petitioners therefore deem 'it the more important that the Constitution should be revived and strengthened by a timely Reform, and that the liberties of the nation should be shielded by their pro per guarantee--a real Representation of the People in Par liament " That your Petitioners do not presume to lay down a parti cular scheme of Parliamentary Reform—they only ask for such Constitutional measures as may render your Honourable House the genuine organ and the security of the people ; but they most earnestly pray that your Honourable House will give the earliest attention to this great object, and will thus, by restoring the strength and harmony of. the Constitution, ensure the return of domestic prosperity, general confidence, and rational power." Sir Wsr. PAnxEn rose to second the petition. He so fully concurred in the sentiments express:d by the Hon. Baronet, that he felt it necessary only to say, that he approved of the petition which had been just read. The question was then put by the SIIERIFF on the Petition, and it was (with the exception of one or two hands) unanimous. ly adopted as the Petition of the Meeting. Mr. Gooch, M.P., then c a m e f orwar d. Th e H on. Gentle. man was received with some strong marks of disapprobation, which occasionally manifested themselves during the course of his speech. As a freeholder he claimed the right of addressing the Meeting. He stood there in the midst of his political ene mies—he was not supported by one single political friend—but be felt it his duty shortly to state his sentiments. He always wished that the people should enjoy the right of presenti ng Petitions to P ar l iament, though he might differ with them as to the expediency of certain measures. The Hon. Baronet said, that some taxes had been taken off; but he would tell the Meeting that it could be proved by .black an d w hi te , t h at not less than 22 m illi ons of taxes had been remitted by Parliament. For himself he never touched, directly or indirectly, a shilling of the public money. A voice in the crowd...." No; but your sons have." Mr. Goocu, in continuation, said, that if they intended to 401. ag indeed;" e n lda o ;w w ” . wi He ut g l o a hn d .g) He_edispassionately enough.._.(" oti gdhtiro, yi c el considered a s tn i h d eetrsoetniiiitdsnhnxdastlebtoaylAyitriieyvrheneseceewtidftietsowoe destroyed.__ free, answer him by ridicule, he could not but wish them joy of their taste—(" Don't be angry, Gaffer 1" a laugh). lie contended that the Elective Franchise was more extended now than in the reign of' Henry the Third, for 40s. then were as much as e mqruealoateesulrurt feel it of_ alrlnniordietnyg.: Reform, and he had made up his mind to this, that no Reform ts of his ld d which had been yet proposed would be of any benefit to the people.--(Liaughter, and muniiiirs of disapprobation.)— ' the Constitution, as it stood, was sufficient to correct abuses. Th tftitnF a ioiii: : arteou i din it d neriu.as, c ierti • it o etiii hAti r sltta r bii seol u steienn : lf i pic 000t t is(rwn : uerhge n tierwedaberisis:. d tialt,hil i ebdi d loenaeoudarcer n yettotd o netci t onatiiniinndn e ns tstihti i iedpia s ds t eot ok,rhle corruptiontii ahntbtinetgicuiidaeirteslw ,Rwthihieiei lie certainl y opt h y her c c e smieoe: Representative, n u t would not annßo t eth e s o cay n w s w en net t :ep to arot h spp a ree v e e ste n h otr i , s a bnhuyatnrdei re form his remain . ,t t to o. free d o in) present. s aGo o nr te r do b i u lot independent.shpeerowu :hen addressed the meeting in support of the petition. Mr. Jam ES .3lAcnosim.n bUpported the p rayer o f t h e peti tion in a long and very eloquent speech ; oth er G ent l emen fol lowed on th e same side. The petition was ultimately carried and ordered to he presented by the County Members. rain Duri n fell ingcessantly. the Meeting, which was h e l d in the open street, the GENERAL STEAM VESSEL COMPANY A most respectable Meeting of Gentlemen in. ‘erested in the formation of the above Company, took place yes terday at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, at one o'cicitic, when Mr. JOLLIFFE having taken the Chair, he proceeded to read a statement of considerable length to the Meeting, which had been (as was understood) drawn up from the Committee.— The principle feature of this statement were, Ist, the proposal of receiving steam vessels from persons willing to become sub scribers, in lieu of pecuniary payments. Secondly, that, as the amount of subscription was limited to 44,0001. the lists should be allowed to remain at the banking-houses for an extended pe riod of two months. And thirdly, the practicability of eng ag . ing with the ste a m- vesse l s i n t h e trade to India, in support of which a most able prospectus had been issued by Lieutenant J. H. Johnson, It. N., who had been for some years engaged be tween Calcutta and this country. Admiral Sir .1. YORKE, M.P. rose,-with considerable regret, to urge such objections to any further attempt at • the establish.. ment of the proposed Company ; but certainly he, for one, should withdraw his name from the list of subscribers, the ammint of such subscription being limited to less than a sixth part of the capital required. Gentlemen should not neglect the consideration of the interests of those classes who would be most affected by the execution of the plan submitted to them. Before the Company could be established, It must pass through the Parliamentary fire, and it was not a mall fire, as most of those present well knew ; there A great part of the capital must of necessity be expended, for Counsel would be cm ployed in suliport of the interests of those by whom the present speculation was viewed with some animosity and a great deal of jealousy, and of course the Company must also resort to the assistance of legal Gentlemen, and the expense would be found to be very considerable. The Worthy Chairman had disclaimed any personal interest in the formation of the Corn. pony ; but he (Sir J. Y.) had no hesitation in saying that he (Mr. J.) was most certainly the person most interested of any of those Gentlemen who had put down their names as sub scribers. After examining the statement of the Chairman In its bearings, objecting to the premises advanced, which he de nominated a complete humbug, the speaker concluded by moving " That the plan proposed be now abandoned." Sir JOHN PAUL, M.P., supported the proposed Company. HILTON JOLLIFFE, L'sq_. M.P., rather wi s h e d t h at the time should be still further extended to the Ist of August. Sir JOHN Petry , M.P., ex p resse d hi s concurrence in the al teration suggested. A gentleman proposed to do away with the necessity of ap plying to Parliament, by allowin g th e su b scr i pt i on list to re. main open until the 24th of June. Sir J. YORKE, M.P. referred to a calculation subjoined to a printed statement submitted to a previous Meeting, and he thought a more glaring imposition had never been submitted to the public than the present. The CHAIRMAN rose to express his astonishment that the gallant Admiral should use language in a publi c room w hi c h could not be repeated to a Gentleman. Sir Joint pa Yonicz, M.P., was ready to meet any Gentle. man to whom his language might be thought offensive. He, however, had no hesitation in saying that he did not mean any personality to the worthy Chairman. The CHAIRMAN was perfectly satisfied with the gallant Ad. mind's explanation. Another objection urged was, that it was proposed t o carry goods in the steam vessels, with outi con sidering the necessary alteration of the size of the paddles, and the consequent increase of the required depth of water. In THE -lONIAN STATES. -- - MEETING THE PARLIAMENT,eourn, MAncri 1. SUUSTANCE OP SIR THOMAS MAITLAND'S SPEECH TO TIIE PARLIAMENT ASSEMIILVD THIS DAY. Speaking of the conviction that the Members of the now Par liament will be guided by . the •,genuine principles of pa trimism, Sir TIIOMAS 'MAITLAND says, a of this, the cha reefer, the known talent, and the property ,in the country of the persons I have the honour of addressing, are the amplest guarantees." Ile then enters at length into the difference of the present situation of the islands from that in which they stood at the pe riod of the promulgation of the Constitution of 11117, and con gratulates the Assembly " on the gradual increase of the pro. sperity of every part of the population ;" which he attributes to the good general demeanour of the people, under circum stances of a trying nature. lie declines entering into the misrepresentations of the trans. actions in the lonian Islands, " which have been s p rea d over Europe, and no where more industriously circulated than within the dominions of the Protecting Sovereign ; for it is sufficient (says the General) for you to feel, and for his Ma jesty's GoVernment to know, that you actually enjoy more of the blessings of civilized life, more liberty, and a greater degree of prosperity and affluence, than many of those countries in which there is an affectation of lamenting the tyranny and op. pression under which they falsely say you live." . In regard to the neighbooring warfare in Greece, he observes, " These unfortunate hostilities are, as usual, attended with the greatest horrors', and atrocities. The lonian Government, how. ever will -continue t o se i ze on every opportunity of exercising the duties of hospitality and humanity, in favour of the unhappy victims of that wide desolation, which forms the peculiar cha, ratter of this cruel.and bloody warfare." in regard to the internal quiet of the Islands themselves, he feels confident of the continuation " of the present calm and unruffled tranquillity," and recommends in consequence to the lonian Executive Government " the recal to their native Island Zante, of those turbulent individuals, being five in num ber, whose behaviour during the late crisis in the Morea, forced the Government to remove them from the Island for a time. They comprise the whole of the individuals treated in this man tier; nor is there a single person within the States in a state of arrest ordetention on this account." The Speebh then adverts to the Finance of the Islands. The public accounts are up to the 31st of January, 1823, the close of the hist4inanclal year. The receipt during the year was The expenditure ditto - Spanish Dollars. • 7413,876 • 490,618 Leaving a surplus Revenue of - 117,347 " Your financial affairslsays the General) continue to wear a prothising aspect. Certain it is, that this is not the result of fresh taxation ; for you well know that no additional imposts have been laid on • the people since the establishment of - the present Constitutional Government of 1017: unless the modifi cation of the then existing taxes made by Parliament in 1010 is considered in that light. Rut to settle this point at once, there is laid on y our ta bl e a return of the present commercial duties and taxes of all descriptions, . together with a statement chewing how they stood at the period of, and 'antecedent to, the connection between Great Britain and the Islands. From these documents it appears that mitigatio n, _ not aggravation, of taxation was t h e result of the regulations of 1818 al. lotted to." The crops during the last year failed at Corfu. In the islands of Cephalonia, Zante, and Ithaca, the last year was one of unexampled prosperity, from good crops and a price for cur.' rants high beyond all precedent, owing to the total destruction of the currant 'plantations of the Morels, in the contest in that Peninsula. On this Sir THOMAS says— " From real documents which have been submitted to me, it appears that the proprietors of Cephalonia, Zante and Ithaca, have received in one year a return, clear of all diarges what ever, of 20 to . 30 per cent. on de value of their respective properties; and it affords me the highest gratification, at a time when the agriculturists, in all other parts ofthe world, find th e greatest difficulty in obtaining sale for their produce, th at t h e inhabitants of these Islands form the happiest exception to the general distress, and that the praiseworthy industry they have shown, since the establishment of the present Government, in the material extension of'the cultivation of - their lands has met its due reward." , In regard:to the expenditurei the Civil List Is laid oti the table for the consideration of the Assembly ; also an acciount enumerating every item of the whole expenditure, the chief heads of which are alluded to, such as the Government new buildings at Corfu, the new market and lazzaretto in Cepha lonia, and the new military hospital at Zunte ; the money expended in all the islands in the making of roads, and in paying, during the 'last year, an extra body of the militia to guard the coast, as thcplague had shown itself on the op., posits shores. The new College is open in -the current year, but not in Ithaca, as formerly:proposed, but in Corfu. In respect to the administration of Justice, the General ex-. presses his regret that the progress has not been greater in PRICE a THIS DAY AT Rank Stock shut 3 per Cent. Red. shut 3 per Cent. Cons 74ii 3. per Cent shut :shut 4 per Cent. 1 thd New 94i i 5 per Cents. 1197 Bank Long Ann. shut Imp. 3 per Cents. — AT ONE O'CLOCK. - Five per Cents. 78k. Six per Cents. 00. Russian Five per Cents. (Metallic) 00. Ditto New 72. Neapolitan f Five per amt. Bonds, 68. Austrian t Scrip, 00. Five per Cents. (Metallic) 00. Spanish {Five per Cent. Bonds, 36. New Ditto, 29g. Scrip, 00 disc. Prussian f Five per Cent. Bonds, 81i ex dist. Danish t Ditto New, 791. Chili Five per Cent. Bonds, 82i. 66i ex div. Colombian Six per Cent. Bonds, 60. Peruvian New Loan, 00. /Bank Shares £2l ss. American Six per Cent. 90-98. Five per Cent. 95i-07. Three per Cent. 70. French II 1(311 WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE T 0.310880.. limning, 8 minutes after 10. I Evening, 37 minuaks_....,lafter TIIE SUN. SOLEM QUIS DICERE FALSUM AVOW '' LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1823. However tardy may be the arrival of confir matory accounts of certain articles of early in' telligence, which have been excldsively comma' nicated to the Public from time to time through the medium of this Paper, our Readers will see that the truth of all our statements is gr adually established. I n T HE S HY o f the 20th ult. we announced, on th e hi g h est aut h or ity / that accou nts had b een rece i ved from Madrid o f the Minis" having app ropr i ated to the pu blic service t he Cussu del C re di t° Public°, a l t hough the C ortes had on a pr ev i ous occas i on no bly resisted Pr" position f or resort i ng to t h at v i o l e nt measur e 'i On the f o ll ow i ng d ay , ( t h e '2lst), we announce( that th e di s p a t c h es rece i ve d by Government flora Lord FI TZROY S OMERSE T confirmed the se izuro of the Cass°, and that when the last accounts left Madrid, the Ministers bad prepared a list Of I' 6r ' sons who were thought capable of contributing d l at o e r d nt m 'n Morning Herald of 17th this d a yv nI to a forced loan. The te letr a li l " In addition to other ext raor di nary measures which the 6? - adridti se t.,,hi c c o hs a ny in s s vernment has adopted to procure funds sufficient to enable them to effect the removal of the Government to Seville, it i s u nder ; stood that they have recently resorte d to ways and mean'° a vigorous character, which, if executed by private indiv: duals, would have been called robbery. 'They have seize d all the deposits of money which were in the Credito pubbcyr pledging the Treasury of course to refund the amount' Those who understand the state of the Spanish finances gear: to suspect th at thi s p l e d ge i s not worth five per cent. This is, I fact, adopting upon their own responsibility an important part of the measure which they lately submitted to Cortes for uni ing all the e ff ect s and p p property in the hands o f the Cred it° Public° availabl e t o t h e ex i genc i es o f t h e S ta te --a uleasure which th e C ortes scouted—in public debate—but which t he party that governs that body, as well as the Ministry, m ust have since sanctioned, if not suggested, to the extent to which it has been carried into effect. " But this is not all--there is a society of sheep-ewn era . , eite. blighted in M a d r id w h ose i nterests are manag ed by I ' . mittee for the general benefit. The flocks are sent every Y ear to pasture in Estremadura, anti when the season comes they are removed to the neighbourhood of Segovia, lad shor n.-- This society is ca ll e d t h e M esta, wh i ch li tera lly meant) a eocl beta ra of regul a ti ons f or t h e government of agricultural Pero t ransactions. Th e M esta h a d a depos i t w i t h hs ba of abo u t one h undred thousand dollars, an d w ithin the ° three days, fia sco , t h e Mi n i ster o f t h e I n terior, sent an order to th e B an k ers to deliver this d epos i t to Ofiee ra ' whom h e name d , upon the faith that the w h o l e a mountl4 gether with th e i nterest, shculd be pa i d b y t h e T r easury. 11 % chest in whi c h t h e money was deposite d ha d t h ree Jocks, saw only one of the k e y s was in Madrid. The Minister ordere d the officers to b r i ng away t h e chest i tself, w hi c h a2 cordinglY leas done. Th ere are several other depos i ts, w hi c h aro like l y to * meet the same fate." In a Second Edition of THE Su of the 2 511) ult., whi c h was di scre di te d an d r idiculed by the New Ti mes an d th e M orn i ng Chronicle, we that dispatches h a d b e en received by. Govern meet, and by the Austrian Ambassad or, from Vienna, containing n e ws of vital importance for the re lative to th e marc h o f a Russian Army stated French frontier. The Morning Clironkle of this tiny says, in itl leading article, " At a time wh en it seems to be understood that the sacceOf of the invasion of Spain will greatly depend on the extent the aid afforded by Russia , it b ecomott of importance to know' answer to this he would merely say, that if lie pleased he might and could carry 150 tons of goods in the Lord Melville to Calais to-morrow, in st ea d o f p assengers . Sir JOSEPH YORKE—What ! in the cabin ? The CIIAIR3I/ix—No matter where, whether the freight was live or d ea d stoc k, h e cou ld carry an d procure that amount of tonnage. He had once, indeed, carried a cargo of Admirals, and found it to answer very well. As to the formation of a smaller establishment, he- - would submit that the books shopld remain open for an eitended period of time, and when that arrived, it would then become a consideration whether a suffi cient sum was raised whereupon to establish a CornpanY of corresponding extent. This bein g acce d e d to , t h e mot i on was p ut f r om the Chair, whether the b oo k s s h ou ld rema i n open until the Ist of Aug ust next, which wa s carried'; Sir -I OSEPII YOR=E being the o nl y 'aissentient. A second motion was then submitted and carried, relative to the circulation of letters to the present subscribers, informing them of its being optional with them to continue or withdraw their names. Thanks having been then voted to the Chairman, whore' turned thanks, the Meeting adjourned.' I" STOCKS ONE O'CLOCK. India Stock .................. shut India Bonds ................ South Sea Stock ............. Old Annuities ... . .......... Ex. Bills ........... ...... Pr. Ditto Small ................... Bank fly Act. ............... India for Con. Acct. .••••• Cons. for. April 10......... 74ii PRICE OF FOREIGN STOCKS zx LONDON, Aran. 3) 110 4, )14a