The Sun. — London, England, 1823-09-30 00:00:00

PARIS PAPERS. (From the.Jonrnal des.Debats.) Nita ) SEPT. q7.--The consequences of the reduction of the fort of Santi Petri are immense. This fort, which is situated at the month of the -river Santa Voris, defended the passage of that •xiver, lindpreveutecl our troops from penetrating •ion that into-the Isle of Leon. Besides, it was under the protection of this fort that Cadiz was rontinnally revictualled by the small boats which glided into the river Santa-Maria. Now, our gun-boats can 'penetrate into the river, defend t*,e flying bridges which we may throw over it, and afford our troops all the means necessary for .tivading the Isle, of Leon. We shall dopbtless soon have' great news. ,We .• are about to see the developement; of the seqUel the excellent operations so 'well Calculated by the Prince Generalissimo. • It wss our fleet which reduced the .fort of Santi Petri. It may be reasonably supposed that souse days Would be necessary to effect a landing 'OO the Isle of Leon, after the reduction of the fort, which took place on' the evening of the 20th. In a city, already convulsed by the carrying of 'the l'rocatiero, it may be jedged what must be 'the . effect of the double news of the arrest of Meg() and the taking of the- fort;of Santi Petri. Let us await the event. The Duke of Augou -leme has proved 'to us that we lose twit.* by ITa;t• ( From the aniri4r Frantlqis.) P.% a s, SEPT. he fort' of St: Petri, which w telegraphic dispatch says taker!, is on an island, situated to the eastward of theisie of Leon, and at the mouth Of an arm of the sea, to v. hick it gives its' name. The •Quotidentre com mits- a .great error when• it says . on this subject, This position (Saint Petri) is of so much the ' more importance, that from hence we can Proefed straight to Cadiz without fearing the ,- fatteries of 'Puntales." The smallest know. ledge of the localities would have convinced this ,fonrnalkt of the error 'of his asgertioo. The' iOriflornme says, as little correctness, that the.earture of .this fort renders us masters of the rivet by which small vessels arrive at the Isle of Lyon. This capture only makes us musters of the entrance of the river, and puts us in condi. 'ion of cuing on the boats that enter, but it does not make us roasters of the river altogether, hide extends from Saint Pc-lri. beyond the Cornea, where it unites with the bay of Puntales. To make us masters of the river, it isnecessary -to sgnd a Aloti up from St: - whirli would force the Spanish flotilla to retire towards the Cameo ; then, they-m a y b eg in to suppress the enemy's „Are, and endeavour to puss the river. ' Every .-thing announces that this will be the manner of :.proceeding. The Orifiamme further says, -that t 4 'possession of,, the Isle of Leon will make masten of the 'road', and place us in a zitttation to batter 'down Puntales.- This is tprror, The Isle of Leon being taken, we not he instantly masters of: the road, for ' se Fail still have to take the works which '4.l4enti the Cortadnra. The following is the mltural , progress• of the operations :—ltender ' themselves rnaster (If the river of Saint Petri • ley means of ; 'employ the fire of this totilhi, and of the hattelies hunt on the'other !bore, to silence the batteries of the isle, force lire passagc.of the river ; chase away the corps which. occupy the I sie of Leon; ad vance on .the road as far as the Cortadura, rp:ike themselves • . . . masters of this fortress, turn Pulite les, and endea votirto.reducti it ; 'finally, begin the works of the ;siege before the front of the fortifications of Cadiz . which look towards.the road. Such, in few words, what.remains.to be done,, and such is peoba . bly the mote Which will be followed, at lea q, if some extraordinary circumstances do not au thorise deviation from it. The disembarkation .44 which the Journals have spoken us likely, to he effected between Puntales and Cadiz, or be tween Punteles and the Cortadura, may be at ...tended with more speedy results, but it would Also be much more dangerous. TURKEY AND GREECE. "[Prom the linivolad,Gazdte of 4ligsbiag.l ODESSA ? SEPT. 3.--VG have news from• Con. statitinople of the 28th of August. The darer ence between our Court and the Porte seem to spproacli their end, and it is probable that they will be , finished while our monarch sojourns in klessarabia. Lord Strangford, after having re. calved fresh instructions, on the Ist of August tratsmitted a very serious note to the Reis Ef faaoli, respecting the declaration of that Minister. to the English Dragoman, M. de Chabert, that " ha would say nothing more about the affairs of Rossia." Ills Lordship, said, in this note, that it seamed as if the're were In ttie Divan some well v.taliers of the iusurgents,,' who advised the Porte to adopt measures calculated to accelerate its ruin, and who opposed- obstacles to the trade of P.ussia in the Black Sea, in order to provoke that .I .l ovrer. 110 added, that the Allied Courts found themselves under the necessity of declaring that &bey' were conviticed Britt honour would 'at Tait' oblige Russia to take steps' which she bed Ititherto endeavoured - to a lie concluded lor the ,l)ivait that they had no tine to lt4e, and must come to a decision at. once. The Arnhassidors 'of, :Prussia. aud Austria sent similar ,notes att,t+e satn.e time. It seems they produced thair effuet,. Ott the 1 sth of August the Sultan tcfned , the Dshanib Effendi out of the Di v " w ho, vas, lesde( of tlie fanatics in the D;14,0a. He lc under COilfilWOWllli, in:. his 'own one : Co,n the:next dm the ge . is,l , :ffendi'll e l t i ft stonfeter.c.e; at, he :o'vertiheltned Lord Straogford with reproaches, for the support the li cA go 4 4 naAiutt.4d glypn to the insurgents: Ills . 4atiaration reiatfre to the etreirs of Russia is not yet know, (FrDm /he joarnol der !) lA%) • a r ap ii x A ct ; t,.--.After the battle . of Agra. pba- c tf ., t h e Oh (,17th) of June, the! barbarians, lindfitg tltc Oellenists masters of Porto, retreated is; 10iisternation to Larissa. 'General Caral4ocos, WWI .400 cavalry and 1,00. iirdicoh:s, or iteroes piPiodua, defeated a corps of. Conic rides, ['qually klumerous, buined the VtirkiSh town of Carditza, sa:, spread such terryr .through` the country as far as Pharsalia, that the Seraskier of Larissa sent a deputation, praying for an armistice. It was finally agreed to, on condition that the care gounis, or shepherds, to the number of ten thou sand, with their flocks, whom the" Turks had carried into slavery, should be restored to freedom. These conditions havebeen religiousl,y observed. The Greek Chiefs have also stipu lated that they shall have the right of acting in concert with their brethren in arms in the Morea, Etolia, and Acarnania, against any troops the Sultan may send from beyond the mountains. PREVESA, AUGUST 4.---The army of Jussouf Paella has risen in insurrection against'him. He had only just time to get on board a boat, and save himself by flight. His treasurer was not so fortunate. The military chest was plundered by the mutineers, who have dispersed among the hills. The insurrection was the result of an able negociation by the . Greek Chiefs in that quarter, who offered an amnesty to the troops on that con dition. • ' CORFU, A un. 6.—The hand of God has smitten the Tu'rks. The plague is on hoard of above 40 vessels of the Capitan Paella's fleet; and destroys the barbarians rapidly. Unless God protects us we shall be in danger, on account of the number of carcasses thrown o'h our coasts. Thus, dead or alive, the barbarians are the scourge of Chris tianity. A boat from Zante states, that forty-five G reek vessels were in sight. We may therefore expect that the Cspitau Ptcha will, in the course of this year, follow the fate, of his predecessors. . . [ From. tbe Austrian Observer.] CONSTANT] NONA, A 176.. ,?..s.—Dshanib Effendi, who has become - Wdl known ,m the late political negociations of the Porte, was this truitiiiti , 4 dis missed from the office of TSChI.III9CIi 13t6ai (Mar shal of the EMpire.) sudden resolution of the Sultan causes an extraordinary sensation here. Dshanih Effendi is generally este-emed as, the most industrious, learned, and experienced of all the Ottoman Ministers, and at the same time es. a man of great probity ; but his austere and in flexible character has been &hewn. in all the de liberations on the present state of affairs, and has triumphed on more than one occasion over the proposals of other Ministers, who ere . more disposed ' to .mild measures, .conceision,• and sacrifices. . . . . Now, as the time is come when the negocia tiomi that have been so long on foot with ate „Allied Courts Must 'lead to a debisive result,.-the removtJ of Dshanib- Effendi is considered as a fa yourahle sign, and thu public infer that it,will hp soon followed by the happy renewal of lite rela tions of friendship with all' the European Powers. The peace with Persia was signed at - ErzeruM on the 15th. Joly ; andpn.the 12th of tiffs moult Itedschib Effendi, who is appointed Ambassador to the Court of. Teberan,, krt. this . city with .the ratification; The treaty of peace is not yet Made public ; but, according to accounts that may bc" depended uptm, the sThtu quo . is taken as the basis ; so that the •conquests on both sides will be given up, and the ancient frontiers re-established. _ The accounts of the military operations against the insurgents are.so ttneonneCted, doubtful, and contradictory; that it would be vain to 14tempt even to give an, outline of them. On the whole, there is . reason to believe that the intended ope_ rations of.the Turks against the Moron have been k impeded by various obstacles and hitherto baffled. The insurrection of the mountaineers in southern Thessaly, especially, in the district of Agra pha,and the effective 'support which Various corps of in surgents from the Peninsttla afford them; gives the Turkish troops far too much employment on this -side of the Isthmus of Corinth for them , to •attempt to pass it, and the Capitan Pacha, whose fleet scented ;Chiefly destined to Assist and pro tact their passing, continues inactive off Patras . and•Missolungbi. - In Negropont and the . Gulf of Vole, the Turkish Commanders have lately driven the in surgents froM those positions they hitherto occu pied, an advantage on which the Ministers of the Porte seemed to set a great value. On the edicr hand, they, are said to haVe sustained a serious 1 loss near Salons. All these partial combat.; lead to no result ; and if this campaign is not distinguished by other events, the state of things, considered in a ttrty point of view, is likely to remain a long time problematical. . FRENCH AND SPANISH CO3IMERCE IN THE • WEST INDIES. • (From the Journal Iles Danis.] PORT ROYAL, MARTINIQUE, ,Juvr.l4. (EXTRACT PRIVATE LETTER.) We liaYe learned, at, abort intervals, the entrance of the French army into Spain, and its arrival at Madrid, under the command of the Duke of Angouleme. • • Lieutenant-General Count Donzelot,Governor ofMartinique, lost no time in dispatching the Jeanne Witte ftigate, Captain Dupotel, first to Porto Rico, and next to the flavannah, to ex plain the state of things to - the ripantdi authorities, and to pro •pose to maintain between them. and the Frenelt colonies the same relations us formerly, giving rccip.rocally to the merchant men of both nations every guarantee against priVateers. _ having on board Lieut. Chttcon, ofahe Spanish envoy front die.,Havannalr to Martinique, on a, - Ititifteulary riii.Vion, was received with the greatestiltstinction by - the authorities Porto-"ltico ; and there is every reason to belleYe that our amicaille relatiOns with that island will not be interrupted: • The ilispatchea front M. Dupotel, • brought by the brig La Genie, state that the Military Governor and Political Chief of Porto-Rico era determined to maintain that island under the authority of the Governer far his t:atholic Majesty; hitt that,' in orderao ascertain tile real state of affairs, they said to Europe an officer whose report will determine what course theyshalt de-t tinitively adopt; and that in the mean tiinn no hostility will he committed ag4inst French conunerce. Aar this officer cannot , arrive in Spam until tilt: space of between:one and two months juts .elapsed, afrairs wilt he sufficiently adianced to re move all the- rcruples of (two,: n' ho sent him. WO are there-. fore quite confident that !tiara will Le !wetter vett in these seas. The Jciume WAIT %V 5 to aLtii l':•ons :Porto Rico to the llavan n--th with Lient. (71111e011,till t n IJO:it(1. :It it prohithle that the reply of the auttioritk.i of that colony anal the Spanish I,cl. , miral in those seas_will Lei be leas matliraCtorY. Tte.t Thei ia and the Canstatice frigates, commanded hy'Cap tains It ouganitia and 'S'aint : pinion, are charged with a similar mission to Gentral Morales and the Spanish 'Adiniral corn ' mand:v the!sqttadren 3tiitioned all Guayra, an we , expect from it the same results. . it is, then, very probahlc that out mercantile navigation will not be disturbed, either by the . Spanish privateers or ships war which cruise in these s•Nts.- But should it, conirary to all expectation, prove oth , :rwise, our mrtadron ig sufficiently strong •to atibrd security to our trade, by protecting our merchantmen font, insult, and by pu any, slims whith may present them— selves 113 enemies, experience the same fate which our army has inflicted on the- revolutionary bands that attempted to op pose ,its march to the capital of. Spain. WEST INDIA DOCKS. REPLY TO MR. MARRYAT'S OBSERVATIONS ON THE WEST INDIA DOCK CHARTER, &e. &c. (CONTINUED.) (No. VII.) - No. 18.-JURT REGARD TO PRIVATE INTEREsTs. . Adverting to this, as one of the original objects kept in view by the Legislature, Marryat says, "it may be - presumed, " that the same considerations which influenced them, when " the Charter was originally granted, will not be lost sight Of; " now the continuance of it is requested," and he adds, " a " few observations upon this point oppear necessary." A sod necessity 'this ! that a Member of Parliament, after the termination of a laborious investigation, after the point at issue was decided., after the Committee had reported to the House, that a Member of Parliament should be compelled to write a b 001.7, and, what is worse, compelled to publish it ; and this, with the object of inducing the House not to concede that, which he already knew, had been retuned ! Probably the greatest objection to this course of proceeding is that from the over-zeal which it evinces, persons out of doors might suppose that. the minds of Members of Parliament may be influenced by personal considerations ; but to the point, the Chapter re lates to IlEcialtD/0 PRIVATE INTERESTS. Mr. Alarryat's regard, for particular interests, is evinced by a sort of lamentation over the unfair situation in which the London Bock Company would be placed, by the continuance of-that which no longer exists; he says, on the authority of " that the effect of the, exclusive privilege of the " West India 'Dock Company is to make their capital, of 1,200;000/., 00 4 4 in value to the 2,250,0001. of the London Dock Company';" and that "if this exclusive privile„7 " operates . with tOlons ipct, how tan;it possibly be eon " tinned with any just 'regard to PRIVATE I NTENgsl's ?"-- Ile furthertkeleres its• continuance would be " an interfetenee ". with private .property, as inconsistent With justice, as with " the spirit of a free Government ! !" this is speaking out rather prematurely; but Air. Marryat's - zeal sometimes lead; him to injure, thetanie 'Ulrich he espouses. • The exclitsive'privileg: of the West India Dock Company, has so depressed the capital of the London Docks, of 3,500,000/. that it is not Wqth more than 1;200,000/. ! It would have been difficult to have Medi this out, but Mr. Marryat is evidently a ' ' Thdi and. not a Rep.; on such authority, therefore, the fact must be taken.to be so ; Is the exclusive privilege, however, to have the exclusive merit of having atchieved all this for the Wrest India Decks ? May not something. arise out of prudent ,management? ..Might it not partly arise from what Mr. Mar cyst himself asserts in the:following passage :.-‘ The London "•Doek COMpany, hi order to obtain the advantage of local " situation, paid as much money in many instances for a square " yard of land in Wapping, as the West India Dock Coln " parry paid firr..an acre iu the Isle of Dogs. The lrmer es " tablishinent re'ittiired a capital of 3,250,000/. ; and the latter, " THORGEL EpoN A LARGER SCALE IN POINT or EXTENT, ' " only 1,200,000/." It would he curious to know the precise period of time when the Directors of. the London Docita bought laud (as the wives and daughters of other people do ribbon) bYthe yard ; if it iras aftcr the West. India Dock Act passed (and it Nano neiar twelve months before their own), they certainly evinced great providence and focesight ; especially its as the Hono ura bl e Members' Book informs us, theirxitpital " was subscribed with a view to a participation' in the general trade of the port o f :" London, ,when the period for which the exclusive privileges " were granted should have expired." one and twenty )0( 1 year: heihre tern, they thought there was no time to be lost ;. they thcretine immediately bought land, (by the yard, or the foot, or 'the Inch, no metterylileli), and bought more than they wanted, that they might . have the means of making it useful; if' they should ever have occasion for it. " Capital," says hlr. N., " may always be found in this " metropolis for any object in which it can be invested to ad yantai,c ;" in this case he Might say, "although to be invested to astadvantage ;" for be it recollected, that such portion of the capital . as may have been unprofitably expended, has all along borne the same dividend or interest (Such as it. is), as that which was more usefully employed, thus diminishing the profits, and 'depreciating the stock. 3larryat admits that the West India Docks " are upon a larger mile in point Vextent," but there he leaves the point ; of what does that extent consist ? Not of stittare yards of land, bought twenty-one yearn befOre there was a possibility of their behig..required ; but of land, excavated into docks, with 'cat tiguous Wharfs and Warehouses, all completed, and all con tributing equally to the convenience of commerce ,. an d to th e revenue of the Dock CoMpany. Speaking of the London Docks,. Mr. Marryat says elsewhere, the want of a sufficient extent of water is a defect in that establishment *bleh . requires to be remedied by the formation of an export dock, upon the land which the Directors,have re served fin. that pnrpose."—Now it does 'not appear to be true that the Directors, although they did buy the land fry the pur. pose,have reserved it, for 3.4. - Inglis, when asked the question, replies, " We have part of 11." • illarryat ought not thus to 'have exposed his friends, but he felt it necessary to account for " the emoluments of the 44 one Company, being greater than those,of the other," while, es he says, the London Dock Company "are-deprived .of •all " those advantages of situation, for.whicli . they have actually " paid so valuable u consideration," This is really a melancholy state of. things for the holders of London Dock Stock, especially, ..fir ltfrqlfarryet, who Is said to; be so largo •et holder ; but how •is it to be remedied ?. Mr liarry'r.t will, of "course, reply, " by competition ;" then we must wait till we. come to his twentieth head.. Before quitting the present bead, , hoWever, - it is necessary to notice the new ' light which has opened upon the ComMereial Docks.—"'Mr. ._' 4".lllartiti," says Mr. Marryatt, " states that tbe'Commercial "' Dock Company had the promise of a monopoly in the outset, "'which promise was not made good ; and that they have - • kok..d firreoed to the opening of the other docks from rm.- " nopoly as The only 'new t s of remnneration." Against whom this breach of faith is c haried does not, appear ; .but, upon loOking at the - Act constituting the Commercial Docks, it doe'%not teeth in - Mutable to the I d .igislattire. The Act (50 Geo. fll l i cap. 207), certa iply mentions the' purposes for which the Cannuercial 'Docks were constructed, ~fi..c. " for the re ception a tu l di scharre of ships laden with timber" ,and o'9' articles " umally delivered AFLOAT by nivElt tSVFFEII - ;" but i t g i ves n . O monopo ly,—and so far from holding 4., °qt .l l4-to which Mr. M a rtin .says they ha v e looked for war d, ti is important memento conc ludes the third clause ; " Pro vided alw a y s t h at not hi ng in this Act contained shall ex "lend, Or be constnied to extend, to make any of 'be said 'c docks or what-ft, under this Act, LELIAL QuAys, or to era pu " pOwer the s aid Company to land or load any such goods, ``; provided. also that nothi n g " in this A ct s h all extend, rpose without the aut N Et:itacr. of the Commissioners of Cns ~ toms, gr a n te d for that - or be construed , to extend, to coin. " I'd woV shit* or vessels totenter into the said docks or Pouns, " ()it AN Y OF TIll;M." Upon what therefore was Mr. Martin's expectation founded? what valid Jo a::e when he lookedibrw ard ? - In.following Mr, Marryatt throligh •thelabyrinth of his lu cubrat'.ons, we. ro tas , not be led astray from the main point ;_. the title is, " JUST regard to private interests;" there is one interest which does not come within the scope of Mr. Alarryat's just regard, and that is, the interest of the Proprietors of West India Dock Stock. Mr. Marryat would Katie felt it just and right to deprive them of that which the Legislature of the country had guaranteed to them for ever; their right to divide ten per cent., if the state of their affairs enables them to do so. The Act of Parliament fixes the maximum of dividend, and the maximuin of rates (or, in other words, the maximum of prOfit and ; , charge),4rd these constitute the conditions of the original compact; they were established by the Legislaturems inducements to the original adventurers, on the one hand, and as securities to the public on the other, subject only to the provisions in the original Act which relate to them. The clause relating to the dividend has not the most remote connection with the compulsory clause, which was limited to twenty-one years, and has now expired; the West India trade is not even mentioned in it ; that relating to the rates esta blishes the means by which the docks • and works are to be maintained and upheld ‘ for the future," that is for ever. There is much misapplication of the word Charier ; no ac- tual charter exists; that which the C,ompany possess in the nature of a charter, lies, not in the clause which compelled the West India trade to use their dock; for a limited period, but in the two clauses above-mentioned, relating to the rates and the dividend ; these-constitute the bond of compact, in them is to be found the charter of the company, and their duration is not limited. The maximum of 10 per cent. as a dividend is therefore a fundamental right of the West Indio Dock Company, which Cannot be compromised or aaeriftced consistently with u " JUST regard to private interests,7" • A largo pottiOn of the joint stock ; still stands in the names Of the Original subscribers, or of their children or executors ; it has been urged that they have been already compensated; that they have doubled their capital ; the answer is, they might have lost it altogether, or have 'employed it still mare profitably. If their property has been improved, can a portion of it, on that ground, be taken away. ? Assuredly not. Every Pro prietor, whether an original subscriber, or a subsequent pur chaser, must have taken into account the possibility of his property fluctuating in proportion •to the success or failure of the undertaking ; but • neither the one nor the other could have contemplated a reduction of dividend under any other cir. cumstances. Their priivate interests were certainly not justly regarded, in the attempt to'reduce themaximum of the dividend ; and it is a little singular to find the individual who was most strenuous in endeavouring to effect this, arguing for the protection of the interests of " the London Dock Company, the Commercial " Dock Company, and all the other Dock Companies !,'_ :No. 19..- , -DISCONTINUANCE OF COMPULSORY CLAUSE: The Compulsory clauses have expired ; but Mr. M arryat has nevertheless devoted a chapter to this subject, in which he argues as if they were yet in force he says, "it appears from the evidence given on this subject, that the compulsory clause forces commodities, intended for home consumption, to be landed in Docks low down the rivet; fret *thence they must be brought up to the City, at an extra expenceof cartage ; and that commodities intended for exportation are landed in the London'Do'cits, close to the city, from whence they have tole carried down the river again." Mr. Marryat is quite right as to the superior facility, and advantages, which the WeSt India Wats present, in respect to exportation ; but he exaggerates the inconvenience of their distance when goods are required for home consumption :—ln the case of dye woods, for instance, the West India Docks being the principal place of deposit, the mice there regulates the market;--and the Purchasers of ,the small parcels, which arc occasionally to be depOsited at the London Docks, always claim an . abatement front the contract price on account of the delivery charges, Which are made there, and not at the West India Docks ; but nobody ever heard of any difference in price, on account of extre cartage as between the one Dock and. the other.' It is evident, therefore, that the objections to the West India Docks for the deposit of articles for hone. consumption, are al together frivolous. In the advantages which they offer, Jbr ,exportution, they are. and must ever continue to bp unrivalled. All fiweign produte, and articles subject to such high duties, as to be usually exported; are classed together, in one magni ficent Warehouse, adjoining the Blackwell entrance; and by the' regulationA of the Company, site exporting vessel Is ad , mitted to take them direct from the Quay, -at it 'Very trifling expence, under arrangements, by which she can beloaded, and proceed on her voyage, in afro hours. It is gratifying to find Mr.Marryat conclude this chapter with a jester regard to private interesti than he did in the preceedfng one.; he says, :"Thia evidencealso relieves the mind from the 4 4 apprehension Of any injury being sustained by the Proprietors 4 4 of ?he Oil India Docks, from . the discontinuance of the " compulsory clause ; for it proves, on tie authority of the Di. " rectors, that this clause is not essential to the prosperity of the Company ; that they would in all probability still continue to " divide 10 per cent. on . their - copltal." The Proprictora of the West, Witt Docks must feel obliged to Mr. illarryat for the:consolation he thus gives them; and for the very kind feiling 'with which it is offered. No. 20.—COMPETITION OF DOCK COMPANIES. • This, it is presumed, means what is commonly called "free and open competition," a phrase which conveys no very definite idea to the mind; and of which, neither. the Report Of the FOreign Trade COmmittee affords, nor have the " Obtierva tions" of Mr. Marryat vouchsafed any. explanation ; neither are any data given, by whiCh to . eitimate its probable effects. Competition may, according to circumstances, be practicable or impracticable, beneficial or prejudicial, rational or absurd ; but the advocates for it decry. all scepticism upon the pOint, continually harping upon the "generally recognized beneficial principle ut competition," and the advantages of it to the - pub. lie, " wherever applicable." It is in this point of applicability that the theorists may be much out in their' calculation as to the benefits; and, prebably,, this is peculiarly the case as re speeta the Dock Companies. For the purpose of illustration, it will be sufficient to compare the situation of the LOndon and West India Dock Companies. The capital of the former is 3,250,000/., that of the latter only 1,200,00 P. The London :Dock Company at present distribute to their Proprietors a dividend of only four and a half per cent., while the West India Dock Company divide 10 per cent.; but the 43 per cent. of the London Docks amounts to 116,2501. while the 10 per cent. of the West India. Dock Company is only 120,000/. so that for the' payment of their dividend the former, even now, levy from the trade using their Decks, 26,240' 1. per annuli snore titan the West India Dock Company. The charges of the London Dock Company hare been al ready proved to be much higher than those of the West India Docks ; the effect of competition, we are told, will be, to re duce all the charges in a very considerable degree; but let us inquire how it will operate. Are we to suppose that the charges a the London Docks are to be reduced so low, as to draw a portion of the trade away from all 'their competitors ? They still must give some dividend to their prorrietors : if they should have business that world' yield tin:m an income of 300,000/. and their expenditure, exclusive of dividend, was 160,0001. they would be enabled to divide 4.1- per cent. ; posing the West India Deck Company in the same situation, as to intome and expenditure, (and competition can never ans nihilate their business all at once) their profits would be 126 per cent., that is, 30,8001, more than by law they arc permitted to divide; and therefore that amount would be applied in aid of future dividends, and in reduction of future rates; this re• duction would bring additional business, additional business would occasion additional profit; a similar course of reduction of rates, and increase of business, would again ensue, and that state of things would arise which is contemplated in thelbrow ing extract from the Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons;-upon the Supply of Water to the Metro polis I , —" Your Committee are satisfied that from the peculiar " nature of these undertakings. the principle of compciiOn - re " Vara to be guarded by particular checks and limits in its " application to thesis, in order to render it effectual without the "'risk of deetructfon to the competing parties, and thereby old " tnately of a serious injury to the Public." If Mr. Alarryat should be inclined to turn the tables, and say, "do not be so certain that the situation you allude to may not be your own," we would ask him, if with the present comparatively excessive rates of the London Docks, they can only divide 44 per cent., to what rate of interest does he mean to reduce the capital, of the London DoCkShsreholder ? If the LondOn Dork charges are reduced by competition from th i t piesent amount, it seems olivious that the dividend must also be reduced, unless it can be supposed that the effect would be, instantly to give them the command of a much more ex tensive trade; but would not this be counteracted by the West India Dock Company ? Assuredly it would, and the London Dock Company viotild find that the disiiviortiOn of Capital alone rendered com Petition on their • part 'altogether out of the question ; they would discover, that well low rates which would yet give a dividend to the Proprietors of West India Dock Stock, might leave the Praprietor of the Lonion Docks without any - dividend at all. t ath xi: thin g Compan y o to extant, n g 1 , 1 , i n 'h u The modern theorists will exclaim, " That is (racily what WE want :" • but it is very questionable whether Mr. Marryat, would hail such i result with much satisfaction ; he perhap.e of the dividend ALONE, exactly THREE iIuNDRED aril be e rc ieg xr, ts ie. i i h ivi a ep t o l a! tho it ee P r r cet o r p adn r t i . e e; to ui r sfi o nt f igi Lo atth z o d a F D D o i t k a ;: a c r i s t et , ,he ll p ::: e it y l mo l i ir si o tt , TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS, thatis a charge of 'test TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS more t an the West India Deck dividend, at its present amount, occasions. As betiveen these two, then, the principal Establishments, is it mit idle to talk of " Free and open competition ;" let it not be supposed, however, that this contrast is drawn, as a taunt from the powerful to - the weak ; it has been forced from the writer, by the continual stress which Mr. Marryat lays upon the futile pledges of the Directors. of other Docks, to do the business on lower terms , which he is pleased to consider, as accounting for the "dread of competitton,” on the part el the West India Dock Company. • to have g p h et h a s ev lb an ei di n h ih s hlc t stated to himself tha t he e aa n ,t e i ch e w that h3 t e h z rao.tt theother eira rD Docks y V ac e : kit I t s hnal lndia ovset se l L ? ev o c enrl k .;, a t n n d ow no t th ha in t g th tt e i p l r os iv ed eg t e h open he may fi nd, that even before the exiSting monopolies o the London - Dockshave expired, it is possible that the2l mg,: loose more than they will gain ; in all that is here said it _t e with reluctance that such frequent mention is made of t h e latter Eetablishment, but it is unavoidable, from the prominent is of il s l v a a Y re b h e ou t s r in u g e 'is te th a ro c w er i Manner In which their pretentions have been thrust forward, by their injudicious' Friend. - - m A r. fte m r urry com at m c e o n m ti es ng to ut t lo h n is th v e m e c v l i u d s c io n n ce :_ in „ h T tu re su s usual of a tir the sane sentiment is most fbreibly expressed by the Con l M_ evidence Is conclusion, as to the advantage's. Ofcumpetitio ni n a ; nlle .:: shiners 'of inquiry into the Customs and Excise, who conclud e 'their seventh report with the following luminous observauon on the Wet Dock Companies -" We are fully.satisiled, that they afford the m e a n s of protect ":.:- ins the revenue, pot only more effectually, but more econe: " mically thin it could 'under any yigulationS, be secured, if " the vast transactions now conducted within the Docks were " carried on, its fortherly, upon the open quays : anti we find it generally admitted on the other hand, that they have been " highly useful to the merchant, by the safeguard be has found "lq them, against the frauds anti pilhige to which his goods " were formerly exposed. Th ese are a d vantages of great value, " and more especially under a general warehousing syst em .— " it is: therefore, ill o:ir viva' at the subject, mos t d es i ra b le, that " the Doak ertablialinirnts should be. maintained u p on .M e pre_ sent respedtablefvoting :' but We are at the same time far from " being prepared to state, that for that purpose the continue " ante of the iyhole of their exclusive . privileges would be. " necessary or expedient. il'e are sensible,. on the con " bury, than the interest of the , mercantile community is ".deeply concerned,' in being enabled to obtain the accont " Riodation which. these - Docks afibrd (and to which, pr. " the advanlageif the rev, they are comp e ll e d to resorto at " the cheapest rate at w hi c h i t can h e y i elded ; .and, after all " the consideration . that 'we have hitherto been able to bestow "upon the subject, we are no t aware o f any other mode of "securing that object than by opening a competition between " the several dock establish ments , and other warehouses and " ctuay 4, such as cannot 'eXist consistently with the exclusive " rights by which the* former are no* protected; and which " rights have been granted for certain, periods, as a fair rernu " neration to the,proprietors for the expense of the undertaking. ' ( ,By what inodyirotioas of their several privileges at The "ex piration of those periods, this competition, which in our "judgmeßt can alone protect"th e merchant against arbitrary " " Merges, may be effected, we propose to consider, and sub " mit to your Lordships in a future Report," ' There is nothing in the opinion here given to warrant Mr. Marryat's appliCation of it ; the Commissioners have, with great propriety, spoken in the most guarded manner; they evi dently felt all the difliculdea of the subject; they do not recom mend "free and orn competition;"" b ut mere i y : express their doubt, in the first i nstance, whether the con tinuance o f t h e whole of the exclusive privileges is necessary, and then declare themselves unprepared to state by what modation of those privileges competition migtit be effected; this surely implies the continuance of certain restrictions ? The Commissioners hive inadvertently made use of the term " arbitrary . charges ;" if they meant to have said exorbitant r 'cluirges, kgislative limitatiOn, and a short term ofprivikge, are the. only effectual securities against - theta: . competition can hardly be carried on without :or/ritrory ( that is - discretionary) zharges, unless a maximum of, charge is fixed for the whole port; but if that competition IS to be FREE and OPEN, then it will be quiteinconsistent to impose any such restraint, and not only the charges but the whole system must be entirely arbi trary, anti, as the Report of the Foreign Trade Committee says, " the conerodeuee of twerinerec, whether ariiing from local c" position, . regnlation or charg es , wou ld b e a lone the measure of erriployment and tuivanta.. b es enjoyed by eac h severa l este :ll This im p::: 4 " eof the Report, if it tneans any thins, must mean that the coaveni , uce of COArmEncE ALONE is to be considered ; that to this, locarposition, regulations, and charges.must, all be adapted ' • and that, in proportion as t h e y are so adapted, each several Establishment is to have the unlimited' enjoyment el, all the cuivanten, , ei . arising from the employment it ratty thus attract. ' 411 clauses limiting charges or limiting Dividends must instantly be repealed, to give effect to this free and open system .4lllaws relating to particular establiShments must be also re pealed, as eattuil, and inconsistent with fair competition ; general and uniform provisions must be made for the, whole— the London Docks,.• for instance, are limitcd to a dividend of ten per cent., uhile the Commercial Docki, East Country Docks, and Su trey Canal, may divide t o an y ext en t; t hi s , ur .d er the new system, would l int be fair towards the London. Dock Company ; the le - anion Docks, on the other build; are legal quays, the Commercial Docks and others are not; and this would be a disads.uttage to the latter. Ali this sort of dispa rity must he done away. It would he well if illr. Alarryat.woulti turn his attention to these points, and favour the public with his ideas in his next publication; probably he could devise an expedient for rev dering all the limpet ty, in the various dock, end can a ls through out the kingdom, oi' equal value, and far paring down their respective capitali to ooe standard, so that they might all start fair in nit.. race mof competition, as equally weighed as the fleet competittrfs IA the tutf. In conclnding his remarks upon this uncalled for Publica tion, the write; to is !hat some apology is due to the public, for the imperfe:u manner in which h e has performed the task which he I.ll.lerto-k. If these remarks appear to be at all al a been extorted from him ; and to trust,, that some personal nature, he has only to plead in excuse, that they have may he found, in various passages of the "observations" that he has had to combat, in which Mr. Marc at has indulged itt illiberal refiecions upon most respectable and honourable indi viduals, on the Nround of their being interested, he hirnbelf possessing a much greatcr pecuniary interest in the Pum a " issue, than ,those against whose motives and conduct he ".". yours to excite suspicien. justification