The Sun. — London, England, 1824-02-20 00:00:00

titese who profess the Romeo Catholie religion from these who art Protestants ; —Barristers, Commissioners of Bankrupts ; ditto, Commissioners of Insolvent Court; di tto, Commissioners of I nquiry into Fees of Courts of Justice; ditto, Taxing Of ficers of Law Courts; ditto, Counsel to the Crown for the six Circuit for the Assize of 1823 ; ditto, Counsel to the Cus tans, Excise, Commissioners of Stamp Duties, and other Go rernment offices; ditto, Magistrates (with salaries), of police of the city of Dublin; ditto, Commissioners of Appeals in Revenue Cauees ; CrOwn Solicitors ; Clerks of the Crown ; Clerks of the Peace; (thief Magistrates under the insurrection and con otabulary acts; Trustees of the Linen Board ; General In- Detectors of Prisons ; Governor, Deputy-Governor, and Direc eters of the - Bank of Ireland ; Scholars of Trinity College ;1 Onommissioriers for distributing the grant to the Lord Lieute nrient fer promoting education ; ditto of General Board of //faith ; ditto of Inland Navigation ; ditto for auditing public isecounte ; ditto of Cuetoms ; ditto of Excise ; ditto of Stamp thstLes ; ditto for paying and •lighting the city of Dublin ; ditto for erecting fountains in ditto; ditto for preserving the port of .ditto; ditto for wide streets in ditto. Now, among all there ofneers, he really believed there was scarcely a single 3toman Catholic. There were 74 trustees, for example, of the Jehtien Board ; and he had reason to assert that among them there was not one Catholic—( Hear) ;—so that he imagined he aught altruist say with truth, that in all the 27 offices and ap pointments enumerated in the motion, there was hardly one offieer of the religious persuueion in question. —(Hear !) Upon the question being put from the chair, Mr. GOULBURN said, it hail not been his good fortune to •he present its the House when notice of this motion was given, and it was only by accident that he hail seen it in the Paper. Bat as it stood there, it was by no means so detailed as the motion now submitted by the lion. Gentleman ; for it was there described as a " return of the .names and -religious per oeasoions of all persons connected with the general administra tion of justice, receipt and magement of the revenue, the gene ral mauufacture and education of Ireland." He (Mr. Goul burn) thought that every body upon reflection must see a suffi cient reason for his refusing these returns. It would be the drat time that this House, by an order of its own, had ever thought fit to call on certain bodies in the community to make a• return of the religious persuasion of the various persons of whom they were composed, or 'of those of the officers they employed. Honourable Gentlemen must be aware that even in_ the case of the common Population Returns; which it was considered expedient to make at stated • periods, an Act of Parliament was always passed to authorise the de gree of power necessary to be exercised, in order to get such returns prepared. Yet, in a motion of this inquisitorial na. tore, it was thought sufficient that an Hon. Member should • merely come down and move the returns as matter almost of vouree. It had, indeed, been the policy of the Legislature to require Oiat the candidates for 'certain offices in the State should make a profession of faith before they were allowed to enter upon them; but such a test was never required of those who had already entered and were in the enjoyment of offices. This would be a principle quite new to our constitution, and one which he (Mr. Goulburn) would ever warmly oppose. The motion called for the return, not only of grand Jurors and petty jurors, but also of all persons connected with the ad minietrition of justice. Now nothing could be more unrea sonable than that in such returns should be included indi viduals whose services were purely honorary, and without emolument. Be had no objection, however, to a return that should be confined to those who had already taken the test oaths. In the stamp and ether departments, there was no ne cessity for inquiring into the religious persuasion of the officer ; anti he (Mr. Goulburn)'cluring his own connection with Ireland, had made it a sort of rule to himself to forbear, in cases of such appointments, from inquiring at all into the religious or politi -cal opinions of the party. On the grounds he had stated he should resist the motion. Lord ALTHORP could hardly conceive it passible ' if the principle which the Right Honourable Gntleman had just spoken of had been properly acted on, that in a country where there was so small a proportion of Protestants, and so great a majority of Roman Catholics, so very few of the latter should have been admitted into these offices in the come of so many years. Were there any thing inquisito rial in the motion of his Honourable Friend, he Lord Al thorp) would be the last man to support it ; but the fact was, that till his own attention had been particularly called to the - subject, he was not at all aware how few Catholics had been appointed to offices which they were competent by law to fill. Though not at present excluded by law, they were, in effect, in prejudice ; and they would continue to be so as long as. they continued a degraded cast in the country. The return itself would be the most effectual means of removing the de gradation which caused so much mischief and misery to Ireland. Mr. HOBIIMSE considered that when the Act of 1793 passed, it was intended by the Legislature that at some future period, it should be known in what manner its provisions had been complied with. It was said that in these offices there was not one Roman Catholic. Mr. GOULBURN begged to say that if such a statement had been made it was untrue. Mr. HOBHOUSE thought, that such being the case, a stronger reason was furnished in favour of compliance with the motion. It had been stated by the Noble.Lorti that 19 out of every 2i) persons appointed to the office were Protestants ; and an lion. Member near him, .who was connected with Ireland, stated that such was the case in 49 cases out of 50. They had no means of knowing whether this was so or not, but by ca llin g for an of fi cial return. To this the Right •Hon. Gentleman said, would be to exercise aminquisitorial power. This the Hon. Gen tleinao knew was only put forth as the argument of the evening. In many cases such inquiries were made; the persuasions of the several persons in office must be known, and could it be pre tended that any of them would object to making the proposed return ? The object of the motion was important, as it was to ascertain whether religious persuasions in Ireland were a bar against individuals holding situations which were open to them by law. It was complained that the motion extended to sie tuations which were not situations of emolument. This ap peared to him perfectly proper. In Ireland, as elsewhere, some value was attached to the honour of holding certain situations, and it ought to be known whether Catholics were excluded from these under the present Government. Of the many able Barristers at the Irish . Bar, there were few indeed belonging to the proscribed rho had attained any eminence. There could b 3 -but one fair motive for refusing the motion—it was, that if the return were made, it would be found, as he before observed„- - that none of the Catholics were allowed a fair chance of ac quiring the honours and emoluments distributable among the rest of hislMajesty's subjects. -The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he could net enter into the views of the Hon. Gentleman who spoke last. He was satisfied there was no desire to confine lucrative offices to , Protestants. Two Catholic Gentlemen had recently been appointed to offices in the Revenue, and no question at the time of their appointments was asked as to whether they were Catholics or not. lie did not himself know the fact until that evening. Mr. HUME contended that the exclusive system had been practised many years; and that the cases just mentioned were esti:tendons to the rule. The refusal of information would not remove the present suspicion of partiality. The Greeks, about whom so much was said, did not endure half the oppression suf fered by the Irish. Government had begun to shew liberal views on some points, and he hoped they would shew them on the present occasion. Mr. AGAR ELLIS supported the motion. Mr. Secretary PEEL said that so far from the two instances referred to being exceptions to the general rule, they were ap pointments made by the very Irish Government reprobated by the Hon. Member for Aberdeen. The granting of the motion would require the asking of every Officer under the Government whether he was a Catholic or not. Something had been said about talent; but surely it did not require much talent to be the trustee of a Linen Board. Indeed a Right Hon. Baronet oppo site (Sir J Newport) had argued that the Board itself was mane ceseeary. There could he no cause of complaint, unless it could bh - shewn that the superior talents of Catholics had been over looked in favour of Protestants. Even if the Return in ques . don could be made, it would prove nothing as to the general ar gument of itn proper preference. On account of the dangerous principle on which the motion proceeded, and of the total in conduciveness, in the way of argument, in any return which could be made to it, he should Join his Right Hon. Friend in resisting the motion. Sir JOHN NEWPORT said the appointment of the two a4Tscer3 in question were made under the Administration of IFOfi. But under whatever Administration they were made, he wanted to shew by the present motion how few of the Catholics were afforded fair opportunities of advancement. He knew it was the fashion to treat this question as one of no importance to the general body of the Irish people but he should like to ask any man, however eminent he might behea Chancellor of Eng land for instance—whether it was not desirable, for the hum b!est tradesman, to be able to hold out to his son a fair prospect of his succeding to the honours of the profes sloe, to which a laudable ambition might direct him. That this was a desirable spirit to encourage, there were many gra tiying proofs. He might particularly allude to the case of the late Lord Avonmore, who by the. most honourable and labo rious exertion of his abilities had made his way at the Bar up to the rank of Lord Chief Baron, and ultimately to the Peerage. Yet this Learned Jag° was the son - of a wool-comber. The question was one df importance to the' people at large. and he supported the motion in order that the House might see the ex tent to which the system of partiality was carried. Mr. CANNING said, the latter part of the Right Hon. Baronet'sspeech had turned upon topics, in some of which he felt with him, though he did not think the present moment exactly suited to their discussion. The last topic, as it went to show the interest which the humblest individual might feel in the question of eligibility to the highest office, and that there fore the hope of such office should not be shut out from any, was one which addressed itself to the feelings of all, and the principle of which he had often- exhausted himself in up holding. But they were not then inquiring firm far gush offices ought to be opened to all. What he had formerly con-. tended for; along .with the Honourable Baronet, was--eligibi lity; ,but they were not going into ;,.the question of election. For his own part, he did not wish that there should be any bar between the Crown and the people; but he did conceive, that having granted the faculty of choice, it was not the business of Parliament to watch over the power which was not granted, by restorded to the Crown. What had formerly been com plained of was, that Roman Catholics, being alike eligible with their Protestant fellow-subjects to all offices, certain Statutes intervened to limit as well the right of the Crown to select as the eligibility to be elected to certain of those offices ; and he fully concurred with those who made that complaint, and in the beautifully poetical allusion that had been made by the Honourable Member (Mr. Hobliouse), that the rays of regal bounty should shine equally upon all classes of subjects.— , (Hear, hear !)—The principle contended for in the present motion went toe far. Others besides Roman Catholics were not eligible to certain offices, and what was the remedy ap plied by Parliament ? An annual indemnity.—(Bear, hear, hear ! )— The true policy then was, not to inquire how far this had been effected, and .put questions to each in a public office as ro his religious persuasion. This was a principle that could sever tie lost sight of, could all the disabilities against Roman Catholics or any other sect be removed to-morrow. — The present motion would, however, quite abandon it ; and for no purpose whatever would he consent to it, for it might be wrest ed to the worst of purposes. He was as anxious as any Ho nourable Member could be, to remove those bars which impeded as well the right of the Crown as the hopes of a very large proportion of his Majesty's subjects; but whenever the whole or part of those bars or disabilities should he removed, it would be his wish that there the matter should rest; and, the question pf eligibility being fully or partially admitted, that the.question of election should - not-be introduced. Another objection to the motion was', that as lolig as this was a monarchy, - and the disposal of office was. vested in the Executive Government, he did not think it politic, though he would not say that Parliament had not power, to examine into the exercise of that discretion, unless'iraud or manifest injury could be shewn. In conclusion he would ob serve, that there was a disposition in his Majesty's Govern ment to give to the Roman Catholics a fair share of patronage in regard to the situations to which they were eligible : and believing that in the mean time this motion, if carried into effect, would prove a firebrand in the midst of the people of Ireland, he would give it his decided negative. • Mr. HELY HUTCHINSON contended, that the great aim of Government had been to defeat the object of the Act of 1793. Mr. GR A 'I".P AN briefly replied. The House then divided, when there appeared For the Motion, 11 I Against it, 38 f Majority, 27. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Er.i:vErt o'Cr.ocir. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. MO CSY. OF COMMONS. Joris, 19° die Februarii, 1824. Reps—Gisburn, Newton Abbot, &c., and Kensington— Bills read a first time. Colne, Cheltenham, Rugeley, Dun church, East Retford and Littleborough, Blandford and Poole, Holme Lane End and Birstall, Leeds and Coiling ham, Bideford, and Camden Town—Petitions for Bills re ferred to Committees. Stokenchurch—Petition for Bill re ported, Report to lie on the table. Scartho—Petition of the Rev. Robert Uvedale, against; to lie on the table. Tot nes and Bridgetown Pomeroy—Petition of Trustees of Bid &find and other roads, against, referred to the Committee. Blackburn and Preston—Petition from Whalley, in favour of Bill, to lie on the table. Ix4sr.ostralts-13oyton (Wilts), Potterne (Wilts), Pamber and Inhurst (Hants), Sutton Goldfield (Warwick), Bincombe (Dorset), Curry llivell (Somerset), Ashill (Somerset), Swan land (York), Abbotside (York), Meltham (York), Genet glyn (Cardigan), and Long Crendon (Buckingham)—Bills ordered to be brought in. Cstuacxxs—Roundhay—Petition fora Bill referred toa Com mittee. Barnsley, and Blackburn —Bills ordered to be brought in. RAIL WAY—Tees and Weardale—Bill onlerod to be brought in. GAS LlGHTS—Aberdeen No—Lancaster, and . Paddington TlTHES—Cockerham WATEaw on Its —Cheltenham M•Ri"ZT—BllstOn PoLrez—Batlwate Co MPAN Y—Nlining (Ireland) TOLLS—Dublin CoAT. TRADE—Dublin, and Newcastle LOCAL. TASATION—DubIin A SSAY OFFlCE—Birmingham Petitions for Bills re ferred toComrnistees. Banns's—Haw (Act Amendment), & Teigninouth Isirsav X MENTS—Eyesham, Bognor, and Islington CANAL s—Thatues and Medway, Ulmer, and Bristol and Taunton Fins INsunANcE—Kent DOCK-St. Katherine's LIGHTING, &C. — D r OMpten.square—Bill read a first time. LEGACY Dv - TY—Petition of Inhabitants of Birmingham, against; to lie on the table, and to be printed. Pus treaxs—Petition of Licensed Innkeepers and Victuallers of Worksop, and Nottingham, for the repeal of the increased Duties on Licences ; to lie on the table. GOAL Dtrriss—Petitions against the Duties on Coals, from St. Columb, Langafelach, Brixham, Tunbridge Wells, Launceston, Burton Bradstock, Effingham, and Whitsta ble and Seasalter.--to lie on the table. T ZADZ,—Accounts ordered, " Of the amount paid in Bounties on Irish manufactured Linens exported from Ireland in the year ending sth January 1824 ; distinguishing the number of yards which have received the respective Bounties of one halfpenny, one penny, anti one penny-halfpenny, with the real value of such Linen on which the said Bounty was paid, and the places to which exported. "Of the amount paid in Bounties on British manufactured Linens exported from Great Britain during the year ended sth January, 1824; distinguishing the number of yards which have received the respective Bounties of one halfpenny, one penny, and one penny.halfpeny, with the real value of such Linen on which said Bounty was paid, and the places to which exported. " A similar Account of Irish manufactured Linen exported in like manner from Great Britain. " Of the quantity of Linen Cloth, of all sorts, imported into Great Britain in the year ending sth January 1824. " Of the number of pieces, ells, or yards, of all Foreign, Irish, and British Linens, Cambrics, and Lawns, exported from Great Britain, in the year ending sth January 1824 ; distinguishing each. " Of the quantity of Foreign and Irish Linens, of all sorts, retained for home consumption in Great Britain, in the year ending sth January, 1824." " Showing the gross amount of Duties, the Drawbacks paid, and the net produce of the Duties on Foreign Linens imported into and exported from Great Britain, in the year ending sth January, 1824." " Of the quantity of Flax, dressed and undressed, imported from Foreign Countries into Great Britain, in the year ending sth January 1824. " Of the quantity of Linen Yarn imported into Great Bri tain, in the year ending Stir January 1824." ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR THIS DAY. 1. Usury Laws Repeal Bill—Committee. 2. Judges in Wales Bill—Second Reading. 3. Supply—Committee. 4. Ways and Means—Committee. 5. Reciprocity of Duties Bill—Committee. 6. Law Courts (Ireland) Bill—Report. 7. Exchequer Bills (Xl5,000,000) Bill—Committee. O. Transfer of Aids Bill—Committee. NOTICES OF MOTIONS FOR THIS DAY. 1. Lord Viscount Palmerston—Army Estimates. (In Com mittee of Supply.) 2. Sir George Clerk—Navy Estimates. (In Committee of • Supply.) 3. Mr. Curwen—Copy of Memorial concerning the absence of the Attorney-General from the Isle of Mann ; also, Patent of his appointment. 4. Mr. Hothouse—Copy of any Letter which may have been issued during the last year by the Board of Taxes to the several Surveyors in England, ordering a general Survey of Houses and, Taxes. 5. Mr. Berries—Copy of Treasury Letter and Minute regard ing surcharge of House Tax. NOTICES GIVEN YESTERDAY. Tuesday, Feb. 24. Sir Henry Parnell—Papers concerning Commercial Inter course between Great Britain and Ireland. Wednesday, Feb. 25. Sir George Clerk—Bill to isielblish equality in Weights and Measures. Wednesday, March 3. Mr. George Lamb—Bill for allowing persons prosecuted for Felony to defend by Counsel. (Deferred from Feb. 20.) PRIVATE BILLS—SECOND READINGS for This DAY. Female Orphans' Asylum. Last Day for receiving Petitions for Private Bills. ADVERTISEMENT. SPANISH AND COLOMBIAN BONDS. A WARNING TO THE PUPLIC. T has been a misfortune, in the numerous dis- I cussions upon the subject of COLOMBIAN BONDS, that, with certain exceptions, more attention has been ap parently paid to the display of party or interested feelings, than to any desire q eliciting the truth, or of affording a rational view of the li'lestion. Whilst I freely admit that lam no fri62d to-the proceedings of those individuals whose irregu larities have led to the continual agitatioaof the public mind, on a subject which affects the interests of so many families and persons, and now declare my intention of freely canvassing those proceedings,-1 equally avow my resolution, not to ad vance as a fact any one point which is not capable of the most substantial proof, —tor to offer an opinion which does not rest, according to my judgment, on such bases as shall bring it with in the limits of reason and rationality, either as a natural de duction from premises, or as the result of a comparison with cases on which the public seem to entertain but little diversity of opinion . On this latter principle it is that I determine to pre sent a view of the question in its several bearings ; pertly in 'Juxta-position with the corresponding facts in the case of The Spanish Bonds—and partly by contrasting . the language - and acts of the persons calling themselves Contractors for the Co lombian Loan, with those of the Colombian Government. I know that the conclusions to which this course will lead, are little likely to be agreeable, either to the individuals call ing themselves Contractors, or to those, and many there are, who have submitted to be. the willing victims of a delusion, as popular it has been hitherto successfully m ain tained, by means which appear likely, however, shortly to ter minate, in leaving the principal actors but little ground of self congratulation or satisfactory retrospect; and as little chance on the one side, it is to be hoped, of either much longer keep ing up the delusion, as, it is to be feared, there will be on the other side, of its victims being compensated for the injury al ready sustained, or the ruin which impends over them. To find a parallel for this most extraordinary proceeding, will re quire a reference to the annals of the early period of the last century. The South Sea Bubble and its ruinous consequences are matters of historical record. In the 3d volume of Ander son's History of Commerce, Anne 1720, will be found matter deserving of serious attention at this moment. However un. gracious the task, it is still consistent with justice and right that the veil should be removed, and the question of Colombian Bonds fairly exposed to view ; although the result may be, the exhibition of a picture, of which the leading features are excessive deformity, and credulity unparalleled since the period above named. _ In order that the character of my communication may not be misunderstood, I do not follow the hackened practice of call ing it disinterested correspondence; but paying for its inset.- don, with the title of " ADVERTISEMENT," I call it what I mean it to be,--." A warning to. the Public"—an attempt at opening the eyes of the deluded, and putting the unwary on their guard. It is historical,—..tmbracing the transactions of a considerable period of time, and is consequently, and necessarily, of great length. _ _ SPANISH BONDS. The or . i*in of this part of the Spanisa debt was under circumstances which created a COLOMBIAN BONDS. In like manner the origin of the debt of Colombia to indi viduals of this country was un der circumstances of extreme pressure ; when their struggle for independence, then of doubtful character, rendered it impossible for them to ob tain the supplies indispen sably necessary for the continu ance of their efforts, other wise than on conditions of great disadvamtge. Supplies were, however, furnished, and doubt less on disadvantageous terms, to the then Federation of Ve nezuela, long previous to its union with New Granada in July 1821, from which time it bears the present title of Colom bia. _ necessity for means being ob tained, on the most eligibly terms, that the monied interest might be disposed to offer with a heavy debt and dimi nished resources, recently e- merged from one tremendous struggle with an external ene my, and engaged in a less ex tensive, but equally exhaust ing, becau gel n tern a, conflict — the conflict of civil war—terms were dictated, extremely one rous, and the supply of money was but partially serviceable to the Spanish Government, from the rate at which it was furnish ed, and the conditions with which it was clogged. Thit was in 1020, when the Consti. tution had already been some months in practice, with the King at the head of the G o , vernment, after swearing to that Constitution—whether by force, or otherwise, it is not necessary here to inquire. It will be seen, then, that the circumstances of the two coup. tries, with respect to their wants, and the origin of their debts were not very dissiinilar : h ow far, in the manner and propor florin in which their supplies were raised, and in many other respects, there was any resemblance, except as to a most singu lar coincidence in many of the dates, will be seen from the following comparison, chiefly taken from Official Docu ments : The first Spanish Loan of The first Colombian Debt November 1820 was raised un- arose out of supplies furnished der a formal Decree of the Sp a . by individuals to the then Re nish Government, consistin g of public of Venezuela, as private the King and the Cortes. Speculation. In November 1820, Mr. Zea, having been appointed Envoy to England, " created" Debentures, with out authority, for accounts not liquidated or agreed .with the Colombian Governt. In May 1821 the first Divi- In May 1821 the first Divi dend on the Spanish Bonds of lend on Mr. Zea's Debentures November 1820 became due, of November 1820 became due and was punctually paid. and was not paid ; and he re tired to Francs. In November 1821 the se- In November 1821 another cond Dividend on Spanish Dividend became due on. Mr. Bonds was paid ; and on the Zea's Debentures, and, like the 22d of that month, a Contract former, remained unpaid. On was signed in Madrid, under the 27th of that month Mr. the authority of the Govern- Zea- (having received notice ment, for a new Loan on per. that the Debentures would not petualßentes,including among be ratified) sent a communica other articles, a stipulation to tion to the soi-disant " Coin take, in part payment of the mittee of Creditors," —alias new Loan, the Bonds of 1820, " Agents for the Colombian at a fixed price. Republic," --alias " Contrac tors for the Loan,"—which made them fully acquainted with his total want of powers for such objects as raising mo ney, either by Depentures or by Loan. lur the early part of 1822 In March 1822, certain pa the value of Spanish Bonds pers called Powers, (which it and Rentes remained pretty is presumed were not in being stationary; subject only to the in November 1821, according fluctuations incidental to the to Mr. Zea's communications varied character of the struggle above referred to) all at once between thetwocontendingpar- sprung into existence; and ties in Spain ; and on the let of upon these powers or papers, May in that year another divi- (whether fabrications or not (lend was paid on the debt. will now be shortly determin ed) a loan was raised for two millions stifling; and it is a singular circumstance, that the old Debentures, which, from the non-payment of interest, and the non-ratification of Principal, had, cluing the preceeding nine or twelve months, fallen almost to nothing, rapidly disappeared from the market, being bought up chiefly at prices varying from 9 to 25 or 30 per cent., and having reached par, it was found convenient to fund three quarters of a million sterling of them in the New Loan, at 100 and upwards. In June 1822, the overn; In June 1822, the Vice Pre ment of Spain adopted the sident of the olombian Re- Report of the Finance Corn- public, published a proclama mittee, and decreed a further tion, stating that it had " come Loan for the service of the to the knowledge of the Re- State. public of Colombia, that cer tain individuals, resident in Europe, assume to themselves the title of Agents to the said Republic, and under that imposture, contract oblig ations in its name, which in some measure compromise the honour and public faith of the State;" and to inform persons of the defec tive authority under which those persons have acted, and to prevent "-such scandalous abuses," " the Governing Council having deliberated, has resolved to declare ;" Ist. " No per son, either citizen of Colombia or Foreigner, is at present au thorized in Europe to make engagements, contract loans, or in any way to bind the Government of Colombia to the fulfilment of any compact, convention, or obligation whatever." " 2dly. The Honourable Francisco Antonio Zea, resident in Paris, is only authorized to interfere in the political affairs spe cially under his charge, according to his instructions." 44 3dly. No contract, convention, or engagement shall he con • bidered obligatory on the Government of Colombia, unless it shall be, or has been, preceded by the express authority of the said Government." __ _ (Dated) " Palace of Bogota, June Ist, 1822. (Signed) " FRANCISCO DE PAULO- SANTANDER, Vice-President. (Countersigned) " PEDRO ()UAL, Minister for Foreign Affairs." On the 7th of July, 1822, On the 7th of July, 1822, the insurrecti , m at Madrid the abovementioned proclama took place ; but left the question of Santander was publish tion of Loans in the same state ed in The Gazette of Colombia. as before. In October, 1822, the Loan In October,lB22, the above decreed in June preceding was mentioned proclamation was brought out in London, and received in London, and Co the price went up very consi- lombian Bonds fell above 30 derably. • per cent. within a month. Thus far the faets,, with respect to the Debts of Spain and Colombia have admitted of a frequent and close contrast ; with an extraordinary coincidence in the dates of the greater number of cases, a coincidence that might •have been shewn even down to October last. The fluctuations that have taken place in the Bonds of Spain, from October, 1822, to the same period in 1823, though numerous and considerable, have arisen chiefly out of the events,connected with the invasion of that country by. the French : the only material public . documents referring to the subject, being the famous private letter of 31 r. Erro, Finance Minister of the short-lived. Regency in Madrid, ad dressed to a Paris banking-house, in May or June last, declar ing that all the Constitutional Loans would be annulled; and the secret article tacked to the conditions of the no-less-famous proposed Loan of Guebhard, in August, to the 'same purport. The Decree of October last, issued by the King of Spain at Port St. Mary's, it will always be remembered, was a General Declaration, annulling all the acts of the Constitutional Go vernment, from March, 1820, to the date of the publication of the Decree ; but in no way then, nor since, in any official do cument, have the Loans been specifically named, much less formally annulled. After making these short observations on the Debt of Spain, I shall continue my comparative view, not under the heads of Spain and Colombia; but under those of the Acts and Declarations, of the persons calling themselves Contractors for the Colombian Loan, their Agents, and Friends, 'as contrasted with the Acts, Declarations, and De crees of the Colombian Government. Acts and Declarations of the Acts, Declarations, and De Persons calling themselves trees, of the Colombian Go• Contractors for the Colom- vernment. bian Loan, their Agents, &c. On the 11th January, 1823, That there was not any law a Meeting was held at the City in Colombia authorising the of London Tavern, convened Loan ; and supported that de by the persons calling them- aeration by giving them a selves Contractors; at which copy of the Colombian Code Meeting all the assertions they of Laws; which Code of Laws had previously made, with re- clearly proves, that the pre spect to the pretended powers— tended . power under which the the manner of conducting the Loan is said to have been pretended Loan—paying off raised, would, of itself, have the " created" Debentures, been a direct violation of the &c. &c., which constitute the Laws of the Republic ; the grounds of objection and an- parties, whose names appear nullation by the Colombian to that paper, not being corn- Government, were boldly rev- petent, under the Constitution, terated. But at this Meeting to confer or delegate any such the soi-disant Contractors did authority. This fact is dis not relate what, but five days tinctly consistent with an im before the Meeting, Mr. Re- portant anterior Document— venga, the present Minister of namely, a Letter written on Colombia, had communicated the 29th September, 1822, by to them, and which he con- Don Pedro Gual, Minister for firmed on the day succeeding Foreign Affairs, addressed to the Meeting, and again three Mr. Zea, in which he Octoberss,— days afterwards. This corn- " In date of lbth last munication was to the sub- year (1821), I had the honour joined effect, via. of transmitting you from Cu cuta, in original and dupli cats, the accompanyi n g re vocation of all the powers entrusted to you by the Government of Colombia; and expressed at the same time , i ts wis hes that you should return forthwith to this "The Go vernmen t o f C o l om bi a h as observ edrcising with. your diplomatic functions ; and, French an d En g li s h newspapers, that you have vecontinued country"ithee what is even worse than all, have made use of powers which you never had, and which it never was the intention of the Go vernment that you should have. Most extraordinary is it, in deed, that you should have ventured to contract fresh engage ments in the name of this country, without its knowledge— wrihe r o t t sanction—and in direct opposition to its existing laws of the Republic, and to what was to ahti commun icated to you by M essrs . M en d e z and E c he va rria, as to the revocation of your powers, stated in letters of mine , re ceived in Paris. You, Sir, shall answer to the nation for your conduct ; and this Government, as in duty bound, will pro claim it to the world, in order to save its responsibility, and protect its reputation." On the 21st of April, 1823, On the 17th April, 1823, the Mr. Jones, the agent of the Secretary of State for Foreign persons calling themselves con- Affairs, made a Report to tractors, and the partner of one Congress, in which are the of them, or of one o f hi s f o ll ow ing words, extracted brothers, arrived at Bogota.— from a published translation This Gentleman, it may be of that Report :—" If we give presumed, is the individual re- credit to what has been repeat ferred to at the above-mention- edly written us from London, ed meeting, as the "confiders- we must admit, that the in tial person dispatched to the considerate operations of Mr. seat of the Colombian Go- Zea, both in political and finan vernment, carrying with him cial matters, have essentially the original Contract ;"-e-. conduced to embarrass and from whose exertions " they perplex. We have already " strongly anticipated a proper noticed his circular note, which, settlement of the matter." In from its style, and the manner a letter written by this Gen- in which it was addressed, was tleman to his employers on the certainly seen and received in 19th May, he tells them that many quarters with extreme a Committee had been ap. displeasure. His financial pointed by the Government for transactions were, however, t h e purpose of receiving the ac- still more arbitrary, and desti counts and documents of which tote of every reason which he was the bearer, and making could induce the Executive to a Report to the Congress there- approve of them, even taking on. 'With this Committee he them on the ground of expe (Mr. Jones) had held two diency alone; but as we have Meetings on the 13th and 17th to treat of this affair separately, May, and he entertained no we shall refrain from further doubt that the recognition of observations here, having the Contract for the Lean by touched on them merely in the Congress of Colombia consequence of the connection would be the result." Mr. they bear to subjects of diplo- Jones further states, "that the maey." whole of the Ministers had, b -Y In a message from the unanimous consent, decided on Executive to the Congress, the recognition of Mr. Zea's communicated on the same powers to raise the Loan I !" day (17th April) language to This, and much other matter, the same effect's used. In the was contained in a note of the month of May that examine persons calling themselves tion of the question was going . Contractors, dated 28 July, forward, (at the moment that 1823, which was posted at the Mr. Jones was writing what is Stock Exchange, and publish- placed opposite to this,) which ed in the Newspapers. terminated in the passing of the Law hereafter given. ' On the 12th August 1823, a On the 30th Aug. 1823, the letter was addressed to the Jamaica packet brought the Times Newspaper, signed Decree of the House of Repre " J. D. Powles," which 'pro- sentatives of Colombia, dated fessed to notice a Pamphlet the 9th June, pesitiiely an that had appeared the preced- nulling the Loan, and declar ing day, entitled " The Con- ing their liability and dctermi tractor unmasked." In Mr. nation to pay only the amount Powles's letter are the follow- actually furnished "in money ing expressions respecting that and effects." The preamble of Pamphlet. " The time is so this Decree sets out, that, " in near at hand when this traffic consideration that the deceased in falsehood and misrepresen- Ex-Minister Plenipotentiary, gallon will be at an end" ( I ) Francisco Antonio Zee, attri that I considerit only necessary buted to himself facilities that to state, that the whole of this were not confided to him in his authentic information,' given powers and instructions, and by this anonymous writer, has thereby misapplying certain never before been published,' documents which were deli. because it is, in every material vered to him in the City of St. particular, false and unfound- Thomas de Angostura ' signed ed." Again, " I " (Mr. by the President of the Repub. Powles) " affirm in the most lie, and countersigned by the direct terms that time whole of Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Colombian. Ministers have, that period Mr. Joseph Rafael by unanimous consent, decided Reven;ea, under date of the on the recognition qf Mr. Zea's 24th December 1819, for the powers to raise the Loan ! ! sole purpose of facilitating the On the 30th August, when diplomatic negociatione, with the packet arrived, bringing which he was charged in En the Decree referred to in the rope :" The preamble then subjoined paragraph, the per- proceeds to slew, that his sons calling themselves con- powers, &c. ceased to subsist tractors sent a communication from the 14th October 1821 to the stock Exchange, stating (as stated in a preceding arti that letters had been received cle) and terminates with the by Mr. Jones, dated Bogota, Decree:- 19th June, containing what is " Art. 1. The Congress dis stated opposite. On this no- approves the Loan concluded Lice being made public, the in Paris, on the 13th March price of Colombian Bonds fell 1822, by the deceased Ex-Mi. from 68 to 44, being 24 per nister lrancisco Antonio Zea, . cent, in 24 hours. This, it and declare null all that he has will be perceived, occurred 18 done relative to the affair, both days after the publication of in the substance of the Can' the foregoing letter from Mr. tract, and in all its clauses.. Powles to the Times Paper, " Art. 2. Notwithstanding , upon which it is too good a . (nevertheless), the Debt in commentory to render further curred by this act is recognize d observation necessary. and that which was contracted • prior to the Ist of August , 1820, as ,far as the sum which shall be proved to have bee° furnished for the Republic in money and effects." The remaining articles provide for the mode of payment of " the amount of the sum which may be liquidated (in vestigated) and approved." (Signed) " DOMINGO CAYCEDO, President 0 1 thejlouse of Representatives. I __ " Bogota, June 13, 1823." . On the lfith Septeniber 1823, a Meeting' was called at th e City of London Tavern, 'for , the purpose of considering . thg position bf the Bondholders ; and among other R es olutiong, submitted to the Meeting, it was proposed that a sum or 222,892/., being a remnant of the money drawn from the Public 'by the persons calling themselves Contractors for the Loan, l° exchange for the sheets of paper which they call (or miscall) Bonds of the Colombian Republic,—which sum of 292,8921 g by their own admission, then remained in their hands,—shou ld be deposited in the Bank of England in the names of Trustees, such Trustees to be the four Members of Parliament for 00 City of London. This reasonable proposition was met on the rationthatthey (the soi-disant Contractors) had no account with the Bondholders, nor would they account to them at all ; and they refused to invest the money in the way required, or in woi other way, for the security, as far as that small proportio n went, of those from whom the large sum of, at least, one mi lion six hundred thousand pounds had been obtained. Whe ther it be, that it is found more convenient to employ the whole of the subscribers' money, still in their possession, in gambl in g' in the Bonds, is a point which it might be less difficult to en swer, than it would, be to determine, whether the final result of all these speculations will leave any part of these funds to 136 divided or apportioned at all, either to the subscribers or to whomsoever it may justly belong. The question will, per'naps , shortly be set at rest—as it is understood that a Gentleman sill° holds a very large amount of them, which he has had iron' their first issue, at a price above 80, has determined, under tb' advice of eminent Counsel, to proceed legally against the per sons to whom be paid his money ;—butswhether he will pro ceed by Action of Troyer, for the recovery of the amount paid, or by another process, to which persons seeking redress for money obtained from them upon false pretences are usually obliged to resort, is not yet determined. But to proceed with the comparison : On the Ist of Oct. 1823, an- If we look to the Decree of other packet arrived from Ja- the Senate of the 30th June , maica, bringing accounts from brought by this packet a rriv- Bogota, to the 19th July, with ins on the let October, it will a Decree of the Senate, (the be found, that the Preamble.' superior branch of the Isegis- repeats the accusation, that sit lature of Colombia,) of the the negociations were conduct' 30th of June, confirming the ed by Mr. Zea here, withou t Decree of Annullation passed authority, that his powers had by the House of Representa- been revoked by the Act of Lives on the 9th of the "same Union of Venezuela and New month. The persons calling Granada, and concludes with themselves Contractors, had articles annulling the Los": also Letters from Mr. Jones', but engaging for the payinet their Agent at Bogota, to the of whatever had been furnish' 19th July, in which he told ed in money and effects. Vl ° them that' he had addressed a articles are in language to 1" . Letter on the 7th July to the same purport as those contain' Vice-President, General San- ed in the Decree of the lower tender, as the Executive House above quoted. Th e Power, stating " that certain language of the Preamble de' indirect rumours ! had led serves to be given from its el; him to fear that the Resolu- - plicitness. It states " tit tion adopted in this business the Ex-Minister 'Lea, not only by the Congress might not sa- contracted in Europe a L O4ll tisfy the hopes of the persons of Two Millions of Pound . interested." To this he re- Sterling, in the name of tits ceived an answer, dated 18th Republic, but has also reed, l duly, from the Minister of Fi- ed, distributed, and expen a ,c nance, stating, "that the Exe- the greater part of it on n"' cutive Power would adjust the own authority, taking ',1 7 business to the satisfaction of prior accounts without due "' the Contractors, and with ho- quidation, and subsequent one ° nour to the Republic." which he himself has coarse; ed, by operations enormorig l i ,,l g s t o e:c t aec h ,di e sdna S itite. t yi a ro t enp e s st;;ttoloasof a b nd g:o y , yt v i h n i;e c rw r a, _r e appru.no, acknowledgments,pg. eiy h . ae igratui t ous, . cap i ta ls , fo r gn at tiim :mar n u aed i v i s 0 ": revenues that did not belong. to the Republic, as the ar s _ o r i :bri t u s ' he precious metals which. may be coined in Colt:mil% evenopeuxatrotrt t h e exorbitant a t t of which scarcely 3 per cent. accrue tooth:: Republic; andt s h ; short, admitting, as proportions, the obli ga ti ons or debentiV , „ - which the same Mr. Zea had given to the cre dit ors of the Prj public, in virtue of the act concluded in London, on the is August, 1820, without their respective accounts having , legally authorized and liquidated, independent of other oblle",, lions which he has put into circulation in the same arbitorp manner, without having duly requested, waited for, or Ow fl e tamed, the indispensable approbation of similar transaction i V " That on the 12th day of July, 1821, the two province ° New Granada and Venezuela being united in one natio n body, under the denomination of the Republic of Colu;' his, by a solemn a ct of its legitimate Representati v w assembled to sanction this new political Association, anl. a ll fundamental institutions; by the said Act the faculties o f is its former functionaries and public agents ceased, apd,„ consequence, the powers granted, under date of the 24th cember, 1819" (this means the real, and not the supPos id.j s: bricated powers, bearing that date),_" in the city of An B ° l ,, tura; in favour of the er-Minister Zea, also ceased ; not 011 2 r, disailed him from continuing, in virtue of the same, the td plomatic operation: to which his instructions were conP. o l but principally restraining him from entering into finan',4e neg otiations for which he thought fit subsequently to aloes said powers, although already apprized of the important alter o i tion, as he quotes the new laws in the Bonds which he ite s t h the 13th March, 1822." This last line, written on the Sw v June, and received on the Ist October in London, stands well beside an observation of Mr. Powles's 15 days before. At Meeting, on the 16th September, that Gentleman, in his wE tt logics .for the acts connected with this affair, said, '`he no notice of the Constitution was given to Mr. Zea."-- - sss -` Government Decree says, that he, and of course the petl„ r, calling themselve s Contractors, had notice of it ; since " nbe Zen) quotes the new laws in the Bonds which he issued 13th of March, 1822." Either the Constitution and new 10 0 , 1 1 are so quoted, or they are not. If they are, need one w i n e more be said on this part of the subject. There is one P ° more which should not be overlooked. On the very daY„i, which Mr. Jones wrote his letter of alarm to the Vice rr_ i ` t o dent (7th July), the Decrees of the two Legislative 101 0 1 3 7, 4 , were finally sanctioned by the said Vice-President, as the P;11 cutive and promulgated as a law of the Republic. r r o f of July seems to be an ominous sort of day. On the 7th dee s July, 1822, was published the first proclamation of Santa," t ee declaring that there was no authority to raise a Loan, ands se s " certain indirect rumours" which so much alarmed Mr. J o on the 7th July, 1823, resolved themselves into nothing Ito or less than the final sanction of a law, on that day, absolu r annulling the Loan. On the 3lst October, 1823, The perusal of Mr. J0 134 ' s . a packet from Jamaica arrived, letter of the 9th August,. 1":17,. bringing a letter from Mr. gents more than one consi" Jones, dated 9th August, an tion. How happens it thst . , ;o f extract from which was sent, letter written by the preceine, as usual, to the Stock Ex- packet, dated 19th I,St change. The following is the should have contained extract in question :—" On matter, which, he says, P" 1 7 4 ,,, , the 30th of June, "I" (Mr. between himself and the I vy , Jones) " ib"ceived a note from vernment on the /th and s , General Santander, requesting July, and that this roo sr i l 'i s tr my attendance at the Palace portant communication , I v er at 2 o'clock. I accordingly took place some weeks pa l ly waited upon him at that hour, the latter date, should b ‘ and was informed that the pun- have been transmitted it pose for which I was summon- • succeeding packet ? isSl i cs es ed was, to acquaint me, that is singular that all tileee ass the Congress had conferred full sotatory remarks of tile powers to the Executive, to' vernment should be made t i nt' arrange the affairs of Mr. Zea's the, very day on whi°"•isif Loan, and that he proposed, were passing Decrees , g` v olt in consequence, to recognize the direct contradiction N g , the 20 per Gene. Discount.— such statement of Mr-P fi ttt re) the Interest and the Commis. On this very day, (30th,;',ceee sion—that is to say, all the did the Senate pass the - I 's t he leading stipulations of the Con- annulling the Loan, in rite, tract. That it only remained same manner as the E%e r s u s ad for the Contractors to prove on the 7th July, ratifie d fo rce that the money had been paid sanctioned, and gave the Te o, by them for the Republic ; to of law to those very De c r all• Mr. Zea's order. To the jus- as shewn in the last par°, g; O 4 tics of this, I, of course, most However, some alt°,7 s ar readily assented and' assured must be made for the rte him that you were quite as de- which " certain sirous to place this point be- moues" had caused in his yond a question, as himself." which might have cirive" be ed To this was added a postscript, trifling matter out of his a sel f explaining that the expression from the 19th July to o { of 20 per Cent. Discount, " re- August. There is one P s t s sa' ferred to the Contract price of this real or supposed cooraest, the Loan, which was 80 per tion with the Vice-Pr ess fi e Cent." which seems very natuf .t of tells Mr. Jones, " Thtd Mt! s ' remained for the Contractors to prove that the money The, paid by them, for the Republic, to Mr. Zea's order. A OO is to say—" We, the Colombian Government, understoo d