The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-07-31 00:00:00

EXCHANGES.

A NIT EZDAN JULY 27.LLOTrion..i9 II ; two months, 39 9.
lIA st ni• non. Jr I.Y 24.—LontIon, :16 54 two months, 56 24.
ST. PETEASIIVRGI, Jul.Y 9.—hontlon, 9 15-16; Paris, NI.
LE vsso, J u t.Y 19.—London, three months, 6
Bantu, JuLy 20.—London. three month 4, r. 20i.
VIENNA, JULY It—Landon. three months, 9 51.

The Morning Chronicle of yeaterday, contained a most
alarming piece of intelligence, which we give whole in a
lump to our readers :

" Spain is one great prison. lam informed. and believe it, that
full one-third of the whole population is in durance in public ganls,
and comfined to their houses for liberal opinions . . . . They
talk of trials, but nn one is acquitted ... . . Every day
occurrences in the affairs of °government will rot be believed an foo-
' reign countries ; we outdo Algiers and Constantinople in wicked-
ness, in open cruelty and injustim"

Now, without disputing the wickedness; and injustice of
Spain, let as for a moment think of the appalling facts.—
Spain contains 10,350,000 people—the third of which is
3,450,000. As about a third of the population of every
country is under fourteen years of age—none of whom can
we suppose to be in durance; and as few women can be
objects of suspicion. or at least of dread to any Govern-1
'went, we may safely allow but 430,000 for them. So that

if the accurate friend of the Nfurning CAron&•!e be correct, 1
we have the amazing fact of three matins of men being
kept in prison by half a million, aided by the women and
children. Let us do it in figures for exactness.
The population al' Spain is - . - 10,361,000
Of whom the amber under le, is a third - 3,440,409

The adults, mak and female, therefore are - 6,900,1410
As half at least, is femak—in Spain it is more than
half—tbe number of females is - 2,41/0,01:16

And the males of mune . 3,430,000
Now as • third of the population is in prison, the total
number is 3,440, eiluct 430,000 roe women, and
the total men imprisoned is - 3,001,000

Who of course are guarded by - • 450,0001
'Phis is certainly " something to talk of, when we are
dead and rotten." We hope the philanthropists of Spain
have established a good code of prison discipline, or things
may go worse than in Horsemonger-lane. All that asto-
nishes us is, that, considering that the inhabitants of the
prisons are so much superior in numbers to those who are
confining them, they do not pluck up a spirit, break the
blockade, and escape to the mountains, if they find they
cannot face their enemies in the open plain. The French
Army of Occupation is, of course, but a drop in the bucket,
and not to be considered in the calculation; for, even sup-
posing they had nothing else to do, what could 100,000
men do against so many? On the whole, we know not
which to pity most, those in gaol, or thou, outside; for
the part of the population on duty, what with guards,
and what with piquets and patroles, will hardly have
what soldiers call one night in bed—that is, they must bel
on duty at least each alternate night.
1 On one point, however, the Morning Chronicle and we
most cordially agree. Never did a revolution take place
I with less bloodshed, and rem did men, thrown suddenly
and unexpectedly into poWer, pie it with so much discre-
tion or moderation as the leaddrs of the Spanish revolution ;1
and had not France interfered Unwarrantably in a quarrel, I
in which she was bound to stand neuter, it might, nay
most likely would, have been, that good sense and ex-
perience would have taught the revolutionists, that no'
Government could be permanent in which the two great
Powers of the nation—the Nobility and the Church, how-
ever worthless these might be, had no share.
We cannot, however, join in the commiseration ex-
pressed for the present state of the Spaniards. Either the
revolution was the wait of the majority of the population,
or it was not. If it were the latter, then it was quite right
that the majority should do away with it; and in either
case, but more especially if the former supposition were
correct, will any maw say, that men deserve freedom wbo
hold it at so low a rate as not to strike a single blow for its
preservation. Yet true it is, that the French army marched
from the Pyrenees to Cadiz with almost as little inter-
ruption as they did from Paris to Bayonne.
We all know bow much the Bourbons would give for a
good shout from the Parisian rabble—we all know with
what pleasure they would have sacrificed a few thousand
men for the sake of recording the glorious victory they
achieved—everybody knows how easily a French bulletin
is cooked up, that it only requires a successful skirmish for
the argument, and for the scene a field bounded by a river,
with a bridge in the distance; and if an eminence on one flank,
and a morass on the other, are to be had for love or money,
the thing is superb.
Yet during the whole Spanish campaign we had no
" grand movements," no" covering with glory," no " pro-
digies of valour," simpl7 because in a land of hills, passes,
and ravines and defiles, there was not a good skirmish till
the French army lay down before Cadiz.
1%111 any one assert that men who could permit this de-
serve the blessings of freedom ? No ; every one who
wishes them well would say—let them be fettered by des-
potism till the iron enters their soul ; let oppression weigh
them down, and tyianny goad them to the extremity beyond
which human endurance can bear no more, and then des-
peration will supply the place of courage, and with one
simultaneous burst they will-break their fetters, and eman-
cipate themselves from the galling yoke which bigotry and
tyranny has bound on their necks.

We took the liberty some days ago to advert to the
danger of allowing dogs to go about the streets, while an
epidemic hydrophobia is raging in every part of the country.
We perceived yesterday that a notice was posted on the
pillars of the Mansion-house, ordering dogs who gain their
livelihood by drawing trucks to assume muzzles forth-
with ; and recommending others to keep their own houses,
under the threat of a penalty against their masters. So
far good, and we can only say better late than never; but
we think that it would be just as well to warn people who
possess dogs, that if they appear on the streets unmuzzled,
they will be executed forthwith, without benefit of clergy.
As if a cur is apprehended and carried before the Lord
Mayor, it is highly probable that his master, considering
that, as by the law of the last., a prisoner tried for his
life is not allowed council to speak for him, it may be as
prudent for him to keep out of the way of paying the fine;
and in all probability Pompey or Pincher will find his way
home, when he has successfully settled his affairs in
Court. But if the unfortunate quadruped be, like Mr.
Gourley, found guilty of being non apropos, his master's
oratory will hardly save him ; and the fact proved, will
scarce act as a plea for mitigation of damages. Perhaps
the present City Dignitary may feel averse at this mo-
ment from entering on severe measures with members of
corporations, and therefore not wish to attnnpt effective
means; but it would be as well to issue instructions, that
the proclamation, mach as it 11, be carried into immediate
effect, fa as yet it has pat E any sensible degree thinned
the canine Fopulatiow on the streets of the City.