The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-12 00:00:00

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PFPORT OF TITE SEL.FCP' COIIII.I7T7'EE
ArPOINTID TO CONSIDPII TILL EXPEDIENCY Dr CONE°.
I MATING AND AMENDING TIIE CIIXL%AL LAW Or
ENGLAND.

We touched slightly on this Report in our paper of yes-
terday. We have a long train of introductory observations
by Mr. Hammond, which we confess appear somewhat
out of their place in this Report. If the contents of this
heavy volume form the result of his valuable labours,
which we presume it does, it either ought to be so stated
in the outset, in which case it is not the Report of the
Select Committee, but of Mr. Hammond; on the other
hand, if it actually embodies their labours, then it ought
not to be preceded by a dissertation which gives to the
Report the appearance of coming front the writer, and en-
titling him to the exclusive praise of performing a most
important duty, which Parliament had specially entrusted
to the Select Committee. The investigation of the state of
Our criminal code, as it relates to the crime of FORGERY,
is here very complete. Our criminal jurisprudence, it is
pretty well known, is very far from baying arrived to a
state of practicable perfection. It is lax, diffuse, con-
fused, and ill-digested in the extreme. It is, manifestly,
much more anxious for the protection of rt,r, titan
the preservation of ;it deals out death to almost every
mode of depredation ; is is appalling to look into the great
body of penal statutes, and to see what a countless mass of
offences are made capital, and with how littleconsideration
men are sent into eternity.
The present Report seems confined to a single class of
climes, that of but the ,rs,,lutions of the Committee
stem to apply to the whole system of Criminal Lair. We

find it resol rea—
-1 That the Chairmah be directed to move for leave to bring in
bills, consolidating the Criminal Law, 'Orland ir.2, aniew'rient yr
alteration, and
3. &soh eel, That it is expedient, that certain o•n:sr; ,item!
anomalies in the present state of the Criminal Law be brought
under the consideration of the House, with a view to r:lneiy thc
same, by legislative provisions.
4. Regaled, That the Chairman be directed to move fur leave to
being /0 bills, supplying such emissions, and remedying the ~rirtl-
ag anomalies, such AMENDING DILLS to be wholly distinct from
the CONSOLIDATING DILLS.
To us, this picceeding has the appearance of inverting
the natural order of things ; we are willing enough to at-
tribute this to our not properly comprehending its utility ;
• hut, certainly, in the absence cf all explanation as to the
policy of adopting such a course, we should say, thatfirst
to bare supplied the omissions and remedied the defects of
the existing system by the amending hills, and nest to have
consolidated the laws after they bad undergone this re-
vision and improvement, and been thus previously fitted
for selection, would have been not only the most efficient,
but the most lucid and bast troublesome process.
The present Report would have been much better
adapted for general information, had it abounded less in
multifarious quotations from law cases. As an appendage
to a law library, it may be a document of useful reference,
'but every purpose of public utility would, we think, have
been better answered by a plain and clear statement of the
result to which the inquiries of the Select Committee, or
of Mr. Hammond, have led, than by this introduction, and
massing together of all the law authorities, indictments,
and Crown cases, which those inquiries had made it neces-
sary to consult.

THE POYALV BUBBLE.

We have received the following letter from Mr. Irving,
one of the Comfnlasioncil for consolidating the debts of
Poyais, with an inclosure addressed to the " Holders of
the Povais Securities." It is perhaps due to the l'oraisian
Consul, that as our reporter, amongst a multitude of other
neglected speeches, suppressed the observations of Mr.
Irving, he should be allowed to speak once for himself,
especially as he conceives himself " injured" by the " de-
ficiency" of our report. It is obvious that some limit
must be assigned even to the most important subjects; and
though Mr. Irving's name was not mentioned, the sub-
stance of the two principal speeches, one on each side,
was, it is admitted, correctly given. The address to the
Holders of the Poyais Securities has, we perceive, been
printed for general circulation ; and as it is much too long,
and in many parts too personal, for publication in our
columns, we hope Mr. Irving will be satisfied with the ap-
pearance of the extracts we have made below. We now
take our have of the principality of Poyais and its affairs.
Each party has been fairly beard ; and if they cannot agree
in the adjustment of their accounts, they must seek other
and more proper channels of intercommunication.
shall certainly not lend ourselves to their purposes.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.
London, August 10, 1024.
Sett,—l have not noticed sooner the very partial report given in I
your respectable Journal of the 9th instant, of a Blecting of the
Holders of Poyaisian Securities, held on Saturday last, on the sum.
mans of Major W. J. Richardson, late agent for Poyais, because
I have been preparing, for the satisfaction of those concerned, a
plain statement of facts, of which I hand you a copy herewith. I
do not mean to argue that your report is not substantially cor-
rect as far 411 it goes, but after giving Major Richardson's state-
'Dents very fully, your Reporter has omitted, in the opinion of
every one I have had an opportunity of consulting, all the plain
facts and contradictions which were given by Mr. Thick and my-
self. I call upon you, therefore, as a matter of justice to those
your deficient report has inittnal, to insert the accompanying sub-
stance of statements made and substantiated at that Meeting, and
after reading them, let me ask you what becomes of your corn-
pliments to Major Richardson about his readiness in producing his
accounts ?
Appreciating the difficulties of reporting fully and fairly for the
press, and at the same time the delicacy of the task, 1 disclaim
entirely, for myself and others, any idea of attributing an inten.
Donal trppressio ter; to your Reporter.
IVltb respect to Major Richardson calling • Meeting after. and
apparently because he had been dismissed from the service, let me
ask you how such conduct from a servant to his master can be
justified?
I am not permitted at present to state what I know regarding the
negotiations presently carrying oil. A very short time will shew,
however, how far you axe, or are not, correct in your editorial
remarks.
I confide In your sense of justice for the Insertion of this letter
and its inclosure, and
I ant, yours most respectfully,
EDWARD IRVING,
Consul for Poyais.
The address to the holders of the Poyais securities de-
tails a long course of alletltted mismanagement on the part
of the late " Envoy of Poyais." It states, that the official
salary of Mr. Richardson was 400!. per annum ; and that
the commission allowed on the loan be negotiated with Mr.
Iler.driks was somewhat about gooo/.—ample reinuner-
ation, it is remarked, for a year and a half's services. It
is intimated, that a great part of this sum has been lost by
Mr. Richardson in his injudicious speculations; and, cer-
tainly, if his faith in the stability of Poyais led him to
speculate in its " securities," he might very easily have
lost a much larger aunt. The address then Inquires what
has become of the remaining proceeds of the Poyais loans,
especially that of Mr. Ilendrik's, amounting to 300,000!.
stock ? This question, however, it is admitted, cannot be
answered till the accounts of Mr. lieliardsott are examined.
Saone commercial items are then gone into respecting the
purchase and freight of some vessels, in which it is assert-
ed great negligence and ignorance were sliewn by Mr.
Richardson. The payments of the dividends is next can-
vassed, and Mr. Irving thus describes that transaction:—
" One thousand bonds had been retained in the hands of lien-
dri km, the contractor for the payment of that dividend-31r. lien-'
driks having declined to fulfil his engagement, Mr. Richardson'
created a new commercial bouse.-7. Messrs. Gilbert and Co.' into
whose hands lie put the bonds. The dividends were advertised,
hut the public remained doubtful ; anal at last, when the period ar.
rived. the public were only paid one per cent. in full ! Morro-tr.
It was discovered, that wider various marks and numbers, Dao.ooof.
stock had, in addition to the 1900 bond. above named, been is.
sued. I repeat, continues Mr. Irving. what I stated at the Meet-
ing, that these bonds were issued without the knowledge, consent,
or concurrence of the Prince of POYaia, who never *mid have sanc-
tioned the measure. In short, to create • debt of 230,111101. bear-
ing five per cent. interest, to pay a half year's dividend of one per
erns. upon 470,1.1001. without even accomplishing that object. is •
I measure so exceedingly absurd that surely it was high time for the
Prieto of Poyais to change his unfortunate Minister of Finance! !