The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-30 00:00:00

AtiiiAM i THEATRE.

Mr. YATES has the honour to announce, that ow MONDAY NEXT,
=ll, hit will rye, for the Stet tia*, an entirely new entertainment, In
Patin, consisting of Sketches from Life, Manners, and Peculiari-
ties, entitled YATES' REMINISCENCES ;
OR, ETCHINGS OF LIFE AND CHARACTER.
And a Monopolologue, entitled
MR. CHAIR-MAN
Boxes, 3.. Pit. 2.. Gallery, is.
Doors open at Seren, and begin punctually at lief-past Seven.
Half-price at Nine.

Tb. BIITISI Patna—co mmencedpublishing yesterday morning

at five o'clOck.

LONDON, THURSDAY, NI ARC li 30, 1846.

The discuswion on the law of printogneiture came on in
the French Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday. The fol-
lowing is the substance of the proposed law :—ln every
succession passing in the descending line, anti paying 300
francs of land tax, the disposable share of the property,
which may be a half, a third, or a fourth of the whole,
according as there are one, two, three, or more children, is to
be given to the eldest son, incase the father should not have
disposed of it before his decease; and this share is always
to be taken from the real property, if it be possible to do so
consistently with the interest of the other children. If the
deceased divided his property in general terms among his
children, the same arrangement is still to take effect.
This is the whole of what is material in the change pro-
posed ; and it does not therefore appear to contain any
thing so very objectionable as was anticipated. The ex-
citement in France, on the occasion, seems rather to have
been produced by the principle upon which the measure
is founded than upon the nature of the measure itself.
It does not assign the whole inheritance to the elder son;
but only provides that the moiety of his property, which a
man is allowed by the French laws to dispose of by will,
shall, in the event of intestacy, be assigned to the elder son,
instead of being distributed, as formerly, in equal portions
among the children. If the father disposes of part of the
property, either to a stranger or to any of his children by
name, the will cannot be set aside. It follows that
the eldest son can in no case obtain, by the operation
of this law, a greater addition to the property which
he would otherwise have possessed, than a sixth part
of the whole real and personal estate; and that he can
never, by this law alone, become possessed of more than
two-thirds of the whole property, and this he can only ob-
tain when he has only one coheir. As far as these regula-
tions go, they_will have very little effect in supporting the
aristocratic families ; and in fact it is difficult to say what
effect either Ministers or Opposition can anticipate from
such an arrangement. With this law we calculate that an
income of 20,0001.—taking the average number of children
at three—will be diminished in the hands of the inheritor
of the title to an income of 4,552/. in three generations,
or about ninety years. The only method, therefore, which
seems to remain for the French Nohli s, in order to conti-
nue the opulence of their families, is to take care never to
have more than one heir that can inherit either their title
or their property.
_ _

The following are extracts from the French papers of
Tuesday, none having been published on Monday on ac-
count of the Fete de Parma.

[From tke Etoile, dated Tuesday, 28th March.]
111alin ID, Maas ti 16.

Their Royal Highnesses the Infant Don Carlos and his Consort
arrived at Madrid yesterday evening. The King arrived this after.
neon et four o'clock. His Majesty has promoted Major• General
Linen, Gasmen of Madrid, to the rank of Lieut.-General.
A change in the Ministry daily becomes more probable. as the
Duke de l'lnfantado is resolved to retire. General Eguia, Captain.
General of Galicia, nephew of the Captain-tieneral of the same
name, is spoken of as Minister of War, and M. Erro, Army In.
tendant, as Minister of Finance, but only ud interim. M. Cabo-
wird e to give up his place to M. Levant), his predecessor.
A Decree, which will appear immediately, for it has been sent to
the 31Mister of Finance, ordains in substance, that all those per.
sons who have purchased national estates shim 11120, shall lose not
only those estates but the money which they have paid for them.
Our Gazette announces that the tariff of duties having been ap.
proved by his Majesty, will be carried into execution from the Ist
May next. The same paper gives news from Lisbon, with which
we were already acquainted—Memorial Burdrlnit.

LUCERNE, MARCH 17.

It is with profound emotion that the Members of the Great
Council of Lucerne, on the point of closing their winter Session on
the 10th March, learnt by a message from the daily Council the
result of the investigation, ordered in November last, into the
cur lust of tw3 Members of our Government. Since the return of

Messrs. Pfyffer and Correggioni every body gives his opinion of
this scandalous affair. All those whom the event has more or less
implicated for opinions previously expressed, rest on the circum-
stance that, among the recantations of the banditti, that of the famous
Clara Wendel still leaves some doubt. In fact this woman, while
recalling her preceding declarations in everything concerning the
Magistrates accused, still persists in asserting the reality of the
assassination. This last refuge of perfidy mry engage the Com.
mittee of Inquiry some moments longer. but all the perplexity of
the erroneous prepossessions is necessary to attach the slightest
importance to it.
PARIS, Mimic's. 27.

Letters from Vienna, of the 18th, say that the convalescence of
the Emperor was proceeding in the most desirable manner. His
Majesty took no more medicines, and his appetite was good. The
theatres were opened the day before, and Te Dtant had been per-
formed in the Church of St. Stephen, in the presence of the Court,
the public authorities, and foreign Ambassadors and Ministers. In
the theatres, the audience sung in chorus the hymn, " God preserve
the Emperor Francis."
The .4, istarvir, in a recent number, says t--
" We have certain information, that several officers and subal-
terns of the battalion of the train of artillery in garrison at Tou-
louse, have received orders to proceed to Marseilles, to embark fur
an unknown destination."

The &I to 11$1 Midi contradicts this imputation as follows :
" We know not what may have given rise to such an assertion ;
on the contrary, we affirm, that the officers and subalterns of the
train of artillery in garrison at Toulouse, who, in consequence
of the annual changes which take place in that corps, have received
a new destination, have orders to repair to the new garrisons as.
signed them, and which we have already made known, and that
none of them are going to 111arseillet, where no part of this corps is
garrisoned. Thus this mysterious embarkation is a pure fiction,
and an additional proof of the calumnious readiness with which
certain juumals repeat that the troops the, combat the Greeks are
recruited in France. This unknown destination is no more true
than it is that the artillery employed in besieging Missolonglii was
sent from our arsenals."

No French papers published on Monday.
FRENCH FCRINS, PARIS, MARCH '27.—Five per Cents. 95f.
; Three per Cents. Bank Stock, 20110 f. Rentea de
Naples, 72f. 40c. Rentes de Espagne, Of. Royal Spanish Loan,
4111. Haytian Loan. 750 f. Exchange on London (Money)_
One month, 70c.; Three ditto 2.3 f. 43c.—Cours utlientique,
Mardi 27.

By an extract of a letter from Buenos Ayres, dated De-
cember 13, IS2S, in a Philadelphia Paper of the 17th of
February, it would appear that the Emperor of BRAZIL
intends, on his pert, to act purely on the defensive in the
contest with Buenos Ayres, or at least to confine himself
to predatory operations; but, by letters from Buenos
Ayres of the 3d of January, it seems he has declared all
the ports of that Republic in a state of blockade.

" We are in agonies of suspenve between peace and war with the
Brazils--opinions vary every hour, and although the Emperor of
Brazil is making great warlike demonstrations, yet he seems to
intimate an intention only to defend his Rio Grande frontier, while
the sante pretence of merely defensive war is put forward by this
Government."

BUENOS AVRES, DEc. 23.
The enemy on the frontier is preparing to make an inroad on the
plain- for the purpose, which has already been sufficiently indicated,
of seizing all the cattle and horses which may be met with, and
carrying them off to the Rio Grande. On the 15th, 497 of the
enemy appeared in Choy, and directed their course towards the
anterior. We have no doubt that the national troops will soon fall
in with them, and that they will quickly teach the despots how they
ought to conduct themselves towards men who are animated by the
flame of liberty.
The following proclamation has been printed in this city:—
" Don Juan Antonio Lavelle* Brigadier-Governor and Captain-
General of the Oriental Province, to the inhabitants thereof:—
" When I landed on the shores of my native country from the
ominous yoke of the despot of Brazil, I relied solely on the noble
enthusiasm which inflamed your breasts against the unjust usurper.
Without preparation, without resources, and confiding entirely in
your energy and valour, I found myself victorious on the 24th of
September. and the 12th of October. in the Rincon de las Gallinas,
and ruchilla del Sarandi. What glory did you not acquire on
those brilliant days ! The liberty of the Oriental province was
sealed with the blood of some of her valiant sons ; and alarm and
terror was diffused through the whole territory of Brazil. Never.
theless, the cruel Pedro 1., who again wishes to see the blood of
his subjects flow, has determined to invade this province, to lay
waste our plains, and exterminate their inhabitants.
" People of the Eastern Province ! The moment has arrived
when your duty requires you to take up arms. Think on the un-
happy fate that awaits you if you yield to disgraceful apathy. Just
vengeance once more inspires you with patriotic enthusiasm. We
are forced to engage in war, and we must make our enemies feel its
fatal consequences. The tyrant dreads the resistance of free men,
and be assured that his cowardly slaves will not easily forget the
charge of Sarandi. If our resolution be unanimous, we shall
speedily conclude the campaign, in which I will, as I have always
done, accompany you, ar.d joyfully become your chief and corn.
panion. " LAVA LLEJ A.
" !lead-quarters, on march, Dec. 19, 1825."

By letters from Monte Video we learn that the Emperor of
Brazil has declared war against the Republic of the United Pro-
vinces. This declaration was brought by the Brazilian frigate
Paula, which arrived at the above-mentioned port on the 17th mat.
after a passage of eight days. On the 20th the fr;gate is to set sail
with the other vessels of the enemy's squadron. to blockade Buenos-
Ayres. Viscount de la Laguna has received orders to march to
Rio Grande to conduct the war.

It is momentarily expected that hostilities will actively com-
mence on both sides. The National Government has prepared all
its meana of defence, and every thing seems to promise that the
period has now arrived when the cause of liberty and justice will
secure an everlasting triumph throughout the whole American
Continent.

BUENOS A YRES, JAN. 3.
Every preparation is snaking for vigorous war against the Bra.
Lilian Emperor. On his pars he has declared all the ports of
Buenos Ayres under blockade.
Extract of a letter from Port-au-Prince, dated January 26, 1826:
The Senate and Lower House (the Legislature) are now in
Session. The former are no doubt deliberating on the treaty ne-
gotiated by the Deputies sent to France for that purpose. I have
been favoured with a sight of it. The items of most interest to the
Americans trailing to this islatid are the following :—The flag to
cover the property and to entitle it to half duty on both import and
export produce of this island to be admitted into France at an in.
termediate duty between their own colonial and foreign duty, by
which coffee will pay about two sous less duty than any other
foreign, and cotton, logwood, dm in the sante ratio. Sugar is ex-
cepted, but there is none made here. Should the Senate confirm it
as it stands, it will interfere with the carrying hominy's, but I do not
know any other advantage that they will gain at our expense. We
shall have to remit to France, and draw for the proceethk."
Advice' from St. Domingo city, to the I Ith ult., inform us that
an order of the Government went into operation on the Ist of the
month, fm prohibiting foreign vessels front trading and taking in
their cargoes as heretofore.—Pftiladelphia Freeman's Journal.

A printed copy of the Bill, as amended by the Com-
mittee, for improving the administration of Criminal Jus-
tice in England, is now before the public. Its leading ob-
jects are, to define the circumstances under which persons
may be admitted to bail in cases of felony, and to make
better provision for taking Examinations, Informations,
Bailments, and Recognizances, and returning the same to
the proper Tribunals. hitherto, prisoners committed on a
charge of
.felony were not admitted to bail, an•l so strictly
has the rale of law in this respect been construed, that a
prisoner, committed for knowingly receiving a part of the
cargo of a ship in the river Thames, was held not to be
entitled to be bailed, the offence being deemed a felony,
though not expressed to be so in the Statute 2 George HI.
C. 2s. The Court of King's lime]) has always had a dis-
cretionary power to bail in all cases whatever, the Court
taking such sureties for the accused to appear and take his
t►ial as they in their discretion shall see fit, according to
the circumstances of the case.

The inth snd 17th clauses of the Act provide, that in
all indictments for offences committed oMproperty pro-
vided at the expense of the county, to be used in any gaol
or house of correction, such property may be laid to belong
to the county—that property ordered for the use of the
poor of any parish, to be used Li any work-house, may be
averred to belong to the overseers; and that materials for
repairing highways, may be laid to be the property of the
surveyors of Lighways. Theme who are not accus-
tomed to the strictness required in framing imlicirazt...,
would imagine that nothing were more easy than to state
to whom any property stolen belonged ; whereas, there is
no point of greater difficulty, in many casts, titan to de-

• •

THE BRITISH PRESS.

scribe with legal certainty this apparently simple fact.
We may take the following case as an example: At the
Old Bailey Sessions, 1785, William 'Taylor was indicted
for stealing one plate-glass from a coach-door, value fif-
teen shillings, and one hammer-cloth, value two shillings,
the property of John Whitworth.
The prosecutor, John Whitworth, was a coach-master,
and had let a pair of horses on a job to the lady to whom
the coach, from which the property was stolen, belonged.
The coach, at the time the door-glass and hammer-cloth were
taken away from it by the prisoner, stood in Whitworth's
yard, in a coach-house belonging to him, and he said that
it was entirely under his care, and that he considered him-
self answerable to the lady for everything belonging to it.
It was objected that the property stolen ought to have
been laid as the property tf the lady, and not of the coach-
master.

Mr. RECORDER consulted EYRE, Chief Baron, and
ASHURST end HEATH, Justices; and they were clearly of
opinion that it was well laid ; and the case of Robert
-NI IA .4...474
was remembered, who, at the Old Bailey Sessions, in June,
1713, had been convicted before Mr. Justice ASTON, of
stealing a chariot-glass from a lady's chariot, which had
been put up at a coach-yard at Chelsea, while the owner of
it was at Raneksh, and the property was laid to be in
Me master or the yard where the chariot had been put up.

It is manifest that in oases of this kind the averment of
law is apparently contrary to the fact. The gradual
amendment of the Criminal Code will, we hope, in time
permit the introduction of that more extended principle of
construction, of which the present Act has set the example.
" Those," said DEMOSTHENES, "who are wise, regard the
laws as the morals of the State, and therefore earnestly en-
deavour to make them as perfect as possible." By the at-
tention which Mr. PEEL has paid to the subject of our
criminal jurisprudence, he has rendered a service to the
country which couples his name with those of its greatest
betibfactors; for, of all refonns, the reform of the laws is
the most important, and the industry directed to that ob-
ject cannot fail to obtain the most lasting popularity.

CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

This was the first day of business after the holidays,
and speculators seemed at a loss to know how to act at the
first opening of the market. This circumstance, together
with various reports from Russia, caused a wide price to
be made.

Consols for Account opened at 71i to 781, but, as few
purchases were reported, the market became steady at
781, and was afterwards dull, alternately buyers and sellers
at that price. The bargains, however, were inconsiderable,
except in parcels of Money Stock, of which about 19,000/.
was thrown upon the market; but it was taken im-
mediately, without occasioning any decline in the prices,
being scarce, and much wanted by the jobbers. In the
other descriptions of English Stock there is little variation.
Exchequer Bills were 3s. to Ss. premium. India Bonds
were is. 4s. 2s. premium.

There was a decided improvement in the Foreign Mar-
ket. South American Stocks were all rather higher; but
the Mexican appeared the greatest favourite : from Satur-
day's price, 66, the market advanced to 681; Colombian
Bonds, from .50, have advanced to 52; Chilian .50 ; Por-
tuguese 72; Russian 78i ; Greek 18.
There were no arrivals of foreign mails, and only two
entries on Lloyd's books.

It is stated in letters from Lisbon via Bayonne, that se-
veral arrests had taken place in that city.
Letters from Paris state that the King has invited M.
de Chateaubriand and other members of the opposition to
travel for the benefit of their health. This gracious invi-
tation has been delivered, and there the matter rests for
the present. . .

Ii is a remarkable circumstance that, notwithstanding
the depressed and ruinous prices of every article of foreign
and colonial produce and of manufactures, and the con-
vulsed state of the currency, that the corn-market conti-
nues so firm.

The petition against West Indian slavery from Dundee,
meast :es sisty-three feet in length, and the signatures are
five columns deep.

STATE OF Titanz.---Although the accounts from all
parts of the country give token of returning prosperity
and confidence, we are sorry to say that, from some cause
or other, we are unable to report any sensible improve-
ment in the trade of this place. On Saturday evening a
meeting of the calico weavers of this town was held at the
Britannia Inn, when It was agreed that a statement of the
number of persons out of employment in this and the
neighbouring townships should be published. Accordingly
several individuals were appointed to collect the necessary
information, and they have already been through the fol-
following townships :—Blackburn, Wilton, Ramsgreave,
Richton, Mellor, Lower Darwen, and part of Osweldtwisle,
which contain altogether about 32,009 inhabitant. The fol-
lowing is the result of their inquiries :—Employed, 2,807;
half-employed, 1,467 ; unemployed, 6,412, exclusive of
many hundreds of persons belonging to other trades.
Tins statement requires no comment, it will sufficiently
show the distress that must prevail.—Bleekhurn Mall.
A meeting of the Subscribers to Lloyd's took place
yesterday at twelve o'clock, for the purpose of receiving
the half-yearly report, the statement of the finances of the
establishment, and to elect a member of the committee in
the place of the late Mr. Inner. The chair was taken by
Mr. Sanderson, who stated that their worthy Chairman, Mr.
Shaw, being prevented by pressing business from attend-
ing, the lot fell to him, as Senior Member of the Com-
mittee, and requested that their indulgence might be ex-
tended to him in this his new situation. The Chairman
then called the attention of the meeting to an important
measure about to be submitted to Ministers; the entire re-
peal of the duty on policies of marine insurances, which
would receive assistance from petitions to the same effect
from all the principal ports of the kingdom. 'I he state-
ments of :he finances of the establishment were then given
in detail. Notwithstanding the pressure of the times, the
income of 1825 exceeded the expenditure. The meeting
then adjourned, with a request from the Chairman that
the subscribers should immediately proceed in the ballot
for the election of Mr. Leathley, as a member of the
Committee, in the place of his late respected partner, Mr.
Innes.

CALEDONIAN CANAL.—Public notice has been given,
that the Caledonian Canal will be closed for some weeks
from the 12th of April next. We regret this the more,
considering that the intercourse by means of this great na-
tional work (now 15 feet deep from sea to sea) is assuming
a character of extensive utility; vessels trading to or from
London, Liverpool, Bristol, and Newcastle, Leith, Aber-
deen, and Glasgow, Derry, Belfast, Carnarvon, Waterford,
and Cork, having passed through this Canal in the single
month of January and first week of February last. We
shall announce with great pleasure the re-opening of the
passage as soon as the accomplishment of the repair of the
Mucomer Lock can be anticipated with sufficient certainty
to justify us in so doing.—lnueerress Courier.
THE GEORGE IVi STEAM-VS SSl:.—This tried and,.
efficient vessel will resume her place on the Cork and
Bristol station on Tuesday, 11th April next, under the
command of her old favourite, Captain Brown. The
George IV. may safely refer to her past performances for
what she is likely to effect in future. A better sea-vessel
has never crossed the Channel, and she has accomplished
many very adverse circumstances of wind and weather.
We understand she has undergone u complete refit, and is
much improved.
The following instance of great dexterity, or of equally
great success, will, we think, render the fame of the
achiever immortal in the annals of 1826:—A young girl in
this neighbourhood lately killed six wood pigeons at one
shot, and occasionally amuses herself by popping down
twos and threes at a lime !—Jfuntruse Review.