The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-09-24 00:00:00

COLOMBIA.

We recognize in the titles and boundaries of the new .stat:s of
31exico, Htcnos Ayres, Chili, and Peru, the designations suit
limits of the old colonial Viceroyalties of the same names. The
colonial yoke has been thrown off—tEplipanish Viceroy has been
exchanged fur the President or Political 1. !lief of an independent
State ; the Viceregal Council has been transformed ipso a Senate,
or an Assembly of Representatives ; the Viceroyalty has becomes
Republic, and the ailment Spanish audienciss have started up free
provinces ; but the old geographic names and boundaries arc the.
same, and we are at no loss in determining their position. Co-
lombia, on the other hand, is a new name, and a geographer of two.
or three years back would not recognize in it the old Spanish Vice-
royalty of New Granasla, and the Capitania-General of :Urseas.
This vast commonwealth, extending from the Carribean Sea to
Peru, and from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, embracing a ter-
I ritorg nearly as large as all Europe, is inhabited only by about three
millions of people, who have succeeded in conquering their Inde-
pendence, after a severer struggle than any of the other States hare
been called upon to sustain, and who now exhibit a higher example
of social order than scarcely any of the other Republics have yet
reached. Colombia is divided into twelve departments, each of
which is divided into a number of provinces. and the latter,
again into a number of cantons. The twelve departments,
with their capitals, are the following Orinoco, the ca-
pital of which is Commis ; :I. Venezuela, the capital of which is
Caracas,; 3. Apure, the capital of which is Retinas; 4. Zulia, the
capital of which is Maracaibo ; 5. Boysca, the capital of which is
Tanja ; 6. Cundir.amarca, the capital of which is Bogota; 7. Slag-
dalena, the capital of which is Cartagena ; R. Cauca, the capital of
which is Popayan; 9. Vsonso, the capital of which is Penmen., ;
10. Euador, the capital of which is Quito ; 11. Lasuay, the capital
of which is Cuenca ; and 12. Guayaquil, with its capital of the same
name. " The admirable effect of our present political organisation,"
observes an official Report en the internal state of the Republic,
made to the Colombian Congress by one oldie Ministers in the end
of April last, " especially of the intimate union of Quito, Condit's-
mama (Spanish 'sew Granada), and Venezuela, under one popular
representative government, are manifest in the tratmotßity which
reigns over this vast territory—ln the order, regularity, and sub-
mission to the 'laws which distinguish every Colombian citizen,
from the tint Magistrate of the State down to the most insignificant
individual. But these effects will be more manifest still, if we
cast a rapid glance on our history, and call to mind the leas fortunate
days which have served to form nations in the school of affiiction. As
soon as Venezuela had obtained an independent government in 1810,
the chiefs of the revolution in every province endeavoured to enjoy the
greatest liberty pessible, by assuming all the rights of sovereignty.
They eetablished a &dared Republic, after the model of the United
States; but the people of l'enezuela, who were not brought up in
liberal institutions, divided themselves into small opposing parties.
The federal administration was weak in the extretne ; and being
attacked by a Madrid of men, whom Monteverde conducted from
Coro, was subdued, though at the head of a million of inhabitants
composing the Republ'a. Such were the fatal efferts of a disunion
of the provinces, to which, no doubt, the earthquake of 1812 con-
tributed, being ascribed by discontented superstition to the wrath
of Heaven against oar declaration of independence. It is now eri-
dent that 3lonterenle must have been exterminated, had Venezuela
possessed at that time a united government. Quito experienced
the same fam In the same year. The first junta of that state.
though at the head of 350,000 inhabitants, was put down by 408
men. New Granada likewise laments, and will have to lament
a long time, the effects of disunion end the results of the
federal system, which has been the fruithil source of all its pre-
sent misfortunes.
How different became the expect of these same provinces when
they were united under one central government ! General Bolivar,
who, in the midst of the universal shipwreck, natter deep/aired of
the safety of his country, succeeded in uniting under his command
a part of the plaits watered by the Orinoco, the Apure, and the
31eta. After lighting for two years against the veterans of Moe
rills, he passed the Andes of New Granada, anti routed the Spanish
division which defended it, though double in numbers. The same
Bolivar forced Morino to follow the rulcs of regular warfare, and
to make an armistice. When hostilities again commenced, his
army conquered at Corabobo the hosts of the Spaniards, and put
the seal to the independence of Colombia. This classical name,
and the union of Quito. Curodinaniarea, arid Venezuela, which it
expresses are the immortal work of the Deliverer. Projected in
1813, it received in 11110 the sanction of the Congress of Ye.
nezuela, and in 11121 that of the Congress of Colombia, composed
of legitimate representatives from all the free provinces. The
union being consolidated, the Republic constituted, and the De-
liverer chosen President, the provinces of Quito were freed by the
force of Republican arms. New troops ars organizing in the smith
of Colombia., to garrison the new departments, or under the
Deliverer have gone to combat for the liberty and independence of
America in the ancient empire ot' the Incas- Internal tranquillity,
submission to the laws, security of the most valuable rights of
men, a vigorous Goverrment, respected in all parts of our territory.
are the prudigious effect, produced by the new constitution of
Colombia.

...
This picture may be a little too flattering, but it must be correct
in its principal features. Appended to this Report we find a Roan-
vial account of the pay allowed to the different functionaries of the
State—legislative as well as executive. The 31embers of the Se-
nate, and of the Chamber of Representatives, are paid salaries,
probably elm they may not receive bribes. The allowa,ce of each
is six dollars a day. The President enjoys a salary of 80.009 dol.
lace a year, and the Vice-President 18,1100. The whole internal
administration of the Republic, including provincial as well as ge-
neral expenses, costs t'olombit only half a million of dulLars per
annum, or about 100,000/. sterling.

Yesterday, a Court of Proprietors of the West of Eng-
land Canal Company, was held at the City of London
Tatern, for the purpose of considering a plan for uniting
the Bristol Channel with St. George's by means of a canal ;
and also for the purpose of choosing a clerk to the Com-
pany, in the room of Mr. Merryman, who had resigned.
C. Wood, Erg. in the Chair. After the other business of
the Meeting hail been gone through, which was of no
public importance, the Chairman said that he had revived
a communication from the Committee of the Proprietors
of the Bridgewater and Tauntonjanal Company, in which
it was proposed that the "Vest of England Company should
effect an union between the extremities of either canal, or
in the event of their declining to do that, to allow the plan
to be carried into execution by the Bridgwatt r and Taunton
Company. It did not appear when the latter canal was
expected to be completed ; and the Meeting ultimately
agreed to refer the subject to a Committee for further con-
sideration.

‘VIIALE FISHER y.—This hos hitherto been an unlucky
year in the whale-fishery ; we do not, however, know how
it may terminate. True it is that the Greenland ships
have had miserable success: irat we understand (and it
consoles us not a little) that the whales are coming hither
voluntarily, having heard, most likely, that blubber is in
great request. Two of these civil monsters were seen off
Scarbrii on the 7th instant, and have since been s-xoken to
nesr the Floating Light, so that they will, in all proba-
bility, be here in a few tides. N.B. They did not go on
shore at fkarbro', owing. as is supposed, to the crowded
state of the town.--llsill Packet.

THE BRITISH PRESS.