The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-03-01 00:00:00

BRITtSiI PRESS.

LONDON,
THURSDAY.-SI Ages t, 1.2 v.
The Catholic Claims were advocated last nigh
in the House of Commons by Mr. PturrarrT.
It was not fur every warrior to bend the bow of
Ut.vasas ;—u Senator to plead the Catholic Cause
with the eloquence of GiurrAN was as little
to be expected : that rival, however, appeared
last 'alight in the person of Mr. PLuNarrr.
His able and eloquent speech proved hint the
worthy successor of his departed friend. He con-
cluded with a motion for • Committee of Inquiry,
particularly with a view to the orths affecting the
Catholic Disabilities. A long and animated debate
ensued, which lasted until past two o'clock this
morning, when the House divided : Ave., 437 ;
Noes, 4tl—Majority 6, for going into the Com-
mittee; and the House agreed to resolve itself
into the Committee on Friday neat.

The intelligence received yesterday from the
Continent supplies nothing later from Italy, which
is now the scene of highest interest. than what has
already appeared in this Paper, but is not deraid
of importance, inasmuch a* it lends confirmation
to our previous statements respecting the advance
of the Austrians, and the determined spirit with
which the Neapolitans glow to meet then. It is,
indeed, mentioned in an Augsburg Paper, that the
Neapolitans have already returned en answer to the
u/riontions of the Allier, rejecting the proposition
transmitted from Laybach, which is its effect to
hurl defiance against their aggressors.. This remour
may be premature. but we think it probable, for
uo people who ever knew the dignity and advan-
tage of national independence could hesitate to
choose between oppression with honour, and op-
pression with infamy. Oppression and injury
seemed to await the Neapolitans, even thought they
were humbled enough to accept the ignominious
conditions offered to them by the Allied Save-
reigns ; their country was to be imrsded, their
capital to be insulted by the presence of as enemy,
their fortresses to be occupied by Austrian garrisons
for some years, while the best and noblest among
them were to be tainted as rebels, and perhaps in
the insolence of triumph treated as such by their
vindictive accusers, who should also be their
judges. What can happen worse than this even
should the Austrians pass the frontiers of Naples,
and march to the capital over lifeless bodies and
smoking ruins? Submission, therefore, will not
purchase security from their brutal aggressor',
but the remembrance of a brave resistance will
prove a solace to the sufferings of the unfortunate,
and secure to the people of Naples the applause
and esteem of the world.

That success should crown the Neapolitans in
their struggle against such fearful odds us the
combined powers of the Allies, we have never en-
tertained any sanguine hopes. The tinny des-
tines! by Austria to crush the presumptuous as.
',lrani* after liberty, amounts to more than one
hundred thousand men. -all disciplined and equip-
ped in a state of the highest perfection, a force
much imperiiir in efficacy and quality to any
which the Neapolitans can bring against it. fn
mo.leru warfare, enthusiasm and zeal are but poor
substitutes for discipline and eitoiptnents,. and
however the Neapolitans may abound in the former
qualities, we fear that they are but ill peovided
with the latter. The Spaniards are as gallant a peo-
ple as any in the world, and ate, for the most !mart,
better acquainted individually with the use of fire-
arms than the people of may miser nation ; at the time
of the French invasion, too, they glowed with as
enthusiastic a passion for independence, and as
elisions a desire for revenge upon the invaders,
as (mild be enpected to animate the mass of a peo-
ple, yet they could never stand in the plains
against the disciplined troops of France, but fled
before them almost without waiting for the attack.
Why should we hope for a more favourable result
upon the part of the undisciplined Neapolitans, op-
posed to the moving mechanism of a German army
hi the accounts from Naples much has beets said
to create an imprenion that the Neapolitan stand-
ing army is numerous, but we are also told that
there is a deficiency of muskets, and in such cir-
ettinstauces numbers can only lead to embarrass.-