The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-27 00:00:00

GERMAN PAPERS.

CONSTANTINOPLT, JULY 25.
The accounts from the Moran continue to be favourable for the
Porte. Ibrahim Pacha, whose attempt on the mills at Napoli di
Romania would probably have succeeded, had not English and
French assisted the Greeks, has indeed retired to Tripoli:xi, but
immediately after joined Hussein Bey, who landed with reinforce-
ments at Navarin. Whatever the friends of the Greeks may say, it
is most likely that he has since resumed offensive operations. Mean-
time, the part which, during his attempt at Napoli di Romania, tram
taken by the English Commander stationed there, is very re.
markable, and is said to have led the Porte to make bitter corn.
plaints, through the Reis Effendi, to the British legation here.
It is stated that the above-mentioned British Commander not only
encouraged the Greeks to defend themselves on that occasion, but
even distributed provisions among their troops. Unauthenticated
reports even make the citadel of Napoli di Romania to be formally
occupied by the English. These accounts give rise to various re.
flexions, and many persons begin to think that England will at
length take an active part in favour of the insurgents.—Allgemrine
Zeitung.

LITERATURE.

LETTERS ON ENGLAND.

IT A. DI ITAEL.IIOLSTEIN.-TREUTTEL AIM IrDITZ.

The remarks of a foreigner and a man of sense, like the
Baron de Stacl, upon our manners, morals, and mode of
thinking in England, cannot fail to be interesting. An
easy enumeration of extracts might be brought to show
that this country stands very high in the opinion of the
writer.

" In writing the letters that follow," says he in his preface, "
thought less of making a book, than of recalling to mind the ire.
pressiona, which my observation of the public manners of England,
and the conversation of those Englishmen who honoured me with
their friendship, made on me. These letters are, for the most part,
two years old : reflections on the recent measures of the present
ministers, of course, are not to be expected in them. Neither have
I entered into the foreign politics of England : such was not the
object of this correspondence; but had I had this object in view, I
should equally have pursued the course I have adopted ; and have
begun by giving some idea of the internal organization of the
country, and of the opinions It naturally produces.
" Most of the errors habitually committed respecting England,
arise from our reasoning on its politics as we should on those of Aus.
tria and Russia. We give to diplomatic calculations an import.
ante, which they are fur from having in the eyes of the British go.
vernment: and it is not sufficiently known, how little value the
English, preoccupied by the mechanism of heir institutions, and
absorbed by the innumerable interests of the strongest and most
complicated social order that ever existed, set on external circum.
stances, which we erisraeoualy consider as the motives of their con.
duct. In forming a judgment of the proceedings of government
among a free people, the first thing to be done is, to study the sen.
timents, opinions, and habits of the citizens. I hate advanced only
a little way in this course; but, if this first attempt be of any ult.
lily, perhaps it will be followed by a second. It would be better,
however, that minds endowed with the qualities wanting to render
nie successfal should finish what I have begun, and supply the im.
perfections of my labours."
In the range of his researches, the Baron touches on the
somewhat ungracious topic of rotten boroughs. He antici-
pates that his friend to whom his Letters are addressed
will ask, whether the natural love of independence which
distinguishes the English character does not now and then
rise up in rebellion against this borough influence, and re.
jest the proffered candidate? To which he answers—.
"in fact it does sometimes happen, though rarely. It is the
same with electioneering influence as with the aristocratic influence
in general: long customs) has rendered it sacred, and the English
voluntarily submit to it ; but it is solely on condition, that no In.
fringement of certain rights or certain sentiments of moral decorum
takes place. If the line of what appears to them legitimate be
over-stepped, all their haughtiness, and all their native independ-
ence, reappear.
" I could mention to you a borough, situate in the very park of
a great lord, all the houses of which belong to him, and all the
voters of which, though almost absolutely dependant on him, rte.
vertheless shook off the yoke of his influence, because they disap.
proved his principles and conduct. These same voters were brought
under allegiance to his successor by their natural inclination for his
talents and virtues. Other great lords, on the contrary, will not
tninstuit to their heirs the immense patronage, which is at present
submissive to all their political desires.
" You perceive, then, it would be erroneous to pass so absolute a
judgment on the question of close boroughs. This question besides
is subject, like all others, to the empire of public opinion. One
borough would obtain general approbation by an endeavour to
shake off the yoke : another, on the contrary, would incur blame,
and its attempts would be considered as a species of rebellion. The
following exemplifies this.
" The city of Peterborough is one of those, where the right of
voting belongs to all the inhabitants paying scot and lot. It has
six or seven hundred electors, consequently more than many depart.
menus in France; yet it is reckoned among the boroughs of EARL
FITZWILLIAM, either because it is situated amid hisdomaffis. and
most of the houses belong to him ; or because a long series of acts
of benevolence and generosity have attached it to the Wentworth
family. At the last election Mr. SCARLETT was the candidate
presented by Lord Fitawilliam to the electors of Peterborough.
Such a choice, the glory of the English bar, might be supposed to
have met unanimous acceptance : however, contrary to all expects.
tion, an opposition was declared. Some persons undertook to bring
forward as a competitor to Mr. Scarlett an obscure individual, whose
talents and character were a thousand degrees below comparison
with his. Against such an adversary victory was not difficult:
nevertheless, a sort of contest took place, and Mr. SCARLETr
deemed it necessary to harangue the people from the hustings.
'• The election ended, and the effervescence subsided ; the intim.
bitsnts of Peterborough, particularly those who had stood most
prominent in opposition, were not without uneasiness. What
would Earl Fitzwilliam do? Nrould he raise their rents? Would
he deprive the city of this or that gratuitous concession ? In short,
what vengeance would he take on this insurrection ? A sentiment
of vengeance could not enter a mind so noble as that of Earl Fitt.
william. However, the maintenance of his influence in elections
appeared to him of too great importance, for him to dispense with
testifying his dissatisfaction. Accordingly he increased, by a few
pence, the tolls of a canal near the city, which he had the generosity
to keep before at a rate much lower titan that of other canals; and
this trifling increase of rates, which would never perhaps hare taken
place but for the circumstance of his election, added to his income
more than eight thousand a year. Scarcely was the resolution of
Lord Fitzwilliam known, when the city sent a deputation to him,
to entreat him to revoke it: but he would not consent. • Gentle-
men,' said he to the deputies, • in your attempt to reject the illus-
trious candidate I sent to you, you exercised an fnconteerible right,
which I am the first to acknowledge. In raising the tolls of my
canal, I, in my turn, avail myself of a legitimate power. As long
as we are on a footing of mutual good will, I shall endeavour no:
to be in your debt with respect to kind offices ; but if you entrench
I yourselves on the strict ground of right, do not be surprised at my
following your example:"
This, at least, is a genuine sample of fair dealing, and,
as far as it goes, serves to keep alive the love of liberty
after its kind. The interests of either party are not here
very clearly identified, but there seems no resource, in CM
of mutiny, save in the spirit of retaliation. If a disobe-
dient voter will go to the wrong side of the hustings, by
what other process is he to be restored to his allegiance?
It is not to be expected that any foreigner, however fa-
vourable his opportunities for observation may have been,
.calm acquaint himself with all the apparently irregular phe-
nomena of our constitution, or be able to catch correctly a!I
the peculiarities of our political system. The expositions
of the Baron de Stael, however, are always given without
prejudice. He touches on many subjects of very Consider-
able interest, and his reflections mark a mind habituated
to freedom of thought. It is always desirable, on any sub-
ject, to get at the opinions of a well-informed man accus-
tomed to judge for himself, and more especially when those
opinions are offered in the candid tone and spirit that per-
vades the present volume.

On Saturday evening his Royal Pligliness the Duke of
Sussex, attended by T. L. Pettigrew, Esq. arrived at the
Sun Hotel, Cambridge, and shortly after proceeded to the
Rev. G. A. Browne's rooms, in Trinity College. The
Vice-Chancellor, Lord Francis Osborne, the Rev. Mr.
Wilkieson (of Woodbury), and several other gentlemen.
hod been invited to meet his Royal Highness at dinner,
and were in readiness to receive him. We were concerned
to hear that his Royal Highness had been indisposed for
some days; his appearance, however, denoted cow's'
lescence. On Sunday morning his Royal Ilighncss,
Lord and Lady Francis Osborne breakfasted at the"'
carage-house, and attended the morning service at (Tes•
tenon. The party afterwards visited the new buildings
of Trinity and King's College, and at four o'clock hts
Royal Highness dined in the hall of Trinity College, od
was present at Trinity Chapel in the evening. °3
Monday morning his Royal Highness breakfasted with
the Vice-Chancellor at Trinity Hall Lodge. Lord Stafford
and his son, the Hon. G. Jerningham, the Master of Cor-
pus Christi College, and Messrs. Hole and Browne, of Tri-
nity, had the honour of meeting his Royal flightless. The
Duke afterwards passed four hours in examining the valu-
able books and MSS. in Corpus Christi College library, "c"
queatheal to that society by Archbishop Parker ; and at htc
o'clock his Royal highness, accompanied by Lord Stafford.
and the party from the Vice-Chancellor s, proceeded t"
Gogmagog hills, the seat of Lord F. Osborne, where diey
were most hospitably received and entertained by his Lord-
ship and Lady Francis. On Tuesday morning his Royal
Highness, after breakfasting in Trinity College, entered his
travelling carriage, and pursued his journey
to Newsteail
Abbey, the once-famed seat of Lord Byron, and now the
magnificent above of Colonel Wildwan.