The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-25 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS

rectlYN by the authority of the headvg the Chascht and that the',
subjects cannot be exempted front subinission *nil obedience which
they owe them, or be dispensed from their oath of allegiance.
" That the execution of this declaration and of this edict is com-
manded by :he decree of the King's Council 24th May 1788, which
forbid, all the King's subjects to maintain, write, or print. any thing
contrary to the maxims arid principles of this declaration, and
which may tend to renew disputes or give rise to different opinions
on this subject.
•• That this edict and this declaration have never been expressly
or legally revoked, or fallen into desuetude.
•• That, on the contrary, their execution has been ordered in
divers acts of the legislative poier and the judicial authority, and
that even at this day the Bulls are not published in France, except
with the thieve of the maxims, franchises, and liberties of the
Oallican Church. That the question is not to examine the propo-
altions laid in title declaration, and of which the clergy of France
was the only judge, or to decide on any dogma or article of faith,
but merely to decide whether the edict of 1632, relative to the de-
claration of the clergy such as it exists, has the tone of a law. which
forms a legal question within the competency of the judicial au-
thority which is especially charged with the execution of the laws.
'• Considering that the work entitled, 'On lleiigion, considered in
its relations with political and civil order,' of which the Abbe de la
alermais has acknowle.lged himself the author, presents in several
tempters the character of a direct and formal attack on the decla-
ration of 1682, and the edict of 23.1 March the seine year, which
constitutes the crime desibmated by articles 1,3, and 6, of the law
of 17th May, 1819; that the Abbe de la 31ennais in two works, the
one entitled • Some reflections on the trial of the Coualliotionnel
and •lie Courrier ;' and the other—' Aphorismata Acijuniores
Theologos,' has professed the same principles, and attacked the
/time edict and declaration;
" With respect to the accusation of attacks on the dignity of
the King, on the order of succession to the throne, or the rights
which the King derives from his brth ; and others mentioned in
Art. 2 of the law of the 2ath March, 1822; .

• Seeing that the passages inculpated are rather an nttack on the
.eclaration of 1462. and a discussion of the find proposition
contained in that declaration, than a direct, positive, and actual
attack against the King, the rights he derives front his birth, and
the order of succession to the throne;

" That the character of the Abbe de la Mennais, Ilia relig-nus and
monarchial opinions and sentiments, do not permit even the suppo-
sition of the Intention of inch a crime—Acquits the Abbe de la
Mebnaia of the charge contained in the second count of the indict.
mem, deciding on the first count.

" Considering that the passages inculpated form a very small por..
tion of the work, that the remainder is devoted to the examination
of theological questions, on which discussion and controversy are
permitted, and not within the resort of the tribunals ; and that the
work of his composition can be read and appreciated only by well
informed and enlightened persons ; that the respectable character of
the Abb.; de la Mennais ought to be particularly taken into con-
sideration ; applying the Articles -1 and 3 of the law of 17th
May, 11119, and of Act 26 of the law of 26th May, NM
condemns the Abbe de is illcnnais to a fire of thirty franca, or.
dere that the work called, `On religion considered in its relations
with political and civil order,' by the Abbe de la 31ennais, shall be
seized, whenever it may be necessary, by all officers of judicial po-
lice, legally required by virtue of this sentence.
" Otders the destruction in the office of the Register of the Court
afthe copies whith shell be seized.
•• Orders that the present sentence shall be made public, Con-
formably to Art. 26 of the law of 26th May 1819.
" Condemns the Abbe; de la 31ennais in the costs."
FRENCH FUNDS.—Pants, APR 11. 22.—Five per Cents., NW.
85c. ; Torre per Cents., 115 f. 15c.; Ilank Stock, 9.,010f. ;
/lento; de Naples, 7tf. 3.-IC.; Royal Spanish Loan, 44sf. ; Hay-
than Loan, 7656.—Exchange on London, ore mouth, 251. 60c. ;
Three ditto, 25f. 30c.—C'etirs Anthent;que.

Every successive account from Batavia, anti the other
Dutch settlements in the East, confirms the view we have
taken of the precarious tenure on which the Government
of the new kingdom of the Netherlands holds its possession
of those important Colonies. We were quite convinced of
tire truth of this when we found, by recent accounts at
Batavia, twat General LE Kocs, who was said to have been
successful in putting down insurrections in Borneo,
Celebes, &c. had, on his return to Batavia, been amusing
himself at a public dinner, instead of taking the field
against the Javanese insurgents. By the following extract
of a letter, received yesterday at the North and South
American Coffee-house, it will be seen that the Dutch
troops cannot cope with the natives, and are therefore
obliged to confine themselves to their garrisons.

BATAVIA, DEC. 18.

The affairs of this Government wear a gloomy aspect; their
finances are in a distressed state, owing to large debts ; and the
amount of paper money in circulation being great, and little silver
to be had, as you will suppose, when silver guilders range in the
several divisions of the island at from 35 to 20 ; they are bought
by this Government at 20 to 22, to pay their troops. The policy
pursued during the last five years by Government has brought this
colony to the verge of ruin ; I should rather say impolicy ; the natives
have discovered the weakness of the Dutch, and arc taking advantage
of it in many of their possessions. In Java, the natives of the
interior of Satamang have taken the field since July, and the Go-
vernment acknowledges that it has not power to put down this se-
rious rebellion. Many soldiers have been sacrificed, and with no
other effect than teaching the insurgents how to fight, to retreat,
and to undervalue the Dutch power; their leaders are getting
bolder every day. The Dutch forces are now compelled to remain
inactive in their several fortresses. I shall not be in the least sur-
rrised to learn that the rebels have carried them all by storm when
the rains are passed. The object the leaders of the insurrection
have in view is. to establish the native power, independently of Eu-
rapeGn cor.trol."

It is easy to conceive that the West India proprietors
must suffer considerably in their interests by the active
and apparently interminable warfare at present carrying on
against them by the abolitionists. An Englishman has an
instinctive and inbred antipathy to everything that bears
the name of slavery ; no 'suds arc so musical in his ear
as Roast-beef and Independence, and from this eause it
happens that his good feelings are easily taken advantage
of. Put a pen in his hand, and a petition before him, and
tell him that you are going to pray for the emancipation
of the " oppressed and sufficing negro Are," and you get
his name to it in an instant. Whether the negroes are
actually oppressed, whether they really do suffer under
the lash of cruel and inordinate task-masters, but very
few of us have taken any pains to inquire. If we did, we
should find abundant testimony that the general and in-
dividual condition of the negroes in the IVest Indies is
such es to secure to them every comfort and en;oyment
compatible with their intellectual and moral condition.
We should find them amply provided, by the care of their
owners (enforced by the authority of the law), with all
the neeessarics of life—exempt from the care of providing
for their children—having no dread before them of poverty
and want—secure in the possession of their palm-thatched
cottages, with no fear of ever being compelled to quit them
from distress, because they are lodged, and clothed, and
fed, r.t the cost of their masters, and at their cost provided
for when old age unfits them for labour. Since the aboli-
tion of the trade in slaves, the proprietors have, manifestly,
every inducement to enforce a system of kind and humane
management among their slaves ; for as excessive labour
is greatly unfavourable to population, it would necessarily
tend to decrease their numbers, and there being no other
mode of recruiting them than by the increase of a numerous
and healthy offspring, the provident care of the parent-
stock is all the proprietors have to depend upon for the
breeding up a Lace of cultivators, without which their
estates would be of no value. Not one in a thousand of
those,whose signatures are obtained to the petitions that are
poured in upon Parliament, ever reflect on the incalculable
advantages resulting from the discontinuance of that traffic
in slaves which was formerly the great source of supply to

the Colonists. Whereas, it is most trite--as one of the
ablest writers on West India affairs has remarkede—thet
" it is the cessation of this s*ppiy which constitutes the
great era of improiement in the system of slavery. The
two great interests concerned become thenceforth united.
Among the Romans, so soon as wars began to he less fre-
quent, and opportunities to obtain fresh slaves diminished,
we find that amelioration consatencetl." 'flte Colonial
Legislatures have shewn themselves anxious to introduce
every provision suggested by the British Parliament, that
can be introduced, without imminent risk to the safety,
both of the persons and property, of that great body of
Colonists whose interests they are respectively delegated to

protect.
We close our remarks with a quotation from the
writer just referred to:—" In arguing the question,
it is uniformly supposed that the master is, by na-
ture or by principle, opposed to the emancipation of
his slaves; and that, were the matter left exclu-
sively to him, he would never, through all time, suffer
them to manumit themselves. This is quite erroneous. It
is under ccrtain circumstances only that he is adverse, be-
cause he knows well that his interests would suffer. Those
circumstances are the lowness of the cost of subsistence,
and the paucity of the wants consequent on civilization,
owing to which there exists no inducement or stimulus to
make men work in a state of freedom. NVhat occasion,
therefore, is there for compulsory manumission ? The
moment Me slave is fit for freedom, not one oloection
will be opposed to it by his master, lie would rather have
freemen on his estate, if freemen would work, than he
would have slaves; and in this situation, simply pursuing
his own advantage, is it not monstrously impolitic• to take
out of his bands that lever with which he so beneficially
aids the interests of humanity, rewarding the well-dis-
posed and withholding reward from the undeserving.
But it will be said that it will take a great period of
time before this mode of establishing freedom can come
into effect. What is the language of Mr. CANNING on
the subject ? "fake time ! to be sure it will; to be sure
it should; to be sure it must !—Time l—lVhy, what is it
we have to deal with ? Is it with an evil of yesterday's
origin ?—with a thing which has grown up in our time;
—of which we have watched the growth—measured the
extent, and which we have ascertained the means of cor-
recting or controlling? No; we have to deal with an evil
which is the growth of centuries, and of tens of centuries;
which is almost coeval with the deluge; which has exist-
ed, under different modifications, since man was man.'
What then is to be done, availing ourselves of the lights
of science, to abridge this time ? I affirm, to make it the
master's interest to be the first to desire the manumission of
his slaves. how is this to be effected ? By teaching the
slave that a state of liberty is to continue a state of indus-
try. And what mode can be devised to attain this end
A mode, in my opinion, so obvious, as to make it matter
of surprise that it has not yet been tried. Establish a
system of v eorraos : lit the Crown tike possession of
the unoccupied land, and by exacting rent, compel the
black, whether free or in slavery, to Labour. This may be
pronounced impracticable. Should it prove so, then I boldly
assert that nothing can be done, and you must allow to the
institutions which have stood for centuries, centuries to

terminate."•
• The Vent India Legislatures vindicated. By Alexander
M•Donnell, Esq.

CITY,
•iff
oONDAY EVENING.

This, being the KING'S Birth-day, was a holiday at the
Bank, and nearly so on the Stock Exchanges; at least, the
business transacted there was limited in extent, and of an
uninteresting character. Consols left off to-day better
than they did on Saturday, improving from 79, the open-
ing price, to 794 buyers. Exchequer bills were 10s. Ils.
pm.; at one time they reached Ms., but they did not long
retain that price. There was very little doing in other
English securities, the quotations of which did not vary
from those of Saturday.
The fluctuations in the Foreign Market were more ex,
tensive than those in the English, particularly in South
American Stocks. Colombian Bonds were 43k, 43;
Mexican 6 per Cents, 631 4: Peruvian Bonds, 314; and
Brazilian ditto 55. Greek Bonds have rather improved;
they were firm this morning at 15; Russian ditto were
771 ; and old Spanish, 8.
To-morrow, being St. Mark, is a close holiday at the
Stock Exchanges as well as the Bank.
There were a great number of arrivals this morning from
all quarters, as well as several from India, but not of so
late a date as the last arrival from Calcutta. The Royal
George, a Chinaman, has been burnt, with a homeward
cargo on board. _ _ .

The letters that arrived from Jamaica this morning are
to 17th March, but they contain no news of a public
nature.

The arrivals from the manufacturing districts this morn-
ing give little reason for believing that the distress of the
working people is likely speedily to subside. In the cot-
ton manufactures it is unabated, or perhaps increasing.
The prices of the principal articles of export, which some
time ago slightly advanced, have been again falling. The
species of cotton, which on the average of the five last years
has sold at from Sid. to 1011. per lb., now sells at from
S/d. to 70.; coffee, which sold at 88s. to 955. on the
average of those years, now sells at .531. to SS:. per cwt.,
and a similar reduction has taken place upon ashes, dye-
woods, and many principal articles of export.
The Malta mail that arrived to-day brought no news.

His Majesty is expected in town to-day.
Sunday morning early the Duke of York left town for
Newmarket.

The Duke of Clarence arrived in town yesterday, fr;nl
his seat at Bushy. Ills Royal Highness returned to Bushy
about four o'clock.

On Sunday, Prince Leopold gave another grand and
numerous dinner party. Among the company were the
Duchess of Kent, the Princess Fcodore, the Duke of So-
merset, the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdown, the
Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, the Dowager
Marchioness of Salisbury, the Marquis anti Marchioness of
Clanricarde, Mr. Secretary Canning, Earl and Countess
Verniam, Earl and Countess Darnley, and Lord and Lady
Burghenh.
It is expected that the Duke of Wellington will arrive
in town on Thursday next. The Hon. Mr. Bligh, who ar-
rived on Friday, left his Lordship well at Riga.
Fester,' ly the Duke of Devonshire had a lung interview
with Mr. Canning, at the Foreign Office.
Yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock, a Cabinet Council
was held at the Foreign Office, summonses for which were
issued on Saturday. The Council was attended by the
Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Liverpool, the Earl of Har-
rowby, the Earl of Westmodand, Viscount Melville, Mr.
Iluskisson, Mr. Peel, Mr. Canning, Earl Bathurst, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Wynn, anti Lord
Bexley. The Cabinet continued sitting till nearly half-
past four o'clock, when the Ministers separated.
Despatches were sent off' on Friday night for the Duke
of Wellington, to meet his Grace at Brussels.
. _

I)rvoNpoßr BANK.—An adjourned meeting of the
creditors of the late firm of Shiells and Johns, hankers, of
this town, was held on Wedneoay, at Elliott's Royal Ho-
tel, for receiving proofs of debts and declaring a first divi-
dend. The proceedings were continued through the fol-
lowing day, when the meeting again adjourned to Friday.
The Devonport Tele,,Trnple says, " Th e amount of debts
ready proved on the estate of Shiells and Johns, late
al iikers of this town, amount to €0,500 f., and the first
evithmtl, it is supposed, will be Is. 9d. in the pound."

CELEBRATION OF THE SINGS' BIRTH-11AI%
The 23d of April, the day appointed since the accession
of his present Majesty for the celebration of his birth-day,
' happeninf ibis year to fall ou a Sunday, was only noticed
by the ringing of bells and the display of flags on the
churches. 'Yesterday the different guards assembled in St.
James's Park, in new uniforms, and three regimental bands
attended. The novelty of hiving the three bands assem-
bled in the Palace-yard, at the same time, induced the
Colonel to detain them near an hour after the guard had
been relieved. _

The following were among the official dinners given on
the occasion:—

The Earl of Liverpool, to a number of Noblemen and
Gentlemen connected with burn in the Treasury.

The Chancellor of the Exclnquer, to Sir I.4eorge
the Chairmen and Commissioner', of the Boards of Ex-
cise and Customs, and other official Gentlemen.
Mr. Secretary Peel, to the Judges, the Law Officers, the
Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, and
the Recorder of London.

Mr. Secretary Canning, to the Foreign Ambassadors and
Ministers. - - -

Earl Bathurst, as Secretary of State for the Colonial
Department, to the Governors and Deputy Governors of
Islands, who are in Englamd, and to other Gentlemen con-
nected with the Colonies. _ _

The Lord Chamberlain, to the Gentlemen in his depart-
ment.

The Lord-Steward, to the Gentlemen in his Department.
The Groom of the Stole, to the Lords and Groom in at-
tendance upon his Majesty.
The Master of the llorse, to the Equerries and Aids-de-
Camp belonging to the King.
The Mail Coach Contractors assembled at Mr. Vidler's
manufactory for all the mail-coaches, in Milbank-row,
where they were regaled with a sumptuous cold collation.
On the King's health being drank, the guards of the
different mails played " God save the King" on their keyed
bugles.
'rhe coachmen and guards, in new clothing, were also
regaled with a dinner ; after which they went on a grass
plat, at the back of the house, and drank the King's
health, and success to the wheels.
The harness for the Gloucester mail horses was very
superior, and probably such another collection of fine
blood horses could not be got together. The ltrhrol
sported some remarkably fine uniform greys. The Ports-
mouth alsohad remarkably fine horses,but they were all 001 d.
The Edinburgh had a very good set out of bays. • Tliv
Gloucester was a novel and remarkably fine matched set of
piedballs. About five o'clock they started from the manu-
factory, in procession, in the following ord(r :-
1. Bristol mail—from Mr. Waterhouse's, Swan with Two Necks,
frad-lane.
2. Bath—ditto. A horseman.
3. Exeter—ditto.

iy---.-Coventry—ditto. A horseman.

5. Liverpool—ilitto.
6. Alanchester--dam. A horseman.

7. Norwich by Ipswich—ditto.
U. Ludlow by Worcester—trom Mr. Sherman's, Bull and Mouth,
Bull and Mouth.street. A horseman.
9. Glasgow by Leeds—ditto.
10, }Ain-burgh by Boroughbridge—ditto. A horseman.
11. Edinburgh by York—ditto.
Poole by Southampton—Mr. Fagg, Bell and Crown, Holborn.
A horseman.
13. Louth by Boston—Mrs. Mountain, Saracen's Head, Skinner.
street.
14. Dover—Mr. Eames, Angel Inn, St. Clement's, Strand. A
horseman.
11 Portsmouth—ditto.
Ilk Gloucester—ditto. A horseman. _

17. Chester—Mr. Horne's, Golden Cross, Charing-cross.
lii. Birmingham—Mr. Hearn, King's Arms Inn, Snow-hill. A
horseman.
19. Hull by Lincoln—Mr. Chaplin, Spread Eagle, Gracechurch-
street.
20. Norwich by Newmarket—Messrs. Nelson and Co. Bull Inn,
Whitechapel. A horseman.
Two horsemen.
ILLUMINATIONS.

The illuminations at the West End of the Town, in ho-
nour of the Birth-day of his Majesty, were very general
and brilliant amongst his Majesty's tradesmen, and the
principal streets were thronged with spectators till a
late hour.
The King's Theatre mounted a large G. R. with a crown of
variegated lamps.
The Haymarket had the same device, with amber.colour lamps.
Covent-garden had a G. R. in a black frame, with a crown.
Drury-lane had a similar tlevice.
English Opera-House—A v;:y pretty G. R. and a crown.
The Adelphi mounted a large G. R. IV.
Astley's Amphitheatre displayed the royal arms, with a splen.
did G. It. and a very tasteful crown.
The Coburg had a large G. R. and an imperial crown.
The Surrey presented a similar device.
Sadler's Wells—A G.R. and a star.

ST. JAMES.S•STREET

Presented, from one end to the other, one glare of beautiful de•
•ice*.

The Guards' Club House was one vast blrze. In the centre was
the Order of the First Guards, a hand grenade exploding between
a G. R., with the Orders of the Coldstream and Third Guards;
the whole aurmcunted with a very large imperial crown.
White's had a superb G. H. with a large crown, under which
was a very brilliant star, with laurel leaves.
Crockford's presented a very varied and tasteful device, which
extended the whole length of the balcony.
Brooks's mounted over a large G. H. a crown, under which was
a fine star with laurel branches.

Boodle's—Over a G. IL was a star, with an imperial crown,
with diamonds of amber lamps and laurels.
Cocoa Tree—exhibited a large G. K. with festoons.
Arthur's mounted a G. K. and a IV. between, surmounted with
a crown and with true lovers' knots.

Union—A large G. R.
The Royal Hotel exhibited a very beautiful star between his
Majesty's initials.
Thatched House had over his Majesty's initials a superb crown,
with a IV.

Messrs. Willis and Co.'s Royal Musical Repository, corner of
Bennett-street, had a moat brilliant star of variegated lamps, which
emitted a glare of light or bright effidgence, and which was per-
ceptible from the commanding situation of the establishment (it
being situated opposite to Jermyn-street) even as far as the Hay-
market.