The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-02-08 00:00:00

Royal Palace of Alfeite, 14th Jan. DM. (Signed by his Majesty.)

NOTICE.
.lost Illustrious and float Excellent Sir,—l transmit to your
Excellency, for your information, the enclosed copy of a Decree of
the 15th of *Ws month, by which his .Majcsty. hating taken into
consideration the repeated applications of your Excellency, thinks
fit to accept your resignation of the posts of Secretary of State of
the Departments of War, Marine, and the Colonies, appointing me
to till the latter, and the Conde de Barbacena Francisco to the
former.

(hod preserve your Excellency
JOACIII3I JOSE .MONTERTO TORRES.
Royal Palace of Alfeite, Jan. 20, 1826.
To the Most Illustrious and Excellent Conde de Subeerra.
NOTICE.
This is a similar notice to the Marquis de Palmate, inform.
ing him of his dismissal from the ofticc of Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, and that Senhcr Silvestra Pinhciro Ferreira is ap.
pointed to succeed him.

COPT OF a DECREE.
Having considered the repeated solicitations made to me by the
Conde de Subserra, of my Council ot state, Prime innate. Se-
cretary of State fur the Vs ar Department, and charged with the
Marine and Colonies, that I would release him from the offices,
alleging powerful reasons which concur to increase the regard and
confidence which he has deserved of nte, I am pleased so accept his
said eiceses, and dispense the said Count from the above offices,
which he has filled with distinguished ability, zeal, and attach-
ment to my loyal person, reserving it to myself to employ him in
other offices of great importance to my service and the State ; pre-
serving to him all the honours and prerogatives attached to the
place of Prime Minister, besides those which arc due to him from
the places lie has tilled, and assigning to hbn a pension of 1.60
II kilrees.

COPY OF ♦ DECREE.
Expressed in nearly the same words, dispensing the Marquis de
Palmed* horn the office of Minister for Foreign Affairs, and as-
signing him likewise a pension of 1,800 'Mitres.

TO THE CARDINAL. ARCHBISHOP OF EVORA.
Most Excellent and Must Reverend Senhor,—l transmit to
your Eminence the inclosed copies of the Decree of the 18th in-
stant, by which his Majesty is pleased to relieve your Emi-
nence from the office of Minister Secretary of State for Eccle-
siastical Affairs and of Justice, and to appoint you Regidor of the
Casa da Supplicscao.
God preserve your Eminence.
JOACHIM JOSE MONTEIRO TORRES.
COPY OF DECREE.
—• • • • • • _

The Archbishop of Evora, Member of my Council of State,
Minister and Secretary of State for the Departments of Justice and
Ecclesiastical Affairs, having been raised to the eminent dignity of
Cardinal of the Holy }foolish Church, and the exercise of the Mi-
nistry by the said Archbishop being incompatible with the splen-
dor and high prerogatives of so elevated a dignity, I think tit to
relieve his Eminence from it, reserving to myself to employ, us
more important occasions, the wisdom, virtue, zeal, and attach.
ment to my royal person, which so highly distinguish his Eminence.
The Curette contains various other Decrees and Notices, drawn
up in a similar form, viz.:—
Decree—Dismissing, at his request, the Conde de Povoa, the
Minister of Finance.

Decree—Discharging, on account of illness, M. Antonio de
Oliveira Leiti de Harms, Minister of the Interior, allowing hint a
pension of 1,600 milrees.
Decree—Appointing to the Office of Minister of the Interior,
Jose Juaquim de Almeida de A ranjo Correa de Lacerda.
Decree—Appointing Fernando Luiz Ferreira de Sousa Barradas
to be Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs.

Deeree--Appointing the Count de liarbacena Minister of War.
Decree—Appointing Senhor Silrestre Pinheiro Ferreira, 31in tater
for Foreign Affairs.
Decree—Appointing Don Miguel Antonio de 31ello, Minister of
Finance and President of the Royal Exchequer.
Decree—Appointing the Cardinal Archbishop of Evora to the
Office of Itegulor of the Casa de Sapplicasso.
Decree—Nominating the Marquis de Palmella to the post of
Ambassador to the King of France.
Decree—Conferring on the Marquis de Palmella, for his services
in the Ministry, which he has just quitted, the Grand Cross of the
Order of Christ and a pension of 1,600 'pikers.
Two Decrees—Appointing the Conde de Subserra Ambas-
sador to the Court cit Great Britain, and conferring on him the
Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword, with a pension of I,CDO
nn trees.

Decree—Preserving w the Conde Fowls the honours he enjoyed
as 31inister of Finance, and granting the favour of a life more on
the title of Conde de Fovea.

RAIL. ROADS. -

• TO THE EDITOR OR THE BRITISH PRESS.

read with surprise in your columns of the 2d
inst. a letter on the subject of rail-roads, signed DaMo-
ciures, JUN. I say with surprise, because, in the first
place, the style in which it is written is not that which
distinguishes your paler; and in the next place, it attempts
to deal in ridicule, without giving us any thing like wit,
or employing anything like argument. It is not difficult to
perceive, from the very wording of it, that the miter, who-
ever he may be, is an enemy to Rail-roads; and this enmity,
it may easily be guessed, arises from his being a considerable
Canal shareholder. I cannot help regretting that a paper
like the British Press, deservedly esteemed for its can-
dour and liberality, should be at any time made the ve-
hicle of undervaluing the introduction of Rail-roads into
this great commercial kingdom, when I am sure your
own good sense will readily lead you to see, and to admit,
that the monied capital, now so plentiful, cannot possi-
bly be employed in more useful, nor, if the line of road
be judiciously chosen, in snore profitable, or more patriotic
undertakings.
Your correspondent, Democritus, is pleased to tell us that
" It is reported that the gentlemen,---delegates from MA x-
cntstia, ',ivy ttrooL, and BIRMINGHAM, to the number
of twelve, travelled very pleasantly on the platform of the
engine at Killingworth Colliery, the other day, at the rate
of twelve miles an hour. If we set down these gentlemen,"
says be, " as weighing, on the average, ten stone each, we
shall find that the engine of eightdicrse power carri, d upon
that occasion about 17 cwt. of (not indeed useful) loading, at
the rate of twelve miles an hour. Here, then, the weights
being very, very light, and the power very, very great, the
despatch obtained was considerable. The ease and unifor-
mity of the motion also point cut the Rail-road as fur-
nishing a desirable mode of transit in some special cases."
—And be then goes on, in a strain which he, no doubt,
ttinks very hirnorous, but which all but himself must
deem very unmeaning and very absurd, to propose that
lunatic asylums, and lying-in hospitals, be all forthwith
provided with sets of Ituil-r,,uds, as "the life and death of
a patient is often determined by the speed of the clector and
his lancet;" with much more, equally wide of the point
and of the purpose. Now, Sir, it requires very little pe-
netration to discover, that a person who writes thus cannot
be disinterested ; he must be actuated from some motive,
because no disinterested man can be hostile to ingenious
improvements of any kind, from which the public derive
great convenience, and which facilitate commercial com-
munications between the great trading towns of the king-
dom. This is an object in every way so desirable, that
any opposition to it can cnly be accounted for from the
eireumstance of its interfering with some cannier-interest
of the opposing party, whose fears and alarms are excited
by its superior usefulness, and by the apprehension that
it may eventually supersede some other scheme of convey-
ance, whether by land or water, in which his capital is
embarked; since it is obvious to every ere, that by rival-
ship and competition, be the concern what it may, the
public at large must, at any rate, be benefited, whatever
may be the loss to individuals, and therefore no person
will complain of it that has not an interest at stake in re-
sisting it. If your Correspondent had brought forward
any thing in the shape of an argument, 1 would hare an-
swered it; and if lie is capable of producing any, and I
should find it ii) your columns, I will pledge myself to do
so. But what he has written hitherto does but deform
your pages, and neither admits of an answer, nor de-
serves it.

I am, Sir, yours, &e.
MERCATOR.

Liverpool, Feb. 4.

••• MERCATOR ought to be aware that we by no means hold
ourselves responsible for the views which may be taken of a sub.
j-et by any of our Correspondents ; and that we should ill deserve
that praise for candour and liberality which he is pleased to assign
t us, if, in the exercise of our discrimination, we were to reject
any letter addressed to us, for no other reason than because it might
rot accord with our own principles, or might be opposed to our
own notions. We consider our columns, on such an occasion, as the
vehicle through which an Indisitlual is desirous of conveying his
sentiments to the public; and whether the reasoning they contain be
correct or erroneous, we leave to the public to decide. We never
consider our own opinions as at all mixed up with anything thus
interred. We onside, the press as free ; and as we are averse from
anything like a censorship, our Liverpcol Correspondent must for-
give us if we do not set an example of it. ED.

THE BRITISH PREM.

GE NERA JOUR A'At COMPANY.
The following letter appeared in the Times of ycster-
tlay.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,-1 forward to you a copy of a prospectus which hes been re-
ceived from the country, where it is in very general circulation,
and which appears to be issued from the Office of Messrs. Tilson
and Preston. attorneys, Coleman-street, the former of whom is at
present Under-Sheriff to Mr. Alderman Key. The firm of Messrs.
Tilson and Preston are said to be chiefly employed by the firm
of which the Alderman h a very active partner.
Why this prospectus has not been issued in London, all the
trade, that is, all the booksellers and stationer, in it, appear to
know, and it h much to be regretted that the !rood people in the
country are not equally well informed. Perhaps you will do me the
favour to insert this letter, and if your country readers will take the
trouble to peruse it, they will be let into some of the secrets of
Paternoster-row, though I will not attempt to inform them of a
crime secret that is very well known at the Chapter Coffee-house.
fhe prospectus is as follows: •
" GENERAL JOURNAL COMPANY, • .
" In presenting to the public as outline of the plats and oloects
of this Company, it is not necessary to expatiate on the moral and
political advantages resulting from a free press. Thi3 subject has
been so often and an ably discussed, that nothing now remsinaip
be advanced. Neither is it the design of those who have framed
the present plan to institute a comparison between the relative
merits of the numerous periodical journals of the day; this course
would appear to them both invidious and unnecessary.
" The projectors of this Company, being in possession of certain
newspapers which have received for many years the most gratifying
sanetton and support. havedetermined to form them into a company
of 5.000 shares, of WI. erch ; which they offer to the public with a
view of more extensive circulation than they already enjoy.
" The profits of the papers in question at present amountto up-
ward, of 15.000/. per annum ; and with the adoption of the under-
mentioned plan, it appears certain that the sale will be greatly en-
larged, and a very considerable addition of advertisements may be
relied on, thereby rendering it an eligible investment of capital, as
one of the moat profitable, secure, arid solid of any of the numerous
undertakings now on root ; for it must strike every conteniplstive
mind, that this Institution is free from the weighty objections which
may be raised against many companies. While popular COntnlo-
- or foreign wars, &c. would tend to deteriorate them, they
would have an effect manifestly contrary on this.
" And, by the payment of a quarterly dividend, to be declared
subsequently to each audit of the accounts, the shareholders will
have a more ready return for their investments.
" In conclusion, the promoters of this undertaking think it right
to disclaim all intention of exciting or increasing the rivalry which
already subsists between the various periodical journals. They are,
however, free to confess, that no exertion on their part will be
wanting, by the employment of Editors of the first talent and edu-
cation, &c. he. to deserve the good opinion of the public, and while
they entertain the most candid opinion of their rivals tor general
patronage, they sincerely hope that the same candour will be exer-
ched towards themselves.

' The affairs of the company to be under the direction oft. chair-
man' deputy chairman, and five directors.
''Each shareholder to engage to take, or procure an order for,
the leading paper—or to advertise, or to procure advertisements, to
the amount of his share; or to have live per cent. deducted from
his dirideid._ .

" Communications may be made to 3lessrs. Tilson and Preston,
Coleman-street." . .

Now, the reason why this prospectus has not made its appear-
ance publicly in London, the report in Paternoster-row is, that if
it had it would not hare obtained tire subscribers out of the 5,000
that are wanted, and one of the reasons why not, is to be found M
the following sentence :
" The PROJECTORS of this Company bring IN POSSESSION
Or certain newspapers." 4-c.
Pennit me to ask 3lessrs. Tilson and Preston a few plain ques-
tions :

Who are the projectors of this new mitt any ?
Is nut Mr. Alderman Key one of them ?
IS not Mr. Clement of the Chronicle. another
Are not the certain newspapers alluded to in the prospectus, The
Chronicle, The °beer, ver, The Engliehman, and Belts Life in Lon-
don I)

Are not the " General Journal Company" to purchase, or have
not the above papers already Leen purchased for them, for the
enormous sum of MAUL ?
Let pleura. Tilaon and Preston issue a new prospectus, and there-
in state the whole truth, that the country people, who are alone called
on to subscribe, may know what they are subscribing for; and then
let the subscribers to this undertaking take especial care that no
more than the real salts( of those certain papers ax Riven fur them ;
and I will venture to affirm that they ought ♦LL ray' to be put,
chased for considerably less than one-quarter of 90,000/.; and even
then the " General Journal Company" will, in my opinion, have
the worst of the bargain.
I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant,
Feb. 6. P. N. R.

We owe it in justice to the projectors of this new Com-
pany, to remark, that their prospectus was not confined to
the country as above asserted, " Why it has not been issued
in London all the trade," it is said—the! is, " all the book-
sellers and statiortrs in it, appear to know." Now that it
was issued in Lyndon, anti persons called upon to subscribe,
we know, and we distinctly adverted to it in a paragraph
in the British Press, as long ago as the 525th of last month ;
but we did not consider ourselves warranted in alluding to
it in more direct terms; conceiving, that however ill-advised
in our opinion the speculatienvnight be, we should not be
justified in interfering with the right of the parties to dis-
pose of their property in any manner which to them might
appear either eligible or expedient. Nor can we consider
it but as a gross abuse of the public press that an attempt
should be thus made to depreciate the value of any pro-
perty which the possessors may deem it advisable to dis-
pose of, by first putting questions which the parties ought
not, through this medium, to be called upon to answer, and
then by publicly insinuating that an imposition is attempted
to be practised on all to whom the prospectus is sent, and
who, as " country people," are alone called upon to sub-
scribe (which is untrue), thus inducing a belief that persons
in London are not solicited to embark in the concern, be-
cause they are in the secret, and leaving it from this to be
inferred that they could be successfully imposed upon. We
' are induced to make these remarks, because we deem it
our duty strongly to resist this mischievous perversion of
the public press, which has in it all the features of an in-
quisition, and is manifestly made subservient to the worst
purposes of malice and malignity.