The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-07-10 00:00:00

PARIS.

(Fao3l A (oURESPONDENT.)
PASTS, Jets C.
There is an Italian nroverb which says that " the
Italians are wise before titty begin an affair, the Genitalia
while they are about it, and the French when it is all
over." At what preciac period the wisdom of the English
is best displayed the proverb does not proceed to say. It'
certainly does not often happen to them to be wise too
early, but it Ilan some s occurred that their wiadoin
comes tot, late. The eventful history of our foreign politics is
pregnant with many an instructive pivot' of this. It may
be that the long-sighted mind of Mr. Canning may not
easily be overreached, but the internal attitude of France
at this moment is sufficient to invite the mat jealous pre-
cautions on the part of the British Cabinet. The conflict
that has long been carrying on between her national pride
and her national pdicy hits all alcng kept her, and keeps
her still, in a state of restlessness, which will not content
itself with inaction longer than it can help.
The revolutions! spirit is by no means at rest; what
course it may take remains to b: seen. The pre. ent daily
expectation of the King's demise. and its operation upon
the individual interests of the leading men in power, keeps
up a sort of armed neutrality for the present. Intrigue
goes on with as much activity as ever, but the parties rest
upon their arms. As reSpects England, the military, who are
supposed to embody the glory of the Great Nation, consider
their ceder as having a mortifying account-current to settle.
They have not forgotten that the tents of the Cossacks were
twice pitched in the Elysian Fields in two successive years;
and they still remember that Great Britain was the soul of
that confederacy which sealed the fate of their dynasty on
the field of Waterloo. It may be that dangerous cotntno-
tions.from within may give their resentment another direc-
tion, amp may open other and more lucrative prospects to
their activity ; but it is impossible to look to the immense
military establishment which France has on foot, and
which she is silently strengthening every hour, without
reflecting with alarm on the purposes to whiefi she mat
convert it. AS far as can be discovered, thro
Bute secrecy which envelopes it, the French army. -
sista, at this moment, of about three hundred thousand
mew undo- arms, and at least one bemired and
.filly thou-
sand in inactive service. According to the existing law for
the recruiting of that army, forty thousand men are raised
anstmlly, by conscription, to be employed in active training
for six years, and the same number are entitled to receive
their discharge, but are retained by the Minister of War
for six years longer. The Minister admits, that out of the
forty thousand that have a right to claim their dismission,
eighteen thousand annual 4 re-enlist. According to the
new Bill, sixty thousand men will be raised annually, and
will be hekl to serve under arms fcr eight yeyrs, remain-
ing afterwards as above stated, under the control of the
War Minister during six, or perhaps during eight years.
Remark the consequence. Not only an immense nume-
rical force will be raised for active service, but an army
will be secretly formed of all the men nips:tent& dismissed,
and which, from its very nature, will be Letter disciplined
than the ustelisilde army, and more tit for war in any case
of emergency that may ca!! it into the field. Voluntary
enlistments will also increase their forces.

The checks here upon the application of the public
money is not the same as with you. It is not in the
French Parliamentary system as it is in the English, in
which each Ministry accounts fully and fairly for the por-
tion of th public revenue which has been called for
during its administration by the exigencies of the State;
for if the whole of the budget is not exceeded, the Mi-
nisters owe no account for any part of it. In France,
any Ministt., the Minister of War, for example, may de-
mand less than the expenditure may require ; each of the
other Ministers may demand much mare than they re-
spectively need; the excess exacted by each of Me latttr
may be handed over to th:
.former, and thus enable him
to provide .hr the expense n armaments etendestinely rre-
(sled, and which may either be employed to keep the
French people in subjection, or, which is not unlikely, may
be, destined to purposes dreadful to the repose of Ex Gess
and of Evaore.
Every one here believes that the French Minister has
purpolely exaggerated the expense of the military aid
given to Spain, in order to enable him, teithowt uhirming
any Foreign Minister, to form the cmbrios of expeditions,
lam 4estination of which he does not, at present', choose to,
aeinowledge. When, moreover, we add to illet
France has got a vast national guard, armed., myeeseisteel
and in constant condition for service, can we conclude Om'
the views of this formidable force are perfectly pacific
Credut Juderus It is in the utmost degree important fat
Great Britain to watch the movements of this surplus
power with unceasing lttention. It carries with it but
too strong symptoms of meditated hostility ; it is too
strong for any useful and just purpose ; in the present
close concord of military princes, the danger redoubles,
and still more the evils tha: may result from it.

DEATH OF THE QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH

-ISLANDS.

We have to record the death of her Majesty Tame-
ham's', consort of his Majesty Tamehameha the Second,
King of the Sandwich Islands. lire Majesty departed
this life on Thursday evening, at half-past six o clock, and
Ito the last was quite sensible and composed. W' Majesty
took his last farewell about teu o'clock in the toorsuft,
previously to which she informed him she was sensible she
was dying. and was quite resigned. Their separation was
truly affecting.
We learn that the immediate cause of her Majesty's
death was inflammation of the longs. During her illness
she was attended by Sir H. Halford, Dr. Ley, Dr. Hol-
land, and Mr. Perigrine. His Majesty, since ben demise,
has expressed his satisfaction at the attentions her Majesty
received. _

•
The following official statement has been drawn up by
the physicians who attendeti her Majesty
The Queen of the Sandwich Islands departed this life &snot
half-put six this evening, without much apparent sufEaing, ar.d ir.
possession of her senses to the last moniait.
" The King, in the midst of this deep sorrow, manifests a firm-
ness of mind which has penetrated every one about him with a feel-
ing of respect. Thoiigh very anxious to express his grief in the
manner of his truntry, and to shew the marks of deference which
are usually paid to the dead there, he submits with good ser.sc and
patience to every suggestion which our habits dictate.
• We bare every reason to believe, that his 31ajesty's anxiety
and depression have aggrava4d all the symptoms of his disease,
which, but for this cause, align: ere now have terminated pumper-
only; but we hope in a day or two that he will be better.
(Signed) " HALEODD,
" HENRY HOLLAND,
" HUGH LET.
" Thursday Evening, July 8, 1024."

The sepulchral rites observed by these islanders, and
which are alluded to in the above report, teem, smearing
to the accounts of all travellers, to hr involved in consider
able mystery. Campbell says the bodies or the dead are
always disposed of &Wetly, and he never could learn iy,here
they were interred. The Queen, he tells us, preset v. 4 the
bones of her filther carefully wrapped up in a piece of
cloth. When she slept in her own house, they were placed
by her side ; and in her inane, they were laid on a lea-
ther-bed, which she had received from the Captain of a
ship, and which was used for that purpose only. 'When
Campbell asked the reason of this custom, she replied, " it
was because she loved her father in dearly." Mariner
alsossty these boner, and, on inquiry. found that this was
not a custom of the Queen indy, but a common practice
among these islanders.