The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-04 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE.

Mr. YATES' Entertainment having met with complete success, he will
repent St THIS EVENING and SATURDAY, consisting of Sketches
(rum Life, Manners, and Pecullaritics,.entiticd
YATES' REMINISCENCES;
OR, ETCHINGS OF LIFE AND CHARACTER,
. . _ .

In which he will introduce the following Song, :
'Masquerading"—"Vauxhall Gardens"—" Smithacid Cattle Show"—
"Pawnbroker'. Sher —" Humours of an F.lectiou"—
"Theatrical Fund Dinner."
To conclude wills a Monnpnlylogue, entitled
MR. CHAIRMAN.
In which Mr. Tates will contain Eight different Characters.
Rose% 41. Pit, 2s. Gallery, Is.
Doors open at Seven, and begin punctually at half-past Bevan.
Half-price at Nine.

The BRITISH Press commenced publishing yesterday Mort'
ing at a quarter before seven o'clock.

LONDON, THURSDAY, M* 4, 1826.

The result of the negotiations at St. Petersburgh is still
uncertain. We learn from Odessa that General Y E it-
-2401.0W, who had been sent to quell the revolt among
the tribes of Caucasus, has completely effected his pur-
pose, with a very trifling loss.

The favourable accounts from Greece are confirmed by
letters from Corfu, Zante, Trieste, Ancona, Leghorn,
Florence, Venice, and Rome. Letters from Constantinople
and Smyrna mention reports respect'.ig Commodore HA-
MILTON, similar to those mentioned in our extracts from
the Male. Reports of fresh disturbances in Spain con-
tinue to be circulated in Paris.

The following are extracts from the French Papers re-
ceived last night

[Prim the Mani/cur of Monday, May I.]
The Official Part contains—

1. The law relative to the distribution of the indemnity stipu-
lated in favour of the planters of St. Domingo.
2. A table of the average prices of corn by which the importation
and exportation are regulated. The following are the highest and
lowest prices per hectolitre :

Highest. Lowert. Higher!. Lowest.
Wheat . Itif. 82c. 13f. 74c. Maize - 101. 98c. 71. fic.
Rye . Ilf. Ile. 9f. 33c. pats . 71.39 c. 61.96 c•

'From the Etoik dated Tuesday, May 2.1

MILO, JAN. 20.

Mr. Hamilton, it is said, has propcsed to the Cricks to form an
assembly, composed of the members of the Provisional Govern.
omens, of two Hydriines. two Spezziotes, two Missolonghiotes, and
two Moreotes, to discuss the projects which he wes commissioned
to lay before them from the British Ambassador to the Ottoman
Porte. The Commodore brought the two Deputies from Hydra
OR board his frigate to Napoli, and there, after the assembling of the
Council, he asked of them an authentic act in writing, by which
they should give the English Ambassador full powers to treat
with the Porte about the interests of Greece. The answer of the
Greek Deputies is not known.
[From the Qmolidieunel
FRANKFORT, APRIL 28.
. _

(Private C,orrespondeace.)

The Paris Journals pretend to know the result of Lord Wel-
lington's mission; it is probable nobody is acquainted with it,
unless it be the English AI inistee in this city, who is very reserved.
The Duke of Wellington and the Duke of Ragusa met a few days'
journey from Frankfort. The Marshal, polite, like all the French,
(these are the Noble Lord's words), ordered his carriage to stop,
and alighted to do honour to his Grace, who, on his side, likewise
alighted. and advanced to meet the Alarshal. The two adversaries
of the A wiles had a pretty long conference, standing on the higii
road. The Duke, on his arrival at Frankfort, spoke highly of
the courtesy of the Marshal. At Alayence, the Prussian and Aus-
trian garrison stood five hours under arms, expecting the Noble
Lewd ; but the latter, who was doubtless fatigued, did not notice
this courtesy, but. buried in the corner of his chaise, left the drums
beating, and continued his journey without stopping.
The Q.ortidienac endeavours to shew the inconsistencies of the
letters Irons Zante, &c., stating the victories of the Greeks, which,
it says, all come from one source, viz. Trieste. The letters of
the most recent date from Corfu of 9th April, mention neither
the arrival of the Greek fleet, nor the mortal wound of Ibrahim.
[From the Oracle of Brands.]
If we may credit a private letter from Paris, 000 officers of the
French army have tendered their resignations to the Minister of
War since the lit of January this year—a fact which appears to
have caused a considerable sensation.

FRZNCH FUNDS.—PANIA, MAT I.—Five per Cents, 96f.
60e. ; Three per Cents. 64r. 60c. ; Bank Stock, 2003 f. ; Rentes
de Naples, 7:3r. 110 e. ; Hefty trEspvne, 44 ; Haytien Loan, 740;
Exchange on London—One Month, nr. aoc.; Three Months, 261.
36c.—Coars Authoitique.

Neither the Orservetkre Triestino, nor the Nuoro Oster-
rature riatrziano, make any mention down to the nth

inst. of the late news from 111issolonghi. The follow ing is
an extract from the former journal of the 18th :

[From the Ors-rratore Triratino of the lflth April.)

" Whilst various reports ate cite ulated, received as is pretended
by a steam-boat coming from the port of Corfu, on its passage to
Ancona, and which announce. with manifest exaggeration, that
Ibrahim Pacha hal suffered reverses in his last engagements under
the walls of Missoloophi, we learn, en the contrary, by authentic
information which we have received from Corfu (fttli April) that
the place is In imminent danger, and cannot be long befire it sur-
renders. On the other hand, it is true that an English ship of
war, which arrived the same day at Corfu, and had conic from
Malta, reports that she met at sea the G-,:ek fleet commanded by
Maul's, and making sail towards Missolongtii. The news from
the Mores becomes more and more deplorable. The most corn.
pleteanarchr prevails there. Nobody wishes to obey, or to sub-
mit to a necessary or ler, while so many chiefs wish to command."

Our readers are aware that the French Constitution gives
the Sovereign the initiative power over all public measures,
and that the only means by which the people or the Cham-
bers can bring any subject into discussion is by procuring
petitions, on which the Chambers have a right to debate,
and to order them to be sent for the consideration of the
Ministers whose departments may be more immediately con-
nected with the matter in question. The right of petitioning
is, therefore, by far the most important subject, in every
point of view, which can be agitated in the French Cham-
ber of Deputies. It was discussed in the sitting of Satur-
day, the 29th April, in consequence of the presentation of
39 petitions, of which 32 referred to the right of primo-
geniture. The reporting committee objected to these, as
being on a subject which was not before the Chamber, and
proposed to send six others, which referred to the law of
entails, to the committee on that law. M. CASTELBA3Ac
maintained that such collective petitions were a dangerous,
illegal, and unconstitutional method of influencing, or ra-
ther of usurping, power. The right of petition, when it
abandoned the character of a private claim, seemed to say
to the King, " Do not propose to us what does not vent
to us to be good; do not use your initiative power ;" and to
the Chambers," Do not deliberate upon the project which is
presented to you in the name of the Crown ; reject it—we
will not have it." Might not (he added) those who said to-
day, " we do not wish this," say to-morrow, " we do
wish that ?" The Chamber of Peers, and the Monarch
himself, might be d:stroyed in this way. What was said
and written at the present day made him tremble for the
consequences. What conclusion could be drawn from such
a newspaper article as the following?—" If any power of
the State showed itself disposed to favour these insolent
pretensions, it would be the duty and the right of the
citiz2ns to demand its dissolution." This must refer to
the only power in the Constitution which could be dis-
solved. It had been said in the Chamber of Deputies
that the right of petition was not a right, but a faculty
exercised equally in all countries. He concluded by
expressing his hope that the Chamber would reject
these collective petitions, as it had done those in 1520.
M. MEctits, complained that instead of advancing in
their political education, they seemed to retrograde. The
subject had been discussed for thirty years. The discus-
sion in 1791 was able and luminous, maintained by men of
the greatest merit and consideration. From that epoch
(observed the Deputy, amidst continual interruptions) we
date the noblest victories of France in favour of liberty; to
that period we owe the Charter."—" And the scaf-
fold of 93," exclaimed M. FORBIN D'IPSARTS." Si-
milar interruptions were frequently repeated. M. Me-
CHIN proceeded to observe that a petition was, in li9l,
defined to be " a demand respecting an object of general
interest." Ile continued to eulogize the Revolutionists,
and in particular CHAP E 1.1.1 Es and HAI:3IE7'Z ; he repelled
the assertion that petitions infringed the royal initiative,
insisted that those now under discussion were not
to be considered collective, and concluded by voting
that they should be referred to the Commission on
the Law of Entails. M. ne ST. CHAMANS, who took
such a part in the discussion of 'KO, repeated his former
arguments against collective petitions. M. SEBASTIAN!
spoke in favour of the petitions. The journals were
accused, lie said, of provoking these petitions. Was it
intended in this way to prelude a new attack on the liberty
of the press? M. nE,GERES made some observations, and
the House passed to the order of the day, which presented
another petition of the same nature, from the law students
of Paris. This was allowed not to be a collective petition,
as the students formed a corporate body ; but some of the
petitioners were objected to as not being of age. M. B.
CoNsrsrcr contended that the Charter did not limit the
right of petitioning, and argued that petitions should not
be rejected on such grounds; but the Chamber again
passed to the order of the day.

Our accounts from the distressed districts continue to be
of the most gratifying kind. All was tranquil at Man-
chester and the neighbouring townships, and we have seen
a gentleman who left the former place at five o'clock on
Tuesday evening, when he passed three troops of the
Cheshire Yeomanry, returning home, their services being
no farther necessary. In every point of view this fact is
cheering, as it shows either that the disturbances had
entirely subsided of themselves, and the people returned to
a state of calmness and sound judgment, or that the prompt
measures of Government, in drawing troops round the scenes
of riot and devastation, had quelled the spirit of lawless
violence and insubordination excited by the idle, the mis-
chievous, and the wicked. All the accounts which we have
received confirm the statement made by Mr. PEEL at the
City of London Tavern, on Tuesday, that even the great
part of the manufacturers out of employment had I,orne
their privations with infinite patience; and they add, that
few or none of them had joined the rioters in the work of
destruction ; but, on the contrary, that the mischief was
begun, and most of it perpetrated, by a number of male-
factors let loose from the Assizes and various Quarter
Sessions in the neighbourhood, who were joined by foolish
women and idle boys. The Courier still goes on giving, in
somewhat different language, the accounts of the riots which
were so copiously detailed in our paper of Monday last.
The Manchester Mercury of Tuesday says—" We have
observed, with much regret, the grossly exaggerated man-
ner in which the disturbances in the manufacturing districts
have been spoken of in some of the London and country
papers. Amongst the most magnifying of the latter seems
to be ow worthy contemporary of the Blackburn ,Ifail,
who appears to have got up a fresh edition every few
hours, down to Thursday night, for the purpose of setting
afloat every idle rumour that he could hear of." The same
paper says—" We understand that a large proportion of
the power-loom factories, in this town and its itninediate
neighbourhood, are already well provided with fire-arms
and other formidable weapons of defence, furnished from
the Government stores, at the request of the authorities
here, who have strenuously urged the propriety of every
owner of such establishments defending his property to
the utmost. This recommendation has been accompanied
with an assurance, that, in the mean time, every exertion
shall be used to afford the earliest possible assistance of

the civil and military power. Similar measures will it
appears, be recommended from the highest military an.
thority here, foradoption throughout the disturbed d;stricts."
A private letter from Liverpool says—" A Meeting was
held on Tuesday, in the Town-hall, Liverpool, the Mayor
in the Chair, to take into consideration the best mode of
relief for the suffering weavers and manufacturers in the
counties of Lancaster and Chester. After the requisition
was read, which was signed by a number of the moat re.
spectable inhabitants, a series of resolutions were proposed
from the Chair, and read by the Town Clerk. The Meet-
ing would have been unanimous in the adoption of the re.
solutions, had not Mr. RUSHTON brought forward Name
others, introducing the subject of the Corn Laws, &c.,
but which, after a protracted discussion, were held to be
inadmissible, as not at all appertaining to the object of the
Meeting. A subscription was agreed upon."

The alacrity with which the wealthier classes have corns
forward in aid of the unemployed workmen in the manu.
factoring districts deserves the highest priise. Every relief
which individual humanity can give to their distress, will
no doubt be extended to it; but any proposition to remora
it by a vote of publie money, is a suggestion which Mini.
eters act most wisely in not listening to. We are indeed
surprised, in the present advanced state of political know.
ledge, to find any Members seriously recommending such
a measure. All that can be fairly expected from any Go.
verommt is to fulfil, to the best of its means, the pnr.
pose of its institution, which Is to preserve to all who live
under it the practical enjoyment of their civil arid natural
rights, and to secure to them the unmolested profits of
their labour, industry, and ingenuity. This is the sphere
of its duty, and beyond this sphere it can rarely venture
with prudence or advantage. When distress, from want of
food, spreads itself widely among the multitude, it
is
natural that in our embarrassments and distress we should
cast our eyes on every side for relief; but we may rest
assured that Government is not the power that we can--
either wisely or with effect—call upon to remove them. With
great truth is it observed by BURK E, that "To provide
for us in our necessities is not in the power of Government.
It would be a vain presumption in Statesmen to think
they can do it. The people maintain them, and not they
the people."

We would fain impress this truth earnestly on the minds
of all at the present moment. In any great crisis of cals.
mity, whether it occurs from the stagnation of trade, or
a
deficient harvest, or from any other cause, it is insane to
expect that the Government can furnish money to the in-
digent, or deal out bread to the hungry. The immense
suppliea required for such emergencies are utterly beyond
its reach. If all perform their duty, much good may be
effected in the way of benevolence ; but this Christian
spirit must be as wide and as active as the sufferings which
call For its exercise; and we trust it will be so; but as to
cm:wet* the distress of a hungry population to disappear
before the bounty of Government, it is idle in the extreme.
It is to suppose that loaves so dispensed will multiply
under some miraculous distribution. In a word, they
'either do not think at all, or they think to very little put.
pose. who,—when our commerce is under a cloud,—would
burden Ministers with the maintenance of the manufactu-
ring poor. Mr. ROBINSON would come to the bottom of
the Exchequer very speedily, if ILei r wants were to be pen-
sioned upon it. No Budget of Way and Means that he
could devise could bear up against it long.

CITY, WEDNESDAY EYENINO.
As the news from the manufacturing districts becomes more
favourable—which we trust may be now fairly stated without ex.
citing felse hopes—the attention of speculators is turned to the
Corn Laws, and the measure that is pending in Parliament con.
fleeted with them. As the further consideration of the question le
postponed until to-morrow, Jobbers to-day were at • loss to know
what course to pursue, and that circumstance prevented Buttes.
tian ; Consols being almost all the morning at 77C. Buyer were
afterwards found at f, and the closing quotation was 77i1. Is
other English Securities, there vim little variation. The New
Scrip was IA discount.

The South American Securities were held lighter to-day, and
were in some demand ; Colombian Bonds, 41. 404 ; Mexican Six
per Cents. 611.2: Peruvian Bonds, 29 to 4; Russian Bonds wen
76 ; Old Spanish ditto, 71 ; and Greek, 141.
The Colonial Market was in a very inactive state, and the Coto
Exchange was almost without business, Dealers not knowing bow
to act in consequence of the proposed alterations regarding Corn.
The Illarket in Mark-lane was ctoaded to-day, but little or no
business was reported up to a late hour. Towards the close of the
market, several holders, alarmed at the depreciation which tome
factors look for, offered wheat fat a reduction of 21. to 3a. per qr.,
and oats at nearly a similar decline, but it is to be observed then
were few or no sellers that would accept of lower prices; we cannot,
therefore, state any general reduction in our Corn market. The
quantity of corn in granary in London is estimated at 140,000 qn.
In the foreign grain there were no sales whatever, as the holden
were asking a great advance on the former nominal prices.

The following is an extract of a letter, dates! Feb. 7,
1826, from one of the Scots emigrants to Cdombia:—
" The Planet arrived off La Guayra on the Std December,
and next day I set out with forty of our settlers for Topa,
a place about 12 miles distant ; and after a most fatiguing
journey of nearly seven hours, over one of the worst roads
I ever tsar, we arrived at our destination, where, unfortu-
nately, owing to some neglect at home, our habitations
were not completed. We have, however, all got accom-
modated, as well as the second and third divisions of our
crew. Topo is about 2,500 feet above the level of the in.
The climate is delightful and the soil productive. In the
course of a short time we shall have coffee, cotton, and
indigo. Indian corn is already plenty, but we are far
from a market."

The I.i,erinnl ter perceive, has discovered that
the present distrt ssed condition of the cotton manufac-
turers and their hands, is owing to the former having
" combined to brat down the price of cotton in the Liver-
pool market." That Tenterden steeple was the cause of
Goodwin Sands, is a completely logical inference com-
pared with this.—Licerpool Mercury.
The Mancliestt r Mercury says—" In this town there is
not, so far as we have been able to ascertain, any exception
to the opinion that the disturbances which occurred from
Thursday n;ght to Saturday afternoon were almost ex-
clusively the work of thieves. It may be true. that at
the meeting which took place in St. George's Fields oa
Thursday evening, some one or two speakers pointed
out power-looms as the cause of the extreme lowness
of their wages ; and we have no reason to doubt that
there are in this town a number of weavers who pod-
ciliate in this opinion. But those by whom the outrages
of Thursday evening were committed, did not, so far
as can he ascertained, consist, in any degree, of such per.
sons. Tiicy were not a mob; it would be almost an allure
of turns to call them so—;Ley were a perfect rubble, cos'
*fisting chiefly of mischievous boys, egged on by filisves,
who were anxious to make a bustle that they might profit
by it in their vocation. And they succeeded: so long S 6
people went up to the New Cross in crowds, their were
hustled and robbed. (ht Sunday and yesterday there iv"
no congregation thither ; and that part of the Sown, con"'
quently, has been perfectly tranquil—as tranquil as every
other part."
THE LAW WITO RESPECT TO RIOTING &C.-111 case
of any sudden riot or disturbance, any of his Majesty's
subjects may arm themselves and use ordinary means or
force to suppress the same, without the presence of a ma'
gistrate, or any oilier peace-officer, being necessary. The
military are, of course, included in the expression, " any
of his Majesty's subjects."

I