The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-14 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

still higher. The Royal Bank of Scotland has reduced its
rate of interest to two and a half per cent.; and, by letters
received in the City yesterday, it appears to be in the con-
templation of all the Baas in Scotland to make a similar
reduction immediately. Such a step must have the effect
of throwing all the money not employed as commercial ea-
pital in Scotland into the Three per Cents. ; so that in all
probability we shall see them st par before Christmas.
• • .

We were precluded, by the lateness of the hour at which
the account of it went to press, from offering yesterday any
remarks on the " NORTHERN WHIG Dis:s:s a." A good
dinner is always a good thing in itself, whatever becomes
of the subject. Alen are by nature social animals, and
when they collect together for the professed purpose of
keeping alive those principles of public liberty which tend
equally to the safety and glory of the throne and of the
nation, they must be very captious and uncandid, who are
disposed to pick a quarrel with them. The " Declara-
tion" of this Northern Whig Club is penned in very mea-
sured language; it is manifestly drawn up with an anxiety
to avoid giving offence even to the 114 f-casts ;we mean
that class of persons between Whig and Tory, who would
fain be well with both parties, without decidedly commit-
ting themselves with either. It is very obvious, we
think, both from the speeches and the manifesto, that the
Whigs, as a body, are not well cemented ; their republic
is not "one and indi Rut this may easily be
forgiven them ; they have been long out of power ;
they sigh for the green pastures, since, whatever other
properties of geese they may have, they have not that of
fattening on the stuLble ; and we find nothing unreasonable
in their wish to change places. Whether the country would
benefit by the change, is another question, and a question
which, in as far as it depends upon experiment, there seems
no chance of speedily deciding ; in the mean time, it costs
nothing to take the fact for granted, and so long as
" Champaign's rich grape bounds sparkling o'er the glass,"
there is no harm in giving " the Whig Club of Cheshire,"
or any other innocent and convivial toast that calls for a
bumper.
As to the "Declaration" itself, in which their principles
and purposes are embodied and put upon record, we think
it is somewhat too stubborn of its trust ; it dues not give
out its meaning so distinctly as it might : fur example, it

requires,
2. `• That inefficient and vita, dincte pincemen Le excluded from
the !louse of Commons."
These adjectives are so indefinite as to be worth nothing
for any purpose of practical application. As well might
you exclude all persons who were not " sufficiently in-
formed on things in general." The imputation is so
vague, there is no deciding what brings a man within it.
Besides, who is to judge of the efficiency of individuals
before they are tried? Practice and habit do a great deal
iu the way of training ; the rays of ministerial favour draw
out and expand men's faculties, as a tropical sun swells
oranges to shadocks; and to expel them before they arc
qualified, would be to cut them off' in the midst of their
growth. •
Then again, as to the other cause of expulsion. When
you hate a Prime Minister, or a First Lord of the Trea-
sury, what a clearing out you will make when you come
to the exclusion of all "subordinate placemen." Surely,
the Cheshire Whigs do unwisely in thus proclaiming their
wish to destroy all subordination. There is too much of
the leaven of radicalism in this measure of reform, and we
shall certainly, therefore, contribute our mite of opposition
to it.
Looking at the measures of these Norihern Lights, and
taking thin simply as they arc described, we should have
been inclined to consider them as at least harmless, if not
laudable. But their own view if them alarms us ; the ad-
mission may, perhaps, have escaped them unintentionally,
but it will not, we should think, escape the reader.
" The Club considers these measures to be in strict conformity
with the recognized principles of the Constitution, and to involve
No risk, EXCEPT of Muse abuses which every friend of his country
=andel wish corrected, and which even their most zealous advocates
are unable to deftntl."
But if, as they here confessedly, and in so many words,
admit, their measures invoice the risk of those abuzes, where
is our ccurity from the danger of adopting them ? There
must surely be some error here ; and we would advise the
Cheshire Whigs, between this and their next meeting, to
move once more for leave to amend their DLCLARATI ON.

FRENCII PAPERS.

(From the Etutk of Tllefd
11..
PAIyIII OCTOIIIII 11.
_ _ •

The King heard mass in the chapel of the Chateau.
Their Excellencies M. de Villele, and Baron Daniss, came se-
verally to transact business with his Majesty.
Yesterday. at half.paat eleven o'clock, his Excellency Sir C.
Stuart, the English Ambassador, was introduced, with the usual
ceremonies, to his Slaiesty, and had a private audience.
M. Benjamin Constant was yesterday seen among the Deputies
at Court.
It is not known from whence the Journal des De bate and the
ettastitatimmet have taken what they insert of the conditions of a
Spanish Loan passed by the Council of State. and the landing of
1,500 Constitutionalists in the kingdom of Valencia. These two
Journals. which appear to have the sante correspondence, ought to
be on their Gnarl AM to :he information they receive.
The Ex.3littister of War arrived at Luneville on the Sth.

[From the Pilot' of Tuesdayl.
PARIS EXCIIAWOR Or OCT. 11.
The rise of the funds to-day is founded on reasonings drawn
from the fact of a project of reduction ; consequently there Is no
probability of a fall, hut in the event of the fart being denied.
There are various reports as to the origin of the plan. Some
pretend that it k ministerial; others claim the honour of it in fa-
sour of independent bankers. It little matters, say a third party,
with whom the plan originates; the essential is that there is to be
a reduction in the Government Heroes, that there is to he no in-
crease of the capital to he liquidated by the operation of the sinking
fund, and that the Ilentiers will be free to accept or no. If the
project unites all these advantages, it is worthy of a French 31i-
nister; but all accessory honoree which companies might derive
from it would show a foreign origin.
All the calculators are on the alert. They are busied In deter-
mining what the per cents. would be worth, if the 3 per cents.
rise only from 75 to 80; and if the 3 per cents. from 75, should
rise to 85, which is but probable, with reedit such as we now en-
joy, the 5 per cents. would mount to the skies. The calculation is
nearly the same in the supposition of 4 per tents at 93. They
would do as well as the others.
Our traders who like to guess as well as to calculate, may divine
what sort of plan is here alluded to.
Price of Funds at l'aiis, Monday. Oct. 11.—Five per cents.
opened for money, 1021. 70e.: chew', 102 f. 70e.; after the market
103 f. for Accounts Neapolitan, 894 ; ditto, payal-le at Paris, ;
Spanish, ; Guebhard's loan, 584.
(Front Get/gam/re 3fesseagte.)
PARTS, OCT. 11.
Saturday being the King's hirth.day, on which his Majesty en-
tered into his 611th year, the Duke of Orleans and family, and the
Duke of Bourbon. dined with the King and Royal Family.
On Saturday &Council of 3linisters was held at the house of the
Count de Villele, which sat in deliberation from three o'clock till
had :put
Great preparations are making at St. Denis for the interment of
the late King. It is said that after the funeral ceremony the
church, with all its decorations, and a great number of lights, will
be open to the public for eight day& litany deputations of public
bodies of Preis anti the environs go daily to St. Denis, to sprinkle
holy water upon the royal coffin.
The Duke de Branca* Lauraguais. Member of the Academy of
the Sciences, died a few days ago in the 9?d year of his age. To
this Nobleman the Arts and Sciences are ieilehted for the discovery
of the decomposition of the diamond, and for carrying the manu-
facture of porcelain to a high degree of perfection.
31. Douglas, Secretary of the British Embassy in the Nether-
lands, arrived at Brussels on the sth inst.
On the 24th ult. 31adaine tic St. Ange. aged 70 years, widow of
the translator of Ileid's Metamorphoses into French, was mur-
dered at Easonne (Seine et Oise), in the house of her son-in-law,
where she had come to pass the fine season. The police are in ac-
tive pursuit of a butcher, who is suspected to be the murderer.
His Excelleney Jean Darer°, Captaia-general of the Sicilian
navy, cunipleted his one hundredth year on the 20th ult. The ye-
nerible son of Neptune received the congratulations of a great
number of ticrannages of the highest distinction.
In consequence of a Royal Ordonnanee of Ang. 211. by which
the post of French Governor of Barcelona was suppressed. 3lator-
General de Fernig being about to return to France, 31ajor-Genera
d'Arband 3lisson will remain in command of the garrison troops.