The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-09 00:00:00

PAnitAMENT.IRY INTELLIGENCE.

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il • PRICES OF FOREIGN
Austrian Barak lli I I
ii Dittu Acct. 95/1
I:'!,:nsii Roads-78i 9
I 5.A..) Aut. 734
C..loiiih. Ron& 85 i
1 ii lbws Aco. Iri 4
pi.to Scrip, par j I I I I AI II
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; pin
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I Ditto Acct. I di* I pm par I 4
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lOd 4,11111 a
La's ri Bo iv
lirzA SaM 10 9! dis
Vit.., :tea. 10 din
A'..Airm Burials MI
Di:', i 1 In
2i 3 pm
Dmo Acct. 4 11 0 111 J jTI
:;.; 2: 3 Pm
Nrapolit:m lkindi 91

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Bilbao -
Barcelona
Seville .
42ibraliar -

351
301

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NOTICES OF MOTIONS THIS DAY.
Mr. Hume—Return of Coaandunents by Magistrates in Eng-
lend, Scotland, and Ireland.
Mr. Monte—Cowther's Inquest at Lewisham.
Mr. Martin (of Galway to abolish Bear-baiting, and other
cruel sports.
Mr. %latterly—Return of expense of PavVig, Lighting, and
%Fetching the 'Metropolis, foe the last seven years.
Mr. Hutchinson— fo present Petition from Cork, regarding tho
Claims of the Roman Catholics of Ireland.
ORDERS OF TIIE DAY.
Superannuation Mond Bill—Committer.
Cutlery Trade Regulation Bill—Second Reading.
Entailed Estates (Scotland) Bill—Second Reading.
Tenants Relief ( Ireland) Bill—Further Consideration of Report.
Land TIM Redemption Bill—Coutniittee.
Saving Banks Bill—Third Reading.
Law Expenses (Ireland) Bill—Committee.
Examination of Witnesses Bill—Report.
Horses Slaughtering Bill—Further Consideration of Report.
Lancaster County Courts Bill—Committee.
Warehousing (helmet) Bill—Further Consideration of Report.
Salt Duties Repeal Bill—Third Reading.
Grand Jury Presentments Bill—Third Reading.
Dublin Police Bill__Report.
Duchy of Cornwall Bill—Third Reading.
East India Trade Bill—Third Reading.
Fisheries Bill—Third Reading.
Cs spnrators Ireland i Bill ti coed Reeding.
Haleborough %Valk (Northampton) Inclosure Bill—Third
Reeding.
Transportation of /)Winders Bill—Third Reading.
Newfinindland Marriages Bill—Report.
Public Credit (Ireland) Bill—Further Consideration of Report.
Etrhequt.s. Bills (Public Works) BiU—'f hird Reading.
Magistrates Indemnity Bill—Second Reading.

.TfiEKS I'INTERDAr.
PC111,6211 Iti)figh
Ditto Scrip 6 4 tlis
Ditto Acct.
Portuguese Bonds 914
Ditto Acct. 911
Prod* 11ortits9ti
In Bonds (1112.2) 99i I
Ditto Aces.
Russian Bonds my
Ditto Acct. 9:4
Spun. Vann. 214
Ditto bid &mils
Ditto 179 & 2fril Bonds 201
Ditto Kr Bonds
French Recites 104 f.
Exchange Ylif. Stk.
Ditto Scrip 16 1 pm
Ditto Acct. iti 7pm
Ditto Bank Shares

COURSE OF EXCHA NOE YESTERDAY.
Amsterdam C. F. 12 4 Leghorn
Ditto, at sight - 1 Deno*
Rotterdam . 12 5 Venice
Antwerp . 12 6 31alta
11a-nhurids . 37 7 Naples
A Irons - .37 8 Palermo
Path, 3 days' sight 25 45 Lisbon
Ditto - - 25 75 ()ports
Bourdeaux 25 75 Rio Janeiro
Berlin - 710 Bahia
Frankfort-on-the.3lain Imq Dublin
Petersburgh - 9 Cork
View' . 10 9
Trieste - 10 V
Alsdrid
Cadiz

i 7
1141,
bU.
be.

991
DULLION•

C. s. d.
Portugal Gold in coin 0 0 0
Forelin Gold in bars 3 17 0
New Doubloons 0 • 0
New Dollars 0 4 !IA
Silver in bars • • • 4 1I i

rein laritifsh flregiO.

7'H.EATRE ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN.
TAI. Evening, WEDNESDAY. June 9. will be performed
CHARLES THE SECtIND; or. THE MERRY MONARCH.
King Charles the Second. Mr. t'. I:amble; Lord Rochester, Mr. Sonny
Costa:it Cupp, Mr. Fawcett; Mary, Ulu M. Tres.
After which.
TWELVE PRECISELY.
Brass. Mr. Yates; Amelia, NFL ellilterleY•
To conclude with
CLAIM
'fly! Unke Vivaldi. Mr.AbbMti Kolanw,. Mr. Fawcett; Clari. Wee
M. Trim; Vesidna. /no Love.
To-nnirrow, The Man of the World. and The Castellan'. Oath.

R0Y,41, GARDENS, VAUXHALL.
The Pimpriethei respectfully announee, that the Entertainments,
which have reeelved such unbounded applause every evening since
Vie comeneement of the present Seasim. wUI be It:PEATED
Tills EVmENING. WICDNEsUAY, June IS. and FRIDAY
Pit:NT

Yapper !loxes may be engaged.
Woes opeu at gaireti.--Ad mComertisatua 3er commences at Eight dauck.
dd.
The BRITISH Pa cas commencedP4lli', string 7esteeday enerniag
at five

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, Juxx 9, 1944.

France, it appears, is endeavouring to revive her In-
dunce with the Porte, and taking measures to extend it,
if mrsiible, in Persia, and throughout the East. Gullie-
s:inlet, the new Ambassador from the Court of the Thuil-
lerits to Constantinople, had sailed from Toulon on the
otli of May, and was expected to reach the Turkish capital
•by the close of the month. lie was accompanied by a nu-
merous suite of diplomatic characters, and also by several
able officers of engineers, beside his Aid-de-camps, who

served with bin. in Spain. Some of these individuals were

appointed on missions into Asia, particularly, it is said, to
Persia, where the French had been intriguing before.
France was the ancient ally of the *Ottoman, from the
period of the hague between Sultan Solingen and Francis
the First, formal against the powers of Charles the Fifth,
and which drew down a load of reprobation throughout
Europe on the French Monarch. Franee possessed a large
portion of the Levant trade previous to the Revolution, and
had secured by treaties many valuable privileges in her in-
tercourse with Turkey, which it is the object of Gunk-
minors mission now to revive. Lord Strangiord's influence
had fur waue time sunk with the barbarous Divan : the
Porte was indignant at the aid afforded from this
country to the Greeks, and nothing but jealous apprehen-
sion of the power of Russia, to control which the superior
ascendancy of Great Britain was considered textuary,
enabled our Ambassador to succeed against strung preju-
dices, and obtain a promise of the evacuation of the Prin-
cipalities. France cannot wish for the destruction fur the
destruction of the Greeks, and she meet be opposed to the
dangerous designs of Russia on the Turkish Provinces.
The influence of Guilleminot will not, therefore, be op-
posed to that of lord StrangFenl; but, en all occasions, we'
should tspect, be giaeu in aid ; as the views of Great Itri-
min alll4l France, as rtgard use political state of Turkey,
and the situation of the Greeks, must be in a great degree
the same. The object of our Calrinet is le prevent Russia
front gaining a morecutended footing in the South East
of Europe, and monopolizing the whole commerce of the
Black Sea, besides raising a dominion, dangerous, from its
ttbOUIVeS and extent, to the independence and tranquiPity
of ether natit us. The policy of France must be in
avoidance with these views; we eon, therefore, anticipate
fuelling prejudice' to the interests of this country, or to
the struggle of the Christians fax liberty in Greece, from,
Gmlioninot's present mission to the Porte.

Some of the Wait India islands, we regret to state, still
appear to be far from tranquil. Letters from Demerara to
late date in April, the substance of which are given in'
the Glasgow Currier of hat Saturday, state that the militia
and King's troops were both under arms In that island ;
and that all business was utterly suspended. Information,
i iv stated, was given to Governor Murray, that a gictieial
11iurrevtion of the slaves was concerted for Kamer Monday,
and that their plan was to destroy the ...attire of the white
population. The militia, in consequence, were all asat•m-
bh il in arms at the different depots, amounting, with the
King's troops, to about 1,5t0u men. The slave population
of Demerara a said to exceed 70,000, of whom near one-
third are ellvetive, able-bodied negroct. Whether this was
alarm, or the rcn,:weil attempt at iinurrcetion wse

really meditated, we cannot now attempt to pronounce ;
but such a state of things is dreadful, and cannot endure;
some change must take place. The protracted discussion
on Mr. Smith's case will not act as a sedative on the minds
of the negroes or the planters; it will be touch more likely
to inflame both still further. Should another revolt have
broken out in Demerara, dreadful consequences must have
followed. We are inclined to think, however, that the
'alarm was unfounded; but precaution could not, under re-
cent events, go too far, and the strong array of determined
opposition, and a large military force, must have had its
efFect on the negroes, and probably have stifled any insur-
rection that may have been organizA. But in what a state
must the white inhabitants be, with such nightly terrors
around them, looking for insurrection in every bell that
tolls, and surrounded by thousands of incenwd and hostile
slaves ! The picture is indeed a dreadful one, almost too
terrible for calm contemplation.

Sergeant Onslow's rejected Bill for repealing the laws of
this country against usury, and substituting other enact-
ments in their pine.% is worthy of notice during the present
short recess ; and the subject of sufficient importance to
command attention at any time. The three great sources.
in any country, from which individuals derive a revenue
from a fund that is their own, proceed either from labour,
from stock, or the rent of land. The revenue had from
labour is termed wages ; that derived front stock, by the
party employing it, is rifled profit. The income derived,
from it by the individual who does not employ the money
himself, but lends it to another, is called the interest, or
the use of money ; it is the compensation which the
borrower pays to the lender, fur the profit which he has
an opportunity of making, by the use of the money; part
of that profit naturally belongs to the borrower, who taker
on himself the risk of employing it, and part to the lender,
who furnishes 1 ' with the opportunity of making that
profit. The interest of money is always a derivative re-
venue, which, if it is not paid from the profit made by the
employment of the money, must be supplied from sonic
other source, often by contracting a second debt to meet
the interest of the first. The man who borrows merely to
spend must soon be ruined, and the lender is often in the
same situation ; loans for such a purpose, except where
gross usury is practised, consequently seldom take place:
the security is too frail, and the chance of recovery too
hazardous. As the quantity of money to be lent at interest
increases, the profit which can be made by employing such
capital necessarily diminishes. It becomes gradually more
difficult to find within the country a profitable method of
employing any new capitaL The competition of capitalists
raise the wages of labour, and sink the profits of stock.
The interest of money, in the early periods of our history,
was double its present legal rate; even the reigns of
Henry VIII. and Elizabeth, it was ten percent. A statute,
passed in the 37th year of the first monarch's reign, enacted
that no person should take or receive for forbearing or giving
day of payment of money, wares, merchandise, or other
things, above the rate of ten pounds for the hundred, by
the year, under the penalty of treble the value of such
money, 'wares, merchandises, and treble the value of any
lands mortgaged, and under pain of imprisonment, and
making fine and ransom at the King's pleasure. The 13th
of Elizabeth, intituled " An Act against Usury," declared all
bonclsand contracts, far the payment of money, on which a
sum for interest above It percent. should be reserved, utterly
void ; and all brokers, solicitors, and drivers of bargains, in
the language of that statute,were subjected to the penalties of
premunire. This statute went on further to declare,
" That m all usury being forbidden by the law of God, is
sin and detestabk," that all usury loan and forbearing of
money, whereon more than 10f. per cent, should be re-
served, was to be punished by forfeiture of so much as
should be reserved, by way of usury, above the principal
lent; and any persons offending against the Act of
Henry VIII. were to be punished according to the eccle-
siastical laws against usury. By the 21st of James 1.,
which Act was made perpetual by a statute, passed in the
third of the reign of his unfortunate son, the first Charles,
the rate of interest was reduced to S per cent. The 12th of
Charles 11. reduced it to six ; and by the 12th of Anne,
passed in the Parliament of Great Britain, it was brought
down to its present rate of 3 per cent., this enactment
still preserving the spirit of former statute', by rendering
all contracts by which a greater rate of interest should be
reserved, void, and rendering the parties taking a higher'
me of interest subject to the forfeiture of treble the value of!

the monies, wares, or merchandise lent, bargained, or ex-
changed. The sth of t korge IL, passed in the Parliament
of Ireland, reduced the interest of money to 6 per cent. iu
that kingdom. These arc the leading statutes regulating
the interest of money, and rendering all contracts iu which
more than 5 per cent. is reserved, in (heat Britan, and 6
per cent. in Ireland, null and void, and subjecting the
lenders to treble forfeitures. These statutes Sergeant
Onslow's Bill went to repeal. Mr. Locke, Mr. Law, and
the celebrated Alontesquieu, with other writers, have given
it as their opinion, that the discovery of America, and the
consequent increase of the procious metals, was the great
cause of lowering the high rate of interest through the
greater part of Ettr.:pc. These metals, they say, having
become, from their increase, of kss value the use of any
particular portion of them became of less value too, and
consequently the price which coald be paid for it. This
statement has been denied by Mr. Hume, and re-
futed also at considerable length by Adam Smith. No law,
this celebrated economist adds, can reduce the common rate
of interest below the ordinary market rate, at the time when
that law is made. Notwithstanding the edict of 1766, by
which LottisXV. attempted to reduce the rate of interest from
6 to 4 per cent, money through France continued to be
lent at the higher rate of interest, the law being evaded in
various ways. The ordinary marketriee of land depends
almost everywhere on the rate of interest : when it was at
In per cent. land was usually kohl fur ten and twelve years
purchase; as the rate of interest sunk in the different
countries of Europe to six, live, and four per cent. the
price of land rose to twenty and thirty years purchase.
The rate of interest has long been higher in France than
in England. arid the common price of land is much lower:
there it seldom rises above twenty years' purchase; here
it generally sells at thirty. The MO sate of interest in
early tins may be accounted for by the unsettled state of
things which then prevailed. Among the barbarous nations
who overran the western provinces of the Roman empire,
' the performance of contracts wen: left for many
ages to the faith of the contracting parties. The Barons,
who borrowed largely from the Jews and merchants, sel-
dom thought of re-payment ; enormous interest was there-
fore extorted fur the risk. The high rate of interest among
all Allnuulmau nations is accounted for by Montesquieu,
not from their poverty, but from the difficulty of recovering
the money. In Bengal, and through • great part of Bin-
dostan, the ordinary rate of interest is at present twelve
per cent. ; and in put times money was frequently lent to
the Rayahs, or farmers, at forty and fifty per cent., while
the succeeding crop was mortgaged for the payment. Be-
fore the fall of the Human Republic, usury of this sort
appears to have been common under the ruinous adminis-
' truth'', of the Pro-Consuls. The letters of Cicero inform

us, that the virtuous Brutus lent money in Cyprus so high
as eight and forty INT COIL Consider it its we may, the
repeal of our Usury Laws is a most delicate and dangerous
sultket. Su many settlements, deeds, and contracts are
now connected with their existence. that it bt comes most
hazardous to meddle with them The interest of money
will always he regulated by the Ptepply. From the Arm-
dance of capital in this country, it has long been below the
' legal maximum : there is therefore no present necessity for
the Bill of Sergeant Onslow, which the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman has so often brought before Parliament,
and means agaiu to revive in the next Session.