The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-04-04 00:00:00

HAMBVRGH MAIL.

T. PETERSBURG/I, MARCH 8.

Count Scheremetjeiv, the richest private indivi-
dual in Russia, who has just become of agr, has
sent on the occasion 25,000 roubles, to Prince Alex-
ander Gulitzio. Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs
mid National Education, with the request to
give this sum to the Philanthropic Society, to be
employed in promoting the objects of that Society.
The following are Inc chief results of the com-
mercial intercourse of Russia with foreign countries
during the year 1819, all the ports and frontier
places of the empire. Total importation amount-
ed to 160,000,000 of roubles ; total exporta-
tion 210.559,343 roubles ; import and export
39,793,340 roubles in batik notes ; at St. Peters-
burgh the importation was 110,607,315 roubles,
and the exportation 85,000,000 ; Rigs, import
10,532,560 r. and export 42.728,875 r. ; Odessa,
import 5,254,433 r. export 14,016.809 r.; Arch-
angel, import 442,403 r. export 9,031,048 r. The
trade is carried oil in 28 sea-ports, and 41 Custom-
houses on the land frontier. Ships arrived 4,809,
ditto sailed 4,786, of which,
Arrived Sailed
At Croavtadt.... 1,00 l
....... 1,298
.. .... 671
Arcitaagel
The above statement includes the Russian trade
with Asia and America, a. well as with Europr.
BRUNSWICK. 11A RCII 21.
In about a fortnight two young Dukes, Charles
and William, will be confirmed, and go then with
M. You I.nosingen and Counsellor Eigner, their
tutor, to LeUtllllllP. It is said they will not return

E PRESS.

LONDON.
TUESDAY. Arau. 4. MO.

The trial of Major CAITWSIGHT, WOOLEN,
EDMONDS, and others, at Warwick, had been fixed
for yesterday, and we had made extensive arrange.
neuts fur giving immediate publicity to the pro-
ceedings this day ; hot froth a communication
which we received last night from our covrespv.
dent at ‘Warwick, we learn that the trial has been
postponed for some days, in consequence of the
sudden indisposition of Mr. Justice Baal., who, we
are sorry to state, has been attacked by the gout.
Mr. Serjeaut VAUGHAN also, we understand, who
was to hove condacted the prosecution on the part
of the Crown, is prevented by illness from attend-
ing in Court.

The prosecution will probably occupy • very
considerable length of time, for it is understood
that from sixteen to eighteen witnesses will he
euroitied for the Cram. Tile case which they
are to establish against th. Defendants is the
bolding of the meeting at 'Birmingham on the
kith of July last; that EDMONDS an that occa-
lion acted as Chairman, and the other defend-
ants as principal speakers and conductors of the
'Peeling ; that they proceeded to elect a Repre-
, variative, or as it was ridiculously called, a " Le-
gislatorial Attorney" in Parliament for the town
of Birmingham ; that Sir CHARLES WoLsELEY
was rai-rd to that lona of honour and of danger
by acclamation, and was instructed to demand his
seat ill St. Stephen's Chapel. It will be also neces-
sary to spew that 01. is wise project was the result of
previous arrangement among the defendants, or as
the law denominates it, of a conspiracy. Our
readers need not be informed that Sir CHARLES,
not hating any ambition to climb the modern Tern.
pie of Fame, vulgarly ycleped Newgate, did not
obey the instrectioes of Isis madly coustitsents.

For the defendants, Messrs.. DENSIAN and
a►e engaged as Counsel tb argue points of law,
and suggest questions, but to the (*.lets of the case,
and upon points of constitutional lore, she defen-
dants will themselves address the Jury. The learn-
ing of the venerable Major will, it is expected, be
poured forth very copiously upon this occasion.

It is possible that the paramount interest excited
in the public mind by the State prosecutions in
various parts of the country during the present
Assizes, may have prevented the several catalogues
of crimes that on each circuit await the stern voice
of Justice front receiving that portion of general
attention which ought to belong to them. It is
painful to 'lntik that the calendars are in most in-
stances very heavy ; but the circumstance coil-
neeted with these popular, though often fallacious
criteria of public morels, that seems to us must
worthy of notice, is the formidable exteneto which
on their evidence the crime of FORPERT seems to
have been practised. This offence bas been brought
to a system so regular, that it appears now to em-
brace every part of the kingdom ; it is no longer
confined to the metropolis or to a few particular

districts, nor lot it rest in the hinds of • few des.
perste men, laving no means of industrious em-
ployment, hut it has in its ramifications spread it-
self through every town and hamlet. and the vast
numbers engaged in it are proved by the successive
crowds who day after day, ■nd session after session,
press upon each other at the bars of criminal juris.
diction. So numerous are the cases for prosecu-
tion, that the extreme rigour with which the crime
of forgery once was pursued has of necessity be-
come Mixed, and comparatively few of the cri-
minals are now prosecuted capitally. Indeed in-
stances have occurred wherein the criminals, count-
ing upon the general horror which some short time
since the frequency of executions for forgery ex-
cited. have so far speculated upon the sympathy of
Juries fur their situation, as to refuse the proffered
mercy of the Batik of t ogiand, to plead guilty
to the minor offence of having forged notes in
their possession, and to try the hatard of • pro-
secution on the capital charge. A case of this
nature occurred at time Warwick Assizes on Sa-
turday last, which will be found in another part
of our Paper. Two wretched men, named Mac-
donald and Clarke, persisted in pleading not guilty
to the capital charge. and were couvicted on the
clearest testimony. The result of the trial seemed
to have had a very unusual effect upon them, for,
instead of displaying the hardened villainy which so
frequently occurs in our criminal courts, ■nd
strikes the spectators with disgust and horror, these
two wretches instantly tell upon their knees as if
stunned by the sudden violence of the shock. It
cannot be supposed that men capable of being so
sensibly affected are beyond the possibility of
bring reclaimed. and although Mr. Justice Barr
sweated to except one of them from all hopes of
mercy, it cannot he forgotten that even this one,
previous to the trial, was deemed worthy of life by
the prosecutors, sod it would be somewhat severe
if he were to forfeit all chance of mercy from his
Sovereign, solely on account of an injudicious
confidence in the humane feelings of his Jury, and
that hope of peculiar good fortune which every man
feels but too strongly disposed to entertain with
regard to himself.
At the Lancaster Assizes we find that of 123
priso•evs or. the calendar, not fewer than 43 are
charged with uttering forgeries, purporting to he
notes of the Bank of England. Mr. Justice PARK
correctly observed, that neither severity nor cle-
mency seems to have soy effect in diminishing tins
dreadful and pernicious practice. We hope sin-
cerely that the issue of the new Bank of England
notes will not be much longer deferre*- We have
every reason to feel confidence in the zeal and
energy of the Directors of the Bank, who cer-
tainly have spared neither money nor industry for
the att•iumeut of such a system of paper money as
may hest baffle the ingenuity of the forgers, ■nd
the high scientific attainments of the Gentlemen
appointed by the Crown to investigate the several
plans, and make choice of one, must inspire well-
founded hopes that money and labour have not been
expended in vain. To the Directors of the Bank of
England the sttei•ment of their proposed object
must be peculiarly desirable, for although in conse-
quence of their internal arrangements their own pro-
perty is. generally speaking, secured from injury by
the present splein of forgery, yet to the kinder sym-
pathies of their nature it mast prove highly de.
lightful to escape the necessity that now ex-
ists of punishing for the public good those who
venture on it point of such interest to trans-
gress one of the most important laws that can exist
iiinoug a commercial people. Humanity sod po-
licy alike require • speedy check to the growth of
this crime, and we therefore express an anxious
hope that not an hour be lost in expediting the
issue of the new notes.

A Hamhurgh Mail has arrived, with Papers to
the 422 d. The Archduchess of PARMA, late Em-
press of FRANCE, is expected at Vienna iu the
course of the present mouth.

" The western !tart of Ireland," says the MAIM
Ereaiag Puss, "is fist returning to tranquillity.
The convictions at the Atsices of Galway have
operated as we expected, and as we stated they
would months ago. By Resolutions passed Ivy the
Grand Jury of Mayo, it is declared that good
order and loyalty prevail in every part of that
county ; Mr. GRANT is thanked for the energy and
zeal wills which he assisted the efforts of the Magis-
tracy and Gentry, and a letter to this effect.. signed
by Mr. JAcxsua, the High Sheriff of the Comity,
has been addressed to Mr. GRANT. in which this
sentiment was put, with great cordiality, to the
Right lion. Gentleman. The letter states. more-
over. that the peasantry are in a state of active in-
dustry, tratiquillity, and contentment—free from
those poitinnuur ptiticiples which have filled their
neighbours."

Previous to a public dinner ut Sunderland, on
Tuesuay. in celebration of Mr. LAMSTON'S re-
election for the county of Durham, that Gentleman
addressed the inhabitants in en excellent •teeth, in
the course of which he observed, that the evi-
(leiter on the trial of Mr. Huai' and other.. at
Yo►k, skewed more than ever the necessity of a
Parliamentary inquiry tutu the Maucbester busi.
msg.

Accounts from the South of France; received yes-
terdry, mute. that a very litroug spirit exists in Bis-
cay monist the uew coustitution. Oue reason as-
signed for this was. the greet privileges enjoyed by
that proviuce, particularly as to trade.

•.,

„ r--
-,.; 0,11544
et
'11.1k;
7,1 \
arg \--rt

FASHIONABLE ARRIVALS mei DEPARTURES.