The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-18 00:00:00

THE man s n PRE S SS.

LONDON.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1818.

It has become so much the practice of certain
Treasury Scribis to spit forth their venom at
Juries, that we now cease to feel any surprise at so
flagrant a breach of propriety. The convictions that
took place at the Old Bailey on Monday and Wed-
nesday, have, as we yesterday anticipated, afforded
these ingenious vilifiers of our most sacred institu.
tion tin opportunity of iiffecting to draw a contrast
between the conduct of the Juries what convicted,
and that of those who acquitted certain poisoned
on the charge of lorgery ; nor du they fail to repre-
sent the latter as bring influenced solely by politi-
cal motives, and fraught with the most injurious
conatiquerices. To their wilful blindoess, no differ-
ence appears between complete And deficient evi-
dence; and as they are accustomed to decide upon
every question of public interest, nut in conforiney
with reason, but as passion chances to dictate, sat
do they imagine that even a Jury must of necessity
be influenced in its judgment by similar motives,
and disregard the character of the evidence.—
Nothing can be more unjust than to regard the
recent acquittals as tending to promote the crime of
forgery. Let us suppose a case where a 111411 is
charged with a burglary, but the evidence doe,
not embrace those peculiar circumstances that
constitute the precise offence with which he is
charged, and the prisoner is acquitted—will it he
said,.that the Jurors who acquit hint have forgotten
their duty, and given a sweeping encouragement to
burglars in future ? Suppose also that another
Jury, in the course of the same assizes, were to
convict another poisoner of the offence of burglary,
where the evidence substantiated the charge, would
it not be conceived very piepusterous in any indivi-
dual to commend the second Jury at the exiiewe
of the mural character of the former ? Vet such to
precisely the case with thwe who go about to enue
trim the Juries who acquitted, and those who cool
victed. in the respective prosecutions for the Brisk ;
and the cry for blood is so keen, that should the
game, once started, not he fully roil down, the
Jury must be brauded for the high crime of
huinainty !
We now learn, for the first time, that it is illeqal
in a prisoner who has pleaded guilty to retract his
plea, under the sanctioo, and with the express per-
mission of the Court.

Flaring thus again, we may add unwillingly,
noticed the cases of fu:gery, we cannot avoid ex-
pressing our surpr:se, that in all the prosecutions
which have taken place", no instance, to our know-
ledge, has occurred of discovering and punishing
one of the prime criminal•, we mean the origin/I
fabricators of the forged mites. Means might, we
think, be devised of discovering one of the chief
manufacturers, by the agency of the cooticted
utierers. The accomplishment of this object would
te►►rl 1110 re to the security of the retail traders of this
icJuntry, than the sacrifice of fifty utterer* of
forgeries.

Paris Papers of Monday last have ;arrived at our
Office. No notice is taken of the litrai's late at-
tack of the gout, but his MAJEsTy is still confined
to his :apartments. On Sunday he received a crowd
of persons of dirtinction, among whom was Lord
Csiortattmatti. His Lordship intended to leave
Paris ou the following morning. The Duke of
WILLINGToN dad lint leave Paris on Stmilay, as
he had oilginally intended, lain orders fur travelling
basil been isstiv.l, but were suddenly counterstsatalled.
The inhiabitatais of Verdun have again waist shed
a Ictisocatrance to the British Government in the
shave of a pamphlet, complaining that the albs
contracted its Verdun b% the llliti.h ini•otors of
war, during the reig:i of NAPoI.EUN, have not u.
yet been liquidated. "[bey accuse our Gortrutata.t

of injustice, and of violating the laws of nations ;
but though we lament that such debts have not
been paid by the individuals who contracted
them, we cannot discover the obligation under
which the British Government is supposed to he
placed. When the affair was referred to the British
Cabinet, an offer was made to pay such debts as
were contracted by Officers iu the Navy and Army,
who were properly prisoners of war; and beyond
this polka we do not conceive that our Ministers
would be justified in advancing, tailless they are
prepared to acknowledge that all those persons who
had been detained in France by NAPOLEON, at the
commencement of hostilities, no matter what may
have been their habits or occupation, were all
is prisoners of war."
Letters have been received from Spain, of the 'sth
of but month, which state, that a Royal Decree is
expected to he shortly issued, for recruiting and or-
ganizing the Spanish army, which is to amount to
70,000 men, including four regiments of veterans,
who are to remain in garrison. The body guard
will consist of 5,000 men, whose pay will he higher
titan that of the other corps. No further changes
in the Administration were looked for, but it was
thought that Przautto, rod the other banished Mi-
nisters, will he permitted to return to the capital.
A new censias his lately been taken throughout
the several departments comprising the Fletich
Monarchy, whereby it apimars that the total popu-
lation 11111011111,. to ,2!),317,358 souls. Of the de.
partments, that of the Seine, comprising the capi.
tal, is of course t lie most populous, Voris containiog
713,765 souls. The entire department of the Seine
commits 806,-281.
The Journal des Debuts mentions, that after the
close of the market on Saturday last, the Five per
Ceuts. iu Paris rose to (3 f. it) c.

It was reported, yesterday, in the City, that in
consequence of the great fall in the French Funds,
a new arrangement has takers place between the
Gover 1111 l ent of France and the Contractors for the
Loan destined to pay the foreign contributions. It
is said that Mr. BARING and the other Contractors
take only half of the Loon, assal that the French
Government will ne,goriate anew for the remainder.
It is very generally suspected in Penis, that the
late rapid 101 l intro he attributed to the maritime-
lions of a powerful body of French capitalists,
who feel itteltgionst at the apparent prefererie e
:Mewls to foreigners its the contiart, slid have en-
deavoured to produce all unfaviairolde impression
upon the piddle: funds. IVe know not what
effect might arise from restoring these Gentlemen
to better temper. There can he little doubt, its
the present titunir,al comlition of Frame, lout that
a fall in the prices of the public funds so great and
rapid as that we have lately witnessed, must have
been produced ley artificial means. The follow-
log private letter from Paris alludes to this sub-
ject more circumstantially