The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-08 00:00:00

[MORNING IfEARLD.]

An opinion has, recently gone abroad both in
Paris and Londo4, that the South Americans will

be allowed the option of purchasing their inde-
pendence in hard cash. There is some novelty
in the transaction, even as a matter of political
speculation. It would appear even to bear its
own failure on the face of it. When the metro-
politan power descends to bargain away its au-
thority in this manner, it may be fairly presumed
that it despairs of obtaining any thing by the
force of arms. And what attention are the Co-
lonies likely to pay to aPower so reduced ? But it
is said that a Congress will be held in Paris, and
that the offer of Spain to South America will be
backed by France. It is even held out that the
money so obtained is to go in part towards indem-
nifying the French Government for the expences
of the war. This would, no doubt, be a strong
inducement for France to give all her support to
the bargain offered by King Ferdinand to his re-
volted Colonies. But have these Colonies sums
of money at their disposal ? It is true those re-
gions abound in precious mines, and might afford
a fair basis for descriptions of boundless
wealth to the writer of a romance. There
is an infinite deal of probability in the Eldorado
adventures of Coconino and Condi* ; but what
is the real fact at the present day ? Are not the
South Americans obliged to resort for loans of
money to John Bull and the Stock Exchange ?
The Colombian Loans all the world has heard
of, and we are informed that there are at this
moment Envoys sent over from Mexico and even
from the new Government of Guatimala, on a
money-raising speculation.

[interim elms.]
Monday's French Papers, morning and even-
ing, reached our office yesterday. The Etoile is
still harping on the affairs of South America.
" Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,"
this organ of the bigotted Ultras, while it more
than insinuates the right of France to support
enfeebled Spain in her attempt on the Colonies,
does not dare to make an open avowal of such
views ; this Jesuitical article concludes by stating
that--" It is very satisfactory to observe, that
" the Radicals of England are willing that the
" King of Spain should re-possess himself of his
44 rights, if obtained without foreign assistance."
—There is some dark meaning in this sophistical
sentence.—But the feeling in Paris was, that
no support by France would be given to
degraded Spain against her emancipated colonies.
It was even said, that an assurance had been
given by M. Villele to our Ambassador to that
effect. From whatever cause, the French funds
rose rapidly on Monday ; after the close of the
" parquet," they were so high as 94f. .50c.—
Spanish Bonds were as proportionably depressed
_they were as low as 26 and i6l. Accounts
from Madrid to the 25th December present
the most gloomy picture of that wretched coun-
try. The whole neighbourhood of the capital was
overrun with bands of robbers. Five French sol-
diers,l'ormilig part of an escort who conveyed some
money returning to France, were stopped by an
armed band and stripped to their shirts at Alco-
vend*, one post only from Madrid. Maragnon,
the celebrated Trappist, was in that capit4l, and,
like one of the appalling followers of " Death on
the pale horse" of the Ftevelatioes,
traversed its
streets daily in his brown habit, flung over a
military uniform, on horseback. This infamous
and sanguinary fanatic was backed by a score of
armed ruffians, with famine
and atrocity in
every feature. What a subject for Domenichino
or the terrible Salvator, were they now in
existence, to pourtray the bandit monk and his
crew of murderers! Our Bayonne letter asserts
that the Decree of Amnesty, loaded with excep-
tions, was at the Printing-office ; but the Madrid
account states, the idea of it was abandoned, and
that Irujo's Ministry • kept their places, not
because they wertagreeable to the tyrant and
bigots who sureaq,ded Wm, but from the
protection afforded them by Bourmont and
the French, who are absolutely masters of
Spain. Inserrection was already beginning openly
to break out, against the atrocious tyranny under
which Spain is suffering. Accounts from Truxillo,
to the 21st of December, say, that a conspiracy,
formed by more than a hundred individuals,
with an Advocate at its head, had broken out
in the environs of Valencia d'Alcantara. They at-
tempted to get possession of that place, but failed
in the attempt, and were pursued by the Royalist
Governor, Morales, who is said to have sur-
ronnded them. The first effort may fail, but the
attempt will not stop there, and every province
will yet be in arms. No country can succumb
under such a tyranny as that which now op-
presses Spain.

POYAIS SETTLEMENT.—A. few days ago, an in-
teresting girl, seemingly about ten years of age, named ANN
GIBSON, presented herself at the Police-office, Edinburgh, de..
manding protection. She represented herself to be the daughter
a a journeyman printer of this city, who had been induced to
embark his family, consisting of himself, his wife, and this
little sufferer, in the ill-fated expedition to Poyais. They sailed
froth Leb, along with other infatuated people --the.Kin-
nersley Caitle ; and soon after arriving at their place of destina-
tion poor Gibson fell a victim to the insalubrity of the climate.
Br the humanity of the Captain of the Friends, of London,
Gibson's widow and his child who had been plundered of every
thing, even of their very clothes, were received as passengers on
board of that ship on its homeward voyage. In the course of the
passage Mrs. Gibson died of an infection which she had caught
when on shore at Poyais ; and the ship having to put in at a
port in Ireland, her orphan child was there landed. During
the whole of her adventures the poor girl seems to have been
singularly befriended by Providence. At the port we have
mentioned, the sailors of a vessel trading to Glasgow were so
much struck with compassion at her misfortunes, that they
agreed to give her a free passage to Glasgow, where she arrived
in safety ; and there meeting with a benevolent carrier, he
agreed to convey her in his cart at his own expence to her
native city. Upon arriving in this city, unbefriended and
helpless, she had no other resource but to apply to the Police-
office, where every attention. has been since paid to her, and
the expence of subsisting her been defrayed by Capt. ROBIN-
SON himself. She suffers much from a tertian ague, caught in
the swamps of Poyais, which confines her to her bed. The
simple statement of this case, we feel persuaded, must excite a
wish in many benevolent breasts to assuage the sorrows of this
unhappy orphan, and establish her in some decent way of
living. The ship Albion, with passengers and stores for Poyais,
passed Montserrat, all well, on the Ist of November.

REMOVAL OF THE PRISONERS.—This day the
prisoners who stood committed on charges of fe-
lony were removed from the several Gaols in the
City of London and County of Middlesex to
Newgate, preparatory to their trials at Justice
Hall in the Old Bailey, where the Sessions will
commence on Wednesday next.

SWEDEN.

SPEECH OF THE KING OF SWEDEN ON THE
CLOSING OF THE DIET, DEC. 22.

Though the fundamental compact specifies
only four months for your being assembled, I
have thought it my duty to yield to your wishes,
and to permit the continuance of your sittings
for seven months more. Viewed politically,
much surprise might, perhaps, be on first sight ex-
pressed at the length of this session ; but experi-
ence of facts, and the habit of considering great
affairs, are frequently wanting amidst the various
interests which belong to the social state of man.
Conjunctures also exercise a particular influence
beyond every calculation and combination, and
events, which are sometimes the result of acci-
dent or of certain unforeseen causes, deceive the
efforts of the most consummate prudence. If you
have on this occasion satisfied all hopes, you have
prepared for the ensuing Diet the means of esta-
blishing a financial amelioration, claimed by all
classes.

Liberty, in furnishing to man the knowledge of
the dignity of his being, has conferred on him the
strength and the resignation which are necessary
for supporting with patience the vicissitudes of
life. But liberty soon disappears when Govern-
ment is not invested with an authority of a suffi-
cient magnitude to preserve for the people that
which the people have acquired.
You have beheld the events by which the
most flourishing countries of Europe have been
afflicted. When states are convulsed, the people
are in the end the greatest sufferers. This con-
viction ought to induce us never to lose sight of
the public welfare and tranquillity. The first
benefit which the people have a right to require
of us is internal repose, to obtain which the pub-
lic voice calls upon us to execute without dis.
Unction the laws which form the safeguard of the
nation.

We experience the happy influence of an
almost insular position. If, however, the laws
which govern us have not acquired all the
perfection which could be desired, the changes
to be made must be the work of time...
To endeavour to accomplish those changes
hastily, would be to put to hazard all
present advantages, and the finest hopes for the
future. To precipitate the natural progress
which belongs to the genius of our institutions,
would be to expose them to those catastrophes
of which the present age has furnished striking
examples.
I have followed the same circumspect system
in the application of our reciprocal duties, and I
have considered myself bound to refuge all par-
tial interpretation of our fundamental laws.
Wishing only to retain my legal powers without
any encroachment of yours, I shall be always
ready to enter into concert with you on every
thing capable of riving greater clearness to our
compact, and thus leading us successively to
augment the public prosperity in a perfectly
united and solid manner.
Our exportation has been very active, and the
balance of commerce for this and the preceding
years was to our advantage. The harvests have
been abundant, and yet the
agriculturist is em-
barrassed. Ile will continue so to be until a
new system of landed securities shall place him
in a more fixed situation than that in which he
now stands. If the hope which I
entertain Of
seeing his situation improved be not realized, I
shall again assemble around me the States General,
in order to propose to them measures, the effi-
cacy of which cannot be doubtful except with
respect to persons whose relief is not within the
compass of our influence.
The Committee appointed to draw up the Ci-
vil Code have terminated their labours. That
code is submitted to me and my councillors' ex-
amination. It will be presented to you next Ses-
sion, with the ameliorations or modifications which
I may consider proper to be introduced into the
plan. The code of crimes and punishments is
also the subject of my solicitude. Its plan will
be characterized by a regard to individual secu-
rity and publid safety.
The sums which you have placed at my dis
posal for the -
completion of the great works of
the Canal of Gotha, and for other enterprises of
general interest, appear to be sufficient, and I
hope to be able to fulfil your expectation and

mine.
The improvement of the administration shows
itself in so evident a manner, that it is impos-
sible for the observer, of even the least penetra-
tion, not to recognise its progress. Happy the
nations which are thus enabled, in the bosom of
public peace, to advance their wellbeing and
simplify their institutions,
The system of neutrality; which my Govern-
ment has traced out for itself, with respect to all
affairs which do not immediately and essentially
affect the existence of the two kingdoms, assures
us that our neutrality will continue to be re-
spected. Nothing shall be neglected on our
part to prolong its duration. The relations of
amity which exist with all the Powers of Europe
are the augury of that durable peace which forms
the object of our wishes.
I thank you, gentlemen, for the numerous
proofs of affection and devotion which you have
given to me, and to all the members of my family.
I regret that the breaking up of the Diet, joined
to the bad season, should have presented an ob-
stacle to the execution of the wish you manifest-
ed for the coronation of the Queen, my spouse.
That wish shall be satisfied on the next meeting
of the States-General.
On your return to your homes and to the bo-
soms of your families, endeavour to strengthen
public peace and union. Be friends, be Swedes.
Let that proud name remind you that constancy
is the greatest of all power ; but that weakness
and discord, by destroying states, .undermine the
freedom of mankind.
I repeat to you, gentlemen, the assurance of
my good wishes and Royal sentiments.