The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-19 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.-AFFAIRS OF BASIL.

The following extract of a letter from Basil, dated
April 11, gives a precise idea of the situation of affairs in
the canton of Basil :—The affairs of the canton of
Basil, as well as those of the rest of Switzerland, appear
for some time past to have taken a direction favourable to
the cause of liberty. The Diet bad uselessly holden
several meetings to terminate the disturbances in the can-
ton of Basil ; fur each time the votes were equally divided
for and against the new Constitution which it was wished
to impose on the country. At length the canton of Glarn,
weary of the phantasmagoria, formally declared that it
would send no more Deputies to the Diet for this affair,
for no result was ever obtained. The Diet at length de-
clared that, as since the month of August a separation de
facto had existed, and that as this separation hall been
pronounced by the Government of Basil, and had effected
a kind of pacification, it (the Diet) recognised provision-
ally the separation, and adjourned all further deliberation
on the subject. It ordered at the same time, that the
Federal troops should occupy the canton of Basil.
But that which appears destined to effect the regenera-
tion of Switzerland is the remarkable union of seven Am-
bassadors, viz., those of Zurich, Berne, Lucern, Solathurn,
Argau, Thurgau, and St. Gall. These have declared, that
as it has been in no wise established how far the State
may interfere in the affairs of another, and as a discussion
of it might endaneer and divide not only the canton it
concerned, but also all the other states of the federation,
they deem it a sacred duty to remedy such a state of things,
and consequently to conclude a treaty, the maintenance of
which may in future prevent misfortunes similar to those
to which Basil has been exposed this year and a half.
'With this view they signed a concordat (reserving, how-
ever:, the right of rectification by the grand Councils of
their representative cantons), by which, should any diffi-
culties arise in any one of the cantons of the new federa-
tion, the others should be sovereign arbiters in them.
Thus is the cantonal sovereignty subverted, behind which
the aristocracy was incessantly entrenched, and especially
that of Basil. Switzerland would then become from a
federation of states, a federative state--thence a com-
mencement of centralisation.
Solathurn and Lucern have already adopted the concor-
dat, and the rest are shortly expected to accede. There
can be no doubt entertained that the liberal cantons of
Vaud, Fri'‘urg, Glarus, and Appenzell will join the union.
The remainder could not attempt to resist this colossus,
comprehending three-fourths of Switzerland. Every one
expected the speedy termination of the affairs, when, on a
sudden, Basil took refuge in a coup d'dtat,
which' surprised
the whole federation, and astonished Basil itself, for the
results are very different from those that were foreseen.
(The bloody events of Gellerkinden are known to our
readers by the two letters which were inserted the day be-
fore yesterday.)
The grand council of Basil has resolved not to admit
for the present the federal troops into the city. We shall
see whether Basil intends to support a siege ; 2,000 men
are already encamped at Mumpf, Mali, and Rheinfelden,
and b or 6,000 more are expected from the cantons of
Argau, Zurich, and Lucern. At all events, the fall of
the present Government of Basil does not appear to be
very remote.
Much irritation prevails among the different parties at
Basil. In the several public-houses death and maledictions
are sworn to the Liberals. Acts of the rudest violence
are committed; many citizens close their houses, and re-
tire until the storm shall have passed over. The real crisis
will arrive when the federal troops present themselves
before the city. The police has not taken any precautions
to prevent excesses, and in the country we shall soon hear
of reprisals. The representatives of the Diet returned
yesterday to Basil. Their carriages were followed by an
enraged multitude, incessantly exclaiming °" Rascals, vil.,
lams, traitors !" and threatening them with their fists
'We learn that the federal troops have already entere
I:iesbal,—Niedurheinischer Kurier of April 11, 1832'

The Hon. Mr. Spencer, who lately conformed
to the Roman Catholic religion, has been very ill at Rome from
the rupture of a blood-vessel, owing to debility produced by
his great exertions in his new calling, and the fasting enjoined
by his church.

LORD GREY.—The chief strength of the se-
ceders lay in the House of Lords. Their attacks here were
directed with all the asperity of the House of Commons, and
more concert and organisation. They found a Powerful
4111tillary where they could scarcely have expected it. Lord
Grey made the formal declaration that he withheld his confi-
dence from the new Ministry. This was an unexpected and
serious blow. It shook the confidence of the public in the new
arrangements. It was such a blow as Lord Chatham, by a
deliberate formal declaration of the same kind, gave the first
116ckingham Administration. The two cases have a striking
resemblance. Both Ministries were partial conquests over an
exclusive and vicious system of Government ; both had to con-
tend with a court oligarchy and an adverse bias in the mind
of the Sovereign; in both cases there was a present compro.
rinse of principles, with a view to their future triumph ; and
a certainanalo
gy "Public station and personal character war-
rants the supposition that Lord Grey, like Lord Chatham, was
h influenced by personal ambition and impatient pride. The effect,
however,
was chi,ehtle
omyufnecltombyprhis
iosiwnigt party—the Whig allies of
gr. Cannin. l
consistency, high ground,
and stately solitude of Lord Grey, gave a seeming air of little-
ness and desertion to those who had left his side to group
themselves behind the Minister. Dr. I ardner's Cabinet
Library.

roc ,-! *lilt
spn' ev+
- *N. 44k:A

LONDON,
THURSDAY EVENING. APRIL 19, 1832.

The question of Poland was brought before
the House of Commons last night by Mr. C.
FERGUSSON in an able and convincing speech.
The Hon. Gentleman commented at length on
the nature and provisions of the treaty of
Vienna, which guaranteed to Poland a free and
liberal Constitution, and was signed by no less
than three plenipotentiaries of Great Britain,
and then proceeded to show how in every in-
stance the treaty had been set at defiance by the
St. Petersburgh Cabinet, till at length the un-
fortunate Poles, after enduring at the hands of
CONSTANTINE, a thousand atrocious injuries,
had no resource left but to take up arms for
the recovery of their independence. In
the course of his speech Mr. FERGUSSON put
forth many convincing arguments to prove the
utter indefensibility of the present treatment of
Poland by NICHOLAS. He observed that
" the Constitution of Poland had been grossly
infringed, and by that infringement the insurrec-
tion had been occasioned, and, in his mind, fully
justified.—(Hear, hear.) When the insurrec-
tion was put down by force of arms, the Con-
stitution still remained. The Government was
not justified by the law of nations in taking away
the Constitution. The actors in the insurrec-

tion had exposed themselves to punishment, but
the nation and the Constitution were in the same
position as before. Such had been the conduct of
this country with regard to the rebellion in Ire-
land in 1798, and such also had been her
conduct with respect to the Scotch on a former
occasion. The rights of the Irish nation were
not forfeited by that rebellion—(Hear, hear)—
nor were the rights of Scotland affected by what
was done at the time of the Pretender.—(Hear,
hear.) Yet his had been more than a common
insurrection ; he had been proclaimed King in
the capital of Scotland ; he had opposed and de-
feated the King's troops ; he had marched into

the heart of this kingdom, and the King had
shaken on his throne ; yet, when that insurrection
was put down, though the chief actors in it were
punished, Scotland herself was not held to have

forfeited her national rights.---(Hear, hear.)"
This is putting the question in its proper light.
If GEORGE 11. was not justified (which no one
was ever frantic enough to suppose he was) in
destroying the nationality of Scotland, on ac-
count of the great rebellion of 1745, still less is
NICHOLAS justified in destroying that of Po-
land fora still more partial insurrection, particularly
when he has himself, as well as his predeces-
sor, promised, not once but a thousand times,
to respect it. But Russia is a power bound by
no treaty—no promise—no obligation. For the
last half century, its Cabinet has had but one
aim, (the favourite policy of the second CA-
THERINE) to extend its territory, and, by so
doing, to impress on Europe a deep sense of its
overwhelming influence. Every tie that would

bind more civilized and conscientious Govern

ments, has been unhesitatingly sacrificed to the
attainment of this one grand paramount object.
Poland is the latest, but will not be the last, vic-
tim to this unprincipled system of Russian ag.

grandisement.
Lord ALTHORP, in the absence of Lord
PALmEnsToN, expresssed the warmest sym-
pathy for the unfortunate Poles, observing that
Government " had as yet received no official
information of the occurrences which had re-

centlrtaken place in- Poland ; and for that
as well as for other reasons, it was not to he
expected that lie should at that moment
enter into the views entertained on that sub-
ject by his MAJESTY'S Government, and he
therefore hoped that the House would excuse
his entering into any details whatever ; at
the same time that it was impossible for him
even to touch upon such a subject without ex-
pressing the profound sympathy which the suf-
ferings of the unhappy Poles must excite in the
breast of every man of common humanity—in
that sympathy he trusted the House would do
his colleagues and himself the justice to believe
that they fully participated. Beyond that, it was
impossible for him at the present moment to go,
unless he were merely allowed to observe, that
Government had at no time held out any
encouragement tending to incite the Polish
nation to the late contest, which ended
so fatally for their interests." Several Ho-
nourable Members expressed themselves in
favour of the necessity of Polish independence,
with a warmth that did honour to their hearts.
Sir C. FORBES was particularly animated, and
alluded to the conduct of the late Grand Duke
CONSTANTINE, in the only way that such a
ruffian deserves to be noticed. At the close of
the Debate, after the House had gone into Com-
mittee on the Anatomy Bill, it adjourned to
Monday the 7th of May.

Our City Correspondent says—" We have
every reason to believe that we can now an-
nounce as positive, that the ratification and ex-
change of the Dutch Treaty with Austria and
Prussia took place last night."

The Paris Express is chiefly filled with par-
ticulars respecting the cholera, which, it seems,
is abating a little in virulence. Many of the
medical authorities attribute its extraordinary
severity to the prevalence of a cold, blighting east
wind, which has had the effect of impairing di-
gestion, and so predisposing people to the attacks
of the pestilence. Among its latest victims is
Prince CASTELCICALA, the Neapolitan ambas-
sador at Paris, an old man of eighty, who was
much addicted to the pleasures of the table. -Ar.
C. PERIER goes on favourably, though his ad-
visers will not ) et suffer him to transact any pub-
lic business.

THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, T WEL VE 0' CLOCK.

The following foreign mails have arrived this morn-
ing :—Lish.n, sailed April 1 ; Malta, April 2 ; Gibraltar,
April 10; Buenes Ayres, Jan. 31 ; Halifax, March 20 ;
and Bermuda, March 10.

Buenos Ayres Papers to the 29th of January, New
Brunswick to the 11th of March, Calcutta to the 6th of
December, and Port-au-Prince to the 27th of February,
were received this day at the North and South American
Coffee-house. The following private letter from Buenos
Ayres was posted up :
" BUENOS AYRES, JAN. 31.—Our Republic now en-
joys a cessation from civil war, and peace reigns in every
p)rtion of it. All the provinces are under the federal
system of Government, Buenos Ayres being the centre; and
I trust we may shortly expect happier days. Exchange
on London, 7a to 71; doubloons 107 dollars each. I re-
fer you to the newspapers tor the details respecting our
late Charge d'Affaires, Mr. Parish, the address to him on
his departure, and his answer."
(From the Brunswick Papers, by the Halifax mail.)
The balance of the ca,h account in the St. John's
Savings-bank is stated at 1741. 14s. 10d. The Savings-
bank holds debentures bearing interest for 2,324/ 10s. Bd.

A resolution has passed the House of Assembly of Nova
Scotia increasing the duty upon certain goods imported
from Great Britain to 5 per cent. " This is a measure,"
says the Halifax Journal, "which we think will not ope-
rate much in favour of the Colonial Timber question when
again brought before Parliament."
(From the Buenos Ayres Papers.)
On the evening of the 24th January, salutes were fired
from the forts and shipping ; after which a bulletin was
issued, with the documents containing the happy termina-
tion of the civil war.

(From the Calcutta John Bull of Nov. 26.)

Rumours are afloat, to which we pay little attention,
although, if true, of a sufficiently alarming nature, arising,
we believe, out of what appeared two days ago in the
Hurizaro, in regard to the state of affairs at Madras.
The Port-au-Prince Papers are void of interest.
By the French mail this morning, they write from
Madrid, of the 6th April, that the several Foreign Mi.
nis'ers in that capital solicited the Spanish Government
that the individuals of their nation resident in Spain
should be exempt from paying the contributions ; but the
King of Spain has issued a decree, in which he states that
the Spaniards residing in England ply to the Brit.sh Go-
vernment all the taxes imposed on them, therefore, the
foreigners in Spain must submit to pay the contributions.
Accounts horn Berlin state that Marshal Mortier was
received by the King of Prussia with distinguished honour.
Previous to his leaving for St. Petersburgh he learnt the
Emperor of Russia's artritrary decree of the fate of Poland;
accordingly, he sent fur fresh instructions to Paris.
The Moniteur gives the bulletin of the ratification of
Prussia to twenty-four Dutch Articles.
A report prevails that the town of Turin was going to
be formed into an entrenched camp.