The Sun.
London, England, 1821-05-12 00:00:00

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

ED .11LY EXTRACTS rnom THE MORNiNG PAPERS.]

[NEW TIMES.]
Continental affairs seem (with a few-local ex-
ceptions) to have attained so general a state of
tranquillity, that public credit daily assumes
greater solidity. An express was yesterday re-
ceived from Paris, bringing the price of the French
Funds for Wednesday, which fully•confirms our
remark. The rentes continue rising in a remark-
, able manner ; they closed on that day at 83.50.,
hich is full half per cent. better than the last quo-
tation.—As to,Spain, which is one of the most la-
mentable-exceptions from the general tranquillity,
the probability seems to be, that it will be left en-
tirely to the struggles of its internal factions : and a
more miserable fate its worst enemies cannot wish
it. The Guerrilla warfare, now carried on by pa-
triotic Insurgents against the tyranny of the
Cortes, is exactly similar to that of the brave
and faithful Vendeans in France, against the ty-
rants of the National Convention : and the Cortes
are imitating the French Convention in the san-
guinary laws which they are passing against the
Royalists. The Spanish Peasants, like those of
M Vendee, fight under the double incitement of
Religion and Loyalty; they are devotedly at-
tached to the plundered Priesthood, and sincerely
venerate the insulted Monarch : and hence they
cannot but look with equal horror on the sedi-
tious mob of Madrid, and the atheistical orators
of the Cortes.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
Our readers are aware that to the wisdom and
liberality of the Marquess of Hastings, the cen-
sure which had for twenty years been imposed
on the press in India was removed ; by which
the complaints of Natives for oppression, if well
founded, might teach the eye of authority, and
thus protection be extended to the many millions
of human beings, subjected to British dominion,
and who heretofore had no channel by which
grievances could be made known. The enlarged
policy of the Governor General was adopted by
the enlightened Governor of Bombay, and at no
previous time has our wide Empire in the East
enjoyed such security, prosperity and happiness,
es under the present auspices. In removing the
*previous censorship, the press was liable, as it
ought to be, to the judicial tribunals ; and ac-
cordingly we see by the dispatches which we re-
ceived on Thursday, that on the 23d of November
a motion was made in the Supreme Court of Ben-
gal,by Alr.Spankie,the Ad vocateGeneral,for aßule
to shew cause why a criminal information should
not be filed against Mr. Buckingham, the Editor
of the Calcutta Journal, for the publication of
" a false, scandalous, and malicious libel, of and
concerning the Government of that country," in
'a letter on merit and interest, signed 2Emzdus,
the libellous matter of which consisted in stating,
that all promotion, advancement and reward, were
withheld even from merit, except by the perni-
cious means of political influence, or, as it is ge-
nerally termed, interest—an imputation which,
from every account, is totally unfounded in the
present Administration of our Indian Govern-,
rnent. A Rule was granted. On the 26th, Mr.
Fergusson prayed, on the part of the defendant,
for an extension of the rule, first, on the plea
that some doubt existed in his mind as to the
jurisdiction of the Court, or its power to pro-
ceed by criminal information in cases of libel ;
and secondly, as to the necessity of collecting
documentary evidence and materials for the de-
fence, as he intended to argue both on the law
and the fact ; but more particularly to prove the
absence of all criminal motive or intention on the
pert of his client. Mr. Spankie objected to any
extension of time on the grounds urged by his
Learned Friend. The jurisdiction of the Court
was 'established in direct and express terms in the
Charter, by general usage, and by analogy with
other Colonial Courts. The Chief Justice con-
curred with the Advocate-General ; Sir Francis
Macnaghten seemed to think the question of
jurisdiction might admit of argument. Sir An-
thony Buller •concurred with the Chief Justice.
After some further argument by- Mr. Fergusson
for delay, and by Mr. Spankie and Mr. Money,
the junior Counsdl for the prosecution, the rule
to shew cause. wai extended to the first day of
next Term, which Would happen on the Bth of
January, and of 'which we have not yet had an
account. But every friend to the fair freedom of
the Press must rejoice in thus seeing it brought to
account for the exercise of its functions to an in-
&pendent tribunal.

Imbnxit.io POST.]
The present contest in Parliament between the
Traders to the East Indies, and the planters and
Merchants interested in the welfare of the West
Indies, is not a queition merely between these
two parties, but one in' whiCh Great Britain
herself is most deeply interested. The West
Indians are great customers for our manufactures,
employ a large portion of our shipping; and of
course a great number of our seamen, whom we
can come at almost whenever we want them ;
and those Islands can. be protected by our Navy,
which we must aN-ays keep powerful to pro-
tect ourselves. Our exports to the East were,
in 1819, to the value of. 3,052,7411., but the
trade was found to be considerably overdone ;
and in the next year, fB2O, it was reduced to
about one half of this amount, or one fourth of
our exports to the "West Indies. Their ships
employ many Lascars, and the distance of the
voyage puts the-Sailors they are .navigated by. .for
a long time out of our reach. liindoostan,
moreover, cannot be protected by-Our Navy, and
will probably some-day (perhaps not a very dis-
tant bne) be the conquest of a new Alexander,
Genjis Khan, Tamerlaine, or Baber. In conse-
quence of the facility with which the Colonies of
the Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Spaniards get
slaves, which we are forbidden to do, and the
small expence at which their sugar is taken direct
to Europe, comparatively with that from the British
West Indies, which must first come to this country,
together with the advantages they derive in a
supply of provisions, lumber, and fish, from the
United States, in. American vessels ;. and, a free