Star.
London, England, 1830-06-15 00:00:00

GENERAL LITERATURE.

LONOGN.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15.

" WINDSOR CASTLE, JUNE 13, 1830.

" The Kixsa has passed a very good night. His
M JESTY 's respiration continues easy, and ho feels better.

(Signed)

6, HENRY HALFORD.

" MATTHEW J. TIERNEY."

Despatches dated the 29th of April were this day re-
ceived at the Colonial Office from Lieutenant Colonel
LUMLEY, Lieutenant Governor of Sierra Leone ; from
Mr. WARRINGTON, our Consul at Tripoli, dated the
20th March; from General Sir GEORGE Dow, Lieutenant
Governor of Gibraltar, dated the 18th of May; and from
Mr. DotroLAs, our Consul at Morocco, dated the 21st
of May. There arc also despatches from Malta of a
very recent date. _

Just as we were going to press, we have learned that
information has been receieved that the differences,
which had so long existed in China, between the Hong
Merchants and the British, had been amicably adjusted.
By the same conveyance which brought this news, a sum
of three hundred and fifty thousand pounds—on private
account—has been received. Consols, at half past two
o'clock, were 928 for the Account.

There is a very singular report given in a private let-
ter, received by the Mail yesterday from Rio Janeiro.
Although stated with the utmost confidence, we must
premise that we do not believe one word of it :—" The
Emperor PEDRO has just received, by a Portuguese brig
of war from Lisbon, his share of inheritance from the late
QUEEN, to the amount of two hundred thousand pounds,
LeAides diamonds of great value ; and now, as the old
Qt. Ll:s is out of the way, it is generally believed, that
the affairs of Portugal will be arranged to the entire sa-
tisfaction of both parties; and that Don MIGUEL will,
after all, not only be recognised, but permitted to marry
Donna MA ILIA. This—adds the writer—we learn from
the very first authority ; and it is now certain that all ap-
prehension of hostilities, between the two countries, are
entirely removed."

We have a file of Trinidad papers to the 2d of May.
The rain hail fallen in torrents ; and, from the premature
commencement of the wet season, all hope of further
cultivating sugar had been given over. This visitation
had done very great injury.

The Grenada Free Press to the sth of May has
reached us. From St. Lucia accounts of the most serious
character have been received ; but as no freedom of the
press is allowed in that Colony, they are so vague and
unconnected, that a just opinion cannot be formed of the
actual state of affairs there. The first President JZILI•
MI E is represented as, on all occasions, interfering to
inflame the slave against his master ; and strong fears
exist of their breaking out in violent resistance. Open
encouragement is also held out by him, for the desertion
of slaves from the neighbouring French Colonies ; which,
notwithstanding the endeavours of Colonel FA RQUIIAIL-.
sow, the Acting Governor, to prevent, it is said daily
takes place. _

The Hamburgh Reporter, just received, states that a
rise has taken place in the price of wheat, on account of
limited supplies from the interior. This, taken together
with the apprehensions now existing of a deficiency in
this country, is a very serious piece of intelligence.—
At Hamburgh, the funds were flagging, and becoming
heavy, owing—it was believed—to His MAJESTY'.
illness.

The motion to be brought before Parliament this night,
by Lord MILTON, on the Corn Laws, and which will at
least slim the inutility of those Laws and inadequacy to
effect the objects for which they were said to be intended,
in all probability will occasion a most interesting discus-
sion. We give the substance of the motion in another
part of our paper; and, as we conceive this subject the
most important, without exception, which can occupy the
attention of the Public, we shall endeavour to explain to
our readers our reason for so thinking, and our general

views upon it.
Never, at any period of our history, were the com-
mercial concerns of the country in so humiliating a situa-
tion. • Since the period of the panic, as it was called,
which some politicans seemed to say, with affected sa-
tisfaction, was like a tornado or hurricane to clear the

air, introductory of a long season of sunshine and pros-
perity, hardly any adventure in commerce has taken
place, but to occasion certain loss to the adventurer. All
species of commercial property has been gradually on the
decline. Colonial produce, of all kinds, has, during the
whole interval, not paid even the cultivation. The ma-
nufacturers, deprived of the merchants as their customers,
became themselves the shippers of a stock, which their
starving workmen compelled them to accumulate; and
their own farther ruin has been the consequence. Ships
have gone and returned from all parts of the globe so fre-
quently without obtaining freight, that they are now
crowding our docks, with the broom at the mast head, to
be purchased at one half their former value. A voyage
to Swan River, to expatriate a starving population, or a
tender from Government to convey convicts to Botany
Bay, occasion now as much squabbling among com-
petitor ship-owners, as occurs among a smaller class of
navigators for a fare at Billingsgate.
All this is open to the daily observation of man, woman,
and child, east of Temple-bar, and to every commercial
community in the kingdom ; and yet we arc occasionally
told, ex cathedra, of an increasing foreign commerce, and
the quarterly returns of revenue are triumphantly quoted in
support of the fact. A member of Parliament, whose
integrity and sound useful sense, does not in our opinion,
receive that attention that they deserve, (we allude to
Mr. WAITIIMAN) has ventured a little to doubt the au-
thority of Custom-house returns. But if the question for
inquiry were, how much the commercial interests of the
country had solidly benefitted by the amount of expor-
tation, the Custom-house returns would bo found, with-
out any 'doubt, very deceptive criteria. It is a me-
lancholy fact, that the commerce of Great Britain has,
for many years, been gradually becoming more a mat-
ter of adventure, and what is technically called specu-
lation, than that certain advantageous interchange be-
tween nations of their several productions, which for-
merly'was almost exclusively understood by the word trade.
Those who now live in the world of commerce, know well
that no foreign trade now remains—and that even the
period of speculation has almost gone by ; no one can be
found now to export to a foreign market, that is not in-
duced to it by some collateral object ; and when the em-
ployment of a ship, or the employment of a commander,
or the inexperience and rashness of a pennyless adven-
turer, stimulate those who have a little cash or credit to
make the attempt, nothing ensues but disappointment,
and an increase of disgraceful confusion—for we cannot
call it business—at the Bankrupt Court. The stocks
high—land low—large unemployed collections of ca-
pital—and an emigrating population, are the phe-
nomena of the present day, and those which be-
tokeneth the ruined health of a commercial state.
One cause of this deplorable state of affairs, among
many, is, undoubtedly, the heavy taxation, which pre-
vents the productions of our ingenuity coming into fair
competition with the improving similar productions of
other now comparatively unburthened countries. It cer-
tainly was, therefore, expected that Government would
make, as a remedy, sonic more adequate attempt to re-
duce the burthens of the people, and expenditure of the
country, than what they have hitherto brought forward.
But when physicians are called in, particularly in com-
plicated diseases, more, perhaps, is expected of them than
can be accomplished ; and we must admit, that what they
have done, if not enough, has been judicious. We are not
inclined to think with Mr. Hunt, that any reduction in
the army or navy would have been proper; but with many
of the other suggestions of that Gentleman, we should
most certainly concur ; —and we have little doubt, that
so would the leading Members of the Administration—
but could they have ventured on such sweeping retrench-
ment, and still held that influence essential to the preser-
vation of power ? The maintenance of authority in this
country depends on machinery too complicated not to
render that which is right, at variance sometimes
with that which is practically expedient ; and re-
flection will inform us, that in the conduct of all
Governments much must in liberality be excused, and
accounted for from this cause.

The removal of those legal restrictions which, pre-
vented, between this country and foreign countries, a re-
ciprocity of trade, or what has been termed freedom of
commerce—has been, however sound in principle, rather
unsatisfactory in its results ; in our opinion because it
has been only partially carried into execution. A
free trade, and corn, the most important article
of trade—that by which all other commodities are
appreciated, left under restrictions is a solicism in
language—an absurdity in policy ; and here again we
have to regret the sacrifice made to timid ex-
pediency ; but here we hesitate not to state that the ex-
pediency, as far as it regards securing the influence of
government, is mistaken. Real commercial prudence—
that prudence which was the necessary political principle
of the great COLBERT, would really have accomplish-
ed more for the merchant, manufacturer, and agricul-
turist, and ultimately more for the popularity of adminis-
tration, than all that result from a reduced national
expenditure, or reduced taxation.
We are sorry our time will not allow us to pursue the
subject further to-day—but we shall renew it at another
opportunity.

COL CMOS RIE, of Ballyheigue Castle, will offer him-
self as a candidate for the representation of the county
of Kerry, at the next General Election.
The Longford Journal says, that the contest at the
ensuing election will be between Lord &macs and Mr.
ANTHONY LEFROE. Sir G. FETIIERSTON, it adds, is
quite out of the break.
Capt. SMITH, of the 32d, the principal in the late
fatal duel with Mr. O'GRADY, has resigned his com.
mission.

The Government having abandoned the new Forgery
Bill, it will be introduced into the Lords by the Marquis
of Lansdowne, but its success is considered doubtful. In
case of its not passing, the Judges, as well as the Home
Department, will be placed in a delicate situation, as the
administrators of the existing law, after the ouse of
Commons have declared it unfit to be continued in
force.

INTELLIGENCE IN SCIENCE, ARTS, AND

We wish it to be understood by our readers, that we
only promise them in this department of our Paper, no-
tices of such new works in Science, Arta, and General
Literature, as may come under ourown observation, which,
as far as other indispensable duties will admit, we shall
endeavour to make include most of the prominent novel-
ties of the day. It is not intended to lumber our columns
with mere eulogistic notices, which would convey no
information to the minds of our readers, except what
might be derived from what is often the counterpart of
such reviews, the booksellers' advertisements. We shall
trouble our readers with the mention of no work from,
which we cannot either extract in matter or spirit, or
which does not suggest to ourselves something for his
instruction or amusement.

We last night, or more correctly this morning, for it
occupied us till past the " witching hour," perused the
second number of the" Family Magazine," which, at the
good old-fashioned price of eightpence, has afforded the
public six honest closely-printed octavo sheets of original,
tasteful, and instructive matter, besides a portrait of his
Majesty, and two illustrative wood cuts. This portrait
and accompanying Memoir, which commences the
number, we must confess, and perhaps it will surprise
the publishers, rather prejudiced us against the number.
The King's Head is too common a sign—and so familiar
to every body that owns a new shilling, that we were'
almost suspicious we should find the letter-press equally
trite and common-place—but we fortunately pursued our
researches a little farther, and the result was, as we shall
explain—two or three hours most agreeable entertain-
ment. We shall now let our readers in for a small share
of our good fortune.
The second article in the number, entitled " Scenes
of the War in Spain, by a French Officer," is a truly
picturesque production, and conveys a dreadfully vivid
idea of the horrors of the Guerilla warfare. As a spe-
cimen of this article, we shall extract, with some little
abridgment, a portion of the narrative, which might well
employ the pencil of even WILKIE.
The narrator entered a house in one of the desolated
towns, which he thus describes :

" From bottom to top there was not an article of furniture : the
French had bivouacked in the best apartment, as was evident from
the inscriptions scribbled with charcoal upon the walls, and a figure
of the Virgin Mary, with a pair of black mustachioes and a pipe in
her mouth. I entered a roan on the ground-floor—no doubt the
kitchen, because it had a fire-place, the distinguishing mark of
every Spanish kitchen--and great was my surprise to find there
two old men, and a boy, of about twelve years, seated by the
tire. At the clatter made by my sabre dragging along the flag-
stones, the boy crossed himself at if he had seen the foul Send,
and slipped behind a great leathern arm-chair, beneath a Madonna.
One of the men looked proudly at mc ; he neither rose nor moved
his hat. " Officer,' " said he " my name is Antonio Nunez.
This is my brother, late alcalde of the town. He is so old and
so ill, that he could not leave the place with our townspeople :
I have staid with hint to take care of him, and this boy waits on
us both.' "

Just then, adds the writer, a noise called me into
the street. It was the arrival of an aid-de-camp of the
French general, Milhaud, attired in the monastic habit
of a Capuchin. He ordered an old quarter-master, by
name Rapatier, to remain with twenty-five men for the
service of the expresses, and all the remainder, with
myself, to proceed with him to Palencia, where he said
they were wanted. We arrived too late for the battle,
but on the way had some severe skirmishing with the
Spanish Guerilla parties. " They are," says our nar-
rator, " fine troops, and I expected a severe contest ;
but, at the first onset, the black-bearded fellows betook
themselves to their heels, and commended their souls to
Go n."
" A eircuinstance, however, occurred to reconcile me with the
Spaniards. A young drummer, who could not run so fast as the
rest, feeling the points of our sabres, stood still, begged for quar.
ter, waving his shako, and crying: Viva Napoleon ! At this
moment an officer of the regiment of Cordua-1 see him still—
who was already on the other side of the wall, on horseback and out
of danger, galloped back to the field of battle, thnut his sword into
the breast of the drummer, saying Muera el trador ! (Die traitor!)
and fell himself pierced with a hundred wounds.
" Such are these people : it is often the case that a whole regi.
went is not worth so much as one man and that one man is worth
more than a whole regiment. We had soon occasion to learn what
energy of mind, and what contempt of death, a Spaniard who is
quite independent can display."
The next article to which we shall call the attention
of our readers, is of a different character from that which
we have just noticed, and has merit of quite a different
description. It is entitled, "On the Planets and their
Inhabitants"—a title which seemed to promise no great
novelty ; for, used as we are to hear of despatches, cou-
riers, and estafettes, we certainly do not hear of their
often arriving from the Planets, and we really suspected
the despatch which we were about to open must convey
what is termed by synecdoche old news, if it could
be termed news at all. The first authentic accounts
from that quarter were favoured us by the celebrated
Christian Huygins, and the last by Hershall—for as to the
communications of the Baron Munchausen, they are, we
believe, considered a little incorrect. We were seriously,
then most agreeably, surprised to obtain from this
Paper more curious intelligence from the planets, and
about their inhabitants, than we thought it was in any
astronomer's power to afford. A more neat abridgment
of what is known on the planets we never perused, and a
well-preserved chain of analogical reasoning runs through
the whole, which does credit to the philosophy of the
author. He takes his readers on a kind of tour through
the several planets of our system, and endeavours, from the
known astronomical facts and different constitutions of
the planets, to discover the condition of their inhabitants,
and the modification to which life is there subject. In
so far, he may be said to follow the steps of Huygins and
others who have conjectured on planetary concerns ; but
in one of his views he is, we think, quite original, and
boldly ingenious. It is the conjecture that there are
increase of perfections in what are called the superior
planets. Several rather important, and, to us original
philosophical conjectures, on the different atmospheric
phenomena of the planets, occur in this paper, to which
we are sorry we cannot, for want of room, do justice.
His reasoning renders it probable that Jupiter, Saturn,
and the Georgium Sidus, or Uranus, are perhaps the most
comfortable departments of our system—and, at the con-
clusion, the author indulges himself in some conjec-
tures of a more abstract nature, but which we cannot now
touch, on what he calls a " Planetary Metempsychosis ;"
but we must close our remarks. There are several
sketches and tales in the number of great merit, and the
poetry is of that character which truly deserves the title.

We can state, on very good authority, that the worthy
and independent Member or this County, Charles Dun-
das, Faq. has no intention whatever of resigning his seat.
We have authority for stating that Mr. Puzey will not
offer himself u a representative for this county.—Read-
jug Mercury.

A silver tea spoon being placed by Dr. Roger, of Chel-
tenham, on the tongue of one of the Siamese twins, end
a disk of zinc on the tongue of the other, the moment the
two metals were brought into contact, both the boys ex-
claimed, '• sour, sour ;" thus proving the galvanic influ-
ence paned from one to the other by the connecting fluid. 1

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.
Consols opened this morning at the same price diet
left off yesterday-92Ri for the account, with little doin.4
at present. Reduced is 91i.
Accounts received from Paris state, that a pen wit
near the throne, touched at the menacing differences
which agitates the country, had submitted to the Kite
a true picture of the critical state of affairs, which nia
such an impression on the royal mind, as to induce
promise of the adoption of a more conciliatory system
This report had the effect of improving the Fienel,
Funds.

On Thursday last an extraordinary courier arrived to
the Spanish Ambassador's, at Paris, from Madrid, and
proceeded immediately for London : same day a Spanish
courier arrived on his way from London to Madrid.
MA yam, MAY 24.—The English Ambassador
employing his utmost influence, to induce the Kin:..,
the delivery of the Queen, to permit to return to
native land all the Spaniards who have been forced t.,
emigrate.

There i 3 a singular report in the Quotidienno, that •
Captain residing near Toulon had received accoin.t3, ,
pigeon, in the following terns:—" Bay of Algicis. J;;:.;
1, Three o'Clock in the Morning.—We are landing ; t;,.
weather is fine."

A Malta Mail has arrived, brought by the Os!,,ma
sailed on the 26th April; from Gibraltar, 25th May ;
Cadiz, 27th May.
A letter frolo Port-au-Prince states that a comm.,
sioner is going to France, to try to settle the differences
IMPORTANT, r•ttOM Rio JANElRO.—Extract of a
letter received by the mail arrived yesterday :
" Tw•o persons, both great favourites of the F.►nperei .
are going to England by the frigate. They have ',co')
long opposed to the Ultra-Bra'ilian party, who have st
last taken the lead in his Majesty's council , and thi
Ministry are fast getting rid of Portuguese influence,
which has too long prevailed.

CITY, 11ALF-I'AST ONE.

The Consol market has remained steady during tit:
whole of the morning, with little or no fluctuation, al
92R for the Account.
We still continue A‘ ithout any official information in
regard to the French expedition to Algiers, which, no
doubt, is owing to the winds being contrary.
In the Foreign Market it is settling day, and the only
business doing is settling their Accounts to the present
time. We do not hear of any defaulters.--Greek Bonds
are rather lower.