Star.
London, England, 1830-07-19 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

Tar TELLIGEWC Z.—The Times of Thursday contained a
long, infamous, and false attack upon the memory of the late King,
which has been well commented on by the other Papers, there not
being one hue enough to follow the example set by the Time
of maligning a dead King, of whom, while alive, and when
it answered he purpose, it could speak with adulation. Every
body has read the Fable of the living Ass kicking the deed
Lion; and we have it now realised in the mean but malignant
fury of the Times, which can disturb the ashes of the dead,
although it data not always to provoke the anger of the living.
The Times has a large circulation, and we are willing to allow
that it has therefore the power of a giant; but we must say that it
exercises that power with the malevolence and cunning of a Send,
and that if it should retain its large circulation, it will hence.
forward be reckoned amongst those prints which owe their
success to their readiness to gratify the vicious taste of the mul-
titude, and that, whilst some Sunday Papers shall obtain sale
from being the Registers of all that is obscene and low in so-
ciety, the runes will succeed as the instrument of mean
and cowardly wrong towards the memory of the dead,
and foul and dastardly abuse occasionally of the living. We
will not inquire into the motives of the Times for this piti-
ful attack upon the memory of the late King:—they must
have been as noble as :the language in which it was made was
chaste and elegant. Nobody requires to be told now that the
Tina is the vicious pander of • vicious taste ; that it is the
mean, mercenary prostitute of the multitude ; that its smiles and
its frowns are to be gained or provoked by the same means as
those which are used with the profligate and abandoned creatures
who expose themselves in the streets—that in short it is " the
Times," " the Times," " the Times,"—affecting to lead opi.
nion, but generally chusing to follow it—running with the
stream, but pretending to oppose it—a sheet compiled by (limp.
pointed parsons and intriguing attornies—a thing got up in political
fraud, and supported by political prostitution.

Terms.—The last arrivals from South America present us with
what appears to be the political finale of Bolivar. That conspicuous
and enterprising person has at last ceased to be a public functionary,
and has returned into private life. General Bolivar has thus de-
monstrated either that he did not entertain the projects of criminal
ambition which had been imputed to him, or that he did not esteem
the odium worth incurring for the the of an unanainaldo
usurpation. It is unfortunate for General Bolivar's fame,
that a suspicion of selfish designs against his country's free.
dom attached to him for some years pretty generally, with.
out his having found or made an opportunity of demonstrating
their absolute iustice. The latter scenes of his career
are more calculatedto convince us that he could not long have re.
mined the exercise of supreme power, than that he did not covertly
desire it,—more that he could not have been Cesar, than that he
had proposed to himself Washington for his model. In one point,
indeed, be resembled and surpassed the latter we mean in his
perfect disinterestedness as regards money. latter,—we
feature of his
character has been conspicuous throughout even the most prospe.
rous stages of his career, and shines out with peculiar lustre at the
moment of his resignation of supreme command. But be that as it
may, his retreat has been decent, if not strikingly noble or dignified;
and the language of the new government towards him has been that
of public gratitude and respect. What may be the condition of
Colombia ~aforth, it is extremely difficult to conjecture. The
measures adopted by Venezuela and another province may still ad-
mit of a federal, though not an incorporating union with that state
of which Bogota is the metropolis, and in such case we do not see
how the relations of foreign Governments with the Republic could
be much embarrassed by the change, pp Wed that some central
Power were to be acknowledged for the dimtion of affairs of foreign
policy. At all events, it is satisfactory to know that the new Go.
vernment of Bogota have renounced, in the most formal manner,
every right of coercing Venezuela into an ting union,
should the latter state decline the amicable made to her.
Trues.—Some useful papers have been printed by order of the
House of Commons, exhibiting by a clear and distinct table, the
difference of expense attendant on the transport of convicts to
New South Wales, u compared with the cost of their re-
tention and employment on board of hulks in this country and
at Bermuda. By a return for the years 1820 to 1829 inclu-
sive, it appears that, deducting from the grass expense the sums
earned by the labour of the convict, the cost of feeding, clothing,
and maintaining each individual, together with that of the
establishment and of repairing the hulks, did not in
the course of the last year, exceed 31. 17s. 41d. per man.
In the year 1827 it fell short of 12s. per man. From particular dr-
cumstances affecting the price of labour in the year 1838, the produce
of earnings by the prisoners had shown a considerable deficit, and
had accordingly raised the average expense for the public to
61. Ns. 90. per annum. But the average for seven sus from 1823
inclusive has not exceeded 31.85. per annum.—The expense of
transporting convicts to New South Wales presents a very unfavour.
able view of that method of treatment, miscalled punishment, as
compared with detention and hard labour on board the hulks....
The official returns of 1828 give for the charge of carrying
out each male, M. 18s. Id. for each female, 341. Bs. Std. 1829,
for each male, M. lbs. Std. for each female, 271. 12s. Std.—.
Thus, so far at least as economy is concerned, there can be no ques-
tion as to the preference whisk ought to be given to imprisonment in
the hulks, over transport to a distant colony, the expense being, in
favour of the former system, in the ratio of less than one.eighth.
On grounds affecting the welfare of the colonies, we likewise hold
that every consideration ought to determine the Government against
the practice of transporting, and in favour of confining prisoners.
Transportation can in hardly any instance deter from crime, because,
in fact, it is scarcely ever a punishment to the guilty. A punish-
ment it is, and a avert one, to the colonies, to be annually deluged
with the scouring. of our gaols at home. Nor can the progressive
and inevitable consequences of forming a community, where the
proportion of women is not one-tenth of what it ought to be, as
compared with men, be contemplated otherwise than as leading to
moral evils of the most dreadful and revolting nature. If the argu-
ment of economy, therefore, were not, as it seems to us, so decisive,
that drawn from considerations of policy and morality would be so
beyond all question.

Cnaosticis....We are glad to perceive that the freeholders of
Yorkshire have cast their eyes on Mr. Brougham for one of their '
county members. The counties of England have not unaptly been
described as the worst sort of rotten boroughs, being equally des
pendent with rotten boroughs on powerful individuals, and being
snore peculiarly the refuge of stupidity. But Yorkshire Is, it seems.
too large for the grasp of any proprietor, and therefore, according
to the Leeds Mercury, “ as the present system almost es.
eludes all who do not possess extensive property from county
representation, counties are seldom represented by first-rate
senators; when the evil becomes so excessive that no pro-
perty can contest the election, it cures itself, by throwing upon the
Freeholders the part of giving their voluntary and free support to
the man of their real choke' The Journal fn question observes,
that " Mr. Brougham is perfectly ignorant of his present recom-
mendation to the Freeholders of Yorkshire, and of there being any
idea of proposing him to the county." We have no doubt that this
statement is perfectly correct. It has, however, been known for
several days to some of the gentlemen possessed of influence in
Yorkshire, now resident in the metropolis, that it was intended by
the Freeholders of that County. and especially of the West Hi&
ing, to return Mr. Brougham. Indeed a variety of reasons point
him out to that County, which has always taken the lead in all
questions connected with civil and religious liberty, education, the
abolition of slavery, Sm. as :he Representative most worthy of their
choice. We understand that it is intended that Mr. Brougham
shall be returned free of all expense. The Representation of Eng-
land never will be respectable till the Constituents determine on
freeing their Representatives from the expenses et' their return.
Cluny tcx.r..—The contest for the representation of the County
of Louth will occur some short time previous to the General Election,
a vacancy in that county having been occasioned by the elevation of
Mr. Leslie Foster to a seat on the Bench of the Irish Court of Ex-
chequer. He succeeds Mr. APClelland, who resigns in consequence
of ill-health. The Wt-named person was a Maim et the bleb
Parliament at the time of the Union, and was ens of thus Mos date
their advancement in the world from that swan. Without
being a partisan of the faction, under whose Wald ascendancy
Ireland so long suffered, or entertaining in his bean any real
concern for their, or indeed for any particular class of political
opinions, llr, hi'Clelland contrived to make himself an object
of more general unpopularity than any Magistrate of the
many employed to administer the law among a people who have
been taught to consider it far less a defence and protection than an
instrument of vengeance and chastisement. He resided during a
considerable portion of the year on his seat In the county of Loath,
mingling among the country gentlemen, and taking an active share
in all the affairs of the neighbourhood. From thks place he hes
almost without intermission, for the last 10 years (choosing always
the same circuit), each spring and autumn, mounted. th,jrAmrst
seat aziaktudge of assise, to dispense that equal and mounted
tic. knows neither favour nor affection' nor any respect of
puttees, with what likelihood of success it is not dillicult to sem
lecture. So extraordinary a spectm= ofthb very Injurious practice,
as Baron M'Cieliand exhibited must not be suffued to pees without
animadversion, and will, we hope, attract notice la its proper quarter.