Star.
London, England, 1823-05-22 00:00:00

FOREIGN FUNDS.

Spanish Bonds opened this morning at 371 ;1 but Colom-
bian bay,* experienced a great fall; they opened at 65 and went
down to 59.—Current prices _

Milian, nothing done ; New Spanish, 37i; New Prussian,
84 ; Russian, 79 ; Danish, nothing done ; Neapolitan, 75i ; Co-
lombian, 59.
Wants, May 7, Metalliques, 81a—Bank Shares 897 i
• CITY, ONE O'CLOCK.

There have been several failures this morning, both in and
out of the Stock Exchange, but we do not hear of any to a con-
siderable amount.—A report prevailed that the Commissioners
from Colombia had arrived, which had the effect of raising Co-
lombian Bonds from 58 to 61.
PRICE OF STOCKS AT ONE O'CLOCK.

Bank Stock 218 th.-3 per Cent. Reduced 79ga
3 per Ct. Cons. 79%8 801/g 14-3 th per Cts. 9154
4 per Cents. Old 96%8 975/8
4 per Cents. New 99N 1003/4 Vs
Bank Long Annuities 20% 3-16
India Stock 2501,4 250—India Bonds 395.
Exchequer Bills of £l,OOO, Iss. 18s.
Ditto Small 1.55. 18s.—Cons. lot July 8014 3/4 1/4.

We have before touched on the hardship of the
situation in which the respectable Gentlemen who 11
constitute the present Opposition in the House of
Commons, are daily placed by the general course of
measures pursued by his MAJESTY'S Ministers. It is
a settled point in Parliamentary practice, that an able
and vigilant Opposition is at all times a good thing
for the sountry, whatever it may be for the Govern-
ment. But, to be of any use, the Members of Op-
position must have cause for blame provided in
something like a reasonable quantity ; they must have
motives too to animate them to exertions—some hope,
for instance, of benefitting their co;-ntry, by prevent-
ing the encroachments of corruption or power—nor
should they be cut off altogether from the still more
inspiring hope of supplanting those they oppose in
the-Management of the country's concerns.
It is clear that, without all or most of these requi-
.sites,..we might as well have no Opposition at all ;
and without au Opposition, in what a situation would
the country be? We should be deprived of one of
the greatest blessings of our Constitution; and the
Houle of Commons would, in truth, be rendered
what patriots of all ages have so vehemently depre-
cated—a mere Chamber for registering the Acts of
the Ministers of the Crown. We are afraid that this
obvious consequence is not sufficiently appreciated by.
those who have the reins of power at present in their
hands. They seem to be proceeding on the very
fanciful plan of doing everything in their power
to please everybody, and of bringing in no mea-
sures but what merit universal approbation.
Every day they are depriving the Opposition of
some perennial topic of complaint, and furnishing
nothing new in its stead. We might say to the Trea-
sury Bench as a Noble Lord said the other day to the
Champion of England (when Noble Lords and Sena-
tors attend such exhibitions, there can be nothing
very low, we trust, in the comparison), " You'll break
their hearts if you go on in that way." .
We have been led to these remarks by the
proceedings which took place last night in the House
of Commons. In addition to the many excellent
measures .which the Board of Trade have 'already
originated, for the purpose of relieving the Commerce
of the country from the various restraints which the
unenlightened anxiety of former limes has imposed
upon it, Mr. Hussussoar intimated that it was the in-
tention of Government to propose that the distinc-
tions which exist between England and Ireland in
respect to 'matters of trade—those distinctions which
helped to make one of the most eloquent and power.
cal Opposition orators of his day, the illustrious G
TAN—shall be entirely removed, and that the two coun-
tries shall be placed, as they ought to be, on an equal
footing. The night Hon. Gentleman farther declared,
that he was desirous of seeing all restrictive duties on
commerce removed ; leaving it to be inferred, of
course, that such is the principle on which he means
to persevere in the direction of the Board of Trade.
No sooner, moreover, had this sweeping reformer sat'
down, than up started the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER, and completed the dismay which was vi•
sibly spreading on the Opposition benches, by an-
nouncing, that on, another topic, which Session after
Session has been a favourite theme of declama-
tion, he would spare them the trouble of preparing
the usual quantum of speeches—for that he meant in
future to have no Lottery. You'll break their hearts,
Gendernee, if you go on in that way."

Frankfort Papers to the 16th inst. and the Austrian
Observer to the 10th, reached us this morning, but
they contain little intelligence of importance.

A circular letter of the Federal Directory of Swit-
zerland, announces to the Cantons the opening of the
Diet, which will take place on the 7th ofluly. It in-
vites the Cantons to give instructions to their De.