Star.
London, England, 1831-05-24 00:00:00

PUBLIC CI

Bank Stott:, 1901
India Stock. 204. Bonds,
London Dock-, X 59 10s
St. Citherine's. .e7B 109
City G 39. £190:
Bank of Scotland, £167
British Linen, £250
Grand Junction. £24.5
(zeds, £395
Repents, £lB 1017.

rll E EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

TUESDAY, MAY 24.

The Paris papers begin to speak now of a speedy dissolu-
tion of the Chambers, and France will, we presume, present
a struggle like that in England. We have set the French
people an example worthy of their imitation ; and as the
French journals have detailed our conflicts with the enemies
of Reform, so we may presume they have amused public
spirit ; and France will, we bope, enjoy an improved Cham-
ber, while we are enjoying an improved House of Commons.
A worse Chamber than the last could not be imagined. It
was elected under the POLIGNAC administration, and it went
ith the revolution in form, but not in spirit. It had the
views of our late Parliament; and France will not stand
erect before the world, till after the election of a new Chain-
her.—Every Frenchman must do his duty, just as every
Englishman has done his ; and the Paris journals, like
these of London, must fan the pure flame of patriotism.
The result will be a test of French character ; and in Eng-
land, they will be watched with great anxiety. The Paris
journalists seem to be fully aware of the objects of the
royal tour ; and as they must be understood by the people
themselves, we should not wonder if a revulsion of public
opinion is not the effect. We hear, too, for the first time,
of dangers in La Vendee; but where, when, and how, does
not so exactly appear. Why will not the amiable Louis
PHILIPPE trust to the irresistable force of integrity, and
singleness of purpose ?

The conduct of Austria to DWERNECKI, and his Polish
corps, creates animadversion throughout Europe. Why
such distinctions between the Russian encroachers by their
act, and the Poles, who were forced to become encroachers,
by the previous encroachment of the Russians? And,

above all, why are DWERNECK I, and his Staff, to be made
prisoners of war by Austria ? Why, too, the arms of the
Poles to be delivered to the Russians, who had not captured
them? But, after the conduct of Austria in Italy, is it
worth while to ask such questions ? Ought we not rather
to wonder, that METTERNICH has not already sent an army
to assist Russia in the capture of Warsaw? Is the double
contagion of Cholera and Liberty the cause ? Are the Ita-
lians transported to Gallicia—not 'precisely the men for
such a purpose ? We must, however, wait— Austria has a
long account to settle; and another MARIA LouisE may
not settle it, at the next reckoning. The affairs of Olmuta
and Radstadt are still in European recollection, and revived
by the treatment of Dw zRN ECKI and his brave Poles. We
give the Imperial Family credit for the Household Virtues;
but the Political Policy of the Cabinet of Vienna is an
offence to the whole world.

The fate of the two men, sentenced to die to-morrow
morning, the 25th May, 1831—the one for sheep-stealing,
and the other for some species of theft—in the most civilized
capital in Europe—in the midst of a people professing to
base their legislation on the moral code of Christianity—in
the midst of a people who make it their pride, that their le-
gislation should improve by the aggregating wisdom of expe-
rience—has called forth some judicious comments, both yes-
terday and to-day, in the Morning Herald, which we have
transferred, with much satisfaction, to our columns. In
the front of our paper of this day, will likewise be
found, the very cogent speech, on the punishment of
Death, of Sir WILLIAM MEREDITH, delivered in the
House of Commons, May 13th, 1777. On observing
the last date, and the one mentioned at the com-
mencement of this paragraph, we must be mortified to
mark the slow progress of truth, when even in conformity
with the benevolent feelings of our nature; but we must not
suppose, that the sentiments of that speech have made no
progress. We believe, on the contrary, that we are at last
arrived, almost at the point of legislative change on this
great subject ; and that the new charter of our liberties,
which our energies have secured, will show forth its social
importance in the correction of all those ancient errors, which
render legislation so strangely antagonist to the morality on
which it is supposed to be founded. Let us hope, that the
victory gained by a Patriot King, enlightened Ministry, and
united people, over an oligarchy of ignorance, bigotry, and
selfishness, will, to use a favourite French expression, be
consecrated, by the abrogation of our antiquated, inex-
pedient, and disgraceful sanguinary penal code.
Of the men who are to suffer to-morrow, or of their
crimes, we know little. We are certainly not prepossessed
in favour of sheep stealing, or any other stealing ; but we
deny the right of man to take away the life of his fellow-
creatures, on nice distinctions of expediency, governed
entirely by the selfish protection of his life's playthings
—his property. We deny that deducing his rules of
society, from " the will of GOD, either expressed or im-
plied," he can vindicate a law which hangs for sheep-
stealing, and imprisons for stealing a pig ! And, we main-
tain, that such laws lose their efficacy by their injustice.
We were cognizant, only a short time ago, of the fol-
lowing facts :—A girl of the town, had run off from her
lodgings, with a bundle of wearing apparel, be-
longing to her landlady. She was taken, and brought

7=,

. •

to a police-office, with the clothes. The bundle
consisted of a variety of articles ; and after the fact
of the robbery being proved. the important question came to
be decided—whether she should be committed capitally, or
for petty larceny ? which was to depend on the ap-
preciation of the article stolen. By the beautiful penal
scale of expetliency, established in this country, five pounds
places the thief on the scaffold with the murderer; and
£4 19s. sd. imprisons him only, perhaps, for a
few months. In the instance to which we allude, the
pawnbroker's assistant was called in, for the classifica-
tion of the crime ; and, being put on his oath,
gave an appreciation, at first, of £5 108 ; but the magistrate
hinting at the consequences of his incorrect judg-
ment, he was induced to retract, and to aver to an
amount below £5. The vindictive landlady, however, started
forth, and maintained that there was an article which the
pawnbroker had entirely overlooked, and which had cost
her £l. The man could not deny, that he had formed his
appreciation ,w ithout seeing the article in question; and the girl
was committed for the capital offence, tried, and received
sentence of DEATH !1 ! Of course, she was: not executed,
as she had not committed any former crime, for which
she could be privately tried and convicted, without judge
or jury ; and, therefore, she was, to improve the law,
sent to New South Wales. These are facts—Where
are we ?—are we in Britain or among the Cherokees ?

DEMERARA AND ESSEQUIBO.

A growing discontent is arising and spreading in the
West India colonies. We have before us a series of the
Barbadoes Globe, down to the beginning of April. That of
March 28, contains a memorial from Demerara and Ease-
quebo to the Board of Trade, and its statements are justified
by a report of a committee of merchants and planters, which
we will certainly give at length on a futuro occasion, and
recommend to the attention of the public. The memorial
itself contains the following strong passages :
That British capital to a very large extent has been invested in the
cultivation of this colony, on the faith of the British government to
maintain inviolate the security of property acquired and held under the
sanction of the laws.

That a very largo proportion of the landed property here, u in other
parts of our West India possessions, remains under heavy mortgages
to British merchants for advances made during the periods of compare-
trisviErosperity, on the credit of colonial property fostered and moon-
by various Acts of Parliament.
t a considerable amount of capital, either In plantations or mort-
gages, is necessarily held by Dutch proprietors, forming the subject of
existing treaties between the British and Dutch government., which
having been acquired by the original colonists. and having been smeared
by the capitulation and by treaty, should be, by the laws of nations,
equally inviolate with British property.
That the colonists are borne down by harassing and. vexatious mea-
sures, in opposition to their rights, and destructive of their property,
by taxation, for the benefit of sinecurists, and by an expensive (pun of
judicial proceedings.
That the political evils under which your memorialists labour will,
upon fair and impartial inquiry, be found to owe their existence to the
infringements which have been unduly made upon their constitutional le-
gislature., as acknowledged by the capitulation; and more especially con-
solidated by the union of the colonies of Demerara and Essuuebo, in the
year 1812, under the government of the late Major-Gen. o'fmk:heel—l
evils which must always exist, to the detriment of the public good, sol
long as the proportion of Rx-Offido and sinecure members in the Court
of Policy effectually takes the public purse out of the controul of its to-I
lonia' member ; by which partial arrangements, as it now exists, the
public voice of those who pay the tax has not its due influence in the
deliberative council of the United Colony.
That in former periods of comparative prosperity, their just com-
plaints of inordinate taxation and extravagant expenditure, were neu-
tralised or suspended by the remunerating prices obtained for their
staple productions; but, at this period of unexampled distress, your
Memorialists, confiding in the pledge given by your Honorable Board,
come forward to state their grievances, in the hope that his Majes's
Government will institute due inquiry into them, and administer relief
to this portion of his loyal subjects.
The commercial distresses under which your memorialists labour in
common with all his Majesty's West India poem:salons, are notorious.
They are prepared to prove, to the satisfaction of your Honourable
Board, the utter inadequacy of the returns upon colonial produce to
defray even the necessary outlay attending its cultivation putting out
of the question any return upon invested capital, according to the prices
that have prevailed of late years, and are still likely to continue.
The hardship of a duty of Twenty-four Shillings per Cwt. upon Sn.
gars, which, to the cultivator, yields but Fifteen Shilling and Sixpence
per Cwt. gross price, out of which the expenses attending its production
must be defrayed, with a due regard to the care and cosnfaet of the
Slaves attached to the plantation, cannot but be evident to your Ho.
notuable Board.

It will be seen from Appendix that the entire surplus remaining over
to the Demerara Planter, after deducting the unavoidable expenses of
bringing his sugar to market, is three shillings and eleven pence far.
thing per cwt; but a very small part of the interest upon his capital or
mortgage can be defrayed out of this surplus, leaving nothing for the
sup of himself and family, nor for the claims of the widow and
mo generally entailed upon landed property.
Not only is the duty excessive, but the mode of its exaction is to
the Planter costly and vexatious. Duty upon a greater quantity than
is actually sold and delivered from the warehouse, is exacted from him
—whereas a less onerous mode might easily be devised, without injus-
tice to the Revenue, and with some relief to the Planter, if the duty
were levied in a similar manner to the duty upon Rum, which is paid
only on the quantity delivered—thus avoiding the unjust and vexa-
tious payment of duty upon that which does not exist.
The capital necewrily embarked in the agriculture of British
Guiana, from the nature of Its alluvial soil below the level of the sea,
and naturally exposed to the inroads of the tides, is infinitely greater
than what is demanded for the establishment and working of plants-
dons in any other part of his Majesty's West India Possessions.
The expenses of embankments, dikes, dams, sluices, bridges, drains,
buildings, machinery, navigation, and drogberage, are so enormous as
to require a particular statement thereof, to enable his Majesty's Go-
vernment duly to appreciate the capital invested by the Demerara pro-
prietor;; and the annual outlay necessary to maintain a plantation in
effective order, as explanatory of the peculiarities and expenses incident
to the Demerara planter, is respectfully submitted.
Under all these accumulated distresses, it is a notorious fact that the
market price of the West India Planters' staple commodity Sugar,) is
still regulated by the production of Foreign Colonies carry on the
slave trade to an unprecedented extent. How unable the Britsh planter
is to compete even banded with the foreign cultivator, cannot be unknown
to his Majesty's Government, under the existing heavy duties, which
operate in the slime. of • bounty to the Foreign Slave Trade, the Bri-
tish Colonies must be ruined.

These may be evils of difficult correction ; and yet they
demand prompt attention, and all the wisdom of Govern-
ment. The people of England generally are little sensible
of the sufferings of our Colonists ; but in these Colonies
they have become so loud, that Sir BENJAKI sr DURBAN,
the Military Governor, has thought proper to interdict the
publication of the GUIANA CHRONICLE, conducted by
Mr. STEVENSON, an editor of whose moderation the Bar-
badoes Globe speaks in terms of respect. The language
of this paper on the subject is so much to the purpose,
and the circumstances altogether are so interesting, that

we subjoin the entire passage :

BRIDGE-TOWN MAILCR 28.

_ -
Our *counts from Demerara, which we yesterday received, prove
how futile was the hope, that the public press of that colony, while& tbs
Governor could, by a single act of uncontrolled power, Rd& the vice
of complaint, whenever it should be raised in opposition to his
will. would be permitted to exercise the inestimable pri
—which only makes it useful to a community. It is not *
torus, however unexpected by our oppressed and persecuted
Dourer, that Sir Benjamin g 'Urban has again interdicted the
cation of the Guiana Chroosiole—it is an event which,
pretending to any extraordinary foresight, we have for alms sisus
been convinced would occur. At the same time, we Yom,,
selves bound in justice to Mr. Stevenson (the pospiesso is
I say' that he is perfectly free from the charge of ilondowswoul
In the conduct of the journal. So far as the restilodses to
I which he has been unfortunately subject would Ore, be

bas discharged his duty as a public journalist in a highly creditable
manner, as is twitted by the 'stimulate in which the Chronicle
was held throughout the Weak& But by the terms of his late license
to print, it is evident, that, aldftwidt a lbw impartial observations
might be tolerated, all free dimples was totally lied; sad the
moment the fountals of osmopties was with the view of
pointing out the mail= oesosters a the small fry in
heir vicinity, the mws of doped= woo la fleateey the un-
welcome intruder. Bseli a @yeast may he demeolomed demodmi2, but if
it be not a gross peremoisa of the ism, we am Wawa edits import.
The inhabitants of Dementra have Dow wimemoffes essay instances of
=l,
their Governor's latelimoce, that if do ass make every effort to
set a limit to his m every act of tyranny
that may be Misted ma tllen. It bast appealing to a Secretary of
State, or o flma him pormisoloo to resew the licence for print.
NI a newspaper, they an obtain effectual redress, for so long as
their ruler may suppress their Wiliam, at his pleasure, so long will
they continue in a shoo of absolute political bondage, in spite of the
assurances of a minister to the contrary.
We are ready, as we ever have been, to afford our fellow colonists all
the assistance in our power. We naturally sympathise with them in
the injustice they are exposed to; and we, therefore, embrace the
opportunity our publication this day affords, to present their Me-
morial to the Lords Committee of his Majesty's Privy Council for
Trade and Plantations, to which is affixed an appendix detailing the dif.
ficultles under which they labour, and the grievous abuses by which they
I are oppressed. It was in order to prevent Mr. Stevenson from pub-
lishing a statement to the same effect, that his press was stopped on the
16th instant. The animadversions in his paper of the 14th, the last he
was permitted to publish, though written with becoming spirit, did not I
merit so signal a punishment as the withdrawal of his license, since they
were by no means violent or intemperate. But his intimation that he
contemplated exposing the lavish expenditure of the colonial revenue,
struck tenor to the hearts of the guilty parasites that prey upon the
resources of the colony--the vultures that fatten upon the labour
of the industrious. No wonder, then, that his Excellency the
Governor should be advised to crush the hapless wight who would
dare meddle with their undoubted privileges—had be not been checked
in his career, the mask would have been rudely torn away, and the horrid
deformity of the iniquitous exhibited in the confounding glare of broad
daylight. His Excellency, of course, yielded to such persuasive advice ;
and Mr. Stevenson, without the form of trial, without the shadow ofjus-
tic', has been deprived of the means of earning his subsistence. By the
same equitable proem, too, he may be banished from the colony ; for If
the Governor be induced to believe the measure necessary, he could
order and enforce it without an appeal to the law. Let it not,
however, be supposed, that Mr. Stevenson is destitute of a vehicle
for proclaiming bis wrongs. The iron away of Demerara authority
does not extend beyond that unfortunate colony, and we are sure
every really free press in the West Indies will readily become
his disinterested advocate. For our pan, we freely offer him
the use of our journal and our once, either to defend himself
against the malice of his vindictive persecutors, or to hold up to public
scorn those abuses which a despotic chief and evil counsellors would not
suffer him to advert to in his own paper.
••• To-morrow we propose to return to the subject.

CITY. ONB O'CLOCK.

A French paper, received by the mail this morning, states
that commercial letters were received at Paris, stating (by
an extraordinary courier) that the Poles bad gained a consi-
derable victory over the Russians.
Consols, which left off yesterday at 83A for the Account,
opened this morning at the same price, and at present they
are 83i to I, with little doing.
Not a bargain doing in the Foreign Market.

(From the Jamaica Papers.)—Jamaica Courant, April
12.—" We learn by the Hyacinth, from Carthagena, that
affairs in that quarter continue to be in a very unsettled state,
and such was the cue at Santa Martha, when his Majesty's
ship Sparrowhawk sailed; and from the feverish excitement
throughout the whole country, business was completely at a
stand."

Extract of a letter from Santa Martha, March 28 :—" I
have just been informed that a courier has arrived from Car-
thagena, announcing that the Liberals are in possession of
all the gun-boats. Two men-of-war were off Carthagena,
to afford protection to the British residents in case of neces-
sity. The Boica Chica is taken by the same party."
From the Courant of April 6th :—" We learnt yesterday
that war has been proclaimed between Bolivia and Peru.—
The grand contention is said to be, that the province of Are-
gnome, in which the port of Attica is situated, is anxious to
obtain it, and the Peruvians refuse to give it up."
A mail from Rio Janeiro has arrived ; sailed on the 18th
March ; also one from Jamaica, sailed on the 16th April.
The Rio Janeiro papers state, that by the last news from
the mines, it appears their Imperial Majesties bad arrived at
the city of Ouro Preto : here it is supposed the journey of
their Majesties would terminate. On the 22d the Emperor
addressed the Miners, and the Brazilians in general, as
follows :

" Miners !—This is the second time I have had the plea-
sure of finding myself amongst you—the second time the
love which I consecrate to Brazil has conducted me hither.
Miners, I do not address myself exclusively to you and your
interests in general ; I speak to all Brasilians. There exists
a disorderly party, who, taking advantage of circumstances
solely appertaining to France, endeavours to deceive you
with invectives against my inviolable and sacred person, and
against the government, with producing scenes of horror,
and covering her with mourning, with the intent of placing
themselves in office, and satiating their vengeance and pri-
vate passions, in despite of the welfare of their country,
which is never considered by those who have followed the
revolutionary system. They write without disguise, and
call the people to a Confederation,—and endeavour to screen
their crime by the 174th art. of the Fundamental Law,
which, in this article, does not permit any alteration in the
essential part of the sail law. Can there be a greater at-
tack against the Constitution which we have sworn to main-
tain and defend, than to pretend to alter it in its most own.
tial part ? Is this not a manifest violation of the sacred
oath which, before GOD, we all voluntarily took ? Ah
dear Brazilians, I do not address you now as your Em-
peror, but as your most cordial friend. Do not
suffer yourselves to be deluded. by doctrines, which
are as deceitful as they are pernicious : they are
only conducive to your destruction, and that of Bra-
sil ; they never tend to your happiness, or that of your
country. Assist me to support the constitution exactly as
it stands, as we are sworn to do it. I confide in you, and
you may place confidence in me. Constitutional Emperor,
and perpetual Defender of Brazil.—Their Imperial Majesties
are expected here on the 20th.

CITY. TWO O'CLOCK.

Consols which were in the early part of the morning at
831 to i for the account, have since improved to 831.
This rise is attributed to a scarcity of Stock ; and it being a
Bear Account : for we have no political information, to
cause an effect in the Funds, either way, at present.
Great surprise is manifested by our City politicians, that
by the late arrivals from the Continent, we have no news of
importance, from the theatre of war; but it is much feared,
that a storm is gathering, which will burst suddenly on the
unfortunate Poles. May Heaven avert it.
The accounts from Colombia, via Jamaica, confirm the
letter in our City article of Saturday last, that all was
anarchy, and a civil war expected.
The accounts from Silesia state that the frontiers on the
side of Poland are closed as in the time of the pest.
The Proclamation of the Emperor of Brasil to the Miners,
appears to be a singular document, as if a revolution had
been attempted in that country. It particularly alludes to
ithe French party there ; and the Emperor doss not appeari
to be on a bed of roses.

tg 20

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE BREACH op
THE ARMISTICE AT ANTWERP.

" TO TEI untrairza AT wait.
" BRUSSELS. MAY 18
" We have the honour to enclose you the answer which GcLer4
Chula, Commandant of the Citadel of Antwerp, has retunkti to cur
letter of the 16th inst. You will observe all his good intentions for the
maintenance of peace, and all that he offers to do, to effect that object.
We are persuaded that similar sentiments animate the Government of
Belgium, and that it will give new proofs of it by restoring thirp to
the some position tha► they occupied before the occurrences at Antuttp
on the lath, in the same manner as General Chassi promises to do
his part.
" We have the honour to beg that you will accept the assume of
our high uhasideration.
(81600 a) " AVG. BELLIARD, Lieuterant.Gtr.r,l,
Cou ra, and Peer of France.
" CHARLES WHITE.
" Antwerp, May 16, 1831."

r•GENIAAL CHAIM GOVUNOII OP Till CITALiSi
OF AFTWIIIIP.

"The intelligence which reached Brussels yesterday snorting,
Ing to the belief that an engagement had taken place between the troop%
of the town of Antwerp and those of the citadel, the represematives ct
England and of France, knowing all the interest that the Great Poser.
feel in the maintenance of peace, hastened to Antwerp to endeavour to
prevail on the belligerent troops to suspend hostilities on both Odes.
Fortunately, we have found every thing restored to order, and we har,
only to express our wishes that they may continue in that state.
" The Belgian Government has sent an officer to renew the order to
its troops, to avoid commencing hostilities, and not to act unless thty
should be attacked. We know that the same orders have been girth by
your Government. You are too friendly to peace, General, for us not
to be assured that you have done, and will do, every thing that can de.
pen on on you for the purpose of having these orders strictly executed.
Tbe occupation of the watcit-tower, St. Laurent, by your troops was the
cause of the affair which occurred yesterday, and which might again
kindle war. It has occasioned the very great consternation which exists
among the troops in the garrison,and the Inhabitants of the own. It is
for you to consider whether your love of peace will induce you to with.
draw your temporarily from it, having it always in your power ei
re-occupy ittr,olinou should deem it necessary for your defence.
" You know that they are on the point of settling at London the
affairs of Holland and Belgium. We have full confidence that this
month will notpass over without all being terminated. How anxiously
then, ought not we all to desire that peace should be preserved up to
that period.
"We are convinced, General, that nobody sees the importance of it
more than you do, and that you will give on your part the necessary
orders, that a peace so precious should not be disturbed.
We have the honour to be, gtc.
* (Signed) " A UG. BEL LEA RD,
" Lieutenant-General and Peer of France.
"CHARLES WHITE."

" Letter from General Maas* to General Bernard.

" Head.quarters, Citadel of Antwerp, May 17, 1831.
" General—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of t!,e
letter, dated yesterday, addressed to me by your Excellency and
Dlr. Charles White; and I hasten to assure your Excellency in the
most positive manner, that the occupation of the lunette St. Laurent
was effected on my side, only to secure us against an attack, without any
hostile intentions. At the same time, I could not give a greater proof
of my desire to prevent hostilities being renewed, and to avoid the
disasters that would follow than by suffering the active works..
on the part of the Belgians,—to go on, in spite of my rt.
monstrance, and their protestations. Nevertheless, after the
reception of your honoured letter, I am willing to continue to afford
proofs of my desire to concur in the maintenance of the armistice, and
the conventions agreed upon, of which I send you a copy; and as soon
as the Belgian military authorities at Antwerp shall cease their works,
and withdraw their armaments from before the lunette of St. Lenient,
as well as their troops and posts, to the line of demarcation fixed by
article 2 of the said convention, I will likewise discontinue all the
works for the repair or augmentation of the lunette of St. Laurent, leav-
ing the whole in state y o, with a simple pollee-guard, to continue on
the same lunette, in order to prevent depredations on the part of the
, which frequently occurred last winter, and gave rise to well.
roLduirderemonstrances on my part. With a view to assure both par.
ties of the observance of the above measure, it is desirable that the
General Commandant of Antwerp should, in conjunction with myself,
appoint officers to Sx and mark out the line of demarcation, without
the town, by stakes. I shall, in the meanwhile, immediately stop on
my side the works of the said lunette, until I see the result of the
exertions of your Excellency to maintain the armistice with all its
conventions. -

being out of my jpower to give you a better proof of the sin.
cavity of my principles, I have the honour to be, &:.
CHASSE."

" Brussels, May 19, Midnight.
" General—Having learnt yesterday morning that the Belgians had
commenced operations against the citadel which you command, in ie.
fraction of the rights of nations and all military rules, we hastened to
the house of the Regent. to request him to order their cessation. Orden
were immediately given, but the delay in their execution had nearly
compromised every thing. We admired your prudence, and will make
known your noble conduct in these di/Scutt circumstances. We know
that the orders of the Regent this morning reached tieneval du Failly.
and that he instantly took measures to have them executed. We hope
that the communications which have been opened between you,will hare
stopped the rigorous measures which your duty, perhaps, would other.
wise have forced you to resort to.
" The news received from London to-day is good, and every thing
gives season to hope that we are near the time of seeing terminated, by
the cares of the great Powers, all the differences which exist between
Holland and Belgium. You will feel, General, how important it is to
maintain, until that period, the state of peace which exists in the two
countries. We are convinced that, on your part, you will use all your
efforts to do so. The Regent sends his most positive orders, that every
operation for a siege shall cease immediately, and that in futon
there should be an abstinence from all hostile dmonstrations
the lunette St. Laurent, which, by the capitulations of Antwerp,ols
to the citadel, and forms part of its defence. Should it happen,
that the orders of the Regent are not executed as promptly se may be
desired, we believe that you will not regard this delay as a continastioc
of attack and menace, and that the prudence which characterises you,
as well as the love of country with which you are actuated, and of
which you have just given such striking proofs, will also %dace you
to delay the execution of the measures of defence which you may be
forced to adopt. We shall owe it to your prudence, that peace has not
been disturbed.

" We have the honour, General, to request your Escelkncy to accep►
the assurance of our high consideration.
(Signed) " AUG. BELLI ARD, Lieut.-General,
Count and Peer of France.
" CHARLES WHITE."

"ORDER OF THE PAY TO THE TROOPS STATIONED
IN THE PROVINCE OF ANTWERP.
"Soldiers,—The unexpected attack upon the advanced posts of the
citadel called for repressive measures.
"Now that the Commandant. General undertakes to stop all the
works of the lunette St. Laurent, and only to leave there a simple po-
llee guard, we ought on our part to respect these contracted to.
gagementa.
" I will not suffer, as you may well believe, the least attempt
against national honour by our enemies. I know bat I can rely upon
your courage to make it respected. But that honour commands us to
make war with good faith, and to respect conventions until the regular
resumption of hostilities. In the name of a sentiment which animates
you as well as myself,. I order you, in cue of necess, to observe the
most severe discipline and obedience to the orders tithe chiefs, who
have my confidence.
(Signed) " The Regent. SUBLET DE CHOSIEJL
" By Ordinance the Minister of Finance, charged id
interims with the War Department,
(Signed) " DE BROUCKERE."
" Article 2 of the Convention agreed to, on the sth of November.
between the Commissaries of the visional Government and Goad
Masai., which fixes the position of the troops, is to the following
effect:—

--;:"ihe advanced posts of the Belgian troops shall be where they Ma
been since the 90tb of October ; that is to say, at the Porte des Be-
pines, the opening of the rues blonnoyeurs and du Pied Nu, the rue
tit. Rosh, rue de la Collier, as well m the pan of the arsenal on the side
of the entrepot, which contains the inaieriel; at the exterior of the
city, at a distance of 300 metres, counting from the glacis, inciodinS
ribose of the two lunettes."

STATE OF THE WEST INDIES.
The arrival of a Leeward Islands' mail yesterday, with
letters and papers from St. Thomas's to the 10th ult. from
Antigua and Barbadoes to the sth of the same month. and
from the other islands of corresponding dates, has put US i 6
possession of intelligence from that quarter,of more than usisi
interest. Tranquillity has been almost entirely restored in
Antigua. In the afternoon of Saturday, the 26th of March,
a notice was posted about the town of St. John's, forbidding
all persons to assemble in the market-places, or form pa►ties
in any of the streets, on the following day. At the same time
the whole of the 2d regiment and artillery were warned for
duty at 2 o'clock next morning. Every necessary precaution.
in fact, was taken forenforcingobedienee to the law forbidding

I

znarlicting on a Sunday, and at the same time to prevent all
possibility of public tranquillity being again disturbed. On
Sunday, the 27th, tLe troops remained in their positions till
sunset, when the advanced parties were withdrawn, the day
having passed over in tranquillity, and without the least
symptom of commotion. It is affirmed that no dissatisfaction
has prevailed with the slaves at Antigua, on any other
subject,than their apprehension of disadvantage to themselves
arising out of the abolition of the Sunday market. In this
,done are said to have originated their mischievous proceed-
ings, in setting fire to the cane pieces of several estates. A
zeneral meeting of the inhabitants of the island was likely to
•iike place, for the purpose of considering the best mode of
s•oneiliatin., the interests of the slaves with the due observance
of the Sabbath, when it was expected that Saturday would be
ised upon as a market-day in lieu of Sunday. The last
mentioned day had been hitherto selected by the slaves for
narketing, merely because it was the only one in the week on
which their masters could dispense with their services. The
military commission appointed for the trial of the incendiaries
who had been seized, had commenced its proceedings on the
ih . One man was sentenced to be hanged, on circumstan-
tial evidence, and sentence was executed on him on the 30th.
Another negro was under trial, but the commission had ad-
journed to the 2d of April.
At Barbadoes, the Governor had given notice of his in-
to-Ilion to address the slaves of that island, at stated times
nal places, for the purpose of removing from their minds
certain impressions that a change would soon take place in
their condition. In compliance with his desire, a consider-
able number of slaves assembled on the 29th of March, on
;he old Parade-ground, when the Governor addressed them
in the following words:—
"My friends,--I have called you here together to say a
few, and a very few, words to you. The King, my sove-
reign, has appointed me to preserve pence and order iu this
country, and peace and order I will preserve. Some of
year enemies have told you that you are free, and that I
keep it from you. Now I tell you it is false. Others of
your enemies have said, that if there should be an insur-
rection of the slaves, which GOD AtmtcHHTY avert, that
the King's soldiers have orders not to act against you. This
too, I tell you, is false ; and I now tell you, that if one of
his Majesty's loyal subjects is injured, or even a cane burnt,
the King's troops will be out, and I at the head of them,
and will be amongst you before the flame is extinguished."
The Governor concluded with some advice to the slaves to
remain quiet, and to attend with diligence to their respective
labours. The slaves are reported to have declared that they
were not disposed to do any thing contrary to their duty, and
to have thanked the Governor for his advice and warning.
The following is an extract of a private letter from Anti-
gua, dated the sth ultimo :—" As Good Friday and Easter
Sunday have passed over without the least disturbance, we
were yesterday, after a fortnight's duty, relieved from nightly
guard ; and detachments of the 35th Regiment and artillery
have been sent from Barbadoes. Martial law, however, con-
tinued in force, and will, until the court-martial has finished
its labours, twelve negroes being in prison on suspicion of
incendiarism. One negro was hung on the 30th ult. and I
nave no doubt this ex ample has been productive of good."
We select the following brief extract from the Dario
Flamine»se, received by the Brazil Mail this morning :

MO DE JANEIZO, MARCH 12.—Yesterday morning, at three
o'clock, their Imperial Majesties arrived iu perfect health, at the Palace
of Ma Vista, on their return from their visit to the Province of Minas
Gera..

A decree of the Legislative Assembly, sanctioned by the Emperor,
arders that in the Province of Bahia, no slave, residing either in a
toi.n or the country, shall leave home, without being provided wait a
ticket, dated and signed by his master, overieer, or superintendent,
stating the name of the slave, his country, a description of his per-
son, the place to which he Is going, and the time for which the
ticket is to be valid.—Diario Firtminerase, March 17, inclusive.
These papal are chiefly filled with matters of local interest.

In the Frankfort papers of the 18th instant, received this
day, we have a singular article from St. Petersburgh. It
ill, no doubt, prove highly amusing to the reader. In the
list passage. we have a declaration, that Russia supports
the claim of the House of ORANGE to the Throne of
Belgium. No one ever doubted the fact. The following
are extracts :

VIENNA, MAY 12.—... The soldiers of Dwell:deli% corps are sent, in
several detachments, to 'Transylvania and Moravia. Loybach is as-
signed to Gc- ern icki, and the majorhy of his officers, astbeir abode.
All the individuals belonging to this corps receive from our government,
so long as they are in the Austrian tertiary, pay according to their rank,
and on the same fooling as the Austrian army, upon which they will
have to subsist : errangements will be subsequently made with the
Russian government, fur the expenee thus incurred by our treasury.
A French courier from Paris has passed though here, on Lis way to
Constantinople; he is said to be the bearer of letters of recal for
Count Guilleininot. It is also said, that the same courier
brought further instructions to the French ambassador here. respecting
the proposal for a gereml reduction of the military force. It dues not,
bosever, appear, bow such a plan can be carried into elteet, in the pre•
sent state of things ; thet6l) here, as every where else, a diminution is
very inuch desired.

VIENNA, May 13.—Pour per Cents Metalthine*, ; Bank Shares
1018—Allgcnaeine Zeilwip, May 10.
St. PETrDEBL'aGH, April 24.—We cannot sufficiently express our
surprise here, at the alighting manner in which foreign journalist*
'peak of the power of Russia, since the campaign in Poland; and we
remember that they spoke in the same manner, when natural obstacles
:and the weather impeded the war against the Turks. We temontan, also,
how quickly these talkers clienged their tone, and lauded the military
glory of Russia to the skies. Accordingly, nobody have doubts that
the abuse they have hitherto lavished wiU soon be changed into
panegyric ; and that ihe greatness and conduct of Rtissia will be again
extolled in Europe, as they were before. Our Government is now
saiously resolved to put en end to the Polish insunection, and no
longer to tolerate a out c of things, which, while it ruins Poland, may
b:come dangerous to the r eighbouring coot tries, ord weakeo the
influence of the greatness and power of Russia, in the affairs of
'he world. Even should the en ire army, confided to the command
Count Diebitneh, be t:estroyett, which is impreuable--even
.:euld the events of the war hike the most tinflvoumble turn.-rnasses of
t%eps are at this moment it motion, which are doubly to make up for
!ne to,s. anti to make the Rossini, name respected, and to give Europe
,scoria tq:zinst the intrigues of a democratic party, which every where
tic! .he flame of insurrection, and was riot unconnected with the him?.
?action in Poland. The Emperor will Dever negotiate with rebels, or
megnise revolutionary rinciples, and submit to the Sovereignty of the
People, to which the !iodides' visionaries et Warsaw would so
willingly eo homage. rould believe, that by an oppoeite mode of
onduct. and by such co, cessious, he would undermine hisown safety, and
tbst of the country. All proposals tending to such an objet will
therefore be el:get:Aided, tl ongia made with the best intentions, and
in whatever manner tiny tray be supported. Peace cannot return
W the Poles, except by their submission. Every one confidently he-
liev,s that this is act glisten:, though the journals Zeds?, the Polish
army to be invincible.
It is said that the Emperor will shortly go on a journey.
The affairs of Robison continue to engage the attention of our
Cabinet ; which, a it seems. rowerfully supports the claim of the
House of Orange to Belg, Faankfort Paper., May 18.
R E FOR M IT A LTOG CT 11 ER."-.—." During one term, DO
1:-.t‘ (ken .242 articled clerks were admitted as attorneys of the Court of
Ranch, and upwards of 120 in the Court of Common Pleas.—
Reform it altogether !"—Rertoldes Decimally Annual.

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNAL&

HER ALD.—Puniskinera qf Death.—ln adverting again to the
cases of the two convicts who are ordered for execution to-morrow morn.
ing, we wish it distinctly to be understood that we did not and do not
object to the infliction of death in these Instances on the ground of a
partial or injudicious selection having been made out of a calendar of
eighteen condemned persons, who might all have been swept from the
face of the earth together, if the government so pleased, in accordance
with the letter and the spirit of sanguinary laws—our objection
is to any se/edioes for the scaffold being made, if these were the
worst eases in the calendar--and we are well convinced that, if the
sentences are carried into execution, it will be under circumstances
that do not justify the shedding of blood either on moral grounds or
those of public necessity. Au Evening Paper (the Courier ) says. Lt
allusion to our remarks, " It would probably have been found that,
abstracting the question as to the fitness of the law under which these
men are wntenced,the selection was well made ; and we hope it will be
admitted that, whilst capital punishments for other crimes titan murder
shall be considered necessary, the Government will, in the selection
of offenders to whom it is intended to extend the mercy of the
Crown, have regard to the general character of the convicted." Here
is a doctrine avowed which is nut more abhorrent to humanity ,han
to every idea of sound and dispassionate policy. What ! if the crime
for which a man has been tried and convicted does not in any view
of it deserve death, is he to be hanged because on a secret investi-
gation it does not appear to those who are the dispensers of his
fate his character is that of an upright and virtuous man If men
were to be hanged for bad characters we might dispense with the
hulks, and transportation, and imprisonment, and the tread-mill, and
secondary punishment altogether. Again, if it be inhuman
and unjust to hang men for certain offences, of which they
have been legally convicted according to the roles of evidence
in open Court, and in a judicial manner, is it right or just to
hang them for allegations of bud character not proved accor-
ding to the rules of evidence in npm Court, not coating mite the cog- ,
nizance of the Jury who returned the verdict, and only inquired into by
a mode of proceeding arbitrary, inquisitorial, and extra-judicial ? As
to sheep-stealing, it no more deserves death, in either a moral or social I
point of view, than stealing an ars or a pig, neither of which are capital
offences by our law; sod yet asses and pigs are as well protected from
depredation as, in the circumstances of things it is possible tbr such ani-
mals to be. But the man who is to surer has stolen a few sheep. True;
but if he bad stolen twice as many asses, or three times as many pigs,
his punishment, though severe would not cut him off in his sins, nor
deprive him o; the chance of becoming afterwards a useful and indus-
trious member of society. Our Contemporary speaks of the other man
as a burglar. We understood he had been convicted under the act which
makes it death to steal to the amount of five pounds in a dwelling.
house. This is a very different offence from burglary—but if we were
misinformed, and the man has been found guilty ass burglar, his offence
must have been one of those eotutraetioe burglaries, in which no actual
violence is committed, and to say that, "he only wanted the
physical energies of the common burglar to become a murderer,"
is one of the strangest modes possible of constructing an
imaginary foundation on which to build a sanguinary inference. Is
the doctrine of constructive burglary or constructive murder a whit
bettor than that of constructive treason, so justly exploded from our
law ? Our Contemporary says, as a raison why sheep-stealing is not
punished with death in France, that there is in that country a " horror
of crime against unprotected property." What has created it ? is it
sanguinary laws, or mild ones ? And what has demoralised the people
of this country so as to make property an very insecure ? Our Con-
temporary will know bow to answer both questions when we tell him
that the English criminal laws punished upwards of :120 offences with
death, while under the Code Napoleon there were but six capital crimes.
Whit.; argument then, of morals or policy, is there for the sanguinary
spectacle of to-morrow morning ?

TIMES.—The inaction.—The elections for England, we believe,
have terminated, with the exception of Pembrokeshire. We were told
over and over, about six weeks ago, that Ministers thirst not dissolve
the last borough-begotten Parliament; that a dissolution, under such
circumstances, would be a coup d'etat, and other rubbish of that sort ;
that the people of England, the "good people of England," were against
the trumpery bill brought in by Ministers ; that the nation was 4 too
wise," and too patriotic, and so forth, not to see that its interests would
be beat consulted by letting about 150 families continue to return
the House of Commons, in the name of the people of England, and
to tax the same people ad libitum, for the supply of places and
Casto be enjoyed by member of the 150 families ;—and that,
abort, the country was so enamoured of close boroeghs, as to
" ensure" a Tory Parliament in case of Ministers daring to appeal
to the people. From others we were edified by bearing that a dis-
solution of Parliament would " convulse " the empire front end to
end,—that there would be death and desolation in every county of
Great Britain, and in Ireland a civil war. Well, what was
our answer to all this ? The of liberty said, that if the exist.
ing Tory Parliament would not apes to the reform proposed by
Ministers, and sanctioned by our grasisus King, why, ft would be
the bounden duty of his Majesty's Ministers to ascertain bow far the
sentiments of the English nation might Wands with those of the Tory
house of Commons, in rejecting the MB of sink What Involution
can follow from events like this ? A notion manes said against itself,
nor against a King in whose footsteps it faithfully andi supsetfully ad.
sauces. William IV., watching fie aspect of she wall, saw what
ameliorations his people await in Me fr. Ohneving is sirs which
were abroad among that poop* Ms saw that their judgment
concurred with his own. - When she it as
a definite and angry obstacle W the of dais
by King and people, his Majesty said, in Image oldie ssaslinttite,
moseen
"We must get rid of this block whisk isagliksear comma ." Be
appealed to the people, and they in pessously =wad as
they would have done had their bravo Mass& cheered them from the
quarter-deck against any other mild he. The result is, as Mr.
Bankes himself' informs us, Ant " the Bill, the whole Bill, is carried"
through the House of COMMONS. The majority which supports it to
the lair of the House of Leadsmen' but have its due weight with that
Right Honourable Assembly, who have never, since the Revolution,
la themselves in obstinate resistance to the people. An attempt,
e,h making by the desperadoes of the Tory press to
engage be Lords in a melancholy conflict with a unanimous nation,
by calling on them to reject the Bill after it shall have passed
the Ileum of Coatisene I ! And yet them fools boast of being
friends to the church and the aristocracy, while they strive to plunge
both into measures eivalent to a declaration of war against the
people of England ! Where; let us ask these fanatics, or trattors—(for
treachery we suspect to be at the bottom of inch advice)—when are
there materials for a contest to be maintained by the Lards Spiritual and
Temporal, again,.the King, the Commons and the Nation? According
to the Tories, the great charm of our present Constitution is, that the
several powers and orders of the realm co.operate, and must co-operate,
in the election of the national representatives. Why, then the great body
of the , including the House of Lords itself, must have united
with the freeho dos and freemen of the kingdom in appointing the
members of the new House of Commons about to meet on the 14th of
June. Do the Tory Journalists wish that the aristocracy should eat
its own acts, and quash the proceedings of an assembly which itself has
now concurred in nominating? A pretty piece of consistency, to be
sure! And if the new House of Commons has been chosen, not
through, but in spite of, the influence of the aristocracy, then, by virtue
of all the Tory doctrines, and if their panegyrics on the constitution as
it is be not altogether insincere and ironical, a reform is wanting, which
shall invest the general mass of property with a more wide.spread and
more certain power over the composition of the House of Commons—
with a power as, in fact, It is the object of the ministerial measure to
bestow. The House of Lords, at all events, is much too wise to place
itself in direct collision with the country, or to bring its own constitu.
tional prerogatives into distrust or obloquy with a reflecting people.
POST.— The Pit Chia—A Morning Paper, noted for pandering
to the ignorance and the passions of the multitude, took occasion
yesterday to pour out tome of its venom against the Pitt Clubs.
The anonymous slanderer seems to forget of whom the Pitt Clubs
are composed; hat they comprise a large mass of the wealth, learning,
intelligence, and loyalty of the kingdom ; that to these Clubs belong,
as classes, the Peer, the Member of Parliament. the Divine, the
Country Gentleman, the Lawyer, 'the Soldier, the Merchant, hundreds
of whom assemble annually through the country to perpetuate the
memory of the Pilot the: weathered the st one who,
by his undaunted firmness and his unrivalled talents, preset red
Old Ragland from becoming a mere province of France.
The writer carefully omitted to remind his readers of what he must wet/
know, that under this anniversary banner the soundest principles in
church and stare have been for years past fostered and stimulated;
end he as usual misled his iynoratte readers by opining Mr. Pitt's
speech In favour of reform at a time when the tranquil state of affairs
was such that no mischief could reasonably be apprehended from mo-
derate reform, conveniently forgetting to add that Mr. Pitt. as an ex-
perienced statesman (with the example of the horrors of the French
revolution before his eyes), afterwards formally abjured the " green
fancies of his youth" for reform. He was one who profited by ex-
perience : he did not consider history as an old almanack.

A criminal information was yesterday granted by the
King's Bench against the Publishers of the scandalous falsehoods
against Mr. Neeld and his wife, the daughter of the Earl of Shaftesbary.
A morning papfr continues its insidious attacks on the
brave and honest Belgians. It tells us that a representative govern.
meat is not capable of combining internal order with the maintenance
of external peace. Did the writer never hear of Switzerland or the
United States? He speaks of the good temper and moderation of
&sera/ Cluss6—a man, whose destruction of the city of Antwerp will
always rank him above Rostopchin himself ! The impartiality, too, of
Ito tosdtstery Courts between the people of Belgium and their own
Ibis of too, la insisted on—and the honest Belgians are
treated as abah:la, he not receiving their awards as boons In this
way the value of the public press is wasted and the public skived. No
doubt the King of Holland is wise enough to accept the terms whit*
io unblushingly put the Belgians in the wrong.

I
1