Star.
London, England, 1823-05-26 00:00:00

FOREIGN FUNDS.

Up to this boor We's has been but We -doing in the above
Market. Speolak Book opened at 174, it yid& rico they rt.

main steady.
Current Prices:—Chilien nothing bete. New Spanbb 37* a,
New Prussian 84* a, Russian 79, Dania nothing done, Neapo-
litan 74, Colombian 11.
PRICE OF STOCKS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Bank Stock 219% 220
3 per Cent. Reduced 7914 44
3 per Ct. Cons. 80% % 44-3% pet Cts. 91% 92
4 per Cents. Old 97% 3,4 %
4 per Cents. New 100% % sh •
Bank Long Annuities 20% 3-16
India Stock 9.sl%—lndia Bonds 38s. 40s.
Eache. Bills of £l,OOO, 20s.—Small 19s. 21s.
Consols for' Account 80% % 8180%.

The Times makes a most unfair attempt this morn-
ing to shew that the House of Commons have been
trifled with in the evidence given on Friday evening
by Sir ABRAHAM BRADLEY KING, the Deputy-Grand-
master of the Orangemen of Ireland, on the Irish
investigation. It concludes with calling upon the
House to shew to-night that it knows its duties as
well as its rights—in other words, to commit the
witness to prison for not disclosing what he conceives
he is bound in conscience to keep secret. Ishlvtit is
only necessary to attend to what reaUy passed on the
subject, to perceive that the House have already ex-
tracted from the witness all that the purposes of the in-
vestigation require should be known. Sir A. B. KING
was desired to state whether, on the admission of per-
sons as Members of an Orange Lodge, it is the prac-
tice to read to them a passage from the Book of
Joshua, exhorting the Israelites " to root out the
Amalekites from the land ?" The worthy Bironet
said, thattbis was one of the secrets of the Institution,
which he was bound by oath not to disclose ; and, let
the consequence of his silence be what it might, he
would not disclose it. The House were unanimous in

thinking that they had a right to enforce an answer
to the question, but when about to make the experiment,
Mr. CANNING expressed a doubt whether there was
a word about the Amalekites in the whole book of
Joshua, and Mr. BUTTERWOR.TII hating taken the
pains to go up stairs and .make inquiry, returned
with a report that the Right Hon. Secretary was in
the right. (ALEXANDER CHUDEN once put up for a
Member of Parliament ; and this incident sheers that
he was not so crazy as some people supposed, in
imagining that even a Coucordance-maker might be
of use in the House of Commons). The question came,
of course, to nothing: the House had asked what re-
quired no answer. It appeared, besides, from the
answers of the witness to some other questions, that
though certain passages from the Old Testament do
form part of the initiation oath of Orangemen, they
relate merely to the private signs by which they are
known to each other, and that it forms no part of the
obligation which they come under, that they shall do
anything to retard the ends of justice or withhold as-
sistance from all classes of his Majesty's subjects.

The situation of Switzerland, at the present crisis,
was, in both Houses of Parliament, last week, made
the subject of questions to Ministers for information.
When we had occasion, a few days ago, to advert
to this matter, it was in consequence of an article
which had appeared in the Antwerp Journal, stating
that Russia and Austria had sent a requisition
to the Swiss Cantons, desiring to know whether
they would permit the march of an allied army
through their territory to the assistance of France, in
her egression on Spain, but that the Cantons had re-
fused this permission. We then briefly expressed an
opinion, that if the Cantons had actually given such
refusal, they were well entitled to do so; and that
any attempt to force a passage through an indepen-
dent and inoffending territory, such as theirs, might
alter materially the whole aspect of European affairs.
The matter has been now brought before Parlia-
ment in a light considerably different. The Marquis
of LANSDOWN stated, that an opinion prevailed, " in
the quarter most interested," that a treaty had been
signed on the 21st of I%larch last, for " the mili-
tary occupation of Switzerland by Austria." Mr.
BROUGHAM acknowledged that his information did
not reach to that extent; but he understood, " on no
listt authority," that the protectorate of an Archduke
of Austria had been offered to the Cantons—that
many faults had been found with their internal insti-
tutions, both civil and ecclesiastical—that they had
been required to cede Geneva_to the King of SAR-
DINIA—and that to all this France -had agreed, be-
moms though it is against her interests and ancient
policy to encourage Austrian ascendancy in Switzer-
land, it were better to do so than allow it to become
a a focus of Jacobinism."
The answeZsaf Lord lavanroor. and Mr. CANNING
throw entire discredit on the whole of these rumours.'
The former knew of no treaty for the occupation of
Switzerland, and had not the least reason to believe
diet any such existed ; the latter was happy to state,
that the least part of Mr. BROVONAM'S statement was

.~-_-. -

....

more than he. knew. It may thgefote, we think, be
safely concluded that there is.** trails whaterer iia
nay Ono of this battb of rumours.; and that the inde-
pendence and integrity of Switemiaed have been in
es manner infringed by any propositioit or resolution
se the part of the Allied Powerst for the mere ia-
quiry.whether it would grant a passage, is no infringe-
vent, but, on the-contrary, a direct admission of the
right of refusal.
We tney, at *the slime time, take the opportieity of
remark*, that, bad these rumours been as true at
they seem to be false, we should be slovl to admit
that they constitute any case for the interference of
this country. On the same principle that the Swiss
Cantons have a right to refuse the troops of the Al-
lied Powers a passage through their territory, they
have a right to grant it, if they please; which wotddi
amount to what, we presume, Lord Lamanowts means
by the term a military occupation." The granting
of it would, indeed, afford Spain a just cause of.hos-
tility against the Swiss—inasmuch as it would be an
act of assistance to its enemies; but it would not
form such a case as must of necessity drag into the
contest other Powers—such as -Great Britain, or
Sweden, or ,Denmark—tvhose own interests are not
affected by the measure; and who think, on the con-
trary, their welfare may be best tonsulted by the
continuance of a strict neutrality.

We Ilave received since our last the Paris Papers
of SatUrday. In a preceding part of our Paper we
have given such information as they contain from the
seat of war ; but it will be found to be, as usual, of a
'most vague and 4f:satisfactory character. All that
is certain is, that General DONNADIEO has had an
engagement with the Constitutional forces, and that
he gives a most strange account of it. A Morning
Paper says—li The French Ministers, we understand,
took the liberty of omitting the conclusion of the let-
ter, which was in these words, la fusillade continue
encore. The French Cabinet had the sagacity to see
that this was not a very satisfactory termination of a
battle, and that it indicated anything but victory :
they therefore struck it out of the copy or.
dered for publication. DONNED= makes no men.
tion of prisoners—he therefore took none : he says
not a word about cannon or baggage—be therefore
took none. MONCET states, as a result of this victory,
that I DONNADIEV, and (he hopes) Enoms, are going
'to make an attempt (vont entreprendre) against Mtsr* r
A precious triumph to be sure!"

TIXT ft AC T OP A LETTER FROM AN EMINENT SPANISH

ILCCLESIASTIC, DATED 30TH APRIL, 1823.

gl By an unexampled ingratitude Prance is now:
trampling under foot the most sacred duties, andrats
tacking us, under the pretext of a state of aparctiry,,
which she has herself unceasingly fomented far these
three years past.

t, Nothing scarcely remains to us, except our ho-
nour and our courage ; bet these two virtues, which
we possess in the highest degree, will preserve civil
liberty, and the unalterable principle of the Sove-
reignty of the People, which despotism and tyranny,
under the mask of imposing names, would annihilate.

a Ignorance and fanaticism, under the banner of
despots—civilization, light, industry, under that o 1
Spain, are met : the destinies of the world are about.
to be decided ; the great question, debated upon for:,
three centuries in England, namely, whether the in-
dustrious classes ought to nourish by their labour the
idle and devouring, is now to be determined.

44 Division has been sown among the Spaniards—
the torch of discord is everywhere raised ; supersti-
tion and gold seduce and corrupt ; nevertheless,
whatever there is of honesty,.of loyalty, of bravery
in Spain, is drawn up on the side of the Cortes and
of the Government. If, in the war of independence,
Europe was astonished at the part which honour and
despair caused us to take against the usurpation and
vengeance of Kings, she will be more astonished to
see Spain, in 1823, exhausted, ruined; abandoned,
undertake a war which she hopes to see embraced by
all those who detest bondage, and who would not

survive the slavery of the world.
Miracles were wrought by the Spaniards in f 810;
others still more glorious will be renewed in 1828 ;
and the moment, perhaps, draws nigh when France,
ashamed of her ingratitude, aad deceived in her vain
hopes, will owe to the genius of Spain her safety
and her deliverance.
“ The party of the Serviles will, however, employ
-fabrications to mislead the opinion of Europe as to
the true state of the nation : the places for a moment
occupied by the enemy will print and circulate false.'
hoods, to which no faith ought to attached. The

Journals of Seville, particularly -rare/odor, con-
ducted by men very enlightened, impartial; and pa-
triotic, are those which will guide the opinion of per-
sons who take any interest in the affairs of Spain."

We have received Haniburgh Papers to the 2lst,
but they contain little intelligence. It will be sea►
from the following extracts that great changes are
making in the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh. We are
informed, but will not vouch for the fact, that this
change is connected with an important one in the
policy of the Russian Court:

ST. Pl

MAY I.

It is probable that the Tariff of last year will be
continued in force without any considerable alteration.
Baron Von Drebitsch, Adjutant-General, who is,