Star.
London, England, 1831-06-10 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

TIM ES.—As the meeting of Parliament approaches, the
interest resnecting the important measure increases. Now
that the maj lit), in the Commons is secure, a " longing,
lin:tering" affection for the old abuses would suggest the
nattering hope that the Lards may throw out the bill. There
is no assembly in which there are not some few rash and
inconsiderate men, but we are convinced that the calm good
semlmte of the House of Peers will too well weigh public wants
timid wishes to offer a wanton opposition to them. We do rot
say that the House of Lords would have originated the
hill: exclusive of the interest which too many of them pos-
sess in the rotten boroughs, that house is naturally given to
repose in tranquil dignity, and to resist any change, and
-.'vry properly so,—for many changes do not pay for the
-rouble of effecting them ; but tranquillity is now all on the
,:her side, and the trouble would spring from resisting the
mill, for opposition to it is opposition to KING, Commons,
tnd People. Now, though honourable men cannot entirely
change their opinion, even should all the world be against
them, yet who is not induced to doubt his own opinion when
he sees that it finds no support ? The Lords will, therefore,
we have no doubt, pass the bill : indeed, the sober-minded
would not like such leaders as passion and prejudice would
unclumbtedly place at their head.

l'OST.—When Tories declare that Lord Durham, Lord
Duncannon, and Sir Thomas Denman, havq framed a Re-
:,.rm Bill, which first strikes at the root of the old conser.
%itive party, and would next overturn, by the blind Impulse
change, that very Whig power which for a little time it
tuiids up—that the Whig Cabinet is in fact at this mo-
ment urged on by Radicals, who, like Mr. O'Connell,
seduce but to abandon out Ministers—that the Lords,
if they yield from fear to the Bill as it stands, ex.
change the certain success of a fair field for • future
Bight with diminished forces from untenable ground—
that the demolition of the Church is already pro..
claimed to be the test of the next general election.—that the
Throne itself must, if our present fearful rate of progression
be not checked, become, what Mr. Stanley so properly de.
precated, the subject of daily debate—when the Tory ex-
presses these fears, he is informed that Lord Durham and
his friends have so framed the Reform Bill, that while it
wears the mask of democracy, which inveigles purblind
Radicals, it contains the marrow and muscle of a high ari.
stocracy. by whose Whiggish arm the Church, the King,'
and the Peers, shall long he upheld. Since Tory warnings
are unheeded, it is well that the English Radicals, as well
as the Irish one, have dropped their disguise. We tell our
Whig ma‘ters that the desired establishment of a Republic
is avowed in harnngues, and applauded with cheers at
nightly meetings throughout this city, of which they arc
the protectors.
HERALD.—Yet another King has bnen driven from his
throne, and become a wanderer on the face of the earth.—
Toe Emperor of Brazil has abdicated, as the term is, his
throne, and his infant son (for the present) reigns in his
stead. The Divinity that did hedge a Crown appears to
exist no longer. While some nations seek in vain for Kings
ta reign over them, others are transferring crowns from one
head to another with less indifference than a man disposes
of his house, or passes his estate from his own possession
to that of a purchaser. Truly we may say, with
that great moralist, little Keeley, the actor, that every man
who is not a King has reason to be exceedingly thankful.—
According to the accounts from Rio de Janeiro. the F.mpe-
-101 abdicated his throne in favour of his son (a child who was
'van in December 1823, consequently only about five years
t age), on the 7th of April. Very few details have as yet
transpired, but it is understood that his Ex-Majesty and the
Chambers came to an open rupture, and that, the soldiers
refusing to support him, he was compelled to resign the Im-
i trial Crown. Manuscript copies of the Act of Abdication
are in town, but the printed document has not arrived.
There is no reason, however, to doubt the truth of the
intelligence, though we are bound to state that some persons
profess to disbelieve it. The Ex-Emperor may be daily ex-
pected in this country, he and his family having embarked
on board two frigates destined for England. The event, we
understand, was not unexpected by persons well acquainted
with the state of things in Brazil. Great jealousy, it ap-
pears, has for a long time existed among the Brazilians
of the Portuguese, who, we are told monopolised the fa-
vour of Don Pedro, and misapplied various sums of mo-
ney which the Legislature had voted, amongst other
things, for the payment of the Portuguese dividends. lft is
.aid that a copy of a declaration of the Chambers to
the Ex-Emperor has been in town for more than a week,
in which declaration they threaten to dethrone him, providing
he did not yield to certain terms relative to the appropriation
of money, and the bringing to trial those who had misap-
plied it. It also appears that the Chambers have for some
time substituted in the public documents the term National
for that of Imperial. From this circumstance it is pretty evi-
dent that the Brazilians are looking forward to the establish-
ment of a republic, or what in Spanish America, means an
anarchy. The result may be easily anticipated. Brazil, we
believe, contains four millions and a half of inhabitants,
about three millions of which are black slaves. A strong
Executive and a republican form of Government are in all
countries Incompatible, and, in a nation like Brazil, pecu-
liarly so. How is a slave population, like the one we have de.
scribed, to be kept under except by a strong Executive? A
massacre of all the whites in Brazil is greatly to be feared.
By the way, Don Pedro will arrive in Europe very oppor.
tutiely. A King Is wanted both in Belgium and Greece, and
an Empercr out of employ will be just the thing for them.
It is said, however, that Don Pedro will make an attempt to
recover the Crown of Portugal, and there are those who con-
fidently predict that he will shortly reign over the whole of
the Peninsula. If this should turn out to be correct we
can only say that we wish him better luck than be has had
in Brazil.

TIMES.—We have inserted a letter signed" Alpha," on
the death of Mrs. Siddons ; and let his suggestion of a pub-
lic funeral have what influence it may, we shall venture our
opinion on the subject. From the praise of Mrs. Siddons in
her private character, we have no authority for dissenting:
we therefore readily believe even on an anonymous state-
ment, all that is said in this respect, and offer to her me-
mon: thes tribute of respect for her virtues while living. But
we sill at the stole time fearlessly assert, that there is no-
thing in the art of a stage-player that should entitle the most
successful professor of it to a public funeral. We know the
ciy with which this declaration will be received by the more
austere party, who reject all amusement as profane, of ap-
probation,—by the volatile and thoughtless, of disappoint-
ment, and almost honor. The fact 1,, that we perfectly
coincide in Rousseau's opinion, who, in reply to a celebrated
article in the eneyclopedie " on the Stage," clearly proves,
at least to our satisfaction, with his own marvellous and se-
ductive eloquence, that in a barbarous state of society the
theatre is useleas ; in one moderately corrupt, it may render
some service; but in a pure one it is prejudicial.—Besides,
shat is a stage-player ? A contingent and dependent one.
flow few actors have been tolerable writers : And if others
thd not write, they could not act. The merely representing,
even with augmented force— which but rarely happens (in
the ease of Shakspeare and the best writers, never)—that
which the author has conceived and in words expressed,
what is it ? if the general end to be obtained were the
radest in the world,—and it is far otherwise,—the part
%inch the actor bears in the attainment of it, besides being,
is we said, contingent, is comparatively but trivial. What.
ever marks of private friendship, therefore, may be paid to
lln. Siddons on her sustaining the lot of mortality, and we
lope she will have many, we should consider any public
!ettimony of regard as a proof of the decline of noble feel.
mg in the nation,—as an evidence of its approach to that
..ate in which parties et eircenres were all that was thought
nccesntiy for a people.

Parliament will assemble on Tuesday next, but
first week will be occupied in sweating in members and
a Speaker. On Tuesday, the 21st, the King will
down to the House in state, and open Parliament with a
•;%eech from the throne.

Admiral Sir Thomas Foley, Bart. G.C.B. is ap-
pointed to succeed the late Earl of Northesk, u Rear-
•Wmiral of England.
Vice-Admiral Charles Eking, C.B. and Rear-
Admiral Thomas Baker, C.B. to be made Knights Corn.
traders of the Bath.

PttitTsmtirttl, JUNE 8. Yesterday admiral
S:r E. Codrington, G.C.B. hoisted his flagon board the Cale-
,:cnia. The squadron now lying at Spithead have a most meg-
!' lieent pearance, consisting of the Caledonia, 120, Captain
I %V? ?;Prince Regent, 120,J. W.Dundas ; Asia, 94, Hyde
l'aner; Donegal, 70, Dick ; Revenge, 74, Rillyar ;
71, J C. Rowley; 60, Maunsell ; Briton,
ot. J. D. maeldand ; Pearl, 20, Broughton; and Brisk, 10,
Iltwertield. A number of families are continually ar.
I.llg here to witness the assembling of so formidable a
rvir destination or time of sailing, is not yet ascertained.—
h"ar-Admiral Parker struck his tag last evening for a few
`24'. Lord Adolphus Fitsclarence is here on a visit.