Star.
London, England, 1831-02-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

HERALD.-•-it is not in the nature of things probable that, In the
case of population and labour, the supply and the demand can always
accommodate themselves to each other. There must be, from tempor.
ary and local causes, frequent excesses and wants, both of the one and
of the other. Brat that, speaking generally, either England or Ireland
is over-peopled is untrue, and a mistake which those only fall into
whose view is limited to partial inconveniences, without embracing (as
the eye of a Statesman ought to do) the situation and the interests
of the whole community. We have two parties in this country,
who have taken up the opposite sides of this question with a
more than ordinary degree of seal, not to say of rancour,—
the over-population emigrationists, with Mr. Wilmot Horton at
their head, who think that nothing but expatriation can remedy the re-
dundancy which they assume : and those who, under the lead of Mr.
Sadler, look upon its people as a nation's strength, and who would,
therefore, by a better distribution of our population, retain it at home,
as the source of our own wealth and strength. Though we incline de-'
cidedly towards this latter clam of political economists, we do not ace
why the views of each might not to a certain degree be met ; that is,
why both horns colonization and emigration might not be encouraged
and practised at one and the saute time, as remedies for the pressing
local evils under which some parts of the kingdom are now suffering.
Possessing, as we do, extensive and fertile foreign possessions, they
present a natural outlet for such parts of our own people to
whom a new country may become desirable. We say desirable, be.
eause,lunleas emigration be entirely a free and vountary act, we know
I not how it differs front that whieh, under another name, we inflict upon
the wont of criminals. But the plan propounded by Lord Howick goes
still farther than this. It not only proposes to compel men to leave
their country whether they will or nor, but actually taxes the rest of the
community, in the shape of a new species of national debt, with thecost
of their transportation and location. Now this, we trust, Is what Parlia-
ment will have tke good sense to set its face against. Turning to
the other party, we should say, " It was time that you did some
thing more titan write and talk. Your principles have been sufficiently
discussed. Ii they are of any value, the times call for their practical
adoption." While to the government we should say, that, instead of
taking up the extreme views of either branch of these political theorists,
their policy and their duty is to cull the best and most practical parts
from each ; to hold out to voluntary emigrants every reasonable induce-
ment and advantage which our colonies present ; and open still more
widely those mines of native wealth and cultivation, which, both in
England and Ireland, present the means of supply of labour, which, if
rightly applied, are capable, if we mistake not, of silencing the over-
populationists for at bast another century.
Clisowieea.—The Revolution seems to have been everywhere in
Italy effected with the greatest ease. A thorough conviction of the
necessity of this change has long been entertained by all well-informed
persons in the Peninsula; and it is well known to every one who has
visited Italy, that the Italians have been prepared for the first favoura-
ble contingency. It would appear from the last accounts, that the
prevailing opinion at present is to form a federal Republic. In this
resolution we are inclined to think there is much wisdom. Italy has long
been divided into a number of States, the people of which differ from
each other equally in character and civilization, and it would be as
well to limit the functions of a general Government to the concerns of
the whole Peninsula, while each little Republic attends to its own se-
parate affairs. In general, front the division of property, the residence
of the landowners in towns, &c. the habits derived from these old re.
publican institutions, the Italians are generally democratically disposed.
In all these changes which are taking place throughout Europe, the
less that we interfere, either directly or indirectly, the better will it
be both for the people of the countries affected by the changes,
and for ourselves. It Is not for us to make ourselves the chant.
pion of every King who is driven from his throne, or of every peo-
ple who wish to improve their institutions. Our insular situ-
ation places us beyond danger from any conceivable result ; and theme
who are entruated with the disposal of tbe resources of the nation, are
not warranted in wasting them in the quarrels of other States, on any
vague principle of sympathy or liberality. In this respect the French
and ourselves are very differently circumstanced. The French cannot,
if they would, isolate themselves. Their language and literature are
the language and literature of Europe. Whatever takes place in Paris

is felt in every country from the Straits of Gibraltar to the frozen ocean.
The revolution of July was the commencement of an European revolu-
don ; and nothing but the inability to chastise the Parisians prevented the
Russians, Austrians, and Prussians, from advancing instantly to Paris.
POl?.—The late government was too long silent in making known its
own good deeds, and we cannot but empress astonishment at its forbear-
ance. The consequence of this absurd and mischievous proceeding 1111..1
been a complete distrust on the part of the public in the honesty of
of those to whom the management or their affairs was entrusted, and the
desire of a change of men for others from whom better things might bees,
peeted ? But what has been the result for these men ? In opening his
never.to-be•forgotten Budget to the House, Lord Althorp, in order to
propitiate his audience, placed in the van of his Statement the reduc-
tilons of office which he had effected ; and in mentioning the number, he
calmed its amount as a proof that his Government was zealous in its
promises of retrenchment, and what proved a nobler motive, that he and
h a Colleagues gave it as an earnest that they were determined to carry
on their Government by the force of public opinion, and by the sacrifice
of all patronage. And what was this saerifie.: ? Two hunched and ten
offices, the salaries of which Lord Althorp was ashamed to name—two
hundred and ten offices ! 1

Trines.—ln the course of the present seek two or three very im-
portant decisions have taken place in the two select committees of
the House of Commons ;—we allude to those on salaries and the
civil list. Thle committee on salaries came to a resolution on Mon-
day morning ast, that in future no new superannuation or allow.
ance ought to be made to retired public servants, who had filled
high offices, without a special vote of the House of Commons on
each individual case,—a very proper resolution, as it seems to us,
considering the abuses *inch have grown up under the existing
law. A division is understood to have taken place in the com-
mittee on this question, the numbers being seven and seven,—
and ;the chairman, Mr. Baring, carrying it by his casting voice
This committee have also recommended a reduction of 1,0001. from the
salaries of the Ministers, making the Secretary of State, First Lord of
the Admiralty, &c. 5,0001. a-year ; the Secretaries of the Treasury
arc reduced from 4,0001. to 2.5001.: and, as all salaries are in
lure to he net money, this is not au unfair remuneration. The coin-
mittee on the civil list on Wednesday came to a resolution that the sala-
-1 ries of the Lord President and Lord Privy Seal should be considerably re-
duced, or rather entirely abolished. The first (and we may say reasonable)
proposal was to reduce them to 1,5001. a-year. It was suggested by the
leader of the severer sect, that 1,0001. was sufficient for those non-efficient
officers, without departments and without labour. This proposal appears
to have been considered so preposterous or so radical by the Tory mem-
; bens of the committee, that lard Stormont proposed to take away all sa.
lary whatever from those two offices; and, strange to say, he was taken
at his word, end this ultra-proposition of the Tory party (probably made
in a pet) was thus adopted by the committee. The same committee has
recommended a reduction of one-third from the salaries of the great state
officers of the household : they think..-and the public agree with them—
that 1,5001. or 1,0001. would be quite sufficient for a Lord Steward
or a Lord Chamberlain, or a Master of the Horse, these places being
always conferred on distinguished members of the aristocracy,
who, of course, value the honour of being in immediate contact with the
sovereign more titan any salary nr emolument. They are amply re-
warded by the importance of the office—by the pomp and circumstance
thereof—by the tuss, if we may so call it, of the situation—by the oc-
cupation and the patronage which it gives them. We are sorry, how-
ever, to learn, that the sum total of the reduction proposed in the civil
list does not amount to more than 10.0001. Indeed, much reduction
cannot be expected from a committee formed under very particular cir-
cumstances—it was named under a Tory administration, and, of course,
the friends of good salaries were fully represented ; and those who
were then the Opposition being now the actual Ministers, the committee
is composed in great part of the Ministers who are is and the Tories
who are out, and must, therefore, from its very composition, be as little
disposed as may be to the use of the pruning knife.

Mr. Ewart, the member for Liverpool, having noticed in
the House of Commons, on the 15th inst. the first importa-
tion of raw silk from the United States, a few particulars
respecting it may interest our numerous readers.
This silk was produced in Pennsylvania, and reeled from
the cocoons in Mr. Duponceau's filature, at Philadelphia,
under the direction of Mr. D'Homergue, formerly of Nismes,
in France. Only a small quantity is now sent as a sample,
but its culture, if it meets with encouragement, can be ex-
tended to any amount. The present specimen has been sub-
mitted to some of the best judges in London, and they think
it a very fair beginning. The texture of it is finer than the
Italian silk, and produces a larger return from the same
quantity of cocoons.
Some silk from the same filature has been boiled, dyed,
and woven into very fine stuff, in America ; although not
thrown, as they have no throwing-mills at present there.
Should the production of silk increase as rapidly in Ame-
rica as cotton has done in the last 30 years, it will become
an article of great consequence in our trade with that coun-
try : they sending the raw material, and taking back the
manufactured article in return, as is now the case with cotton.

The white mulberry and silk-worm are said to succeed in
almost all the stutes of the Union, and the latter can be
brought forward at the time the former is in leaf.
A committee of Congress have taken up the subject, and
recommend it strongly to the attention of the Government
and country, as well as Mr. Duponceau, who is the President
of the American Philosophical Society.

One of the subscribers to the Salisbury Volunteer Infan-
try describes himself as a " friend to the maintenance of
peace and order without bloodshed."
Amongst the numerous petitions for a general fast, there
is one which Mr. Hunt, we presume, could have bad no
objection to support—it is that from the " Minister and in-
habitants of Gutticton !"
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COSIPANY.—A Meet-
ting of the proprietors took place yesterday, at the Com-
pany's house, in the Ring's Arms-yard, Coleman-street ;
John Smith, Esq. M.P. the Governor, in the Chair. It
appeared from the Reports, that the examination of lands
was going on with a view to exchange a part of the
location, but that no further selections had yet been
made. In the coal-field at Newcastle, a fine seam of
coals had been discovered within thirty feet of the
surface. Very voluminous accounts were supplied of
the Company's stock, &c. in Australia. The num-
ber of fine sheep was 4,150 and 17,205 improved colonial
sheep, from which were expected a vast increase. There
were 245 horses, and 2,227 head of cattle. The produce on
hand from the estate consisted of 5,351 bushels of wheat,
2,000 of maize, 15 tons of hay, &c. After some observa-
tions from the Governor as to the future prospects of the
Company, the Report was adopted, and John Lock, Esq.
elected Deputy Governor. Mr llast Davis, M.P. alluded to
the value of wools in Australia, which must rapidly increase,
as the demand for wools here became more active. The
Governor, in answer to a question, stated, that it would be
too expensive to send out to the Colony any of the men who
had been convicted under the Special Commissions, but
that on their arrival at Australia, a selection would be made,
and some taken into the service of the Company. Thanks
having been given to the Directors, &c. the Meeting
adjourned.