Star.
London, England, 1830-04-22 00:00:00

WINDSOR CASTLE

The KING is better.

April 22, 1830.

H. HA LFORD.

The CONGRESS Of COLOMBIA has, after due delibe-
ration, concocted, decreed, and promulgated the funda-
mental articles of the New Constitution, by which that
Republic is henceforth to be governed.—lf we have
suffered the recent proceedings of " the eminent men"
composing that grave assembly, to pass unscrutinized,
we have not been either inattentive, or, we trust, unpro-
fitable, observers of the deep political game, of which
COLOMBIA has once more been made the arena and the
stake ; and we feel that the sincerity of the motives with
which we have advocated the independence of that State, I
cannot be compromised by our determination never to
become the partisans of men, where we find their
measures prejudicial to the cause to which we
stand pledged, and calculated only to advance
their own sordid purposes, and aspiring views.— ,
The " vaulting ambition" of Bola van,—however spe-
cious
may be the guise of patriotism and disinterested-
ness, beneath which his ulterior object has hitherto been
veiled—must, under any other circumstances, have
" overleaped itself, and fallen on the other side :"—but
agitated and almost convulsed as " the liberated land"
has been by the internal dissentions, feuds, and jealousies
of its Chiefs, and by the threatened separation of Vene-
zuela, the transatlantic Liberator well knew that the
season in which he chose to tender his resignation of the
supreme authority, was that of all others in which the
indulgence of his pure passion for retirement could not
fail most effectually to embarrass the Republic, and that
therefore was the season in which such a sacrifice might
ho tendered with the certainty of being rejected, and with
the probability of having that rejection accompanied by
the propitiatory proffer of still higher rank, and of more
absolute power—than he before enjoyed. Had such a pro-
position been made at a time of undisturbed tranquillity,
or when the Republic were free from the apprehension of all
danger, who shall say whether the " disinterestedness"
of the patriot might not have been put to a severe test,
and the power of the President transferred to some man
less eager to " precipitate himself from the Chief Magis-
tracy?" That the condition of the Republic rendered
the acceptance of BOLIVAR'S resignation impossible, and
was the sole cause of its rejection, is manifest from the
reply of the Congress ; and that obstacle to his retirement
must have been as well known to BOLIVAR himself before

he declared his intention of " ceasing to rule over them,"
as it was to the Congress when they called upon him not
to abandon the Government; for in their reply, they said :

" But if you abandon us at this moment, the devouring monster
of anarchy will find food in Colombia. You have solenudy pro-
mised to exercise the supreme authority until the Congress promul.
gate the constitution and appoint the magistrates of the state. If,
on the one hand, what you owe to Colombia and to yoursetf pre.
sent powerful obstacles to your abdication of the Presidency of
the Republic, the Congress, an the other hand, Si in a situation
which renders ils acceptance of that resignation impossible, be.

cause your promise is comprehended in the law of its creatiot, which
it is bound religiously to respect."

Here, he is called upon, by the faith of his own so-
lemn promises, to exercise the supreme authority—not
for an indefinite period, or with a perpetual guarantee—
but for a brief and definite space of time—" until the
Congress promulgate the Constitution, and appoint the
Magistrates of the State." And he is told that if what
he owes, by virtue of that promise, to Colombia, and to
himself, present powerful obstacles to his abdication of
the Presidency, so the Congress feels itself in a situation
that renders its acceptance of that resignation impos-
sible. Yet such was the season, in which 80ny.% x
deemed it wise, and prudent, and patriotic, to add to the
embarrassments of a Republican Government, by an
affected desire to " terminate his political career." One
condition of Bou vs l.'s promise has now, however,
been fulfilled :—the Constitution has been promulgated ;
and it will soon remain to be seen whether the disinte-
rested offer will be repeated. If it be not—we shall
know what to think of the sincerity with which it was
first made; and of the moderation of the Liberator. Of
the Constitution itself, and of its general provisions,
we ore not now called upon to offer any opinion; but it
is impossible to read two of those provisions without being
impressed with the conviction that the professed cham-
pions of Freedom, are in their own uncontrolled exercise
of legislative power, as deeply imbued with the
worst principles of despotism, as the most absolute
and arbitrary Rulers of the civilized world. The fifteenth
article of the Constitution contains a prohibition worthy
of the spirit of LOYOLA and his holy brotherhood :—for
it provides, that " the Catholic, Apostolic, Roman Reli-
gion" shall not only be " the Religion of the State,"
but that, " the Government exercising the office of Pro-'
tectorate of the Colombian Church, no other public wor-
ship will be permitted."—Talk of civil liberty after this !
—Talk of the extension of Religious liberty, and the
relief afforded to Roman Catholics in Great Britain, and
the immunities they enjoy on the Continent of Europe ;
and then turn to the New World for the exemplification
of their liberality—and the display of their toleration !
The sixteenth article, indeed, guarantees personal secu-
rity, as an equivalent, no doubt, for the thraldom imposed
upon the conscience ; and the liberty of the press
is guaranteed, whilst the liberty of prayer is extin-
guished. The religious-proscription clause, the Courier
requests us to believe, is "very contrary to the wish
of BOLIV R, and other eminent men in Colombia;"
but such an assurance is perfectly ridiculous. With-
out the sanction of Betty Au, what constitutional
code would that Congress venture to promulgate, which
declares itself to bo in such a condition as to render the
acceptance of his resignation impossible ? The truth is,
however, as the Courier—upon the authority, we doubt
not, of the person who officiates as the agent of the Bo-
LIV AR party in this country—admits, that " the prohi-
bibition is inserted to secure to the government the sup-
port of the clergy and the very large portion of the nation
who regard the Roman Catholic religion as the only en-
lightened creed."—Enlightened, pious, and liberal legis-
lators !

We have felt it our duty, on more than one occasion,
to reprehend the unbecoming precipitance with which
some of our contemporaries have lent themselves to the
promotion of party purposes on the one hand, and the
furtherance of ministerial intrigue on the other, by con-
templating the probability of any political changes, or
maintaining the stability of existing arrangements, with
reference to the lamented illness of our beloved Sovereign.
But we scarcely know in what terms of reprobation we
should condemn the worse than indecent haste—the offen-
sive importunity—of those who, from the position in which
they are placed by their immediate connection with
Members of the Cabinet, should bo the very last to forget
the respect that is due to the personal feelings of the
KING, and to the decencies of society ; but whose selfish
avidity has rendered them so far insensible to every
consideration apart from the advancement of their
own personal interests, as to commence an election-
eering canvass, at a moment when the thoughts of
all other Englishmen are absorbed in anxious solicitude
for the restoration of their KING to health. The following
paragraph has appeared in several papers : Mr. DUNDAII
has not thought proper to contradict it; and we are there-
fore bound to take the statement for a fact, and deal with
it accordingly. After the recent curtailment of a pension
so laboriously earned, and so meritoriously enjoyed, by
one member of the family, another, it would seem, can-
not afford " to lose anything for want of timely asking ;"
and therefore seta about forestalling opposition, and se-
curing his return, in this decent and exemplary manner.

" We have heard that Lord MZLVILLE'II son, Mr. MINOAN
who is member for Rochester, paid a private visit to the Mayor on
Sunday, to secure his interest, should an event occur rendering a
dissulution of Parliament imperative."

The following letter has been received from the agent
to the North and South American Coffee House, dated

" Buenos Ayres, kb Feb. 1830.
" Our political situation has not materially changed
since my last, although I sometimes think that the pros-
pect looks less cheering. It is tree no actual disturbance
has taken place, and perhaps will not, but the bitter re-
vilings of the two parties is really disheartening to those
who have the interests of the country at heart. You
cannot conceive the extent to which it is carried, neither
will 1 disgust you by details of it. Nothing but misfor-
tunes even more severe than they have hitherto expe-
rienced will tame this violence of party spirit ; indeed we
dwell upon a perfect volcano. Our Bank paper continues
depreciated, doubloons are 110 dollars, exchange upon
England 71 per dollar. A few steps more, and our
paper is worth nothing; and another Revolution will go
far to effect this. The Provinces continue in a disturbed
state ; the Unitarians combatting with those of the Fede-
rals. Cordova takes the lead in the former system, and
its Governor-General, Paez, and his army, is in the field ;
but his opponent, Quiroga, will doubtless avoid a pitched
battle. In the mean time, the country districts of the
Cordova Province have risen against their Governor
(General Paez) and have begun a Montenero war, in
which several severe skirmishes have taken place. The
Unitarians expect much from the exertions of Paez ; his
army, consisting of about 5000 men, is at present sup-

ported by taxes and contributions upon the inhabitants ;
but this cannot last long ; something decisive must soon
take [place. An event has occurred here which en-
grosses a great deal of the public attention': an officer
of the name of Monteros, was shot a few days stnce
at the Recoleta Barrack, by order of the Governor,
ROBllB ; it is said that he deserved his fate, but
the mode of execution has created much surprise.—
Roses had sent for him, and ordered one of his

sides-de-camp to escort him, under arrest, to the
barrack, and at the same time gave to Monteros a
paper (or despatch) to the commanding officer there,
which, in fact, contained an order for his execution, but
of which he was totally unconscious. Arrived at the
Recoleta, Monteros delivered the despatch to the officer
in command (Col. Prudencie Rosas), a brother of the
governor. He was seized, and it was notified to him
that lie must prepare fur immediate execution, for which,
in fact, preparations had been made, and he was accord-
ingly shot. The Government of Roses bad been con-
spicuous for moderation, and many of his friends regret
the above event. It has been defended capon the plea
of the critical state of the country, that delay was
full of peril ; that, had the criminal been brought to
trial, accomplices must have been named, and other
disclosures, fatal to the interests of the country;—
that the Governor had been invested by the Legis-
lature with extraordinary powers, which he had, in this
case, used against a rebel, who was intriguing with the
friendly Indians to make war on Buenos Ayres ; that
he was plotting with all the discontented to overthrow the
Government and plunge the country again into anarchy ;
that the proofs against him were positive, and that the
most prudent method the Governor could take was to
order his instant execution.

You may be assured that the Unitarian party has not
neglected to seize upon this event in connexion with the
summary execution of Dorrego by Lavelle ; it is believed
that the Ministers were not acquainted with the deter-
mination of Roses to execute Nlonteros,—the latter was
in part an Indian, having passed moat of his life amongst
them.

It is reported from Chili that the army of General
Pintos, the President of the Republic, has had several
actions near to Santiago, the capital of Chili, in Decem-
ber last, with the army of his opponent, General Prieto,
without any decisive results.
You will see by the above hasty sketch the state of this
unfortunate country.
VESSELS ARRIVED SINCE JAN. 14.—Ship Larch from Rio
Janeiro; Bug liana from Liverpool ; David Ricardo from Cadizl;
Sir Wm. Wallace from Bonavista. Intelligence has just arrived of
the loss of the British brig Henry Arnott, Little, on 2d Feb. on the
Chico bank in the River Plate; she was salt laden from the Cape de
Verdi.

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

Owing to his Majesty's health having Improved, Consols which
left off yesterday at 921 to 93 for the Account, opened this morning
at 93 to 6, with a fair market; at present they may be quoted 93,
and for Money 921 93.

In the Foreign Market nothing doing at present.

- - -
A Buenos Ayres Mail has arrived by his blajesty s brig Zephyr,
sailed from Monte Video Feb. 10:—The Buenos Ayres Papers of
the 31st Jan. state, that the discussion on the project proposed by a
Committee relative to conferring honours upon the Governor and
his companions in anus in the last civil contest, was definitively
closed in the Sitting of the 25th instant; it was decreed that Rosa
has been the reetorator of the laws : also, It confers on him the rank
of Brigadier General of the Province.

The accounts from Patagonia are unfavourable, and a storm
threatens that province. A few days ago the Indians made their
appearance in the vicinity of the fort, and sent two ambassadors
with a flag of truce to treat for peace—demanding satisfaction for
the depredations committed against other tribes, their friends, so.
liciting tobacco, paper, &e. The Commandant listened patiently to
their demands; wad when concluded, he ordered them into custody.
On the following morning the Indians made their appearance on the
bill opposite the fort : the alarm was given, and 120 cavalry sallied
out. In the mean titre the two Ambassadors were tried and shot
in front of the enemy. The Indians then marched off, and carried
with them 400 head of cattle. The Inhabitants are leaving the fort,
fearing they will return in great force. The samepapers communicate
that General Lavalleja has been appointed /Minister of Foreign
Affairs at Buenos Ayres; and by accounts that have been pub.
lished of the bank notes in circulation on the 22d of February,
they amount to 14,452,720 dollars.

We have received, by our extraordinary conveyance, accounts
from Vienna stating that the Austrian Government have given offi.
cial notice that the Loans of Milan and Venice, also those of Nu.
sau and the kingdom of Hungaria, bearing i per cent. interest, will
be paid of in specie, on the Ist of May, 1830. By these financial
measures, says the decree, the burthen on the people of the taxes
will be lessened.
A private letter from Marseilles of the 12th of April states, that
the English corvette Palous arrived in our roads on the 9th, and
sailed again in the night for Gibraltar. She left Algiers on the 4th
of April, and has brought dispatches for the English and French
Governments ; also letters for all the Consuls to their friends at
Marseilles. The following has been learnt from the officers, that
all the Consuls there demanded of the Dey to set at liberty the
French prisoners, to the number of 30, which was refused by the
Dey. The English Consul has embarked his family, but remains
there himself, and the other Consuls have done the same.

HALF-PAST ONE.
The Consol Market, which 'had a lively appearance in the early
part of the morning, has taken a turn. Consols have been fluc-
tuating during the morning from 93 to down to 9211 for the
Account, at which price they are at present, with rather a heavy
market. For Money, 02$ $.
Up to the present hour we have no official information of his Ma-
jesty's health, but it Is supposed by the non-appearance of a Bul.
letin that be is not worse. Not a feature in the Foreign Market
worth noticing. The private letters from Buenos Ayres are gloomy.
A civil war still prevails there. Exchange on London 71 per
dollar.
Accounts from Lisbon state, that several Proclamations of the
young Queen of Portugal found their way into the hands of the
troops at Lisbon, which caused a very great sensation. The Colo-
nels were obliged to address them on the occasion, at the same time
ordering in future that they should have no communication with the
inhabitants.

The letters from Terceira state that two more English
merchantmen were seen off the island in possession of the
Portuguese blockading squadron.
A Letter from the Agent to Lloyds' at Bramman,
dated 20th inst. gives further particulars of the loss of
the Newry, recently lost off the Coast of Wales, with
the emigrants. It appears that the wreck of the Newry was
broke up on Sunday, and the little washed on shore was
sold by auction. This Vessel sailed from Newry on
Wednesday last, with about 400 poor emigrants on
board, bound to Quebec. At 10 P.M. on Friday, she
struck on some rocks a few miles north of Bardseye
Island, it blowing a gale, and so thick that neither land
nor lights could be seen by those on board. The loss of
lives has not been ascertained, the master and crew
stated them not to exceed 40, but some of the passengers
gave them double that number. Fourteen bodies had
been found and interred. Forty to fifty men, women,
and children, were brought off the wreck on Saturday
morning, by four labourers. The coaduct of one of them
is highly spoken of ; he risked his own life to preserve
the sufferers.

Letters from Upper Canada to the Bth of March have
been received. The Provincial Legislature has been pro-1
rogued under more agreeable circumstances than usual.
The speech of Sir Jona? COLBURN, the Lieut. Governor,
is highly satisfactory. The House of Assembly have voted
£57,412, 10f. towards payment of another instalment of
the war claims ; £13,000 to improve the highways ; and
1£25,000 to complete the Welland Canal.