Star.
London, England, 1823-07-10 00:00:00

THE NEUTRAL QUESTION.

FROM THE QUARTERLY REVIEW, NO. LPL JUST
PUBLISHED.
It has been, indeed, stated, that the Government of
this country ought to have held " language calculated
to bring France to her senses," (such is the phrase),
and to induce her to desist from the meditated at-
tack. We will not repeat Mr. Canning's triumphant
arguments against such disreputable conduct, as
using. strong language without being prepared to sup-
port it by the strongest measures, but the advocates
for strong language or measures must allow us to
remind them, in justice to those who are accused of
favouring France, how much has been ventured for
the sake of Spain. The British Ministers actually
staked the peace ofthe British empire in behalf of Spain ;
for if she had consented to any change in her Con-
stitution, and the French Government had not been
satisfied with it, we could hardly have escaped from
a rupture with the latter Power, had she still per.
sisted in her projects of invasion.
But independent of the absurdity of supposing that
France would or ought to be induced by strong lan-
guage to abandon any enterprize in which she may
think herself entitled to engage, it would be surely
unwise to give any colour to a notion industriously
circulated abroad, that England approves of the
Spanish Constitution, with all its imperfections ; and,
by violent language, to lead the world to imagine not
only that we consider France to be acting absolutely
wrong, but that Spain has taken the course which is
absolutely right. Such conduct might, indeed, tend
greatly to increase the obstinacy of the one party,
but could not fail also to exasperate the other. With
England for her ally, in•the argument, Spain might
fairly imagine that the need not change one particle
of her Constitution ; nor concede a single point of
the discussion ; nothing could be mote disastrous to
Spain herself, than the exciting of so false a notion.
We wish too well to Spain not to wish to see her
Constitution modified into the elements •of a free
form of Government, suited to the habits and feelings
of the people, and capable of progressive expansion as
the nation may become more fitted for that state of
freedom which is the blessing of our own country, and
which Englishmen, at least all true Englishmen,
equally know how to appreciate and to enjoy.
- -

The crops, we understand, are extremely luxuriant
throughout the kingdom, and promise in abundant
harvest. There is also every likelihood of au abun-
dant crop of fruit.
Ilops.—A blight, as general as has been known for
many years, is, we are sorry to say, anticipated by
the Hop Planters. The duty is down from £63,000
to £60,000.
Tim lklinez—Copper Ores sold last Thursday,
1903 tons—Average produce 6f—making 87 tons
2 cwt. fine copper—proceeds 7028/. 95.6 • —average
standard 1211. 16s. The Ores sold in the six months
ended 30th June, have produced 4667 tons pure cop-
per. The India Company have purchased of the
Companies 1330 tons of copper at 901. per ton for
cake. The amount of Copper bought in Cornwall by
the several Companies, for the year ended 30th o,
June, is 9709 tons.
An Irish pedlar, asked an itinerant poulterer the
price of a pair of fowls. " Six shillings, Sir." 4, In
my dear country, my darling, you might buy them
sixpence a pace." " Why don't you remain in your,
own dear country then ?" "'Case we have uo
peaces, my jewel," said Pat.
The following literary notice is at present exhibited in a book,
'elides window in the vicinity of Edinburgh Nissan
or the Covenanters, lent out to read by the Author of Sir AL-
.irew Wylie of that Ilk !"
Five and twenty of the Chinese seamen concerned
in a desperate conflict in Cornwall-street, White-
chapel, o►► Monday night, we: e brought up to Lam-
heth-stieec Police-office on the following day, when
six of the ringleaders were ordered to find bail, and
locked up in default; and the rest. were liberated,
with the intention of conveying them on board their
ship immediately.
Sunday night, about eleven o'clock, as a party of
young men were returning from Richmond, where
they had spent the day (and it is presumed had been
making rather too free); when about to land it was
discovered that one of the party was missing; search
was instantly: made, but without success, the night
being dark and stormy. From some circumstances,
at present unexplained, it appears that their unfortu-
nate companion fell overboard somewhere between
Leader's Distillery and St. John's Wharf, Battersea,
opposite to which place the body was found the fol-
t lowing morning.

Last week a poor woman, with an infant at her breast, em-
ployed in the grounds of Mr. Bailey, of Swanscomb, Kent, in
podding peas, previous to the commencement of her daily labours,
suckled the child, and left it in a hedge near the place where she
was at work ; on her return some time after to look for her
child, she was struck with horror at finding it dead. On her
communicating this dismal Intelligence to her fellow work-peo-
ple, they, suspecting that she had made away with the poor
infant, compelled her to accompany them with the dead child
to a neighbouring surgeon (Mr. Chivers„ of Greoultithe), to
ascertain the cause of its death, when he immediately satisfied
them that there was sot the least appearance of its death having
been caused by any unfair means; and having obtained the
wretched mother's consent to open the child, be found, to his
utter astonishment, a soaks in its stomach 1 It Is supposed, that
soon after the mother had suckled the infant, the ache, at-
tracted by the milk remaiolng on the child's lips, had entered
the mouth and suffooated it.

ROBBERY BY A gwzay.--Yestepday morning, be-
tween seven and eight o'clock, a sweep (or lad dis-
guised in a sweep's dress) went to the house of &I-
vester Puljhir, Esq. in Portland-street, and being let
into the kitchen by a female servant, he told per he
had been sent to ask when it would be convenient for
Mrs. Pulphir to have her chimneys swept?
The "1..1
vant said she would go up stairs and make the inquiry
of either ber mistress or the housekeeper, and during
her absence from the kitchen, the sweep carried off a
large silver-gilt cream ewer.