Star.
London, England, 1829-10-23 00:00:00

NOTICE OF THE COSMORAMA.

TO THE HONOURABLE THE COMMIS
MIMES OF THE BOAED OF SWUM.

GENTLEMEN,

We feel it our duty to call your attention to a prac-
tice in the STAMP-OFFICE, which—we apprehend—can
hardly be enforced with the privity, certainly still less
with the sanction, of your HONOURABLY BOARD.
We allude to the arbitrary exaction of Advertisement-
Duty upon paragraphs, which not only have never been
paid for by the parties or establishments to which they
bear allusion, bat which—in point of fact—are the bond

fide suggestions of editorial comment, and impartial pub-
lic criticism. Of such a nature was the notice which
appeared in our columns on the Bth of August last, con-
cerning the Cosmorama. Impressed with a sense of its
real merit as an exhibition, we concluded that notice
in these words :

- " We hope the public will continue to give it its due
share of encouragement."
At Soinetset House. this was decided to be an Adver-
tisement. In vain our paying-clerk explained to Mr.

SAXVIL Mae Quoin--the Registrar of your Howoun-
AZLE BOARD— that it was a spontaneous tribute, super-
induced by the excellence of the thing praised, and that
DO money had been paid for it. Mr. SAMUEL MAC-
QUOID—who, it seems, acts in the fourfold capacity of
Arbiter, as well as Exacter, Registrar, and Receiver on
these occasions—adhered inflexibly to his first interpre-

tation, and refused to deduct from his account the petti-
fogging and vexatious overcharge. Surely, your Ho-
Nov SABLE Bowan does not contemplate such a coercion
of fair remark, as this which we now feel ourselves
bound to repudiate ? Surely,the expression of an opinion
upon the fine arts, or objects of taste or science, is not
to draw with it the penalty of a fiscal visitation, upon
the public writer who has the patriotism and the spirit to
make it ?
_ _

But if, contrary to our expectation, the liberty of
criticism is to be made a phantom under the Government
of the Noble Duke—u other liberties have been—at
least in your quality of COMMISSIONERS, take care that
these acts of indefensible rapacity are not carried too far.
It is not the trifle wrested from us by the Exchepier—
but the principle on which it has been wrested—which
rouses us: and we appeal to your HONOURABLE BOARD,
either to vindicate its fair dignity by disowning a transac-
tion so unworthy of it, or to cause to be published, " for
the benefit of all whom it may concern," by what Act
of Parliament a subaltern in Somerset House presumes
to levy an arbitrary tax, like that against which we
remonstrate.

We have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your HONOURABLE BOARD'S Obedient Servants,
THE PROPRIETORS OF THE STAR.

By the latest accounts from VcaA Caus, which are
dated on the 20th of August, it appears that the in-
vading corps under BARRADAS was still encamped at
Tampico, without having advanced a mile, or indeed
effected any thing more than a mere landing. We are
anxiously waiting the arrival of the Mexican packet,
and have little doubt but the result of this attempt will
prove highly advantageous to the future consolidation of
the republic, since one of its most natural effects will
be that of uniting those patriots, whose differences, fo-
mented by Spanish intrigue, have hitherto proved so
injurious to their common country. We blame our-
selves for having so long neglected Mexican affairs, and
shall take an early opportunity of exposing the conse-
quences of that insane policy on the part of England,
which could allow the new state to be invaded with
impunity.

We took occasion yesterday to astiee •the strange
commentary made by the Times on the circular of M.
BEUGNOT, A Morning Paper of to-day, while dwelling
with considerable emphasis on the ruinous consequemies
of the late Treaty, observes, " This obnoxious and infa-
mous treaty is in character with all the treaties which
we owe to the patriotism and tender mercies of the
liberals." Now, while we perfectly agree with some of
the positions of our contemporary, and even find—in
what he says concerning the carrying trade—our pre-
viously expressed sentiments re-echoed, we are at a loss
for language to designate his extreme absurdity, in attri-
buting the Treaty of Adrianople to the Liberals. The
assertion is so glaringly ridiculous—so opposite to noto-
rious fact—that it is unworthy of any serious refutation.
If it had any foundation, we ask, what conclusion
could his readers draw—but that the Noble Duke and
the Noble Earl, and Sir GEORGE MURRAY and Mr.
PEEL, are Liberals !

Want of space alone, prevented us from calling the
attention of our readers to an able article which ap-
peared in yesterday's papers, from the Courrier Fran-
cais. The writer's object is, to repel certain charges
lately put forth in this country, relative to the anti-
pathy felt towards us in France. While rebutting these,
it cannot be denied that he has interspersed several ob-
servations on which it would be well if British statesmen

would seriously meditate. Alluding to the comments in
which our writers have indulged so freely concerning the
Treaty of Adrianople, and subjugation of the Turkish
Empire, the Courrier says :—" There ought to have
been, they say, a close alliance between the two coun7
tries, and unfortunately national prejudices are still air
rished in Francs,—the hatred of England has revived with
increased strength. These Journals are deceived : the
prejudices they condemn are disappearing from among us.
We do not hate the English nation, but its Government."
This-remark, in the justice of which we thoroughly
coincide, is followed up by a repetition of the assertion
so often made, that the detested POLIGNAC Ministry
with which France is saddled is entirely due to the Duke
of Wara.niciTow. The writer then preceeds :

" It rut be remembered that there was not at the time
of Mr. CANN two, in the public opinion of France, the
least sentiment of hostility to England. Coat w two
wished for civil and religious liberty for his own country,
and for every country of the Globe. He would not have
employed his ascendency to inflict on France an oppres-
sive Ministry. He would not have hesitated when dan-
ger threatened the independence of Europe, any more
than he hesitated to repress the plots of Spain against
the liberty of Portugal; he would not, above all, have dis-
played an ignoble condescension for the monster who is
destroying the ancient ally of England. This conni-
vance has borne its fruits."
Remarks like these furnish abundant source of bitter
reflection, and ought to sink deep into the mind of every

Englishman possessing a single spark of patriotism. We
shall confine ourselves to one solitary fact—namely, the
1 interruption of that harmony, which the policy of Mr.

CANNING had so happily established between the two
countries. When the friends of that lamented Minis-
ter were driven from office by. the Noble Duke and
his friends, we foresaw the consequences, and pointed
them out to the notice of our country. The result
now fully justifies us in asserting that a more cala-
mitous event could not have happened for Europe,
than the schism and distrust which followed the Duke
Of WELLINGTON'S accession to power. Had matters
remained as they were leR by Mr. CANNING, a
Russian army would never have been suffered to cross
the Danube; nor had Don MiGnsr. been allowed to
trample on the rights of legitimacy and justice in
Portugal. Had Mr. Caw N INC'S policy been ad-
hered to, Greece, instead of becoming little more than
a Russian province, would have ere now been erected
into a formidable barrier against Russian ambition. It
is needless to dwell on the other evils which have sprung
from a change so calculated to destroy all confidence
between the two nations. We shall merely observe, that
it is utterly impossible for England and France to unite
for any great European object, while the present jea-
lousy exists. On the other hand, we should not feel the
lea.st surprise, were the state of irritation into which the
• people of France have been thrown by the late ominous
nominations, to cause a convulsion there which should in-
volve a general conflagration. With one conviction we
are deeply impressed : it is, that so long as England and
France are governed by men notoriously opposed to free-
dom and political improvement, it would be the height of
absurdity ever to expect or hope for that cordiality which
is so essential to the happiness of both, and so usceesery
to the great interests• of Europe and the whole civilised
world.

We have Dutch Papers this day to the 21st inst. and
the Allgenteine Zeitung to the 17th. The former do
not contain any thing of particular interest ; but the
latter speaks ominously, in a communication fromOdema,
of the " Conquered Turkish Ports," and of the proceed-
ings of" the Governor General of New Russia l"—wits,
by the Emperor's orders, has been graciously pleased
" to allow the exportation of certain commodities from
the ports of the Black Sea and the Sea of Moll." la it
come to this ? The following are our brief selections :