Star.
London, England, 1817-09-13 00:00:00

BERLIN, AUGUST •0.

"The 515th, in the afternoon, the christening took
place of the new-horn Prince, son of the Prince and
'Princess William, of Prussia. He was baptised by
*the names of Frederic William Waldemar. Amongst
the sponsors by proxy were the Princess Charlotte of
England, Prince Leopold, her consort, and the
Duchess of York.

BRESLAU, AUGUST ss.
Order and tranquillity have been completely re-
stored here.

VIENNA, AUGUST SS.
The Count de Carman, French Minister Plenipo-
tentiary to this Court. and the Baron de Krusemark,
Prussian Minister. arrived here the day belote yester-
day, from Carlsbad.

HAGUE. SEPTEMBER 3.
The Plenipotetitiaries appointed by the King of the
Netherlands to negociate a Treaty of Commerce with
the Plenipotentiaries of the United States of Ame•
rice. are M. J. Golberg, Chevalier of the Order of the
Belgic Lion. Councillor of State. and Director• Gen-
eral of the Pepartment of Commerce and the Cul°.
Pies, and ht. J. C. Van der Kemp. Chevalier of the
Older of the Belgic Lion, Advocate General and
Member of the Council of Commerce and the
Colonies.

PEZARO, AUGUST 14.

*. The Princess of Wales has resided since Monday last
in the delightful •illa of Caprile. It appears to be
the intention of her Royal Highness to make a long
stay there. She has sent to Milan for the rest of her
equipages, and is making great improvements in the
MADRID, AUGUST res.

A circular has been issued by the Ministry of Fi.
tune, requiring prompt payment of two.thirds of
the general eontiibution (under the new plan of
France). an the• lit of September next. •

Auourr 26.—The success gained over the Insur-
gents by the Royal Army of New Spain, in May,
was celebrated at Mexico on the Bth of the Caine
month by a n Deem in The Cathedral. This country
advances every day towards tranquillity, and this
pAcificution itowing to the Viceroy Apodaca, whose
*me measures have produced the best effect.

The march of our financial administration is active
and decided ; the ship is hunched; the impulse is
4iven. Addresses of approbation multiply; that of
Saragossa is grave and setttentious. That city speaks
modestly of what it perfOrmed ,fqr the Royal cause;
it los no need of boasting ; the worldltnows how far'
.it eiriiad its devotion.
• The Piedmontese Gazette complains bitterly of a
*French Journal which tries to make war on Italy,
'and wisher to. frighten all travellers from it, by an..
...unciag that the high=ways arc infested with bri-
gands, and at other times that the route by the Sim.
pen; and the other passages across the Alps, are im-
; practicable, Thq Gazelle contradicts all these filse
reports, and posilietiy assures us that travelling is as
safe in Italy tail Trance. The snsuggkra alone ex-
perience opposi4et os the demand of tboir pass.;
porta.

LON DON.

SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 13, 1817.
PRICY. OF a rock.; THIS DAV A I VA' EINE O'CLOCK s
edueril shut—Consols, 790—Do. fur Oct so
1 per Cent abut—Vary, 1o:01—Indio 1i0nt.1,74 pre.
Bank Loog Ann'. shut—Exchequer tills, 20s. to 255. pr.

A Dutch Mail, which arrived this morning, has
brought us an authentic copy of the Sentence pm-
nouticed in the Action of Libel at the instance of
the Duke of WELLINGTON, which, we find, differs in
no miterial respect from the statement of it which we
commuaicated yesterday. It is in the following terms:

. • SEN I ENCE OF THE COURT,
IN THE CAUSII OF TOE DUKE OF WELLIKUTON AGAINST

MR tiE MASA:DLR.

" The Tribunal, considering that in the Article of the Journal
which is the suliji cc of the action, there Is not imputed to the
Noble Lord any act which could captor him to a criminal or
correctional action; that neither are there imputed to his Grace
any aces which could repose him to the contempt or hatred of
the Publk—that, besides, its speaking of a desire, his Grace is
not reproached with having sought to inductee the Government
of France to retain Mr. Dubree in his once of Intendant of Mar-
tinique; and that it is not said that his Grace bad any know-
ledge of Mr. Dubree's having prevaricated in the exercise of his
said place : •
"Considering besides that if his Grace hat manifested the said
desire, it. should be attributed to powerful recommendations,
representing Debree under colours quite different from what are
found in the article of the Journal in question, so that in this
point of view, and in the tense of the article, it cannot be con-
cluded that his Grace would hive commit ed an act unworthy
i of himsilf, even It lie bad manifested such a desire, because Mr.
Dubree had very well administered the Colony its favour of a
foreign Government; and the more so as one may well admi
nister a Colony in fasoiir of a foreign Power, without its neer.-
sarily following that one would administer it ill, or traitorously
towards one's own Government, since it is of importance to every,
Government to have its colonies admicistered is a manner fa-
vourable to foreigners, in order more effectutily to draw them
thither, and to increase by that very means, the commerce and
prmperity ot theeaid Colonies; whence it results, that the desire
which the Noble Lord may have manifested to see Mr. Dubree
retained in his place, ought not, and cannot expose bins to the
contempt, or to the hatred of the public; and the less. as 'he
high deeds, and the eminent qualities, as well moral as p.tlPkil
and military, of the Duke of Wellington, place him beyond the
reach of every suspicion of attempting to set otherwise than as a
man of honour; and as it is impossible that his brilliant reputa-
tion can suffer any injury from pamphl teen ( ev ea
if their repressions should be ambiguous or equivocal in gbh re-
spect. For these reasons the 'tribunal acquits the accused of :hit
inculpations laid to his charge: And deciding on the prayer of
the Plaintiff, declares it inadmissible. And further, doing jug. ,
nee to the prayer of the Defendant, to obtain damages
" Considering that the action brought on the part of his Grace
cannot be regarded.as calumniatory, in as mach as it merely sub-
mits to a Court of Justine Rho sense of an article inserted In a
public Journal; declares the said prayer of the Defendant mad-
nsissible; and, seeing the 194th Atticle of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, condemns the Plaintiff in the costs, both towards the
Public, axed at two twins and twelve cents, and towards the
Defendant, Aced at one dorm 57 cents.

" Done and proaaincLd in the Public Sitting+ of the tiel of
September, is I 7 ; present, Messrs. Viepeel, President of the
Sitting; Lebegue, Camberlys, and Parts, Judges; and
&net, Substitute of the King's AttornerOmereL
(Signed) "1. Vitro r&, " 1.. Leixoes,
"3. B. CAMSCILTif, , "H. Pease."
The result of this action has afforded, as might be
'expected, matter of no small exultation to the Con-
tinental Journalists. The Ghent Journal, by way of
commentary, we presume, on the propriety of his
Grace's submitting his character to the ordeal of a
Court of Law, quotes another paper, the Philaashro-
jtut, which asserts, that in answer to a question put
to the Duke of Wellington, tending to obtain his
permission for the publication of a letter to him on
the spoliation of the Museum of Paris, his Grace had
declared, under his own hand, his absolute indiffe-
rence as to all that may is said or written of hies.
—lf his Grace did make such an' answer, and we
can very readily believe be did, be only assumed that
degree of elevation which became his illustrious cha-
racter ; and we are willing lb own, that in pursuing
a different line of conduct in the present instance, he
has somewhat descended from that elevation. Yet
however erroneously the Duke may have been ad-
vised both in paint of law and of propriety in insti-
tuting this legal process, we scarcely think the public
will be less disposed to a belief in the real malignity
of the libel, oy a judgment, which, from the whole
of its manner and substance, may be considered rather
as kaing thanjadjia: the question.

The Aarau Jerrold contains a long letter from one
of the Ex-Wirtemberg Deputies, on the subject of
the political differences in that State, which are still
far from approaching to a happy termination. The
votes of almost all the Communes, on the plan ul
Constitution proposed by the KtNo, have now, it ap-
pears, been collected ; and it turns out, that while
these of the new Provinces have declared themselves
unanimously in its favour, not a single Commune in
the old territory has voted for its acceptance.
The cause of this local difference of opinion, we
find, has been greatly misunderstood—becanse, in
.fact, it has been very grossly misrepreiented. Ac-
cording to the complexion which the Knio and his
advisers have uniformly endeavosned, in their various
addresses and publications. to give to the matter, the
Deputies, and through them the people of Old Wk.
temberg, refuse acceding to the proposed Constitn-
*ln for no better reason than that in consequence of
its involving an integral union between the old and
the new Provinces, and of the Deputies for the new,
teiritories'eiceeding in number those of the old, such
an union would tend to lessen the individual as well
as aggregate importance of the latter. Now this ib

very tar incl. el hens being the real state of the case.
The Deputies of the ancient Provinces do.not objet t 1
to an unio ► from any thing in to mere matter o
union itself—they only object to an union under sod,
a Constitution as that which is now endeavoured to le it
on th:m. Nor is it from any thing like prejudice or
factiousness, that they alone object to the Constitu-
tion, while the new Deputies as unanimously approve
it ; but from a great and essential difference between
the political circumstances of the two divisions of old
and new Wirtemberg, which is not more justifica-
tory of the unanimous rejection of the one, than (in
the view of expediency) it is of the unanimous ac-
ptance of the other.
The new Provinces, a• collection of scattered par-
cels, the fruits of recent conquest and negociation,
have never yet had any national consolidation, any
constitutional system of government at all—but the
old Provinces, forming what was anciently the Duchy
of Wirtemberg, are able to boast of having once en-
joyed a more perfect civil organization, and a more
ii.;eral plan of Constitution, thin any other ttrritory
in Germany, or perhaps in the o hole Continent.
In the ancient Provinces of Wirtemberg, the No-
bles bad no peculiar power or privileges of any kind.
The people were under the protection of a represen-
tative body, which bad not only the power of grant-
ing or refusing taxes, and through this the superin-
cndance of the public expenditare, but authority to
watch over the integrity of the State, the rigid of a
free emigration to other coinstria, and in general to guard
.against all abuses of power either towards indivi-
di or in transactions with foreign States. No
-ooner, however, had the last Duke attached himself
o the late Scourge of Europe, and been raised by
. ins to the Royal dignity, than, acting up to the
despotic principles to which he owed his elevation, he
immediately issued a proclamation, declaring the
Constitutico. of the Duchy abolished, and that his
now loyal Will should in future be the only law fur
his subjects. And so his royal will did continue to
govern, while the star of OONAPARTE remained in
the ascendant ; but when the powerful arm which
.tad hitherto sustained, could no longer render him
any assistance, finding it impossible to replenish his
exhausted treasury without the consent of the States,
•e was reluctantly compelled again to convoke that
nody. The States, with great propriety, insisted as
sine gun non, tin the re-establishment of the ancient
Constitution ; but this the Km refused. A Project
t a new Constitution was then submitted to the
States, which they unanimously rejected. If the
4onarch had dared, it is supposed the States would
now have been dissolved, but the public opinion was
,o strong in their favour to permit this step to be
taken. Even after they had nobly and constitution-
aity declared that if the Keno should attempt to levy.
• me taxa, die imposition of whit!) he had threat-
-ned, they would absolve the people from every'
.bligation to pay them, they still continued to meet
and to deliberate for the public good.
On the accession of the reigning Sovereign to the
throne, it was expected, from the high character he
Had previously acquired, that he would have adopted
a more constitutional line of conduct. But, instead
of restoring the ancient Constitution, and incorpo.
rating, as might have been and may still be done, !
the lately acquired territories into the benefit of it,
he thought proper to repeat the experiment of im-
posing a quite new Constitution upon the whole people
under his dominion. Into the •merits of the plan he
proposed, it is at present unnecessary to enter. It is
enough to state that it was also rejected by a very
great majority of the Delegates, who, by so doing,
conceived they were conferring an essential benefit on
their constituents.

Although thus, like his father, bailed in his design
on the liberties of his people, the KIND felt himself
in a position which enabled him to do what his father
dared not venture in the same situation. With a
large army, kept up on a pretence of external danger,
with Austria and Prussia linked to him by the closest
family connection, to back hits in any case of emer•
gency ; with great resources in his own personal intel_
ligence and ability and courage, he felt confidence
enough in his own strength arbitrarily to dissolve that
Assembly whose suffrages he could neither conciliate
nor command.

Still desirous. however. of keeping up a semblance
of constitutional principle in his proceedings, he im-
mediately qualified this dispersion of the representa-
tives of the people by an appeal to the people them-
selves. The result of that appeal we have previously
stated; and from the explanations we have given, our
Readers will now see, without surprize, how it hap-
pens that the people of the old and new Provinces
are so completely divided on the :abject.
To the new Provinces, who have never hid any
.Constitution att all, it is evidently se matter of some
expediency to take whatever they can get in the first
instance, relying, as they may safely do, on the course
of events for the ultimate attainment of a system
more. suitable to their wishes ; bat to the old Pro-
vines, who have already long enjoyed one of the best
of Constitutions—to a people who have inherited the
blessings of liberty in a state of high and enviab/e
perfection, it becomes no less evidently sidut y in which
every noble and patriotic feeling unites to struggle for
the preservation ut dial Constitution in all. its iir.t-
grity. to the last ; to hold firmly the vantage ground
on which, their forefathers have left them, and to con-
sent to no sort of modifitaeon or affiliation, which
can lower them one single step in the scale of civil

digrity and happintqc., let tl.e new territoriPs, :t
justly contendA, be aden:tte,f, if they desire it, to
participation in the benefl3 of the Constitution Oih,
belonged, and estiil b;::ongs of right to the 013 ;
let nut the incorp,utttion of new territories be ttipd
an excuse fur m.iking one common jumble of
rights and pretensions of both—for milking a nra
and imperfect beginning of mitten, which in rest;
of one of the parties, are already bo well rerlec:e,
and established.

Nor is it to be supposed, on account cf the untc.
mity with which the new Provinces have voted for the
new Constitution, th it they approve of i: so pr:f:
rably as to object to such an incorporation into
old as is here pointed out. It is because they wrs
without choice that they have been unanimous-,.be.
cause possessing nothing they have been glad to ac•
cept ut any thing. Let the KING only give then
the option of adopting either, and it will be seen cf
what value their present suffrages are; and until Le
does give them this option indeed; nohidy tan
ascribe to their suffrages, either for or against Ca
new plan of Constitution, the least value whatever.
What the issue of this contest between the pc,p:e
of Wirtemberg and their Sovereign may be, we
cannot trust ourselves to anticipates of this we feel
well assured, that it foreign Powers were not to in.
terfere—it the people were to have no such examphi
as tgat of MASSENZACII to teach them, that the onil
refuge from their sovereign's displeasure may be
foreign dungeos, the contest would be soon er‘t:::::
the way that all honest men would desire.

All the accounts which we have yet seen of C.e
arrest of Colonel VoN IslassENnacir, bear on the face
of them evident marks of having originated with the
Prussian Government. There is an endeavour in all
of them to withdraw our attention from the odium
and disgrace of the transaction to the joersonal merit
or demerit of Colonel VON MasseNiactr, which h
quite a separate consideration. It Colonel Vw
MASSENBACII were an individual of the very lowest
character, it Was not the less disgraceful in a State
calling itself free, to give him up without trial or in•
vestigation, on the mere requisition of another Co.
vernment. We cannot believe, if Colonel Masscs.
Bawl is the man which these Prussian accounts
would make him, if he could descend to an act of
such meanness as to demand money for the suppres.
sion of a work, that in a small State, like Wirtent.
berg. where a people of simple manners have -not
yet acquired that indifference to private character
which is too often found in great capitals, he weal!
have enjoyed such a high degree of popularity, or
that in his complaint to the Diet, he would have had
the assurance to boast of the uniform purity of his
motives. But were he ten times more base than his

accusers state him to be, he had a right to the protec•
tion of the laws of his country, which all agree have
in this instance been grievously violated.

The French Papers of Tuesday arrived last night;
in a preceding column we have given some extracts
from them. We have today also received those of
Wednesday, of which the following are the princitial
contents. The Spanish news from Mexico are, it
will be observed, like all their accounts, of a se7,
old date.