Star.
London, England, 1829-07-23 00:00:00

MALTA, MAY 2!.

On the 19th of May a Piracy Court was held here, for the trial
of four Greeks, brought to this island by his Majesty's brig Alacrity,
Captain Nlas. The Commissioners were Sir Jobn &oddest, Sir
Frederick Hsnkey, Sir Thomas Stains, and Captain Hayes.
The prisoners were arraigned on two different indictments : the
one for robbing an lonian bombard, St. Nicolo; the other for rob-
bing the lonian schooner, Minerva, both in or near the Gulf of
Salonica, in Dec. last. The Grand Jury, on the 19th, found true bills
on both indictments. On the 20th a jury, composed of five English
and seven foreigners, was impannelled to try the prisoners on the
first indictment, that is, for the robbery of the bombard. From
the variety of languages into which it was incumbent to interpret
the evidence—Greek, Turkish, Italian, and English—the trial
continued until the evening of the 22d, when the Jury retired,l
and, after two hours' deliberation, returned with a verdict of
Guilty against the master, Theodore Pertarinos, and Demitre
Piteca, his palicare er assistant. The other two were Janni Mar-
rancubo and Janni j these two men were not pirates;
they had been hired at three piastres a day to row the boat from
Volo to Treeary, and were detained on board, miens, miens; they
were declared innocent. On the 23d, at eleven o'clock, the Court
met, when sentence of death was pronounced ; and the two who
were acquitted were remanded to prison, to be tried on the second
indictment. The Court was declared adjourned until 13th June.
It is not expected, however, that the trial will be proceeded in.
The palicare Decilitre Piteca, a most determined young villain,
not yet nineteen years of age, and who has been guilty of the
greatest atrocities, when he was taken, said be *as wounded by a
shot in the eye, and persisted in it, until he was examined by the
surgeon of the Alacrity, but no wound was found, excepting a small
black mark on the arch under the eye brow. He aid—" I know
no ball can enter my flesh, I have a charm against it—a bit of
the true cross of CHRIST, which a person wearing on his person
can never be injured by a ball." The Greek pilot of the
Alacrity possessed himself of this precious relic, which is not so
large as a cartaway seed, and preserved in melted wax. The pall-
, care being asked what proof he had of the immunity of the charm,
said, that he and several of his companions laid it on the back of a
lamb, which they tied to a tree, and each fired several shots at it ;
they saw the balls strike the lamb and fly off, bat the animal re-
mained uninjured!!
This morning the two pirates were executed at Florian, on that
point of the fortifications which looks into the harbour of Valetta •1
they are not to be hung in chains. Their two acquitted companion:
wete taken with akin to the foot of the gallows.

INVASION OF MEXICO.

From the New York I.terno,l of Commerce.

The late news from Havannah has set curiosity at work to de-
termine whether the invasion of Mexico is s►riously contemplated
by Spain, or whether all this " pomp and circumstance" is merely
a feint for the accomplishment of purposes best known to the
power that moves the springs.—For ourselves, we incline to the'
former opinion—l st, because it Is in perfect keeping with the whole
line of conduct pursued by Spain since the independence of her
colonies; and 2d, because we can see no object to be gained by a
mere feint, which would at all compensate for the trouble and ex-
pense of the expedition. To other nations than Spain, it has long
been apparent that the possession of her former colonies was for
ever lost to her; but she, although holding not a foot of soil on the
American continent, has not to this day acknowledged their inde-
pendence, and seems honestly to suppose that by might of magic,
by hook or by crook, she shall yet regain the sovereignty she has
lost The expedition fitting out at Havannah is a legitimate result
of this infatuation ; and supposing it destined against Mexico, is at
least as well contrived, and as promptly gut up, as most other
expeditions set on foot by his Catholic Majesty for the maintenance
or recovery of his dominion in the West. Not that we suppose
there is the least chance of success; although doubtless a landing
may be effected, and possibly as much suffering occasioned to the
Mexicans as will be experienced by the invaders. But what are
5,000 men fur the invasion of such a country as Mexico? And as
to the 20,000 troop• from Spain, who are to reinforce the expedi-
don, it is probable but few or none of them will ever arrive.
No argument, however, can be drawn against the probability of
the proposed undertaking, from the hopelessness of success, for
counting the cost is not a matter with which the King of Spain is
familiar, either in affairs of a political or financial nature. Driven
on by a blind destiny—the same which has reduced his country
from being the mistress of Europe, to such a ►tate of depression that
it scarcely occupies a.place in the calendar of nations—encouraged,
perhaps, by the late disorganizing movements in Mexico—and
writhing under the loss of 2,000,000 dollars per annum, which he
used to receive from it as a reward for his oppression—how can it be
thought strange, that with the feeble means which be possesses, he
should attempt once more to bring it under subjection? To this
course he would be urged the rather, by the remonstraw:es which
have been, or are likely to be, made by other European Ge-
-1 vernments, in accordance with numerous petitions from their
respective subjects, against refusing to acknowledge the inde-
pendence of the new republic% notwithstanding he had ceased all
efforts to regain them.
The folly of this expedition appears to have been well under-
stood by Governor Vives and Admiral Laborde, who (according
to an unpublished letter from Havannah), after receiving the first
older to make a descent upon Mexico, took upon themselves the
responsibility of postponing its execution until they should have re-
ptesented to his Majesty the dangerous nature of the undertaking,
and begged his reconsideration of the purpose he had formed. His
reply was a peremptory repetition of the order.
If it be supposed that the expedition is only intended as a feint,
we ask what can be the object of such a feint? Not, surely, to
intimidate the Mexicans into submission; for this would be more
ridiculous than even the proposed invasion. Not to make an attack
upon Colombia ; for there an army would be met, quite as efficient,
hoot so numerous, as that of Mexico ; while the possession of the
country, if by possibility it should be re-conquered, would be of
far less value. These are the only Spanish republics which lie
within the region of the point of attack, except Guatemala ; w►ich
undoubtedly has shown itself worthy of being re-committed to the
arms of its tyrant mother, though we doubt if she would be anxious
to receive it.
IMPORTANT FROM COLOMBIA.

We learn from the passengers who arrived on Saturday in the
Isckooner Chatham, in twenty-two days from Porto Cabello, that a
shoretime before their departure a proclamation was received from
Bogota, and read in the streets of Porto Cabello, stating that war
bad been again declared by Colombia against Peru. A frigate and
two sloops of war were lying at Porto Cabello, and another frigate
was expected daily. The whole would be put into service as soon
as provisions shou:l be received from the United States, which
bad been orderd some time previous- The gentlemen beard the
proclamation read ; yet we cannot but hope there is some mistake
about the matter.

AMERICAS Locuars.—A letter from Augusta, in
eisorgia, tidied Ilth ult. says that "The locusts, which are nume-
rous so the swamp and the oak woods in this vicinity, aredebtroy-
lug the leases of the (tun and forest trees in some parts of toe
country. They h ,ye not yet attacked the growing crop—they are
so numerous in the swamps below this city, that a respectable
planter told us the other days that kis bogs were getting fat oo
them. They art small—but little larger than the large horse fly—
' and make a noise like the free hug."