Star.
London, England, 1819-12-25 00:00:00

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THE EVENING STAR.

140 \DON.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1819.
Camellias MT.—Holiday at the Public Offices.

The Petition to which we yesterday alluded, was
presented last night to the Rouse of Commons, pray-
ing inquiry into the causes of commercial distress.
A hint that some change in the measures resolved on
respecting the resumption of cash payments, was
firmly, and very properly, scouted by Lord CASTLE..
REACH. This very firmness will in itself go far to
allay the apprehensions of monied men, and to in-
troduce order and consistency into the transactions
in the money market. At the same time, Ministers
seem not indisposed to pay attention to any thing
rational that may be proposed for the relief of com-
merce. Nov there is one point hinted at by the Pe-
titioners, which deserves instant attention. By the,
way in which the Charter of the India Company
has been framed, for the sake of giving that Com-
pany a monopoly of the China trade, the free
British merchants are not only excluded from the
China trade to Britain—which is what was intended
—but from the China trade to the Continent 1
which is, thereby, most absurdly thrown into the
hands of other Nations, particularly the Americans.
Now what is the result? From all British capital
employed in this•trade (for much of it is so em-
ployed) there is a deduction for foreign agency; and,
besides this, all the general agency profits of entrepot
are necessarily transferred to the Dutch and other
ports to which the vessels engaged in the trade are
necessarily obliged to go. Now it is self-evident,
that it would be no injury to the India Company,
were the Teas that are brought to Europe, for the
Continental Markets, allowed to be warehoused in
England by the private traders: This would •add
greatly to our commercial prOsperity, as, in this case,
all the profits of naval outfit, of agency, of return
cargoes, &c. would be secured to the British Mer-
chant, and this without the slightest injury to the
India Company, instead of being forced, by the opera-
tion of a very absurd and improvident law, into the
pockets of our commercial .rivals. This measure
should be instantly adopted, nor can we for a mo- -
ment believe that the India Company would oppose
it : on the contrary, if they rightly view their own
interests, they will support it.

The Paris Papers of Monday and Tuesday have
ari ived, but their contents are unimportant.

The accounts which we gave yesterday, from Ja-
maica, were brought by the packet that has been
for some time missing : she left Jamaica on the 26th
of October, and lost her rudder in severe weather.—
We insert in our columns this day some further ex-
tracts relating to the ill-fortune of those who have
followed the rash enterprise of that • stupid fellow
M'GnEcon, with other intelligence from the Spanish
Main. The following wounded Officers have reached
Port Royal :

Colonel Borten, of the Ist Lancers; Captains John Lafoy,
Edward Graham, John I'. Conroy, and John T. Shotte, of the
Regiment of Hibernia ; Captains J. Canrell and J. Cullen, and
Dr. Henry Booth. Mrs. Eyre, the wife of Colonel Eyre, and
two of their children, have also arrived there. This lady lost
one child at Rio-de-la •Ilache, and her husband, who was sick
on shore, was abandoned to his fate. Sir H. Popham very be-
nevolently promoted a subscription, which he headed with a
donation of twenty-five pounds, for the purpose of affording
some relief to Mrs. Eyre, and which amounts to nearly £3OO !

Extract of a letter from Santiago de Chile, Aug.s:

'Lord COCHRANE is expected to sail in September. One
thousand troops are to be embarked,'who will act upon the coast
of Peru, if not a little farther to the Northward. Rockets are
preparing very fast, which makes It probable that operations will
commence by an attack upon the Spanish shipping in Callao ;
150,000 dollars belonging to the Philippine Company have been
captured, besides cocoa, spirits, and other articles ;"'O,OllO dol.
lags, or thereabouts, in charge of Captain &rtat, a North Ame-
rican, were intercepted some leagues in land near Supi. The
relit was taken out of a French brig. Both Captains preferred
signing certificates that it was Spanish property, to proceeding
to Valparaiso, to have the subject investigated. They acted
wisely; for, in that case, they might have lost their vessels.—
Lord C. had very accurate information concerning them; his
Lordship stands higher than ever in the estimation of all ranks.
Ilia decision, amidst difficulties of no common kind, has inva-
rial-iy turned out to he for the best. Perhaps no other man
could have been able, under the disadvantages he his had to
contend with, to keep up the order and harmony in the squadron,
and to maintain the good understanding which pervades the navl
departments; his equitable firmness, his tranquil, gentlemanly
manners, and the confidence he has every where inspired, has
rendered him inconceivably popular. His defying the Spanish
fleet with his single frigate, tickles the fancy of the Chilese most
amazingly. The O'Higgins is the dread of the Royalists, for
whenever any thing is to be done, the flag-ship is always the drat
and most exposed. Lord COCHRANZ has Naval Officers of the
very first rate professional talents in command under him ; and,
in short, the Patriot fleet is equal to any force Spain can send
against it.

Admiral BLANCO bas published a memoir, justifying the raising
the blockade of Callao, which is perfectly satisfactory, and eons.
pletely does away the unfavousablc impressions excited by the
intrigues of his enemies. This Officer has, upon several great
occasions, displayed the greatest gallantry, and always deserved
well of his country.

Every thing here is quiet and peaceable. Government is be-
coming tolerably rich—the army is weU enough clothed—and
- people more determined and enthUsiastic than ever. Some
irincipal characters, with ayew British merchants, have
, upon certain conditions, to equip 6,000 men, and pro-
them for three months, alter their arrival in Peru. Ge-
. SAW niIITIN has been invited over, and if he approves of
pun, it will be acted upon. The army of the Andes swore

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