Star.
London, England, 1811-09-30 00:00:00

already Attained, and inability to resist misfortUnes
that impend.
IV. It is a common error, to consider the misfor-
tunes of Sovereigns as those of their nation ; and it
is loosely thought among us, that the misfortunes of
the Court of Naples have been also calamitous to the
Sicilian subjects of the King. But this has not been
the case : on the contrary, the misfortunes of the
Court of Naples have essentially promoted the pro.
«parity of Sicily. It does not appear necessary to ad-
rduce proofs of the beneficial effects to the Sicilians of
the residence of their supreme Government among
them. A friend, who has visited Sicily at two diffe-
rent periods, and both from what he noticed and heard
from others, between the Autumn of 1809 and the
Spring of 1811, assures us that a visible improvement
had taken place; and the most discontented of the Sici-
lians will not scruple to admit, that since the flight of
the Court from Naples and its arrival in Palermo, the
country has been augmented in riches and comforts.
It is not necessary to allude at present to the obvious
causes of this improvement. It is sufficient that the
fact is indisputable, and that our aid to Sicily cannot
be grounded on any alledged misfortunes.
V. We have undertaken the defence of Sicily, not
because the Sicilians are unable to defend themselves,
but rather because they have not provided for it. The
nobility and clergy of Sicily are exempted from taxes,
and the population, in no proportion like our's, is
called on to furnish troops The population of Sicily
Is perhaps equal to that of Scotland. The clergy and
nobility, who are masters of the greatest part of the
island, do not contribute any thing to the service of
tha State ; the clergy are even paid by the British for
the barracks which they afford the British soldiers
sent to protect them. In natural riches, Sicily is
greatly superior to Scotland ; and when one reflects
that for several years no less a sum of British money
than Z 1400,000 has been without expectation flowing
into it, Sicily may be regarded even in point of hoard-
ed wealth, as superior to Scotland. She is not there-
fore leas able to defend herself. To place the matter
in a brief form, and a clear light, let us consider the
two countries as equal in resources and population.
VI. The number of the British troops quartered in
Sicily is about 15,000 men. The whole militia of Scot-
land does not exceed 12,000 men. The charge of
these 15,000 men, with the subsidy, is upward of
5t1,200,000t. The whole annual amount of the assess-
ed taxes and income tax of Scotland, is not equal to this
sum. It is therefore clear, that were we not engaged
to defend Sicily, Scotland might b: relieved from the
income tax, the assessed taxes, and her militia, without
impairing the Revenue appropriated to other purpo-
..
ses, and without diminishing our disposable army.
VIL The Sicilian army is generally understood not
to amount to 20,000 men, but taking it at the same
number as the British garrison, it would follow that
on army of 35,000 is d:emed sufficient for the de.
fence of Sicily. The population of the island is esti-
mated at a million and half, and it is probably not
less than that number. A population of 1,500,000
souls is capable of furnishing an army of more than
30,000 men. Were the resources of the country ex-
cited, there would then be no need for our army in
Sicily ; anfl were the Nubility and Clergy taxed only
to the amount of the Income Tax and Assessed Taxes
paid by the territorial proprietors of Scotland, Sicily
would have no need whatever of our aid. Our aid is
therefore not required by any inability on the part of
Sicily to defend herself; nor called forth by misfor-
tunes which she has suffered ; nor by considerations
of commercial utility, and still less by the apprehen-
sion of injury that we might sustain, were she ac-
tually occupied by the enemy. Is not the fair con-
clusion then from all this, that for some object Of
p-licy uct yet revealed to the common world, we
Mace resolved to bestow a great boon on the Siciiians?
In our next we shall examine the effects of our -gene-
tons Machiavellistn.
N.B. A t prevent, owing to the state of the exchange, it is about
et 000,000.

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER SO.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
3 per Ct. Cons. for money 634}—Ditto for account 651
3 per Ct. Reduces! abut—Navy 5 per Cent. 94+95
4 per Cent. slut—Bonds le. 15s.pre.—Omoram tits.
Ixeb. Bills (3d.) le. to Cs. dis.—Ditto (3;d.) Is. to Y.s. prem.

Lord WILLIAM BENTINCK, whose sudden return
from Sicily has already been noticed, had a long au-
dience, on Saturday at noon, with the PRINCE RE.
*ENT, at York-House, to which he was introduced by
the Marquis WELLESLEY, his Majesty's Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs.
To pretend to divine the precise incident which oc-
assioned Lord WILLIAM BENTINex's visit to this coun-
try would be absurd, while the Government choose
,so conceal it ; but the general complexion of our re-
lations with the Cabinet of Palermo cannot be dis-
guised, and sound policy will, 'ere long, render it im-
perative that the great council of the Nation be fully
informed on this busincas.
That French intrigue has been active, and with
considerable success, with the Sicilian Cabinet, can-
-IE 4 we believe be doubted. Report says that Lord
Wm. BaNTITICK, to a remonstrance which he pre-
sented on this subject, received an intimation .that
•ur interference with the affairs of Sicily would not
remitted. ligweyer 11U3 amr bet we man- in