Star.
London, England, 1817-12-23 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TliE STAR.

eta—Belleving it is not- generally known That the Public
Mourning terminated yesterday, we beg your insertion of the
enclosed Paper, net only in behalf of the Manufacturer and
Shopkeeper, but of thousands of the Labouriog Poor who are
now out of employment in consequence of that event.
London, Dec. 22, 1817. losers TODD and Co.
" COURT MOURNINOS.
(COPY).
" FROM THE LONDON (31A7ETTE, NOV. 16, 1816.

- -
" LORD CHAPRIMILAIN'S °talcs, Nov. 16, 1616.
" Notice is hereby given, that his Royal Highness the Prince
Regent has been pleased to command, that all Court Mourning.
(except those of very short period.) shall, in future, be abridged
Half of the Duration as at present established: and further, that
all Court Mourning, of a long duration, shall, after the first Six
Weed, be worn only at Court and no Sundayt."

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1817.
THE FUNDS.
Pelee of Stocks this day at Twelve o'Cleek:

Reduced 9011—Cons. shut—For Opening, 61
4 per Cent. 96-5 per Cent. Navy abut
India Bonds 96 99 pr.—Exchequer Bins 17 22 pr.

Various rumours are circulated in the City relative to *change
of Ministry, &e. and such reports, which generally follow a rise
or fall In the price of the Funds, have been industriously circu-
lating. The depression Oh morning has been seriously felt by
large Fund-holders, and such is their eagerness to sell, that at a
time when S per Cent. Reduced was Hol, the Commissioners
were offered Et 47,000 at Sok. An eminent Broker afterwards
offered them at nog}.. A third d the Commlssienen with
this enormous amount of Reduced at so. This is a fall of
1 per Cent. from the price at which the Market opened. A:
One ci'Cloelt they had recovered—Reduced was at tit; Consols
ej for opening.

Our readers have already been informed, by ex-
tracts from the American papers which have ap-
peared in the STAR, of the arrest of eleven British
Officers at Philadelphia ; but the public have never
yet been rightly informed as to the particulars. By
a letter from a most respectable house in that city we
learn that their arrest was by a writ from Judge
WASHINGTON. They were passing quietly as strap.
gets through the American States, and had taken
out their passage for the West Indies. They were
seized upon a construction given to an old Act of
Congress of 1795, prohibiting the furnishing ot neu-
tral belligerents with munitions of sear ; and it was pre
tended that these British Officers by transferring, as,
was presumed, their own bodies to South America,
which it was contended was their ultimate destination,
whatever they might shew ostensibly, were in fact, far.
nishing the principal arm of war to one of the parties.
The proceedings of Judge WASHINGTON, (who is
considered a very weak man) had caused much sur-
prise among all ranks and parties in America; for these
officers had with them only their side arms, which
even when on half•pay, every officer has a right to
carry at all times; and it is the opinion of many of
the best informed, that this arrest is an act which
the British Authorities cannot pass over without some
serious notice. It is diffizult to account for Judge
WASHINGTON'S conduct, unless upon a mistaken idea
that he would thus manifest to the Spanish Consul,
the sincere desire of the United States to maintain a
perfect neutrality andimpartiality. But if this was'
his motive he has mistaken altogether the means;',
for while he has thus seized upon the persons of indi-
viduals who were violating no law, and had a right
to transport themselves whither they pleased, it is
notorious that almost every week, vessels loaded with
warlike stores are cleared oat from the ports of the
United States, which every one knows are bound for
South America. .

If this proceeding be tamely submitted to, it will
establish a most dangerous precedent, as it will sub-
ject British subjects travelling through the United
States, on any business whatever, to the caprice and
whim of any Magistrate, who may choose to seize
their persons' on an assumed power that he has a
right to interfere as to the place and object of their
destination. Such a power has never yet been con-
ceded, nor ever will be to any power upon earth with
which Britain maintains the relations of peace and

amity.
From the detention of the packet Swiftsure for
about twelve days, at the time the preceding event
occurred, it is believed at Philadelphia that our Am-
bassador, the Hon. Mr. BAcsor, has sent home pre-
cise information and a strong representation to the
British Cove:amen' upon the subject.

Yesterday the Earl Of LIVERPOOL arrived in town
from Worcester.

Lord Ciurrutaaacm has been closely confined at his
Office for several days past upon business. The Noble
Lnrd is expected to leave town the latter end of the
week, on a visit to the PRINCE RICIENT at Brighton.
The Duchess of MILLINGTON arrive/in town yes,
terday, from France.
Mr. Rum, the new Ambassador from America, son
tithe eelebrided Dr. Rum, arrived in town yesterday.
Prince LZOPOLD has taken a house for his town re-
sidence in Grosvenor-place. Camelford-horse is to
be quitted by his establishment imtned;ately, and
Igreat part of the effects are packed up for Grosvenor.
place. The intention of occupying Marlborough-
hoof is now quite given up.
Mr. RerroN, the newly-married husband of the
Lonn CHANCILLOB'S daughter, is son to a Gentle-
man well known for his ability in landscape soften-
ing; and is related to Mr. Nash, the Architect.
The Bench and the Bat may now boast that they
have met with a Hew/capable of sharpening their wits !
The Majestic and Thaws steam-boats are now em-.
ployed in towing outward-bound vessels down the
River to. Gravesend, against wind and tide—so far
these inventions are of commercial benefit, as any
ship, of upwards of 500 tons burthea, can reach the
Downs by a certain day. Formerly, at this season
of the year, ships have been detained for weeks toge-
ther in the River, horn tne adversity of the

HAMBURGH PAPERS.

This morning an additional parcel of Himburgh
papers reached us,from which we extract the following

LETTERS FROM M. LAS CASAS s
1. TO LORD SIDHOUTH.

- •
11 My Loan—l am extremely sorry that I have the
honour to write to your Lordship, and knowing for
certain that I shall not remain here long enough to
receive your answer, which would, perhaps, fulfil all
my wishes.. For these four days I have been in the
hands of your State Messenger, who, on his arrival,
had restored to me my papers, which had been pre-
viously sealed up, with the declaration that I might
do with them what I thought proper.
" After this he saw me constantly writing, and
even encouraged me to do so, and waited till the
very moment of my departure to take from me (.0 I
was on the point of setting sail) all Rey papers, 'even
the most trifling, in your name.
" This is a trap, my Lord, which I cannot find
lit in my heart to ascribe to any higher person than
the man who laid it for me.

" This messenger understood nothing but English.
He had an assistant with him who pretended to under.
stand some French, and desired to read the papers
one atter another, and has; notwithstanding, kept
them all. He would have had enough to du to read
them all in a week, and I did nut think that AN indi-
vidual had such a right over me.

mi Every thing has been taken from me : letters,
notes, my, son's writing•books, deeds of property, do-
meitic ►ecrets, official documents of Sir Hudson
Lowe and Lord Charles Somerset, my journals, and
even a letter to the French Minister of Police, and
another to my wife, which, being here at leisure, I
had already directed, that it might be forwarded as
soon as 1 landed at Ostend. They have been taken
from me, witbout making an inventory of them or
numbering them ; and they declared it was done by
your Lordship's orders.
" In the first moment of indignation I protested
against such violence, and enquired for a Magistrate,
that I might make my complaint to him. I will
not here repeat the answer which I received.

" As there is nothing I so much dislike as to have
my name mentioned in public discussions, and consi-
dering that it was impossible that you could have pre-
scribed such conduct, which is opposed to all the
legal rules in the world, by which public officers must
guard themselves against him, who, in such a case
might affirm that some papers had been taken away
or others substituted ; considering this, I contented
myself, when I recovered my temper, with trying
by all possible means, and by all possible arguments,
to induce the messenger who disposed of my fate, to
delay my voyage till I could write to your Lordship,
and receive from you the confirmation of his rigo-
rous order.

6I This man who detained me three days on the
most trifling pretext. was not to be moved in respect
to this affair, though it was so important. Netwith-
star.ding all my representations that I had not the
smallest objection to have all my papers looked over
by confidential persons appointed by your Lordship
for the purpose, and that your Lordship must your-
self desire that certain formalities were observed in
respect tome; that in the examination of my papers,
my presence would be very useful. if not absolutely
necessary, to give explanations respecting things that
would not be understood without me; that he sent
me in person to the Continent and kept my papers in
London ; that it was to be feared that there was a
misunderstanding, and that in 24 hours all would be
cleared•up. be answered me coldly, that I need not
be uneasirespecting my return from the Continent.
if it should be necessary, since you would pay all
the expenses.—To what hands, my Lord, have you
delivered me ?

44 On another occasion, my Lord, which was
certainly against your instructions, I was obliged to
impose silence upon the man who guarded me, on
account of his gross abuse of the august person whom
I honour above every thing in the world.
" In one word, my Lord, since I have touched
your coast, I am treated as a malefactor, and in
what does my crime consist ? That I, as perhaps is
believed, have a different political opinion, and went
I voluntarily into imprisonment at Longwood ! But is
not the last the mon noble and excellent action that
is known, and so ooble that every body would re_
joice in his heart to have given this example ? My
Lord, the natural mildness and justice which are at-
tributed to you, cannot, possibly, have approved all
that has been done to me.

N I have received permission, and have hastened
to seal the papers taken • from me, not to protect
myself against your Lordship, but on the contrary
for your interest, to supply the deficiency in the forth
which might, perhaps, have compromised your agents.
44 I beg your Lordship again to torn your atten.
lion to my affair., and lb decide nothing respecting
my papers till.you have received from me the infor-
mation which you may desire, and which you shall
have to your entire satisfaction.
44 I assure you, beforehand, that however different
the opinions and feelings may be that will be found
in them, there is not one respecting which judicial ex-
amination or amicable negotiations could not take
place. Nothing interesting will be found in them
relative to affairs of state, nor any political secret.—
I have never ha any thing of the kind ; and if it

bad been the ease, If should, long r.:(l.:c,
wanted v opportunity to make use of ;t.

" This is, perhaps, my i.ord, t',e place
should mention the palm-, which were tak f
me at St. Helena, as well as many other *!,;ns
specting which I shall have to speak with rata
stip or with Lnrd Bergs:lt. But the four
I have left, and the coofusiol in my Om:V:, wi•ii
such sudden and unexpected events occasion, ob!i
me to put k off till another t;rl-.

" I sh4ll wait with impatience fn- 7cr.n.
answer, where, I know riot. perhaps at lavd!,
I obtain permission to st p bare
nour, &c. (Sign( d) t.Aft 'r.
" Dover, 22d Nov. 1817."

[This copy is trade from mein.-)ry, and some m•i
therefore, be di6ereitt 1: all the orig:Ial; but tbc i..rguagt an
the sense are certainly the earr.el.

11. LETTER TO LORD POLLAXD
• " MY Lnßo—l had the horoar to ‘nd you a 1
ter from the extremity of Africa, wish a d irkcate
it. I h ipe that you will p trdon the tertine that d;
tated it to me. It drew Inc, though ti : rr.,wr, •
him, who from love of justice and et,..tress of tr.r
took up the most noble'. II ca.ises. I h;1 add
to ii the few documents that 1 h .d n my hands, t;
grievances at Longwood, my irtspondence sid
S r Hudson Lone, and the sketc.l)ot a petitinn
Parliament. Have yell ever receivitthrm

s, The mere unfortnnatc I become, the more
my confidence increase. The treatment I have to
ctived since I approached the English coast, and Os
impulse it has given to that which ! have esperience