Star.
London, England, 1817-05-24 00:00:00

TRENCH PAPERS.

The Paris Papers of Tuesday arrived last night,
and thos • of ‘VeJnesday this morning.
The Maslow of the 20th contains a Royal Ordi-
nance, by which various economical refdrms are made
in the public administration. The Conservators of
Forests, the Administrators of the Posts, of the Cus-
tom:, and of indirect Contributions, are suppressed,
and their duties assigned to other officers ; while the
number of Administrators for the Registry of Do-
mains and Forests is reduced to four. The saving
from these reductions will, it is understood, be very
considerable.

The Marquts de CA7II"LORES, the Ambassador
from Spain to the C"urt cf Brazil, passed through
Paris on the 20th instant,. on his way to London, to
assist in the negociations carrying on at the Court of
St. James's, respecting the differences between Spain
and Portugal.
' The fate of General Lacy appears still undecided.
Some private letters assert, that his associate, Milan:,
having collected a force in the mountains, has
threatened the most dreadful reprisals in the event of
' Lacy's being put to death. A conespondent, in cne
of the Journals, who. gives a very particular account
of Lacy's lite and adv.mtures, endeavours to shew
that he has been affl.cted with a habitual insanity ;
and if his statements are true it must be confessed that
there seems but tc,o much reason tor the conclusion.
Letters from Palermo state, that at the cessation
of an earthquake, tl.e sea retired to a great distance
trorn the shore, and that much snow fell, accompanied
with a cold so intense as had never before been expe-
rienced by the Sicilians. Other letters state, that
Mount Etna has opened six new craters, and that al
village situated in the neighbourhood of Nicolosi has
been overflowed by the lava. This intelligence re-
quires confirmation, as the last Papers from Naples
do not mention it.

The Finch funds have experienced a depression.
On the `2o►h they tell so 67 ft. 75 c.

SPAIN.

Letters of•the Bth instant from Madrid, mention
that the new Finance Nan of Don Maoris GALe?,
amounting in fact. to a species of Income Tax, had
received the approbation of the Council of Castile,
after long and warm debates. It was chiefly opposed
by Don Lozano Tonnes, Minister of the Interior,
but GARAY'S firmness, and the situation of the na-
tional treasury, carried the measure through. The
plan was afterwards sanctioned by the Kato, and or-
dered to be printed. Orders had been issued to the
Bishops, to suspend the parochial statements of pro-
.perty they were forming in their respective dioceses,
as the Finance Minister had projected a new mode of
assessment. The Vales Reales,,or as they may be
'called Spanish Exchequer Bills, were only losing 70
per cent. which circumstance is quoted as a pror.f
that 'public credit had improved under the adminis-
trati..n of GARAY.

The new Finance Plan adopted by King FLAN.
NAND, through the instigation of his Minister, and
the approbation of his Council, is not only a novel
thing, but also as bold a step as any attempted by
the C9rtes, since it levels the privileged orders, in
order that all may equally contribute to the exigen•
cies of the State. 'Great opposition is expected in its
execution, as the Spanish Government is well aware,
but even its adoption fully proves the desperate state
to %hie!) the latter is seduced. FFIADINAND has at
last found that his gip" and navy will no longer be
j loyal, because they arc not paid, and because helm
kept his promises. The great question is, at this
late hour, even if money is obtained, whether it would
suffice to suppress discontent The Clergy and
Nobles heretofore have been the Chief supporters of
the KING'S measures, now they are to be turd I—
', Adieu," adds our letters, to the immunities and
privileges of Biscay, that can nu longer be a free
country, or contain a free port."
The Dutch and Flemish Papers received by the
Mails at yesterday and to-day, in referring to the
existing differences between Spain and Pottugal, go
somewhat farther in their assertions on the matter of
asrangersient, than any authority we have fret seen on
the subject ; and infinitely farther, we are convinced,
than facts will warrant. From Madrid they pretend
to have litters of the bed maker*. slating, that the
j Spanish troops are going to occupy Postugal, which
is to be united to the Spanish Monarchy is virtue of
arrangements with the Court of Brasil, the latter re-
ceiving, indemnity from south America. And from,
Cadiz also, they have letters to talk of, which repre-
sent not may the Spanish and Portuguese Courts as
quite agreed on the exchange, but the people of Popl
tugal as not less willing to be free of their present
exiled master, than he is Cu be 'free of thestp.:.we need
nut say how little credit is to be attached to all this.
From our extracts (torn the Paris Papers it will be
well that the Spanish Ambassador to the Court of
brazils is now on his way to London, to assist in the
iieso‘iaLioas which au.; still carrying on hue, to re-

tone& the differences between the P.-nliquete anJ
Nr.nsisit Catirtscand.independeutly a the fact th
•nu determination at all•has beep. come to, niitbing
can be more improbable than, such a repult a's that
which•thebe Dutch writers auunte.