The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-09-22 00:00:00

SICILY.

The accounts accounts respecting Sicily and Naples are rent
contradictory. :Iccortling to the Spanish papers, ti
people of Sicily have perceived the abyss into who,
they were about to plunge, and have become sensible
that it was fully in the clamor to desire to he separated
from Naples, governed by a constitution mnelt twee
lihnral than that which the factions made theta dennal•
they hare, therefore, renounced so extravagant an ides,
and all the authorities have sworn to the constitte!,l
adopted by the Neapolitan nation and its King. Int IL,
other hand, a letter from Naples, dated the tMt nit. tesi
the other dity received in London, which motormen h
the postscript, on information deemed hr the writer to
he in a high degree worthy of credit, that • •the Neap,_
Ii tan Government hod determined on a complete auto,..
ledgment of the independence of Sicily." In oppo-fos
to both these, accounts, it is stated in the late Par,
Journals, dim Ni27les is fitting out a second Ind ten.
formidable expedition against Palermo, and that cotiO
troops are about to embark for the reduction of that
city, and the other parts of the island ti hich hare hoisted
the standard of independence.
The following extract of a letter, reecireil yererdie,
contains the latest intelligence fru'', this part of Eti•
rope:—
" Sam I.—This r„orerntnent is sending
troops, artillery, and military story., to Trapani. Thir
are headed by General Pepe, who is inyea,.4 with
traordinary power for settling the affairs of Sicily. ifts
instructions are said to be, that i 11111 l ediately on his
arrival he is to convoke deputies from all the towns sad
districts of the island, who are to declare the general
wish of the inhabitants on the suhject of intlepenfoik-e:
and should a majority be found to entertain 16 desire
of a separation trout Naples, General Pepe is the. as.
thorised to treat with them on the mode of establishing
that independence. As there can be little doubt that
this proposition, if fairly carried into effect, (of which
the character of General Pepe affords every assurance,)
trill produce a declaration from the majority of the
Sicilians in favour of the object for which the free
towns have made so intrepid a stand, tranquillity must
be restored, and our free intercourse with the Woad
renewed. thi the other hand, should a different result
take place, and the unbiassed votes of the islanders
determine for the continuance of their dependence on
Naples, a civil war must ensue, which the resources aid
daring spirit of the Paiermitans may protract to an in-
definite period. 'rite general opinion, however. beteg
against them they mug ultimately abandon their (lenge.
Our adrices from Palermo are of the Nth alt., and
merely mention the organization and amount of the
civic guard. The only Englishman serving is it is a
I.; t eman of the name of Wood, who bears the rank of
lieutenant. None of the buns of the Sicilian government
which are in circulation here are paid; but as they were
originally raised to pay the debts of the hereslital
Prince, they must, I should think, be finally honoured..

BANK MEETING.
Y•sterday a Court of Proprietors was held at tie
Bank of England, for the purpose of receiving the
notification of the dividend fur the current hilliest.
At 12 o'clock the Chairman (Charles Pole, 111)
entered, accompani4 by a number of the Directors.
After the minutes of the last Court were read, the
Chairman stated, that it was his duty to propose to
this Court that a dividend of 5 per cent. for interest
and profits be issued for the half-year ending the lUtk
October heat. On the question being put, it was carried
unanimously, and the necessary warrants for the divi-
dend were ordered to be presented on Wednesday, the
loth of October next.

The ellAlltllAY then inquired whether it was de
intention of any Proprietor to submit auy proposition
to the Court ; because, if it was not, it only remain-
ed to pat the question of adjournment, the usual busi-
ness being gone through.
A Permute-c 0.., whose name we could net learn,
hoped lie should not be considered out of order in
taking this opportunity of making an inquiry, if there
Was any truth in the rumour that the new plan of the
Dank-note, recommended by the Commissioners who
were appointed to consider of the best means of pre-
venting forgeries, was fonad impracticable.
1 he CilataMAN said, in reply, that he was glai to
have the opportunity thus otfo.ded of evntradictiag
the rumour. The attention and anxiety of the Di-
rectors had been from the beginning unremitting, in
ordering every thing to be done which the new plan
required ; but the Court west be aware, front the very
nature of the arrangements, that tvey were necessarily
in he hands of artists and mechauics of different de-
scriptions who were employed to carry on the work,
and every thing bad hitherto gone on as well as
could resemably be expected. lie had the satisfactioe
of saying thLt, ti gh he could ii..t name a fixed and
deterusiaate period when tie new notes would be ready
for circulation. yet he had every reason to believe tilde
no great 1.41,;th of time would elapse before they would
be t •atiy.
Yocrio declared the satisfaction he fek ettbls
uffsuial ru.itrade•tion of the rain,ur which had us erre-
nionsly born disst irritated out of doors. It was did'.
cult to specify the previse time whea the aow notes
ctoika. isanctl. yep atill braisopesl be should node
sidereal intru.ive in pressiug npou the Chairman the
necessity of mewing some probable Ouse when the public
might e•;,ect to :ierise r7te a.l'.anta;e held out by the
inveatio.i rn.i.ilineniled by the Lommissioustrs. (Hem.)
The CNr:,•stax moleated !:11 Liability to be so 'pi-
eine as the worthy Proprietor wishe,!. It was obvious,
therefore, that wer,s he now to MUDS a Retied, Ise
should only be increasing the public anelety, end di-
recting it to a given time, su:ject to the inrieeisisq
which must overhang the progress of each i work as
that alluded to. He could amore the Propeielers, that
hitherto there had not been the least delay in the pro-
gress of the work; every thing had pow ea as well
as could be reasonahly expected, and be again repeated 4
that DO time whatever should be nawhellwrilf 11•
heisted in the completion of the now plan.—(llear.
bear )
Mr. Yorso expressed his satisfaction at the fall
and proper explanation of the wonky chainewm sad
declared that, relying upon the gnats rids* ilitelbse4
who were said to he so anxiously active was the we.
easion, It. had as dare wisaterer to peas tlts sikeee
any further spelt the Clabirtat".—(Neetx)
The court, whisk was but tbiuly attesied, tads
then aillompood.

Mr. Prime. &frailest when a verdict •140414/. was
awaviad, at the late Laaritawar Assizes. ¢f a
°Pm*. of married ia at ptsseiag OW (lilt *Ili"
trate et Macclestiel4.

LONDON:
FRIPAT EVCNING. SEPTEMIIER .22, 1920.
STOCK-EXCHANGE, 0,, u'elock.

The Funds ba►e kept their prices. Consols opened
th's u►urnia at 661 for the account, anti lime been
buyers at 66? for a short tine. They are now 6611,
the market lw►king rather steady. Money is very
plentiful at >Z per Cent. fir short periods.

Faris papers of the 19th lutse arrived this looming;
their contents are unimportant. A Russian squadron
has lately sailed from Sevastopol, a considerable port
nn the coast of the Black Sea. The destination of
this squadron is supposed to he for the Mediterranean.
It has occasioned cunsiderable

'The French Funds are, as w•e quoted them yesterday
1:oto our private accounts, Five per Cents, U. 50e.

It cannot tare escaped the obierration of our

r•aden, that the present interval in the proceedings

against the Quesx has not caused the slightest relax-
ion of public feeling in her favour. The meeting of the
Inhabitants of S!. Pancras, which was bell yesterday,
and was most respectably attended, is a proof, among
a hundred others, of the justice of our remark ; and it
is highly proper and tuaterial to bear in mind, that all
these warns, and we may say, unparalleled proofs of
psf,lic affection, have been spontaneously offered to her
SIAJLPTT by her subjects, while their memories hare

been loaded with the charges against her, and all the
weight %kWh the evidence can have given to those
charges ; and before a ward has been offered in her
defence. Indeed >t e think this short interval should be
the proudest, and the floppiest period of her life. High

irdeed, must Lei character have stood in the estimation

of her subjects; fur there is something so revolting, to
as busiest mind, in the idea of any wretch bring found
w!to would become a charnan for the sale of his ito-

mortal soul, that it must have been a character of extra-
dinary value, which mould bring us, after such tql-
droce, ko incline tetrads the accused, without wailing
fir her defence. The Qreee has been pronounced to
is the full possession of that character ; and long
may she deserve and enior it
As :onsideratiot.s upon this subject naturally lead
as to inquire into the probable result of those proceed-
ings, and their probable effect upon the people of this
cou• .ry, we shall make a few observations upon that
probable effect, suppusiug that the Quer x should make
no defence and be consicted ; and we shall then, very
slightly, glance at shut may happen, should her de-
fem.., if she wake one, be suceessfol.
Supposing then, and merely supposing, that the
Qvilvx should choose to make no defence at all, but
should suffer the case to come to a decision upon the
present evidence, and that the Lords should have minds
different tram those of the rest of the nation, and
should believe the evidence, and pass the Bill : and
auPporr, too, the very improbable possibility of the
House of Commons doing exactly the same. We
would, 'sett then, ask any man of common discern-
talent, whether the Bill can be acted upon without
dan:rer ? From one end of the kingdom to the other,
have the people expressed their determination to con-
sider her MaJeri r as their Quern, and to respect
and obey her, in that character. whatever may
be the result of her trial. The Bill, if it pass, will
contain certain penal clauses, which at present form

no part of it. What the nature of these claims

will be, it is impor.ible to say ; but as it is
usual, 111 proportion to the expected disUke of a
11. W, to enforce it by fixing punishment, of a
corresponding severity, for a disobedience to it, we
'nay safely presume that these clauses will authorize
the infliction of punishme♦t on the Quint, If shit
continues to assume the title and dignity of Quern of
r BAITAIN and the infliction ofranisbmenarso.

spun And• subject, wbo shall recognise her ia that
ehara. ter. Now, we know enough of the fortitude
and itsdeaibility of her MAJESTY to pronohnce, that
although the clause against her may &clam that she
is to be dragged to Tower-Hill, and that her head is
to be there chopped off, if she disobey the Bill. she

most certainly will incur the penalty. Se much for
the Quests herself. Then, with respect to the pu-
nishnseat of the subject fur acknowledging her.
Let it be death, or transportion, or the pillory, or
whatever else the tiorerument please; they will have
to begin with a victim. who will redoes such Jimmied
honour epos the suffering cause, that the weakest man in
the kingthen will be found to follow hi■ to pusishmeat,
thotagh It he N death itself. It will be the respectable.
and tespected Counsel of her MAJIIITT. Mr. DiNMAII,
she Member for Nottingham; s man so universalk, re-
vered sad beloved, for his taletelsOlis prehity, and his
amiable manners, that we dealers we should he satis-
fied off ate goodness of a *aim espoused ►y him,