The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-03-18 00:00:00

THt stAIIONAN.

Interiorsand I should ill reply to so high a distinCtion,if I
did not speak to your Majesty with all that candour and
Veraciy which belong to an honest man'. Sire, in ordi-
nary times, ordinary talents may on some occasions suf-
fice to guide the vessel of the state; hut under the diffi-
cult circumstances in which we now find ourselves, sur
rounded with dangers, and having to contend with all
the elements that are let loose against us, even gifted ge-
nius and the most tried patriotism will be scarcely com-
petent to conduct the bark to a port of safety. Other
men, of the most elevated mind, and the most extensive
talents, have felt themselves bound, Sire, to abandon the
helm of Government, satisfied of the inutility of their en-
deavours to direct it. How then shall I, destitute of ge-
nius, educated with bat little care or attention, and a
stranger to hugness—how shall I attempt so difficult an
'enterprise, in which they have failed who have been so
ninth my superiors in information and intelligence? Per-
suaded of my want of sufficient capacity, and in a state
of rontinnal suffering, in consequence of the many
troubles I have experienced during six years of the
severest banishment, I transmitted on the 28th of last
Montle my retirement from the office of gener .1 commis-
sioner for the liquidation of the national debt, as your
Majesty may perceive by the subjoined copy; and if I
consider myself incapable of filling au employment in
which zeal ant! the most assiduous application might pos-
sibly compensate for *ant of information, how shall I
load my feeble shoulders with a burden so weighty
us That which it !Jae pleased your Majesty to impose
upon me? I shoal l be wanting in the duty I owe to
your Majesty, in the duty I owe to the nation, and in
that which I owe re myself if 1 should accept an of
lice, the good or. iuellicient discharge of which involves
the fate of eleven millions of Spaniards ; and to which
ldo not believe myself intended. Relying firmly on the
conviction that I feel of my own unfitness, and deter-
mined never to sacrifice my conscience aril my reputation
to any considerations whatsoever—at the same tune that
I offer np my life, if that can avail the public cause,—l
venture to implore your Majesty, with the most earnest
entreaty,to accept my resignation of the office of Minis.
24 of the Interior, to whirls your Majesty, by the decree
of yesterday, hareondescended to appoint me.
(Signed) " ANTONIO DIAZ DEL MORAL.
64 Madrid, March I."

MAILS.
MIR. DIM. All. DV
-I....Dublin 0 0....R011and 0
0. • ..Water lord.. • ..1 o....Hambro 1
0....0 & Jersey. • ..1 o.... Franco 1
V:...Lisbon 0 o....Fisnilers .. • ....0
o....Oottenhurg I 0.... Malta .I
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Balk Stock .. India Stock
8 per Ct. Red Ditto Bonds ..s. 21s —a.pat.
3 p.Ct.Cons..... ..... nil I South Sea Stock
24 per Ct.
4 per Cents ....... ..... .. Ez.8i11.2,1. j los pi
_s*.
Noir Fours 93U 10001. i
e per Ct. 1797..
Long Ann. --Small 10$ les pat
Imp. 3 per Ct.... .. iCon.for,icet . • ... ..... 73ii
Irish 6 per Cents. I LotteriTickets .... 99/. 19s.

TAce gzitatesinan.

TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 18, 1823.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMENTARY.

1 I z»t Lottos.—There was some little talk about the
I.nsoletnt Debtors' Bill, about which a great many pee.

pie seem to think much more than they do, we are
afraid, about their eternal salvation. The truth is, dis-
Crest au•l embarrassment prevails to such an extent, that
litre taif of the cotnniunlty Is ready to'seize the other
balf by the throat. The Parliament (Mr. Canning's good
Parliament), by its wars, by the loans that it has made,
by the debts that it has contracted, by the violation
of contracts which .its changes in the value of the cur-
rency have produced. by its confusion, by its uproar, by
Slim distress which has at last come, has placed the court-
t-y in suns a state, that it is impossible that men, unless
Oiey mete real saiots, should not be endeavouring to tear
each other to pieces. The tradespeople of England, in-
s: al of being that friendly, hospitable, fair-dealing de-
stription of persons, that they formerly were, are now
I. ke a promiscuous collection of curs, amongst whom a-
b-ut a quarter part of victuals enough is thrown. Such
heti nu. the effect of a system %I hick is the envy of surround-
ing nations and admiration of the world, men are staking
a nom! assault upon each other. They ao not fall
tpats the system—they fall upon each othet. When a
horse trends upon one of a pack of hounds, the devil a
bit don the hound bite the horse; but pitches on upon
his next neighbour dog. There is a disposition, through-
out the hunan race, to spit one's spite, to try to get one's
sangeaece upon souse feeble party, who are not able to
tier it out of the real offending party. We fall on upon
aat it is safe for us to fall upon. Brave es (lector
2:e these lads that cry out against the Insolvent Act; that
is to say, against the poor devils of debtors ; but, cow-
ardly as the most cowardly of curs are they with regard
to thole, who, as they well know, are the real cause of
their duress. However, it is useless to talk much about
this matter : those who, in order to get revenge for the
injuries which they receive from the tax-eaters, would
:queen poor devils of debtors to death; those who; having
voluntarily trusted a man,would wish to have the pow-
erof beating him with inure severity than if be had stolen
the goods 'with which they entrusted him; those who
are bf this description, are not to be changed in their
way of thicking by any thing that we can say. The
victims have one security against their claws ; and that
that there are not jails sufficient to contain a twen-
tieth part of those that would be in jail, if the law
were so altered as to safer these petitianers to have
their way. Doubtless there ate great nembers, who do
not act justly towards their creditors. If there were
any
.way of punishing these without the risk of the
rienstrous injustice of putting debtors upon a level
with thieves, we should be very anxious to make an al-
teration in the law. After many years pretty strict
attention to the subject, we are firmly convinced that
there ought to be no imprisonment at all for debt ; and
the consequence of such a regulation would be, that
there would be less trust, which would be a very good
thing. One half of the young men that are ruined, are
rained in consequence of this Mist, and the sooner it be
&minisheil the better.
lar TIII COMMONS there was a long talk again about
what is called the Sinking, Fund. Mr. Bennet moved an
amendment to fling out the Bill altogether. This was
the only sensible course to pursue ; bat the motion was
lost by. 109 to 59. We never hear of debates about the
Sinking Fund; and especially in times like the present,
without calling to mind Voltaire's exclamation with re-
ward to a passage in Milton's Paradise Lost. " What!"
ssys he, "make his Princes, Potentates, and Powers;

" make these, when they have just been hurled down
" from Elysium to sit upon the burning merle: what!
" make them, in this situation, get into disputes about
" faith, grace, fire-knotektlge, predestination; and
" Never can we read these debates about
the Sinking Fund; never can we hear the Potentates
and Powers argnmentative and collective ; never can We
hear them seriously talking about paying off
the Debt ; about the Surpluses, Surplus five and
Surplus three, Surplus two, and Surplus one; about pay-
ing off in forty-one years; about all the wondroui,
wondrous things, far surpassing the mystery of grace,
fore-knowledge and ; never can we hear this
without regretting that Voltaire had not an opportunity
of remarking upon the discussions in this assembly in-
stead of the discussions in the assembly of Milton.—Ai
often, however, as we have to notice that there has been
any talk about this thing, we shall just simply repeat,
that whatever is got together in this way, is just so much
got together in taxes to be laid out fur the purpose of
working up the price of stock, and it is so much given to
the fundholders over and above their interest. It is, as

the Black Towers in the barns and boles and corners on
Norfolk called it, a bonus to thefundholders. The Black
Towsers were perfectly right in this respect. But
the Black Towsers ought to have this weight
tied round their necks; and they will have it tied
round their necks, until there shall be a real reform in
Parliament, which, perhaps, would bring something to
the Black Towsers, full as galling as the weight of this
bonus. Four and a ha(fper cent. Fund. Mr. Creevey
made a motion respecting this fond. We must not
waste the time of our readers ; we will therefore shortly
state that this is a certain sum of money, called the four
and a half per cent. fund. It professed to be, original-
ly, raised upon the island of Barbadoes for maintaining
and repairing forts and buildings in that island. The
money is still paid by the island ; but this year there is a
sum of money charged in the Ordnance estimates for
erecting and repairing fortifications in that same
island. Now, says Mr. Creevey, why charge the
public thus, when there is money raised for the purpose
under the name of " four and a half per Cent. fund ?"
Aod, thereupon, he makes a motion for restoring the
fund to its original purposes. The Eloise divides; Mr.
Creevey's motion is lost by a large majority, as well as
several other motions made by Mr. Huute for lowering
the amount of the Ordnance estimates.—Mr. Creevey
strikes the right nail; but he does not strike it in the
right manner. This fund is all glee's away in pensions;
and if we were in Mr. Creevey's place, we, upon such an
occasion, would pull out the pensioners. In this debate,
the Right Honourable Sir Charles Long spoke, and op-
posed Mr. Creevey's motion. This gentleman bas one
thousand jive hundred a year settled upon him for life;
and seven hnndred and fifty pounds a year to his wife
after his decease, and these pensions are paid and
t s be paid out of this fund.—The executors of the
late Burke have two thousand. five hundred
...a-year
paid to them out of this fund. They have had it
paid to them] ever since the year 1797, of cootie,
that is to say, six-and-twenty years. They have
theiefore had paid to them out of this fund,,sixty-five
thousand pounds. Mrs. Huskisson is to have a pt:nsiOn
of six hundred and fifteen pounds a-year out of this fund,
to commence from the day of the decease of her husband.
—Thus it goes ; there is a long list of them, several
lords, several ladies, the children of several gentlemen
and of several ladies ; and, unless Mr. Creevey wishes to
take these ladies by the beard, and particularly, unless
be wish to look a little into the sweet legacy of Edmund
Burke, and all the pretty workings of the whigs as to this
and other pension-lists, we think it full as well for Mr.
Creevey to let this thing alone. Lady Hester Lucy
Stanhope has a pension of twelve hundred a-year.
payable out of this fund ; Mrs. Charlotte Snow a pension
of fifty pounds a-year ; Lady D'Amiland a pension
of one thousand lour hundred and :event y•eight pounds
a-year. Now, these three pensions were granted in the year
1806; that is to say,#string the time that the whip were
in place. Now, then, why talk about this thing at all,
uniesathe conduct of these Whigs be talked of too? In
short, the motion of Mr. Creevey, unless it hit the nail in
the right way, could be of no sort of use. We have here
an instance of the truth of the observations which Mr.
Wells made the other day at Huntingdon with regard to
the conduct of the Whigs. Why did not they abolish
the fund, or restore it to its original use, at the the time
when they were in office? On the contrary, they fasten-
ed pensioners upon it as their predecessors had done;
they would do the same again to-morrow if they were
in office; and every thing shows that there tan be, and
that there will be, no alteration for the better, as long
as the interest of the debt can be paid in full ; and that
must be, and will be, until there be a reform in the Par-
liament.

Paris papers to the 17th have arrived. On Saturday
the Chamber of Peers passed the Grant of 100 millions
of francs by a majority of 112 to 66 ; so that the. Minis-
ters being in possession of all that they coosidercd neces-
sary to undertake the contest, there is no doubt of its
commencing as soon as local dispositions will allow.—
Whether these can be immediately completed is another
question; and if it be true, as the Constitutionnel asserts,
that the Engineer originally applied to for constructing a
bridge over the Bidassoa, declared that he could not ac-
complish it in less than a month; a pause may still occur
before the clash of armies take place. An article of
the Silt instant, from Bayonne, in the same Paper,
declares that although the army of the Western Py-
rennees is represented as 60 or 70,000 men strong,
it does not in reality consist of snore than 11,0001 The
same article states that the corps of Bessieres has been
entirely dispersed, and that General Torrijos had moved
from the frontiers of Navarre towards the interior, for
the purpose of cutting off the retreat of the fugitives.
The Royalists who occupied Mequinenza are said to
have offered to capitulate on obtaining honourable con-
ditions, which it was thought would be granted. It is
alto said that is future British couriers from Spain
are no longer to traverse France, but will sail di-
rect from Corinna to England. Several foreign in-
dividuals charged with belonging to secret associa-
tions. are said to have received orders to quit Paris, and
the French territory forthwith. lint the spirit of
tisfAction is nut confined to the erenchsapital; for it

appears from the contents of a tefegraphick despatch
which reached the French Government on Saturday,
that an attempt was lately made to impart• the means of
France to carry on the coolest, by destroying the im
mense magazines of naval and military stores collected •
at Toulon. The arsenal and powder magazine in that
city are said to have been set on fire in several places,
but without effect, as the danger was perceived in time
to repress and remove it. Attempt.; are also acknow-
ledged to have been made to -shake the fidelity of the
soldiers. A letter from St. Beat of the 6th says, that no
the 4th an individual presented himself at the advanced
posts of Fos, and proposed to the corporal to pass into
Spain, whither he would conduct him. The corporal,
however, seized and carried him to bit commanding offi-
cer, to whom he declared that he had been sent by the
Spanish post of Pontant to endeavour to seduce the
French soldiers to desert. A debate took place in the
Chamber of. Deputies on Saturday, upon the subject of
the articles in certain journals in the Chamber since
Manuel's expulsion. The editor of the Journal du Com-
nierce was ordered to be prosecuted. It is said that a
proposal was to be brought forward on Monday, by
Royer Collard to re-admit M. Manuel into the Chamber,
and that if the Chamber pass to the order of the day,
the centre gauche will secede from the Chamber.
, The renecs at Pails closed on Saturday at 77f. h*Qc.

Bayonne papers have arrived this morning; but they
contain no news from Madrid wore recent that; the Ist
of March. The" only intelligence of importance they
bring is, that the French troops on the extreme frontier.
had wade a movement which seems to indicate that a
blow would be shortly struck.

STOCK EXCHANGE, TWELVE O'CLOCK.—The public
expectation has been much disappointed. It was expected
that something would have been said in the House of
Conunons last night, on the affairs of Spain ; and by the
continued silmice of Ministers, numbers are still led to
believe that hostilities will yet be prevented. Private
letters, however, from Paris, of Sunday last, mention in
the most positive ter.as, that the French army will enter
Spain without delay. %lltele, the French Minister, whose
inclination was for peace, has of late changed and joined
Chateaubriand. Consols opened this morning at 73:1, it
which price they remain,with littledoing. The cause of the
Console rising is said to be a great Bear accennt.There is no
fresh information from Paris this morning, owing to the
late arrival yesterday from that capital. We understan4
that a French General of some eminence, who is in the
country, departs in a few days fyr Spain, and, it is sup-
posed, will be employed in the Spanish service.
Fortuna Fuxne.—Very little is doing this morning in
the shove market. Spanish bonds opened at 27# i# 1.
Chili. 69 —New Spanish, 271—01 d. 35—New Prussian, 77i
—Old, 61 }—Russia, 71#—Danish, 79—Culuusbian. 50—Spa-
nisi' Scrip, 59L..

Yesterday, at 3 o'clock, a Cabinet Council was bell a.
the,Foreign Office, Downing-street, which continued in
deliberation till about half-past four.
The t uke of York left town yesterday, about 12
o'clock, on a visit to the King at Brighten.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence has, we
learp,.been appointed to succeed Earl St. Vincent. as
(knead of Marines —(Morning Chrox.)
Fresh accounts were received yesterday respecting the
attempt made by Count Amarante to excite insurrection
in ortugal. The accounts are dated the Ist instant,
from Oporto; and though not devoid of an influence that
tends to exaggerate the success of the Insurgents, only
two insignificant places are mentioned as ha% iug gels
coined the Rebels, and declared in favour of " an abso-
lute Monarchy." It is announced on the other hand,
that -active measures had been taken by the authorities
at Oporto to quell the insurrection, and that all the troops
that could be safely dispensed with had been scot to
strike a decisive blow before any serious progress could
be made by the Insurgents. It is highly probable,
therefore, that this diversion on the part of the Ultras to
prevent Portugal from joining in the defence of the Pe-
ninsula, will not prove successful, and that the eneiMes
•f order will he soon compelled to lay down their arms,
or to seek in flight a refuge from the punishment due to
those who betray their country.
A General Officer who has recently gemmed from the
South of France, is said to have declared that he never
saw an army in such a state. With all the meals that
were left the French at the conclusion of the last war for
the equipment of an army, these troops are described as
in want of all the necessaries for a campaign. They
consist chiefly of boys, and their number is asserted not
to exceed 35,000.—(Moroing paper.)
Seville, which has at last been fixed upon as the place
to which the King and tiovernin-nt of Spain are to retire,
is about 50 miles North East of Cadiz, and about 270
South West of Madrid. It was formerly one of the most
populous and wealthy cities in Spain; and soon after
the discovery of America, it became the magazine of the
invaluable productions of the western world, and being
then the residence of the Royal Family, its Court was
the most splendid ip Europe. It still retains the relics
of its ancient greatness, and is surrounded with walls
flanked by towers.
The Nigh Sheriff of Herefordshire has requested his
friends not to put themselves to the trouble of paying
him the compliment (usually paid to High Sheriffs) of
attending him on his escorting their Lordships the
Judos into that city, as he conceives that unnecessary
parade or expense would he perfectly unsuitable with
times'like the present, so distressful to the country gen-
tlemen, the yeoman,. and the farmer.
ABSTRACT Or .?UMBER Or IRISH YEOMANRY.—
Ulster; nine counties, 23,131 ; 'Allister, 12 ditto, 5916;
Munster, six ditto, 2361 ; Connaught, five ditto, 2370.—T0ta1.
tal. 30,736.
A: Aria l% or HoNnue.—Thursday morning. at an early
hour, a meeting took place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, be-
tween Mr. R. B. W. and Mr. R. S. ; the former attended by
111r.T. J. W. and the latter by Mr. 0. C. S. when, after an
exchange of shots, the seconds interfered, and the affair ter-
minated.
A 'copper mine has lately been discovered at Stickle-
path, near Okehanipton, in this county; and, from the
opinion of competent judges, itis likely, we understand,
to prove extremely valuable. Some specimens have
been handed to us, which appear of the tiurst quality.—
(diffred.)
A paper, published in the Philosophical Transactions,
at Edinburgh. by Dr. 31'Cullocb, states, that essential
oils possesses the property of preventing the growth of
mould on books, ink, leather, seeds, &c.

FALL IN THE PRICE OF CORN,