The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-07 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE STATESMAN.

Rm—Aa I noderstend that my name and that of my Go-
vernment of Colombia have been used improperly when the
TARO of Mr'. Zea was spoken• of, I consider myself bound
on merersi accent:lS to make public the following narrative.
which I beg you (as I expect it from the candour and
im-
partiality which you have always ahewn) to insert in your
vAttable
t 1 hen the want of powers of Mr. Zea to contract for the
Lean was spoken of publicly. it was said that I knew of it.
end that it was strange that I did not make it public at tb-
time that the contract was treating. I acknowledge that I
knew of it. and proof of it will be found, amongst other
thinre, in the docurneets which I am now gal to nit-anon,
the originals of which are In my possession ; but as the con-
trail was between Mr. Zea and Messrs. Herring, Grah um,
and P Ales, and as - thine sante documents and the known
occurrences in Colombia Preyed to me that those Gentle-
men knew of this Stair as much es myself. It would have
been without rtmlit a st-p entirely usele‘i on my 'part to
apprise them of what they ware already tnformed.
In the beginning of ISil, in consequence of a contract
which had made in the neigh of the Gosernment of Colom-
bia, I intended to issue, in its name, Certifirees or Deben-
tures for the antount of the same: Mr. Zea•opposed this
measure, and, to his orders, Messrs. Herring, 011111. m, and
Powlea, calling thetriselves Representatives of the Realist:
creditors of •Celombia, wrotewsmunder date ot-Int May.
ISM from Freeman's Cuurt, 'saying; Wi nrW,Wntler the
etre:7.lll'y of ri,fdlegsliii inn to intimate hien, try. sionfnut ad .
*of Mr. Zee, at he cobsiders the contai ted Isinft.Of De-
bentures by :no on hehalf cf the Reputd or Cdilogsbia to
be an act entirely unauthorised on your part., that it any
have been so-ismted by yon (excepting those which were
granted previerisly to Mr. Zea's arrival 'ln England, anti
which have been exchanged), he reqttires you immediately to
call in and cancel the same.
Afterwards. Mr. Zea wrote me as official letter, dated
Paris, the ?oth October, MI. saying, '•I will approve the
Debeotures stipulated by you. It is understood that I shall
express my approbation in each of them, and that they shall
he headed iu the form agreed to by us; viz. Don Luis
Lopes Mendez, Agent, specially authorifed by the Republic
of Colombia." • _ • _ . _ .

Subsequently Mr. Zea wrOte to me officially from Paris.
the I Ith of October, Ifiel; saying. " it is very painful to
me to improve, as I had promised, your Debentures in fa-
vour of ,Ir. in consequence of fresh powers •whiclil
have received from our Government; the full;powers which
1 Lad, and to which I could refer with eonfidencemie ground
of my approval thereto, have h-en revoked: My actual
powers are special oses, brini.only for purposes which are
pointed out. . •
" It is clear, that f have only authority for those objects ;
my signsture for any other affair has no more value than
that of any private in& viduill:"
• :With the preceding letter Mr. Zee sent me annexed a
copy of that at ink he wrote under the same date to the mer-
chant with whom I had entered into the above said contract,
So which I.e sa:.s--"When I took upon myself to approve the
,Debentures of Air. Mendez In your favour, I did so because
I could give to the general terms of my powers an interpre-
tation. which. if not quite stifficient,to authoriie me defy, at
least they were sufficient to justify my conduct with my Go-
vete writ ; in the mean svh.le the full general • powers, to
which I couid refer in confidence, have been revoked, only
empowering me to net for the specific objects which they re-
late ; 1 therefore find myself wnheut any authority to give
the approval, which I offered when 1 could do so. My sig-
nature in the actual circumstances would be of no value or
effect, merely like that of any private individual, and those
who put faith in it Would he Imposed upon. .1 eaonot t here-
fare give it without committing a clime:"
I persisted however reminding Mr. Zee of his former pro-
mise. sod etating the evils at would be the result from
its revocation. lie then wrote me an official letter from
Paris, the 15th Nov. IS2I. In which lie says, ‘l,llav:nr al-
ready apprised yon that the Government had revoked the
tuft 'sowers by virtue of which I promised to apprOVe the de-
bentures stipulated in your contract with Mr; j, there is
no more to say on the sobjeet. • Can any onewhititas ceased •
to be invested swim a public function have any-Zenon to
continue to exercise it ? Is there any doubt that every pea
terior act is not only evidently null hat also criminal? This
is oar of those truths which common sense is sufficient to
appreciate at its proper value, notwithstanding your re-
roach me with the official promise which I medal° give my
approval; but was thif a personal promise,•or was it a pro-
tn,me estimating from one who was then the Representative
of the Government, anti who is
.now no longer go. The
public man erases to exist, and dies, politically, the moment
when the supreme authority deprives him of the functions
with which it has invested him : consequently you must act
is your own affair with Mr. just as if I did not exist,
or as you would do it if I had died of the illness I had just
suffered.
" Destined by oar Government to other functions, I only
exist in a pollittel point of .s it* for the functions for which
alone I am authorised."
My correspondence with Mr. Zea.on this business termi-
nated with another official letter, which he wrote me, dated
Perla. lath November MG, sayinga—lty the moil of this nay
1 send the following to the Gentlemen Of the Oommittee of
the Creditors of Colombia inLondon :
" Gentlemen—Whpu I was• invested with ful general
powers from Colombia. 1 maim:nised von to oppose in my
name the issuing of certain Bonds telth which Mr. Mendez
was about to satisfy the contract with Mr. But the
Government having, commissioned me for especial negocia-
lions of the greatest importance, with full special powers.
instead of the general ones. I cannot interfere is the affairs
of said Mr. Mendez ; I give you, therefore, notice to make
any opposition in my name."
In fulfilment of the before-mentioned coaract, I then
gave the Debentures; and Messrs. 11*.frieg. Graham, and

ARR.

TH

Peeples, in conformity with.. the foregoing letMv felon Mir.
Zest to them, made no opposition. This letter, together with
many other things, mold not 'be forgotten tit Hat Ilitee .et(
treat;ng for the lean with MrAea.
. The treat event/ Which have taken penes In Colombia
Ake Mr. Zea led theleosititry—events, which have bad en
essential indecnei on the ttoreerneistat, and which teem time
to time have beeomide fines& tollie English ;retitle, ought
to have mate those gentlethen roars that powere dated In
Angustura the 94th of December Itilff, emanating from •
Goieranient pro tempore, which entirely ceased to axial
when In 1891 the permanent Government was ;established in
Cucuta, with' anew Constitution, a new electiO of superior
Chiefs and Authorities of the Republic, could not be valid in
411karch, 1629, All which was anterior to this new Govern-
ment, wmuirovisional, andsterminate& in 1891, rhea this
became e4tabindietlk
The fundementilleW Qf the Republic of Colombia was re-
ceived mid sanctioned et Cucuta the 12th July Ithet and its
ratification published in the " Columbian Gazette," N 0.1.,
tfieZth September of that year.
The Cot 'Mutton of the Republic of ColombliFirifianel
Honed in Cucuta the 80th August 1821; this sanction
was publishedie the " Colombian Gazette," No. 2, the 9th
September One of the Atribuciones, which, by the 53th
Article of it were given to the Congress, is that of con.
trading debts upon the credit of the Republic of Colombia,
and of establishlntimposts, duties and contributions. In
the Said "Gazette," N 0.2; notice was given. that on the 7th
September a new election of. President and Vice-President
lied brew made; and on the 34 October following the new
President aid VieesPrtesident toOk oath beforelhe Congress
to obey the Constitution, and cause it tube obeyed in all ,
the Cotcunblan territory ; notice of this was given in the
" Gazette" of Colombia, ND. 9, publiehed iA Casale the
4th of the said month of October.
The list of all the laws which were sanctioeid•by this new
General Congress was published the 14th of Oct. 1521, in the
"Gazette" of Colombia, No. 19. Among all these laws
there is not one which ratifies, or even mentions, those which
were previously made by the Governments ad interim,
which had preceded in the different parts of the country,
which afterwards compoged the aetaal Republic of Colombia,
excepting only the fundamental law of the Republica—that
which assigns extraordinary recompense to the military, and
,that which relates to the emancipation of slaves ; upon
which the provisional Congress of Augostera had legislated,
and on which the general Congress of Colombia legislated
afterwards in Cucuta, altering anti modifying these laws.
In all the Colombian " Gazettes" the publication of all
these occurrences was repeated, and the English and French
newspapers mentioned at the time the most important events
of that country front May till October Nil. The English
public could not be ignorant of them, and much less the in-
dividuals who coctracted with Mr. Zea for the loan, and
who in the bonds are called agents of the Government of
Colombia.
This is as evident, as It is, that in those hands the duties
of Cuswm-house, both of importation and exportation. este- '
Wished in the new Tariff, approved by the new General
Congress at Cucuta. the 93th Sept. 1821, and publiihed the I
Stith of the same month :n the cadet "Colombmn Gazette"
No. 8, that is to say, a month after the sanction of the afore-
mid Constitution, are mortgaged as a security for the pay-
ment of the Loan; it is, therefore, incontestible, from the
last mentioned circumstance alone, that when the Loan was
' in treaty, it was known by the Contractors that e new Gene-
ral Congress was formed, and that there existed a new or-
der of things, fixed and permanent, instead of the provi-
sional ones established in Angostura, which only lasted un-
til the forMation of the new GeneralCougress at Cudata,aud
of the new Constitufion sanctioned by the same.
What, ver may have been the 'causes which may have
indu-ed Mr. Zee and !hie Contractors of the Loan to eater
into an operation with Powers which were nonisionsly
invalid in Mach 1822, it Is not ray present object to inves-
tigate. nor judge of them : neither is It my purpose to exa-
mine and judge of the nature and terms of the Loan ; nor,
lastly, to decide on the motives which caused the slam
bonds to be certified in London by Messrs. Herring,
Graham, and Poe les, under the same date of 13th of March,
on which day they were signed in Paris by Mr. Zee.
My object in the present Expose is only to record facts
whirls are uotorions, and which are undeniable—facts which,.
must base Necessarily been thought of when the-Lose-oer
Intended, end which ought to have been very jest motives
I r e.et making an improper use of my name, and muck more
'of the Government of Colombia, *tech I had thehitrioevef
representing in London, even some time after the arrival of
Mr. Zee, having previously ha I that of representing that of
the former Government since CA year HOU, when the glo-
rious Revolution was effected in Venezuela.

. I have the honour to be. Sir.
Your most obedient humble Permit,
LUIS I.OPEZ lIIENDEZ.
No. B, Percy Street, Rathbone Place.

HOUSE OP COMMONS, THURSDAY, FEB. 6.

The SPEAKER came to the house at a quarter before
four, and at four o'clock counted the members, when
there not bring 40 present, he declared the house ad-
journed till to•morrow. (There were only 23 Members
in sttendnnee.)

MAILS.
...... DUE. •RR.
I Dahlia - - 0 0 Holland -
I 'Weterford 0 0 Hambro'
O 0. & Jersey - 0 0 Franca
O Lisbon 0 I Flanders -
O Gettenburc - 0 0 Rr■z:l -

PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Rank stock 9574 H India Stock . 23s
3 per Ct. Red .76: 4 i Ditto Bonds .. 3-5 s 38s . pm.
3 per Ct. Cons 75: f i : So.ith Sea Stock ... ......
31 per Ct. B4ll ^ South Sea Old Ann...
4 per Cents
New Fours 9. 4151 ; 10001. 4
6 per Ct. 1797... i NMI. 154 17s. pm.
LongAnn....l9 11-16 13.16 1 Sinall 154 17s pm.
Imp. 3 per Ct.... .. .. 751 I Con.for acct.. .. 75i 1 1,',1 i
Irish '6 per Cents. i LotteryTicketa .... 21/. 19s

gite Sotateontan.

LONDON:
FRIDAY STIMINC"IreIIitUARY 7, 1823.
nOrRBlelN WAR.

The News from Paris. The true news, not the
lying Loudon news, is this ; that every thing is go•
ing on as one would naturally expect after the de-
claration of the King of France ; that is to say, that
every war-like measure, suited to the occasion, is in
full and vigorous course. The Morning Chronicle
of to-day tells its readers, that, doubtless, the Parlia-
mentary speeches of Tuesday had yet not reached
France; and, of course, could not have made their
impression. We can assure our readers that if those
speeches and if the clamor of our press do produce any
impresSion at all in France, it will be that of making
the French government and people more decided in
favour of war. —lf England were about to attack
another power ; and if we were tohear that the French
assemblies and the French press were most outrageous-
, ly abusing our government forfremeditating such an
attack, ue ask•any inan of common sense whether we,
Englishmen, and our government too, would not think
such abuse, a strong presumptive proof that our
going to war was a wise and proper thing.
That which is good for England, is bad for trance.
Let dreamers and Scotch " philosophers" say what
they will, the conntries are natural rivals ; and rival
is only another name for enemy. in another part
of our paper will be found, in the French news, an ex-
ression made use of by M. de Vitlele in the Chamber of
Peers, lle says, that not to sultlr the farnily of th

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