The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-05-11 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

Theo. proposals do not materially differ from
those mad. to Don redo) Covalloa on the nth of
May, The President has seen nothing in any
milts which have since occurred, nor in the contents
yOui Notes, which can afford a reason or a *odes
for departing from them. The events which have re-
cently occurred in apart of the territory which you
have informed me the King of Spain is willing.to cede
to the United States, make it indispensably necessary,
that the ultimate determination of your Government
in this Negotiation should be acted upon without
delay.

(Signed), "JOSEPH ADAMS.
" Department of State, Stc:

The rot/owing is an extract from the reply of Don
Onis, by which it appears that matters are as hostile
between the two Governments as ever, as-the pro-
posals cannot be acceded to by Spain. Don Onis
obser•es—

" I now proceed to state the most obvious and
essential difficulties which render your. three propo-
sals for the settlement of indemnities inadmissible.
observe that, in speaking of them, yoe only men-
tion the spoliations suffered by American citizens,
and omit that which is equally due to Spaniards for
spoliations committed on them by citizens and au-
thorities of this Republic. in violation of the law of
nations and casting treaties. I also observe, that
you not only omit titis indispensable basis of reci-
procity and common justice, but propose the imme-
diate cession of both the Floridas, which two Spanish
provinces are to be retained by the United States alt
an indemnity, or payment of what may appear to be
due by Spain to the American citizens, according to
the arbitration of the joist Commivvion.
(Signed) " LUIS DE ONIS."

The letters received from Nassau (New Provi-
dence) state, that there had been a public Meeting
called to represent to Government the annoyance
sustained by the traders of that island from the
pirates under the name of Insurgent Privateers.
They are represented as paying no respect even to
the British flag.

WINCH ELSEA.—Such persons as are entitled,
by Wilk or servitude. to their FREEDOM in the
Borough of W INCH ELSE A. and not admitted 'tithe Elective
Feancitise, are rearicsted to call at the WHITE HART INN,
BOROUGH. any day in the course of the present moods (San-
day excepted), betwernthe hours of Ten and Two o'Cluek, as a
Professional Gentleman attends there to receive them, and who
is instructed to adopt such legal measures as may be necewary to
obtain their adratissun to those Eors.ritutiotial and hum) Pri-
vilege, granted to their ancestors by the original Charter, and
at the ame time preserve Menstrual) being disturbed or violated
in future.
Islay 9, 1818.

WHIT hlospe Y.-11..liday at the Public Offices.

LONDON:
MONDAY, MAY U, 1/118.

There is reason to believe that the dissolution of
Parliament will take place pretty early in neat month.
This at least is said to be the opinion among some
Sheriffs of Counties, who by their preparatory move-
ments appear to hare received some intimations to
this effect.

The Houses of Parliament having adjourned till
Wednesday, we look to Sir ROBERT HERON'S mo-
tion, intended to be made on Friday, for repealing the
Septennial Act, as the most generally interesting and
important that will next engage the attention of our
present Representatives. The necessity of repealing
this Act is a subject that well deserves the attention
of the British People. The question is one that in-
volves considerations and interests of the highest im-
portance, and the propriety of the object contem-
plated in the motion is obvious to all but sinister
minds; for the People of this country have not now
to discover the cause of all their abuses. Their suf-
ferings have severely instructed them that these have
originated in the want of a fair and an equal
Elective Franchise, and a shorter duration of
Parliaments ; and that a return to the constitutional
usage is alsolutely and indispensably necessary for
the prosperity of ibis kingdom. It is the only means
by which the nation can be restored to happiness and
vigour. " When the Septennial Act passed (says a
celebrated Historian) the Legislature did, what ap-
parently, and palpably, they had uo power to do;
but they did more than people in general are aware
of; they, in effect, disfranchised the whole king-
dos for four years." By arbitrarily prolopg-
ing duration of Parliaments from three to seven
years, the House of Commons assumed to them-
selves the first and most obvious right of the
People, the right of nominating their own
'Representatives: they, in fact, transferred the
right of Election from the Elector to the Elected,
from the Creator to the creature. If by any sort of
reasoning it can be made manifest, that the House
of Commons possessed any just right which
could authorise the extension of their continuance to
seven years, by precisely the same process may it be
demonstrated, that they then possessed and still pos-
sess, the same just right to extend their continuance to
any definitive number of years. or even to
the end of their lives.— %Vould not such
a proposition appear in the highest degree
preposterous ! We have heard enough of Dicta-
, tors for life, and witnessed enough of the ruinous
consequence of stack assumptions. It was under the
pretexts and tyranny of such an office that Roman
freedom was invaded, and Roman tiberty at length
destroyed. Seven years may not be the life of man,
but it is too long for corruption to live, and liberty
like innocence, has bat a short existence. It is for
the People of this country, now that they KM

•
at length to exercise their privileges _ jedgment"
end election, to avail themselves of tie instroc-1
Lion conveyed by the examples they have •-wit•
eased--to weigh well the effects of the poiltical
measures which their Representati►es have devised
and sanctioned, and examine closely into their sno-
tives and characters. If this Act is not repealed, it
may be long before another opportunity occur for the,
corrective decision, and who um say their neat vote
shall repair the error that may attend the present.
Meetings, we perceive, are still held in various parts'
of the country to petition for Reform ; this is what
ought never to be lost sight of. The People should
not cease, till their rightful demand is granted, to 1
protest against the continuance of an Act which
may be truly stated to have been the principal cause
of that system of profligacy and corruption, which
has entailed se much misery and distress upon Eng-
lishmen of the present day.

French Papers to the 9th inst. have arrived. The
Session of the Legislative Chambers appears to he
drawing to a close. in the Chamber of Deputies,
on the 6th instant, the project for completing
the Canal of the Ourq, was adopted by a ma-
jority of 111 to 17. The Committee, charged to ez-
amine the Project of the Law relative.to the organizi-
, tion of the Batik of Frasice,have commenced their
labours. It is thought that this law wilt he the last
subject submitted to the consideration of the Charn-
ber, and that, in a few days, theSeettion wilt terminate.
Several of the Deputies have already left the capital.
An account of the public revenue in Fiance, for the
first quarter of the present year, compared with the
same period of 1817, exhibits an improvement to the
amount of 4,161,696 fr.
• The report of the Latin Fathers having beets eject-
ed by the Schismatic Greeks from the Uoly Se-
pulchre, is confirmed by the arrival of Count Foams,
Director of the Royal Museum, from his travels in
Egypt, Syria, and Greece. The Greek Fathers, it
appears, hail occupied the tomb in pursuance of an
order from the Turkish Government, to which they
have, most probably, promised a larger share of the
contributions from the pilgrims, than had been ob-
tained from their competitors. One of their first
operations was to remove the tombs of Gonraze of
Boulogne, and his brother ileums :I. Count Ft:ni-
sta has brought, fu► the Royal Museum, several re-
mains of antiquity frees Thebes, in Upper Egypt.—
A few days before he sailed for France, a passage
had been discovered into the interior of the second
pyramid at Gizzeh. The commerce of Marseilles with
the Levant is rapidly increasing. From this circum-
stance, which may be easily accounted for, from the
?ocallty -of the pert, a French Journalist deduces the
►nference that," of all the European nations, France
is that which the Orientals treat with the greatest
confidence. and friendship."
The proreedinaa in the trial et Alhi in these Pa-
pers, are of considerable interest. amid show that the
case is at length drawing to a close. On the 23th
and 294 h ult. the Court were occupied in hearing
speeches for the defence : on the former day, Bas.
tide read a speech, at once so able, and so insulting
to the Court, that at the instauce of the Procu-
reur-General, it was entered on the record for
the purpose of further notice; it being generally un-
derstood that &wide was not the writer of it ;
on the 29th ult. Madame M ANION made a long ad-
dress in general esculpetion of her conduct, which,
from its energy of style and delivery, made a
great impression. "An act of imprudence had,"
she said, " brought her to the house of Bars-
cal, to witness the deed of horror. The blond
flowed near her. An assassin appeared before her,
reeking and smoking with the blood he had shed.
She was preserved—should she accuse her preserver ?
No; without him she had been the prey of a tiger."
She nest captained how her fears, her weakness, the
artifices of the murderers, had made her prevaricate.
The auditory was powerfully affected by the force
and animation with which Madame Manson deliver.
ed her defence. One of Bastille's Counsel, M.
Roaticuteacs, despairing of the cause of his Client,
from the moment that Madame Manson designated
him as the chief of the assassins of Fum.pcs, gave up
his brief and renounced his promised fee of 6000 fr
and also a balance of 1500 fr. due to him for his pro-
fessional assistance at the first trial.

Yesterday the Lotto CHANcELLnR and the VIcE•
CHANCELLuR bad audiences of the PRINCE REGENT.
On Friday, at two o'clock, a cabinet Council
was held at the Foreign Office, which was attended
by aIF the Cabinet Ministers. The Council sat till
half-past three, when Lord CASTLEREAGH waited
upon the PRINCE REGENT.
The Duke of KENT is expected to leave London
on Wednesday or Thursday, to proceed on his wa y
to Germany, for the solea►nization of his marriage •
Last week the Messenger, who carried the officil I
dispatch of the oiler of marriage from his Royal
Highness the Duke of KENT, with the sanction of
the PRINCE REGENT in Council, to the Princess
Dowager of LINANGers, returned to England from
Cobourg, with the assent of the Princess, ratified by
the trustees of her Serene Highness—namely, the
King of BAVARIA and Duke of BADEN.
The marriage of the Duke of CAMBRIDGE is ex-
pected to have taken place last Thursday. The
Royal Sovereign yacht, under the command of Sir E.
°wiry, is appointed to fetch his Royal Highness and
his Duchess to England, and drops down the River
for that purpose from Deptford on Tuesday.
Wecen now state, from authentic information, that
the marriage of the Duke of CLARIINCE with the Prin.
cess Royal of MENINOEN is finally arranged: Tile
consent of his Royal Highness in Council, and of her
Serene llighness, has undergone no change by the
proceeding in the. House of Commons. The Princess
is to have the ceremony of a marriage by pretty be- ,
fore she embark+ for England. The British Minis-
ter at Stutgard is to be his Royal Ilighuess's proxy.