The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-10-30 00:00:00

THE
STATSSIAAN

PROM THE more or a9rn orronae.
We read the followidg article in the Orifammr :
It it:Aimed this" evening that the Minister has renounced
hie project of the dissolution of the Chamber. Thu new Elec-
tion of the atli part, will take place accordiog to the ordinary
forms.

Torrijos is determined to defend Cartitagen Ills forces ars
considerable.

Rotten is still at the head of a formidable corps in Barce-
lona, and is determined not to listento any propositions.

It is asserted that the Duke id'Angouleme has demanded
pardon for the French refugees taken prisoners in Spain.
,•
FROM TIC JOURNAL Des asnArs OF 2STM OCTOBER.

Mataro, October 29.

It appears as certain that the negociations for the surrender
of Barcelona are far advanced, and it is hoped that in a few
days we shall hoar of its gates being opened, and of its sur-
render to its legitimate Sovereign.

During the period which must elapse before the
conduct which the Spanish Ultras will observe with
regard to the logos will be known, a consequent
anxiety will prevail on the Stock Exchange :
where the gentlemen begin to perceive, that for
their own interests, they ought to have been a little more
attentive to the means of maintaining the Constitutional
Government of Spain. They world then have had the
security of liberty, and industry fur their advances.
Now they have merely the caprice of a King; and
that caprice worthless, if it should decide in their
fivour; for the recognition of a debt, without
the means of payment, is of little advantage
to the creditor. The New Times is anxidits to impress the
idea that the tluctn stions of the Stock Exchange; are not
any indications of any change of policy on the part of the
Government; and it strenuously denies that there is any
substantial reason for the decline of Stocks. It is certain,
however, that the " monied interest" is agitated. Storks
begin to look downwards—warlike stores, to look upwards.
A general opinion prevails, that our present unnatural
political situation cannot long be sustained; and that we
shall shortly be called upon to declare ourselves
friends or foes, to the new continental system.
The calm of politics is accompanied by all the
indescribable sensations which forebode the storm:

—and those likely to be affected by It, Naturally
look around them with some anxiety, in search of
the means of shelter when it shall commence. The health
of the King of France is known to be very bad. Ile has
insulted his capacity for digestion a.► frequently, that the
insurrectionary mania. has often been exhibited in the in-
terior of his personal dominions ; and a rebellion is
threatened in his traitoro stomach, which not all the
bayonets of the Holy Allianee can put do.vn. The event
of his death might affect the state of Europe much
more than any thing which could occur to such an
individual ought to affect au ordinary parish. With
all his predilection for, the larder, and the altar,
Louis the Eighteenth is not the worst order Bourbon race.
Be is a bigot, but without pertinacity. It is a tyrant, but
without energy. His successor will be inclined to push
matters a little farther, and a bow may b• strained until it
breaks. He is the only one of the family who entertains
any partiality fur England. The rest are imbued with the
old Bourbon hatred of all tint is English, and the old
spirit of bitter rivalry between the two countries, is
only checked in France by the reigwing King. At his
demise, that spirit will be indulged to the uttermost by the
French Cahinet. It is the opinion of many that, on such
an occasion, the Liberals of France would make another of
fort to frie themselves from the Bonbon yoke; but
we fear no great reliance can be placed on any movement.
Napoleon, hy perfecting the horrible system of the French
police, has assisted to consolidate the tyranny of his sac-
cessors to a degree beyond the conception of those who
hare nut witnessed the effect. Under the old regime, the
police was very effective in the c muse of despotism ; but it
hail grown careless in its details, and deficient in that
tremendous energy of operation, with which the talents of
Napoleon supplied it. The people have no means left, of
congregating for the formation of what may be called
public opinion. The Gent d'ilrmer will not suffer an-
assembly to take place, not eves a groups of individuals
to converse in the public streets, or in private
houses. They are armed with absolute authority; sta-
tioned in almost every street; and on duty day and night.
Such a system can only be overturned by the frantic effer-
vescence
of public feeling, and upon this we cannot calcu-
late again for ages. A successful defence of liberty in
Spain might have roused the French Liberals into action ;
but the miserable termination of tlfat contest has tended to
repress the ardour of the Liberals every where. They seem
to be panic-struck at a moment when their cause requires
the greatest exertion.; and this is the case in England, to
a much greater extent than we are willing to believe. In-
stead of boldly looking. forward to evils wisich we must
meet, if • we stand still,—and which will overtake us if we
fly from them—our ministers stand hesitating as to what
they shall do ; and will probably do nothing until it is too
late to do anything but what is prescribed for them by the
Bourbons and the Holy Allies.

The inquisition has been re•establirhed in Spain ; and
the Spaniards will again experience all the blessings which
-royal and religious despotism, can confer upon them. The
victims may now prepare themselves, for the inquisitors are
ready ; and the inconstant apes of humanity, who rejoiced
at the abolition of the horrid institution, will be equally
ready to rejoice at the torture of the wretchei, who may
fall into its power. Tim' number of these will tilt be in-
eousiderable ; for though resistance seems hopeless in
Spain. despair prompts many is all quarters, to oppose the
renewed tyranny. The garrison of Barcelona, instead of
hoisting the white flags is said to have displayed the
black bunter et determined tisolutios to Fetish ender

Governor of Carthegena has been proclaimed a traitor,
for refusing to submit. The Empecinado is still at large;
and the bands of Lopez Banos, hare not been dispersed.
These offer but faint hopes for the cause of liberty ; but
the light still flickers—the embers yet glow with smothered
best. If there were a Brutus in Spain, her hopes might
revive once more.

The fate of ltiego is still in suspense. He has been
contlemeed to death ; but the threat of Mina, that his
sacrifice shall be atoned for, by the blood of all his im-
portant prisoners, seems to have delayed the execution of
the villainous and barbarous royal sentence pronounced
against him. He is represented as suffering from a
nervous fever, produced by ill-treatment. There may be
some deeper mischief in this intelligence than is antici-
pated. He is in the bands of Ferdinand, who never yet
showed mercy to a victim; and he may be poisoned in his
cell, or secretly murdered, to deprive Mina of the justifice-

tion he would find, in avenging the public slaughter of
this gallant soldier.

The Times of this morning has not the grace to apolo-
gize for the ridiculous slander of Valdez, nor the audacity
to persist in the story transmitted by some "distinguished
Englishman." We were empowered to give the whole
story the most peremptory contradiction; though, indeed,
it was unnecessary—the story giving itself the lie in every
particular, but that a foolish and impudent projector might
have suffered his vanity, or his cupidity. to carry him so
far as to make a stupid proposition which could only
meet with a prompt rejection. If the projector laid
any conlidenc• in his own plan (as stated) of destroying
or rendering useless a whole fleet, with the aid of one boat
and two sailors, why did he not make the experiment with
out reference to Valdez? Lord Nugent, or Sir It. Wilson, or
a hundred others, Spanish and English, in Madrid, would
have equipped him without any hesitation, for his enter-
prize, if he could have been trusted. But it appears to us,
that the only use he could have made of a boat and two
men who could row, would have been to have rowed on
hoard the French Admiral, and given him information of
the state of Cadiz. It is really astonishing, that a journal
like the Time.; should have been led into such a publica-
tion.. Some wag must have mistaken its letter-box for
that of the New Times.

Another appeal has been published on behalf of th•
Greeks; and w•e are glad to perceive that Greece has a fair
chance of being added to the list of independent nations.
Ti :e intrigue., however, between Russia and the Porte
are not yet at an end; and,after escaping from the Turk,
Grecian independence may be assassinated by the Cossack.
While the struggle continues, it enfeebles both parties,
while magnanimous Alexander is watching his oppor-
tunity to s'rike a mortal blow at either, or both, as occa-
sion may tempt him. Without the energy or the ability
'of Napoleon, Alexander has all his ambition, directed by
a cold calculating spirit, which can wait for the crisis it

cannotrommand. In the case of his interference with the
liberty of Greece, nothing can save the Cheeks but the
active friendship of this country ; but it is not credited
that our Ministry, which permits Auvria to bold Naples
and Sicily, and 'France to occupy Spain, awl to control
Portugal, will venture to object to the protection of (ireece
by !Lassie. They have set the precedent of forbearance
ou their part c and ha►e acknowledged the right of inter-
ference on the parts of others. They have volantarily
erased the name of England from the list of those nations,
which are to be consulted upon matters of general policy ;
and Russia may establish herself as firmly in the Mediter-
ranean, as in the Baltic, without any dread of our opposi-

ion.

Sir W. A'Cottrt, we are totl, was amongst the fore-
most to eonr trulate Ferdioanil upon his liberation. We
do not ►ee how this is to be reconciled with our
neutrality, and our previous recognition of Constitutional
°over:lntent. In point of national honour, it is our busi-
ness to contend that the government of the Cortes, with
which we treated, was the actual and bona fide government
of Spain—and that all its contrasts with this government,
and with the people of England should be ratified. I astead
of this, our Ambassador is represented as meanly following
a poppet King, paraded bya foreign force, and attended by
a fanatic faction, which, but for the protection of foreign
bayonets, dare not draw a sword in his defeece. The
English Ministry never recognized the captivity of Ferdi-
nand. How, then, dares a British Minister affect to rejoice
at his liberation ?

So strongly are we impressed with the necessity of oppos-
ng some check to the abuse of the discretionary power of
Magistrates, of which, so many instances have lately been
exhibited, that we again advert to the case of Mr. Bury,
with which the public is at this time pretty familiar. Can
there be a stronger censure pronounced against the conduct
of a committing Magistrate, than by the Judge's declaring,
on the trial, that " he could not think for one moment of
putting the accused on his defence, because there was not a
tittle of evidence against him ?" On what ground could
Mr. Halls have proceeded in making the commitment? He
bad no more evidence, against Mr. Bury before him. than
what the Judge had heard, when he pronounced the above
declaration ! The only difference on the two occasions was,
that, at Bow Street, Mr. Bury, when for the first time in bi
life, he was accused of a dishonest act, protested, in the bee'
way that the agitation of such a moment permitted, his int_
noceuce of the offence charged against him ; and called
upon the Magistrate to consider, for lion's sake, what he
was doing, before be exposed him to the risk of disgrace
and ruin; whilst, at the Old Bailey, after all the same
evidence had bee■ heard, he was at once dismissed and
told by the Judge, that be needed not to say a
single word in his defence. Mr. Halls must have
have Mown well that it was no offence either against law
ormorality to purchase an article which afterwards tomtit
oat to have bees stolen, Woe there was ems evidence of
a guilty knowledge en the pelt of the buyer ; which mi.,
dee*, was entirely shunt ia the present Cu.. U any