The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-10-18 00:00:00

(FROM THE PILOTS.)

The Memorial Borth:kis, contains a letter from Madrid,
Oct. Bth, containing the following passage :

We learn that the declaration of Riego, Ballasteros
ttas arrested, and that Riego said, since he must die, he
would divulge every thing. It is added, that Ballasteros
presented hini%elf, with six of his Staff, to the King, and
and that he was very indifferently received. This interview
took place before the order was given to arrest Ballasteros,
which was acted upon by the confession of Riege. This is
the report.

The liadicateur of Bordeaux contains a letter from Ma-
drid, of the same date of that which gives the Decree of
Ferdinand VII., of the Ist Oct. published at Port St. Mary's
and adds:—

"The King declares, besides, that all the Loans, made
by the Constitutional Government, are regarded as void,
and of no value."

The Frigate Jeanne D'Arc left Martinique, 20th Aug.
with a Convoy of 10 sail; entered Brest, 9th Oct.
A Telegraphic Despatch announces the arrival in that
Port, of the Frigate Thetis, which is one of the division
that was stationed in the West Indies.

Onr Cabinet has, at last, taken the decisive style of ap-
pointing Consuls to the various new States of South Ame-
rica ; a measure which ought to have been at least five years
old, at this period. It is probable that this partial recog-
nition of the independence of those nations may not prove
quite agreeable to the Holy Alliance ;—as an opinion is fast
gaining ground in the political circles, that France is so
elated with her successful campaign in the Peninsula, that
she will attempt the restoration of the late Spainish oolo_
nies to the mother country ; or, to spralc more correctly, to
add them as new appendages to the French Monarchy.—
The loss of St. Domingo has left France without any
important possession i■ that neighbourhood ; and the
" ancient nobility" of France feel the disadvantage which
they labour under, in not having colonial appointments for
younger brothers, S other scions of the aristocratic race.Tbe
possession of South America would open a boundless scope
to their ambition ; and when it is considered that a very
small royalist force has sufficed to maintain a long contest,
and, that it is not yet terminated, it would not be at all sur-
prising if the French Cabinet were to undertake the
reconquest of the Colonies, on the behalf of their Ally,
King Ferdinand, and themselves. Thirty or forty thou-
sand French soldiers, might put a new face on the affairs of
the New World; and England may have the great gratifi-
cation of witnessing the establishment of a branch of the
Holy Alliance in that quarter of the world. All the
causes of quarrel exist, which led the French armies into
Spain, with greater advantages to tempt the pursuit of the
object. This will involve ►he neutral policy of our Admi-
nistration further than they will like ; but here we shall
have no ostensible cause for interference, even if we were
in a condition to interfere. After having suffered them to
occupy Spain, what can we say to a project for the
reconquest of the Spanish Colonies? It is true,
that our interests are involved ; but what is that to our
Ministers. Their interests are not prejudicially affected,
while their salaries are paid ; and their policy is to remain
neutral. Great care is taken to announce that the measures
of sending out Consuls is merely in reference to our com-
mercial relations. To secure any respect to the individuals
it would be requisite to make 4 formal recognition of the
Governments to which they are accredited; but France
might not like this; and the British Ministry is as
fearful of offending the high and mighty Bourbons,
as a burnt child of the tire, or a dog of his master's cane
The Consuls are sent out because the Ministers have'
learned from the best "enquiry," that "British interests are
at present most extensively concerned, in the provinces of
Spanish Xmerica." Bless us! what a discovery for Mr.
Canning to make! He has, by the " Gest enquiry" found
out, what every body else has known for several years
without any enquiry at all. A more acute secretary for
Foreign Affairs we have rarely heard of. Here is a curiosity
about the phraseology employed to designate the new
States. They are called the provinces of Spanish America.,
Thus, an insult is offered to the republican Government, in
the very act of sending out to them their commercial Con-
suls. It is not now Spanish America, any more
than the United States are English America. The yoke is,
thrown off; and the name ceases to be appropriate. Bat
perhaps ouralinisters are in the secret of the views of the
Holy Alliance, and have agreed to be seutrai in the
case of any attack upon the " Spanish Province,." Their
tools bars a string of arguments ready for use, about

the. necessity of husbanding resources which do not exit
and of being very cautious. in putting forth the strenni
which we do nut possess.

The Bank has begun to dabble in mortgages of laald
property. It has set apart a capital of two millions, al a
fund for lending to landed proprietors; and it profe sera
determination to carry on its new business on the warm.
soner6te terms. This may be considered, as carrying into
effect the measure proposed by the Ministry, of lending a
sum of two millions to the relief of the Agricultural interest.
This plan then failed, on account of the difficult• of apply-
ing the sum in any public and equitab'e way r—and the
Bank have now taken up the idea of administering it in a
business-like manner—taking the security of the land for
the advance. As a relief to the Agricultural interest, it
can have no effect—but it catty enable the landed proprie-
tors to get rid of their estate; in a more ca•y and
gentlemanlike manner; and it will swell considerably
the profits of the Bank, which have decreased of late, fron
the diminution of its paper currency. It will alit
s:rengthen the hands of the Ministry; and add another
rampart to the abuses of the system. The Ministry and
the Bank Directors are in a political partnership. Tit
dependants of the Bank, therefore, will be the dependann
of the Ministry; and the debtors of the Bank, the debtors
of the Ministry. This will bind another cord round the
limbs of the country gentlemen ; whose sons and relation
moat also be upon their guard how they effond the credi.
tors of their fathers. This would be a national calamity in bet
•ter times; but with such a set of country gentlemen as ut
are blessed withal, it is no great matter what becomes of
them. Their tenants will not be sorry to change their
landlords—and who succeeds them in the occupation is as
affair of no moment to any but themselves.

A new loan has been contracted for by Austria, of tee
millions, for the purpose as stated of paying her long stand.
ing debt to England. Now this debt amounts to aghteti
millions, we believe; and the loan is for two millions,—sf
which Austria will not receive quite so much, on account of
the charges incidental to such affairs. We remember de
Ministry said an arrangement was making with regard is
this debt ; and that it would be put in a train of mutat,
accommodation. This means, then, that we are to accon.
modate Austria by taking a ninth part of what is dae
to us; and she is to accommodate us, by borrowing the
sum she pays, from ourselves ! This, however, is
better than the proposal made to Lord Caqlereagh is
take timber for the Navy, from some Austrian forest., eel
to be at the expence of cutting it down, and transporting
it to England; as we should have had to spend twice the
value of the timber upon it, before it reached England.
The Ministry will say, two millions are better than nothing;
but we are not quite sure, that, having got the money,
Austria will pay it over to us. That Cabinet is celebrated
for a selfish and mercenary policy; and having obtained
the sum, they may employ it in a way more agreeable t.
themselves.

IA Correspondent observes, that when the King of Eng.
land or of any European State dies, his subjects, as a
mark of respect, put on mourning; and yet, another
King immediately succeeds, and the change perhaps is
advantageous for the nation. But what is the death of
a King, compared wi 11 the death of liberty among a
brave and magnanimous nation ? Here nothing can be
received in return for the loss, which affects alike the rick
and the poor. Our Correspondent, therefore. recommends
a general mourning, as a proof of the der p affliction which
the uncorrupted part of this nation feels, at the d-atli of all
which was great and noble in Spain, and as a proof of the
deep sense withwhids they are affected at the disgrace en-
tailed on this country by the Ge..eri.ne vet's refusing to
save Spain, by a timely intervention.
By the St. Lucia, Captain Affleck, arrived at Liverpool
from St. Lucia, which site left on the 7th of September,
we learn that, though the Europeans were not free from
alarm, the island remained perfectly tranquil.
Col. Shasre, who has succeeded Mr. Johnston, as Private
Secretary to die alarquess Wellesley, held the same distin-
guished situation in India, during his Excellency's admi-
nistration. This speaks sufficiently as to Colonel Shswe's
talents.—(Dpi fin Nursing Post)
WINDSOR, October I7.—The weather being fine this
morning, His Majesty, attended by the usual persons who
compose his suite, rode out in his small phaeton. towards
the Lodge, in Windsor (kcal Park. Lord Fiends
Conyngham left tie Castle this morning.
His Majesty, we understand, has given directions that
all his paintings, in the several palaces, respecting nsval
actions, Sc.c., be forthwith collected, and presented to the
Royal Hospital at tireenwich, for the purpose of forming
in that asylum, a gallery, to be entirely devoted to the rt•
cord of those proud achievements. Preparation for the re
ceptioa of the Royal gift is to be made without delay.
A messenger arrrived in town last night, with de-
spatches from Sir William A'Court. He erne over in the
SappAo.
The Duke of Bedford has directed that such of the
rem sins of the Abbey of 'favistock as are capable of Icing
turned into use, shall be immediately repaired, and restored
to their primitive prrfertiol.
DthetuaTtortr..—Tbe DisfilleryAct took eff ct o .Fridays
and will be attended with the most brunt cial konsequetices
to Scotland. Illicit distillation wilt receive from it a
deafly blow. In proof of this there are already orders
received in Glasgow for legally distilled Whiskey from
Aberdeen, and other ports in the North, formerly supplied
wholly by illicit distillation.—(Edinburgh Star.)
be great advantage which has arisen in the northers
metropolis from the formation of dressed stone crossings
for foot pass ngers, is much extolled in an Edinburg*
paper. This fashion has been Adapted in some of to
streets in the west end of the great metropolis; but why
is it confined to them? We cannot suppose it is on account
of the additional expense; for, according to the same paper.
the expense of one of these crossings there,( all charges
included, 4 feet broad, each stone being 10 inches thick
and nearly squire.) is not more than ss. 641. the lineal foot;
but in narrow streets, or where toe thoroughfare is not
great, stones of less dimensions would be sufficient, which
would render the expense much less,
UOVIENT (IA %Kitt:T.—The market gardener,,
driven trom po-t to pillar. its consequence of the interior at
Covent I aril-en being occupied so much with shops for the
sale of earthenware and other articles irrelevant to the oh
jeers for which the market was established, are now cao
pilled to resort fur the sale of their vornmodities to Teri..
tuck Row, the south side of the market place. In working
oar way, this morning, throe's/la the throng of customers
they had collected, we had an opportunity of hearing die
pricey they asked for the producetons they bad brought to
market. Carrots were selling at 20 a bunch ; turnips. at
16 hunches for a stealing ; and good cabbages at 9'1.6
ores. We question is hailer these ars reanhicrating
prices.