The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-09 00:00:00

THE ST

" islands of Ischia and Proeida could no
" longer 'answer any good purpose, and accur-
dingly withtirew his troops." We are
amused by the same facetious Print, with a
I:amorous description of the fervent attachment of
the Tirrke to England—let but the people of
England read, examine, -and judge fur them.
selves ; and the delusion in which they have so
long been held will be completely dissipated.

WE have inserted from a Morning Paper two
letters from Lisbon—the authenticity of which
we cannot doubt—but the fasts detailed in Which
we absolutely dare not believe. British Officers
4e. return from the army ,without leave"—that Is,
desert—and in the rerY moment of danger!.! !
Until this fact shall have been proved, we
,will not yield our belief to so humiliating
'a possibility. The General Orders of Colonel
PICACOCE, are, in fact, pregnant with matter of a
most extraordinary deeeription—Officers and pri-
'vales circulating false, unfavourable, and iqjeri-
ourreports, are to be put under arrest ! This,
in plain English, means—that the circulation of
truth, if unfavourable, is punishable. So then,
it seems, that after abusing NAPOLEON without
mercy for the tyranny he exercises over opi.
nion....we are treading in the very steps of
the man we daily and hourly abuse. This,
if the fact be correctly stated, demands the
most serious and vigorous attention of the people
of England, whose detestation and abhorrence
of the principle should be expressed most decidedly
the moment that the fact is ascertained. Admit
but this principle, and the finishing blow is put
to liberty—From the Army to the Navy—thence
to the social circle—and, finally, to the only pal-
ladium of the liberties of the people--the Press—
would this principle extend —Adien, then, to all
hope—we should at once be reduced to the hurni.
Hating state of those nations fur whose liberties
we affect to be contending—but, in truth, for
whose commerce we are fighting.
Thee' News" reported in the letters dated the
Tid August, of several officers leaving been broken
for " cowardly conduct," we cannot believe. Our
'humiliation and disgrace are already sufficiently sc.
were, without an aggravation, which would abso-
lutely infuriate the nation against the individuals of
whom thisove trust, unfounded accusation has been
preferred. Spain and Portugal we must abandon;
hut let not any *lion of the disgrace fall upon
our brave countrymen...amongst the real authors,
our vigorous Ministers, let that be equally distri.
buted ; and on the Viscount of TALAVERA let us
bestow the merit of having been twice surprised,
as he certainly was. It seems truly ridiculous to
continue grumbling at COMA. D Ministers and
their hirelings vainly hope that the People of
England are not fast emerging from the delusion
In which they have so lung been held by the venal,
corrupt press of this country ? At Talavera the
French were, after two days hard fighting, re:
pulsed —but the combined armies were incapable
of advancing, and yet the Viscount very modestly
insists upon the Spaniards fighting the battle over
again by themselves..-that is literally the fact. The

Viscount marches off, and because Gen. CUUTA
had a sufficient share of common sense to see.
that what could only, with difficulty, be effected
by the :thole of the combined army....namely,
the repulse of the French...was not very likely to
be accomplished when half of that army ha•l
marched off—the whuie blame truly is laid on
CUESTA.—Let les, we repeat, hear CUE:ST.OS nar.
rative—if ha to not excntp.ite himself, we are
greatly mistaking—notwithstanding the assertions
and insinuations of the VticouPyr.

The Charter of the East India Company will
expire in March, 181.1 ; and it is believed that an
Inquiry into the present state of the affairs of the
Company will be instituted after the meeting of
Pat liament, with a view to consider of what is to'
be done when that period shall arrive. We have
heard a report of a ludicrous plan, in which it is
attempted to bo demonstrated that the division
of the present establishment into Art separate
Companies will be highly advisable : that is, two
Companies fur Bengal and the interior ; one Com-
pany for Bemt'ay ; one Company fur Madras and
for China ; and fur the Eastern Archipelago two,
leaving the remaining trade open to all natives of
the United Kingdotn.
In the interval between the present year and
1814, the situation of the Peninsula may, by pos-
sibility, undergo revolutions which may render
our distribution of the commerce of India super-
fluous. In troth, it is impossible to indulge even
a hope, that our monopois of one of the fairest
portions of the earth will be much longer eaduried.
Whatever bo the sacrifice, France, if partieipa-
lion be refuted to her, will, in conjunction with
Russia, make the attempt on India—which, after
all that has been asserted, there are now substan-
tial reasons to believe will be attended with AA-
ottties less insurmountable than we have been so

often told, and so long accustomed to believe.
The very attempt to open the trade of India will
rivet every nation on the Continent of Europe,
blether with the United States of ♦merica, in the
interest of NAP6aOI4.

His Majesty's ship Medusa has captured in
Qniberon Bay, and sent into Plymouth, on the
nth inst. the French chasse mimes, La Ger Ounce
and Trois Sours, with iwo others in ballast.
THOMAS hIANTILL, Esq. WAS yesterday elected
Mayor of Dorer far the year miming.

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