The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-01-16 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Tile Speaker els, t entered the How at shoot a
arter before two o'clock, when about 50 or 60
Members yore present.
As +n o'clock the Usher of the Black Rod aim.
4. ned the Hoses to attired to bear the Royal Com-
mission reed.
Mr. MANNERS SUTTON, In fell dress, bid
In his robes of office, accordingly left the Chair,
which he bad taken on the entrance of the Usher
or lice RIAk Rod, and west to the Hoes* of Peers,
II red by nearly all the Members preterit. On
his return be addressed the Rosie to the following
effect:—
" 1 bare to ocriesint the House, that this noose
ha' been to the Howe of Peers, where the Lords,
wherries', by his Majesty's Commission. hare de.
elated Ims Royal Highness the Prior', Regent's ap.
prevail tad confirmation of the eler.lon by this 'loose
of me as Speaker, sod that I did thereupon lay
claims, by humble petition, to all its ancient on.
dubbed rights and privileges; mere especially free-
dom of &cession and denim: freedom for the Mem-
bers, their nos, and estates, front arrest and
solestmion ; free access In the ltnysl mirage, at
all limos when necessa ; and that the most f •
able eon.trarti,ii should be poi upon their proceed.
No: all of which *ere granted rodd allowed ins as
fell and ample a Manner as they hive been granted
sail illoned h) his Mvjos'y or any of his Royal pre-
dec.-siert. 1 snAy be now once more permitted to
rim,. in the II sow the deep sense of 'ratite& I
feel fur this most lilted mark of its cooli-
e dem. 1 implore of the Row its constant sod steady

tba Pet.ple.
" We • wish we meld say with equal coolidenca,
that we entirely approve of the proceedings of the
Court he which these ames were condensed. We
mean not to paints their offence, bet to repress our
desists whether their punishment was properly ad-
ministered. We impress oar thoughts on this subject
with much diffidence. Being ignorant of the law
martial, we are gelded to oar decision by oda-
Wished prieciple. of tratlonal and of civil law, ap-
plicable. we presume, to all crisis's' trials, by
whatever Court, in ow, coootry.
14 Arhathnot merited punishment, disobliges, for
his officinas interwieddling with the Indian., and for
having, under pretence of trading with them, and
counselling them to assert their rights, elicited these
to ho.tilities, against es. It is 6111011111 f gouda's,
whether his offence was a military one, nr properly
ccgoisable by a Milner, Tribunal. It is, at least,
certain, that this person was completely in oar power,
and that there was nn danger of his escape, or his
effecting soy thing. while in confinement, prejudicial
to the open/ions of the army. To have held him in
confinement, therefore, subject to the directions of a
higher authority, it appears to es, would hare been,
if an error at all, an error on the safe side of the
question.
" With respect to the evidence before the Court
in this cuss, our respect for the character of the
officers composing it, obliges ns, little conversant am
we have professed to be (sod may we long be!) with
military lam, to presume it was such as the law ad-
mits. And this is all we shall say of it.
" In the cue of Arahrister, the evidence is con-
elaaive anoegh. He was foetid in arms against the
United States, and pleaded guilty to the charge of
leediog the Lower Creeks to battle. Ile identified
himself with the enemy, end subjected himself to
their fate. Bat when taken, did be not become a pri-
soon of war, and was he not entitled to the privileges
of that dander? If so, did be become properly the
subject of trial by a Coort-Martial ?
" We ere seder the impression, that the offences
of both these individual' were such as it world have
been better not to have committed tube judgment of a
Military Tribenal ; bet hating been so committed,
'het it would have been expedient to have aebmitted
the sentence, before esecation, to the highest as.'
thority known to the Condi/moon, for Its revkioo.
" On the principle of retaliation, recognised by
all stations. these persons, we conceibe, might have
been lawfully pet to death. They had identified
themselves with the Indian.; and, though claiming
themselves to be British sultjects,did not prove theme
selves to be such, and wete,• wording t. ter des
trims on the subject of allegiance, acimailrespairi-
ate& The military practices of the Indians, century
to the laws of rah, the Commanding General bed a
clear right to retaliate. Ile slid so in the case of the
Indian ChM Francis llornathlemeo, and he might
!sere done so in the rase of Arbetttest and Asbrister.
In being brouc.ht In the bar of a Court-Martial,
however, did they set ketone 50...frtl to the opera-

WAIIIII`4OTOII. NOV. 48.—The Slave Trade coo.
(loses to liverish es the ocean, in fleapit@ of stipula-
tion to rellegeish, and eliia,•ces to pet it down.—
Accounts received from Hanisash, of the most re-
cent dates, annemums the following arrivals :—Octo-
ber 29, ship Jepiter, from Africa, 337 SIMI; brig
Sin Josef, 403 slaves; brig Brilliant, 315 slaves;
Vengsder, 400 slaves; schooner Astra', 143 • Ire' :
Nov. 1, eircassiana, 126 slaves—epwards of 15(X)
in one day. Most of these poor wretches, we fear,
will bud their way to the Louisiana market. We
wish that the Spanish character of the ships be not a
mere cover for American capital employed in this
@amebic tragic.

IMIIENSB PRIZES.
Wtt.wtrierow, Dec. 12.—The Spanish ship Cacti.
lien, worth, incleding bee cargo and 800,000 dol.
lar. ill specie, near • million avid • half of dollars,
Wood from Lima to Cadiz, was eaptered off the lat.
ter place, sheet the middle of October last, by a
Patriot privateer. By this capture dispatches from
Lima were intercepted, giving a mete dismal •ccoant
of the Royal prt.spects la that (palter. 'lns old
Patriot estate of Arequipa, who ►ad long been kep►.
in • &engem' and in irons, was a prisoner on board
the Castilian, a destined victim of Royal tenet:twee.
One of the intercepted tr.ters closes thus—" No one
hero has any belief le ner ability to reconquer Ctilii;
to keep the war 'hove for a while is all we can do."
The Buenos Ayreart privateer Constitution tee' y
'ultra in the Ches•pesk from a otitis, off Cadiz,
basing on board 39n,f100 dollars is specie !

ILI. HEALTH OF OttiAPARTE.
The ship FAlwatti, Captain IChwietitlen, actiewli at
ltaltiansr• was hoistll4.ato the 27th of October in
let. bh. Pi. long. '23. W. by the British sloop of wee
Beeson. 10 416 y s free tit. listens, sod was informed
that iitioaparta vies confined to hia qoartor• by
wham.

EVACCATION OF GAINFSTO'S.
The New Orley.* Gazette. of Ito 12th sit. eon-
f•ii.s, nu this subject, the fullo•iitg itsferesellen t—
" I by rbiablisiment at Geleeston has et Imigth bees,
broken op, sod General Ilanibeit, with bleasite, has
•rtived is this city : they were (send on hoard of a
•essrl shith has artived In the river, se rise to the
United States Welch Serpriee, Liest.
\V. my Ignorant of the iestceree of this abdication
of 11. Chief, end the dipper 1.0 of the baud. Sew
say
,thet:an Gait of the Americas Govertisient of-
"deredtbeas sway; others assert diet the Otiosity of
the Spanish army from St. ItatiNiio acrasiutted as
each • inns to them, that they dastard it best
set to remain."