The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-08-11 00:00:00

Mime 4mpettiosil

troops, in their Ct, ity, throwing thernsel e,
spun " inaccessible rocks." Those who delight in " t tte
"vast, the wonderful, the wild," would be highly indebted
to the artist who should make these matters palpable to the
tight. We shall never think the French horde in Spain an
army again., until it does something. to outplay its bulletin
writers in a more rational manner. We hear that every re-
giment has its own chronicler along with it; and u Were
is nothing done, why there is the mare to be said.

The journey of the Doke d'Angouleme to Seville, it is
whispered, may not have been dictated by any wish of this
glorious descendant of St.Louis,to be any nearer danger than
be was, nor even out of any necessity to be near the piece of
negociation,which he would like much better; bat for the per.
pose of being in a condition to make a safer journey back to
France, than retracing his route from Madrid to the Fron.
tiers might have proved. In other words, it is said to be
probable that his real intention is to embark from Seville
to France, to be present at the Feast of St. Louis, where
be will be as brave as any soldier need to be. .At present
the pious fit is upon Limn ; ind he is observed to he more
gloomy than ordinary. Perhaps he is pondering upon
what be is to do with Ferdinand, when he is liberated ; for
it is by no means clear that sock an event would render the
task of the French aka the more pleasant or easy. If tie*
courier should be right after all, and the French really
mike behind' the Ebro, or farther, what would become of
riureltfer? The unseasonable weather, and the unplea.
sant news, would quite unman them.

Some :,:linisterial papers are most sarcastically compli-
inenting their patrons on the evidence of national prospe-
rity, which is afforded by the diminution of crime. It this
be any teat, it must follow that the crimes do not result
from the vicious inclinations of the offenders, but from their
misery! How then eao our system of criminal jurisprn
dunce be reconciled to justice? Have we a right to hang,
Imprison, and transport our fellow creatures, who are re-
duced to want by the general distress and to vice, through
the pressure of their wants. Have we a right to punish
hose as felons, who would have been virtuous if they could
Men who steal in the extremity of hunger are not deemed
offenders against the law; and upon the same principle of
justice and mercy, bow can society employ the law in its
rigour against men who are driven by an imperious sects-
chi to 'violate its enactments?

A pamphlet lies been put into our bands, written not
merely with a view to exculpate the Chancellor from at
hlame with regard to " the law's delay" in the Court o
Chancery; but to shew that there is no such thing as any
' blameable tardiness r and that the Chancellor is one of the
best Judger, and most ill-used men under the Sun. This
wtiter has talent, and may have some knowledge of his rtib
jest ; but he is evidently what he blames the opponents of
the Chancellor for being—a partiian, and not an impartial
:enquirer after the truth. If Mr. IVillianis sought matter for
accusation, this writer has sought matter for defence r and
the interest in the latter instance is quite as obvious es in
the former. The common conviction that there are greet
abuses in the practice of the Court of Chancery cannot be
shaken by any,cotn'pliments to the Chancellor. It is knOwn
that the fees ari enormous ; that the delay is eipensive to
the suitors ; and that the Chancellor must profit largely,
(however legally) by the doubts, and difficulties, which are
continually arisingoat of Chancery suits. To flatter the
Chancellor is not to remove the "lamentable imperfections
which this writer admits ere to' be found in all human in-
stitutions ; and, of course, in the Court of Chancery: The
following paragraph alone is sufficient to chew that the
writer is not an impartial evidence :—" It is the gentia
opinion of the profession that the judgments of the
' presrnt Lord Chancellor will, above all others, in
" after-times be looked for by his successors to guide

".their judicial decisions ; and those judgments wilt
" stand fur ages. unshaken and undisturbed by the
" attacks of puny politicians. They are delivered with so

much consideration and caution, that they will receive

'5 that spontaneous reverence which Justinian directed to
" be paid to his Digest of the Civil Law." Such gross
!riflery to one holding so much patronage to reward it
with, and who is said not to be displeased with a little adn-
latidn as a rarity, may answer the private, but not the pub-
lic views of the writer. • Nor is the comparison which he
draws between the expenses of other Court at all calcu-
lated, to mend the Chancellor's case, who might correct
many of the abuses of his own Court, if he mould, with-
out reference to any other. We are quite aware that our
ordinary Courts are as had as they need be, in delay and
ruinous expenses; but it is no reason why the Court of
Obancery•bonla not be ,swept, because Westminster Bah
is dirty.

A vagrant Ministerial Oust of yesterday has the Imp-
deuce to give a French letter, dated the 17th nit., in ordrt.
to enable its readers to judge of the scrum/ of kites
from Comma, dated the 30th. What sort of readers mast
it base ? This same print classes I whisks and atheists"
as natural associates;—and having wasted all its owo to
in stringing together a list of prohibited puns, it terrors
lan article of furious censure upon Air. Irving, from another
priat:

Bayonne papere to the 11 inst. iknd Frankfort to the 4th.
bare arrived since our last, of which the following are ex-
tracts : _

BATONNL, Angora 2.—A repntt was current today at
Bayonne that Coruna* has surrendered to the French troops•
and that they entered it on the 22d, but it does not appear
that there is any foundation for It. It is said that thecae-
paniecof artillery, which were to be employed in the siege
of Saragossa have received counter orders' as l that they
are to go to Burgos with with field pieces thowever, at least
half of the heavy artillery is already gone. Letters fmin
the enVi.rotti of Barcelona say that the whole plan has been
discovered, with which Deneral Sarstirld was conneeted:
59 Clllllloos have been shot. Frott, tha itinerary of the
Duke of Angouleme it olivine that will travel slowly:.
his rival id Seville brio fixed .foQ the lOth An-Arts)"