The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-10-31 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN

honring provinces as might be open to their intrigues, but
it has placed at the disposal of the Colombian Government,
a force sufficient to put down all opposition. Peru, with
the aid which it can now give, may safely calculate on its
entire emancipation.

(FROM THE rsonrotat HERALD, a►.PT. 22)
We learn by letters from Colombia received at New York,
that the Congress of that Republic adjourned on the 7th of
July, after having ratified the loan contracted in England.
by Mr. 'Lea, and authorised a negotiation for a new loan
of 30 millions of dollars. The letters state, that the Senate
refused to confirm the nomination of Mr. Revenge as
Minister to England, and at present, acting there as the
agent of the Governm►nt.

Extract from Jamaica papers received at the New Eng-
land Coffee H3t1.0, to the 10th Sept.
By the Lady Ito aley, we learn, that General Morales and
the greater part of his troops had arrived at St. Jago de
Cuba, from Maracaibo. The officers were billeted on the
inhabitants, and a stun was about to be raised by contribu-
tion fur their relief.

During the long vacation, his Majesty's Ministers have
been preparing auother series of persecuting attacks upon
the liberties of the press, under the mask of smiles and
good-humour. We never like the smooth behaviour of
these courtiere. It is a ominous of mischief as the wiles of
a courtesan. But common prudence might have taught
them that, where victory is defeat, they should he cautious
in provoking any combat. Whether chagrined at the un-
timely and disgraceful end of the Midge Street
Association, or mortified at the re-appearance of " the
shop in Fleet Street," we cannot pretend to
say; but the cry of persecution fur opinion is again
raised, and the freedom of the press' is again as.
sailed by the bar, and denounced by the Bench. Mr.
Harvey, the editor, and Mr. Chapman, the printer of the
SuudayTimes, have long load suspo tided over 'lcier heads an
indictment chareing thew with seditiously insinuating that
his afost Gracious Majesty was not so absolutely in posses-
sion of his senses, as might he desirable for the complete
satisfaction of his people. This was given as a
• amour, ander the head of latest intelligence, when
It is the duty of a pithlic journalist to pet
his readers in possession of whatever iliformation
he •:y be able to procure. Whether such rummies be
facts or not, a public joitrnalist is not in a eondition to ens
quire. Mr. Harvey could not go to Carlton House, with
the freedom of a Majoicciii, and knock at the door with,
"is the Ring afflicted with any mental calamity," But
he heard it et tteol,( ts he seys, and as we believe) in ptihVc
company, in the public: streets, an I in other places of public
resort ; and lie comolioinicate.l the matter, iu the most re-
spectful manner, to his revirrs. The proper answer
'would have been a contradiction in some Ministerial
Print, by those who must have low ont such
reports were in circulation, and whose duty it was to have
furnished accurate intelligence. So many interests are in •
volved in considerations relating to the hsJily health of
persons in such situations, that the intelligence of such a
fact, if true, becomes a matt-r of the greatest importance to
thousands. The Attoroey-tieneral says salt rainours ought
sotto be published. Why not? Are they to he allowed
to creep through all the private channels of cognate/1i ration
deriving an a Iditional currency through the privacy ne-
ereasry for their elm-elation ; or are they to nppear in the
only way in which tier truth or falsehood of them can he
immediately tested? The Jury have loom! the defendant
guilty ; hat recommended them to the /here": of the Court.
We do not understand the-priia ipie on which snche verdicts
are retoarneol. A man who 'J.-serve-8 no prinishm-tit, can
have committed no crime ; earl Woos he is not guilty. A
Joey hoes to try whether all accessed person hat wilfully
violated a known law If they final he has, they have no
right to recommend him to mercy. if they find any dr-
am/stances to show that he did not mean to offend, their
verdict should nor he guilty. To pat a man out of their
hands, laying .o the flattering once WU to their
6-ottla," that they have ereortonensieal him to the
mercy of the Court, seems a sad compromise with
ith the determinate integrity of decision which should
mark an English Jury. It two espied neatly fuer hours
before the .Invy could agree to a verdiet of guilty. It is a
principle of the law, that where say denbre are entertained,
the accased should have the Item:Sit of them. Now, herr
were doubts that it occupied lone heels to remove. We
cannot say bow they uere so removed hot 'oppose the
resistance of one or too imeiisidoals mere overcome by a
proposition on the part of those who bad no doubts at all,
to recommend the -amused to mere)? If this did take
place;—if a foreman bail said:—" Gone now
agree to a verdict of guilty; and we still agree
to recommend to itiercy''--will any one lay
that the accused wonld have been dealt with fairly?
Another case was tried, in which Mr. J. W. Trust, the
shopman of Mr. Carlile, was the defendant. The offence
was the sale of Paltner's Principles of Nature. The usual
contest took plate beto ern the Judge mid the accused, as
to the line of defence which should be allowed. These
senseless and useless persecotione are a disgrace to the
age; and it is with some shame we perceivetttrat any
authority can lend itself to deem; seeing that they
originate in the same feeling which offered the poisoned
cup to Socrates, and sent thelioreat Founder of the Chris-
tian Faith, to an ignnmieeians death. When we read of
the trial of Christians by Turks, of Protestants by Catholics,
and of Jews by the Spanish Inquisition, we exclaim
against the evident injustice; but the trial of Deists by
professing Christians isa matter ofcourse,and passes without
observation as right and proper. Surely the time is coming
whea encrotry will out be prohibited by Act of Parliament. I t
isetill more surprising that juries should exetciseso verylittle
discrimination. The Jury, in the case of Mr. Haney, is
represented as returning into court after an absence of two
hours, to enquire "whether a malicious intention should
be Anon to constitute a libel?" This is a Special Jury in-
deed! The J Mgt., we suppose, leas been misrepresented in his
answer; otherwise, there are snore Jesuits in the country
than Sir Harrourt Lees is aware of. The Judge is made to
say, " risme there was a libel, the malicious intention
" woe to be presumed from the act." This then is the law.
malice is charged as essential to an offence said to be corn•
witted in an act, which if not malicious, is not an offence.
The act may be, or may not be, malicious. But we are
told that the malice may be presumed from the act. if this
were only nonsaase,.it might pass without observation ; but
it strikes us as something more prejudicial. We have before
recommended a Magistrate, or two. to the protection of the
society fur the instruction of adults. We would a!so re.
commend lbs race of Special Jurors to their protection.—
They. act honestly, no doubt—but fur their wisdom, the
spec:ally thereof, dues not appear.

If the readers of the Nese Tinter want any further proof
of the infamous policy in the service of which it has been
misleading them, let them take it, in the following extract
from its leading article this morning:—
" On a subject which we hare treated so very often, as
we have the Spa:n.l) Finances, we shall say but littl —and
that little may be summed up in the word cautiow.—Be
cautious—no one can tell how far the Loans will be recog-
nized, and if they were folly recognized tomorrow, it is a
still moredifficult problem to find what they would Le worth.
All sides now confess that Public Credit in Sp lin in almost
a non-enity ; and even a !loyal recognition will h artily be
able to stamp a value on securities beyond the guarantee of
solid resources."

They will contrast this with his constant reiteration of
theft/v:4od that the restoration of the Royal Govern-
tnent, would 'voice seearily upon the loans, and restore
order to the finances of Spain!

The Ti;nrs of this morning says its statement respecting
Valdez is true in the main, and that the project is fea.ible,
as the Americans used it against ve in the last war. This
is news most new and wonderful. We remember they
threatened to use it but they failed. The Timex lays the
plan is feasible; and that the French Bert was alw•iys
within god shot of Cadiz, or it would have Item of no use.
We thought the Timer had told us it could not keep near
Cadir, and that it was of no use.

Morning Paper gives us a proof that the late war
with France, tees " the people's war;" but the money
changers on the Stock Exchange, threw up their hats
when they heard of the breaking off of the peace of
Amiens. Now, or believe they did no such thing at that
time ; vet if they had, it might have shown that it was a
war of the ;money ekallger.i,hat not of the iseoi.le.
It is state 1, on the authority of a letter from Paris,
that Fer•linand has by French influence, been induced to
revoli- the ct outta•eous of the decrees issued by him
since his leaving (4.14, ilicinding the famous Decree of the
Ist or Octolie According to other accounts these Decrees
are only modified.

Frankfort Patters to the 12.1111 inst. have brought us
intelligeooe which confirms the previous account; of the
Ottoman fleet having ailed back to Constantionple. It
adds, that the plague had broken out on board, and had
compelled the Turks to raise the siege of Missolunghi.
The army of Jesece PACUA is also (mill to liave almost
wholly disbanded itself. There are extracts in the
sense Papers from the Oriental Speetator, which give
a Turkish view of the affairs of Greece, that is to sty,
represent them as in the molt deplorable state,
from the divisions that prevail among the Greeks in tie
Marco. That differences had arisen between thrGrerktlovern.
mein an-1 CoLocoTitoNi appetite to have sonar foundation in
trial), as WP find it stated in other quarters; but that be
could, as is alleged, prove treacherous towards the country
which he hail so bravely defended, demands better relit' nce
than that of an Ottoman ,Newspaper [to obtain belief.
Mn. lies sr.—On Satitrilay this distinguished actor
finished his theatrical tour in Ireland. The house Was
crowded to excess, it bring for his own benefit. The vet.-
al6 lity of the actor in Sglrotier Ilaggerwood amazed the
andience. Ile will enitiatk to day in the Eclipse for
Scotland on his stay to London, to finish his engagement
at Drury Lane ; after which it is his intention, we under-
stand, to s-t sail for America, and revisit the principal cities
of the United States.—(lkYirat CAroakle of Alowdag.)