The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-25 00:00:00

LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

A astable expedient for "checking the licentiousness
of the press," has been devised by a morning paper
which being on the right side is always permitted to inn
e without any check at all. it is sot enough that we
liana public officer who can drag a printer or publisher
out of his bed at midnight, and throw him into a dun-
, geon—that we have gangs of associated hirelings of the
system, clubbing their money to prosecute, in cases
where the Attorney General is ashamed to interfere—and
that a ngalu system of packing Juries is kept up,
is order to make sure of verdicts:—this is not
enough; bat the " licentiousness of the press" wants
further curbs and trammels, to save fools and knaves
from the exposure of their Ability or fully. The expe-
dient is as notable as the intention. it was a disgrace-
ful extension of law on the part•of Lord Sidmoarlt, when
be published his circular; declaring Magistrates entitled
to hold persons to bail for publications which they might
deem libellous. But the present scribe of the holy Af-
fiance goes much farther than this; and propose., "the
"introduction of a jury, partaking somewhat of the se-
" turi of a coroner's, and somewhat of that of a Grand
"Jury: called together at the requisition of any kosso.
"keeper who might demand their interference; formed
"from a listof 48 neighbouring householders, from which
" twelve might be struck by the complainant, and twelve
" by the accused. They might be enclosed with each of
.4 the parties, and hearing them only might decide the
" single question, whether or not the publication
" charged as a libel was or was am really so? if the
" affirmative were found, then the circulation to be in-
" stahtly probihited under a fine; if otherwise, the cir-
" culatiun to be free. An appeal to lie in either ease to
" the Court of King's Bench, which might direct an

issue to be tried!" How pretty and plausible all this
sounds! while the true object, and the certain conse-
quence, would be, to destroy all liberty of the press, ex-
cept what the press should claim and exercise for itself
in scorn of the introduction of the picked :peci.•t
[system, into every parish. The powers possessed by
such an inquisition would be at first but trifling.; but I t
it be fairly grafted upon the system, and a knot of
servile dependants upon the Minister of the day would
be armed with despotic power to interdict the publica-
tion of all that might displease either them, or their

masters. Every expedient hitherto adopted has failed to
curb the freedom of the English Press. it has cons ant-
iy burst asunder the bands attempted to be Strewn
around it. The Master of the Crown Office begins to
perceive that be has lost his cootroul. The Bridge.
street blockheads have been wofully disap.
pointed; and the Six Acts have been of little
more use to the Minister than so many turnpike bills.—
This not only galls our slaves and despots at home, but
the whole host, of all countries, opon tbt Continent; and
they will not be satisfied until they have made further
attempts to destroy what they hates* bitterly. This scribe
is consequently employed to pave the way for theiot
lion of new measures. I t is too roily yet, to sen d &manifesto
from a German Diet, to pat down an English „tourist-.
but this is -a. matter which may follow the mac,* of the
Holy Mliance, if it eheuld not receive a moral wound in
Spain. We have beings in this country whoossold iced
themselves to the establishment of an inquiei tion„:4 n ter.
poral despotism, as readily as they sell themselves to
reigning faction. The Bridge-street. Ulmit'sv44 fitrniNis
out a list of Inquisitors, who would do as newts c edit to
their office, in the roasting of bereugs,.• • Ili ege thine
in Spain.

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•••

SHIPPING INTI!

74.W.,:rt;e7rpi sa=esilist
Serluppatam, and. Brisk
lestward.—Came down and us-
,lnabire, for China; the Barellee.
Cape pf Good Hope: alio Dud sailed
bound, the Dispatch. Findlay, for
/sr, Morton, (or Minnuiald ; the,
Pernambuco t the Pongee. Ca‘
ae Sisters, Sarjeiet, for Denman,
Akinson, for Pernambuco.
9S.—Arrived the hfsdelra Pareek
the Briterusta. Stewart.
_from
.; and the Thomas, Damen,
port; the Columbian. Hepburn,
Me, from Havre; and tbe Hope-
.kbohn. —Wind S.W.
24.—Wind N. W.—Arrisad, tki
4 New Orleans.
.
from Sunderland, to ityik Una to-
Aentish Knock 'on • Wednesday: the
master, mate, and one man drowned:

THE ARH Y.

Tua GUASDS —This morning, at 9 o'clock, the 3d
baUalion of tba Ist Regiment Grenadier Boards left their
specters at the Rides Mew% sad proceeded to the
Tower, to do aridity of the let battalion of the Id Regilt
mest.(Coldstretuns) who are ordered to hold themasivur
in readioess en a route for Ireland.
:The first divisions of the 42d Highlanders marebddl
from Limerick on Monday se'onight for Betterant. •
romainder were to proceed on Friday.
On Friday the Royal Mid Lothian cavalry ender the,
coritaittnd of Lientenant-Colooel Sir Jobn Hope, Rase.l
were trevirwad ma Portobello Sands by his ExceilsoeySliil
Thomas Bradford, the commander of the forces, accompa-
nied' by his salts. The regiment mustered about 300
strong, and went through a variety of manoeuvres and
etelittions,' which were executed with a precision and
eelmity that would hats done credit toe veteran corps.—.
Theedrances in tquadroni and le line,"and the retreat,
covered by a part of carbitteers, were extremely well ex-
ecuted. The day was fine, and a great number of people
women the ground.
•
-Thedollowingextract of a letter from a French officer
• . *Mite Dnke of Angoaleme's Stiff has, says a respect-
able morning paper, been communicated to es from a
quarter which leaves no no doubt of its authenticity :
blaostio, lily to the present hour, we have
%masa sombre to combat against. but our situation is
Iwo begioalog to undergo a total change. The resistant*
oar troops have met with in Catalosia. and the retreat of
the Cortex from Saville, will seem to prolong a war whieb
'wiled lettered ourselves was at an end. and we have to
thank the Regency for a portion of this result.
" Every day the respective parties become more exas-
perated against each other, and me are out of favour win
them all. thennioo has begun to prevail among the Royal-
ists. We are already experiencing Nevelt dilealty la male-
tainine our coronmaications, and it is to be feared that our'
embarrassments may iscrease in sof equal ratio with the for-
matinu of the predatory beads which infect the country.
" We shall shortly be la nearly the same situation as in
Nil, with the addition of having twenty or thirty fortified
places to blockade: We posses;, It is true, one single ad-
vantage—that of a cool season."
!XTRACT OP • Lewes PROM PARIS, JULY rt.

- -
Tbe'French Ministerial papers of yesterday mention the
feet of a flag of truce having been sent into Cadiz' to re-
quire the Cortes to surrender and to offer there terms, but
they do not say What was the answer. Their silence was
supplied by various reports, and I ea assured the reply of
Valdes was to the following purport .I—The Cones will
listen to no terms, end will for the future receive so legs of
truce. They will all perish rather than medico one atom
of their dignity; and if they cannot maintain themselves
In Cadiz they are resolved to debark ter America, carrying
the King, the Royal Family, and all the Regatta with them.
If When they-have donators they carrot escape the French
flora, they are resolved to sink the vessels which bear time,
•«.i thus to place beyond the power of French tyranny the
King, the Government and the Representatives of the Spa-
Natine.-11 is also said is Paris, that the outtalk!' of
the Royal Family, this determination of the Cortes, and the
appointment of the Regeney'st Madrid, have oomidoead a
great deal of discussion between the English and French
Governments. Notes are exchanged almost daily by oar
Ambramadorend the French Minister foe Foreign Affairs.
Oar Government seems to bete an awkward Mutation, and
it is angry with the Fronsh Ministry for bringing it into the
dilemma.
• The rebuke given by Mt Canning to the Madrid Re-
gency seems to have toordfied the Preach Ministers;
for their papers give a mutilated translation of ,the an-
swer to Don Victor Sees; the cooelodiag sentence—
“ awl it is, therefore. not comistent with my duty to lay
before the King the letter addressed to his Majesry,
which I have the honour herewith to return"—belog
omitted. Bet this is not all. Aa endeavour is made to
detract from the effect of Mr. Canning's letter, by ob.
serving, that, " when it was written he did not ktiow
Sir W. A'Court had remained behind at Seville, and that
consequently the Court of Landon had no Minister with
his Catholic Majesty,". Tbis quibble very plainly indi-
cate the n lure of the impresaton which the rejection of
the overtures of the junta of rebeli at Madrid has pro-
dated on the French Cabinet.
Yesterday, at half.past three o'clock, the Duke of
York left town in his travelling carriage to dine with his
blejesty, at his Lodge in Windsor Park, when there was
a numerous party of distinguished Personages to meet his
Itnyal Highness. The Royal Duke appeared in the
Windsor uniform, as did most Of the Royal. Party. Lord
St. Helens and Sir William Koppel were the Lord
Groom in Waiting on his Majesty.
Yesterday the Duke of Cumberland honoured Lord'
Maryhurough with his company to dinner, where there
was an assemblage of distinguished 'Personages to meet
his Royal Highness.
It is reported that a matrimonial engagement is in
contemplation between' a popular Tragedian and a Lady
of high tank.
uw Hutu Lira. Married, on Monday,
the 21st inst., at Bishop's Court, Ireland, by the lion.
wad Rev. the Dean of St. Patrick's, Earl Fitzwilliam to
Lady Punsonby.
The celebeated Miss Edgeworth was last week at Is-
Nereus, and diting a short stay, visited the Falls of KR.
neorock.
We understand the bills for removing the attainder,
of the Scotch Peoragelave bees delayed until the cote-
' inencement of next Session, as it was found impossible
to overtake them this Session.—(Edist. Star.)
The Duke of Saxe Weimar arrived at Hennet's Hotel,
Invernets, on Saturday week. frfis Highness visited
the West coast, and came from Fort William through
the Caledonian Canal, by the Stirling Steam Boat.—
. Monday, he visited Culloden Moor, Cawdor Castle,and
yort Gooree ;'and Tuesday he set off for the South, in-
, tilitling to visit Dunkeld and Loch Katherine on his
A•
te Imes that his °meths Doke of Wellington is to
visit Scotland-this season. and proposal to attend the
Caledonian Hunt and Northern bleeting.—(/bid.)
His Majesty's cotter, Woodlark, Lista. William Mor.
tie, arrived in Leith kiwis on Saturday morning, with
sopernutoersry seamen for the Leith station.
• Ceeershem.Wark Estate was yesterday sold by Mr. $l.,
Habilis for 110,000 guineas; it excited so much interest,
that the higo Mom at the Auction Mart, could not eon-
tails tult Mr. Robins's auditory. Mr. Rothschild and
Mr. Roelof seethhoth mooed as the purchasers.,
A b,,,blee belonging to a gentleman of Caper, has
gamed fiat tunes within the last fortnight.

R~~

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r•.... • alyi4.—Wlnd N.
,' fiis Majesty's shi
PO' war, from the We
11, ;be Enekingbamsbi
fa
binson, for tbe Cape
. the outward bound
liar; the Voyager,
'Cher, Wilde's, for Pm
, for TearrilTe; the Si
apt' I the Agapbea, Atkins°,
AlT;IOUTII, JULY 113.
'n,SI from London; tl
Pripcb Edward's Island;
from London.—Off the pc
and the Conway, COMO,
Mk Molie, from Stockho
'Porrsuouim; JULY 24
Abigail, Thomas, from NI
-The Oak, Wills, from
K tally lost on the entis