The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-08-12 00:00:00

§rl4

'.l' •':• • ditTSVIIAX FIVANCgS. .•
01! . .i•
(0811211VA.T1ONSr IN 70/3 'RECFNIT FINANCIAL.
~.OPh:RATIONS• AND. THE STATL VUBLIC
CREDIT IN ADv.Tlil.k.
vault AN AUTHENTIC • DOCUMt4T • P 031.1411 ED ON
TII E SIUBJ Eel%)
Those who recollect the utifetrourehle Mee which,
%bout two sears ego, was so generally entertained
of the state of 'the Austrian Finances,, Mutt be suf.-
prized to hear that the price of the tondo in that
country has risen to between 70 and 80 (five per
Cents.); that the Minister of Finances' vegoclates
loans with the greatest houses in Germany, Holland,
and England, on conditions which would be thought
favourable in arty country, but which would be
thought impossible almost in Vienna—that by one
single effective. measure, a remedy has heed provided
for thoie evils of which foreign creditors have for
many 'years so loudly complained—and that the value
of papei'money, which was formerly depreciated be-
yond all prottOrtiOn, has increased in a surprising
degree.
Nobody can believe 'Wet- such extraordinary
changes are the result of. t/hance. Public credit can
never be materially strengthened union Government
give the first impulse. Th. basis of public credit iii
the opinion of men possessing good information and
sound judgment; and that opinion can never he fa-
vourable unless the course of Government be such as
fro inspire a confidence which is justified by facts.—
Yet financial operations eve rarely judged of correctly
at the first blush—there are few able to judge of them

in the first stage; and the Public will form its judg-
ment only upon results. The credit of a Government
must be to a certain d►gree established before the ma-
jority of mankind can understand that its measures
are good.
Such has been the lot of the Austrian Government
in the administration of its finances. The histnrt,• of
the finances of that country, from the Ist of June,
1816, when the new system was adopted, is an little
known in foreign countries, and the accounts of
it whichhaveuppintred in the Pohlic Papers have been
so incorrect, that some authentic information ►rill
contrittute to prevent 'mistake on the ouhject.
The Public Debt, that is to say, the Deht hearing
interest, was retry little increased during the three
last wars. After the puce •of Lusieville no coital-
&rabic. loan was made. Doting that interval, cir-
cumstances we.e unfavourable to public.. credit.
In the ittteri"r of the country, the exhaustion

- -
of its pecuniary rosourcea, in spite of political
conjunctures, operated against it. And even if so
many obstacles could kayo been surmounted, the
conditions attached to the system of loans in
such a state of things, might have overpowered or
at least for a long time paralysed the Monarchy. In
this state of things, the increase of the taper money
(with all its inconvenience and dange►s, which did
toot escape the GOVertit110111) was chosen as the least
evil, end more than once, as the only means of sup.
plying the pressing wants of the State.
After the first Treaty of Paris, the administration
of the Austrian Finances was entrusted to the Count
Stadion. From that time the re-organization of this
department in all its branches has unceasingly occu-
pied the attention of the Government. '(he new
war of 1815 retarded these plans. Since then, how.
ever, the opening of a Loan of 50 millions destined
to cover part of the experices of the last campaign,
announces the change of system; end the creation of
a Sinking Fund for that Ivan, meths the principles
which guide its future operations.

BURGH R EFG

EXTRAORDINARY DECISION.

ABERDEEN.— The Ptivy Council has decided re.
spectieg the case of Aberdeen; and we will venture
to affirm, that no decision, which ever emanated from
that body was less in accordance with the sentiments
and feelings, not only of those whom it more eape.
daily interests, but of the country at large. That
Ministers should, it, the face of the precedent of the
new and liberal set granted by them to Montrose--
a precedent for which they claimed and obtained .due
praise—have ordered the old Magistrates of Aber.
Been, a set of men who have brought destruction on
the affairs of that coy, who have plunged it into the
golf of bankruptcy, rind who have dissipated every
farthing's worth of the public property belonging to
the burgh—to meet and avoilit their cuecessors in
office, is a proceedieg fortunately without • parall►l
in the history of this or of any other couniry ! But
this gross outrage .'n the good sense and feeling of
the People of Scotland will not accomplish the end
intended. It will not have the least effect in inducing
any relaxation in the generous efforts of the Bur-
gesses to Ptfect the abolition of the wretched practice
of self-election. On the contrary, it will serve to
redouble their energy. The intolerable evils of that
system ha►e been too completely exposed —they are
too glaring and ebvious—and they have already been
productive of too much injury to the Burgesses of
Scotland to allow them ever to think of quietly sub-
mitting to their continuance. Neither will this act
of the Privy Council put down what the Lord Ad-
♦ocate termed ♦. the stalking horse of Parliamentary
Reform." So far from this being the case, it will
add new vigour to its partisans: and it will teach
the whole People of Scotland and of the empire. the
necessity of making every possible exertion to effect
a constitutional and efficient Reform, not merely in
the present disgraceful system of burgh polity, but
in that system of general government which ran pre-
serve a set of men in power, who thus deliberately
trample on the precedents which they had themselves
laid down, and who have become identified with the
supporters.of the most revolting species of misrule,
absurdity, and abuse.

CORN•EXcHANGE, AVG. 12.—We have not had
any supply of English Wheat since Monday, but se-
veral cargoes have arrived from abroad, and or
trade was heavy this morning; hut what sales were
made were upon the same terms as on Monday.—
Although the supply of Oats continues large, yet
from the briskness of the demand, Monday's prices
are fully supported.—Barley continues dull in sal,
and prices nominal.—lu Peas and Beaus uo alter!
Lion.
The King George, Pattison, from Greenland, h
arrived in the Hirer.

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• .I,I4I4%.3Ik;sIti•MYVERS.
• •
[lllO3ll TILE NEII:I,ICAK. cpivissEnClAL AtaIgESTISEIL,
qty • JULY 151
CALcUTT4„,. J,ttw. 24.—Estract hoes the Sydiscy
qrstette of the 20th of September
~The late arrival of the fliairVit, frwin Ni'w Zea-
land, presents os•with a picture of the natives of that
island, as by no-means flattering to the hatnene.wish
fur their civilization.. While the Ilarriet lay there,
which was eight *weeks, (the greater pert of which
was in the South East River,) Captain Jones received
repeated information of plots formed among the
Chiefs for the capture of the vessel ; hut beings.).
ways on the alert, the conspirators never. bad the op.
Iportenity of making the actual attempt. These
islanders were aware of ibe condition of Captain
Jones's crew, nine of whom had refused duty ; and
as there were but few other Europeans, exclusive of
the officers, on board, she !tying partly manned with
Liscars, they encouraged their treacherous designs
until the last moment of the vessel's stay.
" She arrived at the Bay, from hence, the 211
June; and had been more or less agitated with the
apprehension of assault, until the middle of August,
when the conspirators, becoming impatient for the
perpetration of their design, and finding that they
could not, by any stratagem, prevail on the Captain
or Officers to visit tlieir village (though frequently
invited thither), the treachery assumed a bolder cha.
racier, and at a little.after day-light on-the morning of
the 221, a fleet of war canoes, 11 in number, had just
cleared a. point of land that before screened Ihetn,ond
stood directly towards the tessel,aroonct !rich a num•
ber of other canoes, with armed natives, were already
collected. The Chief, Rumor ri, of whose perfidy Cali-
tain Jones had received repeated inforniation, at this
time drew alongside, intending familiarly to go on
board as before; bat this being refused him, and find-
ing the ship in a thorough condition of defence, they
thought prudent to obey Captain Jones's orders not
to presume to approach, on the pain of being find
into. The overbearing insolence of this inhuman race
of People it is impos,ible to form an adequate idea of,
" Their insults to Captain Jones and his Officers
and people were w ithout parallel spitting in their
faces and using menacing gestures to them on board
their own vessel, was far from uncommon ; and in
their insolence. they appeared to consider themselves
protected by the consciousness of the ship's people,
that the Missionaries on shore were always in their
power, and that to incense these cannibal tyrants
might provnke some acts of vengeance upon them.—
The plan laid to cut off. the Ilarriet was by no means
limited in its extent, es the Chiefs and theirsanguinary
subjects were attracted by the hope of plunder from
the River Thames, which is 200, and others from
places upwards of 300 miles distant." .