No.897. MONDAY, APRIL 11, 1825. THE POLITICAL EXAMINER. Party is the madness of many for the gain of a few.-POPE. TORY SLANDER-MR. BUCKINGHAM. ALL the world is acquainted with the rancour produced by party Mr. BUCKINGHAM is chiefly known to the public as the able and intrepid Editor and Proprietor of the Calcutta Journal, who, scorning to render himself an abject tool in that capacity, sacrificed some thousands a year rather than quit an honourable and independent course. In explanation of the Statement of which we have now to give some notion, it is necessary to add, that previously to his successful labours as an India Journalist, this gentleman was a mastermariner of a speculative and adventurous turn of mind, and consequently liable to the vicissitudes applicable at once to profession and character. In the year 1816, being at Alexandria, in Egypt, and but recently returned to that country from India, he was solicited by the British Consul there (Mr. LEE, of the firm of BRIGGS and Co.) to undertake a second journey to India by land, partly to be the bearer of a treaty of commerce drawn up between MAHOMMED ALI PASHA, the Viceroy of Egypt, Mr. LEE and himself, and partly to be in Bombay at the time the first ships should come up the Red Sea, in order that he might navigate them through the difficult passages of the Arabian Gulf, with which he had made himself practically acquainted. The above proposal he accepted, on condition of his bare expences being paid, and out of this journey arose the two volumes of travels that do so much credit to his talents and industry; the origin of which we thus describe (in nearly his own words) as forming a foundation for much of the ungenerous accusation and unmerited calumny which has subsequently pursued him. W. BANKES himself to be so indolent in the way of writing, as to render it necessary to have his epistles returned, in order to secuie the observations which he might have been led to make in them. These testimonies, so singularly contradictory of the contempt sub sequently expressed, and of the facts afterwards alleged against him, Mr. BUCKINGHAM gives, together with Mr. W. BANKES's abusive ppendix; not only so, he brings forward testimony whicharely does away the chief ground of an equally virulent attack on him by the deceased Mr. BURCKHARDT, who after all has been praised much more for intention than performance. With Mr. BURCKHARDT, Mr. BUCKINGHAM appears also to have been on terms of the greatest intimacy, which changed to enmity, simply, as he imagines, because he was about to publish an account of an unexplored country, of which Mr. BURCKHARDT himself wished to give the first notice. Without entering into the merits of this supposition, Mr. BUCKINGHAM completely clears himself of a main accusation, and shows so much intentional misrepresentation in that respect, as to shake the justness of all that admits of denial only. Mr. BUCKINGHAM unfortunately possessed no copy of these assertions, but gives the formal reply to them, sent by himself to Mr. BURCKHARDT, from which it appears that the principal charge against him was a disposition to receive pecuniary assistance, at the same time that he acted dishonourably towards his employers in being recklessly expensive at their cost, and expending their time on his own purposes. The last charge was doubtless countenanced by the conduct of the parties in question: for the head of the firm being dissatisfied with the arrangement of Mr. LEE, his partner, sought to impede the journey in its progress, and failing to do so, disputed the charge at the end of it, on the miserable plea that Mr. BUCKINGHAM would derive profit from his publication. The latter wished to refer the matter to arbitration, which was refused; and, on his lawyer's recommendation, he refunded one half his receipt on a letter ofcredit, (200l.*) rather than subject himself in his then situation to an action which at best would cost him as much in law expences. Mr. BUCKINGHAM stoutly denies the justice of this refunding; but under every point of view, it may be asked, on what ground a common subject of dispute between man and man, is to be made the foundation of a malignant attack upon the whole moral character? The remaining allegations of Mr. BURCKHARDT dwell simply upon a few trifling pecuniary obligations, derived by Mr. BUCKINGHAM from himself and others; to all which charges the latter replies calmly and deliberately seriatim, in a manner that, considering the small amount, might almost be deemed supererogatory. It would also appear from this reply, that Mr. BUCKINGHAM was charged with leaving his wife and family in England in great distress; which he declares to be a gross scandal, candidly admitting however that he believed he might possibly owe about 500l. in England, and nearly as much in India; a joint amount, which he trusted industry and activity would at no distant period enable him to discharge. How well he anticipated, is proved by the fact, that in two or three years afterwards this man of indefatigable perseverance was the main proprietor and editor of the journal in Calcutta, producing several thousands a year, and,hinc illa lachryma,—the able and independent supporter of public principle and popular rights in a community of vast and growing importance. Every body can guess at the torrent of malignant insinuation, and interested rancour, opposed to independence of this class, under a government formed like that of India. But more on that head anon; we will proceed at present to another and more diverting portion of our narrative. When Mr. BUCKINGHAM had finished his first volume, he sent it by a friend to Mr. MURRAY (Absolute John) who agreed to bring out the work in a few months, upon terms with which Mr. BUCKINGHAM'S agent was satisfied. After this transaction, Mr. MURRAY submitted the perusal of the MS. to his redoubtable editor, Mr. GIFFORD, whose report is so characteristic, we give it verbatim : In the prosecution of this commission, it was the fortune of Mr. BUCKINGHAM to encounter Mr. W. H. BANKES, now M.P. for Cambridge University, then exploring the country east of Palestine, and by a misrepresentation of himself, as stated by the latter, and very forcibly refuted by the former, such an intimacy ensued as produced much friendly co-operation; in particular, they visited the presumed ruins of Geraza, and laboured together both in the way of annotation and survey. The subsequent application, however, by Mr. BUCKINGHAM of a portion of the information thus obtained, on the announcement of the forthcoming publication of his Travels in Palestine, produced an epistle from Mr. W. BANKES, then at Thebes, of a most virulent and abusive nature, in which the writer quotes the authority of the celebrated Mr. BURCKHARDT for regarding Mr. BUCKINGHAM as one of the lowest of mankind, and accuses him of an intention to make use of the notes and information of him (Mr. BANKES) which he had been merely employed to copy, as his own. The letter, which was sent open, proceeds to ridicule Mr. BUCKINGHAM as altogether ignorant and incapable of the task he had undertaken, and threatens him with a total exposure and loss of character, if he perseveres! This pleasant intimation, which did not reach Mr. B. until a year after it was written, immediately put the latter upon his recollections and resources, and the result is singularly curious. Although he had returned most of the friendly and confiThe ease and complacency with which the minions of fortune and dential letters received from Mr. W. BANKES on the subject of the their satellites will sport morality on the pecuniary embarrassments which places they had visited and other matters, owing to a simple but for- to the trading and adventurous vicissitudes of life, are almost as admioccasionally beset the most prudent and honourable men who are exposed funate accident, two remained in his possession, written after know-rable as the resolution with which they occasionally confederate to cover ing him some time, which not only express the highest esteem for Mr. the baseness of a tool that can answer the views of their passion or their BUCKINGHAM and respect for his talents, but absolutely describe Mr. party. "James-street, June 7, 1819. "MY DEAR SIR,-I return you the MS. which I have read. It is cer *The whole of Mr. BUCKINGHAM's expences, after much delay from sickness and other causes, amounted only to 4001. tainly interesting and important in some degree; but will, I suspect, appear tedious in more places than one. ness of which, considering that neither he nor his son had read a tittle of the labours which they thus disparaged, are truly unprecedented : "The writer is the most unamiable person that I ever travelled with, and I have travelled with a good many. I have not marked one gene- SIR-I have received a letter from my son, dated Thebes (in rous sentiment, one trait of liberal and correct feeling. He is a daring, Egypt) 12th June, which is the occasion of my troubling you. He inbut an ignorant infidel; and proudly imagines, while he is only combat-formed me that a person, named J. S. Buckingham, introduced himself ing the idle trash of a few poor bigotted and illiterate monks, which no to him some time ago at Jerusalem, under the pretence of being an intiProtestant thinks worth notice, that he is demolishing Christianity. Of mate friend of Colonel MISSETT, and also of the late celebrated traveller our blessed Saviour and his Apostles he speaks, not only with the ran- Mr. Burckhardt; that in consequence of this supposed friendship with cour of an apostate, but with the revengeful malice of one who had two so respectable men, and so well known to my son, he permitted Mr. received a personal injury from them. He has the venom of VOLTAIRE, Buckingham, whose destination was to India, to accompany him for without an atom of his wit; and the fury of CONDORCET, without a spark some time, and to take a copy of that part of his journal which was kept of his vivacity; he is, besides, obscene and even filthy. I am sorry to during this portion of his travels. speak so severely of any man: but in saying that the Bishop of Calcutta approved his MS. I firmly believe that he has advanced an atrocious calumny. I know Dr. MIDDLETON too well to think for a moment that he would lend the sanction of his name to the exploded ravings of blasphemy, vented in the language of the brothel. I would say this to the author's face; and at any rate it is better to say it now than after such a work has met the eye of the world. "With all this, I rather wish that you would publish it. It cannot be enlivened, but it may be rendered far less objectionable, and this with no great trouble. Omission is all that is required: the MS. seems already to have fallen into the hands of some timid, but judicious friend. Let him only exert his pruning-knife with a bolder hand. There is, at present, too much quotation, and that from books in every one's hands, Josephus, the Bible, &c. It is surely better to reduce the volume forty or fifty pages than to have it unreadable. "Another word. I do not see why the printers are to be corrupted; they have souls to be saved, I suppose, as well as the rest of the world. I should, therefore, make it a point (if the MS. is not to be recopied) that the profaneness and obscenity should not only be crossed, but fairly erased and blotted out, before it is put into their hands. "Ever, dear Sir, your's, &c. "W. GIFFORD." acts of kindness usually are by ungrateful and worthless people. Mr. "This ill-placed confidence has been requited in the way that such Buckingham announces his intention of publishing his own travels, of which I have now before me an elaborate and pompous prospectus in a Calcutta newspaper. "I know not whether you have ever heard of this projected work; but as it is intended to be printed and published in London in a splendid manner, it is very probable that application may be made to you before it sees the light; in which case I wish to put you upon your guard against having any transactions with such an author as Mr. BUCKINGHAM, and also against laying before the public, parts of a very extensive and curious tour, in an imperfect state, which I hope and trust that my son will be induced to submit to them in the best and most complete form that he can put his valuable researches together, whenever he returns. "You will oblige me by making known what I communicate, with regard to the character of Mr. BUCKINGHAM and his intended work, in any way that you may deem proper, and I remain, "Your obedient servant, "Kingston-hall, Wimborne, Oct. 3, 1819. "H. BANKES." Messrs. LONGMAN, who had undertaken the publication of Mr. BUCKINGHAM'S volume, hearing of this letter, also declined, until that gentleman, learning from his friends in England the state of the case, with his usual energy and activity, got together a series of attested documents so explanatory of the calumnious nature of the attack upon him, that on its arrival in England Messrs. LONGMAN hesitated no longer; the Work, as we have already stated, was printed, received most favourably, and in an unusually short time reached a Second Edition, to the production, for the first time, of a critique in the Quarterly, which, after all the negociation, would probably be indefensible if even merited, but looking at the nauseous mixture of venality, intolerance, servility and time-serving, which engendered it, is beneath even contempt. "To John Murray, Esq. Now will our readers deem it credible, that the work thus alluded to is the published volume of Mr. BUCKINGHAM, brought out by LONGMAN, with the simple omission of four or five pages of no moment, in reference to the censure of that mild Aristarchus, Mr. GIFFORD?-that the MS. was submitted to the Bishop of Calcutta, who, if he did not rigidly peruse it, looked over it, and gave the author the benefit of a few remarks?-that all the Journals praised it, without reference to this imputed infidelity-that Dr. BURDER, a well-known biblical critic and divine, gave it unqualified praise? in short, that it rapidly reached a second edition, without any discovery of the horrible passages, which if not erased, would make the The conductors of this unjust and ungenerous vehicle, however, Printers' Devils more devilish? Yet all this has been the case; and have recently learnt from more than one lesson, that able men occathe sole cause of the wretched imputation, is the unqualified contempt either by charity or otherwise, are not to be bullied out of their real sionally arise, who, although not favoured by College educations, Iwith which Mr. BUCKINGHAM speaks of the Monkish impostures in Palestine, in regard to alleged scites of sacred places and kindred pretensions by the arrogance of High Church bigotry, and a mere affairs-a contempt which Dr. CLARKE had very freely expressed empty reputation for learning. Mr. BUCKINGHAM is one of these before him-a contempt too, infinitely more honest, edifying, and in- tenacious and spirited personages, who, bent upon acquirement, structive, even in a religious sense, than the tawdry, sophisticated, sturdily encounter the difficulties in their way, and reach the goal by affected ecstacies of CHATEAUBRIAND and others, at these contemptible inborn energy and dauntless perseverance. Sent to sea at the age mummeries and exhibitions of self-evident fraud. The fact is, that of nine, this gentleman has assiduously cultivated, in the midst of a Mr. BUCKINGHAM, in his work, detected a gross error of the Quar-life of adventure, a taste for composition, and exhibited a passion for terly Reviewer of "CLARKE'S Travels," and, moreover, as an un- acquirement, which, if it cannot always supersede the advantage of a trammelled, clear-minded and clear-spirited person, possibly delivered regular education, is a far greater thing in itself, and a more certain his opinions with some mis-pronunciation of the Shibboleth, which guide to eminence. An experienced Journalist, and a quick and this poor narrow-minded slave of Orthodoxy has deemed the only able writer, he has, like the subject of the note below, very pleasantly, passport to an exhibition of common honour and decency in the and in the most calm and manly manner, taken the review to pieces, pages of the Quarterly. But, caustic as Mr. GIFFORD is, he still and exposed the hollow trickery of much of the artificial pretence allows a value to Mr. BUCKINGHAM'S Work if forty or fifty pages to unapproachable learning, profound research, and extreme acbe taken away: what then is to be thought of that critique on the curacy, by which these Hectors of the press are so arrogantly dissecond edition, which then, and not until then, appeared in the tinguished. Their persecution could only injure the sale of his of the Journal, which he has so meanly prostituted to the wretched book in England, but in India it might not only effect similar purposes of party? In the letter, the Work he pronounces to be, injury, but was calculated to hurt him in the estimation of a after all, worth publishing; in the critique, on the contrary, not wide and influential circle of friends. Without hesitation, there being Mr. MURRAY'S, it is utterly worthless! The execrable and fore, he buckles himself up for contest, manfully reprints the venal subserviency of all this, to say nothing of the dishonesty, is truly whole of the Quarterly article, in his own journal, and answers it, despicable. paragraph by paragraph, to the reduction of the fair criticism of the Review to a mere minimum; to the triumphant establishment of pages Our indignation, however, has in some respects anticipated our narrative. How far the foregoing letter might render the conscientious and apprehensive Mr. MURRAY dubious, we know not. However uncongenial with the puerile and crabbed orthodoxy of Mr. GIFFORD, had it been the profitable production of a Lord, under any circumstances, he at least might have got it done, and have profited by the wickedness, sub rosa; but in the present instance, a flood of light possibly broke in upon him, in consequence of learning the contumacious position of the author at Calcutta. Be this as it may, he finally declined to fulfil his agréement, not however before he received the following epistle from that very original personage, the Member for Corfe Castle, the unguarded folly and astonishing little *Speaking of littleness, when report gave this veteran Senator a Peerage, a wag in the newspapers, with a knowledge of the name of certain manors belonging to him, in strict keeping suggested the title of Baron Piddle, of Piddleton, in the County of Dorset, &c. The penchant of this gentleman is for History, but we recommend calculation, and especially the branch intitled by the French, with a nice adaptation of sound to sense-Les infinimens petits. + Need we refer to the review of HONE'S " Apocryphal New Testament," and the very contemptible figure which, the respective positions considered, they made in their contest with that extraordinary individual a contest in which a silly composition of pedant and bully so miserably failed, both in accuracy and object. many of his own views in opposition to it; and lastly, as usual, to the detection of far more unpardonable blunders in the all-sufficient critic, than the aforesaid critic himself had been enabled to discover in him. Of this bold and manly grapple with his anonymous foe, together with every sort of document and testimony which can in the slightest degree bear on the question of his conduct and character, Mr. BUCKINGHAM has formed his Appendix. There we behold the Member for Cambridge in most ludicrous opposition to himself and his father, and mean and malignant scandals indignantly dissipated by the very parties referred to in support of them. We have more than this,-a most instructive exhibition of the reduction to practice of that system of personal attack on private character, in aid of party views and purposes, which, in the form of Bulls, Beacons, and Blackwoods, have recently proved so disgracefully, but we trust transiently, prevalent in Great Britain. The John Bull, a Calcutta paper, the worthy emulator of its namesake, at war, on public grounds, with the only independent journal in India, on the strength of the Quarterly and other slanders, inserted the most atrocious personal libels, for which Mr. BUCKINGHAM brought his action, not so much to produce damages, as to afford an opportunity to justify; but no justification was attempted, and damages of course were awarded him, the Court denouncing the libel as most atrocious. In illustration of this species of brutality, and of the operation of the discountenance of power on the friendship of timid and venal acquaintances,-some of which it induced to the most despicable breaches of confidence,-Mr. BuckINGHAM'S exposure is complete. Possibly, however, the genuine nature of the attack upon this gentleman, which ended in his oppressive banishment from India, cannot be better described than in the following letter in the aforesaid Indian John Bull, from the author of a Series of Letters from a Friend of Bankes," who however subsequently owned, that he merely adopted it as a signature, without Knowing anything about that gentleman. It exhibits, multum in parvo, the very essence of the same sort of venom by which a party of anonymous and venal reptiles have long assailed honourable and independent exertion in England. After detailing various minor motives, which might be presumed to actuate him against Mr. BUCKINGHAM, the writer thus breaks out: "I have aimed at higher objects than these; whether I have attained them remains to be seen. I have, at least, attempted to stem a current of licentiousness issuing from a press boasting to be FREE, and employing its freedom in sowing the seeds of everything disorderly and disreputable among all ranks and denominations of Englishmen in India, insulting public authority with an effrontery that, tolerated a little longer, cannot fail to shake it to its foundations, and in ungratefully vilifying the grace to which it owes its liberty. The Indian public may still choose to drink from the stream; but I deemed it a duty, and a service, to warn society of the poison which it draws from a contaminated source. The phenomenon of a Journalist venting his sentiments without the aid of a censor, but new in India; and it was manifest, that in this country such a man might prove the instrument of incalculable evil. In looking around me, I beheld the evils that might be feared, actually occurring. I saw them insinuating themselves into the very strong-hold of our power, and possibly paving the way for an event which the enemies of this power have hitherto attempted in vain, Entertaining these views, THE CONDUCTOR OF SUCH A PRESS BECAME IN MY EYES A PUBLIC ENEMY; and resting his power, as he did, as well on his character as his principles, HIS REPUTATION BECAME A FAIR AND LEGITIMATE OBJECT OF ATTACK, and its overthrow a subject of honest triumph to every lover of his country. If, in the course of this argument, I have shaken this reputation, I must, on his principles, have necessarily weakened his arguments, and paralysed the evil influence of his doctrines. Were I called upon to combat these doctrines in themselves, I should not shrink from the task, nor should I fear being able to prove, that the FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, which he advocates, is inconsistent with the government under which we live, and would prove the worst of evils that could overtake us. While the press in India is in the hands of honourable men, freedom from censorship must prove a blessing; and it is due, in justice to the gentlemen connected with it, to say, that with the solitary exception of the Journalist, this blessing has not been abused. He alone has converted it into a curse." We need make no comment upon a species of atrocity so utterly and basely Machiavelian, and we cannot but hope that this repeated Thus, in one of his letters, so fortunately retained by Mr. Buckingbam, Mr. W. Bankes thus addresses, after spending a considerable time with him, the man whom he subsequently stigmatises as a dunce and ignoramus," I have been very careful and exact in my drawings, which are in great number; and I do not think that you will be ashamed to have your name associated to what I may one day or another put into form." In another passage, he differs from Mr. Buckingham on a point of architecture, but defers to his opinion. It should be stated here, that the Journalist here alluded to, Mr. Buckingham, was never once convicted of a libel, private or public; while on the other hand, the proprietors and editor of the John Bull were convicted in the Court of Calcutta, of libels against this very Journalist, which the Judge on the bench declared to be so atrocious, that they could not be even thought of without horror !—Appendix. exposure of it will increase the detestation which it has happily begun to inspire. We know not a set of more cowardly and despicable wretches than some who deal in this way in England, reptiles, who, if tracked to their holes, are more shrinking, apprehensive and consciously base. The writer of the foregoing epistle, like some of these, is possibly of that school of politicians, who deemed it necessary a few years ago to ask the Catholic Universities, if they were so abominable as to maintain that no faith need be kept with heretics-an admirable query truly, from the partisans of Bulls and Quarterlys, and from that portion of the Church Militant, which holds that their treacherous and tainted weapons are regular and lawful! We have left ourselves but small room for a concluding fact, which, is at least a very characteristic one: Mr. BUCKINGHAM,--no bush fighter he !-on his return from India, brought actions against the BANKESES, father and son, for the libels in their respective letters; and against Mr. MURRAY, for the personal calumny in the Quarterly Review. The first and last of these actions have only been delayed by the happy course of legal arrangement, which so dreadfully delays all actions. That against Mr. W. BANKES, which is only undertaken to enable him to maintain his assertions if he can, stands over indefinitely, because that gentleman will not admit his own letter and go at once to merits, and Mr. BUCKINGHAM cannot legally prove its publication, except by the evidence of the gentleman in India who was made the bearer of it. This simple fact, we suppose, will speak home to the understandings of all men. In truth, Mr. BUCKINGHAM indulges some complacency at the notion of this irritable gentleman's contempt, who at the end of eight years has discovered no symptoni of coming out at all. No doubt this delay is preferable to the prema ture budding of a certain History of Rome, which a chilly reception and loud laughter struck in again; but it certainly at the same time gives a ludicrous air to his very magnificent expressions of superiority. After all, our epitome is very imperfect; and we recommend our readers to have recourse to the new and entertaining volume, to which this curious history forms so pleasant an appendix in illustra tion of Tory scandal, High Church reviewing, and the system of covert attack, intended to put down all merit that disdains the mak of the beast, and to daunt all intellect and principle which cannot be linked to the chariot wheels of Party and of Power. No satire can do justice to the assumption of high breeding an` gentlemanliness by this gifted fraternity, which, however, amounts t nothing beyond the airs of the imitative and third-rate Dandy, chastened and sentimentalized by an infusion of the fine taste and genuine gentility of Harriette Wilson :-translated into the character of other days, a 111%. ture of Bobadil and Doll Common, CLERICAL INTERFERENCE. Taunton, March 29, 1825. glorious Church Establishment, and our humble teachers of the docti mes SIR, It is proved already that you are little better than an enemy to ou of the lowly Jesus,-and it will go near to be thought so shortly. But I will go about with you.-A word in your ear, Sir. If we poor lost crea tures, inhabiting this lonely little town, had not been blest with two guardian angels in the shape of a couple of parsons, we might have been Would you believe it, Sir an ungodly fellow, the manager of our "damned into everlasting redemption," and known nothing of the matter theatre, bent on ungodly gain, and not having the fear of God before his during this present holy week, divers heathenish and abominable plays eyes, was actually going to pollute our innocent souls by representing, and stage pieces, written by fellows whose souls are doubtless now how! ing for these their iniquities-(one of their names was Shakspeare, an old and well-known offender as I am told) when, thanks be to Heaven, our two parsons stepped in, and, partly by the sanctity of their appearance, and partly by the terror of their threats, drove away the wicked manager, and delivered this religious town from the impending curse. Let their remember them in their prayers. The first is the Rev. names stand recorded in your unperishable pages, and may our posterity Parson of the parish of St. Mary Magdalen, a good man and true, though Bower, somewhat too much given to oratory. His words, like those of Ulysses, drop softly as the snow flakes. What do we not owe to him! He is ne magistrate, and therefore not bound by hard duty to interfere for us; and yet he valiantly said unto the wicked manager: "If you offer to play, I'll complain to the Judge." And thereupon the other guardian angel, 'yeleped the Rev. J. Gale, who saves souls at a village some miles hence, added, and said: "And if you persist to perform, Sir, I'll not sign your licence for the next season." At which words the arch-fiend vanished in a great smoke, and the victory was won. I tell this very badly, Sir, for I am not much of a penman. I ought to have told you first, that during this holy week our Assizes are held; that the town is filled with com pany; and that, consequently, these vile play-actors and others felo niously hope to take advantage of this for the furtherance of their sordid interest. This horrid manager had brought his whole troop to the town,. fondly hoping that we should have been left unguarded, and that he m'git prey upon us. How short-sighted are the wicked!-He hoped to pus money into his purse, and lo!" who steals his purse steals trash!" and -- all this at the word of two parsons! Bow down, ye railers at Establishments, and confess your ignorance. For myself, Sir, I could worship these two luminaries, for I am a great adorer of power. "Tis a fine thing to see a great man trample on little ones. And then their kindness in leaving us all innocent and decorous amusements is quite delightful. We have an Equestrian Troop within a stone's throw of the Assize Hall; we have Punch shows and wild-beast shows-(it would do your heart good to see the Fools grinning, and to hear the fiddles squeaking:) and we have a highly moral delight, or half-crown masquerade for ladies and gentlemen; (I hear it is quite edifying)—Oh ! Sir, you cannot think how many rational recreations are left to us; even the theatre, provided the accursed draina be not there! How then can we be otherwise than thankful for that enlightened wisdom, which, granting us these, removes far from us those odious and soul-debasing tragedies, comedies, farces,-which were certainly invented by Satan to ensnare our unwary minds, and lead us the flowery way to the everlasting bonfire! How happy are we! and how grateful should we not feel to our valiant defenders. Blessings upon them! We are thinking of erecting statues to them. Do speak to Chantry or Flaxman. We must give them a public dinner, and a vote of thanks. All hail-all hail, Great BOWER and GALE! VIOLATION OF THE LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECT. Monday Morning, 1 o'clock, 28th March, 1825. Mr. EDITOR,-Having just been an eye witness to a transaction, which, in my judgment, is such an infringement of our boasted liberties, that cannot forbear addressing you on the subject, in the hope that its publicity may be attended with beneficial effects." Passing through Long-acre, between half past 11 and 12 o'clock last night, I observed, at the corner of Great Queen-street, two most respectable looking females (one of whom evidently appeared to be in the family way) in the act of being stopped by a watchman (whose name I learnt afterwards was Martin:) my curiosity being much excited, I determined to hear the result. Martin, it appears, was questioning the females as to two small children's chairs, one of which each of the females were carrying. This, I presume, and indeed he stated it to be so, was in the exercise of his duty of stopping any persons who might have in their possession such articles as they could dispense with in walking-I am rather at a loss to know what things the watchman here meant-which, if found in any person's possession, at a late hour of the night, would render that person liable to be seized and carried to the watch-house as a suspected thief.. Upon Martin's questioning the women, they satisfactorily accounted for the possession of the little chairs, by stating who they were, and from whence they came, and where they were going (the substance of which shortly was, they had just returned from a relation's house, who had made these chairs for their infant children, and which, to please them, they had brought home with them)—that they were both married women, and the husband of one was in the country. Now, Mr. Editor, I am no Knight Errant, but being in that profession which teaches me to distinguish" right from wrong," I thought it my duty to interfere, particularly as Martin insisted in taking the women to the watch house, To avoid however the appearance of presumption, I called Martin aside, and mildly told him I had witnessed the whole transaction; that he was wrong in detaining the women, or molesting them, after the explanation; and, as a friend to himself, I would advise him to let them depart. This, Lowever, I suppose, offended the dignity of the guardian of the night; as he took my well-meant interference in high dudgeon. The women, who by this time (particularly the one who was in the way alluded to) seeing me in the act of speaking to Martin, appealed to me. I then strongly remonstrated, telling Martin, that if, after the explanation, he detained the women, he would be doing wrong, and be liable to an action. Martin, however, thought proper to call upon me to take the two eulprits under my protection, and accompany them to the watch-house. By this time a crowd had assembled, who hearing what the affair was, unanimously expressed their disapprobation of Martin's conduct, and some expostulated with him. This seemed to make matters worse, and Martin (who is a powerful, athletic man) sprung his rattle, and was shortly surrounded by four or five of his brethren. This, Mr. Editor, was to take one solitary, respectable female into custody! (who had expressed her willingness to go any where to answer the charge) and he left the female, who stated she was likely soon to be a mother, either to follow her companion or return home. Seeing matters come to this extremity, I, with some of the crowd, followed Martin and his prisoner. Martin took his charge into the inner room, and myself and several others were following in to give an account of the transaction if necessary, when he shut the door upon us, observing, we had no right to enter until our names were called; which drew forth a very natural observation, that as our names were quite unknown, it would not be possible for us to appear. (Audi alteram partem, and closed doors, will not agree, Mr. Editor.) Be that as it may, the door was closed and we were left outside, (the other female being with us.) The door was shortly opened: we went in; and it then appeared, that one of the gentlemen sitting with the constable of the night was acquainted with the father of one of the females, and he said that it was impossible for her to have stolen the chairs: and, after a little conversation, the charge was dismissed, and the chairs handed over to the women. This transaction requires no comment. It is evident that but for the accidental interference of strangers, two respectable women would in all probability have been kept in confinement a whole night, on the suspicion of being common thieves. If the law invests such a power in a watchman, the "liberty of the subject" is a mere farce; any man with a great coat on his arm, or any woman carrying a shawl in her hand, may be seized in the open street, and forcibly carried to prison, at the caprice of any vagabond armed with a rattle and lanthorn. I call the attention of fathers, husbands, and brothers, to this; and with the feelings of the latter, I subscribe myself, Your humble servant, JUSTICIUS. P.S. Martin, I was informed by his brethren, is of the Great Queenstreet beat, and is well known there. More I cannot add. THE JOHN BULL-MR. ALLEN. TO THE EDITOR OF THE EXAMINER. evinced, I am induced to solicit an opportunity of rebutting an injury, SIR,-From the regard to private character your paper has uniformly which, though in this instance affecting me individually, threatens insecurity to the character or prospects of any man who may, intentionally or otherwise, give offence to the party from whence it emanates. A letter appeared in the John Bull of Sunday se'nnight, signed Robert Allen, A.M. dated Kingston-upon-Thames, enclosing a criticism on a tragedy by a Miss Henrietta Field, and purporting to be a request to the Editor, that he would afford the influence of his "all-powerful paper" towards its production at one of the National Theatres. This letter is of course made up of sufficient absurdity to answer the end of the publisher. The whole is a gross and infamous forgery. I never was at Kingston-upon-Thames, there is no such person as Miss Henrietta Field, nor did I ever write a line to the John Bull on that or any other subject. The work which is alluded to has been published more than a year, and has been noticed in many critical Journals. Who the Author may be, or what his motive in forging such an article, I am entirely ignorant: it is certain that the success of my search after him would disclose only a dastard and a scoundrel. I have deemed it necessary thus publicly to rebut so infamous a proceeding, as I conceive that no individual's private character can be secure from this new invention for the publication of slander and falsehood. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, ROBERT ALLen, square. Saturday, April 9. BANKRUPTS. J. Madge, Southampton, baker. Solicitors, Messrs. Brundrett, Spinks, R. Wall, Brixton, wheelwright. Solicitor, Mr. Farden, New-inn, St. S. Dovey and J. Cox, Church-street, Soho, tailors, Solicitor, Mr. Matland, Wine-office-court, Fleet-street. THE FUNDS. There is no fluctuation worthy of notice to record either President TORRE TAGLE making an appeal to the Spaniards to occupy in the foreign or domestic market this week, although the beginning of this capital, achieved the destruction of Peru. the period for paying the dividends to the public was expected to produce "Discord, misery, discontent, and personal interests had spread their a rise in Consols, especially as Cash is otherwise so plentiful. The bane through every part of the country. Peru seemed to exist no more→→→→ Share market has also been very quiescent. The River Plate Agricultu- all was dissolved! Under these awful circumstances, the Congress ral Company's Shares were opened on Friday, with some spirit, the pre-appointed me a Dictator to save the relics of their last hopes. The mium reaching to 5. The prices of the Shares of many of the domestic loyalty, the constancy, and the valour of the army of Columbia, have Companies are merely nominal. Latest quotations:performed this wonderful undertaking. The Peruvians, when a civil war was raging, acknowledged the legitimate Government, and have rendered immense services to the country; while the troops who protected them have covered themselves with glory on the fields of Junin and Ayacucho. Factions have disappeared from the soil of Peru. This capital has recovered for ever its sweet liberty. Callao is invested, and must be given up by capitulation. Consols, 933 Reduced, 93 3) per Cents. Reduced, 99} } New 4 per Cents, 106 PRICES OF FOREIGN STOCKS YESTERDAY. Brazilian Scrip for Acc. 15 pr. Ditto Scrip, 1825, 2 Colombian Bonds, 914 pr. Ditto Scrip 1825, 45 dis. Ditto Acc. 4 dis. Mexican Bonds, 791 Ditto Scrip 1825, vf pr. Mexican Scrip Acc. off pr. We shall be happy to comply with the desire expressed by P. in regard to the Production he mentions. The WISHING-CAP next week, with an interesting account from Greece. THE EXAMINER. LONDON, APRIL 10, 1825. "PERUVIANS-Peace has succeeded to war: Union to Discord: Order to Anarchy: and Happiness to Misfortune! But never forget, I beseech you, that for these blessings you are indebted to the illustrious victors of Ayacucho. "PERUVIANS!-The day on which your Congress will meet, will be a day of glory! the day that will consummate the most fervent wishes of my ambition-do not ask more! "BOLIVAR." (Signed) "Extraordinary Gazette of the Government of Lima, "Wednesday, Dec. 23, 1824." The Columbian papers, which supply these interesting particulars, also furnish a copy of the Message to Congress of the Vice-President SANTANDAR, who, it must be recollected, in consequence of the spe cial absence of BOLIVAR, is effectively at the head of the Columbian Executive. This paper, which possesses considerable interest as an exposition of the foreign and domestic relations of this rising republic, begins by glancing at the impotent attempts of the mother-country and then proceeds to anticipate with confidence the success of the war in Peru, not then ascertained, but which, in the course of a few days after, was rendered manifest. The nature of the relations with Mexico and the new Central Government of Guatemala is then alluded to, as also with Brazil and the United States; of the latter of which the Message speaks in terms of great satisfaction, referring for examination by Congress, a convention entered into by the two Governments, to put down the execrable traffic in Negroes. The next topic is Great Britain, in reference to which, the Message details the conduct of the Columbian Government in its reception of our late deputed Consuls, who, in consequence of the hesitating policy now happily superseded, were accredited to the Province instead of the Republic of Columbia, and to the Depositories of Authority, whoever they were" that might happen to be established." The Columbian Executive acted with a happy mixture of prudence and dignity on this occasion. The Consuls were substantially allowed to act as agents for the protection of commerce, but received not the sanction of the Republic in their more formal capacity; and the similar officers from the King of the Netherlands were treated precisely in the same manner. A proposal from the Government of Hayti for an offensive and defensive alliance is also noticed, and the reasons given for declining it stated with great moderation. Alliances of that nature are only sought by Columbia with the ci-devant colonies of Spain, nor was it for that republic to involve itself with Europe or France on a mere general principle. The remainder of the Message is taken up with allusions to the progress of internal amelioration, in which particular recommendations are made for increased provision for general education and the navy. Various judicial and financial arrangements are also spoken of as eligible, and especially a speedy and formal funding of the public debt. This temperate and sensible paper coneffected by Colombia, and on the encouragement thereby held out for the still greater good to be accomplished. The similar annual expositions of the United States evidently form the model of these addresses of the new governments; and it would be difficult to find a better. THE arrivals from Columbia this week have been peculiarly interesting, consisting of a full confirmation of the liberation of Peru by the battle of Ayacucho, a brief account of which fact arrived some weeks ago, and was received with a little of the hesitation natural on the promulgation of distant news of importance, when not formally authenticated. So far from exaggeration however, the previous statement fell short of the fortunate reality, which exhibits one of the most decisive actions and victories on record. It seems, that after some months of skilful fighting and manoeuvring, the Columbian force, under General SUCRE, took its position at Ayacucho, and waited for the enemy, who attacked it on the 9th of Dec. last, the number of the Royalist forces falling somewhat short of 10,000 men, and the Columbian amounting to about 5,800. The conflict was ardent and characteristic, as both sides were anxiously desirous to fight; but the superior skill of the Columbian Commander, General SUCRE, and the great bravery of his troops, set aside all disparity in numbers, and quickly and most signally gained the battle. The consequence of this skilful achivement was an immediate capitulation on the part of the Royalist Leader, CANTERAC, of which it is quite enough to say here, that all the Spanish possessions in Peru were formally given up, under the guarantee only of a few liberal provisions in relation to persons, property, and past conduct, which both policy and humanity would grant, whether demanded or not. This brilliant and effective victory cost the conquerers one general, 8 officers, and 300 men killed, and 6 generals, 34 officers, and 480 men wounded. The Royalists lost 6 generals killed, and 2,600 men dead and wounded, among the latter of whom was the Viceroy LA SERNA himself. On this grand result reaching General BOLIVAR, he immediately caused the following Proclamation to be inserted in an Extraordinary Gazette at Lima, which address we give entire, as exhibiting most characteristically the high-wrought, honourable, and disinterested character of a man, who is evidently destined to take his place includes with an animated congratulation on the great things already the estimation of posterity among the great leading benefactors of mankind. PROCLAMATION. "PERUVIANS! The Liberating Army, commanded by the intrepid and skilful General SUCRE, has at once put an end to the war in Peru, and of the American Continent, by one of the most glorious victories ever obtained by the arms of the New World.-Yes! the army has fulfilled the promise I made you in its name to accomplish the liberty of Peru in the course of this year. PERUVIANS! The time is arrived when I must also fulfil the promise I made you to divest myself of the dictatorship on the day that victory would seal your destiny. The Congress of Peru will be assembled on the tenth of February (proximo) being the anniversary of the decree by which was confided to me this supreme authority, and which I will then return to the legislative body which honoured me with their confidence. These are not empty words. first constitutional election, which is to be made during the present These papers likewise allude with considerable animation to the year, of the President, Vice-President, Senators, and Representatives of Columbia; and, as might naturally be expected, General BOLIVAR is mentioned for the first dignity as of course. It now, however, becomes a constitutional question, if employment out of the territory be compatible with this great civil office, however specially sanctioned in the first instance by the emergency of the Peruvian expedition. Hitherto the Vice-President has ably done the duties of the office; but this anomaly, it is thought, will be no longer advisable. We per"PERUVIANS! Peru has suffered great military disasters. The troops ceive, however, the promptitude with which the illustrious Deliverer of who guarded it, occupied the free provinces of the North, and carried these fine countries is divesting himself of his dictatorial authority in war against the Congress:-The Navy obeyed no longer the commands Peru, to the removal of all rational obstacle to his formal assumption, of the Government. The Ex-President RIVA AGUERO, by turns, a waarper, rebel, and traitor, fought against his country and her allies. a second time, and in constitutional form, of that high place among The auxiliaries of CHILI, by their lamentable defection, deprived us of the people whom he has so eminently served, which so unequivocally the assistance of the troops; and those of Buenos Ayres, having revolted and conspicuously belongs to his virtues, his patriotism, and his abi in Callao against their chiefs, delivered that place to the enemy, Thelities, What a contrast between these heart-inspiring events, and the |