Political Affairs in February. 



]«21.J 



reference to the deliberations ai Paris, in 

 1815, previous to tLe conclusion of the treaty 

 of Alliance, at Aix-la-Cbopelle, in 1818, 

 and subsequently in certain discussions which 

 took place in the eourse of the last year. 



After having removed the misconceiition 

 to which the jjiissage of the circular in ques- 

 tion, if passed over in silence, might give 

 countenance ; and having stated in general 

 terms, without however entering into the 

 argument, the dissent of his Majesty's Go- 

 rernment from the general principle upon 

 Ml'hich the circular in question is founded, it 

 should be clearly understood that no Govern- 

 meot can be more prepared than the British 

 Government is to upliold the right of any 

 State or states to interfere where their own 

 immediate security or essential interests are 

 seriously endangered by the internal trans- 

 actions of another State. But as they regard 

 the assumption of such right as only to be 

 justified by the strongest necessity, and to be 

 limited and regulated thereby, they cannot 

 Admit that this right can receive a general 

 and indi.-criminate application to all revolu- 

 tionary movements without reference to 

 their irnmediate bearing upon some particu- 

 lar State or Slates, or be made prospectively 

 tlie basis of an alliauee. They regard its ex- 

 ercise as an exception to general principles, 

 of the greatest value and importance, and as 

 one that only properly grows out of the cir- 

 comstances of the special case : but they at 

 the same time consider, that exceptions of 

 this description never can, without the utmost 

 danger, be so far reduced to rule, as to be 

 incorporated into the ordinary diplomacy 

 of States, or into the institutes of the law 

 of national 



As it appears that certain of the Ministers 

 of the three Courts have already commnni- 

 cated this circular despatch to the Courts to 

 which they are accredited, I leave it to your 

 discretion to make a corresponding commu- 

 nication on thti part of your Government, 

 regulating yo>jr language in conformity to the 

 principles laid down in the present despatch. 

 You will take care, however, in making 

 such communication, to do justice, in the 

 name of your Government, to the purity of 

 intention, which hag no doubt actuated these 

 august Courts in the adoption of the course 

 of measures which they are pufsiring. Tlie 

 difference of sentiment which prev-Tiils be- 

 tween them and the Court of Loudon, on this 

 matter, you may declare, can make no 

 alteration whatever in the cordiality and 

 harmony of the alliance on any other subject, 

 or abate their common zeal in giving the 

 most complete effect to all their existing 

 engagements. I am, <fec. CytSTLERKAtm." 

 The courts of larvv hate \yecn rery 

 active in tliscussinir questions relative 

 to libels and convictions. Tlie strange 

 affair of Major Cartwrjffht and otlieis 

 IS jmsriioned ; l>nt RAGt;, a l)oo]<scller 

 of Birmingham, lias been sentenced to 

 Monthly Mag. No. 351. 



185 



13 months imprisonment, for a psijfrr 

 on tJie Manchester niassacrc ; 'ind Sif 

 Francis Burdett, for a letter to his 

 constituents on the same sul)ject, has 

 been adjudffed to sutler 3 months im- 

 prisonment, and pay a fine of 20001. 



O'Bryan, the associate of the wretch 

 Franklin, has been acquitted from 

 the imperfection of the evidence to 

 bring the cliartiCs completely home. 



On the 5th of January the unredeem- 

 ed Debt of England was 77;'»,S34,464I. 

 and of Ireland 2.5,720,8451. Interest 

 of both, 28,0647211, The total sinking 

 fund was 16.596,5751., of which 

 12,000,0001. has been for two years ap- 

 plied to current expenses. The sums 

 due from Austria ar« 17,466,4481. — 

 86,7601.jwas expended last y6ar in con- 

 veying settlers to the Cape. Agricul- 

 tural horses yielded 488,4891. ; and 

 windows 2,366.1391. The ordnance 

 cost, in 1819, l,.')38,2891.being 130,0001. 

 more than ISIS, and 632,000 more 

 than was granted by parliament! 



The domestic distresses of the coun 

 try are explained by the fact that th6 

 33 millions of Ba:ck Notes in circu- 

 lation, have bpen reduced to 23^, and 

 in December, 20| millions. 



FRANCE. 



Some plots a la Fran f Jin have been 

 developed during the month. Gun- 

 powder was exploded in the Tuilleries, 

 and Petards fired near various branches 

 of the Bourbon family ; evidently for 

 the purpose of justifying a vigour be- 

 3'ontl the law. 



SPAIN. 



The tories and the priesthood have 

 been actively engaged during the two 

 past months, in endeavouring to excite 

 disturbances in Madrid and other parts 

 of Spain, and some lives have been 

 lost ; but the constitutional party are 

 vigilant, and the hopes of bigotry have 

 liiitherto been baffled. M. Chanvelin 

 even announced in the French Chamber 

 of Deputies, that Spain and Portugal 

 were to be invaded by the Holy Al- 

 liance — an event probable, but for the 

 present contradicted. 



NAPXES, 



The feelings of indignation with 

 which we view the militaryinterferenfe 

 of Foreign Despots in the affairs of 

 Naples, must be jrarticipafed by evety 

 lovef of liberty and every man of sense ; 

 for Kiirope, it appears, is to be reilnced 

 and kept to the level of Russia, or be 

 invaded by its baibarous liordes, or 

 (hose of its dependent sovereigns. The 

 policy of Ilurssia lias long been denoun- 



