1821. 



Polilical Jffairs in June. 



il9 



age has thus been denied, and we sin- 

 cerely regret tUe circumstauce. 



The reiterated charges of inal-admi- 

 nistration in the Ionian Islands led 

 Mr. Hume to move, on the 9th, for 

 coiumlssianers to proceed to the islands, 

 fo enquire into the conduct of Sir T. 

 Waitland, but the proposition was ne- 

 gatived by 90 to 27. 



Petitions have poured in from all 

 parts of the khiTrdom against that part 

 of Mr. Scarlett's Poor Bill ffi;iven in our 

 last) which fixes a maximum of the 

 poor's rates. It is considered as affect- 

 ing the possible claims of tlie poor, and 

 as CDuferring all the mouopulies of 

 wealth, present and future. 



The coronation, so long deferred, is 

 fixed for the 19th of July.' The prepa- 

 rations are on the most magnificent 

 scale. 



The disti'ess which agriculturists, 

 and others connected with the agricul- 

 tui'al interests of the country, have for 

 a length of time suffered in consequence 

 of tlie depi>ccialion of prices, having 

 called forth mnnerous petitions and re- 

 monstrances to Parliament, imploring 

 relief, the House of Commons ap- 

 pointed a Select Committee to take 

 .thair alarm'ng case into consideration. 

 This committee has completed its la- 

 bours for the pre^sent session, and the 

 result of their examination of numerous 

 wituesses has fully confirmed the ex- 

 istence of the evil : but no hope of im- 

 mediate relief is held out to the suffer- 

 ers. The rf^port of the committee was 

 ankiously looked for, in expectation of 

 some remedy for these exterior evils, 

 but it has, in that respect, dissappoinfed 

 the patience with which it was waited 

 for. Want of room compels us to defer 

 further observations, as well as the re- 

 port itself, to a future Number; onljr 

 reminding our readers of what we have 

 so often expressed our decided <^nvic- 

 iiou of tlic absolute necessity — dividing 

 eaormouhiy large farms into 5 mall ones. 

 "SPAIN. 



The Coftes have decided by 157 to 

 20 for a i-educiion of tythes from a 

 tenth io a tirentkth. The minority 

 u reed a proposition for tlieir total .abo- 

 lition. Several ai'chbishops and bishops 

 voted in the majority. A proposition 

 is alledged to h aye been made by the 

 Cortes, that one Infant of Spain should 

 proceed to IMexico, and another to some 

 part of South America, there to esta- 

 ttlish two free monarcliies, secured in 

 their liberties by national r?prP3»nta- 

 live'<, and attached to the mother coun- 



try by political principles as well as by 

 commercial treaties. 



Morillo's appointment to the military 

 command at Madrid, continues to be 

 unpopular, and deservedly so. 



Public otTendijij have I'cen condemn- 

 ed in different jirovinces of Spain. At 

 Burgos niiie received seuteuce of death, 

 and several others ■\^•ere consigned to 

 less rigorous punishments. A monk 

 of Badajoz, fijr preaching against the 

 Constitution, %vas coudenmed to six 

 years' imprisonment in irons at Ceuta. 



The Neapolitan General Rossarol 

 has arrived- at Barcelona, having fled 

 with his family from Messina, on finding 

 that events took an adverse turn ; and 

 General Pepe is at Madrid, where, adds 

 the account, he has received from the 

 Spanish Government a pensionof 40,000 

 reals, or 10,000 francs per annum. 



PORTUGAL. 



The Portuguese Cortes have been en- 

 gaged in discussing many articles of the 

 law upon the liberty of the press. The 

 crime of stirring up the people to re- 

 bellion is to be punished by five years' 

 imprisonment and a hea%y fine. All 

 the Portuguese journals are still sub- 

 jected to a censoiship ; but they are 

 exempted from every species of stamp. 



ITALY. 



The journals of Naples announce the 

 entrance of the King of the Two Sici- 

 lies into his capital, amidst acclama- 

 tions ; and on the same day the follow- 

 ing proclamation was promulgated : 



" The moment at which Providence vouch- 

 safes to us the blessing of retuniiug to our 

 kingdom, ai'tev (he happy re-esmblishment of 

 public tranquillity, is infinitely dear and pre- 

 cious to our heart. AW our wishes will be 

 accomplished if this day become the com- 

 liiencemeut of a period of satisfaction and 

 happiness for our suijects. 



" The calamities and the crimes which 

 have taken place are numerous aiKl grave. 

 They have excited in us deep afflicliou, in con- 

 sequence of the ruin of all the brunches of 

 public proFperiiy, and the evils and suSerings 

 which have be?n ent-iiled iipon liie immense 

 majority of our ruithfuLsulijects wharemalned 

 entirely unconnected witii th'-se deplorable 

 disorders. No persDnftl resentment has had, 

 cor ever will have, any sh;'.re in onr decisiocs. 

 The sole view v,hich nijw occupies u=, is, to 

 cause to be forgotten, by days of peace and 

 prosperit)', the disastrous misdeeds by v.bich 

 some guilty characters have tarnished tha latter 

 pages of nur history. 



" Our first csre" will be to effect the re- 

 organization of tht? diflfeifent branches 

 of the legislation arid the admiaistratioa of 

 the k inborn. • We shall riominale, in fur-- 

 thfisucs ol this view, a council composed of 



men 



