1823.] 
to the crying enormities of the special- 
jury system. We have always con- 
sidered it as practically destructive of 
the foundation of our social liberties— 
lausible in its origin for trying ques- 
ions between subject and subject 
which require peculiar knowledge— 
but fatal to LIBERTY AND SECURITY 
when adopted by crown-lawyers to try 
questions of general character between 
the crown and the subject. The spe- 
cial jury act did not deprive the crown 
of the privileges of the subject to have 
a special jury, but the original inten- 
tion of special juries, that of trying 
causes which require peculiar techni- 
cal knowledge, applies as well to the 
crown as to the subject; and this in- 
tention ought to govern the admission 
of such juries into the cause. A new 
act of parliament is surely necessary ; 
and, though parliamentary reform is 
desirable, yet, as a practical evil, the 
special-jury system is as great an evil 
as parliamentary corruption itself, and 
equally claims the attention of every 
enlightened patriot. 
The Congress of Verona having se- 
parated without making any public de- 
claration, it may be inferred that they 
could not agree on one, and conse- 
quently that the holy alliance, as to all 
purposes of further mischief, is defunct. 
The hopes of mankind rested on the 
discordant ambition of the members, 
and are at length happily realized. 
Russia seems to have anticipated, that, 
while the other powers were employed 
in a crusade against Spain, it might 
have realized its views on Turkey, 
Greece, and Persia; but, the finances of 
England not being ina state to furnish 
supplies for the first project, Russia 
is left to contend with the policy of the 
various powers relative to the latter 
countries. Hence it is reported that 
English influence has suddenly become 
more favourable to the Greeks, and 
probably a Greek empire will be raised 
by the wise policy of England and 
Austria on the ruins of the Ottoman. 
SPAIN. 
We anticipated danger to religion 
from connecting it with the cause of 
despotism. The Army of the Faith, as 
it was blasphemously called for the 
purpose of enlisting ignorance and bi- 
gotry on its side, has been routed on 
all points—hundreds of its attendant 
priests put to the sword — and the 
whole are fugitive in France! 
The new Spanish ministers have 
Political Affairs in December. 
559 
done their duty, and deserved well of 
their country and of mankind. 
We extract the following picture of 
the royal family of Spain from a private 
letter which has appeared in a London 
paper. 
I happened (says the writer) to be 
walking near the palace, when I observed 
a unmber of state-carriages going towards 
the principal staircase. I was told that 
the king and the royal family were just 
preparing to take their usual promenade, 
and I had the curiosity to see how they ap- 
peared. The infantry-guards were drawn 
up in the square before the palace, and a 
body of horse-guards, to the number of 
five or six-and-twenty, were waiting also 
in the square to escort the royal carriages, 
After waiting some time, the king and 
queen descended the staircase, attended 
by several officers of state, all in full dresg 
—that is to say, in dark blue coats, turned 
up with crimson, laced with gold, in the 
usual military fashion, white small-clothes, 
and white silk stockings. Such was also 
the dress of the king, in addition to which 
he wore a blue riband over his left shoul- 
der, and astar on his breast. The queen, 
a slight genteel figure, appeared in a pink 
satin hat, very plain, and a blue silk man- 
tle, edged with ermine, which covered the 
remainder of the dress. Her face has a 
mild beauty in it, which strongly interests 
a spectator. It looked on this occasion 
pale, and oppressed with inward suffering. 
The face of the king is remarkable for the 
vacancy, and, indeed, I must say, the de- 
formity of its expression. The chin and 
lower lip protrude considerably beyond 
the line of the upper features, and seem 
scarcely to belong to them. The upper 
lip is enveloped in mustachios; and yet 
with these features, almost of the animal 
tribe, there is a mixture of intelligence, lof- 
tiness, and feebleness in his eye, which indi- 
cates a very peculiar character. Her ma- 
jesty smiled not; she scarcely looked 
around her, and addressed nota syllable 
to any body. The king, who is a good 
portly figure, was as reserved and silent as 
the queen, His majesty put out his hand 
from the window, and received several pe- 
titions which were presented tohim. Don 
Carlos, the king’s eldest brother—and very 
like him, with the exception that his figure 
is short,—his wife and family, followed in 
the second coach, equally reserved. Don 
Francisco and his consort followed in the 
third. He has a good face, but a short 
figure. The three carriages rolled away 
without a cheer, or an expression of any 
sort, froin the persons present. 
TURKEY. i 
This barbarous government has been 
once more shaken to its foundation by 
an insurrection of the Janissaries: to 
save 
