1822 | 
of these islands deprived of their in- 
dependence, seem to be irritated toa 
degree which must lead to constant 
enmity and murder. The newspapers 
have for many years been filled with 
details, and we have occasionally allud- 
ed to them, but by the following ex- 
tracts from a speech of the British lord 
commissioner, a General Maitland, it 
appears to have been deemed expe- 
dient to disarm these people, to super- 
sede their laws and constitution, and 
place the whole under martial law! 
However deeply I may lament, (says 
Maitland) the irritation which has existed, 
I am willing to allow that it admits of 
great palliation under all the circumstances 
of the case. It did not surprise the exe- 
cutive Governmeat, when the spirit of re- 
volt against the Turkish yoke reached the 
continent immediately adjacent to the 
southern part of these states, that the 
people should display the strongest sym- 
pathy ia favour of the insurgents, who 
were of the same religious persuasion as 
themse!yes, with similar habits, language, 
and manners : on the contrary, the circum- 
stances of the case naturally gave rise to 
the belief that enthusiasm would prevail 
for the emancipation of those who had long 
suffered under a rule of great severity. 
I beg to remind you, that the proclama- 
tions against clandestine departure from 
the Islands were not issued till scenes such 
as these had passed; nor till a regular 
manifesto had been published in the Morea, 
signed by natives of Cephalonia and Zante, 
deelaring themselves the chiefsand generals 
of the united forces of those Islands. 
The conduct of the Parganots is also to 
be noticed, as exhibiting a scene which it 
was impossible for the Government to pass 
over, unless it tamely consented to be con- 
sidered as a party to a transaction the 
most lawless and unprincipled. [I allude 
to the regular military expedition from 
these islands against Parga, by its former 
inhabitants who had found an asylum in 
these States ; and to the positive refusal 
on the part of this Government again to 
receive them after the defeat they had 
suffered in their predatory expedition. 
I wil! not dwell on the horrible massacre 
of the unfortunate Turks, in the island of 
Cerigo, for I wish for ever to throw a 
veil over that transaction. But I cannot 
pass over the unhappy affair of Zante, 
with which is immediately connected 
Incidents in and near London. 
271 
the declaration of martial law, and the 
decisive measure of disarming the popula- 
tion of the Ionian States: for, without 
entering into any long detail of what took 
place on this melancholy occasion, a brief 
statement of the case appears to me to be 
necessary. 
A Turkish brig of war, surrounded by 
Greek cruisers, after resisting their attack, 
anchored in a bay at the back of the is- 
land, in the vicinity of the town; the 
population of which, and of the neigh- 
bouring villages, had assembled to witness 
the naval engagement. A small detach- 
ment of an officer and twenty men were 
sent to ensure the observance of the 
Sanita laws on the part of the Turks, when 
the people commenced an attack upon his 
Majesty’s troops, wounding an officer, 
killing a soldier, and wounding two others, 
before they could retreat into a house from 
which they might defend themselves : and 
when a reinforcement arrived, the people 
retired for the time. 
Gentlemen, I ca!l this an act of open 
and flagrant rebellion, without provocation, 
for there was not the slightest; and the 
troops in fact, were employed at the mo- 
ment in the service of the people, to pre- 
vent the danger of the introduction of the 
plague into the island. 
Having now, then, shortly narrated those 
prominent transactions which drove the 
Executive Government to the adoption of 
strong measures, it is necessary that I 
should explain myself more at length in 
regard to the strongest of those measures 
—the disarming the population of these 
states, and the declaration of martial 
law. 
But it may be asked, on what grounds 
this measure of apparent severity has been 
carried into effect in Cephalonia, in Santa 
Maura, and even in this island? It is true 
that the people of Cephalonia had never 
committed outrages such as those exhibited 
at Zante; although, as I have already 
shewn, they bad acted in a manner highly 
culpable, contrary to the declared neu- 
trality of the Government, in support of 
the insurrection in the Morea. This is- 
land was, however, as liable as Zante to 
the approach of the contending squadrons; 
and it was impossible, after what had 
passed at Zante, that in the event of a 
contest occurring between these vessels 
near the shores of Cephalonia, for the 
Executive Government not to anticipate a 
similar scene of disgraceful tumult. 
INCIDENTS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS In AND NEAR LONDON, 
With Biographical Memoirs of distinguished Characters recently deceased. 
——— 
CHRONOLOGY OF THE MONTH. 
R. CALCRAFT, in the 
Feb, 28. M House of Commons, moved 
a repeal of that most oppressive impost, 
the salt tax. It was negatived by a ma- 
jority of four only. 
March |. Sir M. W. Ridley moved the 
abolition of the office of the two Lay Lords 
of 
