[ 360 ] 
[Nov I, 
POLITICAL OCCURRENCES, &c. 
—r 
HE Gazette of October the 4th con- 
tains a proclamation against the in- 
terference of British subjects in the war- 
fare of foreign states at peace with his 
Majesty ; making specific allusion to the 
contest between the Porte and the Greeks, 
and to the certain intelligence received by 
government of attempts making to induce 
certain of His Majesty’s subjects to fit out 
ships of war, and to serve in them under 
the flag of Greece, for the capture and 
spoliation of Turkish property. It de- 
clares this to be in direct contradiction to 
the Foreign Enlistment Bill, and con- 
cludes by strictly commanding that no 
person whatever shall take any part in the 
conflicts referred to, under pain of the 
penalties imposed by the statute. An or- 
der in council follows, forbidding the ex- 
portation of cannon, mortars, shells, or 
shot during the next six months from the 
date of the order. 
A strong complaint has been made in 
the City, against some bad arrangements be- 
tween the Foreign Office and the Post Office 
in regard to the sailing of foreign packets. 
Several of the insurance offices have an- 
nounced a reduction of 20 per cent., and in 
some cases of a larger proportion, upon the 
terms of insurance against fire. There is 
little doubt that the conditions demanded 
for policies on life assurance are as open to 
objection, that is to say, as amenable to 
competition, as the fire insurance in any of 
its branches. A reduction, therefore, of 
life premiums may be reasonably looked 
for, at no distant time. 
“The German papers contain the report: 
of a speech delivered by the Emperor of 
Austria to the States of Hungary, on oc- 
ecasion of the coronation of the Queen, 
which, it is said, made an extraordinary 
impression on the assembly, who broke out 
into cries of “‘ Long, very long may God 
preserve him.” His majesty, with tears 
in his eyes, concluded, and withdrew, 
strongly affected, amidst the acclamations 
of his faithful Hungarians. 
An arrival from the Cape of Good Hope, 
of the date of the 20th of July, has brought 
the official notification of the government 
respecting the currency, and fixing the rix- 
dollar at Is. Gd. It appears that a depu- 
tation of the principal merchants and 
planters has reached England, for the pur- , 
pose of presenting a remonstrance against 
it, and procuring a modification of that 
part, which fixes the exchange at a rate so 
low as to be injurious to the colony. They 
are also instructed to obtain, if possible, 
from His Majesty’s government, the total 
abolition of all duties on Cape wines. It 
is stated, in letters from the Cape, that 
the rate of exchange had been fixed with- 
out at all consulting Lord Charles Somer- 
set, or giving him any earlier notice of the 
course adopted than was necessary to pre- 
pare it for publicity in the usual official 
forms. It is said that he suffers consider- 
able pecuniary loss by the low rate of ex- 
change determined on, and that he is ex- 
tremely indignant at the whole proceeding. 
His “leave of absence,’’ which is generally 
understood to have been sent out to him, 
would not reach the colony till near the 
end of August. The mérchants connected 
with the’ Cape, and residing in London, 
have also formed a deputation to confer 
with ministers on the alteration in the cur- 
rency. They appear to be of opinion that 
an exchange at 2s. the rix-dollar would be 
considered fair by the planters. 
The legislative assemblies of Tobago 
have closed their session with a strong and 
interesting remonstrance to Sir Frederick 
Robinson, upon the whole of his conduct 
towards the island for many years; the 
outline of the complaint being, that “ he has 
not made the law the measure of his go- 
vernment.” The chief topic embraced un- 
der this accusation is a proclamation for 
introducing British silver and copper (some- 
thing in the nature of the Cape question 
now at issue) into Tobago, and for fixing 
the future exchange. 
A letter from Madrid, dated the 19th of 
September, states that the creation of the 
new’ financial junta has excited greater 
hopes and fears than any measure which 
has been adopted since the last restoration ; 
and that the Danish minister had been re- 
called at the instigation of the French am- 
bassador, who had, moreover, obtained an 
order to prevent his Excellency from pass- 
ing through Paris on his return. The 
Madrid Gazette of the same date con- 
tains an account of the introduction of tlie 
United States ambassador, Mr. Everet, 
and a report of the speech delivered by his. 
Excellency to the Spanish Court on the 
occasion. He speaks of the feelings of 
friendship ‘‘which the geographical situa-_ 
tion of the two nations invites them to 
cultivate ;”” and mentions that nature, in 
placing them in the neighbourhood of each 
other, on different important points of their 
possessions, appears to have invited them 
to be friends. 
According to statements in the Morning 
Chronicle, it should appear that, in’conse- 
quence of the pressing remonstrances of the 
ambassadors of England and France, im- 
portant modifications are upon the eye of 
taking place in the system of government 
in Spain. A general amnesty, it is said, is 
at last to be proclaimed, and some system 
of checks upon the phrenzy of priesteraft 
tyranny to be admitted. Changes in the 
ministry have taken place, that seem to 
countenance this expectation. But Ferdi- 
nand is the coward slave of fanatic and 
rapacious priests ; and we have little hope 
from him, but of prevarication,. treachery 
and proscription. are 
METEOROLOGICAL 
