who is ever talking of his late elegant friend, Lord Chesterfield, with the lively slang of the fancy nephew, and the awkward manners of the fighting man. There is also much pleasantry created by the appearance of a tailor and his bailiff, in the second act, coming in search of Mr. Buoyant (Jones). The piece was admirably, inimitably acted. Mr. Farren was no modern man--but a leaf actually torn out of Lord Chesterfield. Jones rattled through his scenes with a spirit well becoming his calling and Connor, with his plush coat, stout legs, high-lows, smooth hair, broad face, and white hat, might at any time safely shy up his castor in the sun of Moulsey Hurst, and shake hands with the best man in the ring. Keeley, in the tailor, was the sublimity of impoverished manhood;-the true ninth part of a man! Nothing could exceed his acting. We must say, that Mr. Peake has reason to be satisfied with his company; and we must say, the company have reason to be satisfied with Mr. Peake. We drink to their better acquaintance!- The fault (we must find fault)—is length --and O'Mawley would have told the author, that there is no fighting against superior weight and length. DRURY LANE THEATRE. There has been very little novelty at this house during the month. Miss Stephens has made her first faint, and finding the audience" to her faults a little blind," she has been singing at Mr. Braham's fatherly side ever since. Mr. Kean has, either of his own good taste, or by the hazarding direction of the manager, restored Shakspeare's Lear to his original tremendous pathos and death. And the thrilling attention of crowds attests the wisdom of the restoration. Mr. Liston has been worked in Dominie Sampson, Baillie Nicol Jarvie, Apollo Belvi-and, indeed, in all his own old charactersbut, with the exception of one flimsy part in a farce which has been dying from its birth, he has not been trusted with any novelty. The new farce of " Deaf as a Post" is decidedly a dead thing. It met with a most outrageous reception on the first night, though Liston's face has dragged it along a little further. We do not know the author-but we rather think it must be Mr. Winston's production. Query-feint ?-O'Mawley. VIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS. ALTHOUGH many and important events have taken place in the political world since our last notice, still it appears that the question of peace and war is almost as problematical as ever. Every day brings some fresh report, and each either contradicts or qualifies that which preceded it. Of course, it cannot be expected that we should revive rumours which appear to have had not any, or at best but a momentary foundation. We shall take the safer course of adverting to such documents as, being officially published, cannot err, and leave the reader to draw his own conclusions. It seems that the representatives of the Allied powers at Madrid did not at all relish the answers given by the Spanish minister, San Miguel, to the remonstrance of their courts, and they accordingly determined on the extreme measure of withdrawing their legations. On demanding their passports, however, they thought proper to address respective notes to the minister, assigning their motives for such a step. These notes, together with the answers returned, are exceedingly curious, and certainly form a "new æra" in diplomacy. There were but few periods in the good old times of ancient legitimacy, when one of these answers at least would not have been considered tantamount to a hostile declaration. The first in order, and the least offensive, is the note of the Prussian ambassador; it declares that the observations which he had the honour to submit "having been replied to in a manner far from conformable to the wishes of his court, he finds himself under the necessity of executing a very peremptory order of the king, his master, by declaring to the Spanish minister that his Prussian Majesty can no longer maintain with Spain relations, which, in the present circumstances, would be as little conformable to their object as to the sentiments of friendship and interest which the king has invariably manifested towards his Catholic Majesty. In obeying this order, the undersigned has also to make his assurances, that the king, his august Sovereign, will never cease to put up the most sincere prayers for the happiness of a nation, which his Majesty, with the deepest sorrow, perceives to be in the road to ruin, and plunged into all the horrors of anarchy and civil war." The note concludes with a formal but polite demand of his passports, which are transmitted, with a reply that "the wishes of the government of his Most Catholic Majesty, for the happiness of the Prussian states, are not less ardent than those manifested by his Majesty, the King of Prussia, towards Spain." This, of course, is a decisive step on both sides, but still there is nothing in the correspondence at all to trench upon the usual etiquette observed on such occasions. The next in order, and certainly rising also a little in vehemence, is the note of the Austrian ambassador. He also observes upon the previous communication which he made to San Miguel, according to the resolution of the Congress of Verona, and adds that "the reply which his Excellency gave to this verbal communication, proves that the intentions of his Majesty have been misunderstood, and his offers undervalued. The undersigned will not descend to the point of refuting the calumnious insinuations by which it has been endeavoured to distort his real meaning. Very soon Spain and all Europe will be enabled to judge of this. But the Court of Austria is of opinion that the disapproval of the causes of the evils which oppress a noble and generous nation for which it professes so much esteem, and for which it feels so much interest, would not be sufficiently declared if it continued to 359 maintain diplomatic relations with The Russian correspond- 2 B2 der of his Majesty, the passports you desire, hoping that your Excellency will be pleased to leave this capital with as little delay as possible. I am, Evaristo San Miguel." This is a document which clearly baffles all comment. It is the ne plus ultra of diplomatic sincerity. We need scarcely add, that hints like these could not well be mistaken; and, accordingly, the three ambassadors took their immediate departure from Madrid. The French envoy, the Count Lagarde, followed; and such was the popular feeling in the capital, that he found it prudent to depart on horseback, with only a single attendant, as if he had been setting out upon a morning's excursion. Indeed, the journey of all the diplomatists appears to have been sufficiently perilous, as the roads are beset with bandit detachments from all sides and parties, who rob foreigners, natives, ultras, and patriots, with equal impartiality. These departures were naturally considered as the prelude to an invasion, and the authorities in Spain lost no time in making every preparation to meet it; still, however, war was not actually declared, and the pacific party fondly indulged the hope that even yet it might be avoided. This hope was soon utterly extinguished by the speech of Louis, delivered from the throne, on the opening of the French parliament. It is a curious fact, that in order to pronounce this fulminating declaration, the poor old speaker was actually obliged to be rolled by a machine into the chamber! There is no danger, at all events, of his running away. Although we are not generally in the habit of inserting foreign documents, still this speech is of far too much importance to come under our general head of exclusion. In all probability, we are on the eve of a general convulsion, and this speech may be considered as its signal: we will extract therefore those parts of it which relate to Spain. France owed to Europe the example of prosperity, which people cannot obtain but by a return to religion, to legitimacy, to order, to true liberty; this salutary example she this day presents. But Divine Justice permits that, after having made other nations long experience the terrible effects of our discord, we should be ourselves exposed to dangers, which the like calamities among a neighbouring people bring with them. I have tried every thing, in order to guárantee the security of my people, and preserve Spain herself from the last misfortunes. The blindness with which they have rejected the representations made at Madrid, leaves little hope of preserving peace. I have ordered the recal of my Minister. One hundred thousand French, commanded by a Prince of my family-by him whom my heart is delighted to call my son-are ready to march, invoking the God of St. Louis, in order to secure the throne of Spain to a grandson of Henry IV, reconcile it with Europe. to preserve that fine kingdom from ruin, and Our stations will be reinforced in every quarter where our maritime commerce stands in need of this protection. Cruisers will be appointed in every place where our coasts are likely to be menaced. If war be inevitable, I will direct all my cares to circumscribe its circle, and limit its duration. It will only be undertaken to conquer peace, which the state of Spain would render it impossible to attain. Let Ferdinand the Seventh be free to give to his people institutions, which they cannot hold but from him, and which, by insuring their repose, would dissipate the just inquietudes of France, and from that moment hostilities shall cease. I undertake before you, Gentlemen, the solemn engagement of this. I was bound to place before you the state of our external affairs. It was my duty to deliberate, and I have done so, after mature consideration. I have consulted the dignity of my Crown, and the honour and security of France. We are Frenchmen, Gentlemen, and will ever be unanimous in the defence of such interests. This speech seems to have produced a very strong effect, -at least, on the generals and the stockjobbers who were present. The Duke D'Angoulême is, it seems, the hero, designated to be the leader of the hundred thousand men, who were to restore Ferdinand to his political rights; on the allusion being made to him, he clapped his hand upon the hilt of his sword and looked most valiant. The Duke of Belluno lic rumour pointed out as the guide (Victor) was the person whom pubof his Royal Highness; and Mr. Rothschild, the great financial negociator, was supposed to have lost very considerably by the hostile denunciation. In allusion to this, a pleasant bon mot (and Sterne says, a bon mot 1823. View of Public Affairs. is worth something in France) is re- 361 now reduced to the situation of a A proposal for the removal of Fer- itself to actual hostilities. A Portuguese contingent to the amount of 30,000 men is stated to have been granted. In the Brazils, the Coronation of the Emperor took place on the 1st, amid the enthusiasm of the people. Two decrees were issued, which may be regarded as preliminary to active hostilities against Portugal. The first lays an embargo on all vessels bound to the Portuguese dominions in Europe; the second orders the sequestration of all property in Brazil belonging to native Portuguese. From Greece we have little intelligence, but that little is good. Napoli di Romani, the strongest fortress of Turkey in Europe, has fallen into the hands of the Greeks after a desperate resistance. Of 600 Turkish soldiers, only forty were left alive; but the aged, the women, and the children, were treated with the greatest moderation by the conquerors. Ali Bey, who conducted the last invasion of the Peninsula, was among the prisoners. There is a secure harbour for shipping, and the Greek government removed its seat to the town, which is considered the Cadiz of Greece. The official statement of the finances of the United States has been published, and gives a most flourishing account of the state of their revenue. We have not room for their details, but the total is thus summed up. The estimate for 1823 includes Receipts, with former £. 5,175,000 3,375,000 Jan. 1, 1824 ....... 1,800,000 The amount of the funded debt on the first of January, 1823, was 20,500,000l. The income from the customs in future years may, it is supposed, decrease; on which account, the secretary of the treasury recommends to Congress to augment the duties on certain articles of foreign importation, with a view to increase the revenue. Such is the summary of our foreign intelligence for this month, which indeed may rather be said to be one of expectation than of certainty. Every thing, however, announces that next month must produce most important events. In our domestic abstract, the opening of parliament forms the chief, indeed the only feature. We lament to say, that his Majesty's late severe indisposition rendered his personal presence impossible; and, of course, it was opened by commission. The following is the speech pronounced by the commissioners-it certainly promises a liberal and enlarged system of policy. My Lords and Gentlemen, We are commanded by his Majesty to inform you, that since he last met you in parliament, his Majesty's efforts have been unremittingly exerted to preserve the peace of Europe. Faithful to the principles which his Majesty has promulgated to the world as constituting the rule of his conduct, his Majesty declined being party to deemed an interference in the internal conany proceedings at Verona which could be cerns of Spain on the part of foreign powers. And his Majesty has since used, and continues to use, his most anxious endeavours and good offices to allay the irritation unhappily subsisting between the French and Spanish governments; and to avert, if possible, the calamity of war between France and Spain.-In the east of Europe his Majesty flatters himself that peace will be preserved, and his Majesty continues to receive from his Allies, and their unaltered disposition to cultivate with generally from other powers, assurances of his Majesty those friendly relations which it is equally his Majesty's object on his part to maintain.-We are further commanded to apprise you, that discussions having long been pending with the Court of Madrid, respecting depredations committed on the commerce of his Majesty's subjects in the West Indian Seas, and other grievances of which his Majesty had been under the necessity of complaining, those discussions have terminated in an admission by the Majesty's complaints, and in an engageSpanish government of the justice of his ment for satisfactory reparation. We are commanded to assure you, that his Majesty has not been unmindful of the addresses presented to him by the two houses of parliament, with respect to the foreign slave trade. Propositions for the more effectual suppression of that evil were brought forward by his Majesty's Plenipotentiary in the conferences at Verona, and there have already concluded between his Majesty and been added to the treaties upon this subject, the Governments of Spain and the Netherlands, articles which will extend the operation of those treaties, and greatly facilitate their execution. |