The Express. — London, England, 1848-06-02 00:00:00

parliament, in almost every act of foreign policy esp.- e i e ily, like schoolboys trembling before a pedagogue. They have the power neither of free motion nor free judgment. No matter how grave the subject: their sole anxiety is to slur it over, and get out of the serape at any sacrifice, whether of their owu friends or of the country's dignity. If such is to continue the case, we had better be without a go vernment at all. We might as well have a provi sional government and M. i,I)IIIiTINE. If the government he weak or incapable, let it be m et , thrown and changed. But, for the sake of the ce,, m t er , let not this be dono upon grounds and , iumt i ot i' s, l w hich involve tlie dignity and - foreign interests of the country. ' the struggles of parties ought always t o be rcul,tvrd from such grounds. With us the demerits of Lord l'AutttftsvoN 01. of Sir HENRY lii i. writ sink into insignificance hefore the weightier con siderations of the honour, the dignity, and the vital interests of Englund. Wit are much mistaken if the report of Lord GEOE(I E BEN T INCK'S committee make a stronger im pression on the country than it has made on Lord JOHN ItussEtt. Carried in committee bra majority of two only, and those two Mr. l'ittue M ILEs and Mr. JAMES MATHESON, both connected a ith our colo nial sugar trade, it is as ill-written as it is an reasoned document, a thing of slovenly shreds and F etches, which avoids recommending what is practi cable, and recommends what is impracticable. Let us run through its principal points. It tells us that though severe distress now prevails in the sugar colonies, distress has long existed; and that for t h e recent augmentation of &stress, recent legislation is only partially responsible. Yet its only remedy is a temporary return to that legislation, the abandonment of which is thus said to b.! only a small cause of the even additional distress. It recom mends no measures for securing labour —no laws for the suppression of vagrancy ; it does not point out whence labour can be obtained—it does not show how the funds to obtein it are to be raised ; yet it recommends a protective duty of 10s. for six years in order that lulsair may be obtained and va grancy suppressed in the meanwhile; and in the very next resolution it throws cold water on African im migration by twaddling about the slave trade. It states that the present mode of levying the duties on sugar imposes a great practical disadvantage on the colonies ; but in vain we look fur any particulars of these practice' disadvantages, or for any su,, ,, gecions for their removal. In truth, sonic of its statements are inconsistent with its conclusion. Slave emancipa tion raised, it alleges very truly, the rate of wages ; and the act of 1816, it as correctly states, has led "to a emsiderable diminution in the wages of labour in many of the tropical colonies." Why, if this be so—if wages are falling, and the cost of production is being lowered in our sugar colonies, the act of 1846 is enabling them to compete with slave labour countries. (dm these colonies increased protection, and wages will rise therein, and the great contest between free and slave labour will be pro longed. The report treats all our sugar colonies as if their circumstances and present position were equal and identical—as it' their soils were all of the same fer tility—as if labour were equally scarce in all—as if they would all be competent, with adequate supplies of labour, to compete with Cuba and Brazil—as if not an additional labourer bad been imported into any of them since their emancipation from slavery. In one resolution it speaks of their " distress ;" in another it talks of their "ruin." And it recommends a prolongation of a 10s. duty for six pars without assigning a single mason for the expectation it ex presses that at their expiration a six years small protective duty will do for them what tifty years' large protective duty failed to do. What is to be thought of is document which inferentially so mis states notorious facts as is the case in the sixth reso ntion ? That the change made in the sugar duties by the art of 1846, without any accompanying remedy for th• difficulties of production by free labour in Vic British colons e, hay pre eipttated the ruin of these posses. , ions, by aggravating the pees. ware under wLich they laboured from the foregoing causes. It might be supposed from this resolution that there was no immigration into the sugar colonies in pro gress; whereas the very reverse is the case. Into the Mauritius not lea than 90,00 1 ) labourers have been imported since the slaves of that island were com pletely emancipated. In fact, the whole population engaged in sugar cultivation and manufacture has been imported into the Mauritius since the abolition of the apprenticeship system. And yet, notwithstanding this enormous addition to the work ing population of en island not larger than the Isle of Wight, 'Mauritius is, according to the evidence given before the committee, in deeper distress than any of the West Indian colonies—not one of which has re ceived a third of such an addition to its labour. This surely is a fact to which some allusion—of which some explanation—might have been made in the report. No; it suited the purposes of the protectionists, who prevaibel in the committee, to avoid all reference to the immigration that is in progress—to ignore, as it were, the fact that labour was finding its way even into the West Indies—slowly but sure:y. It is since the act of 1816 that her Majesty's steamers have been sent to the coast of Africa to procure labourers; it is since the act of 1846 that the Gold Coast and the Kroo Coast of Africa have been opened to the West Indies; it is since the act of 1816 that large sums of the imperial money . have been spent in the service of West Indian immigration ' • it is since the act of 1846 that the Colonial-o ffi ce has had the boldness to spend money in that service which the House of Commons had not voted. It is untrue, therefore, as stated in the sixth resolution, that the change of 1h Pi was without " any accompanying remedy for the difficulties of production by free labour in the British colonies." . It is idle to suppose (as the report obviously does) that any plan can be devised that will even in six years, or twice six years, give to the West Indie s such an amount of labour as will enable them to pro duce what the committee state can be produced, "a supply of sugar far exceeding the probable con sumption of the United Kingdom." Whence, we ask the committee, is such an amount of labour to be obtained ? From Africa, where (the Kroo coast and British factories excepted) slavery is the only form in which labour is known ? From the Kroo Coast, where the rate of wages is at this moment in reality higher than it is in the West Indies? From India, where Mr. GURNEY and his friends require, they tell us, every coolie to enable that country itself to undersell Cuba and Brazil ? As we are expected to tax ourselves for other six years that labour may be obtained in such an amount, it is but reasonable to require that we should be informed whence the labour is to come, and at whose cost. Are we to pay both in the shape of protection and for ob taining the labour too? But the " British possessions have capabilities fee the supply of sugar far exceeding the probable con sumption of the United Kingdom." If they have, why have we not a supply of sugar from them equal to our consumption ? And at what figures do the committee place " our probable consumption ?" Our actual consumption is very much regulated by the price at which sugar can be supplied us ; at present it is very large because that price is very low; 'but adopt the recommendation of the committee, and our consumption must ba materially reduced for the next six years. Iteitore the monopoly of supply to our colonies, and our " probable consumption' will be small enough. It would be an error to suppose that it is only a lOs differential duty agaiwitthiscountry (aa well as against Cuba and Brazil) that is involved in this report. In addition to that, its recommendation, if adopted, will involveboundless expense. The colonistaaresaidinthat document to be too poor to send for labour, to provide for its reception, to pay for its maintenance, and to bear the expense of depressing vagracy ; and the imposition of the proposed burden on the people of England is not to enable the plan ters to pay and provide for these expenses, but merely " to prevent the immediate and otherwise the inevit able abandonment of the majority of estates, and secure time for bringing into operation the intended measures of relief." So that after we have bur dened ourselves with a protective duty, we shall then have to find the planters money to find labour, to Pay Wages, to suppress vagrancy—in ahort,to cultivate their estates. We shall have to rear in Llio West Indies those national establishments which ItOUIS BLANC has imposed, too successfully, in France. Are we prepared to do this, and at the same time to abandon cheap sugar ? Ir is with sincere pleasure that we announce an intermission of that alarming state of suspended ani mation into which Lord JOIIN RUBCELL, the re former, has of late sunk. His lordship irlve notice last night of his intention to renew immediately his efforts to obtain for the Jews relief from their politi cal disqualifications, and to introduce a bill to repeal the ratepaying clause of the Reform Act. The new Jews' Bill, so far as we can learn, will simply declare that the words "on the faith of a ohristian," shall hereafter h, omitted in the declara tion made by members of parliament before they are allowed to take their seats. This is an alteration in the form of the declara tion which is entitled to the support of every sincere and reverential believer in the truth of the Christian revelation. During the late discussions— both in and out of parliament—on the Jews' bill, it was admitted by all that the declaration had once and again been emitted by men who were notorious and avowed infidels. To a real Christian there can be nothing more revolting than the profane trifling with so solemn a sanction as its formal utterance on public occasions by unbelievers. So long, however, as the words, " on the faith of a Christian " remain part of the legislators' declaration, it is impossible to deny permission to any member of parliament, however well knonu to be a scorner of Christianity, to trille with this solemn adjuration. Only by omitting the words can this profanity be avoided. The bishops, of all men, arc bound to co-operate in this endeavour to prevent the profane from trifling with the solemn sanctions of the faith. Consistently with their sacred characters dust. dignitaries of the church cannot but assist to remove the occasion of such scandals. What ever be the cinsequence, it is their duty to aid in pre venting the uncircumcised in heart from laying their hands on the spiritual altar. Toe form which Lord JOIN contemplates giving to his motion will put to the test those professions of devotedness to religion which have been made the ostensible ground of rejecting the claims of the Jews to be admitted to parliament. If the parties who prof. es to think the well-being of the state depends up in the exclusion of all but Christians from the legislature arc sincere, let them introduce a bill to exclude all who are not Christians, and carry it if they can ; but, as they value true religion, let them not persist in attempting to keep out unbelievers by a side-s$ iud— by the retention of a formula which notoriously has not kept them out, but only wounded the religious sense of the nation by the spectacle of irreligious men making mockery of sacred words. The other measure announced by Lord JOHN is equally creditable to him. The rate-paying clause was introduced into the reform bill to a mood of panic, superinduced by hasty and unretlected words about non-payment of taxes, let fall by hustings orators, in the struggle to ensure suc cess to that measure. If the mind of the general public should at any time be goaded to such a state of excitement as to be capable of having re course to so extreme a measure, the rate-paying cause would be too feeble to control it. The country would then be in a state in which all laws cease to be re tarded. In ordinary and healthy moods of public opi nion the clause is uncalled for. And it is as mischievous as uncalled for. A thousand accidents may occur to prevent men from paying their taxes boron, the day of registration comes round, which in no way affect their capacity or trustworthiness to act as electors. The rate-paying clause makes every elector's admission to, or exclusion from, the register, depend on the hazard of a die. It is a fruitful source of tnose juggling tricks by which organised conspi rators against purity of election pervert small consti tuencies, and pack the House of Commons witb un worthy members. It ought never to have been en grafted on the Reform Act, and the sooner it is lopped from that statute the be'ter. We need tot remind our readers how deeply we are impressed with the conviction that more com prehensive and searching alterations of the House of Commons and the electoral body than are included in the measures of which notice was given last night, are immediately required. It is not because we arc sa sanguine as to hail in Lord JoitS'S noticesof motion in dications of any approximationen his part to our views —still less bc:atuie we are weak enough to dream of re tarding for a moment the new movement for electoral reform out of gratitude for such concessions—that we hsve spoken in terms of approbation of what he pro poses. Simply because we think the measures good in themselves, and because we approve of the spirit of pertinacity with which Lord Jolts returns to the charge on the Jewish question without loss of time, base we used the language of praise. When mi nisters, or any set of min, do what is right, it gives us pleasure to do them justice. This may be done— and must be done—without intermitting for a mo ment our advocacy of the immediate adop:ion of household suffrage, equal electoral districts, vote by ballot, abolition of the property qualification of mem bers of parliament, and triennial parliaments. THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 2, 1848. town are regularly closed at the firing of t►e evening gun, and all those walking the streets at Right without lanterns are takt n up by the patrol and lodged In the guard.bouse. An Austrian steamer lest on the 22nd for Trieste direct, with Indian despatches and paesencers; and henceforward there is to be a regular monthly departure for Trieste after the arrival of the Bombay mail. COLONIAL. GERMANY. FRANKFORT, NI sY 29. -TilE CONSTITUENT ASSENIBLY.—A protest was presented from the depu ties for Luxembourg, declaring that after the resolu tion adopted on Saturday witn regard to special con stitutions, they could no longer retain their seats in the assembly. On the motion of the president, this document was referred to the committee en the con stitution. _ . SAXONY.—We learn from our Cologne corres pondent, that serious disturbances oceurr,d at Leipsic, on the night of the 27th ult It ap ',ears that a great nu.nber of mechanics traversed the main streets, uttering seditious cries. Ia the Wind muhlenstrasse a large body of them came into colli sion with the civic guard. After several of the latter had been seriously Injured by stones, they charged the mob with fixed bayonets and dispersed them. The rioters, however, reassembled about midnight, and amidst cries of " Live the Republic," proceeded to erect barricades in the Catharinenstrasse and the liable Bosse, chiefly with the wooden booths erected for the great fair. The entire corps of the civic guards, and a part of the garrison were called out ; they took possession of all the gates of the town, and charged the rioters in all directions. In the Cartharinenstrassc and the Brohl, the insurgents fired on the civic guard, who returned shots, and succeeded in capturing and destroying the barricades. About 2 a.m., on the 28th, tranquillity was restored. A great number of persons have been arrested. It was feared that disturbances would be renewed on the night of the 28th. Our correspondent says, that the " reorganisation " of the grand duchy of Posen proceeds very slowly, and chiefly on the ground that the Poles themselves re fuse to take any part in a measure which they con sider as tantamount to another partition of their country. Bohemia and Hungary are still in a very disturbed state. On the other hand, the negotiations between Prussia and Denmark are taking a definite and satisfactory form. AUSTRIA.—Our latest intelligence from Vienna is to the 26th of May. The attitude assumed by the Emperor had occasioned a subdued under-toned ex pression of distrust and disaffection. The unconsti tutional character of his proceedings was complained of. Representations against them were to be for warded to his Majesty both from the Hungarian and German ministries. A letter from Trieste, of the 2lth of May, states that no attack had been made by the combined Italian fleets. On the contrary, the Sardinian admiral had intimated that his ships were there only for the purpose of protecting Sardinian merchant vessels from the Austrian men-of-war. Some suspicious movements by launches along the neighbouring coast, however, had been interpreted as attempts at a hostile landing. At Trieste they had been for some days without news from Illyria, and were un certain whether there might not have been a rising against the Austrian government all along that coast. The Archduke John had arrived at Innsprock, and the King of Bavaria was expected there. Throughout the Austrian dominions the impression was gaining ground that the court had resolved upon a reaction ary movement. The .1//gemcine Zeitung publishes a letter from Count Bombelles, denying that ho had used to the deputies from Linz the language attri buted to him by a correspondent of that journal. EGYPT.—We have received letters from our cor respondent at Alexandria to the 22nd of May. Mehemet Ali continued in a very precarious state of health. Ibrahim Pasha had returned to Cairo from the Delta ; his agents are at present engaged in making forcible levies for an increase in the army, and, at the UMW tune, all those men that can possibly be spared were sent to work at the barrage of the Nile, or made to dig canals. The country people fly from the villages to avoid thd government agents, and many of them go into Syria, and the crops are e llvved to waste in P asha l for want of hands to take th e m Ibrahim seems intent upon exercising military r,:le in Alexandria. The fortification: are b e i n g meni nte t ; with guns with all despatch, the gates of the THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. We are in receipt of parrs from Sydney to the 9th of February, from Hobart 'town to the 31st of January, from Auckland to the 19th, and from Wellington to the Ist of January. By the Sydney papers we are reminded that the 25th of January was the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the colony. The seventh do aide of its history commoners with the arrival of the &shops of Al-!bourne and Newcastle at their respective •4 , x. A new and safe entrance has been dee. covered into Port Curtis; and, in consequence of this dis covery, a desire appears to have been awakened in Sydney that the project of a settlement there should be resumed. The puldie meeting at Sydney to deprecate Earl Grey's new constitution for the colony has been followed by one held at Parainatta for the same purpose. The abstract of the revenue of New S iuth Wales (exclusive of the Port Phillip district) for the quarters endirm 31st I) mealier, 1816 and 1847 re spectively has been published. Under the head general re visite we find an aggregate increase on certain items of 6.150/ , countN•balaneed by a decrease of 3,2191. on others. Under the head of crown revenue we find an increase on certain items of 8,2581., csunterbalaneed by a &maws of 2.40.4. on where. The increase en the total revenue of the quarter ending 314 December, 1817, over the c parading (porter of UM is 9 082/. The increase in the general re venue is occasioned principally by augmented rs cella. from spirit duties and th , sale of town allotments near Circular (lead; the counterbalancing decrease by a falling Off in the menus from tobacco duties, harbour due., and assessment on stock. the increase in th , crown revenue no less than 7,9131. is derived from quit-rent. and redemption of go:t rent.; in the returns from the sale of lands there is a falling off of 1,3901. The Ilubart Town papers announce the opining of the session of the Legislative C.,until by the lieutenant-governor on the 26th of January. The New Zenlaod news from Auckland is in effect that Governor Grey took the prescrilal calls and assumed the alminiitratinn of the colony under the charter un the lit of January. The other officers of the government were duly sworn in at the same time. But the I;overnor had resolved not to issue writ.' for elections until he received EMI Grey's eeply to the despatches he sent home on first receiving a copy of the charter. On the 3rd of January the governor sailed from Auckland for the southern settlements. Ile did not intend to return before the beginning of March, and he contemplated a visit to the Chatham and Auckland islands during his absence. From the Wellington papers it appears that the natives in the s nith are both quiet and industrious. Seven hundrs bushels of w heat hail been received at Wellington front Waikanae, c .nsigntd by the natives of that place to Messrs. Rhodes and Co., who arc commissioned by them topurchase a small vessel for the purpose of conveying their produce to Wellington. A good breadth of land was also sown on the cast coast. OVERLAND INDIA MAIL. CALCUTTA, APRIL 22. Very little of interest or importance has transpired here since I last wrote. The Union Bank and its affairs continuo to engross much of public attention, thrie being hardly any thing else to contest with it its hold on men's minds. One of the wealthiest shareholders of the bank, 'taboo Aushootosh, is likely to fling off his load of reeplnsibility. It appears that, previously to Novem ber last, he had been gradually selling out, and that iu the month mentioned he sold seven sharer, the last he held, to one Kalliskiesen (Hate, at Itr. 300 each. The transfer was recorded at the bank, and the purchaser has since paid the pro rata contribution upon the shame. liut, under the act enabling the b tuk to sue and be sued through its secretary, a transfer is not complete till regis'ercd in the Supreme Court. This registration is by the act to be made within twelve months of the transfer, and the change in the pninrietorahip of these share. not I iavi-g yet been made, Aushootosh was still legally liable fur them. lie applied to the court for a mandamus, calling on the bank to register the memorial, but the Chief Justice, not being satisfied with the affidavits, and evidently suspecting an attempt to evade liability, refused to interfere. Subsequently, however, on fur ther affidavits being put in, a ruse /del has been granted. The present state of the wreck, the present attitude of the shareholders and their creditors, is well set forth in the following article in the Zig:is/s -mall : THE UNION BANK.—The affairs of that most unfor tunate concern, the Union flank, appear to be approaching a state of inextricable confusion—a condition long ago anti cipated by us, from the want of any decisive and rig virus steps on the part of the shareholders. The committee ap pointed by them has suffered the time for action to pass by, exrecting the forbearance of creditors to last for ever; they now find that it is a race among th se sufferers who listened to propositions sa long as they were not in a condition to act for themselves ; but, having obtained their judgments, have now resolved to enforce them. The seals of court have been put upon the bank pre mises—its property is everywhere scotched for to effect the came process—and, what is a crushing blow to the opera tions of the bank committee, their debtors are served with formal notices to withhold payment from them. The exe• cutions put in force are shoe of Messrs- Glyn and Co. for ten lacy, Mr. O'Dowila for twe and•a-half lei., and Nlessrs. Kettering and Co. for about a lac and • half. We ran scarcely be surpristd at this result, because the confidence of en - ditors is gone, the progress milking towards a settlement of their claims being itnperceptibl:. The preset,. s crc tary of the bank addressed Messrs. attorneys on the 13th instant, expressing his belief thrt the whole of the tangible assets of the bank would not realise a lac of rupees ate sheriff's sale ! In another letter, addressed to the same parties, the secretary clews the ease's of the bank under eight distinct heads, as follows : 1. The hank premises, the legal estate being in trustees, who have contracted to sell them. 2. Indigo concerts', of which the legal estate is also in trustees. 3. An equitable mortgage only on a Talookh and three houses. 4. Shares in joint stock co.npanies, unsaleable at present. 5. Indigo, the whole under pledge for specific claims to different parties, and very little surplus expected to be available. 6. Debts duo to the hank, secured by nerociable in,tru ments, or unadjusted balances, only reelieslile by indulgence and the greatest forbearance to the debtor.. 7. Claims on various insolvent estates. fl. Cash balance in hand required for winding up the affairs of the bank. This is certainly a beggarly account of empty boxes, and it is not surprising if I the creditors, seeing so little prospect of a settlement of their claim., should have now threatened proceedings against the individual shareholders. Seventeen of the fattest or readiest victims have accordingly been selected, and are threatened with process being issued against them on the 211 h instant, unless they can point out property of the bank to meet these claims. It appears to us, we acknowledge, that the execu tive committee must relinquish their task. The parties who have obtained judgments being, some, at least, agents, cannot relinquish the priority they have obtained, and the assets will be forced off to meet their claims. The shareholders, therefore, will have obtained no advantage by the efforts of the last three months ; on the contrary, they will be more completely stripped of everything available than could have happened by any other arrangement, and will he left indi• viduelly liable to the creditors. Some of them, watching the coming storm, have already fled, and others, we see, are endeavounng to be relieved from their responsibility by pro cess of law. We mentioned in our overland paper that a proposal was about being made to pay all the creditors eight annas in the rupee, provided they would accept it in full of their demands, the parties advancing the money taking over all the assets, and making the most they ean out of them. fled this been offered at first, it might perhaps have been accepted ; hut it is doubtful now whether those who have obtained judgments, if, acting for others, can relinquish their hold, and they may expect to squeeze the whole of their claim out of the seventeen selected victims, though in this we think they will be disappointed. Never was such inex tricable confusion in any commercial establishment, and the revelations yet to ho made, will, it is expected, cause still greater surprise to the unfortunate shareholdere. With one of these we shall treat theta to.morrow. —Englishman, April 21. Me Court. The Queen held a court yesterday afternoon, at Buckingham Palace, for the reception of an address from the corporation of the city of Dublin. At three o'clock the deputation arrived at the palace; it was composed of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Keshan, Alderman O'Brien, M.P., Alderman M'Kenna, Alderman C. P. Oawen, Mr. M. O'Connell, M.l'., D.L., town councillor; Mr. R. Keating, town councillor; Mr. Ferguson, town ooloacillor; Mr. T. Reynolds. marshal of Dublin; Mr. T. L. Lynnott, high constable of the city of Dublin ; and Mr. J. Curran, mace bearer. The deputation were conducted from the Library, where they had assembled, by Sir W. Martins and Mr. Heritage, the gentlemen ushers in wait ing, to the door of the Throne-room. The Lord Chamber lain here received the deputation and conducted them to the presence of the Queer. Her Majesty was seated on the throne, Prince Albert being by her aide. In attendance on the Queen vas Sir 0. Grey, her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department. The Mistress of the Robes and Lady Portman, Lady in Waiting, were behind the thrf,wo ; and the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, and the .1,/aster of the Horse, stood in their stations near her i:.=.leltY• The room was lined by her Majesty's honourable cu. . Foley . Gentlemen-at- Arms, commanded by their captain, potation having approached the royal Pr. Foley. The de- *Nice, the Lord Mayor read the address from the corporation, the presented it to his Sovereign. The Queen 'et address, and returned a most gracious answer. O'Connell, M.P., the mover o f th e a dd ress; and . t' Councillor Ferguson, the seconder, had the honour of introduced to the Queen to ki ss hands. The senior Ala man, Mr. Kahan, had also the honour of being presentee; and kissing hands. The Queen gate audience to Sir Geor g e Grey. I Mr. C. 8. Whitmore, of the Oxford circuit, has, says the IVolosehompton Chronicle, been appointed recorder of Lichfield, vice Mr. Waddington, the new under-secretary. HOLY THURSDAY." Yesterday, in accordance with ancient usage, the boys belonging to the several parish tchwils assembled, and, marshalled by the various local authorities, proceeded to "heat the bounds" of their re spective districts, in order, it is said, to preserve a knowledge of their limits. The scene at the kills garden, Chancery lane, was particularly animating, several baskets of bread being distributed among the crowd, from which act the place derived its name. We understood it was formerly the practice to whip one of the boss on arrivi• g at the bounda rie,, " lempora mutanfur et nos routaniur in sills." TIIE tali 0E Mn. MITCHEL.— Last night the received information that several meetings were to take place in various parts of the metropolis, to sympathise with Mr. Mitchel, and to demand of the government his immediate liberty, and that at the termination of theme meetings the parties intended to march off to Clerkenwell. wren, which induced the commissioners to make such at. rangern, nte as would effectually have broken up such pro ecteione, if attempted. At art early part of the evening a number of mounted police were sent to Clerkenwell, to Ar bour-square, Stepney ; King-street, Westminster; and Lambeth. The soldiery were also under arms, and were quartered in different parts of London. The Artillery Com pany received notice yesterday morning to assemble in the evening end hold themselves in readiness, in case their services should he squired; and the whole force met at the armoury in the Artillery-ground, and were immediately placed under arms. At 6 o'clock the people began to as xemhle at Clerkenwell green, in the expectation that some of their lead-rs would address them according to promise: in that they were disappointed ; and the only party who att.mptcd to make a spt Ich was a man nobody appeared to know, who was deemed in a brown holland blouse. Having taken his stand on the kerb opposite the churchyard, he began his harangue by upbraiding the people for their cowardice, in not resisting the police the previous night. His audience did not seem quite to agree with him, and after some little alt. rcation the speaker left off his discourse, and gave one of the men who interrupted him a violent blow in the face. Being immeliattly surrounded by some of his partisans, the fellow succeeded in getting off. At a quarteepast eight o'clock Mr. Superintendent Lewis, with about lOU men, marched on to the green, at which time the mob was creating a gnat noise, throwing stones about, and rushing to and fro with sticks in their hands, so that the inhabitants were compelled again to close their shops. An additional number of police came up, marched in a body amoupt tl,e crowd, and in the course of half an hour suc ceeded in driving back the rabble, and by placing a reserve at the end of the courts and streets leading on to the Green, the people wire prevented from again cmgregating. To drive the rabble hack from the bye streets was a work of con sidevible difficulty, but it was accomplished without much personal injury to any one, and by ten o'clock there was not a thousand persons to be seen near the Green. At that period the place was well guarded by a strong methr of po lice. The eammissioners of the city and the metropolitan police were at eleven o'clock actively engaged in drawing out plans for the police to act upon. The city force are armed with cutlasses. and so are the metropolitan. THE REFORM MOVEMENT. MEETING OF THE NEW LEAGUE AT BIRMINGHAM. A public meeting of the inhabitants of Birmingham favourable to the principle, of the New Reform League was 11,1,1 in the 'town-hall there on Wednesday night, Mr. G. F. Muntz, M.P., the President, in the chair. From eight to ten thousand persons were present, amongst whom were many of the most influential inhabitants in the borough, The CHAIRMAN, after some introductory remark., said that after the declaration of Lord Jo' n Russell that the people of this country did not want either the reform pro. posed by Mr. Hume, or those of Mr. °Twiner and the chartists, he felt that it might safely be left with the people themselves to answer how far they were satisfied with the present state of things, and to tell the prime minister how tar they law the necessity for reform being extended, in order to enable them to procure 'hat justice which was due to them in all the circumstances in which they were placed. The hon. gentleman adverted to the extraordinary manner in which Mr. flume's motion had been put off by those who were oppes,d to it • and he said after the uncalled - for declaration of L ord John Russell on that oceuion, if the people did not come forward and give a plain, straightforward, and emphatic answer to it, it would be inferred fairly that there wee no desire for reform ; the prime minister would take it for granted that such was the ease, and there would be an end of the power of the people to get reform for perhaps a number of years. Under the pri sent system, all the interests of the people were sacrificed to the wealth of the country : it MLA notorious that a very large propo Von of the seat. in the House of C irumons were bought, directly or indirectly. Tee torics were opposed to all reform—that was fair enough, and in accordance with their principles: the whies, on the other hand, pretended to be very fair and liberal, but only let any man attempt to put their principles in practice, and immediately they took their stand on the finality of the Reform Bill. By that bill, it was true, u few independent boroughs were created, but what were they in comparison with the mass of small places having a couple of members a piece, where the voters were bought and sold almost like ca'tle in a market ? (Hear.) This was not a party question; both whigs and tories being alike in upholding the present ini quitous system, which worked so well for the welfare of the people that they were often in a state of want, and the masses plunged into all serts of misery. The fact was, that so long as the House of Commons remained constituted as it was at ' the present time, practical men—men who understood what the wants:and feelings of the people were—would never get seats there. Would any man who knew anything of the perseverance and character of Englishmen, pretend to tell him that there was no help for their being plungedl into such distress as they oftentimes were ? Engliehmen, who could labour more than it was ever intended that man should labour, and yet not obtain a comfortable livelihood ! Wes that the perfection of government (lieu.) Ile hail always proclaimed, both in that hall and else where, that wherever such a state of things existed, it was the fault of the government. He didn't charge that in particular upon whigs or tonics, for both were equally culpable. Let there then be a government that re ' presents the people. Let the people unite in pulling down such an iniquitous system as at preseht existed. Let Bin ' mingbam, and Manchester, and Leeds, and Sheffield, and the other large independent constituencies in the kingdom, ' join in insisting, in demanding, that the votes of their repre sentatives shall no longer be neutralised by the members sent to the House of Commons from places little better than villages. Let there be a fair, free, and honest representation of the people. (lieu.) Na man who bought votes meant to represent the people honestly. A man didn't lay out his money without the hope of getting it back in some other way ; and for his part he didn't believe there was a better trade going than the trade in politics. He knew that well enough ; and that if he chose to ' sacrifice all principle that he could make a tolerably good income by it. (Laughter.) He had always endeavoured to represent the people honestly in the House of Commons; and for that reason both whigs and tories looked upon him something in the style that a cow would look at a bastard calf. He had always said that those who paid the expenses of the country ought to have the power of managing its affairs. lie had a great stake in the country himself ; but he didn't for that reason object to the people having their full share of political rights. (Cheers.) And whilst on the ' subject he would say, " beware of those who would sow dissensions amongst you ; always suspect a man who says, " Don't take anything it you can't get everything ;" if you allow that game you'll go on as you are at present, the aris tocrats and the wealthy portion of the community trampling you under foot ; yourselves suffering all sorts of privations for the rest of your lives, and leaving the same thing for ' your children after you. (Cheers.) Do you join heart and ' hand to show the prime minister that he is thoroughly igno rant of the wants and desires of the people of this country. (Hear.) Tell him all your wants—respectfully, plainly, but firmly ; and let there be no mistake or misunderstanding on either side. But, above all things, let there he no disturb. ante, for that is the beet game you can play for those who want to deprive you of your just rights. I shall do all I can to gain for you your just rights—remember, whoever else deserts the cause of the people, I never will. (Cheers.) Mr. Dewsore, M.A., moved the first resolution. Advert ing to the circumstances attendant upon the postponement of Mr. Karma's motion, he said that the interests of the people had been sacrificed to the interest which legislators took in ' " the Derby." The legitimate purpose for which they were sent to parliament was sacrificed for the fool's pursuit, betting on horse-races. He thought that Lord John Russell's de claration with respect to Mr. Hume's motion was the last dying speech and confession of whiggery. At one time the people were disposed to believe in their professions : they stood a long while upon their reputation, but now the confi dence the country had in them was completely frittered away. lie believed that the people would prefer Peel to Russell, because whilst the one had advanced the other had stood still. Whiggery was a huge sham without power. The whigs were neither strong enough for us to fear them, nor wise and able enough for us to respect them. That the premier was ignorant was not to be wondered at ; the whole government of this country was smothered in routine ; if a place fell vacant it could only be tilled up from the same clique or the same club. The extraordinary versatility of talent exhibited by our nobility in these matters was truly wonderful : ajump from the buckhounds to the Post-office was nothing ; and if at any time a good man did turn up, he soon became the victim of the system—a red-rapist. They had grooms of the stole, and grooms of other departments ; but he (Mr. Dawson) would like to be a groom to the prime minister, and for one day he should like to give him an airing, and to bring him down to Birmingham, in order that be might get some idea of what the people did want, and of their feelings. It was the custom of ministers to look at everything with an official aspect and to do nothing—first, because they had not the will t o 'do anything ; and next (as in the case of Lord John Russell's government), beause they had not the power. Then they came to parliament at the end of a session, uttering pitiable Jeremiads of their short comings, and then going to grouse a imin. (Laughter.) Lord John Russell knew right well that the Howe of Com mons did Lot represent the people, and, in Meier that it should, they intended to have the suffrage widei." extended. The City magnates might tell his lordship that 'hey were satisfied, that they did not want reform ; but the people re quired it, and they would have it. On the 20th of June the minister would be undeceived by the petitions of the people, and all the attempts of whigtery to stem the torrent of reform would be a tre a n Y a ü bad time th reject tentli)e Jew e ß llo use of Lords had taken great deal of terological twaddle had been talked on that subject—about C.'w:'uasty bong violated, and other cub pitiful nonsense; but the effect of politics upon theology was marvellous, for they saw one archbishop voting one way, and the other an. other—whig.made bishops voting in favour of the bill, and tories &pion it. So much for principle. He said again that Peel was far preferable to Russell. In conclusion, Mr. Dawson said that lie hoped the people would maks his pro- phecy a true one—that the last dying speech and confession of the whip bad been made; that whiggery bad gone to seed ; end that the professors of its principles must give way to abler men. Mr. Dawson concluded by moving the follow ing resolution:— lint the Prime Minister, having stated his belief "that the middle and working classes of this country, speaking generally, neither Isiah for the one great reform nor the other—that they arc neither anxious for the people's charter as proposed by the hon. member for Notts, nor for that great plus of reform, which comes somewhat rear the people's charter, which is proposed by the h 41. member for Montrcve"—thi. meeting desires to express Its opi nion that lord John Russell Is either grievously ignorant of the cobra of the nation, or has greatly misrepresented the people. Mr. R. K. Doeutas, in seconding the resolution, said that Lord John Russell ought to have been the last man in tho world to my that tie people did not want reform, be cause they had not inundated the house with petitions for it. The tories hod raised this very cry against the noble lord's great bill. Now the fact was that the people were tired of petitioning parliament; but let the Prime Minister, in answer to his own assertion, look at the peti. tion which hid been presented in favour of the charter. Why, after all the bad and doubtful signatures had been removed, there were more good Lames than had ever before been attached to all the petitions presented to parlia. went on any one subject. It had been said that Lord John Russell was in favour of reform, and that he only wanted properly backing up by the people. He (Mr. Douglas) hoped it might be so. In that case he would say, instead cf wishing the noble lord had made his dying speech, " Lord John live for ever !" ( Hear.) However, whether he turned out to he Lord John Finality, or Lerd John Progress, the best way for confuting in the one case, and for confirming in the other, was for the people to send properly authenticated petitions to parliament. The theory of all representation was this, that the member was the best man—the man with ' the clearest head—the most thinking man in tl.c community —that be had the largest experience, and was, conie• quently, fitted to lead, not to follow, the people. Ministers ought in the ti ue spirit to be the ch uice of the people aewell as the representatives, and so choreal because of their fitness to lead and to govern. What would be said of the shepherd if the sheep had to show him the way to the waters ? (Hear.) He (Mr. Douglas) believed that Sir It. Peel had the capa city to lead the people, and that Lord John Russell was altogether deficient; his great exploi', the Emancipation of Dia.enters Bill, abundantly proved his deficiencies in the qualities essential to a leader. The fact was, that the whip had always been looked upon as gods ; but, for his part (he saiii), God help the wo• ahippers of them. The resolution was thee put from the chair, and unani mously carried, Mr. O. EDMONDS, clerk of the peace, next rose and said, that after the unanimity which had prevailed, and the cnthu dam which had been evinced in the course of these proceed ings,he thought it very unfortunate that Lord J. Russell could not be imported to a Birmingham meeting. if he were to hear the joyful exclamations of co many thousands ' of people w hen a great measure was submitted to them, he would not say that the people of Birmingham were indif ferent to reform. (Cheers.) It seemed to him, however, that Lord John was the atone courier to Sir Robert Peel, to run before and do the talking part, and then give place to the right hon. baronet, who bad the power to carry out prac tically what the other talked to death. (Cheers.) In his opinion nothing was more ill-advised or wicked than for the whips to stand in the way of those reforms upon which dependt d the atabili.y of the throne. The prime minister might have taken a lesson from the events which had oc curred in other countries during the last three menthe. Would any one have ventured to predict in one day thedown fall of Louis l'hilippe and his dynasty ?--uf that monarch who was said to be one of the most profound politicians, and at the head of a monarchy believed to be as firmly consoli dated as that ot any crown in the world ? But having in view the excesses which had been committed elsewhere, the people of England must, whilst abating no exertions to obtain their jeot rights, be as determined to preserve the peace of the country. (Hear.) The millions of England must put down their names and their addresses to the petitions for re form; and he pledged himself, whenever a document was brought forward with the signatures of the mass of the population appended to it, and those well authenticated, that they could carry whatever they liked. (Hear.) lie had told them before in that hall, and he repeated it now, that the man who talked of physical force was an idiot. It such means were resorted to the consequences would be awful ; but the plan which he had recommended for their adoption would dead to a result which no government dare resist. Moral force would carry all the people had a right to have. (Ilea.) And if the people did not take the means within their power to enlighten the minister the fault was with themselves. He (Mr. Edmonds) believed, if they only came forward in a peaceful and constitutional but deter mined manner, and demonstrated that the masses rluired further reform, that they would carry every thing they were entitled to possess. He asked the m a of Birmingham—the men who organised the political union of 1831—whether they would come forward energeti evlly and demand of the minister and the parliament the reforms now sought ? (A great burst of approbation followed this appeal.) There were at that time two great sections of reformers in that town: the chartists and the household suffragists. Nvw the friends of the last were moving in the same direction as the universal suffrage party. It had been told them that if they got household aulfrage the more extended franchise was certain to follow if they were entitled to it; in such circumstances would any honest chartist do anything to jeopardise the one measure because the other could not at pment be obtained ? (Cries of "no.") It was now under consideration that • conference should take place between some of the leaders of this movement in Birmingham and between the heads of the new political union or complete suffrag; party, the object being to promote a complete co-operation between the two parties; fig it must never be forgotten that the great cause of reform could only be successful by an enthusiastic union of all parties. Ile appealed to them boldly as to whether there was a single instance of the people gaining their ends when physical force had been resorted to ? What good ever came of violence ? On the contrary, it blasted' the success of the people. He implored the men of Birmingham not to listen to these insane scoundrels. One of them had talked of setting fire to the cannon by put• ling the torch in its mouth. That was what they had been doing, and bad succeeded in blowing themselves and their cause to atom?. Mr. Edmonds concluded by moving the adoption of the following petition : That this meeting do now agree to petition parliament in support of Mr. Hume's motion, and that the following form of petition be adopted: Unto the honourable the Howe of Commons of the united kingdom of Greet Britain and Ireland in parliament assembici, the humble petition of the undersigned inhabitants of Birmingham humbly shoseth flat the parliamentary Reform Act or 1032, which, as an important advance at the right direction, your petitioners do not wish to undervalue, though it may have given plenary satisfaction to its framers, has by no means fulfilled the just expectations of those for whom It was framed. That though professing very greatly to augment the general cofutitueney of the United Kingdom, u well as of each particular divisien and district of it, the addition on the whole has been altogether insignifleaht, and in not a few particular in stances the result tag been a diminution instead of an increase. That comprehending, u the franchise under that act does, the least independent of the middle classes, while it excludes altogether, or in a very great manure, the more iedependent of the working cLustea, it has left almost as much scope to the exercise of coenion and of bnbery and other evil infiueness, as was afforded by the old system.— That In removing from the constitution such evident blots as Old • Benin and Gatton, It has retained, lot the benefit of influential families and millionatreo, a number of borough., who-, subserviency and profli gacy are the more disgraceful and o..ious, because sheltered under a system of pretended freedom and purity. That your petitioners have learned that a proposal is about to be submitted to your honourable house so to amend the Reform Act as to bring it into more intimate hammy with the wishes and the scants of the people ; and to make it, as it was meant to be thereat, a practical charter of their liberties; by con ferring the franchise on all male persons of legal age who may have occupied for not lean than six months any house, or part of a house; by giving the security of the ballot to the voter; by a fair and equit able dintribution of the right of returning members, instead of the present anomalous and unjust Lucca; and by limiting the duration of parliament to three years. That your petitioners are of opinion that such amendments are equally essential to the con tinued stability of the throne and the peace of the country; for they canna conceal from themselves, and desire not to conceal from your honourable house, that the tremendous revolutions on the continent of Europe which are now in programs, changing dynasties, and subverting the moat time-hallowed institutions, have been provoked by a system of eta-s legislation, the same in nub mance, though differing in degree, from that which bar so loot pre vailed in England; and that the complaints at home, unless newly and wisely met by ample and fitting COOCOIMOM, can hardly fall to Isaac in courses as violent, and, for the time, as di. estrous as analo pun grievances have bowed abroad. MaT it therefore please your hon. house to give its most earnest attention to ouch prenatal when submitted to fie consideration, and to take such measures as may seem At to your hon. house for the same being passed with all conve nient speed into a law.--And your petitioner., as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c. Mr. Ald. WESTON seconded the adoption of this petition. They had met there (he said) in order to satisfy the doubting mind of Lcrd John Russell, and also to stimulate and arouse the people in other parts of the country. The battle had yet to be fought ' • and they would hare to meet again and again until the evils of which they complain( d were gradually com bated and removed. The reforms they were at that time seeking to obtain were only of a very moderate character; and if not at once granted something worts must take place. (Cheers.) Was it likely that whilst society was daily pro gressing the frame-work of government could be standing still ; that antiquated forms, systems, and institutions could be per mined to exist, clashing as they did with the wants and the happiness of the people 1. Tbis was the true secret and philosophy of the revolutions which had token place, and of the overthrow of the thrones which had been upturned: the demands of the people fur reform were scoffed at—extravagance and voluptuousness on the one hand—poverty and misery on the other; until, goaded by both, the people rose in their might, and systems which ages had hallowed were in the midst of their vaingloriousness swept away as by a mighty torrent, without a power to stay its resistless force. (Cheers.) Who was there, then, that would not prefer reform to revolution? Did the last improve trade or contribute to the happiness of the people ? Would not the former consolidate the stability of the empire by pro meting and increasing the happiness of the community ? For his part, however, he thought there was very little to choose between Peel and Russell; both were very sceptical, neither would see the storm on the horizon till the tempest approach. ed. They could not have forgotten what time it took to convince Peel that the corn laws must be repealed. All that agitation, and all that exertion on the part of good men, and all that money spent to convince one man! (Hear.) Petitioning be knew did not find much favour with the men of Birmingham, and for the reason that the people's petitions were too little regarded. Now, however, they intended to go upon a new principle, adopting the old-fashioned system an their basis. Their petitions should be so framed and got up that they could not be easily set aside; from each town and hamlet they would go forth; every petitioner's name and residence fairly made knows ; and by this means they would produce such a demon stration, Second only W t h at which carried the Reform Bill, and which shook the kingdom to its very centre. (Cheers.) But of all things let the people be true to themselves; let there be no disputes about mere words; for himself he had no hesitation in saying that he was • coral lets chartist, nothing more nor least ibut was that to prevent him from joining hand and heart in such a movement as Lois ; laying aside minor differences for a public good ? (Hear.) Ile be lieved they were all loyal enough : England hail flourished under the system of a king, lords, and commons; and although, if he were going to frame a new constitution, he might be disysed to dispense with the king and the lords, atilt he would rather endure such Us as those entaded than fly to changes which might prodt.ce bloodshed, havoc, desolation, and misery. (Cheers.) Let, however, the rulers of this country—the powerful in this country—remember that there was a spirit of endurance implanted by God in the heart of man to yond which he could not go. With a population on the verge of stars ation wh:..t safety and secu rity are to be expects d ? What the limits of endurance are (said he) may not be spoken, even though they were known; but, when the period comes that they are outstretched beyond their natural limits, farewell to the love of order which knots men tegethtr—farewell to the tits of humanity. (Immense cheering.) Let Lord John Russell beware of that hour. Great as are the evil. we have to endure—great sears the wrongs of which we have to complidn, let us all stand for " peace, law, and order;" not bating one jot of our firmness of purpose to obtain our just demands. (Cheers.) We wid adopt as our motto the three words I have just ut tered to you ; but if the time comes when the bonds which knit those together arc rent avaunder—if the prime minister and lei:Waters hesitate too long—let it not be laid to our surge that we were the first to trample on toeill insitsttiong and to raise the signal for starchy. (Applause.) The adoption of the petition was unanimously agreed to. Mr. W. B. Swint, a complete suffragiat, next addressed the meeting. lie said the league did not go tar enough for him, but that he was not disposed to do anything to obstruct the progress. A resolution having been subsequently passel, requesting the borough members to present and support the petition Mr. in acknowledging this and the vote of thanks to him, strongly urged the neerrsity of care being observed in attaching signatures to the petition, and that every indi vidual should sign his own name only, inasmuch as by that course they would do away with the possibitity of discredit being thrown upon any petition. Sever.l persons in the ball complained th.rt they were unable to write, and asked how they were to alba their sig natures, whereupon Mr. Monts rejoined that they might follow the example of some of the barons who signed Magna Charta, and make their mark, taking are that same person affixed their names and residences. The meeting (says our correspondent) was altogeeet a very enthu‘i nitic one; an unttnoving inter. *t in the pro- ceedings having been kept up until ten o'cluck at night. IRELAND. DUBLIN, MAT 31. An important alteration has taken place within the last day or two in the constitution of the Irish Con federation, and, as I have been informed, in the clubs also. The council of the former body has hitherto consistcd of 150 members, more or less. These have selected from amongst their number by ballot an executive council of 21, in whom will reside for the future the central moving power of the b•xly. Tho objects of this change will easily suggest themselves! It is reported that to-morrow night an ad. dress from the Corfederaticn to the country will be proposed, and carried of course, in which a policy even more definitive than any hitherto propounded will be recommended to the country. The address wil,, it is said, be signed by Mr. Smith O'Brien, and will recommend an immediate resort:to arms. Other accounts say that there exist serious differences in the councils of the c.nafederation, some of the leaders being unwilling to pledge them selves to a desperate course, while the clubs profess themselves rtady for any extremity. According to the latest rumours, the meeting of the confederation ht.d been postponed in co..sequence of the divi sion which had taken place among the leaders. Meantime, the sympathy with Mr. Mitchel is manifested in the country as well as in the metropolis, in the substantial form of money subscription.. The most satisfactory accounts continue to b re ceived from all parts of the country as to the prcs pects of the crops, including potatoes. The weather is most favourable, and, judging from present appear ances, we are likely to have an early and i.bundant harvest. The Cork Constitution, of yesterday, states that Mr. Mitchel reached Spike Island "enfeebled in body and agonised in mind, end that he spent the night of the passage . without sleep, and in tears." This de scription is inconsistent with the facts I ascertained from a gentleman, on whose information I can rely. Mr. Mitchel, after the Shearwater rounded Bray Head, was visited by the officer of the watch, of whom he asked whether he could be furnished with a " book of any kind." This request not bring complied with, he shortly after went to sleep, and when visited in the morning appeared contented and eh , erful. On leaving the vessel he expressed his Brat, ful sense for the great kindness of the commander, officers, and crew, all of whom had endeavoured to render his painful situation as agreeable as possible. He asked ore of the officers how long he would be detained at the convict depot previ.ms to final deportation, and whether he would be suffered to communicate with hie family? The officer could not satisfy Lis itquiry or either of these points. The account of his arrival created much excite ment among his friends in Cork. The confederates of the Desmond club assembled and paraded the city in procession on Sunday evening. As in Dublin, whenever the populace gathered in such numbers as to obstruct the public way, they were dispersed by the police. Sail and row boats prowled around Spike on Sunday and yesterday to catch a glimpse of the sufferer, but it is needless to say their:curiosity was disappointed. The guard has been increased round all the points of the island which lie immediately opposite to the town of Cove. A committee is in progress of formation in Dublin to receive subscriptions for Mr. Mitchel',s family. When the central body is completed, district cem mittccs will ba appointed, and the aggregate proceeds, I understand, will be expended in the purchase of a small property. It is expected that the collection will reach 3,000/. In a few hours .504 were sub. scribed in Drogheda. A Mr. Maguire was lately arrested in Cavan for having proclaimed the enrolment of a "national guard," with the necessary " weapons and accoutre ments." Yesterday Sir Colman O'Loghlcn turned aside from the Court of Queen's Bench, and applied to the Barons of the Exchequer for a writ of habeas corpus to bring up the body of Maguire from the gaol of Cavan. Sir Colman argued against the validity of the committal ; but the court were very reluctant to usurp the functions of the Queen's Bench, and urged "no jurisdiction." But the appli cation being under statute, the right was at length conceded, and Tuesday next is named for the return of the writ. Sir Colman very likely will " take nothing by his motion." IRISH DECLARATION AGAINST REPEAL OF THE UNION. The following declaration has been circulated throughout Ireland, and is altogether distinct from the declaration of confidence in Lard Clarendon. It rune thus : We, the understgned, believing that an agitation now going on for a repeal of the legislative union Le productive of serious detriment to the pmsperity and peace of the country, and, diner:meta, would dismember the empire, and entail incalculable misery on Ireland, hereby declare our solemn determination to maintain the union between Great Britain and Ireland, and discountenance the repeal agitation by every memo in our power.—Signed, Leinster, Kildare, J. G. Armagh, J. L. Napier, Castlereagh, Erne, Enniskillen, Ormsude, Gormanstown, Monteagle, Lanathrne, DrogheiLt, Roden, Edwin 11111, llownahire, Clanricarde, Devon, De Teed, A. B. Brooke, Teinpkmoro, Anglesey. The committee, who are getting up signatures to the de claration, have enclosed the preceding paper in the following circular : tor,—A committee haring been formed for the purpose of eliciting a general declaration from persons of all parties and einem who concur) in deprecating the present repeal agitation, we take the liberty of submitting for your consideration the enelised document, which has been lamed under the sanction of the noblemen and gentle.. men whose name. are atand thereto. Should it meet year approval, we beg that you will return it to us promptly, with your own signature attached, and as many where an you can conveniently procure. It has keen already adopted by the leading members of the bar, the university, and many others% and in order that it may have all the weight which numbers and res pectability of signatures can give it, we request that you will be so Food as to suggest to us the =Mo and addresses of persons resident in your neighbourhood to whom we may look for active cosopera tion.--',Sisniedi —Arlon.. Tons:and A. E. Guvea, Ike. Secs. SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH, MAY 31. As the Irish trials have caused frequent reference to the jury system of Scotland, it is perhaps necessary to explain that in criminal trials a majority of jurors can return a verdict ; but in civil cases, following the English plan, the verdict must be unanimous. The latter mode has never been popular in Scotland, and it must be to it that Mr. Hume referred when he stated in the Home of Commons that the system did not work well. The procedure in criminal trials now gives universal satisfaction; but it is greatly altered since 1791, when Muir,the Scottish martyr, was tried. At that time, amongst other atrocities, the judges; had the direct selection of the jury. The return of cases disposed of in the Courtotalivl sion during 1817 amounted to 410, being nearly' Mi.. same as the two preceding years. The inequalties in the amount of labour performed by the different Lords Ordinary, and by the two divisions of the inner • - 0 I