The Sun. — London, England, 1846-01-07 00:00:00

~.' 0 1 AYIVIARKET THEATRE. e legiti mate d rama — t h e me l o -d rama th e by cal clratnathe burlesque drama, were all built du n 'dually. Like Minerva from the head of e t i o — vr, full-grown and armed at all points, bath the drama sprung from the brain of Mr. ow n n eB Dickens. Every theatre in London has its its °R, ticket Chirping on its own Hearth, and gives us l'i tirY Tale of Home. Last evening was the kpaPPearance of The Cricket on the Hearth at the e, and the following was the cast, : oh peel,ry bmgle eekloto n Mr. Tilbury Caleb Pl ummer bot' ger b ar s Father '''''''' • Miss Fortescue kr, a Mrs. Seymour ;1• F ielding 7 F ielding I,I II Y Slowb o y M r . B uc k s t one bue , Pre sence pel°:= Mothe r t er is by f ar th e b est J o h n P eer ybi ng l e w h o h as ‘l3 o ,,?peared. Th ere i s more h ear t an d l ess v i o l ence tith e ": his John Peerybingle than about that of any Pea r ; a ctor who has yet attempted the part. He ap -41%1 to act so completely from the impulse of the ch,,,, in nt--to so completely identify himself with the 4 m — in other words, he is so accomplished an 411, 4 ) ariri und ers t an d s so t h oroug hl y th e ar s celare the which is th e ve ry p e rf ec ti o n of art, that he is b ot ' e rY carrier that Dickens drew. Miss Fortescue's 814 v , /Y as exquisite ; th e t ran siti o ns from " gay to 4 Were beautif u l, an d no thi ng cou ld exceed the Ils k L i ng Pathos of h e r bye-play in the third act, when flit o ," Bl3 and is explaining his intentions as to her fate to Tackleton. Farren's Caleb Plummer clo, a finished per f ormance, as everyt hi ng t h at F arren g h at must be; it struck us, however, that it was some• t oo thin i n every sense o f t h e wor d, Seymour has never yet done anything L,ela at a ll compare w i th her Bertha; there was a v , I ntensity of feeling, a depth o f p a th os a b ou t it 4 t) s W ent at on ce t o th e h ear t, an d t h e tears an d t h e , ks w i usitisti c applause of her audi ence were h er j us t Ite lt d. Mrs. W. Cliffo r d' s M rs . Fi e ldi ng was th e 041 141 ultra of majestic dignity ; and Mr. Clark, in father, as usual, made a great part of a little his admirable acting. Nothing could exceed 14„: 4 1irty greeting of Mrs. Fielding in the last ' 4 lf t3 / 4 --the only scene in which he appears. His I '4' 3/Y are you, Ma'am—glad to see you, Ma'am," 41 0 .tate equal to his " Waiter—the snuff box," in iluckstone's Tilly Slo%s hoy was an itnita ti,;_°' Wriq,ht's, but it did not come up to the great kr oi ° He was not so well made up, and neither v lea e , 3 nor gesticulation does he so completely un iself as Wright. Buckstone hath an honest }ls :Its and in w h atsoever c h arac t er h e may apear 14; 1 4 not but be Buckstone. This piece, which is lkitt,WlllA,ill mounted, was announce d by Farren f o r re tile4', stnidst the unanimous applause of a well %lse. Thy OLYMPIC THEATRE. k ° ace favourite tnelo-drama of Therese was revived . th 4 I- MISe on Monday evening, Miss L. Melville . sustain tft Fart of the heroine. Her acting was beautiful. She 4p t ist",i artist, and thoroughly understands the power t lo intensifying passion. There was a quiet,. 4 - 0 - * . 111) S about her acting, that rivetted . the attention 044 audience, and at the conclusion she was called tthe curtainandapplauded rapturouslya homage i e °ll llkl ell dese rvcd; Mr. C. Boyce, a painstaking tabt or, sustai ne d the character of c arwin very re to 114 D. They were, however, miserably suppor ted. A p t th u allet entitled Lisette followed, which introduced tret. tl 4 Leelerq family, who it appears are engaged here. tt ther e was a f arce an d th e p an t om i m e, s o that t,,,, 14 is t s . fiances were not over until nearly one o'clock. i vr oo :late an h our t o k ee p c hild ren out of their tpZitt , 4 ! Wold reccommend the excision of the ballet t'a u so as to bring the amusements within compass. 4' 11() GA.RRICK THEATRE. / 1 : 1 1t '-'rich et on the Hearth seems to be as popular i n the ri i s ..l the w est, if we j u d ge f rom t h e ent h us i asm w ith t :ti,lt was received by a Garrick audience on Monday Thp diff eren t c h aracters were we ll sus t a i ne d. 4 1 ;'• Bird as J o h n P eery bi ng l e was ver y res p ec t a ble, I „ 4 en ti . iit• Barnett as D o t was exce ll en t. Mi s s F. k N k is tt z'isplayed much pathos as Bertha the blind girl, ktr ou . s Bites as 'Tilly Slowboy, was exceedingly hu -1(16.; and effk.ctive. Altogether the piece was ex -67 won. acted and it will no doubt have a run. 41 , OF LONDON THEATRE. . I, e ,ec t „Lty of London version o f the Cricket on the . 0 11 : ( : 4 was produced here on Monday evening. Th e cas t to t led 4 4 ry powerful one, and consequently the success was • Mrs. R. Honner was Dot, and she was fitt e d ' l4 A i; ee !Y in the part, and acted it beautifully. Lyon lit honest warm hearted John Peerybingle, and his ' e and p ower f u l s tyl e of acting told admirably in 4 r t - t. t• Mr. R. Honner was the Caleb Plummer, and 0 -1 73' the blind girl, and, though last. not least, Tilly 04 ' able,w acted to the life by Miss Egan. Sh . e was tOle pt ti and kept the audience on the broad grin the Z e she was on the stage. At the conclusion all 4 pal performers were called for. The piece has ' .0 ti. l): t n and wlth great care. The melodrama of The N 'tlu t i t ia his Daughter followed, and the pantomime *id t d . the evening's amusement. The house was thot4li- R 4 • 4 'r . P ei m o 'Ore ,s P COURT C RCU LAR. ;WINDSnR, TUESDAY. The unfavourable state of the eather prevented the Queen and Prince Albert and the 02 341 Family from taking their early airings this - -enoon. At tw enty minut es p as t th ree o ' c l oc k this afternoon the royal party left the Castle for Clar,inotit. Her Ma- Jesty Prince Albert. accompanied by the Prince tif Ps and ill, Prin cess R o y a l, we re hi the first carriage. b ri nee Alfred and the Princess Alit!e, accompanied na c t ia h : e Dox agfr Lady Lyttelton, were in the next C o t n l e ' l e ri t/l o i w nd carriage were the Viscountess Jocelyn and j the fourth carriage were Major-General Wemyss end Colo n el B ouverie. 8, 11 " Mijesty was escorte d b y a d t ac h men t o f th e o f Ile Regiment o f Lif e G uar d s , under the command The Earl Tott en h am. "ke Earl of Liverpool, G.C.8., left the Castle yes terday. T he Earl o f Aberdeen, Viscount Melbourne, Viscount ij e _e l .l l ), Lord an d Lady Beauvale, and the Hon. Misses Castle and N ap i er, too k t h e i r d e p arture from the title to-day. Colonel Berkeley Drummond also left laeiCastle to-d ay' itt th lie ,Queen and . Prince Albert inspected this morning, 1 % 4 : 3 Uastle, an elaborately-executed candelabrum and rvitui for Matthew Uzielle, Esq., of the Orleans and ti er ° 4 Railway, which was submitted by Messrs. Mor and Hunt. ller Majesty and the Prince were a' e ased to express their approbation. 41 1 :7 Commissio ners f or th e R e d uc tion of the National it.. " a d a quarterly meeting yesterday, at the Trea eLY. There were p resen t t h e Charteellor of the Ex thVle; the Governor of the Bank of England, and C ; ue p ner uty- . Governor. Mr. Higham, Secretary and General, attended. Ptr o d he Portufruese Minisor transacted business yester ir tat the Fo ' reign-office. threes Graham the Earl of Dalhousie, th, Right P.ol; Bi dileY Herbert, and Sir George Clerk, visited Sir reel yesterday. The Earl o f Ab er d een arr i ve d in town yesterday "" Windsor Castle. .01 0 •VITY OP NAPOLEON.— and wh o C .. 1, now in the a prisoner Fortress of Ham, . n The Count de Mon °,f,si ' l t will be recollected, at St. tige4Pnieon during all the years of his captivity e to the world was the intimate companion .li‘l4t srative It it 1 ta, has ,determined, it appears, to giy he was a of all the occurrences to which author's .. 4 tit, SB * The work is to be üblisne y his original `t. - 1,1 4 E•h b • tra n sla ted from . , t i , , nglis , being con opt ' d, b- the ~ has been 'id ." ni - • This publ i cat i on m , ‘.anuseripts. fields throug . h %tn.' IVEEAT CROP.—Some of the braird ; its 41) lit'' 1 e otint, neighbourhood are i n . fai, kr, a 1 7 and in our that has ntit of rain . ie tiee, owing to the great a (In nights by which it was N: 44(1 the bitter black frosty o f the weather, , 1 ,14, 'ed, Together with the variableness 0 of wheat for t 1,14, our tners to expect a light thin crop of clayey soil. Let )4 4 lioNiang season, particularly on cold e groundless.— `444...T hoNyeyer th t such fears will prove b 1'1,1„...Qe A dvertiser. a the port of i; l4 lid 7,,,1110ati.—.Th state of trade at that a petition 'a o - su in b e flourishing condition, A. J. Munro, 1, st t o _ such a ~ of .„, be f orwarded to the proprietor, li. of the IS. ~Anvar, praying for further enlargements . built by Mr. Linton, ship nilde, ',levell of the vessels . may, ) 4 4.; Cnio has two o the stocks at present),si ze , be for vt t• ced" 'P nio(lel non qualities, if not ilt vessels; td be en competiation sailing h - the finest Clyde-built ort is 1.1 1 3- N., tonnage of shipping belonging to th o e g P i populati?n 111%v be . tons, while the daily increas tils _ Ross.shtre .44,,,,,, estimated at nearly a thousand so . 1,, i) , "ler, apb 7ll k.x' s ri ' FINA.—On , this „Ac t en ~Hußcir.—ST. BENET S d m occurs that L t 'lir h - -rr'sP ndent thus writes :—" It seldom o and even ._- th e ~..together with all its fittings, font oran hammer, `'lditif,-,!e-hOckets, is consigned to the auctioneer's It tiea,•:! especially ' he it ha pens to be one of Wren's. t it would 1),;,,t-, '0 aka the church h is p to be removed, lila to the B tiba t rr ta it awa3 n - re holesale, and transplan the lath 4 4., ,. ,1 8, Where it - - w outshine in appearance 4 te-tater, IN ould far outs of our modern churches. thrtt,"thj thatceallWreann'ds stained churches wood,are good models fl e Pr o o t t h es er I lthiQ ti ees of worship; there are no sedilia . and d ou t r modern Z,gtircli,;.°/ P° Per3', which continually creep inn b e far _ tt ei , to : putting this out of the quwstiGn, itwould form, than °teatter°.(tild the church up again in its original,__,e Builder. Ali () It Piecemeal to the highest bidders.' T 1 ken.. Lb ji dder, the b ,-.rd of OUSE.-- r. M Jesse Hill, of Che , is ready to Ove to b the Marquis of Bath, has a mare he in harness, ,N. chi ~e m her 50th year. She is daily used voket food being bran, potato rinds, and grass.—Bath 4 % .„' observed this leer' tofts,--Th meteors were not .. b,e 0.. ~ e annu al ~ but came instead , I,:‘o the " 'lie 13th of November last, (Tuesday etk)season. the night before the late storm .. l fallng 'ar m s. The whole sky ivas full of the most beautitu 114 cit; ,inidnight tWent - or thirty might be seen at on ce, atite ' il al ‘m the sky in 3' ditrerent directions. The c Fo n. r e ster's Pliotli • their be the storm confirms Dr. d r at e , til ls of their being of an atmospherical nature, an to ' tl ttiali „, a t ot the f ' - rs who ascribe them yiknit o °' elgn astronome , 0 41 . rds. orse tirt lo ili tY, the Cit y Police . station in Black H . . FL ' toot-s t 3 ' %tilt reet, was removed to more eligible premises in iraki4eet, formerly the well known Sceptre Tavern. The eta admirable adapted for the purpose. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAi r, MORNING, JANUARY' 7, 1846. FREE-TRADE MEETINGS WARD OF CRIPPLEGATE WITIIIN. On Monday, at two o'clock, an important and numer ously attended meeting of the merchants, traders, and others of the Ward of Cripplegate Within, was held at the George Hall, Aldermanbury, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of petitioning both Houses of Parliament for the immediate and unconditional repeal of the corn laws, the meeting having been con vened in pursuance of a requisition to the Alderman of the Ward (Alderman Challis), signed a large and influential number of the inhabitants of the ward. Nearly the whole of the Common Councilmen of the ward were present. Alderman CUALLIS, having taken the chair, said that the subject of the corn-laws was one of the utmost im portance to every class, and was one that he trusted would meet with the early attention of the Legislature, in order that the question might be finally settled. Mr. CASII, Common Councilman, moved the first reso lution, which was as follows :—" That this meeting views with deep concern the unsettled state of the country, arising, chiefly (as it believes), from the perni cious operation of the corn-law, which holds out delu sive hopes to the agriculturist, cripples commercial en terprise, introduces a system of gambling into the ordi nary business of life, which is alike destructive to morals and legitimate trade ; induces a precarious supply, en hances the price &f• food, and is not only oppressive to the poor, but also subversive of the best interest of the vast majority of the population." He observed that the resolution he had read expressed that by the corn-laws delusive hopes. were held out to the agriculturist, as farmers were always in uncertainty as to the extent of ground they should put in cultivation for the growth of corn, and they were well aware that the corn-laws would not last long. He saw no other way by which the question was to be settled, than by a total repeal of the corn-laws. Had they been repealed years ago, there was no doubt but that the commerce of the country at the pre sent moment would have been in a most flourishing condi tion. As to those states which were now producing their manufactures, we should be sending articles from our manufacturing towns, in exchange for which we should be receiving their corn.—(Loud cries of " Hear.") He thought that the agricultural aristocracy were not aware of the destitution among the farming labourers in some of the counties. He had read an account, which was drawn up by a clergyman of the name of Ferguson, living at Bicester, who had visited some of the miserable dwellings of that class in Buckinghamshire and Oxford shire. In the former county, he entered one occupied by a man of the name of John Ormsby, who had a wife and six children. He earned Os. a week; out of that he had to pay is. 6d. rent a week. They had no bed, but only a sacking filled with straw, to sleep upon. The habitasion was a scene of wretchedness, while there was not a pare of glass. Yet this man, at the festivities on the coming of age of the Marquis of Chandos, was induced to act the character of the fool. Why did not the Noble Marquis give him a bed? —(Hear, hear.) They were aware that a deputation of the Common Council waited on her Majesy last Saturday. He was happy to tell them that the uni versal opinion was, that the answer was considered highly satisfactory, and that the Ministers who were present seemed well pleased that the address was presented. It was also remarked (which was not customary) that a handsome cold collation was provided. He thought that, under all the circumstances, they bad good reason to strengthen and support her Majesty's Government. Mr. BENNOCII, also a member of the Court of Common Council, said that so short a period had elapsed since he had expressed his views with regard to the iniquitous corn-laws, that he had hoped some of the more influential inhabitants of the ward would have taken the task of reviewing those laws out of the hands of their represen tatives in the Court of Common Council. But if ever there was a time for the serious discussion of the corn laws, that time was the present, and he would, with the permission of the meeting, go into the question. In the first place he believed the corn-laws to be based on a wrong principle—(Hear, hear)—and that laws of protec tion should only be for those who could not protect them selves. Laws were in general made for the punishment of crime, and he should like to know why they were to be punished by the continuance of the corn-laws for ask ing for cheap bread ?—(Hear, hear.) The speaker here at some length went on to show that although the corn law was ostensibly made for the agricultural labourer, they had not benefited at all by it, but were in a worse state, with lower wages now than at that time. This, he contended, was owing to the landlords neglecting to do their duty, who, if they had done as the "cotton lords" had done, improved their manufac tures, and thereby increased to a large extent the power of labour, would have conferred great benefit upon their fellow-men. The man who by his industry made two grains of corn grow where one never grew before was a great benefactor to his country— (Hear, hear)—but the culture of agricultural produce was the same now as it was 200 years ego. This was differ ent with the manufacturer, who was able, solely by the great improvements in labour, to produce three yards of silk, or three pairs of stockings, for the same price one was to be purchased for in 1815. The presentation of the addresses on Saturday from two of the most impor tant bodies in the world had a visible effect upon her Majesty's Ministers, and epon her Majesty herself. (Hear, hear.) In reply to that address the Ministers were bound to admit a falling off in the pot do crop, ad mitting that there was a scarcity of food, and Parliament had been ordered to meet at an early day to advance the permanent interest of the country.—(thar, hear.) Let them look a little further into the question of the corn laws. The landlords said they must hare protection, and so they would have if the corn -laws were repealed to-morrow. There would be a protection of from eight shillings to ten shillings per quarter upon corn incurred in its transit from foreign countries to this.—(Hear, hear.) The repeal of the corn-laws, he contended, would be a boon to the agricultural labourer, and an act of great justice to the manufacturer, who would be enabled to do a much greater amount of business by exporting his manufactures to America, and taking corn in exchange. The Hon. Gentleman, after some further remarks, concluded an excellent address by stating that the time would come when Dukes and Lords would be swallowed up it. the dark sea of oblivion, and they might, in the twenty-ninth century, find a ducal coronet in the museum of some archaeologist merely as a memento to show what comical stuff Dukes were made of in the olden time.--(Hear and laughter.) Protection on the common necessaries of life he believed to be despotic, the brother of crime, the partner of indolence, and the promoter of agricultural ignorance. —(Hear, hear.) He begged most cordially to second the resolution. Mr. BOWDEN, of Wood -street, amid considerable mer riment, and cries of " Bring your grandmother," moved an amendment to the effect that that meeting would not petition Parliament for the abolition of protection to the agriculturists, unless they were ready to petition for a repeal of all protective duties. Mr. COOPER, also of Wood-street, seconded the amend ment ; but on being put, only one hand was held up in its favour, and the original resolution was carried amidst loud cheers. Mr. D. DEWAR, in a neat speech, moved the second resolution—" That the direful effects of the present corn law set forth in the foregoing resolution, render its im mediate and unconditional repeal essential to the pros perity of the people, and the peace and safety of the kingdom." Mr. STRODE seconded the resolution. Mr. HOOLE and Mr. LAST, both members of the Court of Common Council, moved and seconded—" That peti tionsfounded on the foregoing resolutions be presented by Lord Radnor to the House of Lords, and Lord John Russell to the House of Commons ; and that the other representatives of the city of London be desired to sup port the prayer of the petition." Mr. S:iiiORLEY, one of the most extensive merchants in the ward, in moving the vote of thanks to the chair man, called upon all who could afford it, to purchase 40s. freeholds ; he had done so, and had votes for six or eight counties.—(Hear, hear.) The worthy ALDERMAN returned thanks for the honour conferred on him in brief terms. Thanks having been passed to the proprietor of the hall, for the gratuitous use of the place of meeting, the resolutions were ordered to be advertised in the Times, Chronicle, Morning Advertiser, The Sun, Globe, and Standard, and the meeting broke up. MAGAZINES.- (CONTINUED.) AINSWORTH'S MAGAZINE. George Cruilishank has again joined the Ains worth corps, and has given us a sketch illustrative of the opening article, entitled " Sir Lionel Flam stead and his Friends," such as only George Cruick shank can produce. The room is a snug, cosy parlour, ornamented with pictures, maps, and illus trated screens, all connected with the history of old London. Books there are, too, scattered about--Stripe and Hollinshed, and Fabian and Stowe, and bits of tesselated pavement and frag ments of Roman brick displayed on the chimney piece, all declare that the owner of the mansion, if not an F.S.A., at least ought to be one. But how shall we describe Sir Lionel and his friends ? We cannot do justice to the picture, therefore we must call Mr. Ainsworth to our assistance, and let him de scribe the occupants of the apartment These were five in number—jolly fellows all—seated round a circular dining-table covered with glasses and decanters, amidst which a portly magnum of claret, and a deep and capacious china punch-bowl must not pass unmentioned. They were in the full flow of fun and conviviality ; enjoying themselves as good fellows always enjoy themselves at the season of the year.' The port was delectable—old as Saint Paul's, I was going to say,—net quite, however—butt just old enough ;' the claret was nectar, or, what is better, it was Lafitte ;—the punch was drink for the gods. The jokes of this party would have split your sides—their laughter would have had the same effect on your ears. Never were heard peals of merriment so hearty and pro longed. You only wondered how they found time to drink, so quick did each roar follow on the heels of its predecessor. That they did drink, however, was clear; that they had drunk was equally certain; and that they intended to continue drinking seemed to come within the limits of probability. "Sir Lionel Flamstead was a retired merchant—one of those high-souled, high-principled traders, of which our city was one so justly proud, anc. of which so few, in these days of railway bubbles, and other hair-brained speculations, can be found. His word was his bond— once passed it was sufficient : his acceptances were ac counted safe as the Bank of England. Had Sir Thomas Gresham descended from his niche he could not have been treated with greater consideration than attended Sir Lionel's appearance on 'Change. All eyes followed the movements of his tall and stately figure—all hats were raised to his courteous but ceremonious salutation. Affable, yet precise, and tinctured with something of the punctiliousness of the old school, his manners won him universal respect and regard, even from those unknown to him. By his intimates he was revered. His habits were as regular as clock-work, and the glass of cold punch at Tom's or the basin of soup at Birch's, wound him up for the day. His attire was as formal as his manners, being a slight modification of the prevalent costume of some five-and-thirty years ago. He had consented, not without extreme reluctance, to clothe his nether limbs in the unmentionable garment of recent in troduction ; but he resolutely adhered to the pigtail. There is something, by-the-bye, in a pigtail, to which old gentlemen cling in spite of all remonstrance, with lover-like pertinacity. Only hint the propriety f cut ting it off to your great uncle or your grandfather, and you may rely on being cut toff with a shilling yourself. Be this as it may, Sir Lionel gathered his locks, once sable as the ribbon that bound them, but now thickly strewn with the silver ' blossoms of the grave,' into a knot, and suffered them to dangle a few inches below his collar. His shoes shone with a lustre beyond French polish, and his hat was brushed till not a wind dared to approach it. Sir Lionel wore a white, unstarched cravat with a thick pad in it, sported a frill over his waist coat, carried a black ebony cane in his hand, and was generally followed by a pet pug-dog, one of the most sagacious and disagreeable specimens of his species. Sir Lionel Flamstead, I have said, was tall—l might have said he was very tall—somewhat narrower across the shoulders than about the hips—a circumstance which did not materially conduce to his symmetry—with grey, benevolent eyes, shaded by bushy, intelligent brows—a lofty, expansive forehead, in which, in the jargon of phrenology, the organs of locality and ideality were strongly developed, and which was rendered the more remarkable from the flesh having fallen in on either side of the temples—with a nose which had been considered handsome and well-proportioned in his youth, but to which goad living had imparted a bottle form and a bottle tint—and cheeks from which all encroachment of whiskers was sedulously removed, in order, we conclude, that his rosy complexion might be traced from its point of concentration, upon the prominent feature before-mentioned to its final dis appearance behind his ears. Such was Sir Lionel Flam stead." The story of the " Count of Monte Christo" is con tinued, and the author of " Flandly Cross" gives us some pleasant reminiscences of Nimrod. We are glad to see that he does ample justice to the merits of that most enterprising of editors and most worthy of men, the late Mr. Pittman, who made the Sporting Magazine and made " Nimrod," and by so doing originated a new class of literature in this country, which, as the author observes, may not inappropriately be called the sporting personal. In the course of six years Nimrod drew nine thousand pounds from the magazine, and Cooper, the artist, and Scott and Webb, the engravers, were liberally paid by the magazine for their services. After all, the public is the best of patrons, although it is a difficult matter to persuade the professors of the arts, literary, pictorial, and musical, of the fact. Where is the aristocratical patron who would, or who could have supplied Nimrod with 9,0001. in six years ? and yet Mr. Pittman was enabled to, to his own as well as to Nimrod's profit, because,he relied solely on the public. " The Miseries of a Prize" is a most " Boz"- like sketch, by George Raymond, of the miseries of an unfortunate toy-shop keeper, Mr. Daniel Fogg, who resembles Job Caudle, not only in his trade, but in his domestic establishment also, seeing that Mrs. Fogg bath a tongue which she is perpetually wagging. Fogg gets a prize in the lottery, which is his ruin. The story is very quaintly told. The other papers are all amusing. This is an excellent number of Ainsworth. NEW MONTHLY. Albeit the poem by Horace Smith, with which this number opens, which is entitled " The Mur derer's Confession" is (to make use of the three pet participles of the writer) a " staring," " flaring," " glaring," example of the manner in which pathos may degenerate into bathos, and a good subject be spoiled by injudicious treatment, yet on the whole the present is an excellent number of the .1% ew Monthly. " The Vision of Carl Van Quiet," by Charles Hooton, is a sketch of which Washington Irving might be proud. Carl Van Quiet is an old Dutch American backwoodsman, who, somewhat after the manner of Rip Van Winkle, retires to the mountains and meets a mysterious old gentleman, and has a wondrous vision. We will not deprive the reader of the pleasure he will derive from the perusal of the story by stating who the gentleman was, and what the vision was about, suffice it to say that Carl Van Quiet is even a more amusing fellow than the immortal Rip Van Winkle himself. This is succeeded by the following graceful sonnet : THE WESTMINSTER PLAY—DEc. 1845. B Not from t he I.mRSERGEANT youth-illumined T A stageLF'OUltD. alone Is gladness shed : it breathes around from all Whose names, imprinted on each ho Speak deathless boyh oo d ; on whose hearts s the tone, Which makes each ancient phrase familiar New by its crisp expression, seems to fa r lr own A strain from distant years; while striplings, still In careless prime, bid younger bosoms thrill With plaudits such as lately charm'd their own— While richest humour strangely serves to fill TimWelsrncueryteasinwfirtobinchtihldeliske p - ir t it e s a , r h s ; for oliest b s l t e a n g l e o , ry lifts And makes even strangers share the precious gifts Which clasp in golden meshes Youth and Age. We have then the continuation of Captain Maryatt's " Privateer's Man ;" we have also continuations of the " Lights and Shades," the " Life of a Gentleman on Half pay," of " Beauchamp," of the " Lives of Lords Stowell and Eldon," of" Mr. Jolly Green," and of the " Revelations of London," and we are happy to say the conclusion of the " Robertses on their Travels." Captain Levinge commences a series, entitled, " _Echoes from the Back Woods," in which he gives us some spirited sketches of life in Nova Scotia, and Mr. Oxenford contributes some exquisite translations of old Spanish romances concerning Bernardo del Carpio. The present number is embellished with a portrait of Mr. Ainsworth, beautifully engraved by Finden from a painting by Maclise. THE UNION. This is a new candidate for public favour, and, judging from the first number, we are inclined to think it will be a very successful one. The editor evidently understands his craft, and knows that the true secret to success in magazine editing is variety. There is something in this number of the Union to suit every taste. Is the reader a metaphysician, he will find an admirable paper on the "/Esthetics of Milton's Comus," exactly suited to his taste ; is he a "Easy Ch a i rs " w ill j us t s u it him. INCENDIARISM AND ARSON IN NORTHA MP TON - Iiterary lounger, The admirer of our classical essayists will revel in sHlßE.—Monday's Government Police Gazette contains in the "Letter from the Hindoo Gentleman travellinformation that, on the night of the 23d ult., the stockyard of g Mr. Kelborn, in the parish of Desborough, Northampton in England." It reads like a stray paper from the s a l t i a ir e e k , , w a a b s e f a e n lo;i lo ious i ly set on fire, and a barley rick, a peas " Citizen of the , World." The letter describes an quantity haw of straw, and several farming "Evening Party "in London, and, as a specimen of implements, together with waggon, were destroyed. the author's style, we give the following extract from Also that, on the morning of ult., Christmas Day, about six o'clock, the dwelling-house of John Wallis, _ printer the conclusion of the paper : and bookbinder, in the parish of Kettering, in the same "There was a species of dancing performed different county, was found to be on tire, and the house, with its con from the ordinary dancing, called 4 waltzing, , ~ in which tents, were entirely destroyed. There being some strong a man and a woman take each other round the waist, r t e o a t s h ol e is sa to ul susp i e ld et that the said John Wallis wilfully set fire and turn round and round as fast as they can, until they e,a a w aving sine h e absented . himself from the are each so giddy that they can continue the process no neighbourhood,Likewise hasthat t eut een issued for his apprehen longer. You will say that this account does not agree sion.eleven o'clock, on the night of with the common opinion which is entertained of th e the same day (25th ult.), the stack-yard in ' the occupation strict morality, propriety, and grave manners of the of z, Christopher Gotheropp, farmer, in the parish of iarßarton, strict in the same county, was discovered on fire, when a English people; but you wrong them if you suppose rang of hovels, at the top of which was barley, as also a barn that there is really anything improper in the perform- acre:, barley, the whole being the produce of twenty ance; you have only to look at their faces, when you incendiary. s n e d rl a tirely destroyed, and is supposed to be the act would at once be convinced, that so far from there being of an' any levity in their thoughts, they are evidently exe- THE LATE ry Nk T A T ER-TANK ACCIDENT AT LIVERPOOL. outing a grave, and, in their opinion, an important re- —We understand t hat another person has fallen a victim to ligious ceremony. I did not venture to attempt this per- the accident which occurred The t d th Harrington Water-works formance, though repeatedly solicited to do so, for I felt, on Christmas-day last. individual whose sufferings have that however ridiculous the religious ceremonies of this now been terminated, was Mrs. tt e Tn i n7.. She died of in people might appear to me, I had no right to make light ' fiammation of the lungs, the result eeived on the day in question, on satu j n u i r a ies l w ast i . eh sh e e re of them in their presence, which I certainly should have . happy to add, that up till last night, all the remaining are done by joining iu this particular one, fur I felt I could sufferers were going on favourably, and that no not possibly summon up that devout but sober en- death was at that time autieipated. thusiasm with which the performers were evidently en dued; and, though exercised in a wrong spirit, I could not help feeling respect fur such a display of piety and perseverance, especially when it is considered that the eather, and particularly the room, were very hot, " The strange mixture of barbarism and refinement perceivable in these meetings has induced me to make inquiries respecting their origin and object; but I have experienced great difficulty in getting my questions candidly answered. There seems to be some mystery with which I, as a stranger, am not trusted, or else there is a feeling of shame which they cannot help expe , riencing when talking to a foreigner upon a practice which they are aware must be-looked upon by him as ridiculous and barbarous. The consequence is, that I am invariably told that the object of the meeting is mere amusement; this my foregoing description will enable you to perceive is not the case, though I believe that in it amusement is iu some measure mixed up with the religious observances. " The following is, however, the conclusion I have arrived at, after much thought and study. These people, as you very well know, have (comparatively speaking) suddenly emerged from a state of utter barbarism; in a time when our countrymen were highly civilised, they were savages. In those days of darkness great religious meetings occasionally took place, at which human beings were sacrificed; and while the devouring flames were consuming the miserable wretches, the crowd danced frantically round their funeral pile, drowning their death-cries with the sound of barbarous music: now, it is these horrible rites which, in my opinion, are still kept up in a mild form in the modern Evening Parties.' It is true the human sacrifices are no longer considered necessary, but the other observances are still similar, although refined as much as it is possible to refine any practice in itself so barbarous and repugnant to common sense or decency; and it is not surprising, and, indeed, may be considered excusable, th,it some traces of their original state should remain amongst a people so recently emancipated from the degraded condition of savages, but it is to be hoped that the practice will gradually re cede before the march of civilisation and improvement." We have two excellent historical disquisitions, the one on the Crusades and the other on the Inquisition ; an excellent biographical sketch of the reigning Pope, illustrated by a vignette portrait; and the best con densed account of General Rosas, and of the state of affairs in Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, that we have yet seen. The sportsman will be delighted with "A Sporting Excursion in Canada ;" as will the lover of light literature find the " Adventures of a Stick " exactly to his taste. There is, moreover, some very good poetry in this number. " The Scholar's Death Summons" is a beautiful ballad, and " The Baron of Puffendorf" stamps its author at once as the legiti mate successor of poor Barham. If he have not the blood of the Ingoldsbys running in his veins, certain the mantle of Thomas Ingoldsby has fallen upon him. The Union, if it continues as it has begun, cannot but prosper. IRELAND. THE POTATO DISEASE.-GOVERNMENT IN _ QUIRY. DUBLIN, JAN. 4.—ln consequence of the following requisition, addressed to the magistrates of Ballick moyler, by Lord de Vesci, the Lieutenant of the Queen's County, a meeting of the landholders of the district was held on Monday rest:— " Abbeyleix, December 16, 1845. " Gentlemen,—l have to request, in compliance with directions I have received from his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, that you will, for the information of Govern• ment, in conjunction with the gentry, clergy, and respect able persons in your district, inquire from time to time into the state of the peasantry, and propose such mea sures as may appear most practicable for providing relief in case of urgent necessity, and means for giving em ployment to the people.—l have the honour to be, (Signed) "DE VESCI." The Court-house was crowded at an early hour, all the respectable landholders of the neighbourhood being in attendance. The magistrates were—Win. C. Cooper, Peter Gale, William B. Fitarnaurice, and James Fitz maurice, Esqrs. The chair was taken by Wm. Cope Cooper, Esq. The CHAIRMAN read the requisition, and stated that he was ready to hear any gentleman who wished to ad dress the meeting. Air. GALE stated that whatever measure would be adopted by the meeting, one thing was certain, they could not tax the farmers. If a crisis were at hand, he thought the only way to meet it was by procuring em ployment for the people. it was suggested that public works would afford a means of employment, and if that were practicable, no time should be lost in sending pre sentments before the special sessions. However, in doing so, the expense would ultimately fall on the farmers, and, therefore, the prudence of adopting such a course was very doubtful.—(Hear, hear.) The grand jury, he was certain, would do all in their power to co operate, and if thought advisable to put in present ments for public works, the expense not to be levied for one or two years; they could retrace their steps and make no outlay if not deemed necessary. If, therefore, employment was to be given by presenting for public works, no time should be lost, as the following day would be the last for lodging applications. Mr. COOPER—It is clear that the object of the Go vernment is to provide employment for the people in the event of a scarcity arising from the failure of the potato crop in this populous district. Whatever measure is most beneficial to the people will be cheerfully adopted by my brother magistrates and the landholders, for it cannot be denied that in this district the potato crop is in a most precarious condition—( Hear, hear)—and, without any wish to create a panic, I think our object should be to provide for the future.—(Hear, hear.) There is no %ant of employment at present, but, neverthe less, we should be prepared for any emergency that may arise —(Hear, hear. ' Mr. WILLIAM R. FITZMAURICE stated that their first object was to consider the condition of the peasantry, and to ascertain from the farmers present whether there were any poor people in the neighbourhood in want of employment ; and, with that view, they ought to confine their inquiries for the present into the state of the potato crop—(Hear, hear.) Mr. KEEFE, a landholder, stated that the seed potatoes were in a precarious condition throughout the district. Mr. COOPER—Is there not as large a quantity in your district this as last year? Mr. KEEFE—By no means ; and fully one half are gone already. The potatoes I left in the ground were the safest. Those dug out were one half lost ; but there is a large quantity which can be used for feeding. Mr. W. R. FITZMAURICE—Then you consider the disease progressing ? Mr. KEEFE—I do, in my district. Dr. EDGE—I think seven-eighths of' my own perfectly safe ; but all around me, for three or four miles, fully one half the crop is gone. The general belief is, there will be no potatoes in that district the Ist of May. Mr. FITZMAURICE—In the colliery district that is not unusual on the Ist of May in any year. To Mr. FISHBOURNE—There is not a labourer in my neighbourhood unemployed, I think thirty or forty men are required in the Rushes Colliery— (Hear)—and Wicklow men were sent for, owing to the deficiency of hands. Mr. DOWLING considered the potato crop was not at all so bad in the low land, at all events, in the neigh bourhood of Graigue, where fine potatoes may be pro cured at six or seven shillings a barrel.—(Hear, hear.) It would be well if committees were formed to purchase potatoes, and sell them again at a moderate rate to the people next May.—(Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN and several of the farmers expressed it as their decided opinions, that had the advice of the potato commissioners been followed generally, the crop would be lost, and not a potato left in the district. Mr. FITZMAURICE and the general body of the meet ing considered a loan, to be made available in case of necessity in May, would be the best plan they could devise. from o lr . at C o oPE present,it— The and is de while i le s t c h a e r y c i might y or w anto require f a employ mentloan m the Government, it did not follow that they should expend the money, if not required. The following resolutions were then proposed, and passed unanimously ~.. Proposed by Mr. GALE, J.P., and seconded by Mr. EDWARD DOWLING, " That, in the opinion of this meeting, though there is at present no want of food, or a deficiency of employ ment, distress is is co i m ik p e a ly re t d o vs a ' r i i t s h e f f o r r o m m e r the y e c a o r n s , s u y m e p t t t i h o n a t g o reat tatoes, the staple food of the peasantry, much earlier at this than at.any former season, caused by the prevail ing disease in the potato crop, and that this meeting hope and expect the Government will provide some means of employment in addition to the usual sources, to meet the destitution that is likely to arise in this district." Proposed by Mr. JOSEPH FISHBOURNE, seconded by Mr. JOHN EDGE, " That all methods, including those recommended by the Commissioners appointed by Government, have not been found effectual for preserving the potato crop, where tried in this district, and that we now respect fully suggest to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant that he will be pleased to take measures to procure sound and suitable seed potatoes, to be sold at reduced prices to all poor persons in the district, at the proper season for planting," Mr. GALE having been called to the chair, the marked thanks of the meeting were voted to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. KENSINGTON. A meeting of the friends of free trade and advocates of the speedy abolition of the corn-laws was held on Monday night, at the Theatre, Kensington. W. I). CHRISTIE, Esq., M.P., was unanimously called to the chair. The Hon. Member opened the business of the meeting by congratulating the country on the great and rapid progress which the League and friends of free trade were making against the corn.•laws. The League, he said, was at a premium, great and little con nexions coming over and adding to its numbers every day. He rejoiced that such was the case, and was proud to say he had himself always voted for free trade, and co-operated with the Anti-Corn-law League for that object. The meeting which he then had the honour of presiding over was convened for a practical object. Men's minds were now made up about the corn-laws, and they were met for the purpose of uniting with the great body of the country to get rid of them. --(g e ar.) The League and the friends of free trade were engaged in the active process of making votes that, at the next elec tion, would be given against candidates that would avow their determination to uphold the corn-laws, and for can didates that would repeal those laws. There were some people, interested people, who called this " unconstitu tional," and said " they did not like it, yet would not go against it." Now this reminded him of the mysterious way of saying— " I do not like you, Doctor Fell," The reason why I cannot tell." —(Laughter.) But even if were unconstitutional, it would only be fighting the m ono po lists with their own weapons. Was it c onstitutional to bribe —to intimidate— to make gagged votes—to have Peers interfering in elections? And it was by these means that the present monopolists were forced into the House of Commons. The League were developing the Constitution by ad dressing their attention to the augmentation of the forty shilling freehold franchise. By this franchise those who could not get votes in boroughs on account of the high rate of the qualification there, might revenge themselves on the counties. The landlords have tried to have it all their own way in the counties by their fifty-pound tenant-at-will clause, which they contrived to carry ; but the people might do retribution upon them by means of the forty-shilling freehold franchise ; and it would be a fi ne t hi ng t o see " great Dukes" and " Graces' , beaten in th e i r own strong holds—the counties. The extension of the franchise was a great means for the diffusion of education; besides which it would prove the best safeguard of the public rights, and the best security for good government. Every man who paid 301. or 401. or 50 1 . for a freehold, that would give him 40s. a-year and a vote, had the nce f ort h a l ways an interest in political questions, and would study these, and make his children also stay) , them. There was an g, that the impression, he was glad to inform the meetin county of Middlesex was safe to return free-traders ; and if so, it might be advisable for those who had votes for that county, and who were favourable to free trade, to turn their attention to other counties not so secure, as. for instance, Sussex, Kent, Herefordshire, &c., turning their special attention to the Duke of Richmond's county, and that also of the Duke of Buckingham ; and should this last Noble Duke object to that course of proceeding, he (Mr. Christie) would say that they had as much a right to visit the Noble Duke's county as his Grace had to the franchise in Aberdeenshire, in Banffshire, and other counties not his own. Before he (Mr. Christie) made way for Mr. Moore to address the meeting, he would say one word on the corn• laws. A Noble Lord who had been opposed to the League, and who stood high in the estimation of his party—he meant Lord Ashley— had said some months ago that " the corn-laws were doomed ;" and no man in his senses, he (Mr. Christie) would say, could doubt for a moment that those laws were doomed and must go; whether their death be by a slow or quickprocess, go they must, for doomed they were. They were within a few days of the meeting of Parliament, and scme were anxious to know what was to be done; but the corn-laws, he repeated, were doomed. The Mini,ter might still keep the people in the dark; but there could be no doubt whatever —there could be no dif ference of opinion—the corn -laws must go. The mono polists were holding their meetings in the agricultural counties, but they were to little purpose, go the corn laws must.—(Hear, hear.) _ _ _ _ Mr. MOORE, on ri,ing, was received with applause. The Learned Gentleman sprke at considerable length, and in an energetic speech, which was listened to throughout with attention, urged those members of the meeting who were not in possession of the forty-shillin g franchise qualification to follow their Chairman's advice and lose no time in a struggle to obtain it, telling the m at the same time that they would obtain all information on the subject at the office of the League. Mr. HEN SON moved a resolution to the effect "That the meeting pledged itself not to vote for any man who would not pledge himself to vote for the total and uncon ditional repeal of the corn-laws." Mr. LOCKHART, a gentleman of Buckinghamshire, seconded the resolution. Mr. LovErr, before the resolution was put, expressed his astonishment that Kensington, Hammersmith, Ful ham, and Notting-hill, with their populations, amounting to 50,000, should have been left without a representa tive under the Reform Bill, while boroughs with only 2,000 of a population had two members given to them by that Bill. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously after which, thanks having been voted to the chair, the meeting separated. ROYAL ARTILLERY. OPINIONS OF THE SOLICITOR AND ATTOR NEY-GENERAL ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ILLEGAL ATTESTATIONS. The authorities of the War-office having had certain facts relative to the claims of several men belonging to the Royal Artillery to he discharged, on the ground of having been illegally attested, transmitted to them by the Master-General of the Ordnance, have submitted these facts to the law officers of the Crown, the Attorney and Solicitor-General, for their opinions thereon. The decision of the law officers, which is one of great impor tance to the army, involving, as it does, the claims of a great many soldiers, has just been received. To understand these opinions it is necessary to state that the claims for discharge were of two kinds, both based on the 36th cla uses o f th e M u ti n y A c t. The first was that the attestations were illegal, on the ground of the men having been sworn in before Sir John Webb and other officers holding her Majesty's commission ; the second, that the men had, contrary to the provisions of the Mutiny Act, been sworn in before a magistrate not residing within the vicinity of the place in which they were enlisted. The questions submitted to the law officers of the Crown were four in number, and their substance, with that of the opinions, i 3 as follows : First. Wliether such officers as Sir John Webb, K.C.H., the Director General of the Ordnance Medical Department, Dr. Watson and the Rev. Messiter, the Ordnance Chaplains, and Mr. Stace, the Ordnance Storekeeper, were to be considered as holding commis sions within the spirit of the 36th section of the Mutiny Act? After mature deliberation, the law officers are of opinion that these gentlemen are not officers accord ing to the spirit and meaning of the Act, so as to prevent them from attesting recruits in the usual manner. Second. Whether a recruit enlisted in one vicinity or district and attested in another, is legally attested? The answer is, that such attestation is not valid if the recruit be enlisted in one oounty and attested in another, but there is considerable doubt as to what is to be considered as a vicinity, which would be far more extensive, in the country than in the metropolitan districts. Third. Whether, supposing the before-mentioned gentlemen held commissions in the army within the meaning of the 36th section of the Mutiny Act, the at testations would be illegal? Answer, undoubtedly they would, and the men would be entitled to their discharge. Fourth. Whether the me❑ who have been Enlisted by soldiers who may have been illegally attested, have been enlisted in a valid manner? The answer—Yes, the party enlisting being at the time in her Majesty's ser vice, and in the receipt of full pay. A supplemental answer is given, based upon the terms in which the commissions of these gentlemen are worded. In the first instance, the Crown law officers had not seen the commissions, but copies having been transmitted to them, they express their previously formed opinion that they do not in the least alter their opinion. The law officers, however, though feeling no doubt whatever as to the legality of the attestations made before Sir John Webb, yet perceiving that it may lead to doubts and ob jections, recommend that recruits be not in future attested by that magistrate. ROYAL ORDNANCE CORPS. THE ILLEGAL ATTESTATIONS. In consequence of the doubts which have last arisen as to the present mode of attesting recruits for the army and more particularly for the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineer Corps, the Secretary -at-War has caused the following letter to be addressed to Mr. Henry Jeremy, the presiding magistrate of the Woolwich Police -court. " War-office, Dec. 12, 1845. " Sir,—The Master-General of the Ordnance has transmitted to the Secretary-at-War copies of represen tations from the Deputy-Adjutant-General of Artillery at Woolwich ; and I am accordingly to request your attention to the words of the COth clause of the Mutiny Act, viz. : " "fhe said justice shall put to him the several ques tions contained in the schedule to this Act annexed, and shall then and there, in the presence o f th e sa id recru i t , record or cause to be recorded in writing his answers thereunto, and the said justice is hereby required forth with to read over, or cause his clerk, in his presence, to read over such to the recruit, the Ist and 2d sections of the articles of war.' " It is of essential importance that there should be no room left for doubting the legality of the attestation of a recruit; and I am accordingly to request that you will instruct the officers of the Court over which you preside, that the provisions of the Mutiny Act should in every instance be strictly complied with. " The obvious meaning of the clause is, that the justice shall put the questions to the recruit, and shall, in the presence of the recruit, record, or cause to be re corded, in writing, then and there, that is at the time and in the presence of the justice, his answers thereto. " I have the honour to be, &c., (Signed) "L. SULLIVAN." In reply to these objections, Mr. Jeremy has decided that it is not necessary for him, either personally or by his official clerk, to comply with the provisions of the Mutiny Act before recited. The swearing in of the numerous recruits at the Woolwich Police-court is, therefore, performed by Mr. Sherwin, the Usher of the Court, in the presence of the magistrate, and the an swers in writing to the printed questions are required to be filled up by the non-commissioned officer, by whom the recruit is accompanied, the only part performed by the magistrate being to affix his name to the attestation papers. Viscount Melbourne, accompanied by Lord and Lady Beauvale, returned to Brocket-hall on Monday, from a visit to her Majesty at Windsor Castle. LORD JOHN ROSSELL..—It will be remembered that the late sudden call of Lord John Russell to Lon don prevented him from visiting Glasgow to receive the freedom of the city, according to previous arrangement. The course of events having enabled him to return to Scotland, we understand that he has again agreed to ac cept the compliment intended him by the corporation, and that the presentation will take place in the City Hall on Monday week, the 12th instant. His Lordship, we believe, has expressed his unwillingness to attend any public dinner on the occasion ; but it is expected that after the proceedings in the City Hall he will join the Lord Provost and some of the leading members of the Free Trade Association at dinner in the Town ball.—Glasgow Saturday Post. INVITATION TO MR. COBDEN TO VISIT BELFAST. —A strong desire has long prevailed in Belfast, to have the honour and benefit of a visit from Mr. Cobden, the great apostle of free trade ; and a number of the leading mer chants, manufacturers, and others, have resolved to invite him to a public dinner in this town, on some day before the meeting of Parliament. They are aware of the great de mands upon him elsewhere; but it is hoped that he will find time to pay us the requested visit. His presence i n Ireland, just now, could not fail to be of the utmost public advantage. He would come upon no party errand, and would be received in no party spirit. Free t ra d e i s not a question of Whig or Tory, (catholic or Protestant—it is a question of public justice and universal good ; and it i s i n this spirit that he is invited, and in this spirit lie would come, as conic we trust he w i ll.—Nerthern Whig. At a me eting of heldtheo npa;ilosnhdioazr laresotfi vSe t t. t.Georgeh: qquestion tio the Martyr, So uthwark, of rating the rectors stipend, it-asr theesolv stedtilpieand from t if aßm theillbe brought p o ors ttohaFtasrulleahmeßit to exemptll shall be opp ose d b y t h e par i s h . ra t i e n , The expense of opposing the Bill it was proposed to defray out of the poors'-rate ; but in case the Poor-law Commis sioners should not sanction such an appropriation of the funds of thepoor, then a meeting is to be called for adopting further measures. SHIPWRECK ON THE COAST OF SUSSEX.—SEVEN LIVES LOST.—A Danish brigantine went ashore on Sunday morning, at five o'clock, between the Tidemill and the Buckle, in Seaford Bay. The captain and six of the crew, we are sorry to say, met with a watery grave. The only survivor was a seaman, who does not understand English, who was found in the fore hatchway. A large dog was also found on board. The vessel was outward bound, but, having no cargo, had taken in ballast. She was copper- bottomed. l'he sides of the vessel were stove in, and the masts were gone, but attemps will be made in a few days to tow her off. GOOD NEWS FOR SEMPSTRESSES.—There is so great activity in the fabrication of soldiers' clothing, particu larly for that required for the militia, and a consequent de mand for hands, that several of the sub-contractors in the neighbourhood of the Seven• dials, and Long-acre, where this branch of ill-paid industry is chiefly carried on, have issued bills, offering an increase in the price of wages of twopence NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, JAN. s.—lfer Majesty's brig Bittern, Commander Hope, came to Spithead on Saturday morn ing. She was kept in the Downs some days by bad w, Wier. It would appear that the Bittern was hurried from the port of Sheerness without being sufficiently fitted, or a smart gale of wind has done her much injury, for she has produced a long list of defects, and this morning it was found necessary- to send out a party of shipwrights and carpenters in the Echo steamer, to put h'er in a fit state to go to sea. Her chain messenger, 'rudder, and sundry other matters are out of order. The dockyard artificers will be occupied five days. She is then to be paid, and probably will not sail for the coast of Africa before the middle of next week. In former times, when men of war had trifling defects, they were made good by the carpenter and his crew, but now the dockyard aid is generally required. The hurry and bustle which took place at Sheerness in getting the Bittern to sea, has been the means of retarding her, so much being required now she has arrived at Spithead. Unless counter orders should come down, Commander Hope will carry out the Government money to the colony of Sierra Leone, and the dispatches for Commodore Jones. The period fixed for this officer to meet the French Admiral at Fernando Po is postponed, owing to tt , e melanaholy wreck of the French steamer Pepin; bound to Senegal. The Daring brig has been paid this day, anti she is to ail on Wednesday morning for Bermuda and the West Indies, taking officers and dispatches for the Admiral on the station. The Retribution first-class steamer, another vessel fitted at one of the Eastern ports, has so many defects, that the dock-yard officers report they have a fortnight's work for them to perform. She may probably require docking ; however, as she is not wanted immediately, being intended to form one of the experimental squadron of steamers, to be tried in the spring, the delay is not of so much importance. The Scourge, another of the ex perimental ste amers, is in dock to have her copper in spected, and can be ready next week if wanted ; with a 10-inch mortar, and a 56-pounder long gun on board, she will prove a most valuable auxiliary in any squadron required to act offensively. The Alban steam-transport has been in dock as long as requisite, and will complete her refit alongside the jetty. About this day week she will be ready for se a , and goes to Plymouth and Cork, taking marines to re place invalids and others that have left the battalion in Ireland. The Rodney, 92, goes into dock on the 9th for a tide only, unless more serious injury to her copper is dis covered than expected. It is believed she will be sen on foreign service, with relief troeps, as the 24th and 73d regiments are on the roster to relieve two corps coming home. It appears that the breaking down of the General Palmer transport, at Gibraltar (declared unfit on sur vey), is the cause of the Canopus, 84, being ordered to perform her duty, and she has doubtless been selected in preference to the Albion, Superb, and Vanguard, in con sequence of her very superior capacity to stow water, a great quantity being required for troops. The Rodney has already shown her power of accommodation as a troop ship, having carried the 7th Dragoon Guards to the Cape of Good Hope. The Janus, the Earl ofDundonald's projection, and on which some thousands of pounds have been expended, is to come to this port, to see if Mr. Taplin, and his able assistants at the metal mills in the dock-yard, can make her a serviceable vessel. If she can be rendered seaworthy she will form one of the squadron of experi mental steamers. The President, 50, with the flag of Rear-Admiral Dacres, was at Madeira on the 27th, all well ; and would sail for the Cape next day. They had two days bad weather in the Channel; but afterwards everything was as pleasant as could be wished. The Alecto steamer was also at Madeira at the same time. Both vessels left their ports on the 10th December. The Endymion,44, has beencompelled to put into Fal mouth by stress of weather; she was there bn the Ist of January. The annual entry of twenty-five shipwrights' appren tices in this dock-yard took place this day; they are nominated by the Admiralty, and generally the children of mechanics working in the yard. WooLwtea, JAN. s.—ln addition to the Polyphemus being paid off to-morrow (Tuesday), the crews of the William and Mary yacht and the Black Eagle steam vessel will be paid wages due to the 30th June last. The Harpy steam-vessel, Lieut.-Commander H. B. Procter, is ordered to be hastened, and the workmen are to be employed extra time upon her. Mr. Egerton J. Filmore, son of the late Captain Fil more, R.N., is appointed to the third class Admiralty Register-office for Seamen. AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR DECEMBER. (From the Farmer's Magazine.) Notwithstanding we have now arrived at the close of 1845, the atmosphere during the whole of the past month has been extremely mild and vegetative. In all parts of England, as well, indeed, as throughout the United Kingdom, farm labours have progressed remarkably well, and it affords us great pleasure to be enabled to assert that the winter wheat plants are everywhere represented as looking strong and healthy, although they stand much in need of a few sharp frosts to check premature exu berance. The events which have taken place in political circles, since the date of our last report, have been of a character calculated to arouse the energies of the agricultural body in support of their just rights and privileges. As these events are of the highest possible interest at this moment, we shall here take a cursory glance at them, in order that our numerous readers may have an opportunity of preparing them selves for any future legislative enactments that may be passed having reference to the import of the staff of life. The decided change which has taken place in the views of Lord J. Russell, hi. Lordship now asserting that a total free trade is inevitable ; the disunity in bir Robert Peel's Cabinet on the corn question, and the various changes in the Ministry, have produced a degree of ex citement seldom or never equalled. The strenuous efforts of the Anti-Corn-law League—the immense amount of subscriptions obtained by that body, to carry, as they term it, " war into the enemy's camp "—appear to impress many with the belief that the days of protec lion to the agriculturists are numbered. The result, therefore, has been, that great activity prevailed in cur principal corn markets in the month's early part, and the quotations of wheat, and all other articles of grain, from the unwillingness on the part of dealers to purchase, on, as they conceived, the eve of a repeal of the corn-laws, beyond what they require for immediate use. Under those circumstances, it was but natural that the growers should forward limited supplies of wheat for sale ; hence, from the 22d till the close of the month, the demand for that article ruled steady, and prices improved from 2s. to 3s. per quarter. Looking at these fluctuations in value, we are somewhat struck with the folly of parties anticipating extremely low prices from the publication of rumours—nothing more—respecting the fate of our import laws. That some change in the existing laws is in contem plation, not a doubt can exist. What its exact nature may be, it would be impossible at this moment to state ; still we will endeavour to reply to the question put to us by many of the leading farmers:—" Will Sir Roberf'Peel propose a total repeal .of the Corn-laws in the ensuing session ?" We have carefully watched the progress of events for a long time past, and made the most exten sive inquiries as to the stocks of wheat and other arti cles of grain in the hands of the growers ; we have not failed to take into account the partial failure of the potato crop—the stocks of foreign grain and flour in warehouse here—the supplies now on their passage hither from different parts of the world—the quanti ties that will be received here during the new year —and above all, the consuming powers of our popu lation. All these lead us to the inference (we may be mistaken in our impression) that all protec tion will not be taken from the home growers in the next session. Still, it is clearly evident that the pro duce of our colonies will be placed on the same footing as that of Canada • and we should in no way be sur prised to find Sir Robert Peel proposinz a fixed d uty— say of 4s. or ss. on wheat, and a nominal one en barley and other articles of foreign growth. The mildness of the weather has been productive of a good supply of pasture herbage. This, together with the superabundance of turnips and other food, has afforded a most plentiful supply of food for depastured and other cattle stock, which is now suffering but little if anything from the epidemic. From Scotland, our advices are of a favourable cha racter. The wheats above ground are described as luxu riant, though not to say winter proud ; while the land is, generally speaking, in fine working order. THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE NORFOLK RAILWAY. ADJOURNED INQUEST. THETFORD, MONDAY NIGHT.—The inquiry Concern ing the deaths of William Pickering, engine -driver, and Richard Hedger, stoker, who lost their lives by the re cent accident on the Norfolk Railway, was resumed for the third time at the Guildhall this morning, before the same jury and Mr. Robert Eagle Clark, the borough coroner. The CORONER, in re-opening the investigation, re marked that in compliance with the jury's request, he had forwarded a letter to Sir James Graham, the Secre tary of State, desiring that Government would send down a competent engineer to examine the line, in order to give them the fullest information in coming to a verdict, to which he had received the following reply : " Whitehall, Dec. 31, 1845. "Sir—l am directed by the Secretary, Sir J. Graham, to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 30th inst., rela tive to the inquest which you are holding on the bodies f the engine-driver and stoker recently killed on the Norfolk Railway, and I am to inform you that a copy of your letter has been forwarded to the President of the Board of Trade, to whose department the matter more immediately relates.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant, " S. M. PHILLIPS. " B. E. Clark, Esq., coroner for Norfolk, Thetford." Mr. Till, the secretary, and several others conn e cted with the railway company, being present, The CORONER then asked the gentlemen who repre sented the Company, if they knew General Pasley in tended to attend the inquiry, or whether they had any communication from him ? Mr. Till, the secretary, said he had no instructions from that gentleman. General Pasley called upon him at his office on Saturday, and informed him that his re ports of accidents were sent to the Board of Trade, which forwarded them to the House of Commons, when they were printed. He generally admitted theincon venience of such a course, but that he had no power to remedy it. He visited the spot of the accident on Wed nesday, and saw the foreman of the jury, and he (Mr. Till) did not hear any communication made to him that it was the desire of the jury that he should attend and give evidence at that inquiry. The CottoNx.a. replied th it was very desirable that the jury shouldi have the General's opinion as to the cause of the catastrophe; and proceeded N 1 ith the inves tigation. After hearing some evidence, the inquiry MIS again adjourned for the purpose of summoning General Pasley as a witness. RETROSPECT of the CORN-LAWS. (From the Devonpori Telegraph.) The enactment of a law to raise the price of food for the purpose of sustaining high rents, will render the year 1815 a more marked period in history even than the battle of Waterloo. This law was based on certain re solutions proposed in the House of Commons by Mr. F. Robinson (now Earl of Ripon), on the 17th of February, 1815. In reading the speech with which the resolutions were introduced, it is rather curious to find that the pre cedent of restrictions on the wool trade was the argument on which the mover principally relied, because that very trade now forms the most striking instance which ana logy can afford of the inutility of restrictive laws to protective interests, and their detriment to all other classes. Among the opponents of the proposed law, we find Sir Robert Peel, the father of the present Premier, and we shall extract a portion done of his speeches : " Ile was anxious to correct a mistake which seemed to prevail in the House, that the interests of the land owner and manufacturer were conflicting and incom patible. They were in the view of enlightened policy the same, and the success or ruin of the one was the success or ruin of the other ; inasmuch as the country generally had been enriched by the sale of our manufactures, the landholders had received their share of wealth and advantages. It had been the wise policy of former Governments to keep the price of the chief article of subsistence as low as possible. Upon this principle Mr. Pitt had acted with success, b u t th e sys tem now was about to be changed. It was undoubtedly true that the rent of land would be diminished by the unlimited importation of corn ; but if the resolutions upon the table passed in their present shape, the manta factures of the towns would be destroyed, and the land must consequently be depreciated. Corn might be grown, but paupers would be the only customers for it. It was in truth impossible to separate the two interests. The value of land in some places had within memory increased three-fold, the owners had derived their benefit from the political state of things, and now they must suff er the d e p rec i at i on produced by an alteration in that poli tical state. With respect to our manufacturers it was al lowed that durin g the war our triumphal s it ua ti on on the sea h a d enabld us to force a trade without rivals; but now we were open to competition, it would be madness in us to throw fresh obstacles in the way of those who had SO many to contend against. In his opinion, it might be fairly argued that the manufacturer had been the great benefactor of the landed interests. He did not say that his design was to serve the landowner. That bad been the effect of the flourishing state of our manu factures, and in the difficulties now to be encountered the landowner ought to participate. By the measures now upon the table, the wise system pursued for years was about to be subverted, and the labourers prevented from putting the real wealth of the country into that marketable shape by which this country had been hitherto made the envy of surrounding nations?' Subsequently he declared that " the more the mea sure became known, the more generally it was exe crated and condemned." The feelings of the public on the subject were indeed sufficiently proved by the fact that the petition against the measure, from the City of London, received 40,571 signatures in less than ten hours ; and that th e c i v i c pet i t i on to the Lords was signed by more than 80,000 persons. When, however, it became manifest that the patrons of famine prices were resolved to pass a law to create artifi cial scarcity, the greatest excitement prevailed in the metropolis. On the evening of the 6th of March, crowds collected round the avenues of the House of Commons to deprecate the taxation of their bread. Those who were known to be favourable to raising a revenue for landlords by taxing the food of the labour ers were hooted ; and those who, like Mr. Baring (now Lord Ashburton), were opposed to the plunder of the industrious for the benefit of the idle, received some applause. The carriages of a few members were stopped to ascertain how they intended to vote; and this was made the pretext for ordering out a military force, which acted so violently, that Mr. Lambton (the late Lord Durham) was nearly trampled down by a troop of horse. He rushed into the House of Commons, and interrupted the debate to protest against the unconstitutional display of an armed force to overawe the deliberations of Par liament. It was with some difficulty that the excitement within doors was calmed ; but outside, notwithstanding the presence of the military, it continued to increase in violence. Several of the houses of the leading bread taxers were attacked ; but wherever the inmates ex hibited forbearance very little damage was done. Lord Ellenborough came forward, and remonstrated with the multitude ; and they were so pleased with his deport ment, that he was loudly cheered. Far different Has the scene at the house of Mr. F. Robinson (now Lord Ripon), the original pro pounder of the bread-tax ; fire-arms were dis charged from his parlour windows, which proved fatal to two innocent persons, Mr. E. Vyse, a mid shipman, and Mrs. Watson. It was consistent that a law to produce starvation should be baptised in blood. Wilful murder by the musket was a proper preliminary to wilful murder by famine. 'this is not our language, it is the verdict of the coroner's juries in both cases. The coroner's inquest on Mr. Vyse found " Wilful murder against some person or persons firing shot fr: in and out of fire-arms from Mr. Robinson's windows ; that on Jane Watson returned a verdict of " Wilful murder against Mr. Robinson's butler and three soldiers." It is well worth while to notice the precipitation with which the corn-law was hurried through 1 ornament; it was first broached in the House of Commons on the 17th of February; it was passed in the House of Lords on the 20th of March. In the interval, the City of London prayed to be heard by counsel against a measure so pregnant with danger to the trade and commerce of the country ; but this reasonable request was rejected with something like contumely. A law passed by a packed Parliament of Members in terested in the perpretration of injustice naturally pro voked the indignation of the people ; and its authors took measures to suppress the expression of public opinion by military violence. No sooner was the increas ing extent of popular discontent known, than before anything like outrage was committed, preparations were made to occupy London with an overwhelming army, as if it had been a hostile capital. The following circular was addressed by the high constable of Brighton to the different innkeepers of that town and the surrounding district : " In consequence of a requisition received by me from the Quartermaster-General, I have to request you will, on or before Monday next, furnish me with a correct return of the number of soldiers you can accommodate, in case of emergency, on their march through this town also what number of horses you can possibly make room for." This precious missive is dated March 4th, 1815, and there was not the slightest disturbance of the public peace before Monday, March 7th. The soldiers were stimulated to commits of violence. We have already mentioned the two •ders committed at the house of the present Earl of Ripon. On the same evening, Mr. Henrick, of Cecil-street, Strand, who was quietly going down to the House of Commons on private business, was sabred by one of the Life Guards; and a person who was near him had his thigh broken. Two gentle men who attempted to address the multitude in St. James's Park, were very roughly handled by the soldiers, and would have suffered severe injury but for the inter ference of the peace officers. On the following days, London appear ancepresented_tnghe,s of a place in a state of siege . The Life Guards, K and the the h for and obtained de was formerly garrisoned b_v leading bread-taxers applied tachments of soldiers to guard their ho uses. There was one honourable exception ; Lord Darnley, deeply affected by the wanton sacrifice of life at Mr. Robin son's, now Lord Ripon's—house, insisted that the m ilitary should be removed from his mansion. On Wednesday, the Bth of March, the House of Com a false r e p ort o f the approaeh of the mons, alarmed by mob, hastily adjourned. The inquest on Mr. Vyse, shot from Mr. Robinson's house, adjourned for a very different reason. Mr. Baker, one of the police magis trates, interposed his authority, though manifestly con trary to law, to prevent Mr. Robinson's servants from being examined at the coroner's inquest. In most of the shops of the metropolis, written papers were posted, in scribed with " No Corn-laws," " Cheap Bread and Good Trade." The troops from Windsor were marched into London on the same day ; and in consequence of the heavy rain, the sth Regiment of Foot was brought a great part of the way in waggons The artillery was also brought up from Woolwich, and ball-cartridges were distributed to the troops. The citizens of London were completely at the mercy of the army. Everywhere throughout the metropolis posts were formed to command the principal avenues ; and a proclamation issued by the Prince Regent forbade them to assemble to protest against the iniquity of taxing their food. Lord Sidmouth addressed a circular to the different vestry clerks, requiring them to convene the several parochial authorities to take measures ibr preventing riots and tumults, and at the same time care was taken to suppress any mention of the acts of violence committed by the military. At this crisis intelligence of the escape of Napoleon from Elba arrived, and the bread-taxers took advantage of the diversion which this incident afforded to the public excitement to hasten the corn-laws through the House of Lords with all the speed that the caravan of legisla tion can travel. The riots in the metropolis were not renewed, for the following harvest happened to be most abundant ; and the corn-laws were thus rendered vir tually inoperative. Great distress, however, Cell tinued to prevail among the farmers ; they we re d u il n ia d r , .; leases and rents founded upon an e xtraordinary conjuncture of bad seasons with a state ex upon an Act which promised to keel) S no provision for eluding foreign grain, but which mad The strange com plexity effects of a productive harvest. e. evtr_i . n . one of the resolution, 2 It asserted "That supplyabove the demand must have the excess of the _ moved e l n l s u u s e k d i s i s s o n sh in 18 arisen either from an extent of corn tillage, more than commensurate to the general consumption of the coun try,"P e p o r f 7 " e s?arry and or from a succession of abundant harvests upon the same extent of tillage, or from th e co i nc id ent effect of b o th these caus es . =~ , ----------- ADVANCE OF IN AGES.—We understand that the Gorbals Police Board, at their last meeting, agreed to ad vance the wages of the night offieers ls. 9d. each per wee owing to the pre sen t hi gh price of provisions. 9,44, .. Ss ' ~, , z- -,. %L. 4 7 1. , , . .... DEATHS FROM DRINKING.—On Saturday erbeiii, ..*••>- c -- '-' ,. .' , .ir,-, , . the wife of a shoemaker, living in the High- street, wi4c .4.= i . ,: l /7 .?:- , J../ in Brodie's Close, apparently in a state of intoxssAW , ,• ; :'," • ' ~, When discovered, she was able to speak, but on her ix ..0;.',!2- to the police-office, Dr. Tait, the surgeon, found, on tixtilni- ' 1 - - ..•- r'' I s i nation, that she was dead. Yesterday inprning a Tizi'l .:..H. -A" living at the south back of Canongate was found dead 7 'O. ; 4 ;--;. ,, v 7 i'..: . 4 4 The proximate cause was suffocation arising from ex . t4i"; F.--.T.,:t-- k i ci 1 drinking.—Caledonian Mercury. Ihl'Mi I . 0 ..,W 46 1 j 16 3; N 11 191 521 521 Ni- .... Eat (A . 17 • 17 0 g g 9 4 II 10 till . he °"' lend ev, 10 reel; )r 1 011 Eie ;13, GIP terl al, fre # 0, 0 414' * fr',4' otig fo gr i kst° 0 19 ir i k : e t e ft o , cis o tgl t~' ;a, ,tafi. l l ) a Of, 011, 7;00' Jo"