The Sun. — London, England, 1841-02-11 00:00:00

M ORNING EDITION: must hie considered as little more * than a check upon the possible but improbable , case pf any, railway ~comp any abusing the power of inflicting penalties entrusted to it by the Legislature, so far as to mak-e:regulations which are obviously improper and oppressive. In several cases it seems desirable_ that this eupervi is 'should be extended to arrangements , and regula tions of much more practical unpoyeance to the public than those which nominally inflietipenelties, as, for in stance, to the arrangements made respecting the nubile traffic by different railway companies using a portion of the same line in common, or_different railways forming 'together one continuous line of communication. But these are questions for the consideration of the Legis lature, and respecting which, having, in the absence of any power calling for statistical or general information, no additional evidence to offer, we should not think ourselves justified in adding anything to the recommen dations contained in the reports of the select committee on railways. There is, however, one defect in the clauses relating to by-laws so obvious that it only requires to be stated in order to procure its correction. The power of die ' allowance given to the Board of Trade is intended to :supersede the by-law jurisdictions of justices of the peace, Courts of Quarter Sessions, and all other triounals, which are expressly repealed by the 10th section of Lord Seymour's Act. The wording of the sections, however, which confer this power of disallow ance does not correspond with the language generally emp'oyed in the sections of the different Railway Acts which provide for the confirmation of by-laws by justices, &c. The London and Birmingham Act, for instance, provides for the publication of " all by-laws, orders, and rules, which are of a public nature, and relate to . or affect other persons than the servants of the ,com pany," and requires all such by-laws to be submitted to one of the Judges of her Majesty's Courts at West minster for confirmation. The 7th, Bth, and 9th sec tions of the Act for Regulating Railways confine the jurisdiction of she Mani of Trade "to by-laws, orders, rules, or regulations, which impose penalties fot their enforcement upon persons other than the servants of the companies ;" so that, as regards by.laws which affect the public, but do not expressly impose pe n a ltie s , there mny be a doubt whether the effect of the Act has not been to give to railway c mpanies a greater degree of irresponsible power than they before possessed. This should be F rovided for by substituting in the sections of the Act which create the by-law jurisdiction of the Board of Trade words commensurate with those em ployed in the provisions of the London and Birmingham Railway Act above quoted, and of other Railway Acts. The reasons already stated induce us to abstain from offering any suggestions respecting the many ways in which the Legi s lature might avail itself of the existence of the railway department with respect to Bills in their progress through Parliament, and as a means of intro .ducing modifications, alike advantageous to the puhlic and !o th s companies, in the rules and standing orders which, in the absence of any disinterested tribunal to which discretionary powers could be entrusted, it has been found necessary to enforce. Such ulterior objects, however important in them selves, may, we conceive, be properly left for the consi deration of the Legislature, and we are unwilling to mingle them eith the more inimcdiate and pressing ob ject which the have in view at present. viz., the intro duction of such a legislative measure as will give the Board of Trade the requisite means of exercising an effective supervision over railways, with a view to pro viding for the public safety. G. R. PORTER. FREDERIC SMITH. S. LAING. R :ilway Department, Baerd of Trade, Jan. 25. CORN-LAW AND POOR-LAW• TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sin,—The friends of the poor in this town and neigh bourhood have been long struggling to counteract, as far as they could, the severe operations of the Corn-law and the Poor•law combined. But, notwithstanding a great extent of private charity, our workhouses are crammsd full, and thousands are enduring the severest privations. We have above ten thousand persons in our town, who have not a single blanket to cover them. Vast numbers, including many ruined farmers, are with out employment ; and we have 1,600 hand-loom weavers, whose average clear earnings do not ex ceed 6s. 6d. per week. We all see the direct in fluence of the Corn-law in producing this poverty ; and it is equally clear that those who support this law, have also endeavoured to throw the burden off their own shoulders by passing the New Poor-law. Tbit has produced dreadful calamity during the present winter, and I have no doubt many are now in the churchyard, who would have bees in health and vigour if it. had not been for this law. The cruelties of separation, by send ing the husband to one house, and the wife and children to another, have been practised with impunity ; and the poor have yielded to hunger, nakedness, and- starva tion, rather than submit to such horrid treatment. A determined spirit of opposition, therefore, will be raised in this district, against Lord John's new Bill. Petitions will be immediately got up in every town and village, praying' for impartial before the law be renewed. And my object, in now troubling you with this letter, is to call upon all the friends of humanity, and the friends of the poor, to adopt a simi lar course throughout the country. Both Ministers and Parliament, 4 believe, are deceived- as to the working of this measure ; and nothing has tended to keep up the deception, so much as the one-sided Reports of the Commissioners. Let the powerful voice of England's humanity beheard within the walls of Parliament, and I trust the Legislature will pause before,they again give their sanction to this wicked am yours, Preston, Feb. 8, 1841. J. LIVESEY. THE WEATHER. ROYAL GALLERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE- STREET. Noev. FEB. 10. Barometer 3O 08 In. Thermometer Highest ..... . 30 Lowest Wind S. S.E.—Freezing Point 32 Deg. A fatal accident, attended with the death of three individuals, occurred on the Manchester and Bir mingham Railway, at Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, on Sa turday last. A viaduct is being erected over the river Dane and the adjacent valley, somewhat similar to the one at Stockport. About seven o'clock on Saturday morning, three young men, named Jobn and Thomas Butterworth, brothers, and John Rlley, and a married man named Williams, were pushing a waggon loaded with bricks along a temporary wooden bridge laid across the river, when one of the large beams composing the bridge broke, and the whole fabric fell into the river with a tremendous crash, carrying along with it the above four individuals and several others who were on the bridge at the time. Three of the above-mentioned individuals were killed by the•materials falling upon them, and John Butter worth was seriously injured.—Dofieester Chronicle. STATE OF THE RIVER.—On Tuesday morning in consequence of the high tide and the immense quan tity of ice which floated up the river, serious damage was done to the wharfs and craft at Shadwell, and a great destruction of property took place. In the evening the ice had accumulated in the lower poet to such an extent that, for the iret time since the memorable winter of 1813-14, person began to pass over the ice, with the as sistance of hurdles, from the north to the south shore. The river in the neighbourhood of Shadwell was covered from side to side, the ice in many places appearing six and seven feet shove the surface of the river. The Albion steamer, from Ipswich, landed her passengers at Black. wall on Monday night, and came up the river next morn ing with the tide, to the surprise of every one. The Royal Victoria steam-ship, for Leith, left St. Katharine's yes terday, at two o'clock, with a schooner in tow, bound for the same place. She got as far as Execution bock, Wap ping, when she was brought to a dzad stand. The warps made fast to the schooner gave way. and the vessel was carried back again. The Victoria had no sooner got rid of her charge than she ran into a lighter, navigated by four men, who were drifting up. LORD CHATHAM ON TIMELY CONCESSION. —" We shall be forced ultimately to retract; let us retract while we can, not when we must. I say we must neces sarilye undo those violent oppress ive Acts ; they must b repealed—you will repeal them ; I pledge myself for it, that you will in the end repeal them; I stake my reputa tions. on it :--I will consent to be ta ken for an idiot, if they are not finally repealed.—Avoid , then, thi humili ating, disgraceful necessity. With a dignity becoming your exalted situation, make the first advances to concord, to peace, and happiness : for that is your true dignity, to act with prudence and justice. That you should first con cede is obvious, from sound and rational policy. Conces sion comes with better grace and more salutary effect from superior power ; it reconciles superiority of power with the feelings of men ; and establishes solid confidence on the foundations of a ff ec ti on an d grat it u d e . S o th o ught a wise poet and a wise man in political sagacity—the friend of Meezenas, and the eulogist of Augustus. To him, the adopted son and successor, the first Cassar—to him, the master of the world, he wisely urged this conduct of pru dence and dignity—' Tuque prior, to pares ; proj,ce tela menu.' "—Lord Chathmn's Letters. DISCOVERY OF A GENTLEMAN IN THE Mem —Oa Sunday night, Police -constable Evans, 190 of the R division, received information that a man was im mersed in the mud, near to the General Steam Navigation Company's works, in the Stowage, Deptfo,t, ti c pro ceeded to the spot, and, by means of a ta:kle an d ro r pes, succeeded in hauling the person on board the Catherine and Mary. At four o'clock yesterday, symptoms of re turning life presented themselves —warm water in bottles having been applied to the hands and feet, together with continually rubbing the body all over, particularly the vital parts, and forcing restorative medicines into the sto mach. He is a young man, and resides at Croome's Grpenwielt. .He says another gentleman was in his com pany, 'whiaiteupposed to have perished. How he becam in ttiadiareelicatnent has not sequen*: 1310 extrem e wea k n e s s. yet been explained , in con 'Mt. Smythe, the succeszful dat i! election for Canterbury, and Mr. Antro . - J 311 1 111 4: %tire candidate for Last Surrey , are both ni•inlierotSy ' Jo hn's college in this U n i ve rsity, and took - theitedogider an lately a s the Baiter of last - year,— Cam . bridge Chronicle. TAE CHINA SUN," Which was lately RE-PUBLISHED, IS NOW ON 'SALE. Price SIXPENCE. Orders received at The Sum Office, No. 112 Strand. IN PROGRESS, THE RAILWAY SUN. With a MAP of all the RAILWAYS in the - United Kingdom ; containing all the STA TIONS on each Railway, and a great variety of Information and other particulars connected with Railways. THE CORONATION SUN, PRINTED IN LETTERS OF GOLD, WITH A BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT OF RER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, Can be sent by pOst free to all parts of the Em pire. PriCe SIXPENCE. Sun Office, 112, Strand, London. ALCOCK FOR EAST SURREY. The CENTRAL COMMITTEE for conducting the Election of THOMAS ALCOCK, Esq., respectfully ac quaint the Electors that CARRIAGES will be constantly in readiness at the undermentioned Committee-rooms, to con vey the Friends of Mr. Alcock to the Poll : Th e Bridge House Hotel . Southwark. Simon the Tanner... Long-lane, Bermondsey.' The Victoria Rotherhithe. The Cock 'f he Turk's Head ... Old Kent-road. The White Hart Newton's Hotel .... Blackfriar's-road. The Red Cap The Prince of Wales The Greyhound Streatham. The Spread Eagle. The Sun The Talbot Richmond. The Swan The Crown Andcrton's Hotel ... At Knight's opposite the Salo- / pion Coffee-house % Charing -cross. The Poll will open This Moining at Nine o'clock, and it is ear ne-tly requested of the Liberal Electors that they will poll early. SAMUEL PALMER, Chairman. GEORGE G. DE H. LARPENT, Vice-Chairman. Central Committee-room, Bridge House Hotel, Son:Ito - ark, Feb. 11, 1841. MR. HORACE SMITH'S NEW NOVEL. Just ready, in 3 vols, pest B vo. , T HE MONEYED MAN ; Or, THE LESSON OF A LIFE. By HORACE SMITH, Esq., Authorßrambletye House," Reub.na Apsley," &e. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. DR. GRANVILLE'S OF ENGLAND, IS NOW READY, In 1 vol. with Thirty Illustrations, 15s. bound, And may be bad of all Booksellers in Towr and Country. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street SP AS THE FIRST VOLUME OF A GNES STRICKLAND'S LIVES of the QUEENS of ENGLAND, NEW and REVISED EDITION, pith ADDITIONS, IS NOW READY for delivery at all the Booksellers', price Ns. 6d. bound. . . . Henry Colburn,.Publish;r: l3 , Great Marlborough-street. THE NEW EDITION, in 3 vols. post Svo., of THE HISTORY OF A FL IRT. Related by HERSELF. IS NOW READY AT ALL THE LIBRARIES. " Among the best novels of its kind for many years given to the world by the English press."--Athenaeum. " The authoress of this most useful and most agreeably and elegantly written novel, is _entitled to commendation upon three separate grounds. In the first place, all her incidents are natural ani most probable. The main currents of the tale flow smoothly on to a final confluence, bearing with them the memory and I eelings of the reader. Secondly, the language is at once piquant, sprightly, and dialogueish. Lastly, the object, or rather the moral of the work, by which it and all similar productions should be tested, is unexception?ble ; for no thoughtless or giddy woman can rise from its perusal with out feeling that it must be her own fault if the lesson it incul cates is thrown away."—Morning Post. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN. LINDER the MANAGEMENT of MADAME VESTRIS. THIS EVENING. FEB. 11, THE WHITE MILLINER. Lord Ottolan, Mr. C. Mathews ; :ustice Twilight, Mr. W. Farren; Robert Conway, Mr. J. Vining ; Saul Sneezum, Mr. Keeley ; Lady Ortolan, Miss Cooper ;-Albina, Madame Ves tris ; Mrs. Mellewpear, Mrs. C. Jones ; Betty Furbelow, Mrs. Humby. After which, the New Farce, in One Act, entitled BROTHER BEN. Commodore Catlass, Mr. Bartley ; Benjamin Bowles, Mr, Charles Mathews; Mr. Shuffieton, Mr. Harley; Dorothy C. Jones. To conclude with The GRAND CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME, entitled THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO; OR, HARLEQUIN AND THE GIANT HELMET. Harlequin, Mr. C. J. Smith; Clown, Mr. T. Ridgway; Pantaloon, Mr. Morelli; Columbine, Miss Fairbrother. Will be acted the New Comedy, in Two Acts, entitled Te-morrow, The Midsummer Night's Dream, with The New Pantomime. Doors to be opened at half-past Six—the performances to commence at Seven o'Clock. Dress Boxes, 7s. ; Second Price, 3s. 6d.; First and Second Circles, ss. ; Second Price, %r. 6d. ; Pit, 3s. ; Second Price, :s.; Gallery, Is. Tickets and places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr. Grogan, .at the Box-office, from Ten till Four, where Season Tickets nay ne had upon application. Private Boat, to be had solely of Mr. Andrews, bookseller .67, New Bond-street. ROYAL SURREY THEATRE. Wonderful increasing popularity—Ainsworth's Tower of Lon den—The Cask Vaulter, and Goosey Gander, with the ce lebrated scene between the Gallic Cock and the English Bull Dog, which has caused an extraordinary excitement in France, are drawing crowded houses. THIS EVENING, FEB. ILI Will be acted a Grand Historical Romance, founded on and entitled THE TOWER OF LONDON. The Tablcaax Vivans, splendid Costume, and Appointments, from the Designs of the celebrated George Cruikshanks. after which ‘N ill be repeated the Grand Traditionary Pantomime, entitled HARLEQUIN AND MY LADY LEE ; OR, GOOSEY GANDER AND THE SPELL-BOUND GOSLINGS. fn which the astonishing and incredible evolutions of the Cask Vaulter will be given, as well as Brunning's Grand Dioramic Synopsis of Syria ; the Pantomimic Characters by the unri valled Bolen° Family; Mr. Southby, the Original Cloxn ; Miss Sharpe, Columbine ; and the astonishing Gywnastique, Signior Felix Carlo, from Franconi's, at Paris: NEW STRAND THEATRE. OPEN EVERY EVENING with the astonishing and won derful performances of Mr. JACOBS, the justly celebrated Royal Ventriloquist, Modern Magician, and English Impro visatore. The numbers that nightly flock to witness the En tertainments given by this astonishing Artist, is a sufficient proof of the great amusement afforded. Boxes, 2s. 6d. ; Pit, Is. 6d. ; Gallery, Is. Doors open at Seven o'clock, and commence at Half-past. Second price at a Quarter to Nine o'cicck—Boxes, Is. 6d. ; Pit, Is. ; Gallery, 6d. Carriages to be in waiting at 20 minutes past Ten. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY. mitgitas after 5. I Evening-- 2claiinutes after 5. Ztt stn& 4 . 1':;, . u - .-.'*‘-' ~ ..P'l.::a '''<li"}Vinik - 1 .2' illis . 1 _ . ,;....,V r ip . ," ...;;,,.. : ..,„,, , , ~, 4' ~ , ,Y • Z- 4, : - - -, 1 ,froio-y,l4ti* •• :: t t , o c • )2 ~ - .1 i• , .A.O‘',. : - 4 the j- , , 0 LONDON: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1841. Sir ROBERT PEEL, in the House of Commons on Monday evening, in his speech on the Poor law, quoted from a Report of a Committee of the House of Commons, which sat in 1824, or very nearly seventeen years ago —more than half the average duration of a generation of man kind--the following account of the progress of pauperism in the hundred of Blything in Suf folk : A witness produced an account of the expenditure in this hundred from Lady-day 1810, to Lady-day 1823. Under the head of unemployed poor there was a progres sive increase in the amount of the rate, and likewise an increase in the amount professedly applied towards the red for relict of the abl .-bodied poor, The sum ap p „ in this hund the payment of unemployed poor from Lady-day 1810, to Lady-day 1811, was 11. 3z. ; from Lady-day 1811, to Lady-day 1812, it was 1/. 127. ; from Lady-day 1812, to Lady-day 1813. it was 3/. ;in the year ending Lady-day 1814, it was 6/. ; and in the next year. 51 ; and it went on increasing to 1,384. in 1816, to 2, 297 /. in 1822; and it had advanced from 11. 3s. in 1811, to 3 536/. in 1824. With this progre3sive increase of the rates, with this progressive increase in the amount of relief pa d to the poor, what was the result? The witness was asked what Wbllthe condition of the unemployed pocr ? And his reply was, that with respect to the unemployed poor, they were generally relieved from the poor rates, they were without t:r o llaln', and were receiving relief as the wages of in de_nce- lie was, then asked what effect he had found produced by the present system of giving relief instead of employ He repli e d, that the effect was dreadful. It totalldetnoralised the lower orders and made them poach ers, thieves, and robbers. Yet there bad been a progres. sive increase in th e amount o °perfectly of the sums paid for rates. This was the st ate of th unemployed poor in the year 1824. The witn e s s was then asked, " Have you observed, in your memory, that the quantity of crime has THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1841. increased?" Tbo answer was, undoubtedly, during the last five years especially. There were generally in each parish from fire to forty unemployed, who were engaged during the day in idle games to pass their time away, in insulting persons who passed by, or in taking sleep to make them more ready for their labours at night ; no.one would apply for work, because they were sure 'Of support from the . poor-rates. That statement is put before - the jsublic by Sir ROBERT PEEL, for the purpose of showing the baneful operation of the old Poor-law system—we use it to show the effect of the Corn- law, to illustrate the copduct of the aristocracy, and to prove the little utility, to the bulk of the people, of the unceasing meddling of the Legisla- ture with what it is plain, from the results of its conduct, it does not understand. Indeed, that body presents a very remarkable instance of ac tivity increasing in proportion as experience has proved its labours to be mischievous. ADAM SMITH and FRANKLIN led the way in showing that the less the Legislature meddled with mat ters of trade the better for society, and no year has passed since the attention of the House of Commons could be spared from finding the means of carrying on the war, without Parlia- ment having made several laws to regulate trade Mr. MALTHUS came next and. demonstrated that the tendency, of population to outgrow the supply of food lies at the bottom of most social evils, and the attempts of the Legislature to stimulate on the one hand the increase of people, or to check, on the other, the supply of food, had al ways led to inconceivable misery. Not a year, we believe, has since flown over our heads, but the Legislature, with a fatuity which, on ordinary principles is quite inexplicable, has meddled more with the population and with food. :It would seem that, like a passionate woman, it is stimulated into greater and greater enormities by the detection and exposure of its errors. As to the effect of the Corn-laws, it will be re membered that the Corn-law was passed in 18.16, when the sum appropriated to the unemploycNl poor in Blything- was 57., and in the year 1824 it was no less than 3,5361., at which time the Corn-laws had been nine years in existence. Coincident, therefore, with the passing of tlioac laws, began the dependence and the degrada tion of the agricultural labourers, while those laws are defended on the ground rthat they pro- vide high wages and abundance of employment for agricultural labourers. In the same nine years, - but especially during the last five "years, the agricultural labourers had become totallyilemoralized. They are de -B^gibed as idle, poaching, and thieving. That wa3 the result of the combined operation of the Co 'n-laws and the ' Poor-laws, the administra tion of which was entirely in the hands of the landowners, the squires, and the parsons. The corruption, degradation, and demoralization of the population is clearly, to be traced to them and their laws, and we are • grateful to Sir R. PEEL for bringing 'before the public the graphic illus tration of the conduct of the landed aristocracy during the nine years to 1824 after the Corn-laws were passed. But we are now in the year 1841. We have lived 26 years more than in 1824. Sir R. PEEL, then a mature-man, a forward legislator, a great officer of State, has since had 26 years' experience. The Legislature has paid great attention to the subject. It has passed many new /aws for the improvement of the people; it has had unlimited power; it has built churches, and multiplied prisons; it has made a complete change in the Poor-law; it has altered, and, 'as it is supposed, improved the Corn-law ; and now, after these twenty-six years of continual legislative toil, what is the result? The criminal returns show a yearly increase of committals, and a yearly in crease of crime ; not confined to the manufactur ing, but spreading throughout the agricultural, districts. It was so alarming in 1834, particu larly in the agricultural districts—the Corn-law existing throughout the periodthat a stringent Poor-law was passed, by the combined operations of which the hungry poor and the refractory poor may be at once coerced and excluded from relief. Wages now, instead of being ample to main tain the workman, vary from 7s. to 12s. per week, corn being at 7s. 6d. per bushel. The agricultu- ral labourers are starving and in rags. The con dition of the artizans in the manufacturing dis tricts may be learnt from ourPrestonCorrespon- dent's letter. He says that there are in that town ten thousand persons who have not a single blanket to cover them. Every where the voice of complaint is loud, poverty and distress are increasing, and the cup of discontent is full almost to overflow ing. Such are the results of twenty-six years' incessant meddling with the poor, with their con dition, and with their food, by the Legislature, after the ill effects of the conduct of the aristo cracy were known in 1824. • In those twenty-six years Sir ROBERT PEEL, and the rest of the errant mischief makers who meddle with trade and population, having the most glaring evidence before them of their re peated failures, seem not to have learnt one use ful truth, for they go on year after year uphold- ing the same scoundrel Corn-law, and passing enactment after enactment to obviate, without ever succeeding, the consequences of their own errors. Such a succession of mischievous blun ders is unexampled, we believe, in the history of man, since he began to observe and note the effects of his conduct. Will the calamities' which are now falling on the people open the eyes and soften / the hearts of these blind and cruel' men? They must be doubly mailed in vanity and self-conceit if they unrefiectingly persist in their present course. With skill and industry unexampled in the world, possessing a productive power which has been estimated as equal to,that of more than a hun dred millions of thos . e men who, in the ancient world, reared the Pyramids, which still attest their greatness—a power so vast that benevolent men have been alarmed lest it should want the means of exertion—blessed with all the elements of wealth, exposed to no great natural disasters, the land not covered with avalanches or washed away by floods, but visited merely by a winter of some little more than the ordinary severity, but nothing:out of the course of nature—with the greatest natural advantages ever owned by a nation—with abundance of land both here and in our colonies, surrounded by oceans teeming with fish, and blessed by Providence, therefore, with the most wonderful "preparations for phy sical enjoyment"—with all these advantages, mul titudes of our people are at this moment in a state of the deepest poverty and distress, and passing daily into premature graves. We do not take up a Journal but we find in quests, recording verdicts of "death from want," "death from starvation," " death from the in clemency of the weather," which means want of food and clothing to protect the sufferers from that inclemency. But the deaths which the Coroner inquires into, are only a small portion of those which are caused by hunger and cold. The average deaths in the metropolis in the week t n h c e Same d w i e n e o k r t a o r f i t y lB3 b 9 e n a d 18 18 1. 40, T ending th e 30th u l t., was 1, 1 0 7 ; t h e average f or l ie s i • a s fi e , ra tl g i e e deaths in the 1 : metropo in the week pre ceeding, was 1,10(i -, and the average of the same week in 1839 and 1 840 was 926, the increase being, 203. The average increased mortality of ' the two weeks of 1811 is therefore 192, or one sixth of the whole. That 'may be taken, we ap prehend, as a fair indication of the increased mortality throughout the • empire, the lower classes of the metropolis being, in general, better off than the lower classes of the Manufacturing and agricultural districts. Thus has the want of food, of clothing, and of comfort, to meet the additional severity of the weather—which as we have shown again and again, is the consequence of the Corn and other bad laws—put to death, within the last few weeks, one-sixth more of our people than would otherwise have died. Taking the population of the metropolis at one-sixteenth of the whole empire, we. may conclude that the Corn-laws have put to death abcmt 3,248 people in the two weeks end ing the 30th of January, 1840. Will such a, consequence, suppOsing .it to be only an approximation to truth, arouse in the land owners, the bishops, the squires, and the parsons— arouse in the whole body ofthe law-making classes; whose conduct was proved to have been so trej mendously mischievous as long ,ago as 1824, and which has been equally or more Mischievous every year since,—will this dreadful fact arousein . them a decent .or sorrowful reflection - on their own misdeeds? Will they have any compunc= tious visitings ? = 'Will conscience smite theth ? We are afraid not, and we must conelude, While we are unable to ascribe to the , doctrines taught by the bishops any consolation to the ,poor at being starved out of existence, that those doe trines supply, in faCt, no restraint on the ties of the law-making aristocracy. We shall be told, perhaps, that all theSe are natural evils, and that the Legislature does not cause, and cannot cure them. Why, -then, does it try ? If it cannot save the people from starv ing, why does it check and, restrain the supply of food ? If it cannot prevent prernatue death from cold, why does it impede the people in sup plying themselves with fuel and raiment ? As long as it will meddle with trade and with popu lation, as long as it will make laws for what it does not understand and cannot grasp or control, it ,makes itself responsible for all the dreadful consequences of its acts; and as long as the people (lie the victims of its laws we shall boldly accuse it of being their Murderer. On Monday the Manchester Chamber of Com merce held its twentieth annual ineetilg, J. B. SMITH, Esq., in the chair. A Report was read, in which the following mention is tir.tde of the Corn-laws and the Sugar and Coffee unties This petition (adopted by the Chamber against the Corn-laws last March) expresses so fully the sentiments 'of the Chamber, that the Directors feel it to. unneces sary to dilate, in this Report, upon the imp olicy and in justice of those laws; the more especially as constant dis cussion has laid bare the evils which they entail upon the people of this coun try, and has shown to all who calmly consider the question, that a continuance ;n the present vicious syStem will speedily involve both .he agricultural and commercial interest in one common ruin. But the Board would not have the Chamber to suppose that this incubus upon the energies of the country will be removed without further and constant exertions; and they re commend that the Chamber should never relax in their endeavours to put an end to the present unjust system. Equalization of Sugar and Coffee Duties..—Thts im portant subject remains in the same 'neglected state as when the Chamber held its last annual meeting. No in dication bas yet been given that the oft-repeated com plaints of merchants, manufacturers, and consumers, have had the slightest effect upon the Governmer.t and Legis laturc. The merchant is still exporting manufactures from this country to those foreign States whose only means of paying for them consists in the production of articles which he cannot bring borne because they are loaded with prohibitory duties, and has, consequently, to receive its re turns through circuitous channels; the manufacturer is forced to look on, whilst he sees his trade passing progres sively into other countries ; consumers pay more than two fold the price for sugar and coffee which would be required from them were the monopoly abolished. The extravagant prices which these articles have attained, have, however, produced, of late, great changes in the habits of consum ers; every large class have no larger the means of pur chasing at all, whilst the middling classes have become studious to diminish their consuutption ; the revenue is therefore injured. Thus are the interests of merchants, manufacturers, and consumers, and even of the revenue itself, sacrificed to the maintenance of a monopoly which is incapable of supplying the wants of the country. The deport was agreed to, but we regret to pereeive that its enlightened sentiments were not welcomed by a numerous body. Not twenty members, it is said, were present. Chambers of Commerce seem never to have found favour - in England; and though their utility in collecting and distributing information may be great, they are never likely, we believe, as they lead to neither honour nor emolument, to engage the attention. or command the respect of many Ilersbris. We regret to learn, by the Hamburgh papers, received last night, that Mr. CANNING, the Bri tish Charge d'Affaires and Consul-General lat Hamburgh, died there on the 2d inst., after a long and severe illness. He had occupied that important situation for sixteen years, was greatly respected by the mercantile class, and indeed. by the people in general ; and his death, accord ing to These papers, is universally regretted at Hamburgh. He: was a man of amia ble manners, and much beloved by all who knew him. We learn also frOm Stockholm that on the 26th of january the anniversary of the birth of BERNADOTTE, King of Sweden, was celebrated by a grand entertainment at Court, and by general rejoicing for the continued good health of the old warrior. It is stated in a Coblentz paper that, notwithstanding the late order of the KING forbidding the publication of Papal briefs andbulls without the Royal consent, Dr. GUNTHER, the administrator of the diocese, had attempted to give validity to a brief to which :he KING had refused. his assent. The time, we trust, is not far distant when both Government and people will unite in putting down the inso lence of the Church in every country. The Paris Papers of Monday have been re ceived. The Moniteur contains the following official despatch announcing the settlement of the Douro question : " MADRID, FEB. 1. " Tag FRENCIL CHARGE D'AFFAIRES TO THE DILNISTER OF FORNION AYFAIRS " The question relative to the Douro is terminated. The Chamber of Peers has voted the law fur the -regula tion of the navigation of this river. The Queen has givan her assent t• the Bill introduced for that purpose." The same announcement is made in tile Madrid Gazette, of the Ist instant, in the following terms : " Her Majesty's Government received yesterday the grateful information of the Portuguese. Senate having ap proved on the 26th of January the regulations for the free navigation of the Douro, pursuant to the Treaty of the 31st of August, 1835; and of her Faithful Majesty the Queen of Portugal having sanctioned the measure, in accordance with both Chambers, which thus 'becomes the law. In this manner has this most important Treaty, which opens a prolific source of advantages • to both countries, been fully completed, and will be immediately carried into effect. From this day forward it will become a new bond between the two nations, uniting closer and closer their relations and common interests ; whilst in so grateful an event the Spanish Government finds the means of showing Europe the sincerity with which they acted in this question, which ending is this satisfactory raanner, nothing can alter or disturb the amity and alliance existing between the two kingdoms." Next to the adoption of the Treaty for the Navigation of the Douro by the Portuguese Go vernment, we hail as a good omen the excellent spirit in which this concession to a threat has been received by the Spanish Regency. The French Government also published on Monday the following despatch, confirming the news from Malta, published in The Sun of yes terday : " MALTA, JAN, 28, "THE FRENCH CONSUL TO THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS. " The Turkish fleet, restored by Mehemet AU, had quitted Alexandria. Solyman Paella had arrived in Cairo, with a division of 8,000 men. - Ibrahim was ap.. preaching Gaga, whither the Nile steamer had be en sent to meet him." There was a report current,in Paris on Mon day, originating we know not with whom, that a satisfactory adjustment of the China question had taken place. We do not believe that in such reports there is a syllable of truth. From the whole of the accounts brought by the last overland mail we hesitate not - to pronounce Ad miral ELLIOT'S expedition a complete failure. And, taking all the circumstances into considera tion, we do not see how it could be otherwise. From a letter from Macao, daed October 13, will 2h will be found in another column, it appears that when Admiral ELLioT was at the mouth of the Peiho he refused personally to negotiate with the Imperial Envoy as being his • inferior in rank, and therefore left the negotiations to be entirely carried on by Captain ELLIOT—the last English man in China who ought to have been entrusted with such functions. 1 f the Admiral was of opi nion that it would be imprudent to waive the ! least point of etiquette in treating with the Chinese, he surely might have insisted on the appointment of an officor of higher rank to treat with him. But to leave the Peiho without even extorting the courtesy of an interview with an offi cer of his own rank was in itself to destroy the moral effect of the expedition. In the Chamber of Peers on Monday the Mar quis BREZE, a Royalist Peer, called the attention of the Government to the Treaty with Buenos Ayres, which he denounced as discredit able to France. M. GUIZOT replied that the Treaty was concluded under the instructions of tl e Maw; Cabinet, and that as he and his colleague did not view it in so unfavourable a light as the Noble Marquis, it was the intention of the Go vernment to ratify it. There is very little political news of any mo ment in the Paris J ournals of Monday. Ott the subject of the arrest of the editor of La France the subjoined official paragraph appears in the Massager:— " Several papers have called on the Minister to explain himself respecting the arrest and imprisonment of the gerant and chief editor of La Frwice. The answer is simple, and all men of good faith must be aware of it. The Magistrates chnrged with the examination of an affair have not rendered an account of their motives. They act in virtue of the law, and the law net only authorises, but compels the arrest of individuals accused of forgery." The Customs' Bill occupied the Clamber of Deputies on ',Holiday. The debate, up to post hour, was of' no interest. The only paragraph of importance adopted was that fixing the duties on foreign coals, as follows :—" Imported at any point between the sands of Olonne and the port of Dunkirk, if in French vessels, ten sous the 100 kilogrammes (;2001bs.); if in foreign bottoms one franc, the 100 kilogrammes. At other points of the coast the existing duties to be maintained. Duty on coke double that of coals." The Toulonnuis has the subjoined statement rest ecting the ensuing campaign in Africa : " Advices from Algiers of the 26th of February, state that a decisive campaign is in preparation for the spring. Several transports, loaded with provisions and supplies, have been despetched from Toulon for Algiers. It is ex peeteel that by the Ist of April there will be a full supply of provisions at Algiers. " The general effective state of the army is now 60,000 men, every thing included. It is stated that on arriving at Algiers General Bugeaud will occupy himself in the first instance Ri h the ameliorations which the sanatory state of the army demands. " It is thought that the time for a colonization in ear nest, and on an extensive scale, has arrived. The Arabs are in dismay and worn out, the occepation of Medea and of Miliena has driven them away from Algiers and the MitAja. There is now room enough on the Sahel and on the plain for 100,000 colonists. We learn that the expedition which is in preparation will be directed in the first instance on Tekedempt, where Abd.el-Kader's principal forces arc united at this moment," Ftaa IN FRANCE.—The Journal de Toulouse gioes the following account of a fire which occurred a few days since at Castellanes, from a cause extremely rare at this time of the year, and under circumstances rather extraordinary. Atter a night pouring down a deluge of rain, a violent storm of thunder and lightning came on just as the daylight on the succeeding evening began to fail, and soon after - w it& a bolting-mill seated on the river Douine was peregied to be on fire. It burnt fiercely and rapidly until it was entirely consumed, al though not only completely surrounded by water, bat even flooded to the depth of between two and three feet above the ground floor. The scene is represented as having been roost awful, giving the resemblance of a large drip in flames in the middle of the ocean. By sonic per sons the accident is attributed to a barrel of quick lime, which, being reached by the water, ignited, and at last burst into flame ; but the mere general opinion is that it was caused by the lightning, as these was a tremendous explosion only a few seconds before the flames were per ceived. The journal states that the value of the property destroyed was very groat, but does not mention the loss of any life. A correspondent of the Sud, at Alexandria, writes on the 23d ult., that Commodore Napier was riding about wherever he went in the carriage of Boghos Bcy ; and that Walker Pacha and his aides-de camp were taking their promenades on the Viceroy's horses of ceremony, with their gilt saddles. Mehemet Ali himself if: deeribed as not presenting any symptoms of dejection in his coun tenance. He continued his friendship as usual to the French Consal-General, and complained of not seeing him at the palace so often as before. The following from Odessa, 18th ult., is given by the Moniteur Paristen:— " The plague has made its appearance in Georgia, and, although not very malignant, has already extended about 20 leagues on this side of Tiflis. General Golowin, the governer-general, had received orders to establish a sana tory cordon on the line of the Caucasus, in order to save the interior from being attacked. He, however, abstained from doing this, representing that cort4ons to such a vast extent at .ad no protection, while their more cer tain consequences arc ruin to commeree, discontent of the people, and impediments to military operations; he added, that he considered the measure adopted by him of surrounding every place where there was the least appearance of the evil, leaving the intercourse between the other parts of the country free and open, as one more efficacious. This opinion is said to have prevailed at St. Petersburgh. Nevertheless, as in such cases too much precaution cannot be taken, four regiments of Cossacks have been placed at the disposal of Count Woronzow, to establish sanatory cordons wherever he may think right, in case the plague should pass from the Caucasus and make an irruption into Russia. Should this disease make pro gress, it will render still more complicated the affairs of the Caucasus, which during the last year have been quite bad enough. In spite of the rigour of the season, the 14th division was to leave Taganrog for Georgia last week, although it had taken up its quarters for the winter." The mails from London, Bordeaux, Havre, Nantes, &c. have not arrived. The Moniteur has the following ar ticle :—" The President of the Council, Minister of War, has received the most satisfactory accounts of the readi ness which the young soldiers of Finisterre and the Cotes du Nord have shown to join their regiments." BOURSE.—PARIS, MONDAY, Fart. 8. 5 irot Highest Lowest Last Price . Price. Pricy Price French 5 per Cents ll2 ... 11l S ... 111 6o ... il , 75 4 per Cents 99 .... 90 ... 99 ••: WO 3 per Cents 76 3$ . 76 25 ... - da 75 ... '5 90 Rank of trance L Ritte Bank 1,0001. Sh 1055 ...MI6 ...1055 ...1t55 5000 f. Shares 5145 ...Ll' ...5145 ...51'5 , elgian Bank 5 per Cents 99% ... 119 % ... 94 ... 98 Dutch 2% per Centc io.u.isla ACLIVC 25 ... '25 ... '244i ... 24T. Passive 6% ... 6% ~. 63ia ... fith . , leatiolitan lOl 30 ... 101 40 ... 101 30 ... 'Ol 05 R kil'an . lOO3B ... 1003;r ... Ito% ... 100% RAILWAY SHARES. St. Germain Ve7sailles,R. B 445 ... 445 ... 432 50 ... 435 L 8230 ... 330 ... 325 ... 325 Orleans . 484 75 ... 4.53 75 ... 452 50 ... 482 50 Strasburg to Bale 2 -0 ... 650 ... 245 ... 246 25 'touen HAMBURG BORSENHALLE, Fun. 4. Bills. Money Austrian 5 per Cents. Bank Shares Anglo-Russian Loan 106% 0)(41 Russian 5 per Cent. !st series, C,rtificate Inscription, Ist Se:ics lO3 Russian 5 per Cent. Hope and Co. 3d and 4th Series ... 96% Ditto in Certificates Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent 48% Ditto 5 per Cent — Polish Bonds New ticket 157 156 Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent 13% 73% N mwegian Loan, 1834, 4 per Cent. lOl Spanish,.New 5 per Cents. 1674 ~ rACHANGEs ON LONDON. HAMBURG, Fen. 4.-13 s.—Two months, 13 3 STOCKHOLM, JAN. 29.—Seventy-five clays, 11. 38. LEIPSIC, Fee. I.—Two mo,ths, 6. 16. X. VIENNA, JAN 99.—Three months, 9. 40, BREMEN, J N. '29 —Two months, (115. BERLIN, FEB. 2.—Three months, 6.17 1 4. AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIEPINA, JAN, 31. Five per C,,its.Metalliques • 10634 Four per Cents. Three pa Cents. Bank Shares ...illigenzrine Zeitung. Feb. 4. The funeral of Doctor Olinthus Gregory, late Professor of Mathematics at the Royal Military Academy on Woolwich Common, took place on Monday morning, when, notwithstanding the severity of the weather , and the ' wish of the family that it should be strictly private, a large assembly of the clergy in the town and neighbourhood, and many artillery and engineer officers of high rank at tended to pay the last tribute of respect to a gentleman whose memory will long be held dear in that vicinity. The gentlemen invited to attend as mourners were Sir John Webb, Colonel Jones, Major Cuppage, and Sir Chapman Marshall. On the previous day the Rev. Mr. Molincux preached a funeral sermon in the new church at Woolwich to a crowded congregation. Dr. Gregory's house was open to literary and scientific men from any part of the world, and notwithstanding the laborious duties of his office, he was always ready to give detailed an swers to all applications made to him. These ap. plications were very numerous from persons who had made, or thought they had made, mathematical dis coveries, and be cheerfully and candidly replied to them, as he once told the writer of this simple tribute to his character, in order to prevent those who were mistaken from pursuing what might lead them to ruin. Doctor Gregory was subjected at one period to a heavy daily ex pense of postage, and he was always subjected to expense in receiving his many learned visitors with hospitality, and thus was prevented from making much provision for his family. For the thirty-five years he was at the Ordnance Academy, he was always at his p ost, and there is scarcely an artillery or engineer offieer at Woolwich who has not been a pupil of his. GOA.—Three vessels, with 500 Portuguese sol diers, have just arrived at Goa from Europe. They have bad along and tedious passage, having put off considerable time at Mozambique: A fracas, which at one time assumed rather a serious aspect, lately occurred betwixt the Go vernor and the Commander of the French armed corvette Dordogne. At formerly intimated. the Governor of Goa issued an order, that no French or English vessels should be permitted to remain at Goa so long as there might be a likeihood of war betwixt England and France. The order to this effect had been issued in somewhat more peremptory and imperious terms than the French com mander cared for, concluding with a threat of forcible ex pulsion, unless it was immediately obeyed. The reply to thin was, that if the Governor of Goa meant to compel French ship-of-war to leave his shores when she was not so disposed, be had better build more forts within reach of her. This, of course, occasioned an angry rejoinder, which was answered by a speech on the part of the French man,,more nautical than diplomatic, to the effect that the Governor of Goa might go to the d—l. Matters could hardly go further than this without coming to blows, so the Dordogne sailed out of the harbour in the sulks. The whole matter was reported at Bombay, and a sheaf of papers, notices, replies, duplies, and triplies, is to be for warded by the overland of to-day. The Dordogne has now departed for the Isle of Bourbon, and the French re sident at Bombay has gone down to Goa to appease the irate Portuguese and prevent a national quarrel. Oar friends in Europe, we venture to say, did not dream of a French war being threatened by an outburst of tuitional dignity on this side the Red Scar —Bombay Times, Dec. 19. kiThe prosecution against Mr. Al oxon for publish ing Shelley's works, including " Queen Mab," stands for trial on Thursday or Friday next. Mr. Sergeant Tal fourd, Sir W. Follett, and Mr. Hayward are retained for the defence. Mr. Thomas, who defended Hetherington, will conduct the prosecution, which, it is understood, has 102 n set on foot to found a charge of partiality against the Government in selecting that individual for punishment, MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS. CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENING. There has been again a very heavy market for the public _securities to-day, more so in fact than might have been reasonably expected, seeing the absence of any further foreign intelligence of interest. The fact, how ever, seems to be that prices are affected by the retro grade movement at Paris, and by the industrious efforts of many parties to keep down the market, under the plea of a possible collision with the United States, on account of Mr. 11.1‘Leocl's arrest and confinement. We may mention, however, that money is rather tighter, owing in some measure to the great impediments thrown in the way of trade by the suspension of river and canal navigation, not a single ship, for example, having been entered at the . Custom-house yesterday. Consols gradually declined to-day from 88i to 87i, and closed at 88 for present transfer, while for account they alternated between 881 and 88. Exchequer Bills brought ss. to 7s. premium, and India Bonds 12s. to 163. discount. Bank Stock was at 16:31, and India Stock at 246 i. The Reduced Tbrec•and•a-Half per Cents. rea'ised 97i to 4. In the Foreign Market there were a few sales this afternoon. Spanish Active Bonds were quoted at 23 to 23i ; Portuguese New Five per Cents. receded to :Ili to 311 ; Colombian Bonds of 1824 to 22i to ; Mexican of 1825 to 271 ; French Five per Cents. to Illf. 25c. ; and Dutch Twc-and-a-Half per Cents. to 49 Toe Railway Shares gave way. Great Western were at 221 to 23} ; the New at 9-1 ; and the South Western at 18i to 194 premium. Brighton were about 74, and South Eastern 164 discount. British North /. - iiterican Bank shares realised 5 dis. (From The Sun of Last Night.) LIVERPOOL COTTON *MARKET, TUERDAY.—The sales to day are confined to 1,000 bags, with a heavy market. Prices on the few sz.lei made are about 14 1 - per lb. lower. Livaaroor. SHARE LIST. Far. .—Eastern Ccuntica ; Debentwes 4i; Grand Junction 2124; Ditto New 284 ; London and Birmingham Quarter Shares 29 ; Mid land Counties New Shares 15. MANCHESTER. STOCK. EXCHANGr, Fan. 9. —The quotations are—London and South Western, b7l ; Manchester and Bir mingham, 24; to 24 13-16ths ; Ditto, Extension, 2 a 2 1 , Lancaster and Preston, 291 301 ; Ditto, New, 191 19% ; Great Western Fifths, 9i; Manchester and Leeds Halves, 31 ; Man chester and Liverpool District Bank, 11h. We are again this morning without any arrivals of im portance, consequently the Fund. continuo, as fur several days past, in a stagnant state; the affair of Mr. M'Leod ali,o has an effect upon the British Market ; a greet un easiness prevails in general, fearing that the Americans will lay hands of violence on Mr. M'Lcod, in case of which a war with the United States would be inevitable. o).i:so's opened this morning very heavy ; left off 88i- 1, at present 881- 1 for the Account; Money 88i 7 1- ; Ex chequer Bills 5 7 prem. ; Bank Stock 163 164; India Stock 245 247. In the Foreign Market Spanish Active left off 23a at present the same; Deferred 12- 1 - ;I.; Passive 5i 6 ; Portuguese same as they closed, 34 32 ; Three per Con's. 194 20 ; Brazilian 72k ; Colombian 224 23 ; Mexican 274 I; Dutch Two-and-a. Half per Cents. 494 .50 ; Five per Cents. 984 994. SHARKS.—Great Western 23 24 prem.; Ditto New 94 WI prem. ; London and Brighton 74 dis. ; Black wall 44 34 dis. ; Birmingham 84 86 prem. ; Southamp ton 57 58 per share ; Croydon 114 124 per share. PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ONE. RAILWAYS. • Paid. Per Skare. Great Western Ditto Fifths Condon and Greenwich........... 20_ .London and South Western 3Bl .. to 57 South Eastern and Dover JOINT STOCK BANKS. Union of Australia.. Ditto New We may expect the arrival of the Acadia Boston steamer on Tuesday next, which will probably bring some information respecting Mr. M‘Leod, as well as the re sumption of the specie payments of the United States Bank, Philadelphia. Tile long continuance of the wind from the East creates great stagnation both to commercial affairs and news. The packets now considerably overdue arc two from Jamaica, one Mexican, one Lisbon, sx from New York, besides a great number of fast sailing craft with ship letters. Consols at present continue heavy at 884-. have been 88A- for the account, money 88. This heaviness may be attributed to the critical state of affairs with the United States. Exchequer Bills 5 7 prcm ; Bank stock. nothing done ; India Stuck, 2461 ; ditto Bonds, 12 16 discount. In the Foreiga Market little doing. Spanish Active 23U; Portuguese New Bonds 314; Three-per-Cents., ; Russian, 144 ; Dutch Two-and-a.Flalf per Cents., 49g 1 ; Five per Cents., 99. Shares are lower, with a heavy market. Great Western, 87i 88i; ditto Fifths, 8i ; London and South Western, 57 ; South Eastern and Dover, 1 CLOSING PRICES. BRITISH FUNDS. Bank Stock 3 per Cent. Red Sii • Ditto Bonds 3 per Cent Cons ...... .. 88 Ditto Old Annuities 4 per Cent Red........ 97i Ditto New Annuities... New 31 per Cent .. ... 96} Ex. Bills, 1,0001.-21,d 7pm New 5 per Cent ... ...... Ditto 5001 Bpm Long Annuities to expire Ditto Small 6pm Jan. 1860 Oct 1859 lndia Stock for Acct ... Jan. 1860 ... FOREGGN FUNDS. A ustrian, 5 per cent... Portuguese, 5 per cent. Belgian, 5 per cent 9B Ditto, New Ditto.... 3i l Brazilian Bowls ...- BucnosAyres,6 percent 221 Russian, 5 per cent. .. 114 Chilian, 6 per cent Colombian, 6 per cent ... Spanish, 5 per cent Ditto, 1824 221 Ditto, Deferred ... Danish, 3 per cent: French,s per eent...lllf. 25e, Greek.lB2s, spercent., Exchange .. Mexican, 5 per cent.... 27i French, 3 per cent —f. —e Di to, 6 per cent, 1825 Dutch, 24 per cent . 49 ; Peruvian,lB2s,6 per ct. 16& Ditto, 5 per cent... SHARES. Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (100 p) 80 Eastern Counties Railway (23 paid)... Great Western Railway (65 paid) BBi Ditto New Shares (50 paid) Ditto Fifths ( 4 paid) Bi London ani4 Brighton (50 paid) London and Greenwich Railway (20 paid) 81 Ditto New Shares (20paid) London and South Western 5B South Eastern and Dover (28 paid)......., 12 Mr. William Hone, the author of " The Every Day Book," and other publications, is now, et t h e age Of sixty years, disabled, by bodily infirmity and the effects of two paralytic seizures, from providing the means of supporting himself and his dependent family. For the last five years the post of sub-editor of the Patriot news paper was his, sole. dependence ; and this he would have continued to retain, had be not been thus incapacitated for discharging the laborious duties of the office. Some of his friends who admire his talents and esteem his Christian character, have formed themselves into a Com mittee, for the purpose of raising contributions for secur ing to him an income sufficient to save him from penury in his declining years. Among others are—Mr. Alderman Pixie, Freeman's -court, Cornhill, the treasurer ; Thomas Piper, sen., Esq. ; Thomas Chalis, Esq., and Apaley Pellatt, Esq., who are trustees. ACCIDENT TO PRINCE ALBERT.—The pa ragraph in a Morning Paper, stating that the ice in Buck ingbam Gardens, at the time Prince Albert was skating on Tuesday, gave way, and his Royal Highness fell into the water, is correct, except as to the time and the depth of the Prince's immersion. It was in the afternoon that the accident occurred, and instead of his Royal Highness being immersed to the chin in water, he only sunk half his depth. That part of the ice which gave way had been broken the previous evening for the supply of the aquatic fowls. We are exceedingly happy, however, to state that his Royal Highness does not feel any bad effects from the accident, and is in perfect health. SEVERITY OF TIIE WEATHER.—.A. gentleman named Harvey, having left Brighton list Friday morning, at 11 o'clock, for this place, reached Uckfield, about two o'clock, dined and started again at three; a hen, on getting to Crowbar-common, six miles from Uckfield, he got into a deep snow-drift, exactly in the centre of the common ; finding it quite impossible to get one way or the other, he shouted for assistance, but not an individual could be sees for more than an hour-and-half. All tbis time the drift was in creasing fast, until at last he espied a poor old man carrying faggots ; to him he called, who, on coming up, and unable to render him personal assistance, hastened away, and in the course of another hour returned with three men and ta o cart-horses. By this time scarcely any part of the carriage or horses could be seen. The man began digging away the snow, which took them nearly two hours, then, tackling to the cart-horses, succeeded in moving all out, but not before the horses and Mr. Harvey were nearly frozen to death. They managed at last, about half-pas eleven, to get with great difficulty to the Castle Hote. Tunbridge Wells. Mr. Harvey still remains ill, and is not even yet out of danger. MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK AND LOSS OF LIFE —On Sunday morning a schooner was discovered in distress near the Scroby sand, on which she struck and soon after went to pieces. The beachmen who were watch ing on the shore and witnessed the melancholy spectacle, perceiving some of the crew lashed to a part of the wreck, immediately launched the life-boat, and with extraordinary exertions for more than two hours, succeeded in nearing the wreck. They passed two poor follows or. a portion of the wreck, whom they were sure were dead, and the quantity of pieces floating around them rendered their's a situation of much peril. They made for the third man, whom they found to be alive, and, picking him up, brought him ashore. He proved to be the captain of the schooner, and was immediately taken to the Marine Tavern, where, after some time, he so far recovered as to be able to state, in broken English, that his master was G. W, Hickman, and that he was master of the schoo-. ner, the Active, bound from Stockholm to Lisbon, with deals and tar; that they had got on a strange coast, and had been four days without provisions. The crew con sisted of eight men. So great was the admiration of the dauntless bravery of the beachmen, that a subscription was entered into on the spot, and a handsome sum raised to re. ward them for their services.—Cambridge Advertiser. DEATH OF LADY CAMPBELL.—We have to announce the death of the above Lady, the wife of Sir Alexander Cockburn Campbell, Bart., of Gartsford. The deceased lady, who died on Saturday, was eldest daughter of the late Major-General Sir John Malcolm. A numerous party of :Etonians left Windsor on Tuesday morning, in several omnibuses, for Virginia Water, for the purpose of skating on the lake. The fine sheet of water is in excellent order, and many hundreds of persons, from Windsor and the surrounding neighbour- Wog, were present during the day. MORNING 14M1TI0N. ' LI IMLAH'S POETIS AND SONGS. Cunningham, London. 1841. Mr. Imlah's muse is a lively, romping jade, of animal spirits, and of so d?eideuly ardent, solal, and vigorous a turn of that when :ver she attempts anything like en siveness or sentimentality, she ak , ,ays gives us the idea that she is shommillg, and we are strongly tempted, in consequence, to laugh outright in leer Our author's genius, indeed, seems wholly oppGsed t o melancholy. eis most at home in the 12olfly dashing, of-hand war-sorig, the sprightly bali..-td, or the festive lyric. Now and. then he essa)'s the bathetic; hut if he cries with one eye, he seenm f to us to be laughing with the other, like seine gay nerdy youth when endeavouring to put on al?' g face at the funeral of his guardian who has just left him a fat legacy. The majority of Mr. Imlah's poems are on Scottish themes, and well calculated they are, by their earnest simplicitYy, to ensure the favourable sufthages of .his count 3-- men. In some places, where the author spel k$ out from his heart without any regard to effect, he reminds us of Burns ; but oftener we c; Itch tl. e manner of Hogg—hi;; buoyant fancy, antal easy melody of versification. This is :to slight p. - ait - e,, and were the age less disregardfill of work. l of this sort than it is, we should have no hesitat ; ( 3 1 1 in predicting Mr. Imlah';s popularity. But, alitsy the current of public opinicn is setting strongly' in an anti-poetic direethin, antel nothing goes down now but statistics. and slight }rose works of fic tion. A select few may still turn an attentive - ear to the music of the singine,•-tirds of Par nassus, but the uhdiserirnating many are far better pleased with a ewgate Calepdar roniance, a diE sertaion on the steam-engirt , or a pamphlet on the Corn-laws. We have übsc - k . ved. that the - ;rcater portion of Mr. Imlah's poems is on Scot tish subjects; we may add that the best of than are on these themesikand we quote two, which, we think, will satisfy our readers that Vre, have not overrated his abilities : SCOTLAND FOR EVER! 0 ! gland was the onset and gloriously ended. And rcek'd the red earth with the blood of the bras-e, Where the armies of nations in battle contended, On the field doom'd for thousands—one wide gory grave; In the heat of that fight for a loved mountain land, A shout there arose—which forget we can never, And the " Vice l'Empeieur 1" for " Napoleon le Granao Sucn quailed to the war.cry of " Scotland for ever F' They thought of their far distant mountains` and valleys, And their kindred, that circled the blazins• turf fires, They thought of the days of brave Bruce and witt.,;:q Wallace, They felt and they lot ght like the sons of awls sires ; And the brow of no traitor the Bonnet shall shad.', The Tartan shall cover a coward's breast never, But honour shall hallow the Plume and the Plaid, When cheer'd to the onset by " Scotland for e‘et !" Then wreathe for our warriors garlands of glory, Fill the bowl to the brim—let it flow to their fame, And loud let the minstrel's strain swell at their story, Who have won for their country so noble a name ; Yet still as we raise high the song and the shell, Shall the dead of that day be forgotten ?—no, never. Green—green be their graves on the field where they fah, And their names be reinember'd with " Scotland for ever r CW,IMUN N'AN FIER GAEL. We come from a country of well proven worth, The mountains of Mon-en—the Alps of the North, Where the hills are historic from far distant day. And each strath and each stream has its legend or lay. Tho' years have swept past since from Albyn we earria-- Tho' changed be our habits—our hearts are the same, And will here, o'er the bowl with the song and the tale, Be at hcme on the hills and the glens of the Gael. Strike up on the Bagpipe some Pibroch otiose peal Shall kindle within us the old Highland zeal, Whose wi:d native numbers shall fire us, as when It muttered front mountain, and gathered from glen ; With some lov'd Chieftain's Coronae!) now shall we melts And feel all the grief that our fathers have felt Then blithe let the strain be when 6. Hoigh 1" for the We strive with strong arms in the Game of the Gael. Then praise to the Plume on the brows of the brave, That never has stoop'd to the crouch of a slave— And whether it wave in the revel or raid, The cloak of Clan Albyn, still prosper the Plani To the cap of our country give dignity due, The helmet of heroes—the Bonnet of blue? May they merit and meet ever honour and hail, The Plume, Plaid, and Bonnet—the Garb of the Gael j. THE SCHOOLFELLOWS. Bentley, London, 1841. The idea of this story is a good one, and ithe 6 been skilfully worked out. The two schoolfel lows, who are its heroes, and from whom it de; - rives its title, are—the one, a rich, well-connecte d youth, son and heir of a country Baronet, of air cient descent, and great local influence; and the other, the only child of a lady who has been seduced, through the means of a•sham marriage, by a scoundrel, who afterwards is tried and Cow • victed of forgery, but, escaping from confinemen t ' • persecutes the innocent victim of his intrigue s • and her illegitimate son, for years, until he 1 finally removed to the colonies by the GoverinneL l • for whom he had consented to act as a spy. Fa i l: fully conscious ofthe stigma attached to himself ag • his helplessmotherby this , conection, young Ma;`: . ring—such is the name of the Spy's son—becom el even in his boyish days, the unresisting slave , of his rich, high-born schoolfellow, Mandevib e l , who has accidentally dis covere d th e secret 0 ' his birth, and threatens to expose him, Unl e66 he will consent to be his drudge—that is to saYi. write all his school exercises for him, assist hin t •' in the annual scholastic examinations, .and ane w* , him to carry off the prize. To this Manning,' though not without a sore struggle, consents ; an at Cambridge, whither in due time the se fellows are sent, the same system is pursu ed; Mandeville so working on Manning's semil il d apprehensions, that the poor yo u th, insteu . o s' trying to secure college honours for himself: le o , compelled to assist his task-master in sectuirit' them. When they afterwards meet in Londouj Mandeville still exerts his despotic influence, an. is mean and unprincipled enough to take cre dit for the authorship of certain pop u lar works whi ct,. Manning has written, but which he dare not ile" knowledge. This constant sense of slavish d e pendenoe on a man whom he fears and despis e . produces a most blightin,g effect on the unfrienu e . and obscure youth's mind ; he toils, and toils - 1 ,, 0 vain,toprocure a competence for himself,and thre; ,;41 off his tyrant's iron yoke ; but, at length wh e s q , he has becothe almost desperate, his luck take a turn ; Mandeville commits suicide; Mannin; prospects begin to brighten ; the competence t e so long coveted, lie obtains; and ultimatelY e is enabled to marry the girl to whom / e i had for years been attached. Such is a brl e abstract of a tale which possesses much of o h,/ gloomy power of Godwin, and in its contrast s character exhibits more lan ordinary tact e, rl i6 ingenuity. Mr. Johns, the author, proves by forcible delineation of Manning, that he 11 0 derstands the subtle workings of the hula e{ heart, and can trace its hidden springs , action. Some of his chapters, however, se e „ to have been thrown off in a great 1 1111. „7,4 for in one place we find Mannino; er h o • " Henry," and in another " Charles ;” an u f :r. mother, now answering to the name of " I ‘ -1-- r e garet," and now to that of " Edith." These a id negligences which a little patient attention w oll o f - • have rectified ; and we point them out, by waY: iu a friendly hint to the author, who should heal mind that if a thing is worth doing, it is `v ° ' doing correctly. Verbuni sap. GIDEON GILES. Hayward, London, 1841. Gideon Giles is a tale by Mr. Miller, publis , ch every fortnight in sixpenny parts, ten of have already made their appearance. It is , he amusing story, and deserves especial praise fu r th e beauty of its descriptions of rural scenery „ e V habits, with which the author is manifestly • h e • acquainted, and on which he dwells with te i t satisfaction. We cannot say much for the pu t if in illustration of the story, for they are little/ at all, above common-place 3 Vozs. NATURAL .HISTORY OF BRITISH A ND ' FO REIGN Q UADRUPEDS. Thomas, London. 1841. 11 4 The author of this work, Mr. Fennell, 0,5 that it has been his object to make its peru s iic agreeable and lively a recreation as a ,`t end ' through the Zoological Gardens, to whicll, ere he has purposely avoided, what he c alls, ete d solemn and melancholy strain," so often ag e be eti. in works of this nature. We think he has successful in his efforts, for his volume is alio dantly seasoned with curious characteristic t:tterit' dotes, and to the charms of a sprightly , m e re' manner of narration, adds a careful, and 09,11 its, hen wive view of the peculiar appearances, I g er al and uses of the higher class of animals in get ee r, We regret, however, that he has seen fi t test foot in no indirect manner, at the authority (4'l2 dtit who will always he held in respect . for t h d t he genee with which he accumulated facts, a" di eri .v 4 patience and perseverance with which, eve n , o l o rile beset by difficulties, he prosecuted his fa i .s e „ . 1 zoological studies. In his account of tit o f Mr. Fennel repudiates the popular notion,As--- courage and magnanimity, :on which the re' sari a set of fellows who lie as fast as 0 , h °ls n d o gallop—have always laid such stress; 3 tr efl'' serves that the animal is, on the contraryiiea,' cherous and cowardly in his nature, n c s r in gof the tiger, he assures us tha t l' a is i r ooP mendous jaws he can carry off a buffalo,n of ier - , - without relaxing from his usual s f eer— a a ll tion, the justice of which we must, wi t j 1 do obt: ference to Mr. Fennell, beg leave W .l3 ,, e teri L Those who are desirous to obt ain a ' 00 , 4 0 ( knowledge of zoology, will find much to their purpose in this volume. sia ! of, by ALCOCK FOR EAST SURREY. ELECTORS, The SI-.erifl* Navin; declared the Election in favour of ALCOCK, and a I'oll having been demanded, it only remains to follow up this glorious victory by nothing to the poll, at the earliest moment, and voting for Alcoek. The poll will com mence at Nine o'Ckeli This Moriing. REFORMERS, POLL EARLY ! ......... al tu di (leo fq ul A ,ei tker \~