The Sun. — London, England, 1841-07-30 00:00:00

MORN I/srG SUN. `iESMERIM- LECTURE AT THE HANOVE ft-SQUARE ROOMS. k nee h t • Te Perplexing and incomprehensible Mystery , wh ich, he year 1775, has from time to time attracted the atte ntion, incited the controversies, and divided the ° P il lion of th e mos t em i ne nt physiologists of Germany, p Public and England, is once more made the subject of investigation in this country, by a distinguished ibench physician, M. Lafontaine. The professor seems es ,a.are made an ill-advised choice of the theatre for his " at bitions. The Hanover-square rooms have an aris ,s_T4eratie character, and the judgment of the aris *wive i s y n all matters of science or common sense has t n,) ll , ° weight with any enlightened portion of the tise lish pu b lic. Since the delus i ons o f quac k er y as prac ssed by St. John Long and Morison, received so much 0 - "SPort fro m ran k an d t i t l e , un d er circumstances in which e l 7 insanity or idi o t c y cou ld be • imposed upon, it is ab 'trd to submit to the examination of the " fashionable * s e , r ld," a subj ect upon w hi c h the whole " scientific world" is divided, and which involves so many considerations of ° aht and uncertainty, and suspicion, as this vexata questio of Mesmerism. 11,11 .11i0t en the open, candid, and philosophic experiments of Eson were conducted a tUniversity College, gave in The Sun, not only detailed accounts of the P er hnents themselves, as we witnessed them, but also a , "tiec i nct and adequate narrative of the principal facts Which have marked the progress of this " M y ster y ," which Must either be regarded as an awful discovery j ih Ysiological science; or a frightful result of con sP'tseY and fraud on the part of men holding the highest Potatio n for knowledge, skill, and honour of the pre sent age. e Yesterday attended the lecture of M. Lafonta ine *ittt wi Messed with pain, if we may not say with horror os th appeared to be conclusive and unquestionable proofs t lrel e power which one human bein physicalossess of en saj subjecting to his will the and moral ;tides of another. 'ae room was crowdtel to excess at the hour appointed t the th commencement 4 of the lecture and the illustrations l Which it was to be accompanied. Several gentle s° complained that the room was too small svh o k ,_censmodate the large number of persons won had been admitted, and an adjournment to some p sse `:,capacious apartment in the same building was pro sy". But M. Lafontaine, after some delay"and inquiry, ( P e i ned that he had taken the small chamber because l 1 " not expect to be honoured by the presence of so as ee Witl.lll a Company, and it would be impossible to prepare , the space of two or three hours, any apartment and entlater dimensn w ions. Yet he requested those ladies ero gemeho felt it inconvenient to remain in the ob s wd ed lecteire-room; to postpone to a future day the sm e rration o f th e facts which they had come to witnes s, se e t ° receive from his doorkeepers the ir tickets, or the I sas it eY which they had paid for them., This su gg es t ion the mselves with great applause, and so many availed se 1 , -se lves of it e that all who remained were able to ob htt,,: the phenomena exposed to their investigation, with i nconvenience or interruption. s seen as order was established a Fren ch g entleman came forward on the platform, and said that M. Lafon es,tcould not speak one word of English, and a s he had terd some time in the country, and could express him tap with some degree of ease, he offered himself in the ina e a r t Y 'of an interpreter, throwing himself upon the gence of !his auditory.- (Great applause.) It fi ght to b e t h at Engl i sh gentlemen who were sufficiently m ersant with the French language to express them thevv " intelligibly to the lecturer, might be deterred from (La 7ort by the characteristic modesty of the nation.- - to t hPter, and very great applause.) All he cou ld sa y hi s gentleman was, that he would, to the best of th e v i / Qwer, faithfully interpret to M. Lafontaine what th,- s aid ; and lie considered it due to himself to state at h l aine time—whether to his credit or not — tha t he d ' _ tfortned n o o pi n i on u pon the subject which was to ite Tnitted to their investigation, and he had had no , a 'lttance with M. Lafontaine prev ious to that gentle mansKe t ecture in that room a few days ago.—(Applause.) se ine as _ , aware that many people in this country had paid _ attention to the subject of Mesmerism ; but there 4 - ' oll ' . still greater number who knew nothing whatever gete s e it, and he would, therefore, bespeak the indul gave :Ohose who had ' a previous knowledge, whilst he th ey we ef account of the extraordinary subject which Pred er i, re „ assembled to investigate.—(Hear, hear.) at vi e ; suesnier, a young German physician, studying cons -114, had his attention first drawn to this still in astrprehensible subject by Professor Maximilian Dell, an "(Mier well known over all Germany and civilised E urope for his labours in the branch of science which gasplaced under his direction, and for an extensive ac quaintance with physical science in every other depart tileht. Professor Dell directed the attention of the young red aspiring udt nly to the fct, that one human ing had the st power of subduing a and controlling the 'teufties, and regulating the sensations of another, with °its t the consent or will of that other. Mesmer, filled with thusiam, and astonished at th e success of his own ex periment `ti proceeded so far as to in cur the hostilit y of the medical profession, which, like eve r y other that de p ends mainly upon tradition, regards natura ll y the introduction sq . (-very novelty with enmity and distrust.—(Hear, t ea , r.) Mesmer at length, scouted at Vienna, and sub- Ouentlat Munich and Berlin, quitted Germany, and se nt to Paris, where the public attention was so much attracted by his exhibitions, that a Committee was ap ti ted by the Government to investigate the truth of 41 ! .pretensions. That Committee comprised . the , x " i s s t , . illustrious men of science at that time svi t Li ng in France ;- and amongst them two, ef ° in all observers of nature, and all students ie t s V ( nce, of every language and esery nation, will 1 old s k il l ' highest honour—Lavoisier, the chemist, and Jus ee ' the naturalist.—(Great applause.) The members .witthat Commission recorded the facts which they had itn c i n t e , ss ed, and satisfied themselves, the Government, rod whole scientific world, by the statement that the 0.. a t 8 were produced by "touching and imagination."— w, -u isliter and applause.) The Learned Gentleman then se i l lt , into a detail of the juggling and imposture by te e " Mesmer contrived to make money for himself, and taietnbarrass and obscure the most important and diffi -114 question that ever was raised amongst those . who, eh ,er the name of philsophers, have made man, in his 3 steal and moral capabilities, their study. He ha d tli himself no decided opinion upon the subject which wh e e alled that meeting together. But he must say, that l e s li st he condemneea ready credulity, he also thought g o r a stubborn scepticism was adverse to truth.. 13i- Zti v rY was repudiated by all those who made scientific o t es tigation their pursuit, and he could not say which bi teenry was the most to be condemned—that which believed T h Much, or that hi believed nothing. ,t 4 gentleman, whose name we were unable to learn, Who spoke fluently and clearly , alt hou g h with an ac e con el which marked him as a native of Fra nce, con e'd amidst enthusiastic cheering. • -131 the chair, which had been at all f ormer meetin g s in thi s tl room appropriated to the Preside nt, a young gen of the of remarkably healthy appearan ce, exhibitin g none hadchara c t er i s tics of a scrofulous or epilep tic p atient, been sitting for a considerable tim e before the con clusion of th e speech of the interpreter, and he had re s atdl Y made signs of concurrence w ith the observations th ate es : gentleman. We had no notion that he was the la s - T °l-1 who was to be operated u p on ; but before the test sentence of the speech was conc luded, we observed th t - " i s eyes were closed, and his head fell back under bl apparent influence of manipulations performed by y n ,-Lafontaine, who stood behind him. The which sunk i n to a state of absolute insensibility, in e " he underwent a series of experiment s which it des painful to witness, and difficult, if net impossible to Chi d• Pins were stuck into his head, cheeks, and t „ e ,g_"s ! without producing any exhibition of feeling or isesatiose The electro-ma gnetic machine was em f,„7.3,7e with its greatest force, not only by M. La s uLanie and his assistants, but by visitors who Zi!!.% )te d the invitation of the Lecturer, and made e ' s e sx_periments themselves. Several gentlemen, who ap ra•sa :to be sceptical, determined to try the force of • . i 'e . battery, but flung the wires from their hands with 4 'Rralts of agony, whilst the subject of the inquiry was t tt'ily unconscious that the electric stream pervaded s' l l every nerve and distended every muscle. The r epetition of the experiment was painful to ev ery one i n t h e room. Every one was satisfiedthe t !Perator, b u t ever y o ne was shocked at such an e x l f ? 11 or the prostration of on e human bein g to the will , o another. When, after repeated discussions as to the wa rner i n w hich the experim ent had been conducted, Su bjects all those gentlemen wh o chose to make themselves o f ex hibition for the p ur p ose of testing the e l e cid faith of the Lectur er, had satisfied themselves and p iL s eenspany that they could n either discover nor ex any(3-e fraud, M. Lafontaine performed a series butof •; ‘ , e stieulations which it is impossibl e to describe, youth hich appeared to have the effect of restoring the_ , to life and sense. The distressed and Wea ried assembly seemed to feel the mselves almost as itt much relieved from a degrading bondage as the h• te resting object of their sympathies. They had seen t ra for two entire hours compelled to hold , his legs and grins in one rigid position in which they were placed ne volition of his, but by the will of a master, of w ° se presence he was unconscious. W hen this y outh Ra s released from his appalling state of subjection, a lad 37 Volunte ere d t o subject herself to the Prof essor's Rower. (There were then loud cries of" Nam e, name.") A Gentleman said be was the lady's husband. hadde had come to the room a sceptic , but he mu s een enough to convince him tha t there st be something inscrutable in the inquiry , a nd his re to 4 , ll aring expressed to him a wish to submit herself lb s ~. experiment lie would not oppose her. — (C heers.) - came there prepared to believe that it was altogether matter of humbug, but he should like to see it to the "d t ,•,7(Cheers.) t e ' r e lady then took h e r place in the chair, and M. ntaine having stated to the aud ience that he °_ had never seen the lady before, and that he was v 'rY doubtf u l, f rom t h e s t ren gth of will which :Ile seemed ilPossess, whether his operations would have any effect Pen her, sa id he would try. In two minutes and a half xl, 6. ' l ,, was thrown into a profound sleep, and M. Lafon „, - said that she was completely mesmerised, and he nalsl proceed to exhibit in her case the phenomena Which he had frequently exhibited in the cases of other persow similarly re d uce d under the mesmeric influence. 'ad 's husband said that ha did not wish her to be 11 ' ) jected to any further experiment, and M. Lafontaine ac cordingly restored her to a state of sense, when S r decl are d th at s h e was u tterly unconscious of any thing more than that she had resisted , to the utmost of r power, th e i n fl uence which was exerci sed over h er, and which she found to overcome her s enses, and induce her into a state of sleep. ' 4 - Young lady who had sat for nearly two hours upon the platform without any notice from the company, was then led forward by 2:1. Lafontaine. He said (in French) I have been disappointed in the attendance of a female who has been subjected to Mesmerism, and in whom I might have illustrated some of the most important phenomena. But there is this young lady, who is, I am told, a natural somnam bulist. I am told she has been already before Baron Dupotet ; but I believe she has not been perfectly under the control of any magnetiser. She is a natu ral somnambulist. I can bring her into the state of som nambulism, but it is not in my power to govern her or control her acts as I can those who are in a perfect state of magnetism. You will see much in her which may look like charlatanry ; however, it is my object to arrive at Truth, and I have no control:over those ob scurities under which she sometimes chooses to veil herself, M. Lafontaine then used the passes, or movements of the hand, which are generally employed in the subjec tion of a patient to the Mesmeric influence ; and the girl, having appeared for some time to be thrown into a profound sleep, suddenly rose up, and spoke with a flippancy and boldness quite opposed to the modesty and deference of her previous manner. M. Lafontaine said (in French) " She is now in a state of natural somnam bulism. I have to repeat that I am told she is a natural somnambule. I think so from what I see of her. She has never been reduced under the power of the mag netiser. She is not now under my power, but I think I can do this—if any gentleman will write for me on a piece of paper any English phrase to ask her a question, I will think it, and she will give the answer." The girl said " Indeed I will not." Several papers were sent up to M. Lafontaine by persons who were curious to see the experiment carried out to its fullest extent, and he presented them closed to the eyes of the patient. On each occasion she said "I know very wellwhat it is, but I will not tell you." He said it is not in my power to bring her under the. control of the operation. She is a natural somnam bulist, and she is in that state now. I may take her out of it, but I cannot control her. The young lady was then allowed to roam upon the platform as she pleased, and she exhibited a most piti able appearance of fatuity. She laughed, joked, and in terfered in the subsequent experiments in a man ner which drew tears from the eyes of seve ral ladies who sat near us, who expressed, before she was brought out in that helpless state, great ad mit ation of the gentle and sincere expression of her countenance. The Professor was then about to close the lecture and illustrations, when a gentleman, who was well known to ail the• members of the Press who at tended at the lecture, and whose ingenuousness will be admitted by all those who have ever had the pleasure of his acquaintance, requested to be subjected to an experiment, for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not he himself was susceptible of this mysterious influence. In eleven minutes and a half he was thrown into what seemed to be a pro found sleep, in which he was, as far as we could judge, powerless and helpless. When revived by the manipula tions of the exhibitor, in answer to questions put to him by several of his own friends, who had been the loudest in their denunciations of such incidents in the course of the illustrations as were most doubtful, or least comprehensible, he said that whilst M. Lafontaine was making those passes which were intended to operate on him, he felt a sensation of warmth pass up his arms from his wrists to his shoulders, and a sensation besides which he could not describe otherwise than by comparing it to that which one feels upon inhaling the nitrous oxyde gas. It was not the same sensation, but was something very like it. He did not think that he had been asleep at all. (In truth he was asleep ; his head fell over the back of the chair, and he was to all appearance in sensible.) He said that he felt a sensation of, drowsiness coming over him, but he felt it in his power to resist it, and hedid resist it. He did not think he had been a,sleep; he was quite certain that his consciousness had not been suspended ; he knew very well that he had not been asleep the whole time. A g entleman then stood up and shook hands with the Lecturer amidst very great applause from all the company, who were evidently united in one feeling of admiration for his candour and good humour. A considerable time was afterwards occupied in the exertions of the Professor to restore the somnambule from a state of unconsciousness, and after the leCture and the illustrations had occupied three hours and a half the company separated. AWFUL ACCIDENT AND WONDERFUL ESCAPE.—On Tuesday afternoon a most calamitous and fatal accident, yet marked by the almost miraculous escape of one of the men who had nearly fallen a victim to it, occurred at the Hately Heath colliery, belonging to Messrs. Bagnall, near West Bromwich. Three men named Thomas Ward, Thomas Gibbons, and Richard Knight, were employed in bricking the shaft of a pit, upon a scaffold, about nine feet from the bottom, when a man named John Holden, who had just come out of the pit, hearinc , a great noise, turned round and saw th e b a nksman, James Lewis, and a quantity of bricks fall ing down the shaft. He immediately ran to the shaft and found the banksman hanging in it by his shoe, which had providentially caught some projection of the mouth of the pit ! Holden instantly seized him by the legs, and dragged him up out of the shall without his having sustained any injury Strenuous exertions were then made to rescue the three unfortunate men below, and Holden instantly went down the pit, but unhappily only to discover that the accident had proved fatal to them all ; they were all three found lying at the bottom of the pit, and quite dead ; "knocked all to pieces," Holden said, " there being scarcely a bone about them but was broken." An inquest was held on the bodies of the three unfortunate sufferers on Thursday last, when a verdict of " Accidental death," was returned, with a deodand of 10s. on the bricks.— Wolverhanipton.Chronicle. NEWARK, JULY 27.—A report is current in the political circles amongst the Tories, that Mr. W. B. Gladstone, the Newcastle nominee for Newark, is' to have an office in the approaching " Conservative" Go vernment. As the heads of the Tories are with such shameless and breathless haste partitioning out the various offices in the State, before the Queen has called any of them to her councils, it behoves all who have in any way the power, to be firmly resolved in opposing that party, who, in opposition, were the brazen slanderers of the Queen's good name, and who now, on the prospect of accession to power, display such an anxious zeal to trample alike on her and on the people. If Mr. Glad stone accepts office, as it is most probable he will, who ever may be the Tory Premier, for his pert flippancy in debate will be much wanted in aid of the place-hungry crew, he will again have to appear before the electors of Newark. The implied compact by which, in 1834, " the united interest" abandoned one seat to the Liberals, has been broken, and it behoves the Reformers anxious to bestir themselves, to look round for a good candidate, who will not permit the constituency to be treated as so many puppets, but will afford the opportunity of record ing their suffrages in his favour, and against the dicta tion of " Cannot Ido as I will with my own ?" At the late contest they were unprepared. Let them be wise from that defeat, and know that forewarned is forearmed. With prompt organization, and the name of, some well known advocate of liberal and enlightened principles, they stand an excellent chance of retrieving their lost ground.—/Vewark Gazette. THE MURDER AT EXETER.—The Coroner's Jury have returned a verdict of " Wilful murder by drowning," against persons unknown. The case is there fore left to be sifted by the magistrates. There are seven or eight in custody, all young men (under 21), resident in Exeter, who have been long leading profligate and dissolute lives. One 'of them is a young man named Pitts, who appears to have been at the Cattle Market Inn the night of the murder. He is about eighteen years of age, son of a washerwoman in the Bonhay, and by busi ness a tailor. The other is a young man of indifferent character, named Brimstead, son of respectable parents on St. David's Hill. Suspicion had fallen upon Pitts, he having been seen in the house on Friday night. He kept out of the way until Sunday morning, when he was met by a person who told him the officers were looking for him. He made off and was lost sight of for hours. In the meantime Stukes, one of the nightly watch, made an examination of Pitts' bed-room, in which he found his jacket, the shoulder and sleeve of which were very much stained with fresh blood. Pitts was not found until the evening, when he was seen in Alphington street by one of the persons looking for him. He im mediate but off in the direction of Okehampton street, was pursued and taken, after running ac on siderable distance. SIR. R. PEEL AND LORD JOHN RUSSELL. My meditations led me to try and estimate the cha racter of Sir Robert Peel. Our Saviour speaks of a sin, against which he solemnly warned his disciples, and which he called the sin against the Holy Ghost. Divines interpret this as meaning sin against light and knowledge. Verily, Madam, in all earnestness, and in all sincerity, do I believe that Sir Robert Peel is guilty of such a sin. He sins against light and knowledge. His mind is not narrow enough to shut out from his view the consequences of commercial reform ; but for the poor sake of heading a powerful party that scarcely puts its trust in him—for the paltry ambition of being a great man of an hour—he declares himself determined, in spite of better knowledge and of common sense, to up hold a policy which immediately is grinding to dust thousands of your Majesty's subjects, and in its ultimate results must pour decay through all the channels of trade and commerce. From the contemplation of the cha racter of Sir Robert Peel, I turned to that of Lord John Russell. I had mingled in the crowd that hailed him, when he presented himself as as candidate to the citizens of London. I heard him in simple, unaffected, manly language, tell how he and his colleagues had pro posed measures which would add, by the natural ma gic of commercial freedom, at once to the revenue, and to the prosperity of the people. I heard him tell how they had advised you, Madam, to exercise your Royal prerogative, and appeal to the country on this great vital question ; and though now the general-result shows Lord John Fussell defeated, and Sir Robert Peel victorious, oh, how , immeasurably different the charac ters of the two mei; appeared ! Sir Robert Peel, sprung from the people, enormously rich, dying with anxiety to identify himself with the aristocracy, with a mind per fectly cognizant of the mighty results which would spring , from commercial reform, yet sinning against light and knowledge, 'clever, showy, and plausible. Lord John Russell, the scion of an ancient and noble stock, linked with the aristocracy, yet the friend of the people, ad vancing slowly yet firmly in the path of social improve ment, without showy plausibilities, or crafty dexterity, yet true to his convictions, and firm in asserting what he conceives to be just—ean you wonder , . . 51 a da,m, that in the contemplation, Sir Robert Peel stood u p before me my enemy, and Lord John Russell my friend that in the Statesman of expediency I beheld the foe of my do mestic comfort, and the blighter of my children's hopes ; and in the Statesman of principle the fast friend of me and mine, the promoter of the universal comfort of all your Majesty's subjects ?—Letter in the Chronicle. THE SUN, LONDON,' FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1841 TESTIMONIAL to DR. BIIIKBECK. A public meeting of the members of the London Me chanics' Institution, and others interested in the cause , took place last right -at the Institution, Southampton buildings, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety and means of rendering to Dr. Birkbeck some testimonial of their gratitude for his important and va luable services in founding the Mechanics' and other institutions for the advancement of knowledge. At half-past eight o'clock the Chair was taken by BASIL MONTAGU, Esq., Q.C., amidst loud cheers. The CHAIRMAN said as he had been'for many years accustomed to co-operate to the extent of his ability in the honourable and successful exertions of his esteemed friend Dr. Birkbeck to diffuse knowledge among his fellow-countrymen, the moment he received intimation of the meeting for that evening, to consider how they might best express their gratitude to that estimable individual, he had come from the country, from a considerable dis tance, to attend it. Of the blessings which Dr. Birk beck had been, fortunately for himself and for society, instrumental in diffusing throughout the community, very inadequate conceptions were or could be formed, ex cept by those who knew what society was before he raised his voice for the advancement of knowledge.— (Hear, hear.) 'When he was first heard, or attempted to be heard, he was met by the yells of ignorance and pre judice. He endeavoured to explain that " man in the infancy of his reason was bound by ignorance, till knowledge, the revelation of good and evil, set him free." He had done his utmost to remove darkness from the face of society, and they now saw things pretty well in their new dimensions, and they might as well at tempt to stop the progress of that knowledge as to stop, by putting out their foot, the progress of the earth in its orbit.—(Hear, hear.) Advance it must.—(Cheers.) He would not trespass further on their time at present. They were met to consider how they would best express their gratitude to Dr. Birkbeck, and he would leave it to the gentlemen who had the various resolutions to pro pose, to enter into the details, reserving to himself the right to address, them again if any necessity should arise for so doing. Mr. FRY said he hoped, althou&li he had addressed them at some length on the occasion of their former meeting, that they would allow him to trespass for a few moments on their patience, to put those who were not present on the former occasion in possession of the views of the Committee. They were met under the presidency of a gentleman who was never backward on any occasion in which the good of his fellow-creatures might • be promoted, and more especially from the diffusion of education.—(Hear, hear.) He would now briefly state the views of the gentlemen who had asso ciated themselves into a Committee, to render some tes timonial to Dr. Birkbeck. He believed there was no man to whom the people of England were more indebted than to Dr. Birkbeck.—(Hear, hear) He had spent 40 years of his valuable life in the promotion of insti tutions like the present. He had acted from a genuine feeling and desire to benefit his fellow-creatures, and his efforts had been as beneficial in their results as they had been noble and generous in their motives.—(Cheers.) These gentlemen felt that to the Doctor some testimo nial was due, and they believed that an appeal to the members of mechanics institutions would be responded to in the manner it ought to be.—(Hear, hear, hear.) It was resolved to appeal to the members of that In stitution in the first instance, he being their President, and it was for them to say whether they felt and appreciated the blessings which Dr. Birkbeck had assisted to diffuse amongst them. The Committee ap pealed to them to ascertain whether they appreciated these blessings of education, and would render him that homage which he was sure the common gratitude of his countrymen would accord him.—(Hear, hear.) On the last oecasion he . had explained that the views of the Committee were that public sutssriptions should be en tered into, not only by the members of their own body but of all the similar institutions in the metropolis and the provinces—that there should be a general spon taneous movement of all the members of mecha nics' and literary institutions for the purpose of collecting a fund, which he hoped would be sufficient to show the feeling entertained towards Dr. Birkbeck by the members of the Mechanics' Institutions throughout the country.—(Hear, hear.) Their feeling also was that there should be a piece of plate. It had been urged, indeed, that a piece of plate was solid pudding, and that solid pudding was better than empty praise ; but the Committee had come to the determination that it would not be advisable to present a piece of plate, and one reason (if no other existed) was that on a former occasion, some years ago, when, the idea of subscribing for a piece of plate was promulgated, Dr. Birkbeck disclaimed the idea of being. rewarded in such a manner, and refused to receive such a tribute for labour, which, in fact, could not be estimated in money.—(Hear.) They thought it must be in some way which would confer honour on a spirit so generous and noble.—(Cheers.) The Com mittee had had no communication whatever with the Doctor, but they were anxious to have such an expres sion of public feeling as would be agreeable to his generous nature. He hoped the Doctor would survive for many years to come, and therefore to erect a statue to him would be rather premature. The policy of the Committee, then, was, that the proceeds of the subscrip tion should be invested in some public fund, to be ap plied for the benefit of mechanics' institutions in gene ral, and to be called " The Birkbeck Fund," the details to be hereafter arranged.—(Hear, hear.) He thought that would best meet the views of Dr. Birkbeck himself. The Secretary, Mr. M'FARLANE, then read the fol lowing letter from Lord Brougham : " Lord Brougham presents his compliments to Mr. Macfarlane, and begs him to assure the Committee that he regrets extremely his inability to attend the meeting on Thursday. It is unnecessary for Lord Brougham to state how entirely he concurrs in its objects, or how de sirous he is to aid them by all the means in his power. Independent of a very long and sincere private friendship, he feels in common with the rest of the country, the gratitude which is due to Dr. Birkbeck for such ser vices as no other person has rendered ; above all, to the working -Glasses, whose interests must ever hold the highest place - - in the consideration of all reflecting men. " Grafton-street, 12th July, 1841." After a desultory discussion on a point of order, and as to whose right it was to open the business, A MEMBER begged to correct a statement made by Mr. Fry, respecting the opinion of Dr. Birkbeck. That gentleman had said that, upon a former occasion the Doctor had repudiated the idea of his receiving any tes timonial in the shape of a piece of plate. He had a perfect recollection of what the Doctor said, and it was this—" If you have any money to spare for any purpose connected with the Institution let it be applied towards the liquidation of your building debt.—(Cheers.) My heart and soul is with your Institution ; let every farthing you can spare be spent in its behalf."— (Cheers.) A MEMBER in the body of the theatre said he felt it yesterday 4sl- a Court was held for the despite a duty to obtrude himself on the meeting, and he could ness, a great variety of which was transacted. only lament that no one of more ability stood in his TREATMENT OF CATTLE IN SMITHFIELD MARKET. place. He intended to bring out the latent intentions of Mr. TEGG said that he had noticed a report in the many members of the Institution, and for that purpose newspapers, in which serious complaint was made of the he had drawn up a body of resolutions, which he would ill-treatment of cattle, as regarded the small allowance now read.—(Cries of " Order, order.") of water to them in Smithfield Market.—(Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN said the Committee had come prepared He hoped that the Lord Mayor would cause such notice with resolutions, and it would greatly facilitate the busi- to be taken of the matter as would lead to the correction ness, as well as be more orderly, if they were allowed to of so great an evil, if it really existed, or to the correc bring them forward. — (Cheers.) tion of the report, if th ere existed no foundation for it. Mr. WALTER moved that the Secret ar y read the mo- The LORD MAYOR said he felt convinced that the tion which was passed at the last meeting. Corporation would most willingly afford every requisite The motion was seconded, and, being . put, was carried accommodation for the cattle *Mar 'were brought_ to. in the negative by a large majority. Smithfield, and whose distressed condition had been Another MEMBER wished to ask a question of Mr. represented to him in the communication al- Fry relative to his speech on the last occasion.—(Cries luded to, as calling aloud for some compassionate inter of " Order.") ference.—(Hear, hear.) It was not for him to . point out The CHAIRMAN said, in the Commons it was a rule the means of remedying an evil of the kind ; but the never to make any allusion to former speeches, and in Chairman of the Market Committee, whose intelligence his opinion it would be a very useful rule to observe in and humanity he relied upon, was in;Court, and would, private life, ais was sure the ladies would agree with no doubt, give a satisfactory public explanation, and him.—(LaughtM) suggest an efficacious plan. Mr. OGILVIE said he had had the honour of being Mr. HICKS (the Chairman of the Markets Committee) deputed to propose the first resolution, which was as said that the subject was by no means a new one. It follows : had been frequently mentioned to him, and be had been " That it is the conviction of this meeting, that the waited upon by several of the members of the So foundation of Literary and Scientific Institutions for the ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, all Industrious Classes, is a work of the utmost importance of whom he satisfied by his answer with the to society, and that such institutions have already pro- exception of one. The complaint was, he assured the Court, without foundation. It was a common feeling duced and are still producing vast benefits, by imparting knowledge to thousands, before indifferent to its value, with the public when they saw oxen with their tongues and by giving a scientific and intellectual direction to out and evidently suffering from excessive heat, that that active spirit of inquiry by which the present age thirst was the cause. The facts were these. The ani is characterised." mals were driven to market from distances round Lon- Ile felt much diffidence in coming forward, as it appeared don varying from 60 to 140 miles ; upon their arrival so many older members of the Institution had come pre- on Saturday at some distance from London they were pared with resolutions, but as the one which lie had to placed before tanks of water and an abundant supply of propose could not be controverted, his task was ren- hay, and on Sunday they had the same sort of ref'resh ment without the least stint. It was true that upon dered the easier. He stood there in his twofold capacity being placed in the market for sale no water was given of Committee man of the Institut i o n, as well as one of to them, but it was erroneous to assert that they re the Central Committee. He cou ld assure them that the Institution had not been in any way slighted. First, the mained for 13 or 14 hours in a deplorable state in ,Smith gentlemen who wished to set the busines s on. foot wrote field. Great numbers of cattle arrived between three and four on Monday morning, and by twelve or one in to the Committee of the Institution, who met the gen the day were all cleared away. Now his opinion, de- Morris, in a body. He (Mr.' Ogilvie), along with Mr. make an unfavourable rived from a long experience, was, that to give cattle Morris, were appointed by the ommittee as de legates to the general body of delegates then waver in Smithfield during the hours of business would formed, and they appealed to the general body of be extremely injurious to them. He knew that he was the Mechanics' Institution in London to send delegates im to meet - them. A meeting was held by the general prcssion on the public mind ; but he considered it to be body of delegates, and from them the Committee re- his duty, and should not hesitate to maintain the result st. t ng what would probably ceived its appointment. The whole of the Committee of his experience and judgment.—(Hear, hear.) felt that it was in that place in which Dr. Birkbeck first While the animals were in a hurly burly condition, began his labours, and consequently it was in that theatre baited by dogs, and shoved about by drovers under a they ought first to show their gratitude to him.— hot sun, to fill them with cold water would be productive (Cheers.) For that reason, and from that feeling, it of the most serious mischief ; and if they were was that the meeting had been called there. Having slaughtered with their bellies in such a state a great so far apologised for, his presumption, he would then portion of the meat would become almost immediately proceed to lay his views of the resolution entrusted to him putrid.—(Hear, heari) Mr. Mellish, when he supplit d before the meeting. Thousands of years had now passed the navy, never alldwed the cattle to have water for since one, who was agreed to be wisest of the wise, de- twenty-four hours before they were killed, for he knew dared, " For the soul o f man t o b e w i t h ou t knowledge, that if they drank the salt would lose its efficacy upon it is not good." That axiom never had been, and never the carcases.—(Hear hear.) He (Mr. Hi c k s ) repro could be controverted. The colleges and schools of this bated in common with every other man of humanity the country by their number proved the estimation in which cruel treatment of the brute creation • but here was, in education had always been held in this country. If they reality, not the slightest ground for the imputation. He looked back a few years they would find that the diffu - would show to any persons who might he appointed a sion of knowledge was confined to the higher classes of Committee to inquire into the merits of the question, society. The working classes—those who lived by the that the very thing complained of was a proof of the hu sweat of their brow—were shut out from their colleges manity of the Smithfield system. Something, it would and schools, because they were not possessed of the faci- be admitted, was due to the owners of the cattle as well lities of wealth and riches, no place was open to them as to the public, who were deeply interested in the for acquiring knowledge or instruction. Matters were wholesomeness of the meat, and to the cattle themselves, now altered. Within the last twenty years the institu- and the alteration of the existing practice would soon tion, in the theatre of which they had met, had been show itself to be prejudicial to man and beast.—(Hear.) founded, and their example had been followed not only M r . A NDE RTON said that lie had ev ery reason to p l ace in London, where there were now upwards of forty confidence in all that Mr. Hicks had stated. He did not mechanics' institutions, not only in the provinces where know whether any of his brethren of the Corporation there were now 180, but' they were spreading through- kept pigs.—(Laughter.) He was the owner of pigs out the world. Only a few days ago a letter had been some time ago, and he sent them to a butcher to be received from Athens, stating that the proceedings of killed after they were fed. " No," said the butcher, "if that institution had been watched there with much you don't let them be without eating and drinking for a pleasure, and one upon a similar principle was in pro- time, they won't be worth killing.' So that he was gress of formation, and they were rapidly spreading in obliged to starve his pigs to save his bacon.(Laughter.) America. Knowledge now opened her ample pages at Mr. LAWRENCE said it appeared from what had been a - very inconsiderable expense. just said that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty A Member —Considering the lateness of the hour, . to Animals was in the wrong in their conjectures about and as there may be 'many More resolutions, he would , what was really cruel and what was humane. At all ask whether anything more need be said upon a reso- events the question seemed to be, which was to be preferred lution which speaks for itself. — I (Cheers.) _humanity and putrid meat, or denial of food and drink Mr. OGILVIE would adopt the suggestion, and move his resolution without further preface. Mr. F. HILL seconded the resolution. From the situation he held of Inspector of Prisons, he had had many opportunities of witnessing the good effect of the labours of Dr. Birkbeck and those associated with him in the great work of education. He had made repeated inquiries on the subject, but it had never come to his knowledge that a member a mechanics' institution had fallen into crime and become an inmate of a prison.— It would be rash in him to assert that no such cases had occurred, but if they had he believed those occurrences were rare indeed, for though his inquiries were constant as to crime in Scotland and England he had never been able to discover that a member of a mechanics' institu tion had been the inmate of a prison.—(Cheers.) A few years ago frightful proceedings took place in Glasgow, in order to obtain higher wages by intimidation, and upon his instituting an inquiry into the parties concerned in the outrage, he could not discover that a single mem ber of a mechanics' institution in Glasgow was connected with the combination.—(Cheers.) Sometime ago he had occasion to make a similar inquiry with respect to mechanics' institutions generally, and the result shewed that it was a rare circumstance, indeed, to find a member .of a mechanics' institution committing crime. —(Hair, hear, hear.) With re spect to education generally, he would say that in the year before last upwards of 9,000 persons were com mitted to prison for different offences, and out of that number there was not one in ten who could do more than read and write, and a much larger number could not even do that.—(Cheers.) With such knowledge as this coming before him at every step, and entertaining, as he did, the highest esteem and veneration for Dr. Birkbeck, it was with the greatest satisfaction he se conded the resolution. The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution to the meeting, and declared it to be carried unanimously. Mr. FOGG() then rose to move the following resolution; "That it is the earnest feeling of those now assembled that immediate, full, and adequate expression should be given to the sentiments of esteem and gratitude with which the name of Dr. Birkbeck is regarded for having devoted his valuable time, his energies, and learning, and for having munificently contributed towards the founda tion of literary and scientific institutions for the people." He was happy once more to visit that room on an occa sion that was most agreeable to himself, and he was sure must be acceptable to all present.—(Cheers.) He had perhaps more than many that were present had opportu nities of witnessing the results of the labours of Dr. Birkbeck.—(Cheers.) He would not now enter into the . question of the merits of mec hanics' institutions; he believed they were well understood, generally, though he understood (and he must confess his surprise at that) that many members of the Legislature were not aware of them.—(Cheers.) In his opinion no person could doubt that the present improved state of society was attributable to them.—(Cheers.) Such being the case, he felt great delight in coming forward to assist in offer ing some testimonial to Dr. Birkbeck for his great exer tions in the cause of mechanics' institutions. — (Cheers.) Dr. Birkbeck did not want a piece of plate. —(Cheers.) All he desired was that it might be clearly shown that, through the establishment of mechanics' institutions the condition of society had been improved, and the minds of the working and industrious classes ex panded.—(Cheers.) The present resolution did not tell them in what way they were to express their gratitude to Dr. Birkbeck. Some gentlemen thought it strange that it did not ; but., in his opinion, that was one of the greatest merits of the resolution, because it left it to the meeting to point out what was the best mode of expressing their gratitude.—(Cheers.) It had been said that a piece of plate was not desirable for Dr. Birkbeck, that the present moment was not the right one to erect a statue, but that a lectureship would be the better mode of showing their gratitude. He would not say anything upon that subject, but that be would venture to predict that if they fixed upon a proper testimonial, all the me chanics' institutions in the the country would join them. He thought the best mode of showing their gratitude to Dr. Birkbeck would be to prove that his exertions had been successful, as he was sure that that could be more grateful to Dr. Birkbeck than a peerage and 4,0001. a-year as a pension.—(Cheers.) He weill not detain the meeting further than to say, that he felt great plea sure in proposing the resolution.—(Cheers.) Mr. CoWPER seconded the resolution. Mr. SOUTHGATE differed materially from some of the speakers who preceded him, as their intentions, although good in theory, would be bad in practice. The plan re commended was to raise a sum of money from that and similar institutions throughout the metropolis and the country, but no one had intimated in the most remote degree how that money was to be applied in pursuance of the objects of the meeting. He wished to know what Mr. Fry meant by saying that the money should be applied to the purposes of mechanics institutions generally. He thought that savoured of the old adage,e• " robbing Peter to pay Paul." Lectures could not be established b ; for the interest of the money collected would at best amount to not more than 351. per annum, and if the lec tures arising from that sum were to be delivered] at all the institutions throughout the kingdom seven years would elapse before a second lecture could be delivered in the same place. Perhaps before that time the Trustees might disagree among themselves, and the whole matter be the subject of a Chancery suit. He would recommend. as the best plan, that with the amount: subscribed the Mechanics' Institution of London should be placed on an independent and efficient basis, and the original designs of Dr. Birkbeck be thus carried out and promoted. The Parent Mechanics' Institution was now insolvent. They had been obliged to dis continue their subscriptions for many of the magazines, and he therefore considered the planS mentioned by the gentlemen who had proposed and seconded the two first resolutions to be most preposterous. It being now past 11 o'clock, On the motion of Mr. Reddar, seconded by Mr. Trace, the meeting was adjourned to next Tuesday, at 8 o'clock, P.M. A vote of thanks having been proposed to the Chair man, Mr. MONTAGUE rose and said he was sure that in ex pressing his gratitude to the mechanics for the kindly feeling they had invariably shown to him he was only echoing the sentiments of Dr. Birkbeck, with whom he had humbly co-operated in disseminating knowledge amongst his countrymen. Their feelings were those of Sir Samuel Romilly, and of the " Cincinnatus of the West"—the glorious Washington, who said, in his last address to the nation he made free, " I now beg to re commend to your especial consideration the necessity of forming mechanics' institutions wherever you possibly can."—(Loud cheers.) The meeting then separated. COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. Irg the cattle, and unexceptionable food.—(Hear.) What ever the Court said, or the public might think upon the subject, the complaint prcv:d in the strongest mann( r that the heart of the city of London was not the place for tlaughter-houses.—(Hear.) If the beasts were slaugh tered in Northampton, they would not be over driven in London, and there would have been no occasion for the present discussion ; but while the present corrupt sys tem prevailed, the abuse could never be expected to be removed or diminished.—(Hear, and cries of " Oh.") Mr. HICKS said that if the beasts wero killed at Northampton, or at any other place, they must be fasted one day before they were killed to be worth any thing.— (Hear, hear.) THE ROYAL EXCHANGE AND GRESHAM TRUSTS. Mr.LAWRENCE, in the absence of Mr. L. Jones, brought up the following Report : To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commoners, &c. &c. We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, your Com mittee, in relation to the Royal Exchange and Gresham Trusts, do certify, that since our detailed Report, pre sented to this Honourable Court on the 22d day of October last, of the several proceedings of the Joint Committee on Gresham affairs, from the 14th of May to the 16th of October last, we have had laid before us the further proceedings of the Joint Gresham Committee, connected with the re-building of the Royal Exchange, and the arrangements for letting portions of the struc ture to some of the former tenants of the late Exchange, and other public Companies; and William Tite, Esq., the architect of the new building, having made arrangements for appropriating part thereof for the Gresham Lectures, an intimation had been made to the Joint Committee that a public body was desirous of treating for that por tion upon terms highly advantageous to the trust ; and, under these circumstances, they deemed it most advisable to find some other suitable accommodation for the Gres ham Lectures ; and having conferred with the Lecturers upon the subject, the Joint Committee entered into a treaty with the London Bridge Approach Committee to take a plot of ground at the corner of Cateaton-street and Basinghall-street for the purpose of erecting a hall for the Gresham Lectures, and ultimately agreed to take the same at a rental of 1801. per annum, and to purchase the fee-simple thereof at thirty-two years' purchase, sub ject, nevertheless, to the approbation of this Honourable Court, and of the Mercers' Company, the joint trustees under the will of the late Sir Thomas Gresham, and also to expend a sum not exceeding 6,0001., in equal moieties, in the erection of such College, subject to the like sanction and approbation. That we, your Committee, having taken the said pro ceedings into consideration, agree therewith, and recom mend this Honourable Court to give their sanction ac cordingly, the Company of Mercers having already been pleased to agree to a similar recommendation from their Committee. And we have caused extracts from the proceedings of the Joint Committee on Gresham affairs, so far as the same are connected with the re-building of the Royal Exchange, to be made, and to be hereunto annexed, for the further consideration of this Honourable Court, and in continuance of our before•.mentioned Report of the 22d day of October last. R. L. JONES. W. STEVENS. JOHN JOHNSON. W. CROUCHER. JOHN EVANS. JACOB G. COPE. E. EYTON. L. REDHEAD. JOHN LOCKE. THOS. CORNAY. WILLIAM C. PRIOR. JOHN KNILL. HENRY J. ELMES. Mr. R. TAYLOR moved the following amendment, seconded by Mr. IV. JONES,—" That in order fully to enable the Court to form a correct judgment as to the most advantageous provision to be made for the separate establishment for Gresham College, there be laid before the Court, and printed for the consideration of the mem bers, a statement of the cost and of the extent of ac commodation to be afforded by the proposed building in Basinghall-street, and likewise, together with such state ment, a copy of the Report made to the Joint Grand Gresham Committee on the 10th of October, 1839, by the Sub-Committee appointed on the 4th of January in the same year, to confer with S. J. Capper, Esq., and Miss Hackett, relative to Crosby-hall being taken for the purposes of Gresham College, and to which Sub- Committee was also referred a memorial of the Profes sors for the re-establishment of the College, the said Sub-Committee having, after full inquiry and considera tion, and in furtherance of the business entrusted to them, resolved, That Crosby-hall is a suitable situa tion for the College,' and therefore directed a communi cation to be made to Miss Hackett that the Sub-Com mittee would recommend the purchase of her lease of ninety-six years for 2,5001., which terms were acceded to by her ; when the negotiation was suspended and postponed from time to time, in consequence of the urgent business which engrossed the attention of the Committee connected with the building of the Royal Ex change. Also, that the Royal Exchange Committee be directed to lay before this Court, along with copies of the said Reports, a statement of the accommodation to be afforded by each of the two sites, and an estimate of the cost of each ; and that the further consideration of the Report be deferred until the said statements have been laid before the Court." After considerable discussion the amendment was negatived by a majority of 2, the numbers being, for the amendment, 20 ; against it, 22. The Report was then agreed to. CITY IMPROVEMENTS. Reports were brought up, on petitions from merchants and others, for a new street from the Mansion-house to Southwark-bridge, and on considering the practicability of forming an avenue from Great Eastcheap to St. Mi chael's Church. They represented that at present the state of the funds would not admit of carrying into effect improvements so desirable ; that the extensive im provements in progress from Lad-lane to the Post-office occasioned an expenditure so considerable, as to prevent any of the City cash being made available for these pro jects ; but that it was hoped the former would soon be undertaken, and that other great improvements would follow as speedily as possible. After sonic observations from Mr. Wire, Mr. .Ander ten, and Mr. King, Mr. R. L. JONES said that the Southwark Bridge Im provement was an object of great consideration and in terest in the Parliamentary Committee, before whom it would be revived early in the Session. There would, however, be no use in throwing open that bridge without having proper avenues to it.—(Hear, hear.) In the Committee it was ascertained that the improvements at the west end of Cheapside and at Southwark Bridge could be accomplished for the sum of 20,0001., and that sum was not considered any serious bar. He regretted that the Corporation had not larger funds at command to go on with more extensive improvements, in proportion to the increase of the commerce of the metropolis ; but it should be recollected that a vast deal had been done within a few years.—(Cheers.) He trusted and believed that much would be done. Mr. LOTT declared that the Court was pledged to widen Watling-street, which was a more dangerous thorough fare than any that had been or could be mentioned, be fore it would consent to make any other improvement, and he appealed to its humanity to commence operations in that place before it listened to any other suggestion. — (Hear, hear.) There were, in Watling-street and its neighbourhood, accidents occurring daily, and deaths occurring periodically. For his part, he should oppose every other improvement until that which was so loudly called for by humanity was carried into effect. • • The reports were then severally agreed to, upon the understanding that all the improvements alluded to should be undertaken as soon as the Corporation funds could be made available for such purposes. INTERMENT OF TEE DEAD WITHIN THE CITY. _ . Mr. ANDERTON said that he rose to submit a motion of interest and importance to rich and poor. He was able to show, if the Court thought it necessary, that there was the most unanswerable arguments for applying to the Legislature to prevent the sepulture of the dead in future in the City of London, the only great city in the world, he believed, in which the practice was per mitted.—(Hear, hear, and cries of " Refer it at once to a Committee.") He should take the hint, as the Court appeared to be unanimous on the subject. He then moved—" That it be referred to the City Lands' Com mittee to examine into the means of sepulture in the City of London, and the state and condition of all the churchyards, places, and vaults, for burying the dead therein, and also whether it is expedient that an end should be put to the interment of the dead within the City, and to report thereon to this Court." The motion was carried unanimously. Sir PETER LAURIE gave notice of a motion, " that it be referred to the Committee for general purposes, to consider the propriety of removing the unnecessary end unsightly attic projecture over the pediment of the por tico of the Mansion-house, and to report their opinion thereon to this Court."—Adjourned. PoisoNs:—Considerable sensation hasbeen cre ated in the scientific circles by the report of the commis sion of the Academy on the experiments performed by M. Orfila for the discovery of poison in the human body by the use of Marsh's apparatus. The commission, which is composed of the first chemists of France, unhesitatingly declares that the pretended proofs of metallic stains pro duced by this apparatus are for the greater part fallaci ous ; in other words, that the persons condemned to death on charges of poisoning upon the experiments of M. Orfila, without other proof, were judicially mur dered. M. Orfila having frequently declared as a wit ' ness on the trials of those persons that his experiments were infallible,—a declaration which carried conviction to the minds of the Juries, he naturally attempts to ion trevert the opinion of the commission; but he does so with Much feebleness, and for the present, at least, he is lost in public opinion. You will remember that in the case of Madame Laffarge, the counsel for the defence were triumphant until M. Orfila went down to perform his experiments, and that the Jury returned a verdict en tirely on his evidence, although several eminent scientific men then declared, as the commission now does, that his experiments were not proofs. But for M. Orfila, Madame Laffarge, against whom legal proof was wanting, what ever might be the moral impression of the Jury, must have had an acquittal ; for in her case the circumstan tial evidence bore as much in her favour as against her. The feelings of M. Orfila now are not to be envied ; for although no man doubts his conscientiousness, it is the general opinion that in the endeavour to establish his theory, and convey to the public the impression which lie himself' felt as to the certainty of his experiments, he bore in all cases with unrelenting severity upon the ac cused. So great is the sensation produced by the report of the Academy, that it is not probable he will ukain have an op portunity of turning th e sca l e o f j ust i c e i n favour of the prosecutor by such evidence as has hithezto been received. —Letter from Paris. SERIOUS ASSAULT AT KILMUN.-A serious assault was committed at Kilmun last Monday, between two respectable gentlemen connected with Glasgow. One of them drew his knife, and stabbed the other. Some say this was in the heat of anger, others that it was in self-defence ; but both of them have been appre hended and remitted to the Fiscal of Inverary.— Reformer's Gazette. COURT CIRCULAR. Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the Royal Suite, left Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, at eleven o'clock yesterday morning, escorted by a party of Hus sars, for Pan sanger, Her ts, to honour the Earl and Countess Cowper with a visit. The Duke of Wellington, and ,some of the visitors at Woburn Abbey, took their de parture for town. Viscount Melbourne and other visi tori at the Abbey proceeded to Pansanger. Their• Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, and the Princesses Augusta and Mary of Cambridge, returned to Cambridge House onWednes day evening froln their residence at Kew. The Duchess of Cambridge honoured the Haymarket Theatre with her presence last evening. Major -General Sir John Harvey transacted business at the Colonial-office on Wednesday. Despatches from the Governor of the Mauritius were received yesterday at the Colonial-office. LITERATURE. THE OLD EARL AND HIS YOUNG WIFE. 3 Vols. Bentley, London. 1841. The period to which the leading events of this story refers, is the commencement of the seven teenth century, when the Catholic, though still the proscribed, religion, was making desperate struggles in England and Ireland to recover the supremacy, and its agents were generally diffused throughout the kingdom, despite the dangers that beset them. The attempts of a high minded Catholic priest (Hugh Talbot) to escape from the persecutions of the Legislature and its emissaries, who, as is well known, were all on the alert after the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, form no inconsiderable portion of the nar rative; which, however, derives its main in terest front the heroine, Eveline Mac Orr, the beautiful daughter of art Irish Chieftain, who, in order to assist her father and her friends, reduced almost to destitution by the oppressive exactions of the English Government in Ireland, accepts the hand of a rich old Earl, Lord Carthwaite, on whose death she retires into a French convent, where she remains nearly fifty years, her last moments cheered by the sight of the friend and lover of her youthful days, Phelin-O'Neill, who has accidently discovered her in her retreat, and expires nearly at the same time with herself. The character of this high-minded heroine is de lineated with very passable ability;tat first, there appears something cold, and heartless, and ambi tious in her nature, but these unfavourable im pressions wear away as we become better ac quainted with her, and ultimately she succeeds in rivetting herself strongly on our attention. Her vain, uxorious, old husband is also ably sketched ; but we could have dispensed with the dialogue that takes place between them, when in bed together on the bridal night—for, in the first place, it is in exceeding bad taste—and, secondly, it is in direct violation of probability. It is not often that matters of business are dis cussed on such delicate occasions. The thrifty, worldly-minded Scotch Peer, Lord Thurso, whose wife and daughters live by letting out lodg ings at Edinburgh, is rather too much in carica ture, though the outline is by no means amiss; and the disputatious propensities of the old Scotch Nobleman, are in places developed with much of that fine tact which we admire in Smollet's in comparable sketch of Lismahago. FASHIONS FOR AUGUST. (From the London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.) Materials of silk or worsted are now so varied andbeau tiful, and also so moderate in price, that in Paris they are more fashionable than the coloured muslins, or cotton manufactures, bareges, foulards, persannes, chine, &c. &c., and a new article imitating lace, lined with colours, with robes of tarlatane in pink or blue, embroidered in white tambour, are all fashionable at this moment, in consequence of the late cold weather. Peignoirs of muslin lined with silk have been slightly wadded, the wadding being placed between two breadths of silk. Deep tucks are much in favour for organdys, urlatanes, and muslins ; but for gaze de lain; cachemere, barege, and silk materials, two and three flounces are preferred. Gimp trimmings continue to be used for walking dresses and morning negliges. The newest corsage is high, and full all over, with sleeves fulled their entire length by means of runners ; the corsages a la Grecque and en Gerbe are also worn. Cannezous and fichus are made of plain net en bouil lons, with inlets ; high cannezous with long sleeves are made in this style, the cannezous Camargo with long cords, embroidered, and the demi decollete with small sleeves and the waist encircled by small basques trimmed with lace have a pretty effect on the co loured skirts.: Chemisettes of muslin are plisse en guimpe, and finished with a ruche. Scarfs continue in universal favour in Paris ; on account of the coldness of the last month, muslin scarfs: were lined with pink or blue cachemere, and trimed with fringe to correspond. The cap'a la Pompadour, with the lace drawn toge ther on the centre of the forehead, plain at the sides, forming wings on the throat, with a bunch of pink daisies, green currants, &c. on the left side, and rosette of pink gauze ribbon on the other ;—lace appets inter mixed with flowers—the small paysanne cap—and the pointe, or half handkerchief a la fauchon of point lace, placed very backward on the head, the ends inter mixed with flowers, form the newest style of cap at this moment. The youngest ladies now, even in the summer, adopt coiffures, a sort of medium between the coiffure of hair and the cap, composed of lace, gause, and ribbons. Bon nets do not undergo much change at this season. Capotes of poult de soie are ornamented with ruches, and sometimes covered by a voilette of lace : the straight form is much in favour, either for poult de soie, bouil lonne, embroidered organdys, &c. Straw bonnets are used for morning wear, trimmed with narrow bands of velvet laid on flat, sometimes confining 'small lace veils ; the velvet ribbon is arranged in a line of coques at the back of the bonnet. Pale blue gloves are all the fashion in Paris ; both long ones and mittens are made in this shade, closing with a small double button called gitanos, united by a chain, which admits of their hang ing a little beyond the button-hole. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME ClRCUlT—Maidstone, July 29. CIVIL SIDE. GEORGE V. BANKS, ESQ., AND ANOTHER. This was an action brought by the plaintiff, a dentist, in Old Burlington-street, against the defendant, the High Sheriff of the county of Kent, and one of his offi cers, for alleged false imprisonment. Mr. Platt and Mr. Petersdorff were for the plaintiff, and Mr. Sergeant Channell and Mr. Clarkson for the de fendant. Mr. Platt, for the plaintiff, stated the case, and said that the plaintiff was a respectable gentleman, a member of the College of Surgeons, and at present carrying on the business of a dentist in Old Burlington-street, and he brought the present action against the Sheriff for having, by his agent, restrained his liberty in the most unwarrantable manner. The Learned Counsel then went on to say that a person named Bressy having some claim upon a gentleman named Cartwright, a cousin to the plaintiff, he instituted proceedings against him and obtained in due course a writ for his ar rest. That gentleman denied the justice of the claim made upon him, and having settled all his other affairs, he was on the point of proceeding abroad, and it was arranged that he and the plaintiff, and some other friends should dine together at Graves end before his departure, and they accordingly did so, and, in the midst of the entertainment the plaintiff was called out of the room by Arnold, a sheriff's officer, who insisted that he was Mr. Cartwright, and, not withstanding the plaintiff's friends assured him that he was mistaken, and that he was warned by the plaintiff of the consequences, he persisted in ar resting him and conveying him to a lock-up house, where he was kept until the next night, when some persons said to Arnold, " God bless me, you've got the wrong man," and the plaintiff was then set at liberty. The Learned Counsel then, at some length, pro ceeded to comment upon the illegal character of the act that had been committed, and said that the conduct of the officer was most unjustifiable, and that his proper course would have been to have taken some one with him to identify the party who should have been taken in execution, and el ) (11 a so Counsel e odustatements,, have nt ol havetlaidhe nd ho Nnlv calleddeh ei o nn f the first man he met wit i h oie as coLn h efi e ar a rnn p l the present number present of instance.witnesses to the Chief Justice Tindal summed up, and the Jury, after deliberating for some time, re t urne d a verdict for the defendants. DUKES OF BURGUNDY.—D vations recently mad e i n uring some exca , of Phi he church of St. Benigne, at Dijon, the bodies Philippe-le-Hardi and Jean-sans- Peur, the famous Dukes of Burgundy, have been found various articles used • preservation with their robes, and the CAUTION TO R E in embalming their bodies. ~ an alphabetical list READERS.—On over an Ireland, with the of the counties of great Britain and electoral names of the several cities, burghs, and the Members districts comprised within each, together with they have returned to the new House of Commons," • which appears o fSaturday, we in the Times have been much amused at the liberties which the com piler has t a k en withsome of our Scottish. cities ' ' and burghs. The changes which ha ve lately taken place iu their represe n t a tion sink into nothing when comecteparen d with those which " the leading journal' has effected i their geographical position. For instance, the pretty town of Montrose, which had stood from time immemorial on the banks of the Esk, has been removed without cere mony to Aberdeenshire l Paisley has been ousted from Rent'rewsbire, and honoured with a location somewhere in Lanarkshire ; and Falkirk, for the first time, moved " into the shire of Linlithgo w. Among o th e r removals, th lang town o' Kirkaldy," which we found the other day stretching itself, as usual, along the coast of Fifeshire, has been whirled across the Firth, and planted at our very door—a fact of which we were profoundly ignorant. Wick from Caithness -shire, d Kirkwall fromc heek the far off island of Orkney, have been dby jowl," in Inverness-shire ; and, to crown all, Kilmarnock (probably for the unrTrdonable sin of rejecting St. Col quhoun) has been banished from the plains of .Ayrshire to the bleak mountains of Clackmannan. It is to be re , gretted that Cowrie was not a returning burgh, as tb Times, in shifting its locality, might possibly have de. rived some assistance from numerous earthquakes, On the ivho/e, however, the. getter-up of the Times' list has shown himself tolerably independent of assist ance of any kind, particularly that derived from the map or gaze tteer.—Scotsman. MORNING SUN. ANTI-CORN-LA W CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sir.,—The conference of Ministers of the Gospel, to be held in Manchester, in reference to the Anti-Corn law movement. will have the effect of agitating the question of clerical interference with politics—than which no point of daily dispute is more requisite to be under stood. My doctrine is decidedly anti-political, and yet my congregation has appointed me to attend that con ference on the side of total and immediate repeal. Corn being at present under political regulation, let politicians defend the law, or alter it for another. I purpose to at tend as an advocate of liberty, but to have nothing to do with the upholding of politics. It is a question of poli tics or none. The Spectator, to which you reply in your leader o f the 26th, is afraid of more sectarianism from the meet ing. I wonder at this, considering that paper's usual liberality. I expect the diffusion of much generous feel ing from the discussion, as ministers of all denomina tions are invited ; and the question, like that of sla very, or any other enormous wrong, is common ground. There is no less of debateable material than on th ques tion of slavery. The withholding of corn, the shutting of ears to the cry of the poor, and such things, are too plainly and broadly written for matters of disputation. Politicians may argue the merits of sliding scales and fixed duties ; but ministers can only take up the Corn law as a moral question. If they take the Bible for their guide, the only Corn-law they will have to rule by must be that of Pharaoh, in which the Patriarch Joseph was the actor. But that was for the saving of life, and feeding the people ; a fact which shows that despotism can sometimes do more for the common good than Bri tish legislation. Because this country is half ruined by the doings of a political priesthood, why should your Contemporary be alarmed for a meeting of ministers who have no political existence, and who in principle are either non-political, or, like myself, anti-political ? There is little probability that the Church will send her parsons to plead the cause of the poor, the hungry, and the naked. She is en riched by the starvation of the people. She is willing to say, " Be thou warmed, and clothed, and fed ;" but she will keep her hold of the key of the corn that is rotting in bond. Dissenters principally, who eat the bitter fruits of monopoly, and pine under political scarcity, will send their ministers to the conference ; and it is not likely they will take up the defence of politics, under whose heartless power the country is sinking into demorali zation and wretchedness, notwithstanding her amazing mental energies ; and the whole world is made an arena of enmity and strife, and a field of bloodshed. No ' • I expect they will take up the cause of freedom and of man's rights upon the broad basis of " the glorious liberty of the sons of God." Because I am a minister of the gospel of peace, why will your Contemporary deny me th privilege of meeting my brothers of all denominations to confer regarding politics ? He might as well, because lam a teetotaller, refuse me the right of speaking against drunkenness. Would he have a monopoly of politics to the fraternity of the broadsheet, as the parsons would have of reli gion ? I hope he will think better on this matter, and confess that it is possible enough for ministers of religion to discuss politics, and act in the political world with firmness and energy, without being politicians. Many ministers, I am sorry to say, are in the same error as your Contemporary. They think they have no business with politics, but,lhould quietly let the rulers of the world do as they please. They, therefore, bury themselves among books during the week, but creep to the pulpit on Sundays. Yet they deceive themselves, for they all labour to have their doctrines made universal, and say that in that event war will be no more. If they are right in that expectation, they labour by theit preach ing to realise greater political revolutions than the world has yet seen. They labour for the overthrow of every Government in the world. Where, when their aims are attained, will be the military power and honour by which Royalty and Nobility have all their glory? The younger branches of aristocracy must then be ho nestly and usefully employed. The coercion of law will be over and gone. Compulsory taxation will be no more. And in every social regulation the voice from the Throne will be realised, " Behold, I make all things new." In every sentence that a minister utters, either in the pulpit or out of it, that infuses the spirit of peace into his hearers, he meddles with politics, and undermines exist ing institutions. It is one of my highest and most pleasing duties to wean my congregation from politics, and to illustrate the happiness of a world governed by moral power ; to show its practicability from the creation of all nations of men into one blood ; and its hopefulness from the revelations of the Gospel. Yet I interfere much with politics, and always join the people, when, as in the Anti-Corn-law movement, their object is the lessening the quantity. In the lessening of the quantity, I believe all - political im provement to have its being. I am, Sir, a general admirer of your principles, A DISSENTING MINISTER. Aralsall, July 28, 1841. MANIFESTO OF THE NEW GREEK MINISTRY. ADDRESS OF PRINCE MAVROCORDATO TO THE GOVER NORS AND DEPUTY-GOVERNORS OF THE KINGDOM ON BEING APPOINTED HEAD OF THE NEW CABINET. The King has deigned to confide to me the direction of the affairs of the interior. Having accepted this im portant mission, I shall do my utmost to execute his Majesty's wishes, but I, nevertheless, hope to succeed but through your active and vigilant assistance. Calling it, therefore, to my aid, I here expose to you how I think your assistance may be useful, and may attain the end that his Majesty's Government has in view. It is of the foremost necessity that impartiality should be the guide of all your administrative acts. A Gover nor, who is the organ of the Government and of the law, can belong to none of the opinions or parties which may divide those under his administration. Constantly the same towards all citizens, a Governor must always bear in mind that his highest and most general mission is to protect them all, considering them as equals in his pre sence, as well as before the law which he represents. It is indispensable that you should well understand that the Government of his Majesty, respecting indivi dual opinions and sympathies, never seeks to penetrate either into the consciences, or into the hearts of the citi zens, and that he protects no opinion or sympathy, so far as it is made a direct or indirect cause of injustice or disobedience to the law ; illegal acts should be every where suppressed, to whatever class the offending party may happen to belong. But in order that this desirable end should be perfectly attained, you should, gentlemen, give the first example of respect for the law, the safe guard of property, of individual honour and liberty, against which the Government of his Majesty will not allow any attempt to be made on any pretence. The Government of his Majesty has particularly at heart to protect the free action of those institutions which call citizens to assist in the work of Government. For the execution of these laws, either when, by the election of the communal or provincial authorities, or after their installation, the law should invest you with a control to exercise over them, I demand, in the first case, that your intervention should be pacific and conciliatory ; that it should be confined within the limits of the law, and that in no case its object should be to use any influence in elections, as the Government is most deeply interested in the elections expressing sincerely and unequivocally the sentiments of the electors. In the second case, and reminding you that the welfare of the State results from a good communal and provincial administra tion, you should employ all the authority with which the law invests you to introduce order into the municipal administration, to grant your prompt assistance whenever the law requires it, and by that means to encourage the moral and intellec tual development of the State. You will, above all things, act with the strictest severity against those who, abusing the warrant of their fellow-citizens, and the con fidence of the Government, make use of their authority for the promotion of their personal interests, and per vert, to the detriment of the people, those laws which have been only established for their benefit. You should i also exercise a strict surveillance over all the public evt ; ployes placed und er y our jurisdiction, for the Government will consider the Governors as responsible for all is abuses d m uty, which may arise from their negligenceof th sympathy whether that negligence may proceed from with the party, or from being themselves re i N.e p n i te ic d teda thos in e their bad conduct, and they have no abuses when aware of their existence. which you are invested The authority, gentlerneut, N‘ f f , e h r i e o n h t public a mongst functionaries; and it is is the most general air! reventing you forgetting the act the more strongly in N . legally owe fur the good of the ser vicetwchoonsseidoefrattondi assistance that your first duty is to give impress on your le of harmony between your powers and those the example to the wothliiceirla-menotelhimoroitryies, and which should constantly w hether the authorities which the law causes to act in a s phere, judicial such as authority, or of those ecia Lunn the sphere of administrative ser sp l which co me v, d that both one and the other make part v i ce , an of the sa r. o . thing—the con siderGovernmen.t it as a de p lorable misfortune. should if divisions should manifest themselves betwee n the different p owers in some provinces, for reciprocal respect and sincere con cord between the authorities themselves strengthen the Government as much as disagreements amongst them paralyses and weakens its strength. And on the other hand, how can the Government succeed in calming those passions which may occasionally disturb society, if the Government itself is composed of members amongst whom dissent and disagreement reign ? The Hellenic Society, gentlemen, revived by the aid of Divine Providence , is composed of interests and rights which require support and protection ; but you should always call to mind that the most sacred right due to society, is to ameliorate its condition by the wel fare of each of its members, and by the development of all its moral and physical powers ; and, consequently, all private interests must give way before the general interests of society. It belongs to you then, ge ntlemen, to assist this development—the forerunner of a wise li berty—by a resolute and unflinching protection, as well as by impartial justice to all, which is the most noble at tribute of any Government. I consider it superfluous, gentlemen, to encourage you in your important labours by promises, for governmental activity and wisdom are rewarded by the gratitude of the governed, and by the satisfaction to the governing of having well performed their duty. But as it is always the duty of the Government to reward the capacity and the patriotism of those employed under it, and as the so ciety is a gainer by being served by honoured magis trates, I shall recommend to Royal favour all those who distinguish themselves in the administrative career. (Signed) A. MAVROCORDATO, Athens, July 8, 1841. Minister of the Interior. BRUSSELS, JULY 27.—The rise in the price of corn last Is eek, in consequence of the continuance of bad weather, has rendered an augmentation of the price of bread necessary. Up to this day, which is the 207th of the year, we had rain on 100 days, not reckoning those on which snow fell.