The Sun. — London, England, 1841-01-26 00:00:00

IRELAND. MEETING IN ULSTER. BELFAST, THURSDAY, JAN. 21. ;ha grand demonstration of Protestant feeling in Ulster took place to-day, in Belfast, in the Circus. The assem. biage was immense, composed of some of the most d' tin. vished and influential men of Uluer. Upon the platform r o bserved the Marquis o f Downs re, Lard Hillsborough, L o rd Viscount Newry and Morne, Mr. Emerson Tennent, Ty! P., Sir Robert Bateson, M.P., Lord Loftus, eldestson of the Marquis of Ely, Dr. Cooke, and several other dis tlnguished laymen and divines. The Marquis of Downshire was called to the chair. GEORGE ROBERT DAwsoN, Esq., proposed an address of congratulation to her Majesty and Prince Albert upon the birth of the Princess Royal. He illuded to the recent (events which occurred in Belfast. He said he could not express one-twentieth part of the indignation he felt at that " ruffian" O'Connell coming down to Belfast on his buca. beering crusade, to oblige country gentlemen to come from their peaceful homes in order to prevent, by a counter-de monstration, the impression going abroad that Belfast was deceived by the impostor.—(Cheers.) Mr. Steele, his satellite, had sworn, in an information before a Magistrate, that he was afraid an Orange mob would molest him. All Ragland would resound with plaudits of the bravery of the men who turned O'Connell out of Ulster.—(Cheers.) Lord ALGERNON CHICHESTER seconded the motion. COl. VERNER, M. P., proposed the adoption of the Ad- 1 dress, and the presentation of it to the Queen lait the Mar quis of Downshire. S. AastsTitosio, Esq., High Sheriff of Fermanagh, se goaded the resolution. Sir Robert Bateson, M. P., Lord Loftus, and Mr. Bates addressed the meeting, expressing a hope that they would forward a petition to Parliament worthy of the North, in favour of a measure which, in spite of every opposition, world, he was certain, shortly become the law of the land. Loud cheers.) E. TENNENT, Esq., seconded the resolution. He com municated to Lord Stanley the feeling which pe•vaded Ulster with regard to his Bill ; he also availed hlmself of the opportunity to forward to his Lordship tbs report of the Ulster Association. To this letter he received an al most instaat reply, the substance of which le would place before the meeting. With regard to the re-introduction of the Bill, he (Mr. Emmerson Tennent) was happy to tell them, that he bad Lord Stanley's own authority for stating thlt he was perfectly prepared to go on with it.— Ile would read the letter itself, with the permission of the meeting. The Hon. Gentleman thee proceeded to read extracts from the following letter from Lord Stanley : " As to the time and manner of the introduction of the Bill, lam in the hands of our friends. lam ready, at any hour that may be most desirable with a view to success. " As to modifications, you know—no one better—that the task of introducing the Bill was not of my seeking; that, having undertaken it, I most carefully considered its provisions, and with the concurrence of our friends, put it into a shape in which we thought it both a just and an effective measure. I see no reason to alter the view which we then took from anything that has since passed in Par. liament or elsewhere; but lam not only ready—l shall be thankful—to receive and consider with respect the sugges tions of those who have more practical experience than myself, and too happy to adopt them ; if, on the one hand, lam satisfied of their justice, and if, on the other, they will not throw additional obstacles in the way of passing the Bill. No doubt there are some of its provisions more essential than ethers ; and I do not think that I can more eoz.veniently, though I may more shortly, answer your questions, than by going through the manifesto which em 'oodles the views of the Ulster Association, so far as they relate to registration. I hail with satisfaction their admission (p. 30) that, in order successfully to oppose any future attempt to carry a. Bill similar to Lord Stanley's, it is necessary to be pre pared to propose such amendments of the present law as are imperatively required to remedy its many objection able provisions and ; 4laririg defects ; and I rejoice to find also, that in many oi the leading provisions of my Bill, 4snd sortie of 'snick were the most decried, they arc com pelled to concur. " In. speaking of tic annual registration—the Associa tion take no Twice of the great additional facilities given to all parties, whether claimants or objectors, by the pro visions cf my Bill, which multiplied the places of holding f.egistratiou Courts and assigned a district to each, as in England—a facility which could not be given with a quar terly registrati..n. NOTICES—See. 2. We both agree that the claimant should give ti.stice of his claim ; and I concur with them that the description given sh, old be of such a nature only as is necessary ler the identification of the claimants, and such general description of the property as will prevent fraudulent registra:ion. Perhaps I should add, and they might admit, as will enable the property to be identified. - Adopting this principle, the necessary forms are matter of detail and fair subject for discussion. So also as to the pubi'cation of die notices of claims. " NOTICE OF OBJECTIoNs —The Association would admit any person to object, but limit the objections to those of 'which specific notice fi,al been served on the party, and on sonic public officer, as in Scotland. " I restrict the right cf objecting, as in England ; to voters or claimants, or their agents, but require no notice (except as against pi rsons already on the registry) nor any specification of objections. Indeed if, as they admit, the claimant is its the fi. ct instance to prove his title, he must be prepared to prove it against any and every objection that can be raised. " The Associatn , n are compelled to admit that the sys tem pursued i❑ Scotland, of requiring specific objections, is liable to abuse, as it contains no provision against an ob jector including in his notice every possible objection, and the remedy they propose is to compel the registering barris• ter to saddle the objector with the cost and expenses for every objection not gone into, or nut requiring rebutting evidence. Tiles every objection stated must be gone into by the ob *cctor, though tine claimant may have been rejected on the very first, on pain or being visited with costs to be paid to the rejected claimant, and a penalty is imposed on an °h ector, though it be distinctly admitted that at the time of giving the notice he had every reason to believe his objec tion well founded. I propose to authorise the Assistant Barrister to give costs where he shall judge the objection frivolous, which is the most rational and most practical *OIIrSC. " Sec. 6.--Oecue.tTioN AND POSSESSJON.—The Asso ciation purpose th ,t claimants shall, in all cases, be allowed to register at the first sessions after coming into possession, and of voting at the expiration of the same period, which would entitle the Englith voter!, of the same class, to put in their claims. " In England, freeholders and copyholders, with some exceptions which extend to Ireland, must have been in possession six months previous to the last day of July before the annual registration ; and all other claimants, welee months—that is, eight months, or fourteen months, at least, before registry, My Bill proposed to give in Ire land the right of being registered at the end of six months. " What ground can there be for a still greater difference in favour of Ireland ? " POLLING. —Upon this subject I will only say, that if, as I understand, you agree with the Association in desir ing an assimilation to the English law as to the multipli cation of polling places, and the duration of elections, I atrong)y recommend that that question should be kept se parate from registration, and be made the subject of a distinot 1111. If Irish Members, without distinction of party, are generally of opinion that the adoption of the English law in this respect will tend to diminish expense, and will also provide effectually for the peaceable and im partial exercise of the franchise—l think I may say with confidence that they will meet with no opposition on the part of the Representatives of England and Scotland. " Rzeislos.—We agree that the Irish law should be adhered to, which requires the claimant to prove his title in the first instance ; but the Association require that he should then be protected from any future infringement of his right to vote, except on account of some circumstance occurring subsequently to his having been placed on the register, and not previously adjudicated upon. " I admit that a voter once on the register should be protected against vexatious re-investigations ; my Bill re quires that the objector in such case should prove his ob jection (not show a prima facie cause but prove it) before the, pter is ever called o n f or a d e f ence—that he should pro4 T e it, subject to costs for a frivolous objection ; but we contend that the extent of protection demanded by the As sociation will tend to keep on the register fraudulent votes, provided they can afterwards be proved to have been frau dulent when first put on : further, that in the difference which unfortunately prevails in the decision of different barristers, a claimant successively rejected by a dozen bar risters, and having put the objectors to the expense of sub stantiating their objections a dozen times consecutively, if be cars at last succeed in persuading one barrister to re verse the decisions of the other twelve, is irrevocably placed on the register. Again, a claimant having been placed on the register by the over-ruling, on appeal, of the objection on which he was first rejected, is protected against objec tions which might have been urged at his first claim, and which could have been urged had they not been Imight rendered unnecessary by his rejection o n other_ grsoutiff?d multiply cases, but I think these will becisent to show that protecti o n to this extent palses the legitimate bounds, and tends to the introduction for life of fraudulent votes. " APPIAL. (Quotation from the report of the Ulster A mei ation ) " Your Committee consider it an object of the first im portance, that an appeal to a Committee of the House of Commons, on the right of voters, should be rendered, as far as possible, unnecessary. They cannot, therefore, ap prove of the English system, because it gives no means of redress, either to a claimant or to an objector, against an erroneous decision of a registering barrister, except by a reference to such a Committee ; nor of the Irish system, because it confines the right of appeal to the claimant ; your Committee would therefore recommend that the right of appeal on all points of law (the final decision on ques tions of fact having been already provided for in sec. 4 ) should be conferred both on the claimant and on the ob jector ; and that a court of appeal should be constituted hefore which appellants might have such points decided.' (p. 10). " I am happy to have the assent of the Ulster Associa tion to the three main principles et my Bill. Ist—That it would be of great advantage to obviate the necessity of appeals to the House of Commons. 2d—That for this ptrpreee a Court of Appeal is necessary. ad—That the right of appeal should be conferred both on the claimant and on the objector. hi fact, these, together with the no tice to be given by claimants (to which the Associati o n assent), the abolition of certificates and affliavits (which they also recominen,i), and the annual revision (and they propose a quarterly revision) constituted the essence of the Bill which was so acrimoniously opposed last Session. I think it doubtful how far questions of law and of feet can be enoarlted in the appeal as proposed 1 )y the Associa tion. They do not suggest any new constitution of the Court of App ea l. I f ound the Judge of Assize already the authority referred to on the one-sided appeal, anti I preserved the name authority when the appeal was extended to the objector. If any other tribunal tan be established of as high legal attainments. as far removed from tempta tion, and as free from the suspicion of partiality, I see no that the appeal shall be to th e J u d g e of reason for insisting Assize. The substiLulien or tie authority of a Judge for that I ' of a jury, in cases of value, was suggested by the late Lord Clement; sanctioned by the present Government, and adopted by the House of Commons. The Association think that here again the objector should be subject to ;costs, in every case where his objec tions are not sustained ; the claimant to none in any case whatever. I was of opinion that both parties should be liable to costs, if there were no legitimate grounds for bringing the appeal, or defending the vote. The course recommended by the Association appears one-sided and unjust ; and, if I understand rightly, gives costs against the objector whenever unsuccessful, and relieves the claimant where he frivolously puts the objector to expense in substantiating an objection already affirmed by the Barrister. " I have nothing to say to the remaining sections which support the vote by ballot, the shortening of the duration of l'arliament (in the practical adoption of which principle, at the present moment, I apprehend they will meet with but little countenance on the part of her Majesty's Ministers),.the qualification of represen tires, or the proportion which ought to be established_ be tween the number of representatives f rom Ireland and from the rest of the empire ; but, after all that has upon the subject of the comparative franchise been said in the three franchise.couatri es I Tmust tablesay a furnished few word s in o n this section 12th com parative as proving that Ire parative view of the franchise is a rivet useful document, and I gladly avail myself of it—first, land has not been unjustly dealt with; and, second, as fur nishing, together with the commerts, a strong argument in favour of our interpretation of the existing franchise. " The table of tho Association shows that, in two in stances as compared with Eegland, and one as compared with Scotland, the Irish freehold franchise is more re stricted ; while, as relates to the leasehold franchise, not only does Ireland possess, to an equal extent, every fran chise enjoyed by either country, with the exception of the 50/. tenancy at will (which is repudiated by the Associa tion), but, in almost every instance, a less term of years, and a lower amount of value will qualify in Ireland, than either in England or Scotland. " First, as to the restriction. In England, a freehold of inheritance in any case, and freehold not of inheritance, provided the party occupy to the amount of 405., entitles to vote ; whereas, in Scotland and in Ireland, the amount is 101., and in Ireland for a freehold below 201., occupa tion is superadded as a condition. For the amount, it is needless to advert to the grounds which led to the aboli tion of the Irish 40s. franchise. At the peried of the Reform Bill the Legislature found the 40s. franchise existing in England, and did not abolish, though it restricted it, and where the restrictions applied, it fixed the minimum at 101. In Scotland it found no such franchise, and did not introduce it, but fixed the minimum at 101. In Ireland it had been recently abolished, the Legislature did not restore it, but found the minimum fixed at 101. and left it so. Indeed, the Reform Bill did not, in any way, deal with the freehold franchise of the counties of Ire land—it conferred no new one—it altered no old one, but it added the leasehold to the previously existing freeholds, and in so doing, conferred the right mere extensively on Ireland than either England or Scotland. On the same ground the law re quiring occupation remained unaltered ; and it may be well for the " Liberal " Association, who select this point of comparison with Scotland as a grievance, to bear in mind, that so far from extending popular rights, the very want of this restriction in Scotland was found practically to give so much power to large landowners to grant " fic titious" freeholds, that the Select Committee on Scotch fictitious votes, presided over by Mr. florsman, recom mended that in Scotland occupation should be required of the smaller freeholders, and that two successive Lords Ad vocate, with the sanction of the present Government, have gone so far as to advise that residence should be enforced as a condition. " And now let us turn to the leaseholds, and, adopting the plan of the Association, place side by side the fran chises:possessed respectively by the three countries, leaving a blank in each case where no corresponding franchise exists." Leasehold Franchises in England. Scotland. Ireland Original lessee or assignee of a term of 60 years (57 in Scotland Original lessee or assignee o f a term of :20 year., Ditto, ditto, 19 years Ditto, ditto, 14 years Franchises requiring Occupation. Sub-lessee or assignee of a term of 60 years (57 in Scotland Original lessee or assignee of a term 20 years Ditto, ditto, 19 years... Ditto, ditto, 14 years Tenant at will, liable to a rent X X X 10 10 10 50 50 20 - 50 20 -' - - 20 10 10 10 50 50 10 50 10 20 ' But the table is valuable in another point of view; be cause for the purposes o comparison, it sets side by side the 10/., 201., and 50/. franchises enjoyed by England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, as being co-extensive with each other ; and either the Association act most disin genuously in instituting a comparison between similar amounts with different meanings, or else, the several fran chises, though in each country conveyed in different terms, are in reality (as we contend they are) the same in sub stance in each. I close with them on the more creditable assumption, and it will be a great point gained in the con troversy if we can concur in this view, because in that case the interpretation given to the law in one country ought to influence the interpretation of the corresponding words in the other. It is right, however, that we should see what the words really are, which, with reference to the Scotch Act, the Committee of the Association incorrectly quote. You are well aware that the Irish county free holder votes under the terms, not of the Irish Reform Act, which does not confer the franchise upon him, but ! of the 10th Geo. IV., c. 8, s. 2; and that the oath which he is required by the Reform Act to take is, that lam a freeholder, &c., and that I have a freehold therein, of the clear yearly value of 10/. over aid above,' &e. The Eng lish Act borrows its phraseeloffy from the preceding Irish Act, and provides that the freehold shall 13,2 of ' the clear yearly value of 10/.,' words identical with the qualifying words of the Irish freeholder, and with the words of his oath. Can it be contended that their construction is dif. ferret ? " The Scotch words relating to owners (and to owners only, not tenants) are, that the subject on which he claims shall be of the yearly value of 10/., and shall actually yield, or be capable of yielding that value to the claimant, after reducing feu-duty, ground annual, &c.' Tina words marked in italics have been omitted by the Association in quoting the franchise, which they do with approbation. " The leasehold qualification in England is conferred on the lessee, &c., of any term originally for a period of not less than years,' of the clear yearly value of pounds ; in Ireland, on a lessee ' having a beneficial in terest therein of the clear yearly value of not less than pounds.' In Scotland, where the clear yearly value of such tenant's interest, after paying the rent, and any other considerations due by him for his said interest is not less than pounds. " And it is worth remarking, that in Scotland the leasehold qualification applies to a franchise which in Ire land would be called a freehold—viz., a lease for the life of a tenant. I know not how the difference of ex pression arose between the English and the Scotch Acts ; I do not know that the words of the English and Irish Bills, as introduced, were identical ; and the reasons of the change, which was made publicly, and for which the grounds ;were publicly assigned, are known to all. lam confident the franchises were intended to be the same in principle ; I believe they arc the same in effect ; and I do not believe that any English or Scotch lawyers have placed on the English or Scotch franchise the inter pretation which is sought to be attached to the words of the Irish Act. But I have neither time nor inclination to argue this question at length, still less to consider the propositions made by the Association for the alteration of the franchise. I will just direct your attention to a proposal (page 19,) while they repudiate the 50/. tenant at will, as unduly dependent on his landlord, to place on the register all persons rated for twelve months, upon a holding rated not higher than 10/., whatever be his rent, without any reference to his beneficial interest in the tenement ; and to another passage in the same page, where, in speaking of a franchise depending on the ex cess of annual rated value above his rent, such excess is correctly enough called the tenants' beneficial interests.' One other argument, however, I must borrow from the Association in favour of our construction, too remarkable to be omitted. They quote, with approbation, p. 12, and p. 18, a Scotch franchise given to a tenant having paid a sum of 3001. for the interest, whatever his rent may be. A very little reflection shows the ground for this. The tenant who has paid 3004 for his lease, subject to a rent, has given 30 years purchase of a profit rent of 10/. ; whatever his rent-charge may be, he could dispose of his farm for 10/. per annum more than he pays. His lease to him, in the words of the English Act, is of the clear yearly value of la' In those of the Scotch, 'his inte rest, after paying his rent, is not less than 101." In those of the has a beneficial interest therein of not less than 10/;' and, lastly, in the words of that part of the Irish oath, now abrogated, a solvent tenant could fairly, and without _collusion, afford to pay him 101.' over and above thelrent to which ho is subject. The argument is new to me, but I own it strikes me as both sound and forcible. " I am ashamed of the length to which my letter has run. It has been written in haste, but as you well know, I am tolerably familiar with the subject, and as I am o n c e; aware of having stated anything erroneously or unfairly, you are perfectly at liberty to make what use of it ?at; Y think fit. I have nothing to conceal or disguise.—Believe me, my dear Sir, very sincerely yours, "J. Emerson Torment, Esq." " STANLEY." ' Dr. STEwART, in an able speech proposed the adoption of a petition to Parliament. Dr. CooKE was received with the most enthusiastic shouts of reiterated applause. lie read some extracts from a report respecting O'Connell's visit to the North. and concluded a long and rambling speech, by moving the following resolution :—" That looking to the numerous and solid advantages which have accrued to Ireland in particular, and ti Empire at large, from the effect s of the Legislative Limon between the two countries, we have seen with indignation and alarm the recently re newed efforts to effect its repeal."--Passed unanimously. The Rev. 11. SMITH CUMIN°, Vicar of Ballymena, moved the next resolution, which was as follows :—" That we heartily re j o i ce i n the deep and universal impres slenthat pervades not only all denominatiocs of Pro testants in the Kingdom, but a respectable portion of the Roman Catholic contemplated population, that repeal is but an other name 1' or tor rebellion, and a flimsy cover for the dismemberment of the empire, and that we are determined most cordially to co-operate in frus trating the endangers, mischievous and destructive project, and for preserving that settlement of property which repoal both threatens and w inch it would ultimately The following and that civil and religious li bertyreus t l imately and infallibly deatroy." " That we have soon with sincere were also agreed pression by the Lord Lieutenant, circumstances of to : s o a f t i :iifiasc official tion n ti recent i2ap p 7 0 - bation of this renewed agitation repeal, and that we deeply regret that vented his Excellency from following e s tanee so; should declaration have p e by active measures similar to the vigorous steps taken to suppress a like treasonable agitation in 1833." " That we feel it incumbent upon ourselves to come for ward thus collectively, in order to assure her Majesty, the Queen, of our loyal attachment to her throne and person, our resolution to aid her in preserving inviolate the inte grity of her dominions, as established by the Act of Union in 1800, and that an humble address, embodying these sen timents of our devotion and fidelity, be adopted by the meeting, and presented to her Majesty." The following address was then read : TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 44 May it please your Majesty—Nye, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Nobility, Clergy, and Gen try of Antrim, Down, and the adjacent northern counties in your Majesty's kingdom of Ireland, by public requisi. tion assembled, have seen with indignation and alarm those renewed attempts now in progress for the repeal of the legislative Union between Great Britain and Ireland,which have now, for the first time, been undisguisedly carried into the province of Ulster. Your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects most distinctly and solemnly disavow any wish to see abridged the constitutional rights of any portion of our fellow-subjects, of meeting to address your Majesty or petition Parliament upon any political question, consistent with the peace of the kingdom and the dignity and stabi lity of the Throne, but the assembling of large masses of your Majesty's subjects, marching in procession with party banners and music, under pretence of petitioning for a re peal of the legislative Union, we cannot view otherwise than as both calculated and intended to overawe your Majesty's Government, to generate and perpetuate party spirit, to endanger the peace and blight the prosperity of your Majesty's kingdom of Ireland ; nor can we view the agitation otherwise than as a covert mode of organising and encouraging rebellion and of undermining the dignity of the Throne by effecting the dismemberment of your Majesty's empire. " Your dutiful and loyal subjects therefore beg leave to approach your Majesty, tendering our profound respect and affection to your Majesty's person—onr hereditary at tachment to your illustrious house—and our loyal devoted ness to the British Constitution and connexion, and our firm determination to support your Majesty in all measures calculated to counteract and suppress the machinations of repeal ; to preserve the integrity of your Majesty's do minions, and perpetuate the blessings derived from the legislative Union of these kingdoms." The address was adopted, and the Marquis of Down shire, and the other Noble Lords, members of her Majesty's Most lion. Privy Council, were requested, at their earliest convenience, to present the same to her Majesty. The thanks of this meeting, and of every friend of the legislative Union, were given to the Rev. Dr. Cooke, for his manly and spirited efforts to induce the author of the repeal agitation to discuss it upon its substantial merits. The cordial thanks of this meeting were given to the Marquis of Downshire for his devoted zeal in coming to attend this meeting—for his kindness in taking, and his proper conduct in the chair ; and the Marquis of Down shire having briefly returned thanks, the meeting separated. COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen held a Court and Privy Council at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, at Buckingham Palace. At the Court Mr. George Simpson, Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company's Settlements, and Mr. Robert Horsford, Solicitor-General of Antigua, were presented to her Majesty by Lord John Russell, her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies. The following Foreign Ministers had audiences of her Majesty : His Excellency Chekib Effendi, the Turkish Ambas rador ; Baron de Biome, the Danish Minister ; Baron de Cetto, the Bavarian Minister ; Count de Polion, the Sardinian Minister ; Baron da Torre de Moncorvo, the Portuguese Minister ; M. de Montezuma, the Brazilian Minister ; Count de Keilmansegge, the Hanoverian Minister ; Baron de Nieumann, the Austrian Minister. Their Excellencies were respectively introduced by Viscount Palmerston, G.C.8., her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and conducted by Sir Robert Chester, Master of the Ceremonies. The Privy Council was attended by his Royal High ness Prince Albert, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Privy Seal, the First Lord of the Treasury, the Secre taries of State for the Home, Foreign, and Colonial Departments, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Chief Commissioner of the Woods and Forests, the President of the India Board, the President of the Board of Trade, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, the Secretary at War, the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, and the Master of the Horse. Her Majesty's Speech on opening the Session of Par liament this day, was arranged and agreed upon. Mr. C. Greville v►as the Clerk of the Counoil in Waiting. Her Majesty gave audience to the Marquis of Nor manby, the Earl of Uxbridge, the Earl of Albemarle, Viscount Palmerston, and Viscount Melbourne, The Court was attended by the Comptroller of the Household ; Lord Hill, Gold Stick in Waiting ; the Earl of Listowel, Lord in Waiting ; Mr. Rich, Groom in Waiting ; Lord Alfred Paget, Equerry in Waiting ; and Colonel Bouverie, Equerry in Waiting on Prince Albert. His Excellency M. de Montezuma, the Brazilian Minister, attended by M. Macedo, Secretary of Lega tion, after having presented his credentials to the Queen yesterday afternoon, had an audience of his Royal Ilighness Prince Albert, at Buckingham Palace. The Duchess of Kent visited the Queen yesterday, and lunched with her Majesty and Prince Albert. Mr. George Hayter had the honour of submitting to his Royal Highness Prince Albert yesterday, a splendid whole length portrait of her Majesty seated on the Throne, in the Imperial Dalniatic Robes, previously to its being presented to the goldsmith's Company. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Colonel Bouverie, Equerry in Waiting, paid visits yes terday afternoon to the Duchess of Gloucester, at Gloucester House, and the Duke of Cambridge, at Cambridge House. Baron de Moncorvo, the Portuguese Minister, had an audience of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent yesterday, at Ingestre House, Belgrave-square. Prince George of Cambridge went to Coombe Wood yesterday, and spent the forenoo❑ shooting, returning to town in the afternoon. The Marquis of Lansdowne was prevented from at tending the Privy Council yesterday afternoon, by an attack of gout. Full dress dinner parties were given last evening by Viscount Melbourne and Lord John Russell, the for mer at his official residence in Downing -street, to a large party of Peers, and the latter at the Foreign.. office, Downing-street, to a numerous party of Mem bers of the House of Commons. In the course of the evening, both Ministers read the Queen's Speech to their respective guests. Viscount Melbourne's dinner party included the Lord Chancellor, the Dukes of Bedford, Somerset, Norfolk, Devonshire, and Cleveland ; Marquises of Anglesea, Hcadfort, and Normanby ; Earls of Ducie, Erroll, Lovelace, Lichfield, Fingal], Albemarle, Uxbridge, Cla rendon, and Ilchester ; Viscount Duneannon ; Lords Beaumont, Monteagle, Lurgan, Segrave, Portman, Carrington, Sudeley, Kinnaird, Poltimore, Byron, Foley, and Strafford. Lord John Russell's dinner party included Viscount Palmerston ; Lords Dalmeny, Morpetb, Seymour, and Alfred Paget ; Right Honourables R. L. Shell, G. Stevens Byng, F. T. Baring, H. Labouchere, Sir J. llobhouse, and T. B. Macaulay ; Honourables Fox Maule, Colonel Anson, W. Cowper, and E. A. Stan ley ; Sirs G. Grey, Bart., Hussey Vivian, Bart., Thomas Wilde, J. Campbell, R. S. Donkin, H. Parnell, Bart., T. Troubridge, and Charles Adana ; Messieurs Edward Horsman, R. Bernal, Henry Tuffnell, William Clay, R. Gordon, R. More O'Ferrall, John Parker, Henry Rich, and Thomas Wyse. Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence has returned to town from a visit to the Duke of Beaufort at Badminton, Gloucestershire, WARD ofFARRINGDON WITHOUT. Yesterday, at eleven o'clock, the inhabitants of this po pulous Ward congregated in great numbers in the New Court Justice Hall, Old Bailey, for the purpose of electing sixteen fit and proper persons to represent them in the Court of Common Council, the former election having been declared null and void. After some discussion the show of hands was in favour of the following sixteen gen tlemen : —Blackett, Anderton, Clemmitt, Obbard, Wells, Burn, Edkins, Harding, Hodgson, Ramshaw, Taylor, Gal loway, Bedford, Barnard, Wollatt, and Gresham. A poll was demanded for Messrs. Beckwith, Price, Marriott, Sweet, and Charles. At the close of the poll, at four o'clock, the numbers were as follows, riz. :—Barnard, 31 ; Wollatt, 28; Taylor, 28 ; Hodgson, 26 ; Wells, 25 ; Blackett, 24; Bedford, 24; Gresham, 23; Anderton, 22 ; Beckwith, 21; Galloway, 21 ; Obbard, 20 ; Edkins, 18; Burn, 18; ,Ramshaw, 18 ; Harding, 17 ; Charles, 16 ; Price, 14; narriot, 12 ; Sweet, 3 ; and Clemmitt, 3. TIIE SWINBURNE CORRESPONDENCE.—The author of this work, Henry Swinburne, Esq., a son of Sir John Swinburne, Bart., possessed of a handsome inde pendent fortune, whilst making what was styled the Grand Tour, was received at the several Courts he visited—par- titularly at Paris, Naples, Rome, Madrid, and Vienna, with unusual respect, and having a mind capable of making the most of the adv . :Antages he enjoyed (exhibited by him in his admirable work an Spain), his description of the numberless objects of inteosts presented to him in his travels—his anecdotes of the n:any distinguished pub lic characters with whom he associated, and his criticisms on the works of art every where throon upon to his in spection, will doubtless unite to make his coi.respondence, about to be submitted to the public, a t ° i n. - t the most entertaining and the most perfect picture of the Continent, towards the close of the last century, that has ever anileared T ik mwoRTH—POLITICAL SUICIDE.—Kr R. Peel delivered a lecture " on the Advantages of Know ledge to the Working Classes," to the subscribers to th,.. newly-established library and reading-room, on Wednesday last, in the Town-hall. If Sir Robert's lectures become the' instrument of converting the humble burgesses of Tam. worth to that great " knowledge" of their paramount in terests which alone can give them solid " advantages," h, will be the instrument of their moral and political emanci pation, and of a de ath-blow to the faction by which lie himself is sustained. -- S id e brdshire R. A. Reynolds, EN., will, it is most confi dently rumoured , be ver y shortly restored to his .rank in the army, , same say, to his old regiment. —Brighton Het FRANCE. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES,_SITTINo of JAN. 22. Marshal Soult, in continuation, said—Circumstances have occurred to unveil all the ideas which I formed ten years since on the subject of the defence of Paris. My opinion was that the defences of Paris should be on the out side, and that they would be more or less efficacious ac cording to the distances they were placed, and that, if they were too close, the danger of the capital wo u ld b e th ere by increased. I will explain this twofold idea. It was evi dent to me that in placing the defences of Paris as far as possible on the outside, and giving them a solid basis, which I consider I should obtain by the establishment of my en trenched camp, I should compel the enemy, however nu merous, at the same time to keep at a distance from it ; and that should he resolve on attempting to gain possession of it, it would not be so easy a matter, from the valour of my troops and the permanent storks of 'fortifi cation by which they would have been supported. If I had need of examples, I could have found them in the campaign of Austerlitz, where, with 25,000 men of the corps d'armees brought . from Boulogne, I t raverse d t h e Russian army its three lines, and, having divided it, threw the greater part into the Lake of Mceeitz. There was also another grand advantage which I should derive from my position. The investing of Paris b ecame , i n my opi nion, impossible, and provisions would be const an tly sup plied to it without the possibility of the en em y cutt i ng o ff the communications. This accounts for my not attaching so much importance as the honourable reporter of the Com mittee to the subject of provisioning Paris; for, according to my plan, I was always certain of a supply. I have said that in and anticipationnnepwocngcardbhetop writingehat progress, hetethtr capital. aeei etmst.dnssffladohaeowsni for the fistsou o cathewre f ohgedeesfeh, r:eeor iwypaV aubandTnf suchhatac and it prmc c uebi ah o stt aar n n oni rii a - dsstt: the nearer the defences were brought to Paris, the greater the danger to the capital would be. This proposition is so self-evident, that, I think, it is only necessary to be men tionedsaescifuaernatc as possible s b t e hat conceived.o decided t .h e outside,ol tn secondary degree of impor w bwtoawl henfu a rofetdowt s u tedfr p rierhi r hsi p o aeeat p voans ee o rtoi s mdnsu e fal d awedydr a h t hes t o i ahosgv r anver a t yef s i aowf e tar hsep r eg o s"; euo u i olega n aunr wt d rd c l a t d aa e n t t sb sr r h h c sh r eo e a e setfyi incomplete.embracedTe s second dy authority part of the quotedsubj e c b t y which h honour as ble able reporter is more recent, and would, I confess, have more weight for me if, without raising a doubt upon the authen ticity of the memoirs of St. Helena, I had not some observa tions to make respecting them. I will admit that the Em peror said at St. Helena what has been represented as to the defence of capitals, but I will ask how it was that when he was in Europe, and at the pinnacle of power, he did not carry these ideas into execution. It has been said that all the capitals which were attacked by Napoleon were not fortified. This is true as to the greater number of them, but I remember very well that in 1805, after Ulm, the Emperor presented himself before Vienna, which had been fortified from the sixth century, and was defended by a re gular bastioned wall with an escarpment, yet it made no resistance, and the authorities came out and delivered the keys. They had probably ascertained that a bastioned wall was not sufficient for the defence of the capital, with out an addition or entrenched camp, which permitted the Austrians to await under the walls. The Marshal next alluded to the events of Toulouse in 1814, when be found himself with 21,000 men opposed to 71,000, and said that instead of shutting himself up in Toulouse, and being blockaded and unable to check the march of the enemy, he proposed occupying the hills round Toulouse, where, throwing up entrenchments, he impeded the progress of the enemy, notwithstanding the great inferiority of his own forces. He then said, I have accepted, and I still ac cept the continuous wall, such as it is recommended in the modified report of the Committee, for the following rea sons :—When I entered office a few weeks ago, I found this question settled and in full execution, and a large por tion of the population of Paris appeared to be in favour of the bastioned wall, under an impression that they would, in the event of invasion, be thus well protected against the enemy. At the same time, I found my own project of an entrenched camp, with St. Denis and Charenton well fortified, adopted. I asked much less formerly, for in the war department we had adopted a great system of economy, but I am not sorry that recent events have brought the question to maturity, and given to my country so great and important a measure for its defence as the for tification of the capital. I would reject still the system of a continuous wall it it were at the sacrifice of an entrenched camp, but I certainly regard it as a very useful completion of such a means of defence. I renew this declaration, adding that the detached works of the entrenched camp, and those of the continuous wail connected with them, will be carried on simultaneously or otherwise, as the Go vernment shall think most opportune. I shall now con clude by earnestly entreating the Chamber to look only at the great object in view, au to lay aside all differenoe of opinion, all consideration of private interest, in giving to Prance the first rampart of strength and independence. M. Thiers (reporter of the Commission). —I owe to it and myself the duty of establishing the true sense of the deliberations which have taken place, and to which Marshal Soult had been called. I must say I feel some surprise, and I think all the members of the Commission have felt with me, in hearing what Marshal Soult has just said. It would seem that the Commission has in a manner extorted front the Minister of War a project which he did not ap prove, and which was not his own. lam nearly sure that the Marshal, on being asked his opinion, said that his pro ject of 1831 agreed perfectly with that now proposed. I remember that upon the question of the enceinte, and par ticularly upon this question, we asked the opinion of Mar shal Soult, and he replied, I accept the project without the enceinte, I accept it more willingly with the encein'e, for it is stronger. Marshal Soult then rose and said, I perfectly remember all I said, and all the observations I made in the Commis sion. I spoke of the external defence of Paris ; I gave with respect to that ample details. I was asked if I ac cepted the continued enceinte? I said yes; and I do not think that in what I have just pronounced anything con. trary to that can be found ; beg the reporter to remem ber that I said on that occasion, I should be foolish to re fuse an advantageous alliance, because they wished to double the dowry. I presented the project of law, and I said just now that I woul d defend it. I had a right, in my milita in an military character, opinion whichtoper ncesistcointrhnd my honour.eefirstlpart of Ba my dis course t as Minister of War it was my duty to defend the proj ec t o f law. Is that a contradiction ? M. Barrot said there ought to be a new meeting be tween the Ministers and th e Commission, in order to come to a new understanding as to the simultaneous execution of the works. For what the Marshal had said threw doubts upon the intention of the Government. The Chamber then adjourned. SITTING OF JAN. 23, M. Salvandy, Vice-President, took the chair. The Order of the Day was the continuation of the de bate upon the Paris Fortifications Bill. M. Bechard addressed the Chamber against the project of law. The Hon. Deputy observed that the discussion had made rapid strides at the last two sittings, so as to leave little to be said in refutation of the arguments relied on by the partisans of this wild and useless measure. The fact was that by erecting a line of fortifications round Paris, in case of a war the capital would be subjected to a state of blockade, provisions would be prevented from arriving, the greatest confusion and misery would be the conse quence, the efforts of the National Guards would be pare lised. There might have been a shadow of a pretence for this project in the first moment of excitement, but, upon due reflection, he wondered how any man in his senses could support so ruinous and useless a plan. It had been wisely remarked by Louis XI V., that a great nation and a great capital ought to have no ramparts, and it was not to ramparts that that renowned monarch owed his military glory. It would indeed be a strange spectacle to see Paris in the present century occupied in building walls round the city, instead of promoting the cause of liberty and civi lisation.—( Hear.) For his part, he relied on the good sense of the representatives of the nation, to save them from a project which would have the effect of ruining and enslaving Paris. M. Thiers, reporter of the Committee, requested per mission to explain some points relative to what had passed in Committee since the last sitting. The explanations which had taken place were of a serious nature, all the members of the Commission were perfectly agreed upon their original conclusions, there had been no conces sions made on their part or that of the Government, and the determination come to was considered the best flar the interests and defence of the capital. Since yes terday Marshal Soult again attended the Committee, and on being asked for an explanation of what he had stated at Friday's sitting, declared that ho was still of the same opinion, namely, that both works, i. e. the forts and the continuous wall should be executed at the same time, and that the latter would be of great utility and add to the solidity of the other fortifications.—(Marks of asto nishment.) General Paixhans spoke in support of the measure. In his opinion this safeguard of their liberties and indepen dence should no longer be neglected, and he was firmly convinced that with a good army of reserve, an efficient navy, and a well fortified capital, France would be able to defend herself from any future coalition. M. de Tracy said, I declare that I rise to combat the project, because, in my opinion, it goes wide of its mark, and in the only case in which it might be useful it would at the same time be fatal to my country. M. Thiers--Allow me a simple observation which I am forced to make. He who has the honour of speaking to you has no military career or historic reputation, but he has the right to express himself, having devoted his weak ser vices to his country in good as well as bad fortune. I have lately heard the system of old times despised—the old system of war, and the methodical system which is qualified as a narrow-minded system. Nevertheless, what was the result of this system? Conquests which have re mained to us. We still have Franche-Comte and Alsace. How many of the hundred and thirty-five departments re main to us which compeeed the Frenc h em p ire M. de Remusat thought the question was a simple one, and that good sense was sufficient to fathom it. Civilians were competent to discuss it. The executive of war re. quired military experience, but general questions of war were quite of the competence of a gener al assembly. Paris ought to be able to defend itself, for if the army is obliged to think of a defence of Paris, it cann ot take the enemy in flank, nor be free in its movements. Marshal Soult was wrong in supposing the intention to be that the army should shut itself up in the walls of Paris, and he opposed it by saying that the army should defend Paris in the open country. It was said that the French character was for offensive not defensive war, and that once a great battle lost, the French retreated with fear and despaired. This was the very reason for fortifying the capital, in order that the loss of one great battle might not prove decisive. If revolutionary means are feare d, these are much more likely to b:; had recourse to b y Paris unfortified than by Paris fortified ; for if the town is open the people may demand arms and begin a tumultuous defence. By regulating that defence you avoid tumult. I do not know if what I am going to say is Parliamentary, but I will say it; If Paris was besieged the King would remain in it.—( Bravos.) It is a kind of theme given to students, and with it a plan of France, I and the students arc to draw up a composition detailing - a plan for marching upon Paris. You must destroy this idea by making it known that Paris is impregnable. Establish this idea, and you will have no coalition against France. The rejection of the law would be the greatest blow to France, and it would oust the Ministry. Ido not like the Ministry, but 1 would rather see it live than have it overthrown by the rejection of the law. _ _ After a speech from M. de Mornay, the sitting con. eluded. FLANDERS MAIL. BRUSSELS, JAN. 23.—The Chamber voted yester. day the budget of the Department of Finance, amount ing to 14,828,535 francs , and to-day it vo t e d th e b u d ge t of the Department of the Interior. ROME, JAN. S.—With reference to the previous ac counts of an unpleasant rencontre in the Apollo The atre between two distinguished members of the diplo matic body, when the Queen Royal of Spain visited that theatre, I have to state that the dispute was not at all personal between these gentlemen, but be tween their servants, and became so violent that the armed force had to interfere. Several of the mili tary who were on duty have been put under arrest in consequence. The Queen will shortly go to Florence to visit her sister, the Grand Duchess, and then return to Rome, where she means to make a long stay. It is expected that the presence of the Queen will have a considerable influence on the affairs of Spain. DUTCH FUND3.—AMSTERDAM, JAN. 22. Money. Blils. 4ctual Debt, 234 per Cent Ditto, ditto 5 per cent. A mei t Syndic, 4},i per cent BO% 87 Ditto, ditto, 3% per cent 70% 71% li Commercial Company, 434 per cent 1604 160% Ditto (1835 and 1837) 5 per cent. Loan 1637, 5 per cent. 94% 95 Exchange on London, One month l9 0 Two months Dutch Papers, Jan. 23. BELGIAN FUNDS—BnUeme, JAN. 23. Actual Debt, 2% per Cent. Rothschild's Loan, 5 per Cent 97 Loan of Thirty Millions, 4 per• Cent. 6B (1840)....... _.-- 3 per Cent. --oThirty.seyen-- B9 Loan of City, 1832, 4 per Cent. 9O Society of Commerce, 4 ;.i per Cent lO2 Bank of Belgium, 5 per Cent...... ....... National Society . ..._ Exchange on London (short) —Brussels Papers, Jan. 23. AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, JAN.I3 Five per Cents. Metalliques boar per Cents. Three per Cents. Bank Shares —.Allgemeine Zeitung, Jan. 18. HAMBURG BORSENHALLE, JAN. 191. _ Bills. Money Austrian 5 per Cents. Bank Shares l6Th Anglo-Russian Loan 1065( 100 1 Russian 5 per Cent. Ist series, Co„rti ficate Inscription, Ist Series lO3 Russian 5 per Cent. Hope and Co. 3d and 4th Series 963 96 Ditto in Certificates Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent 49 .... Ditto 5 per Cent — Polish Bonds New Picket Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent 74% 74 Norwegian Loan, 1834, 4 per Cvnt... lOl Spanish, New 3 per Cents. IBIA XCHANGES ON LONDON. HAMBURG, JAN. 13.-13 4.—Two months, 13 '2 LEIPSIC, JAN. 15.—Two months, 6. 173(. VIENNA, JAN 12.—Three months. 9. 44%, BREMEN; J,N. s,—Two months, 614. PRUSSIAN FUNDS.—BERLIN, JAN, 19, Bills, Monoy. St. Schuld. Sch., 4 , 5, per cent, 103% 103% Prussian English Loan, 1830, 4 per cent 1004 ii 16014 Itixchange on Landon, three months,,, 6 17% —Prussian State Gazette, Jan. 20. LITERATURE. MRS. HALL'S IRELAND.—PART Bow and Parsons,London, 1841. In this Part we have two very superior engravings —one of Youghall Church, which, with its deep wooded back-ground, forms a pleasing sylvan land scape ; and the other of Bantry Bay, whose gleam ing waters, sunny islands crowned with old castles, romantic headlands fringed with copses, and distant precipitous mountains broken into a thousand fan tastic shapes, and projecting their dark shadows far across the wave, almost realise one of those lovely scenes in fairy-land, which, as Dr. Johnson tells us, Collins the poet was so fond of dreaming of. In the literary department there are several amusing stories respecting old Irish superstitions— the most whimsical and original in the world ; and copious descriptions of the scenery in the neighbour hood of Cork, where Mrs. Hall seems delighted to linger, as though it were associated with her earliest recollections. Of the lake of Gougane Barra she says—" A scene of more utter loneliness, stern grandeur, or savage magnificence, it is difficult to conceive ; redeemed, however, as all things savage arc, by one passage of gentle and inviting beauty, upon which the eye turns as to a spring-well in the desert—the little island with its group of graceful ash trees and ruined chapel. Down from the sur rounding mountains rush numerous streams." The authoress then proceeds to quote a poem descriptive of this strikin g landscape, which was writt en i n th e year 1826 by Mr. Callanan, who died at Lisbon in 1829. We also have great pleasure in placing it before our readers, for, if we mistake not, it breathes the true poetic spirit, is stately and vigor ous in the march of its versification, and fervid and romantic in its turn of thought. Sir Walter Scott would have been delighted with it : " Ther© is a green island in lone Gougano Barra Where Allu of songs rushes forth like an arrow ; In deep-valley'd Desmond a thousand wild fountains Come down to that lake, from their home in the moun tains. There grows the wild ash ; and a time-stricken willow Looks chillingly down on the mirth of the billow, As like some gay child that sad monitor scorning, It lightly laughs back to the laugh of the morning; ' And its zone of dark hills—oh ! to see them all brightening, When the tempest flings out his red banner of lightning, And the waters come down 'mid the thunders' deep rattle, Like clans from their hills at the voice of the battle ; And brightly the fire-crested billows are gleaming, And wildly from Malloc the eagles are screaming : Oh, where is the dwelling, in valley or highland, So meet for a bard as that lone little island ! " How oft, when the summer sun rested on Clara And lit the blue headland of sullen Ivera, Have I sought thee, sweet spot ! from my home by the ocean, And trod all thy wilds with a minstrel's devotion, And thought on the bards who, oft gathering together, In the cleft of thy rocks, and the depth of thy heather, Dwelt far from the Saxon's dark bondage and slaughter, As they raised their last song by the rush of thy water. High sons of the lyre oh, how proud was the feeling To dream while alone through that solitude stealing; Though loftier minstrels green Erin can number, I alone waked the strain of her harp from its slumber, And gleaned the grey legend that long had been sleeping, Where oblivion's dull mist o'er its beauty was creeping, From the love which I felt for my country's sad story, When to love her was shame, to revile her was glory. " Last bard of the free! were it mine to inherit The fire of thy harp and the wing of thy spirit, With the wrongs which like thee to my own land have bound me, Did your mantle of song throw its radiance around me; Yet, yet on those bold cliffs might Liberty rally, And abroad send her cry o'er the sleep of each valley. But rouse thee, vain dreamer ! no fond fancy cherish, Thy vision of Freedom in bloodshed must perish. " I soon shall be gene—though my name may be spoken When Erin awakes, and her fetters are broken— Some minstrel will come in the summer eve's gleaming When Freedom's young light on his spirit is beaming, To bend o'er my grave with a tear of emotion, Where calm Avonbuce seeks the kisses of ocean, And a wild wreath to plant from the bank of the river O'er the heart and the harp that are silent for ever." SCHLEGEL' S LECTURES. Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1841, We have in this volume a - translation from the German of Frederick Schlegel, whose Lectures on the History of Literature, ancient as well as mo dern, have been long generally admired, both here and on the Continent. The Lecturer commences with critical sketches of some of the best Greek writers in prose and verse, and dwells with particu lar fondness on Thucydides, who appears to be his idol as an historian. His remarks on Homer have little novelty about them—but, indeed, who can say anything new of this great poet ? and of Euri pides he speaks—at least so it appears to us—in a style at once flippant and superficial. He expa tiates on the faulty construction of his plays, in terms of superfluous exaggeration ; sneers at what he calls " his long, pedantic, and ill-placed dig quisitions ;" and awards him, as if grudgingly, the coldest measure of justice, when alluding to his pathos, which was exquisite, but too simple and natural, we suppose, for the artificial and somewhat fastastic task of a German philosopher and critic. The lecturer's estimate of Roman literature is, on the whole, judicious, though by no means remark able for any superior shrewdness or originality ; but as regards the French writers of Louis the Fourteenth's times, to this branch of his subject, M. Schlegel brings much subtle reflection, and able analytical criticism. His opinions, too, of modern English literature are worthy of attention, for here he shows himself a thoroughly discriminating scholar, who speaks his mind fearlessly, because he knows that, if called on, he can give reasons for the faith that is in him. ENCYCLOPIE DIA BRITANNICA. Vol - - XXI. RIBT I. A. Black, Edinburgh, 1841. (SECOND NOTICE ) We resume our notice of this comprehensive and valuable work, which we were compelled to dismiss in a few hasty sentences the other day, owing to the crowded state of our columns. The present Part, which, agreeably to the alphabetical arrange ment maintained throughout the Encyclopmdia, is confined to the consideration of subjects ranging under the letters S and T, contains several carefully digested memoirs of men eminent in war, politics, literature, and science, together with disquisitions on practical matters, and con densed historical accounts of one or two European States. The treatise under the head " Surveying" exhibits a formidable array of mathematical figures and algebraical calculations, illustrative of the nature of the pursuit, whence we infer that it is one of slow and difficult attainment, argu ing the possession of superior scientific abili ties. Indeed the writer says as much, for the expressly tells us that " as a surveyor has perpe tual occasion for calculation, it is necessary that he be thoroughly master of arithmetic, and understand the nature of logarithms, the use of logarithmic tables, and algebraic notation. As it is his busi ness to investigate and measure lines and angles, and to describe them on paper, he should be well acquainted with the elements of geometry and trigonometry, and with the application of their principles to the mensuration of heights, distances, and surfaces. In particular he should be familiar with the best practical methods of solving the ordinary geometrical problems, and should be expert in drawing lines and describing figures. He should know something of the prin ciples of geology, optics, and magnetism, and pos sess some skill in drawing and painting." In other words a surveyor should be a man of remarkable scientific acquirements, and possess, besides, a competent knowledge of the Fine Arts, which is a combination of qualities which, we suspect, not one in a hundred possess. Under the words " Suspension Bridges " we find a detailed notice of the late Mr. Telford's master-piece-- namely, the Menai bridge, which connects the Island of Anglesea with the northern coast of Wales, but which, observes the writer, " has been greatly surpassed, both in length and height, by a far lighter and much less expensive one, though of great strength, which has since been constructed by M. Chalky, of Lyons, over the river Sarine, at Friburg, in Switzerland. This was completed in 1534. The span is 870 feet, and the roadway i 3 elevated 167 feet above the water of the Sarine. The lightness of this bridge is in a great measure owing to its neither being suspended by chains nor solid iron rods, but by four cables of iron wire, each containing about twelve hundred iron wires, the united strength of which could support thrice the load they will ever be likely to bear, or three times the weight of two rows of loaded waggons extending over its whole length." The historical and geographical account, under the title " Sweden," of this extensive northern king dom, which in the reign of Gustavus Adolphus was the chief support of the Protestant faith, and in that of Charles the Twelfth was the bugbear of Europe, is condensed with great tact, for, on running our eye over it, we perceive that no one fact of importance is omitted, while, on the subject of the romantic vicissitudes of Gustavus Vasa—whose whole career is one of the most striking episodes in Swedish history—the writer is as circumstantial as could be desired. The bio graphical sketch of " Swedenborg," so well known for his religious fanaticism, which closely bordered on insanity, mentions a cir cumstance which we were not previously aware of—namely, that this dreams- enthusiast, who re velled in fantastic visions of Heaven and Hell, and whose imagination was never for an instant idle, commenced his literary career by an essay on the " Value of Money," the most practical and matter. of-fact of topics ! We remember meeting with Swedenborg's works some years since, in a little inn, in a town of South Wales, and endeavoured to master the contents of one of the volumes ; but the task was hopeless, and after getting perfectly bewildered with the crazy Swede's description of spiritual parties, consisting wholly of angels, and of cities and palaces which exist in the other world, and various other absurdi aside the volume in the full conv i ct i on ties, we flung that it was the most perplexing and ridiculous ever penned by mortal hand. In closing our notice of this Encyclopmdia, we must not forget the plates, which are executed in the very first style of art. PORTUGAL. SETTLEMENT OF THE DOURO QUESTION. We have received by express from Falmouth Lisbon papers to the 18th inst. inclusive. These despatches arrived by the Royal Tar steamer ; her dates are from Gibraltar the 14th, Cadiz the 15th, Lisbon the 18th, Oporto the 19th, and from Vigo the 20th instant. " LISBON, JAN, 18, 2 P.M. " The momentous question for the regulation of the tariffs for the free navigation of the river Douro has, in the Chamber of Deputies, taken precedence of the primary Parliamentary object—the answer to the Speech from the Throne, the difficulty of the Senators and Deputies who had confederated not to discuss tkis paramount subject until the Spanish Regency should withdraw its ultimatum having by Ministerial influence been overcome. The de bate commenced on Wednesday last, and after very vehe. ment, personal, and unprecedented observations, was finally carried, with a very few modifications, on Saturday. No doubt now remains of the ques tion meeting with a similar despatch in the Senate, whose Members have commenced debating upon the answer to the Speech from the Throae. Notwith standing the triumph the advisers of the Crown have had upon the Douro question in the Lower House, it is under stood that they have in contemplation not to carry the same into execution until the offensive menaces contained in the Spanish demand shall have been withdrawn. The belligerent preparations continue with redoubled vigour : and, in order to have the lines encircling the capital in a ready state of defence, they are being worked upon by day, and by night with lighted flambeaux until 11 o'clock ; and up to this period 120 pieces of artillery, of various calibre, are planted on them. " The answer to the Speech from the throne has been presented by the Committee, and is but a mere echo of the Speech ; it was ordered to be printed. " More national battalions, to make up the number 4S, in lieu of the old militia regiments, have been ordered to be organised throughout the kingdom ; their numerical force is, however, as yet very inconsiderable. " The dividends of the Lisbon Bank for the last six months, it is supposed, will yield 5 per cent., subject, how ever, to the approval of the Committee appointed to audit the accounts. Should this prove Correct, this highly re spectable establishment will pay upon the whole year 81 per cent. " The Directors of the Commercial Bank of Oporto have advertised that the dividend for the last year is 3 per cent. " The Duke da Terceira and staff arrived at Oporto on the 10th inst., and landed under a salute from the heights, &c. His Grace was received with every demonstration of attachment and respect by the inhabitants, and was con ducted by the authorities to his present residence, the pa lace of Count de Terena Jose. A Memorial of the merchants resident in Lisbon to the Lords of the Admiralty, having for its object the closing of the mails hence for England on Saturday instead of Monday, and which can be easily effected by the boatsinot , waiting unnecessary time at Gibraltar, has been forwarded to London by the Royal Tar steamer. Letters and papers from Goa, of the 21st of November, state that that country is perfectly tranquil, and the inha bitants in general much satisfied with the administrative proceedings of the temporary Governor. Foreign Ships of War in the Tagus—Trinculo and Espoir, brigs, British ; La Coquette, corvette, French; Brandywine, frigate, United states ; and Oscar, brig, Swedish. Exchange upon London at 30 days' sight, 53d. per milrei. Discount on ex-paper money, 60 to 62 per cent. The Minister of Finance on Saturday last presented to the Chamber of Deputies the accounts of the receipts and expenses for the last economic year, and the Budget for the present (of 1841 to 1842), by which it appears a consi derable increase has been added to the public expenditure. The steam-packet from England with the mail of the 9th inst. is not yet arrived. The following rash expression in the London Times, of the 15th inst., shows exactly what state of feel ing they are now in. In declaiming against the appear ance of the missionaries of the Anti-Corn-law League in Walsall, our Contemporary thus expresses himself :_« It may be a question fit for the Legislature to consider, whether individuals shall be permitted to combine, in an organized society, for the purpose of influencing elections in so shameless and unconstitutional a manner as this." Yes, yes I put the muzzle on all those who dare to pro test against the doings of their high mightinesses, the aristocratic bread-taxers of the country. Gag the rogues withcut delay : silence, punish, imprison them, by all means.—Liverpool Albion. SINGULAR BAPTISMAL NAMEs.—Jonathr.an Collins, cotton spinner, at Heywood, has lately cs.used four of his children to be christened in the followi ng names at St. Luke's Chapel, Heywood :—First, john Jo nathan George ; second, Martha Maria flr.nnah Vic toria ; third, Sergeant Hall Oliver Cromwell ; fourth, Camcreska Albert Napoleon Louis the Twelfth. We note in a contemporary's column the advcr tisement of a lady for a husband. " None need apply under six feet." Whew I but the lady goes in ferociousk for Hy.men.—New York Paper. APPROACHING MARRIAG E IN HIGH LIFE. —The Earl of Eglinton will shortly lead to the altar the widow of Commander Richard 11. Cockerel', R. N., who died at Calcutta about nine months back. The lady, who is some three or four years his Lordship's senior, is un derstood to be in possession of an annual income of 6,000/, or 7,0001., which at her death reverts to her three chil dren, the issue of Captain Cockerel'. The courtship is said to have been singularly brief.—/Ilorniny Post. SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE. That most mercurial of actors, Balls, commenced an en gagement here last evening, and as might be expected, the house was crammed before the rising of the curtain. The first piece was a new melodrama from the pen of Balls himself, entitled The Guerilla Chief, and a very bustling, spirit-stirring affair it is. He himself acted the principal cha racter, Ronquillo, the Guerilla Chief, a fine high-spirited , noble-hearted fellow of the Massareni school, and highly as we have always thought of Balls' talents, we cer tainly were not aware until last evening of his powers in the delineation of serious character. His Roe' quillo is an excellent piece of melodramatic acting, and was duly appreciated by the audience. He was well supported by the other members of the corps dramatique , and the piece which, as usual, was excellently got up, was completely successful. The farce of Three and the Deuce followed. Balls, of course, sustaining the charac ters of the Three Singles with all the versatility,'energYs and effervescence for which he has ever been so celebrated. He is certainly the most elegant and gentlemanly dancer on the stage, and many professed dancers would do well to study him in order to catch that " grace beyond the reach of art" which is the distinguishing characteristic of a gentleman. Honner's Humphrey Grizzle was very good, and our old friend Williams was rich exceedingly le the Justice. It struck us however that he occeasionally introduced certain oaths into the part more than were set down for him ; the force of his acting would-not be to the least diminished by the omission of these expletives and we would remind him, in the words of Bob Acres, that, " D-ns have had their day." Great credit is due to Honner for securing the services of Balls, and we are glad to see that his patrons appreciate and reward his judicious catering. The lovers of genuine comedy residing in the neighbourhood of Sadler's Wells should not let the op portunity now afforded them of seeing one of the first come dians of the day. The pantomime, which is worthy of the days when Grimaldi was the presiding genius here, wound up the evening's amusements, and sent the audience laugh ing to their homes. KENSINGTON GARDENS. REPLANTING THE AVENUES IN THE STYLE OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. We are glad to see a number of men employed i° digging pits for plantiag trees in Kensington Gardens but we regret to observe that, as far as the planting has proceeded, the trees are generally only common elms, though in one place, indeed, horse-chestnuts have been employed. The pits are dug in lines, with the obvious intention of restoring the avenues with which these gardens were formerly intersected in various di' rections. We see no objection to the keeping u p the ancient style of laying out these gardens, by planting i° avenues rather than in scattered groups ; which if dig' tributed nearly uniformly over the surface, as they are in some parts of the Regent's Park, would, when the trees become large, cause a stagnation of air, so as to Prevent the surface of the ground from being s° quickly dried after rain as it otherwise would be. We certainly think, however, that the ancient mode of planting might be so far deviated from, as to introduce a good many different kinds of trees in these avenues , instead of one kind only. The grandeur of an eyenue as a whole, and as seen from one end, will doubtless be greater when planted with one kind of tree than with; different kinds, because the expression of grandeur will be less interfered with by the expression of variety; just in the same manner as a street, formed by a rope' tition of exactly the same elevation of houses on both sides, will be grander than one in which the elevations are of a great many different kinds, even though every elevation on one side of the street were balanced by corresponding elevation on the other. Where an avenue is intended for a g rand approa c h t o a mans i on or P a' lace, we would therefore have it planted with one kind of tree ; because the object is, by the successioe and uniformity of objects, between which the visitor to the mansion passes, to fill his mind with one greed impression, and not to detain him by causing him to dwell and linger on impressions of beauty and variety which he may receive as he goes along. But wher e avenues merely cross a park or pleasure-ground, as is Kensington Gardens, we would join variety and beauty. with grandeur, by em pl o yi ng severa l di fferent k i n d s 0' trees in the same avenue ; always taking care to preserve the general symmetry and grandeur o f the whole, by having trees of large size and of the same general lorm occurring at regular distances, and by always having a t l east two trees of a kind, one pleeeu on one side of the avenue, and the other exactly OP ( ' site to it. This we would the more especially have ie Kensington Gardens, and in similar cases ; because the avenues have no particular objects as terminations, he t often merely direct the eye from one extremity of the garden to the other, without even having in the distance a covered seat on which to rest the eye. This mode of planting an avenue would combine regularity and we' fortuity with variety ; and while a pedestrian in th e gardens was looking along the avenue from one end to the other, the effect would be grand ; while, in welkin B along it, at every step he would discover a new heatit , in the variety of trees which come in succession befor e him. By planting the avenues in Kensington G a rdens i l l this way, inste a d o f pl ant i ng t h em with elms, or wit any other single kind of tree, rt considerable colleetioo of hardy trees may be introduced, which would a il much to the interest of the gardens, which, all wik allow, are at present very monotonous in their appear, ante, from the prevalence of trees all of the same height,: h and general f orm an d character. The interest might "; farther increased by naming the trees in a conspicuee manner ; which one day will be done, whether it may result from our suggest i on, or from that of some Mi 11.6 observer. It may possibly be alleged that there is no precodet t l' in this coun t r y f or an avenue composed of differe o' sorts of trees ; but to prove that our scheme is PrLi c ' ticable, we may refer to the forest of Fontainblea.l; where it will b e f oun d that, in one of th e poorest 51 0 in France, th ere are not only avenues of various o'o of trees not commonly employed in that way, such the American oa k s , or i enta l p l anes, occidental planes' Turkey o a k s , acac i as, poplars, willows, pines, ur.i ailanthu s , w ild cherry, Sze. ; but ave nues i n w hich a ll these and oth er ki n d s are m i xed together, one specie,o following another successively, in pairs, so as to p re , serve uniformit y as a w h o l e, and yet produce varlet', in the p ar t s . O t h er i nstances of mixed avenues r „ s 9 be seen in various parts of Italy ; and particularly b, e o tween Monza an d Mil an, w h ere the tulip-tree, !I'. catalpa, and the bead-tree, are planted in succes sl % But we hav e sa id enoug h to excite the attention 'of ° " e readers ; an d if among these any should have infilasec withGovernment, we t rus t th at t h ey w ill cause 50113, inquiry a, adopted to b e ma d e , b e f ore a mode of planting 0 , adopted in Kensington Gardens in the nineteenth ee tury, whi c h b e l ongs to t h e fif teenth ; and which was ! , t , I : 0 only m o d e w hi c h cou ld b e adopted at that time, 0701 there w ere on l y two or three species of trees fit avenues in eultivation.—.Gardeners' Gazette, Janti t/r # 23, 184.1. Full particulars of the pugilistic contest betvie e ! Hannan and Broom© will be given in Bell's Lif e in P is io don of Jan. 31. The price of Bell's Life in London . 0 Fivepence. P u bli s h e d at 170, Strand, every Saturdaf ,l time for Cat afternoon railways. TIZE, PARKS, THE WEATWER, ACCIDEN/1 &c.—From six o'clock on Sunday evening to seven o'el ° ' s , yesterday morning, the mercury had fallen nine degre g i n The state of the thermometer at the receiving-bolls% Hyde Park was 31 degrees at six o'clock on Sunday e ve n ": ing ; at midnight 24 deg., at six o'clock yesterday le er ' ing 25 deg., at seven o'clock 22 deg., at noon 39- dog' ' 4 at six evening 30 deg. The frost during the night ba d tendered the ice much safer than on the previous dal ; and about the middle of the day many thousands of r. r , sons, attracted by the unusual fineness of the west" - i . O paraded the banks of the Serpentine; and at the EaSte lso end, both in the Park and Kensington -gardens, as a l , on the Round Pond, there were a great number of exCe,, lent skaters. Among them were to be observed t h e Duke of Brunswick, Captain Burdett, Mr. Antrohu i :i Mr. and th e Mi sses W estern, M i ss Maria Jones , an cil " several of the nobility an d gentry , many of whom f o r m o , themselves int o qua d r ill e part i es, and went throug h various evolution s i n a d m i ra bl e sty l e. The number r, persons on the i ce i n H y d e P ar k and Kensington Ga dens during th e d ay h as b een est i mated at nearly 1100 0 , and the only a c c id ent w hi c h occurred was on the water,o, the base of th e aque d uct, where a lad, named Jobe Reil/Ie became immersed. He was ta k en to the receiving -het-gii and in a short time was able to walk home. In St. Jam e Park the ice had become firm, and w as frequeo`; ‘ , during the day by about 3,000 persons. There we re n ' t ?, accideats. In the Regent's Park there were about 7, 0 " 0 1 without an accident of any importrince, though 31)° 0e . half-past three o'clock on Sunday afternoon an accident b .; curred which had nearly proved fatal. It appeared t . ce , a female, named Eliza Benton, was walking on the 1 . 10 , which suddenly giving way She was thrown into ' te , water, where she remained for three or four rgin u tr before she could be extricated; she was eventually C ° o veyed to the Royal liutnane Society's marquee, t he scarcely any signs o f life, During the exe r tions o' , ov a ice and boatmen to recover the f ema l e , a crow d of pars • wo' assembled near the: - spot, which ca use d th e i ce to gist' t he and a lad nanvAl Frederick Allen was thrown into - 0 1 water, where he remained upwards of five minutest 1 %, would prob'Ably have perished but for the praiseworthY,', o ertions of Charles Davis, an iceman, who plunged , i i ° by' the water: and held him by one arm, supporting himsel. s ,,. the oa.er arm on the edge of the ice until further ass ts ante arrived ; he was taken on shore apparently d e no , A female was procured to attend on Elizabeth - 13 e, e ;1„g who, with the boy Allen, after three hours' unrciclot",,,,, exertions on the part of the medical gentlemen and oth o cd . were sufficiently recovered to be wrapped in blankets conveyed home in cabs. The following arc among the fashionables t have visited the Haymarket Theatre to witness Sir 1: be Bulwcr' s new comedy of Money during the week :- ,h, Earl of P em b ro k e, Count D ' Orsay, Lord Marybor')ut'ot Lord A. Fitzelarence, Lord Chesterfield, C o urete o j Essex, L a d y llurgher s h, C ountess o f Blessingtes, I'or 2 0 Gardner, P r i nce E sterhazy, Mr. Bernal, M. P-, 1. Capei, Lord Lichfield, Colonel arid Mrs. Maberley• Willoughby, &c. We understand that arrangements have been m ade by the Board of Works for the preparation of the man El- ce , built by Ki ng Willi am t h e F ourth, while Duke of Ciarcn thet (ki:own as Cl arence -h ouse ) f or her Royal Highnessi Duchess of Kent. It is expected that her Royal 1 : 1. " ness will take p ossess i on soon a f ter sth April. It w i lt b e r remember.d that this is th e mans i on occup i e d by o f Royal Highness the Princess Augusta up to the 011 '1 decease. St ra , 1.1 Witt ETI Ti PRI ' l4 the I,,ount ." EEK whiel ° wn rnel AN R. 8.,4 "As Gore' s n Ifetropo ?erred the has g Pages co, qual i fi ed dueed he capital i 3 Possible I reader wi Grevil should fa Ne w roa, TH Autho r U NDER Vf ill I ~!~ EVENING EDI nJN • THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY, 26, 184 t. EVENING EDITION