The Sun. — London, England, 1827-05-31 00:00:00

men within 'what he (Mr. CakraM considered to be the rules of Parliament. AP:. S. RICE protested, in the stronget and most de cided manner, against the assertion which his Hoe. Friend had just made.—(Hear, hear.)—When hit Von. Friend declared that the Irish were the most idle, trouble some, and ungovernable people in this country, he must say that it was directly contrary to the fact.—(Hear..) Lord MILTON said, he resided in a quarter of the coun try where a great part of the field-labour was done by Irish men; and so far from being the most idle, the most riot ous, and most disorderly part of the population, he cottle say, and his means of forming an opinion were -consider able, that such was not the case.--41Icar.)—He cer tainly had never heard any accusation of the kind brought against them. Mr. CALCRAFT was going to reply, when he was interrupted by the SPeOker. He then said, that he would make this observati P:n on the motion for printing the peti tion ; but Mr. Fitzgerald, on the question being put to him, answer:ed, that he did not mean to move that it should be Prinfr:d. —(Laughter). 'THE BANK CIRCULAR. fir J. WROTTESLEY rose to give notice that, on the '7th June, he would bring forward a motion for the produc tion of a Circular from the Bank of England, which he took it for granted every Member of that House had seen. Mr. MANNING (the Bank Director) said, that ) per haps, he might prevent the necessity of the Ho nourable Baronet's motion, as he could assure the House that there was not the slightest foundation for the statement that the Circular to which the Hon. Baronet alluded hral emanated from the Bank of England. " We," said the Hon. Member, " deny it. We disclaim it. We know nothing of it. The paper in question has not been issued by the Bank of England." The SPEAKER inquired whether, after this state ment, the notice of the LI:on. Baronet should stand. Sir J. WR°TT ESIEY said he wished the notice to remain in the bool" He had no desire to discuss the sub ject now, as it 'would be rather awkward to do so in bring ing up a r!fr.tion against tha Test and Corporation Acts.— (A laugh . )—It would, under such circumstances, take up ten tau'.es more time to arrive at a satisfactory result, than if tb'.: question were regularly brought forward. The SPEAKER said, the only question was, whether the notic2 of the Hon. Baronet should remain ? Sir J. WROTTESLEY said it was his intention that it should. He only begged leave to state farther, that the answer given by the Hen. Member (Mr. Manning) was not sufficiently satisfactory to him. Though the letter in question might not have proceeded from the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, yet it might have come from some persons connected with that establishment. Arr. PEARSE rose, and was, we believe, disclaiming the circular, when The SPEAKER caned the Hon. Gentleman to order. An Hon. Member stated that he was not about to discuss this subject ; but 'ne made an observation which called forth an answer, ar:d another was about to be given. Now, if this were T.ot the way to produce irregular discussion, he really (Fit not know what was. Tke petitions were then laid on the table. Nit N. COLTHURST presented a petition from Mr. W: Walker, who had superintended the Emigration of a Lumber of persona to the Cape of Good Hope, praying for relief. Mr. PENDARVES presented a petition from certain freeholders of Penrith, on the - subject of Weights and Measures. Mr. H. DLINDAS pmented a petition from certain ci tizens of Roehester ) against the Ale-house Licensing Bill. —Referred to the Committee on the Bill. Mr. A, DAWSON presented a petition from certain merchants, traders, and others, residents of the city of Dublin, pointing out the great benefit which the agricul ture of Ireland would derive from the excavation of a canal thr,agh the Central counties of Ulster, by which the corn cif that province might be carried down to the sea-coast. A survey had been made in 1811, and the apence of forming. such a canal Was estimated at 370,0001. The petitioners prayed that Parliament would authorize them to raise that-sum by way of lottery—a practice which was very common in the United States of America. Illr. CALCRAFT said, he did not mean to oppose the bringing up of thepetitiorr; but • he itrottkl take that op portunity of declaring, what feeling strongly that the orders' ot_the House betuLitavaded by . an Hon. Gentleman who had. certainly uncle a most disorderly speech, he had,' iii "thee warmth of the moment, fell too heavily on an unfortunate people, he was sorry for it.— (Hear.) He begged leave to express in the strongest man ner his regret for having done so.—(Hear, hear.) No matt-was less Inclined titan himself to hurt the feelings of the humblest class of people in this realm, be they whom they might.--(Hear, hear.) 'He was wrong in his ob servatiou,because he knew that, so far from the Irish being the most idle people in.fhis 0044, tbeiy,perforniskrt great part of the hardest and most laborious work in this metropolis,—(Hear.) . . Colonel IL DAVIES, seeing one. of. the Lords of the Admiralty in his place, would take the present opportu nity to put a question to him relative to the recent ap pointment of masters and commanders in the line-of-battle ships. The Hon. Member: was proceeding to make some observations as to the' unpopularity of the measure in the Navy, when The SPEAKER reminded him, that the subject into which he was evidently going to enter, could not fail to produce a discussion with the Hon. Gentleman to whom the question s*as put. He therefore trusted that the Gal lant Officer would see the necessity of confining himself, as closely as he could, to the question which he was about to put. Colonel DAVIES informed the Speaker, that in conse quence of his observations, he would conclude what he bad to say with a motion as to the number of appointments of Masters and Commanders recently made in the Navy. Mr. S. BOURNE begged to remind the Hon. Member for Worcester, that it was usual, when such a motion as that which he had just proposed was made, to give pre vious notice of it to the heads of that department of the public service to whose province it belonged. Colonel DAVIES replied, that he had mentioned his in tention privately to the Lords of the Admiralty, two or three days ago. _ _ Mr. CALCRAFT entreated his Hon. Friend to wave his strict right for the present, and to let the business of the House proceed with order and regularity. Mr. S. BOURNE suggested to the Hon. Member for Worcester, that it was unfair in him to bring on his motion irregularly that evening, before the discussion of the other motions which had been regularly appointed for it. Colonel DAVIES was surprised at the extraordinary in terruption which he had met with from the Hon. Member for Wareham, who had himself spoken six-and-thirty times at least that evening. —( A laugh.)—He should not think of putting his question, did he not believe that the appoint ment it referred to was extremely reprobated in the navy. He wished also to know whether it was the intention of these who had the control of the navy, to allow the officers in it to sell their commissions, and to sell them to officers in the army. _ He would not believe that such an intention could exist in any quarter, unless he heard it positively stated by his Hon. Friend, the Lord of the Admiralty. He concluded by moving for a return of the number of masters and commanders that have recently been appointed to line of-battle ships. Mr. HUME seconded the motion. Mr. K. DOUGLAS was sure that the gallant officer who had made this sudden motion would see the inconve nience to which the practice must necessarily put him, and every other member of the Government. It certainly was the fact, that his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence had appointed commanders to line-of-battle ships; and his reason for doing so was, that he conceived that the disci pline of the navy would be improved by it, and that em ployment would be given to several old officers who had rendered the country valuable service. As to the second question which the gallant officer had asked, he could give no other answer than this—that he knew nothing of any such intention, and that if it were entertained, he had not heard of it as yet from his Majesty's Ministers. The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn. Mr. G. BANKES brought in a Bill to relieve Roman Catholics from double assessment to the land-tax. Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Friday next. Mr. W. SMITH presented two petitions, one from the master manufacturers, and the other from the operative weavers, of Norwich, complaining of distress, and praying that the House would pass a bill, enacting some means of settling wages in the City of Norwich, between the master manufacturers and the operative weaver, which settlement, as soon as it was agreed to by both parties, should be con sidered binding upon them in future. Mr. HUME objected to the prayer of this petition. The relief which was asked for could not be granted by the Legislature. The master manuff-ctorers ought to have been above the folly of demanding a law to regulate the rate of wages, as they must be aware that, if such a law were passed, various circumstances might happen which would compel them to break through all its provisions. Mr. PEEL said, that the operative weavers of Norwich had requested him to superintend the presentation of these petitions; asd he had great satisfaction in ac ceding to their request, in consequence of the orderly conduct which they had hitherto exhibited. Delegates from their body bad waited upon him, to explain the object which their petition had in view ; and he Would say this for them, that many of greater intelli gence could not have been easily selected for the task which Was imposed upon them. On his first interview with them, he had discouraged the . idea that the legislature could be of any use to the M .. They proposed that in Nor wich, and in the district immediately adjacent to it, a meeting of the master manufacturers should be held; and that the wages which the majority of them idionld dtcide upon givinr , to the weaver, should, if aeproved by the wea vers, be made binding dpon the minority. He told the de legates that. ii such a bill were to pass through Parliament, it would be destructive to the trade of Norwich, as it would induce the master manufacturers who did not approve of it to transfer their capital lo s hhe place where such a law did not exist. Ti consequence of that suggestion, he ob tained an admission from the delegates that such a hiw, if it were confined to Norwich, would be as injurious as it would be unjust ; and he then endeavoured to convince them that such a law would be no less impolitic, if it were applied to all the manufacturing towns of the kingdom. From the presentation of this petition he was afraid that he had not been so successful in his argument with them as he had at the time anticipated. He trusted, however, that upon 'consideration they would see the folly of the Measure, for the success of which they evinced such anxiety at present.—(Hear.)_ After a feet; words from Mr. H. GURNEY and Mr. Alder Man Warrffmax, which were inaudible in the gallery, Mr. JOHN WOOD said, that he hart received a peti tion of a similar import from the manufacturing classes of the town which he had the honour to represent. He was convinced that their prayer was such as the House could not accede tt ; and to produce that conviction in the minds of his constituents, he had sent them copies of the reports made by the four committees which had already examined into this subject. He thought that if the House were to appoint another Committee to take into considera tion the prayer of these petitions, it might have the effect of disabusing the petitioners of the delusions under which they now laboured. Mr. C. GRANT admitted, with his Right Honour able Friend, the intelligence displayed by the delegates who had been sent up from Norwich to London to super intend the management of this petition. In speaking to them upon the subject, he felt how unpleasant it was to oppose a measure which those who were suffering under great distress, thought well calculated to remove it. The interview which they had had with his Right Hon. fiiend opposite (Mr. Peel) had produced this good effect— that when the delegates waited upon him (Mr. Grant), they had no longer a wish to have a mere local act affect ing only Norwich. They called for a general measure, affecting the whole kingdom ; and the mention of that circumstance was a proof how little relief could be expected to the distress of the petitioners from the remedy which they had themselves desired. To hope for relief from the intervention of the legislature as to the rate of wages, was not only delusive in itself, but was also calculated, if it could be realized, to aggravate all the inconveniences of our present condition, when compared with that of foreign powers. After a few words from Mr. W. HolveoN and Mr. Motecx, the first petition was brought up. Mr. W. SMITH, in bringing up the second petition, said, that, if a temporary Bill for one Session would satisfy the petitioners, he should have no objection to allow it to pass. He did not expect that it would be of much advantage in relieving the distress of the petitioners; but he was anxious to have it tried, in order that their minds might be quieted. Dr. LUSHINGTON hoped that it would not go forth to the public that the House of Commons had any, the slightest intention, to approve of such a proposition. Such a measure would, if passed, be delusive to the petitioners, and destructive to the interests of the manufacturers at large.—(Hear, hear.) The petition was then ordered to be printed. Lord NUGENT presented a petition from certain Bap tists at Wedland, in Buckinghamshire, praying for the re peal of the Test and Corporation Acts. Dr. LUSHINGTON presented similar petitions from parishes in Suffolk and Southampton. Colonel DAVIES presented a petition to the same effect from a parish in Worcestershire. Mr. GUEST presented three similar petitions from parishes in Devonshire and Glamorganshire. MAGISTRATES OF LANCASHIRE. Dr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from the journeymen weavers of Middleton, complaining that they were frequently unable to obtain justice in their differences with their masters from the Magistrates, because those masters themselves were the Magistrates wham they had to apply to. The Hon. and Learned Member suggested the necessity of appointing, in every county, only such Ma gistrates as should be able to perform the duties of their Office impartially. Mr. W. SMITH said, that it would not be difficult to flame instances in which an equal disregard of the law, and of the rights of those wbo applied to them, had beta shown by the Lancashire Magistrates. Lord STANLEY defended the 'Magistrates of Lancaster. Mr. PEEL spoke on the same side, and said that there were very few, if any, instances in which persons carrying on trade as manufacturers were made Magistrates. In the course of his official experience he had received no com plaints of abuses of power by the Lancashire Magistrates ; and he believed that no more respectable set of men existed than those who adorned the commission for that county. Mr. W. SMITH explained. Mr. MACQUEEN postponed his motion upon the Law of Settlement (as we understood the Hon. Gentleman) until early next Session. Mr. MABERLY moved for ..opies of additional corres pondence between Sir R. Donkin and the Colonial-office, respecting the Cape of Good Hope. Mr. W. HORTON was ready to give the papers asked for, as also those to be moved for by the Hon. Member for Aberdeen, but deprecated discussion until the matter was fully before the Heuse. Mr. FYSHE PALMER was of opinion, that it would be more convenient, as the papers were granted, to put off discussion until they were laid upon the table. Mr. HUME said, that his motion stood rather upon dif ferent grounds from that of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Maberly), because it was for a copy of the order by which Mr. Greig had been banished from the Cape, and of the correspondence relative to the withdrawing of the licence from that gentleman's paper, The South African Com mercial Advertiser. Before the Session closed, he had to submit a motion generally to the House relative to the regu lation of the press in those Colonies which possessed no in dependent legislature. Mr. W. HORTON had no objection to giving the copy of the order in question. Only it was right that he should observe, that Mr. Greig never had been banished. The order had been commuted. Mr. HUME moved for an account of the amount of de ductions made from the wages of seamen, and paid into Greenwich Hospital, under the Acts the 3d, 7th, and Sth of William 111., since the year 1822 ; dividing the amount paid by the sailors of his Majesty's ships from that received from the crews of merchantmen. It was his intention, the Hon. Member said, to take an early opportunity of laying the whole circumstances connected with this tax upon sea men before Parliament. From the merchant sailors, he thought it was roost unjustly taken, for they derived no gain or advantage from Greenwich Hospital at all. The terms of the original arrangement under which it had been taken from the sailors of the navy had been broken, for they had been promised a pension as a right, and that had afterwards been changed to a pension a.. discretion. The expence of collecting this tax, too, was most monstrous : it amounted to no less than 21 per cent. upon the receipt —a cost which was disgraceful to those who had so long permitted it. Mr. HERRIES did not mean to oppose the production of the return ; but complained that the Hon. Member should make attacks upon the conduct of officers who were not in their places. Ur. HUME said that his motion was made upon due notice. Why were not the members alluded to in their places ? He spoke rather too mildly, he thought, of such a practice, as allowing a tax to cost 21 per cent. collection. Mr. LOMBE moved, pursuant to notice, that the ap pendix to the Report on the administration of the Govern ment of the Cape of Good Hope should be printed. The Hon. Member spoke in so low a tone of voice that we did not distinctly catch his accompanying observations. Mr. W. HORTON consented to the production of the papers, but deprecated any attacks upon the characters of the Commissioners. On the motion of Mr. PEEL, the Larcenies Laws' Consolidation Bill was recommitted, and ordered to be read a third time on Friday next. On the motion of Mr. PEEL, the Malicious Injuries Bill was recommitted, and ordered to be read a third time on Friday next. On the motiou of Mr. PEEL, the Remedies against the Hundreds Bill was recommitted, and the Report was or dered to be taken into consideration on Friday next. On the motion of Mr. PEEL, the Criminal Justice Bill was recommitted, and was ordered to be read a third time on Friday next. Mr. PEEL gave notice that, on Wednesday next, he would move for leave to bring in a Bill to alter the law respecting thelollection of money on briefs in churches. The Destration of Houses (Ireland) Bill was rea d a second time, and ordered to be committed ot► after a few observations from Sir J. Nawvdar and Mr. MOORE. On the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Dissenters' Marriages Bill, , Mr. ESTCOURT said he intended to oppoie the Bill. •... Mr. W. SMITH supported the Bill. After some discussion, in which Mr. Hume, Mr. H. Gurney, Mr. Grant, Mr. Warburton, and Mr. Peel took part, the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed en Friday next. Colonel WOOD moved that the Sale of Game Bill be read .a second. tilne. Ile did not wish to enter into any ddtails upon that occasion, but to reserve the discussion of the principle of the Bill until the third reading, when those Hon. Members who objected to the Bill, and who were then absent, should be able to take a part in the discussion. After a few words from Mr. PEEL, Sir C. BoaaaLL, Mr. FYSHE PALMER, and Lord Mivrorr, the question was put by the SPEdEER, when some dissentient voices being heard, strangers were ordered to withdraw. On our return to the gallery, we found the numbers to be —for the second reading 56 ; against it 2 : majority in fa vour of the second reading 54. On the motiun of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the Penryn elec tion bill was read a second time, and ordered to be read a third time tomorrow (this day) se'nnight. On the motion of Mr. HERRIES, the House resolved itself into a Committee upon the Excise Duties Acts. Mr. HERRIES moved the following resolution: —"That the Chairman of the Committee be directed to move for leave to bring in a bill or bills to consolidate and amend all the laws relating to the collecting and managing the reve nues of the Excise of the united kingdom. The House then resumed, and the CHAIRMAN, having reported the resolution, obtained leave to bring in the bills. Mr. HEATHCOTE presented a Petition from the Mayor and Corporation of Coventry, against the Coventry election bill, and praying to be heard by_counsel against the same. Several of the orders of the day were then postponed, and the House adjourned at half past eleven o'clock. STATEMENT RELATIVE TO THE SAL MON FISHERIES IN THE RIVER TAY. All rights of salmon fishery in Scotland, as well as all rights to land, are derived originally from the Crown, forming feudal estates in the grantees. In order to protect the fisheries, and prevent one set of grantees from obtaining a monopoly at the expense of the rest, the mode of fishing was, from a very remote period, regulated by Statutes of the Scotch Parliament, the general object of which was to prohibit fixed apparatus or ma chinery placed in rivers or estuaries, so as to intercept the salmon in their upward passage to the streams where they breed ; and under the grants thus regulated, fisheries were the subject of purchase and sale, at prices corresponding to what they yielded. About twenty-five years ago, a new mode of fishing, by means of what are called stake-nets, was introdv-=,l into the estuary of the Tay. These were inclosures formed by nets stretched upon fixed stakes, extending over the bank, or sands covered by the tide at high water, and left dry at the ebb. The introduction of those nets, even upon a limited scale, was followed by a great diminution of the produce of the established fisheries. It became obvious that if all the banks of that extensive estuary were to be occupied in a si milar manner, the passage of the salmon upwards would be almost completely obstructed. To check this evil, a suit was instituted in the Court of Session ; and, after a most patient inquiry, the Court de cided that stake-nets were illegal, awl that judgment was affirmed in the House of Lords ; and thus the right of the proprietors of fisheries in the river to insist upon the re moval of all stake-nets in the estuary has been recognised by the highest judicature in the country. But a Bill has been introduced into Parliament, by one clause of which it is proposed to legalise stake-nets in all estuaries, thereby at once to render the decree of the Comte of Law of no effect ; and to deprive a number of indivi duals of their vested sights. It is pretended that the intro duction of stake-nets in the estuary will occasion no injury whatever to the fishing in the river ; but, on the contrary, the produce of all the fitheries will be thereby increased ; and that salmon of superior quality will be brought to market; and thus it is said to be for the interest of the public to make them legal. To suppose that the numbers of salmon in any river will be permanently increased by the introduction of new and more effectual means of catching them, is absurd, and it is equally repugnant to reason and to experience to suppose that the same number of salmon will be caught in the higher parts of a river, if the proprietors of lands bounded by the estuary, having right to fish in a regular manner, are allowed additional facilities for intercepting them in their progress upWards. Upon ' this subject, a plain statement of the fluctuation in the rental of 010-C4y-fisheries, during those years in which the experfunent wigs tried?-by the introduction of the stake nets, till ultimately- removed, must carry conviction. In the years 1806 and 1807, the fisheries in the river Tay, belonging to Lord Gray, were rented at 3,2001. per annum ; but, from the effects of the stake-nets, the rents of those fisheries was, in 1809 and 1810, reduced to 2,1001., and the stake-nets gradually increasing in number, the rent in 1811 and 1812 fell to 1,205/. In 1814, the judgment of the House of Lords being pro nounced, ordaining the stake-nets to be removed from the estuary, the rent of Lord Gray's fisheries then rose to 3,500/., and afterwards the rent rose to 4,0001., at which his fisheries are now let upon a lease ; and all the fisheries in the river (with the exception of one or two, which are productive at a period of the year before the stake-nets can be used), experienced a similar fluctuation. In 1812, when the effects of the stake-nets were fully known, the rental of all the fisheries in the river amounted to no more than 5,161/. ; but, when the stake-nets were removed, the rental of those fisheries was 14,5921. While there was this ruinous defalcation in the rental of the river fisheries, there was a corresponding increase in that part of the fisheries in the estuary by means of stake-nets. Fisheries which had recently before produced a rent of 5/. or 10/., and some which had produced no rent at all, yielded many hundred pounds a-year. It seems, then, to be quite certain that the introduction of stake-nets will have no other effect than to transfer the property of the fisheries from one set of individuals to an other set. The public have no interest in the matter. The quantity of salmon brought to market will continue the same, and the quality will not be superior. Almost the whole of the salmon caught in the Tay is sent to the London market. Hence, an accurate statement of the quantity put on board of the trading vessels, affords a fair criterion for judging of the produce of the fisheries. From that it will be found that, during the three years when stake-nets were in full operation, the total number of bones of sa'.•non shipped from the Tay was not more than 5,688, of which quantity only 1,688 boxes were the pro duce of the river fisheries; the remainder were caught in the stake-nets. After the stake-nets were removed, the average quantity of salmon shipped for London was, for three years, not less than 6,000 boxes annually, of which 5,000 were supplied from the river fisheries alone ; and thus the total quantity of salmon caught in the river and estuary has increased rather than diminished sinee the removal of the stake-nets. The comparative quality of the salmon caught in the rivers and in the estuary can be determined by no test so fair as the price received for both in the London market. From a statement of the average prices of salmon, during six years, it appears that the difference in price upon a box containing one hundred pounds of salmon, was only six pence in favour of the salmon caught in the estuary. The box of salmon from the estuary producing Si. 175., while the box of river salmon produced Si. Ws. 6d. The argument used by the promoters of the Bill founded upon the supposed interest of the public, is, therefore, merely a pretext for asking the Legislature to repeal the ancient laws, and reverse the sentence of the Courts pro nounced in a suit between two classes of individuals. MANCHESTER, MAY 29.—The demand for goods has decreased, but in so small a degree as not to affect the prices. Strong goods particu larly are said to be less in demand. In prints there is still much doing, both to the United States and the Continent. Indeed, if what is reported be correct, it is probable that America may have to draw her supply of prints from England for a considerable time ; it being under stood that seve ra l i n dividuals,in attempting to establish print-works in the States, have failed. Grey cloths, particularlarly those from the power loom, are, in consequence of the demand for prints, still much sought after, and some houses find a difficulty in supplying the demand. The buyers for the home trade arc neither so busy nor so numerous as they were last week, and several preceding ones ; but, as things generally decline a little about Whitsuntide, the present slackness is scarcely unexpected. In yarns there is no material alteration. Those for exportation con tinue dull of sale, as they have been for several weeks past. Mm ABEAYETIfie ON-OPHTHALMIA. Ophthalmia is of divers kinds, such as the ophthalmia tarsi, niembranOsa, &c. The diseases of the . eyes, though ,a branch of common surgery, forth the study $ Separate kn' class of practitioners in this town, ' o*n by the name of oculists; but, as all affections 'of the eyes are to be treated upon the common princi ples of surgery, I would not have any, who pro feSses himself to be a surgeon, ignorant ot , this most important branch of his profession, A Mr. Saunders, in this town—a Mari who had been educated a physiologist—looking at the subject as a physiologist, raised for himself a mo nument more durable and honourable than could have been constructed by others without his sci entific knowledge. He has told us what he knew, and was at all times most ready and willing to impart that knowledge. Like other inflammations, the ophthalmia is sometimes chronic . and sometimes acute, and must be treated on general principles. You put leeches to the temples, and blisters in the vici nity ; and I refer you to Mr. Ware's excellent book on the subject. The eye is a superficial part—the vessels are unsupported. It will be particularly likely there will be weakness here ; any thing which gives relief to the loaded vessels, and thereby giving them a tone, will be of use. After bathing the eye with poppy-water, you use a weak solution of sulphate of zinc in water—a grain to an ounce. It smarts at first, but afterwards in a much less degree. You stimulate indolent parts, and sooth irritable parts. The tears gum the eye-lashes together, and this becomes a source of annoyance, so that you must bathe with tepid water. The argentum nitration has been used with great good; and it is curious to know the strength the eye, under some peculiar circum stances, may be made to bear. It has consider able effect in removing opacity. I have known a saturated solution applied without acting as a caustic. Mr. Lloyd applied this to opacities. A boy received a blow in his eye from a ball : it did not seem to produce any ophthalmy of importance. The cornea becoming opake, it attracted the notice of others. He was sent from the school at Hertford, as he could not see. His eye was subjected, at first, to a weak solution of argentum nitratum ; and its strength gradually and cautiously increased. In about six weeks he could see. But the tunica conjunc tiva is liable to purulent inflammation, and it ge nerally happens in young children. Mr. Ware has written on this—" the purulent eye of young children." In this affection a syringe will be ne cessary : now Mr. Ware tells us how that is to be done, and I have often seen very surprisingly good effects from such treatment. It occurs at all times, and it appears to be a contagious dis ease, that is, if the matter get applied to another eye, it will become affected. Several boys in the Military Asylum had it, and they could not effectually eradicate it till each boy washed with his sepaxate towel and 'water. From the time I was first appointed surgeon' of Christ's Hospital, there were not less than 200 Toys had the com plaint, but they had the beastly .trick of washing in the same water. The -Governors called me before them, and I told them how I conceived the disorder to be propagated ; so orders were given for each boy to_ wash separately, and a lavatory was erected for them. in a short time the disease disappeared. But the soldiers who went to Egypt got this ophthalmia, and it was a very bad disease. this led people to talk of the Egyptian ophthal mia. In this Egyptian ophthalmia, something like granulation`was produced, and this kept up irritation. This Mr. Saunders saw, and he de stroyed the irregularity, with sulphate of iron and copper. Sir William Adams pared off the surface of these granulations. So much for the purulent ophthalmia, and now for the ophthalmia tarsi. They called this the itching ophthalmy ;- small ulcers form on the eye-lids ; there seems to be a want of secretion,. and you apply an ointment you cure it. The Unguentum Hy drargyri Nitrati, has acquired great celebrity on this account ; and this was the " Golden Ointment for the Eye," sold as a quack medi cine. Ophthalmia very much depends on the state of the health in which the digestive organs are. A boy about 12 years of age, had very bad ophthalmia ; he was an ill-conditioned looking youth, and had a very bad and unhealthy ap pearance. His parents brought him up to town, a distance of 80 or 100 miles from home, as he had tried all the doctors in the country and they did him no good ; washes and unguents in abun dance having been tried without any good effect. I gave them a lecture, you may be sure, about his diet, and the regulation of his digestive organs, and I attributed the affection of the eyes, in a great measure, as arising from those organs being dis ordered. They said, " Oh, Sir, if you have nothing to apply to the eyes, we wish you a good morning." I said, " Good morning," re ceived my fee, and they left my house. On their return home, the boy was taken ill on the road, with a spontaneous bowel complaint ; and it had such a very apparent good effect on the inflamed eyes, that they turned about again to wards London, and gave me another call, ac knowledging their error, and sorry they had not known my opinion many months before. Now, by pursuing steadily the plan of treatment I at first laid down, the eyes got quite well. You have ophthalmia oc/di—inflammation of the eye itself—it is in the chambers , of the eye, and no further ; also, inflammation of, the membranes of the aqueous humour, both chronic and acute. I have known it attended with what is called capsular cataract. Opacity is produced in the back part, where the inflammation is greatest ; and I remember Mr. Pott relating a case, which you may see in his excellent work. LISBON, MAY 19.—The domestic news of Lisbon possess little or no interest. The people attend to their religious duties, frequent parties, go to the opera, and amuse themselves in the best way they can, without at all troubling themselves about the Spanish army on the fron tiers, or the victories or the defeats of Don Pedro. The weather has changed much of late. Instead of a clear sky, and a hot parching sun, we have had a violent storm of rain and wind from the south, for the last week.— The weather is now agreeably cool. I should sup pose not at all warmer than it is in London.— An atrocious deed committed on 'Wednesday last, ex cited, for a moment, a little commotion in the Cal cada de St. Francesco. About four in the afternoon a young man observed something thrown from a window, which alighted on the parapet wall, and immediately at tracted the notice of the dogs. On examining it, ho found, wrapped up in brown paper, the head of a child, some days old, which bore evident marks of its having been recently severed front the body. He gave the alarm, and in a short time a patrol of soldiers surrounded the house, and an inquiry was instituted, but no traces of the murder could be found. Had the young man not snatched it from the dogs, it would have disappeared in a few mi nutes. I saw, myself, the body of a child exposed for hours in the. Praga d e C ommerc i o , w hi c h h a d b een t a k en out of the river, and probably been destroyed under similar circumstances; but such scenes here are not at all tare. —Aforning Herald. PORTVGAL. Scarcely any country can be at a lower ebb in point of commerce, agriculture, and manufactures, than Portugal is at the present moment, and, consequently, many years must elapse before any material change can be effected. A very cursory view of the state of the country would convince any one how much her interests have been ne glected, and to what a deplorable state the people are re duced. With the eicepticn of the manufacture of hats, there is not one that can be said to be in a flourishing state. There is a considerable manufacture of silk at Lisbon, but it is under the direction of Government, and does not suc ceed. The clothing of the soldiers is of home ninntfae ture, but that of the officers and indeed of the middling and higher classes is English. The very night-caps, or rather day-cape, which the peasantry wear, come from Basle; the leneos, or muslin head-dresses, worn by the women, from England tape, ribanda, and many other articles of female dress, from Prance and the Netherlands. This is the more surprising, as the females, particularly those of the higher classes, excel in the manufacture of some articles of dress. The stockings, both cotton and thread, which they knit themselves, are most beautifully wrought. All sorts of cutlery and hardware, that are at all good, come from England ; and many other articles, which the people are quite competent t.) produce themselves, are brought from foreign countries. This cannot arise from any inaptitude in the inhabitants, for in some trades they excel all others. The hats made in Portugal, of which a great quantity are exported to Brazil, excel the English far in point of durability and colour. The one will retain its colour unaltered for a year, while the other will be come brown in three months. This is probabiy owing to the nature of the climate, which is so favourable to dyeing; and there can be no doubt that if the manufacture of cloth, particularly black, were encouraged, it would have the same superiority. They excel, too, in some parts of ship building—and as stone-masons they are unrivalled. Per haps there is not in any part of the world such a flue piece of workmanship as the exterior of the palace of Ajuda. In order to be convinced, however, in what a low state their manufactures are, it is necessary only to look at the last census of Portugal. Though it contains a population of 3,013,900, there are only three towns that have above 10,000 inhabitants (Lisbon, Oporto, and Coimbra) ; and wherever manufactures flourish, large towns are certain to spring up. England, for instance, which contains but thrice the population of Portugal, has 37 towns with a po pulation of more than 10,000 each ; and Scotland, which has only two-thirds, has 16 ; while Ireland, with twice the population, but deficient in manufactures, has about the same number, in proportion, as Portugal. The following table is taken from the last census, made by order of the Government : KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL. Population 8,013,900 Troops of the Line 25,000 Monks and Nuns PROVINCES. Algarves Alen tejo Estremadura Beira Minho 750,620 Tras-os-Montes CHIEF TOWNS. Tavira (Algarves) ' 8,610 Elves (Alentejo) lO,OOO Evora (ditto) Lisbon (Estremadura) Coimbra (Beira) Oporto (Minho) 60,000 Villa Real Braganza Agriculture is in a still worse state. Portugal, at pre sent, cannot raise a sufficient quantity of grain for the sub sistence of the inhabitants, and wheat here is only a trifle lower than it is in London. It is easy to conceive how heavily this must press on the lower classes, in a country where money is so scarce. There cannot be the least doubt, however, that Portugal, even supposing the vineyards to remain as numerous as they are at present, could raise more grain than the inhabitants require. The land is ill-culti vated—never manured, except partially in the neighbour hood of towns—and, consequently, except where the soil is naturally rich, the crops are extremely defective. Many fields, too, quite well adapted for agriculture, are allowed to lie waste, overgrown with brambles, myrtles, furze, and broom —and can be compared to nothing so aptly as the garden of the sluggard. The poor peasantry, however, are hardly to blame for this—for they are wretchedly poor and still more ignorant, and have neither the means nor the sense to introduce any improvement. Their agricultural imple vacate are of the rudest description, and as there are no • roads, the transport of manure and grain is most expensive. There is, in short, hardly any inducement for them to labour more than merely to procure a bare subsistence. Yet what a fie country* Portugal might be made ! With the finest climate in, the world, and a soil equally adapted for raising wheat, and wine, and oil, it remains comparatively unpro ductive, and its inhabitants are sunk in ignorance and supef stition. Scarcely any of the peasantry can read, and many of those that wear good coats, and might, at a distance, be taken for gentlemen, are equally ignorant and un educated. The Nobility and Clergy too may, without exception, be said to be the moat ignorant in Europe. Superstition in consequence prevails, with a few ho nourable exceptions, ' over the highest and the lowest.— The scene which took place on the discovery of " Our Lady of the Cave," could not be exeeeded by the most superstitious and barbarous nation. The only way of accounting for this extreme ignorance is to sup pose that the clergy find it for their interest to con tinue it, and consequently do what they can to check edu cation. Will it be believed that Portugal, with all this ignorance and superstition, is better provided with schools than England ? Yet such is the fact. Every district has its parish school; the masters, who i generally belong to the priesthood, are paid a certain salary by the landholders, and receive a mall fee from each of the scholars ; but this amounts to a mere trifle, as the inhabitants rarely send their children to school. They say, and perhaps this has been instilled into them—" Of what use is reading or writ ing to a man who has to drive a pair of bullocks, or a mule, or dig in a vineyard, and why should he torment him self with acquiring what never can benefit him ?" The shipping of Portugal, since the revolt of the Brazils, has been almost annihilated, but the commerce still is con siderable, particularly with England. This is owing, in some measure, to the foolish obstinacy of the Spanish Go vernment, in attempting to keep out English manufac factures. It is believed that fully one half of the goods imported into Lisbon find their way by Elves, Almeida, and other places on the frontier, into the interior of Spain. Portugal gains 15 per cent. on all articles imported, and consequently affords every protection to smugglers.— Cor respondent of the Morning Herald. THE CONVICTS.-Amongst the capital con victs included in the Recorder's late report, and to whom the Royal mercy was extended, was Elizabeth Frankland, convicted of a robbery under circumstances so out of the ordinary course, that some particular notice of her case may not prove unacceptable to the reader. She is of a respectable family, and had received an education which enabled her to become the in structress of young ladies ; and for some years she conducted a boarding establishment in the vicinity of London : but, owing, it is said, to an happy marriage, and other untoward circum stances, she was compelled to relinquish her establishment, and has since supported herself by dress-making. But it appears that her prin ciples had been undermined, and the robbery of which she was convicted was planned and exe cuted with so much artful contrivance, as renders it difficult to believe that this could have been the first she perpetrated. She lodged in the house of an honest, hard-working couple named Allaway, who keep a chandler's-shop and coal shed, at Ball's-pond, and the object of her plun der was a purse, containing all their stock of money, which Mrs. Allaway usually carried in her pocket, and at night deposited, as in a place of security, beneath her pillow. Mrs. Frank laud succeeded to her expectation in possessing herself of the pocket at one or two o'clock on a Sunday morning, when Allaway and his wife were buried in profound sleep; and then pro ceeded to the completion of her arrangements to divert suspicion from the real thief, and make it appear that the house had been broken open and robbed. To that end she packed into a bundle a quantity of wearing-apparel belonging to Mrs. Allaway, but left in her room, and proceeding down stairs dropped it in the lower part of the house, threw open the shutters of the back par lour window, and threw Mrs. Allaway's pocket to the extremity of the garden, with a trifling portl9n o the ;rlvney jt cptailied. FOREIGN INTtLtiotNcr. .._ ~~ FRENCH PAPERS. (From the Etoile of Monday, May 29.) ROME, MAY 16.—M. Angelo Mai has just disco ,- vered some fragments of the 24th and 25th Books of Pliny's Natural History, which, on account or_ their supposed great antiquity, may furetish some important various readings, and solve the doubts of • a great number of learned Commentators. • OrFICIAL NOTICE. ODES;A, MAY 3.—The Government of New Russia, conformably to the repeated applications made td it by the Department of Foreign Affairg ,, invites Russian subjects settled in the Governme o of New Russia and :Bessarabia, who have any to make, either on the exchequer or on private sub-', jecta of the Porte, to present, as soon as possible,' the titles on which they found their claims, in order that within the term of 18 mouths, stipulated by the' Treaty of Akermann, the said claims may be sub- - jected to the examination of the Commission' appointed by the Imperial Ministry, and then trans mitted to the Commissioners, who will be appointed , ' at Constantinople by the two Governments to effect" the liquidation of the claims of their respectiv e ' subjects. ST. PETERSBURGH, MAY 11.—As the works oe cessary for the opening of the port of Kertch, and establishment of a market for the exchange of good o at the Bougasse will soon be terminated, his IVle jesty the Emperor has been pleased to order— Art. 1. The port of Kertch shall be open from and after the Ist August, 1827. 2. All goods, not prohibited by the tariff, may be, brought thither on payment of the duties, and ob.- servarice of the sanitary regulations prescribed by; the laws of the empire. 3. Goods coming from Circassia and Abasia, well as goods exported from the empire to those two countries, shall be exempt from all duties both at Kertch and Bougasse for ten years, from Auk 1, 1827. PARIS, MAY 28.—Letters from the lonian Islands' quoted in a Roman Journal, say, that Ibrahim Pah ° left Modon on the 20th April, to make an e xeure against the villages of . the Mores, opposite the " e l of Zante. The number of inhabitants killed in tyr- days amounted to 2,000. Egyptian ships of %/ sa iled along the coast, while the troops drove t he fugitives towards the beach, where they.were kille or taken prisoners. Some boats from the Islands: however, saved a pretty considerable number of them, who were conveyed to Zante, and thence Calamos. LIES OF THE DAY. The Quotidienne.—ln the reception of M. de Oa.' briac, a difference in the form of the ceremony . observed, which seemed to prove a predilection in favour of England, to the prejudice of France. The Journal du Commerce.—French ships pay 10 Brazil 24 per cent. instead of 15 per cent. The Debats.—M. de Moustier has had his sale/ in the Foreign Department restored to him, sequence of the retrenchment of the pension a de Neuville. (From the Journal des Debats.) PARIS, MAY 27.—We had no wish to repeat th e ' rumours in circulation for several days, with respect: to the destination of the appointment taker. frunT M. Hyde de Neuville. We are now but too vf ir e l ' instructed how to talk to our readers about it. refused to believe even in the distribution of 14': spoils, and this day we announce the heir of the n ' —that heir is M. de Moustier ! M. Hyde de Neu, ville has been struck from the list of the dispos able oflieiaries, for having addressed to an ex-ambassa dor a question which was not answered. M. de 111 0 ; tier has been again placed upon that list for O f having answered. The distributive justice of o Ministers can go no farther. They punish the one/ for talking—they recompense the ether for ho ldi t his tongue. What a loyal combination Eccel le suddenly from Madrid, M. de Moustier, at return, solicited the appointments of disposibil it Y ° The list was full, the roll made up. What was to be' done ? A somewhat more moderate appointment offered him ; but he was paid from the secret service money, and every one knows, that that fund POI agents who are not exactly diplomatic. The name u"; N. de Neuville rubbed our, leaves 16,000 francs a ' the disposal of M. de llamas. M. de Dames has ai l; posed of them. There is something in all this w hich recalls the confiscations that have been erased from our codes ! We revert, in spite of ourselves, to those a times of civil war, when one man was ruined 001 i t i ,, enrich another. The property of M. Hyde de Ne i e ville was confiscated by Buonaparte also; but sc . , never heard, that at that time they were either offer/ to any one, or accepted when offered. We make a point never to blame what is gone by. So O n ' plans have been acted on within the last thirty ye ict a Tt that, without forgetting, we could never agree. vi t t is not this a case that compels us to indulge in pa i : h i , recollections ? What, not to he content with pul l i g d, ing five-and-twenty years of almost romantic devet e te ness, must the colours of M. Hyde de Neuville tarnished by using his disgrace as an occasion of ° to stowing recompences on him who has succeeds so many others ? -a de Since the services and the misfortunes of M. A--Y„ de Neuville have not rendered him inviolable in t- to eyes of our Ministers, it was at least enough punish his fidelity. It is only in conquered CO u :: tries that the habit prevails of indemnifying the CO-- queror at the expence of the vanquished. A CONVENIENT CONSCIENCE.--A slit" time since a chain of 370 convicts arrived be te; they were drawn up on the strand of Castenean, a little distance from the town. Amongst t!' most remarkable was Count Trevous Tourvill formerly in the Gardes du Corps. He 11 ► made his escape some time back from the 13ag.,e; and was condemned for life; also Gronat t ; lawyer, who had committed about a hundre d ' l ° ,4 genes. He is the author of a work e n t o " Analytical Treatise upon the principal of Law and Morality ;"a copy of which, a cc° , - ; paniedb ya atToulon, letter, a few he had days addressed to the fat' ''' s of the Bar arrival as a convict ; and lastly, the the man of escapes (Phomme aux evasions)' s t he is called. This lively individual was the in , c ' it loquacious of the gang. I heard him say' , e is true I am passionately fond of liberty ; I bas j frequently escaped, and I shall do so again i ; e i have no will to those who watch me ; 6 e r follow their trade, and I mine ; I am morve the best-behaved man in the Bagne ; 11 '',,y never been punished there, for I never do RU}' farn b o e l f i o s re pe l t l lo . l t; thing to deserve it (this is literally true), got j e a rs escape—that is quite natural ; when forty A l s of of age, I was condemned to various per l° " o re; bard labour, amounting to forty years 1 ; 11- s o this was the same as con d emn ing me for lite ; o ff I thought the best thing I could do was t o b r e 0 0 with myself. On quitting the Bagne, has i , t i ttot other resource, I was forced to rob a tax-coliv-tbe of 25,000 francs, who had himself robbed a Government of 500,000 francs." Petit I ' 3 e severe bruise on his nose ; being asked the c 3 s tl , s A of it, he said, " I am a good fellow ; rascal amongst these men (pointing to his ' c the convicts) —for rascals will sometimes get int o stea l best of conTany—who was endeavouring to be his comrade a purse ; I prevented hint, 30a lie struck me with his chain on the nose ; a s will, if he can, be the death of me." re lit : l d l er perfectly free and easy, and seemed to e° ll _, ar cl himself quite at home. He politely s alute" o f claimed acquaintance with the Commissattlaje the Bagne, who could not help slain& 3 , 3 , i ce• unembarrassed gaiety of his old acqualn'_oo Amongst the crowd present on this ocea b w e e l i o • e n , gso the ii t i r g a , n g i e t i t s o t s r a u3e , , , a t o t r i e n i lo people. iwnenrb classfe sw