The Sun. — London, England, 1833-12-20 00:00:00

GERMAN PAPERS, VIENNA, DEC. s.—The inheritance left by Prince Esteihsay is immense; his expenses, however, were no great, that a sequestration was placed upon his property, which was to last ten years, and during this time he was to receive an income of 80,000 florins. By his death many pensions will terminate, ! , 0 that the period of the sequestration will be shortened. It is thought that his principal heir, Prince Paul Esterhazy, will soon resign his office as Ambassador to England, in order to attend to his family affairs.—Frankfort Papers, Dec. 14. AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES of the GREAT CHANCELLOR THURLOW. He began his legal career with acknowledged superior talents, but from a turn of mind, almost peculiar to him self, never did what was called much at the bar, until the Minister of the day discovered and wished to employ those talents in the service of the Government. Mr. Thurlow almost of course, in a very short time, became Solicitor and Attorney. General under Lord North's Cabinet. The strong measures that the Minister thought it ne cessary to adopt in carrying on his master's favourite object, the coercion of his refractory subjects in North America, required all the strength in the House of Com mons that could be procured. The means to obtain this, it has been said, were dealt out with an unsparing band. The time and the subject seem to have been especially propitious in bringing forward a Thurlow and a \Vedder burn, who perhaps never were excelled in the good ma nagement of those two important offices. If they shone more in any one attribute than another, it was in biting their wonderful powers in Parliament. It happened, on some very particular occasion, a very strong measure was to be propounded in the Commons, when Lord North, as is the custom, summoned a meeting of his friends, who were expected to support it. The plan seemed to meet general approbation, and consequent tilers of support, but Lord North observed that Mr. Attorney-General had not given his sanction. Mr. Thurlow merely said, " I hope your Lordship does not expect that I am to tell the House of Commons that this is law ;" then took his hat and wished them good morn ing. N.B.—He went to the House that night, and made the hest speech be ever made in support of the measure. The writer of the above, who, by the bye, is now alive, tells another trait of the singularity of this great character, thusr-- The house tax, so much the talk of the present day, was hid on in 1755 or 6, by way of commutation for a seduction of the duty on tea. I was then Secretary to the Board of Taxes. A clause was inserted in the Act to exempt ficm_houses, whose annual value did not exceed .51. a }ear. Lord Thurlow had recently built a fine Louse at Knight-hill, and there being no other house upon the estate, which consisted of about 500 acres, some of his Lordship's people claimed an exemption on account of there being no other farm-house, and refused payment of the tax. Of course, this obtained publicity, and an almost general refusal to pay the tax took place in the neigh bourhood of Dulwich, and every day's post brought letters from the collectors and surveyors asking for instructions. sly Commissioners were, as well as myself, quite at a 10-s what step to tike ; in the meantime I tried all my friends, who I knew had acce , s to the Chancellor, to get them to mention the matter to hint, suggesting that nothing but his Lordship's ignorance of the fact could have produced so palpable a misconstruction of the Act. I failed entirely, ter such appeared to me the dread of speaking to the Chancellor upon the subject, that even up to Mr. Pitt himself the task was declined, and the evil, of course, getting worse, and conceiving all the trouble and worry of it cast upon me, I ens morning, while his Lord ship was sitting in the Court of Chancery, handed up to his Lordship the following letter, or something to the same put port, for I kept no copy, nor did I mention it till long after his Lordship's death to anybody. "My Lord—From a duty I owe the public, which is also my own, and the high respect for your Lordship's high station, which is yours, I have presumed to state to your Lordship, that some of your people at Knight's Hill have considered that your house there is exempt from the new house tax. lam in waiting, in the humble hope you will favour me with a few minutes of your time, when I shall endeavour to show this refusal of payment can have arisen in nothin g short of a mist a k e i n th e construc tion of th e Act. I nee d not use many words to show your Lordship whit what avidity a certain set of people catch at any opportunity, to show their disrespect for rank and power. I trust to your Lordship's high and manly cha racter for pardon for this intrusion, and that you will con sider that, whatever impropriety may attach to me in the I step I have presumed to take, I have been, in a great measure, driven to it. I have the honour to be, &c., Ste. W. S. G. I bad the satisfaction to see his Lordship open and read the letter, and hear him tell the messenger to show me into his private room. He followed me almost before I could seat myself. He was preparing to attend the House of Lords, the mace and all the cortege being in the passage. His first salutation was with a stern look and overpower ing accent—What are your commands with me, Sir? Answer—My business is contained in the letter I bad the honour to send vow• Lordship. The Chancellor—Do you say I am liable to pay the tax ? Answer—l humbly conceive there can be no doubt. The Chancellor—Then I will take order fir the pay ment. I then bowed to the ground, certainly more happy than such a, after all, trifling incident in my passage through life ought to have made me. But there was something yet to come that for a moment checked my extreme joy. I bad no sooner reached ten steps towards the hall than I found the Chancellor calling after me, and upo❑ my turning about, with a still lower bow, if possible, his Lord ship uttered these words in, for him, a pleasing manner. " Sir, I wish you to understand I think myself much obliged to you." The emcees* seems to have justified the measure, and it is true that I got some credit by it, but I am far from ex pecting every body to do ao. N.B. Perhaps I might not have been entirely unknow❑ to Lord Thurlow, having rnet him at dinner at Lord Shelburne's, in Hill-street, about twenty years before, and where he showed, in my mind, strong indications of his future celebrity. REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCE.--01 1 the night of Weer , silay, the 4th instant, a narrow horse -139 it, laden a ith crates of earthenware, was upset and .sink in the eanai about a mile from Runcorn. Plenty of bands wer!inunedlitely put on to haul up the crates, and whilst doing so on e of them caught boll of something wiih a boat-hook, whi c h proved to be tie body of a man quite dead and h is countenance much discoloured. It has since been (deafly proved, that he left Runcorn on his way cn foot towards Warrington, and was seen much intoxi cated only about an hour before he was drowned. His hand was ma r k e d with the initials T. C. in blue, ' and he had a letter in his pocket directed to Thomas Cresswell ; but, as he was a perfect stranger in Runcorn, it is not yet known to what place he belongs.— York Chronicle. A woman who travels the country, pretendin g to be deaf and dumb, and who calls herself Betty Elemsly, has been committed to the House' of Correction, at Wake field, for seven days as a vagrant. When taken into custody she was told that she would not have anything to eat until she could ask for it. In the course of a few hours she not only found means to ask for food, but strength to pummel Mr. Pearson, the deputy constable of Dewsbury, oundly. —Halifax Express. ROME, DEC. s.—Cardinal Odescalchi has returned from his journey to Lucca; the Duke had declared to him his intention of coming to Rome himself shortly. It is said that Governor Grimaldi will reeek-e the cardinal's hat as well as M. Brignoli. The French ambassador, M. de Latour Maubourg, who has returned to his post, received the diplomatic body and the grandees yesterday. It was remarked that twenty-one cars4ibais appeared on the occasion. The winter will b'e very gay here, k`.- We have not only an unusnal number of foreig'vz , ':;., but many Italian nob!es—an agreeable prospect fc'e 'Coe Romlns, who, according to themselves, would soon be ruined without strangers in their city. It is said that a vessel has arrived in port with the his of Don Carlos on board, which perhaps were shipped during the lifetime of King Ferdi nand. Thorwaldsen has several works of importance on board. His last work, several reliefs, excites universal astonishment. 'VIENNA, DEC. 9.—Five per Cent. Metalliques, '94 3.16; Four per Cent. ditto, SI ; Bank Shares, 1,219 i.— Alige ',Leine Zeitung, Dec. 14. BERLIN, DEC. B.—On the 4th, the trihinal of the Chamber (Rammer Gericht), began its new system of summary and public trials, and in a few days the tribunal of the city wiil follow its example. It was an event en tirely new to the inhabitants of Berlin to hear lawyers plead, and to see the - contending parties defending them selves at the bar. The greatest order prevailed, deci,ions were promptly given, and in one morning more business was despatched than in many weeks under the old system, with enormous notes of information. It was curious that the first law suit under the new system in Prussia was between two ladits.—Nureraury Correspondent, Dec 12. NEW WORK BY THE AUTHOR OF " BRAM BLETYE HOUSE." This day, in 3 vols. post we., GALE MIDDLETON. A STORY of the PRESENT DAY. By HORACE SMITH, Esq. Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street. Agents for Scotland, Messrs. Bell and Bradfute, Edin burgh ; for Ireland, Mr. John Cumming, Dublin. To be had also of all respectable Booksellers. • I.KICF S OF STOCKS Tilt flank Stct;ic °M4 11 12 11 3j-p e , cent. Red. B7ll Btq 8 3 per Cent.ConQ 3d tt per C o i cnt. .................. shut 96 Kew:34 per Cent. . , ... shit 3 ver Cent. Ann. 17'26 4 per Cent. 18:26 103%% Bank Lq'g.Aitn. tnexrnre - Jan. 6, IPt3O , 716 15-16 17 Oct. 10, 1859 Jan. 5, 1860 Jan. 5, 1880 — April 5, 1980 — j Jan. 5, 1870-- S PAY AT oNI , o'cLocx. New 5 per Cent. ....... ~... India Stock Ditto Bonds 2l 22 VII. South Sea Stock .. •......... -- Old Annuities...' - Bsli New Dl't'a — 13 per Ctint. Ann. 1751 Ex. Bills, £l,OOO 4l 42 pm. Dit to 50P 4l 42 pm. Ditto Small IDitto Commercial Ditto Advertised — pm. Bank for Account — India for Account ..... ... Cons. for Account ...68% 94 % PRICES OF FOREIGN TUZDI3 Austrian Bond! ~. • 07 Belyan Mtrds•- - • • •956 Ditto Account 951 nrazillati nohds -CAI4 Ditto Account (36N Buenos Ayres Bonds — Ditto AccOmit • '''l Chiban Bends Ditto Account — Columbian Bonds l9 Ditto Account — Ditto Bonds, 1824 2 2 ,4 Ditto Account 22% Danish Bon i -234 Ditto Acceunt 721 f Greek Bonds Ditto Bonds, 1825 Ditto Account...... NI eXican Bonds, 5 per cent 2914 Ditto Account — This BAY AT ONE 0 CLOCK. !Peruvian Bonds inv, /Portuguese Bonds - 57 6 Ditto Account 575, DittO Nett/Bonds 57 fir I Ditto Acconnt 57 07i !Prussian Bonds Ditto Bonds, 1822 Russian Bonds, 1822 102% Ditto Account 10:354 Ditto 111 ;Spanish Bonds, 1821 2314 Ditto Acc. ' - '3%, Ditto Bonds, 1823 20% Ditto Account 'French Rentes, 5 p. c —f —c. Exchange —f —c. --- 3 per cent —f. —c. Exchange _f —c. ,Dutch, 21 p. c. 50%17i VS Ditto Account 50 41,i Ditto, 5 p. c 934 Ditto Account 944 I ,v, French Scrip 44 prn. 111 t. , fl per cent 37 Ditto Account 37 '4eapolita►a B9 PRICIS OF SHARES THIS DAT AT 01CR O'CliDelr• Paid. Per Share, Alton Mining Company £7 7% Anglo Mex. .in. 4.:0. (iss. at 51. p in ) £lOO 8% Bolanos Mining Company £l5O 140 Brazilian Mining Company £s 15 Brazilian Imp. Min. Co. (iss. at 5/. Inn.) £2O 61 Ditto National 22% 2414 Ditto St. John Del Rey Ditto Cocaes 5 1% Cata Branca Mining Company 3% 5 British Iron Mining , comnanv £so 1 2934 30 21% Columblto Mininl Co. Piss at 54 pm.) 51% 2% English Mining Company 12% 254 General Mining Association Hibernian Mining Co. £lo 4 Mexican Mining Co £4B 11% Real dcl Monte Mining Co....(unreg.) 52% I rated Mex. Min. Co. (iss. at 5.1. pm.) 40 11?.{ Ditto New Scrip 5 14 , 4 Alliance Fire Insurance Comp. lO 11% Protector Insurance Comp. Australian Co Canada Company l7 General Steam Navigation Co. l3 National Provincial Bank of England 5 Rio Doce Provincial Bank of Ireland 25 39 1 RAILS. Arrived. Due. Arrived. Due. 0 America 0 0 Hamburg 0 0 Brazil 0 Buenos Ayres 0 0 Jamaica 0 0 Carthagena 0 0 Leeward Islands ... 0 I Dublin 0 0 Lisbon I 0 Flanders 0 0 Malta 0 0 France 1 0 Sweden 0 Guernsey &Jersey.. 1 1 Waterford HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW. Nlorning —.13 minutes after 9. Evening...4o minutes after 0. 2, Catherine-street, London. THE ATHENIEUM, LONDON JOURNAL of LITERATURE, SCIENCE, and the FINE ARTS. (Published every Saturday)—Price Fourpence. [EXTRACT FROM THE ADDRESS OF THE PROPRIETORS.] It has been the fashion of those who would neither un dertake the labour nor hazard the cost of making the reader acquainted with the progressive development of the universal mind, to persuade themselves that English men were like the snail in the Hindu proverb, who, seeing nothing beyond its shell, believed it to be the finest palace in the world—we have ever thought and acted differently. The literary world, in our opinion, is as eager for an interchan:;e of knowledge as our traders for an interchange of manufactures ; and it is our ambitious hope that, ultimately, the ATHEN/EUM will become the literary mart where all nations must offer tribute of their wisdom—therefore it was that, in the late dearth of sound English literature, we availed ourselves of the opportunity to make the reader acquainted with what our Continental ❑eighbours were thinking and doing. One circumstance, however, weighed against us: there was, unfortunately, no point from which we could start—all was unknown. The review of a foreign work, however comprehensive, was but an isolated thing, and not a part of a whole; the English public knew little relating to the author or the work ; still less of the author or his work, in relation to the general literature of his country. We have there fore made arrangements for giving in EXTRA SHEETS of the ATHENAEUM, successive Series of Papers on THE LITERATURE of the NINETEENTH CEN TURY, with ANECDOTES CRITICAL and BIO GRAPHICAL— Each series to be devoted to the literature of one nation, and to be written by a distinguished native of that country (with the exception of Turkish Literature by Von Ham mer.). It is believed that the FIRST of the Series on GERMAN LITERATURE will be ready for publication EARLY in JANUARY. It will be continued, at inter.. vals of about a fortnight until complete,—then French, Italian, Spanish, American, Turkish, Persian, &c., all in preparation, will follow in due course. To each series the name of the writer will be prefixed ; and it will then appear that no cost has been spared to secure the co operation of the most distinguished writers in Europe. It is intended that each series shall be full and comprehensive—in proof, the articles on German Literature will equal in extent an octavo volume ; Franee but little less; Spain, Italy, America, each perhaps equil to half a volume ; the Northern and Eastern Nations according to their relative importance. It must not be supposed that such a series will be as interminable as an Encyclopedia —AN EXTRA HALF SHEET OF THE ATHZ NALTIK is somewhat more capacious than the reader may at first imagine; four of them can conveniently swallow up an ordinary, and five or six an extraordinary, octavo volume. And now, whether we have wisely calculated on the wants and wishes of the English literary public, time only can determine. The proposed series, with transla tions, printing, and paper, cannot cost us less than two, and will probably exceed three, thousand pounds; but not one fat thing to subscribers, the whole being a gratuitous addition to the present paper. Wir The Atheneum may be had b?/ order of all booksellers. tit 4 : 4 it t s jv r t ‘tc llll4 LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20, 1833. By another supply of Frankfort Papers which arrived this morning we have received the Speech of the King of WIRTEMBERG at the opening of the Diet on the 9th inst. The only points in it of the least importance are the an nouncement of his adhesion to the commercial Convention, and his denunciation of the spirit of Liberalism which excites so much uneasiness in the minds of the despots—great and petty — of the Continent. His MAJESTY says, " The Convention is another national bond for the German Confederation, the duration and union of which must, be de•ired by all true Germans, since, like me, it is reso l ve d v i gorous l y to com b at the domestic and foreign enemies of Germany." We have received Brussels and Frankfort ' papers, the former to the 18th, and the latter to the 15th inst. There is very little of interest in them. The Budget of the Ways anti Means was agreed to in the Sittin g of the Belgian Chamber on the 16th inst. The Frankfort papers state that the ' cBmmercial convention, respecting which so much has been said, was to be published at Munich on the 9th inst. We subjoin the quotations of the Dutch and Belgian funds:— DUTCH FUNDS—AMSTERDAM, DEC. 14. Actual Debt, 24 per Cent. 49 15-16 Amort Syndic, 43,; per cent B9 —Dutch - Papers, Dec 18. BELGIAN FUNDS.—BaussEts, Dec. 15. Actual Debt, 23j per Cent. Rothschild's Loan, 5 per Cent 951 Loan of the City, 1832, 4 per Cent. --13russeis Pagers. Dec. 18. We are sorry to hear that some " good natured friend" has revived the dispute between Sir JOHN MILLEY DOYLE and Admiral SAR- ToR I us, and that a hostile meeting between them is expected. It is to be hoped, however, that as the personal courage of these gentlemen is un doubted, they will disappoint the lovers of such rencontres, and by mutual concessions pave the way to a renewal of friendship. It has been stated in a German paper, that nearly 700 Poles had, at their own request, been sent off to the United States by the Prussian Government. We have seen a letter from one of these unfortunate men, giving a very different account of the affair. He states that the Polish refugees in Prussia having received an intima tion that an arrangement had been entered into by the Prussian and Austrian Governments to deny further asylum to the Poles, most of the number above alluded to applied for pass ports to France, or this country, but were told that they had only to choose between a return to Poland and a voyage to America. The fate of their unfortunate countrymen, now labouring in chains in the dock yards of Cron stadt, after having been induced to retur❑ to Poland by the assurances of the Prussian Go vernment that they would all enjoy an entire amnesty, had the effect of making those 700 victims of arbitrary power prefer being sent to America, with all the difficulties of providing ' themselves with subsistence before them, to a return to their native country. The only re deeming point about the conduct of the Prus sian Government, is the fact that the means of conveyance have been found for the refugees, and a small stun, of about 8/. each, secured to them on their arrival in America. At a Court of Common Council, which took place yesterday, and a report of which will be found in another part of The Sun, it was re solved on, after some discussion, that the Com missioners of Inquiry should have the most ample information given them, both oral and do cumentary, through the officers of the Corpora tion. This was a liberal and sagacious resolution to come to ; and our only regret is, that it was not adopted before, in order that it might have induced some of the refractory provincial Cor porations to follow the same example. Sonic of our contemporaries on the Corr nent appear to take a muc h more alarming view of the projects and means of Russia than we have taken in this country. Le Polonais of the 12th inst., in the course of a long article on Russia, makes the following remarks Russia, which may be said to have been only born yesterday, already covers a third of the globe. She is still barbarous, wild, and brutal ; hut her barbarianism makes her the more terrible. She will not enfeeble her self by the vices of a decrepid civilization : strong and bold, she will proceed direct towards her object, and the obstacles which she will meet with will merely irritate her, and force her onward in her course of invasion and spoliation. " Nothing now opposes her progress. Her armies of Cossacks and Baskirs may traverse the world sword in hand, and impose their yoke upon nations. Tee resist ance which they will meet with will be powerless : sooner or liter Europe and Asia must fall, and universal empire, which has been the day dream of so many Monarchs, will be realised by the chief of the barbarians of the North. The Turkish empire, decayed and tottering, will disappear, and the Greek cross will take the place of the Crescent. " Our predictions may be erroneous, but we think the moment is arrived when Russia is on the point of taking possession of Constantinople. Surrendering some few fragments of his easy conquest to Austria, the Csar will obtain tranquil possessio❑ of the shores of the Bosphorus, and of that Constantinople so long coveted by Rassian Emperors. Greece will share the fate of Turkey—once masters of Thrace—the Russians will claim Lividia, the Mores, and the islands, as part of the Oriental empire. " By her conquests in Circassia and Georgia, Russia has opened to herself the gates of Souther❑ Asia. In the east Russia will attack the English possessions in India. Persia cannot prevent ber progress. That nation is even more tottering than Turkey, and will fall under the same stroke. The empire of the Beleulgis, of the Afghans, and the who'e of India, will be conquered without difficulty. There will thus remain only her rival China to conquer. " In Europe Russia will come into contact with Prussia and Austria. Russia wants the whole of Poland, and will claim the portions now possessed by Austria and Prussia. Germany, divided as she is, will not be able to resist the invasion. "We do not speak of Sweden. It is easy to see that the Baltic cannot fail, any more than the Caspian and Black Seas, to become an interior basi❑ of the empire." The writer having thus predicted the future conquests of Russia, gives an historical account of those already achieved by Russia since the middle of the 9th century. We have room only for a few lines, which are devoted to the con quests of the late Emperor : " Alexander added to his already vast possessions, and by the most culpable means, the Circle of Bialystok in Poland (1807); Friedland (1809); the Circle of Tarno pol (1809); Imerithia (1811), and a third of Moldavia, as far as the Prutb, the fortresses of Choczim and Bender, and all Bessarabia, with Ismail Kilia and Akeman. I❑ 1813, the peace of Seuva with Persia, gave him Daghes tan, Schirvan, Derbent, and all the western coast of the Caspian Sea, and in 1815, the Congress of Vienna gave him the greater part of the Duchy of Warsaw." The above is a very exaggerated estimate of the Power and resources of Russia, and yet if her conquests were to be in the ratio of only one fourth of what they were from the middle of the ninth century up to the death of ALEXANDER, all that our Contemporary has predicted would happen. Circumstances, however, have altered much of late years, and whatever folly there may have been in allowing Russia to make head so much under the late and the present EMPEROR, Ls not likely that NICHOLAS will be suffered to proceed with impunity. We agree with Le Polonais in thinking that if Russia is not checked, Austria and Prussia, after having been her tools, will b e come her victims. Th e A us t r i an and Prussian Cabinets cannot be insensible of the danger of yielding so much to Russia ; but they are for the present much more anxious to prevent the encroa c h me nt of liberali sm i n t h e i r own states than to secure themselves against the effects of the increasing power of Russia. The Emperor NICHOLAS is the head of the Anti- Liberals, and therefore the Emperor of ,Aus- TRIA and the King of PRUSSIA adhere to his policy. Were they wise they would turn from an alliance which sooner or later must be fatal to their interests, and cultivate a good under. standing with France and this country. In that case, however, they must make up their minds to give free institutions to their subjects, for there could be no permanence in an alliance between nations enjoying freedom and states under despotic government. The rulers of Germany will never consent to purchase the friendship of Great Britain and France at such a price. They deserve, therefore, to meet with the fate which awaits them. As to the pros pects of Russia in the East, Great Britain and France know what course to take to defeat them. On this side of the water the minds of all men are pretty well made up on the question of the Repeal of the Union, as Mr. O'CONNELL quietly calls his plan for keeping up the excite ment, and retarding the prosperity of the people whose passions he makes his playthings. It is therefore for the benefit of our Irish readers, in particular, that we notice a pamphlet of RlDO wAy's, entitled " Repeal or No Repeal ?" The author boldly says, " No Repeal," and suc cinctly brings together the grounds of his opi nion. He is willing, he says, to argue the question upon the ground of benefit to Ireland alone, a ground much narrower, we think, than he need have chosen, considering that a united Parliament, by whom it has to be decided, must look to the benefit of the whole empire ; but even upon that narrow ground, the author ad vances enough to satisfy every reasonable man that Ireland would be any thing but advantaged by a Repeal of the Union. We give a specimen of his proofs:— " In 1830 a Select Committee of the House of Com mons was appointed to take into consideration the state of the poor in Ireland. The Committee state, in their report, The wages of labour do not appear to have fallen very considerably. By returns made from the County Trea surers throughout Ireland, the rate of day labour appears to average 10d., as charged in the accounts of presentment work. During the last five years, it does not appear that the wages of labour, paid by the Board of Works, the Government Engineers, or the Directors General of Inland Navigation, have fallen. A very extensive contractor, Mr. Mullins, considers that there is rather a tendency to in crease the rate of wages, than otherwise ;' and in comparing the present wages with what was received during the war, the same witness adds, that the lahourers can now pur chase as much provisions for 6s. as they could formerly for 125." Clothing,' be further states, 'is less than one half cheaper ; linen is to be had for one half the price ; cottons, calicoes, and checks, three kinds of fabrics, which the poorer classes of females wear, are now to be had for one fourth.' Mr. Mahoney observes, that the state of the peasantry has improved very much of late years, that the country has greatly altered for the better, that the peasantry are better clothed, and in every way seem more comfort able, and that their houses are improving.' Ia the county of Mayo, Mr. Livingstone, a merchant of Ballena, observes, that the ' habits of the peasantry, their clothing, and their houses, are all improving.' Mr. Wiggins, an English land - agent, describing the South-West of Ireland, says, A very great improvement has taken place, in all respects during the last twenty-two years. With regard to food, there is not much change; but in the habits of cleanliness, and order, and regularity in their clothing, and sense of propriety, in all respects, I conceive, in their moral cha racter and conduct altogether, the improvement has been very strikiag. In a subsequent part of his examination, he add,, ' I think the improvement of Ireland has been more rapid than any improvement I ever saw in England in any large tract of country.' " This is a most important statement ; for the last two years we have been repeatedly told that the effect of the Union has been to enrich England, at the expense of Ireland. How is this to be reconciled with Mr. Wiggin's statement, that the improvement of Ireland has been more rapid than any improvement he ever saw in England in any large tract of country ?' " Again, we are told how much Dublin and its neigh bourhood have suffered from the Union. But this state ment is also quite at variance with evidence. ' Formerly,' observes Mr. J. D. Mullins, the labourers of the county of Dublin wore a coarse kind of cloth called friese, now they uniformly wear cloth which is dearer, and is an evidence of an improved notion of comfort.' "An instance, if indeed any is requisite, bow much the welfare of the lahourers is connected with the general prosperity of the country, is to be found in the evidence given to the Committee by Mr. Ilianconi. Speaking of the improvement of roads, and increased fertilities of trans port, he mentions, that the day-cars, which were intro duced into Ireland so late as 1815, have so widely ex tended, as to travel over 1,600 miles daily, and that this establishment gives support to more than one hundred families. " If we look to the fishermen, Mr. Barry, an Inspector- General of fisheries states, that the clothing, furniture, and comforts of the fishermen have improved decidedly within his observation, and that the progress of improve ment in Ireland during the last ten years, has been ex ceedingly rapid.' " The inhabitants of Liverpool are stated, by a resident in that town, to be quite aware of, the altered appearance even of the Irish reapers, which no longer come in the tattered clothes they formerly appeared in ; they are ashamed of their rags, and are apparently in a different class of persons.' In the county of Armagh,' Mr. Green observes, that the consumption of wheaten bread has considerably augmented, and that at Lurgan, so far from there being a considerable mass of the people out of employment, the witness did not know any man able to work that cannot get work there.' " After perusing these statements, what becomes of all the declamations about the miseries inflicted by the Union ? Is there proof of that misery to be found in the fact, that the labourers can now purchase the same provi sions for 6s. that they could formerly for 12s. ; yet that wages have not declined ?" There is a topic frequently dwelt upon by Irish agitators which receives some light from the substance of various official documents quoted in these pages. We allude to the ex port of Irish provisions. It is the fashion with Mr. O'CoNNELL and his partisans to speak of the Irish provisions exported as so much of which the Irish are deprived by their absent landlords. No doubt it is much of it the raw material, so to speak, of rent ; but were the landlords resident, a large portion of it would be still exported for the very same purposes that the remainder, not sent abroad in payment of rent, is now exported. The Irish want many things besides beef and butter, and they pro cure them from the colonies, or elsewhere, by exchanging for them their agricultural produces the commodity they have which is most saleable in the only market open to them. Let us see what increase has taken place, since the Union, in the importation into Ireland, of luxuries and comforts but little known before. Our author says— " In order that we may judge more fairly of the condi tion of the people, let us see what has been the amount of the imports of various at tides of general use since, as con trasted with those before the Union. The quantity of loaf sugar imported, on an average of three years, ending in 1800, was 8,393 cwt. ; on an average of three years, ended 1811, 24,905 cwt. ; the quantity of raw sugar imported, on the average of the former years, was 217,122 cwt. ; on the average of the latter, 330,299. " Then in the article of tee, in the average of three years, ending in 1800, the quantity imported was 2,773,070 lbs. ; on an average of those ending in 1811, 3,340,334 lbs. " Of tobacco, the quantity imported on the average of three years, en ling in 1800, was 7,386,2821b5. ; in that of three years, ending in 1811, 8,361,1471b5, Of coals, during the former period, 364,613 tone were imported, during the latter, 516,573 tone. Of blankets, during the former period, 14,455, during the latter, 73,826 ; thus it appears that within eleven years only, from the time of the Union being passed, so important an increase had taken place in the import of these articles; and, let me add, not only in the import, but in the actual consump tion ; as I have purposely taken this statement from Wakefield, where the quantity re-exported, if any, is de ducted. " If we take the return, of the year 1827, we shall find that the imports of tea had increased to 3,887,955 Its. ; exhibiting an increase over those of 1800, of 961,789 lbs. ; those of sugar bad increased to 319,014 cwt. ; being an increase, since 1800, of 87,945 cwt. ; those of coals had increased to 921,043 tons, being an increase, since 1800, of 605,698 tons." Of course these luxuries and comforts require to be paid for, and the mode of payment adopted by Ireland, as that most easy to her, is by ex porting her pigs, her cattle, her corn, &c. The O'CONNELL cant about the robbery and plun der of Ireland by Britain, may therefore go along with the rest of his veracious statements. Should there be any waverers upon the question in Ireland, the following extracts may serve to assist their judgment : " And here we are much assisted by a very valuable work, which has recently appeared from the pen of Mr. Martin, and who has demonstrated, that, so far from it being correct, that Ireland flourished most during the period whets she had an independent legislature; that her prosperity was then rapidly declining, and that the Act of Union, instead of impeding her improvement, saved her from ruin and decay. Taking the average of three years, 1797, 1798, and 1799, and contrasting them with 1824, 1825, and 1826, we find that an increase had taken place in the total Irish tonnage registered, during these periods, of 91,650 tons ; and in the total tonnage from Great Britain to Ireland, of 499,917 tans." • • • " Considerable stress is laid on the injustice done to was in a fi nanc i a l po i nt o f v i ew ; b ut, surely, never was any charge more unfounded. Compare Ireland with Scotland, a country whose population is one-fourth less. The taxes of Scotland, in 1829, amounted to 220,0001. more than those of Ireland. The amount of the assessed taxes in Scotland, in that year, was 291,6351., Ireland has none ! Many articles are subject to the excise duties in Scotland, that are exempt from them in Ireland. The stamp duties in Scotland are double those of Ireland—in many instances treble. The duties on deeds are double ; the probate duties are all double, some treble ; the legacy ditties are double ; the tenth of all charitable bequests in Scotland goes to the Exchequer; in Ireland they are untaxed ; and yet Scotland must suffer from absentees as much as Ireland ; more than three-fourths too of the re venue of Scotland is transmitted to London, But notwith standing this, so far is Scotland from having suffered by the Union with England, that she has since that period made rapid and uninterrupted progress in agriculture, and commerce. England, Wales, and Scotland, all pay a greater amount of taxes in proportion to their population, than Ireland ; and there is no argument adduced in favour of the repeal of the Union with Ireland, that might not be adduced in favour of the repeal of the Union with Wales, of the Union with Scotland, or in fact of the re establishment of all the separate kingdoms of the hep tarchy." • • • • • • " But, perhaps, the most important proof of the im proved prosperity of Dublin is that the revenue of the penny post office, which in 1800 was only 230/., in 1830 amounted to nearly 5,000/. . . " Taking some of the principal towns in Ireland, we find that in the last ten years, the number of houses has increased from 67,904. to 72,654, and the population from 306,361 to 597,072. The revenue of the post office exhibits an increase, since the Union, of 106,930!., and there had been an increase in the excise in 1825, as compared with 1802, of 1,489,141!. " When I compare these statements with the lamenta tions that we hear on the effects of the Union, they seem hardly credible. Nirla , ‘re are the proofs that the Union has done harm? Are we to look for them in the increased comforts and happiness of the peasantry ? in the increase of trade? in the improvement of commeree? in the in crease of buildings ? in the increase of the excise and post office revenues ?" THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.) CITY. TWELVE O'CLOCK. Owing to tl,e continuance of the boisterous weather, we are without any foreign arrivals this morning—not even a ship letter ha. been received. We make some few extracts from the French papers we have received, but they are not of a later date than those previously received. From Bayonne they state that a courier had arrived there from Madrid, who left on the 9th inst., at which period all was tranquil in that city. Two Carlists of distinction had arrived at Bayonne from Spain. The letter's from Madrid state that the Government had resolved to augment their army to 100,000 men ; also, that General Saarsfield had arrived at Pampeluna, with 2,000 men. Also, that Spain is to have a Charter, with two allambers, the same as in Prance. From Paris it is stated that the different diplomatist, there are formed in two distinct camps ; the first has its head quarters at the Minister of Foreign Affairs ; the second at the Austrian Ambassador's, and on one side Lord Granville ; M. Lehon and the Spanish Ambassador assemble daily at M. de Broglie's; on th• other side M. Pozen di Borgo, Baron Werther, the Charge d'Affaires of Holland, and all the little Ambassadors of the German Confederation assemble at M. d'Apponi's. It is also stated that politics for some time past in Europe have assumed a serious aspect. The Northern Courts who have remained to the present time on the defensive, are now changing their position, and wish to reorganise Europe. Letters received at Havre from Rio Janeiro of the 10th of December state that great agitation prevailed there owing to the immense quantity of false copper money in circulation with which the Americans and English had inun dated the country. A number of the store houses bad been closed, refusing to sell their goods for copper money. The mobs which had assembled were easily dispersed, but they reassembled at the House of Deputies, and one of them threw a handful of copper money at one of the Deputies, for which he was arrested ; much fear is entertained that these proceedings will cause great disturbances. THE FUNDS. Consols are snore animated this morning than for several days past ; they left off yesterday at 88- sellers for the Account, and opened at the same price, but soon after were done at 89 to for the Account, and at present may be quoted 89. This activity may be attributed to a general opinion that Russia will resume her former peaceful atti tude, and listen to the representations of England and France ; for we repeat again, she cannot go to war single banded with the above two Powers. The Foreign Market has improved ; Spanish, 23 ; Portuguese, 561 57 ; Dutch, 501 ; Belgian, 95i 96. HALF-PAST TTVELVE. We have just heard that the French mail 17a;;r;;ed. The improvement of the British Funds this morning is said to be in consequence of the expectation that the speech of the King of France, next Monday, will be of a pacific description. HALF-PAST ONE. The French letters have been delivered, but as yet we do not hear that they bring any information of importance. We have no other arrivals up to the present time. The Funds have improved since the early part of the morning. Consols are 89} to i for the Account, and the Market has a firm appearance. The Foreign Market continues steady; Dutch 501 to f ; Spanish 23k ; Portuguese /56i 57. The French Funds come 75f. sc. ; Spanish 18i. THREE 0' CL 0 CK. Consols for the Account, Stiii k. CLOSING PRICES.—FOUR O'CLOCK Bank Stock 3 per Cent. Red BB} 3 Pet Cent . Cons 34 per Cent. 96i 3i per Cent. Red 97 New 3i per Cent 971 4 per Cent 103 e Long. Ann. to expire Jati.lB(lo Oct. 1859. l6 % Jan. 1860 India Stock Ditto Bonds '22 pin South Sea Stock 9B Ditto Old Ann ... ....... ..,, 65} Ditto New Ann. - Ex. Bills, 1000 L 42 inn. Ditto 5001 42 pm. Ditto Small 42 pin. Bank S. for Acc. 2ll Consols for Opg SCi India St. for Opg. FOREIGN FUNDS. Austrian, 5 per cent 97 Belgian, 5 per cent 9si Brazilian Bonds Buenos Ayres, 6 per cent 214 Chilian, IS per cent. 24 Columbian, 6 per cent lB/ Ditto, 1824 22* Danish 73 Greek, 5 per cent 2oi Mexican 5 per Cents, 1825 29$ Ditto 6 per Cent., 1825 17 Pruvian 6 per Cent. ~. Portuguese, 5 per cent..., .57 Ditto, Reg. Bonds Prussian, 5 per cent lO3 Russian Bonds, 5 per cent lO3l Ditto, Metallic 994 Spanish, 5 per cent u3-i ' Ditto, 1823 2O:, French 5 per Cent.... , I. —c Exchange 7sf. 50c. French :3 per Cent 2sf. 5 , c. Dutch, 21 , per cent sof Ditto, 5 per cent gig ROLLS' COURT.-(THIS DAY.) His HONOUR this morning took short causes, con! petitions, and farther directions. CLOVES V. AUDREY. This cause came on upon farther directions and co , The object of the suit was to render a person of the ns of Audrey chargeable with losses which had been sustail in consequence,of the misconduct and bankruptcy of co-mentor and truFtee, Anthonydi•ey', ;Ad had been acting agent in all dealings and transactions ze!itiye the trust property, Audrey not having taken any act part in its management. At the hearing of cause, his amour having regard to the Spa circumstances of the else, declared that, inasmuch there appeared to have been, on the part of the testatr a pesonal confidence reposed in Grey, as the active mat ger of the trust estate, Audrey was exonerated fr liability in respect of Grey's mismanagement and defal , tion. Mr. TINNEY now applied for the usnal direction as the payment of Audrey's costs. His lloNourt was clearly of opinion, and wished it I' be understood as a general principle, that a trustee 1 44 accepted the office, was bound to see that his co-trusts attended properly to his duty. In this instance the tes trix had expressed personal confidence in the trustee, or had misconducted himself in the active mans ment of the trust ; but Mr. Audrey's tohduct tft, by no means to be excused, by allowing the and rents of the estate to remain unaccounted for in 1 3 ' hands, and he could not by any means be allowed his moo' ATTORNEY-GENERAL V. REYNOLDS. The testator in this cause, named Reynolds, gave std to the amount of 1,736/. 4 per Cents. for the erectiot and maintenance of certain alms-houses in Tottenham' An information was filed for the purpose of havirg the charity established, and a scheme settled for it' future administration. The usual references having bee II directed to the M as t er w i t h t h at v i ew, and his repot having now been made, a petition was presented, in ordet to have it finally confirmed and sanctioned by the Court. Mr. BETSIELL appeared in support of the application , There was this peculiarity in the case. The t es tator had directed that there should always be 12 trustees, 0 1 whom the vicar and churchwardens of Tottenham were? fur the time being, to be three. The present petition prayed that the dividends of the stock should be paid to " the twelve trustees, or any one of them," while the will directed that they should be paid to " the twelve trustees or any three of them." His HONOUR said he could not adopt any such variation, even if the Master's scheme had sanctioned it. The origins' direction was quite necessary to the due protection of the interests of the charity. The application with this exception, not being opptisedl was granted by the Court. His HONOUR having got through his paper, rote 8 1 half-past 12 o'clock. CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION IN• QUIRY._(THIS DAY.) The Commissioners resumed their sittings this morning at eleven o'clock, when Mr. C. Pearson handed in a copy of the resolntionS agreed to by the Common Council yesterday, relative to the examination of the officers of the Corporation. Mr. Pearson said that the resolutions had been passed in a very full Court with only two dissentient voices. 3lr. Scales applied . to the Commissioners to take his evidence relative to the mode of election of Aldermen of the city of London, as well as the circumstances of his own case, which, he had seen from the public papers, had been brought under the notice of the Commissioners. The CHIEF COMMISSIONER said that the inquiry un der that branch had closed for the present, but under the rule they had laid down, the Commissioners would be happy to hear Mr. Scales, when the inquiries upon the other beads to be examined into had been disposed of. Mr. C. Pearson undertook to give notice to Mr. Scales when his attendance would be necessary, and Mr. Scales then withdrew. After the resolutions of the Court of Common Council yesterday had been read, Mr. Deputy Tickner said the town clerk was ready to attend the Commissioners to give his evidence as to the mode of electing city officers. Mr. Woodthorpe was then sent for and examined. The Judge of the Sheriffs' Court must be a barrister, and i , elected by the Corporation in Common Council assembled- He is generally selected from among the seniors of the common pleaders of the city. There are two Judges of the Sheriffs' Court, usually, bat at present there is a vacancy. They are sworn in by the Court of Aldermen. The office of common pleader is not a necessary step to other city legal honours or appointments. Witness had no doubt it was so formerly, for there was on record an ordinance of the Court of Aldermen passed in th e Ist and 2d year of the reign of Philip and Mary, that the Recorder, Sheriffs (meaning thereby the Judges:of Sheriffs Court), and the Common Sergeant should be chosen from " the old learned law officers of the city." A petition was presented to the Common Council against the election of Sir Thomas Denman, to the office of Common Sergeant, on the ground of this ordinance, but the Court made no order upon that petition. The appointment to the office of steward of the borough of Southwark was vested in the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, and this office is generally filled by the Recorder for the time being, but Mr. Knowlys, the late Recorder, still retains the stewardship of Southwark. This office is so old as since the time of Edward the Sixth. The Bailiff of Southwark is appointed by the Court of Council from no particular class, generally a citizen of London, and the office is similar in nature and functions to that of Sheriff. The office has always been filled by persons of the highest classes of citizens. The examination of Mr. Woodthorpe was proceeding when our Reporter left. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE-(THIS DAY.) FROM LLOYD'S. DEAL, DEC. 19.—Wind fresh breazes.— The Jupiter, Mandels, from Bremen to Charleston ; and Herald, Aspill, from London to Honduras, remain. The Salamander (steamer), from Ostend, landed the mail this morning. Remain with the outward bound the Exmouth, the Mary Ann, the Ocean barque, for the Mediterranean, and the Lord William Bentinck. The African has sailed for the river. Four p. m.—The Haba n era has just slipped from her anchor and cable, and is proceeding to Ramsgate. The Jan Frederick, for the river, and the Theories, have gone to Ramsgate. PORTSMOUTH, Dac. 19.—A heavy gale all night and to-day from S.W. to W.S.W. Seven p.m.—lt blows a hurricane, and the squalls are tremendous.—Arrived the Juliana, Tarbut, from Bengal—sailed the 16th July, Ma dras the 25th August, and St. Helena the sth ult.; his Majesty's ship Rainbow, from the Mediterranean; and Catherine, Penton, from Lisbon. PLYMOUTH, DEc. 18.—Wind W.S.W., a fresh gale and squally. _ - FALMOUTH, DEC. 18.—It blew a violent gale last night from W.S.W., but moderated a little about day light, and throughout the day fresh gales and squally. MARGATE, DEC. 19.—Arrived the Ocean, Steward, from Paraiba ; Rachel, Browning, from Messina; and Mercury, Devereux, from Wexford. Poomr, Dec. 18.—Arrived the Fame, Harris, from New fou ndland. NEWPORT, DEC. 18.—Arrived the Shaw, Fearen, from Richebucto. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 18.—Arrived the Martha, Kelso, from Paraiba ; Stirling, Pauline, from Ceara; Minerva, Lamb, from Quebec ; and Amelia, Try, from, Lisbon. GREENOCK, Dac. 17.—Arrived the Crookston Castle, Fisher, from Quebec. CORK, DEC. 17.—Arrived the Apollo, Black, from Leghorn ; and Harnet, Maye, and Emancipation, Pound, from London. LIMERICK, DEC. 17.—Arrived the Diana, Dale, from Lisbon. COWES, DEC. 19 —Arrived the Caroline Augusta, Libey, from London—bound to New Orleans; and Charle magne, Peirrer, from Havre—hound to New York ; both with considerable damage, having been in contact. The Syren, Prichard, from Swansea to Malta, was wrecked near Llanmadock on the 16th inst.—crew saved, The Falcon, Burrow s , o f Whi te haven, for Belfast, struck near the Southio c k Li g ht, Belfast, on the 16th instant, and sunk—th e mas t er , his son, and one man, drowned. The Lady Shaw, Stewart, from Whitehaven to An tigua, was on shore on the Long Rock, near I3allywater, on the 17'h inst. The Branch, Gibson, from Sunderland to Portsmouth, was lo.t on the Npwcome Sand 16th inst.—crew saved. The Aboyne, Foster, from Portsmouth, struck the Bic in entering Chichester, and sunk, QUICK PASSAGE FROM AMERICA.--A . :oung . m an, named St ent, a nat i ve of the town of Frome, 'and who some time ago emigrated to the United State*, returne d thence a few drys since fir the purpose of fetch ing a relative, having performed the voyage in the short ,pace of 17 days. OURT 1 The L oan 4 0ing in hi ,Lord Ward 'jog CU' re, Pell 'Nnel, and EARL I . KTI wh of the 2( fens in L itham, for t trustees t Nocton, fi !rpobe of tt I, t of Ni ^tt accou L4 t the its we 'ler to carr the d ect ef idled to th !low with tl the rive The Lean Reports I Whole da Need by t ttion of refor m of I 'oft by tl . . it, is it m I d c b!y as Ito tensitiv Ilect Corn 141 t. All Ptetent syst &tire and t he Duke of ti l't thought 4 ,heion, r l'ebie" wbi, 4 ted parti appare Atan asset I ,,Pear ; an( gerlequin, t . 4 11, from 4 aot to b t°4neXioni zclairnir I)ery ar It! the et li ght as %erne, N.ler hia Pettico 'on ;,, al Inreeedo Can 1 indiv In the press, and shortly will be published, GOVERNMENT ANNUITIES. The whole of the Tables required by stat. 3, Wm. IV., cap. 14. The Journal and Leger, as directed by the Commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt, with the Rules and every Form necessary to be used by a Savings' Bank, or Parochial Society, adopting the mea sures of the above statute. London : Shaw and Son., 137 and 158, Fetter.lane, Fleet-street. H. TO', it witl tremb giant shake ages.