The Sun. — London, England, 1830-01-25 00:00:00

:sufferings of others. Most men indeed will sup - port wonderfully well the sufferings of others. ee What a difference in the philosophy of those •'.• rho once voted hie and fortune addresses 'at the time when over their cups they told those who were dissatisfied that they might leave the country, and now when the mortgagee is devouring with his eye " the residences, parks, and wide do mains of the noble and the rich," which he soon expects himself to inhabit ! All men who have the good fortune to be on the Civil List, or in comfortable quarters about the Treasury, are firm as rocks at present, and wonder that the men at Buddersfield and Halifax, and Preston, &c. &c. who receive only twopence a day, should think of complaining in a " laughing land," which it is so pleasant to ride through. Mr. Cobbett, who is now on a tour through this laughing land of instruction to the people, and we trust of profit to himself, does not seem to look at objects through Mr. Cohnan's spectacles. " Yes (he says) the stakes put up in the fields, twisted round with straw, and then covered over with garments to frighten away the birds, I have never seen covered with such miserable rags as the people of proud Preston' are now covered with. There might be a couple or three thou sand sten ling before me ; and leaving out the garments of the insolent and tyrannical masters, I verily believe that the covering of the whole, with the exception of the wooden clogs upon their feet, was not worth forty shillings. I re member that my father used to buy tons of rags to chop up for manure for his hop garden.— Scores of garments have I seen amongst those rags far more valuable, far better looking, than the things which covered, or in part covered, the nakedness of this shivering and ill-treated group." The Quarterly Review, too, the loyal Quar terly Review, tells us that "a conviction is now beginning to gain ground among all classes in the country, that we have little prospect of re. turning to a sound and healthy state, until such a diminution of our burthens shall take place as shall enable us to approach them (our neigh bours) still more nearly ; and that some just and efficacious measures for that purpose will before long force themselves upon Parliament, if Parliament is prepared to do its duty."— No more talk of Waterloo now, that proud day for England. It would be difficult to distinguish between the Quarterly Reviewers, the Noblemen and Gentlemen who attend County Meetings, and Mr. Cobbett, except that the latter is perhaps the most moderate. Speaking of" the different ways in which the revolutionary war affected us and our Continental neighbours," the Quarterly Reviewer observes that " with them the existing generation was thinned by the sword, and the produce of their fields, and sav ings of their industry, were consumed by the military exactions of a victorious enemy. Those who survived the struggle found themselves poor, but corrected and instructed by adversity and comparatively unembarrassed. With us it was quite otherwise. Notwithstanding the exertions we made, our country scarcely ever saw an enemy. Our fleets and armies were maintaine Iby enor mous successive loans, contracted during the suepension of#sh payments, the interest of which the monopoly of manufactures and com merce enjoyed by our predecessors enabled them easily to pay ; while the whole weight of the burden, principal and interest, has with dimi nished resources been entailed upon us." Mr. Cobbett, alluding to the recommendations at. the Preston Quarter Sessions, to make soups in all their districts to relieve and comfort the poor, exclaims in the spirit of the Quarterly Review. " To this art thou come at last, bragging John Bull I This is the result of having twice conquered France,' and restored the Bourbons! This is that indemnity for the future,' which beeven-born Pitt promised as the effect of the war. What the soup was made of I cannot say, but this I know well, that any thing so h errible as this picture, so humiliating to the nation, !never was heard of before. I wish that the poor people to whom this soup is tendered could come in a body of fifty thousand, and see the tax-eaters rolling in Hyde Park, or going to a levee. They would then at once see cause and effect." It is now admitted, notwith standing the vote of the House of Commons that a Bank note of twenty shillings and one shilling were equal in value to a guinea, that ildr. Pitt, under his late Most Gracious Ma jesty, and supported by the life and fortune men, involved this nation m bankruptcy in 1797. That was the source of much mischief undoubt edly. Though the late Mr. illushett anion balancing accounts after the close of the war, that the national creditors had loet more than they gained by the depreciation, still a great part of our debt was contracted, no doubt, eluring the depreciation, and the interest of that we now pay in a better currency. An equitable adjustment, then, cry the Quarterly Reviewers. Au equitable adjustment, says Mr. Cobbett. Down with the Fundholders, exclaims Sir Robert Heron. We must have a new standard, say the Quarterly Reviewers. A new Stand ard, say Messrs. Atwood and Western. No, no, Gentlemen—the country is suffering, no doubt ; but, before meddling with standards, or enabling Country Gentlemen to cheat those who have now their estates within their grasp — Jet us try what can be done by Economy. We have the Church, too ; and, if confiscation is to be the word, we ought to begin with property that belongs (life interests excepted) not to indi viduals, and the application of which to public purposes can create no individual suffering. Much is to be done before we come to an ad usiment.—Morning Cironide. We have reason to know that the testy and scornful reply which the Prime Minister conde stended to give to the representations of the Sussex Magistrates hes excited the disgust not gentleaaen of Sussex only, but of men of Ali ranks and pasties. There is certainly some thing in the cenduest of the Duke of Weil:el:ton which, to use the mildeet phrase, borders on in fatuation. He cannot even be civil to those who confer on him an obligation. He has not the politeness to thank them for telling him the truth. He is not grateful for those acts of kind csess which originate in a desire to enlighten 1 1 1 1 0. He professes to disbeliseve in the dis tresses of the cc entry, just as if theee were a single man pr ass in the country, except the Editor of the Courier, who would give him credit for sincerity ; end yet the Noble Duke snaps and growls as if he would kick down stairs the Sussex oculists who come to open his eyes. The country ie in a state of insupport able distress--both commerce and agriculture are in a fatal decline—the farmer is unable to pay his rent—we, your Highness's poor Magistrates, are unable to pay our taxes—the tradesmen in our villages are nearly all insolvent, and our labourers are reduced to a state of ab ject pauperism —say the gentlemen of Sussex. Very uYll ! answers the Duke of Wel ltniton. But it is very rejoin the justices p of the peace. Our condition is intolerable. The tax-gatherer threatens to distrain, and if we com pel our tenants to sell their sheep or bullocks they'do not realize one-third of the money they cost. This is absolute ruin, my Lord Duke, and we cannot for our own sakes, as well as for the sake of the King's peace, commit acts of such wanton cruelty. Besides, we have already parted with almost every thing to pay a portion of the Poor -rates, and we fear that before long we shall be compelled to pawn our plate to make good the balance. Our gaols are full, and the lower classes are committing trespasses and vari ous acts of delinquency in order to obtain lodg ing and prison fare ; and yet even in this way it is not in our power to accommodate them. Crime is consequently increasing in a most alarming degree, and the wand of the magistrate has lost its hitherto magic in fluence. Our right hands have forgot ten their cunning, while the tongues of the poor literally cleave to the roofs of their mouths. Something must be done to relieve both them and us, and we therefore earnestly but respectiully implore your Highness to take our case into consideration as speedily as may suit your convenience. /will draw the attention of the King's servants to it, responds his High ness the Prime Minister !! ! All this we con fess is quite in character, in so far as it concerns the Duke of Wellington. Those who recollect his Grace's correspondence with the Marquis of Anglesea, and his tin-case letter to the Duke of Leinster, will not be surprised at the brevity of the above epistolary specimen. But why all this peevishness—this apparent soreness—this petulant and gruflish distaste for the simple and naked truth? Did the Sussex Magistrates not gild the pill with a reasonable proportion of adulation ? Did they not express a doubtful conviction that, as his Grace had the interests of his country at heart, he would soon be able to restore it to its former prosperity ? It would seem not. It did not appear convenient for them to state what they did not believe—to re pose on hopes which they did not cherish—to trust to those faculties which are already too much exhausted to regain fresh vigour by experience. They merely did their duty to themselves and their country by informing the Minister of the distressed condition of those important interests which came under their inspection. But the attention of the King's servants is to be drawn to their repre sentations. What servants, pray ? The royal butler., the clerk of the kitchen, the King's cook, or the King's scullion ? All these are servants of his Majesty ; and it is most improbable the Duke meant that these are the proper persons in whom to confide a paper, the contents of which were undeserving of credit. For if rumour is to be believed, the Duke of Wellington puts no faith in these annoying representations rela tive to the distressed situation of the country. It is the Leeds Intelligencer, we think, which states, upon the authority of the Earl of Lons dale, or some other Noble Lord, that the Duke of Wellington is far from being con vinced of the prevalence of any distress among the middling or any suffering among the: lower classes of society. But if this statement rest on any good foundation, what must we think of the intellect of the noble Premier ? He must be blind, he must be deaf, he must be proof against every moral process calculated to let in the light upon a dark and obtuse mind. The embarrassments of which the country complains are not confined to holes and corners. The hungry and the naked are not shut up in gaols, or workhouses, or hospi tals. They walk abroad at noon day. We meet them in every street, in every lane, in every city, town, village, and hamlet, from Penzance to Dover—from Dover to John o' Groat's house. We cannot visit a market without en countering the desponding farmer or the ruined grazier. We cannot enter a shop without seeing embarrassment as legible in its owner's face as is the sign-board over his door. We cannot ♦isit the cheerless chamber where sits the haggard weaver upon his rotten loom without seeing a living anatomy, or look in the faces of his cold and ragged children without thinking of the city of the plague. Go where we will—turn where we will—we are fol lowed, not by the shadow, but the living pic ture, of misery and despair. And yet the n g ' s servants know nothing of this I Do they be lieve in the variations of the temperature ? Do they comprehend the difference between a wreath of snow and a smibeam ? Can they distinguish between an icicle hanging from the thatch and a jewel pendant from the ear of a Duchess? If they reply in the negative to these questions, then are we bound to admit that they are un conscious of the present existing distress. But if they do not, we are then equally bound to be lieve that they are unqualified to be either ser vants of the King or Ministers of the Crown.— Morning Journal. An article on the " Internal Policy of the Country" appears in the last Quarterly Review, which we cannot help considering as a very im portant sign of the times in which opinion we have no doubt such of our readers who have perused it will feel no difficulty in acquiescing. The article is aid to be the production of Dr. Southey, one of the most able Tory writers of the day ; and, we need scarceiy w4d, is published in a work hitherto considered the orgar: of the most powerful party both in Church and State, and certainly the echo of the sentiments of three parts of the Aristocracy of this country. The objgct of the production in question is to prove, that the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Bill has rendered it more than ever necessary to attend to the religious g.nd moral education of the great mass of the people t that the neces sities of the country render it necessary that some tax should laid upon absentees ; or, at any rate, that something ought to be done to induce them to return to their country : that the police is insufficient : that the resumption of cash pay ments, without a reduction of the national e:;,- pentliture, was adopted in utter ignorance of its baneful effects: that th e e system (so called) of Free Trade is erroneous : that the constitution of the Legislature, 'particularly of the I,ower House, calla k,!cud for a reform : and that the overwhelming distress of the country, particularly of the landed interest, in the profgprity of which the velar!: of the nation mainly consists, ren4ra it expedient that the moneyed or funded interest should submit to an einitable adjustment. We need not inform our readers that, with the ex ception of what is said about the insufficiency of the police, tO., al/ the other subjects enumerated above have frequently been discussed in the Morning Herald; and that, so far B,s time writer of this at tide is concerned, the conclusions come to were pretty much the same as those of the Quarterly Reviewer. It is not, therefore, our intention to quarrel with Dr. Southey, though we cannot help remarking that lie has shown a deplorable want of candour in not acknowledging obligations to Mr. Cobbett, whose opinions he has, for the most part, adopted. He quotes various authorities in defence of his doctrines, amongst which we find the names of Messrs. hunt and Wooler, but does not make the most distant allusion to the writer of the Political Register, who, for more than a quarter of a cen tory, we believe, has been constantly urging pre cisely the same opinions. We will leave, how ever, Mr. Cobbett to settle this point with his ungrateful disciple, and proceed to make a few extracts from the arguments urged by the Re viewer in support of his doctrines (passing over the questions relative to the police and public education). With regard to the absentees, the Reviewer observes, among other things, that— Many of them abandon the most important duties which, as landowners, magistrates, heads of families, or members of society, they can be called on to perform ; and most of them, instead of endeavour ing to copy only the useful and elegant accomplish ments of the people among whom they sojourned, have fallen into an imitation of other qualifications, of more easy but much less honourable acquisition. The firmest minds can hardly resist the contamina tion of continual bad example, and no inconsider able part of our absentees have departed from some of the most important principles, both of conduct and opinion, in which they were brought up. But it is not on this point principally that absentees are here considered. If they had thought fit to transfer themselves and their fortunes altogether to another land, they had a perfect right to do so; but while they continue to possess land or goods here, which have been secured at an enormous cost, it certainly seems unreasonable that they should be permitted to withdraw themselves from those burdens by which that security has been purchased. The number of English settled in the Netherlands, France, Ger many, Switzerland, and Italy, is supposed to ex ceed one hundred thousand, drawing from the country riot less than five millions annually,—a sum so large, that if, instead of being scattered among strangers, it were spent in the deserted halls and mansions of these islands, it would materially alleviate the dis tress with which we have been struggling. Whether any direct or indirect tax ought to be imposed on those who reside out of the country for six months, or other limited time, we do not know; but we are confident that no objection would be made to almost any plan which could be devised to reach them. If no such plan can be discovered, that circumstance will add one more to the other reasons which exist for deliberately undertaking such a complete revision of our financial system as shall bring down our prices to the level of our neighbours, which, if it could be effected, would at once put an end to absenteeism, as well as many still more heavy disadvantages. Dr. Southey has treated the subject of the change of currency at considerable length. An idea, however, of his opinions on the subject, may be formed from the following extracts : It may be mentioned, that a loan of 30 millions, in Three per Cent. Stock, was inscribed in the books of the Bank in 1798, for which the public received only 15 millions in the actual currency of the coun try. In case we should ever be able, therefore, we ... have contracted to pay (by raising the value of the currency) twice as much as we received; and, until then, we are obliged to pay actually 6 per cent. in terest for it, instead of 3, without the possibility of getting the rate diminished, until the ordinary rate of interest shall fall below 3 per cent., which is not likely soon to happen. It is true that the terms of this loan were, perhaps, the hardest we ever were obliged to submit to; on looking through the second table annexed to Dr. Hamilton's Treatise on the National Debt, it will be perceived that several others have been contracted, the conditions of which, on the part of the public, were very little more favourable. Dr. Hamilton calculates " that if the funded debt contracted since the commence ment of the seven years' war were paid off at par, l the nation would pay 130 millions more than it ever received, which is more than one-third of the debt contracted. The far greater part of this excess has arisen since the war of 1793, and almost the whole of it since 1780." But the disadvantages to which the country has been subjected, by the terms on which it has en gaged to pay the principal or interest of its debt, become unimportant when compared with the effects of the Bill of 1819 for the Resumption of Cash Payments. It would be difficult to refer to any proposal which proceeded less from any individual or party than the Act in question. It passed almost by ac clamation. Most of the Members of both Houses, who delivered their sentiments, did little else than compliment each other on their large and liberal views, and express their congratulations on the dif fusion and triumph of the sound principles of poli tical economy. Could the same men be now assem bled in the same place, to hear their own speeches repeated as they are recorded, so many confident assertions have been refuted by the event, and so many persons, then high in reputation, appear, ex facie, to have misled those who relied upon their reputation and experience, that it would be very curious to observe the effect produced upon them. • • • • • * • There never, perhaps, was a plan of equal moment submitted to Parliament, in regard to which the temperate and almost supplicating tone of those who opposed it was more singularly contrasted with the confidence and impatience of those by whom it was supported. The representation of the Governor and Directors of the Bank of England, and the petition of the merchants, bankers, and traders of the city of London, were scarely treated with ordinary de cency. Another very remarkable circumstance is, that throughout the whole course of the debates, as now reported, not a single Member of the Government, in either House of Parliament, adverted to the change which the Act might possibly produce upon the real amount either of the principal or interest of the rational debt. Unaccountable as the circum stance may appear, we believe this fact will not be contradicted. The only words proceeding from any Member of the Administration, which can be con strued as indicating any mistrust of the scheme pro posed, are the obscure observations of Lord Castle. reagh. We cannot help thinking that the Legislature ought also to have looked more narrowly than it did into the conditions, express or implied, under which the debt was contracted. No casuistry can be more odious than that which strives to absolve individuals or communities from the fulfilment of the engagements they have undertaken. But we con fess it appears to us that the obligation of the coun try to pay the principal and interest of its debt in the ancient standard has been assumed a great deal too easily. It is very true that, at the first suspen sion of cash payments, the strongest declarations were made of the intention of the Government to return to them as soon as possible—and that similar declarations were frequently renewed by the Admi nistrations which succeeded. But we do not be lieve that any guarantee was ever given or intended that the principal or interest of any particular loan should be paid in the old or any other standard. It would here been oppressive on the part of the lender to have exacted such a stipnlation, and irra tional on the part of the borrower to have eon septed to it. Nearly 550 millions out of 800er that is to say, almost three-fourths of the whole un!.. redeemed debt—were advapced in the depreciated currency. We are persuaded that these veiv, con tracted for excessive loans during the war, as welt as those who became the purchasers of portions of i them afterwaras, never gave themselves a moment's concern about the currency in which the principal or interest was to be satisfied. One cannot help wondering to see legislators and men of experience gravely talking as if every purchaser or speculator in the funds had constantly kept before his eyes some actual binding agreement with respect to the resumption of cash payments, which could have been enforced in a Court of Justice. There is not the slightest ground for such an assumption. Those who bought in and sold out took their chance o( what might happen. They trusted that no change would be made lightly or dishonestly ; the cre ditor of every Governinent knows that eta can : get no more effectual assurance. • • • • • • • We come next to the Reviewer's remarks on what is called Free Trade. He observes that — The few years that have elapsed since the relaxa tion in our commercial system took place, shows that the whole of the most intelligent and indus trious States, both of the Old and New World, are clinging more closely to the system of restriction, which it seems to have been taken for granted they were soon to abandon. • • • • • • • The most liberal and enlightened statesman that was ever advanced to the helm of affairs in any country, can only deal with other countries as they are willing to deal with him. If he lavishes conces sions and relaxations on his neighbours and rivals without treaty or arrangement, in expectation of meeting with corresponding generosity from them at some future period, we run little risk in pre dicting that he will infallibly be dis appointed. • • • • • • We believe a conviction is now beginning to gain ground among all classes in the country, that we have little prospect of returning to a sound and healthy state until such a diminution of our burdens, shall take place as will enable us to approach them still more nearly; and that some just and efficacious measures for that purpose will before long force themselves upon Parliament, if Parliament ►s pre pared to do its duty. • • • • • • • With respect to the Legislature, as had been 'observed, " the Reviewer endeavours to show that accident alone could not give such an as semblage of imbecility and dullness as we have in the House of Commons, because the House of Lords, which contains only the share of stu pidity which nature distributes among a given number of men, is greatly superior to the Lower House ; and that the difference against the latter can only be accounted for from the mode of election having a peculiar tendency to favour the discovery and return of the most worthless seen of the community.' He observes that— - There is something in the very atmosphere of the House unfavourable to bold and uncompromis ing conduct. It is, de facto, a sort of overgrown club. This is the worst part of the whole business. Things are every day admitted in private among the Members, which are studiously denied or concealed in the speeches reported from the gallery. . . The plan of Reform recommended by the Re viewer consists in raising the elective franchise and diminishing the expenses of elections. This plan would necessarily comprehend the aboli tion of the corrupt and close boroughs, in many of which there are no electors, properly speak ing ; and in others, no independent ones. A reform of this kind Horne Tooke often declared would satisfy him ; yet, for endeavouring to pro cure it, lie was put upon his trial for ligh trea son. We trust that Mr. Murray and his writer will be more fortunate. We now come to the important observations relative to the landowners and the holders of Stocks, with which we shall close our extracts : There never was a time (says the Reviewer) vi hen the agricultural, commercial, and moneyed in terests stood in such a relative situation, or were more likely to come into violent collision. We speak with much hesitation, but we do not see how the present or any future landowers can long sup port the burden uow imposed upon them. It seems lately to have been forgotten, that agriculture is at all times the chief stay of every great country. It is what the belly is to the members, aad if it pines, the whole of them will suffer. If the prosperity of agriculture be l so much importance in general, it is at present doubly important with us. . . . . - We desire no one interest to be sacrificed to an other; but if the pressure should continue, and the moneyed interest should refuse or resist all adjust ment, they may produce a catastrophe equally ca lamitous to themselves and the other interests in the State. IVe hope, therefore, that such decided and sffective measures will at last be resorted to, as the emergency demands. . • . Every year that is at present suffered to pass away, in expectation of a remedy without legislative interference, is almost irreparable. The revenue, which is always the last thing to fail, may, for a while, be nearly kept up, and partial revivals may take place, but it will, after all, be found that one interest has gradually been giving way • after an other, until the burden of the public debt will be come insupportable.—Morning Herald City Article. The following curious paragraph, in reference to an article in the Foreign Quarterly Review, from which this was the only paper which gave extracts, appeared in a weekly print of Saturday last : " It has been stated by a contemporary that a considerable sensation has been excited at the Fo reign Office by the appearance of an article on Greece, in a quarterly publication of recent date, the facts of which must have been derived from official documents, surreptitiously obtained. This account is correct, but we have authority to state that the inquiry, set on foot by the Earl of Aberdeen, has satisfied his Lordship that the information was riot obtained by any breach of trust, in any person belonging to, or connected with, the Foreign Office. It will be recollected that a similar circumstance took place with regard to the publication of the Greek Treaty, which it was sup posed to have been supplied by a foreign diplomatist of high rank. It is not improbable that the present affair may be traced to the satn! quarter." The information contained in the above para graph is perfectly correct. A great sensation has indeed been produced by the article in question, and the Earl of Aberdeen has very properly in stituted an inquiry for the purpose of ascertain ing whether any one either in, or connected with, the Foreign Office, had furnished copies of the official document to the author of it ; but, as we mentioned on giving the first extract from the article, his Lordship might have saved him self the trouble. The dew has fallen, and the scent is no where to be found.—Morning Adv. We cordially concur in the warmest expres sions of approbation that are or can be uttered upon the very meritorious exertions of the Soli citor-General, to rescue from an imprisonment, apparently interminable, certain individuals in carcerated for contempt of the Court of Chan cery, and whose confinement had ceased to be necessary to the ends of justice, although we', cannot agree with those who think that the active and successful benevolence of that Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman suggests any topic of just censure upon his predecessors in office ; and although we thoroughly despise and abhor the feelings and motives which prompt some of our contemporaries to seize this occa sion for venting sarcasm and insult upon the venerable head of the Earl of Eldon, than whom a more benevolent man, a more consummate lawyer, a more able, upright, and virtuous judge, never presided over any court in this country. We have no disposition to detract from the m erit of Sir E. B. S ug d en . H e h as c h osen a I very appropriate field for the exercise and dis play of his benevolence. But justice to hint does not require that we should be unjust to other men. He is the first Solicitor-General within our recollection who has exerted himself i to procure the release of individual prisoners committed by the Court of Chancery for con- tempt; yet we are not thence to infer that all his predecessors—that such men as Scott, Mitford, Romilly, Pigott, Wetherell, Tyndal, were insen sible to the calls of humanity, or imagined that improvement for an indefinite period was not an evil. Neither is it necessary, in order to do full justice to the humane exertions of the Solicitor- General, to exaggerate in a general point of view the magnitude of the evil which in particular instances he has encountered and subdued.— Hopeless imprisonment for a contempt which he may have committed through ignorance or po verty, is not the less a hardship to the indivi dual sufferer, although his case should be the only one that ever has occurred of the same kind ; nor is the charity less deserving of that name that stretches out its hand for his relief. We detract nothing, therefore, from the merit of Sir E. B. Sugden, when we say that the instances of that particular evil which he is lau dably exerting himself to repair and prevent, have always been, and must always be, very rare in indeed. The Court of Chancery must retain the power of extorting evidence from reluctant and interested parties, or it might as well be at once abolished. Hence the refusal or neglect to give evidence is a contempt which the Conrt punishes by imprisonment ; and hence the con tinued refusal or neglect is a continued contempt, which renders. the imprisonment indefinite. But it can very rarely happen that any evidence can be called for which some party or other has not a strong interest to place actually upon the files of the Court ; and an honest man, however poor or ignorant, will therefore very seldom fail from want either of funds or of information, to sup ply, in the prescribed form, the testimony which it is in his power to give. The failure to pay money, and the refusal to make legal convey ances, in obedience to the order of the Court, are visited with imprisonment as contempt, while at Common Law the same consequence would await them under the ordinary designa tion of insolvency or fraud. But the relief afforded to insolvency in other cases is not withheld from that which the Court of Chan cery detects ; and fraud is not, we suppose, to be considered in any case as a title to commise ration. Still it cannot be denied that there are now and then instances—although, as we have already said, we believe them to be very unfre cluent —in which the process of contempt ope rates harshly and unjustly. And it is unquestion ably desirable that such occurrences, however few and far between" they really are in practice, should, if possible be entirely prevented, if for no other reason at least for this, that they furnish one of the most strik ing anti plausible topics of vulgar declamation against the equitable jurisdiction of the country. The appointment for this purpose of an officer, to be especially entrusted with the revision of all cases of imprisonment for contempt, which has been suggested, appears to be a cumbrous, expensive, inefficient, and unsafe remedy. If such officer were to act only when called on, the innocent prisoner, who through poverty or ig norance had fallen into contempt, would have no better, but probably a worse chance of re dress, than at present. If, on the contrary, it were part of his commission to interfere sponta neously, there would be much danger that his intervention might not infrequently militate against the ends of justice, by perplexing the cause, and imparting new confidence and ob stinacy to the contumacious or dishonest liti gants. The most simple, and probably the most effective preventive of long-continued im prisonment upon inadequate grounds, if the evil should be deemed of such magnitude as to re quire any general measure for its abatement, would perhaps be to make the original order of commitment, in every instance, for a limited period, at the end of which it should expire of course, unless renewed on the special motion of parties interested in its continuance. This re medy is open, no doubt, to the objection that it would not often effect the rescue of persona wrongfully or needlessly imprisoned, of whom the :whole number is necessarily small, while it must greatly add to the expenses of a Chancery suit, in all cases in which any party may have thought fit to resist or disregard the authority of the Court. But we believe it will be found difficult to devise any other remedy of a general nature for the particular evil of which we have lately heard so much, that is not liable to objec tions at least equally important. As a preventive to any abuse of the vindictive process of the Court, the rule we have suggested could scarcely fail, since its effects would be to bring periodically under review the case of each indi vidual imprisoned by its authority.--Morning Post. ODD FEMININE RECREATION.—III Moss ' s History of Hastings, there is an account given of an un finished tapestry, descriptive of the invasion of England by WILLIAM the Conqueror, in which it states that the work was interrupted "by the death, or other feminine recreations, of the Empress MATILDA." A great degree of excitement has been caused at Hamburg by the sudden death► of one of their most emi nent citizens, JouN Gaoaae ltxrsoLD, to whom their most valuable municipal regulations are owing. The day previous to his decease he was at a dinner party, where sadden death was the subject of conversation. " Let that be my fate.! whenever it may come, let me die amidst jovial friends, or at my post !" was his remark. In half au hour he was summoned to that post in his capacity of "Men Saver," and, within an hour, was crushed by the fall of a part of the building, while exerting himself at a fire. ERRORS OF THE CLERGY.—On Sunday, the 18th of January, as the Minister of a neighbouring parish, was performing Divine Service in the morning, his thoughts were so much abstracted (probably on the subject of tithes, as he is in the habit of taking a great part of the parish in kind), as to go through the greater part of the Evening Service, and of which he was wholly unconscious of till afterwards informed.—Exeter Flying Post. Most of our readers have heard of the Rus sian Ice Palace, but few of them, we believe, ever saw a snow tap-room. Such an erection, however, has been exhibited : on Wednesday last a " cool grot" of that cheer less and evanescent element was set up, opposite the Boar's Head, in Friar.street, in this borough, and several per sons—we suspect of extraordinary warm temperature_ had seats provided within it, and there enjoyed a " cool tankard" and a pipe.—Berks Chronicle. MATERNAL AFFECTION.—It happened A few years ago, that a poor woman in the south of France, while she was busied in her garden, bad the misfortune to be attacked by a wolf, who tore a hole in her side. The animal was accidentally frightened and fled. The poor woman, feeling the injury was mortal, but even in the extremity of her sufferings, intent on the wants of her in fant wkom she had left in the house, applied her hand to the wound to close it, and returning to her child, gave nourishment to the babe and expired.— Crorabie's Natural Theology. PAu, JAN. 10.—A frightful event has jttat spread terror throughout the neighbourhood of Eaux- Bonnes, in the department of Basses Pyrenees. The curate of t'ie little village of Alta, situated on the moun tain, was returning home On horseback, after administer ing the sacrament, when he was surrounded by wolves, which precipitated themselves upon him and the horse with all the ferocity occasioned by hunger. A number of bones and fragments of flesh which were strewed about, as well as the traces of blood, with which the snow was crimsoned, leads no doubt of the horrible fate of the unfortunate Clergyman, who fell a victim to his pious zeal. COUNTRY CORN MARKETS. DURING L.I.sT WREN. .1 Wheat. I Batley. Oats. Beane., Per Quarter. Cu: lisle. _ , C:;; marthen fl ,, x.hater N!...,rpeth Penrith . SF. titled Winchester Per Bushel. sentry .castle (Staff.) Ncrthallerton St.albrd Swansea Warwick Per 8011. Barnardeas tie Durham Richmond Stockton s. to s. 57 P. to 8. 27 s. to e. S. tO 9 . ..... 52 72 31 I :1 41 ;28 32 46 M 22 20 1 24 S 6 "" 50 r' g S 4 - 73 I 45 60 124 33 s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 70 90 48 54 90 93 50 56 70 93 36 46 90 94 59 62 79 80 46 48 90 10 0 4 6 50 126 16 0 8 6 90 120 156 80 90 120 160 00 106 126 IA 6 8 0 90 g 9 17 22 a.d. i. d. 26 40 34 39 33 40 30 40 2 0 2 6 ; 33 40 41 42 46 A ~„.L . A, 6 .. 'a 6 0 59 60 9 6 il " 7 2 - 0 0 , 0 : 79 - 86 64 49 63 70 86 48 76 9 9 1 2 6 11 0 1 2 6 , 00 0. WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET.-Jan. 29. The eanals being closed by frost, there is a short stir piy of all Grain, and the buyers generally not being suf ficiently needy to employ land carriage, there is only a thin attendance of them at market to-day, and little busi' 13.1114 has been done. Fine Wheat is scarce, anal fullY maintains last Friday's prices, but all other description ale very heavy sale. Oats are without variation. Fine heavy Barley is in demand, but all light and stained saw pies are dull sale. Beans are without variation. Wheat, Red, Norfolk and Sunlit 525. 565. to 58s. fine 61s. New 545. stis. to 61s. fine 6 40 . - White Old 555. 575. to 645. fine t 771. New 50g. sfis. to Si),, fine 635. - - Foreign, Red ...,.««...47a. 545. to 60s. tine go. White .- stle. to 635. fin e Ws. Barley, Norfolk and Suffolk 26s. to 325. tine 345. - Lincolnshire 94s. to 31s. tine 335. - Yorkshire Wold 26s. to 295. t h e 30a. - Foreign ........•• to fine -5. Beans, Old - New 30s. to 115 s. fine 345. Oats, Potato 2ls. to 25g. tine 975. - Poland 90s. 9 2 *. to 94'. tine 2.58. - Friesland and Small lB5. 20s. to 225. fine 113 s. Mealing lld. to 1234 d. per Stone. Shelling 275. to 30s. Od. per toad. Malt 36s. 395. line 41s. per Load. Rapeseed BIRMINGHAM MARKETS.—JAN. 21. CORN MARKET.-Notwithstanding the Canal convey ance remains closed, we have had a good supply of all descriptions of Grain at to-day's market, with little or no alteration in price. a. d. to a. d. Wheat, per 621 b....... .......... ........ ........ 7 0 8 2 Barley, per Imperial quarter SO 0 961 0 Malt b2 0 02 0 Pease 3B 0 46 0 Beans, per bag of 10 score gross Oats, per 391 b. Fine Hour, per sack of 2801 b. 49 0 b 0 0 Seconds 44 0 46 0 SMITIMILD.—This day's market exhibited asmall supply of Beasts and Sheep (owing to the deep snow)- Beef experienced a heavy sale, at a trifling reduetion ; Mutton without alteration. A fair average supply of all descriptions of Pigs, sales brisk at last Thursday's privet.. Beef (per lb.) 4O. to 40.1 Veal (per lb.) 4d. to 5#4. Mutton Porkers per score 7s. Od to Ss. Od. SCOTCH MARKETS. Wheat. I Barley I Oats. Aberdeen ...... Berwick Coldstream Cupar ............, Dundee....--.. F1gin..,.............. Inverness—. Kelso ......... Kirkaldy..— Perth ..---. nr. The size 50 68 i 23 28 33 37 18 20 34 38 19 20 44 '72 25 28 48 '7O 27 30 :0 82 20 25 50 54 21 26 35 38 19 20 60 '76 33 38 50 '74 14) 91 of the measure va 17 22 1 15 17 16 19 22 25 21 24 20 23 19 21 15 17 20 22 19 21 ies throve Beans. Oatmeal. --.....—, ....—. 28 2 9 i 22 24 39 56 20 25 27 92 -- 26 27 19 21 -- 19 20 40 '-- 94 27 -- 30 94 26 32 .... —* tout the country._ HADDINOTON CORN MARKET.—Jan. 22. The markets were very dull to-day, and sales not easily effected. Barley stands Is. up, both on top and - average ; 27 quarters sold, 7 unsold. Oats are up 6d. on the top, and down 6d. on the average: 243 quarters sold, 76 un sold. Wheat is down Bs. on the top, but the average shout 6d. up. Pease and Beans are both below the lest week's averages ; 29 quarters of Pease, and *1 of Bear were sold. Wheat. First 606 pd Second h3s Od Third 44.1 Od There were 216 qi Average Barley. 31s Od 22s Od 27s Od . of Wheat 19 Unsold.. 1 Oats. Pease. Beans. 254 64 20s Od 351 s Od 91s Od files Od 28 1 Od 101 Od 24s Od 9O s Od in market, 07 whereof were 5 014 * —2l Grey. ... V. 13s. 4sl. S.l2ths. DALKEITH CORN MARKET.—Jan. 21. --- The supply of all kinds of Grain at this day's m ar ket was large; prices rather higher than those of this daY se'nnight. Wheat. 1 Barley. Oats. I Lease. Beans. First 64, OA 32. Od 24a Od 36. Od 36s l i d Second b6s Od 28s Od 21s Od 32s Od 32a Od Third bds Od 26s Od 20s Od 28s Od .28s 04 CORNWALL. MARKETS. Tauao.—Wheat (average) 225. ad.—Barley, 12s. 241.—Oats, 41s. ' HaLarox—Wheat, 225. 6d.—Barley, 12s. Od, ST. AnaTou.—Wheat, 225. to 2/A.—Barley, 11a. to Mc —Oath Bs. to N. Od. BODMIN—Wheat (average) 225. 6d.—Barley, 1 ls.—Oats, PA. Od. 7.. Lo od u .— r/c h n e sT ef o:t 6c — L yle u a t t t ( o a n v , et t a i g . e) 235. Od.—Barley, 12 s . al. —Oath PENZANCE—Wheat, 235. to 24 8.—Barley, --s. to 16a.—Oals. Ss. to 10s. Od.—Beef and Mutton, 4d. to s&d.—Pork, 31d. to OIL"' Butter, lid. per lb. Lux/loan—Wheat, 225. Gd. to 25c —Barley,l34. 6d,—Data, 101 to I Is. Od. St. Coultas—Wheat, 225. to 23s.—Barley, 11s. to !3a.—Bie r s and Mutton, 4d. to Sid.—Veal and Lamb, Od to ed. MINING INTELLIGENCE. Tons. CIO' Quantity of Copper Ore sold at Redrutb last Thursday 2 397 , 0 Average Produce 8 X 0 Quantity of fine Copper lB7 ,12 Amount of Sale, 13,4392. Os. 0 41.—Avepage e Stsuadard, 1041. 19s. 04. ENORMOUS LozsTEßs.—During the late easterly gale, a lobster weighing 211bs. was taken on Nan= tasket Beach, Its claws were of the ordinary size. was brought to the city, and is said to be the largest ever seen here, excepting one obtained at Cape Cod, by Com modore HULL, to decide a bet of 1501. made in England, by Admiral COCHRANE, that he could produce a larger lobster from America than could be found in England. This gained the wager—it weighed 271h5..—. United State' Gazette, Dec. 11. On Christmas-clay, as 'soon as the doors of Old Sodbury Church were opened, a robin of singular plumage flew in, and remained in the Church during the service. The back, body, and part of the wings were of a cream colour, the head and the extremity of the wings and tail white, and the breast red. He was taken by the clerk, in whose possession he still remains.—Shrewsbury Chronicle. We mentioned last week that S. BAYLIS and his wife had been committed to Warwick gaol, charged with cruelty to two children of BAYLIS by a former wife. The younger child, aged five, being since dead, the Co' roner's Jury has returned a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against the woman, who has been committed for trial. The man has bee■ discharged, there being no evidence to affect him.— Worcester Journal. BIRTHS. On the !!d inst. in Upper Wirnpole-street, the t i dy of George Arbuthnot, Esq., of a daughter. On the 21st inst. Mrs. W. Brown, of Islington, of a daughter. On the 21st inst. at Sussex-place, Regent's-park, the lady of J. F. Davis, Esq. of a daughter. On the 21st inst. in Dean -street, Park-lane, the lady of J. David Hay 11111, Esq , of Glessenhall-hall, Nor folk, of a daughter. DIED On the 21st inst. at the Palace of St. Asaph, after a few days illness, in the 74th year of his age, the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph. In him his family . have to deplore an affectionate parent, the clergy of his diocese a warm friend and a kind adviser, and the poor of his neighbourhood a liberal and compassionate benefactor. On the 21st inst. in her 73d year, the widow of I. Thompson, Esq. of Ilford. On the 19th inst. at Greenwich, Mrs. A. Murray-, in her 76th year. On the 22d inst. at Blemmel-house, Brempton, the Rev. Thomas Prince, D. D. alternate Morning Preacher at Ox ford Chapel, and Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, aged 42. On the 18th inst. Mr. H. Fossett, of Doneasttr-plem. Old Kent-road, aged 75 years, many years the proprietor of the Bricklayers Arms Inn, Kent-road. On the 18th inst. at Wilmington, near Dartford, Capt. H. Wall, half-pay 4th Foot. On the 23d inst. at the Belvidere Tavern, Pentonville, after a short but severe illness, which he bore with be coming fortitude, Mr. Mark Cook, in the 54th year of his age. Mr. Cook was one of the oldest existing Members of the Friendly Society of Licensed Victuallers, and had served on the Trust and Committee several times with great seal and indefatigable industry ; and no one was e ye more zealous in supporting their School in Kennington lane, Lambeth, to which he had been a Life Subscriber since 1820 ; he was also a Life Subscriber of Ten Guinea , ' to the Asylum in the Kent-road. He was a man of the strictest integrity and honour, and highly respected by a most numerous circle of friends, and his memory will be long remembered by those who had the pleasure of his ac quaintance. Pantry. AND Puisr.isugn DI MURDO YOUNG; 'TOE Sing OFIIO% 11; %SAM 1.1491014,, - ' sfr L . A p pi lls : TO THE PI AVA( DIRE 14 rge, and to tiot intend tt that will eon In my laxt teed to the b. that %tumid t Pledge to do ° hall be hoz( Port. I have 62, Gloua This day wag Price 4/. 1 V[l C T aose wo d u e : u e n l a t i . t e le r 4 1 d lit o Pi P4i n io ' o rt . AN El e `an W it° , titulary of English ; w i the diff erent l • Names "anew, Ord gravi ngs ; ar 1 14cies, exeln Genus ;nand Edited I It ar, 'Jar gen ai together, appeared ou 13 d. 31, 182 "'We ma ferfectly sui toniabing • a an moderate dare to hope the public-a; render it, most useful I ever appeatei New Phil. .I NEW 0 .. 1 NA and F, the Use of F Civil, Politic are given in 11. e indecent tendency, lir By MI The FAN added to the preuiona are loud in a F. boirds ; alio Ards. " We are a notic e to 6 general ci►ru SELECT Iliographie4l 1 vol. 8v( to match the 10 vole. pool The object rate compass f folo. lien .] abrhlcement, MORAL for the Inatri If-bnund. ANNALS hrought dow JOHN AIK I lmo. 41. ti An LNG Classes. B. half-bound. A LEGA lliscello elm 511.9. BARB price 7i. 6d. Printed fc Wi a few of the force hint i .g , catitude for Low received, tisne at a tau in prei Bound in selebratntl 3 at J. Pu Contains by various A at 91i bound in sin Superbly rutuit boautif &e. from pa eminent Ar , !Rine for 18:: graving •f greatly supei Elegantly engravings T. Lawrenci W.aitts. Contains frsva painlin from the itt o 12413,4 at 12, nix volui 13 ii„ eugn the Works of lobitiout, hi 1 t he day. si 71114 beau' 114 het1 with 1 t‘c, Warren, atneug ethal Jairus," Rry ThOnla et 1214, A New A: with i 4 o4ati in s ilk 4t 6,. Id. ftoln dravv;nl itt 6 8. 64. Um:ldiom s tari ng , by 3 velebrai at 12,. Cant a i na iL r k ti 'ta, bon at 1:21 g , I\l44 tly bot (4(1 at 100. This beau , ‘4,,ir4rings, 3 iiittorti, Dr. 4Hartietive t "". Edit o f Irish. Gila' ACKER, Contains S the Prc Mhos I "dite4l by Fi NEW 1 %,itriiirds, &I