The Sun. — London, England, 1839-02-11 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE ANTI-CoRN LAW DELEGATES. INTERVIEW WITH LORD MELBOURNE. 'The Delegates met at Bro wn ' s H o t e l on Saturday afternoon al the- usual hour, Among those present we observed the following Members of Par. liament and Gentlemen :—Sir G. Strickland, M.P., Mr. Mark Phil. 11 Ps, M.P., Lord Nugent, Mr. G. A. Young, Mr. Ewart, Mr.Howaid Elphinstone, Sir Benj. Hall, 31.1'., Mr. G. W. Wood, M.P., Mr. Scholefield, M.P.,land Mr. Villiers, M.P. Lord NUGENT stated that he rase for the purpose of handing a letter to the Chairman, signed by the Vestry Clerk of the parish of bt. Marylebone, on behalf of the Vestry of that Parish, appointing himself (Lord Nugent) and Mr. Gi!bet Voila?, as Delegaes to this Association. His Lordship expressed his prick and Pleasure in acc: , ptiLg this office, and that lie was sent here to r..,pr stkit a large and pophlo.is parish, in which the feeling on this subject was ahnost unanimous. the statements he had made on Thursday night could be at all con sidered as inaccurate or injurious to the gentlemen present. He was not aware of those statements being inaccurate if they were lie was very sorry for it: .Ifahey were not inaccurate he could hardly see in what way they could be injurious. It did not appear to him that the great object they an had in view, in seeking to remove those unjust laws, could be injured - by the truth being knowu.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear, hear. ")• In the discharge of a duty that had devolved upon him, it appeared to him necessary to take a review of all those circumstances connected with the subjects that had attracted public notice. In taking that review, it seemed to him necsssary to advert to the state of the trade of this country. When Parliament was assembled twelve months ago they were suffering from a state of great convulsion in the corn. mercial world—the manufacturing interests were in great diffi culties ; business had been suspended, and the labouring popu_ lation had been deprived of their ordinary means of subsistence. He thought it his duty to show that the industry of the country had recovered itself, that trade had returned to its ordinary channels, If it should be thought that in going into those state ments he had a special reference to the repeal of the Corn. laws, he could only say it was by no means a desirable opportunity for doing so. In a speech of that nature he was limited for tire, and he should have thought he was compromising the object they have in view by mixing with a statement respecting the trade of the country, matters involving such deep interest as the Corn-law repeal. He apprehended that from what he then said in the discharge of a public duty, no one would have drawn such an erroneous conclusion as some seemed to have done. He had not then concealed his earnest desire .for the repeal of the Corn-laws. He was yet perfectly ignorant how anything that had fallen from hit could possibly injure the cause the Delegates had at hear If it could be shown to him that such bad been tl: or that his speech could have such an effect, he shou.a unfeignedly lament it; but until that was shown to ion he must still feel that he could not retract, He believed that he Ilan only spoken facts. Ills sentiments upon the subject were not of late formation, and he went as fir as any gentleman present for the re peal, and whatever might be the opinions that gentleman might form of his speech, he would still do everything in his power to further their views. He intended to have requested an explanation as soon as he saw the attack, but lie was obliged to attend the Speaker on that day, and he was told yesterday that it would be better to delay it till to-clay. The CHAIRMAN said it was rather unfortunate diet the intention of the Hon. Member's speech had been so misunderstood, both in and out of Parliament—but more unfortunate 5:111 that he should fancy that lie hid done nothing wrong after such an impres sion had been created. That the President of the Manches ter Chamber of Commerce—one who had presided at a meeting where a petition was agreed to, which said— " That your petitioners view with great alarm the rapid exten sion of foreign manufactures, and they have in particular to deplore the consequent diminution of a profitable trade with the continent of Europe, to which, notwithstanding the great iacrease in popu lation since the termination of the war, the exports have actually been less in value during the last five years, than they were during the first five years, after the peace; and whilst the demand for ail those articles in which the grea'est amount of tae labour of our artisans is comprised, has been constantly . diminishing, the exportation of the raw material has been as rapidly increasing" —was to him astonishing. It did appear to him rather extraordinary, that the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce should talk of the extraordiaary property and the export of our manufactures. Ile (the Chairman) did not deny the statements which the Hon. Member had made; he believed they were correct, but his sin appeared to have been a sin of omission He could show that the statement which the Hon. Member had brought forward in the House of Commoas, fully bore out the paragraph in the petition which he had just read. It was the declared value of the principal articles of British produce and manufactures reported from the United Kingdom. It commenced with the average of the years 1834, 1835. 1536, and 1837, and then stated the amount in 1838. It showed the increase in cotton manufactures lo be 642,0004 That might be true, but he wished to ask if any increase had taken place in the exports to Europe. Ho then went on to say that the increase in cotton yarn was 1„432,0001. • This, it should be borne in mind, was a raw article. There was a diminution in woollen manufac tureof 385,0001. The decrease in cutlery and hardware was 232,0001., while the increase in the few material of Iron and steel was 666,0001., and in copper and brass 159,000/. ; tin in bars 52,0004, in plates 83,000/. ; and in sheep's wooi 158,0004 This fully bore out the statement which had been made by Mr. Stansfield. In coal and culm there was the enormous increase of 180,0001., being sixty per cent, in the four yeari. The exportation of raw iron, steel, and coals was what he complained of, because they furnished the foreign manufacturer with the means of competing with us. it was the omis sion of this important part of the statement which was calculated to give a wrong impression. At the Chamber of Commerce it was stated that during the last two years trade had been in a most unprofitable state, and the Hon. Member knew that, for he had been a cotton_ spinner. The Hon. Member had been getting up an illu sive picture of prosperity, when he had said not one word of the suffering below the surface. The Honourable Member had alluded to one subject which he trusted he would take the opportunity of explaining in his place in the House of Commons, mid that was the relative exports and increase of trade in our country, compared with foreign countries. In the year 1815, Great Britain exported to the amount of 51,603,0291. ; in 1836, to 53,368,571/. In 1815, the exports from Franec amounted to 15,908,1741., and in 1836 to 38,451,3904 The ex ports from the United States in 1815 were 10,959,531/., and in 1836 they amounted to 26,804,799, so that while our exports had increased only 4 per cent„ those of the United States and France had increased 260 per cent.—(Hear, hear.) He wished to ask if that was a subject of congratulation. He was sorry that lie had been obliged to make these observations, although no one regretted the necessity of doing so more than him self, and no one felt greater mortification than he did on hearing the speech of Sir Robert Pee. Mr. G. W. WOOD desired to offer a few observations on the re marks of the Chairman. He bad stated that he was not preset'_ during his speech in the House. With respect to the countries to which our exports had gone, he had not then in his possession the necessary particulars, and had consequently no means of im parting information to the public. With respect to other branches of trade, they would no doubt be useful in a discussion on the Corn.laws. He did think on that occasion, speaking as he was upon another subject, they would have been considered out of place, and of no service to the cause. The petition from Manchester stated of course the sentiments of those by whom it had been adopted ; and it was hardly necessary to go over the ground again in the discussion to which he (the Chair. man) had alluded. Mr. GREG proposed that a private Committee meet on Monday next, at ten o'clock, for the purpose of considering the course to be taken with respect to this witnesses that might be called Agreed to. The Committee then adjourned. " That this meeting, whilst it demands of the Legislature as an Act of Justi.:e, the total and immediate repeal of all laws, imposing duties upon or restricting the importation of corn, and other articles of subsistence ; is prepared to resign aliclaims to wotection on home manufactures, anti to carry out to their fullest extent, both as effects agriculture and manufactures, the true and peaceful principles of fret: trade, by removing all existing obstacles tattle unrestricted in. terchange of industry and capital between all natior.s." He had this morning conversed with Dr. Lushington on the subject of this resolution, and the Doctor had expressed his great satis. faction at this recognition of the necessity of the freedom of trade from every restriction. Mr. Sruarrz thin proposed the following resolution : " That it is the conviction of the Delegates, that in advocating the total and immediate abolition of the Corn and Provision Laws, they shallbe able to produce evidence, showing that such a measure will be greatly to the ultimate advantage of the agricultural interest itself. The letter was then read by the Chairman. It was signed "C. Flood," Vestry Clei k, aid after stating the appointment of Lord Nu gent and 51r. Gilbert Young as Delegates, it proceeded to express lively H;terest the Ve,ory and Parishioners take in tl is subject, ' •wire to assist the exertions of the Committee by every " That this resolution, together with the resolution, which was passed on the sth inst., beadvertised in all the London Daily Papers." Dr. Bowers° seconded the resolution. He said that he also bore testimony to the urbanity with whit!) Lord Melbourne had received the Deputation s -and to the attention which he had paid to the communications which had been made to him. This was not a question of duty imposed for the purposes of revenue, but of one impose I fOr the object of protection. The manufacturers were perfectly wit. ling to give up all their claims to protection in order that the great, the noble system of freedom of trade might'be generally recognised. —(Hear.) He believed that they should be able to prove, by evidence, that the agriculturists were in possession of much greater protecction than they were at all aware of, their ignorance of this subject could be established by the evidence of incontrovertible facts. The. great cheapness in foreign countries arises from there being no vent for the small surplus produce. Th t vent would be given by the repeal of the Corn laws in this country, and the buoyancy and elevation which would be consequently given to manufactures would store than compensate fur any depression which might take place. Under the most favourable circumstances for production the utmost extent of insportation that would probably take place would not exceed two millions and a half of quarters annually, and this surplus would be more than compen. sated for by the increased comunsptlon which would take place consequent upon the increased manufacturing pros perity. Lord Melbourne had said everything that could be ex pected from him, considering his situation ; and the facts:introduced to his notice could not fail to produce an effect on his mind. Mr. EWART heard with satisfaction that the Prime Minister had received the Deputation with that attention which its great importance demanded. Any Prime Minister who would not so receive a deputation of such a character would be un. worthy of treading in the footsteps of his great predeces. sors, or of wielding the destinies of this mighty nation. To such a deputation Pitt would have paid attention; even Lord Liverpool did pay great attention to one such. Great Tory though he was, he always was a friend of the people, by being a strenuous enemy to the Corn-laws. He trusted that the intelligent landowners would come forward to the relief of the Boeotian Squires, and lead them 'to the knowledge that tlie repeal of the Corn-laws—that the pure principles of free trade was the only way to make the agricultural interest flourish. By the agitation of the question of slavery, West India property was depreciated from year to year; so also if they did not obtain repeal of the Corn Jaws, the agitation of the question from year to year, which now would be inevitable, would far more de preciate the landed interest than the immediate repeal of the Corn-laws. Emancipate the land from what was falsely called protection, and it would inevitably thrive —continue it in its unnatural state, and it must flag. Lord Melbourne had been told that they were not wishing for free trade themselves alone, but they wished to obtain it for all. Mr. WEIR said Glasgow wished for and would take nothing else than a total repeal of these laws. The landed interest ought to know that this was no transient feeling, but one long thought of and now calmly persevered in. He and his colleague had brought up a petition from Glasgow signed by 4,300 persons. In 1834 Glasgow‘and suburbs sent up a petition signed by 60,000 persons. The present one was confieed to the city alone, wkch accounted for the different numbers. The softer sex in ScoiTind very set dom indeed put themselves forward out of their own legiti mate and more natural duties, but they felt so much upon the present question, that: he was advised that the joiners, openers, winders, and tambourers, and others engaged in the muslin trade of Glasgow, were about to petition, and as there were some Hon. Members present, he hoped their gallantry would induce them to support the prayer of the fair sex. Sir J. STRICKLAND—It would have given him great pleasure to have supported the prayer of the petition from the ladies of Glas- gow; but according to the present practice of receiving peti tions, he was prevented from saying one word in support of a prayer of such an interesting nature. But now they were com pelled to disoblige their constituents on many occasions. —(Hear.) Although it might not be necessary that discussions should extend to the length which they have formerly done, he was convinced that some intermediate steps might have been adopted. He could not help saying a few words on this great and important question, and perhaps he ought to apologise that his zeal had brought him here yesterday before a general invitation to Members of Parliament had been given—(Hear, hear)—but he was an old worker in the vinyard. He was entirely a leaded proprietor.—(Heat, hear.) Although he was the representative of the great mercantile in. terests of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the opinions which he en tertained on the question of the Corn-laws were taken up many years before he hail even the most distant notion that he should ever be placed in that proud situation. If proof of his sincerity were wanted he might refer to a document which be published many years ago. In 1825 he was invited by a number of agriculturists to take the chair at a meeting which was called for the purpose of supporting the Corn-laws, but he refused, stating that he was decidedly op. posed to their views, and even published a short letter, stating that they were blind to their own interest, and that it would ultimately be found that the Corn-laws were not to their advantage. Before the question was brought before the House on Tuesday week there were many matters deserving of the most serious consideration. He was as zealous as any man that ail restrictions on commerce should cease, and was therefore glad to see the position which had been taken by the Delegates—that they wanted no protection for them selves, whilst they were willing to give none to others. He was gla; to find them advocating the general freedom of trade, that things might take their natural course, and that England should be free from any monopoly whatever.—(Hear) If they had fallen short of that—if they had not shown their general desire for free trade altogether, they would have taken the argument out of their own hands and placed it its the hands of their opponents. At the same time, while he admitted that they ought not to look for restrictions, Dr. Bowringhad alluded to a subject of great importance—the necessity of taxation for the purpose of raising the revenue. It appeared to him that a tax on one part of the community for the benefit of another, was the grossest injustice, a fradulent and immoral act—(Hear, hear) and he wished to impress on them the maxim of Mr. Fox, that " that which is morally wrong cannot be politically right."_ (Hear, hear.) In a country like this there must be taxation, and if it shoed be found necessary that the importation ofcern should be subject to a Custom-house tax, he did not see why it should not be taxed as well as any thing else—should be taxed for , the purpose of raising the revenue, but not for the purposes of pro. tection. Now, as to the mode in which the question was to be supported in the House of Commons when brought forward by Mr. Villiers.—(Hear, hear.) The present demand, he believed was, that evidence might be given at the bar of the House of Commons; but then came the important question, whether in the present constitution of the House of Commons, and con. sidering the majorities that existed there, it was possible to carry that question. The next consideration for them was what, according to common discretion, they ought to do, and what they ought to be prepared to do.—(Hear.) Mr. E. BAINES, junior, believed that, on the part of the towns of Leeds and Halifax, and of the West Riding of Yorkshire generally, he might state their demand was for a total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws.—(Hear, hear.) They were convinced that that was what would most tend towards the general prosperity of thenation ; and it was his (Mr. Baines') conviction that the abolition of all duties of thisnature would raise the prosperity of this country to a far higher pitch than it had hitherto attained. Ile wished to make an observation upon what Sir George Strickland had said relative to there being a duty on corn for the purposes of the revenue. Sir George Strickland was an old friend of free trade in corn, and lied published his opinion on this subject many years before he came into Pardament, or was connected with any manufacturing community, and was himself solely dependant on land. He (Mr. B.) ventured to ex. press a different opinion from his Hon. Representative on the subject cf the revenue in the importation of foreign corn; and begged to point out this great difference between taxes on corn and on roost other commodities : while a:tax on tea, coffee, arid sugar raised the price of thearticles which were imported or a tax on corn had this additional serious effect, that it me the price also of the whole of the same commodity grown in this country.—(Hear, hear.) It was not merely a tax on one or two or three mil. lions quarters of foreign grain annually imperfect into this coun try, but it was a tax on the whole of the twenty millions gear ters,of wheat, or fifty millions quarters of all other grain grown in this country. There could be but one price for the article in this country, and if that price was raised by a tax on the quantity im ported, it would be a tax to the same extent on all the corn grown in this country. That was a protection to the agriculturists which, as Mr. Walmsley would show, extended to a very large amount. Mr. Watmesley had stated to Lord Melbourne that the average expenses attending the importation of wheat from the North of Europe to this country was between nine and ten shillings per quarter; and that the average cost, in addition to that of bringing corn torn the soil on which it grew upon the borders of the Vistula to Dantzic, the port of exportation, was an additional ten shillings per quarter. Now the greatbr part of the British agriculturists had their market at their own doors, and disposed of their commodity themselves without incurring the expellee of a fictor. These causes would produce a permanent protection to the British farmer ; of which he could not, from the nature of things, he deprived. He (Mr. Baines) begged leave to express his conviction against any duty on foreign corn fur the purpose of raising a revenue.—(Hear). He had at one time been of opinion that such a tax would have been desirable. But after reflecting more deeply upon the subject, he had come to the conclu•ion—taking into consideration the amazing extent to which such a tax went in raising the price of Corn In this country (Hear)—tliat it was for the great, permanent interest of this country—including the landowners themselves —that the trade in corn should be as free as the waters of the ocean or the air We breath.—(Hear, hear.) The Cannimasr then real the resolution as it had been moved by Mr. Sturge and seconded by Dr. Bowring. Mr. E Baines, Jun., objected that it contained terms expressing the conviction of the Delegates that the abolition of the Cornslaws was supported by the wealth, the numbers, the intelligence of the country. a conviction for which he himself confessed that he did not possess any evidence. He proposed therefore to omit those words. While the Delegates were waiting to hear what Dr. Bowring had to say to the proposition, the Learned Doctor having left the room. The CHAIRMAN said he wished it to be known, that notwithstand ing what had been promulgated by Earl F , tzwilliam, the delegates did not intend to abandon their instructions, which were to go for the "total" es well as the " immediate" repeal of the Corn-laws. Mr. ASH WORTH observed that he had pressed that point to the utmost with Lord Melbourne, rept esenting that a fixed duty would be a fixed injustice, to whatever extent it went.—(Hear, hear.) Dr. BOWRING having re.entered the room, he said that he, for one, believed the bulk of the numbers of the wealth and of the intelli gence of the country was against the Corn.laws ; wherefore he was for the resolution as it stood means in tli it power. The CilAtamAN expressed the great pleasure he felt in rec Aving Lord Nugent. and Mr. Young as Delegates from Marylebone. The CitmemaN said it was his duty now to communicate to the meeling that the Delegates appointed at a previous meeting, con.. ``n3 of himself and the Delegates from Glasgow, Leeds, -rA , B - u, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, had ' , lell,ourne this morning, and had hul an an hour and a quarter's duration with his Lordship, who received then very kindly, and listened very attentively to their statements. If it was the pleasure of the gentlemen present. he wont:: mention what the general facts were which they had laid •-• --(Yes.) They explained, then, to his Lordship the LiV2l waited Lord interview o er waiting on him in so small a number, that they ~',13 the hest course, and one that would be more agree. Lordship ; that they were sent as representatives of the _es from different parts of the country, on the question of the and immediate repeal of the Corn.laws, and they were anxious ay liefere his Lordship their reasons for taking this step. They aileavour - ed to show his LordshipAhat their exports to Europe were now confined chiefly to raw materials, that their exports of MallUfaC ture,l articles to Europe had been constantly diminishing since the Voice, while their exports of raw materials had been increasing, anti that no:withstanding the population of Europe ince the peace had isro:sably increased 50 per cent, our exports to Europe were less by 20 per cent. for the last five years than tletSswere the first five years after the peace. These exports were n'''' , Principally confined to cotton twist (a raw material ill the first process), iron, steel, coals, wool, and different other articles Wee') forte, bed foreign manufacturers with the means of manu fastu ring fer themselves, arid of competing with British manufacturers hi neutral markets. They also stated to his Lordship that in sosny cotton articles, woollens, hosiery, and in hardware and cutlery, sits Germans and Russians were not only supplying the de 'aaLl af their own ;narkets, but were also supplying foreign neutral tna:le ea. It was dieicult, in the first instance, to establish manufac teries in any country, but when once established they progressed ra- PIXY. The articles in which the foreign manufecturcrs had the great. r it superiority were those in which manual labour farmed the chief Liererlisnt ; but that, from the great increase in machinery in almost ev:Ty town in Europe, and from the continual export of our meteranios and artizalis, there was the greatest reason for fearing that by , acrd-bye the superiority which we at present possessed would be ow, and that foreigners would compete successfully with us in our natural markets. Mr. Stansfeld, the Delegate from Leeds, read air in- Icr( ''t ing Paper to his Lordship, relating to the exportation of foreign and British woollens.—(Mr. Greg asked whether Mr. Stanfield would cot reed that paper. The Chairman said he had better first conclude his statement, and continued.)—As regarded cotton hosiery—it was stated to his Lordship that so lately as 1814 we exported cotton hosiery from this country to Saxony —that it %vs a branch of manufactures which bad existed in this ' , entry for more than 200 years, but that since 1814 the Saxons A established a manufactory of cotton hosiery, and that they had - led it to as high a pitch as our own, and in fact to a much higher, 'eir exportation of cotton hosiery to the United States was as .1 as our experts of the same article to the whole world.—(Hear.) 'en, as respected hardware and cutlery, it was stated to his Lord. Beres to be proved, that in Wolverhampton, where the at tile raw material under their feet, the Germans had ally cre - Tie:4 with them in almost every article; that lists , e shown, comprising about 1,200 articles, almost every one Germans could supply in the natural per cent. to fifteen per cent. IkV, than the people of Wolverhampton could furnish them— (Hear, hear)—and the inferiority of price in the f a r e i gn ar ti c l es was most to be observed where manual labour farmed a considerable portion of the manufacture.—(Hear, hear, hear.) It was also staOel to his Lordship that last year an act had been found ihocessary with respect to the bonding of foreign cutlery—that foreign cutlery had • been made in imitation of British—cent, with etish marks to London, and other British ports, arid there bonded exportation. That when, for instance, an order was sent for to of leer's cutlery (Mr. Roger being a celebrated Sheffield , r), one house would send the order to Mr. Roger; another Ol go to the Custom-house, and there buy " Roger's cutlery," in Germany, at 10 or 15 per cent, less than Mr. Rogers himself furnish it.—(ilear.) It of course excited no small surprise no house could get Roger's cutlery at a price so much less than arr. 'lobe cause was inquired into, the trick was found out, . Mr. Ilawkee the Member for Dudley, last Session had introduced dill to de away with the bonding of foreign cutlery. Was not .hat a strong case?—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") The deputa lion stated to his Lordship, that, although the exports from the ettntry in many articles (cotton, for instance) were increas. ithe ; that the increase had taken place on manufactured goods, only.. to those countries whose produce we received in return ; and that our sports to some of the most populous and wealthy countries in the werlie, were limited by the circumstance of our refus ing to take the only articles that they could give us in exchange.— corn and timber. They informed his Lordship that although our exports had increased, (err population was increasing in a greater mite and that, co-op iced with other countries, our increase in menu faceares had not been in proportion to those of Belgium, Saxony, or Switzer:and—that the repeal of the Corn laws was not with them 'on of the price or food, but simply that they might be allowed 10 same markets for food that their competitors did—that .vas impossible we could long stand competition on other terms, thr the price at which foreigners could afford their articles must be the price at which we could sell ours—that for the last few years we ii 1:1 been harrying on an unprofitable trade, and that his Lord ship must see that;an unprofitable trade could not be long carried on that since the Delegates had arrived in London, they had heard of four or five large establishments in Manchester working short turns, and that unless there should be a speedy improvement in trade that woule be.co:ne. more common. The deputation directed his Lordship's attention to the rseolution which which was unanimously passed by the General Cern oi ittee en the sth inst. ; " That this meeting, whilst it demands of the Legislature as an let of ;entree, the toed and immediate repeal of all laws, imposing ',tees tieon or restricting the importation of corn, and other articles t* se' sisteoce; is prepared to resign all claims to protection on inso :manufactures, rand to carry out to their fullest extent, both as eeto aerichriture arid man u:aoture, tine true and peaceful principles tree trade, by re.noving all existing obstacles to the unrestricted , rchansse of industry and capital between all nations." y wished to impress ripen his Lordship, that while they did not to Le depriveil of going to the cheapest market, they had no e prevent others from so doing. His Lordship listened to teerents of the Deputation with great attention, and made iquiries. Of course they could not expect his Lordship opinion oil the question, but he assured the Depu .et lie would take the subject into serious consi. hh atel consult with his colleagues on the matter. lesputatirei were highly gratified. with the attention which ' - "-h with his Lordship's attention. It would be no • . to hear from Mr. Stansfeld th e im to which he had made to his Lordship.—(Hear.) ANSFELD, of Burley, at the request of the meeting, Lords f thowyht I for t Igrei r , eoplc 1: which VI I r: g at from ten I c.ulA te case, to go tot to ;_i7, CL'i V NI trtceti. Inufacture of Ei;land had already suffered ma ve,icd with still more serious lojury, from the incatal rivali. In proof of which the following LONDON FEVER HOSPITAL ars ago, the English wool buyers at the great predominated so much in number, and in the r purcbases, over the buyers of other countries, as to ; bat within the last few years the German and Bel ,ve excreted then in their purchases, and the English regarde:t z,z smaq comparative imKalance. Id 11,c Yesterday the Annual General Meeting of Governors and Subscribers of this excellent Institution, was held at the Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen -street, for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report of the Com mittee and the election of Governors, &c., for the en suing year. The Right Hon. the Earl of Devon, Pre sident, in the chair. Charles Hyde, Esq., the Secretary, read the minutes of the last general meeting and of the several monthly meetings held during the year, which were confirmed, ALEXANDER TWEEDIE, Esq., M.D. F.R.S., read the thirty-seventh annual report of the committee. Al though in the last report it was stated that the number ofpatients received during the year 1837 was the great est admitted since the foundation of the hospital, still the admission of patients during the past year has ex ceeded that of the former by upwards of a hundred, while many appeared for admission who could not be ad mitted for want of room. On several occasions the committee have been compelled to deny the benefits of the hospital to the most necessitous and friendless, as there bed been constantly twelve applications for one vacant bed. Hence many have fallen victims to disease within a few hours after their admission, while others have died on their way in the cart. Twenty-two fami lies each consisting of six or eight persons, were taken from the most wretched abodes. Additional beds for thirty persons have been prepared and further accom modat!on is in process. As soon as sufficient funds will permit, beds will be procured for every person afflicted with fever who may require admission. The prevalence of fcver has not been confined to any particular part of the year. The number of patients remaining in the hos. pital on Dec. 31, 1837, 54 ; admitted since of continued ,41y rapid growth of the w0011..n suanttracture other c.Juntrics of the German Continental r th. 111 v, that live or six ears since, woolien cloths exhibited for sale at the vas only 50,000 ends (an eel being half a .r the quantity exhibited was 350,000 ends, — per cent. fever, 976 ; scarlet fever, 46 ; under certificates of fever, but discovered to have other diseases, 24 ; total, 1,098. Of the above there were dismissed, cured of continued fever, 708 ; scarlet fever, 34 ;. other cases not fever, 2. Died of continued fever, 246 ;.scarlet fever, 6 ; othercases not fever, 6 ; remaining in the hospital,Dcc.Bl, 1838,70 ; Of the fatal cases there occurred in 1838, within twelve hours after their admission 8 deaths, within 24 hours 25, %% ithin 48, 19 ; and within 72 hours 30 deaths. Of the total number of patients (260) who died, only 112 survived one week after their admission. The com parative ages of the patients show that no period of life is exempt from the disease. Of the total number (1,044), 23 were under the age of 15, and 471 between the ages of 15 and 30. The majority of cases were of a malignant nature; erysipelas attacked 73 persons, of whom 12 were attacked fatally by it in the wind pipe ; the mortality during the past year throughout England, both in hospital and private practice, was un paralleled. 107 domestic servants were admitted, of whom 13 died. Of the 12 nurses attached to the hos pital, four died, besides the two porters. The subscrip tions, dividends, &c., for the past year, amounted to 5,4391. 65., of which, after all disbursements, there re mains a balance of 1,246/. 9s. ld., which is more than absorbed by the enlargement of the building, and which must be paid for in the mouths of April and May. The committee, in conclusion, made an appeal to the public in favour of the funds of :the hospital, which are antici- paced by the building in progress, so as that they may be enabled to afford effectual relief on the one hand to their wretched fellow-beings, and on the other hand quiet that anxiety and alarm which the prevalence of fever has excited. The Report was adopted ; and after some routine business had been gone through, the meeting separated. 3lr. Baook said he thought it was important that they should nol try to make out too good a case, and he therefore concurred in Mr. Baines' suggestion. TUB SPIRITUAL O'CONNELL.—The inhabi tants of the " Quoad sacra" parish of Duntocher, in the " Quoad drilla" parish of Old Kilpatrick, were lately entertained with an endowment meeting, in the New Chapel, Duntocher, by the spiritual O'Connellite agitators, the Rev. Mr. Buchanan of the Tron Church, Glasgow, and the Rev. Mr. M`Naughtan of Paisley, when, amongst other sayings and doings, in their occupation, style, and calling, a petition for additional endowments was set agoing. And, to return the compliment with interest, two anti.endowncent meetings were held, one on the 17th ult in the Secession Church, Duntocher, and the other on the 23cl ult. in the Relief Church, Old Kilpatrick. At both meetings, anti-endowment petitions were passed, and the minds of the people• were so e n li g h tened on the i n i qu i to ds character of the Kirk 'fax, that they wilt dem ons t rate b y th e i r signatures that they have no desire to b e d upe d b y the i r pretende d f r iends of the Kirk, to permit them to thrust their hands into their pockets, and thus treat them to cheap seats. Why don't these zealots for com pulsory taxation petition to have their own adherents taxed, to sup port their religious establishments, and in common justice, let others alone who get no benefit from them P—GlasgoloArgus. Mr. EWART said that though he believed the preponderance of numbers and of intelligence was against the Corn.laws, he did not see the necessity of stating their conviction on that point, but rather considered that they ought to state their own opinions fairly and fully, and appeal to the country.—( Hear, hear.) It was agreed that the wcrds objected to by Mr. Baines should be struck out, and the resolution, as amended was passed. Mr. G. Woon—ln consequence, gentlemen, of having seen a report in the public papers, of comments having been made here upon what I said on Tuesday night, to the effect that what I then said would have an injurious effect on the object of the Delegates, I have waited on you for the purpose of hearing on what grounds it was that you thought I had unfortunately made that mistake. I should be very glad to hear any explanation. The CHAIR N —lt would be best for the Hon. Gentleman to refer to the debates in the public papers, which caused the impression that was produced on the minds of the gentlemen who attend here. I understand a similar impression was created out of doors.—(Hear.) Mr. G. W. Woon—But you leave me in the dark as to the particu. ar circumstance which gave rise to that impression, and it is upon those grounds that I should be glad to hear your explanation. Mr. Bitoox ES, of Huddersfield—lf the Hon. Member would refer to those parts of his speech so loudly cheered by Sir R. Peel, I think he would be able tosolve the difficulty.—(Loud cries of Hear.") Tiic CIIAIRM AN—I had not the pleasure of hearing the Hon. Member speak, and therefore I cannot tell what effect may have been produced in the House by it, but I had the pain of hearing Sir Robert Peel's reply to it, and noticed that the Right Hon. Baronet's speech was cheered by all those parties whom we consider as.oppo. news to our sieves on this question, which I thought was significant of the manner in which they understood the Hon. Gentleman.— (Cheers.) Mr. Wool) said he should be very glad to know in what respect CORN -LAW MEETING AT LANCASTER.—The intense interest which the discussion oftheCorn-laws has every where excited, and the extreme anxiety which Is manifested for their repeal, are warmly participated in by the inhabitants of Lan caster. A deputation was ►ert from Lancaster to the great Corn law meeting lately held at Manchester. Our respected Mayor, who was one of the deputation, on his return, in compliance with a re., quisition, called a public meeting, to take int♦consideration the total repeal of the Corn and Provision.laws. The meeting was held on Monday last in the Town Hall, which was excessively crowded, besides a large concourse of persons outside, who were unable to obtain admittance. It occupied between three and f,ur hours. It afforded a gratifying illustration of the growing interest which this question has exhibited, and a determination not to desist until the final abolition of all Corn and Provision.laws. The petitions have received above 1,000 signatures.—Rendal Mercurg. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, -EVENING EDITION, -FE 11, 1839 LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF CHANCERY, FRB. 9. CODRI NGTON V . JOIINSON. The SOLICITOR. GENERAL replied to-da in this case, andy His Lonnsin P postponed judgrnet.t. RINK MAN V. DT Kr, . This case came before tha Court upon;xceptions to the Master's Report. The short facts out of which the subject arose appeared to be as follows :—Dykes, the defendant, let a piece of land at Pim lico toa person named Cheppit in 1827, on which he was to build two houses; being unable to build them, in 1829, he sold his inte rest to the plaintiff, who, with Mr. Stamp, a party to tl e suit, entered into an agreement with Dykes for a conveyance to them of property, and by his Repo r t th e sum of 600/. was awarded the land in question, but the convey ance was made to Rickman alone. Before the Master it was Cont en d e d that Stamp had a lien upon the to him. The SOLICITOR.GENCRAL and Mr. -SPIIRRPCII apprared in sup port of tile exceptions, contending that there was no evidence of Stamp'. , lien 011 the face of the Report, or the proceedings, and that t:,e amount had been allowed contrary to evidence. Mr. \\Tuatara and Mr. F. RICHARDS supported the finding of the Master. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that sufficient had been brought before hire. to raise a doubt in his mind, and lie should therefore refer it back to .he Master to review his report. The Lo Rn CIitiNCELLOR rese shortly before three o'clock, to at. tend a Cabi net Council. V ICE-CHAN CELL 0 R CCURT, FEB. 9. CLAXTON AND OTHERS V. BRETHAM This case came before the Court upon motion for the purpose of making perpetual an injunction granted ex parte, restraining the de fendant from :proceeding with an action at law. The facts of the case appeared from the statement of Counsel to be as follows :—The plaintiffs are the directors of a projected railway which was intended to have communicated from the centre of the metropolis ' ' termini of the grand lines, and was to have been called the 'M. titan Junction Railway. Mr Claxton, with Mr Blount, the civi engineer, were the projectors of the undertaking, and they sought for a st licitor :to carry their plans into effect, and were introduced to Mr. Beetham, the defendant, who entered into the following ar rangements with them : he was to transact the business of the Com pany, to takeet he requisite proceedings to carry through both Houses of Parliamerit a Bill to enablethe Companypia es, and generally to ac t as legal adviser. In consideration to carry i n t o operat i on t h e ;ices Mr. Beetham was t o receive his full costs if the Act of p of ro t ie ,e c s t e ed ser, Parliament I?assed, and if not, then lie was to be only reimbursed the money oat of pocket. The Bill was thrown out or the House of Commons,. and Mr. Beetham sent in h;s bill of costs to the plaintiffs, amotnting to 1,600/. The plaintiffs reminded the de. fendant of his, :agreement with the projectors, and that lie had re ceived the apace tint of the deposits, exceeding 7,0001. To this he re. plied that his ai Tangement was only in the event of the Company not being forms d, denying that it was contingent on the Bill passing. The defendant, finding that the plaintiffs persisted in disputing his claim, brought an action against them in the Court of Queen's Bench; upon Which it Bill in Equity was filed to stay proceedings, and an e.x paste injunction obtained which it was now sought to render perpc tual, Mr. K. Br ace, Mr. Jacob, and Mr, Lloyd, appeared in support of the injunctio n. Mr. Wakefield and Mr. Clarke appeared fur the defendant. The \llea- CitaNcantoaordered the injunction to be continued. " Et. Uutil Q:UEEN'S BENCH, FEB. 9. FLULKNER V. DU PART!. Mr. KELLT an d Mr. WIDDTMAN appeared for the plaintiff. Sir F. Pottoca. and Mr. Pottocx for the defendant. The plaintiff is an artist, and the defendant a professor of Horace. opathy and Anirn al Magnetism. The action was brought to recover the sum of 81/. for money lent, against which,the defendant claimed to have a set .off of 59/. It appeared that about the latter end of the year 1a35 the plaintiff's son, Edwin, was placed under the care of the defendant, and that he occasionally received shocks from an electro.ma:n etic machine, and was also supplied with medicine. In May, 1836, being in embarrassed circumstances, the defendant left this country, and proceeded to Avignon, the plaintiff's son accompa nying hira. During the time the plaintiff was residing in France the plaintifftrans mated him several sums of maney, and on his re turn advanced him other sums, until his claim amounted to 81/. The parties, wlt.o hail been on the most intimate and friendly terms, having differed„ a demand was made for the 814, and the defendant then made out . a bill , amounting to nearly 60/., for his attend ance, ece., on the plat stiff's son. The case ocC upiecl the Court a considerable time, but was entirely destitute ofinb crest. After the Jury had consulted about an hour, they returned i nto Court and pronounced for the plaintiff—Da mages, 224 6s. PLUMMER V. ITUDSON. l lr Ptan'r Ind Mr. CHAMBERS were for the plaintiff, the A TTO R. NET-GEMS HAL for the defendant. The plaintiflls a widow residing in Calder. row, Streatham, and the defendant a broker. On the Ist of May, 1837, she was 10/. in arrear to her b ndlord, Mr. Calder, for rant, and a distress was put into the house. Mr. Hudson agreed to take 41. and to return two beds and severs :1 other articles, until the balance, and 1/. I Is. for expenses shoul I be paid. On the 14th of September the whole sum had been 'paid with the exception of 1 Is., and that was paid on the3oth, and a:'so 17s. 6d,:which the defendant had charvd for ware house room. The plaintiff than demanded her goods, but the de fendent refuse 1 to give them up, stating that he distrained them for the rent which had become due after Lady.day, in consequence of which the preient action was brought. The Jury found a verdict for the plaintiff; damages 71. 1 Is. ciumINAL COURT, FEB. 9. OLD COURT. John. Douglas, 20, was indicted for having stolen, on the 4th of January, in the parish of St. Pancras, four books, the pro. perty of Mr. Gi •egory, a bookseller, residing in Chapel-street, Tot. tenhain.court-r oad. The prisoner failed to account for his possession of the books, or to call evidence as to character, and The Jury without hesitation returned a verdict of Guilty. The prisoner was also charged is the same indictment with hav ing been c onvicted of felony at the October Sessions.—Guilty. The CO URT sentenced him to fourteen years' transportation. True Ft PSG KAY ON Tut TORONTO BANK.—Shortly after the judges ent erect the Court Mr. Bodkin begged to call their Lord ships' attention to the case of John Harman, who was convicted last sessions of having in his possession a copper plate for the pur pose of forging notes for the Toronto Bank, and for whom a point of law bad bee reserved for the consideration of their Lordships. Mr. Justice VAUGHAN said it would, perhaps, be right to consult Mr. Justice P , atteson upon the subject, as the case was tried by him ; but as the point alluded to had been duly considered by the Judges, }mime no hesitation in saying that they had come to the conclusion that the conviction was right, and under such circum stances the prisoner would be brought up to receive sentence among others in tlbe usual way. NEW COURT. John Perkins, 19, was indicted for stealing on the 31st Decem. her a looking glass, the property of Giovanni Albino, value 31. The prosecutor stated that he was a barometer.maker, and re. sided in Saint ;John's street. He missed the glass from his shop, and did not kt iow what became of it. Inspector Pt rnny proved his having met the prisoner on the morn ing 'of [the di iy in question, carrying tho glass-frame produced in a liandlceret lief, and upon taking him into custody he tripped up witness's heels , and laid him fiat on the pavement. Ile was, bow. ever, secured, and being conducted before the Magistrate at Hat ton-garden,. he was ordered to be discharged for want of evidence, but he was again apprehended upon the prosecutor making his ap pearance. In his dc fence the prisoner in the most impudent manner cross examined t be witnesses, and exhibited no small degree of boldness in endeavor :ring to convince the Jury that the frame produced was not a lookii The prisoner was then proved to have been convicted on the Bth September last, under the name of John Thompson, of felony, and after complain ing that he was prevented from storing his friends while in prism 1, he was sentenced to be transported for 14 years. John Tolle , the notorious plunderer of hotels, was indicted for entering the ( ;olden Ctoss, on the 18th of January last, and steal ing therefrom two coats, a waistcoat, and shirt, the property of Mr. Kemp, of lit spham Lodge, Preston. Frederick Kemp—l was residing at the Golden Cross Hotel on the 18th Jatiiiizry. About six o'clock I dressed for dinner, when the things pro, Weed were safe in my bed-room ;on my return they were gone. Sarah J, mes—l am a chamber-maid at the Golden cross. About seven o'cic ck in the evening I saw the prisoner running up stairs, with a ciga r in his mouth. I asked him if he wanted a candle, sup pq.,ing him. to be a lodger; he made no reply, and in consequence I kept a loc.ic.out. In about a quarter of an hour, I met him coining down stzars, with a Macintosh on. I stopped him and called the waiter, and h's was taken into custody. The 'Police Constable deposed that he took the prisoner to the station..house, and found on him two coats, a waistcoat, and other articles-, and rho a shirt in his bat. Theprisoner put in a written paper, stating that he was a native of Hanover, and a furrier by trade; that he had lost all his money by gambling, and implored the merciful consideration of the Court. Mr. Ed wards, the prosecutor, stated to the Court that his house hrd been robbed six times within a period of five weeks, and that he had no dot tbt the prisoner committed the whole of the robberies. His p'an w as to take the things from the bed-rooms, to a water_ closet upon, the same'lloor, and there arrange them about his person. Since the!' irisoner has been in Newgate, he has been identified by Mr. Chaplin, of the Spread Eagle Hotel, as the person who stole some things room him, a short time previous to his detection. The Courtr had no doubt whatever of the fact. The prisoner was immediately to and guilty, and sentenced to be transported for seven years. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. HA7'TON-GARDEN. Ismoimazna.—CAUTlON TO SHOPKEEPERS —Mr. Mitsham, resid ing in Colastitution-row, Gray's Inn road, was summoned, at the instance of William Atkinson, a common informer, for causing au obstruction opposite the door of his residence. Atkinson deposed, that on the 3th of February, a waggon laden with goods, remained for a consi derable time, at the place mentioned, and projected nearly two feet on the foot path; the goods which were unladen were also loft„ so as to cause an obstruction to passengers. Mr. Mitsham pr(S Iced two witnesses in his defence, and the clerk sug gested that •there was an informality in the summons, inas. m rintu only ol said. as , wb the locality of the • nuisance was described Constitution -row," and the defendant's residence was described in It as " Constitution-row, Gray's Inn-road." After a lengthened conversation, Mr. Benett, the sitting magistra e, nega tived the plea: of imfonnality,.r.nd considering the case to have been proved, fined. the defendant in the sum of forty shillings and costs. Mr. tVnite- of Rae.streer, Clerkenwell, next appeared on a sum mons from Use same individual, charging him with having caused an obstruction on th e foot way, by placing articles on sale, so as to pro ject three , feet fr om the door of his shop. andTashekrendfottilexner said, on seeing the nuisance, he went into the shop then went tar?iceOf the goods alluded to, and was informed ; he Y but ret urne d i n an hour, with a malt named Mooney, and :r equirei him to observe the facts as his witness. This pe . rsen ern roborated the evidence of Atkinson, and Mr. White pit. The defe.oce was conducted o w e ll ai nn t y h a , e 4r : f e o r d r e g n po ed in: t I ter ) Mr. Todd, a. publican residing in St. John's street, Clerkenwell, was also summoned by Atkinion, for allowing gaming in his house, :aida thatfine o t f h 4 e os. and costs. stated, he saw :four persons playing at what he called " .shove.of the 14th of January. The witness, Mooney, Licensed Victt ratters' Protection Society, and he having invalidated the witness's vidence, by making it appear that, a few days ago, he l swore, at Uni Police.oflice he was in another house in persons by a who leg a lost gentleman the game f rpoailnd the Southwark, at the very hour on the same day named in the present summons, the Case was dismissed, Mr. Todd paying tl.e expenses. GAR- DEZNING OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK. ( From the Gardener's Gazette.) Look well to the Cucumber Plants in hot-beds ; keep up the heat with fresh linings of hot dung; give air daily, whenever the weather will permit. New Muahroom beds may be formed. Sow Peas, Cabbage, Ra dish,y Carrots, Parsnip, Beet, and a full crop of Parsley • a lso plant Beans. Clean Strawberry beds, 'preparatory to dressing them. Select grafts from Fruit-trees—strong wood of lest year's shoots ; tie the= up in bu n dl es , each sort separate, and put the lower ends into the groun d in a warm border, there to be kept till. wanted. In other matters continue as last week, while the wea ther is fair. MA R C US.--- , , ing in the North, - where it is sold for 3d. The Star states that th e original publication The Damnable Book" is eireulat price was two guineas! of the duty laid on English clr,ths in Gm s,,M much cheaper ;hall English. A Prussian cloth at Ci that a qua!ity to an Engfl:h cloth at t:2s. a In favour of Prussia b now :d by —me:leans. English tine wo,,llens are al irnn German", and from seven,' neutral markets ; ' , o;,11 a the P,4,,siens can sufficiently extend their manufac ",Y (1 , ,1ts With astoni:bing rabidity, they wili beat markets, and probably even in the home t:rithstancti::g the impoi t duty on foreign ti , i itset 0 01 iCTAS n, tii:N ,tailary 4th,. That the morose in the C on ti nenta l manufacture of wool is ay the Lot, that fortiguers purchase a very inereasiag quantity f 1 1;gland and Irelan:l, of which formerly the home ture ;Ltd the exc:usive use. The export of British wool in 1838 (Me1...1"M value 0 1432,0001., whereas the average of the ri'vecling was only 274,0001. This, therefore, shows an ' ;:/••1* coat. in the exportation from Great Britain of the mar macture. The quantities of wool the iaw materials of manufactures, ex ngdom, gave an annual average for the r c,i 178,035; and for the years 1833, and 1337 an annual pverage of 3,741,293. These facts i,c;;•eisl in . the manufacture abroad, but iuu tier the article raises the price to the home mann. It is lxlitvoil that the French will shortly take nearly all c::^:, The rapidly increasing export of worsted yarn for f the fwreign manufactures, also proves the increase •of the • - ‘n the Contin:r.t. troWt I led from 'an- I'3'3s_ " 601. 1 •, _~ 1 prove I.ire:gil Governments in imposing merely a mprt of yarns tooth to raise the price of the ,'. manufacturers, and consequently to make :Ts in the finished goo:is more vill still further incro2se. this effect. line of the British woollen manufacture is proved 2 expos is of last year, compared with the average of the four 'ling years. Export of British woollens in 1838-6,157,000/ — '9 4-,, ,7e of for years, from 1834 to 1 837-6,542,000/. Decrease ---385,000/." I 14 r Sr: l- e . ,eeen observel that these Were the evils arising in the natural order of things from those Corn_laws which the Legislature had once thou ht fit to iMposa on the nation. err. Seuieie said that it would net be right to repeat the ten, ver3at turt U hieh had token place between the members of the Depu tation e , ' , ld Lord Melbourne, but he m us t be ar t es ti mony t o t h e „ - ",‘" aul lY With which hi s L or d s hi p h a d rece i ved the Deputation, and —B ° to the great attention which his Lordship had pail: to the com. Municateoris which they ha.l made to him, particularly to th°4e facts which bore upon the agricultural branch of the : 11 :" . k 't, aced eine!) tended to show the unnecessary alarm which ; r ''`cd emcee; the agricultural interests on this subject. He had - 'en thus curly, because be was about to leave town this evening, ant ber ire his departure he wished to bring forward a resolution, Which was rendered n. cessary, in consequence of what fell from 1 the letze :learn last night in the House of Lords. Ho would read of the ''a , ee to which he el Wed, from the report which had appeared ..lohle Eareespeech in the Morning Chronicle. The passage faet e a :." l° '''s :—" He believed th a t w h en t h e opinions of the menu_ went ptX classes were examined into, and he tie:heti that the House b, sin.",atoine into them, Mei rLordships would find that they wou ld Pen a - ed w ith much less than they were enabled to claim, and ii_,.... nl)% then they might claim in the petitions which would be n e i r ie riel to that House. Therefore, if those petitions went to the and t , ) ngth of calling on their Lofdships to abrogate all Corn_laws, rei g , e. , PL ' t all end to every regulation upon the importation of for 1 these ~,,',.r . n ! he apprehended that they would not be able upon views of it" to form a just estimate of what were the real Now . t h ersore reasoning part of the petitioners."—(Hear, hear.) ne (Mr s t in which no • • urge) was delegated from a district of the country Cornea,..lo,er ground will be taken than a total repeal of the to g o h ein ' and if this were refused, it would be better also convgitnieseeetiand give up the question altogether. He was that the that it was for the interests of the agricultural body a 3 their pro ori should he settled at once and for ever, inasmuch fro Pert 7 would suffer a much greater extent of depreciation in the conti possibl y sufre -*ll i al agitation of this subject than they could repeal Of the CIO •n consequence of an immediate and total tentive e xennn r . n- htwis. He was convinced, from a careful and at would not be ation of the subject, that the rental of the landholder lie thought th Penn at 110 a t nen . tly lessened by a . repeal of the . Corn-laws. resolution Of the sth quite sufficient publicity had been given to the th instant, which resolution is as follows: , ---___ SCOTLAND TILE SMALL NOTE C UR RENCY.—Speculating upon a rumour that Government propose to introduce a measure for abolis'iing the small note currency in Scotland, the Times says, " It is undoubtedly a great anomaly in coun tries so nearly and closely connected, that there should be a currency so different in its character in use among them ; and those who desire to keep up still a small note circula tion, are bound to adduce to the Legislature the most unanswerable reasons for retaining such a privi lege." This is a very easy way of coming to a conclusion, and might herald in the abolition of every custom and in stitution we have, differing in the slightest degree from those of England. The rumour can have no foundation, as the project would have sheer wanton mischief for its motive. When circumstances rendered such a measure necessary for England in 1826, it was natural that, at a first glance, its extension to Scotland should be contemplated. It was on that occasion that Sir Walter Scott, in his Letters of Malachi Malagrowther, combated along with so many others in opposition to the measure, and it was withdrawn, not without fears that circumstances would soon arise to justify its resumption. These have not oc curred. The small note system has proved eminently advantageous, and its abolition, besides its other evils, would deprive the country of a very pi ofitable trade ; accord ing to the returns in 1826, our small note circulation ex ceeded two millions. The penalty against their circulation in England has effectually prevented the small notes of Scotland from inundating that part of the country, and the system of exchanges has checked any great over issue at home. We are not supporters of customs merely because they are national, and we admit the benefit of uni formity. -This benefit, however, may be bought too dear, and the sacrifice of a system which does us much good, and our neighbours no harm, would certainly be too much to pay for it. —Scotsman. The Scotsman's agricultural report of East Lothian for the past month, concludes thus:—" It is highly gratifying to state that the demand for labourers continues steady, and that as yet no interruption has occurred from the weather to their labour and consequent incomes; wages, when not on piecework, ruining- from 18c1. to 201 a Say ; butcher meat being about sd. and 6d. per lb. ; bread per lb., or 10d. the four-pound loaf; and oatmeal 15d. to 16d. per peek of Vbs., or 2/d. nearly per lb. THEATRE ROYAL.—Mr. and Mrs. Wood, Mr. G. Horn castle, and Mrs. East, commenced an enga„eement here on Monday of twelv e n i g ht s . M rs . Wood has improved considerably since her last visit, and since the death of Ma libran is unquestionably without a rival on the stage, either in this or any other country. From some cause or other the MaidofJudak, originally announced, gave place to the stan dard opera of Guy Mannering; but the admirable style in which it was enacted, made up for the want of novelty. Mrs. Wood in her first song, " Here's a health bonny Scotland to thee!" seemed to take the house by surprise, and the effect produced was perfectly electrical. Her voice is the most powerful, varied, and beautiful we ever heard, and her singing is characterised by a passion and enthusiasm—a tenderness and pathos—altogether irresistible. Mr. Wood is also a vocalist of superior merit, and sings with remark able ease and power. His song of, " The toast be—dear woman !" in particular, was given with great effect, and loudly encored. The Woods were ably supported by Mrs. East, a very pleasing singer from Covent-Garden —and Mr. Horncastle, a vocalist of considerable taste, humour, and animation. :ropo. BILL OF SUSPENSION. _The Judges, Lords Meadow_ bank, Mcdwyn, and Glenlee, at advising the Bills of Sus pension and Interdict, in causa the Magistrates of Glasgow v. the Commissioners of Police of Glasgow, unanimously passed both Bills of Suspension and Interdict against the Commissioners. SEVEN GIRLS DROWNED.—Duntocher, on Thursday, ex hibited a scene of a very melancholy and affecting nature-- the seven unfortunate girls, formerly mentioned as being drowned by the sudden breaking of the ice, were all car ried to the grave in the same funeral procession. Mr. Dunn, with much good feeling, stopped his extensive works, that all might have an opportunity of attending the mourn ful scene. A large and grieved assemblage took place at the different dwellings of the deceased, and thence pro ceeded to the School-ball, and partook of refreshments generously provided by Mr. Dunn at his own expense, after which the procession moved in solemn order to Old Kilpatrick churchyard. As the funeral left the village, the sides of the streets were literally lined with sorrowful spectators; and from the upper windows crowds, with grief depicted in their countenances, beheld the mournful and most melancholy procession. —Glasgow Chronicle. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE LLOYD'S. TORBAIi, FEB. 7.—Arrived off; the Circassian, White, from Lon. don ; Akka Boca, Potjer, from Rotterdam ; Jason, Rouen. Put back, the Farmer. Hutt, Fns. 7.—The James and Thomas, Carlisle, which sailed hence on the :31st ult., for New York, struck on the Shipwash on the 4th hist, has put back leaky, and must discharge. KINGSTOWN, FEB. 7.—The Demerara, Miller, for Demerara, is not arrived, as reported, yesterday. BRISTOL, Fs& S.—Arrived the Jcnne Mathilde, from Nantes ; Ann, Moore, Newfoundland; Concord, Fox, Lisbon. CARDIFF, FEB. 7.—Sailed the Queen Adelaide, Francis, for Lisbon. &inmos t FEB. 7.—Arrived the Deaux Freres, Bernard from Hamburgh ; Sceptre, Rtiddock, Harfleur; Alexander, Banes, Gravelines ; Augusta, Saville, do. ; Nicholas, De Bois, do ; Zerran, do. ; Neptune, Reber, Suncleborg ; Frederick, Genoa ; Abeona, of Portsmouth, has been assisted into Scarborough, having been fallen in with on the 4th inst. off Foley, brig leaky, with pumps choked, by the Crystal, Hooks, arrived at this port... BELFAST, FEB. 6.—Arrived the Alida, Bonlius, from Rotterdam ; Salem, Williams, London. BANFF, Fri. 4.—lt blew a perfect hurricane from N. to N.N.E. on the 30th ult. LYNN, FEB. 6.—The Spencer, Hunt, sailed from, hence on the filth ult. for Newcastle. Has not since been heard of. AALBORG, JAN. 28.—The Henriette, Sidemus. from Copen hagen to Liverpool, was totally wrecked on the 10th ult., near Eggersund. Greater part of the cargo saved in a d.tmaged state ; crew (except one) saved, GENOA, FEB. 2.—The Clement Fillipo, Cordeglia, from this port for London, put into Toulon on the 25th ult., leaky, having experienced a violent gale from S. W., and expected would be obliged to discharge. HOBART TOWN.—The Isabella, Sampson, in returning to this port from Newcastle, N.S.W., ran on the rocks on the 19th inst. at the entrance of this river, but has been got . off; and it is feared 11:13 received considerable damage. Gass EREND.—Arrived the Albatross, from Launceston ; Jo, Berbice; Campbells, Antigua ; Rose, St. Michael's ; Fancy, ditto ; Ceres, Terceira ; Roseburg, Taganrog; Valentine, Seville; Two Sisters, Naskow, , Victoire Eugene, Bordeaux; Jean Baptiste, Cherbourg; Methuen Ca.tle, and Jules Lelie, Dunkirk ; Eole, Gravelines ; Alliance, Lark, Aldborough ; Aratus, Guernsey ; Mary and Maria, Jersey. Sailed the Globe, for Charleston; Bra. ganza (steamer), Lisbon, &c.; Elizabeth, Mogadore; Rosduel, Bayonne. The Josephine, Conan, bound to Penzance, took fire at Aura}, and received considerable damage. VEsseLs STOLEN WITIL-The Upton Castle, Williams, from Calcutta to London, Nor, 14, in lat. 28. S., long. 44 5. W. ; Ad dingham, Sedgwick, Calcutta to Cape of Good Hope, 28th ult., in lat. 35., long. 33.; Mary Imrie, 3d ult., in lat. 1. N., long. 20. W. ; Isabella, London to Batavia, 6th ult., in lat. 4., long. 21. W. ; An tigua, Leghorn to Liverpool, 2d inst., in lat. 45., long. 13.; Comet, Stoyeson, Hamburg to Matemas, in lat. 43.. long. 11., by the Bri tannia, Volum, arrived in the Creek ; Lexington, Newfoundland to Pernambuco, with loss of bulwarks, &e., 26th Dec., in lat. 40., long. '4l. ; Olive Branch, Smith, Scotland to Havanna:), 25th ult., lat. 32. long. 77. ; Frances, Johnsone, Liverpool to Calcutta, Ist ult., lat. 1 N, long. 18. E.; Juverna, Waterford to Bombay, Ist ult., tat. 2. N., long. 18. E. ; Switlsure, River Gambia to Campeacloy, 2d ult , lat. 3. N., long. 18. E. ; Juliana, Parker, Marseilles to the Mauritius, 3d u:t., lat. 4. N., long. 18. F ; Simeon Hardy, Cork to Barbadoes, 27th ult., lat. 41., long. 29., by the Anna Robertson, Hamilton, arrived off' Hastings. ENTERED INWARDS AT THE CUSTOMHOUSE, Fan. 9.—The Le Victoire, from Eugene; Flambert, Bordeaux; Fancy, Fitchener, St. Michael's; Inks , Melia; Guillemard, Dunkirk; Eole, Le vel!, Gravelines; Mary, Wakehani, Jersey; ltosebery, White, Taganrog; Jean Baptiste, Brelgnt, Clserborg; Maria, Lefevre, Jer sey ; Twfridu Costre, Jacobson, Nakskow ; Jo, Barnes, Berbice : Campbell, Robson, Antigua; Methuen Castle, Gordon, Dunkirk. ENTERED OUTWARDS.—The Bruges, Woodruff, for Antwerp; City of Boulogne, Tema, Boulogne; Phcenix, Lefort, llavre ; Pie. oiler, Keith, Trinidad ; William Jolliffe, Pashley, Calais; Tingal son, Primrose, —; Guardian, Smith, Venice ; Sdward, Ileward, Cad;z ; Iberia, Cooper, Lisbon ; Margaret Thompson, Forrist, St. Vincent's. CLEARED 01.1 T WITH CARGO.--The Victoria, Davis, for New York City of Boulogne, Jane, Boulogne ; William Jol liffe, Pashley, Calais Bruges, Woodruff, Antwerp; Phenix, Lefort, Havre; Joven Ni. cholas, Barens, Santander; Premier, Keith, Trinidad; London ; Person, Rotterdam; Stork, Grills, Newfoundland; Tigress, Symons ; Cey Ion; Giraffe, Shanack, Rotterdam. IN BALLA/T.—The Lord John Russell, from St, John's, New ;runswick. EAST INDIA SHIPPING, A lIRITALS. —The Jelinston, from Bengal, off sailed 26th August, Saugur 2d September, Coringa 23d Sept.; St. Helena 16th Dec. ; Elizabeth Walker, Crawford, from Sing pore, off Portsmouth, sailed 12th Oct., St. Helena 22d Dec. ARRIVALS INI TABLE BAY, CAPS OP GOOD HOPE.—lfer Ma. jesty's steamer Plicenix, Dec. 8, from Helvoet ; Moira, Owen, Dec. 2, from London. DEPA ETU It 1?.. FROM TABLES BAN', CA PE OF GOOD HoPn.— The Marion, M'Carthy, Dec. 9, for Calcutta; Formidable, Rice, Dec 9, for the Mauritius; Hebe, Malcolm, Dec. 9, for New South Wales ; Majestic, Williams, on Dec. 9, for Hobart Town. DEPARTURI.:S FROM SIMON'S BAT, CAP% OF GOOD Hope.—The Ann, M'Alpine, Nov, 14, for the Mauritius ; Louisa, Roche, Nov. 16, for Hobart Town; Her Majesty'a ship Columbine, Dec. 5, for the West Coast. ARRIVALS IN A wok BAY,—The Courier, Proudfoot, and E leanor, Phillips, Nov. 20, from Table Bay. DEPARTURE FROM THE MAURITIPB,—The Upton Castle, Wit_ hams, Nov. 6, for London. Loading—The Clio and Palmer, for London. ARRIVAL AT SWAM Rtviin.—The Joshua Carroll, Lindsay, from the Mauritius. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH.—.The Letitia, Causzar, from Batavia and the Mauritius, to Demerara, Nov. 13,1 at. 31.43. S., long 31.85 E. ; Pances, Johnston, Liverpool, to Calcutta, Jan. 1, lat. 1.20. N , long. 17.35. E., had lost one man of the small pox ; Minerva, Grundy, Waterford to Bombay, Jan. 1, lat. 2.20. N., long. 18. E. ; Juliana, Parker, Marseilles to the Mauritius, Jan. 3, Mat. 3.40. N., long. 18. E., all well out 35 days, by the Anna, Robertson, arrived in the Downs ; Cornwell, Hesse, Mauritius, to London, Dec. 31, off As. cension; Upton Castle, Williams, Calcutta, to London, NOV. 14 , lat. 28. S., long. 44. E. ; Mary Imrie, Bood, Liverpool, to the Cape of Good Hope, sailed Nov. 3, lat. 1.30. N., long. 20.30. VV. ; Jus • tina, Bentley, London, to Calcutta, Feb. 4, lat. 48. N., long. 9., by the Minerva, arrived in the Downs. The smallest bird, says M. Virey, can fly several leagues in an hour; the hawk goes commonly at the rate of a league in four minutes, or above forty miles an hour. A falcon of Henry 11. was flown from Fontainbleau, and found, by its ring, at Malta next day. One, sent from the Canaries to Andalusia, re.. turned to Teneriffe in sixteen hours, a distance of near seven hun. dred miles, which it must have gone at the average rate of twenty four miles an hour. Gulls go seven hundred miles out to sea and return daily; and frigate birds have been found at twelve hundred miles from any land. Upon their migration, he states, as a known fact, that cranes go and return at the same date, without the least regard to the state of the weather, which shows no doubt, if tru., a most peculiar instinct ; but these, and; indeed, all facts which we find stated by a writer so addicted to painting and colouring, must he received with a degree of suspicion, for which no one but M. Virey is to be blamed. The accounts, however, of the swiftness of birds, I can well credit, from an experiment which I made when travelling on a railway. While going at the rate of thirty miles an hour, I let fly a bee; it made its circles as usual, and surrounded us easily. Now, if there was no current of air or draught to bear it along, this indicated a rate of ninety miles an hour; and even allowing for a current, the swiftness must have been great. I should, however, wish to repeat this experiment before being quite sure of so great a swiftness in so small an insect. —Lord Brougham's Dissertations on Science. (From the Era.) The annual farce has been played. The Sovereign has delivered a speech at the opening of Parliament, the great art of which confessedly is, to say nothing : and the party newspapers have snapped and snerled, or smiled and sniggered, at the nonentity, to the cus tomary satisfaction of their readers. Among the omis sions in the Speech are, the one idea uppermost in the mind of the people—their determination to exist no longer under the mockery of a representative government, even s h ou ld the alternative be a bloody and untimely grave ; and the one idea upper most in the mind of the landed and manufac turing aristocracy—Which of us two shall live the more luxuriously, and at the less cost ? Among the rem/missions is a reprobatory notice of the foolish and feeble doings of the Chartists in the north, without a single corresponding allusion to the crimes of Irish traitors. The sins of omission and com mission are quite enough to damn the Speech. They are quite enough to show that its concoctors are not the Ministers of the nation, uor of the Queen, who is at once the mistress and the chief servant of the nation. They are quite enough to show that the Parliament for which the Speech was manufactured is not the Parliament of the people, nor of the Queen, who is the bead of the people. This most silly and contemptible production is, in one word, a repetition of a stale farce with which both houses have been long in the habit of insulting the country ; and, in the name of that insulted country, we call upon you, ye profane mountebanks, to withdraw the intolerable piece henceforth and for ever from the stage—or woe to your benches, your lustres, and your properties ! The long endurance of a people under the miscon duct of their rulers, may be explained by the fact that these rulers are an organised and concentrated body, while the people are an unwieldy and enormous mass, destitute of the regular functions of mobility, and only stirred by great causee, not comprehended among the usual phenomena of political existence. So steady is this principle of passive endurance, that when a revolt takes place, it may fairly be assumed that the people are right and the rulers wrong. But even when the revolt is unsuccessful, this forms no ground for im peaching the justice of the popular cause. It merely exhibits the defect in organisation, which allows the sensibility of one part of the mass to be counteracted by the languor of the other. That a general revolt of the people of this nation will take place at no distant date, is our opinion, formed de liberately on a personal knowledge of the middle and lower classes of our countrymen, and on a cool and careful study of the " signs of the times." What is going on now is net a repetition of the " Jacquerie" of the middle ages. Has the newspaper idiot who made an assertion of such stupendous absurdity no eyes to guide his pen ?—no ears but to listen to its scratches on the paper ? Can he not read as well as write ? Does he not know that the Jacquerie of the fourteenth century was an insurrection of the peasants, not to acquire new privileges, but to preserve old ones And, above all, does he not know that the people had at that time only begun to exist—that the enfranchisement of the Serfs took place in 1315 and that the revolt of the new freemen followed about 1358, when King Jean was the prisoner of the Black Prince ? But the assertion is not made in ignorance ; for no newspaper editor can be altogether unacquainted with history. It is one of a series of insults which even now rankle in the breast of the people, and which are in tended (wisely or not !) to do so. The word "Jacquerie" recalls the idea of a rude, ignorant, and brutal mob, as yet only touched by the dawn of liberty, and therefore ie it applied to the excitement which now stirs up to the centre the masses of the English people! It recalls the idea of a gallant aristocracy, " sheathed in steel, With belted sword, and Fleur on heel," dashing on their barbs into the midst of a whole host of peasants, armed only with clubs and pitchforks, and defended only by their jacks ; and therefore is it ap plied to the war of opinion now raging between the sections of an informed and civilised people. This, however, is no longer the fourteenth century, but the nineteenth. We do not battle to retain our freedom, but to obtain the privileges to which we are entitled as freemen. The world of political society is no longer a mystery to us. We no longer gaze upon the powers above us, as we gaze upon the eternal stars, with a feeling of our own insignificance, sublimed by the idea of inscrutable destiny chaining us for ever in our appointed place as atoms of the universe. We com prehend the nature of the political machine—a machine male and unmade by the hands of men. We inubsr stand the attraction which binds its parts together —an attraction not necessary and unavoidable, but subsist ing entirely through our own free will. We respect the virtual compact which guarantees the equal rights of the sovereign, the aristocracy, and the people ;—we respect it ourselves, and will, if ne cessary, compel others to do so also. W e a bj ure such absurdities as a community of property, but we insist upon a community of rights. The nation does not exi-t in political society fir the sovereign or the aristocracy, any more than it exists by them. We are here, on this soil of England, a community of, gene rally speaking, well-informed and intelligent persons, each posseszing the same interest in the well-being of the whole, and all determined to leave in the hands of no clique, faction, or party whatever, the manage ment of the common business. Such are the opinions of the thinking part of the people of this nation—such are the opinions of the great body of Reformers, but we regret to say that the expression of those opinions is weakened and:interrupted by our internal dissensions. There is no portion of the people in a state of languor ; and a state of extreme sensibility, therefore, in any one quarter, is annoy ing, if not dangerous. Tire Chartists do not merely hold the doctrine of Universal Suffrage, but they will apply this doctrine under any circumstances. Accord ing to them, if we reason analogically from their pre sent conduct, the followers of Wet Tyler might have been safely entrusted with the franchise ; because, if the principle of UniverSal Suffrage he correct, it must have been so as well then as now ! The principle of Universal Suffrage we have ourselves pronounced to be correct ; but surely we need riot explain to any rational person that. by Universal Suffrage we mean the extension of the Suffrage to the whole number of people who are capable of exercising it discreetly, " But," say they, " where iS the use of sticking at trifles ? We admit th a t the re i s a portion of the people wholle incapable, either by reason of ignorance or vice, of making a rational use of the suffrage ; but this por tion is small compared with the rest, and the bad votes will be neutralized by the good." What a singular argument ! " Many of our votes are good ; the/ (yore you should not hestitate to adulterate them with bad !" But who can tell what is the true balance of numbers e Have the Chartists ever tried to do so ? Never ! This argument, if argument it can be called, is founded on a vague assumption, that the number of ignorant or vicious min is very small in the lower ranks of society com pared with the number of men of the opposite charac ter. They would introduce—ay, and with the sword if necessary—the most important of all legislati%e changes on a mere floating opinion, without instituting a single inquiry beyond those that are made in common conversation, and answered upon common hearsay. " But," say they again, "we want numbers on our side. We cannot dispense with the assistance of the ignorant and depraved." 'chat proves, in the first place, the very important fact, that they consider ti-us a far more numerous class than they pretend. But, in the second place, it is wholly incorrect. They want no such assistance to carry any plan of reform, if free from the pollution they seek to introduce. Nine-tenths of the entire people of England are rational, but zealous reformers. " They why," they demand, "do not these rational and zealous reformers start a plan of theirown ? Why do they not evince their zeal as we do ?" Now, this is exactly the point we would arrive at. We will answer the question. At the time of the Reform Bill agitation there were no Chartists ; or, if any, the number was too in considerable for mention. Men were all rational Re formers—er at least (as we have said of the present day) nine-tenths of the nation. The passing of this Bid was one of the greatest triumphs ever achieved by popular opinion. It was, in fact, a bloodless revolution, of an importance which it is hardly possible to exaggerate ; because it dis tinctly and practically admitted the principle for which we all contend. But when exposed to the test of trial, it was discovered that its execution was by no means equal to its con cept i on ; and every year it was found, and will be found, less and less capa ble of satisfying the . wants of an i ncreas i ng c i vilization. A property qualification now out of th e quest i on—we will not have it—we will not hear of it ; and for the simple reason that there are thousands of our brethren, with no property but th e i r l a b our, who are fully the equals of the rich in point of intelligence, and who are therefore perfectly qua lifi e d to takeout theirfreedom. A rational, and yet comprehensive plan of reform would have been proposed before now—but for Me Chartists.. They came into the field at the very mo ment when the Reform Bill had received a long enough trial to prove its comparative worthlessness, and indeed before the minds of a considerable portion of the com munity were made up upon the subject. They pre sented themselves to the rational reformers as an enemy to be combated, and destroyed, pro lanto, the progress of all reform, We find we have no room, however to go further into the subject this week. In our next number we hope to show t h at i t i s b y no means an impossibility, as is practic a lly asser t e d by th e Chartists, to devise some plan whi c h s h a ll introduce a moral test into the suf frage, and thus obviate the necessity they assume to exist of doing away withany q ualification whatever. If we succeed in this attempt we shall expect th e Chartists, as honest men, to enter into a COALITION OF REFORMERS, which it is our intention to propose to the country. There is now living in Harwood, a man whose fat her was born 1110 years ago—a circumstance perhaps unparalleled in the county. The father was more than 65 years of age when the son was horn.—Bolton Chronicle. MA RR On the 9th i ns t , at St. James lED. 's, Piccadilly, Ur. Jose p h Broadhur s t, R egent-street, to Jane, third daughter of the I' d. Mr. John Gotto, of the same street. On son of the 7th inst., at St. Pancras Chu rc h, S amue l, yours i , gesit EdwiSandys, Esq. of Kentiah Town, te Sarah, 1 daughter of J o h n Whishaw;E'sq., of Torrington-square. At f;ranbrook, Mr. Croft, to Miss Jenner. The bride, in anticipation of a nuptial day, had for same time st ber laying up farthings to the number of 300, which she pa actual I drew from her pocket and paid the marriage fees. On Monday last, at Northwood Church, in the Isle of Wigh t ' William Moth, age d 73 , to S ara h Clamp, aged 72. The bride' groom's youna - est son represented the lady's father, and go t ' the blushing bride away ; and his grand-daughter was bride" maid on this interesting occasion. The quizzical portion of the inhabitants of Caistor have been (luring the past month considerably amused with the public''' tion of the " banns of marriage " between Mr. Thomas Tomlin' son, an eccent r i c E ng li s h gentlemen of the olden times, age 85 ! and Elizabeth Jackson, his buxom housekeeper, aged 22 ! No impediment was declared during three succee' sivo sabiaathn, t , why these two persons should not be joined together in holy matrimony." Many great lords of the cr es : tion, matrons " looking unutterable things," simpering ini e ! l e. "; and ready made "fools, thick as blackberries," for MI" around, eager to witness the making of the amorous couple one, became impatient of the happy event's taking place; and e was slily consummated early last. Sunday morning through 1 , 1 sheer tact of the gay Lothatio : the Rev. G. Watson tied th e a spinster, " silken bands" without clamour, according to request. The candidates for matrimony toddled to and from church in a zig zag direction, and separat e ly i n b ot h cases; they arrived a t t temple unobserved, and th e veteran then and there, qu i c kly for the third tinrg " plighted hi s trot h , " and endowe d his lady with all his orldly goods. On their return home from church, the bride was assailed with the queerest gibes, and .1 01 "f 4 , ever heard at Caistor, which compelled both to take shelter In the house of a relation, and they were ultimately escorted br ie by the Caistor rural police ! DIED. On the 10th inst., in Grosvenor-street, Frank Sotheron, Est' Admiral of the White squadron of her Majesty's fleet, former y M.P. for the county of Nottingham, aged 73. On the 3d inst., at Grove-place, Lisson-grove, Mrs. Ann Smart, aged 72, relict of the late Mr. William Smart, of Tic" - borne-street, Regent -street. On the sth inst., at Chur c h-h ouse, B romley, Kent, Abe l Moysey, Esq., aged 61. When that eminent flute-player, the late Mr Nicholson, died , he left a son and daughter totally unprovided for: a concert sr° given for their benefit, which realized a sum sufficient to plac e the daughte r i n th e R oya l Academy of Musi c , t h e di rec tors o that institutio n lib era ll y g i v i ng her the benefit of a good of,":, sical education gr a t u it ous l y : and she was progressing rap idly as a pianoforte-player, when a latent tendency to consumf tion displayed itself; and so rapid was its progress on her deli cate constitution, that she breathed her last on Sunday aseni n i' beloved by all who knew her. The son is in a merchant s counting-house. On the 15th ult. at Stockholm, in the 70th year of his fie' the veteran G enera l M elin, of the Swedish en .*inure. . entered the ser v i ce at the early age of ten years, 'and owed n's early advancement in the army to the favour of King Gustavil Adolphus, whom he served as Admtant-General at the peri od of his ar res t i n 1809, tvhen his attempt at delivering his Sn'!?_ reign w as f rustrated by General Adlercreutz, the leader o f 17 revoluti m. Gener a l Melin held the chief command in Swedish engineers si nce th e d ea th of C oun t Sparre, in 183/ I.att weeli , Dr. Hornbo .k, the veritable original of Burns cel,brated Hornbook, a Inghly respectable individual, who long h .1d an office of some consideration in a mighbouring Barony —Glasgow Courier. ------ London: Printed and Published by MUFtDO .YOUN G + °f No. 112, Strand, at Th e S un Offi ee , N o . 112, Straad,i of the totuity of Middlesox.—Monday, February 11, 1839. THE CHARTISTS AND REFORM CHURCH-RATE ABOLITION SOCIETY. TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sra,—Allow me, as a contumacious Cburchsraterecu: sant, to tend er t o you my s i ncere thanks for your spirited advocacy of the principles of religious liberty. Whilst the Patriot, the self-styled organ of Dissent, has yerfound no tongue to denounce the persecuting measures of the Church authorities in this and other towns, The Sun, assuming no such pretensions, has bean uniformly foremost ill fighting the battles of the oppressed. Accept my thanks , Sir, not only for the notice you have taken of the procee"' ings recently adopted against myself, but especially for your exposure of the weakness, the unsoundness, and to all practical purp oses , t h e wort hl essness of that rampart aga ins t ecclesiastical aggression, designated " The Church -rate Abolition Society." That Society, Sir, was one of the effects produced by provincial agitation. A spirit had already been ea cited very ge n e ra ll y t h roug h out the country, which not even London apathy could damp, first by the iin prisonment of Mr. Childs, and subsequently by th e declaration of Lord John Russell, that he contem plated no settle men t o f t h e C hurch rate quest i on wbieb would be satisfactory to Dissenters. It became quite clear that LOndon Dissenters must stir or be left behind. 'rho did at last resolve to move forward. The Church -rate Abolition Society was formed. Its first measures %li l t energetic. It p u t f ort h power f u l addresses. kselet able lecturers. It procured numberless retitions. ' made every demonstration of carying the Government 1 1 storm. In short, it seeme d di spose d to w i e ld w i t h fu ll effect the excitement prevailing among Dissenters general!' As a crowning effort, it assembled upwards of four bundeee delegates in the metropolis, to represent the wishes and de' termination of Non-Conformists, to the Ministry. fl are ' Sir, I fear the catalogue of its virtues must be closed. Suspicious app earances b egan to present themselves on the very morning of the assembling of the delegates. No in timation was given, none could be obtained of the course the Committee intended to pursue, previously to the movi n g of the several resolutions. No opportunity was allowe d of concerti ig a modification of these resolution s ' supposing it to have been desirable. Men from all par ts of the empire, from Scotland, ;from Ireland, from wales, ere summoned to affix their seal to the fiat of the Church' rate Abolition Committee. Discussion was as much ea possible precluded. All kindred topics, such as the seP a. ration, and the regium donum questions were forbidden by the Chair. No reporter, but from the Patriot office, wa s admitted—whether lee was paid for his task may one day appear. Ministers, however, were waited upon—the del gates returned—and from that h our , t h e Abolition Society d have done no thi ng b ut a ll ay the excitement themselves ba pretended to raise. They had demanded the abolition of Church-rates on the ground of the right s o f consc i ence. The Bil l of the Chancellor of the E xc h equer . never recognised that ground' his speech at its introduction repudiated it with flippan c y and scorn, an d y e t t hi s Committee, acting under the st l ' e of twenty-ni ne M em b ers o f Parliament, consent to Vs; the rights o f conseivice in abeyanc e , u nt il t h e Ch a ncellors financial statements be v, rifled. What a miserable sacrificed of high principle 1 And yet the Patriot, seemingly bltn to the very essence of the whole question, regards the sP; pointment of th e Ch urc h Lease Committee as a sufficien compensation for all our struggles. When will the part! whom that p a p er represents understand that the earn est Dissenters ahe struggling for a noble principle, and not for the abolition of a paltry tax? But the Society has of late been charged with solo!: thing more than an abandonment of the high g round I" once occupied. From various quarters murmurs of disss; tisfaction with its financial arrangements have arisen, and calls have been made upon them to show their accounts. What has been their reply ? Ist. That they ha v had an intervi ew w i t h t h e G overnment, which has pr oved sati factory. 2d. Th at t h e i r i ncompensated Secretar y de serves the thanks and confidence of the Christian pub lic ' 3d. In a long a dd ress , t h at D i ssenters must again awake to do battle for their liberties. Sir, it had mfich better become these gentlemen—it had been an easier,shorter,lne re decisive way to clear their character, to have published a detailed statement of their finances. Such, Sir, is the Society whose hollow pretensions Yo u have happily joined with others to expose. It has We i l . Dissenters a memorabl e l esson. - H enceforth they "I cease to confide their cause to the keeping of a few leaders, open by their very position to seductive and soporific WI ences. They w ill re l y upon themselves—they will,fe; their strength—and will finally, un l ess I much Iola"' win their liberty by passive resistance. I am, Sir, your's, &c., WM. BA INES. Leicester, Feb. 5, 1839. n A NDWICII ELECTION. —'rile A e duty -- Journalist imposes upon us the necessity of commiserating the weak and fallen, as much as congratulating the strong and victorious_ • How their shall we find word s t o express the deep and overwhe l ming sorrows, the never-to.be-enough.expressed grief we feel for , t Sandwich Tories ; wh o w ith considerable dif fi culty, and after It , ' „ search, found Thomas Gladstone, Esq , and induced him to ono_; himself as atandidate, t o represent their religious and Constitution3_ opinions in Parliament. H e, a f ter high-raised " a most s u p ' cessful canvass," an d th e promise of a colleafue in opinion at l), next general election is " non inventity !"—in other words, on Sun day morning, at f our o'clock—he bolted !—How are the Tolo`' fallen !—Kent Herald. OBSERVANCE OF TILE SABBATIL—At a ge neral special meeting of the proprietors of the Zoological Garden , ill Manchester, it was decided after a long discussion, by an over" whelming majority, that the Gardens should not be opened to the public on Sundays. There were only 11 persons in favour of openi n g them. Considerable interest was excited on the occasion, in Con sequence of the Clergy of the establishment, all the Wesleyan and Independent ministers, having on the preceding Saturday in all th e Manchester papers, remonstrated with the proprietors on the in t " morality likely to ensue, provided the views of some of the proprie tors known to be favourable to such a thing were carried into effe ct ' ELASTIC LIFE-BOAT.—111 the year 1800 Mi". Henry Bell procured a small French vessel which he fitted up with a steam-engine of f our- h orse power. It was inspected by L o r d 1 Melville and sever a l nava l o m cers, who had not the sagaoitl ~, perceive in this miniature experiment the germ of that gig 3.- tic power whi c h h as since been brenht to maturity. LI Nelson, however, who was one of the party. wa de , observation at the ti me which is worth recording :" Gen tlemen," said our hero, "if you do not t a ke advantag e of this invention, you may rely upon it other nations will." This anecdote was brought to our recollection by the circumstance which we stated last week rela tive to the prop osa l made from the Russian On'—n merit to Mr. Hennessy to patronise him on the condition that lie would pr ocee d to Russia and carry his life-beat , with him. There i s one material circumstance in the cases of , Bell and Mr. Hennessy, which uught to insure for the invention of the latter a more ready patronage than that which Mr. Bell eXPe r _ enced at the time w h en Lord Nelson made the observation which ty; have quoted. Ste am- b oat navigation was then in its infancy, Mr. Bell's, experiment with his four horse engine, pointed but is di " perspective to the perfection to which steam-navigation with four or five hundred horse power has since attained. Mr Hennessy's eh '', tic lifeboat was in 1823, when he first exhibited it, as it is now , '- perfect as it can be made. He subjected it to the severe test of s voyage from Co r k t o L ondon during a furious storm, in which ou r shipping suffered severely; and so confident was he in the princiPle on which his littl e vessel was constructed, that he made the experi mental voyage in her himself—Liverpool Mercury. THE NEW PORTABLE ALARUMrsize a small Snuff-Box, can be placed on the dressing-table and se t t° Ring at any h our that may be required. P r i ce Three Guinea s ' T. COX SAVORY, Watch ma k er, Silversmith, and Jeweller, No. 47, Cornbill, London (Seven Doors from Gracechurch-street). B TH . On the 9th i ns t., in South A R S ur udley-street, the wif e of y• • S, Langdon, Esq., of the Middle Temple, of a son. On the Bth i ns t., th e l a d y o f M r. Samuel Deacon, of Wal• . brook, of a son. S PEC; Age ' el th e 0 ,1 Sitivrat titatil %leen ~~ r krx, Col. si i J o h n Fdrc 4_, or 4 _ , Ured rift ~_° C 2!' a~ .~ r !f ~ A~ v l'ro With Oft e : Of the ar rp a TE!