The Sun. — London, England, 1844-03-21 00:00:00

ord. 001 )initient, ettiTl; 'fr°l/1 • , Dort [acdonamte tnio g Ic y m. lion t o the Army, bY Ge ' 0 1, -aster7Pelltetel • • T on eganeii% 0 iin 3 P l ig r o oi ender , Fred 7 r-AAw"dii LogAI CO,ll/111e1 C k 11 t , 61 5 're: g° 0 f tit e , eo , lx line, 'lr . 09) tore tpe_t, Bst 4 . I TCO krtll ll) ,,,, d `r ;ii. )1/14/7 14 lit fi v niotiom jo. „ ; . id 10 f o r =tli 0 1 4 7;leAli tis AP .', 9F In 10 ' t it e 134 d 0 1' V V e iio for Ja y P,d , rel' , '0 le .el O 1 MONE It AND COMMERCIAL NEWS ----~- • CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENING. The public securities close well, Consols being 984 to 9 ffii for Money and Account ; India Stock for Account hag been 289 i to 290 , • and Bank Stock left off at 199 g. No alteration occurred in Spanish Bonds, the Five per Cent s • being 25 to 25* ; and the Three per Cents. 35* 1 ~`) 5/ ; Mexican Deferred Bonds were marked 14* to. ; and Colombian bore exactly the same value; Bel gian were 1041 to 105. The 'additional transactions in Rail Way Shares in eluded BirMingham and Derby at 41a to 42; Brighton at 5 1, Blackwell at 10*, North Midland at 91, and Shef field and Ashton at 15 discount; Great North of England at par, G reat W estern at 37, Harrowgateat 1, Guild r"rd Junction at.* to Manchester and Leeds at 46 the , New at 201 to 1, Manchester and Birmingham at 8, N orth British a t *, and South Eastern, Scrip, at 111 P re mium. Provincial Bank of Ireland were done at 181 premium, and U n i on an d A us t ra li a a t p a r. St. J o hn del Rey Mi n e were 11 di scount, an d R ea l d e l M on t e Wes each. The West India mail is now hourly expected. (From The Sun of Last Night.) sa Th, e Cotton market at Liverpool was steadier yesterday. 3 ,000 bales. 1,000 being on speculation.--Shares were stead with a good demand for Paris and Rouen and Orleans. ... Ir minghtun and Gloucester were 86 ; Chester and Holyhead, Grand Junetion, 234 Great Western Half, 70* ; Binning .A.tr°, 23 8 ; Brighton, 444 ; South Western ' Eighths, 41; Th ar lrhester and Birmingham, 46* ; Midland Counties, Half, Paris and Lyons, 2/. 15s. 6d. ; Paris and Orleans, 344 ; • 'aria and Rouen, 35k. There are no arrivals to-day: The following is from a Canada paper Value of Colonial Moneys.-In retail transactions an ap , raj/nation is made to the value of the coins current in f O h n and the United States, and in small purchases the Ong .are the rates at which such coins are usually paid • Sovereign, 1/. 4s. 6d, ; the Crown, id..; the Half-croWn, 3s. 04d. ; Shilling, called Trento us, 13., 3d.; Sixpence, called Quinze Sous, 74d. American Eagle, 21. 10s.; Dollar, ss. Id.; Half-dollar, 2s. 64d.; Berl or Ten Cents., 6d.; York Shilling, 741 ; a Shilling and a Quarter of a Dollar, are taken in the stores as ;1, 11 „ 41 - The eichangeable value of - the dollar, of course varies f . r° the course of exchange hetweeh the provinces and the I ,,,nited States, which is principally ruled by that between "air York and London. In general, its value is about ss. ld. "tren n „cy, or 4s. 2d. sterling. Ine'English'penny, halfpenny, and farthing, of not less Z'aa five -sixths of' the weight of currency, is a legal tender 7 the amount of 12d. s l'he following' coins are also usually taken at the rates !Pceified • • • "F rench crown ss. 6d., ditto half-crown 2s. 6d., piitorine •• five -franc piece 4s. Bd. •WO/ sterling is equal to 121/. 13s. 4d. Currency, and is rreed par of exchange, from which rate the exchange sel fluctuates more than one per cent. "To bring sterling into currency, add one-fifth to the star '. „e Mount, and one-twelfth to the one-fifth ; and to re by '" - currency into sterling, multiply by 60, and divide 73" •„b The Stock Market is firm to. day, 'and with a moderate - . t!•liinese tieing; Consols' being 981 to 981, both for present b ra n, ,Lifer and the Account. The Government broker, on : ualf of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the Na nal Debt, the Savings' Banks, Ica,. took 30,000/. of this ..._,"'ack Si 94. Exoliequer Bills are still 68s. to 70s. premium, fonds 88s. premiam. Bank Stock for Account 4 ' - ' 4 ,heea firm-at 200, and India Stock has-touched 289 to 290. 4e Foreign Market continues quiet.. Spanish Actives !passive 24i t o 25, and the Three Per Cents at 34 to 4. The . 64 to 4. Portuguese Converted obtain only 45 . Ito ,71 , 2. 0 eing a fill of nearly 1, per cent.,.ai the news from Lishon . • .. n.. Hwilot yet tranquilizing. There is, however, so little doing . : s ift,a small sale has a decided effect on prices. Mexican ' .374 , 11 have been 354 to 36' for the Actives, and 143 to 1 Nile Deferred. Brazilian are 82} to 4. .Dutch Two-and per Cents. are worth 571 to 1. • • ' 4 ' 'go Shire Market has been quieter again, but prices are - "qkay, generally, and the French lines are going up. ...: I L4 I tCIIIIRTER 'STOCK ExcnAlcciE., MARCH 19.-We have :17, a good market to-day,, and most Shares on the advanc e . • , 4- _,aalea are ;-Eastern `Counties, registered, 13* ; Menthes. , and Birmingham, 46i to .47 ; • Manchester and .Leeds, k , s 4 i", * Ditto, USN Shares, 494; North Union, 1041; Sheffield -.1% M anchester, Quarters, 6; Manchester Assurance, -10 i. - ' - - - CLOSING PRICES. . )4 BRITISH FUNDS. 4 en.... ' ...:' 3 .. .. , CA .. ••••••• • .".• Indian 5t0ck............. Pm— . r • 3 Der C en t . ic e r .... Ditto Bonds as pm• . . ,-1 Cent. Cons. .... ..... 96% Ditto Old Annuities •'. • ,I*r Cent. Re Ditto New Annuities... . ''• '! 3 34 per Cent.... 102% Ex. Bills, 1,0001. 1%d... Pra t per Ditto 5001 ....... ........ Pm. • > e.- •_, g ntnlitieli to expire . Ditto 5ma11.............. Pm. ii 2 '..41 2. 1160.,..; -... Bank Stock for Acct.... 199 . ' Consols for Acct.......... P' ' 46a. 186 °."....... 12% ilndia Stock for .Acct.... 299 . ' '' Aug FOREIGN FUNDS. kaikse;s per Cent ... : . ... !Portuguese, 5 per Cent — (...Flus, 5 jaer Cent........... 104% Ditto , New Ditto.... ...... .-. thi...._--eadian Bonds . . ... 92% Prussian, 5 per Cent r 0 Apes, 6 pe " r.Z . e . o . t .. ~ . Russian, 5 per . Cent....... e,, a n, n Metalli c per Cent ............ Ditto, • - •tTqn,, man, 41 per Cent eh los 1924 „. . .. " Ditto, :3 per Cent 3.)% JIV"4- 80 4da u , 6 747Ce17::::.. us .Ditto. Deferre0.......... 11„,,!ui 3 per tent — ;French, 51.er Cent.... —l. —c. •31/.:".7‘v 19:5, 5 per cent — 'Exchange —f. —c. .., • fit A ,„ 5 pe r Cent '''s__A. ' Per Cent.. l8:}7 --,Dutch, 2)4 per Cent. 5 7% l ' iltt , li nala 1825, 6 per Cent — 'Ditto, 5 per Cent lOl SHARES. . .t , - Birmingham and Derby (100 paid) . . ......... ........ IY3 . '' • Ditto . Eighths (11. 10s. paid) ... . .... ............—. 4 3 i • -.,, .- Great North of England (100 paid) lOO '.. .. : Great Western (75 paid) .... ,•Ditto tilthi (12 paid) ' . , , • Awnionand Brighton (50 paid) ........, 44% ~ •,,,`#.r,.. . • London and Blackwall (161. 13s. 4d4 i':: f London and Greenwich (Lt. 15s. id. paid).... .; ~ ' ''- • • Ditto, Preference or .Pricilege.(l.l/..17a. 2d. pd) 17% - Lan_ don and Gatildford Junction ( 5 paid) Dilitichester and Leeds otisaid) ............, ll 6, Ditto Half Shares MO d): . • 50 Ditto Quarter Shares ( paid) ..... Manchester and Birmingham .........—...... ,Si Norwich and'Brandon (2 paid) 6 'North Midland (100 paid)' ' .• tMeM, Ashton-un.-Lyne, and . Manch. (8234 pd) • 67g. th Eastern and Dover (50 pa i d)— DiNb - Scirt (% paid) ... ... . . .. ....... SOX • - 1:' _,' LITERATURE. The' .LEAVES. Maton, London; 1844. • *: 4 "" e Poems contained in this little volume were ':'' ,44B ' l 3 . ested, it seems, by impreisions made during the Monckton Milnes' late tour in O w Ken" Greece, and Egypt. Though they refer, .ever, .to scenes and incidents in the East, there is a t t much of an oriental character about them; and .we'except here, and there a descriptive pas `.,,- 7-,the majority might have been.written by Mr. wPS without once stirring from England. Some Z - the Poems in their calm, thoughtful, passionless n'be, remind us of Wordsworth, of whom the author '.:4evidently • a firm admirer, and whose manner he Z a iS to imitate, though' without servility: The f Oificittion throughout is equable and harmonious to • iegreei 'lint it would haVe been considerably im- SiZed) .la.d a little more pith and vigour beep infused i t ta: i t. One great merit in the poems is the kindly 't l Z,ca_tholic spirit that .Pervades them; Mr. Milnes '' ) ;.: 4 4c a and feels like a cosmopolite, and not like a ~ i B . ,re prejudiced observer—such as Western Europe e out itiu ally sending forth—who is surprised and v.h cle 2 l _ed at, al l such customs, feelings, &c., as may - t,; t en to - be . at, variance with those of his own 'Though he prefers the manners of the ...!..k i t i r4 yet our author gives fair play to those of the 63 We hid polished and picturesque poems frOiri Constantinople. As a specimen .of .his 411 , . l er, we, quote Sortie pleasing lines on " Delos," st ii „,n , ch.the classical associations connected with this " 4( Allisland are-ynade to serve a moral purpose : Though.F.yr a's rock_was passed at morn, ~, The'.wiiid so faintly arched the sail, -That, ere.to . Delos we were borne, • : The autumn day began to fail, • . And only in Diana's smiles We'reached the bay between the isles. In sweet serenity of force She ruled the Heavens without a star:— . A sacred image that the course Of time . and thought can hardly mar e — As dear and nearly as divine As ever in Ephesiatf shrine: knew that on the spot I trod . • Her glorious twins Latona bore,- That for her sake the pitying, God •: Had fixed the isle, afloat before ; And; fearful of his just disdain, 1 almost felt It move again. -'For .the delicious light that threw Such clear tra.nsparence on the wave, From the black mastick-bushes drew • Column, and frieze,lind architrave, , :Like rocks, which, native to the place, something of mysterious grace. &tort was the power of Art to bid Arise such beauty out of stone, et Paros might as well have hid - - Its wealth within its breast-unknown, • As for. brute Nature to regain • • " the fragments of the fallen fail°. .. 4‘ Who can rebuild these colonnades `. Where met the ancient festal host, The peasant from Arcadia's glades, ' .." The merchant' from lonia's coast, ----- Rhadening . their Grecian_ blood-to stand n. one religious Fatherland ? • may . angry discontent I cried, but calmer thoughts came on, • Ate gratitude with sorrow' blent, • -. And mminur turned to orison: I thanked.the Gods for what had been, And-Nature for the present scene. -;' telt that while in Greece remained ,A.Signa of that o ld h er oi c s how, ' t ioZ, Memory's sister, so sustained, ; Would Sink not altogether low, - ,-( 1 •11d Greci an hearts once more might be t; rmabined in pow e rf u l am it y . • • Long ere the sun's most curious ray Had touched the morning's zone'of pearl, . juld:my boat were far away, Raised on the water's freahening curl ; - barely 'twi s t th e " rose an d bl ue island's rim was still in -view. •Ju Delos 'rests upon my mind, A - -#1 perfect Vi s i on o f t h e n i g h t, , picture by e moon-rays designed, ' - And shad e d i nto bl ac k and bright,— z rctrue idea borne awaY, untroubled by the dreamless day. ~~~,, 11.°1.1 ? 8 of -E2gI,IVEIVT.ENGLISII WOMEN. • 'Pt il 2 Vols. Bentley, LondOn, 1844. tiCe title of this work su ffi ciently explains it s na 414,tilough -we may observe ; by way of additional torifi — ' 4 ° ll , -that th e memo i rs- conta i ne d in it are — Led to istioh " eminent' Engliili4oinen" as lived , • , ' I iii SUN, LONDON, THURSDA:I7 MORNING, MARCH 21, 1844 during, and subsequently to, the reign of Eliza beth; the authoress, Miss Costello, justly remarking that it is scarcely possible to give the biography of the females of England who have been remarkable in their time, with any degree of accuracy, till the sixteenth century. Among the memoirs we find one of the Countess of Shrewsbury, celebrated for her great skill and success in fishing for husbands and hooking them. This shrewd, beautiful, and worldly woman was married not less than four times, and by each marriage she obtained a considerable accession of fortune, until at length she became one of the wealthiest individuals in the kingdom, and built that well-known palace, Chatsworth, which has long been one of the most splendid and spacious edifices in Europe. Over all her husbands the Countess pos sessed nearly equal influence, and her fourth, the Earl of Shrewsbury, was gaoler to the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots,—a circumstance which ren dered his life perfectly miserable, by subjecting him to the caprices of Elizabeth, whose distrust of even her most devoted adherents was never wholly laid aside. In the course of this entertaining memoir of the Counte,s of Shrewsbury, we meet with several incidental references to the egregious vanity of the " maiden Queen," who even u hen past sixty years of age, allowed herself to be gratified by compliments, no matter how fulsome, on her beauty and her juve nility. " Wherever she appeared," says Miss Costello, " new devices were contrived to flatter and delight her; she could not step, but nymphs and shepherds darted forth, falling at her feet, and uttering extrava gant praises, which were echoed by the courtiers round her. In a certain masque she is called 'the only light this age has granted to the world,' and the Lady of May, acknowledged to be a divinity of beauty, confesses her inferiority to the ' beautifullest lady these . woods have ever received.'" The life of the unfortunate " Arabella Stuart" cannot fail to interest, if only for the pathos and simplicity with which it is written but the most attractive memoir in the two volumes, is that of the "Countess of Pem broke,"_ so well' known by Ben Jonson's famous epitaph upon her. Our authoress, we see, speaks of the " beauty" of this celebrated lady ; but the portrait which is affixed to her memoir ; represents her as a perfect fright. Indeed, we do not know when we have seen so intensely ugly a face as the painter has supplied her with. GRAND WEEKLY ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE larger proportion of the agricultural population.— (Hear, hear.) Exactly in the same proportion as the number of persons employed in agriculture have dimin ished, the number of those employed in manufactures have increased. I find that, so early as 1570, nearly three hundred years ago, some account was taken of the population of the country. I find it was then pretty nearly apportioned in the different parts of the country. The country was divided into two separate portions, the agricultural portion being one, and the manufacturing and commercial portion the other; and it happened, singularly enough, that what may be called the manufacturing portion took in fourteen counties, occupying an area of the country which was one-third of the whole of these counties. Now, the agricultural portion included 29 counties, being two-thirds of the area of the country. Now, in 1570 the population was divided into the same proportions. The commercial counties were one third, and the agricultural counties were two-thirds. The number of the population at that time in the area of one-third occupied by the manufacturing por tion was 1,239,000 ; in the area of two-thirds occupied by the agricultural portion the amount was 2,498,000, being as nearly as possible one-third and two-thirds ; but in 1801, the proportions were altered, and in the manufacturing counties, which was one-third of the country, the population amounted to 2,900,000, while in the agricultural counties, occupying two-thirds of the country, the amount of population was 4,400,000, not quite equally divided, there being 47 per cent. of the population in the one-third of the country occu pied by manufacturers, and 53 per cent. for the two thirds occupying the agricultural counties. This was very unfair as compared with the different areas, but at each successive period the proportion was more unfair. In 1811 the proportion devoted to com merce and manufactures was 48 per cent. In 1821 it was 49 per cent. In 1831 it was 52 per cent., being more than one-half of the whole. In 1841 it was 54 per cent.—that is eight per cent. more than half of the whole, while it was only 46 per cent. for the part de voted to agriculture.—(Hear, hear.) This is a manifest benefit to the whole country.—(Hear, hear.) We know that the population of the country will increase. We know, from melancholy statements which have been lately made public—of which there has been no denial, no refutation—that the agricultural counties are overburdened with popu lation.—(Hear, hear.) We have lamentable accounts of cottages so crowded with people that they suffer both in health and morals.—(Hear, hear.) What, therefore, can be more advantageous for the agricul tural districts than that that portion of the country devoted to manufactures, which occupies only one third, should be able to absorb the superfluous agri cultural population ?—(Hear.) That this is a great advantage to the agriculturists themselves will appear thus, that the poor-rates in the manufacturing coun ties are less in proportion than the poor-rates in the agricultural oounties. I have not been able to get the returns of the total poor's-rate for a later period than 1841 ; but that, you will recollect, was the time when the census was taken. From this, it appears that the poor's-rate paid in the manufacturing coun ties, occupying only one-third of the area of the whole country, but containing more than half of the whole population, was only 42 p er cen t., w hil e the poor 's-rate in the agricultural counties, occupying two-thirds of the area of the country, but containing only 46 per cent. of the population, was.sB per cent. of the whole poor's-rate of the kingdom.—(Hear, hear.) The result is, that the poor's-rate in the com mercial and manufacturing counties is only 4s. 10d. per head, whereas in the agricultural counties it amounts to 7s. 10d. per head.—(Hear, hear.) Therefore I say that the manufacturers, and the ma nufacturing interest of the country, are deserving of the support of the country, not only for the sake of the good things which they bring us from abroad, and which they have obtained in exchange for the products of their industry which they have exported, but for the actual good which they do to the great bulk of the country, particularly to the agricultural portion of the country—(Cheers)— by absorbing the increased population which must otherwise become a burden upon the country at large, more particularly upon the agricultural portions of it, so as to become very injurious to the proprietors, and likewise to the people themselves, who form a portion of this increasing population.—(Hear, hear.) There is also another good, on account of which, I say, the manufacturing interest deserves the sup port of all classes of the people of this kingdom ; and that is the great skill, the great ingenuity, the great activity, the great science, the great perse verance, and the great industry which they exhibit in improvements which they are daily introducing into their machinery, so that those necessaries of life which pass through their mills are gradually be coming cheaper, and more within the reach of persons of small means.—(Loud cheers.) This appears in a still more remarkable manner when we consider the increased value of agricultural produce.—(Cheeis.) I may be allowed here to say, that I am the less unwilling to institute these sorts of comparisons, because I am myself wholly and solely connected with the agricultural interest—(lmmense cheering)—and I have no connexion, except by pos sessing the acquaintance, and, I believe,.the good-will of many gentlemen connected with the manufacturing districts—except, I say, that I possess their acquaint ance, and, I believe 'good-will, I have no connexion whatever with the manufacturing part of the coun try.—(Renewed cheering.) Many gentlemen who are present here to-night, I will not say many ladies, because to these things ladies are not, perhaps, much in the habit of paying attention—(A laugh)—but many gentlemen present know that annually returns are made to Parliament of the value of the exports of the kingdom. In these returns there are two columns, one representing the official value of the goods exported and the other representing the real, or the declared value. Now, about 150 'years ago, in the year 1694, the practice first com menced of entering in the books at the Custom-house the value of the exports of the country, and a certain sum of money was put down opposite each as its va lue per lb. or per cw t. a t th a t per i o d. That has ne ver varied up to the present period, but the real value of these articles has varied very much. Of course, it is very desirable to know the real value of the exports also ; and for many years past, the practice has been to give in these returns the declared value as well as the official value. The declared value is the real value at the present time ; the official value, of course, gives you no idea of what the real value of any commodity is at the present moment, but it shows what would have been its value in the year 1694. Now, it appears from these returns, and by com paring the declared w ith th e official values, the value of manufactured articles has since the year 1694 de creased 60 per cent., whilst on the other hand agri cultural produce has increased in value 143 per cent. ; so that any given amount of agricultural produce which in the year 1694 was worth 1001. is now worth 2431., while any given amount of manufactured goods which in 1694 was worth 1001., is now not worth more than 40/.—(Hear, hear.) Now, after this I think that the agriculturists ought at least not to complain.—(Loud cheers.) The result of all this is, that at the present moment agricultural produce of the value of 1001. will purchase as much manufac turing produce as 6001. worth would in .1694. Now, I really think that ought to make the agriculturists rather wish that manufactures should thrive and flourish—(Cheers)—and if it does not make them do so, lain sure I do not know what will.—(Loud cheers.) The benefit is all on their side certainly.—(Renewed cheering.) For these reasons I am anxious, and I think that the country ought to be anxious also, that manufactures should flourish, and it was in order to profess that anxiety and to state the reasons why I felt it, that I accepted the offer which was made to me to address you from this place.—(Loud cheers.) If I am not wearying you—(Cheers and cries of " Go on")—I would wish to state to you two other reasons why I came here this evening.— (Loud cheers.) The first is that I felt great anxiety to express here, in the strongest possible manner, my adhesion to what are now called the principles of free trade.— (Immense cheering.) I believe that on the carrying pr i ncip l e s th e h app i ness and welfare of depend.—(Cheers.) And I believe that t o h u e t e o e f u t e h t o r s y e the Success of those principles depends mainly on the exertions which you and other persons are making and have made, on this and on former similar occasions, at the meetings which have been held in this theatre and elsewhere in support of free-trade principles--(Loud cheers) — for it should never be forgotten that we have resolute and interested opponents. I believe that, as has been said by others, the principles of free trade are the principles of common sense—(Cheers and laughter) —and 'I also believe that they are the principles of benevolence, of charity, and sound policy. —(Loud cheers.) I believe that they are the soundest principles on which the policy of any country can be conducted, and that they are the principles on which eventually the whole coun try will, be governed.—(Loud cheers.) I have heard it imputed to those who, espouse these ciples, that they are hostile to the maintenance of the credit of this country, and that they will violate the national faith, because, it is said that if you carry out the principles of free trade, you destroy the national credit by taking away the means of collecting the revenue, from which we are to pay the interest of the national debt. I dispute that proposition altogether. I admit that if we were in precisely the state that we could wish, we might very well desire to have no taxes at all—(Cheers and laughter)—and, undoubtedly, it would be very ad vantageous to commerce that it should be debarrassed from all Custom-house duties.—(Cheers.) But that is not necessary to free trade. All that is neces sary for free trade is, that no tax should, be imposed except for purposes of revenue, above all that no tax should be imposed for protection--(Loud cheers) — for the purpose in fact of protecting one interest against another. That is really contrary to the prin ciples of free trade.—(Cheers.) Bilt" it iS said by some, all those principles are good, true, and right in the abstract—(A laugh)—but in the concrete — (Laughter) —at all events, they ought not to be ap plied to articles of food. The article of food, it is said, is so important that to it the principles of free trade ought not to be applied. Now, it strikes me that if the principle is right - and good, the more important the article the more necessary is it, then, in respect to that article the principle should be enforced.— (Cheers.) If the principle is not good, why enforce it at all ?—(Cheers.) If it is good, why exempt from its operation the most important article ?—(Cheers.) It is said that agriculture wants protection, and that if it has it not it will be ruined. Whether or nut it has been ruined under protection it may, perhaps, be' worth while to inquire.—(Cheers.) Now let us see what is said on the subject by those who advocate protection. We are told that for hundreds of years ' past there have been always corn-laws. I admit that when I look into the statute-book I find that as far back as 600 years since I find laws regulating the trade in corn. But I find this peculiarity about the laws which were passed at that period. The corn-laws which were passed in those ancient times had but one object in view, namely, to secure a sufficient supply of food f or th e people—(Hear and cheers) —and to provide for the introduction of a plentiful supply of food from abroad when there was a scarcity of it at home.—(Cheers.) During the latter portion of that period, however, legislation has taken a dif ferent turn. Shortly after the restoration of Charles the Second, several clauses were passed for the pro tection of the landed interest—not for the purpose of securing a proper supply of food for the people of this country, but for the purpose of protecting the landed interest ; and they have gone on legislating in the same way: and for the same purpose, with one ex ception, ever since. The first Act giving protection to the landed interest was passed in the 12th of Charles the Second, and since that period . there have been 100 or 120 different Acts of Parliament passed, regulating the importation and the exporta tion of corn. Their number alone is a pretty good proof that none of the doctors—(Hear, hear)—have been able to hit upon the right remedy.—(Cheers, and laughter.) Many of them have tried hard to do so, however; for at the rate they have been going on we have had, every two years and a half, or every three years, a Bill regulating the importation and the ex portation of corn.—(Cheers and laughter. Divers reasons have at different times been given for th ese enactments. At an early stage of the business there was no concealment whatever about the matter. The object was clearly avowed. In the 15th of King Charles 11., three years after the first Act w a s passed, an Act o Parliament was passed, the preamble of which stated that, for the encouragement of tillage, and seeing that there were lands which could not be so well employed as in the feeding of cattle, and as vast numbers of cattle had been imported from fo reign countries, already fatted—the Act does not say - that the people did not ea t th em —(A l aug h)— an d' that in consequence such lands had much fallen, and were likely to fall, in their rent and value—(Cheers) — be it enacted, that certain penalties should be imposed upon the importation of cattle.—(Cheers.) Here they fairly avowed that the importation of fat cattle had already caused rents to fall, and that the landed proprietors required the protection of the Legislature to prevent their importation.—(Cheers.) They con fessed themselves that this principle could not be car ried out effectually ; for, three years after, in the year 1666, they passed an Act, reciting the former Act, and setting forth that as the rents still con tinued to fall, the importation of cattle should be re garded as a public and common nuisance —(Cheers) and should be so adjudged.—(Loud cheers.) The importation of cattle, therefore, was to be ad judged a nuisance, because rents had fallen, and the Parliament so voted it. This is the earliest time at which we find Acts passed for the protection of the landed interest, and from that time to this the Legis lature has been employed almost every other year in passing Bills for the same 'purpose. A Bill was introduced in 1689 which pre sented a new feature in the history of protection. By that Act a bounty was given upon the exportation of corn. That must certainly have been Very advantageous to the growers of corn, but to the public at large it was a general injury. Money was in fact raised by taxes upon the people of' the country to_ buy up the corn to send abroad, so as to raise the price at home. I believe that nothing ever ' prospered under protection. It was remarkable 'that during the course of seventy or eighty years they were obliged to suspend the operation of the law seventeen or eighteen times.—(Cheers.) In the year 1774 they passed an Act—which is the exception to which 1 have before alluded—an Act diminishing the protection to corn. That Act,' in fact, did away with protection altogether, for it was enacted that after wheat should have attained a price of 48s. a quarter it should be admitted at a duty, of 6d. That, in fact, continued to be the state of the law up to the year 1815, for although two Acts were passed, modi fying the provisions of the law of 1774, yet the price never fell so as to bring those Acts into operation ; so that from 1774 to 1815; we may fairly say that in this country we had a free trade in corn.—(Cheers.) I believe that there is no period in English history in which agriculture flourished more than it did during that period. Towards the latter part of that period, notwithstanding all the heavy burdens which we had to-bear to sustain the warnotwithstanding the great taxation imposed upon us, agriculture was in a flour ishing condition. In 1815 an extreme protec tion was granted to the landed proprietors. That law was repealed in 1828, and another was passed giving a protection not quite so great, but still very great, to the landed interest; that law, we all know, was repealed two years ago, and a protection some what less, but still very great, was again granted to them. Now, under all this protection I ask, has agriculture flourished ?—(Cheers.) Why, during the whole of that period we have heard of no thing but complaints of igricultural distress, of distressed farmers, and of distressed landowners, and we have had Parliamentary Committees frequently sitting to consider the subject of agricultural dis tress. So that if free trade will not be beneficial to agriculture, at all events it appears that no system of protection for the last 150 years has answered its purpose.—(Loud cheers.) It is my anxious wish to see every protection removed—(Loud cheers) —and that is the reason why I wish to see a total aboli tion of the corn-laws.--(Loud cheers.) I have been told of the ill effects which - will be produced by such a measure ; and it will, perhaps, be well to see what our adversaries say on the subject. There are few persons, I presume,_ in this assembly who ar e no t aware that my Hon. Friend on my right, Mr. Cobden—(Loud cheers)—made a speech the other evening in the House of Commons, not exactly on the corn-laws, but on a subject connected with them. •That speech is admitted, even by his opponent, to have been a speech of consummate ability.—(Loud cheers.) Now let us take the speech made in answer to it by Mr. Gladstone, a Minister of the Crown, the President of the Board of Trade. Mr. Gladstone is a gentleman of great talent and ability, and I, there fore ldoked with the greatest anxiety to see what could be said in answer. I found but little, except to this effect :—" You, Mr. Cobden, think so and so— other gentlemen think so and so; the matter is of great importance—it is creating great agitation in the public mind—there is the greatest excitement _existing; and, therefore,"—l concluded that he would say, therefore we must inquire into the matter— (Cheers)—which was all that Mr. Cobden asked ; but no 1—" the matter is one creating intense anxiety—there are great doubts about the subject—it is impossible to say who is right or who is wrong, and therefore we had better hush the matter up, and say nothing more about it."—(Cheers and laughter.) That is the substance of the greater part of his speech.—(Cheers and laughter.) There is one part of it to which I wish to draw your attention. I will read the pas sage to you :—" The Hon. Gentleman had argued the question in one way; now there were many Hon. Gentlemen who would - argue it in the other. He had himself heard the Hon. Member for Wiltshire' argue, with great ingenuity and truth, that one of the immediate results of any change would be a sud den depreciation of the value of agricultural property." Now I know the Member for Wiltshire, and 1 know his feelings on the subject. His sentiments do not astonish me, for I remember that, before the Com mittee in 1814, on the Report of which the corn-law was passed, the object of which was to keep up the price of corn to 825., that gentleman gave it as his opinion, in evidence, that corn could not be grown in this country at a profit if the price was lower than 965. He would therefore, I presume, have had that fixed as the price by Act of Parliament—a pretty stout charge I think.-(Cheers and laughter.) The Hon. Member for Wiltshire reminded them that land.: lords must live.—(Laughter.) Well, I for one, have no objection to that--(Renewed laughter)--but when I read that I was reminded' of a story which I had read of Cardinal Fleury. The Cardinal was one day walking in his grounds, when he met a man who presented a pistol at his head, and denianded his purse 'The Cardinal remonstrated w ith hi m on hi s conduct. " I must live," said th e man. Th e Cardinal, with great coolness, d ec l are d t o th e ' fellow that he did not see the necessity for that at all.—(A laugh.) Now I will not apply that saying of the Cardinal to the landlorda.—(A laugh.) but the Hon. Member for Wiltshire goes on to say-- "The landlords must live, and, if they cannot get a fair rent for their land,' they must make an effort to effect that object by taking it out of the pockets of the farmers."—(A laugh.) Now, that seems to me very much like putting their hands in other men's pockets—(Loud cheers and linighter)—and although in that statement of the honourable Gentleman there may be much ingenuity and truth, there, is not much honesty, I think—(Hear and cheers) . ! —and, with respect to the ingenuity, I dare say that, within a certain area' of this - place, or of this town, many - could be found most ingeniOus in that way.- 7 (Great laughter.) Well, the Right Hon. Gentleman went on farther to say that; if they pressed upon the farmer, they would compel the landlord to adopt a cheaper mode of cultivation. That may he all very true ; but it appears to me that the gentleman who farms his own land will be like the man who pleads his own cause in a court of justice—(Cheers)—have a fool for his client. The Noble Lord then proceeded to read several other extracts from the speech of Mr. Gladstone, and said—We sometimes read—mind you, I don't hear it, because, at these protection socie ties, all is a secret ; but it has been thrown out that these gentlemen—the manufacturers—have ob tained by their manufactures immense wealth.— (Hear, hear.) They say, here' is Mr. Cobden, who has made his 300,0001. or his 400,0001. by his mills, but did you ever hear of a farmer doing that ? No; and the reason was, that they had not a cheap mode of cultivation.—(Cheers.) I •believe, that if this question was settled, and there was any probable as surance of a certainty in the trade of agriculture— in the trade of raising corn—if there was the same certainty that existed in the trade of manufactured goods, that there would be plenty of capital— (Cheers)—that there would be plenty of money, of science, and of knowledge, ready to em ploy in it—(Hear and cheers)—which was not put forward now, in consequence of the uncertainty which the corn-laws occasioned. To put an end to that uncertainty is, in my opinion, and must be in that of every thinking man, a very great object.— (Cheers.) It is because great capital is employed, directed by great science, knowledge, and attention, that manufactures have risen in the way they have— (Cheers)—and I have for one thought that if the same science, capital, and industry, had been em ' ployed in agriculture, it would have been productive of the best effects.—(Cheers.) Mr. Gladstone then went on to say that it was not wise or politic to change the present -law, because it would cause a violent alteration in the condition of the farmers. Suppose it does, will it not be the best thing that could occur at present ?—(Cheers.) Their condition at the present moment, God knows, is not of the most envious description.—(Cheers.) The arguments of Mr. Gladstone put me in mind of a friend of mine who has a great aversion to railways, because he says they are subversive of inns, stage-coaches, and post-horses— (Cheers) and many a time has he in travelling been some days on the road, because he thought that innkeepers and post horses ought not to be put a stop to.--(Cheers.) Mr. Gladstone further stated, that assenting to the mo tion of my Hon. Friend, the Member for StoCkport, would displease the farmers and the rural labourers. —(Cheers.) Has any person present heard of the state of some of the rural population in Dorsetshire ? —(Cheers.) If they have, lam sure they will think that it will not be a great misery to alter their situa tion.—(Cheers.) I believe that nothing will be more beneficial to the agricultural labourer and the farmer than the repeal of the corn-laws.—(Great cheering.) I am afraid that I have detained you too long.— (Cries of " No, no," and " Go on.") Well, I must detain you a few minutes longer to I state that, for the sake of the agriculturists, themselves—for their best interests I believe the re peal of the corn-laws is necessary—(Cheers)—and for their sakes I hope that event will soon take place. —(Cheers.) But there is a reason that weighs with me more in expressing that hope, and that is, because I think the corn-laws and all protecting laws fly in the face of Providence, and deprive the people of the be neficial arrangements made for them by their Creator. —(Great cheering.) It has been most wisely arranged by Providence that one country should be supplied by others with the different necessaries of existence ; it brings men into amicable relations with each other— (Cheers)—it prevents hostilities ; and it makes na tions feel dependent on each other.—(Great cheering.) Some countries are united on one continent, while others are, as England is, separated by the great waters of the ocean--(Cheers)—the great highway of commerce.—(Cheers.) N ow , I h ave never heard of any island where the people were so little informed on the subject of navigation that they could not use the vast element of the ocean for the good of themselves and their fellow -men.—(Cheers.) That vast extent of water is the means of communication between different countries and different climes—(Cheers)-- to cultivate friendly intercourse between mankind, is the design of an all-wise Power, and we counter act that if we uphold any duties cir laws that deprive our fellow-creatures of their daily bread.—(Cheers.) 'We have now seen an era of peace for nearly thirty years, and I think it must be apparent to the whole world, that the feeling of Governments, of nations, and of mankind is, that war ought to end.—(Great cheering.) I sincerely believe and hope that that is the opinion of every nation upon the globe.— (Cheers.) The Governments throughout the world are, I believe, inclined to that opinion —they are dis posed to peace and amicable relations with all States. —(Cheers.) But if Governments were disposed to encourage war, such is, I believe, the progress of knowledge among the generality of mankind, that it would be found a most difficult task, on the part of any Government, to excite them to wage war.— (Cheers.) Nothing, I am convinced, is more likely to produce peace than the free intercourse betwqen countries ; and that is to be produced mainly by the total abolition of all protective duties.— (Great cheering.) It was intended by Providence that one country should be dependent on another— (Cheers)—and• of this I am sure, that nothing is more calculated to create greater peace throughout the world than putting an end to all restrictive duties. —(Cheers.) By doing that, we shall do more to civilise the lower orders of the people than by any other course, and will bring about that whi c h mus t be the devoted wish of all mankind—" Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will towards men." The Noble Earl sat down amidst tremendous cheering. Mr. LATTIMORE, of Whethampstead, Hertford shire, a tenant-farmer, was then introduced by the Noble Chairman, and proceeded to address the meet ing. The Noble Lord who had taken the' Chair that evening, had kindly introduced him as a tenant farmer, and if they entertained a doubt upon it, he should be most happy to solve it. :(Cheers.) He was a farmer by choice, he had adopted it from a natural bias and inclination.—(Cheers.) He trusted that as he had adopted that trade from choice, they would give him credit for not wishing or attempting to do any thing to injure it.—(Cheers.) He, how ever, entertained opinions like the Noble Lord, that keeping up monopolies, so far from doing good to the agriculturists injured them in the greatest degree.— (Cheers.) He was convinced that in promoting the cause of free trade they were promoting the cause of agriculture. '1 hey had heard some observations that had been made by the Noble Lord, upon the answer of Mr. Gladstone to the speech of Mr. Cobden, and from that they might see how the question of the tenant-farmers had been shirked.—(Cheers.) It had been said that free trade would displace the present race of farmers ; he thought there • would not be much harm if it did. But it was further asserted that they would throw a vast number of labourers out of employ, if the corn-law were repealed ; his opinion was that the repeal of that law would give much greater employment and confer greater blessings on the country.—(Cheers.) He was sure that a committee of intelligent farmers would give that verdict.—(Cheers.) Then why was it not put in force, it might be asked ? Why, because there was the political part of the case—(Cheers)—and the farmer had no interest in that.—(Cheers.) They had no interest in the army and navy promotions.—(llear, hear.) As a farmer he held that man as an enemy to his country who attempted to keep up that line of demarcation between manufacturers and agricultu ralists—(Cheers)—which the protectionists were pro moting.—(Cheers.) The Duke of Richmond, who was at the top of all this, had said that he had all the farmers and agriculturists with him; he (Mr. L.) denied that such was the case. It might be true, that the Duke of Richmorid had a few with him, but, with the permission of the meeting, he would analyse thein.—(Cheers.) There was a certain class of amphibious farmers, land-agents, and auctioneers, who might be with him.—(Cheers.) There weae others also he might depend on, but the general farmer gave that Noble Duke no support—(Loud cheers)—and he only obtained it from those who lived in his immediate neighbourhood.—(Hear.) He wished to secure to the farmers political inde pendence; he wished they possessed it.—(Hear, hear.) But under the Chandos clause of the Reform Act they could not enjoy it. Would the Noble Duke of Richmond give them the ballot ?—(Cheers.) That was the question.—(Cheers.) To prove the insince rity of the professions of the protection landlords, he invited the Noble Duke to repeal the 501. tenant-at will clause, or give the farmers the means of exer cising their votes conscientiously under it. Another little thing not talked of at these protection meetings, some of which he had had the pleasure, he would not was say much about the honour, pf attending, the subject of game. The .system of game-laivs in this country did a vast deal of injury to the tenants, and destroyed a great deal of agricultural produce. There were thousands of tenant-farmers in this country who were almost ruined by the game system. The law itself was based on injustice, it was founded on a false principle ; it made the game the private • property of the landowner, but it did not make him liable for the damage done by it to the pro perty of his neighbour; all must admit that this was very unjust.—(Hear, hear.) There was another law called the law of landlord and tenant ; by it the property of the first party was clearly recog-• nised by Parliament, denoting the influence of the landowners in it ; but •there was no law recognising the property •of the tenant, protecting it from injury from game ; nor was there any protection Bar the conscientious farmer by the ballot. If that protection were given,' he had some notion that they should, get on better. He had some • Very strong opinions on that point';' -he happened to have suffered under political' persecution, • The basis. 'of political liberty Was ' the fi.c4 .exereise-of the right 7 jl' . . ------a. , -. 4 1(74- tr , :i.ilc>. 0 lof voting. The politieir binalor4s 7 49lAblre was a carry out the idett44#V great distinction betweiliMiliiiaVideivoured to wished that the people of Iteftlt, hytbut one neck. prn4s:tet•laligula, ; who that he might destroy them by one stroke. They knew that the liberties of the people had but one neck—the franchise —and they endeavoured to sever that by one, blow.—(Loud cheering.) The Noble Earl who presided over them that even ing, had lately been called on to speak on this ,sub ject. He happened to have a tenant who, was unworthy, if he might say so, of such a landlord.-- (Hear, hear.) This foolish man having some .mis givings, instead of carrying out his own views, wrote a letter to the Noble Earl, thus giving him an oppor tunity of stating his real feelings on the question. The Noble Earl, in his reply to that letter said, "-You will observe that when you give your vote for a Member of Parliament, you are executing a sacred trust reposed in you by the Legislature, not for your personal benefit or advantage, not to indulge any predilection for one candidate over another, not to please the landlord, but for the benefit of the people at large.—(Hear, hear, -an cheers.) If you, ignorantly, give that vote in a manner not consistent with their benefit, the fault may rest with others ; but at the same time, if that ignorance is wilful, arising from a neglect of the opportunities of acquiring information, you are not .by any means free from blame."—(Cheers.) These were the views of the Noble Earl, and he hoped he would never want a tenant who knew how to respect them and carry them out.—(Cheers.) He. felt this the more deeply, because he had been told that his own pro perty—vested in the soil of another, though no political con t ract h a d been entered into— was not to be reached by him ; he. was not to be permitted to realise that to which justice en titled him. Such was the contrast between these tw o species of landlords. It was necessary that he should now say a few words as to the present state of the farmers. When he was a boy, an old farmer, an experienced man, bade him mark him, while he told him that from his past experience he felt convinced that if the present corn-laws were continued for another twenty years, the present race—that was, the then race—of farmers, with their capital would be entirely annihilated. In the parish where this was said, he had recently calculated the number of those tenants and those farms; the number of farms was twenty-one, and in the twenty years those twenty-one farms had had, fifty tenants.—(Hear, hear.) He had calculated also what had become of the twenty-nine tenants who had ceased to be so. Some had gone to their last account, 'but others were in the union workhouse; some on the roads, in a state of miserable dependence, their property de stroyed, their hopes blighted, their families ruined.—(Hear, hear.) As a practical man he felt convinced that the next three years, under the present system of protection, would see more changes than any three years preceding them.—(Hear, hear.) With these facts before him, facts that nothing could controvert, if he supported monopoly he must be an unwise or a dishonest man. If the English farmers generally understood the system, and continued to support it, as the Duke of Richmond said they did at present, he must say they exhibited a suprising fond ness for it. " The beaten spaniel's fondness not more strange." The abolition of the corn-laws naturally included the abolition of all feudal privileges, the game-laws, and other things connected with them. They might fairly consider the corn-laws as a• rent question : instead of protecting the farmers, it only annihilated them, and swept them away from their occupation. Another point that had been touched on was the posi tion of the agricultural labourers. They were told that the corn-laws were necessary for the sake of the labourers. Now, if anything could reduce the labourer to a lower state than he was in at present, it must bring him very low indeed. It was to him a melancholy reflection, that in this count r y th e re ward obtainable by industry was so small. They had had heard something in this metropolis about the small price paid for making shirts to the poor women., who toiled day and night, and yet could scarcely obtain a miserable subsistence. But in the agricul tural districts the poor labourer, with his utmost exertions, was scarcely able t o o bt a in a sufficiency of food. e knew cases in which a labourer, with a family of six children, had to vegetate on 9s. per week, 2s. of which had to be paid for rent, while poor-rates had actually to be paid out of the remaining 7s. There was another instance in which eight persons had to exist. on 7s. per week,- they might think it almost incredible, but it was the fact, and he beli eve d that, Had it not been for the sympathy . and kindness of those around them, they must have been lost for want. He should like to see the Noble Duke, or any Noble Lord who ad vocated the bread-tax, go into such a place and take. his tax in kind; if he could look upon the wretched and shrunken forms of those children, and the stamp' of misery that was upon their countenance, it would be a study for an artist, and he thought would form an excellent frontispiece to a Protection Hall. lie had often" thought—might Heaven forgive him if he were wrong—that more care was bestowed upon their horses and does than upon their poor.—(Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances, lie did not be lieve that any advantage was gained from the poor laws by the labourer. He was not making any charge against the farmers 'for the small ness bf the wages they paid to the la bourer ; unless there was a greater demand for. his produce, he could not give a higher rate. The advantages of a repeal of the corn-laws to the labourer consisted in this, that the labourer had no thing to do with the prices. His object was only trs obtain a fair proportion of the necessaries of life, and unless they gave that, all the party sentiment they held out to him was of no avail. .He could not help. remarking on the gross hypocrisy of those who ev pressed an anxious desire to promote the welfare of the poor, while at the same time they lessened their supply of food. It was in vain they desired their mental improvement, unless the demandS of nature were first complied with.—(Hear, hear, and cheer ing.) In the savage state, men advanced by slow degrees to civilisation, and from civilisation to refinement. Men in every state were always cooks before they were gentlemen.—(Laughter.) With these convictions, he felt that the only chance of raising the condition of the labourer was the total abolition of all monopolies. There were other features in this case which ought to have their influence on the minds of every intelligent man. By the abolition of all monopolies they were taking the surest means of promoting a kindly feeling between themselves and every country in the world, because they wel.e thereby making all nations in advance of intelligeree feel a mutual dependence and sympathy with each other, which in time the Government would not be able to resist. The hostile tariff of America was caused entirely by the operation of the corn-laws. Take away this law, and throw open the trade of this country with America and the whole world, and they would soon see that the good sense of :the. American people would cause them to rescinst this obnoxious tariff, and to hold out the• hand of amity to England. He said that, as a farmer, he felt that he was much injured by this continual' call for protection. Was an occupation , which had been honoured in all ages—which had been the em ployment of a Camsar—which had occupied the leisure hours of a Cicero--which had engaged the eloquent pen of a Virgil, a pursuit which had nourished the mind of thepatriot Cincinnatus, and which, in modern times, had been the occupation of a Leicester, of n Spencer—(Cheers)—a Ducie, a Kinnaird, amid many others, was it not an- insult to the intelligent farmers of this country to tell them that their goodly vessel of British agriculture dared not put to sea save under • the rotten flag of protection—(Cheers)—lest some paltry bark of competition should board that stately vessel and make all the crew prisoners ? He told them as an, agriculturist, that they h a d resources within themselves if they would only abolish these monopolies, give them freedom of trade, unaccortipiinied by political degradation ; if they would unshadkle them. of their feudal privileges, which crippled and de stroyed their energies. He hailed therefore with delight the intellectual discussions which were con tinually taking place within these walls. He con gratulated them on their magnificent meetings, which showed that they wished to promote the interests of the poor as well as the happiness of the hillier classes. He was confident of the issue of this struggle. If they allowed the principle to develop its elf, provided it had its roots in nature, it was certain to wax strong, and bear fruit in due season, although that time might be a. distant one. There was nothing in agriculture. Which made him look with envy on the happiness .of another man. They were all dependent on one another, and it was their bounden duty to promote feelings of kindness and good-will, and to cherish tklem without any dis tinction of class, manufacturer's or agriculturists. He would say to them, in the *words of his celebrated namesake, "Be of good cheer, for by that day's dis cussion they had so B .upprossed discord, so crushed dissensions, and kindled such a flame o fbrotherly love, kindly feeling, and tiniversal -good.-will, as he tresied, with the blessing of Providence, _would never --liever be extinguished."--I(Lond cheers.) 'The Noble CHAIRMAN then announced, amid loud and general cheering that 'Mr. Hunt, anot'ner tenant farmer, a Quaker, would next address the meeting. Mr.•Hurrr came forward and VW warmly received. He.kaid that he did not appe/Lr before them on the present occasion from any co' nviction that he would be able to do"much service •to the cause the League met weekly to advocate. Fie came . there at the re quest of some friends, and ' w as w illi ng t o throw in his humble mite to for wi .ird the ' goal! Cause,- - (Cheers.) He did not in.ti end to tieuble . them with many observations, but before he preiceeded further he would state that he was s tenant-farmer, and, coin paratively spe a ki ng, b. at a:' .per • tenant-farmer. — (Loud cries of " Hear,- 'fiear,''-ited..; renewed-cheering.) 1!", ' PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. BRITISH MUSEUM.—(No. 116, March 14, 1844).—The accounts, estimate, number of persons admitted, and progress of arrangement, are classed, this year, under nine separate heads. No. lis a general account of all receipts from Christmas, 1842, to Christmas, 1843, showing an aggregate of 37,3141 9s. Bd. Of this amount, 3,231/. was balance in hand at December, 1842; 7,584/., the fourth instalment of Parliamentary grant for 1842-43 ; three (out of four) instalments for: the year 1843.44 (that for the quarter ending this month not yet received), 24,4321.; : cash for sale of copies of the Syno - sis, 338/ ; ditto for sales of casts of marbles, &c., 884; rent of houses lately purchased in Great Russell street, 1571 Under head No. 2, estimated—and actual—expenditure from Christmas, 1842, to same period 1843 (A), and estimated charge from Lady day, 1844, to Lady-day, 1845, we find some items of interest and importance. In the first place, the amount of (A) estimated expenditure to Christmas, 1843, was 37,526/ 17s. 9d., but the (B) actual expendi ture for that period was only 35,488/. 10s. 9d, In the latter account we find the actual payments were fur salaries ofnffieers of the ordinary establishment 5,8454; ditto of sssistants, 3,0084 1 1 3 s. 4d. ; ditto and wages of attendants and servants, 4,985/. 10s. 9d. Then there were paid salaries of librarians for the King's library, 2001.;' of officers for the Banksian collection, 5431. ; attendants on stores and labourers, 4021 None of these allowances, considering the extent, re sponsibility, and continuance of the duties, to be per formed in return; appear to be excessive. But we hope the " stores ,, will be better looked after, particularly if they be deposited in the cellars and vaults of the esta blishment, with a better management and more forecast for their preservation than have heretofore been bestowed on preserved zoological specimens and other collections, which were remitted to the same destructive cemeteries for an unlimited period. We well remember the utter destruc tion which had been permitted to overtake . the matchless gift of stuffed mammalia, &c., from Southern Africa, presented some years ago to this institution by our friend Mr. Burchell, the traveller. It was sufficient to burst with indignation the impracticable hides of the poetythr mata themselves, which he little dreamed he was con signing to mere " oubliettes," from whence they were never to be brought forth to the gale of "an admiring public," until moths and earwigs, spiders and ants, had devoured the parded skins of his cameleopards, made barracks of the interior of his hippopotamus, carried'off a whole rhinoceros in the minute but destruc tive rations appropriated to the sustenance of the insect devourers, and gnawed into mincemeat the interior in teguments,.and hay-substituted entrails of a Kaffir-land elephant. The supernumeraries employed in different departments appear to have been paid respectively as follows : Employed in the MS. department, 56/. ; in the printed book ditte, 6781 ; in preparing the (interminable) new catalogue. of printed books, 1,283/. ; repayment of ex penses incurred by .the Admiralty in removing the Xanthian marbleS, 357/. (on account-357/. for the current year, also) ; purchase of MSS., 1,000/.; ditto, of printed books, 4,003/.; paid for bookbinding, 2,968/ ; purchase of minerals and fossil remains, 986/ ; of zoological specimens, 681/.; expense . ofpreparing and preserving objects Of natural history, 9661.; purchase of antiquities and coins, 1,6911.; ditto, prints and engravings, 8461.; drawings from ancient mar bles, 147/.; engravings from ditto, 330/; publishing historical papyri in nieretic characters, 5781.; for balance of receipts, 37,314/.; payments 35,489/.; surplus (in hand), 1,8251. No. 3is an account of the administration of the Bridgewater Fund (divi dends at 12,903/. in the Three per Cents., bequeathed by the late Earl, and rental of a small estate bequeathed by the same Nobleman to this institution). No. 4, a si milar account of the Farnborough Fund. No. 5, a ge-- neral account of Funds for year ending Lady-day, 1825. No. 8, amount of grant required for service of said year—viz.,. 37,987/. No. 7, account 'of expenditure of a special grant made during the year ending Christ mas, IB43—that is to say, of 5,270/, whereof were paid on account of printed books, coins, and MSS., from the collection at Strawberry-hill, 1,0181. ; antique vases from collection of the late Prince of Casino, 1,3001 ; botanical specimens from ditto, of late A. B. Lambert, Esq., 384/. ; Syriac MSS., purchased in Egypt by the Rev. H. Tattum, 1,000/. ; and a collection of -engravings, the work of Raphael Morghem, 1,5751 No. 8,, number of persons admitted to visit the British Museum—in 1841, 319,374 ; in 1842, 547,718 ; in 1843, 517,440: number of visits made to reading-room, for purposes of study and research:in same years, respectively-69,303, 71,706, and 70,931 : number of visits by artists and students to galleries of sculpture;'for purposes of study, &c., in same years -5,655; 5,627; and 4,907 : ditto to the print-room, in same years-7,744, 8,781, and 8,162. The decrease of visitors in all these departments in 18.3, as compared with 1842, is very remarkable. No. 9 is a statement of the " progress made in the cataloguing and arrangement of the collections, and account of objects added in year ending 25th December, 1843." 48 Arabic MSS. have been described for the general catalogue of Orienial MSS. The additional MSS., including the Wellesley Papers, have been ar ranged. A schedule has been compiled of the collec tion of Wellesley Papers, comprised in 1,337 vols. (!) exclusive of maps. To the " General Collection" have been added 805 MSS. and 35 original charters, besides 102 MSS. to•the Egerton Collection. " Among the manuscripts acquired may be specified— Three hundred and twenty volumes of Syriac Manu scripts, on vellum and paper, of great Biblical and Theo logical importance, the greater portion of which were written between the sixth and ninth centuries.—Fifty volumes of Papers from the late Lord Kingsborough's library, chiefly illustrative of the history of the Spanish Indies.—A considerable fragment of the Old Testament, from. Proverbs to Ecclesiasticus, inclusive, partly of the Latin version of Jerome, and partly of an earlier tran slation, written on. vellum, in an Hiberno 7 Saxon charac ter, not later than the middle of the eighth century.—A copy of Ranulph de Glanville's Treatise De Legibus An glia, not later than the reign of King John.—An exten sive collection of works relative to Astronomy and Arithmetic of the Hindoos, and to the Statistics of In dia.—About forty volumes relating to English and Fo reign Geology and Heraldry, from the library of the late Lord Berwick.—An original Writ, signed by King Ed ward the Fifth, and countersigned by Richard. Duke of Gloucester. . " The number of deliveries of manuscripts to readers in the reading-room (exclusive of those volumes con sulted in the rooms of the department), amounts, during the last twelvemonth, to 22,207. " Reading-room Service.—l. The number of books returned to the shelves of the general library from the reading-room is 137,613 ; to the Royal library, 21,134; to the closets, where they are kept for the use of the readers from day to day, 77,270 ; to the shelves of the reading-rooms. about 117,000 ;_ altogether 353 017 vo lumes ; on an average 1,196 a day." The collections in mineralogy, and in zoology, bo tany, and antiquities have received addenda of such a variety, and so numerous, that we must refer the reader to the Parliamentary paper itself for any adequate idea of theni. • • BLASTING WITH THE AID OF ELECTRICITY.---The first experiment, on a large scale,, made in this country to blast with the, aid of electricity, was tried on Saturday. last,. at Xnockroaroon Hill, in the rficenix Park, Dublin. The spot, selected for the interesting operation (which, notwithstanding the unfavoulaiele stateo f the weather, attracted a great crow d) consisted of au,immensebank of earth, about a quarter of a mile in superficial surface; 45,0001b5. weight of powder was consumed. • The necessary arrangements having been made, the immense hill rose slowly, as. if .by magic, with a•runa bling noise, and shortly after the entire mound removed it self into the hollow beneath, amidst the plaudits of the 'crowd, who cheered . Captain Larceltn, the engineer under whose superintendence the experiment was conducted. • The place where the hill had been is completely. level, so perfect was the success of , the experiment. • The Royal establishments at Windsor Castle and Buekingham Palace are:undergoing a total revision and ar rangement, to come into operation. on and after the 30th instant. The, rota .of `.` the waits" of the lords and ladies of the bedchamber, maids .of honour, grooms, equerries, '&c., is to he more strictly observed than has hitherto been the case. Both the state pages are placed on the retired list ; four or five of the other pages- have been discharged ; and the duty of the remainder rendered permanent, instead -of having alternate • months of close waiting. The number of the, gentlemen,poders has been reduced, and many of the male and klinkle. &Pleitice pf Ike, Royal lialtsehold *dis— charged. MEETING AT COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. The usual weekly meeting of the Anti-Corn-Law League was held last night, at Covent-Garden Theatre. The meeting was even more numerous than several of the great assemblages which have heretofore taken place at the theatre. At seven o'clock the Earl of Radnor, who presided, entered the theatre, accomp a ni e d by R. Cobden, Esq., M.P. ; John Bright, Esq., M.P. ; Ellis, Esq., M.P. •J. Pattison, ';,sq., M.P. ; and several o th er distinguished members of the Anti-Corn-Law League, who were all most loudly cheered. Amongst those on the platform we noticed the following gentlemen:— The Earl of Radnor, in the Chair; Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P. ; John Bright, Esq., M.P. ; Dr. Bow ring, M.P. ; Joseph Brotherton, Esq., M.P.; Tho.- mas Gisborne, Esq., M.P. ; Hon. Edward Bouverie ; Edward Ellice, Esq., M.P.; Rear-Admiral the Hon. D. P. Bouverie ; James Pattison, Esq., M.P. ; Sir William Baynes, Bart.; E. Vickers, Esq., Sheffield; Lawrence Hill, Esq., Glasgow ; F. H. Toone, Esq. ; Colonel T. P. Thompson ; James Wilson, Esq.; 11. R. R. Moore, Esq. ; Wm. Evans, Esq., Manchester ; Robert P. Collier, Esq. ; J. B. Scott, Esq., Manches ter; W. Lockett, Esq., Manchester; James Brother ton, Esq.; Summers Harford, Esq. ; Rev: J. Barfitt, Salisbury ; Charles Squarry, Esq., Salisbury ; Tho mas Lattimore, Esq., Wheathampstead ; James Chid well, Esq., Winchester ; George Chidwell, Esq., ditto ; N. Gedge, Esq. ' • W. Thornborrow, E sq . ; H enry Whit well, Esq. ; George Beacon, Esq.; Henry Birk beck, Esq.; C. Green, Esq. ; Edmund Gurney, Esq.; George Ridout, Esq. ; Geo. Crawfurd Heath, Esq. ; Alexander Smyth, Esq., Glasgow ;',7,W. Scott, Esq.; Thomas Harbottle, Esq., Manchester ; J. M. Mus cott, Esq. ; G. Parsons, Esq. ; J. U. Harwood, Esq. ; Anthony Austin, Esq. ; J. Barton, Esq. ; the Lord Provost of Glasgow ; Alexander Johnston, Esq., late M.P. for Kilmarnock ; Henry Lloyd Morgan, Esq.; James Harvey, Esq., Liverpool ; J. Ackroyd, Esq., Bradford ; Hamer Stansfield, Esq., Mayor of Leeds ; Benjamin Walton, Esq., Wolverhampton; H enr y Ashworth, Esq., Bolton. The minutes of the last meeting having been read, Earl RADNOR (who presided) came forward, and was received with loud cheers. He said—Ladies and Gentlemen, it becomes my duty to open the pro ceedings of this evening, and in doing so, I must claim your indulgence ; for though not unused to public speaking, notwithstanding the practice I have had, I always speak with considerable difficulty. Another reason for which I claim your indulgence this evening is, that though not a young man, this is my first appearance on this stage. But having been invited to make my appearance this evening, and offered the honour of presiding, I have not hesitated to do so, and I have willingly accepted the honour for several reasons—the first is this, that I was anxious to pay in as public a manner as I could the tribute of my ad miration and applause to the gentlemen who have been engaged in the same cause as myself, but who have taken a more active part in its proceedings than I have done—l mean the gentlemen of the Anti. Corn-law League.—(Cheers.) I have been desirous of expressing, in as public a manner as I could, my admiration of the ability, perseverance, and courage with which they have for several years car ried on this contest with monopoly, and stood out for the principles of free trade.—(Cheers.) I have been the more anxious to express that opinion at the pre sent time, because I wish to express my entire dis approbation and denial of all the abuse which has been lavished on those gentlemen.—(Cheers.) The scurrility and abuse lavished on them would be be neath our notice, but that there are one or two accu sations made against them of so serious and flagrant a character that they may seem to deserve more notice. They were accused of exciting incendiarism, a crime which I am sorry to see has been perpetrated in a county not very far from the place in which we are now assembled.—(Hear, hear.) This accusation has been made by more than one or two persons of emi nent rank. When I told a Noble Lord who made this accusation that I should make some observations upon it, he did not withdraw it. He admitted he made the accusation, but he did not come forward to justify the accusation, or state the grounds on which he alleged it.—(Hear; hear.) How my Lord Hare wood, or any other person, could justify such con duct, it was for him to explain.—(Hear ' hear.) I for one do express now, and I think you will all agree with me in expressing, my utter contempt for'such an accusation—(Cheers)—and my assurance that it was perfectly groundless, and that the gentle men against whom it was levelled were as incapable of it as the Noble Lord himself.—(Cheers.) ' Other accusations have been made agaiost the gentlemen of the Anti-Corn-law League, inasmuch as it' was said that they were_ interested persons, and that they were urging on the cause for their own benefit, and to ac cumulate money in their own pockets. Supposing the accusation to he true, I am yet to learn that persons in any situation of life are not entitled—that it is not their bounden duty to consult their own interests, provided they do so without injury to others—(Hear, hear)—and I think I can show to you, in a few words, that it would be to the manifest benefit of the whole community to have the corn-laws repealed. Ido not know whether our adversaries can say the same for themselves.—(Hear, hear.) But I maintain that those gentlemen—admitting,' for argument sake, and for argument sake only, that they have been carrying on this contest, as I called it before, for the purpose of supporting and promoting the cause of manufactures in general, as distinct from the other 'classes of society—are doing what will be beneficial to the whole country.—(Hear, hear.) I am old enough to remember the time when the war raged, and when the country was put into great difficulties, which the young portion of the company do not re member, and which I hope they will never expe rience. —(Hear, hear.) I remember well on those occasions when the Ministers brought forward their budgets for the support of the war that their reliance was on the flourishing state of the commerce and manufactures of the country.—(Hear, hear.) It was on the resources supplied by their means, and in consequence of the success of the industry of the manufacturers, that they principally relied to obtain those sinews of war, and through which they ulti mately succeeded.—(Hear, hear.) I say, therefore, that, generally speaking, mnufacturers, on those grounds, deserve great encouragement. But let us , consider a little more in detail what manufacturers do for us. This is a great country—very highly civilised—fully peopled, having advantages over others in all the arts and refinements of civilised life. -.--(Hear, hear.) But with all those advantages, it is admitted that the country, with its natural soil and climate, is not capable of supplying all the wants and satisfying all the desires of its refined and civilised population.—(Hear.) How then, are they to be supplied ? From foreign lands. low are we to get them from foreign lands but by an exchange of the products which this country can give ?—( Hear, hear.) Our natural products are little in compari son to what we wish to obtain from other countries. It is only by working up manufactured articles which are wanted in other countries, and by'the accu mulation of value which we throw into them by the excellence of our machinery—by our skill and indus try, that we obtain the means of sending and exporting goods in exchange for the commodities of other coun tries required for our use.—(Cheers.) The extent or the exports of manufactured goods from this country in last year was 47,000,0001. Very little part of this was the raw material of the country—l will not say that no part of it, but a very minute part of it, was the raw material of the country, but the great value it acquired was owing to the labour, the ingenuity, and the skill of our manufacturers. —(Hear.) I say, therefore, that by promoting the manufactures of the country we increase the means of procuring those enjoyments, and those ar ticles of enjoyment which come from foreign coun tries.—(Hear, hear.) But is this all that manufac turers have done for the country ? Let us look to our own internal state. The population of the coun try increases every day at the rate of 1,000 persons. How are they to be employed'? What is to give em ployment to those persons ? Is it the agriculture of the country—(No, no)—which is sometimes talked of as the great fundamental support of the country ? But it is not so. Our manufactures are.—(Hear, hear.) We know that for some period past, a census of the people has been taken every ten years, and .classification of the orders of the people were made. `lt showed that the agricultural population of the country had been diminishing. It appeared from those returns, that that portion of the population ''of - the country employed in agricultur e was 352 out of every 1,000 in 1811. In 1821, the next period at which the census was taken, the proportion of the population employed in agriculture was diminished from 352 to 332 out of every 1,000, In 1831 the proportion was diminished to 281 out of every 1,000. In 1841, which was the last period at which the census was taken, no classification was yet made, but, supposing the proportion to go on at the same ratio it would be 240 out of every 1,000. — (Hear.) You will easily perceive by this that it is a greatly decreasing proportion, and if these must have employment provided for them, it must be provided for them in some other way than by agriculture.— (Hear, hear.) If the diminution goes on at the same rate, the proportion in 1851 of those employed in agriculture will be 205 out of every 1,000, and but 175 in 1861.—(Hear, hear.) Now, as the manufac turing interest has hitherto abs or b e d our increasing population, it is most desirable, you will'all admit, that no 'check should be given to those manufactures which may be called on hereafter to - absorb a much