The Sun. — London, England, 1844-05-23 00:00:00

nE 4 1111. 5 earl! at an u ntil witbl fl I ts effec t , Roan, min:o 4ll vro_ ; 3 4 'then 7 te t 4 9 6 1 0 1 ' giYing of qecessay. 0 1 '; Outer ci r b , ieba,elct / . 0 fee, Wr t o Lmobgs' ricev. at kbar ai Tam lf°nlussi .•••• 0 tlew• $ l).. caPit si O' st 01:10 be• 5 54 . t keff .... .(S/1 ) YrS of ▪ . 11 . 1,00 . .► Sr. lear*C"neitO 3 ,165 1 6 h cs t it 01. t .th y " 95 1 .1 ' f f !, 4 ' For s°l"' 00) (Rog • • . e•-' ot p 2 ' [r• 511 ,0 if lan> s " ..9 wpfl 5.• , It ptitglith V 0 0.00; its o f o rp s'os 5 T. I , lOC' S4ED" ii 44, c l 20 ''ott er. iog 0 05 1 got erb i date'ls, t 0 e • ( io e r Lin ea , of b o r co fo r msFS i 0 P d d C ec t) "rde' ASS°ISr. VO 3 111 o der,ir, re we .he Oc t t e art er y, t e 0 511 eg , Api o O r , d e s t oor' - or d t" e ri co r: for f , bo o ug b ri eno coo re r ter g , Sir hie 1 t 11 ,1 ,eeetb e%c et ,„ cd e m rs , deo 0.. ear 10" 1 irk , ffi i9 : ,he „ P grot, vr t i ;:e acc' e , of selC e holt :0 10 ir w o o e a b., PO irt „, cO ,4S t o ,f 0 0 400- t .the 0. ' .tire icb, 10 ;0 4 / 1/I. 9 loe nt. 0 00 SCHOOLMASTERS' ASSOCIATION. Last evening a meeting of schoolmasters and as sistants was held at the Green Man, George-street, Westminster, for the purpose of forming an associa tion for the support and relief of decayed and dis tressed teachers. The chair was taken by Mr. Jones. After some preliminary observations, The CHAIRMAN said that it appeared to him ex traordinary that whilst all other classes of the work ng community have established institutions for the rotection of the distressed, and for the support of ,tbose who have worn out their energies in the per formance of useful duties, the teachers of this country have no establishment to which they can look for succour in adversity, or sustenance in old age. He recommended his brother teachers to form an associa tion for the purpose of uniting the whole body of teachers, male and female, in the great work of assist ing those who become poor without fault, and who are friendless, having spent their lives and exhausted their energies in the most friendly offices to mankind. Mr. AUSTIN COURTENAT said that as an old school master, and having hail considerable experience of the merits and sufferings of the important body to which he had had for many years—nearly his whole life • —the honour to belong, he felt proud in being per mitted to move a resolution to the effect that seven gentlemen be appointed a Committee to take such measures as they may deem fit for the forma tion of an association of schoolmasters and assistants Mr. BARRE had great pleasure in seconding the above resolution, which was carried unanimously. It Was moved and seconded that the following gentlemen be appointed the Committee :—Mr. Jones, 1‘ 1 ..r. Barr e , M r. Ceaton Mr. Courtenay, Mr. Long, Mr. Parton and Mr. Monday. On On the m otion of Mr. Barre, seconded by Mr. baton, Mr. Monday was appointed Honorary Se cretary. e T e ll ti anks h av i ng b een vote d t o th e Ch a i rman , th e ng a bourned till Friday the 31st inst. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. b After NIIUR CiF, MONDAY', MAY 20. th e . " answer to the letter of the Pyper, prepared ear n i l w ininittee, had been read, Mr Pyper, an advo 1144;tm.srlught forward what is called the Ceres Case, rist o ' appeared for Andrew Wallace, and other pa . ner of ueres to the number of nearly 300 appellants ' a tl i tinst a, decision of the Synod of Fife, of 9th April, 1844, pu n ning two several sentences of the Presbytery of Cu , dated 31st October and Ist November, 1843. The i t /P-Petil affected the regularity of the Presbytery's proce tirein the re f erence to t h e se ttl emen t o f the Rev. Robt. , 1 " k, of Clatt, in the parish of Ceres. The Presbytery at Ceres on the 2d October, to moderate in a call to , Cook, who had preached in the church on the two rb ree „ °ding Sundays. At this meeting objections against jo;isettlement were tendered on behalf of 226 parish ei% of the following tenor:- 1 . That his voice is so feeble for the size of the ch urch that he often, especially in parts remote from the of lPit heeomes perfectly inaudible. 2. That his style 'Peed' is so different from that which we have been accustomed to hear, that many of us, especially the old, dol not Understa n d w h at h e says. 3 . Th at h e is a man b e f a r advanced in life, that we do not consider he would Capable of yielding that activity which is necessarily de manded in a parish of such extent as Ceres." At a kb, n e quent meeting, on 18th October, additional objec t,. 8 were l o d ge d , d ec l ar i ng t h at M r . C oo k rea d hi s to l in cng, and th a t so s l av i s hly, " that he is not cal of r.ed to i mpress upon t h e congrega ti on th e i m p or t so is subject, and this may be one cause that he is imperfectly heard, for, toward the conclusion of tis. sen tences his voice dies away to be quite inaudible. "ta, and hi s defect of speech and hurried pronunciation, tanders his sermons to be of little or no spiritual benefit j eet t • he c ongregation." In explanation of the second ob rion, it w as state d t h at i t re f erre d to M r . C oo k' s ra pid o r n unciation and peculiar Aberdeenshire dialect and e ev eli t• The Court would observe that the Presbytery er ,gave any decision as to the relevancy of these betedeeti or proceeded in the way they should have of allowing to the parishioners a proof of them, tt Proceeded, w ith o ut notice and ih opposition roll ue Protest and appeal of their counsel, to call the stat e objectors, a number of whom appear and thei r a d herence more or l ess to t h e o bj ec ti ons . to their a dh erence a dj ourne d till the 31st of October, th o i." rl4 ider the case, and appointed a Committee of (M; b fluinber to examine the rest of the objectors. He the n 'YPer) did not now insist on the argument as to tot f t ,, ll4l4 fioiency of Mr. Cook's call, only with reference thi s ' treatment of the objectors. The Presbytery at 1,1 15 , 7 , meeting decided at once on hearing proof, before Peltdecided as they should have done, upon the e.it o f • prise relevancy. The parishioners were taken by sur orth,' No interlocutor deciding the relevancy, and no p roe - e r to lead proof had been given, yet the Presbytery pr oof e ded without any intimation to the parties to hear kidep: The minute bears that " Mr. Macknight The'-' various mandates in behalf of objectors. 41,0eounsel for the objectors having been repeatedly h4v; n t° Produce further evidence in the case, and te ftth g, declared that he had no more to adduce in the obi the Presbyt e ry find that the case for the Preeektors closed." At this meeting, however, the of 3 a u Ytery had no objection to lead evidence in favour do vr e Presentee. There could be no proof led that cle' st wr the obj ec t ors , no p roo f b e i ng as ked, and no Pri red " )ll of witnessess. The objectors were thus de tiote, rt ally opportunity of proving their objec thei,'' and the Presbytery at once proceed to declare stip ] ; ; ,., e ase closed, and heard four or five witnesses in Veo4;" of the call. The Presbytery on Ist No- The ~e r dismissed the objections, .sustained the call, ' eg ° l ved to proceed with 'Mr. Cook's settlement. to t earishione rs , through Mr. Macknight, appealed ha• tl e ,SYnod, who unauitnously confirmed the deci °' Presbytery,and dismissed the appeal. e b e lvto on ,gged to submit that the Presbytery had done of 1 : : I n not allowing the parishioners an opportunity t iek e evin g their objections; they never asked for evi expeatid all of a sudden, when the objectors were not proof ra g to be called on for proof, they decide that shall be led w ith ou t th e slightest previous notice, could muse no witnesses were present, which they „• ",ot possibly be, they declare that the objections tho o .,l‘ been substantiated, and as he (Mr. Pyper) eode r .' lt had broken through all that regularity of pro ttts ;,;," which they ought to have observed, and which ate r - e s' essential to the right administration of justice. tifori v ed the Assembly to reverse the sentences of the • Aitur Courts. e r , r cotinsel had been heard on the other side, b w atte'X'tt- moved that the Assembly affirm the sen 41resby-te. r t y h e nr S ei ynod of Fife, and remit the case to the eouto proceed in the settlement with fir, "lent sp ee d . -Ir . Cone LULL, of Tullynessle, seconded the motion o Lhey ;"*. The only case, be conceived, regarding which ,71 the e r . c alled on to give a decision, was that relating tl l ..ce of th e preientee ; and having carefully read Z i t upi C a l ro a Pers in the case, he thought there was very ~0 1 1% . ,, laud for coming the decision that the objec realeoleundoubtedly unfounded in fact, and that they t even ce nfirui the decision of the Court below. In re 'rieed the to another of these objections—the dialect of his ••• resentee—he was not, perhaps a proper judge ' Vet • to h Mr Cook belonge to A Y ttoportant fact—that thoug . ~ au e•hter)—but he must be itllovired to state -..13 e ,~ . , sentee qeenshire—ana he he hat, of old not wish to deny that the pre "ible, F`Aen heard it remarked where he belonge 10.-... (t r ° 4 1 his language, to ascertain : he regarding age, that it—(Laughter)— yet iNvoul dbe m; o sd -01 `-I,4oghter ) As to , the objection I. ' - null) . ' n ig ht on that point also be ill,r11:11,!'„aled judge. lt would, indeed, be t the age of fift v - ' 4 ,rY if he had been told that, ex t raan he h " Pam. . e that peri od, them orn"le had been unable to discharge . a all the duties 44, u .hiai minister when, sing . r . ^ fUr t Ta.ler the providence of God , he cltsch eo a u r l g d ed ,: teatott additional years, andlegtti tl,iseh Y r Rive evidence in i f e avo l u v r th of tt ' n himself, had h m a i d y V r iaer ged them more ae e l „,,Peri e d o f hi s lif e . effi H e e was perf o ec r t 1 but still he ° lved l v' t to con fi ne himself to the rec to a to 44 :t , t, sense of duty, aware that friendship, to justice, and ,_ 41_ . nee to . d itted to his Itn,,in In reference ' his friend, Mr. Cook, that he had active, vretmon mately since ever he was a m 4 to e , Parl h i, zealous, a more _ it h of Scotland, MA3 hie wfiotking minister of the Churc h found ; and that a more within her 1)ale 3 (6 1.41 conviction was not to be begged cordially 4 ln,.„es of "Hear, hear.") 34tisefa--,;4 u r• Cook's motion ; and n i Lord Aber dettli-e"!mi if in this, the first case under Lord 4411111, they e t would add to his came to a unanimous d e cision. reesed the As sta)hivr a Nialber of clergymen had ttdd - Co ok ,- , a division took place, when there were for Dr. ~ , _____bly adj in! Inotioll 162 a 1 against it 78. Inc AbSUL" -t) Ile " at two o ' 'clo n c t k Mi. Tuesday morning. Assembly , i 111, A R ~,..,_ 1 REE CIIURCII• 314 --3v ""° l 3 , met at twelve o cloc , a Mr. 11. ,Praise, and some preliminary procee dings, , Tre v , th e lan Alt'r read a report of the proceed ings k M°l4 nd nA a Y fier prayer Rated that, for the conversion of the Jews. t oatiii 41 , at Pesth ('specially, there was a great thirst Th during be th " ri led suc for Christian knowledge, and every prospect e essf il e i Church m issionaries becoming still m ore Jassy, also, the 1,b:11 their labour of conversion. e that I) . 4 vr 1 l ir s of Mr. Edwards had been A m t ostsucce ha s y sf ie ul g , i st ,,, a Interesting communications to that effect titive`Yabn-ea received from most importan t natio n _ , atnascus would become a stated him. Great hopes were enter ; 9 (. , at vv i t h a ' tt ri regard to Constantinople, the report ilittly of v. „, si ft be sent back to this station; however, e not yet been determined whether. Mr. C. ti l ies ' B'xty conve rted Jews continued to meet three th, ilt.Week• report then referred to the state past .11,,,,_ tiods, the collections f 4 which, during the 441.7, tunonnted to 4 '4R/ d concluded by noticing tr e r t 1s which t he ' sChe a m n e had experienced by the asg ow °I. GI ''' Mr. k`Cheyno of Dundee, and Mr. Wodrow t:e pr in reference ti.•DTrieAN "''shed to make a few remarks em.s. tries 0 the qualification of young men to b . . 1 0. a fe ll ss° , to.the !louse of Israel. What he had n3y had 113 fald.down on this matter at a former occasion, WA -tl ii the effect of deterring young men from coming . eorotnend_hing-tivat those qualifications which her easily attelnWere hi those than they possessed or c ould no grou nd f al • While he thought that there wa s _ or entertaining either of these opinions, he ec a e lso . adavitted that sa ry i n __, Jewish learning was by no means n s a .‘ Such l e : r !",er to make useful labourers among the Jew.. Much— ling, hovvever, was of great importance, inas to the.,a!t secured more personal esteem and influence staele `v ell lie then referred to the great ob speet ~,, : h i e ), the nl. issionaries had to encounter in re the It s , coed let of those professing Christianity. in \ peeted till, bliavourite argument among the Jews to point to Moral could ;)- of Christians, and ask how they to leave th eligion which was so Of w. , its results, and adopt a i ry gion the professors ;II "r 0 54 47049 - a LI a cte d the truth and x 0 justness of the argument, and hoped that it would be re futed by Christians taking care that their walk and con versation was becoming the Gospel. Taking that view of the matter, he considered the great revival now taking place in this country, and which was to come under the consideration of the Assembly—svas a most important movement in favour of the conversion of the Jews, and he confidently expected that it would be zealously pro secuted at home, and prove a great assistance to the la bours of the Church abroad. The Learned Doctor con cluded by calling upon Mr. Schwartz to address the As sembly. Mr. SCHWARTZ, who is himself a Jew, accordingly came forward and addressed the Assembly at some length, corroborating the statements of Dr. Duncan. He dwelt chiefly on the character which Christians bore of being drunkards, swearers, &c., which caused the Jews to consider them as bad, if not worse, than Roman Catholics, or those belonging to the Greek Church, and concluded by adverting to the many temptations and difficulties to which missionaries were subjected. Dr. BROWN, of Aberdeen, moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Dr. WILSON, of Bombay, and the motion was agreed to. The Assembly, after retiring for refreshment, met in the evening, when Dr. CUNNINGHAM gave a report of his mission to the United States, of which the following is a brief extract :—" They were most thankful for the assistance they had received from evangelical churches both in England and in America ; but they valued them chiefly because—as had often been avowed, it was given merely as a testimony of approbation, sympathy, and brotherly esteem.—(Cheers.) He rejoiced at the sym pathy which the Free Curch had called forth from evan gelical churches, and he was most desirous to promote it, and friendly to co-operate with them, not because of any pecuniary assistance which the Free Church had received, or might yet receive, but upon far higher grounds. The Free Church had little difficulty in doing so, because it could occupy such a position with out any risk of its motives being misunderstood, except indeed by those who were the meanest and basest of men —(Laughter, and loud cheering)—men who had sold their principles for their living—(Renewed cheering)— or who would do so if put to the alternative.—Continued cheering.) The Rev. Gentleman then referred to the pecuniary results of the mission. It had not turned out very large, and some people might regard the result with some measure of disappointment. Looking to all the circumstances, however, he thought the assistance in this respect was as liberal as reasonably could be expected. Before the deputation left this country 3,000/. had been received from America; since then 6,0001. more had been sent; so that, altogether, the Free Church had received 9,0001. from America.—(Cheers.) He thought that more money would be forwarded. There were seve r ral individuals in America who had shown great li berality towards the Free Church. In particular, he could not refrain from mentioning Mr. James Lennox, New York, who had contributed the munificent sum of 3,000/. On his detailing the hardships to which many of the Free Church congregations had been exposed in procuring sites for churches—for he, of course, told them of the atrocities of such as Ale Duke of Sutherland—the Americans expressed their deep sym pathy and burning indignation of such conduct ; and seriously proposed that the whole Free Church—the 600 or 700 congregations should go over and settle in the United States—(Loud laughter and prolonged cheering)—for there they would get rich and fertile land of as much extent as Scotland itself, not to rent, but to purchase, at the rate of ss. per acre. His answer to these suggestions was, that the Free Church could not aban don Scotland to the Erastian Moderates.—(Cheers.) No person had called forth so much sympathy in Ame rica as Janet Fraser (Thornhill), and he had been en trusted with the donation of a pair of silver spectacles as a token from Elizabeth Scott, along with a letter which he would read. He accordingly read the letter, ' which complimented Janet in glowing terms for grant ing a site to the Free Church congregation in the lo cality in which she resides, adding that her most noble and generous conduct formed a strong contrast to that of her neighbour the Duke of Buccleuch.—(Laughter and cheers.) The Doctor concluded his address, which occupied an hour and a half in the delivery, by calling upon Mr. Ferguson, who had accompanied him during his tour to America, to address the Assembly. Mr. FERGUSON rose amid much cheering, and spoke shortly in corroboration of what Dr. Cunningham had stated, relating a few anecdotes illustrative of the recep tion they had met with from the American people, and concluded with a very effective allusion to the circum stances of the success of their mission. Dr. GORDON moved that the Assembly tender their ' best thanks to Dr. Cunningham for his exertions in their behalf, while in America, and-convey to him their ardent prayers that he might be long spared amongst them—an honour to himself and the Church.—(Cheers.) Tho MODERATOR, in a short speech, accordingly de livered the thanks of the Assembly to Dr. Cunningham. THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 23, 1844. GRAND WEEKLY ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Amidst the applause and laughter which Don Pasquale eli cited on Tuesday night from first to last, there was a contributor to the enjoyments of the performance who was utterly for gotten. 11 e allude to the author of the libretto—and still to him infinite praise is due. Immediately after, Metas tasio, in whose works passages sublime as well as beauti ful are so abundant—libretto ceased to possess even com mon sense ; their anachronisms and absindlities proving in their authors the most magnificent contempt of all branches of ordinary education, and affording the few amateurs familiar with the Italian language the great est amusement.. The ignorance of that beautiful .tongue, and the absence of all vie comics in Italian singers some years since, rendered the libretto of little importance ; of late, how ever, this language has become a common branch of educa tion—we are, therefore, greatly indebted to that admirable critic and playwright, Romani, who has created a complete revolution in this style of composition, and who writes out his plots and dialogues as fast, and full as ably, as the com posers do the music—as he did in an incredibly short space of time with regard to Donizetti's Elisire d'Amore. - The author of Don Pasquale is a worthy rival of his : he is a young student, and who has here made his debilt in literature. No doubt that his spirited dialogues have contributed to inspire the composer, whilst they enable Lablache and Grisi to display the resources of their comic vein, and keep the delighted audience in a continual state of risible excitement. The more pathetic portions of the libretto, introduced for the sake of contrast, are not less admirably treated, and the poetry, though unpretending, flows with sweetness and grace. To those who are not thoroughly conversant with Italian, the following free translation of the first song of the Opera, " Bella siccome un angelo," may not be uninteresting:— " Bella siccome un angelo," Ste. " Fair is she as angel bright, On a pilgrimage to earth ; Round her path a stream of light Proves her heavenly birth! Fresh as freshest lily bell, Opening in its em'rald cell To the morning dew. Then such soul-subduing eyes, Sunny laughter lurking lies, Wordless language, breathless sighs, All is in their hue. Hair that rivals ebon jet— When the raven's wing is wet With a rainbow shower, 'Tis less bright. And for her smile, They who gaze on it awhile, Feel—but too well—its power." Last night Don Pasquale placed the audience in the best disposition possible. Unfortunately in the ballet, after a display of more than her wonted power and grace, Cerito was taken suddenly ill ; the curtain fell at once. Coulon came forward to announce the circumstance to the public— the peculiarity of his costume, combined with the sudden ness of his manner of expressing his desespoir, raised general laughter. The ballet was then brought at once to a close— turning the habitual transient chat of the crush-room into a prolonged conversaziono, but still of a most lively and agreeable character. We are happy to be able to state that Cerito rapidly recovered from the swoon produced by her exertions. It is with the utmost alacrity that we seize this opportu nity of reminding the public of the benefit of that unrivalled artist who has the greatest claims on their patronage. Lablache, although he neither has now, nor ever has had, his equal, and although he has passed the meridian of life, condescends to the smallest parts in his zeal for the manage ment, and in his anxious desire to please the public. An example that finds but few imitators, either from want of talent, zeal, or good policy. It is needless for us to remind our readers what interest our highly intellectual favourite infuses into every opera in which he thus appears, and what importance he confers, and what fresh triumphs he elicits from parts secondary performers have rejected as beneath them. Lablache has made the happy choice for his benefit of that beautiful opera 17 lliadrimonto Segreto, and we doubt not the public will be eager to prove to him that they remember it was in the part of Geronimo he made his debit in our capi tal, and to prove that from that day to this his reputation and popularity have constantly increased. Tho Opera was well attended last night. Amongst the company were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ; the Honourable William Ashley and party occupied the Queen Dowager's box; the Duke and Duchess of Leinster, Duke and Duchess of Montrose; the Marquises of Ailesbury, Sa lisbury, Douro, Abereorn, Huntly ; the Marchionesses of Ailesbury, Abercorn, Douro, Westmeath ; the Earls of Pem broke, Liverpool, Bruce, Shelburne, Wilton, Glengall, Ken mare, Belfast, and Maldon ; Countesses of Shelburne, Ken mare, Glengall ; Lords Ernest Bruce, Foley, Gardner, Sandys. M'Donald, Charles Wellesley, Templetoun ; Count Noailles ; Ladies Taylour, Ernest Bruce, Dacre, Petre, Foulis, Mahon, E. Balfour, Augusta Somerset, Shaw Stewart, Ingilbv ; Sirs F. Trench, H. 3leux, Denham Norreyr, 'l'. Hare, II Bold Hoghton ; Hon. Colonel Upton, Mr. and Mrs. Assheton Smith, Mr. Wombwell, Colonel Knox, Colonel Wigram, and Major Baring. THE DANISH CLAIMS.—Mr. Christie is to move, on Tuesday the 4th of June, that on the day following the House will resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of an address to her Majesty on the subject of the Danish Claims. _ _ THE CHARGE OF MURDER AND ROBBERY AT SIIADIVELL.—On Tuesday morning, at ten o'clock, ajury was empannelled before Mr. Baker, the coroner, at the own of Whitby, Wapping-wall, to investigate the circumstances attending the, death of Mr. Luke Williams, landlord of the Chequers public-house, in the same street, who is alleged to have died from injuries inflicted on him by a man named Bragger, under circumstances already described in this journal. The jury having been sworn, proceeded to the late residence of the deceased for the purpose of viewing the body. On their return to the inquest-room a statement of the circumstances, as already described before the police magistrate, was laid before them, and, at the suggestion of the coroner, the inquiry was at once adjourned until Thurs day next, in order to allow time for a post mortem examina tion to be made. STRANGB SUICIDE IN FRANCE.— On Saturday afternoon, at about two o'clock, a young man, most elegantly dressed, entered the church of Saint Gervais, and after hav ing knelt for some time before the painting represent ing St. Juliette, went into the confessional of the chapel in which it hangs, and appeared to be praying with fervour. 1 At the end of a short time an explosion was heard, and the young man, who had blown out his brains with a pistol, fell backward on the flooring of the church. No papers were found upon him to indicate who he was, but in one of his pockets was a letter addressed to a female residing at Cou lange-sur-Yonne, and who is styled in it sister. In this letter he speaks of a secret which he had not possessed cou rage enough to reveal to her. His body was conveyed to the Morgue to be identified. A marriage was being cele brated in an adjoining chapel at the time of ti: suicide. The church was immediately afterwards closed ~.., public until the usual ceremony of purification shoul• a been perfumed. ~ . . •, LITERATURE. HOEL .1110 R VAN, 3 Vals. Newby, London, 1844. The author of this work is Mr. Browning, to whom we are already indebted for a " History of the Hu guenots," a production which displayed much pains taking research, and was particularly skilful in its di gest of facts. In the work before us he gives a spi rited representation of the court and camp of Henry the Fifth, subsequent to the famous battle of Agin court. A considerable portion of his narrative is laid in France, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century, and has reference to the intrigues and adventures of an outlaw chieftain, Hoel Morvan—a sort of Robin Hood in his way—whose head-quarters are in a spacious cavern in a sequestered quar ter of Brittany, near the shores of the Morbihan. The character of this rude, bold, but generous-natured chief is kept up throughout in a very consistent spirit, and forms indeed the redeeming feature of the story, which otherwise is by no means remarkable for interest, nor breadth and variety of portraiture. Like Mr. James, the novelist, our author pays great attention to his costumes, and, in this particular instance, introduces apparently nothing for which he has not sufficient warranty. He excels, also, in his descriptions of tournaments ; but, with the single exception of the character of Hoe' Morvan, he has not the happy art of infusing the breath of life into his dialogues. THE LOGIC OF POLITICAL ECONOMY. Blachwood. London and Edinburgh, 1844. Notwithstanding the dry, hard, practical nature of the subject, this treatise on political economy is by no means uninteresting, for it is penned in a clear and vigorous style, without the slightest ambiguity or circumlocution, by one who shows in every page that he is perfectly conversant with the theme on which he expatiates. Some of the positions which the author lays down, are illustrated with consider able neatness and vivacity ; but indeed—no matter what be the subject—Mr. De Quincey cannot write two pages together without putting forth something that shall both please and instruct his readers. MINIATURE MEMOIRS. 'Whether the Count Rostopschin was, or was not, that Mr. Swing on an extensive scale, the Incendiary of Moscow, is nothing to our present purpose. We have here to do with him only as the author of an autobiography which is unexampled for brevity. It is written in French, of which language the Count was perfect master ; and including the table of con tents, occupies no more than five—" volumes No ; (tell it not in the Row) not even the compulsory three; it occupies no more than five loosely-printed pages, in small octavo. Of the voluminous biographies and autobiographies of persons of vast importance to themselves or their surviving relatives, by which our shelves are encumbered, were many of them abridged, compressed, divested of all that is uninteresting and valueless, to how much lqs than five pages would they not be reduced ! Rostopschin, an able statesman and a good soldier, was also a wit ; and when this dreaded personage first arrived in Paris, "we were not a little astonished," says the Biographie Universelle et portative des Contemporains, " to find a man of wit and amiability in him whom, till then, we had been accustomed to consider as a ferocious Tartar." An abundance of his sayings are still pa membered ; as an example—" You did not, then, come to Paris, Monsieur Le Comte, to set fire to it ?" said a lady. " Madame," replied he, " I came to be enabled to judge for myself of the real merits of three men of whom I had heard so much—Fouch6, Talleyrand, and Potier. (the actor) ; and it seems to me that Potier is the only one of them who has not been vastly over-rated." The origin of the memoirs may be related with a brevity proportioned to the work. A lady told Ro stopschin that he ought to write his memoirs. The next morning he waited upon her, and, putting a sheet of paper into her hand, said, " I have complied with your orders ; there, Madam, are my memoirs." It was not till some years afterwards (1839) that the work was given to the press, and only three hundred copies (of which one is before us) were printed ; but it was almost immediately copied into the leading French journals. The version which we give of this charming jeu d' esprit is, in some parts, necessarily paraphrastic : there are points in it strongly resembling the light and playful satire of Voltaire, the intention of which could not be rendered by a close and literal translation. MEMOIRS OF THE COUNT ROSTOPSCHIN, IN FOURTEEN CHAPTERS, WRITTEN' DY HIMSELF IN TEN MINUTES. CHAP I.—MY BIRTH.—On the 12th of March, 1765, I burst from darkness into the light of day. I was measured, and I was weighed, and I was baptised. I was born without knowing why; and my simple parents (like most othess) thanked Heaven for the event, with out knowing wherefore. CHAP. lI.—MY EDUCATION.—I was taught all manner of things and all sorts of languages. By dint of im pudence and quackery, I sometimes contrived to pass myself oil for a very learned person. My head became, as it were, a library of nothing but odd volumes, of which I kept the key. CHAP. lII.—MY SUFFERINGS.—I was tormented by my tutors, by my tailors—they would make my clothes so tight !—by women, and by vanity, and by ambition and by idle regrets. Sometimes I was tormented by sovereigns, sometimes by souvenirs. CHAP. IV.—MY PRIVATIONS.—I was deprived of the capacity for enjoying the three great pleasure of th• human race : thieving, gluttony, and pride. • CHAP. V.—MEMORABLE EPOCHS Or BIT LIFE.--.-At thirty, I gave up dancing ; at forty, I renounced the de sire to make myself agreeable to the fair sex ; at fifty, I ceased to care for public opinion ; at sixty, I gave up the trouble of thinking, and became a true philosopher —or thoroughly selfish man : the terms are synonymous. CHAP. Vl.—My CHARACTER.--4 was as obstinate as a mule, capricious as a pretty woman, gay as a child, lazy as a dormouse, active as a Buonaparte—and all this just as it suited me. CHAP. VII.—A MOMENTOUS RESOLUTION.—Never having been able to command my countenance, I resolved to give full liberty to my tongue, till at length it became a habit with me to think aloud. To this I was indebted for considerable pleasure, and a great many enemies. CHAP. I WAS, AND WHAT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN.—I was frank, confiding, and exceedingly susceptible of friendship ; so that, had I lived in the golden age, I might probably have been a downright simpleton. CHAP. IX.—SINS I HAVE NOT COMMITTED.—I WE/ never implicated in bringing about a marriage; to ne one did I ever recommend a cook or physician ; conse quently, I never attempted any person's life. CHAP. X. —My TASTES.—I was fond of pleasant little parties, and a ramble in the woods. I entertained an in voluntary veneration for the sun, and his setting often saddened me. My favourite colour was blue; in eating, I liked beef and horse-radish; in drinking, cool spring water; comedy and farce when I went to the play; in both man and woman I liked an open, expressive coun tenance. Hunchbanks—hunchbacks of either sex—for me possessed an indefinable charm, a charm which I never could account for. CHAP. XI.—MY AVERSIONS.—I always entertained an antipathy to fools and to rogues, and to certain women who simulate virtue; disgust for affectation; pity for dandyfied men and made-up women; aversion for rats, liqucrs, metaphysics, and rhubarb; dread of justice, and wild beasts. CHAP. XII.—MY GREATEST BLESSING..—My chief happiness now consists in that I am independent of tills three great rulers of the destinies of Europe. As lam as rich as I care to be, I have turned my back on public affairs, and am pretty indifferent about music; 1 have, consequently, no accounts to settle with Messrs. Roths child, Metternich, and Rossini. CHAP. XIII.—ANALYSIS OF MY LIFE.—I await death without fear, as without impatience. My life has been a bad, but showy, melo-drama, in which I have alternately played the hero, the tyrant, the lover, the dignified father—but never the valet. CHAP. XIV.—EPISTLE-DEDICATORY TO THE PUBLIC. —Dog of a Public ! Harsh an untunable mouthpiece of every bad passion ! Thou that elevatest to the skies and plungest into the mire ; thou that, ignorant and chance led, now flatterest, now calumniatest ! Senseless tyrant! Bedlamite broke loose ! Thrice-drawn essence of roses —and of rats-bane ! The Devil's representative at the Court of Humankind ! Fury—disguised beneath the mask of Christian charity ! Public ! that in my younger days I feared ; in riper years, respected ; in age confirmed, despised—'tis to the I dedicate my Me moirs. Gentle public ! I am now beyond thy reach— only for lam dead—deaf, dumb, and blind. For thine own repose, and the repose of mankind, I heartily wish thee the same. THE FIRST ENGLISH RAILWAY.—TO the success of the " Stockton and Darlington Railway," may be traced the rise of all the others. To the originator of this line is due the honour of being the founder of the railway system. His fame was hardly earned and will last long. When success was proved, when the opening was made, and by the light of this experience a vista was illumined, whose long perspective pointed distinctly to wealth and eminence, crowds of speculators were ready to tread the path. But great as their merit was he was the leader ; and we hope the time may never come when the millions at home and abroad, who enjoy the advantages of railways shall have forgotten that they owe them all to Mr. Edward Pease, of Darlington. It would be idle to relate the opposition he received, the hosti lity of antagonists, the cold support of friends, the vexatious obstacles, the absurd objections, the doubt of some, the pre judice of others, the ignorance of all. These matters are now being forgotten. Confident in judgment, ready in resource, undismayed by difficulty, with indomitable energy and perseverance he gradually surmounted every thing; and it remains a striking instance of foresight that, without any experience,, and with." all the world before him where to choose," he selected what to the ordinary observer is an unpromising district, and made the first and the most successful railway. Perhaps even more remarkable was the singular sagacity shown in his choice of an engineer. At this day the names George Stephenson, and of his no less eminent son Robert, are known far and wide. But Mr. George Stephenson is a man of humble origin, and at the time when • the Stockton and Darlington railway was projected, unknown, untried, and inexperienced. It was Mr. Pease's eye which detected the sterling metal beneath the rough exterior, the genius which only wanted a fair opportunity and fitting occasion to reveal its gigantic power. He was drawn by Mr. Pease literally from the mine to construct the first railway, and well has he justified the choice. One success followed another in triumphant succession until he can boast that he is the con sulting engineer of or has actually laid down every railway between London and Edinburgh.—Fraser's Magazine. EXECUTIONS FOR MUIDER.-011 Friday John . Hickey was executed at Nenagh, for conspiring to - murder. Thomas Hanaley ; and at the same time and place John Cooke paid the forfeit of his life for the murder of a man named Nolan.—bials . Paper. - • - - -- - MEETING AT COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. The usual weekly meeting of the League was held last evening in Covent-garden Theatre, Major-Gen. Briggs in the Chair. Th e h ouse was full. Among those present were Dr. Cooke Taylor, Rev. Samuel Green, George Thompson, Esq., Richard Taylor, Esq.. W. J. Fox, Esq., J. W. Heath, Esq., J. P. Nixon, Esq., J. E. Royle, Esq. (Manchester), Robert Welsh, Esq. (Huddersfield), T. H. Hall, Esq., A. Hall, Esq., N. V. Squarey, Esq. (Salisbury), John Wilson, Esq., Alexander Jacob, Esq. (Man chester), F. Scheer, Esq., Captain Gear (Exeter), Messrs. Stour, James Lewis, Henry Franklin, Geo. Dixon, F. Rolfe, J. Rogers, Moore, Knox, Campart, Kent, Phelps, W. Thornborrow, Wagstaff, Geesin, Samuel Harrison, P. A. Taylor, J. P. Burnard, Ridge, H. Underhill, R. Welland, W. Elliott, W. D. Christie, IL Glover, J. Notley, William Miller Christie. . The chair was taken by Major-General Briggs. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, The CHAIRMAN said he was sorry to be obliged to open the meeting by communicating the painful in telligence that Mr. Mark Philips, M.P. for Man chester, was unable to attend, from indisposition. However, they had been fortunate enough to find members ready to supply the place of those who were notable to attend, and they would be addressed that evening by the Re,. Samuel Green, by Richard Taylor, George Thompson, ofid W. J. Fox, Esqrs. He now begged leave to introduce to them The Rev. SAMUEL GREEN, who said that it would not, perhaps, be irrelevant to the subject-matter on which he meant to address them, if he just adverted to the reasons why he stood before them that night. He was not accustomed to such large audiences as he now addressed, nor was he aware, until twelve o'clock that day, that he should be called on to address them that evening. He mentioned that circumstance for the purpose of throwing himself upon the kindness of the meeting.—(Hear, hear.) He was going to say he had been somewhat reluctantly induced to take the place he had now oc cupied, but that, on second thoughts, he deemed that the word reluctant ought not to fall from any gentle • man's lips in connexion with such an employment as that in which he was just now engaged.—(Hear.) Any man and every man, be his standing high or low—his influence great or small—be his power mighty or feeble—when called upon, ought to be willing to give that influence, and consecrate those powers to the mighty cause which had convened the large assembly which he now beheld. As he was coming to the meeting that evening, he could not help thinking that in those days it would be a some what difficult thing to find any man pressed with re luctance into a service of that kind. If there were reluctance to unite with the ranks of the anti-mono polists, it must arise from something like indifference to the great cause, or something like a disposition to avow oneself a supporter of monopoly. He thought there were very few who would readily acknowledge themselves supporters of monopoly. Among the labouring people—the lower classes as they were some times called—he thought it would be difficult indeed to find any person anywhere to avow himself a sup porter of monopoly. Certainly among the agricultu ral poor, whose privatims were so heavy and oppres sive, so grinding, unless they were bamboozled, ca joled, or constrained against their convictions, none would be found to come forward on those boards and avow themselves monopolists. Then as to the trading classes of the community ; there were circumstances enough to make them per fectly willing to advocate the great cause which had brought them together that evening. It was quite true that the mill trade was not quite so depressed now as it had been a few months ago, and yet there were still mills unemployed or only half employed, and yielding but a low rate of profit, and trade was sufficiently depressed to constrain every man con cerned in the best interests of the community, and oc cupying any standing among the trading classes, to come forward in the cause of free trade—for it was by free trade that they lived. Even in the legisla tive assemblies of the land, where some of the stanchest friends of monopoly sat, there were few who would not be ashamed to acknowledge themselves as the supporters of monopoly. The principle so often pro pounded by the League, of buying in the cheapest market and selling in the dearest, was even conceded to them from the highest place in the Legislature. There were other classes—the great landed aristo aracy—he did not use that epithet in a bad sense— among whom the number of those was small who were ready to avow themselves the friends of mono poly; and small as that number' was, it was daily becoming smaller and beautifully less.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He ought not, there fore, to say that he came forward reluctantly on an occasion like the present.—(Hear, hear.) He knew the character that he sustained, and the office to which the kindness and the providence of God had called him. But he could say that every possible sentiment and feeling which he cherished in that office was in perfect harmony with that great and noble cause which that assembly advocated.—(Cheers.) Where should the follower of the meek and humble Redeemer be found, save in the ranks of those who were prepared to undo heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free ?—(Cheers.) He was a little amused some times in watching the progress of the sentiments of those anti-monopolists. Men in his position in society were not often found mingling with corn merchants, farmers, and millers, in their corn halls and corn exchanges during the hours of business. Yet, now and again, men like him did frequent such places. It had happened to him more than once to visit one of the principal corn halls in this country in the hours of business, and there converse with respectable farmers, merchants, and millers. Seven years ago, those men scouted the notion of free trade. 'Three or four years ago, when he again spoke to the same persons on the subject of free-trade, their observe tion, accompanied with a contemptuous smile, was, "Mr. Green, don't you wish you may get it." They spoke thus contemptuously, j because their monopolist Par liament had ast been elected. He had again visited that corn-hall after Sir Robert Peel's amended sliding scale had been broached, and then those same merchants and millers said, " Dash it, we might as well have a free trade in corn as this sliding-scale !" and last December, when he asked what they thought of a free trade in corn, their reply was, that they would rather have it than continue in the state of uncertainty they then Were:—linight be said that he forgot the Anti-League. It was a long array to be sure, and some splendid names were to be found connected with it. They used language of a bold description—sometimes approaching even to threats; and they had a purse which threatened to be a long one, and perhaps it might be as long as it promised ; but that Anti-League would never come forward and hire Drury-lane Theatre and convene such a meeting as the present.—(Cheers.) He should like to see them come before a London audience, and he thought the shout of derision with which their arguments would be met would be the most cheering he ever listened to.—(Hear, hear.) He did not think the speakers there would avow that other nations would continue to trade with this country, though this country would not trade with them. He did not think they would refer to the moral benefits which an unrestricted trade would afford by binding all the nations of the earth in one friendly union, or to the higher considerations suggested by Jesus Christ, who would have them to do to others what they would wish to have done to themselves, and who preached justice and charity to all.—(Hear, hear.) They might say that the nation flourished under those laws. Why, so it did under the feudal system—under the persecution of the Stuarts, and under the system which allowed representatives to Gatton and Old Sarum. But would they bring back the lords and serfs, the religious persecutions of the Stuarts, or the repeal of the Reform Bill? The argument would carry them to that length. There was another argument which they would be likely to use, and which he would endeavour to state as briefly as possible—it was sic volo, sic jubeo—(Laughter)—" We are the majority, and you must submit." But that was a dangerous argument to use, for they might not be always in the ascendant ; and if the people were in power, and said sic volo, sic jubeo what would become of the aristocracy ?—(Cheers.) They might use another argument, which was, that they had mortgages and incumbrances of various kinds to meet, and that the protection of a corn-law was necessary on that account. His Norfolk friends used that argu ment, but he would meet it by the motto, fiat justitia, ruat ccelum—let them have what was upright and just, no matter what theconsequences were.—(Cheers.) But he would meet it in another way, which was that the corn-laws, instead of preventing ruin, were the ruin of others, and at least prevented men from rising by honest industry from a state of destitution.— (Hear, hear.) It might be said, if what the free traders alleged were true, that the corn-laws were doomed, there was little use in agitating the question for they would soon fall of themselves. He wished that anticipation were correct and that it might soon be sacrificed. But monopoly was long lived, and it would continue vigorous if they did not continue their exertions. He was not a Conservative in the technical sense of the word, but all men were natu rally averse from great changes —had a dislike to touch things of long standing. What was the prac tical inference from this ? It was this, that they should pursue monopoly to the death ; and the people had only to go to the Legislature and say to the Govern ment such a change must be made, and the moment the Sovereign people said so, depend on it monopoly would be doomed.— (Cheers.) There was one power opposed to them, namely, the Established Church. Mk would not tell the meeting what he was ; but, at all events, he could not help saying that the Esta blished Church was determinedly hostile to the over throw of this monopoly. They had an interest in the corn-laws, for they had a portion of the produce of the land in the form of tithes. Under the Tithe Commutation Act a certain modus, or money pay ment, was made compulsory after some time; and on this principle, that the produce of the ,land would be calculated on a certain number of years, and the ave rage value was to be taken as the amount to be paid to the Church Establishment in the shape of tithes. Now, if it was true that the corn laws would cheapen the price of corn, it gave an interest to the members of the Established Church in opposing the abolition of th• corn-laws.—(Hear, hear.) He did not think that was an enviable position to be occupied by men who called themselves the ministers of the most mer ciful being that ever trod this earth.—(Hear, hear.) He would now tell the meeting what he was —(Hear, hear)—and he would advise them that it was better that the Establishment be utterly de stroyed, than that they should not have their own. —(Cheers and hisses.) What they wanted to in sure the abolition of the corn-laws was, a full, fair, and free representation of the people. If they had not at present such a representation, let them create it.—(Cheers.) Let them never record a vote, unless it was in favour of an honest free trader, like their Chairman.—(Hear, hear.) Let them do everything in their power honestly, honourably, and legitimately that the House of Commons should be a full, fair,' and transparent representation of the public mind. Mr. TAYLOR, of London, then came forward, and said that he felt extremely reluctant, after the many eloquent addresses they had heard from men much abler than himself, and better acquainted with the subject, who came from different parts of the country to expound their views before them, in presenting himself to the meeting. But he came forward as an old inhabitant of the city of London, to express, for one, his cordial sympathy with the cause, and to en courage all others to support it.—(Hear, hear.) He could only express his good wishes for the cause, and point out a few reasons why the inhabitants of the metropolis should aid it. In the first place, to ap peal to their interests, he need not point out how much the prosperity of the metropolis depended on the prosperity of the nation—Hear, hear) — whether he considered the foreign trade of the country, which had so much to do with the port of London, or to the large portion of its prosperity which was derived from the home trade, conducted by the manufacturers and warehousemen, whose trade depended on the orders they received from various parts of the kingdom. It was known to everybody that the principal portion of these orders came from the manufacturing districts. If the foreign trade continued to be restricted, manufactures must decline, and the prosperity of the metropolis must decline in the same ratio. Another fact which struck him as being of great importance to the metropolis was the -increase of destitute paupers from the rural districts. —(Hear, hear.) They had all heard of the appeals made to them during the last winter, for the support of new societies to relieve those persons who were said to be wandering about their streets and parks. He was struck by the fact mentioned in Lord Ranelagh's excellent appeal on behalf of those persons —that nine-tenths of those destitute persons were not inhabitants of the metropolis, but came from the rural districts, being driven here through the greatest extremity. The distress of the rural districts might be inferred from the number of incendiary fires, the accoints of which they must have read in the newspapers;and a Baronet in Suffolk had admitted that the crimes there arose from the inadequacy of wages and want of employment.— (Hear, hear.) They might be sure that the morals of a people who were not independent could not be in a sound state.—(Hear, hear.) Was it to be expected that a people would respect property who did not participate in the benefits of property ?—(Hear, hear.) His attention was drawn to this from a comparison between the rural population of this and of foreign countries. He did not mean to say that there was not poverty in the continental countries; but there was little destitution. It had been said that the fare in their workhouses had been better than that of the peasants on the continent. He admitted that the fare used abroad was common ; but it was the produce of their own farms, and they were consoled by the hope of leaving some property to their children. There was some talk lately about Inclosure Bills, and it was said it was better to cultivate the lands than allow them to run waste. But this need not be the case. It was not so in Switzerland. There the commons were placed under a certain master, who managed them, and divided them equally amongst poor and rich, though he was told when they had an aristocracy the rich got the largest share. He re membered the period when the aristocracy had been swept away in France, but the land remained, and was even more productive than ever.—(Hear, hear.) He thought it was a great mistake of the political economists to dwell on the net produce of the land as ,the principal thing to be considered. He be lieved if they got corn cheaper abroad than it could be grown at home, they would be benefited thereby. These considerations derived great force from our Insular position. Great Britain had been called the " sea-girt isle ;" but such had been the follies of past legislation, that that position was an evil to us.— (Hear, hear.) The sea had converted the island into a prison, instead :of being, as it should be, the high road to prosperity.—(Hear, hear.) Was it not monstrous that there should be millions of quarters of corn in bond, whilst the people were in want of it ? Our naval superiority entitled the people to greater ,abundance than any other country; nor was our colonial position of any other use, that he could perceive, than in bestowing increased comforts on the population.—(Cheers.) The subject of inclosure had been adverted to. He was surprised to see one of the public journals, otherwise liberal in its ten dencies, advocate the inclosure of waste lands. That question should be considered with reference to the great question of free trade. If the improvements in agriculture would make corn cheaper and better than it could come from abroad, why had not these im provements taken place ? The only test of improve ments in agriculture, as in manufactures, was, whe ther the article could be produced better and cheaper. That had not been done, and the people were entitled to have that from abroad which they could not obtain at home. If agricultural improvements could only be made at the expense of the people—if the capital of the country must be sunk in making these im provements—they must be of a deceptive nature. The improvements on waste land must de pend upon the quality of the land; but he deprecated the system which would engross those lands where the poor man fed his cow, his goose, and his pig—where his children recreated themselves ; he disliked that wholesale encroachment on the few remaining comforts of the poor. These waste lands, as they were called, which were now of so much advantage to the humbler classes, would be annexed to the estates of some of the wealthy lords of the soil, and would be converted into preserves for hares and pheasants. And probably those very persons who were formerly quiet, poor cottagers, would be en gaged in murderous affrays with each other as game keepers and poachers, and so be sacrificed to the san guinary laws of the country and the monopolising disposition of the aristocracy.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") Now, it was said by some of the advocates of the Inclosure Bill, that all claimants would have compensation. That was the most fallacious thing in the world, because those common lands were the inheritance of the people through all ages, and the existing generation had only a life interest in them.— (Hear, hear.) If they took all the cottagers, and gave them some little bribe to allow the Bill to pass, what would become of the next generation ? Would not they be left destitute? And what argument had experience fur nished in favour of the plan ? Were not the people more miserable now than 'when they had a greater quantity of these waste lands ? If these lands were to be tilled, why let them be so ; but let it be for the advantage of the people, to whom they belonged. Anciently all the land of the country was divided into what was called " folk" land and " boke" land. Now the greater part of the land of the country was "folk" land, which belonged to the poor. The " boke" land was the land of the aristocracy. It was said in justification of the inclosure system, that it would increase the rents; but of what advantage was that to the people ? Were they the better off by the landowners becoming wealthier ? He had trespassed upon them at much greater length than he intended. He heartily concurred in all the principles promul gated by the Anti-Corn-law League, and exhorted all the people of the City of London to advance those principles by attending to the registration, and so sending some Members to Parliament who would watch their interests. He agreed with the last speaker in the slight hopes he entertained , of what would be done in Parliament.—(Hear.) Indeed to say the truth he did not admit that the people had a Parliament at all.—(Loud cries of " Hear , hear. ") They had not that sort of Parliament w hich those who had written of constitutional and original laws spoke of. There was an assembly which went by the name of the House of Commons, but he denied that that House represented the feelings and opinions of the people of England.—(Hear, hear.) But still the people had a right to use all their exertions in order to place in that House nen of weight, who would advocate free trade principles. He must say that the other party was very active in watching the Regis tration Courts, and he believed the clergy were like wise very active. The clergy had excellent opportu nities of watching the progress of the registration. They were placed in a very excellent position for watching county votes, and they could lend very useful assistance to the squirearchy who were interested in supporting the present system of corn-laws. He knew, from personal observation, that in the county of Norfolk, when an election was expected, the chief employment of the clergy for six days in the-week was in riding about visiting the different electors. The Reform Bill had increased the number of the members for the county of Norfolk, but he was sorry to hear that it had in the same proportion increased the enemies of free trade—(Hear, hear.) Formerly, the county of Norfolk returned two members, one of whom was Thomas Coke—(Cheers) a man who, al though his whole interest was centred in land, was yet always a decided enemy to the corn-laws. The county of Norfolk at present returned four Members who were advocates of the corn-laws. He would not trespass further on their time, and thanked them for the kindness with which they had listened to him. —(Loud cheers.) Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON in rising to address the meeting, said he felt greatly embarrassed in ad dressing so splendid an assemblage. He felt conscious that he was indeed very ill prepared, but had been consoled with the hope that he would be followed by a man in every way able to compensate for his deficiencies. He regretted the meeting had not had an opportunity of hearing the sentiments of their Chairman, who was so well quali fied to treat the subject. He felt confident that their Chairman had it in his power to lay before the meet ing many statements and facts of the greatest value to the cause, and which had not been used by preced lag speakers at these meetings. The great object of the Anti-Corn-law League was to prevent those ex plosions of popular feeling which must otherwise occur, and to accomplish by legitimate means what might otherwise be sought to be obtained by force. In 1826, the present Home Secretary wrote a book upon corn and currency, the object of which was to induce monopolists to give way. Ile warned them that if they did not rapidly give way, and sacrifice to some extent their own interests in the cause of the people at large—in a word, if bread was with held from industry—if commercial interference was not freed from its shackles, the time would come when, in this country as in other countries, the people would rise in their might, and in their majesty, and sweep their honours, and their titles, and their doctrines, "and all their ill gotten wealth," to destruction. —(Loud cheers.) The Anti-Corn-law League included within its councils men of the purest morality, who advocated nothing but peace, and peaceful constitutional exertion. The Anti-Corn-law League' had done - . a vast deal by the circulation of tracts and newspapers to disseminate knowledge of the most useful and practical kind, and it might be a question whether the evils which the present system created and maintained, were not more than counter balanced by the good which this universal dissemina tion of knowledge had occasioned. Thus, while they were denied bread on the one hand, knowledge was given them gratuitously on the other ; if they did not grow fatter, at least they grew wiser; and if they were wasted in their bodies, their intellectual stature was increased, and their intellectual vigour promoted by the instruction of the Anti-Corn-law League.— (Cheers.) Their argument was complete ; their il lustrations might seem to be utterly exhausted, yet their audiences failed not—their speakers failed not —their eloquence failed not—their facts failed not ; constantly, no matter how often it might be re iterated, the grand argument was presented to the public mind in an attractive form.—(Hear, hear.) The cause itself seemed to bring men there almost whether they would or no, and when they met there and at similar meetings, they never departed without the frank acknowledgment that they had been made wiser and better by thus meeting together.—(Cheers.) What an immense benefit that League conferred upon their country !—(Hear, hear.) He, for one, acknow ledged his obligations to the Anti-Corn-law League. lle thought there was not a man there who was not prepared to acknowledge that he lay under similar obligations to that body.—(Cheers.) Had he the same views, before that League came into existence, of the importance of the great principle of interna tional intercourse ? He had not. Did he see the im portance of this subject in all its bearings as he then saw it ? He did not. Had he the same amount of knowledge as to the chief producing cause of the po verty of millions in his own country ? He had not. Had he the same view of the causes which contri buted to increase the amount of immorality and crime in the country that he had now ? He had not. Had he the same same view of the cementing and frater nising influence of unrestricted commerce as he had now ? He had not. Was he then as well aware as he was now of what was the chief hind rance to the progress and universal diffusion, through this and other lands, of those great religious and moral principles which were at once the glory, the beauty, and the stability of his own country ? He had not. Who was it that had shed this light abroad ? Who were the men—what the body ? The Anti-Corn •law League. (Cheers.) Thus, while they were striving to obtain bread for the people, they were giving them knowledge. And let the lovers of ignorance—(Hear, hear)—and the lovers of the people's moral impotency, put down the League as soon as possible, for the longer it was in existence, the more certain its ultimate triumph would be, the wiser would the people become in their poverty, the more deeply would free trade prin ciples be impressed upon their hearts.—(Cheers.) The longer justice was delayed, the more evident would it be in the end that it was by the combined moral power of the people that the triumph had been achieved ; and the energies which would then no longer be required to carry on this great movement, instead of being scattered and lost, or suffered to lie inert, would be gathered up again, and consolidated and directed to the accomplish ment of some other equally great and glorious object.—(Great cheering.) Ile was anxious to see that day, for this reason amongst others. The light that had diffused itself over this kingdom had revealed other evils than that specific evil to which they were then directing their attention.—(Cheers.) The line and the plummet which they had used to measure, or rather to detect, the crookedness of this system of the monopoly of the people's food, had enabled them to ascertain how far other institutions and practices and customs in this country were in conformity with the requirements of righteousness, and according to the national, and, he would add, the natural, rights of the people.--Cheers.) Let them hasten the day, then, when they would be able, having gained the field in the conflict which they were then waging, with their flag unstained, their weapons undimmed, the chorus of their triumph having in it no sigh of the orphan, or the widow, or the destitute,—to direct the mighty phalanx, which had been collected to extinguish the corn-laws, in some other direction, so that the people, having obtained bread, and, having tested their moral power, might gather up their strength again, and march forward to still higher achievements.— (Cheers.) They were reading a lesson to the world; they were teaching men everywhere throughout the civilised world how to gain their object—how to gain it without remorse, without guilt, without compro mise, without the shedding of blood, without infract ing any of the laws of society, and still less any of the laws of God.—(Cheers.) He trusted the time would soon come when their disgrace would be wiped away, and other nations would follow their example, taught by their practice, and encouraged by the results which he felt sure would follow.—(Cheers.) Why, in what estftnation were they held in other countries in conse quence of this very evil, the corn-laws?—(llear, hear.) An exce'dent philanthropist, whose heart was as big as the world, went to the United States of America on a mission of mercy, on behalf of the fet tered negro in that country—he alluded to Joseph Sturge.—(Great cheering.) He had not the honour of being turned out of the hotel into which he went within thirty-six hours after his landing, as it was his (Mr. Thompson's) honour to be in company with his wife and children ; but what was the salute which he received on reaching New York ? " Friend, go home again, you have a corn-law that beggars your own countrymen. Go, look at the faces and wasted forms of your pauper population, and when you have abolished your own corn-laws, and set human industry free in Britain, then come and rail against America for holding her negro population in slavery."—(Cheers.) That was America. What was the language of a leading Parisian journal some time ago ? " Britain, proud Britain, erase from your na tional escutcheon the lordly lion, and put there a starving operative vainly imploring bread."—(Loud cheers.) IVhat was the language of Mehemet Ali, the Paella of Egypt, when an Englishman remon strated with him on the subject of his monopolies, for he was the great monopolist of the East—what was his language ? " Go home and abolish your own corn-laws, then come to me, and I will be ready to treat with you for any , relaxation i n th e way of trade that yo u can desire. '—(Hear, hear.) Thus, whether it were the bearded Paella of Alexandria or the sensitive American of New York, or the polished Parisian in the French capital, every civilised and enlightened foreigner taunted them with their incon sistency, and could not understand how a population like that of England, pretending to govern itself through the medium of a Parliament of its own choosing, should tolerate so pestilential a nuisance as that of the corn-laws.—(Cheers.) But it was cheering to know that they would soon come to the last diffi culty. The House of Commons was not their worst difficulty.—(Hear, hear.) lle believed it might be said with truth, with regard to most questions, that they would be carried, whatever House of Commons they might have, as soon as the people appreciated, fully, generally, universally, the nature and the value of that which was demanded.—(Hear.) He could not look with hopelessness on the House of Commons. Bad as it was, in itself considered, and, as regarded any reforming elements which it contained, incura ble, having in it no restorative or renovating qualities whatever, he well knew, from the history of the last thirty years, that the people had only to be unani mous in order to succeed.—(Hear, hear.) If, from a Parliament of high Churchmen, the repeal of the Test and Corportion Acts could be obtained—if, from a Parliament of Orangemen, Catholic Emancipation could be wrung—if, from a Parliament of borough mongers, schedules A and B, and many others, could be gained—if, from a Parliament of West Indians, negro emancipation could be obtained—from a Par liament of landlords they would get a law abolishing the corn-laws.—(Creat cheering.) Having said thus much about corn, would the meeting tolerate him for a few moments if he said a word or two about sugar? —(Hear, hear, and cheers.) He did .this with some reluctance, because on a former occasion when the state of his health did not permit him to be there, a speech had been delivered on that subject by a gentleman whom, on such matters as that, he was scarcely worthy to follow, so infinitely superior was he, as the exponent of a question like that, to himself. He referred to one who, unostentatious as he was, and unseen a s he generally might be, was one of the most effective labourers in their cause— Mr. James Wilson.--(Cheers.) But there were several reasons why he wanted to say a word upon sugar on that occasion. First, because there was en honest difference of opinion on that question.— (Hear, hear.) lie said, an honest difference of opinion. lie was sure it was honest on the other side ; he hoped, he believed, it was honest on that side.—(Hear, hear.) Again, he wished to speak upon this question, because it was a very important branch of the subject which would have to be discussed i Parliament; and the discussions there, at least their results, would be controlled very much by the state of public opinion out of doors.—(Hear, hear.) Again he wished to do so because he had better means than some around him of knowing what were the scruples of their friends on the other side of this question, seeing that he had been long identified with them, an was still one with them, with regard to the object which they were pursuing, though differing from them, and he was pained that it should be so, upon this particular aspect of this great question. He knew that these opinions were sincerely held. Ile knew that they would not give them up without a reason— a reason which would be strong enough to overcome their feelings, but he thought it might easily be shown that their feelings of humanity would be equally gra tified by the accomplishment of the object of the League. He went with the anti-sla. ery party because he believed that their cause was righteous. He went with the free traders for the same reason. Two righteous principles could not cross one another, could not conflict with one another ; they must run parallel with one another to eternity. Ile had felt it his duty to attend in Exeter Hall on Friday last— had he consulted his own feelings or friendships, he would not have been there. He would have been silent on that branch of the question hfal he not thought that his friends had been in error. He was not willing that they should unintentionally do in jury to a just cause, by putting arguments into the mouths of their opponents in order to enable them to practise a gross fraud upon the House of Commons. Ile wanted monopoly to stand forth in the House in all its natural odiousness, filthiness, and selfishness.—(Loud cheers.) He did not want to enable the advocates of monopoly in that House to put into their pockets those :arguments which re futed themselves, and which must disgust all who heard them.. He did not want to enable them to lay aside all those arguments in order to make use of the argument of humanity—(Cheers.) He had attended that meeting, and he had succeeded; but he did not so much rejoice in the success which had attended him in carrying the amendment, as he re- . gretted that there were so large a number of persons in the minority.—(Cheers.) They had so voted be cause they were honest—(Cheers.) When their minds were convinced they would be with them— (Loud cheers)—and all that integrity, all that in flexibility of :purpose would then be exerted in the cause—would then be their own.—(Loud cheers.) They would then persevere in carrying out the prin ciple to which they now took exception in one parti cular case, and they would carry it out universally. —(Loud cheers.) He had received many letters from different friends expressing surprise that he who had hitherto been the untiring advocate of the abolition of slavery, should be now found engaged in a cause tending to the promotion of slavery. He protested against such an imputation.—(Cheers.) No man was the promoter of slavery because he ad vocated the doctrines of free trade.—(Hear, hear.) Those friends were in error who supposed that he was a promoter of slavery, because he struggled against the false opinion which was sought to be pro pagated, that slavery would be; promoted by free trade. Why, the abolition of monopoly would lead to the abolition of slavery.—(Cheers.) Slavery was the spawn of monopoly.—(Cheers.) Slavery was be gotten by monopoly—it was nurtured by monopoly —it was fed and continued by monopoly. The death of monopoly fifty years ago would have been the cer tain extinction of slavery, without cost, without cruisers, without treaties, without protocols, without costly agitation, without the payment of twenty mil lions.—(Cheers.) Ile had changed no opinion what ever on that subject. In the year 1839, long before he had ever spoken at a corn-law meeting, at a meet ing which had nothing whatever to do with the sub ject of the corn-laws, he had spoken at Manchester on the subject of the abolition of slavery and the improving the condition and pro rooting the welfare of the natives of India. Ile had at that meeting made a speech, advocating the necessity of encouraging free trade with all parts of the world as the best means of promoting the aboli tion of slavery ; he had then stated that although he should wish to see the time when every atom of cot ton wool worn or spun by the people of this country should be the produce of free labour, yet he would ask for no restriction, he would ask for no prohi bitory duties to prevent cotton, the produce of every kind of labour, from being brought into the market. All he asked for was liberty, justice, and impartiality, being convinced that if monopoly were done away with slavery would totter to its destruction.—(Loud cheers.) When had he , delivered that speech? In the Friends' Meeting-house at Manchester, and his audience had been to a great extent made up of the members of that estimable society. 'What had he said on the following evening at a meeting held in the same place?—that if they encouraged free labour by admit ting it fairly into competition with slave labour, he was of opinion that other nations would so clearly see the advantage of free labour over slave labour, that they would be compelled to abo ► lish slavery so successful would be the free labour of the East over the slave labour of the West, when they were brought into fair competition.— (Cheers.) He adhered to those opinions now.— , (Loud cheers.) He believed that these would be better than all the other means that could be employed , to put down slavery. lie did not say they were the only means that should be employed, but he believed ; that free trade would be o ne o f the most effectual means for the suppression of slavery. If he were in error, he was in error with some of the brightest names that adorned the anti-slavery cause. There was a time when he was intimately associated with that nobl.e body which had secured the abolition of slavery in our colonies. / He had shared in the great triumph which they had obtained over slavery—he had been supplied by the Anti-Slavery Society with bOoks, illustrative of the iniquity and impolicy of the system of slavery— he had looked into those books at the time, to supply him with facts which he might use in support of the anti-slavery cause. He looked into those books now, and what did he find in them? The first book to which he would refer was the work of Mr. Adam Hodson of Liverpool. That book was intended to show the superiority of free labour over slave labour. It was published in 1823, now twenty-one years ago, and had been circulated throughout the length and breadth of the land by the Anti-Slavery Society. What did Mr. Hodson say in speaking of slave labour? He said, "the nation would not much longer con tinue to submit to a wasteful system of cultivation which experience had pointed out to be the dearest that could be employed ; and that the time was rapidly approaching when the nation would de mand that the commerce with sixty millions of their fellow-subjects should be thrown open to them, and that the slave labour of the West would fall before the free labour of the East.—(Loud cheers.) There was another book from which he would quote what had been presented to him at the same time, and which was now full of the marks which he had made hi it twelve years ago. Ile trusted those present would pardon him for dwelling on this subject. They should bear in mind that the audience he was addressing was not merely within those walls —there were those beyond those walls who would be acquainted with what passed within them. There were present then gentlemen whose ready pens would record with the utmost celerity the words then spoken. Those words thus written would be trans -1 ferred to everlasting type ; and that which if left to the living voice would produce no effect beyond those walls—that which was said there that night would go forth to the whole world.—(Loud cheers.) He trusted, therefore, that he might be permitted to remonstrate with his friends.—(Cheers.) lie loved them so well that he wished to show them that they could not do better than join their ranks.—(Loud cheers.) The book from which he was about to I quote had been printed in Birmingham, and it laid it down as a principle that whenever slave-labour produce and free-labour produce came into com ! petition, slave-labour produce must fall, because ex ' perience proved that free labour was the cheapest. Now what was the name of the author of that book ? The name of the author was Sturge—(Loud cheers) —not Joseph Sturge, but his lamented brother John, who had died too soon for his friends, and for that cause, the fundamental principles of which he had been the advocate.—(Loud cheers.) He had laid it down that no system of legislation for trade and com merce could be right but that which was in accord ! ance with the laws of God, which was not injurious to the rational creation, and was not beneficial to every body and class of men. It had been shown that the labour of the free man was cheaper than that of the slave ; and, therefore, in promoting ..