The Sun. — London, England, 1839-12-30 00:00:00

Viscount and Viscountess Eastnor have arrived at Drayton Manor, on a visit to Sir Robert and Lady Peel, from their villa, at Leamington Spa. CHNSTER TowN COUNCIL. —The banquet we announced a fortnight since, has been fixed for the 3d i.anuary next. Amongst the distinguished individuals invited, are his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, the Most Noble the Marquis of Westminster, the Lord Bishop, Lord Dinorben , Lord Combermere, the Mem bars for the County, the Members for the City, the Recorder, the City Magistrates, Lord Mostyn, Sir T. M. Stanley, Bart., Hon. E. M. Lloyd Mostyn, the Clerk of Peace for the City, the Clerk of the Peace for the County, Dr. Thackeray, Dr. Edwards, Dr. L. Jones. Dr. Phillips Jon es, the M ajor Comman dant of the Garrison , Major Baile y of the Artillery, C. Dundag, Esq., M.P , R. G. Temple, Esq., Si r it. Buckley, Bart., G. Johnson, Esq., the Collector of the Customs and Excise, Ray. W. Clarke, &c. &c. Covers t will be laid f or a b o ut 100 ; and the banquet is expected to be of the most superb description. Our readers are ,aware that the Chester Council set an example to other Cxporate bodies, by defraying the expenses of these entertainments out of their own private funds.— Chester Ckroniole of Friday last. THE AucHTErtARDEE CASE —A summons has been served at the instance of the Earl of Kinnoull and the Rev. Mr. Young on the Rev. Mr. Ferguson and others, members of the Presbytery of Auchterar der, " for 5,0001. in name of damages and in reparation of the wrong done to, and injury and damage sustained \ by, the Earl of Kinnoull, in respect of the illegal re fusal of the defenders to take trial of the qualifications of the Rev. Robert Young as presentee to the church land parish of Auchterarder ;" for " 8,000/. in name of damages to Mr. young, in consequence of his hiving h eon illegally, and through the wrongful refusal of the ,i k fenders to discharge their duty by taking trial of his qL nllifications, in terms of the judgments of the Court of ,Session and the House of Lords, kept out of pos sessi, In of the stipend , manse , and glebe of tbe parish of Aochterardn ;" for " 2,0001. in reparation of the inj ury done to hie character and usefulness, and to his :talus .in the Church of Scotland, as a solatium for the inj ury done to his feelings by anti through the illegal )refusal ,of the defenders to implament the judgments libelled e'' and for " 1,0001., more or !ess, as the ex penses of process to follow hereon." --Edinburgh Courant. an................ \ ....% , , PENNY - POSTA GE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Ste,—Allow me through the medium of your co lumns to call attention to one or two points in the Treasury Minute :- Ist. It is stated that the stamps by which prepay ment is to be made will not be ready for some time, but that the measure itself is to he brought into opera tion on the 10th of January. Now, Sir, will it not be quite impracticable for the people at the Post-office to receive the pence on, mark, and take account of every single letter out of the immense number which will then be posted? I cannot help thieking, that it will be found so, in London particularly ; and, throughout the country great inconvenience will be felt by the public in having to pay a penny at the Post-office with every letter they send, while the Postmasters will have to be at their office windows from morning till night in addi tion to the increased trouble of taxing, sorting, and weighieg so many more letters than they have been accustomed to. In my opinion the success of the now measure very much depends on the plan of pre-pay men. by stamps being introduced simultaneously with the reduction to one penny, and unless it be adopted, rely on it there will be endless confusion and serious disturbance to the correspondence of the country. 2d. In reference to closing the letter boxes an hour earlier than heretofore. This may at first perhaps be found advisable, but surely, eventually, the public will not thus be inconvenienced, or the advantages of the new system will incur a serious drawback. If stamps be used there will be no trouble of taxing, and certainly by having more hands to do the work, the same time may be afforded as at present. While on this subject, you will allow me, Sir, as one practically acquainted with the details of the Post office business, to allude to what may appear a trifling matter, but which really deserves Mr. Hih's conside ration ; I refer to the present mode of conveying letters in leathern bags tied with a string, a plan which occa sions much delay in operation, and is at once clumsy and insecure. Could not something in the way of boxes with Bramah locks be used, into which letters might be sorted at the Post-office where they are posted ready in some measure, for the delivery on arrival at their destination ? As articles of value, and requiring care will now be sent, it will be apparent how desirable it is that some more suitable mode of carriage should be adopted than that of clumsy bags, which arc often trod den info a mail-boot, by which letters are defaced and frequently torn. I merely throw out these crude hints in order to draw public attention to them as well as that of the authorities. Trusting they may be improved upon, I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Dec. 28, 1839. G. B. T. EVENING EDITION. THE LIVE TRAM BULL OF POPI':, GU.F.GORY XVI.. FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE NEGRO SLAVE TRADE. On the 3d of December, 1839, the ninth year of the Pontificate. I Placed as we are on the supreme seat of the Apostles, and acting, though by no merits of our own, as the Vicegerent of Jesus Christ, the San of God, who through his great mercy condeceritiLd to make himself man and to die for the redemption of the world, we regard as a duty devolving on our pastoral functions, that we endeavour to turn aside our faithful flocks entirely from the inhuman traffic in negroes or any other human beings whatsoever. Beyond a doubt when the light of the Gospel first began to diffuse itself, those unhappy persons who were plunged into the severest conditions:of slavery, \ in consequence of the numerous wars at that time, found their condition alleviated among the Christians. For the Apostles, inspired by the Divine Spirit, taught even their slaves to obey their carnal masters as Christ, and to do the will of God heartily. They also taught their masters that they should act well to their slaves, and do unto them what was just and equitable, and abstain from i threats, knowing that the God, both of them and of 1 their slaves, dwells in Heaven, and that with him there is no acceptance of persons. But while a sincere and universal spirit of charity is especially enjoined by the law of the Gospel, and our Lord himself said that he would consider any act of be nevolence and mercy done to the least or poorest, or denied, as done or denied to himself, it readily I followed that the Christians not only considered their slaves, especially such as were Christians, in he light of brothers, but were even very prone to endow with liberty such as deserved. In deed Gregorius Nissenus informs us that such liberation of slaves was customary on the occa sion of the paschal solemnities. Nor were there Christians wanting whe, stirred up by a more burn ing zeal, subjected thereseives to slavery to redeem others, many of whore that apostolical personage, our predecessor, Clement 1., testifies that he knew. Hence, in progress of rime, as the clouds of heathen superstition became gradually dispersed, circum stances reached that point that during several con turies there were no slaves allowed amongst the great majority of the Christian nations, but with grief we are compelled to add, that there afterwards arose even among the faithful, a race of men who, basely blinded by the appetite and desire of sordid lucre, did not hesitate to reduce in remote regions of the earth, Indians, negroes, and other wretched beings, to the miseries of slavery, or, finding the trade established and augmented, to assist the shame- It ful crime of the others. Nor did maily of the most glorious of the Roman Pontiffs omit severely to reprove their conduct as injurious to their souls' health, and disgraceful to the Christian name. Among these may be es r ecially quoted the Bull of Paul 111., which bean date the 28th of May, 1537, addressed to the Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo ; and another still more comprehensive by Urban VIII., dated the 22d of April, 1639, to the Collector Jurium of the Apostolic Chamber in Portugal, most severely castigating by name those who presumed to subject either East or West In dians to slavery. Pope Benedict XIV. subse quently confirmed these decrees of these distin guished Pontiffs by a new Bull, addressed to 1 .the heads of the governing authorities of Bra zil and other regions, on the 17th of Decem ber, 1741. Even before anoeher predecessor of ours, more ancient than these, Pius 11., in whose age the dominion of Portugal was ex tended to Guinea, wrote on the 7th of October 1462 to the Portuguese Bishop, who was about to repair thither, a letter, in which he not only gave to . that high functionary powers to exercise with the greater success his sacred ministry in those parts, but gravely animadverted on the same occasion upon those Christians who carried away youths into slavery. And in our own time Pius VII., moved by the same spirit of religion and charity as those who had gone before him, sedulously interposed his good offices with the men in power, that the trade in blacks should at length be put an end to entirely amongst the Chris tians. These injunctions and these good offices of our . predecessors, served not a little, with the help of God, towards protecting the In dians, and the other aforesaid races, both from the cruelty of their i•evaders, and from the cupi dity of the Christian merchants ; not to such an extent, however, that the Holy See can have to re joice at their flocks having totally abandoned such practices, since, on the contrary, the trade in blacks, though diminished to some extent, is still carried on by many Christians : wherefore, we, desiring to avert this disgrace from the whole confines of Christianity, having summoned several of our Re verend brothers, their eminences the Cardinals, to our counsel, and having maturely deliberated on the whole matter, pursuing the footsteps of our prede cessors, admonish by our apostolic authority, and urgently invoke in the name of God, all Christians of whatever condition, that none hence ford' dare to subject to slavery, unjustly per etecuee, or despoil of their goods, Indians, n egroe's, or other classes of men, or to be' accessories to others, or furnish their aid or assistance in so doing ; and on no account henceforth to exercise that inhuman traffic, by which negroes are reduced to slavery, as if they were not men, but automata or chattels, and are sold in defiance of all the laws of justice and huma nity, and devoted to severe and intolerable labours. We further reprobate by our apostolic authority all the above described offences as utterly unworthy of the Christian name ; and by the same authority we rigidly prohibit and interdict all and every indi vidual, whether ecclesiastic or laical, from presum ing to defend that commerce in negro slaves under any pretence or borrowed colour, or to teach or publish, in any manner, publicly or privately, things contrary to the admonitions which we have given in those letters. And finally, that this, our Bull, may be rendered more apparent to all, and that no person may allege any ignorance thereof, we decree and order that it shall be published according to custom, and copies thereof !se properly affixed to the gates of St. Peter, and of the Apostolic Chancel every and in like manner to the General Court on Mount Pitatonio, and the field of the Campus Florae,and also through the city by one of our heralds, according to afore said custom. Given at Rome, at the Palace of Santa Maria Major, under the seal of the Fisherm an (sub annulo I piscatoris), on the third da y of December, 1839, ' and in the ninth year of our Pontificate. —Counter signed by Cardinal A. Lambroschini. (;OWES.-ISLE OF WIGHT. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE. The Secretary has sold Mr. Neil's yacht the Wanderer, of 141 tons, and she this day, Dec. 29, sailed for Lon don. Sailed also, the Gitana (Gipsy), schooner the property of E. N. Harvey, Esq. The Corporation of Newport on Friday decided on not undertaking, on their account, the proposed plans of the Medina River Improvement Company, but offered to lease to a company the bed of the rivers for the sum it now brings them (1240, but they will not consent to the project of taking away the property of certain individuals, nor will they allow the company, with their consent, to build quays, &c., in front of the property of others, It was proposed that Newport and Cowes should have equal weight, that the same num ber of commissioners should he chosen from each town, but the Corporation of Newport, twenty-five in number, were to be ex officio members ; Cowes would there fore be placed in a worse position than ever. Most of the tradesmen in Cowes are able • now to land their goods on their own premises, without paying one penny wharfage, and none pay more than 7s. 6d. per annum, but should this Bill pass, every one must pay wharfage although he lands his goods on his own wharf, which he must still keep in repair at his own expense. W e wish our good friends at Newport would " leave us alone"—we want not their kind offices—our connection with them has done us no good, nor has it then, and the sooner this unnatural union is at an end the better for both. Is it right that they should tell us that we shall not deepen our harbour without askint , leave of them ? Per sons living at distance of five miles from us, one-tenth of whom we do not even know, and who know not our interests, and whom, if the deepening of our harbour affects at all, it must be beneficially—but, say they, it shall not be done unless you allow us to tax you for it, you shall not direct the undertaking, your business is to pay the expense ; the numerous yachts and merchant ships entering Cowes harbour would produce sufficient funds for the improvement of the harbour ; and if you do not contribute a trifle towards the improvement of the harbour, why do you wish to force us, against our will, into your Bill ? VENTNOR, ISLE OF WIGHT, Dec. 29 (FlOll A CORRESPONDENT.) ✓ The landslip near Barney Wild's new hotel increased so on Friday as to render it necessary to stop Carriages proceeding to Ventnor by new Steephill shoot; the chasm in that part is not above a foot in width, but it appears to he very deep ; great fears are entertained by many for the inn and the houses in the immediate neighbourhood, 'vhich the passage of heavy carriages so near are likely to heighten. This must not be construed to the village of Ventnor being about to take its de parture on a sea voyage ; it is a mere crack in the cliff, occasioned by the heavy rains, and which, in the opinion of maey well-informed, will extend very little farther ; and of all, that it can only affact the two or three houses directly under it. We are thus particular to remove any fears from the minds of the numerous strangers residing here, for the benefit of their health. There is a similar cleft in the road near Black-chine, and several in other parts. The land has slipped also we hear '.at Cowes ; and Oak-hill house, lately occupied by Lords A. Fitzclarence and Delawarr, is considered in danger. DELAY OF THE LONDON MAIL.—We understand that the London mail reaches Southampton between three and four o'clock in the morning, yet we do not receive our letters much before twelve ; it does not arrive at Ventnor till eleven, and leaves again at two ; and, what with the time required for sorting and delivering, it is hardly time to reply to a letter by the same post. The great delay is stated to be between Southampton and Cowes, as it does not reach the latter place till near nine o'clock, full five hours after its arrival at Southampton—this, for a distance of twelve miles, is rather too much in the old style, particularly if it is true, that to expedite it over these twelve miles Government has increased the amount paid for its con veyance from 90/. to 300/. It has been objected by our Tory friends against the possibility of there ever being a penny postage, that a person could now send four letters in one from Ventnor to London for fourpenee, and that if they had to write to four persons in London they would do so—thus the revenue would be ruined. They forget the letters would have then to be repeated. with the extra trouble, and the expense the same at last. Who, if they could do it for one penny, would not send a separate letter to each? Why, even a Tory would. The land is in such a state from the continued rains that the farmers have been unable to get their wheats in —great doubts exist if those who were thought the fortunate few as having succeeded, are in a situation preferable now to the others. The wheats that are up look bad, the land is covered with water, with every prospect of a frost setting in. The wind has got to the N. We had a sharp frost last night, and we have had no rain for the last 24 hours, in which time the barometer has got up nearly an inch, but this is not much to be depended on, as, during the fall, it pointed to fair when it was foul, and for the last few days it has changed its place, and is following the weather at a respectful distance. The cattle are 'suffering greatly. NEW CHURCH AT KETLEY. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) On the Bth instant a fine and beautiful organ was opened for Divine Service at the New Church of Ketley, Shropshire, on which is the following inscrip. tion :—" This Church having been built and endowed by the munificence of his Grace George Granville Duke of Sutherland, the inhabitants of Ketley and its neigh bourhood, under a deep sense of gratitude, have caused this Organ to be erected as a Thankoffering to Almighty God , thus disposed the heart of his servant." and beautiful stone Church, which is 'Phis r haying ng cruciform, and in the Gothic style, has been erected and endowed at the expense of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, for the accommodation of his numerous tenantry, and is quite a model. It was consecrated a few months since, and is chastely fitted up with every requisite and convenience. About three-fourths of the seats are free, and unappropriated. The situation is very judicious, elevated and central, and the churchyard commands most extensive views of the surrounding counties. The home view embraces the celebrated Wrekin, and far-famed ironworks of the neighbourhood. The parsonage is a good and commodious house (also the gift of his Grace) ; and school-rooms, capable of holding about 200 children, are about to be erected. Such extensive liberality seemed to leave little for the inhabitants to dTect. Howev er , a handsome subscrip tion (with sums varying from 20/. to Id.) has been raisial for the erection of an orga n , the style of which corresponds with the interior of the Ch urc h, an d adds greatly to its beauty, and on which are inscribed the grateful feelings of the inhabitants. Th.:, Rev. Thomp son Stoneham, M.A., of St. Peter's College, Cani bridge, and late Moister of Wrockwardine Wood, Shropshire, has been preferred to the living. Surely it is gratifying to think that now a numerous, regular, and attentive congregation assemble twice on the Sabbath to worship God, according to the sound forms of our holy Apostolic Church, where but a few mo nths since there was no Church within about two miles. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 1839. HIGH TREASON LETTER H. TO THOMAS ATWOOD, ESQ. MY DEAR ATTWOOD, I have many things to say to you upon the different topics of your last address to the electors of Birmingham : but, as I said before, " high treason is now the order of the day," among some who know no more about high treason than " the dear little Lady," as O'Connell calls her, in whose name this hodge-podge of confusion is brought before the public eye, To continue the drama of defending you in 1832 against such a charge, one of the privileges of the accused is to have the benefit of two speeches from his Counsel, and you have as yet only had one. My second speech should therefore have been to the following purport : Gentlemen of the Jury,—l,told you before that my client had done nothing, literally nothing, but make a serious •and honest attempt to obtain a restoration of our ancient Constitution, and of the securities settled and established at the Revolution.l It is very possible that this attempt may have given great offence to those who are now in power ; because, to this attempt, the introduction of the Reform Bill, as a Government measure, was en tirely owing ; and b ecause , b u t f or some things which I shall not go into at present, the seven de mands made by the men of Birmingham in this petition of December, 1830, now charged as an overt act of high treason, would have been the law of England at this day, and many of you will live to see that petition the law of England yet. Why do I say so ? because I happen to have been the adviser of those seven demands ! No; but because those seven demands are all founded upon our old laws, and and constitutions, and because they are essential to to the great principles of Freedom of Election, and of our Representative Government—and yet you will not find among these seven demands, either Universal Suffrage, Annual Parliaments, or Voting by Ballot. Gentlemen, my great master, who never in his life led the people astray, or set them on false scents, neither advocated nor approved of Universal Suffrage, or the principles of the Ballot. First, because they never formed a part of our ancient Constitution, and because he thought Uni versal Suffrage could only be claimed by universal taxation, which never formed any part of our ancient system—and because he thought that all taxation not levied upon realised property, but upon articles of consumption and necessaries of life, was founded in fraud upon the industrious classes, and put them at the mercy of the wealthy classes, from which neither Universal Suffrage nor the Ballot would relieve them; and, therefore, that as property had the benefit of representation, it alone should bear the burden of taxation. Gentlemen, it has happened that Mr. Tooke was the author of many speeches that have been made in Parliament, when he was sleeping in his bed, or sitting in his own study. You seem to stare ! Why, the same thing has happened to the humble individual that is now addressing you. Speeches have been made in both Houses of Parliament, word for word, as I had written them. lam now going to give you one of Mr. Horne Tooke's, delivered in the House of Commons before his trial for high treason. A Member of Parliament had said to Mr. Tooke that if he would write down what he had to say as to the nature of our ancient Constitution, and of what was established at the Revolution, which he was so constantly praising and urging, against the notions of Thomas Paine, the Member would be at the trouble of getting the speech by heart, and delivering it in the House of Commons. Now this is but little known at this day, but it will be made known, with many such other of his speeches in Parliament, in the life I am writing of this great man. "We heard, (he, the Member said), on every side, of the glorious Revolution in 1688, and the Constitution, as settled at the glo rious Revolution. It was a note he had always listened to with pleasure. But what was the rational foundation of our satisfaction at the recol lection of the glorious Revolution ? " It assuredly was not that the possession of the throne, and the regular hereditary succession to it were at that time disturbed and interrupted. It was not that we expelled one King and one family, and appointed another King and another family in their room. The necessity of such chamges was at all times to be deplored, and the events themselves could only be justified by their necessity. " The only rational foundation of -our appitiba tion of that revolution must be, at that attic such principles were confirmed; and such y wise and wholesome provisions made for our constitutional security and happiness, as might prevent all future necessity for a similar revolution. " They (the revolutionists) took care to provide for the due administration of the executive power, and the responsibility of its confidential advisers. They therefore enacted that (12 William 111. c. 2), ' All matters and things relating to the well governing of this kingdom, which are cognizable in the Privy Council by the laws and customs of this realm, shall be transacted there; and all resolu tions taken thereupon shall be signed by such of the Privy Council as shall advise and consent to the same.' Thereby guarding, as far as laws could guard, against that accursed engine of despotism, a Cabinet Council, or that more accursed instru ment, an Interior Cabinet. Their attention was next directed to the double representation of the people, the only possible security for all their other provisions—their Repre sentatives and Courts of Justice—the House of Commons and Juries. They passed over un touched, and left as they found them, the Nobi lity and the Church. ; they were considering the solid and substantial parts of the constitutional edifice, and did not much concern themselves about the gilding and the varnish. They there fore proceeded to establish the principle of afair and free and frequent election of the Representa tives of the Commons in Parliament, as might be seen by reference to Acts passed in the first and second, and third years of William and Mary ; and having thus, as they imagined, provided for the real election of the representative body in Parliament, they secured the independence and in tegrity of that body after its election, by enacting that, ' No person who has an office, or place of profit under the King, or receives a pension from the Crown, shall be capable of serving as a Mem ber of the House of Commons..-12th W. 111., ch. 2. " Having thus secured the purity and indepen dence of the people's representatives in Parliament, they proceeded to the other important branch of their representation by jury ; and they decreed that juries should lie fairly taken, without partiality, and should act freely, without influence.-Ist W. and Mary, ch. 2. " They also decreed that excessive bail should not be required ; that excessive fines should not be im posed, and that illegal and cruel punishments should not be inflicted ; and to secure these objects they ordained that thenceforward the Judges' Commissions should be made, quamdiu se bete gesserint,' and that their salaries should be ascer tained and established, in order to make the Judges independent of the Crown.-12th W. 3, ch. it. " Now, all these provisions (the objects and con sequences of the glorious Revolution) would have no value, they would be nugatory and worthless; they would be a mockery, unless they went effectu ally to obtain and secure to the people of this land these three important points :—First, an honest and responsible exercise of the executive authority. secondly, real, independent, and faithful Re presentatives of the Commons in Parliament. Thirdly, a fair and impartial administration of jus tice in the Courts of Law. We who had no pre dilection for any family whatever (except as con nected with these objects), in the words of our an cestors at the time of the Revolution, did now again ' claim, demand, and insist upon all those our undoubted rights; the true, ancient, and in dubitable rights and liberties of this kingdom:— Ist W. and M. ch. 2. "If, then, by - various means, it had happened (as he asserted and undertook to prove in a Committee of this House) that this provisional responsibility o f the Privy Council no longer remains ; that the election of the House of Commons is neither fair, nor free, nor frequent ; that this provisional independence of its Members is gone, and that the House at present swarms with persons having offices and places of profit under the King, and receiving pensions from the Crown ;' that Juries are not fairly and impartially taken ; that they do not act freely and without influence ; that excessive bail may be, and has been required ; that excessive fines may be, and have been imposed ; that illegal and cruel punishments may be, and I have beet' inflicted ; that the Judges are not inde perilkut (f the Crown ; that pensions may be, and have been granted to some of them ; and 6:at lucra tive offices may be, and have been conferred upon others ; by which means it cannot be said that their salaries are ascertained and established ;—if these facts were so, he held it to be the duty of all those who, without hypocrisy, praised the Revolution, to endeavour to return us again to our constitutional situation at that period, and to recover those lost or neglected provisions ; that so we might effectually secure to ourselves and to our posterity, what our ancestors endeavoured at the Revolution to secure to themselves and us." Here then, Gentlemen,you have the picture of our old and real Constitution, drawn by the hand of a master, and exhibited in the House of Commons. The Member was not sent to the Tower for treason, although the borough-mongers perhaps thought that no higher treason against their " new Majes ties" could be uttered ; but now that the principle of Parliamentary Reform has been established, can it be pretended that there is anything treasonable in any of the seven demands made in the Birming ham Petition of Right of December, 1830 ? Every one of these demands is founded upon, and made part of the Reform Bill, which I advised and drew for the Marquis of Blandford in the spring of that very year, and which he had then the virtue and the honesty to propose in the House of Commons, in the most masterly and statesman-like manner, to the utter confusion of the recreant Whigs, most of whom shrunk like hoddymydods in their shell. At last out they came with their own rash, ill-considered, clap -trap Bill, alarming an honest, well-intentiened King, and which has given no satisfaction to high nor low. Their Bill " made a new Constitution, and it has been since avowed that it was so intended ; whereas the people of England, and the men of Birmingham in particular, never asked for a new Constitution. They asked for a restoration of their old Constitution, as it was to be found in the books ; but the Whigs seem to have been as ignorant of the books as Mr. Tooke used to say Thomas Paine was. The Reform Bill, of which I am the author, and for which I am as ready to die upon the scaffold as ever Algernon Sidney was for his immortal book, of which I published a precis before I was called to the bar, kept strictly to the books for every provision or principle it contains. It was no where so much discussed as by the men of Birmingham ; and after laying before you what they said of it in March, 1830, leave you to pronounce Mr. Attwood a traitor if' you dare ; and I leave to the whole country to judge whether, if the men of Birmingham had stuck to their colours, had continued to fight under the standard I presented to them, the provisions of that Bill would not have been the law of England at this day, to the peace of mind of our good old King, and to the happiness and contentment of high and low. That this may still be the case— that the wounds of our beloved country may be healed—that wisdom, justice, and mercy may at last possess the hearts of her rulers, is my con stant, and shall be my dying prayer to Almighty God. A DISCIPLE OF JOHN HORNE TOOKE. DECLARATION OF THE BIRMINGHAM POLI LITICAL COUNCIL ON THE MARQUIS OF BLANDFORD'S BILL. At a meeting of the Political Council of the Town of Birmingham, held by adjournment at the Globe Tavern, l in Temple-street, this 16th day of March, 1830, and made special for the purpose of discussing, re-consider ing, and finally deciding upon the merits of a 13i11 lately presented to the House of Commons by the Marquis of Blandford, entitled " A Bill to restore the Constitutional influence of the Commons in the Parliament of Eng land," Thomas Attwood, Esq. in the chair. A correct copy of the above Bill having been read to this Council, and all its parts and provisions having been fully dicussed and considered,. And this Council considering, that in the question of Reform, it is not merely the abstract merit of any particular plan which ought to be attended to, but that due regard must necessarily be had to its practicability; and to the means of exciting or conciliating all classes of the community to its support, without which there can be, no security for any class ; and, considering also, that it is of the higher: importance to the cause of the people thet some general and effectual plan of Reform should be laid down, which the people may claim as their Coustitutional and legal right, and, which, whilst it restores the just rights and interests of the lower and middle classes of the community, may protect alike the just privileges and immunities of the upper classes, and way in feet. serve as a common rallying point for all ; and considering further, that in the selection of such ge ntraland effectual plan of Reform, it is desirable that no novel :or dubious claims should be advanced, and that it•would weaken the cause of Reform to mix up any disputable questions of political improvement, to which•t he people have no constitutional right, with those a ncient,esacred, and undeniable constitutional rights of which they have been unjustly and wrongfully deprived ; and considering also, that, under the present urgent cir cumstances of the country, it is expedient that such plan of Reform should be so undeniably just, rightful, and conservatory, as to hold out the prospect of being carried speedily into effect, for the relief of the na tional distress, and for the prevention of those tre mendous calamities which a continuance in the present measures of the Government cannot fail to pro duce ; and this Council further considering that the Mar quis of Blandford's Bill does, in fact, unite and secure all these great objects in one common bond of union to gether ; considering that it seeks the happiness of the people through the broad, beaten, well-tried road through which our fathers travelled fo liberty, prospe rity, and glory ; that it launches not out into the ocean of novelties, doubts, differences, and discords, but casts anchor, as it were, on the rock of the Con stitution, which never failed our forefathers, and under God's grace can never fail us ; considering, also, that, under the present state of thin g s, it is necessary to the interests of all, that all should make mutual conces sions to each other, and forget their common rival ries, and unite together for the common safety ; and considering, also, that Universal Suffrage, in its full extent, is not a clear, defined and acknowledged constitutional right, and that only some few traces of it remain in the elections of knights of the shire four hundred years ago, and scarce a.) , traces of it remain in the el e ctions o citizens and burgesses ; and considering also that Annual Parlia ments are not a clear, acknowledged, and indisputable constitutional right, and that it may be doubted whether they would work better for the people than their undeniable constitutional right to Triennial Par liaments, of which they have been wrongfully and un. constitutionally deprived ; and considering also that Vote by Ballot is not known to the Constitution, .that it cannot be claimed as a constitutional right of the people, and that, however excellent it may be in 'itself, it may be calculated to weaken the cause of Reform, by naming up a novel and disputable question of political improvement with ancient, undeniable, and constitutional rights ; and considering further, that the doctrines of Universal Suffrage, and Annual Parliaments, and Vote by Ballot, may be calculated to weaken the cause of Reform, by creating divisions in the upper and middle classses of the community, without producing any greater unanimity or additional zeal among the lower classes, or any other equivalent advan tage whatever and this Council considering further that the Marquis of Blandford's Bill does in fact restore to the people all those great Con stitutional rights, privileges, and protections, which their forefathers possessed, but of which they have them selves been wrongfully deprived ; and more especially that it, Ist, Di s misses all placemen from the House of Commons, agreeably to the great Constitutional Act of Settlement, which placed the present Family upon the throne ; 2d, that it repeals the Septennial Act, and gives back to the people their ancient and unde niable right to Triennial or more frequent Parlia ments, recognised and secured by the great Constitu tional Act, the Gth of William and Mary, cap. idly, That it abolishes the qualification of property, as fixed u nconstitutionally by the act of 9th of Queen Anne, cap. 5, and restores the ancient and under:table right of sitting and voting as a citizen or burgess in the Commons' House of Parliament, to every individual among the common people who may be lawfully chosen a member of that body : 4thly, That agreeably to the ancient and undeniable laws of the land, it renders it imperative on the citizens and burgesses of the House of Commons to be in general real citizens and burgesses resident within the places which they represent, and consequently acquainted and identified with their wants, feelings, and interests : sthly, That it secures the fidelity of such citizens and burgesses by putting in force the ancient constitutional law, which provides that all of them shell receive a certain known, definite, and reasonable payment from their constituents, for good purposes, instead of an uncertain, unknown, and enormous payment for bad purposes from the Govern gent 6tnly, That it makes effectual provision for breaking up the rotten boroughs, and transferring the elective franchise to the great towns and districts now unrepresented, or inefficiently represented : 7thly, That it makes provision for greatly diminishing the enormous expenses with which election of Members of Parliament are now generally attended : Bthly, That it makes pro vision for securing the elective franchise to every house holder in the United Kingdom, who may be willing to contribute to the Poor's-rates, which every householler is in fact now liable to by law ; and that by the general prosperity which it must naturally produce, it must so diminish the magnitude of Poor-rates on the one hand, I and so increase the means of the lower classes on tho t other, as to render the attainment of the elective fran -1 chise a matter of comparative facility to all, the diffi cultyin the way of such attainment being so far re duced as to serve rather as a stimulus to virtue, than as a denial of justice ; and this Council considering further, that these great and invalu able privileges are not advanced as disputable points in the Marquis of Blandford's Bill, but that they are claimed, insisted upon and demanded, as the ancient and undeniable Constitutional right of the people: and considering finally, that it is of the highest import ance to success in this great cause, that the people should make their stand on this just, legal, righteous, and unassailable ground ; considering all these things, the Political Council of the town of Birmingham, Unanimously resolve, Ist. That the Bill of Reform proposed to the House of Commons, by the Marquis of Blandford, is admirably calculated to accomplish its great object, that of "re storing the Constitutional influence of the Commons in the Parliament of England." 2d. That it is calculated to effect this great object [ thoroughly and radically ; at the same time that it is strictly conservatory of all the just and constitutional rights and immunities of the privileged casses. Bd. That by strictly confining itself to the ancient, well•known, and undeniable rights of the Constitution, it :narks out and defines a specific plan of Radical Re form, in support of which all opinions can unite, and all interests combine ; A plan of Radical Reform in the at tainment of which, the middle classes may co-operate cordially with the lower classes, without exciting the alarm of any portion of the upper classes, who are not associated in the national plunder and oppression. 4th. That it cuts up by the roots all the abuses and corruptions which the supineness of the people has al lowed to grow up and deform the face of the Constitu tion, and does in fact reform and reconstruct the fair fabric of English liberty, as it existed in the best and happiest periods of English history. sth. That therefore this Council is of opinion that the Marquis of Blandford's Bill ought to be adopted as the common rallying point of the people, subject only to such alterations and additions as may be requisite for carrying its great provisions into effect. ..._ _ . 6th. That this Cotincil strongly recommend to all theirlellow countrymen throughout the United King dom, to devote their anxious attention to this most inv. portant subject, to consult together with their friends and neighbours, and to spare neither time nor labour, in every just, legal, and constitutional effort, to procure the passing of the Marquis of Blandford's -Bill into a law ; and above all things, this Council recommend to their fellow countrymen, that in any elections for Members of Parliament which may take place, they will on no account vote for any -candidate, whatever may be his other merits, who will not unequivceally pledge-himseif to support all the great provisions con tained 41 this Bill. 7th. That the cordial and grateful thanks of this Council be presented to the Marquis of Blandford, for the di.tinguished patriotism, the powerful intellect, the unwearied industry, and the manly courage, which he has exerted on behalf of the people, in bringing forward his invaluable Bill, and in supporting the cause of the people upon every occasion. . . . Bth. That this Council earnestly invite their fellow countrymen of the public press to give circulation to these resolutions ; and to draw the national attention generally to the only effectual and permanent remedy for the national distress, a thorough and effectual 11 , :- form in the Representation of the People in the Com mons' House of Parliament. THOMAS ATTWOOD, Chairman. By Order of the Political Council, THOMAS CLUTTON SALT, Secretary. THE ARMY.-IRELAND. Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, of the Royal Engineers, has joined to do duty in this country, and will be placed in charge of the engineer department in the Connaught district, and stationed at Athlone, in succession to Ma jor Ord, who is removed to Limerick, to replace Major Barry, now stationed at, Birmingham. The depot companies of the 48th Regiment, under the command of Major 111‘Dougall, will march from Templemore on the 30th instant, and arrive at Fcrmoy on the 3d proximo, there to be stationed. The depot companies of the 70th Regiment, under the command of Major Reed, will march from Tern- Plemore on the 31st inst., en route to Fernmy, where they will arrive on the.4th of. January. The head-quarters (the last) division of the 38th Regiment will '''arrive at TeMpleinore on the 31st instant, from Belfast. •This regiment will furnish de tachments to Cashel, Cappaghwhite, Bansha, Tippe rary, and Thurles. The Carshalton Park freight-ship, 441 tans, ari e d at Cove on the 19th inst; having on board the detach ment of the Royal Artillery, consisting of three officers and 29 men,.destined for Jamaica. This vessel is also to convey to that island the draft of the 64th, under orders to join the service companies of the regiment, consisting of three officers and 102 men, and three ofli cers of the GBth. Light Infantry. An officer of the Medical Staff is in medical charge of the troops on board the Carshalton Park. The draft from the depot companies of the 2d bat talion GOth Rifles, consisting of six officers and 160 rank and file, destined to join the service companies, will march from ClOninel to-day, and will arrive to-morrow at Fertnoy, preparatory to embarkation for Corfu. The draft of the 2d battalion 60th has rejoined the depot companies at Birr, the order for its embarkation having besn countermanded.—.llorning Post. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. (From the 'Hampshire Telegraph.) PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 28.—The Inconstant, 36, Sap pho.-16, and Rorer, 16, were at Vera Cruz on the 25th of October. The Liconstant, it was expected, would remain some weeks there to collect a freight, having had permission of the Admiral to do so, for Jamaica and Barbadots ; in which case she will not be in England until the first or second week in February. The Sappho was to remain on the coast until relieved ; the Rover was to proceed to Jamaica about the middle of November. The Water Witch, 10, Lieutenant Henry J. Matson, captured on the 27th of September the Portuguese schooner Sette de Abril (late Mary Cushing), with 427 slaves, being the third vessel, and 1,131 slaves, during the four months she has been on the station. The sail ing qualities of the Water Witch are said to be extra ordinary, beating Captain Symonds's vessels, Wolve rine, Dolphin, &c., on every point of sailing. The Pique, 56, Captain Boxer, is to take on board four 68-pounder guns, of 65 cwt. each. The Pantaloon, 10, is expected from Plymouth, with supernumeraries, and kill have her defects made good on her arrival. The Talavera,72, Captain Mends, was to be paid off today at Plymouth. The Revenge, 78, Captain the Hon. W. Weide grave, arrived at Lisbon, from this port, on the 12th inst., having lost her main-yard. The Fantome, 16, Captain Butterfield, and the Phi ladelphia American packet, sailed yesterday in com pany from the Downs, for this port ; the latter arrived to-day, and having taken her passengers on board, has proceeded for New York. The FantoowLarrived 'this evening : she is destined for the African station, and will take out supernumeries for the squadron. The Atalanta, Jersey steam-vessel, arrived from that island on Sunday, with part of the 16th Regiment on board, which she disembarked at Gosport. Official letters received at Madrid from the Consul at Tarragona give hopes of the probable righting or re covery of the Tribune frigate, Captain Williams, re cently driven on shore in a storm. The most liberal assistance to save her has been given by the Spanish authorities at that port, and gratefully acknowledged by Captain Williams. The 25th Regiment embarked at Plymouth on Sa turday on board the Pestonjee Bomanjee and Lord Lynedoch transports, for the Cape of Good Hope, but are still detained by contrary winds. We regret to observe the ship Sackville, Captain Fiddes, from Sierra Leone, with a valuable cargo of African timber, for this port, consigned to Messrs. Garratt and Gibbon, having arrived of Penzance on the 19th inst., was blown back in the late easterly gales as far as Scilly, became waterlogged and sunk ; crew saved by a French vessel and landed at Falmouth. The following foreign vessels have this week put into the Motherbank windbound, viz. :—Norwegian barque Nordlyset, Arbo, from Dram to Fowcy ; Balgium barque Angelique, La Roux, from Dunkirk to Marti nique ; Swedish brig Netunus, Norco, from Gtfle to Cette ; Russian brig Mathilde, Conschak, from Libau to Jersey ; Danish ship Frederick the Sixth,. Glad, frsm Antwerp, for the Mediterranean ;*Bremen barque Leon tine, Johansen, from Koteerdean, for St. Übes ; Russian schooner Catherina Maria, Sanftleben, from Rostock, for Bordeaux. Also arrived (homeward) on Sunday, the British barque Mariner, Bartlett, from Quebec, with timber, for Portsmouth, and went into harbour. On Monday the brig Courier, Smith, from Calcutta, for orders, and has since sailed for the eastward. In Dock—Queen, Prince Regent, Dublin, Warspite, Andromache, Tweed, Harriet , Emerald tender. In Basin—Blonde, Madagascar, Magicienne, Victor Alongside the Jetty--Blenhelm, Boadicea transport. In Harbour—Britannia, Victory, Royal George, Ex cellent, Blenheim, Pique, Boadicea, Raven, Fanny, Emerald, and Mercury tenders, and Mcssenge steamer. At Spithead—Fantome. (From the Devonport Independent.) PLYMOUTH, DEC. 28.—Her Majesty's steamer Alecto, Lieutenant Andrew Hoseason, sailed on Wed nesday for Lisbon, and from thence she will proceed to the Mediterranean. _ The Rochester; lighter, arrived on Tuesday, with stores from Woolwich. _ _ In Harbour—lmpregnable, 104, Captain Edon ; San Josef, 110, Captain Taylor ; Talavera, 74, Capt. Mends; Nimrod, 20, Com. Barlow; Pylades, 18, Corn. T. V. Anson ; Carron. steam-vessel ; Roches ter, lighter. At the Island—Pantaloon, 10. Lieutenant Darke, of her Majesty's ship San Josef was last week superseded by Lieutenant Wells, and to show the respect in which he is held by the officers and men, on his quitting the ship, the rigging was manned, and all hands gave him three hearty cheers and thcir best wishes for his speedy promotion. PROMOTION.—Master—Oliver John Jones, to the rank of Lieutenant. APPOlNTMENTS.—Lieutenants—William Lovitt, to be Agent in the Palmella, transport; Ralph Gore, to be Agent on board the contract steamer conveying mails between Alexandria and Beyrout. Surgeon—A. Heastie, to the Benbow. Assistant Surgeon—Matthewson Corry, to the Vic tory. Midshipman—J. D. Agnew, to the Melville. Naval Instructor—Richard Oram, to the Blonde. Carpenter—James Williams, to the Pique. MATES APPOINTED CHIEF OFFICERS OF COAST GUARD.—R. J. Bevians, and J. A. Pritchard ; John Grandy, from the Harpy, R.C. to the Cambear Station, at Rye ; John Allen, from the Canaelion, R.C., and J. Madden,from the Delight, R.C., to Stations in Ireland ; J. Hire, from the Lapwing, R.C. to the Coast of Kent ; R. Synge, from the Ranger, R.C. to the Coast of Durham. Her Majesty's frigates Blonde, 46, Captain 'l'. Bouchier, and Pique, 36, Captain Boxer. fitting at Portsmouth, will be ready for sea on the Ist. Thf! Blenheim, 72, Captain Sir 'H. Senhouse, Knt. K.C.H. vrid be ready on the 7th, and the Andromache, now in dock about the same time. Her Majesty's ship Racer arrived at Port Royal, Ja maica, on the, sth of November, from Barbadocs, in nine days. The Crocodile arrived at Port Royal, also from Barbadoes, on the 10th of November. The dates from Jamaica are to the 22d ult. The Governor in Council had passed a number of Bills, sent up by the Assembly, and :natters bad so far progressed in a satisfactory manner. _ . Her Majesty's ship Druid, 44, Captain Lord John Churchill, arrived at Simon's Bay, from this port, Oc tober 30. Her Majesty's ship Revenge, 78, Captain Hon. W. Waldegrave, arrived at Lisboa, from Portsmouth, De cember 11. Her Majesty's brig Acorn, 16, Com. J. Adams, ar rived at the Cape of Good Hope, from the Mauritius, November 3. The Columbine, 16, Corn. G. Elliot, arrived at Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, from St. Helena, 23d October. Her Majesty's brig Brisk, 3, Lieut.-Com. A. Kellett, arrived at St. Helena, from Banguela, the 12th of No vember, bound to the Cape. Her Majesty's ship Crocodile, 26, Captain A. Milne, arrived at Jamaica, 'from Barbadoes, on the 10th of November. Her Majesty's schooner Pickle, 5, Lieut.-Commander F. Holland, sailed from Jamaica, November Gth ; the Spitfire, steam-vessel, 6, on the same day, for St. Tho mas ; and the Dee, steamer, 4, Commander J. Sharer, K.H., on the 11th, on a cruise. Her Majesty's sloop Racer, 16, Commander G. Byng, sailed from Jamaica, for Havanna, the 13th November ; and the Racehorse, 18, Commander the Hon. E. A. J. Harris, for Bermuda, on the 20th November. His Majesty's steamer MeErwra, .Lieut. H. C. Gold smith, arrived at Gibraltar, from Malta, the Bth De cember, and returned the same day. The Horatio, transport, sailed from Malta for England, the 21st No vember. IRELAND. DUBLIN, DEC. 28 A very full meeting was held this day at the Corn Exchange Room, in pursuance of a requisition from Mr. O'Connell, which was to the following effect : " I request a meeting at the Corn-Exchange Great Room this day (Saturday), the 28th inst., et half-past one o'clock precisely, of such of my constituents as are sensible of the necessity of organiiing the best mode of giving expression to the determination of the Irish people to resist by all legal and constitutional means the designs of the enemies of the independence of the throne, and of the civil and religious freedom ofthe people. " DANIEL O'CONNELL, M.P., for. the City of Dublin. " Merrion-square, Dec. 28, 1839." Mr. O'COnnell concluded an address of considerable length, by reading the subjoined resolutions, which he recommended for the adoption of the meeting:— ht. Resolved—That the Tory faction in England having proclaime'd ‘Var against the religion and liberties of the people' Of Ireland, and haVing, by their atrocious and 'sanguinary 'speeches and actions, shown a satanic disposition to extinguish the Catholic Church of Ireland in the blood of her inhabitants, a brutal and wicked purpose, which we have no doubt many of - that faction would attempt to effectuate, but that they are restrained and coerced by the liberality, good sense, public virtue, as well as private worth and patriotism of our highly gifted Queen---:whom may GOd loi.g preserve. We, therefore, deem it a duty' to rally round the Throne of our Most Gracious Monarch, and for the protection of the, civil and religicns liberties of the people, • not only all liberal and enlightened Protestants, but the Catholic people of Ireland, prelates, peers, priests, gentry, mer chants, tradesmen, operatives, labourers, and in short the universal Irish nation. 2d. Re'solvcd—That in order to exhibit the strength and determination of the people of Ireland to defend the throne and their constitutional rights, by all peaceable, le gal,"and constitutional means, we recommend that eveiy county, city, parish, and town should meet as speedily as possible, should address both Houses of Parliament in the strongest and most emphatic language consistent with respect, and should pledge to the support of the royal prerogative and public liberties, their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honours. 3d. Resolved—That for the purpose of carrying into effect the foregoing resolutions, a Committee he forthwith appointed to meet from day to day, until they have digested and published a plan of a general, but legal, and constitutional organization of the Irish people. 4th. That it be recommended to such Commitee to take into consideration the formation of " An Associa tion," to be denominated, " The Friends of the Quecu and Irish Protection Society." sth. That we also recommend to the said Committee to examine and consider whether, without violating the law, a general meeting of deputies, to be elected in every county, city, Rnd town in Ireland, may not be held in the city of Dublin, in order to express in the most authentic and authoritative manner the sentiments and determination of the Irish people, and that such Committee do report and publish its opinion wheal( r such a congress would or not be legal, as in case tLe election or meeting of such an assemblage should be cot - trary to any existing law, the idea of calling the same together should be totally abandoned. After reading these resolutions, Mr. O ' CONNELL said he intended to propose a Society, to be culled " The Friends of the Queen, and Protection Society of Ireland",--and if found to be legal, it would send delegates from every city, town, and parish in Ireland. Those delegates could not meet to petition Parliament, nor to address the Queen, but they could meet to petition the British nation. He would not rest satisfied till be had the entire of Ireland with him, and when he had, they would hear no more of the Earl of Bradford, and Broughton the Sheriff. " For the present I will say nothing of the Catholic declaration which has been spoken of, as I understand the subject has been taken up in another quarter. I will certainly sign it— but this I do say, that it meat not be a milk-and-water document—although temperate in other respects, I must have it sufficiently strong And forcible to convey our feelings." Mr. O'Connell concluded by reading a return of the registry up to half-pest two o'clock, when there were registered for the Liberals 20-10 of which were new registries ; for the Tories none. The resolutions were then respectively moved, se conded, and adopted, and afterwards a Committee was formed. The meeting broke up with three cheers for the Queen, Lord Ebrington, the Registry, and Mr. O'Connell. SEIZURE OF FLOUR AT THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.— Yesterday a. seizure was made at the Custom-House, of two hundred sacks of flour, imported from London, on suspicion that it was foreign. It appears that, under the existing law, foreign flour imported into Ireland, under any circumstances, is liable to confiscation, and the importers arc subject to a heavy penalty. Some effort has, we find, been made in Belfast to procure a suspension of this absurd and most mischiev ous law.—Duolin Evening Post. DINNER TO MR. O'ComiELL.---We are happy to learn that arrangements are in progress for a public dinner to Mr. O'Connell, previous to the re-assembling of Parliament.—lbid. MORE TROOPS FOR ENGLAND.—The military steam boat contractors (St. George Company) have received sudden orders to get ready two steam vessels to sail from Dublin this night with troops for Bristol. In consequence, the Express and Ballinasloe steamers ere now Iyingat our quay ready to take on board one of the regiments forming part of this garrison. This sudden order has been occa sioned by the approaching trials of the Welsh Chartists, and the conscquent fears of a fresh outbreak. Here is another most gratifying proof of the perfect t-anquillity and the general loyalty of the Irish people. THREE o'CLocx.—The 19th regiment of infantry has just marched down to the quays, and are now em barking, and will sail this evening's tide.—lbid. DEATH OF VISCOUNT LASCELLES.—We have to announce the death of Viscount Lascelles, eldest son of the Earl and Countess of Harewood, which melancholy event took place on the 17th instant, at Munich. Edward Viscount Lascelles was born the 18th of July, 1796, and married, in 1821, Miss Louisa Rowley, who is deceased. The title descends to the Hon. Henry ',ascetics, second son of the Earl of Hare wood,who married in 1823 Lady Louisa Thynne, second daughter of the second Marquis of Bath. The funeral of the deceased will take place in Germany. William Watts, Esq., of Hanslope, hss buitt and endowed at his sole expense a school in that parish for the education of the poor children in clic doctrines of the Church of England. The school is made to con tain 200 boys and girls.—Aylesbury .11r4u1s, EVENING EDI rtoN. SECOND EDITION. THE FUNDS.-(CLOSING PRICES.) BRITISEi FUNDS Bank Stock ........... ............ 177 1 4! India Stack — 3 per Cent. Red 90%) Ditto Bonds ....... .... 3 per Cent Cuts. Ditto Old Annuities s; 7,, 3,,, per Cent. Red 9B; Ditto New Annuities New :s., per Cent 1i.0% Ex. Bills, I,ooot *, , 1 dis. New 5 per Cent Ditto POL.—. .......... I dis. Long Annuities to expire Ditto 5001 1 dls. Jan. IS6 I 0ct.1559 Jan 1860 FOREIGN FUNDS Austrian, 5 per cent... ..... .... !Portuguese ponds, sper cent. Bzigian, 5 per cent 10:M Ditto, New Ditto nrazilian Bonds 713 Prussian, 5 per cent — Buenos Ayres, ti per cent 17% 'Russian Bonds, 5 per cent.... 111% Chiliati, 6 per cent latto, Metallic Colombian, 6 per cent Spanish, 5 per cent 24% Ditto, 11 , 124 2l Ditto, Deferred Danish, 3 per cent ... 74 French, 5 per cent..... ..... —l. —c. Greek Bonds, 15:25, 5 pet et. Exchange.. ............. ...... —f. —c Mexican, 5 per ceLt — Fiench, 3 per cell , —f. —c. Ditto, ti per cent.. 1525 2Bk !Dutch, • per cent. Peruvian, 1825,4 per cent.... iDitto, 5 per cent. SHARES. ----- _ • Eastern Counties Railway Great Western Railway Ditto New Shares London and Brighton Railway l6 London and Blackwell Railway 'minion and Birmingham Railway ...... .............. Ditto New Shares London and Greenwich Railway l2 London and South Western Railway ........... Loudon aila Citiyilon Railway (Truth.) :O% Manchester and Leeds iimil way .—..- ........ ..—.. Manchester and Birmingham Railwa.4. North Midland Railway ' ..... ......., 83 Ditto 'New' Shares .. . IS South Eastern and Dover .. . —.....— Q% York and North Midland Railway 413 • ! 034 ....,..........., SPIRIT of the PUBLICJOURNALS. FROM THE EVENJNO PAPERS OF THIS DAY. (From the_ Courier.) • The activity with which.naval armaments are increas ing and preparations arc pushed in the ports and dock yards of France, cannot escape the notice of those who are habitual observers of political movements and readers of French papers. For this extraordinary activity specious pretexts are not wanting, if in some waking interval from sluggish slumbers drawling inquirers into the cause should perhaps reach the Tuileries from a place so little cared for now as Downing,-street. For France contrives cunningly to have one or more petty wars on hand, with the train laid for others in succession as the first die dr, and can no more be decently maintained under any pretence. Thus a crusade was got up against Mexico, and about the same time the foundations laid for a supplemental quarrel with Buenos . Ayres. On the calculation, which events have disappointed, not disagree ably, perhaps,- of a more prompt termination of hos tilities in the river Plate, Algeria was goaded into out break, and is now enveloped' in the flames and deso lation of warfare. As a plausible cover for the one great object, no subterfuge is too flimsy ; as an ex cuse for placing more ships of war in commission, and gradually creating a formidable marine, no oc casion of offence is neglected, however slight, and no power too trivial or contemptible, which may afford the means for exercising naval forces in easy bat tle, for dazzling the nation with a show of laurels at the cheapest rate, and fleecing the defener , less victims out of pecuniary fines ; for the wars of Louis Philippe partake of the mercenary character ascribed to the mind of the man, and amidst all the as pirations of ambition he never loses sight of the money. 'Tile contest with Buenos Ayres,- ostensibly for pretended personal grievances of one or two French subjects, was undertaken in reality to compel that republic into a treaty of commerce with France on equally favourable terms 'with those existing with Great Britain and the United States ; -with, moreover, the additional and insidious irk lent of enviously damaging the flourishing commerce of this country with that portion of South America. • -The end accernplished,ilaccotriplish e d it stiali be,t he materials are gathering for similar demonstration s against Vene :zuela, which has dared refusal of ratificatio n of a treaty concluded Without proper ins:ructions, and on conditions onerous and or:sat;stactory, by some semi -accredited agent Walt the French Cabinet. A pretext cannot be wanting against Ciracit4, if, as in the Argentine State, a French subieet can be found there, escaped from the bngnes of France, convicted of that in Buenos Ayres, I . and sentenced to the usual penally 'of th e l awiL In I the one case, as in the other, the felon can readily be converted iota a martyr, IL injured honour and his in carceration set at a valuation of some twenty thousand dollars, and a fleet of 'men oh war sent to exact pay ment or thunder reprisals at Maracaibo 'and*La Guayra.' (From the GLbe.) Dr. Chalmers haS•written T 1 lorig address (the Pope would ^art it an Allocution) to the dignitaries and eccie siasties at large of the Church Of England, to enlist their sympathies in fa%inur . of the Kirk of Scotland in her presert state of warfare witty the legal tribunals. ft wilt soon be high tithe ror Sir Robert t 6 remount his . " humble but faithful steed,"—and, ---" disregarding the distance, disregarding the . winter"—to trot down amongst his northern adherents; and tie up again the lay and clerical bundle of faggots, which hate quite fallen . asunder. Dr. Chalmers reminds the " Chtirchmen and Conservatives of England" that he and his Kirk have fought side by side with them for their kindred objects and vet he expreves shrewd misgivings what sort of en tertainment (should the Conservatives maw into power) they will give to our question, and how they shall of it. "Certain it is 'that the ultra-Conservatives among us are, unennscioui to themselves, pulling at the same rope with Radicals and Voluntaries ; and, if rot with the inten tion, at least in tendency and effect, for the overthrow of the Church of Scotland. We should then see what a Conservative Ministry would do. If. misled by partizans in this country, cr in ignorance of the rooted principles and feelings of our nation, they attempt a blow at the spiritual independence of our Church, the time cannot be .far distant when the cause cf - religiouS establishments shall be abandoned as having a taint and leprosy of evil essen tially and incurably adhering to them." The conclusien'of Dr. Chalmers (a perfectly just one, if we concede 'his premises) ought really to teach high Churchmen, whether Scottish or English, how senseless is their subserviency (when it is really endured frem de vout motives) to the purposes of a party, which most as suredly will not pro:note theirs. Surely sincere Church men, the wa , mth of whose zeal has made them Tory agents, should see, if they would but open their eyes, that the Tories are less disposed than any party to sup port than in turn in purifying or popularising their reli ginus establishments. We say nothing at present of the wisdom of the steps they take towards that end ; the end itself will excite no sympathy in the leaders of that party to whom Churchmen seem bent on sacri 6cing their best prospects of popular influence, and their best opportunities of striking in with the grand operations against Popular ignorance which have now become a Stare necessity, and should command the aid of the clergy throughout thewhole of our empire:Dr. Chalmerskowever, makes it a merit with English Churchmen awd e'onserva tives, to have opposed himself to the Go'dernment plans of popular education, &c., and, on strength of these merits, puts forward the claims of the Kirk to the sup port of the Conservative party in her present preten sions. (From the Standard.) The Examiner of yesterday gives Sir Robert Peel credit for a degree c;f sagacity and foresight from winch, high as - is our estimate of the Right Hon. Baronet's accomplishments, we must make Rome abatement. The following is our Contemporar)'s proposition upon which having rejected the hypothetical part, it reasons absc !Lady at some length -- " If Sir Robert Peel foresaw in '29 the agitation which has followed the fair working of his measure, be must have seen in it the most cunning snare that ever was de vised for the embarrassment of st tival party. He must, in this case, have foreseen that honest men in power must be exposed to the No Popery clamour, and ob noxious to whatever bigot prejudice remains in the nation." Now we are of opinion that Sir Robert Peel could not foresee anything sq monstrous—as he has seen —that he could not foresee the Government patro nising and promoting Papists, not because they are Papists simply, but because that of all their hostile sect they are the ' most bitter enemies of the Protestant Church--actually the men who raised a rebellion against the State for the purpose of starving. the Church. Sir Robert could not possibly foresee that a British Ministry would, as part of the price a Popish support, place one Papist at the h ea d of the commerce, another at the head of the navy, and a third at the he'd of the public education of Protestant Britain. Sir Robert could not foresee the thirga which are the causes in part, but in .part only that have provoked the present indignation of Protestants. We will tell our Contemporary, how ever, what Sir Robert did foresee, but what he took so little care to disguise, that be made the antici pi tion a part of his apology for the Bill of 1829. He foresaw, then, that if the apprehensions of his opponents, ten years ago, should be realised, if the promises, pledges, and oaths of Papists should prove vain, that then all Protestants would become united which they were not when he spoke, in resisting the aggressions of Popery. The apprehensions of the Opposition of 1829 have been realised, and more than realised, and we rejoice to say that Sir Robert prediction i :in rapid progress of being realised also. The perfidy of the Papist party (we always use the word Papist as distinct from Roman Catholic) has been made manifest, and Protestants, as the Examiner knows, and, indeed, complains,are uniting in firm resistance to that perfidy. EXTENSIVE MALT SEIZURE.—On the even ing of Sunday last Wssrs. Coath and Pringle, excise officers, of Ballyclare, succeeded in detecting a private milt-house, nearly opposite to the distillery at Carrick fergus, and seizing therefrom about five hundred bushel = of illicit malt. The quantity of 'w . beat exported from Limerick since the Ist of Sept. last has been the one-thirteenth part of the quantity of oats sent to tbe.same destination. The Marquis of Ailsa is suffering from a severe attai.lt of the gout, at St. Margaret's Isleworth. The Rev. Lord Wriotheley Russell has twice mined to be nominated to the vacant Bishopric of 4ehfield.—Slorkport Advet