The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-02-06 00:00:00

L ttt `fi ucr CARDINAL DE RETZ (In THE COURTIER'S PLOT. BY PETER POPJOY, (For lien irprpoot .c'bindord. CHAP ER XII. The intruder and his errand The astonishment of the conspira tors is he ein deserdwil. wita the other se s.uiniis they expe rienced Before the chapter closes im octant events will be narrated. IT would be quite impossible adequately to convey to the mind of t;ie reader, by language only, the variety of expression that flitted across the faces of the conspira tors as they stood in that spacious chamber. The bene diction Peace he with you," appeared to produce any thing but the effect intended, for peace was far from the breasts of all present. Every eye involuntarily turned towards the side of the chamber Is hence the voice was heard, and an i n d e fi na ble appearance of terror might have might have been noticed upon every con .tenance. The Queen herself, in spite of her usual presence of mind, and in spite of the interest the revelations of :)e Croissi was exciting, made a sign for him to him to be silent, and quickly arose from her seat. The wainscot opened, and a figure appeared, which on stepping forward was imme diately recognised. It was the Coadjutor. He no longer wore the costume of a cavalier, in which be had appeared when Fabien first met him. His pre sent dress seemed more suitable to him. He was attired in his ecclesiastical ”obes, and walked forward with a stately air, bestowing his benediction with a peculiarly graceful manner.. His violet robe appeared to elevate his naturally sort stature, and hide those misshapen legs which were many a time the subject of jest amongst the wits and wags about the court. But he had preserved beneath his robes that appearance of penetration and of malice—that sneering, mocking smile, which were the true indices of his ch arac t er . A s i ngu l ar mot i on o f the ' eye, which proceed d from a weak and overworked sight, at all times gave his face a decisive and penetrating as pect ; but when he entered the oratory, and cast around him an inquisitive glance, he seemed greatly to embar rass the courtiers, who endeavoured to with ;raw from his observation. Some turned away as if wishful not to be seen, others blushed deeply, as though they were caught in the act of committing a bad action, all giving unequivocal proofs of disquietude and confusion. These indications of restlessness did not escape the eye of Gondi, who smiled satirically, but dissimulating his contempt for the group before him, -aluted the Queen with all the forms and outward show of the most profound respect. Anne of Austria, in spite of her consummate art in hiding her emotions, could not restrain from testifying some surprise. " M. le Coadjutor is always the most welcome amongst us," said she, with somewhat of forced gaiety, " but I must confess that I was far from expecting a visit from him at this present moment." " What is there in my presence that should astonish your Majesty ?" asked the Coadjutor, with an air of per fect serenity and calmness. "Is it not the hour when your Majesty is pleased to receive your most hum ble servant whenever he desires to consult upon matters of state ?" " True," replied the Regent; " but I did not expect to night that " This night, as at all other times when your Majesty does me the honour to grant me an audience, I presented myself at the wicket of the ( loister of St. Honore% Ga• bouri, your groom in waiting, attended me as usual, and it is by some mistake perhaps, which I sincerely deplore —since it has given your grace offence—that he has in troduced me into your oratory, where I will admit I did not anticipate the pleasure of meeting so goodly and nu merous a company. I humbly ask your grace's pardon if there is any thing in my presence that displeases you, but I hope the importance of the news I bring will prove au apology for my intrusion." " Do you bring sue important news," said the Queen, fixing upon him a searching look ; "in that case follow me into a neighbouring closet." " I bow to your Majesty's commands at all times ; but I may as well remark that there is no necessity to hide from these gentlemen an event which to-morrow morning will be known throughout Paris ; especially as," continued he, smiling in his peculiar way, " if I do not deceive myself, the news in my possession touches nearly the motives which have assembled so many noble perso nages around your Majesty." The discomfort of the nobles was not in the least abated by this insinuation : the Queen herself was even slightly alarmed. " I cannot understand, Monsieur le Coadjutor," she said, " that the secret deliberation of the officers of our council can have come to your knowledge, and been re presented in the light of treason ?" De Gondi was in no wise disturbed at this observation, but replied Your Majesty I hope will l ardon me for the obser vation I am about to make," said the Coadjutor, with something like an air of jocularity ; " but is it the cus tom to admit into your Majesty councils, in the presence of your secreta r i es , an d t h e k eeper o f the ' seals—one of your maids of honour, and a young cavalier without dis tinction or any appointment at court P" As the Queen's embarassment appeared to increase, be continued more seriously, " Madame, 1 am well ac quainted with the nature of the enterprise u hich has ori nated this meeting, and moreover I do not approve of it and I refused to take any part in it when tirst it was spoken of. I should not, however, have thought of re vealing it, although I do not believe the end wished to be gained would have been attained by its execution. It was sufficient for me to know that it met with your Majesty's concu-rence and approval. If then I have appeared here, contrary to etiquette, in the midst of vour deliberations, unannounced, it is because the event that I have to com municate is of that nature that it will altogether anni hilate the project that has been here discussed. In short, the Prince has been this evening informed of what is go ing forward, and the attempt that is about to be made on hit life, and he has quitted Paris with his brothers, and the noblemen in his suite." If a thunderbolt had fallen in the midst of the assem bly, it could not have produced upon the courtiers a more startling effect, than the intelligence of Conde's depar ture. Every one believed that he himself would be the especial object of the Prince's anger. The knowledge they possessed of the termination of similar intrigues, made them at once conclude that sooner or later they would be sacrificed to the merciless revenge of him they would have destroyed. They stood perplexed and spirit less, without daring even at first to give vent to their mutual fears. De Croissi especially, who had been from the first one of the active movers in the scheme, and whose t^eachery towards the Prince aggravated, if any thing, his position—believed himself lost without redemp tion, and he cast around him a look of despair, as if to search for some one to drag with him in his fall. Fabien and Elizabeth alone rejoiced at an event which, in ren dering the plot impossible to be executed, appeared to them at once as effecting the salvation of the life of one the most remarkable men of his time The Queen seemed lost in reflection, as if she care fully weighed in her mind, whether this event would prove fatal or not to her interests. " He has then departed ? he has then given place to me," said she, after some minutes thought, and with an air of satisfied pride : " the great Conde, as they persist in calling him, has fled before a woman. How delighted the Cardin al will be !" Perceiving that her words were eagerly listened to, she turned towards Paul de Gondi, and enquired with an air of interest— " There is much good and much evil in what you tell me, sir ; hut since you have been so well and so quickly informed of the truth, can you not tell me where the Prince has retired ? Without doubt he has departed for Guyenne to commence a civil war ?" " 1 hope, madam, that the state will not suffer such cruel extremities. If I can believe certain reports that have reached me, M. le Prince has only gone to his cha teau of Saint Maur near Paris, and it is his intention day by day to attend Parliament with a sufficient escort, where he is determined to seek venceance against his enemies." The mischievous prelate accompanied these words with that sly twitching of his eyes, of which we have spoken, and which indicating at once that what he had said was intended to augment the disquietude of the con spirato s. Their countenances seemed so chapfallen that the Queen appeared to take pity upon their sufferings. " My faithful adherents need not unnecessarily alarm themselves," said she, in a cold and constrained voice, which gave the lie to her words ; "it is possible that, compelled by necessity, I can come to some arrange ment with the rebel Prince ; but I am not so weak as to sacrifice my friends—they may tear my heart by sepa rating me from my dear Cardinal—but," continued the Queen, " before we debate upon the probable result of this event, it would be as well to know who has reveal ed the affair to the Prince ; and I command Mons. le Co adjutor to state from whom he obtained his informa tion P" Paul de Gondi replied, seemingly well considering every word— " Madame, before any thing else is said, I think it is my duty to let you know a fact that will diminish that tender solicitude which your Majesty I know entertains for your faithful councillors, and which perhaps," added he, with an ironical gravity, " will contribute somewhat to their comfort and peace of mind. It is that the Prince, although well informed as to the plot generally, does not know the name of a single person enleagued against him ; and the suspicions which he has conceived will not be sufficient to furnish him with*foundations on which to rest a solemn accusation before the Parliament." This avowal which the mischievous ecclesiastic doled out so tardily, and which he seemed delighted to with hold as long as possible, appeared at once to impart con fidence to the courtiers—they breathed again freely, and held up their heads in the pride of security—their eyes again sparkled, while their speech returned with the certainty that the danger was not so great as they had imagined." If that is the case, sir," said De Croissi, " in an aniu.ated torte, " how is it that the Prince has been in formed .of our project only in part ? He must have em p!oyed some one to penetrate into her Majesty's secr e ts." Skilful as was the Coadjutor, and ready as he was at all times in reply, this suddenly -put question appeared to embarrass him not a little. He hesitated. De Croissi, who at once saw the advantage he h a d o b ta i ne d , was tempted to gain his point by a si ng l e bl ow. aflame," said he, with firmness ; " come what will—whatever he my lot—l will yet give your Majesty a proof of my zeal a n d d evot i on. M . le Coadjutor . avows himsel that he has been for some time acquainted with the whole truth, and I must now let your Majesty know from whom he obtains all the secret projects of the court, abortiv e . Will thus enabling him eith er t o r - vei l t h em or to ren d er t h em your Majesty be pleased to recollect what I was a b out to say at the moment NI. le Coadjutor entered the oratory. Oh ! madame, you have warmed a serpent a t your no b le heart, and that maiden in whom you have placed so much confidence"— Anne of Austria cast a wrathful look upon Elizabeth, who trembled with fear. " Speak, sir, speak out; explain yourself," said she, scarcely able to restrain her rising passion. " Well, Madame, do you not recollect who it was that placed .1111 e. de Montglat near your Majesty ?" " Certainly, it was the Duchess de Chev reuse ; what then ?" " Madame and Mlle. de Chevreuse," continued Croissi, pointing ironically t o P au l de Gondi, " are, as is well knowu to all Paris, the dearest friends of Mons. le Co adjutor, and as Madame de Chevreuse is the protectress of lllle. de Montglat"— _ _ He stopped. The Regent stamped her foot with rage. " Speak out, sir—explain—l command you." Well, madame, I have no hesitation in declaricg to your Majesty, that Mlle. de Montglat has betrayed to the Duchess de Chevreuse all your Majesty's secrets that she could contrive to obtain possession of, while Madame de Chevreuse, on her part, details them to M. le Coadjutor. A conversation which I accidentally heard between the Countess de Montglat and the Duchess left me no doubt on the subject, and it is the knowledge of this mystery that has given me so much authority over Mlle. de Montglat ; and which I fully hoped would have served us in the matter that we had in hand —this enter prise of Mons. D'Hocquincourt. Your Majesty can now account for the far-sightedness of Mons. le Coadjutor." The Regent grew livid with rage. (To be continued.) HINTS FOR HUNDREDS.—No. I. (For the Liverpool Standard.) " Esti auton kinaito ? " —DsmosnizNas. "ANY THING NEW?" (Concluded from our last.) But in the resolution I had formed, of secluding my self in the country, and avoiding the news-craving mon gers, I could not altogether escape from my enemy. For we bad the annoyance brought to our fire-side, and our domestic and social enjoyments were not permitted to be exempt from the tax that was to be imposed upon them, and which served to warn us that there can be no happi. ness here without some alloy, no sweets without some bitter ingredients mingled in our cup of joy. For the first salutation at the breakfast table, no rnattet how addressed, or how irrelevant was the reply, was sure to enunciated by my brother, after the following manner—" You have been long in dressing, Charles," says his spouse; " tea or cof. fee, dear ?" " Anything new, love, this morning ?" to which sensible enquiry no answer is given, but in the shape of a cup of coffee. " Ham, or tongue? Charley," I would then ask. " How are you, Torn ? what have you new ?" to which I replied with slices of tongue and dreading to ask him . any more questions, and then we waited in silence, until he ch. , se to broach some subject, and chatted gaily and pleasantly, as though we had never heard the annoying enquiry. New eggs I never eurst name. But then we had the same ordeal to go through at dinner, after dinner, on awakening from his nap ; at tea, and on all occasions, when any thing at any of these meals were profferred to him, the answer was invariably prefaced by the enquiry from you, if you had any thing, if there was any thing—new. Yet let it be remarked that this is not a characteristic of my brother, only, for I have remarked is as existing in all the men of his acquaintance, and oft have I blushed, and felt indignant and ashamed, when, in his drawing-room, I have noticed a male visitor taking his seat at the side of a lady, (and if a young lady and a stranger, then has my sympathy been more strongly excited)--and the first remark that such visitor has made, has been. " Well, Miss Emma, what have you new, this evening?" to which the lady could not know how to reply, but, only by her blushes, which strongly indicated how she estimated an enquiry, which she could not but regard as most rude and offensive. But I have also seen this in quiry answered by a smile, and a direction of the eyes to the ample foldings of a new rich satin dress ; and then, all parties seemed mutually to understand each other; and " Oh, yes, I see, you've got a new dress—beautiful, I ad mire it much," &c., was the reply. But then this must have been addressed to, and answered by, one familiar to such enquiries, and would be lightly regarded ; and had and intolerable as this " ruling passion" is, when exhi bited in the streets, among men, and " where merchants most do congrezate," I contend it is intolerable, offen sive, and insulting, when introduced into the drawing room, and made in the presence of, and addressed to, ladies. Dr. Johnson used to say that none but a fool or an idiot would tell you, if you had the means of judging yourself, that the day was " hot" or " cold," the weather " fine" or otherwise ; and that this stupid mode of salu tation, was only applicable to, or could with propriety be used by, the colliers, or miners, who were immured under ground six days of the week, and on the seventh, only, j could have access to the open air, and witness the light 1 and feel the genial warmth of the sun. What would have been the sage's feelings, had he visited Liverpool, at the present day—l trow it would not have been long ere some 1 one would have felt the weight of his sturdy arm, and thus found any appropriate answer to their enquiry for " something new." In a small watering-place in the North-Riding of York shire, where I remember accompanying my father many years ago, the usual salutation was, " Any thing fresh, this morning ?" and the answer generally given, as the case might be, was, " No, sir; the cables have not yet got in ; " or, " Yes, sir ; the cobles have just got in, and there's plenty offresh cod, haddocks, and ling, some fine lobsters, and some nice fresh crabs." Now, as we had visited this place for the only purposes of obtaining fresh sea-breezes and eating fresh fish, the question was a sen sible one, and the answer appropriate, rational, and to the point. I must not omit to name one little event, which did occur during my visit to Liverpool, and which gave me the most heartfelt pleasure, and on which I gloated with savage joy, and which served me often in good need as a never-failing answer to satisfy my brother's inquiry for " something new." It was this. Having made an even ing call on a neighbour, we were ushered into his dining room, and there found the old gentleman snugly cushioned in his leather chair, his lady at the table, with her daugh ter, profitably, I dare say, employed, as all ladies deem themselves to be, when piles of worsted of various colours are heaped around them. After making our respects to the ladies, my brother turned to the old gentleman, and, as usual, accosted him with, " Well, sir, what have you got new to-day ? " " Oh, nothing—l think." " La! papa, bow can you say so? You've got some new wine, to-day." " Yes, Charlotte dear," replied mamma, " you are right. We have got some new—quite new wine, sir ;" and, turning to me, " Do you like new wine, sir? New wine, now, to you, will be quite a treat; you'll get no new wine in India, you know; you can't. Ring the bell, Charlotte." The bell was rung. " John, bring in a bottle of the new wine; you shall have some of our new wine." I replied, " New wine does not agree with me. lam an invalid, you know, my dear madam. lam much obliged to you, but—my brother wilt do justice to your kindness, as he is always inquiring for, and is very fond of. " something new." "ishe ? Then, here it is. No excuse; sit down ; help yourself; don't spare it ; we 've plenty more in the cellar; I shall be offended if you do." Oh! the look that was then given me by my poor bro ther, who is fastidious to a fault about his wines I How I did enjoy his misery I He had got at last something " new' —" quite new"; and, in spi_e of his assertion that one glass was quite sufficient, I whispered to the lady, and assured her that he was only saying so from politeness, and from a desire to spare her " new" wine. At this she arose, and, with redoubled energy, pressed, filled and filled, again and again, his glass. I assured her we had no engagement, and that we had come with the intention of spending the evening with them ; and that, in order to allow ray brother to enjoy what I knew he relished so much, if she would permit me I would take a glass of brandy, with some of their nice cold water, and thus my brother nerd not hurry himself on my account. " Excellent, captain! how kind and considerate of you! friendly, very friendly ; yes, indeed it is. Charlotte, the best old brandy, dear. There, now, don't hurry." No, indeed I did not. I had got him on the hook, the tenter hooks, at last; and never was a poor devil of a fish so played with before. Oh ! how he did storm and sputter and swear, when he got out of the house at last, and vowed he would never forgive or forget the trick I had played upon him*; and I took care he did not forget it, for whenever he afterwards was wont to ask if I had " any thing new," I invariably replied that I had not, but Charlotte had ; and this was quite sufficient to bring him to a rational mode of converse. Now this characteristic, this trait, this ruling passion of yo ur t ownsm en, which I have thus endeavoured to il lustrate, will, I humbly opine , as I said before, serv e as the key to unlock the mystery which for some time ren dered it so difficult for me and others to account for the want of uniformity, the studied irregularity, in the style and the materials of the " better " houses in your town. For who, of those who are thus so incessantly hunting after, and so cravingly desiring for, " something new," would be satisfied to have his house to be exactly like that of his neighbours? No ; in that there would be nothin g "new." Is his neighbour's house of stone , then " Mine must be of brick. I'll have something new.' Is his cemented and painted white, " I'll have mine painted yellow." " Who would buy that piece of ground? It has been ' to be let' to my knowledge for this last twelee months. I'll have a piece fifteen or twenty yards further along—a new piece of ground." Then the architect is urged for a design " something new"; the founder for a new pattern for the iron railing ; the painter for new imi tations of oak, mahogany, or ash : and, as each is paid for his fancy designs, they make it their business to fur nish what is required at the pecuniary expense of their employers, though at the expense of the professional cre dit, taste, and skill of the employed. Do you, Mr. Editor, think this an exaggerated descrip tion of an everyday occurrence—the result merely of a morbid imagination ? One part of the statement can be readily proved by the houses themselves ; and the other can be as readily demonstrated to be true, by your laying down this manuscript, and walking from your office in the Crescent to the Exchange in one direction, or to the bottom of Lord -street in another, and I will wager you ten to one, of any description of coin you may choose to name, that, out of ten of your acquaintances with whom you are on such sufficiently intimate terms as to stop and shake hands with them, nine ont of the ten will not in quire as to the state of your health, or speak of the wea ther even, but will be solicitous for " something "—" any thing" new, or some variation in these terms; but the questions will all have the same unmeaning, inexplicable purport. To this you may perhaps reply, that such a salutation might be appropriate, and might also be ex pected, from your known occupation as caterer for .the public amusement, as well as public instruction—that " news" in some shape or other is the commodity in which you are known to deal. Well, admit this. Then take a friend with you, and be you a silent spectator of the greetings which he gives and receives ; and I feel confident that my wager, if accepted, would be quickly won, and my observations borne out to be correct. And now having drawn yc ur attention to this foible in the character of your townsmen, should you deem these remarks worthy to be promulgated, I trust, that all who have hitherto been guilty of this habit, will see the pro priety of amending and correcting, that which when in dulged in, renders them so ridiculous in the estimation of strangers, causes their conduct oft to be misunderstood, and an insult deemed to be intended, where none is meant ; and occasions their presence oft to be dreaded and avoided, instead of being welcomed with a cordial reception; and leaves also the unhappy pestered victim to entertain the idea, that their minds are so vapid, and unstored with any other information beyond the business of their calling, the affairs of their counting houses, and their anxiety for something "new,"—that they have nothing in common to exchange or barter, with the polite and well-informed society of the day, into which, it is imagined, their reputed wealth alone had obtained for them an admittance. Now this I know to be a wrong impression, but such is oft created, and which requires a lengthened and intimate acquaintance to remove ; for men may be found, and often are found, who in spite of this " ruling passion" possess vast and varied stores of learning and information, well cultivated minds, and high attainments, capable of con ferring much benefit, much pleasure, upon the society in which they move. It is, therefore, more incumbent on such individuals to strive against and overcome the vicious habit they have acquired, and to use their influence in removing the stigma on the character of their town, which they have been instrumental in creating. I know of only one instance in ancient, and of none in modern times, where this peculiarity, as exhibited in Liverpool, can be equalled ; and that is recorded of Athens in the Acts of the Apostles, that the "Athenians and strangers that were there, employed themselves in nothing else but either in telling or hearing some new thing" !! I have now only further to remark, that this paper has been written with no illnatured personality—with no sin gle individual in view; and, from itsgeneralapplicability, cannot be so understood, though each individual who reads these remarks may find such a strong personal ap plication as to feel personally identified and delineated in the sketch I have presented and illustrated, of the Liver pool " ruling passion." And should these " hints" have the effect desired and intended, I know I shall have con ferred upon hundreds, the ladies particularly, and other fellow-sufferers like myself, a boon which will be highly valued and duly appreciated ; and were the author but known, he would be rewarded too, I doubt not, with some splendid testimonial of their favour and approba tion. Should I, when I return, have the gratification to witness a favourable result arising from these " hints," I shall be amply repaid, and consider my labour to have not been in vain, and be gratified in witnessing what - could consider in reality worthy to be deemed as Some THING NEW ! * A fact without exaggeration or extenuation, but not without malice. NOTICE. Ancient Liverpool. By W. G. Hardman. Part Marples, Liverpool. Ancient Liverpool! We fancy we hear many a voice exclaim, " Why, what is there in Liverpool that savours of antiquity ?" We answer, "There is nothing." But a few years ago, within the recollection of a man in life's prime, there were vestiges of the olden inhabitants innu merable—old houses, old streets, old inns, an old tower, and a cultivated country surrounding it. Where the mer chant now rattles home in his gig or carriage, and the heavily laden cart crushes the macadamised road, but, comparatively, a few years ago was green field, verdant meadow, and tilled land. But to prevent the old relics fading altogether from memory, as well as sight, the artist's skilful hand renews them in thought, and they exist again under the magic touch of his pencil—and we cannot but admit, to Mr. Herdman great praise and thanks are due. Of the few works of interest—of real value—that have emanated from the Liverpool press (for our townsmen do not cultivate literature sufficiently to tempt the author— the bard or the literary man—to much exertion) this work of Mr. Herdman's takes a very forward position; not only from the valuable information it contains connected with Liverpool in olden time, but more especially for the masterly lithographic drawing with which each number is embellished, and which, in point of execution, broadness of effect and faithfulness have not at any time been ex celled by the best metropolitan artists. The present part is occupied by some very interesting statements respecting the Mersey. The existence of the estuary at the time of the Romans has been long matter of doubt and - speculatton: —nom," et.ittmv a existence in its present form ; and there are many good reasons for believing that by some remarkable convulsion of nature the land, or rather marsh, was entirely inun dated. Mr. Herdman does not put forth his book with any pretenfions to literary distinction, but relies entirely upon his views to claim the attention of the public, and truly a more beautiful work could not adorn the costly drawing-room, enrich the library, or improve and inter est. It will be a shame upon us if Mr. Herdman does not muster two thousand subscribers to his work, for it is one that deserves the most earnest attention, and de mands, from its great merits, the patronage of them who have any relation to what is cantingly called " the good old town." We recommend Mr. Herdman's work to notice, and can safely pronounce, that instead of falling off, it is increasing in interest and value as it draws nearer its completion. THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. SELECTIONS. ORIGIN OF THE TERM PINCHBECK.-We hear for certain, that Mr. Pinchbeck, of London, will be in town this week, with a variety of toys in his curious metal ; as likewise a curious parcel of jeweller's work, as diamond rings, both brilliant and roses, stone buckles of all sorts. He also has lately invented an artificial stone, called the Pinchbeck diamond, which he sets in gold rings, and so nearly resembles the rose in all its properties that it has often deceived the best judges, and is so hard that it will stand the file, which is allowed to be a perfection that no one artificial stone ever had before.—N.B. He allows half-a-crown an ounce for his metal as usual.—Whit worth's Manchester Magazine, Oct. 7, 1746. MALINGERING.—Dr. Gavin mentions, that a man of the name of Henry Moor Smith, a most accomplished villain, while in the prison of Kingston, began to spit blood, had a violent cough and fever, and gradually wasted away, so that those who visited him supposed that his death was rapidly approaching. This continued for a fortnight, and his weakness was so great that be had to be lifted up to take medicine or nutriment. A turnkey, unfortunately, however, left the door of the prison open for a few moments, in order to warm a brick for his cold extremities; on his return, Smith bad disappeared. On being again put into prison he feigned cachexia, hrernop tysis, and epilepsy, but without success. He confessed that he pretended to raise blood by pounding a brick into powder, pu'ing it in a small rag, and chewing it in his mouth. He contrived to vary his pulse by striking his elbows, and said he had taken the flesh off his body in t, days by sucking a copper cent in his mouth all night, and swallowing the saliva.—Medical Times. MRS. HEMANS, R. SOUTHEY, AND OTHER PORTS.-- I am quite of your opinion as to the too uniform splen dour of Felicia Hemans. She keeps us hovering con stantly on the wing, like birds of Paradise, for want of a perch to repose upon. This cannot be said of the honest lake poets; you may there find obscure and languid places, where you may not only perch, but nod, till some of those beautiful passages which redeem the poppy covered waste occur to wake you. Did ever I tell you of one of said poets we have in town here, indeed one of our intimates—the most provoking creature imaginable? He is young, handsome, wealthy, witty ; has great learn ing, exhuberant spirits, a wife and children that he doats on (circumstances one would think consolidating), and no vice that I know, but, on the contrary, virtuous prin ciples and feelings. Yet his wonderful eccentricity would put anybody but his wife wild. She, I am convinced, was actually made on purpose for her husband, and has that kind of indescribable controlling influence over that wonderful savage the Czar Peter. Pray, look at the last Edinburgh Review, and read the favourable article on John Wilson's City of the Plague. He is the person in question ; and had any one less i n f avour w i t h th em b u ilt such a city in the region of fancy, and peopled it in the same manner, they would have plagued him most effec tually.—What do you think of Lord Byron's latter poems? The Third Canto of Childe Harold, you find, has met its full share of admiration here. I, too, admire it exceedingly, though I think our Indulgent critics pass lightly over much of false sublime. Sure you must have read the criticisms in the Edinburgh and Quarterly Re. view on his poems,—l mean the last productions of that wayward and wonderful mind. I need not tell you that the first is Jeffrey's, nor that he has outdone himself in that exquisite essay, which I am never tired of admiring. You would also trace Walter Scott in the inferior, though pleasing and kindhearted criticism in the Quarterly. After all, though Scott expends a good deal of good sense in reasoning down, and a great deal of good nature in soothing down, the angry moods of the illustrious misan thrope, he could scarcely expect that he will succeed in persuading the man to quit what be actually puts on as an ornament. He i s str i v i ng to d epr i ve P ar olles of his drum, or a fine lady of her t ouge, and seems to forget that his lordship, like lago, is nothing if not critical—or rather, he is nothing if not querulous. When a child runs away merely to be pursued, and cries merely to be pitied, it is in vain th a t you b r i be it to come b ac k and be quiet. Scott would fain infuse as much of his own honey into Lord B.'s vinegar as would at least make oxymel of it ; but it will not do. His " Love's Labour lost" re minds one of the good-natured David Hume provoking Rousseau by trying to man u f acture a li tt l e tranqu ility for him.—Memoirs of Mrs. Grant, of Lagpan. SECOND EDITION. Standard-office, Half-past Eleven o'clo4c. THE STATE TRIALS. Yesterday, at the opening of the court, Mr. O'Connell (who appeared without his wig and gown which he had worn every day since the trial commenced) proceeded to address the jury. He commenced by saying, that he did not stand as his own client, but that his clients were the Irish people, whose rights he stood forward to protect. He was not going to deny or palliate anything he had done, but the substance of all he had said he was there to vindi cate. When the political order of things was restored every where, Ireland alone wa left without its full day of retribution. The jury differed from him (Mr. O'Connell) in religious belief, and that difference was, perhaps, agagravated by the fact, that he, a Catholic, had done most to pull down Protestant ascendency. The prosecution was the strangest o ne th at h a d ever b een entered upon : the jury had not one or ten facts to try, but they had to wade through the history of nine months, and the evidence of the acts as laid before them was raked up from newspapers ; and it wa s a monstrous thing to term that a conspiracy which everybody knew of, and three fifths of the people were engaged in. There was not suf ficient evidence to support an action for the recovery of £lO. No conspiracy was proved ; and the Attorney-Ge neral had made a long speech, but he had at the close merely told the jury to go back to the beginning and find out the conspiracy for themselves, The hon. traverser then related two or three anecdotes, which he conceived to be in point, as showing that because the Attorney- General had taken so long a time in stating the case, there was really no charge agai ns t th e travtrsers. The trial was a ministerial one, to see whether the present ministry were to retain o ffi ce, or wh e th er we were to have the whigs again promising much and doing nothing. (Laughter.) They could not believe that he, who was to receive that awful judgment which could not now be much longer postponed, could enter into a conspiracy. The verdict might impri son him, but it could not take from him the conscious innocence he possessed. If the Attorney-General's doc trine of conspiracy were right, the slave-trade would never have been abolished, and Wilberforce and Clarkson were as much conspirators as he (Mr. O'Connell). The hon. gent. then referred to what he termed the " machi nery" of the evidence, dividing it into two classes—mon ster meetings and newspaper publications. The meetings were leaal : no disturbance took place at them—no life was lost there—and there was no evidence brought forward to show that they led to intimidation. They were peaceable by design, and were discontinued the moment a proclamation was issued discountenancing them. He left the meetings to the jury, as men that must answer for their verdict before their maker. As to the newspa pers he had nothing to do with them—there was no proof of any connection between him and the newspapers; and be had frequently disavowed at the association that any newspaper was the organ of their body. They had circu lated newspapers, but the evidence on that point merely went to show that those who subscribed a certain sum allocated a part of that money to the choice of a news paper, and there was no proof at all that even these re ports in the papers had led to any breach of the peace. The hon. gentleman then went on at great length to show that his whole life went to disprove that he could be guilty of such conduct as was attempted to be brought to his charge. He then read a number of extracts to show as he conceived how much Ireland prospered under her own immense number Parliament, and b r o ug ht f orwar d an number of figures and assertions to make it appear that his country suffered severely f rom th e P ar l iamen t sitting in England, and concluded as follows :—I leave the case with you—l utterly deny that I have said or done any thing to warrant the imputation that I am a con spirator. I reject the accusation with contempt. I acted in open day, in the presence of the government, of the magistrates, and I said nothing that I would not expose to the universal world. I have struggled for the restoration of the parliament of my native country. Some have succeeded in the attempt—others have failed. If I succeed or If I fail, it is a glorious struggle to make —the first land upon the earth possess that bounty and benefit— what God and nature intended it should possess —(partial applause.) The Chief Justice.—Are you going into evidence Mr. Moore ? Mr. Moore.—We intend so, my lord ; but at this late hour there might be a difficulty in getting the witnesses into court in its present crowded state. The Chief Justice.—l do not wish to put you to any inconvenience. Mr. Moore.—Then, my lord, I think that as the case has closed so far as the speeches are concerned, that we might abridge the evibence much by a conference before any of the witnesses are produced. The Chief Justice.—Then we will be ready to hear them to-morrow morning. The Court was accordingly adjourned until to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. Mr. O'Connell was loudly cheered while passing through the hall, and in the vicinity of the Courts, upon his way home. GENERAL MISCELLANY. The present mayors of London, Lancaster, Cambridge, and Carlisle, are all natives of Cumberland. The Committee of the Birmingham Musical Festival have paid over to the General Hospital the sum of £2.916 10s., being the surplus receipts of the late Festival beyond Iria is QUEEN AT DitTZY:L;Wi' . Majesty ho noured this theatre with her presence on Thursday even ing, on which occasion the opera of the " Bohemian Gni" was represented. The theatre was very crowded, but her Majesty maintained a strict privacy. Caroline Harris, the midwife, at Wolverhampton, who, as we stated last week, had been under examination on the revolting charge of destroying infants at their birth, for sums of money, has been committed to take her trial at Stafford assizes. On Saturday week, the operative cotton-spinners of Glasgow and neighbourhood gave, pretty generally, a notice of a demand for an advance of 10 per cent. on their wages. It is uncertain whether the demand will be corn plied with ; but if not, a turn-out is exceedingly probable. THE TAUNTON PARRICIDE.—Mary and Faith Sealey _ . hr give been committPd for trial for the wilful murder of their father and their aunt by poison. We gave the cir cumstances briefly in our last. Faith, the younger sister, has made a confession which is criminatury of her sister. Last week s at Marlborough-street Police•oflice, Wm. Adams, a lame young man, was sentenced to pay a fine of £5, or two months' imprisonment, for damaging with his crutch one of the pictures in the National Gallery. The picture was stated to be worth £159. ROBBERY.—On Wednesday, a tobacconist belonging to Greenock had his pocket picked of a sum of money, amounting to £127, in bank notes, while travelling in a third-class railway carriage between Paisley and Glas gow. The Duke of Wellington has conferred an Ensigncy in the Fifteenth Foot, without purchase, on Mr. Christopher Sayers, whose brother, Mr. Henry Knight Sayers, of the Thirty-first, gallantly led the storming party through the Tezeen Pass, in Affghanistan, and lost, through his death, the promotion which he had earned. LONGEVITY OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.—The Ja nuary number of a periodical, connected with the Society of Friends, contains a longer list of deaths among that body than usual. The average age is upwards of G 2 years. The age of the youngest in the list is 2 years and 4 months, and of the oldest 93. THE GADDESBY MURDER.—After having been re manded no less than five times since his last apprehen sion, Mr. Messenger, the master of the murdered Gar ner, was once more •his morning discharged from gaol, the magistrates being of opinion that the evidence would not warrant his further detention.—Leicester Mercury. We find the following rumour in the Germa.i papers, under date Dresden, January 20 :—" Queen Victoria will visit Germany in the spring—first the Prussian court. She will come to dresden in the beginning of May, and then go to Gotha to visit ber father-in-law. So much is no ,v decided, but it is possible that her journey may be further extended." The Tablet, a Roman Catholic journal', announces that Dr. Baggs, President of the English College at Rome, has been appointed by the Pope Vicar Apostolic of the West ern District, vacant by the death of Bishop Baines. Dr. Baggs has intimated his intention to reside at Prior Park, Bath, and his determination to carry out the works of his predecessor. THE TEA TRADE, MONDAY, JAN. 29.—There have been some further public sales since our last, which, al though not large, have served to show that the feeling is rather in favour of getting into stock at the current quo tations. The consumption is going on very steadily, and has been increasing since Christmas. Last week there was again a larger quantity taken, viz. 651,767 lb. REMARKABLE CHANGE IN PROPERTY.—When Law rence Sheriff, grocer and citizen of London, left the third part of a field of 24 acres, in the parish of Holborn, for the endowment of a grammar-school at Rugby, it pro duced no more than £8 a-year. This field was called Conduit-close, and was nearly half a mile from any house. It is now covered with buildings, and the rental exceeds £lO,OOO a-year. The field has risen in value from £8 to £lO,OOO and upwards. The anti-leaguers have had two terrible defeats during the past week. The first was at II ull and the second at York. Vast preparations had been made to give an eclat to the proceedings in two places of such eminent import ance, but the attendance, notwithstanding the deputation consisted of Messrs. Cobden, Bright, and Thompson, was very small. At Hull, scarcely a single shopman or mer chant condescended to be present. At York no man of particular standing could be found to take the chair. SUICIDE OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN OF FORTUNE.— Last week an inquest took place before Mr. Wak ley on the body of William Chantry, Esq., aged 23, at his resi dence, Mornington-crescent, Hampstead-road. The de ceased was entitled to large property, and had only just completed his studies. It appeared in evidence that John Locklock was passing the deceased's house, when the female servant rushed out, exclaiming that her master was cutting his throat. He followed the servant upstairs, and found deceased in his bed•-room standing before a looking glass, cutting his throat with a razor ; the glass and the person of the deceased were covered with blood. The deceased then staggered and waved his arms to and fro, after which he fell down and died in five minutes. The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased had des tr .yed himself, but there was not sufficient evidence to prove the exact state of his mind at the time he did so." ; EXPLOSIVE POWER.—The Globe neNspvcr gives an account, on the testimony of a party in whom it places confidence, of a newly discovered explosive powder of dreadful efficacy. It is described to be a chemical combi nation, perfectly safe for carriage, and capable of being aimed at its obj.-ct, from the size of rhu , kerbidlets to that of cannon balls or bomb-shells. It is further added that works of immense strength ate now erecting at Woolwich, by which it is to be tested, under the inspection of expe rienced officers. FATAL ACCIDENT.-ft is with deep concern we have to state, that the Right Hon. the E ar l o f Ki ntore has met wi a t t h e' ano•ter painful bereavement in he death of one of his daughters—a most interesting child, about ten years of age, who, while amusing herself near the top of the staircase at Keith-hall, fell over the ballustrade, and alighted on the basement floor, a very great height. She was taken up in a state of insensibility, and died in little more than an hour. This distressing accident, occurring so soon after the sudden and lamented death of Lord In. verary, renders the affliction doubly severe. —Aberdeen Journal. DISASTERS AT WHITBY.— On Mo n d a y n i g h t last, about twelve o'clock, the brie Malton, of Whitby, struck on the Whitby bar, in taking the harbour, and was driven beyond the east pier by a heavy sea and strong northerly wind, and has since become a wreck : crew saved. On Wednesday last the brig Earl Bathurst, of Scarbro', broke from her anchor, in the Whitby roads, and came on shore near to Upgang : crew saved. About eight o'clock the same night the Siren, of Shields, also broke from her anchor, and was driven on shore near to the other brig : crew also saved. ATROCIOUS M URDER.—A murder of a most diabolical nature has been committed in the neighbourhood of Conwil, in the early part of this month. The parties concerned in this affair are, Hesther Howell, aged 18, of Heol Bill, and Rachel, her mother, together with David Howell, as accessory after the act—be standing in affinity the husband of the one, the father of Hester, and sup posed to be the father of the murdered infant. The parties had sold off, at Conwil, and decamped just as the affair got wind; but Rachel, the grandmother of the infant, has been apprehended by the rural police in the neighbourhood of Llanwinio, under a warrant from Capt. Davies, of Green-Hall, and strong hopes are entertained that the other delinquents will not long escape the punish ment due to their unnatural deed.—Carmarthen Journal. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.— A fatal accident occurred, on Saturday last, under the following circumstances, to Mr. John Bell, of Gill-house, Baldersdale. He had been at his sou-in-law's, Mr. Ralph Dent, steward to Jobn Bowes, Esq., of Streatlam Castle, on that day, and set off home about six o'clock p.m. Nothing more was heard of him:until next morning, when he was found by Mr. Adam son, Streatlam, in a field near Mr. Dent's house quite dead. It seems that the horse he was riding had fallen and thrown his rider, who must have been killed instan taneously, as his forehead was laid open. The knees of the horse were broken from the fall. The deceased was a gentleman highly respected amongst his neighbours, and was perfectly sober on the day in qtitstion. An inquest was held on the body on Monday, when a verdict of " Ac cidental death" was returned.—Durham Advertiser. SHEFFIELD OLD BANK.—In the Leeds District Court of Bankruptcy, on Monday last, Mr. Commissioner West gave judgment as to the granting of certificates of conformity to the bankrupts under a fiat of bankruptcy issued on the 16th of January, 1842, against Mr. Hugh Parker, Mr. Miley Shore, Mr. John Brewin, and Mr. John Rogers, of Sheffield, bankers. The Learned Com tni.;sioner went through the principal transactions proved under the fiat, in the course of which he not , ced the different circumstances which had been urged on a pre vious day against granting certificates to the bankrupts. He concluded by saying—" Under these circumstances, I think their certificate should be delayed until the 16th of April, and in delaying it until that time, I take into con sideration the period which has elapsed since the issuing of the fiat." THE BELGIAN DOG MARKETS.—The following ex tract from a letter of Dr. Forster, foreign hon. secretary to the Animals Friend Society, to L. Gompertz, Esq., hon. secretary, will, we hope, be found serviceable to persons who value their dogs :—" The police of Belgium have long been devising plans to obviate the following mode of theft. There is a dog market held every Sunday, in all the great towns, .at which all the English sports men, and others who fancy dogs, attend ; and it has been discovered that most of the valuable dogs sold here and in Holland are brought from England, in the different vessels and packets, and are disguised, shorn, &c., and sold here at high prices, particularly the small breed of spaniels. On a fine Sunday, after church, at Brussels, you may see thirty or more English gentlemen and ladies purchasing these curs. Now, it may be as well for the police in London to know this, that they may watch what goes on board the vessels; since there is an almost gene ral complaint of losing valuable dogs in London at pre sent." TRANSFERS OF STOCK.—At the Bank of England, owing to the late will forgeries, it has been found necessary to renew former precautions ; and, as a few of the Brokers of third-standing, in their anxiety for business, have not been sufficiently particular in ascertaining that the parties for whom they were making transfers were the individuals they actually represented themselves to be, the Notice issued many years since, has again been circulated by the Directors, and will now, evidently, be more strictly acted upon. The following is a copy :—" Bank of England, 21st July, 1808. The Governors and Directors of the Bank of England give this public notice,--That as it has been determined by a Court of law, that every broker or other person is responsible for the identity of the party he vouches for,—the Governor and Directors will, upon every occasion where the identity is falsely attested, en force such responsibility in due course of law." In con nection with. than nal:dant. probably. the Corporation of London has given notice that certain city brokers, whose bonds bad become void by the parties to them having become insolvent, and taken the benefit of the Insolvent Act, had been removed from that office, to which they can only be re-admitted on renewal of their bonds. CAPTURE OF A SMUGGLER AND SIX MEN.—The Stag, revenue cruizer, being off the Wight on the night of the 22d, sent her boats along shore on the look out. One of them being off St. Catherine's, and close under the cliffs, just after midnight, saw a sail standing in from the S.E. ; the smugglers did not perceive the boat till they were close in upon her, when they immediately cut away their crop of tubs, which were lashed round their vessel, out side the bulwarks, when they fell into the water. The cutter's boat was within fifteen yards of them ; the cutter's. men threw over their mark-buoy, and flashed for the cut ter; the flash was seen, and returned ; or it might have been awkward, as the smuggler had more hands than the boat. After securing the vessel, they went to their buoy and creeped for the tubs, which they soon succeeded in capturing ; but the stones attached to them were so heavy, they could not get them till they got the assistance of another boat from the cutter. They then got the crop, consisting of seventy-nine cavks of spirit of brandy, which, with the men and vessel, they took round to Cowes. The men, six in number, were taken before the magis trates at Newport, and committed for trial. Captain Clark is but newly appointed to the Stag, and has thus made for himself and crew a fortunate commencement. THE HORRID AFFRAY AT HARROW.—In the Court of Queen's Bench, on Monday last, Patrick Leith Stra chan, found guilty of an assault upon a Harrow boy, with intent to commit a horrible crime, was brought up for judgment. An affidavit by Lieutentant-Colonel Camp bell, formerly governor of Sierra L eone , was pu t i n , stating that Strachan, when in that place, had caught a malignant fever, that his arms and hands were shattered by a paralytic injury, that he was incapable of labour, and that a lengthened imprisonment would endanger his life, and that he was sometimes of unsound mind. Counsel on both sides having been heard, Mr. Justice Pattison passed sentence, saying,—" Patrick Leith Strachan, you have been found guilty of an assault with th e i n t ent to commit a horrible offence, for which, if completed, your life would have been forfeited to the laws of your country. It appears, from the evidence, that you went down to Harrow for the purpose of attempting something of this kind with one or two of the boys you might meet there. You can never be sufficiently thankful that you were de tected before you had committed the detested offence, and that your life has been spared fnr repentance. The sen tence is that you be imprisoned and kept to hard labour in Clerkenwell prison for eighteen months. MURDER OF A GAMEKEEPER AT WHITRY.--Between one and two o'clock on Tuesday morning, John Moffit, head gamekeeper to the Marquis of Normanby, along with an under keeper and several watchers, were on the look out for poachers on his lordship's estate, in the pa rish of Lyth, when in a short time they observed two men on the brow of a hill, armed with guns, and in pursuit of game. Moffit left his party for a short distance, and walked towards the poachers, inquiring what they wanted. The men, it seems, at that moment returned no reply; and as they and the gamekeeper advanced towards each other, one of the poachers called out " Stand back ! " Moffit, however, either not hearing what the man said, or paying no attention to it, still kept advancing, and one of the poachers, whose name afterwards turned out to be George Lowther, deliberately levelled his gun and fired. Moffit immediately cried out, " Oh, I am shot !"—stag gered a few paces—and fell to the ground. The under keeper then attempted to seize the ruffian, but was pre vented owing to his receiving a severe blow on the tem ple, which was severely wounded, from the butt end of Lowther 's gun. The watchers, however, closed upon him, and instantly secured him, the other man making his escape. Poor Moffit expired the same evening. The companion of Lowther, whose name is Matthew Pearson, has since been apprehended, and he and Lowther have been committed to York Castle for trial. A FootasH YOUNG WOINIAN.—A young lady on a visit to Glasgow, was accosted, a few days since, in the street by a genteelly dressed young man, who pretended an ac quaintanceship from having formerly seen her in the " fair city." He politely offered her his services in es corting her to view the lions of this locality--services which were inconsiderately accepted ; and the young man having succe edeed so well at the outset, proceeded to make love to' the lady, and then to her gold watch. The latter he got into his possession, and desired that he might have the delight of wearing it for even the shortest pos s ible period ; but as the result proved, it was not intended that the'owner was to get it again. When the pair were about to w part after their stroll, the lady naturally wished her watch to be returned, but the other explaining that it would look exceedingly awkward to take the chain from his neck in the middle of the street, be was allowed to retain it, on the understanding that it would b e returne d the same everting at seven oclock at the house where the lady lived. The wooer, however, did not ke e p hi s wor d ; and the police beinginformed arrested him, but he had parted with his prize, and when it was discovered it was parted into many fragments. The man remains in cus tody on the charge of theft ; but really one f ee l s l ess sur prised at the audacity of the prisoner than at the simpli city of the Maid of Perth.—Glasgow paper. Feb. 6, 1844. „, re gret DEATH Or PRINCE ALBERT'S FATHER.—W- Ia to state, that letters have this morning been rrceiveu,'” , Buckingham Palace, from Germany, announcing the an. mice of his Serene Highness the Grand Duke of SO' Coburg and Gotha, the father of his Royal Highness Prince Albert. In consequence of the receipt of tats melancholy intelligence the Council, which was to hal been held to-day by th e Q ueen , h as b een postpone d, an her Majesty has been unable to receive the addresses la' tended to have been presented. We believe that the departure of the Court for Windsor has, for the same reason, been indefinitely postponed. The intelligence ha s proved a great shock to the Queen and her illustrioni Consort, inasmuch as no previous intimation had been rc ceived in London of the illness of his serene highness! Saturday's Globe.—The Grand Duke was in his 6 1 s t year, and has left two sons. the younger of whom is the illustrious consort of her Majesty. His Royal Highne ss is the eldest br o th er o f t h e D uc h ess of Kent, and taa King of the Belgians. His Serene Highness expired at five o'clock, a.m., on Monday, the 29th instant. 0 4 Serene Highness, w h o re ti re d to rest on the preceding n ig° in his usual health, was seized with spasms in the intestine s shortly before four o'clock, and although medical aid va s immediately at band, such was the violence and severiti of the attack that his serene highness was a corpse witbitt an hour. A Bun CASE.--It seems that the fact of bugs being, plentiful in a tenem e nt, vo id s th e l ease or ta ki ng : a ver di ct to that effect was given on Friday in the Exchequer. The following was counsel's statement on this head :—" In thl upper apartments e s p ec i a lly, th ese v i s i tants swarmed, slit' the morning after the defendant and his wife had slept': no, he could not say slept, for they had passed a alas horribly sleepless night—the sheets of their bed wer e , covered all over w ith th e carcases and blood of bugs. le the other rooms, though not to so great an extent, Per' haps, those insects had been found to revel in multitude o4 and one of the witnesses would state that she bad killed them by the thousand at a time. If ever the jury had known what it was to have spent the night in the companY of bugs, they would at once feel a sympathy with the de• fendant and bis family. On the first night it would seal that as many as 1000 or 1500 had been slain." EXPORT OF COALS.—The following are the statistic§ of the export trade in coals from Sunderland during the year ending January sth, 1844 : Tons. Vessels. Duty. Qr. ending April 5, 1843.. 61,527.. 257.. £3,891 0 0 „ July 5, 1843.. 87,292.. 454.. £6,501 4 9 „ Oct. 5, 1843.. 107,093.. 534.. £8,267 15 0 „ Jan. 5, 1844.. 49,899.. 247.. £3,880 13 9 Total for the year.. 305,811.. 1494—£22,540 10 9 The relative quantities expo' ted to foreign countries (ex clusive of those shipped to colonies) by British and foreign vessels respectively. during the last quarter, are as under By British vessels By Foreign vessels Excess by the foriner .... 27,704 ! And this notwithstanding the boon recently granted br Sir Robert Peel to foreign shipowners, to convey coals to their own and other countries on payment of the same duty as is paid by the British shipowner. A meeting of the friends of Mr. Richard Oastler visa held at Birmingham on Wednesday night, for the purpose of adopting measures for promoting the liberation of that gentleman, and of providing an annuity for his future support, and that of his family. Mr. Edmund Heeler was called to the chair : when resolutions were passed, recognising the services which Mr .Oastler had rentiered in defence of the factory classes, and on behalf of the poor, and appointing a committee to take measures for promoting the fund for his liberation. The Rev. G. S. Bull read a letter from Mr. Ferrand, M.P., stating that several noblemen and gentlemen bad come forward and guaranteed the full amount of the debt for which Mr- • Oastler had been imprisoned, and that he would, there fore, be liberated. The announcement was received with loud cheering by the meeting. The sum already subscri bed amounts to about £2,000, and it is understood that upwards of £1,500 remains to be subscribed. A meeting of the central committee was held yesterday (Monday), at Brighouse, when it was expected measures would be adopted for Mr. Oastler's liberation. AN HONEST YEOMAN.—It rarely falls to our lot to record a more noble example of honesty than that exem plified in the conduct of an individual in this county, who, though devoid of wealth, possesses, it would appear, a greater share of that right principle than is usually found under similar circumstances :—Mr. George Payne, late of Frieze Hill farm, in the parish of South Weald, having lost about £3,000 by farming and bad luck, was so re duced in his funds that last year he was sold out of his farm, and sinee that time he has been nearly penniless, living on his friend s , an d d o i ng what he could at farming work for a living. A few days since, some friends who have known him in better days, sent him some money- Instead of keeping this for his own maintenance, he in vited his creditors to dine at the White Hart Inn, Brent wood, on Tuesday last, and then most generously gave up the whole of the money which would pay them about ss. in the pound, leaving himself entirely bare. Such con duct needs no comment, and we cannot for a moment imagine that he will be permitted by his neigbours to want, the surrender being made without the slightest solicitation, and entirely of his own free will.—Chelmsford Chronicle. LORD MORPETH ON THE CORN LAWS.—At a dinner of the Leaguers of the West Riding of Yorkshire Lord Morpeth was present; indeed, the great object of the de monstration was to elicit from his lordship a full avowal of his concurrence in their views in regard to the total abolition of the corn laws. In this, however, they were disappointed, his lordship declaring that he was not yet a total and immediate repealer- a declaration which mate rially damped the ardour of the meeting. The expressions made use of by Lord Morpeth on this particular subject vi s were ed . t h l e s a e m: not do pr n e o p t ar s e e d ru e to d i et o a e r y w my s t e h l f a! a a t s a n n o y w ti a r c a l; hereafter, either if I should think it necessary or brtielre that the interests of the public revenue absolutely required it, or if I should see no other way of effecting a better settlement of the question than that which now prevails; or if I thought it was making a great advance in the right direction ; in these, or in such like cases, Ido not debar myself from the power of acquiescing in a fixed duty of low amount." His lordship subsequently qualified this unpalatable announcement by declaring that he would " infinitely prefer a repeal, a total and immediate repeal, to one short year's continuance of the law as it now sub sists." STRANGE EXHIBITION.—On Monday the funeral of Dr. G. Swiney, an eccentric gentleman, residing in Cam den Town, took place. An immense concourse of people attended, every person being anxious to view such a strange sight as a funeral the whole of the paraphernalia of which was to be yellow. About a quarter before two o'clock the funeral cortege made its appearance, and, agreeably to the will of the deceased, the coffin was covered with yellow cloth, studded with white nails. On getting into the street, a yellow velvet pall, edged :with white silk, was thrown over it. Immedidately after the coffin, came three young girls, the eldest about 14 years, and the other two about 12 years of age. They were habited in white, (according to the will), with violet-coloured cloaks. Their head-dress consisted of straw bonnets, trimmed with white satin. The dresses had a most singular apuearance, the wearers appearing more like a party proceeding to wedding than mourners to a funeral. After these came mutes, and then the real mourners, habited not in yellow cloaks, as previously announced, but in the usual mourn ing habit. In this order the cavalcade proceeded to the burial ground, the c row d b e i ng so dense that it was with the greatest difficulty it could proceed, police officers going first to clear the way. EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS—On Thursday an in quiry was held at the Feathers Tavern, Waterloo-road, before Mr. Carter, touching the death of M rs. E. Donally, aged 35, who on Tuesday committed suicide by jumping off Waterloo-bridge into the Thames. The deceased was the wife of a respectable mercantile clerk, with a salary of £250, who had separated f rom h er at Christmas last,. and not having been seen or h ear d o f s i nce, t h ere wasl.it tle doubt entertained but th a t h e a l so h as ma d e away with himself. Deceased's sister, said that deceased had been married ten years, and since Christmas had been living with witness. She was an inveterate drunkard, and it was through her dissolute way o f lif e t h at h er h us b an d separ ated from her, a lth oug h b e was extremely fond of her. They had also p ar t e d t h ree t i mes b efore, in consequence of her love for ardent spirits. He left her on the 4th of December last, and on going out of the door he kissed her and said, " Betsy, you don't act right towards me. You will certainly make me make away with myself." De ceased never saw him since, nor has he been seen by his employers or friends. She had disposed of everything she was posse' sed of, including articles of dress, even to her very stays, in order to supply herself with liquor- The last time witness saw her was on Tuesday morning, when she left to go into the Strand Union-house. She was then in liquor, and was heard to say that she would destroy herself if she had the courage. When in liquor she appeared to lose her senses, and would wander about the metropolis for miles and miles. PROJECTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE POST-OFFICE:" The Lords of the Treasury have . decided to increase the public accomodation by an extens i ve change in the admi nistration of the Post-office department o f t h e pu b lic ser vice, and intimated their intention o f d evoting the whole of the surplus revenue in carrying out the remaining de tails of the id postage measure. Accordingly Lord Vis count Lowther has caused to be established a permanent board, consisting of the heads of the Executive Depart ments, for the purpose of arran g i ng the plan. The fol lowing are among the. principal p ropos i t i ons :—Pre-par ment in all cases of . thland co rrespondence by the medium of stamps; the institution of the more frequent despatch and delivery of London district post letters, and the abridgment of the letter:carriers' walks, so as to facilitate both ; and an increase in th e number of officers tanta mount to the projected extension of the duties of the office. These prelimin into operation . early in the spring, Other and more im portant measures, we hear, are to come por . tant alterations. have been suggested, the chief of which are the following the foreign correspondence, so as to secure simplicity in all the working arra ngements, by obtaining a uniform and -The separation of the inland from rapid delivery .. of all inland letters inland ; the eventual consolidation of the two corps of letter carriers, general in th e metropoli s; t h e i ncrease o f arr i vals from and twopenny ; th e establishment of additional receiving housesthe provinces by the morning mails ; and the establish ment of. post-o ffices throughout the United Ki ng d om in proportion to th e d ensity of the letter-writing population. As it is manifest that the extensive alterations are calculated materially to affect the income of all officers connected with the department whose salaries depend in a great measure upon their realization of fees, and gra tuities from the public for what is called the "early deli• very," we are informed that it is in contemplation to sub stitute fixed salaries in lieu of the present sliding scale of %ages, proportioned to the length of service and amount of duty performed by each officer. It is estimated by Colonel Maherly that the carrrying out of this proposi tion alone will involve an additional outlay of £4,500 per annum, and that the adoption of the whole of the pro jected alterations will absorb all the present net revenue.