The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-02 00:00:00

.. imperial paritaintnt. to alter and amend the laws relating to the disposition of property for pious and charitable purposes. The principal —•,..__—__ features of the bill were, that it proposed that all wills HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY. containing bequests for pious or charitable purposes should At ten minutes to 4x o'clock, the House of Commons •be signed for three months before the death of the testa resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means. tor; and also that, when such 'bequests mere made. the The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER , then roso to property should not go as land to the charities, but should make the financial statement for the year, and claimed be sold, and the proceeds handed over to them. the indulgence_ of the house while he made the statement, __—•,—_____ ____— which he would make as short as was consistent with HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY. dearness. It was many years since a Chancellor of Mr. WATSON moved the second reading of the " Roman the Exchequer had to report such heavy demands upon Catholic Relief Bill." He said that the first act which the Exchequer, but those demands were occasioned by he sought to repeal was the 'lst of Elizabeth, chap. 1, the dearth of food, which was a visitation of Providence. commonly called the Act of Supremacy, which provided Thousands of starving persons in Ireland appealed to that if any person denied by word, writing, or otherwise, this country for sympathy and assistance, and that the supremacy of the King in any part of the kingdom, he could not refuse. Never, however, had the he should for the first offence be liable to imprisonment finances of the country been so able to bear these or forfeiture ; for the second Offence, to the penalty of demands. For the first time there had been no deficiency prcemunire; and for the third Offence, to death. Now all bills, and the produce of the revenue had been sufficient these penalties had been repealed by the acts of 1844 and to defray the expenses of the state In the C s, the 1846 ;but the crime as defined in the act of Elizabeth the exception of articles on which duties had been re- indicted for'tt as 'a misdemeanour at common law, and to duped, exceeded the estimate. In the Excise, with the be punished by imprisonment. He called upon the house exception of soap the same had taken place. By to repeal that act, and along with it the act forbidding a the return of the quarter ending the 13th of February bull to be sent over to a Roman Catholic bishop, the act last, he found an increase of nearly half a million. respecting the form of prayer, the Recusant Act of Char- The whole produce of Customs and Excise for the last les 11., the act of the Bth of William 111., and the 31st year was £34,500,070. Of this £5,530,000 was cantri- of George 111., chap. 32. He then mentioned the buted by articles of food, .£21,781,030 of drink, and by clauses in the Emancipation Act which he wished to tobacco £4,336,000, making £31,653,000 out of the repeal. The first was the clause prohibiting certain re £34,500,070. This must have diminished in consequence ligious ceremonies in public. The last forbade some of of the diminution of employment in the manufacturing the ministers of the church of Rome to act as parochial districts. On the 9th of January, there were working clergy, or to administer to the spiritual wants of their full time 25,845 persons ; short time, 11,851 ; and with- people, and rendered all persons who were bound by out work, in consequence of the stoppage of mills, 1,090. monastic vows, especially Jesuits, subject to be transported On the 9th February, there were working full time 22,949 for life, for the religious, opinions which they entertained. persons ; short time, 15,862 ; and out ,, of work, 2,613. I Having explained to the house the law on this subject, as The drain of bullion on the Bank had not been so great i laid down in the 18th of George IV., he denounced it as as might' have been expected, the amount being only a specimen of legislation worthy of Ytussia. He c0n £1,200,000 less than it was this time 12 months. The late eluded by calling on the house to repeal all these laws, Chancellor of the Exchequer had calculated upon a snr- not as a concession to Roman Catholics, but as a conces plus of £776,000, the actual surplus was £2,846,000, in- 1 sion to Protestants, whom they disgraced. eluding X.,30•1 MO paid as duty on'the import of foreign sugar. Sir R. I x GLI g denied the assertion of Mr. Watson, He now would state what the probable income of the year, that the penal laws of this country rose at the Reforma from sth April, 1846, to sth April, 1847, would be. Last Lion and closed at the Revolution, and asserted that some year the duties on corn produced £793,000. He could not of those which gave most offence to the Roman Catholics calculate upon such an amount. There had been an in- , had been passed long after the latter event. He did not crease in the importation of butter, cheese, and silk last call upon the house to stand by the act of 1829, but he year, consequent upon the reduction of duty, and he cal.. did call upon it to confirm the decision which it had come cnlated that this increase would continue, and he assumed to last year. There was no country in Christian Europe that the probable revenue from customs during the nex t where the Jesuits were admitted without some restriction year would be £20,000,000. During the present quarter on the part of the Executive Government ; and he there the increase of customs duties had• been £204.000. Up fore implored the house not to fritter away the securities to January the amount of excise duties had been which it had taken to prevent the further admission of £13,988,000, and he reckoned for the ensuing year Jesuits into these islands. He could not consent to the an increase of £13,700,000. The increase on the excise repeal of that clause of the Emancipation Act. which pro= from the beginning of the quarter had been £106,000,-and hibited the exercise of any of the rights or ceremonies of in 'lreland, extending to January, there had been an in- the Roman Catholic religion, save within the usual places crease. He contemplated from Stamps a revenue of of worship, as it would legalize religious processions, and £7,500,000, from Taxes £1,270,000, from Property-tax would give rise to dangerous collisions if such prows- £5,390,000, from the Post-offices £845,000, froin Crown sions were permitted. He concluded by moving, that the Lands £120,000, from miscellaneous sources of revenue bill be read a second time that day six months. £427,000 ; making a total of ordinary revenue of Mr. SPOONER thought that this bill was the small £52,065,000. The expenses of the interest of the debt point of the wedge, which would be afterwards driven and the Consolidated Fund would be £30,735,000 ' • for the home without any scruple. We were daily losing our Army, £6,840,074. The Navy vote would b e .Z 7,561,000 ; Protestant character—and he believed, in his conscience, the Ordnance vote would be £2,679,127, being an increase that that was one of the causes which had brought down of £135,568 over the vote of last year, a great portion of the judgment of Almighty God on this afflicted nation. which was due, as in the case of the Navy, to a deferred Mr. J. O'CONNELL defended the Jesuits, and declared vote of last year. The residue was owing to an increase that he had no wish to retain the clause about processions, of 1,200 men and to putting the ports in a state of defence. for even in Catholic countries he thought processions ob- The miscellaneous votes, exclusive of votes for Ireland, jectionable. would be £3,750,000, being an increase of £397,000. Mr. NEWDEGATE concluded a violent speech against The increase was owing to the expenses of the poor-law the bill with a furious invective against the Jesuits, whom and the prosecute of P- 2 - and anothe- -lion to he_ accused (by inference) - of having poisoned Clement an, ot prisoners,— ,r the increase of printing and stationery for the Houses of /11. and Clement V. ; the first because he contemplated Parliament. The whole of the estimates would a m ount their suppression, and the last because he actually aceom_ to £20,851,077, making the whole ordinary expenditure plished it. £51,576,000. He had purposely omitted in his statement Lord G. 131isyriNcic gave his support to the bill, on ac all allusion to the grants for the relief of distress in Ire- count of the practical grievances which the Roman Catho land ; and he would now state what he thought would be lies suffered under the present existing law, and which he required for the distress to be advanced by the Treasury, enumerated at some length. He denied that there had for whatever burden might ultimately be thrown upon the been any compromise in the year 1829 with any party on landlords of Ireland, hitherto they had paid nothing, save the subject of Catholic emancipation ; on the contrary, it indeed £393,000 of poor-rates. It was not easy to state was a strong and decisive mersure taken by the Govern precisely what the expenditure required would be. In ment, and had been described by Lord Sandon as an f Nt - of "bsolute power equal to any act of the despo: ,our .weeks o, —ovember the expenditure had been ertion of a £383,000, in December £742,000, in January £772,000. I Russia. , The persons relieved in Octoberwere 150,000,1nKov'em - her 285,000, in January 440,000, and in February 571,000. double object : the repeal of many enactments of the sta- Up to 20th February there had been issued by the Exche- tire of 1829 ; and the extension of the acts of 1844 and quer to Ireland £2,400,000 in November, £2,000.000 of 1846 , which abolished laws that had become obsolete, and which had been issued by th e B oar d of orks. The ex- imposed upon Roman Catholics penalties most severe and penditure for the future he expected would not fall be- disproportionate. He was prepared to carry the latter low a million a month. He expected to effect, however, object into effect, but not to repeal any of the enactments a saving by administering relief through the medium of of 1829, as they were introduced to satisfy the Protestant the soup kitchen. He expected that many labourers mind, and ought therefore to be continue!!. He would would be taken from the public works by the work- not, however, refuse to consider the whole of the measure, ing of the Bill for the Improvement of Lands, but merely because there were some portions of it from which to work that bill it should be remembered that ad- he was obliged to dissent. vances were to be made by the Treasury. It would be Mr. LAW and Mr. Got:larynx both briefly expressed necessary that relief should continue at least until the their hostility to this bill. The first opposed it because next harvest, arid for some short period after the lie had been a party to the introduction of the act of 1829, harvest, advances would be necessary. Taking all and felt bound in honour to maintain it unimpaired. these circumstances into consideration he could On a division , the second reading was carried by a ma not estimate the advanc e s t o b e ma d e t o Ireland under jority of 104 to 101 £8,000,000, which,_ including the £2 I ,000,000, advanced Sir R, PEEL observed that the bill contemplated a HOUSE OF COMMONS since August, would amount to X 1000,000: - INOW, - If the 16,000,000 proposed by the Noble Lord had been -THURSDAY Mr. B. Escorr gave notice of his intention to move, on a future day, that the existing duties on butter and cheese ble to have secured one farthing of this £10,000,000, and therefore he was rejoiced to see the majority by which that measure had been rejected. Under these circumstances, it was manifest he must go into the market to borrow. The question was, whether he should borrow the whole or only a part ; by following the latter course, he would con siderably reduce the balance in the Exchequer, frOm which source the advances have hitherto been made. This was a course he was for many reasons unwilling to adopt, and he therefore thought it more advisable to borrow the whole rather than put any further pressure on the Bank of England, or incapacitate the Government from making advances to the landed proprietors of England and Scot land. Besides, the prospects of the next harvest were be abolished Dr. BowEING postponed for a fortnight his motion re lative to the public revenue. Mr. PLUMPTRE gave notice of his intention to move that a day of national humiliation for the existing famine I c appointed. Mr. S. CRAWFORD moved for leave to bring in a bill to secure the rights of occupying tenants in Ireland, and thereby to proniote the improvement of the soil and the employment of the labouring classes. Mr. LABOUCTIERE agreed to the introduction of the bill as one containing valuable suggestions. The govern ment have a similar measure under consideration, which they will shortly introduce. • • uncertain. Hitherto we had been living mainly upon the produce of other countries of the harvest of the 1845. There had been entered for home con sumption of 5,388,000 quarters of foreign corn, and he was confident that up to the harvest 0f1847 we should have an abundance • but by that time the produce of 1845 and 1846 would be exhausted, and we should be dependent upon the produce of the harvest of 1837. The debt would not be permanent, because a considerable portion was to be paid out of the property of Ireland.—(A laugh,) The next question was, whether the loan ought to be accom panied by increased taxation. He was unwilling to add this amount to the debt without taking means for its extinction, but he thought that during the present year it would be unfortunate to attempt any change in taxa tion. The present year was an exception to all others. If we had a good harvest there would be no necessity for further advances : if it should be bad, it would be neces-. sary' to make a further demand on the country for the assistance of Ireland ; and therefore he thought it better to postpone the question of the imposition of additional taxation.. Besides, next year it would be necessary to deal with the income-tax ; and it would be unwise to attempt to prejudge in what manner parliament—a new parliament perhaps—might choose to deal with that tax. He' therefore thought it best to leave the whole question open till next session. He calculated on a surplus of £489,000 of ordinary revenue over expenditure. He calculated he could borrow the £8,000,000 at 31 per cent., the interest of which would be £280,000; but then he calculated he should have to raise the interest of Exche quer-bills. The interest at present was P i d. a day, and lie proposed to raise it' to 2d., which would amount to £142,000, giving art increase of interest of £422,000, ma king-60 tolal:orditiary expenditure £51,988,000, leaving a surplus of £67,000. From Chinese money the next' year he should receive £450;000, but against this he must place an extending expenditure of £185,000 to cover the excess of naval expenditure of the year ending sth April last. The total of income therefore would be £52,515,000 ; the total of expenditure £52,183,000, leaving a surplus of £332,000. It was evident from all he had stated, that it was not in his power to spare any revenue this year, which was the most effective answer that he could give to those who had urged him to reduce the duties on tea, coffee, paper, tobaccO, &c. The right honourable gentleman then regretted the unfortunate circumstances which had interrupted that commercial and financial policy which they had for some time pursues, and which, for the last four years, had been attended with such success, and con cluded with reading a statement showing the increase which had taken place in the consumption of coffee, but ter, cheese, and currants, from 1843 and 1846 inclusive,- as affording striking evidence of the beneficial tendency of that policy. . Leave was given to bring in the bill. On the motion of Mr. Sharman Crawford, the Poor Rates (Ireland) Bill was read a second time. The Markets and Fairs Clauses Bill, the Commissioners Clauses Bill, the Gas Works Clauses Bill, and the Water Works Clauses Bill, severally passed through committee. HOUSE OF LORDS.- -FRIDAY The royal assent was given by commission to the Act for the Relief of Destitute Persons in Ireland. Lord STANLEY suggested that as it would be some time before they could have any business of importance from the Commons, and the business of the upper house get ting on slowly, they should commence some measures there instead of waiting for them to come from the Com mons. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE. referred to the session of 1845, and in comparing the first six weeks with those of the present session, he found that much less business had been done then than now, yet at that time Lord Stanley had-paired off during the whole of that time. More work had been done during the first six weeks of the present session than during the corresponding period of many previous - sessions. Lord BROUGHAM remarked thut the complaint was made annually, and for that reason it should be redresed. The Earl of WICKLOW complained that the bill for making advances to the Irish landlords had been so worked up with the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill that they had become one- and the same, and must pass or be rejected together. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE explained the reason why the government had so classed the two measures together. In answer to a question from Lord Brougham, the noble marquis said that they had every expectation of being able to remove to the new House of Lords immediately after Easter. Lord STANLEY wished to know why the Duchy of Lancaster had been placed under a commission of three members of the upper and two of the lower house;as the noble lord the Chancellor of the Duchy was neither an infant, a lunatic, nor a femme converts ? He, therefore, wished to know the motives which induced them to esta blish a commission, and also what were the duties of the new commission ? Lord CAMPBELL said that no new commission had been appointed, but from the constitution of the duchy, which remained as it was in the days of John of Gaunt, and had lasted from time immemorial, it was thought atilvisable that the chancellor should have a . council, from which he should take advice. The gentlemen who composed the council were introduced for the better management of the property and finances, without in any degree taking the powers and duties of the Chancellor of the Duchy, whose dignities and prerogatives were in no way infringed. Lord BROUGHAM thought that the council could not increase the revenue wore than £lOO. The vole for eight millions out of the Consolidated Fund was agreed to. HOUSE OF LORDS.-TUESDAY HOUSE OF COMMONS- -FRIDAY The Destitute Persons (Ireland) Bill, after certain amendments had been made to it, was read a third time Sir R. INGLts wished to know in what form the grant to purchase grain for ,seed would be put, and what the opinion of the right hon. gentleman was as to the cultiva tion of the soil in Ireland ? and paled The royal assent was then given by commission to the Distilling from Sugar Bill, the Brewing from Sugar Bill, and other bills, which had within a few days past gone through their variou.o stages hi the two houses of parlia ment. Mr. LABOUCHXRE said that he hoped the prosperity of Ireland did not depend upon the very limited sum the government had given the lord-lieutenant for the pur chase of grain for seed. AA to his opinion of the culti vation of the soil, it was very difficult for Wm to form one, as it depended upon the assistance and good feeling of the people of Ireland in co-operating with the govern ment. . Mr. Rotsucx moved fora committee of inquiry into the working of the poor law in England, and asked what alteration they proposed making in it as regarded its ex -1 tension to Ireland ? Sir G. Gum( said, that when the committee of inquiry into the conduct of the poor law commissioners was ► formed, he wrote to inquire whether the conduct of the commissioners bad been legal or not, , and from the answer he received, any vexatious proceedings that might be taken against thoSe gentlemenvould terminate in nothing. The poor law commissioners had done their duty both in England and Ireland. The government were prepared to submit to the house a plan for the working of the poor law in Ireland. Mr. HumE, who was on the committee of inquiry into the working of the poor law, was of opinion, from the evidence that came before bun, that every commission that was held was illegal. But it was the opinion of the .• • • • • sioners should not be - gone into until it had come before them, and then they would inquire into their conduct. He wished an early determination as to what alteration the government intended to make in .the poor law in its extension to Ireland. Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN objected to the.bill, as it now stood, being applied to Ireland; the difference being great between the two countries, that what will suit the one will not suit the other. Mr. .1. Q'CONNELL had heard it rumoured thata prin. ciple of emigration was in agitation for therrelief of the digtrease.s in Ireland. Such a horrid principle he depre cated. lit bt-litTed the reihistry were fiti...in.atitunce,of HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TvzsDAT Mr. Heim obtained a select Committee to continue the inquiry into the private busineis of the house, the ex penses attendin g the obtaining of all private bills, includ ing all the expenses of the opponents as well as of the pro moters of bills, and the taxing of the expenses thereto. It was then agreed that all railway bills in the present sessiori be . referred to the Railway Commissioners, for their report to the house upon certain 'points, previously to such bills being considered in committee.s of the house. Mr. DuNeouna then moved far leave to bring in a bill "to repeal so much of an act passed in the reign of Wil liam. Iv., intituled An act to amend the Representation of th e pepple in'England and Wales,' as makes the right to registration in cities and boroughs Conditional on the payment of ppor's rates and assessed taxes." The motion was rejected by 58 t o 38. . —„. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON moved for leave to bring in a bill forilie more speedy trial and punishment 'of juvenile offenders: The object of the bill was -to subs,titot,. certain MfeS, a sunyinary • • • a trial by jury, which would do away with imprisonment before trial, in cases in which such imprisonment was far more than commensurate with the Offence committed, at the same time that it was calculated to have the very worst effects upon the supposed culprits , . • Sir G . G R Ey gave a willing assent to . the introduction of the hill withoutpledging himself, however, by so doing, to the principle involved in it. The government had the subject under4ts consideration, and he trusted that they would - rebehre - that assistance from the honourable gentle man, in any measure which they might deem it prop er t o was competent to give then. Lent Jouri AlAicifixiin obtained Imv eto bring in bill THE LivEtir(mL STANDAAD. the opinion of the people of Ireland, and even of the house, as to the extent of the assistance they .were pre paring to render to Ireland ; but he would suggest that, the government should compel all parties who were con netted with property in Ireland to reside en their estates, and do their duty at home for the next Wix months. By this means the _government would ease -the drain on the cedifers of Great Britain, and relieve the goer in a natural and healthy manner. Mr, LABOUCIZERE'S opinion on the principle of emi gration was the same as Mr. O'Connell's. He hoped .the hon. memberhad not attributed them to the Government ; such a horrible doctrine they would not entertain. Ale mild assure the hon. gentleman that everything the Go vernment could ado to meet the distress in Ireland should be done to alleviate it. He-agreed with the hon. member that Ireland had a claim on Great Britain, and the Go vernment were-exerting and still would exert their 'power to its utmost: to relieve them. Mr. KERR advocated the principle of emigration -until the population of Ireland was reduced to what world mare nearly meet the limited quantity of peovisions. :She vessels taking ant the emigrants to return with corn. Mr. WARD, in moving the committee of supply for the navy estimates, stated that the navy estimates this year were greater than last year by £62,248. The cause of the gradual increase in the navy estimates was thus ex plained. The maritime service of England was great only in comparison to-other countries. The sum proposed: for the packet service alone this year amounts to £820,083. There was also &large increase for the transport service connected with ordnance and convict service. Those three branches of expenditure will require £1,5640948 The amount of our navy estimates is £3,996,000, and this sum is for the defence of a country whose sole defence was its navy, while France votes £5,639,000 for the in crease of her navy, although she has a standing army of 100,000 men, and a. militia of 1,000,000 more to fall back upon, and Paris being impregnable. He was not jealous of France, but when be saw her granting money liberally for her defence, he thought England ought not to hesitate to support so efficient a defence as her navy was. The house then went into a committee of supply. FOREIGN (5- COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE, THE GYERLAND MAIL, Files of papers have arrived by extraordinary express, dated Calcutta. 7th of January ; Bombay, 15th of January; and China, 26th of December. There is no news of stir ring interest. India is _generally healthy, with the excep tion of Madras, where same cholera has appeared, but was at the latest dates on the decline. The treaty with the Sikhs was on Christmas day, duly ratified by the Governor General and Dhuleep Singh, who were again to meet at Lahore on New Year's day. The Scinde force is to be reduced by about seven thousand men, two F I N-`• ,uropean anc ave ,ative Infantry regiments, one of cavalry, and five batteries of artillery. The frontier force has been strengthened ; and from 14,000 to 17,000 men will remain to do duty. FoKr Sikh corps are to be raised to form a portion of a brigade that is to be under the com mand of Captain Lawrence, of the 11th cavalry, at Pesha wur. Sir C. Napier has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General, and attached to the staff of India. The Nawaub Ameer, Dost Mahomed Khan, and his two sons, had been imprisoned at Asseerghur for their share in the late insurrection at Bhopal. The dominions of the Nizam were again in much disorder, and fresh disturb ances had broken out among the Klionds of Gomsoor, owing to the exertions of our agents to put down the practice of sacrificing human beings. FR A N•C E The Presse still continues its fierce attacks on England and the British Ambassador. This paper charges the op position journals with having supported Lord Palmerston against the French Government, and concludes by ad mitting that the existing difficulties are great, and the more so as M. Thiers and his journals lead the British Government io expect to obtain an advantage sooner or later. " Difficult though the present situation of affairs may be," says the Presse, " still it is equally serious for Great Britain, and she suffers more from it than does France." The most important item of intelligence received from Paris by the papers of Saturday, is the success of the King of the Belgians in procuring a reconciliation be tween M. Guizot and Lord Normanby. That very trum pery quarrel is, it appears, to be settled in the way we supposed early in the affair. M. Guizot was to explain away the offensive character of his words, and the Mar quis of Normanby would accept the explanation. The Municipal Council of Paris voted, on Tuesday, a sum of 600,000 f. (1:2 , 1,000) to defray the expense incurred by issuing tickets for bread at a reduced price to the indi gent poor of that capital. The Court of Cassation decided, on Tuesday, that a Roman Catholic clergyman, who had ceased for years to fill the functions of his ministry, and had even become a Protestant, was not justified in marrying ! The trial of the National, (Paris paper) upon two seve ral charges connected with the Montpensier marriage, has terminated in a signal defeat of the Government. At this we sincerely rejoice ; and rejoice all the more, because every approach towards a well understood liberty of the press in France, is an advance in the path of true consti tutional freedom. The charges against the National were, first, an " offence against the King's person ; " and secondly, for " having blamed his Majesty for the acts of his Government, making him responsible for the same." _ The first charge was not altogether unfounded ; it im puted to. Louis Philippe an eagerness to " finger .the dowry " of the Infanta, and an indifference to the honour or welfare of France, when :either was opposed to family aggrandizement. The second was purely of a political character, and involved a revival of the question which produced so much controversy about ten years ago—" the King reigns—he does not govern." The odium which M Guizot's tricky and dishonest policy in the affair of the Spanish marriages has provoked, the contempt which is felt towards him, and the more than suspicion that he re ceived his instructions from the King, where the motives, we doubt not, that induced the jury to give a verdict of acquittal on )- tl) -lints. Ur- - coool t .iaer the circumstances, it was a just and salutary verdict ; for the plaintiff did not come into Court with clean hands. SPAIN. Madrid payers of the 19th and 20th have arrived. The Marquess - de *Viluma - has resigned the presidenci of the senate ; his successor has not been appointed, but the names of General Serrano and M: Armero have been men tioned for that high post. • Advices were received at Madrid on the 19th, of a suc cessful incursion of a band of Carlists, under the com mand of the Cabecillas, and other leaders, on the city of Cervera, in Catalonia. They surprised and dispersed the garrison, and killed one and wounded another of the c ivic guard, making the remainder prisoners. After remaining five hours in the city they evacuated it, carrying off the treasure. It was reported that cries of " Long live Charles VT. and the constitution of 1812" were heard. Other letters state that the Queen Mother would probably retire to France ere long. A formidable cabal had been formed against her, in which were the King and his family. Every moment the state of affairs was be coming more and more complicated. Should the Queen Mother be obliged to withdraw (and nothing was deemed more likely, from the means employed so to decide her,) a violent explosion would, it was expected, instantly en sue. There is superadded a report of a certain misunder standing between the Queen and her royal consort. THE RIVER PLATE. -By it from Buenos Ayres we are inforined that the Paraguayan ruler, Signor Lodez, had not only issued a decree suspending hostilities against the confederation, but had actually disbanded his ANTIGUA.—The ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the parish church of St. Paul's was performed by his Excellency James Macaulay Higginson, Esq., Governor in -chief, assisted by the bishop (the Right Rev. Daniel Gatewood, Davis, D.D., first bishop of the newly consti tuted diocese) in his office, on Friday, the 15th of January. On the 10th instant a grand banquet was given to Mi.. Cobden at Rome, by the Chamber of Commerce of that ital. cap ,.. ROYAL Polar.--The Jovrnal des Debate announces, that the King of Bavaria is about to publish a fourth vo lume of poems. A STRANGE BIBLOMANIA.—On the Bth inst. died, at Padua, Count Leopold Ferri, leaving a perfect unique library, it being composed of works written by female authors,. amounting to nearly 32,000 volumes. The Emperor of Russia has issued a decree prohibiting conversions to any other creed than the Greco-Russian religion. Any person abjuring that religion is to have his property confiscated, and if he does not recant Within a given time he is to be confined for life in a convent. The King of Bavaria has become so infatuated with a Spanish dancing-girl, named Lolla Montes, that on his desiring to create ler Countess Von Starenberg, and en dow her with some of the Crown domains, his Ministers have resigned, and • there exists an idea of declaring him mad, and of calling his eldest son to the throne. There are at present probably 200,000 or more quarters of produce, consisting principally of wheat, beans, peas, and Indian corn, ready for shipment at Alexandria, and the greatest activity reigns at the several wharfs where the lighters receive their cargoes, thousands of camels, don- Ides, porters, &c., all jostling with each other, and fight ing for precedence. FAMINE. AT MALTA.—The . commercial avidity with which all . grain 13 boned . UP at, Malta, for the wants of surrounding countries and England, at such enormously high prices, threatens to bring about serious consequences. Our correspondent writes that there is only about one month's consumption of wheat in the place' People in the country are starving ! t and a respectable inhabitant of Casal Lbbug states that the poiir are boiling the heads of clover for soup !!! In England, all the ports a re open for the introduction of grain of every•desuription. . The Go vernment should follow the same example here, and ought instantly to take off the duties on pulse until the approach ing harvest, otheralae the most &eft)" consequences must ensue. . . . . . AFFECTING DEA-TR.—The sudden and affecting death of Mr. Charles Thornton Cunningham, Lieutenant -Gover nor of St. Christopher's.and of the Leeward Islands, and son of the RCT. .T.. 14: Cunningham, Vicar of Harrow, is announced' in the West Indian papers which haye ju?t driven in. ir r o ' n i' l 'u the co;t 7 trtry ' Vliasse u"' te;7o,llTe — sea — t --- ofoover nment, in apparently vigorous health and cheerful-spirits, to open the neWly=elected . Houses of Legislature. After transact , iug some business with his private secretary, and despatch: mg a note to invite .someotheers in a French ship-of-war just come into port to luncheon at Govertnent-house , he I rode down to the mail-office to meet-his letters and a box icontaining a picture of a Inueb-beloved sister, recently deceased in England. He had stated to - more than one I perso», that his earnest desire to poss ess the.pietutie Was not unmixed with fear a.s to the effect. the sight .of it might produce upon him. So strongly had this appre heusiott fastened it , ...7e1f on his miad, that, on the orrital of the box at Government-house, he sent a servant in quest of a friend who might be with him -when the' box , was opened. Having failed in finding him, he proceeded to open the box. His butler, who was present, reports - that he looked at the countenance earnestly, turned pale, whispered a few words to himself, walked hastily, up to his own room, was heard almost instantly to fall as he entered it, and his servants following up stairs, found him stretched on the floor a corpse. AN INCREDIBLE STORY.—The following is an extract of a letter from Tanjore :—" In a neighbouring-village a tragedy has been enacted, which for barbarity has few parallels in the history of crime. An opulent farmer's wife formed a liaison with a neighbour, and the intrigue was successfully carried on for several months. On the day " in question, the farmer purchased a leg of mutton, with which he ordered his wife to prepare him a savory dish. It was accordingly done ; but in the interim, the paramour coming in, the woman treated him with the , nice things she had in readiness for her husband. The lover and his mistress partook of the dainties, and while they were yet eating, the woman's son, a fine young lad, returned from school unexpectedly. He saw his mother- in company with a stranger enjoying herself, amithreatening , to report the circumstance to his father he fled back-to school. The guilty pair then held a consultation, and it,was deter- . mined to murder the boy, to amputate a limb and dress it into a curry, of which the lover said if the husband eat he would shortly die. The unnatural mother then proceeded to the school, and unfortunately prevailed on the boy to go home with her. In execution of her plans she mur dered the child, cut off a leg, cooked it, and had-the meal ready against the arrival of her husband. The<unsuspect ing good man came at the usual hour, but the moment he entered the house, a cow he was bringkw ,up ran to him and snuffed him, and then flew at the woman to butt her. This she did repeatedly, when the farmer thought that the cow wanted straw, and going to the hayrick he_ pulled out a handful, when, to his horror, the-body of his murdered son tumbled out mutilated. The parties have been apprehended, and the case is now before-the.antho- IRELAND The average deaths per day in Cork Workhouse.are 22. The Limerick Examiner of Saturday put itself into Ftuourning on account of the rumoured death of O'Connell. The physician of the Cahir dispensary died last week of fever caught while attending his patients. Vast crowds of the more comfortable class of farmers are emigrating from Cork, Galway, Dublin, Derry, and other Irish ports. Out of a population of 472 in the fishing hamlet of. CarrWlihi, County Cork, not less than 87 have been carried off by starvation since Ist January, 1847. The treasurers for the fund raising by the Wesleyan Methodists for the relief of the Irish have already received .Z 12,500. Increased accommodation is being sought for fever patients in aid of the hospital at Cork, which is full. Fever and dysentery are spreading widely. A fire broke out On Friday week, at the extensive bacon concerns of Mr. G. Courtenay, William-street, Water ford, whidi destroyed property to the extent of £7,000. Mr. O'Connell is daily expected to return to Ireland for the remainder of the session, on account of the deli cate state of his health. KILLARNY. - Some idea may be formed of the state of this district—proverbial as it is for its charities,—from the fact that no less than thirteen funerals passed through the town on Sunday week. In Leitrim, the governor of the workhouse has died of fever ; and from: Monday, the Bth, to Wednesday, the 10th instant, fourteen of the inmates died—two of fever, and twelve of dysentery. Twenty persons have died in the small village of Bailin thea, 'entry, within the last six weeks. The body of a young woman, five days dead, was interred in the church yard of the village, on Friday, by two women only. On Tuesday - a 'return was Ordered by the House of Commons of the number of persons who have died of starvation in 'lreland each week since the Ist of Novem ber, 1846. _ _ _ _ _ It is affirmed that M. Soyer, the eke' de cuisine at the Reform Club, has been instructed by the Government to proceed to Ireland for the purpose of submitting to the Irish authorities his plan of a kitchen for the preparation of soup on a large scale. _ _ _ . . DARING OUTRAGE.—On Sunday week within the in terval of half-an-hour three shots were fired into the dwelling of the Rev. Robert Carey, Donoughmore. At the second discharge two bullets entered one of the upper windows, a third striking the window sash. A man named James Maloun has been fully committed for trial, for the wilful murder of Patrick Breman, at Mayo fair, thirty-six years back. He escaped at the time to America, but returned to Ireland eighteen years afterwards, and has since been residing at Meath, till arrested about a fortnight back. He is now seventy years of age. THE POTATO.—The Dublin Mail, in quoting the sub joined paragraph from the Belfast Mercantile Register, says, that there is no doubt of its truth. "It is our opi nion, from what information we have received, from the quantity of home produce with that of foreign at present on hand and to arrive, that prices will be lower. We have learned of late that there is a far greater quantity of pota toes in the country than we expected, and after seed time, we shall have the residue in the market at a moderate price ; foreigi a potatoes are not so much inquired for, and sales are generally effected at 10. to 12s. per cwt. as in quality. Irish are more plentiful, and may be quoted at Ss. to 10s. per cwt." DARING ROBBERY. — On the morning of the 17th ultimo, a party of about twenty men, some of them armed with guns and bayonets,. attacked the dwelling-house of Mr. Win. Adams, residing at Brackagh, near Tandragee, Arniagh ; they forced open the door, rushed into the house, and demanded £2O. Mr. Adams gave them £3 out of a pocket-book ; they snatched the pocket-book out of his hand, it having three or four pounds more in it, they then ransacked the house, and carried off with them about nine cwt. of meal, some bacon and beef, Mr. Adam's watch, some house linen, half-a-dozen silver spoons, and other articles ; in all value for about £3O or £3O. REPEAL AssoctArtorT.—Mr. Themas Steele took oc casion at Monday's gathering of shreds and patches to announce that all the reports respecting the indisposition of Mr. O'Connell were utterly false, and that, although not as young and healthy as his sons, the " beloved leader " was extremely well indeed. Of' cowse, the learned gentleman would be unworthy the title of father of his country if he did not suffer in mind at the gross conduct of the government in not taking active measures to relieve the distress of his beloved father-land. This announcement must, of course, be regarded as demi-offi cial, but as the Head Pacificator omitted to state any rea son for the non-receipt of Mr. O'Connells ordinary weekly missive to Mr. Secretary Ray, the feeling of uneasiness, either in - or out of doors, was not altogether allayed. After some frothy declamation touching the signal defeat o f the combined Repeal forces at Galway, the rent was an nounced to be £43 2s. 2d. Sweetman, the physician at Skull, writes to the Cork Constitution as follows,—" This parish is at this moment a charnel-house : our mortality is fearful, averaging daily from forty to forty-five at least. I could. not—east, west, north, or south, point' to a poor man's house where there is not fever, dysentery, or death. Our grave-yards are crowded - to excess—so much so, that the dogs have rooted, up and devoured some Vies. To the west of Skull, at Reenahaning, the creatures are so weak they are unable to dig graves sufficiently deep. To Ob- - viate this, the Rev. Dr. Trail has added half an acre to the church-yard at Skull, and has a number of deep graves daily dug, which are as soon occupied. * * * I solemnly declare, in my very humble opinion, that the majority of those poor people, who are crawling about the streets and trying to work on the roads, are dying uncon sciously, literally walking in death: they are now beyond the reach of food and medicine, save the Great Physician. To give you an idea of our state, for it is not at all known, nor can words convey it,. what n change a few months have made—l was informed by the - lational Schoolmaster here, that this time twelve months he had one hundred and forty school children : -this - day he has not one. Half, he said, are dead, and the remainder are unable to attend for :want of sufficient food and 'raiment, and he is himself obliged to get some situation on the roads to support a large family." THE BENCH AND THE BAR The Judges arrived at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on ThurAday. The Court of Queen's Bench has decided that share holders in proprietary schools and colleges are liable for the books ordered by_ the Principal. -. ILLNESS OF MR. BARON PLATT.- 7 -During the recent severe frost, Mr. Baron Platt had the misfortune .to slip down, and hurt his hip so severely that an operation was deemed necessary. Mr. Travers operated on Tuesday, and the Learned Baron has since been going on favourably. Mr. Henry Stephens, the inventor of the writing fluids, has reeently:Obtained a final decision in the American Courts in his favour (after the most protracted law pro. ceedings), establishing his right to the profits arising from the use of his inventions An the United States. 'TII. I ca s e is one of importance to English patentees. On Wednesday, the Lord Chancellor affirmed the judg-, ment of the Vice Chancellor, with costs, refusing the injunction to restrain Messrs. Nott and Co., the patentees 'of the electro-magnetic teligraph, from an alleged in fringement of a patent granted to the Electric Telegraph Company ; thereby establishing the perfect Yaliditt of the . .... - patent of the former entlemeii. . Her Majesty h as d irec t e d l e tt ers patent to be passed, appointing Lord Langdale, Lord Beaumont, .Toseph Humphry, Esq., Henry Bellenden Ker, Esq., Walter Coulson, „Esq. (barristerii-at-law), George Frere, - Esq., and Fran c i s B ro d er i p , E sq ., her Majesty's commissioners for inquiring whether the burthens on land can be dimi nished by the establishMent of in effective system for the registration of deeds and •the simplification of the forms of conveyance.. A Pluvutogn LErrie.n.—A case v.as tried at ~the Quken'F. , Bench, ,the other day, in which 'a Mr. Green sought' cotupensatiOn • from Mrs. Gillett for libel. Mr. Green alleged that he had paid his addresses. to a Miss Hook, who, With her family, received him faYourably till Mrs. Gillett wrOtea letter maligning his character, When he was dismissed. It appeared, on the other hand, that the young lady and her. father had heard matters of paragement relative to Mr. Green from other quarters, and that Mrs. Gillett's letter :was in reply to a letter from Miss 1164 A, requesting her opinion and advice. The Lord Chief• Justice,: in leaYing.the case to the jury, said that he considered thelerias of Mrs; Gillett's letter to be action able if the occasion did not justify, the use of them. The jury *onld determine that point ! • and if they thought,the occasion was a sufficient justitimtion,lhen the letter would be consideretla privileged communication. The jury, with t out a moment's delay, returned aerdict for the ,defen- RAILWAY AFFAIRS. The Norfolk pays a dividend at the rate of 7 per cent per annum. - The Eastern Union is about' to amalgamate with the I Norfolk. The Manchester and Leeds have confirmed the amalga mation with the Preston and Wyre. The Manchester and Lincoln Union and Chesterfield and Gainsborough Canal have agreed to incorporate with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire. At least 5} per cent. per annum certain has been gau ranteed by the South-Eastern to the Reading, Guildford and Reigate, and accepted by the latter. The Middlesborough and Redcar works having ex ceeded the contract, it was agreed to raise £15,000 addi tionally. The traffic thus far had equalled expectation. At a meeting of shareholders in the North Wales Rail way Company, held in this town on Tuesday, Mr. J. L. Butler was authorised to attend the half-yearly meeting, and try to effect an entire change in the directors. The Enfield and Edmonton have disposed of their cot poration to the Eastern Counties, on receipt of a bonus of 59. per share, and payment of all expenses up to time of purchase. _ _ A perpetual lease of the South Wales to the Great Western at 5 per cent. per annum for the first five years, with half surplus profits afterwards, was reported as con cluded at the meeting of the South Wales. The calls had been paid with unusual alacrity. ,The usual dividend of £2 2s. 6d. per share, subject to income-tax, was declared at the meeting of the South- Western, on Friday. It is now clear that the first effect of lowering the fares, at first so discouraging, is passed, and t6,t the receipts are again buoyant. The line from Blackburn to Darwen is expected to be opened in May or June next, and the entire line to Bolton early next year. The company is likely to amalgamate with the Blackburn, Clitheroe and North-Western Junc tion. Better prospects at last are dawning on the Blackwall shareholders. A half-yearly dividend of 4s. per share, clear of income-tax, has been declared. In order to bring the line int() successful co-operation with others, it has been determined to reduce the guage, and to alter the present system of motive power. - The dividend declared at the meeting of the Norfolk Railway shareholders, on Tuesday, was at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum, and the prospects of the under taking are regarded as encouraging. The report of the directors met with the concurrence of the shareholders in attendance. It recommended the acceptance of the offer of the North Union to lease their line at 72 per cent., and they confirmed the agreement. The line already pays 7 per cent. A splendid candelabra and service of plate, consisting of twenty pieces, and valued at £1,500 is about to be pre sented to Mr. James Locke, chief engineer of the Lon don and North Western Railway. The principal articles are three candelabra, formed of stems and foliage of the vine, the leaves and fruit the size of nature. The buttons or knobs on the dish covers, which represent different kinds of vegetables, such as the tomato, the artichoke, cucumber, &c., are admirable. EXTRAORDINARY WIRE ROPE.—On Thursday, there was shipped at the Galvanised iron and Wire-Rope Works of Mr. Andrew Smith, Millwall, Poplar, a wire-rope, which was no less than 3,600 yards long, 3 inches circum ference, and weighed 7 tons 15 cwts., and ordered for an incline plane in Lancashire, between Blackburn and Bol ton. This is, no doubt, the largest wire-rope ever yet made; and it was only commenced last Monday, and the wire was in bars of iron not more than ten days before. A half yearly dividend of 4s. per share, clear of income tax, was declared at the meeting of the Blackwall Railway shareholders on Tuesday, and the report presented was received as satisfactory. The total receipts amounted to £34,801 6s. 9d. It appears to be considered necessary, in order to bring the line into successful co-operation with the Epping and other routes, to alter the present system of motive power, and the estimate of Mr. Locke is, that the necessary arrangements will involve an expense of £26,046. EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY." On Saturday week, the viaduct reached Glasshouse-street, Lambeth, having completed one-half of the proposed extension, and already crossed the Kennington and Vaux hall-bridge-roads. Since then the houses in Gloucester. row, Princes-row, Moss-fields, Salamanca-place; street, and row, together with several in Anderson's-walk, have been demolished for the further progress ; as also, in the course of a few days, the houses on either side of the Westminster-bridge-road, where the railway crosses at the Marsh-gate.—Globe. The shareholders in the Northern Counties Union Railway Company, at their half-yearly meeting held on Wednesday in London, ratified the agreement entered into for an amalgamation, on almost equal terms, with the Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Junc tion Company, and the opinion appeared to be entertained that the arrangement will lead to the most beneficial re sults for the shareholders in both undertakings. With the funds in hand, amounting to £55,510 7s. Bd. and the proceeds of the call of £1 10s. per share, payable in April next, the directors propose to commence active operations in the spring on that portion of the route from Wath up to Wensleydale, and from Tebay to the junction with the main line. DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON THE HULL AND SELBY RAILWAY.--A most dreadful accident happened on this line on Sunday week. The mail train left the Hull station at six p.m. for London, being drawn by two engines, the Kingston and York, and having B ight pas senger carriages and five carriages laden with fish attached. The train had proceeded to within about a mile and a half of Hessle, the first station, when, from some unexplained cause, the second engine, the York, sprang off the rails, and dashed into the passenger carriages attached to the Kingston, forcing seven of them off the rails with terrific violence, and smashing them to atoms. The greater number of passengers were of course thrown out; one, Mr. James Brown, of Hessle, tin plate worker, was killed on the spot ; another, named James Waring, of Dews bury, was so dreadfully injured that he died at the Coburg Hotel, Hessle, whither he was taken on the following evening ; and eight others are now lying at various inns in Hessle, suffering from the fearful injuries they have sustained. BIRKENHEAD, LANCASHIRE, AND CHESHIRE JUNC TION RA ILWAY. - The half-yearly meeting of the propri etors took place at the Town-hall, Birkenhead, on Satur day, Joseph Bailey, Esq., Jun., M.P., in the chair. The secretary read the report. The works on the line between Chester and Warrington, contracted for by Mr. Brassev, a distance of 18 miles, and including a tunnel of 2,050 yords, and a.viaduct of 580 yards, were in rapid progress towards completion. These were the only heavy works on the whole line. The arrangements with landowners on other parts were proceeding satisfactorily. Applications were to be made this session of parliament for amalga mating the 'Chester and Birkenhead Railway with this company ; also to deviate the line between . Chester and Helsby, and to confirm the purchase of land on the mar gin of the Birkenhead Docks for a station. Arrange ments had been satisfactorily come to with other railway Companies for the erection of a joint. station at Chester: The committee, on application had decided to take an in terest to the amount of £20,000 in the Mold Railway. It appeared by the accounts that the expenses of the Act of Parliament had been £40,267, and that the general expen diture was £28,600. The deposit of £2 15s. per share, on 44,308 shares, was £122,094 ; and the balance to the cre dit of the company was £57,767. The Chairman made some observations of a gratifying nature relative to the progress of the line, and moved Mr. John L the confirnaiiria,, and tionof the report. This was seconded b y car ried. There was no o ther business of importance, and thanks being voted to the chairman, the meeting se narated. POLITICAL 'MICELLANI represention 0. anehes' Mr. William Brown, M.P., was presented to her Ma jesty, by Lord John Russell, at the levee on Wednesday. Mr. Brown has the reputation o f h av i ng b een consu l te d by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, before he made the " financial statement." TEN HOURS FACTORY BlLL.—This bill was read a second time in the House of Commons on Friday. It is understood that the motion for the bill going into com mittee will be made on Wednesday. There will be some opposition, but there is not much doubt that the motion will he carried. The opponents of the measure will try in committee to transform " ten" into " eleven" hours, but it is much hoped that the bill will be preserved in its present form. The House of Commons at present consists of 656 members, the two vacant seats at Sudbury being still in abeyance, making the total number 658. Of these there are 44 members between the ages of 21 and 30, 159 be. tween 31 and 40, 213 between 41 and 50, 155 between 51 and 60, 67 between 60 and 70. and 15 above 70. The oldest member in the house is Mr. Denison, the member for West Surrey, aged 77—the youngest the Earl of G ros . venor, member for Chester, aged 22. The average age of the entire house is 50 years. DIISERTION OF PROTESTANTISM.—The second reading of the Roman Catholic Relief Bill was carried onn. Wed nesday by a majority of only three-104 members voting for it, and 101 against it, Amongst the names in the majority for the measure, we rind those of W. Brown, W. Ewart, Lord G. Bentinek, J. Bright, J. Brotherton, Sir J. Graham, Sir R. Peel, Lord J. Russell, and T. Thornely. Agaln4 the measure we find the votes of Sir Howard Douglas, W, Entwisle, Sir P. Egerton, W. T: Egerton, J. rolleinache, J. I. Blackburne, G. Finch, Capt. Gladstone, Sir R. Inglis, H. Goulburn, Col. Sib thorp,'Sie. Lord Sandon and Mr. Wilsou Patten were absent. THE EIGHT MILIAGNS LOAN.—On Monday, a num ber of the capitalists of the city assembled at the treasury to offer their opinions as to the best mode of raising tin' proposed loan. The Chancellor of the Exchequer took the chair. There were present—Baron Rothschild and his brother. Mr. Bates, of the firm of Baring Brothers, Sir I. L. Goldsmid ; Messrs. W. B. William s, Lawrence, T. Baring, Wills, Thomson, A. Hankey , F . Ricardo, H. St. J. Midway, J. G. Scott, James Capel, George Bar nard, and many other wealthy capitalists. The Chancel lor of the Exchequer stated the terms upon which the contract for eight millions were to bid for. He said he Must have the money in whole before the 15th of October next. He therefore proposed to take tenders on Monday for the loan; in one lot: The Government. desired to make the loan in Consols' and the biddings would be in a money payment, vo Consols, (at a minimwn price to be fixed by . the Government; a sealed paper with respect to which would be placed upon the table,) at a price above the quotation in the sealed paper. The Chancellor of the Exchequer would not on any account allo w o f discount The payments to thiS loan are to' be by monthly instal ments, and if regularly paid up to July, to her interest from January last. UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS; The Rev. Mr. Wellesley has been appointed Principal of New Inn Hall, Oxford. The Rev. Edward Cardwell, D.D. Principal of St. Al ban's Hall, is the ne w exam i ner in Theology at Oxford. The Cambridge Chronicle, generally well informed on church matters, says that the R ev . E. Bli c k, rector o f Rotherhithe, will be one of the new bishops. The annual general meeting of the Manchester Church- Education Society was held on Monday, in the Town hall, King-street. There was a numerous attendance, including the Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean (Dr. Her , bert), the Rev. Canon Wray, the Rev. Canon Sergeant,. the Rev. Canon Clifton, the Revs. Ff. Stowell, H. W. M'Grath. A font for the baptism of grown-up persons by immer— sion has been constructed m Trevethin Church, Ponty. - - pool. It is large enough to admit hoth minister and candidate for baptism into the water, and yet there is a. provision made for the minister to• administer it without going into the water, by a flight of steps made almost as low as the bottom of the cistern. In the House of Commons, on Tuesday, Lord John Russell, in reply to Mr. J. Collet, observed that it was not intended to unite the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor ; that a new bishopric was to be founded for Manchester, and that three other new bishoprics were in contempla tion, to be endowed from the existing revenues of the, church, but without giving eats in the House of Lords. ST. SAVIOUR'S CHURCH, LEEDS.—Recently we pre sented to our readers a copy of a clerical address to the Lord Bishop of Ripon in reference to this church, and also his lordship's answer to that address. The laity have also taken up the matter, and an address to the bishop is now in the course of signature in Leeds, thanking• his lordship for his seasonable interposition on that occasion. CONVERSIONS TO ROMANISM.—Mr. Kingdon, of Tn. nity College Cambridge, has made his profession of the Roman Catholic faith. The Rev. John Gordon, M.A., whose registration "of the curacy of Christ Church, fit. Pancras, has withdrawn from ministerial duty in the Established Church, on grounds similar to those which led to the resignation of his colleague. WESTMINSTER ABBEY.—The Dean and Chapter of Westminster have determined on restoring to the tombs of Queen Eleanor and King Henry V., the rich old con temporary iron-work taken down on the recommendation of Sir Francis Chantrey, sold at so much a' cwt. to ati ironmonger in Westminster, and subsequently rebought by the Dean and Chapter, and allowed to rust in -an ad joining vault. CHANCELLORSIIIP OF CAMBRIDGE. —The election of s' chancellor for the University of Cambridge, in the room of the late Duke of Northumberland, commenced on Thursday. At a quarter before ten, the doors of the se nate-house were opened, and shortly afterwards the gal leries were completely filled by the under-graduates, who amused themselves by cheering and groaning in their usual vociferous style. At ten o clock the vice-chancellor entered the senate-house, and took his station at the ta ble, and, with the two proctors and the junior doctor in divinity present, stood in scrutiny. The proceedings were commenced by one of the beadles reading the 33d statute of Elizabeth. The vice-chancellor then gave his vote (for Prince Albert), next the senior proctor (for Earl Powis), and then the junior proctor (for Prince Albert) ; after which, the votes of the members of the senate generally were received. The votes are written on a card, which the voter delivers to the vice-chancellor, who, having read it aloud, drops it into a box, which stands before him. having divisions, two one labelled " For Prince Albert," the other " For Earl Powis " Amongst the earliest votes for H.R.H. Prince Albert were the Bishops of Norwich, Ely, and Hereford, the Marquis of Exeter, Lord Mon teagle, Sir J. Herschell, and the Right Hon. H. Goul burn. The Marquis of Lansdowne, Earl Grey, and the Bishops of London and Norwich, also voted for Prince Albert in the course of the morning. Amongst the vot ers for Lord Powis was Sir Lancelot Shadwell. The poll for the first three hours was strongly in favour of Earl Powis, but in the afternoon Prince Albert gained upon his competitor. At the close of the poll in the evening, the numbers stated by the two committees varied consider ably. The following are the two statements :—By Prince Albert's committee, H.R.H. Prince Albert, 618 ; Earl Powis, 601; majority for Prince Alb ert , 17. — 8 y E ar l Powis's committee, Earl Powis, 610 ; H.R.H. Prince Al bert, 602 ; majority for Earl Powis, 8. On Friday, the voting was renewed. At half-past ten Prince Albert was 25 a-head, which was reduced at half-past twelve to 10. At this time, the excitement of the earl's friends was at the highest pitch. The Prince, however, then began to increase his majority, which wore steadily upwards until the poll closed for the day, when the numbers were,—for Prince Albert, 875 ; Earl Powis, 789 ;—majority for the Prince 86. The Dean of Ely and Sir H. J. Fust voted for Prince Albert, and among those who voted for Earl Powis was the Duke of Buccleuch, Mr. Justice Patteson, W. Entwisle, Esq., Rev. C. Wordsworth. and Mr. Jusl. tice Cresswell. On Saturday, Prince Albert's majority kept increasing until twelve o clock, when the Prince was numbers e ei greatest ngfo Prince r returne A d I b b y er, atm9asjolri. fyor of Earl ll2,pothwies,nBu3m9h excitement prevailed the whole of the time; the un d er t graduates filling the Senate-house with all sorts of noises, and launching down peas, caps, &c., from the galleries as thick as hailstones. It now remains to be seen whether Prince Albert will accept the honour. At the contest in 1811, when the Duke of Gloucester was elected in oppo sition to the Duke of Rutland, the number polled was 819, and the majority 117. At the great struggle for the high stewardship, when Lord Lyndhurst was elected, the total number polled was 1,380, and the majority 446. COURT AND FASHION. On Wednesday, the Queen held her second levee for ( 1 ? " season at St. James's Palace. It was very nuirr , usil and brilliantly attended,---remarkably so, when the early commencement of the season is taken into account. On Thursday evening her Majesty and Prince Albert honoured with their presence the performances at her Majesty's Theatre, in aid of the fund for the distressed Irish and Scotch ; and on Saturday, the Queen held a Privy Council at Buckingham Palace. The Duke of Cambridge attained his 73rd year on Wednesday. . ..., FASHIOItS FOR MARCH (From the "London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.") There is no great variety in the make of evening dresses this season, as far as the corsages arc concerned: they continue to he pointed and with draperie or berthe, and the sleeves very short ; the skirts are very long, and, if of thick materials, form trains ; they are still made very full. Velvet, figured satins, moires, and damas, are mostly used for evening dress, and accord well with the neck laces, bandeaux of diamonds, now so fashionable. Tunics of point d'Angleterre, forming short upper skirt, over satin dress, with deep berthe and flounce to correspond, have a very rich effect. Very small tips of marabouts, feathers, on damns or brocarts of gold or silver, in small Moorish patterns, have a beautiful effect. Generally speaking, all dresses of clear materials, as gauzes, crapes, lcc., are made with several skirts, the upper one forming corbeille or tunic ; for young ladies taffetas are still much in favour, and form toilettes of elegant simplicity. Flowers. are very much used in ornamenting dresses, and gimP very fashionable, and made in great variety, both as to style anti lightness. Mantauts of gimp en relief are sometimes placed on each side the skirts of crape or gauze dresses, raising the tucks so as to form draperie termi nating with a nceud of gimp jour : this weed may be replaced by a feuilla ge o f velvet. Dresses of taffetas bouton d'or, sea green or a ll w hi te, with triple flounce., are pretty for demi toilette. Crape bonnets and, catmint are being made ornamented with flowers, encircled - with, blond ; some are intermixed with straw or gimp, and are of a lightness and elegance suitable to the spring season. Bonnets of paille guipure will be amongst the earliest in runners ornamented with velvet, and have a narrow blond put on full at each coulisse. The evening cl nfures offer many pretty novelties ; the newest are the gipsy, of black lace or dentelle d' or, intermixed with roses and leaves ; the Coiffures Luisa and Odette are also prettY; one formed of a half square of lace is quite novel ; the of which crosses the head, and the sides the fichu. Marine flowero areefon forehead r e n e oh e e ri fid r: iu sd be e yr r o unded, the honeysuckle, border f n s l l e l r be o l f i a i behi nd spray y e ar e very fashionable this season, and compose mane pretty eoijrares ; wreathes are numeroup, and widen into full bunches at the ears. March 2,1847. THE WEATIIER AND THE CROPS (Shut Church and State Gazette From a curious the " Table of Prices of Wheat," )by Lieut. Mackenzi e , author of the " El e ments o f th e Cy c l es o f the Wind s , Weather, and Prices of Corn," compiled from Smith's " Wealth of Nations," and our Parliamentary records, the following deductions are made. We are in. duced to lay these - before our' renders from the clreum-• stance that, of late, public attention has been aroused._ both at home and abroad, to the discovery made by Mac kenzie of a fifty -four years' cycle or periodical revolution t y a e t l iCin, l2 i O3 t of the weather. The " Table" we refer to records Cur to is ti!: proved that ent during twenty-seven twc ay_ F even years of the cycle prices have a tendency to r i s e, and during the other twenty-seven years te'fall. p aa ri d ee , sh) o . f a w m h l f a a a t te fro ca m a t ip h a e F r om 1836 till 1847, the inclination of higher prices ha* been perceptible ; and, from the present year till the year 1862 they will, .it is conjectured, still further advance. This the author ascribes to the great prevalence of un favourable winds on this division - of the fifty-four years' cyc l e . The dreadful years of 1800,-1801, when prices were at 110 s. and 116 s. ; and again 1812-13, when price, were at 116 s. a quarter, fell within the corresponding division of twenty-seven years. There is no doubt (the author admits) that the effect of corn laws, and other con. ventional arrangements of legislators, political economists, changes in the currency, &c., Materially affect the prices these, and a state of peace or war.- vary the rate and gene rally produce higher prices upon both the dear and . eheap divisions of the cycle —more especially when Europe is suffering under a striking visitation of nature . ; but legtsla: tine measures can have no place in any systematic account of the weather or in the revolution of seasons ; and such is the powerful influence of the weather, that prices, on the average, are proved to be cheap and dear on the re spective divi4_ , ions of the fifty-four years' cycle. This vert influence of the weather —altogether independent of con ventional arrangements—would produce, as it - has pro duced already, for A period extended back for more than five hundred years, an average of 545. on , the dear half (oritwenty.seven years) of the cycle ; and of 365: per qr. on the cheap half. We are now in the comniezicetnent of a series, of unfavourable years , which (if the theory by well-foinided) will prevail to 1862, when another revolu tion of the cycle will occur, which will have a tendency . to produce greater abundance , and consequently the pr ices will decrease from that period till the year 1889, Cc - nc pc VP