The Express.
London, England, 1848-07-21 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TsuaiDAT, JOLT 20.
The Stumm took the cATEh airUSINESS. at 4 o'clock.
PRIV B
SECOND RE SDlNO.—Regent's Quadrant Colonnade Bill.
REPORTS CONSIDERFJ). —Exeter and Exmouth Railway Acta
Amendment ; Lancsahire and Yorkshire Railway (amendment of acts
and regulation of capital); North Wales Railway (dissolution of com-
pany); Buie.
LORDS' AMENDMENTS CONSIDERED.—Manchester,
Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway (Humber ferries iMplesernent at 1150 sW
New Rolland, be.); Manchester, Sheffield, and Lineolnahire Rainshire
lway
(Sheffield canal purehase):, Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincol
Railway (station at Sheffield, and branch to the Sheffiovidrnteld canlnstitu-
e);
Middle Level Drainage Acts Amendment; Seottiah Pr
tion ; Bills.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
SECOND READING.--itenewuble Leasehold Conversion (Ireland)
Bill.
COMMITTEE--Eceleaiurdical Union sad Divisions of Parishes
(Ireland) Sill.
REPORT'.—highland Reads, Bridge., ( 3Rrotland)
000,0001.) Bill.
Bill.
THIRD RF.ADlNO.—Consolidsted Fund (,
NOTICE OP MOTN.—lstot kisn.—De. hORING, the
neat new to IO
ton bring the sub ject of the foregoing petition ulster the
notice of the Mouse.
MINES IN SCOTLAND.
The Earl of LINCOLN wished to ask the noble lord at
the head of the Woods and Forests • question respecting an
action which had recently been taken by the government
against the proprietor of certain mines in Scotland, for the
purpose of establishing a claim on the part of the crown
a to
the whole of the minerals in that country. The claim ws
founded on an act of James 1., passed so far back as the year
1592. The question he wished to uk the noble lord was,
whether any legislation was to be attempted on the subject
during the present session ?
Lord MORPETH raid that the declaratory summons had
been issued under the advice of the law officers of the crown
in Scotland, hut it never west the intention of government to
resort to oppressive proceedings towards the pro
oprng a billietors of
mines. The Lord Advocate proposed introduci
next sessio.:; but he (Lord Morpeth) must defer a more de-
tailed answer to the noble lord's question until the matter
bad been more fully considered.
THE KAFFIR WAR.
Mr. OSBORNE Asked whether it was the intention of
government to confer any mark of distinction on the officers
who had signalised themselves in the recent expeditions
against the Klffirs ?
Mr. F. MAULE did not understand that it was the int a-
tion of the goveruniew. to issue any decoration. Ile believed
that all the promotions on account of those expeditions bad
already been made.
Mr. OSBORNE then gave notice that he would take the
first opportunity of bringing the case of those officers before
the house.
METROPOLITAN BUILDINGS ACT.
Mr. OSBORNE asked whether it was intended to do any-
thing with the Metropolitan Buildings Act during the pre-
sent st talon ? (A laugh.) Ile understood that early in the
session it had been referred to a committee of builders and

stances. They may be forced to this if, in the coming
contest, they are hard-driven by the enemy. The
most determined opposition encountered by the tariff
bill of 1846 is directed against it by the State of Penn-
sylvania, with whose iron and coal mines it is alleged
materially to interfere. This state l
plays an.
everym-
portant part in eve F.residentia contest If
the whigs can succeed without her, tney may leave
the tariff en open question. If, on the other hand,
they cannot dispense with her support, they can only
secure it by submitting to terms of her own dictation.
It is almost needless to say that the chief condition on
which she could co-operate with them, would he the
restoration of the revenue law of 1842, as regards iron
and coal at least.
Such is the position of candidates and parties in the
pending presidential contest. So far as we are con-
cerned, there is this peculiarity in the case, that we
are interested, as it were, in the success and the
defeat of both. If the democracoulachieve an
easy triumph, our objects might be better served with
CARS than with TAYLOR as President. But if they
have to struggle hard for it the results of victory
would only be worse than those of defeat. A whig
victory, if an easy one, will be accompanied, at best,
with but doubtful issues; if only secured by a submis-
sion to terms like those alluded to, the issues will he
decidedly hostile to us in a commercial point of view.
We are thus, turn to which side we will, placed
equally, as it were, between hope and apprehension.
'the party which draws to itself our commercial sym-
pathies assumes a political attitude which, in times
so precarious as these, we may not unreasonably
dread; that in which we have political confidence is
identified with principles hostile to our industry, and
inimical to our trade.

We. have two independent and infallible gauges of
national prosperity--two markets, by the activity
and depression o which, the rise and fall of fortune,
the ebb and flow of hope and fear in the community,
may be fairly measured—namely, the money market
and the matrimonial market. These are our certain
social barometers. No instrument that was ever in-
vented could register the state of the atmosphere with
fidelity like these. The two, far apart as they may seem,
arc closely connected in the nature of the influences
to which they are subject. The bad times of the
one are the bad times of the other. Few smiles
are at the second when doleful faces are at the first.
Marriages, in fact, are regulated by the same laws as
govern the rise and fall of funds. When brokers smile
upon you, maids are also kind ; when bank directors
woo you to take credit, parents and guardians woo you
to take wives. Love weaves his witcheries with the
Three per Cents: suits militant at 88, are sure to be
triumphant at 98. But let the bank grow coy, and ,
the maids—the fickle ones!—grow coy as well. When ,
gold is plentiful wedding-rings are as cheap in Eng-
land as crosses of the Legion of Honour in France. I
But when bills are scarce, bawls are also scarce—and
licences not to be thought of. The altars
lose their attractions when discounts are I
Leavy.. Who would think of marrying when
quotations run high at Mark-lane? It would be
madness to think of it. Cnew, though but a
,bungler, is too acute for that. It is only after a
fruitful summer that the immortal urchin ventures
to gather in his harvest. Only when the sun shines
will he undertake to make hay. Wise and prudent
youth! lie shuns dark days--avoids misfortune—
veils his sunny face in bard, unprosuerous times, to
reappear and return to his mischief only on the dawn
of brighter promise. Such is the grave and important
proposition—stript of its scientific expression—which
is enunciated, and, so far as the data yet collected will
admit,demonstrated in the " Eighth Annual Report of
the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Mar-
riages, in England," just published and laid before
parliament.
We cannot too highly praise the care, skill, and
industry exhibited in the preparation of this volumi-
nous report. It consists of nearly five hundred pages
of closely packed type—five-sixths of which, at least,
are covered with figures, and present the vital statis-
tics of the country for the year to which they refer,
1845, in almost every conceivable variety of combine-
, tion ; but we cannot but regret, as others do, that
I these valuable tables are not prepared more rapidly.
When was 1843 ? By referring to the "Annual Re-
gister" the reader will find that it was a somewhat
notable year ; but it is so far back in our social and
Ipolitical experience—ideas have made such an onward
I bound since then—and, a European revolution having
cut it off from the history of the future, we fear
that but a few of those whom these tables should
interest, will be tempted to go back to the circum-
stances which they illustrate. The tardiness may
have, in this instance, a much better excuse than
could generally be assigned for the dilatoriness of the
government offices. But taking the returns as they
stand, we cannot see the necessity for consuming
more than two years and a half in their preparation.
We have recently had occasion to point attention to
the way in which the work of the country is allowed
to get behind—and must add this report to the oti er
instances. Tee delay, however it may be caused, is a
loss to the country, which has a right to have returns
of so much importance laid before it at the earliest
possible period ; and it is also a wrong to the re-
gtstrar, whose admirably drawn up reports thereby
I fail to obtain all the attention which they deserve.
A history of England, illustrated by the facts of the
marriage register, is a c..rious and interesting subject.
No one can overrate the value of correct statistics in
tracing the progress and development of nations. We
have, however, only just begun to see their value,
and to take charge for their preservation. From the
tables of Mr. Rickman, and those of the Registrar-
General, we have now returns of the marriages in
England, year by year, since 1756, that is, up to
1815, ninety years. Comparing these tables with the
histories of the time, we find many striking and in-
structive illustrations of the proposition already
stated.
It has for a long time been known, or at least sus-
pected, teat in this country marriages are most fre-
quent 'n days of prosperity and greatly diminish in
hard times. The general character of the people for
caution and thrift, aided by some partial observation
of facts, would easily suggest such an opinion. These
returns demonstrate it. The coincidence of the fluc-
tuation is constant. WI en men fancy that prosperity
is seized, they inclineto wed, and commence a family,
.tst as they do to take a shop, a mill, a mine, and be-

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