The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-23 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 22.—1❑ Harbour—The Britan-
nia, T 20, flag-ship ; Victory, 104, ordinary guard-ship;
Excellent gunnery-ship ; Meteor And Messenger steam-
vessels ; Fanny, Gossamer, Emerald, and Gipsy tenders ;
and Etna sloop.

In Dock—Not anything in commission.
In 'Basin—The \Vatcrwitch, 10 ; Curlew, 10 ; and
Snipe cutter.
At Spithead—The Powerful, 84, for the Mediterranean.

ARRIVALS, SAILINGS, &c. DURING THE

WEEK.

On Saturday, the 16th.—The Zebra was observed to
have anchored at St. Helens, having put back from stress
of weather ; and the Barham, 50, arrived from the Medi-
terranean via Lisbon.

On Sunday, the 17th.—The Zebra, 16, succeeded in
getting away for the Mediterranean.
On Monday, the 18th.—The. Gossamer tender sailed
for the Eastward, with supernumeraries for the Cleopatra.
On Tucsday, the 19th.—The Barham, 50, sailed for
Sheerness, to be paid off at that port ; the Winchester,
52, being about to be commissioned there for the flag of
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey, who is appointed as
the successor of Vice-Admiral Paget, deceased, on the
West India station.

On Thursday, the 21st.--The Gossamer tender returned
from Sheerness, and the Gipsy with seven seamen for the
Powerful.

On Friday, the 22d.—The Meteor steam-vessel arrived
with part of Lord Fortescuc's luggage on board, on her
way to Plymouth, and still remains.
The Royal Frederick will not be launched till May, the
Queen's visit to Portsmouth will therefore be delayed.
The Powerful, 84, is still short of her complement about
200 men. Is this done to prove that seamen's wages are
net sufficient, or is it that the gallant Captain is not a
favourite with them ? The Revenge and Benbow are
named for commissioning at this port, and the Thunderer
and some other line-of-battle ship at Plymouth. Vice-
Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey will proceed-in the Cleopatra
to take the command of the West India station; and the
Winchester, 52, will be commissioced as his permanent
flag-ship. The appointments already known are Captain
Parker (late of the Cruizer) to be Flag Captain; Com-
mander Henderson (a son-in-law of the Vice- Admiral's);
First Lieutenant, J. Evans; and Flag Lieutenant, Thomas
Harvey (son of the Admiral). Sir Graham Moore, it is
now said, will take Plymouth ; if this should prove true,
Captain Eden will be the Flag Captain, and Mr. Edye
the Secretary.

CITY AND COMMERCIAL NEWS.

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, MARCII 22. We con-
tinue to hive a very lively demand, and an extensive bu.
mess doing, with gradually advancing prices. They are
now kd. to id. per lb. higher than those of last week. The
trade have purchased very freely this week, not from any
conviction as to the truth of the report of short crops, the
solution of which is a mere question of time (such reports
being, as we base before remarked, periodical in the
growth itself), nor yet from such a positive improvement in
trade as should indicate a permanent and substantial advantage
to the consumer, but rather from an apprehension on their
parts, tbat the powerful influence and management which
has forced up the prices thus far may continue to operate
awhile longer, and may be made to bear as effectually for
a time as if the crop was really so small (whether so or not)
as some of the most sanguine or, this point would have us
believe. Speculators have taken 14,000 baler of Ameri-
can, 4,250 Surat, 350 Egyytian, 200 Babies, 150 Pera-
nams, and 100 Maranhans.
Arrivals this morning : French and Hamburgh mails.
No ship letters.
The private letters from Rio Janeiro, received yester-
day, state that another slaver has been captured by the
Wizard, brig-of-war, with 233 slaves on board. During
the last month the number of slaves imported into Rio
was 4,668, and in the course of the year 37,000, which is
less in number than the year 1837. This may be ac-
counted fcr by so many being sent to Bahia and Pernam-
buco, as well as to other Brazilian ports.
We have an exceeding blank morning, both in respect
to news and business in the Funds, owing to there being so

few arrivals.
There has not been any material alteration in the value
of money during the present week, and discounts on bank-
bills continue at 31 to 31 per cent.; but money for com-
mercial affairs is rather more difficult to be obtained, and
higher rates of disccunt are demanded.
The report of yesterday, that Government was going to
reinforce the Army, in part proves correct, but not to that
extent which was stated. 'I his has somewhat abated the
alarm which prevailed in the Money Market, and to the
present time no sales of stock of any consequence have
taken place. Consols may be quoted with an improve-
ment on the leaving off prices of yesterday, closed at 92g i
for the Account, at present 921 i for the Account, Money
9211 1. " Exchequer Bills, 55 57; India Bonds, 58 60 ;
Bank Stock, 200 201 ; India, 253 254.
In the Foreign Market, Spanish Active is not 'so good
as it left off, and receded from 201 i to 201 1; Portu-
guese, 341 351; Belgian, 10'4; Brazilian, 791 ••• ; Scrip,
i disc., 4 prem. ; Colombian, 29k; Dutch f wo-and-a-
Half per Cents., 551 56; Five per Cents., Ib3 i.
PRICES OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Bank Steck - ' India Stock —
3 per Cent. Red. — Ditto Bonds 6? 58 pm
3 per Cent. Cons. ...... —92 X iki; 7,i, % South Sea Stock
31.,', per Cent Old Annuities —
Ditto Bed — New Ditto
New 3% per Cent lONi 3 per Cent. Annuities, 1731
New 5 per Cent.
Bank Long Annuities teexpire Ditto 500 ... pm.
Jan. 5, NM — Ditto Small 55 57 pin.
Oct. 10, 1259 Ditto Commercial — pm.
Jan. 5, 15 0 . Ditto Advertised pin.
Jan. 5, 1850 — Bank Stock for Account... 201
April 5, HMO — India Stock for Account ...
Jan. 5. 1570
PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Austrian Bonds — 4 Peruvian Bonds

~....... —..
Belgian Bonds —l Ditto Acc0unt.......... .....
Ditto Account
Brazilian Bonds
Ditto Account
Buenos Ayres Bonds — Ditto, 3 per Cent. „..„—“,
Ditto Account
Chilian Bonds
D tto Account
Columbian Bonds — e Ditto Account —
Ditto Account —j Ditto Metallic —
Columbian Bonds, 1321
Ditto Account
Danish Bonds
Ditto Account — Ditto Account.
' 0W 3t
Greek Bonds — French, 5 per cent. f —e,
Ditto Bonds, 1625 — 4 per cent....... —f. --e.
Ditto Account — 3 per cent. —l. —c.
Mexican Bonds, 5 per Cent l7 --- Exch,3tige.
Ditto Account
Ditto, 6 per Cent Ditto Account —
Ditto Account
Neapolitan — Ditto Account —
fIIIOES OF SHARES THIS DAY ATP NE O'CLOC
id. Per SK.
hare.

Rattern Counties Railway l3 840
Great North of England ltailway Company 3O 16
Great Western Hallway Company 65 72 1
bl,nchester and Birmingham Railway l5
Ditto IA Shares 5 27
London and southampton Railway Company SS/. 17s. 9d. 42V,
Midland Counties Railway Company. 6l 49
London and Westminster Bank :2O 2:11A
Anglo Mexican Mint lO 11
Mexican and South American 6 4;,

HALF-PAST ONE.

Consols, which were in the early part of the morning
done at 92i for Money, may be quoted at present at 924 ;
for the Account, 92i. Exchequer Bills, 55 57 ; Bank
Stock shut, for the opening 201.
In the Foreign Market the chief business doing is in
Spanish, which has receded to 203 ; Portuguese 344, also
lower ; Brazilian 791; Colombian 29 : Russian 112 ;
Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents. 554 j ; Five per Cents.
10*
There is little doing in the Foreign Market, and most
of the Funds are heavy.
CLOSING PRICES.
BRITISR FUNDS.

Bank Stock India ..S Del( —
3 per Cent. Bed
~ per Cent. Ccas. 'r244 Ditto Old Annuities —
354 per Cent. Red 10114 Ditto New Annuities ...... ...
New 35v per Cent 100% !Ex. Bills 1,0001 '2%d....56 pm.
New 5 per Cent — k Ditto 500/ pm
Long Annuities to expire Ditto 500/ b 7 pm.
Jan. ISti'l
Oct. 1859
Jan. Hitt)
FOREIGN FUNDS.
Portuguese Bonds, 5 per cent.
Ditto, New Ditto
Prussian, 5 per cent —
Russian Bs, 5 per cent-11'2
Ditto, Metallic —
Spanish, 5 per cent —
Ditto, Consolidated —
French, 5 per cent. f. —c.
Exchange —f. —c
French, 3 per cent —4 —4.
Dutch, 0% per cent.
Ditto, 5 per cent. 103%

Asturian, 5 per cent —
Belgian, 5 per cent —
Brazilian Bonds 791,4
Buenos Ayres, 6 per cent —
(Milian 6 per cent
Colomb,an, 6 per cent.
Ditto, 1824 29
Danish, 3 per cent 76%
Greek Bonds, 1825, sper ct —
Mexican, 5 per cent 17%
Ditto, 6 per cent., 182.5 —
Peruvian, 1525,6 per cent 17%

RES.

Bristol and Exeter Railway y 1014
Eastern Counties Railway ......... . ........................ ts;,.
Great North of England Railway l6
Great Western Railway
London and Brighton Railway . ....... 104
London and Birmingham Railway lti
London and Southampton Railway 421{,4
London and Croydon Railway (Trunk)... .l._
London and Croydon Railway (New Scrip) ..
41
Midland Counties Railway 4Sq

Three striking instances of the imperative neces-
sity of a summary and local jurisdiction occurred at the
last Hants assizes. One was the prosecution of a person
for stealing two turnips, the probable value of which did
not exceed a penny ; another of a woman for stealing three
basins, worth about twopence; and the third of a child of
tender years, for stealing a few halfpence from,
his master,
to prove which several witnesses_ were brought from the
Isle of Wight. The expenses of these three prosecutions,
in all probability, cost the county more than 501. ; and the
value of the property alleged to
have been stolen was cer-
tainly under half a crown.
REFonm IN 1831 AND 1839.--. When the Re-
form Bill was introduced, and even after it was passed,
not only Sir C. Wetherell but the Duke of Wellington,
the head of the Conservative party,declared that it
would seal the fate of the British Constitution, and that
under it no Government could carry on the affairs of
the country. Now the Reform Act is the idol of the
party—they guard it with religious are,
and expect every
day to be called in by their Sovereign. to carry into effect
the provisions of that very. measure which. they denounced
as atrocious, destructive, andl revolutionary, On the
21st of March, 1839, the 1\ ?ble Lord who excited such
horror in every Conservative breast on the Ides of
March, 1831, condemning to utter destruction 56
boroughs, and depriving 30 more of half their vitality, is
told by his supporters that be is as good a Conservative
as Sir Robert Peel, and bad he been of the same mind
then, he would have gone out against his own Bill ; nay
one of them, Mr. T. Attwood, goes still further, and
implies that Lord John Russell is a Conservative, and
something more, for '0 they would be better under the
boroughmongers than under the present House of Com-
mons, as that House was no more the representative of
the working classes—of the . Commons of England—
than of the Coulmois of China. L. all this be true,
the Reform Bill has indeed
produced a revolution
among the three great parties in the State.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, in the absence of the Lord
Chancellor, took his scat on the Woolsaek shortly after
two o'clock.

The Duke of Wellington's Estate Bill was read a se-
cond time, committed, and ordered to be read a third time
on Monday. The Tithe Composition ( Ireland) Arrears
Bill went through Committee, and was ordered to be read
a third time on Monday,
The House then adjourned to Monday.

STATE OF CRIME IN IRELAND.

DIVISION IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON
THURSD.4Y.
MAJORITY

:n favour of Lord Roden'sMotion on the State of Crime

• DUKES.
Montrose
Dorset
Wellington
Buckingham
mArsourssEs.
Tweeddale
Abercorn

Bute
Downshire

Thomond
Cholmondeley
Westmeath
Ormonde

EARLS.
Winchilsea
Abingdon
Haddington
Galloway
Kinnoul
Aberdeen

lartmouth
ankerville

DUKES.

H. R. H. the Duke
of Sussex
Somerset
Norfolk
Argyll
Cleveland

MARQUISES.
Conyngham
Normanby

Head fort
eadalbane
EARLS.
Albemarle
llch ester

ut,tit?gdon

INllridie
Fingal)

Errol
Mcath
Camperdown

FOR.
Vernon
Shrewsbury
Belhaven
Sligo

Laindowne
Rosebery

in Ireland.
EARLS.

Harrington
Digby
Courtoun
Roden
Afoulitcashel
Clare
Bandon
Donoughmore
Ligierick
Charleville
Verulam
Bradford
Falmouth
Ripon
Brecknock
viSCOUNTS,
Hereford
Hood
Strangford
Middleton
Gage
Hawarden
Beresford

MINORITY
Against the Motion,

EARLS.
Lovelace
Oxford
Thanet
Cowper
Gosford
Bruce
Lichfield
NISCOUNTS.
Melbourne
Torrington
Falkland
Ehringron
Thineannon
Lismore

BISHOPS.
Hereford
Durham
Ely

LORDS.
Cottenham
Holland

PAI

BISHOPS.
Rochester
Bangor
Oxford

LORDS.
Colville
Monson
Grantley
Calthorpee
Redesdale
Ellenborough
Sandys
Colchester
Maryborough
Rayleigh
Bexley
Wharnclifre
Tenterdenf
Cosiley
Stuart de Rothsav
Brougham and Vau%
Da Lisle

LORDS.
Barham
Langdale
De Mauley
Foley
Sudely
Saye and Selo
Berners
Vaux
Hatherton
Wrottesley
Dinorben
Carew
Lilford
imore
Byron
unket
rnaird
Montfort
Gardner
Hill
Glenelg

AGAINST.
St. Vincent
Carnarvon
Eglintojjn
Harrowby
Aylesbury
Eldon

HOUSE OF LORDS.-(THIS DAY.)

The House sat to-day to hear Scotch Appeals. The
Peers present were—the Lord Chancellor, Lord
Brougham, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Earl of Hadding-
ton, Viscount Melville, and Lord Berners.

THE PRESBYTERY OF AUCHTERARDER V. THE EARL OF

KINNOUL.

Sir F. PoLLocx concluded his reply in this case ; and
their Lordships, at the suggestion of the Lord Chancellor
and Lord Brougham, postponed their judgment until after
the Easter Recess.

MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

COVENT GARDEN.

Supplies large, trade dull, and prices much as last week.
- -

NENVGATE AND LgADENHALL.
Supply of Meat large, and trade dull. Beef, 2s. Bd. to
3s. bd. ; Mutton, 2s. 10d. to 3s. 10d. ; Veal, 3s. Bd. to
4s. sd. ; Pork, 3s. Bd. to 4s. 10d. ; Irish, 3s. to 3s. 6d.
Grouse and Poultry a large supply ; trade dull, and prices
lower.

At the Insolvent Debtors' Court yesterday, Mr.
W. H. Wallack, the well-known actor, was heard on his
petition to be discharged. His debts amounted to about
7001. The insolvent was not opposed, and was ordered to
be discharged forthwith.
CHARGE OF BlGAMY.—Yesterday, at Bow-
street, the case of Anne Stephens alias Sterling alias
Hughues, on the charge of bigamy, which has so long oc-
cupied the attention of the Magistrates, Sir Frederick Roe
and Mr. Thistleton, terminated, and she was fully com-
mitted to Newgate, to take her trial at the ensuing Sessions
of the Central Criminal Court.

DETERMINED SUICIDE.-Last evening a Co-
roner's inquest was held before Mr. Higgs, at St. George's
Hospital, on the body of Thomas Cuttar, under butler to
Edward Fletcher, Esq., of 125, Park-street, Grosvenor-
square, who cut his throat under circumstances of a dis-
tressing nature, evidently resulting from temporary derange-
ment, there being adduced no evidence to account for the
act. The jury returned a verdict of "Temporary mental
derangement."
SUICIDE OF A TRADESMAN.—Yesterday
morning about seven o'clock, a milkman was passing by
the side of a basin at Stoke Newington, when he discovered
the body of a male person in his clothes floating on its sur-
face. He procured assistance, and on the body being got
out and searched, a paper was found in his pocket directed
to a member of the board of trustees of the pariah of Clerk-
enwell. It was then discovered that the deceased person
was Mr. Thos. Savage, formerly a member of that board.
A Coroner's inquest cNill be held on the body.

THE LATE CASE OF ALLEGED HOGUSSING
♦ND ROBBERY IN CLERRENWELL.-The man and woman
accused of being concerned in the late outrage upon Eli-
zabeth Anne Clarke, were re-examined at Hatton-garden
Office yesterday, but nothing of any importance transpired.
The prisoners were remanded till Monday. The police
have got some clue to a third party supposed to be impli-
cated. The prisoners bear a bad character, being known
as the associates of burglars.
THE LATE ATTEMPT OF A HUSBAND TO
MURDER ills WlFE.—Richard Whiting, whose case has
already been noticed, was yesterday re-examined at Ed-
monton, and committed to Newgate for trial, on the capi-
tal charge of attempting to murder his wife. The parties
bad only been married a few weeks.
THE MURDER OF ELIZA GRIMWOOD.—
The front portion of the house, No. 12, Wellington-ter-
race, Waterloo-rood, in which the above murder occurred,
has been razed to the ground, previous to the erection of a
shop front, the premises having failed to let as a private
house. A number of persons bad offered to become ten-
ants, on the condition of paying no rent ; but the landlord
refused to accede to these terms. .

SUPPOSED MURDER AT DUDLEY.—COnSi-
derable excitement has this week been produced at Dudley
by the death under peculiar circumstances, of an unfortu-
nate girl of the town. An inquest was held on the body
on Thursday, March 7, and by an adjournment on the
Tuesday following, and concluded on Thursday, by
finding, "that the deceased had met her death from
falls, and consequent bruises, received while she was in a
state of intoxication."

..--•
A FAIR ALLOWANCE.—A witness in a case
heard yesterday in the Secondaries' Court was asked
whether he had not been drinking. He replied that he
had only taken his" usual quantity ;" which he afterwards
explained to be twenty-seven glasses per diem partly of gin
and partly of beer
At Nottingham Assizes, this week, an action
was brought to recover the value of a mirror of the intrinsic
value of only ten shillings, but it had become an article of
vcrtu in consequence of a man having shot himself
before it.
On Friday, the Ist of February last, a curling
match was played on Lechleven, between the married men
and bachelors of the Kinross Curling Club (the most an-
cient in Scotland), and which, after a well contested game
of three hours and a half, was gained by the former by
eleven shots a head of the latter. The game was for a
quantity of oatmeal, to be distributed, as usual, among the
poor of the place.--Glasgoto Argus.
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.—There is a
man in Salem, Messachnssets, who says he has made 1,500
dollars during the past year by attending to his own business,
and 500 more by letting other people's alone.—Nsw York
Paper.
IRISH OUTRAGES. GOVERNMENT RE-

WARDS.—From December 1, 1837, to February 20, 1839,
the sum of 13,3901. was offered as rewards by Government
for the discovery and apprehension of 186 murders, homi-
cides, &c &c. Of these the official returns produced be-
fore Parliament state that only eight rewards were claimed
and naid, and 178, of course, remained unclaimed.
SUICIDES IN BELGIUM.—In the last six
months of 1835 seventy-six persons committed suicide in
Belgium ; in the year 1830, they amountod to 187. In
this total number of 263 there were 237 men and 56

females.
A DESIRABLE NEIGHBOURHOOD.—An ad-
vertisement appeared in the Morning Advertiser a day or
two since, relative to a public-house, which, by way of re-
commendation, was stated to be " situated in a gin-drink-
ing neighbourhood."
MIL MATHIAS, AUTHOR OF " PURSUITS
OF LITERATURE."—One of his peculiarties is, an extraor-
dinary tenacity of memory respecting the dates at which
he, for the first time of the season,- had eaten green peas,
or any other early culinary delicacy ; another is, the con-
tinual exclamation of " God bless my soul l" Dinner was
not half over before he told us on what days he had eaten
spring chickens, green pets, Aubergine, and a half hun-
dred other dainties ; and at each cntremet that was offered
him, he exclaimed—" What a delicious dish—God bless
my soul l" Mr. Mathias has an exceeding dread of
being ridden or driven over in the crowded streets of
Naples ; and has often been known to stop an hour be-
fore he could muster courage to cross the Chiaja.
Being known and respected in tha town, many coach-
men pause, in order to give him time to cross
without being alarmed ; but in vainl,,.for he advances half
way, then stops, terrified at his imaginary danger, and
rushes back, exclaiming, " God bless my soul I" It is
only when he meets some acquaintance, who gives him the
support of an arm, that he acquires sufficient resolution to
pass to the other side of the street. While he was dining
in a cafe, a few days ago, a violent shower of rain fell, and
pattering against the Venetian blinds with great noise, Sir
William Gell observed that it rained dogs and cats; at
which moment a dog rushed in at the door of the cafe, and
. a frightened cat in at the other. " God bless my soul !"
exclaimed Mathias gravely, "so it does—so it does I who
would have believed it ?" This exclamation excited no
little meriment ; and Mathias resented it by not speaking
Ito the laughers for some days.--Lady Blessington's Idler
in Italy.
_ „

MANCHESTER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—It again becomes my unpleasant duty to contra-
dict a mischievous statement in your Paper of yesterday.
It is, " that a report prevailed of riots at Blanchester ; and

that a regiment of troops had proceeded to that place ; and
that orders had been received that artillery should go to
that quarter."
Now it is quite hurtful enough to the interests of our
trade, when its channels are obstructed by actual occur-
rences of the kind alluded to; but vrhen our peaceable
town is represented as being in a state of alarming disor-
der, we cannot help imputing to you a too great readiness
to insert unauthenticated reports, which must not only
damage the credit of your Paper, but mislead, and fre-
quently put to serious inconvenience, those who believe
them ; for you must be aware of the fact that timid per-
sons, at a distance, will not be drawn, even by business, to
a town which is in a state bordering upon insurrection.
As this letter may correct the misrepresentation, I beg
your insertion of it ; and again take the liberty of remind-
kg you, that before you give currency to reports of so
serious a character, you ought to ascertain whether or not
they are founded in fact.
A CONSTANT SUBSCRIBER.
Manchester, March 22.
O C-

Jur (..,orrespondent ought to have seen that we con-
.radieted the statement to which he refers. It is no part
of our duty to give circulation to exaggerated reports, but
we cannot always guard against their insertion, however
desirous we may be to ascertain the truth. Reports fre-
quently obtain currency in the City, the correctness or in-
correctness of which cannot be ascertained for some days,
and for such we cannot be held responsible.—En.]

THE ANTI CORN-LAW LEAGUE.

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER.)
MANCHESTER, FRIDAY.

Despite the admonitions of the'. Globe, the Anti- Corn-law
" League" has commenced its work of agitation, and the
question whether it will become a " political" agitation or
not, must soon be decided. If large masses of petitioners
are to have their petition; contemptuously rejected, and
themselves stigmatized by the scions of hereditary wisdom
as assassins, and other names equally l.olite, it is no wonder
if, although they may entertain divers nations upon the
question of the suffrage, and other speculative questions,
they should unite heart and hand for the attainment of one
common object. This appears to be the fact of the case
with respect to the Anti-Corti-law League. Oa this ques-
tion Whig, Tory, and Radical will speedily unite—in fact,
are now uniting, and the "finality" of the Corn-law will
now become the test of a man's fitness to represent the ma-
nufacturing and commercial interests. It was announced
at the meeting of the Delegates in the metropolis, that lec-
turers would be engaged to go through the manufacturing
and agricultural districts for the purpose of diffusing right
notions into the minds of the great mass of the agricultural
population. It was indeed fitting that the ice should be
first broken in Manchester, and that the lecturers appointed
should he men of first-rate ability, men who are known in
the literary and scientific world, and whose pub-
lished opinions on other matters havo met with
the smiles of the public. The first lecture un-
der the auspices of the League was delivered last
night at the Corn Exchange, by Sydney Smith, Esq.,
of Edinburgh, a gentleman well known as a writer and
lecturer on phrenology, and a member of the profession of
the law.

The public were admitted to the rooms by the exhibiting
tickets, which were presented gratuitously to all appli.
cants at the rooms of the Association. Although the
evening was exceedingly unfavourable, by reason of the
heavy rain, which fell in copious showers, the room was
speedily filled with a goodly assemblage, composed princi-
pally of working men.
Mr. Smith was introduced to the assemblage by Mr.
Wilson, the Honorary Secretary to the Association. As
the lecture occupied upwards of three hours in the delivery,
its length preclpdes our giving anything more than a gene-
ral outline. Commencing with pointing out the difference
between the principles which appear to guide politicians of
the present and past times, and those principles which
Christianity inculcates, the lecturer ridiculed, with great
force, the interested attempts of political quacks to create
prejudices against people of other lands, in the minds
of the people of this country. Showing the original
design of the Almighty that the whole of the human race
was that they should form but one family, all mutually de-
pendent on each other, although they might happen to be
separated from each other by rivers and oceans ; he stated
that in consequence of the impolitic laws which regulate
the introduction of corn into this country he knew of per-
sons who fed not only their families but their horses also
upon sago; finding that that commodity was cheaper
in price than the corn which grew at their own
doors. Man alone was an outcast, miserable, poor
—and an outcast, driven from his miserable hut, he
cried for bread, and we gave him a stone ; we
drenched the people with political nostrums instead of
giving them benefits of a more substantial character. He
contended that the Chartists stood greater chance of gain-
ing extension of the suffrage, after the repeal of the Corn-
laws, than they would if the law were not to be repealed,
for it was the Corn-laws alone which invested the landed
interest with so great an influence in the State. Ridicul-
ing the idea that the Corn-laws were beneficial to a
country, he stated that there was greater misery amongst
tl:e people of Great Britain than in any other
country, in the globe. There never would have
been a Chartist in the world if the people had been
allowed to obtain cheap food for their wages ; and if peo-
ple met by torch-light not for the advocacy of an abstract
principle, but to say " We will have cheap food for our.
selves and families," it was not a proclamation that would

disperse them. If, in consequence of our refusal to take
corn horn her, America Was to refuse to let us have her
cotton, and Russia to refuse to let us have her hemp and
flax, what would be the consequence ? An immense num-
ber of our people would be thrown out of employment.
Notwithstanding the protection of the Ccrn-laws, the pro-
duce of grain in the United Kingdom fell short of the con-
sumption by about three millions of quarters annually, and
as our population was increasing at the rate of one thousand
per day, we must find food for them. We had colo-
nies of our own, the inhabitants of which would be glad to
supply us with corn if there were no duty on the importa-
tion on corn. Referring to the argument that is used by
the supporters of the Corn-laws, that the inferior soils
would be thrown out of cultivation, he contended that those
lands ought never to have been placed in cultivation; and
he was quite sure that if by the repeal of the Corn-laws
there should ho less land set aside for growing corn, more
cattle would be pastured. If the Corn laws could possibly
have benefited an agricultural country how was it that
Ireland, which was almost solely an agricultural country,
was in such a state of destitution ? His hits against the
aristocracy were of a " heavy" nature, and he called upon
the people to join together upon this question, laying all
others out of sight.
The lecture was most rapturously applauded, and the
sarcastic " cuts" which Mr. Smith gave to the supporters
of the Corn-law told with amazing efhct. He will deliver
his second lecture on Tuesday evening next.

METROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

The Morning Chronicle of this day, alluding to the de-
bate in the Lords on Thursday night, on the subject of
the' present state of Ireland, and the majority against
Ministers on that occasion, says—" The House of Lords
have impeached the Irish policy of Ministers since 1835,
and it is proposed that the House of Commons shall vote a
direct approbation of that which has been so much im-
peached. So far so good. Now is the time for Liberal
Members to come to an understanding on certain main
points on which they are notoriously at present divided.
Throughout the country there is a lukewarmness on the
part of Reformers; and to revive the enthusiasm of the
People, by which alone the collision with the House of
Lords can be conducted to a successful issue, Ministers
must make up their minds to abandon their negative policy,
and identify themselves with the whole Liberal party."
The Morning Herald contains a leading article on Lord
John Russell's speech ih the Commons last night, with re-
ference to the recent division in the Lords on the question
of Ireland, in the course of which our Contemporary ob-
serves—" The House of Lords has vitually censured her
Majesty's Ministers. No vote of the House of Commons
can remove that censure. The House of Lords has virtu-
ally taken the Government of Ireland out of the hands of
the Whig Administration. Let Lord John Russell fret
and fume as he may, his tenure of office must, necessarily,
be brief. The vote of the House of Lords will have the ef-
fect of neutralising to a great extent, the misehevious ap-
pointment of Lord Fortescue to the Lord Lieutenantcy of
Ireland. Nay, it is just possible that Ireland may never know
Lord Fortescue as the occupant of Dublin Castle."
The Morning Post comments as follows on Lord John
Russell's speech in the Commons last night :—" We can-
not regard the notice given last night by the Ministerial
leader in the House of Commons in any other light than as
the device of a Ministry which is content to live on from
day to day. That this is the true character and chief ob-
ject of Lord J. Russell's speech we the more confidently
believe, because we think it highly improbable that the
Ministry, as at present constituted, will be in existence after
the Easter recess."
The Morning Advertiser, in a leading article suggested
by Lord John Russell's speech last night in the Commons,
remarks—" In appealing to the House of Commons, we
trust Ministers will take a bold position in reference to Ire-
land. Hitherto, the moderation, we will not say timidity,
of the Cabinet, has been its weakness. It is time that this
indecision were brought to an end. A passive policy will
no longer stave off the crisis of the country."