The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-18 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—About six weeks ago 1 sent you a letter
stating that Sir R. Peel had then lately said at
Tamworth, that the present Parliament was likely
to exist until the spring or summer of 1866, or, in
other words, for another year and a half, i.e., the
full end and term of seven years, or as long as it
can live, until it is fairly worn out and dies of old
age. And, inasmuch as this opinion is gaining
ground amongst the Ministerial ranks, and, indeed,
I may add everywhere, I will just take the trouble
to note down the length of Parliaments for the last
150 years, from the commencement of the Georgian
era when the Septennial Act was passed. The
Septennial Act passed 1715 :
DAY OF MEETING. WHEN DISSOLVED.
17th March 1715 10th March 1721
10th May 1722 sth August
28th November 1727 19th April
13th June
25th June
23th August
31st May 1754 20th March 1761
19th May 1761 11th March 1768
10th May 1768 30th September 1774
29th November 1774 Ist September l7BO
3Ist October
18th May 1784 11th June 1790
13th August
11th July 1796 29th January lBO2
31st August
15th December
22d June - 1807 29th September - 1812
24th November
4th August
23d April
14th November 1826 24th July lB3O
26th October
14th June
29th January
19th February 1835 17th July 1837
15th November 1837 23d June lB4l
19th August
21st September 1847 Ist July 1852
4th November 1852 21st March 1857
30th April 1857 23d April 1859
31st May 1859

These are the exact dates of every Parliament for
the last century and a half. The Septennial Act
was passed soon after the death of Queen Anne,
when George I. ascended the British Throne,
and it will be seen that no Parliament has ever
sat the full period of seven years. The very out-
side that any Parliament has sat has been six years
and ten months, and this is just 100 years ago; the
first Parliament of George 111. six years to six and
a half years, was the ordinary length of Parliaments
during that reign, and during the short reign
of his successor, George W:, we had, as I stated
to you in my quondam letter six weeks ago,
only two Parliaments, the one elected on his acces-
sion in the spring of the year 1820, which was dis-
solved in the summer of 1826, just six years after-
wards, and before another six years had expired
George IV. was no more. During the reign of
his successor, William IV., we had (owing to
the excitement and turbulency of the times) all but

biennial, not to add annual Parliaments, and during
the reign of the present Queen the average length
of Parliaments has been four years or four and a
half years. One Parliament, and one alone, has
existed as long as the present, and that was the Par-
liament of the late Sir R. Peel, which existed very
nearly six years, but not quite, as it was assembled
in August, 1841, and was not dissolved until July,
1847. Since then, until now, we have never had a
Parliament which has lasted anything like six
years, and it is to be hoped that the present one will
not be suffered to go on beyond next summer ; as
it is in all conscience quite old, i.e., it will be by
that time. I should be sorry to see a general elec-
tion take place before the end of the ensuing ses-
sion, as it would only be the means of disturbing
the ordinary business of the country ; but I do
trust by that time we shall see a general election, as
it will be fully time we had one.—l remain, sir,
your obedient servant,
A LOVER OF HISTORICAL DATES AND FACTS.

THE NEW ARCHDEACON OF GLOUCESTER.—The
archdeaconry of Gloucester, which became vacant a
few days since by the death of the Ven. Dr. John Timbrill,
has been conferred upon the Rev. Sir George Prevost,
Bart., M.A., incumbent of Stinchcombe, near Dureley.
The new archdeacon is the second baronet, and the son of
the first baronet, who was a lieutenant-general in the army
and governor-general and commander-in-chief in North
America. He was born at Roseau, in Dominica., in 1804,
and was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, where he gra-
duated 8.A., in 1825, taking a first class in mathematics
and a second in classics.

DEATH OF ARCHDEACON HOARE. We have to
announce the death of the Ven. Charles James Hoare,
M.A., successively Archdeacon of Winchester and Surrey,
and for the last 24 years a canon residentiary of Winchester
Cathedral. The late archdeacon entered at St. John's
College, Cambridge, at the close of the last century, and
graduated B.A. in 1803, being second wrangler of his
year.
THE GREEK CHAIR AT OXFORD.—We hear from
Oxford that there is a probability of the long-vexed ques-
tion of the Greek professorship being satisfactorily settled,
by the endowment of the chair by the authorities of Christ
Church. This is in a great measure owing to the letters
recently printed by Mr. E. A. Freeman, pointing out the
obligation on the part of Christ Church to endow the pro-
fessorship from their revenue.—Literary Gazette.