Star.
London, England, 1831-08-01 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria,
attended by Lady Catherine Jenkinson, Baroness Lehzen,
and Sir John Conroy, left Kensington Palace yesterday for
Norris Castle, in the Isle of Wight.
The French and Dutch Ambassadors had long
interviews, yesterday, with Viscount Palmerston at the
Foreign Office.
Lord Ponsonby transacted business yesterday at
the Office of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Viscount Palmerston had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday at the Treasury.
Sir James Graham visited Lord Althorp yester-
day at the Treasury.
IMPORTANT NRW RivEtteL REGULATIONS.—.
The Irish Stamp Office is to be removed forthwith
to the Custom-House. It is intended to remove
thither as many of the government departments,
dispersed through Dublin, except the Post-Office,
as can be accommodated, and the Stamp Office, be-
ing a revenue department, its officers are to move
first, as the present government are anxious to get the
revenue departments into as close contact as pos-
sible, without delay, very important alterations
in the system of management being in con-
templation. It is thought that the present
boards will be got rid of, and that in lieu of
them, there will be one board of practical men,
acquainted with the commercial and financial
interests of the three countries. This board will
manage all the revenue departments, except the
Post Office ; and the enormous expenditure occa-
sioned by separate departments will be avoided.
Instead of there being three or four collectors of
revenue in every large town, there will be but
one collector and one establishment of revenue
officers. All the working officers of the several
departments will thus be combined ; all the rest will
be dispensed with ; and one system of collecting re-
venue, and of granting bounties and drawbacks,
will pervade the United Kingdom—Dublin Morn-
ing Register.
The new pier and stairs to Hungerford Market
are proceeding with rapidity.

SECOND EDITION.

STAR OFFICE, SEVEN O'CLOCK.

A rumour was prevalent to-day, that there will
be another and immediate dissolution of Parliament.
The factious opposition of the Boroughmongers
certainly justifies such a proceeding; and there
is good authority for believing, that it is by
no means necessary to bring even that part
of the Reform Bill, already settled in the Com-
mons, before the Lords, to legalize the dis-
franchisement of the Boroughs in schedule A, or
the new Constitution of the Boroughs in schedule B.
The concurrence of the Lords in certain measures
maturely and deliberately settled by the Commons,
is now found to be a matter of courtesy—not of
Law ; and a dissolution , after the preliminary clauses
of the Bill have passed the present Committee,
would at once uproot the influence of tile Borough
faction, and give to the popular interests the rower
of returning a new and reformed Parliament, in
which the further details of the bill, and other ne
cessary provisions, would be debated, and, if found
expedient, adopted, without the perpetual and bar-
rassing obstacles which the routed faction seem de
termined recklessly to throw in the way ofthe public
business of the country. Nothing as to ;the cer-
tainty of a dissolution, however, or as to the tine
it may take place, has transpired at the latest post-
hour ; but as the affair has assumed an imposing
and credible appearance, we deem it proper to lay
this account of it before our readers.

In our preceding columns will 'de found the rea-
sons for an early meeting of Parliament this after-
noon. Both Houses—particularly the Commons
—were crowded to excess ; and an unusual appea-
rance of seriousness:and solemnity seemed to per-
vade the proceedings. At two o'clock the LORD
CHANCELLOR, the Earl Of SHAFTESBURY,
and the Duke of RICHMOND took their
seats as his MAJESTY'S Commissioners, when
The Royal Assent was given to the Abolition of
Oaths before the Lord Steward's Bill ; the Reduc-
tion of Salary of the Master of the Mint's Bill—
the Customs and Excise Abolition Oath Bill—Wi-
dows of Writers to the Signet of Scotland's Bill ;
Bolton and Leigh Railway Bill ; Southampton
Pier Bill ; Ferrybridge Commons Inclosure Bill ;
and upwards of fifty other public and private Bills.
The Queen's Dowry Bill was then ma a third time
and passed. Mr. BERNAL and others brought up
five private bills, which were read a first time.
Viscount DUNCANNON brought up the Dean Fo-
rests' Bill, and General Steam Navigations and
Corporations' Bill. Mr. DUN DAS brought up the
Edinburgh Improvement Bill. Lord ANNANDALE
having made good his claim to the Peerage, took
the oaths and his seat. The House then adjourned,
to Tuesday.

In the House of Commons, the SPEAKER, took
the Chair, at a Quarter before 2 o'Clock, when after
some immaterial preliminary proceedings—among
which was the presentation of a petition from
a place in the County of Chester by Mr. HUNT
fora repeal of the Corn Laws,
A message arrived from the Lords, summoning the
House to attend, to hear the royal assent given to
the various Bills which we have enumerated above.
A long discussion took place whether the House
should go into the Reform Committee—a
measure, as usual, keenly contested by the
Boroughmongers ; but it was ultimately resolved
to proceed, and the first question was, that NI alma-
bury should stand part of Schedule B. After a
few words from Mr. BARING, the question was
agreed to. The Borough of Marlborough was
next similarlydisposed of, after the usual opposition
by Mr. ESTCOUILT, Mr. W. BANRFS, and Sir C.
WETHERELL. The Borough of Great Marlow,
and Oakbanipton were then placed in schedule B, as
was likewise that of Ryegate. The house was
proeeeding in this manner at the latest post hour.

Serious apprehensions appear to be entertained
in certain quarters lest the conduct of Prussia,
with regard to Poland, should lead to a declara-
tion of war on the part of France against the
former power. Our apprehensions, however, are
the very reverse. We fear that France will not
declare war against Prussia : but, at the same
time, we must say that, if the French government
do not take some effectual steps to enforce the
neutrality of that nation, they will prove them-
selves the veriest poltroons that ever were placed
at the bead of a great people. The same remarks
will apply, though not, perhaps, with equal force,
to our Cabinet, should they quietly suffer the ag-
gressions of Prussia against Poland.
Dr. BADLY, of Chelmsford, died on Monday,
aged eighty-eight, having practised medicine for
fifty years there ; during which time he contrived,
by industry and frugality, to lay up a very com-
fortable maintenance. He has left a very singular
provision in his will—that he is to be buried by
torchlight at midnight on Monday next.
A correspondent asks whether we know any
thing of a French expedition going to Oporto, as
it is rumoured in Paris that it is intended to revive
an old plan, and root up all the vineyards in the
Douro. We acknowledge that we have no infor-
mation upon this subject ; but it would doubtless
meet Mr. Poulett Thompson's ideas ; as then, un-
der the new regulations, we should be obliged to
drink claret instead of port. The idea of rooting
up the vineyards of the Douro originated with
Count Subterra (Pamplona), the agent and tool of
the French, and it forms a leading feature in his
memorable manifesto, which nearly raised the
northern provinces of Portugal against the French.
—Post.
There has been invented at Boston, in America,
a machine for sweeping streets by horse power ;
one man and a horse are sufficient, with this ma-
chine, to sweep all the streets in a city in a com-
paratively short time.