Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-03

scarce and workmen needy marriages are at discount
This is always shown by the returns
These returns for the quarter which ended June ~ snow
that the marriages within the three months which ended
on that day were more than 400 600 in England alone
having increased from little than $4,000 in the
spring quarter of 1872 increase of fully one-thrd
in eleven years The deaths have also been fewer than
usual.
The Importance of agricultural statistics is beginning
70 be readily aud widely acknowledged, that much
uncertainty exists not only respects foreign produce,
but also in regard to that Of soil We neither
know what we have at home, nor, consequently, how
much we shall want from abroad and if we did know the
latter we should not know where to turn as to find
what we wanted the readest and the cheapest. Mr..
CARpwELL has taken up the subject and experiment
has been made to obtain the necessary information from
q single county, Hampshire. This attempt has, in the
outset alarmed Of the farmers who las ignorant
their aborers imagined that Government wished know
the amount of each mans stock the extent of his
cultivation and the produce of his crops either with the
view of taxing them their productions. Lord Assn
has published letter to the farmers in which he
has endeayoed to prove the utter groundesness of their
fears and to show them that both their pecuniary and
their political interests likely to be promoted by ready
and compliance with the requirements of Gov
eminent.
We have been lately engaged in examining the ancient
records Of small incorporated borough town in the north
of England The penmanshp of these venerable docu-
mens Of nearly every possible description and in most
very difficult to decpher the phraseoogy quaint
and obsolete; the photography arbitrary and curiousy
oaprcious We have had page discover the word
in the barbarous combination sedyvyuge and in the
next to disencumber it from the disguise Of The
simple postulae il has been metamorphosed into gge
and we have discovered hoehodn the cockneysm ouso
The ink spread these antquated papers many
places brilliantly and intensely black although it
had been used in some instances more than three
turtles; and the paper thick and strong parch
ment rough in surface, aud Of yellow tinge Now
perhaps readers will say what is all this to US If
80, reply that the documents in question record the
dongs of the Inhabitants of the good old town of ST. Bo
toph from the year 1886 to the present time and that
st. Botolph under the modern appeation of Bos
ton the goa-moth if not the mother of your spen-
did capital of New England; that from the immediate
neghborhood of St. Botoph several of the most eminent
of the Pilgrim Fathers took their departure for their
Western homes that within and around St. Botolph
pose the remains of the ancestors of many of New Eng
lands renowned early sons; that the ancient dwell
ings of Of them yet matter Of tradition and
of record and that the venerable documents which
we have been pouring record their acts, and give
faint idea of their modes of thinking and feeling Are
we not justified in saying few words about them?
In another point of view also think that the subject
is very interesting We have had before state
ment of the mode in which municipal elections
Quoted in 1855 have just the circumstances at
tending them 1853 Three entire centuries have inter-
vened between them Henry VIII incorporated the town
in 1916 he appointed the first Aldermen and Common
Councillors and gave them the power supply vacancies
they occurred through death any other Thus
the corporation was perpetual and self-e1isng one
and so it continued until the reform Of 1885, which
time the people Of Boston had more to do with the
election of their municipal officers than they had with
that of the Khan of Tartary.
In 1853 about twelve hundred of the inhabitants Of
Boston voted in the choice Of Common Councillors This
body eighteen in number, elect the twelve Aldermen
and the two bodies, in joint ballot, elect the Mayor In
fact the householders of the elect the corpo
ration, with approach to universal suffrage
rs is perhaps practicable We however beg leave
to doubt whether the change has introduced
than enough of venay, corruption, and immortality to
neutralze any good which might arise from the town
having become what is called open corporation. Ger
tanly during the late election beheld drunken
ness brawng and brutal degradation Of humanity than
we ever before witnessed and quite ready believe
what generally AMI openly asserted that than
half of the electors might have been bought for quart
of ale each We indeed led to think that although
the mass Of mankind not born with saddles upon
their backs whereon the other portion might mount anu
ride and govern hem it would have been very nearly
well for the general good Of the world if they had been
so for the Of the Boston electors gave
evidence that they were not fit to guide themselves
So much the municipal elections Of the present day.
and we afraid that the electors Of Boston fair
specimen Of those of the Kingdom at large. We will
say few words about the Parliamentary elections.
From the year 1852 to 1923 the Mayor Aldermen and
Common Councillors Of Boston returned the members
of Parliament for the borough without consulting any Of
the inhabitants Of the town upon the subject The cleo
ton however had frequently limited choice than
this for in several instances the Lord Treasurer Bur-
LEIGH nominated member and the Earl Of LINCOLN
Lord WLLouGHBY the other In 1923 the election was
thrown into the hands Of the eaen they called
Of the borough; but these frecmen few in number
and not influential in position character that one
the corporation Of the patrons Of that body 0cca
sionay however, spirit Of independence infused itself
among the electors and they successfully resisted die
tatcn. In general however, Boston not very much
better than close borough until the reform act of 1884,
Then something approaching to household suffrage was
obtained and the question arises, how has il worked
Alas for the Of progress Too many Of the cleo
tors regard the election saturnaa; too many Of
them unable resist fair words and couptng pro-
misses too many Of them have higher notion Of an
electoral suffrage than that is sort Of privilege or Of
property which they have the right make the most Of
and sell 20 the Disadvantages and consequently Lord
49, and Sir ~ W just influential in the borough
Lord Burlegh and the Earl Of Lincoln in Queen