Borough Bill. Not content with the evidence taken before the committee of the House of Commons on this bill, they insisted, at an enormous expense, on examining the witnesses anew, and as a prognostic what was to be the fate of the bill, they at the outset directed the counsel for the bill, to refer as little as possible to Lord Warwick. They then refused to receive much of the evidence which had been admitted by the Commons, and having thus weakened the case as much as possible, Lord Brougham moved that the second reading take place that day six months; Lord Radnor seconded the motion, which was, of course, joyfully agreed to. The pretence of the Lord Chancellor for this step was, that there was merely strong suspicion of illegal and corrupt practices, but that these practices were not substantiated by evidence. Yet it was most distinctly proved before their Lordships, that a large sum of money was advanced by Lord Warwick for the purposes of the election, that forty-two voters were bribed, L.500 illegally expended on ribbons, cockades, &c., and L.4,464 laid out in treating. On this occasion, the Commons acted with a proper spirit, refusing, by a majority of 67 to 18, to issue a new writ for the borough, so that the Lord Chancellor, with all his address, has not yet saved Warwick from its merited fate. In questions such as this, affecting the purity of the representation of the people, no interference on the part of the House of Lords ought to be permitted. The Lords do not allow the Commons to judge of any matter connected with the constitution of their House, and neither ought the Peers to judge of any matter connected with the constitution of the House of Commons.

It is evident that a collision between the two Houses cannot much longer be avoided. Each seems determined to assert its supremacy. In the County Coroners Bill, th| Lords rejected a clause which prevented the coroner excluding the public from their courts at pleasure. n the bill returning to the Commons they re-inserted the ause; a conference then took place, but as no agreement could be come to, the bill was lost. Seven important bills have in this way been lost this session, by the obstinacy of the Lords,-viz., the Jewish Disabilities Bill, the General Bribery Bill, the Dissenters University Admission Bill, the County Coroners Bill, the Warwick Disfranchisement Bill, the Justice of Peace Bill, and, though last, not least, the Irish Tithe Bill; and all that has been done will have to be gone over again next session.

A very important amendment on the Irish Tithe Bill was made in the Committee on the motion of Mr. O'Connell. The annual value of the Irish tithe was fixed, under Mr. Stanley's Tithe Composition Act, at £646,703. This tithe composition is to be converted into a fixed land tax; and in the new Tithe Bill it was proposed to allow the landholders a bonus of from twenty to forty per cent., provided they took upon themselves the payment of the money by the 1st November next, collecting the same sum from their tenants they paid the tithe owners. If the landholders refused this arrangement, the land tax became compulsory, with a deduction of only fifteen per cent. By Mr. O'Connell's amendment a deduction of two-fifths, or £258,000, was proposed to be made from the tithe composition, the landlords being to pay the remaining threefifths, and all the tenants and occupiers of land to be forthwith freed from the payment of tithe. The amendment being only feebly opposed by Ministers, was carried by a majority of eighty-two to thirty-three. This amendment had so great an effect on the bill, that it led to the rejection of 102 clauses and the insertion of twenty-two others; and was not only important in itself, but also, by recog. nising the principle that Parliament has a right to deal with the revenues of the Church as it thinks proper. In this, as in several other instances, we see the advantage of the removal of Earl Grey from office. The love of his Order made him, in many respects, the opponent of the liberal notions he professed; and reforms may now be`expected to proceed at a quicker rate than they have hitherto done. The Bill was read a third time in the Commons without a division. In the Lords, however, it met with a different fate. The Tories resolved, at all hazards, to gratify their spleen by its rejection. The second reading having been moved by Lord Melbourne, Lord Ellen

borough proposed that the bill be read that day six months. The amendment was supported by the Earl of Winchelsea, the Bishop of Meath, the Earl of Mansfield, the Duke of Wellington, the Bishop of London, and the Earl of Roden. These Peers founded their opposition to the bill almost solely on the amendment introduced by Mr. O'Connell, some of them stating that the bill would have met with their support in its original state. On the division there appeared, for the second reading—

Present, Proxies,

Against the second reading,
Present,
Proxies,

Thus the bill was thrown out by a majority of

51

71

122

85

104

-189

67

It is admitted on all hands that the rejection of this bill will place the Irish clergy in the utmost distress. The collection of tithes is now altogether hopeless, yet the Tories, by their insane proceedings, have taken away the provision that was offered them. A farther grant from Parliament is out of the question. Lord Althorp stated explicitly, that after the positive refusal which had been given by the Lords to a measure which was really for the benefit of the clergy, it was not his intention to propose any assistance, by way of grant, to that body, nor did he believe it to be the wish of the House that he should suggest such a course.

Lord John Russell's Bill for preventing bribery at elections was so much altered in the House of Lords, that his Lordship found himself under the necessity of withdrawing it. Here we have a third instance, in the course of one month, of the manner in which the progress of public business is impeded by their Lordships, and that, too, in a matter with which they should not be allowed to interfere.

Mr. Buckingham's Drunken Committee have given ín their report. It is a tissue of the most extraordinary absurdity that ever was penned. It is seriously pro

posed that the distillation of spirits, and their importation from foreign countries, should be stopped. What a field would this scheme open to the illicit distiller and smuggler! The reading of the report was received with continued bursts of laughter, and the motion that it should be printed was opposed, but ultimately carried by 63 to 31

The horrible flogging of a soldier, named Henderson, in the metropolis, has led to several conversations in Parliament on the subject of military torture. It appears, as might have been anticipated, that the order issued last year, for restraining flogging, has been almost entirely evaded. Not only is flogging in the army practised as forerly, but the flogging of marines has greatly increased. At Portsmouth last year, no fewer than thirty-six men were flogged. Mr. Ellice defended the continuance of the practice, on the ground of the infamous character of our soldiers. He stated that during the last two years, onefifth of the troops on English stations had passed through jails. This was the proportion upon the number of persons serving in the army in England, without including the garrisons in Ireland. To judge of the depravity of the soldiery, we have only to contrast it with that of the population in general. The total number of commitments for crime in England and Wales may be taken at 20,000 annually. The population is 14,000,000, and making every deduction for young children and other persons incapable of committing crimes, one out of every five hundred of the civil population, and one out of every ten of the soldiery, are delinquents. Mr. Ellice stated, that he had advised His Majesty to issue a commission, to inquire into the state of the military codes of this and other countries, and to revise the whole military system of the country.

Much talk has taken place of the reductions made by the present Ministry. It appears however, from a statement by Mr. Goulburn, that Ministers have made 425 new appointments to offices, with various salaries, from L. 100 to L.8000 a year, amounting altogether to L.125,000 annu

ally; of these 105 are legal appointments.-The Western Railway Bill, after passing the Commons, was thrown out in the Peers, on the second reading, by a majority of 47 to 30. On presenting some petitions from Scotland, against church patronage, Lord Brougham stated, with regard to the accommodation in the established churches and chapels, that, out of a population of 940,000, there was only accommodation for 170,000. He thought that the people of Scotland had a good right to a share of the half million recovered from Austria, for the purpose of building new churches. L.60,000 has been voted to remunerate the officers and men who fought at Navarino; Admiral Codrington's share is 1.7880. L.5000 have also been voted to Captain Ross.

L.20,000 have been recommended by the Committee of the House of Commons, to be voted for the purpose of ascertaining the practicability and expense of a communication to India, by the Euphrates. It appears that the East India Company has already expended L.60,000 in inquiring into its practicability by the Red Sea. The Committee on the Inns of Court have completely exculpated Mr. D. W. Harvey of the charges, on the ground of which the Benchers of the Inner Temple refused to call him to the bar. The report concludes with the expression of the confident hope of the Committee, that the Benchers will be induced to give Mr. Harvey the full benefit of the present inquiry. The Committee on the sup pression of the Calcutta Journal in 1823, recommend that compensation should be made to Mr. Buckingham, for the measures of the Government in ordering him to quit India, and suppressing the Journal. That paper was at the time yielding from L.6000 to L.8000 a-year; and Mr. Buckingham estimates his loss at about L.50,000, A bill has been laid on the table by Lord Brougham for improving the mode of hearing and deciding appeals. The object appears to be to have the cases heard before persons acquainted with the law, and not, as at present often happens, before bishops and soldiers.

ENGLAND.

PUBLIC DINNER.-A large party of the electors of Finsbury dined together on the 31st July, to celebrate the return of Mr. Thomas Duncombe. Mr. Duncombe, in returning thanks on his health being given, said he hoped there would be no more trifling with the people, in order to conciliate the House of Lords. He would tell the present Administration that if something were not soon done, they would be in a much worse situation than that which preceded them, and would be loaded with the contempt and indignation of the people of England. Let them go forward with liberal measures, without reference to that place, which, in Parliamentary language, is called "elsewhere," and in more whimsical language is called the "Upper House." Mr. O'Connell, on rising, was received with enthusiastic cheering. He said it was robbery to force any man to pay direct taxes, who had not a representative in Parliament; and the elections of the representatives for seven years, was little better than an election for life. The people never could be sure of their liberties, till there was a reform in the House of Lords, The hereditary legislative body ought to be done away with. Both Houses ought to be the representatives of the people. Two Houses elected by the people were necessary to give fixity to the liberties of the people. The time was now come when this might be said. The people had already turned James II. out without bloodshed, and they had turned the Tories (after accumulating a debt of L.800,000,000) out in the same quiet manner. Let them go on in the same good path, and tell the Lords, that the spirit and constitution of the times will no longer permit them to continue their dominion. With regard to the Ministers, he firmly believed the present Administration intended well by the public. They had allowed the House of Commons to strike out 8s. in the pound on Irish tithes. Did the people of England understand what that meant? Why should not 8s. be as good in the pockets of the people of England, as in the pockets of Paddy, Let them go on. The King yielded to the voice of the people before, and why should he not do so again?

ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.-Breakfasts, dinners, and other meetings, took place in all parts of the country, on on the 1st August, to celebrate the abolition of Slavery-the Bill to effect which, came into operation on that day.

ELECTIONS.-Sir John Hobhouse has been returned for Nottingham by a great majority over his Radical opponent, Mr. Eagle. The numbers at the close of the poll were 1591 to 566. Sir Edward Barnes has been returned for Sudbury; but the election is doubtful; he, as well as the other candidate, Mr. Bagshaw, having an equal number of votes. By the death of Earl Bathurst, and the consequent elevation of Lord Apsley to the Peer age, a vacancy in the burgh of Circencester has occurred. Lord Edward Somerset has canvassed the electors; and as the burgh is still a close one, and he has the patronage of the patron, he will probably be returned. Lord Eus ton will probably be elected for Thetford, in the place of Lord James Fitzroy, The election for the Eastern Division of Gloucestershire terminated in the return of Mr. Codrington; the numbers being, for Codrington 2,770, for Tracy Leigh 2709. The successful candidate is a Tory, the defeated a Whig, Mr. Leigh's party had a meeting after the election, in which the necessity of the Ballot was strenuously insisted on. The report that Colonel Torgens was going out to the colony of Australia, as Governor, has been contradicted. There is, of course, no vacancy for Bolton, as stated in last Register.

FLOGGING. Several meetings have been held in London to petition Parliament against this inhuman practice. EAST INDIA COMPANY, At a meeting of proprietors of East India Stock, the following scale of compensation to the maritime officers of the Company, was voted by a jority of fifty-two to twenty-six :-That such comman ds and officers as had been ten years in the Company's service, reckoning from the time they first entered to the termination of their last voyage, should receive L,250 a. year; chief mate L.160; second mate L.140; surgeon L.140; third mate L.100; purser L.100; fourth mate L.70; assistant surgeon L.70; fifth and sixth mate 1.50; midshipmen L.30; boatswain and gunner L.25 per year. Widows to have half of their husband's pensions during their widowhood; children the usual provision. Officers who have served less than ten years to get gratuities. A Ballot has been demanded.

COURT OF CHANCERY.-Sir John Campbell stated, in his place in Parliament, that no arrears exist in the Court of Chancery; a circumstance which had not occurred since the days of Sir Thomas More. Business had increased considerably of late years, and he showed from returns, that it was greater since the present Chancellor had been appointed, than when Lord Eldon presided in that Court.

SPIRIT DEALERS' LICENCES.-The following are the increased rates of duty upon Publicans' Licenses :-That there be levied upon every excise license to be taken out by any retailer of spirits in Great Britain and Ireland, the additional annual duties following:-If the dwelling house in which the retailer shall reside, or retail such spirits, shall not be rented or valued at a rent of L.10 per annum, or upwards, an additional duty of L.1, 1s.; if at L.10 or upwards, and under 1.20, L.2, 2s.; if at L.20 or upwards, and under L.25, L.3, 3s.; if at L.25 or upwards, and under L.30, L.3, 13s. 6d. ; if at L.30 or upwards, and under L.40, L.4, 4s.: if at L.40 or upwards, and under L.50, 1.4, 14s. 6d. ; if at L.50 and upwards, L.5, 5s.

BANK OF ENGLAND.-An account of the liabilities and assets from 6th May to 29th July, inclusive :Liabilities. Assets. Circulation, L. 19,110,000 Deposits, 15,675,000

L.34,785,000

Securities, L.28,502,000 Bullion, 8,598,000

L.37,100,000

The return should have come up to the 5th August, but it is supposed to have been closed at 29th July, in order to conceal the recent diminishing of the bullien by the large exports to the United States.

DECREASE OF POOR-RATE-A detailed account of the poor-rates in England and Wales, for the year ending March 25, 1833, has been printed, from which it ap

pears that the whole amount levied was L.8,739,881, of which L.6,790,799 was expended for the relief of the poor, L.254,412 in suits of law, and L.1,694,669 for other purposes. The diminution, as compared with the year before, is four per cent.

IRELAND.

TITHES. Now that the Tories have, by their rejection of the Tithe Bill, compelled the Irish Clergy to starve, unless they can collect their tithes, it is interesting to observe how the recent attempts in tithe-collecting have succeeded. The Rev. Mr. Whitty having refused the Government aid in money, has been furnished with a captain and company of the 90th regiment of foot, a detachment of the 9th lancers, and forty of the constabulary force, in addition to his drivers. This body is stationed at Baltinglass, which is in a low situation. To watch its movements, sentinels from the recusant tithe payers are stationed on the surrounding hills. Whenever the troops are drawn up in marching order, a woman comes out of one of the neighbouring houses, as if with clothes to bleach. The moment she spreads out a white table cloth, a person on the top of a hill lights a faggot of furze, every human being in the parish is out, and long before the troops can reach the scene of action every four-footed animal is driven out of sight. These proceedings have been going on for some weeks, and the scene of them is not in a remote district, but in the county of Wicklow, adjoining the metropolis.

IRISH COMMISSION.-The Commissioners are actively engaged in obtaining returns of the different religious parties in Ireland, and several parishes are already completed. It is expected the report will be finished early next spring.

SCOTLAND.

CALEDONIAN CANAL.-The tonnage rates, in the year ending May, 1833, yielded L.1,970; the expense for attendance and and repairs, L.3,706. For the year ending May, 1834, the rates were L.2 077; the expence, L.3,803. The income of the Crinan Canal, in 1832, was L.1,766, -in 1833, L,2,049. In the former year the number of passengers was 9,594,—in 1833, 12,777.

CALICO-PRINTERS.-The turn-out calico-printers, after a struggle with their masters for about nine months, have been forced to yield. Since the strike, the operative printers have paid to those standing out upwards of L. 13,000.

SIR D. SANDFORD. It gives us much pleasure to learn that the worthy Knight has already become tired of his Parliamentary duties, and is expected to resign his seat for Paisley. His speech on the Jewish Disabilities Bill has sunk him irretrievably as a legislator,—and the sooner he returns to his duties as Greek Professor at Glasgow, the better for himself, as well as for his constituents.

BANK FAILURE.-The failure of Messrs. Kinnear, Smith, & Co., Bankers, Royal Exchange, Edinburgh, caused a considerable run on one or two of the other private banks. Their debts are said to amount to L.350,000, and their assets to L.280,000. At the second meeting of their creditors, under the sequestration, the Interim Factor stated that it appeared, from the investigation he had made into their affairs, that a dividend of 10s. or 11s. a-pound might be expected.

MALT. The malt made in the year ending 5th April, 1834, was-England, 4,257,000 quarters; Scotland, 551,000; Ireland, 256,000. The duty paid on the whole was L.5,197,000. In Scotland, the consumption of bear or bigg has increased during the last ten years from 40,000 to 110,000 quarters annually. It now constitutes one-fifth of the grain malted. In Ireland none was used before 1831, and it now forms also about one-fifth of the grain malted. The malt duty on barley is 20s. 8d.,-on bigg, 16s.

PAPER. The quantities made and duties paid in the three kingdoms, in 1833, were

England,

Scotland,

Ireland,

lbs. 1st Class.

42,735,000

7,307,000 1,888,000

lbs. 2d Class. 14,198,000

1,770,000

508,000

Duty. L.622,933

102,536 26,785

THE CONTINENT.

Marshal Soult has retired from the Presidency of the French Council and the office of War Minister, and has been succeeded by Marshal Gerard. Gerard is considered a man of much more liberal opinions than Soult, and his selection is regarded as an intimation of a change of policy to some extent, on the part of Louis Philippe. Count Drouet D'Erlon has been appointed to the Governorship of Algiers. This appointment has given satisfaction, as the new Governor was an able and successful officer un, der Napoleon. The three days of July went off quietly, There was not so much enthusiasm displayed as on for mer occasions; Louis Philippe was but coldly received, The session of the French Chambers was opened on the 31st July with a speech from the throne, which contained nothing remarkable. The tone was on the whole pacific, The address from the Peers in reply to the speech was carried by 81 to 9. The address from the Chamber of Deputies occasioned much discussion, as that proposed was very disagreeable to Ministers. The draft was under discussion a whole week, but, ultimately, the Ministers allowed every paragraph to stand without alteration, The address was drawn up by Dupin, and was voted by a majority of 256 to 39. The tone of the address is liberal. It indicates the necessity of giving new develop ments to trade, and insists upon Ministers bringing the expenses of government within the sums voted by the Chambers, and maintaining the equilibrium between the public receipts and expenses.

There is no longer any doubt that Don Carlos is in the North of Spain. His troops, however, are closely pressed by Rodil, the Queen's General, and though the accounts are contradictory, there seems little doubt that the Carlists have met with a series of defeats. The mountainous nature of the country will, however, prevent the Constitutional General speedily putting an end to the war, Don Carlos appears to keep himself out of all danger in the neighbourhood of the French frontier, so that there is little chance of his being taken, whatever may be the fate of his enterprise. The French Government have taken care that no arms or ammunition shall be sent from France into Spain by the Pyrenees, and the coast is watched by British and French cruisers to prevent supplies reaching the insurgents by sea. The Cortes was opened on the 24th July by a speech from the Queen Regent. Her Majesty refers with great satisfaction to her alliance with England, France, and Portugal, the tried fidelity of the army and the loyalty of the great body of the people. The finances are admitted not to be in a satisfactory state, but strict economy is promised, and also an arrangement of the national debt on as favour able terms as the resources of the country will permit. The terms of the arrangment as proposed by the Spanish Ministry are, that 50 per cent. of the capital stock is tø be converted into a 5 per cent. stock, which is to bear interest immediately, and the 50 per cent. of remaining capital, and 55 per cent. of overdue dividends into a deferred stock, which is to bear interest in proportion, as a sinking fund of per cent. to be forthwith established, shall operate upon the redemption of that part of the active debt, upon which interest will become immediately payable. The amount of such debt, which shall be annually cancelled, to be replaced by an equal amount of deterred stock, upon which the interest is then immediately to commence. The effect of the promulgation of this scheme has been to cause a considerable fall in Spanish stock. A conspiracy was detected at Madrid, on the night of the 24th July, the object of which was to procure a recognition of the democratic constitution of 1812, and the choice of another Regent. Old General Palafox, Romuero D'Alpuente, and General Van Halen, were the chief persons implicated. Numerous arrests have taken place at Madrid. The cholera has broken out there with some severity. The populace, imagining that it arose from the monks poisoning the wells, attacked several convents, sacked them, and murdered upwards of twenty of the monks. The address of the Spanish Proceres, or Feers, to the speech from the throne, was carried unanimously. That prepared by the committee of Procuradores or Commons, was too liberal to be

it, but were defeated by forty-nine to thirty-five. On going over the address, paragraph by paragraph, the Ministers, were successful in a division on the paragraph in which the right of the Spaniards to enjoy an unlimited freedom of the press is maintained. The Ministers tried to get the paragraph suppressed altogether, but were only able to get it sent back to the committee.

Don Miguel has, with characteristic perfidy, issued a formal protest from Genoa, against his renunciation of the Crown of Portugal. Don Pedro is busy in financial matters. He also intends to make many improvements on the roads, and to cut some canals; English capital, to the extent of a million and a half sterling, is to be advanced for these purposes, under certain conditions. It now appears that the Spanish and Portuguese Governments had resolved not to allow Don Carlos to leave Portugal, without taking security for his good behaviour, but Lord Howard de Walden, our Tory ambassador, insisted on his immediate embarkation.

The King and Queen of Belgium are making a progress through their dominions, and are everywhere well received. Some changes have taken place in the Ministry, who seem to have great difficulty in keeping their ascendency in the Chambers. A new corn law has been passed, considerably increasing the duties on the importation of foreign grain. Hence, we conclude, that in the Netherlands agricultural distress is not unknown, any more than among ourselves.

The financial difficulties of Holland, arising from the great armament she has for some years kept on foot, has compelled the King to give an unlimited furlough to all the officers, sub-officers, and privates of the militia. The staffs and certain officers are to be retained on half-pay, and thus skeletons of regiments will be ready to be filled up in case of emergency. It is reported that the negotiations at Biberich have come to a successful conclusion, so that, in all probability, the Belgian question will be settled without more fighting.

UNITED STATES.

SERIOUS riots took place at New York on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of July, arising from an excitement occasioned by the efforts of the Anti-slavery Society to procure the emancipation of the negroes, in the slave-holding states. The interior of four churches and chapels, where anti-slavery doctrines were preached, were destroyed, and the windows of many individuals broken. The President has been very successful in procuring supplies of dollars and gold for the State Banks which he patronises. Much of the gold has been sent from this country, and the coffers of the Bank of England have thereby been considerably drained.

TRADE, MANUFACTURES, AND COMMERCE.

THE accounts from the manufacturing districts continue upon the whole favourable. In Lancashire cotton-spinning is brisk. Spinners earn on an average 22s. a-week. The cotton hand-loom weavers are fully employed, but their wages are extremely low, not more on an average than from 6s. to 7s. a-week. Power-loom weavers make 10s. to 12s. Silk weaving and dyeing in the neighbourhood of Manchester are brisk, and all hands are fully employed. No alteration in the wages has taken place for 18 months. The fancy or figure weavers earn from 14s. to 16s. per week, while the weavers of plain sarcenets do not earn more than 10s. or 12s. The lace trade at Nottingham is much depressed; 700 hands are now out of employment. The woollen trade is rather dull. The stock of goods is very low, the manufacturers fearing, at the present high prices for wool, to renew their stocks. Prices of wool still keep up. the Thetford great wool market, the prices given were fully 25 per cent. above last year's clip. The demand for flannels is brisk, and prices are advancing. At Paisley the depression which existed for some months has disapappeared, and many orders have recently been received.

At

A patent has been obtained for the United States for a process for dyeing by the prussiate of potash, instead of

and more beautiful colours than the indigo, and the dyeing is 70 per cent. cheaper. All colours can be produced by this substance, which can be dyed with indigo. IRON TRADE.-The competition has been so great that a considerable fall has recently taken place. There is, however, no great fall off in the demand.

not

It thus appears that on the average of the last six years, e average quantity of grain of all kinds imported, is about one million and a half of quarters. The average importation from Ireland is now about double that quantity, and we may therefore conclude, that if it been for Iris grain, the price would have risen greatly. Yet low as the farmer feels prices to be, when compared with the exorbitant rents exacted from him, they are still much higher than in the Continental markets. average price of wheat of the first quality at Hamburgh, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Stettin, is 27s. 8d. a quarter, and the mean price of wheat of the first quality in London being 55s., it follows that the average price in London is more than double that of the Continent. The present duty on the importation of foreign wheat is 38s. 8d., which of course operates as a prohibition.

The

The crops of all kinds have been greatly benefited by the rains in July, and although they will not amount to an average crop in bulk, they will in quantity. The quality of all sorts of grain is likely to be excellent. The wheat never promised better. The ears are uncommonly well filled, and it is difficult to detect a deficient pickle. General harvest begun on Tweedside, about Coldstream on the 4th, and about a week later in East Lothian. There was a great scarcity of shearers, few Irish having come over, and none of the Highlanders having arrived. In the week commencing on the 11th August, wages at Linton were 2s. 6d. a-day and food. Oats have shot out greatly since the rains. Turnips never looked more thriving, and a great breadth has been sown with them. The potato crop is so luxuriant, that the blanks occasioned by the failure of the seed are scarcely to be observed, and as the quantity planted is greater than usual, there need be no apprehension of a scarcity of this valuable root. Hay has turned out a deficient crop, but the aftermaths are looking most luxuriant. Grain markets continue slowly to decline, and no rise can now be expected. Cattle markets are rather dull. This was the case at the first Falkirk Tryst. At Lanark Lamb Fair, about 16,000 appeared, which were so quickly sold, that many were driven off before the others arrived; 5000 were sold before reaching the market place. Prices rose from L.9 to L.13 a score. At Greenlaw lamb fair few were shown, but all that appeared were bought, Cheviot at 10s. a head, halfbred grey-faced, 13s. 9d., half-bred, 16s.

JOHN JOHNSTONE, Printer 19, St. James's Square.

It has

The

THE character of George Fox-the Founder of the Society of Friends-and the principles he promulgated, are more deserving of particular notice and serious inquiry, than the world has ever given them credit for. They are especially worthy of them at the present moment. been the custom to regard Fox as a well-enoughmeaning sort of person, but at the same time an incorrigible fanatic, a man of wild and ultra notions, of singular dress and manners; in short, a fit subject of ridicule-and little more. Society that he founded has been looked upon pretty much in the same light. It has been seen to consist of persons very peculiarly old-fashioned in their dress, precise in their demeanour, reserved in their habits, devoted to trade, not devoted to public amusements, fond of the singular number in their language, but of the plural in their accounts; accumulating money, and loath to spend it upon parsons; having an equal horror of fashions, fiddles, and fencing masters; hating tithes, church-rates, and war-taxes; having a shrewd, dry mode of expression and of dealing; prone to ask sly questions, but difficult to drive into a direct answer-yet, withal, discovering many traits of benevolence; strongly addicted to prison discipline, Friendly and Dorcasian Societies, and making determined war on Negro Slavery. This is as they have appeared to the eye of the world, and George Fox has had the credit of it. People have concluded that he was just such a man himself, and impressed these strong and peculiar features indelibly upon them. Few have cared to inquire further; to learn

VOL. I.NO. 1X.

whether these obvious peculiarities were all that constituted them a Society,-whether they had not some principles, religious, moral, and civil, of greater intrinsic value.

Now, I do not mean to assert that George Fox was free from the fanaticism of his age, or the eccentricities of a sanguine temperament, acted upon by the thousand excitements of one of the most stirring and remarkable periods of English history;-far from it—he had his share of them: but these did not constitute his real character,they merely marked it. If we regard him only as a man riding on a white horse, and dressed in a suit of leather; if we fix our attention only on the facts of his having commanded a man at York to stretch forth a withered arm, and supposing that he had actually restored it; if we hear him declaring that a knowledge was given him of the medical qualities of all physical substances, and that he could cure all diseases, but did not feel himself called to it; or see him running with bare feet through the city of Lichfield, crying" Wo to the bloody city of Lichfield !" and afterwards, when the wo did not arrive, wondering for what cause he should have been thus sent, and why the wo was denounced, and turning to the history of the place, and finding, as he might have found in others, that some Christians had once been slain there :-if, I say, we regard him only under these aspects, then he will appear ludicrous and fanatical enough. But these were not the bulk of his actions, nor illustrative of the main features of his mind. They were merely the spots on the sun, the foils

2 S