commendations of the report are carried into effect, will be altogether removed.

DESTRUCTON OF THE HOUSES OF LORDS & COMMONS. Between the hours of six and seven on the evening of the 16th October, a fire burst out from one of the apartments connected with the House of Lords, burning with fearful rapidity. Notwithstanding every effort to arrest the progress of the flames, the Houses of Lords and Commons were soon overwhelmed. It appears from an official statement issued from the Office of Woods and Forests, that the House of Peers, Robing rooms, Committee rooms in the west front, and the rooms of the resident officers, as far as the Octagon Tower at the south end of the building, the Painted Chamber, and the north end of the Royal Gallery abutting on the Painted Chamber, are totally destroyed. The Library and adjoining rooms, as well as the Parliament offices, and the offices of the Lord Great Chamberlain, together with the Committee rooms, housekeeper's apartments, &c., are saved. The House of Commons, Libraries, Committee rooms except four, housekeeper's apartments, and the official residence of Mr. Ley the clerk of the House, are totally destroyed. The furniture, fixtures, and fittings to both the House of Lords and Commons, with that of the Committee rooms, are, with few exceptions, destroyed, as well as the public furniture at the Speaker's. By great exertions the flames were prevented reaching Westminster Hall, but the buildings for the Courts of Law sustained some damage. The cause of the fire has not been ascertained: but the most probable opinion is, that it originated in the flues used for warming the House of Lords.

MILITARY OUTRAGES.-Outrages by the military on the people, are yearly becoming more frequent. At Chatham races, a dispute having taken place between some soldiers and the people, the non-commissioned officers and privates of the 88th regiment, advanced in complete battle array to the booths, where the people were enjoying themselves after the races. The soldiers were armed with bayonets, and plunged them indiscriminately into every person within their reach, thereby wounding about thirty persons. Next day a body of sailors and other persons, armed with bludgeons, having paraded the town, they were attacked by the soldiers, who sallied out of the barracks with their arms in their hands, and made a general attack; the sergeants and corporals urging on the men, by saying, "Now give it them, my boys." Several sailors were severely wounded, and five of them were conveyed to the Naval Hospital, bleeding profusely. Several other attacks by soldiers on civilians, have, in the course of the month, been made; yet the soldiers are still permitted to carry side arms when off duty.

IRELAND.

THE long announced meeting of the Irish Orange Tory party took place in Dublin on the 14th August. The avowed object of the meeting was to take measures for the preservation of the Protestant religion in the present posture of affairs. The Lord Mayor of Dublin was in the chair, and about 3,000 persons were admitted by tickets: the galleries were well filled with ladies. After seven hours talk, a series of commonplace resolutions were passed, consisting of votes of thanks to the King, the Bishops, and Lord Winchelsea; a declaration that Protestants should die in defence of their religion, that Protestant clergymen would never become pensioners of state, &c.

Next day a grand dinner was given to the Earl of Winchelsea, who had come from England to attend the meeting. The Duke of Cumberland's health was proposed, with a high culogium on his Protestantism, and was drunk with nine times nine, and uproarious applause.

A meeting of the Orangemen of Cavan took place on the 22d September. Great expectations were entertained by the Tories, of the importance of this meeting. In a letter addressed by the Rev. Marcus Beresford, to the Orangemen of the county, he says he expected 20,000 to 30,000 Orangemen would assemble, and that it was intended to take such steps for the preservation of property, religion, and life, as might seem best.

TITHES. The clergy of the diocese of Armagh held a private meeting on the 12th of September, the proceed, ings of which were carefully concealed. It has, however, transpired, that resolutions were entered into, pledging the meeting to devote five per cent. of their clerical income towards forming a fund to defray the legal expenses of recovering their tithe under Mr. Stanley's act. The Archbishop of Armagh was in the chair. Committees were appointed to collect, and communicate information as to the means of payment possessed by the recusants, their religious faith, numbers, &c., and the proportion of property in the holding of the different sects,

Mr. O'Connell has been received every where in Ireland with the utmost enthusiasm. He has declared himself willing to support the present Ministry. Among other projects in contemplation, is the establishment of an extensive banking establishment, the Bank of Ireland being charged with favouring political partisans, in its discounts. Mr. O'Connell has recommended the formation of Liberal Clubs to oppose the manœuvres of the Orange. men; and some clubs have already been formed.

SCOTLAND.

A GRAND dinner was given at Edinburgh to Earl Grey, on the 15th September. No room in the city being large enough to contain the company, a hall 100 feet square was erected for the occasion, in the High School Yards, on the Calton Hill. The building was of wood, covered internally with canvass and painted. The great gas chan delier of the Theatre Royal was suspended from the centre of the roof, and there were other chandeliers near the corners. At the east end there was a gallery for ladies, and accommodation provided for instrumental perfor mers. 1800 persons dined in the hall, and three or four hundred in the High School, who were admitted into the hall after dinner. A good deal of confusion necessarily took place. The Earl of Rosebery was in the chair,— the Duke of Hamilton, who had agreed to preside, being indisposed. Besides Earl Grey, there were present the Lord Chancellor, Lord Durham, Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Mr. Edward Ellice, a great number of the Scottish nobis lity, and gentlemen from all parts of Scotland. There were also several distinguished foreigners, who had come to attend the scientific meeting which was held the preceeding week. Edinburgh was more crowded with strangers than it has been since the King's visit in 1822. A procession of the trades, consisting of many thousand persons, met the Earl at Newington,-and their numerous flags, banners, and devices added much to the gaiety of

the scene.

The annual meeting of the British Association took place this year at Edinburgh. The first meeting was held on the 8th of September. Sir Thomas Brisbane was the president. The meeting continued during the week, and the sitting of the Association was terminated by an address from the Lord Chancellor. There were several foreigners of distinction present.

Sir Daniel K. Sandford has resigned his seat for Paisley, on the plea of ill health. Mr. Crawford and Mr. Douglas, the former candidates, are expected again to stand.

Lord Brougham has made a tour through great part of Scotland. He proceeded by Hamilton, Glasgow, &c., to Dunrobin, the seat of the Duke of Sutherland, and returned by the east coast. On returning thanks at Inverness, when the freedom of the town was conferred on him, he defended the charge so generally made against Ministers, for not proceeding in the reformation of abuses with sufficient rapidity. He said his own opinion was, that they had done too much, instead of too little; and, if they had done little last session, he feared they would do less in the next. These sentiments have occasioned some surprise among the Liberals.

MR. AYTOUN.-The working classes of Edinburgh have presented Mr. Aytoun with a handsome piece of plate, as a testimonial of their gratitude for his services.

LORD DURHAM.-The grand dinner to Lord Durham on the 29th October, at Glasgow, will have taken place before this number of our Magazine is in the hands of our readers. As in the case of the dinner to Earl Grey at Edinburgh, the Glasgow people have been obliged

to erect a building for the purpose. It is calculated to dine 1400 persons, and the galleries will accommodate 300 more. There is no doubt that every part of the room will be crowded. It is difficult to say whether this manifestation of the growth of Radicalism has given more annoyance to the Whigs or Tories. The chief Scotch ministerial tool does not yet seem to have made up its mind what to say about it. In each succeeding paper we observe different views taken, but on the whole it is evident that the dinner is anything but palatable to Scotch Whiggery. The reception which Lord Durham met with at Dundee, and the speeches there delivered when the freedom of the burgh was conferred on him, are not at all agreeable to the ministerialists; and we suspect the proceedings at Glasgow on the 29th will prove that in Scotland, at least, the do-as-little-as-possible system is any thing but popular among the electors.

SIR D. SANDFORD.-There has been some talk of getting up a dinner at Paisley, to Sir D. Sandford, on his retirement from his Parliamentary duties. It would be well for the promoters of such a measure to go over the worthy knight's Parliamentary conduct, before proceeding farther.

SIR GEORGE MURRAY.-As a kind of set-off against the Edinburgh and Glasgow Dinners, the Perthshire Tories got up a dinner to Sir George Murray at Perth on the 17th October. According to the Tory accounts, nearly 700 sat down to dinner, and 120 could not be admitted. Lord Stormont, who appears to have been the only Lord present, was in the chair. Sir George's attempt to explain some parts of his Parliamentary conduct, particularly his vote against the Dissenters, was exceedingly lame; though all his explanations were of course most cor. dially received by the Tory Perthshire lairds, and their tenants who were driven up to the dinner; many of them having no doubt hanging over their heads a heavy arrear in their landlord's rent roll.

ADMIRAL FLEMING.—An elegant dinner was given to Admiral Fleming at Cumbernauld, on the 30th September, on the occasion of his departure from Scotland to attend his duties in Parliament, and take the command of the fleet as Commander-in-Chief at the Nore. Dunlop of Clober was in the chair. About 150 gentlemen sat down to dinner. Politics were strictly excluded.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

Mr.

By accounts from the West Indies to the 5th of August, it appears that at St. Kitt's the negroes had refused to work, and at Trinidad, Granada, and Montsurat, a refractory spirit was also shewn. At St. Lucia, Tortola,

Nevis, Dominica, St. Vincents, Barbadoes, Antigua, and Bermuda, all was quiet, and the negroes worked in general as usual. The later accounts also continue favourable.

THE CONTINENT.-The French Chambers were prorogued on the 17th of August, to the 29th of December. The speech of Louis Philippe was very pacific. Much satisfaction has been given in France, by the acquittal of Armand Carrel, the independent and able editor of the National. He was tried for making a direct attack on the King, in commenting on the royal speech, delivered at the opening of the Chambers. M. Carrel subsequently resigned the Editorship; but his successor, M. Rouen, had hardly begun his labours, when he was found guilty of publishing an article tending to overthrow the existing government. He was fined 1.240, and imprisoned six months. This is the 450th prosecution of the press by Louis Philippe. A Turkish ambassador, accredited to France and England, arrived some time ago in Paris, and has since reached London. The object of his mission has not transpired.

The intelligence regarding the civil war in Spain, continues vague and contradicrory. It appears, however, that the Queen's party have the ascendency.

- Rodil has been deprived of the command of th Queen's troops, and Mina appointed in his place; but his indifferent state of health, prevents Mina prosecuting the war with activity. The Spanish finances are in a most disorganized state. According to the budget laid before the Procuradores, the probable excess of the expenditure_over

the revenue, will exceed considerably half-a-million. The Chambers have authorized a loan of four millions; but, though the terms offered are L.100, five per cent stock, for L.60 cash, no capitalists have offered for it.

The Spanish Proceres have resolved that Don Carlos, and all his line, are excluded from their rights to the succession of the throne of Spain. This resolution was adopted by all the Peers, except one, who declined voting, and unanimously by the Lower House. The members of the Cortes are proceeding with their labours with great zeal, and a majority of them are evidently imbued with liberal and independent sentiments.

Don Pedro was elected Regent of Portugal in the Chamber of Peers, by a majority of 9 to 4. He immediately created twenty-four new peers, so that the refractory portion of the legislature is now completely overwhelmed. After an illness of short duration, he died at the palace of Quelaz on the 24th September. The Queen, though only fifteen, has been declared of full age, and has assumed the reins of Government.

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.

The Cloth Trade at Leeds has of late become very brisk. Strong cloths for the winter are in great demand, and prices are consequently improving. At Bradford there has of late been little demand for wool, the spinners being reluctant to give the prices asked by the staplers. At Bristol Wool Fair the holders of wools seemed resolved to resist any further reduction of price, and the general opinion was, that the price will remain firm till the prospects of next clip are ascertained. Many of the fancy silk weavers at Manchester and the neighbourhood are idle; but the weavers of plain sarcenets and black silk handkerchiefs are fully employed. Powerloom weaving is tolerably brisk, but the hand-loom weaving of cottons is rapidly sinking into disuse. Many new cotton mills have lately been erected in the neighbourhood of Rochdale. The hatting trade at Oldham is very slack; finishers having not more than half work. At Paisley, trade, which has long been in a languishing state, shows symptoms of revival. The Iron trade still continues in a state of depression.

AGRICULTURE.

SEPTEMBER. The harvest not only in England but in Scotland is finished, and the crops secured in the stackyards. In East Lothian, winter wheat is superior in produce and quality to last year's crop. Spring-sown is much better in quality, and from the great extent to which both were cultivated, the total quantity will be greater. Barley will not reach an average as to produce, and is of inferior quality, especially most of the early sown, which in several instances is hardly equal to the grey of last year. The Chevalier variety, however, of which there is a good deal, is more productive, and of fine quality, being well filled and bright in the colour. Oats are an abundant crop, and yield at the mill as much as usual. In the Carse of Gowrie, wheat is a fair crop. Barley is much under an average in point of quantity and quality. Oats may be estimated as a fair crop all over the country. Beans do not reach a full average. The accounts from Ireland of the crop are unfavourable. The quality of wheat and oats is bad, and the former grain is also short in quantity.

At Falkirk Tryst, on the 13th October, upwards of 60,000 sheep appeared, principally black-faced. Ewes of all kinds were in great request, and sold from 10 to 15 per cent. higher than at last Tryst. There was little, if any, advance in wedders. Next day a very large supply of black cattle was exhibited. Small horned cattle from Lewis and Harris experienced a slight advance, as compared with the prices at the September Tryst, but large horned and low country animals met with a dull sale. Fat beasts for the butcher were plentiful, and sold about 6d. per Dutch stone cheaper than at last market.

At the great annual fair of Ballinasloe in Ireland on the 11th October, the number of sheep sold was 20,026, being only about one-fourth of the stock exhibited at that fair ten or twelve years ago. The prices were lower than at last year's fair. In some instances the fall was considerable.

John Johnstone, Printer, 19, St. James's Square.

THIS Report is a three-fold curiosity. It is curious as a piece of statistics; as an exposition of the wide differences of opinion among professional men upon the administration of justice in Scotland; and, above all, as a history of the dexterous manner in which jobs are managed by the machinery of a Parliamentary Committee. As we have no doubt whatever that the parties interested will have their claim made good by the Reform Parliament, we feel the less scrupulous in examining its nature. Before proceeding in this investigation, let us expressly and cordially concur in the first resolution embodied in the Report of the Committee, namely, "That it is essential, on the most cogent grounds both of justice and expediency, that the income of high judicial functionaries should be fixed at such an amount as may secure men of eminent talent to occupy seats on the bench while their faculties are in full vigour, and also to enable the Judges to maintain the dignity of their office without any compromise of their independence." But the remaining resolutions, which shew that for these necessary and legitimate purposes the two chief Judges should have a salary, the one of £5300, and the other of £5000 a-year, and I each of the other eleven Judges £3000 a-year, with the present allowance for expenses incurred upon the circuit, we entirely repudiate; denying all necessary connection between the important objects to be secured and the exorbitant salaries recommended, and holding the present attempt peculiarly injudicious and ill-timed. At a period when there is a very general and increasing demand for important changes in the administration of justice in Scotland-when open discontent and distrust is expressed with the course of proceedings in the Supreme Civil

VOL. I.NO. XI.

Court-when its business is decreasing, and the appeals from its decisions are increasing—and when rents of land and of houses are falling, rate of insurance and of interest lessening, profes. sional incomes diminishing, the prices of all the necessaries, luxuries, and elegancies of life already fallen to a great extent, and still declining—at such a period, come forth the friends of the Scotch Judges with the modest demand of an increase of their salaries, to the amount of a full third in one class, and of a fourth in another. Let us look more closely to the case.

Up to 1799, a period of scarcity and great dearth in this country, the salary of a common Judge in the Court of Session was £1000 a-year. It was then raised to £1200. But, if we may believe contemporary accounts, besides the peculiar exigencies of the period from bad seasons, luxury and expense had made rapid progress in Edinburgh immediately previous to this time. Lord Jeffrey and Mr George Sinclair speak before the Honourable Committee, with the requisite information and becoming gravity on the great change of manners and style of living which has taken place in the society of Edinburgh since 1810; but we apprehend that the change from 1770 to 1783, and on to 1799, upon which the late Provost Creech descants, was yet more rapid and wonderful, and infinitely more conclusive of the necessity for a large augmentation of the salaries of the judicial functionaries. It is undeniable, that while for the last twenty years we have been advancing in luxury and refinement, all the means of luxurious and highly accommodated life have been becoming of more easy acquirement. House-rent has fallen a full third on the gross rental of the city, and more in proportion on the expensive houses occupied by

3 D

persons in the station of the Judges, such as those in Charlotte Square. In Moray Place, and that fashionable vicinity, depression cannot be so apparent, as those splendid dwellings were arrested midway, and never realized the expectations of the builders. They have not nominally fallen so much as the other houses, because they never rose; but we shall afterwards have an opportunity of estimating the different items of expenditure of a family in the rank of those of the Judges, with reference to former periods and to the present.

At the time specified, of which we have so minute an account from Provost Creech, expense was augmenting largely every year, as well as luxury. In twenty years the gross rent of the town had doubled; in thirty trebled itself. By 1783, the people of fashion had mostly removed to splendid houses in the New Town. The influx of wealth from the colonies was prodigious. Triple the number of merchants and physicians kept their own carriages that had done so formerly. Several Presbyterian ministers in Edinburgh, and professors in the University, kept their own carriages. New theatres and assembly rooms had been built. Almost every genteel family kept a man-servant, whose wages were from £10 to £20 a-year. People of fashion began to dine at four and five o'clock, instead of the antique hour of two; and every tradesman, in decent circumstances, in 1791, presented wine after dinner, and many in plenty and variety. Gaming became frequent, hours got later and later; the daughters of tradesmen became fine ladies in brief, luxury was at a hand-gallop then, according to our excellent authority, whose report we find adopted by Sir John Sinclair, in the Statistical Account of Scotland. The salaries of the puisne Judges, who, in addition to all this new-fashioned gaiety, were then exposed to the temptation of vying with a resident nobility, were but £1000 a-year. How did they maintain their dignity, and educate and provide for their families then? In 1799, and during a period of great dearth, the Judges' salaries were moderately increased by £200. In 1810, they were all at once raised to £2000; and for that increase there were the same cogent reasons that are now urged for making the sum £3000, and which, in a dozen years hence, would equally apply to £4000, or more. The salaries of the chief Judges, at the same time, on some alterations being made in the court, were raised-the Lord President to £4300, and the Lord Justice Clerk to £4000. The former number of fifteen was reduced to thirteen, and five of the common Judges, who were also criminal Judges, or, in the Scottish phrase, had double gowns, receive an additional £600 a-year each, with £150 for travelling expenses upon each half-yearly circuit, making a gross income of £2900. Three of the Judges were also judges in the newly created Jury Court, since abolished, and received, as they do still, £600 for this branch of duty, thus holding triple gowns.

In 1810, when this considerable addition was

made to the income of the Judges, the nation was burdened with the income-tax, and the war taxes; and all commodities, from the plainest necessaries to the most costly luxuries, were at the highest prices ever known in this country, when not suffering under a scarcity. These prices continued, with little abatement, till after the general peace, from which period, up to the present date, the value of a fixed money-income has increased, in many cases, one-third, as in rent; but, in others, to a full half. The evidence given before the Committee on that main point in this inquiry, how far money will go, strikes us as exceedingly loose and indefinite; and, indeed, the persons called were not the best qualified to give accurate information. Every gentlemen, who knew anything about household expenses, agreed that things were much cheaper; that a fixed money-income was of much greater value now than formerly; but no one specified how much it was so. Mr Hamilton, a very intelligent witness, shewed that the rents of land have fallen a full third, and that a rent-roll of £3000, liable to the ordinary charges, is no more than equal to a clear money-income of £2000 a-year; but he also shewed that farm produce, grain, and butter, and cheese, and butcher-meat, had fallen, in some cases, a full half, in others a third. If the Scotch members of the Committee, instead of examining incompetent witnesses upon these points, had consulted their Edinburgh grocers, butchers, and bakers, they might, at once, have satisfied themselves; or if they had looked over their wives' or their housekeepers' books, they might have arrived easily at the truth; but a case was to be made out which did not admit of such irrelevant testimony.

Let us begin at the beginning, and minutely shew the value of money from 1810 to 1814, and thence to this present 1834. House-rent in Edinburgh-the rent of such houses as persons in the rank of Judges in the "City of Palaces" inhabit— is decreased by one-third on the average, and it is difficult to find them tenants. Country mansions to be let, and those rented for the season, have fallen in the same proportion. Property or income-tax, and house-tax, with other war imposts affecting people of liberal income, are abolished. Fuel in Edinburgh (we refer confidently to the household book of any Judge) is nearly one-half cheaper. As to oats and hay, and the rent of mews, ask the coachman what they were in 1810, when master got his wages last raised; he will tell you, that oats were twice or three times as dear, and hay double the price, and horses at least twice as high, and will perhaps grumble that you have been taking down the wages of his own Order. Again, consult your grocer. He will tell you that in 1810, and for some years later, he charged you a shilling and tenpence a pound for the candles and soap he now gives you at sixpence and sevenpence; nearly double price for your butter and cheese, and fully double for your refined and brown sugars, your rice, and vermicelli, anci

spiceries. Your butcher will tell you his charges were more than a full third higher than now, and Mr Hamilton will confirm him; while your fishmonger, your herb-woman, your pastry-cook, confectioner, and even your stationer and bookseller, will repeat to you the same things, and give you Waverly novels for ten shillings that were once one guinea and a half, and magazines for a shilling equal to those of two shillings and sixpence or three shillings and sixpence.

Every thing has become cheaper save law; and because it remains as expensive as ever in Edinburgh, people are denying themselves the luxury, and desiring to see new shops opened in other quarters, and competition fairly begun. They are quite right.

Wine (we say it with all deference to a witness before the committee) is cheaper than in 1810, and, moreover, less of it is used among the higher ranks; so are ale and porter, and small beer, of which, in the most judge-like and best regulated Scotch families, some trifling quantity is consumed; and as for whisky, that which in 1810 and on to 1817 cost from fifteen shillings to twenty-one shillings a gallon, may now be had from seven shillings and sixpence to ten shillings and sixpence, and O'Connell himself approve the quality.

Now, these are not inconsiderable items in Scotch house keeping. Mr O'Connell, by the way, labours under a complete mistake, in ima.. gining living dearer in Edinburgh than in Dublin, and as expensive as in London. Edinburgh, on the contrary, is one of the cheapest, if it be not, all things considered, the very cheapest large town in Great Britain. It is relatively cheaper than any small town we know. It is positively cheaper than Glasgow, which possesses many of its advantages. The wages of servants, Mr George Sinclair says, are not diminished; that is to say, the footman who in 1810, got £25, or the housemaid who got £8 or £10, or the cook who got £14, get about the same still. He is right; but when Mr Hope says, servants' wages are higher than in London, he is decidedly and far wrong. Servants' wages have, however, not decreased in the proportion of other things, their style of dress makes that impossible; Education, we should say, is cheaper, though this statement contradicts the evidence given. As an example, we may state, that in the High School of Edinburgh, which gives the tone to Scotland, the fees have recently been reduced. Even the coterie, aristocratic, or lawyers' school lately set up in opposition to the public school of the city, makes a boast of comparative cheapness; and this circumstance, together with the

This gentleman, Mr Stephenson, engineer, says, that though coals be no doubt much cheaper, it does not signify, as people just make odds even by burning three times more. The argument were infallible, if applied in the house of a starving mechanic of 1800 or 1809; but we must believe the cook of the Judge had her kitchen fire them as now, and his lady her well filled drawing-room stove; and that to consume three times more fuel would be rather uncomfortable to them, though the saving\were no gain.

excellence of all the schools of this city, and the moderate rate of rent and provisions, attracts many strangers to Edinburgh. In reference to the expenses of education, we may state farther, that the salaries of private tutors have been reduced of late years, and those of governesses very considerably reduced; and that, after all, a Judge cannot, though he had the inclination, be at more expense in educating his children than a clergyman, a physician, a merchant, or a respectable shopkeeper, or than a practitioner in his own court-that is, if he educate them in Edinburgh at all. It is indeed stated by Mr John Hope, seemingly as a case of hardship, that a Judge did not think it prudent to send his second son to Oxford, to which, while a leading counsel, he had sent his elder son. This is a kind of distress arising from narrow salary, with which the people of Scotland will at this juncture have wonderfully little sympathy. On this head it is enough to repeat, that the good education of children is quite as easy in Edinburgh to a Judge as to a gentleman with a professional income varying from £400 to £800, and that, in point of fact, the families of such individuals, sons and daughters, will be found equally well educated. From whence, pray, do the Scottish bar and the Scottish bench recruit their ranks? From the families of men of narrow or small income-clergymen in town and country-shopkeepers, solicitors, small manufacturers, and even persons in still humbler walks of life.

We have now shewn that rent, fuel, provisions, wines and spirits, the keeping of horses, &c. &c. are reduced, we shall say, at least onethird, in Edinburgh since 1810, when the Judges received their last liberal augmentation of salary. Education is also cheaper. The fees of the public schools and of the University are the same to the son of a Judge and the son of a cobbler. But clothing and every contingent expense are also greatly reduced. The linen, the hose, the hat, the boots, the gloves, the pocket handkerchief, are all cheaper. Even the wig is so, and the price of maintaining it. Linen is a full third cheaper; cotton goods two-thirds cheaper; woollens are considerably reduced in price; the silks, and laces, and velvets, used by ladies, are from a half to a third cheaper than in 1810. We can think at this moment of no single item of family or personal expenditure that is not reduced. Wax lights are considerably cheaper, and the discovery of gas has economized all kinds of artificial light. Furniture, if more elegant in kind, is, in reality, not more costly. Plate and all kinds of cutlery and hardwares are greatly diminished in price; so are uphol stery goods of every description. Mr George Sinclair, indeed, tells the committee, that when he was young, certain families covered up the furniture of their drawing-rooms, and rolled up the carpets for thrift and that these families were very hospitable in their style of living, but much more plain than now. But Mr Sinclair forgets that rent and window-tax were paid all the while for these half-occupied state apartments,