conduct. The proposed vote of thanks was unanimously agreed to, but accompanied with a recorded opinion of the House, as respecting the conduct of Sir T. Hislop, in causing the Killedar of the Fort of Talnier to be executed, the sanie as that expressed by the Cominons on the preceding day. (Vide p. 266, last number.) Silver Currency.-On the 10th an important communication was made by Mr Wellesley Pole, respecting the future supply of the silver currency. By a recent arrangement, he said, the Bank of England would receive from thirty to thirty-tive thousand pounds worth of silver coinage every week, which has been calculated would be found sufficient for the general purposes of the retail trade of the country. This arrangement was to commence the following week. Windsor Establishment.-On the 16th a discussion arose, on a motion of Sir A. HOPE, for maintaining six equerries on the Windsor Establishment, instead of four. This motion was seconded by the son of the late Mr Perceval, in a maiden speech. On a division, it was lost by a majority of 193; the numbers being 259 against 66. Westminster Election.-On the 17th, Sir F. BURDETT presented a petition, signed by four electors of Westminster, against the return of Mr Lamb. It was ordered to be taken into consideration on the 6th of May next. Lords of the Admiralty. On the 18th Sir M. W. RIDLEY brought forward a proposition for an address to the Prince Regent, praying his Royal Highness to make a reduction in the number of the ju nior Lords of the Admiralty. On a division, the motion was lost by a majority of 81-the numbers being, for the motion, 164 against it, 245. Duties on Salt.-The same evening, Mr CALCRAFT brought the subject of the duties on salt under the consideration of the House. He allowed that the state of the country would not admit of the repeal of a tax that brought in a million and a half yearly to the revenue, he, therefore, contented himself with moving for an account of all the salt delivered duty free in England for the last year, and the purposes to which it had been applied, which motion was agreed to, and the account ordered. Game Laws. On the 19th, Mr BRAND'S bill, calculated to remedy some of the many evils produced by the game laws, which have long disgraced our statute books, was read a second time by the vote of a majority of 110 against 83. The main principle of the bill is to give to every possessor of land the same right over the wild animals as over every other kind of property it produces. Windsor Establishment.-Another divi sion of the House afterwards took place, respecting the L. 10,000 to the Duke of York as Custodier of the Royal Person, when 156 voted for the grant, and 97 against it-majority 59. Caledonian Canal.-On the 22d the House agreed to grant L. 50,000 to carry on the Caledonian Canal; it being understood that L. 30,000 more will complete the undertaking. Scotch Statute Law.-On the 23d Sir JOHN NEWPORT brought forward a motion regarding the statute law of Scotland. That this important question might come more immediately under the consideration of Government, the Right Honourable Baronet moved an address to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, praying that an inquiry might be made into the power assumed by the Lords of Session to declare statutes, or parts of statutes, to be obsolete, or in desuetude. The Lord Advocate objected altogether to the motion, because, although the object was deserving of support, the motion was not likely to obtain that object. The address was lost, on a division; there being for the motion 15, against it 33,-majority 18. Poor Lares.--On the 25th MrS. BOURNE obtained leave to bring in two bills for ameliorating the system of poor relief. The first of the bills, if carried, will effect a most essential alteration in that part of the poor's laws which relates to the settlement of paupers. By the existing sys tem, residence, combined with other circumstances, gives a right to a parish settlement. Those circumstances are, hiring (the servant being unmarried and childless) for a year-the renting, for 40 days, a tenement of the annual value of L. 10-the residing on an estate, of which a bona fide purchase had been made for L. 30 or upwards-and the having served certain pa1ochial offices, or completed a term of apprenticeship. Mr Bourne's plan is to confine the right of settlement to residence alone, (from three to five years, as may hereafter be agreed on,) without any reference to the circumstances above enumerated. The object of this measure is threefold.1st, To prevent the expensive litigation which so often takes place on points of settlement; 2d, to guard against the injustice of sending back to parishes, in the decline of life, persons who have for a series of years laboured, and spent their wages elsewhere, without obtaining a settlement; and, 3d, to remedy the evil inflicted on poor persons themselves, who, having passed the greater part of their days at one end of the kingdom, are liable to be removed, when they most want the friendship and assistance of those whom they have long known, to remote parishes where they are total strangers. The second bill is to prevent a misapplieation of the poor-rates, by paying the wages of labour out of them. This will apply chiefly to persons who, having a large family, receive a certain weekly allowance for each child above the number which they state themselves able to maintain. Instead of money, it is now proposed to take their children, and put them to work, combining with labour à proper degree of education. This will secure a double object. It will train up the children of the poor into habits of industry, and it will prevent the money, which is now disbursed in weekly allowances to the parents, from being applied by them, as is too often the case, to any object rather than to the benefit of their children. Purity of Election.-The attention of the House has been a good deal taken up during the month with a charge preferred against the Hon. Wyndham Quin, the member for Limerick. On this subject a voluminous mass of evidence before the House was ordered to be printed; and was taken into consideration on the 31st. The nature of the transaction, and the charge against Mr Quin, will be found explained in the following resolution proposed by Sir R. Wilson, who took the lead in the proceedings against the honourable member. "That Mr Quin had been appointed custos rotulorum of the county of Limerick, in July last, by virtue of which office he obtained the power of appointing the clerk of the peace. That in the month of September, thereafter, he appointed Richard Smith clerk of the peace; that he stipulated that out of the emoluments of the clerk of the peace, which were L. 400, L. 200 a-year should be paid to T. W. Grady; that on a conversation with Mr Carew Smith, on the 21st of September, he stipulated that the L. 200 should be paid to T. W. Grady so long as he should remain politically connected with him, but that T. W. Grady was at perfect liberty to withdraw his political support from him, and renounce the L. 200; that the substance of this conversation was reduced to writing, and with one correction approved of; that in consideration of L. 200 a-year, given to T. W. Grady, Mr W. Quin was to have the political support of T. W. Grady; that, in so doing, Mr W. Quin had acted inconsistently with the duties of custos rotulorum, violated the freedom of elec tion, and committed a breach of the privileges of that House." To this Mr B. Wilbraham moved an amendment to the follc wing effect: "That in July, 1818, Mr Quin offered .200 a-year to T. W. Grady, without any condition or stipulation; and it did not appear that the object was to obtain political support. That, on the 21st of September, Mr W. Quin admitted to Mr C. Smith his expectation of political support from T. W. Grady, but on the 12th of October disclaimed such an expectation; that the intention of procuring political support, in this manner, appears to the House improper and blameable, and, if acted upon, would call for severe reprehension." Upon this a discussion took place which did not end until four o'clock on the morning of the 1st April. The House at length divided on the original resolution, and it was negatived by a majority of 162 to 73. There was then a division on the amendment, and it was carried by a majority of 154 to 81. In the course of the proceedings in this case Mr Grady and his father were both committed to custody by the House for a breach of its privileges, in writing threatening letters to the witnesses. Case of Aberdeen.-On the 1st April Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON brought forward a motion for certain papers respect. ing the late election of magistrates for the burgh of Aberdeen, by warrant of the Privy Council. The noble Lord contended that the issuing of the said warrant was an illegal exercise of authority on the part of his Majesty's Privy Council; and to shew the corrupt state of the magistracy of that town, he stated, that the magistrates had, for a great number of years, been selfelected; and that they had, by not very proper means, obtained secret minutes of the town-council, in consequence of which they had run the burgh so much in debt that it had, at last, to use its own expression, "dissolved in its own rottenness, and become bankrupt to the enormous amount of L. 230,000." The motion was opposed by the LORD Advocate, who contended for the legality of the warrant. He was se conded by Lord CASTLEREAGH, who insisted that the cry for burgh reform was a mere pretence; and that it was parliamentary reform which was aimed at. motion was supported by Mr Joseph Hume, Mr Findlay, and several other members for Scotland, as well as by Mr Wilberforce and his friends; and ministers negatived the motion by a scanty majority-105 voting for the motion, and 110 against it. The announcement of the numbers was received by loud cheerings from the opposition benches, and, in consequence of the extreme closeness of the division, Lord A. Hamilton gave notice, that after the holidays he should again bring the subject before the House. The MARCH. BRITISH CHRONICLE. Fire Offices. An account of the amount of duty paid by the different fire offices in London, in the year 1818:— Sun, Phoenix, Royal Exchange, Imperial, County, Globe, British, Eagle, Albion, Westminster, Hand-in-hand, Hope, Atlas, Union, London, L.118,491 14 0 73,987 6 3 50,749 31 38,769 10 1 30,087 15 4 29,566 3 2 16,869 10 2 16,099 2 7 16,003 2 7 15,116 8 6 14,014 3 5 13,263 14 11 12,456 8 4 12,253 10 11 9,149 1 10 L. 2,424 60 2,248 15 8 976 11 8 L. 10,505 14 6 Friendly Societies.-A case of some importance relative to these institutions was tried at Kelso on the 26th ult. before his Majesty's Justices of the Peace. The Kelso Friendly Society of Tradesmen and others summoned two of its members, who had neglected for some time to contribute to the funds of the society, without having intimated their resignation, to pay up their arrears. The defenders refused to comply with the demand, on the ground that, by ceasing to contribute, they had lost all claim to any benefit from the society, and, of course, were virtually no longer to be considered as members. The Court, however, decided, that every member of the institution is bound to pay up all arrears of subscription, fines, &c. till he has formally given notice of leaving the society. Crimes. From an official return, printed by order of the House of Commons, presenting in one view an accurate representation of the state of crimes made capital by the law, from the year 1805 to the year 1818 inclusive, it appears, that the total number of persons convicted of burglary in the said interval was 1874, of whom 199 were executed-of larceny in dwelling houses, to the value of forty shillings, 1119, of whom 17 were executed-of forgery 501, of whom 207 were executed-horsestealing 852, of whom 35 were executedhouse-breaking in the day time, and larceny, 761, of whom 17 were executed-of murder 229, of whom 202 were executed -robbery on the person, the highway, and other places, 848, of whom 118 were executed-sheep-stealing 896, of whom 43 were executed.-Making, with other offences of a capital nature, within said interval, a gross total of convicted 3430, of whom 1035 were executed. 12.-High Court of Justiciary.This day George Warden, late clerk in the Post Office at Aberdeen, was tried and convicted of the crime of stealing and abstracting letters containing various sums of money. It appeared from the evidence of James Shearer, one of the surveyors of the General Post Office, that frequent complaints having been made of letters containing money being missing in passing through Aberdeen both from south and north; the officers of the General Post Office, in order to discover the depredator, sent a number of experimental letters, containing money, to pass through the Aberdeen Post Office, and finding they did not reach their destination, the witness went off immediately to Aberdeen, had the pannel apprehended, and in searching his drawers found one of the missing letters, and a number of bank notes; and another missing letter, in which a one pound note had been inclosed, was found in the pocket of his small clothes. It appeared also in evidence, that the prisoner had been formerly of unblemished character, and was most respectably connected. His counsel, speaking in his behalf to the jury, reprobated strongly the conduct of the officers of the Post Office, for throwing out a snare to entrap the pannel. The learned counsel observed, that in passing the act of Parliament upon which this trial proceeded, it must have been the intention of the Legislature to protect the fair trader alone against frauds committed upon them by the servants of the Post Office, and never could have been intended to encourage the laying of schemes to entrap any one to commit a crime. The jury found the pannel guilty, but a majority of them recommended him to mercy. The Lord Justice Clerk passed sentence upon him, ordaining him to be executed at Edinburgh on the 14th April. 15. John Macgregor and John Westwood were this day found guilty by the Court of various acts of theft, and sentenced, the former to seven years transportation, and the latter to be transported for life. Sir William Wallace. On the 10th instant, a meeting was held in Glasgow, to consider of erecting a monument to the memory of Wallace, in the neighbourhood of that city. The Lord Provost of Glasgow in the chair. The meeting was numerously attended, and the business was opened by the Earl of Buchan, in a speech, in the course of which he alluded to the historical documents which had been brought to light in favour of Monteith, who, his Lordship said, had been most unjustly charged with betraying Wallace. The meeting was also addressed by the Rev. Mr Lapslie, Mr Molleson, Mr George Provand, the Lord Provost of Glasgow, &c. when the resolutions were unanimously carried, and a committee, embracing all the noblemen of the west of Scotland, was appointed to carry the object of the meeting into effect. 18.-Shocking Murder.--On the evening of Monday the 15th instant, Alexander Fyfe, farmer, parish of Houston, Renfrewshire, was barbarously murdered while sitting by his own fireside. This inhuman act was perpetrated by some assassin, who fired at him through a pane of glass in the window of the farm house. The piece had been loaded with common shot, such as is known, among sportsmen, under the designation of No. 5, and the poor man received the contents chiefly in his breast and throat, and is said to have died almost instantaneously. His wife and a servant girl, the only other inmates, were in the house at the time, and the wife was sitting on a lower seat than her husband, stooping forward sewing by the light of the fire, and, from the situation she was in, it appears the shot must have passed over her head. He had recently succeeded to some property in Paisley, and had given directions to his writer to make his will. It is said he had received several threatening letters on the subject. Marquis of Annandale.—This title, one of the most ancient of the Scottish peerage, which has lain dormant since the demise of the late Marquis in 1792, we understand is likely to be soon revived; the claimant, Mr Johnston of Molesworth Street, Belfast, having at length obtained the certificates of certain registries, wills, &c. which were wanted to establish his claim to the titles of the Annandale family. Election of a Scots Pecr.-This day came on, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, the election of a Peer to sit in Parliament as one of the representatives of the Scots nobility, in the room of William Earl of Errol, deceased, when Robert Montgomery, Lord Belhaven and Stenton, was elected by a majority of ten votes, there being for his Lordship 29, and for the other candidate, Thomas Earl of Selkirk, 19 votes. missioners for the herring fishery, it appears that the number of barrels of white herrings exported for the year, ending the 5th April 1818, was 262,339). 24. New Churches.--The new church at Cockpen, which was begun about this time last year, is now about half finished, and promises, when completed, to be an uncommonly fine building. The plan, which is Gothic, was furnished by the late Mr Richard Crichton of Edinburgh, and was among the last designs of that ingenious architect. This church stands on an eminence in the centre of the parish, about half a mile north of Dalhousie Castle, and will be a great ornament to the surrounding country. It is seen in all directions for many miles. We are glad to find the taste for rendering buildings of this sort ornamental to the country becoming so prevalent. It is said that the heritors of Kilconquhar, in Fife, have resolved to build a church on the same plan. The present demolition of the old parish church at Dunbar has been the means of attracting the attention of the public to a very curious specimen of sculptural workmanship in the aisle at the east end of the building. The monument of the last Earl of Dunbar is the curiosity alluded to. According to report, it was executed in Italy by an artist of that country. 29. Southwark Bridge. This bridge was opened with a grand procession on the 25th instant. It is composed of three iron arches; the centre one is 240 feet in span, being four feet more in span than the celebrated Sunderland iron bridge, and larger in span than any bridge in the world, save the fabled flying bridges of China. The two side arches are 210 feet each in span. The quantity of iron used is nearly 5000 tons in weight, and many of the single castings weighed ten tons each. Singular Accident.-On the evening of the 26th, as a man, in a state of intoxication, was riding full speed out of Irvine by the Greenock road, his horse went with such violence against the toll-gate, that it was killed upon the spot. The poor animal was literally cloven in two, the gate having penetrated almost to the hind thigh, tearing away the whole fore leg and shoulder. By a convulsive effort, however, it succceded in disengaging itself; but staggered, fell, and immediately expired. The ground near it was covered with blood, and from the account of an eye-witness, it must have presented altogether a shocking spectacle. Fortunately the man escaped without any material injury. Courts of Justice in Scotland.-The fifth report of the commissioners for inquiring into the duties, salaries, fees, and emoluments of the several officers, clerks, and maisters of justice of the Courts in ScotHerrings. By a report from the com- land, has been printed by order of the House of Commons. It recommends an increase of allowance to the Judges for their expences on circuit, the present rates having been fixed so far back as the year 1748, in which interval these expences must have considerably increased. It also recommends the abolition of the right of sale of all subordinate offices in those courts, and that the clerks of justiciary and macers should have a fixed salary in lieu of fees and perquisites. The Weather. The newspapers were recently filled with examples of the extraordinary mildness of the season. The late season, however, was not in this respect without parallel, as appears from the following extract from the Caledonian Mercury of 18th November 1723 :-" The weather is so favourable, that we have very surprising accounts of the fine appearance of Howers in most of the gardens of this city as fine as in the spring, and of rooks building their nests and sitting on them as in March; so that the birds seem to have mistaken themselves, and to have forgotten their natural instinct." Our readers will probably recollect, that, on the 25th December last, a brood of sparrows took flight from a hole above a window of this of fice.-Caledonian Mercury. APRIL. 3. Grand Naval Fete.-Last night, a grand supper, ball, &c. was given by Captain Maitland and the officers of the Vengeur flag-ship, on board that vessel, in Leith Roads, to a number of the nobility and gentry of Edinburgh and its vicinity. The company amounted to about 400 ladies and gentlemen, who assembled at Newhaven at six o'clock in the evening, where boats were in waiting to convey them to the vessel. The entertainments commenced with the play of A Cure for the Heartache, and the farce of Raising the Wind, which was performed by the midshipmen of the Vengeur, and afforded a great fund of amusement to the company. Supper was then served up in the first style of clegance, with a profusion of the choicest wines. After supper, a ball commenced, and dancing was kept up with great spirit till five o'clock this morning. The officers of the Enniskillen dragoons arrived at nine in the evening in a barge, accompanied by the band of the regiment, which assisted the band belonging to the Vengeur during the rest of the night. The ship was most tastefully and beautifully lighted up on the occasion, and ornamented with a number of transparencies, among which a full length likeness of the Prince Regent was most conspicuous. The Nimrod gun-brig, also in the roads, was, in compliment to the occasion, decorated with the flags of all nations. 6. Burgess Oath.-In consequence of a petition from the committee of the elders and sessions of the four seceding congrega VOL. IV. tions of Glasgow, the Magistrates and Council of the said city have unanimously decreed, that the burgess oath be rescinded and annulled, and the following certificate of entry be substituted in its stead:"These certify that A. B. having paid his freedom fine, has been admitted as burgess and guild brother of this burgh; and is entitled to all the civil rights and privileges by law belonging to, as by his acceptance hereof he becomes bound to perform all the civil duties and obligations by law incumbent on a freeman citizen of Glasgow." 7. Royal Births,-Yesterday the interesting information was received that the Duchess of Cambridge was delivered of a son on the 26th of March at Hanover. Her Royal Highness and the infant were likely to do well. This intelligence is announced in the London Gazette of last night. The same official paper gives the account of a less happy royal accouchement. On the 27th of March, at Hanover, the Duchess of Clarence was delivered of a female child, which expired a few hours after its birth. Hydrophobia.-Another melancholy example of the fatal effects of this disorder occurred a few days since in the person of a man named Leadbeater, at Sheffield. The deceased was a stone mason, who had about three months ago been in the habit of giving physic to a pointer dog, afflicted at that time with the disease. In doing so, a portion of the offensive matter had fre quently fallen on his hand, which, probably, from being somewhat lacerated by the exercise of his occupation, might facilitate the absorption of the poisonous substance into the human system. It was only a few days previous to his death that the usual symptoms of hydrophobia, or canine madness, first appeared, the symptoms of which continued to increase till the time of his dissolution, and were manifested by a loathing of liquids, and a frightful appearance of horror whenever any thing of the kind was offered to him, medicinally or otherwise. 10. Execution. On Wednesday the 7th instant, Alexander Robertson was executed in front of Glasgow jail, pursuant to his sentence, for breaking into the City Auction Mart, Candleriggs, on the 4th of October last. The prisoner made a full confession of his crimes. Robertson was a native of the parish of Falkirk, and was about 28 years of age. 12. Increase of Buildings in Edinburgh. At no period, we believe, in the history of Edinburgh, was the spirit for building more generally alive new and elegant structures are daily rising to view, and proceeding with unexampled celerity; and what has long excited surprise is, that, though dwelling houses and shops have for a considerable time been rearing in such 3 A |