NOTF.S OF THE MONTH. 



dispatches. They must have felt, one and all, that but few of them 

 could write and discriminate like Sommerville ; and, as gentlemen born, 

 they resolved to mark somewhat signally, the presumption of a private, 

 he had contrived to monopolize more spirit, sense, and talent, than fell 

 to the share of fifty ribboned officers united. 



How this inquiry will terminate we venture not to guess ; but there 

 can be no possible doubt that the day of military-torture is fast drawing 

 to a close. It is wholly incompatible with the existing spirit of the 

 times, and must expire with the Tory tyranny, in whose code of legal 

 horrors and inhumanities it forms so appropriate a feature. This con- 

 summation, however, is destined, like all others that are devoutly to be 

 wished, to be brought about by the wisdom and humanity of the people. 

 It will derive no help from the Secretary at War the champion of the 

 lacerated soldier, out of office the partizan of the cold-blooded sen- 

 tencer, in office ; the pledged adherent of the abolition of torture on one 

 side of the house, the polite and courteous sanctioner of it on the other. 

 Sir John Hobhouse has caught the cant of office with surprising fervour 

 and facility. He is so profound a Whig that one hardly knows him 

 from a Tory ; and we certainly cannot recognize in the Baronet and War 

 Secretary, the honest English gentleman and liberal member for West- 

 minster, from whom we have heard so many brilliant orations about 

 popular rights, popular freedom, and other popular fallacies, as he now 

 seems half-disposed to designate them. 



A PROFESSIONAL GENTLEMAN. An ingenious evasion of the laws 

 employs one portion of the intellect of the nation to as much purpose as 

 training them does the other. While Lord Wynford is mustering his 

 antiquated energies to fabricate laws for wholesale transportation, a set 

 of talented individuals are secretly undermining his lordship's labours, 

 by seeing how they can be best evaded how sheep-stealing can be 

 effected in security, and how the burglar may not be scared by Botany-bay. 



The police officers afford rich specimens of this description of talent; 

 new trades are elicited, invented to supersede the old ones, which have 

 been denounced from the worshipful bench as unlawful. Thus beggars 

 are subjects for the tread-mill ; but askers can insinuate their grievances 

 into the public ear unawed by Bow-street or the new police. A case 

 occurred the other day, which brought to light the dealings of a member 

 of this commercial fraternity. A favourite servant having left her place 

 to be married, returned to her mistress sometime afterwards in great 

 distress, beseeching her kind offices on the part of her husband, who 

 had innocently incurred the displeasure of the magistrates of Marlbo- 

 rough-street. The mistress kindly called on her to elicit more particu- 

 larly the facts of her distress, and was surprised to find a very neat 

 residence, in every respect superior to her situation in life. In addition 

 to good furniture, there was no lack of silver spoons, good decanters, 

 not empty, moreover, and other little moveables inconsistent with her 

 humble station. " Why, Mary/' said her mistress, before inquiring 

 into the circumstances of her distress, " What trade is your husband ?" 

 " He is no trade, ma'am j he's by profession an asker." " An asker ! 

 what's that?" " A genteel beggar, ma'am, that dresses well, and goes 

 about to gentlemen's houses only they say he has stolen a silver spoon !" 

 We would advise housekeepers to look sharply after professional 

 gentlemen, as they may find an application to Bow-street for the resto- 

 ration of silver spoons rather an uncertain method of recovery. 



