346 Notes of the Month on [MARCH, 



From the superior glitter and prodigality of his equipments, is the most 



important personage of the two. 







No CHALK. It appears that the bill for the abolition of imprisonment 

 for debt in America " works well," as applied to New York ; and the 

 system is consequently to be put in general force all over the Union a 

 fact, which, as a poet like Mr. Watts would say, adds another leaf to 

 America's laurel. But the paper which announced this gratifying in- 

 telligence, relates in a paragraph nearly subjoined to it, a circumstance 

 in natural history that seems to have some connection with the affairs 

 between debtor and creditor in the United States. It informs us, that 

 up to the present period of scientific investigation, " no chalk has been 

 discovered in North America." Now this is really a valuable bit of 

 discovery ; and we heartily wish that the Geological Society, instead of 

 wasting their resources on anniversary-dinners, as they have lately been 

 doing, would at once set about establishing the proof of a similar absence 

 of that article in this country. Surely, our brethren on the other side 

 of the Atlantic, will not fail to take the hint which nature herself has so 

 beneficently thrown out to them ; and instead of abolishing the power of 

 getting into prison, put an end at once to the power of getting into 

 debt. The scarcity of chalk ought certainly to be numbered among the 

 natural blessings of America. Had the soil on that side of the ocean 

 been as chalky as this, America might have been visited by a comet, 

 like Pitt, with a golden train of eight hundred millions. 



THE MAJORS AND THE MINORS. The anti-monopoly principle has 

 gained ground with a rapidity that bids fair to overwhelm the patentees 

 before they can get their eyes open to the peril in which they have 

 placed themselves. A meeting has been held (all meetings, we observe, 

 are numerous and respectable, but this really deserved the epithets) at 

 the City of London Tavern, to petition Parliament for the abolition of 

 the monopoly, Edward Lytton Bulwer, Esq. in the chair. Mr. Bulwer has 

 done himself no little honour by the courage and earnestness with which 

 he has come forward in opposition to the dramatic monopolists. His 

 name, which we may truly say must be honourably connected with our 

 literature as long as a novel shall exist in the land, gives a lustre and 

 consequence to the cause, which had previously nothing but its own 

 truth to recommend it ; while his arguments in favour of a free trade in 

 the drama were as convincing in reasoning, as they were elegant in 

 style. Most of the resolutions were proposed in very able addresses 

 some of them by members of the profession, amongst whom were Mr. 

 Elton, Mr. Serle, and Mr. Macarthy. Dowton, too, who is excluded 

 from the great theatres, said a few words that at least had the merit of 

 coming from his heart ; and Mr. Moncrieff a few more, that one can 

 scarcely imagine came from his head, which, in a dramatic sense at 

 least, used to be a clever one of its kind. The resolutions were carried, 

 not simply with unanimity, but with enthusiasm ; and the petition, as 

 the prayer of the inhabitants of London, will be presented to the House 

 of Commons by Alderman Waithman Mr. Bulwer and Col. Evans 

 pledging themselves to support it. 



We are pleased with this meeting for several reasons ; and among 

 others, that it has given us an opportunity of seeing that Mr. Bulwer's 

 political and literary character is no less highly than justly appreciated 

 by the public. 



