DOMESTIC SUMMAHY. 477 



more in vogue than protocolling, and battues than birth-days ; not an under- 

 strapper in Downing Street but will leave penning dispatches, and hasten to 

 send his " circulars." 



The interest of politicians has been monopolized by affairs on the continent, 

 of which we treat elsewhere ; but in the absence of more stirring excitement, 

 at home, we find the subject of Tithes of the greatest interest in the public 

 mind. The demon of selfishness seems to have fixed in the hearts of a number 

 of the Clergy, for they have revived claims which appear to have grown obso- 

 lete from their injustice. Poor labouring men have been imprisoned from 

 inability to pay an arrear of tithe upon their scanty wages, and war has been 

 declared upon the farmers by demanding tithe upon agistment, that is, the 

 produce consumed by stock upon the farm ; whereas the tithe is considered 

 to be fully paid by the fleece and lambs of the sheep, and milk of the cows so 

 depastured. The double claim is manifestly unjust. 



The commission upon corporation abuses appears to be industriously seeking 

 out matter for their report ; for which, from the acknowledged impurity of 

 these sinks of peculation, they appear to meet with a most abundant material. 

 Some curious particulars have been already elicited. The town-clerk at 

 Huntingdon serely puzzled their worships, by rather a naive reply. It 

 appeared that all the places in the corporation were monopolized by the 

 House of Sandwich, and on finding the name of the Earl of Ancram down as 

 Recorder of that " ancient and loyal town," one of the commission inquired 

 what excuse could be made for such an appointment, seeing that the office 

 ought only to be filled by one " learned in the law." Oh ! quoth the func- 

 tionary, " the Earl cannot be better qualified, being an hereditary legislator!" 

 The Report of the Poor Law Commission contain a mass of highly valuable 

 information ; we shall have an article before long upon this subject. The 

 dislike which has been manifested to the Assessed Taxes appears to be daily 

 encreasing. Many seizures have been made on the goods of individuals in 

 default of payment, but great difficulty has been experienced in realizing the 

 sale from the absence of a principal agent in such transactions buyers. 

 Auctioneers have even been found sufficiently patriotic to resist the tempta- 

 tion of a per centage, and refuse to become the government medium. 



The visit of the Queen of Portugal has been a great source of interest 

 with the idlers who have been fortunate enough to occupy the line of her 

 majesty's progress. More powder has been expended than would bombard 

 her Imperial parent. Portsmouth has gone out of its wits with pure monar- 

 chical joy ; even Bagshot has partaken of the popular enthusiasm, and Mr. 

 Briscoe, the member, has been seized with a spirit of philanthropism, and has 

 presented her majesty with " De Lolme upon the Constitution," enjoin- 

 ing a careful study. Had he presented her with a bottle of Rowland's Kaly- 

 dor, she would be more likely to dip into its contents. However, the old 

 Castle of Windsor stands where it did, and the little Queen is gone to see 

 whither Lisbon and its towers are equally fortunate. Very agreable intel- 

 ligence has been received from the West Indies, that the colonial legislators 

 are desirous of co-operating with the measures of government to the utmost 

 of their power. The Irish Protestants appear to be excessively amazed at the 

 appointment of the Marquess Wellesley. He is known to be favourable to that 

 long oppressed and injured class of people, the Catholics of Ireland. Tithes 

 still continue there to be the bitter feud, notwithstanding the grant of Parlia- 

 ment to the Protestant clergy, as an indemnification. So unchristianlike is 

 the spirit, that some have preferred their chance of law to the proposed pay- 

 ment. As church matters are uppermost with the public, we subjoin the 

 following account of improvements in the Liturgy of the Church of England, 

 which have been submitted to the consideration of the more influential and 

 dignified of its members : 



