132G.] 



Political Occurrences, S(c. 



6U 



tigation ouglit to be entered into by govern- 

 ment. Mr. Robinson, in reply, observed 

 > thiit ministers were placed in a state of' 

 great responsibility, and would abuse their 

 trust if they did not maintain the country 

 in a state of confirmed security, which 

 could only be done by a requisite military 

 establishment. Mr. Brout,'!iam supported 

 the motion, and observed that we ought 

 not to extract from a suffei'ing people one 

 shilling beyond what was absolutely neces- 

 sary for carrjnng on the support of govern- 

 ment. Mr. Hume's motion was lost by a 

 majority of 132 to ol. On the 8th Mr. 

 Scarlett presented a petition from the Irish 

 counsellor, O'Coimel, praying for the re- 

 moval of Lord Norbury wliom tlie peti- 

 tioner declared was incompetent to act as a 

 judge. I\Ir. Peel, in rei)ly, observed that 

 Lord Norbury would have retired some 

 time since, but that, on hearing of this in- 

 tended petition, he felt that resignation 

 would have appeared like submission to an 

 undeserved threat. It was ordered to lie 

 on the table. On the 9th, Mr. Canning 

 again moved that the House go into a com- 

 mittee on the corn act, with a view to mi- 

 nisters' second proposition. Messrs. Cal- 

 craft and KnatchbuU strongly opposed the 

 measure, as did likewise Sir Thomas Leth- 

 bridge, wlio thought that no case had as yet 

 been made out to justify the apprehension 

 of a scarcity of corn. On the 17th Lord 

 Malmsbury presented a petition to the 

 House of Lords from a hundred in Suffolk 

 against any alteration in the com laws. 

 The Earl of Lauderdale presented a peti- 

 tion to the same effect from Saxrauiidham 

 and Framlingham, in Suffolk. On the 18th 

 petitions were presented by !Mr. Hume and 

 laid on the table, from William Hether, 

 John Barclay, and W. lloife, of the parish 

 of St. Olive's, complaining that the conduct 

 of Dr. Owen, their rector, had become a 

 regular sj'stem of oppression. A second 

 petition being presented by Mr. Hume from 

 a free man of colour in Grenada, complain- 

 ing of the disabilities under which the peo- 

 ple of that class laboured. Dr. Lushington 

 took occasion to express his regret that he 

 felt obliged to withdraw his motion on this 

 subject because the lateness of the session 

 would, he feared, prevent any practical 

 effect from it, while mere discussion miglit 

 e.xcite feelings prejudicial to his object. 

 On the 19th the subject of the Coiu't of 

 Chancer}- was brought forward, \^hen the 

 Attorney- General made some remarks upon 

 the objections that had been made to the 

 commission of inquiry, and concluded by 

 moving for leave to bring in a bill to cany 

 into effect the measures recommended by 

 the late commission upon tlie practice of 

 the Court of Chancery. Mr. John Wil- 

 liams said that the Report was good as far 

 as it went, but that it did not go far enough. 

 It was silent on the subject of contempt of 

 court. He and other members had intro- 



duced to the House many instances in 

 which parties suffered imprisonment for 

 contempt on account of mere poverty. I\Ir. 

 Brougham contended, he observed, lor one 

 most important measure, without which no 

 possible good could be effected — he meant, 

 the separation of the political from the ju- 

 dicial character of the judge presiding in the 

 High Court of Chancer}-. After some re- 

 marks from Mr. Denman and other mem- 

 bers leave was given to bring in the bill. 



With respect to the foreign politics, the 

 summary is easily completed. Greece has, 

 as usual, been a severe sufferer during the 

 last month ; and the report, which we last 

 made on doubtful authority, lias been with- 

 in the last fortnight confirmed ; namely, 

 that Missolonghi, the bulwark of Western 

 Greece, has fallen : its fate being finally de- 

 cided on the night of tlie 22A and 2:iA ult. 

 On the 2d of .\pril an offer of terms was 

 sent to the town, with a promise of life to 

 its inhabitants on condition that their arms 

 were surrendered ; the propo.sals liowever 

 were rejected, and Missolonghi was left to 

 its fate. 



According to intelligence from Peters- 

 burgh to the JiOth ult., the Archduke Con- 

 stantine has been nominated Generalissimo 

 of all the Russian and Polisharmies. Every 

 thing appears to be peaceable in that city, 

 throughout which associations in fa^ciu- of 

 the Greeks are being daily formed, as well 

 as in all other parts both of old and new 

 Russia. 



Portugal is in a state of the greatest tran- 

 quillity. An attempt was made a short time 

 since to make u.se of the Enfant Don Mi- 

 guel's name as an excuse for revolt ; but he 

 has disclaimed, by letter, all participation in 

 the plot, and authorized it to be so pat forth 

 to the world. 



The Congress of the NewUnion in South 

 America has assembled. INIr. Rivodavia, 

 so long in this country, has been chosen 

 President, with a salai-y of twenty thousand 

 dollars per annum, and five secretanes at the 

 rate of six thousand dollars per annum, 

 each. 



The Burmese war in India has been 

 brought to a successful termination, by 

 which his Majesty's government is to re- ^ 

 ceive a crore of nipees, together «ith the 

 four provinces of Aracan, and the pro^-inces 

 Mergui, Tavoy, and Zea. The pio\-inces 

 or kingdoms of Assam, Cachar, Zeatung, 

 and Jlannipore, are to be placed under 

 princes to be named by the English Minis- 

 try, and residents to be at each court. 

 The Bombay papers hint at some appear- 

 ance of activity on the part of Bunjeet 

 Sing. Intelligence from Bhurtpore to De- 

 cember 25th, has been received. At that 

 date the preparations for the attack of that 

 fortress were completed, anil would cer- 

 tainly be made in a few days if it did not 

 previously capitulate. — Later accounts state 

 its having surrendered. 



M.M. New Series- — Vol.. I. No. 6. 



4 N 



