1829.) - Affairs in General. 71 
and being likely, at last, to be effected wholly by some boring machi- 
nery on a large scale, would promise to decrease in expense with every 
new trial. To all these real inducements might be added, the scarcely 
imaginary one, of its being an exploit that would establish our mechani- 
cal enterprize at the head of European ingenuity. No project, since the 
balloon, has attracted so much continental interest: the scientific and 
intelligent world of Europe are now perpetually inquiring relative to its 
process and progress ; and in its completion, England would undoubt- 
edly have added, in a remarkable degree, to the reluctant respect of 
foreigners for her boldness, liberality, and fortunate skill. 
Of the easy possibility of this completion there now can be no doubt 
whatever, when money shall be supplied to meet the trivial remaining 
expenditure. And of the productiveness of the result there can be as 
little doubt, when we recollect the spot into which the Essex end of the 
Tunnel leads ; the centre of that region of docks, East and West Indian, 
London, &c., from which the wealth of every part of the globe is spread 
out through the empire. And this, too, without reckoning the traffic 
and the travelling between the opulent districts on both sides of the 
Thames, Kent and Essex; the canals, already existing, and which a 
few years more will see intersecting the eastern districts, the Great 
Portsmouth Canal, &c. The mere sight of the Tunnel, in its present 
state, is one of the most curious and interesting that Europe offers. The 
singular perfection of the building, the neatness and accuracy of all that 
has depended on manual labour, and the daring dexterity of the con- 
ception, are equally calculated to excite the spectator’s admiration. 
The French Journals mention, among other Parisian privations at this 
calamitous season, that the distinguished authoress of a distinguished 
narrative, published by Stockdale, has declared her intention of imme- 
diately honouring with her hand the president of the Chamber of Depu- 
ties. All the beaux garcons of the capital are in despair ; the Palais 
Royale isto be hung in black ; Frescati to be shut for a week ; and the 
“Salon” to restrict itself to sovereign princes and soup maigre, for the 
same period. 
The Belvoir County Intelligencer, a remarkably well informed paper, 
says, that the whole female part of a noble family have for the last week 
put their noses in papers. to keep down, if possible, the turn up into 
which they have all started, on a proposition to receive a new connexion 
of the noble line. 
__ The laws have been dealing desperately with the aristocracy of late. 
~ Lord Montford, that pleasant and perpetual assessor of that very eminent 
- judicial character, Sir Richard Birnie, of whom the wits aver, that, 
whatever law he has, bears no relation to civil law, has been lately 
bringing himself under the frowns of Themis, for a little experiment on 
his wife’s property. Lord M. happens to be in the predicament of many 
a less sonorously-named personage, and to be as little obliged as pos- 
sible to nature when she was distributing estates. In consequence, he 
had been placed in the late king’s list of pensioned nobles, to the amount 
of 8001. per annum. A large portion of this he assigned over to his 
lady for a sum of ready money. ‘The king died, the patent for the pen- 
sion was at an end, as a matter of course ; and on the present king’s 
