1 829.] Affairs in General. 203 



was ascertained that it was the body of a suicide who had committed 

 burglary and then anticipated the law. Curiosity was now intense. The 

 landlord of an inn immediately purchased the skull, which is announced 

 to be now visible " at the tap of the Fiery Dragon and Ale-barrel." 

 The landlord is making a rapid fortune. 



The skeleton of the Exeter 'Change elephant has drawn weeping 

 groupes of spectators to the King's Mews. Chuny was never so 

 honoured in his life-time. We fear that his death will be long felt as a 

 stain on national justice. He died for his over eating. Where was our 

 impartiality, when so many aldermen were left alive .'' 



A delightful little work is on the eve of publication, with the capti- 

 vating title (in itself irresistibly indicative of the writer's knowledge of the 

 public taste) — Lies of the Day ; under the heads of Windsor lies — 

 Downing-Street lies — St. Stephen's lies — London lies — Westminster 

 lies, &c. We give a few fragments of those fine fabrications. 



" Lord Grey has declared himself satisfied with the conduct of the 

 present cabinet in the negociation for his alliance, and he looks upon the 

 Duke of Wellington, in particular, as behaving in the most straight- 

 forward, dignified, and unequivocal manner. 



" An order has been issued to the Board of Works to fit up Bucking- 

 ham-palace forthwith for the residence of the Duke of Wellington until 

 the completion of the Piccadilly palace. 



" Messrs. Chantry, Wilkie, andWyattville are to be immediately raised 

 to the baronetage, and the Messrs. Fitzclarence are to be created dukes 

 at the same time. 



" Lord Castlereagh's appointment to the Admiralty Board has excited 

 neither surprise nor disgust in the navy : on the conti'ary, the universal 

 opinion is, that his lordship's tactical knowledge, general intelligence, 

 and mature understanding, will do the highest honour to the influence 

 which has appointed him ; and show that under the ducal government 

 votes are never purchased by pensioning incapacity upon the public 

 purse, and that jobs are in fashion no more. 



" The tranquillity of Ireland is completely established, and the papists 

 have abandoned all attempts at breaking down what remains of the 

 Constitution. No declaration of abolishing the Union, separating the 

 two countries, or overthrowing the government, will be listened to any 

 longer. The dignity and activity of the British Cabinet have been 

 communicated to the Irish Council-chamber, and ' Catholic eman- 

 cipation' is acknowledged on all hands to have been the only cure for 

 the six hundred years of Irish quarrel. 



" The winter theatres have closed a most prosperous season, which they 

 fully merited by their production of an unexampled variety of able 

 performances, by their utter abjuration of plundered farces, by their 

 zealous inquiry for able authorship, and by their open and liberal con- 

 duct towards it when found. 



" The efforts of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests to improve 

 the metropolis are every where witnessed with public admiration. The 

 reservoir in the Green-park, cleared at the expense of £13,000, is con- 

 sidered an instance of tlie wonders that may be done by taste at a trivial 

 expence ; its shape, that of a horse trough, suggesting the most classic 

 ideas ; and its use, that of a recipient for the superfluous kittens of the 

 neighbourhood, with depth for occasional suicides, being obviously 

 worth ten times the money. 



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