F*B. 10,] 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



[1844. 



Zttortttn, in which several persons were killed, and a 

 Ireat number wounded. At Ravenna the director of 

 ooiice had been fired at as he was entering his own house. 

 AjAncona considerable excitement existed since the late 

 * The persons arrested have been sent to Bologna 



C 



!tee'they wiU be tried by a Military commission. 

 Letters from Rome of the 19th ult. state that the nego- 

 tiations for settling the differences between the Holy See 

 and the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh do not make any 

 ocress. His Royal Highness Prince George of Cam- 

 ioVe travelling under the incognito of Count Culloden, 

 it still' there and lives quite retired, his Royal Highness 

 haTioe scarcely honoured by his presence any of the 

 brilliant parties given by the nobility. It had been 

 rumoured that the Camera had determined not to hold 

 any Carnival this year, but a letter of the 20th states that 

 the apprehensions which were entertained of the Carnival 

 being interdicted are dissipated, and that the Governor of 

 Rome, M. Zacchi, has issued a decree allowing it to take 

 place according to ancient custom, but with some stringent 

 regulations in regard to the sale of confectionary, which 

 during the Carnival season is usually made of spurious arti- 

 cles and sold to the public as genuine. The permission ob- 

 tained for the annual festivities has given much satisfaction 

 to the inhabitants, and to the foreigners who resort to 

 that city to witness the gay scene. 



Egypt. Advices from Alexandria of the 20th ult. 



state that his Excellency Boghos YoussouffBey, Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs and Commerce to Mehemet AH, died 

 on the 10th ult. at the age of about 71. He had been ill 

 for several days and would not receive his doctor or at- 

 tend to his prescriptions. His funeral took place on the 

 following day attended by the majority of the European 

 resident* at Alexandria and the Consuls. The ceremony 

 was, however, very simple, there being no guard of ho- 

 nour nor any display whatever to denote the high rank of 

 the deceased, and not a single Turk was present although 

 Boghos Bey was considered the highest person in Egypt 

 after Mehemet Ali and his family. He was an Armenian 

 by birth and a native of Smyrna. 



India and China. — The Indian Mail of the 1st Jan. 

 arrived in town on Wednesday. India still continues 

 peaceful. The Punjaub alone seems now to be the only 

 quarter from which we have reason to be apprehensive. 

 It appears that Golab Singh, the elder brother of Dhyan 

 Singh, Runjeet's favourite Minister, who was assassinated 

 in September last, had come from his mountain fastnesses 

 to Lahore, under pretence of supporting his nephew Heera 

 Singh, who now governs there under the name of the 

 young Sovereign Dhuleep, and that his arrival had not 

 produced the expected results. The young Minister is 

 described as giving large sums of money to the common 

 soldiers, in order to retain them in some order, while his 

 uncles are busy in plundering the treasures of the Seikh 

 Government, and carrying away the jewels and articles of 

 value to the mountains. An attempt was made by his own 

 uncle to carry away the young Rajah and place him under 

 the protection of the British, but it was not successful. 

 Care is taken by the present chiefs to occupy the fords 

 across the rivers, so that even the refugees are detained. 

 The state of the country is described as bordering upon 

 anarchy. Many of the petty chiefs are anxious to pro- 

 claim their independence, and are ready for an insurrec- 

 tion, which is likely to happen as soon as the actual 

 Minister and his friends have collected the money 

 necessary to gratify their rapacity. Lord Ellenborough 



♦u T ta on the 25th Nov ' and arrived at A s ra 



on the 11th Dec, where the Army of Exercise was 

 ready under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir 

 Hugh Gough. The first brigade, led by General Valiant, 

 was ordered to move towards Dhoolpoor, half way to 

 uwalior ; it marched on the 12th, and the rest of the army 

 moved m the same direction on the following days. The 



th i?t ln ' Clliefand tbe Governor- General set out on 



, 10Ul ' rhe intelligence reached Gwalior, and produced 



alarm, and a council was held on the 15th, at which the 



principal officers and generals attended, and debated in 



asUTfT 6 of the Bahee > or "y° un s Queen '" wh0 



asKea it there were any of them disposed to resist the 

 »H« ♦ a * seeming inclined, a determination was 



adopted to surrender the cause of all the disorder— the 



an J I «5 te V? amed th * Khasgeewalla. This was effected, 



-V Klia sgeewalla was surrendered, and taken prisoner 



° Agra, where he was lodged in the fort on the 20th. 



ue young Rajah, who was chosen to be heir to the last 



the r gn y the Bhaee » took refu S e in the cam P of 

 the ^° v f 'T nera, » who is now completely master of 

 ComiT klngdom ' for it: has fallen to the East India 

 nothi Q any f aS the lords P ara mount. From Scinde there is 

 the tro* I" 7 moment saving the alarming state to which 

 The ar° PS been reduc ed from the effects of fever, 



fever k DtS &re melanc »oly in the extreme. Though 

 scours S ° me portion of ** ha8 been on the decline, another 

 shown its'if the Shape of dysentery, has unfortunately 

 tims. S tt ^ num ^ ere< ^ a great many among its vic- 

 ot her staV es P eciall 7» seems to suffer more than any 

 lately, no At a muste r of the whole Bengal force 



the numh m ° re tilan *^ 5 men were a ^ le to a PP ear > wniIe 

 deaths w i Sick amou nted to 2,374. The number of 

 Potion ofV increasin 5 5 "early 400 of the Bengal 



d *ys n force had been cut off within fift y and 8 ' lxt J 



3,600 »i « m ° re than 340 out of a ' force of about 

 to lei.. J for dut y> arid 33 officers have been forced 



from ill health. 



^Perieno a * hea,th ' A g reat deficiency is still 



ihourii n k thc want of me dical officers, and 



Places t ^ Umbers have been sent from Madras and other 

 iln Posed C, r? re totaU y inadequate to the amount of duty 



dition to tl y t ral Sim Pson had returned from his expe- 

 8tt PPosed f u Hills forthe Purpose, as was formerly 



u > or chastising numbers of Beloochees who had 





descended to the plains and committed ravages among 

 the peaceful inhabitants. He had been unsuccessful in his 

 object and had with eleven of his officers been laid up 

 with fever. Sir C. Napier remained at Kurrachee but 

 was expected to move shortly for Hyderabad. At Cabul 

 the power of Dost Mahomed was rapidly on the decline, 

 and both he and his son Akhbar had departed for Jellala- 

 bad to silence the refractory chiefs.— The accounts from 

 China are to December 1. Canton had been visited with 

 some destructive conflagrations by which the French, 

 Spanish, and Dutch hongs or factories, with about 

 three thousand houses had been destroyed. The supple- 

 mentary treaty had been already signed by Sir Henry 

 Pottinger and the Chinese Minister, and was promulgated 

 on the 18th. Some Americans, as if courting a cause 

 of quarrel _with the Chinese, had ventured upon ex- 

 cursions into the interior ; this practice had produced 

 from the British Plenipotentiary a declaration to the 

 Chinese Commissioner that he should by no means 

 countenance such proceedings, and that orders should be 

 given to the Consuls to have all such foreigners arrested 

 and sent to Hong Kong. The death of Major Eldred 

 Pottinger, the gallant defender of Herat and Cabul, which 

 occurred at Hong Kong, was greatly deplored. Colonel 

 Knowles of the Artillery, and assistant-surgeons Grahame 

 and Dill have also fallen victims to the fever. Rumour 

 spoke of some differences between Sir H. Pottinger and 

 the British Admiral and General. The former was said 

 to be anxious to return to Europe, and the Admiral was 

 about to sail for Calcutta. The American frigate and 

 Minister had gone to China from Bombay and Colombo, 

 at both of which places he had been well received. 



United States. — There have been several arrivals 

 from New York and Philadelphia this week, but the news 

 received is not of great importance. In Congress, the 

 Oregon question had been the subject of various motions 

 and speeches ; but as yet had led to nothing. It appears 

 that the American Government wished to treat in London, 

 which would enable it to protract the negotiations ; whereas 

 the British Government preferred negotiating in Wash- 

 ington, and had sent Mr. Pakenham with full powers. 

 The result of these negotiations would probably be awaited 

 before any motion would be allowed to pass. — A bill had 

 been introduced to abolish imprisonment for debt in the 

 district of Columbia, and another to exempt from duty 

 cotton imported into the United States from Texas. The 

 papers contain a long account of another disastrous ship- 

 wreck of a steamer running from Cincinnati to St. Louis, 

 by which about 100 persons perished. She struck on a 

 snag or sunken tree, on the night of the 4th ult. when within 

 three miles of St. Louis, and broke into two parts before 

 the passengers could get out of their beds. Among the 

 passengers by these arrivals is Charles Shatton, a celebrity, 

 known as General Tom Thumb, the renowned American 

 dwarf. This wonderful little man is said to have created a 

 greater excitement in the United States than any curiosity 

 exhibited there within half a century ; and it is not to be 

 wondered at, for the little general is of fine symmetrical 

 proportions, remarkable intellect, is sociable and manly, 

 and weighs only fifteen pounds. The American papers 

 speak of his performances in the classic statues, 

 songs, dances, &c., as unique beyond description. — The 

 Philadelphia papers state that a chair which has been in 

 Mr. O'Connell's family for 300 years had been received at 

 Washington, as a present from the great agitator to Mr. 

 Robert Tyler, and that the President of the United States 

 was the first person to sit in it. 



parliament. 



HOUSE OF LORDS. 

 Monday. — The Lord Chancellor communicated her Ma- 

 jesty's answer to their Lordships' Address.— The Earl of Aber- 

 deen, in reply to Lord Brougham, said that nothing would be 

 done by our negotiations with France to impede our exertions in 

 the cause of humanity, and that the French Minister desired the 

 abolition of the Slave-trade quite as much as himself. The noble 

 Lord strongly repudiated the charges made on the other side 

 of tne Channel, that in insisting on the right of search we 

 sought any commercial, naval, or other selfish advantage. — 

 At the instance of the Duke of Wellington, Earl Fitzwilliam 

 abstained from making any remarks in moving for returns 

 of the military force employed in Ireland at certain periods, 

 and of the sums recently employed in military works in that 

 country— these returns not being objected to by the Govern- 

 xnent. — The Lord Chancbllor having informed their Lord- 

 ships that he had received a letter from Sir W. Parker, acknow- 

 ledging the thanks of the House, the Earl of Minto took the 

 opportunity to express his regret that a Baronetcy had not been 

 conferred on the gallant Admiral.— The Earl of Haddington 

 stated that it was the intention of the Ministry to bestow another 

 honour when the Admiral hauled down his flag, and that the 

 Admiral was satisfied with the decision, and the reasons for it. 

 —Lord Brougham objected to Lord Minto interfering with the 

 Crown as the fountain of honour, but the discussion was put an 

 end to good-humouredly by the Duke of Richmond, who pre- 

 sented a petition to the House against the bastardy clauses of the 

 Poor-law Amendment Act.— The Duke of Richmond, on the sug- 

 gestion of Lord Brougham, and on receiving some opposition from 

 the Bishop of London withdrew his intended bill to legalize.betting. 



The Noble Duke in doing so adopted the suggestions of the Law 

 Lords to bring in another bill for stopping the qui tarn actions, 

 and, as he expressed himself, " defeating the objects of those 

 scoundrels who, because last year their own practices were dis- 

 covered, had raked up old Acts of Parliament, not for the sake 

 of the public good, but to gratify their own revenge, and to fill 

 their pockets if they could."— On the motion of Lord Dknman 

 the laws relating to gaming were referred toa select committee. 

 —The Marquess of Normanby referred at some length to the 

 Government having neglected to carry through any measures to 

 enforce the recommendations of the commission lor inquiring 

 into the health of towns, and asked whether anything had been 

 done, or was in contemplation.— The, Duke of Bucclkuch spoke 

 of the great difficulties there were in the way of legislating on 

 the subject, and stated that he hoped in a short time to be in 

 possession of information which would enable him to suggest 

 some legislative measure, but he was not prepared to pledge 

 himself on the subject. 



Tuesday .—The Duke of Richmond brought under the notice 

 of their Lordships a circular letter, dated tbe -id September last, 

 signed by the Assistant-Secretary of the Treasury, and addressed 

 to the Clerks of the Peace of the United Kingdom, in which 



directions were given that in cases in which there was reason 

 to suppose a prisoner charged with felony was possessed of pro- 

 perty other than that found on his person, the magistrates were 

 to cause inquiry to be made at the residence of such prisoner, or 

 any other place frequented by him, in order to ascertain the 

 value of such property, and to have it included in the return to 

 the Treasury. The noble Duke contended that such a requisi- 

 tion would be illegal, and called on the Government either to 

 withdraw the letter altogether or alter that clause of it.— Lord 

 Wharncliffe mentioned several cases in which property which 

 had belonged to convicted felons, and which, by common law, 

 was forfeited to the Crown, had fallen into the possession of per- 

 sons having no right Whatever to it. The object of this letter 

 had been to remedy that wrong.— Lords Brougham and Camp- 

 bell expressed their regret that a letter of such consequence 

 should have been issued without the approbation of the Lord 

 Chancellor or the Attorney-General. They were of opinion that 

 to require a constable to inquire into the property belonging or 

 supposed to belong to a prisoner, was to compel him to do what 

 was illegal. — Lord Redksdalk presented 29 petitions from Lin- 

 colnshire praying for protection to Agriculture.— Upon this the 

 Duke of Koxburghe expressed his hearty gratification at the 

 declaration made by Government, that it was not their intention 

 to reduce further the protection to Agriculture— a declaration 

 which would remove much of the doubt and suspense which had 

 so heavily weighed upon an interest already sorely depressed. 

 He hoped this assurance of the Minister "would arm the farming 

 interest to resist the many attacks that had been so unscrupu- 

 lously and so unjustifiably made upon it, and that it would tend 

 to restore confidence to that body which had so nobly stood up 

 for their rights — he meant the Agriculturists of the country." 

 — To questions put by Lord Monteaglk, the Duke of Welling- 

 ton stated that the Government did not intend to propose any 

 Committee of Inquiry relating to the Bank of England, because 

 there was sufficient information to legislate upon already before 

 the House; and that they did intend to adopt measures during 

 the present session for the renewal of the charter of the Bank of 

 Ireland upon principles similar to those ol the Batik of England. 

 — The Marquess of Normanby presented a petition from certain 

 Roman Catholics of Belfast complaining of the omission of all 

 persons of their creed from the trials at Dublin. In compliance 

 with the wish of their Lordships he abstained from making any 

 remarks on this subject. — On the motion of the Duke of Rich- 

 mond a bill for staying proceedings in the Qui Tarn actions 

 now pending on the subject of betting at races vvas read a first 

 time and ordered for second reading on Thursday. His Grace 

 gave notice that he intended to move its third reading on Friday, 

 so as to send it down on that day to the Commons. 



Thursday. — On the motion of Lord Brougham, in the ab- 

 sence of the Duke of Richmond, the Actions for Penalties on 

 Gaming Discontinuance Bill was read a second time, after some 

 remarks lrom the Bishops of London and Exeter. 



Friday.~On the motion of Lord Montkaglk, the School 

 Teachers' (Ireland) Bill passed through committee, and was 

 ordered to be read a third time on Monday.— Lord Brougham 

 moved the third reading of the Betting Legalisation Bill, which 

 after several verbal amendments, was read a third time and 

 passed. — The Lord Chancellor inquired of the Marquis of 

 Normanby, who had a motion respecting Ireland standing on the 

 books of the House for Monday, if he intended to bring it forward 

 though the trials should not be brought to a close by that day. 



Lord Baoi gham considered it would be most inconvenient to 

 discuss such a motion before the trials were brought to a con- 

 clusion. — The Marques* of Normankv agreed to postpone his 

 motion for the present. On Monday he would lay on the table 

 the precise words of his motion, which should have reference to 

 the causes of the discontent prevailing in Ireland. — Lord Camp- 

 bell laid on the table a bill to amend the Law of Libel Bill, 

 which was read a first time. 



HOUSE OF COMMONS. 



Friday.— After the renewal of the Sessional Orders, Lord Clith 

 brought up the report of the Address to her Majesty. On the 

 paragraph assuring her Majesty of the support of that House in 

 her maintenance of the Legislative Union between Great Britain 

 and Ireland, Mr. S. Crawford moved its omission on the 

 grounds that it pledged the House to an approval of the proceed- 

 ings now in progress in Ireland, and also to an inviolate main- 

 tenance of the Act of Union, to neither of which pledges was he 

 willing to subscribe. This led to a general discussion, during 

 which the conduct of tire Irish Attorney- General in sending a 

 challenge to Mr. Fitzgibbon was brought under the notice of 

 the House by Mr. Roebuck, who demanded of the Government if 

 they had resolved on the M instant and ignominious dismissal of 

 this most unworthy officer."— Sir K. Pkel while avowing the 

 act of the Irish Attorney- General as being not altogether defen- 

 sible, denounced the condemnation pronounced by Mr. Roebuck 

 as most unwarrantable and unjust. Allowances should be made 

 for his position and for the provocations he had received. His 

 was not a deliberative act. It was not like returning from the 

 Court labouring under irritated feelings, and deliberately medi- 

 tating a challenge. It occurred suddenly and was immediately 

 takeu up by the Court, and the Attorney-General expressed his 

 regret for the act which he had done. His conduct was noticed 

 by the Chief Justice in terms which must be very painful to the 

 Attorney- General, having, as he had, his conduct so described 

 by the highest authority. The Court itself having the whole 

 case before it, and, having expressed its condemnation of the act 

 which has been alluded to, trusted that it would be buried in ob- 

 livion, and the Attorney-General for Ireland expressed his regret 

 that in the irritation of the moment he was induced to take the 

 course which he had taken. 44 Now," concluded the Premier, 

 " in answer to the question of the hon. and learned Member for 

 Bath as to whether the Government have ordered or contem- 

 plated the dismissal of the Attorney-General for Ireland, I say 

 at once that her Majesty's Government have not taken any such 

 step— and that they do not intend it."— Mr. Wvse though 

 opposed to the Attorney- General bore testimony to his exceeding- 

 forbearance and good temper during the sarcastic, pungent, and 

 stinging personal allusions made to him by Mr. Sheil in his 

 speech ; and Lord Eliot adduced his general amiable and con- 

 ciliatory disposition, as au answer to the assault made on 

 his character by Mr. Roebuck.— Lord Stanley said, " The 

 honourable and learned Member for Bath may be free from, 

 those infirmities ot temper which might be exhibited under 

 the influence of taunts and goads — infirmities not excited 

 by one sarcasm, but by purposed, intentional, continued, and 

 bitter personal taunts. The honourable and learned Member 

 for Bath may be unmoved by such a course of irritation, but I 

 am not ashamed, after long experience in the House, to say— and 

 I speak it honestly, though perhaps with some shame to myself 

 —that I have learned day atter uay how difficult it is to sit by 

 and hear taunts thrown out before the House, without being 

 provoked into some irritating word in reply, which I afterwards 

 might regret. Feeling that infirmity myself, I at least can make 

 allowance for one in that position." His Lordship then proceeded 

 to prove that the insults offered to Mr. Smith had been predeter- 

 mined and iollowed up tor the purpose of goading him into some 

 act of indiscretion, and read part of a letter written by Mr. Smith 

 before the occurrence, in which he thus expressed himself:—"! 

 see, day by day, s> stematic attempts to drive me into some act 

 of indiscretion injurious to me and the Government. Speaker 

 after speaker attempts to fix upon me some personal imputation." 

 The noble Lord concluded by calling on the House to abstain 

 from deciding on the question upon newspaper reports or ex- 

 aggerated statements.— Mr. Sergeant Murphy followed zn sup- 

 port of Mr. Roebuck, and was answered by Sir J. Graham, who 

 stated that he was prepared to share in the responsibility of his 

 colleagues, and entertaining the opinion which he did of the 

 honesty, the talents, the public virtue, and the amiable private 



