ment, and that two persons be deputed to convey their unanimous sentiments to the chief pas

tor.

The proceedings of the Catholic Board bad been so intemperate, that it was not to be wondered at, in the disturbed state of part of Ireland, that government should at length exercise its authority to suppress it. On June 3d the lord lieutenant, with the advice of the privy council, is sued a proclamation, declaring the board contrary to law, and giving notice that if it should renew its meetings, all the members would be proceeded against legally. This attack produced an aggregate meeting of the catholics in Dublin, the Hon. Thomas Ffrench in the chair, at which Mr. O'Connel moved certain resolutions, which were passed. One of these was, "That we utterly deny that the Catholic Board is an unlaw ful assembly, either within the Provisions of the Convention Act, otherwise; and more especially, as that act contains a saving provision, that nothing herein contained shall be construed in any manner to impede or prevent the . undoubted right of his Majesty's subjects to petition his Majesty, or both houses of parliament, for the redress of any public or private grievances." A congratulatory let ter was presented to Pope Pius VII from the Catholic prelates of Ireland, dated from Maynooth College, June 27. It does not touch upon any of the disputed points, and is chiefly remarkable for the inflation of its language. Of the negociations of the Irish catholics with the holy see we have no direct accounts; but in the Dublin Evening Post, about the

beginning of November, it is as serted that the titular archbishop of Hierapolis, Dr. Murray, has left Rome on his return, and that the Pope has issued bulls for the vacant sees. The Irish Catholic church is moreover congratulated on a declaration to which the cardinals have unanimously come, "That they will for no temporal advantage accede to the Veto;" for to this (it is said), though expressed in other words, the declaration amounts.

On December 13th, a meeting of the Catholic committee took place at the house of Lord Fingal, at which some who had formerly seceded were present, his lordship being one. It appears that considerable difference of opinion and debate occurred respecting the aggregate meeting, but at length all parties agreed in the propriety of abstaining from any irrelevant matter, and that the business should be confined to mere petition. The assembly closed with a requisition for an aggregate meeting on January 24th.

The situation of the Princess of Wales was again unfortunately made a topic of public discussion, in consequence of a declaration from her august spouse, of a nature which appeared to her to justify an appeal to the great council of the nation. Her Majesty intending to do honour to the illustrious visitants of this country, by holding swo splendid drawingrooms in the month of June, an intimation was given of a purpose entertained by the Princess of Wales of making her appearance at one of them. In consequence, the Queen wrote a note to the Princess, in which she represented it as her duty to acquaint her with

a com

a communication she had received from her son, the Prince Regent, stating the necessity of his presence at her court, and that he desired it might be understood, for reasons of which he alone could be the judge, to be his fixed and unalterable determination not to meet the Princess of Wales upon any occasion, either public or private. Her Majesty was therefore under the painful necessity of intimating to the Princess the impossibility of receiving her Royal Highness at her drawing-rooms. A correspondence between the two illustrious personages was the result, which the Princess desired the Speaker of the House of Commons to lay before that assembly, and which was productive of a debate reported in our summary of parliamentary proceedings. The letters themselves will be found among the State Papers. A motion for an increase of the allowance of her Royal Highness occasioned other parliamentary discussions, which we have also reported. In conclusion, the Princess finding, doubtless, her situation in this country uncomfortable, (for influence had been used to prevent her from receiving even the slightest mark of respect from the great strangers), she asked and obtained permission to make a tour to the continent, and first visited her brother at the court of Brunswick. She then proceeded to Italy, every where receiving the honours due to her rank; and fixed herself for the winter at Naples. Of her return to England there are at present no indications.

The Princess Charlotte of Wales became in this year a subject of that interest to the public which

must necessarily attend any extraordinary occurrence relative to the presumptive heiress of the crown. It was expected that her union with the hereditary Prince of Orange, to which his father had alluded as a determined measure, in a public address to his States, would have been declared, and perhaps brought to effect; but for some reason, of which the public are left in ignorance, the negociation for that purpose was entirely broken off. Whether or not this circumstance was connected with what followed, is matter of conjecture; but it appears that the Prince Regent, accompanied by the Bishop of Salisbury, repaired to Warwick House, his daughter's residence, on July 12th, and announced the dismission of all her attendants, and his intention of taking her with him to Carlton House. This declaration, probably joined with paternal reproof, had such an effect on the young lady's feelings, that requesting leave to retire, she took the opportunity of escaping by the back stair-case, and rushing into the street, where she got into a backney coach, and drove to Connaught House, her mother's residence. The Princess of Wales, much embarrassed by this unexpected visit, immediately drove to the parliament house to consult her friends what was proper to be done on the occasion. The result was, that the Princess Charlotte was

persuaded to accompany her uncle, the Duke of York, to Carlton House. After remaining there some time, she was removed to Cranbourn Lodge in Windsor Forest, where she was placed under the care of her new attendants. A complaint in one of her knees

having produced from the faculty a declaration of the expediency of a course of sea-bathing, her Royal Highness in autumu went to Weymouth for that purpose, whence she returned at the latter end of the year. Since that time she has continued in her residence near Windsor, and nothing farther has occurred particularly to excite the public solicitude on her account.

The introduction into parliament, in the early part of the session, of bills for the purpose of making a great alteration in the corn laws, and especially of fixing a much higher scale for the liberty of free importation, excited a very extensive alarm among the manufacturing part of the community, and was the cause of a great number of meetings for petitioning against such changes. Their effect was to defeat the proposed measure, ministers not choosing to hazard the consequences of such a general impression. As the harvest frustrated the expectations that had been formed of a plentiful crop, it is probable that any check given to the large importations of grain, which have since taken place, would have raised that necessary of life to an inordinate price. In the mean time, the farmers, pressed upon by high rents and wages, and burdensome taxes, have not been able to indem

nify themselves by the existing low prices of their commodities, and in many instances have been reduced to considerable difficulty; so that it seems the general opinion that some modifications must be made in their favour.

The restoration of peace on the continent has proved less advantageous to the commercial interests of the country than might have been expected; and there is reason to apprehend a powerful rivalry to our manufactures in the improved skill, and much lighter expense of workmanship, by which those of our neighbours are favoured. The German fairs are said to have afforded evidence of this successful competition. Meanwhile the opening of the longclosed interior of Europe has produced a vast exportation of English tourists, who, whatever returns they may bring of amusement or instruction, will certainly not improve the balance of trade. Nor are the emigrants few, whom the comparative cheapness of living has drawn to the continent rather as sojourners than visitants. On the whole, the close of the year has not gratified the country with those anticipations of increased prosperity, which a state of general peace might have been hoped to justify.