number in this year unemployed was returned as 300,000, showing no diminution in the extent of the employment in the year 1824. In the same year, the number of mills was 175; it was, in the present year, 266. Was it necessary to add more to prove the overtrading in this branch?

The motion for a committee being negatived, the president of the Board of Trade moved certain resolutions, which went to reduce the duties on the importation of the different species of the raw material the only expedient he maintained by which good could be done. These resolutions being adopted, a bill founded on them was brought in and passed, though not without strong opposition from the members hostile to the new system, who declared that this measure alone was wanting to annihilate the trade, which was already in so languishing a condition. During the progress of the bill, Bethnal Green and Spitalfields were the scenes of incessant riot; and property to a very large amount was destroyed. Mr. Peel declared in the House, that he knew these outrages were perpetrated for the purpose of intimidating the legislature from agreeing to the measure.

The Chancellor of the Exche quer opened the budget on the 8th of May. Last year he had estimated the revenue at 53,900,000l. and the expenditure at 50,100,000l, and had counted on having a sum of 3,797,000l. to apply to the fund for the reduction of the debt. He now informed the House that the issue had been more favourable than he had ventured to contem plate. The actual revenue of 1828, had been 55,187,000l., and the expenditure, estimated at

50,000,000l., had been only 49,336,000l., making a total surplus of 5,850,000l. instead of 3,797,000l. With the exception of about 150,000l., this increase had arisen from the two great branches of the revenue-the customs and the excise. The customs had been estimated at the sum of 17,600,000l.; but the amount produced by the customs was only 17,200,000l.: an apparent diminution arising from the tea-duty in Ireland being transferred from the Irish customs to the English excise. The estimate of the customs was reduced 800,000l. by the loss of this duty; while in the estimate there was a countervailing increase of 600,000l., and it had actually exceeded 700,000l. The excise, estimated at 19,200,000l. had reached the sum of 20,759,000l.: but when the tea-duty was deducted, the actual duty would amount to 20,250,000l., giving an excess of about 1,000,000l. above its anticipated produce. This increase had arisen, more or less, on every article, but more particularly on malt and spirits. He had calculated on 600,000l. for the article of malt; but it had amounted to no less than 1,300,000/-a striking proof of increase in the ease and comforts of the community, as it was only upon the general consumption of the people that this sum could be raised. The expenditure of the country had been less than the estimate by 767,000l.; but the whole of this was not an actual saving of expense. Part of it arose from certain payments, which might have been charged, not having been made within the year. The payment of the fleet in the Mediterranean, too, had been deferred, and these expenses,

it must be seen, would fall on another year. A portion of this sum, however, was an actual saving, and it arose from the economical administration of the funds which had been confided by parliament to government. The result of the whole was, that there was a greater bona fide surplus revenue, consisting of nothing but revenue, than had been available in any year since 1822.

In looking again at the expected revenue of the present year, the House, he thought, must lay its account with a reduction of income. This would be partly caused by the measures which the House had thought fit to adopt last session with respect to the trustees for naval and military pensions. By abstracting the sum paid by the trustees of naval and military pensions from the ordinary sources of revenue, there would be a reduction of nearly 2,000,000l.-of exactly 1,900,000l.; but as they had agreed to depart from the system which had been hitherto pursued, they ought not to repine at the consequences of a measure, which, upon full consideration, they had thought it advisable to adopt. With respect to what, strictly so called, was the revenue of the year, they must also be prepared, for a considerable reduction. In the customs, he anticipated a deficiency of 225,000l. With respect to the excise, he proposed to make the estimate 600,000l. less than the estimate of the last year. Taking the customs and the excise together, he would estimate the revenue to be derived from them for the present year at 37,150,000l., allowing a deficiency of 800,000l. ; and he had no reason to anticipate that any deficiency would occur beyond that amount. The other

branches of the revenue afforded no indication of deficiency. The revenue derivable from the stamps had, up to the present moment, gone on progressively improving. There was no diminution in the amount received from the assessed taxes; and the Post-Office furnished a supply of revenue equal to that which it furnished last year. Taking these sources of revenue altogether, he did not think himself called upon, in endeavouring to form a correct estimate for the present year, to make any reduction from the amount which they yielded last year. The general result, therefore, was, that the custom and excise revenue would, in the course of the year to come, produce a sum of 37,150,000l.; the stamps he would take at 7,107,000l.; the assessed taxes at 4,850,000l.; the Post Office at 1,500,000l. ; and the smaller branches at 200,000l. ; making a total of 50,807,000l. Adding to this sum, the extraordinary resources arising out of the money paid by the East-India Company, the unclaimed dividends, and other items, the amount of the revenue receivable would be 51,347,000l. Such would be the probable income.

The expenditure, which he proposed, was as follows:-First, the charge for the debt, amounting to 27,053,000l. and the sum of 850,300l. for interest on Exchequer bills, making the total amount of the interest of the national debt, 27,903,000l. The amount of the naval and military pensions was 585,740l.: and the fixed charges on the consolidated fund he took at the same amount as last year, namely, 2,200,000l., making the whole amount of the fixed and permanent charge, with which Parliament had no direct

power to interfere, 30,688,740l. Then there were the grants for the army, including the commissariat and the extraordinaries amounting to 7,769,178.; being about 1,000,000l. less than the sum voted in the preceding year; for the navy, 5,878,794/.being rather more than 1,000,000l. less than the sum voted last year. For the ordnance, 1,728,9087. had been voted, being an apparent increase of 170,000l. to the amount voted last year; an increase which arose, not from any increased demand in this department, but from the diminution of the sums arising from the sale of old stores. For miscellaneous services the vote of the present year was 2,067,8731.; being a reduction of nearly 300,000l. from the vote of last year. The whole of the ordinary expenses amounted to 17,644,8531., which, compared with the sum of 18,028,040l., showed a saving in the present year of 383,1871. But in addition to the ordinary grants of the present year, Parliament had to provide a sum of 200,000l. for an extraordinary and unforeseen event, arising out of the treaty with the king of Spain, by which we bound ourselves to defray the just claims which the Spanish subjects had on the government of England, in consideration of the payment by the king of Spain of those larger demands, due by the Spanish government to the subjects of this country. Taking, then, the votes of the year, and this 200,000l., the whole expenditure of the year would be found to amount to 48,333,5931. which being deducted from the income of 51,347,000l. left a clear surplus of 3,013,4071. applicable to the reduction of the national debt. The finance committee had recommended that a sum of

3,000,000l. of clear bona fide revenue, should always be kept inviolate for that purpose; and as the surplus on which they could calculate was no greater, no part of it could be applied to the reduction of the burthens of the country.

On the 24th of June, Parliament was prorogued by commission, the Lord Chancellor delivering the following Speech

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "We are commanded by his Majesty, in releasing you from your attendance in Parliament, to express to you his Majesty's acknowledgments for the zeal and assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to the despatch of public business, and especially to the consideration of those important matters which his Majesty recommended to your attention at the opening of the Session.

"His Majesty directs us to inform you, that he continues to receive from his Allies, and from all Foreign Powers, assurances of their earnest desire to cultivate the relations of peace, and maintain the most friendly understanding with his Majesty.

"His Majesty laments that he has not to announce to you the termination of war in the East of Europe; but his Majesty commands us to assure you, that he will continue to use his utmost endeavours to prevent the extension of hostilities, and to promote the restoration of peace.

"It is with satisfaction his Majesty informs you that he has been enabled to renew his Diplomatic Relations with the Ottoman Porte.

"Ambassadors of his Majesty, and of the King of France, are on their return to Constantinople; and the Emperor of Russia, hav

ing been pleased to authorize the Plenipotentiaries of his Allies to act on behalf of his Imperial Majesty, the Negociations for the final pacification of Greece will be carried on in the name of the Three Contracting Parties to the Treaty of London.

"The army of his Most Christian Majesty has been withdrawn from the Morea, with the exception of a small force, destined, for a time, to assist in the establishment of order in a country which has so long been the scene of confusion and anarchy.

"It is with increased regret that his Majesty again adverts to the condition of the Portuguese Monarchy. But his Majesty commands us to repeat his determination to use every effort to reconcile conflicting interests, and to remove the evils which press so heavily upon a country, the prosperity of which must ever be an object of his Majesty's solicitude.

"Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

"His Majesty commands us to thank you for the supplies which you have granted for the service of the year, and to assure you of his Majesty's determination to apply them with every attention to economy.

"My Lords and Gentlemen, "His Majesty has commanded us in conclusion, to express the sincere hope of his Majesty, that the important measures, which have been adopted by Parliament in the course of the present Session, may tend, under the blessing of Divine Providence, to establish the tranquillity and improve the condition of Ireland: and that, by strengthening the bonds of union between the several parts of this great Empire, they may consolidate and augment its power, and promote the happiness of his people."

About the same time, the legal arrangements rendered necessary by the dismissal of sir Charles Wetherell from the office of Attorney-general were completed. Sir James Scarlett, who had filled the same office under Mr. Canning, now became the Attorney-general of the duke of Wellington. To avoid the anomaly of again promoting him over the head of the Solicitor

general, sir Nicholas Tindal, the latter was made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Chief Justice Best being removed into the House of Peers, under the title of Lord Wynford. Mr. Sugden succeeded sir Nicholas Tindall as Solicitorgeneral.

THE

HE Act, which disfranchised the forty-shilling freeholders of Ireland, provided that a new enrolment of the freeholders who still retained a qualification, should take place as soon as possible after the commencement of the Act. This important business was proceeded in with all the despatch which the forms of the statute allowed, and the result was a very serious change in the lists of the electors. The notices given of an intention to register were not so numerous as might have been anticipated from the hosts of small freeholders who used to be marched up to the poll. Even of those who gave notice, a large proportion carried the application no farther, conscious that their claims would not bear the strict scrutiny to which they were now to be subjected; and of those who came forward to the scrutiny, another large proportion were, in every county, found to be wanting. In many instances the people displayed no disposition to register; and their landlords had difficulty in bringing them into court. Cavan 650 notices of enrolment had been given from five baronies; but only 137 claimants presented themselves; and, of these,

In

only 93 were registered. It was estimated that not more than onethird even of those who served notices would succeed in being enrolled. The exclusion of the lower freeholders promised to alter greatly the relation in which the remaining electors would stand to those who had hitherto commanded the representation. The strength of the landlords had hitherto lain in the "forties;" the lowest class of freeholders now admitted were not altogether so dependent; and a still more useful consequence seemed likely to be, that, as the shoals of the forty-shilling men were now removed, even the tenpound electors would find it difficult to beat out of the field those who were rated still higher. The mass of unthinking, obedient matter, on which the will of the landlords could operate at pleasure, was greatly diminished; what remained was of a somewhat better quality in itself, and was brought more nearly to a level with that which might be supposed to have a will of its own. Neither did the new arrangement appear to threaten any injury to the Protestants, in so far as the number of voters was concerned; for, in general, the poorest class of free