Mr. Pownall Mr. Duncombe Mr. Wakley Mr. Babbage pointed out as the most necessitous. It drew especially the attention of his excellency the French ambassador, and that of his amiable niece, who, on her first charitable visit to me, entered into the minutest details of our painful condition, took notes of my answers to her questions, and sent them to her majesty, the queen of the French, The final close of the poll was who gave from her private purse as follows: Mr. Duncombe 2,514 Mr. Pownall 1,915 Mr. Wakley - 695 Mr. Babbage - 379 The result was produced by the combination, on the second day, of all classes of radicals, whigs, and ministerialists against Mr. Pownall, who stood on conservative principles. FRENCH CLERGY.-The following letter has been addressed to the Lord Mayor on behalf of the exiled French clergy, who took refuge in this country at the time of the revolution. - 8, King-street, Portman-square. "Sir, The remembrance of your singular humanity in advocating the cause of the distressed French exiled faithful clergy inspires me with an humble confidence in addressing to you a new exposition of our most desperate state of existence. "When we first addressed the Lord Mayor of London in the beginning of 1831, we had not yet experienced a year of horrors; we did not then imagine that we should be left three other years in the same overwhelming condition of perplexing uncertainty. The publicity, which was given to our case, drew the attention of a few benevolent persons, who generously contributed to the relief of those assistance, which was distributed by the ambassador's daughter with her own hands, in presence of the first secretary of the embassy at my own lodging, to those who appeared to be most destitute, adding afterwards, that as soon as the king of the French should be allowed a civil list, it was his intention to grant us annual alimentary pensions.' Our hopes being thus revived, we ceased to make known the progressive misery of our situation. The king was granted a civil list in the session of 1832, but we saw all our hopes destroyed in an instant, for we formed no part of that list. "The question of our pension from 1831 to this year, 1834, has been adjourned from session to session, without the Chamber coming to any settlement. The final settlement had been fixed for the last session, and it has been again adjourned to the session of 1835. From the 20th of June, 1830, to this day, the French exiled clergy have received but three distinct succours, collectively amounting to no more than 24l. 13s., which amount divided by four, makes the sum of 6l. 2s. 2d. per year. I leave it to you to draw the inevitable inference. Thence so many deaths, from the commencement at this loudly crying inexplicable abandonment on the part of the French legislature, at a time when it liberally provides for the support of the refugees of all other countries. The mortality has been awful. Of more than 150 French clergy men living in 1830, I cannot count more than 75 now in existence. Daily domestic vexations, uninterrupted mental anxieties, restless nights, and the cravings of unsatisfied wants of all kinds, have untimely hurried to the tomb so many victims of an unparalleled struggle. But the incessant demands of unsatisfied creditors, coupled with the refusal of any more credit, are the most intolerable miseries to which we are subject. "I have said, that we have received from the Government no more than 24/. 13s. for four whole years, but you will allow me to say a word about the unaccount able delays experienced between the period of the grant made for the support of life, and the period of the payment. The interval between the first grant and the first payment was seven full months; the second interval was three months; and the third, eight. But this last succour, voted June 21, 1833, and paid to some in the last days of February with checks sent from Paris, and bearing the date of January 1st, has been paid only in the months of March, April, and May, to others, and I am told that some still remain unpaid at this moment,-that is, a full year after its being granted. Why those various instalments of the same succour coming from the same source? Why, sir, we have been told by three French journals, that the sum voted for the support of our life has been lent at a high rate of interest by those intrusted with the charge of its distribution, and the profits pocketed by them, while those who were entitled to it perished from want within its very sight, after having complied with all the formalities required, and having been tantalized for six months, before dying the death of starvation. "A new provisional succour is said to have been granted at the end of the last session, but shorter than the preceding by 150,000 francs; consequently the individual shares will be but a trifle, perhaps about 4l. But though a trifle, when will it be paid, and how will it cover the expenses from June, 1834, to June or July, 1835? When our credit is, by the persevering delay of the Chamber, entirely ruined, there is but to choose between death by want, and the frank statement of our truly appalling case to the chief magistrate of London. May you be enabled to smooth our passing from time to eternity, and we will carry with us to our last abode the sense of a deep gratitude. I am, sir, in the name of all my unfortunate brother clergymen, most respectfully, your most humble and obedient servant, "DESPERRIER, exiled priest." SAVINGS' BANKS OF PARIS.-The following details are taken from a report of the Savings' Banks of Paris, made a few days ago by M. Benjamin Delessert, President of that establishment, at the general meeting of the Directors and Administrators : The total number of deposits, in the year 1833, was Francs. 141,741, amounting to a sum of. 8,738,000 The year preceding the amount was. 3,643,000 Increase in 1833.. 5,090,000 The amount of reimbursements, in 1833, was 3,066,000 2,200,000 From this it appears, that the deposits of 1833 were double those of 1832, whilst the reimbursements were only in the proportion of a third; so that, in 1832, the excess of the sums deposited over those paid out was only Whilst in 1833, this excess was.... .... 1,442,000 5,667,000 So that the sums received by the Savings' Banks in 1833 were four times greater than in 1832. The sum due to the depositors on December 31, 1832, was... The deposits made in 1833.. 6,548,103 fr. 28 c. 8,733,340 Interest and arrears received for the benefit of the depositors Money due to the depositors on December 31, Represented by 95,560 f. 33 c. in the coffers of And by an inscription of 60,830 f. 5 per cent Consols, belonging to the establishment. If the Savings Bank had liquidated its accounts on the 31st of December last, after having sold its inscription at the then price of stocks, and after repaying all its deposits, there would have remained a surplus of 1,233,332 f. The number of books (livrets) in circulation in 1832 was Total Of these were paid off and cancelled There remained, therefore, on the 31st of December, 1833 23,693 16,891 40,584 6,660 83,924 The money due at that period to the depositors was 12,580,000 f. The average amount of each book was 378 f., whilst in the preceding year, the amount was only 276 f. The rapid augmentation in the number of depositors is remarkable:In 1831, there were but 1832, 1833, 4,916 new books. 8,160 16,891 Upon the Savings' Banks in the departments, which have been encouraged by the directors of the Paris establishment, we find the following information in the same report : : From 1818 to 1830, there were established only 11 Banks. 1833 .... 4 Applications for permission to open similar 39 86 There will consequently be soon in full activity 86 Savings' Banks. These departmental establishments correspond with the central one in Paris, and to the annual report of this latter will be added a statement of the principal results of the former. The twenty-five Savings Banks which existed last year, received in deposits during 1832, only Whilst in 1833, they received... ... 1,481,230 fr. 3,971,857 2,490,627 fr. During the first six months of the present year, 1834, 12,355 new books were delivered, the deposits upon which amounted to 8,937,000 francs, which is nearly as much as the total amount of deposits of the preceding year, and, on the 30th of June, 1834, there remained due to the depositors a sum of 18,870,000 francs. 3. VICTORIA THEATRE-TRAGEDY OF CHARLES I.-Miss Mitford's historical tragedy of Charles the First, which has been long written, was this night brought out. The tragedy opens at the time when the king, having been betrayed into the hands of his enemies, is a prisoner at Carisbrook Castle. Cromwell's ambitious views begin to develop themselves. With "specious words of glozing courtesy," he deceives Ireton, Brad shaw, Harrison, and the other great agents in effecting the revolution. The king is brought to trial by his subjects; his deathwarrant is signed by his judges, some of whom are threatened, and others cajoled by Cromwell. Finally, he is led to execution in spite of the entreaties of his queen, and contrary to the remonstrances of Fairfax, who is, according to the published anecdote, sent "to seek the Lord" with Harrison, appearance of a wolf, which rushed upon them from an adjoining wood, seized a boy nine years old and carried him off. The pursuit which soon after took place was unsuccessful, and no trace of the child was found. Such an occurrence is quite uncommon, especially at this season of the year, when beasts of prey find abundance of food in the forests; it was, therefore, the opinion of many, that the wolf was in a rabid state from hydrophobia.” STATE OF CRIME IN FRANCE. while the monarch is immolated. frolics were interrupted by the Such, briefly, are the events portrayed in the drama. The characters are strongly and, for the most part, faithfully drawn. That of queen Henrietta is throughout a very natural portrait. As a queen-in whose veins the blood of the Medici and of the Bourbon flows-proud, bold, haughty; but when subdued by the accumulated misery of her lord, a woman-a mere woman-all tears, all entreaties! The character of Cromwell, in its general outline, is forcibly drawn. Charles, when the The official returns of the criplay opens, has reached that point minal courts of France for 1833, where hope has almost vanished- have been published by the secrewhere religion and philosophy alone tary of state and minister of justice, remain to cheer him under the bit- and laid before the king on the 7th terness of misfortune. Miss Mit- of July, 1834. ford has well depicted him-a man of many sorrows, but still a king. The tragedy was received with almost unanimous acclamations by a crowded house. One worthy critic (a lad) in the pit did vent, in the middle of the third act, certain sibilations, which so much annoyed those who were around him as to cause the police to be called in. Their presence added to the turmoil; but Mr. Abbott promptly quelled the confusion by saying, very good-humouredly, "Ladies and gentlemen, permit me, respectfully, to offer one word. Pray, as the gentleman appears to be so very singular in his opposition, let him freely enjoy that singularity." This friendly appeal excited applause and laughter, and the dissentient voice was heard no more. 5. HOMBURGH (BAVARIAN RHINE-CIRCLE.)-"A frightful event occurred at St. Jugbert. Several children, from seven to eleven years of age, were playing together, when suddenly their The total number of judgments delivered was 6,162, of which 5,526 prosecutions were defended, and 636 were passed by default. In the first number of accusations 8,227 individuals were comprised, and in the second, 883. This shows an increase of 312 prosecutions over 1832, and of 832 criminals above 1831, which is chiefly accounted for by the disturbances in the southern and western departments, as well as in Paris; 262 accusations, comprising 812 persons, having been instituted on that account in 1833; and if the prosecutions on the same account in 1832, be deducted from the returns of that year, the excess over 1831 does not exceed 50 cases. The reports distinguished the different departments, and the description of crimes in each. The number of sentences for ordinary crimes was 5,295 in 1833, of which 1,331 were against persons, and 3,966 against property. The per centage against persons in 1833, was 25, and in 1831, 27 per cent. |