ces. The remaining part of the message relates to the Financial concerns of the States, which are not in a very flourishing condition.

BRITISH AMERICA.-Halifax papers to the 5th December inform us, the Earl of Dalhousie had received his appointment to be Governor General of his Majesty's dominions in North America, in the room of the late Duke of Richmond. Lieutenant. General Sir James Kempt succeeds the Earl of Dalhousie as Governor of Nova Scotia.

Advices from Halifax, of the 18th Nov. state, that on the 11th of that month, the Naval Hospital in that town was consumed by fire, owing to the carelessness of one of the nurses, who unhappily fell a victim to the flames. Fortunately there was but one patient in the hospital, and he escaped. The loss is estimated at 48,000 dollars.

WEST INDIES.-Letters from Jamaica, dated 23d October, state, that the sickness with which that island had been visited was more severe than any experienced during the last twenty years. Its effects among the troops had been very great, both in officers and privates. Nineteen of the former, exclusive of their wives and families, are represented as having become sacrifices to its violence. In the family of an officer belonging to the 50th regiment, consisting of nine individuals, seven have died! The loss in non-commissioned and rank and file is said to amount to 500 men. Very fortunately, the rainy season had commenced, by which the atmosphere was greatly cooled, and the most sanguine expectations were entertained of the island being again speedily restored to its former state of health.

STATE OF MEXICO.-By advices received by the circuitous route of Cape Horn, it appears that the cause of Mexican independence is far from being in that desperate state in which the official accounts from the Viceroy, for the last two years, as published in the Madrid Gazette, represent it to be. In Mexico, the clergy have always been foremost in the revolution, and frequently commanded divisions, and we now hear of Father Torres with 3000 men, and the rich cacique, Bautista, under him, with 2000 more. The Patriot Government, it appears, resides in the mountainous parts of what is called La Tierra Calicute, on the coast of the Pacific, between Valladolid and New Galicia, where the mountains are inaccessible to the Spaniards, and well fortified. The Patriots have their partizans in every part of the kingdom, and enjoy a complete ascendancy in the provinces of Guanaxoato, Queretaro, and the northern parts of those of Mexico, La Puebla, and Vera Cruz. In the two first are three brothers of the name of Ortiz, with considerable divisions, and oc

casionally acting in the other three, is the famous General Guadaloupe Victoria, and his second in command, Don Jose Vergara, who, with their little army, have long braved the efforts of the Spaniards. Their parties being nearly all mounted, and composed of the hardy and enduring natives, they keep their enemies in continual motion, harass and cut off their detachments, following up a perfect guerilla system, for which habitually, as well as from the nature of their country, they are so well suit ed. By this means, having their secret and sworn friends every where, they keep up a line of communication from the northern coast of Vera Cruz to the Pacific, in an extent of more than 200 leagues. General Victoria occupies a territory in which are the mines of Pachuca, Moran, Real de Monte, and Potosi, the latter called so after the rich mineral ridge of that name belonging to the provinces of Buenos Ayres. Guadalope Victoria is a younger brother of the Marquis of the same name, and belongs to one of the richest families in Mexico. He is active and zealous, and the personal dangers he has frequently run are beyond belief.

We

Several of the chiefs, who, in consequence of the critical situation in which they were placed, had availed themselves of the royal pardon, have again taken up arms, and among them is Pena. Some few of the Offi. cers who followed the unfortunate Mina were scattered among the guerilla parties. must, however, confess that, notwithstanding the spirit of hostility to Spain, and a determination to be free, still prevails in a considerable portion of New Spain, and will be kept alive by the activity of determined partizans, it cannot for the present lead to any result approaching the downfall of Spanish power in that important region, owing to a variety of reasons, among which is the want of arms and elements of war. The Spaniards have always possessed the points of maritime communication, hence have they been able amply to supply themselves, while the Patriots have had no other weapons than those they could wrest from their enemy on the field of battle. Thus will the emancipation of Mexico be the last part of that grand work, fast operating in Spanish Columbia. The revolution there cannot assume any decided feature till the governments of the other sections have completed their labours, or till it suits the policy of the United Statesto improve and avail themselves of that popular feeling which the agents of Spain have been unable to extinguish, either with the bayonet, axe, or insincere pledges of royal pardon.

NEW GRANADA.-Letters which have been received from Angostura, dated 14th October, mention, that, with the exception of Carthagena, which is besieged, the whole

of New Granada is in the power of the independent troops. The royal forces having been concentrated for the protection of Lima, the whole country had been deprived of its garrisons, and there were therefore no troops left to oppose the progress of the invading force.

Another Disgraceful Failure by M'Gregor. By accounts from Jamaica, it appears that the adventurer M'Gregor has in another expedition failed no less dis gracefully than he did formerly at Portobello. With 200 men, the remnant of more than 1200 English soldiers, who had mostly perished through hunger or disease, M'Gregor sailed from Aux Cayes on the 1st October, for Rio de la Hache, a town of

New Granada, to the westward of the Gulf of Maracaibo. The place was gained though with the loss of nearly one-third of the troops, and lost after a very few days, when hardly one of them escaped the edge of the sword. The Commander-in-Chief remained on board his ship until after the first action ended, and betook himself again to sea before the second began, never having seen blood drawn, nor heard a shot fired throughout the whole expedition. Eight cfficers, including Colonel Norcott, abandoned their unworthy leader at Rio de la Hache, and published the statement of these occurrences as a protest against the conduct of M'Gregor, and an exposure of his character and pretensions to the world.

PRESERVATION OF THE PEACE.-On the 30th December, the Newspapers Stamp Duties bill, and the Blasphemous and Seditious Libels bill, the two last of the measures proposed by ministers for the preservation of the tranquillity of the country, having passed after lengthened discus. sions, received the royal assent, and both houses adjourned to the 15th of February.

In the course of the debates to which these measures gave rise, in the House of Lords, the Duke of Atholl, and the Lord Chancellor, severally communicated on the 27th the gratifying information, that every part of the country which had been lately agitated, was rapidly returning to a state of tranquillity that promised to be permanent. This happy change in the temper of the disturbed districts, the noble speakers attributed to the powers with which the new laws have armed the magistracy, and the manifestation of loyalty which recent circumstances have called forth in every district of the three kindoms;-a combination of moral and physical energy more than sufficient to appal the boldest treason.

The two last mentioned bills were warmly opposed by several members in the House of Commons and in consequence of this and of petitions from the booksellers in London, Edinburgh, and other places, pointing out the hazards to which they would be exposed in carrying on their trade, provided the Libel bill should pass into a law in its then form, Lord Castlereagh, to meet the views of the petitioners, proposed that the punishment of banishment should be substituted for that of transportation, where a second offence was committed; and that if the convicted party returned from banishment, he should then only be liable to the punishment of transportation.

The provisions of the stamp duties bill

have also undergone considerable modification. The amount of the security which it was first proposed to exact from printers, or publishers, was originally L. 500-the printer himself giving security to this extent, and finding other two securities for a like sum. This sum of L. 500 is now to be reduced to L. 300, and in London and its vicinity, and in the country, the sum of L. 200 is only to be required. The act is confined to such periodical works as are published within successive periods of 26 days, so that all monthly and quarterly publications will be freed from its operation. A special clause in the bill also exempts "all Parliamentary forms, acts of State, and Orders in Council; papers ordered to be printed by either House of Parliament; books used in schools, and works of piety; weekly accounts; state of the markets; reports of the arrival and sailing of merchant vessels, and generally all ship papers."

BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. On the 13th, the House of Commons ordered John Cam Hobhouse, Esq. to be committed to Newgate, for a breach of its privileges. The offence was contained in a pamphlet, written by Mr Hobhouse, in which he disrespectfully advised the Commons to be put out by the ears, and the keys of the Honourable House to be thrown into the Thames. Mr Hobhouse was taken into custody next day by the Deputy Serjeantat-Arms, under the following circumstances-He was, with his friend Mr Michael Bruce, at No. 1, New Street, Spring Gardens, about six o'clock in the evening, when a messenger of the House of Commons, acting as Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms, made his appearance, and produced the Speaker's wairant as his authority for tak ing Mr Hobhouse into custody. Mr Hobhouse said he considered the warrant to be illegal; and the tribunal which had con

demned him unheard, and in his absence, to be also illegal; and that he refused to obey the warrant. The messenger replied, that he had brought a force with him to execute the warrant, and the men were in the house. Mr Hobhouse desired him to carry back his refusal to the Speaker; but the messenger said he could not quit him. "Then," replied Mr Hobhouse," you must use your force, for I will submit to nothing else." Two other messengers soon after made their appearance, when the first messenger laying his hand on Mr Hobhouse, said, You are my prisoner." Mr Hobhouse then replied, "I must submit to force, but I protest against this illegal seizure, and desire you to inform the Speaker thereof." Mr Hobhouse was immediately taken to Newgate by two of the messengers in a hackney coach.

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.--On Tuesday the 14th, Lord John Russel brought forward his motion on borough reform, on which occasion it was stated by Lord Castlereagh, that if, without entering into the general question of what was to be done with all boroughs, he would confine himself to any single case of gross corrup tion, he would not oppose the disfranchisement of the borough where such corruption was proved; and the right thus taken from a corrupt borough he would either extend to the circumjacent district, or would transfer to some populous town now unrepresented. This declaration of the Noble Lord was received with general satisfaction by all parties in the House, and Lord John Russel accordingly the next evening brought in a bill, which was read a first time, for taking the Elective Franchise from the Borough of Grampound, and transferring the right of electing two Bur gesses to the town of Leeds.

Mr OWEN'S PLAN.-On the 15th, the plan of Mr Owen, for ameliorating the condition of the poor, was brought under the consideration of the House of Commons by a motion of Sir W. de Crespigny, on which

occasion, while the highest praise was justly bestowed on Mr Owen's character and motives, great doubts were generally expressed as to the practical utility of his schemes; and the motion for referring the scheme to a committee was rejected by a great majority. The great evil under which the country at present labours is the want of employment for the labouring classes. But Mr Owen's plan does not seem to touch this grand point. He does not point out how this evil is to be remedied, and without this, of what use are all his schemes for the future improvement of the labourer, while he cannot procure employment and food. This is the first consideration, and until this be satisfactorily settled, all speculation about less material objects seems worse than useless.

For

NATIONAL DEBT.-In the course of the debate in the foregoing question, Mr Ricardo advocated a plan for terminating the distresses of the county by paying off a great portion of the national debt. this purpose he proposes a tax of 15 per cent. on capitals. He takes landed property at thirty years purchase as the sum to bear the impost. Other property, we presume, would be taken at twenty years purchase. About 20 per cent. on the principal so obtained would pay off the National Debt. The sums would require to be apportioned in something like the following order: From the proprietors of houses and lands L. 400,000,000. the fund holders L. 30,000,000. merchants, manufacturers, and other capitalists, L. 140,000,000. The result would be to put the fundholders in possession of onefifth of all the lands and effects of the country.

From

From

SCOTTISH BURGHS.-On the motion of Lord Archibald Hamilton, the committee appointed last session to consider and report on the petitions for reform in the Royal Burghs of Scotland has been re-appointed.

DECEMBER.

SINGULAR FELONY.-A trial of a singular description took place in the Commission Court of Dublin on the 6th inst. A Mr William Sinith, a person previously of respectable character, 70 years of age, and who boasted his independent circumstances, had attended at a charity sermon in the church of St Michael's on the 14th November, where he assisted the collectors of the contributions, by opening the pews for them, and other like services; he after

wards went into the vestry-room, and while engaged with the collectors in counting up the money, was observed to put several notes into his pocket. The gentleman (Alderman King) who observed this, accosted him and said, he feared he (Smith) was very ill, on which he said, "No, he was in perfect health." Alderman King replied that must be impossible, for he saw him convey several Bank-notes from the collection-plates into his pocket. Smith then, putting his hand to his head, said, “God

sponding decrease in a pipe of Port wine at the time of the increase in the Cape which was seized. The fact was admitted. Mr Mayo, the Solicitor of Excise, contended, that the Court could only be governed by the letter of the act, which was, he said, against the defendant. The Court, in giving judgment, said there was no imputation whatever upon the character of the firm, of which the officers of Excise had always made an honourable report, and those who had presumed falsely to impeach its respectability deserved punishment. The information did not charge them with any thing criminal or corrupt, and the question merely turned on a point of law. On this head the Court were clearly of opinion that there had been a mixing within the meaning of the act, and adjudged the whole of the wine so mixed to be forfeited.

New Improvements East of CarltonHouse. All the arrangements are at last formed for the architectural improvements east of Pall-Mall; and in the spring the workmen will begin pulling down the old buildings, commencing with Waterloo House. The other premises to Suffolk Street, including the west side of that street to Little Suffolk Street, and the south side of the latter, are also to be removed; and a few of the houses in Hay-Market, opposite the Opera-house, are to be re-built, Cockspur Street, from the east side of Suf. folk Street to Whitcomb Street, is to be widened by the reduction of the frontage of the houses No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Whitcomb Street will be no longer a thorough fare; a high brick wall is to be erected nearly opposite the Mewsgate. The outlet for carriages will be from Little Suffolk Street.

Melancholy Accident.-On Monday, as some young men were amusing themselves on the ice at Lochend, near Edinburgh, it suddenly gave way, by which five persons were plunged in the water, of whom, we regret to state, two were unfortunately drowned. One of them, Daniel Fraser, a shoemaker, aged 18, was the son of a poor widow, residing in Dickson's Close; the name of the other is Robert Scott, a currier, aged 16. We are informed that the ordinary watchman acquainted with the saving apparatus was most unhappily ill in the Infirmary.

Financial Accounts.-Accounts have been printed by order of the House of Commons, showing the amount of the total capital of the funded debt of Great Britain, including the Austrian and Portuguese leans, as it stood on the 1st of February, or 5th of January, in each year, from the year 1786 to the year 1819 inclusive. By these accounts, it appears that the total amount of the unredeemed debt, in the year 1786, was L. 233,231,248, of which the total charge was L, 10,302,402. The pub.

lic debt thence was gradually sinking to the year 1793, when the unredeemed debt amounted to L. 237,989,148. From that year it rapidly and constantly increased to the present year, and on the 5th Jan. 1819, the total debt of Great Britain and Ireland amounted to L. 1,181,502,362; of which has been redeemed L. 389,637,049; leaving the total unredeemed debt L. 791,867,313. The sinking fund amounted toL15,815,001, and the total charge, including the sinking fund, to L. 5,749,296.

An official account of the total weekly amount of bank notes and bank post bills in circulation, from the 23d November 1819, to the latest period to which the same can be stated, states the total for the week ending the 30th of November, at L. 23,248,340, of which L 6,745,850 are under L. 5; for the week ending the 7th December L. 22,536,690, of which L. 6,694,040 are under L. 5; for the week ending 14th December L. 22.418,220, of which L. 6,624,990 are under L. 5; and for the week ending the 21st December L. 22,194,650, of which L. 6,569,560 are under L. 5.

JANUARY 1820.

1. The New Year.-The scene of boisterous festivity which the first morning of the year annually introduces into Edinburgh, has on the present occasion passed over without any disposition to riot. The streets as usual were crowded with parties, passing to and from the houses of their friends, to give and receive their annual congratulations; and noisy mirth, the usual effect of liberal potations, was to be heard in all quarters; but, with the excep tion of occasional drunken quarrels, harmony and good humour prevailed. strong picquet of the 1st regiment of Royal Edinburgh Volunteers was on duty, and the civil authorities had taken every precaution to prevent or put down tumult, but happily there was no occasion for their interference.

A

Population, Rental, and Tithes of England and Wales.-From a paper composed by competent persons and privately circulated, we copy the following:The number of square sta

tute miles in England and Wales is

57,960

The rental of land in both L. 89,476,8:2 The amount of tithe 2,353,249 The resident population in 1811(exclusive of the army and navy) Number of persons in a square mile Agricultural population

10,150,615

175 36

Scotland and Ireland are nearly equal in area, and, together, equal to England and Wales. The assessed rental of Scotland in 1811 was L. 3,899, 364. Value of Land.-Leicester and So