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July 2. St. Jean d’Acre surrendered to Ibrahim, son of Mehemet Ali, pasha of Egypt. Ibrahim soon after defeated, in a great battle near Damascus, the army of the Sultan, and threatened to penetrate into Asia Minor. The Turks were eager to avail themselves of European tactics and discipline, but the Egyptians had anticipated them.
3. Lord Durham and suite sailed on an embassy extraordinary to Russia.
8. Don Pedro, ex-emperor of Brazil, arrived at Oporto, having sailed from St. Michael's, in the Azores, on the 28th ult. His fleet consisted of 80 vessels, and his army of 7,500 men, of whom the best and bravest portion were 1000 English and French adventurers. The object of Don Pedro's enterprise was the establishment of his daughter Donna Maria on the throne usurped by her uncle Don Miguel. Oporto was promptly abandoned to the invader, and obstinate conflicts ensued in the neighbourhood between the two brothers, but the year closed without either side obtaining a decided advantage.
8. Mr. Jeremie, a zealous advocate of negro emancipation, having been nominated by the government to act as attorney-general in the colony of of Mauritius, arrived there agreeably to his appointment. No sooner had he landed, than a great part of the white population assembled to resist his admission to office; and a deputation represented to the governor, sir Charles Colville, the impossibility of maintaining the public peace, if Mr. Jeremie was not dismissed. Sir Charles was induced to comply with their demands, and Mr. Jeremie returned to England in the same vessel that carried him out.
12. The cholera commits great ravages in the Canadas, especially Montreal and Quebec.
20. Mr. Osbaldiston, for a wager, trotted the celebrated American horse Rattler thirty-four miles in two hours, eighteen minutes, and fifty-six seconds; the horse was injured by the exertion and died next day.
23. Parliament granted £15,000 to erect a national picture gallery and record office.
27. The conduct of Major Wyndham in causing a soldier, named Alexander Somerville, to be flogged under the plea of disobedience of orders, though, it was alleged, in reality, for having expressed certain political opinions, having been subjected to a military court of inquiry, the major was acquitted of any such conduct, but censured for informality in having reproved him for those opinions after his punishment, in presence of the regiment. Somerville shortly after obtained his discharge, and a subscription of £300 was raised for him.
Aug. 7. Duchess of Kent and the princess Victoria visit the lake and pass of Llanberis. The royal party embarked at the northern extremity of the lake, a few hundred yards from the ruins of the Hall of Llewellyn, where Edward I. embarked to attack the Welsh when they made their last stand. Here her royal highness entered the boat of T. R. Smith, Esq., at the stern of which floated the royal standard of Britain, for the first time since the days of Edward.
11. Marriage of Leopold, king of Belgium, with a daughter of the king of the French, celebrated at Compeigne.
13. John Williams, aged 32, a waterman of Waterloo Bridge, performed the laborious task of rowing 99 miles within 12 hours. No man ever before achieved the undertaking. Two skilful rowers once performed the distance in thirteen hours.
29. A public discussion took place at Birmingham, between Mr. Thomas Attwood, the banker, and Mr. William Cobbett, on the best means of relieving the distress of the country. Mr. Attwood’s plan was, the issuing of an unlimited number of one-pound notes: Mr. Cobbett’s, what he termed an equitable adjustment of taxes, public and private debts, etc. The audience decided in favour of Mr. Attwood.
GEEEK TREATY.—The long-pending negociations between Russia, England, and France, having for their object the erection of Greece into an independent monarchy, concluded with a treaty, of which the following is the substance:—1. Prince Otho, of Bavaria, to bear the title of king of Greece, with right of succession in order of primogeniture. 2. Three Bavarian councillors to govern during the minority of the prince, appointed by the king of Bavaria; Otho to be of age in June, 1835. 3. The three powers guarantee a loan to Otho, not exceeding 60,000,000 of francs, to be raised by three equal instalments. 4. Indemnity out of the loan to be paid to the Porte for any territorial cessions to complete the Grecian frontier. 5. Bavaria to furnish 3,500 troops for the service of Greece, to be equipped and maintained by the Greek state. 6. Bavarian officers to organise a national army in Greece. About the same period, a protocol was signed at Constantinople, by which the Porte assented to the extension of the Greek frontier as required by the London Conference, from the Gulf of Arta to that of Vola, and recognised the independence of the Greek state. An indemnity of 40 millions of piastres to he paid to the Porte out of the proceeds of the loan guaranteed by the powers. It was not till December 6 that Otho left Munich for Nauplia, to take possession of the new sovereignty, that had long gone a begging among European princes.
Sept. 15. Duke Charles of Brunswick, who had been deposed in 1831, in consequence of his unpopular measures and personal incapacity for governing, banished from Paris, where he had been plotting to raise an expedition to unseat his brother Duke William, whom the Brunswickers had raised to the sovereignty in his stead.
18. Charles X. of France left Holyrood House for the continent.
21. DEATH OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.—This highly popular author expired of paralysis, of which decided symptoms had appeared in the preceding winter, and was the same disease of which his father had died a few years older. A rapid tour in Italy had not retarded the progress of the fatal malady, and sir Walter, on his return passed through London in July, in a state of hopeless debility, on his way to his much-loved abode of Abbotsford. Though his death had been expected for some months its announcement drew forth a general expression of regret and commiseration, heightened by its lingering approach, and the painful circumstances of pecuniary difficulty by which it had been preceded and hastened. He was buried at Dryburgh Abbey on the 26th., among the ruins of which his family possess a small piece of sepulchral ground, given them by the earl of Buchan.
[rest omitted]
29. Report of the sanitary commission of Paris published, stating the number of deaths in that city arising from cholera, between March 26 and August 30, to have been 18,000.
Oct. 1. A subscription raised in the city of London for the erection of almshouses, in lieu of an illumination to celebrate the passage of the Reform Bill.
10. The new formation of the French ministry announced in the Moniteur:—Marshal Soult, president of the council and minister-of-war, vice M. Perier; duke de Broglio, minister of foreign affairs, vice Sebastiani; M. Humann, minister of finance, vice M. Montalivet; M. Thiers, minister of the interior, vice Baron Louis; M. Guizot, minister of public instruction, vice M. Girod de l’Ain; M. Barthe, keeper of the seals and administrator of ecclesiastical affairs; Admiral de Rigny to remain minister of the marine, and M. d’Argout of commerce and public works. Baron Louis and M. Girod de l’Ain were created peers; and a royal ordinance followed, containing a list of the names of sixty-one other individuals created peers.
25. Queen of Spain appointed regent during the indisposition of the king; her majesty granted a general amnesty, and declared in favour of liberal measures.
30. A French squadron arrives at Spithead, to cooperate with the English in compelling the Dutch to evacuate Antwerp, in conformity with the settlement of the great powers.
Nov. 1. Charles Pinney, mayor of Bristol during the riots, acquitted of the charge of misdemeanour in neglecting his duty, after a trial of six days before the court of king’s bench. It appeared the accused had exerted himself, but had not been zealously supported by the inhabitants, from the unpopularity of the political opinions of their recorder, and, next, from dislike of their close corporation.
4. Died at his house, Russell-square, in his 71st year, CHARLES ABBOTT, baron Tenterden, lord chief justice of the court of king’s bench. His health had been declining for some years; and on the commencement of the trial of the Bristol mayor, on the 27th ult., he was taken so ill that he was unable again to appear in court. The ruling passion seems to have been strongly evinced in the last moments of this eminent public functionary. His family were standing round his bed, watching his closing struggles, when he was observed feebly to move his hand along the pillow, as if in the act of writing, and immediately afterwards he was heard to exclaim, almost in his usual tone, “Gentlemen of the Jury, you may retire:” he then closed his eyes and expired.
He was born at Canterbury of humble parentage, but received a classic education. At Oxford, where he obtained both a fellowship and tutorship, he was a persevering and successful student, and distinguished by his quiet demeanour. He owed his easy success in life to the patronage of powerful individuals. Mr. Justice Buller, observing his peculiar talents, recommended him to the legal profession; and his excellent treatise on the Shipping Laws obtained for him the favour of lords Eldon and Ellenborough,—under the concurring recommendation of whom he was advanced to the bench; and in 1818 he succeeded the latter as chief justice of England. Lord Tenterden was not an orator, but remarkable for a well-governed temper, learning, judgment, and excellent sense. He was not an advocate calculated to impress a jury, but he was a safe counsellor; and his business at the bar was so considerable that it yielded an average income £10,000. His court he contrived to keep in admirable order; and the most arrogant spirits were subdued by his grave and well-timed rebuke. As a legislator he had few claims. He was a conservative in church and state; and the last speech he delivered in the house of lords, where he seldom spoke, was against the Reform Bill.
6. A deputation, consisting of forty gentlemen, headed by sir John Key, the lord mayor, waited upon earl Grey, lord Althorp, and lord John Russell, to present their lordships with gold cups, the produce of a penny subscription, to which 300,000 persons had contributed. The cups weigh eighty-five ounces, and contain five pints in each. A similar cup was presented to lord chancellor Brougham.
An embargo laid on Dutch vessels by the English and French governments in their respective ports. The king of Holland refused to follow the example; alleging that it “would be unjust to entail on private individuals the consequences of state quarrels.”
7. DUCHESS OF BERRI.—This adventurous Bourbon, who had been for some time previously using her endeavours to excite insurrection in favour of her son, was arrested on the 7th at Nantes. She was discovered, with three of her companions, hid in an oven or small closet behind the chimney, the heat of which greatly incommoded them, especially the duchess, who was pressed against the back of it, and compelled them to cry out to surrender. The princess said her pursuers “had made war on her a la St. Laurent.” She was confined in the castle of Blaye,—where, much to the astonishment of Europe, and the great confusion of the royalists, she gave birth to a daughter, May 10. It was not known she had forsaken her widowhood: but after her accouchement she signed a declaration that she had been privately married in Italy to Count Hector Luchesi Palli, gentleman of the chamber to her brother the king of Naples, and then residing as envoy from that court at the Hague. This lapse having deprived the princess of her influence over the Bourbonites, and of the power of exciting disturbance, the French government gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to set her at liberty. Immediately she recovered, she was put on board a French frigate, along with her infant and attendants, and conveyed to Sicily.
19. The king of the French, whilst on horseback proceeding to the chambers to open the session, was fired at by an unknown person, who immediately escaped by mixing in the crowd. His majesty was unhurt, and proceeded to deliver the royal speech, which chiefly related to the siege of Antwerp, and some important laws to be introduced during the session. M. Dupin, the ministerial candidate, was chosen president hy a large majority.
24. The legislative assembly of South Carolina resolved to resist the tariff imposed by the general congress of the United States. They empowered the governor of the state, general Hamilton, to declare its independence of and separation from the federal union, on the first appearance of any military force for its coercion; but they also stated what modifications in the duties on foreign manufactures would satisfy them. President Jackson replied in firm but argumentative and conciliatory addresses. Early in the ensuing year, this threatening commotion in the Union was compromised by alterations in the tariff, which provided that duties on imports should be gradually reduced to 20 per cent. ad valorem.
Dec. 3. Parliament dissolved by proclamation.
4. President Jackson delivered his message to congress. He congratulated them on the near prospect of the liquidation of the residue of the public debt, and deprecated policy of the tariff which prevented a mutual commerce between their own and other countries.
5. An Irish youth, aged nineteen, killed at Farsley, near Leeds. He had given offence to the trade unionists. The perpetrators of the foul act were not detected.
15. During the second day's polling at Sheffield an unfortunate disturbance took place, which occasioned the deaths of five persons.
21. Battle of Konieh (the ancient Iconium) between Ibrahim Pasha and Redschid Pasha, the grand vizier. The victories of Ibrahim in the preceding year had opened to him the way across the Taurus, and, descending into the plains of Caramania, he took up a strong position behind the town of Konieh, where the enemy could reach him only through dangerous defiles. His army was inferior in number to that of the Turks, but hardened to war, accustomed to victory, and led by skilful officers. The vizier, apprehensive that Ibrahim might receive reinforcements, attacked the centre of the Egyptian position; which Ibrahim foreseeing, he fell suddenly on the Turkish flanks, broke them, surrounded the vizier, and made him prisoner. This signal defeat caused the utmost alarm at Constantinople, there being now no obstacle between Ibrahim and the shores of the Bosphorus.
24. SURRENDER OF ANTWERP.—The French army, amounting to near 60,000 men, commanded by marshal Gerard, entered Belgium on the 13th ult., and on the 30th the marshal summoned general Chassé, in the name of the two coercing powers, England and France, to surrender the citadel. General Chassé refused, and declared his intention to hold out to the last extremity. After some negotiation, it was settled that the city of Antwerp should be considered neutral by both sides. On the 4th inst., the French having dug their entrenchments and prepared their artillery, opened a fire in volleys with about 100 pieces. The Dutch returned it with spirit, and many of the French were killed and wounded. The operations were carried on with vigour on both sides till the 23rd., when the besiegers having laid the interior of the fort in ruins and effected a breach with the intention of carrying it by storm, general Chassé surrendered on the following day. By the terms of the capitulation the garrison were held prisoners of war, till the surrender of Lillo and Liefkenshoek, two other Belgic fortresses on the Scheldt, in the possession of the Dutch. The king of Holland, however, refused to allow of the surrender of these forts; upon which the garrison was marched into France and the French army evacuated Belgium.
31. Ferdinand of Spain rescinds and protests against a decree extorted from him while he lay dangerously ill, by which the Salic law had been renewed, and his brother, Don Carlos, declared his successor, to the exclusion of his own daughter.
MARRIAGES.—A German periodical, the Hesperus, contains the results of some curious inquiries on this subject. It appears that to 1,000 marriages there were born in the Two Sicilies 5,546 children; in France, 4,118; in England, 3,565; in Zealand, 3,439. So that the Two Sicilies and Zealand being the extremes, marriages are less prolific as the country lies nearer the north. The writer also shows what might have been foreseen, that there has been a growing excess of males over females since the peace.
CRIME IN FRANCE.—Out of every 100 persons accused, 61 are regularly condemned. Out of the whole population, one in every 4,460 persons is accused. In every 100 crimes, 25 are against the person, 75 against property. Experience shows that the number of murders is annually nearly the same; and, that the instruments or means employed are always in the same proportion. The inclination to commit crime is at its greatest in man about the age of twenty-five; in woman, five years later. The proportion of men and women accused is four to one. In summer more crimes are committed against the person, fewer against property; the reverse is the case in winter.
STEAM CARRIAGES.—A parliamentary committee appointed to inquire into steam carriages, concluded their report with the following summary .—1. That carriages can be propelled by steam on common roads at an average rate of ten miles per hour. 2. That at this rate they have conveyed upwards of fourteen passengers. 3. That their weight, including engine, fuel, water, and attendants, may be under three tons. 4. That they can ascend and descend hills of considerable inclination with facility and ease. 5. That they are perfectly safe for passengers. 6. That they need not be nuisances to the public. 7. That they will become a speedier and cheaper mode of conveyance than carriages drawn by horses. 8. That, as they admit of greater breadth of tire than other carriages, and as the roads are not acted on so injuriously as by the feet of horses in common draught, such carriages will cause less wear of roads than coaches drawn by horses.
SOCIAL ECONOMY.—The inquiries of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the operation of the Poor Laws have disclosed some extraordinary features in the condition of different classes of society. It appears that, in many gaols, criminals have a greater allowance of food than that given to paupers, and that paupers in their turn are better fed than independent labourers. The following results have been arrived at by Mr. Chadwick, which, if correctly deduced, show that the scale of allowance is proportioned to the demerit rather than the desert of the receivers. Of solid food weekly, the independent agricultural labourer receives 122 ounces; the soldier, 168; the able-bodied pauper, 151; the suspected thief, 181; the convicted thief, 239; the transported thief, 330 ounces.
A.D. 1833. ELECTION AND COMPOSITION OF THE FIRST REFORM PARLIAMENT.—The elections in the last month of the past year were all over in less than three weeks after the dissolution of parliament. The quietness and dispatch with which this national business was transacted contrasted favourably with the fifteen days' riot, licentiousness and immorality, which prevailed under the former system. Even the opponents of the Reform Acts were constrained to admit the superiority of their practical working in elections. By excluding non-resident voters, by limiting the duration of the poll to two days, and increasing the number of polling places, the expenses to candidates were diminished, and increased facilities afforded to electors.
As might be expected, the elections ran strongly in favour of the ministers, to whom the people were under such especial obligations. The numerical strength of the different parties in the new house of commons was supposed to be—Ministerial members, 400; Tories or Conservatives, 150; Radicals, Ultra Liberals, Independents, Irish Repealers, etc., about 100. Considering the latter division reformers, the subjoined statement exhibits, under the heads of Reformers and Conservatives, the number of each class returned by the counties, cities, boroughs, and universities of the United Kingdom:—
| Ref. | Cons. | ||
| England | County Members | 102 | 42 |
| Cites and Boroughs | 264 | 59 | |
| Universities | 4 | ||
| Wales | County Members | 8 | 7 |
| Cities and Boroughs | 11 | 3 | |
| Scotland | County Members | 22 | 8 |
| Cities and Boroughs | 22 | 1 | |
| Ireland | County Members | 48 | 16 |
| Cities and Boroughs | 32 | 7 | |
| Dublin University | 2 | ||
| Total | 509 | 149 | |
Of the whole 658 members, about 280 had not sat in the preceding parliament, and few of the 280 in any parliament. Of the 380 members who had been in the last parliament and were also returned for this, most of them sat for new places. Of the 80 Irish reformers, 38 were pledged repealers. The universities appear to have been most deeply conservative, the Scotch burghs the least so. The English counties were more conservative than the boroughs, but not so conservative as the Welsh counties, which exceeded the conservatism of the Irish counties. The subjoined statement exhibits the number of counties and boroughs, the number of registered electors, and the number of members returned in the general election of 1832:—
| Electors | Mems. | |||
| 40 | English | Counties | 344,564 | 144 |
| 185 | English | Boroughs | 274,649 | 327 |
| 12 | Welsh | Counties | 25,815 | 15 |
| 14 | Welsh | Boroughs | 11,309 | 14 |
| 30 | Scotch | Counties | 33,114 | 30 |
| 76 | Scotch | Boroughs | 31,382 | 76 |
| 32 | Irish | Counties | 60,607 | 64 |
| 34 | Irish | Boroughs | 31,545 | 41 |
Of the 114 counties and divisions in the United Kingdom, 60 were contested; in 54, no contest. Of the 254 cities, boroughs, and towns, 190 were contested; In 64, no contest. In the first session of the new parliament there were 64 members holding commissions in the army, 19 in the navy, and 45 in the militia and yeomanry; 68 holding civil or judicial offices, or having pensions, grants, or emoluments, to the amount of £101,288.—(Parl. Pap. No. 671, Sess. 1833.) The number of members connected by blood or marriage with peers was 186. Those possessing church patronage were 79, merchants and traders, 33; manufacturers, 16; bankers, 33; barristers, 64; law students, 2; solicitors, 5; literary and political writers, 6; and persons of no profession, 416.
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