Monmouthshire Merlin

LINES TO AN INDIAN AIR. I arise from dreams of thee, In the first sweet sleep of night, When the winds are breathing low, A ,,11 the stars are shining bright; I at.oj from dreams of thee, And a spirit in my feet Ha3 led me-who knows how ?— To thy chamber window, sweet. The wandering airs they faint On the dark and silent stream, »• The Champak odours fail Like sweet thoughts in a dream The nightingale's complaint, [t dies upon her heart, As I must dc on thine, 0, beloved as thou art! O, lift me from the grass 1 die, I faint, I fail; Let thy love in kisses rain On my lips and eyelids pale. My cheek is coid and white, alas I My heart beats loud and fast; Oh press it close to thine again, Where it will break at last. SIIELLEY. —

SONNET ON SABBATH MORN. WITH silent awe I hail the sacred morn,! That scarcely wakes while all the fields are stilI, A soothing calm on every breeze is borne, A graver murmur echoes from the hill, And softer sin:;8 the linnet from the thorn The skylark warbles in a tone less shrill. Hail, li^ht serene hail, sacred Sabbath morn! The sky a placid yellow lustre throws; The y,ales that lately sighed along the grove Have hushed their drowsy wings in dead repose The hovering rack of clouds forgets to move So soft the dav when the first morn arose LAYDEN.

GEVERVIi NEWS. ] THB COURT.—The Queen and Royal Family are enjoying the utmost privacy at Osborne, the royal children taking daily walk- ing and riding exercise when the weather permits. A "Beef Association "has been established at Montrose.— They advertise II boiling pieces" at 4Jd. per lb., and "steaks" at 5d.—Aberdeen Herald. It is not true that the railway works are being stopped for want of ifoa the fact is, they are delayed for want of tin.— Punch. The East India Company have announced their intention of exporting the extraordinary quantity of 436,953 gallons of Lon- don porter to Bombay. A steamer has been built in London for the express purpose of carrying the despatches of the Times between the French and English coasts. Newcastle-upon-Tyne is still without a mayor, Alderman Lamb having followed the example of Alderman Dunn, and de- clined the honour tendered him by his fellow-citizens. In 1345 there were worked in France sixty-seven salt marshes, two salt mines, and sixteen salt springs. In London there are booksellers who only deal in works on astrology and magic, for which a regular and active demand is said to exist. The Lancaster Gazette states that a farmer in that neighbour- hood, having set a watch for persoQsWlhom he suspected of milk- ing his cows in the field by night, discovered that the delinquent was an old cow, whtth had been in the habit of sucking her neighbours nightly. It is said that the hte Elector of Hesse hasteft behind him a private forune of £4,000,000 sterling. The Wilts Standard mentions the discovery of six humxn skele- tons, near Querns, in a high state of preservation, though sup- posed to have been buried 2000 years ago. The Rhine is at present so low that navigation is entirely in. terrupted, except for row boats. Mr. David Barclay is about to resign his seat for Sunderland. Mr. Benjamin Hawes and Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, of Croydon Lodge, are mentioned as candidates. The Pope has appropriated a grand hall in the Vatican for the sittings of the deputies, who are to have the use of the court carriages. It is stated that Mr. Minas, a learned Greek, while on a It is stated that Mr. Minas, a learned Greek, while on a scientific tour in the East, has discovered a work of Plato, a treatise on the human race. Mr. Davidson, who recently committed suicide from theWhis- pering Gallery of St. Paul's, London, was said to have soffi. cient cause for his rash act, having a tremendously heavy chan- cery suit on band, on which no less than seventeen solicitors were employed A young mesmerist, only twenty years of age, is lecturing in New York, "while asleep!" His lectures have been pub- lished, and purchased with such avidity, that one thousand copies were sold on the first day of publication. No doubt he's a very clever fellow, with a keen eye to the main chance." In America a patent has just been t3ken out for warming rail- way carriages.—Sensible invention for long journeys on cold days. The Lady Kennaway, lately deserted by her crew, has been recovered by a Danish vessel, and brought into Falmouth. Elihu Burritt, the learned blacksmith, from America, is about to pay Bristol a visit on a peace missioo. The Acheron, steam vessel, Captain Lort StoktS, has left for New Zealand, where she is to be employed on the surveying servke. She is to take out a number of cases, and fig, mulberry, peach, and numerous other fine trees and plants of various sorts, with the seeds and germs of clover grasses of many sorts, from Garaway and Mayes'nursery at Bristol. At a book sale in London, last week, an autograph of Shaks- peres was sold for £9. It was upon tbe titlepage of a folio of 1600. There ia now in Eton College an original portrait of Jane Shore, who rendered great sawices to this institution, for it so happened that the then provost was Jane Shore's confessor. No less than ten vessels of war have been lost by the F.encii navy during the last two years. The timber trade will find accommodation at the Birkenhead Docks in June next. A miniature horse, only weighing 45 lbs., has been received in New York from the islaod of Java. For the first time, 'he New Testament has been translated into the Servian language by Dr. Wuk Stephanowitsch KoraJs- chitsch. It is from the ancient Sclavonian version, compared with the Greek. The Bristol Agricultural Society will hold its annual meeting and fifteenth exhibition of live stock, at the Cattle Market, on Wednesday week. A public dinner was last week given in London to John Wil. liams, Esq., M.P. for Macclesfiild, Sir Benjamin Hall, bart., presiding. Mr. Williams commenced life in London, a little boy, the son of a poor Welsh widow, residing in the Principality and by industry and perseverance attained his present proud position. W. G. Peel, Esq., representative forTamworth, haaannounced his intention of retiring from parliament, from domestic af- fliction. Mr. Cobden has decided, it is stated, to sit for the West Ridmg of Yorkshire; and Mr. Alderman Kershaw is solicited to sit for Stockport. Petitions against punishment for death are beginning to flow into tbe House of Commons in right good earnest. Mr. Humble, charged with forgeries to the amount of £10,000 at Sunderland, has, it is said, been captured at Leghorn. There has been a decrease of 429 electors in Bristol this year, as compared with 1846. The use of chloroform, as a substitute for ether, was success- fully tried at Sbipbam, in Somerset, last week, in the removal of a large tumour from the shoulder of a female. Ether is said to have a dangerous effect upon the constitution, long after its us*. Claude Thibett, a notorious robber and highwayman, and a gang of no less than 58 men and women, of whom he was theij chief, have been brought to trial at the November assize of tha Seiue. in France, and are now undergoing various degrees of punishment. Mr. Thomas Cobbett, the eldest brother of the celebrated Wos. Cobbett, died a few days since, at Islington, aged eighty-seven years. All persons sending letters by the post unpaid, which from any cause whatever cannot be delivered to the parties to whom they are addressed, are liable to pay the postage charged thereon. Mdlle. Cerito, the accomplished danseuse, has lately received from the King of the French a magnificent bracelet, accompanied by a very flattering letter. A ministerial paper says that chartism is not dead. Many people suppose, because they hear little of it, that it has disap- peared. No supposition could be more erroneous. The press has rather unwisely ignored it. The arrangements for Miss Burdett Coutt's Model Reform Institution for Females, in London, are nearly completed. At first it is in ended to admit twenty young women,andupon these the expeiiments will be tested. If successful, there will be simi. lar institutions established throughout the country. There was only one case of hydrophobia in New York last summer. The reason assigned IS, that the crew of the Chinese junk made regular dog sallies in the streets, to replenish their larder with their favourite food. A bellman of a seaport not one hundred miles from Whitby, in announcing a teetotal meeting, to be held in the temperance Hall at that place, said that the meeting would be addressed by six females c. who had never spoken before In the yesr 1772, poachers were whipped in the Market- place on the third day of their impiisonment, and allowed to ap peal on the fourth day!—If the appeal was successful were they at liberty to refund the whipping. An extensive and strong movement is going on in London for the purpose of obtaining further reductions in the price of gas. We hust that the compehtion io this. as in other articles, will not be so great as to reduce the profit of the producers to nil. A BOY STARVED TO DEATH BY HIS FATHER.—WOODSTOCK, SATURDAY.—For some days past the most painful sensation has prevailed in this town, in consequence of a report which had been circulating, that a hawker, named John Huband, had starved his son (a lad about twelve years of age), to death. An inquest was held on the body of the lad, when the following facts were elicited :—Ann Cutler said she ktftw the deceased, and during the past fortnight he had complained of pains in his inside. A few days before his death he told witness that he had not had any food for several days. He said there was plenty of bread in the house, but that his father would severely beat and kick him if he touched it. The father was in the habit of going out all jay and night, and leaving the boy without any food be was also in the habit of beating the boy most unmercifully. On Thursday last witness went to Hubaod's house. The boy was lying on some straw on the floor, ond appeared to be dying. Whsess told his father that hd had starved tbe child to death. Mr. George Coles, surgeon, said that on Thursday afternoon n consequence of information which he received he went to Hu- band's house, and saw the boy lying on the flcW. He (witness) examined him, and considered he was suffering Iron: want of iuflicient food. On the following day the boy was taken to the workhouse, where he died the same evening. Witness did not order him any noulisshment when he saw him, because his father had ducks and egjs in the house at the time. I lie cause of death wss starvation. Several other witnesses deposed to the brutal and inhuman conduct of the father. It was also proved that he was in the habit of earning upwards of £1. per week. The jury unanimously returned a verdict of mauslliughter against John Huband and ti.e coroner made Gut a warrant fOI his cornmital to Oxford t;ao), to take his trial at the next assizes. A JUVENILE HIGHWAYMAN.—At Gainsborough, the son of the Rev, L. Hensly, while returning from school, was stopped by a boy of his own age, who commanded him to Deliver, or He willingly obeyed the command, and surrendered to the precocious highwayman his books, penknife, silver pencil- case, &c. The yc'tmg Turpin was arrested next day by Mr. Hensly, who, in consequence of his tenJer age, allowed him to depart, after he had restored the stolen properly, and promised to lead an honest life in future.

SWITZERLAND. Letters from Berne of the 1st inst. state that the submission of the Yatais having been officially announced to the Vorort by Col. Ilillet, the Diet was to meet on the next day to appoint Federal representatives to that caoton. The division of reserve, commanded by Col. Ochsenbein, was disbanded on the 1st. The committee to which the afhir of Nellfchalei had been referred intended to proposa that the cantoo be held accountable for part of the expenses of the war, and occupied by the Feder-i) Hoops until its entire payment. The committee, however, was to meet again on the 1st to reconsider the matter, and to agree on a reply to the noie of the Prussian envoy. The cantons of Uri and Schwitz are now garrisoned by the Federa) troops, who are everywhere well received by the Inhabllants. The chests con- taining the Government treasure of Lucerne, with which the Sonderbund leaders decamped, has been stopped in Vri and sent back to Lucerne. The courage of Seigwurt Muller and his Jesuit compeers was as conspicuous as their dishonesty in these transactions. The treasure was put on board the steam-boat the night before the battle took place, and long before the battle was over these honest gentlemen had slolen away wilh the treasure, leaving their unfortunate dupes to make the best terms they could with General Dufour. The population of Lucerne aie rejoiced beyond measure at being freed from the hateful yoke of the Jesuits, and rejoicings are now going on continually. The city is now as gay as it was four years ago, before the sombre rule of the priests was forced uoon it by the uneducated and superstitious peasantry of the mountains.

BRISTOL HAY MARKET, Hay pei ton £ 2 15 0 to 3 7 6 Strawper Dozen. 0 1 0 to 0 1 G PRESENT PRICE OF TIN PLATES. NEWPORT, Dtc. 4. £ s. d. £ s d No. IC. per box. 1 11 0 Wasters.020 less No. IX. per box 117 0 "030" No.lXX. per box. 2 3 0 ,,030

HOUSE OF LORDS. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2. The Marquess of Lansdowne moved the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the causes of the recent com- mercial distress, in the same terms as the motion made on a previous evening by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons. Lord Stanley suggested the omission ot the woids "recent commercial distress," and the substttutionof those used by her Majesty in the speech from the throne. After some discussion, the motion, as amended by Lord Stanley, was agreed to. FRIDAY. The Marquess of Lansdowne, in pursuance of the motion which had been agreed to on the preceding evening, nominated the members of the committee to inquire into the causes of the recent commercial distress. The Duke of Richmond, in moving for some returns, ex- pressed his hope that every possible means would ue resorted to to check the spirit of outiage "hicll now disgraced Ireland. MONDAY. Lord Farnham drew the attention of the government to the late denunciations of individuals from the altar, by certain Roman Catholic priests, and to the character of articles which appeared in an organ of information representing the worst section of that body, desiring to know whether, in t<ie cases he had quoted, the language used had been submitted to lite law officers of the cio«n in Ireland with a view to criminal pro- ceedings, and whether, if the law was not at present sutncient for the purpose, it was intended to apply to pailiamentfor fur- ther powers. The Marquess of Lansdowne said the subject had attracted the most serious attention of the Lord Lieutenant ot Ireland, who was using his best exertions to bring the parties to cond:i:n punishment. The difficulty, however, was to obtain sworn informations with the certainty and accuracy necessary for the purposesof criminal prosecution. With regard to theexistuig law, the statute book was clear on the subject, for to excite persons to violate the law was, in itself, a misdemeanour at com- mon law. The two acts of the 9th and 10th George IV. clear'y enacted, that any person who should solicit or encourage, or who should procure, another person to commit murder, should be deemed guilty of capital felony, and, being convicted, should suffer death. These acts clearly applied to Ireland, and would be enforced wherever it was found possible to do so. The noble marquess concluded his o'bseivations by passing a high eulogium on the majority of the Roman Catholic clergy for their untiling, zealous, and Christian exertions during a period of suffering unexampled in ths history of that country. The Earl of Malmesbury thought it was possible to get pioof of the utterance of the denunciations, seeing that the language was spoken in the hearing of hundreds of persons. <> Lord Stanley suggested that, as the uob.e marquess was not in a conditiun to state that the Lord Lieutenant had consulted the law officers of the crown in Ireland as to whether the existing law was strong enough, to meet tbe cases in question, his noble friend should renew his question in a specific form a week friend should renew his question in a specific form a week hence, by which time those opinions might be obtained. He regarded it as the duty of government even to rnn the risk uf ail uiijust acquittal, rather than have it supposed that the provisions of the statute book were a dead letter, and that there was prac- tical impunity tor offences of this description. Lord Campbell considered that the existing law was quite strong enough to reach such cases, and he did not doubt but that the Lord Lieutenant would carry it into immediate execution. After some observations from the Earl of Hardwicke and Lord Brougham, Earl Grey said her Majesty's government shrunk from no responsibility; but it would be rash and (inadvisable for them to pass opinions as to what were or were not speeches incitoiy to ciirce. The subject then dropped. TUESDAY. The house sat for a short time, but nothing worthy of remark was transacted.

no USE OF COMMONS. THURSDAY, Dre.4. The adjourned debate on commercial distress was resumed by Mr' L'muhart, who thought that tne huuse had not attended with sufficient gravity to the real circumstances which had con- tributed to so early an assemblage of parliament, and took a brief review of our commercial e^isb ton, in times ancient and modern, in ordei to attach tbe cl iet blame of our present diffi- culties to the legislative enactments which had been passed in recent times. jv/ewdegate, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Drurnmond, Mr M'Greeor Mr. Sanders, Sir W.Clav, and Mr. Masterman, and other members tjok part in the debate, after which. Mr. Blewitt deliveied the following important address Mr. Spe iker, as a practical man of business, tor many years conversant wiili banking and with financial operations on a large scale, I trust 1 shall not be deemed piesumptuous or intrusive if 1 seek for a short time to address the house on the important subject submitted for its consideration by the right honourable baronet, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. I know, sir, how diiffcult it is at all times for an individual humble in position, of unpre- tending talents, and ungifted by natuie or by practice wi'h those powers of eloquence and with these facilities of expres- sion by which other hon. members of this house are so much distinguished,—to command the attention of the house; and perhaps the most prudent couise for me to have puisued would have been to remain silent. But, sir, if theie ever was an occasion when a member cl this house—the representative of a large commercial, mining, & manufacturing community—though of no personal pretensions, and little actuated by ambitous aspirations, ought to venture beyond the limits of prudence and bolcHy dare—however feebly and inadequately—to express his seBtiments, this I feel to be such an occasion. Let the house be patient with me, and I will endeavour not to abuse its indul- gence. t Cheers.) Sir, if her Majesty's government, in pro- posing to the house the appointment of a committee, would have consented to accompany that proposal with a bill for enabling the back for a limited period to extend its issues upon securities beyond the fourteen millions authorised by the Banking Act of 184 < I should not have interfered with the appointment of such committee, though I must say, from the experience ot former committees appointed by the house for similar objects, I have little hope that this committee will be more successful than its predecessors in unravelling those mysterious questions connected with what is called the currency, upon which so much time and •paper have been wasted, and on which so little light has been thrown. Sir, I consider that this so-called administration of the currency is but another form of expression for the manage- ment ol banking; and this house has for some years past been legislating on the supposition that banking is a business badly understood and badly conducted in this country, and that its bad management would, could, or might, be improved by par- liamentary interference. Accordingly vaiious laics have been t asstd 01 late vears for managing the business of banking, and in 1844 the right hon. baronet, the member tor Tamvyorlh, who is "everything bv turns, and nothing long"—who is equally great as the state physician—cattle breeder—and railway navi- gator—in the plenitude of senatorial omniscience, and under the guidance of Mr. Jones Lloyd, took upon himself the office ofbanker-in-cluefto the British nation, and with the aid of that ingenious artist, invented a piece of banking mechanism of such beautiful regularity and simplicity, that, once set a going, it was to endure for ever, and be a sort of self-actinc, self-adjusting, money meter, (Laughter) Never, sir, dd so pompous a scheme end III so miserable a failore. This won- deiful inven ion (which, from the dreadful consequences it has produced, I may justly call the lufernal machine) has exploded, scatteiing ruin und destruction in its Irain-crippling and mangling trrde—prostrating commerce — annihilating credit, and spreading throughout the length and breadth of the land universal terror, uuspry, and confusion. (Gieat cheers.) It so happens, sir, that this is another of those questions in which the vacillating character of the right hon. baronet's legislative policy is so conspicuous. In 1810 there was no more strenuous opponent of the resolutions of the Bullion Committee than the right hon. baronet. Inconvettibiltywashis first love, but in 1819, like a certain lady in mythotog cat history, he became desperately enamoured ot a golden shower." ( Laughter and cheers.) Whether the light hon. baronet is steadfast in this his last attachment. I am not able to say, but I can prove from the right hon. baronet's speeches and conduct in this house that his opinions on the limitation of ban'; issues—the ^reat object of his bill of 1844, had undergone a great change between that year and lHjy In introducing tbe resolutions which were the fOUIJ- dat on of his bill of l8W, the right hon. baronet thus expressed himself- and I here beg the attention of the house, because what he'said on til t occasion will have an important bearing on ^iis di'cassion -It isirnpossible," said the right hon.baronet, to Describe any specific limitation of issues to be brought into operation at any'period, ho,; .emote soever. The quantity e ■. l-tinn wtiwli is demanded in tiinjs of confidence varies L Serially tmi.i the amount which a period ol despondency .eq;,iis, ,|J, the house, must led the ^2%" fixing on any circumscrioed ^mo"nt' JqlQ 1 1 was as sound and conclusive to 1844 as in 1819, <hd ot <^eter the right hon. baronet from intvouucnig his Dill of S I to unit the issues of the whole kingdom, and to confine the paper money of the banks at all times and under all o.cu.rstances- whether in a time of confidence, or in a peiiod of despondency —to a certain circumscribed amount. \V hen, sir-, t.ie riglit hon. baronet proposed to the bouse his measure of 184-1, he assumed that it had been a generally admitted principle ot t ie Ba.ik of England to regulate its issues by the puce of gold and the foreign exchanges. Now, sir I well rcmember having Ifad ihat when the (jirectois of the Bank of England, who were examined before the Bullion Committee, were asked if their issues had not been so regulated, those get tlemen, who had lieietoiine con- ducted the businhs of the bank unpnprinciples derived from the experience of their predecessors for more than a century, were absolutely paralysed by the question. They paused—they hesi- tated—they took time to consider-but at last they took courage, and plainly told the committee the baLk had not then, nor ever had, any such rule of action—not having been able to discover the slightest connection between the internal circulation of papH and coin, and bills exchangeable toi each other and lor bullion in the different markets of the world. It was their practice, they said,to d sc.;unt every good legitimate commercial bill not having too long to run. and that tiiey should never dream of refusing to discount such bills in consequence of the high priee of gold, or of an adverse foreign exeiiiingn. How hippy, sir, wei-u the mediants of those days under the fostering paternal protection of the Bank of England Of the merchantsofthc present time under the banking management ot this house. 1 will only say Fortunatinimium, sua si bona ndrint.Laughter Sv cheers.) It is impossible, sir, lor me by any words L can u e to cxpiess the disgust i fed, as a mercantile tiwn, w! ile stating to the house what, according to the cold-blooded monetary piinciples of the right hon. baronet and those who think with him, must be the regularly recalling periodical results to the country of the present system of management piescribed to the Bauk. Mr. John Horslev Palmer, being examined before one of the Bank- tag Committees of this house, is asked what is the process by which the bank would calculate upon rectifying the exchanges by meansol.a. reduction of its Issues 1 Answer Tile filst opera- tion is to inciease the value of money wi:h the iucrt:ased value cf money there is less facility obtained by the commercial public in the dncount of their paper—that nuluially tends to limit transactions and to the rtduction of prices—the reduction of prices will so far alter our situation with foreign countries, tuat it will no longer he an object to import, but the advantage will rather be upon the export; the gold and silver will comeback into t he country, aud recti;y the contraction that prev ions'y e.iisltil Mr. Wm. Ward having stated to the same effect, wis asked would not that system bring with it this difficulty, that whenever it should unfortunately happen that the country shon U )e threatened with a scarcity of to d, it would have a so the dilficuIty of a scarcity of money. « ta-n afraid that is one of the inherent defects. i •« '• • Norman bem^ asked, Do you not cc,nsujeF (.1in.nproi-,i in prices would be likely to be sa period of'a failures! Answer: Yes. Do you uonsiuet t.Lri„,i fall of prices, produced by a scarcity ol. mone/ns ? .nswpr merchants are compelled to reduce their ope iiis'.u"at a SenTyTo6 tf'row Zkmen^U^e^plo? 1 "^7" J and dissatisircUon amongst Uie i^u • pose there would be a tendency that vvay. Sir, can any man dou:X,i^Jrrassments have proceeded^ whence our late commerc.al em t|h, Have we not here the «cj the refusal (0 dis enormous increase in t^ values__i(ia reduction price8_l|ie the limiting ot tra t failures—workmen thrown out SWiMSw'S «<» AC ol l,« can be acted wfthout producing similar effects, and yet the tight hon. tarooet, tho Chancellor of the Exchequer, attributes the whole of these admitted evils to the failure of the potatce crops in 184.5.6--to the large expenditure on railways—to the insoLency of the great meicantile houses which have failed lately-to the large importations of corn, and to the export of bullion caused by adverse exchanges and the right hon. gentlemen contends that the Act of 1844, so far from having been the cause of those calamities, has saved us from still greater misfortunes, which the loss of seven or eight millions of bullion forcibly kept in the bank by that Act, might have entailed upon ns. I, sir, deny every one of these premises and conclusions, Pond thus I disprove them. We know, sir, that the panic of the present year from w hatever cause it originated, was at all events coincident with a contraction of the bank issues, and a refusal or reluctance to discount legitimate commercial bills. When that panic was allayed by the letter of the noble lord and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had the diseased tubers of the potato emerged from their rottenness, and offered themselves as a substitute in 1847,8 foi the food which had been loit in 1845-6 had the large sums invested In railways nnlixed themselves and returned into he ordinary channels of floating capital; had each of the broken dowa houses arisen from its rshes and resumed its station in the commercial world, as if discredit had never attached to it? Had the thirty-three millions exported for corn, come tripping back at the waving of his wand by Wood, the enchan- ter, or had the exchanges righted themselves at his magical dictation? (Laughter and cheers.) No, sir. by suspending the Act of 1814, the grand irritamenta malorum, he restoied confidence; an immediate impiovemcnt took place, and if 1 may not say, that all wer:t merry as a marriage bell, the bell of commerce at all events had ceased to toll its une real knell. (Laughter and cheers.) And now, sir, 1 should be glad if the house would allow me to explain shortly wnat I understand by convertibility, and what 1 conceive is the only possible connection which can exist between the issues of the Bank of England and the foreign exchanges. By the ancient common law of this realm, any man who contracted an obliga- tion for payment of a sum of money was compellable to pay that sum in the legal coin then curient. It mattered not what the form of obligation might be, when the time came for pay- ment, it was absolutely requisite that payment should be made in coin, if required. A bank note, payable on demand, is such an obligation, and therefore there is a clear, visible connection between a bank note and the gold and silver coin of the realm. Between uncoined bullion and hank notes there is no tnote immediate or necessary connection than between paper and iron or lend. Conveitibility really means nothing more than the discharge of a debt according to the requirements ef the law. When the Bank of England was established in 1094, its lowest issues of notes payable to beater on demand were for £ '20 each. At that time a pound was 20-62 parts of a pound of standard silver, r.nd the bank could then by law discharge its obligation of £20. by payment of silver coin to theva'ue of 400s. At that period all the debts of the country were in iike mannsr resolv- able or convertible into silver coin. In 1717 a certain quantity of gold (eleven parts fine gold, and one part alloy) was coined into what was called a guinea, and it was declared by royal proclamation that tbe guinea should he received as equivalent to 2is. and conversely, in 1774 tiie legal payment of an obliga- tion in silver was limited to £25. ar.din 184(ito 40s. In 1817 the sovereign was issued, and declared equivalent to 20s. It will be seen by this short history of our metallic monetary system for the hot 150 years, that the credit tnken by the right hon. baronet, the member for Tamwortii, for having, by his Currency Bill of 1819, restored an ancient standard of value, is not cor rect. Up to 177-1, all the debts or obligations of the kingdom, including Bank of England notes, could have been pnid either in silver or gold. From 1771 to 1797. any obligations which did not exceed £:25. might be paid in silver, and it was not until the resumption of cash payments under the bit! of IS19 that gold became an exclusive standard. Let the right hon. baronet say what he will ill praise ot his measure of 1819, 1 at all events will not admit that it is venerable for its antiquity. Many able writets on political economy have conteuued that silver ought to be made the only legal tender, and that gold pieces coined and of a certain weight and fin ness should be left to find their own value. But, sir, the right hon. baronet has an aversion to silver, which I cannot comprehend. A singular provision, in his bill of ISH, was recently pointea out. tome by a very intelligent aud sagacious friend of mine. By that provision the bank is required never to keep in its coffers a greater amount of silver in propoition to gold than one-quarter part. Let us suppose that the whole amount of com and bulln n In the bauk is ten millions, and that 21 millions consist of silver coin and bullion. Let us suppose further, that gold is withdrawn fiom the bank to the extent of five millions. In that case the silver ought, by law, to be reduced to 1 £ million. Tjow 1 think it will be con- ceded to me that silver, if not deemed equal to gold for liquida- ting bank obligations, is, at all events, better than vo effects and that, to compel the Bank of England to part with us silver because it has nearly lost its gold, is a paradox as exuaoidinary as any to which the bruin ot the right honouraole baronet fertile in paradoxes-has ever given birth. But, sir, horn silver let us pass to geld. Such is the auri sacra James of the ugh honourable baronet-such "his itching palm," that in the bill of 1844 we find another most extraordinary ptovision tor grasping a gok. By the fourth scction of that act, it is enacted that, aftei tIle 31st August, 1844, all petsons shall be entitled to demand ,om the issue department of the Bank ol England Bank of England notes in exchange for gold bullion, at the r £ l<s. Jd. per oz. of standard gold. 1 cannot understand, SIr, why on eaiih a bank, the liabilities of which are only convertible into gold coin, should be compelled to puichase gold bullion, not according to its wants for procuring coin. but according to the wants or specu- lations of the bullion brokers. In the state fortress of Russia, his Imperial Majesty, the autocrat of that country, has no". im- prisoned, notwithstanding all his advances to France. England, and elsewhere, a treasute, in gold, of not much less than twenty millions sterling. Suppose his Imperial Majesty were to take it .to his head to exchange the whole ot that gold for rails; the merchants and manufacturers here receiving that gold would of course, take it to the governor of the Bank of Lngland, who would be obliged to leeeive it into the vaults of the bank, where it would be of no earthly use but to minister to the diseased fancies of a legislative buHioTust. ( Laugh er and cheers.) But, sir, the clause in question is cbjectioiiaole on other gtounds. Every person obtaining notes under this provision can either put them immediately into public circulation, or take them to the banking department, and there either exchange ihem for coin, or lodge tten in deposit. At the time in quest ion there may be a large quautity of gold bullion in the bank, but very little geld coin. If the notes received tpr bullion taken in, be exchanged for gold coin, the power of the bank to ensure convertibrlity will be for a time lessened and the bank twill be put to the expense and trouble of obtaining Irojn the mint further supplies of gold coin, for the mere canvenierfce of the bullion dealer, who Ifas no claim or right to any such acconmod.ition.and who, on the first oppor- tunity, will natuially melt, or sell, or export,instead of buliion all the coin he has received. -If, on the other hand, the notes ex- changed for bullion are put into ciiculation, either by the par y receiving them, or by the b^nk having taken theui in deposit, and afterwards converted them from deposits into securities, a great addition may be made to an already existm-plethora of currencv, and thus produce the very evils against which the act is intended to provide. In short, sir, the act is a tissue of incon- sistencies. Convertibility being its professed obje. ,it begins by allowing an issue of fourteen millions of notes, which arc not, under any circumstances, to be convertible. Limitation of cur- rency being its object, it encourages and promotes increase of currency at a lime when such increase, so far from being wanted, is a great evil. A large amount ot sold coin being deemed es- sentiai for securing convertibility, the act facilitates, and, in- deed, offers a premium upon the exportation of gold coin in heu of bullion. Professing to regulate the issue of notes, it regulates nothing, and has no other eflect than to fix a numerical amount of notes, beyond which the public, whatever may be their wants, shall never be accomtn jdated(cheers). bir, Icontess lam not one ofthuse who entertain that dread aod alarm from tilc exportation of gold bullion which other peisons express in and out of this house. Gold, as a commodity, must be bought before it can be sold; and in'the ordinary course of commerce there would be a profit as well on the sale as on the purchase of gold. The na- tion, therefore, may be Jas muchenncned by the purchase and sale of gold asotany other commodity. When, indeed, we have had a bad harvest in this coun.ry, I know and feel that it is a great national calmitv. I know that we not only lose the addi. tional quantity d food which a good average harvest would have given us, but that the loss must be suppnetl out of the past sav- ings 01 the country. W heiij ^'prelorcj I ste gold goiu^out oi tho kingdom for the purchase ot tile people stood, I see it go with regret, not because it is gold, but because it is an abstraction from the realised wealth of the kingdom, and because I know, that as a nation we have so much to reacquire by our industry and frugality. Well, sir, and wl,attl>e best Way (or us to re cover our lost means? Is It by "unless teais-by dismal foic- bodin(»3—by boneless despondency 1 Is it by the stoppage of dis- counts and the cramping of industry No, sir: It is to be done only by invigorated courage,increased exertion, and by liberal banking accommodation. (Cheers.) Lxported pcul is not eaten. The gold mines of the world are not exhausted, but rather on the increase in production, and if gold he the god of tm idolatry, wc may feel assured there are nations who will spaie us any amount we may require in exchange for our manulactures( cheers). 1 have shown before, that coin, aud not bullion, is the proper In- strument to secure solvency or conveitibility. it is impossible to ascertain, with accuracy,amount of gold coin cui rent iu this country but 1 have little doubt that it is equal to the whole amount of bank notes in circulation, and more than sufficient for all the ordinaiy purposes of trade and commerce. It is, indeed, quite surprising how small a porlio.. of metallic money is required for the daily pnposes ot the Bank of Kugland. The sum of coin which the bank set apart, ou the 31st August, A SI 4, as sufiicient for the exigencies of its banking department wastH58.000. During the years IRh-6 the whole average Clmonntnf coin kept in the banking department was against liabilities ('ail y pavaDle com amounting to £ 38,000,o(10. let the House have regard to this important fact, and say .whether it is not a monstrous law, that wnh seven cr erght millions o coin and bullion, in its issue department, the Bank of hegiand should have been compelled suddenly, m the month of April last, to put a slop •« the JisCOGDtul all conimcicia paper how- ever legitimate. Tell me not, sirof the m .-• i e s or IJlClJn. vt-rfibtlitv itself. Can any mischiefs be more fat. than tucsc periodical panics, which are produced by the fancied apprehen- sion of inconvertibility or w.'tnt ot goiu f Poor and content, is rich and iieh enougo Bat riches, fineiess, are as poor as winter, To him whj ever feats he shall be poor. (Cheers.) Sir. let me not be misunderstood. Whatever may be thought of what 1 have taken leave to submit to the House, [ can only say for invself, that I wish for no altciation 111 the law v.-bie.h ouliges the bank. and all other debtors, to pay their debts in the legal tender of the realm. W hat that tender should he is a most important question for the present committee to determine. I tiust that ti e committee, proceeding on this basis, v.ill recom- mend such aheiatiors" in the now-exiting law as that the merchants and manufacturers of this country, while conducting with prudence the legitimate opcrjtionsof trade, may be able to enjoy without interruption that credit, and to derive from credit those benefits, winch have been the principal means of enriching the nation,and ot making Great Britain the emporium of the commercial world. ( i he hon. gentleman sat down amidst prolonged cheeis liom both sides of the house.) The debate, on the inution of the Marquess of Granby, was adjourned. F l: i v a v • The house rjsolved itself, upon the motion of the Chancellor of the Kxchequer, into committee on the railways bill. The adjouined debate on com"131 distress was then res \j !lied. The Marquess of Granhy attributed most of the recent failures winch had taken place to free trade, which was ruining our colo- nies and our trade, and by consequence, the piosperity of our labouring population. Air. r. Baring's conviction was that If the recent storm had come up„n us without any other bulwarK against its fury ihan we had before the act of tin I the c«r>scqucnt disasteis woutd have been infinitely greater. lie earnestly entreated the house not to he earned into anv precipitate action by the notion urgtd by fl1;¡ny, th .t it was necessary new to do something for of all tile follies which it could commit, the greatest would be to do somethiug when it knew not what to do. Mr. Merries thought that not only should the u ters have been referred to the committee, but also that both the letters and the circumstances which had led to their pubhea ion should have been submitted to the house, so as to have enabled it to forma judgment as to the conduct of inivi ters.. Sir It. Peel briefly glanced at our past commercial history to show that a low ram of interest and great piospe.ily Iwuysled to the same difficulties and the same a mount ot m-sery asm, were now suffering from. As to the leltei ol the 2o h ot Octo- ber, he coidially approved of the step then taken by■ the SOiern- metu. He thou^n't them peJflctiY right m not l.av > g i suec| that letter sooner. The government were also n t ij non- mg parliament as soon as ihey bad interpose- baronet also just,tied the rate of m.ciest imposed by '^h.tei, aud concluded with a warm eulogy of the 1>"«-C,P u currency, and of a fixed, as compaied with a fJuduatwg stau- dard, and resumed his seat ..mid general cheers. Mr. Stuart then moved the adjournment of the debate. The hou.e divided upon this motion, and the nu were- For the adjournment, 45 Against it. 257 majority, Mr. Wilson then wilhdiew his amendment, and the g motion was put and carried without a division. The house theu adjourned. MONDA Y. The Speaker announced that lie had received a lettei from the Hon. Hugh Chohnondetey, announcing that it was not his in- tention to dafend his return for the Montgomery district of burghs. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in answer to Mr. Moffatt, as to whether it was intended to extend the bonding privilege to British spirits for home consumption, said he hoped some ot the restrictions which pressed unduly upon manufactures and com- merce might be removed, but he could not state which until he introduced the Excise Bill, after Christmas. The Attorney General, in answer to Capt. Harris, stated that there could be no doubt if any person could be proved to have incited tho commission of murder in Ireland, he could be tried and convicted under the existing law. Lord I'almerston, in answer to Mr. B. Osborne, suggested that, as the civil war in Switzerland was at an end, therefore there were no contending parties, and could be no mediation. Sir G. Grey, in answer to an hon. member, said that it was not the intention of the government to propose any alteration in the Poor Removal Act, without further experience of its working. On the motion for reading the order of the day for the second reading of the Crime and Outrage in Ireland Bill, Mr. J. O'Connell, on behalf of Mr. W. S. O'Brien, absent from indisposition, in a speech on the state of Ireland, n.oved that the orders of the day be read instead thereof. A protracted debate ensued, in which Mr. Power, Mr. Grat- tan, Sir G. Grey, Mr. O'Connor, Mr. D. Browne, Mr. M. O'Connell, Mr. Gardner, and Mr. Keating, took part, Mr. Fagau moving the adjournment of the debate, when the house divided, the numbers being 18 to 289. Mr. O'Conner then moved the adjournment of the house, but on Sir G. Grey's suggesting that the second reading should be taken on a future occas-.oi), if tile order of the day were read, ihe motion for adjournment was withdiawn, and the Older of the day was read accordingly. TUESDAY. In the House of Commons— The Speaker iinformed the house that £ 1,000. had been de- posited in lieu of recognizances to prosecute the petition against the letutn for Maldon also that the recognizances in the case of the petition against the return for Cheltenham weie unexcep- tionable. Petitions were presented against the returns for Afh!one,Sli^o, Aylesbury, Carlisle, Bewdley, Nottingham, Lincoln, Dublin, Harwich, Andover, Horsham, 11ithe, and Norm Staflordshire. 1 his was the last day for receiving election petitions. Sir G. Grey appealed to Mr. P. O'Connor to w.-ive his claim for precedence,and to give way for the discussion on the bill for the prevention of crime and outrages in Ireland. Mr. F. O'Connor refused to give way, and proceeded to move for a select committee to inquire and report on the means by which the dissolution of parliament in Ireland was erected of the effects of that measure upon Ireland, and upon the labourers in husbandly a:;d operatives in manufactures in England and en the probable consequences of continuing the Legislative Union between both counties. Mr. II. Giattan made all onslaught on Mr. F O'Connor, for having included his father in the listof United Irishmen, and for having charged Lord Chailemont with having sold his country. "I tell the Honourable Member," exclaimed Mr. Grattan, that he is totally ignorant of histoiy—that he has stated what is false-litat lie has foully libelled Henry Grattan, Lord Chaile- mont, and ether individuals-that he has dared toutterama-s of gross and monstrous falsehoods." Mr. John O'Connell descanted for two hours on the evils that, he said, had resulted from the Act of Union. _Hie Hon. Mem- ber argued that England had robbed Ireland in every way, and had paid back nothing. Mr. Trelawney did not like to hear Insli memoeis dunning and boring England for money, while they obstructed in every way a bill absolutely necessary for the suppression of an atio- ciou. system of assassination, disgraceful to a Cnstian country. He advised the government, should Irish members persist in prevertin" ihe passing of the bill, to act upon their own res- ponsibility, and come to parliament alterwards for an Act of Indemnity. „ Mr. Reynolds, Mr. E. B. Roche, Majoi Btackall, Mr. Mau- ricc O'Connell, and Mr. Fagan followed. The last-named Honourable Member's lengthy speech, for the most part read from a paper, was delivered amidst the repeated interruptions, laughs, and jeers of the house. Having persisted in addressing the house, despiJe its inanitest unwillingness to listen, the Honourable Member moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr. Walter had heard much of the capacity of Irishmen for self government; but if he were to judge of Irishmen from the specimen of Irish members sent into that house, he would say that they were about as fit for seH'-government as the blacks. There was a proveib with the blacks, that if nigger was not nigger, Irishman would be nigger." Mr. J. 0'Con:;ell rose to order. He appealed to the house if such buffoonery were to be permitted. The Speaker called Mr. John O'Connell to order. He was clearly out oi order in applying the term "buffoonery" to the obseivations of any Hon. Member. Mr. J. O'Connell bowed to the decision of the chair, and re- tiacted the expression. Mr. Walter resumed. lie had only quoted Bishop Berkeley. The question parliament was called upon to decide was, how atrocious crime and ouliate were to be suppressed in Ireland, and were they prevented by time-consuming speeches from com- ing to that decision t Mr. E. B. Itoche suggested that the amendment should be withdrawn. Mr. O'Gorman Mahon moved as an amendment," That the Hon. Member for Cork be requested to continue his address." The motion was received with shouts of laughter. After a few words from Mr. J. O'Connell, charging the house with a desire to crush Irish discussion, Mr. Fagan continued his speech, and finally withdrew his motion for adjournment. Mr. F. O'Connor replied, and the house divided- For the original motion 23 Against it 255 Majoiity against the proposed committee. '232 Sir G. Grey postponed the second reading of tile bIll for the I y,al)p prevention of crime and outrage in Ireland to Wednesday,appeal- ing to Mr. Anstcv to give it precedence at 12 o'clock over his Roman Catholic Relief Bill. Mr. Austey declined to accede to the request. The Railways Bill was postponed to Thursday. Petitions.vv £ ie presented against the returns for Not!; Essex, o Stafford, Monmouthshire, Colchester, and Newcastle-undci- t 1, Lyee. The house adjourned to Thursday at noon.

An Account of COAL brought down tfie Tram road from the 1st to the 4th Dee 1847. from the 1st to the 4th Dee, It\47. TO.N.-i CWT. í TONS. CWT. Thomas Powell )$- 7 Ditto Union Colliery j Thomas Protliero ? J jgj ]2 t I' Ditto Union Coi i, S Union Coal Coiiip,-tny Latch, Cope, and Company. i j :JG5 7 Rosser Thomas and Co | > *$!) 5 Forest Coal Co j 'H 5 «Toseph 13Ctiumont ••••- •••• • ( •• > •••• W. S. Cartwright s j Roger Lewis j | 241 9 Joseph Jones > •• 27b 1 Carr'and Company | > 310 0 John Jones, Victoria J i r> Rock Coal Company J | 4d0 -» T. Phillips and Son | j>91 12 John Russell ("wlute ash) j I Tredegar Coal Co t>.)< 14 Allfrcy Brothers ? •• I 4lb 4 .Brithdir Coal Company j •• Francis Adams < •• £ j^bbw Vale Company j | 0 Thomas Davies |$ Total. 1 I C,.5io 1C \n Account of Iron brought down the Tram-road from the 1st to the 4th Dec., and Canal from 1st to 4th Dec. mini-roan, uanal. IRON. TONS CWT. TO CWT. j Tredegar Iron Company 198 17 .Kbbw'Vale Company ()S2 16 -lily Rhymnev Iron Company 321 1 Cruttwell, Allies, & Co 2*17 S j 1 1-150 2 j 2328 5 An Account of Coal brought down the Canal for the Week ending December 4. TONS. CWT. TONS. CWT. Thomas Frothero. 7f). Thomas Powell 100. John Vipond. 47i). Richard Morrison •••• • Allfrcy Brothers 20 Rosser Williams. John Russell 450 R. J. Blewitt 50. W.S.C.trt.wi-ight. I 1170 0 — PRICES OF RAILWAY SHARES AT BRISTOL. I < WEDNESDAY, Dec. 8. > Share1 Railways. ? Paid. ^Closing Prices. 100 ;Bristol arid Fjxcter .> 75 < 11 9 dis. 331 } Do l\cvf 15 ( 4$o] dis. 25 {Bristol and P. Wales Junction.; G 5 — J 20 ;Birming. and Oxford Junction? 15 3 pm. 50 'Caledonian 50 j 36| 37^ 25 | Do. New 3;| < 2-; —2$dis. 20 j Eastern Counties aver.; 20 S l(i^ 1GJ 20 Do. York Extension >. 10 < 2 1J dis. 4 100 (Great Western 85 13 15 pm. 50 Ditto Half Shares > 50 8 10 25 | Ditto Quarter Shares { 15 11 2 20 Ditto Fifth Shares J 20 3 4" 17 ¡ Ditto New 7 ? i 1 StockjLondon and North Western.. 100 15;> 1 ;>r, 50 (London & South West. aver. 410.10 o4 50 23 (Great Northern 'H dis' 25 (London and Blackw.ol ..aver,i 1G.13.4 50 London, Brighton, & S. C. oQ j 42f 4->J 20 London ar.d Greenwich..aver,$— 100 ^Lancaster and York, M. & L.J H2 8 0 dis. 25 J Ditto quarter shares *4.) -5 uis. 20 Ditto Fifths lnC? V 1 2:1 | Ditto Thirds (Rcgd.) !0-4 20 jWest Riding Union o 20 Manchester,Buxton,& Matlock 6 uls- Stock. Midland 10O 10b 110 40 | Ditto new 40 50 Ditto New. 10 I* 'a Stock Ditto Birmingham and Derby 1('0 • ]00 < DoGpercent.Birm.&Glo. HiO lIS 1-20 25 Do. do. quarter shares. all < 50 < Do. do. Bristol & Gloucester "0 5 50 1)0. do. do at 11 1 P1"- 37J l)o. do. do h-y-0- » 271l 25 North British j 2o 12.^ Ditto half shares < 8.G.8.; l)o. third shares 1 H^iic 1 Vim ) Do. quarter shares j 4" j ?. G..J Do. Extension J f } sKi 20 (North Staffordshire i'i UiS' 60 (Portbury Pier & Railway Co.. j jj j 25 ^Shrewsbury and Birmingham! « ,r 50 South Devon 40 7 1; dis 50 South Wales ° dl"* 100 TaffVale IU J barter Shares dis. par. AU Unto new 5 V1V Stock | Do. 5 per cent ? j Stock.5 Do. 1* per cent {Vale of Neath < ir., 1(l 50 ,Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth> 30 s a 50 ?York and North Midland 50 /■'•» <<> ~'i > Do. quarter shares J 5 Do. extension „ -■> | Do. preference j '0 > G >$1 m. Do. Eastfc West Riding F.x 29 S 1>:lK 2o ^York, Newcastle and Berwick; 25 5 <>•■» 'Jj; 2a Ditto, Original N. and B. 25 S 0 7 pm. 2o Ditto, Exten. No. i, Y. J 10 ? 3 4 pm, 2o Ditto, No.2,N.KB. 10 > 2 2^ pm. 25 I DittoGt.N.of England,Pref, 8 ? 1-1 Pn1,

leview ot the lirmsli Corn Trade. The groweis have shown a decided unwillingness to part with their produce at present prices, which is probably in a great measure owing to the fact that they hold little or no wheat of previous years' growth, and that they do not wish to hurry their new wheat to market before its condition shall have been improved by an interval of frost; at all events the deliveries have not in- creased, and so little has been brought forward at several of the principal markets in the agricultural districts, held duiing the week, that needy buyers hive had to pay an advance of Is. to 2s. per qr. Whilst this has been the case in those districts depending entirely on the fanners for supplies, the tendency of prices has been rather downwards at the ports where there are stocks of foreign. At Liverpool, on Tuesday, the trade was decidedly dul!; and ioletably good supplies of new Trish wheat and flour having come to hand, the former article was quoted 3J. to 4d. per 70lbs., and the latter 2s. per sack, iowei than on that day se'nuight. Fine wheat, whether of home or foreign growth, was not cheaper; and for the best American flour 36s. per brl. had continued to be asktd. Liter in the week the unwillinguess to buy rather increased, and on Fiiday, even the best sorts of wheat were 2d. pei 70ib». lower whilst oals, oatmeal, Indian com, and Indian- coin meal wore ail cheaper than on the preceding maiket-day. At :he leading towns in Yorkshire the supplies of wheat have scarcely kept pace with the demand, restricted as has been the latter. At Hull, on Tuesday, the finest qualities were quoted Is. per pr. highei than on that day week and though no advance could he eslat lishtil at Leeds, previous prices were very firmly maintained, The reports from Wakefield of Friday desciibe the trade as quiet, with the turn in favour of the buyer. AtBrihto!,Birmingham,Gloucester, and neighbouring maikets, slightly increased supplies of wheat appear to have been brought forward; aud the inquiry having heen Isnguid, prices have rather given way. That nu fall of consequence will lake place in the value of wheat so long as the growers supply the markets as sparingly as they have hitherto done, is more than probable, but as speculation is quite out of the question, and buyers for con- sumption are not likely to purchase beyond what they may want for immediate use, we see no prospect of business assuming a more. active tone for several weeks to come. By our advices from Scotland we learn that fully as much grain had appeared at the leading markets as had been required, and that the value of most articles had receded. At Edinburgh, on Wednesday, wheat, barley, and oats weie Is. to la. 6d. perqr. lower than on that day week and at Glasgow the downward movement was quite as derided. The accounts from Ireland aie of precisely the same charaefer as those beforerecetved. The mass of the people appear to be suffering from poverty and want, owing to the scarcity and high value of potatoes; meanwhile tolerably fair supplies of coin were coming forward, and shipments of provisions were being made to England. We have again to reports very small arrival of wheat at Mark Laoe. On VVednesday there wa5 scarceiy a sample fresh up from any quarter, and on Friday the stanus were almost hare. Business has remained in an exceedingly dull state, nnd the trifling sales effected have been at precisely similar terms to those current in the beginning of the week. The arrivals of ffognwheat have amounted to only 9.603 qrs. and the pre- vailing impression is, that there can now be but little on passage ei'her fiom distant or near ports; and as the stocks of really gcod foreign wheat are not large, the finer sorts ave been held with consideiable firmness. The operations have, therefore, been on quite a retail scale but the few parrels which have changed hands have been sold at about previous prices. There has been a very s!ow demand for flour, but the nominal top price of town-made has not varied. Afcesican has been taken to a moderate extent, at lat3 rales the qmotitv of really- sweet sounll American being now small, the best brands have been held a trifle higher in some instances. Barley of home growth has come sparingly to hand, the total supply for the week having consisted of only 6,345 qrs. The falling off in the receipts hns failed, however, lo impait activity to the demand, and neither on Wednesday nor Friday were prices at all higher than in the commencement cf tho week. Foreign barley has been taken in retail quantities at puvious rates. The biewers have bought mult sparingly still factors have remained firm, and lower terms have not been accepted. Ti:e maiket has been scantily supplied with oats. The insig- nificance of the arrival, and the certainty that good old corn has become scarce all over the country, has caused the be-t kinds to be held at quite former terma but new Scotch oats have in some cases, where the vessels were required to be cleared, been patted with at even lower prices than on Monday last. The beans left over from Monday, and those which have since been received, have afforded a plentiful display of samples, and sales hive proceeded vay taidily at tha late abatement. Egyp. iian beans have also been offered on easy terms. The continued mildness of the weather has lessened the con- sumption of white peas, and considerable difficulty has been experienced in effecting saics at last Monday's currency. Grey and maple peas have likewise moved ctl slowly at the recent decline. Indian corn and meal have excited hardly any attention, and the value of ihese aitides hns remained nominally unaltered.— Mark Lane Express.

Review of the foreign Corn Trade. We have had several arrivals from America during the week, the last beinu per Washington steamship, which puts us in pos- session of letters from I\'ew York of the 13th ult. Considerable apprehension had been creaied there by the continued exports of goUl toGie .t Britain, and this circumstance had caused a mate. rial depression in the prices of government sto; ks. Supplies of (iour fiom the interior firid increased ::nd as the weather had continued fine and very mild for the advanced pericd of the sea. son, further receipts were expected to take ptarc befoie the close 01 the Il<lvigation. The dunaod for bread-sti ffs hall m6RnwhiJIj become very languid lillle or nothing had been done foi export, and, in anticipation of raoie liberal receipts, local buyers had acted wilh much camion. The latest eccuunts to hand from Dantzic ate of the 23rd of November, which inform U3 that in* reused sUpplt?6 of wheat had come to hand there, but that holders had generally been unwil- ling to acceptlhe reduced prices offered, and that the business KCtnally done had consequently been unimportant. The qui. li:y of the new wheat was better spoken of than previously, and we have seen samples of the new pioduce forwarded to this country from Dantzic, which leave little to be desired. High- mixed fre;h rens, weighing 591bs. to GOibs. were then quoted 45s. to 48- and mixed of about the same weight, 42s. to 47s. per qr. fiee on boatd. About 20 lasts of white peas had been sold ut 35s. per qr. free on bjard. At the Lower Baltic ports the operations III wheat appear 10 have been 00 a very limited scale, and tlie tendency of prices was downwards. By the latest advices from the Mediterranean, we learn that the value ot wheat had given way more or less at some of the leading poits. At Marseilles,on the 26th of November, business was decidedly dull; a good many cargoes cf Indian coin had ariived there, which had been offered at 25s. to 28s. per qr., free on board, ai-cordina to quality. Vessels were plentiful, and freight to Great Lrita.ii 7s. per qr. At Leghorn, on the 26th of November, business was quiet, but holders of wheat had mostly declined accepting lower terms. "Ihe Hamburg letters of Tuesday ale come to hand. The wheat trade had become veiy dull there, and for a parcel of fine maik, weighing 63 bs., 50s. per fro f,te on board had been ai rnp. ted. From outports nothing ol interest had been done.— Ibid.

SHOCKING AFFAIR. NE-THEIITON, FHIDAY.— A shocking occurence has happened here, which h;>s excited great commiseration, and formed the subject of a coroner's inquest yesterday, a' the Bell Inn, in this town, before Mr. W. Robinson, one of the coroneis for Worces- teishire. The inquest wes held on the body of Caroline Flavell, aged Hi. who, it appfared from the evidence, had been stabbed in the side with a piece of hot iron, by her mother, Rosanna Flavfjil. It aopeared that the decked, who was a very undutilul daughter, had been in the habit of selling pieces of iron be- longing to her parents (who are nail makeis), for ihe purpose of obtaining little luxuries, and thtscomiogtothe knowledge of her mother, had mnch exasperated her. Both parties were at work -ogether in the nail shop, making nails—m operation which is carried on ID this district by women as well as men—when the mother accused the daughter of having sold some iron to an itine- rant sweetmeat seller. This was deuied by the deceased, where. upon high words arose betwe n them, Uie latter calling her mo- ther a liar, and telling her that her accusation was an infernal lie. This so exasperated the mother that she thrust a piece of heated iron (which she had in her hacd;, at her daughter, and it piereed her side to the depih of several inches the deceased screamed out that she was killed, and her mother, finding that she had seriously injured her, swooned awiy, and became dread- fully agitated. Tiie young giri was put to bed, and surgical as- sistance was proeuied, but she died i.bout aquarier of an licur after the oc.:urience. Mr. Smiihtnan, ihe constat !e, was then called in, and took the mother into custody. j n his examination before the coroner, he said the mother did not deny having in- flicted theiojory, and made the following statement:—"My daughter is a very bad giil. We were at work together in the nail shop, and I found out that she had been cutting the rod iron, and selliuc it to the Irish people. Ou complaining of liei conduct, she used some very bad language towards niC. I was making a nail at that moment, and, bling in a great passion, 1 threw the piece of iron at her, which stuck into her side. I im- mediately ran to her, nnd pulled the iron out of hcr side. I had no thoughts of hurting her in that manner." The wearing ap- parel of the deceased was produced on the inquest, and examined by the jury. On hearing the evidence of the suigeon (Mr. Mainwaring), it appeared that the rod of heated iiou had pene- trated the deceased's chest, under the right arm, and imme- dtatetybeiowthefourthrib. The wound made by the irun was eight inches in depth, and it had penetrated a large vein in front ot the spine, by which a considerable quantity cf blood had been effused into the chest. About forty oum es of blood were found in the chest, under the lubes of the right lung. The iron with which the fa'ftl thrust was made, was produced before the jury, who, after hearing the evidence, returned a vetdict of Man- slaughter against the prisoner, who was accordingly committed under the coroner's warrant io Worcester county gaol, 10 take her trial at the next spring assizes for that county. The prisoner has been in a deplorable state of grief ever since the latal occur- rence. It is ex; ected that application will be made to the Court of Queen s IJench to take bail for her appearance.

DftEADFur Occunni.Ncn.~A most ttwful discovery was made in Portsmouth, on Satuiday morning, about seven ,o c oc a the house of an old and well-known dealer in various stores an apparel, Mrs. Yoell, residing in St. Mary's-street, within ne gariison. Smoke was observed issuiog from the from of the house at the above hour, which led to the lnnaa es summoned, when no answer being obtained, the house \"as «- tered by the neighbours aod police, and a most born 1 lacle presented itself. On the floor of the bedroom lay tne Doay of Mr. Henry Yoell, burned to a tinder, and Mrs. Yoell wub discovered crouched down iu a corner of the same roo i, sen sible from the burns she hud received. She was imme a e y re- moved to the residence of another soil in ^uee,y"s. 0,lsea' where, however, dea'h put an end to her suffering a a few hours. The higlnful catastrophe is supposed to have «"'g«fa»ed by the ignition of the bed furniture in which J1 Yo-'l. aeed 60, a ciipple and bedridden, was lying, and it IS supposed Mis. Yoell sustained her fatal Injuries by endeavouring to render assistance to het son. I\1 re. Yoell was 8a years of age. [\Ji. Pierrey, surgeon, of Ilish-stieet, who was called in, is of opi. nion that Mrs. Yoell was killed by inhaling or swallowing some suffocating matter in endeavours to render succour to htol son. Mrs. Yuell had o-.ened a window before she was overpowered, it is supposed, to call for help, or let out the smoke. Pans is neatly encircled by its ring of forts. J hree mere Bastiies are contemplated.

STANZAS. Why are WP, like children unwilling to go to bed?" BISHOP HALL, on Dr>ath." 'Tis true, most true, as children shrink away From the quick coming nurse at close of day, So from our last cold pillow fain would we Draw back a little space, it' it might be. Why are we thus reluctant! Even as they, We dread the dark—we love the light of day. The child will linger by his mother's knee, The parting hour ha3 banished all his glee l hat sweet, low song he longs again to hear, To *tay and watch the stars come, bright and clear; It iikes him not to quit the cheerful light For the thick clouds and phantom forms of night. And even ap to mother earth we cling, When death unfolds his dark and gloomy wing; For she is bright with flowers, and glad with birds, f And musical with tones of kindly words "While all her sorrows, in their dire array, Seem now but shadows of a summer's day. But the cold hands which beckon us to sleep, Unfold two worlds for meditation deep, Make us bqjiold the folly and the sin That through long-vanished years we gloried in, And bid us look upon a Judge, whose eye Is purer than to pass transgression by. True, there is still one Sacrifice, one Rock, One Shepherd watching o'er his weary nock But faith is weak, the heart with terror swells As memory weaveth all its darkest spells Therefore, like frightened children, fain would we Fly from our last ions rest, if it might be. Dec. 2, 1847. ELLEX C.

NEWPORT NATIONAL SCHOOLS. We continue our extracts from the report of the comroissioneis of inquiry into the state of education in Wales, in which we find the following, relative tothe National Schools in this town. Mr. yy/nons says :— These are important schools they are handsomely built, and consist of two large rooms upon the ground floor in the principal street. They aie very capacious, lofty,and airy. I visited them on the 30th of March. These schools are frequently called Nor- ma! and Traiaing-schaols. They, in some measure, serve these purposes, but very imperfectly. Young men and women go for short periods to learn their art—periods in which it would be scarcely possible to acquire a tolerable knowledge of the easiest han iicrai'f. I am sorry to be compelled to say, that from the examination of the boys, together with my observation of the mode of instruction, I am constrained to think that these schools, as regards the training of masters, and especially, of schoolmis- tresses, arc likely to do as much harm as good. Neither the In- struction given, nor 'he time it lasts, nor the character of the model given, can impart proficiency. On the contrary, they must senJ the pupils away with a mere smattering knowledge of their practical duties, and a very defective notion of the requirements of their office. 1 found few large schools where there was less me!):a! exercise, and if, as is probable, the pupils who leave this school administer still less efficient education, and, nevertheless, are regarded as the offspring of a training-school of reputation, they cannot but disseminate very mischievously-erroneous views, and contribute to degrade the standard opinion which it i< M essential to instruct and raise. Mr. Lingen had mention made t) him, he tells ice, of this school, as a model of some mark. I did nut examine the girls' school, for the Rev. Mr. W ybrow told me that the girls'school was decidedly inferior to the boys'school, and expressed his dissatisfaction with it. The master is apparently a very amiable and kind person, but I believe unable to cope with the adversities which beset him with such a ruffian class of children as compose no inconsiderable portion of his scholars. They come and go perpetually-they learn next to nothing, and keep up a constant counteraction to discipline. Considering the powers of dtaorderatwork against him, I am disposed to think the chief merit of this school is the imperfect degree of discipline which the master nevertheless maintains. As a specimen'of the dispositions he has to struggle with, I may mention that his utmost endeavouis have failed to prevent obscene words from being chalked upon the doors of the sehot.1, often ia a handwriting which shows that the culprits are not confined to the lower classes of the school. Whilst I was t iere, caps were thrown and Icufflas took place whenever the masrer's back was Inrned. An arithmetic lesson was being given when I entered the school; the black board was used, and the sum was 278s. 12, each boy I n rotation giving answers. Ten beys only were in the Ruie of Three. I gave them 99 at 6s. 6d., and one only could work it, and he knew no simpler mode of doing so than by mul- tiplying 6s. 8d. by 11 and 9. In mental arithmetic, 1 only could reduce C65J-, and none 520d. In the Rule of Three, I gave them 54bs. 5,.3,1. 801bs. 801ba.: x. One only succeeded in working tins. The second classwasmuchtessproncieot. Both classes read the 1st and 2nd chapter of the Acti, lbe first class coasistins of 17, and the second of 21 boys. On the first class, all but two could read with ease the whole of the second class, could scarcely r"ad at all-they made perpetual stops and hesita- tions, mispronouncing many of the words. The first class boys were only able to answer very simple questions, and give the meaning of simple words. They repeated the Church Catechism, but, with one or two exceptions, they did not understand tt. An inheritor" tney thought was one who had done good on eaith; others thought it was having possession," and some thought it was bavins; a name." To be baptised was said to be possesl. mj heaven," and "one who lives there." Six could not tell what pomps and vanity were. The articles of the Caristian faith were thought to be faith in God" by some, and others could not tell. Vain meant "outward," "envy," happy," &c. Catholic church," and "resurrection," were understood only by 7 out of the number, and "communion of saints," they all though:, meant II a great many." In spelling, I found less pro. ficiency than u'-na!. Even this path, so extremely well beaten in most schools, was less familiar to the scholars than I have gene- rally found to be the case elsewhere. The result of my trial of the test words was as follows, applied to the first class:—In I deceive,1' 10"thought the i came tirst, and 6 thought the e came first, In the last syllable. In "believe," 2 thought I he e came tirst, and 13 thought the t came first. The difficult words were •spelled wrong as often as right, even by the first class. The second class wtre not very inferior in this respect. The copy boo.s of the first cbss were good—those of the second, very in- ferior. The parents, it appears, pay for the copy books them- selves, which is acondition to theirchildrenbeing taught writing. The result of this i", that long intervals constantly elapse between the expira'ion of one copy book and the purchase of another, much to tbe detriment of the scholar's progress. Of geography, even the elder children knew very little—the others nothing what- ever. Same few of the boys learn drawing, but the perspectWe was very defective. With the singing I was better pleased. The second dU,.1i were grossly igaoxaut of the meaning of words .— to countenance," tor instance, 5 thought meant man, and 3, a min. A very efficient school in this place would be of great service. No community requires it much more, and the advantage would beappreoatedbytherespectabteinhabitantt. There is a new lk.li..o School under the superintendence of D: ,senter3. The secretary is the Rev. Mr. Bright, the Indepen- dent minister. I went to this school, but it was just closed for the Easter holidnyg. From all I learnt, and from Mr. Jones's report, who had seen it, 1 am disposed to think it promises to be u eful, though it is yet in its infancy. It certainly exhibits, symptom's of intellectual activity. The buildings are very good RISCA SCHOOL. The only day school, except dame-schools, in this parish, was held temporarily in a little chapel belonging to the Wesleyan MeMtodisis ai'liou^h it'profease*'o be a church school. It is a fair soeoimen of the country schools. The master is a poor cripple, nut a man of some capacity. A fewchtldren were scattered about the chaPel-15 couldread in the Bible, but 9 could scarcely read at all. As usual, the mechanical art of reading and writing was all that was taught, except a little authmetic. The children knew very little of the meaning of any thing. They had just been reading the Psalms, which they did w.th more ease than usual. Several of them thought that David lived after Christ hn 1 one or two believed that Chri3t will never come again, and thiee or four only had any notion of the doctrines of salva- tion. WIth a few exceptions, the words they rea conveye no no .ou to their minds whatever. Four thought defend meant t0 pray 11 thought" regard meant t0 feel, and 4 only gave i:s meaning. They spelt much worse lb»°. uis,aa'* only spelt rough rightly, and the rest all spelt it 'D arithmetic they had made more advance. Ona was In the Cube Root, 2 in the Rule of Three, 4 in the Compound Rules, 17 wrote sn copy books. Of all ordinary knowledge they had scarrcel,Y a vestige 4 thought they were living in Africa, and 5 in VV ties. The answers to Which is the largest town in England 1" were < Bristol, Wales, Monmouthshire, and America." One only said London. Seven thought there were 48 weeka in a year, and one only said 52, which several said was wrong, but they had never heard how many there were. My impression, nevertheless, was, thut the master had ability which may be turned to better account. At present, it is not expected that the minds of his scholars should be instructed, and, of course, it is not attempted. The cm ate of theis parish had service to perform, and, conse- quently, could not accompany me to the school. lie mentioned that a better building was in contemplation. COURT-Y-BELLA SCHOOL, The British School, Mynyddystwyn, near Blackwood; Blaina iron Works Schools; the British School at PontMwenydd the Nantyglo School the lown Schools, Pontypoo), &c" Stc., will be noticed in the next week's AISKUN.

AGENTS FOR THE MONMOUTHSHIRE MERLIN. LOCAL AGENTS:— fr^avenny—Mr. J. H. Morgan, Chepstow—Mr. Clark and Mr. Kiessrs. Heos & Son, stationers. Taylor, stationers, &c. Abt1 sychun ~Mr, Somers. Monmouth.— Mr. Cossens, post- aMrilure — Mr. 1'iice, eliemist. ofiice. •'I'li iiirooit—Mr. Jones,post-oftice. ftJerthyr Tydvil—Mr. White and tiryitmuier — Mr. Stephenson, Mr. Wilkins, stationers. printer. loiittlpool-Nir. Hughes, printer, Jiritlgt nd—Mr. Jilrrf, stationer, &c. and 1\Ir, Sloper, surgeon. f'artlijï-Mr. liird, post-office. Tredegar—Mr. Davies, stationer. Usk-Mr. Clark, printer. LONDON AGENTS:— Messrs. Darker and White, 33, Mr. Charles Mitchell, 12, Red Lion Fleet street. Court, Fleet-street. Messrs. Newton arid Co., 2, War- Mr. Munden Hammond, 27, Lom- wiel.-sq\lnre, hard-street. Mr. George Reynell, 42, Chancery. Mr. Samuel Deacon, 3, Walbrook. lane. 1 By whom this paper is regularly filed. The MERLIN is also filed at Lloyd's Cotlec Room, Cily. Newport, Saturday, December 11, 1847. Printed and Published for the Proprietor, E 1) WAR D DOW LING, of Stow Hill, ill the Parish of St. Woolos, in the Murn.IN General Printini; Office, situate in Coin-street,in theBorollgh of Newport,by WILLIAM CHRISTOPHERS, of No. 1, Chailes-street, ia theseud Borough,