JfirlistrIlantous.

The Morning Poet has "great satisfaction in being enabled to announce that an event calculated to strengthen the affectionate attachment of the people to tha Throne, and at the same time increase the happiness of her Majesty's domestic circle, may be expected to take place early in April next."

The Times, which first announced the intention of Sir Robert Peel to abrogate the Corn-laws, yesterday described the altered course of affairs—

"Sir Robert Peel has resigned, and Lord John Russell has been invited to form a new Administration. Such is the sudden and strange event which has taken by surprise the whole political world; and such the verification, if not the fulfil- ment, of the intelligence which yesterday week astonished our readers. At that time another conclusion of the controversies which had evidently long harassed the Cabinet was confidently and justly expected. Sir Robert Peel had then gained over to a total repeal of the Corn-laws all his colleagues except three or four, with whose cooperation, if report speaks true, he might very well have dispensed. He had just won the reluctant assent of the Duke of Wel- lington, and his promise to propose the measure in the Lords. It had also been settled to summon Parliament early in January for this purpose. • • * Subsequently, however, to the date of our announcement, the Duke withdrew his assent, and pined the minority. The Premier then felt that it was not his place, or perhaps in his power, to zarry the measure. On Saturday, accordingly, Sir Robert Peel informed the Queen of the difficulties in which he found himself, and tendered his resignation. Her Majesty, it is said, was pleased to express a great desire to retain his services, if it could possibly be so arranged. Sir Robert Peel could suggest no alternative; and the Queen summoned Lord John Russell to her councils. On Wednesday the whole Ministry resigned, and is now only holding office till Lord John Russell has selected a Government to supply its place. "Did we consult our own taste, we would not say a word in vindication of our announcement, which has ceased to be a matter of any importance now that the result is known. What we said was then perfectly true, and is, moreover, fulfilled, in its most important feature—viz. the surrender of the Corn-laws by Sir Robert Peel and an immense majority of the Cabinet. Of course no mortal man could foretell such a casualty as that the Duke of Wellington would change his mind.

* • We will add, however, that even as far as he is concerned, our original announcement is nearer to a literal completion than certain obstinate unbelievers imagine. The Duke, contrary to the rumours which were all we had to depend upon yesterday, will not risk the existence of the Lords by raising them against the measure, or lift his own voice against it. Though he will not propose it on Sir Robert Peel's initiation, he will, we have reason to believe, offer no obstinate reastarice to it on Lord John Russell's."

Li a letter to the electors of Taunton, Mr. Labouchere has declared his adhesion to total repeal of the Corn-laws: hopeless of a compromise in the shape of a fixed duty, he should now vote for absolute repeal. "I will add, that the circumstances of the season are very favourable to such a change; which would confer great and speedy benefit upon the country generally, while it could hardly excite the fear of present mischief among the agriculturists."

Mr. Cayley, the Member for North Yorkshire, has published his promised second letter to Lord John Russell, on the Corn-laws. It recites at great length many of the stock arguments in favour of those laws; tracing their history from the earliest times. All this is done in a cool and rea- soning manner, with a very ingenuous candour. Mr. Cayley sets out with an air of agreeable pleasantry, hailing Lord John as the most useful of the farmer's Mends, for the indiscretion of his present intervention; but towards the close, he mingles with the earnestness of the antagonist in controversy a graver and graceful expression of personal friendship. In the midst of this controversial matter, he touches on the present political bearing of the question-

" You may tell me that the manufacturers are practical men, and that they should know their own interests. If I concede this point, it is one which to me, as an agriculturist, has frequently been denied when I have advocated the Corn- law. My answer to you, however, is, that if the manufacturers are practical men, and if it be an undisputed axiom in that influential class that the Corn-laws are so disastrous to their interests, why don't they all unite in condemning those laws? We learn, on the contrary, from members of the manufacturing body, that in various towns from which petitions proceed against the Corn-laws, half, if not more, of the manufacturing interest of such towns (especially if the capital embarked be taken into the consideration) have refused to sign such peti- tions. You may reply to this, that it is their Conservative opinions that prevent them signing. I might answer, that Whig opinions may lead others to the oppo- site course of signing them. • s

"The benefit to accrue from a repeal of the Corn-laws is, therefore, among the manufacturing body itself, a disputed point: and that it is so we must be con- vinced, at least until Lancashire sends to Parliament four opponents of the Corn- laws, instead of four supporters of it; until the West Riding sends two opponents, instead of two supporters; and until the borough of Leeds (with as upright and powerful a provincial journal as any in the kingdom, to support their cause) sends two opponents of the Corn-law, instead of one opponent and one supporter of it. What the result may be at another election—when the Anti-Corn-law party, un- willing to trust their case to the verdict of the old constituencies, numerous though they be, have established a number of new voters virtually pledged to their views—it would be difficult to say. Those who would swamp the Peerage may object as little to swamp the constituencies to gain a point- Be that as it may, two thousand of these votes of the Anti-Corn-law party are said to have been already

purchased in the West Riding of Yorkshire. And I, for my part, cannot see what there is in the law to prevent them. I am not objecting to the purchase of small freeholds to give votes, but rather intending to show the distrust the Anti-Corn- law party evince of constituencies not of their own creation. Then, if we turn to the Members for London, we find three supporters of the Corn-laws, and one dis- tinguished opponent of them—yourself; but only by a very narrow majority re- turned. Turn, then, to Liverpool: two supporters of the Corn-laws not only re- present it, but I have beard from both of them very able speeches in their defence. The manufacturing body being divided upon the question, and the two greatest emporiums of commerce (arguing from their representation) being in its favour, and from the nature of their transactions more likely to be competent judges upon the subject than manufacturing towns, it cannot be said that among prac- tical men, i. e. men practically affected in their business by the operation of the Corn-laws, that there is an undisputed opinion in favour of their repeal."

Mr. Cayley glances at the future, supposing Lord John returned to power. "You would, if not prevented by a strong mercantile and agricultural opposition, proceed to repeal the Corn-laws. I am not sure you would have the power. But, granting you had, you must, as certainly as the present Minister cannot repeal the Corn-laws, forthwith repeal the Income-tax also. In addition to this, what im- port-duties could you then maintain ? How many would the mercantile and agri- cultural opposition arrayed against you allow you to maintain? Literally none r Where would be your revenue? Where would be your means to uphold the pub- lic credit? Whence could arise your power to continue the payment of the National Debt? These are reflections which will, of course, have occurred to you. Your fertility in resource may enable you to overcome difficulties of this kind. My infirm nerves, I confess, would shrink from the encounter."

Tuesday's Gazette contained the following "Joint Declaration made on the part of Great Britain and France, in pursuance of the 7th article of the Convention of the 29th May 1845, for the Suppression of the Slave- trade."

"Whereas his Majesty the King of the French has caused a notification to be made to her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, that the French squadron to be sent to the coast of Africa, in pursuance of the convention between their said Majesties, signed at London on 29th May 1845, will be ready to commence operations on that coast by the 15th of the present month of December; the undersigned, her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Charge d'Affaires of his Majesty the King of the French at the Court of London, being furnished with the necessary powers, do, in conformity with the provisions of the 7th article of the said convention, by this joint declaration make known' that the measures to be adopted in virtue of the said convention are about tobe carried into exe- cution at the time mentioned in the said notification; and that, in consequence thereof, on the 6th day of March 1846, being three months from the date of this joint declaration, the warrants that have been issued in pursuance of the conventions of 1831 and 1833 to the cruisers of the two nations, for the mutual exercise of the right of search, are to be respectively delivered up.

"In witness whereof, the undersigned have signed the present joint declara- tion, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms.

Done in duplicate, at London, the 6th day of December in the year of our

Lord 1845. (Signed) "ABERDEEN." (L.S.) It appears from an official letter addressed to the Reverend Charles Fox Vardy, of Gloucester Place, Kentish Town, that incomes derived "solely" from voluntary contributions are not chargeable with the Income-tax.

Mr. Pemberton, who has for many years held office in the Secretary's department of the Customhouse, has been appointed by the Board of Cus- toms to the post of Inspector and Examiner of Plantation Accounts, va- cant by the decease of Mr. Woodhouse. Lieutenant Edward Evans Gray, who was reprimanded eighteen months ago by sentence of a court-martial for improperly detaining and searching a French vessel, the Luis d'Albuquerque, on the African coast, has been commissioned to the Viper. The sentence was thought, at the time, to stretch the law against Mr. Evans.

In the Herald on Monday was this statement, which Mr. M‘Lane VMS called upon to contradict ; and the offensive passage was copied into the Standard- " The American Minister has been charged with misinforming the Times, for the purpose, which probably some diplomatists may not think dishonourable, of sending to the United States fabricated news that might influence the decision of the Tariff question. We do not suspect Mr. M`Lane of such indirect ,prac- tice; bat whether he has or has not resorted to it, the guilt of the Times is the same."

In the absence of Mr. APLane, the contradiction is given by Mr. Ganse- voort Melville, Secretary of the United States Legation in London-

" On my own responsibility, I deny explicitly, fully, and without reserve, each and every imputation therein contained and brand them with falsehood from first to last."

The Grand Duke Constantine of Russia sailed from Plymouth Sound, in the war-ship Ingermanland, on Sunday afternoon. The corvette Veer- schafsky sailed at the same time. Lord Wharncliffe has been confined to bed by indisposition; but the ill- ness is not understood to be serious.

A subscription is in progress for erecting a monument to the late Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, in Westminster Abbey. The balls of Eton College are to have an addition to their memorials of eminent men: Earl Howe contributes a bust of his grandfather, the Ad- miral; Mr. Behnes, the sculptor, gives a bust of Lord Chatham; and Co- - lonel Reid is to present a bust of George the Third.

The Doncaster Gazette records a laudable proceeding to set aside the necessity of clerical importunities at certain seasons-

" We understand that on Monday last a communication was made to the Town- Council by E. Denison, Esq., M.P., expressive of the wish of his Grace the Arch- bishop of York to give the sum of 5001., if that amount could be met by an ade- quate sum on the part of the Council and the inhabitants of the borough, to raise an annuity for the Vicar of the parish-church, in order that the annual Christ- mas collection made for that reverend gentleman may be rendered wholly unne- cessary."

We have been informed, on good authority, that the Speaker of the House of Commons has, after consulting with the Attorney-General, resolved to grant orders for the payment of the sum required from railway companies by the Stand- ing Orders of the House by three, fonr, or five instalments, as the parties applying may wish. This the Speaker will do by specifying in the order the number of instalments.—Times City Article.

An opinion has been obtained from the Solicitor-General and Mr. Pitt Taylor on several points connected with the liability of persons who applied for shares in railway schemes, and afterwards declined to accept them. The gist of the opi- nion is, that such persons are liable to be sued for non-fulfilment of contract; but that many difficulties, practical and technical, will beset the plaintiffs, whe- ther they proceed at law or equity. • The Clerk of the Peace for the county of Lancaster, notwithstanding the order of the Board of Trade to the contrary, refused to receive railway plans and books of references on the 30th November; and the agents of such lines as were thus driven to the last day, and they were many, made the required deposits on Monday morning the let of December, under protest. Amongst the number of lines in this predicament is the Furness Railway, for its intended extension to Ulverston and branch to Broughton.—Curnberland Pacguet.

The report of M. C. d'Hoffschmidt, Minister of Public Works in Belgium, upon she operation of the railways in that country during the first nine months of the present year, comprises the following return of accidents which have occurred within that period. Accidents resulting in death, and to be attributed to the imprudence of the victims—one passenger, and three persons struck while the trains were in motion on the line; total, four. Accidents arising from unforeseen circumstances—three workmen and persons employed by the manager. Acci- dents resulting in wounds, and to be attributed to the imprudence of the victims— four passengers, and two persons struck by the trains whilst running on the line; total, six. Accidents from unforeseen circumstances, resulting in wounds— twelve workmen and persons employed by the managers. This return presents a fact worthy of observation: during a period of nine months, not a single accident happened which could be imputed exclusively to the working of these railways. Such a result, the report states, can but be attributed to the prudence of the per- sons employed, and to the minute and careful attention they pay to keep the engines and carriages in the best possible state.

Early in the month of March, Mr. Peter Johnston, shoemaker, Letham, planted out a plot of ground in his garden with the ash-leaf early potatoes, which he found fit for use by the end of June, when the ground was cleared of them. On the 1st July, the ground being again well prepared/ he planted a crop of the common second e.arlies, which grew rapidly and promised a fair return. They were lifted on the 1st November, and turned out about an average crop. He laid aside a portion of beth kinds for seed next year, which appeared to be perfectly free of any kind of disease.—Fifeshire Journal.

The Dublin Nation contains this loyal and judicious paragraph among its notices to correspondents. "S. O'H. asks advice for himself and two friends of his as to whether they should enlist in the English naval service, or go to Ame- rica, with a view of making their way to the Oregon? We advise the latter, as the States are now bent upon peopling Oregon, and affording every facility and encouragement to squatters in that territory. Early in spring, if peace continue there will be abundance of American emigrant-ships sailing from every port in Ireland."

The Journal des Debate retorts upon the English allusions to the barbarous war in Algeria, with a statement which it alleges to have been the subject of comment by the English press at Sydney. "It would appear that, in the combats with the Natives, the English commander had given orders to bayonet all the wounded who lay on the field of battle. It is even related that one of the New Zealand chiefs had saved his life by hiding himself beneath the body of one of his men; which circumstance,' says the report of the English officer, was very surprising; for our men punctually executed the order issued to give no quarter, as the savages had the audacious custom of again rising up and firing on the enemy after he had passed.' We shall make no comment on this fact: for two reasons—first, because we admit that war may have certain cruel but imperious necessities; and next, because we should fear that our censure and indignation would be weak in comparison with what cannot fail to be expressed by the Eng- lish journals, from which some of the acts of our army in Africa have drawn forth such clamours." [Undoubtedly, the report would call forth the strongest censure in England—if it were true. But even in New Zealand the public officers are not mad enough for that.] The Royal Court of Rouen has decided, on appeal from an inferior tribunal, that the translation of a work into another language is still a violation of the law of copyright- In the case before the Court some French lectures on chemistry had been translated into Spanish. The publisher of this translation was sen- tenced to pay 1,000 francs fine, and all the copies were ordered to be destroyed.

Two Englishmen, passing under the names of Henry King and George Neale, have absconded from Frankfort-on-the-Maine, taking along with them money, jewellery, and other valuables, to the amount of 600,000 florins. Under the pre- tence of being the agents of several large houses, they succeeded in obtaining credit, and contrived to sustain a good name by having their bills duly honoured when they became due. In October, however, when their fraudulent plans were completed, both swindlers quitted Frankfort, the one going to Paris and the other to Wisbaden; and they have hitherto succeeded in eluding capture. A descrip • tion of their persona, and of the booty understood to be in their possession, toge- ther with "a sketch" of what appears to be a very ugly woman, who passed as King's wife, have been forwarded to the police-stations throughout the kingdom; and to quicken the exertions of policemen, large rewards are offered for the appre- hension of the persons or the recovery of the property.

A circular has been sent from the Mansionhouse to the bankers in the Me- tropolis, cautioning them against the operations of a gang of thieves who enter the offices ostensibly to transact business, but in reality to keep a watch upon persons who are drawing money, in order that they may afterwards rob them. The practice is for a well-dressed person to step in with a note in his hand; or it may be, he busies himself with pen and paper as though he were writing a check; but in fact he is watching the movements of persons who are receiving cash. A boy in attendance notices the pocket in which some likely person places his money; this information he communicates to his principal, who follows the person-' whilst a second accomplice keeps a watch upon the Police. A renewal of the former plan of employing two efficient and experienced Police- men to perambulate Lombard Street and the adjoining lanes, is recommended by Mr. Bush, the solicitor to the Bankers' Protection Committee.

Mr. William Croft Fische, the proprietor of the Finsbury Branch Savings Bank, shot himself with a pistol on Saturday night. Pecuniary embarrassment is spoken of as the motive.

A silly servant-girl in Giggleswick, the other day, imprudently used a parcel of gunpowder, said to be upwards of a pound in weight, for the purpose (more easily as she imagined) of lighting her kitchen-fire. A terrible explosion was the consequence; but she, providentially, escaped without injury to her person.— Leeds Intelligencer.

Laverack, a man in his seventy-third year, has had a wonderful escape from death, near Pickering, in Yorkshire. Returning home in the evening, he lost his road; and wandering in the darkness, fell over a precipice one hundred and twenty feet high. Next morning, he was found by his son with both his shoul- ders dislocated, but alive; and he is expected to recover.

The Brazilian sailors, whose conviction at Exeter was pronounced illegal by the Judges, have been liberated from prison.

The subjoined useful "directions for affixing postage-labels" have reached us under an official-looking cover—" The most effectual plan is, to dip the label wholly into water; to shake off the water immediately, and to press the label upon the letter with a piece of clean blotting-paper. When the gum is dull in appearance, it will require rather more time and moisture to make it stick firmly, than when it is glossy. N.B.—The purpose of wetting the label wholly, is to counteract the tendency it has to curl up from the letter, when one side only is wetted; a tendency caused by the expansion of that side as it imbibes the mois- ture."