idrelIatteOttif.

The death of Mr. Justice Taunton, on Sunday last, was very sud- den. He was apparently in his usual state of health on Sunday ; had been at church in the morning, and taken a long walk with his son. On retiring to rest at his usual hour at night, he complained of an extraordinary difficulty in breathing. Dr. Turnbull, of Rims- sell Square, was immediately sent for ; but before he arrived, Sir William had expired. From a post mortem examination of the body, it appeared the cause of his death was ossification of the heart. Sir William Taunton was a worthy man and arm excellent lawyer. We believe that the following extract from the Legal Examiner does no more than justice to his memory. " Although Mr. Justice Taunton was not a popular Judge, yet those who knew him best were well assured that he possessed a kind heart; and we believe his death is sincerely regretted. There are few Judges on the bench who showed more anxiety than Mr. Justice Taunton to apologize for any warmth of temper which had given unnecessary pain to the humblest individual ; and we have often heard him stop in the middle of a cause, and make remarks upon such occasions which did him the highest honour. As a lawyer, this learned Judge ranked de- servedly high. He was well acquainted with the law of real property, and was also an accurate pleader. Indeed, he owed his advancement to the bench en- tirely to his professional reputation. He was remarkable for extreme care in the se of words; and he seldom used a terns in giving his judgment, or in speaking, which was not the most appropriate to define exactly what he meant to say ; and his Lordship was very quick and smart at repartee. One of the neatest specimens of his talent in this department cecurred at chambers not long since. An attorney applied to enlarge a rule for some purpose. It was granted. The opposing attorney observed, that in the whole course of his experience he had never heard of a rule being enlarged under such circumstances. ' I shall have the pleasure, then,' said the Judge, 'of enlatging the rule and your expe- rience at the same time.'"

It has been rumoured that Sergeant Spankie is to succeed to the vacant place on the Bench, and thus reap the reward of his political apostacy. Sir James Scarlett has already got his sop. • Cannot room be made for old Lord Wynford ? Ile would again feel quite at home among the partisan Judges, who bid fair to have a majority on the Bench. It is plain that the public and our Representatives in Parlia- ment must henceforth keep a vigilant watch over the proceedings in the Courts of Justice.

The Globe has some just and forcible remarks on the practice of promoting such trading politicians and indifferent lawyers as Sergeant Spankie.

" That the Government, in the appointment of Judges, should make their selection from among their own supporters, however indefensible in principle, is still conformable to established practice, and might be allowed to pass without observation. But we have yet to learn that mere political partisanship and time-ssrs ing apostacy are of themselves sufficient qualifications for the ju- dicial office. The character of Sergeant Spankie, as a lawyer, has never stood high. A facetious address to a Jury is about the extent of his calibre; hut sound or extensive legal knowledge, no one, we believe, ever dreamed of assert- ing that the learned Sergeant bad the most remote pretensions to. In causes of a mare important and complicated nature, we believe the name of the learned Sergeant rarely if ever appears. But as a politician, it is true. Sergeant Spankie has undoubted and important claims on the Ministry. We believe that the

annals of Westminster Hall, prolific as has been the legal profession in

political dishonesty and servility, cannot furnish a case more glaring than the recent tergiversation of Mr. Sergeant Spankie. Towards the close of the session, as is well known, the Solicitor mGeneralsbip became vacant. Some difficulty was found ins filling the office. It was said at the time to have almost gone begging. But it somehow or other happened that in the search for a person to fill the office, it did not occur to the Govern- ment to think of that genuine Reformer, the M. P. for Finsbury. His claims and vnerits were overlooked. Here was a fatal blots- to the hopes of the ambitious lawyer. From the Whigs' nothing was to be hoped fur. For- tunately, however, an unexpected charge took place in the Administra.. tion. To the astonishment of all men, the Tuties are again in office. The learned Sergeant puts off the Reformer, and appears in the character of a Conservative ; and as a paruphleteesing hail before now made a Tory Bishop, there seemed no reason why a well-timed effusion on behalf of the new Ministers should not becinne a stepping-stone to the bench."

The Marquis of Londonderry, we understand, has triuniphed over his opponents us well as over the discretion of the Ministers, and is to go to Sr. Petersburg as the representative of our Sovereign at that Court. Perhaps the T'imes, which is so well informed as to the conduct of the Marquis during his former embassy to Vienna, will refresh the memory of the public on the subject. We shall in the first instance he content to reiterate the information which we were the first to com- municate to the public, and claim confidence for the correctness of our intelligence.—Courier.

Some of the London papers have circulated a report that the Duke of Richmond is about to accept a lucrative situation abroad. We know right well that the noble Duke has no wish to leave this country, and will not accept office, place, or emolument under the present Govern- inent.—Brighlon Herald.

A paragraph, with as much truth as this will leave in it, has been going the round of the papers, which we too copied, relative to the strict economy of the present Earl Spencer, and discharge of his do- mestics save one, ploughing up the park at Althorp, Sze. The present Earl has continued in his service, in addition to his own establish- ment, all the household at Althorp, excepting an under butler, two footmen, and a valet. The park of 500 acres contains 700 deer ; which are to be partially superseded by competitors for the gold medal at the Smithfield show of fat oxen, which his Lordship wisely ad- mires more than so many head of useless deer—Leamington Express. [The paragraph was also copied into the Spectator, but with the inti- mation that it could only be a joke.]

The Bank has published the following statement of its liabilities and assets for the average of the quarter ending 13th January 1835.

LIABILITIES. ASSETS.

Circulation £18,012,000 Securities £26,290,000 Deposits 12,585,01X1 I Bullion 6,741,000

£30,597,000 I £33,131,000

The lucrative Government appointment of Surveyor-General and Superintendent of the mail-coach department has become vacant by the death of Mr. C. Johnson. The gift is in the office of Lord Alarybo- rough, the new Postmaster. General.

At the Greenwich election, the first voter that gave a plumper for Mr. Angerstein, who had avowed himself a Radical Reformer, and an enemy of all pensions, was Mr. Edwards, the Page of the Princess Sophia of Gloucester.—Globe.

It is rather a curious coincidence, that the number of votes polled in Bristol for Sir J. C. Hobhouae, and for his brother at Finsbury, are precisely the same; viz. 1,808.—Times.

It is fortunate for the present Lord Mayor of London, that he is not made of such inflammable materials as his Worship of Dublin ; for by this time, had he survived, he might have had a shot at hal(the Com- mon Council.—Morning Herald. The vile papers have been labouring during the week to give currency to a report that a difference exists between Sir Robert Peel and Sir George Murray, in regard to the appointment of the milkwoman to the Ordnance. We are authorized to contradict this atrocious insinua- tion ; and can add from our own resources, that both these honourable- Baronets are so united in the grand object of plundering the people, that no one can find any difference between them.—Figaro in London. The Duchess of Saxe Weimar, the illustrious sister of the Queen, accompanied by her family, is expected to arrive on a visit to their Ma- jesties in the course of the ensuing spring. The party will be taken on board at Antwerp. Her Highness's husband, Duke Bernard, has not yet visited the country.—Brighton Gazette.

Dr. Lardner has arrived in Paris, it is said, by invitation of the French Government, on business relative to the railroad between this and (3tilids, by which a traveller may breakfast in Paris and dine in London.—Paris Advertiser. In consequence of instructions given by the Prefect of Police to the forty-eight Commissaries of Paris, these latter, one night last week, al rested nearly four-h undred persons in the furnished lodgings of their several quarters. The Commissaries of Police proceeded simulta- neously to make these captures, all beginning at the same hour, each assisted by five or six agents to aid them in case of resistance. The result of their search was the arrest of' several persons who have already been before the tribunals, whom the Police suspected as the authors of the attempt at robbery and murder committed on the 31st of December on young Genevoy, receiving clerk in the banking-house of Maigne, Marstad, and Mallet. The strongest suspicion rests on these wretches.—Paris Paper. The editor of the Tribune, which has been seized one hundred and five times, was on Saturday sentenced at the Paris Assizes to an impri- sonment of six months, and a fine of 2000 francs, for having published in the columns of that print an extract from a London evening journal, which states France to be at the mercy of stockjobbers, and Louis Philip to be a royal jobber, who is more anxious to fill his purse than to preserve and extend the liberties of his people. Instances of predial incendiarism are sometimes mentioned in the German papers. A case of the kind is stated to have occurred at Holtzkirchen, on the estate of the Count Von Melitzdorf. More than 6000 sheaves of corn were destroyed before the progress of the flames was checked ; and it is said there is no doubt of the farm-yard having been wilfully set on fire.

The Brussels correspondent of the Chronicle says— "The progress of the English elections continues to engross public atteetion, to the extinction of all other topics. Notwithstanding the decided success of the Reformists, II, Tories assure their friends on this side the water, that the issue sill be favourable to them. for that many of those who have professed Reform principles, in order to secure their seats, intend to desert the cause of the People upon the earliest occasion, were it only to avoid the expense and trouble of that second dissolution. This report is worthy of attention. For if there be any men who contemplate such profligate apostacy, they ought to be watched and exposed with relentless severity. But this is probably a mere trick of the Tories to bolster up their tottering cause, and to intimidate those whom they think too honest to yield to bribery, but uot sufficiently rich to with a second dissolution.

[To a certain extent we doubt not that these stcernents of the Tories are true ; but NVO to such traitors at the next dissolution, which Bitty be nearer at hand than any of us expect.] We can state upon what we consider unquestionable authority, that a Committee of Bishops has been appointed to consider of a plan of Church Reform, including a commutation of tithes, preparatory to the subject being submitted to Parliament by his Majesty's Ministers. —Worcester Journal. [This is not improbable. The 'Tory Church Reform must not he disagreeable to the pluralists and politicians of the Church, and therefore the Bishops will have the concocting of it.]