Zbe Vrobintro.

There was an unusually large and interesting attendance of visiters at Harrow on the speech-day, last Wednesday week : among them, the Countess of Mountcashel, Viscount Strangford, the Bishop Of

Gloucester and Bristol, the Bishop of New Jersey, Sir Robert Peel, Sir R. H. Inglis, Mr. Wordsworth the poet and family, the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, the Principal of Maine College, United States, and the Parsee litterateur Manackjee Cursetjee. Sir Robert Peel's son Frederick having gained the Peel medal, it was presented to him by the Head Master, "in the presence," he said, "of the founder ; that founder being his parent, and that parent Sir Robert Peel." The Hope prize was gained by H. M. Wilkins. Sir Robert Peel, in return- ing thanks when his health was drunk, said that he was more pleased that his son had distinguished himself by his good conduct than that he had excelled from superior abilities. Wordsworth's health was pro- posed by his nephew, the Head Master ; and he was heartily cheered at the close of his short response.

Mr. Benett, the reelected Member for South Wiltshire, is lost to the- office Whigs. At a dinner given at Salisbury to celebrate his return, be celebrated his own consistency with great emphasis— He felt a comfort at heart, because he knew they approved of his conduct. He was a Whig, but not a Whig of the present day; for be knew that all maa of character and honest intentions would see the great danger to which the country was exposed in consequence of the agitation which had been raised. He was a Whig of 1688. [" Immortal old gentleman ! "] The Conservatives of the present day had stolen the name from the Whigs ; and he would honestly

say that he hoped they would support that name. He had been challenged by Liberal party with having deserted them ; but his reply had been, " No, it

is you who have deserted me ; you have disgraced the name of Whig"; and so they bad. They had run from one side of the House to another : but he must say that the Whigs had done good to their country; and he would ask, would gentlemen undo what they had done ? Would they return to the corruption of Old Sarum, and such places, under the old system ?

He had withstood fierce temptation— On the late occasion he felt himself bound to vote as he had done. That vote was decidedly an honest vote ; and that vote dissolved the Parliament. [" Alone I did it !"] Thus he opposed those with whom he had often acted in unison, but not as a party-man; for that he never was. Many of the Ministers were his personal friends : one of them Caine to him and said, " Pray, Benett, walk. into the Library, and do not vote." Had he done so, he should have been a coward, and not done his duty by those whom he had the honour to represent.

The Cheltenham electors gave a dinner to celebrate the return of Mr. Craven Berkeley, on Thursday week. Others of the family were present, Lord Segrave and Mr. Grantley Berkeley. The speaking was not remarkable. Lord Seg,rave told an amusing (if true) anecdote of clerical expenditure- " A friend of mine in the House of Commons requested me to present a petition to the House of Lords, from a parish in his neighbourhood, against church-rates ; and among other allegations in the petition, they stated that one year one of the items in the Churchwarden's account was twenty pounds for—what do you suppose ? Not for repairs and decorations to the church, but for killing sparrows. The petitioners prayed for an investigation into the accu- racy of their statement. I presented their petition, and stated this fact ; and though there were some right reverend prelates on the bench, the statement was neither denied nor inquiry proposed. Now I cannot bring myself to believe that a cock-sparrow is so formidable an enemy as to warrant the application of rates from eh t *,-.Attt of the people, for Churchwardens to wage so expensive a war on them."

A public dinner was given lately to Mr. H. B. Curteis, on his return to Parliament for the borough of Rye. Among those who made speeches, were Mr. Jeremiah Smith, the Mayor of Rye, and Mr. &linear,- two of the oldest and wealthiest farmers in East Sussex. Mr. Smith. expressed himself to this effect on the Corn question— He would give his opinion as a farmer, and as a person interested to a slight extent in the cultivation of land. He had well considered the subject, and was now ready to embark his lot in the fate of the change. Be was well aware that the change must soon come ; and therefore, he said, now was the time to make a just and good bargain. If the farmers did not meet it, the opportunity would be lost. It was asked, what should they do if they did not grow corn? He replied, they should grow something else. Be treated it as a question of two farms. If this country could not grow corn at a profit, it could grow beef and mutton. In France, meat was now as much a question with the Legislature as corn was here. In that country meat was 10d. and Is. a pound. France was a corn country, England was a grazing country ; and while they could grow corn, we could grow meat, hops, and other articles. We could not stand still: we must go on or fall, and therefore we must show that we can meet all nations. He knew they could grow corn cheaper than we could; but then we can grow plenty of things better and cheaper than they can, and if we could get trade, and get a profit, we should not be sufferers. New markets would daily open to us which we could supply; but if we restricted others from coming here, how could they meet us in return ?

Mr. Selmes is the same gentleman who, shortly after the great agricultural meeting at Oxford, contended with Earl Spencer in a wager for a large amount, to produce a hundred head of cattle of the pure Sussex breed from stock reared by himself, finer than a like number to be produced by the Earl of any breeds he chose. Earl Spencer won the wager, which tested the agricultural skill of both antagonists. Mr. Selmes said— When the present Corn Bill was passed in 1828, he was one of a Committee sitting in London to watch the progress of it ; and could assure them, that up to the night of being brought before the House, it was a question with the Ministry if it should be a fixed duty or a sliding scale. The present scale was adopted ; and he then considered it was for the best, because the farmers then, as a fixed duty, expected at least twenty shillings a quarter. Experience bad, however, convinced him that both were wrong; the farmers in wishing for so great a protection, which could never have been maintained, and the Govern- ment in adopting the sliding scale. Be was satisfied a fixed duty was the best for all parties. In 1829 they had wheat at 36s. per quarter ; in 1840 they had wheat at 78s. per quarter. In what way, he would ask, did the present laws accomplish the end intended, of regulating the price of wheat so as to give a steady protection to the farmer? Or did they make it beneficial to the country at large ? In a few years no less than seven millions of gold had been sent out of the country for corn. That could not be for the benefit of the country. He certainly thought that the claim of the farmers to protection had been assented to by the alteration of the Poor-laws. The merchant could not send out goods and take corn in return with a duty of 24s. against him. He firmly believed that if a duty of from ten to eight shillings a quarter were fixed, prices would be much steadier, and general trade more flourishing. Seasons, they knew, must affect them to some extent; but so it would all other countries at times. He could not think the present law had done any thing to regulate their prices; and no man could enter a farm with safety, nor could the tradesman make a contract without risk, on account of the great fluctuation.

The joy of the Liberals for their success at Nottingham is intermin- able: since Monday week, the town and its neighbourhood have wit- nessed a series of "splendid festivals "—tea-parties—to celebrate the return of Sir John Hobhouse and Mr. Larpeut Some hundreds of people, including many ladies, have joined in these rejoicings.

On Thursday, a meeting of parishioners was held at Braintree in Essex, to receive the monition from the Ecclesiastical Court of the Bishop of London, ordering a rate to be made for the repairs of the church. A rate of 2s. was proposed. Mr. Courtauld moved a resolu- tion declaring church-rates unjust, and refusing to make any rate. The amendment was carried by a large majority. The Churchwardens then made a rate of 2s., on their own responsibility. Mr. Courtauld entered a protest in the minute-book, asserting that no rate could legally be levied at that meeting after a majority of the rate-payers had refused it.

The preparations for the next meeting of the British Association, at Devonport, are nearly completed. Professor Whewell will be President ; and the Earls of Morley and Mount Edgcumbe, Lord Elliot, M.P., Sir Thomas D. Acland, and Sir. C. Lemon, the Vice-Presidents. The sittings of the meeting will begin on the 29th of this month, and end on the 4th August. A reception-room, at which all information will be given and inquiries answered, has been provided at the Royal Hotel ; and it is intended to provide a room as a temporary museum for apparatus and curiosities on the plan successfully commenced at New- castle in 1838. Geological excursions to the mines of Cornwall are contemplated.

On Tuesday afternoon, a vast multitude of persons crowded the dock- yard of Mr. Pritchard, at Northfleet, to witness the launch of a first- class steam-ship, the Medway, 1,200 tons burden ; which took place at high-water, in perfect safety. She belongs to the East India Steam- packet Company, and is intended to carry out the mails.

An inquest has been held on the bodies of the persons who were drowned at the launch at Rotherham. The evidence of Mr. Edwin Cadman, one of the owners of the vessel, shows the precise manner of the accident. He was standing ahead of the vessel as she launched, and had a good view of what happened-

" As she was leaving the stays, about half over on the balance, the parties on board rushed to the leeward side to see the effect of her dashing into the water. The weight of' the men and boys to her leeward side caused her to overbalance and to overturn before she reached the water, which was about three feet from the stays. I had examined the vessel, the ways, and the packings; and I thought it altogether perfectly safe, having seen vessels launched before from the same yard. I thought it so safe, that I was inclined to go on board ; but from an impression among the boatmen that it is unlucky for an owner to be on board when a vessel is launched, I kept ashore. The men were sober and steady, and conducted the business in the usual manner, and to my satisfaction. She did not pause till the rush took place. I think she was within eighteen inches of the end of the ways. I consider it entirely accidental. I have seen many boat-yards, and have been on vessels which had to drop six yards or more into the water."

The inquest still proceeds. A subscription has been opened for the poorer class of those whose relatives were lost. Mr. Chambers, the owner of the launch-yard, has given 201., and his father in London the game Sum. Nearly 2001. has been already collected. The Vicar of the parish, the Reverend Thomas Blackley, has also been munificent : he has offered to remit the usual fees on the burial of the corpses.