20 FEBRUARY 1841, Page 8

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The Lord Chancellor has been too ill to attend to his public duties.. The Morning Herald intimates that the Great Seal will be put into commission until his Lordship's recovery.

The Marquis of Normanby has been prevented by indisposition from- attending at the Home Office during the present week.

Sir John Harvey, Governor of New Brunswick, has been recalled,, and will be succeeded by Sir William Colebrooke.---Morning Chronicle, Feb. 19. Lord Cardigan made his appearance in a private box of Drury Lane- Theatre on Wednesday, accompanied by the Countess. He was recog- nized, and assailed by a storm of yells and hisses. A correspondent of' the Morning Post says—" His Lordship appeared unmoved at the scene. To the lady it seemed to afford amusement." The Post's correspondent takes some comfort, however, from the circumstance that the hissers and yellers "were mostly lads, suckers of oranges, and adults with inflamed countenances, and altogether of decidedly offensive appear- ance."

An augmentation of the Army will take place within a very short period from the present time. The proposed increase will not exceed: from 2,000 to 3,000 men. It is to be effected by adding to the numeri- cal strength of the different regiments; the establishment of which will in all prohability be increased from 800 to 1,000 rank and file. We have good reason to believe that a plan of this kind was several months ago submitted by Lord Hill for the final approval of her Majesty's Go- vernment, and that it will be almost immediately adopted.—United Ser- vice Gazette.

It appears by a return ordered to be printed by the House of Com- mons, that the total net produce of the Post-office revenue for the year ended the 5th of January 1841, was—Great Britain, 441,0001.; Ireland, 6,664/. 10s. 6d.; total, 447,6641. 10s. 6d.

The Paris papers are principally occupied with speculations as to the passing of the Fortifications Bill by the Chamber of Peers. The dis- cussions have been hitherto carried on in the Bureaux, and not open to the public. A division in favour of the bill is said not to have exceeded 23 in a Chamber containing 200 members. Not much doubt as to the ultimate result was entertained, for the King is now stated to be soli- citous to have the bill passed.

The Chamber of Deputies has been occupied with the revision of the Customs-duties. They have not made much progress since last week ; nor have the articles under consideration been of national importance. The Ministers oppose amendments having for their effect to increase the duties, and with success. On Tuesday, the Chamber rejected the proposition of the Tariff Committee, which recommended that the im- port-duties levied on unbleached thread should be reimbursed on the exportation of twist yarn and linen.

It appears from the French papers that the general armament con- tinues to be carried on with activity. The training and exercise of the troops keep pace with the increase of military strength, and are prose- cuted with extreme vigour.

Madrid papers have been received to the 10th instant. The elections in that city ended on the 8th, entirely in favour of the Liberal party. The Regency is represented to have exerted no influence on the elec- tions, and to have directed their subordinate agents to abstain from interfering. The troops mustered round the capital are on the increase. The municipality had become distrustful at the demonstration, and have remonstrated with Espartero on the subject. Reports of the pro- jected movements of the Republicans continue to be circulated in Madrid.

The Government had discovered a seditious intrigue among the regi. ment of the Queen Regent, and it had been ordered out of the capital. The occurrence had caused some alarm.

Letters from Alexandria to the 28th January, report that Commodore Napier had gbne up the Nile to Cairo. Ibrahim Pasha, with his army, had arrived at Gaza, without having been molested on their march.

A letter from Marmorice Bay announces the arrival there of a great part of the Turkish fleet on the 24th January.

Several vessels have arrived from the United States daring the week—three packet-ships from New York, and the Acadia mail- steamer, which left Boston on the 1st instant and Halifax on the 4th.

The case of Mr. M`Leod was creating an excitement on both sides of the Border, that seemed to increase daily, especially in the United States ; and additional subjects of dispute had been discovered. Mr. BI'Leod had not been liberated on bail, according to the report in a Niagara paper, but was still in gaol at Lockport, under a Magistrate's mitfimus, on a charge of murder, which, it is said, does not admit of bail. The indictment would be laid before the Grand Jury early in February. His trial is not expected to take place before the fourth Monday in Mareh.

The correspondence between Mr. Forsyth, the Foreign Secretary to the United States, and Mr. Fox, the British Minister, had set the coun- try in a blaze. Public meetings bad been held in Buffalo, Batavia, and several other places, at which the speakers denounced the conduct of Great Britain in terms of the coarsest virulence. And preparations were making to call "a great mass American meeting" in the Park at New York, which was expected to be the first of a series of similar gatherings.

The angry feeling against Great Britain had been exasperated by the seizure of the American vessel Tigris, as a slaver, on the coast of Africa. She had been sent, under the command of Mr. Jackson, a midshipman of the Queen's brig Water-Witch, to the United States for trial ; and the court at Salem bad pronounced the seizure unlawful. An action of trespass was immediately brought against Mr. Jackson, with damages laid at 4,000 dollars. Mr. Jackson was bailed by the British Consul at Boston; and it was pleaded on his behalf that he acted under orders, and was not personally liable. The Court, however, ruled that that was quite another branch of the question, to be referred to the two Governments, but that there was clearly within the meaning of the law and the powers of the courts of Massachusetts a ground of action for trespass. A more moderate bail was then demanded; and several citi- zens of Boston became bound for Mr. Jackson's due appearance when the cause is to he tried.

A bill was before Congress to distribute the waste lands of the Union among the several States.

The commercial intelligence is favourable. The Philadelphia banks had resumed specie payments. The United States Bank Shares were qaoted at 50g. The Bank is stated to have negotiated a loan of 1,000,0001. in London. Money was easy at New York. Exchange on England was at 7 to 8 premium; on France 5 francs 22f centimes to .23 centimes.

We have received private letters from Canada which communicate a fact of great importance. Sir James Stuart, the Chief Justice of Quebec, is said to have resigned his seat in the Special Council of Lower Canada, of which he was the President. At all events, be is no 'longer Lord Sydenham's chief adviser, but has openly disagreed with the Governor-General, and quitted Montreal for Quebec. The parti- culars of the difference are not yet before us ; but we should not have mentioned the circumstance unless assured of the perfect accuracy of the above statement—Colonial Gazette.

Lord Falkland, the Governor of Nova Scotia, opened the Legislature .of that province on the 3d instant. In his speech he renews his assur- ance that he means to govern on the principle of responsible govern- ment. Mr. Uniacke, a member of the Executive Council, stated in the House of Assembly, that the Governor's speech had been submitted to the Council, and that they felt themselves bound to stand by it.