NEWS OF THE WEEK.
No seven days pass without " news" of some sort, but we scarcely remember a week more barren of interesting occurrences than the one just closed. Politics there are none. The revisiou of Parliamentary lists is no doubt, in progress; but the result is gene- rally a matter of indifference. Ministers of State are louneing away existence at Windsor, or at their own country-seats. We believe the Queen held a Privy Council one day, when the new Secretary at War kissed hands on his appointment ; which, as the Times remarks, will enable him to go out as a Cabinet Minister. A second despatch has been forwarded to Governor Tnomsos ; and ifanv other "business" has been transacted at Court or in Down- ing Street, it ha e escaped our observation. In the City, the aversion to sell or to purchase any thing but "Spanish" is remarkable even for October. Men talk about an issue of small-notes, the suspension of specie payments by the Bank, and the prudence of demanding dividends in gold. The Bank of the United States has virtually suspended payment ; for the large English holders of post-notes of that establishment, if we may credit the statement of the well-informed 21orning Post, have agreed to receive interest at the rate of ten per cent. per an- num, with collateral security, for allowing payment of their claims to stand over. Had the American Bank possessed the means of dis- charging the demands upon it, of course so great a sacrifice would not have been made for delay. Business. generally, is declared to be in a very " healthy state "—by which is meant, a state of torpor. Truly the encouragement given to speculation is small. If nothing is lost, little is made, except by money-lenders. Where business is done on borrowed capital, profits are absorbed in the price of , " accommodation ; " and unless an improvement take place eneedily, numerous failures must occur even among the most prudeat class of traders.
Turn to the Provinces. There we find the anxious formers struggling to preserve the remnant of damaged crops. The wea- filer has been more propitious for the last few days than for some time previously ; but even this week a good deal of rain has fitIlen, and in some parts of England prime wheat has been sold at b'Js. a ! quarter. The average, regulating duty, has fallen to 708. lad., and on the foreign article 108. M. per quarter is now levied. A , chief cause of the reduction of price is the indifferent quality of English new wheat : and thus the landowners decree enhancement of the cost of wholesome food as a consequence of their inability to furnish consumers with bread fit to eat.
Locomotion is the order of the day among all who possess time : and leisure for amusement. The railway carriages are crowded, and !bay miles an hour is the rate of travelling on the great lines. Brighton. Worthing, and Dover, have received the outpourings of Piccadilly and Portman Square; while Gravesend and Margate are ! crammed with less thshionable visitors who endure life ten months Of the year eastward of Temple Bar.
Scotland would be very calm were it not for the burst of fitnati- cism. called a "revival of religion," which certain clergymen of , the Kirk as well as other sects have managed to produce. Most readers will recollect descriptions of camp-meetings in the books of , American travellers but in the United States, the better-edu- cated portion of the clergy give no countenance to such exhibi- tions. They have "revivals " of their own, to be sure, but more decently conducted than those got up by the Methodists. In Scotland, however, it would seem that the regular clergy are the • chief promoters of most irreverent and disgusting displays of fimaticism. We are deceived if they will not ere long repent of their present proceeding% The ardour of American revivalists has been frequently cooled by the discovery that their converts and dis- ciples have preferred the ministrations of lay preachers, and re- minded their former pastors that all real converts are on a par, and "Powerful expounders of God's Word" need not ordination of men. The growth of these notions among their flock has often in- dueFd the most acalous clergymen to stop the revivals. lite state of Ireland t cits feW subjects of remark. Murdere [LATE .'r Datum< and robberies are reported, but political agitation seems to be art 'exile of Erin." Small progress is made in the establishment of Registration Societies, and Mr. O'Cossnen's last letter on Repeat fell "dead-born from the press." The Belfast Northern Whig has given the true reason for this apathy—even O'Costsiznils professed, supporters perceive that "Repeal" is mere humbug ; the Agitator is no longer trusted. Were it not for the everlasting abuse of O'CONNELL in English Tory journals, little importance would now be attached to his proceedings. Serious attention, however, is and ought to be paid to another question of fur greater practical im,r portance, having a more direct and extensive influence on the
being of Irishmen, than any connected with party politics. Wet allude to the most profitable mode of renting landed property les Ireland ; a subject discussed with much ability in Mr. Sustaawr CRAWFORD'S letters published in the Belfast journal above-menr- tioned. Mr. Cretwrono possesses a large estate, which is knows: to be admirably managed in reference both to the comfort of the cultivator and the gain of the proprietor. Experience has taught. Mr. Ca.swvoan that the produce of land is greater when divided into numerous small holdings. than when large tracts are thrown batty few tiumis and leased to a few tenants. This experience is at vas- riance with generally-received doctrines of political economy, but: perhaps there are circumstances which render a mode of manage,- meat advisable on the other side of the Channel which in England: would be unwise. When dispossessed of his holding, an Irisk peasant degenerates into a vagabond. He is not the ready labourer for hire which an Eeglishinan under similar circumstances becomes; When working on his own bit ofland"—that is, Land which from long tenure he is accustomed to consider his own—he is cheerfut, and willingly pays a rent which perhaps leaves him less for
own share than steady labour for wages would produce. In this way we can partially account for the fact asserted by Mr. Cressy-- roan, that in Ireland beth landlord and tenant are benefited by the system of small holdings. Not professing an entire concurrence with Mr. Caawroan, we must say that he has adduced facts and reasons which ought to make owners of estates pause in the process'. of eleurine them. That process is now extensively carried, once causing much misery, perhaps to produce little eventual benefit tas the landlords.
