oetsllantotts.
A Committee of Privileges of the House of Lords has decided, that the claim of William, fifth son of the last Earl but one and uncle to the last Earl, to vote as Earl of Athlone for Representative Peers of Ireland is made out.
The House of Lords sat in their judicial capacity on Thursday, on appeals from Ireland; the Queen versus Millis and the Queen versus Carroll, the cases of Presbyterian marriage. Lord Brougham delivered an opinion against that of the Judges. The contract per verba de preesenti impure had been described as an unvoidable contract, but not a complete marriage without competent solemnization of the church : the contract, however, was not one to marry afterwards, but of marriage at the time ; and he could not conceive a more complete contract than one already in- dissoluble. The ecclesiastical ceremony was not necessary in Europe generally until the Council of Trent, which had not been recognized in England ; nor was it needed by the common law of England. If the opinion of the Judges were affirmed, every Jew and Quaker born before 1835 was a bastard. He considered the contract per verba de preesenti a valid marriage in Ireland. Lord Campbell was also diametrically opposed to the opinion of the Judges ; Lord Abinger concurred with the Judges. Further discussion was postponed ; the Lord Chancel- lor stating that .perhaps the case might be reargued by ecclesiastical advocates.
We understand the blue ribbon of the Order of the Garter, vacant by the death of the Duke of Dorset, has been conferred on the Marquis of Abercorn, at the express wish of the Queen.-11forning Post.
Prince Alexander of Orange, second son of the King of Holland, arrived at Mivart's Hotel on Sunday, from the Hague. M. Dedel, the Dutch Minister, and Colonel Sloet, Aide-de-Camp to his Royal High- ness, accempanied the Prince from Rotterdam.
His Excellency the Duke of Palwella arrived at Mivart's Hotel on Sunday, from Lisbon, accompanied by M. Roderigo and an extensive suite. It is said his Excellency is charged with a special mission from the Portuguese Government.—Standard.
The Reverend Dr. Posey embarked at Dover for the Continent last week.
The Reverend Robert [" Satan "] Montgomery, M.A., minister of St. Jude's Church, Glasgow, has been appointed to the ministry of Percy Chapel, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, and will enter upon his duties on the first Sunday in October.—Morning Chronicle.
The Morning Post says, that at the dates of the latest direct accounts from China, the 6th May, Lord Saltoun was recovering from the effects of a dangerous fall from his horse, which fractured a collar-bone and several ribs. When the letters came away—six weeks after the acci- dent—the bones had united, and all the symptoms were favourable; but he had endured very severe pain, much aggravated by a bad fit of gouts which attacked him whilst laid up.
The Globe says that negotiations for a post communication, like' diet
with France, have been concluded by the British Government with Belgium, Holland, Austria, Saxony, Prussia, Sweden, Norway, and Russia ; the postage to be uniform, and prepayable or not. France is arranging similar treaties with Switzerland and the Italian States. Prussia and Austria have adopted uniform postages within their own territories.
It is stated in well-informed quarters in Manchester, that a treaty of commerce has been recently concluded between the French and Bra- zilian Governments ; the terms of which are for the present kept en- tirely secret. We do not know on what authority this statement rests ; but, from other circumstances, we are inclined to believe that it is true.—Manchester Guardian.
The Reverend Sydney Smith's satirical petition to the American Congress, enforcing the claims of British creditors, naturally excited much attention and no little anger in America. The New York Even- ing Post dismisses him as a disappointed speculator ; the Boston Courier calls his strictures "impudence, bombast, and impertinence." Some writers are more candid : for instance, one in the Boston Daily Adver- tiser and Patriot, who says-
" No doubt, Mr. Sydney Smith does not present himself with a very cring- ing air. He uses strong phrases—stronger than we like to hear—stronger than is respectful: but the real difficulty in the case is, that the strongest words be uses are true words. For just so long as the Pennsylvanians refuse to lay a tax of 1 per cent one very 100 dollars of their wealth to pay their honest debts, just so long they may be called men who prefer any load of infamy, however great, to any pressure of taxation, however light.' And this is the hardest and sharpest phrase in Mr. Smith's petition. To be sure, it would not be easy, on the same subject, to say anything more cutting or more terse ; but, after all, the bitterness of the words lies in their truth."
A letter in the Cambrian, from Port Phillip, dated in March last, says—" Zephaniah Williams, the Newport Chartist, for killing an old man, has been hanged." Williams was confined at Port Arthur ; and he voluntarily confessed, that being tired of life he determined to kill the first person he met: he absconded ; met the old man ; asked him to let him kill a kid, which the other refused; and then Williams beat him to death with a pickaxe-handle.
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