NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Tin: Corn debate in the House of Commons was closed at the Monday sitting. A majority of' 342 to 195 rejected Mr. VILLIERS'S motion for a Committee " to consider " the act regulating the im- portation of foreign corn. Tlie principal speakers on the fifth and last night were Mr. O'CoxictLL and Mr. Hansen% The former, inspired by the magnitude of the subject, and. strong in the prin- ciple he undertook to maintain and apply to the circumstances of his own countrymen, exhibited much of that vigour and freshness with which he was wont in his best days to excite and charm his auditory. He first illustrated the general principle of free trade by cases of contrast found in other lands. Then, adverting to the condition of the great mass of Irishmen, he scornfully repudiated the pretence that the tax on tbod must be retained in order to keep up their wages—now only sixpence a day, when any thing in the shape of pay for labour can be procured. Under the Corn-laws- which, forsooth, the tender-hearted landlords support out of com- passion for the Irish peasantry-2,300,000 Irishmen were pro- nounced by the Poor-law Commissioners in a " state of destitu- tion." And where do the Irish population turned adrift—starved, we may say, out of their own country—find a refuge ? In the English manufacturing towns. But. Ireland has some manufac- tures, and might have more ; and Mr. O'CoNxEr.r. could not see why the same relief which the English manufacturers demanded, should not stimulate the employment of capital in Ireland. In short, on this question, Mn. O'CONNELL contended, not for the provincial profit of Ireland to be extracted by political jugglery out of English pockets, but for the imperial interests of the United Kingdom. He concluded with a prophecy—which he may aid in fulfilling—that the consequence of' refusing the petitions for repeal of the Corn-laws would be a movement for which the landowners are little prepared, and a shout from the masses to which they perforce must listen. Mr. HAavEy spoke a number of clever things, of course. He complained that Sir ROBERT PEEL'S speech was not that of a statesman ; but we look in vain fbr statesmanlike wisdom ill his own. Professing himself the solitary representative of the labour- ing classes, he discouraged the attempt to procure for his clients regular employment and plenty of lbod. He preferred a vague ino. tion for a Committee " on the state of the nation," to a close grapple with a practical question. He attributed distress to taxa- tion ; but did not show how taxation could be reduced or modified So as to afford relief equal to the advance on the price of bread caused by Corn-laws. On this the simplest view of the subject, independent of collateral advantages, the advocates of Corn-law re- peal can meet and baffle the " friend of the poor." The sure way of diminishing the burden of taxation, is to increase the means of paying taxes ; and if the cost of the chief necessary of life is re- duced one-third or one-half, those means are materially augmented. Mr. lhavEy took pains to show that when corn is cheap, wages are higher than when corn is dear : he, therefore, of all men, is barred from the pretence that an equivalent reduction in wages will be made for the increased cheapness of corn. Nevertheless, Mr. laRVEY did assert, with .an inconsistency astonishing in so able a man,. that the repeal of the Corn-laws would in no way better the condition of the labouring classes. He also maintained, that, with the present taxation of this country, English manufacturers could not, with or without Corn-laws, maintain their ground against their Coltmental competitors. 0a this point, fortunately, the most ex- perienced and best-informed merchants and manufacturers in the em,11.1try are at issue with Mr. HARVEY'.

1 he remainder of the discussion was interrupted by the almost incessant clamour of' Members eager to " settle" the question by a vote upon it. Members rose by the dozen, and were put down by the murmurs and shouts of the legislative mob. To attempt a full summing up, under such circumstances, had been vain : Mr. VIL- LIERS, however, contrived to condense the pith of the question, as [LATEsT EDITION.] it stood between his opponents and him, in a brief but logical and appropriate reply. A comparison of the division-list of the 19th February, on the motion to hear evidence, with that for the CoMmittee, presents some changes, principally in the votes of men in ofiiee. The Earl of SORRA', Mr. ROBERT GORDON, and Mr. SHEIL, sided with the ma- jority ; but every other Minister, principal or subordinate, divided with Mr. VILLIERS. Among them were Lord JOHN RUSSELL, Lord Howicx, Lord PALMERSTON Sir JOHN lICHIHOUSE, Mr. SPRING RICE, and Lord MORPETII. Mr. POULETT THOMSON, being unwell, paired off'. It will be recollected that in the Lords, Earl FITZ- WILLIAM received the votes of Lord HoLLAND and Lord MMO : so that Lord MELBOURNE is opposed by 9 out of 13 members who with himself make up the Cabinet, on the most important question with which the Government has to deal. And be it remembered, the discordance is notorious : the policy which a majority of his colleagues maintain, has been vehemently denounced by Lord. MErmouase, as productive of the greatest practical mischief, and. the principle they uphold, as the " maddest and wildest" his imagination can conceive. Yet they go on together! The state of the Representation was brought before the Com- mons on Thursday, by Mr. 1E331E; who moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Reform Act. He proposed to extend the franchise to all householders and rated occupants of parts of houses.. Mr. Hume avowed himself an advocate for a much larger extension of the right of voting, but would not press for more than Household.

Suffrage at present. Why he stopped short of measures requisite to carry Out his own principle of reform, the Member for Kilkenny did.

not sufficiently explain. He might have said, that any such at- tempt would have been hopeless; that the established rule of the House of Commons and its leaders, is to do things by halves and quarters, and to convert legislation into a system of shabby com- promise. He might have met, by anticipation, the taunt of shrink- ing from the practical enforcement of his principles, by throwing upon his adversaries the blame of that necessity to which lie suc- cumbed. Mr. Hemn was not careful to guard himself on this point ; but, by the aid of many statistical returns connected with the fran- chise and the representation, he made out a case which Lord JoliN RUSSELL, his principal opponent, limited to invalidate in the slightest degree. Lord JOHN admitted, not only that the grossest anoma- lies were sanctioned by the Reform Act, but that they were inten- tionally retained. He even declared that small boroughs, through which " stremns of property ran very much in one direction," were preserved in order that persons of great talent and stcoule'ng might be returned to Parliament,"—in other words, rotten boroughs were continued by those who professed to destroy the practice of nomination. He who framed the Reform Act with such intent, (though he kept that intention a profbund secret in March 1831,) must see merit instead of limit in a scheme which puts Harwich and the Tower Hamlets on a par, and, enables

men of " standing" to control county elections. Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S reason for refusing to remedy defects of the Retbrin

Act, is characteristic of a Tory " utensil:" he argues, that because those faults were manifest to all when the Bill passed, nobody is entitled to seek their removal, and that regard to consistency compels him to oppose any attempt at remedy. No doubt, the defects of time Bill were sufficiently obvious : many ob- served them, who resolved that they should not long offinul the sight, believing that, with all its deficiencies, a House of Commons would be elected under the new law in which the power of organic as well as other improvements would exist and be used. They were deceived ; but are not now to be diverted from their object by such peddlers in "consistency" as Lord Jon): IlvssEr.r..

There is no demand for Household Suffrage—it is useless to give it ; there is an outcry for Universal Suffrage—we will take no measures to appease it. That is the doctrine, that is the practice of the " Reform" Ministry ; in which Tories heartily concur, as well they may, seeing it is their own at second-hand. Indeed, it was truly observed by Mr. GROTE, that Lord Jonx RussELL said nothing in reply to Mr. HumE, which Sir lionmer PEEL laid not said much better before. To the main question—why the fran-• chise should be denied to men qualified to exercise it discreetly, by the possession of' moral worth, intelligence, and a sufficient stake (their all) in the continuance of peace and order—nothino- like an answer was offered ; unless we receive as an answer, argument, that because persons disqualified, ill Lord Joint SELL'S estimation, will not be satisfied by the bestowal of the fraix-„-,1 chise on those whom he admits to possess the requisite qualific*..- tions, the latter—the well-qualified—shall be excluded from the most esteemed privileges of citizenship. Mr. Hemes motion for leave was rejected, by S5 to O. Of dui majority, 57 were Tories, and 28 Whigs. Of the Wigs, 14 were placemen ; so that Ministers divided on this oceaaimr with 14 ;..•• Liberals against 50.

Lord PALMERSTON'S neglect of British int :rests in South ztipoor$1..„, • and the French encroachments in that quarter of the globe, were debated at much length on Tuesday. The merchants of London

and Liverpool complain that the French blockades of Mexico and Buenos Ayres were too readily recognized by the Foreign Secre- tary, and are not warranted by international law ; because there had been no declaration of war by France against either state; and as regards Mexico, the blockading force was insufficient to prevent access of vessels to the 'Mexican ports. With respect to Buenos Ayres, the'demands, to entbrce which the blockade was instituted, were not such as France had a right to make, or to enforce by a blockade. The result is, injury to a considerable commerce between England and South America. Lord PALmEmarox maintains the perfect right of France to blockade Alexico and Buenos s1yres; and that he saved British merchants from loss by an early notifica- tion, not recognition, Of the blockades. Ile asserts—but on this point his statement is very weak—that remonstrance nitli France would not have restrained that power from enfl,reing its claims on the South American States. It dces not appear that he made any attempt at remonstrance or accommodation, till after the French

Government had gone too ffir to recede. As to \sant ef sufficient naval force in the Gulfof 'Ale:sleet, it is not clearly made cut C. al. aay hilary has beca susetiued by British merchants, which

i-Lea enuld Lave prevented. - The Leids sat from the tental hoar Of meetina; on Thursday, till l'se., nt VAN Pt-nr.N's tune is mode . ' ; .... tied concilietery. feels o'clock cn Friday meriting, //qt•ordiq4* the oil subject—crime With the iness;ige, a mentor:m:1am, sigeed by =ViaI ii He (-died tor a Coannutee 01 .10(11111'y; Was supported tlte Duke! tar:: of State, of WEI.I.INGDIN and Lord Bate-n(1AM; and hia 1! lot vets carried, Fox expresssa his opinien that England rossesFen the rip.lit of ex- , by Ga to 5S,—although Lord 7,1 es.mtuaxt: declared t'eo- it success elusive jurisdiction over the disputtsl tervit.ory, and Foasyra woui,i be a ccusure on the Government. So the Government , maintains the contrary ; but Mr. lox engages that Sir JonN COMM.:a by the Tory Lords; and, 110 doubt, Lord ...V.ELnouaNE 1 ;..halinat attack the troops of Maiae. and Mr. Fonsrrn very isa,mppy. rtakas- tiLa the Goverear of :Maine sled! NVit1.1draW hIs troon::. It lb ree!matruction 4if the French Ministry was net completed Yandt1111, 1' ,2c111'.. tOildMit. that he has " specific :nit.horitv to on \\. Iii Ii t. VIlen the latest accounts before us were make any all'allgC111( it on the std .:yet :" ;nal it renialms to be aca

desnatelani. Thera have been atraneaa the Tuileries. how for Governor FAinriEr.0 Lev psy rat! die:tail; 1,f

L,nan Pat1.1 1 appc;;;•.-; to liana thwarted the melt who had Vas ran.neca tree a, ...el Oi el. i,tryi i tiaL! Chatill. and election.. ! ,Inasasal..n ar,as the F.:, nate ef the -United Siates. of a rather by ce. ere ne :'11, in his peasne When S,osi.a. and 1 !eat ' ea:sna s:ieseetse.I ipt af thine. ,jotaane ats, The ;inertias K: isasaission heert Lhe elyeintineuts ia the ea, * -te n -1 s ;

anal eena a definiiive settlemtait ii ti ills ev cf the disputed kites ths ath I t Ielv.

s see., L and

',Haister of Coluttioree and

Meister of the !leerier. ;

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es -.I -e:.e, and to ea.--i-a the Czatecti of Spain \vith arms, i a ,,, pent, and. the t C.1111phalit return af ,';'ax.ra tituz to 1.iisa. I'll, I, s.• t stoses. Louis I'll i Li eat: went int() Et Violent i