NEWS OF THE WEEK.
LEGISLATIVE bustle is the order of the day. Our Representa- tives enact laws with such rapidity, that the panting chroniclers of their proceedings in the Gallery "toil after them in vain ;" and. their only resource is to bundle up bills together by the score, with the satisfactory and instructive announcement to the public, that " several bills were passed through their different stages." We shall have ample time during -the recess to mark the conse- quences of making laws in a hurry ; and when the neat session. commences pnreerous. motione."for leave to bring in a bill to attend an act 'passed tit*in ". the last session of Parliament," aril. rove how inuely.w , sidered legislation is, than, Lk: legislation at all. • • , , On Wednesday, indeed, a slight check was put upon this flop. -; House of Commons feels strange and uncom- fortablewhin Lord ALTHORP is absent, and his Lordship, with other members of the Cabinet, had the honour of dining with the King at Windsor on that day. The Globe thus gravely com- ments upon this important event- " At the close of a long session of Parliament, in which a greater number of important questions haVe been satisfactorily disposed of (!) than during any three preceding sessions, his Majesty, and -those who have assisted him to maintain the peace, honour, and prosperity of the country in most difficult times, may well congratulate each other."
. 'Perhaps it was not all congratulation. Some serious thoughts might possibly intrude themselves even at the hospitable board of -our warmhearted Sovereign. Without-going into a consideration of the merits or faults, the success or failure of any particular measure; still the unhappy consciousness, that at the opening of the session they possessed the confidence of the whole body of the Reformers'in England, while now at its close they may look in vain for hearty support from independent- men, except under very large deductions, must have given a sombre tinge to the Minis- terial retrospect of' the last half-year. But' whatever may have been their actual thoughts upon this subject, it is not probable that any very confidential communication respecting it took place between the King and his Ministers, as the Globe would seem to intimate; at the dinner on Wednesday last; for we perceive by the chronicle of the Court Newsman, that Earl GREY and his col- leagues only formed a part of a very large company, among whom the Duke of Wellington was a conspicuous personage. • 'Fite East India Charter Bill finally passed -the House of Lords on Monday,—almost sub eilentio ; for even Lord ELLENBOROUGH seems to have Telt that enough, had been said on the subject, and in mercy withheld his threatened eloquence. Another great measure of the session, the Slavery Bill, received their Leidanips' sanction on Tuesday. Lord WYNFORD grumbled a little on the occasion; but contented himself with giving notice, that next session he would bring forward a bill to prevent the in- troduction into this Country: of any thing produced by slave la- bour.. " His object was completely to prevent us from being con- taminated with slavery." Should Lord WYNFORD succeed in his sage design of preventing the importation of " any thing produced by slave laboixf," the .consequence Would be that the West India planters-Would at 'least retain their monopoly of the sugar and coffee. market in this country, till such time as our emancipating example iSfollowedThy 'other nations; and the Manchester spin- ners would have to look elsewhere for the cotton and customers now furnished by the United States. This is precisely the kind
[LATEST EDITION.] -
of bill that it would suit Lord WYNeoreD to originate and patro- nize, under the sly pretence that he wished to do away with the contamination of slavery.
On Thursday, the Bank Charter Bill was read a second time, Without comment : but, on the. motion for its commitment last night, those distinguished financiers, the Duke of WELLINGTON and Lord WYNFORD, advocated the cause of the ill-used and too submissive Bank proprietors, with much earnestness. The Duke considered that they had been overreached, by the astute Lord ALTHORP, in that part of the bargain which relabel to the deduc- tion of 120,0001. from-the money annually paid theta by Govern- ment ; and Lord WYNFORD maintained that they had been shame- fully bullied into a consent to the sixty-five mile clause. Lord BROUGHAM was of opinion that the Bank Directors might be safely trusted with the management of their own concerns, and happily ridiculed the affected apprehensions of the Opposition on the subject. Earl GREY and the Duke of CUMBERLAND had .an- ether sparring-match, such as has occurred too frequently to excite much attention. The several clauses in the bill were finally agreed to without alteration, and the report is to be received' this day.
Great things are promised next session in the way of Corpora- tion reform. The English Commissioners will perform their duty faithfully, we doubt not; and will prepare ample materials for le gislation on this subject next session. On Thursday, Lord BROUGHAM moved the first reading of a bill (which, however,is not to be pressed beyond that stage at present) for regulating the municipal affairs of those boroughs which returned representatives to Parliament for the first time under the provisions of the Reform, Act.' In this bill the principle of self-election 'is not recognised.- Those who are entitled to vote for Members of Parliament, will! also have the privilege of electing Common Councilmen, who are to form local triennial parliaments, with the potter-of choosing' Aldermen and-Mayors. Each borough is to have a Recorder app painted by the Ceewn: If the principle of this-hill is to form the. basis of the. contemplated reform of the old eorperatkus, we should' is-tined to think that the measure v st4gorons and el.' &anal. '
Lord BRounsiAm's bill for the rtgnlation of some of the offices in the Court' f Chancery, and the redisotion the sala- ries of those who hold them, passed the House of Commons on• Thursday. By this bill, the patronage of the Lord Chancellor is considerably diminished ; and the annual saving to the public, present and prospective, is not less than 55,750/. We know not from' which of Lord BROUGHAM'S predecessors we could have expected so beneficial and disinterested a measure as this. Lord ELDOFt. would have sneered at the idea of relinquishing the appointment of Masters in Chancery, which is given up by Lord BROUGHAM. The Cabinet in future are to make, and be responsible for these ap- pointments; so that if any half-pay officer should assist Lord' BROUGHAM, when in jeopardy from an overturn of his carriage, he will not have the power of rewarding him appropriately, after the fashion of Lott ELDON, with a Mastership in Chancery.
It appears that the number of suits actually commenced by the Clergy, in order to maintaiL their obsolete deli:m.1'm lithe, is not less than nine thousand. The Bishop of LGNDON, indeed, has' discovered that they only amount to about six hundred ; but the evidence of Sir JOHN CAMPBELL is of rather more weight in a question of this kind than that of Dr. BLOMFIELD, who plainly labours under some gross delusion respecting it. • Fortunately for' the Clergy, the House of Commons sees the danger to which the Church Establishment is exposed by the infatuation of her minis- ters; and Mr. BLAMIRE'S bill to " stay their suits" will be: passed this day, having gone through the previous stages during the week.
The bill for the repeal of the Foreign Enlistment Act was withdrawn last night in the House of Peers. The reason assigned= for this proceeding was the want of doe time for considering it. Is this the true reason, or has the bill been sacrificed in conse- quence of some bargain made with the Opposition? We are glad to see that Earl GREY and Lord BROUGHAM have • distinctly, promised to support a similar measure next session. The Duke of WELLINGTON, on the other hand, pledged himaelf to oppose it, whenever it should be brought forward; and perhaps he may keep his word.
