rbe Countrn.

The provincial newspapers contain numerous accounts of the cele- bration of the Princess Victoria's birthday. In no place were the re. joicings more hearty, or the proceedings more noticeable, than in Hull. Some new and handsome public rooms were opened on that day, and formally christened the " Victoria Rooms." About four hundred Re- formers dined in them ; the chair being filled by the Honourable C. Langdale, in the absence of the Mayor, who had gone to London to present the address of the Town-Council to the Princess. Colonel Thompson, having been especially invited, arrived in the forenoon by the steam-boat from London. He was received enthushistically, hsyan Langdale, in the absence of the Mayor, who had gone to London to present the address of the Town-Council to the Princess. Colonel Thompson, having been especially invited, arrived in the forenoon by the steam-boat from London. He was received enthushistically, hsyan immense assembly on the pier, and joined the dinner-patty in the even. ing. Several good speeches were delivered by the Chairman, Mr. Gresham, Alderman Atkinson, Mr. Kennedy, and others ; but we have only room for a few piquant extracts from those of Culesel Thompson.

" I come here truly to declare, if the truth can reach, and I trust it can, the can of that royal lady whose natal day we are here to celebrate—the terms s which the lovers (many I believe in this country) of Republican principles and institutions, do submit loyally and heartily unto her sovereignty. The terms are these—that she shall govern within the limits of the kw ; that he shall remember, that to be a sovereign is a vulgar thing, but to be the sovereign of a free people, and that people England, is the one thing on earth to nIsich God has made no fellow and no second ;—that they shall have all the substm.ti,s1 benefits of the best of republics, and she the loyalty and service of (sweating freemen. (Loud cheers.) Let her keep her portion of the compact, as here none doubts she will; and then, if time of need should come, see iloW We will keep ours."

He wished he could speak hopefully of the state and prospects public affairs-

" I would that I could speak more hopefully, more encouragingly. I know the advantages of union; I stand here by union ; it is no part of mine to make men disagree. Shall I confess, my hopes are low. I will blame no luau's In- tention ; I will suppose that all has been done for the best ; yet I do see one great failure, of which it is but honest, that, so thinking, I should warn you. You are acquainted at least with those who know the Polar seas. Heard you the history of those men who marched upon the ice ten miles to the northward, and then found that they had moved two miles to the south by observation ?— ( Cheers and laughter)—when they went north, the ice was moving south, faster than they walked. (Loud cheers and laughter.) Now that, I am much afraid, has been the case with the Ministers who have guided our estate • they have not contemplated how rapidly the evil influences of all kinds Mel; were acting against them, were carrying them to leeward—how large a'diseount and deduction they ought to have made from the result of any clients they were thea exhibiting ? 'Would they now look back, and see bow many opportunities they had of keeping up the popular spirit—of advancing it by just concessions, and thereby preventing the low estate to which I fear theylare now reduced—I can- not think there exists in human minds such thoughtlessness or insensibility, as would not seize the opportunities were it possible they should be offered them again. The time, I fear, is much gone by."

He had been advised by his colleague, Mr. Hutt, not to be absent from the Church.rates division-

" Perhaps he did not think so ill of the condition of the Ministry as I did. He did urge me not to go away. I feared the benefit of my stay would ho easily calculable and very determinately small ; but where I was going, if I could rouse honest men to a sense of their peril, that would lie doing a god whose benefits might be unlimited. (Loud cheers.) I came here to tell you this, and I have told you plainly. You will measure it in your minds, and I hope to see the effect of it in your actions hereafter."

When the toast of "the Ladies" had been drunk, the gallant Coloncl was called upon to return thanks-

" I don't know," he said, "to what I am to attribute this great honour done me, except that it was my good fortune once before, which perhaps some might say is hardly fair to others. On that occasion I uttered no fulsome praises, but congratulated my countrywomen heartily and sincerely upon the pi ogress which their cause—if I may call it so—bas made along with the general progress of public freedom and illumination. When men are rude and barbarous, then are women injured ; as men cease to he so—as they attain to freedom from the thraldom of their own ill passions and niisconduct•••-b0 fast does woman ascend into her own true and proper sphere—the light, the hunsur, and the guide of man, in all times. Which of us who have Ixed to any advance of years, but has noticed how nice the tact a woman i-iways possesses in the decision of every thing honourable and honest? Alen may go wrong— they live nitwit in an evil world, and are concerned in its shocks and pitifid encounters ; they lose much of that purity of mind which is necessaly to enable a human faring to pass through his destined career in the way that his Cleator intended : but wornau's conscience never fails. I have seen sad passages in my lifetime; I have seen when men, noted for their political wisdom, for their religious austerities—I will not refuse to say, perhaps siu. cerity—yet upon great and important subjects have evinced an obliquity of judgment, at which I have not from that hour ce.e,ed to wonder. Could I but have asked the question of the women of their tribes, there is not one but would have been on my side."

In the course of his first speech, Colonel Thompson alluded feel- ingly, though pointedly, to the apostacy of 13urdett : we find the same thought better expressed in the Colonel's letter to the Hull Reform Association- " A humbling spectacle was given us last night, of the uncertainty of all hu- man successes, possessions, and attainments, even in those tracks which are cons sidered as affording to man the greatest probability of Hs lathe end being peace. True it is that man walked' in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain, when the hest of us has no certainty, that whatever of claim to the gratitude of his fellows he may have accumulated during the longest life, he may not at the end of it barter for that cheapest of all returns, the applause of enemies. With Hamlet to Ophelia, heist none of us.' Use us, while we serve you, as not abusing us; and when we fail, receive us into mansions, where your compassion shall draw a veil over the relics of human weakness, and fulfil the wise injunction ad the Persian king, who begged his friends to look at him no more, after he had ceased to be what hail obtained their veneration and their love."

Our !readers will recollect that we stated last week our disbelief in the Chronicle's anticipation that the Hull Reformers would be angry with Colonel Thompson for his absence from the Church-rate division in order " to be present at a dinner where he was to sit at the Mayor's right hand." The Hull Advertiser gives the Chronicle to know, that if there is tiny anger, it is not Colonel Thompson who has provoked it, but the officious interference of the Government partisaus- " Now," says the Hull Advertiser, "we beg to inform the zealous hack of office who indited this pungent sarcasm, that Colonel Thompson did not visit

Hull in the proud anticipation of sitting at the Mayor's • right band ;' the said Mayor having taken his departure for London previously to the arrival of our Representative, to aid the Government, if necessary, by his presence. More- ever, the Colonel's visit was made in compliance with the urgent solicitations of his electoral friends, and not from any desire of his own; and we take leave to add, that he rendered touch greater service to the cause of Reform by his appearance in hull, and his appeals to the friends of Liberal principles, than

would have resulted from his stay at Westminster to swell the Ministerial ma- jority to holf-a dozen. The Treasury partisans would tin well to allow the Reformers of Hull to arrange these affair.) with their Members without the

intermeddling of persons, who, in the feeble elide:mom to brief; down censure upon good men, only display their ignorant self.sufliciency."

Mr. Morrison, M. P. for Ipswich, hag declared his intention of re- tiring from Parliament at the next election.

Olt Saturday and Mowlay last, a poll took place at Kendal on the question of levying a Church-rate, which was brought to a close on Monday evening, when there appeared a majority against the rate of 400. This will settle the question as regards Kendal, we hope.—Lan. eater Guardian.

Matters seem to be coming to a crisis. We believe we do not ex- aggerate in saying, that there never la-fore were so many operatives idle in this country, and every week adds to the number.--Leeds Times.

The Reverend R. Baugh, Rector of Ludlow, upwards of eighty years of age, destroyed himself on Saturday sennight. For some time be had exhibited strong symptoms of aberration of mind ; and on Saturday morning lie contrived to possess himself of a loaded fowling. piece, to the trigger of whieh he tied a hatelkerchief, and fixing the muzsle under his ear, pulled the trigger, mid scattered his brains and skull about the room.-1Volverhamplon Chronicle.

The body of a child, supposed to have been murdered, was found in a secluded spot, near St. Alban's, on Thursday week.

Ott Saturday night, the inhabitants of Fenton, in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, were alarmed by violent screaming and cries of murder to the Police Station-house, inhabited by George Colley, his wife and family. Immediately afterwards, two buys, aged about eight and eleven, were seen escaping from tote of the lower windows, in their shirts, covered with blood. On entering the house, the neighbours found Colley's wife lying on the floor with her throat cut, and three young children with their heads nearly cut off. The woman said that she had killed them to save them from want. It appeared that her husband had been recently dismissed from the Police, and they were living on the produce of their furniture, which they sold from day to day. Of the boys who escaped, one heed his throat cut, but not so much as to prevent his recovery; the other bad one of his thumbs and a part of his ear nearly cut ofL Colley, the father, bad been out, but returned soon after the massacre. He had always been a good father and husband. A Coroner's Jury returned a verdict of" wilful murder" against the woman. She is evidently mad.