THE NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE principal object of a Newspaper is to convey intelligence. It is proposed in the SPECTATOn to give this, the first and most pro- minent place, to a report of all the leading occurrences of the week. In this department, the reader may always expect a summary account of every public proceeding, or transaction of interest, whether the scene may lie at home or abroad, that has taken place within the seven days preceding the termination of our labours ; which, we wish it to be remarked, close on Saturday at midnight.

THE Russians are advancing slowly in their invasion of Bulgaria: the army has crossed the Danube at several points, and thrown a bridge over the river. The fort of isakza has yieldel, and the , town is burnt ; but the more important fortress of Brailow, or Ibrail still resists ; at least there is no certainty that it has fallen. The Emperor Nicholas has pitched his camp at Babadagh, a town of Bulgaria, lying between twenty and thirty miles from the south bank of the Danube. Count Wittgenstein has issued a proclama- tion to the Bulgarians, inviting them to receive the Russians as friends; notwithstanding which, they have, it is said, been driven into the interior by the Turks. A corps of Turkish troops has made a demonstration of more vigorous resistance. Crossing the Da- nube at Widdin, they have fallen upon the right of General Roth's division, which was about to invest Giurdzio, a strong fortress on the left bank of that river. Though the attempt failed, the Rus- sians are said to have suffered, considerably. The movements of the Russian army indicate an intention of crossing the Balkan, after clearing before them the fortresses in their front. They must make haste ; for all who know the country dwell upon the fatal effects of the hot season in these districts.

The Regent of Portugal is endeavouring to cover his usurpa- tion of royalty by such forms as are within his reach. On the question being put to the General Assembly of the Cortes, whe- ther Don Pedro retained his rights as Prince Royal of Portugal, after accepting a foreign crown, the Cortes answered in the nega- tive; and " solicited" Don Miguel to assume the reins of government as king. They were to meet on Monday last to proclaim him." The- Constitutional army is on its march towards Lisbon, accompanied by part of the Provisional Junta ; but its progress is not distinctly known. The British naval officers do not:appear to be treating the blockade of Oporto with that respect which was paid to it by Ministers at home.

The Irish Catholics are disputing the re-election of Mr. Vesey Fitzgerald for the County of Clare. On Monday the candidates were put in nomination, and on Tuesday it appeared likely that Mr. O'Connell would be returned by a large majority. Mr. Fitzgerald addressed the freeholders in an animated and eloquent speech, well calculated to erase any hostile impres- sions that might have been made against him as an individual ; and he appeared supported by all the wealth and landed interest of the county. The predominance of the forty-shilling freeholders must soon, however, decide the matter in the first instance. The agitation in the county was immense ; the priests are said to have exerted their influence in conjunction with the Associa- tion, and to have led the freeholders up to the capital in droves. The election of a Roman Catholic to serve in Parliament is one of the most extraordinary measures that has ever been adopted by a party ; and the singularity of it is not diMinished by the rumour, that it is held by distinguished lawyers (Mr. Charles Butler and Mr. Valentine Blake) that a Roman Catholic may legally sit in Parliament. The election, up to Wednesday, was conducted with perfect good-humour : although a show of opposition was got up against Mr. Fitzgerald's conduct, it was perfectly manifest that the pleasure proceeded upon a system which disregarded the indivi- dual. In that respect the personal selection seems to have been unfortunate; for Mr. Fitzgerald received tributes of private respect on all bands; and the whole body of gentry in the county seem to have taken a pride in coming forward, if only to avow their una- nimous sense of his merits.

Mr. V. Fitzgerald was put in nomination by Sir E. O'Brien, a gentle- man highly popular in the county, and whom the Catholics had reckoned upon as remaining neuter, at least. He was proceeding to eulogize the character of his nominee, when he was interrupted by the Sheriff, who had taken offence at Mr. O'Gorman Mahon's dress.

The Sheriff—" I call upon that person there (pointing to Mr. O'Gor- man Mahon, who was dressed in his order of Liberator uniform, wearing his green badge and medal) to remove from his person that party badge which he now displays."

Mr. O'Gorman Mahon—" I tell that person who commands this per- son; that this person disdains to wear a party badge—he has the ensign of his country displayed around his neck, and never shall it be taken from him but with his life." (Loud cheers.) Mr. O'Connell—" Green is no party colour. It may, to be sure, be hateful in the eyes of our opponents ; but that darling colour shall flourish when the blood-stained orange shall fade and be trodden under foot. (Cheers.) We are in Ireland still ; and neither Wellington nor his Cabi- net shall trample upon us. (Cheers.) Out of courtesy to the Sheriff, I did not wear the badge, but the colour is dear to me as my heart's blood." (Cheers.) Mr. O'Gorman Mahon—" I will not lower this green badge as long as I have an arm to protect it. (Cheers.) I owe the Sheriff no courtesy, and he shall have none from me. I called upon the Sheriff to give us time by postponing the election, to get a proper candidate, and he refused ; and is it to this man that I am to pay a mark of courtesy." (Cries of " No, no." The Sheriff here consulted with his Assessor for some time, and. then said—" I may have been wrong in calling it a party colour ; but surely in a contest like the present, every badge of distinction ought to be avoided."

Sir E. O'Brien complimented Mr. O'Connell, and recommended him to turn his attention to his native county of Kerry, and leave the free- holders of Clare to themselves. After Mr. V. Fitzgerald had been seconded by Sir Augustus Fitzgerald, the Sheriff demanded whether the freeholders had any other member to propose ? No answer having been made, all eyes were fixed for a moment on Mr. O'Gorman Mahon, who was to have proposed Mr. O'Connell. Mr. O'Connell, addressing Mr. Mahon—" Are you aware of your duty ?"

Mr. Mahon—" I am, perfectly, and will do it manfully." (Cheers.) Sheriff—" Freeholders of Clare, will you or any of you propose any other candidate ?" Mr. O'Gorman Malion—" Not, sir, without putting the question to the freeholders of Clare." (Loud cheers.)

Mr. Mahon made several charges against Mr. Fitzgerald ; his vote against the repeal of the Test Acts ; his vote in putting down the old Catholic Association ; and above all, his connexion with the Wellington Cabinet ; and concluded with proposing to them "the man of the people," Daniel O'Connell, Esq., as a fit representative ; a man who would sit in the House, and speak and vote for his country without any penalty."

Mr. Steele seconded the nomination of O'Connell, after which, Mr. Fitzgerald addressed the meeting. "It has been said, and perhaps be- lieved, that I was not honest in the support which I gave to the Catholic Question."

Mr. O'Gorman Mahon—" It comes to that."

Mr. Fitzgerald—" I do not for a moment doubt the gentleman's right to question the propriety of any vote I may have given ; but I do con- fess that I cannot reconcile the expressions of personal regard which he bestowed upon me with his at the same time attributing to me dishonesty of purpose.'

Mr. O'Gorman Mahon—" I do not think I used the word; but I adopt- ed it at his suggestion, in order that Mr. Fitzgerald may, in a -manly manner, meet the charge." Mr. Fitzgerald—" Sir, I am incapable of taking any but a manly course, either in this instance or in any other. (Cheers.) I shall therefore come to the essence of the charge ; which is this, that I was not honest in the support which I gave the Catholics." This imputation he Warmly denied. The ground of his vote against the Dissenters was the hostility of the Dissenters to the Catholic Claims. He then vindicated his vote on the East Retford bill ; showing that the extension of the franchise to the hundred was not likely to injure the Catholics, as had been alleged. His vote against the Association he defended by the authority of ard Wel- lesley, and because it was likely to injure the Catholic cause. Friend as he had been to that cause, he deprecated the injustice of the system, by which he had been selected as a victim, upon whom to wreak the punish- ment of their wrongs; and altogether condemned measures that had no other end than severing the ties that subsist between the landholders and their tenantry. "When the day arrives, and arrive I fear it will, when a serious difference will take place between the landed proprietor and his tenant—and by Heaven, I deprecate the thought of it; but, if it should arrive, let me ask, is it the payment of an arrear of rent by any body of men that will compensate to the unfortunate peasant for being deprived of his natural protector? Is it the payment of a few pounds that can compensate the tenant for the total alienation of his landlord? When the poor man is sick, and his family perhaps famishing with hunger, where will those men be, who, to gratify a public, perhaps a private pique, burst the bonds which for years have bound together the. landlord and tenant, by what was till now considered an indissoluble tie? Mu! they will be far distant, and the unfortunate tenant will have nobody to look to for relief and comfort, except that landlord whom he is now called upon to desert." (Cheers.) - Mr. O'Connell addressed the meeting ; and held out various promises of what he should do when in the House, and in what light he should consider himself—u a juror between the country and the King. He followed up the charges against Mr. Fitzgerald ; allowing, however, that

he had been mistaken in supposing him to have hen a great receiver of the public money; and more particularly ridiculed the coridescenstos with which the aristocracy spoke of the cause of the people.—" Oh there is nothing makes the iron enter my soul so much as the air of pas tronage with which our claims are taken under the wing of a great per- sonage. I took the trouble of penning a petition, forsooth But the right honourable gentleman mistakes us ; the time when we could be trampled upon with impunity is gone by. We do not now, as we were wont to do, bend our necks before our masters. Are there no biblical persecutors amongst his supporters ? Are not he wretched father and mother driven out to starve unless their wretched children are permitted to attend all the proselytizing schools ? Mr. V. Fitzgerald put down one Association—if yJU send him to Parliament, he will be voting to put down another. He did not condescend to express regret even for the vote he gave ; and why, think you? Because his colleagues are planning the dettruction of another."

When Mr. O'Connell concluded, the High Sheriff put the question; and a majority appearing for O'Connell, a poll was demanded, which the next day terminated, as we have stated, by the resignation of Mr. Fitz- gerald.

It was universally reported on Friday and Saturday, that Mr. O'Connell had been elected on the resignation of Mr. Vesey Fitz- gerald, on Tuesday evening; and in this belief all the morning papers were published. Mr. O'Connell was at the head of the poll on Tuesday ; but he is not yet returned. There does not, however, appear the least doubt of the result.

The latest intelligence from Ennis is given in the following letter (abridged) ; which conveys a brief idea of the scenes there passing.

" Ennis, July 2.—The polling for both parties commenced yesterday, after a number of delays, at one o'clock, and lasted until six in the even- ing. So early as eight o'clock in the morning the freeholders of Mr. Ormsby Vandeleur, of Kilrush, amounting to nearly 300, marched into the town, preceded by colours, every man having a green leaf in his hat, and were received with the loudest cheering. They are all from Kilrush, and brought in by Mr. O'Leary, the parish priest, who preceded them, to vote for Mr. O'Connell. Their cry on entering the town was, Here's Kilrush for O'Connell and our priest.'

"Soon after, the Rev. alra/Pliterity, the parish priest of Feak-le, came in at the head of another body of freeholders from his parish, carrying green boughs in their hands, and preceded by a band of music playing 'God save the King,' and St. Patrick's Day.'

" On adding up the numbers polled for each of the candidates up to six o'clock, the High Sheriff declared them to be, for Mr. O'Connell 200 Mr. Fitzgerald 194 Majority - 6 There are, however, two hundred votes which were given to Mr. O'Connell, standing over for decision.

"The Catholic leaders are roost cautious in their endeavours to prevent drinking.

"A curious difficulty arose at the commencement of yesterday's poll, which gave rise to some merriment. It was determined, on the part of Mr. Fitzgerald, to create delay, that the qualiacation oath should be ad- ministered to the freeholders. There is only one house in the town where Testaments are sold, and the proprietor of the house being absent, they were obliged to break into it to get a supply of Testaments.

"The town is so crowded with freeholders, that they are lying about in sheds, waiting patiently under the control of the priests, until they are called on to vote for O'Connell. The tenants of Mr. Ormsby Vandeleur, the Marquis of Conyngham Mr. Giles Dixon, Sir Edward Brien, and Mr. V. Fitzgerald himself, have itt the course of the day voted for Mr. O'Con- nell.

"The precautionstaken to preserve the peace here are of the most praise- worthy kind. Gen. Sir Charles Doyle arrived in Ennis on Monday, and was followed by the grenadiers of the 37th foot, the light company of the same regiment, and a troop of the Queen's Bays, who drew up at one side of the Court-house, and a troop of the 3d Light Dragoons on the other side. The flank companiss ot the 34th regiment have marched Into Clare I Castle. The entire of the Gad Foot have arrived by a forced march from I Templeman in Limerick ; and on Monday, 150 men of that regiment I marched into Clare Castle, and Newmarket in Fergus. Detachments of the 37th Foot have also marched into Clare Castle Six-mile Bridge. and Quin Abbey. These military detachments have been stationed in different parts of the county, to protect such of the tenantry as desire to vote with their landlords for Mr. Vesey Fitzgerald.

" One gentleman who headed his freeholders yesterday was obliged to head them with a pistol in his hand, and he threatened that any one who attempted to interfere with them he should shoot through the head. " An extraordinary circumstance occurred in the street yesterday : as Mr. O'Connell was proceeding through the street, in company with his son Maurice, they met the Roman Catholic coadjutor bishop, the Rev. Dr. M'Mahon, when the learned candidate immediately prostrated him- self on his knees in the most fulminating m Inner, awl was relieved from that abject position by the right reverend divine. An immense number of the peasantry were witnesses to this ceremony, on whom it seemed to produced the intended effect. "The polling commenced with renewed vigour on Wednesday morn-

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The Duke of Cambridge has come from Hanover to visit the King. His Royal Highness, as Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, reviewed that regi- ment on Tuesday. Rumour points to his elevation to the highest rank in the army.

The House of Lords has confirmed the judgment of Lord Eldon, as Chan- cellor, in the case of Mr. Wellesley and his children. Lord Redesdale thought the judgment fully warranted by a single sentence in a letter from Mr. Wellesley to Mr. Pitman :—" A Court of Chancery had no right to interfere between a father and his children—they had a right to be allowed to go to the Devil in their own way."

It is understood that there will be a considerabie surplus on the quarter's revenue. the accounts of which will be published on Monday. The Finance Committee have come t a determination (carried by a ma.

joritiy -one the.Siaking Fund, under the circumstance of there being no*Welles aaa;of no use, and should be abolished. TN; slurern r ;tufts)] Claims on Spain has been nearly brought ao.4)51"8e.'

T'a a'aa

Lord Brandon has instituted proceedings for trim. con. against Mr. W. Lamb,. late Secretary for trerSad.

The Marchioness of Londonderry gave a fits an Monday at Hoidernesse House, which is said to have been anexaaspasel in the annals of fashion. " Rank, wealth, and genius were all arranges in the costume of the court of Elizabeth, the Marchioness representing the Virgin Queen."

The English Opera-house, stripped of its Gallic embellishments, opened on Monday last, for thesummer season of song. Poor Curioni has been extricated, at the Middlesex Sessions, from a de- cate embarrassment in which he was placed by a decision at one of the offices of police. He has gained his appeal.

The costs in the Portsmouth lunacy case are reduced from 8534/. to 8005/. by taxation the expense of' taxing them was 682/. ! !

Wilkie, the celebrated painter, arrived in town on Friday, after three years' residence on the continent.

A meeting, which Lord Rossmore headed, and Mr. Henry Hunt ha- rangned, was held on Wednesday, at the Crown and Anchor, to subscribe for the retura of Mr. O'Connell for Clare. The day's subscription amounted to 260L The King's giraffe is given over by the physicians. The complaint seems to be general debility, with an especial weakness in the knee-joints.

On Saturday a duel took place between C. Creagh, Esq. of Limerick, and 'William Smith, Esq. of Liverpool, on account of the latter gentleman saying that the ladies of Ireland drank to excess (of whiskey). Both parties met near Liverpool, and having exchanged shots, Mr. Smith received his antago- nists ball in the abdomen, which we are sorry to announce proved fatal — Dublin Register.

A dispute, originating in an unsettled account at Ascot, between two parties who are indicated only by their initials, W. F. and Captain B., took place on Thursday morning, at Wormwood Scrubs ; but tne police-officers prevented the intended duel, and the belligerents have gone to Calais.

FRENCH Dem..—A duel was fought with pistols, on Sunday last, at the Barriare des Deux Moulins (Paris), between a man of the name of Cotelle, the manager of a brothel, kept by a widow named Dupuis, in the Rue de la Boucherie, and the son of this lady. Cotelle was killed on the spot, and Dupuis was wounded and carried to the hospital.—Mentor.

The thunder peeled over the metropolis for several hours on Thursday night, and the effect of the lightning was beautiful. The lightning destroyed some trees and chimneys to the westward, and struck down the spire of Brentford church.

TutAmEs TuNNEL—A public meeting, attended by a number of distin- guished indiridnals, was held at the Freemason's Tavern on Saturday, to consider the best means of completing this work ; C. N. Pallmer, Esq. M.P. III the chair. The Duke of Wellington spoke in the highest terms of the undertaking, which he declared would be of service to the whole world ; and suggested, on the part of the Committee, that the 200,000/. necessary to complete the work should be raised by subscriptions and debentures of from 20/. to 100/. each. The Duke of Cambridge also gave his testimony to the excellence of the project, and informed the meeting that the greatest interest was taken in its success on the continent. A considerable subscrip- tion was entered into on the spot, headed by-the names of the Duke of Cam- bridge and the Duke of Wellington, each for 500/.

The Inspector of the Mint, Mr. Powell, in a case that came before the Lord Mayor, on Saturday, stated that it was now a very common practice to

attempt to pass of sixpences washed with gold, as half-sovereigns.

A SHORT time ago a marriage took place between the son of a wealthy ba- ronet and a very lovely girl, the daughter of a peer. Very soon after the ceremony, the bridegroom exhibited symptoms of derangement, and within a few days the lady fell from her chamber window. Whether she was thrown ont by her husband, in a fit of phrensy, or whether she flung herself out, in an attempt to escape his violence, is yet unknown. This melancholy affair is the subject of much observation ; and it is asked, whether the baronet was aware of his son's infirmity when he sanctioned his marriane, and if so, whether he declared the circumstance to the

bride's family ?

SUICIDE OF CAPTAIN MONTGONInRy, IN NE'VGATE.—J. Montgomery, known hv the name of Captain Montgomery, having been found guilty of uttering forced notes, was to have been executed at Newgate on Friday ; he was, however, found dead in his bed, by the turnkey, who came to awake him on that morning. Ile had behaved with composure and apparent fortitude, up to a late hour on the previous evening, when he was locked up for the night. No marks of violence appeared on his person ; and the cause of his death remained a mystery, until a small phial was discovered under his bed, and the contents or the stomach were found to contain a large portion of prussic acid. Montgomery's person had been frequently searched, and the turnkeys could not discover where he had concealed the poison. Mr. E. G. Wakefield. who, it will be rec.dlected, is confined in the same prison, had shown limn kindness; and to him the following letter, left in his cell, was

found directed; it was produced on the inquest :—

" Thursday night, quarter before 12.-3 July, 1826. "And so even you I dared not confide in—how dreadful have been my fears—how torturing, my hopes. The bitterness of reflection, that even my inestimable, most devoted friends, who would have done any thing to save my life, I dared not trust with my hopes of death. And pour Montgomery obliged to die a hypocrite ! but it' you can estimate my feelings, you will know what has operated to make me act thus. I think it for the better. My poor friend — would have thought it better to have allowed the wretch with whom I sought an interview to-day to have acted the butcher with one in his senses, and who is condemned to death by the obstinacy of that su- perficial parvenu. Attend to my requests. I know you will, and say it might be worse. I will not trouble — about the person of whom we spoke. It was a solemn request that the name should never transpire without her consent ; and I think even now I am bound to respect it. How little have I been known ! But for your note—but for the pressure of your hand last Saturday evening—would have aided the dreadful tragedy. The enclosed two letters to be transmitted by post ; and I wish my portfolio to be in your charge tilt Miss — apdlies to you by letter, or in person, for it. Remember my requests to Box. And God bless you ! !! Faeon

le parler. "May you find a friend such as your heart deserves. The last dying speech and confession ! ! ! Surely I cannot be wrong.

" E. G. Wakefield, Esq.&c. 8:c." (No Signature.) By another letter to Mr. Wontner, it appears that he was desirous of seeing his executioner on the day before he was to die ; a desire, of course, not complied with. The request to Mr. Box, the surgeon of Newgate, refers to the dissection of his body, which he left for the advancement of anatomical studies," and the preservation of his heart in spirits, as a gift to ' lady to whom he is said to have been attached. The Coroner's inquest brought in the verdict of "poisoned himself, being in a sane state of mind at the time." Montgomery sometimes passed both as colonel and captain; he hat), been, however, an ensign in the army.

MURDER OF SEVEN MEN ON BOARD THE MARY RUSSELLBY THE CAPTAIN.

—An inquest was held On Thursday se'nnight at Cork, on Ike ho lies of seven sailors, who had been killed by Captain Stewart, under the following extraordinary circumstances. About a week after the Mary Russell had left Barbadoes, Captain Stewart took offence at Captain Raynes's holding a con- versation in Irish with Marley, one of the crew, and threatened, that if he repeated it, he would throw his charts and compasses overboard. Whether for this or for some other reason, he actually did throw over the charts, log- book, and compasses, to the astonishment of everybody in the vessel. Having collected all the harpoons and axes on board into the state-room, he commenced operations upon the crew. Coming out of his cabin, with a pistol in his hand, he called to the people to tie Smith, the mate. They refused. The Captain then called on Haynes, in the name of George IV., to tie the man—Captain Haynes also refused. A man was at length found to tie Mr. Smith ; and he was sent down into the. cabin, not having made the slightest resistance. By different contrivances, the Captain succeeded at length in getting six more tied down on the floor of the cabin, among whoui was Captain Haynes, with their feet and hands lashed. Another man, Hawes, resisted all at empts at being secured ; upon which, the Captain fetched his pistols, and fired at, and wounded him seven times, and then set the boys of the crew upon him, armed with harpoons and axes. He, however, managed to get away Into the hold, where he remained concealed. The Captain then took a crow-bar, and with this instrument successively put to death the seven victims he had caused to be lp.shed on the floor. The day after this horrid piece of butchery, the Mary Russell was hailed by the schooner Mary Stubbs, about three hundred miles from the Irish coast: she had a signal of distress flying. Captain Cullender went aboard, and there he found Captain Stewart evidently labouring under insanity, and the seven unhappy persons lying dead on the cabin-floor, precisely as they had been left by the murderer. Smith had contrived to get away ; and he and Hawes were the only men who survived : several boys remained unhurt. The wit- nesses gave evidence of various acts of insanity on the part of Captain Stewart, from his first leaving Barbadoes; and the Jury brought in the ver- dict of "killed by Captain Stewart in a state of mental derangement ! "