BUCKINGHAM PALACE.—We understand that the King has at length determined

on the completion of Buckingham Palace, and that it will henceforth form the residence of the British Court. It has been esti. mated by the competent officers that what remains to he done to the Pa- lace, to make it in a suitable state for the reception of their Majesties and the Royal suite, can be accomplished by an expenditure of 70,000l.; but in this sum many of the ornamental embellishments contemplated in the original design are not included, but are to be dispensed with, and nothing but what is substantially necessary to the completion of the building is to be executed. Several of the nobility, accompanied by the Earl of Munster, on Thursday inspected the interior of the Palace.—

Morning Herald.

OMINOUS CoNsurrcrions.It has been lately stated, that two great personages, in order the better to defeat the Reform Bill, have " shaken hands. iVe learn from holy writ, that when the high church party of Jerusalem had a great object to gain, a similar incident occurred—" And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together, for before they were at enmity between themselves."—Dublin Morning Register, [We don't think that either Duke has any resemblance to Pilate ; he was a plausible rogue.] TILE LORD MAYOR.--The Gazette of last night announces what

fame had announced before, the elevation of the Lord Mayor to the dignity of Baronet. We speak considerately, when we say that the Lord Mayor, by his activity, intelligLace, and attention to City busi- ness, as well as by his general conduct, has amply won his spurs. The Anti-Reformers tried to run him down. So may all that they attack prosper !

MR. WELLEstmr.—This gentleman has been the subject of another

motion in that court where, according to Moore, there is perpetual mo- tion but no progress. Sir Edward Sugden applied yesterday to the Court of Chancery, for an order calling on Mr. Wellesley to place his son as well as his daughter within the jurisdiction. It seems Mr. Court- ney saw little Miss Wellesley at Paris, and she expressed a wish to re- turn to her aunt's, provided she might now and then see her father. Sir Edward also put in a copy of a letter from Mr. Wellesley, to the follow..

ing effect—

"Fleet Prison, July —, 1831. " Courage and Perseverance. " Here I am in a gaol ; and here I will rot before I will deliver up my child.

"`v. L. T. WELLESLEY."

The order was granted. Mr. Wellesley is one of the legislators, of whom, Reformer though he calls himself, the Reform Bill must rid us.

PEERS HEARD /3T THEIR PROXIES IN THE. COIDIONS.—The utmost pos- sible efforts of the Anti-Reformers, taking all their arguments for granted, may delay, but they cannot, by any possibility, defeat the Bill. To the delay which has already taken place, we do not object. The more fully that Reform is discussed in the House of Commons, the less will discussion be required in the House of Lords. In point of fact, it is the Lords who are now occupied in discussing it—it is the nominees of their Lordships who alone retard its progress : the patrons will not and can- not ask to be heard by counsel and in person also.—Englishman's Ma- gazine [This is well put. We shall bear the argument in mind when the Bill, in the fulness of time, arrives at the Upper House.] MR. BUTLER.—This learned and venerable Roman Catholic has re- ceived a silk gown, and took his place at the Bar as King's Counsel, on

Wednesday.

Loan Nosounv.—An Irish paper gives the following notice of this notorious character, whose death is mentioned in our obituary. ." He was a venerable relic of those good old 'times, the shadow of ifhose glory, now about to be extinguished for ever, he could not be expected to survive. As a punster he was unrivalled. As a Judge, it may be a

consolation to his friends, as well as to the public, to know that he has not left his snatch upon the bench. Long may his memory reign here

without a compeer ! Mercy droops not beside his tomb, nor will Justice, Eloquence, or Learning, stretch themselves in his grave. He leaves no insuppliable interstice in the science of British jurisprudence; and

the country takes comfort in his fall, from the recovery of a good round pension. His title and estates descend, in gavelkind, to his sons ; one of whom is Lord Norwood and Norbury, the other Earl Norbury and Viscount Glandine. Peter Henchy and Isaac Bethel will have to cast lots for his paronomastic mantle."

Tar BaLLooN.—Mr. Green's balloon did not, as was expected, visit the moon on Monday : it descended at five minutes past five, in the parish of Chariwood, twenty-nine miles from London, on a field called the Eight Acres, in the occupation of Mr. Morley. ODDS ON THE SCHOOLMASTER AND THE HANGMAN.—The following TR. ties are derived from official documents.

Scotland. England. - Ireland.

Instruction of the People.... 1 in 11 1 in 20 ... 1 in 35 Criminals among the People . I in 5,093 ... 1 in 920 ... 1 in 468

FEMALE PREACHERS —At an early hour on Sunday morning, Rachel Smithson, about twenty-two years of age, belonging to a sect called " The United Sisters," preached a sermon in the open air at the foot of Putney Bridge. In the course of her exhortation, she stated that about three years ago she had been in imminent danger of losing her life, occasioned by the oversetting of a pleasure-boat, in which she was sitting with an aged mother. In this extremity she offered up a fervent prayer to the Almighty for help, and promised that if she and her parent's lives were preserved, she would serve her God as long as she lived. Since that time she had given herself wholly to the work of thb ministry. [This must be stopped : if we get female voters and female parsons, in the progress of this march of petticoat intellect we soon shall have female editors of the broad sheet.] A CHOICE SPECIMEN.-..-.A. Lord Carteret was charged the other day, in a country journal, with dismissing from his service two freeholders for voting in favour of Sir Charles Lemon, at the late Cornwall election. He has, in consequence, sent the following epistle to the editor :— " Hawnes, Ampthill, 26th July 1931. " Lord Carteret presents his compliments to Investigator of 13th July 1831, and returns him thanks for bringing to the public view his private conduct, which he thought it right to exercise consistently with the principles of the existing constitu- tion, and for the protection of his property, that he does not intend to resign with- out a struggle, however called for."

The man, who penned this morceau of sense and grammar, is one of those who are chosen by Nature to make laws for England, and in particular to deliberate on the Reform Bill !

REF oast WAGGERY.—A hoax was played off on Tuesday on the sexton of Petersfield. In the morning he received a letter, informing

him that a funeral would pass through for interment in the Isle of 1Vight, and desiring that the church-bell might be tolled muffled, begin. ming at nine in the morning. The bell was tolled accordingly; but as no

procession arrived, it is conjectured that the funeral alluded to was no other than that of Lady Rottenborough, whose remains. were in such a state of decomposition as not to admit of removal, and were therefore interred in St. Stephen's Chapel, Westininster.—Hampshire Chronicle.

A TERRIBLE THREAT.—The following quotation from the Dundee Ad- vertiser has made nearly the circuit of the London press :—" On the

summit of the Cross of Scone there is now the representation of a Scots- man clad in the Highland martial costume. The right hand of the kilted Highlandman is placed on the hilt of his sword, and while inclin- ing to empty the scabbard, he is pronouncing, with a menacing emphasis, ' The whole Bill/pr—'" [" The whole Bill, or —" is precisely what the Tories mean to give us. It is not by these schoolboy antics that the first part of the alternative will be won.]

SEXUAL DISTINCTIONS.—In the North, mail-coaches are of the gentler sex ; so, from the evidence of Captain Harris, ex-member for Grimsby, are rotten boroughs. It appears from the following extract of a letter in the Courier of last night, that forts are also female. The writer is speaking of the French fleet entering the Tagus.

" On coming half-way through the Channel, St. Julian opened her heavy guns on the headmost ships; which was returned by the Bugio ; after which the French ships opened a very heavy fire on both forts on passing the bar."

It was not fair for the Frenchman to fire on the Bugio, who, it now appears, had taken her countrywoman to task for her want of hospi. tali ty.

DISCREET Posrsissrans.—The proprietors of the Sheffield, Gainsbo- rough, and Louth mail, have advertised their fares, " inside what you please, outside ditto."

A Toucii OF THE SCIENTIFIC.—The outline of the surface of the new bridge, as proposed in the original design of the late Mr. Rennie, was a very flat segment of a circle, which has been rendered still more flat by an increase in the height of the arches near the shores, the present rise not being more than seven feet.—Thompson's Chronicles of London Bridge.

COINS PROPER FOR MARRIAGE•FEES.—A countryman, not many days since, on being married at Chislett Church, presented the accustomed fees to the clergyman in farthings, which he had saved for the purpose in the space of seven years. The treasure was taken to the sanctuary in an old stockings—Kentish Gazette. DENSE POPULATION.—In taking the census in Mary Street, in this city, the enumerator reports that in one house alone there are twenty. two families, comprising ninety-one persons.—Linierick Chronicle. PAGANINI AND HIS SINGLE STRING.—TO effect SO much On a single string as Signor Paganini does, is truly wonderful ; nevertheless any good player can extract much more from two than he produces from one, and two are always to be had. But, say the panegyrists, the silver string gives such delicious tones ! Then employ two silver strings, we reply. Would any man out of Bedlam hop from Hyde Park Corner to St. Paul's on one leg, if he had a couple to walk on ?—Certainly not— unless, indeed, he could get a thousand pounds, or so, by each journey ! If Paganini really produces so much effect on a single string, a fortiori he would draw forth much more from two. Why not, therefore, employ them ?—because he is waxing exceedingly wealthy by playing on one

i

only. Then he is a sensible person for so doing ; he understands man- kind. co did the famous quack Dr. Rock, whose sagacious reply to Dr. Cheyne is well known : so does Mr. St. John Long.—Harmonicon for August.

OFF AND ON." I like Wrench," a friend was saying to Elliston one day, "because he is the same natural, easy creature on the stage that he is off." " My case exactly," retorted Elliston—with a charming forget. fulness that the converse of a proposition does not always lead to the same conclusion—" I am the same .person off the stage that I am on."— Charles Lamb, in the Englishman's Magazine. PROGRESS OF A SUIT IN CusisicEny.—In October 1810, some land was sold by auction ; an abstract of the title was, shortly after the sale, delivered to the purchaser. A considerable delay took place in making the abstract perfect, so as to enable the purchaser to lay it before his counsel to advise on the title. However, in May 1812, it was laid before counsel ; who, on the 12th of that month, wrote his opinion objecting to the title. On the 30th of August 1813, the vender filed a bill in Chancery against the purchaser, to compel him to complete his pur- chase. On the 29th of November 1813, the purchaser put in his an- swer to that bill. On the 20th of June 1815, the cause was heard ; and it was ordered that it should be referred to the Master, to inquire into and report on the title. The first proceedings under this order in the Master's office were had in November 1818 ; and on the 12th of June 1822, the Master made his first report in favour of the title. To this report exceptions were taken. They came on for hearing before the Vice-Chancellor on the 12th of March 1823; when they were allowed, and it was referred back to the Master to review his report. On the 27th of March 1824, the Master made his second report, partly in favour of the vender, and partly of the purchaser. Exceptions were taken to such second report by both parties. They came on for hearing before the Vice-Chancellor on the 22nd of July 1826, when he allowed the excep- tions, and again referred it back to the Master to review his report. From this decree there was an appeal to the Chancellor; which was heard on the 29th of December 1829, when he confirmed the Vice. Chancellor's order, and dismissed the appeal. On the 8th of April 1831, the Master made his third report ; to which exceptions are again taken, and they now stand for argument before the Vice-Chancellor !—Corre- spondent of the Times.

A SCOTCH ARREST.—Two officers went out to Elderslie last week, and apprehended a man for a debt of 6/. 10s. On reaching Paisley, to show there was no bad feeling in the case, they went into a tavern to have a comfortable glass together. But glass followed glass in such merry and rapid succession, that the vigilance of the officers gave way—the debt and warrant sunk into oblivion. Two strangers, taking a dram at the same table, saw how matters stood, and, to deliver the poor debtor from his trouble, lighted their pipes with the warrant. What could the offi- cers do without a warrant ? A convenient little disturbance insured the whole party a conveyance to the police-office. The true state of the case was soon discovered by the searching queries of the Fiscal ; when the officer who had charge of the warrant, and the two strangers who lighted their pipes with it, were held bound for the debt.—Scotch Paper.

WORKING A PASSAGE.—As the Honiton packet was leaving a port in Wales, on her voyage to Lyme, the master perceived a swarm of bees settle on a rock which the rising tide would soon have covered. He sent a boat with a tub, which was sugared for the purpose, and took the bees in, and brought them aboard. They took readily to their new habita- tion; and on removing them to a hive at Lyme Cobb, it was perceived that they had commenced a comb. During the voyage they flew ashore for honey, and followed the vessel again, which was at times sailing with a strong breeze.—Sherborne Mercury.

Tony CONSISTENCY.—A labourer employed on Lord Mansfield's estate of Scone as hedger and ditcher, has been successful of late in suing his Lordship for the sum of 201. per annum, for a period of nineteen years. The process was founded upon a written promise made by the Earl to the hedger and ditcher, " as an encouragement for assiduity." The case was at first submitted to Mr. Sheriff Husband, who, in March last, deli- vered an interlocutor, finding the defender liable to the pursuer in the sum of 3801. exclusive of interest and expenses. The defender appealed to Mr. Sheriff Macneil, who adhered to the interlocutor of his substi- tute. The Earl then carried the case, by appeal, before the Lord Ordi- nary, who dismissed it, remitted to the Sheriff, and found the appellant liable in expenses. This triple decision in favour of the assiduous ditcher did not secure to him the promised reward. The litigious patrician ap- pealed once more to the first division of the Court of Session, the Judges of which were unanimous in adhering to the judgment appealed against. —Scotch Paper. [" Give no justice to the whole people," is a maxim which naturally includes another, " Give no justice to any one of the people." It is pleasant to see the Opposition Lords acting consistently even in the smallest matters.]