A Hundred Years Ago
THE " SPECTATOR," MARCH 5TH, 183!.
THE REFORM BILL.
The Great Measure has at length been laid before the public. It fully justifies the anticipations of the warmest friends of Reform, and has filled with confusion and dismay the whole of its enemies. The first striking feature of the Ministerial plan is the attempt, for the first time since the foundation of the monarchy, to connect the Parliament in strict and intimate union with the great mass of the intelligence and property of the kingdom—to give stability to the Constitution, not by a mere widening of the bases on which it rests, but by substituting for the rotten and unequal piles by which it has hitherto been propped rather than supported, the good sound heart of oak of Old England—the man of sense and substance, from the decent, thrifty shopkeeper, up to the merchant and landowner of a hundred thousand a year. It is a plan which must succeed.
THE MONEY MARKET.
The general opinion here is that the Reform Bill will not pass tho Commons. Whatever may be thought elsewhere, it is certain that the New Bill has been deemed unfavourably of by the stockholders as respects their interest.
THE NEW COINAGE.
We have been favoured with a sight of the first piece of the new series of coins of the reign of King William the Fourth, of which the sovereign is the only one completed. On the obverse is a medallion profile of the King, engraved from Mr. Chantrey's bust it is a graceful and excellent likeness of His Majesty : the features are well defined, and the outline is very skilfully relieved from the ground, so as to present a bold and medal-like appearance, while the surface is in reality no more than level with the edge of the rim, which, by its projection, protects the coin from undue wear in the circulation. The reverse is similar to the present coin. It is intended to complete the whole series of coins from the gold five and two- pound pieces to the half and quarter farthings, the latter being only
for Colonial circulation. •
KEEPING OPEN SHOP ON SUNDAY.
Twenty-six shopmen were summoned before the Union Hall Magistrates on. Monday for this offence : but the whole were dis- charged, the Magistrates being of the opinion that the smallness of the fine could not possibly operate to put down the offence. Laving aside altogether the religious view of the question, the absurd ty of working on the Sunday should be a sufficient check to the pra. ti e. If it were general, the only possible consequence would be a rotate- tion of one part in seven of the labourer's wages. As to the shop- keepers, it is quite evident that they can sell no more during the week than its demands require, if they keep open shop night ar.d day, and every night and day.
NEW INVENTED OPERA FOLDING HAT.
J. Donaldson, 134 Oxford Street, respectfully submits for the inspection of Noblemen and Gentlemen an article of the above description, which for lightness and durability is acknowledged by several Gentlemen of experienced taste to be far superior to any ever offered to their notice. Price 16s.
NEW MUSICAL COUCH. •
An ingenious Swiss mechanic has invented a kind of couch, which is inflated by air, and converted to a musical purpose. The tones are produced by the pressure of the body upon the couch. To the sleepless invalid, or the lover of an afternoon nap, it is described as being a very desirable acquisition. By setting a piece of clockwork machinery soft and soothing airs will be heard—music of a kind to lull to sleep. By another arrangement of the machinery, it can be made to act as an alarum—producing, at any given hour, military music, or airs of an enlivening kind.
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