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Northern Star (1837-1852), 28th December 1844, Edition 4 of 4, Page 6, Untitled Article

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    • cinue anu an
    • gtgrirulturc anDr iDorticuUtire
    • THE CHAMBERS' PHILOSOPHY REFUTED.
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      1 AB 0 UB PLBADEJG ITS 0 VX CAU SE . THE EMPLOYEE AXD EMPLOYED . a Twrcm'R 3 DiiiOGrx . —past m . According to ¦ appointment the four parties to the dia-Zoque respecting the Employer and t ) n Employed , tnel in the room of the * ' Stranger ' s Borne " public-house , in the town of Devffs Dust , after the dote of Tuesday ' t market '; and the dial > rueivas thus returned : — - Robin . —Well , Maister Quill , is there owt strange since -we met last ? Eeod , but Maister Smith looks ten years older . Smith . —Aye , Robin , are , I can feel for the -woes of others . Robin . —TOry , "what s up now ? Owt bad in the market !

      Smith . —Market , market ] Ifs anything but a market . Robin . —^ Why , Maister Smith , what ' s the matter ? Smith . —Wh&tfs the matter ? "Why , just as I predicted . They ' ve overdone it . Robin . —Overdone -what , Maister Smith ? Ssuta . —Why the China and India market . They sac ail glutted : the worst news that ' s come into l > evil ' s Dust since ihe last panic . Robin . —Eeod , but I thought there was snmmat fone : wrong ; for all them there mills that was busy uflding a "week ago , as folks said for the India and China market , are ^ ll give up : and there's a wonderful to - do among the Bricklayers and Stone-masons , Carpenters and Joiners , and . in fact , all the

      trades . I don't go out to read the papers now , Maister Smith ; but Maister Sparerib , the butcher , came to me on Saturday neet , and axed how it was that so much meat was left on his hands more than other weeks ? But as he is a grumbling in the best of times , I didn't mind him much ; but he was lamenting orer the case of poor folk , and saying as how them as would have a nice joint on SaturdayTieet , said they'd try a scrag of mutton ; and others would take a lot of "broken meat ; and than there as had a scrag , would be content with a pluck ; and the good ¦ workmen that would havean extra joint , to feast their friends at Christmas , would wait for a week ; and so on . Ecod , Maister Sparerib . said he ¦ wished that sheep were all scrags and plucks ; for iblk wantednowt else on Saturday . He axed me the reason , and I told him that it was all

      maehinervthem there flying devils that folk with money was ¦ building palaces for—brought the Stone-masons and Bricklayers , and all the rest ' of them Joiners , and Carpenters , and Nail-makers , flocking here , and Tailors to make clothes for them , while all the work was done afore they came ; while them warehouses andbigpawnshops was full of as much as would fit the ¦ world : and so instead of nature we "had everything fiction-Hke . And , ecod , sure enough " , but I hear Maister Squeezegut , overseer of that there fine refuge for the paupers , says that he ' s like to have , custom enough I for , ecod , he hasn ' t house room for all that ' s applying for relief . Smith . —TYelL well , but Robin , how could iw have foreseen all those things ? Don't you see there was a demand ; and shouldn't we , as a matter of course , and as ~ good Christians , endeavour to supply the ¦ wants of others ?

      Robin . —Ecod , Maister Smith , thou needn ' t look bo blue about it . Thou ' st quit Devil ' s Dust in good time . Smith . —Confound it , Robin , ' -good time" do you call it ? Look here . Here ' s a notice ^ I have just received of a public "meeting of landed proprietors to be held in the Town Hall this evening , to take into consideration the best and speediest means of relieving the present distress of the working classes , by volm > iary contributions , or such other means a * shall prevent an additional levy on landed property . Robin . —Ueod , Maist-er Smith , but that ' s just ¦ what I said- andthou'lt find that "Shoddy Hall " will have to pay its share ! Maister Sparerib axed me to come and move an amendment for " protection for labour , "" as he says his eyes are opened to the infernal system , as he calls it , that wont allow hardworMngfoIk to bnv a bii of meat on Saturdav neet .

      May be , Maister QnDl , thonit second it . QuilL—I tell you what , Robin , you may . depend ¦ upon it that aB those things are better left to the management of the monied classes . A good petition , founded on a sensible resolution , setting forth the prevailing distress , will have much more effect on the Government t&an all your ridiculous and absurd propositions about " protection for labour . ' Hasn't Mr . Smith clearly pointed out to you "that his situation is tost as pitiable as yours ; and shown you that in the long ran the gr ievances of the people must ultimately fall upon the shoulders of their superiors ? Hobin . —That ' s what I ' m hearing every year . It ' s all alike : untilsomethingpinches themselves , thev care non-1 -for the condition of the worMno ilasres : and then when they meet , it's all to " PROTECT' themselves from the burthen ! But PB teH thee what , Maister QuiD ; who are thev toT > etition ?

      QuilL—Why , Sir Robert Peel and the House of Commons , to be sure . Robin . —Ecod , but Peel and them folk will hare enonjrh to do to get < a- ^> - « now I ami its Hani to think that folk that wouldn ' t hear poor people telling tfieir own distress will give owt for others to make a story for them ! Bless mv life : don ' t 1 remember what all them landlords and capitalists said when Maister rerrand axed them fbr ^ i , OOO , ( XX » forpoor folk = ' and , ecod , £ 1 , 000 , 000 will be nowt amongst them all shortly . QuilL—WelL but Robin , the case is different when Mr . Ferrand asks for a grant of £ 1 , 000 , 000 , and wlien the capitalists petition forjrelief . Robin . — Whaf s the difference , Maister Quill i Does ' ni see thai machinery has enabled its owners to collect most of the monev in the country into their

      own hands ? and , ecod , Peel has but to look out for ¦ flie -scrapings wherever lie can catch them . Time was , Maister Quill , when Government had the cream and folks had the milk between them ; but them there flying devils and cast-iron men have hipped up all the cream and left the Government only the skim ¦ mTIV and the licking of the pan for poor folk . YU tell you what , Maister Quill , you told me to look at all the churches , and all the improvements that machinery had made for Devil ' s Dust : and , ecod , when panic comes they'll none of them put a bit on the poor man ' s platter ! Then where ' s all your great boast about the " cheapness" produced by machinery ? QuilL—Well , but surely Robin , under any cireumttances , it would be better to have thincs " cheap " than "dear ?"

      Robin . —Maister Quill , tbaf s another piece of wisdom we have long heard of ; and wlien you complains of demagogues and philosophers , and will hear nowt that they say , we must come to common sense , and commonreason , and ask you what vou mean by " cheap" and "dear ?" QuDL—2 sow , Jiobin , yon speak like a man of sense . Robin . —Wait till vou hear what I ' ve to say . Well then , I remembers eighty years . I remembers all the years that things were " " dear , " and all the vears that things were " cheap . " And , Maister Quill , in the " dear" years , I could , get the "dear" food and " dear" doth , and "dear" every thing , and have more money at the end of the weekthan I bad when a ]] thingSTrere " cheap . " I remembers when the quartern loaf ^ was two shillings in Devil ' s-Dust ; and , ecod , " dear" as it was , poor folk could have it . . Now it ' s sixpence ; and , eeod , it 3 a scramble , and a god-send to get it Quill . —How do vou account for that , Robin ?

      Robin . —Account for it ? why can ' t thou account for it ? Doesn ' t see that while every thing is being " cheapened , " labour has been wade cheapest of all ; and , eeod , thou'st made it so cheap , that thou must sive folk snmmat to eat to tempt ' em to take it loike . . So thon giv ' st their labour to foreigners to tempt them to take it at alL QuilL—Well , bnt Robin , don't you see its not fair to ascribe all these evils to Machinery ? machinery and its blessings are , as it were , but half developed . Restrictions , as 1 may say , of which those upon human food are the most barbarous , sit as an incubus , nay press as a nightmare on the breast of machinery , and withhold all those benefits which would otherwise freely flow from it , from the working classes . Once pnshaekle industry and untrammel trade , by allowing the produce of " English labour to be exchanged "with those who would give us food in J-eturn , and

      ihen—- Robin . —Ecod , and th ? n we'd be worse op thon -ever . ' "What would ' st ta' call Free-trade , Maister Quill ? HThy , its free enough to have turned the little village of Devil's Dust into a great eity , to send two members to Parliament' . And hasn't seen TnTfl piled on mill , and house on house , one after ' tother ; and hasn't every additional mill been a bit of "extension , " as they callit ? and dont I tell thee that every " extension " has been followed by a reduction of wages ? Well then , iere ' s a-qnesrion , Maister Quill : if Ihe end of all them " extensions" has been a bigger reductions in wage , can'st tell me how much reduction the great " extension" of all would bring about ? Why , good God of heaven , just look at all them there Indians , and -them there Chinese , that folktell-ns is / nigh hand

      one half the world ; and see how soon them there flying devils has completed all orders from those parts . Aye , aye , Maister Quill ; you say trade with those who would give US food in return . Ecod , it ' s Mr . Smith and the cotton lords that would get tie " food in return ; " and if we may judge by Ihe past , we might lee big ¦ warehouses full of wheat at one side of the street , and warehouses full of cloth -and calico at 'tother side , and those that made the one that bought ihe other -walking naked-and hungry between botb . 2 Smith . —Pooh , pooh , Robin ; vou talk nonsense How a it possible that masters would be so dead to their O"wn jnterest as not to exchange the wheat that they got in return for produce , for- Labour to produce more ? Sot but I admit , Robin , that yon have considerably staggered my notion in favour of afree-trade

      in corn . : Robin . —Yea , Mr . Smith , you'd exchange it sure enongh : but then you'd exchange all : you'd be mauler of the wage of labour , and the price of wheat ; and you'd tell the labourer that competition compelled you to gjte his produce bo " cheap , " and competafion for corn made yon bay it so " dear , " that jotfd haveto get Chambers , and Chadwick , and Mugseridge , and Jemmy Graham , and Johnny Russell ,

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      and that there damned ould fooil , ould Brougham , and that there ould woman , Joey Hume , and Frankey Place , with two or three doctorvto draw out a table with figures that would reach from here to York , shewing the amount trf food that folk could live on and work , and how * 'loiv living"and " frugality" n > as good f orhealth ! and how good livingled to dissipation and idleness , and brought bastards ' . We should have cart-loads of books , and waggon-loads of " reports " from committees of capitalists . and commissioners of bankers and cotton lords!—new-fangled stuff , and coroner ' s inquests , telling us the length of poor folks ' guts , and how much blud poor folk owt to have , and all that kind of stuff , as if poor folk hadn't as many ruts as rich folk , and wern ' t made like ' em I Why damn it , Master Quill Quill . —Hold , hold , Robin ; swearing is no argument .

      Robin . —It ' s enough to make lolks swear to see the way poor folk is talked about , and wrote about , and treated now-a-days ^ and to see Maister Smith and his sort , and thee and thy sort , supporting newspapers by advertising to get £ 4 or £ 3 per cent , for " thy" money , and covering the walls with speculations and prospectuses as to how thou might make more of it ; and boasting that in ten years thou ' st invested as much "brass" in one damned speculation and another as would pay the interest of the national debt ; and then leaving poor folk to pay the debt after all : Ecod , Maister Quill , I-tell thee what :

      thou may ' st bring down all the books in thy shop and read them all , and thonl ' t never convince the working people that the laws are just that allows thee and the capitalist to do these things , and leaves the poor to starve . And I'll tell " thee more too . ; that whatever price free trade allows the masters to purchase corn at , no law that thou can make will ever regulate the price of the loaf that comes on the poor man ' s table . And I'll tell thee more than that too ; that landlords alone will have to pay taxes and the interest on the national debt , unless thev look about .

      QuilL— -Aye , aye , that ' s it . The landlords are the men ! Have at them ! They must enable the working classes to live . Robin . —Ecod , but not by " cheap" bread , though . QuilL—What then , Robin ? Robin . —Why good wage ; to be sure ! Let them work on the land , and then they wont care what price bread is . They'll have it out of their own sweat—and "dearer" and better . They'll eat enough ; and get more for surplus , and be good customers in the manufactuoing market . QuilL—What , Robin ; then you ai-e opposed to maehinerv altogether ?

      Robin . —Noa , nowt of the sor t . I remembers reading after Cobden , when he was at Bradford , and he axed a Hand-loom Weaver that opposed him if he was against machinery i The poor man ' s name was Butterworth , and his answer was : " Noa , Mr . Cobden ; I ' m not opposed to machinery . "Sou may go to bed by machinery , and get up by machinery , and eat by machinery , and drink by machinery , and put on your clothes by machinery : aye , and pick your tectli by machinery ; if your machinery doetn ' t tale my bed from under me . the e-oat oil my baric , an < l The Iv . tf off my table . " Ecod , but that was wisdom ! It was worth all the tons of tracts that ever was issued by that skin-flint of a Leae-ue .

      Quill . —Well bnt , Robin , why talk of tilling the land at home , when we can get , corn so much ** cheaper" from abroad ! Besides , youlcnow that the very best authorities tell us that the land of England < lo

      and Indians and other folk in the world . And it ' s all gammon about England not being able to produce enough ' . Why there ' s nearly twice as mauy folk now in England as there was sixty years ago ; and there ' s just as much land as when we had only a half of the population : and then I remember , some folk would talk that foolish siufi , that England couldn ' t feed them all . But now we sec this very year , that the same land is capable of supplying the whole population ' Aye , Maister QuilL and if we had four times the population we have , we'd fin < j that the laud would produce six times as much as it does now .

      Smith . —Well but , Robin , how would you make the land produce more , ? SureJy men that expend their capital in land art > more conversant with the subject than you are ; and they make it produce as much as it can ? Robin . —Nay , nay , Maister Smith ; let the population " press on the land ; " then folk will begin to see that the land was of no value tilljabour was applied to it : and if labour was applied to it , thou would not find it so easy to make . £ !«> , 000 of thy £ 20 , 000 in fifie » 'n years , as thou did '> t when thy cast-iron men ami wooden women , and wire children , " pressed hardly on the means of subsistence . " Smith . —Well Robin , you appear to wish to check honourable speculation altogether .

      Robin . —Nay , Maister Smith , not so : but I u stop that --peculation that allows the few to put the money that belongs , to all into their pockets , and compels the many to starve , or to petition Parliament for relief ; or to ax tlie tjueen to write a W < nrinj : letter to Parson Barebones to l * eir for charity to keep them alive that keeps her , and feeds that German husband of her ' s , and all them young half-German princes and princesses- And now , Maister Quill , do ' st think thy faiiker ever remembers the time in Devil's Dust when maisters and men wrought together , that ma ' isters were birring land and spending in speculations ; while the King was begging , and Parson Flower preaching charity sermons for poor folk ' . Aye , Maister Quill , we had no Town Hall then , sure enough , because folk

      didn ' t want to do what Bess ' s Old Poor Law did for them I And then thou talkest of the " dissipation , " and "improvidence , " and "discontent" of the workir . ? classes . I'll tell thee what , Maister Quill : just thou get Peel and the Government to shut up the gin palaces , public-houses , and beer-shops , and see where the National Debt will go to ' . and see whtre the sailors" pay , and the soldiers' pay , and the pensioners' pay ; aye , eeod , and the Queen ' s pay , too , will come from . ' Whv , bless my old life , talk of " dissipation - * ' don ' t 1 live down there in "West-street , between a man that sells penny publications that folk can only buy on Sunday , and a pig public-house ; and isn ' t my brain addled on Sunday neet with drunken folk in the public-house , while Maister Smith and the

      bench of magistrates fines the poor devil that sells penny tracts on Sunday , to trv and get a living ( Who makes them " dissipated , " Maister Quill ? Why its the Government that lives on them , and the maisters that encourage them ; and I'll be bound for it , that before machinery came to Devil's Dust , thy farther never saw " jolly Sailors" open after nine o ' clock on anv neet in the week . Nay , if poor old Maister Grudge , that kept it for fifty years , allowed a lad to drink , or a man to get drunk there , Bumble , the beadle , would be at him , and parson Flower would be about his ears . And then about the " discontent ; " I ' ve seen famine , or nearly like it ; I ' ve seen when thy faither and I were put to shifts to get a bit for the children ; and we wern't" discontented" then ;

      for it was aU famine alike . It came from God , then , Maister Quill ; and it came on all without distinction King would come down something , and Duke come down something , and Lord of the Manor , and Squire ; but no begging letters ; no praying for the poor alone , but praying to avert the famine from all . And then Parson Flower knew what every man in the parish had to spare . -He was bookkeeper , like ; andmany ' s the neet , Maister Quill , I , and my wife and children went to bed without supper—and we thanked God we had dinner , and we blest God , and blest the King , and blest Parson Flower , and blest the laws too : we wern't "discontented " then , Maister Quill : but sow I see

      poor folk working fourteen hours a day , skulking down the lanes wi ' out stockings , and lying a bed a Sundays , and cursing , and damning , and blaspheming at the laws that let ' s the rich grind the faces of the poor . They tees one ret of folk rich and happy , and u-izh plenty evern day in the year—in " good harvest , " and ^ 'ba ' d harvt- 't "—u-i "good trade , ' ? and "bad trade ; " Axn the tamlve is always ox the folk that mak ' s them rich and fat . So thou seest , Maister Quill , it would be a strange thing if poor folk were otherwise than "dissipated" and "discontented . " Quill . —Tes , but Robin , I tell you it ' s all a consequence of their " improvidence ; " they might be better off . ¦

      Robin . —I'll try that with thee , Maister Quill . It ' s alivays very easy to lay the burden on poor folk ' s shoulders . " One man may steal a horse , while another must not look over the wall . " And now , Maister Quill , just see here . I'll take poor folk , and thou shalt take rich , folk ; and let's see whether rich folk is so " provident" and "careful . " Now , let ' s begin with a lump : rich folk owe a national dell of near eight hundred minions of money . ' The Queen , they say , is cutting down her establishment because she ' s in debt . Working folk had to pay the Duke of York ' s debts . The King of Belgium left poor folk to Eay debts . The Duke of D- —— owes two milons . My God ' , and all the poor folk together only axed for half that to carry them over the bad season ! Marquis of A owes a millionand a naif Lori C owes two millions . The Lord of the Manor here has sold off " Shoddy HalL" and

      " Twist Castle , " and a whole parish , to pay the interest of his debts . In short , they owes among them four thousand millions to the Jews : and then they talk of poor folk being " improvident > " . Ecod , when they set about building a house they mortgage the walls to put the roof on ! And then see how folk compound and begin again : but poor folk mun always pay twenty sMUing in the pound ! Now , Hairier Quill , have I proved that folk were better off before machinery come to Devil's Dust ? ( Loud shouts without . } Smith and Quill ( speaking together ) . — What ' s that ? What noise is that ? ( Procession passes with bands and banners ; on the first flag , " Protttnon of the Unemployed . " ) Smith . —0 ! ifs only a muster of the damned tag-Tag-auji-bob-taSl Charbsto . Robin . —( Standingatthe"windoW . } Ecod , all folk art Chartists when they get hungry : bnt I see many a score , and many a hundred too , among them that

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      never before was known as GJmrtists . ( Shouts of " To the Town Hall ! " Down with the Bastile !" "Bread or blood !") QuilL—Do you hear that , Robin ? They are p iling for bread . v ^ Robin . —Ay , but not for " cheap" bread , Maister QuiD . See that there flag , " Down with the League . ' " See 'tother , " More pins atvd less parsons . " Ecod I hope Parson Barebones will seefchat . See here , Maister Smith , coom and look . Smith .-e-Nay , Robin , I don't wish to be seen . Robin . —Ecod , but here ! here ' s all the men tluit ' s worked for t } tee , passing now : coom and see . Smith . —No , thank ve , Robin ; I'd rather not .

      Robin . —Ah , there " it is , Maister Quill ; in them times , before machinery was here , the maister tvas never ashamed nor afraid to look his men in the face ! Smith . —Aye , Robin ; but it is the men that have grown "impatient" and " insolent" now-a-days . They can ' t have been hungry longerthan since Saturday last , and they're crying out already . Robin . —Ecod , Maister Smith , in former times , if it were not a downright famine , we could stand a quarter or more before we'd complain , because we had sunimat laid up ; but now folk cry out when they are hungry , for hunger comes slap on them . They can't wait . See here , Maister Smith ; see here , Maister Quill ,-, " Down with t he bastile . " "Equal rights . " " Fair day ' s u-age for a fair day ' s work . " "Annual Parliaments , " " Universal Suffrage , " " Vote by Ballot , " "Equal representation , " " Xoproperty qualification , " and " Payment of members . ''

      "THE CHARTER IS OUR BIRTHRIGHT : — HV 7 Z die or have it . " Smith . —Yes , yes ; I was right , they ' re Chartists , never satisfied . Robin . —Ecod , then it was machinery that made them Chartists , as well as made the churches , the banks , and the bastile . ( Shouts of " To the Townhall : " ) Smith . —Robin , will you accompany us ? Robin . —Thankee , Maister Smith , I'm over old to make my way through a crowd now ; but you and Maister Quill " can go down . Quill . —No , I certainly shan't . I've nothing to do with it .

      , Smith . —I thought it was to be a meeting of landed proprietors and rate-payers ? Robin . —Ecod , and so it is ; the folks there ought to be the proprietors , as they are the rate-payers : so coom and hear what thev have to sav , Maister Smith . Smith . —Conic , then , Robin , if you'll go I'll go . Take my arm , Robin . Robin . —Nay , Ecod . That would never do , Maister Smith . Ecod ' they'd hiss me ; or happen hustle me . Smith . —Well , Jackson , give me your arm . Jackson . —Thankee , sir T I'm too shabby . ( Quill boh . ' . )

      Smith . —Good God ! am I to be left here alone ? Jackson ; my good friend , Jackson , you were always an honest man ; will you stay and take care of me ? Jackson . —Yes , Mr ! Smith , I'll stay and take care ° f . c . Now 1 trust that you'll see and understand that the working classes , howsoever oppressed , never Cu erif . h vengeance in their breasts , or withhold protection , when called for , even from those who oppress th Smith . —I thank you , Jackson . Do you think * ev'll come back ? Do you think they saw me ? Robin . —Farewell , Maister Smith . A clear conscience is the best property that a man can possess , and the best safeguard against all the dangers that threaten . I have nowt to fear : so I'll go and face mv townsmen . ( Shouts without of "Old Robin , "

      " honest Robin , " "three cheers for Robin , " "take care of Robin , " " don't press him , " " carry him on your shoulders , " " put Robin in the chair , " "he ' s fittest to preside , " "no cotton lord , " " no | Frec Trader , " " three cheers for Robin . " ) Jackson . —Mr . Smith , do you think old Robin would change places with you now , and take " Shoddy Hall" into the bargain ? ( To btcontinued . )

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      French' Academt of Sciences . —At the sitting of Dec . 9 th , M . Hector Ledru laid before the neademy some specimens of cold-drawn iron , and other tubing . A few vears ago the only tubing made in France , for gas and other purposes , except lead tubing , was made by hand . In England , iron-drawn tubing ( by heat } , without soldering , was first made , and was imported , by special permission , into France on account of its vast superiority over hand-made soldered tubes . Within the last " two years the French have , in this branch of manufacture , eclipsed the English , for they now , by pressure , draw tubing cold , and it is in every respect perfect , indeed much more perfect than the hot-drawn tubinir . A letter was received from M . Rousrctde l'lsle , claiming for an English chemist ,

      in 1025 , and whose name he gives , probably erroneously , as . Frebet , the merit of the invention . oftlie acrotherm ovens , respecting which so much has been snid lately , and alf-o that of the incendiary rocket of ( . " apt . WaViier , as described I « y M . Jobard , 6 f Brussels . We think it highly probable that the method of baking bread by not air was known in 1 ( 525 ; and if we knew what Capt . Warner ' s invention was , we might offer an opinion on that subject also ; but we have no other authority than the description given by M . Jobard , . and how are we to know that he has hit upon f ^ apt . Warner ' s real or pretended secret ? M . Selligiie made another communication respecting his mode . of propelling vessels at sea by an explosive gas , instead of steam . M . Sciliguc appeal's to be more

      and more confident ofthc superiority of his plan . A paper was received by the academy from Dr . Natalis Guilott , on theblnrk substance resembling charcoal which is found in the lungs of man , and to which some of the Frenc-li physicians have given the name of melanocf . This substance goes on accumulating in the respiratory organs in men of a certain a « ey and particularly in old men . It has all the character of pure charcoal , and is in-a state of extreme division . A recent analysis Las been niade of it under the eves of M . Duma * and M . MeL * eus . The causes of this deposit have been differently exj'lained . som ( . of i ] ie faculty have even supposed that it arises from small particles of cliaix-oal dust , or the dust from carbonised wood used as fuel , conveyed by the respiratory action into the lungs , and accumulating there until it forms a compact nuLss . This opinion appeal's , from the researches of M . Guillot , to be an erroneous one . lie shows clearly that the cause , whatever it mav (> e , is

      not external . When this substance has accumulated into a mass only a m-illink-tre ( the thousandth part of a metre j in thickness , the air tubes and venous conduits are obliterated ; the tissues then are transformed into a black substance , which sometimes covers half the pulmonary organs . Respiration and cii-culatioiY arc now alike impeded , and , as the disease goes on , death ensues , the whole of the pulmonary organs being hermetically scaled against the admission of air . This is frequently the case with porsoas of advanced age . When tubercles exist in the lungs , and this black matter is deposited around them , they do not undergo the changes peculiar to consumption in its normal character . The tubercles become calcareous , arc free from unctuous matter , and do not increase in volume . No vessel of new formation is developed , or , if this has been the case before the deposit of the mclanosc , they become obliterated , And the progress of the consumption is arrested .

      Sitting of Dec . lGTn . —Antiquity of the Earth . —The fitting to-day offered but little interest , and was of short duration . M . Elle de Beaumont made some observations on a question submitted for consideration , viz : — "What relation exists between the progressive cooling of the earth andthatof its surface . " M . Elle de Beaumont has calculated that the annual cooling of the surface of the globe has been greater than that of the globe itself during a period of 38 , 359 years . According to this solution the antiquity of the period when our globe was entirely incandescent ,

      is of a remoteness which defies calculation , and shows that persons who attempt to fix the age of our planet by geological deductions must still be very distant from a perfect knowledge on this subject . Some recent discoveries in geology have , indeed , shown thaj ; the earth is much older than the earlier discoveries have led us to suppose ; but if ^ as is gen erally believed , the globe was at one time incandescent , the rate at "which M . E . de Beaumont calculates the progressive cooling of it , in relation with the surface , would give to it an antiquity far greater tlian any that lias hitherto been assigned to it .

      The Ethnological Society of London . —We purpose giving regular reports of the proceedings of this society , which we trust , will be found interesting to our readers . It was founded in November , 1843 , by Dr . Kinir , the Polar traveller . As naturalist to the expedition in search of Sir John Ross and his party , when shut up in the ice of Regent's Inlet , he had the opportunity of studying the physical and moral condition of the Red Man , andhisnarrativeof that expedition bears testimony of his labours in Ethnological research . After studying the subject for sonie years , and stating his views in an appropriate prospectus , a sufficient number of known scientific men formed themselves into a body , under the name of the " Ethnological Society of London , " for the purpose of affording that co-operation which Dr . King required and the science merited . The object is , to inquire into the distinguishing characteristics , physical and moral , of the

      * varieties of mankind which inhabit , or have inhabited , the earth , and to ascertain the causes of such characteristics . "Variousinterestingpaperahave been read at the meetings of this society . The first of the present session , entitled the "Natives of Guyana , " byChevaUer Schomburgk , was read on the 27 th ult ., Admiral Sir C , Malcolm , President , in the chair . The aboriginal inhabitants of Guyana , consist of Ararawaaks , Warraus , Caribs , Accawais , Macusis , Arecunnas , Wapisianas , Atorais , Tarumas , Woyawais , Mabpitiaus , Planaghotto , and Drios . Their united numbers amount to 6 , 850 . The Atwais are nearly extinct ; and the Maopitiaus number onljr fourteen men , eleven women , eight boys , and six girls . The form of the Guyana native hut marks the tribe by which it is raised ; and while that of the Warrau , Arrawaak , and Caribisa mere shed , the houses of the Macusis and Wapissianas are frequently built of mud , sur-

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      mounted by a roof of a pointed form of almost eastern character , and thatched with plain leaves . Each tribe has its own hunting ground , and each family its own plantation . The natives of Guiana , while yet infants , are betrothed . The youthful lord is bound as soon as he ; is able to assist the family of his intended until she becomes his wife . The naming of the child devolves upon the Piaiman , o conjurer , who performs certain mystic ceremonies in a dark hut on the occasion , the duration of them depending upon the amount of the fee which is presented to him . On verging from childhood the

      youths are subjected to severe trials : the boys , as a , test of their courage , are nut into a bag with stinging ants , or are lacerated about their breasts with the teeth of the wild ho ^ , or the beak of the toucan ; the girls are deprived of their long hair , and then slung in their hammock over an incessant smoky fire , an ordeal which frequently costs them their life . Characteristic drawings by Mr . Goodall , the artist to the expedition , ornamented the walls of the meet ing room ; and tliere was a living illustration in the person of a Macusi . —From " The Institute : " a new weekly scientific journal .

      Interesting Discoveries at Nineveh . —The news of the progress of M . Botta ' s excavations at Khorsa bad , near Mosul , Palestine , are always interesting . There are at present one hundred and sixty workmen engaged thereon , and besides the walls , which are covered with sculptures and inscriptions , many antiquities of a peculiar and at present inexplicable nature are mot with . For example , under the large bricks , of which the floor consists , are stone repositories , which are filled with small clay enamelled figures of men and beasts , without anything on the surface indicating the existence of such repositories , or tliere being anything within them to explain their contents . In another place they discovered great rows of earthen vases of a remarkable size , placed on

      a brick floor and filled with human bones , and similar to those which have been found at Babylon , at Ahwaz , and other places in South Persia . The palace seems to have been totally plundered before its destruction , for neither jewels , nor instruments , nor even tho small cylinders , so numerous in the neighbourhood , arc anywhere found : merely some bronze images of beasts ( for instance , a very fine lion ) have been discovered , as also a part oftlie bronze wheel of a war chariot . But the most incomprehensible circumstance is , that the alabaster slabs with which the walls are cased , and which are covered with inscriptions and sculptures , bear on the back , likewise , inscriptions in arrow-headed characters , and certainly not in the Assyrian , but in the Babylonian

      language . As it is naturally not to be presumed that the architects could have been so foolish as to have graven these inscriptions where no one could have seen them without pulling down the wall , it must be presumed that the slabs have served twice , first belonging to a Babylonian palace , and afterwards have been transposed by the Assyrians , and freshly graven . At present no sculptures have been found on the back , which would , indeed , be of the greatest interest , no Babylonian sculptures having ever yet been discovered . Some of the lately found bas-reliefs are especially remarkable : for instance , one representing the siege of a town situate on an island ; the sea is covered With ships , the fore part of wliich form a horse ' s head , and which are

      occupied in bringing the trunks of trees for the purpose of erecting a dam . The water is covered with all" kinds of marine animals—fishes , crabs , and winged soa-horses . The richness of the details , and the mass of sculpture which the palace contains , . are amazing , and it is incomprehensible how so magnificent a building should have been so strangely buried in , the earth . The French Ambassador at Constantinople has not yet obtained permission from the Porte to send to Paris those articles of antiquity which will bear transport , which says little for their interest thorc , at a time \ vh « n the English are removing whole cargoes of antiquities from Lesser Asia to London . —Auasburrrh . Gazette .

      Jnew Nacticai . Invention . —A useful invention is now in the act of being applied to one of our men-ofwar . It is called a " manceuvrer . " It is the proposition of It . Fullerton , Esq . ; is an Archimedean screw fitted through the dead wood of the ship at right angles with the keel , and set in motion by the capstan ., for the purpose of turning the ship round when , from calm weather , the helm has no effect on the vessel . It does not project in any degree , so as to impede the ship ' s way through the water ; and must be highly useful in the case of a sliip being aa tacked by steamers or gun-boats , in bringing thtbrioadside to bear on them ; or it may even assist e ship in the act of sfavihff .

      Gtgrirulturc Andr Idorticuutire

      gtgrirulturc anDr iDorticuUtire

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      lIoRTicrLTi'RE . —It is a common opinion , though a very fallacious one , that recently planted trees or shrubs are liable to injury by frost , and therefore , " that after the winter may be fairly said to have set in , all planting operations should cease till spring-1 'lantn of a very aolifato hnbit , nml under any ciicumstaneeH liable to bo injured hy frost , it is perhaps desirable to have established before winter ; but in tlje case of fruit trees , and the general run of hard-v trees and shrubs , planting may be carried on with perfect safety during intervals of fine weather , and the plants will thrive much bettor than if left undisturbed till spring . — The Greenhouse . Although the weather has been unfavourable , by reason of the long-continued absence of the sun , the greenhouse is

      by no means destitute of flowers . The early plants of pink , blue imd purple cinerarias are in full flower , as are also the Chinese primroses , the forward camellias , and not a few of * the tulips and other Dutch bulbs .. If the weather fontinnea damp , it is essential during these short days to have a little fiiv heat occasionally , and water must be all but withheld . — The Flower-garden . Look over tho half-hardy perennial plants in pits and frames , and pick off carefully every decaying leaf , and let the lights In ? off all day when the weather is dry . —Tin Kitchrn-pardrn . The cauliflower and lettuce plants in frames should not bo covered except during rains or frosts ; it is desirable by constant exposure to the air to render them as hardy as possible , and to prevent them from being drawn up . — Bell ' s Weekly Messenger .

      Sago Palmist . —Of all the palm-trees which are natives of Asia , tho sago palmist is one of the most Useful and interesting ; a liquor runs from incisions made in its trunk , which readily ferments , and is both salutary and agreeable for drinking . The marrow or pith of the tree , after undergoing a slight preparation , is the substance known by the name of sago in Europe , and so eminently useful in tho list of nutritious food for the sick . The trunk and large leaves of the sago palmist are' highly useful in the construction of builfUngs : the first furnishes planks for the carpenter , and the second a covering for the roof . From the leaves are also made cord , matting , and other articles of domestic use .

      Sr-ADE Husbandry . — A correspondent writes as follows : — " As the ' allotment system ' has become more common of late , 1 beg leave to let the public know what may be done by ' spade husbandry . ' William Inman , of Bolton , near Bradford , gardener , had two plots of ground which had been broken up two J-ears , measuring together 248 yards—six yards more than the twentieth part of an acre—which he sowed with carrot seed last March , and reaped the crop the latter end of October , filling sixteen sacks with clean carrots , which weighed fourteen loads of 2521 bs ., and 11 stonea ( IOlbs . per stone ) , which he sold for 8 s . per load , a market price , amounting to £ o 18 s ., or the incredible sum of £ 115 10 s . per aero . N . B . — Mr . Inman will allow any person to measure the ground , and will prove tho quantity reaped if desired . " —Bradford Observer .

      Destruction op the Mealy Bug . —This formidable enemy may be extirpated without injury to vegetation by a solution of soft soap , or soft soap and sulphur . Take a leaf with some of those posts on it , and smear it over with soft soap and sulphur , and it will almost immediatel y kill the inserts . On account of the mealy bug , however , secreting itself and its larva * in very small chinks and crevices , it is difficult to destroy it ; and this appears to set at defiance all attempts to extirpate it with one or two dressings , without recourse to something injurious to vegetation . However , it may be got rid of . by persevering in the use of a solution of soft soap and sulphur , hike-warm , and applied with a painter ' s brush , rubbing it well into the crevices .

      . Destruction of Olives . —Tho inhabitants of th « South of France and Italy , who cultivate on a lar ^ o scale the olive tree , complain of the severe losses caused by insects , and which they seem unable to guard against . The olives are attacked by a small caterpillar , which penetrates into its kernel , on which it lives , and escapes , about the end of August , by an opening near the pedicle , and , by means of a thread which it spins , reaches the ground , whore it undergoes its metamorphosis , and then becomes a butterfly . The caterpillar , in making the hole through which ft escapes , causes the pedicle to die , and tne olive falls before it is ripe . Once on the ground the caterpillar seeks a dry leaf , or some crevice in the earth , constructs a light silken web , is changed into a chrysalis , and , in the space of from three to six days , the butterfly appears . At the

      iu-Btant the caterpillar leaves the olive it meets with numerous enemies ; thus—birds , while it hangs by the thread ; ants , as soon as it roaches the earth ; and , finally , a small hymenopterus deposits its eggs on its bod y , and these produce small larvae , which live on , ana are developed at the expense of its flesh and fat , without attacking- "the vital parts . As soon , however , as they are completely developed they kill the caterpillar , ok chrysalis , and make under its skin from fifteen to twenty oval webs . In order to destroy a great number of these lepidopteras , the following plan may be followed : —At the end of August , when the caterpillar leaVes « Jthe olives , a trench of about an inch or two in depth must be dug around the tree , and filled with dry leaves so as to furnish a convenient hiding-place for the caterpillar to form its web . In the beginning of September the leaves must be collected and burnt , and the trench filled up , so as to bury any that may remain , under the clods .

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      The Allotment System i . \ Worcestershire , — In the Morning Herald of the 13 th ult . was pubh ' slled a report of an influential meeting held at Worcester on the 11 th of the same month , for the purpose of affording the benefits of the allotment system to the operatives of Worcester and its neighbourhood . A society was then established , under the presidency of the lord bishopj and a committee of management was appointed for carrying out the object in view . This committee has since been actively engaged in drawing up rules , procuring land , and other necessary business , and Monday last ( December 23 ) was appointed to receive proposals from parties willing to take allotments . In proof of the anxiety evinced by the labouring classcjs to avail themselves of the system " , we may now state applications of this nature were received from no less than 121 parties . These applications

      were written upon a printed form prepared for the purpose , in which the applicants were required to state tlieir name , age , occupation , residence , name and residence of their employer , rate of wages per week , whether they were married or single , and what was the nnmber of their family , these particulars being asked for iii order to guard against misrepresenta tion . On comparing the returns with regard to wages , it was found that they varied from 4 s . to 21 s . per week . Grants of land for the purpose of allotments have been offered by several parties , and there is no doubt that as much can be procured as is required . It is ' expected that Sir John Scbright , who is an extensive landed proprietor in the immediate vicinity of Worcester , and who has tried the allotment system upon a large scale , will grant a valuable piece of land close to the city .

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      DREADFUL SHIPWRECKS . Toulon , Dec . 17 — The most extraordinary bad weather we have experienced during the past week has caused much damage along the coast , and pre vented many vessels from reaching their destination . Amongst others , the transport Menagere , which sailed from this port on the 6 th , for the Island of St . Marguerite , to take on board Arabian prisoners , and carry them ' o Algiers , has been obliged to return to Toulon to-dav , with a leak and the loss of both her anchors ana cables . The steamer Montezuma , Captain . Fournier , from Algiers , was obliged to run into Port Mahon , with her paddle wheels broken and her boilers seriously damaged . The Montezuma left Port Mahon on the 14 th , and anchored in our roada this afternoon . She brings no news of importance . The transport Expedition , Captain Meniac , sailed from Toulon on the 2 nd for Rio Janeiro , was obliged to seek shelter in Port Mahon , much injured . Three thunderbolts fell on this vessel . The brig Jollet .

      from Nantes , also ran into Port Mahon ; the lightning set fire to the vessel , and nearly burnt all her cargo . I have just learnt the loss of the following vessels yesterday , at the entrance of the Porte of Cette : —The Russian ship Helena , Captain Enlierg ; the Norwegian brig Iduna , Captain Peterson : the Dutch galliot Angelina , ' Captain Meendin ; and the French boat Josephine , Captain Lcbriten , for Newfoundland . Ten vessels , whose names I could not learn , were lost at Agde , near to Cette . Amsterdam , Dec . 19 th . — The ship Polly , which was stranded off Texel , on her way from Amsterdam to Newcastle , has arrived in-the North Holland canal , near Blaawe Keet . The crew left on the 17 th , for the Nieuwe Diep . The Albion , Captain McKenzie , from Newcastle , is still safely moored off the Due d'Alven , noar Rotterdam . On the 18 th inst . the Jlelvoetsluys was full of ice . On the 15 th the Catha * rina , Captain Mowle , of Liverpool , arrived off Egmondaan Zee , where the captain landed to procure

      provisions . December 20 . —The English and French post did not arrive hereto-day . The ship CatharinaJackson , of Baltimore , was towed up to Helvoetsluys yester day . The Texel yesterday was full of drifting ice . Up to this day no tidings have reached this city of the ship Joanna , which left Elhing , for Hull , in August last . Extraordinary Shipwreck . —The Esk trader ^ Captain Stokes , left Newcastle on Saturday afternoon , shortly before high ^ vrater , on her voyage to London , with a valuable general cargo . She was towed by two powerful steamers from the usual berth at Newcastle-quay down the river , and on rounding Whitehill-point , near Shields , she grounded , in

      consequence of taking the point too closely , on a rocky bank , which extends some distance into the river ... She heeled round and was towed off , « g was supposed , with little damage . The steainers . towed her slowly down the river and across the bar , without any leak being discovered . She being supposed all tight , went to sea . The wind blowing from the east , it was desirable to give her what is called " a good offing , " and she was towed out about seven miles . The steamers then left her , and in about an hour after it was discovered that she was making water rapidly . The pumps were entirely useless against the rapid ingress of water , and the long-boat was launched , into which the crew had just time to get

      when the Esk went down . The crew were unable to save anything , and had they not been prompt in launching and getting into the boat , all hands would have suffered . It was broad daylight , and several other vessels were near , into one of which the crew were taken . It is supposed the vessel was strained by getting on the bank , and the heaving of the sea had caused her to spring a " bulk head . " It is somewhat remarkable that a vessel belonging to the same company , also called the Esk , likewise foundered at sea , when all hands perished , in her voyage from Newcastle to London , some years ago , and the vessel which foundered on Saturday last was built to supply her place .

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      a THE NORTHERN STAR , j V Decembek ^ 23 , 1 * 44 .

      The Chambers' Philosophy Refuted.

      THE CHAMBERS' PHILOSOPHY REFUTED .

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      A FARTHING FOR REPEAL \ When a traveller finds that the farther he . goes the more he increases his distance from the place of his destination , he is very apt to conclude that he is on the wrong roadj ; and the simplest of simple Re-Repealers must surely begin to marvel at this fact , that the farther' they follow their guide , the farther off they are , by : Ids account , from their goal . The nearest way to " Repeal would , indeed , seem , like tho nearest way home , to be the farthest about .

      Last year it \ yas to be had in six months ; a Jew days ago the cause was declared to be so prosperous that it was hardly possible that by any mismanagement it could miscarry ; but lo ! last Tuesday it was proclaimed that ] there must be move money , ami three years was the time talked of . Mr . O'Coniiell , unlike the sybil , raises his terms as he gets his prize : . ' Give me siximonths of peace , and you shall have Repeal at the end of it , " said he , in ' 43 . He got his get tho Repeal , j six months of peace , —and the beguiled people did not "The cause i s in so fair a way that it is hard ] r possible you can by any mismanagement lose it , " was the next assurance . This was a great comfort ; for it promised that the thing would require no further trouble , and carry itself . But what comes next is in quite another note .

      " Give £ 50 , 000 a year for three years , and you shall have all you want . " , Will not six months of peace do as well novas in ' 43 , for peace { has the advantage over £ 50 , 000 a year of requiring no contributions ? And as the cause was but a few days ago so flourishing that it could be Hardly so mismanaged as to miscarry , how can it possibly want £ 50 , 000 a year for three years i Leave Kvcll alone . But let us hear Mr . O'ConnoH ' s last {' proclamation : — " The year ' 43 was the year of monster meetings — ' 44 that of patient forbearance and peaceful deteraination . Let ' 45 be that of Repeal organization

      and weekly collections . Let tliere be a collection froin every district , if it be only £ 1 , a shilling—ay , a pennv . Who was there who could not pay a farthing a week ? ( 'No one . ' ) Then let every man do so . ( Cheers . ) If every man in Ireland paid a shilling a year , it was all he asked , for it would amount to £ 100 , 000 a year . Let every man in Ireland Consider that he owed a farthing ' to his country . How little would it be to him , but of what ini-xliaustibk- advantage to Old Ireland !—( Cheers . ) It there was a collection of £ 50 , 000 fov three years , there-did iiotiuriist in Europe a stairsman so stupid as jiOt to see that the time had arrived when IrtUiud could no longer be refused her ruihts . " \

      We are come to that scene in the play whore lago says to Roderigd" I have professed me thy friend , and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness . / could newr betu-r stead thee than now . Put money in thy purse—1 say , put money in thy purse . " In the Irish reading , it is put money in my puree ; but we have the text without variance- in the next speech : f' Thus do I ever make my fool ' my purse . " j It is in an apt to which we have not yet come that the dupo begins to complain— "Every day thou doff ' st me' with some device—your words and performances are no kin together—I have wasted myself out of my moans , and begin to find myself fobbed in it . " i

      There i » fav more of the quack , however , than of the lago in Mr . O'Conuell ; and the apter illustration is Scott ' s : Dousterswivel , the alchymLst , wlio drains his dupe of his last guinea , promising always that the present contribution called for is all that is wanting tor the , perfecting of the wondrous work just on tho point of jurojection . The story is always the same— \ " Since I havejeonsulted in such matters , I have never , ' saitl Mr . Herman Duustersivivel , " approached so near de arcanum , what you cull de tfreat mystery , —de Panchresta —Ue l ' olyenrtstn—1 do know as much of it as Tclaso ik-Tamilttl , or HasiJtus—ami either I will bring you in two and tree days de , Xo . III . of Mr . Mishdigoat , or you shall call me one knave myself , and never look me in de face again no niurc at all . "

      And what was said of this class of adventurers in the main exactly fits our Repeal charlatan—Art- m habi'nt sine art * , ^ arfui sin < parte , quorum medium 't men tin , tita'eonun mendicatum in . The sini [ ilcstiif Repealers will see how unnecessary it is for him to answer the call for the farthing for Repeal , bearing in mind that it is scarcely possible so to mismanage the cause as to mar it . He may therefore , with j perfect safety , keep his farthing in his pocket , resting assured that it will make no difference , one way ' or the other , in tho progress of so indestructible a cause . Tho question , as Irishmen liavo boon told by their great authority , is too flourishing to be spoilcdjby mismanagement ; but the peasant ' s state , not so happy , will hardly bear the mismanagement of even a farthing . Let him , therefore , look to his farthing , and hold to his farthing , and feel easy about Repeal .

      We will not pretend to assess the value of a Collegcgrecn Parliaiueht . It may bo worth three farthings to people of green longings ; but what seems to us unreasonable is the requsitioii of a farthing , or any fraction of a faijthing , for a thing declared so certain , ? o inevitable . | As well call upon poor folks to sul > - scribe a farthing for the rising of the sun ; they would do better to spend it in a rushlight for the intervening hours of darkness . Is there a banker in Christendom who would give three farthingsjfor this note of hand ?—¦ j- Derrynane , Dec . 16 , 1844 . Three years after date I promise to pay to Patrick or Iris order a Parliament in College-green , for value received . 1 £ 0 0 OJ . I

      Don Quixotes bill for ass-colts , at three months after date , was { a negotiable and eligible security compared with this ; Wo know that we shall have our Parliament sitting in Westminster next February , and would we give a farthing for itj ? Certaiidy not , or our next of kin would soon clap us in a mad-house as incompetent to manage our affairs . And how much more reason is there for the Irishman ' s sticking to his farthing , looking either at the value of Parliaments , or probability of events i ? No ; but keep your farthing in your pouch . A farthing in the hand is better than any number of Parliaments in the College green bush . The Repeal button has distinctly signified thus far and no farther jshalt thou go—the button for Repeal and button up your farthing safe with that token .

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      Another or jPf . el ' s Difficulties . —Save me from mv Friends !—| Fair Play for Ireland . —Ireland is deprived of her ) fair proportion of influence and power in . the administration of public affairs ^ Irishmen are treated with neglect and scorn . The Queen ' s cabinet contains not a single Irishman . The subordinate officers of the fJovcrnment , with the exception of the petty place assigned to Mr . Emerson Tennant , and two or three nipre of " such small deer , " are exclusively held by English and Scotch . From all public departments hi Great Britain , Irishmen are excluded , whilst Englishjand Scotch officials shoulderthem out of the direction of affairs in their own country . Towards the liberal professions the same partial

      course is pursued : and never was it pursued with a more unvarying monopoly than within the last four years . Next comes the Church , towards which the rule is rigidly } enforced—namely , that Englishmen are worthy to jbe set in the highest offices in Ireland , but no Irish jelei-gyman entitled to aspire to the meanest preferment bein ^ in the gift of Government . Did any one ever hear ot an Irish clergyman being made an English bishop , or an English dean ? The difficulty experienced by Irish gentlemen in procuring the promotion of their sons in the Royal Navy is almost as great , as if the gun room were a cathedral ,

      ana every midshipman a holden prebendary . Even the Army , which is indebted in a great degree for its high renown and pre-eminence to the valour and conduct of Irish gjentlemen , is now assuming the character of an exclusively British institution . Numerous complaints have reached us from quarters of the highest rank ' and respectability , of the influence of national partiality at the Horse Guards . Irish gentlemen in vain solicit permission to purchase commissions for their sons . The answer they receive is invariably the same—full of smooth hopei delusive promise , ending in nothing . These things tend to make the Repeal movement the formidable engine of anarchy it is . —Dvblin Evening Mail .

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      Earthquake in Savoy . — An earthquake of some violence was felt in Savoy during the night of the 10 th inst . At Rumilly and Chautagne the furniture in the apartments was so shaken that the glasses and other articles left on tables were thrown down . At Chamber }' , however , it was so slight , that it was perceived " by only a very few persons . S y srEdED Poisonisg . —Last week the officers of justice proceeded from Caen to SaUeiielles , to effect the exhumation oftlie body of a female named Alexamhv , the wife of an ex-mayor of that commune . Her death had taken p lace fifteen months before , ami suspicions have arisen that her husband had poisoned her . He was arrested , and after being interrogated was lodged in the gaol of Caen .

      Tun Exglisji in Rome . — A correspondent writes from Rome , that never befwe were there so many strangers in that city . There are said to be 4000 F . ngHsh families ; but this must be an exaggeration . The rents of houses and apartments are up at an enormous height . Novel Adventure . —A young gentleman of Troy , while on his way up the Hudson in the Swallow , thrust himself in his sleep through the small window in his berth , in the forward cabin , until his feet

      touched the water . Coming out just in front of the paddle-wheel , where the spray moved rapidly , he awoke from his dream , and found he was situated in the midst of a horrid reality . He could not crawl back , so he shouted for help , but no one came . He then knocked on the window of the next berth , and finally roused up a person who gave the alarm . The captain supposed it was some insane man ., and immediately lowered the boat , and the unfortunate man was rescued from his extraordinary situation . — American paper .

      Raising tiie Wind . —During the bustle which prevailed at Alnwiek fair , Northumberland , lately , a fellow had the courage to try the temper of the multitude by a new stratagem for raising the wind . IIis show-board was inscribed with the following intmu . uon : —'" Wonderfully curiosities of neature ; you may see alive beer , the most wonderfullest cheiree-coloured cat , * from Shropshire , and the stipenduous rose-coloured pigeon , iron the West of England . Also secrets worth nowing , by the proprietor . All for twopence . " Such prodigies , and at such a . price , could not fail of attracting a crowd of spectators , who , on their admittance , were gravely shown a black cat and a white , pigeon ; they then very naturally stared at each other , when the exhibitor , trusting- to their good-humour , veiy confidently addressed them— " Naow , ladies and gemmen , I have

      pcrfoi ni'd my promise we ' oe—for you must no as haow , tliere be black cherries and white rooascs , and such i > e the colors of my cat and my pi gen * I have shoon you , moreover , a whole tent lull o' people not half so wise as they think for , but wiser naow than when they came in ; and naow- ( pulling off his hat ) I hopes you will keep my secret , and not make other folks outside as wise as yoursel , until they ha' paid for it , as you . Now , my secret is , that you have relieved a poor fellow at a trifling cost , that must ha' gone to bed supperless , with his woife and children , if you had not ; aud I ' m sure you are too good natured to be angry wi ' me for that . " Honest John Bull and his family did not disappoint him ; for each successive company went away in good humour , leaving others to enjoy the wonder at the same expense , and keep the secret bi turn for their own sakes .

      The Prince of Wales' Income . —It appears , from documents just prepared , pursuant to the order of Parliament , that the total revenues of the young Prince of Wales , the heir apparent to the British realms , amounted , in the year ending 31 st December last , to no less a sum ( from the two duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster ) than £ 73 , 100 and upwards . This is a tolerable revenue for a three-year-old Prince . What a fact to conti-ast by the side of thousands of others with reference to the condition of the oppressed and down-trodden labourers of England ! This sprig of royalty , not more than three years old , possessing an annual income of something like three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars ! while more than three millions of people are actually struggling with all the horrors of starvation and famine ! And where is this amount of money or value produced , and by whom ?

      In those slave shops , the English facto ; ies , and by those very wretched people who cannot themselves procure enough from their daily toil to keep them from a wretched death . And whv is it fhat those who perform the labour which creates the value which supplies the income of this ignoble Prince , do not themselves receive it ? Alas ! the question is for them almost if not utterl y useless . 1 he fact is before us : and for our own admonition and on warning the question should be asked and answered . We see before our own eyes the same thing in miniature . The same influences are working out the same results ; and ere long we too may ask of ourselves , why must the income of some of our wealthy manufac turers or merchants be so enormous , while we , by whose toil that income was produced , live and die in want and utter misery?—Boston ( U . S ) Labourer .

      The Improvements in Westminster . ^ —On Friday the long-talked-of improvements which are to be effected from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace were in reality commenced , a number of men being employed to pull down the houses on one side of Little Tothill-street . It is contemplated to remove those sinks of infamy—the Almonry , Orchard-street , Duck-lane—and to form one wide and spacious street from the west door of Westminster-Abbey to the Buckingham Palace end of Pimlico . Orchard-Street contains the remains of some of toe oldest houses in Westminster , and a part of one ot Oliver Cromwell's palaces still stands there .

      Hou . oway ' s Pills and Ointment . ^—Edward White , residing at 45 ^ Clement's-lane , Strand , was an indoor patient at King ' s College Hospital , with an abscess in the thigh , and a wound nine inches long < JP thesamelimb . He could neither bend his kneevor put his foot to the ground . He remained $ & **' £% five months in bed , when he was informed P * P nothing could be done for him . " He was then parried to his home , and commenced using the awge invaluable medicines . He can now waK about att the day long , and is quite cured by the means ™ these wonderful medicines , and this to the astonishment of aU who knew him .

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Dec. 28, 1844, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct839/page/6/