of spies, convinced us that there had devolved on us the arduous task of attacking in a position covered with formidable entrenchments, not fewer than 30,000 men, the best of the Khalsa troops, with seventy pieces of cannon, 'united by a good bridge to a reserve on the opposite bank, on which the enemy had a considerable camp, and some artillery commanding and flanking his field-works on our side. It had been intended that the cannonade should have commenced at daybreak, but so heavy a mist hung over the plain and river that it became necessary to wait until the rays of the sun had penetrated it and cleared the atmosphere. As the attack of the centre and right commenced, the fire of our heavy guns had first to be directed to the right, and then gradually to cease, but at one time the thunder of full 120 pieces of ordnance reverberated in this mighty combat through the valley of the Sutlej, and it was soon seen that the weight of the whole force within the Sikh camp was likely to be thrown upon the two brigades that had passed its trenches; it became necessary to convert into close and serious attacks the demonstration with skirmishers and artillery of the centre and right. The Sikhs, even when at particular points their entrenchments were mastered with the bayonet, strove to regain them by the fiercest conflict, sword in hand. Nor was it until the cavalry of the left, under Major-Gen. Sir Joseph Thackwell, had moved forward and ridden through the openings of the entrenchments made by our Sappers, in single file, and re-formed as they passed them; and the 3d Dragoons, whom no obstacles usually held formidable by horse appear to check, had, on this day, as at Ferozeshah, galloped over and cut down the obstinate defenders of batteries and field-works; and until the full weight of three divisions of infantry, with every field artillery gun which could be sent to their aid, had been cast into the scale, that victory finally declared for the British. The fire of the Sikhs first slackened, and then nearly ceased, and the victors pressing them on every side, precipitated them in masses over their bridge, and into the Sutlej, which a sudden rise of seven inches had rendered hardly fordable. In their efforts to reach the right bank through the deepened water they suffered from our horse artillery a terrible carnage. Hundreds fell under this cannonade; hundreds upon hundreds were drowned in attempting the perilous passage. Their awful slaughter, confusion, and dismay were such as would have excited com. passion in the hearts of their generous con querors, if the Khalsa troops had not, in the early part of the action, sullied their gallantry by slaughtering and barbarously mangling every wounded soldier whom in the vicissitudes of attack the fortune of war left at their mercy." Total British killed, 320; wounded, 2,063.

14. Came on for trial in the Court of Queen's Bench the action of breach of promise of marriage raised against Earl Ferrers by Mary

Elizabeth Smith, daughter of a private gentleman in Warwickshire. A number of letters breathing the warmest affection were produced in support of the case; but it turned out on further inquiry that they had been written by the fair plaintiff herself, and did not even pretend to be in imitation of his lordship's handwriting. She appeared to have commenced with addressing anonymous letters to Earl Ferrers when living with his tutor at Austrey, and having once involved herself and her friends in a scheme of deception she sought to complete it by getting the young nobleman to appear as if he had definitively fixed the happy day. Four of these anonymous letters were produced in court, and explained all which up to that moment was in doubt and confusion. The plaintiff's mother spoke to the letters having been received from Earl Ferrers, but they were always shown to her by her daughter; nor had she on any one occasion ever seen the parties together. The letters were of this description :-"My lord, strange it may seem to you, no doubt, to receive a note from a stranger, and a lady too, but it signifies little to me, as I know well you never knew the writer of this, nor never saw her. Now, for what I have to tell you. It is this there is a public ball at Tamworth every Christmas, generally about the 6th or 8th of January. Go-I advise you to go. There will, to my knowledge, be a young lady at the ball whom I wish you to see and dance with. She is very beautiful, has dark hair and eyes-in short, she is haughty and graceful as a Spaniard, tall and majestic as a Circassian, beautiful as an Italian. I can say

It was

no more. You have only to see her to love her. That you must do. She is fit for the bride of a prince. Go, look well round the room. You will find her of this description. She may wear one white rose in her dark hair. If you see her not there, you will never see her, as she is like a violet hid amid many bowers, only to be found when sought for. I know that she is young, and it is my wish that she should have some one to protect her." established in evidence that the plaintiff, when dressing for the Tamworth Christmas ball, was particular about having a white rose in her hair. Four other letters purporting to come from the defendant's brother, Devereux Shirley, were proved to be not in his handwriting, and were full, besides, of the most flagrant inventions as to persons whom he did not know, and places he had never seen. These letters were also the work of the plaintiff. At this stage of the proceedings, being the fourth day of the trial, the Solicitor-General stated that he felt it was due to himself and all concerned to abandon the case, because he could not, after such disclosures, continue to conduct it. A nonsuit was accordingly entered, and four of the letters impounded preparatory to an indictment for conspiracy being preferred against the plaintiff and others concerned with her in concocting the case.

14. The Governor-General of India issues a proclamation from Kussoor: "The Sikh army has been expelled from the left bank of the river Sutlej, having been defeated in every action, with the loss of more than 220 pieces of field artillery. The British army has crossed the Sutlej and entered the Punjaub. The Governor-General announces by this proclamation that this measure has been adopted by the Government of India in accordance with the intentions expressed in the proclamation of the 13th Dec." On the 19th his Excellency received the Rajah Gholab Singh in durbar, as the representative of an offending government, when the following conditions were demanded on behalf of the British Government and conceded:-The surrender in full sovereignty of the territory, hill and plain, lying between the Sutlej and Beas rivers, and the payment of one crore and a half of rupees as indemnity for expenses of the war; the disbandment of the existing Sikh army, and its reorganization on the system and regulation with regard to pay which obtained in the time of the late Maharajah Runjeet Singh ; the surrender of all the guns that have been pointed against the British army.

"As on the occasion of the Rajah's visit, I omitted the usual salute to the Maharajah, and curtailed the other customary ceremonies on his arrival at my tent, causing it to be explained that, until submission had been distinctly tendered by the Maharajah in person, he could not be recognised and received as a friendly prince." In another proclamation, dated from Lahore, Feb. 22, the Governor-General intimates: "The army of the Sutlej has now brought its operations in the field to a close, by the dispersion of the Sikh army, and the military occupation of Lahore, preceded by a series of the most triumphant successes ever recorded in the military history of India. . . The soldiers of the army of the Sutlej have not only proved their superior prowess in battle, but have, on every occasion, with subordination and patience, endured the fatigues and privations inseparable from a state of active operations in the field. The native troops of this army have also proved that a faithful attachment to their colours and to the Company's service is an honourable feature in the character of the British Sepoy."

16. James Bostock, a brass and gun-metal founder, shot by his apprentice, Wicks, in Pitt's-place, Drury-lane. The lad was executed on the 30th March.

pawned and sold everything they had to procure food, the last article they had left being pawned on Saturday.

16.-The Duke of Richmond informs the House of Lords that the Anti-Corn-law League will never be dissolved until it has destroyed the Church and every other institution in the country.

18.-Westminster election carried in favour of the ministry, and, on the 25th, South Notts against them, Lord Lincoln being defeated by a majority of 687. With reference to this contest the Duke of Newcastle writes: "I deeply lament that any member of my family should be the cause of this most unnecessary agitation. Lord Lincoln has been the deluded victim of bad counsel, and in no instance more conspicuously than in the course which he has pursued upon the present occasion. Under this influence he has been induced to accept an inferior office, that his seat may be vacated, and a desperate experiment attempted. suggest to Lord Lincoln the propriety of withdrawing from a ceaseless and, to all, most painful struggle against a long-tried and approved principle and policy, and at once to restore tranquillity to the country, and the undisturbed possession of its unquestionable avocations."

I

23.-In introducing the Irish Coercion Bill, Lord St. Germans stated that during the years 1844-45 there had been 242 cases of firing at the person; 1,048 cases of aggravated assault; 710 robberies of arms; 79 bands of men appearing in arms; 282 of administering unlawful oaths; 2,306 of sending threatening letters; 737 cases of attacking houses; and 205 cases of firing into houses. The chief seat of these outrages was the centre of the island, in the district extending from Cavan on the north to Tipperary on the south. He proposed to give the Lord Lieutenant power to proclaim any district where crime abounded; inns and taverns therein to be subject to search; all persons found out of their houses between sunset and sunrise to be liable to apprehension; and authorizing his Excellency to assign a sum of money out of the rates to the relations of a murdered man.

24.-Wrecked off Corunna the Peninsular and Oriental steam mail-ship, the Great Liverpool. The passengers were all landed, except those lost in the surf on the beach by the swamping of a launch. The mail was also saved, but considerably damaged.

27.-Payment of the railway deposits of 10 per cent. on capital commenced at the office of the Accountant-General. In consequence of the formalities required to be gone through, the amount, the first day, was not so large as was expected. At 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the 29th, when the statutory period expired, the amount paid reached the enormous total of 11,492,000/

27. After a debate extending over twelve nights, the first reading of Sir Robert Peel's Free-trade resolutions was carried by a majority of 337 to 240. Mr. Cobden spoke this evening. Lord George Bentinck closed the debate, having spoken for nearly three hours and a half beyond midnight, amid great interruption. There was also a personal altercation between Mr. Ferrand and Mr. Roebuck, in the course of which Mr. Disraeli said of the member for Bath: "We know that the tree must bring forth its fruit, that a crab-tree will produce crab-apples, and that a meagre and acid mind, if it produce a pamphlet or make a speech, will give evidence of its meagre and acid intelligence. When the honourable and learned gentleman (Mr. Roebuck) says no one can impute to him conduct not permitted by the rules of the House, I say it is totally incorrect. I am stating what many know to be true; but perhaps the honourable and learned gentleman has become the instructor-general as well as the inquisitorgeneral of the House. I say that this melodramatic malignity, and Sadlers Wells' sarcasm, which are so easy to put on this wagging the finger and bating the breath-this speaking daggers, but using none, is all very fine; and if it came from one justified in employing such language and using such gestures, I should say they were simply ridiculous; but coming from the quarter they do, they are not only ridiculous but offensive."

March 2.-The thanks of both Houses voted to the Indian army for its triumphs at Moodkee and Ferozeshah. "Sir Robert Sale," said the Premier, "whom all admired for his heroic achievements at Jellalabad, has closed in these victories a long career of military glory by a death which he foresaw and which he even wished for. 'Felix etiam in opportunitate mortis.'"

3. Mr. Villiers's motion for an immediate repeal of the Corn-laws negatived by a majority of 78 to 265.

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6.-At Durham assizes, Margaret Stoker, a young woman, was found guilty of murdering her child. The case gave rise to considerable discussion in connexion with the administration of the new Poor-law. The unfortunate woman gave this account of the occurrence before the coroner "I was coming home from my place, and was going to my father's. When I was going over a beck I was very much in trouble, and I did not know what I was to do with the child; I had no place to take it to. I put it into the beck, and went to my father. He asked me where the child was, and I could not tell him. He said I must go back and seek it; so I came away at seven o'clock in the morning to seek it. I came along by the burn-side, and I saw my child lying in the burn, and I could not take it out myself, so I went to this person and asked her to take it out for me, and she took it out of the beck, and I fetched it into the stable.

I

went before magistrates, and all things, wanting to go into the poorhouse; they would not let me go, and I could get nothing to keep it on. I was fairly banished to do this. I only wish to say this further: I was in a great deal of trouble when I did this; I had no place to put my head in; I had been knocked about from dog to devil, and nothing to pay for a night's lodging. I was paying 2s. a week for the bairn, and had only 2s. 4d. a week for myself."

22.-Died at his residence, Knightsbridge, aged 70, John Liston, comedian.

24.-The Times writes :-" The anxiety and excitement among the holders of railway shares are such as to make it difficult to convey a just idea of them to the public at large. To sell any shares connected with new lines has become almost impossible at any sacrifice, and the only relief that the greater part of holders now hope for is the throwing out of the bills before Parliament, and the rendering an account of the funds that remain unappropriated. This feeling exists even with respect to those lines which a few months back were regarded as the most promising; and the men of property who happen to have embarked in such undertakings find themselves considerably worse off than adventurers without capital, since they foresee that in the event of bills being obtained the weight of the whole concern must be thrown upon them. Probably there is not a single new company at this moment in which the majority of shareholders would not vote for abandonment."

President Polk, in view of the warlike preparations being made by Britain, and in the still unsettled state of the Oregon question, sends a special message to Congress, recommending a large increase of the naval and military forces of the Union.

27. The second reading of the Corn Importation Bill carried by a majority of 88 in a house of 516.

April 1.-A salute of fifty guns fired from the Tower of London in honour of Sir Harry Smith's newly-announced victory of Aliwal. At the Wellington Barracks the troops were formed into square, and the adjutant read from the Gazette the despatch of the GovernorGeneral describing the battle.

2.-The thanks of both Houses voted to the army of India for the victories of Aliwal and Sobraon.

9.-The Archbishop of Canterbury issues a form of prayer and thanksgiving for the Indian victories.

marriage she was indicted for marrying Scott, Galway being alive, and escaped by producing Carter, and proving him and not Galway to be her real husband. She was now indicted for marrying Galway, Carter being alive, and escaped by proving the marriage with Carter invalid; and lastly, for marrying Scott, Carter being alive, from which she escaped on the same ground.

14.-Famine riots in many towns in Ireland. A person writing from Clonmel records:

"You can have no idea of the state this town is in since six o'clock this morning. We have cannon at either end of the town, and the streets are full of soldiers and police. This morning

the mob broke into every baker's shop in the place, and took out all the food they could lay their hands on. The banks and shops are all shut, and the town in a state of siege." Report from Carrick-on-Suir:-"This town is in a horrible state. The populace rose and broke into all the meal and provision stores, and afterwards into the shops generally. Unfortunately our resident magistrate was absent from town, and there was no one could bring the military out. The mob had it all their own way, and the town looks as if it had been sacked by an army.' From Mayo the news is that the gaunt and long-dreaded scourge of famine had at length broke out. At Castlebar market potatoes were from 24d. to 5d. per stone, and oatmeal from 13s. to 16s. per cwt. A boat proceeding from Limerick to Clare was attacked by a body of starving peasants, and plundered of her cargo of corn and Indian flour.

16.-Lecomte attempts to assassinate the King of the French, by firing at his Majesty when driving through the forest of Fontainebleau in a char-à-banc.

19.-The House of Representatives pass a bill providing for the occupation of the Oregon territory.

28.-Mr. Smith O'Brien committed to the custody of the Serjeant-at-Arms for contempt of the House, in so far as he had refused to attend a committee named for sitting on certain railway bills.

Royal message laid on the table of both Houses, recommending provision to be made for Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough, whose public services her Majesty was desirous of rewarding. On the 4th of May Sir Robert Peel's proposal for granting an annual sum of 3,000l. to the first named, and 2,000l. to the second, was accepted by the House of Commons.

his direction the shareholders in the Midland Company gave their approval to_twenty-six bills which they had presently in Parliament. On the following Monday, at ten o'clock, the York and North Midland sanctioned six bills and affirmed various deeds and agreements affecting the Manchester and Leeds and Hull and Selby Companies. Fifteen minutes later he induced the Newcastle and Darlington Company to approve of seven bills and accompanying agreements; and at half-past ten took his seat as controlling power at the board of the Newcastle and Berwick. During a portion of two days he obtained the consent of shareholders to forty bills, involving an expenditure of about 10,000,000!.

2.-Eliza Clark, aged 24, wife of a porter living in Chelsea, throws three of her children over Battersea Bridge, and is seized at the moment she was attempting to throw herself into the river. One of the children was got out alive, but the other two were drowned. The poor woman had been subjected to a course of brutal treatment by a profligate husband, and was besides in a state of extreme destitution. The coroner's jury returned a verdict of wilful murder, but on her trial at the Central Criminal Court, on the 15th, she was acquitted on the ground of insanity.

8.-General Taylor defeats the Mexicans at Palo Alto.

13. War declared against Mexico by the United States. Congress voted ten millions of dollars to carry it on, and authorized an addition of 7,000 to the regular army. The services of volunteers to the number of 50,000 would also be accepted.

15. The Corn Importation Bill carried through the House of Commons by a majority of 98 in a house of 556. At the close of a long speech crammed with statistics, Mr. Disraeli made another attack on the Premier. "The right hon. baronet had been a trader on other people's intelligence. His life was, in fact, one great principle of appropriation-the political burglar of other men's ideas—and after deserting his friends acting as if they had deserted him. The occupants of the Treasury benches were political pedlars, who had bought their party in the cheapest market and sold it in the dearest. This betrayal of their friends would lead to the loss of all confidence in public men. The first day after the right hon. gentleman made his exposition to this House a gentleman well known and learned in all the political secrets behind the scenes met me, and said, 'What do you think of your chief's plan?' I said I did not exactly know what to say about it. but, to use the phrase of the hour, I supposed it was a great and comprehensive plan. Oh,' he replied, we know all about it: it is not his plan at all; it is Popkin's plan.' And, Sir, is England to be governed and convulsed for Popkin's plan? Will he appeal to the people on such a plan? Will

he appeal to that ancient and famous England, which was once governed by statesmen such as Burleigh and Walsingham, Bolingbroke and Walpole, Chatham and Canning? Will he appeal to England on a fantastic scheme of some pedant? I will not believe it."--In addressing the House towards the close of the debate, Sir Robert Peel said:"I foresaw that the course which I had taken from a sense of public duty would expose me to serious sacrifices. I foresaw, as its inevitable result, that I must forfeit friendships which I highly valued, that I must interrupt political relations in which I took a sincere pride; but the smallest penalty which I contemplated was the continued venomous attacks of the member for Shrewsbury. Sir, I will only say of that hon. gentleman that if he, after reviewing the whole of my political life-a life of thirty years before my accession to office in 1841-if he then entertained the opinion of me which he now professes, it is surprising that in 1841, after that long experience of my public career, he should have been prepared to give me his confidence. It is still more surprising that he should have been ready, as I think he was, to unite his fortunes with mine in office, thus implying the strongest proof which any public man can give of confidence in the honour and integrity of a minister of the Crown." Mr. Disraeli denied that he had ever been directly an applicant for place in 1841, or at any other time.

16.-Fatal affray at Bird Hill, Tipperary, between the police, acting under the orders of the sub-sheriff of the county, and the servants of one Maunsell, a sub-tenant, who was made the subject of an action of ejectment. The house was barricaded and an entrance refused. After some delay the police fired, and killed four of those inside. A detachment of forty soldiers was also present, but their services were not required, as the besieged party capitulated almost immediately after the police fired.

21.-At a meeting of Protectionists, held in Willis's Rooms, the Duke of Richmond announced that Lord Stanley was to be the leader of their party in the House of Lords.

25.-At five minutes before three o'clock this afternoon the Queen was safely delivered of a princess.

Prince Louis Napoleon escapes from the fortress of Ham in the disguise of a workman, and proceeds to Belgium.

Collision in the Mersey between the Sea Nymph, of Newry, and the Rambler, of Sligo, the latter having on board about 250 emigrants for America. Many of them were crushed to death in the collision, and several others were drowned out of a small boat which they had taken possession of when the vessel was run ashore.

26.-Debate in the House of Lords on the second reading of the Corn Importation Bill.

The Duke of Richmond denied that the great body of the operatives in the country were in favour of such a measure. "The Anti-Cornlaw League had never dared to have an open meeting in Manchester. In the very hot-bed of their own sedition they would not trust their own operatives to have a public meeting without being admitted by tickets. The measure was only the first of a series of attacks that would shake the foundations of the throne, cripple the Church, endanger the institutions of the country, and plunge a happy and contented people into misery, confusion, and anarchy." Lord Stanley said it was for their lordships to check hasty and ill-considered legislation, and to "protect the people against the teaching of those whom they had chosen to represent their opinions, and the best reward you can have will be the approval of your own consciences in having done your duty; but there will be another reward in the approbation and the thanks of a grateful and admiring people, who will then justly exclaim, Thank God, we have a House of Lords.'" The most prominent speaker in favour of the bill was Lord Brougham, who described Sir Robert Peel as one of the greatest ministers who ever ruled over the destinies of a country.

28. The second reading of the Corn Importation Bill carried through the House of Lords by a majority of 47. In supporting the bill, the Duke of Wellington said, "I shall ever lament any breaking up of the habits of confidence in public life with which your lordships have honoured me, but I will not allow this occasion to pass, even if this night should possibly be the last upon which I shall give you my advice, without giving my counsels as to the vote which I think your lordships should give on this occasion."

29.-Public meeting in Edinburgh, called to consider the gift of certain sums of money to the Free Church by slave-holding congregations in America. Mr. G. Thomson made a vehement appeal to the Church to send back the money.

June 1.-Died at Rome, aged 8o, his Holiness Pope Gregory XVI. (Mauro Capellari). He was elected on the 2d February, 1831.

4. About ten o'clock this evening, as a company of nine persons were crossing Ulverstone Sands to Flookburg, on their return from the fair, they missed their way after fording the channel, and fell into a hole known as the "Black Scar." Horse, cart, and passengers went down and never rose again.

5.-Ibrahim Pacha arrives at Portsmouth on a visit to England. On landing he was presented with an address by the Corporation, making special allusion to the facilities afforded to England by his father, for keeping up a constant and uninterrupted communication with India. His Highness remained in Portsmouth till the 8th, visiting in the interim the dock