26. -The Prussian seaman, Ehlert, tried at Durham assizes for the murder of his captain, and sentenced to be executed. He was conHe demned mainly on the testimony of an apprentice, whose assistance he had secured to carry out the crime.

29. The new Postage Duties Bill passed the House of Commons.

30. Trial of Bolam at the Northumberland assizes for the murder of Joseph Millie, at Newcastle (Dec. 7, 1838). The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, and Baron Maule sentenced him to transportation for life.

31.-Lord John Russell writes to the magistrates of Manchester, warning them to be watchful of the movements of evil-disposed people, who were seeking to obtain money from householders and shopkeepers, by threatening them with personal danger and loss of business, or marking down their names and reporting them as enemies.

August 2.-Vincent, Edwards, Townsend, and Dickenson, Chartist agitators, tried at Monmouth for sedition, and sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from six to twelve months.

At a meeting of the Exeter Town Council, the City Treasurer declared that he had neither money nor credit, and that the city did not possess sufficient funds to pay 37. for a supply of potatoes to the jail.

In the House of Lords, Lord Brougham carries his motion for an address to the Crown on the subject of the Portuguese slave-trade.

3.-Five of the Birmingham rioters tried at Warwick; Howell, Roberts, and Jones sentenced to death, but afterwards reprieved.

At the Crown Court at Bodmin, Felix Lovell, for twenty years a clerk in the Customs, was sentenced to fourteen years' transportation for embezzling 300 sovereigns and various bills of exchange.

6. The Chartist National Convention removes from Bolt Court, Fleet-street, to the Arundel Coffee-house, where they issue a declaration concerning the postponement of "the sacred month." Though the people are not generally prepared to carry out the month in its entirety, the delegates are convinced that "most of the trades may be induced to cease working on the 12th for two or three days, in order to devote the whole of that time to solemn processions and meetings for deliberating on the present awful state of the country."

7.-Cabool captured, and entered by Shah Soojah, accompanied by the British Envoy, the commanding officer of the army, and a squadron of British cavalry. After traversing the streets and reaching the palace in the Bala Hissar, a royal salute was fired, and congratulations offered to his Majesty on regaining the throne of his ancestors. Envoy Macnaghten describes the breaking-up of the army and flight of Dost

Mahomed Khan. "He was not accompanied by any person of consequence, and his followers are said to have been reduced below the number of 100 on the day of his departure.".

8.-The Postage Duties Bill passes the House of Lords.

Died at Rockhall, Dumfriesshire, Sir Robert Grierson, the fourth baronet of Lag, a lieutenant on half-pay, in the 11th Foot. He was over 100 years of age, and had drawn half-pay for seventy-six years.

At

11. This (Sunday) afternoon, a body of about 500 Chartists met in West Smithfield, and walked in procession to St. Paul's Cathedral, which they occupied for some time. Manchester, in conformity with O'Connor's advice, they also took possession of the Cathedral, but left abruptly on the preacher announcing as his text, "My house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.'

12. At Manchester, Bolton, Macclesfield, and various other centres of industry, the Chartists sought to raise disturbances by compelling working-men to cease from their labour. No excitement throughout the country generally.

15. Came on at Chester Assizes the trial of the Rev. J. R. Stephen, charged with misdemeanour, in so far as he had attended an unlawful meeting, and incited those present to a disturbance of the public peace. He spoke for five hours in defence, was found guilty, and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment in Knutsford Jail.

16.-Lord Tavistock writes to the Chronicle denying that Lady Tavistock took any part whatever against Lady Flora Hastings, or ever imparted any suspicion, or made any communication, direct or indirect, to her Majesty concerning that lady.

17.-Penny Postage Act passed.

24. Slave-trade Suppression Act (Portugal) passed.

26.-Tried at Liverpool the case of Rutter v. Chapman, involving the validity of the Manchester Charter. The judge directed a verdict for the defendant, on the ground that the Privy Council could grant the charter on the petition which had been presented from Manchester; but allowed Mr. Cresswell to tender a bill of exceptions, on which the case could be argued in the court above.

27.-Parliament prorogued. In the Speech her Majesty said:"It has been with satisfaction that I have given my consent to a reduction of the Postage Duties. I trust that the Act which has been passed on this subject will be a relief and encouragement to trade, and that by facilitating intercourse and correspondence it will be productive of much social advantage and improvement.' It was with great pain, it was mentioned, she "had been compelled to enforce the law against those who on

of the arena, and within the enclosure, the encampments or positions of the various knights were pitched. The rising ground on the northern side of the lists was completely covered with spectators, and in various places throughout the park, wherever a glimpse of the lists could be obtained, vehicles crowded with visitors were drawn up. The weather, unfortunately, was

most unfavourable. The rain commenced to fall heavily in the forenoon, which not only led to a curtailment in the splendour of the grand procession from the castle, but damped the enthusiasm of many who had undertaken long journeys to be present at this revival of ancient state. After the procession had moved round the arena, the King of the Tournament (the Marquis of Londonderry) and the Queen of Beauty (Lady Seymour), with their attendants, took their places on the grand stand, and the knights, with their suites, withdrew to their respective tents. Some jousting then took place in the tilting-ground, the most noticeable encounters being those between the Earl of Eglinton (Lord of the Tournament) and the Marquis of Waterford (Knight of the Dragon). There was also a broadsword encounter between Louis Napoleon and Mr. Lamb, Knight of the White Rose. On the following day (Thursday), the weather put a complete stop to all outdoor display; but on Friday the sports were resumed, and carried through with great spirit. Throughout the kingdom the interest in the Tournament was so great, that it was calculated no less than 100,000 visitors gathered round "the Castle o' Montgomery" on the first day of the spectacle.

Died at Northampton, aged seventy years, William Smith, LL.D., F.G.S., "the father of English Geology."

29.-Affray at Egham Races between a band of thimble-riggers and certain soldiers of the 45th regiment.

30. Mr. Macnaghten, the British Envoy at Cabool, writes, "Everything is going on well here. Two regiments of infantry, and one of cavalry, are to be left at Cabool, and another at Jellalabad, where it is thought Shah Soojah intends to winter."

Grand entertainment at Dover to the Duke of Wellington, as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The toast of the day was spoken to by Lord Brougham, who bestowed boundless praise on the noble Duke.

The Directors of the Thames Tunnel Company give a dinner in the Tunnel to celebrate the reaching of low-water mark.

Sept. 3.-Miss Ellen Tree makes her first appearance in the Haymarket Theatre after her return from America, as Viola, in "Twelfth Night."

The Presbytery of Aberdeen declare their intention of withdrawing their certificate from Professor Blackie, on the ground that he did not sign and accept the Confession of Faith in that unqualified manner required by the Act of Parliament.

4. In the Presbytery of Glasgow, the Rev. Mr. Fairbairn, of Bridgeton, calls attention to the extraordinary revival of religion which had manifested itself among the people of Kilsyth. The Rev. Mr. Burns afterwards addressed the Presbytery, detailing the chief characteristics by which this revival was distinguished.

7.-Fall of a house on the east side of the Edgware-road; a maid-servant killed.

11. At the Surrey Sessions, John Benchey and Martha Stone, indicted for stealing, with great violence, from the person of Robert Young, W.S., Edinburgh, a watch, pair of spectacles, and wig, were sentenced to ten years' transportation.

A young woman named Margaret Moyes committed suicide by throwing herself from the top of the Monument. At the inquest a witness, living in Monument-yard, said he saw the deceased in her descent. She turned round twice, and made motions with her arms. He found her on the ground, the left arm several feet from the body, and a good deal of blood flowing. A rope was found on the railings, which she had used as a stirrup to mount to the top. The jury returned a verdict of temporary insanity, with a recommendation to the Corporation to rail in the top of the Monument, to prevent the recurrence of similar acts.

12. Robbery in the United Service Clubhouse, which led to an inquiry, ending in the dismissal of Mr. Fenn, the steward.

13. First experiment made in England with the invention of M. Daguerre. M. St. Croix, just arrived from Paris, exhibited the instrument and process in presence of a select party of scientific men and artists, and succeeded in producing a picture of the place of meeting, No. 7, Piccadilly.

Daniel O'Connell issues a manifesto from Derrynane, pressing upon his countrymen the necessity of registering, to prevent a flood of evils from overwhelming the land; for "at no period of English history did there exist towards Ireland, among the English people, a stronger spirit of hate and antipathy than at present.'

14. Dissolution of the Chartist National Convention.

18.-Brigadier Dennie encounters Dost Mahomed at Bameean. The Dost defeated, with considerable loss.

20. Feargus O'Connor arrested at Manchester on a judge's warrant for seditious conspiracy.

Died Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, of Copenhagen and Trafalgar, aged 70.

21.--Lucy Brown, a young woman, seduced and afterwards discarded by a merchant in London, commits suicide by leaping from the bridge into the Serpentine.

23.-Colonel Pasley, R. E. succeeds in raising a portion of the wreck of the Royal George by an explosion of gunpowder. The mainmast, pieces of the hull, capstan and tiller, and several guns were brought up by the aid of divers, who descended after the explosion. The operations were continued with interesting results for some seasons.

27.-Meeting of British Association at Birmingham: Pres. Rev. W. Vernon-Harcourt.

October 1.-Mr. Macaulay, the new War Secretary, writes to his Edinburgh constituents an address, dated "Windsor Castle," in which he says, "I have accepted office because I am of opinion that in office I can most effectually promote the success of those principles which recommended me to your favour. I shall quit office with far more pleasure than I accepted it, as soon as I am convinced that by quitting it I should serve the cause of temperate liberty and progressive reform."

7.- The creditors of the late Duke of Kent waited upon the Queen to present an address of thanks for her payment of the Duke's debts. No less than 50,000/. is said to have been furnished by her Majesty's privy purse for this filial act.

9.-Robbery of a box, containing 5,000/. in gold and notes, from the boot of the coach running between Manchester and the Potteries. Suspension of specie payments in Philadelphia and other cities of the Union.

10.-Prince Albert and his father, the hereditary Prince of Saxe Coburg, arrive at the Tower, and proceed first to Buckingham Palace, and then to Windsor, on a visit to the Queen.

13.- James Bryan, a native of Ayrshire, and a person of weak intellect, presents himself at Windsor as a suitor for the hand of her Majesty.

14.- Fight between English and Irish navvies employed on the Chester and Birkenhead Railway. The military were called in to disperse the combatants.

15. The British Queen arrives at Portsmouth with news of a financial crisis in New York, and the probable suspension of several banks.

The Queen Dowager leaves Bushy Park for a "a progress" through Warwickshire and Devonshire.

17.-Poulett Thomson arrives at Quebec as Governor of British North America.

18.-The Queen of the French struck on the cheek with a stone thrown into the royal carriage near the Tuileries by a mad woman named Giordet.

Another suicide from the top of the Monument. Several spectators saw a lad deliberately climb over the iron breastwork of the gallery, stand upon the edge of the coping outside, turn round, so as to have his back to the railing over which he had clambered, and then, after a moment's pause, leap to the earth. The body was shockingly mangled, and death instantaneous. A Bible which he had carried

up was found on the floor of the gallery. The lad was named Hawes, and not over fifteen years of age.

19. Sir John Colborne, who had rendered great services in the settlement of Canadian affairs, leaves Montreal for England.

22.-A false account published by London papers of the death of Lord Brougham, by the overturning of his carriage near Penrith, with comments on his character.

24. Banquet at Edinburgh to Sir John Campbell, one of the city members, and Attorney-General. In reply to the toast of the evening, the learned gentleman passed in review the work of the session, and the measures taken to obstruct it by the Opposition.

26. "Much has been said in some quarters of the payment out of her Majesty's privy purse of the debts of the late Duke of York. We have no desire to withhold from her Majesty the credit justly due to such an act of grace. But it should not be lost sight of that the Duke's executors had succeeded in Chancery in establishing their claim against the Crown to the mines of Cape Breton, as comprised in a grant of the mines of the province of Nova Scotia, which the Crown had made to the Duke for sixty years from 1826. The Crown must either have paid the Duke's debts, or suffered the mines to be worked for the benefit of the creditors."-Morning Post.

31. At a meeting of the Canterbury Conservative Registration Society, Mr. Bradshaw, M. P. for Canterbury, made a violent attack on the Queen, Court, and Ministers. Her Majesty (he said) was the Queen only of a faction, and as much a partisan as the Lord Chancellor himself; and as for the Minister, nothing was too low or too foul for his purpose, and he could only crawl on by casting behind him every feeling of honour and high principle.

November 4.-Serious Chartist riots at

Newport, Monmouthshire. According to a preconcerted arrangement numerous disaffected hill men," chiefly under the leadership of John Frost and Zephaniah Williams, commenced their march on Saturday night (2d), armed with guns, pistols, swords, crowbars, and pickaxes. Sacking the villages through

which they passed, and compelling the adult male population to join them, they reached Tredegar Park about four o'clock this morning, 20,000 strong; there they waited two hours for another division from Pontypool and its neighbourhood, under the leadership of William Jones. This junction being effected, they formed into two divisions, and entered Newport, one marching down Snow-hill, the other through Charles-street, and both joining in the centre of the principal street. The magistrates, having private information as to the intention of the rioters, were at the time assembled in the Westgate Arms Inn, supported by a party of the 45th Foot, under the command of Lieut. Gray. Led by John Frost, the mob directed its course to the Westgate Inn, and at once proceeded to demolish the house and fire upon the soldiers within. Before a soldier was allowed to act the magistrates attempted to restore peace by remonstrating with the deluded men. Finding this ineffectual,

I

however, the Mayor (Mr. T. Phillips) gave the soldiers an order to load. "While the men were loading I heard several shots fired in the passage of the house, and the windows of the room containing the soldiers were beaten against on the outside. I was wounded in the arm and hip in the act of opening the windowshutter before the soldiers fired." Lieut. Gray said, "I directed the men to spare their ammunition. We began with twenty-two rounds, and fired about three upon the average. believe the mob fired deliberately upon us after we had unmasked ourselves by opening the window. I stood before them in my uniform, and the soldiers in a line behind me. We found nine dead bodies." The rioters broke up under the steady fire of the soldiers, and retired to the outskirts of the town, carrying their wounded, and some of their dead, with them. Frost was apprehended next day, and on his person were found a brace and a half of pistols, a flask of powder, and a large quantity of balls and caps.

6.-H.M. frigates Volage and Hyacinth attacked by a squadron of twenty-eight Chinese junks at Hong Kong. "The effects of our shots were soon visible, one junk having blown up, three sunk, several shattered and deserted by their crews, and the remainder retiring in great confusion to the anchorage above the battery." -Captain Smith to Admiral Maitland.

8. Twelve lives sacrificed at Radstock Wells-way Pit, Somersetshire, by some malignant person cutting the rope which let the men down to the workings. The cage fell a distance of 756 feet.

9.-The Queen commands Lord Normanby to express to Mr. T. Phillips, the Mayor of Newport, her high approval of the conduct of himself and other magistrates, on the occasion of the recent outbreak there, in token of which she afterwards conferred upon him the honour of knighthood.

At the Lord Mayor's dinner, Lord Mel

bourne, in returning thanks for "Her Majesty's Ministers," was received with noisy signs of disapprobation. The tumult latterly became so outrageous and undignified, that the Lord Mayor was compelled to interfere, by declaring that the company were not paying that respect to himself and the Sheriffs which they had a right to expect.

12.-Stockdale raises a new action against Messrs. Hansard, printers to the House of Commons, contending for 50,000/. damages. Messrs. Hansard are instructed not to respond, and the case is heard by the Under-Sheriff and a jury in Red Lion-square, who award 600!. damages.

Fire in Widegate-alley, Bishopsgate, in which eight lives were lost.

15.-Colonel Pasley, R.E. reports the discontinuance, for the present, of efforts to raise the wreck of the Royal George at Spithead. During the recent experiments, 12,940 lbs. of powder had been spent in blasting, and they had succeeded in raising about 100 tons of wreck.

16.-Service of plate, valued at 1,250 guineas, presented to Mr. Robert Stephenson, the engineer, by the contractors of the London and Birmingham Railway, at a public dinner in the Albion Tavern.

Died John Lander, the African traveller, aged 32.

18. Sudden illness of the Duke of Wellington, at Walmer Castle.

20. The Commander-in-chief, Lord Hill, censures Colonel Thomas and other officers for being present at a political dinner at Ashtonunder-Lyne, where abusive language was used concerning the Queen.

Murder of Rev. John Williams, missionary, in South Sea Islands.

23.-At a special meeting of the Privy Council, her Majesty announces her resolution to ally herself in marriage with Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha.

24. Marshal Valer writes to the French Minister of War, that Abd-el-Kader had formally intimated his intention of waging war against the French colonists.

29.-Lieut. Basil Gray, who commanded the military at Newport, gazetted to an unattached captaincy without purchase.

December 2.-Died at her residence in Picardy-place, Edinburgh, Miss Innes of Stow, sister to the late Gilbert Innes, banker, whom she succeeded in a fortune estimated at not less than one million sterling.

In his address to Congress, President Van Buren discusses at some length the unsettled question of the north-eastern boundary between the United States and the British possessions.

Father Mathew, a Dominican friar, administers the temperance pledge in Limerick to a

vast assembly. Thousands of poor people were on their knees, bareheaded, in Mallow-street, while the rev. father, and two other clergymen, were administering the pledges.

Died Frederick VI. King of Denmark, in the 72d year of his age, and 33d of his reign; succeeded by his son, Christian VIII.

3.-Inquest on the bodies of the ten men killed in the attack on the Westgate Arms Inn, Newport. Verdict, "That deceased came to their deaths through an act of justifiable homicide, by some persons unknown."

5.-A uniform postage-rate of fourpence per half-ounce on extra-metropolitan letters introduced, as preparatory to a penny rate.

6.-Edict of Emperor of China, putting an end to British trade. Last servant of East India Company leaves.

10.-Opened at Monmouth, the special commission for the trial of the rioters in South Wales. Three hundred and fifteen special jurors were summoned, and twenty-four gentlemen of station were sworn on the grand jury; thirty-eight prisoners awaited trial. The jury found a true bill for high treason against John Frost and thirteen others. The court adjourned to the 31st instant.

11.-Promotion of Indian officers: Lord Auckland to be earl, Sir John Keane baron, and W. H. Macnaghten and Henry Pottinger to be baronets.

22.--Strathbogie case. The Court of Session having granted an interdict on the application of the Rev. J. Cruickshank, and six other ministers, members of the Strathbogie Presbytery, suspended by the Commission of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the ministers who were appointed in conformity with the Assembly's order were thereby formally prohibited from entering the churches, churchyards, or school-houses, or in any manner interfering with the legal rights of the suspended ministers. In defiance, however, of this injunction, an attempt was made

this day (Sunday) to execute the sentence of suspension pronounced by the Commission of the General Assembly against two members of the Strathbogie presbytery, the ministers of Mortlach and Keith.

24. Public meeting in Edinburgh, for taking steps to erect there a national memorial to the Duke of Wellington.

24-27.-Extensive landslip on the Dorsetshire coast, between Lyme-Regis and Seaton, accompanied by earthquake shocks.

Died Dr. Davies Gilbert, F.R. S. &c. aged 72. 26.-Mutiny on board the Indiaman Mermaid, suppressed without loss of life, by the calmness and decision of the ship's officers.

30. Died at sea, on board his flag-ship, the Wellesley, Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Maitland, K. C. B. After Napoleon's flight from Waterloo, when resolved to deliver himself up to "the most powerful, the most constant,

and the most generous of his enemies," he surrendered unconditionally to Captain Maitland, then commanding the Bellerophon off Rochfort.

Died William Hilton, R. A. aged 53.

31.-Trial of John Frost, for high treason, at Monmouth, before Chief Justice Tindal, Baron Parke, and Mr. Justice Williams. The Attorney-General prosecuted, and Sir Frederick Pollock and Mr. Kelly defended Frost. At the commencement of the proceedings, an objection was taken that the list of witnesses had not been delivered to the prisoner in conformity with the statute. The Chief Justice reserved this objection for consideration by the judges at Westminster. Evidence was then led, showing the prisoner's complicity in various arrangements made for the outbreak, as well as his active participation in the excesses of the rising at Newport. James Hodge, one of the men whom Frost had compelled to march into Newport with him, said, "When we arrived at the Welsh Oak, the prisoner said the guns should take the front, the bludgeons next, and then the people without arms. On his giving these orders, I went up to him, to ask in the name of God what he was going to do. said he was going to attack Newport, and take it, and blow up the bridge to prevent the Welsh mail from proceeding to Birmingham. There would be three delegates, he said, to wait for the coach there, an hour and a half after the time; and if the mail did not arrive, the attack was to commence at Birmingham, and from thence to the north of England; and that was to be a signal for the whole nation." The trial lasted till the 8th of January, when the jury brought in a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. Williams was tried on the 9th, and Jones on the 13th January, when similar verdicts were returned. Upon this, five of the ringleaders withdrew their former pleas and pleaded guilty, on the understanding that their sentence should be comOn the 16th, muted to transportation for life.

He

Chief Justice Tindal passed sentence of death on Frost, Williams, and Jones. On the 28th Jan. the judges informed the Secretary of State for the Home Department, that a majority of their body, in the proportion of nine to six, were of opinion that the delivery of the list of witnesses was not a good delivery in point of law. In consequence of this difference of opinion, the sentence of death was remitted: the three prisoners were transported for life.

1840.

January 4.-A hostile meeting at Wormwood Scrubs between Mr. Horsman, M.P. and Mr. Bradshaw, M. P. in consequence of the former having stated at Cockermouth that the latter "has the tongue of a traitor, but lacks the courage to become a rebel." Shots were interchanged, after which Mr. Bradshaw caused

(21)