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King of the French, finished this column, consecrated by the Grand Army of Napoleon."

16. In the case of the will of James Wood, late mercer and banker of the city of Gloucester, Lord Lyndhurst delivers the judgment of the Privy Council, pronouncing in favour of the validity of the codicil.

--Tried at the Croydon Sessions the great libel case of Bogle against Lawson, the publisher of the Times newspaper. It arose out of a communication in the Times of 26th May, respecting an "Extraordinary and extensive forgery and swindling conspiracy on the Continent,' in which it was insinuated that Mr. Allan Bogle, of the firm of Bogle, Kerrick, & Co., bankers at Florence, was a party. The conspiracy was an attempt to defraud Messrs. Glyn and various bankers on the Continent by presenting forged letters of credit. The other parties said to be implicated were, the Marquis de Bourbell, and Louis d'Argeson, who attended to the engraving of the plates in London, Cunningham Graham of Gartmore, who designed the fac-similes (a step-father of the plaintiff Bogle), and his son, Alexander Graham. The two Grahams resided at Florence. The conspirators succeeded in possessing themselves of one of Messrs. Glyn's genuine letters of credit, and produced from it an imitation so perfect that one of the partners in the house was for a time unable to distinguish between the two. With this instrument, multiplied by numerous copies, they started their scheme of depredation in Brussels, Cologne, Ghent, Turin, Bologna, and even Florence itself, with astonishing rapidity, and had they not been wholly deficient in caution might have escaped detection for a much longer period than they did. It was proved that within a few days they succeeded in obtaining upon these forged letters of credit no less than 10,000l. Owing to a rule of evidence excluding from consideration certain private letters between the parties, the jury were not able legally to identify the plaintiff with the conspiracy, and they therefore returned a verdict in his favour, with a farthing damages. Lord Chief Justice Tindal refused to allow him costs of suit. Though the verdict was thus technically against the Times, the mercantile community were so sensible of the value of the exposure that a sum of 2,700/. was subscribed for the purpose of defraying the great expense to which it had been subjected in getting up evidence in the case. This offer the proprietors declined, but the money was afterwards invested in conformity with their desire in founding "Times Scholarships" at Oxford and Cambridge for boys in Christ's Hospital and City of London School. Memorial tablets were also put up in those schools, in the Royal Exchange, and over the door of the Times Office.

17.-Conference of Clergy at Manchester on the subject of the Corn Laws. An address was made by Mr. Cobden, and resolutions

carried unanimously approving of the abolition. About 700 clergymen were present.

24.-Parliament opened by Commission. Referring to the necessity of increasing the public revenue, the Royal Speech contained the following paragraph :-"It will be for you to consider whether some of the duties are not so trifling in amount as to be unproductive to the revenue, while they are vexatious to commerce. You may further examine whether the principle of protection upon which others of these duties are founded be not carried to an extent injurious alike to the income of the State and the interests of the people. Her Majesty is desirous that you should consider the laws which regulate the trade in corn. It will be for you to determine whether these laws do not aggravate the natural fluctuation of supply, whether they do not embarrass trade, derange the currency, and by their operation diminish the comfort and increase the privation of the great body of the community." In the debate on the Address in the House of Lords, the Earl of Ripon's amendment was carried against the Ministry by a majority of 72.

Died at his house, near Fulham Bridge, Theodore Edward Hook, aged 53, the wellknown journalist and novelist,

26. Lord Chancellor Cottingham issues new rules, orders, and regulations for the business of the Court of Chancery.

The City of Amoy assaulted and taken possession of by the British forces; the fleet under the command of Admiral Parker, and the land forces under Sir H. Gough.

28. Concluded at three o'clock this morning the debate on the Address in the House of Commons, when 269 voted for Ministers, and 360 against. Majority against Ministers, 91. Lord John Russell then named a Committee of the Opposition to draw up an answer to the Address.

Meeting at the Thatched-house Tavern, presided over by Sir Robert Peel, for the purpose of considering the most appropriate method of doing honour to the memory of Sir David Wilkie. A statue in the National Gallery was ultimately resolved upon, and a subscription commenced for carrying it out. John Russell proposed one of the resolutions.

Lord

30.-Ministers intimate their resignation of office, in consequence of the vote come to on the Address.

31.-Sir Robert Peel sent for by the Queen, and undertakes to construct a Ministry.

September 3.-The Gazette publishes a minute of the Council held at Claremont this day, when the new Ministers were sworn into office. First Lord of the Treasury, Sir Robert Peel; Lord Chancellor, Lord Lyndhurst; President of the Council, Lord Wharncliffe; Home Secretary, Sir James Graham; Foreign do., Lord

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11.-Strike of the masons at the new Houses of Parliament, owing to a dispute with the foreman regarding their "Union.'

13.-Attempt to assassinate the Duke of Orleans, while passing through Paris with three of his brothers at the head of the 17th Light Infantry. The shot did not take effect on the Duke, but one of the officers was wounded, and his horse shot under him.

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Newark said, - Mr. Gladstone at "There are two points on which the British farmer may rely; the first of which is, that adequate protection will be given to him, and the second is, that protection will be given him through the means of the sliding scale."

16. Riot at Monkwearmouth, on the occasion of " chairing" Lord Howick at the close of the poll with Attwood. A shower of stones was thrown from the Reform Tavern by some Chartists, and the landlord, Liddell, fired a gun among the crowd. No one was seriously hurt, but the party in the street, exasperated by these proceedings, commenced an attack on the tavern, which they completely sacked, and to some extent destroyed. After some difficulty Liddell was apprehended, and the gun secured by Sir Hedworth Williamson.

19.-Death of Lord Sydenham, Governor of Canada, from lock-jaw, the effects of a fall from his horse.

21. Robert Blakesley murders Bourden, landlord of the King's Head, Eastcheap, by stabbing him in the belly, and makes a murderous attack with a knife on two women,-one of them the wife of the murdered man, and the other her sister, wife of the murderer.

The lighthouse on Sunderland pier, weighing 300 tons, and 75 feet high from the base, was moved by screw power for 140 feet from its original position. This day it was moved 11 feet in 15 minutes.

- London and Brighton Railway opened. 25.-President Tyler issues a proclamation warning the lawless marauders on the frontier line of Canada of the danger they run in the attempt to involve the two countries in hostilities. If any of the parties concerned in such proceedings fell into the hands of the British authorities, they would not be reclaimed as American citizens, nor would any interference be made in their behalf.

October 7.-A desperate attempt at Madrid by a band of conspirators, in the in

terest of the queen's mother, to storm the palace and get possession of the person of the young queen. Through the loyalty and courage of the guard the enterprise was defeated, though not before the conspirators had twice forced an entry into the royal apartments. Don Diego Leon, one of the leaders, was soon afterwards apprehended and shot.

Parliament, described by the Whigs as "the Do-nothing," prorogued by Commission. 12. Accident at the Victoria Theatre from the gallery stairs giving way under the pressure of a crowd.

Major-Gen. Sir Robert Sale despatched by General Elphinstone from Cabul with the 13th Light Infantry and the 35th Native Infantry, to force the Khoord Pass, the Ghilzie chiefs having gathered at Tezeen, with the view of cutting off communication with British India. They entered the pass this day, and continued fighting their way to Gundamuck, which was reached on the 30th. They entered the ruined fortress of Jellalabad on the 12th November, and commenced to repair the walls. The state of the country would not permit any attempt to reach Cabul with supplies.

The

- Concluded at Utica the trial of Alexander McLeod, charged with being concerned in the destruction of the Caroline in 1837, and the death of Dupree, an American citizen. apprehension of McLeod on American territory had given rise to much correspondence between the two countries, and it was at one time feared it might lead to a serious embroilment. All apprehension, however, was set at rest by the jury returning a verdict of acquittal on all the counts.

14. At the meeting of the Norwich Branch of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, a band of Chartists interrupts the proceedings, and causes the chairman, Lord Wodehouse, to leave the room.

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18.-Extraordinary high tide in the Thames, with much destruction of property. At high water the depth at the entrance of St. Katherine Dock was thirty-one feet. All the approaches to the Thames police office were cut off, and wherries employed to convey suitors to and from the court. The whole of the lower part of Westminster was inundated. Parliament had been sitting, members could only have reached the House in boats. Palaceyard and the adjacent streets were under water. The floor of Westminster Hall, the Temple gardens, and the Duke of Buccleuch's gardens, were completely overflowed. A vitriol and naphtha manufactory in Battersea Fields suffered to the extent of 2,000/.

21.-Destruction by fire of Derby Townhall, erected in 1828, at a cost of 12,000/. The fire was observed about two in the morning by a policeman on duty, and it continued raging till six, in spite of great efforts. The town records were destroyed, and various documents belonging to the revising barrister.

22.-Reward offered by fire-offices for the discovery of incendiaries in Warwickshire. Numerous fires about this time in Bedfordshire, Nottingham, and Yorkshire.

23.-Distress in the manufacturing districts. At a meeting held in Leeds to consider the condition of the poor it was reported that out of 4,752 families in that town, containing 19,936 individuals, 16, 156 were unemployed. The average weekly income of each was 11d., or something less than 1åd. per day.

26.-Sir William Macnaghten writes from Cabul to the Secretary of the Indian Government, explaining the facts connected with the rising of certain Ghilzie chiefs who, on account of the reduction of their allowances, had taken possession of some of the passes leading to the city. "There is no enemy to oppose us (he writes) on the open plain, and should we hereafter be forced into hostilities, a desultory mountain warfare will doubtless be that with which we shall have to contend." He therefore recommended the organization of three infantry corps of mountaineers to take the place of an equal number of regulars.

The London journals draw attention to serious frauds in Exchequer Bills, accomplished through the connivance of Mr. Beaumont Smith, of the Comptroller's office.

28. A miser, named Smith, died in his house, Seven Dials, London, in the possession of funded, leasehold, and freehold property, valued at 400,000!.

29.-Lord Palmerston writes to Mr. Byng regarding the pronunciation of the name of his horse "Iliona," about which bets had been taken up at Newmarket. "There can be no doubt that in point of prosody the o in Iliona, or Ilione, is short. Virgil settled the question

in his first Æneid, when he says:--

'Præterea sceptrum, Ilione, quod gesserat olim
Maxima natarum Priami.'

A mob of fanatical Orangemen attack the Dublin and Cork mail-coach, and severely maltreat an aged gentleman, whom they took for the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork.

30. The Duke of Wellington declines to receive a deputation relative to the distressed operatives of Paisley. "A meeting," he writes, "to discuss their distresses is not necessary in order to draw his attention to them, and his other occupations render it necessary that he should decline to receive the deputation. He begs the deputation to observe that he is not in the Queen's political service, that he does not fill any political office, and exercises no power or authority."

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charging his musket, and the garrison immediately turned out. Unfortunately, not a drop of water was to be had, and from the dryness of the place, and the quantity of timber in the building, the total destruction of the armoury became inevitable. In less than a quarter of an hour after the discovery an immense body of fire was raging with uncon trolled fury. Engines soon arrived from the different metropolitan stations, but were utterly useless from want of water, though fully manned by the Foot Guards and relays, all carefully provided. Two hours elapsed before a supply could be procured; the flames in the meantime extending in the direction of the Jewel Tower, on the one side, and chapel and White Tower on the other. The regalia were fortunately saved, and placed in the house of the governor, Major Ebrington, without the loss of a single jewel. At two o'clock, when the fire had reached its fiercest power, considerable alarm was excited by the approach of the flames towards a magazine attached to the armoury; but at this time the tide was up, and the supply of water so abundant, that all danger from such an explosion was soon at an end. The powder itself, to the weight of about 9,000 tons, was got out and thrown into the moat near the Cradle Tower. The fire was supposed to have been caused by the overheating of a stove in the Round Table Tower. The total loss in stores and buildings was estimated at 200,000/.

November 2.-Daniel O'Connell elected Lord Mayor of Dublin, being the first appointment of the kind under the new Municipal Corporation Act.

Between

Serious disturbances at Cabul. 200 and 300 men attack the residence of Sir Alexander Burnes, and murder Sir Alexander, his brother, Lieut. Burnes, and Lieut. Broadfoot, who was in the house at the time. "The immediate cause of this outbreak in the capital was a seditious letter addressed by Abdoollah Khan to several chiefs of influence at Cabul, stating that it was the design of the envoy to seize and send them all to London. The principal rebels met on the previous night, and relying on the inflammable feelings of the people of Cabul, they pretended that the king had issued an order to put all infidels to death."-Memorandum by Sir William Macnaghten. Three days afterwards the enemy obtained possession of the commissariat fort, thus not only greatly elating the Affghans outside the walls, but ultimately compelling the Envoy to negotiate with Akbar Khan for evacuating the city.

7.-Dr. Solomon Alexander consecrated First Bishop of England and Ireland in Jerusalem.

9. This morning, at twelve minutes before eleven o'clock, the Queen was safely delivered of a prince. The event was made known by the firing of the Park and Tower guns.

- Discussion in the Edinburgh Town Council, on the case of Butters, confectioner, Grass

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market, who, at the instigation of Mr. Guthrie's kirk-session, had been taken before Baillie Grieve, and fined 8s., with 27. 135. expenses, for keeping open his door on the Sunday, and selling sweetmeats to children in the neighbourhood. Being unable to pay the fine, he was lodged in the Calton jail, the council resolving that a complete inquiry should be made into the case.

"The

10.-Illness of the Queen Dowager. Queen Dowager had some hours of refreshing sleep in the night, but there is no alleviation of her Majesty's symptoms this morning."

11.-Riot at Culsalmond, on the occasion of inducting Mr. Middleton as assistant minister of the parish. An excited mob took possession of the church, and, with deafening yells, compelled the presbytery to retire to the manse, and there complete the ordination. The uproar was continued till midnight; the mob breaking the seats and windows of the church, or refreshing themselves with whisky and

tobacco.

14.- Shocking tragedy in Burnley barracks. Private Morris, of the 60th Rifles, in a fit of jealousy, it is supposed, murders Lieut. O'Grady, and a female servant employed about the mess-room, by stabbing them with a carvingknife, and then commits suicide with the same weapon.

Died at Paris, aged 75 years, the Earl of Elgin, famous for introducing into this country the remains of ancient art known as the Elgin marbles.

15.-Sir Robert Sale writes from Jellalabad, explaining the impossibility of returning to Cabul in his present position. "A regard for the honour and interests of our Government compels me to adhere to my plan already formed, of putting this place into a state of defence, and holding it, if possible, until the Cabul force falls back upon me, or succour arrives from Peshawur or India."

Execution of Blakesley for the murder of Innkeeper in Eastcheap.

17. Attempt to set fire to the Horse Guards, and the barracks behind the National Gallery, by throwing in small hand-grenades.

Great commotion in Dublin, on the occasion of Daniel O'Connell attending the levee of the Lord Lieutenant. The Corporation proceeded to the castle in full state, and the new Lord Mayor was favourably received.

20.-Cavanagh, the "fasting man," detected at Reading as an impostor, and sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

23.-The Gazette announces the brevet promotions consequent upon the birth of the Prince of Wales.

25.-Died suddenly at his residence, Pimlico, from spasm of the heart, Sir Francis Chantrey, R. A., sculptor.

December 1.-Meeting called by the Lord Provost in the Glasgow Royal Exchange, to

devise means for relieving the distress in Paisley. It appeared that there were not fewer than 14,000 people in the town and neighbourhood in absolute want.

Died Dr. G. Birkbeck, founder of mechanics' institutions, aged 65.

4. Tried at the Central Criminal Court Edward Beaumont Smith, charged with forging and uttering fraudulent Exchequer Bills to an immense amount. He pleaded guilty, and read a statement, explanatory of the gradual manner in which his necessities led him to commit the crimes with which he stood charged. "Whatever speculation (he said) may have been carried on by those who have used these Bills, no profit ever reached me, or ever was intended to do so. Year after year Bills have been wrung from me, under pretence of redeeming and cancelling those outstanding, in order to prevent discovery, and afterwards, by the repeated misapplication of them, the necessity was created for more, to accomplish the original purpose; and thus the frightful crime which has taken place was occasioned." subsequent statement was to the effect that no person of rank or public character was in any way mixed up in the transaction, the sole parties being himself, Solari, Rassallo, and another whose office was in Basinghall-street, where they used to arrange their plans. He believed the total amount fabricated to be about 340,000/. the whole of which was wasted in gambling transactions on the Stock Exchange. Sentenced to transportation for life.

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9.-Sir William Macnaghten writes from Cabul to the Hon Mr. Erskine, Bombay :"We have now been besieged thirty-eight days by a contemptible enemy, whom the cowardice of our troops, and certain other circumstances which I will not mention, have emboldened to assume an attitude of superiority. Our provisions will be out in two or three days more, and the military authorities have strongly urged me to capitulate. This I will not do till the last moment."

10. A Commercial Convention of the Midland Counties meets at Derby to consider the grievances under which the various manufacturing interests are placed by the restrictive policy of the Government. Resolutions approv ing of a relaxation of the tariff and the entire abolition of the Corn Laws were carried without opposition.

11. Treaty entered into at Cabul between Sir William Macnaghten, on the one part, and Akbar Khan, with the principal chiefs of tribes, on the other. Immediate and ample supplies to be furnished to the troops previous to evacuating Affghanistan; Dost Mahomed to be released; and Shah Soojah to retire into private life, with a guaranteed payment of a lac of rupees annually.

16. -Explosion of a gasometer at the Dundee Gas Works. Two boys sitting in the retort house were killed, and the most of the property

in the neighbourhood seriously damaged. During the commotion caused by this occurrence a serious fire was raging in Westward's Flax Mill, at the other end of the town.

23.-Murder of Sir William Macnaghten, and Captain Trevor, while engaged in a conference with Akbar Khan. On the road to the interview the Envoy sent back all his escort except ten men, among whom were Captains Trevor, Lawrence, and Mackenzie. The latter gave the following account of the occurrence to Lieutenant Eyre: "I observed that anumber of men armed to the teeth had gradually approached to the scene of conference, and were drawing round in a sort of circle. This Lawrence and myself pointed out to some of the chief men, who affected at first to drive them off with whips; but Mahomed Akbar observed that it was of no consequence, as they were in the secret. I then heard Akbar call out Begur, begur' (seize, seize), and turning round I saw him grasp the Envoy's left hand with an expression in his face of the most diabolical ferocity. I think it was Sultan Jan who laid hold of the Envoy's right hand. They dragged him in a stooping position down the hillock; the only words I heard poor Sir William utter being 'Ay barae Khooda' (for God's sake). I saw his face, however, and it was full of horror and astonishment. Next day Lady Sale records, "Numerous reports are current, but all agree in this, that both the Envoy's and Trevor's bodies are hanging in the public chouk; the Envoy's decapitated and a mere trunk, the limbs having been carried in triumph about the city. A fallen man meets but little justice; and reports are rife that the Envoy was guilty of double dealing with Akbar Khan and Amenoolah Khan." At the moment the Envoy was seized, Mackenzie, Trevor, and Lawrence were disarmed, and forced away behind different chiefs. Trevor was cut down by Sultan Jan, but Lawrence and Mackenzie succeeded in saving their lives, and got back in a few days to the city. Lawrence then mentioned that he saw the Envoy grappling with Akbar, and the latter fire a pistol at him.

24. Early this morning a gang of armed burglars entered the dwelling-house of John Awdry, South Wraxhall, Somerset, and compelled his two daughters to point out all the valuables in the house, which they seized and carried off. Sophia Awdry said, "Between two and three o'clock I heard the lock of my door move. I had not been asleep, and said, "Who is it? come in.' In a few seconds the door was opened, and three men came in. They had large sticks in one hand and candles in the other. They all came round my bed, and one held a stick over my head, and said,

If you will lie still we will not hurt you, but otherwise we will dash your brains out.' I answered, I shall be quiet; what do you want?' One said they were starving and must have money. We have not been used to such ways, but it is no use resisting; we are ten.'"

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1842.

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January 6.-The British forces, consisting of about 4,500 fighting men and 12,000 followers, commence their disastrous retreat from Cabul. All," writes Lady Sale, was confusion before daylight. The day was clear and frosty, the snow nearly a foot on the ground, and the thermometer considerably below the freezing point. When the rear-guard left cantonments they were fired upon by Affghans. The servants who were not concerned in the plunder all threw away their loads and ran off. Private baggage, commissariat, and ammunition were nearly annihilated at one fell swoop. The whole road was covered with men, women, and children, lying down in the snow to die." Fighting their way inch by inch among a people wild with hatred and fanaticism, it was two days before they reached the entrance of the Khoord Cabul Pass, only ten miles from Cabul. formidable defile was about five miles in length, and shut in on either side by a line of lofty hills, every point of which seemed alive with fierce and treacherous Ghilzies. In this pass the immense multitude got jammed together in one monstrous unmanageable mass. Captain Skinner returned to remonstrate with Mahomed Akbar, who promised a cessation of hostilities if Major Pottinger and Captains Lawrence and Mackenzie were given up to him in addition to others. This was done, "and once more," writes Lieut. Eyre, "the living mass of men and animals was in motion. the entrance of the pass an attempt was made to separate the troops from the non-combatants, which was but partially successful, and created considerable delay. The rapid effects of two nights' exposure to the frost in disorganizing the force can hardly be conceived. The idea of threading the stupendous pass before us in the face of an armed tribe of bloodthirsty barbarians, with such a dense irregular multitude, was frightful, and the spectacle then presented by that waving sea of animated beings can never be forgotten by those who witnessed it." Notwithstanding Akbar's pretended attempt to restrain the Ghilzies, their attacks were as frequent and cruel as ever, and it was calculated that in the pass alone over 3,000 lives were lost. On the 9th Lady Sale, Lady Macnaghten, Mrs. Trevor, and some other ladies were given up to Akbar, and so placed

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