of course, kept in his proper place at the bar. On the application of Mr. Bankes, the Court of King's Bench removed the indictment by certiorari from the Sessions into that Court. A correspondent of a London paper states, that the effect of this proceeding is to discharge the bail taken by the magistrates, to ensure the attendance of witnesses and of the parties accused at the trial, and that the whole amount of bail required by the King's Bench is only L.20. It is impossible that this statement can be correct. No civilized nation could tolerate the existence of such barefaced means of defeating the ends of justice.

HOUSE AND WINDOW DUTIES.-Numerous meetings have been held during the month in the metropolis, and also in some of the larger towns, to vote resolutions for the repeal of the House and Window Duties. Whatever may be the embarrassments of Government, or whoever may be in power, the early repeal or modification of these taxes is inevitable. THE FUNDS. The desponding tone of the leading ministerial journals, and the anticipation of a defeat of the Ministry, have caused a depression in the stock market. On the 15th of June, consols for the account were 89; India stock, 247; and Bank stock, 204.

CHURCH RATES.-Throughout Eng. land the resistance to Church rates is rapidly increasing. Sales of distrained goods have, in some places, been attempted, but purchasers could not be found.

POLITICAL UNIONS.-A great meeting of the Political Unions of Birmingham, and the neighbouring districts, was held on New Hall Hill on the 19th of May. Upwards of 150,000 persons were present. Mr. G. F. Muntz was in the chair, and after the meeting had been addressed by Mr. T. Attwood, Mr. O'Connell, and others, a petition to the King, praying him to dismiss his Ministers, and another petition to the House of Commons, praying for the repeal of taxes upon industry, and for a graduated property tax, were agreed to. The greatest unanimity and quiet prevailed during the proceedings, and the meeting peaceably dispersed. A public meeting of the Northern Political Union was also held at Newcastle, on the 27th May, at which a petition to the King to dismiss his "imbecile Ministers" was agreed to.

SCOTLAND.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the Church of Scotland met on the 17th of May. Lord Belhaven was Lord High Commissioner, and Dr. Stirling of Craigie, Moderator. The proceedings possess considerable interest. On the motion of

Principal Haldane, it was resolved, by a large majority, to petition Parliament anew, against the Government plan of education for Ireland. The question of calls led to a lengthened discussion. Dr. Chalmers made a motion to the effect, that the majority of the male heads of families, residing in the parish, who are members of the congregation, and have been in communion with the church for two years may reject the presentee, without assigning any reason; but the amendment of Dr. Cook, that the objections of the majority of the male communicants should be given in to the presbytery, and if found to be unfounded should be rejected, was carried by a majority of 149 to 137. This motion was carried by the votes of the elders, eighty-seven clergymen having voted for Dr. Chalmers' motion, and only seventy-two for Dr. Cook's. Another question which excited considerable interest was that of patronage. Mr. Clark of Inverness, moved that the Gene ral Assembly should empower the commission to apply to the King and Parliament for redress of the grievances of patronage; but an amendment, moved by Mr. Buchan of Kelloe, that after what has taken place on the subject of calls, it is inexpedient and unnecessary to adopt any farther proceedings in regard to patronage, was carried by a majority of 134 to 33.

INVERNESS ELECTION.-By the death of Colonel Baillie of Leys, a vacancy occurred in the representation of the Inverness district of Burghs. Major Cumming Bruce was elected by a majority of 67 over his opponent Mr. Stewart; the numbers being 357 and 290.

IMPROVEMENTS OF EDINBURGH. The New Bridge over the Water of Leith, at the Dean, one of the most magnificent in the kingdom, has been for some time completed, and the road from it to the Great North Road is in course of formation. By means of this bridge, the steep ascent at Bell's Mills will be avoided. The new road from the Lothian Road to the High Street, by the back of the Castle, will be opened in the course of the summer, and the bridge over the Cowgate, in the line of Bank Street, is also in a forward state. The assessments for these last improvements have been felt very heavily by the inhabitants, who would never have entered into them if they h. 1 been aware at the outset of the immense expenditure required. When finshed they will, however, be very ornamental to the city, though probably of less utility than was at first supposed.

IRELAND.

THE ministerial Journals have been anxious to represent the state of Ireland

as it is called, by the despots. The Prussian students, at the college of Eslangen, Wurtzburg, and Heidelberg, have been recalled in future, the Royal permission is to be obtained before sending a student to a foreign University.

BELGIUM.

In consequence of the Editors and Proprietors of certain journals advocating Orange principles, having been assaulted by the partisans of the existing Government, disturbances have occurred at Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp, but they were put down without difficulty. By the new election the Ministry will gain about 30 votes. King Leopold opened the new Session of the Chambers, with a speech from the throne on the 7th June. He stated that in consequence of the Treaty with Holland, a partial disarming would take place, and that the revenue was improving.

HOLLAND.

A preliminary treaty of peace has been concluded between Great Britain and France, on the one hand, and the King of Holland on the other, by which the English and French embargoes on Dutch vessels have been taken off, and the interruption to the navigation of the Scheldt has been removed. The intercourse between the respective parties and Holland has thus been placed on the same footing as previous to the French expedition

against Antwerp. The Dutch garrison of Antwerp who are prisoners in France, are also to be sent home; and the armistice between Holland and Belgium will be continued until the definitive settlement of a permanent separation.

PORTUGAL.

Great reinforcements have been sent to Oporto within these few weeks. The Marquis of Palmella has arrived, and Captain Napier, an officer who has distinguished himself for his bravery in the British service is to take the command of the fleet in the room of Sartorius, who retires. An attempt on the part of Don Pedro to advance upon Lisbon, and drive the usurper from the kingdom may be confidently expected, but unless he is joined by the Portuguese, success is doubtful, as his force is hardly adequate to the attempt.

TURKEY.

There have not yet been received any authentic account of the state of matters in Turkey. It has been repeatedly reported that a treaty of peace had been signed between the Porte and Ibrahim, and as often contradicted. There seems to be no doubt, however, that Constantinople is occupied by a large Russian force, which is rapidly increasing in numbers by the arrival of fresh troops from Odessa. Great Britain and France have remonstrated in strong terms against the continued occupation of Constantinople by the Russians.

WE have little to remark on the state of commerce and manufactures during the month, for few changes worthy of notice have taken place since the date of our last report. From what transpires of the examinations now proceeding before the Parliamentary Committee on the commercial state of the country, there is reason to believe that the evidence will go far to establish that at this moment there is a considerable improvement in most branches of trade. The removal of the embargo on Dutch vessels, and the resumption of our commercial intercourse with Holland, have proved beneficial to the ports on the eastern coast of the island. The negotiations of Dr. Bowring for the extension of our commercial relations proceeds favourably. He has been most warmly received by the mercantile classes in the French provinces. In the West of Scotland the spring trade has been on the whole favourable, and the weavers generally have full employment, though the wages continue low; but great distress exists among those who manufacture the same articles as those which the power looms are adapted to produce.

The wool market continues firm, but no farther increase in price is anticipated. The demand in the cloth and flannel markets in the west of England continues steady. The Rochdale flannel market has not for many years been so brisk so early in the season; and every thing promises a further improvement. Some of the larger manufacturers have given notice to their workmen of their intention to advance the prices for weaving the lower and middle qualities. At Leicester hosiery goods have been very brisk, and a greater quantity has never left the town during the month of May for the last thirty years. In consequence an advance of from 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. a-week has been made on the wages of each workman. The silk weavers also are fully employed. At Galashiels trade is good, and all the spinners are employed at wages varying from 15s. to £1, 1s. a-week. The rise in the price of iron has been sustained, and many master manufacturers in consequence contemplate giving a slight addition of wages to their workmen.

AGRICULTURE.

THE warm weather during May had an extraordinary effect on the crops of all descriptions, and instead of the harvest being later than usual, it will in all probability be rather early. The dry weather enabled the potatoes to be planted under very favourable circumstances, and afforded an excellent opportunity for cleaning the land intended for turnips and for sowing that valuable crop. Strong clay soils were much hardened by the long continuance of dry weather after the heavy rains in March and April, and the beans on such soils are in many instances thinly planted. About the beginning of June the crops in general appeared to suffer from the drought, and fears were entertained that if the dry weather continued, the crop would turn out deficient in straw. All these fears were, however, dissipated by the heavy rains which fell on the 11th of June, and which appear to have extended over the whole Island. The crops of almost every description are now looking most luxuriant, and the danger to be apprehended at present is that on fertile soils, the wheat crop will be so thick and strong, that it will suffer from being lodged by the rains we usually have in July and August. In some districts the grub, or cut-worm, is doing much mischief to the oat and barley crops, but the genial heat and moisture will, we have little doubt, enable these crops to repair the ravages of these insects. In many parts of Ireland as well as in Dumfries-shire and Fifeshire, the potato crop is likely to prove a failure from the seed not having sprung, and in consequence some of the potato land has been ploughed up and turnips sown. In England the hay crop on the dry uplands, having come to maturity before the refreshing showers in the early part of June fell, is likely to prove deficient, but in rich soils it will exceed an average crop. In Scotland, although in some districts the rye grass is thin, yet, generally speaking, the hay crop is most luxuriant. Around Edinburgh it is heavier than it has been for many years. The pastures are also excellent, and there has seldom been a season in which the grass has been more abundant.

MARKETS.

GRAIN Markets still continue languid, and as we have the prospect of an early and abundant harvest, little rise can now be expected. By comparing the aggregate average prices of the six weeks ending 11th June, with the average prices of the week ending the same day, a tendency downwards in the most important kinds of grain, will be observed. Thus, aggregate average :-Wheat, 53s. 6d., Barley, 258., Oats, 17s. 5d., Rye, 31s. Id., Beans, 31s. 5d., Pease, 30s. 10d. Weekly

average: Wheat, 52s 10d.,Barley, 24s.6d. Oats, 18s. 1d., Rye, 30s. Id., Beans, 31s. 11d., Pease, 32s. 5d. Except wheat and oats, which have continued pretty steady, the price of all kinds of grain has fallen since harvest; barley more than 5s, a quarter. Until the Corn Laws are placed on a permanent basis, no speculation can be expected in the corn trade, and it is therefore the interest of the agriculturists, as well as of the other classes of the community, that these laws should be re-considered, and many of the restrictions on the importation of foreign grain removed; for they may be assured that the mercan. tile and manufacturing classes will never cease to agitate the question, until much greater freedom than now exists is given to the corn trade.

The demand for lean stock has been great, and cattle for grazing have sold at high prices. Fat cattle have, however, lately fallen in price. The horse markets have been rather dull, though valuable horses are still in demand at good prices. Sheep and lambs have sold readily during the month, and with little variation of price.

On the whole, the prospects of the agriculturists are extremely gloomy, and many of them seem to have given up all hopes of ever realizing the large sums they have expended on the improvement of the soil. Emigration, to Upper Canada principally, is greatly on the increase from the middle districts of Scotland, and it is generally remarked that the emigrants are of a superior deseription to those who have left the country in former years. It is not that the lower classes are not also anxious to emigrate; they are in truth more desirous than ever; but the low wages, and the difficulty of finding employment have rendered it impossible for them to save the money necessary to enable them to proceed to America.

ORCHARDS.-It is a common remark that a backward spring is favourable to the orchards, for a very common cause of the failure of fruit crops is the destruction of the early foliage and blossom by the spring frosts. The promise of apples this year is greater than usual in England, and the price of cider has already fallen considerably in consequence. In the early part of May there was every reason to expect an abundant crop in Scotland also, but towards the end of the month the apple trees on light soils suffered greatly from the caterpillar, though on stiffer soils the crop may still approach an average. Pears and plums are abundant in the vale of the Clyde, the great fruit district of Scotland, but there, as elsewhere, gooseberries will turn out a deficient crop.