day six months. On a division the numbers were, 37 for the bill, and 105 for the amendment.

In the committee on the EXPENSES or ELECTIONS Bill, Colonel Sibthorp achieved a second triumph. Before any progress had been made in considering the clauses, the gallant colonel divided the house on the question that the chairman do leave the chair, when he was in a majority of 71 to 43.

The MARRIED WOMEN'S Bill was defeated, by a majority of 56 to 21, on the motion of Sir E. Sugden, that it be read a second time that day three months.

The HIGH SHERIFFS Bill experienced a similar fate at the hands of the Attorney General, whose motion to postpone its commitment for three months was carried without a division.

June 8. Lord J. Russell moved the order of the day for going into commit tee on the BENEFICES' PLURALITIES BILL. -Mr. Hawes moved, as an amendment, that the bill should be re-committed, for the purpose of striking out all those clauses that were objectionable. Since the question had been before the house, a most important petition had been presented, signed by sixty-three clergymen; and they stated that they were against the noble lord's bill, because there were no less than 3000 livings within the limits prescribed by this bill. Mr. Clay seconded the amendment.-Lord J. Russell understood the proposal of the hon. member to be, that the bill should be re-committed, with the view of abolishing pluralities altogether. This question had been discussed already, and more particularly by the hon. member for Kilkenny. The hon. gentleman said, let there be no pluralities. Suppose a living of 301. or even 401. a-year, and nobody should be found to fill it, the necessary consequence would be, that it would be incumbent on the bishop to ask some neighbouring clergyman to do the duty, who might have other duties to perform. However desirable it was to abolish pluralities, unless the hon. member proposed modification of the clergy's incomes as would enable every clergyman to live upon his income, his amendment would hardly benefit the church. For the motion, 145; for the amendment, 34. Upon clause 4 being read, Sir H. Verney proposed to substitute the words "And be it enacted, that no spiritual person holding any benefice involving the cure of souls shall accept, or take to hold therewith, any other benefice involving the cure of souls, unless such benefices are situated contiguous to one another, and the parish churches are within three miles of each other, and the united po

such

a

pulation of such two benefices do not exceed 3000 souls, and the united incomes of such two benefices amount to less than 750l. per annum."-Mr. Hume seconded the amendment. - Mr. Goulburn said, be should be the first to throw out these provisions of the bill, if he considered their effect would be to benefit the clergy alone; but in supporting the measure he thought he was making the best provision which circumstances permitted for the instruction of the people. It was quite a mistake to suppose that the present bill would merely tend to get rid of a small number of pluralities; it was true that they could not get rid of pluralities altogether without greater inconvenience, and even injury to the interests of religion than retaining them could ever produce. He thought that in the present state of church livings, it was much better to have a curate permanently resident than an incumbent frequently changing. - Lord J. Russell fully agreed with those who thought that benefices should never be held in plurality; but as there were a number of small liv. ings incapable of maintaining a resident clergymen, he thought, when such benefices were situate within ten miles of each other, bestowing them in plurality was absolutely necessary, unless means could be found for increasing their value. The house divided, and the numbers were for the motion, 53; against it, 57. The clauses are therefore retained on the bill. The remaining clauses were then agreed to. --Dr. Nicholl moved for the introduction of a clause exempting from stamp duty all instruments connected

with the admission to benefices under the annual value of 2001.-Lord J. Russell saw no reason for extending this indulgence to the persons mentioned. He did not deny that they might feel the stamp duty burdensome, but other classes might claim an equal share of exemption, and the thing might go on until there would be no revenue at all. The house then divided, for the clause, 46; against it, 55.-Colonel Sibthorp proposed a clause for the purpose of giving to the widow of a spiritual person holding a benefice with a residence annexed the right of occupying the said residence with land not exceeding ten acres for three months next after the decease of the husband, the widow to pay all rates and taxes, and to make good all dilapidations that might occur in that period. - The AttorneyGeneral supported the principle of the clause proposed, which he would prepare in a proper form, and introduce it on the third reading of the bill.

June 11. The House went into com

mittee on the IRISH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION Bill, and the committee having arrived at the sixth clause, Sir Robert Peel, in a long speech, again brought forward his proposition, that in the case of the eleven principal towns in Ireland, containing a population of more than 15,000, to which corporations were to be conceded, and in all other instances where corporate privileges were conferred, there should be established an uniform franchise, whereby the voter should possess a house or tenement of the clear annual value of 101. to be determined by an actual rating. He was not proposing what was unjust or insulting to Ireland, but only what was necessary to insure the good local government of the towns, and the application of corporate privileges to their proper purpose-not subserviency to factious interests, but the promotion of the welfare of the boroughs on which they were conferred. He had not made his proposition with a view to give a preponderance to a party, or to establish a monopoly in favour of any sect.-Lord John Russell expressed his sincere regret that the last speaker appeared to be determined to persevere in a proposition to which it was impossible for him to assent. Such a proposition would, if adopted, in the present condition of the large towns, keep alive the feeling that an invidious distinction was attempted to be maintained between different classes of her Majesty's subjects in Ireland. The House divided, for the clause, 286: for Sir R. Peel's Amendment, 266: majority for Ministers, 20.

HOUSE OF LORDS, June 12. The Lord Chancellor moved the third reading of the IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT Bill, which had been considerably altered in the select committee. The bill originally abolished arrest for debt on mesne process, and on execution. In the committee there was no doubt as to the pro

FRANCE.

priety of abolishing arrest on mesne process; but great diffi difficulty it was found would attend the abolition of imprisonment for debt on execution. The bill would give the creditor power, under a writ of elegit, to take the whole profits of the debtor's estate, &c. instead of one moiety, as it was at present: it rendered property in the funds, with various other descriptions of property not now so available, applicable to the discharge of the debt. This bill would, therefore, give the creditor the power of putting into operation the practice of the Insolvent Debtors' Court, by which the debtor's property could be secured.-Lord Brougham thought the bill a great improvement on the old law, and suggested its extension to Ireland-Lord Abinger gave his consent to this bill, although he had great doubts of its good effect, and fears that it would not answer. The bill was read a third time and passed.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, June 15. The Chancellor of the Exchequer submitted two resolutions, relating to the SUGAR DUTIES. He considered that the present amount of drawback was more than it ought to be. When the subject was under discussion on a former occasion, Lord Althorpe directed a series of experiments to be made by Dr. Ure. From those experiments, applicable to British sugar, there was one result, namely, that the entire drawback paid on refined sugar was greater than the duty on raw sugar. His proposition was that the drawback on double refined sugar should be reduced from 43s. 2d. to 368. and on single refined sugar from 36s. 10d. to 30s. Agreed to.

June 16. Lord John Russell moved the third reading of the SODOR AND MAN BISHOPRIC Bill.-Dr. C. Lushington objected to the motion. After a division for the third reading, 69 against 5, the bill was read a third time, and passed.

The trial of Hubert, Steuble, and others, charged with a conspiracy against the King of the French, was terminated on Friday, May 25. The jury brought in a verdict of guilty against five, and acquitted the three others. Hubert was sentenced to transportation for life; Mademoiselle Grouvelle, Steuble, and Annat, his accomplices, to five years' imprisonment; and Giraud to three years. The verdict of the jury excited the most violent uproar among the prisoners, the bar, and the whole auditory. Hubert, drawing a knife, attempted to stab him

self, but was disarmed by the two municipal guards seated by his side. The President ordered the guards to remove Hubert, but the accused offered a most desperate resistance, and it was with the utmost difficulty they were at last able to execute the orders of the Court. Groans, hisses, and cries of "Murder!" were heard on all sides, and the President was obliged at last to call in the guards, and cause the hall to be cleared before he could pronounce judgment.

CANADA.

Lord Durbam arrived at Quebec on the 27th of May. Four days after, a banditti

of United States pirates and refugee Canadian traitors seized upon and burnt the Sir Robt. Peel steamer, lying peace

ably at anchor in the river St. Lawrence or lake Erie, at a distance of about seven miles from French Creek (Erie).

May 14. Sir C. Price's Turpentine Works situated at Mill-wall, Limehouse, were totally destroyed by fire. On the arrival of the engines the distillery (a building of upwards of 70 feet in length and 50 in breadth) was wrapped in one sheet of fire. The distillery contained six boilers, all of which were full charged and at work. There were also four large stills, which were full of liquor, ready to be boiled off. On the stage of the dis tillery were 250 barrels of turpentine, ready to be removed to the store houses, The distillery is divided from the storehouses and warehouses by a narrow road, known as the Ferry-walk, but they are connected together by a tunnel under the road. On each side of this passage were barrels of turpentine, piled in heaps, and the outsides had, by the time in question, been scorched by the flames, when the firemen, at the risk of their lives, commenced digging up the earth, and completely blocked up the tunnel, and to this circumstance alone the preservation of the stores may be said to be owing.

May 16. The annual meeting of the British and Foreign Temperance Society was held at Exeter Hall, the Earl Stanhope in the chair. The number of members who have joined the society during the year is 19,878, making a total of 43,412. Amongst those who have joined in the past year are two magistrates; ministers of various denominations, 225, which, with 500 who have joined other societies, make upwards of 700; medical men, 34; lawyers, 3 (laughter); officers in merchant vessels, 42; mothers, nursing on the system 211 (cheers); farmers, 139; publicans and tavern-keepers, 11 (laughter); maltsters, 11; and wine and spirit-merchants, 6. The number of reclaimed drunkards is 2907; reclaimed drunkards, males and females, by other societies, from whom no reports are received, 1411; making a total of 4318 reformed drunkards; abstainers, but not members, 1670; distillery stopped, 1; breweries stopped, 6; public houses shut up, 49; and excisemen discontinued, 2. The receipts of the society for the year amounted to 2871. 118. 10d. The expenditure was that sum minus 531. 10s. 2d., which, however, was due for the forthcoming prize essay on the subject of total abstinence.

May 28. An affray of a calamitous and very extraordinary nature took place near Canterbury. A madman, calling himself

Sir Wm. Courtenay, but whose real name was John Nicholl Thom, a native of Cornwall, had been from time to time declaiming among the rustics in the adjoining villages against the operation of the poor-laws, and other grievances, until at length he assembled a numerous body of followers. On Monday, May 28, they sallied forth from the village of Boughton, where they bought bread, and proceeded to the house of Wills, one of the party, near Fairbrook. A loaf was broken asunder, and placed on a pole, with a flag of white and blue, and a rampant lion. Thence they proceeded to Goodnestone, near Faversham, producing throughout the whole neighbourhood the greatest excitement, and adding to their numbers by the harangues occasionally delivered by this illfated madman. At this farm, Courtenay stated that " he would strike the bloody blow;" and they made an ineffective attempt to set fire to a bean-stack. They next proceeded to a farmat Hernehill, where Courtenay requested the inmates to feed his friends, and the request was immediately complied with. Their next visit was at Dargate-common, where Sir William, tak ing off his shoes, said, "I now stand on my own bottom." By his desire, his poor deluded followers then fell on their knees, and he prayed for half an hour; they then proceeded to Bossenden-farm, where they supped, and slept in the barn. At three o'clock on Tuesday morning they left, and proceeded to Sittingbourne to breakfast, where Sir William paid twenty-five shillings: they then visited Newnham, where a similar treat was given at the George. After visiting Eastling, Throwley, Seldwich, Lees, and Selling, and oecasionly addressing the populace, holding out to them such inducements as are usually made by persons desirous of creating a disturbance, he halted in a chalk-pit to rest, and on Wednesday evening returned to Culver's farm, at Bossenden. A farmer under the hill, Mr. Curling, having had his men seduced from their employment, at this time made an application for their apprehension, and a constable of the name of Mears, assisted by two others, proceeded on Thursday morning to execute his mission, and, after a little parley, Courtenay, while they were arguing, inquired which was the constable, and, on the young man replying he was, he immediately produced a pistol and shot him, after which he seized

him, and inflicted a wound upon him with a dagger; with the assistance of some of the excited labourers he then threw the body into a ditch. The two other constables immediately rode back to the magistrates, and mentioned the facts. The country was now in a state of great alarm and excitement, and it was deemed expedient to send to Canterbury for a party of military. By this time the whole body had retreated to a deep and sequestered part of the wood, where Sir William shouted and encouraged his adherents to behave like men, and excited them to desperate fury. On perceiving the soldiers, he advanced with the greatest sang froid, and deliberately shot, before the men, Lieut. Bennett, of the 45th regt. who was in advance of his party, and who fell dead upon the spot. The soldiers then immediately fired; Sir William was one of the first killed, and in a few moments ten lives were sacrificed, and several rendered cripples for the remainder of their days. An inquisition on the body of Nicholas Mears was held on Thursday and Friday, and the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against six persons, namely William Percy Honywood Courtenay (alias John Nicholl Thom), Wm. Burford, William Price, Thomas Mears alias Tyler, Alexander Foad, and Wm. Nutting.

On Saturday an inquest was held on the body of Lieut. Henry Boswell Bennett, and the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Wm. Courtenay, Edward Wraight the elder, Edward Wraight the younger, Thomas Mears alias Tyler, James Goodwin, Wm. Wills, Wm. Forster, Henry Hadlow, Alexander Foad, Phineas Harvey, John Spratt, Stephen Baker, William Burford, Thomas Griggs, John Silk, George Branchett, Edward Curling, Geo. Griggs, and Wm. Rye. Of these, Courtenay, Foster, Baker, Burford, T. Griggs, G. Griggs, E. Wraight, Harvey, and Branchett were dead. Thomas Mears alias Tyler, who was cousin to the murdered constable, was wounded. Alexander Foad, who is a farmer, possessing a freehold of 50 acres, and in very comfortable circumstances, was severely wounded. Of the rioters altogether eight were slain outright, and seven wounded-two of them mortally. Of those who opposed them in support of the law two were killed and one wounded. Twenty-three prisoners were committed to Feversham gaol.

On Monday an inquest was held on the body of George Catt, who was shot in the affray. The verdict was that the deceased was shot by accident by the miGENT. MAG. VOL, X.

litary in the execution of their duty. Inquests were then held on Courtenay, alias Thom, the unhappy cause of all this melancholy loss of life, and the eight other dead rioters. In all the cases verdiets of justifiable homicide were returned.

Sir W. Courtenay first appeared at Canterbury in the Michaelmas of 1832; and the first rumour was, that an eccentric character was living at the Rose Inn, who passed under the name of Count Rothschild. His countenance and attire denoted foreign extraction, while his language and conversation showed that he was well acquainted with almost every part of the kingdom. He often decked his person with a gay and imposing costume. In December of the same year he surprised the citizens of Canterbury by proposing himself as a candidate for the representation of the city in Parliament, and created an entertaining contest for the honour long after the sitting candidates had composed themselves to the delightful vision of an unexpensive and unopposed return. He was also a candidate for the eastern division of the county, but polled only four votes; still he studied with more ardour and vigilance than before to captivate the affections of the lower orders in

the city. He made it known that his condescension was as great as his rank and wealth, and that he should be willing to accept of invitations to visit the humblest families to eat and drink at the peasant's and the labourer's table-to make one of a larger or smaller party at the lowest public house-to enrol his name in the meanest society. So numerous were his engagements, that he was obliged to run or ride from house to house, taking a slight repast at each, and generally concluding the day at a banquet prepared by a number of his new friends in some obscure club-room.

In Feb. 1833, on the examination of some smugglers before the magistrates at Rochester, Sir William made his appearance, attired in a grotesque costume, as a knight of Malta, and having a small cimetar suspended from his neck by a massive gold chain. On one of the men being examined, Sir William became his advocate; but the man being convicted, a professional gentleman defended the next, and Sir William presented himself as a witness; when he swore that he saw the whole transaction between the revenue cruiser and smugglers, and was positive that the tubs, stated to have come from the latter, had been floating about in the sea all the morning, and were not thrown overboard from that vessel. The solicitors for the customs, having undoubted

N

evidence that this testimony was false, determined to proceed against the individual who had been guilty of such a public and daring act of perjury. The trial came on at Maidstone on the 25th of July, 1833, when he was found guilty of wilful and corrupt perjury, and sentenced to imprisonment in jail for three calendar months, and to be transported for the term of seven years. Before, however, the three months' imprisonment had expired, it was found that Sir William was completely out of his senses; and he was sent to the Kent Lunatic Asylum, at Barming, where he has been confined until, on the application of his father, through the interest of Mr. Turner, M. P. for Truro (with whom he had been seven years head clerk) and Sir H. Vivian, Bart. he was released in October last, his father engaging to be answerable for his conduct.

Sir W. H. P. Courtenay, Knight of Malta, as the wretched man styled him self, was no other than Mr. John Nicholl Thom, the son of a small farmer and maltster at St. Columb in Cornwall; and fifteen years since cellarman to the highly respected firm of Plumer and Turner, wine-merchants at Truro. Some ten years since he himself commenced the trade of a maltster and hop dealer, and for three or four years conducted it with apparent respectability. At that period his premises were destroyed by fire, and he claimed and received for his alleged loss of property from the office and offices

in which he was insured, 3,0001.-a sum far beyond what it was thought he could legitimately be possessed of. Some two years after he freighted a vessel to Liverpool with a large quantity of malt, which he followed and disposed of, and then became a wandering adventurer.

Mr. Ainsworth has made him the original of a gypsy character called the "ruffler," in his novel of Rookwood, published a few years ago.

It appears that the delusion among the peasantry was so great that they would have attacked two thousand soldiers, having been persuaded by Courtenay that they could not be shot. He blasphemously styled himself the Saviour of the world; he also represented himself as invulnerable to steel or shot, and had deluded numbers into the belief that, though he appeared dead, he would rise again on the third day, and lead his followers on to victory. A woman of the name of Culver had been told by this impostor, that if she got some water, and placed it on his mouth, in case he was shot, he would shortly revive. On hearing of his death, the woman filled a vessel with water, walked half a mile with it, and, in compliance with his instructions, placed it on his lips. She was apprehended by order of the magistrates.

The body of Courtenay was buried at Herne-hill, as also were those of most of the other slain rioters, they having been chiefly inhabitants of that place and Dunkirk.

GAZETTE PROMOTIONS.

April 28. Lieut. Col. George Gawler to be Governor and Commander-in-chief of South Australia; John Hutt, esq. to be Governor and Commander-in-chief of Western Anstralia; and Henry Light, esq. to be Governor and Commander-in-chief of British Guiana.

May 25. J. P. Nuttall, esq. to be Exon or Corporal of the Yeomen of the Guard.

May 31. J. G. Andrews, esq. to be Surgeon Extraordinary to the Duke of Cambridge.

June 1. 14th Light Dragoons, Capt. C. Barton to be Major.

June 6. Hon. C. A. Murray to be Master of her Majesty's household.

June 8. 6th Dragoons, Major Jeremiah Ratcliffe to be Lieut.-Colonel; Capt. Raynard White to be Major.-Brevet, Lt. Col. Michael Childers to be Colonel.

June 9. W. M. Lockwood, esq. son and heir apparent of W. J. Lockwood, esq. of Dews Hall, Essex, in compliance with the will of his maternal uncle Sir Mark Wood, Bart. to take the name of Wood instead of Lockwood, and bear the arms of Wood.

June 11. G. R. Sartorius, esq. Capt. R.N. and Vice-Admiral in the service of the Queen of Portugal, to accept the insignia of Knight

Commander of the Tower and Sword, and a Grand Cross of St. Bento d'Avis. Col. HenryCharles Edward Vernon-Graham (formerly Vernon) of Hilton-park, co. Stafford, to discontinue the name of Graham.

June 12. Hon. George Keppel, to be Groom in Waiting to her Majesty.

June 15. John Lodge, of Bodsilin, co. Carnarvon, esq. in respect to the memory of his paternal grandmother and his great-uncle Giles Ellerton, of Ellerton, co. York, esq. to take the name of Ellerton after Lodge, and bear the arms quarterly.-10th dragoons, Lt.Col. J. Vandeleur to be Lt.-Colonel.-Brevet, Major H. J. Warde to be Lieut.-Colonel; Capt. George Browne to be Major.

Knighted at Dublin, William Leeson, esq. recently appointed Usher to the Order of St. Patrick.

NAVAL PREFERMENTS.

Capt. James Nias to the Herald; Capt. C. H. Williams to the Tribune; Comm. F. M. Boultbee to the Jaseur; Commander George Elliot, to the Columbine; Lt. J. H. Turner, to the Ranger; Lieut. J. West, to the Volcano; Lieut. G. Drew, to the Harpy.