This was firmly opposed by M. de Villele, whose sentiments are as decidedly against the war as those of M. de Montmorency are in favour of it; this latter is one of the most violent and most belligerent of the Ultras. He instantly departed, and tendered his resignation, which was accepted, and M. Chateaubriand occupies his place. The Chambers are to meet on the 28th of January. In addition to this, it is said that those old soldiers who had served their time and were entitled to their discharge, were all demanding it, and many of the soldiers of the faith who had fled to France were willing to accept a proffered amnesty from Mina, but were refused passports by the French prefect, whose conduct upon the occasion did not quite meet the countenance he expected from the government.

On the subject of the Greek struggle we have nothing new to state, and most sincerely do we regret it. We certainly did expect that when we had to relate the results of a Congress of Christian sovereigns, as sembled under the name of the Holy Alliance, in order to consult for the safety of Christian Europe, that we should have to record, not so much a glorious as an imperative interference on behalf of this interesting and oppressed people. We have been, how ever, miserably disappointed; the descendants of Solon, Socrates, Homer, and Epaminondas, have been left to a fate too insignificant to be compared with that of the royal martyr of the Escurial. In order that our readers may see that we have good cause for feeling acutely upon this subject, we merely subjoin the following extract of a letter, dated Constantinople, October 8, 1822. The writer is the Reverend H. D. Leeves -we shall not add one word by way of comment.

We proceeded from Vouria to Scio, where we had an opportunity of witnessing the melancholy and utter desolation which has befallen this beautiful and once flourishing island. I could not have conceived, without being an eye witness, that destruction could have been rendered so complete. We walked through the town, which was handsome, and built entirely of stone, and found the houses, the churches, the hospitals, and the extensive college, where a few months ago 6 or 700 youths were receiving their education, one mass of ruins! On

every side were strewed fragments of half burnt books, manuscripts, clothes, and furniture; and, what was most shocking to the feelings, numerous human bodies mouldering in the spots where they fell. Nothing that had life was to be seen, but a few miserable half starved dogs and cats. The villages have shared the same fate, and of a population of 130,000 Greeks, there remain perhaps 800 or 1000 individuals, scattered through the most distant villages. In the town, nothing has escaped but the Consuls' houses, and a very few immediately adjoining them, which could not be burnt without burning the consu lates!!!

a

From this subject, we turn with melancholy pleasure to the retributive justice which appears to hang suspended over the guilty author of these atrocities. The "sublime" Sultan at Constan

tinople appears not to enjoy the most enviable state of tranquillity. He has been compelled by the Janissaries to admit certain officers of their body permanently into the divan. He is taking the heads off all the officers of his fleet who have escaped the fire ships at Tenedos, successively, in the order of their arrival at home. He has taken the head off Haleb Effendi, his favourite minister, but only exhibited it on a silver salver, mercifully dispensing with its exposure over the gates of the seraglio. He has taken the head off Chourschid Pacha, the famous conqueror of Ali! It is said his "sublimity" does not feel his own head perfectly at ease upon his shoulders, and indeed we little wonder at it ;with a little variation Shakspeare might afford a good motto to be placed over the Turkish palace:

Uneasy feels the head which wears a crown.

The Congress of the United States of America has been opened with a message from its President, as usual, which message is, as usual also, a very interesting document. It is too long for insertion, according to the plan of our abstract; but the following extract forms, in fact, a compendium of the entire. "From this view, it appears, that our commercial differences with France and Great Britain have been placed in a train of amicable arrangement, on conditions fair and honourable in both instances to each party; that our finances are in a very productive

state, our revenue being at present fully competent to all the demands upon it; that our military force is well organized in all its branches, and capable of rendering the most important service, in case of emergency, that its number will admit of; that due progress has been made, under existing appropriations, in the construction of fortifications, and in the operation of the ordnance department; that due progress has, in like manner, been made in the construction of ships of war; that our navy is in the best condition, 'felt and respected in every sea in which it is employed for the protection of our commerce; that our manufactures have augmented in amount, and improved in quality; that great progress has been made in the settlement of accounts, and in recovery of balances due to individuals; and that the utmost economy is secured and observed in every department of the administration." This is certain ly as flattering a summary as could well be composed, embracing as it does almost every point of interest to a community. We have not space for further extracts, though we could much wish to transcribe the passages which relate to the South American provinces, to Spain and Portugal, and to Greece-passages which do credit to the enlightened statesman of a country in which, according to the words of the message, "there is but one order, that of the people, to whom the sovereignty exclusively belongs."

Having gone so much at large into our foreign abstract, we have left ourselves but little room for any detail of domestic occurrences- a little space, however, will suffice, as they are neither so varied nor so numerous as to require much notice. Parliament will certainly meet for the dispatch of business on the 4th of February, and the session is expected to comprise the discussion of many interesting questions. Amongst these the state of the distressed agriculturalists will of course be the most prominent. Indeed, general meetings have already been held in the principal counties, and petitions prepared upon the subject; some of these documents are of a very violent character, and point out remedies much more likely to produce disunion than

redress, such as the abolition of certain places, the reduction of salaries, the diminution of the interest on the debt, and even the appropriation of church property.

Some partial changes in the administration are already spoken of-or, perhaps, we should say, transfer of offices, as Mr. Vansittart is the only person going out; he is to have a peerage, it is said, with the title of Baron of Bexley; his place is to be filled by Mr. Robinson, Mr. Robinson's by the next in rotation, and so on. Report ascribes to the new foreign secretary, Mr. Canning, a much more liberal tact in policy than characterised his predecessor; and on the subject of any interference with Spain, his dissent has been expressed most unequivocally.

AGRICULTURE.

The severe frosts which have baked the earth from the beginning of the present month, have confined the operations in husbandry to forming heaps of manure, while the snow which has fallen, protects the wheats from the dangers they might, in an uncovered state, have been exposed to. Rural operations present, therefore, nothing for narration; the soil will receive the mellowing influence of the frost; the numerous insects which the two last mild winters had engendered will be checked in their propagation, and thus the effects of severe weather will be found generally beneficial. The low price, and the necessities of the farmer, urge on the work of threshing out with more than ordinary rapidity. The markets exhibit neither improvement nor decline, except in the article of barley, which on the 13th had gone down another shilling per quarter; last Monday's market was perfectly stagnant, in consequence of the navigation being stopped by the frost. Beef, in Smithfield, advanced on the 13th, for the best to 4s. 4d. a stone, and mutton about 2d. per stone. In the country markets, store pigs have become more in demand, and better in price, in consequence of the remission of the duty on salt, for which the demand has been immense. There is no question that this will be an important benefit to Agriculture, and particularly to the labourer. The complaints are dreadful, and are every where increasing.

COMMERCE.

The markets have not presented any very remarkable features during the course of the last month, the variation in the prices of some articles having, it should seem, chiefly arisen from the state of the weather, as affecting the supply. The rumours of war between France and Spain, though not wholly done away, appear to have in a great measure subsided here, and hostilities are considered as the more improbable, as it seems to be understood that the King of France is personally averse to attacking Spain. On the other hand, there appears to be not the smallest probability that Spain will become the aggressor, though the manner in which the declarations of the Powers composing the Holy Alliance have been received by the Spanish nation and government, seems to prove that all parties would cordially unite in repelling any attack. Yet both Portugal and Spain appear to be convinced, that an armed interference, for the purpose of overthrowing their new Constitution, is intended; and this persuasion has led to negociations between Spain and Great Britain, the object and result of which are hitherto imperfectly known; but which promise to be productive of the most important advantages to this country. In the beginning of December Sir W. A'Court, the British Ambassador at Madrid, was charged by his Government to claim an indemnity for the losses sustained by English subjects, from pirates under the Spanish flag. This indemnity had been repeatedly claimed, but constantly evaded, if not rejected; and England would probably have found it difficult, under other circumstances, to obtain satisfaction; but the policy of the Continental Powers rendering it necessary for Spain not to offend those that still remain its friends, England has judged this a favourable moment for bringing forward its claims, and has insisted on their being acceded to as an indispensable condition of its alliance. The Spanish Minister, San Miguel, having rejected the demands of the English Minister, the latter declared, that orders would be issued by his Court to detain Spanish ships to the amount of the indemnity claimed. This

threat induced his Majesty to order M. Gasco, Minister of the Interior, to write to the Spanish Consuls in the several ports of Spain, acquainting them with this fact, and also that ships of war had sailed from the English ports to occupy certain Spanish colonies. The Minister added, that there was no doubt that this affair would be amicably adjusted. Such were the external forms of these remarkable negociations, which were supposed by many persons to have been designed as a cover for others of a much more interesting nature. Certain it is, that there never was a greater union between the two powers than at this moment, and that the commercial discussion has not at all affected the great political question, in which Spain, England, and Portugal, appear to be perfectly agreed. The general result, as far as it has transpired, seems to be, that Spain has not concluded a commercial treaty with England, but that the resolutions adopted by the Cortes are equivalent to a positive convention, by means of which the Peninsula will be supplied by Great Britain exclusively, with all articles necessary for its internal consumption. The Cortes have also left it to the government to adopt all suitable measures respecting the acknowledgment of the independence of the revolted colonies. Meantime the ports of those provinces are thrown open by Spain to the ships and merchandize of her allies. It is the same with the ports of Cuba; and in case of need, that island will receive from some ally of Spain (viz. England) a sufficient force to maintain the authority of the government. the Cortes have decreed the creation of two millions of reals, of annuities, inscribed in the great book of the public debt. These new annuities are to meet the claims of the English government on account of the piracies committed under the Spanish flag. The immense importance of these measures to the commerce of Great Britain is evident. We cannot but entertain the hope of seeing the wish, which we have more than once expressed, at length accomplished, by the annexation of Cuba to the British crown.

Finally,