MR. BRouaneet.—We understand that Mr. Brougham's health is in a

precarious state. He begins to feel the effects of severe mental application. At Lancaster Assizes, after he had finished eddressing the Jury in the last cause—half-past eleven at night—though his speech was not a long one, he was so much exhausted that he was unable to walk to his lodgings, and was taken in the Judge's carriage. On the following morning, however, he was so muds better as to be able to leave Lancaster for York.—Leeds Intel- ligencer. THE PROGRESS or TRUTH; Miss Cunrre.—A young lady named Watt, whom we remember to have seen at the English Opera-house and elsewhere some three years ago, was announced as one of the vocalists at the oratorio of Ilrednesday. When the first song assigned to her was called, Miss Cubitt was absent. Mr. Hawes on this stepped forth, and made a speech, remarkably different from such as are usually made on such occa- sions. After some compliments to himself, he proceeded to say, that Miss Watt haul beers perfectly well at the rehearsal, but that she was then (not ill, but) not in afit condition to appear &ç/re the audience. As if this had not been plain enough, he repeated the announcement in • other forms, and dwelt upon the ‘• insult" to himself and the public. Our contemporary the Moiming Journal seems to have been hurt try this frankness of speech. The Journal says—" Notwithstanding the applause which Mr. Hawes's oration was honoured with in the house, we, for our separate selves, felt extreme disgust at seeing any woman so treated by any man. If Miss Cabitt had been taking measures to render hernotes more liquid, and had thereby inca- pacitated herself from a public appearance, Mr. Hawes might easily take care not to expose himself to a similar accident in future. But the cause of the non-appearance nut haying very much to do with the matter (after it had been ascertained that the lady could not possibly appear,) it did seem to us a most wanton, unnecessary, and unmanly cruelty to exhibit any lady to the public in so disreputable a light." Now we submit, that our contem- porary's wrath is wholly misplaced. He overlooks altogether the motive to the disclosure, Mr. Hawes's high sense of duty. Can any thing be more gra- tifying to a moralist, than to see truth prevailing in a quarter whence, by the common consent of all parties, it has been sedulously excluded ? We do not ask if the disguised party had been any other than poor Cubitt—if she had been a Madame A. or a Mrs. B., or Miss D., or any other letter of the alphabet but C.—or had it even been a male delinquent, some Mr. B. or Mr. W. for instance, whether Mr. Hawes would have been equally explicit. We are sure that the high sense of duty would have compelled, iii any of these cases, as honest and 'downright a statement of the case as it did in re- gard to Miss Cubita To the audience no substitution can be more gratify- ing than that of plain truth for shuflIng and equivocation. We shall have no more colds now, nor coughs, nor fevers,-no more doctors' certificates, no more dying or dead relations that mortal never heard of living.—" Ladies and Gentlemen, I have to state that Madame A. will not mount guard as cor- poral to-night, having but ten minutes ago received a note requesting her immediate attendance on the Duke of —." "Mr. B. is not in a fit con- dition to appear before you, having just finished his fourteenth tumbler." " I hold in my hand a letter from a friend of Mr. K. which states that Mr. K. can still lie on the floor without holding by the carpet, but that he swears by Old Harry he'll not stand youne Harry to-night.' We look on such a return to the honest simplicity of olden times as quite refreshing, and in- stead of being angry with Mr. Hawes, we thank him heartily for setting an example of it. At a meeting of the friends of Mr. Arnold, on Monday, a plan for re. building the English Operahouse was submitted to them. It was found that, on the most moderate computation, it could not be rebuilt for less than 40,0001.; of which it was intended to raise 30,0001. by debentures of 250/. each. Ten thousand pounds were subscribed in the room, and the whole sum, it is computed, will be subscribed in a fortnight. The English operatic company will open in the Adelphi. Before this, however, Mr. Mathews will give his annual entertainmeata new one; and the Elephant will be marched off to the country. ' ' • A new opera is about to he produced at Drury Lane, in which, it is said, Miss Stephens and Madame Vestris, Phillips, Sinclair, and the new singer, Mr. Anderson, are to appear.

The Count de Rossi has written letters to several Paris papers, stating that he has not married Mademoiselle Sontag. The said Sontag is at Berlin. Madame Caradori has been singing with great success at Venice.

EQUITABLE Arm, senueNT.—Old NoLlekens' will was the cause of a lung discussion in Chancery on Wednesday. The immediate occasion was a petition against the sum allowed by the Master to the Commission charged with examining witnesses abroad with a view to the discovery of Nollekens' legal heirs. There were some twelve or fourteen of these gentry, commis- sioners and solicitors together : they worked eleven days, and the result of their labours during that time tilled about four brief-sheets: their days of adjournment were only thirty-seven in all, and the moderate charge for their working and playing was 80/. per day ! The commission on one occa. sion travelled from Paris to Louvaine, a distance of 220 miles, and they oc- cupied eleven days in the journey ! The Court refused the petition, with costs. These Chancery commissions are a most infamous piece of jobbing. Why are not one respectable barrister and one respectable solicitor appointed by the Court to manage the entire business of the commission ' • leaving the parties, each at his own cost, to send fifty superintendents of his interest if he feel inclined ? Two honest and intelligent men could have finished the inquiry in question in a fortnight, and for an expense of a couple of hundred pounds, as justly and effectually as the host that did liuish it at an expense

of four thousand.

INSOLVENT COMMISSIONEB.S.—As it is eery likely that the Attorney.

General's Bill for limiting arrests on mesne process to sums exceeding 1004 will pass into a law, and as such law will diminish the business of the In. solvent Court at least two-thirds, what occasion will there be for continuing all tine expensive array of commissioners, Stc , nosy connected with that Court ? Surely one-half will be able to go tInrough one-third of the pre. sent horsiness. We throw out this hint to Lord Althorp and his " reduc- tion-of-taxation" party.—Mormnte 1:erald.

Inisu PRESS.-31r. Lawless has published an address to the Irish news. papers on the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to place the newspaper and advertisement stamps in Ireland on the same footing as in England. Mr. Lawless is in a terrible passion at this attempt " to beggar the mind of Ireland." We must ever think that the taxes in question are absurdly and indeleusibly heavy ; but we can see no reason why, if they must be continued, Ireland should not pity them as well as England and Scotland ; for why, with cheaper labour than either of these portions of the United Kinellom, should the equalization of such taxes appear so very alarming ? We hope in another session or two to see one rule of taxation applied to all three countries in every thing. The differences that now exist have neither justiee nor sound policy to defend them.

FARES OF WATERMEN FOR LANDING PASSENGER.—An extor. tionable rascal of a waterman charged a lady lauding frnm a steam-boat at the Customitouse-stairs the other day, the small sum of six shillings ! The lady was wise enough to charge him before the Lord Mayor., who fined him twenty shillings. This was but a small punishinent of a daily and hourly offence—one which is practised or attempted tube practised upon every pas- senger that lambs from or goes aboard every steam-boat coming from a dis- tance that enters the port of London Why are not these vessels empowered to land tint-in- own passeegers, or to hire boats for that purpose ?

Cur v LAW.—The earthies of Broad Street Ward have issued a proclama- tion forbidding any " stage-coach, carriage, omnibus,or other vehicle what- ever, to stand and remain in Bartholomew Lane, or in any of the streets, lanes, or passages within the ward ; nor any person with fruit or other ar- ticles, dog-s, or other animals whatever, to stand, sell, or expose the same for sale in any of the streets, lanes, or passages aforesaid." This notable docu- ment has issued, it scents, at the instance of the stock-brokers and merchants connected with the Stock Exchange. The complaint has come from the • wrong, tillages. Tire coach arid basket proprietors had a better right to re- present that they were hindered in the exercise of their honest calling by the crowds of Jews and swindlers that passed up and down Bartholomew Lane. •

CHANCERY Vice iets.—A poor man, who is in prison for contempt of Chancery, made application to Sir Edward Sugden for relief some days ago ;

when the following answer was returned.— "Lino-dun's Inn, March 15. " Sir,-11ermvith I return the papers you sent for the Solicitor-General's perusal-, and he desires me to say that it is mnte cut of his power, during the Session of Parliament, to look into them ; and that it will not be of any use to send them again to him. " I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, CHARLES SEXIOR

"Clerk to the Solicitor-General."

This is benefit of Parliament with a vengeance. The grand object of that body, we have been told, is to remedy evils which are beyond the power of other courts ; and now it is stated that the pressure of its duties prevents our

senators from evert looking into them. Why is not a short bill passed at once for the relief of these poor people ? Six days will suffice to carry it through both Houses. The remedy is provided in the larger bill, and there- fore no one can object to conferring it at once.

LAND-TAB.—AS a proof of the inequality and absurdity of this tax, it was stated, at a meeting held on Tuesday in Covent Garden parish, with a view to its equalization, that Covent Garden, on a rental of 40,0001. paid 4840/. ; St. Pancras, on a rental of 400,0001., 17761.; and Marylebone, on a rental of 704,000/. only 402/. ! Tins tax comes pre-eminently under the description of those which ought to be repealed because of its partial operation.

ERRORS OE' T HE PAPE R E R.—Every reader is familiar with "errors of the press," but it is not sufficiently known that deceit and falsehood may lurk in the very bosom of the paper on whose snowy surface we write. A curious instance of this occurred a few days ago at Doctors' Commons. An executor attended to prove the will of a deceased friend, who died in CM- chester ; when a codicil, dated in November 1829 was produced ; but, upon holding up the paper, to examine if any erasure had been made, it was found to bear tine water-mark of 1830! Fortunately the witnesses were all living, or it might have given some trouble. In a lawsuit depending on • date, had this paper been produced, how fatal would have been the result ! GEOGRAPHicAL DISCOVERIES.—At Panama, in the Isthmus of Darien, upon the South Sea side, a regular line of communication by steam-packets is to be established with Guayaquil, Callao, and Valparaiso, by which the tedious as well as dangerous navigation round Cape Horn will be avoided. —Morning Herald. [Where, in the name of wonder, according to our con- temporary's system of geography, does Cape Horn lie ?• We might as well . say that, by the establishment of steam-packets between Margate, Graves- . end, and London, the tedious as well as dangerous passage round Bealley • Head would' be saved.' NAVIGATION OF THE ELBE.-It appears that the navigation of the Elbe is now completely open. A remarkable consequence of the thaw has been the recovery of the Magdeburg mail-bag, which was lost last year. It had been snugly deposited in the ice of the river for a number of months, and was given up in the spring, with its entire contents uninjured. SWAN RIVER.-Letters have been received from Swan River, dated the 26th of November, by a commercial house in the city, giving a pleasing ac- count of the progress of the new colony. Three towns were said to be in a state of forwardness, all on the banks of the river,-Perth, Freemantle, and Guildford. The letters contain a repetition of the previous accounts of the quantity of fish and fowl of the finest description, and notice the friendly strainers of the natives. The country was in general beautifully wooded with fine timber, and abundance of good land on each side of the mountains. Since the last (fates, the following vessels had arrived from London with settlers-the Lotus, Caroline, and Amick: the former had proceeded to Sydney with some of her passengers, originally destined for that place, and the latter had Railed for Ceylon and London with the greater part of the letters. The weather was very delightful, and no accidents to the shipping are mentioned. The above is per Dragon via Mauritius.- Times.

. IsPonTANT.-We have authority for stating, that on the adjourned de- bate upon the state of the country, Mr. Beaumont expressed his entire want of confidence in the Ministers, and voted for the amendment, because he considered it to convey a censure upon them.-Morning Herald. [The Duke and Mr. Peel had better look to this.] • A PUZZLER.-We give the following asiwe find it in the Morning Herald. We do not know whether the sound remark embodied in it applies to the Chancellor, the Reverend Cecil Hall, the City Alderman, or the new Police; but it is evidently meant as a hit against some of the four parties.

• " The living of Offham in Kent, has been presented by the Lord Chan- cellor to Viscount Lord iorrington, for his Lordship's nephew, the Reve- rend Cecil Hall.

"We do not envy that man who can pander to his pocket by violating the sanctity of bygone friendship.

" It is said, we know not with what authority, that the Aldermen have decided against introducing the New Police into the City." THE BRITISH Musrusr.-The reading hours at this institution have been changed : instead of ten to four, they are now eleven to five. Nothing can be more perfectly courteous than the deportment of the officers aild subordinates of the establishment, and their activity is equal to their polite- ness; and therefore we had hoped they would extend their attendance an hour or two at least during Parliament. Eight hours per day, with a com- fortable vacation once a year, and a holiday once a week, is no back-break- ing toil. LAW or GnAviry.-A flesher in Anderston Walk, while sitting in his shop, was astonished by the sudden descent of a large eat down the vent into the fire-place. The vent extends to a height of four stories ; and it is some- what curious how the animal found its way down so long a passage without dislodging the soot in its progress, scarcely any of which fell till pussy herself made her appearance entirely covered with it-Glasgow Chronicle. [For the non-dislodgment of the soot, we do not pretend to account ; but for its non-appearance, we submit, as a possible solution of our contemporary's difficulty, that the cat might fall as last as the soot.] "Go TO Curium WHEN THE BELL RINGS."-In the theatre a place cannot be kept after the first act, hut in a church those that have pews think they are entitled to keep them until the middle of the service, if not inclined to occupy them earlier.

e

save issued an order to the pew-openers to reserve the seats and ews of thgular occupiers till the service has begun, , The churchwardens of St. Bride's, Fleet Street, very judiciously we think. and then to throw them open t ersons of decent appearance. We trust t is example will be followed.

HIGHGATE SCHOOL.-ThiS institution, which was founded about he same time as Harrow, has been for years past under the management of the sexton ! The doctor, it appears, has given it up. • • SOVEREIGN OP GREECE.-The Courrier de Smyrne has proposed Alex- ander Mauroeordato as Prince of Greece, as possessing the highest qualifica- tions for the office. We suspect that "qualification for the office," in the dictionary of the electors, and in that of the Greeks, does not mean precisely the same things.

Accounts of the death of Don Miguel's sworn adherent, the Marquis of Chaves, have been received by the latest arrivals from Lisbon.

TRUE BLUE.-The uniform of the Navy was scarlet, previous to George the Second ; when it was changed to blue and white. The choice of the latter colours is said to have been accidental. Scarlet was probably selected , from its near resemblance to the colour of the blood. Both blue and red arc ' expensive, the latter extremely so ; and from its contrasting powerfully with all surrounding objects, it renders its wearer much more conspicuous than he would be if clad in brown or green.

WHAT Mr. COBBETT WITNESSED AT Irswren.-Here I heard the first singing of the birds this year ; and here I observed an instance of that petti- coat government which, apparently, pervades the whole of animated nature. A lark, very near to me in a ploughed field, rose from the ground, and was saluting the sun with his delightful song. He was got about as high as the . dome of St. Paul's, having me for a motionless and admiring auditor, when - the hen started up from nearly the same spot whence the cock had risen, flew ! up and passed close by him. I could not hear what she said, but supposed - that she must have given him a pretty smart reprimand ; for down she came upon the ground, and he, ceasing to sing, took a twirl in 'the air, and came . down after her. Others have, I dare say, seen this a thousand times over ; i but! never observed it before.-Cobbetes Register, March 27.

i RELAXATIONS OF ROYAL TY.-Sir E. Nagle, who died the other day,was I a great favourite with an Illustrious Personage, who enjoyed his jokes as 1 much as a celebrated prince of the olden day did those of" Fat Jack." The ! gallant Knight possessed an excellent disposition combined with the rough but honest bluntness of a British seaman, the ebullitions of which were some- .' times not checked even by the presence of exalted rank. Several months ago I the" most finished gentleman' in tee realm, in order to perplex and excite 4 Sir Edmund, gave private orders to have, amongst other dishes, a roasted leg ( of Bagshot mutton brought to the table, directing, however, that it should be 1. pierced in almost every direction by small skewers, but so placed that they I should not he seen externally. The dish was accordingly laid on the table, 1 and "a cut" was requested by the lord of the feast. Sir Edmund introduced 4, his knife, and the ineffectual endeavours to extract a slice, coupled with the i carver's expletives, produced such roars of laughter as have not for the last

ten months been heard in the princely retirement of Windsor's Royal forest: -Morning Herald.

FRAUDS IN CHATHAM Docimsnos-The extent of the frauds lately practised in this Xard may be judged of by the fact, that ten tons of stolen copper have been removed from Liverpool and Maidstone. Fifteen persons have been taken up, but only two are in custody. The real criminals do not seem to have been yet discovered.

THE GRAVE OF WHITE Mex.-The annual expense of Sierra Leone amounts to 63,8801. I5s., exclusive of nearly 8,000/. more for the minor esta- blishments of Fernando Po, and the forts on the Gold Coast: The whole cost of our apparatus for putting down the slave trade, the only effect of which has been to entail on these wretched victims a " middle passage" of tenfold horror compared with what they suffered before we interfered to better their condition, is about 400,000/. per annum ; while the prospect of civilizing Africa is as distant as ever.

THE BARBARY STATES-A letter from Leghorn, dated 28th February, states, that an official announcement had been made to the merchants there, that in consequence of an agreement between the Governments of England, France, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, the Governmehts of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers are to be destroyed, and the sovereignty, with the consent of the Porte, to be given to the Paella of Egypt. It is curious that the first notice of this convention should come to •us from Italy ; but we would not pronounce on its falsehood merely on that account. The most important acts of our free government are frequently involved in more mystery, and less known to the people who are to be most deeply affected by them, than those of the most despotic governments in Europe.