Stuttgard, April 30. It is believed that the basis of the change which the Prussian Government intends to make in its ancient forms, is the establishment of two consultative chambers, or a species of deliberative councils, but the sovereign power to remain without diminution in the hands of the king.

The Flanders mail supplies us with the substance of a very singular decree of one of the minor German Electors. It is said that the Prince Elector of Cassel, desirous of avoiding confusion in the system of the ancient government, has published a decree, in which he directs that every honourable title and distinction, especially that of Mon sieur, should be forbidden with the class of citizens and peasants. It is in future to be confined to the nobility, the officers of state, and to students. This is not only the subject of a decree, but it is actually put in practice; and the last Official Gazettes of Cassel (as it is archly stated) allow the most distinguished citizens of the place no other humble distinction than the love and respect of their neighbours.

Nuremberg, May 17.-Societies have lately been formed in several German cities against the use of English manufactures. In the industrious and manufacturing countries of Silesia and Saxony, the most considerable towns are expected to follow this example.

The German papers give a very distressing account of the state of commerce in Germany; that once great mart for goods and merchandize of every description, the Leipsic fair, seems to have declined considerably. Scarcely any business was done at the last, compared with what was usually transacted; one account says, that there were 14,000 persons less at this fair than at that held at Michaelmas.

From accounts up to the 26th May, it appears that the spirit of emigration increases in almost every part of Germany. In fourteen days, from the 1st to the 15th of the last month, the number of persons, men, women, and children, who passed Mayence on their way down the Rhine, with the intention of proceeding to America, was not less than 5517.

SWEDEN.

Stockholm, April 1.-The deputies of the army have now closed their meeting (which had not been called together for twenty-three years) after two months sitting. The organization of this assembly is now changed; the purchase of the higher commissions in the army is limited, the pension fund of a million of dollars is placed under a new direction, wounded officers are entitled to larger annuities, and a separate establishment is founded for the support of their widows and orphans. All this concerns only the officers: the privates have VOL. I.

their own hospital in the formerly celebrated convent of St Brigitta, at Wadstena, besides two hospitals for the invalids of this garrison; and they enjoy a considerable revenue from all appointments that are made out, besides one per thousand on the sale of all estates. It is now in contemplation to found for their benefit a still larger establishment, towards which near 200,000 dollars, in voluntary contributions, have been already received.

The Hamburgh mail has brought an additional proof of the extreme folly of the new commercial system, by which the Swedish government is influenced. A decree has been published at Stockholm, prohibiting the sale of coffee in inns, hotels, coffeehouses, taverns, &c. under severe penalties, and the use of foreign wines, known by the names of Champaigne, Burgundy, canary, malmsey, sack, cape, or tokay. All foreign liquors, spirits, brandy, cider, and beer, are also prohibited. All this is a wretched imitation of Bonaparte's continental plan of exclusion, suggested probably by Bernadotte.

SWITZERLAND.

The accounts from Switzerland continue to be of the most distressing nature. In the eastern cantons there is almost a famine. Zurish is endeavouring to get corn from Genoa and Venice: Uri, from Italy; Fribourg has adopted severe measures against forestallers and regraters; Basle has prohibited the making of white bread; Zug has prohibited the exportation of butter; and Schwitz the exportation of hay. Under these circumstances, emigration assumes a more alarming activity-1200 families passed Jurphaas, on the 23d ultimo, to embark for America: 600 succeeded them the next day; and more were on the way. Many of them had been at the head of the linen, cotton, and silk manufactures of Switzerland.

DENMARK.

Copenhagen, April 12.By the last accounts from Iceland, we learn that the inhabitants exert themselves to the utmost to encourage internal industry, and to banish foreign luxuries. Every where they now land a single merchant lately had 3000 ells weave their cloth themselves, and in Nordwoven. The Icelanders have now so far

improved, that they can make cassimere almost as fine as the English. They have entirely left off coffee, tea, and sugar.

RUSSIA.

The governor of the Russian Company, and the Russian consuls in Britain, have received an official communication from St 2 S

Petersburgh, containing the following quarantine regulations, which will, we under stand, be rigorously enforced.

1. "That no vessels can be admitted into any ports of the Baltic, unless they produce a formal document from the Danish quarantine establishments, either at Elsinore, Nyburg, Frederica, or Tonningen, recognizing them free and exempt from every infection or suspicion whatever.

2. "That the ships or vessels coming to the ports of the White Sea cannot be admitted there, if they are not provided with a similar document from Norway (viz. from Christiansand) or England, from which it may appear, that they have observed in either of those kingdoms a rigorous quarantine, and have been declared there fully purified.

3. "That in order that no fraud or deception should be practised, the Russian government will furnish the forms of quarantine-certificates given at the above mentioned places, to all the custom-houses and commanders of guard-ships in the Russian empire.

(Signed) "J. A. RIEMER, Sec. "Consulate, April 11, 1817."

General Kosciusko, who continues to reside in the town of Soleure in Switzerland, and whose beneficence has procured him the admiration of all the country round, has executed, on the 2d of April, an act, by which he abolishes servitude on his domain of Siechroviez, in the palatinate of Buchzere, in Poland. He declares that his aneient serfs shall in future be exempted from all charges and personal services, and possess their lands as absolute property. An earnest recommendation is added to them, not to neglect, both for their own good and that of the State, the improvement of the liberty they have received, by means of schools and establishments of instruction.

IONIAN ISLANDS.

marched out to blow up the works to kill the governor, and declare the island inde pendent, &c. &c.

Last Wednesday the plot was ripe. At twelve o'clock the gates of the town were shut, and the houses of the supposed conspirators taken possession of by the military. The suspected persons were marched to the palace, to be tried immediately. Many papers were found in their houses, with their plans, &c. and the usual commissions were made out. It was supposed their trials would have been finished that night, when we expected to have received the criminals on board, and next morning have witnessed their execution; but to the astonishment of everybody, it was discovered that the whole affair was a contrivance of a young man be longing to the police, and who himself gave the information-hunting, as it would ap pear, for blood-money. He himself had made out all the papers; and, singular as it may appear, had managed to have them secreted in the houses of the different parties whom he denounced. He had even collected a quantity of arms and ammunition, and had employed men in the country in making cartridges near the residence of one of these gentlemen. In fact, a more deep and villanously concerted plan was scarcely ever heard of. What increases, if possible, the atrocity of his crime, he had included in his accusation some of his nearest relatives. This wretch, who had been taken in his own toils, is now under trial, and to-morrow, it is expected, he will receive the pu nishment which his crime so richly deserves.

The proclamation of General Maitland, dated 11th February, states in substance, that the whole of the supposed conspiracy was the machination of two individuals. Spiridion Lepeniotty, and Nicolo Caraco pulo, and that the persons whom these incendiaries had implicated, appeared, after the most careful investigation, to be altogether unconnected with it. From motives which we do not well understand, the sentence of death to which Lepeniotty was liable, has been commuted into one year's solitary confinement, and compulsory labour in chains for seven years afterwards, with banishment at the end of that term. The punishment of his accomplice is to be one year's solitary confinement.

expressed great concern, that he was not able, through ill health, to attend his duty in the House on the present day, and his deep regret at the postponement of the public business which his absence might occasion. Though at present it was hazardous for him to attend, yet he hoped he should experience the re-establishment of his health in the course of a week. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that a duty fell on him, which must be a painful consideration to all; but it was consolatory, that it gave an opportunity to the House of passing an unanimous vote, in consequence of the ill health of their estimable Speaker. His health had indeed been much sacrificed lately by his anxiety and late sittings in the chair; in which those who had most observed his conduct, would be most deeply impressed with a feeling of his integrity, attention, and ability. He concluded by proposing an adjournment to Thursday se'nnight. Unanimously agreed to.

April 24.On the Speaker taking the chair, the members crowded round him, and offered their congratulations on his re

covery.

PETITION FOR RETRENCHMENT.

The Hon. Mr BENNET, after moving

that the Police Committee be instructed to report their proceedings to the House from time to time, presented a petition, signed by 5000 inhabitants of the town of Wolverhampton and neighbourhood, praying for a reduction of taxes, and other means of relief. They represented, that they were in a state of the greatest suffering and hardship, in a great measure to be attributed to taxation; and prayed for a diminution. Their sufferings would be believed to be great, when it was known that several individuals in that neighbourhood were stated to have perished by famine. Employment had completely failed them; and if no other remedy could be devised for their distress, the petitioners prayed that they might be furnished with the means of leaving the country, and retiring to a foreign land. The petition was read, and ordered to lie on the table.

RELIEF OF THE POOR.

The Hon. W. H. LYTTLETON presented a petition from the parish of Old Swinford, in the town of Stourbridge, complaining of the pressure of the poor rates, to which he wished particularly to call the attention of the House. The burdens of this parish were oppressive beyond the usual rate of imposition: the rate assessed on house-rent was 29s. in the pound-on the rent of land employed on farms, 32s. in the pound; and on several kinds of land the rate amounted to the almost incredible sum of 61s. per acre. The population of the parish amounted to 4381. Of these 1868 received parish aid. The whole of this burden was laid on 158 individuals, who were the only persons able to contribute. The arish was formerly exemplary for morals

and good conduct, and had been reduced to this state by circumstances over which the sufferers had no control. The Hon. Gentleman begged to press the consideration of this subject on his Majesty's ministers. He would not move that the petition be referred to the Committee on the Poor Laws, but that it be laid on the table for their consideration.

The petition was brought up and read. It stated that the support of the poor had already ruined many of the former contribu tors, and would ruin others, unless an immediate relief were obtained.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the subject had occupied much of his attention, and on Monday next he meant to move that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to take into consideration a proposition for enabling his Majesty to issue Exchequer Bills to a limit ed extent, for the purpose of supplying loans on proper securities, to give encouragement for the employment of the poor. These loans would be advanced to corporations, to parishes, or to associations of individuals who might be desirous to employ, in any public work, the poor in their neighbourhood, upon their giving security to the commissioners at whose disposal, or under whose management, the issue of bills should be placed, that they would be repaid. Security might in parishes be given on the poorrate. Bills to the amount of between one and two millions would be sufficient to give the relief contemplated, and answer all the purposes of such a loan. He believed such a measure would not in any material degree affect the money market, which could afford all the issue without great deterioration. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by giving notice, by command of the Prince Regent, that he would on Monday move that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider the propriety of issuing Exchequer Bills to a limited extent, to afford loans, upon security to be given, for the local and temporary relief of the poor, by encouraging works for the employment of their industry.

The Hon. W. LAMBE said, there was one point of view in which the measure in tended to be proposed deserved the most serious consideration; and that was, whe ther it was to be considered as a means of temporary relief, or a substitute for all those other measures which were rendered neces→ sary for remedying the evils which had arisen out of the system under which we have been so long acting. In this sense, the proposed measure involved the consideration of a sys➡ tem which had been already productive of serious inconvenience, and threatened farther evils. He hoped, therefore, this plan of the Right Hon. Gentleman was not the only one. He did not deny the propriety of this step, but he would protest against any reliance on its sufficiency. The subject

was now pressed upon us by necessity: we saw the calamity under which the country laboured; we should not rest satisfied with palliatives, but should go at once to the root of the evil, and endeavour permanently to counteract its malignity.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that one object of the plan which he had given notice of submitting to the House was, to advance money to associations of individuals, and another to make these advances to public bodies. It was not intended that they should be made to single indivi duals for any purpose connected with the measure in question. The first object would embrace the support and encouragement of public works under certain limitations; and upon full security for the repayment of the money, the persons furnishing that security to take a counter security upon the parochial funds.

April 25.-Sir B. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from the West of England Agri cultural Society, praying for the abolition of the present salt duties, as injurious to the manufacturing, agricultural, and commercial interests.

Mr HARVEY presented a petition against the Saving Banks Bill now before Parlia ment, as injurious and unnecessary. Laid on the table.

On the motion for the second reading of the bill to authorise the granting of leases of tithes, Mr F. LEWIS, after some observations on the different acts empowering justices of the peace to levy the small tithes, and those not exceeding £10 in amount by warrant of distress, expressed a wish that it should be an instruction to the Committee, to provide for amending such parts of the late act as referred to this branch of their authority, (the 53d of the king, c. 127) for the purpose of proposing a clause extending their power to the determination of complaints or the recovery of tithes to the amount of £20. The bill having been read a second time, this motion was put and carried.

the poor.

SALT DUTIES.

Mr CALCRAFT rose to make his promised motion on this subject. In the course of his speech the Hon. Gentleman pointed out the impolicy of continuing the present enormous duties, which amounted to no less than 3000 per cent. on a raw material of our own produce. Such a tax mixed itself with every thing connected with the price of labour and the subsistence of It fell with grievous weight on the prices of butter, bacon, fish, meat, and all the primary and indispensable articles of food among the lower classes. In this point of view its effects were as impolitic as they were unjust. The price of labour was not now regulated by the price of food; a redundant population, and diminished trade, had left it dependent entirely on such competition for it as remained. It was necessary, therefore, in the present circumstances, that the essential articles of sub.

sistence should be exempted from taxation as far as was possible, consistently with the political safety of the country. His only object at present was inquiry: he wished for a full exposition of the case; and with this view the Hon. Gentleman moved, that a Committee be appointed to take the laws relative to the trade in salt into their consideration, and to report their opinions from time to time to the House.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not think the proposition of the Hon. Gentleman could be at present entertained. The agitation of this question had occasioned already a deficiency in the receipt of the revenue of £80,000; and it was incumbent on the Hon. Gentleman to show either the possibility of finding a commutation, or of our dispensing with a revenue of £1,500,000. As a measure of relief, a bill was now under the consideration of the House, for allowing the use of rock-salt, duty free, for the purpose of curing fish; and he was not quite certain that some indulgence might not be given to salt used for cattle. The Right Hon. Gentleman then read an extract of a letter from the proprietors of several extensive salt-works, to the effect, that they were decidedly of opinion that the present motion would ultimately be inju rious to their interests; and he concluded by saying, that the House would do well to postpone the consideration of this important matter until the bill in question had been fully discussed; and, upon these grounds, he felt it his duty to move the previous question.

Mr CALCRAFT replied generally, upon which the House divided. For the motion 70; against it 79; majority 9.

CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION.

April 28.-Sir H. PARNELL presented a petition from the Irish Catholics for emancipation; in which the objection to the interference of the Pope in the appointment to vacant Sees is proposed to be obviated by a concordat, to be procured from his Holiness, that none but native-born subjects shall ever be raised to the prelacy, and that the election shall be exclusively in the hands of the native clergy. The Veto the Catholics still refuse.

MR WM SMITH presented a petition from the English Catholics, praying that domestic nomination might be held a suffi cient security to be taken from the Catholics, as the condition of admitting them into the privileges of the British Constitution.

FREEDOM OF POLITICAL DISCUSSION.

Mr WILBERFORCE presented a petition from a certain society, called the Academical Society, instituted for the purpose of literary, political, and philosophical discussion, and the promotion of general knowledge, complaining of the refusal of the magistrates to grant them a license, and praying the House to afford them relief.

Mr B. BATHURST professed himself ignorant of the motives of the magistrates