foundation. From the kindness of the Father of the Faithful I expect a gracious reception, which may afford a well-founded hope of extinguishing civil discord, of pacifying exasperated minds, and of sparing every one the serious responsibility of the evils which might arise from contrary counsels." The Pope replied: "The events which have taken place in some of the provinces of the States of the Church impose on your Majesty the obligation, as you write to me, of accounting to me for your behaviour in respect to them. I might contest certain assertions contained in your Majesty's letter, and say, for instance, that the foreign occupation in the Legations had been for some time past confined to the city of Bologna, which never was a part of the Romagna. I might answer that the pretended universal suffrage was not spontaneous, but imposed; and here I abstain from asking your Majesty's opinion on universal suffrage, as well as from declaring to you my decision. I might answer that the Papal troops were hindered from re-establishing the legitimate Government in the insurgent provinces by causes known also to your Majesty. I might answer this and much more on the subject'; but what still more imposes on me the obligation of not consenting to your Majesty's plans, is the spectacle of the immorality daily increasing in those provinces, and of the insults offered to religion and its ministers; so that, even were I not bound by solemn oaths to maintain the patrimony of the Church intact-oaths which forbid me to enter upon any negotiations whatever tending to diminish its extent-I should consider myself bound to reject every project, so as not to stain my conscience with a consent which would carry with it the sanction of, and direct participation in, those disorders, and would have the effect of justifying an unjust and forcible spoliation. For the rest, I not only cannot receive cordially your Majesty's proposals, but, on the contrary, protest against the usurpation which is being accomplished to the loss of the States of the Church; and I leave on the conscience of your Majesty, and all abettors of this act of spoliation, the fatal consequences which may ensue. I am persuaded that your Majesty, in reading over, with a mind more tranquil, less prejudiced, and better acquainted with the real facts, the letter which you addressed to me, will find much to repent of. I pray the Lord to grant you that grace of which, in your present difficult position, you have so great need."

23.-The Chancellor of the Exchequer introduces his proposal, afterwards accepted by the House, to increase the Income-tax to 10d. in the pound.

24. In the matter of the Carron Iron Company compromise, the Master of the Rolls tejects the plea made on behalf of Stainton's representatives that the first payment constituted a general compromise, and finds that the recently-discovered defalcations constitute

a new and independent claim against the Stainton estate.

24.-Signature of the Treaty of Annexation of Savoy and Nice to France. The preamble declared that, "His Majesty the Emperor of the French having explained the considerations which, in consequence of the changes that have arisen in the territorial relations between France and Sardinia, caused him to desire the annexation of Savoy and of the arrondissement of Nice to France; and his Majesty the King of Sardinia having shown himself disposed to acquiesce in it, their Majesties have decided to conclude a treaty to this effect," His Majesty the King of Sardinia consents to the annexation of Savoy and of the arrondisse ment of Nice to France, and renounces for himself and all his descendants and successors, in favour of his Majesty the Emperor of the French, his rights and titles over the said terri tories. It is understood between their Majes ties that this annexation shall be effected without any constraint of the wishes of the populations, and that the Governments of the Emperor of the French and the King of Sar dinia will concert together as soon as possible upon the best means of appreciating and verifying the manifestations of those wishes.

The Gotairo or Regent of Japan assas

sinated.

25.-Austria protests against the annexation of the Italian duchies to the new kingdom of Italy.

26.-The Pope issues Letters Apostolic pronouncing the major excommunication against the invaders and usurpers (not named) of certain provinces in the Pontifical States. "The first evident signs of the hostile attacks were seen at the Paris Congress of the year 1856, when that Power, among other hostile declarations, proposed to weaken the temporal power of the Pope and the authority of the Holy See; but last year, when war broke out between the Emperor of Austria and the Emperor of the French and the King of Sardinia, no fraud, no sin was avoided, which could excite the inhabitants of the States of the Church to sedition. Hence instigators were despatched, a great deal of money was spent, arms were supplied, excitement was created by bad pamphlets and journals, and fraud of every kind was employed, even on the part of those who were members of the Embassy of that country at Rome, without any regard to honesty and international right, as they asserted their dignity in order to be enabled to misuse it, and to pursue their dark projects for damag ing our Papal Government. Having in

voked the light of the Holy Spirit in private and public prayers, and having taken the advice of the reverend brothers the Cardinals of our Holy Romish Church, we declare, in ac cordance with the authority which we hold from Almighty God and the most holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and also in accordance with our own authority, all those who have taken

part in the sinful insurrection in our provinces, in usurping, occupying, and invading them, or in doing such deeds as we complained of in our above-mentioned allocutions of the 20th of June and the 20th of September in last year, or those who have perpetrated some of those acts themselves, those who have been their warranters, supporters, helpers, counsellors, and followers, as well as those who connived at executing the above-mentioned deeds under whatever pretence and in whatever manner, or who perpetrated them themselves, to have taken on themselves the atonement of the major excommunication and religious punishment as they are determined in our Apostolic Constitution, and by the decrees of the General Councils, especially that of Trent (Sess. 22, chap. ii. on Reforms); and, if necessary, we excommunicate them again, we anathematize them, further declaring that they are to lose all privileges and graces, an indulgence which they enjoyed until now from our Papal predecessors, and that they cannot in any measure be released or absolved of these censures by any one except ourselves or the Romish Pontiff then reigning, except at the moment of death, but not in the event of their recovery, when they are again subject to the above punishment, and are unable to receive any absolution until they have retracted, revoked, annulled, and abolished in public all they have committed, and have brought everything back fully and effectively to its former state, and have given complete satisfaction to the Papal power. . . . The present letter, as is well known, cannot be safely published everywhere, and especially in such places where it should be most required; therefore we will that this letter, or copies of it, shall be posted on the doors of the Lateran Church, on those of the church of the Prince of the Apostles (Basilica Principis Apostolorum), on those of the Apostolic Chancery and General Curia (Curia Generalis), in Monte Citaris, and at the corner of the Field of Flora of the city (in acie Campi Flora de Urbe), a. is usual, and the so posted and published letters, and each of those letters, shall have the same power upon every one whom it concerns as if they had been presented nominatim personaliter."

26. Mr. Horsman makes another attack on the French Emperor and the policy of Ministers. He denounced the conduct of the Emperor in Italy as full of deceit. "I say," he repeated, "that he has deceived the English Ministers, and has made them his tools for deceiving the English Parliament. (Opposition cheers.) I say that he has treated them with a duplicity which they had not the candour to avow, and with a contempt which they had not the spirit to resent. (Renewed cheers.) And, speaking of his proceedings in Savoy and Sardinia, and the manner in which he has announced his policy to Europe, I say he has added insolence to aggression, and perfidy to injustice!"-Lord John Russell, who on rising was received with loud cheering, said the hon. gentleman had raised a great many spectres, with

which he had fought much more than with any reality existing. The chief was that the Ministers were continually rebuking the House for freedom of speech. On the contrary, Government had been satisfied with the forbearance shown. Once only it was thought Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald had forgotten the responsibility of his position, but he subsequently made a speech of such moderation and good intention, that he was perfectly satisfied. "But I must say that, as the right hon. gentleman the member for Stroud has given us so much warning and advice, and so much objurgation, I may be permitted to give him one piece of advice-that, seeing there is on the other side of the House an indisposition to enter upon any violent course of opposition, or any factious misrepresentation, I wonder that he does not himself take his place on the front seat of the Opposition bench-(Ministerial cheers)-and endeavour to show, to the shame of the right hon. gentlemen opposite, what faction can effect. (Renewed cheers.). . . Sir, my opinion, as I declared it in July and January, I have no hesitation to repeat-that such an act as the annexation of Savoy is one that will lead a nation so warlike as the French to call upon its Government from time to time to commit other acts of aggression, and, therefore, I do feel that, however we may wish to live on the most friendly terms with the French Government(cheers)-we ought not to keep ourselves apart from the other nations of Europe-(loud cheers from both sides of the House)-but that, when future questions may arise, as future questions will arise, we should be ready to act with others, and to declare, always in the most moderate and friendly terms, but still firmly, that the settlement of Europe, the peace of Europe, is a matter dear to this country; and that settlement and that peace cannot be assured if it is liable to perpetual interruption-(loud cheers) to constant fears, to doubts and rumours, with respect to the annexation of this one country, or the union and connexion of that other; but that the Powers of Europe, if they wish to maintain that peace, and respect each other's rights, must respect each other's limits, and, above all, restore and not disturb that commercial confidence which is the result of peace, which tends to peace, and which ultimately forms the happiness of nations. (Loud cheers.)"

26. The foreign ambassadors at the Neapolitan Court present a joint address to Francis II. recommending political reforms.

27.-Prussia protests against the annexation of Savoy to France.

29.-The Queen of Spain agrees upon preliminaries of peace with Morocco, the Emperor consenting to pay 20,000,000 piastres as indemnity, and to leave Tetuan in the meantime in the hands of Spain. A treaty was signed April 27. 30. Sir Robert Peel draws attention to the position of Switzerland, in consequence of the

annexation of Savoy to France, and endeavours to show from documents sent to him from Chambery, that the pretended popular vote was the result of coercion on the part of French agents. He also censured Mr. Bright for first describing the annexation as a "miserable question," and then attempting to fix the guilt of the agitation on the House of Orleans.

April 1.-Died in London, aged 60, Colonel William Mure, of Caldwell, author of a carefully written "History of the Language and Literature of Ancient Greece."

2.-At the opening of the Sardinian Parliament, the King said: "Out of gratitude to France, for the sake of Italy, to cement the union of the two nations, whose origin, principles, and destinies are common, a sacrifice was necessary, and I have made the one which was dearest to my heart. With reserve of the suffrage of the people, of the consent of Parliament, and with due regard to the right secured to Switzerland by virtue of international laws, I have stipulated a treaty of annexation of Savoy and of the county of Nice to France." The Treaty of Cession was submitted to Parliament on the 12th, and approved of by a majority of 229 against 33 votes. Garibaldi, who sat as deputy for Nice, his native town, was amongst those who spoke and voted in the negative.

4. Revolutionary outbreak at Palermo, Messina, and Catania.

12. Considerable excitement was created in mercantile circles in the metropolis by the sudden and unexpected rise of the rate of discount, first to 44, and now to 5 per cent. The step was said to be owing to the withdrawal of 1,550,000l. by the great discount house of Overend, Gurney, and Co., in resentment at the application of the Bank rule against re-discounting. The experiment terminated in the amount being returned to the Bank in the course of a week, and discount was thereupon reduced to its former rate.

At a Reform meeting in Manchester, Mr. Bright defended the right of working men to engage in strikes when the condition of trade made such a step necessary. "It has never yet been proved," he said, "that trades unions or that strikes are always bad. I dare say that in nine cases out of ten-it may be, for aught I know, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred-a strike had been better avoided. But the strike is the reserved power; and if I were a working man I should never say I would surrender my right, in combination with others, to take such steps as are legal and moral for the advancement of my interests and the interests of those who worked with me. But if these strikes are sometimes-it may be often, it may be mostly-bad, and that, I think, all classes of persons would agree to, still the House of Commons and Mr. Whiteside and his party are not the parties to upbraid the working men with what they do upon this

matter. The House of Commons itself was a great trades union from 1815 to 1846. (Cheers.) You know that the shibboleth of the country members was wheat at so much, barley at so much, oats at so much; and one of them, wishing to be minute in the profession of his faith-the member for the North Riding of Yorkshire-was for establishing a proportionate price for new milk cheese. (Laughter.) Now, we combined against this system. We 'struck.' (Loud applause.) Why, Nature her self, constant and beneficent as she always is, struck' against this inhuman system. The very harvest rotted in your fields. As in the old time the bondsmen of Egypt were liberated by means of the plagues of Egypt, so famine, and fever, and an exodus greater than that which Moses led, was necessary, and came and succeeded in striking off the manacles from the industry of the people of this kingdom."

16.-The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone installed as Rector of Edinburgh University. He addressed the students on the subject of university work, and the spirit in which it ought to be undertaken.

Heenan,

17-Great fight for the championship, at Farnborough, between Tom Sayers and Heenan the "Benicia Boy," an American. The contest being generally regarded as a kind of interna tional trial of "pluck," gave rise to excitement in quarters where such events are seldom talked of, and even revived for a time the faded glories of the prize-ring. Peers, it was said, were there, and peers' sons; members of Parliament in plenty; authors, poets, painters, soldiers, even clergymen, "men about town," members of "the Fancy," a vast variety of low lifemuch of it of a suspicious character, and some of it long past suspicion. Sayers, aged 34, who at present held the belt, stood 5 feet 8 in., and when in fair fighting trim weighed from 10 st. 10 lbs. to 10 st. 12 lbs. aged 28, a native of Troy, U.S., stood about 6 feet 2 inches, and was otherwise firmly knit together. Umpires and a referee having been appointed, there was a toss for a choice of position. This was won by Heenan, and he selected the highest ground, where he would have the sun on his back, thereby placing Sayers in such a position that he would have the full glare in his eyes. minutes over two hours, thirty-seven rounds were fought the last five amid great confusion, owing to the police and others breaking in upon the ring--and the men were then hurried away by their friends, Heenan all but blind from punishment in the face, and Sayers with his powerful right arm useless. The appropriation of the stakes and honours gave rise to a sharp controversy in pugilistic circles-a controversy which was far from being settled by the presentation of a belt to each of the champions.

In a few

19. In the House of Lords, Earl Grey ob tains the appointment of a committee to inquire "what would be the probable increase of the

number of electors from a reduction of the franchise, and whether any, and what, change was likely to be made in the character of the constituencies by such increase."

23.-Earl Cowley having obtained special leave of absence from the embassy at Paris, defends himself in the House of Lords from a charge brought against him by Lord Normanby, of treating as private communications notes which had passed between the Foreign Minister and the French Ambassador on the subject of the annexation of Savoy, at a time when the interference of Britain might have been more effective than it afterwards was.

In

Close of the voting in Savoy and Nice on the question of annexation to France. Savoy, 130,533 voted in favour, and 235 against; in Nice the votes were 25,743 for annexation, and 160 against it.

Baron Bruck, Finance Minister of Austria, commits suicide. A deficiency in the national accounts had previously been discovered of 1,700,000!.

Insurrection in Spain, leading to a renunciation of the claim to the throne put forward on behalf of the Count of Montemolin, eldest son of the late Don Carlos. This renunciation was afterwards annulled at Cologne.

26.-Died, the Duke of Terceira, President of the Portuguese Council.

27. Captain Speke and Mr. Grant embark in the steam-frigate Forte at Portsmouth, on their expedition to explore the source of the Nile in Central Africa. After some delay at the Cape and Mozambique, they arrived at Zanzibar on the 15th August, and commenced their journey across the continent early in October,

4. The Prussian Chambers resolve to aid the inhabitants of Schleswig and Holstein in the maintenance of their political rights.

Statue of Mendelssohn inaugurated at the Crystal Place by a torchlight procession.

5.-Garibaldi sails from Genoa with a body of 2,000 men, whom he had induced to volunteer to assist the Sicilians in the insurrection against Francis II. At Talamona he issued a proclamation: "Italy and Victor Emmanuel!'— that was our battle-cry when we crossed the Ticino; it will resound into the very depths of Ætna. As the prophetic battle-cry re-echoes from the hills of Italy to the Tarpeian Mount, the tottering throne of tyranny will fall to pieces, and the whole country will rise like one man.' The Piedmontese official Gazette said the Government disapproved of the expedition, and attempted to prevent its departure. On the 9th of October, when the insurrection had accomplished its design, the King in an address to the people of Southern Italy said: "The people were fighting for liberty in Sicily when a brave warrior devoted to Italy and meGeneral Garibaldi-sprang to their assistance. They were Italians. I would not, I ought not, to restrain them."-On the 10th of May Garibaldi effected a landing at Marsala, and assumed the title of Dictator of Sicily "in the name of Victor Emmanuel of Italy.' On the 27th he attacked Palermo in the most daring manner, and drove the Neapolitan troops into the citadel, which they afterwards evacuated during an armistice.

7.-In the course of a debate raised by Mr. Horsman as to the connexion of Mr. Walter, M. P., with the Times, Lord Palmerston said: 'My right hon. friend has stated that he did not know what the influence was which drew Mr. Delane, one of the editors or managers of the Times, to me; and if by that statement he means to imply a wish on my part to exercise any influence over the line of conduct which is pursued in the case of that journal, I can only say in answer to this charge, in the words of Mrs. Malaprop, that I should be but too glad to plead guilty to the soft impeachment, and to know that the insinuation which it involves was really founded on fact. (A laugh.) If there are influences which, as the right hon. gentleman says, have fortunately led Mr. Delane to me, they are none other than the influences of society. My right hon. friend has observed, in that glowing address which he has just delivered to us, that the contributors to the press are the favourites and the ornaments of the social circles into which they enter. In that opinion he is, it seems to me, perfectly correct. The gentlemen to whom he refers are, generally speaking, persons of great attainments and information. It is, then, but natural that their society should be agreeable. My acquaintance with Mr. Delane is exactly of that character. I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Delane frequently in society, and he has occasionally done me the honour to

mix in society under my roof. That society was, I may add, composed of persons of all shades of politics-(cheers)-of various pursuits; and I need hardly say I feel proud when persons so honour me without undertaking any other engagement than that which Mr. Delane always makes good-of making themselves agreeable during the time of their stay."

8.-The Government proposal to repeal the Excise duty on paper carried by a majority of 9 in a house of 429.

Died, aged 74, Horace Hayman Wilson, Boden Professor of Sanscrit in the University of Oxford.

9. In the Central Criminal Court the Rev. Mr. Hatch is successful in his attempt to procure a conviction for perjury against the girl Plummer, II years of age, who had charged him with indecent conduct to her in his own house, and for which he was now undergoing confinement in Newgate. In the first case the mouth of Mrs. Hatch, a most essential witness on her husband's behalf, was necessarily closed; but now, in the way the prosecution was laid, she was put into the witness-box, and gave evidence showing it to be impossible that Mr. Hatch could have committed the offence charged against him without her cognizance. In this she was corroborated by other visitors at the house. Baron Channell summed up the evidence in an address of eight hours' duration. The jury were absent two hours, and delivered their verdict as follows: "We find the prisoner, Mary Eugenia Plummer, guilty; and while we recommend her to the utmost extent of mercy, we venture at the same time to express a hope that your lordship, if you have the power to do so, will direct that any imprisonment to which she may be subjected may be accompanied by a proper course of training and education, of which she has hitherto been deprived, and probably would still be deprived, at home." The verdict was received with applause. After a suitable admonition, she was sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment, and then to be sent to a reformatory for two years.

10.-Died at Florence, aged 50, Theodore Parker, American theologian.

11. Sir C. Wood explains that the recall of Sir C. Trevelyan from Madras was rendered necessary oy his having published a protest against the financial measures of Mr. Wilson, the Finance Minister.

12.-Died, aged 55, Sir Charles Barry, R. A., architect of the new Houses of Parliament.

15.-George William Pullinger, late chief cashier of the Union Bank of London, tried before Mr. Baron Channell at the Central Criminal Court, for defrauding that bank to the extent of over 260,000/. The whole of the large payments into the Bank of England passing through his hands, Pullinger found that he

virtually possessed the entire control of these funds, inasmuch as the pass-book forming the only check remained in his hande till it was consigned to the ledger-keeper. Emboldened by his success in altering this pass-book for trifling amounts, he persevered in his crime to meet alleged losses on the Stock Exchange, and ended by appropriating the almost incredible amount above mentioned. The fraud was detected on the 19th April, when the prisoner was accidentally absent. He was now sentenced to fourteen years' penal servitude on the first indictment, and six years' on the second.

15. Discussion in the House of Lords on the resignation by Sir C. Trevelyan of the post of Governor of Madras.

Meeting in St. Martin's Hall to protest against the conduct of the Lords in threatening to reject the clause of the Budget relating to the repeal of the paper-duty. Mr. Bright was the chief speaker.

The Neapolitans defeated by Garibaldi at Calatifimi.

16. At the meeting of the National Republican Convention at Chicago, Abraham Lincoln was selected as candidate for the Presidency of the United States.

- Died, aged 68, Lady Noel Byron. She married the Poet in January 1815, separated thirteen months afterwards, and lived since then in the quiet performance of acts of charity.

18. At Sandown Fort, Isle of Wight, Sergeant Whitworth, R. A., murders his wife and six children by cutting their throats with a razor, and then attempts to commit suicide with the same weapon. Whitworth was tried at the Winchester Assizes, but was found to be in a state of mind not capable of understand. ing or pleading to the indictment.

The

21. After a long debate in a crowded Houst the Lords reject the bill repealing the paper duty by a majority of 193 to 104 votes. principal speeches in opposition were delivered by Lord Monteagle, who moved the rejection of the resolution, by the Earl of Derby, and by Lord Lyndhurst, who completed his eightyeighth year on the day of debate, and who showed from the journals of the House, and the conferences which had taken place with the other branch of the Legislature, that it was no unusual thing for their Lordships to exercise their constitutional veto upon bills repealing as well as on bills proposing taxes. He found precedents for the step in 1689, when a poll bill was thrown out; in 1709, when an alteration in the malt duties was made; in 1790, when a bill for removing stamps was rejected; in 1805, when a bill abolishing Custom-house fees was rejected; and again in 1808, when a bill repeal. ing certain duties on coal, and altering others, was thrown out without even a complaint being raised. "I may be told," concluded the vene rable peer, "there is a surplus. That is a