A most respectable magistrate, a Mr. Going, was attacked upon the public highway, and, to use the vulgarly emphatic phrase in which the intelligence of his death was announced in Dublin, "his body was made a riddle of!" Seven mortal wounds were inflicted on him; and such was the daring ferocity of his assassins, that even the dead body was obliged to be guarded home by a military escort. As if to show that they were actuated solely by a sanguinary spirit, they left his watch and a large sum of money in his pocket untouched; and within an hour after the perpetration of the deed, it was announced to the country by bonfires on all the hills, and echoed by a savage yell of exultation from the villages. The Irish privy council immediately resolved to proclaim the district. In various other parts of the country, midnight meetings and robbery of arms were events of common occurrence. In the county of Tip perary eighteen persons, including women and children, were shot or burnt to death in one house. Shea, the father or master of the family, was the first to burst through the conflagration, in which his dwelling was involved by night; but meeting with monsters not

less savage than the raging element which he hoped to escape, he was by them instantly shot, and his body thrown back into the flames. His crime was, that he had recently removed some under-tenants from lands which they held at will. It was clear that common people were confederated-that they wished to dictate the regulation of property

that they had declared war against all public institutionsthat they resisted the payment of taxes and tithes, and had bound themselves by the profanation of an oath to enforce their wicked plans by plunder, torture, and murder!

A commission was sent into the disturbed districts for the purpose of bringing some of the perpetrators of these atrocities to justice; and several of them were in fact executed. Numerous bodies of troops were likewise dispatched into those districts. But notwithstanding every precaution and every remedy that could be devised, the country continued at the end of the year in a very unquiet state. Among other measures adopted, was that of sending the marquis Wellesley to replace lord Talbot as lord fieutenant.

TH HOUGH the ministers, into whose hands the direction of public affairs in France came upon the death of the duke of Berri, were decidedly unfavourable to the Liberals, they were by no means devoted to, or wholly under the influence of the opposite party. The duke of Richelieu had always been a moderator between the two factions, rather than the decided partisan of either; and among those who held office under him in 1820, none of the leaders of the côtè droit were to be found. From that side of the chamber, he received only an occasional and doubtful support. In the course of the session of 1820, the keen opposition which he met with, and the small majorities which he was able to command, made him sensible of the necessity of looking round him for re-inforcements. Coalition with the Liberals was out of the question; for to unite with them, would be to abdicate his office; they would not be content with a subordinate share of influence and authority; if admitted as colleagues, they would

soon turn him and his friends out of office; and, though the duke had always shown himself personally indifferent to the possession of power, he could never think of voluntarily putting the reins of government into the hands of his adversaries, and of thereby bringing about a complete change in the situation of all his friends and adherents, and in the course of political events in France. He, therefore, turned his views towards the côtè droit; who, though of late, they had risen considerably in power, were still too weak to aspire to governing by their own proper strength, and would be useful allies to the ministers, without being in a situation to make themselves his masters. The policy, indeed, which they were inclined to follow, was, in many respects, inconsistent with the predominating interests, passions, and prejudices of the country; but, in a cabinet, where they would form only a feeble minority, their zeal would be so curbed and checked, as to prevent all dangerous excesses. As union with them was safe, so

neither could there be much difficulty in accomplishing it. A party, who could have no reasonable hopes of engrossing all authority, would be glad to accept a moderate share of the administration. Their leaders, especially M. de Villèle, who from 1815 to 1820, had acted an im. portant part among them, and had distinguished himself by the steadiness and ability of his conduct, were by no means averse to an union with the ministry; by strengthening which, they conceived, that, at the same time that they gratified their own ambition, they confirmed and promoted the cause of good order. But they were held back from yielding readily to these views, by a prudent deference to their adherents; many of whom, they knew, were devoted to principles, which no wise statesmen would act upon in France, and expected from their chiefs, if once in office, a line of conduct, which circumstances would never per mit them to adopt.

The elections, which took place towards the end of 1820, by adding to the strength of the aristocratical party, made it still more requisite, than it had been in the former session, for the duke of Richelieu to come to some understanding with them. Negotiations were begun, were broken off, were again renewed; and at last, just at the close of the year, Messrs. Villèle, Corbieres and Lainé, were admitted into the cabinet. Their accession brought along with it the support of the more moderate members of the côte droit by the zealots, the three new ministers were garded as deserters from the good

cause.

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The first important measure brought before the chambers, was the project of a law, by which, besides opening a credit of 200 millions of francs, the first six twelfths of the land-tax, and of the tax on property, moveable and personal, were to be collected according to the rates of 1820; and, until the promulgation of a new law of finance, all the other taxes were to be received, according to the regulations enacted for the service of the preceding year. The minister of finance made this proposition on the 2nd of January; and, in doing so, expressed his regret, that it should be necessary to have recourse to any such provisional measure. The discussion was long and keen; but the côtè droit gave the ministers their support, and the measure was carried by a majority of 268 to 65.

On the 16th of January, the budget of the year was brought forward. The expenses were

classed under two heads, the fixed and the administrative. The former, comprehending the interest of the debt, pensions inscribed in the Great Book, the sinking fund and the civil list, were estimated at 351,271,489 francs. Of this sum, 25 millions were appropriated to the civil list, 9 millions to the royal family, 40 millions to the sinking fund, and 189,052,764 to the discharge of the interest of the 5 per cent. consolidated annuities, and reconnoissances de liquidation. This interest was greater than in 1820, by upwards of 700,000 francs.

As to the general expenses, those of the presidency of the council and of the ministry of justice, were the same as in the former year. The expenditure

of the ministry of foreign affairs was fixed at 7,870,000 francs. The insufficiency of the former estimate for the pay of diplomatic agents, and for the expense of couriers, rendered the demand of 300,000 francs necessary, beyond the grants of the year 1820. The ministry of war was limited to 175,442,000 francs, which was less than the estimate of the former year, by the sum of 4,582,352 francs. The expenses of the marine were estimated at 53 millions; which was an augmentation of three millions. The ministry of the interior, estimated at 103,720,000 francs, presented a diminution of 909,600 francs. The funds required for the administrative service of the ministry of finance sustained a

diminution of 120,000 francs. This saving was effected almost wholly, by diminishing the number of persons employed. The expenses of diplomacy were estimated at 14 millions; that is, at 1,896,000 francs less than in the last year. The commission for managing the old sinking fund was suppressed, and with it the The expenditure it occasioned. sums required for the expenses of the chambers of peers and of deputies, of the court of accounts, and of the administration of the Mint, &c., exhibited some variations; the expenditure of the chambers having increased, while that of the Mint and of some In the others had diminished. Mint there was a saving of 45,970 francs.

...

175,552,764 40,000,000

229,052,764