upon the assessed taxes, a species of impost in the reduction of which we in V Ireland have no immediate interest, but which are felt as a very heavy impost by persons in moderate circumstances throughout Great Britain. The whole amount of the assessed taxes may be estimated at five millions per annum, of which one-half is paid in window tax and inhahited-house duty. These are the heaviest direct taxes paid in the towns of England and Scotland, and we have no doubt that the Minister will be compelled to give them up, and to compensate the Exchequer by some impost which will bear more exclusively upon the rich. The Ministers would assuredly have acted with more prudence had they advised his Majesty to advert to the great pressure of taxation upon the people, and to promise that every thing would be done which the public safety and the public credit would permit, in order to render its reduction possible. But the Ministers do not appear to have composed the speech in a popular humour-they speak of coercion, not of compassion -of punishment rather than reliefThe condition of the working classes, about which when out of office they appeared to be so continually and so sensitively solicitous, is scarcely adverted to, and no intimation is given of any measure to ameliorate their circumstances, and lift them out of the calamities which flow from low wages and scanty employment. We now come to the last topic of the speech, and that part of it which, up to the moment at which we write, has almost exclusively occupied the attention of parliament. His Majesty expresses his confidence, that the Houses of Lords and Commons will entrust to him such additional powers as may be found necessary for controlling and punishing the disturbers of the public peace in Ireland, and for preserving and strengthening the Legislative Union between the two countries, which, with their support, and under the blessing of Divine Providence, his Majesty states, he is determined to maintain, by all the measures in his power, as indissolubly connected with the peace, the security, and well-being of his people. As we have stated, at the commencement of this article, it is not our intention to follow in the erratic course of all the eloquence and indignation which these declarations called forth from Mr. O'Connell and his friends in the House of Commons, nor to recapitulate the arguments with which those, who contended on the ministerial side, met their assailants of the Repeal phalanx. Before these pages meet the public eye, the minds of most of our readers have been made up as to the merits of the arguments for and against. We wish, rather, as we have the opportunity, to state, what our readers may not be so well acquainted with, namely, the impression of the public mind in England upon this portion of the King's speech, and the part taken by the Irish members with regard to it. Mr. O'Connell's cunning is vernacular, and, out of Ireland, it fails him. At home, he discovers a natural and prompt alacrity to seize upon the surest mode of success; or, if he makes a mistake, to retrieve himself so as to twist even ill fortune to advantage. He has a kind of instinct for adapting himself to circumstances when he has his own countrymen to deal with, and now, by downright impudence-now by adroit dexterity, carries his point by storm, or wins his way to it by mancuvre; but, in England, he does not make sufficient allowance for the different dispositions of those whom he seeks to influence. He is eloquent, and he interests them, but Englishmen do not make their feelings the governors and guides of their judgment; and, therefore, though he may interest, he does not persuade. An Englishman will only be persuaded by evidence and authority. Moreover, an Englishman's feelings will carry him only a certain length. He cannot be so excited as to sympathise with extreme rage and violence of expression. He loves decorum, thinks calmness an attribute of truth, (at least in political details), and violence, instead of rousing him to corresponding feeling, gives him offence. Mr. O'Connell does not remember all this, or, if he does, he acts as if he did not. Certainly if he was sincere in his violent opposition to the Ministers on the Address, nothing could be more injudicious than the method which he adopted. Had his object been to serve the Minister, he could have done nothing more effectual for that purpose. To his violence, and that of his friends, it is owing that, in spite of all the disappointment and dissatisfaction which the speech was calculated to produce, and did produce at first, the popular favour flowed back again to Ministers. The English public were disgusted and alarmed at the violent tone and daring perseverance of the Irish repealers, and the few English levellers who joined them, and determined against such assailants, to support the Government. To Mr. O'Connell's policy therefore it is owing that the Ministers established themselves at the outset of the Parliamentary campaign-in the first division on public business of the first Reformed Parliament, by a majority in the proportion of ten to one. Had Mr. O'Connell taken a different course, the result would have been very different-if, instead of his bullying justification of revolting atrocities, and his savage abuse of the threats of punishment held out in the King's speech, he had devoted himself to a grave and serious accusation of the Irish Government-if he had painted, as he well could have painted, the acts of that Government by which the populace were absolutely encouraged in their violence, and then suddenly checked with fierce ill temper, as if the object had been to goad them into madness, he then might have taken the public feeling of England with him, instead of turning it, as he did, against him. He should have known the English better than to suppose they would patiently listen to any thing like justification of the horrible offences with which the daily records of occurrences in Ireland are stained and blotted. He should have admitted their wickedness, and with sorrowful indignation, not with brutal fury, have cast upon the Government the responsibility which it has a right to bear. It is in vain to talk in bullying language to Englishmen about circumstances to justify outrage and assassination. There can be no such circumstances; such crimes must be punished, and if ordinary powers are not sufficient for their punishment, extraordinary powers must be given. It is very true that political evils are not to be met with the bullet and bayonet, or the axe and rope of the executioner, but with redress. It is equally true, however, that those who complain of political evils are not to be allowed to right themselves by the foulest crimes, and the most horrible violations of the laws of God and the feelings of humanity. If Mr. O'Connell has the power over the Irish peasantry to make them refrain from crimes, let him thus exercise his power, and when he has to plead before the English public for innocent men suffering from political hardships, he will then be listened to with attention and sympathy; but the public whom he addresses, when he crosses the channel, have not nor ought to have any sympathy with assassins, and they will not respect Ireland a bit the more that able men are to be found among its representatives who hear of the punishment provided for those who commit such crimes, with much indignation. If there was any particle of impression made upon the House by Mr. O'Connell's speech in moving his amendment to the address, it was completely swept away by the speech of Mr. Shaw, a Representative of whom our University may well be proud, standing as he now does in the very first rank among the men of ability and eloquence in the House of Commons. Wearied and impatient as the House was, when he rose to speak on the address, it was soon absorbed in mute attention to his energetic and affecting eloquence, and the Conservative party were at once fixed as adherents of the Ministry, so far as the suppression of outrage in Ireland demanded their assistance. No man in the House except Sir Robert Peel, could have done so much by a single speech, as was effected by Mr. Shaw. What the future course of the Conservative party may be during the Session, we do not pretend to determine. They have already done enough to shew how much they can forgive, and how little they are open to the charge of factious opposition. They are already reproached with coalition with the Whigs. Not many weeks have elapsed since the Whig papers accused them of coalition with the Radicals. One accusation answers the other-we trust they will coalesce with nothing but Conservative principles, and hold themselves equally aloof from the spurious liberalism of the Whigs, and the bold depravity of the more open Revolutionists, who are at present opposed to the Whigs. It is indeed but too plain that if there be not a good deal of consent on the part of the conservatives in Parliament to uphold any tolerable measures of the Government, worse will follow; but then this never should be done without a disavowal of the principles of the Ministry, and a proclamation made that the apparent union was one of sheer necessity; so as to keep alive and distinct an unflinching maintenance of the only true principles of Government, and social welfare. Conservatives may find it necessary to support the measures of Government, because the constituted authorities are to be upheld against the attacks of anarchy, but great care should be taken not to let words of courtesy go so far as seemingly to lose sight (for a moment) of the grand difference, that the Conservatives are "white," and Lord Grey's Administration "black," even if now and then they are thrust into company by particular circumstances. POLITICAL ASTRONOMY, OR, NOTES OF SOME OBSERVED DISTURBANCES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. The events, Mr. Editor, which I am about to relate to you, as well as the adaptation of our language to celestial phenomena will allow, have, however strange it may appear, been witnessed by me, as the vision of the Revelation was by the Divine, before they have actually taken place to our clouded and confined perceptions. To explain how this is, would be fruitlessly wasting my time and your patience, and you will therefore at least give me the credit due to travellers in general, and believe my relation until some subsequent adventurer shall have proved its falsehood. Strange indeed are the mysteries of the universe, and cautious should he be who attempts to initiate the public, lest his soarings be, to its clouded perception, considered fantastic or visionary. But, like my great predecessor, Copernicus, who bore privation and misery rather than conceal or disavow the TRUTH, am I content to suffer the flout and jeer of every earth-crawler, who raises his voice and turns up his nose in proportion to his prejudice and ignorance. Let, then, him that possesses the sense and reason of a man, that he can understand great truths, under the garb of allegory, come with me into a political Patmos, and learn secrets that concern him nearly. Without further preamble, I will proceed to inform you that I was rapt into the unmeasurable depths of ether one night, after my spirit had attained an unusual degree of elevation by a perusal of the debates in a certain house, reported in the columns of the Times newspaper, and found myself after a time placed by some invisible power in the chair of Cassiopeia, being at the same time made certain that I had liberty to dip my pen, a feather from the right wing of the Swan, in the dark azure of the heaven, and to make my notes of what passed upon the milky way. No sooner was I seated, than there was an unusual bustle in the little world which I had left. I was reclined with my legs crossed, my head on the palm of one hand, (my elbow being placed on the arm of the chair, which was stuffed with the softest nebula to make it easy,) and the other lazily hanging over the back, with the quill between my fingers.-I was at once dubbed a constellation. The object-glass of every telescope glared full upon me.— An astronomical treatise was published in little more than a week after I appeared, for the purpose of enlightening the world on the subject of "the new discovery." I was described as being observed in such a declination and right ascension, forming such an angle with the elbow of Perseus, and the right ear of Andromeda, and being visible on a fine night to the naked eye. But one thing remained-to give me a name; and this was more difficult than might be imagined. Philosophers disagreed; for each wished to translate his own patron to a place that might give him some reasonable hopes of immortality. One name proposed was Philippus; I suppose from my having taken a place to which it was conceived I had no right; another, Miguelius, probably because I had ousted Cassiopeia from the throne, perhaps some similarity in my appearance to Ursa Major might have suggested Augustus, but nothing but the pen could have given rise to Agitator. When no likelihood of agreement appeared, an humble astronomer proposed a name, which at once met with the approbation of all, and I now figured in every celestial globe under the title of ADVENA. When I had got over my first astonishment, and perceived that I was secure, I began to look about me, and what a prospect presented itself to me: Innumerable constellations darting their splendour around, till the wide arch of heaven was lit, and burned in the radiance of indescribable light! I naturally looked for my own system, and beheld the sun pouring out his bright treasures on his tributary orbs, which, sleeping on their "soft axles," walked, as in a dream, their well-known courses around him. Music, more than earthly ears can understand, was wafted from each, and swelled and swept away amongst the boundless halls of immensity-all was perfection, all was harmony, and all was beauty. A falling star flashed across my eyes -a roar as of thunder smote upon my ear-and a voice, which said, "mortal, see as we see, and hear as we hear." I started, and looked-and what a change! I saw suns and systems as animated and intellectual beings; I heard their voices, as of men who discoursed together, and I found my faculties expanded to catch and retain the mysterious knowledge. The sun was now a great and influential ruler over subjects of various dimensions and consequence. Near him were two stars of brilliancy, Mercury and another, which, variously denominated, I shall call Hesperus. The first of these was so near as to be frequently concealed from his fellowsubjects. Immediately exterior to Hesperus, and at by no means an immeasurable distance from him, revolved my own world, conducting with him, on his sober and regular path, one bright luminary, that shed the beams caught from the author of light principally upon her guardian, choosing for the season of her sweetest influence that hour, when every other lamp is extinguished. With the same aspect ever turned upon her protector, she faithfully and fearlessly pursued her way, and if at any time the light of her smile was eclipsed, it was when he looked dark upon her. Outside the terraqueous globe, Mars stalked on his red way, independent and alone; and beyond him, kept at a respectful distance by this fiery planet, four small luminaries shuffled round in their eccentric and irregular courses. These were supposed formerly to have been but one, as indeed their inconsiderable size would argue, but, some convulsion having separated them, each set up for himself, (to use a terrestrial expression,) and was by tacit acquiescence allowed all the rights, dignities, immunities, and privileges of a planet. Sober and sad, grave Jupiter took his plodding journey along, enshrined within his four satellites, and regardless of the distance of Saturn, who, adorned with ring and moons, sailed away through the twilight vastness of his orbit. But more remote even than him, a planet that had been admitted but lately into the system through the misdirected exertions of the Earth, wound its way, suspicious and suspected, and guarded by a trusty band of satellites, which, formerly but two, had latterly increased to six to finite sight, I must not say what their number was to mine. Through a reflector, with which the kindness of Andromeda supplied me, I was enabled to perceive that each of these planets represented the sentiments and characters of the generality of those innumerable beings that swarmed on its surface; and I could even distinguish the individual appearance and occupation of the throng. Mercury and Hesperus were inhabited by In this age of discovery, the Herschel may have a dozen moons visible since I read Brinkley, I wish the number were eight. dignified creatures, each wearing a small crown on his head; but in other respects there was a marked difference between the inhabitants of the two bodies. The lords of the former tossed their heads and strutted, and boasted themselves of their propinquity and relationship to the Sun, while on the latter, all was gravity, majesty, and decorum. The coronets of these did not indeed make so fine a show, but I soon perceived that it was only because they were older, the materials of which they were composed being precisely the same. Of the Earth I need say nothing but this, that the good people who inhabit it are most super-eminently Conservative, as regards any change dehors their own little world, and that nothing terrifies them more than the bare mention of any convulsion of a more extended nature than that of states and empires. But a glimpse at the moon showed me grave and venerable men, in sad coloured garments, of whom it must be confessed there were a few puffed up with the great reverence paid to them, not only by their own body, but by the earth; but by far the greater portion were humbly engaged in what I suppose were their duties. Some were exhorting others to acts of benevolence and charity; some were visiting those in sickness or distress; some were poring over old books, of which the light from one dazzled me so, as that I was unable to discover its contents; these they frequently opened and placed in view of the earth and the other planets, which were all provided with glasses sufficiently powerful to read them-though few there seemed to be who applied themselves to the study; there were others who knelt apart, and seemed rapt in devotion. On Mars I plainly beheld great castles, banners flying, camps forming, armies marching" in all the pomp and circumstance of war." But it was not without difficulty that I could discern what the little beings on the lesser planets were about; on one of them were things busily engaged in casting up never-ending accounts-calculating the quantity of light emitted from the sun annually-the minimum of gravitation requisite to hold the system together the superfluous atoms of the atmosphere of each planet, &c. &c. Another (which forcibly reminded me of my adventurous prototype Gulliver's Laputa) had strange creatures, plan. ning new systems-examining the structure of the world-conjecturing with respect to others-dividing their surface into complex mathematical figures— endeavouring to form satellites for themselves. But it would be an endless task to recount the various and extraordinary pursuits of those figures. I soon felt tired of following them, and directed my glass outwards to Jupiter, whose population was grave and dogmatical, clothed in flowing garments, with venerable wigs, and a leathern aspect, they met and argued, and disputed in incessant contention; though I soon perceived that they were, notwithstanding, on very good terms with each other; they held constant communication with the four satellites, and passed in and out of them as their business or inclination prompted them. On the surface of Saturn, I beheld an idle, lazy, lounging crew, some sitting listlessly looking about them, some playing at games of chance, some quarrelling, and some complaining; all evidently ignorant and discontented, yet affecting to despise and ridicule every thing outside their own ring. On the Herschel were scattered a turbulent, sans-culottes band, each with an oak-stick in his gripe; and as well as I could distinguish, a piece of sharp iron adapted to the head of it, partially appearing from his pocket. But enough of the constituency of the planets; I shall henceforth confine myself to the mass. My neighbour Perseus, who seemed an intelligent constellation, and from whom I gained all my information on these subjects, told me that these bodies had continued to revolve for six thousand years of sidereal time time quietly round the sun, with some little disturbances, it is true, but in the main agreeing wonderfully; but that of late a serious spirit of discontent had begun to manifest itself in certain of them; and this had risen to such a pitch, that it had been agreed, shortly before my arrival, to refer the points in dispute to a solemn meeting of the whole system. Accordingly I had not long to wait before I perceived that the celestial conclave had met. The chair was |