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GLEANINGS.

Navigation. Mr. John Willis is stated, in the Wexford Independent, to have invented a new set of sails, which, by impelling paddles mechanically in the manner of steam, insures the rapid navigation of a vessel with every wind that blows. The sails are four in number, of gigot shape, and revolving over the centre of the vessel. The same improvement is applicable to windmills on laud.

New Invention: the Proverb realised-the Cart before the Horse.-Heidelberg, 15 August.-"In the month of May last, there was seen in the streets of Manheim a horse pushing before him a carriage, guided with much address by Baron Drais, the author of this new invention, which is attended with great advantages. 1. the horse cannot run away; 2. the carriage is not exposed to the dust and dirt generally thrown up by the horse; 3. the prospect is not interrupted by the coachman and the horses; 4. the conversation of the travellers cannot be heard by the coachman; 5. the travellers are not incommoded by the fumes of the tobacco, &c. The coach box will be placed on the roof of the carriage; behind, by means of a looking-glass the driver is able to guide the vehicle. This invention is applicable to carriages drawn by four horses.

A Canoe supposed to be about the era of the Norman conquest, has been found embedded in the earth at North Stoke, near Arundel. It is of a single tree, thirty-five feet long, and four feet eight inches in breadth at the centre. Lord Egremont, on whose estate it was discovered, has presented it to the king.

Rail-road across the 1sthmus of Panama.-A decree of the New Granadian Congress, approved 25th May, authorises the president to receive propositions from auy individual or company which may offer them, for the construction of a rail road, or only a carriageroad, across the Isthmus of Panama, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, to be commenced within two years at the furthest from the date of the contract.

Gigantic Trees. - The Pepperwell oak at Methven Castle, near Perth, is the largest tree of the kind in Scotland. It must have been of some consequence in 1722, as 100 marks were then offered for it. In 1796 it measured 14 feet in circumference. It now measures 18 feet, and contains 700 cubic feet of timber. The diameter of the space occupied by its branches is about 100 feet. The largest cedar in Scotland is at Gray house, near Dundee; the largest beech at Newbattle Abbey, Mid Lothian; and the largest plane at Kippencross, near Dumblane.-Dundee Chronicle.

Metropolitan Cabriolets, &c.-The number of cabriolets that were licensed to ply for hire, prior to the 1st of January, 1834, was 1,200, and the commissioners were limited to grant licenses to that number, but after the 1st of January unlimited power was given them with regard to licenses, and upwards of 800 fresh licenses have since been granted. The owners pay 51. for each license when they take it out, and 21. every month for duty. This is paid in advance. Government, consequently, derives revenue in round numbers of 52,0001. per an um from the hackney cabs and coaches of the metropolis.

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Royal George.-A bottle of wine was picked up by a fisherman one day last week from the wreck of the Roval George, which sunk at Spithead in the year 1780, having been 54 years under water. The bottle was covered with oysters, winkles, &c. It was presented to Sir F. L. Maitland.

Precocious Learning.-There is now residing at the Hotwells, Clifton, an astonishing child, named Wm. Manuel, from Holywell, in North Wales, who, though he only attained his fourth year in March last, reads Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Welch, and Euglish fluently, and with equal facility if the book is reversed. He is a most interesting, intelligent-looking child, and as playful as children generally are at his age.- Bristol Journal.

French Clergy.-According to the almanack for the present year, the clergy of France on January 1st was divided into 121 titular or honorary Canons, 3.241 Rectors, 21,517 Curates. 6.289 Vicars, 449 Chaplains, 943 Almoners, 439 Priests, and 1,158 Priests Directors of Seminaries; making a total of 40,447 engaged in the service of the church.

Flodden Field.-The workmen recently employed in excavating for additional works for the gas company, at Coldstream, on a spot said to have been formerly part of the burying ground of the Priory of Cistertian nuns, immediately below the surface discovered a great number of human skeletons, which seemed to have been buried in the greatest confusion. Upon getting deeper, a trench was discovered, four feet wide and eight deep, and extending in length as far as was necessary to be excavated for the works about to be erected (upwards of twenty feet,) filled with bones, generally in a very decayed state, but among which were many entire skulls, with the teeth in a high state of preservation. At the bottom of the trench the blade of a knife seven inches in length was found. It is a well known fact that the bodies of a great many persons of note slain in the battle of Flodden were brought in carts to Coldstream, by order of the Lady Abbess, that they might be interred in consecrated ground; and there can be little doubt that the trench now discovered contains the remains of those who so nobly fought and fell on that memorable day.-Scotsman.

Literary Notices.

Just Published.

The Fathers not Papists; or, Six Discourses by the Most Eloquent Fathers of the Church. Translated by Hugh Stuart Boyd, Esq.

The Way of Salvation. By Henry Foster Burder, D. D.

The Day Star of the World's Freedom. By Dr.
Morison.
Counsels to the Aged. By the Rev. John Mori-
son, D. D-

Praise and Blame. By C. Williams.
Minor Morals. By Dr. Bowring.

A Remedy for Waudering Thoughts in the Worship of God. By Richard Steele, A.M. (first published in 1673.)

The Ministry of Reconciliation: a Sermon. By Edward Steane.

A Paraphrastic Translation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. By Lucius.

The Corner Stone; a Familiar Illustration of the Principles of Christian Truth. By Jacob Abbott; Preface by Dr. Pye Smith.

A Dissertation on the Reasonableness of Christianity. By the Rev. John Wilson, A.M.

Female Biography of the New Testament. T. Timpson.

By

The Natural Influence of Speech, in raising Man above the Brute Creation.

Metrical Exercises upon Scripture Texts. By Harriet Rebecca King.

The Truth and Excellence of the Christian Revelation demonstrated. By W. Youngman.

The First Six Books of Virgil's Eneid, literally translated. The Latin Text and English Translation arranged on opposite pages; with numerous Notes.

Redemption; or, the New Song in Heaven, the Test of Truth and Duty on Earth. By the Rev. R. Philip, of Maberly Chapel.

In the Press.

The Christian Keepsake. and Missionary Annual. Edited by the Rev. W. Ellis. Containing 13 Plates, engraved on Steel in the best manner. Small 8vo. Fisher's Drawing-Room Scrap Book for 1835. Containing 36 Plates, with Poems by L. E. L. Several of the Poems will be set to Original Music, composed expressly for this Work. Quarto.

The Temple: Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations. By George Herbert; a new edition. Also, Herbert's Country Parson, and Sacred Poems. Observations on the Preservation of Hearing, and on the Choice, Use, and Abuse of Ear Trumpets, &c. By J. W. Curtis, Esq. Aurist to the King.

A new edition of Mr. Bent's London Catalogue of Books, with their Sizes, Prices, and Publishers' Names; containing all the Books published in London, and those altered in Size or Price, from the Year 1810 to December 1834, inclusive.

A second volume of the Sacred History of the World. By Sharon Turner.

A New Volume of Poems. By Mr. William Wordsworth.

Heath's Picturesque Annual for 1835, will illustrate the Tales, Romances, and Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott; from Drawings by George Cattermole, esq.

LONDON: PRINTED AT THE CAXTON PRESS, BY H. FISHER, SON, AND CO.

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THE RT HON BLE HENRY JOHN TEMPLE, VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, G. C. B.

PalmeMons

FISHER SON & LONDON, 1834

THE IMPERIAL MAGAZINE.

NOVEMBER, 1834.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, G. C. B.

FOREIGN SECRETARY.

(With a Portrait)

THIS statesman, whose family name is TEMPLE, is the third Viscount Palmerston in succession. He was born on the 20th October, 1784, and inherited the title from his father, Henry, the late Viscount, who died on the 17th of April, 1802.

The TEMPLES, from whom this noble family paternally, and the present ducal house of Buckingham and Chandos maternally, descend, are said to be of Saxon origin, and to spring lineally from the son and heir of Algar, earl of Mercia.

The Temple family became connected with Ireland in the reign of Elizabeth, when Sir William Temple was secretary to the Earl of Essex; and, being provost of Trinity College, Dublin, became the representative of that university in parliament. His son, Sir John Temple held high legal and official situations in Ireland during the reign of Charles I. and the protectorate. One of his sons, Sir William Temple, was the distinguished statesman, patriot, and miscellaneous writer, who adorned the reign of Charles II. The other, Sir John Temple, was speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and father of Henry Temple, Esq., who, on the 12th March, 1722, was created a peer of Ireland, by the titles of Baron Temple, and VISCOUNT PALMERSTON. Henry, the second viscount, succeeded his grandfather, in 1757, and, in 1783, married Mary, the daughter of B. Mee, Esq. by whom he left issue, HENRY-JOHN, the present peer; William, secretary of embassy to Russia, and two daughters.

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, the subject of this memoir, was educated at Cambridge, and entered parliament about the time of Mr. Pitt's death, ranging himself on the ministerial side of the house, and aiding the measures of Government by his vote and influence. In 1809, during the administration of Spencer Percival, he obtained the office of secretary at war, which he continued to fill for nineteen years successively, namely, from October, 1809, to May, 1828, when he gave place to Sir Henry Hardinge, in consequence of the breaking up of Lord Goderich's cabinet.

The office which Lord Palmerston filled during this long period, extending through the successive administrations of Percival, Castlereagh, Liverpool, Canning, and Goderich, is one of acknowledged importance, and of no inconsiderable difficulty; and the best proof of his lordship's compe2D. SERIES, NO. 47.-VOL. IV.

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191.-VOL. XVI.

tency for discharging its functions, is to be found in his continuing to retain it undisturbed amid the conflict of parties, and the perpetual changes which, in other offices, were continually taking place. It is pretty evident that Lord Palmerston, for much of this time, must have avowed Tory politics, and given his support to them. But it is equally plain, that, of late years, he imbibed the liberal principles of Mr. Canuing, and, after that lamented statesman's death, he discovered an evident leaning towards the enlightened policy of Lord Goderich and Mr. Huskisson. Though, with the latter, he accepted office in the Wellington ministry, he took Mr. Huskisson's part in the fracas occasioned by that gentleman's vote on the East Retford question, and resigned his place on account of what he considered to be the arbitrary conduct of the Duke of Wellington on that occasion.

On the opening of the first session of parliament after the formation of the Wellington cabinet, in January 1828, the mover and seconder of the address, Mr. Jenkinson and Mr. Robert Grant, took care to expatiate upon the claims of ministers to the confidence of different parties. The mover could not refrain from informing the House, that the administration possessed the entire approbation of his brother, the late Lord Liverpool, who, then, was unhappily suffering under a stroke of paralysis, which had already deprived him of his mental powers, and was about speedily to terminate his life. The seconder alluded to the circumstance of both Mr. Huskisson and Lord Palmerston being together in the service of the crown. This mode of recommending the cabinet to the legislature and the public, offered an opportunity to the ever-ready sarcasm of Mr. Brougham. "The opinion

of the noble viscount (Palmerston) was to be received," he observed, "as the opinion of a member of a former cabinet; and, indeed, as the opinion of a member of every cabinet that had existed for the last twenty yearsas though he were a sort of hereditary member!"

On the call of Sir Joseph Yorke for explanation, Lord Palmerston rose to reply; but, in defending the members of the cabinet generally, he waved any allusion to himself, and very ably vindicated the hero of Waterloo from some splenetic observations which, with less good taste than party spirit, had fallen from Mr. Brougham. That adherence to party through right and wrong, which, in the language of public men, is termed "political consistency," was certainly not the distinguishing virtue of Lord Palmerston's career; but entering the arena of politics with conservative principles, when the strength of the Tories was beginning to decline, he possessed the rare faculty of knowing when and where honourably and advantageously to recede.

Mr. Percival came into office on the "No Popery" cry, and Lord Palmerston became one of his colleagues. The Peel and Wellington cabinet proposed the removal of the Catholic disabilities, and Lord Palmerston has shewn himself one of their most powerful advocates.

His masterly speeches on the Catholic question afford convincing evidence of what his sentiments were when the Wellington administration was formed, of which he was one. Yet nothing could be more remote from the intentions of the noble duke, at the moment of accepting the premiership, than to remove the Catholic disabilities in the manner it was afterwards effected. The repeal of the Test and Corporation acts was carried, despite of the Duke of Wellington and Mr. Peel-and that measure drew in its train the removal of the Catholic disabilities. As the heads of the government, at the time of forming the cabinet, had it not in contemplation to carry either of these important measures into effect, Lord Palmerston would appear to have given his consent, and yielded acquiescence, to a totally

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