which these arrangements were founded were stated.
He asked how we could deliver up to the French
government, for instance, slaves from Martinique who,
being employed as seamen, escaped while their ships
were in our ports?—Lord J. RUSSELL agreed with
Mr. Hume that the preamble of the bill should declare
the treaties on which the measure was founded. The
bill was important to our shipping interest.—Mr.
Secretary WALPOLE intimated that the bill would not
alter the law as regarded slaves escaping to British
ground. The object simply was to carry into effect the
same arrangement with other powers as was contained
in the treaty with Portugal.—Mr. ANSTEY, on the faith
of this explanation, withdrew his amendment, and the
second reading was agreed to.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the committal of
the Charitable Trusts Bill, and entered into a number
of details to show the necessity of legislation on the
subject.—After some discussion, the bill passed through
committee pro formâ.

PROGRESS OF BUSINESS.

House of Lords.—March 12th.—Chancery Reform, Lord
Chancellor's Explanations.

15th—Ministerial Policy—Lord Derby's Explanations.

18th.—Lord Shaftesbury's Resolution to petition the Queen for
a State Prison for Criminal Lunatics, debated and withdrawn.

19th.—Ministerial Policy—Lord Derby's answer to the Duke
of Newcastle.—Patent Amendment Law (No. 2) Bill read a
second time.

22nd.—Bill to Shorten the Interval between Dissolution and
Assemblage of a New Parliament, brought in by Lord Brougham.

23rd.—Law of Wills Amendment Bill, read a second time.

25th.—Law of Wills Amendment Bill, passed through
Committee.

26th.—Lord Brougham's Bill for Earlier Assembling Parliament
read a second time.—Law of Wills Amendment Bill passed
through Committee.

House of Commons.—March 12.—Parliamentary Representation
Bills postponed by Lord John Russell.—St. Alban's Disfranchisement
Bill read a second time.

15th.—Ministerial Policy—Mr. Villiers' question and debate
thereon.

16th.—Crime in Ireland—Mr. Stuart's motion debated and
withdrawn.

17th.—Manchester and Salford Education Bill referred to a
Select Committee.

18th.—Cuffe-street Savings' Bank, Mr. Reynolds's motion for
compensation negatived.—Mr. Slaney's Industrial and Provident
Partnerships Bill read a first time.

19tb.—Irish Encumbered Estates Act, to be renewed.—
Ministerial Policy, questions and debate.—Passengers Act Bill
read a second time.

22nd.—Committee of Supply on Army Estimates.—Indemnity
Bill passed through Committee.—Suitors in Chancery Relief
Bill passed through Committee pro formâ.—Copyright Amendment
Bill passed through Committee.—St. Albans Disfranchisement
Bill considered in Committee.

23rd.—Mr. Frewen's motion for the Repeal of the Hop Duty
debated and withdrawn.—Mr. Milnes's motion for an Address to
the Crown for Correspondence respecting Foreign Refugees,
debated and withdrawn.—Leave given Mr. Henley to bring in
a Bill to arrange with Foreign Powers for the apprehension of
Deserters.—Leave given Mr. Frewen to bring in a Bill to
promote the Building of Churches and to prevent the Union of
Benefices.

24th.—Protection from Dangerous Animals Bill, withdrawn
on second reading.—County Rates Bill referred to a select
Committee.—Corrupt Practices at Elections Bill, read a second
time.—Common Law Fees Regulation Bill passed through
Committee.

25th.—London (Watford) Spring Water Company's Bill read
a second time.—Mr. Hume's motion for Parliamentary Reform,
motion negatived.

26th.—Committees of Supply and of Ways and Means.—
Mutiny Bill anil Marine Mutiny Bill read a second time.—
Copyright Amendment Bill passed through Committee.—St Alban's
Disfranchisement Bill read a third time and passed.—Appre-
hension of Deserters from Foreign Ships Bill read a second
time.—Charitable Trusts Bill passed through Committee pro
formâ.—Corrupt Practices at Elections Bill, and Enfranchisement
of Copyholds Bill passed through Committee.

An elaborate parliamentary return just published
exhibits the numbers of Electors registered in Great
Britain in the years 1850 and 1851, the various qualifications
of the voters, the numbers polled at the last contest,
the population, and other particulars. The smallest
English county constituency in 1851 was Rutland—1876;
South Lancashire had 21,196 voters; and the West
Riding, the largest constituency in the empire, 37,319.

The Welch counties varied from 1006 in Merionethshire
to 6424 in Glamorganshire. In the list of boroughs and
cities, Calne has the smallest constituency—160; the
next lowest is Andover—241. There are nine
constituencies over 10,000 each,: Bristol, 12,548;
Manchester, Westminster, Liverpool, Lambeth, Marylebone,
London, and Finsbury, form an ascending series,
terminated by the Tower Hamlets, the largest borough
constituency, with 23,534 registered electors. The boroughs
of Wales vary in number of voters from Brecon with 336
to Swansea with 1694. The smallest constituency in a
Scotch county is in Sutherlandshire—207; the largest,
Perth, with 4938 voters. None of the town constituencies
are very small. Glasgow has the largest total of electors
—15,502.

A Meeting of Liberal Members of the House of
Commons, on the invitation of Lord John Russell, was
held at his lordship's house on the 12th inst. Upwards
of 160 members were present. Lord John Russell
stated that he had called his friends together to consult
them as to the best course to be adopted towards the new
government. When the late Sir Robert Peel relinquished
the government of the country, he put a question to the
Ministry which succeeded, and Lord John Russell
answered that question with a full explanation of the
policy which his government intended to carry out.
Acting on that precedent, Lord John had made
application to Mr. Disraeli, to know whether he would
take a similar course, and make a similar full exposition
for the benefit of the country on Monday next, of the
principles on which the cabinet of which he is a member,
intends to carry on the government; of the country.
But Mr. Disraeli replied that it is not the intention of
government to make any such statement. Lord John
Russell thought it extremely desirable that such a statement
should be made; and in the event of ministers not
being explicit as to their commercial policy, that they
should be forced to inform the country what their views
and intentions are. Nor did he deem it enough that the
new cabinet should be made to declare their policy now
with respect to the question of Free Trade; they should
also be compelled to avow, if they did not avow of their
own accord, what course they mean to pursue after a
dissolution of parliament, in the event of their remaining
in office. Lord John intimated that he had
consulted all his friends, and also Sir James Graham and
Mr. Cobden. Sir James Graham had concurred in
Lord John's opinion of the duty incumbent on the new
ministers to explain their policy; and had declared that
he and his political friends are ready to co-operate in
procuring such an explanation, and in securing Free
Trade to the country. With respect to the question of
parliamentary reform, Lord John stated that he
proposes to postpone for three months his Reform Bill;
because it is a measure for a government, and not for a
private member. He intimated that should another
government be formed, and he a member of it, he might
bring forward an "improved measure" of parliamentary
reform.—Several gentlemen made remarks on Lord
John Russell's explanation. Mr. Hume and Mr.
Duncombe, in particular, expressed much dissatisfaction
at the abandonment of the Reform Bill. Ultimately,
however, a policy of co-operation was adopted by all.
An understanding was come to, that, in the first
instance, the Derby cabinet shall be brought to an explicit
declaration of their views on the subject of Free Trade.

The Anti-Corn Law League has been re-constituted.
A meeting of gentlemen, who were formerly members
of the Council of the League, was held at Manchester on
the 2d inst. Mr. George Wilson resumed his former
place of chairman, and resolutions were passed to the
effect that the Anti-Corn Law League be re-constituted
under its former rules and regulations; that the Council
of the League put themselves in communication with
their friends in all parts of the kingdom, to prevent the
return to parliament of candidates favourable to duties
on the importation of foreign corn; that a memorial be
presented to the Queen praying an immediate dissolution
of parliament; and that a subscription be opened to
carry out these objects. The subscription was
immediately commenced, and in five and twenty minutes sums
were put down to the amount of £ 27,000—The merchants
of Liverpool, adverse to Protection, resolved at a