motion, motion withdrawn. Assessed Tax Amendment Bill
passed.

16th.—Lord Chancellor's Bill for Transfer of Testamentary
Jurisdiction read a first time.

17th.—National Education (Ireland) Select Committee
agreed to.—Tenant Compensation Bill (Ireland) and
Consolidation and Amendment of Leasing Powers (Ireland) read
a first time.

23vd.—Second reading of Tenant Right (Ireland) Bills
postponed.—Address to the Crown respecting correspondence
between the Government and the heads of Oxford University.

House of Commons.—Jan. 31st.—Debate on the Address.

Feb. 1st.—Midnight Legislation, Mr. Brotherton's motion
negatived.—Address reported.

Feb. 2nd.—Episcopal and Capitular Revenues Bill read a first
time.—Assessed Taxes Bill read a first time.

Feb. 3rd.—Merchant Shipping, Mr. Caldwell's Bills.—Law
and Heritages (Scotland) Bill read a first time.

6th.—Parliamentary Oaths, Lord John Russell's Bill ordered.

7th.—Parliamentary Oaths Bill read a first time.—
Stannaries Court bill, leave given.—Medical Practitioners Bill,
leave given.—Breach of Privilege, Committee appointed.

9th.—Leader of House of Commons, Mr. Cayley's motion
withdrawn.—Assessed Taxes Bill read a third time and passed.
—Navy Estimates presented.

10th.—Purity of Election, Lord John Russell's Bill.—Law of
Settlement, Mr. Baines's Bill.

13th.—Parliamentary Reform Bill brought in by Lord John
Russell.

14th.—Law of Succession Bill, and Public Prosecutors Bill,
leave given.—Reduction of Wine Duties, Mr. Oliveira's motion
withdrawn.

16th.—Parliamentary Reform Bill read a first time.—
Prevention of Bribery Bill, Truck Act Amendment Bill, and
Tenants Compensation Bill, leave given.—Charges against
Irish Members, Committee of Privileges appointed.

17th.—Assistant Surgeons in Navy, Colonel Boldero's
motion negatived.—Relations with Russia.—Mr. Layard's
motion, and debate adjourned to Monday.—Property Qualification
of Members Abolition Bill, leave given.—Bribery
Prevention Bill, read a first time.

20th.—Adjourned debate on Mr. Layard's motion concluded.

21st.—Manchester and Salford Education Bill thrown out
on second reading.—Friendly Societies Bill read a second
time.

22nd.—Pardon to Smith O'Brien announced.—Medical
Practitioners Bill withdrawn.—Committee of Supply, Report
brought up.

23rd.—Select Committee on Grants to Dublin Hospitals.—
Select Committee on Metropolitan Bridges.—Lord Advocate's
Scotch Education Bill, leave given.—Sir J. Young's Bill as to
Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland, leave given. ,

The Convocation of the Province of Canterbury met
on the 1st. inst. In the Upper House, thirteen Bishops
were present, besides the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The first question arose on a report of a committee
appointed to inquire into precedents touching the claim
of licensed curates to vote at the election of Proctors;
the committee reporting that there is no evidence to
show that the votes of licensed curates have ever been
received at the election. From this view the Bishop of
Exeter dissented; warmly contending that stipendiary
curates must be included in the "totus clerus;" for
they derive their spiritual authority from the Bishop,
and are as much a part of the diocese as the incumbents
themselves. In the diocese of Exeter they are all
summoned to the election. It was explained by the Bishops
of Oxford and London, that the point was not whether
the curates ought to have a vote, but whether they were
disqualified. In the end the report was received and
adopted. The Bishop of London moved for a committee
of that House to meet seven members appointed by the
Lower House, to consider whether any—and if so, what
—reforms in the constitution of Convocation were
expedient to enable it, with the full confidence of the Church,
to treat of such matters as her Majesty might be pleased
to submit to its deliberations. The Bishop of St. David's
seconded the motion; which, he said, did not pledge
him to any specific opinion or view upon the subject—
that was one of its great merits. The rejection of the
motion would be tantamount to saying that Convocation
must continue to be a mere dead empty form: if such
were the case, he heartily wished it might be abolished.
The motion was supported by the Bishop of London and
the Bishop or Oxford; the Bishop of Winchester would
not oppose it, but would not allow his name to be placed
on the committee. The Archbishop of Canterbury
doubted the real advantage of Convocation; but he
thought proper, under present circumstances, to appoint
the committee. The motion was carried unanimously.
The committee appointed consisted of the Bishops of
London, Exeter, Salisbury, St. David's, Oxford,
Chichester, and St. Asaph's. Another committee was
appointed to consider and report "whether the great
increase and present condition of the population does
not make some, and what, adaptation of the Church's
rule needful, to meet the Church's needs." It consists
of the Bishops of Llandaff, London, Worcester, St.
David's, Lincoln, Chichester, Oxford, and Lichfield. In
the Lower House a committee had been appointed on
the standing orders, and a committee to consider such
schedules of "gravamina" and "reformanda" as might
be presented to it by the House; when the Prolocutor
was summoned to the Upper House, and returned with
a "desire" in regard to one case, and a "direction" in
the other, that seven members should be appointed from
the Lower House to form part of the two committees
appointed by the Upper House. Mr. Archdeacon Denison,
the Dean of Bristol, and others, resisted this
peremptory order—this "coup d'église," as Mr. Denison
called it; and the Dean of Bristol moved that the
appointment of the committee be postponed until next
session. A warm discussion ensued: the question went
to a division; the original motion was carried by 45 to
28; and the committees were appointed. Shortly after,
both Houses were prorogued until the 30th June.—The
Convocation of York formally assembled on the same
day. No writ having been received from the Crown to
proceed to business, Convocation was instantly prorogued
by the Archbishop's Commissioner, the Rev. Vernon
Harcourt,

The report of the Hull Commission of Inquiry
contains a mass of proofs of bribery. It has prevailed at
every election. In 1841, each party paid 600 or 700
voters; in 1847, 1200 were bribed; in 1852, out of the
3,983 who voted 1400 were bribed. Out of 1500 freemen,
1100 were bribed once at least, many more than once.
Nor are the occupiers clear. The cost of the last three
elections was nearly £27,000 to the candidates—nearly
£9000 for each election. The cost of the last election
was £9,226 of which there was paid for cabs £354;
colours, £300; to printers, £1096; legal agents, £2066;
while the money expended directly on the voters
amounted to £3,543, £3000 being paid as for wages to
runners.

The report of the Barnstaple Commission shows
similar results. In 1852, out of 696 who polled, 255
were bribed. The corruption was not confined to the
poorer voters, but extended to men whose position
ought to have placed them beyond the reach of corrupt
influences.

The Navy and Army Estimates have been published.
The estimates for the Navy provide for 41,000 seamen,
2000 boys, 15,500 marines. The total expense is
£7,487,948; being an increase of £1,202,455 over the
expense of last year.

The Army Estimates provide for 112,977 men and
officers for the year 1854-55; being an increase of
10,694. The money-vote for effective and non-effective
services amounts to £6,287,486; showing an excess of
£262,470 over the vote of last year.

The Ordnance Estimates amount to £3,845,878;
being an increase over last year of £792,311.

Our government are making vigorous Preparations
for War. It is stated that a first division of infantry,
10,000 strong, will proceed to Constantinople immediately.
It is to consist of three battalions of the Guards
the 4th, 28th, 33rd, 50th, 77th, and 93rd Regiments of
the Line, and the second battalion of the Rifle Brigade.
The Artillery force will include five field batteries and
one brigade for small-arm ball cartridge. These
regiments have already been made up to the requisite
strength by volunteers from other regiments, who have
come forward with great alacrity. The Gazette of the
21st contains the names of Lord Raglan as general, and
of Colonel Bentinck, Colonel Sir Colin Campbell, Colonel
Airey, and Colonel Eyre as brigadiers-general of
the forces, "about to proceed on a particular service."
The entire force will be armed with the Minie rifle;
and the whole machinery of the training-school at
Hythe will be transported to Malta, in order to teach
the troops the perfect use of that formidable weapon.