; and both these
countries would, therefore, stand in a more desirable relation towards
Greece, having always the power of conferring a benefit, than that which
would be occupied by this country, who could only be a creditor pressing
for payment of a debt.

PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.

During this session the proposal for removing the civil disabilities of
the Jews was brought forward by the chancellor of the exchequer himself,
and was carried through the commons, but was rejected by the lords. Mr.
Rippon also renewed a proposal he had made in 1834, for the expulsion
of the bishops from the house of lords; but his motion was lost by an
overwhelming majority. Mr. O'Connell moved for leave to bring in a bill
to reform the whole house of lords, by making that body elective, a
motion which gave rise only to laughter. Mr. Grote also brought forward
his annual motion for vote by ballot; but it was lost by a majority of
one hundred and thirty-nine against fifty-one. Parliament was prorogued
on the 20th of August, by the king in person.

THE AFFAIRS OF IRELAND.

The royal speech had announced that tranquillity prevailed in Ireland;
but yet that country was not in a state of quiescence. Agitation was
still at work: societies and combinations were being formed, and the
angry passions of the multitude lashed almost into fury. At this time
the authorities were enforcing the payment of tithe; and this excited
the wrath of the leaders of the Popish party. This wrath was aggravated
by the refusal of the house of lords to create, by passing the
ministerial municipal bill for Ireland, a mass of Catholic corporations,
of which there was every reason to apprehend that, while they would
not have any useful duties to discharge as machines for municipal
government, they would become powerful and legalized engines for working
out the great aim of the Papists--the destruction of the Protestant
church. The clauses which went to reconstruct the Irish corporations
were struck out by the lords on the 17th of May; and on the following
day Mr. O'Connell put forth a letter "to the people of England," the
object of which was to rouse them to show their gratitude to Ireland
for the aid which she had lent them in carrying the Reform Act, by
destroying the character and rights of the house of lords. This epistle,
however, was addressed to deaf ears; his sentiments rather tended to
call forth expressions of opinion that the lords should fea