powered to state on the part of the Government to devote annually a large sum for the military defences of the province, the fixed and settled determination which I have the Queen's commands to declare, that her North American possessions shall be maintained, at all hazards, as part of her empire, are pledges of the sincerity with which the Mother-country desires to promote the prosperity of Canada, and to assist in the well-working of the new institutions which it has established.

"The eyes of England are anxiously fixed upon the result of this great experiment. Should it suc ceed, the aid of Parliament in your undertakings-the confidence of British capitalists in the credit you may require from them-the security the British people will feel in seeking your shores and establishing themselves on your fertile soil -may carry improvement to an unexampled height. The rapid advance of trade and immigration within the last eighteen months affords ample evidence of the effects of tranquillity in restoring confidence and promoting prosperity. May no dissensions mar the flattering prospect which is open before us; may your efforts be steadily directed to the great practical improvements of which the province stands so much in need, and under the blessing of that Providence which has hitherto preserved this portion of the British dominions, may your counsels be so guided as to insure to the Queen attached and loyal subjects, and to United Canada a prosperous and contented people."

The Legislative Council after some slight attempt to modify the address in answer to the speech, on the ground that it ought to express hope rather than confidence

in the results of the Union Act, and because the Union Act did not give Lower Canada an adequate share in the representation, while the French language was to be discontinued in certain cases,— agreed to echo the speech; and their address was presented to the Governor on the 19th.

The House of Assembly were longer in arriving at a conclusion. On the 18th, the House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole; and Mr. Cameron moved an Address, which was an echo of the speech. A long discussion followed, which was adjourned from day to day. It turned mainly on the question of "responsible government;" several members requiring a more distinct declaration on the subject than the Government had yet given.

Mr. Merritt moved an Amendment to the effect, that should experience prove to the House that the Union Act was defective, it should be amended. This Amendment was acceded to, and the Address was then carried.

Lord Sydenham was not destined to witness the results of the great measure, which he had, in his official capacity of Governor, promulgated to the inhabitants of Canada. In the month of September, he fell, while riding, from his horse, and this brought on lock-jaw. At the same time he suffered extreme torture from attacks of spasmodic gout, and at last, on the 19th of the same month, sunk under a complication of maladies. During his illness he sustained his painful sufferings with noble fortitude, and continued to the last to give his attention to such details of public business as required despatch. His last wish was, that his grave might be on the banks of the St. Lawrence.

REGISTRATION OF

THE

THE PRINCESS ROYAL.-The act of parliament for the Registration of Births applies not only to the community at large, but also to all the members of the royal family. The birth of the princess royal has been duly registered. The entry was made in the registration books of the parish of St. George, Hanoversquare, and was entered on the 22nd Dec., by Mr. William Pierce Jerdan, of Lower Belgrave-street, Eton-square, Pimlico, the registrar of births for the Belgrave district of that parish, who attended at Buckingham Palace for the pur

pose.

1. STATEMENT OF THE ROYAL NAVY IN COMMISSION ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY, 1841.-Nine firstrates, viz., three of 120 guns, two of 110, four of 104; ten secondrates, viz., one of 92, five of 84, four of 80; fourteen third-rates, one of 76, one for gunnery practice, two of 78, one of 74, nine of 72; five fourth-rates, viz., five of 50; fifth rates and under, one of 46, one of 44, two of 42, three of 36, fifteen of 26, two of 24, four of 20, VOL. LXXXIII.

fourteen of 18, twenty-one of 16, twenty-one of 10, one of 12, twenty-three smaller armed vessels; seven guard-ships and dépôts; five small-craft steamers, ten frigate-armed, twenty-five smaller; three yachts, and six troop and store-ships; in all 160 vessels, carrying 4,277 guns.

3. THUNDER STORM.-SPITALFIELDS AND STREATHAM CHURCHES INJURED BY LIGHTNING.-The metropolis was visited by a terrific storm of thunder and lightningthe latter of the most vivid and dangerous description. Among the many injuries occasioned by the lightning, is that which occurred to the spire and roof of Spitalfields church, at ten minutes to seven o'clock precisely, the clock having stopped at that time in consequence of the injury done to the bell-wires. The electric fluid struck the cone, or upper part of the spire, which from the roof had a very shattered appearance; thence it descended to a room above the clock-room, forcing the trap-door from the hinges, down to the floor of the clock-room, melted the iron wires connected with the clock, B

scorched the wooden rope-conductors, broke many of the windows, and made a considerable fracture in the wall, which is of a very great thickness; at this point it is supposed the electric fluid escaped, forcing the masonry work several inches from its original place. The roof was completely covered with large stones, which broke in the lead-work by their weight in falling. The lead near the masonry above alluded to was melted in several places. In the front, a little above the clock, a large stone was forced into the street, which broke one of the iron railings, and the flag-stone on which it fell. The side of the church in Church-street also met with considerable damage.

The first flash of lightning, which was of a terrific nature, illuminated the whole of the horizon, and in its progress struck the steeple of Streatham church. The electric fluid appeared to fall in a body on the ball which supported the weathercock, and, after playing about it for a few seconds, ran down the whole extent of the steeple, and then diverged off at the stone tower. Shortly afterwards, smoke was seen to issue from this part of the church, followed by a body of flames. The parish engine was immediately got out, but, owing to the height of the steeple from the ground, the engine was unable to reach the burning pile. mounted messenger was instantly despatched to town to the various engine-stations, when the brigade engine, with a considerable quantity of extra hose, started from Waterloo-road, followed by those from the Southwark-bridge-road, Morgan's-lane, and Watling-street, and some of the firemen of the West of England; but, owing to

A

the extraordinary state of the roads from the storm, the engines were a considerable time in reaching the spot. Upon their arrival, the whole of the steeple was on fire, and although a plentiful supply of water was obtained, it was totally destroyed. The portion of the sacred edifice which was destroyed was the remains of the old church, the body of which, some years since, fell in while under repair, and it was found necessary to erect a new one; but the tower and wooden steeple being found perfectly sound, remained, and, until yesterday morning, appeared likely to last for ages. The damage done by the fire and the water to the church is estimated at 1,000l.

3. VESSEL DESTROYED BY FIRE. -About twelve o'clock, P.M., the fine schooner the Veritas, of 179 tons burden, Captain R. Peak, arrived at Guernsey, in ballast, from London, and ran into St. Sampson's harbour. At a few minutes before three o'clock the next morning, the mate of the English schooner Eliza, who was casting loose the chain by which she was moored, perceived that the Veritas was on fire. He instantly alarmed the crews of the other vessels in the harbour (amounting to sixteen in number), in order to get all the assistance in his power, with the view to save the vessel from that destruction with which she was threatened. Providentially the wind, which was blowing from south-east, and across the harbour in the direction of the shipping, was very moderate; but, as it might increase, and thereby place the other vessels in imminent danger, should the Veritas's sails and rigging take fire, captain Swain ordered the mainmast to be cut away, as the flames had already

communicated to the mainsail, which was furled in the usual manner; when the mainmast went by the board, it carried away with it the foremast also, snapping it about fifteen feet above the deck, and the whole fell into the harbour. The vessel was scuttled forward on the larboard bow, and by that means she partly filled when the water surrounded her. A good supply of water was then obtained; and by persevering exertions the fire was got under at about seven o'clock in the morning. The first person who descended into the cabin was captain Peak, who there beheld a horrible spectacle his late mate burnt in a manner too shocking to describe. What remained of his human frame was found in an inclined posture, with his face toward the cabin floor; and from this fact it is conjectured, that he must have been sitting upon the after-locker, with his head resting upon the table, and in that posture had fallen asleep. It is supposed, also, that a candle was upon the table, and that on the vessel taking the ground, when the water receded from her, she listed to the starboard, which caused the candle to fall on the cabin floor, among some of the captain's clothes, which he had put off on his coming on shore, and ignited them.

-DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION AT DUNDEE-DESTRUCTION OF THE CHURCHES, &c.-This morning (Sunday), about five o'clock, a fire was discovered in a portion of the venerable pile of buildings which has for many centuries been the pride and ornament of the town. The alarm was immediately given to the police, the fire-engine and the fire brigade hastened to the spot, the alarm

bell pealed forth to rouse the inhabitants, and thousands were disturbed from their rest to witness the entire destruction of three of the churches, and one of the most sublime spectacles which ever took place in Scotland. The fire ori ginated from a stove in a passage betwixt the Steeple and South Churches; and when first discovered, the flames were seen bursting out of one of the windows, situate in an angle of the latter building. Nothing could equal the frightful vehemence of the devouring element; it ran with the speed of lightning along the galleries of the church, the pulpit was a mass of fire, and in a few moments was entirely consumed; an intense white flame burst through the roof, while from the back part of the church an overwhelming volume of massive fire moved towards the front, and, gathering force as it proceeded, burst with irresistible fury out of the beautiful window facing the street, driving the assembled populace backward by the intensity of the heat. At the same moment the venerable cathedral, which has for 700 years weathered the storm, caught fire, and the sympathies of the spectators were much excited at the approaching destruction of the noblest remnant of antiquity of which the town could boast. Meanwhile the Cross Church, forming a limb of the cross in which the churches are built, and situate immediately behind the South Church, which was first on fire, was one mass of flame. About half-past six, the conflagration was at its height. The three churches, from the base to the highest pinnacle, were wrapped in the devouring element. The sublimity of the spectacle may be imagined,

not described; its astounding grandeur paralysed every effort of the fire-brigade, the military, and the police. While all this was going on below, the ancient tower, which rises to the height of 150 feet, and is attached to the Steeple church, the only one not in flames, rose Phoenix-like above the terrific contention, and the peal of the alarm bells from its interior added to the grandeur of the spectacle. The utmost efforts were made by the firemen to prevent the fire spreading to the Steeple church, and happily this was effected by directing the hose to the door communicating with the lobby between it and the part of the edifice in flames. Thus both the steeple and church were preserved. The east church, or cathedral, is a complete wreck; the fine Gothic arches, with their supports, were destroyed, and the only articles rescued were the silver communion service, and the records of the presbytery of Dundee ; a valuable library composed of many works of the fathers of the church in Greek and Latin is entirely lost.

-Loss OF THE THAMES STEAMER.-On the morning of Monday the 4th inst., the Thames, an Irish steamer, was on her voyage from Dublin to London, and the weather being exceedingly boisterous, with showers of hail and snow, they lost their reckoning, and mistaking the St. Agnes (Scilly islands) light for that of the Longships (near the Land's end), ran on the Cribewidder. rock, and in a short time became a total wreck; out of about sixty-five persons on board, only four were saved. Soon after the vessel struck she was discovered by the inhabitants of St. Agnes, and one of the boat's crews, at the risk of

their lives, immediately put off to render assistance; they succeeded in getting near her, and though there was scarcely another chance of escape, the captain, with the true bravery of a British seaman, ordered that not a man should leave the vessel until the females were safe; the three who were saved were then prevailed upon to go in the boat, but another refused to part with her babe and was consequently drowned.

Almost immediately afterwards a heavy sea separated the boat from the ship, and no communication could be afterwards effected. The vessel went to pieces before eleven o'clock, when a party of the sufferers, getting on a fragment of the wreck, were drifted on Rosevear, another rocky islet, but they were so exhausted that only one reached the shore alive, and this poor fellow had to endure the severity of the weather for twentyfour hours before he could be removed. It appears that before the Thames struck on the rock she had shipped a heavy sea which extinguished her fires, and this in all human probability was a principal cause of the catastrophe.

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- PRUSSIA, FRAUENBURG MURDER OF THE BISHOP OF ERMELAND. The murder of the venerable bishop of Ermeland created a great sensation throughout Germany it appears from the official report that on Sunday, at six in the evening, the servants of the bishop went to the parish church. in the lower part of the town, in order to be present at the close of the forty hours' prayer. Upon their return one of the footmen proceeded up stairs, but rushed instantly down with the alarming information that the bishop was lying bathed in his blood on the