cloak, that he was not hurt; thank ing the people, at the same time, for the sympathy they exhibited; and then ordered the carriage to drive on, and continued his journey on the Frankfort railway.

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On arriving at the terminus of the railway, it was found, upon closer inspection of the carriage, that both balls had actually penetrated the carriage; and therefore it must be considered as a special grace of Providence that the illustrious travellers remained unhurt.

"The assassin was arrested on the spot, and was with great difficulty saved from the rage of the populace before being committed to the criminal prison.

There he

stated himself to be (and was identified as such) the late burgomaster Tschech. He is fiftysix years of age; and was formerly a merchant, afterwards burgomaster at Storkow, in the Kurmark; which situation he resigned in 1841, after having been

censured several times on account

of his misconduct. Since then he generally resided at Berlin; and petitioned the different departments for a new appointment; which, however, in the absence of any just claims, could not be granted. A similar petition to his Majesty was likewise refused last year. He has always been known as a very violent and passionate man.

"At his first examination before the police court, he unhesitatingly admitted his crime, and stated as a motive the rejection of his petitions; declaring at the same time, that he had committed the act without communicating his intention to any person what

ever."

He was afterwards executed; although he might have saved

his life at the last moment by expressing penitence for his crime. This, however, he obstinately refused to do, and the sentence of the law took effect.

The King being on his way to Vienna at the time when the attempt was made upon his life, issued the following address to his subjects:

Erdmansdorf, 5th August, 1844. "I cannot quit the soil of my country, though only for a short time, without publicly expressing, in my own name and that of the Queen, the deeply felt gratitude

which fills our hearts. It is excited by the innumerable proofs of affection to us, both verbal and in writing, which we have the attempt of the 26th of July; received, and were called forth by that affection which loudly greeted when the hand of the Almighty us at the instant of the crime, averted the deadly shot from my breast. Looking up to my Heavenly Preserver, I proceed with fresh courage to my daily work— to complete what is begun, to carry into execution what is prepared, to combat the evil with increased certainty of victory, and to be to my people every thing that my high vocation lays upon of my people deserves. me as a duty, and which the love

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FREDERICK WILLIAM."

GENERAL CONFERENCE AT VIENNA. In the early part of this year a conference took place at Vienna of Plenipotentiaries from the different German States, the object of which will sufficiently appear from the following discourse, delivered at one of its meetings by Prince Metternich:

"The revolutionary disturbers of our age have given birth to a

party amongst us which, if not aggressive, is at least defensive. Hostile to all authority, because it believes itself entitled to be raised to power, it maintains, in the midst of apparent peace, internal war, by poisoning the minds and the hearts of the people. It perverts youth, and seduces even men of mature age. It disturbs all social relations, whether public or private, induces nations to mistrust systematically their legitimate sovereigns, and preaches the destruction of all governments. Making use of the constitutional forms of our Government, and frequently confining itself within legal bounds, as the most sure, although the most tedious course, and frequently proceeding to open violence, this party pursues its object incessantly. Its plan is well combined. It is at first satisfied to create a party in the Chambers against the Government. This first step gained, it proceeds further. It endeavours, as much as in its power, to enfeeble the force of Government, and finally endea vours to establish the sovereign power in the Chambers instead of in the person at the head of the State. We do not deny, moreover, that this party has succeeded to a certain extent. We further admit that this party is prompt in action, and would endeavour to deprive certain princes of even the shadow of monarchical authority.

"It is to obviate this danger, and to maintain the organization established by the Congress of Vienna, and to secure in each State of the Confederation order, tranquillity, and the legal exercise of royal power,—it is, in fine, to secure ourselves, by all the means

within our power, against the slightest change in the existing order of things, that the sovereign princes and free towns of Germany have sent their plenipotentiaries to Vienna, where they assembled in conference, and adopted the following resolutions:

"1. The 57th article of the additional Act of the Congress of Vienna, by virtue of which the sovereign power of the State is placed in the person of the Prince, and by which the latter is not obliged to assemble the Chambers except under certain circumstances determined by the constitution, is maintained in full vigour. All ideas contrary to this principle, and tending to divide the sovereign power, are rejected as incompatible with the public right of the Confederation, and subversive of the constitution of the countries which compose it. It becomes consequently the duty of all Governments to refuse to admit, under any circumstances, any extension whatever of the prerogatives of the Chambers, for this sole reason-that it is diametrically.opposed to the rights of the Crown.

"2. In case that the Chambers should endeavour to extend their prerogatives by appealing to certain articles of the constitution, the Governments shall give such interpretations to those articles as shall appear most conformable to the principles of government. Should such an intepretation not satisfy the Chambers, a reference must be made to the Diet, the composition of which tribunal is determined by the 4th, 5th, and following resolutions, to the 14th.

Chambers in the exercise of their functions, or by those which preceded them, shall remain obligatory in the sense approved by the Government. And whenever any resolution of the Diet shall be reduced to writing, it must be in such terms as not to infringe in any manner on the rights of the Government.

"16. All ordinances issued by Government in a constitutional form shall have the force of a law. The Government may oppose legal force to every intervention of the tribunals or protest of the Chambers. As a general rule and principle, it is to be observed, that no resolution of the Chambers, in whatever form it may be addressed, can interfere with the regular march of the Government. But the Chambers shall proceed in the forms prescribed by law.

"17. The Governments shall not suffer the Chambers to deliberate or decide on the validity of the decisions of the Diet.

"18. The Chambers, which shall refuse to sanction the execution of the decrees issued by the Diet on the 28th of June, 1832, shall be dissolved. The same course shall be adopted with those Chambers which shall have refused to vote the taxes.

20. The right which the Chambers in other countries have to approve of the levy of taxes, and that which they possess with us to regulate the budget, are quite distinct, and are not to be confounded. The Government will endeavour not to lose sight of this difference, inasmuch as the Chambers, except by a special law, have no right to refuse to vote the expenses of the general budget.""

SWEDEN. This year witnessed

the death of Bernadotte, King of Sweden, the most permanently successful of all the generals who played a part in the great drama of the French Revolution. Although of obscure birth and a foreigner, he was called upon to wear the crown of Sweden by the unanimous voice of the nation; and he so identified himself with their interests, that he reigned in perfect peace, and died beloved and regretted by his subjects.

This event happened on the 8th of March, and he was succeeded by his son Oscar, who was, on the 28th of September, crowned in the cathedral of Stockholm, King of Sweden and Norway, and of the surrounding Provinces, he and no other."

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At the same time his royal consort, Josephina Maximiliana Eugenia, was crowned Queen of Sweden and Norway.

SWITZERLAND.-Some disturbances took place this year both in the Valais and at Lucerne. In the former district a hostile conflict took place between the aristocratic party of the Upper Valais and the liberal 66 or Young Switzerland" party of the Lower Valais. In consequence of this, the Vorort, in the month of May, ordered a body of federal troops to march into the canton of the Lower Valais, who soon restored tranquillity and order.

At Lucerne, the commotion arose in consequence of the local government there having determined to make the Jesuits the instructors of the youth of the canton. An attack was made on Lucerne, on the 8th of December, by a large body of Protestant Liberals, who were, however, defeated, and the disturbance was speedily quelled.

TH

HE condition of our vast Indian possessions, both as regards their internal and external relations, has, throughout the year, been one of such profound tranquillity as happily to supply none of those themes of warlike interest which have of late years been chronicled in our pages. The highest blessing which India can enjoy is peace, so as to enable the Government to carry out the great measures of improvement which we owe, as a sacred debt, to a country where we have supplanted the ancient rulers, and where we have established ourselves on so gigantic a scale. The time has passed away when India looked upon as the land where the rapacious adventurer could easily obtain ill-gotten wealth, and then hurry home to display ostentatious extravagance in the sight of his less fortunate fellow-countrymen. We believe that the East India Company is thoroughly alive to

was

the true interests of the mighty kingdom which it is called upon to govern, and also that the measures which will command the greatest approbation in this country, as well as confer the most lasting glory with posterity, are those by which the executive shall best promote the physical and moral wellbeing of the native population of India.

The event of chief interest connected with the East Indies in the present year, was the unexpected recall of Lord Ellenborough, the Governor-General, by the unanimous vote of the Court of Directors. The subject was thus alluded to in both Houses of Parliament. In the House of Commons, on the 26th April, Mr. Macaulay asked the right honourable Baronet at the head of Her Majesty's Government, whether it was true that the Court of Directors of the East India Company had recalled Lord El

lenborough from the government of India?-Sir R. Peel:-"I beg to state, that on Wednesday last Her Majesty's Government received a communication from the Court of Directors, that they had exercised the power which the law gives them, to recall, at their will and pleasure, the Governor-General of India." (Loud cheers from the opposition benches.) Mr. Macaulay said, under those circumstances, it was not his intention to bring forward the motion of which he had given notice, respecting Gwalior. He reserved to himself the right to bring the subject under the notice of the House hereafter; but, as the administration of Lord Ellenborough had ceased, it would be more satisfactory to his own feelings, and more consonant with justice, that no charge should be made against that noble lord till he is again in this country able to defend himself, and to communicate with his friends. (Loud cheers from the opposition.)

On the same night, in the House of Lords, the Marquess of Normanby having a motion respecting Gwalior, which stood for the 29th, and hearing of the announcement in the other House, inquired of the President of the India Board, whether it was true that, the Governor-General of India had been recalled.-The Earl of Ripon said it was undoubtedly true that the Court of Directors of the East India Company, in the exercise of that power which the Act reserved to them, of removing any of their servants, had removed the Governor-General from his situation.-Lord Colchester asked whether the act of the Court of Directors had met with the sanction and approbation of the Go vernment? The Earl of Ripon:

In answer to that question I have only to say that it has not." (Cheers.)-Lord Brougham observed, that there was one question which well deserved the attention of the Legislature, and that was, that a perfectly anomalous and inconceivable law should be allowed to continue in force; that the Board of Control should have the power of controlling every other act of the Court of Directors in respect of their affairs in India; and yet that the most important of all acts,-that upon which the safety of our Indian empire depended, -the continuance or removal of the GovernorGeneral, should be left to the Court of Directors. (Hear, hear.) It must have been an oversight in framing the Act, for any thing so absurd he had never met with in all his reading. (Hear.) - The Marquess of Lansdowne said, so far from its being an oversight, it was the subject of long and serious deliberation, under different Governments, and at different times. (Hear, hear.) Whether it was right or wrong, he did not stand there to argue; but it was undoubtedly the deliberate conviction of Parliament, at the time they passed that important law, that the Directors of the East India Company, as long as they were permitted to govern India, should have the right to negative the appointment of the Governor-General, and the power to recall him whenever they were of opinion that his continuance in office was inconsistent with the welfare of the dominions committed to his charge.-Lord Brougham was not aware that there had been in that House, or the other, any discussion upon the subject. No doubt -the East India Company could recall the Governor-General, either