The Daily Madisonian

Correspondence of the Evening Post,

LONDON, May 4, 1842,

Affairs are particularly dull in the political world. Sir Robert Peel, owing to the disorganized state of parties, has matters pretty much his own way. Supported by the Tories, he has carried the Income tax against the opposition of the Liberals, and, supported by Liberals and the moderate portion of his own party, there is no doubt but that he will carry the Tariff, in spite of the opposition of the ultra Tories. At present, he has every appearance of being firmly seated, but may calculate upon his hold of power being undermined by his own measures. It is contended that a generation has sprung up since the abolition of the last Income tax, and that when the present comes to experience in reality its irritating and annoying provisions, that the number of malcontents will be gradually augmented. This is matter of speculation, certainly; but still it must be borne in mind that the middle classes, who will be most aggrieved by the tax, have all votes, and, consequently, if galled through the sensitive medium of the pocket, will make their power felt at the next election.

The "world of fashion" is quite in commotion in consequence of a novel entertainment being about to take place at court. The Queen is shortly to give a fancy ball, or masque, in which something like congruity has to be observed. Instead of being made up, like the majority of "fancy balls," of a mob of ladies and gentlemen, in the guise of Flower Girls, Eastern Princesses, Waverly novel heroines, Turks, Highlanders, Sailors, and old clothesmen, the costume of a particular period has to be strictly adhered to. The age selected is that of Edward the Third. Prince Albert has to be the hero of Cressy, and her Majesty, Queen Philippa. Doubtless it will be a very tasteful piece of extravagance, but it will help trade, as "the dresses and decorations" will be of use for "one night only."

A new drama entitled "Plighted Faith," has been damned at Drury-lane. There was stuff about it which deserved a better fate, but the audience, notwithstanding some fine acting on the part of Macready, were inexorable.

Madame Vestris returned from the management of Covent Garden on the last night in April, not being able to make the concern pay. An extraordinary case of insanity has occurred. A man lately sent £500 anonymously to Mr. Goulburn (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to be applied to the public service, and in token of admiration of his financial plan. There was once before, a man who left his private fortune to help to pay off the national debt!

A troop ship, going out to India with 250 troops and stores on board, was wrecked soon after leaving the Thames, and troops and stores had to be re-landed.

Dispatch.—At Liverpool, 1283 bales of cotton was landed from an American vessel in less than ten hours, being at the rate of more than two per minute.

Another fine new steamer, capable of being converted into a vessel of war, carrying guns of the largest size, has been launched at the foregoing port. Her burthen is about 2,000 tons, and her engines will be 560 horse power.

Five gentlemen belonging to Liverpool, last week went out for a little recreation on the river. Their boat was a rowing-gig of slender make. They took it into rough water, when it split up through the middle, and three of them were drowned.

A vessel from Rotterdam was lately seized in the Thames. She pretended to be laden with tierces of beef, but the tierces were found to be filled with snuff to the value of £5,000.

There have been some partial riots at Dudley and other towns in the manufacturing districts, in consequence of the masters seeking to reduce wages, which they alleged they were at present unable to pay. The men took some of the masters prisoners, and the military were called out, but no harm was done. A compromise between masters and men has since been entered into.

Joseph Sturge, who lately visited the United States, is heading a new political movement for "general suffrage." His plan is Chartist in every thing but the name, only his followers, who are numerous, are more rational, and not so insolent as the adherents of Feargus O'Conner.

A murder has taken place in Wales, exceeding even that of the wretch Good in atrocity. A man named Edwards strangled his mother, and hid the body under the bed. He was obliged to leave home, and gave his wife strict charge not to look under the bed. The result was such as might have been anticipated. The wife told some of her gossips of the injunction, and they all agreed that she ought to look. They all did so, and found the dead body. The fellow has been caught. He was tried a couple of years ago for violating and murdering a poor Irish girl, but escaped in consequence of deficiency in the evidence.

The celebrated Joseph Hume is again in Parliament, having been returned for the Montrose Burghs. The Duke of Wellington completed his 73d year on the 1st of May.

The subscription to the Art-Union, (for the disposal of the works of Art) this year, amounts to upwards of twelve thousand guineas, a pretty handsome sum to be disposed among artists, independent of their regular gains.

The Parliamentary Committees are engaged in investigating the corrupt proceedings of the last election. They have displaced the sitting members for Sudbury and Ipswich (all Reformers!) but have not given the vacant seats to the Tory candidates, it having been proven that they were "tainted with the same stick," only in these two cases the Reformers bribed highest.

The tide of emigration is setting in strongly towards the United States and Canada. This is partly occasioned by the Australian settlements not being at present in a prosperous condition, in consequence of their having run into debt, no doubt in laudable imitation of old established States.

The French Marshals, Moncey and Clauzel, have departed this life. Also, M. Humann, the Minister of Finance, who has gone off in a fit of apoplexy.

The Courier Francois blows up the United States for raising the duties on French goods, and speculates on your going to war with England when you will want French assistance. It says: "The United States, in case of a war, will stand in need, as in the time of Washington, of the assistance of France. And, nevertheless, with a want of foresight, bordering on insanity, proposes to increase the duties on importations from France."

The French are troubled with too much foresight, and are always foreseeing what never happens nor is likely to happen. It is curious to observe, however, the cool manner in which it is taken for granted that France would afford assistance against England, although the two countries are at peace. But the hatred towards England in France, at present, amounts to national monomania.

Louis Philippe has sent word to Lord Aberdeen that he does not expect the young Queen of Spain to marry any of his sons, but that "her alliance with any other family than a Prince of the house of Bourbon, would be regarded by France as a causus belli." This is modest? Think how France would "flare up" were any foreign power to attempt to dictate who should and who should not marry the daughters of Louis Philippe. This announcement was treated with cool indifference by Lord Aberdeen; and Prince Metternich, on behalf of Austria, has, it is said, received it in a similar spirit. It is to be hoped that the young Queen of Spain will in good time make her own choice, and that there is chivalry enough amongst her subjects to see that she is not treated like a puppet.

There has been some disturbances in Cadiz, in consequence of the extreme drought, and the sufferings of the people from want of water.

The latest accounts from Africa state that Abdel Kader is finally put down—for about the fiftieth time.