with two Additional Articles thereunto annexed. Signed at London, January 26th,

1826.

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity.-His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on the one part, and His Majesty the King of France and Navarre on the other part, being equally animated by the desire of facilitating the commercial intercourse between their respective subjects, and being persuaded that nothing can more contribute to the fulfilment of their mutual wishes in this respect, than to simplify and equalize the regulations which are now in force relative to the navigation of both kingdoms, by the reciprocal abrogation of all discriminating duties levied upon the vessels of either of the two nations in the ports of the other, whether under the head of duties of tonnage, harbours, light-house, pilotage, and others of the same description; or in the shape of increased duties upon goods on account of their being imported or exported in other than national vessels; have named as their plenipotentiaries to conclude a convention for this purpose that is to say :

His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Hon. George Canning, a Member of his said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, and his said Majesty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and the Right Hon. William Huskisson, a Member of His said Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, a Member of Parliament, President of the Committee of Privy Council for Affairs of Trade and Foreign Plantations, and Treasurer of His said Majesty's Navy :

And His Majesty the King of France and Navarre, the Prince Jules, Count de Polignac, a Peer of France, Marechal de-Camp of His Most Christian Majesty's Forces, Knight of the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis, Officer of the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice of Sardinia, Aide-de-Camp of His Most Christian Majesty, and his Ambassador at the Court of His Britannic Majesty:

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles :

Art. 1. From and after the fifth of April of the present year, French vessels, coming from or departing for the ports of France, or, if in ballast, coming from or departing for any place, shall not be subject, in the ports of the United Kingdom, either on entering into or departing from the same, to any higher duties of tonnage, harbour, light-house, pilotage, quarantine, or other similar or corresponding duties, of whatever nature, or under whatever denomination, than those to which British vessels, in respect of the same voyages, are or may be subject, on entering into or departing from such ports; and, reciprocally, from and after the same period, British vessels coming from

or departing for the ports of the United Kingdom, or if in ballast, coming from or departing for any place, shall not be subject, in the ports of France, either on entering into or departing from the same, to any higher duties of tonnage, harbour, light-house, pilotage, quarantine, or other similar or corresponding duties, of whatever nature, or under whatever denominations, than those to which French vessels, in respect to the same voyages, are or may be subject on entering into or departing from such ports; whether such duties are collected separately, or are consolidated in one and the same duty; his most Christian Majesty reserving to himself to regulate the amount of such duty or duties in France, according to the rate at which they are or may be established in the United Kingdom: at the same time, with the view of diminishing the burdens imposed upon the navigation of the two countries, his most Christian Majesty will always be disposed to reduce the amount of the said burdens in France, in proportion to any reduction which may hereafter be made of those now levied in the ports of the United Kingdom.

Art. 2.-Goods, wares, and merchandise, which can or may be legally imported into the ports of the United Kingdom from the ports of France, if so imported in French vessels, shall be subject to no higher duties than if imported in British vessels, and, reciprocally, goods, wares, and merchandise, which can or may be legally imported into the ports of France, from the ports of the United Kingdom, if so imported in British vessels, shall be subject to no higher duties than if imported in French vessels. The produce of Asia, Africa, and America, not being allowed to be imported from the said countries nor from any other, in French vessels, nor from France in French, British, or any other vessels, into the ports of the United Kingdom, for home consumption, but only for warehousing and re-exportation, his most Christian Majesty reserves to himself to direct that, in like manner, the produce of Asia, Africa, and America, shall not be imported from the said countries, nor from any other, in British vessels, nor from the United Kingdom in British, French, or any other vessels, into the ports of France, for the consumption of that kingdom, but only for warehousing and re-exportation.

With regard to the productions of the countries of Europe, it is understood between the high contracting parties, that such productions shall not be imported in British ships into France for the consumption of that kingdom, unless such ships shall have been laden therewith in some port of the United Kingdom; and that his Britannic Majesty may adopt, if he shall think fit, some corresponding restrictive measure, with regard to the productions of the countries of Europe imported into the ports of the United Kingdom in French vessels: the high contracting parties reserving, however, to themselves the power of making,

to the same bounties, drawbacks, and other allowances of the same nature, to which British vessels would be entitled, on such exportation.

The same facilities and privileges shall be granted, reciprocally, in all the colonies of France, for the exportation, in British vessels, of all kinds of merchandise, which are not prohibited to be exported from such colonies in vessels other than those of France.

These two additional articles shall have the same force and validity as if they were inserted, word for word, in the convention signed this day. They shall be ratified, and the ratification shall be exchanged at the same time. In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms. Done at London, the 26th of January, in the year of our Lord 1826.

MR. COWPER-CLERK ASSISTANT.] The Earl of Liverpool rose to call their lordships' attention to a motion founded on the letter of Mr. Cowper, which he had read yesterday. He had the satisfaction of feeling that the motion with which he should conclude was one which would meet with no opposition. Their lordships knew how that gentleman had discharged the important duties of his office for a period of forty-one years. There was no instance of an individual having discharged his duty with more diligence, assiduity, and integrity, than Mr. Cowper had done. The situation was important in various respects. It was necessary that the person who filled it should be well acquainted with the course and forms of judicial proceedings. The office was also important from its connexion with the forms and regulations of the House. This was a kind of knowledge which could only be acquired by experience; and it was no disgrace to any one who sat on the woolsack to say, that he might be assisted by Mr. Cowper. No one better knew than the individual of whom he was speaking, what was due to the dignity of the House and to the maintenance of its orders. Besides, his duty had been always discharged with so much propriety and urbanity, that during the long period of forty-one years, no one had ever had occasion to complain of his conduct. For his own part, he could speak to a period

of twenty years, and he did not recollect any instance in which he had given offence. The late earl of Rosslyn, wheu sion of 1,000l. per annum should be chancellor, had recommended that a pengranted to the clerk on retiring from office. Mr. Cowper had then stated, that if nothing further should be granted to him, he would be perfectly satisfied. Their lordships, however, would not avail themselves of this readiness to wave any future claim, when they took a view of the circumstances of the case. They had some years ago turned their attention to what was due to the gentlemen sitting at the table of the House. They had now to take into their consideration a case of retirement, and he was convinced that they would willingly concur in doing what was not an act of liberality but of justice. He would conclude by moving, that "That this House receives with sincere concern, the resignation of Henry Cowper, esq., and think it right to record the sense they entertain of the zeal, ability, diligence, and integrity with which he executed the important duties of his office during a period of more than forty years. Also, that an humble address be presented to the king, laying before his majesty a copy of the letter of the said Henry Cowper, esq., and likewise the resolution of the House respecting that gentleman, and recommending him to his majesty's royal grace and bounty." The resolution was agreed to.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Tuesday, February 7.

STAMPING OF SMALL COUNTRY NOTES.] Mr. Calcraft begged to ask a question of the gentlemen on the Treasury bench, upon a subject of considerable public interest. He understood that, of its own authority, government had taken upon itself to refuse the issue of any stamps for one and two pound country notes. If this was the fact, he thought it a great stretch of power.

Mr. Herries said, it was perfectly true that the government had taken upon itself to refuse stamps for one and two pound country notes. He imagined, that the understanding was general; that, if necessary, a short bill might be brought in to provide for exigencies, until the plan of the chancellor of the Exchequer was regularly stated. As the matter, however, was to come on so soon as Fri

day next, government had deemed it expedient to take upon itself the responsibility of refusing any further stamps for the country small notes; in order to prevent the issue of very large quantities, which would no doubt have been called for in the interim.

Mr. Calcraft said, it was the first time he had known government take upon itself such a responsibility, under such circumstances; and this, too, without even taking the opinion of the law officers of the Crown as to its legality. If the exigency was so pressing, a short bill ought to have been brought in; and the forms of the House might have been dispensed with. For himself, he thought the course most unjustifiable; and that it exposed the parties to actions of damages.

ELECTION LAWS IN IRELAND.] Mr. R. Martin, in moving for leave to bring in his bill, called upon every gentleman who had complained of the state of the 40s. freeholders in Ireland, to assist in passing a measure which was intended to place those voters upon a more respectable footing. By showing the receipt for all rent due up to the time of the election, the 40s. freeholders would be rendered really independent. At present it was well known that their property was in danger of being swept away, if they voted contrary to the inclination and bidding of their landlords. The tenants would prove themselves before the world to be much better qualified for exercising the rights of electors, could they show a full discharge for their rent. If they were in arrears, and the landlords wished them to vote independently, they could give them the receipt. No member who wished well to Ireland would deny them the boon which he now proposed. There was one evil more which it was desirable to correct. Any one having a majority of the magistracy on his side, might succeed in preventing the adversary from registering a sufficiency of votes to secure his return. In his own county he had been prevented for twelve months from registering a number of freeholders, and in the mean time the election went by. Such a power ought not to be left for any man to abuse. He would propose, that the clerk of the peace should have due notice of the application of the freehold ers to be registered, and in failure of his attendance, a person should be sworn in

who should be bound to take names, and hand them over to the clerk for him to register. He had as yet had no opportunity of conferring with Irish members on the subject. He then moved for leave to bring in a bill " to alter and amend the Election Laws in Ireland."

Mr. Hutchinson said, that any measure to alter the law of election must, at the eve of a general election, be looked at with peculiar jealousy.

Sir H. Parnell said, that the plan of compelling people to show receipts for the discharge of rent, would be very objectionable.

Leave was given to bring in the bill.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

Thursday, February 9.

STATE OF IRELAND.] The Marquis of Lansdown wished to ask of the noble lord opposite, how far the suggestions thrown out in the report of the committee of the House on the State of Ireland, imperfect as they were, had been acted upon. He called them imperfect, certainly not from any disposition to speak slightingly of the labours of the persons who composed the committee, of whom he himself was one, but because they were from the nature of the inquiry imperfect, and the committee themselves called them imperfect. However, a great many suggestions of importance had been thrown out on the subject of education and other. matters connected with the state of Ireland, and he supposed the king's government had acted upon those suggestions as far as was found practicable. There were circumstances in the state of Ireland which rendered it very desirable that some of the suggestions should be carried into effect without delay. He was therefore very anxious to learn what had been done in pursuance of the suggestions in the report.

The Earl of Liverpool professed himself ready to give the noble marquis every information in his power on the subject to which he had referred. In doing this, he would take the report of the committee for the basis of his explanation, and would go over the points suggested one by one. The first suggestion related to an alteration of the law of landlord and tenant. The subject had been referred to the law officers of the Crown, who had had it for some time under their consideration, and the result of their opinion had at last been