CHRONOLOGY FOR THE YEAR 1842.
JANUARY.
17th.—Prince Albert laid the first stone of the new Royal Exchange. Every one present greatly admired the manner of the Prince, and the stone itself was particularly struck by him.
25th.—A holiday at the Law Courts. Nothing doing, and nobody done.
31st.—The King of Prussia visited Newgate in the morning, and Drury Lane Theatre at night. His Majesty saw murderers at both places, and admired the new drop at each.
FEBRUARY.
3rd.—The Queen opened Parliament in person with a speech from the throne, showing her readiness at all time to put in her spoke for the common wheel.
20th.—The Corn Law Debate brought to a close. The duty of eight shillings a quarter objected to by a county member, on the ground that it would amount to thirty-two shillings a year.
MARCH.
11th.—Sir R. Peel made his financial statement, and declared his intention of increasing the duty on whisky; an announcement that had not the effect of raising Irish spirits.
16th.—The day fixed for the earthquake that was to have broken London into little bits. It, however, broke nothing but its appointment.
18th.—The Queen and Prince Albert having visited Drury Lane Theatre, the house was full, and the royal pair gave an audience to the manager.
APRIL.
4th.—The House of Commons resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means, when Sir R. Peel's ways of getting means were much objected to.
18th.—Discussion in the House of Lords on the New Corn Bill, when the Duke of Buckingham plainly intimated that the Premier deserved to be turned out, for having taken others in.
22nd.—A dispute between Mr. Lumley and Signor Mario, when the latter complained of hoarseness, and the former declared that he also was taken by the throat.
MAY.
2nd.—Presentation of the Chartist's petition. Its weight made a deep impression on the floor of the House, but none at all on the members.
12th.—The Queen's Ball Masque. Several old ladies endeavoured to conceal their years by appearing in the costumes of the middle age.
21st.—Prince Albert sat for six hours as judge in the Stannaries Court, and performed the judicial office so well that two things were tried at once—the cause before him and his own patience.
23rd.—Execution of the murderer Good. A good riddance.
In the course of this month the Whigs charged the Tories with the greatest assurance in having taken up the former's policy.
JUNE.
3rd.—Continuance of the sugar duties moved by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He contended that though the tax was little in separate pounds of moist it amounted to a great deal in the lump.
4th.—Proclamation issued on the subject of certain sovereigns discovered to be light. The new regulation not to affect India, where the natives princes are all of a dark complexion.
13th.—The Queen made her first trip by railway, and the Court expected to adopt the fashion of trains.
23rd.—A question put to Sir R. Peel on the subject of the Nelson Monument, the base of which had not been proceeded with for want of the capital.
Several attempts made to retard the public business by incessantly moving the adjournment of the House, and bring the Premier to a stand by perpetual motion.
JULY.
2nd.—A letter exploded at the Post-office—a proof of its being in a great hurry to go off.
3rd.—Attempt of the varlet Bean on the life of Her Majesty. It appeared that the little deformity was given to sentiment, and that the hump on his back weighed heavily on his mind.
7th.—Mr. Hume moved for a Return of the actual services of all flag officers, which was refused from a fear that many of them would turn out to be much below the standard. He was denied similar information respecting general officers, since so many of them had not done anything particular, and had never been in any action except as defendants.
10th.—M. Claudet, the patentee of the Daguerreotype, undertook to do likenesses, on a first attempt, in less than a second.
13th.—Mr. Hume complained that at the British Museum no children are admitted under eight; and he declared that juvenile capacity for instruction was much under-eighted.
The same honourable member censured the locality and the expense of the New Houses of Parliament, objecting to the site of the building, and the sight of money required for completing it.
AUGUST.
1st.—Miss A. Kemble married to a count, and will, it is to be hoped, find her account in the step taken.
'Tis a pity Miss Kemble retires so soon,
When money she makes to so pretty a tune.
5th.—Prince Albert shot ninety-six rabbits in the royal preserves. The animals, anxious for the honour of seeing the Prince, fell the unhappy victims of a too fatal curiosity.
6th.—A gentleman having received a newspaper sealed with the motto, "Time flies," was charged full postage on account of "information" contained on the wrapper.
14th.—Gooseberries, apples, and pears selling for a mere nothing in Covent Garden Market, being, as the growers declared, the fruits of the Tariff.
25th.—Trial of the vagabond Bean, who was found to be one of a very inferior kidney.
SEPTEMBER.
1st.—The Queen landed at Edinburgh, the tide having risen before the Provost was out of bed.
2nd.—A return presented to Parliament of the condition of the inmates of Greenwich Hospital, when it was found that there were thirty-six pensioners who had only the right leg left.
3rd.—Covent Garden Theatre was advertised to open, but Miss Adelaide Kemble was too hoarse to sing; and though her father had so much at stake in the theatre, it was found that his daughter had no voice at all in it.
6th.—Mr. Carter bitten severely in the thumb by one of his lions. The animal was recently purchased and not used to his master, who was trying a few tricks merely to get his hand in.
12th.—An investigation into the Dover cropping case. The jailor, finding he was not to cut the hair of the prisoners, cut his own stick, and resigned his situation.
21st.—A calculation made, that the shelves of the King's Library at Paris extend to twenty miles—a proof of what extraordinary lengths some writers will go to.
OCTOBER.
1st.—It was generally suggested that banking-houses should close at four, because the system of shutting at five (after which hour there is still much to be done) has the effect of driving their business very often to sixes and sevens.
10th.—News arrived of Akbhar Khan being prepared to treat; but from such a Khan nothing can be expected but half-and-half measures.
12th.—Miss Briers and Mary Ann Morgan brought to Union Hall on a charge of having conspired to lead Mr. Woolley into another union against his will. Mr. Woolley, though evidently on thorns, and regularly caught by the Briers, declared his intention not to prosecute; he, however, commenced a suit for divorce against Mary, in reference to whom he refused to be Molly-fied.
HORRID MURDER.
Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., London and Edinburgh