however, be fairly imputed to the Government. The constitutional indolence which unfortunately adhered to him, and which rendered his life a course of splendid but desultory efforts, with long intervals of comparative inaction, his deficiency in the habits of business and in the practical knowledge of his profession, together with his singular improvidence, would probably have debarred him from filling that sphere of usefulness at home to which his great talents would otherwise infallibly have raised him. While he remained in India, Sir James discharged his official duties with distinguished zeal, ability, and philanthropy; and it was while there, that the subject of Criminal Jurisprudence became more especially an object of his attention. By his high intellectual and moral qualities, he contributed to elevate the standard of civilization in that remote colony. He founded a literary society at Bombay, as Sir William Jones had done at Calcutta; but he did not engage with similar ardour in the study of the oriental languages, his acquaintance with which was very limited. After a residence in India of between seven and eight years, he found his health seriously impaired by the effects of the climate; and in 1811, he returned to England with his fortune not much improved, and with a liver complaint which adhered to him for the rest of his life, and ultimately shortened his days. He obtained a retiring pension from the East India Company, of 1200l. a year; but habits of economy are not to be learned in India.

As soon as his shattered health would permit, Sir James was introduced into Parliament. In July, 1813, he entered the House of Commons as representative for the county of Nairn. In 1818, the influence of the Duke of Devonshire secured his return for Knaresborough, for which borough he

was re-elected at the subsequent elections of 1820, 1826, 1830, and 1831. On all questions of foreign policy and international law, pn the alien bill, on the liberty of the press, on religious toleration, on slavery, on the settlement of Greece, on Parliamentary Reform, and more especially upon the reform of the Criminal Law, Sir James took a prominent part, and was always to be found on the side of freedom, justice, and humanity. On the questions connected with neutral rights, which grew out of the relations between Great Britain and the United States of America, he co-operated actively and ably with his friend Mr. Brougham in support of a liberal policy. After the close of the last American War, he took occasion, in one of his speeches in the House, to compliment the American Commissioners at Ghent, upon their "astonishing superiority" over their opponents; a circumstance which we find noticed with great complacency by our North American contemporary, who adds:-"In other speeches, and in his writings, he has often spoken in friendly and favourable terms of this country. This candid,-perhaps partial disposition, in one whose opinion was authority, coming into contrast, as it did, with the meanness and illiberality of many of his contemporaries, had so much endeared the name of Sir James Mackintosh to our citizens, that he was generally styled in the newspapers, whenever he was mentioned, the friend of America. A report which was spread soon after the entrance into power of the present ministry, that he was coming out to reside amongst us as British Minister, was heard with much satisfaction; and there cannot be a doubt that his reception would have been of the most gratifying character." We can scarcely suppose that there was any foundation for the report, as the

station would have been ill suited to Sir James, and the state of his health would scarcely have admitted of his encountering, without imminent risk, the trials of a long voyage and a new climate.

After the death of Sir Samuel Romilly, the advocacy of the revision of the Penal Code devolved more especially upon Sir James. He was Chairman of a Committee in the House of Commons on the subject of the Criminal Law in 1819; and in pursuance of its report, he introduced six bills in the course of May, 1820. Only three of these were, however, at the time, persisted in; and in the Commutation of Punishment bill, only four offences were suffered to be included in its provisions, out of the eleven for which it was proposed to commute the capital punishment; the other seven being expunged from the bill in the House of Lords. For some time, after the death of Tierney, Sir James was, we believe, regarded as a sort of chief of the opposition party; but, although a most important auxiliary, he was deficient in many of the requisites demanded by the post of a political leader and tactician. His character as a parliamentary speaker, is thus portrayed in an article originally inserted in the New Monthly Magazine, and attributed to the pen of Mr. Lytton Bulwer.

"Sir James Mackintosh never spoke on a subject without displaying not only all that was peculiarly necessary to that subject, but all that a full mind, long gathering and congesting, has to pour forth upon any subject. The language, without being antithetick, was artificial and ornate. The action and voice were vehement, but not passionate; the tone and conception of the argument, of too lofty and philosophick a strain for those to whom, generally speaking, it was directed. It was impossible not to feel that the person addressing you was a profound thinker, delivering a laboured composition.

Sir James Mackintosh's character as a speaker, then, was of that sort acquired in a thin House, where those who

have stayed from their dinner, have stayed for the purpose of hearing what is said, and can, therefore, deliver up their attention undistractedly to any knowledge and ability, even if somewhat prolixly put forth, which elucidates the subject of discussion. We doubt if all great speeches of a legislative kind would not require such an audience, if they never travelled beyond the walls within which they were spoken. The passion, the action, the movement of oratory which animates and transports a large assembly, can never lose their effect when passion, action, movement, are in the orator's subject; when Philip is at the head of his Macedonians, or Catiline at the gates of Rome. The emotions of fear, revenge, horror, are emotions that all classes and descriptions of men, however lofty or low their intellect, may feel:-here, then, is the orator's proper field. But again; there are subjects, such as many, if not most, of those discussed in our House of Commons, the higher bearings of which are intelligible only to a certain order of understandings. The reasoning proper for these is not understood, and cannot therefore be sympathized with, by the mass. In order not to be insipid to the few, it is almost necessary to be dull to the many. If our Houses of Legislature sat with closed doors, they would be the most improper assemblies for the discussion of legislative They would have completely the tone of questions that we can possibly conceive. their own clique. No one would dare or wish to soar above the common-places which find a ready echoing cheer: all would indulge in that vapid violence against persons, which the spirit of party is rarely wanting to applaud. But as it is, the man of superior mind, standing upon his own strength, knows and feels that he indolently listening individuals stretched is not speaking to the lolling, lounging,

on the benches around him: he feels and knows that he is speaking to, and will obtain the sympathy of, all the great and enlightened spirits of Europe; and this bears and buoys him up amidst any coldness, impatience, or indifference, in his immediate audience. When we perused the magnificent orations of Mr. Burke, which transported us in our cabinet, and were told that his rising was the dinner bell in the House of Commons; when we heard that some of Mr. Brougham's almost gigantick discourses were delivered amidst coughs and impatience; and when, returning from our travels, where we had heard of nothing but the genius and cloquence of Sir James Mackintosh, we encountered him ourselves in the House of Commons:-on all these occasions we were sensible, not that Mr. Burke's, Mr. Brougham's, Sir James Mackintosh's elo

quence was less, but that it was addressed to another audience than that to which it was apparently delivered. Intended for the House of Commons only, the style would have been absurdly faulty: intended for the publick, it was august and correct. There are two different modes of obtaining a parliamentary reputation: a man may rise in the country by what is said of him in the House of Commons, or he may rise in the House of Commons by what is thought and said of him in the country. Some debaters have the faculty, by varying their style and their subjects, of alternately addressing both those without and within their walls, with effect and success. Mr. Fox, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Canning were, and Lord Brougham is of this number. Mr. Burke and Sir James Mackintosh spoke to the reason and the imagination, rather than to the passions; and this, together with some faults of voice and manner, rendered these great orators (for great orators they were) more powerful in the printed reports, than in the actual delivery of their speeches. We ourselves heard Sir James Mackintosh's great, almost wonderful, speech upon Reform. We shall never forget the extensive range of ideas, the energetick grasp of thought, the sublime and soaring strain of legislative philosophy, with which he charmed and transported us; but it was not so with the House in general. His Scotch accent, his unceasing and laboured vehemence of voice and gesture, the refined and speculative elevation of his views, and the vast heaps of hoarded knowledge he somewhat prolixly produced, displeased the taste and wearied the attention of men who were far more anxious to be amused and excited, than to be instructed or convinced. We see him now! his bald and singularly formed head working to and fro, as if to collect, and then shake out his ideas; his arm violently vibrating, and his body thrown forward by sudden quirks and starts, which, ungraceful as they were, seemed rather premeditated than inspired. This is not the picture which Demosthenes would have drawn of a perfect orator; and it contains some defects that we wonder more care had not been applied to remedy.'"*-pp. 119-21.

* With this able critick, the reader may be pleased to compare the estimate furnished by the American Reviewer, who describes his own impressions. "His eloquence was of a dignified, manly, and imposing character. His manner was not particularly graceful, and he had a slight Scotch accent; but his language was flowing, copious, energetick, and elegant, and above all, carried with it to the minds of his hearers, the rich gifts of profound and

Sir James was elected, in 1822, Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, and again in 1823. On the 1st of December, 1830, he was appointed one of the Commissioners for the affairs of India. If our recollection does not deceive us, he held, for a short time, another publick office at an intermediate period, which he resigned in consequence of some political changes. Had the state of his health permitted, it is believed that he would have formed a member of the present Administration, or have been promoted to some important and lucrative post. In that case, his American friend remarks, "after having been nailed for much of his life to the north wall of Opposition, and suffered a good deal from pecuniary embarrassments, he would have found the evening of his days gilded and cheered with the southern sun of power and fortune." It is not the fact, however, as this writer imagines, that he was unpensioned and neglected, with no other temporal reward for his labours, than "a great but dowerless fame." Our admiration of his splendid endowments must not blind us to the lesson which may be derived from the history of his career. The homely virtues of steady industry and prudence, "the secrets of fortune," would have enabled him to secure at least an honourable com

original thought. The delightful combination of philosophy and taste was exhibited by Mackintosh in higher perfection than it had been by any parliamentary orator since the time of Burke; not excepting even Canning, who yet exemplified it in a very remarkable degree. The eloquence of Sir James was far more finished than that of Brougham; although the latter, from his superior activity and industry, possessed a greater share of political influence, and has finally made a much more brilliant fortune in the world.” For a spirited, and, upon the whole, correct portrait of Sir James, as a writer, a speaker, and a converser, we may refer also to a clever volume, "The Spirit of the Age." (Svo. 1825.)

petency; and while we may respect him for despising wealth, we cannot but regret that his improvidence interfered with his comfort, as much as his desultory habits did with his usefulness. The evening of his life was overcast also, we understand, by trials of a domestick character. We rejoice to be assured by Dr. Gregoin his Life of Hall, that latterly, if a sadder, Sir James became a wiser man in "the most essential respects;" and that having always been the friend of Virtue, he became, towards the close of his days, more than he had been, the disciple of Religion.

ry,

Sir James's health had been for some time rapidly declining; and we were painfully struck, on meeting him at the anniversary of the Anti-Slavery Society in 1831, with the unequivocal indications of premature age. The illness which immediately led to his death was, however, the effect of accident. About the beginning of March, 1832, while at dinner, a small particle of bone in a portion of the

breast of a boiled chicken, which he was attempting to swallow, stuck in his throat; and it was not till after two days that the obstruction was removed by an emetick.

"The effects of the accident completely unsettled his general health. He afterwards laboured under increasing debility and occasional attacks of severe pains in his head, shoulders, and limbs. A few ceased. Febrile symptoms set in, and days before death, the pains suddenly the head became affected. Although this change was met, and in a great measure subdued, by the treatment prescribed by his medical attendants, the consequent debility was too great for his constitution to resist, already oppressed by the weight of sixty-six years. Sir James Mackintosh anticipated the near approach of his dissolution with the greatest firmness, and with the most perfect resignation to the Divine will; retaining, nearly to the last, the command of the powerful mental faculties which distinguished him through an arduous life. His decease took place on the 30th of May, 1832, at his house in Langham Place. He was buried on the 4th of June, at Hampstead. Among the carriages in the procession were those of the Lord Chancellor, the Dukes of Bedford and Devonshire, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Carlisle, Lords Holland and Dover, Right Hon. C. Grant, Sir Robert Inglis, Bart. M. P. &c."

Effects of different Temperatures on the Body-When the air is warm and dry, it excites a more agreeable sensation in the lungs and every part of the body. It increases the power or function of every organ, and health is perfect: this is observed in a dry spring, after a cold and moist winter; but when the weather is intensely hot, and persons are exposed to the burning sun in the tropicks, they often drop dead suddenly from apoplexy: this has happened in France and Spain, during very hot summers. All the functions, as breathing, digestion, &c. are diminished and oppressed. There is danger of mortification of wounds and ulcers, bowel complaints, fever, hysteria, epilepsy, &c. Persons labouring under consumption have been advised to live in warm climates: but many physicians suppose that the acceleration of breathing and pulse, caused by the hot air in summer, only hurry the sufferers to a more speedy

death. The change of habitation from a cold climate to a warm one, in winter, is highly advisable, though it is now believed that the southern coasts of this country are as eligible as foreign climes, for our consumptive patients. A cold and moist atmosphere produces debilitating effects on man and animals; cold and dry air is not so injurious: it braces the nerves, and is favourable to health, although it sometimes induces determinations of blood to the head, chest and abdomen, and then causes inflammation in the organs of their cavities. Advice on Coughs and Colds.

The Coal Market.-Some estimate of the mineral wealth of Pennsylvania may be made, when it is known what arethe extent of her iron mines, her bituminous coal fields, and her anthracite coal quarries. Anthracite coal is the exclusive property of North Eastern Pennsylvania, for it is found no where else, and sent to market. This extensive region is bound

ed by the Susquehanna on the west, the Allegheny mountains on the north, the Delaware on the east, and the Blue mountain on the south, and containing an area of about 100 square miles, is destined to rise in importance, beyond conception. It is but a short time since the use of anthracite coal was known at all, and there are yet thousands in this country, who will yet become consumers, who have never yet seen an anthracite fire. Since the publick works of Pennsylvania have been commenced, it has forced its way into the eastern cities:-Boston, New York and Providence, have more than doubled their consumption in a single year. By the memorandum of fuel in the city of New York alone, for the year ending December 31, 1832, it seems that 50,160 tons of Pennsylvania coal, were consumed, at an average price of $10 65 per ton, making $553,797 62.

Dr. Henberger has returned to the city of Washington from a scientifick journey to the Mississippi and its branches. The materials he has brought with him will render an account of his research peculiarly interesting; the map is well executed, and is calculated to correct many important errors.-The collection of plants is curious and numerous, many of a new character. The mineralogical and geological collection are ample and abundant, containing many new specimens. He has explored the highest mountains of Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, and can prove conclusively by facts, that at a former period they were covered by an ocean. His collection of fossils, shells, leaves, &c. are objects of great admiration to the scientifick, and his tour has resulted in an important addition to the natural riches of the west, which will be received with

great satisfaction by an intelligent publick.

The Palm Tree. This tree seems particularly intended by Providence for the uncivilized and destitute savage. It af fords him a pleasant drink, and, indeed, the common and favourite drink, especially along the coast of Africa. The wine, as the juice is called, is obtained precisely as the juice of the maple is in America for a different purpose; a hole is bored in the trunk of a tree, a spout made of a leaf inserted, and through this the liquor flows into a calabash beneath, which, holding two or three gallons, will probably be filled during the day. It soon assumes a milky appearance, and is generally used in that state; if kept longer, it acquires rather a bitter flavour. The palm tree also affords a valuable oil, of which immense quantities have been heretofore taken off by foreigners, particularly by Liverpool traders. The palm wood is an excellent material in building the simple dwellings of the natives.

Ch. Adv.-VOL. XI.

Stocking Knitter.-Among all the inventions of useful machines in this experimental age, there is not one more curious or more deserving of notice, than the stocking knitter. Mr. M'Mullen, of Birmingham, Huntingdon county, has constructed this machine; it is small, occupies but a little space, and no more power than a common hand organ to turn its crank, except when a stitch is dropped or one required to be added. The machine can do the work of six expert knitters.It is an excellent machine for family use. The cost about fifteen dollars, including the patent right. It is adapted for knitting wool, but may be made for cotton, silk, or thread. The machine in operation at Mr. M'Mullen's, is worked by a little girl, and its use requires but little instruction.-Lancaster Miscellany.

Level Roads.-Agricultural writers say that a road perfectly level is not always the best for the horses. Slight and short alterations of rising and falling in the road are serviceable to the horses, provided the drivers are skilful. By these variations the lungs and muscles of the horses are relieved. This is explained on the principle that constant exercise of any of the muscular powers tend to exhaust. Consequently, on a road perfectly level, the same set of muscles are unremittedly exercised; but if there are some descents and ascents, these are either entirely or partially relieved, and others brought into

action.

Some examinations have recently taken place in England on the subject of printing the Bible. One of the persons examined, was Mr. Joseph Parker, a bookseller at Oxford. In the course of his examination he said, "I can venture to say that every attention possible is paid to the accuracy of the Bibles that we print, and we offer, to every person who will inform us, a sovereign for every error of any importance and affecting the sense, and for every printer's error, such as the turning of a letter upside down, or a comma, or any the smallest error that can be discovered, we are ready to pay 2s. 6d.

Railways-A gentleman arrived here from England, states that the English are laying branches for the Liverpool and Manchester railway, in every direction; and that goods are carried on it at all hours of the day and night. He states, that the period allowed by law for a trip from end to end is 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the cars are not permitted to arrive in a shorter time. The distance is about 31 miles. He heard nothing of the pretended abandonment of locomotive engines on railways.-N. Y. Daily Adv.

Kaahumanu, the queen regent of the Sandwich Islands, died at Mano, (Island 2 A