MARCH (23 POOR LAWS. The following is the purport of the chief cialtses of the Bill on this subject now before the House of Com mons. Every lt:u•ish where the rates amount to loom. to have a Selea Vestry of iallabitants, not less than 5 nor more than 12, for the management of the. roor, and the distributicn of the rates Overseers to act under the direction of the Select Vestry. Justice.; empowered to .order relief in certain eases, a limited time. One justice may ortkr temporary relief,' in ewes- of t ic ; :citt nemssity. ' Mittutc:;•of sclect vestries Pha le.pnris of their pro cee•tiings to be laid before the inhabitants in general vestry. Power to appoint non-resident overseers, with torisent of tl:e persons so appointed. Assistant overseer may be appointed. . Children whose parents.are unable to support them, may be provided fur by the parishes, in places to be ap pointed. • Parish houses:may be used for the reception of chil dren. Rules may be framed for their maangemonL "'Auks may be confirmed by jtistice:;. No other relief to be ordered for cl.ildren, for whom the parish shall offer to provide. Jm'tices empowered- to visit houses provided for the reception of children. Parishes to hire aril let Ott Lnr.d..fnr-thc employment of the penc --( See our : tirA article.) . . . Power to rate owners of certain boust-s-instead of the occupiers. (.nods of occupiers may be distrained for rates to the :ri,lount of the rent actually due. _ Occupiers paying rates empowered to deduct' the amount out of their rent. Reeeiversin certain casesoniay be rated as owners. Persons rated as owners ar.:l may vote in vestries. _ No owner, Tact Lein; an occupier, to be rated, in places where the right Of voting . for Members to serve in Parliament depends on the rating. Justices (nit of sessions empowered to order relief by parents, &c. Justices in special sessions may assess relatives of.the poor, tier their relief Pensions thr service in the navy-or the arrny,•may be ass;k , ned.il certain .cak:er. The pemion . assignc4,• to be paid to Churchwar dens, &c. Power to -remove chargaldis poor ; born in Scotland, Ireland, &c. not being vagrants. Scotch and Irish vagrants may be remoyed without being whipped or imprisoned. ON TIIE ERROR OF COMPUTATION OF TIII3 PRE SENT EASTER.—UntiI tke year 1757, the Julian Calen dar had been .egually adopted throughout the British dominions, but bad a. length by patient investigation, barn eiscovered to be erroneous, and as the error was 4::erew4ing, and would in process of time occasion the several Equimixes.and Solstices to fall at very different times in the civil year, to what they formerly did, it was determined afA enacted by Parliamcnt, that the Calendar should be ref4rnied in that ytar. The rule by this new Calendar it, " that Easter day is always the first Sunday after the .fall moon, which happens dptat or next after the 21st day of March, and if the tall moon happens upon.a Sunday, Easter du is the C:lunday after." Now, bt referritny to all our Almanacs far the pr:sent year, Easter day is . entered for the :22c1 inst. tend the fall moon is also et:Walr the same day, at V in the Afternoon, ao that the: Bard celebration of Easter day. which i, of MUM by the morning Krvice chiefly-, will lave. a,:tually passed be the tidi moon, and Good .Friday- will therefore not be observed in Passion wed: ! Thus it seems, that we arc in error as to our observa tion of Faster on th - :.2:2(1 :Nara, and that next Sun day, the ".:Lith, sliould have been the day fixed by the Calentlaratitl.again, if the _darkness mak. Crucifixion was an eclipso, t.lat could only have beta at a full moon; now by fixing. Good Friday and Easter in the presi.nt year bethre this full moon, there days are very errone ously appointed, though: perhaps, it is, in a, religieuS Niew, of but secondary importance. A. H. The, lhosiers and Erame-work. Knitters of Notting ham, Leicester, and that neighbourhood, to the num ber of 10,000, arc now petitioning Parliament, in con sequence of the distress they exlierienec. This has been brought upon them by the I.mblites. A great part of ..th.e machinery Lis been destroycd, and the ira,,ter-ma natileturcrs have red ti r safety to ether pa7ts. Nay, many rcsliectalde fannilies, who spent much money arming, tile shol:keepers, have. witlalrawn tc> mare tran quil districts. conscincacci.of t*N: atrocious con s Piracies are - now visiting the working classes. The Petition was referred to the Committee of the House of Cenimons on the boor Laws.—Courier. Among other sicvitios in preparation at Drury Lane rheatre, is a new Tragedy, by a Mr. C:nalcs Knight, of Windsor, in IYinieil Kcaa is. to play the pr.lclal character. THE -.NATIONAL RVG-ISTFR. . 1 14UNDY-THCRSDA E Thursday being what is generally called Maundy- Thursday, was observed with the usual ceremony of distributing the Royal bounty. The custom is known to have. been established in this country by Edward 111. in the year 1.363, when that haughty by actually washed the feet of the poer.pecple who were relieved, in imitation of the humility of our Saviour ; and it is on record, that Cardinal ‘i'olsey afterwards performed the sante ceremony in the city ef York. This obser vance is still kept up io Portugal and other Catholic -countries. : The name of Mauudy-Thursday is derives from the hand-bas Lets, which were called (from the Saxon) Mounds, in which the different Christian poten °tate:: distributed provisions to the poor. The number of persons relieved corresponds with the age of the me narele-und were thereibre F. 0 of each sex. The distribu tion, as tisoal, took place at Whitehall-ehnpel ; but on accoliat of an extra staircase being heist from the ante chapel to the Roped closet, for the Duchess of York, a temporary erection was made on the outside in Privy ,gardens, where accommodation WAs provided for. 80 men and 80 women, and about 50 spectators, when 1 cods, t: salmons, 18 red herrings, 18 pickled herrings, with 4 loaves, were -Disco to each person in a wooden bowl. After the fish tied hread had been distributed, potmds and e half of beef mid G.-. /oaf were given to each person. In the afternoon. the ceremonies and additional P.oyal bounties were resumed in the Chapel. They commenced by a procession ente'ing the chapel, of eight Yeoman of the Guard, and a Yeontali Usher, one ei the Yeomen carrying on his head a large gold dish, in w hich were 160 red kid bags, which ought to have contained t:!Os. in gold, bet lied.a note each, and also white kid !begs, tied to the.others with white leather strings, about two feet long; in which were dd. 3d. and 4d. in silver, amounting to 6s, 8d being as many pence ns the King is years.old : the dish con taining these numerous bags was placed on a table, which was covered with a white • cloth, in. front - the altar. The remainder of the proccsripn consisted of the Rev. Mr. Holmes, the Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal ; the Rev. Dr.. Page, the Seh-Almoner ; Mr. Hanby, the Lord High Almoner's Secretary ; Mr. Jones,: the Groom of the Alnumry. Two boys and taro girls were selected from St. Margaret's National School, for their good behaviour, by the Sub-Almoner, and with the Gentlemen were decorated with cambric muslin scarfs and sashes, carrying bouquets of flowers, and preccded.by a Gentleman Verger .of . the. Chapel Royal. 'After the• first lesson, these .Gentlmen distri buted to the 80 mere sboex and %Irking's. After which, the Gentlemen of the Choir sung an appropri ate piece. After this, cloth for a coat, and linen for a shirt, were distributed in a similar manner. An appropriate piece was ngain sung. _ _ _ The red baba, conViirairg,,the 11. ,notes and the small silver coinage, were di4tributed in a similar manner. The ceremony of disaiirLtion to the women wus pre cisely similar. The anthem, " Who is this that cornett' from Edom ?" was then sung, and an appropriate thanksgiving, and prayer were then read. The King's health was after wards drank in claret out of wooden cups, by the Gen tlemen who performed the service and composed the procession. . GEA - ERAL ELECTION. • Str :lcorge Wurreuder is gone to canyno the froeinen of Sandwich, it. being understood foot Sir Joseph Yorke does not utf-r..44ain fur that boroodi. Lord Binning is .nigigioucd as the liev, 7 candidate for witester. It is now ccrtniii that there will ie a contest for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Mr. Liddell cutciithired us one of the candidates for Ncrthuniberland. Tile Lord Advocate of Scotland is elected menthe: l'arlioweot fur the burghe of Enster and IVeste Acstratlier,' l'itteLween, Kilreutiy, and Crail, in tiic roan of Sir J. C. Anstruther, Bart. deceased. The day after the attempt to assassinate the Dube of Wellington, infbrmation was received that an indi vidual, named Ouin, was in hast , !,.to leave Paris, after having cut off his mustaches lle was instantly pur. sued and arrested near _Lyons. 'He was brought into Paris on the Ilth inst, As a testimony of esteem and gratitude to our coun tryman Howard, so e.,!lclmated for his philanthropliy. who viited so nmuy prisons in Europe to make him. scio-quainted with 11!;:ir situation, and to ameliorate tic flue of the prisoners, an: v.-ha, in the year 179 0 , terminat_;l. 1 is human e career at Chervil, a monunieut• is now erccting at Odessa to his memory. •.."I'he Seine continues to swell. The Shopkw.pcm,on f! - .e quays of I.,•43reve and Port-au-ble hard c.44sad •harrier ef 1.4i,,a.w0rk to. be constructs ;' ,licCare their houses, to oppose the which 114veatma . to invade them. They expect he compelled to gait. their re side:lees if the dang4l . .. lx:conic.s. more alarming. LNUNDAIION IN FRANCE For some days, the Aaron and the other rivers, which run round Bourget:, have overflowed the it inundating their meadows near them in such a —•nt...r, that the town presents the arpearance of an island surrounded on all fides with a :Lit and extensive shore. They write from Sanszerre that the waters of ttc L. ire have risen to an elevation whi,-h threatens dread.' ftil ravages. No one can ever less this flood without great danger, and several vessels la,vc run aground within these few days. They write from Niort, under the date of the IQth of Mareh, as follows :—For eight or nine days we have csperienzed continual rains and tempests, For the .10th time this winter the Score overflowed on Thursdayiast, but with much mere violence than in any of the ea rner instances. For some hours, the conuminication between the town and the district of the harbour was interrupted. The waters rose to the same heigli in 18 114. MARCII 18.—The Seine has at length b;gan to sub side. Since yesterday it has lowered nearly a half a f oo t. The gardens situat e d a t the foot of the terrace• of the Toil:cries arc entirely inundated. A number of workmen are employed to discharge , the boats with which the rapid swellirg of the river has bleeked bciih sides of the bridge Louis XVI. It is alzo•sail, that the waters have overflowed the road to Versailles. On ScAurday, nt2, o'clock the Prince Regent 11e;(1 a Court at Carlton-house. His Royal Highnces heat a Privy Council, at which some amendment: in the nomination of Sheriirs for %Vales, were male, i:arl Bathurst had an audience of the Prince Regent. -* Yesterday, being Easter Sandav, the Priner, Regent, accompanied by the l)uke of York, went in state to St. James's Chapel, where the Archbishop of York preached a sermon against the Socinian system of opipi. ins ; after which the two Royal brothers, seat&d ca chairs of crimson and gold, had the sacrament admi. nistered to them. The Queen, &Rd th Princesses Elizabeth and Au. gusts are expected at the Queen's Palace, on Ericlay next. The cottage of her Royal Highness the Prior' •s Elizabeth„..in 'Windsor Park, has been let, :aid the whole of.the stock of choice wines disposed of Prince Leopold has removed from Came to Wey mouth, The health of his Serene Highness is math improved. _ Some alteration has been made as to the precise days on which the Royal Marriages in contemplation will take place. According to the latest arrangements, that of the Princess Elizabeth will be solemnized on the 7th of April ; and that of the Duko.of Cambridge on tl. 14, who is expeacti to arrive in this country with his bride, bef4re the end of „the. same zponth. The re!.i. depee of : the Duke, in South Audley :Street, is prepar ing.fk,the reception of his Royal Highness and his il lustrious consort. The Prince of Hesse Flomberg on Saturday went to view the carriages preparing fbr Lim and the Princess Elizabeth. The marriage of the Princess Elizabeth with his Serene highness is to take place on the evening of the 7th of April, at the Queens palace. The cards of invitation to the different personages who are to be present upon the occasion were issued on Saturday, in the name of the Queen. It is understood at Windsor, that the Princess Eliaa— beth, though about to reside principally in the country of her husband, will return annually to En g l an d, a n d that site will retain the title of Ranger of hit:lot-loud. park, thoul.,*ll without tl , e c , noluments, and, us a consc. pence of this title, have a lious It;ektuozd park appiapriated to her auattai use. _ _ • Thursday evening the of Hesse nomhourg, acummaniei by Baron O'NiT).ten, diucd with the Duca and llache:, Cp: - .:berl.md, at their residence in St. Janic:;'s Palace, where there was a select party to meet his Serene , Iligimess. On Good Friday, his Serene Higluipss, rwcompanicd by Haron O Naghten, went to attLnditivine Service at the Iterormed Lutheran (kr man Chapel, in Martin'sdane, Cannon.stroot After wards his Serene highness rode out on horseuaek. His Serene Highness rep cived visits from . the Duke of ()a mice, Earl Bathurst, the Earl of .i_iverpool,Lord Mont fort, Lord St. ilcleas, Major Pont , ..n, &c. I lis Serene !Ugliness ;hr. Prince of Ileve I fornbcrg v.•st.rday again attended divine service at St. Martin s Orgar i !lurch, tannon-stree, where the German Iletin•ined Cmigre i ,ntion (who formerly had their place of worship ii t!.e. Savoy, tvlri, h was disi)osiye of to the proprietors of ‘Vaterloo H (now assltiri`)]e ad interim, until tlk, erect a 1 urdt ona . ,la.ge spot aground lately pur,hased lloopt.r's .4..'111H1`, Good man's Fields. _ Humour says, that at the interview whiir the Dula „f ( . I„ mies ,- d with li*ti..ttrs an the.#: - .'ajcet of his 11:10 .i„ ;.4 , w i t !. till: s Wykehinn, they state.! the object don that 1,11c7c was ti the lloya: Assent.; Lot intimated : that to au onion wita a Royal Prinqesa of a Fe:eigit f his IZpyal Highness the t oti::, the assent ~ Ciitt,r,il would be riven. The Duke I: r r i o n t;tl7 , : g .l , l l ; O f 0.....nee cotise4 - :ten to this arranw.'ment and an of an with a youthful Y:inecr,s of ilesst Nut trausn4tl,e;.:. by a special Ale;:: oger.