entitled, 'a certain popular gentleman.'

Some of the political rumours are worthy of republication. The
subjoined, from the London news of July 29, 1766, serves to shew how
long a political change may be mooted before its effect is tried in
this country: 'It is said, a bill will be brought into parliament next
session, binding elections for members of parliament to be by ballot.'

And, without at all entering into the discussion of political topics,
it may perhaps be observed that the following, taken from the
_Chronicle_ of August 10, 1765, points out how an evil of the present
day has long been felt and acknowledged: 'We hear the electors of a
certain borough have been offered 3000 guineas for a seat, though
there is but so short a time for the session of the present
parliament.'

Great surprise is expressed (1766) that the consumption of coal in
London 'hath increased from 400,000 odd to 600,000 chaldrons yearly.'
We find that the coal imported into London during the first six months
of 1851, amounted to 1,527,527 tons, besides 90,975 tons brought into
the metropolis during the same period by railway and canal. 'Carrying
coal to Newcastle' proved a successful speculation on September 25,
1765, when, on account of a strike among the pitmen, 'several pokes of
coal were brought to this town by one of the common carriers, and sold
on the Sandhill for 9d. a poke, by which he cleared 6d. a poke.' About
the same time, wheat was selling in Darlington and Richmond for 4s.
and 4s. 6d. per bushel, after having been nearly double that price
only two or three weeks previously. In the number for June 25, 1766,
we have the following quotation from a Doncaster letter:--'Corn sold
last market-day from 12s. to 14s. per quarter; meat, from 2-1/2d. to
3d. per pound; fowls, and other kinds of poultry, had no price, being
mostly carried home. I wish a scheme was set on foot, to run many such
articles to London by land-carriage; there is plenty here.' In the
same paper, the prices of grain in London are given: wheat, 36s. to
41s.; barley, 22s. to 25s.; oats, 16s. to 20s.

Recently, the Newcastle papers, led on by the _Chronicle_, have been
making strenuous efforts to extend the French coal-trade, but such
exertions formed no part of the 'wisdom of our ancestors.' The number
for June 15, 1765, informs us that 'some sinister designs for
exporting a very considerable quantity of coals to France and
elsewhere, have lately been discovered