MAY 7—Public meeting of the citizens of Worcester to sanction the newly formed CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, as an association simply intended to promote the commercial interests of the city without reference to politics. Mr. Alderman Allies filled the chair, and gentlemen of all parties spoke warmly in support of the Chamber. 1840. PARLIAMENT was engaged for a great part of the session with the question of privilege arising out of the Stockdale and Hansard case. The Whigs continued to hold office on most precarious tenure, being defeated in their proposal to allow Prince Albert £50,000 a year. A want of confidence motion, however, proposed by Sir J. Yarde Buller, resulted in a majority of 21 in their favour. The happy marriage of the Queen with Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha was celebrated on the 10th February. Consols averaged 91; wheat averaged 66s. 4d. FEBRUARY 4—The Board of Guardians for the Pershore Union petitioned the House of Lords for the dismissal of the assistant poor law commissioners, as a useless and expensive body of men. The Rev. F. Best opposed the motion, but it was carried by 25 to 5. The Droitwich Guardians did the same. FEBRUARY 10—Her Majesty’s marriage kept in Worcester as a general holiday—dinners given to operatives by their employers—and a ball in the evening at the Guildhall. Public dinners at Great Malvern, Droitwich, and Evesham; and at the latter place a subscription was entered into for the poor, which amounted to 100 guineas. MARCH 28—The Worcestershire Agricultural Society held a general meeting of members to petition against any alteration of the Corn Laws. Sir A. Lechmere, Bart., was in the chair; and the petition, which was proposed by Mr. John Williams and seconded by Mr. John Dent, was unanimously adopted. APRIL 18—A rule granted by the Court of Queen’s Bench, calling upon E. B. Penrice, Esq., Mayor of Droitwich, to show cause why a writ of _quo warranto_ should not be issued against him for having held the office of Mayor of that borough for three successive years. This discreditable proceeding was taken under an obsolete statute of Queen Anne’s time. Though the proceedings were abandoned, Mr. Penrice resigned the office, and Mr. Alderman Tombs was elected in his stead. MAY—The PRISONERS’ RELIEF SOCIETY first established. This association, with very limited means, has done much good, and that of a very necessary kind, in assisting well behaved prisoners to go to their homes and escape from temptation on their release from confinement. The credit of suggesting it is wholly due to the Rev. Thomas Pearson. MAY—The _Paul Pry_ made its appearance in Worcester, filled with scurrilous lampoons upon individual character, and the agent in that city received a sound horsewhipping in his own back parlour from one of the parties libelled.