10 AUGUST 1850, Page 8

31iisrelanms.

We are authorized to state, that a communication was yesterday re- ceived by the Lord Provost from the Secretary to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, intimating that her Majesty is to arrive in Edinburgh on the evening of Thursday the 29th instant ; and that it is the intention of his Royal Highness to lay the foundation-stone of the National Gallery on Friday the 30th. According to present arrangements, we believe the Court will leave London on the 28th instant ; and will proceed by rail- way as far as Castle Howard, the seat of the Earl of Carlisle, where the august party will pass the night. On the 29th, her Majesty will proceed by the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway, to Berwick ; where the Royal party will honour by their presence the ceremony of formally opening the gigantic bridge over the Tweed, connecting the above rail- way with the North British line, by which her Majesty will immediately continue her journey to this her Northern capital.—Editiburgh Advertiser, August 6. It is rumoured that the Dutchess of Gloucester will be appointed Ranger of Richmond Park, vice the late Duke of Cambridge.

The Earl of Lincoln arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday last, in his yacht the Gitana, from a lengthened cruise in the Mediterranean, and a journey through Egypt, Arabia, and Palestine. We are glad to hear his Lordship's health has greatly benefited by the warm climate of those countries. —Horning Chronicle. It is said, and generally credited, that Lord John Russell does not in- tend to stand again for the City.

The Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to inquire into Official Salaries have presented their report. Their inquiries were to embrace salaries and emoluments held during the pleasure of the Crown by Members of either House of Parliament, voted in the annual Esti- mates; salaries and emoluments of Judicial offices in the Superior Courts

of the United Kingdom ; and the expense of the Diplomatic establish- ments.

The Committee commence their report under the first head with a list of the offices of the Treasury, the Secretaryships of State, the Council, the Admiralty, Ordnance, and kint, the Irish Secretary's department, and. the new Boards of the Poor-laws and the Railways ; giving in parallel

columns the salaries of each office in 1780, 1830, and 1850. In the same order they review the offices, and offer their recommendations of non- reduction, reduction, abolition, &c.

The salaries of the chief working officers of State—those of First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, three Secretaries of State, (all 5,000/. each,) and First Lord of the Admiralty, (4,5000—they do not con- sider extravagant. "For these offices it is requisite to secure the services of men who combine the highest talents with the greatest experience in public affairs ; and, considering the rank and importance of the offices, and the labours and responsibilities incurred by those who hold them your Committee are of opinion that the salaries of these offices were sealed in. 1831 at the lowest amount which is consistent with the requirements of the public service." The salaries of Under Secretaries of State were reduced by the Committee of 1830-31 from 2,000/. to 1,5001.; no further reduction is proposed. The duties of the office of President of the Council "have been materially increased since the period when it last came under the consideration of a Committee of this House. A Committee of the Privy Council is now charged with the distribution of the funds voted by Parliament for promoting educa- tion, and with the general superintendence of the system of education as pursued in the schools which participate in the Government grant. The President of the Council is the principal member of this Committee, and has practically the charge of the important and increasing business of this de- partment, in addition to his other official and Parliamentary duties." No alteration of the salary (2,0001.) is proposed. The recommendations of reduction chiefly apply to the secondary offices. The following are the chief proposals of economy. The salaries of the Ju- nior Lords of the Treasury to be reduced from 1,200/. to 1,0001., and of the two Secretaries to the Treasury from 2,500/. to 2,0001.; those of the Vice- President of the Board of Trade and of the Judge Advocate, each from 2,0001.. to 1,5001., and the latter official to be unrestricted from the privilege of pri- vate practice • those of the Junior Lords of the Admiralty to 1,0001. without residence ; that of the Chief Secretary for Ireland from 5,500/. to 3,0001.. They recommend the reabsorption of the Railway Board by its parent the Board of Trade. "Now that the railway system is so near completion, that the duties of the Railway Board may again be discharged under the direction of the Board of Trade, they recommend, with a view to save the salary of the Railway Commissioner, that steps be taken to consolidate the department of the Railway Board with that of the Board of Trade. They do not propose to make any alteration in the salary of the President of the Board of Trade (2,0001.) ; but they recommend that the salary of the Vice-President.be 1,500l. per annum." Provision should be made for transferring the duties of the office of Lord Privy Seal to some other department of the Government, and for discontinu- ing the salary. The Parliamentary.office of Master of the Mint should be abo- lished, and the duties performed by a responsible officer under the Treasury.

The recommendations under the second head—that of Judicial salaries. —are embodied in tabular schemes.

For England, salaries are fixed at these rates. Equity—The Lord Chan- cellor of England, 8,000/. • the Master of the Rolls, 6,.000l.; the Vice-Chan- cellor of England and Second Vice-Chancellor, * 5,000/. each ; the Masters in, Chancery, and the Accountant-General, 2,04/. Common Law—Chief Jus- tice of the Queen's Bench, 7,000/. Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and Chief Baron of the Exchequer, 6,060/. each; and the twelve Puisne Judges, 5,000/. each. The Committee ihink that the emoluments of the Law-advisers of the Crown, arising from irregular fees, are excessive ; and they expect a more efficient and economic performance on payment by fixed salary.

The salaries of the Judges in Scotland are proposed on this scale—Lord. President of the Court of Session 4,3001. • Lord Justice Clerk and President '

of Second Division, 4,000/. Lords of Session, Justiciary, and Exchequer, 3,0001. each. Those of Ireland—Lord Chancellor, 6,0001.; with gradations down to 3,000/. for the Puisne Judges.

The section under the head of Diplomatic salaries we extract entire. "The Committee have given much patient consideration to the subject of diplomatic expenditure, and have entertained a variety of opinion upon it: they have, however, decided to recommend a complete revision of the present system of our diplomatic establishments, and with that view they came to the following resolutions- " First, That it be recommended to the Government to propose to the Go- vernments of France and Turkey to convert the embassies now maintained between those countries and England into missions ; and that our diplomatic establishments at Paris and Constantinople be put on the footing of first-class missions.

"Secondly, That it be recommended to the serious attention of the Go- vernment, that a single mission at some central point in Germany may be substituted for the several missions now existing at Hanover, Dresden, Stut- gani, Munich, and Frankfort, without detriment to the public service. Thirdly, That it be recommended to the Government to make arrange- ments for uniting the mission at Florence with one of the Italian missions. "Fourthly, That no diplomatic salary should exceed 5,000/. per annum, exclusive of an allowance for a residence.

"Fifthly, That it be recommended to the Government to revise the sala- ries of the whole diplomatic service, regard being had to the maximum sug- gested by the Committee, and to the relative importance of the various mis- sions; and that in certain cases a union of missions might take place, or a Consul or Consular agent be substituted for a mission, whereby considerable saving might be effected without injury to the public service. "The diplomatic pension-list has engaged the attention of the Committee,. and they have been led to remark bow large a proportion the aggregate amount of pensions bears to the sum paid for actual service. There are cir- cumstances connected with the diplomatic service which render it difficult to enforce all the regulations applicable to other pensions ; but, looking to the- main object for which all pensions are granted, "They recommend, that, strict regard being had to existing interests, regulations be made for the granting of future pensions, in respect of the age and circumstances of the parties claiming them, so far as is practicable, in accordance with the sixth and eleventh sections of the act 4 and 5 William IV. c. 24, which regulates civil pensions.

"The Committee, being anxious to 'report in the present session, have not had time to prosecute the inquiry into the Consular establishments, and they recommend that an investigation into this branch should be instituted in. the course of next session of Parliament."

From the proceedings of the Committee it appears that Mr. Bright anti Mr. Cobden were the most active proposers of retrenchment, and that they were generally supported by Sir William Molesworth, Sir John Trol- • " It is understood that the office of the Third Vice-Chancellor is to be abolished on the first vacancy."

lope, and Mr. Henry Drummond. The objectors to pruning were gene- rally led by Lord John Russell ; and among them are most frequently ob- served Mr. Home Drummond, Mr. W. Evans, and especially Mr. Ellice.

Protocol (A) of the Conference held at the Foreign Offlee on the 2d of August 1850.

Present—the Charge d'Affaires of Austria, the Minister of Denmark, the Ambassador of France, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of her Britannic Majesty, the Minister of Russia, the Minister of Sweden and Norway.

The representatives of these Powers, in conference assembled at the Fo- reign Office, have taken into consideration the changes to be made in the protocol of the 4th of July, in consequence of the conclusion of the treaty of peace signed at Berlin on the 2d of that month. These changes of expression having been adopted by the Plenipotentiaries of Denmark, France, Great Britain, Russia, and Sweden and Norway, the Chargé d'Affaires of Austria expressed.his desire to submit them previously to the approval of his Court.

It was consequently resolved to proceed to the execution of the protocol, leaving it open for the Court of Austria. The same decision was taken with reference to the Court of Prussia, whose representative did not attend this meeting.

KOT.T.PO PALMERSTON.

Ravaism.ow. BRUNNOW.

E. DROUYN DE Laura. J. E. REHABBED/.

Protocol (B) of the Conference held at the Foreign °lice on the 2d of August 1850.

Present—the Plenipotentiaries of Austria, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden and Norway.

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, the President of the French Republic, her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, his Majesty the King of Prussia, his Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, and his Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, considering that the maintenance of the integrity of the Danish Monarchy, connected with the general interests of the balance of Europe, is of high importance to the pre- servation of peace, have resolved, on the request of his Majesty the King of Denmark, to establish (constater) the perfect harmony which subsists between their Cabinets as to the maintenance of this principle, and have authorized their Plenipotentiaries in conference assembled to put forth in their name the following declaration—

Section 1. The unanimous desire of the aforesaid Powers is, that the state of the possessions at present united under the dominion of his Danish Ma- jesty be maintained in its integrity. Section 2. In consequence, they acknowledge the wisdom of the views which determine his Majesty the King of Denmark to regulate eventually the order of the succession in his Royal:house, so as to facilitate the arrange- ments by which the aforesaid object may be attained without impairing the relations of the Dutehy of Holstein with the Germanic Confederation. Section 3. They rejoice that the negotiations opened at Berlin under the mediation of Great Britain have already led to the signature of a treaty be- tween Denmark and Prussia in her own name and in the name of the Ger- manic Confederation—a treaty which, it is their firm hope, will have for its result the restoration of peace. Section 4. Wishing on their side to manifest from this time their desire to facilitate, as far as in them lies, the conclusion of the arrangements mentioned in article 2 of the present protocol, the above-mentioned Powers reserve to themselves to enter upon a future agreement, in order to give an additional pledge of stability to these arrangements by an act of European recognition. It is agreed that this deliberation will take place in London, and that the said Powers shall furnish their representatives with the full powers necessary for this purpose. Ravarrisow. Buustrtow.

E. DROUYN DE LIMY& J. E. JUBA:USER. PALMERSTON Not many weeks ago, we were told by the organs of a busy and mis- chievous faction, that England was isolated from the other States of Eu- rope. M. Drouyn de Lhuys, it was said, had left the Court of St. James's to return no more; Baron Brunnow sometimes had gone, sometimes was only going, but most certainly could not remain. The influence of Eng- land was shivered like the porcelain of M. Pacifico, and the name of Pal- merston had been affixed for the last time to any convention of European importance. We foretold the issue which is now patent to the world. Lord Palmerston has vindicated the honour of England and maintained her high place among the nations of the earth. The ink is not dry in which the mi- serable predictions referred to were written, when Russia and France are united with Great Britain in a public act which demonstrates a cordial good understanding between those Powers, and their zealous coopera- tion in maintaining inviolate the peace of Europe.—Morning Post.

Among the new matter in Mr. M'Culloch's improved edition of his geographical Dictionary, published in monthly parts, we find the fol- lowing curious table, at page 471. It is one of a series of statistical tables illustrating the progress of the British Empire ; and it sets forth the population, public burdens, trade, produce, and industry "of Great Bri- tain, exclusive of Ireland," in the years specified.

Population of Great Britain Interest of Debt. £ Total Public Revenue raised by Taxation in £ Great Britain Loans f

Amount of I'mum and }

Taxes taken together. f Amount of Taxes paid by ) each individual Amount of Taxes and Loans i paid by each Individual Rent of Land £ Shipping (of United ) to. Kingdom) Imports of Cotton lbs.

Produce of Iron tons Produce of Wheat I bushels per Acre Price of Wheat per qr. Declared Value of the Exports of British Pro-) £ duce and Manufactures Efficiency of same amount ) of Labour

1775.

8,800,000 4,470,000 10,038,000

an.

10,038,000 22s. 9d.

22s. 9d. 17,200,000 697,3042 5,000,000 50,000

so

49s. 10d.

. . i

1

1793.

10,000,000 9,624,000 17,958,000

3,023,000

21,881,000 35.. 188.

43s. Ild. 22,000,000 1,564,520 19,040,000 120,000 24 49s. 3d.

,. .

1

1801.

10,943,000 18,500,000 35,500,000 18,500,000 54,000,000 04.. 10d.

98s. 8d.

28,000,000 1,853,879 56,004,000 180,000 241 119s. 88.

39,731,000 1 1-10th

1815.

13,540,000 30,300,000 71,000,000 40,799,000+ 111,799,000 104r. 10d.

185s. Id. 39,350,000 2,681,276 100,000,000 400,000 28 65,. 74.

49,853,000 1 5-10th

1848.

21,000,000 28,189,000.

53,500,000 NIL 53,500,000 50i. 11d.

50.. 11d. 45,600,000 4,052,180 688,400,000 1,850,000 32 50a. flif.

513,810,158T 2 • The return for this year includes interest of Irish Debt.

Average of 1814, 1815, and 1816. Tonnage of Great Britain only. But the tonnage of Ireland and of Our Colonies, exclusive Of the United States, then Ins state of revolt, was quite trifling.

The account of the declared value of Exports was not taken till 1798; but their official value, which was then much nearer to their real value than at present, amounted in 1793 to 13,892,2601. In 1773 it amounted to 16,326,3641.; but that includes the value of foreign as Wen as of native exports, and there are no means of distinguishing the one from the other.

This is the return for 1847, the Exports in 1848 being artificially reduced in consequence Of the extraordinary Continental convulsions of that year. They amounted in 1849 to 83,319,9371.

The Registrar-General's quarterly return of marriages extending to March 31, and of births and deaths extending to June 30, presents these results- " The marriages were 30,425 in the quarter that ended on March 31, 1850; the marriages in the corresponding quarters of 1847-8-9 were 27,480, 28,398, 28,270. The number of marriages in the first quarter of 1850 was only once exceeded in the eleven corresponding quarters of 1839-49; and correcting for increase, the proportion of marriages to population is shown to be much higher in the float quarter of 1850 than in any corresponding quar- ter since 1839, except in the -March quarters of 1845, 1846, when the labour- ing classes were in full employment.

"The births registered in the quarter that ended March 31, 1850, were 144,602; in the quarter that ended June 30, 155,727. Births are always more numerous in the first than in the second half of the year ; and from 1840 to 1845 the births registered in the first quarters were more numerous than those registered in the second quarters of the six years ; but in 1846, 8, 9, 50, a change has taken place, and the excess of births has been thrown upon the June quarters. The number of births in the June quarter of 1850 is the greatest ever registered in England in the same time. "The mortality is now, it is gratifying to report, much below the average. It has not been so low in any of the corresponding quarters since 1837, when the new system of registration commenced, except in the quarter ending June 1844. The rate of mortality per cent per annum in the quarter was 2.084. At this rate, 1 in 192 persons died in the last three months ; in 1847, 1 in 161 persons died in the same time. This shows clearly how much the risk of life has declined. The average chance of living through the three months April, May, June, among persons of all ages, is 179 to 1."

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday lost: the first column of figures gives the aggregate number of deaths in the corresponding weeks of the ten previous years.

Ten Weeks Week.

01'1839-49. of 1850.

Zymotic Diseases 3491 .... 277

Dropsy, Cancer, and other discance of uncertain or variable seat 458 .... 40

Tubercular Diseases 1823 .... 174 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 1151 .... 99 •_..

Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 244 .... 38 ft

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 753 .... 70 -- • Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 764 .... 61 ' Diseases of the Kidneys, Se 97 .... 10 Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, ite 80 .... 7 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, Se 57 .... 11 .

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Be 11 .., 3 Malformations 19 .... 3 Premature Birth 237 .... 34 Atrophy 217 .... 32 Age 459.... 30 Sudden Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 250 .... 26 Total (including unspecified causes) 10209 917

The weekly number of deaths continues to increase. The numbers in the four past weeks were 781, 863, 898, and last week 917. The last number is 197 below the corrected average of similar weeks in ten years ; but we are now got into the time of the cholera visitation of last year, and the extraordinary mortality of last year's weeks unduly swells that average : even bearing in view this fact, however, the mortality is below the calculated expectaney. Diarrhoea is the most active agent of death. The fatal eases of cholera were eleven : only one case was by name, "spasmodic cholera" ; and nearly all of the other cases were complicated with other diseases, and had been encou- raged also by obvious morbifie influences. jAverage atmospheric pressure 29.859 inches ; mean temperature 61.30.

In the Arches Court, on Tuesday, Sir Herbert Jenner Fust formally ad- mitted the Reverend George Cornelius Gorham into the vicarage of Bramp- ford Spoke; giving him true, lawful, and canonical institution in the vicar- age, and investing him with all the rights belonging to it, and committing to him the care of the souls of its parishioners. It is said that the Pope, to express his sense of Mr. Newman's services in the cause of theology, has conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity by diploma.

The Nepaulese Ambassador, accompanied by a suite of twelve persons,. arrived in Edinburgh on Wednesday afternoon, by the Caledonian Railway mail-train from London. They were received at the railway station by the Lord Provost, Sheriff of the county, and Major-General Riddell, Commander of the Forces in Scotland. They immediately drove to Moray Place, one of the finest and most fashionable squares in the Northern Metropolis, where a private house has been taken for their residence during their stay in the city. A guard of honour has been stationed at their abode to wait upon them. After resting a short time, the Ambassador, attended by three of his suite and the interpreter, paid a visit to the British Association, which was then holding its concluding sitting in the Music Hall. On being introduced by the Lord Provost they were received with great acclamation, and remained a short time to witness the proceedings.—Daily Papers.

About one hundred and twenty pictures, collected in Italy and elsewhere by Lord Ward, have been placed in the great room of the Egyptian Hall. We believe it is Lord Ward's intention to make them accessible to the public.

The execution of the convict Ross, under sentence of death in York Castle, for poisoning his wife, has been reapited a week from this day. Circumstances pointing to the criminality of some of those who gave evidence against Ross, his wife's relatives, have transpired ; and a strong inference of Ross's in- nocence is drawn.