10 FEBRUARY 1849, Page 9

Last night's Gazette announces that the Queen will hold levees,

at St James's Palace, at two o'clock on Thursday the 22d and Wednesday the 28th February, and Wednesday the 21st March; and a drawingroom on Thursday the 29th March.

The Gazette also announces that her Majesty has conferred the honour of knighthood on Elkanah Armitage, Esq., late Mayor of Manchester. It formally notifies the appointment of Sir Edmund Lyons to be Minister Plenipotentiary to the Confederation of the Swiss Cantons, and of Thomas Wyse, Esq., to the King of Greece. It announces the appointment of George William Anderson, Esq., to be Governor and Commander-in-chief of the Island of Mauritius and its dependencies.

The Mortality returns for the year and quarter ending 31st December last show an increase of healthfulness on both the year and quarter. The deaths were only 46,124 in the last quarter, as compared with 53,055 it/ the last quarter of 1846 and 57,925 in that of 1847. More deaths have oc- curred from each of the three diseases of scarlatina, (which is epidemic,) smallpox, and typhus than from cholera. The decrease of mortality is most marked in the Northern, North Midland, Welsh, and South-western di- visions.

It is understood to be the intention to send the Herald from Mazatlan, in the Pacific, to Behring's Straits to communicate with the Plover. We have no doubt that the friends of the parties on board the Plover would be glad to avail themselves of this opportunity of communicating with the ship; and there would probably be every willingness at the Admiralty to forward any letters to the Plover that might be sent to that office before the 16th of the month, per the mails vii. Chagres. Sir John Franklin's expedition will have been out four years on the 25th May next.—Morning Chronicle.