HIS MAJESTY'S HEALTH.—We are happy to be able to state

on un- questionable authority, that the King is not merely in " tolerable" but in excellent health, and as likely to live many years as any one of his subjects.—Ed. Court Journal.

PRAYERS FOR THE LATE KING.—Every day since the preparations for the Royal funeral commenced, a lady in deep mourning, closely veiled, and carrying a white parasol, surmounted by a large bunch of black crape, fastened with a rosette of crimson riband, has made her way through the crowds*ot busy workmen in the lower ward of the

Clunk, to the portcullis gateway at the foot of the keep; there,

falling upon her knees, and placing her hands together in le attitude of prayer, she bows her head upon them, and so remains—sometimes for more than half an hour together, unmoved by the clatter and confusion. all around her.—Morning Herald.

The Marchioness of Conyngham and her family have been residing- with her brother, Mr. Denison, the member for Surry.

FRIENDLY LIBELS.—A gossiping contemporary, who deals largely in scraps of ." exclusive," tells the Wowing story. " During the latter part of his illness, the King expressed the most anxious interest as to the future welfare of a lady who had long been looked upon by his Ma- jesty with especial favour ; and it is stated to us that on one occasion his Majesty sent for the party in question into the room during one of his latest interviews with an Illustrious Relative, and, placing the Lady's hand in that of the Prince, recommended her future welfare and happi- ness to his Royal Highness's especial care."—This is a new edition of the well-known words of Charles the Second to his brother .James, ii Be kind to poor Nell." We have no doubt the undiscriminating writer meant the story to be received as complimentary to the memory of the late King, as Charles's dying recommendation is generally allowed to have been to his. It ought, however, to be remembered, that Nell Gwyn was as disinterested a little woman as she was a witty one, andhad as kindly a heart as she had a comely face ; that she lived without an enemy, and was followed to her grave by troops of friends ; and above all; through she was a King's mistress, she Wes not another man's wife.

THE PAVILION AT BRIGHTON.—The Gazrtte states, that this edi- flee, with all its furniture, is bequeathed to his present Majesty, subject to an annuity of 60001. to Mrs. Fitzherbert. ST. Jastns s Paitx.—The long-desired and obstinately-withheld en- trance from Carlton Terrace has at length been granted. A passage into the Park is immediately to be formed from the Terrace erected on the site of Carlton. House gardens ; and that the favour might lack no recommendation, it has been spontaneously directed by his Majesty, without hint or advice from any of his Ministers. It is by such trifles that a King shows that he takes a kindly interest in his subjects. We suggest, that the passage should be by a flight of steps the whole breadth of the street. THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND PRINCE LEOROLD.—A knavish' hoax had the effect of lowering the Funds on Monday a trifle. It was stated in a letter written by somebody at the West end of the town, to somebody in the City, that the Duke of Wellington had been slain by Prince Leopold in a duel. The two somebodies, who are at present anonymous, should lie made known. We should suspect the person who received the letter to be quite as great an offender as the person who wrote it. However, his Grace was seen on his way to the House of Lords after the report had subsided, apparently, as our informant writes, " with as little intention of dying, either naturally or politically, as any of King William's loyal subjects. ' We should not have mentioned the matter here, had it not been with a view to add, by way of caution to the public,. that one hoax generally awakens the taste for such exploits, and is followed by others.—Times, Tuesday. [The Stock Exchange people have been investigating the ffair, with little success.] PitiestuietitE.—The Protestant clergymen of Ireland have incurred. the penalties of a prcemunire by praying for the dead. On Sunday last ' week, the Divine favour was entreated in all the parish churches for King George the Fourth. The Catholics escaped this danger by avoid- ing names ; and their doctrines permit the practice into which the Pro- testants have accidentally fallen.

LONDON BRIDGE:—The stone work of the grand arch over Thames Street is nearly finished ; the coping of the bridge is completed ; and on Thursday the arch opposite Tooley Street was thrown open to the -pub- lic. The houses on the east side of the Borough High Street, from Tooley Street, nearly as far as St. Thomas's Hospital, are nearly all levelled. The ancient church of St. Saviour is now thrown open to the public view, as all the houses as far as Somerset Street have been demo- lished ; and the work or demolition on the western side of the Borough is going on most rapidly. The Bridge is now expected to be completed about April next.

PALMER AND CO.—The Calcutta papers contain several resolutions respecting this great mercantile house, which, it will be recollected, failed some time ago." The principal one relates to the retention, for some time, of the indigo belonging to the estate. It has been recommended to the creditors to deduct twenty-five per cent. frbns their respective claims. From this we conclude that fifteen shillings in the pound is ex. petted. THE IRON TRADE.—At a meeting of the ironmasters of Shropshire, held a few days ago, the price of pig iron was advanced 10s. per ton, and bar and other sorts 20s. per ton.—Birmingham Journal. HERRING FISHERY.—The fishery has commenced on the Caithness coasts, and promises to lie extremely successful.

REPORTING IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.—The following calcu- lations place the obligations of the public to the Reporters in a novel but very striking point of view. Supposing the gallery of the House of Commons (the " cock-loft," as it has been called, whence the repre- sented, under the designation of "strangers," are permitted to observe the proceedings of their representatives) to be capable of affording ac- commodation to 120 persons, and that it be filled by different persons every night, only 600 persons would be enabled to visit the House in the course of a week. The utmost average length of a session is about five . months, or twenty-two weeks, of five days each, in which time 13,200 would be the number of visitors. Therefore the gallery, in fifty years, would not allow more than 660,000 individuals to obtain a glimpse of the business of legislation, and in one hundred years the number would not exceed 1,320,000. In this way, a number equal to the present male population of .Great Britain and Ireland would not be enabled to enter the gallery in less than eight hundred years !--Morning Herald.

[The purpose, we take it, of reporters, is to tell the world what the members say ; and they generally do so, in better language than the members themselves employ. The consequence of the system is, that the members direct all their efforts to saying. If there were no re- porters, there would be some small chance of doing. When we had brief reports, we had much business ; now we have long reports and small business. If something be not done to abridge labour or discourse, Parliament will soul degenerate into a mere machine for stuffing out the daily papers. As to the benefit to the public from reporting, we

know not where it lies. Good laws we owe not to reporting ; our best laws were made before it was invented. For the discussions that accompany their progress,,one of the Waverley novels contains ten times more truth. and a hundred times more amusement, than the whole fife of the Mirror of Parliament.] AN limn ST .—" During the plunder at Limerick, a fellow whose arms were engaged by carrying two flitches of bacon, got a fellow freebooter to place a firkin of butter on his head, the rim on one side resting on his forehead,- and on the other on the nape of his neck ; in going on, the firkin sunk to his shoulders, and nearly suffocated him ; and still worse, while striving to extricate himself, another rogue ran off with his bacon."

TILE BAnnisto OP THE Doon; NEW EDITION.—The shutters of a shop-window in Sheffield having been closed for some time past, and various inquiries beginning to be made as to the cause—seeing that the business of the counter goes on—the following solution of the apparent mystery has been given. There are two individuals living on the pre.. raises, between whom there is said to have been some quarrel about the duty of taking down the shutters, each party declaring that he or she -.would not take them down. In pursuance of this determination, the shop remains closed ; while what business is done is managed by the light admitted through a side-doon—Sheffield Iris.

WHY WONT YOU ? BECAUSE I WONT.—The Rev. Joseph Taylor's remains were interred at Markfield, in this county, on Saturday ; on which occasion it was desired by his friends that a hymn should be sung at the grave ; but the request, it seems, could not be complied with, the earnest entreaties made on the occasion being met with the very sufficing reply, from the officiating minister, " that he could not be reasoned with on the subject "—Leicester Chronicle.

VEGETATIVE Pownn.—It having been observed for several days past, at Basingstoke, that a pavement stone, not less than 751bs. weight, was gradually rising out of its bedding several inches above the level, it was taken up, and underneath was found a large mushroom.—Hamp. shire Advertiser.

CHINESE PROCLAMATION.—The Governor of Canton has issued a perspicuous proclamation, calling on respectable natives to become Hong merchants. His Excellency speaks them very fair :—" If there be men of substantial property who are willing to become Hong merchants, let them forthwith repair to my gateway with their petitions, and I will immediately order an investigation into the real facts, and grant per- mission for them to become merchants. The whole of the fees at the Hoppo's office shall be altogether remitted, and on becoming a merchant, it will not be necessary to expend so much as even a thread or a hair, which will be a great benefit to their capital. After they have become merchants, trade will, doubtless, gradually improve ; and I suppose they will be unwilling to quit their situation and scheme other things; but if they be really unable to manage their business, are of no benefit to the public affairs ; and if the officers of Government and the merchants all dislike them, then they may retire of their own accord, without re- questing leave to retire. What necessity is there for them to cherish beforehand anxiety about not being able to retire ?"—Really we cannot see why they should.

THE LATE COLOMBIAN ENvor.—The remains of M. Madrid were interred in the vaults of Marylebone Church on Saturday last. This gentleman was born in 1789. In 1810, at the breaking out of the Re- volution, he was Attorney-General of Carthagena, his native town ; and in 1811, one of the representatives of the province in the Congress of New Granada. In 1816, he fell into the hands of Morillo, and was de- tained for nine years at the Havanuah. lie escaped in 1825. In 1826, he was appointed agent at Paris to negotiate with the French Govern- ment ; 'and in 1827, he proceeded to London as Envoy at our Court. Madrid was the author of two tragedies, one named Gee timozin, and the other Atala. Guatimozin was represented with great success at Bogota. M. Evavanu.—This distinguished friend of Greece left Paris on Wed- nesday last week, having, it is said, received a promise of a million and a half of francs for his protege Capo d'Istrias.

ROYAL DISPUTES.—The beloved Ferdinand, and his brother Don Carlos, are said to have had a complete row about the expected heir of the former. Carlos says he will cut his way to the throne, were there half a dozen of princes of the Asturias.

DzEro Nmono.—The chieftain of this name, who has held the Dutch troops in Java at bay for the last four years, surrendered on the 16th of February. The island will now possess such peace as the Dutch allow to their Indian dependencies.

FERNANDO Po.—Captain John Morgan, R.M. ex-commandant at this station, landed on Saturday at Portsmouth. Fifteen months ago, his force consisted of three officers, three medical men, and fifty marines ; it now consists of himself and nine mess. All the rest are dead !

CASCADE OF THE Anto.—The famous Grotto of Neptune, one of the wonders of the Cascade of Tivoli, is now dry. The course of the river

Anio, which formerly precipitated itself into this grotto, has been turned

into another direction ; so that by means of stairs cut in the rock, and of wooden bridges placed at certain points, persons can now descend to the bottom. Those of our readers who are acquainted with the localities will be able to appreciate the works required to bring about such a re- sult. The cascade, augmented by the waters of the Grotto of Neptune, is much improved.—French Paper.

UNDESCRIBED INVENTION.—The United States Gazette mentions an invention, but does not describe it, by which the only consequence of explosion in steam-boats will be a brief delay.

DECISIVE DOINGS AGAINST THE Dons.—From and after to-mor- row, and until further orders from the Town-Major, the usual reward of two annas is offered for each dog that shall be killed and brought to the Sergeant-Major of the garrison. No exception will be made to any dogs that may be found loose.—Madras Gazette, February 24. [Alder- Jaen Wood should attend to this precedent.]