liftiottllantous.

The Duke of Cambridge visited the Dutchess of Gloucester on Wednes- day evening, at her residence in Richmond Park. On Thursday morning the Duke returned to Kew; and on the afternoon of that day he passed through London to the London Bridge terminus on his way to Hanover, for a visit to the King his brother.

The Count and Countess of Dachatel, after a sojourn of eighteen months in London, are on the eve of taking their departure for France.

On Wednesday, before Parliament was prorogued, about one hundred independent Members of the House of Commons, belonging to the Liberal party, held a meeting at the House of Commons, to consider of the pro- priety of expressing their opinion of Lord Palmerston's public conduct. After some discussion, it was resolved that each gentleman should sub- scribe five pounds; the money to be employed in procuring a portrait of Lord Palmerston, to be presented to Lady Palmerston as a memorial of the high respect in which the subscribers hold the public character of his Lordship. This was entirely a spontaneous move on the part of the inde- pendent Liberal Members, and they studiously kept their design secret from every person connected with the Government till after the resolution had been adopted. Their proceeding is an echo of the voice of the coun- try. In times of the greatest difficulty Lord Palmerston has preserved peace, and has efficaciously used the power of England to promote freedom abroad and reconcile contending governments and factions. He has de- served, therefore, the approbation of the lovers of peace and constitutional liberty ; and the conduct of these independent Liberal Members will find general approval. When will such an honour be paid to Lord Brougham? . . . . Another of Lord Palmerston's opponents is the Earl of Aberdeen and we have not heard of any subscription to do him honour, or any meeting to express an opinion favourable to his public conduct.—Econotnist, weekly Ministerial paper.

The Commissioners appointed to act under the Irish Encumbered Estates Act are the Right Honourable John Richards, third Baron of her Majesty's Court of Exchequer in Ireland; Mountiford Longfield, Esq., Q.C. and LL.D.; and C. J. Hargreave, Esq., conveyancer, of 69 Chancery Lane.

James Galwey, Esq., of Dungarvan, has been appointed Inspector-Gene- ral of Prisons in Ireland, in the room of Sir Nicholas Fitzsimon.

The Queen has appointed William George Knox, Esq., to be Chief Justice, and Herbert Townshend Bowen, Esq., to be Puisne Judge, for the island of Trinidad.

The following pensions have been granted on the Civil List—

Mrs. Cureton, widow of Colonel Cureton, killed in action at Ramnuggur, 1501.; Mrs. Pennycuick, widow of Colonel Pennycuick, killed at the battle of Chillian- wallah, 150/.; Mrs. Sarah Austin, the well-known translator of German standard works, 100/.; Mrs. Grant, widow of a sergeant of the Forty-fifth Regiment, killed 4th November 1818, by several armed ruffians, whilst guarding some pub- lic mooey in the charge of Major Phibbs, Paymaster of the Pensioners, near Res- crea in Ireland, 20/.

7 We understand that it is the intention of the Colonial and Military au- thorities to encourage as much as possible the emigration of pensioners to the Colonies. For this purpose it is proposed, in future, to send a company of Out-Pensioners with every convict ship for Australia. These men will, on their arrival in the colony, be enrolled in a local force, and placed under the charge of the staff-officer stationed at the district in which the men are to reside. By this means, there will be a military force resident in the colony, and which we have no doubt, if the proposal is fully carried out, will render it in most cases unnecessary that regular troops should be stationed in the Colonies for their protection.—eforning Chronicle.

A treaty of peace and commerce (!) has been concluded between Great Britain and the Republic of Liberia. The several articles having been agreed upon, were signed by Lord Palmerston and the Right Hon. H. La- bouchere, on the part of Great Britain, and by Joseph Jenkins Roberts, Esq., on the part of the young Republic, on the 21st of November 1848, and the ratifications exchanged on the 1st of August 1849.—Globe.

The French Minister of the Interior has given his official authority for holding the Congress of Peace in Paris during this month. "The pro- gramme," he says, "is too philanthropic for me to withhold my assent"; and the names of members of the committee of management give him "the guarantee that the Congress will confine itself within the limits of its pro- gramme, and not permit any infraction of order and the laws."

A letter from Perigaeux states, that the breeding of silk-worms has beeu introduced into the department of the Dordogne this year, and that it has been attended with complete success.

Harvest work is proceeding rapidly in all the Southern counties, and has begun even in the North-Midland counties. In all quarters the crops are fine and promise an abundant yield; the least favourable accounts say there will be an average; and everywhere the weather has been so fine that the work of reaping and carrying goes on with almost unprecedented ra- prdity. We have already seen large wheat-ricks in Hampshire and Berk- shire. The potato crop is on the whole as fine as the other crops, and the blight has reappeared only in partial and unimportant instances. From

these g6od accounts, however, the hops offer a marked exception: they universally suffered from blight; and in Hereford ills said that there are scarcely hopes of any gathering at all.

At late meetings of the Botanical Society of London there has been much discussion of an idea propounded by Mr. I. W. Rogers, in a paper read by him on the 8th July, upon the uses of peat charcoal. It appears that charcoal of peat-moss has a specific deodorising power, and even a disinfectant power. Like other species of charcoal, it has Lso great ca- pacity for absorbing gases and aqueous vapour. Mr. Rogers thinks these properties would make it a valuable agent in a plan to combine it with the solid matter of the London sewers and thus to nullify the odours of that matter and convert it into a portable and highly stimulant manure for agricultural purposes.

The possible value of Irish bog-peat was also the subject of statements in the House of Commons, by the O'Goruaan Mahon and Lord Ashley, on one of the last days of the late session; and some newspaper controversy has been waged on the economic merits of the discovery. The O'Gorman Mahon, in the middle of the debate on the Lords' amendments to the Poor-Relief Bill, announced "the most import_ ant scientific discoveries which had ever opened up a prospect of develop- ment to national industry and national prosperity." He read a letter by one Mr. Walters, describing the discoveries of one Mr. Owen, whereby Irish peat-bog might be, and indeed had been, converted into various usefnl products of commerce at a most profitable rate. He clenched his case by pointing to a candle on the table of the House which had actually been made from spermaceti extracted out of Irish peat. Amidst the wonder of the House, and especially of Ministers, who "inspected" and " felt " and " smelled " the candle, Lord Ashley rose and vouch- ed the statement; adding details, and his personal testimony to the high character of Mr. Owen—" a more discreet, sober, generous high- minded and religious man, it had never been his lot to meet." Mr. Owen was a practical man; his actual experiments had been going on for more than a twelvemonth; he had already invested considerable capital, and al- ready reaped considerable returns. Lord Ashley's details were to this ef- fect. The extraction of 100 tons of peat would cost 8/. and its chemical conversion about 8/. more: the returns are, carbonate of ammonia 2,602 pounds, soda 2,118 pounds, e 600 pounds, naphtha 30 gallons, candle.. stuff 600 pounds, camphine o600 pounds, common oil 800 pounds, gas and ashes—products altogether worth 911. 16s. 8d. So that from raw material costing 161., or for safety say 201., products are obtained worth more than 901. Mr. W. D. Owen has written to the Times making slight corrections of these statements, in order that the public may fall into no mis- apprehension. The experiments have hitherto been made on only a very small scale, on a quantity of peat not exceeding 25 tons; no profitable return has at present been received; and the whole money at present expended does not exceed 1,0001. Mr. Henry Seaman of Plymouth also writes from that town in correction- " Three years since, a company was formed here among the merchants and tradesmen, under six able directors; they leased the Government premises on Dartmoor which were formerly occupied as and termed the French prisons; they erected steam-engines, and laid out every apparatus considered necessary, with tram-railways running across Dartmoor to the different bogs, where this pest could be had in the greatest perfection; they produced from it naphtha, ammonia, grease for railways, or candles, gas &c. It was burnt and used; and the profits were held at as being equal to the Ashley statement, for his products are correct. But, somehow or other, it is a failure; though 20,0001. and upwards have been expended."

Others have joined in the controversy, which still proceeds.

The Honourable and Reverend Baptist Noel was publicly baptized, at the Re- verend Mr. Evans's Chapel, in John Street, Bedford Row, on Thursday evening.

At a special meeting of the Army and Navy Club, held last week, the whole of the forty-seven members who had previously been balloted for and black-balled by (it is said) a clique of medical officers, were elected by acclamation.—United Service Gazette.

In the famous case of the letters of Benjamin Constant to Madame Recamier, the Court of the Seine has decided that they cannot be published; but acquits Madame Collet of having acted in any other than a perfectly honourable manner.

The Globe understands "that ehe Countess of Landsfeld and Mr. Heald left town on Monday evening for the Continent."

We understand from undoubted authority, that immediately on the marriage of Lieutenant Heald with the Countess of Landafeld (Lola Mentes), the Marquis of Londonderry, Colonel of the Second Life Guards, took the most decisive steps to recommend to her Majesty that this officer's resignation of his commission should be insisted on, and that he should leave the regiment, which this unfortu- nate and extraordinary act might possibly prejudice.—Times.

A gentleman of the name of King, who some years ago left Painswick in debt to the amount of some thousands of pounds, has during his absence by industry contrived to raise sufficient to pay off his former liabilities, and he has remitted instalments from time to time, the last having arrived some weeks ago. Last week the gentleman returned to his native town, where he received a most enthu- siastic welcome from the inhabitants.—Cheltenham Free Press.

Madame Lebrun, celebrated for her attachment to Queen Marie Antoniette, died a few days since at Dim:, at the age of one hundred and six. Daring the last two or three days a report has been constantly circulated Of the death of Dr. Conquest by Asiatic cholera. We are glad to say it is wholly without foundation.—Times.

Our obituary records the death of Mrs. Russell, the daughter of the late Mr. Oliver Cromwell, the biographer of his illustrious ancestor and namesake. Mr. Cromwell was lineally descended from Henry Cromwell. He had no male heir, and it is said to have been his wish that his son-in-law should take the name of Cromwell; but George the Fourth had the meanness to withhold his permission. The line of Richard Cromwell terminated in a female descendant, Mrs. Mary Cromwell; who died unmarried at an advanced age, honoured for her exemplare worth and unaffected piety.—Patriot. Literary and artistic readers will have noted the appearance of two familiar names in the obituary,—those of Mr. Pierce Egan, the sporting journalist and author of Boxiana; and Mr. William Bradwell, the ingenious and tasteful thea- trical machinist and decorator. Mr. Egan died at the age of seventy-seven. Mr. Bradwell had for some years been unconnected with the dramatic theatres, and devoted himself to the conversion of the deserted Colosseum into the present structure.

The Shipping and Mercantile Gazette states that the property left by the late Mr. Denison, the Member for West Surrey, has been estimated at the enernwns sum of 2,300,0001. The Yorkshire estates are valued at 509,0001., those in Sorry/ at 100,0001. The principal part of the wealth has been settled on Lord Albert Conyngham and his heirs.

'The Chartist prisoners, Cnffy, Lacy, and the others, convicted at a late ses- sion of the Centrist Criminal Court, were pat on board the Adelaide transport, on Tuesday evening, at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. The Lord Chancellor has approved of the appointment of Mr. W. T. Payne, of the Norfolk circuit, barrister-at-law, to be Deputy-Coroner for the city of London and borough of Southwark.

The Post-office authorities call attention to two provisions of Post-office law, applicable to the two classes of money-orders issued before and issued after the 31st August 1848. The first class are null and void after the 31st of the present month of August, and will not be paid if presented after that day. The second chiss..-that is to say, all orders issued since the 31st August 1848, and all future orders—are void at the end of twelve calendar months from the day of their issue, and will not be paid if presented after,those twelve months. Thus, orders issued last September, or at the present time, will not be payable after Septem- ber 1849, or after this time next year, respectively.

The Dog-tax produced no less a sum than 134,827/. in the year ending 5th January last.

A young lady of Market Rasen having trodden on a lucifer-match that was on the floor, it ignited, and her light dress was set in a flame: her screams brought assistance; bat nearly all her garments were consumed, and her body was dread- fully burned. The Reverend George Hicks, a curate at Devonport, has been accidentally killed, at Clifton. Mr. Hicks had gone with his famile to Bristol, for change of • At noon on Friday week, he went out walking by himself. A woman no-

ticed bim ascend a rock ; soon after he reached the summit, she saw him in the act of scrambling to catch hold of something; but not succeeding in his effort, he fell down the cliff, which is of immense depth. She fainted away at the sight. There was no one near him when he fell ; he did not seem giddy when he passed the woman; and he did not appear to her to go over the rock intentionally; having, on the contrary, made every effort to save himself, although he did not cry out. Mr. Hicks was in his twenty-eighth year, and has left a widow and two children.

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last—

Number of Deaths. Summer Average.

Zymotic Diseases 1303

• • • • 302 Dropy. Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat

41

• • • • 40 Tubercular Diseases 161 • • • • 190 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 110

so

•• •

•• • •

119 29 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration ....

as• • •

61 Diseases of the Stomach. Liver, and other Organs of Digestion .... 61 • .• • 76 Diseases of the Kidneys, Sm 11 • • • • 11 Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, &c 3 • • • • 7 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, &c.

3

• • • . 7 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &c 1 • • • • 2 Malformations 1 • • • • 3 Premature Birth 20 • • • • 22 Atrophy

Is

• • • • 25 Age 37 • • • • 43 Padden 12 • • • •

'Violence Privation Cold and Intemperance , 23 • • • • 36 Total (including unspecified causes) 1967

1008

"It is unsatisfactory to observe that the constant increase of mortality, which commenced in the second week of July, was maintained in the week ending Sa- turday last. The deaths from all diseases in last week were 1,967; a mortality nearly double the weekly average of the season, which is 1,008. The progress of the total mortality is shown by the following numbers returned in the last four weeks-1,369, 1,741, 1,931, and 1,967. The deaths from cholera, which in six previous weeks were 49, 124, 152, 339, 678, 783, increased in the last to 926. A feature worthy of notice in the present return is the fact, that while the mor- tality caused by cholera has increased, there has been simultaneously a decrease in the deaths attributed to diarrhcea ; for whereas the deaths from this disease (in- cluding dysentery) were in four previous weeks 54,100, 146, 238, in the last week they declined to 198; an amount which is nearly the same as in the cor- responding week of the summer of 1846, and little more than that of the same week of 1848. It is shown, therefore, that the total mortality from diarrheas, dysentery, and cholera, amounts in this return to 1,124, while the average is only 92. Consequently the excess from the three epidemics exceeds in some degree the increase above the average of the mortality from all causes; which is owing partly to the circumstance that the deaths from fractures, burns, and other injury, registered in the week, were unusually few. Other epi- demics besides those mentioned are under the average, with the exception of hooping-cough, which a little exceeds it. The mortality from cholera still predominates on the South side of the river ; the deaths there, which in the pre- ceding week were 514, rose in the last to 621. On the North side of the Thames, the deaths in the Western districts were 58, showing an increase ; in the North- ern 27, or nearly the same as in the former week; in the Eastern 127, a slight increase; and in the central, which includes St. Giles and St. George, Strand, Holborn, Clerkenwell, St. Luke, East London, West London, and City, there is a small decrease, the number being 93, though in the previous return there were 97 deaths. The greatest number in any district on the North side of the river is in West London, namely 32. Of the Southern districts, there were 67 in Ber- mondsey, 86 in Newiugton, 112 in St. George Southwark, and 143 in Lambeth. The deaths in Rotherhithe are now comparatively few. The death of a man of forty years in Brampton was caused by erysipelas of both legs, of putrid charac- ter, (after five days' illness,) caught from sleeping with a child who suffered from the disease.

"The daily mean of the barometer was highest on Thursday, when it was 29.965. The mean of the week was 29.793. The temperature was under the average of the corresponding days of seven years, on every day except Thursday. The highest in the shade was on Thursday, namely 745°. The mean tempera- ture of the week was 59.5°." The direction of the wind for the week was variable.

Fossil remains of a species of ape or macaco have been discovered by M. Paul Gervais in the upper tertiary stratum of Montpellier: similar remains have al- ready been discovered (in the department of the Gers and in the environs of Lon- don) in the two other principal tertiary strata of Western Europe ; while no hu- man remains have ever been discovered in any one of these strata. "The dis- covery of these fossil apes by M. Paul Gervais' " says the Constitutionnel, "is therefore an additional indirect proof of the very inferior antiquity of man on the earth."