THE A111."R 15.1 VF.R., The mostinteresting paper read at the

Monday ineetin

Geegraphie.al Society was entitled "Notes on the River Amur aad adjacent districts," by MM. Peschurof, Vasilief, Rada°,

gachefski, &c.

This most extensive river, described as the most important in Northern Asia,: forming the boundary between, the Chinese and, Russian empmein presents the only direct highway of nature that immediately eon-mots the Central Steppes of Asia with thereat of the world, anti dishis an immense extent of country, earryingloff nearly all. the waters of the slopes On which

the great desert lobe, or Shame, terminates towards the east, and af receiving a number of navigable rivers, ends a winding coarse of 2,

miles in the Gulf of Tartary. The boundary dispute was settled in 17 The terms of the. treaty Were dictated to the Russian envoys at Nerch' on the Shilka, and the Valley of the Amur ceded to the Tartar dynasty, in whose possession it remained until recently, when the Ilaissians; availing themselves of Steam navigation, have entered again mem the,iseatipatian of the river, and established posts not only on both banks, but alsoin harbenis on the see-board of the Gulf of Tartary. Besides the natural advantages of this vast increase of territory; abounding in mineral wealth, elOthed,ivith magnificent timber, and affording millions of acres' of arable and narittust Tend, alluvial communication is all taitl established between the Baltitiand the Pacific. After describing the features and climate of the country-, the principal rivers and towns, it 'is stated that the opening up of a iegubir

communication along the Aram, and a n i

aire minhte ,cqueiritanets with its estuary, by which veasels enter it from the Pacific and the Sea of Okhotsk, have rapidly and totally changed the Condition of those regions. All necessaries are now brought frum the Trans■-Baikel provinces and from the United States of America, at priers iniffieiently moderate; cotton, woollen, Silk stuffs, and various conimedities being obtained from America in such quantity that a superfluity Of Wares ins- ported into Nikolaefski, led to the first exchange of merchandise between Russian and American merchants. The population of the linur,'distri- buted irregularly over its immense extent, consists of as many as ten settled, semi-settled, and nomadic tribes. The paper contains observations on the commerce, ethnology, and a variety of other topics relating to the regions under review. Captain Colliason, who had taken great interest in the queStion; eon- firmed the views of the Russian geographers, as to the importance of tho subject, and observed that it would open a profitable field of 'com- merce to English merehants, if properly and vigorously undertaken.

The Inquiry by the Royal Commissioners into the Army Contract sys- tem closed on Wednesday. Mr. Turner made a speech, thanking the press for the publicity given to the proceedings of the Commission, ex- pressing his opinion that much money might be saved by proper manage- ment, and complaining that he, "the head of the commission," had not received a single communication from the War-office, although that office has been in constant communication with Mr. Selfe the chairman. Mr. Selfe said this remark took him by- surprise. The letters were sent to hint as chairman ; and every one had been open to Mr. Turner. and were still open. Mr. Turner said he had no curiosity now. He had not been treated with proper courtesy by the War Department. He spoke for himself, and not for Colonel French. The Colonel confined himself to remarking that he had not been, directly or indirectly, a partisan on either side.

On behalf of the Protestant Alliance, Lord Shaftesbury asked the go- vernment to express its distinct diapproval of the Mortara lareency. Mr. Hammond, by the direction of Lord Malmesbury, replied that the "Government have seen this outrage with equal pain and indignsation, but in the interest of the boy himself they feel sure that the intervention of a Protestant State in such a case would do more harm than good, and prejudice any chance that may remain of his restoration to his home. After the failure of Catholic Powers like France to influence the Papal Government, it is manifest that the efforts of her Majesty's Govern- ment would be powerless to promote the praiseworthy object of the memorialists."

Holland thinks and acts differently. In the course of a discussion in the Chamber of Deputies at the Hague, a few days ago, the Minister of Public Worship was asked what the Government had done at Rome on behalf of the Mortara family. He answered that though knowing that the isolated action of a Protestant state of the second order would produce no effect, it had still made representations there in favour of the princi- ple of liberty of conscience.

The following diplomatic changes have been officially announced— Lord Napier, now her Majesty's Minister to the United 8tates of America, to be her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary to the King of the Netherlands; Lord Lyons, now her Majesty's Minister to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, to be her Majesty's Minister to the United States of America ; the Honourable Peter Campbell Searlett, C.B., now her Majesty's Minister to the Emperor of Brazil, to be her Majesty's Minister to the Grand Duke of ruscany ; the Honourable Francis Reginald Forbes, now her Majesty's Minister to the King of Saxony, to be her Majesty's Minister to the Emperor of Brazil ; and Augustus Berkeley Paget, Esq., now Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at Berlin, to be her Majesty's Minister to the King of Saxony. The diplomatic staff of the mission to China appears to be now defini- tively- arranged. The Honourable Frederick Bruce as we have already stated, is appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten- tiary to the Court of Pekin. Mr. Horace Rumbold will be Secretary of Le- gation. The first paid attache is Mr. William de Norman ; and Mr. Horace St. Clair and Mr. G. Wyndham are appointed attaches to the Embassy.

Mr. Colquhoun, her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General at Bucharest, will succeed Mr. Bruce as Agent and Consul-General in Egypt.

The Queen has appointed Rear-Admiral William Alexander Bale Hamilton, Captain Alfred Phillips Ryder, R.N., John Hall Gladstone, Esq., Duncan Dunbar, Esq., Chairman of the London Local Marine Board, and Samuel Robert Graves, Esq., Chairman of the Liverpool Local Marine Board, to be her Majesty's Commissioners for inquiring into the condition and management of lights, buoys, and beacons.

A correspondent of the Daily News, pleads the cause of the Assistant- Surgeons who took part in the defence of Lueknow. They have as yet received no reward or honour. "Dr. Brydon and the other three Lucknow surgeons have, tardily enough, had their services recognized by being made C.B's. But the two assistant-surgeons here mentioned, (Fayrer and Greenhow,) and the other three (Boyd, Partridge, and Bird,) poor Darby is no more—have received no reward whatever. And is it not hard that because they happen to be ' Major-General- Sir Comunindint hPritilitich Gariteod his returned to WoolwieliTharaiNoVa Scotia. Nitileep Sing, Who has now gone to Hungarr, had an 'inildience of the Emperor arid Empress of Austria on the 6th. His I1igh660 Wks of going

to Grecee,'Turkey; and Persia. '

31. Guizot is at present oesupied. in correcting the prOof-sheets of a new volinime of his Memoirs. This volume brings them down to the revolution oll1830 and the establishment of the Monarchy of J.nly.

Dr; Bright, the well-known physician, died on Thursday, after a short illuess. Ire had attained his seventieth year. He had been a member Of the College.of Physicians, and conspicuous in his profession for upwards of Ceionel Pcreeisd„ Sergemit-at-Arms of time House of Lords, died dii Thursday week; at tit a6f seventv-two. lie was formerly Member -for Sligo and distinguish d himself by his Toryism: "This occurrence enables the Governmeut to place another suppeffer in a cemfortable and easy berth. Doubt, the First President of the IMPer'itil Court of Amiens, dropped aONVI1 dead Mat Week in an apoplectic *,.juist as hp was leaving Ins private

room to take his seat in court. The deceased Was'fornierly a peer of France El

Mr. George Coppin, the comedian, of the Melbourne Theatre Royal, has been elected a member of the Legislativts-C, ouncil for the south-westeni pro- vinces. The ifelbouene Herald §ays'3-31r. Ceppin, during his candida- ture; has evinced considerable political aptitude, and promises to be an in-

telligent and useful accession to the council." - At the half-yearly meeting of the Crystal Palace Company it was resolved that a dividend of half-a-crown per share should be passed on the 5th Janu- ary. This leaves a reserve of 12,0001. A resolution to rescind the order ad- mitting shareholders to the grounds of the Palace on Sundays was negatived by 105 to 81. A ballot was demanded. It will take place in January. The Company is anxious that the Exhibition of 1861 should be held in its great house of glass.

It is only an act of justice to the Electric and International Telegraph Company to mention the celerity and accuracy with which our report of the proceedings at Manchester on I riday night was transmitted to the Times office. The first portion of the report was received at the telegraph office at Manchester at 10.55 on Friday night, and the last at 1.25 on Saturday morning. It may be added that the whole report, occupying nearly stx columns, was in type at a quarter to three o'clock on Saturday morning, every word having been transmitted through the wire a distance of nearly 200 miles. Some of our readers may be surprised to hear that this report was transmitted entirely by young girls. An average speed of twenty-nine wordwer minute was obtained, principally on the printing instruments. The highest speed on the needles was thirty-nine words per minute. Four printing instruments and one needle were engaged, with one receiving clerk each, and two writers taking alternate sheets. Although young girls in general do not understand much of politics, there was hardly an error in the whole report. Altogether the transmission was very satisfactory, a re- sult due in great measure to the energy and supervision of Mr. C. V. Boys, the superintendent of the intelligence department.-Thiles, Dec. 14, The Union Itedieale some time since stigmatized homceopathy as a pre- tended science, and its professors as charlatans. Upon this twenty-four homceopathists of Paris brought an action for libel. M. Emile Wirier did his best for them, but the Court, after a hearing of several days, has dis- missed their action with costs.

In the window of the library, No. 212, Rue de Rivoli, there has lately been exhibited an engraved portrait of Mr. Charles Dickens, with a beard,

la imperiak' sitting at a desk in a thoughtful position, and writing. The police entered the shop the other day and told the proprietor in very angry terms to take the engraving out of the window. They mistook Mr. Dickens's portrait for a caricature of the Emperor !

Though the mortality of London is still high, the returns are gradually resuming a more favourable aspect. In the week ending November 27, the deaths rose to 1802, in the following week they declined to 1738, and in the last week, ending Saturday the 11th, they were 1531. The mean tempera- ture of these three weeks has been respectively 37.4 degrees, 46.3 degrees, and 36.5 degrees. In the ten years 1848-57 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week was 1183; but as the deaths in the present return occurred in an increased population, they should be com- pared with the average when it is raised in proportion to the increase, a correction which will make it 1301. The comparison shows that 230 per- sons died last week in excess of the number whose deaths would have been recorded if the rate of mortality had not been higher than the average.-.7.2e- gistrar- General's Return.

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A Mr. Edwin Dickens, distant relative of Mr. Charles Dickens, has died, by suicide, it is assumed, in New York. It seems he recently repaired to New York, and applied for employment on the journals thee, describing himself as having held the following situations. " Parliamentary con- denser and theatrical critic to the London .Daily/trews; contributor of lead- ing, literary articles, and book reviews to the Manchester GuarWian; co- editor of the Nelbourn Argus ; co-editor of the Melbourn Herald; sole editor and manager to the Geelong Spirit Of the Age, a daily newspaper. General contributor, book reviewer, and theatrical critic to the John Bull, ffritannia, (since united,) and Press-all first-class London weeklies." He seems to have met with encouragement. He remarked, in conversation with the editor of the New York Tribune that he had twice nearly lost his life by accidentally taking cyanide of potassium. He was found dead with bottles of that poison beside him. Although no post mortmn examination was made, the jury assumed the cause of death, and declared itto be from taking Olson. Among his effects were found two letters, signatures torn off, apparently from an actress, one appointing a rendezvous at a theatre, the other a very amorous love letter. -Dickens had been in some distress; but there are reasons for supposing that he died accidentally. ..,- wr t gn.,sje sv Virfulle cal y r amrm a t ellieve no /PAPA Ji”.'81 tWItREN;,, lo ,igrxt btA :Alf 1"411iiiirTnit*6 IllralleS hitiffed raalltilvondfrOin fAitchdtod 'Phlititlit ifetaned thtiett alPra [and laisooted ilk 'Olibevnivoutdi'xid.#. 14M; `',Vi‘S V, 0 'AA ash - nitrindisAilfrtid Ishdel fnommthinEurtialsis aiblibigmfiamlhaeStheriettibint. flItias .tocciiell,..byAbss TraitelsuMillaitall,-Aatail gterswitsdaimitleabfuttithe libseslio.sattsailemd)161 ilAlailiONA:sibral,tall,; slaeli; 71.-gaiV,iw9 al ?,i lefq Im.,4,4plegraphig Ale , rAt'l Wi f 1 A .-31911 9 N IcTit 1.Ht nn , .t le fae ..tt -k,' telfie.up 1 3tho )4: .. ■ 4 noii- alyr.-Oit fro, "Pdtsdliffm. - • ke'COrmitantine Of' t1Siska; lis 1 Iliree ' and- it li klicli ithill-gtur laStily to St. PretersburgiridAMili •''''''', ' _,,IJIT.):, 'n klitfeil fr!Oin .FlorenCie states that the Xing biZitiasia's health' laintit hiitir&ibal there, and that' the air of Florence fto nist.raCein to agree'with hire: '.'Ife never goes mit'and the Queen is seldom-s00r hi public.