AfiftisctIlantous.

The Queen Dowager came up from Bushy Park on Tuesday, and went to Her Majesty's Theatre in the evening.

The Dutchess of Kent completed her sixty-first year on Tuesday. The usual festivities at Windsor and Kensington amongst her Royal Highness's tradespeople, and some illuminations in London, marked the birthday.

Prince Waldemar of Prussia is scouring the Highlands of Scotland. On the 7th instant, he arrived with his suite at Banavie in Lochaber. Next day he visited Glenfinnan; on the following morning ascended Ben Nevis, in company with Mr. John Macdonald, the well-known distiller, in full Highland costume. The Prince descended the mountain by the most diffi- cult route.

The Infante Don Juan of Spain, younger brother to the Count de Monte- molin, arrived at the Clarendon Hotel on Thursday, from Venice. Finding Iris brother absent on a visit to Viscount Combermere, the Infante left town yesterday morning, to meet the Count at Combermere Abbey.

A story is going the round of the papers to the effect that General Es- partero is compelled by straitened means to quit England for a cheaper country. Many of his English friends, among them Lord Palmerston, have pressed him with offers of pecuniary assistance; and it is even said that the Queen has caused an offer to be made to him of a pension of 2,0001. a year, so long as circumstances compel him to remain here. All these offers Espartero is said to have most respectfully declined.

A groundless rumour has been current during the week, in the North and West of England, that the King of the French had been assassinated. It appears to have first been put in circulation at Liverpool; whence it travelled through the North, temporarily creating some sensation.

We understand that General Lord Strafford is to be raised to the Earl- dom; and that Lords Acheson and Cremorne and Sir R. Bulkeley Philipps,

Bart, will be created Peers of the realm. Lieutenant-General Sir John Macdonald, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, and Sir Colin Halkett, are soon to re- ceive the Grand Cross of the Bath.—Times.

The question has been repeatedly asked, will no new seat be found for Mr. Macaulay ? Report answers it by saying, that he has been for some time anxious to be released from the labours of Parliament; and that the intention he has stated of retiring into private life is as sincere as the con- tempt for bigotry which the burgesses of Edinburgh call haughtiness. Nor is the report improbable; for it can scarcely be without his own consent that his contemporaries have unanimously assigned to him the task of wri- ting the modern history of England. So gigantic a work will need retire- ment; nor can Mr. Macaulay forget those historical parallels which re- semble his own case too closely to escape comparison. It was during his exile that Thucydides wrote his account of the Peloponnesia.n War. The history of the Great Rebellion was the solace of the lonely hours which Clarendon spent in Jersey and Montpellier. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire would have been confined to the dwarfish limit of three volumes, had not Gibbon been content to forego "the profuse and philoso- phic fancy of Burke, and the argumentative vehemence of Fox," for the Solitude of Lausanne. The stern law of the historic order allows of no ex- ception; and if Mr. Macaulay aspires to be admitted into its ranks, it would be shortsighted selfishness in his generation to compel him to spend all his life in their service.—Morning Chronicle.

The unfavourable reports respecting the health of Mr. Thomas Dun- combe are substantially and painfully confirmechby a letter from Mr. Dun- combe himself, addressed to Mr. Edward Baines junior, of Leeds. Mr. Pancombe, writing from his bed, says that the reports are "exaggerated"; but he adds-

" I wish it was in my power to say those reports were not only exaggerated, but altogether unfounded. The fact is, I have been suffering for many weeks past

from an affection of the lungs, which has confined me to bed for some days. My medical men assure me, however, that at present no organic disease exists, and that change of air and rest will set me up again. I hope soon to be well enough to go into Yorkshire; though it is probable I shall be compelled to winter in a snore genial climate. I was advised to discontinue my attendance in the House some time before its close; but I unluckily did not heed the advice; hence this mischief."

In the Vestry-room of St. Martins-in-the-Fields, on Tuesday, a piece of plate was presented by the Reverend Sir Henry Dukinfield, to the Reve- rend Septimns F. Ramsay, minister of St. Michael's, Burleigh Street; wha lately defended himself in open court against a charge brought against him by a female singer in the chapel, apparently as a means of extorting money from him. After his acquittal by the Jury, Mr. Ramsay's friends and con- gregation raised a subscription to defray the costs of the trial, amounting to 6001. This done, the balance in hand enabled them to purchase a silver vase and to present with it to Mr. Ramsay a purse containing 200 guineas, "in testimony of their admiration of his Christian character.

The Royal Humane Society has voted a subscription of two guineas and a couple of medals to the two sisters Martha and Margaret Llewellyn, re- siding at Fishguard, for having, during the stormy weather of last Oc- tober, at the peril of their lives, rescued three men from the wreck of the Margaret, a vessel stranded on the coast of Wales. The medals were pre- sented to the sisters last week, by the Reverend Arthur Hill Richardson. A subscription is in progress for the benefit of these heroic emulators of Grace Darling.

According to a statement made in Parliament, the Coast Guard force is now undergoing a reorganization, by which it will be converted into a body that shall be available in time of' need to defend our shores from foreign invasion. The scheme is the Earl of' Auckland's. The first drill took place on the 23d of last month: the men are to be especially exercised in gunnery, and 2,000 gunners are promised to be efficient by the 10th of October 1848. The whole Coast Guard force numbers 6,000; 2,500 of whom are stationed from the month of the Thames to the Land's End. The men are to receive extra pay for their military services.

Sir George Grey has Seat completed an arrangement with the Honour- able E. Lascelles, Chairman of the West Riding Quarter-Sessions, for the reception of four hundred convicts into that gaol from Millbank, now under sentence of transportation for various periods.

Mr. Cunard has entered into a contract with the British Government to run a line of steamers from Halifax to Bermuda, and to place a steamer on Use route between Halifax and St. John's, Newfoundland. The contract

has no connexion direct or indirect with the British North American Royal Mail Company--Liverpool Albion.

A meeting was held on Tuesday in the Trades Hall of Glasgow for pro- moting the new colony of' Otago in New Zealand. Mr. Fox Manle pre- sided; and explained, that the meeting had been called by the Lay Asso- ciation of the Free Church of Scotland, to direct attention to the projected settlement, as one to be founded on " denominational" principles.

The City writer of the Morning Chronicle reports the state of the crops- " The accounts from the country continue to announce the harvest as proceeding in the most satisfactory manner; and observation is particularly fixed upon the large surface of ground which has this year been laid under contribution for grain. • • • But the science of chemistry has also been called upon to play a most important part. All the different species of improvement have been more or less brought to bear on the crop which is now being gathered in; removing in some localities the causes which had led to scanty returns, and increasing the luxuri- ance of others. The average produce per acre of wheat throughout the kingdom is low; but it is every year Increasing at an accelerating ratio, as, in addition to the saving which now occurs of valuable manures, and the greater economy which prevails In the expenditure of both labour and money upon tillage, the elevation of agriculture to the dignity of a science must necessarily lead to a great increase in the production of food.

"The quantities of foreign wheat imported have not been large, compared with the bare condition of the stocks of English wheat in the market. The necessi- ties of the country are apparent; yet the fine weather which has characterized the past six weeks proved of itself sufficient to reduce prices nearly 50 per cent. This has been the real disturbing cause, so far as this particular market is concerned."

The Echo Agricola, a Paris paper, says that the harvest bad been ga- thered throughout the East and South of France; but that it would require another week to be completed in the West and North, where the rain had occasioned some delay. "Our accounts from every quarter," says the Echo, "concur in describing the crops as abundant; and, including the rye and other inferior gain' which had almost totally failed last year, °in- farmers will be able to sell for the home consumption nearly double what they sold in 1846." The fall in the price of wheat, in all the markets ad- joining Paris, was felt in that capital on Monday, where a corresponding diminution took place.

We learn from Hanover, that the Government of that state has converted the provisional commercial conventions, which it concluded some months ago with the United States of America, into a treaty of commerce and navi- gation for twelve years.

In the Madrid Gazette of the 11th instant appeared a royal ordinance abolishing the octroi duties levied at the entrance to the principal towns of the kingdom upon articles of consumption. This measure does not in aOr way affect the enormous import-duties levied upon foreign goods and manufactures introduced into Spain; but it is nevertheless a very impor- tant and salutary change.

The Augsburg Gazette has the following from Ancona, dated the 5th. "It was hoped at Athens that Sir Edmund Lyons would grant a respite to the Government after receiving the 23,000/. that he had called for. This hope was unfounded: it is now known that he has demanded the 196,0001. of 1844."

The indefatigable Mr. Hind, who conducts the operations in Mr. Bishop's observatory in the Regent's Park, has announced the discovery of a new planet, which has received- the name of Iris."

A curious celestial phsenomenon was observed in Paris on Sunday even- ing, by two persons from the grand avenue of the Champs Elystles. The form of the appearance is represented as resembling a comet with a small and brilliant nucleus, and a tail with well-defined parallel sides. It ap- peared at its maximum brightness, shedding a light similar to the planet Venus in the Tropics, and gradually becoming fainter until it ceased to be visible at the end of 30 seconds. The elevation was estimated at about 60 degrees: the total length, from 15 to 20 degrees, with a breadth of about 15 minutes of a degree. The position was nearly due East.

Mr. William Adderley, of Doctors Commons and Upper Clapton, who died on the 2d instant, has left a legacy to Sir Peter Laurie of 5001., as a mark of esteem and respect for his important public services as a Magistrate.

The Gazette des Tribunauz gives currency to another tale of rather apocry- phal appearance about Mademoiselle Lola Mentes and her bull-dog. The story goes, that the energetic lady insisted upon taking her dog into the King's garden at Wurzbourg; and that when stopped by the sentinel she struck him and knocked his shako off his head: she bullied the commandant who interfered; and finally raised so great a commotion, that the military had to be called out to dis- perse the outraged populace. The Brighton Gazette adds a story, that the King of Bavaria, having imprudently transfered his favours from Lola Montez to a Rus- sian Countess, be is so frightened that he runs from place to place to escape the wrath of the indignant Spaniard.

The "boy Jones," whose name became so familiar to the public ear by his in- trusive pranks at the Queen's Palace, Buckingham House, and frequently baffled the utmost vigilance of the Police and Palace Guard, is now trumpeter in the Eighth Hussars, in Limerick garrison, perfectly cured of his wayward disposition, and one of the best-conducted young men in the regiment To the men and officers of the Eighth he continues to be known by no other appellation than that of" boy Jones," which acquired him such celebrity three or four years ago in Lon- don and Windsor.—Limerick Chronicle.

From returns recently published it appears that the population of the Austrian empire in 1843 was 36,098,330; an increase of 2.99 per cent over 1840. The army amounted to 504,988. The inhabitants of Vienna number more than 400,000.

From a Parliamentary return it appears, that in the year endinithe 5th Jan- uary last, the sum of 10,550,5231. 19s. 5d. was raised by taxes in Great Britain from sources which in Ireland are not taxed at all. More than half the suns arises from the Income-tax; the other chief items are windows, servants, car- riages, horses, dogs, stage and hackney carriages. Since the passing of the act permitting the use of sugar by brewers and dis- tillers, up to the 5th of June, 3,477,453 pounds of sugar were used by licensed brewers in the United Kingdom. The quantity of sugar taken into stock by

distillers during the same period amounted to 11,919 hundredweight; the quan- tity actually conveyed to the mash-tun' to 10,026 hundredweight; the quantity

of proof-spirits made therefrom to 105,165 gallons; the average produce of gal- lons of spirits per hundredweight of sugar to 10.49; and the total amount of drawback allowed on such spirits to 5,8671. Three plants of wheat, the produce of three grains, grown by Mr. Richard Marsh, of High Halden, were recently brought to our office, which presented an extraordinary specimen of what may be done in the cultivation of grain. The straw averaged six feet in height, and on each plant there were from GO to 63 ears

of about the usual size. We understand this wheat was a portion of some grown to test the merits of the thin-sowing system.—Maidstone Gazette.

Ramsgate, Margate, Southend, and the coasts in the vicinity, were the scene of a remarkable insect visitation last week: millions of " lady-birds " came across the sea, borne by an East wind; vast quantities perished in the ocean, while the land, and the promenaders, were covered; five bushels were swept from Margate pier. These insects are great foes to the aphides, and so are welcome to the agri- culturist-

After months of preparation, an attempt was made on Saturday to float the i Great Britain from the strand n Dundrum Bay; unfortunately without success. The war-steamer Birkenhead supplied the power; but it was found impossible to move the stranded vessel an inch. The failure is attributed by some to the low- ness of the tide. Another trial is to be made at the next springs.

A destructive fire at Archangel, on the 17th July, destroyed about five hun- dred houses and several churches. The shipping fortunately escaped.

Intelligence has reached this country through a Port Phillip farmer, Mr. James Nelson, who formerly resided in Northumberland, respecting the fate of a White woman understood to be the only survivor from the emigrant ship Britannia, which sailed from England for Sydney in 1841, and has never since been heard of. In thenewly-opened district of Gipps's Land, a shepherd in search of stray sheep found the Christian and surname of a female scratched on a tree. This is under- stood to be the name of a Scotch passenger in the ship. Subsequently a Native fe- male stated that a White woman was among some of the tribes in the interior; and on farther inquiry, the police ascertained that the woman was detained by two chiefs, who watched her with great care. The authorities, with commend- able alacrity, appear to have taken measures to recover the woman. The plan adopted for this purpose was to procure a number of handkerchiefs inscribed with an intimation addressed to the woman, in Gaelic, that friends were seeking to rescue her, and suggesting that she should walk abroad at early dawn. These handkerchiefs were to be dropped in various parts of the bush, in the hope that OHO of them might meet her eye. Measures had been taken to despatch a party of armed men charged with the dispersion of the handkerchiefs and the rescue of the woman. This party left Melbourne on the 22d October in the Shamrock steamer; from which, when off Gipps's Land, they were to land in whale-boats. Every precaution was to be taken to avoid violence.

A curious case, illustrative of the present state of the law of marriage, was recently tried criminally at Downpatrick, before Chief Baron Pigott. In 1845, a man named Beadnell was married, in Tullylish Church, to Anne Bright; who died the following spring. Some months after, Beadnell married the mother of his deceased wife; the ceremony being performed by the Banbridge District Regis- trar. A prosecution was instituted by the Crown against Beadnell and his wife for perjury, in having sworn before the Registrar that there was no just impediment to their being united. The Judge said that the case rested on the question whether the accused had knowingly sworn to a falseh000d. The Jury could not agree to a verdict; and the parties were discharged on giving bail.

A curious and fatal instance of the effect of unreasoning timidity was witnessed last week on board the Little Western steamer, plying from London to Ramsgate. At the usual time of the day, an officer went round to collect the fares from the passengers: two ladies were then for the first time made aware that they were going to Ramsgate instead of Margate; and one of the ladies became dreadfully agitated at this discovery, particularly at the prospect of rounding the North Fore- land. Captain Corbin did all he could to remove her groundless alarm, but with- out effect; for when told by her companion that she was "off the North Foreland," the lady fainted; she continued insensible during the rest of the passage, and died in the course of the same evening.

John Scott, the hangman of Edinburgh, has been murdered by one Edie. Scott was in a weak state of health; he met Edie, who was roving about the streets drunk; the hangman was attacked, beaten, and finally received a fatal blow on the head.

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the

week ending on Saturday last— Number of Summer

deaths. average.

ZymotIc (or Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagions) Diseases 392 .. . 226 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 130 .... 103 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 155 ... 157 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 205 .... 226 Disease, of the Heart and Blood-vessels. 26 .... 25 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 99 .... Si Diseases of the Kidneys, Mc

8 Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, &a.

11 ....

10 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, &c.

7 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &e.

2 Old Age 37 . 50 Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 32 .... 28 Total (including unspecified causes) 1108 940

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 100.50 in the son to 86.00 in the shade; the mean temperature by day being warmer than the average mean temperature by 0.5°. The direction of the wind for the week was South-west.

The comparison of the deaths registered last week in London with the deaths which would have been registered if the rate of mortality had been the same as in Dorsetshire, shows these totals—London, 1108; Dorsetshire, 684; excess, 424.

BANK OF ENGLAND.

An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and 8th Victoria, cap. 32. (ox the week ending on Saturday the lith day of August 1847.

ISSUE DEPARTSIENT• Hotesissued £22,640,450 Government Debt ...... £11,415,100

Other Securities 2,994.900

Gold Coln and Bullion 7,577,307

Silver Bullion 1,071,143

£22,640,450

£22.648.450 BANRINO DEPARTMENT.

Proprietors' Capital £14,553,000 Government Securities, Hil-

liest 3,717;357 eluding Dead WeightAnouitylE11,636 340

Public Deposits.

6,358,298 Other Securities 16,681,409

Other Deposits

7,513,891 Notes 3,002,215

Eleven Day and other hula.

805,825

Gold and Silver Coin

636,377

£32,915.371

£32,948,371

• Including Exchequer, Savings Banks, Commitalonersof National Debt &Dividend Account!.