25 FEBRUARY 1854, Page 9

Ritoultatanuo.

A Supplement to the Gazette of the 17th instant contained the follow- ing proclamation, agreed to by the Privy Council on Saturday. " BY THE QUEEN. A PROCLAMATION.

"Victoria, R. Whereas, by the Customs Consolidation Act 1853, section 150, certain goods may, by proclamation or order of her Majesty in Council, be prohibited either to be exported or carried coastwise ; and whereas we, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, deem it expedient and neces- sary to prohibit the goods hereinafter mentioned either to be exported or carried coastwise ; We, by and with the advice aforesaid, do hereby order and direct, that from and after the date hereof, all arms, ammunition and gun- powder, military and naval store; and the following articles, being articles which we have judged capable of being converted into, or made useful in increas- ing the quantity of, military or naval stores—that is to say, marine-engines, screw-propellers, paddle-wheels, cylinders, cranks, shafts, boilers, tubes for boilers, boiler-plates, fire-bars, and every article, or any other component part of an engine or boiler, or any article whatsoever which is, can, or may become applicable for the manufacture of marine-machinery, shall be and the same are hereby prohibited either to be exported from the United King- dom, or carried coastwise.

"Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this 18th day of February, in the year of our Lord 1854, and in the 17th year of our reign.

"GOD SATE TUE QUEEN."

A Treasury minute has been issued to the Commissioners of Customs, with a copy of the proclamation enclosed, directing them how to carry it out. They are told that the proclamation has been issued "from its having be- come known to the Government that extensive shipments of warlike stores were in the course of being shipped to Russian ports, and that other ship- ments were contemplated of a like kind." The officers are enjoined to stop the nefarious traffic ; but in doing so, to allow all goods and the vessels con- taining them to be cleared, "where satisfactory proof is given that such goods are really destined to other markets and ports than those of Russia." And to put the trade coastwise on a safe and uniform footing, every ship carrying such goods coastwise shall be furnished with a special transire of shipment, which shall be delivered to the collector of the port of destina- tion on the arrival of the ship ; the due arrival and discharge of such goods being notified by him to the officers of the port of shipment.

Incredible as it might seem to one ignorant of the morale of commerce, yet it is certain that British manufacturers have not hesitated to supply munitions of war to the enemies of England. We know that from such a source the Caffrey obtained supplies. At the present moment there are persons ready and willing to furnish gunpowder to the Russians. Hap- pily, however, the authorities are on the alert ; and, under the recent proclamation, a large quantity of gunpowder intended for exportation to the enemy has been seized. The information was given to the authori- ties anonymously, and in such cases anonymous intelligence is not to be disregarded.

Some particulars of the proceeding of the Committee of Privilege appointed by the House of Commons to investigate the charges of cor- ruption brought against Irish Members have been made public. At a sitting of the Committee, on Thursday, Mr. Kelly was examined. He gave the names of the "contracting parties," of the "independent" Mem- ber who made the bargain, and the "pure" gentleman appointed to the Stipendiary Magistracy, the terms of the bargain, and the dates of the pay- ment of the money. Mr. Kelly was complimented on the manly and straightforward way in which he gave his evidence.

General Castelbajac arrived in Paris from St. Petersburg on Tuesday evening.

Lord Ponsonby, formerly Ambassador at Constantinople, takes an ar- dent interest in the Eastern question, and in November and December last he vented his impatience at what he then supposed to be the back- wardness of Government in letters addressed to a noble friend, who is not named. These letters Lord Ponsonby has just published, with what precise object we do not gather, unless it be to enforce the justice and expediency of compensation to Turkey for the war forced upon her by Russia. The province of Bessarabia, fertile but misgoverned by Russia, is mentioned as a suitable concession, securing to Turkey a better frontier.

The eve of Washington's birthday, Wednesday last, was celebrated in an unusual way by Mr. Sanders, the American Consul in London. He gave an international dinner, at which the following persons were pre- sent—Mr. Buchanan, the American Minister, Kossuth, Mazzini, Ledru- Rollin, Arnold Ruge, Garibaldi, Worrell, Felice Orsini, Pulszky, Herzen, Mr. Welsh, Attache and Private Secretary to the American Legation, and Sir Joshua Walmsley M.P.

The health of London again improved, though slightly, last week. The deaths were 1154,—that is, 40 under the calculated average, 1194. It is remarked that hooping-cough was fatal to 83 children.

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

Ten Weeks Week o(1844-u3. of 1854.

!mode Diseases 2,091 246

uncertain or variable seat 488 .... 43 Tubercular Diseases 1,821 204

Diseases of the Bruin, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 1,262 144

Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 431 35

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 2,306 .... 217 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 602 ....77 Diseases of the Kidneys &c. 112 8

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, &c 117 ... 10

Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, dm 91 .... 5

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &a 12 .... 3 Malformations 32 .... 5 Premature Birth 252 88 -Atrophy 194 .... 37 Age 568 .... 42 Sudden 109 10 Tiolence,Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 294 ,• • . 26 Total (including unspecified Cantles) 10,854 1,154 There were several Ministerial dinner-parties on Saturday. The hosts were the Marquis of Lansdowne, Viscount Palmerston, and Viscount Can- ning. The Premier dined with Lord Palmerston. The Speaker entertained A number of the Conservative Members.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer and Sir William Molesworth had din- ner-parties on Wednesday, but they were not of an exclusively political character: the French Ambassador, the Sardinian Minister, and the Duke of Newcastle, were among Sir William Molesworth's guests.'

Count Kielmansegge, the Hanoverian Minister, entertained the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary and the Duke of Cambridge at dinner on Wednesday.

Sir John Bowring left London on Saturday for Southampton, on his way to Hongkong. Lady Bowring accompanies him.

Mr. Briscoe, Member for Hastings, fell down in an apoplectic fit in '-he Mem- bers' vestibule of the House of Commons on Friday sennight. He slowly recovered consciousness, and was removed to his residence.

The Earl of Carlisle is not expected in England before April. He was staying at Corfu by the last accounts.

The Honourable George Dalrymple, son of the Earl of Stair, has sold out of the Scots Fusilier Guards, in consequence of a recent accident while hunt- ing, by which his collar-bone was broken.

Mr. John Martin, the historical painter, has sunk under the attack of paralysis with which he was recently afflicted. He died at Douglas, in the Isle of Man, on the 17th instant.

The Royal Institute of British Architects have, with the approbation of the Queen and Prince Albert as patrons of that institution, awarded the royal gold medal, the highest professional distinction in that art, to Mr. Philip Hardwicke, R.A.

The Baroness Brunnow left London for Darmstadt on Monday afternoon. Baron Brunnow paasetfthrough Cologne on the 11th, on his way to Darm- stadt.

M. de Kisseleff lingers at Brussels. He dined last week with the Prussian Minister.

Count Orloff, the special emissary of Russia to Vienna, is the same who in 1829 concluded the treaty of Adrianople, and in 1833 the treaty of Unkiar Sklessi. He holds the offices of Commander of the Gendarmerie and Chief of the Secret Police.

M. Blondel Van Koelebroek, Belgian Charge d'Affaires at Constantinople, has been appointed permanent diplomatic Minister there. He has been re- ceived by the Sultan with marked signs of pleasure.

The last accounts of the Marquis de Turgot's health are rather unfavour- able.

Wagner is writing an opera which will occupy three evenings in the per- formance ! The subject is from the " Niebelungen Lied."

Auber is also engaged on an opera—to be his last. _ The libretto is by Scribe.

Lieutenant-General Luwolf, a Russian composer, has retired from: the military service, and has been appointed by the Czar director-in-chief of the musical establishments of St. Petersburg.

Mrs. Mowat, the American actress, has quitted the stage, as she is about to wed a gentleman of fortune.

A statue of Jefferson, third President of the United States, has been cast in the Royal Foundry at Munich, under the direction of Hiram Powers, who formed the model for it.

The fine old cathedral of Murcia, in Spein, has been partially destroyed by fire. The beautiful wood-carving and the pictures in the choir, with the high altar, were consumed.

Dr. Edwards, Mr. J. Forrest, and Mr. Hartnup, are engaged in an effort to take photographs of the moon at the Royal Observatory of Liverpool.

The York and North Midland Railway Company have agreed to accept from Mr. Hudson 51,0001. in satisfaction of the judgment recently obtained for 71,4621. ; 21,0001. to be paid next month, and the balance, with interest at 4 per cent, in three annual instalments, secured by mortgage.

The Hampshire Independent states that Lieutenant Engledue, who after a long struggle, got his name reinserted in the Navy List during the Derby Administration, has been again struck off the list : he was appointed First Lieutenant to the James Watt, 90-gun screw steamer, but he refused to serve. It will be recollected that the first erasure of his name arose from his declining to serve.

Russian shipmasters and owners, alarmed by the coming war, are selling their crafts. The Hoppet, a Finnish vessel, was sold at Shields on Thurs- day, to two English shipowners. The crew of Fins are determined to go with the vessel into the American lumber trade. Three or four other Russian vessels on the Tyne have also been transferred.

The "pillar of Peace" has fallen down as we are about to engage in war. On the hills near Langfield, in the vale of Todmorton, a tall stone column was reared on one of the highest ridges dividing Lancashire and Yorkshire to commemorate the downfall of Napoleon ; it was commenced after his first overthrow in 1814, and completed after Waterloo. Last week the " pillar of Peace" fell down during the night.

The Parisian bceuf-gras for this year has been named " Prince Men- schikoff."

The excitement in Paris respecting the Eastern question has proved a source of great profit to some of the journals, their sale having enormously increased, that of the Petrie and Preen especially.

Messrs. Fox, Henderson, and Co., have contracted for the building of the Paris docks. A company has been organized under their auspices to carry out the project.

There is much distress in Newfoundland from the failure of the cod-fish- ing, the potato-blight, and the cessation of employment on the telegraph works.

Hanging is expensive : a recent execution cost Edinburgh no less than 731.

The expense of reconstructing the portion of the wharf-wall of the South- ampton Docks which recently fell down will be 11,5001. The Directors propose to raise the money by the issue of preference shares.

Among the petitions presented to the Irish Encumbered Estates Commis- sion last week, is one praying for the sale of an estate the gross annual rental of which is 401. a year, while the encumbrances reach between 38,0001. and 39,000/.

A recent return presented to Parliament shows the change which is taking place in the size of trading ships, sailers and steamers. In 1849 there were engaged in the home and foreign trade of the United Kingdom 18,221 ships, with a tonnage of 3,096,342, and employing 152,611 men ; in 1853, the ships had decreased to 18,206, but the tonnage had increased to 3,730,087, and the number of men employed to 172,525.