Iftiscrilantous.

It is stated that her Majesty will in all probability honour the Duke of Beaufort with a visit, at Badminton House, at an early period after Christ- mas. We have heard that the note of preparation has been already sounded amongst the Gloucestershire Yeomanry Cavalry.—Cheltershotra Chronicle.

We understand that some immediate changes are in contemplation in the Royal establishment. Major-General Sir Henry Wheatley has been permitted, at his advanced age, to retire from the office of Keeper of her Majesty's Privy Purse on a most liberal pension, with the dignity of a Baronet. The office Of the Keeper of the Privy Purse, and that of the Treasurer of the Prince's Household, are to be united in the person of Mr. Anson. The gentleman to fill the office of Private Secretary to his Royal Highness, hitherto held by Mr. Anson, has not yet been selected.—Times.

Woburn Abbey has added private theatricals to its other seasonable at- tractions. The performance mentioned in the papers consisted of a cha- rade founded on the incidents of the' siege of Troy; the authorship of Which is ascribed to the clever Protectionist Member Mr. Stafford O'Brien.

The Gazette announces that Major-General Pasley has received the dig- nity of Knight Commander of the Bath.

By a warrant of the 31st October, a pension of 501. a year has been granted to Margaret Turnbull, widow of the late James Turnbull, for the literary merits of her brother, the late Dr. Leyden; and by another war- rant of a like date, a pension of SQL a year to Mrs. Fanny Garwood, for the literary merits of her husband, the late Colonel Gurwood.

We are happy to state that Lord John Russell has given to Dr. M‘William the valuable appointment of medical attendant to the Board of Customs, recently become vacant. This appointment was conferred in the most handsome manner, without any application on the part of Dr. M`William; Lord John's Secretary stating in the letter which announced it, that the Appointment was conferred on account of Dr. M`William's distinguished services in the river Niger, in the year 1841. Most of our readers will remember the disastrous results of this expedition; but only a small num- ber may be aware of the share that Dr. M`William had in saving its shattered remains from utter destruction.—Times.

The Poor-law Commissioners have appointed Anewrin Owen, Esq., of Egryn, Denbighshire, one of the Assistant Tithe Commissioners, to be an Assistant Poor-law Commissioner, in the place of the late Colonel Wade.

The Presse announces the arrival of Mr. Cobden at Perpignan, on the 14th instant, on his return from Spain.

Sir George flilaro Barlow died on the 18th instant, at his seat near Farnham in Hampshire, aged eighty-two. He entered the service of the East India Company at an early age; and on the death of the Marquis Cornwallis, in 1805, succeeded asGovernor-General of India. After retaining that appointment till May 1807, he was selected to fill the office of Governor of Fort St. George, at Madras. He was created a Baronet in 1803; and eventually, for his public services, was vested with the Civil Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

Tuesday's Gazette announces that Parliament is to assemble for the despatch of business on Tuesday the 19th January.

Great extensions of the fortifications at Sheerness are in progress. New barracks to contain 1,000 men are to be erected; and three martello towers are to be raised on the Isle of Grainshore, should the soil be found Mutable.

An aggregate deputation of Irish railway directors had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Wednesday, to urge a claim for Government aid. Eleven Irish railway companies were incorporated in 1845, twenty-one in 1846: what the deputation asked from Government was, an advance not exceeding 30 per cent on the gross capital, namely, 4,890,0001. The sum to be thus distributed in point of time—in 1847, 4250,0001.; in 1847-8, 1,000,0001. on the incorporated companies of 1845; eisa in 1847-8, 1,320,0001.; in 1848-49, 1,320,0001. on the incorporated companies of 1846. During the same period, the sum total to be paid up by shareholders was estimated at 9,910,0001. After a long and animated conversation, Mr. Charles Wood assured the deputation that their state- ments should receive the most attentive consideration of the Government. The Times puts forth the following statement as being understood to embody the conditions upon which the Board of Control and the Directors of the East India Company have at length decided on sanctioning the in- troduction of railway communication into British India- " 1. The Direct Trunk, or East India line, is adopted. 2. This line (which connects Calcutta with the North-west Provinces) is to be constructed in sections. 3. The Government guarantee 4 per cent to the shareholders. 4. The amount guaranteed is fixed at 3,000,0001. to commence with. 5. The section out of Cal- cutta to be first executed. 6. The guarantee to extend over fifteen years. 7. The rates of payment to be made by the Government for transport of mails,

troops, istores, &c., to be agreed upon hereafter. 8. The interest to be received either in India or n London, at the option of the shareholders, as soon as 500,0001. is paid into the India House. 9. The land to be obtained by the Government for the railway company. 10. Government to have the privilege of purchasing the railway after thirty years from the date of its completion, at the then fair market value of the property. 11. No limitation is to be fixed to the profits of the com- pany, but the rates of charges are to be reduced when the returns admit of it. 12. It is also understood that no rates or tolls will be assessed upon the railway company, and that the import-duties on the stock and materials for the railway will be remitted. 18. The company to be incorporated by an act of the Legisla- tive Council, as well as by charter."

The price of wheat, according to the six-weeks average which governs the duty, is one shilling and sevenpence higher than at the same period last year.—Mark Lane Express, Monday.

The depression of trade in the manufacturing districts continues. Th only exception seems to be in Nottingham, where there has been some activity. The accounts from Manchester describe the breaking down Of the cotton speculation, and the consequent recession of prices. The cotton crop is now believed to be larger than it was last year; some estimates giving 2,200,000 bales.

The Northern Whig illustrates the effect of free trade on Belfast-

" In our last number we announced the sailing of the Glenmore, the first of a regular line of packets between Belfast and New York. This vessel attracted much notice during her stay here, partly because of her beautiful appearance, and as a welcome stranger, but particularly because she was regarded as a result of the Free-trade measures, and as a harbinger of our increasing intercourse with the American States. She carries out with her a full cargo, besides her comple- ment of passengers' amounting to 185. She has about 800 boxes and bales of linens, muslins, and cottons, value upwards of forty thousand pounds., together with 200 tons of pig-iron, forty-three puncheons of whisky, and various other articles. The direct export of our linens cannot but be a matter of public satis- faction; and we look forward with confidence to a great increase in our direct foreign trade, under the fostering influence of free commerce.

"Free trade has also given a great impulse to the direct intercourse between Belfast and the Continent of Europe; and we confidently expect a vastly increas- ed general foreign trade."

The Times makes an important announcement of the complete success of a plan for preventing incrustations on the boilers of steam-engines—

The water employed to be converted into steam, as is familiarly known to every one who uses a tea-kettle, leaves an incrustation on the vessel—carbonate of lime. This is a source of great danger with boilers; causing explosions, " bp forming a layer of non-conducting matter between the metal and the fluid to 1* heated, and thus allowing the temperature of the former to rise to a high point, even to redness. The metal oxidizes rapidly at this temperature; and the holm is thereby weakened and rendered incapable of sustaining the necessag presstuz. But a more fruitful cause of accidents is the sudden removal of portions of in- crustation, when the metal expands on the attainment of the high temperature: i the water s thereby brought in contact with the heated metal, and evaporatiort takes place so suddenly as to resemble the evolution of gases from the firing of gunpowder. Indeed, the results in both cases are identical." To avoid this pea), as far as practicable, the water, when it becomes dense, is frequently "blown off,* or driven out of the boiler. But this is only a partial remedy; and the crust has to be removed by means of the hammer and chisel, to the injury of the vesseL About two years ago, Dr. Ritterbandt discovered a cure for this. He found that, "by introducing munate of ammonia into a boiler containing water holding lime in solution, the carbonate of lime, instead of depositing when the carbonic acid by which it was held in solution was expelled at a high temperature, became con- verted into muriate of lime, a substance eminently soluble; while the carbonate of ammonia, likewise formed by the double decomposition, passed off with the steam, so that the boiler could not foul. The process is equally applicable to fresh and salt water." It has also resulted in dissolving the crust formed before its application. It is still necessary to blow off the water occasionally, but only to the extent of one-fourth of what is requisite without Dr. Ritterbandt's inven- tion. The Times has tried the plan on its own boilers, and a twelvemonth has fully proved its efficacy.

The Board of Guardians of the Howden Poor-law Union (who represent the views of an extensive district in Yorkshire) have unanimously adopted a petition to Parliament, protesting against being called upon to provide, "in addition to our present heavy burdens," the means of supporting the poor of Ireland. The petitioners pray that such a poor-law may be forth- with passed for Ireland as may be found adequate to the necessities of the case.

In accordance with ancient usage, the Queen's bounty was distributed on Monday and Tuesday last to upwards of one thousand poor and aged persons; each receiving five shillings.

An accident, which had nearly been attended with fatal consequences, has occurred to the Emperor of Russia. On the 9th of this month, the Emperor was on his route from St. Petersburg to Warsaw, and had ar- rived at the border of the large river at Kiow, where there is no bridge: temporary platform had been constructed to run the Emperor's travel- ling carriage into the ferry-boat: it gave way, and the carriage was precipi- tated into the water. The Emperor, with Count Orloff who was also in the carriage was obliged to escape from the windows, and wade up to his middle in the water; and as the current was running very strongly and the river was full of ice, no little danger was incurred. The Emperor aban- doned his intended visit, and turned back for St. Petersburg; probably thinking the immersion a bad omen. The pretext was, that the delay caused by the accident obliged him to return at once to keep an appoint- ment!

The Prince Archbishop of Vienna, M de Milde, hashed a narrow escape from assassination. On the 9th instant, before the Prelate had risen, his valet presented himself at the bed-side, and, holding out a razor, exclaimed that he had been commanded by Jesus Christ to kill the Archbishop. With great presence of mind, M. de Milde suggested to the man the pro- priety of his first offering up a prayer; and then, while the fanatic was kneeling, his master took advantage of the interval to lock himself in an adjoining room. It is hardly necessary to say that the man was mad. The Livadgrave of Hesse Homburg died on the 10th instant, at Hom- burg-es-Monte. His Serene Highness was born on the 11th March 1779; and succeeded his brother, the Landgrave Louis, in January 1839. Al- though married, the late Landgrave has left no issue; and is, therefore, succeeded by his brother, Prince Gustavus Adolphus Frederick, of Hesse Homburg, born 17th February 1781.

The French papers mention the death of Count Federigo Gonfalonieri, the eminent Italian Liberal, at Hospenthal, in Switzerland, on the 10th instant. He was chief of the Milanese conspiracy-against Austria in 1821, and was subsequently confined during seventeen years in carcere duro, with- in the fortress of Spielberg, in Moravia.

For want of a marine enemy, the Prince de Joinville has been making war upon the boars and wolves in the forests of Crecy and Arrnanvilliers. These forests, which belong to Madame Adelaide, had become infested with wild beasts; and the keepers were under orders to hunt them out. The Prince went with one attendant to see how the destruction went on; and, finding that three boars and a wolf were on foot, he joined in the pursuit, and killed one with his own hand, while the creature was making a rush at him. Surely the heroic age has returned to France!

It is stated that the Bey of Tunis has offered to Louis Philippe the cele- brated Cleopatra's needle; and that the gift has been accepted, and will be conveyed to Paris, and placed in the centre of the Carrousel.

An equestrian statuette of the Emperor Napoleon, executed by Count D'Orsay for Prince de Demidoff, and given by the latter to the museum of Ajaccio, has just been "inaugurated." The whole town is described as having been en file on the day of the inauguration.

We learn from Rome, 14th instant, that the preparatory works for the railroad from Rome to the frontier of Naples and Civita-Vecchia had al- ready commenced.— Galignanis Messenger.

Pins the Ninth has granted to the Jews of Rome certain civil privi- leges from which they were excluded; and has ordered that in relief grant- ed to the needy, Jews shall share equally with Christians.

A curious case has recently been tried at Konigsburg, arising out of the marriage-laws of Prussia.

The parties were M. Falkson, a Jew, and the daughter of M. Leinerg, a wealthy Christian merchant : they were affianced with the full consent of their respective parents; but neither would the Lutheran ministers perform the ceremony, nor the public authorities sanction the marriage. The couple thereupon went to Hull, got married according to the English laws, and returned to Prussia. The law-offi- cer of the Crown asserted the nullity of the marriage, and brought his suit ac- cordingly, on the ground that all Prussian subjects of the Christian religion must be married by priests ordained in Prussia; and that M. Falkson, being a Jew, had not been married according to the ritual of his own religion, as prescribed by an edict issued on the 11th March 1812. M. Falkson obtained permission to plead his own cause; which he did with great ability. He contended, that if a person not being a Christian consented to be bound by Christian rites and ceremonies, he might avail himself of the Prussian marriage-laws. Such marriages, he said, had been held to be valid in Prussia. The tribunal, putting a liberal constniction on a doubtful point, dismissed the gait of the public officer, and decreed the valid- ity of the marriage.

Accounts from Genoa describe a violent storm that suddenly rose in that neighbourhood, and caused considerable damage- " About four in the afternoon, on the 12th instant., the commandant of' the port -perceiving the mercury to fall suddenly, and the wind to change from North to South-west, sent word to the various vessels to make all snug for a storm. Scarcely had the intimation been given, before the tempest began; audit raged for some time with dreadful fury. The waves broke over the two moles and the quays, and even sent their spray [across the vast harbour] into the neighbouring streets. The vessels lying in the port were driven violently against each other, and in several cases injured. Three were driven from their moorings and lost. One was a Greek merchant-brig, which was dashed against the coast, and in five minutes was in pieces. The other two were Sardinian craft, one a three-master and the other a brig. The crews of the three vessels were saved, with the ex- ception of the three men belonging to the Greek brig. The Prince of Carignan°, who exercises at Genoa the functions of Admiral, was busied for some hours on the quays, organizing means of conveying help. Thirteen men perished at Genoa, and the accounts from the coast are terrible.

A letter from Bayonne, of the 15th, mentions a very rare phrenomenon which was observed on the previous evening, a violent thunder-storm in the midst of a heavy fall of snow-

" The lightning was very vivid, and pierced through the snowy atmosphere by which we were surrounded. The electric fluid struck the theatre during the per- formance; but the only damage occasioned was the breaking of some panes of glass. A vessel at anchor in the river was also struck by the lightning, which melted the brass railing of the gunwale, as was a house on the banks of the Adour."

The British Government has lately received information from its agents on the Western coast of Africa of a frightful occurrence, which, however,

is not novel in the annals of slavery. A Negro chief, having 2000, slaves upon his hands, and being unable to dispose of them, had them all killed before his own eyes. The French Government has also been made acquainted with this horrible massacre. We are assured that the Cabinets of London and Paris have resolved to join in punishing with severity the cruel chief.— Constitutionnel.

The Ottoman Government has had several kinds of cotton-seeds, and men specially charged to superintend their culture, recently brought from America. -Mr. Davids, who is at the head of these persons, has sent a report to the Sultan, declaring what works it will be necessary to execute for the intended experiments. The report has been approved of, and the necessary works ordered.—Galigna ni's Messenger.

The Dumfries Courier announces the discovery of some exceedingly interesting relics of antiquity, in the Avon valley, near Beattock. They were exhumed by some excavators on the Caledonian Railway. The first thing found was part of the foundations of a house; then some copper coins; and lastly a small stone trough inverted, containing a bronze case, within which was a manuscript on vel- lum about thirty feet long and two broad. The writing is beautifully executed, In the Latin language; and at the top the words "listens Romps," in large cha- racters, are quite distinct A cursory examination has led some to suppose it to be a copy of pert of Livy's celebrated history—perhaps including the lost books! A small manuscript was found in the case, also written on parchment, and about a foot square m size; but the writing of this is very illegible: on the back are the words "Ad Agricolam." The manuscripts have been deposited at Moffat manse for temporary custody.

A labourer of the name of Walker, employed in claying land in the parish of Coveney, lately discovered two British shields, in good preservation, lying upon the clay under the Fen soil. The shields are circular, and shoat twenty-two inches in diameter. One is ornamented with concentric circles stamped in the metal, and the other with intertwining serpents. The handles of both are perfect, and there are remains of bronze holds for straps riveted on the inside. It is pro- habits that they were lost by the upsetting of a canoe, as canoes have been found imbedded in the Fen soil of the neighbourhood. The shields have been purchased by the Reverend S. Banks, of Haddenham, for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society.—Bury Post. Punch's Almcaurck for 1847—crammed with sly hits and merry conceits— gives, in cookery and receipt-book fashion, "National Gallery Directions for Octo- ber—" Now take down your Old Masters, scrub and scour them. Bath brick may be used for this purpose; it will take off the surface, and leave a fine, dean, raw, under-coat of colour. If your pictures resist this treatment, wash them in a strong solution of acids. Wring them' and let them hang for a day or two. You will find most of the dirt has disappeared, taking the colour with it. Some peo- ple object to this; but you must not forget that cleanliness is the great object." A Dublin hosier and shirt-dealer advertises in the Nation newspaper—" To he sold, a dead bargain, the debts of two Repeal M.P.'s of the Old huland party."

An outrageous hoax was played off the other day in the neighbourhood of AI- dersgate Street. Several tradesmen were surprised by the arrival of many persons with fish, flesh, and fowl, wine, confectionary, and other articles, which some nue- chievons person had ordered to be sent to them in vast quantities. Mr. Russell, a stationer in Aldersgate Street, was the most annoyed: not only provisions of all aorta arrived at five o'clock in the evening, but seven hairdressers, three people with wigs, an extracter of corns, five carriages, and five chimneysweepers! The Police have not been able to detect the delinquent.

The proceedings of the Court-martial held at Chatham upon Captain Bull of the Fifty-seventh Regiment terminated on Monday. The charge against Captain Bull was, that he put his superior officer, Major Shadforth, under arrest, and assumed the command of the head-quarters of the regiment, while on board the ship Mary Anne in Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope. The Major was said to be intoxicated at the time; and Captain Bull interfered at the request of Captain Allen, the commander of the ship, who feared some accident by fire. Major Shadforth called several witnesses to prove that he was sober on the occasion in question; and there was evidence also on the other side: it may be said that in point of distinctness, positiveness of impression, and consistency, the balance lay in favour of the accused. Captain Bull put in a written defence, which was read by the Deputy Judge-Advocate. It was chiefly grounded upon a case that occurred in 1819 or 1820, in which a Colonel was confined by his inferior officer for appearing drunk upon parade; being called to account, the inferior officer was held to be justified by the necessity of upholding military discipline. The decision of the Court-martial will not be made known until it has received confirmation. by the Queen. Another court-martial assembled at Chatham on Tuesday, to try Lieutenant Grant, late of the Fifty-seventh, but now of the Twenty-fourth Regiment, on charges brought against him by Major Shadforth, arising out of the transactions on board the liary Anne. The evidence was the same as in Captain Bull's case. The proceedings have not closed.

We understand that an officer holding a situation in the landing department of the Customhouse has recently been removed from the service. The party alluded to has been several years in the department; and we believe that his removal is in reference to some improper proceedings found to have taken place some tinae since, and which were not discovered at the time, by which a fraud was committed on the revenue.—Morning Post.

The Sydney papers announce the loss of the Dundee Merchant, a whaler, on a reef of rocks near New Caledonia, off the East coast of New Holland. The crew took to the boats; and, after suffering great privations, and having been attacked by the Natives of New Holland on landing to procure water, they all safely reached Moreton Bay, after a voyage of twelve hundred miles in open boats. One man was wounded in the breast with a spear thrown by a Native.

A frightful steam-boat accident occurred on the Mississippi, about seven miles above Natchez, on the 21st of November. About two o'clock in the afternoon, the Sultana, descending the river with the current, ran into the steamer Maria, bound the other way. The violence of the shock broke the connecting-pipe of the Maria; by which the chief clerk, the second engineer, and between twenty- five and thirty deck hands and deck passengers, were scalded, many of them so severely that there was no prospect of their recovery. The Maria sank to about two feet of her cabin-floor within five minutes after the collision, drowning between twenty-five and thirty persons who were on the lower deck. The cabin passengers were all saved. The Sultana remained by the sunken vessel all night; her bows much injured.

On Sunday week, about noon, a boat was observed drifting towards the shore at Mawgan Perth Coast Guard station, near Newquay, in Cornwall. The weather was too rough to get a boat afloat; but a Mr. Roberts swam out to the vessel, and he and others succeeded in landing six men whom they found alive in the company of ten corpses! The survivors were in a very exhausted state; but, great attention having been paid to them, they are likely to do well. An inquest has been held on the ten bodies and one of the sailors who were rescued made the following sad narration to the Jury—" I am a seaman belonging to the barque Hope, of Liverpool. We were coming from Rio with a cargo of guano; we sailed about twelve weeks since. The captain's name was William Jones. We had twenty-six men on board, and had been short of provisions for some time. On reaching the coast of Ireland we experienced very bad weather, and the ship got on shore. We got her off again, and came to an anchor. The next day we got under weigh, and sailed for Liverpool or some other port. The weather was then fair, but soon became squally, with snow-showers. This was on the 10th instant We then tried to get to Fishguard Bay; but the weather became worse, and the pumps became choked and useless. All hands were called, and it was deter- mined to leave the ship. The captain with his officers and some seamen, tea altogether, went into the gig; the remaining sixteen of DB got into the long-boat, with a sail and two oars, but no provisions, hoping to see some vessel to take us up. We saw the captain and his party get into a schooner; and we tried to pull up to her, but could not. It then came on to blow hard, with snowsshowers, and we lost sight of her. We broke one of the oars; and the boat became un- manageable, and drifted with the tide. The next day, Jacob Williams, a Swede, died from the effects of the cold, some of the others on the 12th, and three on the 13th. We knew not on what coast we were when taken up by the Coast Guard, who have taken us into their houses and shown us every attention."

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

week ending on Saturday last— .

Number of deaths.

Zymotic (or Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious) Disease

average. Autumn Aiasnal.

' avesal Dropsy, Cancer,and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 98

Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Barrow, Nerves, and Senses 181

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 525 . • • 313 ...

MA

Diseases of the Heart and Blood-venels 52 • • •

Di110118135 of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion

72 • • •

g ::: g

Diseases of the Kidneys, dm.

10 . • •

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, lte 15 • -• 11 ... 10 , Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, Re.

a • .•

Disease, of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &c.

3 • • •

Old Age

76 • . •

Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 16 • • • 27 ... II

— — Total (Including unspecified causes) 1,262 ... 1,000 ...

NI

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 46.7° in the sun to 17.90 in the shade; the mean temperature by day being colder than the average mean temperature by 10.3°. The mean direction of the wind for the week was gene- rally North-west and South-wed.