Zioallratrus.

THE Government really does intend, as reported, to permit the Royal Agricultural Society to exhibit animals in one of the Loudon parks next year. The site, we are happy to say, has not been fixed, and we trust we may hear no more of the appropriation of the open space between the Serpentine and the Kensuigtonroad. That would be in- tolerable.

The Government have conceded a point of some importance—they admit that the Public and Endowed Schools of England are a fit subject for inquiry. They are willing to direct such an inquiry, but have not determined whether or not it shall be carried out by Royal Commission.

Intending exhibitors in the industrial department of the Exhibition of 1862, are reminded that her Majesty's Commissioners have named the 1st of May next as the date before which all applications for space must be sent in. By far the larger portion of the space which can be allotted to British exhibitors has already been applied for.

The Times is requested to contradict, on authority, the rumour which has been circulated to the effect that the Bishop of Brechin has seceded to the Church of Rome.

As Sir Roderick Murchison stated in the letter we quoted last week, the papers, or rather despatches, read at the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on Monday, touching the expedition of

Dr. Livingstone, were full of interest. They, described his journey to the Makololo country, undertaken in order to escort back some people to their homes who had gone with him down the river. The distance was six hundred miles, but the journey there and back to Tette, including divergences from the route was one thousand four hundred miles. Dr. Livingstone gives a full description of the Vic- toria Falls on the Zambesi, and Mr. C. Livingstone supplies some historical and geographical information. The meeting passed unani- mously a vote of thanks to Dr. Livingstone and his party.

It has been determined to found an asylum for the reception of in- sane persons belonging to the middle classes by Lord Shaftesbury, the Marquis of Salisbury, Lord Ebury, Mr. Arthur Kinnaircl, Admiral Saumarez, Mr. J. Cave, and other parsons well known for their phi- lanthropy. Such an institution in this age of brain work and com- mercial competition is very much wanted, and the wealthy and for-

tunate are bound to subscribe towards an institution which will help to soften the bard lot of the victims of overwork and racking anxiety. The sum collected for the relief of distress in India is now u wards

of 70,0001., and the tide of subscriptions seems still to be s • y flow- ing in- At a meeting of volunteer officers, held on Thursday, the following resolutions were agreed to :

" I. That with a view to the efficiency of the volunteer force, it is desirable that brigade field-days, as sanctioned by the War-office memorandum, the 6th of June, 1h60, should be held by private arrangement between officers commanding corps in the metropolitan district. 2. That it is further desirable that field manoeuvres on a more extended scale should be held at least once a year, in the course of the summer, at some convenient and suitable place. 3. That these field manwavres should be organized by the War-office, and directed by military authority, the command being entrusted to some military officer specially appointed for the purpose, and that those corps only should be permitted to take part in these manoeuvres which, after inspection, have been declared by the Inspector. General tit to do so."

It is understood that the Queen has been pleased to appoint the Duchess of Wellington to be Mistress of the Robes, in succession to the Duchess Dowager of Sutherland.

The Honourable George Leslie Waldegrave has resigned his appointment of secretary to the Speaker of the House of Commons. Mr. Waldegrave's un- wearied courtesy and urbanity have gained for him the esteem of all with whom he has been concerned daring the six years he has officiated as secretary to Lord Eversley and to the present Speaker. We understand that Mr. Alfred Denison, brother of the present Speaker, has been selected to fill the vacancy.—Times.

It is understood that two vacancies in the trust of the British Museum have been filled up by the election of the Duke of Northumberland and Sir Thomas Pbillipps, of Middle-bill.

The University of Edinburgh on Monday, conferred the honorary degree of D.C.L. upon Sir John M'Neill, and that of LLD. upon Mr. John Muir, " one of the first Sanscrit scholars of the age." The degree of D.C.L. was conferred upon Mr. Stirling of Keir by diploma. It is understood to be the intention of the Legislature to allow a statue of the late Sir Charles Barry to occupy a place in the New Houses of Parliament. A statue of Turner, the painter, is also proposed to be placed in St. Paul's Ca- thedral.

It is stated in some of the German journals that the late King of Prussia has left the manuscript of an important work entitled "History of the Evangelical Church and of its Developments," and that Professor Richter is charged to publish it. The admirers of Lord Macaulay will be gratified to learn that the original autograph of the whole of the fifth and last volume of his History of England has been deposited in the Manuscript Department of the British Museum, and a portion of it placed in a glass case for public inspection.—Notes and Queries. Sir Charles Palley, Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers, who had been sixty-four years in the service of his country, died on the 19th, at his Loudon residence. He had served in Italy, Sicily, the Peninsula, Walcheren, and, after the peace, he was continually engaged at home; He had led a glorious life in war, and an active and useful life in peace, and he died crowned alike with the laurel and the olive.

At a meeting held on Saturday last the Bishop of Oxford announced that the Right Rev. James Chapman, Bishop of Colombo, had resigned that see, and would return to England as soon as his successor is nominated. The bishopric consists of the island of Ceylon, comprising 24,448 square miles, and a popula- tion of 1,730,000. There are about 50 clergymen of the Church of England in the island. The see is worth 20001. a year, payable from the Colonial Bishopric Fund.

The latest advices from British Columbia state that Lady Franklin had arrived at Victoria, Vancouver's Island.

The Emperor Napoleon has just completed his 53rd year, having been born on the 20th of April, 1808. Prince Napoleon has been appointed President of the French Commission appointed to organize and arrange in classes the articles to be sent by France to the Exhibition of 1862.

The liforgen-Voss Gazette announces, as a public rumour, which was gaining ground, the approaching abdication of the King of Denmark, Frederick VII., in favour of the hereditary Prince Christian, and his early departure for Algeria. A letter from St. Petersburg states that the Emperor is about to proceed to Moscow, accompanied by the Empress and the Hereditary Grand-Duke. This journey will enable the Czar to judge from personal observation of the good impression produced in the country by the abolition of serfdom. According to a Turin letter, the King of Greece, under the pressure of the public opinion of his country, has recognized the new kingdom of Italy, although "the royal family of Bavaria is one of those which is most hostile to the Italian cause."

The Vienna Gazette contains the nomination of M. Zeisel, a Jew, as professor at the university of that capita:. This is the first person of that persuasion on whom this distinction has been conferred.

The Sentinella Bresciana states that on the 12th the Duke of Modena reviewed his little army at Verona, and promised them that he would shortly lead them back to Modena.

A benevolent gentleman has intimated his intention to bequeath to the Na- tional Lifeboat Institution 3,0001. on condition that the society will, on the receipt of his legacy, place a first-class lifeboat, thoroughly equipped, on some exposed part of the English coast, and another on the Scotch coast, and will undertake thereafter to keep them permanently in a state of efficiency. He also stipulates that in the event of his increasing his bequest to 4,0001. a third lifeboat, on the same conditions, shall be placed on the Irish coast. As the National Lifeboat Institution has now one hundred and twelve lifeboats under its charge, it is a meat important and anxious consideration to keep up permanently this numerous life-saving fleet. It can only be satisfactorily accomplished by the continued support of the public to the Lifeboat Institution, and by legacies and similar bequests to the above of benevolent persons.

A company has been formed in Liverpool for establishing direct communication between that port and Charleston. The first steamer of the line it is expected will be despatched from Liverpool about the middle of July. According to the last census in Spain, it would appear that Madrid surpasses all the other capitals of Europe in the number of its centenarians, most of whom belong to the fair sex. The recent census shows that in that capital there are seven women above one hundred years of age. One is 117, the next 111, the third 108, two are 102, the sixth 101, and the seventh has just completed her century.

In a letter appended to the Civil Service Estimates Mr. M'Culloch makes a statement on the subject of the new plan of printing the calendars of wills, which have hitherto been kept in manuscript, and sending copies to the country registrars that they may be consulted by interested parties without going to London for the purpose. The scheme has led to a considerable outlay in printing. The calendar of 1858, which was first printed, makes no less than 30 parts, and 250 copies being printed (7500 volumes in all), it cost 43461. In August last the Treasury authorized the printing an edition in comparatively small type, in one thick volume, at an estimated cost of 85681., to be offered for sale to the public ; but that is an experiment, to be given up if the sale should not cover the expense. The calendar of 1859 is estimated to cost about 46001., but Mr. M'Culloch proposes in future a more condensed form, by which 7001. a year may be saved. The Treasury in November authorized the printing of the back calendars of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury from 1853. This item in the estimates is new, but will, of course, be permanent. As yet, only 44001. has been voted for it, but in the estimates now to be voted there is a demand for 15,0001. to cover the extra and unforeseen expenditure already incurred, and for 50001. for the current year.

A return has just been laid before the House of Lords of the corporal punish- ments inflicted in gaols in the course of the last three years. It gives a list, in England and Wales, of 854 such cases, 268 of them " by cat," a large proportion for prison offences, and by order of the visiting justices. 36 lashes with the cat were delivered on youths of 17 and 18, the same number on two of 15 (for idleness), 24 and 30 on lads not yet 15, from 12 to 20 on boys between 11 and 14, 10 on a boy of 10, 4 and 8 on boys of 8. This punishment is much more resorted to in some prisons than in others. The cat was used in 70 cases in the borough prison of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by order of the petty sessions; in 56 cases in the New Bailey at Salford, all but three by order of the visitingiustices ; in 27 at Walton, mostly by sentence of quarter sesaions ; in the House of Correction at Wandsworth, and in many other cases, it was never used at all. From Scotland, the return states that about 145 juvenile offenders were flogged under sentences of the sheriffs, and corporal punishment was frequently inflicted by the magistrates in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Ireland there were 63 cases, all by the cat, but the number of lashes was sometimes not defined, but left to the surgeon's discretion, and in some instances is expressly returned " not counted."

A young Garibaldian officer committed suicide, on the 19th. He had been extremely attached to a woman, but a quarrel arose between them, and she declared that she would not see him again. Thereupon the officer made his will, leaving her all his property, and then wrote several letters, one to the head of the police, requesting that as little notice as possible might be taken of his death ; another to his mother, bidding her farewell ; and a third to a friend, in which lie expressed his regret that his death would not take place for the sake of Italy, but under the influence of an imperious passion. He stack up all the letters on the wall of his bedroom, then took a pistol and fired it into his breast. He survived for two hours, expressing no regret at the circumstance, but im- ploring that his death might be hastened, and vowing that if the surgeons should extract the ball and succeed in prolonging his life, he would soon repeat the act. He was a young Calabrian of 27 years of age.