A Society for Promoting the Employment of Women has been

formed. Its President is the Earl of Shaftesbury ; the Bishops of Oxford and London, Mr. Gladstone, and Vice-Chancellor Page Wood are its Vice- Presidents. The Committee consists of ladies and gentlemen, among whom are Mr. Akroyd, Mr. Stephen Cave, Mr. Monekton Milnes, Mr. John Stuart Mill, Mrs. Jameson, Miss Parkes, Miss Adelaide Proctor, Lady Elizabeth Cust, Mrs. Tait, and the Honourable Mrs. Cowper.

"The object of this Society, which has been sanctioned by the Council of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, is to promote the employment of women in occupations suitable for their sex, by collect- ing and diffusing useful information on the subject, by establishing an office which shall be a centre for inquiry, by practically ascertaining the capacity of women for some of the occupations hitherto closed to them, and by encouraging their better and more complete education. The Committee will shortly open classes for the instruction of women in-book-keeping and other branches of business ; and it is hoped that the pupils may be able to compete for certificates at the half-yearly examinations of the Society of Arts. The annual meeting of the Society will be held at the same time and place as that of the Social Science Association, when a resort of the proceedings will be presented." • Membership consists in a donation of 51.; or an annual subscription of I0s. Subscriptions and donations are received for special objects, or for the general fund, at Messrs. Coutts, Strand, and by Miss Emily Faith- full, the Secretary, at the Office, 19, Laugh= Place, Regent Street, W. Post-office orders payable to Miss Emily Fain-Sell

The records of the progress of the Volunteer movement continue to occupy a large space in the morning journals ; recruiting goes on with great vigour, and drill also. Earl Grey at Newcastle, the Earl of Airlie

at Kirriemnir, and Sir John M'Neill at Edinburgh, have made very sen- sible speeches on the subject. Pamphlets and letters of suggestions abound. Among the former are two which deserve special notice. Commander Edward Tifardy, R.N. in letters to Mr. Arthur Kinglake recommends that the rural police should be drilled as artillery corps to act in conjunction with Volunteers. The gallant sailer shows how the police might work the guns as sailors work theirs, without the aid of horses, and how usefully they might be employed if attached to the great Volunteer divisions. This subject is worthy of the attention of the Government. The other pamphlet is by Mr. George Chapman. Himself a splendid swordsman, Mr. Chapman recommends practice with the foil as a preliminary to the bayonet exer- cise. He does not believe, neither do we, that the days of the bayonet are over. We recommend Mr. Chapman's clear and succinct pamphlet to the study of Volunteers. Mr. George Cruickshank has also replied to General Napier's letter, and produced a defence of the old Volunteers, and a pleading for the new Volunteers none the less forcible because it is sui generis. Mr. Cruickshank, in advocating juvenile military training, is on the right track.

A further issue of rifles to the Volunteer corps will take place. In a circular, dated 20th December 1859, Mr. Sidney Herbert informs the Lords-Lieutenants of counties that her Majesty's Government have de- termined to issue to rifle Volunteer corps, after the 1st of January next, an additional supply of long Enfield rifles (pattern 1853), to the extent of fifty per cent on the effective strength of the corps. This supply will raise the aggregate issue to 100 per cent on the effective strength of the force. The commanding officers of corps should at once forward the prescribed requisitions to the War Office for such portion of the supply as they may be entitled to under the regulations. The Secretary for War hopes to bb in a position in the course of next year to exchange these rifles gradually for the short Enfield, in the case of any corps which may desire it, on the understanding that the long rifles must be returned in good condition, fair wear and tear excepted, or that the corps must pay for any damage they may have received.

The Lords of the Admiralty, through their Secretary, have issued a circular, addressed to all Commanders-in-Chief, Captains, Commanders, and Commanding-officers, of her Majesty's ships and vessels, establishing -new regulations for the entry of naval cadets, and for the examination of mates, midshipmen, naval cadets, he., which will come into operation in April next, instead of those now in force.

The Admiralty having recommended the Home Secretary to liberate the men punished for insubordination on board the Princess Royal, the Home Secretary tendered the advice to her Majesty, and was thereupon empowered to remit the remainder of the punishment, and set the men free. They were liberated on Tuesday.

Mr. Traill, assisted by Captain Harris, nautical assessor, has reported on the loss of the Paramatta. This fine ship, on her voyage from South- ampton to St. Thomas, struck on the Horseshoe reef, and became a total wreck. The report declares that the ship was lost through the default of Captain Baynton the master. It very clearly describes the course taken by the vessel through the Sombrero Channel, and points out how Captain Baynton neglected necessary precautions in a channel against the dangers of which he had been specially warned. Mr. Trail makes an admirable remark on the whole case in these words-

" The circumstances of this case, and of many of a similar nature within a short period, lead use to suppose that the desire to make rapid voyages is gradually supplanting the proper caution which ought to be observed by ship-masters. This is a natural effect of the general use of steam at sea, and the great improvement, as far as sailing is concerned, in the construc- tion of ships. Unless, therefore, care be taken to keep this desire within bounds, it may in time create the impression in the minds of seamen that their first duty is to regard, not the safety of the ship, but the quickness of the passage."

Captain Bas-nton's certificate has been suspended for twelve months. The evidence fully justifies the strong report. A suggestion put forth by Mr. Train, that there should be a light on Sombrero Island, is to re- ceive attention.

The last sitting of the Wakefield Bribery Commission was held on Saturday. Further evidence showing the extensive corruption of the borough was taken, the Commissioners adjourned sine die.

We regret to state that Lord Macaulay died on Wednesday morning at his house in Kensington. A fortnight since he had a second attack of disease of the heart. It had been supposed that the treatment he received in 1852, when he suffered severely, had subdued the disease. On the pre- sent occasion Lord Macaulay rallied from the attack, and was pronounced out of danger, when he had a relapse, and never recovered. He was only fifty-nine years old, and as he never married his title dies with him.

Mr. Gilpin, M.P., has returned to London after a stay at Folkestone, in a very precarious state of health. Sir Benjamin Brodie has forbidden him to do any business whatever.

Mr. Rennie, the engineer, has been seriously injured by a coal-waggon while he was crossing the Blackfriars Road. He was knocked down by the horses and both the wheels of the waggon passed over him.

M. David Harmand died on Christmas Day, at Montmartre, in the hun- dred and ninth year of his age. He served under Louis XV. and XVI. during the American war, and made the first :campaigns of the French Re- public. M. Harmand retained full possession of all his intellectual faculties to the last moment of his life.

M. de Bourvency has been created a Count by Napoleon III., as a recog- nition of his diplomatic services.

The Prince Regent of Prussia has conferred the Order of the Red Eagle of the first class on Baron von Koller, Austrian Under-Secretary of State. Lord and Lady Cowley have received at their country seat at Chantilly the elite of the English residents in Paris.

The Moniteur has announced that Prince Jerome is in "a state of conva- lesence."

The Queen of Spain is again a mother. A princess was born at Madrid on the 26th of December.

Admiral Rigault de Genouilly and Admiral Reynaud arrived at Marseille on Wednesday from China.

A Turin correspondent of the Independance Beige states that the English Government has ordered Colonel Cadogan, military attache to the British Legation at Turin, to proceed to the head-quarters of General Fanti at Bo- logna. This fact 113 regarded as a new proof of the interest which is taken by the British Government in Central Italy. Mr. John Anderson, late Inspector of Machinery in Woolwich Arsenal, who since its establishment, has been entrusted with the direction of Sir William Armstrong's rifled ordnance department, and whose inventions in various branches of machinery have been rewarded by liberal Government gratuities' has received the appointment of resident superintendent of the royal gun factories in Woolwich, at a salary of 1000/. per annum.

Mr. Tidd Pratt delivered a useful lecture on Friendly Societies, in the Lecture-hall at Derby, on Tuesday. He warmly recommended them, and gave their members much valuable advice.

The cold and wet in alternation have had the usual effect upon the mor- tality tables of London. There died last week 1548 persons, an increase of 248 over the average of the four preceding weeks, and of 278 over the calcu- lated average of death at this period of the year. Persons suffering from pulmonary disease, bronchitis, and phthisis, furnished one-half the number of victims.

According to the Yorkshire papers, the shock of an earthquake was felt in different parts of that county on the 15th of December, between two and three in the morning. It extended, so say these papers, over 200 square miles, but chiefly in the Valley of the Wharfe.

• The Blervie Castle, a new ship of 610 tons, bound from London for Ade- laide has been wrecked in the Channel, probably on the shoals between Folkestone and Cape Griner. She had on board forty passengers, and a crew of thirty-four hands. No particulars of the fatal occurrence have come to hand ; the only record left' being various packages picked up by French smacks. It is supposed that she perished in a tempest of wind and snow on the 21st.