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Rear-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart has been appointed Commander-inchief on the North American and West India station.

As the Prince of Wales and his tutor were travelling lately incog. in the West of England, the landlord of a certain hotel, having reason to expect a visit from his Royal Highness, prepared his best rooms in his best style, and then waited day by day in feverish anxiety. One afternoon, a gentleman and a youth arrived at the hotel, and asked if rooms could be had for the night? All the servants were in a bustle immediately s for the landlord was sure he discerned the young Prince and his tutor in the newly-arrived travellers. So the best rooms were speedily given to the guests, and every possible comfort was added to make them happy; while the landlord, with a certain knowing look of bland satisfaction behaved to his Royal visitor with

the utmost deference, and yet without open acknowledgment of his rank, as he knew it was desired to keep this concealed. Later in the evening, and when almost every room in the house had been filled, there arrived three more travellers, two gentlemen and a boy. When they asked for bedrooms, the landlord said, Very sorry, gentlemen, we have only room for two of your party ; *but perhaps we can manage to make up a bed for the young gentleman on the sofa." This was done ; and in the morning it was .found that the youth who had slept on the "shakedown" was the heir of the crown of England; while the boy who occupied the bed meant for the Prince was only Mader —, travelling with his father.—Bath Chronicle.

Captain M00110711, member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, has been selected by Government to investigate and report on the railway question in Ceylon. This will no doubt lead to a comprehensive system of railways being laid down for that island.

Captain Burton, of Mecca celebrity, and Lieutenant Speke, one of his eempanionS in the disastrous visit to the Somali eOuntry lad year, left Bombay on the 2d December, in a sloop of war, for Zanzibar. From that port, when joined by Dr. Steinhauser from Aden, they will commence their journey into the interior., in search of the great lake, or chain of lakes, the supposed existence of which in that quarter has been alluded to for centuries, but remains still doubtful.

A letter from Egypt states; that the scientific expedition under the direction of Count d'Escayrae is broken up : it was believed that the Pasha would appoint Lieutenant Auberet, of the French Navy, to head a new organization of it.

The Archduchess Maria Elizabeth, widow of the Archduke Reguier and slater of the late King of Sardinia, died at Rotten, in the Tyrol, on Christmas Day.

Count Radetzky is breaking very fast, and Baron Hess is likely to be appointed to act as his Adlatus. On the day of the Emperor's arrival at Venice, the Marshal almost swooned in his Majesty's presence, and he was so very weak that he was obliged to let his people carry him to his apartments. On the following day, the veteran tendered his resignation to his Sovereign ; alleging as a reason for doing so, that he could no longer mount a horse, and consequently was unable to review the troops. The Emperor being well aware that the old soldier's heart would break if he should be removed from his post, told him to attend the reviews in his carriage, and declined to accept his proffered resignation. The _prevalent opinion in high military circles 16, that Marshal Radetzky will hold the rank and title of Governor-General of the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom until his death, but that Baron Hess will have the direction of affairs.—Yienna Correspondent of the Times.

Count Cavour has received a gold medal from citizens of Como, and another from persons at Naples, to mark the feeling entertained respecting his efforts in favour of Italy at the Paris Conference.

M. Couture has terminated all the preliminary sketches required for his picture of the Imperial baptism at Paris. In addition to the four historical portraits at first intended, a fifth has been added by the command of the Emperor—namely, that of the nurse of the young Prince. "This woman is to a certain extent his mother," said the Emperor, "as the people are the supporters of our dynasty. It is good that, in seeing the picture of his baptism he should remember that the wife of a peasant nourished him with her Professor Saffi is to lecture on the 15th and 225 instant, at-the Literary Institution, Edward's Street, Portman Square, on the Italian nation, its rulers, its revolutions, their causes and failure—in fact, "Italy as it is, and as it is to be."

The Emperor of Austria has ordered that the passport system shall be simplified ; some improvements have already been made.

Deputations from Bohemia, Hungary, Trieste, and Venice, are urging the Austrian Minister of Finance to permit the establishment of provincial banks of issue.

The Vienna Church Gazette, a rampant Illtramentane organ, has received a first warning from the police ; a third warning extinguishes an Austrian newspaper.

The Governors of Hungary and Transylvania have received orders to give employment to persons whose political reputation had been tarnished in 1848 and 1849, if they have behaved well since.

It is urged that the people of Lombardy cannot be totally impoverished by taxation when they have so greatly increased their deposits in savingsbanks. In 1835 the total deposited was 8,600,800 lire ; in 1856, 56,926,885 hire; last year showing an increase of 5,000,000 lire over 1855.

The Postmaster-General announces an extension of privileges for transmitting through the post printed papers addressed to France, and those i places n Turkey, Syria, and Egypt, where France maintains post-offices, The printed papers may be in any binding, mounting, or covering, whether such binding, &c., be loose or attached. In the case of prints or maps, rollers or eases may accompany them; and markers, whether of paper or otherwise, may be sent with books or other printed papers. No packet must exceed the dimensions of eighteen inches in length, width, or depth."

An arrangement has been made by the Postmaster-General for the conveyance of mails to Australia via Suez, once a month ; and in addition to the direct packet there will be communication through France. The first steamer will sail from Southampton on the 24th February ; the first mail to go by Marseilles will be made up on the 28th February. After that, the steamer will sail on the 12th of each month : should the 12th fall on a Sunday the mails will be made up on the 11th.

Turin journals report, that the King of Sardinia, while hunting recently, lost his suite, and "was stopped by a party of robbers, who demanded his purse. But I ain the King,' was the Royal reply ; to which the robbers answered, 'We know that very well, and it is precisely for you that we were waiting here.' Ihe wood being solitary and the suite at a distance, his Majesty was obliged to yield compliance, and held out to the robbers a purse containing 20 gold Napoleons; which was received with marks of the greatest respect."

Sir George Grey has appointed Lerigo, the young man who prevented the escape of Marley, to be a messenger at the Bow Street Police Court. He had been dismissed by his employer, a tradesman, because his time was occupied for several days in appearing as a witness against the robber and murderer of a tradesman's shopman !

The Supreme Court of New York have liberated Debud and Grelet, who were accused of having been concerned in the Northern Railway of France frauds ; the prisoners first stipulating not to bring actions for unlawful imprisonment. The case of Charpentier and Parrot had not been concluded at the last advices.

Result of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last, There was a storm of snow, hail, wind, and thunder, at Newcastle-onTyne on Christina. Day-, which did great damage. The Yorkshire moors

received a coating of snow on the same festival.

At the end of last week London was visited by an intense but transient frost. On Sunday and Monday, the adventurous crowded the ice in the 'arks; ind many involuntary cold baths resulted, but no fatal casualties.

The Bantrehire Journal reports repeated falls of snow last week, which accumulated in such quantities at some places as to impede or stop travelling altogether.

The New York Journal of Commerce states that in Maine the shipbuilders have wholly discontinued the construction of clippers, and now go to the opposite extreme of making their ships full and of large capacity.

In consequence of the failure of the olive crop in the Roman States, the exportation of olive oil is prohibited.

During the past year the Government sent out twentyntwo ships with emigrants from Southampton, for New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia : 55 cabin-passengers went in these vessels, and 7030 steeragepassengers.

A few clays ago, Iten Dukes, the attendant on the banta at the Feathers, Wandsworth, shot a large seal in the Thames. It is a beautiful specimen of the species, and is the only one of the kind that has been seen by any one of the Thames fishermen above bridge : it measures 4 feet in length, 2 feet 1 inch in breadth, and is 2 feet 3 inches in girth.

One boat of the Lyonnais has been picked up, but unfortunately it was that which broke loose before any one could enter it.

Christ Church, the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral of Montreal, was destroyed by fire on the 10th of last month. It was one of the most elegant and costly buildings in Canada : it contained a magnificent organ. The loss is estimated at 120,000 dollars, while the insurances were only 68,000.