31liortllaurnito.

The members of the Cabinet, somewhat scattered by electioneering necessities, reassembled in London on Thursday and held a meeting. They were all present at Lord Palmerston's official residence in Downing Street.

A second Cabinet Council was held yesterday. All the Ministers were present.

A Commission is to be issued for the purpose of inquiring into the several dioceses of Canterbury, London, Winchester, and Rochester. The Commissioners are to be his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Harrowby, the Earl of Chichester, the Right Honourable Spencer H. Walpole, the Right Honourabk Stephen Lushington, Travers Twiss, D.C.L., Vicar-General of the Province of Canterbury, the Venerable Archdeacon Sinclair, the Venerable Archdeacon Wigram, and the Venerable Archdeacon Jones ; Mr. Felix Kny vett, Secretary to the Archbishop, to be Secretary to the Commission.—Globe, April 3.

Captain George Grenville Wellesley has been appointed to succeed Sir Henry Leeke as Commander-in-chief of the Indian Navy. He was engaged in the Syrian war, and commanded the' Cornwallis in the Baltic. He is the youngest son of the late Honourable and Reverend Gerard Wellesley.

Much use was made in the City election of a charge against Mr. John Dillon—that he had treacherously published the contents of a letter from Lord John Russell after that letter had been cancelled by a second. Some people think that Lord John owes his success to the dexterity of his adherents who so perseveringly circulated this charge. Mr. Dillon, to vindicate himself, has published a set of letters with the permission of Lord John, and has sent them to the electors of London.

It appears that Lord John Russell had an intention of resigning at one time, before the Registration Association took the stop which gave him the opportunity of making his pathetic appeal against the dismissal of an old servant without regular warning. This is the letter which Mr. Dillon has been accused of improperly disclosing.

" Chesham Place, March 7, 1857.

"My dear Mr. Dillon—It is not my intention to be a candidate for the City at the general election. I do not mean to put out any address for some days, at all events ; but if you find that, for any reason, it is desirable my intention should be known, you have my authority for saying that you know that I shall not be a candidate at the election after the dissolution.

"I retain the strongest sense of your kindness and support on every occasion.

"Believe me yours truly, J. RUSSELL." This letter Lord had intrusted to Mr. John Abel Smith. But before Mr. Smith could deliver it, Lord John had somewhat changed his mind, and had -written and posted the following.

Chesham Place, March 8, 1857.

"Mr. dear Mr. Dillon—As you may gee Mr. John Abel Smith tomorrow morning, I wish to inform1;•oti, that, considering the present state of affairs, and the impossibility of a dissolution for nearly three weeks, I have resolved to postpone any determination respecting the City election, for some days at all events.

"I thank you heartily for all your past efforts in my favour. "I remain, yours truly, S. RUSSELL."

Mr. John Abel Smith called on Mr. Dillon about a quarter of an hour after Mr. Dillon had opened the letter of the 8th. He gave that letter into the hands of Mr. Smith, who read it and then delivered the letter of the 7th. Mr. Dillon replied to Lord John on the 9th, and said, "with regret," that if Lord John were even then a candidate, he could not vote for him. A fortnight elapsed : Lord John met the electors at the London Tavern, and there made his famous speech about "dismissing John" without notice, in favour of "a young man from Northampton." The accusation against Mx. Dillon began to gain currency. It was openly said that Mr. Dillon had told the electors, at the meeting on the 10th, that Lord John had, in a letter to him, declared he would not come forward. But it appears he did nothing of the kind. Mr. Wigmm Crawford certifies, in a letter of the series, that Mr. Dillon was not present at the public meeting on the 10th, and that at the committee on the same day nothing fell from Mr. Dillon's lips to lead any one present to the conclusion that he had a personal knowledge of Lord John's intentions. Then Mr. Ingram Travers says— "It was not from you that I first heard of Lord Seim Russell's determination not to present himself as a tandidate for the City. of London, but from — —, who on the morning of the Monday in question, before our meeting took pface, called on me, and said that Mr. John Abel Smith had seen him, and -mentioned that Lord John would not again present himself as a candidate for London, and that he, Mr. J. A. Smith, was the bearer of a letter to you from Lord John expressive of that fact." So that Lard John's own agent, Mr. John Abel Smith, and not Mr. Dillon, must have revealed the secret. At the hustings in the Guildhall, Mr. Dillon unable to obtain a hearing, appealed to Lord Johni and Lord John said he was satisfied with Mr. Lillon's explanation. Mr. Dillon addressed a letter to Lord John, but the following reply was not forwarded until the poll had closed. "My dear Sir—I certainly told you that I was satisfied with your explanation; and, as I omitted to make that statement in pnblie, you are at liberty to use this letter as you please. "Of course, I meant that I was satisfied you had not shown my letter, or stated the substance of it to others.

"I remain, your faithful servant, J. BUS8ELL."

Lord Palmerston has replied to Lord Malmesbury's attack in the fol

lowing terms— 94 Piccadilly, March M. "My dear Lord Malmesbury—I have received thiSevening your letter of this day. I have neither time nor inclination to renew the China debate. I have used a right which I do not deem myself deprived of by my official position, to express publicly my opinion of the conduct of public men on an occasion of no small public importance ; and I have nothing to retract or to qualify. "Yours faithfully, PALMERSTON,"

With the Revenue tables, this quarter, the following explanatory note was forwarded to the journals from the Vreasmy.

Customs.—Increase on tho year, caused by an increase on all the principal articles of duty, except tea and coffee, the reduction on which amounts to one million, owing principally to the anticipated fall in the duty in April.

The same cause affects the quarter's revenue more particularly.

Excise—Increase caused by augmentations in the receipts for hops, paper, spirits, and other articles. The not increase would have been much greater but for the repeal of the war-duty on malt, Which has taken 1,000,000/. from the year, or 260,0001. fromthe quarter, including the drawback on stocks on hand.

Sta»ips.—Increase on the quarter and year, caused by Legacy and Succession duty, and various other items of the Stamps revenue. Land and Assessed Taxes.—Ouly casual variations on the quarter and year. Income-tax.—Increase on the year, 1,018,0001., owing to the additional 2d. in the 1/. imposed in 1855, which did not come into full operation in the preceding year. The comparison with the quarter to 31st March 1866 shows only a small increase, as the full rate was then in course of collection. Post-of/ice—The increase in the year and quarter is owing to an increase of correspondence. Crown Lands.—Revenue almost stationary. Afieeellanrous.—Aceidental variation only.

A Parliamentary return recently issued gives the statistics of flogging in the Army in the years 1854 and 1856. It appears that the number of persons flogged in 1854 was 42, and the number of lashes 1125. In 1866, 44 persons were flogged, and 876 lashes inflicted.

The total number of deaths registered in London in the week that ended on Saturday was 1248. In the ten years 1847-'66 the average number of deaths in the weeks corresponding with last week was 1818. But the deaths of last week occurred in an increased population ; and to admit of comparison the average just given should be raised in proportion to the increase, and in this ease it will become 1450. The number now returned is less by 202 than the corrected average. The increase, not very great, in the return of deaths registered last week over those of some previous weeks is not due to a higher rate of mortality, but to more than the just weekly proportion of deaths returned by Coroners being placed on the registers, which is a usual occurrence at the end of a quarter.—Registrar-Generare Report.

The Natiebeeter Guardian, which seems to have a knack of picking up a sort of Ministerial advertisements, has "reason to anticipate, that, at the meeting of Parliament, the Right Honourable Matthew Talbot BaMes will be proposed for the Speakership, with the concurrence of the heads of the Liberal party. Mr. Baines's high personal qualifications for the Office, and the esteem in which he is held by every class of Liberal politicians, will in all probability deter the Tories from putting forward a candidate in opposition to the right honourable gentleman."

It is stated that Lord Cowley will, in consideration of his great public services, be shortly raised to an earldom, by the title of Earl Cowley.

The Literary Gazette records the death of Mr. John Mitchell Kemble, the Anglo-Saxon scholar and archaeologist, and Licenser of Plays. He had gone to Ireland to collect specimens for the Manchester Exhibition. A fortnight ago he was seized with inflammation of the lungs ; and he died on the 28th March, at Gresham's Hotel, Dublin. Mr. Kentble was the eldest son of the late Charles Kemble, and a graduate of Trinity College Cambridge. He lived for some time in Germany ; and was a friend and disciple of the brothers Grimm, and a member of several Continental academies.

Mr. Stuart Wortley is now convalescent ; but he is not yet able to resume his duties.

It appears that the Episcopal Chapel in the Rue d'Aguesseau, Paris, built by Bishop Luscomb, and lately the property of the Reverend Mr. Channer, has been purchased by the British Government, and will henceforth serve as the chapel for the Embassy. There will now only be two places of worship in Paris for Englishmen of the Established Church.

It is stated that the Grand Duke Constantine will certainly visit the Emperor Napoleon, and afterwards the French ports in the Vest. Nothing is said of his crossing the Channel.

Feruk Khan visited Woolwich on Thursday ; and for his gratification and instruction, the Artillery went through the operations of a shuns fight on the common. The rapidity of the Horse Artillery astonished the Persian Ambassador. He afterwards spent some time, under the guidance of General Williams, in seeing the "sights" of the place.

The Emperor of the French has sent a donation of 1000 francs to the Thompson Memorial fund, a subscription intended as a mark of respect towards the late Captain Thompson of Kars.

Alexandre Dumas was on the hustings at the Guildhall and Southwark last week. He writes rhodomontade letters on the English elections for the Paris journal La Prase.

The Transport Board, established for the late war, was dissolved on the 81st March but the duties of the department will be carried on by Captain William Drew, who is still retained as " Director of Transports."

No fewer than 800 workmen will be discharged from Woolwich on Tuesday. It is stated that many of them have asked the Government to help them to emigrate to Canada, and that Lord Paumure has given them a favourable answer.

The Moldavian troops, with bands playing and colours flying, took possession of the ceded territory on the left bank of the Pruth, on the 13th March. The inferior Russian functionaries withdrew in the morning, and the principal officers staid only to surrender the posts and offices. Prussia has established a consulate at Belgrade in Servia, with much solemnity.

Mr. Gowan, f an American engineer, is said to have provided the most complete machinery ever constructed or raising the ships sunk in the harbour of Sebastopol. He anticipates complete success. His profits in the venture will be one half of the value of all the ships raised.

The well-riddled flag of the renowned Twelve Apostles, once the pride of Sebastopol Harbour, is now in the hands of a person at Malta, who occasionally hoists it to shake out the moths, to the great indignation of the Russian Consul.

The 0:pinions of Turin states that the total amount collected by M. Daniel Manin at Paris, and forwarded by him to the committee for the subscription to the 100 guns of Alessandria, is 7000 francs.

"In order to preserve them from the damp," the Austrian Government is about to carry off the pictures from the churches, and place them in the Imperial and Royal Academy. The pictures are to be replaced by "copies." It is asked, will not the very "stones of Venice rise and resent this?'

A letter from Venice of the 20th March announces that a painting by Paul Veronese, for three centuries the property of the Pisani family, has been purchased by the British Government for 14,000/. sterling.

The Papal Government has caused much consternation in Rome by transferring the teaching of the youth of the Papal States from the Christian brothers to the Jesuits.

• The Presse of Paris has been warned for publishing a feuilleton by Georges Sand containing an attack on the Papal Government.

It is said that the Benchers are about to destroy the fountain in the Temple, and build on the ground. Much dissatisfaction is expressed.

An unsuccessful attempt has been made in the Belgian Parliament to abolish the duty on coals. It was defeated by 60 to 33. This shows that the Free-traders have plenty of work before them.

The electric telegraph from Melbourne to Castlemaine was opened on the 10th January.

According to an account lately published in one of the Mexican papers, ;some new gold-fields have been discovered upon the borders of the State of Chihuahua, which are said to be far richer than those of California. The report states that they are situate near a lake named Saco, to -the South-east of the city of Chihuahua, and just upon the territory known as the favourite haunt of the wild Indians.

One of the most destructive railway accidents on record occurred in Canada, on the Hamilton Railroad, on the 12th March. The line from Toronto to Hamilton crosses the Desjardins Canal by a swing-bridge sixty feet above the level of the water. Just before it reached the bridge, the engine ran off the rails ; it is supposed that its weight cut through the timbers; the whole structure fell, and with it the train, into the frozen waters beneath. The engine crushed through the ice ; the carriages remained partly above the surface, partly beneath. There were ninety passengers in the train, some of them men of local mark : only twenty escaped with life.

Serious apprehensions of a murrain among our cattle are entertained. Already in the crowded cattle-sheds of large farm-steads numbers of cattle shave suddenly died. Mr. John Radcliffe, a surgeon, who while on the staff of Omar Pasha in 1855 witnessed the devastations of the munain in Asia Minor, describes it as a pulmonary affection. He recommends better ventilation, less crowding in cattle-sheds and cleanliness in the yard. He puts no dependence on a seaboard quarantine.

The King of Prussia, at the intercession of Madame von Hinckeldey, has remitted four years of the sentence of imprisonment passed on Herr von B.ochow, who killed Herr von Hinckeldey about this time last year in a duel.

• Major Farrell, Chief Commissioner of the United Mexican Association, was attacked by brigands, at midday., near Salamane-a in Mexico. His arms

• were on the roof of his coach. While the ruffians were plundering the coach, he stepped up to the roof, and "woke them up" with his rifle. The chief of the band fired in reply ; but Farrell and his servant repeated their fire, and the brigands fled ; one at least met his death. Major Farrell was attacked by a large gang on the same road some three years ago ; on which occasion he shot two, and but narrowly escaped with his life.

The effects of Redpath the swindler were sold by auction at Christie and Manson's on Tuesday. It. appears that he held his house in the Regent's Park on a long lease; that his cellar was well stocked with wines, his 'library with books, and his pantry with plate.