fitiottliantotti.

Various reports have Come out, authentic or conjectural, respecting Ministerial appointments, difficulties, and successes. We subjoin a few of the more substantial among these reports- • Lord Glenlyon has accepted the office of Lord in Waiting, in the room of Lord Hardwicke. As there are few proprietors in Scotland more deeply interested in the welfare of agriculture than the heir to the dukedom and estates of Athol, Lord Glenlyon's acceptance of office at this critical period may be considered as an indication that be, as an agriculturist, feels no apprehension of the result of the Ministerial measures.-Times. [This appointment was gazetted on Tuesday.] That, after this appointment, the noble Lord's course in Parliament will be pleasing to the Minister, cannot be doubted; but we fear it will also give great satisfaction in a still higher quarter, where so strong an impression is said to have been made by the friends of the Free-trade delusion, as to attract the notice of a Whig nobleman who once held office as head of the Government. The noble Vis- count, in a recent visit at Windsor Castle, was struck with the warmth of ap- proval bestowed upon the project by an Illustrious Personage; and is reported to have used these remarkable words-" Madam, this will not do; the next thing will touch your crown." That his Lordship was tot consulted during a late at- tempt to form an Administration, will no longer be surprising.-Morning Post.

We are assured that Earl Talbot has signified his intention to give his cordial support to the measures proposed by Sir Robert Peel. Lord Talbot, we believe, farms from 1,500 to 2,000 acres of land, chiefly arable. It is confidently re- ported that Lord Talbot, foreseeing that his avowed sentiments may not be ac- ceptable to the Staffordshire Agricultural Protection Society, of which he is Pre- sident, has signified a wish that this office may be intrusted to other hands.- Times.

Sir Charles Henry Coote, Member for the Queen's County, and Mr. John Hope Johnstone, Member for Damfriesshire-heretofore a strong Protectionist- are said to have tendered their votes to the Minister. It is remarked, as a curious coincidence, that the son of the former has just been presented to a Crown living of 6001.a year, and the son of the latter appointed to the Audit Office.-Morning Post.

We have no hesitation whatever in saying, that the great measures propounded by Sir Robert Peel on Tuesday have come upon us with the most agreeable surprise; and we further feel quite warranted in asserting, that, on the whole, they have -given the greatest satisfaction to the intelligent inhabitants of this Vast city [Urlasgow].-Scotch Reformers' Gazette.

It is well deserving of notice, that the announcement of Sir Robert Peel's in- tended change in the Corn-laws has produced scarcely any effect on the corn- market. The price of wheat, instead of going down with a run, as it ought to have done according to the confident assertions of Monopolist writers and speakers, has slightly risen in several markets, and remained stationary in most, and has not anywhere sunk to a serious extent. As the corn-dealers are at once a shrewd and a sensitive race, we may take it for granted that they do not expect any fall from present prices to follow the introduction of the new system: if they did, their fears would have been shown by a rapid decline in all the principal markets in the kingdom. The fact is, that they know what is the real extent of the supply both of British and foreign grain, too well to entertain any such fears. -Liverpool Times.

The working men of Edinburgh, at a public meeting last week, passed resolutions objecting to the postponement of Corn-law repeal for three years. Some Chartists attempted to divert the meeting from its purpose, with the question of the franchise; but they failed.

Much bustle was perceptible in the precincts of Pediment On Tuesday; the Sub-Committee on petitions for Railway Bills having resolved to cora- mence proceedings at noon. The old excitement appeared to experience a momentary revival when the Committee-rooms were opened; a rush was made for admission, so impetuous as to defy all attempts to preserve order; and it was with some difficulty that business could be proceeded with. , Mr. John Fielden, the Member for Oldham, has announced to the Short Time Committees that he will take charge of the Ten-hours Bill; an ar- rangement rendered necessary by the resignation of Lord Ashley.

"It is confidently stated," says the Liverpool Times, "that negotiations have been opened between the Spanish and the English Governments with a view of establishing the commercial relations between the two countries on a better footing than at present: "The proposed basis of agreement is understood to be that the sugars of Spain's finest colony, Cuba, and the wines of Spain, are to be received into- England on more favourable terms than at present; and that in return the cottons and other manufactured goods of England are to be admitted into Spain at moderate duties."

Our Paris correspondent mentions, as current in the Ministerial circles, a rumour that Louis Philippe has suggested to England and the United States the appointment of a commission of three Americans and three Englishmen to settle the Oregon question in preference to referring it to the arbitration of any third Power. This idea, whether thrown out by the King of the French or not, is in high favour with the friends of peace in Paris.-Globe. [The idea, it should be remembered, was first suggested by one of the legislators of the United States, Mr. Winthrop, of Massachu- setts.]

Sir James Rivett Carnac, who died last week at his residence, Rookcliffe near Lymington, was born in 1784. He represented Sandwich in hulk: ment in 1837: in 1838 and 1841 he filled the important office of Governor of Bombay, and was for some time Chairman of the East India Company. He was created a Baronet of the United Kingdom in 1836.

The Registrar-General prefaces with the following remarks his "Quar- terly Table of the Mortality in a hundred and fifteen of the Districts of England, including the principal towns "- " The quarterly returns are obtained from 115 districts, subdivided into 576- sub-districts. Thirty-four districts are placed under the Metropolis; and the remaining 81 districts comprise with some agricultural districts, the principal towns and cities of England. The population was 6,579,693 in 1841. "The mortality in the last quarter of 1845 was much lower than is usual; for only 39,178 deaths were registered, which is less by 14,740 than the number (43,918) registered in the corresponding quarter of 1844; and 2,857 less their the average of the corresponding quarter of seven previous years, notwithstand-

ing the increase of the population at the rate of about 1.74 per cent annually.. _

"The fluctuations in the mortality, above and below the average, are exhibited in the following series of numbers. The lower line is deduced from the return in the December quarter of 1838, and shows what the deaths would have been if they had increased in the same ratio as the population.

1838. 1839. 1840. 1811. 1842. 1843. 11344. 184d.

39,5E4 42,449 43,918 39,170 43,149 43,966 44,799 45,647 .... • 3,605 1,517 881 6,168

"The mildness of the season was one cause of the diminished mortality. This is-. illustrated by the annexed table of the deaths, exclusive of those by violence, registered in the Metropolis, and the mean temperature at Greenwich of the last six weeks of 1844 and 1845. The deaths and the temperature were the same at first; on the fifth week the deaths were 1,343 in .1844, and only 933 in 1845; the temperature in the previous week (the fourth) had fallen to 28.2° in 1844,.. and only to 39.2° in 1845.

Number of Weeks. 1st. 24. 3d. 4th. 5th. 6th.

11344.-Ifean Temperature of the last six week... 44.50 37.60 31.70 28.20 37.90 33.40 '

1844.-Deaths Registered In the last six weeks ... 884 1,057 965 1,170 1,343 1,200, ' 1845.-Deaths Registered in the last six weeks .. 886 943 935 949 933 898 1845.-31erui Temperature of the last sLx weeks... 45.50 46.10 42.00 39.20 43.6. 40.1. ,

"A fall of the mean temperature of the air, from 45° to 4° or 5° below the freezing point (32°) of water, destroys from 300 to 500 lives in the Metropolis.. It produces the same results on a larger scale all over the country. Nor is it to be wondered at that a great change of the heat of the air which we breathe and live in should have such an effect.

"In the annexed table, the deaths returned by the Registrars for each year are, given-

Year 1838. 1839. 1840. 1811. 1842. 1813. 1844. 1845. -

Deaths Registered }162,867 162,605 171,694 160,733 161,948 163,201 167,708 165,789 "

In 115 Districts

"In the first three years there were 497,166 deaths; in the last three years, 496,698. The population increased, in the districts from which returns have been procured, about 1.74 (nearly 11) per cent annually, in the intervals of the last censuses; and the excess of births over deaths has continued: so that it may be safely assumed that the numbers living have gone on increasing at the same rate-about 9 per cent in the five years from the middle of 1839-40 to the middle of 1843-5. Now, the deaths, instead of increasing with the population 9.

per cent, and consequently amounting to 541, i

960 111 the three last years, were 496,698-less by 45,262 than if the rate of mortality which prevailed n the- three years 1838-40 had been sustained. The improvement may perhaps be partly accounted for by other circumstances; but, as far as can be seen at pre- sent, it is fairly ascribable to the partial removal of nuisances from large towns,. to some increase of employment, and, we may hope, a consequent amelioration in

i

the condition of the great body of the people n the dense town-districts of the kingdom. But an epidemic, generated m this or any neighbouring population, may speedily reverse the results of the tables, and carry off the thousands of lives that appear to have been spared and saved."

Dr. Pusey preached on Sunday, at Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford, for the first time since the expiry of his two-years suspension. The building was crowded to excess; several members of the University, under the im- pulse of curiosity, came from London and other distant places. On enter- ing the church in presence of the assembled congregation, Dr. Pusey ad- vanced with "grave aspect and downcast eyes"; on reaching the pulpit, he knelt on the floor of it, and continued in that position while the congrega tion sang the 147th Psalm. On rising, the Doctor recited the Bidding Prayer and the Lord's Prayer; and then proceeded with his sermon; the text for which was taken from St. John, xx. 21-23- " Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you; as my Father hath sent me, even so send I yea. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained."

Deaths registered In the Decem- ber quarters of eight years ... Deaths which would have been

registered If the had

th numbers rate

increased from 1&18 at e 0( 1.74 per cent annually

Difference abore the calcu- lated number Difference below the cairn- }

lated number

10' usu

40 030 ' 41,598 40,788

44,044

41,580

39,165

42,347 . 810 2,484 .... 3,182

The discourse formed a kind of sequel to the sermon which led to his suspension. There was no retractation or qualification of the opinions which had drawn down the censure of the University authorities. He re- garded his suspension as a punishment for secret faults which God knew in him, and from which, he trusted, He desired to cleanse him. Dr. Pusey contended sturdily for the Romish doctrine of priestly power to forgive sins, and to punish the impenitent for the good of their souls. He greatly approved of confession; and spoke hopefully of an approaching "restor- ation." His proofs were chiefly taken from the traditions and writings of the Fathers and the ritual of the Church of England. The sermon occu- pied an hour and a half in the delivery.

The first of a series of choral meetings was held by Mr. John Hullah's singing classes, at Exeter Hall, on Wednesday. Mr. Mullah has for some time contemplated the erection of a great building suitable for choral music; the Education Committee of the Privy Council give official "sanc- tion"; the pupils are eager to give more substantial aid-they have sub- scribed 5001. to "the Hallah Testimonial Fund," with which the Music Hall is to be built; and these choral meetings are designed to swell the fund. On Wednesday, the orchestra of Exeter Hall was filled by about five hundred pupils, who sang unaided by any instrumental accompani- ment. The music consisted of two parts-sacred and secular: among the sacred pieces were, Tallis's Evening Hymn, a Motet by Palestrina, and Crotch's Anthem "Methinks I hear the full celestial choir"; among the secular-Wilbye's "Sweet honey-sucking bees," Horsley's "Cold is Cad- wallo's tongue," and Moscheles's "Daybreak." The bass solos in the anthem and glee were 'sung by Mr. William Seguin. The pupil singers began the evening with some signs of unsteadiness; but their forces rallied as they warmed to the work; and on the whole the exhibition was highly creditable.

The Times states that the express by which it was enabled to publish the Indian intelligence, exclusively, on Thursday morning, was "due to the gratuitous and wholly unexpected kindness of the Austrian Govern- ment"- " The mails were brought from Bombay to Suez by the East India Company's steamer Victoria, and arrived at the latter port on the 19th January. They were then conveyed by the ordinary means across the Desert, and reached Alex- andria on the morning of the 22d.

"The Austrian steamer Impemtrice was there in waiting, and departed at noon on that day with our despatch for Trieste. She arrived at Trieste, where her mails were landed on Thursday the 29th; and late that evening, the courier who carried our despatches and to whom we are indebted for most strenuous exertions in our behalf, left Trieste en route for Ostend. His first point was Carlsruhe, whence he hoped to obtain a steam-boat down the Rhine to Bonn or Cologne: but so extensive was the inundation, that no steamer could be prevailed on to undertake the voyage; and he was compelled to post onwards, encountering all the difficulties which flood, snow, and rain could interpose, until he reached the Belgian railroads. By this means he reached Ostend; and thence crossing to London,succeeded, with rare intelligence, although not speaking a word of English, in reaching our office without a moment's delay. He arrived at six o'clock; and had thus per- formed the journey from Trieste, under every imaginable disadvantage in some hours less than six days. The whole Mile occupied between Alexandria and London is a little more than thirteen days."

A part of the French cruisers have already taken up their position on the Western coast of Africa. Their stay at the Cape de Verd Islands was much abridged by the yellow fever raging there. None of the crews, however, were at- tacked by it. The portion of the coast which the vessels are to cruise is divided into three zones,-one from the Bissago Islands' not far from Senegambia, to Three Point Cape; the second from that point to Cape Negro; and the third thence to the extremity of the coast of the Desert.

Mr. Robert Baxter has sent the sum of 1001. in aid of the building-fund of the new hospital for consumption now in progress at Brompton.

A new method has lately been adopted by some of the Railway Companies in endeavouring to enforce payment on the allotment of shares as originally made; which is to give the names of all the best allottees to pressing creditors to sue them for the debts of the company. In several cases we know the threat has been made, but we were hardly aware it had been .put into execution. Circular letters, however, seem to have been.issued by the solicitors of one of the creditors of the Erewash Valley Extension Railway, stating that proceedings will be taken against each allottee who has not paid upon his shares for the recovery of the claim made by him against the company.-Times.

The Hull Packet states that two Provisional Committeemen of Hull have each been served with about a hundred Writs!

The recent floods have inflicted much injury at Bristol and the neighbourhood. A high tide washed away the esplanade at Weston-super-Mare. Traffic on the Bristol and Exeter Railway was stopped for some time near Highbridge ; the river Axe having covered it to a great depth for above two miles. Throughout Somer- set and Devon the country was extensively flooded. In South Wales the land has been under water for a wide extent. Indeed, accounts arrive from every direction of inundation caused by the late rains. The Hamburg Borsen Halle professes to derive the following information" from the most unquestionable authority." A soldier in:the Prussian service, by birth a Pole, having occasion to go to the court-yard of his barrack about midnight, was accosted by a "dark figure" in these words-" Thy name is Ginitzki; thou bast served ten years; if then canst be silent, I will communicate a secret to thee, which then must only communicate to thy King in person." The figure then swore him to secrecy, in the Polish language. On reentering the barrack, the soldier mentioned the circumstance to the corporal; who told it to the sergeant; who told it to the officer on guard. The officer instituted an immediate search; but the "dark figure" was nowhere to be found. Ginitzki was sent to the hos- pital, under an impression (it being known that he was in indifferent health) that some lurking illness might have subjected him to spectral visitations. He was strictly watched for four clays; but nothing appeared to confirm the opinion. He was afterwards interrogated by the Prince of Prussia, and ultimately admitted to a personal interview with the King. Conjectures are rife as to the nature of his communication; but the prevailing belief seems to be that it related to the alleged conspiracies in Posen.

Papers have been received in London narrating the loss of the emigrant-ship Cataraque. The vessel left Liverpool for Van Diemen's Land in April last, with a crew of forty-six, and 369 emigrants, of whom 73 were children. The ship was in Bass's Strait by August, and it there encountered fearful weather. In the dark, on the morning of the 4th, it struck on a reef off King's Island; where it lay with the sea breaking over it. Mr. Finlay, the master, and the crew, used the most praiseworthy and courageous exertions; but the sequel is a series of fatal disasters. About two hundred of the passengers were got upcn the deck, the rest being drowned below: in the afternoon the ship parted in two, and half of those on deck were washed away; the rest were gradually swept off the deck by the waves, or sank exhausted with cold and fatigue; dying where they were lashed. Eventually, Mr. Guthrie, mate, and eight others of the crew, reached the shore-the sole am-vivors. After two days fasting, they found a settler on the Wand, who gave them such help as he could; having spent five weeks in burying the dead bodies that strewed the shore, they were tan on board by a mult vessel that touched at the island, and landed at Hobson's Bay.