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The Count de Persigny left London for Paris on Thursday. Marshal Pe.lissier, it is expected, will arrive in London on Monday,

Two pieces of evidence bearing upon the disputed question of' &nay atrocities have been published this week. The Mayor of Portsmouth states that the son of Mrs. Chambers, murdered at Meerut, had described to him in detail the "butchery of his mother." Lieutenant Chambers had just returned from India. John Jones, Mess-Sergeant of the 2d European Bengal Fusiliers, writing to his father and mother, brings more direct evidence. After the action of the 8th June before Delhi, he rambled about the ruined station- " Into one of these houses I entered, and the first thing I saw was a young boy nailed to the wall of the room with his head downwards, and his beautiful hair nearly touched the floor ; another man being with me, we took him down. He appeared to be from eleven to twelve years of age, and to have been, from every appearance, the son of a gentleman. I then went into the yard, and on looking round the corner of a building I saw a poor lady dead; in my opinion she must have been the mother of the boy I took down from the wall. Poor thing ! I suppose she was trying to make her escape, and God alone knows what she had suffered. "The other deed I shall relate to you was committed inside of Delhi. After we stormed and entered Delhi, we saw a poor woman crucified naked, and nailed up in the same manner as our Lord and Saviour is re- presented."

The story supplied to Mr. Smithers, however, seems to have been a hoax. "B. E." informs the Times that the Mrs. Chambers murdered at Meerut had only been married two years, and had only one child, which died when seven months' old. So that the "Lieutenant Chambers" who talked with Mr. Smithers must have been an impostor. Nor is her the only impostor. The writer of the letter is also an impostor. The real Mr. Smithers, Mayor of Portsmouth, writes to the Times this morn- ing to say that he did not send the letter or authorize it to be sent; and that its contents are "devoid of truth" !

A narrative, simple in style, and moderate in language, describing the capture of the Cagliari by Pisacane's band, its seizure by the Sicilian men-of-war, and of the sufferings of Watt and Park in prison, "taken down by a gentleman from the recital of Mr. Park," has been published in the 2fanehester Guardian. It makes out a strong case of perfidy and cruelty against the Neapolitan Government, and is a convincing proof of the infamous character of the proceedings which they call the adminis- tration of justice. It also affords evidence of the striking folly and reckleseness of the revolutionary plans of Pisaertne and his comrades.

The Prussian Minister and Countess Bernstorff received Prince George of Saxony at dinner on Saturday.

The Prince of Wales will shortly occupy the White Lodge in Richmond Park. Since the death of the Duchess of Gloucester, the Rangership of this royal demesne has been intrusted to the Duke of Cambridge, on the under- standing that, when the Prince of Wales attained his majority, the Duke should transfer the Rangership to the Prince. The lodge has undergone a thorough repair and embellishment _preparatory to the heir-apparent's taking up his establishment there.—.Korntng Post.

The Council of the Order of the Legion of Honour have decided that the order of St. Faustin, instituted by Soulouque, the Black Emperor of Hayti, shall be admitted among the decorations which French subjects are allowed to wear. [Soulouque, it may be remembered, made a successful coup d'etat.] A report comes from Alexandria that the Pasha of Egypt intends to visit France, to be treated for ophthalmia, from which disease he is suffering.

Sir James M‘Grigor, formerly Director-General of the Army Medical Department, died on the 2d March at his house in Harley Street. He entered the Army as a surgeon in 1793. He served on the Continent and in the West and East Indies, in the French wars in various departments, and in 1811 was made Chief of the Medical Department of the Duke of Wellington's army in Spain. The Duke described him as "one of the most industrious, able' and successful public servants," he had ever met with. Sir James was the author of several professional works and treatises. He was eighty-seven years old when he died.

Mr. Herbert Minton, the well-known manufacturer of pottery, died at Torquay on the 28th February. He won the Council medal in 1851, the grand medal d'honneur at the Paris Exhibition in 18,55, and was created a Knight of the Legion of Honour. Mr. Minton revived and perfected the art of manufacturing encaustic tiles.

The Charterhouse School has lost its Head Master, the Reverend Dr Elder. He had been Master of the Durham Grammar School, and was ap- pointed to the Charterhouse by Lord Aberdeen.

Major Reed, sometime Member for Abingdon, and an unsuccessful candi- date for Finsbury at the last election, died in his house Craven Street, Strand, on Wednesday. He had recently been released from the Queen's Bench Prison, where he had been confined as an insolvent debtor for lia- bilities incurred in the Finsbury contest.

Count Gorskowski, Governor of Venice died recently. His remains were honoured by a magnificent funeral, the Archduke Ferdinand Maxi- milian joining in the cortege.

A very interesting report on the Post-office for the year 1857 has just been issued. It is said to emanate from the late Postmaster-General, the Duke of Argyll, not from the present Minister : probably it would be more correct to say that it is Mr. Rowland Hill's work. In 1857 there were 11,101 post- offices in the United Kingdom—an increase of 235 on the preceding year. The report enlarges on the various recent improvements, especially in Lon- don, for expediting the forwarding and delivery of letters' but much re- mains to be done. The mails travel each week-day 30,172 miles on rail- ways, 32,997 miles in coaches and carts, 63,432 miles by pedestrian mall- carriers, and 2879 miles by water between places in the United Kingdom. Last year the number of letters conveyed was 504,Q00,000-17 to each in- habitant ; 21 in England, 16 in Scotland, and only 7 in Ireland. The post- letters are more than sixfold the number in 1839. A quarter of the whole are delivered in London and its suburbs. There were 1,250,000 " re- gistered " letters, containing money or other valuable articles. The news- papers sent by post were 71,000,000. There were no fewer than 1,700,000 " dead " letters, and 580,000 "aced" newspapers. The book-packets were some 6,000,000. The Post-office orders amounted to 12,180,2721.; the commission charged was 106,862/., and the net profit 24,1751. The gross revenue of the Post-office was 3,035,7131., and the net profit is given at

1,322,2371. ; but it must be remembered that the cost of the foreign mail- packet service does not come into the Post-office accounts. The army in the service of the Post-office numbered 23,731, of whom 3200 belonged to the London district. Altogether, this report is a striking testimony to the greatness and the immense activity of this country : Manchester with its suburbs yearly posts as many letters as the whole of Russia did in 1855!

The collection of manuscripts and printed books relating to Ireland made by Mr. William Monck Mason has been sold this week by Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson. The amount realized was 1772/. Mr. Mason had used his collection only for writing an account of the Cathedral of St. Patrick, or at least has published only that.

Lord Normanby has sent 1000 francs as his subscription to the Lamartine fund—" If a foreigner may be permitted to join in a tribute of national gratitude, one of M. Lamartine's oldest friends, and one who has had par- ticular opportunities of observing all that his energy did for the great cause of order, not only in France, but throughout the entire world, may venture to contribute."

Dr. Lyon Playfair was directed by the Government to inquire into the state of the London Mechanics' Institution ; and his report has been issued. This Institution, parent of 600 others, is in a bad way ; the members have greatly fallen off in numbers, there is a yearly deficiency ; a heavy building- debt encumbers the society. The Committee ask for a Government aid of 40501., to be met by an equal sum to be raised by subscriptions ; which would place the Institution in free possession of the premises. But even then it would not be self-supporting—yearly subscriptions or Government aid would be needed.

The Lords of the Admiralty " inspected " Portsmouth on Thursday. Prince Alfred joined them. At Hasler the process of getting a gnu-boat into the water by the apparatus of Mr. Humphreys was gone through, to test the time required—she was got from the shed to the water's edge in thirty-five minutes.

The Admiralty have given an increase of 3d. per day to the riggers at Sheerness and Chatham, and raised their superannuation from 20/. to 24/. per annum.

Retrenchment. The present Board of Admiralty have abandoned the intention of their predecessors to erect new storehouses at Woolwich, which were to have cost 40,0001.

More retrenchment. A large number of artificers and labourers at pre- sent employed in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, amounting to 1000 men, have been served with notices of dismissal in consequence of the completion of the heavy outstanding orders for the coast defences, Ecc., which had ac- cumulated in arrear during the late war, and on which many extra hands have been engaged for some months past. Four hundred men are ordered to be dismissed from the Royal carriage department during the present month, fifty labourers from the military store department, and a correspond- ing number from the Laboratory and gun and shell factories.

The Toulon fleet is to be increased from eleven ships of the line to four- teen.

At length an improvement is reported in the trade of France. The rail- ways are earning more money ; a supply of rain has set mills to work ; a fine spring season has set in ; building operations have been resumed in Paris and the suburbs. The reports from the vineyards are favourable. Crops are looking well.

The electric telegraph between Sydney and South Head and Sydney and Liverpool had been in operation for some little time before the last mails left.

The gold coined in the Mint last year amounted to 4,859,860!.; the silver coinage was 373,230/.

The health of the Metropolis continues to improve. The report of the Registrar-General shows that the number of deaths last week, 1374, al- though swelled by the returns of inquests held during the quarter, was 157 below the calculated average. This improved state of health is ascribed to the milder weather which had prevailed up to the end of last week.

The last mails announce that excessive heat prevailed in South Australia at the beginning of February : at noon the temperature in the shade was 136' to 146', and during the ni,„sht it was 94' to 104' within doors. Many deaths occurred from coup de soleil, and every one suffered greatly. Fruit was " roasted " on the trees. The population grew much alarmed, when, fortunately, the weather became rather cooler.

Since the loss of the Ava, a suggestion has been made to the Postmaster- General to employ "cork buoys" in the transport of letter-boxes and bags, as well as in the caniage of specie and valuable merchandise. A cubic foot of cork, it is well known, will support 4511). weight ; while a box of the same material, (cheap and plentiful enough,) measuring two feet square and three feet deep, is capable of supporting 7501b. In the event of a ship- wreck, and the vessel going to pieces, there will then be some chance of re- covering the valuables, mails, /ice.

A singular deposit bank. In a trial at Gloucester of two women for rob- bing a man who trusted himself in their company, it appeared that one of the accused had sewed 70/. in bank-notes, part of the plunder, in the lining of a cloak ; this valuable garment she pledged in London for two shillings, making the pawnbroker her unconscious banker. The cloak was subse- quently redeemed by the woman, under the surveillance of a policeman ; and the prosecutor recovered the 701.

A terrible crime has been committed at Trieste. A young workman, who maintained himself and his mother by his daily labour, gained so little that they lived most wretchedly. By dint of privations he, however, saved up sufficient to purchase a ticket in a lottery. The drawing took place a few days ago, and his ticket gained a prize of 16,000 florins. Wild with joy the young man hurried to his mother, informed her of his good fortune, and naked for the ticket. " Alas ! my son," said she, "I sold it some time back." Without a word, the young man drew his knife and stabbed her until she fell dead at his feet. He was arrested the same day.

" John Barwick, convicted of the murder of Maria Blackmore, at Linton, has been respited. Petitions in his favour were sent to the Home Office, backed by the majority of the Jury who tried him.

Accounts have arrived from Sydney of a mutiny and murder at sea. A portion of the crew of the Junior, an American whaling-ship, rose on Usristinas night, when the ship was off New Zealand, murdered the captain and third officer, and badly wounded the chief and second officers. For five days the chief officer concealed himself in the hold lie was discovered ; but his life was spared, on condition that he should take the vessel to Cape Howe, New South Wales. There ten of the crew plundered the ship, and 'went ashore in the boats. The Junior subsequently got to Sydney. Some of the mutineers have been captured. Others are supposed to have perished in the bush.