_Miscellaneous.

It is generally believed that four new Bishops are about to be created; and there is a rumour, which, however, is not well authenticated, that there will be an arrangement by which these appointments will cause no increase in the number of Spiritual Peers in the House of Lords. The new Bishops, it is said, will be considered as junior Bishops, and will ulti- mately take their seats according to their term of seniority. The cost of the new arrangement will be defrayed out of the surplus funds at the command of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, aided, it is supposed, by a readjustment of the revenues of the Church.

The Queen has appointed Miss Sarah Anne Hildyard, senior Ward in the Adult Orphan Institution, to be Governess of the Royal children.

The Queen of Prussia was taken very seriously ill on the 30th of January. The disorder, a catarrh with fever, increased with great violence for three days; but on the morning of the 3d instant it had much abated.

Lady John Russell's health continues gradually to improve.

The Marquis of Clanricarde is confined to the house by indisposition.

Exaggerated reports have got abroad respecting the health of Sir John Gladstone. He has been unwell, but has nearly recovered.

According to the latest accounts from Madras, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Walter Scott, whose serious illness was announced some time since, had so far recovered as to be able to remove from Bangalore. He may be shortly expected in England, on leave.

The Duke of Northumberland's death is announced: it occurred on Thursday, at Alnwick Castle. The Duke had long been crippled by the gout; but the event happened suddenly, while he lay in bed. The deceased Duke was born in 1785; he succeeded to the title in 1817; and was mar- ried in that year, to the second daughter of Lord Powis. In 1825 he was State Ambassador to the Court of France at the coronation of Charles the Tenth, and in 1829 he was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. He was subse- quently-chosen Chancellor of the University of Cambridge; was a Knight of the Garter, and the patron of eleven church livings. The Dutchess of Northumberland was governess to Queen Victoria in her childhood. The Duke having left no issue, his brother, Lord Prudhoe, succeeds to the title and estates.

Mr. George Robins, the eminent auctioneer, died on Monday, at Brigh- ton. Mr. Robins's father had exercised the same calling in Yorkshire; and an accident made the son enter the rostrum at the age of nineteen. His practice extended over a period of fifty years. He married rather late in life, and has left a widow and seven young children • for whom, how- ever, there is ample provision. Mr. Robins was well known for his con- nexion with Drury Lane Theatre, and for his exertions, with Mr. Calcraft, in rescuing that property from the misgovernment of the Sub-Committee of 1817. His eccentricities were redeemed by good-nature; and he was active to the last—busy, we believe, with building-plans, and quite able to direct everything, "if it were not for his legs"; for he was tied to his chair by the dropsy, common on the final decline of life.

The King of Prussia has nominated Sir David Brewster to be a Chevalier of the Order of Merit, in the room of Admiral Krusenstern, the celebrated navigator.

Mr. Robert Peel, eldest son of Sir Robert, has been appointed Chargd d'Affaires at Berne, in the absence of Mr. Blorier, the British Minister resi- dent there.

We have authority to contradict a scandalous report that has for some time been in circulation respecting a young lady of rank. Had these calumnies been known to the family of the lady in question, the contradic- tion would have appeared immediately upon their having been acquainted with it.—Standard.

On Sunday, Mr. Walter Buckle, of Exeter College, Oxford, was received, at °scat College, into the Romish Church, by Dr. Wiseman, according to the forms of the Roman pontifical—Post.

A brother of Mr. Haigh, one of the recent converts to Romanism at Leeds, abjured the Protestant faith last week, in the private chapel of the Bishop's house at Birmingham.

The wheat plant is coming up everywhere most vigorously. The frost does not seem to have done it any injury. Its powers of resisting cold are almost equal to its powers of' resisting heat, and the plant has grown an improved in colour under the snow.—Ifewcastle Journal.

The leading brewers of Loudon announced on Monday, that from that date they would resume the old prices for malt liquors.

Among the public benefactors of the day, may be reckoned the celebrated master in the art of cookery, M. Soyer. In a letter to the Standard, M. Soyer falls foul of the soup distributed by charitable institutions to the poor; which by experience he knows to be badly cooked, and unpalatable— "Above twenty years' experience and practice in the culinary art has taught me that it requires more science to produce a good dish at a trifling expense than a superior one with unlimited means; and I shall have no difficulty to prove the truth of the observation. I also have seen in several instances great confusion in the distribution of soups; nearly the same quantity being given to each poor applicant (or nearly so) without ascertaining the number of persons in each family. After seriously reflecting upon such an important and pressing subject, lam happy to inform you, that I have contrived the plan of a kitchen for the making and distribution of soup to the poor, of a very simple construction, by which a thousand gallons, more or less, of excellent and very economical soup, may be made in a few hours, at about two or three farthings a quart; which mild be fairly, cleanly, and quickly distributed to thousands of people once or twice a day if required." This kitchen, says M. Soper, can be set up in a field. He offers to put the plan in practice gratuitously; nay, he contributes a subscription of 301. towards a fund for the purpose: he also forwarded 201. from a scientifiC friend.

M. Soyer's good example has been followed by "An Occasional Reader" of the Morning Post, who sends a contribution of 101. and a suggestion in aid. A Royal decree was issued at Brussels, on the 6th instant, whereby ":the exportation of bread of every kind is prohibited until the 1s1 of October next." The King of Naples has issued a decree, dated the 26th January, pro hibiting the exportation to foreign parts of maize and every sort of vegetable.

We mentioned some weeks back, that Austria, in the extremity of her pecuniary difficulties, was making arrangements to seize certain charitable and pious revenues in her Italian possessions, as a security for a loan

from the Rothschild& This statement is confirmed by a recapitulation of the same facts in Italian advices cited by the Times of yesterday.

At a meeting of the Eastern Counties Company, a dividend of ten shil- lings a share was declared. Powers were also taken for extensions to cost three millions and a half sterling. and it was stated that should the bills at preeent before Parliament be obtained, new stock to the amount of about two millions would be created.—Morning Chronicle.

On Saturday evening last, a few minutes after nine o'clock, Mr. Hind discovered a telescopic comet in Cepheus. The comet is a faint nebulosity, with a slight condensation in the centre ; but no positive nucleus is visible.

„Mr. Feargus O'Connor was the purchaser of the Mathon estate in Worcester- shire and Herefordshire, sold a few days since. The price was 20,0001.—Globe.

After very mild weather for the season, frost and snow returned on Sunday. In London before noon, snow began to fall, and continued for several hours. At night there was a sharp frost; the thermometer denoting eight degrees below the freezing-point at daybreak on Monday. At twelve o'clock, another fall of very fine snow began, which lasted far into the night. On the following morning it was five or six inches deep.

The fall of snow appears to have been general. On all the railways out of London the greatest inconvenience was experienced. In some cases, all traffic as stopped for hours; while every train was more or less behind time. The fall was very deep at Bristol.

The Brighton Railway with its branches seems to have suffered the most from the snow : trains were stopped at out-of-the-way places, and passengers were obliged to remain for a weary period, with scant accommodation; hour after hour rased with no arrivals at the termini though many trains were due; engines, sent with labourers to clear the rails, stuck fast; and altogether, this line appears to have experienced almost unprecedented difficulties and delays from a snow- storm. Throughout Sussex the roads were very deeply covered.

At noon on Wednesday, 119 mail-bags were over-due at the General Post-office. Skating began in the Parks on that day. There was a partial thaw on Thurs- day; but at night the frost returned with ,great intensity: at eight o'clock on Friday morning, the thermometer stood at the very unusual point in our winters of seventeen degrees below freezing.

week ending on Saturday last—

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the Number of Winter deathc average. Zymotic (or Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious) Diseases 142 .. . 183 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 101 .... 112 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 155 - • 170

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 450 .... 354

of the Heart and Blood-vessels 32 11,,.....cs of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 70

Diseases of the Kidneys, Sc 8 8

Cluldbuth, diseases of the 'Uterus, de 13 12 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, Sc. 7 7

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Sc. 3 2

Old Age 68 81 Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 22 30 — —

Total (including unspecified causes) 1103 1068 The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 47.00 in the sun to 24.0° in

the shade; the mean temperature by day being colder than the average mean

tctizrature by 3.0°. The direction of the wind for the week was variable, but a great portion of it the air was calm.

Notes issued /25,501,525

BANKING DEPAITWENT.

Proprietors' Capital 114,553,000 WA 3,650.686

Public Deposits' 4,668,238 . Other Deposits 9,182,765

seven Day and other Bill 953,689

£33,007,378 133,007,378 012Mt5ling Exchequer, Sayings Banks, Commissioners of National Debt& Dividend Accounts. BANK OF ENGLAND.

An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and 8th Victoria, cap. 32, for the week ending on Saturday the 6th day of Feb. 1847.

MOE DEPAILTMENT.

125,601,325 Government Debt ...... . 111,015,10S Other Securities 2.944 900 Gold Coin and Bullion Sliver Bullion Government Securities, (in- cluding Dead WeIghtAnnult7)£12.313.175 Other Securities 14,019,936 Notes 5,890,855 Gold and Silver COin 783,412 9,963,744 • 1,540,581 125,504,325