3gifftt Lluntatto.

Any uncertainty which existed last week regarding the position of Lord Harrowby in the Ministry has been removed by his presence at each sitting of the Cabinet Council.

Mr. John Ball, M.P. for Carlow county, is appointed Under-Secretary for the Colonies. Mr. Ball was formerly the Assistant Commissioner of Poor-law in Ireland ; which permanent office he resigned for the purpose of becoming eligible for a:seat in Parliament.

An additional detachment of the Guards-970, formed of men from each battalion—left London for the Crimea on Thursday morning.

Five ships of the flying squadron, which arrived at Elsinore on Sun- day week, were forced to put to sea again on account of the ice-fields which threatened to surround them. Some lost their anchors, and one was aground for two hours. They sought shelter in Landscrona. The remainder of the squadron had gone on to Kid.

Lord Dundonald, resolved that the public shall not lose sight of him, has published in the newspapers another letter on his " secret plans" of destruction. Four weeks, he says, have elapsed since he prayed the House of Commons to institute a searching inquiry into his schemes for the destruction of Russian fortresses. At the end of half that time, find- ing his petition unnoticed, and that our " energetic ally " the Emperor of the French was about to proceed to the Crimea, he resolved to place his secret in the Imperial keeping. But when he learnt that the Em- peror was not about to proceed to the East, and could not personally avail himself of the plans, Lord Dundonald, feeling the greatest doubt whether they would be triumphantly carried into effect by any less ex- panded mind or subordinate authority, hesitated to risk an unfavourable reault" He is still anxious for a searching investigation.

Papers handed into the Sebastopol Inquiry Committee by Dr. Andrew Smith have been published. They show, that as early as the 4th of April last year, Dr. Smith had made suggestions-to the War Office re- specting the clothing suitable for troops engaged in the East; recom- mending the formation of a hospital corps of native Armenians; and the establishment of a regular transport service for the sick and wounded, and healthy hospitals in the islands of the Mediterranean. It is evident that Dr. Smith displayed more foresight than he has got credit for.

The Commissariat officers, serving under Mr. Filder in the Crimea, have addressed, through him, a letter of remonstrance to Lord Palmerston on the language used by him in the House of Commons on the 19th February. In his speech on that evening, Lord Palmerston adopted an argument used by Mr. Newdegate to show that the non-success of the Army had been in those departments not officered by " gentlemen." His words were- " I think the honourable Member made the most triumphant answer, by showing that where your system has broken down—that where evil has arisen from want of capacity, of energy, of intelligence, or of accurate and zealous performance of duty—it was not that the gentry, not that the aristocracy, not that the noblemen in the Army, were at fault, but persons belonging to other classes of the community. It is the Medical department, the Commis- sariat department, and the Transport department, which nobody contends are filled with the sons of the aristocracy or the gentry,—it is there that your system has broken down, it is there that the service has failed, and that it is that has been the main cause of the suffering of which we are all com- plaining." The Commissariat officers are hurt by this language ; feeling that it "cannot but be as injurious to the department as it is offensive to the individuals of whom it is composed" ; and refraining from pointing out the causes of the failures in the various arrangements connected with the campaign, they call upon the Minister of War to protect them, and afford them an opportunity of showing that they have not been " wanting in capacity, energy, intelligence, and zeal." "We have enjoyed," they write, "none of the advantages consequent upon war with respect to promotion, &c., which have been so liberally ex- tended to every other branch of the army. Our services and our exertions have not been recognized in any public manner ; and we cannot feel other- wise than greatly aggrieved that we should be thus held up to the public as having been the main cause of the evils which have arisen.' We are in- vidiously designated as not belonging to the class of society usually termed gentlemen,' but as belonging to other classes of the community. While we conduct ourselves honourably, it matters little with what families we are connected ; but we contend that the officers of the commiseariat, as a body, do belong to the class termed 'gentry,' and that we are as well edn- cowl, as well informed, and as honourable and upright in every respect, as any other body of officers in the army. Our duties are of a most responsible nature ; and there are no officers in the service in whom such an amount of trust is placed, which should surely entitle us to be classed in the highest ranks of the public service."

The Civil Service Estimates for " Salaries and Expenses of Public De- partments" amount to 1,315,3901. ; being 106,7961. less than the estimate of last year. The chief decrease appears under the charge for the Mint ana in the Printing and Stationery. For " Public Works and Buildings" the amount is 746,7601.; being a reduction of 69,0691. as compared with 1854.

The Public Education (Great Britain) grant appears this year as a separate estimate ; a distinction perhaps to be attributed to its growing amount. The sum is 381,9211.; last year the vote was 263,0001.

At the end of last week, it was reported " in society," that one of the

Members for Rochester was in difficulties; the Sunday papers pub- lished small paragraphs indicating by intitials the name of the delinquent. The story was, that the gentleman referred to is a defaulter in turf trans- actions to the amount of at least 100,0001. ; but it was hinted that some matters touching upon felony were mixed up with the affair. On Tues- day the Globe published this paragraph- " If it were not the merest waste of delicacy to use further disguise re- garding the event which has formed for some days past perhaps the principal subject of conversation in society, the position of Mr. Francis 'Villiers as a Member of Parliament would justify that open reference which cannot be long postponed. Without speaking more minutely of the unfortunate affair, we may state that it is of a character to create a vacancy in the representa- tion of Rochester. On learning the circumstances alluded to, Mr. Villiers's Tory supporters, we are told by the South-E,astern- Gazette, had a meet- ing, at which a deputation was appointed to wait on the honourable gentle- man and call upon him to resign his seat.' Everything had been arranged for the departure of the deputation to London, when it occurred to one of them, more sagacious than the rest, 'that the difficulty was where to find him' ' • and this remark taking every one by surprise, the 'deputation broke up in disgust' We believe we can state that the Liberal party are equally awake regarding the representation of the city ; and that Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., will offer himself tte a candidate, with every prospect of success. It is not probable that the issue of the new writ will be long delayed after the Parliament reassembles."

Next day the Times took up the story, with the remark that "in a very few days, or hours, the public will receive more explicit informa- tion " on the subject of the paragraph quoted above. But as yet the public has received nothing of the kind.

Mr. Francis Villiers is the fourth son of the Earl of Jersey. He welt born in 1819; was educated at Eton ; entered the Army in 1837, ob- tained his company in 1843, and left the Army in 1847. During the period of his service, he was Aide-de-camp in Canada, and afterwards in Ceylon, and finally Military Secretary at Madras.

The Provincial newspaper proprietors had an interview with the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer on Thursday, to state their most recent views. Their proposition is this—" that the stamp-duty on newspapers, to en- title them to transmission and retransmission through the post-office, should be a halfpenny, instead of a penny ; and they are convinced that it would yield a greater amount to the revenue." In connexion with this plan, they propose that Government should issue stamped envelopes of one halfpenny, to carry the unstamped part of the impression once through the post-office.

The venerable Baron Pennefather, now in his eighty-fourth year, has suffered a severe loss—the last of his sons, Mr. John Pennefather, a rising barrister, has died from typhus fever, contracted while he was acting as Crown prosecutor at the Tipperary Assizes.

The health of Chief Baron Pigott has been greatly improved by his re- sidence in the South of Spain : he is expeoted to return to Ireland shortly.

The brotherhood of civil engineers has lost one of its ornaments in Mr. Wyndham Harding, who died near Cheltenham last week, at the early age of thirty-seven. Mr. Harding was for some years the Secretary of the South- Western Railway. Ever anxious to improve the condition of the poorer classes, he fitted up two emigration-ships, which sailed from Southampton in connexion with Mrs. Chisholm's movement; and he was a warm friend to the Mechanics Institution at Bridgend, near his father's home.

The widow of Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, who died recently at the age of ninety-two, was "the wife, daughter, granddaughter, sister, and mother- in-law of admirals." Her death was accelerated by the news that her own nephew, and the husband of her niece, had died in the Crimea ; and that two of her grandsons—sons of Lady King—were on their way to the seat of war.

Mr. William N. Dunn, whilom " treasurer " to Drury Lane Theatre when there was money to take care of, recently died, at Norwood, in his seventy- third year. He was introduced to the theatre, as a clerk, by Sheridan ; and he had ample opportunities of enjoying the society of that brilliant wit, and knew intimately a long succession of our most noted actors. His mind was stored with reminiscences of the stage and of players, which he related in a pleasing manner. His character was very amiable.

Much surprise and some discontent prevails in the Navy, especially with those officers who have a second time been sent out in the Baltic fleet, at the continued reissue of the oldfaahioned and " established" anchor, or, as it is

more familiarly called, the "Admiralty mudhook," after the practical ex- perience resulting from last year's cruise in the Baltic, and demonstrated by the heaps of broken anchors (about 60,0001. worth !) returned into store at the various dockyards from the several ships, comparable in trustworthiness and utility to the wretched intrenching-tools supplied to our army before Sebastopol.—Times, Naval Intelligence.

The Russian vessel Sitka, captured off Petropaulowski by the Pacific squad- ron on its approach to attack that settlement, arrived in the river Thames on Tuesday, in charge of a naval officer and crew, put on board by her Ma- jesty's ship President.

A letter from St. Petersburg states that the Emperor Alexander intends to visit Helsingfors, with his brother Nicholas, before the commencement of operations in the Baltic.

The Czar has decreed that soldiers when on sentry in St. Petersburg during week-days may wear their hair and whiskers in the natural state, but on Sundays they are to be " waxed and dyed."

It is reported that the Russian prisoners at Toulon have volunteered to serve in the French Foreign Legion ; the Poles are to be incorporated with the Turkish Cossacks.

Ninety boxes of presents for the French army in the Crimea have been shipped at Marseilles ; and the people of Narbonne have sent 140 hogsheads of the best wine.

The Emperor of Russia remitted through the Swedish Embassy a sum sufficient to give the prisoners in the Lewes Gaol Gd. each for hot cross buns.

Result of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last.

ZymotIc Diseases Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat - Tubercular Diseases Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels

Diseases of the Lungs, and of Use other Organs of Respiration

Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion Diseases of the Kidneys, &c....

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, &e.

Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Junta, &c.

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &c.

Malformations.

Premature Birth Atrophy Age Sudden Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance

Total (including unspecified causes) of1815,54. 196.9 50.9 193.5 136.8 43.9 227.6 62.2 12.4 8.2 8.8 2.3 2.7 27.2 27.2 60.9 23.0 64.6

• • •• •• • . • •••• • •• • •• • • • •• • • ••• •••• •••• •••• •• •• • .•

of 1995. 257 48 223 108 34 286 66 9 12 4 6 26 41 55 7 41 1.226 1,138.8 Ten Weeks Week

In 1850 Mr. Cubitt purchased the mansion and magnificent grounds of Denbies, near Dorking. A new residence has been erected since 1850, in the rear of the old mansion ,• the new building is very extensive, and the design is similar to that of the Queen's marine residence at Osborne : the expenditure has been great. On the lawn there is a tree planted by Prince Albert. According to the local belief, Mr. Cubitt is merely an agent for Royalty, Denbies being intended for the residence of the young Prince of Wales, by and by.

In consequence of a complaint, the Lords of the Treasury have notified that in future foreigners residing abroad shall be exempted from paying in- come-tax on dividends on British Colonial Stock.

The Manchester Examiner states that a second free library and museum, including a spacious reading-room, are about to be established in the large building in the Queen's Park, Manchester.

A petition against the recent Beer Act has received 6000 signatures in Norwich.

retitiom against the continuance of church-rates have been agreed to at giVeral of the Vestry meetings in the Eastern Counties.

It appears by the official accounts just published, that Sir S. Bignold, the successful Conservative candidate at the recent election for Norwich, ex- pended 1006/. 6s. 5d., and Mr. A. Hammond, his opponent, 8691. 17s. 10d. A correspondent of the Times pleads for the restoration of the chapel of Holyrood Palace at Edinburgh, with the appointment of a chaplain to of- ficiate. The walls are sound, and would support a roof. The palace is sur- rounded by a poor population, to whom the services of a clergyman would be a boon.

" A neighbour to Miss Gordon," the lady who was recently fined for ex- traordinary cruelty to her pony, calls upon her relatives to interfere in her behalf, as her strange doings for a long time past lead to the belief that she is of unsound mind : the writer thinks she will become " dangerous."

Cardinal Wiseman is to be appointed Librarian of the Vatican, in the place of Cardinal Mai.

The corpse of Sontag has arrived in Europe from Mexico : it was landed at Hamburg, and forwarded to Berlin ; its ultimate resting-place is not men- tioned.

A trial is at present pending before ;the courts of the Grand Duchy of Saxe Weimar with respect to the forgery on a grand scale of letters of the poet Schiller. The forger is an inferior employe of the public library, and was formerly a bootmaker. The forgeries are so cleverly executed that they have deceived even the poet's heirs.

The electric telegraph between Turin and Naples' was opened on the 1st. The messages will be exclusively in the Italian language, Naples having insisted on that instead of French being used. This will cause a delay in communicating with a large part of Europe in which the French signs and language are employed.

For the third time within a twelvemonth Prussia has suffered from floods. In the autumn, Silesia suffered by the overflow of the Oder and other rivers; more recently, much fertile land was ruined by the Rhine surmounting its banks ; and now the waters of the Vistula have flooded East Prussia.

The Venetian manufacturers will not shine in the Paris Exposition : they declined to send contributions, because they would appear under the Austrian flag.

Oporto has had its " food riots"—mobs of unemployed labourers, or people pretending to be so, having plundered the bread stores.

The Tuscan Government recently essayed to extend a little freedom to the press ; but it wouldn't do : L'Euterpe, a periodical devoted to literature and theatricals, was suppressed because it was supposed Guerazzi contributed to it.

The Governor-General of India has raised the salary of Dr. O'Shaughnessy, the superintendent of electric telegraphs in India, to 36001., not merely on account of his services in the telegraph department, but because he would have attained a still higher income had he remained in the Mint.

California has been visited with a banking crisis. A run on the banks at San Francisco soon caused the stoppage of five of the principal ; one has since resumed business, and another proposes to do so if its creditors will be lenient ; but in the case of two others there seem to have been no assets— in one: the "treasure-vault" contained a specie-bag filled with shot and needles! The crash in San Francisco was followed by stoppage of banks in minor towns. The gold-digging news is very favourable : a plentiful supply of water promises the diggers an ample return for their labours, while a new and rich mining field has been discovered on the Kern river. Crowds of shipping have arrived at San Francisco, inundating the markets with merchandise : this is a boon to the consumers, as goods are made very cheap —the reckless shippers will suffer.

The state of the Kansas Territory attracts attention in America, as the election of a Legislature is approaching ; that Legislature will decide whether the new State shall be Slave or Free. It is said that in the spring 20,000 Native American immigrants will pour into the Territory ; as yet few slaves have been introduced.

The latest return of the number of immigrants arrived in New York shows a large falling-off as compared with last year.

Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt, the "commercial king of America," has com- menced a new line of steamers to run between New York and Havre : he says such a line can be made to pay without Government aid in the shape of mail-contracts, and he means to try the experiment.

It is reported that a rich gold-field has been discovered in the province of Maranham, in Brazil ; but as a company has been started to work it, some suspicion is cast upon the report.

While a gentleman's gardener at Lewes was chopping up a piece of an old beam, no fewer than forty-nine guineas of the reign of Charles II., James II., and William III., were discovered in a crevice, which had been closed with putty. Mr. Cotton, the owner of the treasure-trove, presented the proceeds of its sale, 51/. 9s., to the Lewes Dispensary.

The following letter, written in pencil, was found in a common bottle on the beach of Golapie, on Monday afternoon, by a young fisherman named Donald Kennedy, while searching for limpets at low-water. The sheet was rolled crosswise, as if done hurriedly, and put into the bottle in such a man- ner that it could not be taken out without breaking the bottle. The letter will be read with a mournful interest, as the only account that has been re- ceived of the ill-fated vessel, the Isabella Anderson, of this port. " Decem- ber 19—ship Isabella Anderson, of Inverness.—Our canvass has given way I The raging waves dash with fury round our helpless barque ! The rocky coast of Norway will soon tell our fate. This is my last work, and accom- plish it with the braveness of a British sailor. My love to my affectionate wife. The same to my beloved family. Evermore farewell ! John Sander- son." The writer did not belong to Inverness, but is supposed to be a man. who was shipped at Leith in the room of one who had left the vessel there. —Inverness Courier.

It appears from the evidence at trials in the Central Criminal Court this week, that there is at present in circulation a new description of spurious half-crowns, so cleverly executed as to require the most careful inspection to detect their baseness. Two of them were exhibited in court: they represent the coinage of 1846, and are struck with a die from a metal equal in hard- ness to silver, and then electro-plated. In point of weight, they are nearly the same as good coin ; but the ring is bad. The milling upon the edge, hitherto faulty in base coin, is perfect; as is also the engraving of spots within the rim. It is only by a careful inspection that they can be detected. It will then be found that the letters upon both sides are imperfect, the " Toms" of the word " Victoria " standing awry, and the whole being coarse when compared with the real coin.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—Return of admissions for six days ending 13th April; including season-ticket-holders, 26,167.