FRANCE.—The Chamber of Deputies have been engaged in discussing pe-

titions respecting the religious congregations and Missions in the interior. The former subject, the congregations, was disposed of by passing to the order of the day ; but the missions in the interior have given such offence by indecent processions, and mummeries of all sorts, &c. that this subject was referred tp the Keeper of the Seals. The French 'Minister of ComMerce has ordered a large quantity of silk ribands and other silk goods of British manufacture to be laid before a Com- mittee, who are to report the quality:and prices, with a view to ascertain the comparative rates of production in both countries.

VENICE.—The Emperor of Austria has declared Venice a free port. This, it is expected, may tend to revive the commercial prosperity of that city.

ROME.—It is said that the late Pope had a presentiment of his death for

some time before it happened, though then in better health than usual. Ile had even composed the following epitaph, which was „found on his table, written in his own hand:—

" LEON! 111.taxo

Putrono cadesti Me supplex commendans,

Hic Spud sacros cineres Locum sepulturte elegi LEo XII., humilis cliens,

Hwredum tanti nominis Minimus."

Letters from Naples of the 10th ult. state that Vesuvius is much agitated. Large volumes of smoke are seen, and stones are thrown up to a height of 500 or 600 feet ; but there is very little lava.

VARNA.—The Journal of St. Petersburg contains a letter from Varna, which describes that fortress as quite restored by the Russians. Hospitals, courts, and churches, have been established there. Divine service was per- formed for the first time on St. Alexander's day, and Te Deem celebrated by the Archbishop Philotheus. On that day too, the sound of the bells re- joiced the hearts of the Christians, for the first time since the taking of Varna

by the Turks.

Mahra.—Letters from the Ocean, of SO guns, dated Malta, 26th January, state that she was then taking in provisions for the squadron in the Archi- pelago, and ten thousand shot for the French troops at Nayarit]. There were thirty-eight ships of war at Malta: of these fifteen were English, six French, and seventeen Russian. Sir Thomas Staines, of the Isis, is said to have been stabbed in several places by a Turk ; but he was recovering.

PIRATES CAPTURED.—III the night of the 11th January, a boat containing a midshipman and twelve seamen, under the command of Lieutenant Frede- rick, of his Majesty's ship Alacrity, in the Gulf of Cassandra, attacked, and after a severe contest carried by boarding, a large piratical Greek galley with a crew of forty men. Lieutenant Frederick, the midshipman, and three of the seamen, were severeay wounded in this gallant affair. Of the Greek crew, only four were secured alive ; the rest having been either cut down or driven

overboard.

Mexico.—The Mexican Congress has passed a law for the total expulsion of all native Spaniards from the republic.

His Majesty continues to enjoy the best health. The Duke of Cumberland visited the King on Saturday; and on Sunday dined with the Duke of Clarence at Bushy Park, where a distinguished party was assembled to meet him.

The Princess Sophia Matilda came to town on Tuesday from her residence on Blackheath, to pay her respects to her cousin the Princess Augusta, at her residence hit the King's Palace, St. James's. The Duchess of Gloucester joined the two Princesses. • - The Duke and Duchess of Clarence came to town on Wednesday. The Duke was visited at St. James's Palace by the Duke of Gloucester, and se- veral noblemen and gentlemen. The Duke of Sussex had a grand dinner party on Wednesday, at Ken- sington Palace. The Duke of Cumberland and a select party dined with the Princess Au- gusta on Wednesday. CABINET CoCNCII.S.—The Cabinet Ministers met in Council on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and had long sittings each day. The Lord Advocate of Scotland and the other law officers of the Crown were its attendance.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has been confined by indisposition. Lord Eldon visited the Duke of Cumberland on Monday. The Duke of Norfolk entertained a distinguished party at dinner on Satur- day, at Norfolk-house, St. James's Square.

Prince Lieven had an elegant evening party on Wednesday, at Ashburn- ham-house, Dover-street, which was attended by nearly two hundred of the haul ton, among whom were the,Duke of Cumberland, Prince and Princess Polignac Princess Esterhazy, the Duke of Somerset, &c. The duke of Newcastle had an audience of his Majesty on Wednesday. The interview was attended by some particular circumstances. The Duke

applied to the King to know if his Majesty would grant bins an audience : the request was complied with, and three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon

was named by the King as the ,heur when he would receive the Duke. His Grace came at the time appointed to Windsor Castle, incognito, on foot, having walked from Eton, and remained for a considerable time with the Sovereign.—Morning Herald.

Prince Esterhazy, the Austrian ambassador, had a long conference with the Earl of Aberdeen on Wednesday. His Excellency has so far recovered rem the effects of his late accident as mo be able to walk with the aid of a stick.

The Duke and Duchess.of Northumberland reached Kingston harbour, near Dublin, early on Friday morning. About twenty thousand persons awaited

their landing at twelve o'clock; and, says the Dublin journalist, their reception " was never equalled, if we ,except the occasion of the King's visit, and the more recent reception of the great, brave, and benevolent Lord Anglesey," His Grace was sworn in before the Lords Justices in the afternoon.

The usual address from the Corporation of Dublin was voted, not unani- monsly as heretofore, but by a majority of 35 to 18. It is feared that the policy of his Grace accords with that of the Cabinet which sends him. It would be strange if it did not.

The Duke of Northumberland held his first levee on Wednesday. The scene was very gay ; all the resident nobility and gentry in Ireland being present. The English Peers whom the Roman Catholic Relief Bill will admit into Parliament are—the Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Shrewsbury, Barons Stourton, Petro, Arundel', Dormer, Clifford of Chudleigh, and Stafford ; besides render- ing eligible the two Scotch Catholic Earls, Traquair and Newburgh, and those of the Irish Peerage of that persuasion.

Lord Viscount Encombe, grandson of Lord Eldon, and Mr..N. W. Peach, were, on Friday, elected representatives of the borough of Truro, in place of Lord F. Somerset and Mr. Tomline, who have vacated their seats. They are returned in the Anti-Catholic interest.

The Earl of Brecknock was 9.n Wednesday elected member for Bath, by a majority of two members of the Corporation, in whom the elective franchise is vested, over General Palmer, who was the popular favourite.

Mr. George Bankes has avowed his intention of offering himself a candi- date for the representation of the University of Cambridge, in opposition to Sir N. Tyndal. A bill is in progress through Parliament to authorize the building of a bridge across the Thames, from Lambeth palace to the Horseferry-road at Westin i ester.

Lambeth palace is undergoing a thorough repair to a very considerable extent.

Dr. Doyle, it is said, is to have a cardinal's hat. A funeral service was celebrated on Tuesday, in the chapel of the Portu- guese embassy, for the late Pope. The splendid ceremony was attended by a great number of the Portuguese in London. "The young Queen of Por-

tugal," says the Times, "attended time service, and evinced a devotion ex- traordinary and edifying for her years. Indeed the propriety of her conduct

is no less an object of admiration than the precocity of her talent. It is a sin- gular coincidence that not many years ago, the present King of France, then ba- nished from his dominions, performed his devotions in the same chapel and in the same pew where the young Queen of Portugal—herself an exile—ap- peared among her exiled and persecuted subjects."

A similar ceremony was performed on Thursday, at the Roman Catholic Chapel in Moorfields. A number of the foreign ambassadors and other dis- tinguished persons were present, besides many of the Roman Catholic no- bility and gentry. The service occupied several hours in the performance.

The King has given 10001. to the Committee for the relief of the Spital- fields weavers.

A subscription has been set on foot at Lloyd's to provide a fund for the rslief of decayed members of that establishment. A considerable sum has been already contributed.

COMMON CoUNcIL—At a meeting on Thursday, a letter from Mr. Peel, expressing his sense of the honour of the City's freedom, conferred upon him

by the vote at the last Court, was read. A motion by Mr. Taylor, for a refer- ence to a committee to inquire as to the powers and duties of the Common Counsilmen, with regard to the licensing of victuallers, was, after some dis- cussior,„withdrawn, on an understanding that the subject should, at the next Court, se brought forward in a different form. With the Hackney Coach Commissioners, the whole system of monopoly in that species of public con veyance is to be got rid of.

ST. Pascnas.—A meeting of the inhabitants of this populous parish, held on Thursday, determined to petition Parliament against the Select

Vestry Act, obtained in 1819. The vestry is self-elected, for life, and irre- sponsible. 'in 1827, the enormous sum of 36,7221. was raised in the parish and spent at the discretion of the vestry ; being 12,0001. snore than the

whole expenditure in the year in which the act was passed. Several in- stances of the wasteful habits of the select body were mentioned ; and some of their saving labits—saving themselves, at the cost of the parishioners, by an unequal rate of assessment.

LONDON ORPHAN ASYLUM.—The anniversary dinner of this charity, at which the Duke of Wellington presided, on Thursday evening, in the City of London Tavern, was attended by two hundred and fifty gentlemen. The subscriptions in the room amounted to nearly 1,800/. • time noble Chairman gave fifty guineas. The subjects of this charity are ;bout two hundred and fifty orphan children.

MERCANTILE FAILURE.—A house of some standing in the American trade, conducted under the firm of Charles Everett and Co., stopped payment on Thursday. Its outstanding engagements are said to amount to about 80,0001. The hotise received, it appears, a severe shock in the trying year 1826, from which it has never since recovered; but the immediate cause of the failure is said to be the falling off of the woollen trade with the United States, which has been rapidly declining since the late tariff passed into a law.—Times. RISE OP TILE DUTY ON WHEAT.—The duty on foreign wheat is advanced to 6s. 8d. per quarter, and next week it is probable it will be raised four shil- lings more.— Globe, Thursday.