MiortIlaurnug.

'We were in error in stating, a fortnight ago, that the new Foreign Office is to ho built in the Italian style of architecture. The question

waf left over for settlement by the House of Commons at the close of the Session of 1859, but, owing to the pressure of business during the session just closed, it has been again deferred for consideration. Le It ore' has prominently published a most extraordinary report or im- portant communication. "It relates to an arrangement under three heads, which has quite recently taken place between England, Austria, and Prussia, and which has for its object to prevent any uiterior intervention of France by arms, whether in Italy or elsewhere. The three points referred to are these :—The three Powers would engage—

"let. To oppose any military intervention of France in Italy, nada whatsoever pretext. "2d. To oppose any other military intervention of France in Europe without a previous understanding with the powers.

"3d. To oppose any territorial extension of France, whether by means of conquest or of bargain."

Lc Nord says that it does not doubt the authenticity of this state- ment, and asserts that the cabinets of Europe are acquainted with the agreement.

A telegram from Vienna has nevertheless denied its correctness—" the statemeet is totally unfounded so far as Austria is concerned." And the 21/oral/Ey Post, in leaded typo says, quoting the Brussels report — •

"We believe we shall be borne out in giving the fullest contradiction to this statement of our contemporary."

The Russian journals and those of the extreme East are at present devoting attention to a large lake newly discovered in the Amour terri- tory. It is situated between lat. N. 47' 50' and 43' 30 ; and long, E. 99' and 106' 30' South of the chain of the Altai. The length of this lake is 138 kilometres, its breadth is from 16 to 21 kilometres. It is frozen from November to May ; it is immensely rich in fish, and has therefore attracted to its shores a great number of Russians ; who, in accordance with conventions with the Chinese authorities, have settled there, and live in the greatest harmony with their neighbours.

Lieutenant Heimerle-Schindelka, of the Austrian regiment of infantry "Count N agent," has invented a new cannon which, in the opinion of scientific men' greatly surpasses in precision, range, force, and rapidity of charge the Armstrong and 'Whitworth guns. Some successful experi- ments are said to have been made.

We are authorized to- state that the proposal to admit officers of the mer- cantile innrine to honorary rank in the Royal Naval Reserve has been very favourably entertained by the Admiralty, and that on the return of her Majesty from Scotland an Order in Council will be obtained, and a procla- mation issued, setting forth the terms on which this loyal tender of service will be accepted.—Shipping Gaatte.

On Tuesday forenoon a gentleman drove to the door of the comfortable in or hotel, known as the Grant's Arms, in the centre of the open square which constitutes the village of Grantown, the capital of Strathspey. He obtained audience of the landlady, Mrs. Glass, and said he wished to engage the whole house that night for a newly married couple and their suite. The worthy hostess demurred, as she might thus exclude some of her best customers; but the applicant was very civil as well as urgent, and gave assurance that the party were "highly respectable." There was no difference as to terms, and Mrs. Glass was told that she would be glad afterwards to know that she had stretched a point to accommodate the party. In these circumstances an arrangement was come to, and the occupants of the house at the time were politely requested to board out for the night. The principals arrived in the evening—apparently quiet people, satisded with everything and everybody about them. In a newly married couple such equanimity might have been expected, but this part of the niThir was evidently a hoax, and had only the efiaet of raising conjectures as to who the party might be, but on this point all the attendants were dumb. Next morning at ten o'clock tho carriages were at the door, and the strangers took their seats. All being ready to start Mrs. Glass was called for, and Lord Churchill complimented her on the cleanliness and order of her establishment. The strangers, he said, had been very comfortable, and the lady said she had never slept more soundly in her life. "I may now tell you," said his Lordship, as the principal carriage drove away, "that you have been entertaining her Most Gracious Majesty The r-

en

the Queen and Prince Consort. They do not wish this to be known, how-

ever, until about ten minutes after they have left." e Royal party

drove towards Castle Grant, the residence of the Earl of Scafield, who, how- ever, is at present at Balmacaan, in Glen-Urquhart. They could not have done more than drive round the park, as the carriages passed back through Grantown and took the road to Tomintoul, before the people recovered from their surprise at hearing by whom they had been visited. The universal regret here, says our respected correspondent at Urantown, who sends us this piece of news, is that the secret was so well kept. Had we got the slightest inkling of the honour done us her Majesty had not left Grantown without hearing Strathspey voices bidding God bless her. The 4th and 6th of Sep- tember are henceforth red days in our calendar.—Inverness Courier.

An Elberfeld paper ins that it is the intention of the Prince Regent of Prussia to confer on the Queen of England the nominal command of the new 2d Regiment of Dragoons of the Guard, as well as the order of the Black Eagle. This decoratiou, the highest Prussian order, has hitherto been conferred upon only two female sovereigns.

The Earl Granville, Lord President of the Council, has left Paris for Ma- drid. He was accompanied by Lord Frederick Cavendish, second son of the Duke of Devonshire.

The Earl of Aberdeen has improved in health since his return to Scot- land from London. He has removed from Heide House to a marine villa near Peterhead.

Count de Persigny has been on a visit to Paris. He returned to London on Sunday.

The Marquis of Brentlalbane has accepted an invitation to a public dinner offered him by the citizens of Perth. It will take place on the 3d of Oc- tober.

Mr. Benjamin Disraeli has consented to preside at the annual dinner of the Ros-al South Bucks Agricultural Association, which is appointed to take place at the Windmill, Salt Hill, on Wednesday, October 3. • The Reverend Dr. Bandinell is about to resign forthwith his post as Libra- rian of the Bodleian Library at Oxford, which he has held for so many years. Be will receive, of pension of 200/ a year. It is supposed the under-

librarian, the Reverend Oetavius Goa, M.A., will succeed him. .

The Coantess de Neuilly and the children of the Duke de Nemours have removed to Admiral Sir Augustus Clifford's villa at Ityde, from Claremont. The Count de Paris and the Duke de Chartres have joined the ex-Queen:

Field Marshal Hess, of the Austrian army, arrived at Geneva three days ago; He visited the Town-hall, and also the chamber in avbieli he lodged in 1814, when he Was with the Austrian troops who occupied the City.

King Victor Emmanuel has just Sent the insignia of the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Maurice and Saint Lazarus to Abd-el-Kader.

The Emperor, on the occasion of his visit to Marseilles, conferred the Cross of the Legion of Honour upon Id. Mires, as a recompense for his efforts to improve the city-. It is stated in a leiter from Hamburg, dated September 8, that a meeting of diplomatic representatives of the United States of America had been held -there. Amongst those present were Mr. jos. A. Wright, the United States FALTOT tO the Court of Prussia ; Mr. Buchanan, from Copenhagen ; and Mr. John Appleton, the newly-appointed American Ambassador to St. Peters- twin. The immediate object of their conferences which lasted several days, was to take into consideration the present unsettled state of Europe, and enter into mutual arrangements for joint action on several points, one of the most important of nvhich is the protection to be effectively afforded by the United States flag to.the numerous naturalized Germans who have be- come citizens of the United States. Mr. Appleton has already left this city fur Lubeck, en route for St. Petersburg, where he will relieve Mr. Pickens, hitherto the representative of the United States in Russia, who has ten- dered his resignation, and only remains Cl St. Petersburg till the arrival of his successor.

The Italian papers mention than an English Admiral has offered his ser- vices to Garibaldi, proposing at the same time to collect a large number of seaworthy vessels to be armed promptly. Very unlikely.

An institution has recently been founded in Milan, under the title of Soldiers of Charity (Militi di Carita). It is an association of persons who devote themselves to aid the wounded on the field of battle. "The field militia," says the programme, "bears with it drugs and bandages for imme- diate use, and litters for carrying the bodies of those who have fallen to the temporary hospitals ; there the wounds are examined, and the men con- veyed in elastic carriages to the permanent hospitals ; while the dead are consigned to consecrated graves, where prayer helps to console the grief of the survivors."

The engineer, Cesare Piazzi, of Brescia, has been superintending the plan of a national monument to King Victor Emmanuel, to be executed in Rome as soon as the union of Italy is completed, which shall make Rome her glorious capital. "The thought which originated the design is graceful. There are to be eight equestrian statues, symbolical of eight principal Dalian eines ; night others more elevated, on foot, to represent the dis- tinguished promoters of the Italian renovation. Finally, from the centre rises a colossal image of the Re Galantuomo, who, leaning with one hand on the hilt of his sword, and holding with the other the statue, tramples upon the broken fetters of Italy. The eight men who had the greatest share in the Work of our regeneration are, Cavonr, Garibaldi, La Marmora, Manin, Farini, Ricasoli, Depretis, Massimo d'Azeglio."

The Government have refused to grant metal in forming a statue of the late Sir John Franklin at Spilsby, Lincolnshire. Are there no old guns which Franklin and men like Franklin have taken ?

Two concerts given by Camillo Sivori, the great violinist, at Milan, in aid of the cause of Garibaldi, produced 15,000 francs (6001. sterling), which has been forwarded to the victorious commander.

The public career of the Earl of Kingston has for the present ended. Last week he was at Chester, and in the beginning of this he played a series of pranks in that town so ridiculous as well as offensive, that, on the certifi- cate of two medical men he was consigned by the Mayor to the County Asylum. He annoyed the Bishop, ran about naked, and desired to walk along the rails into a tunnel.

Two melancholy incidents have occurred in China. The commander of one of the gunboats, the Leven, had been shot by a marine in his cabin, as also the second master' who had gone to his assistance. We are happy to say, however, they are both recovering. The marine was tried, and hung at the yardarm of one of the vessels. A boat from the steamer Impera- trir was capsized, when Captain Gordon, of the Madras Engineers, was drowned.

The cost of disbanding an army,. A return has been issued, showing that it cost no less than 259,139/. to bring back to England the soldiers who were discharged from the Indian army in 1858, on their assertion that they were only enlisted to serve the East India Company. The number of these dis- charged soldiers was 10,235, but 119 reenlisted in India for service in China.

"Paterfamilias" has been on his travels, and has something to tell of a destructive storm, and he tells it in a letter to the Timers, dated Chiavenna, September 3.

We left Reichenau on Saturday morning with a wander, whom we had engaged to drive us over the Splugen, Bernina, and Stelvio passes. The day was lowering and very sultry, but not particularly threatening till we approached Splugen, reboil the rain began to fall in torrents, and it thun- dered and lightened incessantly. At Splugen (where our day's journey ended), we learnt that a great part of the roads on the Italian side, both of the Splugen and Bernhardin passes, had been destroyed the previous night, so that our vetturino expedition was impracticable. I had therefore only to choose between returning the way I had come, or making the hest of my Way across the pass, and spending a week in Italy before starting home-

win-Is. After holding a council of war, I came to the conclusion that the latter was the less ignominious alternative ; so, dismissing the vetturino, we started this morning from Splugen, with the determination of getting here by hooker by crook. The roadasfar as Campo Dolcino, ten miles from this, is but slightly damaged, but about a mile beyond it such a scene of destruc- tion presents itself as you could hardly have thought it possible that twenty- four hours' rain could, have occasioned. The road, which, like all Alpine rends, was of the most solid construction, has been in several places so com- pletely effaced that no trace of it remains. In one place, the bed of the tor- rent has usurped its site, and in others huge boulders many of them of fifty tons' weight, have been hurled down upon it from Le mountains, and have to be blasted with gunpowder in order to be removed. This scene of dre truction continues at intervals over a space of four miles, and many weeks must elapse before the road can be restored to its original state. I believe nothingiike it has occurred since 1834. Of course, this portion of the route is only passable on foot, and the luggage is carried on men's shoulders."