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The complete reconstruction of the Ministry has-not yet been effected, but some progress has been made. Sir Francis Baring has been ap- pointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Earl Granville's late post. Mr. Peel has been appointed Under-Secretary of War : his place in the Colonial Office has not yet been filled up. Mr. Henry Fitzroy has re- signed the office of Under-Secretary for the Home Department : another post still vacant. Mr. Robert Lowe has resigned the Secretaryship of the Board of Control : it has been offered to Lord Goderich, but declined by him. Mr. Monsen quits the Clerkship of the Board of Ordnance : the Globe states that, pending the rearrangement of the War Department, no successor to Mr. Monad n will be appointed.

Lord John Russell, who was to have left town for Vienna tomorrow, is, we regret to hear, suffering from severe indisposition, by which his departure will be delayed for some days. At the earliest moment that his health permits the noble lord will proceed upon his mission, accom- panied by Mr. Hammond, and other gentlemen from the Foreign Office: We may state that it was Mr. Hammond'a.father, and not his grand:se+ ther, that accompanied the similar mission from this country to Prussia in 1796.—Globe, Feb. 16.

It is said that M. Titoff, who was for many years Russian Ambassador at Constantinople, will be commissioned by the Czar to act with Prince Gortschakoff at Vienna.

It is said that the following chief appointments have been made to the Baltic fleet—Rear-Admiral the Honourable Richard Saunders Dundas, C.B. Second Naval Lord of the Admiralty, to be Commander-in-chief. Rear-Admiral Michael Seymour (Captain of the fleet last year) to be second in command to Rear-Admiral Dundas. Rear-Admiral Baynes, C.B., just promoted-to his flag rank, Ur be third in command. Captain the Honourable F. T. Pelham, it is said, will be Captain of the Fleet. Admiral Berkeley, C.B., at the earnest desire of the Cabinet, continues as Chief Naval Lord at the Admiralty. The new Commander-in-chief is in the fifty-fourth year of his age. As Captain of the Powerful, 84, he commanded a squadron in the Mediterranean under Sir William Parker; previously to which he commanded the Melville, 72, in China.—Times.

Major-General Simpson has been appointed Chief of the Staff to the Army under Lord Raglan.

Lord Beaton has been appointed Commander of the Forces in Ireland.

The Court of the Russia Company had an interview with Lord Clarendon on Monday upon the subject of the Government policy regarding trade with Russia. We understand that Lord Clarendon stated to the deputation that the blockade of the Danube would be immediately raised, and the blockade of the Russian ports in the Baltic and in the Black Sea and White Sea would be rigidly enforced during the ensuing campaign ; and that with regard to the overland trade through Prussia, the Government had as yet come to no decision.—Globe.

At a Court of Directors, held at the India House on the 7th instant, Major-General Sir Henry Somerset, K.C.B., was appointed Commander- in-chief of the East India Company's Forces on the Bombay Establish- ment, and Second Member of Council at that Presidency.

The Earl of Dundonald, on the nomination of Prince Albert, has been elected au Honorary Elder Brother of the Trinity House.

The Times of Monday contained the following statement -a an.offer from a perfeotly solvent firm to victual the whole of the British army at the seat of w.ar- " This firm, then, are prepared to bind themselves in the heaviest penal- ties which the jealousy of Government can impose to supply to the British army in its present position, or anywhere within two hundred miles of the coast, food consisting of three meals a day, to be cooked and delivered at the head-quarters of each battalion. The breakfast is to oonsist of tea, coffee, or cocoa, according to choice, and of fresh-baked bread ; the dinner, of bread, meat, and potatoes, with a quart of malt liquor, and the ordinary allowance of rum. They undertake to give fresh meat twice a week, and vegetables besides potatoes. To this is to be added a substantial evening meal. They are willing to bind themselves under the heaviest penalties, not merely for the performance of the contract in general, but for the punctual delivery of every meal to the soldiers. They ask no assistance whatever from the Government for performing this task, except their forbearance and non- interference. They want neither our ships, our horses, our carts, nor our men. They are content to take the roads as they find them and to relieve the British soldier from any care or thought for his own maintenance. And this service they are ready to per- form at the rate of 3s. 3d. head per diem, expressing every confidence that they shall gain at least ninepenee a head by the contract! Ob- serving, also, the miseries suffered by our men from defective tents, they are willing to undertake for another threepence a head, to provide our soldiers with excellent tentstlo be approved by the commanding officer, and to be replaced whenever disallowed. Thus, for three-and-sixpence a head per-diem is a firm of the most undoubted respectability and solvency willing to un- dertake, under the most ruinous. penalties, to provide our troops with com- petent food and shelter. A rough calculation will show-that, at this rate, an army of 30,000-men might be fed and sheltered for about 1,825,0001. per annum,-a sum which would not only provide our men with that which, with all our machinery of Boards, of transports, of commissariat-officers, mules, carts, returns, contracts, vouchers, and invoices, we are not able to do, but would set at liberty the vast amount of shipping now employed in this fruitless and wasteful attempt, and leave us in the undisputed posses- sion of the energies of all our commissariat-officers, if we could find any 'useful purpose to which we could apply them."

'Lord Malmesbury's remarks on the "aristocratic system" as it affects promotion in the Army has called forth some curious comments from cor- raapondenta of the Times. "(1. G." gives the names of twenty-five officers of the Grenadier Guards all "blood relations of the Peerage," and two Baronets, besides thirty others the nephews of Peers, and of ladies and gentlemen of noble families. Lord .Malmesbury said there were only eighteen officers in the Grenadier Guards " at all ocumected with the Peerage" ; "Pym" points out that twenty-three out of ninety- seven Staff-officers in the. Crimea are either ".Lords or Honourable Misters" ; while in the working portion of the army there is not more than one in fifty. He also points to two promotions in the Gazette of February from brevet to substantial rank : one is that of Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel the Ilenonrahlis Percy Herbert ; the other is that of Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Jeffreys, of the Eighty-eighth, for distinguished service in the field. Major Herbert has served,fifteen, Major Jeffreys-May years.

Much has been said of the great sagacity of the mercantile community. in the management of affair& in contrast to the blunders in official depart- ments; and our wealth is a proof of the extent of our' trading sagacity. Yet that the shrewd merchant sometimes blunders as well as the Govern- ment official, is evident from the most superficial glance at the state of the Australian trade. Up to this time, says Rawack, Brothers, and Co., 'writing on the 20th November from Sydney, notwithstanding previous warnings that improvement in the market could only be brought about by "a complete cessation of shipments," " the influx of goods from all quarters has continued as great as before ; swelling our already- too over- stocked markets, and causing a still further depression in our import trade. We could not mention a single article that would be sold at a remunera- tive price." They venture to predict that there will be more European -capital lost than ever was gained in Australia.

Why has not the City of London a lunatic asylum ? Lord Shaftes- bury's Act of 1845, requiring the magistrates of all counties and cities forthwith to provide asylurus for the lunatic poor haknot yet been put in -operation, became therAldermersof the City cannot agree upon a site. A circular which we have received says they are divided between an evasion -of the act and the choice of land at a distance from the Metropolis, pur- chaseable at a cheaper rate. But the cheaper construction, it is said, and cheaper contracts for food and necessaries which may be obtained near the Metropolis, would compensate for dearer land. Besides, the poor lu- natics would receive better care near Lond,ors. However these things may be, surely the question-why has not the City of Loaders a ..lunatio asylum ? might to be practie,ally anawered.

• Viscount a/feil, who in early life served in the cavalry and the Guards, died on- Monday, at Shanes Castle in the county of .Antrim. With him the ancient title of O'Neil is extinct.

Vice-Admiral Brian. Hodgson, an officer who hakseen much -service, died on the 7th instant, in his seventy-fifth year. -Mr. Pryee Loveclen, the Liberal Member for the Cardigaesdistriet of Boroughs, died on the 1st, at the early age of thirty-nine.

Mr. John Henry Vivian, the well-known Liberal Member for -Swansea, which he had represented, unopposed, for twenty-three. years, died on the 10th, at the age of seventy. But the most remarkable record in the obituary is the following-

" The Reverend G. Fletcher, who was born on February 2, 1747, at Clar- broa, in Nottinghamshire, died on the 2d instant. From tax years of age he had been brought up in the tenets of the Wesleyan; and remained a member of that body till his death. He spent eighty-three years of his life in active pursuits. Ile was twenty-one years a farmer, twenty-six ears he served his Sovereign in the army, was at the battle of Bunker's ill, and followed Abercrombie into Egypt, where he gained the esteem and respect of his officers. He then entered the West India Dock Company's service ; where he continued thirty-six years, when he retired on their bounty, still preserving up to within six months of his decease that astonishing activity of mind and-body for which he was so remarkable, often travelling great distances by raii, and pursuing his holy calling, preaching two or three times a day, regardlessof personal inconvenience, for the objects of charity and. benevolenest,'.'

The cold of winter, more severe than usual, continues to produce its natural effect' in a high state of mortality, though the number of deaths registered last week in London is rather less than those of two previous weeks. The deaths, which in the third week of January were 1549, and in the two subsequent weeks rose to 1630 and 1604, fell last week to 1546. According to the Greenwich Table of Meteorology, the mean ten-. pemture, which W.9.11 about 42' in the first fortnight of the year, was in the last four weeks only 28-9', 29-3', 29-3', and 30-9'. The present re- turn is for theeixth week of the year. Taking the deaths of the same week in each of the years 1845-'54, it is found that they averaged 1104; with which, after a correction for increase of population, the 1546 deaths of last week may be compared. The result is, that the weather has been fatal in a week to 332 lives more than would have been extinguishedin an ordinary season. The average temperature of the ten oorresponding weeks-was 4I2'; which exceeds the temperature of last week by 10-3°.-- .Registrar-Generat's Report.

Result of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for

Ten -Weeks of 15is 14.

Week offit56.

Zymotic Diseases.. 223.4 ...• 318 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat , 47.7 .... 54 Tubercular Diseases 188.1 .... 218 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 129.1 .... 168 Diseases of the Reart and Blood-vessels 41.8 .... 57 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 223.0 .... 424 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 63.2 .... 62 Diseases of the Kidneys, arc• 10.6 „. • • 19 Childbirth:diseases of the Uterus, etc. 7.8

a

Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joutts, de.

8.2 .... 7 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, die 1.9 • • • • ..... 2 Malformations 4.3 • • • • 5 Premature Birth 27.8

59 &trophy 23.8 • • • • 25 kge 66.7 .... 88 Sudden 10.1 .... 20 Violence,Privation,Oold, and Intemperance 30.0 . • • . 30 Total (including unspecified causes)

-_- 1.550 1,103,1

Lord Palmerston entertained the Cabinet Ministers at dinner on Wednes- day evening.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer had a dinner-party in Downing Street on Saturday : the circle was a general one.

The hopes of the recovery of Lily Harriet Elliot, youngest daughter of the Earl of Minto and sister of Lady John Russell, have been disappointed Lady Harriet died on the morning of the 9th, at Meurice's Hotel, Paris.

Mr. Hume is so seriously indisposed that his friends fear his career as a public man is drawing to a close.

M. Varnavas Pangolos, the: oldest of the patriots who struggled for the independence of Greece, and one of those who sacrificed a large fortune to the cause, has just died at Athens at the extraordinary age of one hundred and eleven years.

The Army for the ensuing year, exclusive of Artillery Engineers, and of the troops in India, will consist of 6947 officers, 13,64 non-commisaioned officers, trumpeters, and drummers, and 173,005 rank and file; making 19,595 individuals of all ranks. Of these, 178,615 will be British troops; and as the number this year amoupts to 142,776, it will be seen that the Army will be increased by 35,869 men.

In the Cavalry, no augmentation will take place in the three regiments of Household Cavalry, in the 1st, 2d, 3d, 6th, and 7th Dragoon Guards, the 3d Light Dragoons, 7th Hussars, 9th Lancers, 10th Hussars, 12th Lancers, 14th Light Dragoons, 15th Hussar; and 16th Lancers. The 4th and 5th Dragoon Guards, 1st Royal Dragoons, Soots Greys, Innis- killing Dragoons, 4th Light Dragoons, 8th and 11th Hussars, lath Light Dragoons, and 17th Lancers, will each be raised from the present establish- ment.of six troops (27 officers, 32 non-commissioued officers, 328 men, and 271 horses per regiment) to eight troops of 75 men. The strength of these regiments will then be 34 officer; 65 non-commissioned officers and trum- peters, 639 rank and file, and 520 horses each. Of this strength six troops will be in the Crimea, amounting in round numbers to about 520 men, and the remainder will form a depot at home. Our force of cavalry in the Crimea under the new arrangement should be, therefore, over 5000.

The following infantry regiments are forthwith to have each a second battalion of ten companies of 100 men each ; thus increasing their strength- respectively by 1000 bayonets : 3d Foot, 4th, 7th Royal Fusiliers, 9th Foot, 14th Foot, 17th Foot, 18th Royal Irish, 19th Foot, 20th, 21st Royal North British Fusiliers, 235 Royal Webb Fusiliers, 24th, 28th Foot, 30th, 33d, (Duke of Wellington'a Germ) 34th Foot, 38th, 39th, 41st, 42d Highlanders, 44th Foot, 46th, 47th, 49th, 50th, 51st Light Infantry. 55th, 57th, 625, 634, 68th Durham Light Infantry, 71st Highland Light Infantry, 77th Foot, 79th, 80th, 88th Connaught Rangers, 89th Foot, 90th, 935 Highland- ers, 96th Foot, and 97th. Battalions of 1200 men each will be added to the following regiments serving at home and in the Colonies : 25 Foot, (the Lambs,) 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th, 13th Light Infantry, 15th, 16th, 22d, 26th Foot, 31st, 36th, 37th, 40th, 45th Foot, 48th, 64th, 58th, 59th, 60th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 69th, 725 Light Infantrya 7311 Foot., 76th, 825, 85th Li,ght Infantry, 91st Foot, 925, 96th, and 99th. The Royal Marines will be in- creased by two battalions of 1000 men each; the 60th Rifles mid .Rifle Brigade, will each have a third battalion of 1000 men each. The corps of Royal Engineers will be increased by 600 Sappers and Miners, forming five companies of 120 men each; each battalion of Foot Artillery is to have an additional company ; the Horse Artillery will be increased by six troops, and the Rocket Brigade by one troop. No additions will be made to the Foot Guards; the Grenadiers remaining on their present establishment of three battalions, (3549 of all ranks,) and the Coldstream and Scots Fusilier Guards, of two battalions each (2439 of all ranks). It is not true that a third battalion is to be added to the First Royal Regiment.

Mr. W. S. Lindsay, M.P., has lately visited Paris and Marseilles, and probably Malta, with the object of organizing a regular service of trans- ports for the sick from the Crimea direct to Marseilles, and to establish hoe- pitals along the coast. He has had interviews with the French Minister of Marine and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Russian Embassy house at Constantinople has been taken possession of by the French to form a military hospital : it is unusual to seize such buildings, but necessity has no law.

When Mr. John Attwood failed, in 1853, a "surplua" wzmi talked a eftte paying every one : it now appears probable that the unsecured Oredikires whom 112,000/. is due, will get only Zs. 6d. in the pounds

the week ending on P-sturday last. Messrs. Kirk and Furniss. Liverpool merchants, who were largely en- gaged in trading with Nova Scotia, have failed, through the stoppage of other houses.

From the accountant's balance-sheet it appears probable that Messrs. Car- ter and Co., the shipowners, who recently stopped, will pay 20s. in the pound to their creditors.

Messrs. Keen and Co., warehousemen, a young but respectable firm, sus- pended payments on Wednesday : liabilities, from 50,000/. to 60,0001.; cause, losses in the Australian trade.

Messrs. Lemesurier and Co., a great firm at Quebec engaged in the timber and general trade, have suspended payment. A committee of London wine-merchants who have investigated the subject have come to the conclusion that the late frauds in the London Docks were effected by the abstraction of wine from other pipes to snake the worthless stuff to which it was added merchantable. The pipes of sour wine were either only partially filled when taken into the vault, or some of the contents were "started" into the ground to make room for other people's port. The Dock Company have given every information required by the committee, and have agreed to make up all loss on wine stored in the vault less than a twelvemonth, though their r,ules only call upon them to make good any re- duction beyond a gallon on each pipe.

The ancient subterranean church of Se. Peter witnessed on the 6th instant the unwonted spectacle of a marriage, and that marriage an English one. Miss Eaton, daughter of the authoress of "Rome in the Nineteenth Cen- tury," was the bride ; and in consideration of her recent conversion to Catholicism it was that Pio Nono granted the special dispensation by which she and fifteen other ladies were authorized to penetrate into the vene- rable crypt for so joyous a purpose. Mr. Lamb was the bridegroom. Captain Lamb, of the Seventh Dragoons, had left Rome just before, being unable te wait for his brother's marriage, on account of his being ordered to the Crimea. Monsignor Talbot performed the nuptial ceremony.

Amongst the English Catholics who bore tapers before his Holiness at St. Peter's on Candlemas-day, were Lord Levet, Sir James Fitzgerald, and Mr. Stourton. Sir James's sister took the veil, at the Convent of the Sagro Cuore, the same morning.

The Rajah of Putteala, one of the protected Sikh chiefs, is about to visit England. He wanted to bring a retinue of 500 people and eighty elephants ! but the British authorities reasoned him out of that natural desire. He will be well supplied with cash : he is a notable money-lender. At a state ball at Calcutta he was asked how he liked the English ladies; he answered-.- "My heart does not incline to them."