alioultaitmo.

During the last two days of the residence of the Court at Balmoral, her Majesty and the Prince were engaged in giving orders for improve- ments at the Castle, to be carried out previous to their next visit, and the laying out of new shrubberies and flower-beds in the grounds. The works are now going forward with spirit The elock-tower at Balmoral Castle was furnished with its clock are the Queen took her departure. The striking-bell has a very fine tone, and can be heard at a great dis- tance among the hills.—Seeteetan. The Russian and French Ambassadors, with their ladies, and the Mar- quis d'Azeglio, have been staying. at Broadlands, the seat of Lord Pal- merston. A few days ago they visited the Southampton Docks, accom- panied by his Lordship, and inspected the splendid screw-steamer Candia, which is appointed to take out the next India and China mails. They also went down Southampton Water, to view the United States frigate Merrimac.

We understand that Lord Palmerston's visit to Manchester, which was

unavoidably postponed in September, will take place next week ; and and that he has consented to be present at a meeting of the mem friends of the Mechanics' Institution, to be held in the Free-trade Hail on Thursday the 6th. His Lordship will be I e guest of Sir Benjamin neywood, and is expected to arrive with Lady Palmerston at Claremont on Tuesday next.—Times.

A Cabinet Council is summoned for the 11th instant.

There is too much reason to fear the truth of the reports that General Guyon is dead. At first the reports were disbelieved, but the recent ac- counts are circumstantial. It appears that he died on the 13th October, after a sudden and severe attack of cholera. " The funeral took place in the English burial-ground at Scutari, on the 15th, with all due mili- tary honours. Mr. Blackstone, the Embassy Chaplain, performed the solemn service. Very many of ixis old companions in arms during the Hungarian war were present at the sad ceremonial." For some reason at present not understood, the Somersetshire hero, Guyon, was placed under the same ban of neglect and silence with the Hungarian patriot Ninety. Many persons in this country, however, resented the neglect, and a subscription had been set on foot for the purpose of presenting General Guyon with a sword of honour : the promised fund must now be devoted, we fear, to a monument in his native city, Bath.

The attention of-the public having been much attracted of late to the adulteration of drugs, and to the evils arising from the indiscriminate sale of poisons by incompent persons, the Pharmaceutical Society have issued a circular setting forth the exertions they have made for fifteen years to counteract the injurious consequences of that defect in the law which allows unqualified persons to exercise the profession of chemist and druggist. The Society is incorporated by Royal charter ; it has schools for all branches of the chemist's art and business ; the students being subjected to examinations, and receiving certificates of proficiency. The circular contends that an act ought to be passed compelling all future members of the trade to undergo the Society's examination. " The exertion of the Society in elevating the scientific character of pharma- ceutical chemists will have more effect in checking adulterations, imper- fections in medicines, and accidents from -poison, than any penal enact- ment that could be passed."

Au important American scientific exploring expedition is now on its way to the scene of its active labours. It is composed of Professor E. C. Francis, of Iowa; Professor N. E. Moore, late President of the Iowa State Lyceum of Natural History ; Professor Silliman, son of Professor Silliman, of Yale College, and one or two other scientific gentlemen. The object is a thorough exploration of the fauna, flora, and geological character of a region of South America of which we have but a very imperfect knowledge, and which has not been traversed by any intelligent foreigner since the explorations of Humboldt, half a century ago. The gentlemen alluded to above expect to find, on reaching the beautiful valley of the Cauca River, a corps of American engineers, who have been sent out from New York by General Mosquera, for the purpose of opening a road from the valley to the port of Buenaventura, on the Pacific. After pursuing their investigations in this valley, they will cross the Andes, and examine the objects of interest in New Granada. Thenceproceeding- to the Southward, they will ascend the valley of the Upper Magdalena, and visit the ancient Spanish cities of La Plata and San Augustin. At this point they will seek some of the head-waters of the mighty Amazon, and follow their course through the great level regions of Southern America until they empty into the Atlantic Ocean. This under - taking has been set on foot and supported by some public-spirited gentlemen of Iowa; and, although it has received the approbation of many nubile men of that State, no Government aid has yet been extended to it.

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

Ten Weeks of 1846-'55.

Zymotic Diseases 277.7 • ••• Dropsy, Cancer, and other Diseases of uncertain or variable scat 42.5 • • • .

Tubercular Diseases 164.3 • • .• Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 108.3 • • . • Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 38.5 . • • .

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 142.6 • ..• Week of 1856. 192 35 170 106 39 147 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion

57.0

• • • •

59

Diseases of the Kidneys, &c 13.6 • • • • 18 Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c 10.1 • • . • 10 Rheumatism, Diseases of the Bones, joints, &e. 7.0 • • • • 8 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, ac 2.4 • • • • 6 Malformations 3.0 • • • • 1 Premature Birth 22.8 • • • • 32 Atrophy 25.4 • • • • 47 Age 38.8 • • • 29 Sadden 7.5 • • • •

10

Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance

27.5

. . • • 39

Total (including unspecified causes) 993.7

960

A remark by the "Hertfordshire Incumbent" in a recent communi- cation to the Times, on the disputed boundary question of Moldavia and Bessarabia, has been corrected by another correspondent, who states that Zannoni's map is not the only one of these countries easily accessible in England : he gives a list of ten other valuable and useful maps which are to.be seen in the map-room lately opened to the public in Whitehall Place by the Geographical Society.

The "Incumbent" replies. He had not denied the existence in this country of maps published subsequently to Zannoni's, but had stated his doubts that any means of testing the accuracy of such new maps was avail- able. In the list of maps given by his critic, all but one—that of Lapin— appear to be based on Russian data ; and Lapie's, which professes to be de- rived horn data in the possession of the French Ministry of War in 1822, may or may not be in the same category. At all events, it appears that at the Conferences at Paris the maps, produced by the Allies were rejected by the other side as altogether erroneous, and Lapie's no doubt was amongst them.

Dr. Kane, the distinguished American Arctic nagigator, had an inter- view on Tuesday with the Lords of the Admiralty, and with Captain Wash- ington, the head of the Hydrographical department, by whom he was most ,_imdiallY received. Dr. Kane is in very indifferent health, consequent on ns great exertions and exposure during his expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin.

The officers of the Dragoon Guards celebrated the battle of Balaldava by adinner at the'London Tavern on Saturday, the anniversary of the fatal charge." About thirty officers assembled, and the Earl of Luean pre- sided.

Accordi out from the Arm " noble to the Newcastle. Guardian, Lord Ernest Vane Tempest, shut branches of the public service by his sununary dismissal from "inclines towards the Church' for his future career ! The ily to which he belongs, it is significantly added, " have more

than one living in their gift." [The sneer of our provincial contemporary has very generally been taken for earnest.] An English company at Constantinople have proposed to construct a line of telegraph from that city to India.

Advises from Broussa of the 16th October announce a fall in the price of silk : the market was well supplied.

In consequence of the bad grape crop, the Roman Government have pro- hibited the export of grapes, ordinary wines, vinegar, tartaric acid, and potash, till the 7th September next.

The Victor Emmanuel Railway was opened on the 21st October. A train which left St. Jean de Maurienne at 8.40 a. m. arrived at Aix at noon.

The King of the Two Sicilies has granted a concession to Signor Melisurgo for the construction of a railway through Apulia.

Letters from the Papal States say the 91st foreign regiment in the pay of the Pope is about to be disbanded. Already more than 100 men have left Rome, and by the end of the year some 500 more will follow. In order not to quit entirely the good cause, these men pass over to the service of the King of Naples.

The Duchess of Orleans and her sons arrived at Milan on the 17th October.

The Duke of Calabria, son of the King of the Two Sicilies, is about to visit Vienna.

Rossini has returned to Paris, for the winter, with his health restored.

The Turinese have got a new idol in place of Piecolomini —Signora Vir- ginia Boccabadate, of Modena, youngest daughter of the late celebrated vo- calist. She has achieved a great triumph in La Traviata ; and midnight serenades and other noisy demonstrations are expected shortly to set in.

The Lord Mayor has remitted another contribution to.the Inundation Fund in France ; making a total of 34,0001.

Telegraphic advices from St. Petersburg state that the railway concessions have been granted to a French company for eighty years, and that their ex- tent is about 2:500 miles. The terms fixed by the Government are about 15,5001. per mile, under a guarantee of 4i per cent, with an additional half per cent for a sinking-fund. It is not mentioned if the French company is the Credit Mobilier, or a company formed by Messrs. Rothschild and other capi- talists. As to the sufficiency of the terms, nothing can be said until the surveys show if the lines can be constructed at a considerably less cost than the 15,500/. per mile stated to be payable. Should such not be the ease, the stock will of course fail to float, Russian. Four-and-a-half per Cents being now only at 96 or 97. Considerable importance will also attach to the ques- tion regarding the period of time over which the works are to extend ; since the total sum required—nearly 40,000,0001. sterling—will establish a drain sufficient not only to weigh down all descriptions of Russian securities in our markets, but, in some degree, every other kind of enterprise.—Tinces.

It is stated from St. Petersburg that the report of the Emperor's intention to make a foreign tour this year is not true.

The Austrian nobility exhibit great eagerness to have their sons educated by Jesuits : it is surmised that this arises from the fact that the Jesuits are now all-powerful in Austria, and the nobles expect that they will advance the interests of their pupils when they enter the world.

The price of meat is so high in Vienna that on an average 300 fewer oxen per week have been consumed this year than in preceding years.

The Surrey Gardens disaster is reported to have been more than paral- leled at Lublin. in Poland. A synagogue was crowded with Jews ; a wax- light happened to fall ; there was an alarm of fire, the people frantically tried to rush from the building, and fifty persons were thrown down and trampled to death.

Copenhagen accounts mention that the military stores of the Government have been embezzled to a considerable extent ; and the Committee appointed to investigate the subject have already discovered no fewer than fifty-eight persons engaged in these frauds, all of whom have been brought before the civil tribunals to be tried.

Great distress prevails at Acapulco : corn is twelve times its usual price.

At the last census, the population of Hamilton, in Canada West, was found to be 22,000 ; Toronto, which in 1852 had 30,700 people, in 1856 has 47,000.

A letter from Huesca mentions the arrival there of a French engineer to survey the line of railway intended to cross the Pyrenees by Tonle,. It re- marks, " The celebrated saying of Louis XIV, II n'y a plus de Pyrenees,' will yet be realized."

The registration-fees on registered letters passing through the post yield a revenue of 25,0001. a year.

The Times mentions an interesting experiment in the cultivation of rice at present under trial in Egypt, as likely to lead to an improvement in India. Mr. Lattis, a Venetian, has undertaken to produce two crops of rice in the year instead of one. He brought the first crop to maturity in July last, and it is believed that he has been equally successful with his second crop. Lord Canning, having heard of the experiment on his passage through Egypt to India, and perceiving the enormous advantage that might be de- rived from such an improvement in the country he was going to govern, re- quested the British Consul to watch the result, and forward a full report on the subject to the Home Government.

The revenue-account of the Indian Railway has been published ; show- ing that the expenses of the line for the half-year have amounted to only 42 per cent on the receipts,—a rate almost without precedent.

The American frigate Merrimac left Southampton for Brest on Thursday. A most cordial intercourse has subsisted between the Americans andEnglisk during the stay of the frigate in Southampton Water. The South-Western Railway had a strange passenger last week from Southampton to London, en route to his town residence at the Zoological Gardens—an alligator, fifteen feet long, from Greytown. The monster was conveyed in a canoe fastened on a truck; he had not been fed for some thee, and he kept opening his vast mouth in a most alarming manner. Zephaniah Williams the Chartist is better employed than Frost : at the last advices from Tasmania, he had opened a new coal-mine.

A Frenchman just arrived off Havre from the Brazils was in haste to land, and he got into a pilot-boat ; in doing so, he dropped into the sea a casket of diamonds, valued at 200,000 francs. A buoy was placed at the spot, and a diver is employed in endeavouring to recover the casket.

The following is published as a "correct list" of the names just given in baptism to the infant daughter of the Duchess de Montpensier—" Maria de Regis, Francisca de Assis, Antonia, Luisa, Fernanda, Amelia, Felipe, Isabel, Adelaide, Cristina, Josefa, Joaquina, Justa, Rufina, Lufgarda, Caro- lina, Bibiana, Polonia, Gaspara, Melchiora, Baltasara, Ana, Aguada, Jams, Francisca de Paula, Ramona, Todos los Santos, Brigidia, Dionisia "—twenty- nine in all !

Miss Philbrick, a lady residing in Piseataquis county, having been an- noyed by bears, set a trap for them. The morning after the trap was set it hat disappeared, and a trail was observed showing which way it had gone. Miss Philbrick procured her rifle and started in pursuit, and was not long in overtaking brain with all his paraphernalia. A shot from the rifle soon ter- minated his existence ; and Miss Philbriek had the satisfaction of receiving a good price for the pelt, in addition to the bounty allowed by the State.— Canadian Paper.