311ionNutnno.

The National Rifle Association has sent the following communication to the newspapers :—

" The Council of the National Rifle Association, having resolved that the chief prize and the gold medal of the Association shall be shot for by the Volunteers at the National Rifle Association meeting in July next, with a small bore rifle, at ranges of 800, 900, and 1000 yards, are anxious that the competitors should contend, as far as possible, on equal terms. This can only be effected by confining them to one description of arm, but, before de- ciding upon it, the Council invite the gun-makers of the United Kingdom to a competition with rifles of a minimum bore of .451, and of a maximum weight of Nibs., the pull of the trigger not being less than 3lbs. This competition will take place at Hythe on the 1st of May. "The rifle that gives the best figure will then be selected, subject to the condition of the manufacturer undertaking to supply the required number of forty within two months of that date, and of their being equal in quality to the one so chosen."

The following papers will be read at the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, on Monday:—!. "Expedition into the In- terior of South Australia," by Sir R. G. Macdonnell, Governor; and "Voyage up the Darling and l3arwan Rivera," by W. It, Randall,

communicated by the Colonial Office ; 2. "On Typical Mountain Ranges," by W. Spottiswoode, Esq., F.R.G.S.

The Prince of Wales has gone from Brussels, passing by Cologne to Mag- deburg, where he met his sister, the Princess Frederic William. The Prince departed the same day for Halle en route for Coburg, on a visit to his uncle.

A grand celebration of the anniversary of the birthday of the renowned German Protestant Reformer, Melancthon, was to be held at Wittenberg on Thursday, at which the Prince Regent and Prince Frederic William pro- mised to be present.

The Emperor and Empress of the French will probably visit Nice and Savoy towards the end of June.

It is announced that Prince Napoleon and the Princess Clothilde are about to make a trip to Italy, and that, on their way back to France, they will pass through Savoy and Nice.

General Changarnier has left Paris. To fight for which—the despotism of Naples or that of Rome, ask the Parisian flaneurs ? The answer is— neither.

A report that the Count de Persigny, now in Paris, will not return to London, has been authoritatively contradicted.

The Marquis de la Valette is to leave Marseilles on the 28th of this month, for Constantinople, as French Ambassador. He was the Minister who went to the Turkish capital just before the Crimean war.

It is stated in a letter from Munich that the marriage of Count Trani, younger brother of the King of the Two Sicilies, with the Princess Matilda, fourth daughter of the Duke Maximilian of Bavaria, and sister of the Em- press of Austria, has been officially sanctioned by the King of Naples.

General Canrobert, accompanied by several officers of engineers, has visited the fort of Rousses, on the frontier of Switzerland.

The Senator Laity, a conspicuous Bonapartist, has been taking a quiet un- official tour in North Savoy. Though on pleasure bent, no doubt he has a politic mind ; and while admiring nature can do a stroke of business.

Lord Palmerston, says Bell's Ige, rode on horseback to Danehury, thir- teen miles, last Peturday morning, saw klainstone gallop, then cantered back to Broadlands, had out another horse after luncheon, and rode all over the estate—pretty well for a man of seventy-five_ Captain Leicester Vernon, one of the Members for Berkshire, died suddenly on Saturday. Be had driven out, but his horses growing restive, he stepped from his carriage, and fell while struggling to master them. De- termined to walk home, he eoinplained of a pain in his chest, and, calling a cab, he drove home. He had broken a bl000-vessel, and died iinniediately We regret to anneunee the death of Mr. John Finlaiema, the celebrated actuary and Government calculator. He died on Friday morning at his residence at Notting Hill, in his seventy-seventh year, nearly fifty of which were spent in the Government service.

We regret to have to announce the death from cholera, on Thursday last, the 15th 'instant, of Captain Fox Maule Ramsay, of the 56th Regiment. This melancholy event occurred at the encampment at the foot of the Dews, Ghaut, near Poona, whilst the gallant officer was accompanying his regi- ment from Belgatim. The body was brought into Poona and buried with funeral honours. Captain Ramsey served in the Crimean war with the 56th, and was demisted with a medal for Sebastopol.—Poona Observer, March 17.

Some interesting end valuable statistics relative to the colony of New Zealand have recently been embodied in a blue-book arldreas'ecl to the Honourable E. W. Stafford, Colonial Secretary, by the Registrar-General, and bearing date, Auckland, December 29, 1859. They include the results of a census, from which it appears that within the last seven years previous the population of New Zealand increased from 26,707 to 59,277, or at the rate of nearly 122 per cent ; while live stock increased from 290,115 to 1,727,997; the land under crop from 29,140 to 140,965 acres; and the land fenced from 30,470 to 235,488 acres. The statistics show a corresponding increase in the diffusion of general education ; there has been an increase of more than 9 per cent in the proportion of those who can read and write, and the day and Sunday schools have risen from 4605 to 9672. Meantime the total value of imports has increased during the previous five years from 597,8271. to 1,141,2731., and the total value of exports from 303,2821. to 458,0231. The increase in the export of wool is most striking, having risen from 66,000/. to upwards of 254,0001. Gold, too, appears, we believe for the first time, in the list of New Zealand experts, the amount exported in 1857-8, having been no less than 92,8861. To these statistics is sub- joined a curious appendix of meteorological information, confirming the pre- valent belief in the salubrity of the climate of that far distant colony.

Attempts are now being made to introduce the cotton and coffee plants to New Zealand. Coffee-berries from Ceylon, and cotton-seed from China, have arrived at Auckland, and both are now deposited in the ground in the faith of yielding profitable results. Seeing that oranges, lemons, and other delicate fruits are already successfully cultivated in the Northern portion of the colony, and that grapes of the very best quality are grown in the pro- vince of Auckland, there is no reason why. the coffee and the cotton plants should not be also successfully cultivated 211 this land of promise.—New Zealand .London Examiner, April 16.

The first of the steam-vessels designed by the Oriental Inland Steam Company for the navigation of the Ganges has just been tried on the Mer- sey. This vessel, which draws two feet of water, is 250 feet long and 30 feet beam, and is propelled by two high pressure engines of 200-horse power nominal, but working up to about 800 actual horse power. The speed at- tained on the trial trip was about 14 miles an hour, with 31 to 32 revolu- tions of the wheels per minute ; but as many as 36 revolutions per minute were obtained for part of the time. The engines are formed with inclined cylinders, of 26 inches diameter and 6 feet stroke ; and the pressure of the steam is 1001bs. per square inch. The steam is supplied by four boilers, on the locomotive principle, of great strength. The vessel is trussed, both longitudinally and transversely, with wrenght-iron pipes, which are effec- tive in withstanding both extension and compression. As this vessel has more power and a lighter draught of water than any now upon the Ganges, and also a higher rate of speed, her establishment upon that river is looked forward to with great interest. The Junius, a sister vessel, is also nearly ready ; and these vessels, it is expected, will inaugurate a new era in the navigation of the Ganges, as combining great power and speed and a lighter draught of water than any heretofore introduced upon any of the Indian rivera—Lieerpoo1 Mr. Broughton has retired from the office of Police Magistrate at Maryle- hone. Mr. Seeker will be transferred from Greenwich to Marylebone, and Mr_ D. Maude, Police Magistrate at Manchester, will succeed Mr. Seeker at Greenwich.

The Mil Service Gazette of Saturday had an announcement which ought to attract the attention of the " Women's-rights " advocates :—"Post-office.

—Miss Catherine Downes Rogers has been appointed to a clerkship atTorquay, and pasted her examination." The locale of this startling event is, to be sure, merely a provincial post-office ; and there have been " post-mistresaes " ere now—hut the words clerkship," and "passed her examination," are plain. A young lady has become a member of the civil service—having passed the terrible ordeal of the Civil Service Commissioners—and has become entitled to all those privileges of promotion, pension, &e., which (shall we say ?) her " fellow " Clerks so fully enjoy. We heartily congratulate the new civil servant on her appointment. —Globe.

Recruiting for Lamorierese's army is going on actively in Brussels. Bounties of from 28/. to 32/. are paid out of " St. Peter's pence." The re- cruits are sent off to Ancona, by way of Austria.

A Milan letter in the Opinion Nationale states that on Saturday last four unfortunate citizens of Mantua were shot by General Culoz, for having con- nived at the desertion of some Austrian soldiers.

It is calculated that Piedmont, at the present moment, has an active force of 183,000 men, and the standing [army is to be brought up to 200,080.

The health of London is far under the average at this season. Last week no fewer than 1407 persons died, whereas the average number is 1231, show- ing an excess of 176.

It appears by a Parliamentary return that the amount annually collected by rates, tolls, and dues in the 'United Kingdom, so far as the same can be ascertained, is as follows :—In England and Wales, 11,613,363?.; in Scot- land, 1.285,480/.; in Ireland, 1,729,683/.; United Kingdom, light dues, 1859, 273,5761.; total, 14,902,069/.

The Parisian diamond merchants, Amend and Duval, have been robbed of a ease of diamonds worth 12,500/. They have come to London in search of the thieves. A Mrs. Cumming has been plundered of a jewel-case contain- ing property worth 400d.

A collection of rare engravings, formerly the property of the late Mr. Johnson, Radcliffe Observer, have just been sold by Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson. The whote colfeetion realized the sum of 33591. Is. 6d. Some of the lots brought enormous prices. For instance : —96. Morghen—" The Last Supper," after Leonardo da Vinci, a most splendid impression before the letters, and with the white plate; a print of the greatest rarity-3161. 134. Rahnondi, Marc Antonio— St. Paul Preaching at Athens," after Raffaelie, fine and scarce-36/. 135. Raimontli, Marc Antonio—" The Judgment of Paris," after Raffaelle ; one of the finest impressions known of a print of the ,,oreatest rarity-3211. 137. Raimondi, Marc Antonio—The original sketch in pen, by Itatraelle, for the above composition of the "Murder of the Innocents," with several variations—a highly interesting and valuable drawing, formerly in the possession of Sir Thomas Lawrence ; the figures are studied in the nude-1901. 141. Rembrandt—" Old Hearing," a print of the greatest rarity, and very fine-107/. 142. Rembrandt—" The Hun- dred Guilder Piece," a very splendid impression on India paper, with large margin, from the Debois cabinet-1601_ During time night of Easter Sunday the Emperor of Austria left Vienna for Payerbach by a special train, which ran into a sand or rubbish car in the neighbourhood of Pfafstatten. The car was smashed, and the carriage in which his Majesty and Prince Vain; were sitting was thrown off the rail, but no further damage was done. After a delay of four hours at the station at Pfafstatten, the travellers pursued their journey to Payerbach, where they had gone to shoot wood-grouse or capercailzie.

The receipts of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society for the past year have amounted to 140,000/. within a few shillings. The exact amount is stated to be 139,999/. 5s. 11d. This amount includes the legacy of the late Mr. Pool!, of Road, Somerset, the net proceeds of which were NOM Com- pared with the receipts of the previous year, there is an increase of nearly 11,0001.— Watchman.

It appears from the twenty-first report of the General Board of Directors of Prisons in Scotland, just presented to Parliament, that crime has been gradually diminishing in Scotland since the year 1853. The total number of prisoners in 1852 was 2919; in 1853, 27'20; in 1854, 2666; in 1855, 2316; in 1856, 2210; in 1857, 2201 ; in 1858, 2114; and in 1859, 2191. Of these 1098 were men, and 1093 women. It is but just towards the frailer portion of the community to state that a large percentage of the decrease above referred to is in female criminals.