31Itort Hamm

The Times explains the object of the Order in Council of the 1st April 1853 relating to the Navy, described by the Secretary of the Admiralty as intended "to give the Royal Navy a permanent constitution, in order that it may be brought to a higher point of organization, efficiency, and discipline and thus be enabled to fulfil the expectations of the country."

"The discipline, step is therefore to render the condition of boys and seamen discipline, step is therefore to render the condition of boys and seamen

who shall engage for a continuous period of service in the Navy of ten years from the age of eighteen considerably better than that of seamen en- tered on the former system. For this purpose, all seamen entering here- after on these terms, or who shall now volunteer to accept these terms, in- elutling in the time of their engagement their present period of service, will have an increase of pay to second-class ordinary seamen of a penny a day, to ordinary seamen of twopence a day, to petty officers and able seamen of threepence a day. A class of leading seamen is established with twopence a day in addition to any other pay to which they may be entitled. Men and boys are permitted to purchase their discharge on a principle similar to that in force in the Army and Marines. The ratings of petty officers in line-of- battle ships are increased threepence a day, and a considerable increase will be made in the number of petty officers who are eligible for the good-con- duct gratuities of 71. and N. when ships are paid off. Pensions, as at pre- sent, will be awarded to men for continuous and general service after twenty years instead of twenty-One, reckoning from the age of eighteen instead of from the age of twenty.. But the Admiralty have now a discretionary power of granting short-Berme pensions of 6d. or 8d. a day to men who have served ten or fifteen years respectively, on condition of such men holding them- selves in readiness to give further service in the event of an armament or of war. The number of men in the receipt of such short-service pensions is not to exceed 10,000; but the existence of this reserve of seamen-pensioners would enable the Admiralty, in ease of emergency, to equip a squadron with well-trained seamen, and with the utmost despatch. The pay of the warrant- officers of the fleet is increased by about one-fourth ; and warrant-officers who ham distinguished themselves by acts of gallantry and daring in the service will be eligible to hold commissions in the fleet in such rank and position as they may be deemed worthy and competent to fill; and such warrant-officers will receive, on promotion, an outfit of 1001."

Lord Robert Grosvenor has supplied the Times with another instance of the special annoyance inflicted on English travellers by the Austrian au- thorities. It is told in an extract from a letter, dated " Venice, May 6," and written by a clergyman travelling with Lord Robert's son.

"We had the strictest search made into every article of baggage, including desks, hat-boxes, and papers of all descriptions, both at the frontiers and again at our entrance into Venice : we are told that this will be repeated both at Trieste and Vienna. It seems to be done merely for the purpose of vexation, as I am assured none but English (not even Americans) are so tor- mented; and it would be ridiculous were it not so annoying, for the officials who read your letters are so grossly ignorant that R.'s journal was gravely pro- nounced to be a German manuscript."

Mr. Layard set out from Constantinople on the 5th current, for Eng- land, "to resume his Parliamentary duties."

The remaina of Sir Walter Gilbert were buried on Monday, in the Kensal Green Cemetery. Lord Hardinge and Lord Gough were among the mourners ; Lord Gough came from Dublin.

We learn from Belgium, that the Duke of Brabant, eldest son of King Leopold, is to be married to the Archduchess Marie Henrietta Anne, daughter of the late Archduke Joseph of Austria.—Standard.

The Duke of Rianzares, the husband of the Queen-Mother of Spain, had an interview with the Emperor on Wednesday.

The new Spanish Minister at Paris is the Marquis of Viluma.

The Elector of Hesse-Cassel has dissolved all the singing-clubs in his dominions.

Roothan, the General of the Jesuits, who has long been ill, died at Rome on the 8th instant.

It is stated that the Pope has prohibited the circulation of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in the Roman States.

Count O'Donnell, the aide-de-camp attending the Emperor of Austria when his life was attempted, has received the cross of Commander of the Legion of Honour from Louis Napoleon, and the sword of Mozol Akbar, Sultan of the Turks in the sixteenth oentury, on the hilt of which are engraved the words "Help comes from God.'

Some time ago several letters from a "First Hand" in the dress- making and millinery trade at the West-end, complaining of the long hours, severe labour, and bad ventilation in the workshops, were pub- lished in the Times. This week a City dressmaker furnishes similar complaints. At the West-end, the labour was severe for the season. In the City house, throughout the whole year, the hours of labour are six- teen ; from which deduct ten minutes for each meal—amounting to forty minutes out of the sixteen hours each day. The writer of the letter com- plains, that " at this moment these White slaves are busily employed in making a dress for Mrs. Beecher Stowe, the champion of the Black idaves of America ! I wish," the letter continues, "she would take a peep into the cabin in which her dress is being made, and put a few questions to those who are employed in making it, and tell you what she thinks of the sys- tem she is patronizing." Fifty-two of the West-end firms have recently agreed to a declaration in favour of ten-and-a-half hours' work.

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

Ten Week* of 1843-32. Week of 1853.

Zymotic Diseases 1,870

233 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 469 .... 43 Tubercular Diseases 1,941 .... 212 Diseasesof the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 1,159 .... 118 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels

• Diseases of the Lungs, and a the other Organs of Respiration

318 1,363 ....

.... 49 169 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 603 .... 70 Diseases of the Kidneys, ge

92

16

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, Sc

66

• • •

7 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones. Joints, Isc

74

. •

10 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Sc 12

• • •

Malformations 30

• • •

2 Premature Birth 224

• . • •

32 Atrophy 160

• • •

43

Age

478

• •

37 Sudden 101.

• • • •

Violence,Privation,Oold, and Intemperance 317

• • •

Total (including unspecified causes) 9,338

1,099

The London and Brighton Railway Company have commenced the long- desidemted improvement of second-class carriages. Some new carriages have been provided with cushions covered with leather, and in some cases the backs of the seats are padded. As old carriages go in for repairs this change will be made in the seats and backs. The Company have also added superior third-class carriages to their stock : they are covered in, and di- vided in the centre ; so that some protection will be afforded against heat, wind, and rain.

The arrivals of immigrants at Melbourne in December were 11,699; in January, 8101.