Iflistellantous.

The Ministerial leaders in both Houses of Parliament gave the custom- ary dinners on the day previous to the commencement of the session. On Wednesday the Duke of Wellington entertained forty Peers; Sir Ro- bert Peel an equal number of Commoners, including the mover and seconder of the Address.

Lord John Russell had also a dinner-party. Most of the Ex-Ministers, and a few steady-going Whigs, shared his Lordship's hospitalities.

We hear it reported, on authority which we believe may be relied on, that Government intend in the course of the approaching session to pro- pose the abolition of the Scottish University tests.—Witness.

At a recent meeting in the United States, held at New Plymouth, to celebrate the festival of the Pilgrims, Mr. Everett alluded to his constant endeavours, officially and otherwise, to maintain a good understanding between his own country and Great Britain. He added-

" Notwithstanding the somewhat critical state to which the controversy between the two Governments has arrived, I believe it still capable of a friendly settle- ment, on terms equally honourable to both parties."

In reference to the last East Indian mail, the Times says— "We are authorized to state that there is no foundation for the rumour which reached England by the last Indian mail, to the effect that a serious misunder- standing had arisen between Sir Henry Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough. On the contrary, private intelligence of a later date than that contained in the Indian papers warrants the behef that the most perfect union existed between the Geyer nor-General and the Commander-in-chief."

A subscription having been set on foot in India to reward Dr. Wolff for Lis adventurous journey into Bokhara, the Doctor has addressed a letter to the subscribers, disclaiming any wish for personal recompense, but en- treating that a balance of 4001. still due to Captain Grover on his ad- vances may be paid from the sum already subscribed. Dr. Wolff suggests to the subscribers the propriety of defraying some personal expenses in- curred by the Captain, as well as indemnifying him for the loss of his pro- motion from causes arising out of the expedition. For himself, the Doctor states that lie is now placed above want: for he has been presented to a living of 2001. a year by Lieutenant-Colonel Michel; and Lord Aberdeen has promised to confer on his son a situation in the Foreign Office.

Dr. Wolff has published a petition to Parliament for a grant of 4001. to pay off Captain Grover's balance.

We hear, on good authority, that the Dean of Christ Church has deprived the Reverend Thomas Edward Morris, M.A., Student of Christ Church and Tutor, of his tutorship in that College. Mr. Morris is brother of the Mr. Morris, of Exeter College, who has just gone over to the Romish Church. The Dean, it is said, being anxious to protect the young men of the College from Romanizing influences, called on Mr. Morris to sign the Thirty-nine Articles; which Mr. Morris said he had lately done its Me sense of Tract No. 90. Hence the deprivation alluded to.—Times.

We regret to hear that the Earl of Essex, in consequence of the present uncertain state of his health, was forced to decline the offer tendered to him by Sir Robert Peel of the Lord-Lieutenancy of the county of Hertford, vacant by the demise of the Earl of Verulam.—Globe.

The Committee of the Reform Club have been usefully engaged for four years in collecting and classifying Parliamentary Papers, commencing with the Union of the Kingdoms in 1801. The collection consists of 650 volumes; and elabor- ate indexes and tables of contents have been prepared to facilitate reference. The first annual meeting of the members of the Walworth Literary and Scien- tific Institution was held on Tuesday evening. From the report of the Committee of Management it appeared that the society was in a very flourishing state: ten months after its formation it numbered six hundred members; all expenses had been met by subscriptions and donations, and there was a small balance in hand. Sir George Hayter, who met with an accident at Penshnrst in July last, has bad a compensation paid him by the Railway Directors, of 2,0001.—Globe. A subscription has been commenced for Mrs. Fitzgerald, the widow of the poor. man who was assassinated by Quennell at Newington: about 2001. has been col- lected.

The centenary of the birth of Pestalozzi was celebrated on the 12th instant throughout Protestant Switzerland.—Augsburg Gazette.

The Madrid Gazette of the 13th instant states, that the Minister of the Interior bad received a communication from the Political Chief of Guipuzcoa, announcing that a :bottle had been found floating in the water near Metric°, containing a paper, of the contents of which the following words only could be deciphered-

*. Ship President. We are blocked up in Ice. and we can't live much time . . . . had friend will acquaint our • • • We are dying of hunger • . . I am fainting . . . If, if • • •

The bottle was found by some fishermen, and handed to the Alcalde of Mobico, a few leagues from San Sebastian. A copy of the paper has been communicated to the Bntish Minister. [This story bears many marks of improbability; and it may be as well to recite a few facts that suggest doubt of its authenticity. Several pretended relics of the President have been reported; and among them, if we remember rightly, there have been more than one tale about a bottle, like this one. Madrid has before now been the channel for absurd stories meant for London; as in the recent case of some false rumours about the Rio de la Plata. The fragment quoted above can scarcely have been written by an Englishman: " much time" is not English; and if a foreigner was on board it is unlikely that he would have been selected as the person to write for all, or that he would have chosen to write in an alien tongue at such a time. The bottle may have been picked up; but it may have been set afloat by some miserable hoaxer.] Accounts from Stockholm, of the 30th December, state that Sweden is suffering severely from the effects of scarcity of provisions. The greatest alarm lest a complete famine might ensue was felt in many parts, particularly in Upland. The Government bad made large purchases of corn from Russia, and had likewise afforded pecuniary relief to the suffering peasantry. So urgent had been the dis- tress, that the troops had been employed to break the ice, for the sake of facili- tating the approach of corn-laden ships.

The Chemins de Fer says, it is well known that for a fleet to pass from the Mediterranean to the Straits of Dover, that is to say, from Toulon to the port of Cherbourg, the Straits of Gibraltar must be passed; which are completely com- manded by England, by reason of her possession of Gibraltar. This necessity, which m case of war would be extremely prejudicial to France, has induced M. Guillemon, of the engineers, to turn his attention to the subject. "The carriage of a whole fleet overland" appearsossible to this gentleman; and be proposes to carry out his design in the following og manner. A railway to be constructed across France, uniting the two ports; a submarine creek to be opened at each end; the railway to be carried into this creek, which might be constricted as a canal, and

a slight incline being given to the rails would bring up the ship to the run of the level of the rails.

Mr. Joseph Ady has ensnared the Reverend J. Rogers of Penrose, near Ha- sten, into the loss of a sovereign. In a letter to the Lord Mayor, Mr. Rogers says, that, under the belief that Mr. Ady's services might be useful in tracing out funded property which belonged to his father, he complied with the terms of his circular, and forwarded him a Post-office order for one pound. He received in return some useless warning and advice about the railway liabilities of clergymen Mr. Rogers administers a warning to others, not to be similarly taken in.

Zymotic (or Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious) Diseases Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat Diseases of the Brain. Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion Diseases of the Kidneys, Se Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, fie Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, Sc Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Sc.

Old Age Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance Total (including unspecified causes)

The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 49.1° in the sun to 33.3° in the shade; the mean temperature by day being warmer than the average mean temperature by 6.4°. The air has been calm throughout the week.

The Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week end- ing on Saturday last shows the following general results.

Number of Winter Annual deaths. average. average.

204 ... 183 114 ... 115 • • • • • • 188 104 150 169 • • • 157 34 ... 363 • • • 294 4 ... 30 ..• 27 7 ... 69 • • • 72

• . •

7

• • 10

• • • 7

. . 2

4

2

1,04 ... 1,080 ... 968