_Miscellaneous.

Sir Charles departs for India this day. Lady Napier remains in England. A photographic portrait of Sir Charles Napier is exhibited at the house of Messrs. Hering and Remington, in Regent Street, before it is handed to the engraver. It is a carefully executed daguerreotype, by Mr. Kilburn. The General is dressed in plain clothes, and wears spectacles; he is sitting, in a natural and easy posture; and the whole is a fine specimen of highly finished photography. For so illustrious a subject, it might have been bet- ter if the head bad been taken, in a separated and additional photograph, OR a larger scale; both because the engraving is to be larger—to form a companion with Mr. Ryall's portrait of the Duke of Wellington—and be- cause the larger size displays the countenance more minutely and correctly. The present drawing, indeed, is an excellent one of its size, and serves well to correct the caricatured " sketches " which have appeared. The exact photograph shows that decision and quiet strength which accompany the eagle glance of the sketches.

We understand that Majors Macmurdo and William Napier, Sir Guy Campbell and Captain Byng, have been appointed Aides-de-camp to Sir Charles James Napier. Colonel George Napier, eldest son to Sir George, Will accompany his uncle as an extra Aide-de-Damp; and the office of Mili- tary Secretary will be filled by Captain Pitt Kennedy, of the Engineers.— Globe.

The following regiments have received orders to complete their rank and file to 1,000 each,—Twenty-sixth, Cameronians, Fifteenth, Thirtieth, Forty- first, Forty-seventh, Forty-ninth, and Sixty-ninth; and to hold themselves in readiness to embark for foreign service.—United Service Gazette.

It appears from a Parliamentary paper recently issued, that in the last eighteen years 2,185 commissions were obtained in the Army without pur- chase. Of non-commissioned officers the number was 446; of gentlemen cadets, from the Royal Military College, 473; and of private gentlemen, 1,266. The appointment, by Government, of Mr. Fronde, whose book has at, tained such an ndenviable notoriety, to the headship of a College in Ho- bart Town, is said to have been cancelled. The preliminary proceedings said to have been taken to deprive him of his Fellowship in Exeter College have been anticipated by his resignation, and becoming a "fugitive from discipline."—Globe. An answer has been received by the English Government from the Court of Stockholm, extremely favourable to the views of the Ministry respecting the repeal of the Navigation-laws. His Swedish Majesty is ready to abol- ish all the existing restrictions on British vessels on the condition of reci- procity.—Times. Count Kielmansegge, the Hanoverian Minister, is gradually recovering from a severe and dangerous illness, which at one period occasioned much alarm.

We are informed, On what we believe to be most undoubted authority, that the Committee which was appointed at the last half-yearly meeting of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway Company, to inquire into the purchase of the shares of the Great North of England Railway, have completed their inquiry, and come to the conclusion that Mr. Hudson is entirely guiltless of the charges which have been so unsparingly made against him with regard to that purchase.—Morning Post.

The shareholders of the Midland Railway Company met at Liverpool On Wednesday, in pursuance of a notice calling on them to assemble and pronounce their opinions on the position of their affairs—the rule of Mr. Hudson being the covert point of attack. Mr. A. H. Wylie presided; and made a long speech against Mr. Hudson; founding his charges on the Matters of common report in regard to other companies, and especially on a special transaction of favoritism to the Great Northern Company at the expense of the Midland, Mr. Hudson being Chairman of both. Mr. Wylie moved the appointment of a Committee of investigation: the Direc- tors did not oppose, and it was unanimously resolved to take this course. Mr. Lewin Mozley stated, and it seemed to be thought that he was well in- formed, that "he had no doubt the Directors had made_ up their minds to have another Chairman."

II Captain Laws and Mr. Hacking met at Salford station on Saturday morning, and came to an amicable arrangement of matters in dispute be- tween the Lancashire and Yorkshire and the East Lancashire Railway Companies.

Mr. Blore has ceased to be the architect to Westminster Abbey, and the Dean and Chapter have appointed Mr. G. G. Scott. The Hobart Town Courier, of the 27th November last, announces the wreck of the Colonial Government brig Governor Phillip, on the passage from Sydney to Hobart Town, having on board eighty-five persons, including forty Crown prisoners. The brig struck on a reef extending to the Eastward of Gull Island, and in a few hours after striking went to pieces. The prisoners knocked dawn the place in which they were confined, and gained the deck; but were induced to go below by Lieutenant Griffiths, be pledging his honour they should be saved. Lieutenant Griffiths (of the Ninety-sixth Regiment) was drowned in attempting to swim to the reef: and subsequently fifteen other lives were lost. The sur- vivors endured great suffering whilst on Gull Island ; the ladies and children being almost naked.

Louis Christophe, the soi-disant Prince of Hayti, who figured prominently to- wards the close of last year at some of our Police-courts, died on Sunday week, in the Workhouse of St. George's-in-the-East, and was buried there on the fol- lowing Wednesday.

We have read that Boyle once very nearly succeeded in making gold; that he showed the experiment to Sir Isaac Newton, when both became frightened and threw away the ingredients. A gentleman communicates to the editor of the Mining Journal, that having experimented some ten years ago on the stratifi- cation of the earth and the formation of mineral deposits, he believes with truth- ful results, he turned up one of his old experiments accidentally a few days ago, and found running in akind of spiral string through one part a small quantity of gold. No gold was used in the experiment, and the conclusion arrived at is that it has been formed from some of the other substances. This, however, is nothing to what is asserted by an iron-founder of this town: he declares that he has found out a process by which he can change any quantity of iron into gold. Before three months are over, he says, we shall hear more of this marvel. He pro- mises to produce gold in tons; in short, in any quantity.—Liverpool Albion.

It is proposed to try Rush at the approaching Norwich Assizes, which open on Monday next. It is not expected that Mrs. Jermy or Eliza Chestney, her maid, will be able to attend the trial. It was found necessary to amputate Mrs. Jenny's arm last week, and she was in a very low state after the operation. Rush, it is said, will defend himself: he writes continually.

A drunken woman has attempted to kill herself under the wheels of the Queen's carriage. As her Majesty was proceeding up the Vauxhall Bridge Road, on Mon- day evening, Mary Cowdry, an old woman who sells combs, threw herself before the horses of the carriage: the postillions pulled up promptly, aad a policeman dragged the woman away, or the carriage would have gone over her. She was very much intoxicated. When taken before the Westminster Magistrate, it ap- peared that she had never been in custody before; so Mr. Broderip, after a suit- able lecture, discharged her.

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

Number of Winter Deaths. Average. Eymotic Diseases 233 .... 251 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 61 . .. 54 Tubercular Diseases 196 .... 206 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses . 132 141

Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vesse 42 .... 40

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration... 199 .... 243

Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 64 .... 61 Diseases of the Kidneys, &c 12 .... 13

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, &e. Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, &c Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, &c Malformations Premature Birth Atrophy Age Sudden Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance Total (including unspecified cameo) 1083 1169 The temperature of the thermometer ranged from 77.7° in the MR to 28.0° in the shade; the mean temperature by day being warmer than the average mean temperature by 4.1°. The mean direction of the wind for the week was North- west. 19 .... 23 22 .... 15 62 .... 73 .... It 25 .... 97