irtistellantous.

It has been officially announced that that the Queen will open Par- liament in person ; and the ceremony will be performed with unusual splendour, on account of the King of Prussia's presence. The state- chair for the King will be placed on the right of the Queen ; and on the left seats will be provided for the Dutchesses of Kent, Gloucester, and Cambridge, and the Princess Augusta. The King of Prussia will go in separate state to the House, and will be received with the honours paid to crowned heads.

The parishes of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields and St. George's Hanover Square are at issue about the registration of the Princess Royal and Prince of Wales. Buckingham Palace stands in both parishes ; the Northern wing being in St. Martin's, and in the Northern wing the children were born. But they have been registered in St. George's. After the christening, on Tuesday, crowds of persons dipped their handkerchiefs in the font, in order to preserve a sort of imaginary relic of the water of the river Jordtur,in which the Prince had been baptized. This water was brought over to this country by Mr. Seoles of Argyll Place, who in the year 1825 travelled in the East.

• Tuesday's Gazette contained the official notification that the Queen had ordered a conge d'elire to pass the Great Seal, empowering the Dean and Chapter of Chichester Cathedral to elect a Bishop to the see, in the room of Dr. Philip Nicholas Shuttleworth ; and that the Queen had re- commended Dr. Ashurst Turner Gilbert to be elected.

At a Convocation held in Oxford on Thursday, the Reverend James darbett was unanimously elected Professor of Poetry, in the room of the Reverend John Keble.

Mr; Backhouse, the Under-Secretary in the Foreign Office, has re- signed. Mr. Addington, the late Minister in Spain, has been appointed In his place.—Globe.

A paragraph, quoted from the Scotsman, Edinburgh paper, has been going the round of the London journals, to the effect that her Majesty has intimated her Royal wish to confer the vacant riband of the Garter upon Lord Melbourne. We are enabled positively to state that there is not the slightest foundation for this assertion.—Morning Post. The John Bull assumes that the Times is restrained from giving the name of the writer of "certain brickbat and bludgeon articles which disfigured his pages during the Reform mania" by "motives of deli- cacy '—" which do not affect us," adds the John Bull; and so we are told that "they came from the pen of the Chronicle's favourite and patron the late Lord Durham."

Alluding to a report in the Augsburg Gazette, that Queen Victoria and Queen Christina have aided the Prince of Capua with funds, the Times says- " We can state on unquestionable authority, that the Prince of Capua has received no pecuniary aid from his Royal relative Queen Christina, nor from any other quarter ; and although his Royal Highness has very considerable claims on the King of Naples, as well under the will of his late august father as from his appointments as a Prince of the Royal house, he has hitherto been unable to obtain the smallest advance from either of those sources ; though it is notorious that a report to the contrary has been industriously circulated at Naples. All the Prince of Capua has received since he left Italy has been from the proceeds of a small inheritance which could not be withheld from him."

The Marquis of Westminster is recovering, at Eaton Hall, from a dangerous fit of gout and rheumatism, which had extended to a vital part. Mr. Dncrow died on Thursday night, at his house in York Road, Lambeth. On Saturday, he had a paralytic stroke ; and he never quite recovered the shock to his intellects inflicted by the late conflagration at his theatre. He was in his fifty-fourth year.

At a late meeting of the Brigg Agricultural Association, it was re- solved— " That the glaring and nefarious evasion of the existing Corn-laws, through the instrumentality of fictitious returns, by which the revenue has been se- riously defrauded, the agrigultural community deprived of the protection de- signed by the Legislature, and the country occasionally inundated with foreign corn when it was not required, imperatively demands the interference of Par- liament. That the object of such interference should be to ascertain the real average price of corn, and to carry out the purpose of the present Corn-law, which was just and necessary ; and it is the opinion of this meeting, that in any new enactment which may be deemed necessary, the subject of revenue ought to be a matter of secondary consideration, as in the time of scarcity the chief object should be to secure an ample supply at as moderate a rate as cir- cumstances will admit. That this meeting deprecates any change in the exist- ing Corn-law which would deprive the agriculturists of the protection intended thereby; and considers the new scheme of duties put forth by Mr. Christopher to be very objectionable, as it would have such an effect. That a Sub-Com- mittee be appointed to collect information as to the best mode of taking the averages so as to secure a correct return." Mr. Christopher has written a letter to Mr. T. G. Corbett, the Presi- dent of the Association, vindicating his own views. He says that he has not put forth any new scheme of duties which will preclude him from exercising the most unfettered discretion when the subject is considered iii Parliament. He had always maintained the existing Corn-laws ; and he would do so still, but that it is no longer practicable : the address supported by the Conservative Opposition in both Houses made it no longer possible, if it were prudent, to resist the consideration of the question— "Under these circumstances, I thought the wisest course the agricultural body could adopt was calmly to consider the state of the law, with a view to remove defects and maintain what was essential to the protection of British agriculture.

I should not have ventured to have offered even suggestions on the subject,

were it not from the circumstance that vain and delusive hopes were held out to my constituents, that the only object Parliament had in inquiry was to

amend the mode of taking the averages, and to adhere rigidly to the present

scale of duties. I believe that it would he as easy to legalize the Slave-trade, or give representatives to Gatton, as to attempt to render the Corn-laws more

restrictive in their operation than they are at present ; and, impressed with these views, I took two opportunities of declaring publicly my sentiments to my con- stituents."

Mr. Christopher shows again how the English farmer has the odium, but not the benefit, of the high prices ; which, with the low duty, enrich only the foreign grower and the dealer. Mr. William Cripps, the American merchant of Nottingham, states one fact elicited in an interview with Sir Robert Peel—" that it is im- possible (in consequence of existing treaties with some of the Conti- nental countries) so to modify the sliding scale as to give America a fair chance of sending grain to this market." Mr. Richard Mitchell, the High Sheriff of Leicester, has written a letter to the Globe, denying that he took part in the late deputation to Sir Robert Peel from Nottingham and Leicester. He only waited on Sir Robert to suggest that any corn which it may be necessary to im- port should be taken from the United States. Mr. Mitchell is opposed to repeal of the Corn-laws. Mr. Webb Hall, a practical agriculturist, who says "I have never attended a party meeting in my life," has addressed a letter to Sir Ro- bert Peel, urging repeal of the Coru-laws. He says that they have scourged the land with evils ; and that they have been such an engine of corruption as to be worse than ten state lotteries. They have de-

stroyed the wholesome trade in English corn ; while the state of de pendence and excessive competition among farmers induce their ruin and affect the cost of growing wheat- " What course shall the Legislature then pursue ? I will suggest 'one which' shall be at least simple, commercial, and unexciting. Destroy the avers:zee entirely ; place a duty of 10s. per quarter on wheat—reduce this Is. per quarter until it reaches 5s. per qnarter, and there let it rest ; and the question of the Corn-laws might he settled for ever, with as little consideration of burden as penny postage; and I for one fear not the result."

The Tenrps announces that the Prince de Joinville was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral by a Royal ordinance dated the 22d instant.

The debate on the address in the French Chamber of Deputies had been protracted to a great length, several amendments having been moved. The new European treaty mutually granting the right of search was canvassed with warmth ; but without much of interest kr the discussion. On this point several amendments were moved, whose distinctive differences are so refined as to be barely perceptible. Here are three : First, M. Billant's-

" This prudence insures to us also, that in the arrangements relative to the suppression of a guilty traffic, your Government will carefully shelter from every attack the legitimate interests of our maritime commerce and the com- plete independence of our 'tag."

M. Jacques Lefebvre's-

" We have also the confidence that, in granting its concurrence to the sup- pression of a criminal traffic, your Government will know how to preserve from every attack the interests of our commerce and the independence of our flag."

M. Lacrosse's-

" We entertain the hope, that if your Government adheres to the new arrangement relative to the slave-trade, it will succeed in suppressing that in- famous traffic, at the same time preserving the legitimate interests of maritime commerce and the independence of our flag." On Saturday, M. Thiers vehemently attacked the treaty, using most of the trite arguments against such measures. He declared that the English kept cruisers on the coast of Guinea solely for the sake of dis- turbing French trade. He argued that the prevention of the slave- trade was inhuman, because cargoes of slaves were sometimes precipi- tated into the sea to escape capture. He denounced the treaty of 1833, which stipulated for the seizure of vessels having planks, irons, or other proof of their being slave-vessels; a treaty concluded when he himself was Minister of Commerce. He admitted that France had not sailors enough to man cruisers for the repression of the slave-trade ; while he called such a mission given to vessels and seamen as idle cruising ; but he would reserve the right of limiting the number of English cruisers. He represented England as hating the island of Bourbon, because, it was on the road to India. M. Guizot had not much difficulty in replying to the special-pleading of his antagonist. He devoted some time to explaining how America was interested in resisting the de- manded right of search, because it involved the right of searching for British seamen on board foreign vessels ; a matter to which France was necessarily indifferent. The result is concisely stated by the National- '. The long and eloquent debate relative to she right of search terminated at seven o'clock on Monday afternoon, by the adoption of M. Jacques Lefebvre's amendment unanimously, with the exception of the votes of the five Ministers who are Deputies. • ' MM. Billaut and Lacrosse, who proposed two other amendments, withdrew them ; declaring that they adopted M. Le- febvre's amendment, because they considered it as a censure passed upon the treaty of 1841, and a wish that this treaty should not be ratified. AL Jacques Lefebvre and his friends declared that their object in proposing an amendment was to oppose, as far as the prerogative of the Chamber could do so, any ex- tension of the treaties of 1831 and 1833. M. Dupin, a member of the Com- mittee which prepared the address, was even more explicit. He declared that the object of his vote was to hasten the period when those treaties should no longer have any effect." M. Gustave de Beaumont proposed this amendment to one of the paragraphs- " The Chamber hopes that the differences which have unfortunately arisen between the Governments of France and Spain will not seriously disturb the friendly relation existing between the two countries; and that, mindful of the great interests which unite them, and of the common principle of their.insti- tutions, they will see the necessity of speedily terminating dissensions without any well-grounded and national cause." The debate on the paragraph and the amendment was taken on Tuesday ; when M. de Beaumont "developed" his amendment in speech, in which he pronounced the question of etiquette that had been raised to be ill-timed. IL Guizot opposed the amendment, on the ground that it was full of inconveniences for the Government, for the country, and for the dignity of the Chamber. He declared that Govern- ment had complied -with all the chief demands of Spain : the Carlists who were flocking to join the late insurrection were sent into the inte- rior, and so were the Christino emigrants. Government had only refused the expulsion of Queen Christina. And then, as a mark of affection and deference, (France considering herself the natural pro- tector of the young Queen,) an Ambassador was sent to Madrid— The presence of the Ambassador, besides, must have facilitated the adjust- ment of the differences between the two Governments. The French Govern- ment could not expect that the presentation of his credentials would have led to any unpleasant consequences. The claims of the Ambassador were in con- formity with the practice observed in every monarchy, with the public law of Europe, and with all the precedents. In Greece and the Brazils, during the minority of the Sovereigns, the same pretensions had been raised by the Re- gents, and all the Powers had declared against them. The presentation by an ambassador of his credentials to the real sovereign was an European right ; and the moment the affair became known, the Governments, both absolute and constitutional, and Great Britain among the rest, supported the demand of France.

M. de Beaumont's amendment was rejected.

M. De Salvandy occupied his place during the debate; and Queen Christina sat in the tribune diplomatique. M. Dupoty has been reelected an officer of the National Guards.

Captain Trotter, the Commander of the Niger Expedition, arrived at Liverpool on Tuesday, in the Warre a steam-vessel belonging to Mr. Jamieson. Two despatches have been received from Captain Trotter, by the Secretary of the Admiralty ; one dated January 25th, from Li- verpool, and the other October 25th, from Fernando Po. These des- patches show that the former accounts were far from exaggerated. One of the reasons which induced Captain Trotter to continue his course up the river, in the Albert, was, that Dr. WWilliam, the sur- geon, thought it probable that higher up the stream the fever might assume a milder character. The event in no degree justified the anti- cipation— ' The cases of sickness continued to increase ; till at length, when we got to Eggs, on the 28th September, the only remaining engineer was taken ill; and no officers, excepting Dr. M' William, Mr. Willie, mate, and myself, were free from fever. We continued wooding and preparing to return down the river till the 4th October ; when I was my self seized with fever, and Mr. Willie a day or two afterwards.

"On the 5th October, Mr. 'Willie weighed and dropped down the river ; but was soon prevented by sickness from carrying on duty; and Dr. WWilliam, assisted by only one White seaman, lately recovered from fever, took charge of the vessel, not thinking it right, in my state of fever, to report Mr. 'Willie's "From want of engineers, we should have had to drop down the whole length of the river without steam had not Dr. Stanger, the geologist, in the most spirited manner, after consulting Tredgold's work on Steam, and getting some little instruction from the convalescent engineer, undertaken to work the engine himself. The heat of the engine-room affected the engineer so much as to throw him back in his convalescence, and prevent him rendering any further assistance; but Dr. Stanger took the vessel safely below Eboe, without any thing going wrong with the machinery ; while Dr. M'William, in addi- tion to his enormous press of duty as a medical officer, conducted the ship down the river in the most able and judicious manner." A hundred miles from the sea they met Mr. Becroft ; a most provi- dential circumstance, for if any accident had happened to the engine Dr. Stanger would not have been able to rectify it. Mr. Becroft came on board himself, with an engineer, and brought the vessel to Fernando Po' where she arrived on the 17th October. "The assistance rendered by Captain Becroft, independent of the services of his vessel the Ethiopc, was, I can assure their Lordships, almost indis- pensable to the safety of the Albert ; and I consider it to have been so highly conducive to the preservation of many valuable lives, which might have been sacrificed had we run aground in the Delta, and remained there even for a few days, that I shall present him with 105/., and his engineer with 10/. 10s., by bills on the Accountant-General of the Navy ; and I trust their Lordships will sanction this expenditure when they take the circumstances of the case and the highly meritorious conduct of Captain Becroft into consideration."

They encountered the Soudan, off the bar of the Nun, about to re- ascend the river. It was Mr. Lodge, the second engineer, who between the confluence and Egga threw himself overboard in a fit of delirium. Captain Trotter calls the disease the "river fever," because the surgeons describe it to be of a nature that is not treated of in any work on the subject ; and it has peculiarities which they appear never before to have witnessed in either African or West Indian fever. Mr. Fishbourne, who brought the Soudan down the river, was compelled by the sickness on board to work the engines and to do every duty himself during the last twenty-four hours before reaching Fernando Po. Captain Trotter thus speaks of the disease- " I have no exact return of the number taken ill in the Wilberforce, but I believe it may be stated that only five White persons escaped the fever in that vessel; whilst there are only four who have not been attacked in the Albert up YO the present time, [October 25,] and no White person in the Soudan escaped it ; and when I add that Dr. APIVilliam is of opinion that few, if any, will be fit to return to the coast of Africa who have had the fever, and that every Lieu- tenant excepting Mr. Strange' all the medical officers hut Dr. Pritchett and Mr. Thompson, (it is doubtful yet whether Dr. M' William has the river.fever or not,) all the mates, masters, second masters, and clerks, the whole of the engineers and stokers of the expedition, and the gunner of the Albert, (the only vessel that has an officer of that rank,) have been attacked, their Lordships will be able to form an idea of the paralyzed state of the steam-vessels. • • Hr. M'William is quite of opinion, as far as he can judge, that the Niger is not fit for White constitutions; and I shall take care to keep this in view when making arrangements at Ascension, so that the fewest possible number of White men may be continued in the steam-vessels. "Captain Becroft, whose knowledge of the river exceeds that of any other person, is of opinion (and I quite concur with him on the subject) that the Niger should not be entered before the beginning of July, as it is doubtful whether the river will have sufficiently risen to insure the passage up without detention; so that their Lordships may calculate upon the Albert and Wilber- force remaining at Ascension till the 1st June."

Captain Trotter represents an absolute necessity for sending some vessel up the Niger next season- " It will be necessary for one steam-vessel to go up the Niger next year, as I left the Amelia ten* at the confluence of the Niger and the Tchadda, for the protection of the people of the model-farm. Not thinking it right to leave up the river any White person after the fatal sickness we had experienced,. ir placed the vessel in charge ofa trustworthy Black, with twelve other natives of Attica under him, all intelligent steady MM." The following are the names of officers and men of the Niger Expe- dition who have died between the 1st September and the 25th Octo- ber. The list does not include any who may have died on the passage to Ascension in the Dolphin or Wilberforce- Albert—F. D. Nightingale, Assistant Surgeon; G. B. Harvey, Acting Master ; W. C. Willie, Mate; Albion Lodge, second engineer ; John Peglar, Armourer; George Powell, cooper; John Burgess, sailmaker's crew; James Robertson, stoker ; John Frye, ship's cook; George Symes, caulker; Robert Millward, purser's steward, Lewis J. Wolfe, seaman's schoolmaster. Wilberforce—Cyrus Wakeham, Purser; Kneebone A. B. Rablin, sapper ; Fitzgerald, stoker. Soudan—Bird Allen, Commander; W. B. Marshall, Acting Surgeon ; H. Coleman, Assistant Surgeon ; N. Waters, clerk in charge ; W. Lennge, caps tain's steward : James Thomas carpenter's crew ; Christopher Bigley, stoker; William Kingdom, seaman's schoolmaster.

The weather has been more unsettled than unpleasant this week. Frost at night has given way each day under a thaw ; and skaters have been driven from the ornamental waters, if not by the danger, at least by the discomfort of skating in pools of water.

On Wednesday night it blew a hurricane ; which was most severely felt on the coasts. The shipping at Liverpool was damaged, and a sloop was lost on the banks, with the crew. At Portsmouth, the Queen's ship Vindictive, while beating to an anchorage at Spithead, missed stays, and went aground on the Dean Bank : she was not got off till Thursday afternoon, much strained, with the loss of her mizenmast, which had been cut away.