MR. THACKERAY AT THE SURREY GARDENS.
Our great humorist has this week found himself in the midst of a "new set." On'Wednesday evening he commenced his well-known lectures on the "Four Georges," in the large edifice which is now the principal object of the Surrey Zoological—we beg pardon, the Royal Surrey Gardens. We record with pleasure that the audience was perfectly successful. There is no error in this expression. The admirable quality of the lectures has been admitted long ago ; and on Wednesday the discourse answered the purpose of a standard whereby to test the Transpontine intellect It stood the test extremely well. The close of Naples, neglects everything else in its attention to political matters. A priest has attempted to assassinate his Archbishop at Meters during the benediction. A Canon who endeavoured to save the latter was killed by a pistol-shot from the assassin. The prelate was wounded."
A letter from Berne of the 24th instant announces the receipt by the Federal Council of a telegraphic despatch from the Swiss Ambassador Extraordinary at Paris, stating that the Conference relative to the affair of Neuchatel would be held at Paris, and would shortly commence. The first question is thus decided in favour of Switzerland. A German town was first proposed; but the Federal Council opposed that, and demanded, first Paris, and in the second place London. It is expected at Berne that the King of Prussia will resume diplomatic relations with Switzerland. But the return of M. Sydow, the late Prussian Minister to Berne, is impossible, as it appears from documents in the Federal archives that he was seriously implicated in the late insurrection.
The Paris Court of Cessation pronounced judgment yesterday on an appeal from a decision of the Imperial Court of Lyons. The inferior ' court had decided that it is illegal to distribute electoral bulletins or voting-tickets without the permission of the Prefect : the Court of Cessation has confirmed the judgment of the court below. Much interest is taken in this question as the electors hold that there is no freedom of election without freedom in the distribution of tickets.
Verger was executed at eight o'clock yesterday morning, on the Place de la R. oquette. "He crossed the threshold of the prison supported on one side by the Abbe Hugon, and on the other by the executioner. On reaching the platform, Verger fell upon his knees • then threw himself into the arms of the Abbe Hugon, and submitted knees; to the executioner," The Gazette states that the Queen has commanded "that a medal be granted to all persons, of every rank and class, who have been engaged in the several expeditions to the Arctic Regions, whether of discovery or search, between the years 1818 and 1855, both inclusive; and that the medal will aecordimgIy be awarded as follows— "I. To the officers, seamen, and marines of her Majesty's ships and vessels employed on the several voyages to the Arctic Seas during the specified period, and also to the officers of the French navy, and to such volunteers as accompanied those expeditions. 2. To the officers, seamen, and others who were engaged in the expeditions to the Arctic Seas, equipped by the Government and citizens of the United States. 3. To the commanders and crews of the several expeditions which originated in the zeal and humanity of her Majesty's subjects. 4. To persons who have served in the several land expeditions, whether equipped by her Majesty's Government, by the Hudson s Bay Company, or from private resources."
A further notice will be published in the Gazette ; until which time no applications for the medal will be received.
The Tiverton Board of Health, in forming a burial-ground, have separated the ground intended to be consecrated from the unconsecrated ground, by a stone wall eighteen inches high. The Bishop of Exeter has declined to consecrate the portion of the cemetery intended for the burial of members of the Church of England, because the wall is not high enough. Some gentlemen of Tiverton obtained a rule in the Court of Queen's Bench calling on the Board of Health to show cause why they should not put the cemetery in a fit state to be consecrated by the Bishop; and yesterday Mr. Sergeant Byles showed cause against the rule. Lord Campbell decided that the rule should be made absolute for a mandamus commanding the Burial Board to place the cemetery in a fit state for consecration, "in order that the Board may make a return and the law be discussed, and that the parties may take the opinion of a Court of Error."
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