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The Horning Post, in leaded type, gives great prominence to the follow- ing oracular announcement on the question of Italy.

"It is now formally determined that no intervention shall take place in Italy, and that the people shall be left to their own devices. It is therefore agreed that the States of Central Italy shall dispose of themselves. Fresh elections are to be held, and the Assemblies resulting from popular choice are free to decree the annexation of their constituents to the Sardinian king- dom. The French troops are to be withdrawn from Northern Italy. and from Rome at an early opportunity. It is no secret that Austria, harmg regard to the Western Alliance and her own serious difficulties, gives up alr hope of retrieving her position and influence in Italy, and not only sheathes her sword, but puts it aside. An attempt will be made to induce her to grant reforms in Venetia, of which she is still legal mistress.

"Here the Italian question might terminate in the recognition of the new State by Europe. But will it be allowed to do Bo ? We doubt it. The stubbornness of the Pope bids fair to deprive him of the whole of his tem- poralities. Naples groans under a heavier tyranny than ever, and the cries of Venice are loud enough to strike our ears, however we may shut them. The Italian question, then, being likely to take still larger proportions, our best, safest, and most beneficent polioy is that line of strict duty by which, this time last year, we might have prevented war, and by which we may now guarantee the peace of Europe. That line is—no foreign intervention, but Italy for the Italiang."

We are authorized to state that the Queen, having accepted the ser- vices offered by the very numerous corps of Volunteers formed through- out the kingdom, has been graciously pleased to notify her intention of appointing a day for the special and exclusive reception of those corps at St. James's Palace, it having been represented to her Majesty, that they generally are desirous of presenting themselves as Volunteer officers be- fore her Majesty.

The Times has reason to believe that Mr. William Cowper, now Vice- President of the Board of Trade, will be appointed Minister of Public Works, an office which has been vacant since the death of Mr. Henry Fitzroy.

Lord Fermoyhas informed his constituents that the result of an interview with Lord Palmerston respecting the shrubberies in Hyde Park is, that the shrubs will be replaced, and the ground at present disordered will be immediately laid out with flowering shrubs and flowers.

The Blue-book on the Gloucester Election—the report of the Com- missioners and the evidence they collected—consists of no less than 600 pages. The Commissioners acquit Mr. Moffat and Sir William Hayter of the charge of being accessories to the bribery practised at Gloucester. Mr. Moffat might have given more weight to a suspicion that arose in his mind after his interview with the man who acted as briber/ agent, but Sir William Hayter had no reason to infer that the money would be spent in any other than a legitimate manner. They think, however, that Sir Robert Carden must have had more than a suspicion that the money he repaid Mr. Bernard had been illegally spent. But Sir Robert says he knew nothing of bribery whatever. "Although we think there is great reason to believe that Sir R. Carden must have known notonly that the money had been illegally spent, but that it had been expended in the purchase of votes, we hesitate to come to the conclusion in direct opposition to his own declaration to the contrary, that he was guilty of bribery.' The Commissioners report that corrupt practices extensively prevailed at the elections of 1857 and 1859; they exonerate the candidates ; give lists of persons who bribed, or were bribed ; and finally report that, with rare exceptions, corrupt practices have long prevailed at the Gloucester elections.

The Globe draws attention to the mania for cutting up the City with railways. Think of a terminus of the Great Northern Line in Token- house Yard ! This is one of the modest proposals for gorging that neigh- bourhood with traffic. Mr. Hayward, the City surveyor, states that "the total area within the City, scheduled for these various projects, is about fifty-three acres ; the number of publio ways of all classes to be spanned by arches, is about seventy : and the number to be entirely absorbed and stopped up, about forty-two,--alarger area effected by new schemes than in any previous year since 1846." The London, Chatham, and Dover line wants to go to Smithfield. For what benefit ? They can go to London Bridge ; and we shall soon have a station at Charing Cross far more con- venient than one at Pimlico.

Martin Esealante, a British subject, has been sentenced to nine years' penal servitude for circulating Bibles in the Spanish language, among the Spanish people. He was not tried for seven months after his arrest, but he was convicted according to law. The British Minister has ap- plied to the Spanish Government for the liberation of Martin Escalante, and Lord John Russell has stated, in his place in Parliament, that there is every reason to think that he will very soon be released entirely from the term of his servitude.

The February number of the Follet is unusually pleasing. The en- gravings display several decided novelties, with one striking improvement in female dress ; and ladies will find plenty of details about evening toilettes very acceptable in this season of balls and dances. There are also two tales, and a few of Tennyson's latest lines and another attraction is Miss Muloch's pretty ovation to "My Love Annie."

Lord John Russell entertained the Prince of Orange at dinner on Wed- nesday. A distinguished compaey eras invited to meet him.

Dr. Heckles, the new Bishop of Sierra Leone, wakconsecrated in Lambeth Palace on Thursday.

Earl de Grey and Ripon, as President of the Royal Geographical Society, receives the Fellows on the evenings of Wednesday, February 8th, 15th, and 29th, at his mansion, 11, Carlton House Terrace, at half-past nine o'clock.

Sir Henry Rawlinson reached Teheran on the 8th of December. He was much feted by the Persians on the way. His Secretary of Legation is Cap- tain Lewis Pally, so well known in connexion with the late General Jacob, whose "opinions" ho edited and placed before the world.

Sir William Gore Ouseley arrived at Panama on the 7th, en route to Ha- vanah.

Mr. James Murphy of Dublin has bequeathed 50,000/. to the charities of that city. He is the last surviving son of the late salemaster of Smithfield, who, from small beginnings, accumulated 400,000/.

Garibaldi was married, on the 24th of January, to the daughter of the Marchese Raimondi ; the ceremony took place at the country-seat of the latter at Fine, near Como, nobody being present except the family and the witnesses—Conte Torro for the young lady, and Valerie, the Governor of Como, for Garibaldi.

It is stated by the Augsburg Gazette that Mr. Cobden carried with him to :France thirteen tons of luggage. It consisted of specimens of every kind of English produce. Mr. Cobden established his depot at St. Cloud, and there he and the Emperor went over the assortment.

Dr. Alexander, Director-General of the Army Medical Department, died on Wednesday, at his house, in Norfolk Square. His loss is deeply regret- ted by his friends ; a regret which the public will not fail to share. Out of five-and-twenty years service, Dr. Alexander spent nineteen abroad ; in the West Indies, at the Cape in Canada ; in Turkey and the Crimea. During the Russian war, he had charge of the Light .Division, and made himself conspicuous, not less by his kindness and large heartedness, than by his skill and industry. He never left his post. In 1858, he succeeded Dr. Andrew Smith, as Chief of the Medical Department. He died of gout in the heart.

Sir Thomas Brisbane a distinguished old veteran, who had served with Abercromby and .Wellington, and subsequently in a civil capacity as Go- vernor of New South Wales, died on thej 27th at his house near Large, in his 87th year. "While Sir Thomas was Governor of New South Wales," says the Scotsman, "he marked his administration by many wise reforms. Ho im- proved the condition of convicts and made reformation possible, substituted useful labour for the treadmill, and, above all, gave them the blessing of hope, by offering tickets of leave for good conduct, instead of constant con- finement. When he arrived in the colony, he found only 2.5,000 acres cleared, and, after a residence of four years, he had :more than doubled the amount. At his own expense, he introduced good breeds of horses, also the cultivation of the vine, the sugar-cane, cotton, and tobacco. One grand feature of his administration was the perfect tolerance and protection which he gave to all classes of Christians. At his residence at Paramatta, he es- tablished a large observatory, furnished with the best and most expensive instruments which art could produce. Some idea may be formed of the la- bours which, besides his duties as governor, he voluntarily undertook, when it is stated that he fixed the positions and catalogued 7385 stare hitherto scarcely known to astronomers. For this magnificent work, The Bris- bane Catalogue of Stars,' he received perhaps the highest honour of his life —certain it is he felt it so. The glory of the many battles he had won, or helped to win, had been rewarded by a knighthood and a baronetcy, with stars and medals, but the Copley medal, awarded by the Royal Society, in his eyes, outshone all his other honours."

Sir John Wylde, for twenty-eight years Colonial Chief Justice at the Cape, died on the 13th December, aged 79. He was brother to the late Lord Chancellor Truro.

Colonel Rose of the Royal Engineers was drowned in Table Bay on the 27th of December. He had just arrived at the Cape, and was going ashore in a whaleboat. It was upset in the surf. The remainder of the crew were saved.

The Grand Duchess Stephanie of Baden, a Beauhamais, the adopted daughter of Napoleon I. died on Sunday at Nice in the 71st year of her age. The Emperor Napoleon sent a physician to attend her. She had been a widow since 1818.

Lord Seaton's term of command in Ireland will soon expire, and, it is said, his successor will be Sir George Weatherall. This is very doubtful.

Lord Clyde will be detained longer in India than he anticipated, in conse- quence of the arrangements which must be made for the Chinese expedition, and the alterations in the stations and dispositions of the various regiments in India. It is not probable that the General will be able to leave till the end of March, so that he cannot he in England till the beginning of May. The overtures which have been made to the British officers of the Sikh Regiments to volunteer for China have not been attended with much sue- cess.—Arazy and Nary Gazette.

Military officers are to be attached to the French embassies accredited to England, Austria, Russia, and Prussia. The Chef d'Eseadron d'Audigne comes to Loudon.

The will of the late celebrated General Sir Joseph Thackwell, G.C.B., has just been proved. By a codocil, dated the day before his death, he deprives his eldest son, Captain Thackwell. the author of the " Second Sikh War, in 1848-9," and now a barrister-at-law, of all the property lefthim in a former will, including Agbada Hall, Cork, and Conneragh House, Waterford, and gives it to trustees in trust for his grandchildren, who must be educated in the tenets of the Protestant religion. Captain Thackwell had been received into the bosom of the Holy Catholic Church only a short time previous to Sir Joseph's decease.—Illustrated London News.

About three months ago, says the New York Herald, Senator Seward, who was making a tour of Europe, called on the Emperor, who happened to be at Compiegne. The senator was shown into en antechamber, and Na- poleon soon made his appearance. After the usual salutation, and taking his position, standing with his back to the fire, he offered the senator a cigar, and commenced smoking another himself. He asked him all about New York and Colonel Webb, and then asked him about his visit to Europe, and whom and what he saw. Mr. Seward, among other objects of interest, said he had seen the Pope. "Oh, yes, the Pope" responded Na- poleon ,• "tell me all about him. What do you think of the Pope ? " The New York senator hesitated a moment, but, notwithstanding his cha- racteristic caution, the Emperor wormed out his opinion, and Seward said, I confess I think him much more of a priest than a statesman." "Pre- cisely so," rejoined the Emperor, "you have just hit the nail on the head. That, too, is my opinion." This anecdote, which we have on excellent au- thority, shows that the manifesto (Le Pape et le Congres), which is now given to the public, was then working in his brain.

The number of deaths in the metropolis last week was 1386, or ninety-five above the average rate. This is the highest mortality yet recorded in 1860.

The famous slave-ship, Orion, has been captured by the British ship Pluto, with 800 slaves on board. She was captured last April, given up to an American cruiser, and carried to New York. She was not condemned. Now she has been seized flagrante delieto. No fewer than 2080 slaves have been rescued from the slave-traffickers in two months.

The state of San Salvador suffered from a severe earthquake on the 28th of December. The shock lasted two minutes and thirty-five seconds, and did a great deal of damage, throwing down houses and churches in many towns, and rending open the earth. No lives were lost. The volcano of Izalco is supposed to have been the centre of the vibration. There are now 458 peers, spiritual and temporal, on the roll of the House of Lords, printed on Wednesday. The Prince of Wales stands first on the list, and Henry Lord Taunton last.

The Conservative Land Society has just acquired its fortieth estate, and made its first purchase in Oxfordshire. The property is called Fair Acres, end forms the south-east point of the New Cowley district, which it is pro- posed to bring within the jurisdiction of the Commissioners under the Ox- ford Improvement Act.

The Russian Emperor, in consequence of the intense cold, would not suffer his troops to assist at the religious ceremony of the blessing of the waters of the Neva. This is the first occasion on which the troops were not present. A good precedent.

The latest news of the once great Mogul is that his two sons, who are im- prisoned with their father, have begun the study of English. An English sergeant gives them daily lessons. The Ex-King and his sons, with their attendants, are kept in close confinement in a wooden building constructed especially for their accommodation. Their residence in Rangoon has ex- cited no interest among the Natives.