The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-03 00:00:00

Coat anb clastion.

The Queen held a privy council on Wednesday, at which
the retiring Ministers, Sir J. Graham, Mr. Gladstone, and
Mr. S. Herbert, resigned the seals of office. Sir G. C.
Lewis was afterwards a Nom in as Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, Sir C. Wood as First Lord of the Admiralty, and Mr.
V. Smith as President of the Board of Control. On the
same day her Majesty declared Lord Carlisle Viceroy of
Ireland, and gave orders for the proclamation of a general
fast and humiliation on the 21st inst.

General 1)e la Marmot's, Commanderin•Chief of the
Sardinian contingent, was presented to the Queen by the
Earl of Clarendon on Wednesday last.

To-day (Saturday) her Majesty and Prince Albert will
pay a visit to Chatham.
Her Majesty will hold thefirst levees of the season on
Wednesday next and the following Wednesday, the ith and
14th inst.

The Duke of Cambridge, accompanied by Viscount
Dunkellin, who was taken prisoner by the Russians, went
on Wednesday to the hospital depots of the Grenadier and
Coldstream Guards, Rochester-row, Westminster, for the
purpose of paying a visit to the men who were wounded at
the battles of Alma and Inkermann.
. .

The Speaker will hold levees on Saturday next the 10th,
and Saturday the 17th inst.
The Countess Walewaki held an assembly on Tuesday
evening, at the residence of the French Embassy, Albert-
gate-house.
The Countess Colloredo has issued cards for an assem-
bly at Chandos•house, on Wednesday next. Her ladyship's
afternoon receptions have ceased for the present.
Cabinet Councils were held on Saturday and Thursday
last. _ . _

Lord John Russell left Paris on Saturday evening for
Brussels, where he remained until Monday. The King
of the Belgians came to the capital from the Palace of
Sachen on Sunday and held a lengthened interview with
the noble lord. Ou Monday night Lord John left Brussels
for Cologne and Berlin, arriving at the latter city on Wed-
nesday. His lordship was honoured on Thursday with an
interview with his Majesty. M. de Manteuffel assisted ut
this audience.

—.-..--.
Mr. Layard has been elected Lord Rector of thu Aber.
deen University, by a majority of throe out of the four
nations, over Colonel Sykes.

LORD LIMAN arrived at Marseilles on Tuesday from
the Crimea, and afterwards left by special train for
London. It is said that be will demand a court.
martial on his conduct during the war.
OFFICIAL RETURNS published within the last few
days, give the number and nature of the accidents
and injuries to life and limb which occurred on all
railways in Great Britain and Ireland, from the Ist
July to the 31st December last. The grand total for
the United Kingdom shows that there were 9 pas-
sengers killed and 259 injured from causes beyond
their own control; 15 killed and 12 injured from their
own misconduct and want of caution ; 20 servants of
companies or contractors killed and 37 injured from
Causes beyond their own control, and 37 servants
killed and 11 injured from their own misconduct and
want of caution ; 12 other persons killed and 2 in-
jured in crossing at level crossings, and 30 trespassers
killed and 13 injured. This makes a gross total of
123 persons killed and 334 injured. The correspond.
ing number for the half-year ended the 31st Dec..
cember, 1853, was 157 killed and 258 injured ; the
length of railway open on the 31st of December,
1853, having been 7,687 miles, and on the 31st of De-
cember, 1854, 8,054 miles. The total number of
accidents in the last half-year was as follows, viz :
In England, 43, of which 35 wero passenger trains;
in Scotland, 4, all passenger-trains ; and in Ireland,
1, a passenger-train. Of the 35 accidents in England
to passenger-trains, 3 arose from collisions between
passenger-trains, 20 from collisions between pas-
senger and other trains or engines, 5 from trains
getting off the rails, 4 from trains running into
sidings through the points or switches being wrong,
and 3 from al breakage of axles, wheels, or machi-
nery of engines. It appears that the great majority
of accidents arose from collisions, especially between
passenger and goods trains. The total number of
railway servants killed during the half-year amounted
to 57, and the number of wounded to 48, of whom
37 and 11 were respectively killed and injured by
their own carelessness or misconduct. The sufferer's
included 7 engine-drivers killed, and 8 injured; 10
firemen killed, and 7 injured; 2 guards and breaks-
men killed, and 16 injured ; 7 porters killed, and 8
injured ; 1 policeman killed, and 1 injured ; 2 gate-
men and signalmen killed; 2 switchmen killed, and
1 injured ; 1 platelayer killed, and 1 injured ; 13 la-
bourers killed, and 4 injured ; and 12 " miscellaneous"
persons killed, and 2 injured.
Ax ACCTDENT happened to the Bishop of Durham
last week at Auckland Castle, which has since con-
Kned the venerable prelate to his room. Ilia lord-
-- before in library in
with

influence, and that those views which I had expressed property developed by the aid or a separate me• last weeit at AUCKIFIIIU kArast.in, •11111Vaa •• • - -
should be carried out, and I thereupon accepted the office. chanism is the ease with which severed edges of this fined the venerable prelate to his room. His lord-
On the following day Lord Palmerston told me that for texture can be united into one piece, so that coats ship was standing before the fire in his library in
certain reasons he could not hold to that offer, and that he and other articles of intricate design can be made the castle, when it is supposed h, was seized with a
had to withdraw it, but in its place, be, at Lord J. Russell's .
witnont a single seam. As an industrial enterprise, fainting-fit, to which it appears he is rather liable.
request, offered me the Under-Secretaryship of the Colonies.
Now, here was another offer which placed me in the same as well as from its scientific curiosity, the invention He fell forward against the grate, by which he was
position as that in which I previously found myself. I was Possesses much interest, and the wider organisation burnt, though not severely. At his lordship's ad-
not acquainted particularly with the colonies. In a time of a public company will probably be hereafter called vanced age the shock sustained by his system is
of peace I should have been glad to accept an office of that into existence to extend and develop its commercial causing some anxiety to his friends. Hiio s condition
nature, which would have made me more fit to be your capabilities. is described by the local papers as precarus.