The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-27 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

Australian advices to 28th of Nov. have arrived by
the overland mail.

The predominance of imports over exports into
the colony continued to be excessive.
The prices of wool were maintained.
Accounts from the gold fields were steady and
satisfactory. A promising gold field has been dis-
covered near Lake George.
Melbourne had been in a state of agitation on the
convict question, and a series of resolutions had been
carried denouncing the system.
The inhabitants of Melbourne were about to raise
a sum of money as a testimonial to Mrs. Chisholm,
for her services in promoting family emigration.
They intend to subscribe 2,8001., and ask the legisla-
ture for 5,0001. to purchase a house.

IT is arranged that fifteen regiments of militia
selected from those most numerous and longest em-
bodied shall be permitted to volunteer immediately for
garrison duty at Malta, Gibraltar, and Corfu. These
regiments will release an equal number of the line
either for immediate transmission to the seat of war,
or else for the formation of a corps of reserve at
Malta, for the lodging and training of which accom-
modation is actively preparing to the extent of ten
thousand men. The regiments proceeding to the
Crimea will be made up from their depots at home
to the full force of one thousand men each. The
militia regiments will send out six companies each,
six hundred men, leaving at home a depOt fur re-
cruiting and keeping up the available force. It is
almost unnecessary to say that no militia officer or
soldier will be required to go to our Mediterranean
colonies, even for garrison duty only, unless with his
own free will, and that every care and comfort will
be provided for his residence in those most agreeable
and lively quarters. Everything is arranged, and it
is possible that many of them might have already
embarked had not our transports been engaged for
thynore urgent asonities of the wer►

M. MAZZINI.

SATURDAY,

SONE details respecting the recent movements of this
indefatigable demagogue are published in a reeent
number of the Constitutionnel

Every day (says our Parisian contemporary) retetds
more and more the intrigues and efforts of Ital►an dema-
gogues, who have, as is well known, become the *milli_
cries and accomplices of Muscovite autocracy. Every-
where we find the hand and mind of that mischievous man,
of that fanatical sectarian, M. Mazzini, who has done so
much harm to Italy, and who is inconsolable at not being
able to do more. it has been seen what odious seatimenta
and what criminal ideas are concealed under the decla-
matory phraseology of the manifesto recently published by
the clandestine committee which M. Mazzini directs ac-
cording to the caprice of his revolutionary hallucinations.
The Venice Gazette now gives us a series of documents not
less significative. A certain number of individuals, com-
promised in the plot of the 15th of August, have j ust been
tried at Rome, and important documents were seized in
their possession. We in particular remark an extract of a
letter written by Mazzini, on the 27th October, to a man
named Brizi, after the arrest of some of his agents:—

The party is decimated (says M. Mazzini); the arrests are too
numerous fur the Government not to have surprised our secret.
It is strange that there could not be found fifty resolute men who,
by throwing themselves into the Apennines, eould have given the
signal of resistance and armed protestation. By continuing in
this way the party commits suicide. If Rome by a series of cur-
prises, by imprisoning the general staff without a great shedding
of French blood, and even by au unexampled total destruction of
foreign and domestic enemies, could succeed in emancipating
herself in a decisive and heroic manner, such an event would
have both in and out of Italy consequences such as should be re•
edified without further delay. But at this moment 1 believe it to
be impossible—it Is, on the contrary, Providence that must act.
If our friends were in secret to study and practise the art of sur-
prises by the use of knives, muskets would be obtained, a levy
en masse might take place, and be terminated by Austrian
vespers. If a levy en masse be impossible, national bands must
be organised. _

We thus see that it is always the same mot d'ordre. The
Italian demagogical party, under the mischievous inspira-
tion of M. Mazzini, neither abandons its hopes nor its illu-
alone. Having for followers the personnel of the secret
societies and the dagger for weapon, it. imagines that the
moral and political regeneration of a great nation may
proceed from the meetings of some violent men conspiring
in cellars, and from a conspiracy of assassins. At the time
of the miserable outbreak at Milan, which dyed the streets
of that city with blood, M. Mazzini preached war to the
knife, and taught the theory of wholesale murder. This
theory he still inculcates. Do we not see this noble in-
struction bear its fruits at Constantinople, where some
French soldiers have fallen victims ? Among the authors
of these abominable deeds we find, in addition to fanatical
Greeks, some sworn followers of the Mazziuian sect. In
fact, such men are worthy auxiliaries of the policy of
Russia

THE liabilities of Messrs. Home, Eager, and Co.,
whose suspension in the Cape trade was announced
on Saturday, are stated to amount to 130,0001.
THE Coe'. TRADE.—The importation of coals into
London last year was—
Seaborne coals in 10,114 ships 3,899,501 tons.
By railways 979,170 "

Total 4 378,731 tons.
Showing an increase of upward. of 350,000 tons as
compared with 1853. The price of the best cuals at
the Coal Exchange was—in January, 1854, 425. per
ton ; January, 1855, 235. od. to 245. per ton, which
great reduction is an immense Loon to the public, and
particularly the poorer classes, at this season of the
year.

TILE BELGIAN GOVERNHENT have appointed com-
missioners to inspect and report on the English
system of railways. The gentlemen composing the
commission, Baron de Man, General Nerenberger,
General Delaunoy, and MM. H.Spilaels, Brouwer de
Hogendorp, Masni, and Belpaire, arrived in Dover on
Monday, and left on the following morning by the
South-Eastern Railway for Ashford. They were ac-
companied by Mr. Cook, secretary to the general
manager of the South-Eastern Railway, who would
conduct them over the company's immense establish-
ment at that place.
THE board of directors of the London, Brighton,
and South-Coast Railway have decided upon re-
commending the payment of a dividend for the half
year of 31. 4s. per cent on the consolidated stock of
the company, making the total dividend for the year
1854 amount to 54 per cent.
- -

- -
THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH has granted a gold
medal to Dr. Thomas Williamson, chief physician at
the hospital of the port of Norfolk (United States),
and a gold medal of honour, first class, to Dr. James
Harrison, physician of the same establishment, for
the care and attention given by them to some of the
crew of the French steamer La Chimers, who were
taken to that hospital when labouring under yellow
fever. A silver medal of honour, first class, has also
been awarded to Captain Raw, of the English ship
Britannia , for saving the crew of the French sloop
Clyne, which had foundered near Orfordness, after a
collision with another vessel, and procuring them
provisions and a passage to France.

- -
THE QUEEN has appointed George Moir, Esq., ad-
vocate, to the office of sheriff of the county of Ross,
vacant on the promotion of Mr. Mackenzie to tho
Solicitor-Generalship for Scotland.

lANUARY 27, 1555.

Court ant lustiou.

Her Majesty remains at Windsor, where no incident
reqtiring mention has occurred, excepting the visits
pair by the Premier on Wednesday and Thursday,
for the purpose of communicating to the Sovereign
the rasults of the Cabinet Councils held on those
days.
. . . . .

Her Majesty, it is understood, shortly after her arrival
in Lonion for the season, will hold a chapter of the Bath,
of 'whin Prince Albert is Grand Muter, for the purpose of
investing LieutenanteGeneral Sir De Lacy Evans ( now a
. .

Knight Commander) and Major•Genersl the Earl of
Cardigan with the insignia of the grand cordon of the
order.

His Excellency Lord Stratford de Radcliffe, accompanied
by her ladyship and the Hon. Misses Canning, is expected
to arrive in London early in the ensuing month, on a brief
absence from his diplomatic duties at Constantinople,
leaving Colonel Hugh Rose as chargé d'affaires.
It is said in Paris, that M. Usedom, after returning
to Berlin, to receive anew confidential instructions from
the King, will return to London as permanent envoy, in
place of Count Bernstoff.

The Dibats announces the death of the Count St.
Auliare, formerly French Ambassador to the Court of St.
James's.

A matrimonial alliance is arranged to take place between
the Earl of Portsmouth and the Lady Evelyn. Herbert,
sister of the Earl of Carnarvon.

The Mountgarret peerage case will again be submitted
to judicial investigation. The Irish Court of Exchequer
have granted the application for a new trial after hearing
arguments on both sides, which lasted through three dad s'
sittings.

Cabinet Councils were held on Saturday, Wednesday, and
Thursday last, the Ministerial consultations in every case
being considerably prolonged. There were present at these
meetings the following members of the Administration. The
Earl of Aberdeen, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Lans-
downe, the Duke of Argyll, the Earl of Clai endon, Sir G eorge
Grey, the Duke of Newcastle the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, Sir James Graham, Sir Charles Wood, Eerl
Granville, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, and Sir William
Molesworth. Lord John Russell was present at Saturday's
Council, and absent afterwards. Viscount Palmerston was
absent on Saturday, but took part in the councils held on
Wednesday and Thursday. Immediately after the breaking
up of the councils on the two latter days, the Earl of Aber-
deen proceeded to Windsor to have audiences of the Queen.
The President of the Council last week issue.] cards for
an official banquet, to be given this ( Saturday) evening, to
the Cabinet Ministers and the chief officers of State be-
longing to the Queen's household. Lord J. Russell, it is
understood, has subsequently caused it to be intimated
that the intended festivity will not take place.

THE MILITARY KNIGHTS OF WINDSOR.
AFTER three hundred years' struggle to obtain what
they consider their due rights and privileges, the
Military Knights of Windsor have now a prospect of
obtaining justice. The Government having com-
manded that a full and searching inquiry into their
case and claims shall be immediately instituted, a
few days since the Military Knights received an
official notification from the solicitor of the Treasury,
Mr. Reynolds, that he had been commanded by
Viscount Palmerston to instruct the Attorney-General
forthwith to file an information ex officio, on behalf
of the " Military Knights of Windsor v. the Dean
and Chapter of Windsor," for the purpose of investi-
gating the power and the control exercised by the
Chapter as trustees of the royal charity, left by the
royal founders expressly for the "support and main-
tenance " of the Military Knights, and also for
ascertaining why the Chapter has not strictly com-
plied with the will of the royal and benevolent found-
era, as stated in the charters of Edward 111., Edward
VI., and Queen Elizabeth. Since the passing of the
act 4th Victoria, chap. 112, which came into opera-
tion on the 11th of August, 1840, the sum of about
80,0001. arising from this charity has been wrongly
paid over to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (as
alleged), as so much money arising from suppressed
canonries of the Chapel Royal of St. George;
whereas the case submitted on the part of the
Knights is, from the perusal of various documents
connected with the case, together with the opinions
of the most eminent equity lawyers, that instead of
ls. a day, which, from the commencement of the
charity to the present time, has been doled out to
the Knights, while the Dean and Chapter have ap-
propriated to their own use and to that of the church
the surplus arising from the increased rents, the
Military Knights, being the primary object of the
benevolence, ought at least to have benefited in an
equal degree with the dean and canons, who are
now receiving about 1,200 a year each ; and that
the canons (as trustees) at the foundation of the
charity were placed upon the same stipend as the
Military Knights—namely, Is. per diem.

THE pay of the third-class constables of the metro-
politan police is ordered to be raised 2s. a week ; and
Lord Palmerston has given directions for a new ar-
rangement of night duty, by which the labours of the
force will not be so severe as formerly.

THE PRESS.

THE BURMESE AMBASSADOR IN CALCUTTA.

A CiLcurra letter of the sth ult. gives the following
account of the arrival of the long-expected envoy
from the King of Ave :

The great fact of the fortnight is the arrival of the Bar-
mese ambassador. He has now been here a week, residing
in Government-house, in the fort, and another week will
elapse before he is received by the Governor-General. It
is asserted that he has only oome up to express the wish
for friendly relations with us that is now entertained by
the Court of Ava ; but others say that his object is to in-
duce Lord Dalhousie to surrender Bassein. There is no
doubt that he is the bearer of a letter from the King of
Ava, for this wee made the great object of the pomp and
parade of his landing.
As it may entertain the Eaglish reader to know some-
thing about the visit of this Wirbarian, I will attempt a
slight description of his arrival. He landed from the
Zenobia at five, p.m., last Monday—having been first wel-
comed, on board, by the secretaries to Government. The
manner and amount of the oordiality of his welcome was
measured beforehand in the programme by the considera-
tion whether, on being inteoduced, be should wear his
wings or not. This will read very funnily in England, but
it is a sober and courtly truth here. The high functionaries
of state in Burmah wear wings, just as at our Court the
gentlemen wear bag-wigs end swords. These wings are
only worn on very important occasions, and as evidences
of the " highest consideratioe," as the French would say.
The ambassador wore his wings, and accordingly the secre-
taries received him with their blandest smiles.
After inquiring touching his health he landed in the
' state barge, under a salute of seventeen guns, which, how•
ever, produced such terror and alarm upon the minds of
his attendants that they inmediatiately sank into the
bottom of the boat, and be vociferous prayers, to the
gen
amazement or amusement of every one who beheld them.
At the landing-place four of Lord Dalhousie's carriages
were in attendance, and the state carriage for the reception
of the ambassador. Both he and his chief attendants wore
brass hats, something like the roof of the Burmese pagodas,
which have been excellently sketched in the illustrated
London News. The ambassador could not get into the close
state carriage with his on, so he was compelled to uncover,
which some people remarked was rather significant.
The whole way into the fort, and to the governor's house
in the fort, was lined with troops on each side, and from
the gateways into the fort up to the doors of the residence,
behind the troops, were seen the muzzles of hundreds of
cannon and gun-carriages. The appearance was most
formidable, for, perhaps, nowhere in the world would you
see more cannon collected together than there are exhibited
round the square in the interior of Fort William, Calcutta.
The Governor-General's body-guard of 900 mounted men
accompanied the procession, surrounding the ambassador
on every side. The expression on his countenance was
one of mingled curiosity and distress ; he evidently did not
at all admire the tremendous evidence of power which we
exhibited. His passage was more like that of a state pri-
soner than of an independent ambassador. On arriving at
his allotted residence in the fort an amusing scene is said
to have taken place. One of the a tendants, not exactly
understanding what the carriage steps were intended for,
and seeing that the servants, all gold-lace and magnificence,
surrounded them with great pomp, imagined that some
notice ought to be taken of the steps, and he thought he
could not do better that sit down on them. So in alight-
ing from the carriage, instead of stepping out as we
mortals ordinarily do, he sat down upon the top step, and
so slid from one to the other until he reached the ground
The story has been the amusement of the saloons of Cal-
cutta for some days. I can only describe the ambassador
as like a large black monkey, dressed like one of cur har-
lequins in a pantomime, with small wings coming over his
shoulders, ands high brass pepper-pot on his head. The
king's letter was carried in a silver box before his carriage,
under the shadow of eight golden umbrellas. Immediately
afterwards followed the presents which have been brought
for her Majesty and the Government. What these are, no
one yet knows, but the ambassador would not land without
them ; and a rabble of his followers, almost naked—poor,
lean, black resoals—came dose behind his carriage, carry-
ing the boxes containing these valuables. On Monday
next the Governor-General holds a durbar, at which the
ambassador will be presented, and his presents likewise.
On the Wednesday there is to be a banquet at Government-
house, to which the Burmese embassy is invited, and all
the beads of departments and chief officers of state in Cal-
cutta. There is also to be a grand review, at which seven
regiments are to be paraded, with artillery, &c. •, so that
when the ambassador returns to Ave be will be able to let
the golden-footed monarch know a little about the strength
of Englishmen.

A PitoposirioN is under the consideration of the
Protestant Alliance for erecting, by public subscrip•
tion, a memorial to the martyrs who sugared in
Smithfield. The first of these, John Rogers, a pre-
bend of St. Paul's, was burned opposite St. Bartho-
lomew Hospital on the 4th of February, 1555.
THE award of the great prizes—one of 1,8001. and
another of 6001.—t0 the authors of the two best
treatises on "The Being and Atributes of God," has
just been announced at Aberdeen. The successful
competitors were found to be—for the first prize, the
Rev. Robert Anchor Thompson, A.M., Louth, Lin-
colnshire ; and for the second, the Rev. John Tullooh
manse of Kettins, Cuper Angus, principal of St.,
Mary's College, St. Andrew's, Scotland. There were
208 treatises lodged.
THE Scotsman states that the second command of
the British army in the Crimea has, after due delibe-
ration been conferred upon our distinguished coon-
' tryman, Sir Colin Campbell.