The Press.
London, England, 1855-04-14 00:00:00

lino! anD Cientral.

A GRAND INSTALLATION OF THE CARTER Will be
held next Wednesday, when the Queen will confer
the order on the Emperor of the French.
MR. JOHN BALL, M.P. for Carlow county, is ap-
pointed Under-Secretary for the Colonies. No new
election is rendered necessary by this appointment.
THE DUKE AND DUCHESS DE BRABANT were to
leave Alexandria on the 20th ult. for Jatfa, whence,
after visiting Jerusalem, they were to return to
Europe.
Fon the second time the clergy of the convent of
St. Sergius, near Moscow (which passes for one of
the richest convents in Russia) have presented s
sum of money to the Emperor for the purpose !cif
carrying on the war, their gift on this occasion
amounting to nearly a million francs.
• GENERAL MIRSIORA is about to establish his head-
quarters at Genoa, from whence the embarkation of
the Piedmontese contingent will proceed as rapidly
as possible.
A Sum of 9,400 florins has been received at the
Hague from Manchester, in aid of the numerous suf-
ferers from the late inundations in Holland.

THE Gardeners' Chronicle states that in many
parts of the country a great portion of the wheat plant
is perishing. Farmers, in such cases, are advised to
drill in fresh seed, which from the pulverised condi-
tion of the soil is practicable withoutploughing.
AnvicEs have been received from the Cape to the
17th of February. A communication in the Anglo-
African, dated King William's Town, Feb. 7, says :
"All perfectly quiet in British Kaffraria." On the
3rd of February Governor Sir George Grey visited
the Fingoe settlement at Healdon.
COLONEL M'CLusY, the notorious American duellist,
who is said during his life to have killed in personal
combat more than fifty persons, has come to a most
appropriate end—he killed himself. This barbarous
practice, which at one time prevailed extensively in
the Southern States, is now nearly obsolete. Stringent
enactments exist against it in all the states, and
where there were formerly two duels a day there are
now scarcely a dozen a year.
THE want of sufficiently-experienced non-commis-
sioned officers for the Turkish contingent iu the
Crimea has been much felt; and, in consequence, a
notice has been issued at the Horse Guards stating
that thirty discharged cavalry soldiers, of good cha-
racters, were required for non-commissioned officers.
A liberal bounty is offered, and the rate of payment
is to be 4s. 6d. per day. As an additional induce-
ment, the number of years they had previously served
will be taken into account.

AN ORDONNANCE concerning the beard of the sol-
diers was published in St. Petersburg on the 31st
ult. The Emperor has deigned to order, first, that
the soldiers who mount guard on week days shall not
be required to dye either their hair or whiskers; and,
secondly, on Sundays and feast days they must
mount guard with their hair and whiskers waxed and
dressed.

A LETTER FROM VIENNA, in the Czas of Cracow,
says :—The Empress of the French has made a
present to the Empress of Austria of a lace dress,
which will be seen at the Exhibition of I'aris, and
the pattern of which was designed by the Empress
Eugenie herself. The value of this dress is esti-
mated at 200,000 f.
THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH has offered 1,000
guineas, open to Great Britain and Ireland, for a
perfect broke charger for the Empress. lie must bo
thorough-bred, quiet with troops, and stand fire.
THE total amount of money coined at the Mint in
1854 was 4,354,2011., against 12,664,125/. in 1853;
the total capital of savings-banks was :33,742,6201.,
while the receipts and payments from and to deposi-
tors were respectively 7,380,6111. and 7,54:15,917/.
The gross total aggregate amount of promissory
notes payable on demand in oiscuiatiou in the
United Kingdom in 1854 varied from 36,883,8061. to
39,819,3101.
THE total number of paupers receiving parish re-
lief on the Ist of January, 1855, was, in England,
839,164 (against 934,419 in 1849) ; us &Wand,
78,929; and in Ireland, 86,819 (against 620,747 in
1849). In Ireland the paupers have been gradually
decreasing since 1849, and in a very large ratio
annually.
SAMUEL SHEPHERD, ESQ., of the Home Circuit, hsi
been appointed resident magistrate at Bay Islands.
COLONEL KELLY, of the 34th, is &prisoner at Sebas-
topol, slightly wounded. Captain limite', of the
Royal Engineers, is also a prisoner, and is not
wounded.
THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH has presented to
Mr. Wyld, a gold snuff-box, with his cypher in dia-
monds, as a souvenir of his visit to the model of
Sebastopol. The Queen of Spain bas also decorated
Mr. Wyld with the order of Carlos 111. 111111
AT a general court of Bank directors held on
Wednesday, Mr. T. M. Weguelin was elected go-
vernor, and Mr. S. Neave deputy-governor, for the
ensuing year.