The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-22 00:00:00

Volilual ant Otntrai.

Mn. EWART has given notice of his annual bill for
the total repeal of the punishment of death.
THE command in chief at the Brazils has, it is said,
been offered to Rear-Admiral Bruce, who has recently
returned bora the coast of Africa, Rear-Admiral
Henderson, C. 8., who now commands the station
having expressed a strong desire to be superseded.
THE BUILDING or WAR STEAMERS for foreign govern
ments is the moat profitable branch carried on in the
Thames shipyards, and has been prosecuted for years
without the slightest molestation or notice. With
respect to Russia in particular, they not only build
ships habitually for that power, but apply to her naval
architects for information as to what is going on in
the royal dockyards of England, it being the strong
impression among the shipbuilders of the London
river, almost amounting to moral certainty, that there
is a Russian spy in every one of our dockyards, an
Englishman of course, who regularly transmits to the
chancellerie at St. Petersburg accounts of what is
going on and drawings of every new improvement in
our naval architecture. This statement has been
made in the most positive manner, the parties ex-
pressing their implicit belief in its truth, and adding
that it bad been tested by frequent applications for
Information in the quarter indicated.
THE amount of capital and loan which each rail-
way company is empowered to raise under the au-
thority of their acts of Parliament, as well as the
amounts actually raised by each company, are shown
by an important parliamentary return just issued. It
appears that previous to the 31st of December, 1851,
the railway companies of the United Kingdom were
authorised to raise by shares 266,603,2581. 7s. 4d., and
by loans 88,728,802/. 12s. 2d., and that by acts, passed
during the year 1852, authority was given to raise
further sums of 3,027,5001. by shares, and 706,3341.
by loans. The total capital and loans therefore au-
thorised amount together to 350,610,4561. 10s. od.
Of the amount of share capital actually paid up on
the 31st of December, 1852, 161,400,2561. 13s. Hd.
was not receiving, nor entitled to receive, any preferen-
tial dividend or rate of interest, but 38,700,7551. was
entitled to receive preferential dividends or interest.
The total debts of railway companies on the 31st of
December, 1852, amounted to 04,064,0681. The total
amount of capital actually raised on that day by shares
and loans was 264,165,0801. 3s. 2d., leaving the com-
panies power to raise 02,624,0781. las. 4d. The
length of railway open for traffic on the 31st of
December,lBs2, was 7,335 miles, of which 5,877 miles
were of double line, 1,458 miles of single line. The
length of line in the course of construction was 735
miles, and the length of line authorised, but not com-
menced, 9,800, making a total of 11,870 miles.
THE Gotha Gazette publishes the following singular
communication :—" Several newspapers have circulated
the report that, before long, there will appear at St.
Petersburg a secret correspondence, carried on with-
out the knowledge of the English Government,
between the Courts of England and Russia, and which
would seriously compromise Prince Albert. We are
authorised to announce respecting this correepon•
deuce that the English Court awaits the publication
of it with an interest so much the greater, inasmuch
as on the part of England it is confined to the usual
notifications of births, &c."
THE CONSECRATION or THE REV. W. K. HAMIL-
YON to the bishopric of Salisbury will take place at
Lambeth on the Ist of May.
THE ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL of the Friend of the
Clergy Society has been postponed until the 3Td of
May, the day of national humiliation having been
fixed for the 26th instant, the day originally ap-
pointed.
LETTERS for officers and men serving in the Arctic
ships Assistance, Resolute, Intrepid, Pioneer, North
Star, Enterprise, and Investigator, will be in time to
be forwarded if sent to the Admiralty on or before
the 20th of this month.

WOIIKIIII4 have already commenced erecting hoard-
ing at the northern and southern ends of Westminster-
bridge, on the west side, preparatory to oommemung
the erection of the new bridge.