The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-02 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Two American vessels have been seized at Cuba,
under suspicion of filibustering.
At the departure of the steamer business was dull,
money very tight, and stocks in an unsettled state.
INDIA AND BURMAH. •

The long-expected embassy from Ava arrived
at Rangoon on the sth of October. The ambas-
sader lauded on the morning of the 6th, preceded
by a great display of presents intended for the
Queen, consisting of about two dozen small boxes,
said to contain precious stones and gold and silver
articles ; another couple of dozens of a larger size,
said to contain curiosit►es of extensive value ; then
followed about three dozen boxes, of the meat-safe
fashion—these are supposed to contain wonders of
Burman art, marble statues, ivory boxes, and ele-
phants' tusks. There were also ten ponies.
On account of a breach of etiquette in the address
of the King of Ava's preliminary letters to Lord
Dalhousie, the envoys had not been as yet officially
recognised, and were detained at Rangoon until
instructions should have been received from the
Governor General.
The King of Kokan had sent to request British
aid against the Russians. An ambassador from the
King arrived at l'eshawar, giving himself out to be a
" Shahzadah Soolton," son of the Shahzadah Solai-
man of Shahzaman's family. He was escorted by
about twenty horse, and on his arrival was mot on
the road by the Chota Saheb of Peshawar, and
entertained daily at the cost of the British Govern-
ment. He presented the commissioner with a horse
and rich trappings. His object was to induce the
British Government to interfere, and, either by
negotiation or force, save the dominions of the King
of Kokan from subjugation by the Russians. He
asks for a supply of arms, and says that his kind
treatment of some British envoy in forme: days gives
him a claim to English friendship.
AUSTRALIA.
Australian news to the 28th September has arrived
by the overland mail.
Sir C. Fitzroy communicated to the Council at
Sidney on the 12th of September that he had re-
ceived the official notification of his recal. It was
stated Sir William Denison is to succeed him.
At Adelaide a subscription had been entered into
for the wives and orphans of those who should fall in
the Eastern war, and the sum had reached 5,2171.65.
The Colonial Secretary had laid on the table of the
Legislative Council his report of the estimates, which
gave a flourishing account of the financial condition
of the colony. It appears that the resources had
than doubled since the discovery of the gold fields,
the annual revenue having increased from a quarter
to half a million. The search for gold at Victoria
continued to be prosecuted most vigorously, and
with satisfactory results. The markets at Adelaide,
Melbourne, and Sydney, were overstocked with goods
from England, the owners of which would necessarily
be compelled to suffer much loss.
Several very large nuggets have recently been dis-
covered. One was found at Maryborough, weighing
five hundred ounces, and a quartz specimen found at
Ballarat, containing a large proportion of gold,
weighed ninety-eight pounds. The Maryborough
gold-field is considered extremely rich, bat there is
a great scarcity of water.

IT is understood that the abolition of the East
India College, Haileybury, has been decided upon.
There will henceforth be no more admissions ; the
college must continue to exist until those who have
already been nominated thereto shall have completed
their respective courses of education, but successors
will not be appointed. The East India College,
Haileybury, was established half a century ago by
Sir Charles Grant, for the education of youth for
the civil service of the East India Company in India.
The abolition of the college has arisen from the
Legislature having thrown the admission open to
public competition.
THE BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LosnoN held their
lath anniversary on Wednesday, at their rooms, 20,
Bedford-street, Strand, Dr. J. E. Gray, F.A.S.,
president. in the chair. From the report of the
council, it appeared that the society consisted of 250
members—that many thousand specimens of British
and foreign plants had been received for distribution
among the members in January next--the donations
to the library had been considerable, and comprised
many valuable botanical works. The report, was
unanimously adopted; after which a ballot took place
for the council for the ensuing year.
IN the Gazette it was reported that Lieutenant
Duff, of the 23rd Fusiliers, was missing. It has
since been ascertained that he and some men of his
picket were taken prisoners, and a letter has been
received from him saying that he is very comfort.
able.
THE Limerick Reporter says it is rumoured that
Lord Fitzgibbon was not slain at Balaklava. The
statement is that he was stripped on the battlefield
and taken prisoner. A message from Lord Clare to
the domestics at Mount Shannon baa countermande
mourning.
- - d

gold lit lastion.

1139

On Monday next her Majesty and Prince Albert
will leave Windsor Castle for Buckingham Palace.
The Queen and Prince Consort will remain iu town
until Wednesday, the oth, when the Court will return
to Windsor.
On the Monday or Tuesday following the Court
will again proceed to Buckingham Palace, it being
the Queen's intention to open the Parliament House,
on the 12th, in person.
Her Majesty held a Privy Council at Windsor nu
Monday, for the purpose of ordering the proclama-
tion respecting the meeting of Parliament.
A Cabinet Council was held ou Thursday at the
Foreign -office.
His Excellency Mr. Gordon, the newly-appointe d
Minister to Switzerland, has left town for Berne, to
assume his diplomatic duties.
Lord and Lady Palmerston dined on Tuesday
with his Imperial Highness Prince Jerome, at Paris.
His lordship and Lady Palmerston left Paris on
Wednesday morning by train for London.
Sir Hamilton, Lady, and Miss Seymour, are at
present on a visit to the Earl and Countess of
Shannon, at Castlemartyr, near Cork.
The Earl of Malmesbury has left town for
Knowsley :park, near Prescott, to join the party which
assembles there on visits to the Earl and Countess
of Derby.
Lord Wrottesley is proposed as the new presiden
of the Royal Society, in place of Lord Bosse, wh
retires. G. Gabriel Stokes, M.A., of Cambridge, i
proposed as the new secretary, in place of Professo
Christie, retiring.
We regret to state that his Grace the Duke of
Somerset was attacked with paralysis on Sunday last.
The answer to recent inquiries has been, that the
duke was recovering from the shock of his attack,
but that the paralysis still remained.
Lord Haddo, 111.1'., according to the last letters
received from Egypt, has not derived any benefit
from the change of climate. His lordship's health
was in the same unsatisfactory state as when he left
England. The noble lord and lady had arrived at
Rossern, on their way to Cairo.
The will of the Earl of Eldon has been sworn to,
the personalty being under 180,0001.
The Westminster play for the present year is the
Eunuchus of Terence. The three play nights are
the 14th, 18th, and 21st of December.
The Department for War is now removing from
the temporary office (First Lord of the Treasury,
Downing-street), to Pembroke house, Whitehall,
which has recently been fitted up by the office of
Public Works for the occupation of the Duke of
Newcastle and the officers of his department-
On Thursday morning Dr. Frederick Barker, of
Jesus College, Cambridge, who has been appointed
to the bishopric of Sydney, and Dr. Vincent William
Ryan, who has been appointed to the bishopric of
the Mauritius and its dependencies, were consecrated
in the parish church of St. Mary, Lambeth.

THE deaths of 1,202 persons were registered in
London in tLe week ended last Saturday. This is a
high mortality as compared with the returns of ten
corresponding weeks of the years 1844-53, in which
the average number of deaths (corrected for the in-
crease of population) was 1,123. Although the
aggregate number of deaths last week was less than
that of the previous week (when it was 1,309), the
number of fatal cases arising from zymotic diseases
remained exactly the same, having been 332 ip each
return, while those from diseases off the organs of
respiration suffered a considerable increase, rising
from 240 to 202. Both these classes of diseases
exhibit at present an excess above the ordinary mor-
tality. The deaths from scarlatina rose to 118 ; there
were 23 from smallpox, :i3 from measles, 37 from
hooping-cough, 6 from influenza. 60 from fever, Ft
from cholera, and 21 from diarrholt. From bron-
chitis 144 persons died, the corrected average being
73, and from pneumonia 121, the average being 103.
SOME WHIMSICAL Iservmuar., described as being
of low stature, and, judging from his dialect, evidently
a countryman, has been observed to travel between
London and Manchester by nearly every available
train during the last fortnight, the moment he has
arrived at one terminus having frequently, after par-
taking of refreshments, paced the platform until the
next train departed for London or Manchester, which-
ever the case might be. In one instance he was
ob,.erved to leave Euston-square by the train that
departs at 8.55 p.m., and is due at Manchester at
3.45 a.m., he immediately leaving by the train that
departs at 4.24 a.m., the train being due in Loudon
at 11 a.m., and returning by the next train, at 12
o'clock. Different conjectures are made as to the
cause of his eccentricity, and the general opinion is
that he has suddenly become possessed of a large
fortune, and his brain has become siteitid. Ae has
three gold chains to his 'fetch.

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