The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00

MAY 13, 1854.

THE commissioners now sitting on the subject of
military promotion are said to have recommended
that military officers of all ranks shall retire from
active service when they have passed their 60th
year ; and that the grade of major in the army shall
be altogether abolished.
HONOUR would seem to have been thrust upon the
Mayor of Norwich, Sir Samuel Bignold. According
to his statement, at a late;meeting of the town council
of that place, it appears that he attended the royal
levee last week, to present to the Queen an address
from the corporation of Norwich on the subject of
the Eastern war. This address gave utterance to
very loyal views, and expressed the fullest confidence
in the measures of the Government. Mr. Bignold
was introduced by Mr. Peto, M.P. for the borough,
his card bearing only the words " The Mayor of
Norwich." After receiving the address her Majesty
inquired the mayor's name, and, commanding him
to kneel, saluted him as " Sir Samuel Bignold." He
rose, as he says, thunderstruck at the honour thus
unexpectedly conferred. The Norwich citizens are
much gratified, it is said, interpreting the event into
a compliment to their ancient and loyal city.
LORD ELLESMERE has purchased for 1,200 guineas
the picture by Ary-Scheffer of Francesca da Rimini,
exhibiting at the Exposition do l'Ecole Francaise des

Beaux Arts, in Pall-mall.
Loan LEIGH, of Stoneleigh, has sent a donation of
fifty guineas in aid of the funds of the reformatory
institution which Mr. Adderley, M.P., and other gen-
' tlemen have recently established at Birmingham.
REAR-ADMIRAL HOPE JOHNSTONE is appointed Com-
mander-in-chief at Rio Janeiro.
CAPTAIN GEORGE Ross, R.E., is appointed A.D.O
to the Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance, Sir Hew
Dalrymple Ross.
PROFESSOR E. FORBES is appointed to the chair of
natural history in the University of Edinburgh, va•
cant by the decease of Professor Jameson.

THE first quarterly return for 1854 of marriages,
births, and deaths throughout England has now ap-
peared. The general aspect of the return is favour-
able. The marriages in the last quarter of 1853 not
only greatly exceeded the mean proportion, but the
maximum, of the previous years. In the quarter
that ended on March 31st, 1854, the births exceeded
the average; and the public health of the country
was such that the mortality was considerably below
the average of the last ten years. The improvement
is chiefly in the country districts, as in the towns the
deaths rather increased in proportion to the popula-
tion, and are sall, out of the same population, one-
third part more numerous than the deaths in the
surrounding country.
THE TRADE TABLES.—The official returns relating
to the trade and navigation of the United Kingdom
for the month of March last (ended April 5) show
very satisfactory results,notwithstanding the depress-
ing influence which the extremely unsettled appear-
ance of the Eastern question presented daring the
month. The value of the exports of domestic pro-
duce and manufactures amounted to the sum of no
less than 8,880,8051. against 7,502,9121. in the month
of February last, and 6,602,5421. in January. In-
cluding the " unenumerated articles " (recently, by
an improved arrangement, included in the official
return), the month's exports this year are raised to
10,042,7541., and those of the three months to
24,238,2081. Upon an analysis of the return, the ac •
count shows an increase in the quantities of ship-
ments in the articles of beer, butter, candles, coal,
cordage, cotton manufactures, earthenware, glass
manufactures, linen yarn, metals, salt, soap, refined
sugar, wool, and woollen manufactures; but a de-
creasein cheese, cotton yarn, leather, oils, silk ma-
nufactures, and silk twist. On the side of imports
we find an increase in the articles of cocoa, coffee,
wheat, barley, and oats, cotton manufactures, flax,
fruits, glass manufactures, guano, leather and linen
manufactures, mahogany, oils, bacon, butter, eggs,
lard, rice, saltpetre, raw silk and silk manufactures
of Europe and India, spices, rum, raw and refined
sugar, molasses, tallow, tea, timber and wood, wine,
sheep's wool, and woollen manufactures; but a de-
crease in animals, Indian corn, flour, cotton yarn,
dyes, hemp, hides, metals, potatoes, salted beef and
pork, seeds, silk manufactures of India, brandy and
geneva, and cotton wool. With regard to navigation,
there is shown an increase in the amount of tonnage
entered inwards and cleared outwards employed in
the foreign trade, an increase in the amount of ton-
nage entered inwards employed in the coasting
trade, but a decrease in the tonnage of the vessels
cleared outwards.

Tm statement in the PRESS of April 29, given on the
authority of a Paris journal, that Colonel Rose bad
gone from Constantinople to Candia to organise
hospitals there, is incorrect. The services of the gal-
lant officer have been recognised by his promotion
to the rank of brigadier- general, and he is now on his
road to join the head-quarters of Marshal de St.
Arnaud, where he will remain as her Majesty's com-
missioner with the French forces in the East.

THE PRESS.

gltrtion Initiligtut.

THE HASTINGS ELECTION began and ended on
Wednesday. Three candidates, all of them inhabit-
ants of the district—Mr. F. North, Mr. J. Lock, and
Mr. W. Crake—had started as soon as Mr. Brisco's
intention to resign the seat obtained publicity. The
two latter gentlemen, however, declined a contest,
and Mr. North was returned without opposition.
There was little excitement during the election, even
the customary celebration of an unopposed return
being omitted, in respect for the memory of the late
member, Mr. Brisco, who died suddenly on Tuesday
from disease of the heart.
THE NOMINATION AT DEVONPORT, where a vacancy
had been caused by the retirement of the Right Hon.
H. Tufnell, took place on Wednesday, the candidates
being Sir J. Heron Maxwell, Bart., and Sir E. Perry,
Knt. The show of hands was in favour of the latter,
who was returned next day by a majority at the close
of the poll of 402. The numbers were—Perry, 1,091;
Maxwell, 889.
AT LICHFIELD the vacant seat, lately occupied by
Lord Anson, was filled on Tuesday by the unopposed
return of Lord Waterpark, the only candidate.
THE HERTFORDSHIRE LIBERALS will bring forward
Mr. Puller as their candidate to supply the vacancy
in the representation caused by the lamented death of
Mr. Halsey. The new writ was moved for on Tuesday
in the House of Commons.