The Press.
London, England, 1854-01-14 00:00:00

Volittral RA 6tßtral.

Two CABINET COUNCILS have again been held this
week, on Tuesday and Thursday.
THE ADMIRALTY have, it is stated, decided upon
recalling Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Fleetwood
Pellew from the command. in chief of her Majesty's
ships on the East India station. It is believed that
Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling will proceed imme-
diately to take the vacant command.
MR. SADLEIR has resigned his appointment as one
of the Junior Lords of the Treasury. Rumour assigns
to Mr. Chichester Fortescue, member for Louth, the
succession to that office.
FOURTEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY-FOUR DEATHS were
registered in London in the first week of the year.
Of these, 650 were of children under 13 years of
age ; 431 of persons between 15 and 60 years ; and
353 occurred to men and women in advanced life.
This return shows an excess of 56 above the corrected

average.
ltesismwcE TO RUSSIA was the gathering word for
a crowded public meeting, held on Monday evening,
at Sheffield. The assembly was convened by the
Mayor, in pursuance of a requisition signed by 100
of the principal inhabitants. Various speeches were
made, chiefly by persons of local influence and civic
authority, and a memorial to the Crown finally
adopted, based upon the two principal resolutions
passed by the meeting to the following effect :
" That it in the duty of this country and France at once to
summon R 11913111 to recross the Pruth unconditiona Ily, and
felling conipliance, to compel her to do so, if necessary, by force
of arms."
" That, if thus driven to resort to arms, peace should not be
made without the most complete and satisfactory adjustment of
all disputes between Russia and Turkey."
' A SCREW STEAMER with a boomerang propeller
now lying in the Southampton graving dock, being
the first vessel fitted with the new propulsive mecha-
nism which has visited that port. This steamer is
named the Manila, and is intended to serve as a
collier in the China seas, for the Peninsular and
Oriental Company. She will carry nearly a thousand
tons of coal.
THE MARYLEBONE FREE LIBRARY, established for
the gratuitous admission of the public, was opened
on Monday last. The name of the institution is
local, but persons of any locality are allowed free
access to the books, the only exceptions being per-
sons in a state of intoxication, or in an uncleanly
condition, or under the age of fourteen years. The
library already possesses about 3,000 volumes. Du-
ring the day a considerable number of readers
availed themselves of the advantages of the insti-
tution.

SATURDAY,

A GREAT STOCK-EXCHANGE CURIOSITY RSA exhi-
bited on Tuesday, in the shape of a receipt for 1,300/.
Consols, dated July 20, 1798, at the price of 47t, the
purchase-money being only 0201. 15s. This ia
nearly the lowest price Consols ever fell to. In the
month of January of the same year they were down
to 47i, below which price they have never been

quoted.
THE DIRECTORS Or THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH
COMPANY gave a supper at Radley's Hotel to 133 of
the clerks employed in the metropolitan station:.
The total number of the company's employis in Lon-
don is now 910, and in the provinces 040.
THE OLD CARLTON CLUBHOUSE is being pulled
down, and Buckingham-house has been taken by the
members until the premises are rebuilt. The new
building will be uniform with the section already
constructed, which is adorned in front with polished
granite pillars. When finished, the Carlton will be
a great ornament to Pall-mall.
THE non-arrival of the Madagascar from Australia
has occasioned muoh alarm. She is a fine vessel,
one of Green's best, but more than a month overdue,
with a valuable cargo of wool and 80,000 ounces of
gold dust on board. Insurances to the amount of
300,0001. have been effected on her, the premium
during the last few days having risen as high as forty
guineas per cent. Spontaneous combustion is the ,
source of peril most feared on her account.
THE NUMBER OF MEETING-HOUSES returned by the
Quakers at the time of the late census was only 371,
while in 1800 they possessed 413. In 1847 the So-
ciety of Friends raised and distributed in mitigation
of Irish distress the enormous sum of 200,000/.
THE COMPUTATIONS OF THE CORN AVERAGES for the
seven years ending Christmas last result in fixing at
001. 19s. 6d. the value of each 100/. of tithe rent-
charge for the current year. This is a reduction of
nearly per cent. from last year's estimate, which
was OH. 13s. sfd., and is the lowest rate to which
the tithe has fallen since the passing of the Commu-
tation Act in 1837.
A CHARTER is proposed to be applied for, granting
powers to consolidate all the existing lines of tele-
graph under one uniform system.
THE POST. OFFICES IN THE QUEEN'S BENCH and
Whitecross-street debtors' prisons have been abo-
lished by order of the Postmaster-General. The
step, for which economy is the excuse, has produced
infinite discomfort among the unlucky detenus in
those establishments.
A GRAND EDUCATIONAL MEETING WSS to have
taken place in Edinburgh on Thursday, but a letter
having been received from Lord Panmure, stating
indisposition, the assembly was adjourned to Wed-
nesday next.
BEFORE DEPARTING FOR CHINA, DR. BOWRINO was
invited to a meeting of influential merchants and
manufacturers of Manchester. The event came off
on Thursday, and Dr. Bowring made the assembly
a long speech, of which decimal coinage and our
commercial relationships with the Chinese empire
were the principal topics.
HILARY TERM commenced on Wednesday, when
the Lord Chancellor as usual entertained the Judges
of the several Equity and Common Law Courts, as
also the leading Queen's Counsel and Sergeants-at-
Law, at breakfast, at his mansion in Upper Brook
street, Grosvenor-square, and afterwards held a
general levee of the bar.
THE MORTALITY TABLES OF GLASGOW for 1853,
just published, afford melancholy proof of the un-
healthiness of the past year. The deaths during
the twelve months were 15,288, being an increase
over the preceding year of 3,597, and showing a per
centage of lin 26.9 of the population—a considerably
greater mortality than occurred in 1848—the cholera
year. Nearly fifty per cent. of the deaths were of
children under five years of age.
THE DIRECTORS OF THE MANCHESTER ATH'ENMUM,
through their honorary secretary (Mr. W. G. Gintz),
have been in correspondence recently with several
gentlemen, among whom are some of the ablest
literary men of the day, for a series of addresses to
the members. They have obtained the consent of
Lord Stanley, M.P., to deliver an address towards
the close of the year ; of the Hon. Joseph Napier,
M.P., about Easter ; of John Walter, Esq., M.P.; of
W. Keogh, Esq., M.P., Solicitor- General for Ireland,
probably towards the close of next month ; of Lord
Viscount Goderlch, M.P. • Isaac Butt, Esq., V.,
M.P. ; and of R. Monckton Milner, Esq., M.P. Amongst
the gentlemen who have been written to and have not
yet replied are—the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn,
M.P. ; James Whiteside, Esq,, M.P. • the Dean of
Ripon, Charles Dickens, Esq., and the Right Hor.
Henry Tufnell, M.P. The Archbishop of Dublin,
the Duke of Argyll, and Mr. Strutt, plead previous
engagements as standing in the way at the present
moment.
AT the special meeting of the Great Indian Penin-
sular Railway Company it was agreed to abide by the
proposal of the East India Directors, for this company
to raise 1,000,0()01. for the extension lines, at the tate
of four and a half per cent. guaranteed interest, to be
issued rateably to the present shareholders.

MI

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JANUARY 14, 1854.

THE PROJECT OF A STAFF CORPS is about to be carried
out in India early in the year. It is to commence
experimentally with the commissariat, who are to
forma distinct corps, separated from these regi
ments, but with the privilege of effecting exchanges
with other staff officers.
AN inquiry into the alleged abuses of the revenues
of St. Paul's Cathedral by the dean and chapter has
been proceeding during the week before the Bishop
of London, assisted by Sir John Pattescn and Dr.
Lushington. The allegations were laid on behalf of
the minor canons, who claim some jurisdiction over,
or share in, the revenues of the cathedral beyond
what they at present enjoy. At this visitation Mr.
Bolt, Q.C., and Dr. R. Phillimore appeared for the
dean and chapter, and Mr. Hely conducted the case
of the applicants. On Tuesday the counsel on both
sides finished their arguments, and the bishop de-
clared the proceedings closed, intimating that he
must take time to consider his decision.
THE PRINCE OF CANINO, Charles Lucien Bona-
parte, has sold all his possessions in Rome and Ron-
ciglione to the banker, Alessandro Torlonia, for
450,060 and one scudi. The prince, who is well
known as a man of exalted political opinions, has
stipulated that the one dollar extra should indicate
the value of his title as Prince de Canino, which he
now sells, together with his estates.
THE Crania mail-steamer left Southampton on
Wednesday for Australia, conveying 1-It) passengers,
800 tons of cargo, and about 10,000 letters and news-
papers.
THE TEMPORARY CHAPEL. of the new Rom an Catholic
oratory at Brompton is to be opened with great cere
mony in the course of next month, probably the 14th,
the Feast of St. Valentine. The new establishment
will be under the direction of the Rev. F. Faber,
M.A., formerly rector of Elton, Huntingdonshire, the
Rev. F. Dalgairns, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford,
and other perverts from the Established Church of
England.
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT is about to establish a
new organ in Vienna ; even the name of the chief
editor of the journal is already mentioned. The
paper is to appear in French, as there are several
papers in the German language already advocating
the Muscovite cause.
THE LUNATIC PATIENTS IN COLNEY-HATCH ASYLUM
were entertained at an evening party, given in the
exercising-hall of the establishment, on the 4th
inst. Music and dancing, dissolving views, and va-
rious amusements occupied the evening, and refresh-
ments were offered in abundance, although of course
the strictest teetotalism prevailed as to their cha-
racter. There were 650 lunatic guests, who seemed
to enjoy themselves more and behaved better than
is seen in some gatherings of their so-deemed
rational fellow-subjects.
THE Exronr os BULLION from England during the
year 1853 amounted to a value of 21,106,6001.; viz.,
15,450,8001. of gold, and 5,745,8001. of silver. Of
this total, 3,422,500/. was transmitted to India and
Ceylon; '2,202,400/. to China; 3,074,400/. to Aus-
tralia and Van Diemen's Land; 330,5001. to the
Cape, New Zealand, and the 'Mauritius ; 37,5001. to
the West Indies, 140,8001. to Africa, and 286,0001. to
the Brazils. Among the continental countries there
were distributed—to France, 1,805,8001.; Belgium,
including hamburg and Rotterdam, 2,615,000/. ;
Peninsula and Mediterranean, 1,080,2001.
THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE DWELLINGS 01 THE. AGRI-
FULTURAI. LABOURERS was discussed at a public meet-
ing
,held under the presidency of the Duke of Buccleuch,
at Edinburgh on Tuesday last. The noble chairman,
in his opening address, lamented the evils which the
field labourers suffered, alike in health, morality,
and comfort, through the insufficiency or neglected
state of their habitations, and sketched the prin-
ciples whereon a better provision could be furnished
them in this respect. Sir J. Stuart Forbes after-
wards proposed a series of resolutions, of which the
main purport was to form a new society, to be called
" The Association. for Promoting Improvement in
the Dwellings and Domestic Condition of the Agri
cultural Labourers in Scotland," the object of which
should be, by periodical meetings of the members,
by the establishment of an office in Edinburgh,
where plans, models, and specifications of buildings
and fittings may be deposited and consulted, and by
such other means as may be found expedient, to pro-
mote the construction of suitable dwellings and do-
mestic accommodations for the - -ultural labourers

agricL
in the northern division of the United Kingdom.
A SERIES or PAPERS, moved for last sessaon by
Mr. Otway, relative to the attempts of Dhackjee
Dadajee to bribe the Bombay Government and its
nervants, and to other transactions of a like kind,
including papers relating to the case of Colonel
Outrun, have just been published. They form two
bulky blue books.
THE ADIRRALTY have determined again to despatch
the screw-steamer Phanix, in the ensuing spring,
to Beechey Island, to communicate with and to con-
vey supplies to Sir Edward Bekher's expedition in
Rarch of Sir John Franklin.

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