The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-23 00:00:00

Valitual an inntral.

THE RUSSIAN COURIERS manag3 to get from Se
bastopol to Moscow, by way of Odessa, iu ninety-six
hours ; from Moscow the) reach St. Petersburg by an
extra train in twelve hours ; thus already 108 hours
suffice' when no accidents occur, to convey Prince
Menschikod's despatches from the seat of war to the
centre of Government.

To mitigate the present delays and stoppages ex-
perienced so constantly by carriages crossing Lon-
don-bridge, the Commissioner of City Police has given
notice that, on and after New Year's-day, all waggons,
carts, and other vehicles moving at a walking pee
will be required to keep close to the herb-stone of the
bridge.
THE LATE EARL OF BEAUCHAMP bequeathed
00,0001. for the erection and endowment of alms-
houses at Newland, in Worcestershire, for the benefit
of infirm agricultural labourers. Nearly two years
having elapsed since the decease of the late earl, the
poor of that county are anxiously expecting the resi-
dutuy legatees, executors, and trustees of the said
charity to fulfil the intentions of the testator, the
land having been granted for this purpose a twelve-
month ago by a deed of conveyance enrolled in the
Court of Chancery.

THIRTEEN HUNDRED DEATHS were registered in
London in the week that ended last Saturday. A
small decrease is observed on the mortality of
the two preceding weeks in which the deaths
were 1,350 and 1,331. In the ten weeks cgr.
responding to the last week of the years 1844453
the average number was 1,219 ; and it this is rained
in proportion to increase of population, it becomes
1,374. The mortality of last week is therefore less
than the estimated amount by seventy-four deaths.
The season is rather unfavourable to the youthful
part of the community, who are peculiarly subject to
scarlatina, and some other diseases of the zymotie
class.
A PARLIAMENTARY RETURN gives the following state-
ment " of warm clothing lost on board the Prince" :
Woollen socks, 35,700; woollen frocks,s3,ooo; flannel
drawers, 17,01 X); watch-coats, 2,500; blankets,
16,100; rugs, 3,700.
ON Saturday last, about 150 navvies in the employ
of Messrs. Peto and Co.,engaged for the construction
of the railway from Balaklava to the trenches in
front of Sebastopol, left town by a special train for
North Shields, whence they were to be conveyed to
the Austrian territory. The men are to have ss. per
day, and their lodging, food, and clothes found them.
The total number to be sent out will, it is stated,
exceed 2,000.
A WAR-OFFICE MEMORANDUM, issued on Tuesday,
orders the standard of recruits for the infantry to be
" further " reduced to five feel. four inches.

3rtiant.

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Another assault on a scripture reader is related by
the Kilkenny Moderator. It states:—" In Carlow
most violent outrages have been committed against
scripture readers during the past week. On Friday,
one of them, named Kenny, was struck down by a
stone, and his life is placed in imminent danger.
The resident magistrate has offered a reward for
the discovery of the perpetrator of the outrage. A
Boman Catholic priest passed by when the assault
was being committed. He was cheered by the
mob, and made no attempt to stop the outrageous
proceedings."
A warrant has been issued for the apprehension of
Mr. Paumier, an actor of some local eminence, who,
one night recently, at the Belfast Theatre, spat in the
face of, and struck, the Hon. Arthur Annesley of the
92nd, and some other officers, whom Mr. Families'
thought were deriding him.

The Munster New; is informed that a communica-
tion has been received from an Irish member of
Parliament, at present in London, communicating
the intelligence that " the promulgation of an in-
junction from the highest authority against the in-
terference of Catholic priests in politics is immi-
nent ; and that a concordat between the British
Government and the Court of Rome is fat from im
probable."

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