31liontlautung.

The Madrid Gazette of the 3d instant contains a decree naming Don Francisco Xavier d'Isturitz to be her Catholic Majesty's "Envoy Ex- traordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland."

On the death of Sir T. Marrable, an office of 1,000/. per annum in the Board of Green Cloth, and a house in St James's Palace, became vacant. The appointment was promised by Lord John Russell to Mr. Norman Macdonald, in consideration of the long and arduous duties of Adjutant- General, faithfully performed by his father, the late General Sir John Macdonald. The appointment of Mr. Macdonald, though it is one in the gift of the Prime Minister, did not take place. The house has been con- ferred upon the Honourable Colonel Grey!—(when will there be an end to the good things that fall into the lap of the Greys ?)—and a gentleman, a clerk in the office, has obtained the vacant post, the salary being limited to 5001. per annum ; thus leaving a surplus of 500/. to the Privy Puree, which will doubtless be judiciously appropriated.—Daily Hews.

Lord Londesborough has opened his ample mansion on the Terrace, Pic- cadilly, to a series of conversazioni, to which he invites literary men, scien- tific men, archeologists, and artists. The first of the series, on Wed- nesday last, was preceded by a sumptuous dinner to a party of about thirty. The numerous, spacious, and splendid rooms, were adorned with a highly interesting collection of archeological and artistic objects of all ages and various nations—notably Greek remains from Greece and her Italian colonies, and Anglo-Saxon remains from Kent. The rooms were crowded, and the pleasant reunion lasted till midnight.

The following is a copy of the bill introduced by the Bishop of London into the House of Lords on Monday, to amend the law with reference to the administration of justice in her Majesty's Privy Council on appeals from the Ecclesiastical Courts.

" Preamble. Whereas it is expedient to amend the law with reference to the administration of justice in her Majesty's Privy Council, so far as relates to questions on religious doctrine, arising in appeals from, the Ecclesiastical Courts of England. "Section 1. Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Moat Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, that, in all cases of appeals which may be hereafter made to her Majesty in Council from any Ecclesias-

tical Court of England, and SO often as it shall be necessary to determine any question of doctrine or tenets of the Church of this realm, arising either in a criminal or civil suit, it shall be lawful for the Judicial Committee of her Majesty's Privy Council, and they are hereby required, to refer such question of doctrine to the Archbishops and Bishops of the provinces of Can- terbury and York, in the manner hereinafter provided ; and the opinion of the said Archbishops and Bishops upon such question, when duly certified to the said Judicial Committee in the manner hereinafter provided, shall be binding and conclusive for the purposes of the appeal in which such reference shall be made, and shall be adopted and acted upon by the said Judicial Com- mittee, so far as may be necessary for the decision of the matter under ap- peal, and shall be specially reported by the said Judicial Committee to her Majesty in Council, together with their advice to her Majesty upon such appeal. 'Section 2. And be it enacted, that every such reference shall be made in the form of a case to be stated in writing by the said Judicial Committee for the opinion of the said Archbishops and Bishops, mite be transmitted to the Archbishop of Canterbury in such a manner as the said Judicial Committee shall direct.

I " Section 3. And be it enacted, that upon receiving any such case, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury shall, with all convenient speed, convene a meeting of the Archbishops and Bishops of the provinces of Canterbury and York, to be held at such tune and place as he shall appoint by a summons in writing under his hand and seal, to be sent by the general post to every such Arch- bishop and Bishop ; and such meeting shall be held accordingly, at the time and place so appointed, with power to adjourn the same from time to time, as may be found expedient.

"Section 4. And be it enacted,.that every such meeting of Archbishops and Bishops shall be a Court for the purpose of considering the question so re- ferred to them, and certifying their opinion thereon ; and at every such Court the Archbishop or Bishop who is first in rank of those present shall preside. " Section 5. And be it enacted, that notice of the time and place of holding every such Court shall be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the parties, or proctors of the parties, in the cause or matter under appeal; and such parties shall be entitled, if they think fit, to be heard by themselves or by such persons (not exceeding two on each side) as they may depute for that .purpose, before such Court; and the said Court shall, after such hearing, or without such hearing, if the parties shall not desire to be heard, consider and decide upon the question so referred to them ; and in case of any differ- ence, such question shall be decided according to the opinion of the majority of the Archbishops and Bishops present. "Seedier6. And be it enacted, that the opinion of the said Archbishops and Biehops, upon every case so referred to them, shall be certified to the said Judicial Committee in writing, under the hands of the Archbishops and Bishops present at such meeting, or of such of the said Archbishops and Bishops as shall concur in such opinion ; and every such certificate shall state the names of all the .Archbishops and Bishops present at such meeting. " Section 7. And be it enacted, that in case of any vacancy of the see of Canterbury, the Archbishop of York, or (in case of concurring vacancies of both the sees of Canterbury and York) the senior in rank of the Bishops of England for the time being, shall be substituted for, and shall stand in the place of, the. Archbishop of Canterbury for all the purposes of this act. "Section 8. Provided always and be it enacted, that in case any Archbishop or Bishop shall be a party to the suit in which any such question as afore- said shall arise, or shall be patron of any benefice or office the title to which shall be in question in such suit, or which, in any event of such suit, may be liable to become or, be declared vacant, then, and in every such case, such Archbishop or Bishop shall not be at liberty to attend any such Court as aforesaid, or to take any part in the deliberations or business thereof."

At a meeting of the London Union on Church Matters hold on Tues- day, it was agreed that the proposed public meeting on the subject of the grievances arising out of the Gorham case should not be held -before the month of June ; the 30th of May, the day proposed by some of the country unions, being considered too early to allow of the necessary ar- rangements being made.—Aforning Post.

Lord Ashley has written to the Short Time Committee of Lancashire and Yorkshire, "as their friend and not as their delegate," counselling them to "accept forthwith the propositions made by her Majesty's Go- vernment, as the only means of solving the difficulties " in which they are now plaeed. He enumerates six reasons for this counsel, in effect urging that the Government concession has left little to struggle about; and then he adds, that " there are other reasons drawn from the embarrassments of our present position." The unavoidable necessity for introducing a clause to prohibit relays, "which contains now matter and imposes fresh re- strictions," "seta at liberty many Members who considered themselves engaged to maintain the honour of Parliament, and thus endangers the

success of the measure ultimately, and certainly the progress of it in the present session. Now," he adds pointedly, " I greatly fear delay : I re- frain from stating my reasons, but I repeat, I greatly fear delay, as likely to be productive of infinite mischic4 and which may possibly completely alter your relative and actual position."

A Post:-office notice has stated that henceforward the sale of postage- stamps of the value of 10d. and ls. will be extended to all post-offices throughout the United Kingdom. The Government has concluded the long-pending negotiations for a re- organization and improvement of steam communication with the West Indies and the Pacific, ark for the establishment of steam communication with the Brazils and Rio Plata. The proposal to make New York the half-way house for European intercourse with the New World has not been accepted : "it is resolved," says the Times in a very full explanation of arrangements, " that a groat steam-bridge is now to be thrown across the ocean from Southampton to Panama., and this must become the com- mon highway to the West Indies and South America."

"With regard to the first—the-main line steamer, after leaving Southamp- ton, will proceed direct to St. Thomas, performing the voyage in twelve drys. At that island three branch steamers will be in waiting to receive mails,— one to convey them to Havannah and the Gulf ofMexieo, a second to Porto Ricci, Hayti, Jamaica, lien Jago de Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, 8m. ; the third to the Windward and Leewardlslands, terminating at Demerara. After thus transfering the mails for those places, the Altantic steamers will start direct for Chagres, on the Isthmus of Panama, there to disembark the Pacific mails for transmission to the West coast of America. homeward, the method adopted will be precisely the same; and the Chaves steamer will find at St. 'Thomas's the branch steamers from the three previously-mentioned points, the departures of which will be so arranged that they shall always (except- ing. in case of accident) be waiting in the harbour of St. Thomas'a for the arrival of the large ship having on board the Pacific mails. Generally speak- ing, an accelerated commimicatien of from twelve to sixteen days will be guaranteed to all the ports by this arrangement. Taking Valparaiso as the extreme point, a saving will thence be effected of about twenty days ; the distance being performed in forty to forty-three days against sixty -to sixty- three as at present. To Chagres the voyage will occupy only eighteen or nineteen days against thirty-two or thirty-four as at present; Jamaica will be reached m sixteen or seventeen days ; the Gulf of Mexico in twenty-two or twenty days; Havannah in fifteen or sixteen days ; Guiana in nineteen "to twenty-one days, and the intermediate islands in proportion. To cor- respond with these arrangements, on the Pacific side, we believe it is the in- tention of the Admiralty to agree with the Pacific Steam Navigation Com- pany for a fortnightly mail to and from Valparaiso and Panama, in place of the present monthly steamer. Bermuda will be entirely. emitted as a place of call ; and this objectionable and dangerous route, which has uniformly caused the greatest discontent and produced most of the irregularity of the mail; will be abolished. Mobile, likewise, will no longer be touched by these steam-vessels.

" With reference to Brazil, a monthly mail, with an independent:line of packets, is to be established. Starting from Southampton, thestearaers will proceed to Fimehal (Madeira), Santa Cruz (Tenerifte), Porto Praya (Cape 'Verdes), Pernambuco, Bahia, and Rio Janeiro. From Rio Janeiro there will "he a branch pariket to Montevideo and Buenos Ayres."

A. contract has been made with the Royal Mail Steam-packet Company to -perform the whole of this double service for the same sum of 240,0001. a year which they now receive for performing the West India mail service only. Thus, the 30,0001. at present spent on the sailing-packet service to Brazil will be saved. The Company's fleet at present consists of thirteen vesse ten of which are of 1,800 tons burden, and 450 horse power. The fleet be extended to about twenty-two vessels ; and five of the new ones for the main trunk line will be from 2,000-to 2,200 tons burden and 800 horsepower, and be bound to maintain a speed of 12 to 14 knots an hour, a rate equal to that of the beet vessels on the Cunard line. These vessels are to be built -immediately by the beet builders in the Thames, Clyde, and Mersey ; and they -are expected to be "ready for sea in about a year. Meanwhile, it is not am- 12.1rely that the change of route will be sanctioned for the present vessels."

Results of the 'Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday lard : the first column of figures gives the aggregate number of deaths in the corresponding weeks of the ten previous years.

Ten "Weeks 0E1839-49

Week. of 1850.

Zyrnotle Diseases

1663 .... 159 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat 494 .... 30 Tubercular Diseases 1904 ....

146

Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 1138 .... 108 Diseases of the Heart ao.d illood-vemels 280 .... 43 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 1253 .... 138 Diseases of the stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 533 .... 45 Diseases of the Kidneys, Re

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, Sc 98 7 Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Jointsoke

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue,ifte. 14 .... 1 Malformations

Premature Birth 112 .... 13 Atrophy 125 .... 14

Age

M3 .... 40 Sudden 102 .... 10 Violence, Privation, Cold, andlntemperanee 282 41 Total (including unspeeified causes) 8830 829

weeks in the ten previous years. Group was the only disease showing an in- creased fatality—it -destroyed fifteen children. The wean temperature of the week was low beyond parallel in correspond- ing weeks of past seasons : the mean of the week was 462, that of the tea corresponding weeks in 1840-9 was 62.6. Except eu Friday and Saturday, the wind blew from the North and North-east.

The Commissioners of the Board of Customs have just issued an order that no person can be appointed to fill a clerkship in the Customs hereafter who has not a lmowledge of the French and•Greamanlanguages, and of arithmetic and-algebra.

- Wordsworth has left a poem, consisting of fourteen cantos, -descriptive of his life, reflections, and opinions, with directions that it should be published after his decease, together with such biographical notices as may be requisite to illustrate his writings, under the editorial care of his nephew, the Re- -verend-Cluistopher Wordswottli, D,D., Canon -of Westminster ; whom he has Appointed his literary executor, so far as his hiqmphical memoir is con- cerned, -with the -expression of a deaire that Ids family, executors, and Mende, would furnish his biographer with such materials as may be useful for his assistance in the preparation of, the work.—Morneng 'Chroniek.

Professor Schumacher communicates to Mr. 'Hind the discovery of a comet by Dr. Peterson of Altona. On the 2d of May its position was In right as- cension 19h. 24m. 8s., North declination 97° 19' fer —in Brace therefore : -it has a motion lessening its-right ascension-about forty-eight seconds, and in creasing its North declination about 8 minute., each day.

Thomas Denny, the marivonvicted,of murdering his infant at Ewell, really hair received a free pardon. The Judge who tried lua' a -considered that the was not sufficient on the two points of the wound on the child'being sufficient to cause death, and on the prisoner havinee inflicted that wound. The punishment of James Deary, who was sentenced to be hanged at Ted- burgh, for stabbing a companion, has been commuted to transportation for life. There was ooitsidered to he an absence of " special malice " in the act. The sentence of Aune Merritt, convicted of poisoning her husband at Hackney, is now finally emimuted to transportation for life.

The mortality was therefore 1341ess than the average of the corresponding

At the village of Farringdon, situated about nine miles from Bristol, on the road to Wells, a young woman named Ann Cromer„ the daughter of a master mason, now lies in a complete state of catalepsy, in which extraordi- nary trancelike condition, should she survive till next November, she will have been for no less than thirteen years. During the whole of-this extended period, she has not partaken of any solid food, and the vital principle has only been sustained by the mechanical administration of fluids. Although of course reduced to almost a perfect skeleton, her countenance bears a -very placid expression. Her respiration is perceptible, her hands warm, and she has some mdication of existent consciousness. Upon one occasion, when asked if suffering from ' to squeeze the band of her mother, placed in hers for that purpose, a di: t pressure, the mother avers, was plainly distinguishable and frequently, w en suffering from cramp, she has been heard to make slight moans. About sixteen weeks after the commencement of her trance, she was seized with lock-jaw, -which occasions great diffimilly in affording her nourishment. The unfortunate young woman is twenty-five years of age, and has been vielled by a great number of medical gentleman; who, however, hold out no hopes of her eleimate recovery.—Times.