giortllomaits.

Parliament was prorogued by Commission on Tuesday; and although' " no one " is in town, a number of "ladies and gentlemen " are said to have been present at the ceremony. The Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Clarendon, and the Earl of Harrowby.

Pulman, Black Rod, duly summoned the faithful Commons ; and in answer thereto appeared Sir Denis Le Marehant and one or two officials.

When all was prepared according to precedent, the Lord Chancellor, in the name of the Queen, declared Parliament 'prorogued until Thursday the 13th clay of November next. Having done so, he adjourned the House, and the Commissioners and spectators went on their way.

The further prorogation of the Convocation of the Prelates and Clergy of the Province of Canterbury, until the 14th November, took place with the usual formalities on Wednesday.

The appointment of the Reverend Richard Chenevix Trench to the Deanery of Westminster has been announced, but not officially.

The Cardigan controversy seems likely to run great lengths. Mr. Buck, whom the Earl of Cardigan undertook to induct into the mysteries of the Balaklava charge, has published a reply, from which the following is a " spicy" extract. "Your Lordship evidently requires from me some explanation of my al- lusion to the sums of money paid for your advancement in the Army. Con- sidering your Lordship and Colonel Morris to be types of the two differing systems of promotion in the English Army, your Lordship representing that of advancement by money without distinguished merit, Colonel Morris illustrating that of advancement by distinguished merit in the field before the enemy in India and in the Crimea,—I congratulated Colonel Morris upon having achieved by merit what it was reported your Lordship had at- tained at the cost of between 30,000/. and 40,000/. My attention was called to this matter by a return which was circulated among Members of the House of Commons, giving the dates of promotion of every Staff-officer who had served or was then serving in the Crimea. Your Lordship's promotion, without any distinguished, or, I believe, foreign service, was by far the most rapid of any officer. In May 1824, your Lordship was a cornet ; in December 1830, you obtained your lieutenant-eolonelcy. Your Lordship was subsequently removed from the command of your regiment for or- ganizing a system of espionage in your orderly-room, by which you gathered matter for a court-martial upon Captain Wathen, a distinguished officer. Captain Wathen was acquitted of the charges preferred by your Lordship, and you were removed from the command of your regiment. Notwith- standing this, your promotion went on, and in 1846 you obtained your co- lonel's commission. I confess, upon looking over this return, I endeavoured to ascertain, from those acquainted with the Horse Guards machinery, how your Lordship had attained such rapid promotion. I failed in understand- ing the process but I was informed your Lordship's advancement had cost you 34,0001. If your Lordship, to secure your advancement, were com- pelled to expend so large a sum, the inference can only be, that an officer without such resources would fail in his advancement in the British Army ; and that money—not merit—decides the destiny of her officers. I shall be happy to join Ultra-Radicals or any other class of politicians, during the next session of Parliament in securing for the Army a more just and effi- cient system of promotion.'

Governor Darling, of Newfoundland, is to succeed Sir Henry Barkly at Jamaica.

Mr. T. B. Burcham, Recorder of Bedford, has been a inted a Metropo- litan Police Magistrate, in the place of the late Mr. A' t eckett.

The Lord Advocate of Scotland has consented to deliver a lecture to the Young Men's Christian Association, in the Victoria Hall, on Monday the 13th instant. The subject of the lecture will be " Social Reform—Indiffer- ence and Disunion its,greatest obstacles."

The decease of Lord De Freyne, formerly Mr. Arthur French, Member for Roscommon, elevates the Reverend John French to the family honours.

Colonel Shewell, of the Eighth Hussars, died lust week, at Guildford. He had been thirty years in the service ; commanded the Eighth Hussars at the famous Balaklava charge, where he brought a portion of the brigade out of action ; and subsequently held the rank of Brigadier-General in the Cri- mea, for which he was made a C.B., and awarded a pension for distinguished services.

. Lord Ebrington is still unable to engage in any public business, or to read or write. He is advised to leave England for six months ; and, with care, it is hoped that in-the spring the sight of his remaining eye will be fully restored.

The Opisione of Turin of the 5th instant announces the arrival in that city on the 4th of Lord John Russell and his family. His Lordship dined in the evening with the English Minister, Sir James Hudson ; who had invited in his honour several distinguished members of the Diplomatic Body and of the Sardinian Parliament.

Prince Napoleon has returned from his Northern cruise, and is now in Paris.

The Archduke Charles Louis of Austria is to be married to the Princess Margaret of Saxony on the 4th of next month. The Emperor and Empress of Austria are to visit the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom after they have at- tended the marriage.

The Duchess of Orleans and her two sons arrived at Genoa on the 3d instant.

Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte still continues his philological researches in the Basque Provinces. [It is said that the Emperor of the French also takes a good deal of interest in the Basque Provinces—political, not philo- logical.]

The Dowager Empress of Russia, during her recent visit to Moscow, received a black eye from an aged priest ! In his eagerness to open the door of a case containing holy relics, the priest struck the Empress in the eye with part of the frame of the door : she screamed with pain, and the terror of the poor priest may be imagined.

Mr. George Peabody has declined the public dinners which New York, Philadelphia, and Boston were eager to give him.

The Commander-in-chief,proposes to establish a musical class for the in- struction of the boys in the Royal Military Asylum, and of persons sent from regiments, to qualify for bugle-majors, trumpet-majors, and band- masters. He expects that in the course of time such instruction would :train up soldiers to be band-masters, and thus save the expense of employ- ing civilians in those posts. He reckons that an original subscription of 51. and an annual subscription of 81. from each military corps would suffice to support the class ; and he has directed a circular to be sent to the com- manding-officer of each corps to ascertain the opinions of the Army on the scheme.

The great wrought-iron gun from the Mersey Works has been tested by the military at Shoebinsyness : the results were quite satisfactory.

The net contribution of the Art Patriotic Exhibition to the Patriotic Fund has been 47321. Beyond this upwards of 10001. is due from the estate of Strahan and Co., who were the bankers to the Art Exhibition. The Shah of Persia has established a military college for the instructionef young officers ; and he takes great personal interest in it. One of the chief teachers is a captain in the French Engineers. The French language is one of the branches of study—all the words of command in the army are given in French.

There will be a nearly total eclipse of the moon on Monday next, visible at Greenwich. It will commence at 21 minutes past 9 p. m., and cud at 27 minutes past midnight.

The Grand Duke of Tuscany has authorized the construction of a railway from Florence to the Roman States, via Arezzo.

Local improvements in Vienna are now under the consideration of the Municipal Council, great inconvenience being felt from the narrowness of the principal thoroughfares. The Council seem inclined to erect a first-rato hotel on the site of some old houses about to be demolished—hotel-accom- modation is very insufficient at present.

There was a great increase in the manufacture of beet-root sugar in France in the year ending August 1856-92,000,000 kilogrammes ; an augmentation of 47,000,000 over the preceding year.

It has now been ascertained that the cereal crops of France exceed an average year. The reports from the wine-districts are of a yery varying character ; but it would seem that the vintage on the whole will be better than last year's.

A new Russian "dodge." The Government has granted largo subsidies for the formation of steam companies in the Black Sea : one line is to run to Alexandria; another to navigate the Danube ; the vessels are to be con- structed to carry guns "if necessary "—that is, they are to be easily con- vertible into a war fleet. Most of the "shares" have been taken up by members of the Imperial Family or by great nobles.

By a census taken at the accession of the present Emperor, it appears that the population of Russia was 63,000,000: on the accession of Nicholas it was 51,000,000. There are one hundred and twelve different peoples in the Russian empire, divided into twelve principal races.

It is believed that the classical collections at Naples of the late Six William Temple have been bequeathed to the British Museum.

A curious natural phenomenon is recorded by the Aden Agent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company. He says—" Yesterday [Septem- ber 14] a little after noon, the signal was made ' 21steamer to the _Eastward; and was kept flying the whole afternoon ; towards evening the signal-man reported that the steamer was gradually receding, and supposed that she had either broken down or run out of coals. On this the Political Resident ordered the Honourable Company's steamer Queen to get up steam and go to her assistance. The Queen accordingly left about nine o'clock, and met the Oriental at three .o'clock this morning steaming along all right. At tho time the steamer was signalled she was 150 miles from Aden i and we can only account for this very singular phenomenon by some optical illusion, such as the mirage." A letter from Naples says that " slips of earth into.the principal crater of Vesuvius have been taking place for some time past. It is feared that the entire summit of the mountain will disappear in the open chasm. "Violent and continual reports have of late proceeded from the volcano."

The recent bull-fight at Bayonne was not at the instance of the Empress of the French, and was not the first in that city. Bayonne is half Spanish from the numbers of Spaniards visiting or residing there, and bull-fights shave been held before—one a year before the Empress's marriage.

Result of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last.

Ten Weeks Weak of 1816,65. of 1856.

Zymotic Diseases 380.3 ....

256 Dropsy, Cancer, and other Diseases of uncertain or variable seat . 44.4 ....

46 Tubercular Diseases 187.5 ....

187 Diseases qghe Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 114.8 ....

99 Diseases arthe Heart and Illood-vessels 36.1 ....

, 48 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 111.2 ....

143 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion - 83:3 ....•

48 Diseases of the Kidneys, &c 11.2 • • • • .4 Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, Sc 9.1 • • • . • 13 Rheumatism, Diseases of the Bones, Joints, &c.

7.3 .....

11 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Se. 2.0 ....

4 Malformations 4.1 . .•• 3 Premature Birth 27.8 • • . • 30 Atrophy 29.3 . . • • 36 Age 38.7 • • • • 30 Sudden 20.6 • • . • 15 Violene, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 66.4 . . • • 77

Total (including unspecified Cause.)

1,122.6

1,071

At Stone, a few days ago, John Hodson expired at the age of one hundred and three. Until within the last twelve months he might daily be seen driving cows to milk through the town. He possessed the perfect use of his faculties, with the exception of his hearing, till the last.—Wolverhamptort Chronicle.

The Austrian Lieutenant Meissl has lost his life in a duel with a Prussian officer, which arose from a very miserable cause. The Prussian had begged a light from Meissl's cigar ; in returning the cigar he awkwardly burnt Meissl's fingers ; Meissl muttered something about "clumsiness' the Prussian took offence, and challenged the Austrian ; Meissl was shot in the lungs.

The cholera appears to be completely dying out of Portugal ; there is hardly a town where cases now occur.

Varna suffered greatly from a storm on the 15th and 16th of last month. Houses and parts of the ramparts were swept away by the floods produced by torrents of rain which fell for twelve hours. The country around was much devastated.

The Banat, a Dutch ship, having upwards of 350 Chinese coolies for the Havanna on board, was obliged to put back to Macao for repairs. The coolies wished to escape ; a struggle ensued between them and the crew; the Chinese were driven below ; they set fire to the ship, and soon after the powder on board exploded. Nearly-all the coolies and several of the crew perished.