_Miscellaneous.
A Cabinet Council was held on Monday afternoon, at the Foreign Office.
The King of Saxony arrived at Bristol on Sunday morning ; and after attending church, viewed the beauties of Clifton. On Monday, he inspected the Great Britain steam-ship. On leaving Bristol, his Ma- jesty proceeded to Wales, and visited Tintern Abbey. Accounts from St. Petersburg mention continued improvement in the health of the Grand Dutchess Alexandra, whose illness caused the Emperor of Russia to hasten his return.
The Dutchess of Buccleuch gave a fête champetre, at Montague House, on Monday, to a large assemblage of the aristocracy. Among the amusements for the guests was a rowing-match on the Thames, for sixty sovereigns ; the competitors being watermen.
The Dowager Dutchess of Bedford gave a fete champetre at Bedford Lodge, Campden Hill, on Wednesday ; when about six hundred of the aristocracy were present, including the Dutchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Cambridge. Punch and Judy and the Fantoccini exhibited for the amusement of the younger portion of the company.
The Marchioness of Lansdowne gave a grand concert on Wednesday evening, at Lansdowne House. The great Waverley Ball, for the purpose of assisting the funds for the Scott Monument at Edinburgh, took place on Monday night, at Willis's Rooms. It was highly successful ; 1,438 tickets entered, and there will be a thousand pounds clear for the Monument-funds. Among the dances was a quadrille of characters from the Waverley novels, forty-eight in number, which was arranged and conducted by the Mar- chioness of Londonderry. The Dutchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Cambridge, and the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz, head the brilliant list of company present.
The negotiations for the purchase of Norris Castle, in the Isle of Wight, as a residence for the Queen, are said to be broken off, on ac- count of the price which the proprietor asks-140,0001. The Queen, according to present reports, will receive the King of the French, on his visit in September, at the Brighton Pavilion.
The property of Thomas Campbell the poet has been sworn under 2,0001., and it is said that it will probably not realize more than 1,500/. It is left to his niece, Mary Campbell ; his son being competently pro- vided for by the will of the late Archibald Macarthur Stewart of Ascog.
The following barristers have been appointed Sergeants-at-law—Mr. Edward Bellasis, of the Chancery bar, Mr. John Alexander Kinglake, and Mr. Charles Chadwick Jones, of the Common-law bar.
The following gentlemen have been appointed Queen's counsel—Mr. John Hodgson, Mr. Charles Stewart Whitehurst, Mr. William J. Alex- ander, Mr. Robert Charles Hildyard, and Mr. James Parker.
Tuesday's Gazette announced that the Lords of the Treasury having certified to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, that the actual surplus of revenue beyond the expenditure, for the year ended the 5th of April last, amounted to 2,095,427/. 98. 7d., the Com- missioners will apply one-fourth of the surplus to the purchase of Stock and Exchequer Bills.
The provisions of the Railway Bill, which were very indistinctly set forth by Mr. Gladstone on Monday night in the House of Commons, will place all the railroads to be hereafter constructed very effectually under the control of the Government. The bill applies only to future railways : its operation on them will be prospective in general manage- ment, and immediate only in some of the details of arrangement, and in the provision of a cheap mode of conveyance by third-class trains. At any time after the expiration of fifteen years from the 1st of January " next after " the act has passed for constructing a railway, the tolls are to be liable to revision by the Board of Trade, if the clear annual profits amount to ten per cent on the paid-up capital ; and at one month's notice such railway-company is to adopt a scale of fares pro- posed by the Government ; but accompanied by a guarantee to secure a profit of ten per cent. Any extravagance or want of care in the ma- nagement by a railway-company is to be estimated, and the amount to be deducted from the sum paid by the Government should the profits on the reduced scale of fares not amount to ten per cent. Those com- panies under revision by the Board of Trade are not to be allowed to increase their capital ; and they must make such regulations for con- ducting the traffic as appear required by public convenience. After the expiration of fifteen years, the Board of Trade is authorized to purchase any of the railways that come within the provisions of the bill, at twenty-five years' purchase of the annual divisible profits, not exceeding ten per cent : but this option of purchase is not to extend to railways in which a revised scale of tolls has been imposed. The 25th clause of the bill regulates the conditions on which third-class trains are to be established; and all future railways are to act on its provisions from the commencement of their traffic. It pro- vides that at least one train on every week-day shall start from each end of the line, to carry passengers in covered carriages for one penny per mile ; that the speed of such trains shall not be less than twelve miles an hour, including stoppages ; that they shall stop to take up and set down passengers at every station ; that half a hundredweight of lug- gage shall be allowed each passenger, without extra charge ; that chil- dren under three years of age shall be conveyed in such trains without charge, and those under twelve at half-price. The Board of Trade is also to be empowered to have control over the cheap trains as regards the times of starting and the accommodation afforded. The Govern- ment-tax upon such passengers is not to exceed one-half the rate of the tax levied upon the general passenger-receipts of Railway Companies. The other provisions of the bill are of minor importance : they relate to the permission to lay down electric telegraphs on the railways, on being required by the Government, for Government purposes or for the use of the public; to the prohibition of loan-notes ; and to regu- lations for the conveyance of the mails and of military and police.
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