Misultuutruo.

Further changes are reported in the Government. The Duke of "Argyll, on becoming Postmaster-General, relimpaishes the office of Lord Privy Seal, to which Lord Harrowby is promoted. The post which he vacates, that of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is filled by Mr. Matthew Talbot Baines, .with a seat in the Cabinet. Lord Stanley of Alderley, re- maining President of the Board of Trade, is also admitted to the Cabinet We understand that it is the intention of the Government to resort at last to the ballot [for the Militia]; and that it is to be carried into effect, without reference to rank, from the age of eighteen to forty. The term of service is to be for five years, and it is considered that the manner of raising conscripts for the French army will be adopted. The fine of five pounds for not serving will be paid to the Government, who will provide substitutes for those who decline to enter the forces.— United Berra Gazette.

There has been some controversy in the papers about the propriety of the appointment of Colonel Percy Herbert to the responsible post of Quartermaster-General in the East;, and Colonel. Edward. Wetherell has been rather unfairly pitted against Colonel Herbert. The nomination) imputed to favouritism, has, among others, extracted the following re- Marks from Sir De Lacy Evans- " I am one of those who have had the audacity to recommend Colonel Herbert for any advancement the arduous services he has been unceasingly engaged in may permit of. His certificates of merit are, in my opinion, of a more trustworthy character than those of any college ; they have been won honourably and intrepidly in the camp and the battle-field, by daily and nightly vigilance and exertion, and are recorded in the reports and de- spatches of Sir George Cathcart, Lord Raglan, Sir De Lacy Evans, Sir John Pennefather, and, I believe, of General Markham."

A Cabinet Council was held on Wednesday. On the same day Lord Pal- merston entertained his colleagues at dinner.

The Duchess and Princess Mary of Cambridge have been on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Hardwicke, at Wimpole Hall. One evening they were entertained with private theatricals.

Lord and Lady Canning and suite left Folkestone on Tuesday, en route for Marseilles and India; whither Lord Canning goes to assume the office of Governor-General.

Sir James Simpson arrived in London on Sunday night. It is stated that he "seams to have suffered little from the effects of the climate of the Crimea."

Mr. C. Dacies Bevan, of the Western Circuit, is appointed Recorder of Penzance, in the room of Mr. B. P, Collier IL.P., resigned. Mr. J. W. Saunders, of the Western Circuit, is appointed Recorder of Dartmouth, in the place of Mr. C. D. Bevan.

Lord Panmure was not present at the. Cabinet Council on Wednesday. Ma Lordship had left town to attend the funeral obsequies of his brother, Colonel the Honourable Lauderdale Mauls, whose remains arrived in this country from the East last week. Colonel Maule, it will be recollected, held the office of Assistant-Quartermaster-General in the Eastern Expedition, and fella victim to cholera at Varna last autumn. He was Member for For- farshire, and held the office of Surveyor-General of the Ordnance for some time. It was as a regimental officer, however, that Colonel Maule was best known. He commanded the Seventy-ninth Highlanders for several years, and, wherever that gallant corps was quartered, he is remembered as one of the most agreeable of companions and warmest of friends. Although he had no opportunity of seeing service more active than that involved in the ordi- nary course of Colonial duty, he was able to show his professional zeal by the admirable condition of the Seventy-ninth, in which regiment his memory will long live, associated with kind and pleasant recollections.—Globe.

On the 23d October, Mr. John Laird, of Birkenhead, received a Govern- ment order for an iron mortar-boat ; on the 13th November, the boat was launched, " all complete, with mortar-bed, masts, rigging, anchor, cable,' atlas, shell-room, accommodation for crew, &c." To effect this, gangs of workmen were employed night and day. The mortar-boat is of 100 tons measurement ; with everything on board she will draw only three feet of water ; she will rise but little from the surface of the sea ; and as she will be painted sea-green, the Russians will have some difficulty in taking aim at her. Mr. Laird is building fourteen wooden steam screw gun-boats, with great expedition.

It is in contemplation to take in a large portion of the river Medway im- mediately contiguous to and in connexion with Chatham Dockyard, for the purpose of forming a basin capable of floating several war-steamers for spe- cial 'service or otherwise.

The camp at Shomeliffe is now considered by the Government a perma- nent one ; and considerable alterations are to be made, including stables for the accommodation of 700 horses, with a riding-school. It is also intended to erect slaughterhouses for the purpose of accustoming the men to kill their Own cattle when out campaigning. There are many butchers in the several regiments. There are nearly 4000 men at Shorncliffe, who are daily drilled. The men are in excellent health. The damage done by the First Regiment of lagers during their stay in the camp has been estimated at above 5004, blankets, camp equipments, and requisites, having been destroyed through mere wantonness. An order has been issued that the sum of 5004 be clew ducted from the pay of the regiment.

A successor to the glorious old "Shannon," the victor in the contest with the Chesapeake, was launched at Portsmouth on Saturday. She is a vast improvement in every way over her predecessor. The new ship is a screw• steam frigate, the largest British frigate afloat ; she is 235 feet long, carries 51 guns, and has a tonnage of 2661. The figure-head is a bust of the late captain Sir Philip Broke, who commanded in the action with the Americans.' The old Shannon has been for many years a receiving-hulk at Sheerness, wider the name of-the St. Lawrence.

A Court-martial, sitting on board the Victory at Portsmouth, has tried Commander Phillips and Mr. Braund, Master, for having got the steam troop- ehip Urgent ashore, near Malta, on the 20th October. This was the finding That her Majesty's ship Urgent got on shore on Ricasole Point, at Sus entrance of Malta harbour, in attempting to enter it in the night, in con. sequence of the Master of the said ship not having paid due attention to keep Cape St. Elmo Light in a proper bearing until he had distinctly made out the entrance of the harbour ; but that when the danger was discovered every proper precaution was taken to prevent the accident, which probably would have been avoided had the ship answered her helm more readily; that, under the circumstances, no blame is imputable to Commander Phillips, and the Court do therefore adjudge him to be acquitted ; but, in consequence of the want of judgment on the part of Mr. Braund, the Court do adjudge him to be admonished to be more careful for the future."

The Chaplain-General has submitted to the authorities a plan for checking drunkenness in our army in the East, suggested by Miss Nightingale. It consists in expelling from the camp every auttler or follower who supplies drink to an inebriated soldier, or sells him enough to make him drunk ; braries and coffeehouses are also proposed to be formed to wean. the men from the debasing pleasure of drinking.

Sergeant Thomas Denton, of the Twenty-first Fusiliers, who greatly dis- tinguished himself at Inkerman and en other occasions in the Crimea, hav- big visited his parents at Sedgefield, the inhabitants have presented the gal- lant young soldier with a watch, a gold chain, and a puree containing 54

It quantity of lead was sent from Stockholm to Haparanda, with a view to its introduction into Russia ; but the Prussian authorities stopped itspro- gress,and sent it tack to Stockholm. Several barges laden with sulphur are lying at Thorn, which the authorities will not permit to be landed, as the owners cannot show that it is of Zollverein origin.

Russia is importing grain from Prussia ; in Courland, Livonia, and Fin- land, the last harvest was insufficient for the wants of the inhabitants.

A Rhenish house has received an order from the United States Govern- ment for a number of bullet-proof steel cuirasses, to be delivered ne-LA eREiegs Though the relations of the Spanish Government and the Pope are not very friendly, the Queen of Spain is on cordial terms with his Holiness. Last year she sent him a magnificent tiara ; and now, according to a corre- spondent of the Gazette de Lyon, she has made him two presents of pictures by Murillo—the Marriage of St. Catherine, and the Prodigal Son. The former " hung in her bedroom, and she was in the habit of paying her even- ing devotions to it."

By order of the Emperor, experiments have been made in France, and others are in progress, to ascertain the effects of compressing flour. They were begun in July 1853 ; the flour was greatly compressed, and packed in metal cases; it is found that it has kept sweeter than other flour not com- pressed, and makes better bread. Cases of compressed flour are now to be sent in ships on long voyages to test the efficacy of the process for sea pur- poses.

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

Tea Weeks of 1815-'34. Week of 1866.

Zymotle Diseases 257.2 .... 244

Dropsy, Cancer, and other disease. of uncertain or variable seat .

44.8 .... 55 Tubercular Diseases 165.4 .... 166 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 116.8 .... 116 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 40.8 .... 63 Diseasa of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Itespirstion 203.6 ... 204 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 66.6 .... 59 Diseases of the Kidneys, des. 11.0

r

Childbirth, diseases of the lltertiS,41:e.

0.6 .460

I

Rheumatism, disease' of the Bones, Joints, He

8.9 6.0

0

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, ac 2.3 ....

4

Malformations

3.9 ....

Premature Birth

28.9 ....

24

Atrophy 23.9

W

Age

45.8 ....

44

Sudden.

7.2 P0,0

10

Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance

27.1 ....

34

TOSai (including usapeellled causes) . .. 1065.4

1071 Messina and its vicinity suffered from a terrific etorm, apparently attended by a water-spout, on the 13th of last month. Churches and houses were swept away by torrents ; and an infinite deal of damage was done in various ways, estimated to amount to a million and a quarter sterling. There was a fearful loss of life—it is said that at Fiume de Nisa alone two hundred persons perished.

It appears from a recent Parliamentary return that some of the collectors of Inoome-tax get enormous incomes by the poundage. There are 122 col- lectors who receive 2001. and upwards; in the aggregate they are paid 66,5621. The collectors appear to be paid at the same rate of poundage under the enhanced tax as before,—swelling their remuneration to an as- tonishing figure : Mr. Richard Till received 29671. in 1863; 67881. in 1854. One collector received 28131. in 1854, another 13001., a third 17101., a fourth 30421. In contrast to these overgrown payments, a correspondent of the Times states that a collector at Burnham, for much labour, gains but 131, a year, and that only if he happens to incur no losses,

CRYSTA.L Patace.—Return of admissions for nix days ending Friday No- vember 30, 1855, including season-tickets, 6072.