31ItsrtItantinto.

THE Central.; Iseurne.—The great hall of Chelsea Hospital has been fitted up for the use of the Board of Officers appointed to investigate the conduct of Lords Lncan and Cardigan, Sir Richard Airey, and-Colonel Gordon. A large portion of the hall is set apart for the use of the pub- lic. General Sir George Berkeley has been appointed to the Commis- sion, in the room of Sir Thomas M`Mahon. Rumour fixes the eons+ memcement of the inquiry for Tuesday next.

Ma. Frieen's DFYENCE.—CommiaaRry--General Filder has sent in to the War Department certain observations on the report of Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch, and the War Department has laid the paper before Parliament. The general allegations on the face-of the report, affeeting Mr. Filder, were, that Mr. Filder did not make adequate provision for forage ; that his scale of land transport was " dangerously low " - and that he did not make the most of such means as lay ready to his hand. Mr. Filder replies to these allegations. With regard to forage, he says that the hay-contractors he employed were recommended to him by the British Embassy, and that on the whole they executed their contracts satisfactorily. He ascribes the deficiency of the hay to the mistake made by the Commissariat officers at Constantinople, who set up the hydraulic presses at a distance from the loose hay. When he found this had been done, it was too late to remedy it. "These are mistakes in details, however, for which the Commissary-General in the Crimea cannot be answerable." He contends, that in getting supplies he did not follow the beaten track only, but that he " obtained supplies by every variety of mode in which it was possible to procure them ; that is, by means of agents having a knowledge of the resources of the country and of the language and habits of the people by direct purchases made by Commissariat officers from the parties holding the supplies without either written tender or agreement, by public competition and by special tender, and, when necessary, by requisition en England." With regard to land transport, his statement is that he had enough at the commencement of the siege ; but that afterwards, when so many animals had been rendered unserviceable in struggling with supplies through a morass, " the num- ber of animals that could be fed became the rule." With regard to fuel, Mr. Mier shows that he called Lord Raglan's attention to the necessity of supplying fuel as early as August 1. Lord Raglan replied, " I will speak with Mr. Filder." Again, when the army was on its way to the Crimea, Mr. Filder broached the subject. It was then expected that the army would winter at Constantinople. Lord Raglan said he could not at present give orders. At last, on the 12th ofOctober, Mr. Filder, being called upon by his subordinate, Mr. Smith, makes a final representation ; and on the 12th of October Lord Raglan answers, " I think it will be better at once to make arrangements for a supply of fire-wood for 20,000 or 25,000 men." Mr. Fader contends that he never said the army was not to be supplied with fuel by the Commissariat. " It should be observed," he adds, "that the want of fuel was as much owing to the soldiers of the British army being overworked as to the deficiency of transport ; for neither the French nor Turkish troops were ever supplied with fuel by their Commissariat. They cut it themselves throughout the whole win- ter, and for the most part in the immediate vicinity. of the English en- campments." His defence for the alleged not issuing of rice is, that rice was partially issued when it was not a ration, and that he had ncit horses to carry up full supplies. For the non-use of lime-juice he al- leges that it had never before been supplied by the Commissariat. Coffee, he says, was supplied in preference to tea, by the order of a board of officers, who knew that it was issued green. Mr. Filder further repre- sents himself as fully sensible of the importance of fresh meat and bread, and anxious to obtain them. For the rest, he describes"his esta- blishment as from the first insufficient ; and the work he had to do as "ex- tensive and onerous duties, which have been since divided among three separate departments."

Azuvremilion OF Foon.—Soon after Parliament assembled, Mr. Scholefield obtained the appointment of a Select Committee on Food Adulteration. It commenced its sittings at the end of February, and the investigation is still in progress. Several witnesses have been examined; Dr. Alfred Taylor, Dr. Chalice, Mr. Crace Calvert the Professor of Che- mistry at the Royal Institution, Mr. Richardson the Inspector of Nui- sances to the Board of Health, Mr. R. Gay the Superintendent of the Victualling Department at Deptford, and others. The evidence corroborates the evidence taken last year, which confirmed the con- clusions of the Lancet Commission. It is shown that poisonous matters are largely used for colouring in hair-dyes, for colouring and flavouring in confectionary ; that beer and gin are adulterated; that rice and alum are used with flour in the making of bread ; that mustard is adulterated with turmeric and other substances ; that drugs are largely and knowingly adulterated by the trade ; that chicory is adulterated with Venetian red, treacle, carrots, and parsnips ; and that there is a regular trade in diseased meat. Mr. Gay admitted that, as a drug-grinder, he had adulterated as much as any man in the trade, but he had done as much as any man to expose it. During the time he was in business he very seldom sent out a genuine article, being com- pelled to add the adulterating substances by-order of the wholesale houses. Several grocers who were examined mentioned tea as an article more free than any other from adulteration, and averred that the outcry about adulterated sugar is much exaggerated. Dr. Taylor suggested three points for the consideration of the Committee- " lst, that with regard to some noxious substances there should be a prohibi- tion of the sale ; 2d,where substances are actually mixed with articles which may not be noxious per se there should be a label attached to them ; 3d, (which was the most difficult question to deal with,) where articles of food not necessarily injurious are sold for others,—arrowroot, for instance, which is largely mixed with potato starch." In this there was nothing unwhole- some • in fact, there was no difference in the nutritive qualities of the two substances. After giving some further illustrations -of his meaning, Dr. Taylor said he thought some public board should be appointed, consist- ing of five or more persons, to determine allquestions ofsuspected adulteration.

It required a knowledge of chemistry, botany, and natural histori; and the members of the board should be familiar with these matters. He thought that the appointment of an officer in a particular district would not be found to work well, or be at all satisfactory to the public. There had been some exaggeration upon the subject of adulteration, but on the whole he thought it extended so far as to be very injurious to the public, and that among the poorer classes especially a large amount of disease might be traced to improper food. Until the Committee commenced their inquiries last session, the practice of adulteration had been increasing; but no doubt a check had since been given to the evil. It had arisen in a great measure from the desire to sell cheaply, and the public had been supplied with an in- ferior article at a lower price.

Sir George Russell Clerk, II.C.B., who has filled the important offices a Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces of India and Go- vernor of Bombay has accepted the permanent Under-Secretaryship to the India Board, vacated by Sir Thomas Redington.—Globe.

- Mr. Buchanan, late Minister of the United States to the Court of St. James's, accompanied by General Campbell, American Consul for London, and Colonel J. B. Croskey, American Consul for Southampton, left London on Thursday afternoon, via Folkestone and Boulogne, for Paris -. where it is the intention of Mr. Buchanan to pass a few days before visiting the Hague. His departure for the United States will probably be by the mail- steamer Arago, to leave Southampton on the 9th of April.

It is expected that on Tuesday next, Queen Victoria, the King of the Belgians, and the English Court, will visit Portsmouth, to witness a grand gun-boat review and sham attack on the town.

The intelligence of the birth of an heir to the throne of France was cele- brated in several towns in the United Kingdom by the hoisting of flags, ring- ing of bells, and in some cases firing of a feu-de-yme by the Militia. In Lon- don a Te Deum was sung at the French Chapel, and high mass was per- formed. In the evening of Sunday, the French Ambassador gave a dinner to all the distinguished Frenchmen at present in London ' - and proposed as a toast—" A rEmpereur, a l'Imperence, et an Prince Imperial. Puisse in genie de Napoleon I., la grace de Napoleon II., et la sagesse de Napo- leon III., etre un jour r apanage du futur Napoleon IV."

At Brussels, on Saturday evening, a dinner was given by the Russian Mi- nister to the Ministers of England, France, Austria, Sardinia, Prussia, Por- tugal, and Denmark.

The Honourable Charles S. Hardinge M.P., eldest son of the Commander- in-chief, is about to marry Lady Lavinia Bingham, daughter of the Earl of Lucan and niece of the Earl of Cardigan.

Lieutenant Massey, better known as "Redan Massey," landed at Ply- mouth on Saturday ; and he was loudly cheered by those present. Lieu- tenant Massey appeared in good health, but walked on crutches, the left thigh and leg being evidentlyuseless. Although eighteen years of age, he does not look so much by a year or two.

General Baron Subervie, who was Minister of War under the Provisional Government, has just died at his chateau of Parenchere (Gironde), aged eighty-four. The deceased took part in all the wars of the Empire, and oommanded the advanced guard at the battle of Waterloo.

. The Nightingale Fund has been augmented by no less than 18721. Cos., rt

the proceeds of the concert of M. and Madame Goldschmrat ; who handed over the whole gross receipts, themselves bearing all expenses, amounting to upwards of 5701.

A subscription is in course. of collection in the City for the very aged mother and sister of the late Lieutenant Waghorn, who are in very dis- tressed circumstances. Mrs. Wighoin advanced money to her son to enable biin to open the overland route to India.

A novelty in the annals of Tunis. The Bey has invited the principal Eu- ropean inhabitants of his capital to be present at the marriage of one of his daughters to his Minister of Finance.

The Paris butchers rebel against the rules for their governance : on Satur- day no fewer than fifty-two were fined or sent to prison for a few days for disobedience.

Senor Battles, a member of the Spanish Cortes, is about to agitate the question of the right of any one to print the Bible in Spanish, without notes ; a right at present successfully resisted by the ecclesiastical authorities.

The Trieste Gazette has an account of a new Ethiopian kingdom, which one Theodore, a native Christian, is founding by conquest, and in which neither slavery nor polygamy will have place. Another account says- " The new King of Ab ssmia, Theodosius, is on his way to Conquer the Christian kingdom of Shea. He has already taken possession of a large district not far from Hurrur, and made over the government of his new province to an Englishman named Bell, who has long been in his service."

The railway between Genoa and Voltri is completed, and will soon be opened for traffic.

A railway from Toulon to Nice, and thence to Genoa, is under considera- tion by the French Government.

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

Zymotie Diseases Ten

Weeks of 1846,55.

Week of 1856.

228

Dropsy, Cancer, and other Diseases of uncertain or variable seat

60.8 • • • • 44 Tubercular Diseases 211.3

)98 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 131.5 • • • • 124 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 44.9 • • • • 45 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 249.5 • • • • 213 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 68.3 • .. • 53 Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. 18.2 • ..• 20 Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, dte 7.2 • • • • 11 Rheumatism, Diseases of the Bones, Joints, lee 8.0 • • • • 6 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Ste 2.6 • •.• 6 Malformations 3.7 .... 1 Premature Birth

38.6

Atrophy 28.4

Age 64.5

Sudden 12.8

violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 38.8

Total (Including unspecified causes 1177.8

1118

Last week, as the workmen were raising pavement in the stone-quarry belonging to Mr. J. Creea, of Street, they discovered the remains of an ichthyosaurus imbedded in the blue lies, at a considerable depth from the surface. It is said to be one of the most perfect of the Palaeozoic species ever yet found. It measures upwards of seven feet in length, and two feet across the largest part of the body. It lies at full length m the stone ; every bone can be seen and numbered ; the sockets of the eyes and the nos- trils can be distinguished, and a row of formidable teeth in each jaw.— Briatol Mercury. It is reported that forgeries, in the shape of promissory notes, to the amount of 25,0001., have been committed by the late John Sean's on Mr. Dargan.

A correspondent of the Times reports a shock of earthquake at Sedghill and Knoyle, in South Wilts : it appears to have been confined to the valley which contains the two villages.

An eccentric character has died at Keighley in Yorkshire. Many years

ago Wbiillti.arheShbaT the son of a smell farmer, went to church to be mar-

e came not, having been interdicted by a stern father. The disappointed lover resolved to take to his bed for the rest of his life. For forty-nine years he continued in one small room, in bed : his health was good till within a week of his death, and at seventy-nine he was in good condition. It is not stated upon what property he depended for sub- sistence during his lazy and worthless existence.