311artlItutnito.

We believe wo are not revealing a state secret when we announce that her .Majesty has been pleased to issue a commission for the purpose of stbniitting some distinct estimates and plan for a new National Gallery. The commission includes Sir Charles Eastlake, Sir Richard Westmacott, and"Mr. Etvart ; and the Queen has offered a piece of ground in Ken- ailgton -Gardena, North of the Palace, ahead the Commissioners be of opinion that Kensington .is the best locality for the due exhibition and ,preservation of the national pictures.—iltlieneuna.

Major Paschal, of the Seventieth Regiment, has been selected by the ,authorities far the responsible situation of Military Interpreter and Su- perintendent of -the,soveral bodies of F oreign Yolice expected over here during the period of the Exhibition.--iforaing Chronicle. The death of Lord Langdale, omareely a aeon* after his.retiremoatfrom active duty in the . Court of- Chancery, is an, unexpected event. It-was understood in the profession that the laborious 'requirements of this judi- cial position were becoming too oppressive for his strength, and that -the had resolved last autumn to retire this spring from the Rolla Court,-where the .whole of his professional career has been -run : -but when le bade adieu to the bar of that court, the farewell words -of reverence which were addressed to him hy-Mr. Turner, the-leader, were spoken inns-much hope for the future of Lord Langdale as regret at the loss to-the public. It was believed that rest, and tho enjoyment of-that classic retirement-which was his chief delight, would restore his health, and enable him-to use his powers and experience with fuller effect in furthering -the cause -of lair reform as-a legislator. But the :over-exertion of his • prolonged attend- ance in court had produced a degree of exhaustion -from which hewraa unable to rally. Ilia faculties, which had-remained unimpaired to the last moment:of his judicial duty, collapsed under that repose which-came- too late. " The silver cord was already loosened, And the bowl was :broken at the fountain" : paralysis came ; and he died on Good-Eriday, at Tunbridge Wells whither he had -repaired for-change of air and-scene.

Henry .Bickersteth Lord Langdale, was born on the 18th June 1783,-.at

W

Eirby.Lonsdale, vin estmoreland. he Times states that his father "be- longed. to the class of the small landed-gentry of the North of Frtglcuid".— meaaing, we suppose,, the ancient and sturdy class of -"statesmen,' a distinctive and admired..social feature m the Lake counties; but the Morning Chronick asserts, with seeming particular knowledge, that"Lord Langdale's father was " a medical practitioner of local celebrity." -The de- ceased also was educated for the medical profession but the advice of friends -diverted him to the law. He had-entered at Caius College, Cambridge, anti. been Senior Wrangler in 1808. He was called to the bar, by the-Society of -the Liner-Temple, in 1511; and rose gradually into such, practice in the Court of the Maater of the Rolls, thathe divided the lead of that courtavith Mr. Pemberton Leigh. When the Whigs broke-with Lord,Brougham' and-Sir Christopher Pepys was made Lord Chancellor as. Lord Cottenham, Mr. Bickeisteth was made Master of the.B.olls, with a seat in the House of _Peers as.Lord leagdale' --in ewe hope that he would wield Lord. Brougham's _gigantic mace of Laiv 'Refortn with much of the power and hearty will that tust gave it so sudden and pro- mising an impetus : for Mr. Bickersteth had far more in his favour than the great forensic eminence which he enjoyed. -"Throughout the-whole course of his life," says the biographer in the Times, who writes -with a 'fine sense of-the personal character and an intimate knowledge of the life of the de- ceased, "Lord Langdale was ardently devoted to the cause of Liberal opinions ; and although he figured but little at any time in-the arena-of -party-politics, no man-pursued with greater enthustasmthe Work of reform, orbrought a imore;.subtile intellect-to bear upowthezneatproblems Of -social -and legal mprovement. His epeculative opinions upon these topics brought bun into close and habitual contact with that--remarkable set of men who, about a quarter of a century ago, -locked -up 'to Mr. Bentham as their sage and lawgiver ; and although the philosopher of Queen Square Westminster was hardly destined -to -witness the practical application of his Sybilline labours, no small portion of the reforms we have since accomplished in our laws, our administration, and the constitution itself, may be traced to that class of thinkers who claimed to be his disciples, and amongst whom Lord Langdale occupied a distinguished place." But though-the hopes failed which anticipated-an-equal to Lord Brougham in his successor—because, indeed, they were hopes extra- vagantly pitched—Lord Laugdale's name will be associated with -sub- stantial improvements both in the letter and the administration of the law. The present law of wills owes its simplicity, compared- with the eengeries.-of feudal complexities. which the lawof wills formed before 1838, to his improv- ing-hand ; the regulations which have simplified and cheapened the practice of the Equity Courts within the last two years were much due tohis liberal endea- vours; and the improvements effected in the custody of the-national records received/rem-him almost the sole assistance of a powerful official character which they have ever obtained. Perhaps also we might quote, as not one of his least titles to respect in the character of a Chancery reformer, this point from the Times—" No man ever sat in that court who was more anxious to reform its abuses, and the last disappointment of his life was the production by Lord John Russell of the miserable Chancery-bill of the present ses- sion." As a judge, _Lord Langdale was distinguished less by intuitive feheity, than by a subtile and exhaustive analytic power, which rarely left his, ultimate conclusions impeachable. As the arbiterraorum in his court, he was remarkable for the delicate punctilio, and the high severity of _moral principle, which he enforced and instilled among his assistant bar.

Upon the resignation of Lord Cottenham, last year, the Great'Seallwas oftener than once tendered to Lord Langdale by Lord John Russell:.but he refused to tax so much further his already over-stretched powers. The deceased married late in life the Lady Jane Harley, eldest daughter of the late Lord Oxford ; by whom he leaves one daughter : his peerage. bas become extinct.

The report of the General Board of Health on the legislative enact- ments appearing necessary for extending to Country towns powers and provisions analogous to the Metropolitan Interment Act has been pub- lished. It quotes a great mass of evidence accumulated by the Inspectors of the General Board of Health ; showing that the grave-yards of Coun- try towns are in general in no better condition than those of the -Metro- polis, and that the practices of interment in use among some of them are even worse ; and showing that -there is a general and earnest desire for some legislative enactment of general application, "which shall be cheap, efficacious, and capable a granting to local boards the.power necessary to close all objectionable burial-grounds and purchase ground for ceme- teries." The Board give their recommendations in .the shape of seven- teen general conclusions. They consider that where a Local Boardiof Health-exists, any scheme of interment approved by a majority, under the requirements of the Diseases Prevention Act, should be at once enforced by order in Council authorizing the Local Board to apply so much of the Metropolitan Act as is suitable. The site, plan, charges, antleondiliens of the cemetery, should be subject-to-the approval of the General Board of Health. When the cemetery is in operation'' the Local Board of Health, or* local body to be appointed, should-be-the-sole sole administrative authority for the interment of the dead ; -and it should be unlawful for any person to perform any funerals within the district without the sanc- tion of the proper authority.

The Bishop of Llandaff has declined to institute the Reverend Mr. Brand to the living of Mielmelstone Vedw, Am-the groundof that gentleman's igno- rance of the Welsh language.

Mr. Sergeant Shee is cousin to Cardinal -Wiseman, and his confidential• agent for matters concerning the interests of the itomish Church in Ireland. As the accredited representative of the " Cardinal 'Archbishop of Westmin- ster," he satin the Synod of Thurles, Where no otherlayman was admitted. The inhabitants of Gloucester were alarmed on the -morning of Good Friday by observing that in each of two Greek ships lying in the docks a man was.maltreated by the crew and then hung by the neck to the yard- arm. The citizens shouted for the Police, and some boarded the ships; When they found that the executions had been performed on straw-stuffed effigies of -Judas Iscariot—the crew had been going through a ceremony usual in the Greek Church on Good Friday.

A lawyer in the Ohio Legislature introduced a bill in favour of instruct fug convicts in the State prison in the art of printing ; whereupon the printers .of Columbus presented a petition, that the said convicts might be instructed in law.

We regret to lear.that Mr. Todd, a barrister, whilst cruising in a yacht en Sunday last near the Nore, was thrown overboard by the boom suddenly jibing, and was unfortunately drowned.—Globe.

While Mr. F. Phillips was performing the character of Rob Roy at the Norwich Theatre, a few days since, a platform which he had to ascend gave way, from its having been insecurely erected, and he fell some distance, alighting on his heel. Mr. Phillips; who is a very heavy man, fractured the bones of the leg and ankle-joints; he was conveyed to the hospital, and the tower extremity of the leg-bone was amputated.

Mr. Thomas Menlove, formerly an extensive farmer, but recently a prisoner for debt in Shrewsbury Gaol, has lost his life from an escape of gas. His cell was found in the morning full of gas, and he was insensible; he subse- quently rallied a little, but died in a few days, from effusion on ahe brain, caused by the inhalation of the carbureted hydrogen.

The first accounts of themanner in which Captain Symes, of Up-Lyme, met his death were inaccurate. It seems that Thomas Garland and Isaac Beer quarrelled as they were .going along the road ; Garland knocked Beer .down, and threatened to murder him. The cries of Beer brought Captain Symes and other persons to his aid, and he was released. Then Garland, who had been drinking, refused to listen to the pacifying counsels of Mr. Symes, ranet him,. forced him backwards, fell upon him, and attempted to keep him on the ground. Blood-vessels were ruptured at the back of the unfortunatexentleman's head, and death ensued. Garland has been com- mitted for murder by the'Magistrates and on the Coroner's warrant. Cap- tain Symes was universally respected for his benevolent disposition and genuine worth. Ile-has left a widow and a daughter.

^A. handsome young girl, named Marie Pluvienx, was a few days ago tried by the Court of Assizesof Perigueux, for having stabbed a man named Beau. This young man had seduced her, and had repeatedly refused to marry her. She purchased a knife, and when he was standing at the door of his stable plunged it into his bowels. She afterwards gave herself up as a prisoner. The Jury returned a verdict of acquittal. 'She immediately snatched her .child out of the arms of her sister, who was standing near, covered it with kisses, and 'forced her-way out of the crowd.--Galignani's Messenger.

-A remarkable escape from death has been effected by the crew and passeu. hers of the Jenny Lind East-India trader, a ship which was wrecked on Item's reef, 400 miles off Moreton Bay, on the Australian coast. With much difficulty, every-persan,- including three ladies and three children, was ot safely to-the coral-reef; but all means of escape to the main land were Lost - As the ship broke up they were able to rescue some provisions some .charts and instruments, and a boiler and some .copper piping. 'Mr:Philip Beal, of Exeter, made e distilling apparatus with the boiler and piping, which enabled him, -after a few days practice, to furnish enough distilled water to serve-for drinking and for the making of puddings with the rescued meal. Theadup-earpenter organized the crew and some of the passengers into a...gan,g 'to assist -him in building a boat from the wreck. On the 26th -of October, in-rather more than a month, the carpenter completed his boat ; but when it was launched, though-it floated well it leaked, and two days were spent itmater-tight. On the 29th of October everything was made right, and all the twenty-two persons who had been wrecked entered the boat to'start on a voyage to 'Moreton Bay. Adverse winds d rove them away from that point, but brought them in five days to Brisbane ; where, after thirty-sevenalays of perilous adventure, they effected a safe landing, and met a kind reception from the inhabitants.

The Coserrierd'Allikes, of the 8th, contains-a report-of the depredations eommitted.by hands of armed brigands in different parts of the territory. At Vranesi, a -band of thirty brigands, after committing other atrocities, poured boiling toil on the sbreasts of three females, and then- sacked the village, carrying off their booty without meeting with any resistance.