3flisrtligurnuo.

A few days ago, after the departure of all the Ministers from London, and at the near approach of Christmas, a Cabinet Council was unexpect- edly summoned, although no assignable cause of public interest had oc- curred to explain this sudden requisition. This Cabinet was held on, Monday the 22d instant; and it was remarked with surprise that Lord Palmerston; one of the most assiduous members of the Government, was not present. From these circumstances suspicion was excited, and sur- mise became rife. We now have it in our power to remove all further uncertainty on the subject; for we arc enabled to announce, that from the day on which that Cabinet was held Viscount Palmerston ceased to hold the office of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, or to be a member of her Majesty's Government.—Times, Dec. 24.

In the leading article from which the above extract is taken, the Times hints at, rather than distinctly states, the cause of Lord Palmeretcat's se- cession or eviction- " Difficulties had arisen not only in the conduct of affairs with Foreign States, but in the transaction of business connected with our Foreign policy at home, which had shaken the confidence of Ministers in the Secretary of Fo- reign Affairs, and had weakened the control which the First Minister is bound to exercise over every department of the Government." It was added more specifically—" Some recent official expressions of sentiment [the fineries bottle-holding speech] had been received with irritation abroad and a/doings- ment at home " " with nothing definitive to quarrel about, the position of the Queen's Ministers at several courts had become incompatible with the duties of their mission" ; with his own colleagues the general absence of a cordial union of opinion and conduct was aggravated by the fact that " his very last official act in power was to express his unqualified approbation of

the French coup d'etat power

personal ties and the habits of long intercourse had to be sacrificed by his colleagues when they "at length separated them- selves front him." "The time was come when he could no longer hold the seals of the Foreign Office; and, if any other office in the state was proposed to him, it was, at any rate, not accepted." The journals of the Conservative Opposition have thrown ne lighf on the motives or the drift of the Ministerial changes. The Morning Chko- nick has simply endeavoured to improve the event by eloquent Writing, without any new facts. The Morning Post mourns the fall of theldinister who patronized it, as due to "a series of causes which involve the Toss of England's independent position with reference to the other powers of Eu- rope "—as the sacrifice of " a truly English Minister" who had become " distasteful to the Ministers of certain Courts abroad."

But the Daily Newsy an. old admirer of the Palmerston regime, made some specific statements of interest. That journal had stated, on the td of December-

" That the old feud between Lord Palmerston and Lord Grey had broken out afresh, and that Lord John Russell would have to decide between his two subordinates." The outbreak was apropos to the unlucky speech to the Fins- bury and Islington deputations; which so " increased the irritation of Aus- tria, that Earl Grey questioned the policy of keeping up an antagonism with Austria even for the mike of sharing popularity with Kossuth." However, the journalist professes to understand that Lord John Russell agreed with himself in thinking that the objections of Lord Grey were " captious." But. when the French coup d'etat took place, it was soou no secret that Lord Pal- merston deprecated any hostility to Louis Napoleon, "and considered a French Imperial Cabinet an ally that might be usefullplayed against the new Holy Alliance." The "Court of Windsor, or of Buckingham took an opposite view: Lord Grey. participated in the "Court of Wind- Beret" view, and was its exponent in the Cabinet ; and the appointment of Lord Granville—of whom the public know but little, and that little chiefly in connexioa with. the Great Exhibition—" has apparently originated with. the Court." The Daily News also revealed a diplomatic blunder of Lord Nig- manby in Paris, of much influence in the late changes. " This was the dis- covery, by Louis Napoleon's police agents employed in the arrest of Cavaignac and Changarnier on the night of the 2d December, of a voluminous corre- spondence in which the British Government, or its representative, Lord Norrnanby, had very freely recorded its admiration of and hopes in the Republic, and the utter contempt in which it held the pretensions and character of Louis Napoleon." Here was a. discovery that destroyed lenge land's hope of making an "alliance against the other Powers." "Lord, Palmerston's position was thus rendered utterly untenable by the imams, deuce of one of his chief agents, and we believe his Lordship's retirement from office was more his own act than that of his colleagues."

The later articles of the Times somewhat bear out the concluding asser- tion of the Daily News. The Leading Journal more specifically restates, the cau,ses, of difficulty with Foreign Courts, but gravitates most strongly towarda the home bearings of the question—the personal aims of the Pre- mier, and the Parliamentary tactics necessary for recruiting a weals (.;€t- binet on the eve of a difficult session.

In reference to the Foreign elements, the Times asserts that its Paris cor- respondent was "strictly authentic" in his communication recently made,. [contradicted by the Morning Post,] that a meciber of the British Govern-. meat had, through a personage of note at the Elysee, called for explanatione of the future policy of Louis Napoleon, in a manner distrusting his loyalty to the constitutional freedom of the French people. The correepondence was denied by the Foreign Office, because it did not emanate thence ; it en.. pressed "the views of the First Minister," but " did not correspond with, the views and missives of the Foreign Miniater," sad the consequence, was " a divergency of action which may three amounted to what is gently teethes/ insubordination." The jourualist also specifically denied that the foreign refugee question, is in any way connected with the Cabinet change; or that the chief pressure on this subject has been applied by Austria or Humes, "The fit's, opAlk.

cation was made by France : the proximity of that country, the mul-

titude of fugitives from her successive revolutions, and the insecurity of a Go- vernment that deals so largely in plots and other violent measures, consti- tute a far stronger case than that against a few Hungarian or Polish refugees in London ; and we believe that Louis Napoleon has not scrupled to ask for the limitation of an asylum to which he twice repaired in the days of his own adversity. To such an application the Government will no doubt return a fitting answer." The Times enforces its denial that there was any Grey conspiracy against Lord Palmerston, by stating, that "no member of the Government has more frequently concurred in Lord Palmerston's foreign policy, or more warmly supported it" ; and that, "last Monday morning, Lord Grey and his con- nexions were, like most of their colleagues, ignorant of the object for which the Cabinet had been summoned to 'fleet." In reference to the home hearings of the change, the Times observes, that the appointment of Lord Granville implies that Lord John Russell "must intend to take a more direct and active part in the direction of the Foreign affairs of the nation." " It was only by a pernicious departure from salutary custom that the whole power of the Foreign Office had been absorbed by a single individual" : "as the ease had stood of late years, Lord Palmerston's colleagues divided with him the responsibility of his proceedings without sharing an authority which he exercised to a great extent beyond their con- trol." Whether the Cabinet be weak or strong, " this much was certain, that it could not be reinforced by vigorous elements so long as the direction el the Foreign Office remained in the hands of the late Minister." "On that ground, far more than any other, all negotiations for the improvement of the Government have failed." It is improbable that Lord John would weaken himself on the eve of the session by the loss of one colleague- " whose long experience and past services will however forbid him to engage in fetious opposition"—" unless he had some prospect of other support." Lord Granville "vacates two offices." It is to be believed that the loss of Lord Palmerston's energy and address will be more than compensated "in the Cabinet by increased union," and generally "by the possibility of ea- ten ding the basis" of the Cabinet "in and out of Parliament."

Lord Stanley of Alderley has resigned his office of Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

We have reason to believe that the Marquis of Normanby is about to leave Paris, and that Sir H. Bulwer is likely to replace him as our Minis- ter in France. We hear, also, that Count Flahault will shortly arrive in England as Minister from the French Republic, in the place of Count Walewski, who is about to return to France.—Standard.

The Austrian Ambassador at the British Court, Count Buol-Schauen- stein, is reported to have received orders for repairing to his post from Brussels, where he has been staying out of the way of the Kossuth de- monstrations.—Daily News.

The Corporation of Southampton lately invited Mr. Walker, formerly Secretary of the United States, to accept a public dinner : he regretfully declined the honour, in a note referring to the apprehensions from Con- tinental despotism which he lately expressed at the Kossuth banquets, and again offering to us in any possible time of need the " American alliance."

" Will you wait until every free Government is overthrown on the Conti- nent ? Or, when the principle of armed intervention from abroad announces its determination to subvert these Governments, will you then interfere for your own security, and while yet you may have friends and allies upon the Continent? Should the latter be your wise and patriotic resolve, and should you, in that event, desire the cooperation of my country, it will'be given by the Government, and sustained by the people, with zeal and unanimity. I know nothing, since the days of the Crusades, that could excite in America a feeling so deep, universal, and enthusiastic, or which would call out so many millions, if necessary, of my countrymen, as an invitation from you to your children in America to fight together the last great triumphant battle for the liberties of man. It would be a certain and an easy victory, achieved chiefly by the naval forces of England and America ; and, succeeding this victory, there would then be enduring peace and extended commerce."

In addition to the Rifle Brigade, now under orders for the Cape of Good Hope, it is said that the Eighty-fifth Foot will also be sent. At present there are, exclusive of the local force, eight regiments of the Line and one of Lancers in that colony, and the Forty-third was shortly ex- pected. The Cape Corps will, in all probability, be converted into a White regiment. Rumour adds, that Lord Harris will shortly proceed to the Cape, to supersede Sir Harry Smith in the civil government. The choice of such a man as Lord Harris would, it is believed, be popular in the colony.--.Daify News.

"If we are rightly informed," says the Journal de Havre, " our Minister of Commerce is at this moment projecting the establishment of a French factory in China, of the nature of those which the Dutch, the English, and other nations, have formed there. This factory will be placed under the superintendence of M. de Montigny, our Consul at Shanghai, and is expected to exercise the most beneficial influence on our intercourse with the Celestial Empire,',

- -

There appeared in the Times of Saturday an advertisetneut signed by the partners in thirty-four of the leading engineering and machine-making firms of Manchester, stating that "the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, Machinists, Millwrights, Smiths, and Pattern-makers, have made de- mands upon several firms in the Manchester district, which are totally inconsistent with the rights of the employers of labour" ; and that the same body had given further notice, that unless their demands be at once conceded, the workmen will strike on the 31st instant. Under these circumstances, the advertisers gave notice, that if the threatened turn-out should be made in any one of their workshops on the 31st, or on any sub- sequent day, the whole of them would close their establishments altoge- ther, as a purely defensive step against the interference and dictation of a small but mischievous class of agitators, who are trying to force the well-disposed workmen into opposition with their employers. The thirty- four firms signing the advertisement include all the eminent firms in the Manchester district,—Hibbert, Platt, and Sons, who gained such distinc- tion in the machinery department of the Great iyhibition ; William Fair- bairn and Son ; Parr, Curtis, and Madeley ; James Nasmyth and Co. ; Peel, Williams, and Peel ; Sharp Brothers and Co.—they employ directly in their own shops 10,000 hands; and the multitude of small subsidiary firms who supply them with particular portions of machinery exclusively, will swell the number of hands who depend on them to 30,000. On Monday, "Amiens," a correspondent of the Times explained from the programme of the "Amalgamated Society of Engineers, &c." recently issued, that they make these leading demands— "1. That the system of working extra hours or over-time be abolished> excepting in cases of break-down ; and that when such over-time is worked it shall be paid for at double rates. 2. That the system of piece or task work be entirely discontinued. 3. That the masters at once, and without reserve, discharge the class of persons engaged in and long trained to the working of self-acting machines, and employ in their stead mechanics, members of the Union." He also gave extracts from the manifestoes of the Council, to this ef- fect—

•

If our recommendations be adhered to, and our members are active and energe- tic in all their trade proceedings, we shall soon still further improve our condition, and snake our society the real ruler of the destinies of our trade." The amalgamated trades are strong enough to meet any storm of opposition that may arise, and to sup- port those who are faithful to their order • • • • in utterly putting down piece work and over-time." " The full employment of the members of the Amalgamated Society will be seen when that society shall have laid down the principle that the number of working hours shall be regulated by the amount of work there is to be done." " If these men for a moment considered that they could be placed in a position to receive the same amount for a less nutnber of hours' work, they would no doubt forego the privilege of working over-time." " If the redundancy were destroyed by a reduction. of the hours of labour, there would then be a competition among employers for work- men, and wages as a consequence would rise, until for eight hours per day the same wages would ultimately be paid as are now given for ten hours." In the Times of Thursday, Mr. W. Newton, one of the prime movers of the "Amalgamated Society," admitted that Amicus had rightly at- tributed to the Society the first two of his enumerated objects, but de- clared that the third proposition is not that of the Society ;. which also- repudiates and laughs at the idea of advocating equality of wages. So far the movement was provincial; but it has now reached London. A meeting of the engineering and machine-making firms in London, in- cluding representatives of nearly every Metropolitan firm, great and small, assembled at the London Coffeehouse on Thursday, and unani- mously passed resolutions to act in unison with the Manchester firms in- resisting the aggression of the "Amalgamated Society." Mr. Hibbert, Mr. Sharp, and Mr. Fairbairn, addressed the meeting for the Lancashire firms ; and Mr. Joshua Field, Mr. T. Maudslay, Mr. Seaward, Mr. Ra- venhill, Mr. Penn, Mr. Scott Russell, Mr. Bovill, and Mr. Joel Spiller, expressed the willingness of the London firms to join in the Manchester plan of resistance. Some of the London gentlemen stated that their-men have worked with them a quarter of a century, and it would grieve them to take strong measures ; but they are now convinced that kindness at the beginning would be cruelty in the end.

One of the most distinguished of English artists has been removed. from the scene of his successes. The obituary records the death of Tur- ner, the great landscape-painter, at his house in Queen Anne Street, full of years and honours, on the 19th instant.

Joseph William Mallard Turner was born:at the house of his father, a hair- dresser of lowly practice.' in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, in the year 1775. He "enjoyed the advantages of an accurate rather than a liberal education," and his first studies were in architectural design. In 1793, Turner exhibited three pictures, one of which represented "The Pantheon the morning after the fire." In 1800, he was elected Associate, the first step in Academical honours. A lapse of two years sufficed to him for appending the envied letters R.A. to his name. The "Tenth Plague of Egypt" and the "Fall of. the Clyde" were amongst his subjects this year. The " Liber Studiorum," was commenced about 1807, or rather later, in imitation of Claude's "Liber- Veritatis," and was etched, it is understood, by Turner's own hand. The- titlepage was engraved and altered half-a-dozen times, from his singular and even nervous attention to the most trifling details. But this volume was only the precursor of an immense series of drawings and sketches, embracing the topography of this country in the " River Scenery " and the " Southern Coast " —the scenery of the Alps, of Italy, and great part of Europe. These draw- ings are now widely diffused in England, and form the basis of several im- portant collections, such as those of Petworth, of Mr. Windus, Mr. Fawkes, and Mr. Munro. So great is the value of them that 120 guineas have not. unfrequently been paid for a small sketch in and a sketch- book, containing chalk drawings of one of Turner's river ura on the Con- tinent, has lately fetched the enormous sum of 600 guineas. The prices of his more finished oil paintings have ranged in the last few years from 700` to 1200 or 1400 guineas. The other products of his genius are sufficiently in the memory of the present generation,—from the "Wreck," in Lord Yar- borough's collection, the "Italian Landscape," in the same gallery, the pen- dant to Lord Ellesmere's Vanderwelde, or Mr. Munro's "Venus and Adorns," in the Titianesque manner, to the more original productions of his later years, such as the "Rome," and "Venice," the "Golden Bough," the. " Temeraire," and the " Tusoulum."

" Mr. Turner seldom took much part in society, and only displayed in- the closest intimacy the shrewdness of his observation and the playful- ness of his wit. Everywhere he kept back much of what was in him, and while the keenest intelligence, mingled with a strong tinge of satire, animated his brisk countenance, it seemed to amuse him to be but half understood. His nearest social ties were those formed in the Royal Academy, of which he was by far the oldest member, and to, whose interests he was most warmly attached. He filled at one time- the chair of Professor of Perspective, but without conspicuous success. In the composition and execution of his works he was jealously sensitive of alL interference or supervision." His personal habits were peculiar, and even penurious ; but in all that related to his art he was generous to munificence.. He was never married ; he was not known to have any relations, and his wants were limited to the strictest simplicity. The only ornaments of his house in Queen Anne Street were the pictures by his own hand, which he had constantly refused to part with at any price, among which the "Rise and Fall of Carthage," and the "Crossing the Brook," rank among the choicest specimens of his finest manner.

The death of Mr. Henry Luttrell recalls to mind the generation of con- versational wits of which he was one of the last surviving representatives. Mr. Luttrell died on the 19th instant, at the advanced age of eighty-six. A correspondent of the Times lightly sketches his portrait-

" He was the friend and companion hand impart passes, of Jekyll, Mac- kintosh, Jeffrey, Alvanley, Sydney Smith, and others of that brilliant school ; and of which the Misses Berry, Rogers, Moore, (the last,. indeed, fast sinking,) and but a few others, are still left us. An ardent admirer of Horace, he had cau3ht much of the raciness and classicality of his favourite poet's manner. He charmed especially by the playfulness and elegance of his wit, the appro- priateness and felicity of illustration, the shrewdness of his remarks, and the epigrammatic point of his conversation. Liveliness of fancy was tempered in him with good breeding and great kindness of disposition ; and, one of the wittiest men of his day, he could amuse and delight by the keenest of play- ful, yet pungent sallies, without wounding the feelings of any one by the indulgence of bitterness and ill-nature."

The obituary also notes the death, in his eighty-ninth year, of Mr. William Jacob ; whose long and patient industry in collecting and epi- tomizing returns and averages connected with the Corn-law question, will be remembered with respect. Mr. Jacob held the appointment of Comptroller of Corn-Returns in the Board of Trade; he was also a Fel- low of the Royal Society.

It was recently discovered at the Middlesex Sessions, that O'Flanaghan, an elderly man, had received money from a poor woman to instruct Mr. lorry to defend her husband who was about to be tried : but O'Flanagban did not provide counsel ; the woman's husband was convicted ; and the Judge ordered O'Flanaghan into custody. He has been repeatedly examined by the Clerkenwelt Magistrate, and has pleaded that he was Mr. lorry's clerk or quasi-clerk. On Saturday, Mr. Horry was examined. He stated that he had not received any money from O'Flanaghan to defend White ; the prisoner was not his clerk ; he had never employed him to receive fees ex- cept as a messenger. Cross-examined, and examined by the Magistrate, Mr. lorry made some revelations of the way in which Old Bailey barristers receive "instructions" respecting clients.

Cross-examined—" I knew the prisoner as an attorney's clerk; and if I had not taken briefs from him, all the other members of the bar at the Sessions would have been glad to do so. I have not been in the habit of giving him the clerk's fee when he brought me briefs ; might have done so in sonic cases ; I cannot swear that I have not. I have received the depositions in cases from him, and defended prisoners with no other instructions."

To the Magistrate—" That is a very common practice with the bar at the Sessions, and it is customary to take the guinea without a clerk's fee at all. I have no clerk at this time. I cannot say I have not done it. I never gave the prisoner the half- crown out of the guinea. I have defended prisoners, and made motions, believing that the fees would be paid afterwards. In such cases the prisoner has received the fees, and paid them to me afterwards. I have defended cases on the promise of the prisoner that I should be paid. I have received briefs from him." ' IteUxamiued—" He gave me briefs, but in no particular character. He brought briefs and clients, and the parties sometimes came without him. I did not authorize him to receive money for me, but I had not forbade his receiving it. If he did receive mo- ney, I expected he was to pay it to me. In this case, I expected he would receive the money and pay it to me—not as my clerk though, but as a client."

The Clerk (Mr. Mould)—" Without reference to this case, are there not a num- ber or persons who prowl about the court to get hold of poor persons, under the pre- tence that they are attornies or clerks ?"

Mr. Hurry—" Yes ; and every member.of the bar at that court takes briefs from them. I objected to it ten years ago, and called a meeting of the bar upon the sub- ject to reverse the whole system. I proposed that there should be a regular roll of the attornies of the court and their authorized clerks, so that counsel should receive briefs from none but them ; but it was not carried out. I wish to say that I am not in particular an example of the system. It is general amongst the bar." ' 071anaghan said, Mr. lorry had behaved most cruelly Whim in denying that he was his clerk. " I have been living with him for six years in the same chambers, and I have signed all his papers, and been consulted in all his business matters ; and -didn't I make an application to my schoolfellow, the O'Connor Don, who was a Lord of the Treasury, to get him made a County Court Judge ; and didn't I introduce all my friends to him as clients ? I have two brothers of my own barristers; and I de- clare to God I never.had a penny of this woman's money. I had to write on the chambers'-door every morning where I was going. Oh, Mr. lorry, what a cruel man you are!"

He was committed for trial,

Another case in which some unauthorized person had received money on pretence of retaining counsel, but had appropriated the money, came to light an Tuesday. On that dav, Mr. Sergeant Adams formally announced, that so far as the Court of the Middlesex Sessions is concerned, the old etiquette of the bar is henceforth set aside by the Judge. He wished it to be distinctly understood, "that there is no necessity whatever for the intervention of a third person between counsel and prisoners. Every barrister, not only in -the criminal courts of the Metropolis, but on the Circuits, who is not other- wise engaged, is bound to take up a case if called upon by the prisoner in the dock, and also to receive the fee from him. There is not the slightest necessity for the interference of any attorney, or of any person in the cha- racter of an attorney's clerk. If this were generally known, the relatives and friends of poor unfortunate prisoners might avoid being plundered and robbed by the scoundrels called touters,' who prowl about the courts and get their money from them under the pretence of affording them legal assist- ance."

Captain Penny states to the Times, that on a visit to his native place, Peterhead, he has learned from Captain Martin, the commander of the En- terprise, the last person who communicated with Sir John Franklin, that Sir John told him in conversation " that he had five years' provisions, which he could make last seven; and his people were busily engaged in salting down birds, of which they had several casks full already, and twelve men were out shooting more." Captain Penny explains, that Captain Martin is a modest, silent man, living retired ; and is of the strictest integrity and veracity."

We understand that the late Mr. Fielding of Lancaster has bequeathed his herbarium to the University of Oxford, upon certain conditions. This col- lection, formed at a very large expense, is understood to consist of 70,000 species, forming one of the most complete herbaria in the world.—Gardener's Chronicle.

The second division of the third volume of Alexander Von Humboldt's Kosmos has just issued from the German press. The new chapters treat of the circuits of the sun, planets, and comets, of the zodiacal lights, meteors, and meteoric stones. The uranological portion of the physical description of the universe is now completed. Letters from Stuttgart state that the vete- ran philosopher has already made good way into the fourth volume of his great work.

The Berlin journals publish a note addressed by Prince Albert to the Prince of Prussia, expressing his gratification upon being elected a member of the Berlin Society for Improving the Dwellings of the Working Classes, of which the Prussian Prince is President.

Prince Albert has become the patron of the Royal Polytechnic Institu- tion.

Among the passengers who went out in the Ripon, which left Southamp- ton on Saturday with the Indian mail, was Mr. Le Mille, the English farm- bailiff of the Pacha of Egypt. He took out a number of cows and pigs, a 'large quantity of poultry p mheasants, &c., to stock Abbas Pacha's farm. The

farm, which is to be cultivated as much as possible after the English fashion, -is 3000 acres in extent.

Lieutenant Silemens, inventor of the electro-magnetic telegraphic appa- ratus employed in Germany, has set out for St. Petersburg, by desire of the Czar. lie is ordered to suspend a line, in the first instance, between the -capital and Moscow, and afterwards another connecting both with Warsaw and Odessa. Other lines will extend to the Caucasus, to the Ural, and the principal seaports.

A despatch was received at Vienna the other day from London, via the submarine telegraph, in three hours and a half.

The American packet-ship Tyendenoga, on her passage from New York to London, was totally wrecked, on the morning of the 2d instant, on sunken rooks off Corribou Islands : twenty-seven of the passengers and crew were lost.

For the last week a large blaze of natural gas has been burning on Chat Moss, situate on the line of railway between Manchester and Liverpool, It appears that the gam was brought to light by some parties who were sinking for water. They commenced about a fortnight ago. For the first sixteen feet the boring was through moss and mossy substances ; then came about sixteen feet of marl; after which there were two or three feet of sand ; and while scooping through this portion of the earth the gaseous matter made its appearance. The first indication of it was by a sudden noise or report, though not very loud, accompanied by a slight sulphureous smell. A stream of gas then floated along the surface of the ground ; and a lighted candle be- ing applied, the gaseous air immediately took fire, and was converted into a blaze of considerable dimensions. A long pipe of about ten or twelve inches in circumference was then procured, and inserted in the ground for two or three feet in depth, and ascending for about thirty-five feet. The gas being thus conveyed above the level of the neighbouring forest-trees, is allowed to burn with all its force and exhaust itself on the desert air. The blaze of light was very curious, and the whole scene interesting. But what is the nature of the gas, or its particular qualities—whether it arises from decom- posed trees and vegetable matter, or from mines of coal, or from the vasty deep, or how near akin it is to the oldfashioued Will-o'-the-wisp, is yet to be determined.—Correspondent of the Times.