fillisttllantous.

An inquiry, by a Royal Commission, into the management-of the British Museum, is now in progress, and it is rumoured that some curious evidence has been taken. Meanwhile, one of the witnesses, Mr. J. E. Gray, chief of the Zoological Department of the Museum, has amplified his evidence by a letter of clear statement and intelligent suggestion, addressed to the Earl of Ellesmere, and has circulated it privately, in order to enforce some valu- able hints for the more convenient use of the Library. It appears that al- though the number of new admission-tickets for readers has increased— that is, although the desire to use the Library has extended—and although the expenditure has increased greatly—the actual use of the Library has diminished; as appears by these figures: the returns being imperfect, the dates do not exactly correspond but the retrograde movement is seen clearly enough— In 1835. In 1841. In 1847.

Number of visits daily 270 230 230

In 1834. In 1840. In 1847.

Number of works demanded daily 615 515 440 This Mr. Gray ascribes to the hindrances that disgust visiters, in the shape of cumbersome forms, of which he suggests the abolition; and to the delay in producing a catalogue. He proposes that the formation of a ca- talogue should be expedited, by splitting it into the several languages, and forming a condensed index catalogue, for the mere finding of works already known to the reader. For completer reference, a class catalogue might be more deliberately executed. He also suggests some minor reforms, chiefly in the way of brushing aside such obstructive pedantries as class the works of Voltaire under the forgotten name of Arouet. There is no doubt that competent catalogue-makers, invited to tender for contracts to execute the work in the best style and on the best plan, could accomplish it while the offi- cers of the Museum, fatigued with an irksome task, are dreaming over it. But it is understood that the Commissioners are not asleep, and some real re- forms are expected to crown their labours.

Mr. Rigby Wason has revised his arithmetic and recast his plan of pay- ing off the National Debt; which appears in a new edition of his pamphlet. Taking the mean of different calculations by Mr. Macgregor, he assumes the annual value of realized property in Great Britain at 270 millions sterling, in Ireland at 40 millions; and, taking a low average of rents and profits (stated by Mr. Macgregor to range from 3 to 6 per cent) at 4 per cent, he finds that the aggregate annual value represents a capital of 7,750 millions. The National Debt is 772 millions.

" Now I think you would call this a very comfortable state of figures when ap- plied to private life. Striking off the millions, it is precisely the same as the situation of an individual who with a capital of 7,7501. was indebted only to the extent of 7721.

" What would be your opinion of the sanity or rather the honesty of an indivi- dual, who, being in such circumstances, would run about the country declaring that it was impossible for him to pay his debts, and that his friends must come for- ward to assist him? I should like to see the satiric grin with which Mr. Com- missioner — would receive such a tale.

" Yon will see that only ten per cent upon the capital of 7,750,000,0001. would pay off the debt of 772,000,0001.; and, with the view of making the payment of this ten per cent still more easy, I would give ten years to pay it, with interest in the mean time at 4 per cent. And thus I have established my second proposi- tion, That it would be very easy for the owners of realized property to pay the Debt."

We understand that some members of the British Relief Association have felt hurt by the strictures in a recent number of the Spectator on the distribution of food in the Irish National Schools; and our attention has been drawn to the official " Papers and Correspondence relating to Relief in Food and Clothing to the Children of the Poor afforded by the British Relief Association," for proof that the injurious consequences which we described did not take place. Undoubtedly, we find a mass of evidence from a variety of persons—Poor-law officers, Relief-Inspectors, patrons of schools, Roman Catholic priests, and others—all tending to show that the relief succeeded in the paromo.nt ebjeet life; that it did not

interfere, or not much, with the business of education; :e

the evil was compensated by the advantage of relief. But this evi- dence may be described as being the opposite view to that which we took, rather than contradictory proof; and some admissions do come out, that the business of education was impeded, that children were sent flocking to the schools for food rather than instruction, and that all the precautions taken did not prevent abuse. See the letter of Major Hall- day, Temporary Inspector, page 20, and that of Captain Ommaney, Tem- porary Inspector, page 27; the latter of whom was obliged to withdraw the bounty in two instances of gross abuse. On the whole, however, the papers seem to make out, that although the steady business of education was invaded, the disturbance could not well be helped; and that the sub- stantial aid of food, which it was the task of the Association to regard, was so needful, and in general so efficacious, that it may be deemed to have compensated every consequent evil.

Meetings of railway companies are rife; and the reports of some of them afford matter of amusing reading. The Directors of the Waterford, Wex- ford, Wicklow, and Dublin Railway, summoned a meeting of their share- holders to meet at their offices in the \Vest Strand; but the meeting seems to have failed in starting. A full hour elapsed before any official met the few assembled proprietors. A " Stranger," of name unknown, then entered the room, and said " he represented the company." A leading proprietor asked for his credentials; and was answered simply, " I am at 12 White- hall "—" My name is nothing to you, Sir." Captain Warrington insisted

on his being more explicit; but the Stranger " was not there to answer im- pertinent inquiries." The Captain retorted, amidst "considerable up- rear "—" You deserve, Sir, to have my umbrella put down your throat!" After a dramatic appearance and disappearance of other persons, who per- sisted in remaining incognito, but asserted their authorization to prevent the meeting because it was " unduly convened," and even took proprietors " by the collar," a Mr. Nash managed, by dexterous evolutions, " to take the chair," and make a meeting. While the meeting was engaged in pass- ing resolutions to refer the accounts of the company to a committee, an official entered the room, and ejected every person from it, by asserting proprietary rights, saying that " the room was wanted " for a purpose which was "his business only," and for which he "must have it." The Times of Thursday recounts the proceedings at a meeting of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway, held in York on the 20th Febru- ary, which place some business transactions of Mr. George Hudson, M.P., in a curious position. Mr. Hudson is Chairman of that company; and under his influence the Directory purchased the Great North of England Railway, at an immensely dear rate. No account of the transaction could be obtained till lately; and it is now stated that some thousands of shares, nominally of 151. value, have been sold by Mr. Hudson to his own com- pany at the price of 341. 19s. 9fd., when their market-price was but 161. 15s. When he was asked who were the fortunate sellers of these shares, Mr. Hudson answered—" He bad not the books there, and could not therefore inform Mr. Prance who was the seller. . . . He would tell them candidly at once, that he had had 2,800 of these 151. shares: that was all he had had of them; and if he had disposed of them to the com- pany at a larger price than he ought to have done, he should be disposed to do whatever the shareholders thought would be just and fair." Some one observed—" This is not a question of money, but of character!" Sub- sequently, Mr. Hudson is reported to have said—" He might have got wrong in the early stage of these share transactions; but, if be had made an error in this instance, he had been right in many others. He had never directed his attention to this particular transaction; and if he had made an error, he was ready to refund the money." A Committee was appointed to sift the matter.

Mr. Hudson was a few days since Chairman of the Eastern Counties, the Midland, and the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railways; represent- ing a capital of nearly forty millions. A meeting of the Eastern Counties Company was held on Thursday, and Mr. Hudson did not appear; where- upon quite a storm of yells was raised—as if it were thought that he dared not show his face. A me•mige had been sent by telegraph from London for Newby Park; but the answer returned was, that " the York wires would not work." (Shouts of laughter.) A letter was read, in which Mr. Hudson offered to resign; but it seems that he had given no reply to an answer to that letter which was sent some days ago.

Sir William Gomm has been ordered to proceed to India, to assume the command in chief, in the place of Lord Gough, whose period of service has expired.—Globe.

The Morning Post is "requested to contradict " a statement very generally circulated through the press, that Lord and Lady Blantyre have been excommunicated by the Lord Bishop of Glasgow, for attending a schismatical place of worship: " there is no kind of foundation for the report."

It is understood that Mr. John Duncan, the African traveller, whose journey through and beyond the territory of the King of Dahomey has already been made public, is about to leave England shortly on another ex- pedition, with the view of prosecuting further discoveries in the unexplored regions of that country.

We have reason to believe that, in consequence of the accidents to the steam-packets of the Royal West India Mail Company, the Admiralty, on requisition, are disposed to assist the Company by placing at their dis- pqal one or two men-of-war steam-vessels. It is likely that the Birken- head, now one of the advanced squadron at Portsmouth, will be the first for service.—Standard.

A joking announcement of the Morning Chronicle is soberly reproduced in the Barbadian of January 10th- " Besides the appointment of Mr. Barkly to the government of British Guiana, we find that Mr. Higgins—the celebrated writer with the signature of Jacob Om- nium in the Times newspaper, who so powerfully advocated the cause of the Colonies—has been named as Governor of Sierra Leone, and Mr. Gregory ap- pointed to the government of the Bahama Islands, rice Captain Matthew recalled—very happily, no doubt, for the Bahama Islanders. Such appointments as these do certainly look like an earnest of some further kind consideration for the Colonies."

By a Post-office notice, it is directed that from the 1st of March the postage upon all late letters posted at the provincial offices, as well as the late letter fee, be paid by attaching the requisite number of postage-starnaq As soy late letter not bearing the requisite sr.,,,,ro, by the office-scales, must be de- .,,....cc despatch, the public are advised, in every case in which such detention would be inconvenient, carefully to avoid all doubt as to the sufficiency of the stamps. The hours of closing the late letter-boxes have been revised throughout the kingdom; and they will, whenever practicable, be kept open later than heretofore.

The commercial community is cautioned against continuing the almost univer- sal practice of giving unstamped receipts; as that department [Stamps] is now in the hands of the Excise, the officers of which are likely Is enforce the penal- ties, particularly as they get half the profits.—Globe.

At a meeting of the representatives of nearly all the ancient and modern fire as- surance offices, recently held at the Sun fire-office, a considerable reduction of the rates heretofore charged was agreed to. The very moderate, yet perfectly safe rates charged by one or two of the new companies, and the transaction by them of a vast amount of business, paved the way to the reform we now announce.— Reporter and Insurance Chronicle, for March.

The Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police have transmitted to the Com- missioners of the Customs Department a list of weapons, banners, models, &c., which have been stolen from the Imperial Arsenal at Vienna, and which it is sup- will be brought to this country for sale; and requested that the same may be communicated to the several officers of the revenue, in order that, in the event of any of the eaid articles having been landed, or being hereafter landed at their respective ports, they may report the circumstances, for the information of the Commissioners of Police.

It was reported in the City on Thursday, that intelligence had been received at the Bank of England to the effect that her Majesty's surveying-brig Pandora, Lieutenant Commander Wood, was coming horns from the Pacific with a freight of "gold diggins," to the amount of nine tons—or to the value of 900,0001. ster- ng. This will give the lucky commander about 11,0001. for the freightage, the Admiral's share will be 2,8751., and Greenwich Hospital will benefit to a like amount.

There is, says the Liverpool Standard, at present to be seen on the Earl of Derby's estate at Knowsley, a considerable quantity of gold-dust imbedded in soli which has been brought from California along with some rare trees and plants.

Orders, we understand, have been issued for the removal of John Mitchel from Bermuda to the Cape of Good Hope. The climate of the latter tidony is very genial, and peculiarly adapted for persons affected withqulmonary complaints; so much so, that it is considered a Madeira for the East Indians.—Cork Examiner., At the Thames Police-office, on Wednesday, Peter Leith, chief mate of the bark Indian, was charged with causing the death of Solomon Abrahams, a boy who was to have worked his passage home from New Zealand. It was alleged, and witnesses were called to support the statement, that Leith had cruelly beaten the boy, placed him in cold water during inclement weather, and otherwise behaved in a most shameful way. The Magistrate declared that he had heard enough to warrant a remand; but admitted the accused to bail.

Three men—Cullum, Digby, and Pike—have been repeatedly examined at Westminster Police-office on charges of burglary; and on Monday they were finally committed on three distinct charges. In one they had violently assailed the master of the house. They broke into premises at Stamford Villas, Chelsea; Mr. Waller, an elderly gentleman, was roused by the noise, and opened his bed- room-door; one of the men held a lantern to his face, and struck bum on the head, apparently with a "life-preserver," which was afterwards found on them: Mr. Waller has been laid up fur weeks with the wound.

Some daring highwaymen have appeared in Cumberland, in the neighbourhood of Carlisle. A. purse was extorted from a gentleman by a fellow who presented a pistol. Two men stopped a draper, and each pointed a pistol at him: the draper struck down the pistols with his hands, dashed between the robbers, and managed to run off unhurt. As Mr. Norman was returning home from Carlisle at night, in a gig, a man stopped his horse, presented a pistol, and demanded money: Mr. Norman told him to begone ; on which the highwayman discharged his pistol, and the bullet grazed the gentleman's arm.

During the afternoon service on Sunday, a fire broke out at St. John's Chapel, Bedford Row. The clergyman entreated the congregation to withdraw leisurely; but in vain: as there were comparatively few persons present, however, no one was hurt; and the firemen soon extinguished the flames. A pipe from a stove had set light to a bond-timber, and this had set fire to the roof over the organ: the fire had probably been smouldering for hours.

A haulm-stack and large barn filled with grain and a number of agricultural implements have been burnt at Muggerhanger, in Bedfordshire. After the fire, a very suspicious circumstance came to light: a few evenings before, the horse- keeper had discovered a candle burning in the barn after all the men had left work; the barn-door was locked. Mr. Eaton, the farmer, (who had an insurance of 8001.,) was taken into custody, and examined before the Magistrates.

The Taliesin steamer, which plies between Liverpool and Rhyl, on the 9th January fell in with an abandoned vessel, the Dasher, of Killough, laden with oatmeal; the master towed it into the Dee, and reported the circumstances to Messrs. Eyton, his employers. These gentlemen communicated to Lloyd's agent at Liverpool, and a schooner was laden with a portion of the cargo; but the re- mainder was plundered by lawless people in the neighbourhood. The master of the Taliesin did not report the saving of the Dasher to the Receiver of the Admi- ralty for the district; and for this neglect he has been proceeded against, under the Wreck and Salvage Act. He has been fined 1001., and sentenced to six months' imprisonment in default of payment. Had he reported to the Receiver, he could have obtained a large sum as salvage.