311tort1Inuenno.

The Queen has conferred the honour of knighthood upon Captain Leopold M'Clintock, the gallant discoverer of the remains of Sir John Franklin's Arctic Expedition.

Mr. Andrew Buchanan, British Minister in Spain, has been promoted from a Companion, to be a Knight Commander of the Bath.

Sir Hugh Rose has been raised, by brevet, to the rank of Lieutenant- General, "in consideration of his eminent services during the late operations in India."

General Sir George Brown, G.C.B., has been appointed to succeed Lord Seaton, G.C.B., in the command of the forces in Ireland.

The Election Committees on the petitions against the sitting Members for Carlisle, and Weymouth, concluded their labours on Tuesday. The Chairman of the Carlisle Committee announced the resolution to which the committee had come was that "it is proved that Sir James Graham, Bart., and Wilfred Lawson, Req., are duly elected as citizens to serve in the present Parliament for the City of Carlisle." The chairman of the Weymouth Committee also formally declared—" that Viscount Grey de Wilton and Mr. Brooks were duly elected to serve as burgesses for the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis." The committees for Dover, Great Yarmouth, and Roscommon are still sitting.

The Morning Chronicle, in the afternoon of Saturday last, stated that Russia had decided on renewing her old alliance with Austria, and that a treaty was on the eve of being signed. This treaty was said to be based upon a common agreement between Austria and Russia on the Eastern question, and in return for Austrian concessions Russia was to guarantee to Austria the whole of her territory. The Inde'peridanee Beige at once declared the story to be "false." The Globe "on autho- rity," confirmed the Independence Beige, and telegrams to the same tuni came in from all quarters. Nevertheless on Thursday the Morning Chronicle declared that the treaty which it announced had been signed, and that the Prince of Hesse had started from Vienna for St. Petersburg, carrying it with him. The Morning Chronicle is kind enough to add that the treaty has been modified, and that the Italian dominions of Austria are excluded from the comprehensive Russian guarantee. Our own information was directly contrary to that which the Morning Chronicle has placed before its readers, and that information has since been con- firmed by official statemer.ts.

The American residents at Shanghai signed an address in November last, heartily expressing their opinion of Mr. Ward's exertions, and their full assent to the course he has pursued. It is known that the Chinese Government has already executed its treaty engagements with the United States.

Some alarm and great indignation have been excited by the disgraceful conduct of Englishmen, Dutchmen, and Americans in the ports of Japan. Mr. Consul Alcoek has taken strong measures, and it is hoped they will reassure the Japanese Government. The Minister of the United States at Yedo has officially communicated that he has obtained a pledge from the Japanese Government that the treaty of Yedo will be carried out in all its integrity, and that, more particularly, Japanese produce may be freely purchased, and all Japanese articles may be exported without Hint, except rice wheat, copper coin, and uncoined Japanese gold and silver. The quaker to be occupied by foreigners will also be settled im- mediately.

Certain despatches have been presented to Parliament hearing on the differences between Lord Elgin and Sir Michael Seymour, during their sojourn in China. The general public will only care for the substance of these papers. It appears that Lord Elgin, lying in the Gulf of Pecheli, on the 29th of April, 1858, despatched to Lord Clarendon, then Foreign Minister, a letter, wherein he complained of the conduct of the Admiral, who had been commissioned to give material force to Lord Elgin's diplomacy. The Ambassador stated that, on the 2d of March, when leaving Hongkong, he had, by a written communication, directed Sir M. Seymour to collect at Shanghai, towards the end of March, or so soon after as might be convenient, as large a fleet, more especially of gunboats drawing little water, as the Admiral could spare from service elsewhere. To this communication Lord Elgin states the Admiral re- plied that his attention had already been directed to that object, that a gunboat and gun-vessel had already sailed from Shanghai, that arrange- ments were in progress for others to follow, and that it was his inten- tion to sail for Shanghai in the Calcutta, "should nothing prevent," on or about the 16th of March. Lord Elgin proceeds to complain that, not- withstanding this assurance he had been waiting at Shanghai till the ad of April without news of the Admiral, and that on the 16th of April he was was off the month of the Peiho without any sufficient force. On the 29th of April, we find another despatch, wherein Lord Elgin reports that Use Admiral had arrived on the 24th in her Majesty's ship Calcutta—a vessel which, as he remarks draws twenty-five feet of water, and could not approach within several miles of the bar of the Peiho river. He adds that the gunboats were still not come up, and he remarks bitterly upon the consequences of the delay. Contrasting the slackness of the British Admiral with the promptitude of the French, Lord Elgin next states that the French Admiral arrived on the 25th of April with his whole fleet, and that at the moment of writing his despatch the "French flag is represented by two gunboats within the bar of the Peiho, and the Eng- lish by two despatch boats aground on the top of it." Sir Michael Sey- mour being referred to, answers this despatch in a detailed report to the Admiralty. As to the Ambassador's last point, which we have quoted Sir Michael says

"I might smile at this statement were it not on account of the motives which appear to dictate it, and the impression it must have made on their Lordships. The Nimrod and Cormorant had grounded in the previous night in trying to cross the bar in company with three French gunboats, as did one of the latter. In two hours after his Lordship's despatch was sent away, both vessels had crossed the bar, and the English flag was represented by three English vessels (including the Blaney) of superior force to the Frenah ; the English boats close to the batteries, the French somewhat to the left." As to the other matters complained of, the Admiral shows that on the 15th of March five vessels left Hongkong, and that three others sailed a few days later, that he left orders for the smaller gunboats to follow him on the 10th of April, that he himself would have left on the 18th of March if he had not been delayed by gales and that the French Admiral left Hongkong one day later than Sir Michael. He moreover shows that the Admiralty were so satisfied with his explanation that the Board as: sured him of their entire approval, and transmitted a very unequivocal censure upon Lord Elgin for the despatch he had written to his own chief.

News of Dr. Livingstone's expedition has been received via the Cape of Good Hope. Dr. Livingstone and his party were, in December, at the delta of the Zambesi, after ,a second journey up the Shire to lake Shirwa and lake Nyassa. Mr. Baines, the artist, has been compelled from ill health to visit the Cape in the Lynx, but will return again to the Zambesi. Mr. Thornton, the geologist, has gone on an independent ex- pedition into the interior; and Dr. Livingstone and the rest of the party were to visit the Makololo country. Their steam-launch is now worn out, and wholly useless. Mrs. Livingstone was to rejoin the doctor at the Zambesi instead of going to England, as she contemplated.

The Red Sea telegraphic wire has been successfully laid, and Alexan- dria and Calcutta brought into electric communication.

In his place in the House of Peers on Tuesday, Lord Brougham cor- rected an erroneous report of his observations at Bradford on bribery. He did not say that bribery should be made felony. He said that, if bribery were made a misdemeanour, candidates and their agents would shrink from an infamous punishment.

The draft of the trust-deed on which it is proposed to raise a fund of at least 250,000/. for a second great international Exhibition in 1862, was submitted to Prince Albert on Tuesday, by a deputation from the Council of the Society of Arta.

Mr. Cobden, in a letter dated Cannes, February 18, thus acknowledges the vote of thanks passed by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

"I beg most gratefully to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, con- veying the thanks of the directors of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce for my services in negotiating the recent treaty of commerce with France. If I have been instrumental in promoting this reform in the commercial re- lations of the two countries, it has been only in the humble capacity of prompter to those who have fortunately possessed both the power and the inclination to give effect to my suggestions. It was owing to the readiness with which the English Government made its financial arrangements for the Tear subservient to the objects of the treat', and to the enlightened ap- preciation of its important bearings by the Emperor of the French and his Ministers, together with the frank cooperation of Lord Cowley, that the nego- tiations were brought to a successful issue. I trust that, after the lapse of a sufficient time for realizing the effects of such a change, we shall witness a large extension of commerce between these two great neighbouring nations, which will not only increase their material prosperity, but greatly amelio- rate their political and moral relations."

We believe we are warranted in positively asserting that his Royal High- ness the Prince of Wales will take his departure for Canada the latter end of May, or the beginning of June. Instructions will be sent out to the autho- rities to make the necessary arrangements for the reception of the young prince. The names of the suite that will attend his royal highness, and the details of his visit, have not yet been settled, though we hear the Renown, 91 gun vessel, has been fixed upon for the honour of conveying the prime.— Court Journal.

Prince Alfred has returned from his long cruise. He arrived at Spithead on board the Euryalus on Tuesday morning. The Elfin steamed out to meet him, and brought him into harbour, accompanied by Captain Tarleton and his private suite. The Prince left for London by the 11 a.m. South- Western train. Arrived at the Waterloo Station he was met and accom- panied to Buckingham Palace by the Prince Consort.

The Duke of Cambridge laid the foundation-stone, on Thursday, of the memorial which is to be erected at Broropton Barracks, Chatham, to the memory of the officers and men of the Royal Engineers who fell in the Cri- mean war.

The Duke of Argyll has been elected President of the Royal Society of Scotland, in the room of the late Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane. Field-Marshal Bariatinski has left St. Petersburg to return to Tiflis. He intended passing by Moscow in order to have an interview with Schemyl, who was to go to that city from Kalouga to meet him.

The Marquis d'Azeglio left town on Friday for Turin, in consequence of a telegraphic message announcing the serious indisposition of his mother, the Marquise d'Azeglio.

Pretorius, Dictator of the Transvaal Republic, has been elected President of the Orange State.

Dr. Vaughan—so the Times reports—has, after some hesitation, finally declined the Bishopric of Rochester.

The Lord Chancellor has conferred the canonry of Norwich, vacant by the resignatioh of Canon Wodehouse, on the Reverend J. W. L. Heaviside, M.A., formerly Professor of Mathematics at Haileybury College.

The composition of the Chinese Staff shows that Lord Clyde is not for- getful of his old officers and Mends, at the same time that it is a most effi- cient body. We see Colonels Mackenzie and Rose, of the old Highland Brigade, and formerly on the Quartermaster-General's Staff at Balaklava, in charge of the Chinese force in higher grades of the department. Captain George Allgood, the Assistant Quartermaster-General of Lord Clyde's head- quarters, is also on the staff—no more active or zeidousofficer in the service. The appointment of Colonel Ilaythorne will be most agreeable to all who know the merits of that excellent soldier. Lieutenant-Colonel Stephenson, (LB., has seen much service in the Crimea end elsewhere, and Lumsden is

a man whose name goes far and wide through India, and on whose career many eyes are fixed in great expectancy. In fact, if the expedition fail, it cannot be unsuccessful on account of any incompetency on the staff, for most of them have already gained by actual experience in the field the knowledge in which our Crimean staff was at first so disastrously deficient.— Army and Navy Gazette.

A General Order, dated Horse Guards, 23d February, announces, that in consideration of the present expenses necessarily incurred by officers of cavalry, the Queen has approved of a reduction of the regulation prices hr commissions in the cavalry of the line, which will accordingly for the fu- ture be as follows, viz. :—Lieutenant-Colonel, 45001., instead of 61751.; major, 3200/., i '

instead of 4,575/. ; captain 1800/., instead of 3225!.; • lieu- tenant, 7001., instead of 1190/. ; cornet, 450/. instead of 840/. Thediffer- enee in value between the late and proposed regulation price of a cavalry commission will be paid to the retiring officer from the reserve fund at the disposal of the Secretary of State for War. The price which an officer will pay on promotion, by purchase, to the higher ranks, will be : Major to be lieutenant-colonel, 13001., instead of 16001.; captain to be major, 1350/, instead of 1400!.; lieutenant to be captain, 1100/., instead of 2035/. - cor- net to be lieutenant, 2507., instead of 3501. Revised regulations regarding the purchase of Officers' chargers from the ranks are also contained in this order.

Several new pictures have been added to the National Portrait Gallery. They are the Fraser Tytler portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, David Garrick, Warren Hastings, John Sweeten, James Watt, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, the elder Brunel, Archbishop Tillotson ; Huntington the Foreacher, "S. S.," Sir William Herschel, John Howard, the Right Honourable Thomas Winning- ton, Sir Francis Chantry, James 7th Earl of Derby, and Matt. Prior.

The preparations for the Royal Volunteer Ball, next Wednesday, are rapidly progressing. A special gallery for the exclusive accommodation of the lady patronesses is in process of construction.

Mr. S. P. Hennessy, Member for King's County, has been served with a peremptory order, at the instance of the Serjeant-at-Arms, to attend forth- with in the House of Commons for the purpose of answering for his conduct in not attending a committee of which he was appointed a Member. He had gone to Irelaad for the purpose of supporting Lord Campden as candi- date for the representation of Cork.

The return of the number of persons flogged in the British Navy in 1858, gives 997 the number of punishments, 784 lashes inflicted by sentence of court-martial. The maximum of lashes 50, the minimum 3.

The mortality of the Metropolis, according to the Return of the Registrar. General, amounted last week to 1500, an increase of 46 upon the previous week, and 161 upon the calculated average. Small-pox was fatal in 39 cases ; and hooping-cough carried off 63 children.

The gales on Monday and Tuesday did great damage in several parts of the country. The gale on Tuesday was the more terrific. In the metropolis and suburbs, decks of chimneys were dashed through roofs boats capsized, skylights carried away, children blown under horses and Carts, and streets strewn with chimney-pots and the debris of unroofed houses. Two men were brown into the Deptford Canal, and drowned. Portsmouth, Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Stockport, Manchester, Norwich, Shields, and Bir- mingham, have suffered severely. In Derby and Nottingham, the author- ities stopped the traffic) in some of the streets during the violence of the storm, and thereby, in all probability, saved life and limb. From Berlin to Paris, sad havoc was made of the telegraph lines by the tearing up of the poles. Nowhere was the gale more furious than on the heights of Nor- wood, and yet the Crystal Palace escaped with the loss of a few panes of glass. Further particulars have arrived from day to day. The whole of the frontage of the Addington Square Baths, Camberwell, was torn off. A boy was blown from the deck of a barge at Bromley Cut, and drowned. A child was killed at Stockport by the falling bricks of a shattered school-house. The fine old spire of the new church of St. Allimund, Derby, was blown down. At Norwich, a chimney-shaft in the manufactory of Mr. Ketton was destroyed. The entire amount of damage done by these gales has not even been proximately estimated. The loss of life at sea was very great.

A steamer was wrecked on Tuesday off St. David's Head, with the loss of all on board. She struck on the rocks and split into three compartments. About thirty persons were seen on board before she went down.