YilistrItaurong.

The appointment of Sir Henry Storks to the office now held by Mr. Gladstone, deprived the Secretary at War of a valuable Military Secre- tary. Major-General Peel has selected as the successor of Sir Henry Storks, an eminent soldier, and one who has seen a great deal of service in Asia since 1854—Major-General Sir Edward Lugnrd, who took a conspicuous part in the Persian war, and the late military operations in India.

Mr. Preston, United States Minister to Madrid, and his wife, arrived in London on Thursday, and they were present at the opening of Par- liament.

The Right Reverend C. P. M‘11vaine, Bishop of Ohio and Miss M'Ilvaine, General 0. Van dem Burgh, and Colonel H. Fuller, of New York, were also at the ceremony. It was observed that amongst the spectators on the occasion was Miss Burgwyn, of North Carolina.

During the week, Mr. Charles Bradley, United States Consul at Ningpo, China, and Major von Sontag de Haviland, of the United States Legation at Madrid, arrived in London. Mr. Bradley is the gentleman who carried the recent treaty between the United States and China to Washington, and he is now on his way back to his post.

A letter from one of the officers of the Belooch Rifle Brigade says that, on hearing of the illness of General Jacob, Mr. Frere said, "if anything happens to that man not one in ten thousand can ever replace him," and that on hearing of his death Mr. Frere ordered a day of mourn- ing throughout &dude. General Jacob died of "complete exhaustion," caused by over work. He was only forty-five years old. At his death he was surrounded by his officers European and Native' and hoary old Native officers were seen crying like children. He was buried without any pomp, in accordance with his wish. The whole population flocked out to see the procession. The "din and noise made by women tearing their hair and men crying was indescribable." Jacob's heir is the gallant Major Merewether.

A royal proclamation appeared in the Gazette of Tuesday, notifying to the public that, as the treaty with Japan has not yet been ratified, all British subjects must abstain from sending vowels to Japan and attempt- ing to open trade contrary to existing regulations. The proclamation has been issued because her Majesty has learned that certain persons have despatched or are preparing to despatch ships to Japan to open trade. Orders have been issued to British men of war to assist the Emperor of Japan in preventing any violation of his laws.

We have already stated that there would be a considerable increase in the Navy Estimates for the year 1859-60, and we have now to state that although it had been generally believed there would be no increase in the number of seamen voted for, we have good foundation for stating that there will be an increase of 3000 men.—Daily News.

Two principal ringleaders in the massacre of the Christians at Jeddah, the Chief of the Police and the Chief of the Adramants, have been con- demned to death, and were executed on the 12th January. The %alma- kan and the others accused have been sent to Constantinople, where their fate will be decided upon.

The United Service Gazette publishes some interesting facts respecting the use of the Conway, an old 28-gun frigate, about to proceed to the Mersey as a training-ship for boys between the ages of thirteen and fifteen.

"They will be received in three classes. One class will consist of lads whose parents are able and willing to pay a moderate sum for their support and education ; another will comprise those whose friends can contribute in a lesser degree ; while the third will consist of poor boys, orphans, or others, who have no friends to help them. An association has been formed to sup- ply the funds necessary for the support of the establishment, which will be raised by voluntary contribution. The merchants of Liverpool have sub- scribed liberally for this purpose, and the Admiralty have lent a ship well calculated for the service as a commencement, and have fitted her as for sea. After some probationary terms have been gone through the most pro- ficient among the lads will be allowed to choose between the Royal and mercantile services—the Admiralty, we presume, undertaking to receive boys recommended by the Association into her Majesty's ships. We hope to find the Admiralty taking the hint from the Liverpool Association, and fitting out a number of the old men-of-war, now rotting in ordinary as training-ships for boys. From 6000 to 10,000 lads should be trained an- nually. The merchant service would be glad of one moiety, and the Royal Navy could dispose of the other."

The usual official dinners were given on Wednesday. The Earl of Derby collected a goodly number of Peers, holders of office and supporters of his Government, at his house in Downing Street. Mr. Disraeli called around him a company almost exclusively composed of Ministers; the mover and seconder of the address in the House of Commons being the exceptions. Lord Palmerston and Earl Granville, as leaders of the Opposition, also entertained a number of their friends and supporters.

"The other day," gays the Horning ;Herald, "it was announced that the Hon. Mr. Gordon, who had accompanied Mr. Gladstone in the capacity of private secretary, objected to the course that gentleman had pursued, and had consequently resigned his post. This is altogether incorrect. Mr. Gordon remains, having accepted the appointment of aide-de-camp."

A letter from St. Petersburg of the 18th January, in the Brussels Inde- pendance, states that "the Grand Duchess Helena, widow of the Grand Duke Michael, brother of the late Emperor Nicholas, has given freedom to the serfs upon her estates from the 13th of February, upon the most liberal conditions. Besides their enclosure, including house, kitchen, garden, poultry-yard, and shed, each will receive four acres of arable land for which he can pay an annual sum, truly insignificant, about half-a-rouble or SO. They will, moreover, receive wages from twenty-five to forty roubles a year for their labour upon the Grand Duchess's estates." The bullpen(lade of Turin states that the ring presented by the Empress of the French to the Princess Cloti1de, was accompanied by the following autograph letter—" It is customary in Spain, when a young person takes a husband, for her best friend to offer her a ring. A Spaniard by birth, I wish to observe towards you the tradition of my country. Will you, then, receive this ring, and permit me, while waiting to embrace you as a cousin, to call myself your first friend."

The Emperor of the French, in person, recently paid a visit of condo- lence to the Countess de Hatzfeldt, late Prussian Minister at Paris. Count Pourtales, Minister Plenipotentiary of Prussia, is expected shortly to arrive at Paris.

M. von Usedom is named Prussian Minister at Frankfort.

A Paris correspondent of the Brussels Independence states that a war- song in the Italian language has been composed by Prince Pierre Bonaparte. It is entitled "The People's Hymn, or the Voice of the Corsicans," and is, in fact, a poetic appeal to insurrection in Italy. A Turin letter, of Sunday, in the Frew, asserts that twenty officers in the Royal Navy of Naples have been arrested by King Ferdinand.

Mr. Commissioner Phillips died on Tuesday, at his house in Golden Square. He had been fourteen years Commissioner of the Insolvent Debt- ors' Court and sat in that Court up to the day of his death. He died of apoplexy. Mr. Charles Phillips was originally an Irish barrister. His Life of Curran" is well known.

Death has taken away another of the medical notabilities of the metropo- lis. Mr. Alexander, surgeon-oculist to her Majesty, died on the 20th in- stant, at his residence in Cork Street, aged seventy-sax. The deceased gentle- man succeeded many years ago to the practice of Sir IV athen Waller, and enjoyed during the greater part of his life a very large practice as an oculist. He was known as a very dexterous and remarkably successful extractor of cataract.—Ifedical Times.

Originals are getting rare in our all-levelling days of rail and steam • but there are a few yet left, one of whom died a few days ago at Paris. His real name was Lutterbacb, or rather Dr. Letterbach, for he held a medical diplo- ma from one of the German universities ; but be it that this name was too difficult for pronunciation to Parisian friends or any other cause not known, the learned gentleman generally passed under the cognomen of Fourage, and under this appellation was extensively known throughout the French metropolis. His great purpose during life, on which he spent all his fortune, his time, and his patience, was to drill mankind, and, in the first instance, the French portion of it ; for, according to him, all the evils under which poor human beings suffer was chiefly owing to their not walk- ing upright. To remedy this, he not only lectured and wrote numerous books and pamphlets, but likewise invented a great number of mechanieal contrivances.

The Queen has conferred the Victoria Cross upon Lieutenant Young, late gunnery officer, and William Hall, captain of the foretop of the Shannon, for distinguished gallantry in bringing up a 24-pounder to the angle of the Shah Nujutr at Lucknow in November 1857. Both were recommended by the late Sir William Peel.

A number of Liverpool merchants have presented a handsome testimo- nial in silver to Captain Johnston for his intrepid conduct at the burning of the ship Eastern City, whereby he saved the lives of 237 persons.

An Italian has diecovered in the "Orlando Furies() " of Ariesto some verses which are declared to be prophetic of the expected struggle in Italy. They are worth recording at the present moment as a literary curiosity-

" Ecco toms. il francese ;

. . . . . . . . Vedete poi l'esercito, cite sotto La ruota di fortuna era cadutto, Creatoil nuovo re, chest prepara Dell' onta vidicar ch' ebbe a Novara."

' A letter from Berlin in the Hord dated the 25th January says—" Early this morning Prince Frederick William assembled the servants of his house- hold, and showed them his infant son, whom he held in his arms. I have seen workmen and poor women hurrying from the most distant quarters of the city, and even the peasants from the neighbouring villages, to learn how the princess is progressing. The bulletins signed by the doctors, Schoenlein, Wegner, and Martin, are read and copied with incredible eagerness. In fact the Berlinese, so cold by nature, are giving way to the most ardent enthusiasm."

The Perth Courier says that "the Marquis of Breadalbane, and other noblemen and gentlemen and gentry of the county of Argyll, lately resolved to suppress licensed drinking houses on their respective estates, with the view to the moral and physical elevation of the Highlands."

The demolition of Montagu House, Whitehall Gardens, the residence of the Buccleuch, is to be forthwith commenced. The house was built by the late Duke of Montagu, on Crown land, and on his death passed to his daugh- ter, married to the late Duke of Buceleuch, from which the present Duke inherited it. A palatial residence is to be raised on the old site.—Court Journal.

The mortality of the metropolis still remains very high. Last week there died 1329 persons, or fifty-one more than the calculated average. Scarlatina and diphtheria still contribute a large share.

According to an official return of Monsignor Guiseppe Ferrari the Minister of Finances under Pope Pie None, there has been imported into the pontifical states, during the year 1857, merchandise to the value of 13,078,826 seuffi, (about 2,700,000/.) and exported, during the same time, produce to the value of 8,921,623 scudi, (or about 1,800,000/. sterling).

On the 18th ultimo, about six p.m., while some gentlemen were driving on an open car in the neigbourhood of Binghamstown-Erris, county of Mayo, they were overtaken by a storm of hail so severe as to exceed any- thing of a similar nature ever witnessed by any of the party before. It continued for about ten or fifteen minutes, and was succeeded by darkness the most profound. At this moment a ball of fire, about the sue of an orange, and of a dull colour, emitting some sparks, passed rather slowly be- tween two of the party on the off-side of the ear, and immediately exploded. All were instantaneously struck blind by the intense brilliancy of the light, and it was some time before they recovered sufficiently to continue on their road. A feeling of numbness and prostration was experienced more or less by each individual, which continued a long time, and the driver was quite unable to hold the reins or see where he was going. A slight hissing sound accompanied this evolution of light, and appeared to proceed from the pas- sage of the meteor through the air. A loud clap of thunder followed, but at a long interval.—.Dublin Paper.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—Return of admissions for six days ending Friday February 4th, 1859, including season-ticket-holders, 774.5,