Miscellaneous.

A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon, at the Foreign Office. It was attended by all the Ministers except the Lord Chancellor.

The Cabinet Ministers dined on Wednesday evening with Sir John Hobhonse, at his residence in Berkeley Square.

The Duke of Wellington has issued cards for a grand dinner on Monday next, at Apsley House.

The Marquis of Bristol was presented with a magnificent silver can- delabrum last week by the principal tenantry on his Lordship's estates in the counties of Suffolk and Essex.

The Earl of Cardigan returned to the Barracks on Monday, for the purpose of mustering his troops. His Lordship remained only one night at the Barracks, and took his departure the next morning for London.— Brighton Gazette.

The expense of fitting up and furnishing the House of Lords for the trial of the Earl of Cardigan, it appears from a return to Parliament, was 9901. 2s.

The remains of the late Earl of Rosse will leave Brighton on Satur- day, en route for Parsonstown, Ireland, where, after lying in state at Bier Castle for two days, the body will be interred in the family vault—Brighton Gazette, March 3.

Lord Brougham sailed from Dover, on Monday, for Calais. It is said his Lordship has gone to remain a short time at his residence in the South of France. The Dover correspondent of the morning papers say it was remarked that "his Lordship's dress was in much better order than usual."

Mr. C. R. Talbot, M.P., has given 2001. towards the building of a new church at Swansea. Mr. J. H. Vivian, M.P., has given 1001.

Mr. Joseph Pease, M.P., has been called from his Parliamentary duties in consequence of the death of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Gurney, of Norwich.

Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey has contradicted a report that was current last week of his intention to resign the Commissiouership of the City Police. Several gentlemen have been actively canvassing for the office.

It is confidently stated that three out of the grand Ministerial ma- jority are to be immediately rewarded for their valuable votes. Sir Gilbert Heathcote is to be made a Peer ; Mr. Barron, of Waterford, a Baronet; and General Sharpe is to have the first vacant regiment of cavalry.—Correspondent of the Times.

The Marquis of Westminster, it is reported in high circles, con- tributed the munificent sum of 11,0001. in aid of the Ministerial can- didates at the late elections of St. Alban's, Canterbury, and East Surrey. The consideration bargained for by the noble Marquis is said to be the first vacant Garter, or, as some say, a Dukedom.—Courier, March 5.

Yesterday, at three o'clock, a diplomatic conference took place in re- ference to the negotiations now in progress with a view to effect an amicable arrangement of the differences that have lately subsisted be- between the French Government and the other great European Powers.—Morning Post, March 3.

The French Ministry have just had a triumph. The Secret Service Money Bill was brought forward in the Chamber of Deputies on Thurs- day, and it served as a new occasion for fierce party struggles. The debate was continued with vivacity, and did not close till Saturday. In the course of it, M. Thiers denied that there had ever been any ques- tion of peace or war : he had only contended for "isolation," and for that he still contended. M. Guizot affirmed, on the contrary, that had M. Thiers continued on the Ministerial benches, war would have been inevitable. The Foreign Minister observed a marked silence as to the future intentions of the Government, and refused to declare that he would not disarm. When the Chamber divided, the bill was carried by 235 to 145. The decision is held equivalent to a vote of confidence.

It appears that the intercourse of the Army with the press is .giving uneasiness to the Government. The Moniteur publishes a circular from Marshal Soult to the Lieutenant-Generals commanding military divisions, expressing his extreme dissatisfaction at perceiving in the newspapers letters from officers of the Army, and even pamphlets sub- scribed with their names, containing strictures on the military code. He intimates that any future offence of the kind would be punished by the forfeiture of commissions, and other penalties.

Marshal Victor, Duke of Bellone, died in Paris on Monday evening.

The Presse estimates the population of France at 33,000,000 ; of whom only 200,000 are electors ; and the Presse affirms that of those' 200,000 one-fourth know not how to read or write.

The Rhone and the Loire have again burst their banks, and several districts are laid under water. The distressing scenes of November are revived.

The Augsburg Gazette announces officially the arrangement of the differences that had occurred between the Court of Berlin and the Papal Government respecting the Archbishop of Cologne.

The Emperor of Austria has conferred on Admiral Stopford the cross of Commander of the Order of Maria Theresa, and on Commodore Sir Charles Napier that of Knight of the same order. To Captain Fan- ahawe his Imperial Majesty has given the cross of Knight of the Order of Leopold.

The abdicated King of Holland was married on the 17th of last month, to the Countess of Oultremont. The ceremony was performed first in French, by a Protestant minister, and then by a Roman Catholic priest Madrid papers to the 21st represent the course of the elections as con- tinuing for the most part favourable to the Regency. El Corresponeal publishes a letter dated Estella, February 8th, which tastes that information bad been received that a Frenchman was tra- velling through the mountains endeavouring to excite an insurrection among the peasants, and that troops had been despatched in various directions to apprehend him. One of those detachments found the man at Irenuze, at a priest's house, in bed. The Frenchman refused to rise ; stating that he was a captain, and would not go on foot. The soldiers, without preamble, bound him and marched him prisoner to Pampeluna. He had a Portuguese passport upon him. It appears that he came from Portugal, and that he had successively visited Saragossa, Logrono, and Pampeluna. It was said that the French Government had given infor- mation to the Spanish authorities relative to the proceedings of this *ranger.

Advices have been received from Alexandria to the 7th February. Ibrahim Pasha arrived at Gaza, with the sixth and last division of the retreating army, on the 29th January. He was suffering severely from an illness, of which jaundice was the most obvious symptom. Nevertheless, he had expressed his desire to remain to the last, and see the remains of his army safely embarked before he returned to Alex- andria. Mehemet Ali had despatched three or four steamers for his use, with positive orders that he should return to Alexandria imme- diately. He was expected to arrive on the 8th or 9th. Commodore Napier was at Alexandria. On the 3d March, be and Captain Bradley dined at the palace with Mehemet Ali. This is the first dinner given by the Pasha to Englishmen since the treaty of the 15th July has troubled his digestion. It went off very sociably. The firman from Constantinople had not arrived, notwithstanding the despatch of the fleet ; and private advices stated, that neither it nor the return of the Consuls-General might be expected till the settlemel.t of all particulars at issue between the Porte and the Pasha.

The arrivals from North America by the packet-ship United States bring New York papers to the 14th ultimo.

The commercial accounts are important. The United States Bank was again compelled to suspend payment on the 4th ultimo ; a panic having existed on that and the previous day, which it could not with- _stand. In New York the Stock went down at once to 40 and 41 ; and the bills of the Bank were, it is said, sold at 10 to 15 per cent. discount, ' though no regular price could be quoted for the latter. On the 6th, United States Bank Stock was quoted 37 36 ; and it continued to decline. The last quotation at New York was 26, and at Philadelphia 27. The stoppage caused a great panic, and produced a serious derangement in trade. The other banks of Philadelphia held a meeting on the evening of the 4th, and resolved to continue to pay in specie ; but the resolution was vain, for on the following day, great alarm and excitement pre- vailing, a run upon the banks ensued, and all, with the exception of four, suspended cash payments. A variety of schemes had been pro- jected for obviating the difficulties in which the suspension had involved trade, but nothing definite had been agreed upon. The great object of the banks was to avoid the forfeiture of their charters ; and the Legislature would, it was hoped and believed, help them temporarily out of the business, by modifying the act respecting cash payments. Re- solutions agreed to by the Board of Directors of the United States Bank had been published ; in which they promise to use every exer- tion to collect the debts and convert the assets into cash so as to resume cash payments at the earliest practicable moment.

The exchange on England was 1084 to 108f ; at which rate but little business had been transacted.

The proceedings against Mr. M'Leod are of increasing interest.. The account of the mob preventing his liberation from Lockport prison, after having been bailed, is confirmed. An attempt has been made in some of the papers to represent the conduct of the lawless mob as merely a peaceful and not improper act of persuasion on the part of sundry individuals towards the bail, to induce them to give him up for his own good and the public satisfaction. The counsel of M'Leod, Messrs. H. Gardner and A. C. Bradley, have in consequence ad- dressed an appeal on his behalf to the-public, against statements at once erroneous, as they allege, and exaggerated. They thus relate the effect of the order of Judge Bowen to admit M'Leod tobail- " The order was not obtained until nearly nightfall; and owing to a rumour that there were persons about the country prepared to commit upon Mr. M'Lecd personal violence in case he should be discharged on bail, and owing to an ap. pearance of agitation among some persons here, it was deemed prudent that be should remain in gaol until the next morning, and then make his appearance in the daytime publicly among our citizens. -" Very soon afterwards, there were appearances of a high state of excitement. Bodies of men were seen moving towards the Court-house. Drums beat, bugles - sounded. About nine o'clock a body of men, armed with muskets and bayonets, took possession of the hall communicating with the gaol At midnight, or later, a cannon (a twelve-pounder) having been procured and placed directly opposite M‘Leod's cell, was repeatedly discharged, demolishing at every peal a portion of the glass in the Court-house windows. While these proceedings were going on below, a meeting of several hundred men was organized in the Court-room above. About twelve o'clock at night, Committees were appointed to wait upon the Judge who granted the order, and upon the gentlemen who had become M'Leod's bail, and request their immediate appearance. The Judge, we understand, deemed it most prudent for him to get out of bed and obey the summons. The bail did not appear. One of them being told that it had been stated by some of those among the crowd, that if be did not come they would bring him at the point of the bayonet, and believing that this indicated a state of feeling which might en- danger his personal safety, he declined going that night, but sent word to the Assembly, that if they would adjourn until the next morning, he would appear before them.

" The Assembly finally, at about half-past one o'clock, adjourned until nine in the morning; leaving, however, a body of armed men in and about the gaol the remainder of the night. In the morning, accordingly, was presented the novel spectacle of an armed guard marching with measured tread in front of the Court-house door ; and this, too, in a time of peace, and with a govern- ment of law, and with no other assignable motive than to deprive an individual of rights which that law, through its proper officers, had conferred. " Meantime, a capias bad been obtained by an owner of the Caroline to hold M'Leod to bail afresh in 7,000 dollars; and while this was under discussion, the bail in the former case were so wrought upon by threats of destruction to their property unless they surrendered bi'Leod, that they finally acted upon this advice,' and did surrender him."

Mr. M'Leod had at length been indicted for murder. The Grand Jury had been engaged two or three days in hearing the evidence against him, and concluded by finding the bill for murder. The Lockport Democrat states that M'Leod will have to remain in gaol until the Court of Oyer and Terminer to be held on the fourth Monday in March, unless a special commission of Oyer and Terminer shall issue. Such commission may be issued by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. A Justice of the Supreme Court, or a Circuit Judge, must in all cases be appointed to preside in such special court.

The proceedings in Congress were of not much interest. General Harrison, the President Elect, had arrived at Washington, and had had an interview with Mr. Van Buren. The new Cabinet was understood to have been definitively fixed, and an extra session of Congress resolvedon.

On Saturday and Monday, several claims against the estate of Wright's. bank were proved, to the amount of about 100,0001. Among those-

hose claims were proved were, Mr. James Irving, for the Western Australian Company, 2,717/. ; the Plymouth Company. of New Zea- land, 3,9861.; Lord Petre and others, for the New Zealand Company, 972/. ; the Bishop of Olympus, 260/. ; Mr. Milliken, for the Bank of Australasia, 3,275/.

At a meeting of the proprietors of the London and Westminster Joint Stock Bank, on Wednesday, a very favourable report of the state of affairs was read. From this report it appears that the profits have in- creased every year since its commencement. In 1835, the profits were 8,400/. ; in 1836, 15,0001. ; in 1837, 32,000/. ; in 1838, 35,000/. ; in 1839,. 46,0001.; and in 1840, 48,000/. The capital of the bank at present amounts to nearly 600,000/. ; and it is proposed to issue 10,000 of the reserved shares, for the purpose of raising the capital of the company to 800,000/.