tents, and all were required to house so great an
increase. Every room, in five houses out of six, was
packed as full as it could hold of stretchers and other
makeshifts for beds. The lanes and back passages, and
yards, were covered with filth and stagnant water—
the cesspools were overflowing—and everywhere, except
in the wider open streets, and sometimes even in them,
were heaps of decaying refuse matter, while the stench
from all was excessive. A sanitary commission had
been sitting on the condition of the town, but, except
pointing out the evils, they could do little to prevent
the expected consequences. It was too late and
hazardous to meddle with the fetid masses, and risk
hurrying on decomposition and the pestilence. The
influenza and dysentery had been gradually thinning
the population, and a few cases of Asiatic cholera had
occurred.—In the meanwhile, open outrage and secret
crime were as plentiful as ever, and there was just the
old amount and kind of drinking, debauchery, and
general discomfort.

     PROGRESS OF EMIGRATION AND COLONISATION.

The thirty–second party of emigrants, forty in number.
sent out to Australia under the direction of the Female
Emigration Fund Society, embarked at Gravesend on
the 17th inst., on board the Walmer Castle. Lord
Haddo, the Honourable Arthur Kinnaird, the Reverend
Mr. Mackenzie, the Reverend Mr. Quekett, and other
gentlemen, were present to encourage the emigrants
with their countenance and kind counsel at parting.

During the month of April 27,000 emigrants left
Liverpool—a larger number than has ever quitted the
port in that month. The increase has been in the
departures for America; the people being from Ireland,
Germany, and Holland.

Emigration from Ireland proceeds as briskly as ever,
the flow of the population towards all the principal
seaports, on the way to America or Australia, going
forward without the slightest perceptible diminution.
The ship agents never found it so easy to make up the
full complement of passengers for emigrant vessels; and
scarcely is a ship advertised for a voyage across the
Atlantic when every berth on board is engaged. It has
been remarked, however, that the proportion of small
farmers who emigrate has become somewhat less than
usual, and that the "exodus" is just now confined in a
great measure to young persons of both sexes, agricultural
labourers and servants, the greater number of the
latter being females.

           NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The intelligence from France gives signs of greater
political agitation than has existed since the accession of
the emperor. A strong feeling has been created by the
introduction of a bill restoring capital punishment,
either for attempts to subvert the existing form of
government, or for attempts on the life of the emperor or
any of the Bonaparte family. The Legislative body
have betrayed considerable repugnance to the passing of
this measure; so much so that M. de Mésonau, an officer
formerly convicted as a sharer in Louis Napoleon's
expedition to Boulogne, publicly declared that he could
not support the bill, as he owed his life to the mitigation
of the punishment. The committee appointed to report
on the measure are adverse to it. Numerous arrests
have taken place among the Legitimists in Paris, in
consequence of the discovery of documents at the house of
M. Jeanne, the well–known Legitimist printseller of the
Passage Choiseul. Several officers of an artillery
regiment at Vincennes are said to be implicated. After a
determined opposition at various stages to the civil
pensions bill, it was finally passed by the Legislative body
on the 16th, by 154 to 76. The minority on one division
reached 100. The French Government has determined
to erect commodious lodging–houses for the workmen of
Paris, apparently after the British model. The causes
assigned for this step are, that recent improvements have
driven the poor from their old haunts, and have so
increased rents as to amount to great oppression on the
workmen.

We learn from Vienna that the betrothment of the
Duke of Brabant, the eldest son of the King of the
Belgians, with the Archduchess Maria, daughter of the
late Archduke Joseph of Austria, took place on the
17th inst.

Some important changes have taken place in the
Ottoman ministry. Mehemet Ali Pacha, who was
grand vizier, is appointed minister of war, and replaced
in his former station by Mustapha Pacha, ex–president
of the grand council. Rifaat Pacha has succeeded to
the latter's post. Reschid Pacha was entrusted with the
portfolio of foreign affairs. The questions between
Russia and the Porte are still in agitation.

Advices from Switzerland state that disturbances
have been frequent of late in the canton of Fribourg.
At a recent election at Bulle, several persons were
killed. The Federal government has sent M. Drouey
for the purpose "of coming to an understanding with
the authorities and protecting constitutional rights."
From a report presented to the Federal council by M.
Ochsenhein, it appears that the cantonal contingents,
with few exceptions, are well prepared to defend the
country.

The accounts from New York are of little political
interest. Mr. Buchanan has been officially appointed
minister to England from the United States. The
senate has ratified the appointment, and Mr. Buchanan
is expected in England by the 1st of July. He is known,
among other things, in connexion with the Oregon
treaty; in which affair he strongly supported American
as opposed to British interests.

A terrible accident had befallen an express–train on
the New York and Boston railroad. The train was
proceeding from New York; at Norwalk, in Connecticut,
there is a drawbridge over the Norwalk river; it was
left "up;" and the train, consisting of three cars, dashed
off the bridge into the river. Fifty–nine persons were
known to have been drowned; but the estimate is
necessarily incomplete. Among the passengers were
some medical gentlemen returning home from a
professional convention held at New York, and a newly–
married couple out to spend the honeymoon. It is
stated that the keeper of the drawbridge had just raised
it to allow a steamer to pass; and that the express came
on so fast that he had not time to lower the bridge.

From Texas we learn that the gold accounts are fully
confirmed. It is stated that a party of citizens of
Holkhart, who had just returned from an exploring expedition,
found gold in the mountains, seventy miles north–
west of that town, both on the surface and by digging.
They brought back several lumps, all of which were
valued at 5,950 dollars.

There are dates from California to the 16th of April.
Gold dust to the value of 2,000,000 dols. was reported as
having lately left the placers for New York. The
reports received from California respecting the condition
of business, state that it was generally in a very
unsatisfactory condition at present. The recent favourable
reports had naturally caused a great increase there in
the importations, by which the markets had been over–
stocked, to effect a clearance of which a ruinous sacrifice
had to be submitted to. The mining operations,
however, were going on well, gold being obtained in
considerable quantities. Another dreadful steam–boat
accident had taken place, the boiler of the Jenny Lind
steamer having exploded whilst in the bay of San
Francisco, occasioning the death of 18 persons
immediately, and wounding 30 others in so serious a manner,
that it was feared many of the cases would terminate
fatally.