legal means; but were frustrated—the police declined to
notice the makeshift vehicles. The cab proprietors held
daily meetings and had communications with Mr.
Fitzroy. Some modifications of the regulations in Mr.
Fitzroy's Act were introduced into the Hackney
Carriages Bill: but this concession was not the result of the
strike; the intention to grant it having been intimated
to a deputation of cab-proprietors before the strike took
place. On Saturday morning, the 30th, the cabs
reappeared on the stands as usual. The government bill,
as amended, has been printed. The new clauses are the
13th and 14th. One shilling a mile is to be paid for
every mile beyond the circumference of a circle of four
miles from Temple-bar, if a carriage be discharged
beyond such circumference. When more than two
persons are conveyed in a hackney carriage drawn by one
horse, 6d. in addition to the fare to be paid for each person
above two for the whole hiring.

A meeting was held at the London Tavern on the
9th inst. to present a Testimonial to Mrs. Chisholm
previously to her departure for Australia. Several
members of parliament, many merchants, and a number
of ladies, including Mrs. Sidney Herbert and Mrs.
Robert Lowe were present; and Mr. Vernon Smith
took the chair. Speeches were made by Mr. Vernon
Smith, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Raikes Currie, Mr. Lowe,
Sir Lyon Goldsmid and other gentlemen, eulogising in
glowing language the high character and invaluable
services of Mrs. Chisholm. Mr. Currie said she was one
of those women who in olden times would have been
crowned in the capitol. A committee to raise a
subscription was appointed, and nearly £900 was subscribed
on the spot.

At the great annual banquet of the Royal Irish
Agricultural Society, which took place in Killarney on
the 11th inst., the Duke of Leinster, president of the
society, who was in the chair, made some important
observations on the progress of agriculture in Ireland.
In the course of his speech he said:—"Under the existing
circumstances of agriculture, it is necessary that all
agriculturists must be up and stirring. These are not
times for slovenly farming. The farmer must improve
his land or quit it. When I say that there must be no
slovenly farming, I do not mean to convey that farming
must necessarily be expensive. I say that the great
problem which the agriculturists of the three kingdoms
have to solve is, how the greatest amount of produce
may be obtained at the least possible cost. And when
I say at the least possible cost, I do not mean you to
understand the least possible outlay; for I am sure that
for good cultivation a large expenditure is in the first
instance necessary. You cannot have good stock, or
good implements, or good buildings without a considerable
outlay; but that outlay is necessary, and that
outlay will soon repay itself, and without that outlay
no good cultivation is possible. Moreover, I think that
no cultivation can be profitable which is not conducted
on scientific principles; and therefore it is that I would
strongly recommend the agriculturists of Ireland to
apply themselves to those scientific modes of cultivation,
with regard to manure and implements, which now
occupy the attention of agriculturists in other parts of
the United Kingdom. I have witnessed with great
satisfaction the spread of agricultural knowledge
throughout the length and breadth of Ireland, and I
can myself testify that since the period of my former
residence in this county, some ten years ago, the importance
of agriculture in all parts of the country has become
more extensively appreciated."

At a recent meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society,
at Gloucester, six reaping-machines, out of twelve
exhibited, were selected for further trial; and it was
resolved that the contest for superiority should take
place at Pusey, in Berkshire, the seat of Mr. Philip
Pusey. Accordingly, on the 17th inst., five out of the
six machines appeared on the ground. They were
Bell's machine, two of M'Cormick's, and two of Hussey's:
the duplicates were new and improved specimens.
Among the spectators, were Lord Harrowby, Lord
Wharncliffe, Mr. Pusey, Dr. Pusey, Mr. Mechi, Dr.
Cotton, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, Mr. William
Monsell, M.P., Mr. William Miles, M.P., a host of farmers
and implement-makers, and several foreigners. The
machines were tried on wheat, barley, beans, and oats.
The trials were satisfactory, although the weather was
wet, and some of the crops in a bad state. The judges
gave their award on the same evening; and Bell's
reaper, manufactured by Crosskill of Beverley, carried
off the prize of £20. Burgess and Key's reaper, on
M'Cormick's principle, was highly commended; and
Dray and Co.'s reaper, on Hussey's principle, was
simply commended. The judges thought that a machine
which would combine the advantages of all the machines
exhibited could be constructed, and that it would surpass
anything hitherto brought before the public.

The new act to Extend and make Compulsory the
Practice of Vaccination has been published. Parishes
or unions, if need be, are to be divided into districts for
the purpose of vaccination, and places are to be
appointed for the performance of the operation. The
parents and guardians of children born after the 1st of
August, 1853, are to have such children vaccinated
within three or four months after the birth, and the
children are to be taken for the inspection of the medical
officer on the eighth day after the operation to ascertain
the result of the same. A certificate is to be given of
successful vaccination. It is further enacted that the
registrar of births and deaths in every subdistrict shall,
on or within seven days after the registration of the
birth of any child not already vaccinated, give a notice
in writing, in the form prescribed, to the father or
mother, or to the persons having the care of the same,
that the child is to be vaccinated, with a notice when it
can be done; and if the father or mother, or person
having the care of it, shall not attend or shall not on the
eighth day after the vaccination take the child for
inspection, such father or mother or person shall forfeit a
sum not exceeding 20s. The penalties are to be
recovered in a summary manner.

The fourteenth Annual Report of the Registrar-General
of Births, Deaths, and Marriages has been printed.
It appears that in 1851 the number of births was
615,895. The illegitimate births registered in the same
year were 42,000. The total marriages numbered
154,206; the ages of both parties were specified in
56,347 instances. In the number 7792 widows and
5206 widowers were married. 2421 bachelors married
widows, and 2785 widowers married widows. The
deaths registered in England and Wales were 395,174.

A great Naval Review took place at Spithead on the
11th inst., in the presence of her Majesty and the
members of both houses of Parliament. The fleet
consisted of twenty-five ships of war, thirteen of
which were screw steamers, nine paddle-wheel, and
three sailing-ships of the line. There were 1076
guns, the largest 84 and the smallest 32 pounders:
the number of men was nearly 10,000. The
whole formed the greatest naval force ever mustered on
the shores of England. The Queen, with Prince Albert,
and several of the royal children, arrived from Osborne,
in the Victoria and Albert, and the Prince of Prussia
and the Russian Princesses in another royal yacht.
The evolutions began about eleven o'clock. The signal
having been given from the flag-ship, the fleet formed
in two columns, her Majesty's yacht taking the lead of
the two lines. The "enemy " was then seen approaching
under sail, the wind being favourable. The signal
was now made to "form line abreast," and shortly after
the demand was hoisted, and the Terrible steam-frigate,
Capt. McCleverty, sent out to reconnoitre the enemy.
The Queen's yacht dropped astern, and the Prince
Regent fired two guns to bring the ships of her squadron
into order of battle. The action commenced with a shot
from the Agamemnon, 91, flag of Rear-Admiral Corry,
second in command, and it was immediately joined in
by the entire fleet. The two opposing squadrons kept
up an incessant cannonade for about a quarter of an
hour, soon enveloping themselves in an impenetrable
cloud of smoke, hiding themselves from the spectators
of the fight and from each other. At the conclusion of
the combat, and as the smoke gradually cleared away,
the enemy were found to be in apparently a very
distressed condition—the sails of the ships of this squadron
were so disposed as to appear torn and destroyed by the
shot of the other fleet; and chase being made, one