with the vast inland and foreign mails of the day, and
every letter and newspaper was distributed or in course
of distribution.

Bartholomew Fair is now Abolished, after having
existed 720 years, the charter having been granted in
the year 1133. The proclamation must be continued as
ordered by the charter, and the Court of "Pie Poudre"
opened, but not the least vestige of any amusement or
sale will be left to attract a crowd.

The new act to Regulate the Admission of Professors
to the Lay Chairs in the Universities of Scotland, is now
in force. It is declared not to be necessary for any
person elected to the office of Professor in those
Universities, such office not being that of principal or a
chair of theology, to make and subscribe the
acknowledgment or declaration mentioned in the Act of Queen
Anne, for securing the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian
Church Government. The declaration substituted
is to the effect that the person will never endeavour,
directly or indirectly, to teach or inculcate any opinions
opposed to the Divine authority of the Holy Scripture, or
to the Westminster Confession of Faith, as ratified by
law in the year 1690; and that he will not exercise the
functions of the office to the prejudice or subversion of the
Church of Scotland as by law established, or the doctrine
or privileges thereof. In case any professor at the time
of passing the act shall be sued for not having complied
with the statute of Anne, it will be sufficient to plead
that he is prepared to take the declaration now
provided. The Lord Advocate may present a complaint
for violating the declaration, and Her Majesty may issue
a commission.

In the half-year ending 31st December, 1852, the
total number of passengers conveved by the Railways
of the United Kingdom was 49,886,123; 5,853,214 first-
class, 17,524,051 second class, 26,484,866 third class,
and 17,991 holders of periodical tickets. The receipts
were £4,360,168 from passengers, and £4,449,105 for
goods, cattle, parcels, and mails.

Among the recent acts of Parliament there is one to
Amend the Law of Evidence. Husbands and wives of the
parties to any action, suit, proceedings, &c., except in
criminal cases and cases of adultery, are now admissible
witnesses. No husband shall be compellable to disclose
any communication made to him by his wife during the
marriage, and no wife shall be compellable to disclose
any communication made to her by her husband during
the marriage.

The flourishing town of Bradford has celebrated by
an appropriate musical festival the Opening of St.
George's Hall—a handsome building devoted to music.
The performances began on the 31st ult., with the
oratorio of "St. Paul;" on the following day the
"Messiah" drew an immense audience. Mr. Costa
acted as conductor; the chorus-singers were supplied
by the choral societies of the great northern towns;
among the vocalists and orchestra were some of the best
London artists. The town has been very gay, and the
festival successful.

The annual meeting of the British Association for
the Advancement of Science is held this year at Hull.
The proceedings began on the 7th inst. The president
of the past year, Colonel Sabine, presided, as is usual,
while the report was read; a document which contained
some interesting matters. It appears that a plan,
propounded by Professor Thompson, for combining by a
systematic arrangement the transactions of the various
scientific societies, so as to give unity and continuity to
the record of facts, is still under consideration. Steps
have been taken to establish a telescope in the Southern
hemisphere for the observation of nebulæ; and, it
is understood, from the favourable reception given to a
deputation by Lord Aberdeen, that a vote for the necessary
funds will be included in the estimates of next
session. Dr. Bache, the director of the coast survey of
the United States, has proposed a joint survey of the
Gulf Stream by Great Britain and the United States:
and the proposal has been forwarded to the
hydrographer of the Admiralty. The report calls attention
to the want of suitable and systematic arrangements on
the part of the Government, for the due publication of
the results of scientific researches executed at the public
expense by naval officers acting under the instructions
of the Admiralty. At the general meeting held in the
Mechanics' Institute, in the evening, Mr. William
Hopkins, the new president, delivered the inaugural
address; a varied survey of recent proceedings in
science, especially touching astronomy, meteorology,
and geology. Next day, the business in the Sections
began, and continued for a week, terminating on the
14th. The papers read were in general on important
subjects, and of a practical character. Railways and
railway accidents were not overlooked. Several schemes
were propounded for obtaining greater safety; in
particular. Dr. Scoresby read a paper suggesting an
improved system of railway signals. Mr. Neison gave
a curious analytical view of railway accidents in this
country and on the continent, for the twelve years
ending with 1852. "In the period of 1840-51, the
number of railway passengers was 478,488,607; of
whom 237 were killed and 1416 injured; showing a ratio
of 1 killed in 2,018,939, and 1 injured in 337,916. Of
engine-drivers, stokers, and guards, the number killed
was 275, and the injured 274, out of 40,486; showing a
ratio of 1 killed in 177, and 1 injured in 148. Number
of porters and other servants, 359,683, of whom 683
were killed, and 343 injured; the ratio being 1 killed
in 527, and 1 injured in 1058. During the years
1844-51, 7,044,469,484 miles have been travelled by
passengers, and 176 deaths have happened through
accidents from all causes. Hence, one passenger has been
killed for every 40,025,394 miles travelled. Supposing a
person to be always in motion on a railway, and travelling
at an average speed of twenty miles per hour
including stoppages, he would travel 175,200 miles yearly,
and he must constantly travel 228 years to be killed by
accidents from all causes. The period for which he
must constantly travel to be killed by accidents from all
causes under the control of the companies is 490 years;
and he must be constantly travelling 426 years to be
killed by accidents from causes beyond the control of
companies: but if the person is supposed to travel twelve
hours only per diem for each of the 365 days in the year,
then in 456 years he will be killed by accidents from all
causes; in 980 years he will be killed by accidents from
causes under the control of companies; and in 852 years
he will be killed by accidents from causes beyond the
control of companies. Of the 237 passengers killed in
the period 1840-51, 103 were killed by causes beyond,
and 134 by causes under, the control of the companies.
Of the 1416 persons injured, 188 were injured by causes
beyond, and 1228 from causes under the control of the
companies.—Mr. Neison said that it is an error to
suppose that the third-class passengers suffer the most
severely by accidents; he affirmed that the greatest
portion of accidents fell upon first-class passengers. He
showed that there is a diminution of deaths on railways,
and a gradual improvement in the railway system.
Deaths from causes beyond the control of the companies
have long been the majority.—The tendency said Mr.
Neison of accidents which may be considered to arise
from details of management is to inflict bodily injury
rather than occasion death; for out of every 100 injuries
about 11 deaths happen, while among the accidents due
to causes within the influence of the passengers them-
selves, for every 100 injuries 55 deaths take place. In
the period 1840-3, the deaths from causes under the
control of the companies was 62·50 per cent, of all the
deaths; in 1844-47 they were 51·56 per cent.; and in
1848-51 only 43·16 per cent.; so that it was evident that
the class of accidents under the control of the several
companies was decreasing in relation to the total accidents
in a most satisfactory and very rapid manner.
Referring to the German railways, Mr. Neison gave
the following results for the years 1848, 1849, and 1850,
—length of railways open, 8480 miles (English); number
of passengers, 51,713,297; number of miles travelled,
1,155,436,890. During this period only one passenger
was killed, and 14 injured; 53 railway employés were
killed, and 88 injured.—Mr. Locke read an important
paper on the Condition of Ireland, giving an agreeable
view of the improving state of that country. He
showed how the exodus rose gradually from 1840
to 1851; then attained its greatest number, 254,537;
and had since steadily declined. This decrease
of the number of emigrants he referred to three