meet the objects of the Association, which cannot relax
its efforts to obtain a very much lower rate of charge
than that proposed, and thus to secure for the colonies
and dependencies the same advantages of intercommunication
that have been obtained for the mother country.
The Association considers that the proposed charge of
fourpence for the ocean transit of letters, whether
effected by vessels subsidised by government or by
private ships, is entirely inconsistent with the principles
upon which the uniform rate of the penny postage was
established; it having been satisfactorily proved that
distance was not the element upon which the rate of
postage should be computed. That the real cost of the
freight upon a letter transmitted to our colonies, even if
estimated at the highest rate of freightage, is absolutely
insignificant, and ought, when such important political,
social, and moral objects are involved, to be disregarded,
as it is in the case of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
other places. That the proposed charge would not put
an end to the extensive evasions which are now practised.
The Association regrets that so high a rate should have
been proposed for the British colonies, and at the moment
when the government is negotiating with foreign
countries for large mutual reductions of postage. And
lastly, the Association believes, that had the experiment
of penny postage at home been tried in a partial manner,
such as is now proposed, with regard to colonial postage,
it would have proved a failure, instead of becoming as it
has, one of the most extraordinary blessings that ever
was conferred by government upon a country."

The Claims of the University of London to the
Elective Franchise have been brought before the
government. On the 16th inst. a deputation waited,
for that purpose, on the Prime Minister in Downing
Street. It consisted of senators of the University of
London, the heads or influential members of sixteen
metropolitan and seventeen provincial colleges, the
officers of the graduates' committee, principals of
endowed and private schools whose courses of tuition
have been influenced by the University curriculum,
representatives of important medical associations in town
and country, and several members of the House of
Commons who have promised to support the franchise
committee lately formed. The deputation was introduced
by Mr. J. Heywood, M.P., who shortly explained its
object. Mr. C. J. Foster, LL.D., M.A., read a memorial
in support of the claims of the University, which were
further enforced by Mr. T. Thornley, M.P., Mr. R. M.
Milnes, M.P., Dr. Billing, and Dr. Roget, members of
the senate of the University; the Rev. Dr. Harris,
president of New College; the Rev. Dr. Angus, president
of Stepney College; Dr. J. H. Wilson, senior physician
of St. George's Hospital; and Dr. Black, president
warden of St. Bartholomew's Hospital. The Earl of
Aberdeen said in reply:—"I have no hesitation in
acknowledging the very strong claims you have urged
for the favourable consideration by the government of
the object you have in view; and I readily admit that
the constituency which would be afforded by the
University of London, is such a one as it would be most
agreeable to the government to organise. You will not,
I suppose, expect me to give a final answer to-day; but
I assure you that, so far from throwing cold water on
the subject, which was deprecated by one of the deputation,
I do with the utmost sincerity assure you—and I
beg you to believe that in so doing I am not by any
means making use of words of mere formal courtesy—
that the subject will be taken by the government into
their most serious and friendly consideration."

A meeting on the subject of Slavery was held on the
19th inst., at Stafford House, at which was present about
forty of the ladies who had assembled at the same place
on the 26th of November, 1852, to promote an address
from women of Great Britain and Ireland to the women
of the United States, also several other ladies, members
of the Society of Friends. The following report was
read to the meeting by the Duchess of Sutherland:—

"The General Committee for obtaining signatures to the
address of the women of Great Britain and Ireland to the
women of America, on the subject of slavery, has been
assembled here this day for the purpose of receiving the report
of the Sub-Committee, and of giving directions for the
transmission of the address, which is now ready, to the United
States.

"The number of signatures amounts to 562,848, and it
may safely be asserted that there is scarcely a single district
of Her Majesty's European dominions which is not
represented; great zeal and sympathy universally prevailed, and
nothing but the short space of time allowed to the work
prevented a very large multiplication of the numbers.

"It is proposed to send the address to the care of Mrs.
Beecher Stowe, who has undertaken to make such
arrangements as shall give it the greatest publicity. Every one will
feel that this lady's co-operation is of real value.

"The General Committee are desirous to acknowledge the
efficient services of the Sub-Committee, and especially to
express their thanks to the Duchess of Sutherland, who has
acted throughout as honorary secretary, and has devoted much
time and attention to the work.

"The General Committee are also desirous to express their
thanks to the ladies, and others named in the list sub-
joined, for the large numbers collected by their individual
efforts."

A list of about sixty names was then read, including
some from Paris, Jerusalem, Guernsey, &c., and the
address, with twenty-six large folio volumes of signatures,
was brought forward for inspection. The Duchess
of Sutherland then read a letter received from Mrs.
Beecher Stowe, in which she expressed her readiness to
make arrangements for the reception of the address, and
for giving the utmost publicity to it in America,
mentioning at the same time that a new work from her pen
was about to be immediately published. Before the
meeting separated the first copy of the work referred to,
called A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin, having been
procured by a special effort from the London publisher only
an hour previously, was presented by the committee to
the Duchess of Sutherland.

Obituary of Notable Persons

MR. HENRY SOUTHERN, Her Majesty's Minister at the Court
of the Brazils, died at Rio on the 28th of January,

ADMIRAL OF THE RED THE HON. SIR THOMAS BLADEN
CAPEL, G.C.B., died on the 4th inst., in his 77th year,

LEOPOLD DE BUCH, the celebrated Prussian geologist, died
at Berlin on the 4th inst., in the 79th year of his age.

GENERAL SIR E, KERRISON, BART., G.C.H., Colonel of the
14th Light Dragoons, died on the 9th inst., in his 79th year.

M. ORFILA, the great French chemist, and former dean of
the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, died on the 12th inst., in his
70th year.

GENERAL HAYNAU died at Vienna on the 14th inst.

M. BRUNET, the great comic French actor of a former
generation, died at Fontainebleau, in the 88th year of his age.

COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES

The latest news from India is not of much importance.
It was reported at Calcutta that a revolution had
taken place in Ava, in favour of the heir-apparent, the
brother of the late King; who had ordered hostilities to
cease. The king of Ava had fled. There had been a
great deal of sickness at Pegu and Prome. Many
officers were absent on sick leave; the hospitals were
crowded; and the deaths were two or three daily. This
was in the early days of January, and it was expected
that the sickness would last till the end of the month.

The intelligence from the Cape of Good Hope comes
down to the end of January. General Cathcart had
entered the Orange Sovereignty and encamped on the
Caledon River. Thence, early in December, he issued
a summons to the chiefs of the Basutos to meet him at
Platberg on the 13th of the same month; and on the 8th,
the camp set out from Committee Drift, and reached
Platberg on the 13th. Here two young chiefs, sons of
Moshesh, came in; but General Cathcart refused to see
him. He, however, sent by them a letter to Moshesh,
reproaching him with not having paid the fine adjudged
by the commissioners; and finally threatening, that if,
within three days from that time, ten thousand cattle