there out of work, and their presence keeps up the constant dread of a socialist outbreak. The subject of the greatest excitement has been the Report of the Committee on the previous insurrections; a vast mass of evidence taken by the committee has been published, which lays bare the proceedings from the first declaration of the Republic in February last. This is proved to have been the work of a few individuals, chiefly connected with the National and Reform newspapers, assisted by persons of the lowest orders of society. The revelations regarding the expenditures of moneys raised by the Provisional Government, by means of loans and taxes, exhibits the greatest corruption; and it is shown that the celebrated Commissioners sent by Ledru-Rollin into the provinces to spread the republican doctrines he was desirous of disseminating, included tailors, shoemakers, liberated convicts, and persons of the worst character. Madame George Sand, celebrated for the immorality of her life and writings, appears to have been regularly engaged by the Provisional Government to enlighten the nation, and her addresses sent out under their sanction were submitted for revisal and approbation to each member in rotation. Ledru-Rollin, Louis Blanc, and Caussidière, are all seriously implicated by the report of the Committee, in the late outbreaks. On the presentation of this report, a debate arose which was characterized by considerable tumult. The three persons above mentioned made long addresses in exculpation of themselves, and highly recriminatory on their opponents, after which the President read a requisition of the Procureur General of the Court of Appeals, demanding authority to prosecute Louis Blanc and Caussidière, for the affair of the 15th May, which was granted by the Assembly. Application was also made for leave to prosecute Caussidière for the insurrec tion of June, which would have had the effect of delivering him over to the council of war, but this was refused. Both of these persons immediately fled from Paris. Louis Blanc is in England.

In Lombardy, the Austrians, under Marshal Radetzky, followed up their previous successes, and the army of Charles Albert retreated from place to place, until they concentrated in the neighborhood of Milan, the infantry greatly disorganized, but the cavalry and artillery in good order. The English and French ministers at Turin endeavored to prevail on the Austrian general to grant an armistice for a few days, but he peremptorily refused, and stated his determination to enter Milan at all hazards. On the 5th of August a sanguinary battle was fought, in which the Piedmontese were defeated, and Charles Albert retired to the city of Milan, where he determined to capitulate. On this becoming known the populace were furious, and, headed by the Committee of Public Safety, attacked

the palace where the king was. lodged, and seized his person, and he was with difficulty extricated by his guards. An armistice of forty-five days was afterwards established, according to the terms of which the territorial divisions were settled as they were before the war, the former frontiers established, and the fortress of Peschiera and the city of Venice were to be given up to the Austrians. The Austrians entered Milan on the 6th, and the Piedmontese retired to their own country in a complete state of disorganization. Peschiera has been delivered up to the Austrians, but the inhabitants of Venice refuse to fulfil the stipulation for the cession of that city. Charles Albert has again made a formal application to the French government for assistance, and the French army of the Alps is being increased, but Gen. Cavaignac has declared his intention not to embark in war until the result of a mediation undertaken by the French and English governments shall be known. The basis on which it is proposed to reconcile the belligerent parties has not transpired.

In Rome the ministerial crisis ended in Mamiani re-entering the cabinet, having compelled the Pope to consent to the closest alliance with the princes of Italy, and to authorize reinforcements being dispatched to Charles Albert without delay. The populace were greatly excited against the Pope, through the representations of designing men, who made them believe that his Holiness was supine in his opposition to the Austrians; and the people went in procession to the French ambassador to claim the intervention of France.

The central administration of Germany under the Archduke John is busily engaged in organizing the new federal administration, and various propositions relative to the interior arrangements, as also the Italian and Schleswig-Holstein wars, and the difficulties between the Hungarians and Croatians, are under consideration; but up to the present time little if anything has been effected. The Emperor of Austria has returned to Vienna, where matters appear to be in a very unsettled state, and the same is the case in Berlin, where a slight outbreak occurred, but which was promptly put down. The federal system of united Germany seems likely to meet with considerable opposition in both of these kingdoms, and at Frankfort the difficulties to be apprehended from the possessions of the Austrian and Prussian monarchs out of Germany are becoming subjects of serious discussion, several of the representatives expressing their fears that embarrassment must arise from this cause. The Schleswing and Holstein war is at a stand, and negotiations for a settlement, under mediation, are attempted.

Amongst the recent deaths we find the following:

Berzelius, the celebrated chemist, after fifty

years' application to science, died in the 69th year of his age. He was born at Vafversunda in Ostrogothland, 29th August, 1779, and in 1806 he succeeded Spaurnau as Lecturer on Natural Philosophy at Stockholm. His works were extensive in nearly every department of experimental science: he was connected by honorary election with eighty-eight of the scientific societies of Europe, and Charles John, King of Sweden, conferred on him the title of Baron, to mark his sense of the services he had rendered to his country. Captain Marryatt, the popular novelist, died on the 9th of August, in his 56th year; he was son of a London banker. George Stephenson, the civil engineer, died at his establishment in Derbyshire on the 12th of August, at the age of 67. He was born near Newcastle in April, 1781. His father was a workman in the Wylam colliery, and he commenced his career in the same humble employment at a very early age. He afterwards removed to Killingworth colliery, where he married his first wife, by whom he had one son, the celebrated engineer, Robert Stephenson, M. P. The first indication of his genius for mechanics was shown in repairing his own clock; soon after he was allowed to try his hand at repairing a condensing machine

which was out of order, and which he repaired; this was followed by his repairing and improving the engine at the colliery, and this so satisfied his employers that it was at once put under his entire charge. He was engaged in making experiments on the safety lamp at the same time as Sir Humphrey Davy, and, as a remuneration for his services, a subscription of £1000 was raised, which, together with a piece of plate, was presented to him at a public dinner at Newcastle in 1818. From that period his advancement was rapid, and if not the actual inventor of the railway system, his discoveries and ingenuity did more than that of any other man to its establishment and success. He was engaged in the Stockton and Darlington Railway (the first locomotive railway used for travelling) in 1825, and in 1829 gained the premium of £500 for the best locomotive engine for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. He was subsequently employed in the construction of most of the principal railways in England, and also in constructing lines in Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. His attention to the mental and temporal improvement of his workmen, who numbered more than a thousand, could not be surpassed.

England; Anecdotes of the Early Painters:" an attractive variety for old readers as well as young. We are glad to see among the heaps of trash circulated by the cheap literature system, some books which tend to spread intelligence and promote the love of knowledge.

Works of Washington Irving. New Edition Revised. Vol. 1. Knickerbocker's NewYork. New York: George P. Putnam, 1848.

Every one of the least pretension to literary taste or knowledge, has read Knickerbocker; but every one does not know how much new matter is contained in his new edition, for Diedrich, with his usual modesty, has said nothing about it in his "apology," nor permitted his publisher to say anything in his advertisement. But not content with "revising," the worthy historian has made very considerable additions to his labors. There are some entire chapters, treating chiefly of Kilian Van Rensselaer and his settlement; and many rich morceaux introduced here and there of which we lay one before our readers as a specimen. A blundering dominie has recorded that the Dutch discoverers of our city bargained for so much ground as a bullock's hide would cover, and then cut the hide into small thongs, so as to take in a considerable quantity of land and the Indians into the bargain." Diedrich now gives the true version of the story, viz. that "Oloffe Van Kortlandt bargained for just so much land as a man could cover with his nether garments. The terms being concluded, he produced his friend Mynheer Tenbroeck as the man whose breeches were to be used in measurement. The simple savages, whose ideas of a man's nether garments had never expanded beyond the dimensions of a clout, stared with astonishment and dismay as they beheld the bulbous-bottomed burgher peeled like an onion, and breeches after breeches spread forth over the land, until they covered the actual site of this venerable city." Excellent!

If all Washington Irving's are to be revised after this way, his readers and admirers (under which term we believe is included all the white population in the United States except Mr. P. Benjamin,) will have a rich treat.

Physical Geography. By MARY SOMERVILLE, author of The Connection of the Physical Sciences," "Mechanism of the Heavens." Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard. 1848.

This, the last of those admirable scientific works of Mrs. Somerville, is deserving of a much more extended notice than we can at prese nt make. She gives in it as far as applicable

to her subject, the last results of those vast and generally accurate investigations into physical nature which so distinguish modern times. Commencing of course with geology as the foundation, she traces the proximate causes of those external features which characterize our globe, and then proceeds in a most striking and masterly manner to depict those features as they present themselves to the eye of the scientific traveller.

The Great Continent is first described, with its magnificent mountain chains and sable clouds, its low lands and deserts; and then the corresponding features of the American Continent, beginning with South America and so through Central to North America. Greenland, and the regions of the Antarctic Circle, including the new "Victoria Continent," follow, and the continent of Australia with the surrounding islands. The ocean is next treated of, and the various river systems and lakes. A chapter follows on the atmosphere.

The vegetation of our planet forms the next branch of the subject. Taking up in order the great geographical limits, she gives a condensed account of the flora of each region. Ascending from the lower form of vegetable organization to that of animal, she describes the distribution of insects, fishes, reptiles, birds, and so up to the mammalia, concluding the whole with" the distribution, condition, purpose, and prospects of the "Human Race." This simple synopsis of the contents of this work will be sufficient to indicate its value and interest. It must command a wide circulation, from the known accuracy and great scientific attainments of the celebrated authoress.

Euton Hastings, the hero, or one of the heroes of this tale, is a sad dog, and we caution all young ladies who may read it against falling in love with him; first, because no such man could possibly exist in the actual world, and, second, because if there did, he would be the very last man worth loving. He has "dark

and deep set eyes,' ""firmly compressed lips, which tell of an indomitable will," "a broad and high forehead," and "a noble position of the head, and consummate ease and grace in every movement." He had spent fifteen years abroad in consequence of some early love disappointment, and returned at the opening of the tale in company with Mrs. Mabury, who was a fashionable woman. They were constantly together, and extremely intimate; yet it was only a contention which would be proud