* The Priuce of Wales is convalescent. His recovery was retarded by a pain ful affection of the hip. The Archbishop of Canterbury or dered the discontinuance of special prayers for the recovery of the Prince on Dec. 28. The papers publish a letter from Her Mnjestv Queen Victoria, in which she says she desires to express her deep seuse of the touchiu^ sym pathy exhibited to her family by the nation, and. for her dear son. The feeliug, says the Queen, shown by the people during the painful and terrible days of the Prince's illness, their sym pathy with herself and beloved daugh ter the Princess of Wales, and the joy manifested at the improved health of the Prince, have made a deep and ineffaceable impression upon her heart. The manifestations of the people were nothing new to her. She met with the same sympathy ten years ago, when similar illness from that under which her son was suffering removed from life the best, wisest, and kindest husband that ever lived. A letter has beeu published in which the writer says that he was informed, on the authority of one well posted regarding the secret societies of Europe, that the Prince was not suffering from typhoid fever, but from an at tempt at poisoning by a secret agent of the International Society ; that the organisation were said to have re solved upon the death of the Prince, and the public assertions of some of the members were urged in corrobo ration. The Herald editorially declines to endorse the story. The mail steamer from the Cape brings intelligence that a treaty of annexation of the African diamond country to the British had been finally concluded, and had produced much excitement in the territory. Brand, the President of the Free State, issued a formal protest against the transfer to Great Britain. The discovery of gold in considerable quantities in the Transvaal republic is reported. The reports have attracted many adventurous diamond seekers, who are abandoning the diamond dis tricts for the newly discovered gold country. Alarmed at Mr Gladstone's Repub lican tendencies, the Conservatives, led by the Duke of Somerset and Viscount Halifax, are seeking to form a coalition with the Eadicals for the purpose of electing the Eight Hon. 13. P. Bouverie Speaker of the House of Commons instead of the Eight Hod.
