ADVICE TO READERS.

The Duke of Argyll, in a recent address to the members of the Glasgow Athenæum, said: "The first advice which I should give to the young men of Glasgow would be this, not to spend their time too much-I lay stress on the words too much-in mere newspaper reading. I do not wish to undervalue the high character and the very great ability of the better portion of the British press. I will not hesitate to say that there are articles continually appearing in the daily press, which for vigor of expression are equal to the best specimens of English literature. But the knowledge you acquire therefrom is necessarily more or less desultory and of a superficial character and I would say to the young men of Glasgow, if you wish to be living always in the present, if you wish to have the din of its contentions always in your ears, and the flush of its fleeting interests for ever on your brow; above all, if you wish to have your opinions ready made for you without the trouble of inquiry, without the discipline of thought, then come from your counting-houses, and spend a few spare hours in reading the exciting columns of the press. But if your ambition be nobler and your aim higher, you will find yourselves often passing from the door of the newsroom to the door of the library, from the present to the past, from the living to the dead, to commune with thoughts that have stood the test of time, and that have been raised to the shelf of that library by the consent of all men. These do not contain mere floating information, but contain instruction for all generations and for all times." The Times comments thus on this speech:-" The Duke of Argyll has truth on his side. The majority of mankind have but little time, or strength, or interest, for reading. For the half hour at the end of a fatiguing day they must have something that does not burden their attention, or keep it too long on one strain-something that they can change the moment they wish, something new or on matters of present interest. The newspaper is made for the purpose. A man who every day, or every other day, runs his eye over such a miscellany, will pick up a good many facts, and occasionally an important train of thought or a solemn impres

sion. That variety, however, which is best adapted to amuse and recreate the mind seldom passes below its surface. The duke points to a danger common to all classes, and to the readers of all journals. The past is apt to be a dead letter without a knowledge of the present; but the present is apt to be a very morbid and low sort of life without the knowledge of the past.-Literary World.

LOST FRIENDS.

My heart is in the past,

Where memory hovers o'er

The shades of forms too fair to last,

That were but are no more.

Yet think not they are lost,

The spirits that have fled;

When all the precious tears they cost
Embalm the sainted dead.

And still the hope, not vain,
Which nothing can destroy,
That I shall clasp them all again,
Turns grief itself to joy.

Oh! it is sweeter far

To think of those who were,

Than to live on with those who are,

And all their pleasures share.

Memor.

Various Intelligence.

From the Richmond Times, Jan. 27.

CENSUS OF VIRGINIA.

We have procured from the Printer to the State Convention a copy of the Tabular Statement prepared by the First Auditor of the Commonwealth, in compliance with a resolution adopted by the Convention on the 17th day of October, and showing the Free White, Free Coloured, Slave and Total Population of each county in the State, according to every Census from that of 1790 to that of 1850, with a Recapitulation of the aggregate population under the several heads in each of the four grand geographical divisions. We give at once the general results exhibited in the Recapitulation for 1830, 1840 and 1850.

The Auditor adds the following note at the foot of his tabular statements;

"The population of the two great districts west of the Blue Ridge, in 1850, has been generally ascertained from the sched

ules of the Assistant Marshals, as they were returned to the Marshal's office at Staunton. The most of the Assistants in the two great districts east of the Blue Ridge have reported to me the population of their counties or districts. I have used these reports, and resorted to the schedules as returned to the Marshal's office in Richmond, where direct reports were not received."

In order to exhibit more conspicuously the relative progress of Eastern and Western Virginia since 1840, we make up from the foregoing figures the following tabular comparison :

We add a tabular view of the progress of Richmond, Nor

folk and Petersburg:

The Second Annual Meeting of this benevolent and patriotic society was held in the Hall of the House of Delegates, on Thursday evening, the 13th February last, Governor Floyd presiding, when the Annual Report was read, and several interest

ing addresses were made by Messrs. Robert G. Scott, of Richmond, Tazewell Taylor, of Norfolk, Dorman, of Lexington, Janney of Loudon, and Moncure, of Stafford, which appeared to be well received by all present. The report, since published, shows that the Society has been making good progress during the past year. Thus we read, "the number that have actually migrated from Virginia, to Liberia, in 1850, is 107. Of these one went from Richmond, one from Petersburg, one from Portsmouth, twenty-four from Norfolk, thirty-six from Lexington, ten from Augusta, five from Jefferson, nine from Randolph, twelve from Fredericksburg four from Montgomery, and three from Harrisonburg; total 107.

"The money collected in the State during the same period, amounts to about $7,000, of which sum $4,681, have been appropriated to the removal of emigrants, and about $1,200 to agencies and incidental expenses. The agent is of opinion that any requisite amount of money would be subscribed, if the people could be induced to emigrate in corresponding numbers. From these facts, it results that the most important work which this society has to do, is to bring to bear additional and more persuasive agencies upon the free negroes themselves."

The report contains a brief but interesting history of the scheme of African Colonization, and a strong argument in favor of it, which we hope will be generally read, and duly weighed. We cordially commend the Society and its cause to the constant and generous support of all our citizens.

THE MEDICAL COLLEGE.

The Annual Commencement of this institution was held in the Hall of the College, on Friday, the 14th ult., with the usual ceremonies, and with pleasing effect. After the opening prayer by the Rev. Mr. Woodbridge, the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Maupin, announced the names of the candidates who had been examined and approved, and the Rev. Dr. Green, President of lampden Sidney College, proceeded accordingly to confer the degree of M. D. on the following gentlemen:

Homer L. Anthony, of Pittsylvania; George M. Bowen, of Culpeper: Wm. Burke, of Richmond; Patrick H. Cabell, of Richmond Daniel S. Evans, of Campbell; Samuel C. Gholson, of Richmond; Meriwether Lewis, of Essex; John G. Lumpkin, of Hanover; John R. Marable, of Halifax; Wm. McGwigan, of Isle of Wight; David McQueen, of Richmond; Thomas B. Miller, of Summerville, Tenn.; Samuel Nicholson, of Sussex; Robert F. Page, of King and Queen; Albert C.