During the past month have been celebrated the Annual Commencements of a number of the colleges of the country. Apart from the exercises of the candidates for collegiate honors, much of the best talent of the country is usually enlisted in the service of the literary societies connected with the institutions. First in order of time, this year, we believe, stands the one hundred and fourth anniversary of _Nassau Hall College_, in New Jersey. The address before the Literary Societies by Hon. A. W. VENABLE, of North Carolina, on "The claims of our common country on the citizen scholar," is characterized as an able and eloquent performance. The graduating class numbered fifty-four. _The University of New York_ held its commencement on Wednesday, July 2. On the Monday evening previous, a characteristically brilliant oration was delivered before the Literary Societies by Rev. Dr. BETHUNE, of Brooklyn. JOHN G. SAXE, Esq., of Vermont, pronounced a poem, which elicited great admiration. The annual oration before the Alumni was delivered by HOWARD CROSBY, Esq. The number of graduates was twenty-two. The commencement of _Dickinson College_, at Carlisle, Penn., was held June 25th. Rev. Dr. PECK, the President, tendered his resignation, to take effect at the close of the next academic year. Rev. O. H. TIFFANY, of Baltimore, was elected Professor of Mathematics. The graduates numbered sixteen. _Miami University_, at Oxford, Ohio, held its commencement June 28th, when eleven students graduated. The different Societies were addressed by Rev. W. B. SPENCE, of Sidney; Rev. Dr. RICE, of Cincinnati, on the topic of "Revelation the source of all true philosophy;" and by Rev. S. W. FISHER, of Cincinnati, in a very able manner. The oration before the Alumni was delivered by WM. DENNISON, Esq., of Columbus. The eighty-third annual commencement of _Brown University_, at Providence, R. I., took place on the 9th of July. The graduating class numbered thirty-two. N. W. GREENE, Esq., of Cincinnati, delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa Society an oration of great power and vigor, discussing in an earnest and vigorous manner some of the great social and political problems of the day. The address before the Literary Societies was by ABRAHAM PAYNE, Esq., of Providence. His subject was "Common Sense." A very interesting discourse was delivered before the Society for Missionary Inquiry, by Rev. R. TURNBULL, of Hartford, upon the subject of the "Unity of the human race." The unity advocated was not so much that arising from a common origin as the deeper unity of a common nature, capacities, requirements, and destiny. The newly-founded _University of Rochester_ held its first commencement exercises on the 9th of July. The graduating class numbered thirteen. Rev. HENRY WARD BEECHER, of Brooklyn, delivered before the Literary Societies his often-repeated and brilliant discourse on "Character." PARK BENJAMIN, Esq., recited a sparkling poem, keenly satirizing the all-prevailing