ARRIVAL OF THE “STORM BIRD,” WITH ENGLISH NEWS TO THE 26TH JUNE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 9, 30 August 1861, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE “STORM BIRD,” WITH ENGLISH NEWS TO THE 26TH JUNE.

The s.s. Storm Bird, Capt. Malcolm, arrived this morning with the English Mail and stirring news from- the Otago Gold Fields. The I.G.R.M Go’s s.s. Lord Worslcy, Capt. Kennedy, from Sydney via Nelson, with the English June Mail on board, arrived at Wellington on Tuesday last. The principal items of English news will he found below. (From the Sydney Morning Herald, Adelaide Telegraphic Correspondent.) Friday, 4 p.m. The Balclutha, with the English mails to 27th June, arrived at Glenelg Tier, at 11 a.m. The Peninsular and Oriental Company’s steamer Sdlsette, arrived at King George’s Sound at 1 p.m. on the sth August, having left Galle at noon an the 20tfi July. The Australian April Mails were delivered in London, via Marseilles, on the 14th June, and via Southampton on the 20th June. Sir George Grey has been appointed Governor of New Zealand. The Church-rate Abolition was rejected by the Speaker’s easting vote —274 for and 274 against. Great excitement prevailed in and out of the House. The Budget Bill, including the Paper Duty Repeal Bill, passed the House of Lords, and has received the royal assent. A terrible conflagration occurred on the banks of the Thames at Southwark, and property to the extent of i- 2,500,000 value was destroyed. Mr. Braidwood, director of the tire Brigade, was killed by falling off a wall. The steamer Canadian struck against an iceberg in the Straits of Bellisle, and 40 lives were lost. Transportation to Western Australia is to be continued, but ceases to Malta and Gibrnltcr. A great cricket match, played between Eleven of A l ' England, and the United Eleven, lasted E. Eys and terminated in favour of All England by 5 runs only. The fight for the Championship of England was won by Mace, who indicted frightful punishment on his opponent. The agitation in the Building Trade still continues. The masons have struck. The masters have resolved to abide by their determination to pay only by the labour. A loan of four millions is to be raised for India. A new Indian Order of Knighthpod, to be called the ‘‘Star of India,” lias been instituted. Lord Chancellor Campbell died suddenly on the 23rd June. Sir Bichard Bethel succeeds him. The Great Eastern has returned from New York. She has been taken up hy the English Government to carry out troops to Quebec for the purpose of reinforcing the Garrison in British North America. An angry fooling towards England prevails in the Northern States of America. The census returns for England and Wales show an increase of 2,134,1 id souls. The Times of Juno 25th published the following extract from the minutes of a meeting of New Zealand colonists ;—That this meeting having learnt that Colonel Gore Browne, C.E., has ceased to be governor of the colony of New Zealand, desires to record its cordial approbation of the manner in which his excellency has dealt with the resistance olfered hy certain’aboriginal natives to the authority of the Crown in New Zealand, and its regret that lie should not remain in the colony to carry to its conclusion the policy which he has adopted.” OBITUARY. Lord Abiugor, Admirals Duudas, Pelham, Morrison, ami Stewart, and Sir George M‘Lean, Lord Campbell, and Prince Gortebakoff. THE CIVIL AVAR IN AMERICA. American news to the 15th June has been received. The latest intelligence is of a more important character than any that has yet been received since the commencement of the war. The Southern forces have, it appears, evacuated Harpers i* erry in great haste, after destoying all the Government Property they could, and carrying away with them what was portable. They attempted, it is said, to break down the railway bridge, but failed, whether from the want of proper material, or because the Northern forces were following closely iu the retreat, is not reported. Tliis retreat relievesthe City of Washington

from the danger of attack on that side. The Southern troops are only now in force directly south of the capital, and the last news is that the Confederates were determined to concentrate their forces at Manassus Gap Junction. They have abandoned the line of the Potomac, and have gone a little to the S.AV. of Alexandria, from whence the road is open to Richmond at another point. The Federal troops have received their first serious check. General Butler having learnt that the Secessionists were forming an intrenchraent, with strong batteries, at Great Bethel, a country village on the road, leading from Hampton to York-town, about midway between the James and York rivers, dispatched, on the 9th instant, 3,000 Federal troops from Fort Manro, to attack the position, nine miles distant, in the dark. Owing to some mistake about signals, two Federal regiments fired on each other with fatal effect, and at daybreak the Fcderals Fedorals advanced, hut were received by masked batteries of heavy rifled cannon ; these the Federal troops attempted to take, but the effort was futile.

The Southern ports are absolutely blockaded, and the Southern confederacy has prohibited exportation of cotton to the North under extreme penalties. A general rising of the slaves is expected. Senator Douglas is dead.

Hundreds of negro fugitives have escaped, and taken refuge under the Federal banner. All slaves thus coming to the Federal camp are declared contraband of war, and retained for service during the campaign. They are to receive pay at the end of the struggle, when their filial destination will he determined —the Government sagaciously keeping open the question until they sec how the conflict will terminate.

The tone taken hy America with respect to England betrays a had temper and a narrow policy. Because wc do not recognise the secessionists as pirates, confining our opinion and our action to a strict neutrality, as becomes a free country guided hy the doctrine of non-interference, the Federal Government and the bulk of the newspapers Jibe North have denounced us in terms of undisguised hostility. Amongst. the most noteworthy points in the American intelligence is the gradual revelation of the embarrassments wbicb arc concealed by enthusiasm, and which hamper both adversaries alike. The first of these is the absence of true military preparation. Mr. Bussells letters reveal the fact that a part at least ».f ilv Cunffderale army is reciluted in cmjeei'ipuwii, wiiicii exieaus even to British subjects, and is carried out hy a system of impressment as violent as that which in the Revolutionary war disgraced the seaports of our own country. The soldiers thus collected scorn fairly armed, but their is a great deficiency of material ; the shells, for example, collected to attack Fort Pickens being about sufficient for a day’s bombardment. On the other band, the number of effectives collected for action by tiie Nurili is stated at 90,000, of whom scarcely one-tenth only are under any effective discipline. They Lunge about at their own will, drink bal’d, search houses on pretence of hunting secessionists, and generally disphpy their indisposition to respect officers except in tiie field. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. Cl aids are gathering ; 'ver Austria. Discontent increases from hour to hour to hour in Hungary, and it is thought necessary to concentrate large masses of troops in Pesth. The state’of things in Poland is no better. Tiie new reforms about which there have been such brave nourishes in the journals turn out to be mere shams. Tiie exasperated people are more inliamed than over, : ml serious disturbances arc apprehended. Tiie recognition of the kingdom of Italy by France has been officially announced in the Italian Chambers of Deputies. France lias declined a proposal made by Spain and Austria, that tiie Catholic European powers should he come the joint protectors of the Pope’s temporal power. The Sultan of Turkey is dead, and has been succeeded by his brother. Count Cavoux died June (sth ; his death will he severely felt throughout Italy. A tribute of respect was paid to bis memory iu the British Parliament. Baron Ricasoli formed a new ministry. Cavour’s policy is to be continued. The Pone continues ill, not expected to recover. The Romans have petitioned the French to evacuate Rome, which he declines. French reinforcements are to be sent to the Cochin China expedition. The French evacuated Syria at the appointed time, and the future government of Syria is settled.

The Danish- question is likely to be settled amicably. The proposal of Sweden will probably be accepted. DEATH OF THE SULTAN. The death of the Sultan was announced by Lord John Russell in the House of Commons. His Majesty Abdul Mcdjid died yesterday morning, June 25th, in the 39th year of his age. His eldest son, Sultan Mourad, will be twenty-one years of age next September. DEATH OF LORD CAMPBELL. Prominent amongst the incidents of the week is the sudden death of Lord Chancellor Campbell. Ho presided in the House of Lords on Friday evening ; on Saturday he attended a Cabinet Council, and was at a dinner party, apparently in perfect health and spirits; on Sunday morning he was found sitting a coi’pse in his chair, having ruptured, it is believed, a blood vessel in the heart. DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION. Loudon has been alarmed and dispirited by a great fire —the greatest, it is said, that has occurred for a period of some years. It broke out on Saturday afternoon, on the Surrey side of the water, not far from London Bridge railway station. As night advanced, it lit up nearly the whole of London, and was seen far into the surrounding country. So great was the conflagration that it is alleged that if it had not providentially been a still evening, the whole of southern London would have been in flames. Some idea of the greatness of the conflagration may bo conveyed by the simple statement that the destruction of property is estimated at the stupendous sum of two and a-half or three millions sterling.