LATEST AMERICAN & EUROPEAN NEWS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 271, 29 May 1865, Page 2

LATEST AMERICAN & EUROPEAN NEWS.

(From Correspondent of <S. M. Herald.) REUTERS EXPRESS. London, March 27. The Australian and January mails were delivered on the 15th and 22nd. The Queen was still at Windsor, and'An good health. It was understood that her Majesty ■would go to Germany in August, for the purpose of witnessing the uncovering of the statue of the late Prince Consort, at Coburg. His Royal Highness Prince Arthur left England on the 2nd of March for a three months’ tour hi the Holy Land. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. The Government intend to recommend to Parliament the aUowance of a considerable increase to the income of the Prince of Wales. The two vacancies in the Order ,of Knights of the Garter have been fiUed by appointment of Earl Cowley and the Duke of Cleveland. Chief Justice Cock burn has been elevated to the peerage. Lord Lyons lias resigned his office as Ambassador at Washington, on account of ill health. Mr. Bruce, who was British Minister in China at the time of the late war between England and that country, and had remained in that capacity since, has been appointed to succeed Lord Lyons. Alcock succeeds Bruce at Pekin. Dr. Livingstone has been appointed British Consul at the Courts of aU the Kings and Chiefs in the interior of Africa. The Privy Council qf the House of Lords has delivered judgment in the appeal, in'the case Dr. Colenso. The judgment is against the Bishop of Cape Town, whose sentence of deprivation against Dr. Colenso is pronounced to be null and void. The Government has determined to arm the calvary with Westloy and Richards’ breech-load-ing carbines. . Two thousand- muskets on the same principle of.construction are in course of manufacture, and will be served out to the infantry this year, for trial. In the House of Peers, l?ord Taunton presented a petition from Melbourne and other places in the colony of Victoria, praying for the immediate abolition of transportation to Australia. Lord Granville said that, assuming that the necessary increase of prison space was provided in the United Kingdom, no more convicts would be sent to Australia. Lord Cranworth defended the recommendation of the Commissioners, that convicts should be sent to Western Australia. The Lord Chancellor called attention to the resignation of Leonard Edmunds, late Clerk of Patents and Reading Clerk to the House of Lords, who had been discovered as a defaulter to a large amount. He proposed-that a committee of investigation should be appointed. The Earl of Derby said that there would be three distinct cases to be inquired into— the case of Edmunds, the case of the committee who had recommended Mm for pension, and the case of the Lord Chancellor himself, whose son had been appointed to the prinaipal office, vacated by Edmunds.

After some discussion, the motion was agreed to. The committee has already held several sittings, at which, however, the public are not admitted. The inquiry excites general interest. In the House of Comons, Mr Cardwell has oh tained leave to bring in bill to enable the colonies to make better provision for maritime defence. He stated that the object of the measure was to extend the principle of naval reserve to all maritime colonies, thus enabling them to combine for self defence. The navy estimates propose the employment of 69,750 men, being a decrease of 2,200. The expenditure proposed for the navy is £1,392,224 being a decrease of £316,000 compared with last year. The army estimates for the year* propose £4,348,447, being a decrease of £695,614 upon the proceeding year. The total force to be voted is 142,518, being a reduction cf about four thousand men. On the 9th Mr Mills called attention to the affairs of New Zealand, and a long discussion ensued, Mr Cardwell said that the Government readily accepted the new policy which the Ministry of the New Zealand Colony had offered to ' adopt. On the 13th there was a debate on the question of the defence of the Canadian frontier. Mr Cardwell fully explained the course that the Government intended to adopt in the case, and assured the House that the relations between England the United States were perfectly friendly. Upon this question a long debate ensued, in .which Messrs Bright, Foster, Disraeli, and other members expressed their belief that the United States were' not likely to attack Canada or to go to war with England. Mr Lowe recommended that our troops should be withdrawn from Canada, and all idea of defending that colony be abandoned. V Lord Palmerston said that it was not the intention of the Government to follow this advice. Although the relations between the two Governments were perfectly friendly, and he believed that the great bulk of the people of the United States entertained good feeling towards England, there was no reason why we should neglect the defence of Canada^ A further debate on the same question took place on the 23rd, when Bentinck opposed the amon at present proposed to be set apart by Government fortification of Canada. On a division, the Ministry gained a victory by « majority of 235. Mr Gladstone, in the House of Common , announced his intention to make his financial statement on the? 27thiApril. - Obixuast. —The Due de Moray, half-brother of the Emperor of the ‘SSench; Sir Sobert Scornberg, Consul at Bankok-

AMERICA,

The news is to the 17th. The events of the month disclose an unbroken senes of Confederate disasters. Owing to General Sherman’s capture of Branohville, in Columbia, the city of Charleston was evacuated by the, Confederates, and is now in the possession of the Federal authorities. . The greater part of the city of Charleston with sue, thousand bales of cotton, were burnt- by the Confederates before they abandoned the place. General Shennam has since advanced northward, and now occupies Fayetteville, in North Carolina. The city of Wilmington was captured on the 22nd. The Confederates had previously evacuated the city, burning all the cotton with resin, and retreated northward, followed by the Federal troops under the command of General Terry. The Federal Gen. Sheridan has defeated Gen Early at CharlottsYille, capturing 87 officers, Gen. Early’s staff, 1100 men, 7 guns, and 100 waggon trains of military stores. General Sheridan has since effected, wide-spread destruction on the railroads to Lynchburg, and it* is reported, that he . has arrived within twenty miles of Richmond. Commodore Dahlgreh’s flagship has been sunk by the Confederates by means of torpedos. It is reported that General Grant, the Federal Commander-In-Chief, is preparing to make a move upon Richmond, but nothing definite is known. v . The Confederate Commander-in-Chief, General Lee, reports that the Federals advancing upon Kingston, ,in North Carolina, were attacked hy the Confederate General Bragg on the Bth, and driven back three miles, losing 1500 prisoners, 3 guas, and -many killed and wounded. The Federals were reinforced by Scholefield, and when Bragg renewed the attack nest .day he was repulsed with heavy loss.

An extraordinary session of Congress was summoned on the 4th March, when president Lincoln delivered his inaugural address on re-entering office. He said that neither party, four years before, had the slightest idea of the magnitude or duration which the war had already attained, or had anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease before the conflict itself. Mr Lincoln expressed his belief that the nation was being punished for the sin of slavery, and that the stain wonld not be obliterated until every drop of blood drawn by the lash, should be drawn by the sword. He announced his firm determination to continue the war against the South, but indicated no policy as to foreign relations. President Lincoln has issued a proclamation ordering the arrest and imprisonment, during the war, of all Federal citizens and domiciled aliens who hold intercourse with the Confedeates by sea. It is also ordered that all non-resident foreigners engaged in blockade running shall leave the country iu twelve days, if on the Atlantic side, or forty days if on the Pacific side of the Continent, and not return during the continuance of the war on pain of imprisonment. In consequence of the recent legislation of the Canadian Parliament with reference to Southern refugees having been approved by .England, the Government of the United States have determined not to increase their naval force upon the Lakes. Mr Seward has rescinded the order for establishing the passport system between.the United States and Canada.. •The Confederate House of .Representatives has held a secret session, and passed resolution authorising the arming of negroes when tendered by their owners. The Senate of Virginia authorise the Governor to call for volunteers amongst the slaves, and free negroes, for the defence of Richmond and other threatened points. The Confederate Senate, by a small majority passed the Bill for arming the slaves. President Davis postponed the adjournment of his Congress having important communications to make The Canadian Parliament adopted the scheme of federation bv a majority of fifty-eight. Gold, 165f.‘