ENGLISH NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 23, 14 June 1851, Page 2

ENGLISH NEWS.

By the " Duke of Bvonte" and the " Steadfast "we have received English news to the 27th of February last. The Session of the Imperial Parliament was opened by Her Majesty on Feb. 4, with the usual ceremonies. No mention of the Colonies was made in the Queen's speech, a reprint of which we give below. My Lords and Gentlemen, It is with great satisfaction that I again meet my parliament, and resort to your advice and assistance in the consideration of measures which affect the ■welfare of our country. I continue to maintain the relations of peace and amity with foreign powers. It has been my endeavour to induce the States of Germany to carry into full effect the provisions of the treaty with Denmark which was concluded at Berlin in the month c£ '-July of last year. lam much gratified in beingable to inform you that the German confederation ■and the government of Denmark are now engaged in fulfilling the stipulations of that treaty, andtherebjr putting an end to hostilities which at one time appeared full of danger to the peace of Europe. I trust that the affairs of Germany may be arranged by mutual agreement, in such a manner as to preserve the strength of the confederation, and to maintain the freedom of its separate states. I have concluded with the King of Sardinia Articles Additional to the Treaty of September 1841, and I have directed that those Articles shall be laid before you. The government of Brazil has taken new, and I hope efficient measures for the suppression of the atrocious traffic in slaves. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I have directed the Estimates of the year to be prepared and laid before you without delay. They have been framed with a due regard to economy, and to the necessities of the public service. My Lords and Gentlemen, Notwithstanding the large reductions of taxation which have been effected in late years, the receipts of the revenue have been satisfactory. The state of the commerce and manufactures of the United Kingdom has been such as to afford general employment to the labouring classes. I have to lament, however, the difficulties which are still felt by that important body among my people who are owners and occupiers of land. But it is my confident hope that the prosperous condition of other classes of my subjects will have a favourable effect in diminishing those difficulties, and promoting the interests of agriculture. The recent assumption 'of certain ecclesiastical titles conferred by a foreign power has excited strong feelings in this country, and large bodies of my subjects have presented addresses to me, expressing their attachment to the throne, and praying that such assumptions should be resisted. I haye assured them of my resolution to maintain the rights of my crown and the independence of the nation against all encroachment, from whatever quarter it may proceed. I have, at the same time, expressed my earnest desire and firm determination, under God's blessing, to maintain unimpaired the religious liberty which is so justly prized by the people of this country.

It will be for you to consider the measure which will be laid before you on the subject. The administration of justice in the several departments of law and equity, will no doubt receive the serious attention of Parliament; and I feel confident that the measures which may be submitted, with_a view of improving that administration, will be discussed with that mature deliberation which important changes in the highest Courts of Judicature in the Kingdom imperatively demand. A measure will be laid before you, providing for the establishment of a system of Registration of Deeds and Instruments relating to the transfer of property. This measure is the result of inquiries which I have caused to be made into the practicability of adopting a system of registration calculated to give security to titles, and to diminish the causes of litigation to which they have hitherto been liable, and to reduce the cost of transfers.

To combine the progress of improvement with the stability of our institutions will, I am confident, be your constant care. We may esteem ourselves fortunate that we can pursue, without disturbance, the course of calm and peaceful amelioration ; and we have every cause to be thankful to Almighty God for the measure of tranquillity and happiness which lias been vouchsafed to us.

The address in rej>]y to the speech from the throne was-moved in the House of Lords by the Earl of Effinghain, and seconded by Lord Cremorne. Lord Carnoysyas an hereditary Catholic, distinguished in his remarks between authority temporal and spiritual, and protested against papal interference with the prerogative of the

queen. In the House of Commons, Lord John Russell expressed confidence in the enlightened state of the English public as the strongest bulwark against the aggressions of the Pope. He had, however, proposed as a defensive measure, a Bill to prevent the assumption of certain ecclesiastical titles in respect of places in the United Kingdom. The introduction of this bill was negatived by a large majority. At the introduction of the Bill for legalizing marriages with a deceased wife's sister, in the House of Lords, on 25 th February, the measure was supported by the Earl of St. German's and Viscount Gage, and opposed by the bench of Bishops and Lord Brougham. A majority Avas obtained against the second reading of 34.

At a division of the House of Commons on the question "That leave be given to bring in a bill to prevent unnecessary trading on Sunday within the Metropolitan police district, and the city of London and liberties thereof" the Ayes numbered 70, the Noes 19.

RESIGNATION OF THE RuSSELt, MINISTRY. On the 22nd February, Lord John Russell declared that his administration could not go on, and tendered his resignation to her Majesty. The causes that brought about this ministerial crisis were the following. In the Financial Statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was proposed to renew the Income Tax for three years longer. It was also proposed to repeal the Window Tax, in accordance with the petitions of the country, as far as related to new houses, which were, however, to be subject to'"a new house tax of Is. in the pound upon private houses assessed above £20 per annum, and 9d. in the pound upon shops. Old houses were to pay two-thirds of the present window tax. Much dissatisfaction was excited in the country, and especially in the metropolis, by these measures, which, it was considered, merely shifted, without removing the burden. The correspondent opposition in the Commons to thepassing of the Budget, combined with the ill-success of Lord John's Anti-Papal Aggression bill, brought the ministry into serious difficulty, and their resignation was the result. After ineffectual attempts at a coalition, Lord Stanley was commanded by the Queen to form a new Administration, which however, it was rumoured, he" found great difficulty in doing. . Nothing- decisive, had been announced when the " Steadfast" left. Mr. Gladstone had arrived in London from the Continent, but after an interview with Lord Stanley, declined to join the proposed administration. Lord Stanley had, it was said, sunk the cause of protection, to which he is attached, as the only terms on which he could hope to obtain a creditable list of names. The Times, while expressing dissatisfaction with Sir Charles Wood's budget generally, yet advocates the proposed tax on houses as far more equitable than anything else that could have been suggested to meet the emergency.

The preparations for the Exhibition are beginning to assume a more definite form. A code of rules relating; to the reception of goods for exhibition has been issued, and the arrangements for the admission of visitors have been specified. In looking over these, we observe that there will be four principal entrances to the building, one at the east end for foreign exhibitors, &c.; another at the west, connected with the department for the exhibition of British goods ; those on the north and south sides being respectively for carts, carmen, &c, and for the officers of the building. A system of passes and checks is to be brought into operation, and a body of police connected with the exhibition, while a police court will be temporarily established near the building. The restrictive regulations appear to have been framed with a due regard to the safety* and at the same time, the convenience of the public. The exhibitors are necessarily required to unpack and arrange their own goods. On the first day of exhibition, season tickets only will be available, which are to be issued to gentlemen at three, and to ladies at two guineas. The price of admission on the second and third days respectively, was fixed at 1/,, on the fourth clay 55., and to be reduced on the twenty-second day to Is., with the exception of Friday and Saturday in each week, on the former of which days it is to be raised to 2s. 6d. and on the latter to ss. No change would be given at the doors, and the Commissioners reserved to themselves the power of at any time rescinding or altering these regulations, should it be found requisite.

The French are making extensive and systematic arrangements for competing >in the great show. • They have obtained an extension of time for the entry of goods to April 15: A Commissioner-General has already arrived'in England. Specimens of the woods of Trinidad are to be exhibited, including the bois d'orange or fustic, the sapadilla, the green poui, and the'capai..' ' The Sultan of Turkey has decided that i products to be exhibited as specimens from that country shall be bought and paid for on nis | own private account. The following objects are * set down for collection:—one or two specimens of ore from each of the mines known as Yeny-^,. Toprag, manufactured metal in every stage of" completeness, various earths used in the plastic arts, essential oils, Morocco leather of all colours, Russian leather and parchments, skins of the panther and other wild animals, furs of. the fox, wolf, marten, &c., shawls, stuffs, carpets, velvets, taffeta§,;embroidered work, linens peculiar to the service of the Turkish bath, works in palm leaf and reed, and in straw, odorous woods, valuable stones, marble, alabaster and limestone, gold and silver ornaments, tobacco, snuff, opium, &c.

A report (ably discussed and translated by the Morning Chronicle) on the contributions from the several States of the Zolverein, has been published by the Royal Prussian Commission, respecting the first great division of their contributions, namely raw products. In the mineral kingdom, wrought and unwrought zinc, which is largely exported from Upper Silesia, will be sampled in considerable variety, pig-iron, bar, and rolled iron, rough steel-iron, and iron-ores, from the Rhine, Bonne, Westphalia. Silesia, and Nassau are set down : lead and antimonial ores from Aubault, Westphalia, Cologne, and Coblentz : copper from Saxony: cobalt, gold, and silver wire from Munich: coal, anthracite, salt from Westphalia, Hessen, and the Rliine: together with local clays, chemicals, and dye-stuffs from Prussia and Saxony, appeal- in the list. Clays, bricks, pottery of Northern Germany: earthenware from Bunzlav; with the crucibles and fire-bricks of Cologne ; glass and porcelain from Saxony, Berlin, and ot^er places, will be added; together with all kinds of stones, marbles, granites, precious stones, agates, meerschaum, and amber.

In the vegetable kingdom, flour, groats, barley, vermicelli from Munich, Berlin, Stralsund; chicory, coffee, cocoa, and chocolate from Brunswick, Saxony, and Berlin ; mustards, oil-cakes^ dried and preserved fruits, vegetables and preserves from Erfurt, Tilsit, Berlin ; with wines from Wurzberg, &c.; balsams, perfumes, specimens of woad, madder, indigoes, &c, ; and dyes from Cologne, Erfurt, Dusseldorf, and Mulhausen; and, indeed, most materials used in dyeing, tanning, and printing-. Flax and hemp from Silesia, sponges from Berlin, tinder from Friedeberg, and sounding-boards or pianofortes from Bavaria; various descriptions of products employed in clothing and building are also mentioned. Westphalian hams, Saxony and Silesian wools and fleeces, together with raw silk and substances employed in spinning and weaving; leathers, skins from Baden and Bavaria, Frankfort, &c, and tlie eastern provinces ; with parchment, sadlery, harness, with processes and ingredients in tanning, will be forwarded. Glues, charcoal, dye-stuffs, and substances used for domestic purposes in the manufacturing of tools and colours, close the list of contributions in the first department. Throughout Germany, the officers of state, the art and trades unions, and the special commissions in Berlin, Munich, Stutgardt, Dresden, Brunswick, Wiesbaden, and Frankfort have zealously promoted the interests of the Great Exhibition; and it appears that there are 157-^ applications from the artistic and industrial producers within the Zollverein. r Holland will contribute naval models from Eotterdam ; Delft will send its well-known earthenware and carpeting, the Hague promises carved wooden furniture, silver embroidery, &c.; and Ley den, says the Art-Union, forwards blankets, and woollen manufactures; velvets, wax candles, painted glass, railway improvements and machinery, &c, are to coi^S from Amsterdam ; pipes, terra cotta articl<__>f tables, chairs, cast-iron and zinc productions, woollen baizes, linen, calicoes, and glass are named from other districts.

Space has been granted to the Bible Society to exhibit specimens of their Bibles in no less than one hundred and fifty languages. Messrs. Schweppe and Co., of Berneis Street,

the Soda Water makers, are the successful competitors for the contract to supply the refreshments at the Crystal palace. The Commissioners have restricted the charges for these to the usual rates at any respectable London establishment. By the terms of the contract, glasses of filtered water are to be supplied gratis within the precincts of the building. Ringham, of Ipswich, has executed a ?J2|i-ce of carving for the Exhibition, represent- ■■&»**& a natural group, consisting of a poppy-root, leaves, arid heads, out of which spring three ears of ripe wheat, with several blades. The

group is so delicately carved out of a piece of limewood, that on the slightest motion the ears -> and blades of corn and the flower-heads shake as if they were as fragile as vegetable life. - Mr. Paxton's sweeping machine is to be brought.into operation within the building. The " Ladies' Carpet" is one of the curiosities to be exhibited. It contains 600 feet superficial, divided into 150 squares, worked in Berlin wool by 150 ladies. This carpet was on view at the Society of Arts in February last. A " Shoe-black Brigade" was in course of formation from the Ragged Schools of the me-

tropolis, to supply the visitors with bright shoes during the Exhibition. The uniform is to be,

scarlet woollen jackets and black aprons. Each lad is to be supplied with a set of brushes, foot-stand, and blacking-box by subscription. The Koyal Agricultural Society have determined to choose a separate location for the exhibition of cattle, &c. It is reported that Bushey Park has been offered to them for the purpose by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. Agricultural implements will be included in the Hyde Park Exhibition.

The Rev. R. Michell, 8.D., Public Orator of the University of Oxford, and the Rev. R. Walker, M.A., F.R.S., Reader in Experimental Philosophy, Oxford, have been appointed adjudicators for the Exhibition Prize Essay (100 guineas); subject, "In what respect is the union of all nations at the Exhibition calculated to further the moral and religious welfare of mankind, and thus conduce to the glory of God; and in what respect may we, as a nation and as individuals, most effectually promote this object?" The Rev. Dr. Emerton, Han well College, is named umpire.

No final arrangement of the goods bad been attempted when the latest arrivals left England. As each van load of cases arrived it was placed under the surveillance of the Custom-House authorities on the spot. They were roughly examined, numbered, and registered by the officers, and transferred to their appropriate hoardings. The marking out of the spaces for the various classes of British and Colonial produce was proceeding. The particular spots to be occupied by cotton machinery, in motion, were all indicated, and included stations for every kind of machine used in the manufacture of cottons. The spaces for flax, linen, and. woollen manufactures had also been denned ; house furniture, contributed by the provincial towns, will also find, a place in this immense show.

The number of packages of Colonial articles received up to February 24 was 352. Of the British dependencies, the East Indies claim the lion's share of room. The safety of the galleries in the monster building is to be tested by the weight of a large quantity of shot. Fourteen waggons, each containing one ton of shot, left the Woolwich Arsenal on the 23rd of February.

.The building, which is, so far as relates to the external work and decorations, almost complete, is to be enclosed by a handsome iron railing, Q>% ft. high. The ravages of fire are to be care-

fully guarded against,

A six inch pipe will run

round the outside of the building, with sixteen 1 branches into the interior, by which, with one • length of hose, and without a fire-engine, the whole area will fbe under control. And yet, under such precautions as these, the various insurance companies have fixed extraordinarily high rates of premium for the insurance of articles in the Crystal palace. The Mechanical Gazette suggests that the Exhibitors should form a Mutual Insurance Fund.

Sailors' Strike.—The Mercantile Marine Act of last Session does not turn out a very successful piece of legislation. Its first-fruit was a. general strike among the seamen of the northern ports. The movement began on the Tyne, with a dispute between masters and men about wages. The fineness of the winter had

depressed the demand for coal, and consequently the carrying trade. The employed resisted, of course ineffectually, the working of the law of supply and demand. Discovering the foolishnessjof such complaints, they changed their course, and took to expressing dislike against the new legislation of the Board of Trade.

The Wear soon sympathized with the Tyne ; the sailors of Sunderland and its adjacent ports responded to the call of their class further north. The Humber became nneasy, and Hull joined the movement. The Board* of Trade then began to be seriously alarmed, and sent Captain Beechey down to North Shields. But Liverpool had caught the infection, and from distant Peterhead, in the north of Aberdeenshire, the whalers began to clamour against the Statute.

The stringent regulations for enforcing discipline, and heavy penalties for its breach, laid down by the new act, are the chief points at which Jack was "taken aback." The act also provided for a system of registration, which would shew to shipmasters who were good, and who bad sailors. Of course this was objected to by the latter. But the generality of the strike may be referred to that part of the act which subjected the coasting trade to the payment of shipping office fees, while exempting, its agreements from the jurisdiction of the shipping offices, in consequence of which the sailors would have to pay in the course of the year, a much higher amount of fees to these offices, which were of no use to them, than the seamen engaged in long voyages. Thus they had some reason for their proceedings, which were, however, carried on with much absurd exaggeration, for instance, the issue of tickets, which will prove of great use to them, led them to describe themselves at their numerous meetings, as " ticketed negro-slaves."

But the affair was likely to prove serious. Two war steamers had been sent to the north with detachments of marines, in order to act in case of emergency. Several shipowners had laid up their vessels on account of the difficulty of obtaining hands. The pitmen were thrown out of wort. Under these circumstances, the Board of Trade interfered, and Mr. Labouchere promised redress to a deputation that waited upon him on the 20th of February. Some of the seamen then went to work under protest-

A serious accident happened on board the " Calliope," 28 guns, fitting at Devonport for the New Zealand station, on the 3rd February. The vessel was being taken out of harbour into the Sound, in tow, by the "Avon" steamer. She was starting all well, when it appears the ship gained way on the men working at the capstan, and on their walking back to give each hawser an equal strain, the capstan " ran away," carrying every one before it. The commander, Sir Everard Home, Bart., was most seriously hurt in the head and also in one of his legs, and several of the petty officers and men were also injured. The ship was again placed at her moorings and would not leave them until further orders. It is said that five deer (two bucks and three does) had been captured on Mount Edgecumbe, and shipped on board the " Calliope " for breeding in New Zealand.

The two Houses of Convocation met on the sth of February in the Jerusalem chamber, Westminster Abbey. The members of the Upper House present, were the Bishops of Exeter, Oxford, Salisbury, and Chichester, and the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury presided. The Bishop of Chichester presented a petition from the clergy and laity of the province of Canterbury, settingforth the injuries experienced by the Church "through the suspension of her synodal functions, whereby she was prevented from maintaining sound discipline and authority, and praying the bishops to ixle their influence in obtaining for the two houses of Convocation license to take such measures as might seem for the good of the Church. A similar petition was presented in the Lower House by Archdeacon Thorpe. The Convocation was prorogued to the 28th of August.

Great excitement had been occasioned by the exposure of an almost unparalleled system of cruelty practised upon Jane Wilbved, a servant girl, not 17 years old, by Mr. Sloane, au eminent barrister, and his wife. Their trial took place at the Central Criminal Court on the oth February. It appeared that for some time after the prosecutvix went into their service she was treated kindly. This continued until the occa-

sion of the death of a bird, after which the conduct of the defendants towards her was entirely changed. The evidence of the girl shewed a course of ill-treatment, continued beatings, and a variety of indelicate and inhuman acts, committed by one or both of the defendants. She had been fed, or rather starved, upon bread and water, while work beyond her strength was exacted from her—improper food had been forced upon her—and even the natural term of rest broken, or denied her altogether, for the most trivial causes. At the first examination, the girl was so weak and emaciated that she could scarcely stand. The defendants, who pleaded guilty to several counts of the indictment, were sentenced to imprisonment for two years. The extent of public feeling may be gathered from the fact, that after the examination before the magistrate, Mr. Sloane's life was in danger from an infuriated mob, who threatened to tear him in pieces, as he was being conveyed from the court to the Compter prison.

The first series of sales of Colonial Wool for the present year, consisting of the remainder of last season's clip (and a considerable proportion in second hands,) commenced on the 13th and closed on the 25th Feb. The quantity (17,650 bales), although small, brought together a fair attendance of home dealers and manufacturers, and a sprinkling of foreign purchasers ; the tone of biddings was less spirited than at the late sales in December, partly arising from the miscellaneous descriptions offered ; nevertheless, parcels of fair quality known to be in first hands fairly maintained in average the rates previously obtained. Sydney wool was considered easier in price, the finer qualities having been interfered with by the anxiety evinced to make sales of German wool during the last few weeks. For Port Philip, Van Diemen's Land, and Adelaide wool, former prices were very fairly supported ; scoured, of which the proportion was large, obtained very satisfactory rates. Cape wool was in good demand at slightly advanced prices. East India wool was in request, especially the middling and lower qualities. Of colonial wool in this market little now remains, and stocks in the hands of dealers and manufacturers are light; to this cause we attribute the comparatively satisfactory result of the present series of sales; nevertheless, the political changes taking place at home and abroad have interfered with the buoyant state of the market previously existing, and we cannot quote a rise, as was anticipated at the close of the late sales. Times, Feb. 27.

The " Stately," which sailed from Gravesend for New Zealand, on Feb. 2., had on board 32 young females, sent out by means of the Female Emigration Fund. This makes a total of 520 to whom the means of emigration have thus been supplied, but is the first instance of New Zealand having been selected as the destination.

The Anti-Popery Movement.—The excitement that prevailed in England when the " Travancore " left its shores, on the subject of the pope's recent Bull, had by no means subsided. Meetings were being held, and petitions signed, with even greater vigour. The resignation of Mr. Bennett, of St. Barnabas, was in abeyance. The Bishop of London still continued to require it, and in reply to letters from Sir J. Harington and the parishioners of Knightsbrklge, praying for the reversal of His Lordship's opinion, and calling attention to Mr. Bennett's letter of Nov. 23, in which he stated that he was prepared to discontinue the practices complained of, the bishop declined to enter into any discussion on the subject. It is said that the affair will have to be carried into the Arches Court. The Daily News states that Sir John Havington, and Sir Frederick Ouseley, of Oxford, have seceded from the Established Church. Father Gavazzi, an Italian friar and protestant refugee, was delivering a series of. AntiPapal orations, at the Princess's Concert Rooms. A late Indian mail brought an address to the Archbishop of Canterbury from the Bishop and clergy of Madras, thanking his <irace for his resistance to the attempts to render exclusive the Church of England, and specially referring to the case of Mr. G orham. Several. interesting paragraphs appearing in the Record and other English papers, on this, and other absorbing topics of society at home, are necessarily deferred until next week.