ENGLISH NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 40, 11 October 1851, Page 2

ENGLISH NEWS.

The following are a few of the most interesting paragraphs "from the London Journals recently received.

The Exhibition. —Iv connexion with the Exhibition incidents, we have to notice the importation of four Monster Casks of remarkably fine Sherry, by Mr. John Fowler, wine-mer-chant, Wells-street, Oripplegate, by the ship i: Traveller," Captain A. 11. Henderson, from Cadiz. These Casks are larger than hitherto known to be imported from Spain, and their shipment caused some sensation in that country. The larger casks contain 2900 gallons, and the two smaller ones half that quantity. They have been branded, by the express command of the Queen of Spain, with the Royal arms. The casks are of English manufacture, and were shipped to Spain, where they have been for seasoning since the Great Exhibition of 1851 was first broached, in anticipation that they would have been admitted, and the wines sold for refreshment; but the object of the importer is more particularly, we understand, to shew the connoisseur and the trade, that wines of this high order, and purely free from brandy, cannot be shipped to this country in small quantities without great deterioration in quality.

The London Dock Company have had great difficulty in receiving these casks, and have been compelled to fix up shears for delivering them from the lighter; also some additional apparatus for raising the same. The dimensions of the larger casks are—round the bouge, 10± yards ; diameter of the head, 2s yards.—lllustrated News.

Messrs. Trueman, Hanbury, Buxton, and Co., have arranged for the whole of their workmen (about 300 in number) to visit the Exhibition twice, giving them two days' holiday for the purpose, and half-a-crown on each day towards their expenses. The Directors of the Iron and Citizen Steam-boat Companies, have also arranged to give their men (above 500 in number), a holiday, to visit the Great Exhibition, and have provided them with their expenses for the same. .

Her Majesty having graciously consented to be present at a grand entertainment to be-given at the Guildhall on Wednesday, July 2, in honour of the Great Exhibition, the Court of Common Council, on Wednesday last, agreed to expend 52501. in fitting up the Guildhall for the occasion, and in providing a suitable banquet.

The invitations are to include Her Majesty's suite, the foreign ambassadors and ministers, the great officers of state, official personages, members of the Houses of Lords and Commons, other distinguished personages specially invited, the royal and foreign commissioners, jurors, British and Foreign superintendents of classes, and successful exhibitors, heads of literary and scientific bodies, officers of the corporation, and other visitors, in all about 2100 personages, exclusive of the corporation and their ladies.

The gigantic globe of Mr. James Wyld, M.P., now opened in Leicester-square, is modelled on a scale of ten geographical miles to an inch horizontal, or six inches to a degree, and it is one mile to an inch vertical, the diameter being sixty feet. By means of a gradual ascent at different stages, this colossal figure of the earth, with its mountains and valleys, seas and rivers, maybe viewed from a moderate distance. The objects just mentioned are represented by numberless raised blocks, and castings in plaster, figured ou the interior concave of the sphere, the fittings up of which must have been both difficult ami expensive. The President of the Royal Geographical Society, in his late address, stated that Mr. Wyld was good enough to show and explain to him the whole of his undertaking, with which he was both surprised and pleased. " Piecollecting that only a limited part of a sphere can meet the eye at once, it occurred to Mr. Wyld, that, by figuring the earth's surface on the interior instead of the exterior ol his globe, the observer would be enabled to embrace the distribution of land and water, with the physical feature of the globe, at one view. And in this," added the president, <:he has succeeded ; from the great size, the examiner of details is hardly aware that he is gazing on a concavity. The attempt is well worthy of the projector and of the spirit of the age."

The following anecdote will serve to shew the vigilance exercised by the London police to prevent the plotting and mischief-making ap-

prehended as likely to result from the ingress of discontented foreigners. A gentleman had let for the season a handsomely-furnished house, not far from Knightsbridge. Heaving that his tenant had sub-let it to a whole horde of Frenchmen, who smelt rather of the Faubourg St. Marceau than the Faubourg St. Germain, he resolved to pay a passing visit, with the intention of looking after his furniture. The door was opened by a sort of an English servant, —a kind of dirty man-of-all-work. The landlord tried to learn something of his tenants from their attendant, but the fellow's stolid stupidity was hopeless, —" He didn't know nothin' about the gents, he didn't. They was furriners, they was ; and he didn't understand their lingo. They came in and out like other gents, they did. There was sometimes move in the house and sometimes less. He did not know when they came home at night, he didn't. He went to bed. He did his work, and didn't want to know no more about it." Insisting, however, upon seeing the condition of matters, the landlord made a flying tour round the house, and discovered, piled in a cupboard, a mass of little red flags and revolutionary emblems. The thing startled him. The blockhead of a servant could give no information or explanation, and down went the proprietor, in hot haste, to Scotland-yard. There he was courteously received, and at once bade to make his mind easy. They knew the house, had a strict eye on it, and on his furniture ; he need not be afraid. They knew all about the red flags and emblems ; no harm was likely to come out of them—the fellows were mere blustering humbugs. By the way, had he observed their English servant ? Yes. The stupidest dolt in London. A good actor, was he not ? That was one of the very ablest of the detectives, —spoke French, German, and Italian like a native; heard everything, said nothing, but quietly, at the end of each day's work, sent in his regular report and resume of the sayings and doings of his masters to the central office.

The port of Havre is -about to be visited by a flotilla of a novel kind. There has existed at St. Petersburg!]., for the last three years, a yacht club, organised on the model of that of London. The most eminent personages, and the richest young men. of Russia, form part of this club ; which include among its members the Grand Duke Constantine,. son of the Emperor, and High Admiral. In order to form part, of this club, it is necessary to possess at least one yacht or small vessel rigged as a brig, and capable of carrying a crew, of 25 men. The. Emperor, as a special favour, and in order to encourage the development of ship-building, has granted permission to the members of this club to cruize for a certain time, and to call at the ports of different countries. The St. Petersburgh Yacht Club has consequently decided on sending a deputation of its members to visit the Exhibition in London, and that it shall sail between the 25th and 30th inst. A great number of the other members of the club will join this deputation, and they will together form a small flotilla of from 20 to 25 vessels, among which will be three steam yachts, the " Peter the Great," the " Pultawa," and the " Catherine II," the models of whose machines are in the Exhibition. The flotilla will first proceed to Havre, where, in consequence of the present crowded state of the Thames, a part of the vessels will remain, and a division of only six yachts will proceed to London.

It is stated, in the last advices received from Cbina, that Mr. Robert Fortune, who lias been engaged by the Honourable East India Company to procure and transmit to India a selection of the tea plant, for cultivation in the northwestern provinces, has succeeded in obtaining from the green tea districts a large number of the finest plants, with which he was leaving for Calcutta. He had also secured the services of eight Chinese, from the district of Weichovv, who have agreed to serve him for three years, at the rate of fifteen dollars per month each. Six of them are regular tea manufacturers, and the other two are pewterers, whose sole business is that of preparing lead casings to the tea-chests. Mr. Fortune had penetrated into the interior of China about three hundred miles ; and during the whole of his lengthened absence from consular ports, had never been molested, nor in any way insulted. He expects to have completed his labours in arranging the plantations for the East India Company before September next. The first plants transmitted by Mr Fortune have flourished as well as could possibly be expected, but under his personal superintendence and the attention of the native tea manufacturers, there

is every reason to expect the most favourable results. Probably, in a few years, tea will form an article of export from the Indian presidencies.

The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce were considering a series of resolutions, submitted by a Committee of the Chamber with a view to their forming the basis of operations for obtaining, through the medium of the Committee of the House of Commons on the Customs, a reform of the abuses existing in the Custom House system, as at present administered.

On the 31st May,.at Berlin, being the anniversary of the accession of Frederick 11., the statue commemorative both of his person an*d his military successes, was formally inaugurated by the present monarch, amid a brilliant pageant. The artist, M. Rauch, has obtained great celebrity on account of the execution of the statue.

The following vessels were laid on the berth for the Australian Colonies:—for Sydney the " Phoenician," to sail June 5; the "Kate," June 10 ; the " Resolute," June 15 ; the " General Hewitt," July 10;— for Port Philip, the " British Sovereign/ June 3; the " Statesman," June 5 ; the " Aberfoyle," June 10 ; the " Posthumous," June 16; the "Enchanter" and " Nelson," June 25 ; the " Constance," June 28 ; —for Van Dieman's Land, the " Colonist," early in Juiie ; the " Wellington " and " Stir-ling-shire," June 20 ; and the" Undine," " Middleton," and " Agostina," in July.

The " Prince Albert" had sailed from Aberdeen, to prosecute the search for Sir John Franklin. The design is to proceed direct to Griffiths' Island, which is the.appointed rendezvous, and the place where Captain Austin is likely to have deposited any important information of which he may have become possessed. Should no such intelligence be. found, the " Prince Albert" will proceed to winter ground as far clown Prince Regent's Inlet as can be reached for ice (possibly to Cresswell Bay), from which boat parties will be dispatched. If the object of the expedition should not be previously accomplished, it is the intention to remain till the "autumn of next year. Mr. Kennedy takes out with the expedition seven carrier pigeons. The vessel carries three boats, one being of mahogany, and one of gutta percha. Messrs. Duthie have built a boat especially for Mr. Kennedy's use. It is 22 feet long, only 2 feet wide at the midships, and after beingcovered with hide or gutta percha, with one man sitting in it, canoe fashion, it is calculated to draw only three inches of water. It is intended to propel this boat, after the manner:of the Esquimaux, by a double-bladecl oar. Mr. Leask, formerly master of the "North Star," and who piloted that vessel in 1849-50, through Baffin's Bay and Barrows Straits, is in command of the vessel. Embarked with them is John Hepburn. This brave man, who was with Franklin, Kichardson, and Back, in their explorations of the shores of the Polar Sea, has volunteered his services to go in search of his honoured master. The crew of the vessel, seventeen in number, are all picked men, most of them Orcadians, and a large portion being those who sailed in her last year. An active and enterprising young man, named Cowie, goes out as Surgeon. At Mr. Kennedy's desire, the crew, on the Sabbath previous to sailing, proceeded to Church in a body, himself and Capt. Leask at their head, to acknowledge their dependence on providence, iv. their, peculiarly arduous undertaking.

Wednesday Afternoon.—The arrival of the " Midlothian" has put us in posses-, sion of English papers bearing date to the 21st of June. We observe in the Parliamentary columns that the Ecclesiastical Bill was nearly through Committee. Mr. Monsell had moved the adoption of a proviso that nothing in the act should be construed to interfere with the spiritual affairs of the Eomair Catholic Church. This motion was negatived by a very decided majority. The second clause of the Bill was carried by 150 against 35. The third (and last) clause was agreed to without a division. Mr. Crawford then moved the addition of a fourth clause, exempting Ireland from the operation of the bill, but without a shadow of success. A somewhat lengthy clause proposed by Sir R. Inglis, extending the range of the measure, was, after objections raised by Lord John Russell, negatived by 166 against 121. The Chairman was then ordered to report progress.

The Illustrated London Neivs says, on the 21st of June, " Mr. Colxlen luis brought Forward his animal peace motion, and the Duke of Wellington lias given his annual dinner to the officers who shared with him the " heat and burden of the day" of Waterloo. These two events occurred within four and twenty hours of each other, and both have passed over, without leaving any other traces behind them than certain columns iv the newspapers, and pleasant recollections in the minds of those who, in one case, listened to the oratory of Mr. Cobden and Lord Pahnerston ; and who, in the other, partook of the hospitality of the gallant and illustrious Duke, and listened to the short raaty ter-of-course speeches delivered after the removal of the table-cloth. Nothing, in fact, could be more satisfactory than either. Mr. Cobden moved an address, praying that her Majesty would direct Lord Palmerston " to enter into communications with the Government of the French Republic, and endeavour to prevent a rivalry of warlike preparations in time of peace, and to promote a mutual reduction of armaments ;" and Lord Palmerston showed very clearly that there was no necessity for any such proceeding, that Great Britain and France were excellent friends, that the armaments of France were matters of domestic policy and not of foreign aggression, and that we had, in reality, nothing to do with them. At the same time he highly approved of the sentiments of Mr. Cobden—thought the period well chosen for expressing them—and, although he could not indulge the pleasing belief that the day had yet arrived when human passions would come to influence the conduct of nations in their intercourse with each other, he was pleased to see the British House of Commons holding out in this way the right hand of fellowship to the world, and expressing to France more particularly the cordial sentiments, which are fortunately as general in England as they are well reciprocated in France. Mr. Cobden, on his part, was just as highly satisfied with Lord Palmerston asXord Palmerston was with him , the motion was withdrawn, the affair was left entirely to Lord Palmerston's discretion, and the matter dropped, to the edification of all parties." News had been received at home that the railway across the Isthmus of Darien, from Navy Bay to Panama, was rapidly progressing. In eight months it would be open from Navy Bay to Gorgona, and the completion of the whole line seemed probable within a year and a-half or two years. The opening of the third Jubilee of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was celebrated in Westminster Abbey on the 16th June. Many of the highest dignitaries of the church (including the Archbishop of Canterbury) were present in full canonicals, and a sermon was preached by the Bishop of London, who selected as his text John viii. 12," Ye are the light of the world." The second day of the jubilee was celebrated by a public meeting at St. Martin's Hall, Long Acre, at which Prince Albeit presided. The third day was celebrated in St. Paul's Cathedral, the Bishop of St. Asaph preaching from Daniel ii. 35. In the evening the Lord Mayor gave a splendid entertainment to the members of the Society. A bazaar was recently opened at the Wesleyan Centenary Hall, for the sale of an interesting collection of articles from the South Sea Islands. They were thank-offerings from the natives of the Friendly and Feejee Islands to the Wesleyan Missionary Society, recently brought over by Dr. Lawrie. Many of these articles were of a singularly curious character. One, for instance, was a model of a "Mburi," (•pi- Feejee temple, manufactured of cocoa-nut fibre, of which also there was an immense rope, presented by the king of the Friendly Isles. The State Bal de Costume, designed by Her Majesty the Queen, to give an impetus to the , trade of the Metropolis, had taken place. The costumes were those of the European Courts of the time of the llestoration of Charles 11., His Grace the Duke of Wellington being habited >lin the scarlet and embroidered frock with flashed sleeves, blue velvet trunks, and plumed (hat of a field-marshal of that period. A throne jwas erected for Her Majesty and Prince Albert, - 'seated on which they received their numerous guests at the commencement of the ball. Lord Campbell appeared in the costume of Chief Justice Hale. Colonel Lawrence represented Cecil, second Lord Baltimore, Governor of Maryland.

In order to afford accommodation to foreigners visiting the metropolis during the continuance of the Great Exhibition to attend divine services on Sundays, several places of worship were selected. One of the number was Portman Chapel, in which a clergyman of the French Protestant Church officiated, the congregation being composed of the natives of France professing the Protestant faith. On Sunday, June 15th, several attended at the doors, in the expectation that they would be opened, but a notice was issued, emanating from the Foreign Conference and Evangelization Committee, Leicester-square, to the effect that, in consequence of a prohibition from the Bishop of London, divine service would be performed at Hinde-street Chapel, Hinde-street, Manchester-square, a dissenting place of worship, by Le Pasteur Armaund de Lille, at four o'clock in the afternoon, where it accordingly took place. During the service at Portman Chapel on Sunday morning, the Rev. J. W. lleeve gave notice, that in consequence of an injunction from the Bishop of London, to the effect that the practice was contrary to the law of the land., he would be compelled to discontinue the services by foreign pastors heretofore held in that chapel on Sunday afternoons. Metairie v. Wiseman.—This remarkable case, which arose out of certain large bequests made by a Frenchman on his deathbed, for the benefit of certain Roman Catholic Charity Schools in Somerstown, and which bequests were disputed by his relatives on the ground of undue persuasion by the priest who attended the testator, had been summarily brought to a conclusion by an arrangement, the principal terms of which were as follows, —Fiist, four thousand pounds stock (part of the 7000 Z. stock in the pleadings mentioned), to be transferred to the next of kin of Mathias Carre in the pleadings mentioned, in the shares in which they would be entitled thereto in case of intestacy, and the rest of the TOOOI. stock to remain vested in the trustees of the charity, in the pleadings mentioned. Secondly, the trustees of the charity to pay the sum of 404£. 10s. bd. to the same next of kin in the same proportions as mentioned in No. 1.

The Exhibition.—The flood of visitors seemed to have set in in good earnest, and the presumed dangers of the Whitsun-week being over, the great mass of the visitors appeared to consist of the employers instead of the employed. Manufacturers were, however, still making arrangements for closing their works, and allowing their workpeople to come up in a body.

The " gem mania" continues. The Duke of Devonshire's hawk, a model of a bird bestudded with precious stones of various colours, and of a value approaching 30,000^., has been added to the Indian collection. The great diamond has been the subject of an experiment by which it was expected its beauties would be more developed than in the broad light of day. The whole of the fittings were boxed up in deal planks and crimson cloth. A gas light was introduced to illuminate " the mountain ;" but, after all the trouble, it could not be got to display itself in a satisfactory manner; and, as the mysterious-looking arrangements attracted greater crowds than the diamond had formerly done, to the blocking up of the central avenue, the erection has been removed, and the iron cage stands as before.

The magnificent present of the Newab Nazim of Bengal has arrived, but how to arrange it to advantage is a question of some moment. " Wanted, an Elephant," was an advertisement which might have been appropriately inserted in the columns of a newspaper, for how to show a howdah without a suitable form to fix it upon was a point which puzzled those who had got over so many difficulties. A basket-maker, however, has been found, who undertakes to make a wicker "dummy," to carry, probably, one of the most interesting objects of the whole Exhibition. Gold and precious stones, silk, native calico furniture, silver poles, and golden moorschals constitute the leading items of this magnificent gift to our beloved Queen. The Maharajah of Travancore has followed the Newab Nazim's example, and sent his present to Her Majesty. This consists of a ma-nu-ficent ivory throne and footstool, wonderfully carved, and studded with diamonds and rubies. Thus, the riches and interest of the Exhibition are almost hourly on the increase. Additional examples of sculptures, too, have been placed in the Nave, the trees have been duly washed and watered, a most important point, if the beauty they add to the effect of the transept is

to be preserved to the end of the Exhibition ; if, indeed, it is to have an end, which some people are desirous to prevent, and thus destroy one main feature of the demonstration —that of its intended periodicity. The visits of her Majesty and the Prince continue as regularly as heretofore. On Saturday the machinery was again visited with as much careful interest as before : prior to this, however, a visit was paid to the Norwich textile manufactures in the Transept Gallery, and the Queen made several purchases of poplins,.&c, to the delectation of the fortunate exhibitors. In these Royal visits there is one little feature which interests all who see it. At an early hour three or four times a week, a gentleman is seen going round with two active and intelligentlooking boys. Policemen follow at a short distance, and the elder of these boys lifts his cap with a courtly grace to the exhibitors or attendants whose stalls are visited and examined; the younger occasionally showing symptoms of a desire to take a hop, skip, and jump, by way of finale. These are the Prince of Wales and his royal brother Prince Alfred, getting their morning lesson in facts and things from their tutor, Mr. Birch. It is worth a trifle to see this schooling without books of those to whom our future artists, manufacturers, and workmen may hope to look for appreciation and encouragement. Nor are the Princesses forgotten, for they also attend to examine and learn, as well as to admire.