ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 98, 20 November 1852, Page 5

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

By H. IM. S. " Fantome," six days from Sydney, arrived off Porirua on the 7th instant,,, intelligence has been received at Wellington from England, to'the 7th August. The Wellington Papers, however, give but an indifferent summary of news. Such as it is, we transfer it to our columns. A narrow escape of her Majesty is reported in the Court Journal: —While her Majesty and Prince Albert were walking within the now dismantled walls of the building in Hyde Park, a beam of wood, of enormous size and weight, fell close to the Queen —so close as to have given rise to feelings of the most painful excitement amongst the distinguished personages by whom she was surrounded. The Returns of the General Elections show that parties are nearly balanced, although the Majority is against the Government. It was expected that the Parliament would be called together in October, and much interest was manifested as to the political measures to be initiated by the Ministry. The weakest appointment in the Derby ministry is the Foreign Secretaryship, and we are not surprised therefore to hear that it is intended to give that office to Lord Stratford (better known as Sir Stratford Canning,) in the place of Lord Malmesburv, who will most probably get an Ambassadorship. The wool sales were concluded ; there was a ten den cy down wards. There appeared to be no check to the rage for emigration, but Port Phillip had still the preference. There were three Government emigrant ships laid on for Sydney, and tenders . were called for one for Port Stephen, which was to take out distressed Highlanders. Among the deaths of note are Count D'Orsay, the Hon. Richard Watson, M.P. for Peterborough." Mr. Grainger, MP. for Durham, and Mr.'Duncrdft, M.P. for Oldham. The cost of collecting the body of evidence brought from abroad against Dr. Achilli, by . the NewTEGh party,X estimated at £S,OOO. '/ The " Shuns Castle,"-with a large number of passengers on board, bound for Otago, had .-e««a,id.,{ and the ship " True Rritton," for Wel- . Chateaußm A^i0 sa a on the 31st of July. \ .-

Mr. W. Fox, the Political Agent of Wellington, and Otago, having accomplished the" object of his mission, had left England on a trip to the United States, and was not expected to return until the spring.

A difficulty of a serious character had arisen between the American and British fishermen on the Northern coast. There had been a disturbance brewing for some time, and matters are at length coming to a crisis. The Americans were ordered off the British fishing-grounds, and as they did not leave, some of their craft were taken, and the Captains imprisoned. The Americans did not and will not yield except to superior force. The British Government has now ordered three war steamers, the " Janus," "Buzzard," and "Mohawk," to proceed to the neighbourhood of Newfoundland, for the purpose of protecting the fishing grounds. A diplomatic correspondence of an important character has passed between Mr. Webster and Mr. Crampton.

Very great excitement existed in the County of Clare, in Ireland., in consequence of the military having fired on the populace during the election, whereby six were killed and several wounded. A Coroner's inquest was sifting de die in diem, and a verdict of " wilful murder" against the military was anticipated.

The potatoe disease had made its appearance again in Ireland, to an alarming extent, and there was every prospect of the crop proving a general failure.

Lord John Russell had been re-elected for London—Mr. Lowe, formerly member for Sydney, had been returned for Kidderminster, and Mr. Roebuck at the head of the poll for Sheffield.

Lord Derby was pledged to call Parliament together during the, autumn; but there appears to be some desire to release him from that pledge if it can be done.

The Liverpool papers state that Kossuth has arrived at Liverpool, under the assumed name of Smith. On landing, he looked exceedingly care-worn. He was accompanied by Count Colonel Blethen and Colonel-Shaz, who assumed the names of Tomkins and Jones.

H. M. steamer "Vulcan" left Cork on the 15th July, for Melbourne, with 20 officers, and 596 rank and file of the 40th Regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Valliant.' On their arrival, they are to march up to the " diggings." Each officer is to have 10s. a day extra pay, and each private 3s ; , irrespective of rank, with one^and-a-half per cent, on all gold they escort. Leave will be given to small detachments of the corps, for certain periods, to work in the " diggings," and a similar indulgence will be granted to others on their rejoining; but, in every instance, the extreme penalty of the law will be enforced by courts-martial for desertion or absence without leave.

A correspondent of the Times relates the particulars of two ruffianly attacks which were made on Sir R. Peel, (who proposed one of the Liberal candidates for North Warwickshire,) on the nomination day. While traversing a passage in the upper story of the Swan Hotel, he \yas attacked by two bravos in Protectionist colours, each armed with a bludgeon. The landlord, however, came to the rescue. When leaving the house he was attacked a second time, but promptly rescued by a farmer. The latter was assailed with cries of " Why did you not let 'em do for the beggar ?" Sir R. Peel, we learn lost a valuable watch.

The electric cable just laid down by the Irish Telegraph Company, has been cut by a stupid Captain, who catching it on his kedge-anchor and innocently taking it for a four-inch hempen hawser, made prize of what he deemed to be some five or six hundred yards of new rope cable, but which turned out, to his no small consternation, to be a portion of the cable used to encase the electrric telegraph wire, laid down only a few days before between Portpatriek and Donaghadee.