ENGLISH NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 180, 17 June 1854, Page 9

ENGLISH NEWS.

( From the " Sydney Morning Herald," March 19.) The " Madras" arrived on the 18th of May, about mid-night, at Sydney, bringing English mails to the Bth of March, and telegraphic intelligence to the 10th. War had not positively been declared, but the English and French Governments had sent an accredited plenipotentiary to St. Petersburgh demanding the evacuation of the Danubian Provinces within six days, or hostilities would be commenced. As there appeared but little probability of the compliance of the Emperor with this demand, the preparations for war were being rigorously pursued. Lord Eaglan (better known as Lord Fitzroy Somerset) has been appointed to the chief command of the British troops, Colonel Somerset, (Coldstreams), Lord Burghersh, (ditto), and Captain Eingscote, (Scots Fusileers), acting as aid-de-camps to his lordship. Lieutenant-General Ferguson and MajorGeneral His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Cambridge have been nominated as divisional commanders. The appointment of His Royal Highness has excited great satisfaction, particularly amid military circles. Colonel Caton, Lieutenant-Colonel Dacres, and LieuteuantColonel Lake, are appointed commandants of the Eoyal Artillery under orders. The following augmentations of the army are announced.

Ist battalion of the Grenadier Guards is to be augmented from 800 to 1000 rank and file; and the six remaining battalions of the Foot Guards from 640 to 800 rank and file, namely, the 2nd, 6th, 15th, 59th, 60th, 2nd battalion, 73rd, and Ist batallion of the Rifle Brigade. Fifty-six regiments are to be augmented from 850 to 1000 rank and file. The service companies of regiments are to consist of 600, and the depots of 400 rank and file, with the exception of those ordered for immediate active service, and with reference to which special orders will in each case be given. The soldiers are being shipped off as rapid,y as possible; the first battalion of Scotch Fusilier Guards went off in the Simoon,, the Rifles in the Vulcan, the 93rd in the Hymalaya, and the 33rd in the Cambrian. All the infantry in the United Kingdom is now said to be under orders to start for the seat of war. On Wednesday, the 26th February, the 2nd battalion of the Coldstreams and the 3rd Grenadier Guards, numbering 2000 men, embarked in three steamers at Southampton for the East, On the same day Liverpool never witnessed such a sight as the embarkation of the gallant 28th. At an early hour the whole town was on the alert, expecting the men from Preston. The Queen having expressed a wish to see the body of guards that were leaving London for the East, they were marched to Buckingham Palace, and there drawn up in iiles of three deep. An immense crowd followed the line of march, cheering vigorously all the way. At half-past seven the Queen and the Royal Family appeared at the balcony. The troops presented arms, the colours were lowered, and the band struck up " God save the Queen." Her Majesty duly returned the salute; and the battalion, shouldering arms, took off the bearskin caps, and gave three tremendous huzzas. From Buckingham Palace they marched to the Waterloo station, cheered by the most striking manifestations of popular good will. The ranks were invaded by women and friends; and the crowds which impeded the march had become so great when the soldiers reached the railway station, that they were compelled to enter in single file. When they reached Portsmouth, the men of two regiments and the bands of three, forming a voluntary guard of honour, escorted them to the Simoon. In Ireland the troops are also movingl. Before seven o'clock on Wednesday morning the 50th (Queen's own) embarked on board steamers at the Northwall for Kingston, there to await the arrival of the Cambria (one of Cunard's line). The 33rd (the Duke of Wellington's) also was to leave Dublin on that day for embarkation at Kingstown. The first division of the British contingent destined for the defence of Turkey will consist of a body of infantry 10,000 strong; but the proportions of cavalry that will accompany them do not appear to have been as yet decided. But so far as the arrangements at present are known, the division will be composed of the battalion of the Guards, the 4th, 28th,' 33rd, 50th, 77th, and 93rd regiments of the line, and the 2nd battalions of the "Rifle brigade. The artillery force will include five field batteries and one brigade for small arm ball cartridge. It is.not expected that the brigade of cavalry will leave until early in March. Its destination will be Constantinople, and it will comprise the Scotch Greys, the Carbineers, the 17th Lancers, the 11th Hussars, the Bth Hussars, and the Enniskillens. Taking the force under orders for the Meditteranean, a. brigade already formed there, and the regiments next for service, the British contingent for the defence of Turkey wiU amount to 25,000 men, vrith 40 guns, admirably horsed and provided with a full proportion of ammunition waggons. In order to render the perfect discipline, effective equipment, and carefully selected officers in the force being despatched for the East as telling as possible, several measures of great importance have been adopted. First, 253 picked men in each battalion are to be armed with Minie vifl.es. Brigade commands, instead of being given to antiquated general officers, will be conferred on young Colonels, who have the temporary rank of brigadiers. Thus the brigade'of Guards will be under the command of Colonel Bentinck. Colonel Eyre, who so greatly distinguished himself at the Cape, will act as Adjutant General. Iv the naval departments equal activity prevails. At Portsmouth the preparations for war are upon a stupenduous scale. An eno.nmnisly

heavy battery has been lately thrown up on the site of the well-known platform promenade, which used to parade 21 little 6 pounders, the duty of which was comprised in saluting royal and other distinguished personages. This new battery will mount about a dozen 68-pouuders on traversing platforms, pointing- over a.brick and earthwork parapet about nine feet high, commanding the entrance to the harbour. Recruiting parties, with fife and drum, are daily parading- the garrison and suburbs; the volunteering for the naval service goes on quite as briskly; and the utmost enthusiasm may be noticed in every street and embarking place. Vans, omnibuses, and other vehicles, may be seen rolling along the main thoroughfares from the railway terminus as each train arrives, containing seamen and volunteers in fifties, all greeted with the warmest reception by the population, and seemingly as jolly amongst themselves jis sailors bent on favourite service can be. At Woolwich the greatest exertions are now made to man the navy immediately, and place all ships and war-steamers in an efficient state for active service on the shortest notice. The North Sea fleet is fast getting ready for sea,—none too soon, for the ice has already begun to break up in the Baltic. On the Ist of March .Admiral Cony's squadron arrived at Spithead. On the 28th ultimo, Sir Charles Napier hoisted his flag, blue at the fore, on board the Princess Royal, 91. He will finally shift to the Duke of Wellington. Commodore Michael Seymour, Superintendent of the Devonport Dockyard, has been appointed Captain of the fleet. The victualling of the fleet commenced on'the Ist instant. Leave of absence to the crews was prohibited; and the work of storing and equipping for war began in every direction.' Under Rear-Admiral Chads, the whole of the ships at Spithead have beeu practised daily in great gunnery, and report speaks highly of theiV practice. Sir Chartes Napier will go out at the head of the finest flotilla the world has yet seen. Sir Charles has been feted by the Reform Club, Lord Palmerston being in the chair, and Sir James Graham present. The latter during his 'speech said, incidentally, that when Sir Charles arrived in the Baltic he was at perfect liberty ,to declare war, aud he (Sir James) trusted it would be short and sharp. It was reported that the Queen would review the Baltic fleet at Spithead, on Friday, the 24th of March, when it was expected the French fleet would have joined. Afterwards the two fleets would proceed in company to the Baltic. The following steamers have been chartered by the Government- for the conveyance of troops. From the General Screw Steamship Company :— The Golden Fleece ; the Jason ; the Cape of Good Hope ; the Propontis. From the Peninsular and Oriental Company— The Himalaya ; the Manila ; the Ripon. From the Cunard Company— r the Cambria, and the Niagara, From the Australian Company—the Victoria.

The principal incident iv the English domestic news is the Queen's granting a free pardon to the Irish rebels, Smith O'Brien, Martin, and OTDoherty, and the English chartists, Frost, ' Williams, and Jones. The Home News states, f The announceincQt by Lord Palmerston of a free pardon to Smith O'Brien is an act of grace which the recent conduct of the Irish people has richly merited. It may be regarded as a tribute to them rather than to Mr. Smith O'Bri- i en himself.*-;; The personal grounds on which this pardon is granted will not sustain examination. Mr. O'Brien's compatriots having effected their escape by breaking their parole, Lord Palnievslon considered it due to the honourable conduct of Mr. O'Brien, who had declined to avail himself of similar opportunities, that he should not he placed in a worse position than the rest. If this reasoning be worth anything, it will apply with equal force to the case of every individual who has been sent to Van Diemen's Land to expiate his political sins. After such an example, every man similarly circumstanced is entitled to have his sentence remitted. To do Ministers justice, they have arrived at this conclusion themselves, althon<vli it seems to have been by an afterthought. Lo"rd Palmersfcou announced 'in the House of Commons that the Queen's pardon would also be extended to Messrs. Frost, Williams, ami Jones, and to Martin and Doherty, the compatriots of Mr. Smith O'Brien." Lord John llussell had brought forward his

new Reform Bill. On introducing it he said, " There were three main defects in thf Reform Act of 1831, which requi-ed the serious attention of the House. First, although a very large disfranchisement of boroughs was made by the Reform Act, there were still several boroughs which had hardly a sufficient number of electors to justify their retaining the power of sending members to Parliament. At the same time, he did not concur in the opinion that there ought to be anything like an equalisation of the numbers,of electors. At the passing of the Reform Bill he had thought 300 was the proper minimum : but he found there were several boroughs which fell below that number of electors, and that in others, although the number of electors exceeded 300, yet the population fell below 5000. These boroughs, amounting to 19, and returning 29 members, he proposed to disfranchise altogether. Certain other boroughs he found had less than 500 electors, or less than 10,000 inhabitants, and from these he proposed to take away 33 representatives which, with the preceding, would give 62 seats. Another defect in the Reform Act consisted in the manner in which the counties were divided, and this defect he proposed to correct in the distribution of the 62 seats. It was proposed to take population generally as the rule to be applied. The West Ruling of Yorkshire and the county of Lancaster it was intended to divide respectively into two counties, giving to each of the divisions three members; it was pi'oposed to give an additional member to each county and town having more than 100,000 inhabitants. By the mode in which the votes would be given, four members would be added for the West Riding of York, and four for tlie south Lancaster division : there would be 38 for other counties, making in all 46. To each of nine large towns (including §alford) which no^v sent representatives, it was proposed to give an additional membev, and one member to each of the towns of Birkenhead, Staleybririge, and Burnley; two members to a metropolitan borough formed of Kensington and Chelsea; two members' to the Inns of Court, and one.to the London University. He next adverted to a third defect in the Reform Act. He thought that in taking the £10 borough franchise,- and abolishing the intricate franchises then existing, Parliament had confined itself too much to one species, and it was proposed now. to make several new franchises common to counties and towns. The new qualifications were, £100 yearly salary • £10 year dividends derived from the Government funds, Bank Stock, or East India Stock ; the payment of 40s. a year either to income tax or assessed taxes; the being a graduate at any University in the United Kingdom; and lastly, any per- | son having Dad a deposit of £50 in a Savings' bank for not less than three years would be I entitled to vote. Lord John next proceeded to ] define the franchises belonging exclusively to ■ counties or boroughs. First, as to counties ; it was proposed that £10 householders should have a vote for the county, provided that the building be of the value of £5 a year. With respect to the borough franchise, it appeared to him that, in taking the £10 franchise so absolutely as was done in 1831, sufficient provision was not made for the admission of the working classes, and, seeing the character of those classes, and how much the wealth of the country depended upon them, he thought the door ought to be opened wider than it now was- He proposed to lower the franchise to £6. It was further proposed to abandon the obligation of paying rales and taxes before voting, and to make the register of voters final. Another change of considerable importance was contemplated. Among the complaints of bribery and corruption made against certain boroughs, it had been represented that one cla.cs of electors, namely, freemen, were peculiarly obnoxious to the charge : and it was proposed* that, after the expiration of existing interests, freemen should have no right to vote. Another change (which would be the subject of a separate Bill) was .in the Act of Anne, concerning the vacating of seats of members of the House of Commons on acceptance of office, which it was proposed to repeal. The noble Lord then recapitulated the number of seats that would be to dispose of, namely, 62, by disfranchisement, and 4 now vacant, making together 6<S. Of this number, 63 were to be filled up in the . manner he had stated, and the remaining three .would be added, to the representation oi Scotlund. [The second reading: was postponed to » April 27.]

The Wab Budget.—ln the House of Commons, on March 3, the Chancellor of the Exchequer brought forward the" consideration of the financial state of the country." . The actual receipts for the year exhibited on excess over their estimated amount of £1,035,000. On the other hand the estimated expenditure exceeded the actual one by £1,012,000 l For the following year the estimated expenditure, including the Eastern expedition, calculated at £50 per head for 25,000 men, would amount to £56,189,000, while the estimated revenue would only amount to £53,349,000. • He did not take into account an estimated surplus of £1,666,000 which would be required to meet other expenses He proposed that the anticipated expenses of the year should be met within the year, and that recourse should not be had to a funded The Government regarded the income tax as a great engine, which might be used to the extent of a great part of the demands of any war, and proposed to, repair ihe deficiency of £2,840,000, and leave a margin besides, by doubling the income tax for the first half of the year. He proposed to abolish the distinction between home and foreign drawn bill, and make them pay the same rate. To meet present demands a vote for £1,750,000 for an issue of exchequer bills would be submitted. Mr. Gladstone's speech, which occupied two hours, was exceedingly well received, both in the House and the " city,'' and the public funds had risen in consequence.