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Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 299, 12 September 1855, Page 5

Wool.—At the fourth and last of the London sales of colonial and foreign wool, we find that that the importation from Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, were double that of the rest of the world The number of bales from the colonies was not less than 25,612, whilst that from other parts was but 16,441, and of the latter 7,758 bales were from the Cape, and 2,391 from the East Indies. Thus out of a 'total'of 42,053 bales, not fewer than 35,771 were grown in our colonial territories, leaving but 6,282 lo be claimed by the other nations of Europe, Africa, and South America.— -Guardian. PAE_iAMENTAnY Clock.—Mr. Dent's great clock lor the Houses of Parliament was to have been fixed by February last, but the tower was not ready for it. The dials, 22 feet in diameter, will be the largest in the world. Every half minute the hand will move nearly seven inches. The clock will go eight days and a half and

strike only for seven and a half, so as to indicate Ivy its siienee any neglect in winding it up. The mere winding" up of each of the striking parts will probably take two hours. The pendulum is 15 feet long, the hourhell weighs 14 to 15 tons, and the hammer 4 cwt. ; the largest of the mere quarter-bells, about the size of the great bell of St. Paul's, 5# tons. — Guardian. Musical I.EC-rcnE.—Tbe Rev. S. C. Clarke, read a lecture in April last on "Music, as an and auxiliary of public worship," before the Mechanics' Institute, Launceston. The illustrations, which were given by a choir of upwards of thirty voices, consisted of a Gregorian, Anglican single and double chant, the ancient hymn *' Pange lingua," old matin's tunes, the old 81st, and several others of ancient and modem date. The lecturer insisted on the use of a musical tone for congregational response, and the experiment by which he proved his point was singularly successful in converting many persons to his opinions. He had caused to be set up in a conspicuous position, painted in very legible characters, the following wellknowu lines from Slmkcneare ; — " The man that hath not music in his sonl Nor is not moved by concord of sweet sound, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils ; The motions of his thought are dull as night, And his affections black as Erebus; Let no such man be trusted." The audience wererequested to read these lines all together, but each in his own manner, which produced a most remarkable and confused noise ; the choir then eutoned the lines, and tbe audience having heard it, read with the choir on G, the effect of which as may be imagined, was such as to secure an adudssion of the truth of tbe lecturer's position—that if congregations responds properly it.must be on a musical tone. The use of good hymns was advocated instead of metrical versions of the Psalms; and an appeal was made to those present to do their best in their several stations to improve the musical portion of the service. A vote of thanks was p.oposed by the Rev. G. B. Gibbons, and seconded by the Independent Dissenting minister, and the result of tbe lecture was such, we are told, as ample to repay the lecturer and his friends for their efforts in bringing this important subject into notice.— Guardian. Rome. — A correspondent of the Roman Catholic Standard gives an account of a series of English sermons to be preached at Rome during Lent; the first of which was preached by the Hon. and Rev. Monsignore Talbot, Chamberlain to the Pope, who dwelt on the spiritual destitution of the poor Roman Catholics in England. He went on to say— " It was a mistake to suppose that the Holy Father was not aware of the real state of things in England, or that here, at home, they had the idea of the complete and immediate conversion of England. On the contrary, he could assure them his Holiness knew well that for every convert made more than ten of the children of the Church were lost, because they had not even the ordinary and essential means for the salvation of their souls, and that this was a source of profound grief to the heart of the Holy Father."— Guardian.