English Extracts.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 367, 10 May 1856, Page 4

English Extracts.

The following items of European news are extracted from the letter of the London correspondent of the Sydney " Empire" : — THE PREXCH EMPEROR AXD THE KETUKNED LEGIONS. Louis Napoleon, having recalled some thousands of the Imperial Guard from the Crimea, did them all possible honour by marshalling them in grand style the other day before all Paris, which turned out to aid him upon the occasion. Ie was a very imposing affair. The French know how to do those things, and do not omit to make their heroes feel that their country can appreciate their services. The Emperor said, in addressing the troops — " Soldiers—l have come to meet you as in other times the Roman Senate went to the gates of Rome to meet her victorious legions. I have come to tell you that you have deserved well of your country. " My emotion is great, for with the happintss I feel at again seeing you are mingled painful regrets for those who *re no .more, and deep sorrow that I could not myself lead you on to battle. "Soldiers of the guard, aud soldiers of the line, I bid you welcome. "You all represent that army of the East whose courage and whose perseverance have inrested with new lustre our eagles, and won for France the rank which is her due. " The country, alive to all that is accompli«hed in the East, receives you with all the greater pride that she estimates your efforts by the obstinate resistance of the enemy. " I hare recalled you, though the war be not terminated, because it is only just to relieTe in their turn the regiments that hare suffered most. Each will thus be able to take his share in glory, and the country which maintains 600,000 soldiers has an interest in maintaining in Frante a numerous and experienced array ready to march wheresoever necessity may require. Preserve, then, carefully the habits of war, and fortify yourselves in the experience you have already acquired. Hold yourselves in readiness to respond, if need be, to my appeal ; but yet on this day forget the hardships of a soldier's life, return thanks to God for having spared you, and march proudly in the midst of your brethren in arms and your fellow-citizens, whose acclamations await you.' 1 Of course, all sorts of constructions have been put upon these words. They mean, I believe, simply what they plainly imply. That France will be prepared to march into Austria or Prussia, or both no body doubts, aud so she ought to be. Her army now the finest in the world, and likel} r soon to be stiJl finer than itis, is capable of great performances, and. as they say, nous verrons ! Our armj' too is picking up. We have only splendid corps in the Crimea et voila tous ! That, however, is destined, I believe, to do something extraordinary* yet, as our fleet ■will in the North, but I repeat with the French nous verrons! CRIME IX ENGLAND. I think I told you in a previous letter that we were getting on amazingly in the poisoning way, and that from the ranks of the lowly in obscure places it had found practitioners among the well-to-do in great cities. The crimes of civilization are natural!}' of a refined and artistic character. They are likewise calcul-d'd to puzzle those whose cutv it is to detect, aud punish theif perpetrators. The poison which destroyed a lady at Bixton the other day, being a mineral, was not absorbed by the system, and therefore came to light upon a post mortem examination : not s<i the manner in which it was administered, so the murderer is undiscovered, and the husband is again at large. But the deadly poisons and pills ■which subsequently hurried away the soul of another victim, leaving the body bentjlike a buw, and resting upon its head and heels, were of a vegetable nature, and capable of being absorbed, so, how it will be proved

that the mortal agony and horrible deaththroes and distortion of the young man Cook, for the murder of whom a Mr. Palmer is about to be tried^ remains to be see». It is not, you will draw upon reflection, so very astonishing to find men whose lives are spent in betting transactions, I mean the profession and business of the Turf, with all its " edging " and "potting" and "*squaring, " and long and short odds, and knavery, and downright roguery, it is not so very astonishing to find those, who go into the thick of it, and the'worst of it unscruplously, proceeding so far in their over-reaching practices as to rob as well as ruin one another. People of questionable morality are generally supposed to be quite capable of going to great lengths in the way of rascality. But society is, or pretends to be, exceedingly shocked when oneof its loose men of fashion brings his neck into a halter. The other day a young nobleman, left London suddenly without honouring various bills of exchange, some of which bore acceptances not written by the distinguished individuals whose names so figured. The affair has been one way or another hushed up, and certain jews and gentiles have preferred to go much in the pound to the exposure of forgery and fraud. Now, we find one owner of a racing horse —a gentleman who has won and lost his thousands in " The Ring ", and associated with- his " swells" of every degree, accused of poisoning another sporting character, who has been the proprietorj of racing-horses and a better on races ; and such a lifting of eyelids has not been since the Hunt, Probat, and Thurtel business. It is only fair, however, to wait until Palmer has been tried, although he appears to have been dealing largely in murder for some time past. You will perceive by the pile of papers that less polished ruffianism has been going forward, such as

the murder of a wife by her husband after a Christmas party, and the way-laying and killing and robbing of a young country surgeon for the sake of the trifles he had about him. Then we had child-starving cases, and several others of extreme barbarity, making up the list of crimes which distinguish the present day. ENGLISH MONEY MARKET. The funds hold up their heads will) remarkable firmness. Monej' has been tight, because of great calls ; and capitalists have been timid, because of the uncertain state of tilings ; but consuls have remained at about 88J for months. Laterly however they have fallen one per cent. In my humble opinion, we shall see them at 78, and, even lower before the year is out. But here is evidently, a majority of a different waj of thinking. Provisions are dear enough, but no dearer than they were. They are certainly plentiful, and there is no fear of scarcity of corn ; travel in what direction you will, you may see new ricks garnishing farm-houses, whose occupiers are rejoicing in large gains, and planting wheat wherever they can do so. I can speak for Essex and Berks, where the chew-bacons are smacking their corderoy with '" Dang it, but them Birmingham and Manchester chaps mustcome to us now, and thpy want us not to seek the dean st market."