Miscellaneous.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 489, 11 July 1857, Page 5

Miscellaneous.

BirthofaPbincess.—Buckingham Palace, April 14.—At seven minutes before two o'clock this afternoon the Queen was safely delivered of a princess. There were present on the occasion, m her Majesty's room, his Royal Highness lnnce Albert, Dr. Locock,.Dr. Snow, and Mrs. Lilly, the monthly nurse. In the adjoining apartments, besides the medical men, Sir «f. Clark and Dr. Ferguson, were the Mistress of the Eobes and the Lady-in-Waiting on the Queen, and the following Officers of State and Lords of the Privy Council, viz.: his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, the Lord Chancellor, Viscount Palmerston, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Sir Charles Wood, the Bishop of London, and the Marquis of Breadalbane. The Lord Mayor, shortly after, announced the event at the Mansion-house. We believe we may add that the condition of her Majesty is as favourable as the wishes of her affectionate people could desire. The following bulletin has been issued:—Buckingham Palace, April 15. Her Majesty has passed an excellent night. Her Majesty and the infant Princess are going on favourably.— European Times, April 16. Mr. Hume, the table-turner and magnetiser, who has of late excited such attention in Paris, has predicted to M. Alexandre Dumas that he would live to the age of 113 years, and be killed in a duel. It is known that the late Prince Talleyrand left memoirs of his eventful life, and it has hitherto been supposed that he had left orders that they should not be published until fifty years after his death ; but it is reported in Paris that they will appear very shortly. - Letters from Sebastopol state "that accidents having occurred from the ignition of the many unexploded bombs and shelfs buried amidst the ruins, orders have been issued to adopt the greatest care when working among the debris. It is asked how it comes that, as the peace treaty has now come into full execution, Russia does not remove elsewhere the liners and other large vessels which are at Nicolaieff ? The Independance Beige says that there have been more balls and conceits in Paris during Lent this year than were ever known before. It has been remarked that during the reign of Louis Philippe the court issued no invitations after Mid-Lent Day. But, under the new empire, notwithstanding all the severe lectures of Father Ventura, the court continues to give splendid parties, and the grande tnoncle naturally follows the example. Spirit-Rapping at the Tttileeies.—The Paris correspondent of the Brussels Independance writes:—" I can state upon authority that the sudden' departure of Mr. Hume, the spirit rapper, was in obedience to an order from the Emperor. The Empress was so much affected that her august consort dreaded the continuance of the diabolical scenes. The ladies of honour were not less affected than their sovereign. They could speak of nothing but the redoubtable conjuror. The Emperor made a wise revolution in the household, and the poor devil—who, though playing the part of a personage with £40,000 a-year, was really penniless —has left for the country of the rappers. A few days ago, the Emperor met the learned physician, M. Becquerel, and remarked,- ' I want to consult you upon what I saw that trickster do ;' [and his Majesty then told how Mr. Hume had made a table turn round without touching it, and caused it to be struck by an unseen hand as many times as he liked. The Emperor received from the physician the very natural reply, ' Sire, I can say nothing upon facts which I have not witnessed.' " Mr. Thackeray, the novelist, was entertained to dinner last week in the new Royal Hotel, Edinburgh. The company comprised many of the most distinguished names connected with literature, science, and the fine arts in Scotland. Lord Neaves occupied the chair, the croupier being Mr. W. Stirling, of Xeir, M.P. The distant relatives of a Calcutta merchant, recently deceased, who was a native of Rothsay, have just come to the knowledge that their ancestor, ot whom they scarcety ever heard, had left the enormous fortune of £1,500,000 sterling, bequeathed to those" of his relations who can be discovered. Those already known number about thirty, and several of them are now resident in Greenock, Dumbarton, and Glasgow. A letter from St. Petersburg says:—" The population of Astrakhan were thrown into great agitation on the 9th instant, by the appearance, about a quarter of an hour after sunset, of a luminous meteor between the constellation of the Three Kings, Orion, and the Polar Star; it shone with extraordinary brilliancy, and was accompanied by a satellite not less brilliant. It is supposed to have been a comet." A Parisian Folly.—A portion of the wealthy young idlers in Paris have formed a new club, the rules of which are decidedly eccentric. It has taken the title of '• Society pour Vencouragement et la propagation dcs femmes blondes," and on admittance each member takes the solemn oath and gives a pledge not to bestow his hand, his heart, and his affections on any lady who cannot boast of fair hair. The peculiar shade is immaterial, but every member who infringes this regulation by marrying a dark-haired beauty is to forfeit £-1,000. The Russian Railway Scheme.—The Russian railway scheme has at length been launched cd, and the French papers are filled with an immense preliminary advertisement, which explains the projects of the company. The Globe's Paris correspondent writes:—" The o nly English names which figure in the list of

members of the council of administration are Thomas Baring, vice-president, and Francis Baring. It is, however, known that these gentlemen represent more Dutch than English interests in the matter. On the other hand, ten Russians, five Frenchmen, and two Dutchmen figure in that council. This circumstance alone should deter the English public from burning their fingers in this gigantic enterprise, partio° ularly as the vast majority of the committee of nine members, which is tosit in Paris, are more or less connected with the Credit Mobilier, and with the new untried school of French finance." Since the establishment of the Birmingham Penny Bank, in 1851, not less than 21,542 accounts have been opened with the Bank, and during the year ending December last, 84,494 deposits were made by the poorer classes from Id. upwards. Three partners in one brewery firm will have seats in the new Parliament—Sir E. N. Buxton, for East Norfolk; Mr. Charles Buxton, for Newport, Isle of Wight; and Mr. Robert Hanbury, the younger, for Middlesex. The Debate on the Budget.—The ' Nonconformist ' thus hits off Sir Cornwall Lewis's speech on the Budget:—No doubt, reader, you are prepared to read a graphic description of a most lively evening. Well, picture to yourself a heavy-looking gentleman with a feeble voice, and an intolerable drawl, opening a financial statement which he is unable to vitalise by a single spark of sentiment. Conceive of him making wide gyrations beforo he stoops to his quarry—wheeling round and round with the most provoking deliberation, when your only interest is in seeing him come to the point— telling you in half-formed sontenceg, and endless tables, what you either knew before, or what you did not care just then to ba informed of, combating objections to which you never attached the slightest force—discussing theories of taxation which for the time being you would gladly have delegated to the next debating society—occupying two mortal hours in keeping you from getting even a glimmer of what he was about to do. It would have required a rapid flow of eloquence to overbear the general feeling of impatience. But Sir George Lewis is not ex° actly rapid, nor does his eloquence flow. His information was poured out, or more properly trickled out, a few drops at a time, and then intervened a pause which the right honourable gentleman diligently devoted to a study of his papers. At last he came to the financial plan of Government for the ensuing year. There was an anxious silence. The announcement dropped out that the war addition of r.inepence in the pound would be surrendered. Instantly there was a cheer, and a sudden rush to the door. Nearly half the house streamed out into the crowded lobby, each retreating member being probably intent upon conveying the important news to an expecting friend or constituent. But the Chancellor had not yet done. He had disclosed his intentions with regard to the incometax —but about the war duties on spirits, tea, coffee, and sugar? These being ch"ely poor man's question?, excited little interest. So, by the time the Chancellor had concluded, the greater portion of his audience had disappeared. The ' Cross' Berlin newspaper, states on authentic information that the ceremony of betrothal of her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, to Prince Frederick William, will take place at London, during the month of May; and that the Prince and Princess of Prussia will accompany their popular and respected son to England for that purpose. The marriage, adds the 'Cross,' is fixed for the 21st November, or as soon after as possible. The newly-married couple, it is believed, will remain in England a month or more, and there pass the Christmas holidays; after which they will commence their journey to the Prussian dominions, and make their entry in state into Berlin immediately after the New Year, by which time the palace now fitting up for their residence will be fully completed and properly aired.