Miscellaneous.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 509, 19 September 1857, Page 5

Miscellaneous.

The Queen's birthday was kept with great spirit on Tuesday, the 26th May. In the morning there was a military parade in the rear of the Horse Guards. The Duke of Cambridge and nearly all the staff of his office were present. The " public " was represented by a great multitude: Atmid-day, salutes were fired by the Park and Tower guns. In the evening, the shops and houses at the West End, the clubs, and public offices, were illuminated, more generally than on previous occasions. The fineness of the weather greatly contributed to the enjoyment of this semi-holiday. "It appears certain," says a letter from Munich, " that Prince Charles of Bavaria, brother of the ex-King Louis, is to contract a morganatic marriage at his palace of Tegeinsee. He espouses a lady who paid him great attention during his last illness, the widow of the actor Holken, and known for her elevated mind. She is at the same time to receive the title of Countess of Tegernsec, like his first wife. That lady was also connected with the stage, and was created Countess de Bacersdorf. Her two daughters have married into noble families of Bavaria."

The 'Journal de Rouen' speaks of a discovery made by M. Grimaux, jun., of a means of giving to the electric telegraph the valuable facility of printing the despatch in the usual characters, and -without thereby causing any delay in the transmission.

Several of the Kabyle chiefs from Algeria, have.'asked permission to make a journey to Paris; the request is likely to be granted. Great interest is excited by a projected expedition from Chili to the Rio Negro, in Patagonia. Its object will be to examine whether, through the river, a conjunction between the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans is feasible, so as to dispense with the way round Cape Horn. The government of Chili has, for the present, granted the sum of 3500 pesos towards the expenses of the expedition, with the promise ftk increase that amount if necessary. :;-| A St. Petersburg letter, in the ' Czas' Craco\# gives the following extraordinary story, which>J we conceive, must come under the category of canard :—" A tragical drama has just taken place here. The agent of Count Sch—, who had been to the bank to receive the sum of 15,000 silver roubles, lost the'packet.; of notes on his way home. The money was picked up by a clerk, who, instead of giving the property at once to the owner, followed him to his house and inquired the name of the person who lived there. The finder of the money then returned home, hesitating in his own mind how he should act. When he arrived there, a violent quarrel took place between him and his wife, the latter wishing to keep the jnoney. The clerk, however, on the following morning, went to the house of the count to deliver the sum, but the latter would not receive it, saying that his agent had committed suicide in the night in consequence of the loss. Overcome with remorse, the clerk returned home, where he found that

during his absence his wife had hanged herself from vexation at not having kept the money. He immediately cut down the body, and hanged himself with the same rope." Hustings Obatoby.—The' Times' referring to the nominations throughout the united kingdom, adds—How many bitter recollections, how many vain regrets, will torment to-nights pillow! How many things intended to be said will revisit the orator, —an abortion in one part of a speech, a flounder in another, all the more provoking because he cannot tell how in the world he got into it!' He had his sentence in his head quite right only an hour before, quite pat for the occasion, and only waiting the summons; but somehow it was gone when wanted, and it was not in the corner in which he had stored it up. What a moment of despair that was when he saw an empty void before him, which had to be filled by a violent rush and a sudden basis! What an airy thing is that structure of -word* called aspeech! A breath dissolves it, a stir in the corner of the room, a voice from the middle of the crowd, somebody talking close to you just 5 when you were making the last internal review and launching yourself! "What a fool I was to think of that; what a mess I made of such a pretence; how that simile collapsed, how awkwardly I began, and as for the ending, I really must not think of it." Such will be the nocturnal visitings of many a tender oratories! conscience; and they will moreover produce, as their natural result, a sort of morbidly high estimate of the value of the gift of oratory. It is natural that the West ludia islanders should show considerable anxiety for the suppression of the slave-trade. The subject is constantly discussed in the island journals, especially with reference to to the supplies poured into Cuba. The Jamaica ' Despatch' of the 11th May calculates that the annual export of slaves from Africa intended for Cuba, is from 40,000 to 50,000, of whom about 30,000 are landed alive. In order to stop the traffic, this journal suggests that the "blockade of the West Coast of Africa should be terminated, and that half-a---dozen steamers of light draught should be permanently stationed off the coast of Cuba as a preventive service. No regular preventive service is at present maintained there. The friends of the "United Kingdom Alliance for the total suppression of the Liquor traffic" held a meeting at Exeter Hall. The chair was taken by Judge Marshall, of Nova Scotia; the chief orator was the Honourable Neal Dow, of Portland Maine, and the founder of the " Maine Liquor Law." The question of temperance, he said, is more important than any political question. If the liquor traffic were suppressed, England would save £75,000,000 a year, an equal sum in time, and 60,000 lives a yearmore than twice as many as fell in the Crimea.

There are at this day more than 600,000 drunkards, more than 600,000 starving woman, and more- than 1,000,000 children growing up in vice and crime, on account of the traffic in intoxicating drinks. Unless the beer shops are suppressed in England, America will outstrip her in the race for national wealth, national houour, and national power. And why? Because America, which has lost 3,000,000 dollars and 30,000 men a year by it would put down the traffic. It has been said that in Maine, this liquor law has been a failure. ,What are really the facts? The law has suppressed both the wholesale and retail trade except in a few places, where it is carried on secretly. It has emptied the gaols, almshouses, watchhouses, and has removed from the streets to schools the swarms of children of drunkards who infested them before the law was past. It has greatly improved the condition of tne working classes; many of whom formerly spent their watres upon drink, but who are now saved from that temptation, and expend their money upon houses, cloilies, and land for their families. The law has been repealed in Maine, but that has occurred only in obedience to the law under which moral progress was effected by alternate advance and retrogression. A political party which hau for thirty years held power lost it in consequence of their opposition to this law. At the election of the year before last, that party formed a union with the strait Whigs, abolishecHhe Maine Law, and introduced a license system. The result was a revival of intemperance; and at the last annual election the people swept the Anti-Maine-Law men from their places. In New Hampshire md Rhode Island, the Democratic Party opposed this law, and had been in consequence crushed out. In the constitution of Ohio there (is a cause that there shall be no license system in that State. In Michigan, the Maine Liquor Law has been enacted by a popular vote. In Pensylavania, the enactment of a similar law has been prevented by a majority of only 4000 votes, given by the German counties; and in Indiana there is an equally strong feeling in favour of such a measure.

The meeting warmly applauded Mr. Dow, and passed resolutions- in support of the objects of the Alliance.

Disappointing both kinds of cross reports that have anticipated his movements, the Grand Duke Constantine of Russia has not abstained from visiting this country, though he has not paid any visit " worth speaking of." He made his appearance at Osborne on the 30th May, coming direct from Cherbourg, which he had inspected as minutely as he had examined other French ports and arsenals. The Eoyal residence was the only placß at which he landed on our side: there he passed a few hours; and among the entertainments provided for him was a short trip in the Royal steamer on Sunday, from which he was able to survey the shipping in the Portsmouth waters aud the coast of England; but he slept on shore only one night, and departed before the rest of the world was fairly astir ou Monday morning. Instead of visiting England, therefore, the Grand Duke has only had a glimpe, not even a superficial survey. The hasty nature of this visit confirms the report which prevailed for some ticue that he would not come at all, but would return to the North without having exchanged so much as bows. If the report originated in his own unwillingness to come, or in the default of any pressing invitation to bring him, his determination has been overruled. It may be inferred that the host whose hospitality he has been enjoying so long

and as intimately as if he were at home, has pointed out the necessity of at least leaving his card; and accordingly the Grand Duke lias left his card at Osborne.

A letter from Madrid states that the GovernorGeneral of the Philippines has been directed to place stores of all kinds at the disposal of the British and French ships-of-war. The measures adopted by the Spanish Government on this occasion are the more useful as Manilla affords many resources, and is at a reasonable distance from the coast of China which is to be the theatre of the approaching operations. Great alterations and improvements are made in the " i'alace of the old King," at Berlin, to fit it for the residence of the Prince of Pussia and our Princess Royal. . Further ceremonies have taken place at the Chapel Royal at Madrid in connexion with the nail of the cross: the nail was carried in procession, placed on the high altar, mass was performed, and then the pious court "adored" the bit of iron. Shortly before the arrivalof the Empress Dowager of Russia in Rome the poor people crowded to the Mont de Piete" to pawn clothes and other articles, in the expectation that they would all be redeemed by the Empress. This expectation was not realized, though the Empress granted aid to six hundred petitioners. A Russian who had smasscd immense wealth in the Ural Mountains died recently, on the day after a lawsuit involving several millions of roubles had been decided in his favour. Monday and Tuesday were the settling days at Tatteisall's for the Epsom bets. On Monday Mr. Davis entered the place with £20,000, and quitted it with a residue of ] 5 sovereigns. On the whole, the settlement passed ofi satisfactorily. A. pickpocket made a good booty on Tuesday, robbing a gentleman of £500. M. Biches, a noted French agriculturist, has invented a manure which is to be applied in a new way—-the seed is to be coated with it before sowing. M. Biches, from his experiments, states that the powers of this new fertilizer thus applied are extraordinary. A number of steamers bui'.t in England, and intended for the Black Sea Navigation Company, have arrived at Odessa. . The price of wheat in Madrid is enormous— equivalent to 100s. to 106s. per English quarter ; and the poor suffer much, though I read is sold to them by means of Government aid at less than cost-price. The cost of grain at Madrid, however, is no guide to the market value in other parts of Spain, the country beiug so deficient in means-if transit that wheat migh. be cheap at a sea-port and dear in the capital. A young sailor of the English galliot John Edward has been shot dead in the roads of Belleisle, in consequence of a delay in- showing the colours of the ship: a French war-cutter first fired a mus. ket loaded wiih powder, and then one charged with a ball, which hit tljp sailor. According to an account sent home from the English vessel, the Frenchman act&S *HUh culpable precipitation, for the people of the John Edward were preparing to show their colours when the fatal shot was discharged. _•■■. ••■ -' v' 1;; ''■ '":.'" : ■ '"":: ■ A letter, dated New Orleans, May 11, says,— " The British war-steamer Tartar, Captain Dunlop, arrived at the bar a few days ago, and brought from Nicaragua a lot of poor wretches who had been a part of Walker's army. They were starving, and humanity induced Captain Dunlop to bring" them to their own country. When he arrived at the bar, the American tow-steamt-r demanded the guarantee to receive 500 dollars for taking them up to the city, besides which there were put on board the steamer from the frigate a lot of provisions. When the British residents heard of it, they made up a purse to indemnify Captain Dunlop, as the City Corporation took no notice of it; but one of the New Orleans clubs immediately paid over the money, and very handsomely invited Capt. Dunlop and the officers of his ship to an entertainment." Sacrilegious thieve? are ver}' common in Spain. During March fifteen churches were robbed; in April, seventeen. " They punish these things better in France." A banker named Malvergue, Baubarach a bookbinder, and Ferrier de Montal, have been convicted of swindling1 by the Paris Tribunal of Correctional Police ; they having defrauded a number of persons whom they induced by false statements to become shareholders in a company for providing a substitute for whalebone from the horns of oxen. They appear to have done nothing but what they might have performed here with impunity ; but they were fined and sent to prison for six months, three months, and one mouth respectively.

A terrible accident has occurred at Hauenstein, •in Switzerland. While the workmen we're engaged in excavating a railway tunnel it suddenly fell in, and fifty men perished. Hail-storms have committed great ravages in many parts of France. In digging out a litter of seven fox-cubs at West Holme, near Wareham, it was found that the parent Reynards bad poached to some purpose, their larder containing eight hares, a pheasant, a brace of partridges, a stoat, a ferret, and four rats, all in a fresh state. A case of some interest was decided in the Court of Queen's Bench. One Lancashire had been convicted of selling a glass of " sweet wine," to be drunk on the premises, without a Licence; such wine being alleged to be " exeisea.ble liquor." Lord Campbell and a majority of the judges held that " Sweet or made wines " are not exciseable liquors within the meaning of the statute. Mr. Justice Erie dissented ; holding that although the duty on sweet wine had teen repealed, the law still required that the vendor should have a licence.—Conviction quashed ; but without costs. An interesting question has been determined in the Court of Exchequer. A labourer contracted himself for a year to his master. Some dispute arose as towages; the man absented himself, and the master summonsed him before a Justice of the Peace. The labourer was sent to prison for one month. When he left prison he did not return to complete his contract. Thereupon his employer summoned him again, and again he was sent to prison for one month. On the 29th May his habeas corpus was sued out in the Court of Exchequer, and he was brought up on Monday. The case was argued for two days. Mr. Baron Watson held that the conviction was good. Mr. Baron Bramwell, Mr. Baron Martin, and the" Chief Baron Pollock held that the prisoner was entitled to his discharge, as the statute only contemplated one offence. The man was discharged.

A company has been formed at Taganrog, principally by Frenchmen, for preserving and exporting the lean of the animals slaughtered on the steppes in vast numbers hitherto for the sake of the tallow only.

According to the Russian journals, several new railways are projected besides ihose included in the grand scheme. One is to connect St. Petersburg with Abo in Finland.