Miscellaneous.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 510, 23 September 1857, Page 4

Miscellaneous.

A curious circumstance is related in a Polish newspaper: —Seven houses, near Sandomir, in Poland,,sank a few days ago slowly into the earth, until only the roofs remained above ground! T c occupiers had time to escape. The cause of this downward movement is not stated.

Letters from Constantinople of June 25th state that a Russian steamer, bearing the English flag,had appeared off the Circassian ports of Gelendjeck and Soudjuk-Kale, sunk several barques, and taken possession of the cargoes.

At a meeting on the 4ih of J-ne, the Directors of the Provincial Bank of Ireland declared a dividend of 4 per cent, for the half-year and a bonus of 6 per cent. The report stated that the bank is in a most favourable position, the buxiness having increased and the profits being high—last year more profit accrued than in any preceding year.

The scheme for cutting a cai.al through the Isthmus of Suez has been favourably received by the Chambers of Commerce of Liverpool, Manchester, Dublin, Belfast, Cork, and Glasgow; and they have passed resolutions that the canal would prove very advantageous to the tr-tdinjr and shipping interests of Great Britain by shortening the route to the East and increasing the regularity of commercial transactions.

M. Charles Tluirneyssen, banker and sharclealer at Paris, nephew of the well-known banker Thur-ney.-sen, and related to Mr. Isaac Pereire, has'fled to the United Stiites, leaving debts estimated' at from £800,000 to £1,000,000. The principal Polis't families in Paris have suffered greatly by his failure.

Foreign affairs have at last been brought before the new Parliament ; Mr. Roebuck beginning by moving for a select committee to consider our relations with Hibzl, and 10 inquire into the expediency of repealing Lord Aberdeen's Act of 1845. It is under the authority of this act that our cruisers are empowered to seize slave-.-hips belonging io Brazil even on the very coast of that country, and carry them away for adjudication elsewhere. Mr. Hoebuck's statement of the case shows that Brazil has lionest'y co-> perated in combating the slave-trade; has declared the trade to be piracy—has, in fact, entirely put it down : 3tid is prepared to act cordially with this country. Brazil is the fourth nation upon the list of our cus omers—annually taking twelve millions of goods from Flngland: both the G •verri-m->nt and country are strongly inclined to an English alliance; tiiey only object to the humiliating form of the proceedings under the act of IS-t^, and require it t- be repealed. Ihe obstinate refusal of our Government has led to a complete suspension of treaty relations with Brazil, and the Americans are inviting that country to an "entangling alliance;" which might car-y away an important trade from us and lead to great complications. This is the case on that side The official reply.consists in'presenting a totally different'case. The act of 1845 is v.o' ;n o-ieration, for its action is perfectly suspended. Brazil, which has an interest .in itnportiusr slav.'s, continues to cover ?m immense tr-ffie. The course taken towards this country is only the same that was successful ir; compelling Portugal to abandon the slave trade. And Lord Palmerston interprets the working of Providence to show that from the time when Great Britain emancipated her.-elf from the degrading crime of the slave trade we may date a start of prosperity which we never ecjoyed before. That is the official statement on nuthoity, and in response to the motion Lord Palmeiston pointed out that to grant the enquiry wou'd have an appearance of tjiv:ng encouragement to the slave-trade, which the dealers would well know bow io employ. The general impression of the House was against

■ r. Roebuck and in favour of maintaining fintislavery'notion ; o* the same side was the voice of Lord John Russell, who wished to know huv ihe continuance of the slave ..trade with Cuba coul I he prevented; and Mr. Disraeli'also opposed the motion, because he looked forward to the renewal of diplomatic negotiations, if the two Government* were !pf: alone. Mr. Disraeli is sanguine. It is to be remarked that, the debate was carried on in disregard of anything that has happmed actually within Brazil itself. Perhaps if the exrens;on of l'reedom and of commerce, and the extinction of domestic slave-tra :e had been fully stated, the knowledge might have had some «ffect upon the result of the debate, —if, indeed, during the present session, in any question, the consideration of the merits can affect the result of a debate.—' Spectator.'