Miscellaneous.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 531, 5 December 1857, Page 5

Miscellaneous.

Southern Cotjbtesies.—The ' New Orleans Sunday Times' commences a leader in this very complimentary fashion:—" Persistency makes formidable even the ravings of an idiot. The story that is told a thousand times will, at length, secure believers. -Thus the anniversary of the American Anti-Slavery Society in New York, the other day, is worthy of serious cornrnent,thoughthe men and women whospoke there were the poorest specimens of humanity that ever libelled the Creator. The shallow-pated coward, Garrison, whose name is a gross misnomer for a whipped hound, waa there; also Greeley's. strong smelling friend, the nigger, Fred. Douglass, as well as that Bharp-visaged woman, Mrs. Abby Kelly Foster, and the Rev. Octavius Frothingham, the Eev. Andrew T. Foss, and that foe to barber^, Mr. Burleigh; Francis Ellen Watkins, a coloured wench, was also present. They quarrelled amongst themselves, as usual; the negroes and women were for the wholesale slaughter of those families in the South who treated coloured folks in a manner which caused them to thrive to an unexampled extent." The Pbincess Royal's New Abode.—The palace that Prince Frederick William and his bride are to reside in cannot by any contrivance be finished this year; and as the painting, &c., I cannot be done before the winter, it wul cvi-

dently have to be finished, if not in fact comr menced, when spring returns next year. The idea has, therefore, been already given up of their taking possession of their future abode on their first arrival here. For the summer a convenient suit of apartments is now being arranged for them at the Prince of Prussia's seat at Potsdam, Babelsberg; and during the time that elapses between the entry into Berlin and the removal- to that summer residence the young couple will occupy a suit of apartments in the Royal Schloss.—jTmkct. A Kino in a Fix.—The following story ia going the round of the Parisian salons, as an explanation of the mysterious direction to the public journals to omit all notice of the visit of the King of Bavaria to the Imperial Museum of Artillery :—"lt seems that the King of Ba« varia, known for the great interest he takes in armour of every kind, was much pleased with the helmet worn by Charles VIII. at Marignan —and which is remarkable for. the mechanical ingenuity with which it closes round the neck so as to remove the pressure from the brow. The King turned and examined the helmet minutely, and led away by the admiration, could not resist the temptation of trying it on. The spring which clasps it just below the left ear snapped to] immediately, and his Majesty walked foi some minutes up and down the gallery, highly delighted with the experiment, and peculiarly charmed with the ease with which so heavy a weight could be borne so lightly. When his Majesty had tried the head-gear sufficiently well, he requested the assistance of his aide-de-camp to free himself from the encumbrance— but the aide-de-camp, unused to mechanics, having bungled the springs for a few minutes, was fain to give up the job and pass it into the hands of his neighbour. The latter was still more unsuccessful, for he tightened the eyelet hole into which, the [spring snaps, and caused the collar of the helmet to press upon the Royal nerves' in a most distressing and unpleasant manner, while his Majesty's nose, likewise being a. German, was.beginning to repent the restraint placed, upon its liberty by the delicate space pro- . vided by the armourer for the thin and narrow proboscis of Chas. VIII.; and altogether the position of the wearer of the helmet was beginning to be one of the post uncomfortable kind,when it was clearly perceived that more cleverness and aptitude for the arts was required to extricate his ( Majesty from the trap into which he had strayed. At the first proposition of sending for a i workman, with hammer and pincers, of course great indignation was excited; what was to be 1 done ? It was clear that his Majesty could not go back, to the Tuileries affable with the helmet of Charles VIII., ncr could he be seen jin Paris like a carnival masquerader; so need, j which makes brave men of us all, soon lent his I Majesty the courage to submit to the operation ; and a dexterous fellow from the atelier having, been-sent for, his Majesty was fain to lie in patient endurance while the brass screws 1 placed there by the Italian armourer to secure the royal head of Charles VIII. were removed to give relief to his Majesty Maximilian. Th© strictest secrecy was commanded to be observed concerning the adventure, and the journals were warned lest the story should get abroad, and expose the king to such ridicule as would necessarily fall upon his head, should it become known during his stay in Paris, where a ridicule of this sort is never forgiven, but sticks to a man, like his skin, for ever and ever." Business at Melbottbne.—The ' Herald * says facetiously that " the very essence of dulness appears to have been thickly studded over Melbourne, and neither flour, sugar, nor pickles, seem able to impart a zest to trade. On 'Change, small knots are seen in earnest converse, and the uninitiated might suppose that bargains and sales are being made. The real matters, however, are, among the older hands, the trying to answer the question,' When will things mend?'—and among the younger, 'Whether the tickets are going off for Friday's private theatricals, and who is invited to Mrs. • party ?' A few serious commercials, are, however, in deep converse upon the ' sixty days' hip by the banks, and trying to see how far the patronage of the Oriental, and of— Brothers drafts will modify the stern resolve of our bank parlours. Meantime amidst all this gloom and grumbling, the gold goes gaily to scale, the 2s. 6d. duty is nimbly paid, and remittances prove to be as large as ever. The share market, however, seems somewhat glum, and railroads begin to be looked upon as myths. Contractors, who have for some time been trying to get into a ' line,' find that they succeeded in a way they did not anticipate. Some of these who had begun to boast largely of their adopted country, refuse to ratify the bargain, • and talk of returning to their old mother. ' Unemployed,' parade our streets, crying for work, while tliose who have ifc like it* so little that they will devote but * short hours' to it— and thus, with all his hopes and aspirations, an emigrant has not yet become an angel. Still there a few of us left, who are not only content with past and present, but have a hearty belief in more good in store for us." ; Scottish Banks.—The City of Glasgow Bank, at its meeting just held, has declared a dividend of 7 per cent., and carried £12,000 to the reserve fund. The Westem«.Bank of Scotland at its meeting, also just held, has declared a dividend of 9 per cent., carrying a further sum to the credit of the rest which is stated to amount to £227,000. ' Cost of Pbinted Papees. — Tho total amount of the cost of reports and papers presented by command of her Majesty during the session of 1856, was £24,982. This ia^clusive of the cost of the large amount of ordered by the two Houses of Parliamisn^ofjobwork printing, and of all printed work hbt'laid. before Parliament.

":,■ . . THE ODD • iDOSIISriON. Virginia has ; boroe '"this SQiibriqaet almost from' time immemorial, ■and we have had the,' -curiosity to trace or. inquire into its origin. It grew- out of theloyahy of Virginia to Charles I, and Charles 11, and her-refusai -to recognize: ihe protectorate, of Cromwell. Duringthe «trug-j gh bstween Charles I. and sthe -Parliament, , Virginia,. under Sir William Berkley, as Go- j vernor, then containing 20,060 inhabitants, remained true to the King, and vthe colonists, by; a, 'solemn, act, declared " that -they were born sunder a monarchy, and would never degenerate from the condition of their birth by being sub-' ject to another . government. Jffter the monarch had been -beheaded; -•she acknowledged the authority -of the ; fugitive his son; and actually continued ifchetproviacial government, under a commission^ • which, the latter sent from his retreat at Breda, •'4o Sir William Berkley. The latter, according to Clarendon, was -s© assured of the loyalty of theinhabitants, and so/inapressed with confidence of, ultimate -success,"that he wrote to the young Prince, " almost inviting him to America." ' In consequence of'this open defiance of the powers of: Parliament, an act was passed declaring the refractory colonists notorious robbers and traitors, prohibiting all intercourse with them, either by the people of England, the inhabitants of: other American colonies, or foreign nations; and a fieet ■ was finally dispatched^ under Sir George &yscue,- to reduce them to submission, by force, if they should refuse to embrace the padfic overtures which a commission, accompanying the expedition, were authorized i-to propose. Froni Barbadoes, Captain Ayesue sent Captain Dennis with a small squadron, to land his forces and drive Sir William Berkley out of Virginia; as to whose proceedings, on the arrival of the fleet within the capes of Virginia, historians widely differ. Beverly, Oldmixan,'Burke and Graham assert that he made a great show of resistance, with the royalists, who eenstituted a majority of the population, assisted by the Dutch ships in the harbour; but Bancroft, •citing contemporary authorities of higkcvalue, -says that no sooner had the Guinea frigate enwithin the waters of the Chesapeake than ■{quoting from Clarendon,) " all thoughts of resistance were laid aside." : Bancroft further mentions, as chai*acteristic of Virginians, even at that early period, "that r^they refused to surrender to force, but yielded .■"by. a voluntary deed and mutual- compact." of surrender stipulated-for a complete as te all past offences, and f- that the Colonists, recognizing the authority, should be -admitted into -tae bosom of the English Commonwealth, and-into an equal participation in all the privileges of the free people of England —and, particularly, that the Provincial Assembly should retain its wonted functions, and the Colonists have as free trade as the people of 'England,l to .all places and all nations, and, ■"■ be free from all taxes, customs and impositions whatsoever, without the consent of their own Assembly " —thus early insisting on the principle that "taxation without representation is tyranny." Berkley, a true and loyal cavalier, -disdained to make any, stipulation for himself with those whom he regarded as usurpers; and . without leaving the Colony, in March, 1652, with'lrew to a retired situation, where, as a private individual, he continued to be universally respected and beloved, biding his time until a counter revolution in the mother-country should summon him once more to defy the republican forces, of England, and restore the ascendancy of royalty in Virginia. Iti the interval between 1652 and 1660, the burgesses of Virginia successively elected Richard Sennet, Edward Biggs,'and Samuel Matthews to the office .of.-. Governor,.under allegiance to Oliver Cromwell, and, on his death in 1858, to his son, Richard Cromwell. But on 4he death of Governor Matthews, iin 1660, the people, prompted by discontent with -certain commercial restrictions imposed by the Protectorate, did not wait for a new commission, but ►elected Sir William Berkley Governor, and by '"'an obliging (violence compelled him to aeeept zthe government.". He, however,; refused to act •under the usurpers, or to yield to the wishes of the colonists,, unless they would .uaite /with him 5n risking life and^fortune for the exiled King. "This," says Beverley, "'was their (dearest wish ; rand, therefore, with a unanimoss «voice, they told him they were ready to hazard all for the ■Kins.* 1... , -;..->;. : : , ;,: r .■ \. This occurred before: the King's return to •^England, and was the : result of signal and unexampled loyalty.; Berkley then acquiesced; in the choice of the people, and assumed the helm^ and, thereupon, he, forthwith "proclaimed; Charles 11, King of England; Scotland,lreland,; and Virginia," and caused, all process to ;be issued in the royal name. Thus,'his Majesty, was actually King in Virginia before he was King ia England—and hence has Virginia, ever since, borne the honourable title of "The Old Dominion." Ontfee restoration of Charles 11. to the-throne of,hie ancestors, he sent a commission to SirWilliam:Berkley, and granted:hiin' permission to visit England. ; He was received • by the King with kindness, and tradition, marr;ites; that the King, in compliment to' the Colony, wore at his coronation a robe made of': silk sent, from/Virginia. '.;•.. . '..'." ; The Massachusetts .Historical ;Bociety has in I its possession a .-coin having on one side " a head ■ and the words Geqrgius.ilX. ; Eex;'^and onjthe ; other side a shield, onl whiea are. quartered; the1 arms of England, Scotland*^lreland, and Yir- •: • • : gwia —the whole, surmounted by a crown, iand encircled with the words—"Virginia,, 1773." A similar coin was dug U p some years since in* Virginia, when a description of it was published," apooryphally ascribing to Charles 11.,'0n his as-' (Cension, to the throne, the quartering of the

coat of arms of Virginia, as an "independent member of the empire," with those of England, Scotland and Ireland, in token of gratitude for the loyalty of the colony. The loyalty of •" The Old Dominion," which once had a king for its source and object is now, (notwithstanding her ancient and still undiminished devotion to "compact," and indeed, in perfect keeping therewith), transferred to the Union in all its original brightness, purity and strength; and she is aboijt to render her identification with the Union "yet more complete, by accepting the guardianship, for the nation's homage, of the Mecca,of America, the tomb of Washing-ton.-—Charleston Courier* . , j '■'. A" Woman Subsisting foe a Week ttp'onj Wateb'.—On Thursday, July 16th, a woman, 'named' Mary Nasebjj was discovered by one of the servants of John Crossly, Esq., in a little dark hole, connected with Mr. Crossly's residence, Manor-heath, Halifax. The poor woman presented a sad shrunken and emaciated appearance. When somewhat restoi'ed, she told the following tale:—Ten years ago she was married in Manchester to an itinerant violinist, and, until his death, in February last, at Halifax, she had travelled with him about the country, singing to the strains of his violin. Since her husband's death, she had been compelled to go alone, singing at public-houses. Her earnings were, however, so small that they were insufficient for her subsistence, and at last she crawled into the place in which she was found, to end her existence. She had been there a week and a day, and during that time she had not tasted of anything but water. She had no friends or relatives, and thought to die, but could not. She was conveyed to the workhouse. It is stated, and has been confirmed by a communication made to us within the last few days by a friend of the family, that during his late illness, which terminated fatally, the Rev. G. C. Gorham. " sought reconciliation ,with the Bishop of Exeter, and the most kind, friendly, and Christian letters passed between them." There is no truth in the statement that the deceased gentleman protested against reconciliation with his parishoners.-—JEretfer Gazette.