ENGLISH NEWS TO AUGUST 16.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 627, 10 November 1858, Page 3

ENGLISH NEWS TO AUGUST 16.

Jhe r steamer- Queen 'arrived from Otago on Sunday,after'nbo/i, bringing us English news via jMelbour v ne J to' August IG. To the", kindness,,of "Captain'"Wilson we are indebted-forties of tjie.Melbourne journals and one or two" English papers of late dates. From ( these sources we have drawn'largely,.'as will be seen from the following.resume";of interesting events, to make,-room for vrhich we have considerably enlarged pur'present publication. GENERAL, SUMMARY^

In the political as in the physical world, the >storm is succeeded by a calm. The passage of the India. Bill, and the close of ft session marked by peculiar features of change and disturbance, have been followed by a blank. London, suddenly emptied of its fashionable crowds, has aiready a deserted air. The events of'the hour harmonise with

the'flatness of London. The visit of the Queen- to Cherbourg is the principal item of our current gossip, for, notwithstanding the sinister apprehensions and dark forebodings of some;of our journals, that ought to know better, it does not aspire to the; dignity of apolitical mystery. The | visit is now over," the Queen has returned safety to Osborne, and, if the words of the Emperor are entitled to' credit, the whole affair may be regarded as an incident which1 places the alliance between the two countries 'an a firmer basis' than ever. It is not easy to see what other object than that of drawing France and England more closely together the Emperor could have had in inviting her Majesty to witness his naval fg.tes; at all events, it is certain that the effect has been to produce on both ; sides of the channel a much better under- i standing than existed previously. The alliance may be congratulated on the fact that the feeling of suspicion and distrust has exploded, and that a more just and rational sentiment has taken possession of the public mind. Or hardly less interest was a scene which took place- on Southsea Common, the day'before the Queen set sail for Cherr l)ourg ; when her Majesty distributed twelve; Victoria Crosses, as. rewards for' ( special ,acts of' valor performed "in India and-the Crimea. The weather,'as usually happens when the Queen goes forth on such occasions, was exquisitely bright, and the myriads of spectators that covered the high ground on three, sides of the Common, while the ceremony was going forward, were .'bathed in sunshine. On the fourth side Lord Lyon's fleet lay in a double line, with their yards manned. The spectacle was indescribably fine. Having noted these Court pageants as first in order of precedence, we turn to an accomplished fact, the importance of which cannot be over estimated. On the sth of August, a day that will be famous to the end of time, in the history of scientific and1 social progress, the telegraphic cable was successfully laid between the coasts of America and Great Britain. The necessary apparatus for transmitting messsges is in course of erection at each extremity,

and in ' a few days a conversation may be carried 6n with as iniich ease between one pefs6h;in: ValehtiaV and! another in Newfoundland, as if they were'sitting1 in the same aparjtment.; ETunian intelligence cannot at once grasp the magnitude, pr comprehend the: vast utility of this remarkable1 feat. .Nor : does it end here. The establishment of;aI-wireacross the Atlantic is only'the cothme^cement of a system of cpmttittticktiqii which must ultimately embracei ; ttie^remotest bounds 6f civilization. New York'an3' Lonclon must be brought within distance; and whereyer the requirements: of commerce, or the inter.ests of Governments, demand similar facilities';: the capitals and seaports of all kingdtfmsr entering into the common pact of improvement must be drawn together in lilce manner. Theprelimmary.4iflficulty, whioh many persons considered insuperable/Kas been I'mexpectedlyj and with extraftrdihary celerity, completely overcome. The is safely laid," ancl the practicabjHty pjf mditttaming' electric; cohimutiicatipri|; fvqm[ shore |tb, shore is fully1 piroyed. It is the,opinion of experienced nion, wh^e judgment in mck mattevs;..is enjtitleiEl toattetttiorijj that the formei* cable was "not broken-, by a .stram in the '■ act of paying out aa is supjibaed, and; ttiat its failurejs^ttf 'he ''ascribed;to a more dangerous; ene^y!than fenijjosti, 'currents." Thoir impression Js ; that,,jt-was .bitten into, by a shark.»This, opinion was carefully suppressed at 4he time, 'Jeat it might damp the ardour which1 iib wfts w desirable to encourage,

with, a view to further operations; but now that the cable has been successfully laid, we do not see the advantage of concealing it, especially as ifc points to a risk which has not hitherto been considered, and against which it may become impera,tive upon us to devise some protection. We may add, as being intimately connected with the extension of electric communication that nearly at the same time when the Atlantic cable was securely deposited, a submarine telegraph between England and the Channel Islands, and that regular messages are now established between Southampton and Alderney.