FOUR DAYS' LATER ENGLISH NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 633, 1 December 1858, Page 5

FOUR DAYS' LATER ENGLISH NEWS.

By way of Melbourne and Sydney we have news from England to the 20th of August, brought to Melbourne by the White Star from Liverpool. The news is very unimportant, and the following paragraphs selected from thepapers contain all the important items.

SUMMARY. (Prom the ' Liverpool Post.') Lord Palmerston has been engaged this week in visiting his tenantry in Sligo. He has granted a site for a Catholic chapel at Cliffony, and subscribed £4sO towards the erection of the same. He has also granted a site for a schoolhouse. On Monday his lordship visited the town of Sligo for the first time. On that occasion an impromptu address was got up by the Harbour Commissioners, including also the members of the Corporation, and presented to the noble lord. The address stated that men of different political opinions united in expressing their high admiration of the public and private character of the noble, lord; that ha had* responded to the call of the nation to guide its affairs at a most critical period of ita history, and that by indomitable energy and consummate ability he had conducted the arduous struggle to a successful issue, maintaining in its integrity the honour, dignity, and independence of our country. The address also contained an allusion to the progress of that district of Ireland, and to the considerable improvements which had boen made in Sligo harbour unaided by any public grant. Lord Palmerston, after returning thanks, said — " I was cortuinly enllod hy our Sovoruign to fovm a government inulor grout diftu'ulty, at n moment wlmn other persons, who Uiul bi'foro tl-iU timo ln;on tho h>md.s of Ail. minitHnUKMH. from vuriou* reasons >UcliuDil, or wore unuhlo to form un AdmiuUtruiion. I full thut, ari'optiim «m!t>r tluwu i-kfuinntunoiu; tho chargo which my Sovuroigu wtix graciously jiluusod to imposo npon mo, I should bu mtppor tod by tlio gouorous coiilUlu.uhi of tho country. I cutU'il to act alouß with m« oolli'ujiuos of ability and lim'jitity, in whom I hud pi-rfiH-t rontldtmeo, uiid I tun rliul to way tt<ut wo wt-rt) uhlo to bring to 11 stnvexiiful tonnimitum tho arduous wur in whirh wn finiml th« country involved—(ho urduouH, jiikt, and mn-vNiury wur. It wus uuuniinounly uuriHid to l»y tho country, unit, neting iv co-oju>rutUm with tho union of our Sovereign, \v« micvvotUiil iv biiugiug thtu

war to a sttcceftgful and honourable termination. We unc eeeded in obtaining from oar enemy a peace entirely »ati»factory, and on conditions which no xnan wonld have deemed possible two (ear* before that peace ■wa^coiielndpr], We succeeded in the very diflicnlt negotiations which followed the conclusion of that peace in leading oor opponent to a faithful fulfilment of all iW conditions; and 1 need not aware you that that was a task requiring peraeverom-o. When that ta*U was concluded there came upon urn that npbeav.ng in India, which has attracted the attention of tin? Whole nation from,thai time to this. We used every method to nend.to our countrymen there the military, and iiavnl resources which h&ve enabled them to snppress the rebellion and establish the authority of Great Britain. We proposed to Parliament, much against the forebodings of many, who thought our measure would not be carried, a bill transferring to the Crown the Government of those provinces—a measure, in my opinion, indispensably necessary as a foundation, for the future improvement and stability of oar empire in India. That measure was taken up by om successors, with sOme alterations, -which I need not adven to, more or legg in accordance with its principles, and hsis passed into law, and will ensure stability in our Inilian empire."

Captain W. H. Magan, the member for the county of Westmeath, has this week appeared at the Bristol assizes to answeu a claim made against him by a young lady of great personal attractions for breach of promise of marriage. The plaintiff, Miss Ellen Miles, is daughter of Mr. William Miles, of Sherborne,.a fishmonger, and the damages were laid at £10,000. The correspondence -was so voluminous that for the convenience of Court and jury it had been printed, and the gossips were in great expectation of a rich treat. They were, ho\vever s doomed to disappointment, for, when the case was called on, the counsel for the plaintiff announced that the matter in dispute had been arranged, entirely to the satisfaction of both parties. The counsel for the defendant stated that he was instructed to say, on the part of Captain Magan, that .there was not the slightest imputation on the character of Miss Miles as regarded her purity and virtue; and the learned gentleman further added that if the conduct of his client had been investigated it would have been found equally free from blame. However that might be, it is understood that the gallant captain consented to pay £2000 and costs—a part of the*terms of settlement being that all original letters between the parties should be returned on both sides, aud all printed copies of the correspondence be destroj-ed.

In the year 1856, the Mayor of Rochester, a Tory, struck 700 votes off the burgess roll. Legal proceedings were taken to enforce on the Mayor of 1857 a fresh revision of the burgess roll. After much legal warfare the Liberals were successful in obtaining judgment against the ex-mayor, who has now to pay a penalt}' for his conduct, in the shape of a heavy bill of costs. On Wednesday last, the Liberals celebrated their legal triumph by a splendid banquet, in a marquee erected for the occasion. Sergeant Kinglake and Mr. P. W. Martin, the members for the borough, were present, and the proceedings were characterised throughout by much good feeling. Mr. Joseph Lock, M.P. "for -Honiton, who has been for some time engaged as principal 'engineer on the railway between jwU!«ii,.oiumi—direcf^voni T?rance to lay the foundation stone of some new." Catholic schools at Barnsley. In his after-dinner speech he made some interesting observations with regard to Cherbourg and its relation to England. He said : — Having known Franca for the last 20 y<?are, and being wrll acquainted with the port of Cherbourg, winch her Majesty had just visited, he thought that they would consider he was well fitted/© give an opinion with regard to that, and it* relation with regard to this country.- Public fe3ling in France could not. be gathered from the tone of the Freuch Press ; for, in fact, there might be said to be no. such thine as a French Press, as it was entirely and coxa' j pletely under (he control of the 'Government. Sri 1, to those acquainted with France, it was well knovra th«,t there was a feeling against Englishmen and English institutions entertained by the French people, and this might be seen striking out in various ways. The great work of forming the important po.t of Cherbourg, with all its adjuncts, had been completed after great labour and time had been expended on- it, and the event was of a national character. He believed that the preseuc Emperor had not the slightest intention of wishing Cherbourg to be lookod upon as a menace to England i still he must be a foolish man indeed who could not see tiiat Cherbours, placed in the hands of an ambition!) ruler, would be a Very powerful weapon The question was, wore the Emperor's intentions good or bad? If he meant war, in Cherbourg he had a most powerful weapon. But believing that Louis Napoleon meant peace, they in that case had nothing to fear. S;ill, as lone as human nature remained as it was, England could not see the establishment of so great a work, evidently iuteuded fora warlike purpose, without at once taking sleps to place the country in a position to counteract its probable effects. As he had before said, nobody knew what the French opinion really was. and a time might como when the Emperor himself would not be able to control the exuberance of feeling of his people ; so that it was the duty of Euglnnd to see that everything: was <:one to place the country in such » state as to bo able to met anything that might occur.