Misscellaneous.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 645, 12 January 1859, Page 5

Misscellaneous.

Skirmishing,—-In the. absence of any definite information respecting tlie strength of the enemy's infantry, or the position they occupied, or even the locality itself, the Commander-in-Chief was naturally averse to engage his choice troops in any precipitate, attack upon the town; indeed, so-little did lie know of the position of-the place .that he ordered up the iqortars and heavy field battery to bombard what he thought was the town, but what in reality was an outlying suburb nearly two miles distant. Some companies of a Punjab regiment were now sent forward to explore the ruined mass of onestoried houses in front of our lines; the 42nd Kegiment, divided into, two wings, the left somewhat retired, moved up in support, while the 79th covered their left at some distance. As soon as the. Sikhs got into, the houses they were exposed to :a heavy fire from a large body'of matchlock men concealed around them. They either retired of their own accord, or were ordered to do so; at all events they fell back with rapidity and disorder upon the advancing Highlanders. And now occurred a most extraordinary scene. Among the matchlock men who to the number of 700 or 800. were lying behind the walls of the houses was a body of Ghazees or Mussulman fanatics, who, like the Roman Dccii, devote their lives with solemn oaths to their country or their faith. Uttering loud cries, " Bisniillah, Allah, deen deen !" 130 of these fanatics, sword in hand, with small circular bucklers on the left arm, and green cummerbungs, rushed out after the Sikhs, and dashed at the left of the right wing of the Highlanders. With bodies bent and heads low, waving their tulwars with a circular motion in the air, they came on with astonishing rapidity. At first they were mistaken for Sikhs, whose passage had already somewhat disordered our ranks. Fortunately, Sir Colin Campbell was close up with the 42d; his keen quick eye detected the.case at once. "Steady men, steady; close up the ranks. Bayonet them as they come on." It was just in time, for these madmen, furious with bang, were already among us, and a body of them sweeping around the left of the right wing, got into the rear of tlie regiment. The struggle was sanguinary but short. Three of them dashed so suddenly at Colonel Cameron that they pulled him of his horse ere he could defend himself. His sword fell out of its sheath, and he would have been hacked to pieces iir another moment but for the gallant prompit'ude of Colour-Sergeant Gardiner who, stepping out of the ranks, drove liis bayonet through two of them in the twinkling of an eye. The third was shot by one of the 42d. Brigadier Wai pole had a similar escape; he was seized by two or three of the Ghazees, who sought to pull him off his horse, while others cut at him with their tulwars. He receivod two cuts on the hand, but he was delivered from the enoiny by tho quick bayonets of the 42d. In a few minutes tho dead bodies of 133 of those Ghazees, and some 18 or 20 wounded men of ours, were all the tokens left of the struggle. About the same time, however, the enemy's cavalry, issuing inconsiderable numbers on our left, made a charge across the plain, which created a ' panic among the sick and camp followers. They swept across as though they intended to make a dash at our baggage, cutting up as they went somo of our camel drivers and bazaar people; but they were soon oheokod by tho fire of,our guns, and they retired hastily the moment our cavalry approached thorn. Tho panic, however, of which I havo given you a personal

experience elsowhoro, was .tremendous. Such a stampedo '' of animalß—'of elephants; bullocks \ camels and Howes rushing across tho plain-^-HUcli wild cries of distress from thousands 61 voices— such dust and confusion, exceeded all that any one can conceive who has not witnessed a similar scene among tho followers of an Indian army. This was bad enough; but very soon after a second alarm was caused by a smaller body of Sowars; which produced a panic greater, if possibly than the first. However, there was, in reality, no cause of apprehension from tho enemy's cavulry, for they were neither enterprising nor persevering. Our line continued to advance, and the enemy melted away from tho suburbs before us, but it was believed they were concentrating upon some point in the town. It was not deemed advisable to throw the troops in their exhausted state into a series of street fights. The heat was intense; no less than eight men fell dead in tho course of the d.iy from sun-stroke in the ranks; It was impossible to quench the burning thirst, and, therefore, towards evening, Sir Colin resolved to give the men some respite; so, securing the cantonments and posts in advance, he halted the whole force, which bivouacked on the tentless plain for the night.— Russell's Letters.

After a fierce opposition from Mr. Phillip Muntz and Mr. Joseph Sturge,.the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has reß.olved ; to petition Government for a Parliamentary' inquiry; into the advantages that would result from tho possession'of \ Sarawak, and how far'we could take it "in equity to Sir James Brooke, and the Sultan and natives oif

Borneo."

The state of the law with regard to the coining of foreign money has attracted .notice *in conseqnenceof the plots to inundate Turkey with base moneys. At the ■ opening of the Birmingham Sessions, Mr. Recorder Hill-said he should confine his observations to one case, that of Calvocoressi, charged with fabricating spurious coins. "To counterfeit the coin of this realm was, by the great and venerable statue of Edward 111., no leas an offence than high treason (now reduced to felony,) the prerogative of the Mint being thus carefully guarded, because of fche immense importance to the public of a genuine currency, the metal of standard fineness, arid the. weight, fully 1" equals to that prescribed.,, Nor, even, were the. counterfeit as good in these respects as the genuine coin itself, would the coiner escape the penalties of the law] whatever mitigation of them he might be held up to deserve by reason of this, equality. Neither is such a rule inconsistent with justice. For to throw open the manufacture of coin would be to insure its deteriora^ tion. It would furnish an excuse for the possession of coining -irripiemen ta,, at present unlawful, which if employed today for the production of money of' the same value as that' of the Mint, might, and most assuredly would, be used to-mor-row by a horde of> fabricators- to pour into circulation a flood of those base tokens which even now, notwithstanding all checks, are but too readily circulated through : the country, \ and especially among the humbler classes*; who can but ill afford the losses imposed- upon them - by- this nefarious Waffle. Gentlemen, the protection which has thus been-thrown around, ourselves and 'our fellowsubjects, has not been altogether withheld from other nations, although our law does not think fit to guard the interests of the foreigner withthe same jealousy as those 6f its own people. The defendant is accused of having violated the provisions- of the .statute of Geo. lit., by which his alleged offence is nude a misdemeanour, punishable with a year's imprisonment. In cases of/felony, which form the bulk of such" as are. brought under the notice ,of Grand Juries, difficulties now arid then arise which have no, place :in , misdemeanours. Felons are classed as principals or assessories, and the distinction between these two classes sbhietimes runs into refinements not easy of application. In " misiieameanoursf however^—-aIK-pfe(r6oiis-:\vhd~-talie any part in the criminal act are guilty in the eye of the law as principals. So here, a irierchant who should order false coins, a master manufacturer, who should employ his workmen in their fabrication, and the workmen themselves would all be within the penalties of the statute, as soon as the offence thus perpetrated in concert is complete. And gentlemen, as I have already stated with regaid to English moneys every foreign coin is false and counterfeit, however unobjectionable it may be in other respects, unless it has been struck by virtue of an .authority furnished to the master by the sovereign power of the state whose emblem and subscription it bears. And finally, gentlemen, it is for the accused to show the possession of such delegated authority, and not for the prosecutor to disapprove that fact." Calvocoressi, having prayed to be. tried by a mixed jury, and no foreigners having been summoned, his trial was postponed until next sessions. Moss was tried and found guilty of conspiracy, but recommended to mercy on the ground of his previous good character. Sentence deferred. We understand thai after the 9th of November next, the Prince of Wales's seventeenth birthday, Mr. F. W. Gibbs, C.8.,-will retire from the office of tutor to his Royal Highness, which he has held since February, 1852, and that Colonel the Hon. Robert Bruce will be appointed governor to his Eoyal Highness. The Rev. C. Tarver will act as chaplain and director of the Prince's studies. The future equerries to his Royal Highness will probably be appointed at the same time. We understand that they are Major Lindsay, Scots Fusileer Guards; Major Teesdalfi, C.8., Royal Artillery; and Captain G. Grey, Rifle Brigade; aud an extra equerry, Lord Valletort.— Morn. Papers, Oct. 11.

: ; The Rev. Alfred Poole, whose opinions on the subject of the confessional have lately made his name familiar to the public, has been appointed to a mastership in the Grammar School at Harlow, Essex. A few days since, when the rey. gentleman was occupying the reading desk at evening service in the church, a lad came to the door and flung a stone at him, but the missile fell on the. organ blower. The police were called in, but the urchin had made off.

Murder and suicide of a terrible character has taken place ah Eorton, near Garstang. Robert Bond, a youth of some ability, who at twenty-five had visited all quarters of the globe, fell in love with Mary Hannah Wainman, who resided with her brothers in an adjoining house. Bond's advances were not successful. As he was habitually under the influence of brandy he excited great alarm.- Miss Wainmari's. brother took away a loaded gun from Bond's house. He asked for it, and significantly said he had another. So it proved. Standing at the door of his father's house, he shot Miss. Wainman dead as she appeared at the door of her brother's house, and going indoors, he reloaded his gun and blew the top of his" head off. A jury has found that he acted under the influence of temporary insanity. •* '

A similar crime has been committed nearßotherliam. John Taylor VVhitworth, in a fit of jealousy cut the throat of Sarah Hare, a young girl of eighteen. Before she died, the girl made a statement. From it it appears the lovers quarrelled about a young man. _ Whitworth proposed that both should take posion ; the girl refused 5 Whitworth then throw her down and cut her throat, but she resisted, knocked him over, and ran away, She died of the wound. Whitwovth tells a different story. She would have his knife j that he would not give it np; and that in the struggle the knife entered the girl's neck. Ho has been committod for trial.

Slioovnofis has boon in a state of-turmoil, in consequence of the turbulence of the North Cork

ItifleH, Ariimatedijy'feelirigs"of¥rijniiy to'ai'ffleamen and raarines,ihese fellowswent-about assailing all they, met,, and evenpursuing them into private houses. Pickets sent to arrest the rioters took their part and drdveofF^the police.;, This state of things lasted from Thursday week to Monday. The only, control applied has been the police! The Newcastle papers.have published a series of questions addressed by the French Consul of that town to the Agricultural Societies of the Northern counties. The French Government desires to know the effect of free-trade upon agriculture—a significant proceeding—and thus M. Ma^ne/the Minister of Agriculture, has directed the French officers in this country to obtain replies to these searching queries.

"1. Whether the breadth of land devoted to the culture of grain has been extended or diminished. "2. In the event of the same having been diminished, whether the extension of drainage has not had the effect of-compensating-in "a certain proportion for the diminution of breadth under cultivation, in increasing tbe.quantity of fhe produce. "3. What has been the effect 6f the repeal of the corn laws oh agriculture in England F "4. Since the period of that repeal, has the prodriceof the soiKexperience'cl increase or diminution? "5. Has the rotation of crops been changed and in what manner? - '

"6. Has the rent of the land risen or fallen ? '; 7. Has the .income of those, who cultivate their own land increased or diminished ?

" 8r Give the same information with respect to those who occupy/their land as tenants, that is to say as farmers. In the examples given state also what are the most useful conditions of leasing, and what.is the usual,term of the lease ?

. ".?'. ah • t^ie> selling pricb. of land; in«ereased or diminished? r ' : ;

" 10; What has been the influence of recent legislation on the consumption of bread and on that of butcher meat ?"

The Weathek.—When you wish to know what the weather is to be, go;out.and select the smallest cloud you see, keep your eye upon it; and if it decreases and disappears, it shows a state of the air that it ia sure to be followed by fair weather; but if it increases in size, you may, as well take your great coat with you if you are going from home, for falling weather will not be far .off. .The reason Is this: when the air is becoming charged with electricity, you will see every cloud attracting all less ones towards it, till it gathers into a shower; and on the. contrary, when the fluid is passing off or diffusing itself, even a large: cloud will be seea breaking to'pieces and dissolving; . t ßaron Mtinchausen not so' Bad as .he is Called.—Baron Munchausen is at Nice! My father met him at a pic-nic the other day, and heard from him the true:history of. his celebrated namesake. One of his ancestors had a chaplain who was famous for " drawing^ longbow"—told, in fact, the most false and- extravagant stories. His patron, the baron of those days, wrote a'book out-Hefoding Herod, being a collection of still tnore marvellous adventures, for the purpose of shaming the priest; for which • laudable design he was .punished by having his own name .held up-to posterity as the story-teller par ■ excellence /.r— Miss Brewster's Letters front Cannes gind Nice.

Getting More than they Baegained for. '"-—M. Poiteviri, the well-known French" aeronaut, has lately been making balloon ascjents at Seville. A shoi-t time back he "offered to, the public ascents in what he called "serial- pleasure grains," that is, .in balloons secured by ropes. The first ascents went off very well, and he had nu.nerous appliraits for others. In one of them which came off a "few days ago "the rope which' had the balloon broke,; and the balloon shot rapidly up. The persons,■who accompanied-Poitevin were' 7 so? terrified at> finding theuselves loose in'the realms of space that.they;.threatened to throw him out of the car. With_some difficulty, however, he succeeded in pacifying them, and brought them down safely. A man fell on the night of the 4th of October head foremost from the gallery into the pit of the Surrey Theatre. He was rather intoxicated and had lost his balance while going to take his seat. The pit was fortunately not filled.' The poor fellow's skull struck upon one of the seats and was forced in: He died shortly afterwards.