LATEST MISCELLANEOUS.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 40, 6 October 1860, Page 4

LATEST MISCELLANEOUS.

[From the Correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald.} Austria and Prussia have come to an understanding about the reorganization of the military constitution of the confederation. England has abandoned her sovereignty over Bay Islands and Honduras.

A curious experiment is about to be tried at Toulon. The steel-plated frigate Gloire is to be impelled by steam to see if she cannot cut down the Montebello, a ship of the line, with her bronze bow. If successful, large steam vessels of a similar kind will be built. Prince Alfred is expected to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope. There is some talk of a marriage between Prince Louis of Hesse, nephew and lieir-pre-sumptive of the Grand Duke of Hesse, and the Princess Alice of England. An Order in Council declares that in the event of hostilities with China, the flag of any neutral power shall cover the enemy’s goods, except contraband of war. The 3000 French Orpheonists gave their entertainment at the Crystal Palace on the 25th, 26th, 28th, and 30th June. Their success has been very great. Lord John Russell announced to the Commons, on the sth July, that the President of the United States had, in consequence of the violent proceedings of General Harney, on the Island of San Juan, ordered his rccal, and matters were to be restored to the state General Scott left them. Lord Palmerston moved, the same night, a series of resolutions in reference to the recent rejection by the House of Lords, of the Paper Duty Reform Bill. They declare that the right of granting aids and supplies to the Crown is in the Commons alone—that the exercise by the Lords of their power of rejecting bills relating to taxation is regarded by the Commons with jealousy —and that, to guard, for the future, against an undue exercise of that power, the Commons have in their own hands the power so to impose and remit taxes, and to frame bills of supply, that their right as to the matter, manner, measure, and time, may be inviolate. The Emperor is said to be in favour of the Pope retiring to the Island of Sardinia. The treaty to arrange the boundaries between France and Sardinia has been signed at Paris. The French Government has signified to the Powers its readiness to accept one of three modes of settling its differences with Switzerland. England and Russia have signified their adhesion to a conference, and the same has been duly notified to Switzerland, with an intimation of the firm intention of England to support the right of Switzerland to new guarantees for the maintenance of her neutrality. The whole of the leading members of the press of Paris have been loud in their praises of the British reception of the Orpheonists, who have been received throughout with cordiality.' The question of annexation to Piedmont is to be taken by universal suffrage, in Sicily, of the people and army. The Emperor of Morocco has paid one instalment of the indemnity to Spain. The grand rifle match of the volunteers commenced on the 2nd July. The Queen hit the bull’s eye, and scored three. She used a Whitworth ; the practice continued daily .all the week. The winner of the Queen’s prize was a youth of the name of Mr. Ross, a Scotchman. The National Association for the Promotion of Social Science has established a society, for promoting the employment of women. Printing, bookkeeping, law engrossing, designing, &c., are among those advocated and shown to be applicable. Many of the Neapolotan forces are going over to Garibaldi, including the steam corvette Veloce, of six guns. The Austrian Government is undertaking gigantic works in order to render the Quadrilateral impregnable. There is an entire regiment of engineers at work at Verona, which, with Venice, and Mantua, has received a large addition of heavy guns and heavy artillery. New gunboats have been placed on the Po and the Lake of Garda. The Neapolitan army at Messina is weakened by desertions. Colonel Medici, Garibaldi’s lieutenant, has reconnoitred the heights of Messina and Melazzo, and waits for reinforcements. The Emperor of the French has authorised the formation of a national rifle association similar to that of England. The German sovereigns have renounced their intention of holding special conferences at Baden. The Emperor of Russia is bent on important reforms. For the future, magisterial investigation in all the forty-four Governments of the empire will no longer be conducted by the police but transferred to the Ministry of Justice. The accounts from America report the departure of the Japanese Ambassadors, June 30th, in the United States frigate Niagara. Mr. Douglass had formally accepted his nomination for the Presidentship. The Great Eastern had arrived on 28th June, after a passage ef eleven and a half days, an immense crowd assembled to see her, and great enthusiasm was exhibited. The greatest distance run on one day was 333 miles, the shortest 254 miles, and the greatest speed attained fourteen and a half-knots per hour. The Government has calmed the apprehensions entertained on the receipt of news of the native insurrections at New Zealand. There have been fresh failures in the leather trade-in all about thirty large houses, with liabilities ranging from £20,000 to £200,000, besides Streatficlds of 1,000,000, with eighty or ninety small people in town and country. The total aggregate liabilities are estimated at nearly £3,000,000. The price of butchers’ meat has become so hi<rh that the labouring classes in town and country are holding meetings and pledging themselves to abstain from butchers’ meat until the price is reduced to a reasonable limit. The mortality ainomg sheep and cattle has been very great, and fodder of all kinds is scarce and very dear. The principal topics in the Parliamentary debate the past week (July 21) have been: —In the Lords, the Marquis of Olanricarde, in moving for papers referring to the frontiers of Savoy, said that the international law of Europe had been violated by the annexation of Savoy to France. Lord Wodehouse, in reply, said, “it was the intention of the Government, at the approaching conference, to support the independence of Switzerland ; that it would not be expedient to call upon France to disclaim further aggression.” The additional votes in aid of the expenditure for the Chinese war is £2,236,000, which has been voted, and will be provided by an addition to the spirit duty of Is. lid. per gallon, and the balance from out of the Exchequer. The presentations of the National Rifle Association prizes took place at the Crystal Palace. The Rev. Bryan King has signified his intention to exchange his living of St. Cteorge’s-in-the-East for one near Colchester, which will put an end to the riots in the parish. In the House of Commons, Lord Palmerston, on the subject of the National Fortifications, said that the Government purposed slightly modifying the proposition of the Commissioners, and that the amount to lie devoted would be

£9,000,000, instead of nearly £12,000,000. The great point of his lordship’s speech was an allusion to the attitude of France, with its army of upwards of 600,000 men. “An army far greater Ilian required for the purposes of defence.” The enormous development of the French naval force is not repuired for her defence. He pointed out the dangers of an attack from France, and how ill prepared we are. The Gonstitutionncl has an article this week of much signification. It states that there are treacherous parties of the old regime plotting against the Emperor, who are endeavouring to sow mistrust between France and England, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, and Italy, by attributing false designs to the Emperor.. At the same time appears a pamphlet entitled “ La Politique Anglaise.” the object of which is to show that if the policy of England, from hatred to France, inclines her to rely on Germany, she commits a grievous error, and considers it apiece of folly for England to be always dreaming of invasion from France. The dividend of the Scottish Australian Association is at the rate of ten per cent, per annum. The aggregate profit for the half-year is £10,855. The Union Bank of Australia held its meeting on the 16th July, when a dividend of seven per cent for the half-year was declared. 'The debate on the New Zealand Bill, on the 3rd July, was briefly as follows: —The Duke of Newcastle, in moving the second reading of this bill, said it did not arise out of the disturbances which took place in the colony of New Zealand, although lie believed the passing of the measure would tend to put an end to those disputes, which were so much to be regretted. The southern part of the island was practically in possession of the English settlers, and the number of acres which they held was 7,000,000. The natives possessed 26,000,000 acres, a great part of which was utterly valueless and unavailable in their hands. Now the settlers on the one hand felt straitened for the want of more land, and the natives on the other band were jealous of their independence, and were afraid that they were to be absorbed. He believed that the claims of both parties might be reconciled by the establishment of an independent council, to be composed of not less than three or more than seven members, for the transference of those lands which the natives were willing to dispose of. By the Constitution Act, which passed seven or eight years ago, the natives could only deal with the Crown in this matter, and up to the presenttime there existed no machinery by which the lands could be transferred. The object of the present bill was to provide such machinery, and he believed it would give satisfaction to all parties. —Lord Lyttelton believed that the object of the hill was a good one, but he still looked upon it with apprehension, as lie thought the General Assembly of New Zealand would be apt to look with jealousy on the new council. He thought the feeling of the General Assembly ought to be consulted on the measure.—The Duke of Newcastle said the bill had been introduced with the concurrence of the Colonial Governor, and lie had every reason to believe that it would not be distasteful to the colonists. —The bill was then read a second time. Lord Clyde, lately Commander-m-Cbief of the Indian army, has returned home. The arctic steamer Fox is about to proceed on a surveying expedition to Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador, to determine the practicability of a telegraphic line between England and America, via the North Atlantic. The silk weavers of Coventry have refused to accept any reduction in the prices rendered necessary by the increased competition with France, and arc out on strike to the number of 10,000 or more. The manufacturers declare their resolution to overcome all competition by better and improved machinery, if the bands will but help to do their part. The Eastern Question, as it at present stands, does not appear to be susceptible of dividing Europe, but, on the contrary, of uniting the European Powers for the defence of interests and principles which impose the same obligations on all the Christian States. Garibaldi has left Sicily with 8,000 to 10,000 men, but his destination was unknown. It is supposed lie meditates a landing on the continent, when a general rising of the Neapolitans will take place. The King of Naples has sent ambassadors to the King of Sardinia to effect a compromise to this extent, that be will accept the result of universal suffrage in Sicily, provided the Western Powers guarantee the integrity of his dominions on the mainland, and prevent Garibaldi from effecting a landing there. This shows how great is the fright of the King, and how ready lie is to give way to secure himself. The Emperor of Austria and the Prince Regent of Prussia met at Toplitz. The Princess Frederick William (the English Princess Royal) has been confined of a daughter. A general meeting of the proprietors of the Australian Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company was held 29th June, when a formal resolution dissolving the company was passed, and out of the remaining assets ss. 9d. per share will be returned to them. The arrangements come to about the AngloFrench interference in the affairs of the East, is that France is to supply the land forces, and England the sea force, for the coast of Syria. The Turkish Government has become in a state of trepidation, while the Druses, &c., are in a state of fear, and in the hopc-s of preventing any active interference of the Western Powers have concocted a “ Treaty of Peace,” as if this would stay either France or England in preventing their having the power ever to perpetrate such massacres as they have been guilty of.