ENGLISH INTELLIGENCE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 30, 1 October 1842, Page 119

ENGLISH INTELLIGENCE.

By the Royal William, from Wellington, we have received English papers brought by the Nelson, a few days' later date than those brought by the Sir Charles Forbes. The Nelson left the Downs on the 15th of May. We subjoin a few extracts : — The French papers are full of letters and accounts vilifying and misrepresenting the conduct of the English off the Senegal coast. Captain Coustan, of the Schenes, says, that whilst he was on the Gambia, in February last, an English vessel of 500 tons embarked five hundred free Negroes. The small space allotted for so many allows the French to assimilate this to the slave-trade. ' A public meeting of the electors of the City of London had been held to consider the necessity of calling a Common Hall to demand the resignation of Lord John Russell, on account of his " factious opposition" to the measures of Sir Robert Peel, delaying the progress of the new Tariff. The accounts given by the Whig and Tory reports are of the most opposite kind, each party claiming the victory. The Chartists had a " grand demonstration on the 2d of May, in carrying up their petition to the House of Commons. They met in various districts early in the morning, and at twelve o'clock came the rendezvous in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields. The petition, containing 3,315,752 signatures, was borne on the shoulders of sixteen able-bodied men, followed by fifty thousand person bearing banners inscribed with various mottoes. On reaching the House of Commons, it was found there was no door sufficiently large to admit the petition, and it had consequently to be torn up and taken in piecemeal. The vast concomrse of people quietly dispersed. The neighbourhood of Dudley, in Worcestershire, has been the scene of a serious riot, caused by some nailers resisting a reduction of wages. The masters subsequently offered to accept the workmen's scale of wages, subject to a reduction of 10 per cent. These terms were rejected. Great confusion prevailed at Hawarden, North Wales, 'caused by the introduction of some new machinery for the better clearing of coal from " small slack." The workmen struck for higher wages, and induced the men employed in other mines to do the same. Houses were broken into ; and the weak police force of the neighbourhood was quite baffled in the attempt to restore tranquillity. In the House of Commons, on the 2d of May, Mr. Christopher presented a petition from Port Phillip, signed by upwards of 1 ,000 inhabitants, praying for n. local Government independent of the Government of Sydney, and for a Representative Assembly elected by a majority of the people. On the 3d, Mr. Hume put some questions to Sir R. Peel relative to the Consulship of the Texas. Sir Robert stated that Captain Elliot had been appointed, but was for the present detained at the instance of the Treasury to give an explanation of certain expenses incurred by him at Hong- Kong. Mr. Hume then said, that on an early day he should submit whether Captain Elliot, under the circumstances, was a proper person to be sent out. Lord Ho wick gave notice that he should move in the Tariff committee, that it is not expedient to impose any differential duties on articles imported from foreign countries and from British colonies, in any case where no such difference now exists ; and in those cases where such difference does now exist, it is not expedient that such difference should be increased. He should also move at the same time, that a duty of 7d. should be imposed on foreign coffee instead of Bd. Mr. T. Duncombe called the attention of the House to the " National Petition." In the name of the rrtfty.rious classes he thanked it for the mannerrh whjph the petition had been received, affl^Pred that the petitioners be heard by themselves or their counsel at the bar. The motion was seconded by Mr. Leader, and supported by Dr. Bowring, Mr. Fielden, Sjr John Easthope, and several others, and was opposed by Mr. Macauley, Lord John Russell, and Sir Robert Peel. Negatived on a division, by 287 to. 49.