European Extracts.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 69, 24 November 1855, Page 2

European Extracts.

The Sunday Beer Bill.— The Select Committco on tho Sunday Beer Bill havo had meetings, when several London magistrates were examined. They all objected to tho bill in its present shape, and advised important alterations, tho gist of their evidence being that it had done no realgood,whileithadundo\ibtedly catiscd mucli annoyance and ill-feeling amongst the working classes.

New SrrciES op Fowl.— Since tho war with Russia a new kind of domestic fowl has been introduced into England from the Black Sea, and is likely to pi'ovc a rival to the Shanghai and Cochin China, [t is quite as large as the barn-door fowl ; is crested, has feathered logs ; its colour is generally all white or black — when tho latUr, of a raven hue and glossy. This bird is pugnacious, and its movements are very lively. Several of these are to bo seen at Southampton, where they arc to bo landed from tho war-transports. A Russian Agent at Doveb. — James Abrahams, a Polish Jew, with bcai'd and mustachios, who has been for some time hanging about Dover, wa9 lately brought before tho Mayor of tho borough, charged with attempting to induco soldiers of the Foreign Legion encamped at Shorncliflb to dppcrt from the service of her Majesty tho Queen. Rumours have lately i-eached Major Lilham, of the Foreign Legion, that ft foreigner was practising upon the temper of his men, and on receiving moro definite intelligence, ho authorized some of them to accept his invitations, listen to his overtures, and encourage him to speak out. Several of tho soldiers and sub-officers gave evidence, and stated that Abrahams had proposed to them to desert from tho British service, and said that ho would give them £l< a man, and find them employment in France. Ho farther said that he had made engagements of that character with 20 of the men who had undertaken to desert. These interviews were reported to tho police, and Abrahams was apprehended. The prisoner pleaded for mercy on account of his wife and family. At tho close of his examination, and on the application of Major Lilham, who promised further evidence, he was remanded. jj A w. — The Capitai. ov Tim New Zealand Company. — This teas an application by a holder of original or "old" shares in the New Zealand Company, to prevent tho directors from distributing the remaining portion of tho capital in that Company equally between the original and new shareholders, the plaintiff seeking to havo this residue distributed ! ratcably according to tho amount respectively paid on each class of shares. The New Zealand Company was constituted in 1839, under a deed of subscription, by which a capital of £100,000 was subscribed, in 4,00*0 shares of £25 each. A royal charter was subsequently obtained in 1811, and at a meeting of tho shareholders in Mny, 1811, an increase of the capital to £300,000 was ratified, the additional £200,000 to be provided in 8,000 shares of £25, upon wluch £12 10s. per share only was to bo paid up. In distributing the dividends which were from time to time declared, the distribution was always pro rata, the holders of the new shares receiving only half the amount per share paid to the holders of the old shares, \ipon which the whole £25 had been paid up. In pursuance of certain acts of Parliament, the Company, from and after the 4th of July, 1850, ceased to exist, except for certain specified purposes, Government having induced them to surrender their charters upon the terms of receiving cert ainmoneys from timetotime, amount ing in thewhole

to £268,370 155., to arise from sale 3of land in the colony. The debts and obligations of the Company had been paid and satisfied with the moneys thus received from Government, and the directors were now in possession of £12,000, which they proposed to divido in the following proportion : — £6,009 amongst the 4,000 old shareholders, and £6,000 amongst the 8,000 new shareholders. The contention of tho plaintiff was that the additional £12 10s. paid by the old shareholders beyond tho amount paid upon tho new shares, must be taken as a payment in advance of calls, and that the £12,000 ought first to be applied towards payment to the original shareholders of this £12 10s. per share, with interest thei'eon at 5 per cent. ; and that after tho shares had been thus equalized, the present and all future sums to be received from Government should be divided rateably in proportion to tho number of the shares. Tho Vice- Chancellor, after observing upon the terms of the charter, and the various acts of Parliament, said that he could not assume that there would be a deficiency of assets, when upwards of £200,000 remained to bo reccired from Government. He thought, that upon tho raising of the additional capital, the old shareholders, by their ratification of that act, had signified their entire assent, and were bound by it, being well aware of the terms of the contract. There would be a declaration, that according to .the true construction of the charter, tho deed of 1841, and the acts of Parliament, regard being had to the dealings of the Company in respect of the dividends which had been from time to time declared, tho £12,000 received in pursuance of the provisions of the acts of 1850, and all further sums to be received, ought to be divided amongst tho shareholders rateably, in proportion to the sums of money p*id by the shareholders upon their shares. — Some News, July 19. A Komance in Real Lite. — A very romantic case is now pending beforo the French tribunals. In 1790, a young Englishman, named William Anderson, possessed of considerable property, made a continental tour, and in the course of it visited Nancy. There he became acquainted with a young and beautiful Irishwoman, - named Catherine Brartho, daughter of a game-keeper of tho Prince do Conde, for whom ho conceived such a violent passion that he vowed never to marry any other. The political disturbances that subsequently broke out compelled him to return to England, and the war afterwards interrupted all communications between tho two countries. He, however, wrote numerous letters to the young woman, and even made remittances of money ; but all were intercepted. On tho re-establishment of pcaco in 1815, ho camo to France, and made inquiries after hei*, but she had disappeared from Nancy, and no one could tell what had become of her. On subsequent occasions he caused these inquiries to bo renewed, and even employed the services of the police, but no trace of her could be found. At length, in 1835, he advertised in the Journal de la Meurlhe, and to his delight received a communication from the lady. lie at once hurried off to pee her, and though then 70 years of age, he still entertained the notion of marrying her ; but she told him that years before she had married n Frenchman, named .de Tithon Laneuville, and had become a grandmother. Dreadfully disappointed ho returned to England, but finding his passion unabated, he demanded to be allowed to live near her. She consented, and ho camo to Franco, returning to England occasionally. At length, as his strength declined, ho ceased Ids visits to the latter country altogether, and died in 1849. It was then discovered that he had left two wills — one in England, dated in 1843, by which he left his English property to a nephew of his own name ; and another dated 1818, by which ho left all he possessed to Mme. de Tithon Laneuville. Tho great bulk of his property, it appeared, was in France, but there was £1,400 in the Bank of England, and in li'eland estates producing £2,000 a year. Mine, de Tithon Laneuville obtained possession of tho French property without difficulty, but Mr. Anderson, the nephew of the deceased, insisted that the will of 1813 was valid, and refused to allow her to take tho English and Irish property. In consequence, M. Guiohard, tho executor of the will of 18-18, and who had been especially directed by tho deceased to see that all his property, without exception, went to his beloved Catherine, caused pi'oceedings to be instituted in the Prerogative Court of London. That court decided that the will of 1818 must be considered the valid one, and on appeal to tho Privy Council tho judgment was confirmed. The question then arose whether the execution of tho will should be carried out by the French or by the English tribunals — the executor insisting for tho former, and Mr. Anderson for the latter. Proceedings having been taken before the Civil Tribunal of Paris, Mr. Anderson applied to that tribunal to declare itself without jurisdiction, on the ground that the French law could not meddle with real property in England, and on the ground, also, that by appearing beforo an English Court, Mme. de Tithon Laneuville had deprived herself of tho right of proceeding before a Fronch one. The advocate of Mme. de Tithon Lancuvillo opposed this demand, and the tribunal decided that, according to tho Code Napoleon, it had jurisdiction .to try any case in which a Frenchman or Frenchwoman was concerned against a foreigner. It therefore rejected Mr. Anderson's application. IsPEBNAii Machines in the Baltic. — Each consists of a cone of galvanised iron, 16 inches in diameter nt the base, and 20 inches from base to apex ; it is divided into three chambers, the one near the base being largest, and, containing air, causes it to float with the base uppermost. In tho centre of this chamber is another, which holds a tube with a fuse in it, and an apparatus for firing it. This consists of two little iron rods, which move in guides, and are kept projected over the side of the base by springs, which press them downwards. When anything pushes either of these rods inwards, it strikes against a lever, which moves like a pendulum in the fuse tube, and the lower end of the lever breaks or bends a small leaden tube containing a combustible compound, which is set on lire by coming in contact with some Bulphuric acid held in a capillary tube, which is broken at the same time, and so fires the fuse, which communicates with tho powder contained in tho chamber at tho apex of the cone, and which holds about 91b. or 101b. At the cxtremo apex is a brass ring, to which is attached a rope and some pieces of granite, which moor them about nine or ten feet below the surface ; so that the only vessels they could hurt, the gunboats, float quietly over them ; and now wo know what they are, they have been disarmed of all their dread.

Strength op tiij: Militia.— From a return issued, it appears that the total number of volunteers in the United Kingdom, serving on tho 15th of April, was 52,835. The number of those enlisted before the 12th of May, 1854, who left their regiments after Lord Panmure's circular of tho 27th of March last, was 1G,269, of whom 11,909 wcro re-enlisted, taking tho £1 extra bounty. Another return shows the actual strength of the regiments in England on the 30th of April, with the number of those present and those absent on leave on that clay. There were present 1,813 officers, 5,120 non-commissioned officers, and 28,474 privates ; on leave, 275 officers, 2CB noncommissioned officers, and 8,392 privates.

It was said that the trial of Messrs. Strahan, Paul, and Bates, would tako place at the Central Criminal Court, at the sessions to bo held in August, and that Mr. Edwin James, Q.C., is retained for tho defence.

OiriCEns' Widows' Pensions. — A return just issued shows that pensions have been granted to fifty widows and relations of officers in any branch of the service in tho East. The highest is £100 and the lowest £25.

The son of tho celebrated "Whampoa, tho rich tea merchant of China — an intelligent youth of sixteen — arrived at Southampton with the last India mail. He has been sent to England to be educated, and will remain for four years.

Hair Splitting. — Somo years ago Roger M. Sherman and Perry Smith were opposed to each other as advocates in an important case before a court of justice Smith opened with a violent tirado against .Shermans political character. Sherman rose, and very composedly remarked :— " I shall not discuss politics with Mr. Smith before the court ; but lam perfectly willing to arguo questions of law, to chop logic^ or even to split hairs with him." " Split that then," said Smith, at tho Ramo time pulling a short rough-looking hair from his own head, and handing it over towards Sherman. " May it please the honourable court, retorted Shorann, "I didn't lay bristles." — American Paper.