English News.

New Zealander, Volume I, Issue 52, 30 May 1846, Page 3

English News.

[From the Australian, April 21.] Tbc St. Vincent brings one one day's later news from England than we receired*some time since via India, and published in consecutive numbers of the Australian Journal. The late Governor of the Leeward Islands, Sir Charles Fitzroy, had, as we stated on the 261h March last, returned to England. By the Medway, the usual files of West India papers had been received in London, but they are reported to contain very little of interest. The islands were all healthy, and had not been visited with hurricanes this season. The crops were generally looking favourable. The Jamaica papers are still fully occupied with the discussion of railways in the islands, and immigration, both popular subjects with the Colonists. An influen tial meeting had been held on the latter subject, and petitions unanimously canied, praying the House of Assembly to offer every encouragement to immigration on art extended and efficient , scale. In an action Saltiel v. Bravo, to tecover damages for a libel published in the Portuguese

Synagogue, at Kingston, the plaintiff obtained £200 damages ; two gentlemen of the Hebrew persuasion applied for leave to retire from the jury box, and, after much trouble to complete the number, the cause was tried by 11 only. The Times of the sth December, thus speaks, by its *• own correspondent" in Dublin, of the state of the "godless" colleges:—Sixteen Roman Catholic dioceses hare now " pronounced" against the Ministerial scheme of education, that of Rillalde being the latest of the malcontents. The bishop, (Dr Kennedy), who is absent in Rome, on a special mission, it is believed, in connexion with the schism among the prelates, engendered by the "conciliatory" measures of Sir Robert Peel, is known to be favouiable to the measure } but having been once before overridden by his subordinate clergy when he was compelled to resign his seat at the Board of Charitable Bequests, these same rev. gentlemen now feel but little scruple in affi ring their name | to a document the terms of which they knew must be distasteful, if not offensive, to the feelings of their ecclesiastical superior. The Ti pper a R y Vindicator eulogises this marked instance of clerical contumacy, and prophesying the advent of the Whig 9 to the Treasury benches, and as a consequence, the repeal of the Colleges Bill, tauntingly asks what then will become of such " traitors" and "enemies to their native land" as the recussant parish priest of Ireland? The Colog^Gazette publishes a letter from Berlin, to the effect that the Pope has resolved to recognize the Protestant and Greek Churches. This vague word 'recognize' has given rise to a host of conjectures. Some say that His Holiness Will ratify as far as they concern Germany, the treaties of Munster and Osnabruck, concluded in 1648, and he will order more conciliatory measures with respect to mixed marriages. It is said that in the course of last September a diplomatist of Rome wrote as follows i — "If I am not mistaken, the period is nigh when the Pope will take the initiative important steps toward the re-establishment of peace in the bosom of the Romish Church, and the appeasing of the religious agitation. What will be done is not only the result of the conferences of the Pope with the Cardinals and the most eminent Princes of the Church, but also the fruit of observations and information collected during a period of many years in their travels by several members of the Secretaryship of State, and especially by Cardinals Lambruschini, Gonsalvi, and Capaccini." Ronge, the Reformer, was at Dresden on the 27th of November. He was waited upon shortly after his arrival there by a Commissary of Police who haviug failed to induce Ronge to aocompany him to receive a communication from the authorities withdrew from Ronge's quarters* at the house of M. P.— ■ ' -, a merchant, but shortly returned with an actuary, who communicated to Ronge " that he could remain as long as should be necessary ; that he was to refrain from all public harangues in public assemblies, and from all preaching during the weekdays; that he was to abstain entirely from all ministerial acts j but that he might preach on Sundays and Holidays." At the time of the first visit of the Commissary to the Reformer, he was in communication with the Elders of the German Catholics. "The measures taken against Ronge," says a Hamburg paper "seem not to be the work of any single government, but rather the result of a common agreement." The same paper slates that "several important questions are prepai ing for discussion in the German Diet. Among these questions, that of the religious movement is not the least important. It has now become so important in a political point of view, that a serious consideration of it becomes indispensable, and the Way is already prepared for it. " The Diet was to meet early in January last. Money Panic in Ireland. — We regret to say, that our accounts from Dublin present us with a more gloomy^ state of affairs than that which has occurred in our own money market. In Dublin, there have been a few failures, in two instances of houses of considerable importance » The affairs of one of these bouses, that of Messrs. Williams, have undergone a-rigid scrutiny, and there appears a surplus above all liabilities of £16,000. The engagements appear to be in round numbers 100,000 while there are assets expected to be convertible into cash of about £116,000. The creditors have expressed their j disposition to give time to Messrs. Williams. — j The embarrassments of this firm have not resulted from railway dealings. On Tuesday a notice was affixed to the office doors of Messrs. Labertouche and Stratford to the effect that business was suspended' for 'the pre- j sent. This firm had a large business in shares, and were reputed wealthy. 'Mr. 'Labertouche is also the agent of the European Life Insurance Company. On the evening' of ' tbe same day a docket of bankruptcy was'lodged against the firm at the suit of Mr. Druiy/batrister-at-law, One of the heaviest creditors of the firm is Lord Talbot de Malahide, who it is said, was pressing upon it last week. Next morning the commission was sealed, and the premises taken possession of ■by the proper officers. These failures became the occasion for rumours respecting the insolvency of other houses to be rife, and the consequence was, that a general pauic ensued, which is thus described in the letter of the correspondent of the Morning Herald under date Nov. 26;— " We are in the midst of as wild a panic as ever afflicted this city. The holders of shares in public companies are in utter despair, and not only is there a run upon the savings banks and some of the private banks, but creditors are pressing in all quarters for their accounts," Among other results of the false rumours mention is made of a run upon the Cuffe-Street Savings bank, by tbe humbler classes. Happily the bank was fully prepared j all demands were promptly met, and on one day it is said that not less than £50,000 were withdrawn. The alarm it l s said to have extended to other banks of the same kind and country expositors were sending up their orders to draw o\\L— -Bell's Weekly Messenger. ; A London dustman named Reilly, succeeded to a fortune of £50,000, clothed, booted, and fed his former comrades, took a house in Argylesquare, and upon entering it be purposes giving a dinner to all the dustmen in London and illuminating the front of his bouse.

The Army.— Several judicious ancj economical changes in the dress and equipment of the army hpvebeen officially announced : they consist of an elastic leather stock in place of the present stiff one, thick cotton shirts instead of linen, and the substitution of light worsted' in place of white linen and duck trousers. The ]S aval and Military Gazette says— "We believe that arraugements have at last been made to relieve two regiments annually from India, by sending one direct from (England and another from Australia ; to effect which the regiments which in future are to proceed i to Australia will furnish convict guards during one^year, and at its expirationjthe remainder will embark from Chat' ham. In like manner, as soon as the 'last convict guard of the year has arrived in Australia, the regiment next for India will embark; from that country If this arrangement can be adhered to, which we doubt, the early relief of regiments from India will be effected-— a measure we*have long and anxiously advocated. Munificent Gift to Greenock. — It is with-;very great pleasure that we have to intimate the presentation of the most valuable donation ever given to Greenock by any individual — The late Sir Gabriel Wood, whose demise took place in London a few days ago, has given in charge of appointed executors the princly sum of £80,000., to be expended in the erection and maintenance of an hospital in Greenock, for the reception of the aged, infirm, and disabled seamen of that port. This well designed legacy to his fellow-townsmen must convey the most gratifying news to many an old tar, whose shattered timbers will now be safely moored in a harbour more cheerful and commodious than they ever dreamed of, and cause the name of Sir Gabriel Wood to be enrolled amongst the kindest, the best and the bravest of Greenock's sons. Let us hope that those whom the kindhearted donor has appointed to crrry out his benevolent purpose will exercise all their caution, energies, and prudence in the erection and other preliminaries of the work— Glasgow National. During a trial at Hudson, New York, two barrister!, onsof whom was John Vantßruen Attorney-General of the State and son of the late President, had a regular bout at fisti-cuffs, and were committed for contempt. Railways made of wood were first used in Northumberland about the year 1663* and made of iron at Whitehaven, in 1738. The h'rst iron railroad was laid down at Coalbrook-dale, in 1786. Steam po\» er to convey coals on a railway was first employed by Blenkinsop, at Hunslet, near Leeds, ond afterwards on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.