MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 453, 17 August 1850, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Curious Relic— The Duke of Devonshire on his visit to hii estate in Ireland brought back that very curious relic of antiquity, the crozier of the ancient Bishops of Waterford and JLismorc, which came into his Grace's hands, we believe, with the property of the Boyles, Earis of Cotk. It is of bronze, oitnnieoted with enamel and heads, and if it do not belong (;is some antiquaities conlen I it dots) to the 8 h or 9th century it is certainly not of later manufacture than the veiy commencement of the 12th century, the reign of Heniy I. It hss been pilvaicly seen by notu few lrisU antiquaries, who aie of opinion that it is of the workmunship of that country ; and the Duke has kindly consented to its exhibition at the Society ot Antiquries in London, on an eaily occasion, in order to as • ceitain the diCision of that learned boJy a? to its pre. cise age, and the pait ol the woild where it was nude. It seems clear that it did not come oiiginally tiom Italy. — Globe. A Political Helic— We have seen a caiious copper medal which wis recently found in the r<iii.\fe/ cutting at Tackled. It is lather Wger than a halfcrown, but thinner ; and is a caricature of events which occurred more than a cen'ury tince. A considerable portion of the edge is corroded and decayed, so that the whole of the legend is not visible. On ouu side Ua, gentleman in the dic\-s of the time of George I. or 11., and with him a certain "old gentleman," whoae immediate dominion is not ire ntionable to " ears polite:" the latter, pitchfork in hand, it, leading the iotuter by a halter which is round his neck ; and tl»e inscription is, "I am come for Sir Robert." At the foot aie tba remaiisof '" - ord "Excise."' The caricatim-, no doubt, ref-: sir Robuit Walpole, who was Prime Minister i- „ icigii of George 11., and who about 1743, v :i'j-r;..L<i the fi^t ically effective excise- laws. On the it.Vv>r£e of the medal arc the figures of Sir Robert W?Jjio'j and Admiral Vernon, political opponents with a ship in the distance, and a suspended crown above, This probably lias reference to the taking of Porto B$U». The admiral, jsering Sir Robert said he <*oiil& take the place with six ships. Sir Robert took him at his word, and despatched him with, that number, ..ml with very few tioops. w« think less than 30'). The gallant admiral kept Us word, and reduced the place. The legend on this side is not to be deciphered, excepting the word "Vernon." — Banbury Guardian A New Almanac for 1850. — Mr. Gustavus Struve (now in London) has published an " Almanac for the People" for the Ist year of the universal republic, which commences (by Mr. Struve's statement) on the Ist of March, 1850. In this almanac we find Christianity, with its Sundays and fea»t days, abolished : in return, we hive the four feasts of the seasons, and 12 anniversaries of the heroes of history, viz , of Mosei, Solon, Socrates, LeauiJas, Brutus, the Gracchi, Christ, Armiuius, Tell, Hues, Luther and Washington. An entirely new and improved nomfcaclature is intro d need for the months an-1 the week days; such as— Workday, Deaih-duy, Union-day, Brotherhood-day, Friday, and Pay day ; and instead of the names of saints we have the names of the promoters and victims of sundry revolutimi : for instance — \Jarat, Robespierre, Dortu (shot in Baben for being a deserter from the Piussiau army), Trutzshler (executed for heading the insurrection in Baden), nnd othets. The literary part of the work is inspired by the genius of bloodshed ; death and destruction are invoked on the heads of all heretics from Mr. Struve's fraternal creed. To make the book not only entertaining hut useful, we are informed that the Germans are of Thiacian origin, and that Orpheus, the poet, was their great gieat grandfather. Mr. S ruve's almanac concludes with a poetical effusion in the true Otpheus-Blyle, under the title of " The Batile of the Present," in which we find denunciations against the six scourges of mankind (princes, clergy, uobillity, officials, and capitalists) intioduced with a truly stunning effect. — Kolniiche Zeitung. Moore's Concentrated Milk. — Tins s.ngular invention is prepared at one of Lird Talbot's farms, at Taxall, in Staffoidshire. Mr. Brande, the celebrated chemist, ha 3 anulyz^d the pteparution, and has made the following favouiable tepoit:— 4( I have examined the sample of concent ratal milk, and am happy to be able to make a fuvouiable report upon it. It is neither alkaline nor acid, and 1 can find nothing in it which, dees not belong to genuine milK, except a littla common sugar." Hot water is emjloyedto liquefy the paste, one pint of which pioducts three quarts of milk ; and the prcpation may be used in tea und coffse without being previously dissolved. This invention completes the means for the enabling a man to Oiiry iiis breakfast in his waistcoat pockjt. Coffee, chocolate, and cocoi, ready creamed and sugared, may be presented in a form so portable that a teaspoonful or two, according to the size of the cup, only lequires the addition of hot water to make an agreeable bsvoraga. The Ne.w Housis of Commons. — The ceiling is divided into 18 compartments by moulded ribs, eacii space b£ing again subdivided into panni'ls. Over the Speakei's chair is the reporter gallery, formed like tlie other fittings throughout, of oak, and left ot its i a!u>'al colour. There ii a metal railing above the liont ot the gallery. The tiaoened openings seen above the Speaker's chair will be filled in with open metal wo.k, to screen a gallery to which the lad es' will be admitted. At the bar end is a much laigcr gallery for stiangers. The floor of the house is of iron, peiforated for the purpose of ventilation. The windows will be filed with stained glass ; but thsre me no eolouied decorations. The length of the clumber i» 62 fe.it, the width 45 feet, and the height 45 feet ; ueirly one-thud less in length, therefore, than the House of Lords, which has the same width and height, and is a double cube. The Common's lobby, houth of the bar, ha. a similarly -foimed ceiling, and in nine mam divisions. The connexion bf the Houses of Parliament with West-minster-hall, by means otan enormous archway nearly the whole night of the hull, is formed, although the steps are not yet constructed, and justifies our an icipations of its (me effuct. This couimunicatss with bt. Stephen's gallery, the stone-woik ot wlncu is being cleaned down. The groin vaulted tool of this galleiy ibd fine piece of work. The restoration of thd Clui-.ti.ii> is beiug proceeded with ; the beuuty of the old vvoik thcie is marvellous. From 3^o to -iOJ men, in the whole, are at present engaged on the building. — Builder. An eccentiic old oacheloi who lately died at Madras his lelt a sum of .£lOOO., (he interest of which is to be divided anuuully into four portonsi to be distributed at the disc etion ot lha minister ot bt. Cyrus, Kiucaidineshue; one poitimi co be given to the tullest woman that has been mimed mtlie paush duiing the year, and one to the bhortest j a tlnrd poiiion gue> to the oldest woman maiued during the year, ani vue fouith to the youngeati