ENGLISH NEWS TO JUNE 18.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 774, 14 September 1853, Page 3

ENGLISH NEWS TO JUNE 18.

The Queen gave, on the evening of the 15th of June, at Buckingham Palace, a state ball which was very numerously and brilliantly attended ; the invitations amounting to about 1900, and comprising the Royal family, and Royal visitors, the whole of the diplomatic corps and foreigners of distinction staying in England, the Cabinet Ministers, the Chief Judges of the Courts of Common Law and Equity, the Queen's Aidcs-de-Camp, the officers and ladies of the Royal Household, and a very large party of the nobility and gentry. Their Majesties the King and Queen of Hanover, accompanied by the youthful Crown Prince and the Princesses of the Royal Family, hr»d arrived off the Royal Dockyard, at Woolwich, on the 11th June, from Ostend, The Queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of knighthood upon Richard Bethel!, Esq., M.P., her Majesty's Solicitor-General, John Stuart Esq., a Vice-Chancellor; and Joseph Francis Oliffe, Esq., M.D., Physician to her Majesty's Embassy at Paris.— Times, Juno 18. Her Majesty's yacht, Victoria and Albert, will have a camera obscura fitted in the rotunda, to enable her Majesty to take sketches of the various beautiful lakes in Ireland and Seofland. It is well known that Her Majesty and the Prince excel in this beautiful art. Official Appointments.—The Queen has appointed the Earl of Home, to be Keeper of the Great Seal, and Lord Panniure to be Keeper of the Privy Seal, for the Kingdom of Scotland. Prince Albert had consented to lay the foun-dation-stone of the new Medical Benevolent College, at Epsom, on the 6th of July. Tlie Earl of Derby was installed as Chancel lor of the University of Oxford, on the Bth of June.

The Marquis of Clanricarde is named as the almost certain Successor of Lord Cowley, as Ambassador to the French Court. The present functionary is to be exonerated from his duties long before the august ceremonial of the Emperor's coronation,

Lord John Russell, in speaking on matters connected wit!) the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, mane some strictures which were Considered offensive by some Irish Members. Amongst other things he said: —"That if the Roman Catholic Clergy of Ireland had increased powers given to them—that if they as ecclesiastics, could exercise greater control and a greater political influence than they now exercise, that power and that influence would not be exercised in accordance with the general freedom which prevails in this country, —but that neither in respect to political circumstances, nor in respect to political subjects, would they favour that general freedom of discussion, that energy and that activity of the human mind which belongs to the spirit of the constitution.

Messrs. Keogh andSadlier, the former SolicitorGeneral for Ireland, and the latter one of the secretaries of the Treasury, threatened to resign their connection with Government, in consequence; of these remarks, but, it appears, suffered themselves afterwards to be prevailed upon not to do so. In the division on the Ballot in the House of Commons a night or two since, they were, ayes, 172; noes, 233; leaving only a majority against it of 60. Several members of the Government voted for the Ballot.

Lord John Russell wrote to the deputation which had waited upon him respecting the Jewish Disabilities Bill, slating that it was not the intention of the Government to take any steps with reference to the removal of the Jewish disabilities until they had an opportunity of examining the provisions of Lord Lyndhurst's Bill to be introduced forthwith, for altering the Parliamentary oaths.

Convocation at York.—The members of the Convocation of the province of York assembled at the chapter-house on Wednesday, for the first time since the sth November, but us no writ had been received from the Queen authorising the Convocation to proceed to business, a prorogation was made until the 28th September. Mr. Archdeacon Thorpe, who had, on several occasions since the last meeting unsuccessfully addressed the Archbishop on the subject, requested that they might be allowed to consider an address to the Queen ; but no steps were taken on the suggestion, After the dissolution of the meeting, Archdeacon Thorpe, and the proctors who acted with him, assembled in another place, and sat in deliberation for nearly an hour. It is understood that they drew up and agreed to an address to the Queen. — Liverpool Albion. The Camp at Chobham. —The preparations for encamping u division of the army on the healthy commons of Berkshire and Surrey begin to approach completion. It is intended that Lieut. General Lord Seaton, an experienced and accomplished officer, will command in chief. The troops will consist of four regiments of cavalry, 24 pieces of artillery, and three brigades of infantry, each under the command of a Major-General. The first Infantry Brigade will be formed of three batallions of guards, the second and third each of three batallions of the line. The whole force will amount to about 3000 men, with 2000 horses and after the troops composing the first division have had three or four week's practice in field evolutions, they will be replaced by a similar force for the same period. The Sappers and Miners from Chatham will form a part of the force encamped, fieldworks and entrenchments will he thrown up, the bridges of pontoons, in which the merit of recent inventions, may be tested, will be thrown over some narrow portions of Virginia Water—a lake which, as is not generally known, owes its existence to the labours of the army which fought under tiie Duke of Cumberland at Culloden. —Ireland, like England, is to have a military encampment this summer. It will be formed on Curragh of Kildare, on a large scale ; the fbrce to comprise five regiments of the line, the King's Dragoon Guards, ihe 11th Hussars, and detachments of Artillery, Horse Artillery, and Lancers.

Board of Trade Returns.—The Board of Trade returns for the month ending the sth of May, show the unprecedented increase of X' 2,309,995 in the declared value of exportations, as compared with the corresponding period of last year. This addition, wich is equal to nearly 45 per cent, has been spread over every branch of trade. The nature of the articles in which the most prominent increase is observable indicates that much of the augmented activity has been in connexion with the Australian trade. Strikes.—The strike for wages among various classes of mechanics and workmen was spreading. Twenty thousand men, women, and children were out at Stockport; so were the cotton porters and dock labourers at Liverpool. The letter-carriers at the latter place demanded increased wages; and a large portion of the police at Manchester sent in their resignations, unless their wages were increased. The Trade of the Exited Kingdom.—A return has just been issued, by order of the House of Lords, of British ships employed in the trade of the United Kingdom in the year 1852, compared with the year 1851. In 1851 there were 18,154 ships employed, of 3,300,935 tonnage, and 141,937 men were employed; while in 1852 the vessels numbered 17,189, the tonnage 3,380,88 b and the men employed, exclusive of masters, 159,593. Terms of the New Australian Maid Contract. —The same journal states—" According to the conditions of the new Australian mail contract, the contractors must state at which of the three ports. Melbourne, Sydney, or Adelaide, they propose to touch, and they will be bound accordingly; but they will be at liberty to touch at either or both of the other two ports, as may suit their convenience. If the contractors cannot touch at all the three ports, tho.y must provide for the delivery of mails at the ports at which they do not touch. If they land all the mails at Adelaide a deduction of fourteen days will be made for the time allowed them for the performance of the whole mail service, and if they land them at Melbourne, a deduction of seven days will be made." The emigration to Australia still continues as brisk as ever, and the price of passage is kept up by the scarcity of shipping. The vessels that have arrived during the present year have almost all been discharged and reloaded again in about six weeks.

The directors of the General Screw Company have, it is stated, declined to further entertain the proposals of the Australian Royal Mail Company for an amalgamation. Dinner to Mr. Duffy, M.P.-—This gentleman was entertained on Wednesday evening, June 15th, by a party of his friends, including Messrs. Swift, M.P. (chairman), Brady, M.P., Lucas M.P., M'Mahon, M.P., MCann, M.P., and Kennedy, M.P., at the Freemasons' Tavern. In addition to the health of the honourable gentleman, various other toasts were given, including "The Memory of O'Connell," and the health of Smith O'Brien, Meagher, &c. Ahrivai. of Mazzini tx England.—The Daily News says—" We received, on Wednesday evening, intelligence that Mazzinni is once more seeue in England. The leader of the insurrection in Milan was in that city three months before the outbreak. More than that, we are informed that he rested securely in that city for a month after the insurrection had been suppressed, and then left Italy in safety for London."

(From the " Spectator.") Voyagers traversing the smooth sea- -would little note the constant progress of the living creatures that are passing in their onward journey under the very keel of the ship, and would be more impressed by an occasional wanderer who comes to the surface with a splash. ' In like manner, it is under the surface that the measures of Parliament have been pursuing their steadfast way this week, few of them having ris/m into the snorting and floundering noise of .debate. The shoal of economical measures comes within that general description—Spirit Duties, Soap Duties, Incometax, Customs Acts, and others. - It is the Succession Tax alone of this number that has been debated, but, although debated, not seriously hindered or mutilated. The Opposition have persevered in showing themselves, but have not succeeded in stopping the measure;, nor effecting any alteration in it.

They had lot the second rending pass ; and Mr Gladstone has not neglected, at subsequent stages, to insist that after doing that the House should stick to the principle of the measure. On Monday, Sir John !Pakingtori opposed the -motion to go into committee, with a long speech of small arguments, taking exception to petty details, and meeting the general measure with vague complaint of its injustice and so forth. After a debate enlivened by allusions from the the two Sir Johns, Fakington and Trollope, to the Bishops as having no right to vote tipon such a subject in the House of Lords, the obstructive amendment was negatived by 268 to 185. The clauses have had to undergo some more reluctant debate by the same party ; but the opposition has been defeated by a still more signal disparity of numbers ill the thinner Houses.

Perhaps the greatest mistake of the Opposition, this year has been that unfortunate attack upon .Mr. Keo<rh, the Solicitor-general for Ireland. The dispute wis a supplement to the Irish wrangle created by Mr. Duffy about Irish members in the Ministry ; but it had assumed a more English and political character when the (Peers took up the subject, and Lord Eglinton went so far as to pronounce the appointment of Mr. Keogh the " least reputable" of those made by the present Cabinet. Mr. Keogh happened to be present in the House of Lords when the words were uttered, and he authorised the Duke of Newcastle to make the retort that offers had been made to him by the late Ministry. This was denied as a fabrication ; and Mr. Keogh made a statement for himself in the House of Commons.

The plain fact appears to be, that Lord Naas asked him if he would refuse office were it offered to hin \ —a question which Mr. Keogh naturally interpreted to he an indirect offer, but which Lord Naas explained to have had no aim except that of trying to disarm any disappointment that Mr. Keogh might have felt at not having an offer. To this measure Lord Naas was instigated by no less a person than Mr Beresford, late Secretary at War, whipper-in of the Derby Ministry, and "W. li." or electioneering celebrity. Perhaps Mr. Keogh would have been more accurate had he said, not that "offers" were made to him, but overtures ; but if he was deceived, the mental reservation was not his. If there has been disingenuousness, it has certainly not been on the Ministerial side.

Sir John Pakington, no doubt, while he was so impolitic as lo give the affair a graver turn than it yet had, was right in saving that there was another question besides the matter of offer, —that other question being the good taste of inviting to office in a Government comprising the author of the Durham letter, Mr. Keogh, who had " physically trampled" under foot the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill ; hut to this there appears to he a valid reply. In the first place, the " trampling," &c, was only " an Irish fact," and it is denied by Mr. Keogh ; in the second place, the Government is not tint of Lord John Russell, nor is it that of any party whose selections needed to be governed by the old-fashioned rule that might have satisfied Sir John. It is a Ministry formed on the principle of rising above party distinctions, and of uniting all respectable parties and efficient men that would cooperate in the endeavour to carry on the business of the country and the generally approved reforms, independently of faction; a Ministry in which the party of Mr. Keogh had a right to be comprehended, as well as that of Lord John Russell, of Sir William Molesworth, or of Lord Aberdeen. This seems to dispose of the Pakington problem. Mr. Berkeley's annual motion on the Ballot necessarily did little more than ventilate the standing arguments on the subject, with which we are all as familiar as we are with thenrtmes of Berkeley and Russell. It is observed, however, that a great number of Ministers and of others who had previously opposed the motion now supported it. The minority is more numerous, even proportionately, than it has been in thinner Houses; and the measure is one which, if expectations from it have sobered down, has survived the most serious objections. It stands as an experiment which the British people is making up its mind to try. Experience has hitherto been all on the side of no ballot, and upon the whole it is not favourable. The next experiment will have to be made on the opposite side, and the time is the only question now. The House divided.— For the motion, 172; against it, 232; majority against it, no. The India Bill has undergone a repose this week, save that the general subject has been reviewed by the Earl of Ellenborough in the House of Peers, in a speech which evinced a great master}' of the question. To Lord Ellenborough, indeed, must be accorded the merit of discussing the subject, with strong opinions, no doubt, with definite purpose, and even with obstinacy, but still with fairness, and with corresponding superiority to partisanship. His own proposal, of having a Minister for India with an Indian Council in London, is superior in the principle of its design to the Ministerial compromise, which retains the thankless absurdity of the " double Government." Nevertheless, Lord Ellenborough, who has the idea of a better plan, is without the Parliamentary influence to carry it into effect. Lord Stanley, on the other hand, who is trying in the House of Commons to collect fragments of stray Parliamentary strength to obstruct the Government Bill at its second reading, is without any plan to substitute for it. Nor could he adopt Lord Ellenborough's plan except at the expense of advising her Majesty to "see for" Lord Ellenborough should Ministers be defeated. The Ministerial plan, therefore, is still before the public without an effective rival; and we only wish that it could have been a little stronger to meet the hostile aggression on Thursday next. When physical and political science had made little progress, wise men consulted the movements of the heavenly bodies to gather the portents of coining events ; and we who have escaped from Francis Moore, with a rapid interregnum of Murphy, to a more discriminating view, are still fain, in the mystery which involves courtly and diplomatic proceedings, to watch for some prognostic by the movement of the royal bodies which illumine our sphere. Thus we prognosticate something from the fact that Prince Albert leaves his wonted and congenenial pursuits, of cultivating art among the Mayors, or wielding the masonic trowel among the charitable, to " surprise" the camp at Chobham into military intention, and inspect a veritable army in the neighbourhood of London and of his Queen's peaceful abode. The King of Hanover comes to visit England; and although he is cousin to the Queen and an English Peer, and nothing can be more naiural than his visiting the country of his father, we immediately infer that there must be some political reason for it. And, no doubt, the moderate sovereigns of Europe must be looking about to ascertain'thc state of their alliances, not only on parchment, but in fact. For a like reason probably, Bavaria has gone to Vienna, to see whether the Russian storm cannot be reverted. The most prevalent of movements, however, is that of Russian agents, of all ages, ranks, and conditions, in all regions from the Pruth to the Thames—ubiquitous as ants. One effect of our improved intercourse, indeed, is to facilitate the transmissions between the most distant places. Thus we sec Holland struggling under the secondary symptoms of a papal aggression, exactly like that which we have undergone in England; only, less vehement in its threats of repulsion, Holland appears to be more resolute ; and the affair forms almost the exclusive subject of the speech with which the king meets his States-General on their re-as-sembling. Although the subject of Turkey and peace, or Russia and war, fills a large space*in the public attention, that which remains substantially to be reported is not much. Throughout the week the newspapers have been victims to a series of rumours, so conflicting that to-day almost always contradicted yesterday, the evening the morning, the latest edition the edition before it. The 5 tight days which the Autocrat had granted for the Porte to signify the acceptance or refusal of his ultimatum would expire on the lb'th instant ; yet it has been reported that the Russians had actually crossed the Pruth to occupy " the Prin - cipalities" of the Danube, on the 14th ; and per contra, that Russia has accepted the mediation of Austria. This last report had bceirrepeated several times before,

Meanwhile, the broad facts about which there is no dispute are these : Russia has sent representations to foreign courts, that her occupation of the Principalities does not constitute a casus belli; the Sultan has made a temperate statemt nt to foreign courts of his actual position j and the French and English fleets are waiting at the entrance of the Dardanelles ready to support the Sultan in his defence. To this hist tact the Morning Po.t—a. loading authority on these matters at present—adds the statement, that the Governments of France and England regard the occupation of the Principalities, for purposes extraneous to the control of those particular provinces, as being in fact, a cams belli. Hitherto the allied powers have proceeded firmly and unfalteringly in their course; and if, at "the eleventh hour, Russia really has accepted the mediation ot her great protege, the doing so on her part is an act of submission.

Death of Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert, Bart.—Tlis announcement of the death of Lieutenant-General Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert. Bart., G. 0.8.. and member of the Conncil of India, will be received by the entire body of the Indian Army, and by the portion of her Majesty's forces wh'cb served recently in the East, with deep sorrow. This sentiment will be largely shared by Sir Walter Gilbert's late commanders, Lords Hardinge and Gough. At a public meeting, over which the Archbishop of Canterbury presided, it was determined thnt there should be three new Bishopric for the cob nie<; one of them for Western Australia. In reference to the meeting; and its object the Spectator say*:—" The meeting which was held in Willis's Rooms by the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, forms one of a series of public proceedings, as much the ac" of the British Republic, if we may use the expression, as any official or Parliamentary proceeding. There can bi no doubt that the invitati >n ol the Archbishop of Canterbury will not result onlv in the public meeting, but that-tha fund £45, which is required for further extmson* will be forthcoming. The meeting, however, bad a further moral, which cannot be too distinctly impressed upon the zealous members of the Church of England at the present time. We must not omit to notice, that almost centeraporaneously with 'he meeting, the Imperial Government is relinquishing its control over those ' reserves'in Canada wbich had been kept for the clergy of the two Established Churches ; and the venerable Chairman on Wednesday placed the further proceedings of the Church of England in the colonies on the true ground when ha said, whenever such a spiritual object was to be attained, and the State refused to promote it, the Church must tske the work into her own bands and do it herself.' la the future proceeding* of the Church of England in the colonies, that maxim cannot he too distinctly kept before tbe mind of the earnest Chnrchman : ' the' Church must do it herself.' " The other two bishoprics proposed are "Graham's Town and Natal/' and ''Kingston in Canada West." The Dukk of Wellington's Wilt.—Tn consequence of the determinrtion of tbe Earl of Derby, the Right Hon benjamin Disraeli, and the Speaker of tbt» House of Commons, to renonuce the executorship «t the late Duke of Wellington's will, le ters of administration have been granted by the Prerogative Court to the present Duke. The will sepms to have been writtea under very peculiar circumstances, upwards of thirty-five years ago, and with that promptitude nnd decision which marked almost every act of His Grace • life, but at the same time displays evident traces of the agitation under which it was dt awn up. 'J be will is dated February 17, 1818, and was wr.tten in Paris by the Duke himself wbo accounts for that circumstance in tlie following remark, which forms the preamble: "An attempt having been made toassasainate me on the night of the 10th inst (Feb. 10, 1188), which may be repeated with success, and being desirous ot settling my wo dly affairs, and there bning no professional person in Paris to whom I can eHtrust the task of drawing my will, I now draw it myself in my own handwriting," His Grace direcls that an annuity of 1000/. shall be paid to his second son, Charles Wellesley, who, however, has the option of claiming a sum ot £20,000 as an equivalent. Apsley House and the furniture therein, money invested in the funds, and Exchequer-bills are thus to he disposed of:— "Tliv money is ditect d to be laid out in the purchase of an estate, which, together with Apsley House and its contents, are given to the present Duke for life, with remainder over to his issue, and, in default of issue, to Lord Charles Wellesley and his issue, in like manner. In case of death of both (the present Duke and Lord Charles Wellesley) without heirs male, the property passes over to the decendants of the brothers of the ].i|h Duke. Certain personal estate, which his grace designates as "money given t • me by the n itit ri' or any estates which may be purchas *d with such money, are directed to pass under trusts similar to those of the foregoin? property; Apsley House first going to the children of the Duke, and on their deaths, leaving no issue, to the . children of his brothers." The wording of the will ia very involved; and the residue, which owing to tbe lapse of time, must have greatly accumulated, is undisposed of.

The directors of the London Bank of Australia an I India, beißg unable to obtain a charter without reference to the colonics, were about to return tbe deposit of '2L, minus a reduction of from Is. 4d. to Is. 3d. per si are for expenses.