MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1714, 13 August 1862, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

At a public meeting held at Guilford (Surrey), it was resolved that a hospital shall be established in the immediate neighbourhood, and that it be erected as a memorial of the virtues of the late Prince Consort, and of his patriotic labours for the benefit of all classes of his adopted country. How very much more sensible and appropriate such an institution as this as a memorial to the Prince than the stupid idea of an obelisk, the amount raised for which has now reached £49,000, or with interest to .f.50,000, at which figure hj is likely to stop I

, The inundation of the sea at St. Germain Sluice, 3 Lynn, has placed some 30,000 acres under four r to six feet of water. The country, in fact, is for 1 miles under water, and the destruction of property i is immense, and thousands of rained. 3 Efforts have been made to dam! but* as i fast as any progress is made, everything is washed ) away. Seventeen sunken barges in one place, s and a large number in another, have all been 1 washed away. i j The distress in Lancashire is very great, and > public subscriptions are being raised to aid the • poor people. At present no discontent has been t expressed, nor have there been any riots. The King of Portugal, it is reported, contem- ! plates marriage with the Princess Maria Pea, of • Savoy, fifth child of the King Victor Emmanuel, i she was born in October, 1847, and is consequently . not yet 15 years old. The health of the King of Belgium is better. He has had several surgical operations performed • upon him. A serious and most destructive fire has occurred in the manufacturing town of Enschide, Holland. Fifteen manufactories, four churches, the townhall, and the houses of all the inhabitants have been destroyed, and several lives lost. The origin of the disaster was lightning. The whole town is a ruin. A military conspiracy in favour of Poland has been discovered at St. Petersburg. A large number of Russian officers are implicated. In consequence of the restless state of the Garibaldians, Austria has increased her forces along the frontier of Lombardy by 10,000 men and four battalions, concentrated in the Tyrolese frontier. The elector of Hesse has got himself into a mess. It appears that he lately issued an ordinance, urging forward the voting. The Franfort Diet, and Austria and Prussia have protested against the elector's ordinance, and the two latter sent General Von WiJlisen to the Electoral Palace in order to induce his Highness to recede from his position, but he was refused an audience, and his Ministry afterwards resolved not to yield to the demands made upon it. In numerous towns of the electorate, tlie inhabitants have protested against the ordinance. Unless General Von Willisen's mission succeed, Austria and Prussia intend to occupy Electoral Hesse. The opening of the Italian Chamber is to take place on the 3rd of June. One of the first measures to be brought under deliberation will be the treaty of commeiee with France. France and Russia have protested against the Turkish troops crossing the Montenegrin frontier and the latter has instructed its ambassador to demand his passports in the event of an invasion. The King of Mahomey (Africa) has just committed another wholesale butchery of people. He attacked and burnt the town of Ishaga, near to Abbeakuta, beheaded 1000 of the inhabitants, and took the remainder 4000 prisoners. The Emperor of China, it is stated from Paris, is about to despatch an extraordinary embassy to France and England. The allied expedition to Mexico has now been entirely broken up, in consequence of the resolution taken by the French to march upon the city of Mexico, and establish a monarchy. The English and Spanish authorities in the allied expedition have both decided that such a step is in direct violation of both the spirit and letter of the treaty between the Allied Powers, and have therefore decided to withdraw entirely, and both forces were leaving Vera Cruz. The French army was to leave Vera Cruz for the city of Mexico on the 21st April. The Mexicans were resolved to fight it out. The Nonconformist special settlement party is now being actively developed. The two ships chartered for the conveyance of the first detachment of some 800 or so, the Hanover and Matilda Wattenbacb, will sail from the East India Docks for Auckland on the 29th inst., on which day a farewell demonstration is announced to take place. A further party of 400 will take passage in the William Miles, to leave the same docks on the 11th July. Albertland, we believe, is the name proposed to be given to the new settlement. Later news has been received from Mr. Newman enclosing a plan of the township proposed plot to be reserved by the Government. No letters have vet been received from Mr. Jones, the other pioneer, but they are expected by the Southampton mail. Yesterday afternoon a deputation, consisting of the Rev. Dr. Tomkins, Mr. Deputy Hobson, Mr. Branae, and others, had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle respecting the name to be given to the new Nonconformist settlement about to be established in New Zealand. We understand the interview was satisfactory. The deputation was introduced by Edward Ball, Esq., M.P. In another column will be found the prospectus of the Otea Copper Mining Company (Limited), which is about to be established for the purchase and working of a copper mine on the North of 1 the Great Barrier Island, New Zealand, at present j the property of the Great Barrier Land, Harbour and Mining Company. The following extract from a report from Captain Holman, a gentleman of great experience, and who has lately examined the mind, will explain the prospects of the company :—" If only a permanent increase in the yield of ores takes place throughout the vein—such as seen in the twelve fathom level, where the quality of the ores is quite equal to the general shipments—the future value of the mine would be very great" The respectability of the Board of Directors, Solicitors, Brokers, and other officers of the Company prove the genuine character of this new candidate for public support, and for which we augur a prosperous career.