ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 114, 2 September 1846, Page 3

ENGLISH NEWS.

On the evening of the 27th March, the various clauses having been gone through in Committee, the second reading of the Corn Bill was carried by a majority of three hundred and two to two hundred and fourteen. The news of the victories in India was received with the loudest acclamations. Sir Henry HarJinge was created Viscount Hardinge; Sir Henry Gough, Baron Gough ; and Sir H. Smith, a baronet ; and there had been also a very extensive promotion among the officers both of the English and the Indian army. The colonelcies of the three regiments, which became vacant by the decease of Sir Evan Lloyd, Sir James Kearney, and Sir Robert Sale, have been filled up by the appointment of Major-GeneralSir George Sco veil, G.C.8., to the 7th Dragoon Guards ; of Major-Ge-neral Sir William Tuyll, K.C.H., to the 7th Hussars ; and of Major-General Sir William M. Gomm, X.C.8., to the 13th Light Infantry. This arrangement took effect on the 10th of March." Among the military promotions and appointments we notice the following : — Major Nunn, 80th regiment, to be Lieutenant-Col., by brevet ; Lieutenant-Colonel Ryan, 50th. Foot, Lieutenant-Colonel Petit, 50th Foot, Lieutenant- Colonel Bunbury, 80th Foot, to be Companions of the Bath. 80th Foot — Lieutenant C. K. Leslie, to be Captain, vice Riley, whose commission by purchase was cancelled. Ensign W. B. Wandesforde to be Lieutenaut, vice Kershawe, whose commission by purchase was cancelled. (We believe the reason of the cancelling of these commissions was that the parties had obtained promotion by death vacancies in India, prior to their commissions being paid for in London.) 96th Foot — E. F. Griffiths, to be Lieutenant, vice the Honourable T. M. Stourton who retires ; W. M. Lees, to be Ensign, vice Griffiths. Army. — Lieut.-Col. Oldfield, K.H., an old distinguished Waterloo officer, has been appointed Commanding Officer of the Royal Engineers stationed in Woolwich garrison, vice Lieut.-Col. Barney, K.H., who retires from the service on account of becoming a settler in New Zealand. The gallant officer leaves the garrison highly regretted by all grades in the service, on account of his impartial and strict attention to military discipline. The 37th regiment is, we understand, destined for New South Wales, and to follow the 65th, now embarking. This is a hardship on that corps, as the 24th was nominated previously for that duty ; and as no immediate embarkation for India is to take place, we cannot see why the 37th should not go to India, and the 24th take Australia. The remainder of the 65th regiment will embark at Gravescnd, on board the Java, for New South Wales. — Naval % Military Gazette, March 28. Oils. — The latest London prices of oil are as follows, Southern Oil is quoted at £26 to £26 10s. per tun ; Sperm Oil fine quality at £82 ; Headmatter £83 ; American Lard Oil at £39 per tun.

ATTEMPTED ASSASINATION OF THE KING OI THE FRENCH. EXTRAORDINARY EXPRESS. The Timts Office, Saturday morning, April 18 At half-past 5 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, at the moment when the King was returning from a drive, and was passing througr the park of Fontainbleau, a person mounted on a wall fired at his Majesty. Providence has once more watched ovei the days of the King. The Queen, the Princess Adelaide, the Duchess of Nemours, and the Princess oi Salerno, were in the King's carriage. No one was hurt ; three balls cut the fringe which ornamented the char-dL-bnnc. The wadding, which fell between the King and tiie Queen, was found by her Majesty. The assassin was immediately arrested. His name is Lecounte. He is an old woodranger (ancien garde generate) , of the forest of Fontainbleau.

State of Ireland. — Dublin, March 25, — " Apprehensions" of all kinds (of fever and famine inclusive) seems to be the order of the day in Ireland. The intelligence fronvLimerick this morning prognosticates an early outbreak in the " city of the violated treaty," induced partly (and not unnaturally) by the rapid decrease of the people's food, and partly by the repugnance of the paupers of the work-

house to the " partial" use of Indian meal as an article of diet. This is really, apd in all conscience, "too had." Bread made of this flour has been for some days on sale in the metropolis, and from its wholesome and nutritious qualities, as well as its cheapness, meets with a rapid consumption among all classes, proving a most fortunate speculation for such bakers as hare laid in large stocks of this species of grain. The Limerick Reporter of March 24, thus alludes to the anticipated disturbances and actual revolt of the inmates of the poor-house. " For the last few days symptoms of an outbreak for food had manifested themselves in this city ; and we believe it was actually arranged that it should have taken place yesterday. To anticipate the brewing mischief, the Commissary-General ordered the Indian meal to be sold to the people ; and yesterday at the Exchange, it was retailed at Id. per pound, under the superintendence of the police. Not more than two pounds of it would be sold to any person at a time. Some of the pocr seemed most anxious to get it, while others said it was 'nothing better than sawdust. 9 We understand that many are dissatisfied that it was not distributed gratuitously ; while some say this would be no great compliment, for that it was hardly worth taking away. They say, too, that if it were not for • the emeute not a grain of the meal would be sold for the next two months, and that it will not have the effect of preventing them from carrying their plans into execution. Among the precautijns that have been taken to meet any infraction of the public peace, special consta~ bles have been sworn in, and there can be no matter of doubt that every available force will be brought into operation against lawless violence. It was with unfeigned regret we learned yesterday that the workhouse paupers — men, women, and children, — turned out in the morning (when it was presented to them for the first time for breakfast) against the use of stirabout, consisting of half oatmeal and half Indian meal. A ton of the latter had been purchased from Mr. John Norris Russell, at £10, in order to try it. It was : mixed with half oatmeal, and made into hasty pudding, and when it was served up, nearly all the women, most of the children, and every man, save seven, refused to eat it. That this was the result of a conspiracy there can be no doubt, for the majority of those who refused to eat it did not taste it to try whether they would like it or not ; but having made up their minds beforehand, they determined to fast rather than to eat it. We think the master and the guardians will be sadly wanting in their duty if they do not permit them to adopt their own alternative, until they are brought to their senses, except such as the medical gentlemen will say it does not agree with."

Conciliation Hall. — My first peregrinations in Ireland were through the provinces. I saw much of them before I visited Conciliation Hall, in the Irish metropolis. But I had heard so much of this place that my curiosity was- greatly excited. I had always wondered in England what Conciliation Hall was like. I had no Hea what it was like, and I could find nobody to tell me. As for the speeches made there — the eloquence and vigour of the orators — the quiet moral kingship of O'Connell's influence — with plenty of jocular and sufficiently stale allusions to the rint, these and other matters are only known in England as subjects of fun, or fear, or indignation, or doubtful authenticity ; — but of thcpeople who assemble at Conciliation Hall — of the men who make the meeting, as well as of the place where the.y meet, I certainly had not the remotest knowledge, and could obtain no sort of account. I pictured to my imagination a huge mis-shapen building, half hall, halt barn, with great folding barn doors set wide open, long benches chiefly for standing upon and hurraing — a dilapidated platform or stage for the speakers — and a broken loof with plenty of sky and cloud to be seen, or room for rains and winds to come down, with now and then a loose tile or brick upon the heads of the roaring mob below. The whole place I pictured to myself as crowded with hundreds, nay, thousands of the lowest and i raggedest class of the Irish poor — red-headed Paddies in ragged coats and frocks, with shillelahs and forks, and potatoe spades, and whiskey bottles filled with the genuine poteen — and hundreds more of those who could noi range themselves within the walls, but who had come fresh from the green grass fields of Baenascorneo, the muddiest part of the banks of the Shannon, the wildest boys of Connemara, or the wretched stone and mud hovels of half-starved stony Galway. Oh whiit a yelling and hullabulloo I expected to hear, and what a mad scene I anticipated, beyond all the longs of weddings at Ballyporeen, at the fairs of Donnybrook or Ballinasloe-h Nothing whatever of this kind did I find. How was I surprised ? Conciliation Hall is a large new building, very plain, but quietly elegant and commodious, and extremely like a very large chapel of the wealthiest class of our Dis-

senters in England. The resemblance also holds good in other respects, besides the fact of the congregation being very strong Dissenters; It has a resemblance to the respectability and perfect order of tbe crowds that attend. The different classes are ranged in different places, according to the amount of subscriptions to tbe Repeal rent. About one-third of the members appear to be respectable tiadesmen ; one-third tbe better class of mechanics and operatives ; and onethird women — many very pretty young women, too — of which latter a great portion are ladies, manifestly of good condition. The hall is lit by twelve bronze candelabra, each containing two lamps of ground glass, ranged round the panels of the gallery, and a row of twelve or thirteen more candelabra, each having one lamp, extends round the walls above the gallery. Upon the ceiling are three very large and beautiful rosettes, of pale and gold, containing the shamrock in low relief, with a harp in tbe one in the centre. The seat and desk of the chairman, with the large desk of the secretary below, and the seats and long desk of the committee/ are all raised a little above tbe desks of the reporters, and the framework of the whole is of mahogany.— Daily News.

Dreadful Gale encountered by the "Maria Somes." — The distressing events that attended tbe accidents the Maria Somes transport encountered in the hurricane of tbe end of March, and the unfortunate loss of the lives of several individuals on board, have led us to make more than a usual inquiry of what 1 00k place ; and we have been obligingly furnished with authentic notes, which enable us to give the following details :— r-The above vessel left Ceylon on 12th March, with 518 men of tbe 90th regiment on board. On the 24th March, there were indications of bad weather ; on the 25th it blew a strong gale with heavy squalls, rain, and lightning; on the 26th the weather became worse, the squalls were terrific, the ship laboured very much, and was hove to under a dose-reefed mizen topsail and mizen trysail. At the latter part of this day, the gale increased to a perfect hurricane, attended with rain and lightning to the eastward, the sails were split and replaced by a tarpaulin in the mizen rigging, and the pumps were kept constantly going. On the 27th, the weather assumed a more favourable appearance, although violent, but the barometer remained at 28*50. On the 28tb, tbe gate increased', and the vessel was hove to with her head to the S.S.W., wind at W., veering to the N. ; every thing was made as secure as possible. At three in the afternoon the vessel was thrown on her beam ends by a terrific gale, a tremendous sea driving over her ; the squall over, she afterwards righted, and rode the gale remarkably well, but it recommenced with redoubled fury ; the two foremast futtock shrouds of the, main topmast r 'ggi n g gave way in the heavy-roll, and the sea struck the ship, when the main topmast went about five feet above the cap, dragging over with it the fore and mizen topmasts and jib-boom close off at the caps, with tbe topsail yards ; shortly afterwards the main top capsized ; an endeavour was made to clear the wreck, but it was found impossible to clear that of the main topmast, owing to the chain topsail tie and sheets being fast about the main top. Lieutenant Boys, the ship's agent, was struck down in the attempt, and was much hurt, the carpenter tried to cut the chain, but owing to the violent rolling of the vessel could not succeed, and it was useless to try to go aloft. The wreck was torn away by the violence of the weather during the night. The following morning (29th) it blew a dreadful hurricane, the hatches were obliged to be battened down fore and aft. The pumps were sounded but without effect. At 9 a.m. I the larboard quarter gallery and the after dead lights were washed away ; these openings were secured with mattresses, hammocks, and battens. The pumps were sounded and there was five feet of water in the bold. The ship was pumped as well as the weather would permit, but the men were often driven from the pumps. At two o'clock in the morning of the 29th, the hurricane still-continued to rage with dreadful fury. The wind changed from N.W to N. and back W. During this time the troops being in the hold, were suffocating for want of air and water, and it became necessary to open the after hatch which was watched by a party of men to keep the tarpaulin over it. About daylight the agent's gig was blown up into the mizen rigging, and eventually blown away from the quarter, with spars, oars, &c. The decks were swept by a tremendous sea, carrying away -binnacles, hen coops, ladders, provisions, casks, &c. The larboard quarter boat was driven to pieces by the wind and sea. The heels of the fore and main topmasts having worked out of the fids, were blown overboard to leeward, the mizen topmast during a weather roll fell through tbe poop deck into the cuddy and was secured on deck. No provisions or water could be procured'during the whole of this time, and the

reports from the lower decks were dreadful, as some of those who were there were dying' from suffocation. At three in the afternoon, the starboard quarter gallery and part of the agent's cabin was washed away, the sea making a clean breach through the cuddy, where the whole of the passengers, ladies, &c, were assembled, expecting every moment to be their last. At 4 o'clock the fore-top capsized, and the fore-yard having been carried away, the lift braces and yard with lashings to the mast tore up part of the forecastle deck and rails before it could be secured by the captain and the few hands who could work, part of them being paralyzed by fear. The lee bulwarks and guns were washed overboard. During the night the hurricane moderated, and two hammocks and a tarpaulin were spread in the mizen rigging to keep the vessel to the wind. It was now found that she had sprung a leak, and that there was five feet of water in the hold ; the pumps were kept constantly going, and the troops exerted themselves in the most praiseworthy manner, although frequently washed away from them,, and faint from hunger. The main mast and rigging straining the ship so much it was decided to cut it away, it was accordingly done without any injury. The hatches were at length opened ; thirteen individuals were found suffocated, one sergeant, six men, one toman, and five children. Many of the soldiers were now allowed to come on deck, but without any shelter, as the cuddy was filled with passengers who were in a deplorable state of exhaustion. The vessel not answering the helm, the rudder was examined, and the head was found to be wrung off: the captain, carpenter, and four men, used all their efforts to repair it, and only partly succeeded. At one o'clock next day the weather was still very violent, with a heavy rolling sea, and the pumps were kept constantly at work. The long boat being full of water broke adrift, taking with her' the spars lashed to the ring bolts, and tearing one of them out from the deck. Every effort was made by Mr. Skey, second mate, in the absence of the captain and first mate, who were both disabled, to secure the boat and spars, and four soldiers had their legs and thighs broken in the attempt. The next day (the 31st) the spars were secured, but both boats were shattered to pieces. In endeavouring to clear the deck of the lumber, &c, the captain and a man (Peter Preston) were swept under it, and when removed from that perilous situation, the former was found to be much bruised, and the latter had his leg broken just above the instep. Several severe accidents happened during the day among the troops. The barometer had risen from 28*20, its lowest during the bad weather, to 29*30, and the gale gradually subsided. The vessel, however, still continued to make from 12 to 14 inches per hour. The rudder had been washed away. Port Louis being the nearest port, it was decided to steer for it. It was -judged to be about 1250 miles distant W. by S. By the observations made on board the 31st, the latitude was 17"5 S., and longitude, 707 E. From this date the Maria Somes continued her course for this port, and anchored here on the 18th instant. — Mauricien, April 22.

Cape of Good Hope. — We regret to find that the Kafirs had created great havoc among the settlers on the eastern boundary of the Cape Colony, and had defeated several detachments of military, and on one occasion drove away four thousand head of cattle from under the guns of a fortified post held by two troops of dragoons. As the Kafirs were supposed to have quite ten thousand fighting men, we need hardly say that the settlers had deserted their farms and hastened into Graham's Town, and that the greatest misery existed. On the 9th June, however, intelligence reached Cape Town that, emboldened by the success which they had met with, the Kafiis ventured upon a general engagement ; their numbers are not stated, but the British forces consisted of 500 cavalry, and 800 infantry and Hottentots, The Kafirs were routed with a loss of upwards of 500, while our loss was only 2 killed and 14 wounded,