ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 165, 27 February 1847, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

"We hare been favoured with the loan of a file of English papers by the Elora, to the 10th October, from which we have extracted the latest news. The only notices referring to New Zealand is the following from the Times 29 th September :—: — " The Sydney papers state, that Govern or Grey's contemplated attack upon the natives of New Zealand at Porirua had been suspended, in consequence of a doubt of the murderers of the Gill espies (father and son) being harboured therp." And the following extract from the Daily News 9th October, from which it would appear that the intelligence of the attack on the camp at the Hutt had reached England .just before the Elora sailed :—: — " The troubles of New Zealand are not yet over. *We have been 'favoered with the perusal of a letter from Wellington, dated 26th May, from a month to six weeks later than the previous accounts from that quarter. The letter came by way of Valparaiso. The writer is a person whose veracity and firmness warrant confidence in his statements : "We are in a state of great alarm and consternation, owing to the circumstance of Rangihaeata, the Wairau murderer, having, with his tribe, fallen suddenly upon some soldiers at an out- post on the Hutt, and killed and wounded ten; also a settler; added to this he threatens to kill every white man here. We are using every effort of which we are capable to strengthen ourselves against any attack that may be made upon us, but the want of sufficient military force heightens our apprehension of danger -should »uch an occurrence take place."

Coast Defences. — Orders have been received to prepare 33 towers between Hastings and Seaford to receive guns. When the towers were abandoned, or considered no longer necessary as a means of defence, they were inhabited by men in the coast-guard service and their families. The tops of the towers were cemented over in a dome form, up to the top of the spindle on which the swivel-gun was fixed. The, whole of that covering is ordered to be forthwith taken off, and a new traversing course of stone to be laid down. — Brighton Guardian. A. grand dinner was to be given to the Duke- of Richmond, and Lord G. Bentinck, at Chelmsford, on the 25th September. A long and interesting description, accompanied with several well executed engravings, is given in the Illustrated London News, of the removal of the colossal bronze equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington from Mr. Wyatt's studio in the Harrow road to the arch forming the entrance to Constitution Hill and the Green Park. The height of the group approaches thirty feet, and its weight is estimated to be forty tons, and such is the bulk of the horse that eight persons have dined within one half of it. The car on which the statue was conveyed to the arch weighed twenty tons, and consisted of a strong platform upon four equi-circuraferential wheels ten feet in diameter, which was drawn by twenty-nine horses belonging to Mr. Goding, the brewer, and escorted by troops of the Life Guards, and detachments of the Fusilier, Grenadier, and Coldstream Guards, accompanied by the bands of the respective regiments. The statue was conveyed to the arch on the 29th day of September, aud on the following day was raised to the position it was intended

to occupy. The figure was raised by means of strong six inch cables fastened round each arm or th'gh of the horse, and on the traversing platform above were four crabs or puwerful windlasses, worked by eight men each. 'On Thursday the Ist October, the works were entirely completed, and about cne o'clock the statue was placed in its destined position. Not the slightest accident occurred to the machinery, or to any of, the numerous workmen employed iv the stupendous task of rearing the statue. A letter from Home of the 28th Sept. states that the Commission of six Cardinals, formed in the month of July last, had ceased its functions, and that important changes were contemplated in the Government offices. It was rumoured that the Pope intended 'to organize a regular council of Ministers. In the mean time he had established a financial committee, to whose sanction the principal acts of the treasurer are in future to be referred. The Cologne Gazette states that the Pope had made overtures to the Italian Goyerniments on the subject of the establishment of a federative state in Italy, and that this proposition had been well received in Sardinia. The Neapolitan Court is not incline 1 to ac- j cede to the suggestion unless on condition of ! obtaining the Presidency of the Confederation. The Augsburg Gazette of the 3d inst. publishes the following letter, dated Tiflis, August 15 : — " The brilliant expectations entertained from the result of the campaign in Circassia last year have been singularly diminished, as the enemy, in place of suffering himself to be intimidated, has everywhere assumed the offensive. Daniel Beg, Schamyl's lieutenant, has defeated the Russians on several occasions. It would appear that the army has suffered considerable loss, as reinforcements are arriving from Russia. It is announced that Schamyl has addressed a new proclamation to the inhabitants of the coast of the Black Sea, and that he has despatched an envoy to solicit the Baschargi, Kusulbeki, -end Scharigel, to join him. Daniel Beg formerly served under Russia, but ill-treatment forced him to join Schamyl."

The New Royal Marine Barracks at Woolwich. — This splendid range of buildings, constructing on the site of the old Marine Barracks for the accommodation of 1,000, with excellent officers' and staff noncommissioned officers' quarters, and offices for the records and transactions of the division, is now nearly completed and partly occupied by the shoemakers and tailors of the corps. The buildings are constructed in the strongest manner and of the best quality of materials, and peifectly fire proof. The partly underground in front, and level with the ground in the rear, or kitchen storey, contains large fire places, with ranges, and every convenience for cooking. The floors of the kitchens are laid with large freestone slabs, 12 feet by 6 feet, and the remaining portion with asphalte or a composition of a similar description. The water cisterns in the kitchen are formed of an excellent quality of slate, admirably joined together. The shelves are of cast metal, and the supports of the brick arches of the roof of the kitchens of the same material. The stairs are of wood, but covered entirely with sheet lead. The first and second stories in front, or sleeping rooms, are spaoious and without one particle of wood in any of them, the roofs being formed of bricks supported on cast iron beams, and the floor formed entirely of the asphalte composition. The mode in which they are warmed in winter, and ventilated or supplied with cold in summer, is by means of a revolving fan eight feet in diameter, which will be wound up daily, and operate by weights in the same manner as a church clock. The landing places are formed of the best Rockhill paving slabs, and the outer stairs cousist of ten steps of granite with granite balustrades, connected with light but substantial railings. On the south-west front^pf the principal range of buildings on the first and second stories are numerous arches with iron railings about 3 feet 6 inches high, and betwixt the arches and front of the rooms a spacious pathway, capable of allowing six men to walk abreast, and extending the whole length of the building, with the exception of the two wings. The detached buildings are also in a forward state, and when the whole of this extensive barrack is completed it will be of a very superior description to the quarters occupied by this corps. The Hebe receiving ship, at the west end of Woolwich dockyard, is now nearly ready for the reception of 300 of the single men, and officers having the charge of them. A space extending the whole length of the vessel has been inclosed to avoid any connexion with the dockyard, and a wicket gate opened leading into the road to Charlton pier. Every arrangement has been made for the accommodation of the men on board the Hebe, and she has been thoroughly cleaned and paiuted, and fitted with cooking apparatus for the comfort of the Royal Marines who will be stationed in her. — Times, Oct. 10. ' -

The t>ld established firm of Brightman and Co. at Calcutta, has failed. A fire had broken out in the shaft of the Alexsndrina coal-pit at Rainton, belonging to the Marquis of Londonderry, which lasted for two days and a half, and by which the furnace-man, an old man, aged 82 years, Was killed-; seventeen valuable horses were a'so suffocated, and damage done to the works to the extent of £2000, It is supposed that the fire was raused by a candle-snuff falling and gradually igniting the dry dust which abounds in the workings of the mines. Mineral Wealth of Great Britain. — In the course of a lecture delivered lately to the general classes of King's College by Mr. Tennant on mineralogical geology, the lecturer stated that the annual value of the mineral produce of Great Britain amounts to about twenty-five millions. Of this 9, 100,000/. is from coals, 8,400,000/. is from iron, 1 ,200;000/, from copper, 920,000/. from lead,' 400*000/. from salt, 300,0(»0/. from tin, 60,000/ from manganese, 35,000/. from silver, 22,000/ from alum, 8000/. from zinc, and 25,000/. from the various metals, as antimony, bismuth, arsenic, Sec. ■Condition of Females in Factohies. — A large meeting was held at Bradford, in Yorkshire, on Thursday, over which the Rev. Dr. Scoresby presided, to take into consideration the measures to be adopted for the improvement of the moral and social condition of females eißployedin factories. Lord Morpeth moved the first resolution, and Mr. Busieild seconded it ; it was merely declaratory. The Rev. Walter Scott moved the next resolution :—": — " That among the means for jiromoting the social and moral welfare of this -class, the following, recommended by a committee of gentlemen on mature consideration, and after a conference with most of the spinners and manufactuieis of the town, are deserving of immediate experiment, — 1. The establishment of boarding houses in different parts of the town, in each of which from 25 to 50 young women, now living in lodgings, may reside under the care of a prudent and motherly housekeeper. 2. The registration of lodging houses, the owners -of which are wiliing they should be periodically -visited and certified as clean and well-conducted places of abode. 3. The establishment of evening schools for instruction in general knowledge, needlework, singing, and the institution of well-selected libraries, the circulation of tracts, and the occasional delivery of lectures on appropriate subjects. 4. The organization of a general sub-society, on sound ptactical principles, for encouraging and facilitating deposits in the savings' bank." Mr. Alfred Harris seconded the resolution, which was carried nem. con. Other resolutions for carrying the proposed plan into operation were ' also agreed to, and the meeting separated. — Globe.

An American Sentinel. — A New Orleans letter relates the manner of the death of Captain Pope, which was caused by his neglect to give the guard the countersign. The sentinel was a boy of 16, who, hailing and receiving no answer, fired and killed him. The sentinel is reported as saying, * I challenged somebody twice — gin him fair warnin' — he didn't answer, and I jest plugged him." The men sprung into the hushes, and in a short time dragged into the clearing the dead body. -Ju.« t then the moon, which had risen behind a heavy bank of clouds, emerged from behiad them, and shed a pale light upon the group, disclosing the uniform of a volunteer officeri "Why what have youdoue I This is one of us,"said the corporal, and, raising the head of the dead man, he gazed for a moment on his features, and exclaimed, " My God ! boys it's Captin Pope !" '• Captin Pope !" echoed the lad, " well who'd a'thought it ! I'm mighty sorry ; but it wasn't my fault ! If it had been the Colonel, or Gen'rel Taylor, 'twould bin jest the same." " They took me into arrest,"said the boy, relating the occurrence to my informant, "tried me by a courtmartial, and acquitted me. I'd only done my duty ; but they went and discharged me under pretence that I was under age." — American Paper.