ENGLISH EXTRACTS. [From the Australian and other Papers.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 178, 14 April 1847, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. [From the Australian and other Papers.]

The arrivals from England, since our last publication, brings us English papers to the 27th November inclusive, as will be seen by our extracts. The meeting of Parliament, for the despatch of business, was expected not to be delayed above a week beyond the time to which it was prorogued. The 19th January is said to be the day fixed for the opening. Sir Robert Peel was fast recovoiing from a severe attack of the gout. Despatches were received Oct. 26th, at the Colon al Office from the Governor of New Zealand. The Illustrated London News, of the 7th November, contains an engraving of the Five Sovereign pieces, about to be struck. The new coin will be about the size of a crown piece. The obverse bears a profile bust of the Queen ; and the transverse a lull length figure of her Majesty, as Una, holding the sceptre, with her guardian lion, tlie emblem of England. The Directors of all the Theatres in Berlin (states the London Mori ing Chronicle, of the 20th of November,) have resolved to substitute the explosive cotton for gunpowder in their representations, because the cotton makes little or no smoke, which is not only annoying to the public, but has an injurious effect upon the voice of the singers and actors. It is said that the Pope intends to substitute imprisonment for life fot the punishment of death, which he wishes to aboli&h totally. It is estimated that 30 steam-boats on the western rivers of America are lighted with gas, made by apparatus in each vessel, from the grease of the kitchen. A royal crdonnance had been published in the Paris Monitear, conferring 41 crosses of the Legion of Honour on the officers, soldiers, and seamen who were wounded at Otaheite in the five encounters that took place with the natives, between the 19th March and 30th Maj last. Governor Bruat's auxiliary, Regent Parnita, was also knighted, and medals of honour were granted to eight other native chieftains vtho fought for the French " Pro- : tectorate." A letter from Rome mentious a remarkable instance of the tolerant spirit of the Pope. It states that Fanny Elssler had been permitted to kiss the feet of his Holiness. Five cargoes of Indian corn have arrived at Plymouth, consigned to the Royal William Victualling Yard, to be converted into meal for the use of the destitute in Ireland. Since the year of fhe comet, says a letter from Beaune (Burgundy) there has not been so fine a vintage as that of this season. The quality of the wine is so superior to that of 1845, that the produce of vineyards which last year was sold at 55f. the tun of 228 litres, has this year been bought by the merchants at 250f. A letter from Munich gives a poor account of the health of Prince Metternich, who is, it would seem, incapacitated both in mind and body, and apparently breaking up. According to the last advices from Monte Video, the negociations }ad been broken off at Beunos Ay res, but the Monte Videan Government was in no way answerable for that result. It is stated that the long procrastinated completion of the works on the Nelson column in Trafalgar-square will very soon be finally brought to a close. Workmen had been actively employed on the work. Germany has now open to public traffic 37 lines of railroad, extending a length of 469^ geographical miles. There are at woik on those lines 600 locomotive engines, of wbich 267 are of English construction, 39 American,'

46 Belgian, 16 French, and the remainder German.

Proposed Removal of the Wellington Statue. — We understand that, after all, it Is intended to remove the Wellington statue from its present position. The sites now spoken of are Waterloo-place, opposite to the Duke of York's column, and the Parade Ground in St. James's Park. Morgan John O'Connell, Esq., M.P., Kerry, has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the Poor Law Board in Ireland, at £2000 a-year salary. On Mr. O'Connell's being installed, Mr. Twisleton returns to England.

The Repeal Association. — The proceedings at the Repeal Association on Monday, 9th Nov., were unimportant. Mr. O'Connell rna'le a speech, which was chiefly devoted to the disputes between " Old Ireland" and " Young Ireland." The " Rent" only amounted to £88. It is now stated positively that the O'Counell tribute of 1846 is abandoned, and that the formal announcement of the fact will appear forthwith. 65th Foot — Lieut. J. Paul, from the 3lst Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice MundelJ, appointed to the 96th Regiment. 99th Foot— Lieut. P. Johnston to be Adjutant, vice Deering, who resigns the Adjutancy only. Joseph Hume is now 70 years oKl ; Sir W. Molesworth, 36 ; Lord Morpeth, 44;-Daniel O'Connell, 72 ; Sir Robert Peel, 58; Lord Stanley, 46 ; Colonel T. P. Thompson, 63 ; Dr. Bowring, 54 ; Sir James Graham, 54 ; Earl Grey, 44 ; Lord Brougham, 67 ; the Duke of Devonshire, 56 ; Earl Fuzvvilliam, 60 ; Lord Lyndhurst, 74 ; Lord George Bentinck, 44 ; the Duke of Richmond, 53 ; the Duke of Rutland, 68 ; the Duke of Wellington, 77. " Rumours have been afloat in this neighbourhood for some, days respecting certain Episcopal changes consequent on the demise of his Grace the Archbishop of York. It is said that in case this melancholy event should take place, the piesent Archbishop of Dublin is to be translated to the Archiepiscopal see of York, the Hon. and Right Rev. Dr. Ponsonby is to be promoted to Dublin, and either the Bishop of Killaloe or of Ossory is to be translated to the see of Derry." ! Miss Martineau is about to proceed, in company with some friends, to Egypt, where she purposes to spend the winter. The Earl of Elgin, the new Governor General of Canada, is residing at present at Broomhall, Fifeshire ; and it is understood that he does not intend to depart for America before the end of next month. If an earthquake were to gulp up England to-morrow, they'd manage to meet and dine somewhere among the rubbish, just to celebrate the event. — Douglas Jerrold. Third-class passengers are carried on the Glasgow and Greenock Railway at a farthing per mile. Drunkenness among the Hindoos, and even some of the Brahmins, is said to be greatly on the increase in Calcutta. The number of visitors to the Lake district this season is said to have already exceeded, by many hundreds-, that of any former years. A writer in the New Quarterly Review states, that the average number of wrecks of British merchant ships a-year is 600 ! The average sum lost, above two millions and a half sterling ! The average lives lost, the lamentable number of 1560 ; but the wrecks of fifteen out of every twenty are attributed to some incompetency or other on the part of the master. Professor Schonbein's gun-cotton has, we understand, been submitted to a boaid of engineer and artillery officers,, who, after a series of experiments aud trials of its powers with muskets and rifles, have reported mo&t favourably of its value and utility as respects small aims, and recommended that further experiments should be made upon a larger scale, with the view of testing its applicability to heavy ordnance. — Literary Gazette. The whole of the premises in Pall-mall situate between thp Carlton Club aud the Duke of Buckingham's mansion, have been razed, the site occupied by them being required for the enlargement of the Club-uouse. It is intended to raise that building another story ; an entirely new frontage is also to be erected, the estimated cost of the improvements being £22,000. A Scottish regiment, more famous for fighting than talking, purchased a silver jug for the Colonel, and summoned him to receive it. When all were assembled together, the spokesman of the subscribers grasped the " piece of plate," and said, "Colonel, there's the jug." " Eh !" said the Colouel, "is that the jug!" And the thing was done !

Rumoured Brevet. — We are iufoimed on unquestionable authority, that it is decided to have immediately a brevet promotion iv the army,' — a boon so long expected and* well merited by, th . 'service. — Limerick C hronicle.

Considerable sensation lias been created at Constantinople, by the receipt of a letter from Lord Palmerston, demanding the aholition of slavery in the Ottoman Empire. Among other instances of social improvement at Rome, may be noticed the establishment of an English newspaper called the Roman Advertiser, devoted to the public affairs of Rome, as well as to science, literature, and art. On Tuesday, 10th November, there was a reduction of one halfpenny on the 4lb. loaf of bread throughout the metropolis. The Constitutionnel states as an authentic piece of information, that Prince Louis Napoleon is about to lead Miss Burdctt Co u Us to the hymeneal altar. At Brunswick, on the 10th October, a grand banquet, at which there were 180 guests, was given in honour of the Abbe Ronge. In the evening, Ronge was present at the burgher assembly, where he delivered a discourse, in which he traced the development of German Catholicism in Silesia. He was loudly applauded. Messrs. Evans, of Liverpool, say that rough Epsom salts, in a strong solution, are an absolute preventive to the progress of disease in potatoes, and this remedy saves them even when they have probably reached decay. The New York Constitutional Convention has adopted the following section by a vote of 58 to- 44 — "All property of the wife owned by her at the time of her marriage, aud acquired by her afterwards by gift, devise, descent, or otherwise than from her husband, shall be her separate property." The Count de Castellane has, it is said, after a heavy expenditure in searching for coal in various points of the Pyrenees, succeeded in discovering some rich beds near Bagneres. The Church, and State Gazette says that Dr. Slade, vicar of Bolton, and prebend of Chester, is to be the new Bishop of Manchester. The New Bishop. — The Right Rev Thomas Short, D. D., Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, has been appointed to the vacant see of St. Asapli. We regret to have to announce a shameful instance of the depravity now but too common among our neighbours across the Channel. M. Alexandre Dumas has translated Hamlet, and added an act! But this is not oil. Is his remaiks on this deed, Jules Janin says: " By this (the addition of the act), M. Dumas has done honour (!) equally to Hamlet and to Old William (le vieux William /)"— Globe. In throwing a basket of cinders into a furnace at Newport, a workman overbalanced himself, and fell into the glowing mass ; in three minutes, notwithstanding that the blast was immediately stopped, not a particle of the unfortunate man remained. Washington Irving, late American Minister to Spain, is about returning to the United States, and designs to put to press immediately his ' History of Mohammed,' the materials for which he has collected from Moorish MSS. and legends, during his residence in Spain. Mr. Prescott (author of 'Ferdinand and Isabella') has ready for the press his 1 Conquest of Peru,' to be followed by a ' Life of Philip the Second.' Mr. Bancroft (who has just resigned his post as Secretary of the Navy, and goes to England as minister) will publish, before sailing, the fourth volume of his ' History of the United States.' Mr. Jared Sparks is engaged on a * History of the American Revolution.' Hon. Mr. Kennedy, the author and statesman, is engaged on a ' Life of Mr. Wirt, the distinguished American jurist.' A Philadelphia paper states, that 100 artizans took passage in the ship Stevandoah, for England, with the intention of finding employment at better wages than, since the repeal of the tariff, can be obtained in this country. The errand is doubted by the freetrade papers. The connection of the Atlantic and Lake Erie, by magnetic telegraph, a distance of 507 miles, was celebrated on September 9th. On turning the adjusting-screw of the magnet, Professor Morse found all right, and sent his compliments to, and received answers from, all the seven stations on the route, in ten minutes ! A soldier lately presented to the Pope a loaf of bread of the worst quality, saying that even the convicts at the galleys had not worse food. On the following day the Pope sent for the Minister of War, and, after a conference of a few minutes, invited him to breakfast, at which a plate with the soldiers' bread was set before him. The Minister turned pale and could not touch it. Pius IX. then said to him, ' You do not eat ! yon find the bread too bad ! and yet it is the same as is given to my soldiers.' The Minister declared that he was ignorant of the fact ; to which the Pope replied, ' But I know it. I know that the complaints of the soldiers are not listened to, because the officers are corrupt.' The Minister withdrew in consternation. An inquiry was instituted. The friend of Count N , who had the distribution of the bread,

the contractor, and the bakyjr, were arrested a nd taken to ihe castle of Sr! Angelo. Today every soldier had four bajocas given him to buy his own bread ; and this is to be continued until further orders.

A New Light. — A Mr. Spaarmann has succeeded in distilling Jrom Caj c brandy, a fluid which he calls liquid gas, from its passing into the gaseous state at moderate temperatures. It emits a far more soft and beautiful light than can be procured from candles, and at the price at which it is sold, six shillings per gallon, is not more expensive, it being stated that a lamp with a 7-light burner will consume about 2 ounces per hour, and cost one penny per hour, giving light equal to 5 candles ; a 5-light burner, about one ounce per hour, and cost per hour, with a light equal to three candles ; and a 4-light burner, about f ounce per hour, and cost one farthing and \ per hour, equal to 2 candles. This is an important article of colonial manufacture. It might, perhaps, but for our distillation bill, be introduced here. — Care Paper.

Lord Rosse's Telescope. — The late English papers give an account of an extraordinary attempt to destroy Lord Rosse's telescope. Religious fanaticism had induced a madman, moving in a respectable line of life, to travel from Cheltenham for the purpose of destroying what he considered an impious attempt to pry into the works of the Creator. Having obtained an order to view the telescope and beeu admitted to the platform, the wretched fanatic hurled a large stone, which he had concealed for the purpose, at the speculum. Fortunately, however, he failed in his aim, — the missile struck a part of the frame, and caused little or no injury to the apparatus. Unluckily for himself, in the energy of exertion, he over-balanced himself, and fell from the platform, breaking his thigh, and sustaining other severe injuries from the fall. In this state he was picked up, and after receiving the needful assistance, was carried before the neighbouring Magistrates and committed to take his trial for the attempt at destruction of property. Fortunately this instance differs from the Portland Vase, where the ruffian who smashed it to pieces escaped comparatively unpunished. Here a mercantile money value can be affixed, and a corresponding punishment awarded, although it is lamentable to think that the extent of maliciously inflicted injury to objects of irreparable value can only ! be reduced to a mercantile denomination. A v -ry extraordinary phenomenon was observed on the line of the electric telegraph between New York and Baltimore, on Thursday afternoon, the like of which was never before known to man. Three thunder storms, each some thirty or sixty miles from the other, were all coming east on the telegraph route about the same time, and every discharge of electricity from either was fully recorded by the lightning itself in the telegraph office at Jersey city, Philadelphia, Wilmington, or Baltimore. The wire became altogether unmanageable, and the operators being obliged to withdraw the batteries used for writing, the visitor from the clouds had the field to itself. The letters of Morse's Telegraphic alphabet which this natural lightning seems to be most partial to were L and T, but occasionally it went at the numerals and dashed off l's, 50's, 55's, 500's, and 5000's in its own rapid style. We learn that when two or more thunder clouds get in the same vicinity, and discharge electricity at each other, or receive the fluid from the earth and return it again, or when ground lightning prevails, the effect on the telegraph wires is to produce a strange and orignal language which may yet be made intelligible. In fact, each kind of lightning speaks for itself, and writes what it says. — New York Sun, June 8.

The "Great Britain" Steamer. — The following extract of a letter from Mr. Gabriel, R. N., dated " Dundrum, Sunday," appears in the Nettry Telegraph of this day ; — " According to promise I let you know how things are progressing with the Great Britain. Thursday's work has finished her. Mr. Bremmer has failed, as I anticipated, in his breakwater, which was entirely washed away ; the sea made a clean breach over her, swept away several skylights on deck ; the ship filled with water to such an extent that the cabin doors and bulkheads are nearly all washed into the holds and about the decks ; the promenade deck was covered with water ; in fact, you may almost say she filled, for every one on board had to fly to the upper deck, and there Wait till the water had run out of her; she was afloat, and thumping both forward and aft, and her head is shifted more towards Tyrella watch-house again. Mr.' Bremmer has given her up, and they at length are going to take the masts out of her, together with her engine. I have not yet examined her bottom, but intend doing so to-morrow ; if all I hear is correct, I'm afraid she is gone. — She was pitching at times as much as three feet." — Morning Chronicle, Nov. 26. .Cabrera is said to be travelling through Spain under the name of Jose Lopez, a merchant of Madrid. His description has been

sent to all the authorities, and if taken he will be instantly shot. Don Carlos is living at Genoa, in a modest, retired manner. "He has," says a writer on the spot, " taken a very fine and finely-situated house near the Aqua Sola, where he promenades often with his wife — a very homely-looking and plainly-dressed personage — with one at- | tendant and a servant following. He is very dark, and has rather a stern physiognomy ; but his address is very gracious and polite. I hear ftom a gentleman, who vuats him, that he much approves of the step his son has taken, and rather rejoices at the choice of husbands for her Spanish Majesty and the Infanta, as it will give an opportunity to biing his family titles to a decisive adjudication,,' There have beeu tremendous storms in Spain. Several persons were killed by lightning, and whole flocks of sheep killed by hail. The Late Case of Death from Flogging at Hounslow. —In the Court of Queen's Bench on Thursday, the AttorneyGeneral moved, at the instance of Mr. Wakley, M. P. for Finsbury, for a rule calling upon Michael Cooke and Thomas Healey, who are the printers and publishers of the Medical 2imes, to show cause why a criminal information should not be filed against them lor a libel published in that paper. The libel appeared between the Ist and 3rd of August. The learned gentleman read the alleged libel, which stated that the whole proceedings at the the inquest were a farce ; that Mr. Wakley would be consigned to infamy after what had taken place if he did not prove that the soldier died from military torture, and that he had coaxed the private soldiers of the regiment in order lhat he might bring a charge of murder to the door of an eminent medical man (Dr. Warren) to conjure up such a charge against him and Colonel Whyte, and the farrier and drummer, and that he had acted throughout the investigation, in order to gain public sentiment in his favour, to help his fortunes for the future. It went on to accuse him of prostituting the office of an English magistrate for the purpose of seeking applause ; and said that the inquest was a melo-drama; that Mr. Wilson and Mr. Wakley had connived together for the purpose of preparing a colourable statement to the jury ; and concluded by stating that they shared the fees which Mr. Wilson received for post mortem examinations. The Court granted the application.

An Evening in Bohemia. — Reader, should you ever visit Prague forget not to go to the Sophein Insel ; there twice or thrice4n a week plays the Palombini band. This little island has really a magical appearance on a fine autumn evening, when, at the cool hours, numbers, of well-dressed cheerful people sit in the open air, under the little grove of pollard chesnuts ; and regale themselves and their friends with ices, coffee, chocolate, &c. ; the most substantial suppers may also be had. As the evening draws in, lamps and chandeliers suspended from the trees, add a beauty to the scene, and it assumes the most friendly and social aspect. Should you prefer it, you can saunter round the little island, adorned with well-kept paths and beds ol flowers ; or on the edge of it, close to the water, guarded by a row of trees, growing on the brink, you may choose a resting-place. Through the stems andbranches, some ol them dipping into the water, brightly gleams the Moldau, quivering in the sun's declining rays, and the eye then finding an opening, may look out far, and watch the changing hues and softening blue of land and water in thedistance, while the heart muses on futurity. Meanwhile are heard, played with the greatest precision and beauty, the finest overtures and sparkling polkas — these last not the dull imitation fashion has lately produced, but the true children of the soil, combining so strangely sadness and mirth — Sehnsucht and Heiierkeit — that one knows not which predominates. I should be inclined to say the former, for I never listened to these tunes without feeling triste. They are singular productions ; there is so much expression of feeling in them : they wind into the recesses of the heart as the changing passages return again and again, and one could sit and listen ior. — Frasers Magazine.