ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 207, 24 July 1847, Page 3

ENGLISH NEWS.

The Royal family were in perfect health and the Queen Dowager had entirely recovered from her recent indisposition. It was reported that Parliament would be dissolved about the end of June or the beginning of July.

Fate of Pope's Skull. — Mr. Howitt, in his " Homes and Haunts of British Poets," says that the skull of Pope now ornaments the private collection of a phrenologist. "Fifty pounds were paid to manage the transaction with the sexton of the church in which the deceased poet was buried. The Repeal farce was still kept up, but had become perfectly ridiculous ; the rent did not exceed £20 a week, which was not sufficient to pay the salaries of the secretary and ; but the greatest blow the " cause" received was the election of Mr. Monaghan, the Solicitor-General, as member fcr Galway, in opposition to Mr. Flaherty, who was supported by the repealed and a large portion of the Roman Catholic clergy. The long talked of " Ten Hours Bill," for preventing children from working in factories for more than ten hours a day, was likely to be passed, the second reading having been carried, after a smart debate, by a majority of 195 to 87It is gratifying to know that the sympathies of the British Government and the public, and those of the wealthy Irish had been extensively participated in by the natives of Ireland resident in foreign parts — there is good authority for stating that last year the Irish in the United States remitted for distribution to their native land no less a sum than £130,000, and more than £30,000 additional had been sent since the present year began. A lady and her daughters in N.w York had given 75 barrels of corn meal to the Irish Relief Fund and a merchant had undertaken for the conveyance of the same to Ireland free of freight. Mr. O'Connell was seriously ill. He abstained from all business, read scarcely anything but his prayers, and saw few persons except his own family and his confessor, another account says it was indisposition, and not illness, that kept O'Connell at home. The King of Naples has presented Mrs. Gurwood with a diamond ring, as a token of regard for the memory of the compiler of the " Dispatches of the Duke of Wellington." Madame Hahnemann, widow of the founder of homeopathy, has been condemned by the Correctional Tribunal at Paris to pay a fine of 11 francs and costs, for illegally practising medicine. She pleaded in defence, that she bad received a diploma as doctor of medecine in Pennsylvania.

Something Really New. — The first French Lodge of Freemasons in England was last week opened at the Freemasons' Tavern, London. It is denominated "LogeFranqoisc de la "loterancc," and Ladies are to be admitted. This is certainly a great concession to the fair sex by the Grande Nation. We wonder whether a secret of mystery is preI served among French Freen,asons. A man condemned to death by the Court of , Assizes of the Ordeche in France has petitioned the Minister of Justice to permit him to undergo the punishment by inhaling ether, death by such means being without pain.

The Oldest Inhabitant. — This character is represented by a female now living in Moscow (Russia) who is 168 years of age. At the ripe age of 122 she married her fifth husband. Mr. Youatt, the eminent veterinarian, author of the " Treatise on the Horse," and other works of a like nature, committed su - cide by taking poison. It is said that in the present year the entire British army, infantry as well as cavalry, will assume the moustache. Lord G. Bentinck, who appears determined to bid high for the premiership, brought in a i bill authorising the Treasury to raise a loan j of £1G,000,000 for Irish railways; the bill! was read a first time without opposition, but on the second reading it was rejected by a majority of 322 to 118, being in fact considered a bill to tax England to that amount. Charles Rawlinson, Esq., the Recorder of Portsmouth, has been appointed to the Recordership of the Incorporated Straits Settlements — namely, Penang, Singapore, and Malacca, vice Sir William Norris. The Queen of Russia and the Queen of Prussia are both alarmingly ill. The personal property of the late Samuel Hoare, Esq., the banker, in Lombard-street, has been valued at £120,000. One of the judges has declared that persons placing money in the savings bank, who do not draw some portion of it within six years, are debarred from all claim by the statute of limitation. A new club is in course of formation in the metropolis, under the title of the Union Hunt Club, to be composed of the members of the leading hunting fraternities in England. Mr. Walter, proprietor of the Times, is dangerously ill at his seat in Berkshire. It is stated that, under any circumstances, he will not again engags in public affairs. It was stated in the House of Commons, that the enormous number of 668,000 men are now employed and paid by the government on public works in Ireland ! an announcement which produced a verjr marked sensation in the house.

Prince Albert and Earl Powis had been placed in nomination for the office of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, vacant by the death of the Duke of Northumberland. Prince Albert had been elected by a large majority, and bad written to the University a very gracious letter, expressing in the warmest terms his satisfaction at the honour conferred upon him. The inauguration of the new Chancellor was to take place on the 18th March ; the installation, and the usual festivities connected therewith, at the July commencement. The Duke of Somerset was dangerously ill at his residence, Wimbledon Park. His Grace is 75 years old. - Sir George Gipps, late Governor of New South Wales, died suddenly at Canterbury on the 28th Fehiuary, aged 59, from disease of the heart. He had only returned to England about six weeks. - Among the names of those recently deceased are Lord Clanmorris, aged 39 ; W. Collins, R. A*, the celebrated painter/ in his 59th year ; Sir F. Wood, Bart., father of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ; Lord Roll?, Major- General R. Pitman, of the East India Company's service, Sir Edward Hyde East, Bart., formerly Chief Justice of Bengal, in his 83d year ; Sir William Hillary, the Founder of " the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck," in his 78th year ; George Byng, Esq., for fiftysix years member for Middlesex, and father of the House of Commons, aged 82 years ; ~ the Countess Dowager of Stair, Major General Hare, William Astell, Esq., M. P., and Mr. Ward the well known and extensive shipowner. The Wellington statute is to be removed, at the expence of the sub committee, from the arch on which it had been placed, and erected in Waterloo Place. A general Fast throughout the United Kingdom was appointed for the 24th March on account of the famine and prevailing distress. The winter had been a severe one in Europe. On the 9th February a great many railway trains were detained in various parts of England owing to the great accumulation of snow. Santa Anna had been elected President of Mexico. He maintains his position with an increasing army, while the American General seems unwilling to advance, and President Polk is still more unwilling to continue the the war owing to its en ormous expense ; and yet neither he nor his General can frighten Santa Anna to sue for peace. We regret to announce the decease of the Countess Dowager of Shrewsbury, whose serious indisposition was mentioned in this journal a few days since. Her ladyship was the widow of the 15th earl. [ The new Bishopricks, it was supposed, would be St. Albans, Manchester, Leeds, and Leicester. The four junior bishops are not to have seats in the House of Lords, but as others are appointed after them, will become Lords of Parliament. The funds necessary are to be found by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Lord Hardinge has sent home from India £1000 towards building and endowing a church or chapel at Penshurst, in wich parish the noble and gallant lord has a seat. Me. O'Connell, — Mr. O'Connell is looking feeble, and seems to require rest, and. to refrain from entering into political strife. His former bnoyancy and rolling gesticulation have been laid aside, and he has assumed the manners, characteristic of extreme old age. Dr. Duke and Dr. M'Cabe, the latter a friend of many years standing, visit him frequently, and neither of them is at all sanguine as to his recovery. The perusal of newspapers is rigidly interdicted, and he is kept in complete ignorance of the ravages of the famine in Ireland, and has been led to believe that ihe worst is over. He has quite lost his voice, and can speak only in- a very subdued whisper.