ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 274, 15 March 1848, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Italy continues' the scene of political ferment. There has not, however, been much progress made either by the reforming or the obstructing parties. The Pope maintains a firm attitude, and the organization of the Nation proceeds steadily. The Duke of Lucca has abdicated, and his principality has merged in the dominions of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The abdication of the Giand Duchess of Parma, Marie Louise (Napoleon's widow) is not a very remote event. Both abdications are favourable to the cause of civil and religious liberty in Itlay. Father Prout (Pierce Mahoney), who, in the seclusion of his private apartments in London, does duty as " Our Correspondent in Rome" for the Daily Ne:<s, has written an amusing song upon the evacuation of Ferrara { by the Austriaus. He makes the imaginary " correspondent" introduce it ihus :—: — " I write to-day merely to tell you that a numberof British artists met lasteveningin the Via Condotti, on receipt of the joyful intelligence, and held an extra banquet in commemoration. Hogan the sculptor took the chair, in his costume of national guard, and the following extemporaneous song was chanted by Robert Macpherson, Esq. (one of the Cluny bodes), who, wearing a flowing red beard, and being blessed with a strong Scotch accent, electrified the assembly with his unpremeditated melody.

THE NEW GERUSALIMME LIBIUATA. Air — Qlalbrook *'en va-t-en guerre. The Germans are gone frae Ferrara I So ends all their tantarara 1 An " eagle" is now " avis rara" In Tasso's poetical town. Says the Pope, putting on his tiara, To Austria — " You're drunk mia caret! Be off from the streets of Ferrara, Or else I may • fine you a Crown.' " Pay the wine-sellers, next, for the sack ye owe, You have got the strong place of Comaechio ; But from that too (says Cicero whackio). We'll bundle you out before long. Three rounds of applause, my boys, let's gie For General Field-marshal Radetski : May he never get wet till he gets key Fit to open Ferrara the strong. The Germans are gone from Ferrana, In spite of their tantarara ; An eagle is now avis rara In Tasso's poetical town. Two-neck 'd double-crowned dark and dumb bird! Thy days are in Italy numbered ; Pass the Po ! pass the land of the Lombard Try again — it will cost but a Crown !"

The Rajah of Sarawak. — At a Court "of Common Council, the freedom of the City was presented to " his Excellency James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak." The Aldermen attended in their scarlet robes, and the Common Councilmen in their mazarine gowns ; and the Court was graced by the presence of a great number of ladies. Mr. Brooke having been sworn in as a citizen of London, the Chamberlain made the usual complimentary address, in which he referred to the present event as the renewal of a union that formerly existed between the family from which Mr. Brooke is descended and the City ; an ancestor of Mr. Brookes filled the office of Lord Mayor in the reign of King Charles the Second. Mr. Brooke made an unpretending and modest reply. For himself he had little

to say: he was conscious of good motives : he could not sing his own praises; hut for the future he trusted that piracy in the Archipelago would be so crushed, that a small boat will be able to proceed in safety from one end to the other of the different islands.

Six New Bishops for India. —lt is contemplated to apply the principle of subdivision which has recently been made in the diocese of Australia to India, the whole of which enormous territory is under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the four Bishops of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and Colombo. These four sees are to be divided, and six new sees formed, so that for the present there will be ten Indian Bishops instead of four, and this number will be increased as speedily as circumstances will admit.

The Editor's Box. — The box at the extreme right of the gallery, is that occupied by the editors-in-chief oi the Paris journals ; and that box is the true political barometer of the Chamber, though visible only to an initiated few. If the discussion in progress be important—if M. Guizot, M. Thiers, or M. Berryer, be at the tribune, all is earnest attention; the silence is broken only by some exclamation of enthusiasm, or some muttered expression of anger or indignation, mingling with the signs of blame or assent of the legislators below, during the interruptions so frequent in the French Chamber. But if, on the contrary, some honourable member attacks the tribune manuscript in hand, or begins a deliberate paraphrase of the articles of the journals (as happens at times) — or if there be a suspension of the sitting, enabling the speech-weary deputies to rush to the tavern — then do the occupants of this box, seated on the front benches, wheel round, and, turning the r backs fo the Chamber, get up among themselves a counterpart of the debates below. No pen could do justice to this discussion — so original, varied, piquant, and at all times instructive. Cutting words, gibing fancies, witty sallies, sarcastic hits, extravagant eulogies, and ouirageous invectives, pass from mouth to mouth, and mingle every tone. Often the friends or proteges of the editors smuggle themselves into this box, with a passionate fondness for the debates of this Chamber on a small scale. It is a sight to see, too, with what a polite and insinuating air some belated deputy, or unfortunate reporter to the Chamber, or orator incompris (there is no translating the word), hands in a note to these distributers of praise and blame, defending his representative zeal, giving explanations, or complaining of a mis-report. And then this box has its intimate and private conversations. It is before the discussion, or during the division that a small part of its frequenters, disdaining the Salle dcs pas Perdus, remain here ; and, half-reclined on the benches, gaily amuse themselves with the small whims, petty crosses, and private intrigues, of the legislators then crowding around the tribune. They know a hundred adventures and anecdotes — like the malicious chroniclers of the CEil de Bceuf — and, for my own part, I have retained more than one of these ; but their repetition heie would be a bad return for my welcome into that box. I leave them to the ingenious discretion of the authors of all sorts of " Mysteries." The box in question is a democratic republic ; it has a president, elected at the commencement of each session, to keep its peace, and maintain order, with the title of Syndic. * * But it is about as impossible to introduce order into this box, as to make the thirty journals of Paris harmonize. The editors' box is and ever will be a Babel — but an alluring Babel, and a very instructive one — where I have spent many a happy hour, and whose diversity of opinions and sentiments I greatly prefer td ihe uniformity of praise uttered by my compatriots in the mines of Siberia, in honour of his Majesty the Emperor of all the Russians. — Sharpes London Magazine,