ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 322, 30 August 1848, Page 2

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

, It is proposed to embody in Glasgow, a tolunteer rifle corps 1,500 strong, to iuni sh 'heir own uniforms, provided the Government supply the rifles. Arrangements have been made for holding communication between Liverpool anil^Jorth America, for the conveyance of letters, &c. t once a-week. The Leeds Intelligencer states that the poet Wordsworth is said to be in a state of imbecility, sitting olten in moody silence, with hi} gaze fixed on vacancy. A munificent donation .hat been made to

the London University College, under curU ous circumstances^ A person, "Z. A., called on Lord Auckland, the Vice-Piesident of the Counci', and announced that he would present £5,000 to form a fund, if he were allowed to give it what name he pleased ; the terms were accepted, and notified by advertisements in the Times. The gentleman again waited on Lord Auckland, and presented the amount in bank notes, desiring that it might form " The Andrews' Fund" — declining to give his name, and intimating that it is not to be divulged if by chance it should be discovered. The French mint is encumbered at this moment with an enormous mass of silver plate brought there to be coined into pieces of five francs each. A number of silversmiths, despairing of selling their second-hand articles, have resorted to this expedient to render their dead stock available ; others announce a reduction oi 10 per cent, on their goods, in order to ensure such a sale as may keep their workmen employed. The Provisional -Government have decreed a statue to the memory of Marshal Ney, to be erected on the spot where he was shot. It is said tint the theatre of the Tuileries, which will hold from 1,500 to 2,000 persons, is to be converted into a morning concert room. The few English families sti'l remaining in Paris are rapidly disappearing, and those who still postpone the moment of their departure in the hope of a change for the better, have made all the arrangements for an immediate start. But it is not among our countrymen alone that the alarm is prevalent. The rich French families, who usually spend the winter and spring and a part ol the summer in Paris are all taking refuge in their chateaux in the provinces. To such an extent is this taking place, that some of the newspapers have actually suggested to the Provisional Government the propriety of stopping the " emigration" v. hether of foreigners or natives, and obliging rich families of all kinds to remaiu in Paris till the end of the season ; a suggestion which the Provisional Government, notwithstanding its revolu ionary origiu, is not sufficiently revolutionary to adopt. Among those who have been the first to take to flight are the Russians, of whom there were, till within the last few days, a great number in Paris. The Americans are the only persons who appear to be quite at their ease. They seem to be quite at home, and, in fact, show more confidence in the newly established Republic than the French Republicans themselves. A placard has been posted in different parts of Paris, containing a plan for making "France rich in eight days." It is calculated that G,000,000, or 7,000,000 persons in France possess articles of plate of a value areraging 300f. each person. The state is to borrow this, giving the owners rentes to the amount of the price of the metal, with an allowance for the workmanship, at the quotation of the day. Coin this mass* of bullion, and France would immediately be the richest country in the world. "Promptitude and euergy" are advised in the execution of this measure. Il is hinted that articles silvered by the electric process are quite as ornamental as plate. The report that the Regent diamond had disap) eared from among the crown jewels is contradicted ; but a little case has been dirobe from the Tuileries, containing a mounted diamond, valued at 250,000f., and a pair of ear drops worth 30,000f. more. The Protestants of Paris have formed a Democratic club, for the purpose of securing the success of their friends at the approachii g general election for members to the Constituent Assembly. The number of persons wounded in the three days of Februaiy, and received at the hospitals, amounted to 638, of whom 621 were men, and 17 women. Of that number 253 still remain in the hospitals. M. Guizot, the ex- French minister, has been seven times in offi< c. In 1830 and 1837, in co-operation wiih Count Mole; in the four administrations of 1832, April 1834, November 1834 and 1835, in co-operation with Thiers ; and lastly, in the ministry of December 1840 and 1843, in opposition to both Count Mole and M. Thiers. The ladies of MM. Ledru Rolliu and Lamartine, two of the French Ministers, are Irish by birth. M. Odillon Barren is said to be descended from the lush O'Dillons. •The Presse relates the following expression of sympathy for Louis Philippe :—": — " A considerable number of journeymen joiners, who had assembled in couverse on their own situation, were alluding to the 1,0U0,000f. of the Civil List, which the Provisional Government had promised to distribute among them--when at the moment the arrival of Louis Philippe and his family in London in a state of complete deprivation was announced. Upon hearing this news, one of the men present said, ' Sacristie ! that is very hard upon them. 1 tell you what should be done. The advice of Beranger should be followed. A million distributed amongst us would be but very few francs a-piece; Mfelljrjthen J Let it be sent

to the ex-King. The alms of the poor do honour to misfortune !' " The Moniteur publishes a document found among the papers lelt by M. Genie, the secretary of M, Guizof, which has caused great scandal. It is a report by M. Bouchy, late Procureur dv Roi, on charges made against M. Libri, a member of the Institute and a professor of the University, of stealing valuable and unique books, to the value of some 400,000 francs, from various libraries in Palis, Carpentras, Montpellier, the Chartreuse at Grenoble, and other places, to which he obtained access as a political writer in the service of Guizot and Duchatel. Several of the books and documents have been sold by auction ; and some have even been brought over 10 the British Museum. M. Libn was the intimate friend and confidant of M. Guizot up to the last, though the Government had information on the charges of two years date. JV!. Libri has escaped to England.

Portraits of the Members of the Provisional Government. — A correspondent of the Times gives the following description cf the personal appearance of the members of the Provisional Government: — "A new and somewhat better lithographed group of the heads ol the Provisional Government has appeared upon the Boulevards. It is a curious study for a physiognomist. There you see Louis Blanc, with his sharp, intelligent, and slightly sensual face. Pagnerre, frowning, but not unkindly, with the air of a man looking into the distance. Lamartine, whom everybody knows, with his fine dreamy head, not without a melancholy look, as if with a presentiment of evil. Marrast, with a bold but discontented air. Dupont de l'Eure, a mild old /rMff-lookinghead. Ciemieux, with a good tempered smile, but an inexpressible air of the proloundest cunning and calculation. Marie, gentlemanly looking, but with an inquisitive air, and an under-current look of suspicion and mistrust. Gamier Pages, with folded arms, looking determined and resolute, but not ill-intentioned. Flocon, heavy browed and rough, but not unagreeable. Arago, a noble, intelligent old head, seemingly lull of straightforwardness. Albert, with a look of agreeable intelligence, but something of a grasping express on ; and lastly, Ledru Rollin, without one redeeming quality of physiognomy—insolent, arrogant, conceited, reckless, headstrong, atid cruel."

Venezuela. — There has been some terrible scenes enacted at Caraccas. The Venezuelean Congress met on the 24th January, was overwhelmed by the populace, set on, it is said, by the President, and several of the members ma*-sacred. It was expected that a revolution would immediately break out throughout the republic. We extnctthe following passage from a letter, descriptive of the horrible scene : — On the opening of Congress, serious disonler commenced between several members ; high words drew a great crowd ; daggers were draft n, and it is said a member from the city — Hon. Hemeregildo Garcia — stabbed a member from Mararaibo, iion. Antonio Salas. The scene which ensued was terrific ; those that could, fled ; and when the alarm reached ihe street the citizens fled in terror. A body of soldiers rushed in front of the hall, firing several volleys indiscriminately into the windows. Several members reached the door, and were cut down like dogs. A wounded member, bleeding, was recognised by the soldiers ; they fell on him — his left cheek and ear were shot away — a severe cut over the head, and his head nearly severed from his body, and his bo ! y terribly mangled with bayonets. The Hon. Julian Garcia, of Caraccas, was shot through ihe head — the ball entering one ear and passing out at the other, ail ti.e fingers of one hand cut off, and sixteen wounds in other parts of his body. The Hon. Juan Garota had a sword run through his body, and fell dead. Colonel Smith was badly wounded with a bayonet — sev-ral others killed, and some wounded. Those \\\\o could not escape in front, wrenched off the iron bars of a back window, and, by means of a settee, made a biidge to the top of a wall, were a few poles were found ; and with these they escaped over several walN, torn and bruised. The whole square was soon surrounded by the troops, and the honourable members were made prisoners — some with scarcely clothes on — i-ome without hats, boots, or indispensables ; some few shared a better fate. The crowd lushed iuto the hall, destroying the furniture, and cutting to p'eces a large portrait of Bo.ivar. In halt an hour thousands of vagabonds were parading the streets with till kinds of weapons : every house was instantly closed : all the foreigners who had flags, unfurled them for protection ; none but those whose business called them out were in the streets; every few minutes the harsh challenge, quen viva, or the rush of cavalry, broke on the ear ; night soon closed in darkness, and a deathlike stillness prevailed during the night. On the morning of the 25th the citizens crept cautiously out. About noon the dead were interred with ceremony. At one o'clock the members were es-

corted to the hall, and compelled per force to pass several resolutions. A bando was proclaimed, requesting the citizens to resume their business, with an assurance of protection. On (he 26th the members met again, the President and his guards being in the hall with the members, while several resolutions were passed exonerating the executive from all censure, and a general amnesty proclaimed. In the meantime the first day's butchery is spreading to the interior, and the question is asked, in an under tone, will General Paez come ? All eyes are now towards the plains. If the chief comes with two or three thousand Llanaros, and the soldiers have courage enough to face them, we shall have son.c bloody work among us.