ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 399, 30 May 1849, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Emigration to New Zealand. — The Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners have appointed a vessel for the conveyance of 200 military emigrants, out-pension-ers of Chelsea Hospital, their wives and families, to Auckland, New Zealand. The men will embark at Gravesend on the 12th February next, under the command of an officer. On landing in the colony they will receive a grant of land, and, in addition to their pension, a stipulate^ daily sum for such time as Government retains their services. — United Service Gazette, The following appointments have been made in the Order of the Bath :— -Colonel Duncan M'Gregor to be KX.B. ; Lieute-nant-Colonel Rowan t; be X.C.8. ; and Lieutenant-Colonel George Buller to be C.B. The four oldest regiments in the army are' now on the home establishment, a circumstance that has not occurred for the last half century — the Ist, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

The Countess of Landsfield, so well known by the name of Lola Montes, has arrived in London. This celebrated individual has achieved an European notoriety by the events which have taken place in the Bavarian dominions and elsewhere, and are too fresh in the memory of the public to require especial mention. It appears by a Parliamentary return, that during the last three years 1500 new places have been created, the salaries of which exceed a quarter of a million. The Dover Herald tells us that the Duke of Wellington, being at Dover, met three of the National Guards, and touched his hat, " which the Frenchmen returned, and appeared to be in ecstacies !" Forty-six silver badges of merit, technically termed " chevrons," have been fortfardeJ from the Inspector-General's Office, Dublin, for the constables who defended the farmhouse of Farrinrory against Mr. S. OBrien and the Ballingarry insurgents. In 1843, the Mexican government issued a decree, declaring that all foreign shopkeepers, who did not within six months marry natives of Mexico, should be compelled to " shut up shop." The railway calls for January amounted to £3,587,225, being about a million more than for the month of December. The long promised consolidation of the Boards of Excise and Stamps and Taxes into one Board of Internal Revenue had just been completed ; though an Act of Parliament would be required to carry out the new arrangement. The Commissioners would be reduced from 12 to 7, though, till a vacancy occurs, there will be eight. It is unnecessary to obsetve that money will be saved by the change. As soon as the arrangement can be effected, there will be a very considerable diminution in the staff of officers throughout the country. Killny-hill near Dublin, is perforated from side to side, the railway tunnel having been clean cut through the granite, of which the hill is composed. It is the only tunnel in the kingdom which passes for the whole length through granite.

Steam Navigation — Improvement in the Screw Propeller. — We are told that Sir Thomas Mitchell, before he left London, had made successful experiments on a method of prope'ling through water by the screw, which avoids the lateral resistance offered to all existing applications of the instrument ; and left behind him instructions for a patent — which is now complete. Sir Thomas expects great things from this construction — no less, we understand, than a performance of 500 miles a day for large steamers. The results are incalculable if this prove so. The sea will be no more an obstacle than dry land. The wave will almost beat the rail. Thirty days out to Sydney, for instance, will bring that most remote of our colonies, comparatively speaking, nearly home. We shall soon hear more of Sir Thomas Mitchells instrument if it can " put a girdle round about the earth " at any such rate of conjuring. — Athenaum, December^. An American lady, who had been sick at Marseilles, and had received many kind attentions from many of her sex, both French and English, was asked to give her opinion respecting the two classes of her sympathisers. Her reply was, "They were both very kind. The French ladies brought me flowers all day, but the English ladies sat up with me all night." Disagreeable but Diverting Blundk*. — A short time ago a lady and gentleman were married in the neighbourhood of Nottingham, and proceeded in their carriage to spend the honeymoon by the Cumberland Lakes, the gentleman giving strict orders to Murphy, his Irish footman, on no account to state to inquirers that they were newly married. When leaving the first inn on the road the happy couple were much astonished and annoyed to find the servants all assembled, and, pointing to the gentleman, mysteriously exclaiming, " That's him ! that's the man!" On reaching the next stage, the indignant master told Murphy he must certainly discharge him, as he had divulged what he had impressed upon him as a secret. " An' pray yer honour," inquired Murphy, " what is it yer complains ov ?" •« That you told the servants at the last inn we were a new married couple." "By — -— , an' it's not thrue, yer honour," replied Murphy ; " I told the whole kit that yer honour and yer honour's lady — God bless her I—wouldn't1 — wouldn't be married yet for a fortnight !"— Liverpool Albion, Dee. 25.