ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 402, 9 June 1849, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Prince Albert a Highland Laird. — The Aberdeen Herald says :—": — " On Wednesday last the estate of Birkhall, adjoining Balmoral, was exposed for sale in Kdi iburgh, and taken out at the upset price, £14,900, for Prince Albert. At the same time the life rent of the entailed estate of Abergeldie, another adjoining property, was put up for sale, and taken out for the heir of entail, Mr. Gordon, jun., of Abergeldie. It is understood that negotiations are in progress whereby his Royal Highness will become lessee of Abergeldie. Balmoral is a portion of the Earl of Fife's entailed estates, but, we believe, lejjal authority is to be procured for selling it to her Majesty or the Prince. In the meantime, the extensive alterations and additions — for which his Royal Highness gave instructions before his departure for the south — are in the course of being carried out, and Dr. Robertson, the active and intelligent land steward, is getting the grounds put in order, removing the vermin, and taking other precautions for pieseiving the game. Irom these circumstances, it is but reasonable to conclude that Balmoral will, henceforth, take its place in the same category with Osborne ami the other royal residences, where her Majesty regularly spends a portion of each year. When his Royal Highness arrives on Deeside, next season, be must be welcomed in his new character of a Highland laird."

Lord Melbourne's Will. — Lord Melbourne's executors are, we hear, no other than Henry Lord Brougham and Edward Ellice the elder. Now, thotigh no man leaves behind him anything so interesting as his property, to those who are to share it, yet, to the public, such a man as the late Lord Melbourne leaves something which is far more important, in the shape of private correspondence, notes of important transactions, correspondence with the great persons engaged in them, and, in short, all the various private documents of a statesman's life. These papers come as a matter of rij^ht into the hands of Lord Brougham and Mr. E. Ellice. Of course there is not the sligbte&t doubt that in such hauds these documents will only be put to honourable uses. Still there is something, not very easy to describe, which causes the Whigs to feel uncomfortable that all they have said in writing to Lord Melbourne should fall into the hanJs of Lord Brougham. They are not at all happy about 1 it, and if (he deceased lord received any injury at their hands, his ghost does not "walk unrevenged amongst them." — Post.

Thb Secret of Success. — It may to some appear like vanity in me to write what I now do, but I should not give my life truly if I omitted it. When filling a cart of ma1 nure at the farm dunghill, I never stopped work because my side of the cart might be heaped up before the other side, at which was another man ; I pushed over what I had heaped up to help him, as doubtless he did to help me when I was last and he was first. When I have filled ray column or columns of a newspaper, or sheet of a magazine, with the literature for which I was to be paid, I have never stopped if the subject required more elucidation, or the paper or magazine more matter, because there was no contract for payment, or no likelihood of there being more. When I have lived in a barrack-room, I have stopped my own work, aud have taken a baby from a soldier's wife, when she had to work, and nursed it, or have gone for water for her, or have cleaned another man's accoutrements, though it was no part of my duty to do so. When I have been engaged in political literature and travelling for a newspaper, I have not hesitated to travel many miles out of my road to ascertain a local fact, or to pursue a subject into its minutest particulars, if it appeared that the public were unacquainted with the facts of the subject ; and this at times when I had work to do which was much more pleasant and profitable. When I have needed employment, I have accepted it at whatever nages I could obtain, at plough, in farmdrain, in stone quarry, at breaking stones for roads, at wood-cutting, in a saw-pit, as a civilian, or as a soldier. I have in London cleaned out a stable and groomed a cabman's horse for a sixpence, and been thankful to the cabman for the sixpence. I have subsequently tried literature, have done as much writing for ten shillings as I have readily obtained — been sought after and offered — tea guineas for. But had I not been content to begin at

the beginning and accepted shillings, I would not have risen to guineas. I have lost nothing by working. Whether at Rhouring or literary York, with a spade or with a pen, I have been my own helper. — Autobiography cf a Working Man. Professor Samuel Cooper, F.R.S., the eminent surgeon, expired on the 3rd December, at his country residence, Sheppeiton. In 1845 he enjoyed the highest professional honour he could obtain — President of the College of Surgeons. Mr. Cooper was for serenteen years connected with the University College and Hospital, and was a most popular teacher.

Naples. — In an interview vrirh the King of Naples, Mr. Temple urged His Majesty to proceed in a much more liberal course than be intended towards his Sicilian subjects, and the King replied — "Mr. Temple, I will pledge myself to follow step by step in Sicily whatever measures your government shall set before me in Ireland. If you withdraw your troops from thence, I will order mine to quit Sicily. If you leave Ireland to the defence of native troops, I will do the same for Sicily, and every measure of liberal policy that you shall pursue in Ireland, where there is no large party in arms, and no fortified town iv the hands of rebels, I will follow you in Sicily, where there are both. If you will not accept such terms, w-11 yon follow my example, and avoid any further interference between sovereign and subject, until I presume to direct your' course whh regard to the peop[e of Ireland." Too Good a Judge. — The late Chancellor Kent (says an American journal) was exceedingly fond of martial music : and hearing the drums of a recruiting party, who had taken a station at the corner of the sleet, beating a point of war, he walked out to listen to it nearer. Insensibly he was whistling the burden of the tune, when a man accosted him : " You are fond of such music then, my fine fellow ?" " Very," was the , reply. " Very," said Serjeant Kite, " then why not join us ? Good quarters, good pay, large bounty. Besides, our captain is a glorious fellow. Why won't you now ? You can't do better." Well," said the Chancellor, " I have one pretty strong objection." " What is it ? asked the serjeant. " I happen to have just now a better trade." " What trade ?" said the inquisitor. " I am Chan- | cellor of the State of New York." "Whew «" interjected the serjeant. " Strike up, quick step, forward, inarch !" Off tramped the military man, without looking behind him, leaving the Chancellor to enjoy his laugh at the adventure.

Happy Simplicit^. — The Leeds Times relates an anecdote illustrating the force of the proverb that "ignorance is bliss": — "A butter and egg wife was one day making her first trip to Dundee by the Dundee and Newtyle Railway. That line approaches the town of Dundee by a very steep incline, the carriages being worked up and down by a stationary engine ; and the ancient dame happened to be the only passenger, third class. The rope attached to the train of carriages in their descent snapped asunder, the train rushed with frightful velocity down the incline, and on reaching the station the carriages went 1 ang into it, the old woman holding firm her basket handle, being thrown head over heels amongst a lot of wool bags. The bystanders looked on in terror, but the good dame, unacquainted with railway travelling, and prepared to expect something wonderful, rose up from the bag on which she had been deposited with such force, to the entire ruin of her eggs, and remarked, ' Od, sirs, do ye aye whummle us o'er i' this way ?' "

Immense Clock-Dial. — The dial of the new clock at the Palace of Westminster is to be thirty feet in diameter, the largest in the worl'l, excepting a skeleton dial at M alines, on which the time is shewn by only one hand, and which makes one revolution in twelve hours. The dial of St. Paul's clock, which is only eighteen feet in diameter, is the largest in this country that ;s; s furnished with a minute hand. — Leeds Mercury.