LATEST ENGLISH NEWS. [From the South Australian, June 5.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 407, 27 June 1849, Page 3

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS. [From the South Australian, June 5.]

By the Royal Sovereign we have received complete files of London papers to the 15th February. Ministers had introduced the resolutions in Parliament respecting a modification ot the navigation laws. On this subject we have the following very satisfactory statement by' Mr. Labouchere, who said the duty had again devolved on him to call the attention of the House' to the subject of the navigation laws, and he hoped, from the early period' of the session at which the subject was introduced, they would be able to effect some measure on the snbject. Although no satisfactoryresdlt was come to last session on the subject^ the time occupied in discussing the- question had not been thrown away; as' marfy -p're- 4 liminary points had in consequence 1 lyeeri l disposed of. In consequence' 1 of the del&yan' opportunity has beenafforhVd to v[ the' 'colonies"

to express ilieir opinions on the subject. The | measure of last session tli J not interfere with the coas ing trade and the fisheries, and did not propose to make arij alteration. He stated last year that the navigation laws depended on three fundamental principles, and these were — Ist. The navigation la.ts as a protection to our colonial trade ; 2nd, as applied to the long voyage trade ; and 3rd, the carrying of our direct European trade. Whatever difference of opinion might exist as to the policy of the alterations which had recently taken place in the sugar duties, he believed it was universally admitted that, after that alteration had taken place, it would be most unjust to restrain the colonies by restrictive systems with regard to navigation, and that the colonists were entitled to have perfect exemption from the operation of the navigation laws. He begged to call the attention of the House to a statement forwarded by Lord Elgin, and which entirely supported his opinion of the necessity of giving to the colonies perfect freedom as to the navigation laws. In that statement a confident opinion wis given, that if the restrictions imposed l>y the navigation laws were removed, the people of Montreal and other parts of Canada, would be able successfully to compete with the people of the States of Ohio, Illinois, and other states of the American Union. The precise nature of the new modification is thus stated by the Times, of the 13th February :—: — " As the proposed measure stood last session, any vessel might bring any cargo from any foreign or colonial port to any port of the United Kingdom. But when at that port its liberty ceased. It could not proceed to any other port of these islands. If, after landing part of iis cargo at one port it should be desirable to proceed with the remainder to another that was not allowed. The selection of the cargo and the chances of the adventure were liuited to the narrowest possible field — the port at which the vessel should first enter. Now, as a mixture of cargo and free choice of destination are necessary not only to profit, but to secure against loss, this would still leave the foreigner at a great disadvantige. It will be proposed, therefore, that the foreigner, after depositing a part of his cargo at one Hntish port, may proceed to another; and, as in this ca«e there may occur a great waste of freight through the vessel sailing with only one-half or a third of a cargo from one British port to another; it is further proposed, that alter partially unloading, the foreigner may complete his cargo in the first port and dispose of it>in the second. Beyond this it is not proposed to open the general coasting trade ; and for the protection of the revenue against .smugglers, this restricted liberty of carriage from one British port to another will be confined to vessels of at least one hundred tons burden." One of the first acts of ministers in the new parliament was to move for leave to continue the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland. The motion was carried by 221 to 18. The second reading was carried by 275 to 33. A discussion took place on a motion of Sir Robett Inglis for the copy of a communication from Lord Clarendon, on the subjVct of the rank of Roman Catholic prelates. From Lord John Russell's reply it appears that Lord Clarendon had intimated that ho addressed Roman Catholic archbishops and bishops as " your grace," and *' your lordship," and had suggested to Lord Grey that the same should be done in the colonies. This Lord Grey had agreed to and given directions accordingly. The subject of agricultural distress was occupying' much attention. A Sussex nobleman, greatly esteemed for his incomparable skill in the cultivation of his own large farm, had written to Bell's Messenger, that he has never known the agriculturists of his own county, Sussex, to suffer greater distress than at the present period, and that he is apprehensive of still greater misery before the close of the year. There is no sale whatever for barlfy, because a superior article is brought from France. It is difficult to get the price of even 455. for wheat, whilst tithe and poor rates exceed 10s. per acre ; none of the German or other continental countries either pay any tithe or poor rates whatever. In the autumn of 1792, just before the commencement of the French war, the price of the quarter of wheat in the London market was exactly the. same as it is at present ; but who is there that will venture to assert that the rents, tithes, and poor rates of 1792 were the same as at present ? How, therefore, can the cultivation of the land be continued at such prices under such burdens ? Lord Stanley and his party had determined on a vigorous attempt to reimpose the Corn Duties, but they could not as yet agree on the time and the mode. By a major'ty of 220 to 143, power had been given to the' Government to grant sums to',£h* amount of £50,000 in aid -of the funds

!of the Irish unions. In the course of the debate it was elicited that out of 130 unions under the poor la^, ] 1 of them were inextricably in debt, au<i 3G had been altogether suspended. A calamitous fire had occurred in Lamb Street, Spitalfields, when five persons were burnt and property to a large amount destroyed. Nearly £20,000 worth of property had also been destroyed by a fire in Mitchell and Gordon-streets, Glasgow. The injunction against Strange, prohibiting the publication of the royal etchings, had been affirmed with costs. The Californian gold had already begun to operate on the English markets. Bell's Messenger, of 10th February, contains the following :: — •' By letters from Liverpool we learn that extensive orders for manufactured goods of all kinds had been received by the steamer from America. The late imports into the States were realising handsome profits. All the letters from New York giv& a favorable account of trade, &c, and the people were in the highest sprits regarding the Californian gold." Gold districts have been discovered in Egypt, the sands of which yield twice as much gold ore as those of the Siberian mines. Coal had been discovered in the Straits of Magellan. The Times of 15th February, mentions a rumour that the Bank of England was about to reduce their rate of discount to two and a half per cent. The rate by private establishments was two per cent. t The cholera on 15th February — Number of deaths, London and vicinity, 541 ; the country, 386 ; Scotland, 4330. Fresh cases, in London 7, deaths 2 ; East Reedhara 25, deaths 3 ; Edinburgh 3, deaths 3 ; Glasgow 19, deaths 8 ; Stirling 19, deaths 9 ; Tillicoultry 16, deaths 4; other places 31, deaths 14. The fencing previous to -Mr. C. G. Duffy's trial still continued. It seems perfectly interminable. Jenny Lind is going to b* married to a Mr. Harris, the son of a London banker. This information may be relied on. — Leeds Mercury. The following is from a private letter, dated 14th February: — "Wool is up twenty per cent since October ; there is a very brisk demand. It is expected that the States will forward large orders for goods, to supply the vacuum left in their markets by shipments to California. I have private means of knowing that the accounts of California in the American papers, which seem burlesque, are only a little exiggerated." London average of wheat, 48s. 2d. Tallow, 395. to 40s.