LATE ENGLISH NEWS. [From the Supplement to the Sydney Morning Herald, May 22.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 409, 4 July 1849, Page 3

LATE ENGLISH NEWS. [From the Supplement to the Sydney Morning Herald, May 22.]

The arrival of the Pemberton at Port Phillip has put our southern contemporaries in possession of English news to 29th Jan., which we lose no time in laying before our readers. For the following summary and extracts we are principally indebted to the Daily news and Melbourne Herald. The principal items of importance are that the progress in improvement is unchecked, and the most cheering anticipations are everywhere prevalent. On the 18th January a day for the commencement of the February sales was fixed upon ; it was generally believed the Ist February was to be the date. Large prices in low priced wools were confidently expected ; a a brisk demand for all staples is confidently calculated upon, as also a considerable advance in price. Tallow was flat owing to the heavy importations thai had taken place from all quarters, and no improvement was counted on this article. The prices realized on tallow shipped by the Posthumous ranged from 40s, 3d.— 4os, 6d.-*- 40s. 9d. to 41s. 6d. All descriptions of produce were in demand, which was expected to ba permanent. A general and complete change for the better was expected. Trade in all the manufacturing districts was extremely brisk, and very extensive orders from the continent constantly flowing in. Cotton had risen 1\ per cent., and linens 5 per cent. Matters on the continent were tolerably quiet. The funds on the 28th January ruled at 80J. — 7 8. In the writ of error case of Meagher, OBrien, M'Manus, and others, judgment has been given for the Grown — the prisoners were sent back to durance. Little or no excitement prevailed. It appears to be generally agreed that the battle of the estimates is to be chiefly confined to the triple defences of the nation — the army, navy, and ordnance. v In consequence of the death of Lord Auckland, the Board of Admiralty is now composed of the Right Hon. Sir Francis Thornhill Baring, Bart.; Rear- Admiral James Whitley Deans Pundas, C.B. ; Maurice Frederick Fitzhardinge Berkeley, Esq., C.8.; Lord John Hay, C.8. ; the Hon William Francis Cowper, and Alexander Milne, Esq. The next news from the continent is likely to be important, for it was pretty generallyknown that diplomatic arrangements were on foot between the principal Roman Catholic Powei> to put an end to the Roman Revolution, and to restore Pius IX. to the temporal sovereignty of the Papal States. It is now admitted that orders have been transmitted to Toulon by the French Government, directing the immediate equipment of a very considerable armament, which is generally supposed to be destined to carry into effect this arrangement. In France a movement was on foot to call on the Assembly to dissolve — -the President continued to be most enthusiastically received. On the eve of the opening of Parliament, we have rumours of Ministerial purposes and political projects, but nothing more remarkable than Mr. Cobden's union with the Finance Reformers and the resusoitation of the giant League, in all its members, to war upon their side. The Minister, we are assured, is as much in earnest as Mr. Cobden on the subject of reduction, and the Times .premises something like four millions of retrenchment as the act of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. A dead set is made at the Woods and Forests, a cry is up against the Ordnance administration, the waste in shipbuilding is denounced, and a commission has it in charge to economize the management of the home, foreign, and colonial offices. The following deaths are recorded : — At Glasgow, Professor Thompson, of cholera, I General Sir Thomas Arbuthnot in his 72nd j year ; Henry Collin, the Scotch marriage factor, who resided at Lamberton, and during his ministry celebrated six thousand marj riages ; Mr. R. Cadell, the eminent Scotch publisher ; The Hon. Thomas M'Cornock Curtis, of the parish of St. Thomas East (Jamaica) has committed suicide ; the Right Hon. Anthony Richard Blake, Chief B.emembrancer, Ireland, aged 63 years ; and the. Earl of Talbat, at Ingestrie Hall, Staffordshire,,

Sir John Franklin's Expedition. — We regret to announce by accounts from Mazatlan, under date November 29, that her Majesty's surveying ship Herald. 22, Captain, Kellet, had arrived at that port fro.m BehAring's Straits, without having been able to obtain any intelligence of the expedition uo,der Sir John Franklin. 1

A frightful colliery explosion occured at Barley Main, within three miles ofßarnsley, (England,) occasioned by fire damp, in which seventy-eight lives were lost. In Ireland, the corporation of Dublin, for- * merly so \iolent against Lord Clarendon, had presented him with an address, in which they express their strong approval of the manner in which he lately exercised the extraordinary powers entrusted to him, for the maintenance of order. The North of Ireland has been the -scene of incendiary fires so systematically conducted as to leave no doubt whatever that they are the result of regular organization. The better class of the poor have emigrated extensively, and especially from the immediate locality of the fires. Two Roman Catholic Bishops, Dr. JMaginn, of Deny, and Dr. Walsh, of Cloyne and Ross, had breathed their last. The cholera had appeared in Belfast, and was expected to be a severe scourge to that unfortunate country — but not to the fearful extent of 1831 — 2. "We find no notice of the State Trials, but from a paragraph in the Times of the 26th January, it may be inferred that the Irish Bench gave adverse judgment in the case of the Queen v. T. P. Meagher ; as that journal states it not to be the intention of Mr. Meagher to take his case to the House of Lords. The Attorney-General had sustained a severe defeat in the case of the man Gagarty, who was convicted of illegal drilling, and sentenced to seven years' transportation. A writ of error was sued out and the full Court gave judgment in favour of the prisoner, who with twenty others under similar circumstances were discharged from custody. Mr. Gavin DufiVs trial had been postponed till next commission ; an application to admit him to bail was refused.