ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 465, 16 January 1850, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Price of Wheat. — The wheat averages for six weeks ending August 25th were 475. The highest price at Mark Lane on the 30th August was 545. per quarter.

The Harvest. — The Times of 24th August prints the following as au authentic report of the harvest • — Our advices from every quarter give evidence of the great abundance, not only of homegrown wheat anJ oats, but beans, peas, turnips, and potatoes, all a full average. Barley alone seems to be deficient. In addition to the foreign grain imported duty free, it is well known that our farmers have still on hand no inconsiderable portiou of last year's crops. Everything will be abundant excopt pork, which we apprehend it will require another season to reduce to moderate prices. Throughout Ireland, our chief market in this kind, we understand that tor the last six or eight months sufficient care has not been taken to restore the stock exhausted by the loss of the potatoe ; and that the business of feeding has not beeu attended to. In fact, the man is gone who kept the p'g on his cabin floor, and the pig has in a great measure disappeared with him. The great farmers — few and far between — now rear the animal in a very limited way for their own use ; formerly he was reared by every cottier for the payment of his rent. Bacon will therefore command high prices throughout the year. Butter is an article which will keep low, for the quantity of land thrown into pasturage is unusually great, and the importations from the continent immense. Last week London imported 20,000 firkins from Ireland and 10,000 from the continent, in addition to our home supplies. Five ot the great capitals of Europe are now under military law, namely, Paris, Vie? na, Berlin, Rome and Naples.

Candidates for Commissions. — The The Horse Guards authorities have anticipated the period at which it was originally i mended to commence the system of examinations of candidates for commissions. The first examination took place at Sandhurst, the beginning of the month. Fourteen young gentlemen went up to the Board at the Royal Military College to be tested. These examinations are to take place monthly, on the 2nd and 3rd of each month, and, as far as we can understand, the mode of procedure is this : — A candidate, or his friends, receive a notification that the former is to appear upon a given day before the Board of Examiners. These gentlemen, after investigating his pre> tensions, hand up his name to the Commander -in-Chief, with a report of the result of the examination, and his Grace determines whether it shall be submitted to Her Majesty for a commission. — United Service Gazette.

The Land and Emigration Commission. — The annual report of the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioneri has jnst been published. From this it appears that while the average emigration from the United Kingdom during the 10 years ending in 1846 was about 84,000 .persons, (74,000 to America, and 10,000 to the Australian colonies) the number who left in 1847 was 258,270, and in 1848, 248,083. In the latter year the total to North America was 219,298 ; but of these 188,233 proceeded to the United States, and only 31,065 to the British colonies. About 85 per cent, were Irish, and it has been stated that they were this year generally of a better class than those of former years, and that the whole body carried with them considerable capital. This, however, cannot l?e ascertained. r The emigration agents at New York

and Quebec, describe the great mass as being in a state of poverty, but emigrants with money are generally very anxious to conceal it. With regard to the sums remitted from America to enable relatives to emigrate no accurate information can be given ; it is certain, however, that the amount paid in the United States for passages, or remitted to this country, was during the year 1848 upwards of £460,000 ; and it is inferred that threefourths of the whole expense of the emigration from Ireland last year was thus defrayed by those who had emigrated in previous years. The commissioners have no means of ascertaining the result of the emigration to the United States generally, but they assume, from the absence of complaint on the subject, that it was on the whole unaccompanied by sickness, and that the emigrants have been able to find employment. The report of the Emigration Commissioners of New York states that the personal condition in which the emigrants arrived was very much better than in 1847, and that no instauce had been,discovered of actual insufficiency of provisions on the voyage, and that the pases of death and sickness had been comparatively small. Much of the increased comfort of the passage is attributed to the New York liners having, since the establishment of steam-packets, come to depend very much on steerage passengers, for whom there is, consequently, a greatly-in-creased competition. With regard to the Australian colonies and the Cape.ipf Good Hope, it appears that since November, 1847, when the renewed emigration was commenced to New South Wales, the total emigration has been 28,158, of whom the number despatched in 1848, was 18,611. Of the entire amount, 9656 went to Sydney, 9076 to Port Phillip, 8631 to Adelaide, and 795 to the Cape of Good Hope. As respects the contributions raised in this country in aid of emigration, the commissioners remark that they are more limited than is usually supposed. Out of the three parties who are interested in the movement, namely, the colonists who need labour, the labourers who seek employment, and the parishes who are relieved of a superabundant population, the former, at least in the case of the Australian colonies, contribute in each instance about £14 (the cost of passage which is supplied from the land fund) while the two latter contribute only about £5, which may be taken as the average expense of bed money, outfit, and cost of conveyauce to the port of embarkation. At the same time the commissioners point out that the contribution on the part of parishes or labourers is not likely to increase, since the labourer rarely has any means, and it is possible to send an emigrant to Canada or the United States for £4 10s. The commissioners describe the instances in which they have relaxed their rules in promoting the emigration of parties who are ineligible under the ordinary regulations for an absolutely free passage, but to whom it seemed desirable to give a free passage, upon their contributing a portion of its cost. Among these were several of the English workmen who were forced to leave France after the revolution in 1848 also 71 young women from Ireland, and 150 scholars from the ragged schools of London ; a table of rules has been framed, under which these assisted passages may be granted ; and the total number who have availed themselves of the opportunity is 2992, consisting chiefly of artizans. According to the latest accounts from Sydney and Port Phillip, the commissioners learn that it would not be prudent to despatch more than three ships a month to the former, and two to the latter. The rate at which ships have been despatched to each of these districts since the commencement of 1841 has been rather more than two a month. From South Australia, whither the Irish orphan emigrant girls were sent, a report has been received that, within a fortnight after their arrival, owing to their good conduct, not one of these girls fit for service remained unemployed, and that 200 more could readily have met with situations. From New Zealand it is mentioned that the force of emigrant pensioners now amounts to 643 men : and that in the neighbourhood of their villages the price of laud has rapidly advanced. The number of emigrants despatched to New Zealand since 1846 has been 1005, of whom 757 were for Otago. With legard.to Canada, the accounts as to the means of employing emigrants are not encouraging, although the prospect is good for small capitalists. The emigration last year was 27,939, of whom 7355 proceeded to the United States. To New Brunswick the emigration, in 1848, was 9020 persons being a great decrease as compared with the two preceding years. It appears also that almost all this number, us well as 5000 other inhabitants of the province, have lately made their way to the United States. To Nova Scotia and Cape Breton the emigration in 1847 was 2000, and in 1848 only 140 persons. As respects the present prospects of emigration, it appears that, it is now going on at even a more rapid rate than during the past two years, when the

amount was unprecedented. While the-emi* gration of 1847 «nd 1848 exceeded that of 1846 by 99 and 91 per cent, respectively, the emigration of the first four months of the present yp ar from the ports at which we have agents has exceeded that of ihe same period af 1847 by 5 per cent., and that of 1848 by 30 per cent. The actual numbers have been — First four months of 1847 99,714 — 1848...... 74,922 — 1849 104,701

Affray between Americans and Brazilians. — We had last week a singular account between the passengers on board some California ships and the people of the island of St. Catherine's, Brazil. The only account of it is American, and, of course, is favourable to ourselves* It seems that several American vessels were there together early in Apri', and that the island authorities had quarantined them for six days. TJie .passengers paid no attention to the quarantine order, but went immediately on shore. The next day the captain of the port came.alongside, and informed the offenders that they were quarantined six days more;" and fined 500 dollart. He was informed that the ships had clean bills of health, and that if the, payment of the fine was again mentioned, the Americans would go ashore and storm his fort. This seemed to settle the question of quarantine. A few days afterwards a much more serious affair took place, probably growing out of the other. There was some disturbance in the town on a Sunday afternoon, and an American, from some cause or other, was set upon by a crowd of Portuguese and soldiers, and cut to pieces. This occui red at, an hotel, where there were about 100 Americaas. These, seeing their countryman killed, rushed out upon the crowd with revolvers and bowie knives, and drove them off, killing a large number. The troops were then ordered out, and cannon were placed in front of the hotel, when an American went ont and informed the commander of ti c troops, that if another American was injured, they would unite their various companies, and come up and destroy their town. The affair then ended peaceably, the American consul taking an active part in quieting the Americans. We had a report that they bad actually put their threat in force. The Commander had sent for more troops to Rio, and the American consul for one of our men-of-war. — New York Paper.

Provision for Education in the United States. — One of the most honourable characteristics, both of the legislatures and of individual philanthropists in the United States is the fostering care bestowed upon the higher as well as the lower branches of education. In no country have such munificent legacies been bestowed upon universities. The constitution and management of the universities in Massachusetts might put our Oxford and Cambridge to shame. Whatever other evils may be apprehended from democracy, neglect of the nobler parts of education does not appear to be among them. Sir Charles Lyell remarks :—": — " It was naturally to be apprehended that in a pure democracy, or where the suffrage is nearly universal, the patronage of the state would be almost entirely confined to providing means for mere primary education, such as reading writing and ciphering. But such is not the case in Massachusetts, although the annual grants made to the three universities of Harvard, Amherst, and Williams, are now becoming inadequate to the growing wants of a more advanced commu* nity, and strenuous exertions are making to enlarge them. In the mean time, private bequests and donations have of late years poured in upon Harvard University from year to yen some of them on a truly munificent scale. Since my visit to Cambridge, professorships of botany, comparative anatomy, and chemistry have been founded. There was previously, a considerable staff for the teaching of literature, • law, and medicine ; and lately an entire new department for engineering, natural philosophy, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, and natural history, in their application to the arts, has been instituted. One individual, Mr., Abbott Lawrence, a gentleman still in the, prime of life, has contributed no less a sum than 100,000 dollars (20,000 guineas) towards the support of this department: One of, the new chairs is now filled by a zoologist Of the highest European reputation, Professor Agassis. A splendid bequest, also, of equal amount (100,000 dollars) has recently been madetc the Cambridge Observatory, for which the country had already obtained, at great cost, a large telescope, which has resolved the great nebula in Orion, and has enabled the astronomer, Mr. Bond, simultaneously with an English observer Mr. Lassell, to discover a new satellite of Saturn." , ,

Munificent Bequest. — The, late, M,rs. Warner, of Gay-street, who died, lately, has,beside many handsome legacies to her friends and servants, bequeathed the interest of £40, 000, to be invested in trustees for the benefit of thirty widows living in Bntb. Bach

recipient of tbe bounty will receive, it is expected, about £40 a year. —Bath Journal.

Interesting Experiment.—The Admiralty have ordered the Woolwich authorities to institute some experiments with pitch, from the pitch lake of Trinidad, sent home by Vice-Admiral the Earl of DundonaW, G. C. 8., with a view of ascertaining whether it ,is capable oi being adopted as a cheap substitute .fqr ordinary paint.

The Austrian Government and the Bible.—ln alluding to the conduct of the Austrian government to the people of Hungary lately, we mentioned (says the Standard) that though the free exercise of the Protestant religion had been guaranteed to the Hungarians, the Austrian government had set a price upon the head of a gentleman whose offence was having contributed to the circulation of the Bible in Hungary. The Morning Chronicle of Monday seeks to throw doubt upon the authenticity of the charge, by referring to the fact that protestantism is virtually the dominant religion in Hungary. This argument will scarcely be in favour of 'the Austrian government if the charge be •true, and upon that point we refer our contemporary at once to our authority, the Missionary Record of last May, from which we -extract the following passage: —" The foreign secretary of the Bible Society has just received letters from our dear brother in the Gospel, the venerable pastor Wimmer, of Oberschutzen, in Hungary, who has been honoured during the last few years to circulate above 300,000 copies of the Holy Scriptures in Hungary and its dependencies. A large price had been set by the Austrian government on his head, and after many wonderful escapes his life has been preserved."

Madame Costa Cabkal, Countess de Thomar. — Some years ago the widow of a butcher's assistant, in Aldgate, went out to the Portuguese island of St. Michael's, one of the Azores, with a view to establish a lod-ging-house for sailors. She was accompanied in the smack that took her out, by her three young children — two girls and a boy. Ihe woman's name was Read ; and, strange to say, she almost immediately on her ai rival married the English consul on the island, who was also named Read — the new bride thus twice changing her condition, but only once her name. Here was the first rise in life, from her humble station as the^widow of a journeyman butcher to the honorable position of lady to a Biitish Consul General. In the course of time the family became still further promoted. The eldest daughter by the former marriage, Elvza Read, became the wife of the celebrated Costa Cabral, now Count de Tholuar, and prime minister of Portugal, and is consequently Countess de Thomar, and a Portuguese peeress. The son of Mrs. Read and brother of the Countess, has recently, (although an Englishman) been nominated to one of the most lucrative situations in the gift of the minister — that of sole director of the custom house at Ponta Delgado ; not, it will readily be supposed, without creating much heartburning and jealousy among the native employes, who remember the bumble position of Mr. William Read when his family first landed on the island of St. Michael's. Costa Cabral, himself the son of a small country grocer in the town of Fornos d'Algodres, was at that time a small lawyer, but so great a demagogue that he could not even have dreamed of his present conservatism, his Countship, his premiership, or, much less, of the sumptuous palaces, valuable estates, magnificent chateaux, and splendid establishments, of which, with most praiseworthy ingenuity, he has contrived to make himself master out of the savings from an official income of not quite £700 sterling per annum. — Morn. Post.

• Beauties of the Law, — The Court of Common Pleas, on Wednesday, gave a curious decision upon the following circumstances : — A poor old man named Thorogood had got into an omnibus belonging to a man named Barber — a rival omnibus raced along vrith it — the man was let out of the omnibus in which he had been riding, and the other ran over him and killed him. The family of the deceased brought an action under Lord Campbells act, against the owners of the omnibus which had directly occasioned the death. The judge left it to the jury to say whether " the plaintiff or the driver of the omnibus in which he had been riding" had, by any act of negligence, contributed to the occurrence. If they answered that question in the affirmative, they were to find for the defendant. The jurors seem 10 have thought that each omnibus driver was in fault, and, ''under this direction of the judge, found a verdict for the defendant. This verdict was brought. under the consideration of the court, and the four puisne judges on Wednesday ruled that the driver of an omnibus is the agent of the passenger who rides in it, and that, consequently, if the misconduct of the driver contributes to produce the misfortune, his agency binds his principal, and the principal' cannot recover.

Directions as to the Execution of a Witt. — Tbe will must be signed at the foot or end thereof, as neaT to the last line as practicable, by the testator, or by some person in his presence, and by his direction. - If the will consists of several sheets, it is better, though not essential, that the testator should sign each sheet, for the purpose of identifying it, and preventing in'erpolation. The signature of the testator roust be made or acknowledged by him in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time; and they immediately thereafter, without separating and without quitting the testator's presence, must sign their name under the attestation clause. The attestation clause should be written under the testator's signature, but as near thereto at the foot or end of the will as may be, for the witnesses are required to ' subscribe' the will. Before, or immediately after the witnesses have thus subscribed their names, they should sign their names in the margin opposite to any interlineation, erasure, or other alteration that may have been made after the will was copied. It is proper, though not essential, that the attestation clause should be read over by or to the witnesses before they subscribe their names. It must be careiully borne in mind, that the execution of a will should be one transaction, that the testator should be in such a position as that he does or might see the witnesses in the act of attesting and subscribing his will. No person to whom or to whose wife or husband any beneficial devise 'or bequest is made by the will, should bean attesting witness, for thereby such devise or bequest is rendered void. 'No alteration whatever should be made in the will after it is executed ; any change should be effected by a codicil, which must be executed in the same way as a will is required to be executed. No person under twenty-one years of age can make a will, nor can a married woman, except in certain cases. A will made by an unmarried person, whether man or woman, is absolutely revoked by his or her marriage, 'although contrary to the intention expressed in the will. , Speakingof a 'heavy wind, Professor Heaviside remarked that it was literally a mathematical wind, as it had extracted several roots. Curious Robbery in Madrid. — Mr. Weisweller, the representative of the house of Rothschild in Madrid, has been robbed oi 8,000 dollars in 'the most curious manner. A few days since a gentlemanly-looking person called on him to ask whether he would sail 8,000 dollars in gold in exchange for ;bank notes. A bargain was made, and one of Mr. Weisw,eHer's derks and a servant carrying the gold, repaired according to direction, to the Calle de>] Olivo, No. 34, first floor, w-hich it appears had been 'inred a few months ibefore. The house was fitted up like a commercial office, nothing being wanting, neither ledgers, day-books, nor money bags, and ticketed packet of papers. On the arrival of the money bearers the supposed merchant counted it with great care, found it exact, and putting the money into a cupboard asked the clerk whether he would be paid in large or small notes. The foip on then went into the other room ostensibly to get the notes, but did not return. The clerk remained half-an-hour, when he grew auspicious and opened the cupboard to take possession of the gold again. The cupboard communicated with another room and was completely empty.

Mississippi Steam Boats.'— Sir Charles Lyell says in his new work, just published, A Second visit to the United States, that he received the following advice from a friend. — " When you are raciDg with an opposition steamboat or chasing her, and the other passengers are cheering the captain, who is sitting on the safety valve to keep it dotfn with his weight, go as far as you can from the engine, and lose no time, especially if you bear the captain exclaim, ' Fire up, boys, put on the resin !' Should a servant call out, 'Those gentlemen who have not paid their passage will please go to the ladies' cabin,' obey the summons without a moment's delay, for then an explosion may be apprehended.' ' Why to the ladies 1 cabin V said I. ' Because it is the safe end of the boat, and they are getting anxious for the personal security of those who have not yet paid their dollars, being, of course indifferent about the rest. Therefore never, pay in advance, for should you fall overboard during a race, and the watch cries out to the captain, 'A passenger overboard,' he will ask, ' Has he paid his passage V and if he receives an answer in the affirmative, he will call out • Go ahead."

Dancing Deryishes. — We visited the same convent which we had seen the sultan enter, to witness an exhibition of dancing dervishes. Casting off our overshoes, and passing through the door beside which sentries were stationed, we took our places within a railing, which ran around the circular floor, of the mosque. There was a similar gallery above. Some thirty dirty-looking dervishes ' in faded brown and green cloaks, with white felt conical hats upon their heads, were pros- : trate around the circle, while the imnum, the ]

same who ,had -preceded the sultan,, obanted a prayer i)efoKe-the mibrab on the eastern <side. There was «siisjc from rive gnillerj., (plaintive, y«t 'bavbaftous, mingled wfth ;the occasional tap of ihe .'dTttm. lAiher repeated jprdsftraidions, at a -svgrval the imaara Hed the way, in a «low march, round 'the tpartment. As <one passed the mihrab, he bowed three times gracefully, without .^topping, or turning his back towards the holy place. After marching round three times, making the same reverence they halted with their faces inwards, and the imaum resumed his seat upon his rug before the mihrab. The others, all barefooted, crossing their feet one after the other, in slow succession, began to twirl around, keeping admirable time to the music ; and when all in motion, looked like so many teetotums spinning. The word spinning conveys a better idea than turning ; for they seemed to move about without the slightest effort, and their flowing garments, flying out in extended circles below, gave the movement a most graceful appearance. As the music became louder and faster, they spun round with increasing rapidity, until the eye became dizzy with looking upon them. At a tap of the drum they stopped simultaneously, with no perspiration upon their forehead, and neither frenzy nor fatigue expressed in the eye. ' They were of all ages, fiom the old imaum, with the benevolent features, tomboy of six- , teen, whose melancholy face excited interest. Indeed, they all had an air of sadness and profound resignation — nothing ferocious, nothing sinister, nothing fanatical. Renewing the march, and repeating the prostrations, the exeicises continued about an hour, and concluded as they began. The audience either stood erect, or sat upon the floor, and preserved deep silence. The whole affair did not strike us in the ridiculous light we had anticipated. — LyneVs Expedition to the ' Dead Sea.

The Trifles that make the sum of Human Existence. — " We are not only pleased, but turned by a feather. The history of a man is a calendar of straws. If the nose of Cleopatra had been shorter, said Pascal in his brilliant way, Antony might have kept the world. The Mahommedans have a tradition, that when their Prophet concealed himself in Mount Sliur, his pursuers were baffled by a spider's web over the mouth of the cave. " The shadows of leaves in water, then, are to me so many lessons in life. I call to mind Demosthenes, rushing from the Athenian assembly, burning with shame, and in the moment of degradation encountered by Satyrus. It was the appaiition of his good spirit, and changed his fortune. The hisses of his countrymen melted into distance. He learns the art of elocution ; and when he next ascended the betna his lip was roughened by the grit of the pebble. Again : Socrates meeting Xenophon in a narrow gateway, stopped him by extending his stick across the path, and inquiring how a man might attain to virtue and honour V Xenophon could not answer ; and the philosopher, bidding him follow, became thenceforward his master in ethics. These incidents were shadows of leaves on the stream ; but they conducted Demosthenes into the temple of eloquence, and placed Xenophon by the side of Livy, " We have pleasing examples nearer home. Evelyn, sauntering along a meadow near Says Court, loitered to look in at the window of a lonely thatched house, where a young man was carving a cartoon of Tintoret. He requested permission to enter, and soon recommended the artist to Charles 11. From that day the name of Gibbons belonged to his country. Gibbon walks by night among the ruins of Roman grandeur, and conceives his prose epic; Thorwaldsen sees a boy sitting on the steps of a house, and goes home to model Mercury. Opie bends over the shoulder of a companion drawing a butterfly, and rises up a painter ; Giotto sketches a sheep on a stone, which attracts the notice of Cimabue passing by that way, and the rude shepherd-boy is immortalized by Dante. Milton retires to Chalfont ; and that refuge from, the plague gives to us * Paradise Regained,* Lady Austin points to a sofa, and | Cowper creates the 'Task.' A dispute about a music desk awakens the humour of the ' Lutrin' ; and an apothecary's quarrel produces the ' Dispensary.' The Chancellor's installation was approaching, and Gray had promised to compose the ode ; but he could not think of a beginning. A friend calls at his rooms, and is received with the startling salutation, " l Hence, avaunt ! 'tis holy ground.' The visitor is alarmed, but the poem is commenced. That slight circumstance, a knock at the door, was the key to a splendid chamber of imagery/' — Wilmotfs Journal.