ENGLISH EXTRACTS,

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 483, 20 March 1850, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS,

Singular Character of the Grand Duke Michaei. of Russia. — The death of the Grand Duke Michael, brother'of the Emperor of Russia, which was prematurely announced by the foreign journals about three weeks back, took place on the 18th instant. While on horseback he was seized with apoplexy, and continued in a very dangerous and almost hopeless state, and on the morning of the 18th he expired at Warsaw, the Emperor and the Grand Duchess Helena being present air his dissolution.' His remains have been embalmed, and will be conveyed to St. Petersburgh to be interred in the family vault of the Romanoffs. The prince was remarkable for a singular union of brutality and kindness-. - He would put ynder arrest for a deficient button, or a wry stock, and visit pipeclay peccadilloes with intemperate personal abuse as well as puniihjpent, while he spent a princely fortune in pedsions to poor retired officers «nd their families. — Atlas > Sept. 24.

Pbosiotion in Sib John Franklin's Expedition. — The North Pole expedition, under Sir J. Franklin, had, on leaving England, five mate* standing from 1841 to 1845^ and two second masters standing 1842 and 1848 ; the claims of each party — the shfps sailed early in I'B4£> — for promotion may at least have been taken as equal. In April and May, two' months after sailing, the five mate's; were promoted to be lieutenants of their respective ships, and, should they be fortunate enough to reach England, say early in the year 1850, will' of course* be promoted commanders. The second masters have not been promoted, but will be, we may suppose, on their return ; so that the mate will have gained £1800, and his lieutenant's 1 and his commander's rank. If they are' not so fortu- , nate as to see England again, the widows (if any) of fhe former get £70 per annum, and of the latter »#* — United Service Gazette.

The Bottle Trick performed bejfore the Queen. — On Moilday (Prince' Albert's birthday), during the festivities at Balmoral, the Wizard of the North (Professdr Anderson) vu present, and was asked if he would perform the feat they had heard so 1 much of* his having Sone successfully — " The Inexhaustible BottW On receiving the royal command to perform it, he called fot a champagne bottle, and handed a large number of glaster round, arid, asked Lord Portman what he would drink. His? lotrdihip replied " Whiikyv" Whisky was ppure.d out. Mr. Anton preferred brandy, whicbNfae got. Several de-

manded wine, which passed freely ; and one of the proprietors of the royal distillery, Mr. Begg, thinking to baffle the Professor, asked him if he could give him a glass of his best Lochnagar whisky. No sooner said than done; and the Lochnagar whisky became in great demand. A large number of additional glasses were distributed, and some called for Irish whisky,' and numbers for brandy — the. Highlanders patronized Mr. Begg ; when Lord J. Russell, perhaps like Mr. Begg, wishing to try the Wizard's skill, a.sked for a glass of rum, which was immediately Supplied', and his lordship pronounced it excellent. The London portion of the domestics and police called for gin, which was freely poured out of this extraordinary bottle ; and the Wizard was returning to his state, when his Royal Highness anxious to test the bottle — presuming as he was returning, that it was exhausted — ; tsked if more could be poured out. Glasses were brought for her Majesty and Prince Albert, and, on being asked what they preferred, requested Beggs best Lochnagar, which immediately ran forth, and her Majesty and the Prince tasting it, acknowledged its purity ; and the Wizard gave the bottle to the Prince, and asked him to look if it was empty :it was. Mr. Anderson brought some water, and, in the Prince's hand, filled it, ordered glasses, and asked the Prince what wine he preferred. Port was selected. The Prince poured port, and then sherry*, then milk, then champagne, then broke the bottle) and in it was discovered a beautiful turtfd dove. ' 5

! In for it. — How to Get Out of iT r — Once on V time there was a gentleman who won an elephant in a raffle. It was a very fine elephant, and very cheap at the' price the gentleman paid for his chance. But the gentleman had no place to put it in. Nobody would take it off his hands. He couldn't afford to feed it. He was afraid of the law if he turned it loose into the streets. He was too humane to let it starve. He was afraid Ito shoot it. In short, he was in a perplexity very natural to a gentleman with — moderate means, a small house, common feelings of | humanity — and an elephant. Fraqce has | won her elephant at Rome. She has brought back the Pope. She is at her wits' end wbat to do with him. She can't abet the Pope and the Cardinals, because .she" interfered in the caffse of liberty. , She can't abet the Republicans, because she interfered in the cause of the Pope and the Cardinals, She can't o9t with Austria, because Austria is absolutist. She can't act against Austria, because France is conservative and peaceful. She can't continue her army in Rome, because it is <act treated with respect. She can't withdraw her army from Rome, because that would b« to stultify herself. She can't go forward, because she insisted on the Roman people going backward. She can't go backward, because the French people insist on her going forward. She can't choose the wrong, because public opinion forces her to the right. She can't choose the right, because her own dishonesty has forced her to the wrong. In one word, she is on the horns of a dilemma, and the more she twists, the more sharply she feels the points on which she is impaled, like a cockchafer in a cabinet, for the inspection of the curious in the lighter and more whirligig species of political entomology. Poor France — will nobody take her precious bargain off her hands ? Rome is her bottle trap* She bought it dear enough, but can't get rw r of it " at any price." — Punch.