ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 495, 1 May 1850, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Parliament was prorogued,on Tuesday, 30th November, till the 16th of January next. Several ladies were present. On the preceding day Prince Albert had visited the new frescoes in the House of Lords*

It is rumoured that Mr. D. W. Harvey, commissioner of the City police, is to succeed Sir C. Rowan, as chief commissioner of the Metropolitan police. A dinner was given in London, November 17th to Mr. Justice Talfourd, by his old aslociates of the Oxford circuit, and in honour of bis elevation to the bench. The Paris papers state that Mdle. Rachel, the celebrated Jewish actress, is about to be married to a M. Rodriguez, a merchant of Bordeaux. The nuptials are to be celebrated at Paussac, where all the necessary preparations are being made. Mdle. Rachel will, of course retire from the stage. It appeals that the Panama Railway Company, of whose vigorous but prudent proceedings we gave an outline on the 3d of August last, have already made a contract for the grading of that portion of the road which extends from the highest navigable point of the Chagres to the Pacific — a distance of 22 miles. The persons by whom the contrac t has been taken are two American engineers, who have had the advantage of beiug employed for the last four or five years in the State of Near Granada in forming a canal 90 miles long to connect two branches of the Magdalen river, and of accomplishing the work entirely with uative labour. Their bid was the lowest received, and it was also within the amount contemplated by the company, the fact of their being able to bring with them a large number of the workmen from the canal, whose training, although at first very difficult, was ultimately successful, being such as to enable them to make their calculations with a degree of certainty which no other parties could have entertained. They expect to break ground about the Ist of next month. It will be recollected that the primary object of the company is to create a complete steam transit across the isthmus in the most economical manner, and this will be done by the construction of the portion of read in question, since the remaining distance can be performed by steam boats. A small boat lately sent out has been found not fo possess sufficient power to contend with the floods to which the river is liable at certain perioJs of the year, but a superior one is builJing, which, it is stated, will be ready before the next rainy season comes on. The leading mercantile people of New York take an active interest in the entire project, and it is satisfactory to observe in some quarters the expression of a strong wish that the neutrality of the isthmus guaranteed by the United States Government should also be enforced, if such a measure could be brought about, by a similar pledge on the part of England and France, and that the three nations should participate equally in the privileges and interests of the undertaking. — Times, Nov. 17.

Dr. Buckland on London Wells. — On Monday evening Nov. 16, Dr. Buckland delivered a lecture inLondon on Artesian wells. He said — It had been asserted that sufficient water might be obtained in this metropolis, by Artesian wells, to afford an ample supply to ten such cities as London ; but he would venture to affirm, that though there were from 250 to 300 so-called Artesian wells in the metropolis, there was not one real Artesian well within three miles of St. Paul's. An Artesian well was a well that was always overflowing, either from its natural source or from an artificial tube ; and wheri the overflowing ceased it was no longer an Artesian well. Twenty or thirty years ago there were many Artesian wells in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, namely, in the gardens of the Horticultural Society, in the gardens of the Bishop of London at Fulhara, and in Brentford and its vicinity ; but the wells which were now n.ade by boring through clay were merely common wills. He had heard it said that Artesian wells might be made in any part of London, because thete was a supply of water which would rise of its own accord ; but he could state, with regard to the water obtained to supply the fountains in Trafalgar-square, that it did not rise within 40 feet of the surface (a voice, — * 80 feet ;') it was pumped up by means of a steam-engine, and the requisite supply of water could be obtained at a much less cost from the Chelsea water works. Indeed the same water was pumped up over and over again, The large brewers were actually on the point of bankruptcy with regard to a supply of water. The average depth at which water could now be obtained from so-called Artesian wells in London was 60 feet below the Trinity-house water mark ; and be believed that, in 20 or 25 years more, water would not be obtained at a less depth than 120 feet. This was, as he had said, a subject of vast importance to the inhabitants of the metropolis, who had not now a supply of water equal to one-fourth of what was required for their ordinary use. The rev. doctor proceeded to inquire by what means a sufficient supply of water could be obtained for the metropolis. He considered that an ample supply might be obtained from the Thames in the neighbourhood of Henlej. The water might be conveyed ' to London by an open aqueduct

of sufficient depth, parallel vriih the Great Western Railway : and as it would have a fall of three feet, it would flow without the aid of any engineering works, and might be brought to a reservoir in a valley north of Paddington,, It would there be at a level of 105 feet above high water mark, and at that level twothirds of the inhabitants of London might, by means of an engine, be supplied with water at high pressure.

Taking it Coolly. — "la the event of Lord Denraan retiring from the Queen's Bench," said Judge W , the other day to Sir Thomas, " will you go Wilde ?" "Go wild, indeed ! not at all, I assure you, I'll take it very coolly," replied that personage. A Joke about the Premier. — A London writer says, "A member of Parliament, alluding to the fact that Lord John Russell married two widows, called the diminutive Premier, ' the widow's mite that had been cast into the treasury.'