ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 531, 4 September 1850, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

By a remarkable coincidence, the news of the decease of the Queen Dowager of Great Britain arrived at Canton on the same day with an express from the Board of War at Pekin, announcing that the Empress Dowager of China, also eminent for her virtues, departed this life {lit. went to roam with spirits) upon the 16th day of the 12th moon of the 29th year of Taukwang (18th January.) At the House of Commons on Tuesday morning, 23rd April, a dreadful accident occurred to several workmen engaged in raising a huge mass of stone weighing nearly three tons, intended to form part of th& central arch of the ball, by the means of hand and machinery. After three hours' labour, the men had succeeded in raising the stone to a height of between fifteen and twenty feet, when the stone, with the cumbrous machinery, fell to the ground with an immense crash, and three men were frightfully injured. 1 Cams, one of the sufferers, has received a compound fracture of the skull ; Michael Donoghue, and the foreman Webb, have received internal injuries, the effect of which may prove fatal to both. Count Zamoyski, whose extradition had been demanded from Turkey, for being concerned in the insurrection in Hungary, has just arrived in Paris. Letters from Messina, of the 12th April, state that since the 9th there have been upwards of forty shocks of earthquakes, in consequence of which the gteatest alarm was prevalent, and business was at a complete stand. By a decree published in the Moniteur of to-day the expeditionary army of Italy is reduced to one division. The general of division, Germeau, commander of the sth and 6th military divisions, is appointed to the command of this "division of occupation." General Baraguay d'Hilliers is authorised to return to his seat in the National Assembly. In the National Assembly on Thursday a grant of 1,50,000 ft r for the relief of the sufferers of Anger was unanimously voted by 650 members present. Rome. — The Prince and Princess Borg- ! hese have given a magnificent fete in honour of the Pope's return. Nine cardinals, the French generals, and all notabil.tios were present. A corps of gendarmerie Mobile was in .course of organization at Rome for the service^ of' the Pope. It will be composed of the volunteers from the French army, with the consent of the- Government of the Republic, and consist of 2,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. ' An ingot of gold weighing 30lbs. is said to have been sent to the Pope as a present from Chili. The Swiss guards are now very strict, at the gates of the Vatican palace, and all persons seeking for admittance are subjected to a severe scrutiny. Other precautions are taken to ensure the safety of his Holiness, the kitchen department farming an especial point of surveillance. A new cook has been promoted from the convent of St. Calixtus to the palace, and all- communication with outer persons and objects had been carefully cut off by bars, gratings, and a ruota or wheel, through

; which the viauds are revolved into the Papal kitchen. «■ | Notice has be;en given that the ceremony of baptising the bells of- the new church in the Rue de Brabant will shortly take place. There are three bells. The sponsors aarte t it is said, their Royal Highnesses the Duke de Brabant, and the Count de Flanders, and M. Leidts, the Governor of the province. The godmothers are her Royal Highness the Prin1 cess Charlotte, Madame la Duchess de Arenberg and Madame Liedts. It would appear that a branch of the slave trade is springing up in California which calls for consular interference. Contracts with artificers (Chinese) are made for three years, and these men are conveyed to San Francisco, and openly sold there for 400 dollars. It is said that their services alone are sold, but the poor wretches find themselves completely disposed of for three years in a country where Lynch-law prevails, and whose future prospects are, or readily may be renewed, and perpetual slavery. A dreadful accident, accompanied by serious loss of life, occurred in the Demerara River, on the Bth March. The Royal mail steamer Eagle, with the mails on board for Europe, was going out of harbour when she ran foul of the schooner 'lay, laden with sugar from Essequibo, and with a large number of passengers on board. The schooner was so seriously injured that she immediately filled and went down, and in the rush to the boats six persons lost their lives ; amongst them two of the family of Mr. Hendy, of Demerara, who were drowned before the eyes of their parents, and could not be saved. A man having the appearance of a countryman, and laden with a bundle of hay, managed, one day last week, to fall through a pane of glass, value £30, which adorned the establishment of a large mercer in the Edge-ware-road, London.' The shopkeeper quickly seized upon the fellow, who protested he bad no money, and pleaded the weight of his load for an excuse. Two gentlemen, lookers on, testified to their having watched the "stupid clown," and just before remarked that his gross carelessness would lead to some mischief; and .they suggested that the "booby" should be searched. This was promptly done, and the production of a £50 note was the result. Vainly the countryman, with tears in his eyes, proclaimed the note to be his " master's," the proceeds of his journey to market. The mercer paid himself the £30 by giving the boor £20 in Bank of England notes, and retaining possession of the one found upon him. The wight said he would go and get a policeman, that he might "have the law" upon the shopkeeper, and left the premises ; and the two gentlemen blandly took their leave, after congratulating the tradesman on the fortunate result which had attended their suggestion of a search. Of course, the reader guesses the upshot — the £50 was a forgery, and the whole proceeding a trick. A most tragical event had taken place at Ingestrie, in Staffordshire, ihe seat of Lord Talbo*. It appears that Mr. Yarker, head game keeper to Earl Talbot, who was reco- ! vering from an attack of delirium tremens, was attended by Walter Murray, the person who was placed in charge of him by the advice of his medical adviser, wbo had repeatedly given instructions that any weapon with which he could possibly do any , injury should be cautiously kept from him, and also that he should be strictly watched. It appears, however, that Murray, who is an under keeper, incautiously allowed Yarker to take out a gun in company with him, for the purpose of shooting jackdaws. After they had proceeded about a mile from the house, Yarker shot Murray with a bullet. Yarker then returned home, leaving his victim dead in a kind of tower or temple. The servant girl was in the kitchen when Yarker arrived there, taking tea, with an infant in her "arms ; he opened the door and shot her dead through the head, the child falling unhurt to the ground. Yarker's sister, who is the widow of a medical gentleman, was in the same small apartment, not more than three yards from him ; he levelled tha gun at her ; ami, she shifting her position, he lowered his gun from his should der ; again levelled it, and tired. She distinctly saw the flash, and immediately moved her head and, escaped with two shots in the face. Yarker then ran from the house, and escaped into the wood with his gun unloaded. His wife, who was in the yard, followed him. In about ten minutes from this time Yarker's sister heard the report of a gun, and in about two minutes afterwards the report of another. The surgeon was sent for from Stafford, and on his arrival at the scene found Yarker and his wife lying about five yards distant from each other ; Mrs. Yarker having been shot through the heart, and the upper part of Yarker's head entirely blown off, taking with it nearly the whole of the contents of the skull. Another clairvoyante has been prophesying at Liverpool the return of Sir John Franklin

Ip September* ita same month fixed. by the. girl at Boltop. , The, former girl ii r servant to Captain Hudsonj^'a man of ' religious' t^rin'- 5 ciple and strict integrity," who has devoted much 'time to > the soience of mesmerism. jTta captain and his friends stake, the reputation of, clairvoyance on the. issue of the prophecy. The following is the account given in the 'Liverpool Mercury of the questioning of the,, girl in the presence of "two .respectable witnesses," on the 9th ult., at the request of Lady Franklin. Having put' the girl' to sleep — "Did you say," inquired the operator, "that Sir John Franklin is dead?" Arid to this and other questions the clairvoyante responded, "That cannot he, for'l see, him, poor fellow ! He looks, sad and wearied, and not so well as when I was last here. (The girl had previously been sent in search of the missing expedition.) He says he is poorly and tired, and almost worn , out with hopes deferred, but his men console him. and behave nobly. God never made a path! through these desolate wastes ! What could induce him to try to break through these icy mountains. He frequently thinks of the folly, of his daring to do so. Such thoughts bumble him, and make him sad and hopeless;' ystjhe, thinks be' will succeed in re'mrning ( to, England. He, is rignt. He will . rejiirjri,. hi six months and three or four days. The. ships are at a great distance from each o^heiv They look dirty and, batteredl They htye no ! sails set. They (the seamen) are cutting the : ice before them. In some places it appears as thick as two, houses; in others like mountains. They (the vessels) are in a different place now to what they were when I was last ; here. They are now, wher,e ships never sailled before. They are not returning the same road they went. They are going that .way 1 (pointing to the west). What can be the use of this road? 1 It ought never to have been^ sailed. It will never be sailed again. He has seen some of the, natives. . They are, wild, stupid^ and incommunicative. The vessels sent out to search for him (Sir John [ Franklin) will not find him; they will cross j each other, and he will be first heard, of at, a place called the Cape. It appears to Have no other name."

Triumph of the Swedish Songstress at Dresden. — A letter from Dresden, dated the 18th ultimo, says, " Mad'lle Jenny Lind gave a concert yesterday, evening at the Court Theatre, by which her charitable disposition was again manifested, ,tb.e whole of the proceeds being devoted, to,, the relief of the poo? , of the town. Among other morceaux; she , sang the celebrated terzetto foi a soprano voice and two flutes from- Meyerbeer's opera Tfyc Camp> of Silesia. This morceau, written expressly for the celebrated cantatrice, and in which her fine voice may be said to rival the tones of the two flutes, was in the execution an extraordinary triumph for her. The public did not confine themselves in lavishing on Madamoiselle Lind the usnal marks of < satisfaction, such as bravos, recalls, flowers, &c., but on this occasion they adopted anjtalian method of manifesting their delight, which, up to the present time, is little known in Ger-, many, by letting loose a large number of white pigeons from all parts of the house.- After the concert the members of the orchestra executed a serenade und/?r the windows of the fair artist t and some of the young men of the town got up a torchlight procession in her honour* Amusing Anecdote op the President of the Republic. — The Paris correspondent of the Glasgow Daily, Mail says, "I have never admired the policy of the Presi- f dent, and I have always believed his election injurious to the , interests of France! lam still convinced that France made a mostjfatal, choice when it selected Napoleon instead .of Gavaiguac. But there is a good nature about^ Louis Napoleon which makes you respecttndj admire rthe map personally. I must. tell you an anecdote,, which shows remarkable good temper, and. good, sense. , On Atonday last, a ge.ntjera.anj called on a.cpach maker ,peai;,to f me, and bargained with him, for, a handsome, carriage. /, WMt is your .leas^. price?' * 3#oo, francs,,' replied <the,coachmaker, * That- is, not dear,' continued the customer.' ' Dear, v sir,' cried the coach-builder, ' but for the rev.olu- , tion, and the nigaud (stupid fellow) at .the head? of., the Republic, it would* be worth 6QOO, francs.' 'Monsieur,' said the customer,, witjif a smile, 'jesuisk nigaud, (I am- the stupid, fellow* you speak, of,) you may send it, to: |hej Elysee; my secretary shall have the> money T ready for you.' Louis Napoleon went away,, and the coach-builder stood, as thcfarce, writers would say, ' like a stuck pig.' "