ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 533, 11 September 1850, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Lord Seymour had been appointed First Commissioner of Woods and Forests. The Marquis of Westminster had been appointed Lord Steward, Lord Fortescue having been compelled from ill health to resign. Marlborough House was to be appropriated as a residence for the Prince of Wales, but for some years the Vernon collection of paintings is to be placed in it. Among the deaths we notice the names of Sir A. Galloway, chairman of the East India Company, Vice Admiral Mackay, the Dean of Salisbury, and the Dean of Hereford.

The Great Exhibition of 1851. — Preparations for the Indian contribution to the "exhibition," are already begun at Bombay. The most remarkable manufactures in Western India are silks and damasks ; blackwood furniture, and open carved work ; inlaid work of ivory, coloured woods, and metal ; lapidary work, especially in agates, jaspers, and cornelians ; silver work ; arms — bows, arrows swords, shields, and matchlocks ; and many others have been prepared. — Atlas.

Steam. — The negotiation for a monthly steam communication to the Australian colonies is understood to have been brought so nearly to a point with the Peninsular and Oriental Company that the only obstacle to its immediate conclusion consists in the unwillingness of the East India House to relinquish the transit of the mail from Bombay to Suez, which has always been carried on by their own ships. The plan however by which the proposed Australian communication is to be brought into operation involves, v/e believe, an entire rearrangement of the mileage at present performed by the Peninsular and Oriental vessels, of which rearrangement the assumption of this branch of the service is an essential part. It is at present carried on by the India House at an enormous outlay, towards which the Government contribute £50,000 per annum, and the calculation is that by its being transferred to private hands a saving could be effected which would not only allow of a fortnightly instead of a monthly mail to China, but also the establishment of the route to Australia, without any cost additional to what is already incurred. Indeed, it is alleged that the terms offered by the Peninsular and Oriental Company include the performance of a mileage of 330,000 miles for a less outlay than is now incurred for 70,000. With regard to the precise route to be adopted the conditions have not yet transpired, but it is understood that it will be the westerly one — namely, from Singapore to Swan River, Adelaide, Port Phillip, and Sydney, returning thence, and calling at all ti.e same ports on the way back. A branch to Port Dalrymple, in Van Diemen's Land, is also supposed to be part of the scheme, which will doubtless ultimately, if not immediately, be extended to New Zealand. — Times, March 26.

The Atrocities on Board the Barque " Indian." — A number of gentlemen members of the Stock Exchange, have subscribed £80, which has been sent to Caroline Arnold, as an acknowledgment of her moral courage in exposing the outrages committed on the female emigrants on board the barque Indian, and in overcoming the difficulty of getting the case inquired into by the authorities in South A ustralia. — Spectator,

The Arabs in France. — Seventeen Arabs have just quitted the Chateau of Amboise to return to Africa. " Amongst them," says the Paris correspondent of the Times, "is an old man 100 years of age, the uncle of Abd-el-Kader. One of them has become

so initiated in French manners and customs as to be a very accomplished dancer of the polka."

Mistakes Respecting Discounts. — In a previous number we replied to the following question in our Notice to Correspondents :—: — A. buys £100 worth of goods at 20 per cent, discount * B. buys a similar quantity at 30 per cent, discount. How much cheaper does B. buy than A. ? Our answer was 12| per cent. Our correspondent asks bow we arrive at this conclusion, observing that the difference in the terms is 10 and not 12| per cent ? There are many and serious practical losses sustained by want of a clear understanding of the effect of discounts* The net cost of the £100 worth of goods purchased by A* at 20 per cent, discount, would be £80 ; the net cost of the same, purchased by B. at 30 per cent, discount, would be £70 : the difference, therefore, between these two sums would be the measure of the goods of B. compared with the goods of A. ; that difference is £10, which on £80 is 12| per cent. The subject is one of great importance to illiterate persons, who very often, from great perseverance and ingenuity, rise into very important positions in trade. We know an instance of a very deserving person being nearly ruined by miscalculation of discounts. The article he manufactured he at first supplied to retail dealers at a large profit of about 30 per cent. He afterwards confined his trade almost exclusively to large wholesale houses, to whom he charged the same price, but under a discount of 20 per cent., believing that he was still realizing 10 per cent, for his own profit. His trade was very extensive ; and it was not till after some years that he discovered the fact, that in place of making 10 per cent, profit, as he imagined, by this mode of making his sales, he was realizing only four per cent. To £100 of goods he added 30 per cent., and invoiced them £130. At the end of each month, in the settlement of accounts, amounting to some thousands of pounds with individual houses, he deducted 20 per cent, or £26 on each £130, leaving £104 net for every £100 value of goods at prime cost, in place of £110, as he all along expected. It is by far the simplest and best plan to conduct transactions at net prices, or subject only to such moderate discount as may fairly apply to an early, in place of a distant payment. — Economist,

Chaldean Antiquities. — Letters have ust been received from Bagdad, stating that Mr. Loftus, the geologist attached to the commission which is now employed in the demarcation of the Turco-Persian line of frontier, had succeeded, on his passage from Bagdad to Bussorah, in visiting all the most remarkable sites in Lower Chaldea. The ruins now called Werka, which represent the Ur of the Chaldees, whence took place the Exodus of Abraham, were carefully examined by Mr. Loftus, and were found to be of extraordinary interest. A vast number of ancient coffins of baked clay, highly glazed and covered with figures of men in relief, were discovered in one spot, the coffins being about six feet in length, adapted to the shape of the human body, and with an oval ornamented lid, which closed the upper part ; a moderately sized water- jar was also attached to v each coffin. Gold ornaments and other Chaldean relics were said to be frequently found in them, but those which Mr. Loftus examined had been already rifled, and he had no leisure for excavation. Numerous bricks covered with cuneiform characters were, however, brought away from the ruins by Mr. Loftus, together with pieces of terra cotta, moulded in the shape of a bull's horns, and bearing inscriptions, and several fragments of a hexagonal clay cylinder, inscribed with a long historical record, similar to that deposited in the British Museum, which was found by Mr. Layard, at Nineveh. Werka is still traditioually known in the country as the birthplace of Abraham, and its identity with Ur of the Chaldees is established beyond the reach of cavil. The ruins have been observed at a distance by other travellers, but are usually inaccessible, owing to the inundation of the surrounding country, and the dangerous neighbourhood of the Khezail Arabs. Mr. Loftus, indeed, is the first European who has ever succeeded in actually visiting this primeval seat of the Jewish race. At the ruins called Hammam, near the Hye Canal, Mr. Loftus also obtained a statue of black basalt, bearing two cuneiform inscriptions ; and at Uragheir, beyond the Euphrates, he found another statue, representing one of the Chaldean gods, but it was too much mutilated to be worth moving. Tie commission to which Mr. Loftus belongs, in skirting Susiana, will traverse a country studded with Chaldean ruins, and discoveries, therefore, may be expected to be made which will be of the utmost importance in aiding the efforts of Major Rawlinson and others to unfold the early history of the East, through the interpretations of Nineveh and Babylon. — Bell's Messenger.

Disastrous Affair on the Gambia. — The following is an extract from a letter of an

officer of the 2nd West Tndia Regiment. — "Bathurst, Gambia, December 21, 1849. — About two months ago, a vessel belonging to a merchant here was trading down the coast, near Biasao, about one hundred miles to the south of us, when the vessel was seized by a party of black fellows, who turned out to be pirates, inhabiting an island at the mouth of the River Seba. Some of the crew were shot, one of whom was a Frenchman. The Gover* nor here wrote an account to the Governor of Senegal, who sent a small man-of-war steamer, with some marines, to assist us in punishing these scoundrels and retaking the vesseL The day after she arrived here, one of our vessels, the Teazer, came in, so the Governor determined on sending her with the Frenchman and a few of our men. The day after this the Commodore arrived in the Centaur steam-frigate quite by chance. It was now arranged that they should all go down. He had a number of marines on board, and with ninety of our men under Captain Hill and Lieutenants M'Court and M'Laughlen, sailed for this place. The action was very short. As well as I can make out, the outline is as follows : — The Teazer and the Ruby (Frenchman) having gone* up the creek where the island is situate.!, anchored off the place where they were to land. The Centaur being too large to come up so far, sent up her boats, 12 in number, while she remained about three miles down. Captain Buckle, of the Centaur, and Lieutenant Selwyn, commander of the Teazer, then went in advance of the other boats near the shore, intending to demand the restitution of the. vessel, together with the men who murdered the crew, when he was fired at. The ball took effect upon Mr. Young, midshipman of the Centaur, dangerously wounding him in the breast. The Teazer and the Ruby, together with the boats that had cannon, then opened a furious cannonade, which lasted nearly half an hour. The natives stood it without answering a shot. They then attempted to land from the boats, however the first that came near the bush, which they bad to pass through, received a volley which took great effect, killing Lieutenant Crocket, commanding the marines, and dangerously wounding eight others (sailors and marines). They then withdrew, and our men landed without further opposition, and after beating about some time, returned to their vessels. The first boat was the only one under fire, unless you reckon the shot that wounded Young, and this single volley was the only filing from the enemy. The next day the party went ten miles up the creek, and recovered the vessel without opposition or seeing a man. Thus ended the affair.

Terrific Snow Storm. — Vienna, Jan. 3o. — A sad accident happened in the neighbourhood of Wisselburg some days since. About 103 artillerymen received orders to march from Nickolsdorf to Parendorf. When on the road which leads across a great heath they were surprised by such a terrific snow storm that they soon completely lost their way, and many of them were frozen to death. A few, after suffering inexpressibly, managed to reach some of the neighbouring villages, and sent out the peasantry in search of their unfortunate comrades ; but, alas, the 20 or 25 first found, among whom was the captain of the company, were already dead ; the latter was on his knees. The rest have since been brought in either dead or so frozen that there is but little hope of their recovery. — Bell's Messenger.

Canada. — There is no political news of any moment from Canada. A disastrous fire occurred at Buffalo on the 10th ult., destroying several public buildings and 15 or 20 private houses and stores, making a total loss of 300,000 dollars. The property destroyed was in the most beautiful part of the city. The Annexation scheme, which but a few months ago was the general topic, Is now scarcely mentioned. At the recent election in Sherbrook district, the Annexation candidate was elected ; but that is attributed to the fact that the district joins Vermont and New Hampshire, and is mostly peopled by Americans, or those whose predilections are favourable to the United States Government. The leciprocal navigation measure, which the Hon. Malcolm Cameron visited Washington a short time since to press upon the United States Government, is most ardently desired by the people of Canada West, who look upon* it as a measure of vital importance to their interests. The winter has been unusually mild. — Illustrated Neus, April 6.

Exploration of the North Coast or North America. — Dispatches have arrived from Sir George Simpson, dated Lachine, Februaiy 2, 1850, by which it appears that no intelligence of auy kind has been received in the Hudson's Bay territories respecting Sir John Franklin's expedition. The dispatch* es enclose copies of letters addressed by Sir George Simpson to Mr. Rae and Chief Factor Ballenden, directing these gentlemen to organize an expedition daring the summer of 1850 to that portion of the northern seas

lying between Cape Walker on the east, Melville Island and Bank's Land to the north, and the continental shore or (he Victoria Island to the south. Simultaneously with this expedition, one or two small parties are to be despatched to the westward of the Mackenzie, in the direction of Point Barrow. Their instructions will, of course, fall to the ground should Mr. Raes expedition of last summer to the north-eastern part of Bank's Land have been attended by any successful results. — Aihenaum.

Position of the Slavery Question in the United States. — Shall California be admitted as one of the states of. the American Union ? is now the great question which Jivides the north from the south, the free soil party from the pro-slavery party, in America. The senators elected by the Califoraian legislature, and the representatives elected by the Californian people, have arrived at Washing--ton, and already motions for admitting them to the Senate and the House of Representatives are before both houses. It is understood that there is a majority of forty members in the popular house in favour of their admission, and one of ten in the Senate. There is some iiesitatioo, however, in -coming to a vote; and well there may be, for the representatives of ten or twelve of the southern states declare that if California is admitted into the Union with her present boundaries, and without such measures as will enable the pro-slavery party to retain the veto which they have always possessed in the "Sen ate, they will immediately separate from the American Union. The great and lasting struggle between the slavery and the anti-slavery parties has now concentrated itself on this one practical point, and at the time when the steamer sailed it had assumed an intensity and violence such as had never been witnessed even in the annals of American party conflicts. How the struggle would end no one would venture to predict. On the 4th inst., the day before the sailing of the steamer, Mr. Calhoun, the eloquent and powerful leader of the southern party, delivered his opinions on the subject at great length, and with extraordinary force of language and argument. The position which he took was one which renders -compromise or arrangement extremely difficult, for he not only demanded that California should be refused admission into the American Union until Congress had made whatever arrangement it thought £t as to the limits and its internal j government, but lie also demanded, in the : name of the south, that the northern majority should give the slave owners security for the following points-: — Ist. That the south shall iave juid exercise an equal right with the norjh-in all the recently acquired teiritory. 2nd. ' That the north shall adopt means which "will ensure rhe faithful execution of the laws for giving up slaves fleeing into the free •States. 3rd. That the north shall put an end to the agitation on the slavery question altogether. And 4th. That the north shall propose and carry still such an amendment in the constitution of the United States as will ensure in future times to the south, the same power of protecting itself by a vote, which it possessed " before the equilibrium between the sections was destroyed by the action of the government." — Liverpool Times..

Trial of Professor Webster. — This extraordinary trial lasted twelve days, and terminated in the jury's returning a verdict of guilty, and the judge's pronouncing (on the Ist inst.) sentence of death by hanging. The examination of the evidence for the prosecution commenced on the 19th of March, and was concluded on the 28th. On the 29th the Attorney-General produced some evidence to rehut the testimony of the witnesses produced for the accused. The latter part of the day and the remaining days of the trial were occupied by the speeches of the counsel on both sides, and the accused, by the charge of the judge to the jury, and his address on pronouncing sentence. The jury having retired, after an absence of three hours, returned with a verdict of "guilty." On the twelfth day of the trial the judge, on the strength of this verdict, pronounced sentence of death. The effect of the sentence on the prisoner was overwhelming. He sank to his seat, and for a few moments wept in agony. The scene was one of awful solemnity. The prisoner was ordered to be remanded, and left the courtroom in charge of an officer. The immense crowd retired from the court-room and its vicinity in silence, and without the least disturbance. — It is understood that the jury, after going out on Saturday night, at first deliberated in silence for ten minutes. They then voted on the question whether the remains were those of Dr. George Parkman ? There was a unanimous " yes." On the second question, whether Dr. Webster murdered him ? there were eleven yea, and oue nay — the nay came from Mr. Benjamin H. Greene. He stated his point of doubt, and after some discussion, be declared it removed. — Plymouth Weekly Journal, April 18.

Sekious Loss of Life. — By the burning of the steamer St. John, near Montgomery,

Alabama, more than thirty persons were burnt *o death or drowned (fifty are missing), and about three hundred and fifty thousand dollars in money and Californian gold dust were lost. St. Domingo. — There is a force organizing (as the New York Express has it), "directing their attention to the Dominican Republic," on the Island of St. Domingo — of course, against the Haytien emperor.

Extraordinary Meeting of the Law Amendment Society. — This Admirable society, says our reporter, had an extraordinary meeting a few nights ago ; and although we strongly suspect our correspondent of having made the meeting first, and then reported it— s la Tom Thumb and the giants — we nevertheless give him the benefit of the " copy" be has prepared, by inserting the account that follows :—: — Lord Brougham, as usual, took the chair, and opened the business of the meeting by writing two letters at once, thinking of something else, talking about sundry matters, and exclaiming, " Now then, what's the business before us for this evening V Mr. Dunup rose to present his report on Legal Education. Lord Brougham— -Oh 1 ah! Exactly. I'm sure we are very much obliged to you for coming here, Mr. Dunup. I dare say you can tell us a good deal* Now then, give us the benefit of your experience. Mr. Dunup proceeded to state that the system of education for the bar was very defective, and unnecessarily elaborate. He had heard that a fee of a hundred guineas was usually given to an Equity Draftsman to teach the student to draw a bill. Whereas, he (Mr. Dunup) have been taught to draw a bill and accept one too, for half the money. He had also heard much from time to time of the intricacies of an answer ; for a bill and answer usually go together. But he (Mr. Dunup) had always one answer to every bill — and that was, " Not at home through the letter-box ; or when the answer was in writing, " Gone out. Return in an hour," was the form in which he answered every bill that was served upon him. As to interrogatories they had become such a disgusting matter of routine, that he had adopted one uniform practice of refusing everything to everybody who asked, and considering that those who did not ask did not want anything. When he had endeavoured to answer an interrogatory, he (Mr. Dunup) found he was only opening the door to abuse, and as he would not stand to be abused, he now opened the door to nobody. This was the school in which he had learnt 'the law, and such was the report on legal education he was prepared to lay before the meeting. Lord Brougham. Very good. A very valuable report in its way, no doubt, Mr. Dunup, and I shall be glad to have a copy of it. For my part, I have a total objection to the present mode, by which pupils give a hundred guineas, or as the lawyers call them, gas — the worst name in the world, since from such gas there proceedes no enlightenment whatever. When I went into Mr. (afterwards Chief Justice) Tindal's chambers, I was told to copy anything I could catch hold of, and the result was, I got so sick of copying in early life, that I have since become quite an original. At Edinburgh I used to attend Latin lectures, and when we were questioned, if the question began with Nonne, we say Etiam ; and if it began with An we say Non ,• so what with the Nons and the Nonnes, it was a pack of nonsense altogether. His lordship having, during this speech, written several more letters, rose from his seat, rushed out of the room, and left the meeting to abjourn itself. — Punch,

The Dogs of Law. — The papers give an account of the sudden intrusion of a pack of hounds into the assize court of Aylesbury. The sagacious creatures thought, perhaps, they had quite as good a right to give tongue as any of the learned barristers. There is nothiug, after all, so very absurd in the idea of a pack of hounds appearing in court, for it is simply a slight anticipation of the usual course of things, and instead of waiting for the suitors to go to the dogs, the dogs, in this case, went to the suitors.~ lbid.

Splitting theDifpeuence. — The Morning Herald, in speaking of M. Carnot, in its paper of the l'4th, calls him a " half cynical, half mystical, half Voltarian half Johan Paul Richter enthusiast." We always considered Carnot a sort of incarnation of the " entire animal" doctrine, but if we are to believe the Herald, he is one of the most half-and-half Republicans. It is evident that, mahe event of future misconduct, a man of so many halves will be allowed no quarter ; and though we do not quite see the force of the Herald's arith- j metic, in assigning four halves to one man, still on the principle of his being a man beside himself, the anomaly may be perhaps accounted for. — Punch.

Weights and Measures for the Million, — One pound of chalk makes two gallons

of milk. Two twigs of birch broom— one ounce of tea. Three ounces of sand — half a pound of sugar. One stick of Spanish liquorice — two pots of porter. Twenty noisy boys — one infuriated beadle. Six friends in the pit — one blaze of triumph. Eight Protectionist facts — one falsehood, — Ibid.