ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 570, 18 January 1851, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Military. —Lieutenant C. Rhatigan 65th Foot, to be Captain, without purchase, vice Smith deceased.— War Office, July 19. The Galway people are going to try another steamer of greater power than the Victory. Cod liver oil has risen in England from £2O to £36.

Reports are current that the Emperor of Russia intends, on the Ist December, 1850, to abdicate in favour of his son, the hereditary Grand Prince Alexander Nicolawitch. It is stated that Lord Palmerston has made a demand upon the Portuguese Government, insisting upon the faithful execution of the Treaty of Commerce with reference to the differential duty levied on port wine for the English market. The scarlet dye, used in England, is now manufaetvred from the wax of the lac insect found in the East India forests, to the value of £500,000 annually. The more expensive cochineal is almost entirely superseded. The Nepaulese Ambassador, when he saw the ballet-dancers at her Majesty’s '1 heatre, lor the first time, said they were “ spirits of angels.”

A droll anecdote is told of the Nepaulese Ambassador, now in London. At Mr. Lumley’s grand fete he asked to be introduced to Carlotta Grisi, with whose dancing he had been enchanted at the Opera House. The lady was presented, and the prince made some rerqark, which on being translated, was foond to be, that “ He did not know her with her clothes on !” Death of General Avitabile.—General Avitabile, celebrated as the organiser of Kunjeet Singh's artillery, died of apoplexy, on his possessions at Castle Mare, in the beginning of April. Signature of a Contract for the Conveyance of Mails to the Cape of Good Hope. —The Lords of the Treasury haveaccepted the offer of James Laming, Esq., to convey the mails to the Cape of Good Hone for £30,000 per annum, in screw propelled steam vessels, that gemleman’s tender having been lower by £20,000 ner annum than a tender from a Glasgow firm. Mr. Laming, it is said, will not limit the horse power to 200, but intends to have vessels of 2000 tons, with machinery of about one-sixth steam power of the tonnage. It is reported that the Admiralty have offered to Mr. Laming the useless iron steam frigates Simoom,Negara, Greenock and Vulcan, at a very low price, for the performance of the contract —the contractor to work the cost out at so much per annum. — Ijnited Service Gazette, August 31. Divisions among the Army and Ordnance Committee. —lt is rumoured amongst military circles that the committee did not make their rennrt at the close of last session although the evidence was completed, in consequence of a considerable difference of opinion which existed amongst the members. This, we believe, chiefly relates to the system of agencies, and we understand Sir James Graham was strongly opposed to the arrangement at present in existence, whilst the Secretary-at-war was decidedly in favour of its continuance. — Ibid,

The Assault on Marshal Haynau.— It was expected, from what had been represented of the attack upon Marshal Haynau, that an investigation would have been instituted by the firm of Barclay ft Perkins ; but it has transpired that the matter has been talked over, and that as no possible good could result from any further inquiry, it was more than probable that no further notice would be taken of the affair. It has been stated that the account which appeared of the attack has been somewhat colored, and, indeed, exaggerated. Lady's Newspaper, Sept. 14. Important Discoveries by Mr. Layard. —At the meeting on Monday of the Ethnological Section of the British Association, now convened in Edinburgh, Dr. Hincks made some observations on the language and inode of writing of the ancient Assyrians, This called up Major Rawlinson, who made some remarks on the same subject, in the course of whicn he stated that Mr. Layard had, at Korjinyik, penetrated into a chamber which appeared to be of the same class as the “ house of records” noticed by the prophet Ezra, where was found the copy of a decree of Cyrus permitting the Jews to return from captivity. In this chamber Mr. Layard found in terracotta, tables piled up from the floor to the ceiling, and representing apparently the archives of the Assyrian Empire during the long historical succession. Mr. Layard had packed, by the last accounts, five cases for transport to England ; and these only occupied one small corner of the apartment. When the whole collection and examined, it was provable that we should have a ✓

better account of the history, religion, jurisprudence, and philosophy of the Assyrians, 13 centuries before the Christian era, than we had of either Greece or Rome during any period of their history.— Bell’s Messenger,