ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 581, 26 February 1851, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald.] The Queen had returned from Scotland, and with the other members of the royal family was in good health. Trade continued brisk, and consols were improving. The last quotation was 97f : it was not expected, however, that they would remain at that high rate for many days. The interference of Prussia in the Schles-wig-Holstein quarrel had excited the indignation of France and Russia, who were anxious to march an army into Silesia, but England was not willing to go further than a remonstrance in the first instance. Unless Prussia preserves a strict neutrality, it is evident that her two powerful neighbours will make her interference a casus belli, and England will not be disinclined to assist them, if the joint remonstrance do not have the desired effect. Vice-Chancellor Wigram had resigned from ill health. Mr. Hughes was the new Solici-tor-General for Ireland.

The long talked of creation of Roman CathollC chnnri no TZ ~-_1 J 1_ _ J 1 • — uaq ai length taken place. Cardinal W iseman was appointed Archbishop of Westminster, and the other Vicars Apostolic were to take the titles of Bishop of Northampton, Liverpool, &c. In the list of deaths we notice the names of the Countess of Lanesborough, Lord Stanley (of Alderley), Generals Sir J. S. Barnes, Wangrove, and Slosser, and Sir W. H. Freemantle.

The Arctic Expedition.—The report brought home by Captain Forsyth having been submitted, by order of the Admiralty, to Captain Sir E. Parry, R.N., for the purpose of ascertaining the opinion of that experienced Arctic explorer, he lias addressed a letter to the authorities, stating the conclusions he has arrived at. We extract the passages of most interest:—“l would therefore submit to your lordships what appears to. me the most probable conclusion—namely, that Sir John Franklin's ships having reached this neighbourhood on their way out in 1845, and being stopped there for a time by the state of the ice, a couple of boats may have been detached from each ship to land at Cape Riley to make the usual observations. If detained for a night, each boat’s crew may have pitched its own tent, and one for the officers, making five iu all. The only circumstance which I cannot explain (supposing the encampment to have been formed by Sir John Franklin’s people) is the large size of the tents, which Mr. Snow has just described to us as twelve feet in diameter and upwards, and which is certainly very large for tents generally used on such occasions. This may, in part perhaps, be explained by the stones being thrown from the centre, and the circle thus considerably enlarged when striking the tents. At the commencement of their enterprise (which, looking to former discoveries, the entrance to Wellington Inlet may fairly be considered), a party from the Erebus and Terror might not think it of any importance to leave a notice of their visit, though it is much to be wished that they had : and I should hope that at some more advanced position Capt. Ommanney and the other officers will have succeeded in discovering some such notice, affording positive information of the missing ships and of the route they are likely to have pursued. On the other hand, I feel confident that if the expedition, or any portion of the people, had landed at Cape Riley at a more advanced period, when success began to be doubtful, and especially if in distress, with a view to effect their escape from the ice, some distinct notice of the facts would have been left at a point so prominent and so likely to be visited as Cape Riley.”

Hob and Nob. —“Have you heard,” asKen Hob, “that the sea serpent has appeared off the coast of Ireland, and was, moreover, seen to scratch itself against certain rocks called the Barrels ?” “ I have heard it, answered Nob. “ Have you further heard,” said Hob, “ ( that the sea serpent left seme of its scales upon the rocks ?” “ I have, said Nob; “ and I have discovered why the sea serpent left those ver w scales U.U.UUO, vvnyf asked Hob; when quick as the electric wire, the wag Nob replied, “Seeing its appearance had been doubted, the sea serpent left the scales to weigh the evidence.”—PttncA.