LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 593, 9 April 1851, Page 3

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

On Saturday a gentleman applied at the Mansion-house to know if he could not proceed against Cardinal Wiseman, under the 9th and 10th of Victoria, cap. 59, one of the clauses of which, though it took away the penalty for “bringing in and putting in execution of bulls, writings, or instruments, and other superstitious things from tbe See of Home," enacted that the same should be considered an offence against the law. Aiderman Challis said he had no doubt that any one might indict Dr. Wiseman before any justice of the peace of the district in which the offence was committed. He had no doubt that a little imprisonment would do the Cardinal good, but he would not like to send him there. However, he anticipated there would be no necessity to take such a step, as he understood that the Cardinal had already received notice to quit London in forty-eight hours.— Guardian, November 20.

It is said that several of the leading lay Roman Catholics contemplated having a grand dinner at the Freemason’s Hall, in honour of the restoration of their hierarchy, his Grace the Duke of Norfolk in the chair. Every parish town and county in England has held its meeting to record its indignant protest against the pretensions of the Papacy. The language held at all of them has been very nearly identical, and it would serve no purpose to give the speeches of tbe different orators at length. Suffice it to say they are full of loyalty and devotion to the Crown of England, and hatred to the See of Rome. Some time ago the Pope attempted a religious invasion of the lonian Islands, by appointing an Archbishop of Corfu, in the person of Dr. Nicholson, an Irish prest, who arrived at Corfu in May, 1849, but met with such a warm reception from the enraged Greeks, that he shortly afterwards disappeared, and has not since been either seen cr heard of.

With a view to the defence of any legal proceedings that may be adopted, Cardinal Wiseman has, we hear, retained Mr. Peacock, the eminent Queen’s Counsel. —Aforsing Paper. Explosion on Board a French Man-of-War.—A dreadful accident occurred at Brest ihiee days ago, on board the Valmy, 120-gun ship, one of the vessels which composed the Cherbourg fleet. The master-gun-ner was preparing between decks fireworks, to serve in certain cases as night signals, when by some accident the powder lying about caught fire and exploded, blowing up part of the upper deck, and killing himself and seven other men who were lying close by in their cots. Two other sailors were dangerously wounded, one of whom died soon after, and about a dozen were slightly hurt. An important event has just taken place at Holyhead, in the final breaking up and closing her Majesty’s dockyard establishment. This measure was carried out a few days

ago, when all the mechanics and labourers hitherto engaged in the various departments of the dockyard were discharged. The Grog Question.—The Admiralty have prepared a circular, declaring that officers of the fleet shall not in future be allowed to purchase spirits duty free. — Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette.

The whole of her Majesty’s ships in Commission that are accessible at home will be put out of commission in the course of next month, and then recommissioned, in order to bring into operation, on the Ist day of January, the new and improved system of provisions, grog, and other things. The Times announces the appointment of Mr. George Arbuthnot to the Auditorship of the Civil List, one of the most important offices in the Treasury. Mr. Arbuthnot has fulfilled the laborious and responsible duties of private secretary to several successive Chancellors of the Exchequer. Mr. Stephenson will succeed Mr. Arbuthnot as private secretary to Sir C. Wood. Sir George Anderson, C. 8., and Mr. John Bonham, C.B. are promoted to the second class of the Order of the Bath for civil services ; and Sir Thomas Hastings and Mr. H. Robinson are nominated to the rank of C. 8., or third class of the same service. Mr. Charles Chipchase is appointed Collector of Customs at Trinidad. Mr. Robert Gordon is appointed a member of Council at Tobago. "We believe we may state that the intention of the English Government to reduce the army 5000 men has also been abandoned. — Daily News. No less than 10,000 persons, it is said, have booked themselves at New York alone, to visit the National Exhibition in London next year. What a fleet they will require to bring them over, M. Charles Mottley, one of the most ardent collectors of books, who died in September last, has bequeathed his library to the French Republic, on condition that the library shall be placed in a gallery bearing his name as the donor. The Ccnstitutionnel states that the British Museum had offered £12,000 for this collection.

Up to the period of the constableship of the Tower of London being conferred upon the Duke of Wellington, in 1820, it was the custom of his predecessors to sell the situation of warders, or what are commonly termed “beef •eaters,” the price being 300 guineas. Upon his Grace entering the situation, he abolished the system of purchase, but held the privilege of giving the vacancies to deserving noncommissioned officers; and during the period of his bolding the situation he has appointed forty-five old soldiers, the value of whose situations would havebeen no less than£l4,l7s, which the gallant "duke might have pocketed. The celebrated scene in the Rent Day was realised, on Saturday last, at Gloucesterplace, Kentish Town. A distraint.had been levied on the premises by the landlord, for arrears of rent, to the amount of £BO, for which sum the whole of the household furniture had been condemned, and placed in two vans, preparatory to removal, with the exception of a chest of drawers, of antique appearance, which had been left to the last from mere accident, on looking into one of the drawers, a small paper parcel was discovered, which, on being opened, was found to contain no less a sum than 114 old guineas, of the reign of George 111. It is hardly necessary to add that the claim was soon discharged, and the furniture returned to its former position.

The monument erected to the memory of Sir Sidney Smith, in the cemetery of Pere le 'Chais, is tottering to its fall. A few admi■rers of the renowned Admiral are raising a fund to restore the monument.

Last week an enormous wire rope, intend■ed to work the London and North-Western tunnel in Lime-street, arrived at Edge-hill. It weighed twenty-one tons, and measured '6OOO yards in length, and four inches and a half in circumference.

The Morning Chronicle states that in eon■sequence of the excessive demands for floor ■or, counter space in the building, her Majesty s Commissioners at their last meeting resolved to authorise the erection of an additional gallery, by which an increased area of about 45,000 superficial feet is obtained. By this increase the total exhibiting area of floor and counter space applicable to exhibitors of the United Kingdom amounts to about 220,000 superficial feet. Persons are no longer allowed to inspect the progress of the building by ticket, except on payment of 55., and any funds which may arise from this source will be applied to a sick and accident fund for the workmen. From Vienna accounts have reached us of a magnificent and costly contribution, which a furniture manufacturer of that town is sending. It will consist of four rooms of a pa.lace, each appropriately furnished and decorated. lhe material is a peculiar Indian wood, rather lighter in colour than rosewood, and it is sculptured in the most artistic man-

ner after the chastest designs of eminent artists. The bedstead alone, which is already completed, costs 12,000 gulden, about £l2OO, and the cost of the other articles is in proportion. — Expositor. It is understood that Mr. Alexander Mackay, the author of The Western World, is to proceed to India, at the instance of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, for the purpose of collecting information as to the obstacles which prevent an increased growth of cotton in that country. The Irish papers announce the death (in his seventieth year) of Sir William Wrixon Becher, Bart., who in 1820 married Miss O’Neill, the celebrated tragic actress, by whom (she survives him) he leaves three sons and two daughters, his eldest son Henry (now in his twenty-fifth year) succeeding to the baronetcy, It is currently affirmed that Dr. Cullen, the Primate of Ireland, has refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Throne. Dr. Wiseman was born at Seville, where his father and mother (natives of Waterford) resided for many years. .His father was a wine-merchant, of much repute, in the preeminently beautiful capital of Andalusia. — Dublin Paper. Sixty-nine clergymen of the Church of England, including six Canons of Westminster, the Principal of King’s College, and the Rectors, curates, and ministers of many of the most notable places of Established worship in the Metropolis, on Friday presented to the Bishop of London an address, asking for counsel under the extraordinary circumcumstances of the usurpation by a Romish ecclesiastic of the title of Archbishop of the English city in which the Sovereigns of England are crowned, the Parliaments of England sit, and the laws of England are administered —the city of Westminster. They solemnly protest against this act of religious invasion, of outrage to the British constitution, and of indignity to the British crown, and crave directions how to vindicate the rights of their church and country. The Bishop expressed his entire concurrence in the sentiments and language of the address, and promised to answer it in writing. General Sir John Grey is appointed com-mander-in-chief of the Bombay Presidency. The gallant officer, we believe, does not possess the use of his limbs, and it is supposed be will take the command in his arm-chair. This is the second nomination of a Grey within the last fortnight. It is really wrong to the Elliots.— Daily News.

Loss of the Emperor of Russia’s Steam Yacht.—Toe loss of the Emperor of Russia’s steam-yacbt Peterhoff is confirmed. She ran on shore on a fine moonlight night, mistaking the south-west of the island of Oesel for the north-east. Mr. Waterman, jun., who designed the yacht, was on board, and so, we believe, was Sir John Rennie, the contractor and engineer. They were proceeding to Russia to deliver up the yacht to the Emperor. Those on board were in very little danger, and comfortably enough got into the boat and landed. The yacht was insured to nearly three-fourths her value.

The Exhibition of 1851. —Great progress has been made in every portion of the works. Nearly 2000 men are now engaged upon them. Upwards of 120,000 feet of glass have been already placed, the glaziers being at workSn gipsy tents fixed upon the roof. The entire length of one avenue is now roofed in, and other parts are being covered at a rapid rate. Doubts have been expressed as to the strength of the glass used, but it is of that strong kind, known to the trade as “horticultural glass.” Workmen are now beginning upon the transept; and some few of the party-coloured central avenue girders already span the great passage. Carpenters, in the upper part of the building, are flooring the upper galleries. The preparations for raising the great transept arches are nownearly completed ; so that, within a week or ten days, we shall be able to form an opinion on the probable effect of that portion of the structure, — Examiner.

Captain Collinson’s Arctic Expedition. —Further official intelligence has been received from the expedition under the command of Captain Collinson, C. 8., consisting of the Enterprise, commanded by himself, and the Investigator by Commander M’Clure. Captain Collinson, in the Enterprise, arrived at Waohoo, Sandwich Islands, June 24th, and sailed on the 30th for Kotzebue Sound. The Investigator arrived there on the Ist of July, and was to sail in a few days to follow her consort. These ships had received supplies and despatches sent by the Swift, 6, Commander Aidham, which arrived at Waohoo on the 6th of June ; and the Cockatrice, tender, Master Commander Rundle, sent by Rear-Admiral Hornby, C. 8., with despatches, &c., from the Admiralty, had arrived at Waohoo on the 3rd of July, in time to catch the Investigator. The expedition was all well, in good spirits, and full of hope.— United Service Gazette.

A Strange Steed.—When 1 rofessor . Owen was summoned to Buckingham I alace | to see the great tortoise (testudo elephantopusj, presented by the Queen to the Zoological Society of London, before its removal to the garden in Regent’s park, he, by the gracious direction of her Majesty, and in the presence of Prince Albert, proceeded to take the dimensions of the girth of the animal. To do this more effectually, he bestrode the reposing mass; while thus employed, the tortoise walked off with the professoir, to the great amazement of the Prince, while the philosopher, as he rode along, calmly continued his measurement, which gave 12 feet as the circumference of this fine old Galipagosian. Frazer's Magazine. Lucifer Matches. —According to Mr. Mayhew, in the Morning Chronicle, in one steam sawing mill, visited by him, the average number of splints made for lucifer matches is 156,000 gross of boxes a year, each box containing 50 splints—altogether 1,123,200,000 millions of matches. For the manufacture of this quantity 400 cubic feet of timber are used in a week, averaging eight trees, or 400 large trees a-year for lucifer matches only, in one mill. It is no longer a joke to say, a man who deals in matches is a timber merchant. The Ambassador of Nepaul and his Doctors. — L'Union Medical of the 3rd of October, 1850, contains a feuilleton, written in a very lively and witty strain, on the manner in which the Nepaulese Ambassador paid the Parisian surgeon, who treated and cured him. It appeared that his Excellency (according to the French paper) came to Europe both to transact diplomatic affairs and to seek a cure for a troublesome affection. Sir B. Brodie was consulted, but the Indian chief became soon impatieut, and sought relief in Paris. He had been told that there was but one man there who could cure him, and scarcely had he arrived than he sent for him. The French practitioner, whose name is not given, but whose reputation as a specialist is well known, was at once told by the interpreter that the prince would give £4OO to the man who would cure him. The doctor replied that he was not in the habit of striking bargains, that he would use his best endeavours in the treatment, and be satisfied with whatever the munificent, ambassador would bestow upon him. The cure was obtained after many difficulties were overcome, among which the gaieties of the prince were not the least. At the last interview, the doctor fancied that the eastern nobleman would take from his costume one of those gems with which he had been so lavish behind the curtain of the opera ; but, instead of that, the interpreter asked for the account. The indignantmedical man answered at once that he was not in the habit of making out an account for such an illustrious person as the ambassador, and that if the latter were pleased with his attention, and the happy results of the treatment, he would be satisfied to take what had been originally promised him. Here the interpreter was rather embarrassed, and, after some conversation with the prince, said : —“ The ambassador will not show himself less gratefnl to you than be was towards Sir Benjamin Brodie, the first surgeon of England : he wishes to place the medical science of Paris and that of London on the same level, and he desires me to give you what Sir Benjamin Brodie has accepted.” These words were accompanied by a shabby cheque for £4O. So much for Eastern munificence ! — Lancet.