MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 598, 26 April 1851, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Late Lady Carden.—This lady, the particulars’ of whose melancholy demise have already been recorded in this paper, was sister to Mr. Milner, M.P. for the city of York, and was closely related to the Duke of Portland, the Earl ol Leitrim, and other members of the nobility. Her ladyship was not more than twenty-seven years of age, having been married to Sir John Carden in 1844. The inquest on the deceased was held before T. O’Meara, Esq., coroner. Warner Carden, Esq. (brother of Sir John C. Carden), sworn—Sir John and witness had been out shooting on Thursday. On their return to the Priory, at half-past three o’clock, they met Lady Carden and her two children in front of the house. There was a round seat (in the centre of which a tree was growing) opposite the front of the house. Sir John and witness sat on one side, taking a child each on their knee. Lady Carden sat on the other side. After having sat for ten minutes, heard the report of a rifle gun, which was leaning against a tree. On looking to the other side of the seat, saw Lady Carden lying dead on the grass. The rifle gun was the gun which Sir John had been shooting with previously. • —Dr. Forsayeth, having been sworn, said— The death of Lady Carden was caused by a rifle bah entering the head, immediately under the left ear, and passing through the brain. He extracted the ball which lay immediately under the skin on the right side of the head, —The jury returned a verdict of “accidental death.” It is believed that when the gun Was resting against the tree, it was blown down by the wind, which caused its discharge. Lady Carden was the daughter of Sir William

Mordaunt Sturt Milner, Bart., of Nunappleton, in the county of York.— Leeds Mercury, Nov. 16. Sir R. Peel. —What England lost by the stumbling of King William the Third’s horse, Mr. Macaulay will tell us in a continuation of bis history. What, however, Great Britain has lost by the horse that carried Sir Robert Peel, our daily contemporaries have told us. But they have not told all. They have delighted to pourtray and panegyrize the great financial minister, sinking his patronage of literature, of science, and of the arts, in the |niore showy triumphs due to the statesman [and the lawgiver. A suggestion may be regtnembered (it might have been a motion) that l Was made in the House of Commons, in |1832, by Mr. Hume, that some ribbon of I ouour should be given by the State to men I istinguished in literature and science. The [suggestion was opposed by Sir Robert Peel. ere symbols of distinction, he observed, not what were necessary for the wants I°. iterary men. ‘Honours to a man in P-tuation, said Goldsmith, ‘are like ruffles t P man in want of a shirt.’ The more sub- | antial approbation of the public should as.

sume, he thought, the shape of public pensions for services rendered. When this was said the statesman by whom it was uttered was not in power. This proposition did not meet the general approbation ; but it may be recorded to his honour that when, two years afterwards, he was in power, he nobly illustrated the sentiments announced on that occasion. Sir Walter Scott was dead, but many of the great men who had started and run the race with him were yet alive. Southey received a pension of £3OO a year, and was offered a baronetcy ; Wordsworth received a pension of the same amount; £l5O a year was given to James Montgomery ; and during Sir Robert Peel’s second administration £2OO a year was bestowed on Mr. Tytler, £2OO a year on Mr. Tennysoft, £2OO a year on Mr. M'Culloch, and £lOO a year on the widow of Thomas Hood. Frances Brown, the blind poetess, received also a pension from his hands. His patronage was also extended to the children of Mrs. Hernans, whom he supplied with places under the Crown, which they still enjoy. Fatal Explosion of Naphtha.—A fatal explosion of naphtha has occurred at the Roman Catholic school and reading room, at Seacombe, in Cheshire. Mr. Johnson, the schoolmaster, was filling a lamp from a can of the liquid, six of the boys standing around, one holding a lighted candle ; Mr. Johnson poured too much naphtha into the lamp, and it ran over, caught fire at the candle, and then the whole quantity exploded with a report like a cannon. Mr. Johnson and the boys were enveloped in flames, and were all much burnt; one boy died next day, and others were thought to be in danger. The people in the reading room above were so much alarmed by the explosion that several of them jumped out of the window. T’xjp u „ 'n. _ ITUOriXALO. 1 HC iFiuuductory lectures are the great signal for assembling ; and of these there were delivered on the Ist of October just past no less than a dozen. The discourses vary in character, of course; partly under the influence of the locality where delivered, —partly in obedience to the calibre of the lecturer, —and partly by the circumstances of the institution in which they are given. Each large London hospital has its medical school; but the hospitals are very differently circumstanced in other respects. Two of them, Guy’s and Bartholemew’s, are enormously rich, —having revenues told in tens of thousands a year, arising from landed and other property ; and they are therefore entirely independent of public subscriptions. Not many years ago Guy’s Hospital, very wealthy before, received, in one legacy left by a Mr. Hunt, two hundred thousand pounds! Bartholemew’s enjoys the rents of houses in important city streets yearly rising in value. St. Thomas’s Hospital has likewise extensive property ; Middlesex Hospital enjoys endowments, particularly one of considerable extent for support of a ward for the reception and maintenance of unfortunate people afflicted with cancer. University College has recently been blessed by many handsome legacies; and St. George’s, and Westminster, and the London, have incomes arising from independent property. The rents of the last three, however, are not to be compared with these of the huge institutions of the Borough and Smithfield; and they are compelled, therefore, to rely partly upon the means of support which their still less fortunate compeers at Charing Cross, the Gray’s Inn Road, and King’s College, have almost wholly to rely upon —the voluntary subscriptions of the charitable section of the public.— Household Words. Discovery of Enormous Fossil Eggs. —“ The Mauritian mentions, on authority of a Bourbon journal, that a singular discovery has been made in Madagascar. Fossil eggs of an enormous size have been found in the bed of a torrent. The shells are an eighth of an inch thick, and the circumference of the e Sg itself is 2 feet 8 inches lengthways, and 2 feet 2 inches round the middle. One which has been opened contains 8| litres, or about 2 gallons ! What was to have come out of these eggs ? Bird or crocodile ? The natives seem to be well acquainted with them, and say that ancient tradition is uniform as to the former existence of a bird large enough to carry off an ox. This is only a little smaller than the roc of oriental fable, which waited patiently till he saw the elephant and rhinoceros fighting and then carried.off both at one stoop. Some fossil bones were found in the same place as the eggs ; but the Bourbon editor says he will leave it to the pupils of the great Cuvier to decide to what animal they belong. If they should prove to be the bones of a bird of size corresponding to the eggs, the discovery will indeed be an extraordinary one. The Patent Laws. —The imperfect protection afforded by the existing law of patents and the injurious costliness of obtaining that protection, have lately led to the formation of a Patent law Reform League. On Monday a deputation from this body hud an interview, by appointment, with Sir George Grey and

Mr. Labouchere at the Home office. The deputation having reporters with it, Sir George Grey guarded himself, and also warned Mr. Labouchere, when he entered the room, against expressing any opinion. He remarked that the society had presented a memorial to the Queen, and asked, had they any statement to add to that memorial; or had they any suggestions to make beyond those contained in in the report of the Committee on the Privy Seal and Signet Office. Mr. Campin replied, that the suggestions of the committee’s report are good, but they do not go far enough : the main object is to have an immediate reduction of the cost of the patent from its present prohibitive amount of .£lOO for each of the three United Kingdoms, and to have preliminary registration at no cost. In America the cost of a patent is about £6 or £7 to a citizen ; to an Englishman it is 500 dollars, because we charge so much in our country. Mr. Price stated that he bad been secretary to a society formed to assist poor inventors ; but the society fell to the ground, from inability to meet the charges of the Patent Office ; if a society was so beaten, how fatally must tbe poor inventors themselves be repressed ? Mr. Campin, Mr. Waller, and Mr. Townley said, that if something be not done immediately, a number of persons intending to prepare models for the exhibition next year must hold back, Mr. Townley gave a striking illustration in his own case. He exhibited some beautiful specimens of woven bracelets of human hair, and observed—“ It would take tbe most skilful workmen in England two days to make these in the ordinary way ; I have a machine that would make six of them in as many minutes; but I cannot exhibit it without a patent ; and as I cannot afford a patent, I am virtually shut out from the exhibition by the Patent-law. Sir George Grey—“ Well I will communicate with Mr. Labouchere.” Mr. Labouchere—“What you want is not so much a general measure of patent law, as an immediate measure to reduce the expenses.” Mr. Campin—“The general question of patent law is so large that we should not be able to get an amendment of the general law quickly.” Mr. Labouchere—“ Well, I shall be glad to receive any written communication from you, stating what you propose to accomplish your object,’’— Spectator, Nov. 16. A Wolfish Situation.—Last winter, a gentleman in Poland, having urgent business at a considerable distance, started in bis cabriolet, accompanied by his son and daughter. The step was confessedly hazardous, in consequence of the abundance of wolves, infuriated with hunger, ever ready to assail the traveller. On they went, drawn by two powerful horses, trusting by speed to escape the visitation dreaded. But they were not far on their journey when their worst fears were realized. From a forest which they passed hundreds upon hundreds of the howling famishing monsters burst upon their path. Fast the horses flew ; but the wolves, with hideous noise, rushed along, and at times made violent efforts to enter. One, springing on the steps, thrust his head into the interior to seize the nearest ; and the only escape from the savage was by decapitating him with a sharp axe, which had been fortunately provided. He fell, and was torn limb from limb, and devoured by his companions. Another came, and was similarly treated, and as quickly despatched. This act was repeated for a considerable time, but seemed only a brief respite to the wretched travellers. At last they approached a rude, tenantless hut, which they recollected stood by the road side; this they eagerly strove to reach. It was reached : the carriage stood at its door ; the servant in a moment cut the traces and allowed the horses to escape ; and the party rushed in and barricaded the door behind them. Tn a little while, a loud shrill cry was heard in the distance; the dying screams of ihe horses under the fangs of their destroyers. When the horses were devoured the countless band returned to the hut and made hideous howlings round its walls, which they tore with violence threatening speedily to effect an entrance. In the centre of the roof there was a wide opening-, out of which the smoke, when a fire happened to be kindled within, found exit. Ere long the party beheld several of the savages gazing upon them through tbe opening, howling furiously. But the smoke of the fire, which, on entering, had been made, kept them from plunging headlong on their victims. Even this, however, it was known, could only be a short-lived deliverance, for thefuel waslimited. No imagination can conceive the horror of the travellers’ position and the dreadful suspense: and in.despair they waited the awful issue. But deliverance was brought : bad it come a few minutes later, it must, however, have arrived in vain. As soon as a gentleman, who was about to be married to the young lady, heard of their departure, he, knowing the peril, and concluding that they would be attacked by tbe wolves, determined io follow. Ho collected, suddenly, a large baridlof horsemen, and, armed, followed the carriage. Proceeding at the quickest pace, they arrived

in sight of the hut: the carriage at its doo f and the crowd of wolves explained the position of the party they had followed. As they approached, the wolves fled alarmed by the sound of firearms ; the door was thrown open, and the prisoners were rescued. Such a deliverance has probably never been recorded, and tbe narrative we have given may be depended on as literally true. — Abridged from the Ayr Observer. A work recently published at Paris is an elaborate examination of the trial, condemnation, and execution of the Maid of Orleans, which completely exonerates the English from the odium of having had hand or part therein. She was tried by the Holy Inquisition—condemned by the Inquisition—executed by the Inquisition. The charges against her were purely ecclesiastical ; her trial was conducted in the pure ecclesiastical form, just as those of any other suspected sorcerer, witch, or heretic ; and, in virtue of ecclesiastical laws, she was sentenced and burned. The English had no more to do with her trial than with the condemnation of Socrates. If she had never defeated them—never fallen into their bands—her fate would have been the same. Not the slightest trace of their participation is to be discovered in any of the proceedings, or even in any one of the numerous interrogations to which she was subject. She was a victim to the atrocious fanaticism of her time, and nothing more ; her judges and executioners, her own country men, blinded by fanaticism, saw in her only the dabbier in evil spirits, and thought not cf her glory or patriotism ; and in no respects whatsoever were they the instruments of the English. All this, I am well aware, is well known to the historical student ; but it is not the less gratifying to find it stated, admitted, and loudly proclaimed by a French writer, who has taken I the trouble (the first time it has ever been I thoroughly done) to examine and sift technically the proces-verbaux, the testimonies ; ol witnesses, the interrogatories of the accused, i the recorded evidence —in a word, all the multitudinous papers connected with this exi traordinary case. Hitherto, almost all French ■ historians have, either directly or indirectly, cast on the English the moral responsibility of this abominable judicial assassination ; foreign writers have done the same ; and even the English themselves, from over tenderness ■ of conscience, or from ignorance, have subi mitted to the imputation. But henceforth this cannot be; the French themselves are I now constrained to admit that not one d;op of ! the heroine’s blood falls on the English head. | —Paris Correspondent of the Literary Ga- ! zette.

The following description of tbe Chrystal Palace in Hyde, Park is an abstract of a paper read by its projector, Mr. Paxton, at a meeting of the Society of Arts, Nov. 13th : The general features of the building, and of the parts of the structure by which the roof was supported were illustrated through the agency of models of the newly discovered Victoria Regina or water-lily of Guana. Bv examining the various ribs and other ramifications of this superb flower, it was seen that tne structure of the leaf closely resembled in principle the mode of structure followed in the building now in course of erection, and that girders and spanners sprung out iu all directions so as to give strength to the whole fabric. One great feature in the present building is, that not a single vestige of either stone brick, or mortar is necessary to be used, but the whole is composed of dry material, ready at once for the introduction of articles for tbe exhibition. The height of tbe centre aisle is 64 feet, the side aisles 44 feet, and the outside aisles 24 feet. The transept is 108 feet in height, and has been covered with a semicircular roof, like that of the great conservatory at Chatsworth, in order to preserve tbe large elm trees opposite to Prince’s gate. Tbe whole number of cast iron columns is 3300, varying from 14 feet 6 inches to 20 feet in length. There are 2224 cast and wrought iron girders, with 1128 intermediate bearers, for supporting the floors of the galleries over tbe large openings of the aisles. " The girders are of wrought iron, and those for the galleries are of cast iron. The fronts of the galleries are also supported by cast iron girders. The dimensions of the building are 1851 feet in length, and 456 feet ia breadth in the widest part, it covers altogether more than 18 acres ; and tbe whole is supported on castiron pillars, united by bolts and nuts fixed to flanges turned perfectly true, and resting on concrete foundations. The total cubic contents of the building are 33,000,000 feet. The six longitudinal galleries, 24 feet in width, running the whole length of the building, and the four transverse ones, of the same dimensions, afford 25 per cent, additional exhibiting surface to that provided on the gfuund floor. In order to give the roof a light and graceful appearance, it is built bn the ridge and furrow principle, and glazed with British sheet glass. The rafters are continued iii uninterrupted lines the whole length of the building. The transept portion, although

Covered by a semicircular roof, is also on the angular principle. All the roof and upright sashes being made by machinery, are put together and glazed with great rapidity, for being fitted and finished before they are brought to the place, little more is required on the spot than to place the finished materials in the positions intended for them. The length of sash-bar requisite is 205 miles. The quantity of glass required is about 900,000 feet, weighing upwards of 400 tons. AU round the lower tier of the building, however, will be boarded with fillets planted on in a perpendicular line with the sash bars above. Before sweeping the floors of the great building, the whole will be sprinkled with water from a moveable handengine, which will be immediately followed by a sweeping machine, consisting of many brooms fixed to an apparatus on light wheels, and drawn by a shaft. By this means a large portion of ground will be passed over in a very short space of time. The boards for the floor will be nine inches broad, and inch-and-a-half thick, laid half an inch apart, on sleeper joists nine inches deep and three inches thick, placed four feet apart. This method of flooring, then, possesses the following advantages : —it is very economical, dry and clean, pleasant to walk upon, admits of the dust falling through the spaces ; and, even when it requires to be thoroughly washed, the water at once disappears betwixt the openings, and the boards become almost immediately fit for visitors. The galleries will be laid with close boarding. The ventilation of the building has been most carefully considered. Four feet round the whole of the basement part of the building is made of louvre-boarding ; and at the top of each tier a similar provision of three feet is made, with power to add an additional quantity if required ; in the centre aisle also, the air will be plentifully admitted. By simple machinery the whole of this ventilation can be regulated with the greatest ease. In order to subdue the intense light in so large a building covered with glass, all the south side of the upright parts, and the whole of the angled roof will be covered outside with canvass or calico, so fixed as to allow a current of air to pass between the canvas and the roof. In very hot weather water may be poured on, which would very much assist in cooling the temperature within. Provision will be made to use the Indian plan of ventilation, if the heat is so intense as to render it desirable to have the temperature cooler than out of doors. From the side galleries running the whole length of the building, there will be graud views of the goods and visitors below; whilst the transverse galleries in the middle and at the ends will afford ample means for general supervision, and will serve to communicate between the side galleries. Magnify ingglasses„ working on swivels, placed at short distances, will give additional facility for commanding a more perfect general view of the Exhibition. After the Exhibition is over I would convert the building into a permanent winter garden, and would then make carriage drives and equestrian promenades through it. Pedestrians would have about two miles of galleries and two miles of walks upon the ground floor, and sufficient room would then be left for plants. The whole intermediate space between the walks and drives would be planted with shrubs and climbers from temperate climates. In summer the upright glass might be removed, so as to give the appearance of continuous park and garden. A structure, where the industry of all nations is intended to be exhibited, should, it is presumed, present to parties from all nations a building for the exhibition of their arts and manufactures, that, while it affords ample accommodation and convenience for the purposes intended, would, of itself, be the most singular and peculiar feature of the exhibition ; how far this has been accomplished I must leave io the community to decide. I have now endeauoured to give a brief outline of the exhibition building of 1851.” Murray or Mac Hale ?—An Irish correspondent wishes to know (what a strange Wish to know) whether Father Punch inclines ro the Murray or the Mac-Hale side in the present episcopal row pending in Ireland ; and whether we are for mixed education or no education. You silly Paddy, how can you ask such a question ? Don’t you know that we are jinglish Protestants, hating you by nature, and that our wish is to tyrannise over you and keep you under ? If yoU r young men come to college with our young men, don’t you see, you idiot, that in the course of a few score years, your lads, being born to the full as clever as ours and six times as numerous, may win the prizes and scholarships, get the government places and snug berths, fit themselves for the learned professions, and so forth, and turn us out of what at present we hold ? Of course we vote for John of IVAM and Paul Cullen, not for poor Dr. urray. Dr. Murray is a well-meaning man, but he’s a class legislator, Paddy, and tfaats what. we hate—especially when he doesn t legislate for our class—whereas John

of Tuam and Paul of Armagh, those are the right sort of fellows : they want you to remain ignorant; be cursed if you shall go and learn grammar and language, or mathematics and astronomy, with Protestants and heathens. Believe, with Paul Cullen, that the sun is six feet in circumference, accommodate your mathematics to his Grace’s (God bless his most Reverend Lordship), and see how you’ll get on as an Engineer, my boy. Why are you, forsooth, to learn history and mathematics, law, or chemistry, from the best professors toe can get ? These things are not to be taught to you by people selected for their capability, but by people of your own religious way of thinking : gentlemen properly trained at Maynootb, where they will learn three-fourths theology and one-fourth science doctored orthodoxically : if we want a good surgeon or a good lawyer, we won’t ask what his religious opinions are ; we want the best of advice from the best people, who learn their business in the best way, teach it in the best way, are paid the best price, and so forth. Whereas you, you poor ragged Paddy. Don’t look at the stars through that villain, Lord Rgsse’s glass, ask Father Tim to lend you a peep through his dirty old telescope : if you’ve broken your leg don’t ask the Surgeon General to set it, the pestilent Protestant •, get a smart young chap from Maynooth who has learned a little surgery along with his humanities ; see that you have an orthodox dancing master for your daughters, and, if they learn to sing, send for Don Basilio. Of course, we are for John Tuam. In that way we savage Saxons shall have no need to be afraid of you. Which has the best chance to learn a thing, think you, he who has the best master, or he who has a twentieth rate instructor ? Give us the good men. You take the others Paddy. Give us the railway train to travel by—-you wait to hear whether the Holy Father approves of the mode of traveiling, and (if you are not cursed off the line and sent back to the wretched old jaunting car) never get into a carriage, without a priest beside you—O, Paddy, Paddy, you poor old humbugged Paddy I— Punch, October.