ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 609, 4 June 1851, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Illness of Lord Dalmeny.—Lord Dalmeny M.P., lies extremely ill at Dalmeny Park, near Queensferry, the seat of his father, the Earl of Roseberry. The New Baronets. —As we anticipated in a paragraph last week, the Queen has conferred the dignity of Baronet of the United Kingdom upon Major-General Sir W. R. Gilbert, G. C. 8., James Matheson, Esq., F. R. S., and Thomas Tufton, Esq. The services of General Gilbert in India are well known—he was one of the heroes of the Punjaub, Chilianwallah, &c. Mr. Matheson is member for Ross and Cromarty, and was formerly partner in the eminent house of Matheson, Jardine, and Co., in which bis cousin A. Matheson, Esq. (M.P. for Inverness); is now the leading partner. Mr. Matheson resided for many years in India and China, and on his return to England received an address and a service of plate, worth £1500., from

the merchants of Bombay, who expressed their high sense of the judgment and firmness displayed by him in the difficulties which sprung out of the seizure of the opium. He is the esteemed chairman of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Mr. Tufton has succeeded to the vast estates of the late Earl of Thanet. The New House of Commons. —During the recess the workmen have been actively engaged in constructing a permanent roof to the New House of Commons. The new house is permanently to be taken possession of when the house meets after the Easter .recess. Several important alterations are being made in the approaches, which when finished will contribute to the comfort and convenience of members, and give a pleasing and finished appearance to the Commons portion of the New Palace. Health in London.—-The official report says : —" The return for the week ending last Saturday shows that 1196 deaths were registered in the metropolitan districts ; in the first three weeks of December they were 1004, 1090, and 1166. This increase is attributed to the state of the weather, which is unfavourable to the public health. Cardinal Wiseman has received autograph letters of congratulation from their Majesties the Queens of Spain and Portugal completing the number of Sovereigns of Europe who have addressed his eminence on the occasion of his appointment. Two Children Killed with Godfrey’s Cordial.—On Saturday an inquest was held by Mr. Carter, at the Rose public-house, Camberwell, to inquire into the deaths of two infants, the children of a man and woman named Buckley, who resided in Edmundstreet, Camberwell. The father was a journeyman carpenter. A few days since, the children being very restless, the mother sent for a pennyworth of Godfrey’s Cordial, and administered about a third of a teaspoonful to each. They soon fell into a deep sleep, and remained so until the mother became alarmed and sent for Mr. Flowers, a surgeon, who stated that they were suffering from the effects of a narcotic. He administered the usual antidote, but notwithstanding every effort the children expired. The jury returned, “ That the children died from the effects of Godfrey’s Cordial, administered by the mother inadvertently.” They also strongly condemned the use of this medicine. Mr. Jacob Bell, chemist, of Langhamplace, London, has issued an address to the electors of St. Albans, soliciting the representation of the borough. He declares himself a free-trader, a decided but moderate Liberal, a supporter of the general principles of government, and a firm opponent of Papal Aggression. The Roman correspondent of the Messaggero di Modeno writes that the Earl of Shrewsbury has just left Rome for Sicily, after having had a long interview with the Pope on the affairs of the Catholic Church in England. From Canada we learn that there is a rumour that the seat of government is about to be removed 500 miles down the St. Lawrence, in June or July next. Letters from Rome of the 20th ult. state that the winter season promises well as far as regards the influx of foreigners. The Essex Herald states that overtures have been made to Mr. Halford for the purchase of Prime Minister, his Derby crack, and that only last week the large sum of £9OOO was offered for him, with Mr. Merryman and Harriot thrown in. On the 15th ult., a Boston (United States) paper states that the existence of a third ring around Saturn, which had been for some time suspected, was ascertained by the astronomers at Cambridge (United States), It is inferior to the two others, and, therefore, its distance from the body of Saturn must be small. Bachelors.—The mortality of bachelors, from the ages of 30 to 45, is 27 per cent. For 41 bachelors who attain the age of 40, there are 78 married men. The difference is more striking as age advances. At the age of 60 there are but 22 bachelors alive for 48 married men ; at 70 years, 11 bachelors for 27 married men ; and at 80 years, for 3 bachelors there are 9 married men. — Dr. Casper of Berlin. Colonists’ Counsel.—Each man vaunts loudly the superiority of the colony he has visited over ail others. . “ How is it possible,” writes a settler in New Zealand to us, “ that people will be so blind as to risk their capital in Australia, while there is New Zealand, the finest country, with the finest climate in the world ?” The friend who occasionally amuses and instructs us with his vivid sketches of Australian life, exclaims ; —“ New Zealand ! where are its markets ? What is a farmer to do with his produce when he has got it ? No, no; my advice is Sydney.” “By no means,” ejaculates a third, just home from Port Phillip, “ South Australia is the country for an energetic man to gain independence and wealth.” A successful emigrant, hot from Hobart Town, vaunts the advantages of Van Diemen’s Land.

Our friend from Canada over-rides all these opinions. “ Why,” he argues, “go to uncivilised, uncultivated, and far-off countries, when you can, at once, join established communities, and enjoy regular British institutions, only a three weeks’ sail distant; where markets are regular, food cheap, and where (on account of the intense cold) there is nothing to do for one-third of the year ?” Lastly, we are favored with the opinion of a five years’ resident in South Africa : —“ Truly,” he says, “ people who brave the regions of a northern climate, who expose their lives in dangerous proximity to savages, who heed not agues in swamps, nor thirst in deserts, forget there is such a place as the Cape of Good Hope.” — Dickens' Household Words.

Flax Cotton. —The preparation of flax upon a new plan —that is, without steeping it —is spoken of in the highest terms of praise by the society for the promotion of the growth of flax in Ireland. In their last report, the comparative produce of flax fibre from the 100,000 acres of land now proposed to be brought under flax cultivation in Ireland by the two different modes of steeping, and the new mode, without steeping, is as follows: — Tons. Upon the old steeping system 38,605 Upon Schenck’s improved steeping plan .. 47,410 Unsteeped process 96,098

The money value of the produce of the unsteeped process would be £2,434,400 over that produced by Schenck’s plan, and £2,874,650 over the old process. Mr. Claussen’s method of bleaching and preparing flax, so that it may be spun and woven by cotton machineiy, is likely to be very successful ; the discovery is one which may exercise a most important effect, both on our agriculture and manufactures. It is said that with this material, so prepared, the texture and softness of cotton are gained, together with the durability of linen, unaccompanied with the cold, paper-like surface, which has hitherto been peculiar to it; and these advantages are said to be attainable at a cost of production considerably below the present price of cotton. “As every effort,” says the Times, “'will be made to induce the Irish agriculturists to makb preparations for the extension of the next crop, it is probable that, before the lapse of another year, enough will have been accomplished to warrant a broad and definite opinion as to the ultimate results that may be anticipated from the movement.” The Morning Chronicle says:—“ The experiments taking place at Manchester are progressing in the most satisfactory manner, and the results are, if possible, even more satisfactory than at the period when we first announced this valuable discovery. The samples which we have received fully bear out the opinion which we then expressed as to the value of the invention.” The Glasgow Chronicle says, that Mr. Elijah Slack, of Renfrew, patented in June, 1849, the very invention which Mr. Claussen is now proving the advantage of, and that Mr. Slack then produced samples of flax “which were spun and wove by cotton machinery, to the surprise and gratification of many parties in Glasgow.” Beef from the Vatican.—Among the recent importations of foreign cattle, the most remarkable is that of the extraordinary bull from Rome, though the bull from Nineveh will probably be the most useful of the two. On arriving in this country, the Roman bull gave such indications of being likely to prove mischievous that it has been found necessary to take him boldly by the horns. No intention, however, exists of placing him under any forcible restraint; and he will be suffered to range at large, unmolested. It is hoped, that, after all, he will turn out perfectly harmless. Should he begin to be troublesome, the clergyman mentioned in the papers the other day as having mesmerised a bull, or some other clergyman equally clever, must set to work and quiet him.— Punch,