LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 648, 18 October 1851, Page 3

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

[From the Lyttelton Times, October 11.] The gigantic globe of Mr. James Wyld, M.P., now opened in Leicester-square, is modelled on a scale of ten geographical miles to an inch horizontal, or six inches to a degree, and it is one mile to an inch vertical, the diameter being sixty feet. By means of a gradual ascent at different stages, thi s ColoSsal figure of the earth, with its mountains and valleys, seas and rivers, may be viewed from a moderate distance. The objects just mentioned are represented by numberless raised blocks, and castings in plaster, figured on the interior concave of the sphere, the fittings up of which must have been both difficult and expensive. The President of the itoyal (geographical Society, in his late address, stated that Mr. \\ y Id was good enough to show and explain to him the whole of his undertaking with which he was both surprised and pleased. “ Recollecting that only a limited part of a sphere can meet the eye at once, it occurred to Mr. Wyld, that, by figuring the earth’s surface on the interior instead of the exterior of his globe, the observer would be enabled to embrace the distribution of land and water, with the physical feature of the globe, at one view. And in thik,” adds the president, “he has succeeded ; from the great size, the examiner of details is hardly aware that he is gazing on a concavity. The attempt is well worthy of the projector and of the spirit of the age.” The following anecdote - will serve to show the vigilance exercised by the London police to prevent the plotting and mischief-making apprehended as likely to result from the ingress of discontented foreigners. A gentleman had let for the season a handsomely furnished house, not far from Knightsbridge. Hearing that his tenant-had sub-let it to a whole horde of Frenchmen, who smelt rather of the Faubourg St. Marceau than of the Faubourg St. Germain, he resolved to pay a

passing visit, with the intention of looking after his furniture. The door was opened by a sort of English servant, a kind of dirty man-of-all-work. The landlord tried to learn something of his tenants from their attendant, fellow’s stolid stupidity was hopeless, , .r? e , (Ji<in,t know nothin’ about the gents, hedidnt. They was furriners, they was• and he didn’t understand their lingo. They came in and out like other gents, they did. 1 here was sometimes more in the house and sometimes less. He didn’t know when they came home at night, he didn’t. He went to bed. He did his work, and didnt’ want to know no more about it.” Insisting, however, upon seeing the condition of matters, the landlord made a flying tour round the house, and discovered, piled in a cupboard, a mass of little red flags and revolutionary emblems. The thing startled him. The blockhead of a servant could give no information or explanation, and down went the proprietor, in hot haste, to Scotland-yard. There he was courteously received, and at once hade to make his mind easy. They knew the house, had a strict eye on it, and on his furniture; he need not he afraid. They knew all about the red flags and emblems; no harm was likely to come out of them—the fellows were mere blustering humbugs. By the way, had he observed their English servant? Yes. The stupidest dolt in London. A good actor, was he not ? That was one of the very ablest of the detectives, — spoke French, German, and Italian like a native; heard everything, said nothing, but quietly—at the end of each day’s work—sent in his regular report and resume of the sayings and doings of his masters to the central office. It is stated, in the last advices received from China, that Mr. Robert Fortune, who has been engaged by the Honourable East India Company to procure and transmit to India a selection of the tea plant, for cultivation in the north-western provinces, has succeeded in obtaining from the green tea districts a large number of the finest plants, with which he was leaving for Calcutta. He had also secured the services of eight Chinese, from the district of Weichow, who had agreed to serve him for three years, at the rate of fifteen dollars per month each. Six of them are regular tea manufacturers, and the other two are pewterers, whose sole business is that of preparing lead casings to the tea-chests. Mr. Fortune had penetrated into the interior of China about three hundred miles ; and during the whole of his lengthened absence from consular ports, had never, been molested, nor in any way insulted. He expects to have completed his labours in arranging the plantations for the East India Company before September next. The first plants transmitted by Mr. Fortune have flourished as well as could possibly be expected, but under his personal superintendence and the attention of the native tea manufacturers, there is every reason to expect the most favourable results. Probably, in a few years, tea will form an article of export from the Indian presidencies.

Wednesday Afternoon.—The arrival of the Midlothian has put us in possession of English papers bearing date to the 21st of June. We observe in the Parliamenta r y columns that the Ecclesiastical Bill was nearly through Committee. Mr. Monsel had moved the adoption of a proviso that nothing in the Act should be construed to interfere with the spiritual affairs of the Roman Catholic Church. This motion was negatived by a very decided majority. The second clause of the bill was carried by 150 against 35. The third (and last) clause was agreed to without a division. Mr. Ctawford then moved the addition of a fourth clause, exempting Ireland from the operation of the bill, but without a shadow of success. A somewhat lengthy clause proposed by Sir R. Inglis, extending the range of the measure, was, after objections raised by Lord John Russell, negatived by 166 against 121. The chairman was then ordered to report progress. The Illustrated London News says, on the 21st of June, “Mr. Cobden has brought forward his annual peace motion, and the Duke of Wellington has given his annual dinner to the officers who shared with him the “heat and burden of the day” of Waterloo. These two events occurred within four and twentyty hours of each other, and both have passed over, without leaving any other traces behind them than certain columns in the newspapers, and pleasant recollections in the minds of those who, in one case, listened to the oratory of Mr. Cobden and Lord Palmerston ; and who, in the other, partook of the hospitality of the gallant and illustrious Duke, and listened to the short matter-of-course speeches delivered after the removal of the table-cloth. Nothing, in fact, could be more satisfactory than either. Mr. Cobden moved an address, praying that her Majesty would direct Lord Palmerston “to enter into communication with the Government of the French Republic, and endeavour to prevent

a rivalry of warlike preparations in time of peace, and to promote a mutual reduction of armaments;’ and Lord Palmerston showed very clearly that there was no necessity for any such proceeding, that Great Britain and France were excellent friends, that the arma* ments of France were matters of domestic policy and not of foreign aggression, and that we had, in reality, nothing to do with them. At the same time he highly approved of the sentiments of Mr. Cobden—thought the period well chosen for expressing them, —and, although he could not indulge in the pleasing belief that the day had yet arrived When human passion would come to influence the conduct of nations in their intercourse with each other, he was pleased to see the British House of Commons holding out in this way the right hand of fellowship to the woild, and expressing to France more particularly the cordial sentiments, which are fortunately as general m England as they are well reciprocated in France. Mr. Cobden, on bis part, was just as highly satisfied with Lord Palmerston as Lord Palmerston was with him, the motion was withdrawn, the affair was left entirely to Lord Palmerston's discretion, and the matter dropped, to the edification of all parties. ” News bad been received at home that the railway across the Isthmus of Darien, from Navy Bay to Panama, was rapidly progressing. In eight months it would be’ open from Navy Bay to Gorgona, and the completion of the whole line seemed probable within a year and a-half or two years. The opening of the third Jubilee of the Society for the Propogation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was celebiated in Westminster Abbey on the 16th June; Many of the highest dignitaries of the Church (including the Archbishop of Canterbury) were present id full canonicals, and a sermon was preached by the Bishop of London, who selected as his text John viii. 12, “Ye are the light of the world.” The second day of the jubilee was celebrated by a public meeting at St. Martin’s Hall, Long Acre, at which Prince Albert presided. The third day was celebrated in St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Bishop of St. Asaph preaching from Daniel ii, 35. In the evening the Lord Mayor gave a splendid entertainment to the members of the Society.

A bazaar was recently opened at the Wesleyan Centenary Hall, for the sale of an interesting collection of articles from the South Sea Islands. They were thank-offerings from the natives of the Friendly and Feejee Islands to the Wesleyau Missionary Society, recently brought over by the Rev. Walter Lawry. Many of these articles were of a singularly curious character. One, for instance, was a model oft a “ Mburi,” or Feejee temple, manufactured of cocoa-nut fibre, of which also there was an immense rope, presented by the king of the Friendly Isles.

The Slate Bal de Costume, designed by her Majesty the Queen to give an impetus to the trade of the Metropolis, had taken place. The costumes were those of the European Courts of the time of the Restoration of Charles IL, his Grace the Duke of Wellington being habited in the scarlet and embroidered frock with slashed sleeves, blue velvet trunks, and plumed hat of a field-marshal of that period. A throne was erected for her Majesty and Prince Albert, seated on which they received their numerous guests at the commencement of the ball. Lord Campbell appeared in the costume of Chief Justice Hale. Colonel Lawrence represented Cecil, second Lord Baltimore, Governor of Maryland. In order to afford accommodation to foreigners visiting the metropolis during the continuance of the Great Exhibition to attend divine services on Sundays, several places of worship were selected. One of the number was Portman Chapel, in which a clergyman of the French Protestant Church officiated, the congregation being composed of the natives of France professing the Protestant faith. On Sunday, June 15th, several attended at the doors, in the expectation that they would be opened, but a notice was issued, emanating from the Foreign Conference and Evangelization Committee, Leicester Square, to the effect that, in consequence of a prohibition from the Bishop of London, divine service would be'performed at Hinde-street Chapel, Hinde-street, Manchester-square, a dissenting place of worship, by Le Pasteur Armaundde Lille, at four o’clock in the afternoon, where it accordingly took place. Dming the service at Portman Chapel on Sunday morning, the Rev. J. W. Reeve gave notice, that in consequence of an injunction from the Bishou of London to the effect that the practice was contrary to the law of the land, he would be compelled to discontinue the services by foreign pastors heretofore held in that Chapel on Sunday afternoons. Metaire v. Wiseman.—This remarkable case, which arose out of certain large bequests made by a Frenchman on his deathbed, for the benefit of certain Roman Catholic

’Charity Schools in Somers Town, and which bequests were disputed by his relatives on the ground of undue persuasion by the priest who attended the testator, had been summarily brought to a conclusion by an arrangement, the principal terms of which were as follows : —First four thousand pounds stock (part of the £7OOO stock in the pleadings mentioned) •to be transferred to the next of kin of Mathias Carre in the pleadings mentioned, in the shares in which they would be entitled thereto in case of intestacy, and the rest of the £7OOO stock to remain vested in the trustees •of the charity, in the pleadings mentioned. Secondly the the trustees of the chaiity to pay the snm of £404 10 5 to the same next of ■kin in the same proportions as mentioned in No. 1,

The Exhibition,—The flood of visitors seem to have set in in good earnest, and the presumed dangers of the Whitsun week being over, the great mass of the visitors appeared -to consist or the employers instead of the employed, Manufacturers were, however, still making arrangements for closing their works, and allowing their workpeople to come up in a body. The “ gem mania” continues. The Duke of Devonshire’s hawk, a model of a bird bestudded with precious stones of various colours, and of a value approaching £30,000, has been added to the Indian collection. The great diamond has been the subject of an experiment by which it was expected its beauties ■would be more developed than in the broad light of day. The whole of the fittings were boxed up in deal planks an I crimson cloth. A gas light was introduced to illuminate “the mountain ;” but after all the trouble, it could not be got to display itself in a satisfactory manner ; and as the mysterious-looking arrangements attracted greater crowds than the diamond had formerly done, to the blocking up or tuc central jivsdus ths erection hus Iseep removed, and the iron cage stands as before. The magnificent present of the Newab Nazim of Bengal has arrived, but how to arrange it to advantage is a question of some moment. “Wanted, an Elephant,” was an advertisement which might have been appropriately inserted in the columns of a newspaper, for how to show a howdah without a suitable form to fix it upon was a point which puzzled those who had got over so many difficulties. A basket-maker, however, has been found, who undertakes to make a wicker dummy to carry, probably, one of the most interesting objects of the whole Exhibition. Gold and precious stones, silk, native calico furniture, silver poles, and golden moorscbals constitute the leading items of this magnificent gift to our beloved Queen. The Maharajah of Travancore has followed the Newab Nazim’s example, and sent his present to her Majesty. This consists of a magnificent ivory throne and footstool wonderfully carved, and studded with diamonds and rubies. Thus the riches and interest of the Exhibition are almost hourly on the increase. Additional examples of sculptures, too, have been placed in the nave, the trees have been duly washed and watered, a most important point, if the beauty they add to the effect of the transept is to be preserved to the end of the Exhibition ; if, indeed, it is to have an end, which some people wish to prevent, and thus destroy one main feature of the demonstration —that of its intended periodicity. The visits of her Majesty and the Prince continue as regular as heretofore. On Saturday the machinery was again visited with as much careful interest as before ; prior to this however, a visit was paid to the Norwich textile manufactures in the Transept Gallery, and the Queen made several puichasesof poplins, &c,, to the delectation of the fortunate exhibitors. In these Royal visits there is one little feature which interests all who see it. At an early hour three or four times a week, a izentleman is seen going round with two active and intelligent looking boys. Policemen follow at a short distance, and the elder of these boys lifts his cap with a courtly grace to the or attendants whose stalls are Vioned any examined; the younger occasionally showing symptoms of a desire to take a hop, skip, and jump, by way of finale. These are the Prince of Wales and his royal brother Prince Alfred, getting their morning lesson in facts and things from their tutor Mr Birch. It is worth a trifle to see this schooling without books of those to whom our future artists, manufacturers, and workmen may hope to look for appreciation and encouragement. Nor are the Princesses forgotten, for they also attend to examine and learn, as well as to admire.