ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 655, 12 November 1851, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Prince Christian of Glucksbourg has been definitely selected to succeed to the Danish throne after the demise of the present monarch, with descent to his descendants. General Garibaldi, the Defender of Rome, lately embarked at New York for San Francisco, designing to establish himself in business in the Gold Regions. Mr. Mitchell, of Belfast, C.E. is progressing rapidly with the iron screw lighthouse on the Spit Bank, Queenstown ; two of the screws having been already fixed in tbeir respective positions. Prince Albert has again distinguished himself greatly by his assisting at the celebration of the third jubilee of the Society for the Propogation of the Gospel, at St. Martin’s Hall, on Tuesday, (this day week). He delivered a speech of very great ability, delicate tact.

liberal and enlarged ideas, and of admirable composition, which was most deservedly applauded, and created a great sensation. He beautifully said, “ While we have thus to congratulate ourselves upon our state of temporal prosperity—harmony at home and peace abroad —we cannot help deploring that the Church, whose exertions for the progress of Christianity and civilization we are to-day acknowledging, should be afflicted by internal dissensions and attacks from without, I have no fear, however, for her safely and ultimate welfare, as long us she bolds fast to what our ancestors gained for us at the Reformation— the Gospel and the unfettered right of its use. The dissensions and difficulties which we witness in this, as in every other church, arise from the natural and necessary conflict of the two antagonistic principles which move human society, in Church as well as State—l mean the principles of individual liberty, and of allegiance and submission to the will of the community, exacted by it for its own preservation. These two conflicting principles cannot be degraded —they must be reconciled. To this country belongs the honour of having succeeded in this mighty task, as far as the state is concerned, while other nations are wrestling with it. And I feel persuaded that the same earnest zeal and practical wisdom which have made her political constitution an object of admiration to other nations, will, under God’s blessing, make her church likewise a model to the world.” The census for England and Wales and Scotland has been published, and that for Ireland is expected soon. The comparison, however, between the facts of the census of 1841 and that of 1851 is imperfect, the latter being taken 68 days before the full period of the former. 'The enumerators on the 31st March last were 40,000 for England, Wales, and Scotland : the instructions have been strictly followed, however difficult the task, and the information required was sent to the registrars on the Bth of April, and the Central Office on the 31st May. By the 14th lawful day afterwards, the entire mass, about 6,000,000 of printed forms, weighing 40 tons, were carefully digested and printed. The United States officers required as many months to prepare their census as our commissioners required weeks. France, which takes the census every five years, takes one year to prepare it for publication ; and our last census, save one, required twelve months for its preparation ; last time we were enabled to prepare it in four months, and this year in ten weeks. The population of Great Britain and the Channel Islands is stated to have increased by 2,212,892 since 1841, the decennial per centage being 12.10. The rate of increase is less in the last ten years than in the decade ending with 1821, or that computed in 1831. The balance between them is considerably in favour of the females ; the increase of males in the last ten years being at the rale of 11.94, and of females 1,500,679, the rate being 12.15. To emigration, cholera, and diarrhoea, the irregular and unexpected shortcoming of the increase is referred. The one melancholy fact apparent in the census is a lamentable deficiency of house accommodation. We wait the publication of the returns from Ireland, of persons on travel, residents in foreign parts, and British subjects in the East Indies and the colonies. The census gives the population of Great Britain and the British Isles at 20,969,531. The males being in number 10,184,687, the females 10,784,844. The population ai the previous census taken on the 7th June, 1841, was 18,635,981. The houses to accommodate all the population were at the present census 3,675,451, uninhabited 165,603, building 29,109; and in 1841, there were 3,465,981 inhabited, 198,129 uninhabited, and 30,384 in building. The increase in ® proportion to the population is too small. In France “ the men beyond the mountain," the ultra-revolutionists, avow their determination that the next form of Government in France shall be framed, not by the will of the French people, the sovereignity to which these very men claimed allegiance when they overthrew all constituted authority ; but which, as it no longer calls on' them, they now cast off. They have discovered a Divine Right in the Republic, or rather in its bare name, and the mere pretences of its barren watchwords. The principle, then, for which our Tory Jacobites dragged their retainers to the fields of war, is now written on the banners of the French extreme liberals, and will cause a yet more fearful sacrifice of life upon the blood-s'ained altar of liberty. This is devotion robbed of its only charm, which served as the excuse for the devotees of the Divine Right of Kings,—a sentiment perverted, a loyalty misapplied, a mere confusion of ideas, which appears permitted to exist for no ether purpose than to show that mankind are equally fanatics and enthusiasts in all ages, and our boasts of superior enlightenment is utterly a mistake,

that is, if France be included in the enlightenment of the age. Let those who dare to confine the development of mind within the limits of a frontier avow their creed ; we utterly repudiate and reject it. One consequence of holding these strange doctrines on the part of one candidate for the office of President, General Cavaignac, has been to rouse into singular activity the friends of bis opponent, and petitions are pouring in from every part of France, praying for the alteration of the constitution, which they declare has not answered its purpose, and the prolongation of the Presidency to Louis Napoleon. General Cavaignac forgets that he once opposed Louis Napoleon, he himself being the Dictator, with all the strength of the Republic in his favour, but even then the people declared that they did not like the Republic ; they felt gratitude to General Cavaignac, but they chose to succeed him one from whom was expected some direct step tending to the restoration of the monarchy, and to that faith France has adhered, and we believe, will adhere, in spite of revolutionary leaders.

The Court of Assize of Paris, on Saturday last, condemned the exile Ledru Rollin to two years imprisonment (when they catch him) and a fine of 2000 francs, for the publication of his two pamphlets, Le 24th Fevrier and Le 13th Juin. Another Magisterial Victim. — The example set by Mr. Hardwicke, in committing to prison Captain Paulett Somerset, is likely to prove seriously obstructive to the freaks of “young gentlemen” of the fashionable world. Another victim has been sacrificed at the magisterial shrine. The sufferer on this occasion is Mr. James Crawford, under twenty years of age, aud connected with a family of some distinction residing at Norwood. With other gentlemen of rank and fortune, he attended Epsom on the day when the Oaks stakes were run for. Whether he had been successful or not in the betting-room does nor appear, but certain it is that he had partaken very freely of wine, and was considerably “ elated” when he took his place in the last carriage of the train which left Epsom at a quarter to ten o’clock in the evening. That carriage was provided, as is usual in the night, with two brilliant red lights, as danger signals. Actuated by a spirit of mischief, the young aristocrat, as the train was in motion, leant over the carriage, first removed one of the red lights, and then the other, and threw both of them over the embankment. The train proceeded the remainder of the journey without the safety lamps, to the risk of the lives of the passengers. Fortunately, the offender was caught in the act, and when the train reached London he was handed over to the care of a police-officer. At the Surrey sessions, on Thursday last he was brought before the bench of magistrates and pleaded guilty to the charge. The solicitor for the railway company did not press for a severe punishment. He only submitted that the punishment should be such as to act as a warning to other young men who might be inclined to play such dangerous tricks. On behalf of the prisoner it was argued that some lenity should be shown to him on account of his youth, and that, as he had endangered his own life as well as that of his fellow-passen-gers, his transgression was only a “ wanton, foolish act.” The magistrates took a different view of the question They considered that the act of the prisoner arose either from reckless folly or diabolical wickedness: that his high station in life made hi* conduct more blameable; and that it was the imperative duty of the bench to make an example of him. After a few judicious observations to this effect, the prisoner was sentenced to nine month’s imprisonment, with hard labour in the Brixton House of Correction. It may be useful for young men inclined to similar freaks, to know that the justices have power to commit persons guilty of such offences for any period not exceeding twelve months, with dr without hard labour, and that there is no discretionary power to commute the punishment into a penalty by fine.