ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 700, 17 April 1852, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

MONEY MARKET AND CITY INTELLIGENCE. [From the Times, November 27.] i Wednesday Evening. The buoyancy of the English funds continues to be counteracted by the political uncertainties of France, and they opened this morning at a decline of an eighth. Subsequently, however, they returned to the closing quotations of yesterday. The first price of Consols was 98} to f, and they left off at 98} to Bank Stock closed at 214} to 215}; Reduced, 97} to}; Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents., 98}; Long Annuities, 7 ; India Stock, 2G3 to 265 ; India Bonds, 625. to 655.; and Exchequer-bills, 535. to 565. premium. Very little business was done in the foreign stock-market to-day, and prices showed a tendency to flatness. In the official list the bargains comprised—Mexican, for money, 23|, 24, and 23} ; Portuguese Four per Cents., for the account, 34}; Russian Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 103-}; Sardinian Five per Cents., 84}; Spanish Five per Cents., 20}; Spanish Three per Cents., 39}; Dutch Two-and-a-llalf per Cents., 59} and}; and the Four per Cent. Certificates, 90} and }. The Corn-market this morning was firm at Monday’s prices. • The marked disposition at present prevailing in Europe to seek American investments renders it necessary that every circumstance which may suggest caution should be made known. Apart from the repudiation still practised by Mississippi, Michigan, Florida, and Arkansas (to say nothing of the continued default of Illinois and the compromise effected' by Indiana), lapses still occur in the fulfilment of public obligations, such as most persons in England would be surprised to hear of, and which are the more to be regretted, inasmuch as they cannot be regarde.d as the mere results of former difficulties. Our attention has just been called to the fact that the interest upon the bonds of the second municipality of the city of New Orleans, issued in 1838, and which was regularly paid up to the commencement of 1850, has since been suspended, and that consequently four half-years’ dividends now remain unpaid. Of course there is no question as to the ability of the city to meet these demands, and hence, although the irregularity is alleged to arise from some dispute among the muncipal authorities, the neglect is more damaging than if there were some temporary financial embarrassment that might account for it. “If the second city of importance in the United States,” it is asked, “ can thus disregard its obligations, why not even New York, Philadelphia, and Boston ? the latter city raised a considerable sum in London at the beginning of the year, but would this have been practicable if of New Orleans hadbeeff gCßSffiily known ?” At the . 88flie timer in stating this instance, it is to be remarked there is no doubt of the ultimate liquidation of the claims in question, and even now it is understood that the coupons can be disposed of at a moderate discount, as they can be made available for taxes. They will be paid in full some day, as well as the debts of the defaulting States, among which Indiana occupies the worst position, from having definitely compounded, and rendered it therefore less likely that she will ever free her history from that blot. With regard to the debts of cities such as those of New York, Boston, &c., they cannot, under any circumstances, be placed in the same category as those of New Orleans; but it is not to be ’expected that the peculiar features which elevate their credit above that of the latter will always be recognized by persons at a distance, and whatever deviation may occur in any part of the Union must therefore to some degree affect them.

Advices from Lisbon state that the Portuguese Ministry is much embarrassed as to the reply to be given to a note from the Charge d’Affaires of the French Republic, demanding a fulfilment of the engagements contracted towards the French officers who formerly served with Don Pedro against Don Miguel. The Government is said to be trying all means to escape these obligations, as it has done for 18 years past, but the opinion is that it can hardly succeed much longer now that they are supported and brought forward by the French Legation. It appears that the amount coined at the Paris Mint from the Ist of January last to the 20th instant, has been equal to £12,500,000. Of this rather more than £10,000,000 was in gold.

Prussia.—At a public ceremonial the other day, the King, addressing the people, took occasion to say—“ Again had the most wicked lies been circulated, that he and the Queen were about to go over to the Catholic Church. It was true he was now accustomed to these hell born (aus der Hoile stammenderi) modes of attack. They had been employed against him ever since the commencement of his reign ; one lie had always taken the place ot another. Thus it had been, among other things reported that he was about to introduce the system of the Scotch Church ; then, that he had a hyperChristian tendency, and intended to decree the English mode of observing the Sabbath. When the apprehensions raised by these falehoods were not realised, they were dropped, and other weapons were resorted to. It was discovered that he was about to introduce the English State Church into Prussia, and as the introduction had been waiting for rather a long time, it was considered shorter to come to the last lie, that the King and Queen were about to become Catholics. This calumny would last its time, and then others would follow it—for his enemies never rested ; and he must confess openly, that he could not be so cheerful as he could wish. He declared expressly that in all these reports there was not a word of truth, and he authorised those present to make what use they pleased of the declaration.”

Progress of the Americans.—ln an interval of little more than half a century it appears that this extraordinary people have increased above 500 per cent, in numbers ; their national revenue has augmented nearly 700 per cent., while their public expenditure has increased little more than 400 per cent. The prodigious extension of their commerce is indicated by an increase of nearly 500 per cent, in their imports and exports, and 900 per cent, in their shipping. The increased activity of their internal communications is expounded by the number of their post offices, which has been

increased more than a hundred fold, the extent of their post roads, which has been increased thirty-six fold, and the cost of their post office has been augmented in a seventy-two fold ratio. The augmentation of their machinery of public instruction is indicated by the extent of their public libraries, which have increased in a thirty-two fold ratio, and by the creation of school libraries, amounting to 2,000,000 volumes. They have completed a system of canal navigation, which, placed in a continuous line, would extend from London to Calcutta, and a system of railways, which, continuously extended, would stretch from London to Van Diemen’s Land, and have provided locomotive machinery by which that distance would be travelled over in three weeks, at the cost of l}d, per mile. They have created a system of inland navigation, the aggregate tonnage of which is probably not inferior in amount to the. collective inland tonnage of all other countries in the world, and they possess many hundreds of river steamers, which impart to the roads of water the marvellous celerity of roads of iron. They have, in fine, constructed lines of telegraph, which, laid continuously, would extend over a space longer by 3000 miles than the distance from the north to the south pole, and have provided apparatus of transmission by which a message of 300 words despatched under such circumstances from the north pole, might be delivered in writing at the south pole in one minute, and by which, consequently, an answer might be sent back to the north pole in an equal interval. These are social and commercial phenomena for which it would be in vain to seek a parallel in the past history of the human race.— Times.

Sad Consequences of a Foolish Jest.— The journals describe an occurrence which recently happened at one of our female seminaries, if accurately related, affords poweiful warning to those who are in the habit of indulging in the practices of attempting to frighten others. Two of the young ladies were convers - ing upon anatomy, when another of the inmates entered with a slow and solemn tread, having a white sheet wrapped about her form, and her face powdered to perfect whiteness, her jet-black hair, eyes, and brows, presenting a contrast which gave a startling lividness to her countenance. So sudden was the approach of the figure, just at a moment when the young lady just alluded to was least prepared for anything associated with thoughts of the dead, that she fell senseless to the floor, and awoke only to show her attendants that reason had fled. Everything that professional skill could suggest for the relief of the sufferer w’jlfied, but dur- ; ing forty-eight tew moments of intelli.§826“ 7733 all that offered hope to her friends. At those times she spoke of familiar names, re- j calling them by strong mental efforts which ; seemed to exhaust her shattered powers; and, her reason again wandering, she exclaimed, “ But I can’t see it again ! don’t let me see it! it is too horrible!” and hours elapsed before the return of a lucid interval, and the recurrence of the'paroxysm. me young lady, whose thoughtlessness led to such terrible mischief, is spoken of as a most amiable girl, and one of the warmest friends of the sufferer. Her distress and despair at the consequences of her playful folly can be better imagined than described. At last accounts no change was discoverable in the distressing symptoms of the unfortunate girl, and there is little encouragement to hope that reason will ever resume its seat. — New York Express.

A Fatalist. — A western American paper publishes the following :—“ I knew an old man who believed that ‘ what was to be would be.’ He lived in Missouri, and was one day going out several miles through a region infested in early times by very savage Indians. He always took his gun with him, but this time found that some of his family had taken it out. As he would not go without it, his friends tantalized him by saying there was no danger of the Indians ; that he would not die till his time came anyhow. " Yes,’’ said the old fellow, “ but suppose I was to meet an Indian, and his time was come, it wouldn’t do not to have my gun.”

Consumption of Gold in Porcelain Manufacture.—lt is stated in a recent notice in the Times of the porcelain manufactures exhibited at the Great Exhibition, that the value of the gold consumed annually at the potteries in the ornamentation of porcelain is £36,400, and since about half that amount is consumed in the other seats of the manufacture, it may be stated that the total value of the gold used annually in England in this manufacture is about £54,600. — Banker's Magazine for November.

Unpublished Letter of the late King. —A Protestant, addressing the leading morning journal, and describing himself as an old collector of autographs, has supplied the following copy of an unpublished letter by the late King, when Duke of Clarence—“ Bushy House, Jan. (or Feb.) 16, 1808. Dear Sir—A few days before I went to Portsmouth with my eldest son to see him off with his regiment to Spain, I received your letter from Stonehouse. I remained with my boy near three weeks, owingto the westerly winds, and my time since my return has been so occupied, that it has not been till now in my power to write. Enclosed is what I cut out of the newspapers relative to the Irish Catholics, which has given me serious uneasiness, and I am still more vexed to perceive . that there have been meetings approving this resolution. I candidly own your letter does not please them. You say, ‘ The appointment of Catholic bishops ought to be managed with delicacy.’ These are not, believe me, times for delicacy. Bonaparte has not triumphed over Europe with delicacy. Prompt, vigorous, and decisive measures are requisite. The only solid objection to what is called Catholic Emancipation is the Pope appointing bishops in Ireland. That measure can never be granted without the Protestant King here neminating the Catholic as he docs the Protestant prelate. You are quite wrong about Canada. The English Governor appoints the coadjutor to each of the bishops in that province, and the Pope, as a matter of course, consecrates and nominates such coadjutor bishop in partibus, and he must of course succeed his prelate. Within these three months the King has of his own authority filled up the vacancy by the death of the late Bishop of Malta; and the Pope, without the least hesitation, and with the highest com-

pliments, was too hnppy to issue his pastoral I letter to the prelate nominated by the King. To prevent disputes, I think it right to add my J information respecting the Canada bishops is j from the Duke of Kent; and the Duke of Or- | leans was present at what occurred at Malta. In short, the Catholics have been hitherto in the right, and are in a fair way to be indulged in their just claims, provided they do not injure themselves by injudicious conduct; but no man who really wishes well to this country will allow any temporal power in any church establishments here but in the hands of the Crown. You are now in full possession of my sentiments. I direct this letter to your own house, conceiving you and the ladies are there. It is possible we may not for some time meet, for I have applied for the Mediterranean command, and though at present without an answer, I am inclined to think I shall shortly receive the command. Whether abroad or at home, my best wishes and compliments attenl the ladies; and ever believe me, dear sir, your’s sincerely, William.”

The Queen has called for a detailed list of the Sunday Schools assembled in Peel Park on the occasion of her visit to Manchester. The following are the particulars :—'Church of England, 24,169 ; Independent, 12,273; Wesleyan, 10,676; Wesleyan (not Conference,) 8,153; Catholic, 8,080 ; Baptist, 2,295 ; Presbyterian, 1,496; Unitarian, 1,064; Swedenborgian, 620; Quaker, 280; Jew, 200. •

The Priest’s Curse in Ireland.—The Clare Journal states, that on Sunday, the 2Sth of September last, at a chapel in the county of Clare, sentence of excommunication was pronounced by a priest, at the altar, on all the people of Kilbaha, who had sent their children to Kiltrellig school, or who would send their children there for the future. Consecrated candles were extinguished, the bell was rung, the book was closed, the crucifix was prostrated, and the following curse pronounced: —“ I pray God to send down all vengeance on those who sent their children to Kiltrellig school on last week, particularly two ; may the devil be their guide on the right and on the left, lying and rising, in bed and out of bed, sitting and standing, within and without; may all misfortune attend their fr-Alies and labourers. And any person or persons sending their children to this school henceforth, may they be struck blind and deaf, so as never to see any of their children again ; ?P[G^’ay~feg_., c hildren Se !'L t °? iS ; may' they 'fegl. Tiffs world until they be such examples as that the marrow may come out through their shin hones; may they be pained both sitting and standing, and may they never leave this world until they are in such a state that the dogs could not bear coming near the carcasses when dead. I pray to God that every child who goes to the school, that for every day he spends in it his life may be curtailed a twelvemonth, and that they may upvot•enjoy the years of maturity ; and thosi pcupl- ~h-.' seflS Jheir children to the school, that their crops and their goods may be taken away by the devil, and may all these misfortunes attend any person taking their posterity in marriage thirty years hence. I pray the Almighty to hear this prayer, as the Minister of God; and I now strictly command this congregation to kneel down and pray to God to grant my prayer.”

What may be done with Old Rags.— There is a church actually existing near Bergen, which can contain nearly one thousand persons. It is circular within, octagonal without. The relievos outside, and the statutes within, the roof, the ceiling, the Corinthian capitals, are all of papier mache, rendered waterproof by saturation in vitriol, limewater, whey, and white of eggs. We have not yet reached this pitch of audacity in our use of paper; but it should hardly surprise us, inasmuch as we employ the same material in private houses, in steam boats, and in some public buildings, instead of carved decorations and plaster cornices. When Frederick 11. of Prussia set up a limited papier mache manufactory at Berlin, in 1765, he little thought that paper cathedrals might, within a century, spring out of his snuff boxes, by the sleight-of-hand of advancing art. At present, we old-fashioned English, who haunt cathedrals, and build churches, like stone better. But there is no saying what we may come .to. It is not very long since it would have seemed as impossible to cover 18 acres of ground with glass, as to erect a pagoda of soap bubbles; yet the thing is done. When we think of a psalm sung by 1000 voices pealing through an edifice made of old rags, and the universal element bound down to carry our messages with the speed of light, it would be. presumptuous to say what can and what can not be achieved by science and art, under the training of steady old Time.— Dickens's Household Words. Greenwich Weather Wisdom.—A careful study of the thermometer has shown that a descent of the temperature of London from fortyfive to thirty-two degrees kills about 300 perThey may not all die the very week when the loss of warmth takes place, but the number of deaths is found to increase to that extent over the previous average within a short period after the change. The fall of temperature, in truth, kills them as certainly as a wellaimed cannon-shot. Our changing climate, deficient food and shelter, has weakened them for the final stroke, but they actually died at last of the weather. Instead of a warm summer being followed by a cold winter, the tendency of the law of the weather is to group waim seasons together and cold seasons together. Mr. Glacier has made out that the character of the weather seems to follow certain curves, so to speak, each extending over periods of fifteen years. During the first half of these periods the seasons become warmer and warmer, till they reach their warmest point, and then they sink, becoming colder and colder, till they reach their lowest point, whence they rise again. His tables range over the last seventy-nine years from 1771 to 1849. Periods shown to be the coldest were years memorable for high-priced food, increased mortality, popular discontent, and political changes. In his diagrams the warm years are tinted brown, and ' the cold years grey, and as the sheets are turned over, and dates scanned, the fact suggests, itself that a grey period saw Lord George Gordon's riots, a grey pctiod was marked for the Reform Bill excitement, and a grey period saw the Corn Laws repealed.— Household Words.

The Marquesas.—The Artcmise corvette, which is about to sail from Cherbourg for Tahiti, is to carry out a certain number of masons, carpenters, smiths, and other workmen, fi.r the Marquesas Islands, where the government intends to enct buildings destined for lodgings fur persons condemned to transportation. These workmen are to remain for four years certain, and during that period are to receive double pay.— Galignani. “Going the Whole Hog.” — Aquarist asks information as to the origin of the American figure of speech “ to go the while hog.” I apprehend its parentage belongs less to America than to Ireland, where a “ hog ” is still the synonym for a shilling, and a “ tester” or “ taster," for a sixpence. Previously to the assimilation of the currency of the two countries in 1825, a “ white hog” meant the English shilling of twelve pence, and a “black hog,” the Irish shilling of thirteen pence. To “ go the whole hog ” is a con.ivial determination to spend the whole shilling, and the preva- : lence of the expression, with an extension of its applications in America, can be readily traced to its importation by the multitudes of emigrants from Ireland.— Notes and Queries.

A Goon Digestion. —A very singular scene took place at I’uy, on Sunday last. A person named Rupin, on entering a cc/Z, said, “ Gentlemen, I am a physiognomist, and can, from the examination of the face, describe the character and future lot of each of you.” A tradesman, M. B , requested him to examine his face, which he did with great apparent attention. “ I see,” said he, “ from the protuberances on your forehead that you have great aptitude for works of imagination. You are naturally good, but do not like to be offended. A person in whom you feel interest is now writing to you, and you will soon receive a considerable sum on which you did not calculate.” He next made an examination of other people’s faces, and talked in the same vague way. He afterwards presented his cap, and collected the gratuities of the company, “ Waiter ! ” he then cried. " What shall I serve you, sir “Some flints.” A plate full of flints was brought in, and he swallowed five with a good deal of apparent appetite. “ I also like five franc pieces,” he observed, and if any one will be kind enough to give me one I will swallow it.” This proposition was received with silence; and at last M. B said, “It is easy enough to swallow a piece of five francs, and I know a good many people who have devoured all their f jgrtgfes- y° u co, fid not swallow a watch, I am 'sul. ” “ I do £0 » £ i r > with great pleasure: g>. ' me your’s, and you will.see.” “There it is.’ The man took the watch, which was in a g°°fi size, and swallowed it with easeS4 fter a mon,ent of surprise and admiration, M. “ It is very clever, certainly, but when v/..; ! give me back my watch ? ” “ Never ! ” “ G.'that is too much, I did. not mesvtfei make I a jjtsssdj sf it." "But i you ifid'. Besides, could you suppose that I would swallow a watch for nothing ? We played a game, you staked your watch, I staked my life. I am not yet in safety : the watch may break in the process of digestion.” “But sir, ” “ Possession is a good title in law, and I possess. And, besides, how can I give up the watch? Am I to rip myself up?” “Oh no; but I will wait.” “Wait if you will, but you shall not have your watch.” The tradesman took the man before the Commissary of Police, but that functionary, after hearing all the facts of the case, declared that he was entitled to the watch.— Gazette des Tribunaux. The Chinese in London.—London is beginning to be regularly overrun with Chinese, either genuine or otherwise. If things go on at this rate, every large grocery establishment will have its own “ native of the flowery land; ” and John Bull will begin to fancy himself on account of the numerous emblems of China around him, a regular “ Bull in a China shop.” The Chinese Exhibition afforded the first instance of a native being converted into an article of commerce, when a couple of flowery youths, said to have been brought to England to finish their education, used to amLse the visitors bv jumping over the tables, aiijl performing other feats, evincing less of irMntal cultivation than of muscular activity. Teeling a sort of parental interest in these youths—announced as the sons of a Chinese noble, who had sent them to receive the last European polish—we have watched them rather narrowly. We regret to say that we think we discovered one about three months ago behind the counter of a tea dealer’s in the New Cut, where he was employed to give a genuine appearance to the grocery. Of course it would be difficult to suspect that the “ Fine Old Twankay at Two and Four ” being weighed out by a veritable Chinaman was nothing better than rare old sloe, or that the “ Hyson recommended for family use ” was nothing but birch, which certainly is adapted occasionally for family use —though not as a beverage.— Punch.