LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 709, 19 May 1852, Page 2

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

[From the Empire, May 3.]

The Queenstown, from London December 1, and the Cape of Good Hope February 28th, arrived on Saturday; and we are indebted to the courtesy of her commander for English papers to the 14th January, w'hich had been brought to the Cape by the Royal Mi.il steamer Propontis, and also for Cape journals to the d,ay of-sailing. From these sources we compile the following summary of European news. The latest date of advices from Sydney was September. 13th.; butfrom the papers before

us the topic of Australian gold mining is entirely absent." ■ . - ' Rumours were rife respecting the instability of the Russell Cabinet, which indeed nobody seemed to doubt. One of the morning papers had announced positively that the Administration w r as out of existence. A Cabinet Council was held, however, on the Bth of January, and it appeared certain that the present government would hold together long enough to meet parliament. A correspondent to the Daily News, dating from Woolwich,. January 8. says :—“ The Duke of Wellington has been, for some time past, in almost daily communication with Sir J. F. Burgoyne, Inspector-General of fortifications, and their deliberations have, it is said, been directed to the best means of protecting the metropolis in case of invasion. It is understood the result has been that several military camps are likely to be formed round London, and eligible situations will be selected, particularly on the Kent and Essex banks of the Thames, and on the banks of the Medway, with the view T of rendering them permanentlyfortified camps. Orders have already been given to place Sheerness in a proper state of defence, and to have ample supplies of ammunition and warlike stores kept in a constant state of readiness at the fortifications already 6instructed at that naval port. Seniority lists of the non-commissioned officers, of the Royal Artillery have been called for, to be sent into

the Adjutant General’s ..Office within the last few days, preparatory, it is said, to an augmentation of that branch of the - service. It was lat first contemplated to add three battalions to the twelve battalions already formed, but it is now understood that the augmentation -will be made by adding two companies to each of the twelve battalions. This arrangement will add twenty-four companies, or about 2,400 men, equal in number of non-commissioned officers and men to three additional battalions of the strength of the present battalions, but saving the expense of the staff which w r ould have been required for new battalions. It is also stated that the line regiments will have an addition of 10,000 made to them over the numbers in the estimates of last year. The Royal Marines are also to be increased both in the Royal Marine Artillery and Divisional Companies departments, and recruits enlisted for every branch of the land forces are ordered to be sent to the head-quarters or depots of their regiments with the least possible delay, that they may be at once instructed in a knowledge of their profession.” The Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette , has the following paragraph on the fortification of the English coast: —“ A battery of 100 guns of heavy metal is ordered to be constructed at the Nab Light, off Bembridge, near Spithead, as well as a battery (temporary) at Lumps, also off Spithead, on the Portsmouth shore, and also for 100 heavy guns,, with the least possible delay! A new fort at Browndown, opposite Ryde (Isle of Wight,) on the Gosport shore, is in course of construction by two companies of Royal Sappers and Miners stationed at Fort Moncton, every dispatch being used to complete the works in twomonths.”

The following official appointments were anannounced: Mr J. H. Whalley to be Collector of Customs at Trinidad; Lord Augustus. Loftus, now paid Attache to the Legation of Studtgardt, to be Secretary to that Legation ; Colonel Herman, now Vice-Consul at Bengali, to be Consul at Tripoli; Mr. Wyke, now ViceConsul at Port-au-Prince, in Hayti, to be Consul at Paraiba,.in Brazil; The Hon. Frederick Leveson Gower to be Precis Writer, in the Foreign-office; The Hon. Spencer Ponsonby to be Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; The Hon. Henry Stanley, Precis Writer at the Foreign Office, to be a Paid Attache to the Embassy at Constantinople; The Hon. Julian Fane, now Unpaid Attache to the Legation at Vienna, to be Second Paid to the Legation; The Hon. William Stewart, • -now T Unpaid Attache to the Embassy at Paris, to be Second Paid Attache to that Embassy, in the room of Mr. Paget; Percy William Doyle, Esq., now Secretary to her Majesty’s Legation to the Republic of Mexico, to be her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary to that Republic; Edward Thornton, Esq., now Paid Attache to her Majesty’s Legation to the Republic of Mexico, to be Secretary to her Majesty’s Legation to that Republic. • ’ The following remarks are from the Money Article of the European Times, of the 14th of January:—-“ Scarcely had the excitement and panic consequent upon the French Presidential Election subsided in this country, before fresh causes for anxiety arose in the threatened disruption of the Russell Ministry, the. distrust with regard to European politics, and the prolongation.of the.Kafir war. From the moment of Lord Palmerston’s ceasing to hold the seals of the Foreign-office, the various political parties have promulgated their respective view r s and expectations in regard to the future course of the Premier and his colleagues ; but, since our last, the rumours afloat have taken so tangible a shape in regard to the positive disagreement between some of the members of the cabinet, that the depressing influence exercised upon all. commercial,and monetary operations has seldom been more sensibly felt than within the last few days. Were it not for the abundance of money, Which the Bank of England, as well as private capitalists, offer ch very easy terms, these combined circumstances must have operated seriously upon every , channel of investment j wdiether funded, landed,'or mercantile.

There is an impression abroad, and tolerably prevalent too, that in consequence of the low jyrices that are now prevailing, supplies of produce will not be equal in the present and forthcoming season to the average requirements of' the market. But this, we think, must arise from a fallacious view of things as they actually exist, whatever may be the political changes either in this country or on the continent. Doubtlessly, these changes must continue to exercise considerable influence 'upon commerce in every branch of its ramifications. Looking, however, intrinsically at the state of the various markets, the experienced and intelligent man of business, whose judgment is not warped by any strong party; predilections, can perceive that the combined influence of the existing low prices, the reduced stocks in second hands, the undoubted increase of' consumption, together with the present abundance of the circulating medium, must cause a better demand for all kinds of produce than has been experienced by any of our merchants for some time past.” The latest quotations given are, Consols for money, 97 to 97£; for account, to 97£; Tbree-and-a-quarter per Cents., 98£ to 89; Bank Stock, 216£ ; Exchequer Bills, 58 to 60. Much alarm was created in the public mind by the increase of agrarian crime in Ireland, more especially in the Province of Ulster. Several cruel murders in that district are recorded in the papers.