MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 735, 18 August 1852, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Meeting of Liberal Members. — A meeting of the Liberal members of Parliament, who are adherents of the late Government, was held at the residence of Lord John Russell, at Ches-ham-place, on Thursday, with a view to come to some arrangement as to the Parliamentary tactics to be observed with reference to the Derby Administration. The proceedings were wholly of a private nature^ and therefore have not transpired. The Globe, which is regarded as the official organ of the party, however, states that " his lordship urged upon the meeting the expediency of bringing the Government to an immediate issue on the question of Free Trade." It is understood that Lord John Russell's course was not adopted without previous consultation with the most eminent niembe;s of the present opposition. The noble lord was' received throughout most waimly, and" the oaty discussion aiose on the expediency of nmultaneaisly pressing '.he cabinet to declare its views on Par-

liamentary reform. We believe that the prevailing feeling of the meeting was in favour of, in the first instance, concentrating the efforts of the Liberal party oh the preservation of Free Trade. We hear that Mr. Villiers will invite the ■Government to explain their intentions on this momentous subject on Monday evening.—//--Justrated News, March 13. Breeding Salmon. — The following communication from Andrew Young, of lnvershin, will be interesting to our readers in Australia : — In the number of Bell's Life, for November 23, I find a "homily" from •• Ephemera" on the possibility of transporting salmon ova to Australia. His remarks are very appropriate to that subject ; for the distance, and the high temperature of the climate they require' to go over, ■will be found, entirely against the success of the attempt. I have had various communications concerning the transportation of salmon to that portion of the globe, and among others from Sir William Denison, Governor of Van Diemen's lLand, the rivers of which are described as peculiarly adapted for salmon, if they could be got safely transported to that colony. At one time I was resolved to make the attempt, by placing the ova in a particular form of tank, and that tank to be regularly supplied with water from a cistern erected for the purpose ; but after consulting with several gentlemen who had visited these colonies, and the accounts of the temperature in crossing the line, and various other difficulties connected with" the voyage, and dso the calculations of the time and temperature rer quired for incubation, convinced me that all chances were against success. Let us here take the supposition that it is possible to x take out the ova, and then see the chance of success after arriving in the colony. We shall allow the incubation to take place sixty days after the sailing of the ship. The young fish are then in the most critical time of their existence, with the exception of the crisis occurring at the age of five weeks, when their provision bag is consumed. At that time they are between " the grass and the straw," viz., previous to that time -they are fed from the provisions of nature, but after that age they must provide for themselves, and if food suitable to rbeir then delicate taste is not procurable, it is not difficult to foresee the event. But, allowing all these difficulties to be overcome, and the young fry to arrive safe in the colony, and be placed in the rivers of their destination, what chance of after success may be -looked for ? I should say very little ; for the fry would be entirely void of the instinct inherent to fry not artificially produced of returning to the rivers where they were bred. That instinct grows along with their existence, and from the peculiar qualities of temperature, and tastes of the different waters — differences that are not discernible by man — they return instinctly to the rivers where ■ they were bred, ■which cannot happen to fry hatched on the high seas ; and therefore the chance of success, even after their arrival, is small indeed, and the prospect of transporting them to the colony in the ova and fry states is still less ; for, from the delicate state of the small fish, (not an inch long and as soft as the yolk of the egg in which it was formed,) there is not a shadow of a chance of success ; and let me tell you, the attempt has already been made frequently, and as frequently has proved a 'failure, and will continue to do so as often as tried. But I must here, with all respect, beg to differ from " Ephemera," in as far as he thinks that the rivers in that hemisphere must be stocked with salmon from California, inasmuch as I am fully convinced that it is perfectly practicable to stock all the rivers in these colonies from the mother country ; and my belief is the more strengthened from the fact, that I have tried the experiment on various rivers that were as void of salmon as the rivers in Australia are, and L found the trial succeed -in all cases to the utmost expectation. - The only way to stock with salmon the rivers of Australia is to carry out an adult salmon, in place of attempting to take out spawn. It is well known that a salmon is as vigorous and healthy in salt water as in fresh, and equally so in a temperature of 30 degrees as in a temperature of 80 degrees'; therefore, as we are all well aware that the changes of water and temperature (I refer to those changes that may occur between here, and Australia,) have no effect upon the health of the adult salmon, why not take out to these colonies the full grown salmon, and place .them in these rivers, where they will deposit their spawn, and to which their progeny are certain to return iv spite of all obstacles, because they are the rivers wherein they have been bred. This scheme is quite practicable and plain, and if the home and * colonial Governments wish to carry out the affair with success, what is the good of trifling with impracticable experiments ? I beg to state that I have come to this conclusion after experimenting on and studying the nature and habits of the salmon species in all its different stages, from the cradle to the grave ; and I repeat, that these rivers can be stocked with salmon in the way I have just mentioned, and in that way only, and that all other attempts must be looked upon .as building castles in the air. ~ The French Navy. — On whatever side we regard the naval question, we perceive that squadrons of mearof-war and distant stations are improper for everything and in every case, and we arrive forcedly at this conclusion, that they ought to be suppressed, totally and replaced by frigatei and corvette packets, the utility of which 40. the maritime wants of France will be appreciated more and more as time advances. We ought to lay out the sums accorded in the Budget to the construction of frigates, corvettes, and steam advice boats of great speed, in majority, if not in totallity. " This would be a sure means of doubling — nay, tripling- -our distant commercial relations, and, consequently, our maritime influence ; and all that could be effected without augmenting our expenses— nay, perhaps in 'diminishing them. Since it was found necessary to recall in 1840 the admirable squadron of Lalande, consisting of 15 men-of-war — since that force had nothing else to do but seek-a place of refuge when war was threatened — what can be reasonably hoped for from our poor squadron of sir or eight men-of-war? Nothing whatever. The merest scholar would come to the conclusion that the squadron of evolution ought to be suppressed, since it renders no service during peace, and can only take refuge in the port on the slightest appearance of war. Why do you still keep your men-of-war armed ? Why do you everyday place new vessels on the stocks, mon-

ster men-of-war of 120 'and 130 guns ? To France — the noble nation which leads the van — it belongs to enter unhesitatingly on every new path likely to provefruitful in good results. To France it belongs to give an example of the first systematic application of the sea forces to great .works of public utility — to international relations, whether transatlantic or others — and to the foundation of commercial factories and new colonies which would enrich the mother countries, whilst carrying labour, which gives morality and the bread of life to naiions abandoned by Christian nations to every kind of wretchedness, and to all the horrors of their animal existence. England carries life and civilization wherever she occupies a point of land. If she shows avidity and harshness, she in the end unbrutalizes the populations which she commences by rendering subservient — in a word, she makes men of them. Her colonies of Free Town,'at Sierra Leone, and of St. Mary Batburst, on the Gambia, to cite only two instances, offer an aspect of prosperity and of general comfort which leaves far behind them our vain attempts at Gaboon and elsewhere; and yet we devote 100 millions a year, and more, to'the budget of the Marine and Colonies. It is time to have all that changed. Let there be no more squadrons of evolution, no more fixed stations at a distance, useless, unproductive, onerous, and destructive. But let aid and protection be given to productive labour, andto the establishment of steam packets, the useful channels for transporting to everyplace the products and arts of France.—- La Presse, Napoleon's Son. — Time brings about many strange events, and not the least singular one, in these days of chance, is the fact, that the only living son of the Emperor Napoleon should be at the present moment Ambassador from France to the Court of England. We presume we are not mistaken in regarding the Count Waleski, who last week had an interview with Queen Victoria in the capacity of French Ambassador as the child referred to in the following interesting passage from Lamartlne's " History of the Restoration." Describing the brief sojourn of Napoleon at Fontainebleau after the entry of the Allies into Paris, he says :—": — " While victory and indifference thus removed from him the wife which policy had given him, but which Empire conld not attach to him, adversity brought back to him at Fontainebleau a young and beautiful foreigner, whose love neither defeat nor exile could extinguish. Among the numerous and fugitive objects of his capricious and illegitimate attachments, Napoleon had loved once perhaps, with a tender and durable passion. At the summit of his success and glory, at a fete at Warsaw, the beauty of a young Polish lady, intoxicated with enthusiasm for his name, had made a lively impression on him. She was tbe young wife of a noble Sarmatian already advanced in years. She shone, for the first time, amid the pomps of a Court. She adored in Napoleon — as what Pole then did not ? — genius, victory, and the fallacious hope of the independence of her country. Her countenance beamed with the adoration she internally felt. Napoleon saw her, understood her, loved her. Long resistance, violent struggles between passion and duty, and tears fanned the flame into a passion. The Emperor carried off the Countess Waleski from her husband, from her country. He conveyed her to his camps, and to his conquered capitals. A son was born — the result of this attachment. A handsome residence in Paris, often visited at night by Napoleon, concealed from public view the ever impassioned mother of his child. Adversity rendered her fault almost sacred, and his love more dear to her. She wished, by devoting herself to the exile, to atone for ber weakness for the conqueror of Europe. She. wrote to Napoleon to ask for an interview, and to offer to accompany him wher- j ever misfortune might lead him. He consented to the interview, and the last night but one which preceded the departure of the Emperor from Fontainebleau, the young wife was introduced by a back staircase into a room adjoining the bedroom of her lover. The confidenrial valet announced to his master the arrival of her whom be had consented to receive. Napoleon was plunged in that kind of dreamy stujjor which- had overcome him since his fall. He answered, that he would shortly call her, who, on bis account had braved modesty and adversity. Tbe young lady, in tears, waited in vain the greater part of the night. He called her not. She heard him, nevertheless, walking in bis room. The attendant again reminded his master of his visitor. ' Wait a little longer,' said the Emperor. At length the night having passed away, and day beginning to dawn, there was some danger of the secret interview being revealed ; when the young woman, repulsed, dejected, and offended, was re-conducted, in tears, to her carriage by the witness of her last adieux. Whether it was that Napoleon had lost all sense of feeling in the agitation of his mind, or that he was ashamed to appear as the cast-down captive before her who had loved him as tbe victor and sovereign of Europe, he evidently bad no compassion for her devotion. When the confidential servant enteied his chamber in the morning, and described the hopes, the fears, the shame of the Countess Waleski, 'Ah!' said he, 'it is humiliating for her as well as myself ; but the hours passed away without my being aware of them. I had something here,' he added, touching his forehead with his finger. Despair, which softens tbe hearts of other men, rendered his hard and frigid. ;