ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 749, 6 October 1852, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

On Saturday, information was received that 10 more men had deserted from the Superb, 9 from the Leander, 14 from the Arethusa, 10 from the Horatio, as also many from the Conflict, Highflyer, Rodney, and Queen. The great increase of these desertions arises from the extraordinary demand for seamen to man the numerous merchantmen about to proceed to the Australian Gold Diggings. — Times, May the 31st.

The Booksellers' Dispute. — A dispute between the retail and wholesale London booksellers, as to the right of the latter to dictate to the former the rate at which they should vend their .wares, has been settled by Lord Campbell, Dr. Milman, and Mr. Grote, the historian — referees to whom the question was submitted. They have pronounced in favour of free trade in books. Authors of celebrity have been mixed up in the proceedings. A grand mass was celebrated in the church of St. Eustache, on the occasion of the blessing by the Archbishop of Paris of the busts of the President of the Republic, intended for the central markets. A considerable crowd already filled the church, when, at half-pa9t 11 o'clock, the gates of the porch were opened, and the cortige entered processionally, preceded by the band of the Municipal Guard. Immediately after the band advanced the porteurs de la Halle, carrying a bust of the Prince President, and followed by 100 young girls, dressed in white robes, with blue scarfs J and crowns of white roses on their heads. Then came another bust, placed on a richly ornamented stand which was to figure in the meat market, and a number of "others, escorted by the .members of the different corporations,,. to-wrbich*-. they were destined. After the busts walked the 2 Prefect of Police, the Mayor and Deputy Mayors of the arrondisseraent, the other civil authorities, and the officers of the Municipal and National Guards. Mass was subsequently celebrated, after which the archbishop delivered a short address and blessed the busts. The cWtege then left the church, installed the busts " in^7to c different markets, and, in the evening, de la I Halle gave a ball in the Linen Jnf all.

The Shelley Forgeries. — No small sensation has been caused in Paris by the discovery of the extraordinary forgeries of the Shelley letters ; and the articles on the subject by this or other journals have been copied into all the Paris newspapers. The fact is, that the system of forging letters and manuscripts of distinguished personages is carried on to a large extent in that city ; indeed, it is as much a regular branch of business as the manufacture of pictures by the great masters is in Italy. There is, we ff are assured, not a sale of manuscripts in the French capital — and nowhere are such sales more numerous — in which forgeries are not audaciously palmed off on the public by wholesale ; and there is reason to suspect that gentlemen of position or who have gained celebrity as manuscript collectors, do not hesitate, for a " consideration," to allow false documents to be slipped among the real ones, and to be offered in their names by public auction. In Germany, many similar frauds are practised with much success. Only a little while ago, a gentleman purchased several letters purporting to be written by Luther, every one of which it now appears is a forgery. In Italy, too, the-saroe nefarious system is carried Wiu ' We are assured, for example, that a great many of the papers stid to have, belonged- to Torquato Tasso, and for selling which a Count | Alberti was tried a short time back at Rome, were uqdoubted forgeries, though some of the most experienced men' in such matters declared., them authentic. The skill" of the forgers, whether French, Italian, or German, and we may now add English, in concocting papers, inks, seals, and writing, is truly remarkable. — Literary Gazette.