ENGLISH EXTRACTS. HOUSE OF LORDS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 751, 13 October 1852, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. HOUSE OF LORDS.

In moving the third reading of the Bishopric of Chrisichurch Bill, the Bishop of Oxford said — "He did not like this bill, which took from the Right Rev. Bishop of New Zealand, a portion of his diocese, to leave that House without raising a voice, which might reach that Right Rev. prelate in his sphere of labours and self denial, expressive of the interest with which his unwearied exertions in the spread of gospel truth around him had been observed and appreciated by his countrymen at home. When his Right Rev. brother went to take possession of his see it was well known that he was undertaking no ordinary task. He was to be placed on an island, where his diocese was partitioned into seven several divisions, inaccessible except by sea, and unconnected with each other by any of the ordinary means of transit. He had to pass from one side of the island to the other on foot, and often reached the object of his visitation worn out in body, and sometimes with the clothes torn off his person. Undeterred by the fact that the rivers were without bridges, and that there were no boats to convey him across them, he could only accomplish his high vocation by undergoing great labour and toil, and often considerable danger. After he had brought his own diocese into something like order, he undertook the arduous work of spreading the true faith, of which he was the chief minister, in the countless islands by which New Zealand was encircled. It was mentioned by the Under- Secretary for the Colonies a few nights ago that by some sort of mistake in his Right Rev. brother's patent, some extraordinary degree of latitude had been assigned to his diocese which brought it almost in contact with the Sandwich Islands. As far as he could, his Right Rev. brother had given a practical effect to that which was beyond all doubt a mistake. He had founded a college in the island of New Zealand, to which he had brought youths entrusted to his care from the different clusters of islands around it, who were to receive there a Christian and English education, and then to go back to their heathen friends, and to become the seminal principle of Christianity and civilization among them. In executing the work he had acted practically as the captain of the ship which he had himself chartered, and had not only worked it with his own hands to save the funds which he thought might be better expended on other Christian objects, but had also exposed his own life to the greatest possible risks, in order that he j might the more effectually perform this, his la- | bour of love. He had prospered too, in his work, in a way and to a degree which gave promise that from New Zealand, as from a centre, the healing influences of Christianity would go forth through all those groups; of 'islands which sprinkled the antipodes. He felt it due to his Right Rev. friend that, as it had fallen to his (the Bishop of Oxford's) lot to move the separation of his diocese, there should go forth at the same time a voice which might cheer him in his often lonely and unappreciated labour of love and charity, and which .would assure him that, as in every other assembly of his countrymen, he had met with sympathising hearts which appreciated his pious and disinterested labours. The Bishop of London concurred most fully in the eloquent eulogium upon Bishop Selwyn. He had struggled successfully against dangers and difficulties, which no man could have overcome who was not gifted with the great physical energies and resources which he himself possessed. Whoever had read, or might hereafter read the correspondence which had passed between the present Bishop of New Zealand and the British Government inevitably come to this conclusion — that if the wished to secure the affection of the colonies and to obtain their love when they had become, as they would some day become, independent States' it could not pursue a wiser course than to send among them men like Bishop Selwyn to consolidate their good will and attachment. He was happy to say that Bishop was not the only Colonial Bishop who was toiling in this way. Others were imitating if they

were not rivalling his example — and they had this reflection to cheer them in the execution of their labours, that they were performing not only their duty to the Church, but their duty also to the supreme Head of the Church, ot which they were the delegated pastors and stewards. The Bill was then read a third time and passed, as was also the Disabilities Repeal Bill.

Fire in Portsmouth Dockyard. — About 8 o'clock on Monday morning a fire broke out in one of the departments of this dockyard, which, but for its timely discovery and the immense exertions promptly made to extinguish it, might have resulted in the destruction of an incalculable amount of national property, and crippled for a long time the efficiency of Portsmouth as a naval depot. From information we have gathered on the spot on personal inspection it appears that while the process of boiling the tar for tarring ropeyarns was going on in the tarring house, (which is one section of a large building forming the white-yarn and tarred- yarn store in the centre of the dockyard,) the bottom of one of the two copper tar boilers gave way, and the contents ran into the fire, giving out an immense volume of flame. Four ropemakers, a boy, and one stoker were in the larring house at the time ; these instantly rushed out and gave an alarm ; the fire bell was rung, the police were called, the engines manned and run up to the scene of the disaster ; and such is the system and order under which these matters are managed in this dockyard, thai within three minutes after the alarm was given by one of the ropemakers, four engines (which were the first at the fire) were got into play. About 40 engines, altogether, were soon at work, and there being a good supply 'ot water and thousands of hands, within the hour (from eight to nine) the iLinies were extinguished and the damage ascertained. Nothing could exceed the praiseworthy exertions of all the parties engaged in this work ; it was surprising, as well as highly admirable — every officer and man was at his post, and plied the means at his command with a vigour*] perfectly indescribable. The result was the saving of a most important section, if not the greater portion of the dockyard. The building containing the offices before enumerated is about 40 feet high, and as many in width, the partitions being of brick, with iron bars to the windows. In this building at the time of the j fire were about 1,500 tons oi' tarred yarn, 14 or 15 cwt. of yarn in the tarring-house (the seat of the fire,) which was destroyed, and in an adjoining store of the same edifice 'were several tar barrels and three full ones, besides the stock in use at the time of the accident. Had this immense inflammable mass ignited, there is no doubt but that the Dockyard would have been one wide- spread scene of devastating flame, on one side of the tarringhouse being a long range of roperies, exteuding nearly the entire depth of the yard, with low wooden sheds within a j dozen feet of the tarring-house, timber in immense loads strewn about and stacked arouDd, and on the other a long range of offices, police store, armoury, &c. How such a building as one in which tar seems to be constantly boiling could have been allowed in such a central position seems perfectly unintelligible. The boilers in which the tar is heated are of copper, holding about five buckets each, and it was the newest of these vessels which burst. The part of the building in which they were is gutted, and the roof burnt through. The preservation of the other section of the building seems truly providential. — Portsmouth Times, May 22. The Belgium Government has just adopted a measure by which all the Polish officers in the Belgian army will be dismissed. Its execution •ommenced with a conge to Gen. Kruzewski. More intimate relations are expected between Belgium and Russia. The Emperer Nicholas wi 1 send a Minister Plenipotentiary to Brussels, and consent to a treaty of commerce wfth Belgium. Mother and Child are doing well. — The following mot of the Due de Broglie, the other day, is going the round of the salons of Paris ; its wisdom is equal to its wit : — L'Anarchic est accoucMe de Despotisme — La mere et I' enfant se portent Men." " f hope to live to see the day," said Lord Brougham, " when every peasant in England can understand Bacon." " His Lordship," replied Cobbett, " had much better hope to see the day when every peasant will be able to eat bacon." The Belgian Chamber, at the request of ministeis, has forbidden the stenographic writers who report the debates, and are paid by the State, to take part in the conduct or publication of any political periodical. The occasion of this injunction is the discovery made in the seizure of She "Bulletin Frangaise,' that one of the government reporters had so-operated in the preparation of that work.

The Exact Time of Dat. — The latest developemenl of the electric telegraph system is at once useful and beautiful. It is a plan for distributing' and correcting mean Greenwich time in London and over the country every day at noon. Gvery holiday-maker knows the ball which surmounts the Royal Observatory, and has watched with interest its descent as the clock gave the first stroke of noon, thereby telling the sea-going men in the river the exact state of the chronometers which were to become their guides over the pathless waters. Such a ball is to be raised on a pole on the telegraph office near Charing-cross, and at noon each day is to drop by electric action simultaneously with that at Greenwich — both balls being in fact liberated by the same hand — and, falling on a cushion at the base of the pole, is to communicate standard time along all the telegraphic wires of the country. At the same instant, the bells will ring out noon at the most distant places — Hull, Holyhead, Aberdeen, Harwich, and Devonport. The great metropolitan clocks, such as the Horse Guards, the Exchange, the New Palace, are to be regulated on the same principle. — Athenceum.

Brother Jonathan on our National Defences. — (From the Buffalo Slockdol.) — That beef eating old coon, John Bull, is like to be ia a fix. He had better look out for squalls. He has had fair warning. Shakespeare says

there's a divinity that shapes our ends. That's how Nature made the tail of the rattlesnake. He let's you know he's a-comming your way, the rattle'snuke does. He gives you nolice to clear off. If he bites you after that, its your own fault. Just so with John Bull. If he's cotched napping,' he'Jl have nobody to blame but his own self. Nature is uniform. She hoists danger signals wherever there's danger. You may read'em if you've a mind to attend to 'em, which you had best have. Here's the French flag a flying at this moment with the Bonaparte Eagle upon it, larger than life. That's a danger signal to John .Hull. It means the Empire over again. It's a sign that Louis Napoleon intends to play old Scratch da capo. Well, what will John Bull do if he is wise ? In the first place, he will be civil ; anyhow you can fix it he will lose money by quarrelling. What next ; — always supposing he's wise. Well, everybody best knows he's own concerus. If he's a goney what he'll do is as plain as a speck of white on a nigger. He'll continue to arm his troops with muskets that shoot any way but point blank. He will persevere in mounting his dragoons upon old cab horses. He will persist in building ships that won't suit, and steamers that won't act ; in victualling them with meat in a state of decomposition ; in under-paying his sailors, and doing all in his power to drive all the best hands out of his navy. And he'll take particular care to leave his coasts undefended in every spot likely to give an opening to Louis Napoleon, in case possum should ever feel inclined to try a coup de France on the British nation. He will believe such an outrage impossible. He will let hit self be talked over by his easy friends, who persuade him not to think of such a thing. Oh yes ! he'll trust that a loafer who only upset the constitution of his own country, will stick at violating the law of nations. He'll rely on Louis Napoleon's honour, and his own good luck, he'll shut his eyes and stop his ears against every warning ; he'll act like one of his own partridges that puts its head in a hole, and there stands, thinking itself safe, because it sees no peril, till presently down comes a poacher, and quietly puts a pinch of salt on its tail — Punch. As Good as Speaking. — There is every reason to suppose that innumerable sounds, answering the purposes of speech, are exchanged throughout the animal creation, which man does not in the least understand, or which he does notiiear. In Mr. Bcale's aviary there were three Mandarin ducks, two of vrhera were drakes. The duck was the wife of the elder Mandarin ; and this being perfectly understood by the other drake, the three lived together in the utmost harmony. But these Mandarins are very valuable (as much as £50 were paid not long since for the pair in the Zoological Gardens), and a thief, who had been studying ornithology, broke iiHo the aviary one night, and stole the elder Mandarin. The very next day, the bereaved widow found herse'f exposed to the polite attentions of the other drake. She was, however, inconsolable for the loss of her husband, and resisted all the blandishment and overtures of the indefatigable suitor. But it so happened that the ornithological thief was traced.the elder Mandarin recovered, and was restored lo the expanded wings oi his faithful wife. Their first transports being over, tha elder Mandarin instantly turned upon the olher drake, smote him with bill and pinion, buffeted him about the head till his sight was destroyed, aud inflicted so many other wounds upon him, that he died shortly afterwards. Of course she must have tolJ him. — Dickens' Household Words.