ENGLISH EXTRACTS,

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 851, 28 September 1853, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS,

Sir John Key as City- Chamberlain. — The following is the concluding state of the poll :— Saturday. . Key, 2729 Scott, 2658 Majority for Key, 71 Monday.. „ 317S „ 2912 „ „ 267 The total number of voters polled since the commencement of the contest was 6091. So large a number has not polled at any former election for the office of Chamberlain. 5454 voted in 1831, when Sir James Shaw\ Bart.,, was elected. The state of the poll on Monday was received with loud demonstrations of applause, but the remainder of the proceedings were of the most boisterous character.

Thefts, from a Pope s Coffin at Rome* — A Milan paper* the Bilancia, publishes ihe following letter from Rome, daied the 2nd inst.: — " A very painful discovery was raade the oilier day in ihe Basilica of the Liierm. Thosp who are \ acquainted with the locality will recollect that 'Pope Martin \. lies buried in the navp. Jh» I body having to be removed, in contequ* nee of I certain architectural repairs in progress, the coffin was opened in the pretence ol the- chapter. Ta everybody's surprise, noil) ing was found but tho

must be carted seven miles to Port Elliott, and from thence shipped to Port Adelaide. I do not concciv! it lik-'ly, for this season at least, that any vessel will lo.id at Port Elliot for England ; although if the quantity which comes down the Murray anything-like realise^ expectation, it will freight more than one ship* The Council has been adjourned to the 6th September. There was a little discussion on a motion brought forward by Mr. Dutton, to make the voting under the new constitution by ballot. The motion was postponed till after the recess, to give those members who are on leave accompanying the Governor up the Murray, an opportunity of returning. If the motion be not withdrawn the votes on this question will be nearly balanced, and the Government party ;fare accusing the opposition of breaking the compromise ; but the compromise was only on the question of whether the Upper House was to be elected or nominated. The Government will, I understand, come before the House with the plea that the Bill should contain such provisions only as require the consent of Her Majesty, and that they should not encumber it with any amend--ments which they have it in their power to make at any future time, without requiring such consent. This argument will probably lead to the withdrawal of the motion, or of some of its supporters. Our new judge, Mr. Justice Boothby, with his lady and family of twelve children, has just arrived per Indemnity. Master Young, the son of our Governor, has i*eturned from England in the .same vessel, which made a fine passage of less than three months. I believe that a new scheme is being propounded for the regulation of a new Central Road Board, The Board, it is proposed, will consist entirely of Chairmen of the various District Councils, who will meet once a month or so, to decide upon the sums to be expended on the various roads, but who will have nothing to do with the Executive department, which would be entrusted entirely to professional surveyors. This plan, I think, would be infinitely better than the present system, where the members are nominated by the Governor, and are continually quarrelling with their surveyors. A great number of new houses are starting up here, but whether the increased trade of the place will be sufficient to support them or not, may be matter of doubt. With very few ex ceptions importers are glad to quii goods at but a small advance on invoice prices. Freights are falling in England, — some I have heard of being shipped as low as 50s. per ton, which is something like the old rates. The weather has been very propitious for the crops. We have had a good deal of fine, dry, warm weather, which at this time of the year is rather unusual, The prices given for agricultural land are quite surprising, — land, twenty miles from Adelaide, without improvement, fetching readily £o an acre. Town property also has risen very much, land in Hindlay-street being valued at £10 a year for a foot frontage.