ENGLISH EXTRACTS. [From the Empire, November 23.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 680, 7 January 1854, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. [From the Empire, November 23.]

We copy the following letters from the London correspondent of the Straits' Times, in order of their respective dates :—: — London, August 24. Tbe camp at Chobhara broke up on Fiiday last, and since then the various regiments have been dispersing to their quarters in different parts of the island. During tbe two months of its existence no less than 22 regiments have bad an opportunity of showing tbeir readiness for military operations, should war arise anywhere, and tbe result of the examination has beeu highly satisfactory. Tbe commission to enquire into tbe state of Maynooth College has been appointed. The commissioners are tbe Earl of Harrowby, Mr. Justice Patteson, Dr. Longfield, Chief Baron Pigott, and Mr. James O'Ferrail, three Protestants and and two Roman Catholics. Four worthies of tbe last generation have died within the last week. On the 17th, Sir Frederick Adam, who bad a high command at Waterloo, and was wounded there, died suddenly at the Greenwich railway station. On the 18th, Lord Saltoun, who had served at Waterloo, died at his seat after a few days' illness. On the same day, Mr. Bransby Cooper, the celebrated surgeon died suddenly at tbe Athenaeum Club ; aud on tbe day following, Sir George Cockbtffn, one of the oldest officers in the British service. He was in the 82nd year of his age ; he entered the navy so far back as 1781, under Lord Hood, and after an active career during the war, rose by successive steps to the rank of Admiral in 1837.

London, Sept. 8, 1853 Instead of being settled, as it seemed to be when Parliament broke up, the Eastern question looks worse than ever. The Sultan refuses to accept the note drawn up by the Four Powers, unless it be greatly modified, and he has intimated to the Vienna Conference that his sending an Ambassador to St. Petersburgh is conditional upon the evacuation of the Principalities by Russia. This leaves the matter in a more complicated condition than ever, and the Cabinet appears accordingly to be in a very awkward dilemroai All the ministers had left London except the Earl of Aberdeen, and be was just about to follow them, when the news of the Sultan's refusal was received. Lord Palmerston was immediately summoned to town, and on Thursday evening last a telegraphic message was despatched to Scotland in search of Lord John Russell. It found his Lordship at Roseneath, the seat of the Duke of Argyll, and he was obliged to harry off to London on Friday morning. Several conferences were held at the Foreign Office on Saturday, but nothing has transpired as to what decision has been come to. Tbose who profess to know best aa to what is doing in Downing-street, declare that the intention of ministers is to support Turkey in her reasonable demands. Should France and England act cordially together, it is clear that Russia must give way, in spite of all her blustering. All the accounts from Turkey represent the preparations for war as being on a far larger scale than one would hare believed a few months ago. The Sultan is said to have an army of 200,000 men under arms on the frontier, while the Russian forces in the Principalities are suffering greatly from disease and want of provisions, now that the rainy season has begun. The latest accounts speak of the cholera having committed | great ravages among the Russian troop?, 1 After spending a week in Dublin, where they were received with the greatest enthusiasm, the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Prince of Wales left that city on Saturday evening for Holyhead, whence they started for the quiet of Balmoral \ Castle on Monday morning. The royal families of Europe seem to be all enjoying themselves from borne at present. Louis Napoleon and the Empress have been some time at Dieppe ; Queen Christina of Spain and her family are here on a visit ; the ex- Queen of the French, with the Prince and Princess de Joinville, the Duchess of Orleans, the Count de Paris, and a numerous suite are about to embark for Portugal ; the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia is travelling in Scotland, and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburgh Strelitz was to leave London for Edinburgh this morning ; the , Emperor Nicholas is said to be about to visit Germany, but that, I suspect, will only be if be can settle the Eastern question in a satisfactory manner before winter, I am glad to say that active steps are being taken to urge npon the East India Company, 'the necessity for a reTdrm df the mail service between. Suez and Bombay. The Tartar, a m ew paddle-wheel steamer of 450 ton?, which will shortly be sent to China to run between Hdngkotig and Canton, in conjunction with the Canton, also belonging fo the P. and O. Company, was tried at Southampton, on Monday, and. attained a very excellent speed. The screw steamer Cadiz will take her departure

for the Indian Seas'in the course of a few days* and after her arrival oat, the Bombay Bfai'Madras, two fine screw steamers of 1200 toss, and 270 horse power, at present employed en th» Indian lines, will be placed on the Singapore and Australian station, to; convey the Australian mails, in place of the Chusan and Shanghai. The latter two vessels, being only of 750 and 600 tons respectively, with 100 horse power,, have been not sufficiently .powerful ; indeed they were placed on the station as experimental vessels till others of. a suitable size .could be prepared. Two other new steamers, the Cofombor of 2000 tons and 430 horse power, and .the Norna, of 1000 tons and 300 horse power, both' belonging tothe P. and O. Company, are to*arI rive at Southampton from Glasgow in a ; few weeks. I have not learned yet ; what their destination is to be. , Late accounts from the United Slates briDg" intelligence cf awful ravages committed by the yellow fever at New Orleans, where, .the death* were as high as 150 a day. In New York.also, the mortality had been unusually high, owing to the heat of the weather. Not less than 100 persons had died in one day of sunstroke. Thehealih of London has been remarkably good for the last few months, but some fear is entertained 1 lest the cholera should pay us a visit this autumn. In Copenhagen it has cut off a. large part of the population — it has now reached Hamburg — and it is well known that, on former occasions, its* appearance in that sea port was soon followed by 1 its entrance into our eastern ports. < The trade circulars published at the beginning: of this month all speak of business as being in a< healthy state. The worst complaints are those relating to die want of hands, and to the strikesi for higher wages which still prevail in Lanca1 shire and several other counties. The rise in the prices of provisions, which 'range'from 20> to 50" per cent., above what they were a year ago, is likely to lead' to increased demands from the.operatives, which the employers can seldom resist, now that labour is becoming so much scarcer than it was a few years ago. In the cotton tradp, the dearness of cotton (in spite or the very large crop in the United States, which was 3,200,00 0*? bales, and the favourable reports of this year's crop) has materially abridged the profits of the manufacturers, who have not been able to obtain an advance in the prices of yarn and goods equivalent to the increased value of the raw material. The advance in the prices of grain in Englandis not so great as it has been in France. A comparison of the present prices of wheat in London and Paris shows that wheat of the first.quality is 21 per cent, dearer in Paris than it is here. The French Government is a good deal alarmed at the prospect ; and, with a view to' prevent popular disaffection, has resorted to the old and highly objectionable course of ordering the bakers not to .charge more than a certain price for bread — this unwise step is the subject !of much blame. In the meantime it has kept the price of bread 29 per cent, below what it ism London, although, as I have already mentioned, wheat is 21 percent, dearer; but that' disparity is all at the expense of the Government,, which must make good the loss to the baker* of' Paris. London, Sept. Bth. — Tallow was firmer today ; first sort Y.C. closing at 50s. 6d. to 50s. 9d. At auction, 300 casks Australian rather more than half sold ; beef, 48s. 6<l. to 495.^ sheep, 50s. 6d. to 535. 3d.; 52 casks S"Uth America brought 465. to 51s. Foreign and Golonial Wool : — The same firm tone as to prices which governed the last public sales of coioaial and other wools, continues to be maintained for any contracts made in this market for all des--criptions of wool, and are still lively to keep stationary from the geueral activity among the various kinds of woollen manufacture. Australian and Y. D. Land : combing and clothing. Is. Id. to 2s. 9d.; lambs, Is. 3*l. to 2s. s^'d.^ locks and pieces, 7d. to Is. 9^'K; grease, 9d. to Is. 0|l.; skin and slipe, Is. to Is, Id. South Australian and Swan River : Lambs, is. sd. toIs. 5^(1.; grease, 9d. to 11|<K