LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 940, 5 August 1854, Page 3

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

The sanity of Nicholas is beginning to he seriously doubted. He had committed the folly of seizing the effects of Sir Hamilton Seymour, late British Ambassador at St. Petersburg. The Times gives a parallel instance in the days of the Emperor Paul, who was undoubtedly insane, in the seizure of some British merchant ships in the Neva. It is far from improbable that a life of extraordinary activity and excitement should have been attended with this result ; the over-wrought mind must needs give way, at last ; but Europe pays the penalty. Quicquid delirant regcs, plectuntu? Achivi. By the supplementary Budget announced last night, the Double Income Tax is to be con tinued during the war, and spirits, beer, and sugar, are to be further taxed Vienna, May B—^The difference between General Baraguay and the Porte has been adjusted* May 9. — An exchange of despatches between Russia and Prussia seems still to be carried on, with a view to the re-establishment of peace. The Russian Cabinet, it is said, shows a more conciliatory spirit than before. Trieste, 10th May.— The Overland Post brought news of a serious conflict which had taken place between the French Ambassador, General Baraguay, and the Sublime Porte, on grounds not yet fully ascertained, but supposed to relate to the protection which the French Ambassador desired to accord to the Greeks of the Catholic profession, and which the Divan endeavoured to reject. General Baraguay had given an ultimatum, on the 27th of last month, ♦with a peremptory terra till 4 o'clock p.m. of the same day. A French steamer was kept in readiness to receive on board the whole of the embassy The sensation created by this affair at Constantinople was great ; it seems, however, to have been satisfactorily arranged by the bombardment of Odessa, which lasted twelve hours: Sulina is blockaded by one English and one French man-of-war. Silrstria has been bombarded, several times, without mercy, by the Russians, from the ports of the Danube ; they do not seem disposed to proceed to a regular siege until General liucers will have occupied an entrenched camp with his corps of 60,000 men, and Prince Gor'schakoff passed the Danube

with the bulk of the "Russian «irray. Omnf Pacha, having at his disposal 100,000 rtifn, is fi respectable --idversarv, and could easih' relieve Silisfria if the Russians omitted to cover their operations by two strong corps on the road towards Baradschid and Margrad. CoxsTANTiNdtLB. 1 3th May. — The squadron were blockading Sebastopol, with a portion detached in search of two "Russian 1 ling-of-battle ships missitig frdtn their previous anchorage. A division of the English army, (reported to be General Brown's) was ordered to Varna, to support Omar Pasha. The French troops were also moving from Callipolih Parliament re-assembled on the 27th April, for the despatdh of public business, The following sums were granted for the supplementary expenses df the war i Transport of Troops, £3,096,700; Navy, £1,457,031; Army, £300,000; Ordnance, £742,132; total, £5,595,863. An animated debate on the Oxford University Bill left Ministers in a minority of thirteen on one of the leading clauses. The" time of the House had been principally employed oh the proceedings of the Fleet in the Black Sea. The Admiralty were equipping a numerous flotilla of steam gun-boat 3 to serve in the Baltic* against the Russian fleet of small boats, which are said to number as many as 800, but are" only propelled by oars.