LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20, 7 December 1861, Page 3

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

The Taking aw\y of the Colours of the 7£>th Nrcw York Rkgimknt.—A Washington correspondent thus describes, the taking away of the flag of this regiment, which the^y had carried with such h'.nvmr at Bali's Run, but which they subsequently discredited by open mutiny at Washington :-—a The scene 'during the reading of the order was exceedingly impressive. The sun was fast going down, and in the hazy twilight, the features and forms of officers and men could scarcely be distinguished. At one time during the reading of the order for the regiment to give up its colours,-a murmur passed through the ranks, an 1 a private in uhg of the rear-lines cried out, in broad Scotch tones, * Let's keep the colours, boys!' No response was made by the remainder of the regiment, and Major Tykes rode up the line to where the voice was heard—and it would have been more than the soldier's life was worth to have been discovered at that moment." " The extraordinary character of the drill practised by the Fire Zouaves, is happily hit off," says an English paper, "by a'literary Fire Zouave: We get up at ten in the morning, and have sommersault drill for two hours, by aquads, then by companies; then we form in regimental line, end turn fourteen sommersaults forward, and fourteen b-ickward, to the tap of a drum, keeping exact time, loading and firing revolving rifles at a target as .we xaine forward, nn-'l firing at another target as we jjo back, with a revolver in each hand. If any balls are found more than an inch from the centre, the man is put on guard for the day. After sommersault drill, we have jumping and firing in the air, by platoons, for two hours. At the nod of command the platoons jump thirty-three feet .straight up, firing at an object fifty yards in advance, the instant they reach^ their extreme altitude. This sort of practice, the colonel thinks, will be remarkably useful in firing at an enemy concealed behind breastworks."

It 13 generally understood that the punish" ment of death is never inflicted except in ca«e of what 'n called "real murder." An instance, however, has occurred in which a man named Martin Doyle, who was fried at the Chester Summer Assizes, for murderously assailing a woman named Jane Brogine, was sentenced* to death, and the punishment was carried into effect on the 27th August. Fie had cohabited for about a year with the woman, and one! night, while both were " on the tramp," had laid down near the highway. The prisoner had drawn the woman's head on to his lap. and while she was sleeping unconsciously he took three large stones and proceeded to batterj her head in the most frightful manner.! Despite the poor woman's entreaties for her life, or that he would kill her some other wav ' he continued to h-immer away at her head' cutting it to, the bone in more than twenty places. Her appearance at the trial sent a thrill cf horror tlirough the whole assembly. Apparently the litigation in the Yelverton ease will never terminate. A commission has been opened in Dublin, to take proof in the action of declaration of marriage in the Scotch Courts by Mrs. Yelverton. 'Proof was adduced by Major Yelverton that he had been a Protestant, or.had professed to be one, twelve months prior to the ceremony performed by Father Mooney, which, if- proved, would render the Irish marriage null and void. In reply to a motion made by Mrs. Yelverton's counsel, that the Major should be produced for examination, the Major's advisers moved for an adjournment, which was grunted by the Court. These vexatious proceedings are impairing the health of Mrs. Yelverton, and overwhelming her with costs which she cannot bear, and if not protected by the Court, she must in despair abandon the suit.

A^ scheme is on foot for founding1 a colony in New Zealand, to consist of dissenters from ,8 established Church of England. A pioneer party is to leave England in the autumn of the present year, and the main party will follow about six months later. The new settlement is to be founded in the province of Auckland,

The wreck of the Koyal Charter was put up to auction in Liverpool, but as only i-400 was offered the wreck was bought in, The upset price was £5000.