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Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 33, 18 May 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Great Eastern. — The leviathan steamship still lies in the river Mersey, a litde to the soath of Rock Ferry, the steamers from which make half-hourly trips round the big ship for the accommodation of those persons who wish to see this wonderful vessel afloat. It will he recollected that application was made io the Dock Board, with the view of getting a gridiron placed in some convenient position on the d^ck estate, so that the hoftom of the Great Eastern might he examined, and any trifling repair necessary made before her next trip across the Atlantic. The Dock Board replied that they had no site large enough for the purpose. The directors of the Big Ship Company have, however, obtained the lease of sufficient land on the margin of the river, a little to the south of New Ferry, and there at the present time a gridiron is being: laid down for the accommodation of the Great Eastern. I f . is expected that durinsr the next or following spring tides, the leviathan will he floated over the gridiron and thereleftdry. After her hottom has been thoroughly examined and repaired, she will be floated off the following: spring tides, preparatory to her departure on another trip. The next spring tides are about the 20th of this month, and the following will be about the gth of Match—Mitchell's Marilim Regis- € r, Feb. 14.

THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA. The Spectator protests against the presumed future Queen of these realms being regarded as a '•* Danish" Princess : — ' • "This is a strange error, for^ Princess I Alexandra is as pure a German as ever was born within the limits of the Confederation, 1 and belongs not only by birth, but Wood relationship and descent, through many centuries, to the main branch of the great Teutonic race. Indeed, the family of the Duke of Holstein trace their origin to' the very beginning of German history : the period long before the Roman invasion, when boars and wolves were plentiful in the Vaterland, and houses scarce. The ancestors of the i line early acquired property on the banks of the Lower Elbe, built themselves a strong "schloss," did a little in the "Raubritter line, and finally settled down as pious bishops of Lubeck and counts of Holstein The non-existence of a German law of primogeniture made them ST>lit subsequently into many branches, which, however, have been gradually reduced to the three now existing houses. These are the lines of HolstemGottorp, of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Austenburgh, and of Schleswig-Holstem Sandberburg-Gluck&burg. The first-namea branch, as is well known, attained through marriage to the throne of Russia : but the latter two have always remained in Germany, though forming matrimonial alliances, like all the rest of German families, with toe oth*r royal houses of Europe, and particularly with Denmaik and Sweden. During the unfortunate quarrel between Denmark and Germany, springing out of the personal connection of the Danish King with the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, of very much the same character as the late union, now happily extinct, between Hanover and Great Britain, the whole of the members of the two branches of the princely Schleswig-Holstein family ranged themselves on the side of the Confederation with the sole exception of Duke Christian ot Sonderburg-Glucksburg the father of Princess Alexandra. According to his friends, he was solely guided by motives of justice in this step ; while his enemies insisted that ambition had led him away from the rest of his family. It seemed a justification of the latter assertion when, not long after the cessation of the Schleswig-Holstein war, Prince Christian was nominated to the succession of the Danish throne, over the heads of three of his own brothers, and a number of other relations who, in the absence of direct descendants of the reigning king, could lay claim to the crown in the natural order of lineage. There was a strong party in Denmark by no means favorable to this arrangement, but Russian influence, it is believed, carried the day, and in July, 1853, the Chamber of Deputies of Copenhagen passed a law by which Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Son-derburg-Glucksburg, was declared heir to the Danish throne, to succeed after the death of King Frederick VII., and his aged uncle. The Duke thereupon accepted the title of Prince in Denmark, and it may be that this is the reason why English newspapers describe the Bride of the Prince of Wales as a Danish Princess. It is much the same kind of error as if the sons of "Prince I..uitpoldof Bavaria, the proposed heirs of King Otho 1., were to be called Greek gentlemen. On the maternal side, Princess Alexandra is closelj related to our own royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge being her grandgrandfather's sister. This grandfather, Landgraf Wilhelm, is presumptive heir of •the ill-governed electorate of Hesse-Cassel, either in his own person or that of his son, Prince Frederic. The Landgarf, now 75 years old, is possessed of considerable private property in various parts of Germany, and it is said that the marriage of the Prince of Wales with his granddaughter will take place at one of his country seats, the beautiful chateau of Rumpenheim, near Frank- ! fort, on the left bank of the Maine.