ARRIVAL OF THE "PRINCE ALFRED."

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 366, 26 April 1861, Page 5 (Supplement)

ARRIVAL OF THE "PRINCE ALFRED."

THE

FEBRUARY MAIL.

ENGLISH NEWS

TO FEBRUARY 26

COLONIST OFFICE, Friday, Noon,

The "Prince Alfred" arrived at Port Chalmers this morning, after a passage of 10 da^s from Melbourne. She has brought the English February Mail, which reached Melbourne, per "Benares," on the 16th instant.

The "Prince Alfred" had on board 23 passengers, 2,000 sheep, 60 rams, and a full general cargo. She has experienced tremendous weather on the downward yoy&ge^ and has lost a considerable number of the sheep. She also lost one man overboard, and sustained severe damage.

We have been favoured by the purser with a copy of the Home News and a file of the Argus, from which we extract the following:—

The December Australian mails were delivered in London on the 13th and 14th of February.

Parliament was opened by the Queen in person on the sth of February. Her Majesty, who read the speech with remarkable clearness, appeared in excellent health.]

Furious gales and inundations have swept the northern and eastern coasts, and produced most calamitous results. In the beginning of February, no fewer than 210 wrecks were reported at Lloyd's. Another gale, on the 20th February, committed havoc by land and sea. A wing of the Crystal Palace has been blown down, trees uprooted, houses unroofed, and the spire of Chichester cathedral torn down.

nated by Earl Grey, has taken place in the House of Lords.

A motion for a committee to inquire into the irregularities in the assessment of the Income Tax, has been carried against the Government by 131 to 127.

The Commercial Bank of London has been defrauded of £67,000 by a ledger-keeper, named Darden, who has carried on his falsifications for the last eleven years.

A committee, appointed to investigate the affairs of the Great Western Railway of Canada, have brought grave charges against Mr. Samuel Laing, the present Finance Minister in India.

A great commercial conference has been held at Manchester, upon Indian affairs. The conference avowedly relies upon India for the supply of cotton that is to make good any failure of the Southern States of America.

The project of an electric telegraph to America by the northern route is now seriously entertained.

The Great Eastern is to leave England in the first week of March, for Norfolk, in Virginia, where she has been guaranteed a cargo, chiefly of cotton, for England, the freight of which will amount to 75,000 dollars.

Obituary.—Admiral Mundy, Earl of Guilford, Duchess of Cleveland, Mrs. Gore, Sir John Owen, Mr. Granville Vernon, the Countess of Haddington, Dr. Donaldson, Lord Braybrooke, Lieutenant-General Leslie, and Lola Montes.