OBITUARY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 375, 28 May 1861, Page 4

OBITUARY.

Countess Roden, aged 67. Honorable Colonel Wrottesley, aged 72. He had seen service in India with the 16th Lancers.

Duke of Sutherland, aged 75. Colonel Sir George Cowper, aged 79. Lieutenant General Sir Lovell B. Lovell, aged 73. Lord Lilford, aged 60. Sir William Pym, M.D., K.C.H., aged 85 years.

DEATH OF THE DUCHESS OF KENT.

We-hayejo announce the death of the Duchess ofXgfttj-^The mournful event occurred shortly before o'clock on the morning of Saturday, March IBfhr- ~ The Queen and the Prince Consort wef& present at the dissolution. The mournful intelligence was received at Buckingham Palace at a quarter past ten, when the Princess Helena and other members of the royal family left town for Windsor. The death at once was telegraphed to the Prince of Wales at Cambridge; and the sad intelligence was also transmitted by telegraph to the King of the Belgians, at Brussels, likewise to the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha.

The late Victoria Mary Louisa, Duchess of Kent and Strathern in Great Britain, Countess of Dublin in Ireland, was fourth daughter of his Serene Highness Francis Frederick, late reigning Duke of Saxe Cobourg Saalfeld. Her royal highness was born on the 17th August, 1786, consequently was in her 75th year. She married first, December, 21, 1803, his Serene Highness prince Enrich Charles of Leiningen, who died July 4, 1814, by whom her royal highness had issue Charles Frederick William, late reigning Prince of Leiningen, K.G., and Princess Anne, married to Prince Hohenlohe Langenburg. Her royal highness married secondly, at Coburg, 29th May, 1818, and at Kew, 11th July, 1818, his Royal Highness the late Duke of Kent, fourth son of George 111., who died 23rd January, 1820, by whom her royal highness had issue—an only child—our gracious Queen. The Funeral.—Yesterday 25th, the funeral of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent took place at StT George's Chapel, Windsor. The only strangers present were the representatives of the press and some members of the deceased princess's household.

A guard of honor of the Scots Fusilier Guards mounted during the ceremony at the entrance to St. George's Chapel. Every shop in Windsor was closed. In the* metropolis, the shops, at the time announced for the funeral, were very generally partially closed. The great bell of St. Paul's tolled forth its solemn note, and the usual public signals of mourning were visible. At Woolwich, thirty minute guns were fired per hour, commencing from the Royal Artillery gun-park battery, at 4*16 p.m., followed by the guns of the flagship Fisgard, stationed off the dockyard, and the Royal Artillery alternately, until sixteen minutes past six, when the royal standard, hitherto floating half-mast high in the garrison and over the Government offices since the announcement of her royal highhess's death, was hauled down. The battery guns were manned by the- 3rd Brigade Royal Artillery, and the Fisgard's gune by the seamen gunners of the ship. Minute-guns were also fired from the ships of war at Portsmouth and the other naval stations.

(From the Sydney Herald's City Correspondent.) London, Saturday, 2nd March, 1861. A banquet was held of old colonists and friends connected with South Australia on the 27th ultimo, on the occasion of the representation of a piece of plate to. the inventor of the reaping machine which bears his name, in testimony of his services to the colony.

Nothing has occurred in the Home of special Australian or general public interest.

In the Commons, Mr. Monckton Milnes has obtained leave to bring in a bill to legalize marriage with a deceased wife's sister.

Mr. Case has moved a series of resolutions

on the subject of the slave trade, to the the effect that the true : emedy for its suppression is not so much in preventing the supply as checking the demand, and therefore the Government should encourage the introduction of free immigrants into the West Indies. In reply, Lords PalmerstOn and Russell contended that the slave trade was kept up by the enormous profits realised for slaves at Cuba, by the " shameful" manner in which Spain evades her engagements; and also by the refusal of the United States to allow the search of vessels carrying the American flag, under which the slave traffic is carried on.

The Church rates will at last assuredly be abolished. The bill has passed the second reading. Lord John Russell has announced that the Paris Conference on the affairs of Syria have decided that the occupation by tha French troops shall be further prolonged to the Ist May next. The Sardinian Senate has adopted, by a majority of 129 to 2, the project of law conferring the title of " King of Italy " on Victor Emmanuel and his descendants.

The Sardinian or rather the new Italian Government is about organising an army of 300,000 men.

The new Government of Naples has decreed the annulment of the concordats with Rome. All persons of whatever creed, are declared equal in law, and ecclesiastics have for the future no special exemption. AU monastic orders are done away with of both sexes. The present inhabitants of the monasteries are to have a pension, to be increased if they live out of the cloisters, and no more novices are to be admitted.

The suppression of the convents caused some disturbances—several being attacked by rioters, but the movement was suppressed by soldiers. The inauguration of the Italian Parliament has been celebrated in several towns in Venetia; and at Rome preparations are secretly being made to welcome the arrival of Victor Emmanuel, for the simple reason that every One feels the temporal power of the Pope is tottering and must speedily fall. France cannot much longer keep its army at I|jpme, and the soldiers withdrawn, down falls the sovereignty of the Pope, when, of course, on would march "the King of Italy."

The Foreign Minister of the ex-King Francis 11. has issued a circular to the various courts, ascribing the fall of Gaeta to systematic hostility of England, the resolution of the Emperor of the French to maintain the principle of non-intervention, and tire-inaction of other powers. The fortress, of Messina has been summoned to surrender b£.Admiral Persano, but General Fergola intendTt6"resi&c;~--The^ heights commanding the citadel are in possession of the Sardinian troops. The intended emancipation of the Russian serfs has given rise to great commotions, and the sittings of the Council of the Empire have been very stormy. The " nobles" oppose the emancipation, and the Government has taken " military " precautions.

Russia consents to the prolongation of the occupation of Syria by the forces of France.

There has been a serious disturbance at Warsaw.* Particulars are wanted.

The Princes of India propose to present her Majesty with a throne of solid gold.

The Parliamentary debates in Franca are necessarily a great attraction. The addresses in reply to the Emperor's speech have been read. Both applaud the Government for its efforts in Italy, &c, and express hope of peace being preserved.

The Bishop of Orleans has published an answer to the pamphlet of M. Gueronnaire, and denounces it on account of its hostility to the Pope. This has been followed by the publication of a mandement from the Bishop of Poictiers, to be read in all the churches of his diocese, in which he likens the Emperor to Pontius Pilate, and denounces his policy as a "mystery of iniquity."

Without doubt, the greatest proof that can be given of the march of progress at the present day is the simple fact that the Emperor of Austria has granted a Constitution. There are to be Legislative Assem* blies—an Upper and a Lower House—the former composed of hereditary members and of other persons nominated for 'life. The latter will consist of 343 members elected by provincial diets. The Reichsrath will have the right of legislation and the initiative; its sittings moreover will be public; bills are to become law when passed by both Houses and sanctioned by the Emperor; it will fix taxation; and in fact, it will be almost identical in its primary functions with the laws of the Legislature of England. Hungary, Croatia, Sclavonia, and Transylvania are to have restored the Constitutions within the limit of the decree of last October.

The news from, or relating to, Hungary may be summed up as to one fact. General Klapka, in the Congress of Democrats asiembled at Turin, has spoken against an outbreak in Hungary at present, on the ground that the country is not prepared for such a movement.

The American advices show that the late bluster is likely to end without collision. Mr. Lincoln, the new President, in his progress towards the Capitol, is everywhere received -with enthusiasm— -and in his speeches evinces diplomatic fact. The Washington Peace Conference, has come to a decision by framing a plan of pacification compounded of the Crittenden, Guthrie, and Border States plans. The Southern Confederacy has been established in a formal manner by the title of the "■ Confederated States of America." The Congress has constituted a provisional government, made arrangements for raising a loan of fourteen million dollars, and has elected Mr. Jefferson Davis president, who was to be inaugurated. 18th ultimo, after which he would send a commissioner to Washington to treat for the surrender of the forts.