SUMMARY OF EUROPEAN NEWS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 182, 15 March 1860, Page 3

SUMMARY OF EUROPEAN NEWS.

GREAT BRITAIN. The ferment occasioned by the idea of a French invasion was subsiding in England'. The warnings of the Times are not re-echoed by the majority of flic press, and articles of a pacific tendency had appeared in various French journals. The Rifle Corps movement, however, was extending with undiniimshcd activity,, and the extension of a Volunteer Artillery Corps was encouraged by Government. The. P: and 0. Steam Navigation ■Company held a meeting on Dec. 3, at which the directors announced, with, respect to the Australian postal service, that tlie working of the line via Mauritius hail not been satisfactory, arid that they had' proposed to Government a trial of the route via. Point do Galle, and an increase of J 525,000 to the subsidy. The change of ronte has been sanctioned, and would come into operation in the spring; but the question of increased subsidy has been deferred until the Home Government has communicated with the Australian colonies. The convict *.9methurst was pardoned, bnt committed to trial for bigamy, of which he. was found guilty, and was sentenced to a-year’s imprisonment with hard labour. This entails on him the loss of his property, including that, bequeathed to him by Miss Dankos, which reverts to her own relatives, Mr. Spalding, Professor of Logic and Rhetoric in the University of A't. Andrews, died on the 16th November.

Mr. Robert Grant, one of the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society, is appointed Professor of Practical Astronomy in Glasgow University, in place of the late Dr. Nichol. The reports regarding commerce and manufactures are favourable, but shipping continues in a depressed state. Mr. John Bright had proposed at Liverpool to the Financial Reform Association the imposition of a property tax of 8s per £IOO on all persons enjoying an income of not less than £IOO per annum from realised property. This would produce £24,000,000 per annum, and enable the Government to dispense with the income tax, the duties on tea, sugar, and some other articles extensively used. A part of the press oppose it on account of its impracticability and injustice. It is generally allowed that the present House of Commons would not entertain the proposition. ITALY. France expects from Sardinia a payment of 'l\ millions sterling for the expenses of the war. The payment to be paid to Austria is 4£ millions, in all nearly £7,000,000 sterling for the kingdom of Lombardy.

On Saturday Mr. Humphreys held an inquest at the Coal Meters’ Arms, Mile-end, on view of the body of Sarah Stafford, aged forty-three, a single woman residing at No. 89, in the same staeet, whoso death was accelerated by the deprivation of the necessaries of life. The evidence showed that the deceased, on the death of her father, who was a farmer at TFoodforJ, was left with property. Through unfortunate circumstances slie became reduced, and was a t length compelled to dumber livelihood -'by shirt-making, and the utmost she could latterly do was to earn four pence a dry. She received 3s. a week for her-rent from her brother, who is a licensed victualler at Woodford. She was occasionally assisted by a young woman named Gharry, who lived in the same house as she did, andj who stated -that she had not sufficient neces-! saries fur 'her support. A verdict \VR? re j turned ito that effect,. 1