THE HAWKE'S BAY HERALD, Napier, August 27, 1859. THE ENGLISH JUNE MAIL.

The arrival of the "Esther," on Wednesday morning, put us in possession of the English June "mail, which had reached Wellington per steamer "Boomerang." The news is of great importance, and is thus summarized hy electric telegraph : — Parliament opened on the 7th of June, when a vote of want of confidence, on which the whole liberal party voted, was proposed to the Commons, in the shape of an amendment on the address. The vote was carried against Ministers by a majority of 13. Lord Derby has resigned. „ Lord Palmerston has been called to the head of the New Cabinet, which has been constructed on the . principle of representing all sections of the Liberal party. The French and Sardinians have defeated the Austrians in several pitched battles. The losses on both sides were very great. , The Austrians have evacuated Milan, Pavia, and Piacenza. The Austrians are in full retreat towards the fortresses in the Venetian territory. _ The allied armies nave already crossed the Adda. The Duchess of Parma has abandoned her, territory, which has thrown off the yoke of Austria. .. , Victor Emmanuel has been proclaimed King at Milan, Florence, and Parma. Bologna and Ravenna have pronounced in the same manner — Ferrara and Ancona are expected to follow. ,The Austrian forces are retiring from the Papal States, and concentrating in Venetia, It is believed the French will open an attack from sea. The Prussians are mobilising their army. Garibaldi, leader of the Italian volunteer c>rps, has achieved great triumphs over the Austrian troops. Prince Napoleon is in Tuscany organising a French army corps. The French have blockaded the Venetian coast, and have taken several vessels. The Italian war has excited great enthusiasm in Greece. Kossuth has left England to aid in the liberation of Hungary. The King of Naples died on the 22nd May. The Duke of Calabria has assumed the government under the title of Francis 11. England, Austria, France, and Sardinia have sent representatives to Naples. The Emperor of France and the King of Sardinia entered Milan on the Bth June. A Russian diplomatic circular has been sent to the Courts of Europe recommending the policy of non-intervention in the Italian war, declaring that should the German Governments depart from neutrality Russia would be compelled to interfere. The Epsom Derby was won by "Musgid," and the Oaks by "Sunderland." The Ascot Cup was won by "Fisherman." Sir Alexander Cockburn, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, will succeed Lord Campbell as Lord Chief Justice of England. Sir B. Hall has been raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Llanover, and it is said that Mr. Wilson will be appointed a Member of Council in India. The Earl of Derby is to be. made a Knight of the Garter. The Earl of Malmesbury and Sir John Pakington have received the Civil Grand Cross of the Bath. The subject of national defences was exciting much attention in England. Thu movement for the enrolment of Vohmteer Rifles continues. On the morning of the 3rd of June a fire broke out on board the "Eastern Monarch" from Kurrachee to London, after her arrival from Spithead with troops. All the crew except five were saved. J. Lockhart Merton, an Australian merchant,- has been committed for trial on the charge of forging the acceptance of Messrs. jJower^and.Co. _; The British Transatlantic Telegraph i Company have proposed to lay a cable during the present year from the Lands End to Canada. , , The bank rate of discount has been reduced to 3 per, cent. . The, money market is very e^sy — Consols 92§ ex div. . The Premier of the New Cabinet isLord Palmerston ; Chancellor of the ExcK|eiuer, ; Mr. Gladstone ; Secretary for Foreign Af^

fairs, Lord John Russell ; Home Secretary, Sir G. C. Lewis ; Secretary for the. Colonies, Duke of Newcastle • Secretary' for War, Mr. Sidney Herbert ; India, Sir C. Wood ; First Lord of the Admiralty, Duke of Somerset ; Lord Chancellor,' Lord Campbell ; President of the Council, Earl Granville ; Privy Seal, Duke of Argyle ; Postmaster-General, Earl of Elgin ; Board of Trade, Mr. Cobden ; Poor Law Board, Mr. Milner Gibson ; Public Works, Mr. Cardwell ; Duchy of Lancaster, Sir Geo. Grey ; Under Secretaey for the Colonies, Mr. Chichester Fortescue ; Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Lord Wodehouse ; Under Secretary for the Home Department, Mr. G. Clive ; Under Secretary for India, Mr. Thomas Baring ; Under Secretary for War, Lord Ripon ; Attorney-General, Sir R. Bethell ; Solicitor-Genrral, Sir H. Keating ; Joint Secretaries to the Treasury Mr. F. Peel and Mr. Brand ; Secretary to the Admiralty, Lord Clarence Paget ; Judge Advocate-General, Mr. Headlam ; VicePresident of Committee of Council of Education, Right Hon. R. Lowe ; Secretary of Poor Law Board, Mr. Gilpin. Parliament is to meet on the 21st June. Wool sales closed on averaging prices equal to opening. Hides and leather have advanced |d. to Id.

i We subjoin the letter of the correspondent of the "Melbourne Herald," as giving an excellent abstract of the events of the cconth : — 1 '• June 18, 1859. The new parliament has met, and has I ousted the Derby government. The French and Sardinians have beaten the Austrians in several sanguinary battles, and have driven them not only out of Piedmont, but back upon the fortresses "which form their last line of defences in Italy. Such in brief is the history of the past month. Our Conservative government, having dissolved parliament under circumstances, to say the least, unusual, and having strained every nerve to secure the return of adherents, has been driven from office ; and Austria, the very type of Conservative government in Europe, having arrogantly disregarded the advice of friends and brot-, en the peace by invading Piedmont, has in spite of the obstinate bravery of her troops, been beaten back, and is now preparing for the great struggle which — if she be biaten again, as I trust in heaven she will be — will be her final one, so far as concerns poor ; Italy, whom she has oppressed so grievously. At first sight the war seems to be the subject of g/eatest, importance, but the change in our ministry is really so, as involving the part England shall pl.iy in what the Queen's speech calls "the present anxious state" of Europe ; the substitution, as Foreign Secretary, of Lord John Russell for Lord Malmesbury, may, and not improbably will, have a decisive influence in : deterring Germany from taking part in the fray, and if so, while it may perhaps sa\e Europe from the horrors of a general war, will certainly have the advantage of being a heavier blow and greater discouragement to Austria than any she has yet received from the French and Sardinian armies. It will be quite appropriate, therefore, to talk of our own affairs first. When last I wrote the general election was all but concluded, and we roughly estimated the ministerial gains at about twenty, making the numbers three hundred conversative against three hundred and fifty liberals. Thp new House met on the 31st ult., re-elected Mr. Denison as Speaker, and then proceeded to the swearing in, which lasted just a weekl Oh the 7th inst., the Queen went in person to deliver her speech ; and to the aidress the liberals moved an additional sentence, as an amendment, stating that the House considered it essential that the government should possess their confidence, and informing Her Majesty that such confidence is not reposed in her present advisers. This amendment was decided on at a great meeting of the liberal members the preceding day,, at which the reconciliation of Lord Palmerston and John Russell was proclaimed, and their mutual willingness to serve together, whichever of them should be called to the premiership. The programme put forward by the two lords was, the formation of a ministry including within it an adequate representation of each of the sections of. the liberal pafty^— Whigs, Peelites and Radicals ; a comprehensive . Reform Bill at home, and the maintenance of neutrality abroad — in the former, differing as much as possible from the bill of the government,, and in the latter, preserving !'a strict alliance with France," instead of the obvious Austrian, leanings of the existing ministry. To this Mr. Bright gave in his

adhesion ; he did not expect that a government could adopt all his views, but what hejnsisted upon was this — that all sections of the liberal party should be fairly represented in the cabinet, that the government should move in the direction of a liben.l policy, in accordance, at least with what might be called the average liberal opinion of the party. The debate occupied th:e3 nights — till Friday (the 10th inst.) when the house divided, 323 for the amendment and 310 against it — giving a majority of 13 against the government in a house of 638 members, including tellers and the Speaker ; 6 pairs, 8 absent, and 2 seats vacant, make up the total, 634. The House im t for a few minutes on the Saturday to receive the report of the amended address, and then adjourned till last night for the Whitsun holidays, when it was again adjourned till Tuesday next. The government of course resigned at once, and the Queen sent first for Earl Gran ville, the leader of the liberal party in the House of Lords thinking, it is said, that the appointment of a third person as premier would avoid the jealousy between Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell ; but this was a mistake. Lord John Pussell, it appears, ■would serve under Lord Palmerston, but under no one else ; so Lord Palmerston was sent for, and the week has been occupied in the not easy work of forming a ministry. You will find a complete list in the newspapers. Mr. Cobden's appointment is, of course, subject to acceptance — he has not returned from America yet, but is expected very shortly. I shall not now enter into any speculation as to how long this new ministry is likely to work comfortably together, nor as to the amount of satisfaction they are likely to give to the really liberal portion of the communicy. I have no liking for some of them, and no faith in others, but I am glad we have got rid of the Derby government with its suspicious liberali m at home and its German leanings abroad. We shall now have an honest Reform Bill, if not so far going as could be wished, and our foreign policy will be a little more worthy of °a free people, securing for onrselves a greater probability of the maintenance of neutrality, and for the Italians a better chance of achieving the independence for which thoy have so long sighed..,,,,. . There have been, as I said, several sanguinary battles between the Austrians and the allied French and Sardinians — notably three ; the ba tes of Montabello, of Pale>tro, and cf Magenta. You will find in the newspapers copious accounts of them in ail shapes — telegraphic, epistolary, and official f-ora both of the combatants. A general view of them and their results — for they were all parts of ole plan, by which the Austrians seem to have been thoroughly outg.eneralled — may be given briefly, and ko that the movements may be followed by any one who hns an ordinary map of the seat of war. About the middle of May the French despatched their first corps to Voghera, on the road to Piacenza, under the command of Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers, who sent some Sardinian cavalry further along the road, as far as Casteg^io. This movement deceived General Gyulai into a belief that the advance of the allies was to be made in the direction of Piacenza ; he therefore withdrew his advanced post from Vercelli to the east of the Sesia, moved his head quarters down from Motara to G«irlasco, and sent Count Stadion, with some 15,000 men, across the Po to Stradelia, about midway on the road between Voghera and Piacenza, to make an armed reconnaisance. On the 20th ult., Count Stadion, advancing along the road towards the allies, drove in the advanced guard at Casteggib, and came up with the main body at Montehello. Here an obstinate fight took place, which lasted six hours, and cost the Austrians, by their own account, 1300 men in killed, wounded, and missing. Count Stadion fell back, unpursued to Casteggio, and then re-crossed [the Po; Immediately afterwards Louis Napoleon moved his army with all despatch from Alessandria to Vercelli, which the Sardinians had occupii d when the Austrians retired. On the 30th, Victor Emmanuel crossed the Seu'a with his own army and a French auxiliary corps amounting altogether to about 40,000 men, and drove the Austrians out of PaJestro, where they had entrenched themselves ; they, made twp endeavours' -the next day tri retake the place, but were def ated in both, losing it-* is said 4000 s men. It was riot till General JTell had marched to Novara that General Gyulai seems to have becfrme aware of the real intention of the allies, ard before he could hurry up his troops the body of the French army had concentrated ipn the banks of the Ticinoj and on the 3rd

inst., M'Mahon had crossed the river. The . series of conflicts called the hattle of Magenta commenced at Buffalora on the 4th, and continued during the sth and 6th ; it was most stubbornly contested, but the : Austrians were at length compelled to retire with a loss estimated at 20,000 men. The immediate consequence was their evacuation of Milan, the municipality of which at once acknowledged Victor Emmanuel as their ruler, and the two allied sovereigns made a triumphal entry into the city on the Bth, amidst the most tumultuous rejoicings. The Austrian retreat has since been uninterrupted ; they have abandoned Pavia, Piacenza, Lodi, Pizigbettone, and Cremona, and before this, doubtless, have reached their celebrated quadrangle, Peschiera, Mantua, Verona, and Degnano. These four fortresses form a square, with sides of about 25 or 30 miles, and upon them all the resources of military art have been expended. They offer an almost insurmountable obstacle to the advance of an enemy ; but if, at whatever cost, the obstacle be surmounted, the Austrians have no other line of defence in Italy. Enormous preparations are already being made by the French; heavy rifled siege pieces are now toiling on after the allied army, all the new scientific inventions in the art of war are to be brought to bear. Louis Napoleon is said to have sent orders to^Paris for 100,000 more soldiers, and Prince Napoleon, who has been in Tuscany with a French corps, is to join the main army, his force raised by the addition of the Tuscany troops to some 50,000 men. On this tremendous struggle everything depends ; the Austrians have now no foot of ground in Lombardy but that which is covered by then 1 army, and Victor Emmanuel has assumed the government of the country in accordance with the desire expressed by each town as soon as it was free from the presence of the hated oppressor. Venice is still held by the Austrians and into it they have withdrawn the troops which occupied Ancona and the other cities of the Papal. .States ; but it is blockaded by a French fleet, and will most likely soon be taken. There have been of course a variety of interesting incidents connected with the main line of the story ; the only one I can mention, however, is, that Garibaldi, whose name will be familiar in connexion with the defeii' c of Rome against the French in 1849, has been doing good and characteristic seivice. He crossed the Ticino towards the end of May, has clone an infinitude of fighting, has taken Como, Bergamo, and Brescia, and has revolutronised the whole country he has passed through. General Kinpk.i, the Governor of Komorn in the Hungari in war, has issued a spirit-stirring address to the Hungarian regiments in the Austrian service, calling upon them to join the standard he .Ins raised. He sa;s he has had an interview with the Frenvh Emperor, and that after they have beaten the Austrians in Italy will proceed to liberate their own native conn' ry. Kossu h, who by the way,., has Lit ly been lecturing here vi h all his accustomed eloquence on the condition of foreign affairs, has left England for Italy, to join in the movement. Louis Napoleon has reiterated in the proclamation issued in Milan the disinterestedness of the views by which he is actuated. "If there are men," he says, "who do not comprehend thtir epoch, I am not of their number. In the enlightened state of public opinion, there is more grandeur to be acquired by the mor il influence which is exercised, than by fruitless conquests, and that moral influence I seek with pride, in contributing to restore the freedom of the finest parts of Europe. I. do not come here wiih that preconceived system of dispossessing the Sovereign nor to impose my will on you." Victor Emmanuel, in his proclamation, asserts ag-iin that. Louis Napoleon "wishes to make Italy free from the Alps to the Adriatic." "The temporarily formed government which J give you today is required by the necessities of the w ar. Independence once secured, the mind will acquire composure, the soul virtue, and then will be founded a free and lasting government." And Prince Napoleon in his address to the Tuscans, holds to the same story. "Napoleon III," he says, "has declared that the sole object of France, satisfied with her power, is. to have at her frontiers a friendly nation, which will owe t8 ''her its regeneration. If the Almighty protects us, and grants us the victory, Italy will constitute herself freely, and take her place among the nations." Now one need not believe these fine words in their strictness ; but surely they give to friendly powers a hold which it would be difficult for Louis^Napoleon to break away from without *kii; oj)en rupture,

The war spirit in Germany is by no means cooled, and Prussia has ordered her army to-be put on a footing for active service ; bnt notwithstanding serious rumours *to the contrary, 1 cannot believe she will jbe-mad enough to move, after the warning 'Russia has given in a note to her representatives at foreign courts — (you will find it at length in the papers) — especially as now there is no chance of England backing her. I may mention here a fact which may have some significance, which at all events is curious, that the Princess Royal has been on a visit to her mother, but her husband, Prince Frederick William, did not accompany her, nor fetch her back, for "reasons of state!" The King of Naples is dead at last, and has been succeeded by his eldest son — -not without some plotting on the part of the Queen to secure the throne for her son, a younger one; There seems no improvement to be hoped from the change and one can/b ut trust that the difficulty will be solved by the absorption of the kingdom in a united and independent Italy. Our Court ordei-ed ten days' mourning for the dead brute, and then, comically enough, "to prevent any injury to trade," directed that it was not to be worn at a drawing room, which was held during the term. The Rifle Corps movement continues to spread — great numbers of meetings are being held all over the country, but 1 have no means of judging of the numbers who join the corps. They are decidedly popular, notwithstanding the dislike felt at the exclusion of all but the well-to-do classes by throwing' the entire expense on the members.' The War Office has issued a circular of recommendations, the most notable of which is the formation of artillery volunteers — small bodies taught to work a great gun "mounted so to speak at their very door." As a liberal concession, the government will supply ammunition at cost price ! The Red Sea Telegraph is complete and at work from Aden to Suez, and it is announced that government have made arrangements for a submarine line from Falmouth to Gibraltar, which will doubtless, be continued thence to Malta and Alexandria, so as to make us quite independent of the. continent system of wire. There seems a probability at last of our getting a mail every fortnight : the government has issued an official notification inviting tenders, to be sent in by Ist July, for the conveyance of monthly mails to and from Sydney via Panama and New Zealand, with provision for conveying letters from Sydney to and from the other Australian colonies. The dates of departure from eich port are to be fixed so as to alternate fortnightly with the mails by thf> Suez route. The maximum time for performing the service to and from Melbourne is to be 55 days, exclusive of the transit across the Isthmus, with a fine of £10 for every hour beyond the stipulated- period, and. a- premium of £50 for every day less. I hope to have some good news to tell you about this in my next. There is nothing new in commercial matters — people arc still complaining of the dullness of business. There has been a great recovery in the prices of securities. The change commenced aboat a week after the last mail left, and has been very steadily maintained, considering the times. Consols (which are shut) were quoted at 12 o'clock for the account of 92f f ex div. The value of money has fallen proportionately. On the 2nd inst., the bank reduced its minimum rate from A\ per cent, at which it had been fixed on the sth ult., to 3i,< the best bills with 2 or 3 months to run b'eihg then discountable in the market at2|to'3. On the 9th the bank further reduced the rate to 3 per cent, but the price in the market had then fallen to 2\, \. at which it still continues. Very large quantities of gold have been received during the past month, not only from you, but from Russia, the United States, and the West Indies, and the amount in the bank coffers has increased three quarters of a million, being now £17,951,041.