LONDON,

{ffROM THE DAILY TIMSS CORRESPONDENT ) 25th December, 1864. Gentle readers ! a Merry Christmas to you; "the homely phrase which needs no apology — success to your Exhibition ; and may the newyear be more prosperous to U3 all than the melancholy one, now being blotted out, has -proved. Your mail wns delivered on the 13fh and 22nd instant, but long before its arrival we were warned of discouracements. The escape of the Maori prisoners, and their hostile demeanor ; the inevitable proloutration of the war; the antagonism of colonial ideas with those Imperial ; the resignation of the Fox Ministry; the unpopu larity of the Governor; these are all grievous subjects, and the consequences hanging; to them are fraught with incalculable danger. Earnestly, therefore, tlo we look for another miil «ith some -cheering intelligence, for Parliament assembles February 7th, and, from what occurred last session, it's pretty certain that New Zealand affairs will take precedence ; ihu», a discussion at home ■under the present aspect would be mott painful. Meantime we hope for better tiding, and lonpr to see the Colouy in a fair way of doinar well. Bat we cannot understand why, with 20,000 solJiers at his back, Sir George Giey allows an insignificant fractious hand to set him at • eflsnce, unless indeed it be that the natives sire what a certain f-en-timentaiity persists in regarding them, some thine more than human. It is Mle, howf-ve^, to lose valuable time diseasing who is re-ponsible for this, for native inmagpment in general, or for -the present war ; the continuance of hostilities is destructive ia the fullest sense of the term and must be pvoperly put an end to. Btifish sovereignty is repudiated, our supremacy laughed to scorn; and it now plainly comes to this, who is the strongest 1 It is suggested here that some resolute soldier, one accustomed to deal with diffi cult countries and savage warfare, should have supreme command, with instructions to bring the conflict to the speediest posMble md and secuie thereby a lasting peace ; for it seems that we must either conquer the Maoris or relinquish the Noithern island. And now for home news, whi'-h, as usual, ia full of doubt, mystery, and peril. Italy is again quiet, and accept* the Convention by large majorities ia both Houses. King, Parliament, and People are at one ; the document is signed by the high contracting parties and within two months Turin will be a province and Floienco the capital of the new kingdom ; within two years will foreign soldit-rs quit thsunny land, and the Pope be left alone with his wayward children in the h*!l ot the Caesars. Such is the present programme; the will of Bonaparte is the law of the nation, and the future may look daik or brie lit according to fancy. Meantime, brigandage receives its deal h blow ; the legislative chamber^ are far removed from dangerous onslaughts whether by France or Austria, and an opportunity offers to reduce that large and disproportioued army which is s, > rapidly eating into the country's vitals. Pius XI. leaves off howling ; Garibaldi's impatient Voice i 3 hushed ; the j arty of action abstain from useless opposition ; the French idea is mi fait accompli ; and true patriotism admits it as a boon to distiacced Italy. .No doubt much yet remains for achievement, but the disordered finances h>>ve now a chance of recovery, whilst the nation's resources will be s eadily developed, and (with Rome thus se'ured) should the hope' of a peaceful acquisition of Venetia be frustrated, the time will come when a successful assault on the bristling Quadrilateral may beiea^onably anticipated independently of any foi eigu aid — thus we say to the brave Italians, let jcalo^y anl pnjudicegive way to reason and patience, and a hopeful future is before them. The l>anish question has sown the seeds ofdiscord, which giow fast and ripen into fiuit. Bisxnarck recently ordered the Federal troop? to evacuate the coveted Duchies, when Austria, chafing at so long playiug second fiddl- to her greedy ally, showed signs of supporting the Diet in resistance, and tilings looked serious! but witer counsels prevaiU-d ; the Federals were driven oat, and told not to interfere with the destination of Prussian c inquest" ; and now Pru*so-Austro Commissioners hold the Duchies iv trust for the rightful owner, whoever he may bo. A little time will suffice to show how 'tis to end ; annexation to Piu=sia most likely, for King William pretends to have discovered a title to them. The Danish Schleswigers addre-s their late Sovereign in ditmal tone ou the separation, as th^y find themselves transferred sans ccremonie trom the mill rule of Uenmaik to the heavy taxation and tjrannical bureaucracy of cruel Prussia. Austria is naturally dissatisfied and uneasy, but, bankrupt in friends as in money, she cannot well help hersrlf; whilst the Prussian people are bribed for their complicity in this European crime by the luxury of success over a defenceless enemy,_ Bismarck laughing in his sleeve at any patriotic allusion to the country's former position of sconstitutional kingdom. The Corporal Kins has just had another glorification in the return of a portion of his victorious army from the glorious fields of Duppel and Alsen ; the most was made of the opportunity, and Berlin was en Jeic for the nonce ; but he is mistaken ii he thinks by this and other trickery to divert the wrath of his loving Germans from -the violation of his Divine oath, and the outrages on law and constitution aireaiy committed by himself and his man Friday. On the opinion of Europe, it is well-known that Mr William sets small store, and in his domestic grandeur we leave Mm. The King of Greece ha* accepted and sworn to respect the new Constitution ; a thing winch, if it's as proper as it's long, will prove a very marvel — however, for good or for evil, there it is: Sovereign and people respectively know their duties, and will perhaps be inclined to attend to them — their home-made troubles have hitherto bsen a curse to the rest of Europe ; and as they have had the benefit of a good sttoag helping 1 hand in the hour of need, we humbly pray they'll think fit at last to behave respectably. The Bey of Tunis is again at war with his rebel chi fiam- ; whiltt Algeria receives more soldiers irom the French ports, which is tolerably conclusive that all the Arabs are not yet slaughtered or otherwise pacified— but public faith, is Btrongin the powers that be ; M'Mahoa says he'll yet fulfil his niisain, and France believes it. Accounts from Mexico give a defeat of the Imperial forces by Alvartz, r*ov. 13; the victorious General being on the march, to Acapulco ; bnt the intelligence comes via New York, and is probably of little moment, as only a few days back the first detachment of the French army returning from Mexico, (about 700 men) arrived in Paris, and they report the new Empire as perfectly con-

valescenb. Captnin Semmes also turns up in Mexiro, en route for Richmond, in hopes the President maj i c able to find him a snug berthon board another Alabama. Napoleon the Third has lost a staunch friend and right hand man. His private secretary Moi guard. has died at 73, after long and devoted service,, not only to ■' the nephrw of his uncle," but e»en to the great Napoleon I. The Emperor U full of grief and woe on hia calamity, and will take no concern in things mundane until the usual day arrives for " Sir Oracle" to tell the world its fate. Come le jour de Van and we perchance may know w«at the mighty potentate intei^ to do with us all : disarmament is expected to be the tnot-cCordre issued to Europe (indeed it's reported that l(X),000 Italian soldiers are already sent to their homes) -and if, in addition, he only asks us all once more to meet him in friendly chat in his little parlor we cannot be too grateful ; " Congress or war" were his ominous words on a former occasion, and we don't want to hear them repeated. To pay truth European politics bewilder the wisest just now. and it's hardly safe to deal in guesses ; the Holy Alliance seems to have died out prematurely ; Russia is barely half-pleased with Germanic performances; Prussia and Austria display Muht but loveable tendencies ; and as for the minor t"tato.», tln-y are grumbling with themselves and everybody else. These things are truly perplexing, and Ar^us-eyes are looking to the Tuillcries for explanation. In his own good time will th>silent mm solve us a problem or two, and Isurope perforce must wait. Mr D-»yton, the United State? Minister, has died suddenly in Paris, and his remains are on their way to New York lor interment. Charle* Stephen Conti, a Cor^iean lawyer and poH, is appomtel to succeed M. Mocquard in the d-"licjte post of Private Secretary to the Kmperor. Madrid ia trembling under the evil influences of finance, St. Dominso and Peru, and Spanish affairs are ia confusion. The bl&cks and their climate h^ve vanquished the Don, and Ministers in v-iin advise their Queen to relinquish an unhealthy Province obtained three years ago by fraud and chicanery. It's quite plain that the colony cannot be held, and as Bourronism won't see it, Ministers resisnj not even Marvaez dare lend his sanction to the iniquitoue design* of Isabella, and Her Mo-t Catholic Majesty must now give wiy 'ere worse comes of it; for it is not by aegressive acts on Dominicans and Peruvians th*»t Spain may mount to h^r former eminence as a great power; and fortunately, the Spaniards for once speak out like kones-t men, France a>id England talk of acknowledging the Black imcors as belligerents • if so, we may expect to be punished for our temerity by a r>rolo7igation in the settlement of our claims on Spanish bonds. The picture of Polish mi-cry and Russian barbarism one would think already presents contrasts suffieieutly rtmiikable without additions; and A <jt, in Warsaw is held a grand celebration commemorating the anuiversaiy of De Berg'j miraculous escape from a vio'erit death at the bands of outraged nationality. We are a«ked by an eloquent writer to imagine the gratula'ions of flm world to the cruel Nero b^eau-e, in burninir Home, he singed not bis imperinl locks. All very well was that far an (indent Crmar ; but wp of modern taster venture to dei>lore the wretched state of a'^jeet Poland, and could easily dispense with this Te Dcum and Non N'dbbf, at which all who are yet permitted to breathe their native air are commanded to glorify their ruthless enemy, at the sirae time that widows and orphans are sternly prohibited from exhibiting the slightest sign of grief for stranded kinsfolk. A shocking scandal comes from Turkey. A married dau2htev of the late ?ultan jealous of her husband's attentions to ladve f*ir, cn*s oft the offending beautj's head, and has it dished np for the sumptuous repast of faithUss spouse — But the tale is too horrid to be continued ; fit only for the Arabian Nights or similar entertain inents— and fortunately, whilst at ray labors, ilown comes telegram with the agreeable news that, after going the rounds of the Kuropean press, the whole fa'e is a fiction. What punishment is in store for its luckless author, we have yet to learn. Lincoln's unhrppy Message to Congress was delivered 6th imt. ; and -\a might have been expected, his policy is " War and Emancipation" — in his own choice language, he ha« " put his foot down," and, until the rebel= yield, he will not budge an inch unless thrust a.M<3e by some superior power. He <ays the resources of the nation in men, material and money, are unexhausted, and lC arch lievedtobeinexhausfible ;" thata loan of 80 millions sterling will be e-ffee'ed for immediate purposes — that slavery, nlreadv abolished by proclamation, will be forthwith aboH-*'ed by Cod Kress— that the questions at issue admit of no parley ; they can he tried only by war, and decided only by victory. Thus all hopes of peace are dis°ipated, and to the God of battles is consigned the mortal question 'twixt the North and South. There is certainly a total absence of threats to foreign countres which is so far pleasant to us all ; but a confident tone pervades the address in no way justified by the fortune of war or financial prospects; aod we can fancy that the President knows what a mess the Union is in, for, to make sure of raising the wind, he proposes to issue a species of " Alsatian bonds," ie., he invites the people to lend money to the State after the fashion of the Credit mobile, but with this comfortable difference, that the securities given for advances shall for all time take precedence of others, as regards payment of interest, and be exempt from taxation and from apy legal process whatsoever; in fact, these pre cious bonds are licenses grantel by the State, whereby a citizen may lend all his money to the country on good interest, then run into debt and defy the whole le^al inachinf-ry of the nation to extract a penny from him. Truly Father Abra ham bid 3 high for the almighty dollar, and will duubtless, by this novel dodre, get ifc. America indorses Lincoln's re-election and his policy by military movements on a scale which may be termed gigantic, even as applied to such a people. Bach party seftlps down to the dreary and exterminating conflict with a dogged and i unswerving resolution worthy of a better cause, a resolution which admits of no despondency ; and < thus fhe^ tragedy deepens and the war increases i ia atrocity. Even the rigours of wintpr may not 1 stop the slaughter ; and whilst the boast of the i North is that they have men enough snd to sp^re, i the Southern aristocracy condescend to fight in t the same ranks with the negro, and Jeff. Davis 1 calls on every citizen between the ages of 16 and i 55 +o rorae into the shambles and win their inde- 1 pendence. Meanwhile Lee continues to burl i back Ulysses Grant and bi9 hordes, and still holds \ his stubborn ground ia Virginia. Hood fights t hard for Southern ascendancy in Tennessee ; and c the whole State of Georgia ia inarms to confront c

' the audacious Sh-rman, who, after convertma: Atlanta Into a rain, suddenly disappears, and i with 50,000 men s arts for Savannah, a rugged journey of 300 milps, with Beauregard and Co. at ' his heels ; large armies are sent to intercept him 7 atevery point oa hia mysterious march ; and if 1 this Yankee Bherman ia not something more than t the great Corsican Bonaparte ever was, we may ' yet hear of another disastrous retreat reminding ' us of Moscow and its horrors 5 The Florida has like her pister the Alabama, 1 come to an untimely end in the Hampton roads ? she was accidentally run into and sent to the ' bottom ; some folks say 'twas aught but an t accident ; any way it saves Lincoln the nauseous > trouble of eating humble pie -he has now only to 1 apologise at Bahia and punish his subordinate ; > but the Kearsacje and W'achusptts have lately 1 paraded at New York, the Yankees makinjr ; much of their two naval heroes who had done so ! much service to the State ; and the chances are ! that the sinning ciptain will have his epaulettes torn oft and be degraded to the rank of an admiral. In dia sends tin quiet news —the quarrel amongst i the Royal Affghins l^oks serious; Bokhara's ■ King 1 , with all the western Chiefs an-l Khans. 1 resolve to ciwtise the cruel \meer of Cabool for ' his treachery to brother ; the whole country 1 is astir and bristles with glt-aming pike and • sabre; native blood ia up, aod nothing but ! restoration of imprisoned princ? to liberty and inherit mcc can «aye his wicked Majesty from J assault and battery, or, as it may befal, dethronement and capitation ; Persia too takes part in ' this ; and Ru^ia again shews her teeth and 1 snarls at the British bull dog on fjuard at our 1 frontiers. News likewi-e comes of ur>re cyclones * sweeping away *he wealth of whole districts and '■ causing the deaths of thousands ; in addition to which, the extensive cultivation of cotton ' shortens the cereal crops, and as the dry season 1 has brought a f-dlure in necessaries, something akin to famine is anticipated. The ' Bhootan field force, in four columns, under General MulcisW, lm started on its mis sion of retribution : and considering the in1 hospitable nature of the country and the people ' to whom our gallant sons are consigned, we ; anxiously look for a safe return from the perilous 1 venture. We hear also of Russian surceas in Khokand, which is p'ooably not of universal interesf, yet may be alluded to a3 evidencing the fact of ttie conqueror's steady advance in th° Kast; hence th.6 query, how long will it be ere the British possessions in India are seriously threatened by the en^rcy ruling at St. Petershuru ; an energy which, commencing with the ereat Peter, lus increased in force under almost every succeeding Tzar. Verily we ha^e need of John Lawrence and all his vidlance. Herculean labors are cast on his good broad shoulder-, and we can only hope he proves equal to the burthen. General M Clellan, no longer " the young Napoleon," fully appreciating his c >un'ry*s gratitude, resigns his commissior* and retires from public life; but he lias shown him-elf a viliant warrior and a modest statesman, and if he is heard of on some future occasion we shall none of U'feel much surprised. A conspiracy to burn New York was only ju3t discovered in time to save the Empire city; four different places were blazing simultaneously ; and the Executive, calling it a rebel plot, take advantage thereof to the extent of requiring ail parties suspected of Southern proclivities to register their names and addresses immediately or be treated as spies. The lawle-« conduct of certain refugees in Canada is al-o officially noticed : and the British Government is infoirned that the reciprocity treaty is to terminate in tit months, and that the American naval force ou lake^ Erie and Ontario will be increased this may or may not be preliminary to aggression oa the Monroe •ioitrine, but "forewarned is forearmed v as the sayiuc: goes, and the incident will receive due attention. Japan seems reduced to reason, and Rutherford Alcoek m ster of the situation ; our late brush with the enemy in the Straits acain humbles iv the uust those bumptious prince* ; p.ud the Tycoon is so pleased at our thraslunir his bullies and thereby restoring his authority that, on discovering the indemnity was not paid to us, he ordered master Negato to be stripped of his titles, hn palaces to be burnt, and all his people to be killed ; this summary process brings refractory nabobs to their Eeuses: the Daimios are canimanded to resume their residence at Yeddo, and th*y are now convinced that our Armstrongs cau reach them from the shore and teach them propriety in '•especting trea'y rights, tfilk comes to the market in abundauce, trade i 3 thrown open to the foreigner; and we are recouped all expenses of the war. Non-intervention is a very erand thing to talk about, but by helping in Japan ti stop the swaggering of two-sworded swash, bucklers ; and in China to scatter the Taepings and put tha Tartar dynasty on its legs, much is 'lone for comme r ce, and the industry of the far East is for all comers. H.M. guii boats Hardy and Staunch have had a cruise in search of pirates, and succeeded in destroying five junks; they were also fortunate in rescuing a captive merchantman and savingthe lives of all on board, bound hand and foot, ready lor slaughter. It's quite clear from these achievements how easy 'twould be to free tiie China seas of the abominable scoundrels now in-f-sting them; and it is most unaccountable that vigorous action is not taken to that end. The Belfast riots have undergone a discussion, which lasted some time. It is very difficult iv Ireland to collect criminatory evidence respecting faction fights ; at present the high-classed culprits manage to keep in the back ground, and there's au evident disposition ia some quarters to smooth over this atrocious afliir— but if the Commission has done its duty, her M»josty's authority will be placed in more worthy hands, and turbulent processions be deprived of their blood-thirsty organisation. There are sad doings amongst our juvenile aristocrats ; but in hopes of their inclining to better ways, two of them only shall be mentioned here —one shall be the Marquis of Queensberry, the other Lord Clinton, second pou of our friend Newcastle, deceased. These young bloods were officers ia the R.N., attached to H.M S. Kdgar, and played such pranks as ultimately hi ought them before Courts martial. Queensberry promised to be a good boy, and escaped with severe admonition; but Clinton. Is dismissed from the service with ignominy. Of course 'twas their high birth alone which saved them from more degrading punishment; and whilst we lament the trifling significance held by some people as appertaining to the term "officer and gentleman," we rejoice that in these days even the very great are amenable to society for their delinquencies, as a warning to others of their class.

The gale on the northern coast alluded to last month was terribly destructive ; 26 lives were lost with the Stanley ; the Dundee Bteamer Oalhausie sank off the Fife coas-t, crew and passengers numbering 27, all lost ; the Floating Light, from Horn bay, went down with all hands • many more casualties were annouaced, and dead bodies were for weeks afterwards continually being washed ashore. Although prepared for tales of ship wreck at this season, the accounts received from all quarters malce up more than the average. In South Staffordshire reason resumes its sway and demagogues loss their baneful influence • a large majority of the colliers have returned' to their labors at the reduced wage, and others give token of falling in speedily— thus coa 1 is again in the market: the '• black country" is at peace; soldiers aud policemen are relieved from onerous duties of watch and ward ; and the dark winter is lightened of much prospective misery. Lawlessness unhappily prevailed, and it was found necessary to punish with imprisonment twenty of the rioters; indeed crime is rife in England, and few of us can recollect a time when so unny cases of magnitude were requiring judicial investigation. We have been horrified with another railway collision in Blackbeath tunnel ; six poor creatures killed and numbers grievously maimed. Gross carelessness was again the cause, and wld st the present system of doing business ru'ea, we shall |' av c to endure a frequency of these tragedies. To the non exhibition of caution-signals, insufficiency of hand-, and want '>f punctuality, may be attributed 19 out of every 20 railway disaster*; and Government is cilled upon to save the Queen's lieges from their iron-hearted carriers. Tue Yelvertou ca*e has been once more in the Scotch Courts, where poor Theresa endeavored to stay the _ application of the Lords' judgment by the admission of fresh evidence ; this was overruled, and her only hope for justice now remains in putting her lover-hu baud on his oath, according to Caledonian precedent, but the antecedents of this 3a>jor-domo give but small hopes of any good re-ulting from further inquiry : a gentleman who could so behave will scarcely Dlush under a viva voce examination in a Scotch law court. Dr Colen?o's appeal against the decision of the Cape Town Bishop was hew! before the Judicial Committee of the P/ivy Council, 14th inst. The status of the Church in the colonies and o'her grave que-tions are involved in this appeal ; and whet h«r it rests with the Crowu or the Synod to disrobe the heretio has to he determined, At present Colon«o 3 ems at tin mercy of three South Africans of the lawn, one of them not even a suffragan of Cape Town, and if barred from appealing to the Sovereign he stands in a worse portion thaa a humble priest befo-e the Reformation. He disputes the jurisdiction of Dr Gray, and Gray disputes the jurisdiction of the Crown; aud in spite of his sins Culer^o has the public sympathy, but it i 3 a very long tale pro and con tor the lawyers, and many h»avy fees w 11 change hands ere it comes to an end. The irgumeafc on sonieof the issues closed on the 19th, andjud"rueut isrsservei. ° Earl Derby's long promisad literary contribution, despite gout and other ailment?, is before the world. Although in the Tory school, his lorlship is one of England's best men— his boundless chariry and eminent ability render him extremely popular, and if his recent production be not universally admitted the very best representation of Homers Iliad in the English language, it' 3 still an open question ; any way it certainly 13 a wonderfal performance for an invilid political chief. Mechanics' Institutes, working men's clubs, ami middle el jss education, have lately been the theme of our unemployed M.P.'s and Cabinet .Ministers— the graud de-ideratum is to wean our artisans from pothouse influence?, albeit the talent and benevolence of the British Isles fail as yet to discover the secret. Ho*v can we expect to find men, already weary with toil, disposed for well meaning lectures and the stiii pedantry of precise and formal reading rooms 1 - a pipe and a pint are the wants of the evening; 'and such things, wiih others too numerous to mention, must be taken into account in legislating for the better condition of the sons of labor. Progress is making for the establishment of a Welsh University. L 50,000 is being raised by private surx-ciiprio!i preparatory to au application ior as-istaaee from the Legislature. This is not a movement for the conservation of the Welsh tongue, but to give our fri-nds the advantages of a seat of learning ia their inid-t, and of which it must be admitted thpy are tully deserving. The pneumatic railway for letters and parcels is beins lai I underground iroin Kuston Square to tLe General Post Office in ct. Martin's le Grand, and is intended for adoption throughout the metropolis; it ia now being phced along Holborn, its mammoth iron tubes and other novelties attracting much attention— ia fact science takes such giaut strides that the innocent mind is fl ibbergasted, and durst not speculate on the upshot of it all. What to do with the mighty traffic of this modern Babylon i* a poser to ail in authority over vs — true the improvements contemplated will benefit us vastly at some distant day, but the relief prayed is urgent; more outlets are wanted, and an experiment is being tried with Smlhwark bridge, which is taken on a six months' lease by the Corporation, and thrown open to the public. Your readers may recollect the ugly structure th<it was built 50 years ago byapiivare Company, cost with its approaches LG60,000, and has never yet paid a dividend to the shareholders. The City offer to buy it right out for a quarter of a million, and if the unhappy Company are not quite driven mad by their losses they'll accept, and we shall have another free bridge. Unsightly as it was previously, it's now in full favour, for whereas it is crowded daily at the present writing, yet up to withiu the last few weeks it was like unto some New Zealand sc:ub where the fooc of white men had never trod. Town sewage is up in the market. That which for many years was the fruitful thame of angry discussion, and with one voice voted a nuisance, is now a commercial luxury. The Sheffield Council memorialise Government to introduce a Biil prohibiting its discharge into streams and rivers, urging how easily it can be made to pay for its own removal. It is worse than useless in a river, and is moneys worth elsewhere. Metropolitau eewage is a* this moment a subject of fierce controversy with the London Corporation and the Government Board of Works. It is being conveyed by gigantic workings to BarkingCreek and ifrkh, ana is computed at the annual value of two millions sterling, a sum worth fighting for, aud which the city magnates will not loss without a struggle. Clifton suspension bridge is at last a reality. Tha counties of Gloster and Somerset are now united by this beautiful broad span across the 1 Avon. More thaa a hundred years agone did one

Aldermen Tick see the importance of this, and Toy his will he left the needful, bnt the sluggish Corporations of Bristol have hitherto combined to delay the measure and fritter away the substance. Human devices, however, have their limit : the Hungerford chains were transplanted, snd the West of England now boasts of an ornament and convenience which must prove a vast attraction to the magnificent scenery of the locality. The Great Eastern lies in the Medway, and next week she receives the first instalment of the Atlantic cable, which is to stretch from the West Coast of Ireland to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, a distance of 1640 nautical miles. To allow for contingencies, 2300 miles of cable will be taken out by the big ship, and the laying down -will commence in the spring. Start when she may <Joi speed will be the parting salute. Franz Miiiler being fettled, the next difficulty ■was how to distribute the reward ; finally it all goes to Matthews, the cabman. He was certainly a chum of the murderer, but then 3JO goldeu sovereigns are very tempting, and a le£s sum before now has bought and sold much better men. However that may be, Mr Cabby oweH. divers monies to divers people, and his merciful creditors had loDg ceased prosecuting him, not caring perhaps to throw good coin after bad ; but when it was decided the reward was his, down they came upon him and put him into gaol. And thus tbe blood-nionpy will not. after all, be much of a burden to Mr M. But t'je German's criminality was a trump card to our Jehu's creditors nevertheless.

The Marquis of Bute's 17th natal has besn celebrated in Glamorganshire with almost regal splendour, and no wonder, for when rhe boy-pser comes of age he tumbles into a heap of ready cash which, if fairly told will count two million pounds ; and this, besides a mile or two of docks and wharves at Cirdiff. It is to be hoped his guardians will prepare him for this freak of fortune, lesl his brain grow dizzy with the Glittering pile. What he mpans to do with it is a problem for the curious, aid a stud? for the mammas of Belgravia.

Christmas Day falling on the Fabbitb, a general holiday on the 26th will, so far as the urgency of public business permits, be granted. In numerous instances the workiog man's holiday is extended until Wednesday ; and altogether it is endeavored to adapt the femve season to the requirements of all classes. Christmas weathc is net now "as it ured to be" ; the gooi hird frost is an exception, and skaters have nearly lost their vocation. But let the atmospheric* chop and change as they list, the true born English;? man recognises Yule ti'.'e and enjoys himself accordingly. The Queen and juveniles are doing a quiet Christmas ai Osborne, to which place the customary royal baron of beef has been sent from Windsor to grace Her Majesty's sideboard— cut snd come again, being the order of the day. The Prince and Princess of Wales, not quite so demurely, are at S .ndringbam, all amongst the famous Norfolk turkeys. Prince Alfred having passed scientific degrees in Edinbro' toon, nnd completed his nautical education — having visited every quarter of the elohe except your 81 fifth," aud earnere-1 a decent stock ot worldly ken, foregoes the prospective honor which was awarded to Harry Bluff, wh°n " the colors of Old England he nailed to the mast.' 1 He no longer sports his own true blue, but retires to a snng berth at Bonn, there to study German lore amidst the Burschen, Inger befr, kneip 1 ? and schlager of the locality. And if this vaviei l"gie maketh not an accomplished prince, there e-\n be no hope even for the second son of good Queen Victoria.

The cittle show, for nnny yeir3 held in Baker street, now removed t> Islingtou, has been our monthly feature, and the Agricultural Hall, vast a3 it il,i 1 , cou d barely provide good accommodation for man and beavt. Without discussing porcine beiuty or the meri s of f j .t stock — of Ions: legs or short horn3— of facc3 black. speckled, or white -of rich shaggy fleece, orth't of hempen quality — 'tis enough to know that the very be3t beef and mutton is provided for our *'ungod!ie3 M by the plliest of farmers ond ihe proudest of aristocrats, and that our- wool is improving every year. This accession to the Cockney element has helped to fill our theatres, advantage being taken, whilst the ''young man from the country" is wi h us, to recite short addresses every evening in aid of the workm n'» Sh=ikspere monument, which at length promise -. success.

The last fortnight has been principally occupied with benefits, and now forth comes the j »lly pantomime, which is this year to outdo its former self (an annual a hievernent, by the way, although Joey Grimaldi has been clean dead ever sine 1 Tom Matthews lost his prime) ; however, if ■scenery c^in <ati-fy us, we shall have nought to complain of. On Boxing night, 23 theatte■within a three mile radius of St Paul's, will " ope their portals'' to the admiring gaze of some 50.C0J pleasure seekers, and for many weeks to come managers will carry on a roaring trade. Brothers Davenport catch critical pepper, but they persevere, and despite the aseptics abounding, obtain large audiences at figures ranging from ashillinsr to a guinea ; each seance is patronised by notables of the land, and whilst curiosity lasts the professors nourish, prognosticating " the nltiraate triumph of spiritualism over the ignorant opposition of a riba'd press " They were enlightening and mystifying the yokels the other ■day in the north, and a golden guinea is a stifn&h price to pay for such humbug, at least so thought a Newcastleman, who tried his luck at the County Court to get back his coin — " fools and their money are soon parted," quoth the judge— nonsuit accordingly. Donato, a one-legged dancer, has created a sensation at Berlin ; the capers he cuts from necessity on his solitary pin are marvellous, and already bring rivals into the field- shameless rascals who might be content to hop on the two forks which kind providence gives them, without taking the bread from the mouth of an afflicted brother chip— but so it is— the "one leg" performance i 3 to be our pantomimic novelty, but which ia the " real simon pure" 'twill puzile a conjuror to tell.

ChaS. Kean and wife are doing the extraordinary in California, and, if all is gold which glitters there, will nntn r t bp anxious to see England ■within the allotted 12 months - come when they may, they'll be trebly laden with wealth and, on the principle of greasing the fat sow, their fare■well benefits here are sure to be bumpers. America for some time yet must be a land of giants fighting for hearth and home, independence and union, and can fiud no room for pigmies, so they are sent to Europe for an airing, ■with, capacious carpet bags to receive any quantity of English sovereigns, or Continental thaleis

and napoleons— hence ia this blessed land of liberty '' the cry is still ♦hey come" ; last month we had i'the General"— and now Commodore Nutt, aeed 20. is the London star; scarcely bigger than aix pen'orth of ha'pence, he can dance a hornpipe like T. P. Cooke, he " plays on the fiddle like an angel," and works such marvels on the mimic stage that, with Minnie Warren's help and the powerful aid of friend Tom, wife, and babby, he drsgs the metropolis at hi* chariot wheels. The interesting group exhibit at tbe Crystal palace ; they scamper about town in their liiliputian carriage drawn by four quadrupeds to match; we have nature's smallest edition of her choicest works, }»nd 'tis a wondrous sight. Then as a make- weight, we have M. Brice, a French giant, measuring eight good fett in his stoukiugs, and when ha enters into partnership with Columbia's dwarfs we shall indeed have something worth our money. Margaret Douglas, the Australian she-ped, has completed her thousand mile affair at Liverpool to the satisfaction of all parties except those cynical sportsmen who backed old time agiinst I lovely woman. Talking of thousands, there's to be a bill'aid match played ia London, 100) up for 1000 soys. ; prelim-nary mystery invariably accompanies the snnoucement of tall matches ; conpequently we are ignorant yet of names and I dates; but truly we are a great people, and ecen in the champion's absence can get up such sport |as this. Whilst bu«y with large figures you may as well know that John Jackson (Jock of Fairfield), the leviathan book maker, wbo succeeded Mr Davis, the Al in that line o" business, has purchased Blair Athol for 7500 guineas, the largest c um ever yet paid for a race horse ; and that L9OOO has pince been offered and refused for this wonderful s^n of B ink Bonny. Old Bob Coombe's son David ha« just beaten Kilsbv of London in a L2OO race, from Putney to Mortlake ; and such a familiar name associated with victory sounds pleadingly to onr grate r ul Cockueya. Time 25 minutes, 19 sees. Karl Carlisle is dead, and in him we lo<e one of the prides of Great Britain : without those glaring talen s of statesmanship and oratory which lift some men above their fellows, he was the very pink of an educated eentleman, and had all the kindliness of an English nobleman which we priz? so inurh ; his arduous duties in Dublin's vice-r^gal cbair, endeavoring to conciliate the Irish character, told on a weekly constitution, and he died at Castle Howa-d, sth instant, amongst his idolising tenantry, regretted by a1!a 1 ! who knew him, in his 63rd year. 1 avid Roberts, R.A. died 25'h ins*, aged 67he hailed from the Laud o' cakes, and was fellow pupil with WiH<ie, Allan and other Scotch worthies, In 1820 he retired from his humble occupation of journeyman house painter, and two years aft'rwarJs commenced his successful career at scene painting with Clarkson Stansfi Id- he delighted some of us now living with our first ta*te of the grand and the beautiful in the | Cataract of the Ganges at old Drury, and attained full honors at the Hoyal Academy in 1841. Deservedly respected in private life, his fame as an artist was second to none. Jules Gerard, the famous lion hunter, is reported drowned whilst fording an African river in pursuit of hia favorite game ; he was a French «oldier, aa;ed 47, and by this accident the king of the forest loses a deadly enemy. Hudson Gurney has died in his 91th year, remarkable, amongst other things, as the acknowledged father of the Broadbrims, also for his extensive benevolence, his position as a partner in Karchy, Perkins and Co's entire, and his fortune of two or three milli )ns sterling. Robert R^nsome, the i-ead of the Ipswich Steim Ploughing firm is also dead; his age was 68. The Dauntless 13 to have ihzblin, 29th iast , wioh 400 emigrants for Auckland ; and on sth February the Canterbury will sail from London with 450, also for Auckland— both ship^ under the suspic?s of the New Zealand Emigration Board. I London, 25th December. It commercial phraseology money is tight, and all nations a r e on the borrowing tack. Consols have dropped a^aiu be'ow 90— the latest quotation being 89}. Bank rate of discount, 5h per cent for first-class paper. From New York, 14h Dec, we hear of Sherman within a few miles of Savannah, his array j drawn up in line of batt'e and opposed by a strong Confederate force ; other accounts say that he was losated in a miserable swamp, completely surrounded by the enemy, and t itally without suppiifs A battle imminent b.tween Grant and Lee. Gold, 136J- premium. News from Caoe of Gool Hops, 20th Nov., states that Governor Wodohouse had decided his arbitration in favor of the Fr<.e State claims; that the Basutos were arming to resist the decision ; and that it was feared the colony would be imolved in a quarrel. Another large shipload of enrgrants were about leaving Table Bay for New Zealand. Some of the French troops are reported as quitting Rome. The brigands to be immediately expeiled from their lurking places in the Eternal City. The German States aie resolving to resist the influence of Austria and Prussia as regxrds the settlement of the Du.'hies and other important matters affectina the Bun.i. It is proposed to divide Germany iuto three powers, viz.— Austria, Prussia, and the Middle States. Narvaez goesback to the Ministry, and Spanish affairs are patched up. The Queen in a lachrymose speech is indignant at French and English sympathy with tha niggers ; and expresses Royal iears on the unsatisfactory finance and probable decline of Spain just as she was getting into the front rank.