English Extracts. MEMOIR OF LORD MACAULAY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 3, Issue 133, 7 April 1860, Page 2

English Extracts. MEMOIR OF LORD MACAULAY.

It is ■with deep regret we announce the death of Lord Macaulay. This melancholy and unexpected event toot place at eight o'clock on Wednesday evening, the 28th December. Although for many years past Lord Macaulay' s health has not been good/yet up to. a fortnight ago, .when he had an attack arising from "disease of the heart, it had not been. ■ such aa to cause any personal anxiety to Hnißelf or his friends. However, on Friday last his lordship had so far ralliedfrom his attaok that ho appeared'again to have attained his usual state of h'e"aKh ; 'but subsequently a relapse took place, yfiich" terminated fatally, as we have above stated.

The noble baron was a son of Zachary Macaulay, well known for his exertions in company with Clarkson and Wilberforce in the cau3eofthe abolition of the slave trade. He was born at Eothley Temple, Leicestershire in 1800, and was consequently in his 59th year when he expired. Ihe-distin.-guished historian, after graduating with . high honor at Trinity College, Cambridge, was elected to. the Craven scholarship in 1821, and became a. fellow in the succeeding year. In 1126 he was called to the bar xn Lincoln's Inn. As early as 1824 he had given evidence of his literary talent by some poems contributed to various magazines, and in 1826, his essay on Milton, in tlie " Edinburgh Review," drew upon him the attention of the entire reading public. The leaders of the Whig party, in acknowledgment of his literary superiority, appointed Mr. Macaulay a commissioner of bankruptcy, and in 1830 he entered parliament as member for Calne. He afterwards became Secretary to the Board of Control, and entered with great spirit into the discussions on the Beform. Bill, defending the policy of the Grey ministry against all opponents. Having acquired an amount of parliamentary celebrity, Mr. Macaulay was returned with Mr. John Marshall as member for the newly enfranchised borough of Leeds. Two years after, to the disappointment of his constituents, the right honorable gentleman accepted an appointment in the Supreme Council of India. He enjoyed that lucrative post for three years, and on his return to England produced those well known and magnificent sketches of Lord Clive and Warren Hastings — due, no doubt, to the acquaintance with Indian officers he had acquired in Calcutta. In 1839 Mr. Macaulay accepted the office of Secretary at "War, and in 1840 was returned to parliament for the city of Edinburgh. At an earlier period of his life Mr. Macaulay had produced several choice ballads ; but now he tried his powers on a larger scale, and in 1842 gave to the world his " Lays of Ancient Rome." His essays, which had been previously published in America, were, in the following year, called ed into three volumes. It is needless here to notice the profound learning, the extent of information, and the surpassing eloquence which characterize these productions. It is believed that his latest contribution to the "Edinburgh" was the second part of his " Essay on Lord Chatham," which appeared in the autumn of 1844. At the restoration of the Whig party to power in 1846, Mr. Macaulay was appointed Paymaster of the - Forces, with a seat in the Cabinet. In consequence, however, of a serious disagreement between the honorable gentleman and his constituents, with regard to the Maynooth grant, the citizens of Edinburgh rejected him at the election of 1847j in favor of Mr. Cowan. This, which under ordinary circumstances might have been a subject of regret, must now be accepted as a matter oi' congratulation, for, untrammelled with the cares of public life, the honorable gentleman devoted his leisui-e to the grand project he had formed of writing a History of England. His past official life and his literary acquirements eminently fitted him for such a task. In 1849 the first two volumes of his " History of England " a.ppeared. Never, perhaps, was the reception given by the public to any work equal to that of these and the two latter volumes of the " History." In 1852 Mr. Macaulay and his former constituents of Edinburgh were reconciled ; he was spontaneously elected by them without himself taking a single step towards that object, and he continued their member until raised to the House of Lords in 1857.

In the introduction to his greatest work the author expressed a hope that he might be enabled to bring 'down the history of his country to a date within the memory of living men, but- unhappily this hope is very far from being realised. For some time it has been rumoured that the fifth and sixth volumes of the work were about to appear, but even with this history, the work of the noble author will be but a fragment after all. — Dublin Warder.

The last earthly honors were paid on January 9 to the remains of this great man. Escorted by the noblest and highest in the land, the body of Macaulay was left to mingle its dust with those who slumber in peace beneath "Westminster Abbey. Those who had the honor of assisting as pall bearers were, — The Lord Chancellor, Lord John Russell, the Dean of St. Pauls, Sir David Dundas, the Earl of Carlisle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Bishop of Oxford, Sir H. Holland, Sir G. C. Lewis, and Earl of Stanhope. Lord Macaulay's grave is close to the base of Addison's statue. — Some News.

Soldiers for New Zealand. — The Admiralty have taken up Hie stiip ' Nugget ' for the conveyance of 3 officers, 207 men, .14 women, and 19 children from the Thames to Auckland, N.Z., and 7 officers, 111 men, 3 women, and 2 children to Sydney, N.S.W. This vessel is to return from Auckland to England with a small detachment of Royal Engineers, not exceeding 28 men, on their being relieved.

Tbe " New Zealand Examiner " says : — " An engineering survey of New Zealand is about to be undertaken. This is with a view to extensive engineering works there. Capt. J". W. Gordon, R.E., is to command the expedition. The selection of suitable non-commissioned officers and men is now proceeding at Brompton Barracks, Chatham."

The " English Mail " says : — Intelligence has been received at the head quarters of the Royal Engineers, Chatham, that the officer selected by the authorities to command the expedition about to be despatched by the government to New Zealand is Capt. J. W. Gordon, R.E. The selection of non-commissioned officers and men who are to compose the expedition is now being made at the Royal Engineer establishment, Brompton Barracks. The Royal Engineers will be employed in making a careful survey of the whole island,, and in the various engineering works required to be undertaken for the improvement of that colony." • James Edward Fitzgerald Esq|&late Superintendent of the province of . 'Canter ptlry, and member of the New-Zealand Ministry, will preside, at the annual dinner to be held at ■ the Albion onthe 26th inst;, in commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of the landing of the first settlers in New South Wales.

On the evening of December 21, a complimentary dinner was giyen to Sir George Grey, X.C.8.,

governor of the Cape of Good Hope, at the London Tavern, where about 120 gentlemen, either former residents or commercially interested in the colony, assembled to greet him. The chair was occupied by Mr. Harrison Watson ; and amongst those present were Lord Keane, Sir Charles Fox, Mr. Russell, M.P., General Pringle Taylor, Sir Godfrey Thomas, Mr. W. Hawes, and others. . Messrs. Coleman, Pearson, & Co., were about shortly to despatch the screw steamer Victory, to re-inforce the fleet of inter-colonial steamers.