ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 176, 27 May 1864, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL

GENERAL SUMMARY. London, March 2G. The Australian January Mails were delivered in Loudon on the 13 th and 18th March. The Queen’s health was much improved, and she was present at the christening of the infant son of the Prince of Wales on the 10th of March. The Prince of Wales held two levees, and the Princess of Wales a drawing-room on behalf of her Majesty on tlie. 19rh March. The Duke of Newcastle was suddenly seized with illness, and, for some time, his life was despaired of. The Parliamentary session before Easter was characterized by more violent and more disgraceful personalities tnan have ever before been known. The Ministers lay all the blame on the Opposition. According to reports the excitement in the House of Commons was at one time so great that a display of pugilism was anticipated. This arose through Mr. Stansfield, a member of the Ministry, being assisting Mazzini in conspiring to assassinate the Emperor of the French, x he tone of the debate in winch these personalities took place induced Mr. Stansfield to tender his resignation, which, however, Lord Palmerston refused to accept. The order of the Bath has been conferred on Commodore Sir William Wiseman, Cap-

tain Sullivan, R.N., and Lieut.-Col. Gamble, all on the New Zealand station. Sir Rowland Hill lias retired from the Secretaryship of the Post Office, and his salary of £2,000 per annum is to be continued to him for life The Assistant-Secretary is the new Post-master-General. The removal of the mail packet station from Southampton to Falmouth will be brought under discussion during the present session of Parliament. The mail service between Galway and America has been suspended. The Great Eastern has been chartered for the conveyance of the new Atlantic cable. It is currently reported that the new French Steam Company intend running powerful steamers between Galle and Sydney, and it is also reported that the Peninsular and Oriental Company intend reducing their fares and freights 25 per cent. On March the 11th, at midnight, a great reservoir of the Sheffield Water Company, one mile and a quarter long, and a quarter mile broad, and 80ft. deep, suddenly burst its embankments, and rushed down a narrow gorge into Sheffield itself, sweeping away bridges, mills, houses, and everything in its way ; upwards of 250 persons were drowned and it is estimated that the value of property destroyed reaches £2,000,000 sterling, The coroner's jury returned a verdict that sufficient attention had not been given to the durable construction of the works. Great distress now exists in Ireland. The harbours are crowded with emigrants seeking passages to Cork, although that city contains 100,000 paupers, half of them women, and the rush still goes on. Ten men have been convicted at Cork for illegal military train. The distress in England amongst the labouring classes is rapidly decreasing. 9,000 clergymen of the Church of Eng laud signed the Oxford Declaration Paper, and many others are openly subscribing for the defence of Bishop Colenso in the proceedings instituted against him by the Bishop of Cape Town. £I,OOO has been already collected. , In the appeal case from New South Wales Osborne v. Eales, the Privy Council decided in favour of the respondent. The Argus and Jockey Club case has resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff, damages Is. The Jockey Club stewards, by this decision, can thus exclude whom they please from Newmarket Heath. The University Boat Bace was won by Oxford, beating Cambridge by 12 boats’ lengths. The Prince of Wales was present. The Earl of Westmoreland has accepted a wager of £I,OOO that he transmits messages by horses and jockeys within our hour (V where). Lady Don is a passenger per Suffolk, to Melbourne. Chambers and Kelly are to compete in June for the Championship of the Thames. Transportation to Western Australia is to be continued ; meanwhile the inhabitants are much divided on the question. Memorials and counter memorials for and against transportation being actively canvassed. The expenses of the New Zealand war by the last army estimates have exceeded £200,000,