ENGLISH NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 82, 31 July 1852, Page 4

ENGLISH NEWS.

We were enabled to give in a " Second Edition" on Saturday last,'the downfall of the Bussell Cabinet, and the formattonof anew Ministry under the auspices of the Earl of Derby; the news from England extending to the 24th Feb. We subsequently, by the arrival of the Julia, received dates to the 4th March, brought to Auckland by the Cressivell, which vessel arrived on the Ist inst., after a passage of 118daysfrom Gravesend. Nothing of any particular moment occurred between the dates, Parliament being prorogued for a 'few days to enable the new j Premier to establish his Government, which j was definitely arranged as follows: — j First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minis- ; ter—The Earl of Derby. \ Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons—Mr. Disraeli. Lord Chancellor—Sir E.Sugden (subsequent- ■ 'ly raised to the peerage by the title of \ Baron St. Leonards). Lord President—The Earl of Lonsdale. Lord Privy Seal—The Marquis of Salisbury. Secretaries op State :— For the Home Department—Mr. Walpole. For 'the Foreign Department—Lord Mallnesbury. For the Colonial Department —Sir John Pakington. First Lord of the Admiralty—The Duke of Northumberlan d. President of the Board of Control—Mr. Herries. . 'President of the Board of Trade—Mr. Henley. Postmaster-General —The Earl of Hardwicke. Secretary-at-War—Mr. Beresford. Vice-President of the Board of Trade—Lord Colchester. Woods and Forests—-Lord John Manners. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster—Sir John Y. Buller. Master General of the Ordinauce—Lord Hardinge. Attorney-General—Sir F. Thesiger. Solicitor-General —Sir Fitzroy Kelly. Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland—The Earl of Eglington. Secretary for Ireland —Lord Naas. The Chancellorship of Ireland has been offered to Lord Chief Justice Blackburne. Attorney-General for Ireland—Mr. Napier. Solicitor-General for Ireland—Mr. Whiteside. Lords of the Treasury—Marquis of Chandos, Mr. Bateson, and Mr. John Neeld. Under-Secretary of the Home Department— Sir W. Joliffe. Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs—Lord Stanley. Judge Advocate —Mr. Bankes. Secretary to the Admiralty—Mr. Stafford. Chief Commissioner to the Poor-Law Board —Sir John Trollope. Under Secretary of the Colonies —Lord Desart. Joint Secretary of the Treasury—Messrs. G. A. Hamilton and Forbes M'Kenzie. It is generally supposed, that though the cause assigned for his resignation by Lord John Russell was his defeat by Lord Palmerston's Amendment on the Militia' Bill, yet it is almost certain that a majority of only eleven in a comparatively small house of 261 members, would not have produced this determination, had he not anticipated a damaging defeat on the mismanagement of the Colonies and the Caffre War, which was to have been brought before the house on the 24th of Feb. Anticipating a discomfiture, he resigned. Of the new Secretary for the Colonies, Sir John Pakington, we know little beyond his being one of the so called " Country Party," who has had no experienced governmental affairs; but from this very ignorance the Times deduces hopes for the Colonies, and indulges in the following reflections:— " Our new Colonial Secretary will find that for the last ten years the policy of the Home Government and the opinions of the Australian colonists have been running- in precisely opposite directions, the one tending to a high, the other to a low price of colonial lands ; and he will also find the question additionally complicated by the recent discoveries of gold, which render prompt resolutions, taken on the spot, absolutely'necessary. Under these circumstances he will not, if he be wise, embarrass himself with the complicated questions relating to Australian lands, which it would require months to master and deal with, but will decide at once to

remit the whole decision of the question, with vvhicb no authority on this side of the globe is competent to deal, to the governors and councils of the respective colonies. So also with regard to New Zealand, he will be content to delegate to an assembly formed by representatives of the several colonies that power of legislation which Lord Grey has already exercised and been obliged to recal. In the Cape the application of the principle may be more difficult ; but as it is easy to see that the struggle must end in leaving the defence of the colony to the colonists themselves, it is right that their opinions should be as speedily expressed and treated with as much deference as possible. Where he feels himself ignorant, a man of sense would seek the advice of those best able to counsel and least disposed to deceive him. and would throw upon them those responsibilities for which he ought to feel utterly unprepared. If Sir John Pakington adopt this course, his very ignorance will have made him a valuable servant of his country; if he shrink from its adoption, he has no choice but to surrender himself into the hands of subordinate officials, who will lead him, through a course discreditable to himself, to .conclusions injurious to the welfare of the colonies and the stability of the Empire."

An appeal to the country by a dissolution of Parliament seems to be extremely probable.

Whilst the present and the former Premier profess to entertain the utmost confidence in the pacific intention of the French dictator, the nation appears to be making the most energetic preparations to meet the universally apprehended contingencies of war:—

The militia have been ordered to be embodied, battalioned, and barracked along with the troops of the line. Their force to amount to 120,000 men. Rifle Clubs and Volunteer Associations were being formed, and the Police force were being bisciplined and trained to the use of arms.

According to the present arrangement, says the Times of the 2nd of March, it is not intended to send any regiments abroad for some time to come.

The Minie Rifle has been furnished to the British soldiery, who are greatly pleased with its light and efficient appearance. It carries the ball 1200 yards, and with correct aim up to 900 yards. At a recent practice at Woolwich, at 200 yards, every ball struck the target, many of them hitting, and all going near to the bulls eye. It would appear that the new rifle, ordered for the army, has been but a blind adaptation of the French weapon. However, the well known ingenuity of the London gunsmiths is on the strain to improve, and at the same time lighten, both the gun and its ammunition, so that an extraordinary revolution in fire arms appears to be the likely and certain result A grey uniform for riflemen is earnestly recommended.

Whilst the materiel and the personel of the Army are being thus anxiously attended to, the strengthening of our Naval forces is not overlooked. The present Ministry is strong in naval men, and we cannot believe that they will neglect the peculiar and popular arm of England's might. We read of ships and steamers being got ready in all the ports—of men being entered—of advanced ships commissioned, and ships in ordinary advanced. The "London,'' 92, Captain the Hon. Montague Stopford is to be stationed in the Downs as guardship. The " Waterloo," 120, Captain G. E. Mundy, flag of Vice Admiral the Hon. Joscelyn Percy, Com-mander-in-Chief at the Nove, was receiving her guns on the Ist of March. And the Sheerness Steam Squadron of Reserve, under the command of the Hon. S. T. Carnegie, of H. Ms. screw steam ship " Horatio," 24, was also reported as being about to be stationed in the Downs.

It is resolved, says the Morning Chronicle, to organize a powerful Channel Squadron, which will be cruising between Spithead, Plymouth, and Queenstown, during the summer. A gallant Vice Admiral who distinguished himself in China, will most probably have the command of the evolutionary force which will comprise the finest sailing and steam ships in the British navy, and will include all or most of the following ; — H.M.S. Waterloo, 120 ; Queen, 116; Neptune, 120 ; St. George, 120 ; Impregnable, 104 ; St. Vincent, 100 ; Prince Regent, 92 ; Rodney, 92; London, 92; Ganges, 84; Superb, 80; Boscawen, 70 ; Blenheim, 56; Edinburgh, 56; Hogue, 56; Ajax, 56 ; Arethusa, 50 ; Phaeton, 50 ; Indefatigable, 50 ; Leander, 50.

The whole of the above ships with the exception of the" Ganges" and " Edinburgh,"are already in commission. The " Queen" will have some time to serve on her arrival from the Mediterranean station, which it is intended she shall complete by cruising. The flag-ship of this new squadron of evolution will be the " SanspareiJ," screw two decker, of 81 guns, and the Commander-in-Chief Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochiane, k.c.b. The " Arrogant," 46, screw frigate, Captain R, S. Robinson, has been to San Juan, Nicaragua, and made the amende honorable to Commodore Parker, of the United States frigate there, for the act of bringing to the " Prometheus," American screw steamer, when leaving port without paying her dues, by Commanded Fead, of the " Express," 6. The latter vessel has been ordered to the Brazil station. The " Arrogant" is ordered to return to Lisbon. The American flag was hoisted at the main of the "Arrogant'and saluted, and then the Yankee man-ot-war ran up the Union Jack to her mainmast head, and returned the compliment. Captain Henry Mangles Denham has been officially appointed to command the surveying expedition in the South Seas, consisting of the '•' Herald," old frigate, at Chatham, and the " Torch," iron steam vessel, 350 tons, and 150 horse power, at Woolwich, as her tender. Mr. M'Gillevray, late with Captain Owen Stanley, proceeds with Captain Denham as the naturalist. The expedition, consisting of 149 officers and men, will be ready to leave England by the first week of April, and will be engaged in surveying operations probably about five years. The Russian force in the Baltic at the present moment numbers 42 sail of the line, all powerfully equipped, ably manned, extensively stored, and ready for action. Two eminent Irishmen died on the same day —the 26th of February—these were Moore the poet, and Murray, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. The Queen held her second levee of the season at St. James' Palace, on Wednesday, the 3rd of March. It was numerously attended; and, probably as significant of the expectation of the times, by a considerable number of Naval and Military men. The accession of the Earl of Derby, which is regarded in the North as a signal to attempt to restore Protection, has resuscitated the Anti ■ Corn-Law League, who have held a great meeting at Manchester, at which violent harangues were delivered by Messrs. Cobden, Bright, and others. At the termination of the meeting, papers were handed round, and, after a short interval, the Chairman announced, amid the cheers of the meeting, renewed at the mention of each name, fifteen subscriptions of £1000 each, fifteen of £500, two of £300, six of £250, five of £200, one of £150, eighteen of £100, ten of £50, besides six small sums. In about twenty-five minutes the Chairman announced that £27,500 had been subscribed, being at the rate of more than £1000 per minute. The Times has fulminated a scourging article against the meeting in general, and Mr. Cobden in particular, which we have elsewhere transferred to our columns.