MISCELLANEOUS EUROPEAN NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 320, 24 November 1855, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS EUROPEAN NEWS.

The Bristol Times is inhumed that il is not an unusual practice with .mine of ihe quay *' imps''of thai city for out* ot Uem lo purposely fill into the ». ater. ainl two or three of his companions to jump into the rescue, and thusst'cuie both the betieiit ol the Humane Society's award and the luxury of v swim during the present oppressive)*, warm weather. The son of vVhiimpua, the celebrated ncii teameichant of China, armed iv -_u_*h*ml last week. He is a youth of sixteen years of n%e. He* has been sent to England for four years to he educuted.

Sir Charles Napier received a summons to attend at Court for tbe purpose of being installed a G.C.B. He, however, declined tbe proffered boon. Tbe resson assigned by- tbe gallant admiral, il not officially given, is well known to bis biends. *' I bave been," be says, " censured and degraded, and bave been denied tbe opportunity of clearing my reputation. Yet I am now offered a G.C.B.''— Ujiited Service Gazette. The Horatio has brougbt over another 150 of tbe Foreign Legion to tbe camp at Sborncliffe : " In tbe ranks of tins foreign legion." says tbe Kentish Gazette, %i are many men of superior education, who bave held tbe position of officeis in. tbe Austrian and Pru-siau armies. These all entered as privates; but many have been made ' under officers,' and will, no doubt, get commissions if ihey distinguish themselves. In one of the smart sergeants may be recognised the captain of a rifle corps thai did good service in tbe Hungarian war, and has been of late years a teacher of languages. Another private enlisted in the legion after a short sojourn at that aristocratic and even royaltv-hpnoured establishment, Birmingham's Ship Hole), where he occupied the apartments once tenanted hy tbe Emperor of Fiance, aud like a gentleman, as he undoubtedly was and is, paid his bill out of a well-lined purse, before nroceedingui a carriage to the camp at -Si oincliffe;' Al Dover there tue about 900 men. This batulion is called the British Swiss Legion, although some of them confess they are Frenchmen, but who bave enlisted as Swiss, for tbe purpose of obtaining employment in tbe English seivjce. Not a few have worn tbe comical uniform which distinguishes tbe Pope's 'Swiss Guards. Still more of them have served in tbe Neapolitan .Swiss Guards, and seen not a little fighting in Naples, and in Sicily during the Italian revolution. Amongst them are some young men who bave never served in any army,, and these are drilled in squads by non-commissioned officers, who explain the drill in French and German. The words of command are given in German. The officers of the battalion appear to be.mostly foieigners, and at present there seem to be several sorts of uniform worn amongst them. Some of the subalterns are old greyheaded men, hut thej have seen a great deal of service, and have joined the legion under promise of immediate advancement to the higher grades. The Swiss Legion has an English and a Swiss commandant, the latter being supreme in matters of discipline, the former having the care of providing for the men. At Sborncliffe twelve hundred men of the •' British Foreign Legion" are stationed. These are divided into two baitaiions, one of Jagers—or riflemen—the other of plain infantry, or "fat feet,'" as they used to be called in light infantry. Both these "battalions are ••Imost exclusively German. The rifle regiment is dressed in green the other in red. The officers of the two'regimenss stationed at Sborncliffe are mostly Englishmen. Ensign Carl yon Blucher, grandson of tbe late Marshal Blucher, has volunteered to serve in the Foreign Legion. He was brought over from Heligoland by the Horatio, and landed at Folkestone, with 185 other volunteers, nearlyall of whom are perfect in their small-arm drill. It is staled that the Duke of Cambridge is lobe appointed Generallissimo of ihe Legion. Large reinforcements for tbe Crimea are in course of being taken out from the Irish pons. At Cork have em'-arked on board the Trafalgar draughts ol the 13-h, 41st, 47ih. ami 55th regiments ; on board ihe Bridge of the Sea draughts oi' the 50th, 6«ih, 9 ii, and' 89th ; ami draughts «f the 1 7th and 39th, on board the Royal Charlie. i'iie following tribute to the memory of the late L-.ru Ra_!au has been issued by the Horse Guards. It is dated ,Ju'y 4th :— '•The General Commanding-in-Chief las l'-c-ivri. her ..wijesiy'-, most gracious commands to vX|ue>s to ijie army the deep regret with which her Maje-ty has io deplore the loss of a most devoted and able officer, by the death of Fi-lu Mar hal Lord Raiihji*, the Cominandevof Ihe Foices in the Crimea. Her .Majesty has been ideascd to command that her sentiments shall be communicated to the army, in order that the military career of so iiiu-urio-is an officer shall be recorded, not only as an honourable testimony of her .Majesty's seme of his eminent service', and the respect due to his memory, hut as an ex.mple worthy of imi.-a-i..., by all'ranks of her army. Selected by the Duke of Wellington to be bis military secretary and aide-de-camp, he took part nearly fifty'year_ ago, iv all'the

military achievements of our greatest Commander. From him Lord Raglan adopted as the guiding principle of his life a constant undeviaiing obedience lo tbe call of duty. During a long peace, bis life was most usefully employed in those unwearied attentions to the interests mid Welfare of the army, shown by the kindness, the impart-ality and justice with which he transacted all his duties. When war broke out last year, he was selected by his Sovereign to take the command of the army proceeding to the East; he never hesitated, be obeyed the sum irons, although he had reached an age when an officer may he disposed lo retire from active duties in the field. At the head of the troop, during tbe arduous operations of tbe campaigns he resumed the early habits of his life; by bis calmness in the hottest moments of battle, and by his quick perception in taking advantage of the ground, or tbe movements of the enemy, he won the confidence of his army, and performed great and brilliant services. In tbe midst of a winter's campaign, in a severe climate, surrounded by difficulties, he never despaired. The heroic army, whose fortitude amidst the severe, est privations is recognised by her Majesty as beyond all praise, have shown their attachment to their Commander, by the deep regrets with which they now mourn his loss. Her Majesty is confident that the talents and virtues which distinguished Lord Raglan throughout the whole of his valuable life will for ever endear his memory to the British army. "By command of the Right Hon. General Viscount Hardinge, Commander-in-Chief. ;< G. a. Wethkrall, " Adjutant General.'' A Royal warrant has just been issued, regulating a new grant of pensions and allowances to the widows of officers of the army. It abolishes all previous warrants upon this subject, and comes into operation, regarding the relatives of officers who do not die on active service, upon tbe 15th instant. With respect to officers killed in action, or dying from wounds or from "illness brought on by the fatigue, privation, and exposure incident to active operations in the field be fere an enemy," it is applicable from the date of the declaration of war against Russia. The pensions granted in consequence of death in action are, in a few instances, left at their former amount; but in several they are moderately, and in a few cases considerably increased, chiefly in the lower ranks. If an officer killed have no widow, but a widowed mother, she will be allowed the '* ordinary" pension ; if no widow, children, or mother, but sisters, they will be collectively allowed the ordinary widow's pension. The new class of pensions created by the Royal warrant relates to the widows of officers who die fioni illness contracted in the field, and who, being hitherto considered of the ordiuarv class, received only the amount payable iv case of death during time of peace : they will henceforward receive a yearly sum midway between the ordinary allowance and that in cases of death in action. We specify tbe amount according to rank—Colonels, 150/.; lieutenant colonels and majors of the Foot Guards, 145.. ; lieutenant colonels, 140/.; majors, 100/.; captains and paymasters, 65/.; lieutenants and adjutants, 501. ; second lieutenants, cornets, and ensigns,4o/.; quartermasters, 40/., 50/., aud 65/., accord in _r to length of service; veterinary surgeons. 50/.. 55/. and 70/., according to-length of service; inspector generals of hospitals, 150/.; deputy ditto, 140/.; first-class staff surgeons, 10(1/ ; second class ditto regimental surgeons. 65/.; purveyors, 40/., 50/., and 65/., according io length of service : assistant surgeons. 50/. Arrangements have been submitted to her Majesty's Government, anil il is said have been a_reed to, for the erection of four out of the twelve new bishopric*; proposed by the Commissioners. The seat of the iirsi. will be at New-castle-onTyne ; and will comprise the whole of the Archdeaconry of Northumberland, including amongst others, the towns of Tvuemouth North and South Shields, Wark, 'Hexham, Kuaresdale, and Bedlington, at present forming part of the see of Durham. The second new Bishopric will be formed out of (he diocese of Rochester; and will comprise the archdeaconries of St. Alban's, Essex, including Hertford, Berkhampstead, Riekmanswnrih, Tiing, Heniel, Hempstead, Welwyn, Hitchin, Bishop's Siorl' ford, Chelmsford, aud Maldon ; ihe seat of the bishopric will he at St. Alban'*1. The third .see will bs formed out of tbe present diocese of Lin-

coln ; the seat of the bishopric being at Southwell. It will comprise, amongst others, the towns of Nottingham, Retford, Worksop, Tuxford, Clareborough, Newark, Farndon, Normanton, Mansfield, and Grimsby. The fourth new see will be formed out of the present diocese of Exeter ; and will comprise the whole of ihe county of Cornwall. The seat of ihe see will be at St. ('oluiub, near Truro ; the proceeds of which valuable benefice will be made over in perpetuity by the present rector and patron towards the endowment of the bishopric:—■ Morning Chronicle, June 29. New postal arrangements have become necessary in consequence of the repeal of the Newspaper Stamp ; and the General Post office has notified tbe changes and published a table of rates for newspapers sent beyond tbe limits of tbe United Kingdom. On and after this day, the period allowed for posting newspapers to go beyond the limits of tho United Kingdom will be extended io fifteen days. All postage must; be prepaid. Newspapers can be transmitted " free" to a number of places, if sent via Bel-, ginm,—as, to the Austrian dominions, Baden, Bavaria, Belgrade, Bremen, Frankfort, Luheek, Hamburg. Hanover, Prussia, Poland, Russiaj Saxony, Wallachia, and Moldavia. The charge to British Colonies is one penny; but if the newspapers be posted to the East Indies via Marseilles, the charge is threepence. The charge to the United States is one penny; to Oregon and California, twopence; to Egypt, one penny via Southampton, threepence via ■vi<ir_ei'lles ; to Java via Souihumpton one penny, via Holland twopence, via Marseilles threepence; lo Mexico one penny, hut via the United States twopence: to Sardinia via France one penny ; to countries beyond sea via France twopence. Such are a few of the rates, but they are so various that those who wish to send newspapers abroad would do well lo satisfy themselves by inquiries at the nearest post-office. — Spectator. In a work called The Island Empire, reviewed in this journal some time ago, there appeared an account of an octogenarian gardener of tbe late Emperor Napoleon, still living on the island of Elba. One of the first acts of Count Walewski has been to inform the author of tbe work that the French Consul at Porto Fenajo had been directed to supply the wants of the old man, and to make his last days easy by pecuniary aid. —Ibid. ■ The Reverend XV. F. Taylor, incumbent of St. John's Liverpool, on Sunday afternoon performed Divine service in ihe streets. He was accompanied by a curate, the churchwardens, the cierk, aud Scripture readers. Most of his congregation consisted of the class of females truly denominated " unfortunate ;" who listened decorously to the service.— lbid. A very interesting discovery has just been made by Cavaliere Boko, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Turin, that messages may be transmitted by the electric telegraph in different directions on the same wire. An experiment, which succeeded perfectly, was made the other day, in the presence of several of the Ministers; and tbe Professor explained his system, and wherein it differed from other theories to the same intent, but which had not been so successful In practice. Ib. Since the war with Russia a new kind of domestic fowl has been introduced into England from the Black Sea, and is likely to prove a formidable rival to the Shanghai and Cochin China.. It is quite as large as the barn door fowl; is crested, and has feathered legs; its colour is generally all white or black—when the latter, of a raven hue, and glossy. 'J his bird is pugnacious, and its movements are very lively. Its most distinuuisbed peculiarity is, however, in the arrangement of the tail feathers. These are very few, and do not project as in other birds, but drop down and lie close to the body, so that the creature appears tailless, and when its head is erect it scarcely has the appearance of a bird. Several of these birds are to be seen at Southampton, where they have been landed from the war transports. — Ibid. On the 15th of last month an infant was left at the gate of the Shoreditcli workhouse at midnight in a basket, with a note and 2s 6d. The note said—" My husband i» gone to the Crimea, aud, please God, when he returns I will take my child again. I am souy that I must goto service, and I will give 2s. 6d. a week." A second half crown has since been .received, hut no clue to the mother has been found. The child has since died. — Ibid,