English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 421, 15 November 1856, Page 8

English and Foreign.

SITMMAEY OF ENGLISH NEWS To Jrxr 22.

{.From the ' Weilingion Independent, 1 Nov. I.] Parliament was to close on the 25th July.

Mr. Moore's motion censuring the Government for. its conduct in the American negotiations was negatived by a majority of 274t080. It related exclusively to ihe proceedings of Mr. Grainpton; and its supporters took the useless and mischievous course, of endeavouring: to show that the laws of the United States had been violated, and that our minister had not only convince! at this violation but had shown bad* faith in his correspondence both with the American Government and his own. The House however felt that the subject was closed and that discussion upon it could be productive of no practical benefit. It cannot be concealed however that an uneasy feeling hovers over the whole affair, so long as England continues to be unrepresented at Washington.

Lord Lvndhurst sought information as to what was doing in the a*rfa:rs of Naples, and was answered that a correspondence was goin~ forward which rendered it impossible, -without hazarding the friendly feeling that existed at present to enter into any details. The only point elicited was a hope that the advice of Austria would do something, but this is a mere delusion to gain time, and cover the perplexities of a useless negotiation. Lord John Russell brought- forward the same enquiry in the House of Commons with no better result. But the debate in both Houses has had an excellent effect in ventilating the whole subject. A bill fir granting retiring pensions to the Bishops of London and Durham has passed through committee-in the Lords, and a grave debate h;>s been raised on the principle it involves. Tiie bi.-dtop of Oxford declares that the bill., as a special measure, unaccompanied by a genera! act of legislation, exposes these particular bishops to a charge of simony, while Lord Canipijcli stakes his professional reputation on tiie assertion that there is no simony whatever in the c;_.-e.

Tiie winding up of business preliminary to the dispersion of the Legislature exhibits* the u^ial stilling of some measures and hasty disposal of others. A bill has been brought'in at the eh-vcnih hour lor organising the coast guard Service into a naval reserve—an excellent design; but- it is dillicuit io Bee how it can be carried through both Houses before tbe close of tli" sesyio?;. Lord Derby Im withdrawn his Oatls of Abjuruliou Bill, and the wamecoursclu's been adopted with tiie Parttn.-r.-hin -n^-Lament Bill by Mr. Lowe, who look i':e op:",rt-nif v of Htui:-T. on hi-b h'-.r.-d .-?♦'. „.'- v 'V" ".....;. ..

present no law to prevent a capitalist from lending money to a trader, and taking his remune ration in proportion to profits, without incurring the liabilities of partnership. Some notion of the rapidity with which the work of the session is hurried to a termination may be inferred from the fact that in one night the Government withdrew five bills. The Matrimonial Causes and Divorce Bill, carried with new'provisions through the Lords, has been postjHvned in the Commons by Lord Pahnerston, with the understanding that it, will be introduced next session without the Bishop of Oxford's clause prohibiting divorced persons from marrying their paramours. Lord Pahnerston considered that the clause was both " immoral and cruel." A grand conflict arose on the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill, sent down from the Lords. Mr. Rallies Currie, in a very able speech, contended that the object of the bill was to tie the hands of the Crown in the exercise of one of its prerogatives, and that the new Appeal Court it proposed to establish was a sham. He concluded by moving that it be referred to a select committee, which practically amounted, as Lord Pahnerston declared, to the rejection of the measure. The House notwithstanding, adopted Mr. Curries view, and the bill was referred to a select committee—in other , words it was lost. ! The dish i;t of Natal lv s been created a separate j colony. John Scott, Esq. has been appointed Lieutenant Governor. The European and Australian Mail Company announces that their first steamer of 2,300 tons, 500 horse power, will leave Southampton for Melbourne, via the Cape, in October. The mail via Suez and _ Point de Galle was to commence for Australia in January, and from Southampton in February next. Mr. Frost has returned to England from exile as litis also Smith O'Brien. Lord Palinerston has had the." blue ribbon " conferred on him by the Queen: it 1 as not been worn by a commoner for forty years. Force ov Repetition.—The Reiterating Process in Literature is just the reverse of what is known as the Cesarean operation in surgery. It aims to strengthen the language by repetition, as in this verse of the well-known son» — My love is like the red, red rose. How the repetition of the adjective intensifies the idea, beautifies the language, and converts into poetry what would otherwise have all the .flavour and the toughness of prose I Beside, to say. My love is like the red rose, is not only prosaic, but does not impart that sanguineous idea which was evidently intended. A red rose may mean one of the common cabbage province variety; but a red red rose is evidently something of a deeper tint, a brilliant crimson, or bright scarlet. We have nothing to say in favour of the poet's choice, supposing the red-red to apply to his love's hair, or even nose. In fact, any part of her except' her lips we should rather not have red-red ; but then tastes differ, and we are not disposed to be quarrelsome. Another verse, from a very-soft and amatory poet elucidates with still greater dulcifying power the forceful nature of the repeating process. We are personally acquainted with the author, and tender him"the thanks of the community, hoping he may be as successful in storming the citadel of his beloved's heart as he has been in strengthening our debilitated English .- Oh.' my love, she lias blue, blue eyes; She is known by her small, small feet ; Does she hear, does she hear my sighs ? Docs she know she is sweet, sweet, sweet? — The (American) National Magazine. The agitation to which the discontinuance of the Sunday bands might be expected to give rise has not at present assumed very imposing proportions. Meetings of' the inhabitants ' of Maryfehone—■ against which other • inhabitants ' protest—where tho sp-akers address their delighted audience as ' fellow sinners,' and expatiate on the ' right ' ofthe people to be innocently amused—do not import much. (Mr. C. Dickens appears to be the author of ibis novel additon to the functions of Government and the rights of man.) Nor have the working men's meetings, of which there have been one or two, any representative character. To deputations from these Lord Pahnerston has explained his favourite principle, that Government otisht to hold al,_ <; ven hand between the varieties of religious opinion, ;.nd to be passive wherever by acting it would give sv'rio-is offence to any of them. Consistently with which, an iin accordance with the iiiiui-terial practice nf dividing lespom-ibiiity, he *■■.•!' '.s t,i v ::n in Sir Gt-jrge Grey for permission lo

introduce private- bunds instead. But his own principle condemns bun. For is it possible that he should not have known the strong nnd sensitive feeling which most religious people among na entertain about the austere observance of Sunday 1 It is not possible. The most careless nnd ignorant men know it; they are met by it at every turn, find il troublesome, and have to defer to it or get out of its way. The general result of what has happened is, that the Government stands selfVeonvicted of a. discreditable want either of foresight oi firmnessthat Sir 11. Hall has suffered a discomfiture in Downing- street, which is a triumph iv Maryleboneand that the cause of which the Primate has been the spokesman has obtained n victory which is really allied to v defeat. Per the traditional impression (with most men it is no more) that tho strict observance of Sunday as a Sabbath is a clear religious duty, has been much shaken, for good or for evil, in the contests it has undergone during tho last two years.

Mr. Baring, the Bishop-designate of Gloucester is a respectable clergyman belonging to the extreme Low-church school, of popular address, blameless life, aud (like Dr. Viiliers) excellent political connections, < Tho liberal party' says tie Daily News, in an unaccountable huff; «will not, and ought not, to allow the adherents and exponents of their principles among the clergy either to be passed' over, as though it were wrong in a clerervman to be liberal, or to be sacrificed to some sordid and illjudged plea of expediency.' Hut what more can this Liberal party desire? Such impatience, is surely a little unreasonable. It is impossible to gtiy on faster. Everybody which lias any relations on? the Treasury Bench is being made a Bishop in his turn.— Guardian, July 2.