ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume X, Issue 480, 17 May 1851, Page 50

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

[Compiled from late Colonial paperi.]

In France, the second Anniversary of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's election to the office of President of the French Republic was observed with all due ceremony on Tuesday, the 10th December : at a large Banquet, given in honor of the occasion, the Prefect of the Seine proposed as a toast, "To the President of the Republic," in doing which he glanced at the events of the last two fears, and congratulated the President upon the improved aspect of the country, with signs of peace and prosperity for the future ; all of which he attributed to the happy influence of the sagacity and power, which the President had brought to bear upon the Government, over which he presided. The President responded in a neat address, and concluded by saying that it would be bis delight to endeavour to ameliorate all grievances, and to advance the comforts and interests of ail classes. The address was received with the utmost enthusiasm. From this we may infer that Louis Napoleon is safe in his Presidency. On Thursday the 13th of December, one of the large vats of Messrs Beamish and Crawford's brewery Cork, burst with a -loud crash, throwing down a large portion of the adjoining wall, the porter, which the vat contained rushed in a torrent through the vat room, and thence escaped to the river, with whose waters it mingled. The vat is said to have contained 500 hogsheads, and the damage done is estimated at nearly, £2,000.

The line of electric telegraph from Crewe to Holy head is now being staked out by the Electric Telegraph Company. The completion of the wire will materially accelerate the transmission of intelligence from Dublin.

There are rumours that the Duke of Wellington has at last convinced the Government of the obsolute necessity of balloting for the militia, and that we shall have a new militia act, and also a bill for enlisting seamen, introduced next sessions.

"Under the title of the British and Irish Peat Company," says the Morning Chronicle, "it is proposed to establish a company, for the purpose of producing from peat a variety of valuable oils, spirits, and sulphates, the commercial value of which is according to the statements of the promoters, calculated to assure the company of success."

Death of John Maher, Esq. — Died at an advanced age, on Tuesday December the 3rd. at 48 Leeson-street, Dublin, John Maher, Esq., of Tullaraain Castle, in the county of Tipperary. Mr. Maher was one of the largest landed proprietors in ihe south of Ireland, possessing estates in the counties of Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, and Dublin.

Mazzini, Sirtori, Sam, &c. have issued a protest addressed to the French Assembly, against the occupation of the Roman territory by French troops ; and challenge them to test the wishes of the Roman people, either by the vote or a recall of the army. If the former be done, they assert that the people's declaration by the ballot will be for them; and that an insurrection would ensue upon the withdrawal of tbe troops.

Her Majesty had appointed Sir J. E. Tennant, Knight, (who it was believed, would be first Governor of Victoria) to be Governor of St. Helena; J. V. Drysdale, Esq., to Colonial Sec, and R. G. M'Hugh, to be H. M. Treasurer, for the Island of St. Lucia.

Revolution in Gas. — Last evening, Dr Abraham Gesner, of Haliflax, Nova Scotia, submitted to the examination of several scientific gentlemen and merchants of this city, a discovery which he has made in the manufacture of gas, which will produce a revolution in that article, ensuring light to the public, of a superior quality, at less than half the cost of gas from coal. Dr Gesner has just returned from Wellington, where he has obtained a patent for his invention. The examination was held at 79, John-street, in the basement of the store of Messrs. Walwortb, Nason, and Guild, where an apparatus was fitted up and the lights set burning. The soft and beautiful brilliancy of the light was the theme of admiration of every one present. It was produced from naphtha, as follows :— A hollow cylinder or case, filled three quarters full of naphtha, was inserted in a red-hot retort, in which it was immediately liquified, the gas generated from it, and conveyed through water, without any purification whatever, to the gasometer, where it was conveyed by pipes to the burners. It contains no impurity and has no smell. It is twice the density of coal gas, and requires a very small burner; from a small fish-tail one the light was exceedingly beautiful. When one cylinder or case of the 'naphtha is consumed, it is taken out of the furnace, and another inserted in its place; and so on. If the Paine light does not upset this, and with it all the received theories of science, Dr, Gesner's invention will undoubtedly bear away thejpalm, upset the gas companies, or compel them to take it and give cheap light to the public , which is sadly wanted. \Ve under, stand Mr. Paine is to be here on Saturday, to make the experiments at the Astor House— and then comes the tug of war. — Jvqy York Herald, Nov. 9. Them's Urn.-" I say, captain," said a litttle keen-eyed man, as he landed from the steamer Potomac, at Natchez. " I »ay, captain, these here arn't all. I have left somethin' on board, that's a fact." " Them's all (the plunder you brought on board.|anyhow." "^Well, see now, I grant its OK accordin' to list — four boxes, three chests, two band-boxes, a portmanty, two hams, one part cut, three ropes of inyana, and a teakettle ; but you see, captain, I'm dubersotue ; I feel thare'a somethin' short. Though I've counted urn over nine times, and never took my eyes off urn while on board; thare's somethin' not right, somehow." " Well, stranger, time's up ; them's all I know on ; so just fetch your wife and five children out of the cabin, cos I'm off." " Them's vr n! darn it, them's ur n! I kuow'd I had far got somethin'."— American paper.

Lundon Jan. tydnejr April Port Phillip Feb. Idelaide Feb. nfiwsrArßiw uistr.ivf.u, C Auckland April 23 21 Wellington May 10 16 OUgu April 19 24 Canterbury May 3