Miscellaneous Extracts.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVI, Issue 7, 22 April 1857, Page 4

Miscellaneous Extracts.

Expenses of Messes in Her Majesty's Ships. — The Board of Admiralty has issued an address on this subject to all commanding officers in the navy. With a view to put an end to the extravagance and mismanagement in gun-room messes, which have been caused by the unnecessarily high subscriptions, and the use of expensive wines and spirits, totally at variance with the pecuniary means of the officers, the board direct that the subscriptions to the gun-room messes shall never exceed the sum of £8 for entrance, and that the monthly subscriptions, including all extras, Bhall not be more than 30s. No wine, except port and sherry, or wine of the same class and price, and no spirits, except the ship's allowance, are to be used in the gun-room messes. No wine, spirits, or beer, are to be received on board of any ship without the written approval of the officer in command. Lord Dundonald and Sir Charles Napier. — The veteran Lord Dundonald has come forward to put in a word for the ex-com-mander of the Baltic fleet. During the long war between 1793 and 1815, he says, hostile fleets were passively blockaded by superior force in bays and roadsteads, having wider entrances, deeper water, and more capacious anchorages — less effectually protected by forts and batteries than those of Cronstadt ; nevertheless, there is not one instance of an enemy's fleet having been destroyed, or even assailed, in such positions, under these more favourable circumstances. He proceeds to dwell on instances which may, at first sight, be regarded as exceptions to this statement, arguing that they do not touch the real point. He justifies the disclosure of the inefficient state of the Baltic I fleet, which ought to be pressed on the public attention with a view to a remedy which, in his opinion, is to be found in " a recurrence to our former truly judicious navigation laws, thoughtlessly abolished." He expresses his opinion that " Red-hot shot from half-a-hundred cannon directed at the bows of ships advancing through a narrow channel, independent of carcasses and shells showered from a thousand artillery around, would in a few minutes destroy any number of vessels." Emigration in 1856. — The past year 1 having been brought to a close, we are enabled to arrive at the number of emigrants who have sailed from Liverpool since December 31, 1855. By a statement which on that day we laid before our readers, it appeared that the total emigration of 1855 was 131,923 persons, of whom 122,480 had sailed in vessels registered under the Passengers Act, and 9,4-13 in vessels not so registered. Throughout that year there was no mention of New Zealand, not one passenger vessel having cleared for that island. The statistics for this year are remarkable as showing the rise of a regular stream of emigration to New Zealand, which will no doubt continue to increase, the accounts which are received from that country being of the most inviting description. The total emigration for 1856, when the returns are made, will be found to be about 136,000 souls, of whom upwards of 97,000 have proceeded to the United States, about 30,000 to Australia, about 5,000 to Canada (being an increase of 2,000 over last year), 1,579 to the Cape of Good Hope (chiefly portions of the disbanded German Legion), 1,136 to New Zealand, 429 to Central and South America, 322 to New Brunswick, 185 to Newfoundland, 54 to Prince Edward's Island, 48 to the West Indies, and about 40 to Nova Scotia. There is one pecu1 liar feature in the emigration to New Zealand which is absent from that to any other quarter of the globe — it is composed entirely of Englishmen. — Liverpool Albion. It has been known for some time past that a private theatre was in course of erection at Tavistock-house, the residence of Mr. Charles Dickens ; and the result was looked forward to with much curiosity in the literary circles. Upwards of a year ago, Mr. Dickens had a temporary theatre constructed in his house, the scenery painted by Stanfield, and a play, called "The Lighthouse," written by Mr. Wilkie Collins, produced with great applause. This year a theatre on a larger scale has been achieved, and another play by Mr. Collins, of wider scope than the former, entitled the " Frozen Deep," has been acted with complete success. The scenery of this drama, which is of the romantic cast, with strong contrasts of character, and broad effects of light and shade, is painted by Mr. Stanfield and Mr. Telbin ; and the cast includes Mr. Dickens, and several members of his family, Mr. Edward Pigott (the editor of the Leader newspaper), Mr. Mark Lemon, Mr. Augustus Egg, the distinguished artist, and Mr. Wilkie Collins. The " season " at Tavistock-house, limited to four nights, opened on the 6th January, when a brilliant audience was collected, comprising the most distinguished persons in literature, art, and the social circles of London. The second night succeeded after an interval of two days ; and the third and fourth nights take place on the 12th and 14th. The play was followed by the farce of " Animal Magnetism," in which Mr. Dickens and Mr. Mark Lemon displayed comic powers which few professional actors now upon the stage can rival. The acting of Dr. Dickens in this farce, after having sustained in the play a character of a wholly different kind, elicited from the audience hearty marks of genine admiration. Altogether these re-unions at the house of our most popular writer are extremely agreeable, and, apart from the pleasure derived from the performances, which are admirable throughout from the skill and intelligence of the performers, the guests enjoy the no less rare gratification of meeting a company that includes nearly all the celebrities of the day. Mr. Charles Matthews, who met with an accident to his arm while performing recently at Manchester, has been suffering severely from the effects of the injury for some days. More than one operation has been performed upon the injured limb for the relief of this clever comedian. German opera has not thriven better in New York than it has done in London, its noble, but limited, repertory of some dozen operas (including Gluck's five, and Weber's "Eury-

anthe") having been apparently found as inaccessible there as everywhere else, owing to the want of competent singers, and because some of the principal artistes imported have declined to sing until their salary, was forthcoming. It is possible that the whole matter of public music may have been overdone in America of late. M, Guizot has just published his essay on the life of Sir Robert Peel. It is a considerable volume, and contains extracts from Sir Robert's memoirs, and some of his letters. The ruins of a Roman theatre have been discovered at Trigueres* near Montargis, in France ; it is seventy yards long from the back of the pit to the stage, and sixty yards wide. It could have easily held 10,000 spectators. The interior of the theatre is not yet uncovered. A letter from Toulon announces that a company of the 4th regiment of marines have received orders to hold themselves ready to embark in the imperial corvette Durance, which is to proceed to China. Two gunboats, fully equipped for war, are about to sail for the same destiuation. By a recent decision of the Frencli Government, travellers coming from England, and proceeding direct to Belgium or Germany by Boulogne and Calais, or vice versa, are not required to have their passports vis^d by the French consul, but can exhibit it without that formality with their railway ticket, to prove that they are only passing through the country, and not intending to stop in it. A similar facility is afforded in Belgium. The destruction of shipping property on the Durham and Northumberland coast, occasioned by the late gale, has been very great. Above thirty vessels are ashore on the line of coast lying between the Tees and the Tweed. Above fifty seamen have been drowned by vessels foundering at sea within the same area. The gale was«r ery fearful in the neighbourhood of Sunderland. Several of the small craft employed in conveying iron ore from Whitby to the Tyne have been lost with their crews ; and the loss of life by vessels foundering on the coast between Lowestoft and Berwick will exceed 100 persons. The Northumberland coast in the neighbourhood of the Coquet and the Fern Islands felt the storm, which was the | most violently destructive experienced for many years. Mr. Brageline tells a story of a young lady whohad just arrived in Paris, and who had the pretention to believe that she knew how to speak French and to dress herself in the French mode. She bought one of those air Crinolines, ordered it home and put it on for the first time for a soiree, but the cloth it appears was defective, for the first time she sat down after arriving at the party, a formidable noise exactly resembling the explosion of a "petard" startled the people present, and the lady sprang to her feet — flat as a balloon collapsed. Like a true Briton she did not lose her presence of mind, and added tranquilly, " Oh ! that's nothing at all, it is only my Mechanique that is deranged." Mr. Brunei's monster ship is making considerable progress, not less than 1,200 workmen having been engaged upon it for the last seven months. It is expected the launch will take place in May, but considering the work still to be done this is doubtful. Every effort will be made to render the ceremony of naming the vessel an imposing one, and it is to be hoped that the launch will be as successful as the stupendous nature of the undertaking will permit.