ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume I, Issue 29, 31 October 1840, Page 3

ENGLISH NEWS.

Lord John Russell has stated that he will, on an early day, move for leave to bring in a bill, of which a principal enactment should be to visit with the penalties attaching to bribery all treating that might take place at any time before an election, and during one month after the return of the member. Another provision would be to make all gifts of money before or after an election, and whether as the consideration for voting or declining to vote — bribery. Further clauses would -secure indemnity to witnesses who might give evidence of a nature to criminate themselves as the law now stood ; and to grant to election committees power not only to inquire into the validity of the return, but to investigate and report upon the general delinquency of the county or borough. — Age, May 17. Transmission of Newspapers by Post. — The following notice has just been issued by the post-office authorities: — "Inconsequence of numerous complaints having lately been made respecting the exchange and loss of newspapers passing through the post, and.

which is mainly attributable to the insecure manner in which they are enclosed in the covers, parties forwarding papers are recommended to write the name and address on the printed part of the paper itself, as well as on the cover, which will, in a great measure, remedy the evil and tend to ensure their safe delivery, It must, however, be distinctly understood, that nothing more is allowed to be written on the paper than the address of the party for whom it is intended, as otherwise it will become subject to treble postage." — Ibid. Sicily has declared itself independent of the Court of Naples, and has elected to the thvone Prince Charles of Capua, who has made himself distinguished, of late, by marrying the celebrated Irish belle, Miss Penelope Smith, whose sister is recently married to Lord Dinorben. During the present week, at least up to a late hour yesterday afternoon, the general enquiry has been among capitalists and speculators in the funds "What does the Chancellor mean to do to make up his budget ?" The reply will now be best found in the expose made by Mr. Baring in the House of Commons last night, upon which we shall take the opportunity of making a few comments hereafter. To a certaiu extent business in the public securities has been checked by the absence of any thing like a hint, before last night, transpiring as to the course that would be adopted to complete the financial operations of the year. Up to last evening, notwithstanding there were many reports in circulation on the subject of the budget, the more prevalent opinion certainly was, that a new loan would be raised, for which the state of the money market possesses at present peculiar facilities, the rate of interest being low, and capital superabundant. This state of things is chiefly to be ascribed to the conI ti»ued inactivity displayed in commercial pursuits. Though the season has now far advanced still there is but limited demand for British manufactured goods for exportation, either to the Continental or to the United States markets. Our private advices from New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, received tins week to very late dates, are uniform in their regret that the spring trade has ' opened without animation ; that money is scarce, and consequently the rate of interest very high. In the hope of bettering their con.lition for the fall trade, the merchants of America were shipping most extensively H^4> e - produce, of the Uuion..ui the full expect*-., tion that bullion would arrive in cousiilerable quantities from Europe in the summer, and, that in this way they would be placed in funds to enable them to relieve the market for British manufactured goods, of which there - was a superabundant stock in all the chief ports of the Union. The supplies of cotton and flour at all the principal ports of America were pressed forward with the utmost avidity, and the shipments to Europe were rapidly increasing. We find that of cotton there had • been shipped, from the Ist of October last ' down to the 21st ult. (the most recent date in London from New York), not less than 934,268 bales, or exceeding by 41 2,750 bales the exports in the corresponding period of 1838-9. Of flour the exports from the Ist to the 21st of April, from New York alone had amounted to 10,7 10 barrels, and of wheat to 14,362 bushels. — Sunday Times, Mayl7. Literary Fund Society. — The anniversary festival of this society was celebrated a few days ago at the Freemasons' Tavern, j' Great Queen street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Sir R. Inglis, M.P. presided. There were also ' present Lord Fitzalan, the Hon. L. Melville, several other distinguished gentlemen, and in all about 800 persons. Upon the removal of the cloth the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were drank with the honours. In the course i of the evening several gentlemen addressed ! the company, and expatiated on the claims which the society had upon the public. Their advocacy was answered by a liberal subscription of £625 18s 6d. The festivity was kept up till a late hour. A. farewell benefit for poor old Dowton, arranged by a committee of Noblemen, Authors, and Actors, is to take place at the Italian Opera-house on Monday, the Bth June. Dowton is called " the Facher of the British Stage," being the oldest actor now upon the boards. .Though he has not provided for age and in.firmity, he has reared a family in respectability, and on the present occasion his wants and 1 and past deserts will only be remembered. The benefit promises to realise provision for the veteran's declining years. Mr. O'Connell stated in the House of Commons that he had joined the "Abstinence ( frora-ardent-spirits Society," and would have done so long before, but that he was desirous it should not be considered a party measure. The hon. gentleman had held a public meetking in Dublin, for the purpose of organizing I a new association, under the denomination, of [ " The National Association of Ireland,-, for ; full and prompt Justice, or Repeal." ■ A Stjbam Navigation to India via the

Cape of Good Hope: the Vernon East Indiaman. — Our readers will not have forgotten the accounts which we gave, in Sept. last, of the " Vernon " East Indiaman, being supplied with steam as an auxiliary to her sails; of her progress from Blackwall to Gravesend, and from thence to Portraouth, and as far as the Nab lights ; where Captain W. White, to whom we were indebted for the particulars, left her, with every appearance of a speedy and successful voyage. Since the departure of the " Vernon " much anxiety has prevailed to learn iiw result of the experimental voyage, a favourable anticipation of which, we are sorry to say, was much clouded by some accidents which had befallen her machinery, both before and after her departure. But they were accidents occasioned by oversight, or from not making sufficient allowance for the possible pressure of a newly constructed engine. We are now enabled to state that the "Vernon" has reached Calcutta in safety;' and, although her voyage has been unusually long for vessels of her class, from causes which remain to be explained, still, nevertheless, after all the accidents to the machinery, she has successfully decided one great point, and that is, demonstrating the practicability of ! applying steam to ships of the largest class, as an auxiliary to sails, the "Vernon" being herself a thousand tons. The Indian mail left Calcutta on the 1 9th of January. The "Vernon" had just communicated as the mail was leaving. The only account of the " Vernon " is in a postcript to a letter of that date, and which states :—": — " The " Vernon " has at last made her appearance, and is now standing up. The steam was of great use in crossing the line, on the 2nd and 3rd of January, until getting the north-east monsoon, which they did by the sth, beating up the whole way until they reached the head of the bay, when it fell a calm. They then steamed up to the pilot. They can steam four knots if there is no head wind or swell." The homeward bound voyage of the " Vernon " will be one of the greatest national interest. It is to be hoped that she will meet with no more accidents to her machinery, and that she will have a fair opportunity to try the power of her steam to shorten the voyage. The accidents to which we allude have been the breaking up of no less than three piston-rods — one in the Downs, another off Portsmouth, N and a third under the line. It appears to have been occasioned by coni densed steam in the cylinder, which the cocks had not sufficiently let off, and.., which, the cylinder, being horizontal, accumulated more than was expected. The steam, therefore, was worse than useless to the Cape, a positive incumbrance to the ship. Capt. Deuny, however, at the Cape, got a wrought iron one^ made of sufficient strength, it appears, to answer well, which safely conducted him through two calms. — Morning Chronicle. Discovery of the North-West Passage. — The, great geographical problem of the last three centuries has at length been solved, and, we are proud to say, by Englishmen; and still more proud, perhaps, that it has been the result of the ardour and enterprise of a private Company, than even if it had been the honorable fruit of a Government expedition. The "Times" of April 18, in a second edition, published a dispatch from Messrs. Dease and Simpson, of of the Hudson's Bay Company, from which we extract the following particulars: — They descended the Coppermine River on the 22nd of June last year, on their third and happily most successful expedition. On the 1 8th of the following month they reached Cape Barrow, and had the satisfaction of finding Coronation Gulf partially open, which long after the same date in 1838, the whole party might have crossed on foot. Then they doubled Cape Alexander, situate in lat. 68°56'N., lon. 106° 40' W. From which to another remarkable point in lat. 68° 33' N., lon. 98° 10' W., the Arctic coast may be comprised in one spacious bay, stretching as far south as lat. 67° 40' before it turns off abruptly northward to the last named point, they had to thread a very intricate navigation ; but, on making it, they suddenly "opened a strait running in to the southward of east, where the rush of the tide scarcely left a doubt of an open sea leading to the mouth of Back's Great Fish River." Having thus ascertained the separation of Boothia from the American continent, on the western side of the Ureat Fish River, they attempted some further discoveries to determine its relation to the eastern side also. Directing their course to a bold promontory, which they named Cape Britannia, they took possession of their discoveries in the name of Victoria the First. Tlie coast trended away from this north east, and they ran along it 43 miles farther. They obtained a view of some very remote... blue- land in the north-east quarter, in all probability one of' the southern promontories, of Boothia. They could therefore scarcely doubt their having arrived at the large gulph stretching to the southward till it approaches to within forty miles of Rf.pulse *ad Wager Bays. -. -