LATE ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 40, 12 July 1845, Page 3

LATE ENGLISH NEWS.

Her Majesty and- the royal family were well. Parliament was opened on, the 4,tbr February by her Majesty in person,.

The Queen and Prince Albert were expectedto visit the Earl and Countess of Warwick, at Warwick Castle, during the Easter recess. A report circulates that her Majesty's family will be blessed with' an increase about the end of summer. The Revue de Paris states, that the French" Government was sending out troops and ammunition to New Zealand on board the transport corvette La Seine, now on the point of sailing from Rochefort. There has been several changes in the ministry. Mr. W. E. Gladstone, President of the Board of Trade, had retired, and had been succeeded by Lord Dalhouse, whose place as Vice-President was taken by Sir. George Clerk, one of the Lords of the Admiralty, who was succeeded by the Hon. Henry Fitzroy, M. P. for Lewes. Sir Thomas Freemantle was the new Secretary for Ireland, and was succeeded as Secretary of War by the Hon. Sir Sydney Herbert, his office of Secretary to the Admiralty being filled by Mr. Corry. Mr. Cardwell was the new Secretary to the Treasury. All these ministers were reelected for the places they represented. The cause of Mr. Gladstone's retirement was a difference with Sir Robert Peel on the question of academical education in Ireland ; the premier having determined to propose a considerable determined to propose a considerable addition to the grant to Maynooth College. The Income Tax is to be continued for three years. £18,000 is asked 1 for additional sailors. £187,000 for dockyard improvements, and £1,000,000 for additional steam ships. The surplus revenue, including the Income Tax, would be, on the sth of April, not less than> £5,000,000. Sir Robert Peel proposed if the Income Taxwas continued to make reductions to the fol-' lowing extent: — On Sugar £1,300,000" OnCoal 111,000 On imports comprising Hemp, "1 Flax, Furniture woods, Staves, ani- I 320,000 mal, vegetable oil, Ores, &c, .... J" On Cotton Wool 680,000On Auctions 300,000 On Glass 640,000 £3,339,000

Edinburgh. — The old and new Greyfriars' churches, in Edinburgh, have been totally destroyed by fire, which, it appears, was communi-' cated from a stove used to warm the buildings. Among; the deaths we notice the names of the Marquis of Westminster, the Marquis of Sligo, the Earl of Effingham, Mr. Bischoff, (a well' known writer on" wool), Mr. Sturges Bourne, and Mr. Laman Blanchard, the author. The latter committed suicide. The Parliamentary intelligence is of very little' importance. A debate on the practioe of opening letters at the Post Office had been brought on by Mr. Duncombe, and was adjourned for the second time on the 20th February. Sir Charles Napier made a motion for a committee' to enquire into the constuction of ships of war; which was negatived by a large majority. An expedition to the North Pole was being fitted out ; it was understood that Sir John Franklin had been offered the command of it.

Wool. — Five British ships, laden with wool, have been wrecked at Taganrog, in the Black Sea. The quantity of wool lost or destroyed is great.

The New President op the. United States. — This gentleman is of Scottish, lineage, and his curious looking name is an abridgement of a good old Scotch one. Mr. Folk's father or grandfather is said to have been a Lanarkshire man. of the name of Pollock. In the somewhat peculiar dialect of the upper ward of this county, that name is pronounced Poke,_and hence, probably, the orthography adopted by the Transatlantic branch of the family.

Mount Etna, — A brilliant eruption took place on the the 30th December. It was visible at Malta.