LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 623, 23 July 1851, Page 4

LATEST ENGLISH NEWS.

[From a supplement to the S. M. Herald, June 25.] Wednesday, | past 2 p.m. The Ann Mary arrived this morning, and by the kindness of Mr, Solomon, one of the passengers, we have some papers to the sth March, and in order to relieve the anxiety of our readers respecting the Ministerial Crisis, we, without waiting for the delivery of the post, issue a supplement containing the latest news. ’ It will be seen by the explanations of Lord John Russell, Lord Stanley, and other parliamentary leaders, that there had been no Ministry formed ; the Duke of Wellington was in reality Prime Minister, pending the arrangements which were being made. It appeared to be impossible to form a Protectionist Ministry. The refusal of Lord Canning and Mr. Gladstone to take office under Lord Stanley settled that point. A coalition Ministry under Lord John Russell appeared to be the only way out of the difficulty. The papers before us contain scarcely any intelligence except that connected with the

ministerial changes. We observe, however, that on the 4th March, Lord Monteagle presented a petition from Van Diemen’s Land, when Lord Grey (let us hope his last appearance as Secretary for the Colonies) denied that any pledge for the discontinuance of transportation had been given, and hoped that the Australian colonies would not be so blind to their own interests as to refuse to receive convicts under the present modified system. The bill for legalising the marriage with a deceased wife’s sister was thrown out in the House of Lords by a majority of 50 to 16. The following is the only commercial notice we have seen. It is from the Sunday Times of the 2nd of March :—“ The attendance of buyers at the public sales of wool, which began on the 13th ultimo, and closed on Tuesday evening, was not quite so large as on former occasions, but the spirited biddings, and the prices paid throughout, have established the firmness which has so long ruled in the market. The qualities and condition of the wools were much as usual, and we notice with pleasure an increased improvement in several flocks from the Cape of Good Hope, particularly amongst those from Table Bay, many of which are of very superior quality and in high condition, and were, consequently, rewarded by proportionately high rates.

[From the Sydney Morning Herald June 26.] Our supplement of yesterday was in circulation in little more than two hours after the papers containing the English news were received in the Herald office, and before the post-office mails had been delivered. We had no London paper of the 4th March, and there was nothing in the Times of the sth to show that the ministerial crisis was over, and we therefore presumed that affairs remained in the same position as when the “explanations” were made in Parliament on the Ist March. On receiving our files, (which are still very incomplete) we find,however, that this was not the case, and that the Russell Ministry was reinstated without any change in its component parts. It appears that on the final determination of Lord Stanley not to attempt to form a Ministry, the Duke of Wellington recommended her Majesty to express her wish that Lord John Russell and his colleagues should remain in office, which they consented to do, and a meeting of the usual Parliamentary supporters of the Ministry was held, at which it was dstsrminad to support ths Ministry but considerable opposition was declared to the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, which Lord John expressed his determination to adhere to ; but it was understood that, so far as Ireland was concerned, it would be given up, and we think it very probable that the whole question will be shelved for the present session by being referred to a committee. We presume that we are now to be saddled with Lord Grey as Colonial Minister for another year. [From the S.M. Herald’s London correspondent.]

London, March 4, 185,1. The Ministerial crisis is over. The word is “as you were”—Lord John Prime Minister, Sir Charles Wood Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lord Grey Colonial Minister. The easiest and most obvious settlement of the difficulty in the present state of parties, was, of course, the solution recommended by the most practical and least sentimental of all politicians the most noble Duke of Wellington. Lord Grey, I had heard, bad directed all recent matters brought under his notice to be referred “ for the consideration of my successor and his lordship now succeeds himself. On the whole, I think it must be admitted that Lord John, whatever the outwitted Times and malignant Chronicle may say on the matter, reassumed Ministerial power with an increase of moral force. He can no longer be twitted with carrying on the government in the face of minorities, or bare majorities. Not satisfied that his power in the House of Commons was equal to the support of his government with adequate dignity, whether regarded in its foreign or domestic relations, he resigned. It is clear that no one else can form so strong an administration. The country must have a government—the greatest man of the day, whose age, and the peculiarities of whose long career left him far above the suspicions and jealousies attaching to ordinary politicians, has sanctioned and recommended such a course—and Lord John consents to assume once more the fallen reins of power. And he does so without the change of a single colleague. At the same time, enabled to profit by the expressed views of different parliamentary leaders, he may, under a new lease of power, consent to modifications of his former projects without loss of credit; while it is very probable many of his opponents, seeing how hopeless is the prospect of supplanting him, and that a future change might lead to anti-aristocratic, if not really democratic tendencies, may see it to their interest to change their opposition into qualified support. * * * Here I am appropriately called upon to advert to a motion of which Sir William Molcs-

worth gave notice in the House of Commons last night, to be brought forward on an early day. It is as follows : «1. That it is the opinion of this House that steps be taken to relieve this country as speedily as possible from its civil and military expenditure on account of those colonies which are neither military stations nor convict settlements. “ 2. That it is expedient at the same time to give to the inhabitants of those colonies ample powers for their local self-government, and to free them from that imperial interference with their affairs which is inseparable from their present military occupation.” This, I have some reason to believe, is of Colonial Reform Society gestation, and is, I know, quite in the Cobden vein whenever colonies are the subject matter of discussion. [From the Sydney Morning Herald June 27.] As the Two Friends was leaving Java, the mail arrived bringing English news to the 24th March. We have before us a supplement to the Singapore Free Press containing a letter from their London correspondent of that date. It contains, however, very little news. After alluding to the ministerial crisis, the particulars of which arealready before our readers, he says : —

Lord John and Sir George Grey push on with the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, and have at the present moment got the house into as un-Christian and unhappy a spirit of mind as any marplot could desire. Sir James Graham has again made a most damaging attack upon the bill. “ The bill, not the whole bill, and nothing in the bill,” as the Examiner has dubbed it, and the Irish members have pledged themselves to a thick and thin opposition without any regard to the measures which IVlinisters may introduce. Mr. Drummond has obtained a not enviable notoriety, by a speech which he himself cannot, I am confident, think of without blushing, and this has added coals to the Celtic fire, which was hot enough in all conscience before. Circumstances out of doors have kept up the excitement on this vexed question. A trial concerning the treatment of a man on his death-bed, after he had bequeathed his property to the church : and a correspondence .concerning a Miss Talbot, niece of the Earl of Shrewsbury, a ward in Chancery and heiress to £BO,OOO, who is resident in a convent here and threatens to become a uun next year, when she is of age, have inflamed the public, which had somewhat recovered the first shock. Some discussion had taken place respecting Ceylon. Lord John Russell declared that until Mr. Baillie’s charges against the Ministry had been disposed of, he would not go on with the budget; but as the original evidence taken on the matter had been sent to Ceylon without a copy having been taken, the honorable gentleman declined to proceed in the matter. Lord Torrington had given notice of his intention to move for a committee of the House of Lords to enquire into his conduct. Sir Francis Baring had carried the Admiralty Estimates. They show a decrease of £171,000. A motion to reduce the number of men from 36,000 to 30,000 was negatived by a majority of 160 to 60. General Sir Charles Napier had arrived in London.

As soon as the news of the Kafir outbreak reached England, a vessel was despatched for the Cape with £50,000 in specie and detachments of the 6th, 73rd, and 90th regiments. As the time approached for opening the Exhibition the excitement respecting it increased. Seventeen hundred men were employed in fitting up and ornamenting the building. The Queen had sent a magnificent carpet, the work of one hundred and fifty ladies. Seven thousand season tickets at £3 3s. each had been sold. In consequence of the attempt to conciliate the two branches of the Bourbon family having failed, there appeared little doubt Louis Napoleon would be elected President of the French Republic a second time.