ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 782, 29 January 1853, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Her Majesty was to leave her Highland Home at Balmoral on the 11th October. Speaking of her intended route the Morning Herald remarks — " We understand that her Majesty will, on her return from Balmoral, travel from Birmingham to Windsor over the Birmingham and j Oxford line, which we stated, about a month since, would be open on or before the Ist of October. J Coincident events are noted as occurring on the day of the Duke of Wellington's death. We find it was the anniversary of the burning of Moscow, and of Humboldt's birthday. The Prussian sage has entered his eighty-fourth year, and is still working at the fourth volume of " Cosmos." Among the instances of public funeral honours being paid to illustrious men of Great Britain, and voted by Parliament as national demonstrations of respect, are the following :—: — The Duke of Rutland's funeral (in Ireland), November 17, 1787; Lord Nelson's funeral, January 9, 1806; Mr. Pitt's funeral, January 22, 1 806 ; Mr. Fox's funeral, October 10, 1806 ; R. B. Sheridan's funeral, July 13, 1816; and the Right Hon. G. Canning's funeral, August 16, 1827. It will be observed that the funerals of Nelson, Pitt, and Fox all occurred in the same year. The Queen has granted a pension of £200 ayear to the widow of Southey, and one of £75 i to Miss Louisa Stuart Costello. At the Central Criminal Court, two men, named Montague and Tripe, were sentenced to seven years' transportation for defrauding their victims, intending Australian emigrants. The Morning Chronicle informs us that it is the intention of Government to issue a commission

to inquire into the condition of the Cathedral Chapters. A letter from Oxford informs us that the pignatures to the declaration in favour of the Earl of Derby as the Chancellor amouit to 942. Intelligence from Italy relates mostly to the interview between Sir Henry Bulwer and the Cardinal Secretary of State. The documents relate to the Murray imprisonment, which, it would seem, are still not forthcoming. In Belgium the Ministry has resigned. London and Manchester have taken steps to show their respect for the memory of the late Duke. At the Court of Aldermen of the city of London, held for the purpose of participating with the. Livery assembled in Common Hall in the election of a Lord Mayor for the ensuing year, the following resolution, on the motion of Sir Peter Laurie, was unanimously adopted —" That a committee of the whole court be appointed to co-operate with that appointed at the last Court of Common Council to consider and report upon the best means of testifying the respect of the Corporation of the City of London for the memory of Field-Mar-shal the Duke of Wellington." - In Manchester a meeting summoned by circular was held in the Mayor's parlour, for the purpose of adopting measures for raising a fund to commemorate the services of the lamented chieftain 6f Waterloo. Sir John Potter, in the absencfc of the Mayor, presided. On the spot twenty-five gentlemen put down their names for £100 each, and smaller sums brought the total to nearly £2,800. A committee was appointed to collect additional subscriptions. In foreign countries, also, the honours due to his memory are not forgotten, as we find by the accounts from Madrid, that her Majesty the Queen of Spain has ordered that all the honours due to a Marshal of the Spanish army shall be paid to the memory of the late Duke. It was found that the receipts of the Theatre Francais and other theatres at Paris were considerably diminished on the night when intelligence was received of the Duke of Wellington's death. This was attributed to the general absence of the English from those places of amusement —a mark of respect for the memory of their great countryman, which has singularlyimpressed the Parisians. A superb new congregational church has been built in Clapham, at a cost of £10,000, for the Rev. T. Avelin. It is a beautiful specimen of Gothic architecture. A non-commissioned officer of the Ist Dragoon Guards, stationed in Dublin garrison, has, during his leisure hours, invented an engine, whose motive power is condensed atmospheric air. It is proposed to exhibit a model of this atmospheric engine at the Dublin Exhibition of 1853. The cost of the militia now being raised for the year ending March 31, 1853, is estimated at £386,715. In the present year the number to be raised is 50,000, and £100,000 is put, down as bounty and recruiting charges, payable within the year, taken at the rate of £2 per man. *

Wool.—Since the public sales of the 9th and 10th instant, our market has continued firm and steady: a good business done in clean, useful, low, and middling kinds. There have been no transactions for export and sales of Alpaca were reported yesterday without change,, in prices. Long stapled Oporto and Egyptian have still an upward tendency, and are readily saleable. Donskyi fleece is inquired for at full prices, but sales can only be made to arrive, their being no stock. We are freely supplied with Russian autumn wool; also with Mogadore, in which a fair business is doing at previous rates. Lisbon R.F. &S. are inquired for, and scarce; some recent arrivals of greasy black fleece are selling at fair prices. Of washed Peruvian the market continues bare, but it is wanted. In East India nothing has been offered since the public sales, and rates are unchanged. Buenos Ayres clean flocks, both fine and ordinary, meet with a fair demand, burry parcels being neglected. Iceland is firm at the qnotations, tome retail sales being made at rather more money. Confidence is gaining ground, and although no decided revival of activity is observable in our market for general produce, more desire to operate is shown by purchasers. Samples are not plentifully offered, and the paucity of arrivals, reduced stocks, and extreme prices check business. A steady home demand is experienced, and the aspect of commercial affairs looks promising. —Liverpool Mail, October 2.

Steam from London to CALCUTTA WITHOUT Stopping.—The Eastern Steam 'Navigation Company have resolved to establish a line of steamers of such tonnage and power that they will go from London to Calcutta without a stoppage, and make the run in from twenty-six to thirty- two days. By making the entire voyage in this way from poiot to point, the cost of fuel is reduced from 40s. to 455. per ton to 12s. to 13s. per ton—an immense gain. Mr/ Bruuel is the chief engineer who has been consulted, and vre have heard that the vessels are intended to be of the enormous size of 600 feet long, giving a tonnage some four times greater than the largest vessel ever yet built.—London Spectator.

Seizing a Bun by the Hoof.—When a bull evinces cowardice cr exhaustion, the Galle* gos, at a given signal, cast their forks aside, and rush upon him. The most courageous, placing himself in front of the animal, seizes the moment when, with lowered head and closed eyes, he, is running at him, to leap between bis horns, to which he clings firmly, allowing himself to be violently tossed and flung about. The rest then throw themselves upon the brute, securing him by the legs, horns, and tail, and even jumping upon him, till the poor beast who sometimes draws a dozen of them round the ring three or four times, is compelled to stop. This is termed, not " taking the bull by the horns," but seizing the bull by the hoof, and appears to afford the greatest delight, especially to the lower classes of the spectators ; hence, at this moment the plaudits are most enthusiastic. A Dumber of bullocks and cows with bells round their necks now enter, which the subdued bull peacefully follows out of the circle at a trot. His wounds are then, dressed, and he is the either sent home or reserved for another occasion, —Bullfights in Lisbon.

A Chase.—The Impartial dv Nord rela'es the following:—"A curious fact has just taken

place in a. commune in the arrondissement of. Aveynes, in the presence of a number of people. A huissier was charged with a writ for debt against a miller, which he had for some time endeavoured but id vain to serve. A few days since he again made his appearance at the residence of the miller, accompanied by some gendarmes. The miller was almost in a state of nudity when the huissier made his appearance, but he, nevertheless, determined to have a ran for it. He rushed out of the door en chemise, closely followed by the huissier, who had the advantage in the race, as he had shoes on. After Tunning some time the miller found that his pursuer was gaining ground on him, and he determined on plunging into the river. The hnissier hesitated, but spurred on by the jeers of the assembled crowd, be stripped and jumped in, and they both breasted the waves like perfect Leanders. The miller kept the advantage while in the water, but at length was compelled to land, when another foot race took place across the meadows. Here the huissirr was more than a match for him, and was on the point of seizing his prey when on reaching the canal the miller •gain took to (he water. The huissier followed, and another swimming match took place. At length the miller get tired of the race, landed, and told the pnrsner that he had had enough of it, and that be would constitute himself bis prisoner if he would produce bis writ to prove that he had a legal right to arrest him. This, the huissier could not do, haviDg left the important document with his clothes. The miller then made the best of bis way borne, and took care to conceal himself until after sunset, when he called very politely on the bossier, and told him that, as be intended that very night to leave the country for Belgium, he roust defer the execution of his writ until a future opportunity."

Population and Representation of Canada. —By the official returns of the census taken in January last, it appears that the population of Upper and Lower Canada, exclusive of the military and Indians, is 1,809,565, giving 21,542 as the average number entitled to arepresentative, the assembly consisting of 84 members. Thirty.four counties and one city elect 27 members, and contain 926,341 people; the rest of Canada, containing only 883,224 persons, elect 57. Places containing a minority of the population, and the smaller part of the territory, and of the assessed wealth of Canada, elect more than two to one of the representatives. To the majority is delegated the duty of choosing less than one-third. A majority of a quorum of 20, being 11, in a house of 84, are made competent to pass laws binding this community. The vote of 11 members, whose whole constituents are under 56,000, may hind the two millions and their posterity. —Liverpool Albion.