EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 585, 14 February 1863, Page 8

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

The Federal Home Secretary, Mr Smith, in a recent visit to Indiana, made a speech, in "vhich. he dec'ared that " he hoped the city of Charleston would be razed to the ground, its Foundation ploughed up aud sowed with salt, aud an imperishable monument erected upon its site to mark the spot where treason was first developed, and to commemorate the doom that came upon it." Four members of King Otho's late Ministry have arrived as exiles Marseilles. The Provisional Government has also, it is said, hinted to certain other Greek statesmen to leave the country, to have themselves from ill-treatment by the populace.

A milestone, the 126 th of the series, and the only one which has been discovered of all the 131 which marked the Appiiin Road, between Rome and. Capua, has just been found about two miles irom Capua.

The Independanee states that orders have been given for the construction of carriages for a railway from Vera Cruz to Oriztfm, and which are to be delivered at the latest by the 15th January next.

A surgical apparatus for detecting by electricity the presence of bullets lurking in any limb has been shown to the French Acideiay of Sciences by Professor Fabvre, of Marseilles. # Earthquakes, which caused great alarm, but had done no serious Uamnoe, commenced at Fayal on the 13th October, and had not ceased ou the 2jfch, when the mail steamer left

The Swedish Budget for the years 18G3 to 1560, just presented to the Diet of that kingdom, shows toveichof the year-, an estimated surplus of about two iind-a-half millions of tha'erd.

The Isabella 11. line of-battle ship and the Carmen frigate — the hitter conveying the now CaptaintJeneral of Cuba— are among the vesrels sent to reinforce the Spanii-h n'ect at Cuba. Poisonous Fish. Mv A. Kolla, writes as follows to tho Leadiyo A rtvertiser .—"Last week I bsught «oinf fish, known m the Australian mackerel, out of Mr Pbillps's fishmonger shop in Pall At ill, which hut for .in erne tie whioh I had in the place might Iku a proved fitil to me. About ten minutes after eating it my fiice became of a crimson red, I felt *evere headache and giddiness, and was compelled to lie down. Ila^f an hour after a cold perspiration ran from in- a and netting up and looking iv a mirror, I saw my face covered with large red spots, which in another minute spiead over my neck, arms, and legs ; at tin; bame time I became so weak that I could not htaud up. I l.'iiii flown and asked some parson to get me an emetic out of my box (ipecacuanha) which I took immcdiatply. Ten minute after the spots commence 1 1 to get smaller, aud finally disappeared after I had thrown up, but the effects of it I felt all day by a fearful head and stomach ache. Even now, three clays aftrr, this pain had not left me. I therefore warn the public to take care not to be served the same way. I noticed as T was cutting the said fish after it was cooked, that immediately under the skin the fbsh was of a leather color, about one eighth of an inch in thickness, which an hour later had become three quarters of an inch thick. I mention this in order to let it be known that it might be discernible hy sight ; and I account for it that the fish was moon-struck.''

The Pacha of Egypt, during his stay in France, engaged a theatrical company, consisting of forty persons, who have just embarked at Marseilles en route to Cairo.

A cachalot whale, forty feet long, and into whose mouth a man can enter almost upright, has been stranded near Frejus, hi he French department of the Var.

A sugar-refining firm in Philadelphia have manuiaeture'l a pyramid of fine loaf sugar weighing nearly 200 pounds, which is to be preseufcel to Mrs G9o."ge B. M'Clellan.

The Ameiican historian, George Bancroft, has been nominate 1 by the Union party for Congress for one ■of the, districts of New York City. He is a "War Democrat" by party. A letter from Homburg states that since the Ist instant neither mechanics, peasants, domestic servants, shopmen, nor ckrks have been allowed to enter the garoing-rooms there. Shipment of Confederate Supplies Prohibited — It was stated in Liverpool ou Wednesday that the Government have issued orders to the oflieials at that port to prevent, as fur as possible, the export of munitions of war which they may have reason to believe is intended for the use of the Confederate Government. Whether these instructions likewise apply to the shipment of Federal supplies we have not yet learned. — Manchcxtei' Guardian. Starving Operatives Summoned for Poorrates —A case of seeming hardship is reported from Itochdale. Twenty-five of the operatives there were summoned for non-pa\msnt of poor-rate, and the Magistrates, who said they could do nothing in the way of r xcuse without the consent of the Guardians, issued distress warrants against all who had not paid the rate. One man, a sample of the lot, said he had a family of six, that he was working for 2s lOa aweek, that he had got from the Guardians 8d aweek, and a little meat and bre.vl from the «oupkitchen. This was all he had.- Manchester Guardian.

The Win'dhaji Case Again.— Mr and Mrs Windhain are again ab-uit to come before the public in a new character. Mr Windham has filed a petition in the usual way in Sir Cresswell Uresswell's Court for tho dissolution of his marriage on the ground of adultry, the co-respondent being Signor Giuglini, the opera sinner. The counsel retained for Mr Windham are Mr Macaulay, M.P., and Mr Kurslake, Q.C. Whatever be the remit of the trial, Mrs Windham is perfectly secure in the possession of her hfi'idsome annuity, which is charged on the Pelbrigg Hall estates, and which cannot be revoked even by the dissolution of her ill-assorted union. — Scotsman

M. Mathieu de la Drome seems to have waxed presumptuous through the success of his late predictions us to the floods in Southern Europe, anil has written to the French papers promising to furnish, if required the means of foreseeing all atmosphprio phenomena, not, like Admiral Fitzroy, a da}', but even fifty years in advance ! Let the Admiral look to his> laurels !— Scotvnan.

An Exciting Whale Hunt near Kirkwai,!, —Upon Wednesday last a very large number of whales appeared in Scapa Bay, pursued by upwards of 40 boats, maimed with stout rowers, from the South Islands. The cry of " Whales at Kcapa " was im mediately raised in town, and soon the road to old Scapa (the scene of many a whale hunt and capture) was densely crowded by numbers carrying lances, harpoons, &c, eager for the fray. Brawny sons of Ci'ispin threw down their awls, knights of the thimble their needles, for weapons of a more deadly character, and indeed every grade of society at on.'c joined in the chase, making iv all betwen 60 and 70 boats, with, however, wy regret to say, small ain'cebS, It is conjectured that there were at least 00 of these huge monsters blowing, and floundering, and playing themselves in the deep—for indeed cross the whole bay the water was thrown up into the air in complete- foam, having the appearance as if each whale was crowned with a snowwhite plume. The chase was nobly kept up till the whole drove almost touched the ground; but the unfavourable stats of the tide— the water being too deep to enable he whales to be fairly stranded and despatched —gave the golden chance of escape to the frightened monsters, just when they were all but within the grasp. And beautifully did they take the " right and left turn." Separating in their terror into tw© divisions the? v®m& quite wide? ft?

boat— one division taking the east, and the oilheY the west side of the bay— with a furious and maddening rush which made the deep blue sea'sparkle in the rays of tha sun, and so the terrified monsters complete'y escaped from their deadliest foe, which was really vexatious, though grand to witness. One small whale, however, of six feet long, missed the flock and tumbled about quite bewildered close to the shore, when a ready lance from au eager hand ou the beach —Mr George Macgreggor, manager at Orquil— quickly despatched the unfortunate, and with some assistance drew it to the land' 'I he whales having thus escaped, concluded the sport, aud the multitude of boats and men made for their homes. The whales are still seen playing about iv the bay. — Orcadian. tINDER-rfECRETA.KY OF THE HOME DEPARTMENT. —The Gl be understands that Mr G. Olive is about to resign his office as Under-Secretary of the Home Department. Ex-PreMcleni; Buchanan has nearly finished j>reparing, and will soou publish, his defence of his administration.

Projected Canal through the Isthmus op Corinth. — The Globe says a company has been formed for cutting through the Isthmus of Corinth to tivoid'the dangers of the Peloponnesus.

A new pamphlet, by M. Proudhon, written in reply to his contradictors, is announced under the name " Le3 Iscariotes."

Twenty tons of gunpowder have recently been, slu'pped at Marseilles for the use of the Freuch Army of Occupation at Rome. Fifty-one ships, with 25,000 soldiers and 5,000 horses and mules for Mexico oa board, had touched at Teneriffe en route up to the 20th October, 0 A letter of Count Persigny to the Archbishop f iJordeaux, writcen a year ago, is published, as giving some indications of the French Roman Policy. The Brigand Chief Tristani has been openly received in Rome by Antonelli as Lieutenant-General in the armies of the King of the Two Sicilies.

The Pensylvania Quakers turned out in great streugfch among the Volunteer regiments hastily organised during the recent Confederate invasion of that State.

The Diets of fourteen Austrian provinces have been convoked for December 10. The Diets of Hungary and Venetia are not among the number. The collective number of deputies who compose these Diets is stated as nearly 1,000.

The elections or the Grand Council of the Canton of 3eneva has given a majority to the Radical, and not, as represented by telegraph, to the Independent deputies. The correct numbers are- Radicals, 89; Independents, 66. The Irish subscription for the Lancashire distress makes good progress. For .the first half of this week LI6OO were received at the Dublin central committee. A first instalment of Llt'oo ha 9 been sent by the churches of the diocese of Dublin. The rector or Balingarry has published an address to the Roman Catholics of Ireland, reminding them that there are 50,000 of their co-religionists in misery in Lancashire alone, instancing the exertions of English Protestants to Irish Catholics in 18d8, and calling on thsm to help the subscription heartily.

Gkneral de la Marmora is actively extirpating the Camraorists from the territory of Naples. One hundred of them were recently transported. — A notorious brigand chief called Piazza was taken at Terracina recently by the French troops. Piazza is chiefly notorious for the treacherous murder of the Syndic of Mola di Gaeta last winter. He decoyed the Syndic, his former master, to rendezvous among the mountains, aud, having captured him, killed nim' after the sum demanded of Ms family as ransom had been sent.

For the first time a native lawyer has been appointed a Judge of the High Court of Calcutta. The geutleman upon whom this high distinction has been conferred is Baboo Sumbhoo Nath Puudifc, a lawyer of the highest reputation at the Calcutta Bar.— Times.

(Jotion Shipment prom New Orleans. — " The Cabinet, of Washington,'' says the Patrie, " has just officially informed the French Minister to the United States that the Federal civil and military authorities at New Orleans have received orders to take all the •measures necessary for facilitating the eiportation of cotton. "

Th a Horsfall Gun.— The Iron-Plate Committee having concluded theit experiments with the Horsfdll gun, this powerful piece will be removed to Liverpool, the Mersey Company proposing to-obliterate the damage sustained by the bore while" lying so long on Portsmouth beach. With this and some other improvements, it is confidently anticipated that the s<un, when properly '• sighted," will shoot a3 accurately as a rifle up to 2,000 yards, aud may yet reali-e the intentions of the donors in being " used against the enemy" from a shield ship. In the early trials at Shoe bury ness, the Morsftill made eight consecutive shots at 601 yarsls, fitted wiiJh the common brass sights, which only varied eighteen inches from the main line ; but in the late practke against the Warrior target, me; ely a temporary wooden tangent was used. — Armr and Navy Gazette. Wiikib Colwhs's sensation novel, "The Woman in White," is, it is said, to be produced ou the German stage. Thu Miltan fc stated iv a Constantinople letter in, the Leeds Mercuru, dated October 30, to have been at th;it date violently insane for three^dasa. The conferences about tb.e, % Elbe dflßHiavo been, for the third time diasolved/'aa it hmPbeen found impassible to come to any fab. 1 arrangement on the subject. A French Imperial decree admits unbleached tissues in pieces, whether of thread or half thread and cotton mixed, free of duty, for the purpose of being dyed, aud re-exported.

The" Fohtivications ob Antwerp.— A correspondent from Brussels gives an account of an interview ,at Lacken between the King of Belgium and the Municipal Council of Antwerp respecting; the fortifications. His Majesty insisted o» their necessity in a manner which seems to have given offence to the authorities, and twenty-une of the thirty members have The Prince and Princess Royal of Prussia have, it is said, sent 2,000 florins for the Coburg- memorial of Prince Albert.

The report of the candidature of the Archduke Maximilian of Austria for the throne of Greece is contradicted from Vienna.

Edwin James, late Q.C., " goes in for " Seymour, the Democratic candidate at New York, and speaks for that gentleman, and strongly against the Abolitionisms, at election meetings. The SiHcle iustaiiues, as a reproach to the post office authorities in France, that a postman had retired, after thirty years' service, with the magnificent annual pension of 50f,, or L 2 sterling. TM Star's Paris correspondent quotes a communignv\'m which the Emperor Napoleon 13 called " tho Legislator " - which he says is a new name in official places for the Emperor. The Prase states that the ex-Queen of Naples has at length, after much hesitation, resolved more firmly than ever not to return to Koine, but to remain iv the Ui'iuliue Convent at Augsburg. Tha French Minister of Commerce, M. Ronher, is actively engaged in arrangements for the thorough exploration ot Nifirltia by vessels ascending the Niger ; and for the introduction 01 French, commerce into Central Africa.

The floods which threatened and did so much damat'p, \n Lombardy and Venetia have at last subsided. In Venetia,, the Piave swept away the works of & railway bridge, which was being built, and fourteen workmen perished in ths wreck.

The difficulty about opening the Rome and Ceprano Railway seems now to have been arranged by a compromise between the company and the Government, The conditions of the compromise secure a pecuniary advantage to the Government. An immense fire broke out at Lyons, a few dnys since. The loss is Ueavy, a dealer in foteigu woods having had about so, OOOf. worth of golds destroyed. The other losses are estimated at about ISO.UOOf: About twenty families are reduced to .misery by the disaster, their little property being, as usual, uninsured.

Dr Vagel, the African traveller, who ha-l been given up us lo3t, is reported to be still alive, and a captive of the Sultan of Wa-iai, in Barbary, a Prussian officer who went in search of Va^el's papers 13 supposed to have been murdered on the wily to Wadai;

The I)ullin Evening Post states that the weather is yery inclement in tuat city, heavy snow having fallen, succeeded by frost. In County Kildare the fall of snow has been' especially heavy. There seems lo have been as yet no such, evidence of the advent in London.

Prosecution by a Newspaper for LiitEL.-It is stated that the editor and proprietors of the 0) knev Herald have decided upon entering a prosecution in the Cuivt oi Session against Mr James Walls, Kirkwall, for defamation of character and attempt; to damage the oredit ot that journal. A dinner of con.'ratulation has been given to Mr Foster a native of Derby, on his attainment of the age of one hundred years. The Mayor and all the leading- inhabitants took part in the interesting proceedings. b *

On Wednesday, L 3.400 were received at the Manwon House, London, in aid of the Lancashire Relief r?i n Sl)m inclu ded the splendid donation ot 1,1,000 from Messrs Bradbury, Greatorex. and Company. An action for alleged libel Irs been brought in the Exchequer Court at Dublin, by one of the law agents of the Dublin Corporation, against Dr Gray, proprietor of tbe Freeman's Journal. The easels now proceeding. Post-Office robberies, the Times says, have Tery greatly decreased in frequency in fjreai part owivg to the effect of the reduction of the registraii on fee in making the transit of letters at ,th© registration rates more adopted tih,an formerly, A Painting said to be by Raphael, and representing thedeath of St. Joseph., is now on view at Brussels. The average oost of sending an adult emigrant to* Australia is Ll6 ; to Canada it is L 2."