ENGLISH AND EUROPEAN NEWS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume VI, Issue 278, 28 November 1857, Page 3

ENGLISH AND EUROPEAN NEWS.

London, August 17, 1857. The measures taken by the Home Government for the defence of India, though they have been much canvassed by the Opposition journals, appear to be adequate for the occasion. About 30,000 are on then way to India, a considei able poition of whom must have arrived eie now. This is not all that is required, for not less than 50,000 additional European troops will suffice foi the restoration of our authority. Our reinforcements to India now amount to 30 thousand men. Aheady 13,000 have been despatched, and 5400 of the China force diverted to Calcutta. 5,400 are in course of embarkation, ana) the lemainder will be embarked in the course of another week. Our home defences will be piovided for by recruiting, by the formation of new battalions and embodying a poition of the militia. The impression in England now is that vte have seen the worst of the mutiny. At the Derby Nisi Piius Court the Rev Mr Highmore brought an action for slander against the Eail and Countess of Harrington, This cause, which excited considerable interest, came on for hearing before Mr Justice Ciesswell, and a ciowded court. The juiy returned a verdict for the plaintiff—damages £750. The defeat by the House of Lords of the Government bill for the admission of Jews has pioducedan unusual stir amongst the leading membeis of the Liberal party. On the morning of the 16th of July a meeting, called by a requisition signed by 92, and attended by 112 members of the House of Commons was held at an hotel at Palace-yard, to consider what should bo done in consequence of theiejeetion of the measure. Mr Hoisman was called to the chair. A veiy earnest discussion ensued, in which Sir James Giaham took a prominent pait, recommending that Lord John Russell's bill should be suppoited, as it would give the Lords an opportunity of reconsidering their decision, adding that if they should adhere to their former decision they would do so with gieat danger to their legislative independence. Finally, lesolutions weie agreed to setting forth that the time had airived when the question should be finally settled, and pledging the liberal paity to a union of their energies for its accomplishment. In the state of the question thus pending between the Lords and Commons, several private meetings of Baron Rothchild's friends weie held, in connection with certain leaders of the liberal paity, for the purpose of determining what couise it would be most piudent to adopt with a view to the advancement of the common object. Some thought he should remain passive ; but it was ultimately determined that lie should lesign his seat, and present himself again to the eleetois of the city of London. For that puipose a meeting of the libeial electors was held on (he 23rd July and was numerously attended by membois of Pailiamcnt and otheis. At this meeting Baion Rothschild made a long and able speech, in which he reviewed the whole ciicumstanees of the case, and resigned back into the hands of his constituents the tmst they had reposed in him, which ho announced his intention of again soliciting at their hands. A resolution was immediately passed pledging the meeting to use its utmost efforts to ensure his le-election. On the same night Mr ILryter moved ior a new writ. The election of Baron Rothschild followed a few days at'leiwards ; but up to the piosDiil time he has not presented himself to the House. In the meantime Lord John Russell h.is obtained the nomination of a committee to enquire into the subject of Pailiamentaiy Oaths. One of the most violent storms that has visited this countiy for many yeais swept over the mctionolis and neaily eveiy pait of England on the evening and night of the 13th August. The extent of the injury has not been asceitaincd, but there is reason to fear that inscvcual places the outlying and standing crops of ceicals have suffered irietiievably. The lailways in various paits of the country have been injured. The election af John Blight by the people of Birmingham was a popular ovation for that great chief of the English l.ulitals such as seldom falls to the lot of men in public life. Personally, he was a perfect stranger in Biimmgham ; and amidst that huge and wealthy population there weie men who, by ability, position and long services, had fair claims to fill the vacant seat. Without any previous con noction with the town, and in his absence, he has been elected to lepresent a constituency numbering a quaiter of a million of souls, and distinguished not less for its sound national feeling, independence, and public spirit, than for its interests, skilled industiy, enterprise, and wealth. One of the very fust men in England, ho will go back to the House of Commons in his hue chaiactoi — the special and specially honoured lepiesentative of the Commons. When Parliament re-assembles, the terrible John Bright will again confiont Loid Palmeiston, amidst the pealing applause of the Commons, and will reappear in the House with a triumph all the prouder for the defeat he sustained a few months ago. Lady Troubiidge gave biith to a son, at 20 Eaton

square, a few days since. Who that saw Sir Thomas scarcely two years since lifted on a gun in the valley of Inkermann, with both of his legs shot off, yet gallantly commanding his men, and resolved to see the battle through — who would have thought that within so short a period we should have to congratulate the modern " Witherington," not only on his happy marriage, but on his lusty progeny ? The chief incident of importance in our foreign news is the difference which has arisen between Turkey and four of the European Powers respecting the Danubian Principalities. The facts lie in a brief compass. The real question at issue is, shall the Danubian Principalities be united_ and erected into a new State, or shall they remain two separate provinces, under the protection of Turkey ? One of the objects of the late war was to rescue these very piovinces from Russia, and as the inevitable consequence of joining them together would ho to create a feeble State which must in the nature of things become a dependent upon Russia, to be finally absorbed in the Russian empire, England has all along protested against their union. She has a right to do so, having spent eighty millions and a bundled thousand lives to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Muscovite. The result of the recent elections in Moldavia was the expression of a strong opinion in the Principalities against the union. But upon the evidence which led him to believe that the elections had been illegally conducted, the Piench amhassadoi, in conjunctiou with the representatives of Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia, demanded of Turkey that she should declare the elections null and void. When this demand, or appeal, was first made to the Sultan by the French ambassador, the Turkish cabinet refused to accede to it. The ambassador then menaced the Porte with the formal withdrawal of diplomatic relations on the pait of four crowned heads. Under this pressure, the Sultan dismissed Redchid Pacha, and formed a new ministry. The new ministry proposed a middle course, offering to summon the Caimacans to Constantinople, and institute an investigation into the conduct of the elections. The French ambassador, however, rejected this proposition and upon the Porte again declining to accede to his demand, the representatives of the four powers hauled down their flags, and suspended their diplomatic relations with the Ottoman empire. Thus the matter stood when Louis Napoleon, accompanied by his foreign minister, paid a visit to the Qeaea at Osborne, and met Lords Palmerston and Clarendon. The difference which at first seemed so formidable now speedily vanished. Upon an examination of the facts, it appeared that theie was ample ground to call into question the validity of the elections ; and it further appeared that the leason why Tuikey refused to accede to the demand of the four powers was that it should have been made by the six poweis, who were parties to the Paris Confeience. Under these circumstances an unanimous resolution was agreed to that the whole six powers should lequire the elections to held over again. Whether this proceeding, which appeals to have been quite" proper under the circumstances, will eventuate in the union of the Principalities remains to be seen. Mr Eastman's six breeech-loading cannons, impoited iiom America, weie recently tried at Woolwich, and having been twice filed with a double chaige of blank caitridge, namely 20 lbs. of powder they weie examined, and found to have stood the test satisfactorily. The guns were simply pointed, and placed in position on a temporary platform, composed of rough and unsecured planks, and from their enormous weight, 17 tons, they did not evince the slightest movement or recoil. The material of which they are cast is American charcoal iron of the finest quality. Fiom experiments made in the United States, this species of cannon is found to project a 32-pound elongated rifle shell over a flight of four English miles. Mr Arney (brother of Major Arney, formerly of the 58th Regiment) of the Western Circuit, has been appointed Chief Justice of New Zealand.