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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 245, 25 July 1861, Page 1

Death of William 111. —He was under no illusion as to-his danger. “I am fast drawing,” he said, “to my end.” Ilis end wis I worthy of his life. His intellect was not for a moment clouded. His fortitude w;-s tlie more admirable because lie was not willing to die. He had very lately said to one : of those whom; he most loved“ You know that / have never fearel death; there have bieii timeswhen I should have w'shed it;- but how that this great new prospect is opening before me,.l do wish to stay here a little longer.” Yet. noweakness, no qnerulousness, disgraced thenoble close of that'noble career. To the phy.sicians the King returned his thanks graciously and gently. I- know that you have done a!l ; . that skill and learning could do for me ; but the case is beyond your art; and I submit/* From the words which escaped hinxhe seemed to be frequently engaged in mental; prnyeiv Burnet and Yenison remained many hours in< the sick room. He professed to them his firm belief in the truth of the Ginistian religion, and received the sacrament from their hands with great seriousness. The antechambers were crowded all night with' lords and privy councillors. He ordered several of them to bocalled in, and‘exerted himself to take leave of them with a few kind and cheerful words. Among the English who were admitted to his bedside were Devonshire- and Ormond. -But there we e in the crowd those who felt asjno. Englishman could feel, friends of his youth* who had been true to him, and to whom.hehad been true, through all icissitudes of fortune ; vvho had served him with unalterablefidelity when his Secretaries of State, liis Treasury and his Admiralty had betrayed him; who bad never on any iield-of battle, or in any atmosphere tainted with loathsome and deadly disease, shrunk front placing their own lives in jeopardy to save his, and whose truth he had' at the cost of his own popularity rewarded wit!) bounteous munificence, lie strained lrs feeble voice to thank Auverquefque for the affectionate and loyal services of thirty years, f o Albemarle, he gave -the ke- s of his closet, and of his private drawers!: “V u know,” he. •iaidj “ vvhaf to do with them ” By this time he could scarcely respire. “Can this,”" hesaid to the physicians, “ last long ?” ' He wastold that the end was approaching. lie swallowed a cordial, and ’ asked for Jfientinck. Those were his last articuhite words. Bcn,tinck instantly came to the bedside,, bent: down, and placed his ear close to the King’s mouth. The: lips of the dying man moved ;. but noth’ng could be heard. The King took* the hand of his earliest friend-and pressed ifcto his heart. In that moment;- no" doubt, ' all that had ca t a slight passing cloud over their long and. pure friendship was forgotten. It was now between seven and eight in the morning. 7/e , closed bis eyes, and gasped for breath. The : bishops kneit down and read the commendatory prayer. When it "ended. William was no more, //'hen his remains were laid out, it .was found that he wore next his skin a small piece of black silk riband. The lords in waiting ordered ~it to be taken off. It contained a gold ring and a lock of the hair of Mary.— Macaulay's Fifth Vol. - The Last Chinese War. —An able articlein Frasel's Magazine for March, concludes as follows: *

“ It only remains f».r us to sum losses and gains of the three Oreat Powers. “ The Russian Cabinet, having been able to dispose of the wealth and might of England, has, at no cost to herself, obtained the permission, so long denied her, of participating in the coast trade of China, and has established the ascendancy of her influence at Pekin. Shelias, besides, gained a territory worth all therest of her Asiatic dominions together, and so - situated that it places the Empires of China., and Japan at her feet. “ The French Emperor has found the pre--text he sought for placing a powerful military and naval force on the further side of the [stkmus of Suez, and in the neighbourhood of' British India, so as to be ready either to pounce upon Egypt from the rear, in case of the expected dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, or to take advantage of cireumstan:es on the outbreak of a new Indian rebellion.

“ England has damaged her commerce and enhanced the price of Chinese produce to her, own people, by an amount which it would be difficult to calculate. She has burdened herself with debt and taxes, having spent twenty million pounds in her Chinese wars, and has sacrificed, chiefly by disease, not less than 5000 valuable lives. In return, she liasgsined for her open rival and secret enemy a territory which must make llussia paramount in Asia. And she has spread rebellion and anarchy, misery and bloodshed, throughout a vast en •« pire with which she had not a single conflicting interest, but whose prosperity was her wealthj and upon whose commerce a large proportion of the revenues of England and of India are dependent.” Celestial Anomaly —The comet rejoices in. a tail, which strange enough, has been, denied to the dog-jtnr.— Punch.