ARRIVAL OF THE RUAHINE AT WELLINGTON, WITH FURTHER ENGLISH NEWS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 630, 25 July 1866, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE RUAHINE AT WELLINGTON, WITH FURTHER ENGLISH NEWS.

The 1 Wellington Independent’ of Saturday says, the JP.N.Z., and A. R. M. Co.'s s.s. Ruahine, 1640 tons, 400-horse power, T. Beal, commander, arrived in this harbor last night from Sydney, after a quick passage of live days nine hours. She sailed from Sydney on Sunday, the 15th inst. at 2 a.m., experienced- strong head winds during the first part of the passage, and fine the latter portion. Captain Beal was third officer of the Aurora, the first immigrant vessel that arrived in v.his narbor, and afterwards commanded the emigrant ship Poictiers, that arrived here in 1850. The Ruahine, in our opinion, is a more splendid ship, in many respects, than the Kaikoura. Tier saloon accommodation is magnificent, and her cabins are replete with every comfort for have already published a full description of this vessel. We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. W. C. Hart, the purser, for files of Sydney papers, up to the 14th inst. Mr. Hart is son of the late William ifamdton Hart, Escp, Superintendent <•: the Bank of Australasia in the .A usrwdian Colonies. The Ruahine lias 30,000 sovereigns on freight, and a number of passong°rS‘ ENGLISH NEWS. London, May 25. The Australian March mails were delivered in London on the 12th and 18th inst. .... The Queen is at Cleveden, on a visit to the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, and is in good health. The marriage of the Princess Helena is is appointed to take place on the si.li of July at Windsor, and that of the Princess Mai’y of Cambridge on the 12th June, at Kew. . Prince Alfred is to be created a Peer, with the titles of Duke of Edinburgh and Earl of Kent. A deputation from Joint Stock Banks waited on Mr. Gladstone.to solicit the intervention of the Government. Mr. Gladstone announced that the Government had authorised the Bank .of England to give accommodation during the day to the amount of four millions sterling, _ thus reducing the reserve fund from six millions to three millions. He believed that the Bank of England had not thought proper to avail itself of the privilege.. The principal suspensions since the 10th ult., are Peto and Betts, for about four millions, nearly all of which is secured, and the stoppage will be merely temporary ; Hallett and Ommaney, bankers, land army and navy agents, with liabilities amounting to a quarter of a million—assets considerable : the European Bank, 1,83, King Wil-liam-street ; the New Zealand Banking Corporation, 38, Thomas-street ; and the Commercial Bank Corporation. The business of the Bank of London has been transferred to the Consolidated Bank, and when arrangements are completed, it is expected that the Bank of London will be wound up. The Foreign Office has published a des-patch-from the rlitish Resident at Aden, stating that Rassim had had an interview with the Emperor of Abyssimiia on February 7tli, when he was magnificently received, and that a few hours afterwards all the European prisoners were released, and it is understood that they are all on the road aome. Several deaths from cholera have occurred at Liverpool and Birkenhead. It is understood that the disease was brought over by German emigrants, who landed at Hull, and ivere passing through Liverpool on their way to America The sentence of death on the woman Winsor has been commuted to penal servitude for life.

The division on the Reform Bill, taken on the 27th ultimo, showed for the second reading 311 against 316, being a majority of five for the Government.

On the 30th, Mr. Gladstone, brought in his budget for the current year, he calculated that he would have a probable surplus of £1,350,000, which he would ask the House to dispose of by abolishing the duty on timber, and the duty on pepper, by reducing the tax on stage carriers, and by equalising the duties on wine in bottle, with those upon wine in wood. These reductions he calculated would absorb £562,000 ; of the remainder, he proposed to apply £502,000 towards the reduction of the national debt. The unappropriated surplus amounting to £286,000 he intended to retain as a balance in hand.

On the 10th, Mr. Gladstone introduced the Government Bill for the re-distribution of seats, and said that the Government had come to the conclusion that it would best meet the claims of equity, and the state of public opinion by not extinguishing any borough ; but by resorting to the Scotch system of grouping several small boroughs together ; experience having shown that the grouped boroughs were almost entirely free from corruption. It is proposed, therefore, to obtain for disposal forty-nine seats by the double operation of withdrawing one member horn certain boroughs, and giving them to others in cases where it could be done with geographical convenience.

Groups of boroughs, with population under 15,000, would have one member only. Those above that limit would have two members ; while the lowest population would be 10 000, 'the highest would be 21,000. Of the forty-nine seats ..at. the disposal of the Government, twenty-six would, be given to counties, and an additional member each to Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Leed, and Salford. The Tower Hamlets were to be divided—each division returning two members ; also, Chelsea and Kensington. • •• Among the twenty-six new constituencies are Burnley , Staley Bridge on Gravesend, Hartlepool, Middloborngh, Dewsbury, and the London University. The remaining seven seats would be given to Scotland. On tbe 14th, the Redistribution of Seats Bill was read asecondtime without division, the Ministry undertaking to fuse it with the Franchise Bill in committee. The Oak was won by Tormenter ; Murrill, second. The .fight for the championship took place between Maeo and Goss, on the 24th. Neulier men seemed inclined to engage in earnest, and the contest ended by being drawn. The Rev. Father Mahony, better known as Father Front, the celebrated Paris correspondent of the Globe newspaper is dead.

THE CONTINENT. Preparations for war have been eagerly carried on during the month by Austria, Russia, and Italy ; and the forces of all three States are now on a full war footing. The neutral powers—England, France, and Russia —have agreed upon a formal invitation of a general Congress for discussing European affairs, tobe held atParis in course of the next month. It is believed that all the powers will assent to this proposal. The war feeling in Austria and Italy is extremely strong. Throughout Prussia and Germany the people are generally opposed to the outbreak of hostilities, and popular feeling lias been expressed thou ghout Prussia, endeavouring to dissuade the G overmen! against war. Prince Charles of Hohenstafl’en, the Hospodar, had arrved at Bucharest, wheiv he was enthusiastically ’received. There were protests to the Paris Conference against his election, hut it is doubtful whether thejp will be any active step 3 taken to;’ prevent Lis inauguration as the New Hospodar.