HOME NEWS

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 40, 3 December 1845, Page 3

HOME NEWS

(From the Sydney Morning Herald, Oct. 29.)

Wg were favoured yesterday with a Lauxcestcn Examlver of the 18th instant, which contains a f<*w items of English news that had not been prevhu-dy teceived. The Esquestman appears to have brcu;ht dates to the 2nd July o ly. The C'rfßrt had been sojuming at Osbon c House, Me of Wicht.—Their M»j r siies the King and Queen of the Bf-lg ans were on a vi-it at Buckingham Palace.—The King cf Holland was also expected to vis t England. The Times of Ist July says, " Despatches for the Governors of Van Land, New South Wales, and Marnitius, were sent off last evening from the Colonial Office." Sir William Follet, Attorney-General, "the greatest lawyer of his time," expired on the 28th June, after a lingering illness. Sir F. Thesiger had acep'ed the vacant office.—We notice also the death of Colonel Rushbrook, a zealous advtcate for Conservative interests. Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Downes, Jackson Commander of the Forces in Car-ada, died of apoplexy on the 7th June. Sir Richard was on the point of leaving Mon'real for England ; his successor, Eail Cathcart, being on his way out. Some conv.-rsation regarding the fine arts fok [■•lace, and elicited from Sir R. Peel a declaration that ihe Government was thinking of about bu Iding a national galLry worthy of the country.—A motion fsom'Captain Layard, that the period of service in the army should be reduced from the present unlimited term to that of ten yeirs, was negatived without a division.—A proposition was made by Mr. Miles for giving the Judges authority, at their discretion, to appoint places for the executions of criminals within the walls of prisions ; but the hou-e was counted out without discussion. It was propoa*d thnt, on such occasions, the authoriiss and reporters for the press alone should be admitted. In a debate upon the Corn Laws, Sir Robert Petl stated that he omy looked upon the abolition of all protective duties aS a question of time. A drtadful fire occurred at Quebec on the 28th May. A more i-xtensive calamity has never, it is l>tlieved».befal,eii any city on the c- n'inent of Aniens. One-third part of the extent of the city and that that the most populous, covering a mile in length by holt'a mile in breadth, wa* reduc dto ruins; 1650 dwellings, two churches, sn extensive ship-yard, teveral lumber-yards and wharfs, laid in ashes. Singular Operation.—Mr. John Scurr, farmer, of Greenside, Trimdon, near Sedgefield, a short time ago, had a sheep which had been ill for a fortnight, three days of which it had been unable to get upon its feet. A friend of Mr. Scurr happened to call upon him on business ; and they went out together to see the sheep. The friend pronouuced the animal all but dead, and expressed his opinion that it had the sturdy, or water in the head, which, he said was incurable. The sheep was thereupon left to die. A servant boy named Gilpin, living with Mr Scurr, having overheard the conversation, immediately went to his master's house, and procured a gimlet, with which he returned to the field, and, without practice or skill in the art, operated upon the head of the animal, by boring a hole exactly upon the top of the scalp, by which the water oozed out of the head of the sheep, which in a very few minutes got upon its feet, and began to eat grass. It only remains to be added, that is now doing as well as any of its owner's flock.—Newcastle Journal.