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Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 73, 24 June 1846, Page 3

Great Fire at St. Johk's.—The papers from Halifax brings news of an awfuily destructive fire at St. John's, New Brunswick, by which property to the amount of nearly £60,000 has been destroyed. Great difficulty is experienced to obtain recruit for the royal artillery. An officer has recently ref turner* from Scotland, where he had gone to obtairt recroits, but failed in obtaining even one. One of the reasons assigned is, that the retiring pension bas been reduced from Is. to 6d. per day. There has been no similar reduction in the pensions of the officers. Plenty of them may be had. In Glamorganshire farm-labourers are so scarce that wages have risen to 16s. and 18s. per week. Tbe wages of the operatives of Stoke Pun Broomsgrove, have been raised ten per cent. The King of Bavaria has issued a decree, ordering that in future all persons killed in duels or who had committed suicide shall be interred without religious ceremony of any kind.—Britannia, Dec 6. Extraordinary Event.—A most extraordinary circumslance has just occurred at the Hadwick toll-bar, which is kept by two old women. Itappeare that they had a sum of money in the house, and from some cause or other, were extremely alarmed lest they should be robbed of it. Their fears prevailed to such an extent, that when a carrier whom they knew was passing by, th'-y urgently requested hiai to stay with them all night, which, however, his duties would not permit him to do; but in consideration of the alarm of the women, he consented to leave with them a large mastiff dog. When the carrier started, the dog became violent, and would not stop, upon which one of the women ran after the man, who returned and left his coat for the dog to watch, after which the animal remained quietly at the toll-house. In the night, the women were disturbed by the uneasiness of the dog, and heard a noise apparently like an attempt to force an entrance into the premises, upon which they escaped by the back door and ran to a neighbouring house, which happened to be a blacksmith's shop. They knocked at the door, and were ans« wered from within, by the smith's wife. She said her husband was ab-ent, but that she was willing to accompany the terrified women to their house. This was agreed to, and on their reaching the house, they heard a savage but half-stifled growling from the dog. On entering the house, they saw the body of a man hanging half in and half out of their little window, whom the dog had still by the throat, and was still worrying. On examination, the man proved io be their neighbour, the blacksmith, dreadfully torn about the throat, and quite dead.—Carlisle Patriot.

Suicide oi? Colonel Cußwood. —Col. John Gurwood, well known lor his yon able work the '• Despatches ol the Duke Wellington," committed suicide at Brighton on Saturday, by cutting his throat with a razor. At the inquest oh Monday,; Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Henry Websterspoke to the Colonel having beren latterly; in a very depressed state of mind, and said that he had no doubt that it was all caused by the relaxation of the nerves, in consequence of his great work, the " Despatches of the Duke of Wellington" having been concluded. The medical witness, Sir George Hall, gave similar testimony. The jury accordingly returned a "Verdict'" that the deceased destroyed himself while in a temporary state of insanity, which was caused by mental relaxation." One of the fiercest storms that has been experienced in England for a considerable period took place after midnight of Sunday the 21st December, from N. N. E., and continued the entire day, occasioning innumerable catastrophes along the coast, with great loss af property. A vessel from Bombay (the Woodman), with a valuable cargo, was wrecked off Margate —passengers saved. The Repeal movement was as fervent as ever. The amount of the rent at Conciliation Hall was usual y from £200 to per week. Very deplorable accounts arc given in the L>nd >n papers of destitution amongst the people in that city. Instances are mentioned of persons reduced to skeletons, and lying in bed all day because they had no food. Many cases had occurred of children dying because their mothers, as thecoroners juries expressed it, " wanted the common necessaries of life." The Indians.~A writer in the Times recommends that the Indians of Canada be immediately drilled and armed in their own way as a defence against America. We find in the Times an article in which that journal expresses a deep feeling of horror for what it calls the barbarous war we are carrying on in Africa. To the details which we have given on the affairs of New Zealand, we shall add one which has already been commented on by the English press at Sydney. It would appear that, inthecomh.ats'wiih the natives the English commander had given orders to bayonet all the wounded who lay on the field of battle. It is even related that one of the New Zealand chiefs had saved his life by hiding himself beneath the body of one of his men; 'which circumstance,' says the report of the English'officer, 'was very surprising, for our men punctually executed the order issued to give no quarter, as the savages had the audacious custom of again rising up, and firing on the enemy after he had passed. . We shall make no comment on this fact for two reasons:—first, because we admit that war may have certain cruel bat imperious necessities; and, next, because we should fear that our censure and indignation should be weak in comparison with what cannot fail to be expressed by the English journals, from which some of the acts of our army in Africa have drawn forth such clamours.—Journal dcs Debate. The Joseph Somes, hired convict ship, left her moorings of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich on the 23rd December last, towed by the Lion, hired steamer, with 286 convicts for Van Diemen ? s Land. Tiie convict guard of the 65th regiment, on their arrival at theepenal settlement, will deliver up the convicts, and proceed to New Zealand. Major W. A. M'Claverty, of the 48th foot, has been gazetted as Deputy Quartermaster Genera to the forces in New Zealand, wiiht je rank of Lieut-Colonel in the army. The whole of the 65th 'regiment is held in readiness to be embarked for New Zealand us soon as tonnage can be provided. It is generally supposed the 24th regiment will be ordered to Chatham to furnish the convict guard. Channel Llands.—The French are about to construct three forls upon the Island of Chausey, between Jersey and France, and also to replace their ihree revenue cutters by a steamer. We have, this from a most undoubted authority . an offi.er on the spot; and he most strongly counsels our substituting a steatiur for the present cutters, which we must do, to be on equal terms with them, as well as in common fairness to our own fishermen; and the encouraging of the fishermen in these waters is of the highet importance. H appears the authoriiit'B are pl.cing all the fortifications in Jersey in a proper state, and certainly not b fore it was required.—Hampshire Telegiiath.