EXTRACTS FROM LATE PAPERS.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 91, 26 August 1846, Page 3

EXTRACTS FROM LATE PAPERS.

A letter from St. of the sih, in a Frsnkford Journal, informs us that the Emperor of Russia has called Upon the Shah of Persia to prevent the emigration of his subjects towards the Caucacus, and even threatened hostilities, if bis application be not attended to.

The population of Russia, according to the last census, U 62,500,000 ; yet there is evidently less wealth and strength than the United States.

Sir Thomas Freemantle, late Chief Secretary for Ireland, has been appointed Deputy Chairman of the Board of Customs, in the room of the Hon. Edward Stewart, who retires.

The NaVY—The excess of expenditure of her Majesty's Navy, for the year ending 3lst March, 1845 (it appears from a reiurn issued by Pailiament), amounts to £U 420 6s. lOd., which will require to be voted, ia order to defray such excess beyond the grants Toted for that year. This return is dated from the Admiralty, llth February, and is signed " Ellenborough," and " Henry Ptzroy."

It ia rumoured that the preliminaries for a matrimonial alliance have been adjusted between the lovely and accomplished daughter of a French Duke, who married the worthy heiress of a Scottish baronet, and the heir presumptive to the titles and estates of a noble and gallant earl in Scotland.

A Miss Cushman has played Romeo at the Haymarket, three nights a-week, daring several weeks to crowded houses. The play was then changed to the tragedy of lon ; the part of lon by Miss O The first all calm, benignity, and w-edotn ; the latter, all romance and passion. Yet, Miss C. succeeded. Her sister played the heroine of the tragedy, Cleraanthe, and was equally applauded.

Mr. Challls of the Cambridge Observatory, in a letter to the Times, notices his discovery of a new comet in his search after Biela's comet. This new star is smaller than Biela'e. He says, ie is he belieyei the first recorded instance of two comets being seen at the same time in the same direction of the Heavens. The new comet is north ef Biela'e and precedes it. He gives notes of the observations made from the 23rd January to the 13th February, and says, that on the latter day, both might be seen with a tellescope of moderate power.

Sir Robert Peel was again cupped on Friday, previous to his going to the House of Commons.

The Hon. Mr. Clive, the brother of Lord Powis, who was seized with sudden indispogition on Friday night, during the debate in the House of Commons, is now much better, and no danger is apprehended. Sir John Beoket has completely recovered from bis recent severe illness, and is now able to join jn society. We regret to hear that General Lord Bloomfield, Commandant at Woolwich, continues indisposed, M. Merihes, a banker, of Perigueux, who was lately declared a bankrupt, has been arrested and imprisoned upon charges connected with the bankruptcy. The Hon. Mr. Frederick Byng was solicited by a large body of voters to stand for Westminster, but declined. The engineers are still busily employed strengthening the land & sea fortifications of both Portsmouth and Portsea. A man named John Snowden lost his watch upon the moors in Northumberland in 1835, and in his rambles last week discovered liis long lost time-piece near Croglin Water head.

1 Melitng Moments. — One w : nter evening- 8 country storekreper in t'te \1 mraiu «tat« w»s , about c:lo-in« his door* for tli ■ night; ami wlnle standing in the snow out-Hc., pu iji-g n;> his window shutters, ht haw through the alu-s < I urging worthless fellow w.thin, take a pound of fr s-> l> itti-r from the shelf, and hastily coikhml it m I)•» hat. ■ '' Stay, Seth 1 said the storekeeper, oming in an'l closing the door after him, slapping his hmwU over hie shoulders, and stamping the snow off hU shoea. Seth had his hand upon the door, and hi- hat upon his he*d, and the roll of new butter in Ins bat, anxious to make bis exit Bβ soon as possible. " I say, Seth, sit down ; I reckon now on such anight aa this, a leetle something warm wouldn't hurt a fellow; come, sit down.' , Seth frit v-ry uncertain ; he had the butter, and was anxious to be off, but the temptation of ' someili warm " sadly interfered with his res >lv iun to go. This hesitation, however, was soon settled by the right owner of the butter taking Seth by the shoulders and planting him upon a seat close to the slove, where he was in such a manner cornered in by barrels and boxes, that while the country grocer sat before him, there was no possibility of his getting out, and right in this place cure enough the storekeeper sat down, " Seth, we'll have a lutle warm Santa Cruz," said the Gieen Mountain groctr, as he opened the etove door, and stuffed in as many sticks as the tpace wjuld admit. " Without it you'd freeze going home such a night as thi,." •Sfth already felt the butter settling dowa closer to his hair, and jumped np declaring he must go. '' Not till you have some hing warm, Seth. Come, Vvi got a story to te]! you ; sit d-iwn, now !" and Seth was again put inti his seat by his cunning tormentor "Ob ! it's confounded hot here," siid the thief, again attempting to rise. " Sit down— don't be in such a plaguy hurry," retoited the grocer, pushing him back in the chair. But l're Kot ihe cows to fodder, and some wood t > splti, and I must be agoin " continued the persecuted chap. "But you mus.i't teir yourself away in this manner. Sit down ; le.t the cws take eire of themselves, and keep yourself coof; y.m appear to be fidgetty," said ihe roguish giocer, with a wicked leer. The next ihtng was 'he production of two smoking glasses of hot rum toddy, the very sigh: ef which, i , ; Seth's present situation, would have m .da the hair stmd erect on his bead, had it not been well oiled and kept down by the butter. '• Seth, I'll give you a toatt now, and you can butter it yourself," said the grocer ; yes with an air of such consummate simplicity, that poor Seth still believed himself unsuspected. " Seth, here's a Christmas goose—(it was Christmas time) —here's a Christmas goose well roasted and basted, eh 1 I tell you, Se'hj its the greatest eating in creation. And, Seth, don't you never use common cooking butter to baste with ; fresh pound butter, just the «ame as you see on that shel» yonder, is ttie only proper thing in nature io baste a goose with. Come, take yqnr butter —l mean, Seth, take your toddy." Poor Seth now began to smoke as well aa to melt, and his month was as hermetically sealed up as j though he had been born dumb. Streak after streak of the butter came pouring from under his hat, and his handkerchief was already soaked with the overflow. "Dreadful cold night, this!" said the grocer. '» Why, Seth, you seem warm. Why don't you take your hat off 1 Here, let me put your hat away." " No." exclaimed poor Seth, at last, with a spasmodic effort to get his tongue loose, and clapping both hande upon his hat. "No—l must go, let me out. I ant well, let me go." A. cataract was now pouring down the fellow's face, soaking his clothes, and sliding down his body into hie very boots, so that he was literally in a perfect bath of oil. " Well, good night, Seth, if you will go," said tbe humorous Vermonter; adding, as Seth got into the road, •• Neighbour, I reckon the fun I have had out of you is worth a nine-pence, so I shan't charge you for that pound of butter."— New Orleans Picayenne.

Flowers and Fruits of Australia.—Many fruits giow and flourish in these colonies which can be reared in England only when they are housed, when means are taken to temper the keenness of the winter's blast, and when the temperature of the air is increased by artificial contrivances. It is a matter of doubt, however, whether anything is gained by the inhabitants of New Holland in this particular; for many froite which are admiraby adapted to the temperature and moist climate of Great Britain, either do not come to perfection, or will not grow at all, in the dry hot atmosphere of New Holland. A decision on the relative advantages and disadvantages will depend, in this instance, on the tastes of the individual; and, in arriving at a conclusion on this point, the native of Great Britain must not forgei to bear ia mind that every one is »pt to attach somewhat more than its intrinsic value to that which is beyond his reach. For example, the Englishman will be in danger of forming a highly favourable opinion of the capabilities of that country for the growth of fruit, where the orange and the grape flourish and yield abundantly in the open air ; but it will do him no harm to remember, that if the Australian colonist gain the orange and the grape, they lose the apple, the currant, the gooseberry, and that moat delicious of all fruits, the strawberry. As it is with fruits, so is it with flowers. The native flowers are many of them exceedingly beautiful, and the geranium is almost a weed; but still very many of the sweetest and most beautiful English flowers will not grow in the climate of New Holland. The nntiye flowers are, with very few exceptions, perfectly inodorous, and they will gladden the eye with their grateful presence but for a short period. The dreary wasteg of New Holland are relieved by the varied tints of the native flowers in the-spring time only. But few persons, I apprehend, would estimate the beautiful but scentless native flowers of New Holland, beyond the more quiet-tinted but sweet smelling flowers of Great Britain. Even were they on a par in point of beauty and fragrance, the English flowers continue blooming a great part of the year, whilst the dull monotony of the arid shrubs of Australia is relieved only for a short time by beautifully formed and exquisitely-tinted, but inodorous flowers. Witfe all the charm of form, the Australian flowers must yield to the delicious fragrance and simple colouring of the flowers of the charming hedgerows of 'merry England. , —Bartlett's New Holland.

A curious fossil treehae been discovered In Duckinfield colliery, embedded in grey shale, under the cannel coal. 10Q0 feet below the surface. It is upwards of seventeen feet long.thickin the etem, and ita branches vary from four inches to a foot io diameter*