ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Wellington Independent, Volume VIII, Issue 782, 9 April 1853, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

National Times announces that the Royal Commissioners, who received 1 a permanent chartei\ of incorporation oti the' closing of the Great Exhibition, have made some large purchases of land for.National' Galleries; " in combination with' Museums such as that how at Marlborough House, 1 or ge-1 .nerallyfor the promotion of arts, manufactures,- and commerce." The price exacted.has been Very great, if not" extortionate" ; and the ■' Exhibition surplus has already been exhausted; : sothat the nation willl'have to supply the funds for carrying out' the sequel 7 The grounds, however, appear to be wellworth securing fpr this: purpose. '"The 'site' chosen for the realisation of till this is at Kensington Gore., -■'■' Behind Gore House,aridtheline of houses whicli: stretches almost uninterruptedly from the new houses of, Hyde; 'Park Terrace up to Kensington Turnpike, is an extensive,tract of land; now principally Occupied as market gardens; except that part of it which abuts westward on the. road called Gloucester. Road; in whiclvMr; Canning's house and grounds, called/Gloucester Lodge/were situated; Most of this land belonged to theßar'eh de; Villars and Lord though a portion 6f*Sbtub-extent -oil the "North side, near the- Ken sington Road, was the property of the parish"•■' of -St; Margaret, l Westminster. The- whole site is very beautifully disposed, gradually sloping'to the South from the'high groundof Hyde Park down to the- Old-'Brompton'Road: Great part of this land, iii the time.of the Commonwealth';- belonged to the Protector;'and'his name is still preservediti '■ CromwellLarie' and ' Cromwell House,' though, except garden walls of great strength and solidity, there are no re-mains-of his time. ; The' lower-part of the: land is familiarly termed ' Bromptoti .Grove,' and is ornamented with some really-fine timber in the gardens and grounds still remaining on the 1 Southern ,part oftho estate. The' first tract 1 of land obtained by the Commissioners'was from the trustees;* of l tho parish- bf St; ; Margaret, Westminster; from' whom, itj is understood, about twenty aores Ayere

obtained, al'a'cost of £60,000, or thereabouts : but the principal purchase (a .very recent oiio) is from the Baron do Villars; who'has sold forty-eight acres of laud to the i Commissioners for the large sum of £150,000. For some smaller purohases'to complete the boundary as much as £1000 per acre has beeu asked, and, wo believe, given. The general scheme we understand to be this—About two hundred yards on this side of the .turnpike at Kensington, a road is to be cut, 100 feet wide, from Kensiugton Gore to Brompton, coming out at the back of Onslow Square. This road will furnish an enormous frontage for the new galleries.to the West, and the facade willreturn to the South end to any depth required. The quantity of land secured will also allow of ornamental grounds around the buildings to a considerablo extent "

The Race from Canton.—We last week announced the arrival of the Chrysolite, iv the Mersey, .104 days from Chinay-and en Wednesday tho Stornoway peached London after a voyage of- 107 jdays. ~ Tl\e\,Sl'prnbumy- was; 12 : hands i'short-: • This jout ~'Bi -a* smallV crew was a very serious -matter. '■■.■ The -Aberdeen clippers; have thus arrived firsts The American clippers Racehorse, Surprise, and; Challenge, were to follow, and if , th'ey;-sailed at the times specified, the Racehorse ought to have been here yesterday, aud the Surprise and Challenge should be in London to-day, provided they made as rapid voyages,as the Chrysolite: and Stornoway.—Liverpool Journal.

,"- Distressat Madkira.—The following official circular has been issued by the ,'Givil Governor of Madeira, which, speaks for.itself, as; to the nature, extent, and severity, of the calamity which has befallen the population, and from, which all classes will be invelved in one common suffering:—; Deeply lamenting the calamitous losses which.this islaudhas suffered, by the b!ight> >vhich has unfortunately annihilated- its principal production, I think it proper to call your-attention to the disastrous effect which this loss will have on, the .landholders, farmers, and labouring) classes of;this, island. The landed proprietors and farmers.have this year thus suffered most heavily: from the annihilation ;of their crops; and ; the labouring classes will suffer equally with them by; the entire secession of labour which the preparation and treatment of the wines hitherto required.. In consequence of this calamity these classes will be reduced to the greatest:distress, and their subsistence become almost impossible if;no extraneous succours be provided for theirrelief. I feel entire confidence in the solicitude; of Her Most Faithful Majesty's Government to relieve.as much as is in their power the suffering population/of this island; .but the distress, is so great, and presses' so heavily on every class, that it will find it iroposible to extend commensurate relief, particularly as the extraordinary defac/ation in.'the revenue hitherto derived from this island will teud.still further to embarrass the already attenuated circumstances of the general treasury. Under the circumsancesl have thought it my duty; to call the benevolent attention of the principal mercantile; establishments of-Funchal to the distressing crisis now impending over so large a portion of the unfortunate inhabitants pf.this island, in order "that they being in. constant communication with the wealthy cities of Europe and America;' may make known abroad the present distressed situation of the country, and solicit the liberality of their correspondents and.connexions in behalf of its unfortunate population, now threatened with all the horrors of starvation. I abstain from making a more direct application ;; but I am convinced that those whom I now address, who have at all times,shown the greatest solicitude in all that tends: to the general welfare ..of the island; will now do all in- their power to contribute to the relief of a community suffering 'under so severe a dispensation." :■ .' -j .-•■■ ,' ;

•NotfcoNFPßMisT Club 'is London.— A highly respectable meeting, of the evangelical Nonconformists has been held at Manchester, to consider a proposition, originated in London, for establishing a club-house there. .It is proposed to establish a society there, to be .called the Milton Hali and Club, .'-• capital ."£50,000, to be Raised eupon 1000 debehtui-es of £50each,'bearing'interest'at 4 per cent; and ; of this amount it is understood that one-fifth,'or £ 10,000, *had already been subscribed in : the metropolis itself. The- club is not to be"limited as to members, except by the 1 accommodation the building will afford (assumed, at 1500); admission by ballot—one black ball in 20 to'exclude, but no ballot' to be valid .where ' -407 members ' have not voted ; London ; entrance fee, 5 guineas, and country fee 3 guineas,; arid subscription 2 guineas. The club-libuse is to furuish', besides dining, coffee arid drawing rooms; a library w.ith news and pamphlet room,' rooms for private 'parties, •committees, aud a repertory for all that may be'necessary or useful to the nonconformist body,-' with arrangements for collecting statistics connected., with nonconformity, and its position and operation in Christendom, and relations to Government and bur established church, with records of religious societies, parliamentary ; .''information, commercial and mercantile information,' &c, besides a hall' for publio meetiugs, capable of seating 1500 persons, arid a room underneath it for 800 persons. The objects of the proposed establishment as tli'us detailed appeared to meet with imp oh approbation, and the meeting, before" its close increased the;shares by between £2000 and £3000. '"" : ''' '"B B ''■•-' ",'''

Church Matters.—We havo already alluded to the reports about the meeting ' of convocation; but it is necessary'to explain that the report on the, subject is-in active controversy.' It first distinctly saw light in the Times on Monday last. Next day the Morniwj Chronicle repeated the report with reservations and corrections, professing to have had a previous knowledge of the intention. From the corrected veraion, wliich is not absolutely , avouched, it would appear " ( that Lord Derby "has advised the Crown'to issue licence to the new Convocation to resume, its synodical functions; the deliberation to be confined to awngle point—"namely to devise and recommend a scheme for self-reform and reconstruction according to the alterod conditions of the Church and society. It is not denied that the plan originated with the High Church or Tractariau Party, and it is condemned by every other party in the Church. The discussion was immediately followed up by the Globe and Dailg News. Yesterday the Morning Herald came out with a fu* rious contradiction, treating the report as a scheme by the Tractariau party, to force its own doctrine into acceptance, It is observed that the Stand fd maintains a qualified reserve; and ,that ihe Post is silent. The public is mystified. Conjecture has endeavoured to assign motives for tbe report, and to guess at its probable truth. That the '1 imei should have been hoaxed is improbablo; but so far Lord Derby is pledged—whether he will retract, or disavow, or avow and fulfil are questions dictated by curiosity and unanswered. The whole affair at present is enveloped in mist, and is hardly worth the discussion that has been expended 8n jt; since, no one imagines that Lord Derby, if pledged at all, is really interested in the subject, except as a hobby of certain friends, whom, he might like to conciliate rather than estrange. A much more.tangible fact for tho week, in connection with Church affairs, is the final judgment of the Bishop of Rochester on the case of the Rev. Robert Whiston, who had been suspended from his duties as Head Master of Rochester Grammar School, by the Dean and Chapter, for puWlishiug a pamphlet accusing that body of misconduct in re-1 gard to Cathedral trusts. His book is l pronounced to be libellous, but he is excusod as having been misled ,by high legal authority! He is reinstated, but told that he cannot recover arrears of salary, nor publish any more of his pamphlet. The contradictory judgment is a compromise; the only precedent which occurs to us for such a thing as a judicial compromise is the halting judgment occasionally dealt out for justice in some i of the police courts.— Spectator.

The London -As soon as Parliament meets, the. members of;the: senate, who constitute the ruling body of the Lnndou University,propose;-to renew their, most strenuous efforts in order.to obtain; one representative,: at least; for this great educational community. There are no less than four, seats in the.House of Commons unallottedr-two for Sudbury and two; for St; Albans,.bothvof iwhich places have been disfranchised^—.Examiner, iVoveattar 6. ■-.•- '.'■' :■'■■■-,:."

The Law Times says that.-the. Government'iritends'yto;" bring "in' ameasure for the entire reform-—if'not fpr the'abblitioQ—of theyEeclesiastical Courts, so far as respects 'ally their jurisdiction'that is not strictly ecclesiastical. '~ '. y 7. ; Statistics or,.the Uses of Gotta Peroha.—The majorityof: our know perfectly well that the tree_ from which, it: is obtained—and -there -. is but one- .grows scarcely anywhere but in the Malayan Archipelago,-and that until--Pr.--Montgomerie noticed the native use of it in 1842, and, together with Dr. D'Almeida, forced it upon-the, attention of the Loudon ..manufacturers, 1843, it was unknown' here. In 1845 we imported only 20,600 lbs., but in 1848 the quantity brought in amounted to 3,000,000 lbs., and, since.then", it'has been con--staiUlyincreasing,- arid, if it''can he-had,' will coutiuue to.increase! -Everi'novy we see it in use iri thb shape of mill bands/ buckets* .sailors'-:- hats,i buoys, speakingtrumpets, tables; baskets, picture; frames, moulded decorations of ! all : sorts,-pump's and- bottles ■ foracids, pipes for Svater arid gas, soles'for -boots,: hatsi';snuff-boxes, whips',.skate-bottoms; bottles, breasts' of water.wheels, dressings for wounds; sashcord; waterproof cloth — even ( ''toothed wheels, '■■ hud" • a hundred other-things. Aiid th ese we tire satisfied 1 is; as rioUiing compared 1 with the uses" to whichit will be applied hereafter. In fact, ;! you-'majj' make anything of it but bread and cheesei and even of these you could get from it such an imitation as would serve: the eye, though the : gastricijuicewould.find it difficult.,to-work upone.The .riiode of obtaining gutta percha, we'may;say here is most,wasteful; instead_of; tapping the trees'a't .intervals;.to. obtain Hhe; sap, the trees, are ,cut down, ,so..that; unless; their artificial cultivation be taken up: by ; civilised people ,lhei supplye.will soon., be shortened. "Dr. Qxley, who' wrote in Sing? apore, whence all thatiwe have at present comes, says, that; for, the; quantity.;which was exported between January Ist,-1845,----and July,. 1847, nearly.7o,ooo.trees must have, been destroyed '.--The- Builder. \ c; c.

Lord Jphn Russell, is to take the ohair at the soiree of the Leeds Mechanic's Institution, which is to take place on 2nd of December.

Mr. John Pemberton.'bf Brikenhoad, a law-student, and his wifo have been committed to take their trials at' the next Cheshire sessions, for cruelty to their,ser : vant girl, named Elizabelh'Malcolm."

A Sensible Prayer.'—The > Rev.' E. , G. Wood, at Fairfieldj Indiana, after praying for the general Government, prayed,', for, tho Governor of the State, and thus for the Legislature s—" Aud tho Lord have .mercy-on our legislators. Spare ~ their lives until s they may return to their homes, and then put it in the hearts'ot the people to' keep them there, return men of temperate habits and seutimeuts, .who will do some good." ,' 'i ' On Sunday evening last, the congregation at the Wesleyan Chapel, 'Norton* near Askern, was ,thrown into great excitement by the alarming and suddejfi demise of Mr. .tames Calvert) of Hesling-" ton, near York, whilst reading the beautiful parable given in the loth of St. Luke's Gospel. - The congregation were listening with the deepest attention* evidently moved with the simple and forcible passages'of Scripture contaiued in the chapter in question,'when all'of a sudden, after uttering the words," "I will ' t arise and go to my " the preacher exclaimed, " Oh! my dear frieiids !" and fell down in the pulpit and almost immo-, diately expired. This solemn incident made a deep impression-on the minds of - the congregation. ', "<' _ ■ Ferocity of a Cat.—A fine child about ten years of age, the daughter of Mr. Cornwall, a superanuaied Methodist preacher, residing at Nun's Island in this town, came by her death this week, as we are informed, in a very unusual manner. It seems that,'among the'domestic animals of the house, this gentleman had a cat. which was in the habit of lying upon his children when asleep,"and on a recent occasion scratched One of them severely. The animal was, in consequence, ordered t to be drowned, and the servant'accordingly tied a stone to its neck, and flung it'iuto the river. It was, of cotirse> sup- ' posed to ; be dead } but after a Week ft re- , appeared at the house in a very famished and wild-looking condition. Having got into one of the upper rooms, it was shut in there by the family, who were terrified by its ferocious appearances and Wished to starve it to death. In a' short time, however, it' got out of its prison wbile the family were, all at prayers, with the exception of the deceased child, who happened to be asleep in the kitchen. The cat instantly "attacked her in the most furious manner, and before any assistance could be rendered, had torn her face and throat so dreadfully as to cause her death in a few days.— Galway Mercury. The Times observes that it is a humilating fact that no orte has ever failed' in any enterprise of spoliation oF liis fellow creatures. There is'no -trick'so coarse, no deception so < threadbare, that it may ' not be reproduced with everj hope of success. ■' A few years ago a man entered a gin-shop aiid obtained a large'quantity of spirits on credit by representing him* self as the Right Hou. Spring Rice; and only the other day the double of Lord John Russell got credit for a horse and gig, borrowed three pounds odd of a ser- ; vaut, and got possession of alarge quail* ' tity of goods without payment, without its ever having occurred to anyone to inquire whether Lord John was not at the 1 very time in Scotland, nnd whether sUch a way of proceeding was in accordance | with "the habits and usuages of one of his' lorhship's Walk iv life. j Sporting Leap.—A gentleman belonging to Ayrshire, no less distinguished as a fearless horseman than as a man of letters, made a daring leap a few weeks ago, which deserves to be recorded. < When exercising in a field a celebrated steeple chase mare, his own property, he found it necessary to rush her at a high , hedge, to save himself being run away with. The mare boldly rose at the hedge, and took it, the heighl of the leap, whett afterwards measured, being found to be no less than eight and a half feet, tha rise being about nine feet, and the fall oil , the other side about seven feet>— North , British Mail.