ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Wellington Independent, Volume X, Issue 1259, 16 January 1858, Page 6 (Supplement)

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

A Sensitive Warrior.—ln the 14th Regiment as in other corps, there was a large proportion of very fine men who would go anywhere and do anything they were put to ; there was also some strange characters who had taken to soldiering as if by accident; one. of this last class joined in the Crimea. The first time '. he went into the trenches, the men were snipping at some trees below the left attack, where Russians were supposed to be in hidinc;; a manfired at a tree and a bird flew oHt of it which occasioned much derision ; tbe recruit then asked to try his luck, he fired, when a Russian dropped dead from a branch to the horror of the marksman, who immediately fell on his knees before his officer and crossing himself, cried out." Oh! Musha! Musha! wurra! wurra! ..iu miself has killed a Christian; its to hell I'll go for this, Holy Mother save us ! Oh preserve us! I'll die for this. Oh minder, murder!" A Serjeant standing by trying to control his laughter, could hardly get him on his feet again, but he continued .all day muttering prayers and crossing himself, thinking that "henever would get over the bloody action of which he had been unintentionally guilty, and that his own death would certainly follow.— Sir Jamvs Alexanders passages in the Life of a Soldier. How Bhigiiam Young Passes a Day. Brigfiam has many small children living, and one of his wives is schoolmistress to the whole. His two large houses are well furnished, and bis daughters play on the piano and melodeou He is a great lover of fruit and a warm patron of'the horticultural societies of Utah. Brigham's time is completely occupied. He rises early, and calls the whole of his family together They sing a hymn and he prays fervently, and they then separate for the duties of tlie day. He takes his meals at the long table, and as he has no taste for gastronomic refinements, hisfare is simple. A howl of bread and milk often comprises his breakfast. His next duty is to make the rounds, " to see the women folks." To these he is cordial and kind, but no more. He is not Brigliam the lover or husband, but Brigliam the Prophet and President. They feel for him more reverence than love, watch his face and treasure his words, torturing each of them into the key of some great mystery. He then goes to his office, which is already besieged by visitors who have come to take his advice. Brigliam is by no means a paragon of temperance. He likes a cup of good liquor now and then as well as another man, and is sometimes seen after having taken a drop too much.— Mormonism its leaders and Designs. By John Hyde, Junior. The Aim.. —The number of recruits raised in the last few weeks of which there is a return, was within a dozen of four thousand five hundred, a number not reached even during the Crimean war, when the standard was even lower than at present, and the militia were volunteering every day iv large numbers. Au enor- ' mous increase may now be expected. Standard fob Recruits.—The followiu-r order has been issued from the Recruiting De°. partment, Horse Guards:—" Until further orders recruits are to be received for the cavalry and infantry of the line at the following standard and age -.—Heavy Cavalry—From 5 feet 5 to 5 feet . inches, between the ages of 18 t025. Light Cavalry—From 5 feet 5 to 5 feetSinches between the ages of 18 and 25. Cavalry in India—From 5 feet 5 too feet 7inches, between the ages of 17 and 25. Infantry—Men and lads from 5 feet 4 inches, between" the ao-cs of 17 aud 25.—Infantry iv India—Men from 5 feet 4 inches, and uot under 18 years of a<*-e. The regulations regarding tho re-enlistment "of men who have formally served remain in force. —By command of His Royal Highness the General Commauding-in-Chief, G. A. Wetherall, Adjutant-General. A Railway Carriage on* Fire.—l have just escaped from a blazing carriage of the Great Western Railway. Smoke was p.rceived risinnfrom the seat on which a lady was sitting op°posite to me, whom I immediately handed her to the other end of the carriage and never more fully approved the broad guage. By piliuocloaks and coats over the burning seats the flames were for some time kept from rising, but the smoke was suffocating. Iv the meanwhile I set the same lady to scream out of the window, thinking she would do it much better than myself and she performed it to admiration? For miles we went on blazing and smoking, for no guard could hear; but the alarm at length spread along the train and it was stopped just near Kcnsal green, only (I believe) because they tako tickets there. Three carriages were completely burnt.—Letter in the Times. Another correspondent who was in another carriage at the same train, says:—" I saw several p°eople leaning out of the windows of a carriage some distance from me, who were making signals and evidently trying to attract the attention of tbe engine driver. I soon perceived that the carriage was on fire, as the smoke began to curl out between the heads of the affrighted passengers. We immediately made such signals from our own carriage as we could with handkerchiefs fastened on to an umbrella, hoping that as we were nearer to the engine we might succeed in attracting the attention of the driver ; all these signals, however, proved vain for at leasttwenty minutes, and the train whirled along the imprisoned and suffocated passengers at a rate of forty miles an hour, until, as it approached London, the speed diminished to about ten miles an hour, as it was preparing to stop at the ticket platform ; we were about 450 yards distant from the part of the platform where we should have stopped when we saw a policeman on tho line ; we made signals to him with frantic energy, and were overjoyed to find the speed slacken and the train at last stop after going about 200 yards. We rushed instantly to rescue the passengers some of whom hail fainted, and had been cut by glass which the heat had sent dying in splinters about the carriage; in one minute more, (lame was darting out of the windows and in two or three more the whole compartment was full of flame. The carriage burnt furiously for half an hour and three out of the four compartments were entirely destroyed." As an inducement to married men to enlist, the following notice has been promulgated :— A married, man whon in India is allowed 10s. per month for his wife and ss. per month for tor each child; and separate cottages are provided at mostcantonments. Proclamation of Her Majesty as Empress of Htndostan,—The Morning Chronicle says :— We are informed on good authority, that steps

have been taken for immediately prflcln.in.i n g| the Queen as Empress of Hindustan. It is not unlikely that the next telegraph will bring tbe t news of the proclamation at Calcutta." t The most eminent firms in Hamburgh have f. issued an appeal to the citizens to subscribe in ) aid of the sufferers by the Indian mutinies, ani- i mated by a desire to give the people of Eng- ' land " a proof of sympathy" under an inflic- ' tion which " fills the heart of every friend ] of hum anity shuddering." '. Holland is at least resolved to follow the example of her neighbours in abolishing slavery within her West Indian colonies. An official publication of the Home Government prepares the inhabitants for the emancipation of slaves in Curacoa, Bonaire, Aruba, St. Eustatius, and Saba, and sets forth al! conditions attending so desirable a measure. New Inisn Uegi.urn*t.—We understand that it has been proposed by'the Government to Col. Dunne to raise a regiment for service in India, We believe if any man in Ireland can enroll such a regiment Col. Dunne is that man. Proper management should however he afforded, and we have no doubt that by placing in his hands one half the commissions in the various ranks, as fine a regiment as any in her Majesty's service could he raised in the Queen's County—a regiment which would follow their gallant and stalwart leader anywhere !—Leinsler Express. Look Fob Ladies.- The editor of a paper in the United States lately informed his readers that the ladies always pull off the left stocking last. This, as might be supposed, created some little stir among his fair readers, —whilst in positive terms they denied the statement, they at the same time lime declared he had no business to know il, even if it had been tbe fact, and pronounced him no gentleman. He proves it however by a short argument.—" When one stocking is pulled off first another is left on, and pulling of this is taking the left, stocking off last." Love at first Sight.- A few weeks since, an Irish gentleman, worth some £10,000 or £13,000 a-year, arrived at the Pavilion Hotel Folkestone, and after staying a few days fell in love with a pretty chambermaid, to whom he offered his hand, which, after some conversation was accepted. The weding took place in London, and the happy couple are now sojourning in Ireland. The gentleman's age is o's ;his bride is about 36. The Liverpool Chronicle ispublishinga series of important and interesting articles on the frauds upon emigrants. Thenoithern portsseem to be especially subject, on account of their immense emigration, to the rapacity of emigrant robbers, We are glad to say that Plymouth is very free from their operations. According to letters from Naples, Mount Vesuvius, which after an eruption of not less than thirty five days, bad ceased to send forth lava, recommenced on the 24th, and the flames rising high into the air presented at night a magnificent spectacle. Mount Etna is also in eruption. The members for Norwich, Lord Bury and Mr. . Schneider, intend to take charge of a bill in the ', approaching session of Parliament forlegalising . marriage with a deceased wife's sister. Attempted Murder and Suicide,._nd Gal- • _,axt Rescue.—A determined attempt by a mo* i ther to destroy the lives of herself and child by . drowning was made in the River Rihble, at : Preston, on Thursday afternoon. As the bodies i were being carried down by the stream, they i were observed by some workmen engaged on a boat, one of whom a ship carpenter, named : James Fisher, an expert swimmer, jumped in the water, and though a high tide was running at the time, succeeded iv securing the body of a ' woman whom be brought ashore. As be'seized the body of the woman he perceived that she rei laxed b.r grasp of a child which was tightly ■ holding on to her breast, and having placed the woman (who was just alive) in the charge of a ; fellow workman, named Frodsham, he again , plunged into the stream, and rescued the child, • which was already quite black in the face and ■ exhausted. Both the mother aud child were conveyed to Mr. Threlfalls, the Wheatsheaf lun, • where medical aid was procured, and the usual - restoratives applied with success. The girl was removed to her parents house the same night,.ut , the mother was not sufficiently recovered to allow of her removal. The latter is the wife of a spinner named Edward Kirby, of Henrietta street, and the child is a daughter by a former husband, named llobinson. The unfortunate woman has lived separate from her husband for the past five months, and she left him with an infant nine weeks old. It is rumoured that family differences led to the above cri ue, for which she will be charged before the magistrates as soon as she has sufficiently recovered. The Advance in* the Hate of interest nr the Bank of England.—On Monday the public were startled by the announcement that the Bank of England, which had raised its rate of discount to six per cent on Thursday, had again made another advance to seven per CGUt This increase is said to have been rendered necessary as a measure of protection, in consequence of the rates of exchange at New York and Calcutta being of such a tempting character as to cause large shipments of specie to those places, and thus to decrease the amount in the bank. The funds went down, aud there was much uneasiness respecting the probable fate of tho manufacturing firms that have sustained losses by the American failures, but upon the whole the feeling exhibited by the banking and commercial community was one of confidence in the stability of our monetary system. The funds showed a decline of more than per cent, as compared with- Saturday's quotations, leaving off at S7 tr to J for money, being the lowest point they had reached this year. Ou Tuesday the fluctuations iv tbe funds were again most rapid »nd extensive. They were first quoted in the morning at BIH, they then rose, and the range until noon was between 87 to at which time the government broker appeared as the buyer of £10,000 Exchequer bills on account of tho Sinking Fund, which increased the tendency to confidence, and transactions were effected at 87 $ to 7-8. After regular hours there was less firmness, and the quotations were I to 5-8 for money, and S3 to 1-8 for the ac- j count, " j The Hull Packet says the cholera epidemic i having made its appearance ou the other side ( of the German Ocean, the Mayor and Corpo- t ration of Hull have taken efficient steps for t supplying prompt medical and sanitary atten- v tion to any case that might possibly be import- ti ed and have also systematically adopted sani- t tary precautions likely to prevent any outbreak i in future. c

STATE OF EUROPE. No small number of important changes in the politics of Europe have been expected from the late meetings ol the throe Emperors atStutganltand at Weimar. Reams of foolscap were wasted in predictions and conjectures as to what in the future should result from interviews of tbe high personages; they, however have passed, leaving but a blank as the result. All now being involved in impenetrable mystery, the journalists of the continental press are again at their wits' ends for further news. The French journals which appeared to pect from the Emperor's interview at Stutgardt are now entirely silent with regard to it. The Pays alone ventures to drop a few words about it, to the effect that following as it did on that of Osborne, it has laid the happy commencement of an alliance between the three great powers thatjrule the world. jFrom this it is to be gathered, that a great deal remains to be settled before the alliance can be complete. The same journal then hangs upon the old theme, that a new era in Europ&m politics has been inaugurated, and asserts that peace, on a solid and durable basis, is to be tlie result of the ideas and policy of the Emperor Napoleon. The only new transactions worth noticing, as following imediately upon the interviews, is this—Baron Hubner, the Austrian ambassador in Pans, remitted to the Emperor Napoleon at Chalons, an autograph letter from the Emperor of Austria relative to the Principalities, and to the reciprocal concessions which mb-lit solve that difficulty. It will be remembered tiiat France, together with Russia, is for the union of Moldavia and Wailacbia, while Austria and England are against it. Another rumour has been circulated in Berlin and Paris is full of it, t_at a scheme is concocted to place Prince Joachim Murat at the head of the united principalities and that it is so far advanced that some natives of tho=e proyicnes have sent a telegraphic message from 1 ans to Jassy, to their countrymen on the subject. May not Prince Joachim's recent presentation to tbe Emperor of Russia, and his subsequent journey to Berlin with an auto-rapa letter of the Emperor of France to the" Kin"- of Prussia have been connected with the scheme"' Prince Murat's claims on Naples arewellknown and his proclamations are no longer a secret, he baring theie a numerous party,"* to the great annoyance of King Ferdinand, the present possessor of the kingdom of the two Sicilies. May not this scheme, therefore, have heen contrived as a means of indemnifying him for Naples by bestowing the Danubian Principalities on him*? All this may appear new and speculative, but is not improbable.

The commission for settling the Tttrco-Eus-sian frontiers in Asia has concluded its labors. The English and French commissioners arrived in Constantinople on the 27th September. One complication, at least, as to the vexed question of territorial possession, has been removed. But there-, remain others, arising out of the treaty of Paris, which threaten to create new difficulties. By that treaty the Black Sea was to be a neutral sea, free for the navigation of all nations. But if the perfect neutralisation of the Euxme has been secured, how are we to account for the recent. expedition of Russian steamers launched against the coast of Circassia? how far their recent attacks upon Glenjik, Soudak Kale, and other places on the shore, where the shipping and bazaars were destroyed, and peaceful men and women slaughtered. By the latest advice from Trebizond, the damage they have but lately caused there amounts to 500,000 fr.

These are deeds that Russia openly commits in these waters, where we are assured that her evil influence has been neutralised and all her schemes of aggression abandoned. We learn that several of her steamers, not commercial, but vessels-of-war, have anew passed the Bosphorus for the Black Sea, two of them to take their position at the mouth of the Danube, and the rest to blockade the coast of Circassia. What right, it may be asked, has Russia to blockade that coast? Such aright she has never had before, and.still less can she clam it after the treaty of Paris. It is for Lord Clarendon to stop these misdeeds.

i The hour-glass of the King 0 f Prussia has : nearly run out. He has recently been attacked with an apopletic illness which seems likely to prove fatal. After bleeding on Saturday his Majesty was somewhat better, but on Sunday the physicians entertained little hope of overcoming the congestion of the brain uuder which he was suffering. The sitting of the Council ot .musters was presided over by the Prince of Prussia. Should tbe il'ness of Frederick William have a fatal termination, the Prussian Govnermeut reverts to bis brother, the Prince Royal, the only remaining h e i r between the throne and the young prince who is betrothed to the eldest daughter of our Queen NAPLES. The grand fete of Pi. di Grotta was celebrated on Tuesday last with the usual military display and ceremonies. The day was remarkably line, and there was an unusually lai»-e concourse of persons from the country—some to gratify thcirjcuriosity and others for devotion. Among those many came in"as if on pilgrimage bearing crosses.and a scallop shell. The King and Queen, and all the Royal Family, together with the Court, were present iv fourteen "carriages ; but a colder spectacle surely never was witnessed. Not a voice was uttered, not an eye gleamed brighter at the approach of the " adored Sovereign." Contrasts, too, were drawn between the progress of Victor i_mnnmuel recently, when he went to visit the works at Mont Cenis, and that of. Ferdinand 11, through his capital. The former was markeil by enthusiasm and good will; the latter by coldness or hatred on the part of the people, and suspicion on that of the sovereign. Hundreds of persons of a higher class marked hy the police, were arrested on the Monday and Tuesday, and confined in the Vicaria, the Prefettura, and the different commissariats. Some were let out again on the Tuesday night, but in this tranquil, prosperous, and happy country, as it is called in episcopal addresses, the King dares not go through the capital without first filling [ the prisons. There was an immense body of police on the ground, and the heights above Pesihppo were crowded with Guardia' Urbana all intent on guardiiig against secret enemies! On the Monday, the agents of the goldsmiths, called isensall, who get their bteud by completing bargains between purchasers and sellers were called before the Commissary of Pendina and informed that they could not bo permitted! to remain in that quarter during the fete, and in tact they were all shut up. Such is the cou(liuon ot happy Naples 1 , :