LATEST EUROPEAN AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1734, 24 June 1862, Page 3

LATEST EUROPEAN AND FOREIGN NEWS.

[FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONRENT.] ! London, 26th April, 1862. The present month has not been wanting in varied and striking incidents. We had intelligence of a great and bloody, but not a decisive battle in America. The States North and South have at length been _ thoroughly roused from the torpor and inactivity of several months, and the belligerents are once more confronting each other on the deadly battle-field, with what result remains to be seen. We are in daily expeciation of hearing of other battlesj but no one can conjecture with whom the victory will be. Meanwhile before touching further on this part of the subject, I must advert toanother topic which now occupies the public mind to the almost-entire exclusion, for the moment, of every other— l mean the opening of the Great Exhibition of 1862. As I told you in my last letter, everything is greatly behind hand. Still the opening will take place on Thursday next, the Ist of May. Neither the Queen nor the Prince of Wales, nor in fact, any Crowned head, will he present. The ceremony of inauguration will be prerformed by Commission. Every thing will be very grand. All the leading nobility and gentry, as well as the principal public functionaries in the will be present ; and those persons holding public office will all appear in their distinctive robes, or else in Court dress. In fact there will be as much uniform naval, military, civil, and civic, as can well be, in order to impart as much splendour as possible to the scene, and to make up in some measure for the absence of that eclat which the presence of Royalty would shed upon the ensemble. The principal dignitries of State will represent as far (as they can) their royal mistress, and nothing that music and a brillant assemblage of spectators, can do will be wanting to give grandour and solemnity to a pageant which, however, grand or imposing it may be will yet fall far short of reflecting the transcendent splendour of that Exhibition which is about to be opened. In all respects this Exhibition will far excel that ot 1851, and the subsequent Exhibition of 1855, held in Paris. The whole world, seems to have made vast' progress in the interval — progress in everything except punctuality. This the only drawback. Nobody is ready. The English Exhibitors are now the most advanced. The French, | who had the start of us at first, are now far behind. It will require fully a month before evoryj thing is in its place. Such at all events is my OTrn impression. I visited the building yesterday, and went over every part of it. The papers do not do justice to the interior. It has been the fashion for the last month to decry everything connected with the external appearance and the internal decorations of the Exhibition. True the outside is heavy and unsightly, and looked at in an artistic and architectural point of view it ia greatly wanting. But the Commissioners plead that this was the best structure that they could erect consistently with prudential and economical considerations, and that they could not afford a more expensive and ornate building — that utility was the principal thing to be kept in view, and that if the public wanted a more striking building they should have subscribed for and guaranteed the expense. But the coup-d'eil in the interior is unquestionably very fine. The columns and girders are of a dark green or bronze color, relieved by red, blue, and white and the effect of the whole is very chaste ! and harmonious. The eye rests upon it without any sense of fatigue— the best test in such cases. Still this decoration has been decried a good deal, but I think when the arrangement of the different objects is complete, it will be found that the style of ornament used has been eminently successful. j The fine arts and the machinery departments will, I think, occupy the most prominent position — manufactures, inventions, and raw materials will ; next follow, each in the order which I have stated. Of raw material our colonies send us a vast quantity. They are all well represented, with the exception of one colony, which is unfortunately behind hand. This colony is, I regret to say, — New Zealand, which up to the present moment is not represented at all. It has forfeited the space allotted to it, for the present. I went yesterday to the Exhibition for the express purpose of learning all I could about New Zealand and the other Australian colonies— knowing that your readers would look for some account of how they themselves stood in the betting. But to my great surprise I found that though they had been " entered " they were subsequently " scratched," I because they had not come on to the course up to the time. The information which 1 give you I had I from Dr. Lindley, the Chief Commissioner for the colonies. He told me that the space allotted to New Zealand had been withdrawn for the pi^esent I because it had not been taken up in time. The fault, he said, was not that of Mr, Morrison the ! New Zealand Commissioner, but was owing to some neglect on the part of Messrs. Snell of Finsbury Circus, who had. been charged by Mr. Morrison to make the necessary fittings and preparations. At all events the withdrawal of the space ia but temporary. It will again be granted after the 2nd of May — so that the Exhibitors will have an opportunity of making up for lost time. Great indulgence Dr. Lindley told me, had to be extended to the colonies, owing to their peculiar circuraatances, and their distance from England. Victoria also came late into the field, aud fofeirted., for the present a portion of her space, but which will be regranted after the opening Still Victoria will be well represented in wool, grain (69 lbs 4 oz per bus'iel), gold, manufactured articles, wood, and wines. But the most striking object in that department will be a pyramid 44 ft. 9 in. high and 10 ft. square ntbaae intended to represent the bulkof gold

I exported to this country from Victoria in the ten I j'ears, ending Ist Oct., 18(51. This bulk giving 1492 cubic feet, and weighing 800 tons 17 cwt. 3 qrs. and 7 lbs. is estimated in sterling value at A' 1.04,649,728, a marvellous and almost incredible ( sum. New South Wales, sending woods in great : variety, vegetable products, including wines, (60 kinds) — not to mention annual products, minerals and manufactures, in all of which this colony has a most creditable display. The same may be said of Western Australia, which sends copper, lead, and iron ores, &c, Tasmania has the show of timber, and woods, both for ship building and engineering purposes and for furniture. She also sends coal One of the most striking objects in the way of manufacture was a malachite table from South Australia, 6 ft. 6 in. by 4 ft. 6 in.— the material being from the Burra Burra mine. The table itself took the maker two years, and will probably be unique in the building. South Australia is also well represented in the way of ores of various kinds, and she sends nearly forty samples of wines. On the whole the arrangements which the Australian colonies are making (for none of them are nearly cqmpiete), for representing their native wealth and their material progress are highly creditable and satisfactory ; and, it only remains to be hoped that when New Zea. land makes her appearance, she will be found in no wise inferior to the sister colonies. • It may interest your readers to know, and especially those who contemplate visiting the Exhibition, that Messrs. Morgan and Brother of Bow Lane, who are perhaps the most expensive agents for colonial business at the Exhibition — acting for no less than 21 colonies and countries, including America, Prussia and the Zollverein— have lately opened clubs in connection with . their agency. One of these clubs is in Arundal-street, Strand, and the other is at Brompton near the Exhibition. The firm is highly spoken of for its efficiency and activity as a colonial agency. .•■ . ' • On Monday last, the 21st, the great Volunteer Review came off at Brighton. On this occasion it was under the patronage and control of the War Office and was in every respect a decided success. Up to tha middle of last week the weather had been very unfavorable — rain having been almost incessant during the month, and having done a great deal of damage in the country; but on Monday, the weather was splendid. Lord Clyde commanded the volunteers on the occasion, and nearly all the Generals of Brigade were officers of the regular army. The volunteers • mustered about 20,000, on the Downs, and went through all the evolutions and manesuvres incidental to a sham. fight with perfect eclat. They mustered at London at their different parade grounds, as early as 4 o'clock in the morning ; marched to the London Bridge and Victoria stations, which they reached soon after 5 o'clock ; and before 9 o'clock they had all reached Brighton — having been conveyed thither by about twenty trains, starting at intervals of ten minutes. There is now no longer any question of the efficiency of the volunteers as a disciplined and well- organised body of men, capable of being handled successfully, upon the shortest notice, in case of necessity and you may be sure that the country feels proud of such a splen- . did National Guard, in the best sense of the term. The public attention has been taken up to a great extent during the past month with the question of iron- plated vessels and Armstrong guns. It has been mooted and discussed repeatedly in both houses of Parliament, as well as in the public press. The question was raised by the results of the engagements " which lately took place at Hampton Road, on the James River, between the Merrimae. iron-plated and iron-prowed vessel of the Confederates, and the Federal frigates the Cumberland and Congress, from which it appears that wooden vessels cannot stand for a moment before iron-plated ones. The result will be that all our old men-of-war vessels, about 150 in number are already condemned — some of them will probably be coated with armour and so be rendered available in case of urgency. Bat already Government have ordered half a dozen new iron-plated vessels to be put in hand, in addition to four others which have already been completed. The French Government are taking similar steps ; so that altogether a complete revolution has been effected in the system of naval warfare. But this is not all. The discussion on iron-plated vessels took place in the early part of the month, and it was by no means over, when it was disturbed by what I shall term, pro hac vice, a counter-revolutionary movement, or discovery, in the vay of destructive engines of war. A rivalry has long existed between the Admiralty and the War Office — the one endeavouring to produce shot-proof ships — the other racking its brain to invent weapons of destruction. The latter has at length completely succeeded, and it now appears that guns can be made, against which no vessel that was ever built, no matter of what material — and no matter with what armour encased— can stand for five minutes. About a fortnight since a target was made at Shoeburyness to represent the broadside of the Warrior. _At this solid 68, 100, and 200 pounders were discharged singly and in salvoes of threw and six guns but without effect. The target grew almost red hot, but no shot touched it. However, Sir W. Armstrong produced a new smooth bored 300 pounder, on the principle of wrought iron coils, 14 feet long, weighing 12 tons, and measuring 10£ in. at muzzle. This gun would throw 168 lb. round shots; but if rifled and that long shots were used it would throw a 300 pounder. Well, the first experiment made upon the target with this gun, was with a 156 pounder, fired at a distance of 200 yards, and with a charge of 401bs. of powder. The result of the first shot was that it shattered the iron mass before it into fragments as if it had been glass, and splintered the teak into fibres as fine as matchwood, but did not pass through. Another shot with a similar charge was directed at another part with increased effect ; but when the charge was increased to SOlbs. the shot passed through the whole mass, and dislodged the blocks of granite which were at the back of the tai-get . Here then was the solution of a great problem in naval and military warfare. Here was a gun against which no vessel could stand for an instant, and which would have sent its contents clean through the Warrior, the Monitor or the redoubtable Meiriraac, as easily as it went through the target. This result, be it observed, was owing not so much to the gun itself, as to the immense charge of powder with which it was loaded. After this wonderful experiment iron clad' vessels and wooden walls will be ' nowhere.' The great question of the future will be who can make the largest and most destructive guns. We are already talking of having 500 pounds and even 1000 pounders are not considered impracticable. I should also mention that it is found round shot 9 go with greater velocity for a short distance than bolts or conical shots, but the resistance of the atmosphere, does not allow them to maintain their speed, so long as the bolt or to carry such a distance. At all events the experiments and discoveries of the last month have given our naval and military. authorities plenty of matter to rurai. nate upon, and the great topic of the day is ironclad vessels, steam rames, and 1000 pounders Trade still continues very dull, and there is great distress in the manufacturing districts — especially in Lancashire, thousands and tens of thousands are out of emplo3 r ment, and are literally starving, or living upon such alms as they can get. The workhouses are full, and are inadequate to the demands made upon them. Several local subscriptions have already been made, but even then are insufficient, and I apprehend nothing less than a "Lancashire General Relief Fund," to be raised by the whole kingdom, can at all meet the distress which now prevails. It is no use to talk of emigration as a remedy for this want. There are no funds for such purposes, and then it is doubtful if mill-hands would find employment in any of our colonies when sent in large numbers. Attempts are now in progress to send out a number of educated females to Australia, as governesses and otherwise. This is an experiment : which I?. am afraid will not be successful. At least very

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Strong doubts are entertained as to the expediency : of such a scheme, on the ground that at present there is not sufficient demand in our new colonies < for superior and educated female labour. The Budget made its appearance some three weeks since. It contains no striking features. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, announces a slight surplus, but he has made no alteration in the Income Tax, which is still at 9d. in the pound. The hop duty has been repealed, and a tax put on brewers, and on private individuals who brew for themselves ; and the wine duties have been adjusted— to the relief of the better sorts of light wines. Some Government dispatches have lately been published which fully corroborates what I told you in my last, with respect to British Columbia —as a gold producing colony, and as a desirable settlement for intending emigrants. Doubtless it will present a strong counter attraction to the Otago Gold Fields ; for the soil and climate are quite equal to those of New Zealand, while the . precious metal seems to be far more abundant. Diggers are said to measure their gains not by the ounce, but by the pound weight. The Mexican question has become as the French say, somewhat embrouille. The Spaniards as well as the French seem to have some different object in view from ourselves — at least we think so, and therefore our part of the joint expedition is about to be recalled forthwith— at least the military portion of it. Meanwhile the French and the Sp J imsh Governments are at loggerheads on the subject. The Mexicans don't want them to interfere in their affairs. The United States Government jealous of European interference on the other side of the water, has interfered, and it seems has undertaken to guarantee to Europe the interest on the Mexican loan. This is but an on dilat present, but if true the offer was doubtless made, on the condition that Europe would allow the Mexicans to choose their own Government, and cut each others throats enfamiUe. Anyhow the Mexican shares •which some time since had reached 36 are now down to 20, and will shortly be lower if 1 mistake not. Mr. Bowen's Bill for the relief of the Clergy has been referred to a Select Committee. Its objects is to afford clergymen of England, who on the ground of conscientious scruples, doubts, or other valed objections, may wish to relinquish their clerical status, the means of doing so, without being as they are at present liable to prosecution and imprisonment. It is intended to do away with the maxim " once a priest always a priest," as being too stringent for the present age. As matters stand the only profession which an English parson who wishes to leave the Church, can adopt, is that of a Koman Catholic priest, and this is felt to be a great hardship. It is offering a premium to Komanism. Mr. Bowen, however, merely contemplates giving relief to clergymen who declare their " dissent," from the ritual and doctrines of the English Church ; and this again is looked upon as a premium to dissent. The Bill will meet with very decided opposition — especially in the Upper House ; but should it pass, I believe it will be in a far broader and more libe- j ral spirit than it was originally conceived, and that it will require no absolute expression of " dissent " on the part of clergyman who wish to adoptasecularcalling.on the ground that they have made a mistake in adopting a clerical profession, and that they were therefore unqualified to discharge its duties efficiently and conscientiously. Another great scandal has lately come to light in connection with the legal profession. Some of your readers may remember the great case of Swinfcri v. Swinfen, which was tried in this country a few years back. The plaintiff in that action, a widow lady, had, it appears, a life interest in certain estates of some i£50,000, or more, a year. Her claims were disputed and her council, Sir Frederick Thesiger, then Attorney-General and now Lord Chelmsford, compromised that claim in court for an annuity of £'1000 a year, contrary to the expressed wisKes and intentions of his client. However, a new trial was had, and the plaintiff recovered her full claims, For this she was indebted to the able advocacy of Mr. Charles Baun Kennedy, a member of the home circuit, who made her acquaintance accidentally at the time, who insinuated himself into her confidence, and who, seeing that the case afforded him good prospects of distinction and good hopes of success, undertook to conduct it on behalf of his fair client. This he did without any immediate pay, fee, or reward, but as it would appear, upon the express understanding that in case the suit was successful he was to receive a sum of .£20,000. This sum however, was never paid. The widow denied that she had made any such promise, and in October last she married a Mr. Bio ,vn. Accordingly Mr. Kennedy lately brought an action against her for the recovery of this sum. The question which went to the jury was one as to the credibility of plaintiff or defendant. He swore she had made the promise — she swore she had not. The jury believed the plaintiff, and gave their verdict accordingly for the full sum claimed — the important point being reserved as to whether this sum being in the nature of an honorarium, it could legally be recovered in a court of justice by a barrister. But the scandalous element in this transaction arises from the fact that the plaintiff, who is a married man with a wife and family, •who had always been the zealous advocate of purity and the champion of virtue, and who is a man distinguished for his great scholarship, learning, and attainments, maintained in open court that ho had all along carried on an amorous correspondence and a criminal connection with the lady defendant. This of course she indignantly denied, but he as persistently maintained. There were other incidents in the case too numerous to be mentioned. The Salmday Review thus winds up a long article on the subject " Whether Mr. Kennedy's insinuations against Mrs. Brown are true or false, he has covered himself with disgrace ; he has done that, which for the credit of human nature, is almost without a parallel even in the annals of these courts, whose business it is to unravel the dark secrets of perfidy and moral wrong. This is what the poet, the scholar, and the orator haß done for himself, and all for nothing. His professional character is gone, and his personal character is that in which he might envy the outcasts of the steets. Ungenerous, unfnanly, cruel, and false are only cold epithets with which to express general indignation, which is as deep as it is natural. It only shows that the greatest talents are compatible with the lowest depths of human baseness." The matter is not yet at rest. The courts of law will have to decide the reserved question as to whether the awarded sum can be recovered ; and in any case it is not improbable that there will be a new trial.

Your readers will be surprised to learn that the renowned Mires — the French Banker — the great "Bailway King" speculator of Paris, has at length, after four several trials, been acquitted and enlarged. Over and over again in open Court he threatened that he could and that if need be he would " a tale unfold," as to who were the parties with whom he had shared certain illicit gains—more especially a sum of five million francs which suddenly disappeared from the chest of a a company of which ho was chief. These threats are supposed to have been pointed at certain high functionaries in the State, who were said at the time to have feathered their nests in the most unscrupulous if not dishonest manner. However this be, there is a general impression that M . Mires' secrets has had some mysterious influence upon his acquittance. The subscriptions to the " Albert Memorial " have already reached the sum of £48,000. The idea however of a " monolithic obelisk " has been abandoned. The Committee report that no stone of_ suitable size could be found either in the United Kingdom, or in Finland to which they had directed their enquiries ; and that even if it could be found the expense of raising and carriage, and of covering it with incised sculpture in accordance Tnth ancient precedent would be "incalculable." Her Majesty has therefore directed the committee to take into consideration some other plan for

raising a monument to the late Prince, and has recommended them to avail themselves of the j opinions of the leading articles of the day on the : subject. One individual suggests that the best monument to the Prince Consort would be to place a statue of him in St. Paul's Cathedral, and to fill the windows of that venerable pile with stained glass — all memorial windows. Another suggest a column of crystal. But nothing will be decided just yet, and it is pretty certain that the above suggestions will not bo entertained. I have now left only time and space to advert to the recent news from America — In a few words, " Island No. 10 " as it is called, in the Mississipi has been captured by the Federals, who attacked it with gun boats, and took GOOO prisoners, 100 field-pieces, &c., a great quantity of stores and ammunition. This great reverse to the Confederates took place early in April. But the chief engagement which has taken place between the combatants since the battle of Bull-Run, occurred on Sunday and Monday the 6th and 7th. of April. This terrible fight was stoutly contested on both sides, and for tha first day the Confederates had the advantage. It took place at Pittsburg about 18 miles from Corinth on the banks of the Tennessee. The Federals are reputed to have lost 20,000 men and the Confederates 35,000. These numbers however, are doubtless grossly exaggerated — as the entire number of troops engaged on both sides could not have much exceeded 100,000 men, aud there is no instance on record of more than one out of three or four having been put hors dc combat in any similar battle. Had it not been for reinforcements which the Federalists received on the second day of the battle, the victory would have been with the Confederates, who at one time had taken possession of two thirds of the enemy's camp. The battle was bravely contested on both sides, and it is only to be regretted that so much blood should have been shed to no purpose. For despite the successes which have recently attended the Northern army, there seems no probability of their ever being able to subdue the South and lead it back fettered into the odious old Union. No, this will never be. The Southerners will be exterminated to a man first. Several officers also fell in this engagement, General Johnston on the Confederate side was killed and General Beauregard wounded, and the Federal General Prentiss was taken prisoner. There are now three Federal armies moving upon Richmond from three different points — that of Bank's in the Valley of the shenandoch — that of M'Dowell advancing towards the line of the Rappahamock and that of M'Clellan, with abont J 50,000 men in front of the Confederate works near Yorktown. From this it is clear that the South has its work cut out. The Southerners, however, are said to be strongly intrenched at Yorktown, and to have 100,000 men and 500 cannon of the largest calibre. Doubtless the attack will be made simultaneously by the three Federal armies, all converging towards Richmond, and it is said should Yorktowo fall, Richmond must speedily follow. The Federals would have given battle "before this, but for the heavy weather which has rendered the roads impassable and fighting impossible. We arc in daily expectation of heaiing other and more decisive battles from the vicinity of Richmond. The Times correspondent is on his way back to England. He was refused permission by the Secretary of State, Mr. Stanton, to accompany the " Army of the Potomac," with M'Clellau " although specially invited by the General." This was snubbing the General, and Russell and the Times — all at once. However the Times does not forget a slight of that kind readily. The American press is at j present a mere bye-word — it is completely under the thumb of Government, and the only intelligence we have, comes through a government filter — not very clean. P.S., half-past six. — No news of importance by the evening telegrams. Wool very dull, little doing, buyers waiting for next-sales Mr. Windham, has been condemned to pay his own costs, in the recent attempt to prove his insanity. Dr. Smethurst is once more before the public. He now appears in the Court of Divorce and Probate as executor of the will of Miss Bankes — opposed of course — matter pending. A battle reputed to have taken place in Albania, between the Turks and certain insurgents.