THE Wellington Independent. " Nothing extenuate; Nor set down aught in malice." TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1862. THE ENGLISH NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1810, 30 December 1862, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent. " Nothing extenuate ; Nor set down aught in malice." TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1862. THE ENGLISH NEWS.

Although We bave been disappointed by the non-arrival of the Mail from England, |yet in our columns of to-day, we are enabled so far as space will permit to publish a detuiled account of tbe most important intelligence which is to found in the Home News . Tbe account of tbe progress of the American War is what will be looked for with the greatest interest, and therefore we have inserted the fullest intelligence of tbe campaign in Maryland. The intelligence after all is not much later than that which we received some time ago via San Francisco. The.ie can be no doubt but tbat tbe Confederates after crossing the Potomac and invading Federal territory bad afterwards to recross : the river, and return to their own grouDd. They sustained a defeat at Corinth, but on the otherhand, the act of General Stuart, in making a fresh inroad into the North, passing round their army; and returning ia safety with a large share of spoil, may help to balance the previous Confederate reverse. The fighting has been productive of fearful slaughter, during the few days it lasted, but there is no evidence ia the various accounts to show that the fortune of the war has changed materially or that the Southerners do not still in the main carry victory with them. President Lincoln's proclamation for the emancipation of tbe slaves in the so called Rebel States, as we anticipated, has caused a feeling of indignation to thrill through tbe heart of every civilized nation in Christendom. : It is disapproved of even by a portion of. the .'Northern citizens, and looked upon generally as an unfair and inhuman endeavor to encite rapine und murder in the South, on the part of the Slave! against their owners. The financial position of the rNorth, becomes and the

standard'ouriqncy has been^depre^iate^ft^ftißiJi^ au extent that 100 dollars ia\ f pape'rvaf(S:/ |oi^^ Worth 71 in specie. ; - '." 'VC ; A y'-ii^S'^'''^ '%:■'' Giribaldi and his companions bave obtained : - an amnesty for their past acts frohV Victor Emmanuel ; but the health of the patriot bf :Ifaly is said to be in a criticalcondition, . Uw iviroanfl has proved serious, the ball has not been extracted, and he is too weak now to undergo the necessary operation. ■ " ' . , The English and Irish coasts.liave beVnlwept 2, by frightful gales, 100 ships have been wrecked, i and 500 casualties are reportedy accompanied.iby great lo&s of life. r .. | . There bas beep a. crisis in Priissi £, catiis|a> by .-• a, quarrel between .the Upper and^JLower Houses of Representatives./ 1 heXing, like au - : unfortunate monarch; of England, takes a stand -', on his "divine right," and has 'virtually ; abfogated the Constitution. ...It. ; is;-., withy almost '-'„ breathless interest that we the- result of . ; this audacious action, in the present ''da^P^?^'- ■■•'■"' In England the distress amongst the factory, operatives has become deeper and more heartrending. , It is calculated that' including ; v tffe wives and children of the operatives, the number : of sufferers cannot be less than ' 600,000 5.5. Meantime the great patient multitude bear their, sufferings with heroic fortitude— suffer- v ings too> which, alas 1 only admit of partial ' alleviation. . .;' _'• ; r f^' \' - Such are the prominent features, of the intelligence which we present to our readers ; 'but doubtless ere many days the amVal W;thj^itfeil itself Will fill up the blanks in our; nariative. PRACTICAL JOKING.' . vvv It is only a few years ago since the Erig fish public devoured with avidity the 'report of a trial by Court Martial in which the -sciouof a noble house, holding a commission in her Majesty's 2nd Dragoon Guard 3, figured as the> accused party in a case of practical joking at^ the * expense of a brother officer. The affair, however, seemed to have been of a rather serious character, the unfortunate young-^ complainant was the victim of a regular conspiracy ; his person had been subjected to indignity of which the mildest foim consisted in sbaviog oflF one side of " lrisr • whiske'rsV"' ' bia A ckenin^i^hiß face, and performing other ; like Jtfcts.Vy of rudeness. Matters in fact seemed to hare been carried to an outrageous extent, public opiuion was loused, tbe Press raised its voice,- aM the court by- its decision taught the jn*i^p|B^^ defendant a severe lesson by dis\ilifes|^Syß|froiu her. Majesty's' service ".for conduct" uawortliy of an^officer and a gentleman." ' ; .; . f/lv ' There is certainly a good deal to bo said on both sides of the question when the' subject of practical joking is under consideration. ] : 'Ai the public schools of England only a few years ago and perb ops even now, a boy would have been ! thought a "molly coddle," and scouted as a milksop, who could not give and take a' good deal of this sort of amusement, and.ainbngst youths of the same age, position, and pur§»its tbe practice might well be tolerated ; but while thus much is granted, yet the same thing, unde r " ditfferent circumstancesrshtJuid^bß^&ftkeid-upon in quite another light; and a case? which came before the Police Court here on - Saturday^ af. fords an illustration in point. The circura. ' stances as brought* out in evideace, dnriog a lengtheued investigation are pretty much as follows. .''"--'• ■"'. ■■- : •-; '* ''- ' The Wellington team of cricketers were returning from the: Intercolonial /Attyh/ptayied at Auckland, bad reached Nelson^t;'and, -were on board the Storm Bird on their, trip; home agaiu from that place. Naturally enoiiglf the party were somewhat merry amongst themselves and by and bye a few jests of a somewhat practical character were carried out at the expense of one or more of their number. So long a this w^s confined to themselres it wa \ all very well ; and attaching a tope to the leg 8 of a sleeping companion, and hoisting him half way from his bunk to the skj-light was looked upon by tbe greater number as a piece of ex quisite humour, and acquiesced in by t'je vie" tims, though not without. a--few~grimaces. If' . this had beetT all the fun, everything would Lave gone smoothly, but unfortunately they had for a fellow passenger, the.: :hon. A" G. .Tpllemache, Mr Tollemache i s * seems, retired to his berth shortly after the steamer had left Nelson, but not alas! to sleep % His virtuous and temperate couch was disturbed by the brawling of certain noisy passengers. At length the influence of the r 6 drowsy god ' stole over him and lulled his senses into sweet forgetfulness, From tbis delicious trance he was fiidely roused by feeling hands 1 t6)icbiog his ancle. "He also partlysaw and partly felt the noise of a rope " to quote his o^n |xpression. Nor was this all, the next sensatfahlie experienced was being pulled by a^rope^nd shortly \ afterwards the bon felt himself ascending in, antippdean fashion, that iu'rvey, towards the skylight/. H# ;^u^ged in those trying circumstances to keep ■his wits about him, and observed a peiison escaping from the cabin. This he felt certain; was the defendant, but he could hot swear to the fact ; however, he appears to have got loose from his bonds in some fashion br^othefKandiShortly ■■'-„ J after bis arrival at Weningtoii^tooV! legal pioceedings against the supposed aggressor, and others. One of the partiestrihmed as a defendant did not appear, the summons not having ibeeo served in sufficient time. ; but the other, a Mr Bolton answered the charge, and pleaded J* not : guilty." The plaintiff gave his evidence at con- V siderable length, but could 1 D'<t Ji& ''faWfcs l!^>l ' proof was concerned, identify ■ th^r aw^Sj^i^^ ;* the person who had fastened 't^e^-^^'toiG-BSi^^?-leg—or who had been seen byshim*e«c^pVng v from the ciiddy; "To the best of *Bisl i ?)^eJ; it 3i /t wa& the same person, but he CQuldinp^iatrd. did^j f; } not swear to the fact." Nine or teb|othe| V wit- ? : I' nesses were examined for the plaiQtiff,ibut they ; v; did not support his case further thajfefij^stteiu*^^ ; ously alleging, that they indiv^.fip[yV--Daq|f|ioit.i^ ; i fastened the rope, and that they: saw napne else" ■ do it. Such being the kind of evidencje elicited one would have naturally^ supposed^ thiaV.the a-K;: case would have been dismissed— but ,th|". , Ma^ '';-;'?] gistrate took a different vievrjif th%mait«lsajtid%.?r : .: sentenced the defendant; to pay^Jlti^^o^^Os^lt;^; and costs. „ \ : 'i^S^£'^p!^§-^co^^^ We do not* wish .to .corainet^ :?u^e|^D^ihj^^g decision, thaii to remark thai^emwasapip^rentivSl'l uo evidence to .wairanti^j^jiere^igh^^lisbjeii^^ d moral pertanity .tlia£ r Mr'^^ftjn^S^lfot^SJKSfel several; others .c.onißernedfttt^ : was.nbthingJiu;.ppiutfpfja.^i^|^^^{^^p^||^ Apart: from these" consid^ratio^^i|^|aaa,tt J||g

— . offensive in his manners and general conduct. _ Hyp" ad arrived tooat that period of life when he might fairly le excused from a participation in any such boisterous performances. He was entirely inoffensive towards bis fellow passengers, and yet he was made the victim of a practical joke, which might have been painful in its consequences. There is nothing to show positively who were the guilty parlies, but if they were amongst our band of cricketers, they were bound as gentlemen on cool reflection to have apologised. We entirely acquit the large number of those young men from any participation whatever in the affair, but it would have been more honorable, mnTe straightforward, and more manly — for the guilty parties frankly to have confessed their fault; and had they done so,- we have every reason to believe this paltry police case would never have been heard of. Practical joking isoften the result of an excess of animal spirits, butitisusually found thattbose most prone to its indulgence, are the first to acknowledge their errors if they have unwittingly given pain.