GENERAL SUMMARY.

Wellington Independent, 25 February 1863, Page 1

GENERAL SUMMARY.

London, Dec 29

Her Majesty's health continues to improve.

The remains of the iate Prince Consort was transferred to the Royal Mausoleum at Frograore, after its consecration oo I7ih December.

Tbe marriage ef the Prince of Wales, in March, is to be celebrated with great magnificence by order of the Queen.

Tbe Princess Alice is expected to be confined in April.

Prince Alfred is about to leave for Australia in the screw carvettee Racoon.

The distress in Lancashire and Cheshire has reached its maximum. ' The loss of wages per week is estimated at£55),000, or £8,00t;,000 sterling per annutr. £130,000 was collected in one hour at a public meeting in Manchester, and £30,000,81 a county meeting in Cheshire Subscriptions continue to flow in from all quarters, and New York contributes 200,000 dollars, besides a ship-load of provisions.

A Royal Commission has been appointed to inquire- into the operations of ihe laws relating to transportation and penal servitude, and of tbe manner in which sentences under such laws relating to transportation and penal servitude are lo be carried out. It is urged that the treatment of convicts is too indulgent. This lias reference to tbe numeroiisca.ses of garottinjr recently by ticket-of-leave men. Transportation to such colonies as may wish for tbe continuance of such labour is beiDg urged upon Government,

It is proposed to maka the Falkland Islands a panal colony, and transportation to Q. teens. land, or the newly-iliscovered territoiy in Nortbern Australia, is also prominently discussed.

On Christmas Day, a conference was held of co-operative delegates at Rochdale, to cousidet the fensibilitp of forming b company of colonists to proceed to proceed to Queensland, for the purpose of cultivating cotton.

The English Government have notified to Greece that it will not allow Prince Alfred to accept the throne. King Ferdinand, of Portu gal, also refuses to accept the sovereignty. The cession of the lonian Islands to Greece has been officially announced to the Provisional Government by the English Ministers. Another heavy gale has caused several wrecks on the east coast.

A terrific colliery explosion near Barnsley, Yorkshire. Sixty men bave been killed.

The Metropolitan underground railway was to be opened on the 7th of January.

The Edinburgh Court of Session has given judgment in the Yelverton marriage case in favor of Mrs Logworth Yelverton.

The championship of the Thames is to be contested in April between Chambers and Everson, of Greenwich.

The great six-mile race between Deerfoot and Mills, the English champion, was won by the latter. .

The Great Eastern is again declared seaworthy. << Queensland cotton has been sold in England — price 4s. 6d. to ss. per lb.

Obituary.— James Sheridan Knowles, Sir Graham Hammond (admiral of the Fleet), Miss Pardoe, Lord Morrison, Earl of Gifford, Mr Dt'edes, M.P, ; Admiral Sullivan, Sir Michael Bruce, and Sir Duncan M'Dougall.