Nov. 9,] 



THE NEWSPAPER 



the Indemnity Bill have not yet been brought to a ter- 

 mination, but it is generally considered that the extra- 

 ordinary acts of the Government during the last six 

 months will be held as legalised, considering the urgency 

 of the measures which gave rise to them, and that the 

 Ministers will obtain in both Chambers a large majority. 

 The recent financial speculation likewise forms a promi- 

 nent part of the business of the present session, but the 

 details have little interest for our readers. A meeting 

 of the principal wine-growers of the Douro, has been held 

 at the house of Mr. Forrester, a British merchant of 

 Oporto, and an extensive cultivator of the vine in its 

 vicinity. The statements made by this gentleman and 

 others, were intended to point out the means of restoring 

 the ancient character of Portuguese wines. The pre- 

 vailing opinion that black, strong, and sweet wines are 

 required for the English market ; that it is not the 

 genuine unadultered juice of the grape, but a mixture of 

 brandy and wine with factitious taste and colour that suits 

 the altered taste of the people of England, was shown to 

 have led to a system of adulteration that had proved 

 ruinous to the wine trade of Portugal. Efforts, it seems, 

 were making to improve the quality of the wines of 

 Oporto, and to discard the practice of drugging and bran- 

 dying them. Mr. Forrester, who is deeply interested in 

 the wine trade, and practically acquainted with it in all 

 its blanches, stated, that he knew of instances where 

 the proportion of brandy to pert wine is from three to 

 five almudes to the pipe, which would be about a fourth- 

 part of brandy, the quantity of berries unlimited, and 

 the saccharine composition, " jeropigas," no less than a 

 pipe to the wine-press reservoir. Vast quantities of this 

 drugged wine, Mr. Forrester observed to the meeting, 

 are in deposit in various British ports. 



Belgium. — The Belgian Government have issued a 

 Decree, in conformity with a Report of the Director-in- 

 Chief of the railways, that in future a remission of 30 

 per cent, shall be allowed upon the low fares by third- 

 class carriages, in favour of poor emigrants who may 

 travel by railway to a Belgian port for embarkation, with 

 another gratuitous carriage of their luggage besides. 

 The privilege is restricted however to parties composed 

 at least of 30 persons. This will be a great boon to the 

 distressed Germans who flock to seek better fortune in 

 the New World. 



Germany. — It is asserted, in letters from Berlin, that 

 Prince Charles, son of Prince Frederic Charles, born in 

 1828, is destined to the civil service of his country, and 

 that it is the first time that a prince of the royal family 

 does not follow the career of arms. — The Prussian Go- 

 vernment had addressed an energetic remonstrance to 

 the King of Hanover against the commercial treaty con- 

 cluded by His Majesty with the British Government, and 

 had recalled the Baron de Seckendorff, their ambassador 

 at Hanover. The Prussian Government moreover ex- 

 pressed themselves in strong terms against the Anti- 

 Germanic conduct of the King of Hanover. — The find- 

 ing of the Judge of the First Instance against the regi- 

 cide Tscheck has been modified by the Court of Appeal, 

 in so far that, instead of being broken on the wheel, he 

 is simply to be executed by the axe. An erroneous 

 statement has been published in the German Papers, 

 to the effect that when the sentence of death was 

 read to the regicide, he quoted a sentence from 

 the Bible, which he said he would recommend the 

 King to read. It has been since discovered that 

 this statement was a mere invention of a certain person 

 named Dr. Joel Jacoby. It appears that Dr. Jacoby, 

 who is a well-known Publicist, has been arrested, and 

 ordered for trial. — From the Rhine we learn that a cer- 

 tain number of merchants in Mayence intend to transfer 

 their business to Cologne. The laying of rails is almost 

 completed on the railway, which is intended to unite the 

 station of Cologne to the free port of that town, and that 

 part of the railway will be open to the trade next spring. 

 ^— The celebrated Bavarian sculptor, Schwanthaler, has 

 just been presented by the Committee of the Goethe 

 monument, at Frankfort, with a cadeau of 3000 florins, 

 as a testimonial of their satisfaction at the masterly manner 

 ui which he executed the statue of Goethe, as well as a 

 token of their sense of his liberality in merely charging 

 the outlay paid by him to his workmen, amounting to 

 2000 florins, without adding anything for his own 

 time and labour. Schwanthaler has disposed of 2000 

 norms out of the donation for the benefit of the indigent 

 "Uhe city of Frankfort, and the remaining 1000 florins 

 be distributed amongst his workmen. — It is officially an- 

 nounced that the reports recently circulated, to the effect 

 that a jeweller at Dresden had sold false jewels to the 

 King of Saxony are entirely without foundation, and it 

 ! 3 8tat ed in corroboration of this contradiction, that the 

 jeweller alluded to has offered a reward of 300 dollars 

 lor the discovery of the author of the libel.— The Augs- 

 urgh Gazette announces that a duel took place lately 

 ^tween Count Bathiany and Count Zichy, in which the 

 jormer received a sabre cut on the nose. Count Zichy 

 &ad made some observations to Count Bathiany disap- 

 proving of the measures adopted by the Association of 

 oung Hungary to insure the exclusive consumption of 

 Hungarian produce. The Count having been incensed at 

 tnese observations, challenged his adversary. In con- 

 sequence of his meeting with Count Bathiany, Count 

 an! p reCeived two fresh challenges from Counts Teleki 

 nu Pasmandi. It was believed that the police autho- 



Th 6 \nn Ultl ado P t measures to prevent such collisions. 

 wT t 0th anniversary of the introduction of potatoes 

 o *- Ur ope was celebrated a few days since at Munich. 



r P PP I"'"** AND Den ' mark -- The King of Sweden has 

 ccently S e n t the Order of the Northern Star to the fo!- 



w ™g distinguished writers :— Baron Alexander Hum- 



boldt, M. Arago, Herr Schelling, Herr Tieck, Herr 

 Gauss, M. A. Lamartine, M. Victor Hugo, and M. de 

 Tocqueville. His Majesty has conferred the highest 

 order of knighthood in Sweden, the Seraphin, on the 

 Kings of Holland and Bavaria. The republic of Vene- 

 zuela have sent an ambassador to Stockholm to congra- 

 tulate His Majesty on his accession We learn from 



Copenhagen, Oct. 21, that the King of Prussia had posi- 

 tively announced his intention of visiting that city 

 towards the end of that month, or the beginning of No- 

 vember. After long and frequent debates, the Assembly 

 of the States of Denmark rejected on the 20th ult., by a 

 majority of 30 to 29, the motion made by the Opposition 

 of an address to the King. This vote is a check to the 

 Opposition, which hoped to gain a decisive triumph. 



Italy. — Accounts from Rome Btate that the Papal 

 Government is said to be in contract with the house of 

 Rothschild for a new loan of 2,000,000 scudi. It is well 

 known that the Holy See has lately opened a negotiation 

 with an agent of the Duke de Leuchtenberg for his 

 domains in the environs of Ancona, for which purchase 

 a large portion of the loan is destined; but the parties 

 have not yet come loan agreement as to the price. — The 

 Aiutshnrg Gazette of the 30th ult. states, that the object 

 of the King of Naples' visit to Calabria was to observe 

 th his own eyes the state of affairs in that province. 

 His Majesty, during his journey, received many com- 

 plaints of abuses which he has determined to remedy. 

 Many patriotic voices were raised, and even the wor.l 

 " Constitution" was pronounced. It appears that the 

 best results have been produced by the King's journey, 

 and that the Government is determined to relieve the 

 condition of the labouring classes. 



Malta.— Letters from Valletta of the 27th ult. state 

 that the new church of St. Paul, founded by the Queen 

 Dowager, was to be consecrated on the 1st inst. by the 

 Bishop of Gibraltar. The only portion yet incomplete 

 is the spire or belfry, which will be finished by the 1st of 

 the new year. The church is magnificent in its construc- 

 tion, though very simple. There are no pews, except 

 for the Governor and Admirals, but high-backed benches, 

 well cushioned, having carpets laid down between them, 

 and hassocks for the convenience of the devout. There 

 is also a splendid organ ; but what is of most import- 

 ance is, that the construction is such that the slightest 

 intonation of voice will be heard from one end to the 

 other. A beautiful statue of Faith, presented by Lord 

 Howe, who was in Her Majesty's suite, has been refused 

 a place in or outside of the church, on the plea of its re- 

 sembling too much a Catholic custom. It has since 

 been presented to the Garrison Library. 



Turkey. — Accounts from Constantinople of the 17th 

 ult. mention the arrival of a Tartar with despatches from 

 the General-in-Chief of the Turkish army in Albania, 

 announcing that he had entered the town of Dibra, after 

 an engagement with the insurgents. — The Augsburgh 

 Gazette publishes the following extract from a letter, 

 dated Constantinople, the 2d ult.: — "There formerly 

 existed a Turkish cemetery on the spot where the houses 

 were built which were destroyed daring the late fire at 

 Pera. It is pretended that a Turkish saint was buried 

 there. The Turks sold the ground at a very dear rate to 

 the Christians. For some time back the site of the 

 elegant houses erected on this ground excited the fana- 

 ticism of the Mussulman population. Recently, whilst 

 digging a foundation, a Turkish tumulary stone was dis- 

 covered. The female portion of the population imme- 

 diately congregated, and cast stone3 at the windows of 

 the houses, uttering at the same time the most dreadful 

 men-ices and blasphemies. These menaces have been 

 realised by an incendiary fire. The first house burnt was 

 built on the site of an ancient mosque." The same jour- 

 nal states that the Servian Government had applied to 

 the Austrian Cabinet to remove Prince Milosch from 

 Vienna, and to compel him to reside in a province where 

 he would have less communication with Servia than in 

 that capital. The most perfect tranquillity continued to 

 prevail in Servia. — A letter from Rome of the 16th ult. in- 

 forms us that the Metropolitan Bishop of Syria has en- 

 treated the Austrian Government to use its influence with 

 the Porte in favour of the Christians of the Lebanon, in 

 order that they may be treated with more justice and hu- 

 manity. 



Greece. — We have accounts from Athens of the 20th 

 ult. The National Assembly was still occupied in exa- 

 mining the returns of members, a tedious process under 

 a newly-formed constitution. One of the questions 

 brought before the Assembly was, whether M. Balbi, as a 

 minister of the Crown, came within the category of func- 

 tionary. It required a long debate to settle the ques- 

 tion, but ultimately it was decided that M. Balbi was 

 subject to re-election. It appears to be doubtful if he 

 will be continued in the Cabinet, a difference having 

 arisen between him and his colleagues. The election of 

 M. Tricoupi as vice-president of the senate, was consi- 

 dered a severe blow to the Ministry. The King and 

 Queen were still absent from the capital. Their Majes- 

 ties had been everywhere enthusiastically received. 



Cape of Good Hope. — Cape papers to the end of! 

 August have arrived, accorJing to which the frontier 

 Boers were complaining of the inadequacy of protection, 

 and the repeated infringements of the Caffres, not- 

 withstanding the treaties entered into with the local 

 Government. The Dutch farmers, it would appear, 

 I >y much of the blame arising from aboriginal aggres- 

 sion to the ready access the natives have had to^'fire- 

 arms and ammunition in the way of trade with the 

 British, and they seemed to consider that the Boers 

 have been misrepresented here as persons who were 

 only dearous of exterminating the original possessors 



of the soil for their own exclusive advantage. A meet- 

 ing had been held of the Dutch farmers on the frontier, 

 at which these feelings were strongly expressed, the late 

 murder of one or two of their number having called them 

 together to give their opinion on the subject. An active 

 investigation was being made into the circumstances of 

 these atrocities, and the Lieutenant-Governor had so 

 disposed his military force in the neighbourhood as to 

 command the movements of the tribes within a certain 

 distance of the frontier, and trace the guilty parties if 

 they were within the range of his district. The Boers 

 are described as having attended the meeting well armed, 

 and several of them came from a great distance to be 

 present at the debate. In other respects the news by 

 this arrival is of no great importance. From Natal the 

 advices are favourable, and the progress of affairs in that 

 part of Africa are stated to be of the most satisfactory 

 description. Capt. Smith was to be presented with a 

 valuable sword as the reward for his exertions in that 

 part of the country. The trading prospects of the Cape 

 re alluded to as steadily increasing, and those of Algoa 



Bay present a remarkable feature in the business of the 

 colony. 



India and China.— The regular Overland .Mail has 

 arrived this week with later accounts than those brought 

 last week by the Calcutta steamer. The chief intelligence 

 relates to disturbances in the southern Mahratta country, 

 which has been some time in an unsettled state. Some 

 of the malcontents seized two of the strong hill forts, 

 where they hoisted the standard of revolt against the 

 Rajah of Kholapore. They consist chiefly of Arab troops, 

 who placed themselves under some bold leaders, and bade 

 defiance to the Rajah and his allies. A force was sent 

 by the British authorities to disperse them. It consisted 

 of 50 artillerymen, and troops, amounting to about 1200 

 men, under the command of Colonel Wallace, of the 

 Madras army. An attack is said to have taken place on 

 one of the forts, in which the rebels defended themselves 

 stoutly with their long guns. Some soldiers were wounded 

 on the side of the British, for the hill forts from their 

 position are difficult of aecess. The British were sub- 

 sequently firing and throwing shells into the first fort, 

 which is situate about 25 miles from Belgaum ; the other 

 is 18 miles further off. The Bombay Government was on 

 the alert in making arrangements for having its disposable 

 regiments ready for any emergency that might arise. 

 Lieut.- Colonel Wyllie, of the Bombay Infantry, who had 

 taken his passage by the steamer, was ordered to stop 

 and join his regiment ; and the steamers were in Bombay 

 harbour under orders to be ready to remove troops at a 

 moment's notice. Nothing serious was apprehended, but 

 the Government were preparing to meet every difficulty. 

 Serious riots took place at Surat on the 29ih August, in 

 consequence of the popular dissatisfaction at the increase 

 of the salt-tax from half a rupee to one rupee (2s.) per 

 maund of 80 lbs. Troops were promptly sent there by 

 the Government, and the disturbances ceased. The 

 Supreme Government subsequently ordered, by virtue of 

 instructions frqra the Court of Directors, that the in- 

 creased duty should be in the Bombay Presidency only 

 of the sum of one quarter of a rupee (6d.) per maund. 

 This arrangement has apparently pacified the people, 

 although there were petitions presented against the tax. 

 In Scinde tranquillity prevailed, and the health of the 

 troops, with the exception of Sukkur and Shikarpore, 

 was very good. The climate in September was highly 

 agreeable, and many of the prejudices excited against 

 the possession of the Indus bad vanished. It was even 

 reported that there was an intention of making it an in- 

 tegral part of the Bombay Presidency, and of increasing 

 the Bombay Army so as to be able to maintain the 

 British rule in Scinde. Capt. Mackenzie, at the head 

 of some cavalry, in pursuing the Beloochee robbers, 

 ame on a body of armed men said to be Ryots, 

 who had gone out to attack the Beloochees. His 

 cavalry cut them to pieces, leaving 200 dead on the 

 field. Captain Mackenzie has received the marked ap- 

 probation of General Hunter for this exploit, although 

 some doubt is expressed on the policy of undertaking 

 the expedition. In the Punjaub confusion and anarchy 

 prevailed. Heera Singh governs at Lahore, in the name 

 of the young Maharajah Dhuleep. He was engaged in 

 collecting a force to combat with his own uncle, Ghoolab 

 Singh, and with the widow of Suchet Singh, the brother 

 of Ghoolab, who was anxious to punish Heera for the 

 murder of her gallant husband, Suchet Singh. There 

 appears to be an apprehension on the British frontiers 

 that some of those conflicting parties will enter the Bri- 

 tish territory, or that of the protected Sikhs, our allies, 

 where the interference of the British Indian army will 

 become imperative. It was rumoured that Sir H . Hardinge 

 would soon proceed to the north-west, in order to confer 

 with the Commander-in-Chief, who was at Simla, and 

 perhaps even with Sir C. Napier, the Governor of 

 Scinde. The affairs of Affghanistan present stormy 

 appearances. Several powerful chiefs had formed 

 an alliance with the King of Bokhara, with the 

 intent of overthrowing Dost Mahomed, and a por- 

 tion of their large army had fallen upon Bameean, 

 defeating a son of the Dost, who shortly after re- 

 gained the day. Yar Mahomed is now said to have de- 

 feated the Persian army brought against him, and pre- 

 vailed on the Dost to accede to a second alliance be- 

 tween their families. The new rulers at Gwalior, 

 although appointed under the British, are busied in 

 peculations, and in oppressing the Ryots and Zemindars 

 subject to them. The object of those rulers being to 

 gather money as soon as they caD, they care not about 

 the means they use for that purpose. It was thought 

 that the British authorities would have to compel them 



