All the newspapers have quoted an account from the _Literary Gazette_ of
the Antarctic Expedition, under the command of Captain James Ross. It
was composed of two vessels, the _Erebus_, Captain Ross, and the
_Terror_, Captain Crozier, and left England on the 29th of September,
1839. During the outward voyage to Australia, scientific observation was
daily and sedulously attended to; experiments were made on the
temperature and specific gravity of the sea; geological and geographical
investigations were made at all available points, especially at
Kerguelen's Land; and both here, as well as during the expedition,
magnetic observation and experiment formed a specific subject of
attention. This was a main object during 1840, the expedition remaining
at the Auckland Islands for this purpose; and it was not till the 1st of
January, 1841, that it entered the antarctic circle. Their subsequent
adventures, deeply interesting as they are from the perils which they
encountered, and the spirit and perseverance with which they were met,
come hardly within our sphere to report. After an absence of four years,
the expedition, as mentioned in last week's ECONOMIST, has returned to
England, and the acquisitions to natural history, geology, geography,
but above all towards the elucidation of the grand mystery of
terrestrial magnetism, raise this voyage to a pre-eminent rank among the
greatest achievements of British courage, intelligence, and enterprise.
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.--CHURCH PROPERTY.--The following Parliamentary Return
has just been printed, entitled, "A Return of the amount applied by
Parliament during each year since 1800, in aid of the religious worship
of the Church of England, of the Church of Scotland, of the Church of
Rome, and of the Protestant Dissenters in England, Scotland, and
Ireland, respectively, whether by way of augmentation of the income of
the ministers of each religious persuasion, or for the erection and
endowment of churches and chapels, or for any other purposes connected
with the religious instruction of each such section of the population of
the United Kingdom, with a summary of the whole amount applied during
the above period in aid of the religions worship of each of the above
classes." The abstract of sums paid to the Established Church shows that
the total was 5,207,546_l._ which is divided in the following
manner:--Church of England, 2,935,646_l._; Church of Scotland,
522,082_l._; Church of Ireland, 1,749,818_l._ Church of Rome.--The total
sum paid to the Church of Rome is set forth at 365,607_l._ 1s. 2d.
comprised in the following two items;--Augmentation of incomes
(including Maynooth College), 362,893_l._ 8s. 1d.; erection and repairs
of chapels, 2,113_l._ 13s. 1d. Protestant Dissenters.--The total sum is
1,019,647_l._ 13s. 11d. in England and Ireland. The recapitulation shows
the following three sums:--Established Church, 5,207,546_l._; Church of
Rome, 365,607_l._; and Protestant Dissenters, 1,019,647_l._ The sums
were advanced from 1800 to 1842.
IMPERISHABLE BREAD.--On Wednesday, in the mayor's private room, at the
Town hall, Liverpool, a box of bread was opened which was packed at Rio
Janeiro nearly two years ago, and proved as sound, sweet, and in all
respects as good, as on the day when it was enclosed. This bread is
manufactured of a mixture in certain proportions of rice, meal, and
wheat flour.
ST GEORGE'S CHAPEL, WINDSOR.--The extensive alterations and
embellishments which have been in progress since the early part of May
last (from which period the chapel has been closed), at an outlay of
several thousands of pounds, throughout the interior of this sacred
edifice, having been brought to a close, it was reopened for Divine
service on Thursday.
FATHER MATHEW.--Father Mathew, after finishing his labours in the
metropolis, went to Norwich, where he met the Bishop, who, in an earnest
and eloquent speech, in St Andrew's hall, on Thursday week, introduced
the reverend gentleman to that locality, and very warmly eulogized his
conduct. Mr Gurney, the well-known Norwich banker, occupied the chair on
this occasion, and seconded the Bishop in his patronage and approbation
of the great temperance movement. After remaining at Norwich two or
three days, Father Mathew started for Ireland, taking Birmingham and
Liverpool in his way.
IMPORTATION OF FRUIT FROM ANTWERP.--On Thursday, the steam-packet
_Antwerpen_, Captain Jackson, arrived at the St Katherine's Steam Packet
Wharf, after an expeditious passage, from Antwerp. The continental
orchards continue to supply our fruit markets with large supplies, the
_Antwerpen_ having brought 4,000 packages, or nearly 2,800 bushels of
pears, apples, plums, and filberts. Advices were received by the
_Antwerpen_ that another extensive importation of fruit from Antwerp may
be expected at the St Katherine's Steam Packet Wharf this day
(Saturday), by the steam-packet _Princess Victoria_, Capt. Pierce.
LIEUT. HOLMAN, THE BLIND TRAVELLER.--This celebrated tourist and writer
took his departure from Malta, on the 3rd of September, for Naples. He
will afterwards proceed to the Roman States, and then to Trieste. During
the few days of his residence in this island the greatest hospitality
has been shown him. The veteran traveller had the honour of dining with
his excellency the Governor, and with Admiral Sir E. Owen. Amidst all
the vicissitudes of his perilous life and increasing age, he still
maintains the same unabated thirst for travel, and his mental and bodily
faculties appear to grow in activity and strength in the inverse ratio
of his declining life and honoured grey hairs.
RAILWAY FROM WORCESTER TO CARDIFF.--It is proposed, by means of this new
line, to connect the population of the north of England and the midland
counties with the districts of South Wales and the south of Ireland. It
will commence at the Taff Vale Railway, pass through Wales, cross the
Severn, and unite with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway at
Worcester. The cost will be 1,500,000_l._
FRENCH OPINIONS ON SPANISH EVENTS.--The French journals are loud in
condemning the poor Barcelonese for the very same acts which drew down
the applause of these same journals a week ago. The following remarks
from the _National_ render any of our own useless:--"It must be admitted
that the French journals appreciate in a strange way the deplorable
events in Spain. Some soldiers revolt at Madrid, without going any
length of insurrection, or at all endangering the Government. General
Narvaez comes, and without consulting Government or any one else, shoots
eight non-commissioned officers. Straight our Ministerial journals
exclaim, What an act of vigour! Vigour if you will; but where is the
humanity, the wisdom, the justice? Then behold Barcelona, of which the
people some weeks ago rose against the established and constitutional
Government. What heroes! exclaimed the French Ministerial papers. Now
they do the same thing, rising against a provisional and
extra-constitutional Government. What brigands! exclaim the Ministerial
writers. A few weeks back a Spanish Government defended itself with
violence against those who attacked it. Regiments fired rounds of
musketry, and the cannons of forts bombarded the rebellious towns. The
French Ministerialists forthwith pronounced the Spanish Regent as a
malefactor, and devoted him to the execration of the civilized world.
Now, another Government, without the same right, follows precisely the
same course as the one overthrown. It defends itself, fires, bombards,
and pours forth grape from behind walls upon insurgent bands in the
street. This same conduct is glorified as firm, as legitimate, as what
not. The system of political morality changes, it seems, with men and
with seasons. What was infamy in Espartero and Zurbano, is heroism and
glory in Narvaez and Prim. What is more infamous than all this is the
press, that thus displays itself in the light of a moral weathercock,
shifting round to every wind."
STATISTICS OF THE METROPOLITAN POLICE.--By a return just issued in
compliance with an order of the House of Commons relative to the City
and Metropolitan Police Force, it appears that there are 20
superintendents in the metropolitan division, receiving from 200_l._ to
600_l._ per annum; 110 inspectors, whose salaries vary from 80_l._ to
200_l._ per annum; 465 sergeants, with incomes ranging from 60_l._ to
80_l._ per annum; and 3,790 constables, receiving from 44_l._ to 81_l._
per annum, including clothing and 40 pounds of coal weekly throughout
the year. The amount paid on this account during the past year,
including 3,620_l._ for superannuation and retiring allowances to
officers and constables late of Bow-street horse patrol, and Thames
police, amounted to 295,754_l._ In this is likewise included a sum of
9,721_l._ received from theatres, fairs, and races. The number of
district surgeons is 60, and the amount paid for books, &c., is 757_l._
The total rate received during the past year from the various wards in
the City of London and its liberties, for the maintenance of the City
Police Force, is put down at 41,714_l._, and the expenditure at
41,315_l._, the gross pay, irrespective of other charges to the force,
amounting to 29,800_l._
LOSS OF THE UNITED STATES STEAM FRIGATE "MISSOURI," AT GIBRALTAR, BY
FIRE.--The superb American steam frigate _Missouri_, which was conveying
the Hon. Caleb Cushing, American minister at China, to Alexandra, whilst
at anchor in Gibraltar bay, on the 26th ult., was entirely consumed by
fire. The fire broke out in the night, and raged with such determined
fury as to baffle all the efforts of the crew, as well as that of the
assistance sent from her Majesty's ship _Malabar_, and from the
garrison. The magazines were flooded soon after the commencement of the
fire; and, although a great many shells burst, yet, very fortunately, no
accident happened to any of the crew. This splendid steamer was 2,600
tons and 600 horse power, and is said to have cost 600,000 dollars.
THE ALLEGED ARREST OF THE MURDERER OF MR DADD.--The following are the
remarks of _Galignani's Messenger_ on the report in the English papers
that Dadd was arrested at Fontainbleau:--"The above statement has been
partially rumoured in town for the last two days, but not in a shape to
warrant our publishing it in the _Messenger_. The police have been
everywhere active in their researches for the fugitive; and we perceive,
by the _Courrier de Lyons_, that, on Thursday night, all the hotels in
that city were visited by their agents, in pursuit of two Englishmen,
one of them supposed to be the unfortunate lunatic. These individuals
had, however, quitted the town on their way to Geneva, previously to the
visit of the police."
THE CARTOONS.--We understand that several of the prize cartoons, and a
selection of some of the most interesting of the works of the
unsuccessful competitors, have been removed from Westminster hall to the
gallery of the Pantechnicon, Belgrave square, for further exhibition.
MACKEREL.--The Halifax papers state that the coast of Nova Scotia is now
visited by mackerel and herrings in larger quantities than ever were
known at this season. In the straits of Canso the people are taking them
with seines, a circumstance without a parralel for the last 30 years.
The _Journal des Chemins de Fer_ says:--"An inventor announces that he
has found a composition which will reduce to a mere trifle the price of
rails for railroads. He replaces the iron by a combination of Kaolin
clay (that used for making pottery and china) with a certain metallic
substance, which gives a body so hard as to wear out iron, without being
injured by it in turn."