The Whig standard., 1844-01-26
FOREIGN ITEMS
~ THE STEAMSHIP BRITANNIA.


Her majesty has presented to the British Mu-
scum five chests of Chinese books captured by the
troops during the war in China.
Master A. Harvey, boy under 9 years of age,
has been lecturng on astronomy at Bath, and, it
is said, with great success.
The Peace Convention Society intend present
ing gold medal to Prince Albert, for the service
he has rendered their cause by the ridcule his
new regulations has thrown upon the army.
Punch.
A French provincial paper says: According to
the registers of the war office, seven hundred
| thousand lrishmen have died in the service o
France
| MIR. and Mrs. Charles Kean have Just concluded
a successful engagement at Dublin. 1t is said
they have netted f900 by their visit to the Irish
metropolis.
The Mark-lane Express says that the speech
OF Earl Spencer, in favor of the total repeal of the
corn laws, has produced great excitement
amongst the agricultural classes and that 81 the
high estimation in which the noble Earl is held in
this country, gives more than ordinary weight
| to his opinion.
At the opening of the new canal, between West
Bromwch and birmingham last week, it was
| found that everything was complete but the locks,
feet too short for the boats.
| The Grand Council for the canton of Geneva
has just adopted, by great majority, the system
of trial by jury for every kind Of offence.
Cardinal Fesch's splendid collection of paint
ings, IL is stated, will be brought to the hammer,
at Rome, next March.
Letters from Naples speak of the great enthu-
| slasm excited by the appearance there of an ar
tIste OF extraordinary merit called Favante To
person Of the greatest beauty, she is said to
unite voice OF an extent scarcely ever known,
enabling her to sing the parts of the pure con-
tralto, the mezzo soprano, and soprano, with equal
facility. Her voice, which is naturally exceedingly
sweet, and at the same time powerful, has been
brought to the highest perfection by severe
musical education. Every other theatre in Ma
pies is deserted, whilst she nightly attracts
flowing audiences, at augmented prices Nothing
can exceed the enthusiasm she has excited in
that capital.
On the morning of the longest day in the pres
ent year, many ponds of water in the eastern part
of the Kingdom were covered with ice ; on the
morning of the shortest day, the thermometer
stood at so, or nearly "a degrees higher; ard
prmroses are now in full blossom in many places.
BY the decease of his mother, Sir E. L. Bulwer
succeeds to the ancient mansion and estates of
KnebWorth, in Herts, to which she was an heress.
The queen has had billiard table constructed
out of wood saved from the wreck of the Royal
George, sunk in 1852.
The Augsburg Gazette states that the late
eruption of Mount Etna has been most fatal-l3O
persons have pershed and the hospitals are
crowded with wounded.
Messrs. Surge, in their corn circular for the last
month"; repeat their opinion that the last harvest
was deficient one, and that there must be high
er prices and large importations before the next
A project is mentioned for tunnel under the
river Tyne, at Newcastle.
The trial of Mrs. Gil,nour was to take place at
Edinburgh on the 18th of January. We learn
that Mrs. Gilmour received the ntimaton with
the same simple, unaffected demeanor which she
has always exhibited in her difficult and irving
situation, and she is understood to be rather pleas
ed than otherwise that the long period of suspense,
in which she has been kept, approaches to ter
mnation. This trial will be one of the most in
teresting which has taken place in the criminal
proceedings of Scotland for several years past
A desperate affray had occurred at Woolwich,
between the Artillery and Marines, in which
several were severely wounded.
DESPERATE AFFRAY WITH R1BBoNMEN- Mon
day night last an armed party of about forty ruff
fans, attacked the dwellings of an industrious
set Of the name of Gibbons, at Fairymount, for
the purpose of swearing them to reduce the rent
OF some conacre which they had set few days
previously. Having heard some shots, and sus-
pecting that visit would be paid them, the
gallant little band consisting of seven men)
armed themselves with pitchforks, and met the
marauders, who, it appears, had firearms A
desperate conflict ensued, and the Gibbonses
were obliged to shelter themselves in one of the
houses, which they baricaded and defended till
every one of them was desperately wounded.
They then betook themselves to the loft, where
they fought gallantly. The R'bbonmen demol-
ished every article in the house after they OBJ
tained an entrance. Three or four of the lead
ers of the Ribbonmen were dangerously wound
ed with pitchforks whilst forcing the door. Up
wards of fourteen of them have been arrested
and fully identified. The brave little party
were taken into this town, where the best sur