Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-01-11
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT:

",
Christmas, with its family meetings and its So
cial greetings, its renewal of tme-haowed obser-
vances, and its refreshing recolections of auld
lang syne" is on the eve OF its annual visit; and we
are willing to hope that very few persons in Eng
land this year, will find themselves unable to well
come the annual festival in becoming manner; that
is, with cheerful countenance, warm fresde, and
a good dinner. Peace is in all our borders, and
plenty, we hope, in nearly all our habtations. To
deny the existence of suffering and misery would
be to resist the testimony of our senses TO assert
that vice and folly no longer characteristics of
humanity, and that Utopia was no longer fable |;
TO assert that England is not, at the present mo.
ment unusually prosperous, politically, socially,
and commercially, and that her population are in
the possession Of more of the necessares the COM
forts nay, even of the enoyments of lie than usu-
ally falls to the lot of so densely crowded, SO vari-
ously circumstanced. and SO labor dependant peo-
pie, would be equally removed from the fact and
therefore we rejoice in our position, and are pre-
pared to welcome the approaching season with
more than usual satisfaction, and to enter into its
festivities with more than wonted zest and with
fixed determinationto to see much happiness around
us, and every thing as much "couleur du rose'' as
possible. The circumstances of the public and the
political world are also fast settling down into quiet
ness and peace. The anti-papal movement is ra-
taue to be held but the resolutions which are con-
Cured in are less bitter in their phraseology and
the speeches delivered breathe less of an intoerant
spirit. Cardinal WIsEMAN is said to have stated
that all which the Pope had done as respects Eng
land he has done at his suggestion and under his
advice. We have news from Rome also that his
Holiness will henceforward assume an extremely
conciliatory aspect towards England. Every ef-
fort will be used to assure the Government and peo-
pie Of Great Britain that Popery in England has no
other than spiritual aims. So far as we can gather
from the tone of conversation in well-informed cir
cles, and from the expression OF the leading journals
the general opinion is that the conduct of the Pope
has been induced by the omissions and commits
sions of the Church Of England and to counteract
his Holiness it is necessary to reform the Church.
The GERMAN question, the other principal point
towards which public attention has been lately
turned. still excites great interest among the polt-
clans OF the Continent; but now that peace, for the
present at least, to be secured it has almost
ceased to be attended to with any particular interest
in England. Continental politicians employ them
selves with many speculations as TO the future
they regard the questions which must be settled as
too intricate and complicated for any other solution
than the sword. Not all, however, are Of this
pugnacious class of reasoners-a large portion. we
hope majority, see more virtue and efficiency in
conference, compromise, concession, and graceful
leaning towards the influences and principles of the
age. At present we see no reason to doubt that
Austria and Prussia will not settle their differences
amicaby and permanently.
We stated, fortnight back, upon the authority
of the Morning Chronicle, that very successful ex-
periments had been made in the application of
cotton machinery to the spinning Of yarn from Rar
prepared by M. CLAUssEN's process, either in
Manchester or the neighborhood. The Manches-
ter Guardian-undoubted authority in this case
now tells US it "cannot learn that single ounce
Of yarn has been SO spun; all that we can ascer-
tain is, that one attempt has been made near
Automatically which failed entirely that a
firm Of fine spinners near Bolton, who had been
requested to make another experiment, were sa-
tis6ed, when they the material, that it was
altogether unsu,ed for their machinery and that
it has since been sent to firm of spinners and
manufacturers at Rochdae, who have not we be-
lieve, yet made any report upon it." The
opinion of our Manchester contemporary, founded
upon the opinions of parties who have seen the
material is, that as substitute for cotton it is likely
to prove an entire failure. For all iaer purposes
it is declared to be unified but it may possibly
prove TO be to some extent applicable in the pro-
duction of very low and coarse yarn. Such is the
newspaper testimony upon, not matter Of opinion,
but matter of fact. We have quoted the opposing
authorities in justice to ourselves.
| We are glad to find that the experiment of con.
verting peat into charcoal in Ireland continues to
proceed successfully. The charcoal thus prepared
Is said to be denser and better fitted for the manu-
ture OF steel or iron than the best English wood
charcoal. 1t is even asserted that iron manufac-
tured with this article is equal to the Swedish.
This charcoal is also very excellent for many other
purposes, Tor founders uses, and for the manufac-
lure OF gunpowder. 1t can also be produced at
little more than half the cost Of wood charcoal
Without taking into account the additional product
which Mr.. Owen by his patent can obtain from
peat, it is evident that, if all these expectations be
realized, it will not only prove fine speculation
for the patentee, but real blessing to Ireland.
| Our journals have lately occupied themselves a
good deal with the proceedings Of the honorable
member for the ToUer Hamlets (Mr. GEORGE
THpMPsoN) on your side Of the Atlantic, and il is
pleasant to find that not single respectable paper
attempts to justify his interference in your affairs
The Times says:
"Mr. George Thompson NJ. p, Radical Reformer and
general ameorator OF British, East Indian American and
oil other institutions Is just now following in the wake of
Jenny Lind and starring it in the principal cities o the IJn
ed states picturesque lately described in thsse
columns has aly acquainted readers with The oh;sc f
his visitation Il 10 nothing less than to abolish insto,te
By the breath Of his nosls the unhappy institution which
we butregad the darkest stain ON the
Of American liberty. and pregnant with unknown I'M. we
also remember TO be British importation the beouot
of ancient msgovernment and almost inc sbv ound H.
with tho domestic and political customs and IN ~. ~ ,..