The New York herald., 1851-12-26
Our London Correspondence.

k9Br Wdr-AnShaltda God hineS.
LONDON December 8, 1851
While France is filed with wars, and rumors Of
wars, we are, ia England, beginning already to
make our preparations for that best Of al days,
aud happes and most peaceful Of festivals, the fes
&iyaI of Christmas. To an English heart this day
possesses thousand attractions. Not to speak of
the more bodily comforts which all, even the low.
lest endeavor to have some share of on thai Gay,
for '' Christmas comes but once year." and, for
which, already, not a little il bs..1g done, a; cur
quays bear witness, in the numberless boxes, bags,
packages, and drums of oranges, raisias, dates,
fgs, nuts, Sc Sc, which are occupying taeir
spaca-the dsy itself, the associations connected
with 1t from our earliest years, the chapel going
in the morning over the snow, the happy
family Christmas dinner, the merry rsty, tse was
sail bowl, the jocund laugh, the quiet rubber. or
the romping game of forieits. With over aud above
ALL ths peace and good will to all raaaktnd. which
sheds benign influence over the season every
thing makes the approach OF Christmas welcome,
in England, to the young and 10 tho old
And it has been thus, even in tho elden time.
The long tables were spread in the barnered nall;
the log bazed in the wide chimnsy tho holly,
ivy, aud mistletoe hung from the roof; a1d roast
beef. aud minced pies, and plum pudding, ana
good old English ale, and the sounds 81 jollity
and mirth told well that merry Christmas
vas arrived Ard we hope thas the Angl,-
Saxon race, wherever they may spread, will
carry this old English festival with shsm. By the
tims this letter reaches YOU, Christmas will be at
hal1. To all your numerous readers may /. be
joyous and happy period.
No announcement has as yet been made of what
new treats in store for Chrstnas parties in the
various theatres. The year 1851 has, in many
waJ been an important one, but the mitth pro-
vokirx pantomime will fad ample subject for
ca.icatrre in designs the most laudable and iu.-
proving. The Great Exhibition and its probable
fate, with a retrospective glance at the multi-
farous gathering who patronised the Worlfs
Fair. will no doubt form prominent feature. The
glass case stil stands in the park. monumsnt Of
the awful squeeze which we had 70 endure caring
the past summer; and We hope 10 will continue to
staLj, for 70 sqaeeze ever brought rs so many
friends or mado John Bull and the rest of tho rorld
so veil pleased with each other. A course :: lec-
tuies on the exhibition has been annou aced oy the
society of Arts DR. Whewell has delivered the
opening lecture, and thick the words he coz
clrded With exceedingly good
Amongst all the beneficial effects that r'gh.
be l9okod for from the Exhibition, perhaps
note surpassed thas which would be produced
by tae intercou-ss that had taken piaos be-
tvetn SO mary men OF science brought to.
gsther from different quarters OF the world.
In universities, the greatest importancc was ascrib
ed to the comm lnify of views, and liberal feeling
OF CO operation in tse arts ard Interests ef life pro-
duced amongst heir Numbers, tending to raise tho
many to the level of the best Might We not ex.
pecs that fIom this tine the greet artiacers and
asisans ofthewoiid would entertain for each other
larger share Of regard and good will, of admira-
zion tor each others efforts, ard respect for eaca
Others character All these feelings would surely
be Heightened by their being able to say, we were
students together In he great University of ISL"
Nevertheless, C!o~n AID Pans1loon, Harlequin
and Columbine, will make sad work Of this uuiver-
sity. The Electric Sub-matine Telegraph too,
which viii render unnecessary the great proportion
Of en-. own CORE spoodents, throughout the con-
tinent, and be able to give notce in half an hour,
Of the fall Of half dozen dynasties in different
af nj M n m Of
a very opposite description by these cardinal
points Of the paato mime IL we're well, too /; they
would take into consideration what people have
been laughing at here for some days, viz the pro-
posal to form iron tunnel across from Dover o.
Calais sort of Fubm arine railway, With light
houses, at intervals all the way atop, 70 servc o
double purpose; first, to keep shi. from anohorng
above the tunnel, snd knocking a hole through IL;
aod, secondly, to serve as shafts to let down air
AID light. The whole afai was presented to the
woro lately by the illustrated LOHdOn NeiDs, with
doe vcOdcut Ct tke lighthouses and tannel; and the
Information very D,o les,ly given at the conclusion,
tbs. is was estimated tn, whole expense would no;
exceed GS1, ic0O0
AS conaId after that, the owls and rats of the
Paris Jockey club, and the boa constructor and the
5lsaket at the Geological Gardens sink into con-
paratiye iDdgn.fcance. Even the Irish emigration
scheme, of which tho papers have been speaking,
aud ths two hundred and 6fty sq9srs. p,les y An
da'usia and Estrs aiura, which tley state the
queen Of Spain is willing to bestow upon suf-
scient number Of Milesian settlers, would not re-
qpife for its full nent above half the meney
Arc.eat chToniclers have written that Ireland was
PeoplsS from Spsi1, Modern penny a-lnsrg In
the tea-.h Of material to Gil up the space which
PsFhaneut will occupy by and by, are furnishing
usvita the inform sticn hat the Eish are iayi.sa
,te 90 back again,
.rsssfs. an" meetings, aud soirees are much IL
Vogue at presezt. A capital paper Of Colonel
Colts. upon his patent revolver, the steps he tOoh
TO brF il to its present perfect state, and the ma
cbiDety employed for the construction OF the dit
feTent parts, was read at the last meeting OF tle
society OF Civil EDgineers, and very much ap-
kossu'h left England, better speech has not been
made in this country than that spoken by your late
Secretary Of the Treasury, the Hon. z: j.; Walker,
at the bssquet given, last week. in his honor, By
the American Chamber Of Commerce, in Liver
pool Eloquently did he plead the cause Of free
trade over the world; and he did not employ the
mere gorgeous coveriog Of rhetoric, but with NJ n
brilliant a5guage, Pleaded the cause OfcOmmercial
freedom.
Up to this date the reports from the Cape Of
Coed Hope continue very unsatisfactory. The rich
est districts bave been laid waste, the farm stead
ngs reduced 70 asher, the cattle driven off, and the
Inhabitants either murdered OF forced to fly to the
towns or the camp. Tho Kailrs and rebel Hotten.
tots scour ths country, and carry of all they can
lay their hands upon, while they mercilessly mur.
der every settler who comes across their path.
Property to great amo cunt has thus been de-
stroyei Or carried on; and nsDy lives sacrificed.
placed On tao friendly tribes. The movements or
the troops ars hardly decided upon when the eaemy
are apprised Of them, spd either keep out Of th,
way altogether, or BY superiority Of numbers, on
local advantages, strive 70 cut them OF If coiaba
is ventured on. Private letters confirm these sts
ments. The condition Of this colony, therefore
must demand the grasest consideration on the pars
Of the government
The accounts frO Australia are Of a very differ.
ent character. No war there, no lighting; but tae
whole colony occupied almost exclusively wish
thoughts OF bright yellow gold. Public atten.ioa
here has been at length considerably excited, and
curiosity ioused by the reported di5covery, by an
Australian native, Of a mass OF gold upwards Of q
bundled pounds in weight. The Information pre-.
vously received Of the results of the digging and
washing in the gold county Though II bore the full
confirmation Of the fact that mining operations
there were exceedingly successful, yet failed to pro.
6uce any extraordiDary excitement. California had
tsken away the novelty, and accustomed our