_foreign nub Colonial.
FRANCE.—The political news from Paris is not of great moment this week. On Friday, the Deputies adopted the principle of the Prisons Bill.
A curious Parliamentary scene occurred on Monday. M. Charles Lafitte has been thrice elected for Louviers, and twice his election had been annulled ; being impugned on the ground that he had exercised undue influence over his constituents, in having engaged to procure them a railroad communication between Louviers and the Paris and Rouen Railway. The same question was debated on Monday, and the discussion was stormy. M. de Malleville, whose speech is much praised, exclaimed, " Gentlemen, if you would not present a disgraceful spectacle to France and to the world, chase, chase the dealers from the temple!"
Another incident was the pertinacity of M. des Mousseaux de Givre, who insisted on finishing his speech against the wish of the Chamber ; clinging to the rostrum, might and main, when M. de Larochejacquelin and another Deputy tried to enter it in their turn. The election was again annulled ; but M. Lafitte will stand a fourth time, dissolving all railroad connexions, to avoid any ground of future challenge.
The Dutchess of Kent arrived at the Tuileries on Thursday [not Tuesday] afternoon, at three o'clock. The King's carriages were waiting in the morning at St. Denis for the Dutchess and her suite, and her Royal Highness was accompanied into Paris by the Count de Strada, the King's Equerry. She occupies during her stay the apart-
ments usually allotted to the King and Queen of the Belgians. On Friday, the Dutchess received the Diplomatic Corps in the Salle dts Trite. Her Royal Highness was accompanied during the ceremony by the Queen, the Duke de Nemours, and Madame Adelaide. On Sa- turday she visited the Louvre, in company with the Royal Family.
Nina AND CHINA.—A Calcutta over-land mail, brought by the Ben- tinck to Suez, bears intelligence from Calcutta to the 14th, and from
Bombay to the 13th March ; but it is unimportant. India was tranquil.
" Scinde is firmly and for ever annexed to the British possessions." The Governor-General arrived at Calcutta on the 28th February ; well in health, and increasing in popularity. Three Madras and Bengal regiments continued to be in a mutinous condition, on account of the refusal of batta.
At a public meeting in Calcutta, attended by some of the chief inha- bitants, an address to welcome the return of the Governor-General, proposed by the Sheriff, was adopted ; conveying this covert censure of Lord Ellenborough's absence-
" The presence of the head of this colonial empire at the seat of govern- ment is so essential in every way to its prosperity, as to make it but natural that we should bear even his necessary absence with something like impatience, and hail his return with the warmest' expression of satisfaction. That your Lordship's residence among us may be continued—that no state emergency may again demand your personal care in other parts of this wide territory—must always be our earnest desire."
The latest date from China was the 15th February. The town esf Victoria was quite healthy, and it was hoped that the ensuing summer would not be so fatal as the last. Several daring attempts at robbery had been made at Hong-kong. The tea-trade was at a stand, in con- sequence of the high prices demanded.
Previous page
