Untitled

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3100, 4 June 1881, Page 2

The district school at Waipawa has been closed for the midwinter holidays, owing to the prevalence of scarlatina.

Mr H. Hirst, M.H.R-, for Wallace, a strong anti-Greyite, met his constituents the other evening, and received a vote of thanks and of confidence.

Mr J. B. Fisher, member for Buller, addressed his constituents on Thursday night, when he stated that it was not his intention to contest the seat at the next election.

At the 'Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before H. Eyre Kenny, Esq., R.M., John Allen was charged with drunkenness, and fined 5s and costs, or 48 hours imprisonment with hard lobor.

The quarterly Licensing Courts for the districts of Torangahau and Waipawa will be held on Tuesday next at noon, the former at the Bridge Hotel, Wallingford, and the latter at the Court-house, Waipawa.

At the nomination for the representation of Nelson yesterday Mr J. C. Kichmond and Mr Levestam were nominated. The shew of hands being in favor of Mr Richmond a poll was demanded by the other candidate.

The continuous fine weather has enabled the contractor to push in with the construction of the Kuripapanga bridge, and he hopes to be able to hand it over to the County authorities by the end of the month.

The sitting days of the Resident Magisstrata's Court at Waipawa and Kopua will be on the firsc and second Wednesdays in each month respectively, for the future, instead of on the first and. second Fridays as heretofore.

We are requested to contradict the statement that we republished from the Auckland Observer in our yesterday's issue. It is not true that the Rev. P. H. Cornford has accepted the pastorate of the Ponsonby Baptist Church.

It is reported from Woodville that half-a-dozen natives, a few days ago, shot over eight hundred wild pigeons. No wonder pigeons are disappearing in certain districts if such wholesale slaughter is going on wherever the Maoris can get powder and shot.

Mr J. M. Batham having obtained leave of absence, Mr T. Cotter has been gazetted Deputy Commissioner of Stamps.

Messrs H. A. Comford, J. P. Hamlin, and G-. P. Donnelly returned from Taupo last night, from whom we learn that the decision of the Native Lands Court in the matter of the Rangipo block haß given satisfaction to none of the parties concerned. It is not improbable that a re-hearing may be applied for.

The monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee was held yesterday afternoon. His Worship the Mayor (in the chair) Messrs Cotterill, Tanner, McKay, Banner and Smith. Accounts to the amount of £251 Is 6d were passed for payment. The report of the visiting oommittee was read. It was suggested that in future tenders should be called for the different kinds of articles required, instead of everything being supplied under one contract. The matron's report was also read, and contained suggestions similiar to that of the visiting committee. Cr. McKay moved that in future tenders be called for the annual supplies required for the maintainance of the Napier Hospital, as per schedule recommended by the visiting committee. Mr Cotterill, in seconding the motion, expressed disatiafaction with the reports which had been read. There was no reference to the quantities of the different supplies used in the Hospital, and they seemed out of proportion to the number of patients. The following items of expenditure were authorised :—Repairs to laundry, £3 ; erection of small summer-house, JS2O ; porch, for kitchen door, £20; fencing servants' quarters, £5 ; beading to protect plaster work on the wall, jG3 ; fowl-house and fencing, £20. The committee then adjourned.

Very many who have become acquainted with Dr. Cumming, either through hearing him preaoh or reading his works, will regret to hear that that onoe popular preacher*- mind has : lost its vigour. The Christian World says:—"We regret to learn that Dr. Cumming's mental condition, is such that while physically well, he is practically dead to the world." - •

A capital story is told, says the Gundagai Times, of a recently-created magistrate, or rather of his wife. It was in an up-oountry town on the western road, and the J.P. had gone for the first time to sit on tho " Benoh," His Letter-half, who understood little about his elevation, except that it was something too awful to contemplate, called out to the cook, "Bridget, put on the prateea. at wonst; his majesty will be at home to dinner at one to the minyute!"

A Philadelphia paper vouchers for the truth of an extraordinary story. A lady while in a railway oar had her attention attracted to a diamond ring on the finger of a gentleman who was sitting beside her. On leaving the car she went to a store, and found that her purse had disappeared, but that the diamond ring was in her pocket, it having been apparently stripped from the finger of the thief. The purse contained lOdols ; the ring is worth about five hundred.

The Czas of Cracow reports that the Nihilists had laid a plot to abduct the son of the reigning Czar, the heir apparent to the Russian Throne, but that, owing to an iadiscretion, the plot failed. The intention was to hold the Prince as hostage for three weeks, and only to surrender him then on condition of a Constitution being framed. Should no such concession have been promised, the Prince would have been condemned to death by the decree of the Nihilist Committee, and. his head would have been sent to his [parents.

A lady and gentleman with considerable means and no occupation (says " iEgles " in the Australasian) found a short time ago (or rather the lady did) that their house did not suit them. So they resolved to Bell it, and purchase one better adapted to their wants. As a first step an auctioneer was called in, and the sale of their house was entrusted to him. A few days after Mra R., looking over the paper, exclaimed with delight that here was an advertisement of a house for sale, the very thing she wanted. So a visit was at once paid to the advertiser, in order to obtain a card to view, and particulars of price and terms. Mrs R. was for the moment taken aback to find that tho advertisement related to her own mansion, skilfully elaborated as a Melbourne auctioneer can.

The Duke of Argyll explained in the House of Lords, April 8, the reason why the Land Bill caused him to leave the Cabinet. He regarded the measure as an open attack upon the rights of ownership. In other words, the Duke cannot accept the principle which the Ministerial measure recognises, in the most emphatic way, that the tenant as well as the landlord has an indefeasible interest in the soil. The tenant, the Duke apparently argues, oan do nothing without the land—in other words, without the landlord. He has the capacity for production, but the capacity can avail him nothing unless the material be there. The landlord gives the material. The tenant, therefore, is the creation of the landlord. Consequently it is an absurdity to speak of him as having the same kind of interest as the landlord in the land itself.

For a long time an old'cabinefc had been in the hands of the Scotch Faculty of Advocates, enclosing, as it Btood in their rooms at Parliament House, Edinburgh, a set of coins understood to have been originally formed by Mr James Sutherland, a well-known collector of the early part of last century. In 1872 the coins referred to were acquired by the Scottish Society of Antiquaries for £50 The cabinet lately came to be recognised by persons skilled in such matters as a remarkable example of old French furniture, and from time to time overtures were made for its purchase. At length, however, after receiving two offers of over £3000, the council deemed ifc their duty to consider the question, and ultimately obtained the authority of the Treasury, as representing the national interest in the matter, to accept an offer of £3,500. On these terms a sale was forthwith effected, and some days ago the cabinet was removed to the museum to be conveyed, it was understood, to the Continent.

The Auckland Observer says:—" Bandmann cannot stand ridicule. It offends him to the boul and raises his cholerat once. On the opening night, a tawdrily dressed woman in the circle, who was evidently laboring under the influence of sundry potations, suddenly burst into a fit of laughter while the Herr was speaking out the highest notes of his register in one of the most dramatic situations of Hamlet. He threw her a look of the utmost ferocity and then resumed his speech. The interruption remained in his mind however, for he eyed that female at intervals through the evening with a significance that could not be mistaken. On Saturday night the gods incurred his displeasure. He was making an exit by the left wing with his arm encircling Desdemona and his eyes regarding her languishingly, when the gods, utterly insenate to sentiment, loudly mimicked the love-sick Moor. The tragedian abruptly stopped, faced to the front, and with a look which meant business, waited for the next interruption. It was not made, however, and the play went on."

From Lima there comes a very horrible account of the condition of the city after the battle of Miraflores, and before the Chilian troops had entered it and restored order. In the evening of the day after the Peruvian defeat, sinister groups began to parade the streets threatening the passersby, and boasting of the sacrifices they had made for the country. Later on, stimulated by the liquor their leaders had given them, and, moreover, fearing no consequence— for the authorities had abandoned the city —they gave themselves up to the greatest disorders during the whole of the night. Under the pretext of hunger they began to sack and burn all the Chinese shops, even to the larger and more elegant stores filled with silks and other precious Btuffs of Chinese manufacture. Of these nothing remains but smouldering and blood-stained ruins, for there was murder added to the robbery and fire. No fewer than three hundred Chinamen are believed to have perißhed. in the streets. Qf the city ani the.

neighboring farms. One of the wealthiest Chinese merchants proves his losses to ascend to £149,000. Last year, after one of the hunts near Hubertusstock, and while on his way to a bird-shooting in the Soherfhaide, the Emperor William felt slightly indisposed by an attack of sore throat, and proposed to return on foot to the castle. The King of Saxony and the Grand Duke of Mecklen-burg-Schwerin were with him. When, „ after an hour's march, the Emperor began to feel somewhat tired, his companions hailed a peasant on his team, driving in the Bame direction, and at their request the party were speedily accommodated with seats on the waggon. After a while the peasant's curiosity would not longer he kept down, and he naively asked, " I suppose it is all right but would you please tell me who you aie ?'' "I am the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg." "Ahem!" said the peasant, inoredulously, " and who are you?" "I am the King of Saxony." " Oho!" ejaculated the peasant, with a knowing smile; " and you Mr ?" " lam the Emperor." "There that will do," grinned the peasant; " and I daresay you'd like to know who I am. lam tho Shah of Persia; and when it comes to joking I can take off my part as well as the next man." The three real sovereigns fairly roared with laughter ; but the good-natured peasant drew a pretty long face when soon after he deposited his passengers at the castle, and found out that he had been the " only joker" of the party.

The Times, referring recently to the retirement of Lord Beaconsfield from the leadership of the Conservative party, and the necessity of providing a successor, says the Duke of Richmond cannot be compared for intellectual capacity, and especially for oratorical power, with either Lord Salisbury or Lord Cairns; but he has many qualities which fit him to represent English Conservatism. He would probably be a safe, if not brilliant, chief. But if the Conservatives in the Upper House are determined to have a brilliant leader, a chief who can strike a heavy blow in debate, they must take their choice between Lord Salisbury and Lord Cairns. "High" Churchmen would be much offended by the nomination of Lord Cairns to the leadership as those who are " Low" would be by the nomination of Lord Salisbury. Lord Cairns's very ability stands in his way, for it is, or is suspected'of being, the ability of the trained advocate and the keen man of business. Yet he is formidable in attack and wary in defence, and he has a mastery of the complicated facts of difficult questions which renders him a dangarous adversary. On the other hand, Lord Salisbnry is equally powerful in debate, though his oratory is of a different quality. He is deficient in prudence, and his enemies accuse him of disingenuousness and inaccuracy. The late Foreign Secretary would, doubtless be a brilliant Prime Minister, but he would never be deemed a safe one. It in possible, however that an arrangement may be found possible which would enable the two most brilliant competitors for power to acquiesce in the leadership of the Duke of Richmond, and to serve under him with something like coequal rank and authority."