The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3601, 26 January 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1883.

The Wanganui Chronicle particularly desires to call attention to the. fact that, whatever the amounts finally voted by the House, the subject of hospitals and charitable aid was dealt with only in a temporary and make-shift sort of way, and that tho taking over of the cost of the hospitals has, in some parts of the colony, been a change for the worse. More than one case could be cited, in -which, since the in.-rag-iiration of the new want of system, tbe salaries of hospital officials have been allowed to fall a good deal in arrear, there being all the time money from private subscriptions available for making the necessary payment. In some parts of the country the hospitals have, for many years past, been satisfactorily managed by committees elected by the subscribers, who provided a large part of the necessary funds. The committees had the power of. the purse, and took great interest in the welfare of the institutions. The Chronicle then goes on to say that the Government now expect the committees to continue their supen ision. But that was not to be the case at Napier if the Government had succeeded in taking over tbe hospital. Tbe committee was to be a nominated one, and, responsibility being removed from them, and the payments made from Wellington, public interest in the institute would have died. As long as public interest can be kept alive the hospital here will continue to be looked after aud properly managed. We only refer to the subject to show that in other places, where some attempt has been made to carry out the scheme sketched out in the Financial Statement, the result has been far from satisfactory. The professed object that tho Colonial Treasurer had in view in offering to deal with hospitals and charitable institutions was two-fold —first, that the present system of providing funds was " irritating and unfair to most if not to all parties concerned in the charitable administration of the colony;" and, Kccond-3-, the proposal was regarded as equivalent to a remission of taxation. The proposal was as follows: — '' The Government propose, pending further consideration of this subject, to take the whole cost of hospitals on the consolidated fund, and for this purpose I shall have to ask for a vote of .-£50,000 for their maintenance. Should this be granted we shall ask the continued assistance of the local boards or local committees, as the case may be, in their management; for without careful local supervision abuses of a serious nature arc sure to creep in. With regard to charitable aid, now costing about .£IO,OOO a year, I shall ask a vote of £20,000, and propose that this relief should be given, as far as practicable, through local institutions, the Government granting pound for pound. If this proposal should meet with the approval of the committee, I shall have to increase tho £40,000 for hospitals and charitable aid, which I mentioned as included in my expenditure, to £70,000." As our readers know this proposal has only been very partially carried out, though the House so entirely agreed with it that the necessary money was voted almost without discussion. We quite agree -with our "Wanganui contemporary in hoping that, Avhen Parliament meets, the Ministry will be prepared with a Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill for the whole colony ; and that, whilst it provides assistance from the public purse, it will imI>oso no unnecessary restriction on local management.

Captain Prcccc, R.M., left Wairoa today, returning overland, aud w ill arrive in Napier to-morrow morning. Ncavs has been received from the Southern Cross Petroleum Company's works that the shaft Avas doAvn 240 feet on Tuesday last, and that oil is exuding from tho bottom. The South Pacific bore Avas down yesterday morning 104 feet. Mr Ben Allah Avas to have performed in the Toavii Hall, Hastings, last night, but, owing to the hall having been let during the day for an auction sale of clothing, kc, it Avas found impossible to get the stage in readiness, and the entertainment did not take place. A private telegram received from Gisborne to-day states that so popular avctc the performances of tho Juvenile Opera, Company in that town that the management was offered a very tempting guarantee to play another Avcck, but the arrangements for opening in Napier to-morroAV night having been completed the offer had to be declined. Exhibited in the window of Messrs Hardy and Sidey's ironmongery establishment, Hastings-street, are " three varieties of orchids, namely, Dcndrobiiun thyrsiflorum, I Vanda insignia, and Saccolabium guatta- ' turn. These curious and beautiful flowers possess a singular frairranco, and were srrown by Mr A. R. W. Lascelles at Clivedale. There is also shown a, Avell-grown pineapple from the same garden. Mr Oliver, returning officer for the election of a member to represent the Puketapu riding in the Hawke's Bay County Council, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr J. Bennett, notifies in another column that four persons have been nominated for the position, namely, Messrs W Shrimpton, M. Milne, Philip Dolbel, and Captain Russell. The poll will be taken at the Puketapu schoolroom on Wednesday, February 7. The out/ward mail from Napier to England is announced to close at the Chief Post Office at 9 a.m. to-morrow. In the event, however, of tbe Te Anau leaving Wellingiou at an early hour this evening, so as to get avvay from here to-morroAV afternoon, there can be no doubt of her reaching Auckland in time to catch tho boat for 'Frisco, in Avhich case a supplementary mail will be despatched by her. i At the annual meeting of householders in the Tamumu district, held iv the schoolroom on Monday evening, for the purpose of electing a school committee, Mr James E. C. Price took the chair, and the following gentlemen avctc elected: —Messrs A. Logan, J. E. C. Price, J. Westmoreland, G. 11. Clark, J. M'Kenzie, J. Angus, and J. M. Brown. At a meeting held immediately afterwards Mr A. Logan Avas elected chairman, and Mr J. Westmoreland secretary. A petition, which is already largely and influent-ally signed, is being taken round for signature praying His Excellency the Governor to remit the unexpired term of the sentence passed upon the late letter carrier Rendle. It is not unusual on the arrival of a new Governor to ask for the exercise of his prerogative in such cases as the above. Reudle was sentenced to six years imprisonment, of which term he has served eighteen mouths, his Avife and young family in the meanwhile being dependent ou charity. Complaints reach us from all parts of this provincial' district concerning the scarcity of labour. Not only in HaAvke's Bay but throughout the colony is the same thing heard, that the harvest operations arc being delayed 'for'want of hands, and that femalescrvants cannotbcobtaincd. Itisvery clear that the nomination system of assisted immigration does not keep pace Avith tho requirements of the country, and that a return to something more vigorous, and the increased employment of machinery, Avill haA'o to be resorted to in order to prevent the progress of tho colony being retarded. Mr R. Sime, manager of the local branch of tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, has taken professional advice Avith respect to tho protection of the company's boiling-down works at Waitangi. Tho safety of tho premises is menaced by the combined action of the sea and the river, the ono mouth for the three; rivers—Ngarnroro, Tuki Tuki, and Waitangi—havhijj Avorked its'way close up to tho buildings. It is proposed to cut the beach at tho old mouth of tho Waitangi,

and it is thought th at if this were done a|permanent outlet for the rivers -would be obtained. At the old wreck of burnt buildings opposite Ashton's Provincial Hotel a terrible nuisance exists. A suffocating stench comes from there, and loud are the complaints that have been made to the municipal authorities. Some weeks ago the owners of the property promised to remove and clean up the premises, but nothing has been done. As the place belongs to the Weslcyan Church it is probable that the fearful smell is regarded and appreciated as the "odour of sanctity." Sanctified or not, it is tobehoped the Inspector of Nuisances will do his duty. "-W. T.," wiiting from Havelock, wants to know why Aye queried the name of Prince Jerome Bonaparte on the publication of the cablegram announcing that person's arrest for sedition at Paris. We queried the name because Aye did not know who Prince Jerome is. Prince Napoleon, cousin of the late Emperor, has more than once announced himself a friend of the Republic, and, being sixty-one years of age,- is not likeiy to engage in active intrigues for the overthrow of the Government. He married Princess Clotilde, sister of the present King of Italy, in 1850, by whom ho has two sons and one daughter. The eldest son is Napoleon Victor Jerome Frederick, who is not nineteen years of age, and the second son's name is Napoleon Louis Joseph Jerome, who has just entered his 'seventeenth year. Both of these boys are Jeromes, and which of the two is the one arrested ? '' Warriors I Have Known was the title of the lecture delivered by -Mi- Archibald Forbes at the Theatre Royal last night, as tho concluding one of the series. The attendance was better than that of the previous evening, and the lecture, which may be said to bo the most interesting in Mr Forbes' repertoire, was listened to with marked attention, the lecturer being frequently applauded as he referred in terms conveying much expressiveness and warmth of feelingto the deeds of daring which have made the names of some of the world's illustrious warriors of modem times so familiar in almost every country under the sun. Speaking of Sir Garnet Wolscly Mr Forbes said his success was to be attributed in a great measure to good fortune, more than to deeds on the battle-field; still,, his achievements iv Africa and Egypt, which were described as brilliant military successes, rendered him deserving of all the honors with which he had been rewarded Tbe passengers by the evening train to town yesterday were treated to a little unrehearsed comedy. About half-way between Poukawa and Paki Paki the driver whistled down the brakes, owing to a mob of some twenty head of cattle being on the line. The train was brought almost to a standstill, but yet the brutes would keep along just ahead of the engine. This went on for about a quarter of a mile, the driver several times having to pull up suddenly to prevent opening an impromptu butcher's shop. At last he stopped his train, and, dismounting from the engine, -went ahead with the laudable intention of driving the cattle on to the side of the line. He was immediately charged by two of tho animals, who went for him in a most determined manner. The driver was, however, equal to the occasion- (he had evidently witnessed '' Billeo Taylor '' as lately performed by the oj>era company) and taking "Crabs" adA*ice lie retreated in haste to his engine, and commenced a Parthian Avarfare by pelting the mob with lumps of coal. The A-ictory Avas signal, and the train proceeded on its journey. According to the St. Jame's Gazette there is at present in Constantinople a '' A r oritable centenarian," who is the object of much A'eneration. His name is Hod Bey, and he is descended from one of the principal families of one of the mountain tribes of the Shabcshish. He is 120 years old, and still preserves all his faculties. This is all the more extraordinary because Hod Bey cannot be said to have led a life of comfort aud regularity calculated to promote longevity. His life, indeed, has been anything but comfortable and regular; for he has taken part in all the crises of which the Caucasus has been the theatre during the last centmy, and may, it is stated, "be considered a living history of the events which have enrolled themselves during that time, revolutionising the political condition of his country." Hod Bey is altogether a remarkable man, and further information as to his habits Avould perhajjs help to solve some questions of interest. It is to be hoped that Hod Bey is a total abstainer and has never smoked tobacco—otherwise his prolonged existence is an insult to medical intelligence.

A man Avho finds £12,000 worth of gold hidden aAvay in an old Avail is generally regarded as a lucky individual; but the civil tribunal of Dijon has just proved that even a find of this magnitude may be anytlung but a fortunate occurrence to the discoverer. In tho month of April last a joiner named Jobin taken doAvn the panelling of an old house about to be demolished, belonging to Dr. Chamit, at Dijon, found a sum of 300,000 francs of various dates just previous to the great revolution. The coin was packed in rouleaux and wrapped in pieces of the Moniteur published during the Reign of Terror. With the money were certain scraps of manuscript. shoAving it to belonged to one Avho was Mayor of Dijon at that period. His descendants, on hearing of the discovery, brought an action against Dr Chanut and M. Jobin to recover tho treasure, and the court, duly investigating the claim, gave judgment in favour of the plaintiffs. What is even more galling to the finder of tbe treasure, and to the proprietor of the house, Avherc it had remained for nearly a century, is that they Avere mulcted in the costs of the trial. The ill-treatment Sir Garnet Wolsekry has (says the Home Ncavs) received at tho bauds of the Corporation of Dublin is hardly likely to rankle in that distinguished officer's breast. He has received so many complimentary and substantial marks of public approval that he can Avell forego the honor of being a. free burgess of the Irish Capital. But it Avas less likely that he woidd submit to the imputation cast upon him in a Dublin print that he longed for a chance of crushing rebellion among his fellow countrymen in Ireland. A question Avas asked iv the House of Commons on the subject, and explicitly denied by Mr Childers. Since this Mr MeCoan, to give Sir Garnet a better opportunity of defending himself, Avrote to the General, asking him .vhether there Avas any particle of truth in the allegations. Sir Garnet has answered in the negative, and in the plainest terms. His letter deprecates the idea of any such dire calamity as civil Avar ever falling upon Iris country, but he goes on to say that if such a misfortune should happen, he sincerely hopes he may have nothing to do with its suppression. "Such a duty,-"he says, " Avould.be of all others the most repugnant to his feelings." Sir Garnet ends'this disclaimer by asserting that lie is staunch to his country, and he is certain no writer.-in the journal in question can be more anxious than himself to see Ireland "loyal, peaceful, and jirosperous." A correspondent thus relates a curious fact iv cA'olution to the Times:—A certain spot in tbe grounds of the ReA r . Lord Sidney,' Godolpldu, Osborne, Dnrveston, has, for 1 know not lioav many years, by ■ the reverend gentleman's kindness, furnished microscopists Avith a peculiar kind of earth. On taking a very minute portion of this earth aud immersing, it in a drop or tAvo of pure Avater, :two species of a most lovely animal, Rotifer Vulgaris, will be developed in about ten minutes. No matter how often you repeat the experiment, the same two forms invariably appear. The process of development can be watched under a microscope Avith a quarter-inch power ; for in this short space of time named, the complex organisms will be seen to swim about and exercise, in a perfect manner, all the functions of their existence. A curious fact in connection with this subject is that if the earth is carefully kept tho same process may be repeated, Avith like results, for twelve months at least, after which these animals seem to be unable to resist further dislocation. But ,not so a more lowly organised form Avhich also makes it appearance in the solution, for at the end of ten or twelve years I have obtained a good crop of minute protoplasmic creatures, amoeba, belonging to the loAvest class of animal life, such as those mentioned in the paragraph from, the American Journal of Science, and Avliose reproduction is earned on as there described, by segmentation, separation, or self-diAdsion; a process which has been going on throughout all time, and will, I venture to think, go on ad infinitum. Only last week, on taking a, packet of earth from a drawer, dated-'Dumsston, July 13, ISG9, and placing a very small quantity hi a drop of water on a microscopic slide, in a .short time I had an interesting display of these curious protean bodies, amoeba, moving about OA'er the field of the microscope."

A remarkable instance of the beneficial influence of tropical storms has just occurred in the Philippine Islands. The population of Manila was being decimated by cholera, when, at the end of October, a tremendous hurricane swept over the island, almost entirely destroying the town. In less than an hour from .the commencement of the storm not a single native house was left standing. But the remarkable fact is that on the following day not a single case of cholera occurred, and not one has been reported in the island since. We are accustomed to regard "tropical storms 'as'terrible scourges; but the good they do in purifying the atmosphere and dissipating disease and disease-germs is sufficient to compensate for all the damage to property which they occasion.—Colonies and India. The Creswick Advertiser gives the following; account of messages from-the dead, found in the drives of the Creswick mine:— "Two more of the unfortunate miners' billycans have been discovered, on which the departed ones sent messages bidding good-bye to their friends. On Benjamin Bellingham's were scratched the, words— 'My dear mother. My dear brother. J.B. '"We are all happy. 8.8.' These words must be a comfort to the young man'a widowed mother. The following were scratched on Clifton's—' Good-bye, dear mother, sisters, and brothers.' Also, ' Phillippa, my dear girl.' Signed, ' John Tom Clifton.' Before the word Phillippa are three other words, but these are rendered very indistinct from Thomas Chegwin having written his name very largely over them ; but from some reason the latter was unable to tiiusn Ms narae, and it now stands on the can ' Thomas Chegw.' Presumably the lights may .have gone. Out, which prevented its completion. Mrs Clifton says that on the night of the fatal occurrence, she several times endeavored to hurry her son off to work, he being accustomed to stay at home till the last minute, when at last he said, " You seem to be hi a hurry to get rid of me." This son has been her great support for a number of years, and by his cheerfulness always endeavoured to comfort her when downhearted." The Alexandria correspondent of an English contemporary writes: —I was told of an amusing incident at the Chalouf fight.. As. I have already described Lieutenant Lang was the officer who, by swimming the Freshwater Canal, and bringing back a boat with winch to cross his men over, succeeded in turning the Egyptian flank. Lang, of course, had to strip, for the most powerful swimmer in the world might very easily come to grief if with his clothes and accoutrements on he should attempt to make his way through the long grass and weeds with which the channel was filled. But he was in too great a hurry to put his clothes on when he went back with his boat. He shipped his plucky little band of bluejackets from the Mosquito, next his small j party of Highlanders, and charged. The Egyptians must havo been astounded to sec the singular apparition in boots, and a ".cholera belt" running at them with asword in his hiutd. In the Prophet's name, this must he the Christian devil, Shaitan, of the white race, whom the swine-eaters mis-spell Satan. Barring the boots and the belt, Mr-Lang was as naked as his ancestor Adam, and like that gentleman, "was not ashamed." Perhaps this dreadfid apparance may account, to some extent, for the speedy success of the flanking party in dislodging tho Egyptians from the buildings in which they had taken up their position : and from which they were diligently "blazing away." The purest and best tonic for the overstrained nervous system is tho celebrated Wolfe's Schnapps, the most powerful, wholesome, and successful of modern restoratives . — [ Ad vt . ] Quinine is an alkaloid found in the bark of trees belonging to the Cinchona or Peruvian bark family, and is one of the most valuable febrifuges and antiperiodies known to medical science; while incorporated with iron tincture it has no equal as a tonic. Pure quinine and iron may be obtained put up in bottles of any size to suit customers at Professor Moore's Medical Hall, Waipawa. —[Advt].