DE OMNIBUS REBUS.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 229, 4 March 1875, Page 4

DE OMNIBUS REBUS.

M. Thiers has stated privately, according to a Paris correspondent of the Inclepeiidance, that the renewal of the armament of the French army will still require 1,500,000 f. " Will you have some strawberries?" asked a lady guest. "Yes, madam, yes; I eat strawberries with enthusiasm." "Well, we haven't anything but cream and sugar for 'em this evening," said the matter-of-fact hostess.

In Yeddo, Japan, there are no less than eighteen newspapers, of which S'me are daily and others appearing every fifth day, The three which have the largest circulation are the NiscMnshinjislii, a daily sheet, of which an average of 1500 copies are issued; the ToliionicMnicM ScMmbum, a daily paper, with 800 circulation; and the Chinban&ashi, a daily, with the same. Of the other fifteen some appear daily, and each furnish about 200 copies. A Japanese Punch has also been commenced.

Writing on the subject of the pollution of rivers, the Pall Mall Gazette gives the following instances of restrictions having resulted in profit to the manufacturers, who were supposed to be victimised in the interests of the general public:—"ln England, at Mendip, the adoption of Reed's proems by Mr Burgess produced a saving of 6.5 per cent on the weight of paper by the retention of esparto and rag fibre, which was formerly carried away by the washing water; and in Scotland, at Valleyfield, the Messrs Cowan not only derived profit from the use of the esparto squeezing machine, but, being interdicted from throwing their soda ley into the stream, they procured from Mr Leitz a machine or process for incineration which paid its own working expenses and presented them with a large residue of soda for second use in the mill. So little has legal restriction touched the prosperity of these paper-mills that a fresh establishment has been opened since the restrictions wore imposed. The conversion of Messrs Tennant's smoke into muriatic acid is too familiar an example for quotation, but take the case of the refuse from shale oil works and paraffin refineries. Though at present depressed by the sale of petroleum, these industries have, during the last ten years, completely destroyed for man, beast, and fish, many beautiful rivers in Scotland. The refuse consists chiefly of ammoniacal water, in which the oil has been floating in suspension, and blackened sulphuric acid. If the sulphuric acid be employed in neutralizing the ammoniacal water, sulphate of ammonia (which sells for £ls a ton) is produced on evaporation. It has been found, too, that the potale discharged by distilleries is valuable for purposes of irrigation. The London correspondent of the Scotsman writes:—A very uneasy feeling has been created here among the holders of the securities of the Southern States, by intelligence received concerning a flagrant measure for the repudiation of about thirty million dollars of the bonded debt of North Carolina, introduced into the Legislature of that State, at Raleigh, on November 19th, by the chairman of the finance committee. It is feared that this Bill will pass, and it is thought that this is but the beginning of similar legislation in many of the Southern States, now that the recent elections have restored these communities to the rule of the representatives of the taxpayers. The plea for this rascality is that a very large share of the present debts of these States was incurred by the carpet-bag and negro legislators in which the ratepayers had no voice. And this is true; but these legislatures were, after all, the legal representators of the State, and were recognised and sustained by the General Government, and the bonds issued by them were bought in good faith by the present holders. The proposed Bill in the North Carolina Legislature does not content itself with repudiating the debt incurred at a time when the taxpayers had no control of public affairs—these are words from the preamble of the Bill—but proposes to repudiate two-thirds of the debt incurred before the war, for the reason that " the property on which the bonds were based has been destroyed." Under this pleasant little scheme the State " would wipe out at once 30,657,716d01s of its indebtedness."

The annual conference of head masters of schools of the first grade was held recently, says the Times, at Dulwich College. The conference was engaged during the greater part of its sitting with the consideration of the regulations of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, and the following resolutions were passed respecting them: —"1. That this meeting, while cordially thanking the Examining Board for their friendly co-operation and the welcome alterations contained in their new regulations, especially regulation 19, desires to express the hope that in schools where the examination is held under the authority of the Board the certificate may be given upon the regular school examination." "2. That the Conference, regretting the decision arrived at by the Schools' Examination Board, desire to express their opinion that the publication in the newspapers of lists of successful candidates for certificates, if not carefully guarded, is likely to mislead the public and foster a mischievous competition, and that if the Board consider it necessary thus to publish such lists the names of the schools from which candidates come should not appear." "3. That the examinations for certificates might be considerably shortened without impairing their thoroughness and efficiency, especially by shortening the papers so as to allow more than two papers to be set on one day." "4. That there is danger lest the expense of the examinations should exclude all but large and well endowed schools from the operation of the system." "5. That with a view of partially obviating the danger referred to in the last resolution the committee be instructed to ask the Board to reduce the certificate fees where whole classes are presented as candidates." Several questions affecting the constitution of the Conference were discussed, and it was resolved—" That the Conference meet at least once in every five years at some place in the northern province." A resolution was also passed—- " That it is desirable that the Hebrew language should occupy a recognised position in the curriculum of first grade schools." The following head masters were elected members of the committee of the conference : Dr Abbott, Dr Farrar, and Mr Harper, in place of the three retiring members, Dr Butler, Dr Percival, and Dr Ridding. Clifton College was selected as the place of conference for next year, and the 22nd and 23rd of Decernber, 1875, as the days on which the meeting ulivuid be held,