Miscellaneous Extracts.

Hastings Standard, Issue 194, 11 December 1896, Page 4

Miscellaneous Extracts.

AN I N"PLEASANT EXPEDIENCE. Lord Russell of Killowen (the Chief Justice of England). Lady Russell, ami their party went to Tammany Hall, in New York, to hear Mr Bryan speak and to see the great meeting of the Democratic Silver candidate for the Presidency. When they arrived they found the hall was densely packed. The police forced a. passage through the meeting for the party, who entered the committee-room, and they and Mr Bryan were mutually introduced. It is .stated that Lady Russell felt- faint owing to the closeness of the room, and decided not to remain to hear Mr Bryan's speach. .She accordingly tried to return thronghjtheha!!, but owing to the people being so packed together she was unable to do so, and even the police were unable to make a passage for her. The janitor of the building persuaded Lord and Lady Russell to climb the circular fire ( scape to the top of the house, where they would iind an iron ladder thrown from the roof of the Tammany building to the roof of Tony Pastor's theatre. The passage was somewhat dangerous, but Lord and Lady Russell walked across in safety, his lordship grasping his wife's hand to keep Iter from falling'. When they reached the roof of Tony Pastor's theatre, they descended at its rear by an iron stairway, which was the only exit open to them. They had no light until they reached the wings of the stage of the theatre, upon which they suddenly walked, without knowing where they were going. When the •• turn " which was then " on " Avas finished the curtain was lowered and thev were escorted across the stage ami to a cab. SP F.l XII BY LORD 1)1'IT ERIN. The Lord Mayor of Belfast on Wednesday entertained Lord Duffern at dinner, after which the retiring diplomatist made an admirable and obviously well-considered speech. He refused to turn " any Rontgen rays upon the doors of the Cabinets of Europe," but gave his audience two of the general results of his experience. One is that England is not popular—first, beeaase Continental statesmen and peoples live in a sort of agony listening to the tramp of hostile armies on their frontiers, and cannot bear to see this country sitting quietly on the fence apparently indifferent to their dangers. The other is the passion for colonial expansion which lias struck both France and Germany, and induces Frenchmen and Germans alike to feel that England is always in the way. The second result of Lord DufTerin's experience—which has been wider as Ambassador, as contitutional ruler in Canada, and as non-constitu-tional Viceroy in India, than that of any living man—is that, in spite of all progress, the world is still governed in the main by force. The nation therefore. which claims a great position must prepare its forces, and we should add. though Lord DufFerin does not, must be ready to use them on adequate occasion. The speech was a very fine one, and we hope it will not be, as

Lord DulTevin declare it, should be, abolutt-ly " Lllt■ last."

THE SOCIAL LAW OF AMERICA.

The details of what mayjcalled bo tlie social law of the United States are curios. Pennsylvania last year widened trie- scope of divorce by allowing it ou the ground of indignities by the wife. In New York a la w was passed taxing gross proceeds of horse races to the extent of ;1 per cent., licensing meetings, and generally regulating racing. Indiana prescribes a close season for racehorses, prohibiting races between Kith November and Kth April. Bookmaking is felony in New York and Minnesota. Washington prohibits minors under 1H from entering gambling houses. New Hampshire excludes youths under 16 from billiard-saloons where pool is played. Connecticut does not allow the same tender age to be exposed to the inlltiences of " dance houses, concert saloons, roller rinks, or vaudeville theatres having variety shows." South Dakota, a Prohibitionist State, was considering a proposal to abandon Prohibition. South Carolina now sells liquor under control of a State board, by State dispensers, on State account. The dispensers are not to charge more than -"iO per cent over cost price, and the price is marked on every bottle or package. Twenty-two States have legislated against cigarette smoking by youths. Indiana prohibits the sale of books, Ac., dealing with the commission of crime. Six States in passed laws requiring schools to display I't>ited States Hags during school hours and at other times. Illinois requires this likewise of private schools. Colorado has adopted woman suffrage, Kansas rejected it ; in four other States it awaits voting. In Minnesota •'one bicycle " is exempt lrom seizure by way of execution. Legal rate of interest is lixed at frflin (> to 12 per cent in throe States. Last year four States by statute chose emblematic flowers. SUCCESSFUL DAIRYING. A lively illustration of the advantage to be gained bv the intelligent management of dairy stock is furnished by Mr W. 1). lloard. Wisconsin, U.S.A., who runs a butter factory. Speaking of the difference between dairymen, he says that he paid one of his suppliers as much as i'l2 ]'/>s pethead as ilie earnings of each cow for the ,-eason, returning the skim milk as well, which was equal to a return of i'l •"> per head in cash; while another supplier who had the same opportunity received fc'H per cow. Where lay the different 1 ;' hetwoon the two men ? It was in the brains used and not in the hands. The first man produced milk intelligently, ami made money; the second carelessly anil shiftlessly, and made £7 per head less. The same thing is happening here in New Zealand, while one man is thriving and contented, his less intelligent neighhour is deploring low prices and small profits. FORBIDDING TIIE BICYCLE. The Archbishop of Paris has issued a decree forbidding his clergy from bicycling, on the ground that " it is incompatible with ecclesiastical dignity, calculating to lower the rider in the estimation of the faithful and expose him to the taunts and mockeries of the iulidel." The reason is that people are apt to laugh at a priest riding on a lady's safety, for in France the priest wears a cassock that comes down to his heels. Cardinal Richard only speaks for his diocese. A/mi/mx the Spectator has raised the question of " The Bishop and the Bike " to the level of a '■ silly season '' probfem. It seems that a bishop may cycle without injury to his authority, provided that in going down hill he does not put his feet up after the manner of giddy cyclists. To do that would not- be " worthy of the main purpose of his life." This seems a hard saying, for when the bishop tastes the fierce joy of cycling down hill, how is he to keep his gracious feet on the pedals ? TIIE PRINCESS'S BOUQUET. An interesting story is told of the Princess of Wales, who, seated one day at a performance of comic opera at a certain fashionable theatre, by an accidental movement knocked her bouquet off the ledge. It fell into the orchestra beneath, and, through some mistake on the part of the conductor, it was passed over the footlights to a pretty young singer, who at that moment had the stage to herself, and had just concluded a solitary solo. She, overcome at what she thought was a mark of royal favor, curtsied to the princess, and the audience loudly applauded the gracious act. The delighted songstress, being the envy of all her companions on the stage, was clever enough to divide her lovely bouquet and give a blossom to each member of the company, retaining a rose and the ribbons with which it was tied for herself. The whole affair was purely accidental, but it was the means of bringing much happiness to a young and unknown girl, and putting her feet on the first rung of the ladder of success, for she is now a famous actress and singer.