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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 568, 13 April 1868, Page 3

BEIDQK ACEOS3 THE ENGLISH CHANNEL —The 'worid is decidedly getting crazy on the subject of engineering feats. Musi wonderful things have already been done in the way of bridges and tunnels, and it was thought that the proposition to tunnel under the British channel was the ne plus ■ultra- of extravagance. But a French engineer has beaten that. He publishes a plan, which is well commended by the French press, of connecting England and France by a bridge, bearing a double line of railway, a carriage and a foot way, with shops and a restaurant! The bridge would rest on thirty-two iron piles, would be 335 feet broad, and- 6/0 feet high—s3s feet above sea level. All this for the moderate sum of £1,600,000,

A Bor Drowned. —The Wuirarapa Mercury suvs that an accident occurred in j the Waiohine on Wednesday last, by which a boy of the name of Benge, 5 years of age, was drowned. It seems that the father and boy were on a bullock dray, going to Woodside Saw Mills, and on crossing the Weiohine the man lost command of tire bullocks close to the near hank, so that the leaders went down tho river instead of landing. The dray drifted down the stream, and coming on some snogs was unset, and father and son were both thrown, into the water. The former managed to get on to the hank, hut the latter was drowned. Mr Cnrokshank arrived at the spot immediately after the accident, and risked his life several times trying to find the hoy, but without success although ho continued his s-arch until after dark. The body was found on Thursday morning and an inquest was held before Dr Spratt, the coroner of the district. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned. Drowning. —A melancholy accident occurred at Mauku on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning la-d. Two men who wera working for Mr Xelcher carting wood, while down near the Mauku Creek ; thought they would have a bath, and seemed to have got out of their dentH and neither being able to swim, although very near to the bank, both were drowned. It is supposed that one got jinto deep water, and the giber in trying to help him. also got into ditucultie--. Alexander Monro, the elder of tho two,! was only twenty years of ago, and James Gilbert, tho younger, was only sixteen. Tiie men were seen r.live on hriday, and their master being fro in home were not missed until Saturday night, when the horse and cart were seen standing in a gully, and upon searching, the oodles of, the two men, naked, with their clothes on 1 the bank, were found. They appear to i have been both steady, and sober men,! and respected by their employers. An| inque-t was held on their bodies at thej Mauku Bridge Hotel on Monday after-! noon, before C. Mcllsop, Esq-, Coroner j and a highly respectable jury, Mr Josh. Crispe, foreman, when a verdict of “Accidentally Drowned” was mtimed.j The bodies were interred in the Mauku cemetery on Tuesday. This again shows the importance of every man being abje to swim, for had they been able lucre is little doubt their lives might havo beau saved. One good effect of being able to swim is it gives a man so much more comldeuoe j in the water when in diilleulues. —Nowj Zea’and Herald, 24th March. i Tint Patent Slip Question. —It was with more than ordinary pleasure we. (Evening Post) learned this morning, on j tho best authority, that th-' great I’atoni Slip question had at length been settled and that the work is to be proceeded wit it at once, the contractors undertaking to have it completed in twelve months. We are not aware of the particulars, except that Messrs Eonnard have parted with their interest to third partie- - , who have made arrangements with the Government by which it stands released from all claims for damages in connection both with the. Slip and the Wanganui Bridge. iSowithstandiag (hat many persons hare unmistakably expressed their disapproval ol tin-! policy which the Superintendent and his| Executive had adopted in regard to thej Patent Slip question, are think that alb will now agree that the policy has been a just and far-seeing one, when they learn: that the terms upon which the satisfactory j conclusion has been come to are very mueu i in favor of the province, and are at the] same time considered by competent judges! perfectly equitable so fai as the contractors. are concerned. We cannot but congratulate the settlers of the province especially, and tho colonists of New Zealand generally, on this most desirable event, and wo trust that the brilliant anticipations which have been so frequently indulged in on the subject may now shortly be realised. Ibo people of Wanganui will, no doubt, rejoice when they learn that the boon which they have so long wished fur and expected, is at length about to become a reality, and! that before many mouths have expired,] they may see their noble river spanned by: the promised bridge. j Ancient ami Modern Egypt. —lt is i hardly possibletoimagine a greater contrasi! Ithan is presented between the monuments] and the history of Egypt. The monuments! tell us of a native monarchy [flourishing 1 amongst, the great empires of the East; its) tings little less than dend-gods; its priests] endued with a sanctity revered in distant lands; its chariots and horses going out to j battle under the banners of a thousand [gods; tho nations of the earth bringing tribute ; and art and luxury carried to an extent only possible to a numerous population, with abundant material resources and a high mental devolopement. On the date and duration of this splendid period the monuments are dumb. They witness what ancient Egypt was ; they know nothing of her rise, progress, or decay, their testimony is confirmed by the position of Egypt in the Holy ir’criptnres, where her rulers are found showing hospitality to the father of the faithful, or reducing hi-des-cendants into bondage. Stii* we only know that Egypt was a great power before Israel was a nation. It gleams out of a remote antiguity with a splenduor that cannot be denied; but the splendour is a prehistoric memory, separated from authentic chronology by a gulf which bulbing but the Bible can spaa. All that we know of it is that it existed before Abraham, and perish- ; ed at about the close oi the Old Testament. With the first pane of s-eular history An- . cienfc Egypt, is already dead. The Tharaohs havo become a intuition, the temples and altars are shrouded in mystery, the fleets and armies have disappeared, end the people are reduccdjo inexorable servitude.

Sudden Death. —-The Lyttelton Times announces the death of Mr O. Kirby, of the.firm of Boath, Kirby & Co., which took place in Lyttelton on the 17th inst. The deceased was walking down London street with a friend, to whom he complained of being unwell. He sat down near the Bank of isow Zealand to rest, and after a few moments he fell back lifeless. Dr Rouse was immediately in attendance. The cause of death was disease of the heart.

A Mining- Accident which occurred a short time aero at Haywood (Victoria) seems, as usual, the result of inexcusable negligence. We quote from the Bendigo Independent': : —As a man named Edward Pouch was going down the ladder way in the shaft of the Xil Despsrandum Company he happened to look below and saw a light which had been incautiously left on the landing, forty-eight feet from the bottom, by another miner who had gone into a drive opposite. Bench thinking that this light was at the bottom of the shaft, stepped into space, and fell on a man named George Edward Spooner, who was a few feet below him, and knocked him off the ladder. They both fell to the bottom, ■'pooner being underneath. As soon as the unfortunate men were landed on the surface, Dr Caldwell attended and dressed their wounds, and recommended their removal into the Bendigo Hospital. It was Ascertained there that Dench had received a verv serious injury to the knee, and a few scratches. Spooner had a nasty cut close to the eye, and also bruises on his face and neck, but he is not seriously hurt. The marvel is that the men were not killed. Even if they had been, however, such little store seems to ba set upon human life on the gold-fields that probably the coroner’s jury would bring in a verdict tantamount to “ I\o consequence.”

A Mission- Bhxdf.gkooii. —Washington has recently been startled "with a thousand eonlliclhig rumors regarding the disappearance of Colonel Ely Barker, of General Grant’s s f aff, who was to have been married .to Miss Minnie Stackc-tt. Colonel Barker had made every preparation for the event, even to the issuing of reception cards for his friends in New York at the Metropolitan Hotel, and at his residence in Washington after his return from the expected bridal tour. He had purchased his wedding suit, and o t Saturday evening went |to General Grant’s house, where he borrowed from Mrs Grant one of the general 3 (military sashes to wear at the wedding. | After remaining an hour or two, he bade the family good night, since which time he (has not been seen. At the appointed hour (the bride’s mother, who is a widow, I General Grant and staff, and a largo number of friends and distinguished guests i were assembled at the Church of Epiiphany. The bride was in readiness, and ! General Grant was prepared to give her awav, iu accordance with the arrangements auada at Colonel Barker’s request, who, ■however, failed to make an appearance, i Has fellow-officers of the staff hud arranged (to make the bride an elegant present, and (other friends were ready to to make approI priate wedding gifts. The scene which eu■sued when it became known that Colonel I Parker could not be found can be I imagined. Messengers were despatched (to the usual resorts of the mi-sing one, and when the report came that all search I was in vain, the audience quietly dispersed (with many heartfelt prayers for the 1 arty (who was so strangely deserted. Miss (Sackett’s friends did everything in their (power to console her iu her terrible affiicrl ion, and the sympathy of the entire community was enli ted in the lady s behalf.— Hampshire Independent, Bth oanuavy.

The Govehsmeux of Ca’-'tksbcry.— We take the following from the Canterbury Press, 18th March The memorandum referred to appeared, as our readers will remember, in our issue of the 30th March :—The whole of last night’s sitting, oi the Provincial Council, with slight exception, was devoted to discussion arising lout of his Honors memorandum. The following resolutions were carried; —“ Tna. i in the opinion of this Council there sho’.n i Ibe a Provincial Council chosen by too ipcoolo of this province in the mannner a a jthe present Council is chosen.” “The (Council to have the control of all matters 1 strictly provincial.” “That the Council [should elect the Superintendent, who shad i sit in the House as chairman, and act as General controller of departments, but should have no power whatever of engaging the revenues of the province for payment of any contracts or works wi.h mt the express sanction oi Council; pro'-nied always that members of the Council should be eligible for election as Superintendent.” “That there should b.. a permanent start' of otimers lor conducting the business Oi the depannents.” “ That there should bo an Executive Council of members ol tho Provincial Council, as coll agues of lha Superintendent.” “ The Council to vote lorlv half-yearly supplies, and, in matters

provincial, to have pec.er to r use taxes for provincial purposes —management ot wa-!a lands, railway?, roads bridges, and public works, education, immLrution, police gaol , asylums, and harbors : provided, that 2d per cent, of the land fund be given to tits districts in which the revenue is raised.’’ The principal,;we may say the only, debate that took place on these resolutions was on the question whether Superintendent should be elected by the the Coulncd, which was carried on s division by a tns« jorily of 20 to 9. A motion, •* That in th« opinloa of this Council it is expedient that the v.rosedt system of Orovenniueid by ft Superintendent and iVuviccial Council, as established by the Constitution Act, bo abolished,” was negatived by 2i to o.