Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 946, 17 February 1871, Page 2

The revisers of the New Testament Commission (says the Pall Mall Gazette) have just finished their fourth session. We are assured that the interest in the work is increasing with each meeting, and the progress such that there is now every reason to believe that it will be completed' within a reasonable time. There is, however, a clear intention on tlie part of the revisers to do their work thoroughly, and to subject it, when done, to a careful reconsideration; No attention, therefore, ought to be paid- to reports of what may have been understood to have been decided on. Nothing will be really settled until the second and final revision. The attendance of the members is good, there having been 22 members present on most of the days. The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol presided. The Archbishop of Canterbury paid a visit to the commission- a few days 9gO,<

We copy from the Evening Lloyd, of Pesth, a picture of misery in the Prussian provinces. " The symptoms of famine which manifest themselves in Prussia strike at the doors of the Government. The cries of distress raised by thousands of widows arid orphans threaten to stifle the cry which have been heard on account of the victories which have been obtained over the French. Tiie official journals pass under silence miseries which reign in Prussia, and the other journals do not speak of them for patriotic or other reasons. I will cite certain facts which will not fail to open the eyes of those who are not Prussians. In the province of Westphalia there are 11,817 widows of the laudwehr fallen on the field of battle, who during the last month have addressed the Government asking for succor. The number of children of these widows is 22,723. In the Rhenish provinces there are 14,312 widows, with 29,619 children, and in the province of Hanover 9,624 widows with 26,416 children, all asking for alms. In Eastern Prussia the distress is indescribable. The Government has found it necessary to name special commissioners charged to succor these unfortunates, and to send to them victuals as on the theatre of wa*\ They have purchased in Austria and Hungary many cattle to be sent to Eastern Prussia. In a report addressed to the Government by the Committee of Relief at Berlin, we read the number of those who, during this month, have asked for help is so great that, with the best will in the world, they are not able to accord to all petitioners the smallest sum which they ordinarily give to a necessitous widow. To the list of widows and orphans above-mentioned, we must add still 80,000 women and children, of whom the fathers and husbands are still in campaign, and who are asking also for help from Government. The news from the other provinces is not more favorable. In Posen, the taxpayers are not in a state to pay their taxes. The farmers lack arms for the labors of the fields. Many fathers of families do not earn anything, and for the most part the manufactories are closed. Such is the picture of Prussia victorious. It has been forbidden to the journals to speak of the distress which reigns in Prussia, and they have seized in Hamburg and Hanover many copies of newspapers which made mention of it." Herr Wickede describes in the Cologne Gazette the jubilant feeling expressed by the three Prussian officers who accompanied him on their first view of Paris from the eminence of Boissy, and his own more serious reflection on the fate which awaited a city where he had formerly met agreeable society and good comrades. His only wish is that the heavy batteries may speedily compel a capitulation. 11 What advances in civilization," he ex claims, " what beneficent inventions, but also what enormities, falsities, and depravities of all kinds Europe and the whole world owe to this city, which we are now approaching as conquerors !" The picturesque Villeneuve he found totally forsaken, and in the other suburbs also none but soldiers were visible, except here and there a peasant who had been impressed with his wagon, and who walked by his horse with bitter rancour, carefully watched by soldiers. The latter have quartered themselves in the splendid chateaux and elegant villas, sleeping on luxurious couches, libraries serving as stables, and the kitchen fire fed by bearded soldiers with costly works of art or with orange trees. Eruit, grapes, potatoes, and vegetables are found in abundance ; rice and coflee are supplied by the commissariat, and men and horses are in good condition, the fatiguing marches heaving ceased. Eggs, milk, &c, are unattainable. " How the people will find subsistence on the departure of the troops in a region which will be as devoid of provisions as the desert of Sahara is a puzzle. Yet this circle of 20 or 25 miles belongs to the richest and most luxurious district in Europe. The whole region round Paris has become an immense camp of 250,000 men. In the immediate neighbourhood of Versailles one first remarked old women sitting before the houses, or saw in the street a small group of children at play. I was two whole days travelling without seeing a single female form, a child, a domestic animal not belonging to the army, or a man without a uniform, or who did not belong to the troops. And this in one of the most populous, active, and affluent districts in all Europe!" >

We regret to say that the electioneering bustle in Wellington city led to an? accident. One of the coaches that had 1 been engaged in running electors to the polling booth on the beach got upset, and* a young man named James Walden suffered, at least considerable injury, if his leg is not broken. We were at first informed that he had sustained a compound fracture of the leg, but have since beard that it is not broken, though severely cut and bruised. He was at once conveyed to the Hospital.—lndependent. The New Zealand Herald, in its sum-, mary for Europe, &c, issued on the 6th February, thus treats of native affairs : *' The aspect of the Native question is unaltered since our last summary. Tapihana, a scoundrel a degree worse than the' rest of his set, is said to be on the warpath with some eight or ten men, and although such a mere handful of desperadoes cannot do more than commit a murder or two, yet rumors of their movements cannot but create a certain amount of uneasiness amongst the outlying settlements. The settlers are greatly indigo nant that nothing has been done by the Government for the apprehension of the murderers of Todd, and very little for the 1 defence of Waikato. However, they are quite determined to let nothing stand in their way in case of any real outbreak of the natives, and should any such untoward circumstance occur, the rebels will occupy a very similar position to that of James Stephenson's cow: they will be infallibly wiped out, and not all the Defence Offices and Native Departments in the Colony will beadle to prevent it. The Native Department is an election cry. The people in the Southern provinces are not more anxious to see this huge fungus abolished than are those in the North. The Native Minister has excited some remark lately by the direct and unconcealed influence which he has endeavored to bring to bear (not always successfully); upon the elections. Under the present condition of affairs his presence would be desirable in the doubtful native districts, whereas he is spending public time and money in electioneering trips in the Government steam yacht. There cannot be the slightest doubt that the end of the native difficulties and consequent expenseswill be dated from the day that the Native Office is swept away, and the Maori placed upon the same footing as the European. The Native Office is perpetually employed in keeping open a " raw," which nothing but the salve of equality for both races cau ever heal.

Paris Fashions (says the Queen newspaper) were the subject of a leader in a contemporary two or three days ago. la the course of the article the writer says:— " A sickly attempt is being made by the the conductors of some of our magazines of fashion to persuade their readers that the latest patterns and engravings of La Mode are still sent to them from the beleaguered capital by balloon post; but what time and what opportunity we should like to know, have the Parisians under their present circumstances for attending to the decoration of their persons?" Upon this passage we have a word or two to say. In the first place, we suppose it improbable that " patterns and engravings " are forwarded by balloon post; if they were, We should ourselves be tolerably certain to receive them. We have been advised by balloon post of such articles awaiting better days, in order to to be transmitted by the customary conveyances ; but of course we have not received any recently. From one of our former correspondents now in Geneva, we receive such notes on fashion as movements in that city furnish matter for. From another of our correspondents, who is shut up in Paris, we receive occasional letters which duly appear in our columns, and cannot be read without emotion. It is apparent from them that ladies there now give little time and thought to dress, but are mainly occupied with those worksof charity and utility which befit their ardent patriotism. Nor until peace returns will they return to the pursuit of fashion. An awful calamity has overtaken them, and, from all we can learn, among the foremost in repudiating even harmless amusements are some who once were brilliant ornaments of society and devotees of fashion. Better even than forgetting of their attire,, these highly accomplished ladies are leaders in efforts tomitigate the bitter sufferings and sorrow of their iellow-eitizens.