Correspondence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 955, 28 February 1871, Page 2

Correspondence.

[We do not io any way identify ourselves with the opinions of correspondents.] TO THE EDITOR OF THE HAWKE'S BAY TIMES. g IRj —At the nomination of candidates for the Town of Napier on Thursday last, it appeared that none of our wouldbe representatives had studied or considered any of the questions which might be brought before them, should they be elected —that they have been as apathetic respecting the wants and position of the Province as the general body of electors themselves. JBnt, Sir, as five of these gentlemen will have the passing of bills, which will directly affect our pockets and the future of the Province, and as we have no choice from the ten candidates on account of their political creed (which seems to be at present non est) I would suggest to my fellow electors that we vote for none but those who will pledge themselves to consult (in public meeting assembled) their constituents, before they give theii vote for any further taxation or on any question in which any vital principle may be involved, and should their views not be in accordance with the majority of their constituents, they wi'l at once resign their f,eats. — &c, An Elector. Feb. 27, 1871.

The New Zealand Herald, Feb. 23, S ays :—A melancholy circumstance occurred during the voyage of the schooner Lsetitia from the Fijis to this port. The Lse:itia left Rolumah with a cargo of fruit for this market. Mr Herbert Gillman, part owner of the vessel, was a passenger. ' Shordy after leaving, Mr Gillman, who had partaken freely of the fruit on board, complained of dysentery. The vessel had on board a firstclass medicine chest, and Mr Gillman prescribed for himself. He gradually sunk, and expired on the 16th instant. The deceased was a young man, twenty four years of age, and was a native of County Cork, Ireland. The Grey River Argus says the Governor did not reach ilokitika at the date expected; but the banquet which was provided for his Excellency was "disposed of" by the members of the County Council and a few friends, and they all did ample justice to the spread. Compared with the following from the Natal Mercury (says the {Southern Cross), our Caledonians sink into the shade :—" Captain Lucas's party —probably the most successful of any on the grounds —chiefly consisted of persons from this colony. .After working for six weeks without success, another week's labor laid bare diamonds valued at £120,000, leading to each individual a share so.large thao two of the number at least proceed to Europe to enjoy the fruits of their toil. Lieut. Vibart, late of the King's Dragoon Guards, has come down from the Vaai with the news that he and those with whom he was associated had picked up 65 diamonds; one of 150 carats, another 27, auother 12, and, amongst the remainder, stones of 8,9, and 6 carats, altogether estimated of the value of £140,000."

Referring to a somewhat apocryphal telegram in the last English summary, the Southern Cross writes:—The King: of Prussia may affect to contemn the best and proudest family of Scotland * but Louisa Campbell, Duchess of Argvle, may hold her head as high, and walk as proudly, as any Princess in the land who has brought over and sustains some scion of decayed royalty bearing the most uncouth and unpronounceable,,, though princely, name in Germany. And among all the daughters of Queen Victoria we question if there is one that has the prospect of being so, honoured by the sincere and genuine regard of the nation as the one that has said, "I dwell among mine own people." The incident of this royal marriage, interesting as it is in other respects, has a political and national significance. For we cannot regard it as other than a tangible and striking expression of the policy of isolation from foreign entanglements, and cultivation of domestic interests, on which, British statesmen, have entered.

A rumour was prevalent in Auokland a few days, ago that intelligence had been received of the death, while on the vo}age to England, of Colonel Elliot, la + e of the 18th Royal Irish Regiment. From enquiries made we (New Zealand Herald) fear that the rumor is wo well founded.

From Tasmania we learn that sfe Launcv-ston and Western. Railway was opened on the 10th February by the. Governor. This is the first railway, ever constructed in that colony. The opening seems to hav e been a very brilliant affair. Governor Du, Cane and his lady, the members of the ministry, and representatives of all the local powers that be, were present. Addresses were presented, and, as a matter of course, a banquet wound up the proceedings.

We extract the following from Morton's Cyc'opedia of Agriculture ;—- The branches of the different species of tree willows are useful when cut between October and April, for being formed into frames for embankments, to prevent the encroachments of rivers, and streams. The.se frames should extend from the channel of the water to, the top of the flow bank with a" gentle, slope. The larger timbers being interwoven with the smaller spray, and. the whole being covered a few inches with, sand, gravel, or the common soil of the banks, the branches readily push out numerous fibres, and create a surface of vegetation in the proper form for resisting the influence of water. By this mean:; materials of a shifting character are consolidated, and by being yearly lopped, the willows establish a permanent embankment.

Mr J. R. Fairlie argued at the British Association that a three-feet guage line could cany, and had been proved to cany, two and half times as many tons of traffic as were now, for instance, carried over the four feet five and a inch guage of the No?th Western Railway, and this without an, additional shilling for haulage. Every inch added to the width of a gauge beyond what was absolutely necessary tor the traffic would necessarily add to the cost of construction, increase the proportion of dead weight, increase the cost of working, and in consequence increase the tariffs to the public : thus by just so much reducing the width of the line, railways could be made cheaply, and at the same rime thoroughly efficient. There was no countly too poor ro have railways sufficient for its. lequirements, and they furnished the cheapest possible mode of transport.

A Southland paper states that encouraging accounts have come to from the oyster fisheries at Port William and Patterson's Inlet. In the vicinity of the -fust-named place, over 300 yards of artificial beds have been laid this season, on which something like three thousand dozen have been planted. The h>h have already commenced to ; . brood, which is considered early for the season of the year. Furthei extensions, are to be made to the artificial culture, and if they tuin out as successful as they promise, the artificial training alone will be equal to a very demand. The mud or natural oyster is also looking well for the ensuing which opens on the Ist of April.

His "Honor the Superintendent of Auckland was a passenger by the Star 0 t the South from Auckland to Poverty Bay.

The more varied and numerous the productions of a farm can be made, the ]e*s is the chance of failure from flood and drought. It tea good rule in farming, as in commerce, never to put all your eggs in one basket. A short time ago we quoted from an • Australian paper an account of the removal of the body of the late Post-master-General from its place of sepulture. No reason was assigned for this extraordinary proceeding, but the following extract from the Melbourne Leader will explain it:—A singular instance of religious infatuation has turned up in the proceedings which have recently taken place in Sydney. The Hon, Daniel Egan, the PostmasierGeneral of New South Wales, and a very old member of the Legislative Assembly, died suddenly in September last. He was a Catholic, and possessed to a very remarkable degree the confidence of his co-religionists, so much so that his inclusion in the last Cowper Ministry was regarded as a direct bid for Catholic support, and as a slap in the face for Mr Parkes. Mr Egan's deathbed was attended by the leading clergy, and amongst the mourners at his funeral, in addition to all the leading men, socially and politically, of New South Wales, were a large number of the higher clergy. To all appearance he died in the full odour of .sanctity. A few weeks after his death ugly reports were circulated that his remains had been surreptitiously re amoved from that portion of the cemetery in which they were originallv interred, and taken no one knew where The story was at first discredited, but subsequently investigation proved that it was true. Further inquiries were made, and k was proved that the exhumation took place under the direction of some priest. It is alleged that after Mr EsanNs death certain facts came to the knowledge of the cleigy which tended to prove that the deceased gen leman, who was a widower, had, since the death of his wife, led a somewhat irregular lite, and his corpse was therefore removed to an unconsecrafed portion of the cemetery, devoted to suicides and other unfortunates, Nay more, it was discovered that a similar desecration had been committed in the case of Mr Denihey, a brilliant writer and speaker, who died in Sydney some five years ago. With the religious aspect of the case we have no desire to interfere. Clergymen of the Church of England have frequently deelined to read the burial service over persons of grossly immoral lives. But nothing of the kind was alleged in the case of either Mr Egan or of Mr Denihey. The .charges against their characters were •made, not during their lhes, but after iheir burial, befoi e a secret and irrespon sible tribunal, at which their friends .could bring no testimony in favor of men whose own lips were sealed by death. It was to their memories and on their insensible bodies that a cruel indignity was perpetrated. The blow was struck, not at them, but at their survivors. The of sacrilege appears to have been committed by one section of the church dignitaries, in opposition to the wish, and without the sanction of another section —a circumstance so singular that it should teach the Roman ■Catholic laity a lesson.

"Mamma," said a wee child, one Sunday evening, after having sat in the house all day like a good child, " have I honored you today ?"—"I don't know," replied the mother; 41 why do you ask /" —" Because," said the little one, shaking her head sadly, " the Bible says, 'ilonor thy father and thy mother that tlij days may be long,' and this has been, oh ! the longest day I ever saw.''