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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 957, 2 March 1871, Page 3

Mr James Scott has succeeded so ■well with his new patent ship-lift dock project as to be able to form a company in Sydney for carrying on the concern. The Shares have been all taken up, and tenders are invited for building the dock, according to plans prepared. The number of wrecks reported in Great Britain during the last week in December was 56, making for the whole year 1,933.

We extract the following from the San Francisco Bulletin of Jan. 11 : " It is within the range of probability that the close of this century will witness one or more flourishing Republics in Australasia. Both the Australian and New Zealand colonies are so remote and isolated from England, so independent in resources and feeling, and accustomed to so large a degree of selfgovernment, that already suggestions of the desirability of separate political existence are freely made and discussed, Australia and New Zealand see the Imperial care and control relaxing, and discover that they are regarded as a burden and source of weakness; they begin to question whether the glory of the connection compensates for the humiliation of it, and tor the danger and loss to which they would be exposed by European wars for the settle ment of issues in which they have no interest whatever. Sooner or later this feeling, and the pressure of local interest and ambition, will lead to a reparation, probably peaceful, from $w mother country. The Australian colonies would make a noble Confederate Republic, on the plan pf the United States, and New Zealand would make a fine Republic by itself. Their local governments are now Republican in all but name, and

they would of course think of no other form. As independent Republics they would attract a much larger immigration from the old world, and would be more lapidly developed. They would also be free to make such commercial and political alliances as were most conclusive to their welfare. The first and strongest of these would be with the United States, the nearest neighbour of their own race and tongue, to whom they are already drawn by the good fellowship bred of twenty years of pleasant intercourse, by similarity of resources and community of interests. Great Britain could have no higher glory than that of planting lepublics in two great divisions of the globe."

A writer in the New Zealand Herald says :—No doubt the present tariff requires revision, with a view to the encouragement of industries, not by imposing restrictive duties, but by removing all such as enhance the cost of production. Three large iron ships are now building at the yard of Messrs Samuda Brothers, in the Tsle of Dogs, on Russian account. Although ostensibly intended for they commercial marine, it is said these vessels could be easily con<verted into ships of war. The question which has been agitating the railroad world, in reference to narrow guage roads, is to be practically tested. Says a correspondent of the Iron Age :—" A narrow guage (two feet six inches), will be built in Pennsylvania, from Allentown to Harrisburg, via Reading and Lebanon, along the Tulpehocken and Swatara creeks. The Fairlie engine will be used, the cost of construction and equipment being one-third that of the four feet guage A of twenty-five miles an hour is expected, and freight carried at one cent, a ton per mile."

An editor of one of the New York magazines lately sent back his tailor's bill accompanied by a neatly-printed slip informing the tailor that his M.S. was " respectfully declined." Force of habit. The mistake was not discovered until next day. The tailor discovered it.

The Bishop of Winchester presided at the recent meeting of workmen held at Southampton in connection with the Church Congress. In his speech he said that there was no working man in that hall who worked harder than he did (loud cheers.) A voice : " How about the pay?" (roars of laughter.) The Bishop : 1 wiil answer my friend ther,e. ket me £ell him this—whether I work or not the pay U t>h& same (laughter and protracted cheering ) His lordship expressed great pleasure in learning that the Dissenters of the town had so far forwarded the interests of the Congress they had lent the benches and seats which accommodated the audience in the body of the hall, showing that although they were not willing to adopt our ceremonies they had lent us their forms (great laughter and cheers.)

Sir John Lubbock has written a most interesting book on the origin of civilization and the primitive condition of man, in which he describes the social and mental condition of savages, their arts, their systems of marriage &c. In proof of his assumptions Sir John quotes numerous cases and incidents from a multitude of authors, illustrative of the marriage rites and position of women among savage nations. "With respect to the latter topic, he considers that the practice of savages, in carrying off the bride to the woods sail lingers among civilised in the custom of the wedding tour, and believes that in many of our tastes and ideas we are still influenced by tho condition of our ancestors in bygone ages. On Saturday evening last (says a late Otago Daily Times) a number of gentlemen met in the lower room of the Athen--3311m, for the purpose of considering matters precursory to the opening of a division of the Order of the Sons of Temperance in Dunedin. This order has for its object total abstinence from intoxicants, and mutual aid in times of afiiction. It is making rapid strides throughout the Australian colonies, while in Britain and America it can also boast of large numbers of members, Considerable spirit and earnestness were evinced during the meeting, and the intention of assembling for initiation early next week was announced,

Small-pojr it is ,stated is fearfully on the increase in London, particularly at the east end.

The German papers having pointed out that Heligoland belongs rightfully to Germany, the Loudon Standard says in reply:—To give up Heligoland would cost a great deal more affliction to the Heligolanders than it would to the people of Great Britain. If the consent of the former, however, can be obtained by legitimate means to the transfer, there can be no objection to Germany being permitted to add to the other resources of the Fatherland. To yield Heligoland, though it were even a bare rock, upon compulsion, is, however, another matter altogether. No nation can attempt to take it by force, unless she is able to match England by sea; and at present we continue to think that Heligoland is tolerably safe, Not the less, however, ought the people of England to take to heart the iusolent menaces which some Germans have permitted themselves to level at us under the unaccustomed excitement of victory. Under the heading, " Noble, the Murderer," the Freeman says the mental agony endured by the mother ot the murdered child is said to have undermined her health for the remainder of her life. Souter, who was sentenced to death, has had his sentence commuted. He is to be imprisoned for life. Men have strange fancies. It was thought no one could be got to bang Noble, and there were a dozen applicants.