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Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1535, 19 December 1873, Page 56

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; Imperial Generosity. It paving been made known to the Emp&or William that a grand-daughter of Beethoven, Caroline von Beethoven, is at present living at Vieiinain greatdestitution, His Majesty has generously ordered that during her lifetime five per cent of the proceeds from the performances of Beethoven's opera of " Fidelio " at the Boyal Opera at Berlin shall be regularly assigned to her use. Duty on Idols. A singular question was, so it is stated, lately raised by the custom-house at Marseilles. The question was this :•-" la there any duty on strange godB?" It appears, by his own account, that a certain French travellor was in Japan when the Mikado sent a mission to Europe for the purpose of obtaining theological data upon which to reform the Japanese religion in a liberal direction, that the people 'themselves took so much interest in the matter that, pending the mission, the Japanese gods were regarded as reigning provisionally, and, as it were, merely on sufferance. Seeing them fall in the public estimation in every sense of the word, the Frenchman thought this an admirable opportunity for securing a number of the depreciated idols at a cheap rate. It is not every day, he argued, that gods are sold at a great reduction, so he bought a whole pagoda full and started for France with his bargain. But the custom-houso officers at Marseilles made difficulties, and actually claimed duties on the whole Japanese Olympus. The traveller protested. " Theße gods," he maintained, " are by no means abolished ; their claims to divinity are merely in abeyance ; show me your tariff, and if I find gods are chargeable, I will pay." The customhouse secularists persisted that these were merely figures, more or less hideous, in gold and silver and bronae, and that they must be charged for according to their monoy value. "Money value, indeed," replied the exploiteur of Japanese deities; " these are still, provisionally, gods, and, as long as the commission now in search of the best religion has not returned to Yeddo, gods they are, and gods they shall remain." But he paid duty on the batch. Interesting Italic. The Queen, on her recent visit to Glenfinnan, where Prince Charles Edward unfurled his staudard in 1745, was shown a letter which has never before been published, in the handwriting of Prince Charlie. It is as follows :--" Kinloch, August ye 14,1745. Being come to this country with a few resolutions to assist the King my father's right, I think it proper to inform you of it, having always beard such an accouut of your loyalty and principles, that I think I have just reason to depend on them. I intend to set up the King's standard at Glenfinnan, on Monday ye 19th instant. Since the time is so short I cannot expect your presence there, but 1 hope you will not fail to join me as soon as possible. You need not doubt to my being always ready to acknowledge so important a service, and give you proofs of ray sincere friendship, Charles F. F."